Well, the first socially distanced concert — that wasn’t at a drive-in — just went down last night in Arkansas. ANd compared to how concerts usually look, the turnout seemed bleak. However, with social distancing guidelines in place, the capacity of the TempleLive venue was reduced from 1,100 to 220 and 6 ft distance rules were in place for those who weren’t quarantining together. So, all told, it was a success.
The show was originally scheduled for May 15th, three days prior to the date (May 18th) the state’s governor said that venues could officially reopen. Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson took action by hitting the venue with a cease-and-desist order, forcing the concert’s promoters to reschedule the gig to Monday.
Media was out in full force at the event to capture the oddities of a reduced capacity, socially-distanced concert in the COVID-19 era, and sure enough, it’s a bit eerie. Entrants were required to have their temperature taken, use separate lines for entrance and exit, and no more than 10 people could go to the bathroom at any one time.
Still, there’s no denying the hurt that both musicians and fans have felt from the absence of live events, and anything during this time would be a welcome reprieve from the monotony of lockdown.
See some photos and video of the event below.
Travis McCready は18日に、アメリカでロックダウン後初の"ソーシャルディスタンスコンサート"を開催しました。入り口で検温を行い、通路は一方通行、グループごとに距離をとってライブを鑑賞します。まるでSFの世界ですがこれは現実です。全てが元に戻る日はいったいいつになるのでしょうか？？ pic.twitter.com/GbAVo2ZFJK
— sin Хентай (@Sin23Ou) May 19, 2020
View this post on InstagramLive music has a new twist: temperature checks, lots of space between fans and masks, of course! Travis McCready of the band @bishopgunnmusic and Lauren Brown performed at the first ever socially-distanced concert in Arkansas tonight. ⠀ _⠀ In this gallery, Travis McCready, Jody Stallone, and Robbie Helton perform on stage, Lauren Brown performs onstage and concertgoers wait in a socially-distanced line to receive temperature checks at TempleLive in Fort Smith, Arkansas. | May 18, 2020 | 📸: @KevinMazur | #GettyEntertainment #CapturingThePresent⠀ _⠀ Click the link in our bio for more!
TempleLive in Fort Smith is having the "first" concert in the area since the coronavirus pandemic started. How was it? Find out tonight on 5NEWS at 10. pic.twitter.com/JRPihavx2i
— 5NEWS (@5NEWS) May 19, 2020
Photo via @Sin23Ou
