Live music on hiatus during coronavirus pandemic

THAT'S BEEN THEMANTRA OF MANY OFTHE FOLKS IN THECONCERT INDUSTRYOVER THE LAST FEWMONTHS.GATHERINGS THATATTRACT TENS OFTHOUSANDS OFPEOPLE, OR EVEN AFEW HUNDRED AREVIRTUALLYIMPOSSIBLE AT THISTIME.THE OMAHA MUSICSCENE HAS GROWNSTEADILY OVER THEPAST DECADE...AND THE PANDEMICHAS SET IT BACK.REPORTER JONKIPPER SPOKE WITHTHOSE IN THEINDUSTRY ON HOWAND WHEN THEY CANOPEN BACK UP"WE' WERE KIND OFGOING INTO OUR BESTSPRING SEASON, WEMAYBE EVER HAD."KULBELTHE SLOWDOWN WASTHRIVING.SHOWS NEARLYEVERY NIGHT.MANY OF THEM ATCAPACITY.THEN IN MID MARCH,CORONAVIRUS CAME."IT WAS PRETTYAPPARENT QUICKLYTHAT THIS WAS GOINGTO RUIN THE SPRINGAND THE EARLYSUMMER AS WELL,AND AS IT'S GONE ONIT'S BECOMEAPPARENT IT'S GOINGTO RUIN THE YEAR."JASON KULBEL,OWNER,SLOWDOWNGOVERNOR RICKETTSSAID THURSDAY THATVENUES LIKE THESLOWDOWN CANOPEN AT 25 PERCENTCAPACITY.WITH ANY CROWD ATALL, OWNER JASONKULBEL WONDERS,HOW HE'D CONTROLPEOPLE ENTERINGAND EXITING,BATHROOM LINES ANDBACKUPS AT THE BAR."WHAT IF YOU HAVECUSTOMERS THATCOME IN HERE THATAREN'T ALL THATINTERESTED IN BEINGSAFE.HOW DO YOU DEALWITH THAT?

IT'S JUSTCHALLENGE AFTERCHALLENGE."KULBELTHE DOWNTOWNVENUE FITS AROUND600 PEOPLE.IF 150 WEREALLOWED, HE SAYSPRICES WOULD HAVETO GO UP TO EVENMAKE IT WORTH IT."SO PEOPLE WANT TOPAY 75 DOLLARS FOR ASHOW AND 20DOLLARS FOR A BEER.NO, EVERYBODY ISBROKE RIGHT NOW.SO THAT'S GOING TOWORK EITHER."KULBELONE SOLUTION FORNOW.CONCERTS VIAVIDEO STREAM.FIVEDOLLAR VIRTUALADMISSION." IT'S NOT GOING TOSUBSTITUTE FORPLAYING IN FRONT OFA LIVE CROWD FORTHE BAND OR FORTHE VIEWER.BUT I THINK IT'LL BEFUN,."KULBEL"EVERY AUGUST,THOUSANDS FLOCKTO STINSON PARKFOR MAHA FESTIVAL.WHICH ROUTINELYBOOKS SOME PRETTYBIG BANDS.BUT THIS YEAR, THEYMADE THE DECISIONTO CANCEL THEFESTIVAL ALL THE UPIN APRIL,T HAT'SBECAUSE THEY WANTTO MAKE SURE THEFESTIVAL GOES ONFOR YEARS TO COME."JON LL BRIDGE"WHILE IT WAS ALITTLE EARLIER THANPEOPLE WOULD HAVEANTICIPATED TO MAKEA CALL LIKE THATBECAUSE PEOPLEWE'RE STARTING TOSEE THE BIGGERPICTURE ABOUT WHATWAS HAPPENING.""HAD WE GONEFORWARD IT COULDHAVE RISKED MAHA INTHE FUTURE."LAUREN MARTIN,EXEC DIRECTOR,MAHALAUREN MARTIN HASSEEN MAHA RISEFROM A SMALL HALFDAY FESTIVAL.TO MULTIPLE DAYS OFMUSIC, FOOD AND THEARTS.SHE ENVISIONSGROWING IT TOOMAHA'S VERSION OFSOUTH BYSOUTHWEST, WHICHIS A NATIONWIDECULTURAL EVENT."THE WEIGHING OFNOT BEING ABLE TOSEE THAT VISIONTHROUGH VERSUSHAVING TO TAKE AYEAR OFF, IT WASKIND OF AN EASYDECISION, AT THE ENDOF THE DAY WHENYOU WERE WEIGHINGWHAT THE RISK WAS."MARTINTHE CHI HEALTHCENTER HASCANCELED ORPOSTPONED AROUND20 SHOWS.MECA, THEORGANIZATION THATRUNS THE ARENA ANDTHE BALLPARK WILLLOSE MILLIONS INLOST REVENUE DUETO CONCERT ANDSPORTSCANCELATIONS.KRISTYNA ENGDAHLWITH MECA HOPES TOHAVE SHOWS AGAINBEFORE TOOLONG...BUT ISAPPROACHING WITHCAUTION."WE'RE NOTNECESSARILY IN AHURRY TOO, WE WANTTO STANDBY TOMONITOR WHAT KINDOF DEVELOPMENTSTHERE MAY BE, ORWHAT KIND IF BESTPRACTICES EMERGEBEFORE WE LOOKINTO SOMETHING LIKETHAT."KRISTYNA ENGDAHL,MECAKULBEL IS ALSO IN NOHURRY.NO BANDS ARETOURING AND EVENONCE THEY START,KULBEL ISN'T SUREHOW THEY CAN PUTON A SHOW SAFELY."EVEN IF WE COMEBACK WITH A DECENTSIZE SCHEDULE INTHE FALL, OR WINTER,OR WHATEVER IT IS.IT'S NOT GOING TOLOOK LIKE THAT, IFIT'S GOING TO BEVERY DIFFERENT FORAWHILE.PROBABLY UNTIL THISIS GONE." IN OMAHAJON KIPPER 3NNNIVA....A MUSIC VENUELOBBYING GROUP,WAS JUST CREATED AFEW MONTHS AGO TOLOBBY CONGRESSFOR FINANCIALASSISTANCE DURINGTHE PANDEMIC.IT'S A MURDER