According to a published report from Syracuse.com, New York State has effectively stuck a stake in the heart of the bar and club scene, already on life-support since the pandemic shut down the live music and touring business this past spring. As of now, for Phase 3 of the re-opening of the state, New York State prohibits them from offering live music that customers pay for separately. It seems to have suddenly popped up in the rules this week. It means no events where patrons buy tickets to see a performance. It also appears to ban events with cover charges. And it prohibits venues from advertising live entertainment. Realistically bars and small shows were not coming back as part of Phase 3 anyhow with infection numbers spiking all over the country, and New York being fearful of another lockdown. Still, this is very bad news in an already rough time for the business.
This is insane!
The rule, posted in Q&A format on the State Liquor Authority web site see link below, , does allow what it calls “incidental” live music at venues that have permits for that. According to the report:
“This means that advertised and/or ticketed shows are not permissible,” the SLA guidelines say. “Music should be incidental to the dining experience and not the draw itself.”
Many bars, restaurants and venues that had begun scheduling such events in recent weeks were taken by surprise. News of the new rules made the rounds among musicians and venue operators Tuesday.
“This is devastating,” said Julie Leone, co-owner of The 443 Social Club & Lounge on Burnet Avenue in Syracuse. The 443 had only reopened in the past few weeks. “This effectively shuts me down again.”
People in the entertainment industry say it’s especially frustrating because it seemed to come out of nowhere.
“It’s absolutely cruel,” said Syracuse musician Colin Aberdeen, who has only recently started playing live gigs again. “They’ve been dangling the idea that these venues can reopen, and then, arbitrarily and randomly they take it away. I mean I’m all for safety protocols, but they have to make sense. Why would they do this?”
https://sla.ny.gov/phase3-guidelines-for-on-premises-licenses