State ruling keeps live-performance venues closed

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Lucky House seen performing at The Chance.

HUDSON VALLEY – Restaurants, bars, and music venues such as Daryl’s House in Pawling continue to be negatively impacted by pandemic-related rulings from New York State.

In a recent ruling by the New York State Liquor Authority (SLA), live music performances that are advertised in advance and require tickets to be purchased are prohibited.  According to the state, live music is allowed only if it is considered incidental to a patron’s reason to visit, such as dinner at a restaurant.  Liquor-serving establishments are also prohibited from allowing karaoke, dancing, comedy shows, and bar games such as corn hole.

Prohibiting restaurants and bars from advertising about upcoming entertainment, even though the establishment is not selling tickets or requiring a cover charge is affecting the performers.  Heather Colvin, vocalist for Lucky House said the band is performing but they are barred from publicizing it in advance.  “Advertising is the only way to let people know who you can see and where they are playing. Most places have dinner crowds looking for specific music.”  Colvin called the advertising ban “completely unfair”.   The vocalist said that Lucky House meets the requirement of performing incidental to patrons visiting an establishment for food and drinks but said “I’m happy to be incidental, but it would be nice to let my friends know what location that is.”

Daryl’s House, a live music venue located in Pawling and owned by Daryl Hall of Hall & Oates fame abruptly closed recently.  In a statement, Hall said “I am so sorry to say that Daryl’s House is going to have to close temporarily due to the existing situation, but we’re going to come back!”  The venue is well-known for having live performances that require tickets for admittance.

In Poughkeepsie, The Chance Theater, an historic live-performance venue is still closed due to the pandemic.  Owner Frank Pallett started making renovations in anticipation of being able to open when Phase 3 started but the state rulings have kept him closed. “I’m hoping that Governor Cuomo reverses his decision much in the way he did with gyms and fitness centers.  We are capable of operating at a percentage of our maximum capacity and we want the opportunity to open back up.”  Nikki Johannessen, manager of the theater noted that they had to postpone shows they had scheduled for September indefinitely.  “The last show we had was on March 12th.  We have shows booked for October and now those performances are in jeopardy of not happening.”

A national movement by independently-owned performance venues, Save Our Stages, has begun lobbying of Congressional representatives in an attempt to get federal funding to keep their businesses afloat.  According to a statement on the website, “The live event industry is experiencing upwards of 90% revenue loss and will be closed well into 2021 due to safety concerns posed by large gatherings. Without support from Congress, 90% of NIVA’s independent venues across America say they will be forced to close their doors forever.”

 




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