Concert Promoter Adds Second Socially-Distant Show to Governor’s Dismay
Concert Promoter Adds Second Socially-Distant Show to Governor’s Dismay
(Bloomberg) -- TempleLive, the promoter behind the nation’s first socially-distant concert in the era of Covid-19, will continue on with its Travis McCready show later this week in Fort Smith, Arkansas, despite disapproval from the state’s governor. And with the live events industry at a near standstill nationwide, the organization is even adding a second show with the country-rock singer just across state lines.
“We announced a show with Travis for the next night at Tall Pines Distillery in Missouri,” Mike Brown, a representative of TempleLive handling live music, revealed in a message. Missouri’s social distancing measures are still in play, but the state earlier this month began phase one of planning its reopening.
The added show in a neighboring state comes after Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson shunned the promoter’s original show slated for Friday May 15th, calling the event a violation of the state’s directive that businesses can reopen on May 18th.
“So that has not been approved,” Hutchinson, a Republican, said in a press conference Monday updating the public on the state’s coronavirus statistics. “We’ve looked at their plan and their plan was insufficient as well. So that concert does not have our approval.”
Planned safety precautions and the use of “fan pods” at the Travis McCready show, in hopes of curbing the spread of the coronavirus, have far-reaching implications for the live events industry. If the concert goes forward, the measures could peel back the curtains on how indoor events and even large-scale festivals might look in the future.
Projections remain clouded as to when music touring will get back to the bustling pace the industry was experiencing. Live Nation Entertainment, the nation’s largest concert organizer, had been a benefactor to the sector seeing one of its best years before the Covid-19 outbreak put an end to events globally. Even the formerly-known Madison Square Garden Co. had spun-off its growing entertainment assets from its struggling, yet high-value sports franchise.
If anything is clear, TempleLive’s eagerness to put on more concerts is indicative of the sentiment stemming from show promoters and regional venue owners: let’s get back to business.
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