A look back at when COVID cancelled SXSW 2020, and the music stopped austin360.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from austin360.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
It s been a full year since the COVID-19 pandemic stopped the music industry from working. Author: Hank Cavagnaro Updated: 5:47 PM CST March 12, 2021
AUSTIN, Texas One of the first things to cancel last year because of COVID-19 was South by Southwest (SXSW).
This year, it s going virtual. And for all of the people who used to work those shows, it s been extremely difficult. The Live Music Capital of the World. It s places like Empire Control Room & Garage that give Austin that title.
With COVID-19, it s had to make changes, like its Thursday night movie nights. It was Empire s way to get some people in the door while keeping people safe.
More than 30 music venues in Austin have come together to establish Safe In Sound, a public health code-of-conduct and safety program, following governor Greg Abbott's decision to lift the mask mandate for all of Texas.
Cody Cowan, executive director of the
Red River Cultural District, said. The district is home to popular clubs like Cheer Up Charlies, Mohawk and Stubb s. Noting that Texas lags behind much of the country in vaccination rates, Cowan said “consumer confidence for in-person experiences is low due to public health realities.” With tours and festivals that help venues pay the rent unlikely to return nationwide for some time, he worried that “return to 100% will not only negatively affect public health, but also may also trigger outstanding debt as due, by manufacturing the false public perception of financial viability for cultural tourism businesses.”
Texas businesses cheer, jeer as governor lifts mask mandate latimes.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from latimes.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.