The SARS-CoV-2 virus outbreak has forced the world to shut down. One industry most heavily hit by social distancing and mandatory closures is hospitality. But the situation has also forced new ways of thinking and conducting business. While COVID-19 is not disappearing in the rearview mirror anytime soon, some of these new strategies are helping alleviate financial strains on the hospitality industry.
The Bands for Hands Music Festival, benefitting Hospitality Helping Hands, a West Palm Beach-based organization for feeding people in need following thousands of layoffs caused by the pandemic, is a daylong virtual extravaganza of live music and specialty acts. For event organizer, J.R. Hutter, a DJ and years-long hospitality industry worker, this is just one way of doing his part during the crisis.
“I wanted to make sure that industry professionals and their families were able to feed themselves,” he said, noting his involvement in Palm Beach County’s music scene. “I reached out to Rodney Mayo and Alex Bauman of The Limitless Agency to see if they would team up for the event and we all sat down the next day and started working out the logistics.”
Five venues: Respectable Street, Voltaire, Camelot, Lost Weekend and Banko Cantina will alternate music blocks, DJ sets and hosts starting at 2 p.m. In observance of social distancing protocols and to ensure the safety of everyone involved, one tech at each venue will control the live feed and coordinate with a facilitator based in Los Angeles.
“There will only be a max of five to eight people at any given time, using social distancing as much as possible. This may be hard on the bands performing but we will try our best. We’re also supplying masks and gloves and all of the equipment, chairs and everything, will be cleaned before every act,” Hutter said.
In these uncertain times, it will take people at the grassroots level helping each other out. Last month, Rodney Mayo of the SubCulture Group which owns most of the venues, made an impassioned plea in front of the West Palm City Commission about the inadequacies of proposed models for small businesses and the loopholes that prevent some from receiving the assistance that they need.
Mayo, a longtime fixture in South Florida’s hospitality industry, is joined by The Limitless Agency, PureHoney Magazine, Aces High, Rocket Pop Entertainment, Phase 9, PoDunk Radio and Hospitality Helping Hands making this event possible. Now, more than ever, we are called upon to act on that sense of community that has unified South Florida’s bars, restaurants and music venues.
Join the cause at bandsforhands.org and follow their Facebook page for donation information and raffle rules for a FREE VIP at-home experience. ~ Abel Folgar
Respectable Street
2:00-2:30 – Vagrant Son
3:20-3:50 – The Wilkof project
4:20-4:50 – Killed by Florida
8:00-8:30 – Sons of A Tradesman
9:00-10:30 – Danxiety / JJ Contramus / Allmyfriendsaregifs / Ilya Tatarov
Voltaire
2:40-3:10 – Migrate
3:40-4:10 – Royal Hearts
5:00-5:30 – Hijas De La Muerte
6:00-6:30 – Honeyvoid
7:20-7:40 – Violet Silhouette
8:40-9:10 – Alpha Quadrant
Camelot
2:20-2:50 – Summer Gill
3:00-3:30 – Matt Brown
4:00-4:30 – KevOhm
4:40-5:10 – Sierra Lane
6:40-7:10 – Allegra Miles
Banko Cantina
5:20-5:50 – Kozmo Koz
6:20-6:50 – Karter
7:00-7:30 – Atom Spacific
7:40-8:10 – Alex Gregory
8:20-8:50 – Machina
