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| Patti Smith and Lenny Kaye at City Hall on December 27 (photograph courtesy the Mayor's Office) |
Starting yesterday, employees and guests 12 years of age or older must show proof of full COVID vaccination to enter an indoor dining or entertainment venue in New York City. Children 5 to 11 years old must have proof of one COVID inoculation. The new mandate is an expansion of the Key to NYC program, which until yesterday required proof of only an initial dose for all staff and patrons.
Specifically, workers and customers will need to show proof of two doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine or one dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine to enter any indoor dining, entertainment or fitness facility in the city. This applies to arenas, gymnasiums, movie theaters, museums, nightclubs and restaurants
Also starting yesterday, nearly 185,000 private-sector businesses in New York City must require their employees to have received at least one COVID vaccine dose. The mandate also requires employers to collect evidence-of-inoculation documentation, maintain a full record of their workers' vaccination statuses ready for city inspection, and follow-up for those employees who have not returned for their second dose. Businesses that do not comply are subject to fines starting at $1,000. New York’s mandate is the United States’ first vaccine requirement for a private-sector workforce.
The isolation period for those exposed to the virus is shorter now. Rather than a 10-day quarantine period, isolation only needs to stretch across five days.
The wearing of masks is not part of a governmental mandate. Nevertheless, many venues are asking customers to wear a nose-and-mouth covering at all times except while eating or drinking.
The omicron variant is now the leading contagion in New York, outpacing the delta variant. Omicron cases are milder than those linked to delta. Nevertheless, the widespread transmission of infections is decimating staffing across all industries. It is also creating a surging demand for tests. Both the city and the state have opened new test sites on Monday yet are still unable to meet the demand, as people wait on line for more than an hour in many locations.
Reopening Dates for David Byrne & the Iridium
David Byrne's American Utopia canceled several performances this past week at the St. James Theatre due to members of the cast and crew testing positive. Starting tonight, rather than canceling more shows, Byrne and his available musicians will present a more acoustic show with a revised repertoire. The new show, which Byrne is calling Unchained, will include songs from the American Utopia show plus songs from his Talking Heads era, including "And She Was," and his solo albums. Unchained will continue until January 2, after which Byrne hopes to resume the regular show with a full cast.
The Iridium has postponed its reopening yet again. The venue was supposed to open with Kaki King last night. "Due to the Omnicron Variant, and all the uncertainty surrounding it, The Iridium will be reopening on January 10, 2022," reads a notice on the venue's website. "Anyone who bought shows between December 27th - January 9th will automatically receive refunds." The new cancellations are for performances by the Harlem Blues Project, Macy Gray, Pakt, Joe Louis Walker, and the Oz Noy Power Trio. The Iridium has been closed since March 2020.
After a brief closure, City Winery NYC reopened with comedy shows on Saturday and Sunday, although with a stricter policy that required staff and customers to present a negative test result in addition to proof of vaccination. The Bitter End and the Red Lion reopened last night after a brief omicron break. In many cases, the venue operators are attempting to remain open, but the venues are dark on some nights because the artists are canceling on short notice, not giving the promoters sufficient time to book and promote a substitute attraction.
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| Mayor Bill de Blasio with Patti Smith and Lenny Kaye at City Hall on December 27 (photograph courtesy of the Mayor's Office) |
Updates on Concert Postponements and Cancelations
Although Patti Smith postponed tonight's concert at Brooklyn Steel and her guitarist Lenny Kaye postponed his birthday concert at the Bowery Ballroom last night, Mayor de Blasio honored their 75th birthdays during his media advisory at City Hall yesterday. He presented Smith with the key to New York City. Smith and Kaye then performed "Ghost Dance," after which the mayor remarked, "Undoubtedly, one of the coolest things that has ever happened at New York City Hall." Smith responded, "I came here with nothing, just like when I first came to New York, and I'm leaving with a cupcake and the key."
Soulive announced on Monday the postponement of the band's Bowlive New Year’s Eve residency at Brooklyn Bowl on December 29–31. The shows are rescheduled for July 7–9, 2022. The new dates will coincide with a 13th-anniversary of the venue. All previously purchased tickets will be honored at the new dates.
New supergroup LaMP (guitarist Scott Metzger, keyboardist Ray Paczkowski and drummer Russ Lawton) will not perform at Nublu on December 29. James Maddock will perform a free live stream rather than his scheduled performance at City Winery NYC on December 31. Looking ahead to the new year, Nick Mason's Saucerful of Secrets postponed its dates at the Beacon Theatre and the Capitol Theatre.
The following concerts will not happen tonight. They were either postponed or canceled.
- Angelique Kidjo at the Metropolitan Museum of Art
- Patti Smith and Her Band at Brooklyn Steel
- Aimee Mann at City Winery NYC
- Valencia at Irving Plaza
- Mona's Hot Four at Mona's
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| Patti Smith and Lenny Kaye perform "Ghost Dance" at City Hall on December 27 (photograph courtesy of the Mayor's Office) |
Live Music Tonight
The Manhattan Beat recommends the following concerts for Tuesday, December 28. As the scenario changes constantly, a confirmation call to the venue before traveling would be wise.
- David Byrne's Unchained at the St. James Theatre
- Chris Botti at the Blue Note (8 & 10:30 p.m.)
- Brett Gleason, Michael Rider, Elizabeth Owens at East Berlin
- SaRon Crenshaw (acoustic) at Terra Blues (7 p.m.)
- David Ostwald’s Louis Armstrong Eternity Band at the Birdland Theater (5:30 p.m.)
- The Birdland Big Band featuring Nicole Zuraitis at the Birdland Jazz Club (7 & 9:30 p.m.)
- The Lineup with Susie Mosher at the Birdland Theater (8:30 p.m.)
- Milo Z at the Red Lion (10 p.m.)
- The Clarence Spady Band at Terra Blues (10 p.m.)
- Steve Aoki at Nebula (11 p.m.)
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 December 2021 and January 2022 calendars.
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