\nIn the months leading up to the shutdown in mid-March of 2020, the Asheville music scene was running full throttle. Venues featuring local artists booked live music several nights of the week. And venues featuring touring acts boasted busy calendars as well. But once the government-mandated health and safety rules went into effect, nearly every venue closed. Long-scheduled concert dates were canceled (or postponed, only to be canceled soon thereafter).<\/p>\n
The fixed costs associated with running a club or concert hall ran up against an overnight loss of revenue. So whether for pandemic-relate reasons or other pressures, some Asheville music spots would close their doors for good. West Asheville\u2019s popular Mothlight was the first to announce its closure; Ambrose West followed not long after.<\/p>\n
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Designed as downtown Asheville\u2019s newest outdoor music venue, Rabbit Rabbit had the misfortune of scheduling its opening right as the shutdown began. \u201cAt the beginning of 2020, we already had Vampire Weekend on the books to open our first season,\u201d says Jeff Santiago, Operations Manager for both the outdoor concert space and the Orange Peel. \u201cWe were in the middle of a build-out when the pandemic hit.\u201d<\/p>\n
A mix of governmental and artist-required restrictions continued well into the middle of 2022, Santiago says. But in many cases, the rules were moot. \u201cSome artists decided not to tour,\u201d Santiago explains. \u201cSo we saw a few tours \u2013 ones we already had on the books \u2013 go away.\u201d<\/p>\n
Help on the way<\/strong> The grassroots organization helped create and pass the Save Our Stages Act (renamed the Shuttered Venues Operators Grant Program). That initiative became law in December 2020, providing a fund of $16 billion in emergency relief for entertainment venues. \u201cNIVA was a big deal for coming together to help each other navigate through the problems we had to face,\u201d Santiago says. \u201cThat was a part of what helped us survive.\u201d<\/p>\n Potentially post-pandemic<\/strong> \u201cThere\u2019s a small handful of artists who aren\u2019t comfortable yet,\u201d Santiago says, \u201cbut [nearly] everyone\u2019s back at it.\u201d Meanwhile, vaccination requirements, mask mandates and enforced social distancing have all gone away. \u201cThe onus for attending shows has kind of reverberated back to attendees, Rodriguez observes. \u201cThe \u2018new normal\u2019 is really defined by the people attending events.\u201d<\/p>\n Matthieu Rodriguez, Marketing Coordinator for Harrah\u2019s Cherokee Center observes that while the strict requirements of the pandemic era no longer apply, many touring acts continue to follow strict health and safety protocols. \u201cOver the past year, we\u2019ve seen artists maintain the same level of standard operating procedures for health and wellness backstage,\u201d he says. \u201cThey make most of their money on touring, so it’s imperative for them to keep continuing testing and to wear face masks when they’re setting up.\u201d<\/p>\n Santiago says that the same is true at his venues. \u201cOur production team continue to wear masks when they’re working, because they know they’re dealing with people who are traveling all around the country and coming into contact with a lot of people,\u201d he says. Any discussions about health and safety issues are addressed in the advance discussions between artist and venue, says Santiago; such matters are not typically part of the language of contracts.<\/p>\n VIP experiences and meet-and-greets had become widely popular in the pre-pandemic era. And both Santiago and Rodriguez note that the frequency of those premiums is now near the level of four years ago. \u201cThe artists want to get back to that,\u201d Rodriguez says. \u201cThey miss people.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe’re seeing more and more meet-and-greet packages,\u201d Santiago reports. \u201cAny kind of upsell that artists are doing is an opportunity for them to make more income. I think they’re just trying to maximize their income possibilities given the amount of income lost over the pandemic.\u201d<\/p>\n Some of the increased costs that came about during the pandemic are lingering even now. Global supply chain disruptions and inflation haven\u2019t helped. But Rodriguez emphasizes that the city-owned Harrah\u2019s Cherokee Center has a goal of \u201cnot pushing those rising costs onto our fans.\u201d<\/p>\n And people are indeed coming out for shows once again. \u201cWe did see our drop count go down,\u201d says Santiago, referring to the number of ticket holders who show up at an event. \u201cBut those counts have gotten increasingly [higher] in 2022.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nEven with significantly fewer shows and reduced attendance at those dates, music venues still had to contend with expenses associated with staffing and operations. But one of the rare upsides of the pandemic is that adversity brought businesses together. Launched in 2020, the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) began as a means for venues across the U.S. to pool their resources and lobby for federal assistance during the pandemic.<\/p>\n
\nAs the third anniversary of the lockdown approaches, day-to-day operations at music venues that survived the worst of the pandemic are returning to normal. There\u2019s strong incentive for that: audiences are ready to come out and see shows, and the venues are ready to fill up their open calendar dates.<\/p>\n