You Bought a Ticket. Will Your Concert Actually Happen?

Trey Anastasio at SummerStage Central Park on July 6, 2018;
he will headline the first full-capacity concert at the reopened Beacon Theatre

Trey Anastasio and the Beacon Theatre both announced today that the Phish vocalist/guitarist will return to the venue for two solo music and storytelling performances on June 22 and 23. The two shows are for coronavirus-vaccinated audiences exclusively. They would be the first full-capacity audience at the venue in 15 months.

Tickets will go on sale tomorrow for these concerts. All ticketholders over the age of 16 will need to be fully vaccinated and provide proof for entry to the concert. Children under the age of 16 may provide proof of a negative antigen COVID-19 test, negative PCR COVID-19 test or full vaccination, and must be accompanied by a vaccinated adult. Additional information and safety protocols are displayed here.

Anastasio most recently performed at the venue in The Beacon Jams, playing live stream concerts in a vacant theater every Friday from October 9 through November 27, 2020. Anastasio performed both acoustic and electric music solo and shared anecdotes and stories in The Beacon Jams. The June concerts are expected to be much the same.

Numerous venue operators in the past weeks have announced summer and fall concerts, all with the expectation that venues will be able to operate at 100 percent capacity. The public is purchasing these tickets. What measures still need to be in place for major concerts to actually happen?

The Saddlemen at the Bitter End on May 15;
the venue may shift to vaccinated-only music club

100 Percent Vaccinated Concerts

Governor Andrew Cuomo mentioned of his press briefing today that all venues in New York State have the option of going to 100 percent capacity for fully vaccinated people. "We've authorized 50-50, but the venue can choose to go to 100 percent vaccinated," he said. The governor referenced Radio City Music Hall, which he announced on May 17 would reopen in June to vaccinated persons only. 

Cuomo outlined how venue operators will want 100 percent capacity, and the only way to get that is for venues to mandate that all ticketholders must be immunized. City Winery NY was perhaps the first concert venue in New York to pioneer the hosting of COVID-free concerts, beginning with the Teddy Thompson concert on Mothers Day. For shows that were announced before the new policy launched at the end of April, ticketholders must pass a health screening at the door. For entry to all newly-announced concerts, ticketholders must produce proof of immunization or a negative COVID test.

So far, the Trey Anastasio shows are the only shows at the Beacon Theatre which will intend to be COVID-free. This week, Rockwood Music Hall announced its reopening in June, adding that ticket buyers for all shows must be vaccinated to enter the premises. Rumors say that Terra Blues will reopen in June and will have a similar door policy. Paul Rizzo, the owner of the Bitter End, last week began polling his customers about establishing mandatory vaccinations. At any venue, if all attendees show proof of vaccination, masking and social distancing rules do not need to be enforced. This may be the direction many venues will consider.

Light Warriors at the Bitter End on May 21

The Impact of Diminished Capacity on Concerts

The announcements of new concerts at established venues is looking like a waterfall now, as an increasing number of venues that were closed for 15 months are reactivating. Promoters are booking concerts and announcing ticket sales, but few of the websites are specifying what COVID-era safety protocols are in place. Ticket buyers do not know if air filtration systems have been modified, if social distancing was a consideration in the assignment of reserved seats, or if refunds will be available if infection rates increase later in the year and concert halls are closed again. The objective right now is far more basic, and its axis is simply to revive the revenue flow that was frozen for more than a year -- just reopen the concert halls and sell tickets.

At larger venues, tickets are sold for concerts with the expectation of 100 percent capacity by show time. Anything less than that might lead to a postponement or cancellation of a concert. The economics of the concerts do not factor for social distancing at large venues, as this greatly diminishing the sale of projected admissions and concessions.

The concerts at SummerStage Central Park this year require that all ticketholders be either vaccinated or test negative for COVID within the previous 72 hours. This would apply to the Chris Botti, George Clinton & Parliament-Funkadelic, Lake Street Dive and other shows in the Rumsey Playfield. The announcement of the Dawes concert on September 16 candidly stated that this engagement was assuming full capacity admissions. The fine print reads "should health and safety guidelines continue to require more limited seating capacity, tickets may be refunded or modified."

Diane & the Gentle Men at the Bowery Electric on May 8;
the Bowery Electric may separate vaccinated and unvaccinated customers

Don Dilego at the Bowery Electric on May 13

Mixed Populations

Since the beginning of the pandemic closures, venue operators have had to refit their strategies with every governmental update. Based on the relaxation of restriction in the past weeks, some club owners have strategized how to serve both vaccinated and unvaccinated populations. As seen below, the Bowery Electric was moving in the direction of having non-vaccinated people partitioned in the lower level closer to the stage, with vaccinated people in the mezzanine section.

Proposed vaccinated and unvaccinated sections at the Bowery Electric

The new innovation of entirely COVID-free venues can work for concerts whose tickets have not yet gone on sale. In many cases, tickets for upcoming concerts were sold even before the pandemic began. Promoters booked these shows with the expectation of 100 percent capacity. Reserved seats were sold long ago, but not separated by vaccinated and socially-distanced non-vaccinated sections. Under current governmental regulations, vaccinated and non-vaccinated people cannot sit side-by-side at concerts. What can promoters do?

Recent sporting events at Madison Square Garden and Barclays Center have had unmasked vaccinated and masked non-vaccinated sections. Spectators have noted that the pre-mapped isolation only works in the seating areas. Both populations shared bathrooms, concession lines, and other areas. The risk of COVID spread in these areas was an unexpected surprise to these spectators.

No doubt, this matter will be addressed soon. Promoters who already sold reserved seats to the public may consider retrofitting their concert seating as well as entry, exit, comfort stations and concessions. Venue operators may need to disregard pre-assigned seats and admit vaccinated people to certain sections and non-vaccinated persons to other sections. 

A more radical formula might be to refuse admission and refund ticket money to people who are not vaccinated. Because the unvaccinated require social distancing, the loss of an unvaccinated person possibly can permit three vaccinated people instead. Clearly, this replacement mode would increase sales of admissions and concessions.

Anya Aliferis & George Stass at the Red Lion on May 12;
the venue has a long bar area that normally would accommodate many in standing room

The Ban on Standing Room at Concerts

When speaking of smaller entertainment venues, Cuomo seems to be thinking in terms of theater or restaurant settings, not concert venues. At present, standing room is not allowed in any size venue. All customers in New York State must be seated at theaters, restaurants and bars.

The ban on standing room is perhaps the last obstacle that threatens the slate of concerts that were announced last week. Many concerts rely on a majority of the audience to be standing in order for the venue to achieve sustainable revenue. From large to small, Terminal 5, Brooklyn Steel, Webster Hall, Irving Plaza, the Brooklyn Bowl, the Music Hall of Williamsburg, the Bowery Ballroom, the Knitting Factory, S.O.B's, Mercury Lounge and countless other venues were designed to have crowds standing closely throughout the majority of the open space.

Arlene's Grocery, the Bowery Electric and Café Wha? placed tables and chairs where their standing room used to be. The addition of furniture significantly reduced the maximum capacity at these venues. In some cases, reduced capacity has raised the price of tickets, as one person makes up for two or three admissions.

The lingering prohibition of standing room has not been sufficiently addressed by the governor. If this regulation is not repealed, concert promoters may not reach the ticket sales they need to cover costs. These concerts may be rescheduled or cancelled.

Dance clubs may be the last venues to reopen. Brooklyn Mirage and Webster Hall have booked live dance events, but Lavo NY and the Marquee have not made any announcements yet. These venues cannot operate as sit-down operations.

The New York State Restaurant Association and the New York City Hospitality Alliance continue to lobby the state to allow standing room in bars, clubs and other entertainment establishments. There is no telling when the state will respond to these requests.

Tragic Remedy at the Red Lion on May 15

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The Manhattan Beat covers New York City's live music developments as they happen. All photographs are by Everynight Charley Crespo, except when noted otherwise. For a list of Manhattan venues that are presenting live music regularly, swing the desktop cursor to the right and click on the pop-up tab "Where to Find Live Music." For a listing of upcoming concerts for live audiences, visit The Manhattan Beat's  May 2021 calendar.