Marin performance venues gear for looser COVID rules

After more than a year without live indoor performances, owners of music and theater venues are cautiously preparing for life after COVID-19 lockdown.

Music halls, bars and theater companies put live indoor performances on hold in March 2020, when the state issued bans on gatherings to slow the spread of infection. Marin is currently in the “orange tier,” in which venues with seating for live indoor performances will be allowed a 25% maximum capacity for in-state visitors starting April 15.

Mask requirements will still be in place and venue owners will be required to provide digital ticket services, pre-designated eating and drinking areas, and a weekly worker COVID-19 testing program, according to state guidelines.

Venues of up to 1,500 seats will be able to operate at 15%, or at 35% if guests show proof of full vaccination. Venues with capacity above 1,500 will be allowed to operate at 10%, or 35% if guests are vaccinated.

Even with these loosened restrictions, Gabriella Calicchio, director of the county’s Department of Cultural Services, said it will be tough for performing arts groups to make a profit.

“Whether in our own space or somewhere else, ticket sales need to account for at least 50%, if not 70%, of the expense it takes to produce a show,” said Calicchio, who oversees the Veterans Memorial Auditorium, the Showcase Theater and the Marin Center Exhibit Hall. “So it is really challenging for any of our performing arts groups in Marin … because they need to break even.”

For unseated venues, however, the county is working on addressing the state’s omission of non-seated indoor performances, said Dr. Matt Willis, Marin County’s public health officer.

“We are seeking clarification on that,” he said. “Seated events make sure only a certain number of people that are authorized to attend are there, and that you are able to assure physical distancing. That is much more difficult to achieve in a non-seated setting.

“We are interpreting this to mean indoor live events can only be those selling tickets on a reservation basis with assigned seating, but it’s an example of an omission on the state guidance we are looking to fill,” he said. “One of our principles is to follow the state’s guidelines. Sometimes it works. Sometimes the state does not have specificity, and we are obliged to develop a local protocol.”

He said officials plan to sort this out by the end of the week.

Meanwhile, local music halls and bars are aiming to reopen in the summer because of fears the restrictions will return.

Dennis Fisco, president and board member of the Sweetwater Music Hall in Mill Valley, said the venue has managed by holding some outdoor music events and also by becoming a nonprofit.

“The pandemic obviously hit us very hard,” Fisco said. “We went from a successful food and live music venue to a complete stop in one day. We have not been permitted to open as a live-music venue since March 12 last year.”

He said that since the shutdown, the venue has had to return about $40,000 in refunds for booked events. Fisco said donations from the community have helped keep the venue afloat.

“While we are closed we still have expenses,” he said. “So the board stepped up and we’ve had a tremendous amount of interest from the community in Marin County, San Francisco and the Bay Area in helping us with donations to keep us alive to pay fixed expenses that don’t go away because the doors are closed.”

He said the venue plans to reopen in June and the staff is installing plexiglass, ventilation systems and other safety features. Still, many artists across the Bay Area are struggling.

“It’s tough to book a show and have the performers earn a living at 20% capacity,” Fisco said. “It’s been a sad year for Sweetwater and live music venues, but it’s also sad for the musicians and live music community. Especially for musicians who’ve been out of business all this time.”

Louis Canotas, manager of Travis Marina bar near the Golden Gate Bridge, said the venue will be open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from about 4 to 9 p.m. after April 15.

“We used to be open way later,” Canotas said. “We’re testing the water now to figure out how does the crowd come back, and figure out if the restrictions will continue to ease or if we are going to get locked back down because of additional variants.”