Live music returns to patios and outdoor stages
Step 3 in Ontario's re-opening schedule has brought musicians back to the patios, at least for the time being. Three local restaurants are now offering some form of outdoor entertainment, as well as the Acton Legion which is planning to showcase live music on some weekends. The Legion recently hosted an outdoor performance by Elvis impersonator Steve Michaels in front of a crowd of about 100 people.
My debut as a troubadour happened on the patio of Tommy's Grille and Bar where I played for the regulars during last week's farmer's market. The audience treated my fledgling efforts kindly. Music is an uplifting and bonding experience, integral to the human condition. Several people stopped to tell me they'd sadly missed being able to share drinks with friends and listen to live performances.
But a couple of people with acoustic guitars in a restaurant parking lot is a long way from a sold-out Phish concert at Kingswood. Musically speaking, things aren't the same as they were in pre-pandemic times. Customers are slowly returning to the venues, but not in the volumes we're used to expecting.
“I believe the platform for live music and people gathering has changed forever. Many establishments that did present live music are not in business after the pandemic,” said event planner Kim Duncanson who is also a coordinator with the Leathertown Festival “As an organizer I have noticed people picking up the ball and hosting live events on their own property.”
One such event was the Hexstock Festival that occurred this past weekend on a farm a few kilometres south of Acton. Altogether about 250 people visited the rural property Saturday to take part in the annual event which was started three years ago to commemorate the famous Woodstock Arts and Music Festival of 1968. Nine bands were featured on the marquee, most of them with their roots in the surrounding Halton area.
“We had Checkpoint Charlie at the entrance,” said Doug Clark, owner of the farm. “Volunteers would take your name and phone number like you're supposed to do, and then tell the guests where they could park. Last year we followed the rules and were allowed 100 people plus roadies and performers. This year we were allowed to have more, and with 100 acre farm we were in no danger of having too many people.”
According to Clark, the crowd got more and more enthusiastic as the evening approached. “A group of about 30 people finished the night dancing and wearing out the grass in front of the stage,” he said. “People have been stuck in their hovels for a year and a half. They are respectful of the pandemic but also hungry to get out, socialize and hear music. A ton of people told me, 'Oh my God, this is so overdue'.”
“The music industry has been among the most severely hurt during the pandemic,” added Duncanson. Along with that is all the infrastructure that goes into holding events and fairs that has also been decimated, including the whole cottage industry of vendors, performers, etc. It's like erasing the slate and starting all over.”
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