Tag: Concerts

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Entertainment

Los Angeles to Require Masks at Massive Out of doors Concert events and Occasions

Los Angeles to Require Masks at Large Outdoor Concerts and Events

With coronavirus cases continuing to surge, Los Angeles County said Tuesday that masks must be worn at large outdoor concerts and sporting events that attract more than 10,000 people.

The new rule, which comes into effect Thursday at 11:59 p.m., means that visitors to the Hollywood Bowl, Dodger Stadium, outdoor music festivals and events designated by the county as “mega-events” must now wear masks. The rule applies to people regardless of their vaccination status.

People are allowed to take off their masks while eating and drinking, but only for a short time.

The order came as cities across the country took steps to curb the spread of the coronavirus. Chicago joined Los Angeles County, Washington, DC, San Francisco, and other areas to require masks in indoor public spaces. New York City Requires Proof of Vaccination for Indoor Dining and Entertainment Activities; Broadway will require proof of vaccination and masks when it reopens.

The new rules requiring masks at major outdoor events in Los Angeles came when the county reported that cases, hospitalizations, and positivity rates have all increased significantly. According to data collected by the New York Times, Los Angeles County is seeing an average of 3,361 new cases per day, an 18 percent increase from the average two weeks ago.

Los Angeles County has been aggressive in introducing masking requirements amid evidence that the Delta variant of the virus has spread. In the past month, people were forced to wear masks in public indoor spaces, regardless of their vaccination status.

Covid guidelines at the Hollywood Bowl have changed repeatedly over the year as the Los Angeles Philharmonic, which runs the Bowl, tried to adhere to the county’s changing regulations. It has drawn large crowds for the past six weeks. With a few exceptions, the people in the audience were maskless, as allowed by the district rules. But they tend to put on their masks when they join the hustle and bustle of people walking down the crowded sidewalks after the show.

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Entertainment

Famed Conductor, Citing Mind Tumor, Withdraws From Concert events

Famed Conductor, Citing Brain Tumor, Withdraws From Concerts

The renowned conductor Michael Tilson Thomas announced on Friday that he would withdraw from performances for the next several months as he recovers from surgery to treat a brain tumor.

Thomas, 76, the former music director of the San Francisco Symphony, said in a statement that he would take a hiatus through October as he undergoes treatment. He said doctors recently discovered the tumor and advised he have surgery immediately. He described the surgery, which took place at the University of California at San Francisco Medical Center, as successful.

“I deeply regret missing projects that I was greatly anticipating,” Thomas said in the statement. “I look forward to seeing everyone again in November.”

Thomas, an eminent figure in the music industry known by the nickname M.T.T., stepped down as the San Francisco Symphony’s music director last year. He had held the post since 1995 and was widely credited with transforming the ensemble into one of the best in the nation and championing works by modern American composers.

Thomas said in the statement that he was canceling his participation in a starry concert with the National Symphony Orchestra in September to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Kennedy Center, as well as appearances with the New World Symphony, a training orchestra for young artists in Miami that he helped found; the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, where he was to lead his “Agnegram” alongside works by Beethoven and Copland; and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

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Business

What to anticipate as reside music concert events begin to reemerge put up Covid-19

What to expect as live music concerts start to reemerge post Covid-19

A concert in Red Rocks Park and the Amphitheater outside of Denver.

John P Kelly | The Image Bank unpublished | Getty Images

When 31-year-old Riley Cash from Denver received his second vaccine earlier this month, the next thing on the agenda was a concert at nearby Red Rocks Park and Amphitheater.

The outdoor venue reopened this month with limited capacity and four night shows by a band called Lotus.

The fact that concerts were already coming back came as a surprise, Cash said. But after working from home for a year, he was dying to see one of his favorite acts live.

Tickets cost about $ 91 per person, more than Cash expected. But he said he considered himself and his friend lucky to be able to get tickets within days of the sale.

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“I just want to do something,” he said.

Some smaller outdoor and outdoor concerts are starting to open up, offering shows of limited capacity in hopes of finding attendees who feel the same way.

Anecdotally, these venues say they find it easy to fill the spots they can offer.

“We haven’t put a single show up for sale that didn’t blow up right away,” said spokesman Brian Kitts of Red Rocks, near Morrison, Colorado.

The outdoor yoga series that Red Rocks is selling is also selling out quickly, he said.

While it still feels a long way off for other indoor forms of entertainment such as opera and ballet to reopen, the first sales of the available events have gotten off to a stronger start than expected, Kitts said.

That’s a big deal for the urban venue, which lost roughly $ 52 million over the past year.

“Nobody saw this coming,” said Kitts.

“There are 400 people working at the venue every night, and all of those jobs were only gone overnight,” he said.

Dixie Strange, 30, during a morning yoga session at Red Rocks Amphitheater in Morrison, Colorado on August 22, 2020.

Mark Makela | Getty Images News | Getty Images

Ticket prices haven’t generally gone up at the start of the show season thanks to the bands and promoters, Kitts said.

However, there are new Covid-19 protocols.

There are no temperature checks on the door or requirements to prove a vaccine or a negative Covid-19 test.

However, other precautions were taken. There is a distance of two meters between groups of ticket holders, who now only occupy every second row. Masks are required in interiors such as bathrooms or in the visitor center.

The venue has also implemented touchless payment systems for all transactions.

We haven’t put a single show up for sale that wasn’t immediately blown out. “

Brian Kitts

Red Rocks spokesperson

Some of the concert dates that were canceled in 2020 have been postponed to 2021. Still, new acts are pushing not to be added to the calendar until October or even November, Kitts said.

“We will never again take for granted the ability to gather together and see a concert or go to a sporting event,” said Kitts.

While some venues report strong initial ticket sales, a recent Bankrate.com survey found that only 16% of adults bought tickets to a live event.

Concerts or music festivals were the most popular with 8% of those surveyed. Live theater or comedy followed, 6%; Professional sports or college games, 5%; or other live events that require tickets, 2%.

One reason for the lackluster poll results, which came in late March, could be that consumers are still smart about the money they lost in last year’s events, said Ted Rossman, senior industry analyst at Bankrate.com.

“We found last year that basically half of the people who had tickets to these events last year lost money,” said Rossman. “And I think a lot of people are shy about it.”

Buying tickets now presents a “calculated risk” that you may get your money or credit back if the events don’t go ahead as planned.

However, Bankrate.com found that people spend an average of $ 227 on concerts and music festivals, $ 191 on comedy or live theater, and $ 387 on games and sporting events when buying tickets.

Some of these costs may include additional security protocols.

For some venues, implementing these processes was key to getting attendees back in the door.

Rhett Miller will perform at City Winery NYC in New York City on April 3, 2021.

Taylor Hill | Getty Images Entertainment | Getty Images

At the City Winery in New York City, the seating capacity will be expanded from the current 100 participants per show to 150 from May 1st.

This date will also usher in a new vaccination-only policy for concert-goers who can use the CLEAR app to provide evidence and fill out a questionnaire in advance. Those who have not received the vaccination can bypass the rule by having a Covid-19 test in advance or on-site on the day of the event.

“We are excited to be driving this forward, so it is psychological comfort to be in a bubble knowing that everyone around you has been vaccinated too,” said Michael Dorf, CEO and Chairman of City Winery.

Even so, the venue has no plans to relax protocols, particularly with regard to wearing masks, until the government gives the OK, Dorf said.

The City Winery has dealt with varying capacity rules and restrictions at its other locations in cities like Nashville, Tennessee. Atlanta and Chicago.

Seeing the live music ecosystem reappear was deeply powerful and very moving.

Michael Dorf

CEO and Chairman of City Winery

One constant, however, remains the same: the fans’ appetite to see live music again.

“Everything we can offer for sale now … is sold out very quickly, enthusiastically,” said Dorf.

Like many other venues, City Winery struggled to close last year as it faced ongoing rents, utility bills, and payrolls.

But it has tried to keep its ticket prices in check, which largely depend on how much the artists paid. Several night shows have helped offset limited ticket sales due to lower capacity.

As the pandemic continues to subside, Dorf also hopes these restrictions come with it.

The introductory joke he tells the audience before each show is always the same, he said.

“Please don’t get used to so much space out there,” said Dorf. “We’ll rush you and get you in here as soon as we can safely.”

The biggest win was seeing the joy the performers feel when they get back on stage and the audience when they see it.

“Seeing the live music ecosystem reappear was deeply powerful and very moving,” said Dorf.

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Health

Digital Concert events to Watch – The New York Occasions

Virtual Concerts to Watch - The New York Times

The performing arts have endured a year like no other, but the decimation of touring and in-person shows has in no way suppressed music fans’ love for a live performance. In many ways, the pandemic has opened up creative new ways for artists to engage with their listeners.

As of March 2020, for example, the hugely popular Instagram Live series Verzuz, created by Timbaland and Swizz Beatz, has been recruiting some of the biggest names in rap, hip-hop, and R&B for nostalgic battles. Each artist highlights their musical works and mimics DJ battles. He plays a song, then his opponent follows with one of his own works, chosen with the intention of improving it. Committed audiences argue passionately about the winner. (As evidence of her popularity and relevance, voting rights activist Stacey Abrams appeared on a November show with Atlanta artists Gucci Mane and Jeezy to encourage voting in the Georgia Senate runoff.)

While small concerts with socially distant audiences are gradually returning, live-streamed music events allow the unvaccinated and people across the country to attend intimate shows by some great artists. Here you will find a selection of performances in the coming week that are worthy of a festival line-up but guarantee a comfortable seat in the front row.

March 30

Pandora is celebrating Women’s History Month with an all-female event hosted by Hoda Kotb and featuring appearances by Jazmine Sullivan and Gwen Stefani. They will also sit down with fellow artist Becky G and Lauren Alaina for a roundtable discussion on issues that women face in music. 9:00 p.m. East, free for Pandora members; pandoralivepoweredbywomen.splashthat.com/PR

2nd of April

The Grammy-winning gospel group will put on a Good Friday show to celebrate the Easter break with a range of hits, new and old. The company began performing in the late 1930s – its first members were children attending the Alabama Institute for the Negro Blind – and have been on a rotating list of band members ever since, many of whom are visually impaired. The socially distant, personal show held at Nashville’s City Winery will be broadcast live. 9:00 p.m. Eastern, tickets start at $ 18; boxoffice.mandolin.com

3rd of April

Steve Earle, who recently appeared on a cover of “The Times They Are A-Changin” for Feeding America, will perform live with country music icon and avid dog saver Emmylou Harris. The performance was filmed at City Winery Nashville and benefits animal welfare organizations Crossroads Campus and Bonaparte’s Retreat, a dog rescue initiative founded by Ms. Harris, located on her property. 9:00 p.m. EST, tickets $ 15; form.jotform.com/210543759066156

4. April

The legendary singer was very busy last year. She grew her fan base by becoming a must-see on Twitter, starring on season three of The Masked Singer (disguised as a mouse), and guest starring at the Battle of Gladys Knight vs. Patti LaBelle Verzuz. Ms. Warwick, who was nominated for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in February, will perform two virtual shows on Easter Sunday and two more shows on Mother’s Day. She is also expected to tour again in October. 2:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. EST, tickets $ 20, boxoffice.mandolin.com/pages/dionnewarwick

4. April

The Verzuz Battles have become one of the unique joys of quarantine. After the esteemed pairings of Snoop Dogg and DMX, as well as Alicia Keys and John Legend, the Isley Brothers and Earth, Wind & Fire become the next round of the popular series, which is the first time two bands have made it on the series. 8 p.m. EST, free on Instagram Live @verzuztv or on Triller.

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Entertainment

New York’s Pop-Up Live shows Kick Off With Jazz at a Vaccination Web site

New York’s Pop-Up Concerts Kick Off With Jazz at a Vaccination Site

At first it seemed like a small, no-frills concert in a carefully controlled environment: Jazz musician Jon Batiste sat at a piano in an auditorium in the Javits Center on Manhattan’s West Side, performing in front of about 50 seated health care workers in evenly spaced rows – some wear scrubs, other army clothes.

The dancer Ayodele Casel began to knock, with no musical accompaniment other than a recording of her own voice, and her increased convulsive roles filled the room. And the opera singer Anthony Roth Costanzo played “Ave Maria” in the angelic tones of a countertenor.

But about half an hour later, the performers stepped off the stage and left the room. What began as a formal concert turned into a boisterous procession of music and dance that ran through the sterile building – the convention center was turned into a field hospital early in the pandemic and is now a mass vaccination site – where hundreds of hopeful people are had come on Saturday afternoon to get their shots.

Batiste switched to the melodica, a stylish, hand-held reed instrument with keyboard, and the band of musicians, which had been expanded to include a horn section and drummer, marched up the escalator and through the convention center, finally reaching a climax. Ceiling room where dozens of people quietly waited 15 minutes after the vaccination for the required waiting times.

This concert roaming party was the first in a series of “pop-up” shows in New York designed to give the arts a jolt by giving artists paid work and audiences the chance to perform live after nearly a year see darkened theaters and concert halls. Governor Andrew M. Cuomo last month announced plans for the “NY PopsUp” series in which he stated “we need to bring art and culture back to life,” adding that their revitalization is essential for the economic revitalization of New York the city is of decisive importance. The shows begin as he comes under fire for the government’s handling of Covid-19 deaths of nursing home residents.

Since the program doesn’t attract crowds, most of the performances will be unannounced and suddenly pop up in parks, museums, parking lots and street corners. The idea is to bring a dose of inspiration into the lives of New Yorkers – a moment when they can disrupt their planned lives and experience art during a pandemic year when human contact is limited and people’s activities are severely restricted.

“We need more spontaneity; That’s the beauty of it, ”said Batiste in an interview. “You don’t know what’s around the corner.”

As the band of musicians roamed the Javits Center, the audience of healthcare workers followed them, clapping to the beat, and recording the spectacle on their cell phones. Batiste, the bandleader on “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert,” drove his musicians around the room (most of whom played with the show’s house band, including Endea Owens on bass, Tivon Pennicott on saxophone, and Joe Saylor and Nêgah Santos on drums).

Bre Williams, a 35-year-old blue scrub nurse who had come from Savannah, Georgia to help out in New York, watched wide-eyed.

“You guys do all that stuff up here?” she said with a laugh.

Just before the music ended, some of the health workers rushed off to continue their work day (this concert, after all, took place during their breaks).

The series is being created by a public-private partnership led by producers Scott Rudin and Jane Rosenthal along with the New York State Council for Art and Empire State Development. Zack Winokur, the director and interdisciplinary artist in charge of the program, said the group intends to have more than 300 pop-up performances in all counties and across the state by Labor Day. The performers are selected by an artists’ council – including Batiste, Casel and Costanzo – who are each asked to use their own networks to find participants.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a live performance,” said Winokur in an interview. “It’s a much needed experience right now.”

After performing at the Javits Center for the first time, the musicians made their way to Brooklyn, where they began another flash mob style street jam that started from Cadman Plaza Park and snaked through Dumbo to land at a skate park where teenagers stared at them curiously before hopping back on their skateboards. The free, mobile concerts are described by Batiste, who previously planned them on social media, as “love riots”. This drove over sidewalks and slushy snow and sometimes slowed down traffic.

Casel was prevented from tap dancing in the street and beat out rhythms by clapping her hands on the metal plates of her tap shoes. Costanzo danced with the band and at one point grabbed the megaphone to sing “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”.

While the music was meant to offer passers-by a spontaneous display, the march itself was as strictly regulated as any event from the time of the pandemic. Security guards guided members of the musical entourage through rough terrain and dog litter. Another employee asked viewers to spread out when they started violating social distancing guidelines.

Despite the logistics, the plan managed to arouse a spontaneous curiosity for dozens of people who unexpectedly came across the music. The band moved through narrow streets and shopping streets, making people stop, stare and sometimes groove a bit. Children peered through windows along Washington Street; A doorman shot out of an apartment building to see what all the noise was about. Pharmacy workers leaned out the door to film the procession on the sidewalk.

However, not everyone seemed to appreciate the music. At one point, someone in a residential building threw objects from several floors at the protesters (one of the security officers said he saw an orange juice container and a trophy in the snow).

The band, used to improvising, simply avoided the flying objects and marched a little faster, the music never stopped.

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Health

Flaming Lips Use of Plastic Bubbles at Live shows Go away Covid-19 Specialists Uncertain

Flaming Lips Use of Plastic Bubbles at Concerts Leave Covid-19 Experts Unsure

There are Covid-19 bubbles – small groups of friends or family members who agree to only interact with one another during the pandemic – and then there are the types of bubbles the Flaming Lips have used in recent concerts.

Band members and concert goers rocked and bounced while trapped in large, individual plastic bubbles amid bright, swirling lights in trippy scenes at concerts on Friday and Saturday in Oklahoma City.

The band took elaborate precautions during their live performances to protect themselves from the transmission of the coronavirus, but some health experts were unsure of the effectiveness of these measures.

“I would need to see how the air exchange works between the outside and the inside of the bubbles to be able to tell if it is overall safe or if it reduces the risk of transmission,” said Dr. Eric Cioe-Peña, director of global health at Northwell Health in New Hyde Park, NY

The Friday and Saturday concerts were originally scheduled for December, but the band postponed them due to the increasing cases of Covid-19 in the Oklahoma City metropolitan area.

“It’s a very limited, weird event,” the band’s front man Wayne Coyne told Rolling Stone last month. “But the craziness is that we can enjoy a concert before we endanger our families and everyone.”

“I think it’s a bit of a new normal,” he added. “You might go to a show, maybe not, but I think we can do it.”

In March, Mr Coyne posted a sketch on Instagram showing what the bubble concert might look like.

Nathan Poppe, a videographer and photographer documenting the show for the band, said on Twitter that the floor was constructed in a grid of 10 bubbles by 10 bubbles. “Each bladder can contain one person or two or maybe three,” he said.

Photos showed fans climbing into the balls on the concert floor, where the bubbles were then blown up with leaf blowers.

Each bladder was equipped with a high-frequency speaker, a water bottle, a fan, a towel, and a sign for when someone needed to use the toilet or when it was too hot inside. If it got too stuffy inside, the bladder could be filled with cool air, said Mr. Poppe.

He said concert goers could take off their masks in the bladder but would have to wear them after exiting the bladder.

“You roll your bladder to the exit and open it on the door,” he said.

It was not immediately clear what became of the bubbles used after the 90-minute performances, each attended by around 200 people.

Some health professionals have had concerns about the safety of users in the bladders.

“There is no evidence of the effectiveness – or the absence – of these bubbles from an infectious disease transmission point of view,” said Dr. Sandro Galea, dean of the Boston University School of Public Health.

He said that controlling virus transmission relies on good air circulation and filtration.

“If air filtration is good, protective barriers can theoretically increase and decrease the risk of transmission. However, I would hesitate to go to a concert in a bubble right now unless further researched,” he said.

Dr. Cioe-Peña said the plastic bubbles used at the concerts appeared to be unventilated. But if each of the bubbles had “a bidirectional filtered air supply,” he said, “it would effectively prevent covid transmission between the bubbles.”

While a plastic bladder could help reduce exposure to “infectious agents” when filled with filtered air, it could also lead to increased levels of carbon dioxide in the bladder, said Richard E. Peltier, associate professor of environmental health sciences at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

“My recommendation would be to add a small CO2 sensor to the bladder,” he said. “While they’re not always the most precise, they should be enough to tell a concert-goer that it’s time to take a break and freshen up the stale air. And then safely enjoy the music again. “