NYC Music Venues Seek More Than a Midnight Curfew

Steve Earle at City Winery NY on April 14

Starting this coming Monday, April 19, bars and restaurants in New York State will be able to serve customers one hour later, until midnight, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced in a press conference this afternoon.

The new curfew adjustment for New York bars and restaurants is the first since February, when Cuomo extended the curfew from 10 to 11 p.m. That change afforded restaurants and bars with live music the opportunity to start and end a bit later. The Anyway Café, for instance, moved its show time from 7 to 7:30 p.m. Cuomo's elimination of curfews for other kinds of venues two weeks ago permits Sour Mouse NYC to have its bands play past midnight on weekends.

Mona's Hot Four at Mona's on April 13

The New York State Restaurant Association and the NYC Hospitality Alliance are among the groups that are petitioning legislators for further concessions from the governor. They have been lobbying elected officials for months and have been frustrated by the slow and minimal changes.

"The extra hour is good news for many businesses, which we advocated for," the NYC Hospitality Alliance responded today on its website. "It’s unclear when the curfew will be fully lifted, when the problematic requirement that a 'food item' be served with alcohol is eliminated, or when the rule prohibiting businesses from serving customers at bars in New York City will be lifted."

Cancion Franklin at the Juke Bar on April 13

These stipulated regulations have impacted music venues in particular, many of which did not serve food in the past but must now produce a food menu in order for its customers to order an alcoholic drink. In addition, music clubs depended on maximum capacity for concerts by having standing room by the stage and by the bar, neither of which is admissible today because all customers must be seated at tables. The venues that have opened, like Berlin, the Bowery Electric and Café Wha?, have filled their formerly open spaces in front of the stage with tables, chairs and dividers. Although restaurants are now allowed 50 percent capacity and non-restaurants are allowed 33 percent, many smaller venues cannot even reach that percentage once they install tables and chairs and space them out.

In addition, mid-sized indoor venues are limited to 33 percent capacity with a maximum of 100 patrons, and up to 150 if everyone produces proof of vaccination or a negative Covid test results. City Winery NY, which normally would have a capacity of 400, is seating 25 percent, 100 patrons. Due to the reduced capacity, several music artists who might have played one night and moved on instead are playing multiple nights. Steve Earle performed last night, tonight and will play tomorrow night to complete a three-night engagement when he could have had the same number in the audience in one night if the venue was allowed greater volume.

Stacy Dillard (far right) at Rue-B on April 13

Many music venue operators, including those who ran the long-shuttered Bowery Ballroom, Blue Note, Iridium, and Mercury Lounge, have stated publicly that the state's gradual relaxation of restrictions are not happening fast enough for them to open and sustain their businesses. On the other hand, though, a slowly increasing number of other venue operators are opening their doors, despite the certainty of diminished revenue compared to pre-Covid years.

"I had to give it a try," Paul Rizzo, owner of the Bitter End, told The Manhattan Beat. Due to the state's no-standing-room policy and the increased spacing between tables, Rizzo had to reduce the Bitter End's capacity from the pre-Covid 230 customers to 47 customers.

Chris Campion outside the Corner Bistro on April 13

Given the restrictions, many local venue operators have been very clever in how they reimagined the staging of their live music for live audiences. At Mona's, which hosts a bluegrass ensemble on Mondays and a jazz quartet on Tuesdays, the prohibition of standing space in the narrow room means that nearly all the seated customers and their tables are pressed against the wall opposite the band and the bar. The Juke Bar presently can seat only 19 customers when Cancion Franklin performs every other Tuesday, so any overflow sits in the next room or outside against the windows. Due to the limited space indoors, Rue-B leaves its doors and windows open so that customers seated in its roadside shed can see and hear the jazz bands. Baby Brasa has situated its musical performers in the center of its massive roadside shed, and so has all but abandoned its interior space. The Corner Bistro similarly counts on outdoor business, such that Chris Campion and his band perform on the sidewalk on Sunday afternoons and Tuesday evenings.

"We will continue to ask for additional capacity and curfew changes," the New York State Restaurant Association stated today in social media. "We hope to see further easing of restrictions in the near future."

Edo Ferragamo at Baby Brasa on April 13

Meanwhile, the federal funds that were appropriated to help entertainment venues survive the pandemic are stalled. The National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) successfully lobbied long and hard in 2020 with a "Save Our Stages" movement, but there is no sign that financial aid is within arms reach. NIVA and the New York Independent Venue Association (NYIVA) have been posting updates from the Small Business Association (SBA), and none of the news is encouraging. The SBA never before tackled an initiative this large, and at press time was experiencing a week-long technology paralysis. The application process for the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant crashed within four hours of opening.

"We are working closely with our vendors to fix the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant tech issues, which have been identified," read a statement from the SBA on April 9. "As they work to remedy them, we can confirm we did not accept any applications or distribute any funding - and the ability to submit an application remains closed.

"So many live venues and related businesses have been impacted by this pandemic and we want to ensure relief is delivered as quickly and equitably as possible. We will provide further updates as we receive them and appreciate your patience."

The Manhattan Beat will continue to cover New York City's live music developments as they happen. For a list of Manhattan venues that are presenting live music regularly, swing the cursor to the right and click on the tab "Where to Find Live Music." For a listing of this month's upcoming live concerts for live audiences, visit The Manhattan Beat's calendar.