# Live music after covid might it happen again?



## Eric Reesor (Jan 26, 2020)

I am hoping, indeed beyond hope, that after the pandemic subsides the ridiculous high rents on spaces for simple coffee shops plummet in big cities. Especially for anyone who wishes to start a little open stage for artists and that this type of venture starts to become within reach of the people with the musical vision and need to give back to the field of music.

It is very true that there is a much greater sense of live music community in small towns where rents and expectations are not so crazy than there is in places like Vancouver and Victoria. This was not always the case.

For good ensemble and even solo music to happen and be creative, there must be some social interaction that transcends what has killed the open stage that was the training ground for a great many musicians in the not too distant past. The proprietors of some of these little establishments knew very well that they were contributing to music and the future of musicians and for some that is exactly why they ran their little venues. Not to get rich quick but to enrich. Bach and his second wife did the same thing, he was delighted if someone showed up and played something he wrote in their coffee shop, or he would just improvise something on the spot on either the violin, the harpsichord or the Lautenwerck - Wikipedia

I remember places like the Chat Noir, the Old Cellar where you never new who might get up and play on an open stage night and you never knew what you might hear, or who you might get to play with. If you had a few tunes up and wanted to share then just go for it. If you create music of your own or could improvise on the spot then great, you never know, someone might get up and add a bass or whatever on the spot because they were inspired by your music.

Today an open stage could easily record everything on the spot or even stream it live in an open stage pod cast to subscribers with the audience chiming in on cell phones or whatever. The stage could evolve and become something wonderful if it is truly open and open to moments of inspiration and not just the endless canned stuff from major know artists like a top 40 internet radio station, or need to be plagued by requests of music that the aspiring musician(s) do not know. When I was young I went to coffee shops to hear music that I did not know not to hear the endless repeats of popular tunes off the radio!

Canada is the right spot for this to happen because the major American music gods that have all but killed small venue performance think that we are nothing but bunch of "pirates" anyway. So in this regard they can all go take a flying leap IMO. If I play a little piece by Federico Moreno Torroba released on Schott publications that is not in the PD and am not being paid to perform then who cares? Similarly if I stream out the Cavatina from the Deer Hunter and am not being paid to do it then they can go take a flying leap into the swamps from whence they came. Music for some is like bird song you play it for no real reason if you love music.

I chose to be optimistic about what might happen in the inevitable recession after this pandemic finally is gone, to not be optimistic for me, especially at my age is not an option. Perhaps even in what is left of my lifetime we might see a little return to the sanity that once happened on the small stage in big cities of tomorrow, who knows if I win a lottery I might even open one myself.

Here is hoping beyond hope that some real sense of community returns to music at least here in Canada. I make no distinctions in genre of music here. Except for stuff at over 100db peaks where you cannot make out what the notes are except the bass and drums. I leave that to the clubs where the tone deaf and the soon to be deaf over hyped "professional " musicians of today play to tone deaf audiences of stoned and drunk "music lovers".


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## Kerry Brown (Mar 31, 2014)

While I agree with most of what you say the last paragraph bothers me. I played in open mics in coffe shops and hope to do so again after COVID. I also play in loud bar jams with drunken patrons. One is not better than the other.


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## Eric Reesor (Jan 26, 2020)

Kerry Brown said:


> While I agree with most of what you say the last paragraph bothers me. I played in open mics in coffe shops and hope to do so again after COVID. I also play in loud bar jams with drunken patrons. One us not better than the other.


The last small show at a night club that I attended here in Victoria was terrible because in a relatively small venue a very good ensemble of 8 was made almost completely unintelligible by a moron club owner with more watts than brains and an idiot at the mixing console.

The band had exceptionally great solo horns and other instrumentalists as well as wonderful singing but they fell prey to a house production company that did their music as if they were the second coming of a really bad dance grunge band from hell.

But I would pay to hear that same very good Merengue band again if they played in a decent venue where the little stories made by great soloists are respected by the company presenting the act. And yes all truly great music performance is an act.

What I meant was that hype has overtaken content and truly great live music performance is suffering horribly for this very reason. That is the type of alcohol hyped out crap music production that I was deriding. Sure sell drinks and whatever to make money, but for heavens sake let the musicians be heard!

Sometimes less is much more especially if the music is really great. I remember hearing Herbie Hancock at the Egress many moons ago and hearing the Mahavishnu Orchestra at the Paramount in Seattle that same year and walking away with new tunes in my head but still being able to hear because I was not blasted with high db for 2 hrs non stop. The Merengue band was made up of musicians of high calibre and just as much sole as any name artist I have heard but their debut performance here in Canada was ruined by idiots without a clue as to what music really is.


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## Chito (Feb 17, 2006)

A lot of the bars and music venues here in Ottawa have already started having shows this weekend. I know the rest of Ontario are almost on lockdown but it seems the only city that's doing well right now is Ottawa. So we'll see how this 'opening up' goes in the next week or so.


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## Frenchy99 (Oct 15, 2016)

Everything is shut down in Québec. 

Even X-Mas is canceled, no reunions allowed. Family or otherwise.

I Will be happy when I can start playing with others. Starting to miss the jams...


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

I would be happy to support live music more than I do, regardless of Covid-19.

I just wish there was more live music unconnected to liquor sales. In other words, Saturday and Sunday matinees people of all ages can attend and where selling booze has no influence or impact on repertoire.

I'll gladly pay a cover.

What I'm saying is, I love live music, dislike being around crowds of people drinking alcohol.


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## bw66 (Dec 17, 2009)

Live music is in no danger of disappearing in my neck of the woods. It's going to be a long winter, but when the weather turns, there will be no shortage of live music in our area - vaccine or not.


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## Chito (Feb 17, 2006)

Talking about matinee shows. My bands have been doing a Saturday Matinee show every 3rd Saturday of the month at the Rainbow Bistro, here in Ottawa. And a lot of people who come out to see us were very happy that we do it at that time. We start a 4pm. People come in and have a drink or two then after the show go on their way to have dinner or what other plans they have. This stopped when the pandemic started. But we're looking at continuing this after the pandemic.


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## 1SweetRide (Oct 25, 2016)

Eric Reesor said:


> I am hoping, indeed beyond hope, that after the pandemic subsides the ridiculous high rents on spaces for simple coffee shops plummet in big cities. Especially for anyone who wishes to start a little open stage for artists that this type of venture starts to become within reach of the people with the musical vision and need to give back to the field of music.
> 
> It is very true that there is a much greater sense of live music community in small towns where rents and expectations are not so crazy than there is in places like Vancouver and Victoria. This was not always the case.
> 
> ...


I agree with this sentiment for the most part. I think there's going to be a pent-up demand for live music but I think the younger generation loves the large concerts put on by the folks in the top 40. There's no way small venues can compete with the marketing dollars spent by large promotors who are following the allure of the profits to be made. In fairness too, streaming has all but removed the major revenue source from artists and they need large concerts to survive. If I had the cash, I'd certainly setup such a venue. Maybe we need additional government support for the arts, directed where it can do the most good, instead of sending a $90K music grant to Elon Musk's wife who hasn't lived in Canada for more than ten years.


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## laristotle (Aug 29, 2019)

Chito said:


> My bands have been doing a Saturday Matinee show every 3rd Saturday of the month


Used to the same here too. Ours was 2 - 4 pm.


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

The local Legion branch had regular meat draw nights with live bands, my former band playing lots of them. The meat draw was simply a ticket draw for various cuts of meat plus a 50/50 on a separate ticket. It started at 4 pm and usually ended around 9, depending on the crowd and band popularity. It paid as well as the regular Legion dance nights but I was home in time to see the end of the hockey game.

As for live music generally, it'll be back...eventually. I love house concerts, and coffee shop gigs. All I've had this year are a few church gigs...paid, and we played whatever we wanted...but no audience interaction besides polite applause at the end.


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## Waldo97 (Jul 4, 2020)

I voluntarily suspended my weekly Sunday afternoon gig. It wasn't feeling safe. I've had pneumonia three times and really don't want to experience it again. I've also stopped going out to bars. Meanwhile, other folks have stepped in for the Sunday gig and when I last checked, returning Friday/Saturday gigs are packing the tiny venues they're in.

It's pretty safe here right now; I think three-or-so current known cases in our county. But when covid does arrive, we won't know until people have been sick and spreading for a couple of weeks. And those happy huggy folks at the bar will be just the folks spreading it.

I _am_, though, playing organ for the occasional funeral. Very tightly controlled and the only person who comes close to me is the funeral director when he gives me the cheque.


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## Guncho (Jun 16, 2015)

Dave Chappelle comedy show requires rapid COVID-19 test for admission


Guests heading to comedian Dave Chappelle’s show in Houston on Thursday night needed more than a ticket to enter the House of Blues.




www.click2houston.com


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## bw66 (Dec 17, 2009)

1SweetRide said:


> I agree with this sentiment for the most part. I think there's going to be a pent-up demand for live music but I think the younger generation loves the large concerts put on by the folks in the top 40. There's no way small venues can compete with the marketing dollars spent by large promotors who are following the allure of the profits to be made. In fairness too, streaming has all but removed the major revenue source from artists and they need large concerts to survive. If I had the cash, I'd certainly setup such a venue. Maybe we need additional government support for the arts, directed where it can do the most good, instead of sending a $90K music grant to Elon Musk's wife who hasn't lived in Canada for more than ten years.


Fortunately, small venues should get a fairly decent head-start on large ones as things start to open up. Plus, I think that there may be a reluctance among some to return to large-scale events - at least for a year or two.


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## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

Kerry Brown said:


> While I agree with most of what you say the last paragraph bothers me. I played in open mics in coffe shops and hope to do so again after COVID. I also play in loud bar jams with drunken patrons. One is not better than the other.



The year before Covid hit I went on a binge of concerts spanning over several months, including the Eagles, Diamond Rio, Kim Mitchell, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Chicago, Big Wreck, Ricky Skaggs and Keith Urban.
The Keith Urban concert would be the one that I'd consider "cannot make out what the notes are except the bass and drums ". Terrible sound but the people enjoyed it. I'd have enjoyed it more if it weren't for Keith Urbans lousy pop styled songs. I preferred his earlier material. But I was there for the wife.


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## Sketchy Jeff (Jan 12, 2019)

bw66 said:


> Fortunately, small venues should get a fairly decent head-start on large ones as things start to open up


Yes I agree. The thing will be which small venues are positioned to jump on that head-start and take advantage of it. The market for live music is going to take a while to re-emerge and people will need to get used to going out socially again so it favours the little places that can cultivate an audience. 

j


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## knight_yyz (Mar 14, 2015)

A friend of mine is still doing small gigs at some of the local watering holes between Hamilton and Burlington. I've seen him mention it a few times on Facebook


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## mawmow (Nov 14, 2017)

Based on the 20 % increase in golf rounds last summer as everybody looked for somewhere to go outside, I guess there will be a huge demand for live shows when the lock-down ends as national vaccination campaign comes to its end. Be ready guys !


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## allthumbs56 (Jul 24, 2006)

We're what I'd call a party band. Our audience wants to dance, drink, pump their fists and sing along - not the most Covid-friendly act out there right now. Regardless, we did 2 gigs in the last half of 2020 and have 3 booked for the New Year so far. We're not actively pursuing new bookings and won't until most people's arms have been pricked.


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## 1SweetRide (Oct 25, 2016)

guitarman2 said:


> The year before Covid hit I went on a binge of concerts spanning over several months, including the Eagles, Diamond Rio, Kim Mitchell, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Chicago, Big Wreck, Ricky Skaggs and Keith Urban.
> The Keith Urban concert would be the one that I'd consider "cannot make out what the notes are except the bass and drums ". Terrible sound but the people enjoyed it. I'd have enjoyed it more if it weren't for Keith Urbans lousy pop styled songs. I preferred his earlier material. *But I was there for the wife*.


Keith's wife?


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## DavidP (Mar 7, 2006)

Realistically, I doubt I'll be playing any gigs until next spring-summer... Maybe outdoors to start.


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## Eric Reesor (Jan 26, 2020)

mawmow said:


> Based on the 20 % increase in golf rounds last summer as everybody looked for somewhere to go outside, I guess there will be a huge demand for live shows when the lock-down ends as national vaccination campaign comes to its end. Be ready guys !


Outdoor venues are one aspect of a possible revolution against the traditional "music industry" of yesterday. What I allude to here is the distinct possibility of wide broadcast through devices to people wearing their own decent ear buds in venues where setting up loud speakers and good mics for the performers has very poor sound dispersion characteristics and too much noise interference to overcome. 

For one there are new better high bit rate sound specs coming in wider band bluetooth 5 streaming audio codec technologies. In the near future a venue can be set up to also stream live material that does not have to be completely through sound waves. This means that in a coffee shop environment the musicians can in future use a little bit of sound isolation and not have to flood sound waves over the chatter of the patrons just to perform and hear themselves without stage monitors. Acoustic hall spaces where the audience is sometimes paying attention and listening is a different type of venue, coffee shops and bars are a different kettle of fish and by the nature of their businesses cannot ask for silence for the sake of the musician(s) from their patrons. 

Technology of the future can indeed bring back live performance in ways that could be very good for the future of aspiring musicians and even ones who perform in public as a profession IMO. 
A dream venue of the future is one where the individual can choose to listen or if they are not into the music or stage show can yap away at each other and just have their coffee or whatever. One thing I did learn is that the audience is always right, they are the customers even if some of them are are not really there to listen to music in the first place. Not having to turn up the gear when someone complains that they can't hear your playing would be marvellous.


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## Wardo (Feb 5, 2010)

Waldo97 said:


> the only person who comes close to me is the funeral director when he gives me the cheque.


There’s a song in there somewhere.


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## Eric Reesor (Jan 26, 2020)

Wardo said:


> There’s a song in there somewhere.


A song with a lyric somewhere between Johnny Paycheck and Johnny Cash perhaps?


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## SWLABR (Nov 7, 2017)

I literally joined a band a few weeks before COVID shut our region down. Kijiji add, went out and me the other guys, they liked me, I liked them, two practices with plans to play an open mic in the area... BOOM!!! "_Shut'r down boys!!_"

We've been relegated to Zoom calls and file sharing... hopefully we can look at stuff in the new year. I'm guessing venues will get more creative with outdoor spaces next year having this year as a WTF?!??! dry run.


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

I'm wondering what the residual impact of being told for so many months to stay away from crowds will be.

It could cause people to really get out there and socialize after being so isolated for so long.

Or, it could change people's habits to the extent that newer forms of entertainment replace the old ways.

It will be interesting to see what 2022 looks like in this context.


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## 1SweetRide (Oct 25, 2016)

As soon as the weather gets better in the spring, we're hosting another outdoor concert where we shut down the block and people have several hundred feet to use for distancing.


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