By K.D. Norris
It is often said by people in the local live music business that their venues, small and large, were the first to close when the COVID-19 pandemic hit and will likely be the last to fully reopen.
While the stage door was cracked open a little early this month when the state allowed venues to open at a reduced capacity, and the continued decrease in pandemic statistics and the rapidly increasing number of people getting the COVID-19 vaccines give even more hope, a sampling of local venues offer few gigs planned in the short term.
“We do not plan to book any live music indoors until capacity limits are higher,” Tami VandenBerg, co-owner of Pyramid Scheme in Grand Rapids, said to WKTV. But she, like many in the industry, holds hope for later in the year — “The shows still booked for spring will very likely be moved to fall.”
Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park’s outdoor amphitheater, and news of its its usual Fifth Third Bank Summer Concerts at Meijer Gardens and Tuesday Evening Music Club, are still quiet these days. But they too, are optimistically looking toward later in the year.
“We are working hard behind the scenes to be able to safely present live music at the Frederik Meijer Gardens Amphitheater during the summer and/or early fall of 2021,” John VanderHaagen, director of communications at Meijer Gardens, said to WKTV. “Current capacity restrictions are 1,000 for outdoor venues and we are hoping that as the numbers of vaccinated folks increases and cases fall, those restrictions will continue to be adjusted.”
The bottomline, VanderHaagen said, is that “guest safety remains our top priority and we will not present a series until that can be done safely in accordance to all local, state and national guidelines.”
State restrictions and guidelines, and local reaction
On March 2, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) updated two of its epidemic orders, among other things allowing for increased capacity limits at various entertainment venues. The changes went into effect March 5.
Those changes impacting entertainment venues included now allowing indoor entertainment venues to be at 50 percent capacity, up to 300 people; indoor stadiums and arenas are allowed have 375 if seating capacity is under 10,000, and 750 if seating capacity is over 10,000; and outdoor entertainment and recreational facilities have a capacity of 1,000.
“We continue to monitor the data closely, and based on current trends we are taking another step toward normalcy,” Elizabeth Hertel, MDHHS director, said in the March 2 announcement.
One state change in restrictions and guidelines which is also impacting local entertainment venues is allowed restaurants and bars to increase to 50 percent capacity up to 100 people and now allowing them to be open to 11 p.m.
For one, the Listening Room live music venue, known as a music-focused club, has opened with an adaptation.
“We currently have live jazz from 6 to 9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday nights, though it’s not as much of a (strictly music) show” as usual, Quinn Mathews, general manager of Listening Room, said to WKTV. “We partnered with our restaurant downstairs to serve dinner up in Listening Room during the live music.”
But, Mathews added, “we’ll do an outdoor concert series this spring and summer as well in the piazza here at Studio Park … (and) touring artists are confirming for the fall, so — fingers crossed — Listening Room will be back doing shows by fall.”
The fact that most venues are, in fact, awaiting national touring groups to begin feeling comfortable touring to set up local fall schedules was echoed by several venue spokespersons.
