The coronavirus has taken the world by storm as many businesses have had to close their doors on a temporary or permanent basis. The effects of lockdowns and social distancing have been acutely felt by the music industry in particular. The rules and regulations put in place have made it impossible for people to gather to see bands and many venues have had to shut their doors during the pandemic.
Now that cases are beginning to decline, some clubs are getting the green light to reopen. But the question is, what will these clubs be doing to keep their employees and patrons safe? What are they doing to try to counter the bleak predictions of a stronger wave set to come due to businesses reopening without taking the proper precautions? Read on to find out.
Smaller Music Venues
As businesses are starting to reopen, many smaller venues are being given the green light to start hosting live music. Ohio is one of the first states to get the okay. They kicked things off a couple of weeks ago with some success.
The rules in place were as follows:
- The bar must follow social distancing rules when serving patrons. They must also do their best to stay distanced from fellow employees. Screens have been erected in many venues at bar areas to contain the spread of germs.
- Performers must also keep to social distancing guidelines staying six feet away from patrons as well as their band mates.
- Only parties that arrive together can sit together and tables are positioned six feet apart from one another.
Ohio’s reopening weekend was met with much success and patrons, employees and performers reported feeling very comfortable with the new normal. Club owners are committed to moving forward slowly adding limited live music nights to their rosters and seeing how things go from there.
Larger Music Venues
Social distancing is more of a challenge at larger venues. The Temple in Arkansas is one venue that had a go at it hosting a Travis McCready show on May 18.
Only 200 fans were let in to the normally 1100 capacity venue. Groups were asked to sit in clusters with the people they came with and were seated six feet apart form other groups. The facility was well sanitized, masks were worn and temperatures were taken at the door.
Although the event went as planned, the limited capacity meant the venue didn’t make any money off the evening. They hosted it because they wanted to do something nice for the community. However, this presents a problem for larger venues who need to host full capacity shows to make money.
The music industry will definitely face challenges as things start to reopen, but the progress made so far is a step in the right direction. It is hopeful that things will continue to move forward in a positive manner.
