NY Governor bans gatherings with 500 people or more (updated)

We are updating this post as info arrives…

New York’s Governor Andrew Cuomo has just banned gatherings in NY with 500 people or more.

Here’s his statement, via a tweet.

We are taking new actions to reduce the density of people across the state.

Starting Friday at 5pm, gatherings with 500 people or more will not be permitted in NYS.

Additionally, for facilities with an occupancy of 500 or fewer, we are reducing the legal capacity by 50%.

He adds:

For Broadway theaters in Manhattan, these rules will go into effect at 5pm TODAY.

We have already spoken to the theaters about these new measures and they agreed.

This also includes the St. Patrick’s Day Parade, which has already been officially postponed.

Cuomo goes on to announce:

I am announcing a new directive requiring NY health insurers to waive cost sharing associated with testing for #coronavirus, including emergency room, urgent care and office visits.

We can’t let cost be a barrier to access to COVID-19 testing for any New Yorker.

Our priority is treating infected patients, and we are carefully watching the hospitalization rate and looking at options:

-Accelerating staffing
-Identifying State facilities that could serve as temporary hospitals if needed
-Coordinating among upstate/downstate hospitals

We are focused on taking special precautions with nursing homes & senior care facilities.

We are requiring that all staff at nursing homes wear masks and be monitored for symptoms.

No non-medical staff will be permitted to visit nursing homes.

One can assume this means most New York concerts are or will be getting cancelled or postponed.

We can confirm, Body Count’s show at Webster Hall this Sunday (3/15) has been officially postponed with no new date announced yet.

Regarding the Billy Joel shows at MSG, he tweets:

The Billy Joel concerts scheduled for March 19 and April 10 at
@TheGarden have been postponed to September 26 and October 11, respectively.

Via Carnegie Hall:

With the health and safety of the public, our artists, and our staff as our foremost priority, Carnegie Hall has cancelled all events from March 13 through March 31, 2020, in an effort to reduce the spread of the new coronavirus (COVID-19).

Report: Live Nation to stop all arena tours due to Coronavirus.

Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs have cancelled their NYC and LA shows, they say:

Regretfully due to the cancellation of SXSW our US headline shows have been effected and we are now unable to play Brooklyn and LA this weekend. Refunds are available at point of purchase. We’re very sorry to not be heading out and we’ll be back as soon as we’re able.

The entire 2020 Decibel Magazine tour has been cancelled.

Insomnium’s NYC show tomorrow has been cancelled.

Having already toured through NY, Devin Townsend has postponed the remainder of his North American tour.

The Bowery Ballroom writes:

An Update Regarding COVID-19: Due to Governor Cuomo’s ban on large gatherings, our shows throughout the rest of March will be rescheduled. Hold onto your tickets and stay tuned to our channels for announcements regarding new dates. If shows are cancelled, ticket buyers will be notified and refunds will be available at point of purchase. We will continue to monitor the situation and bring you any more updates as soon as we have them. It breaks our hearts to have to close our doors but safety for our patrons and artists remains our number one priority. We can’t wait to see you all as soon as possible and continue to bring you the best in live music!

Le Poisson Rouge is closed this weekend, in an email they say:

To Our Patrons and Our Community,

A lot has changed in the three days since we last wrote to you. We are doing our best to keep music lovers and our community safe while also allowing our staff the opportunity to put food on the table for their families. It is a balancing act we wish we didn’t have to be a part of.

In light of Governor Cuomo’s ban on large public gatherings, we have decided to cancel this weekend’s events. We will update you shortly on the month’s remaining events. Tonight’s show will go on as planned, but will be capped at 500 people.

The outbreak of COVID-19 has hit independent businesses hard. Our bartenders and waitstaff, our porters and bussers, our marketers and bookers…we all depend on live music to survive. If you purchased a ticket to a show that ends up being postponed, please consider hanging onto your ticket to attend the rescheduled event. Your support means everything to us and holding onto those tickets during this time of uncertainty means that much more.

We will reach out to you again soon with more information regarding the coming weeks. Until then, stay safe, keep your spirits high and if you’re going to be home for a bit, play your music loud.

Sincerely,

Team LPR

The Town Hall released the following statement:

The safety and security of our audiences and employees is the Town Hall’s highest priority. Due to concerns over the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), The Town Hall will be closed until further notice. We are following the lead of our city, state, and federal elected officials as we take steps recommended by the Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

For postponed events during the month of March, your current tickets will be honored for the new date, and no action is needed if you want to keep your tickets and current seat locations. You will be notified as soon as the new date is announced. If the show has been cancelled, refunds will be made available at all points of purchase. Purchases made at the box office will be made available once the Hall is reopened.

For additional information or assistance, including information on ticket refund and exchange policies, please contact Ticketmaster at (800) 982-2787. If you have any questions for the box office, please contact them at boxoffice@thetownhall.org.

We are working with the shows scheduled for early April and will continue to update our website. While we continue to monitor the ever-developing situation, please continue consulting our website and calendar for ongoing updates.

Here are some helpful tips and up-to-the-minute news from trusted sources:

World Health Organization (LINK)

NYC Department of Health (LINK)

We thank you for your patience as we navigate this evolving situation.

~ The Town Hall Family

#townhallnyc

Via Lincoln Center:

We stand in solidarity with our arts colleagues in New York and around the world many of whom, like us, have shut their doors due to Coronavirus.

For the foreseeable future, we will be sharing footage regularly on our social channels – rarely seen video from decades of Live From Lincoln Center, more recent performances from across campus, and live streams from wherever performances are still happening – empty halls, living rooms, and more.

In these times of heightened anxiety and diligence, we may find it easier to divide than unite. Let’s take care of our hearts and minds, as well as our bodies. Let’s center our empathy and not lose sight of what connects us.

First up is a program of Schoenberg, Murail, a world premiere by Alexandra du Bois, and ending with Johnston’s “Amazing Grace” for string quartet. Courtesy of The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, our 2020 Emerging Artist Sebastian Manz, and a phenomenal group of young musicians.

We’re coming to you live from Alice Tully Hall. Take a moment. Enjoy.

Via Brooklyn Bowl:

Given the escalating public health concerns nationwide, Brooklyn Bowl announces that we will be closing our doors until further notice in accordance with Governor Cuomo’s action to temporarily ban mass gatherings of more than 500 people. We know that Brooklyn Bowl has always been a second home to many of us and we want to let you all know that our hearts are heavy to have to temporarily close our doors.

The safety of our artists, guests, staff, and extended community is always our highest priority, and we feel this is the right thing to do under the circumstances. Upcoming shows will be postponed as necessary, and we’ll be back with information soon.

Stay safe. Stay smart. Rock. And Roll. 🤘

Baby’s All Right Instagrams the following:

Hello all,
Due to special precautions Baby’s All Right will be postponing all programming until March 26th. This is a public safety issue that we would like to responsibly do our part in containing. All events will be rescheduled and ticket holders will be notified of those updates as they are confirmed. Please bear with us through this tough time. There is a lot to work through but we promise ticket holders will be notified with updates as they roll in.
Please stay safe and take preventative measures to quell the spread of COVID-19.
Thank you and remember: Baby loves you

House of Yes tweets:

Well, that was fast.

At 2pm today the governor’s office announced that gatherings with 500+ people will not be permitted starting tomorrow (Friday) at 5pm. Facilities with an occupancy of 500 or fewer (which applies to House of Yes) are required to reduce our legal capacity by 50% in order to stay open.

Given this news, we are shutting down all parties starting on Friday and shutting down all events following the weekend. We are automatically refunding all tickets through Tuesday, March 24. We cannot say at this time when we will reopen, but will continue issuing refunds for all cancelled events. We will continue to closely monitor the situation daily, and send updates as we have them.

Tonight will be our last dance. Tomorrow & Saturday will be our last theatre shows. Both events will operate at half capacity.
We hope to stay well together in our decision to remain apart.

We also hope the government will enact supportive measures for small businesses, artists, live performers, and freelancers that will cushion the very deep blow to our core community.

Via Market Hotel:

After much discussion with the performers + our staff, we’ve made the difficult decision to indefinitely postpone events thru this weekend out of concern for pubic safety. All advanced tickets purchased will be refunded.

Decisions for shows next week and beyond have not been made.

Thank you for your patience as we all cautiously wait to see how this crisis develops. We urge everyone to wash their hands dutifully, and if you are feeling sick — please, stay home, get rest, and seek medical attention if needed.

Love, Market Hotel

The Tribeca Film Festival has been postponed.

Saint Vitus Bar write:

A COVID-19 update:

Unless otherwise announced, shows at Saint Vitus are still on. We are very closely monitoring and implementing the recommendations of our state and local officials, and we will update you if we need to take further steps. If a show is canceled, we will make that clear on both our website and our social media channels.

In the meantime, use your best judgment (or someone else’s if your best judgment is pretty bad) when deciding to attend an event, and for the love of Satan, wash your hands. If you’re feeling sick, stay home. If your favorite band announces that their tour dates are canceled, see if you can buy their merch online. In general, right now is a really, really good time to find ways to support your favorite musicians, artists, and venues.

As for Vitus: we are staying on top of strict cleanliness protocols. The bar gets thoroughly cleaned every day. We will continue to have our bartenders adhere to strict health & safety guidelines.

We appreciate your understanding. Stay healthy, and be excellent to each other.

We’ll put a few links to ways you can help out locally in the comments.

This weekend’s Amenra film screenings are both postponed indefinitely. We’ll let you all know when we’re able to reschedule them. Thank you for your understanding!

Regarding tonight’s Atlantic 10 Conference at Barclays Center:

The Atlantic 10 Conference announced tonight that the 2020 Men’s Basketball Championship at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY., will be played without fans and spectators for its remaining games.

Beginning tomorrow, all remaining contests in the championship will be restricted to teams, network television, working media, essential personnel, and team affiliated families/guests.

Skillet, From Ashes to New, Ledger at Upstate Concert Hall has been postponed.

Anti-Flag tour postponed:

ATTN: US TOUR LEG 1 UPDATE;

Unfortunately, we will have to postpone our current March tour with GRADE 2 and DOLL SKIN. The safety and health of those who come to our shows and their surrounds is of utmost importance to us. Therefore, due to the current outbreak and ban on public gatherings we will look to reschedule all of our upcoming March shows to later in the year. All previously purchased tickets WILL be honored for all newly scheduled shows. As it stands, the May tour is still a go! Please stay tuned for further updates, which we hope to have very shortly.

-AF

The Paramount say:

The Howard Jones Acoustic Trio on March 19th is Canceled

Huntington, Long Island, N.Y. – Due to circumstances outside of our control, we regret to inform you that The Howard Jones Acoustic Trio on March 19th at The Paramount has been cancelled. Refunds can be obtained at original point of purchase. For more information, please visit paramountny.com.

Ally Brooke on March 14th to be Postponed

Granger Smith on March 13th to be Rescheduled

Guster “An Evening of Acoustic Music & Improv” on March 27th to be Rescheduled:

Huntington, Long Island, N.Y. (Friday, March 12, 2020) Due to circumstances outside of our control, we regret to inform you that Guster has been postponed until further notice. Hang on to your tickets, we’ll email you (and post updates here) as soon as a new date is announced. For any questions or concerns, you can call the venue at (631) 673-7300 or visit paramountny.com.

Circa Survive, Polyphia, Gouge Away at Brooklyn Steel has been postponed.

Styx have postponed their March shows.

Lucky 13 Saloon post:

Dearest Lucky 13 Saloon patrons:

We wanted to take a moment to advise you on what’s going on here with lots of events and venues closing around NYC. Lucky 13 Saloon has remained open 365 days a year since opening way back in 2003 through hurricanes, blizzards, blackouts, etc. Although some shows are being cancelled around nyc we will continue to bring you the shows we can, the Gogo dancers, and the bartenders you’ve come to love and appreciate during this difficult time. We are taking extra precautions, cleaning and sanitizing constantly and have asked our employees to up their hand washing game as well as placed industrial sized hand sanitizer pumps in various places around the bar. Though Broadway has gone dark as of today and all places that have an occupancy of 500 or more are being told by the city to shut down, we do not fall into that category and we recognize that some of those broadway shows and some of those venues will not be able to recover or reopen. We at Lucky 13 Saloon vow to keep our doors open to you so you have a place to go with a friendly face and can have a drink with us through this time. We are asking our patrons AS WELL as our employees to abide by the following though, in order to keep everyone safe and healthy:

1. Please don’t hug or kiss your friends or our employees when you see them, even if you missed the shit out of them. Handshakes need to go for now too. Elbow bumps are coming into style right now! Let’s do that.

2. If you have had close contact with a person confirmed to have, or being evaluated for, COVID-19 infection, please stay home.

3. Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.

4. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.

5. Avoid close contact with people who are sick!! And please, as much as we love you, stay home when you are sick so as not to infect others. 🙏

We look forward to seeing you soon, and until we are government mandated that we can no longer remain open, we will be here for you. If you can afford to, please give a little extra to your bartenders and dancers at this time as this is hitting all hospitality industry staff and performers HARD, and we need your help too. 🖤
In Metal we trust,

Melody, Jeff & the Lucky 13 Staff

Cold postpone U.S. trek.

‘Devastation On The Nation’ 2020 officially postponed.

Carnifex & 3TEETH co-headline tour cancelled.

Julien-K & The Birthday Massacre tour postponed.

Deafheaven, Inter Arma and Greet Death tour postponed.

Thy Art Is Murder tour with Fit For An Autopsy, Enterprise Earth & more cancelled.

Sepultura postpone North American tour until the fall