More Music Venues Admitting Vaccinated-Only Audiences

The Foo Fighters, shown above at Madison Square Garden on July 16, 2018, will headline the first-ever full-capacity vaccination-only concert at the venue on June 20.

The Foo Fighters, the Strokes, Trey Anastasio and other music acts are performing to 100 percent capacity audiences this month for the first time in New York since the coronavirus outbreak halted the live music industry in March 2020. Radio City Music Hall, Mercury Lounge, and Arlene's Grocery are among the venues that announced in recent weeks that ticketholders must show proof of COVID-vaccination for entry. The movement, pioneered months ago by City Winery NY and the Shed, was controversial at first, but it is becoming the industry standard.

The Foo Fighters will be the first full-capacity concert at Madison Square Garden on June 20. The Strokes will reopen Irving Plaza at maximum capacity on June 12 for Maya Wiley's mayoral bid. The multi-act Love Rocks NYC was the first COVID-free concert at the Beacon Theatre on June 3, but it was at limited capacity. The Trey Anastasio concerts there on June 22 and 23 will be the venue's first public concert at 100 percent capacity.

Terra Blues quietly reopened on June 6 as a vaccination-only venue. SaRon Crenshaw was among the first musicians to return to the famed blues stage.

Irish rocker Niall Connolly was among the first performers to play at the reopened Rockwood Music Hall, Stage 2, to a vaccinated-only audience on June 5

At present, venues in New York City must operate as COVID-free facilities in order to admit 100 percent capacity. Venues including the Rockwood Music Hall and Terra Blues, closed for 16 months because financial feasibility could not be achieved under limited capacity, reopened this month with vaccination-only door policies. Other venues, including the Bitter End, have added vaccination-only sections to a mixed-population venue, and also has all-vaccination nights.

Venues like City Winery that sold tickets long ago are instituting the vaccine-only policy for all newly-announced concerts. Larger venues, including Citi Field, Forest Hills Stadium, and Irving Plaza, which sold tickets prior to the governor allowing vaccination sections, may have to adapt by the time the concerts occur, depending on what are the state's regulations on the day of the show. Other venues, Including the Blue Note, which will open to a week of sold-out shows on June 15, will not require vaccinations but will conduct a health screening at the door and separate patrons' tables with Plexiglas barriers.

Mia Gentile at the Bitter End on June 1. The Bitter End has a section by the stage that is designated for vaccinated customers only.

The Holy Veins at the Bitter End on June 2

Governor Andrew Cuomo announced on June 7 that more restrictions would be relaxed when 70 percent of adult New Yorkers have received at least the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. He did not elaborate on which restrictions would be eased. Since his statement, the vaccination rate in New York has increased to 69 percent.

"The light at the end of the tunnel is to remove the remaining COVID restrictions, right?," asked the governor. "Get to a point where COVID is not inhibiting our society, not inhibiting our growth. To do that we have to be at 70 percent. When we hit 70 percent, then I feel comfortable saying to the people of this state we can relax virtually all restrictions. We're at 68.6 almost there, but this isn't horseshoes. We want to be at 70 percent. 1.4 percent to go, and then we can lift the capacity restriction, social distancing, the hygiene protocols, the health screenings, the potential tracing. Masks will only be required as recommended by the CDC. There'll be still will be some institutional guidelines. Large venues, schools, public transportation, hospitals, nursing homes. But we hit 70 percent we will be back to life as normal, or as normalized as you can be post-COVID."

The Sideways Paving Co. at the Bowery Electric on May 28. The venue has maintained tables and chairs on what was previously standing room in front of the stage.

Holy Vulture at the Bowery Electric on May 28

Numerous music venues are already showing a reduction in safety protocols. Increasingly, some partitions have been removed, customers can walk through the premises without wearing a face covering, and patrons are standing or dancing.  Venues with outdoor seating are subject to fewer restrictions.

Drummer Faron Tillson and his musicians performed at Rue-B on May 29. Most of the audience sits at partitioned tables in an outdoor shed.

Xaxa at Groove on June 1. Most of the audience sits at outdoor tables.

On a national level, the National Independent Talent Organization has launched the Vax4Live campaign. AEG Presents, Bandit Lites, Fox Theatre Atlanta, Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, International Association of Venue Managers, Independent Promoter Alliance, Red Light Management, and Universal Attractions Agency have partnered in this movement. The campaign is running with the slogan "Let’s Get Back to Live Events."

"The faster we get the COVID-19 vaccination, the sooner we can more safely open our clubs, arenas, theaters, stadiums, exhibition centers, festivals and all other live events," reads the Vax4Live website. "Spread the word, not the virus."

Ashley Strongarm at the Bowery Electric on May 21

Gooseberry at the Bowery Electric on May 21