The Music & Culture Coalition of New Orleans (MaCCNO) reported in a tweet on Monday afternoon that Phase 3 will not allow live indoor music performance in New Orleans — this includes street performance. Warnings are being issued to all street performers at this time. State officials had alluded to live music permitted as part of Phase 2 reopenings as far back as June of this year but plans never materialized. Many bars revamped and chose to serve some food items in order to have the right to sell alcohol.
A tweet from @MaCCNO504 Monday afternoon says no indoor music during Phase 3 of reopening
MaCCNO was quick to clarify stipulations and tweeted: “Quick clarification–@NOPDNews says 3.1 does not allow for street performances, including those that are live music. Other forms of outdoor live music that are dictated in 3.1 are still allowed. Indoor live music is not permitted.”
Live entertainment such as the performances on the balcony of the New Orleans Jazz Museum are still permitted.
Meanwhile, tourism appears to be alive and well in the French Quarter, as last weekend saw the reintroduction of to-go drinks. Last week Cha Wa performed and livestreamed from the Jazz Museum balcony to patrons of Louisiana Pizza Kitchen and The Italian Barrel while onlookers socially distanced outside the museum gates. At the same time, Kermit Ruffins was forced to close Mother-in-law’s Lounge because of alleged COVID violations.
Interestingly, in a pinned tweet from 2017 MaCCNO responded to a tweet from NOLA.com which said “New Orleans hosted a record 10.45 million tourists in 2016.” MaCCNO’s response was “10.45 million visitors spending $7.4 billion? We can afford to pay musicians and service industry workers a living wage.”
Their point is certainly still valid, but without tourists, and the ability to perform, what will music clubs and musicians do? Additionally, the City of New Orleans has yet to establish a position in the Mayor’s office that liaises between the elements of the musical ecosystem: musicians, street performers, bars, clubs, venues, and includes zoning, permitting, policing, and health departments. These positions do exist in many other cities throughout the U.S., but not in New Orleans.
