State Governor Shuts Down First Social-Distancing Concert In The US

One step forward and two steps back: the socially-distanced concert in Arkansas announced last week with country artist Travis McCready is now getting shut down by the governor of Arkansas.

The concert had a number of social distancing rules, including assigned seats at least six feet apart per grouping of what Ticketmaster is calling “fan pods,” reducing the capacity of the 1,100 person venue down to just 229, mandatory temperature check when they arrive, and employees actively wiping down touch points in the venue and restrooms.

To no one’s surprise, the show is nearly sold out, and Digital Music News points out it’s still live on Ticketmaster’s site. However, Governor Hutchinson of Arkansas is putting a stop to it before it begins.

“That concert does not have our approval,” Hutchinson told reporters yesterday. “It would happen three days before the authorized date, as well as a few other problems. We’ve looked at their plan, and the plan is insufficient as well.”

Soon after making that declaration, a cease-and-desist was issued to the venue planning the event, TempleLive.

Digital Music News reports, “If the order is defied, Hutchinson threatened to revoke TempleLive’s liquor license.  That alone could severely impact the venue, though the state also has other weapons at its disposal, including a full revocation of the venue’s business permit.  Still, TempleLive has not yet canceled the gig, and still lists it on its website.”

“We’ve put all the protocols in place,” TempleLive’s Mike Brown told a local news outlet. “We’ve gone from a health and science issue to nothing but petty politics.”

TempleLive still intends to put the show on, going against the governor’s orders.

via DMN