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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.

 

Photo via @Sin23Ou