Now that NY State has relaxed its “mask or vax” mandate for public spaces, we’re fielding a lot of questions from people wondering if we are still requiring proof of vaccination to attend our show.
The short answer is YES. We have no immediate plans to relax this policy.
Here’s why –
We have had this policy in place since we reopened our doors in July of 2021, long before it was mandated by the state.
We are a unique business…we are not a bar or restaurant with people coming in and out throughout the night. We are a live music venue, a destination for music lovers who will spend 3+ hours with us. We are a seated, listening room-style venue with 100% table service. Checking vax status at the door is an easy thing for us to do because we’re checking tickets at the door anyway.
Our core audience skews older. They have been very cautious about COVID throughout this entire odyssey and most of them got their vaccine as soon as it was possible to do so. They care about their own health and the well-being of their community and they are willing to do what it takes to keep the people they love as safe as possible. Most are still being selective about how much they go out, and/or wear a mask whenever they leave the house. They are more than happy to present their card at the door.
No group is a monolith, of course, but we talk to our guests constantly and most of them are still saying they aren’t comfortable going into crowded places where they know everyone is not vaccinated. Many tell us the 443 is the only venue they are willing to go to right now.
And our numbers bear this out.
We are seeing more sold-out shows than we’ve ever had before, and the shows that aren’t selling out are still performing really well. The fact that our guests can feel confident coming into our place because they know everyone has been vaxxed has actually been a selling point for us, not to mention, it’s in line with what venues all over the country are doing and what touring performers are demanding in order to keep their crews healthy and able to work.
If you’re curious about what touring as a musician these days looks like, check out THIS article in Rolling Stone.
Aside from all that, I have a responsibility to do everything I can to keep my staff safe and healthy. We have a small crew and if one of us gets COVID, it means the entire staff plus the performing artists will lose their income for a couple of weeks. In fact, the 443 is the ONLY place outside of my home you’ll see me personally without a mask.
Obviously, we hope this is not a permanent situation. But for right now, COVID is still out there, people are still getting sick, and we’re just not comfortable opening our doors to folks who aren’t vaccinated yet.
