COVID Spread Impacts Local Live Music Again: This Weekend's Cancellations

Once a suggestion, now wearing a mask is mandatory at the Bowery Ballroom

"Do you think this is the last one?" Delicate Steve asked his audience at the Sultan Room on December 16. He asked for a hand count, yay or nay. On that night, more audience members believed that live entertainment will go on a bit longer. Nevertheless, escalating closures indicate that we may be heading for at least a live music slowdown.

Delicate Steve at the Sultan Room on December 16

One week before Christmas, COVID positivity rates are spiking. Many CEOs are cancelling their staff's annual holiday parties. With travel plans, family dinners and New Year's parties looking increasingly tentative, many people are being cautious about attending larger events. Meanwhile, the lines for COVID tests are getting longer and longer.

The Rockettes are suddenly out of work again, since Radio City Music Hall cancelled the remaining Christmas shows due to COVID caution. Nightly, more and more Broadway shows are cancelling performances due to the rapid increase of COVID outbreaks among cast and crew. Theater fans may not bother waiting by the stage door of any Broadway shows for a while; due to Broadway's new COVID-19 protocols, the casts of these shows have been instructed not to stop for photographs or autographs.

Murder by Death at Warsaw on November 14; Warsaw has closed until New Year's Eve

Shawn James at Warsaw on November 14

Music venues are feeling the impact as well. At the benefit concert at the Town Hall featuring Steve Earle, Bruce Springsteen, Rosanne Cash, Willie Nile and other music acts, ticketholders were not admitted into the building until they placed masks over their faces. The promoters at the Bowery Ballroom, Mercury Lounge and Saint Vitus Bar issued statements that ticketholders now are required to wear masks at all times except while eating or drinking.

Gigi Santos at the Bowery Electric on December 5; the venue cancelled shows for tonight and tomorrow

Drew Jones at the Bowery Electric on December 5

LCD Soundsystem announced yesterday on social media that it would play the remainder of its 20-show Brooklyn Steel residency. Many venues and bands are announcing cancellations and postponements this weekend, however. Here are 17 examples.

• Baby’s All Right: all shows, including Sir Babygirl and Public Practice, are cancelled until New Year’s Eve.
• Bowery Electric: Three events today and the Comfort Cat show in the Map Room tomorrow are cancelled.
• Cowgirl: Emily Duff announced on social media today that she is cancelling her show on Monday night.
• East Berlin: Couch Prints tonight and T$unami811 tomorrow are cancelled.
• Irving Plaza: The Slackers will play tonight but Lagwagon is cancelled for tomorrow.
• Mercury Lounge: Denizen will perform tonight, but Griffin Brown (early) and Stefa (late) are cancelled tomorrow.
• Mona's: The venue announced yesterday on social media that the regular Tuesday night jazz session is cancelled this coming week. Presumably the Monday night bluegrass session will be cancelled as well.
• Our Wicked Lady: the venue will be closed through the weekend.
• Saint Vitus Bar: Yautja is cancelled for tonight but Unearth remains scheduled for tomorrow night.
• Sony Hall: Shaun Cassidy will perform on Sunday, but Verivery cancelled on Monday.
• The Sultan Room: Anthony Green is cancelled tonight, along with other events. The next scheduled event will be Smock on December 22.
• Terminal 5: The Mac Ayres concert tonight is cancelled; the next concert will be Jack Harlow on December 30.
• Trans-Pecos: Last night's show and tonight's early and late shows are cancelled.
• TV Eye: The venue will be closed through Christmas Eve.
• Union Pool: Three shows originally set for December 16-18, including Wild Yaks last night and the Blonde Otter Xmas Spectacular tonight, are postponed.
• Warsaw: Lagwagon is cancelled for tonight; the next announced show will be Streetlight Manifesto on New Year's Eve.
• Webster Hall: Tonight, Coin (early) is cancelled and He$h (late) is postponed. MisterWives, which was supposed to perform tomorrow night, postponed until January 14.

Strange Majik at Mercury Lounge on December 14; Mercury Lounge will now require patrons to wear a mask when not drinking

Handsome Jack at Mercury Lounge on December 14

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The Manhattan Beat covers New York City's live music developments as they happen. All photographs are by Everynight Charley Crespo, except when noted otherwise. For a list of Manhattan venues that are presenting live music regularly, swing the desktop cursor to the right and click on the pop-up tab "Where to Find Live Music." For a listing of upcoming concerts for live audiences, visit The Manhattan Beat's December 2021 calendar.