When pandemic restrictions closed venues and imposed restrictions, they also struck those who love and use them 

By: Rowan Flood

As Canada eases and lifts COVID-19 restrictions, the music industry is excited to re-enter the world of live performances that bring invaluable physical connectivity and energy to the art scene. Despite some lingering weariness over health concerns, concert-goers, musicians and venues believe a heightened appreciation is on the horizon for live music. 

“I think people are going to go way more crazy than they used to at concerts,” says Hunter Walwaski, a devoted Montreal concert-goer.

Walwaski senses a renewed force is coming for live concerts, and he is not alone in this belief. After an extended period of repeated closures, capacity limits and mandatory vaccine passports, the music community as a whole senses a strong comeback as those restrictions diminish.

Stephanie Quinlan, a Toronto-based music blogger and concert-goer, anticipates a massive comeback. She says she’s seeing show announcements and tour dates coming fast and furiously. Her own excitement for the return is high and she’s had to restrain herself from continuously purchasing more tickets.

“I have to sleep sometime,” she says.

While acknowledging the need to impose restrictions during the height of the pandemic, Quinlan felt shut out of a world she loved.

“It created such a huge void in my life, I’m really eager to have those things back,” says Quinlan.

The Toronto music scene is a major part of her life. “[It’s] one of my reasons for living, I can’t restrict myself from that any longer,” Quinlan says. 

Live performances are more than just a night out for music lovers and performers; Vancouver-based musician Eden Fine Day explained that music has a critical role not only for individuals but for society — it’s a way of creating culture together.

“Singing, rhythm, dance,” says Fine Day. “That’s just inherent to who we are as humans.”

K-Riz, an Edmonton-based rapper, senses that a lot of energy has been brewing in the music community; artists have been building and working towards this opening up.

“Everybody is ready to go,” says K-Riz. “I think it’s just ready, set, go.”

K-Riz himself has a tour coming up, and a show booked in Calgary this week. Getting out of his city and spreading his music is something he’s yearning for.

“I’m looking forward to taking the music to different places and seeing how it connects with them,” says  K-Riz.

Venues are also among those feeling the resurgence. Ted Haberer, the general manager of Toronto’s Jazz Bistro, believes people will be more deliberate in how they spend their evenings, as the lack of music and social engagement in the last two years has been minimal.

“It’s been quite revelatory in terms of people discovering how they want to spend their time when they go out. They’re making more conscientious decisions,” says Haberer.

Haberer himself is a lover of music and sighed with emotion as he expressed how much he’s yearned for it.

“I missed it, I really did,” says Haberer. “It really reinforced my love for live music.”

The Lazy Flamingo, a live music venue in Hamilton, Ont., has been experiencing a successful turnout in the past couple of weeks and owner Jay Skarratt feels hopeful about the future.

“It looks very prosperous, the past few weeks have been very good for us,” says Skarratt.

Skarratt understands the need for music in people’s lives and is happy that the changes have allowed his venue and live music to thrive again. He’s been seeing people want to come out to shows earlier and smiled enthusiastically as he talked of seeing and playing live music again.

“It’s a fixture, people need it in their lives,” says Skarratt.

Possibilities and opportunities are back

Tyler Yarema, a Toronto-based musician, trusts gigs are coming back in full force as restaurants, bars and other events such as weddings are back on the calendar and creating more opportunities for musicians.

“The phone is ringing, more emails all the time,” says Yarema. “It’s very exciting, it feels really good to be back again.”

Yarema emphasized that even more than allowing income for gig workers, live performances are where artists learn the true craft of music. Playing with an audience teaches musicians how to connect their music with others, he says.

“You’re figuring out how to make people move,” says Yarema.

Energy and connectivity are just some of the benefits that come with live concerts. As K-Riz retains; inspiration comes from these types of events. He recalled the lifelong inspiration he got from his first concert and explained the importance of this feeling of inspiration. Concerts allow people to witness the possibilities within the music world.

“Especially when there’s artists in your own backyard, they see that anything is possible,” says K-Riz.

K-Riz missed the intimate moments between audience members and musicians that performances allow. Looking people in their eyes and feeling their energy is something that he took for granted pre-pandemic. He recalled a memory special to him; he was a hype man at a show when he experienced a special moment with an audience member.

“I was looking at her directly and she’s straight-faced, and slowly she started smiling, and slowly started calling back to me,” says  K-Riz. “I love those moments.”

Performing is when K-Riz finds his element. The stage is where he finds confidence and the platform to express himself, and he feels it’s time to get back in that space.

“I’m free up on the stage,” says K-Riz, “I’ve got a whole bunch of energy just balled up inside that I’m ready to give.”

Pandemic restrictions were far-reaching and unrecoverable for some

While some musical groups and musicians had a base set up before the pandemic, others have started within it and could face further challenges during the reopening and return. Fine Day explained that newer or less recognized artists might not make it out in the same way other groups can.

“You might have had to give up by now,” says Fine Day.

The pandemic grounded music to a halt and had harsh consequences on musicians who made a living off performing, Fine Day says. While restrictions posed physical limitations on what performers could do, the individual ramifications were prominent as well.

“It harmed their confidence, in their feelings about being a musician and whether or not to pursue it as a career,” says Fine Day.

While lack of confidence is one impact the isolation had on performers, suffering mentally from it was another challenge. For some performers, having that element of engagement is critical.

“For some, it probably drove them [wild],” says  K-Riz. “Some artists live to perform and perform to live.”

Performances are a way many musicians make their living, and for Yarema, it’s his full-time job. He feels relieved that he can get back to doing what he loves and needs to support himself.

“It’s great to make a living again,” says  Yarema.

Yarema relied on live gigs and explained how all opportunities for performing and doing gigs for income were gone during the heightened times of the pandemic. “It was horrible,” says Yarema. “There was nowhere to play.”

This disruption to performers was sweeping and continuously difficult to manage as restrictions changed or were extended.  Shows were postponed or canceled and musicians had to navigate through the latest developments. Yarema, who is also a part of The Downtown Blues Band, had to postpone their tour three times due to pandemic restrictions. Yarema jokingly referred to the tour as “the longest fiftieth-anniversary tour ever.” The tour is now set for April through May this year.

Haberer faced his own challenges in keeping a venue in downtown Toronto open. While the Jazz Bistro has managed to maintain itself through the last two years, some venues weren’t in the same situation.

“It was the nail in the coffin for a lot of businesses out there,” says Haberer.

Skarratt echoed Haberer’s claim that the impacts of COVID-19 restrictions were severe on venues.

“It almost put us out of business,” says Skarratt. 

Skarratt was continuously trying to find ways to adapt to the restrictions and maintain his venue. He struggled to find ways to sustain his business as the restrictions seemed to pose endless challenges. 

“We’ve reinvented ourselves probably fifteen times over the last couple of years,” says Skarratt.

Toronto’s Jazz Bistro found the capacity limits most damaging. When combined with physical distancing measures, even reaching half-capacity wasn’t always possible. Haberer explained they had to decline entry and cancel reservations at times. 

With the newly lifted capacity limits in Ontario, Haberer found some relief and hope. “It’s going to be full steam ahead,” he says.

Safety is still a priority amid the return

Haberer has decided to continue with checking vaccine passports even as the province has lifted that requirement. He feels this measure helps ensure the safety of his staff and customers, many of whom may be older. 

While Fine Day looks forward to an upcoming live performance she has, she also recognizes a level of concern she felt for the safety of those joining her. Fine Day expressed concern for the elders she invited and worried about potentially putting their health at risk. The performance will be live-streamed for the Vancouver Public Library, where she is also the Indigenous storyteller in residence. 

“I want them to be in the room, but it feels a little bit risky,” says Fine Day.