Live music scene continues to move forward

Ellensburg band Cobrahawk had COVID impact its plans to tour, but the band was able to play some live shows this summer, including a show at the Seasons Performance Hall in Yakima.

Playing it by ear

By RODNEY HARWOOD

staff writer

Music venues around the Kittitas Valley are going to take a page from the musician’s songbook and play it by ear this fall.

Cornerstone Pie had a regular schedule of music out back on the band shell patio all summer, but is expected to scale it back as the fall weather moves things inside.

It’s the same with the Pretty Fair Beer location in the 402 Building on Pearl with just special occasions. The Gard Vintners will continue with its first and third Friday entertainment schedule through the first of the year and The Mule will push on through December with regular music as well.

Summer marked the return of live music around the Kittitas Valley with the Olson Brothers providing the Fourth of July entertainment in Kittitas and a show of force from the locals out at the wineries and various venues around town.

But the resurgence of the delta variant and the idea of moving the stage indoors has been met with mixed emotions. It’s not like the COVID-19 pandemic has ever gone away. The

death toll in the United States reached 700,000. Healthcare professionals are overrun with new cases every day.

Back in September, Rockin’ the Arena headliner David Lee Murphy canceled his Ellensburg Rodeo performance because he contracted COVID-19. The Zac Brown Band just canceled shows on “The Comeback Tour” after the lead singer tested positive.

So, play it by ear has taken on a new meaning as the music scene shifts indoors throughout the fall and winter.

“I have chosen not to do live music. As a performer, you have a little bit more control over your space whether its outside or with a barrier of some kind around the stage,” singer/songwriter Jan Jaffe said. “But venues don’t have as much control of the environment.

“I have some transition in my life with kids going back to school and opening the Make Music Ellensburg (school). So, I’m just not going to play for a while.”

The Mule owner Sarah Beauchamp said they will continue to offer live music at the venue on Fourth Avenue, but they will enforce the mask mandate and state regulations, she said.

“It’s a Catch 22. But we are asking people to wear their masks when they are not drinking or moving around the bar. We are enforcing it and following the state guidelines,” Beauchamp said. “We’re taking extra precautions with the hand sanitizers and extra cleaning.

“We’re not running away, but we are

Ellensburg singer Mel Peterson, seen here performing on the roof of the Windrow Hotel this summer, is scheduled to perform a Christmas show at The Mule in Ellensburg.

continued from previous page just asking people to be smart. We’ll have shows throughout October and November with a special Christmas with Mel Peterson in December.” The Gard Vintners on Pearl Street has also scheduled live music every other Friday, which includes the First Friday Art Walk and the 15th of every month, manager Riley Newman said. “We make sure every table is cleaned before and after each customer sits down, following all the regulations,” he said. “We have a very large space to spread out. We plan to continue hosting live music through the first of the year. “All our staff is wearing masks and we encourage our customers to wear them.” Local singer/songwriter Billy Maguire was the Gard Vintner entertainer