Coronavirus: Travis McCready plays America's first gig in months

Written by Mark Savage — The gig, in Arkansas, offered a glimpse of how live music could resume in the UK, with compulsory temperature tests and social distancing for all present.

Concert-goers were required to buy seats in clusters, branded "fan pods", and large areas were roped off.

"It's just nice to be doing something that's normal," said one attendee.

McCready's concert was originally scheduled for Friday, 15 May, in Fort Smith, Arkansas, but Governor Asa Hutchinson said it failed to meet the state's public health standards.

The venue - a former Masonic temple called TempleLive - was threatened with a cease-and-desist order and had its alcohol licence revoked.

But after making adjustments to their concert plan, the venue received permission to stage the concert on Monday night.

Under the state-approved plan, all employees and audience members over the age of 10 were required to wear face coverings, and performers were instructed to maintain a minimum distance of 12 feet from the audience.

The state also allowed TempleLive to have 239 people seated in the 1,100-seat venue.

'Fight for your right'

After receiving the go-ahead, representatives from the venue maintained they had delayed the concert against their will.

"This is about rock and roll, and having a good time, and live music, and being out with your peers, and doing what you do as an American: You get out, you do things," Mike Brown told reporters at Arkansas TV station KFSM-TV.

Speaking to the New York Times, Mr Brown also argued that concert venues were being held to stricter standards than other public gatherings.

"If you can go to a church and it's a public assembly, there is no difference," said Mike Brown, a representative for Temple Live. "How is it OK for one group to have a public meeting, and it's not OK for a music venue to have the same opportunity?"

State officials argued that a concert was more dangerous than a religious gathering because it was more likely to attract visitors from out-of-town.

When the show finally went ahead on Monday night, Mr Brown greeted the audience by playing the Beastie Boys' Fight For Your Right (To Party) before introducing support act Lauren Brown.

McCready took to the stage later, without referencing the strange circumstances. Nonetheless, fans seemed to appreciate the show.

"We're happy to be here," said LaLisa Smiddy, who drove four hours to attend the concert.

"I'm one of the more paranoid ones out there, and when I saw everything this venue has done, I was ready to come," she told the New York Times. "I think they've done an outstanding job."

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Post-Pandemic Music Industry Predictions: The Great Divide Between Embraced And Impacted

Written by Brian Penick — It’s 4:00 a.m. and I’m lying awake thinking about work. But this time isn’t just about my business, it’s about ours––specifically, what the “new normal” of the music industry will look like after COVID-19 is officially in the past.

Many great articles are being written about how musicians can survive these unprecedented times, from how to host live concerts, learn platforms like Twitch and how fans can support artists, among others. I’m curious how our industry will embrace and respond to change––something we historically have not been the best at dealing with, as evidenced by the transition from physical sales to streaming, adopting new technologies, music licensing rights and countless other scenarios.

Based on conversations with everyone from artists to investors and my 20-plus years experience working in music (as a musician, in startups and venture capital), here is the first of a series in my predictions for the post-pandemic music industry.

“Creatives” are often thought of as lacking business skills, which is a myth I hope to contribute towards debunking. In my time working to develop artists, from indie to platinum-level, the most successful have been the most entrepreneurially minded. Regardless of where an artist may sit on the business spectrum, I believe this period of change will produce two types of musicians: the “Embraced” and the “Impacted.”

The Embraced musician is an entrepreneur birthed out of necessity. Living by the creed of “desperate times call for desperate measures,” these individuals will find every opportunity to sustain their careers. Performing livestream concerts at home, video messaging with fans, custom songwriting for hire, teaching lessons online, continued education or even writing a catchy pandemic-themed song are all creative outlets to explore. The Embraced musician will create an opportunity out of what others deem a crisis. 

The Impacted musician, however, will not fare as well. While everyone has their own unique circumstances and privilege that need to be taken into account, there will be some musicians who objectively view the pandemic as a brick wall that cannot be climbed. The desire may be there, but the motivation to put need into tangible action may be lacking. This, unfortunately, is something I have experienced with several of my (previous) artist clients, ultimately preventing talented musicians from finding success. 

Regardless of their reasoning, the Impacted segment will have an even more difficult time post-pandemic casually reapproaching music, from repetitive live performances to infrequent social media marketing and unwillingness to adopt new technology. Musicians who continue with the “business as usual” philosophy will be further distanced from those who embrace the change. The real question is: what type of musician are you?

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Liquid Sound Lounge's own Jeannie Hopper Interviews Adam Cruz - talking #FreeTheMusicBusiness

Jeannie Hopper sat down with Adam Cruz a year ago to discuss his timeless book "Free The Music Business: Tips and Tales from an Indie Music Nerd".

They discuss the good, the bad and the ugly in navigating the indie dance music industry. It's a great read whether a 'newbie' or a veteran house head, for fans and/or industry heads. It's a window into the importance of community which is at the center of the multitude of tribes that cross over through the music and culture of dance. And the book offers a personal and insightful view into the evolving business of music in the digital age from a dance music industry insider. 

The book is written by Adam Cruz, Edited by Amanda Frontany and Illustrated by Jose Gonzalez and available HERE.

↓ click on the play button below to listen to this interview. ↓