Artists, musicians work outdoors amid coronavirus restrictions

Increasingly, culture-venue honchos are turning to al fresco events as a way of getting their creative wares out to the public without contravening capacity limits and social distancing rules.

By BARRY DAVIS
THE PASHA venue in Holon sits empty during the COVID-19 pandemic. (photo credit: EDEN PASHINSKY)
THE PASHA venue in Holon sits empty during the COVID-19 pandemic.
(photo credit: EDEN PASHINSKY)
The Health Ministry’s corona-related directives keep on coming thick and fast. At one time we were restricted to a suffocating 100-meter radius from our homes, with only a select few – those who work in what are considered “essential professions,” including our highly paid politicians – allowed to roam more freely. That ruled out any kind of shared cultural event, as our live spiritual nutritional needs went untended, with only the Internet providing any kind of artistic sustenance.
But as time has progressed and the lockdown parameters have ebbed and flowed, professionals in the field have somehow figured out ways to solve the live entertainment impasse. Increasingly, culture-venue honchos are turning to al fresco events as a way of getting their creative wares out to the public without contravening capacity limits and social distancing ministerial guidelines and, they hope, making something approaching a living.
For the past couple of months jazz fans, or just anyone desperate to catch musical messages unfold live before their very ears and eyes, have been able to enjoy weekly Saturday gigs from the comfort of their cars in a parking lot on Hasolelim Street, near Hashalom Road in Tel Aviv. The Drivin’ Jazz program is curated by saxophonist Alexander Levin and drummer Evyatar Slivnik and is due to continue on through the summer months unabated, evolving pandemic situation permitting.
And there are grander leisure time plans afoot. As of today (July 2) the Pasha venue in Holon will begin hosting a varied lineup of acts, including artists of various musical strands and comedy. The curtain raiser features stand-up comic Hanoch Daum, religious singer-songwriter Ishay Ribo, and a string of other comedians, including Reshef Levy, Kobi Maimon, veteran twosome Eli and Mariano, and Eran Zaracovitz.
Barel Adam, from the Adam Group production company, which joined forces with the Pashbar production enterprise to create the Pasha venture, says he felt spiritually starved throughout the lockdown.
“Without culture there’s no point to life,” he declares simply and succinctly. “My colleagues and I got our heads together and tried to see how we could generate work during this period, when there were no performances and there was simply no option to generate any activity. First and foremost, we are culture professionals and we could see the distress in this sphere, with the inability to put on shows. And even when that is possible, there are restrictions which are hard to adhere to. And there is the fear of the public to attend events.”
That’s quite a lot to accommodate and some creative thinking was clearly required.
The first obstacle was soon overcome when the group came across the large site in Holon, although the initial operational notion proved to be a bit of a lame duck.
“We thought about creating a drive in entertainment venue, but there were so many restrictive [health] guidelines on that so we dropped it.
The turning point came when their path crossed that of Itai Pashinsky, owner of the Pashbar ticketing and production company, who had the aforesaid expansive plot of land at his disposal.
“WE SAID, let’s turn this place into an outdoor show venue. We can put in tables and seating, and follow the Ministry of Health guidelines.” It was all systems go.
“We thought about this coronavirus time, but also about what happens when that passes. We want to provide a high-class, innovative entertainment experience. Seating is on sofas for couples with tables, and there is catering. So even after the pandemic ends people will still get a VIP experience.”
Adam and his cohorts are looking to make the most of the predicament.
“We can have up to 500 people at the venue right now, with the current limitations, but we could also have 2,000. The bottom line is that people want and need to see live shows, and the artists want and need to perform. We think this can work out well for everyone.”
It’s not just acknowledged “center of the country” that is getting into the outdoor show act. Last week, the Hatzar Hashuk (Market Yard) Unplugged series kicked off with some big names, with the likes of popular alternative rock band Girafot playing at the production company’s Kfar Saba venue while rockers Maor Cohen and Peter Roth did their thing over in Pardess Hanna.
Hatzar Hashuk manager Guy Yitzhaki says he and his pals had been chomping at the bit.
“We were raring to go. They really ran us into the ground with all the restrictions.” Even so, the company was equipped to follow the Health Ministry’s guidelines. Established in 2014, Hatzar Hashuk specializes in large catering and other food-based events and festivals, mostly taking place in the summer. So it was basically a matter of just tailoring the current series accordingly.
“The first couple of shows were sold out,” Yitzhaki notes happily. “The public is desperate for live entertainment. We didn’t think we’d be among the first to do this, but the hunger for this is so great that the response has been really strong, even though we’re not talking about Tel Aviv or Jerusalem.”
Yitzhaki says things have gone well thus far but he is not taking anything for granted.
“The government comes out with all sorts of decisions and restrictions, inconsistently, and you never know what’s going to happen next. We have plenty of top artists lined up for after July but we want to wait and see before we advertise that. Let’s hope it all runs smoothly.”
Meanwhile, back in the metropolis, the Suzanne Dellal Center has started hosting outdoor performances of the celebrated Vertigo Dance Company’s signature Birth of the Phoenix production.
The work – which was choreographed by Vertigo artistic director Noa Wertheim, based on a concept created by Amos Stample, and with Ran Bagno providing the soundtrack – has been performed far and wide to enthusiastic audiences for 16 years. And there is more to come at the center over the coming weeks.
The outdoor photographic Face: Safe exhibition of face masks  is currently up and running at the Museum Garden in Holon, and other culture purveyors up and down the country are slowly getting up to some kind of speed. As punk-rocker Ian Dury once mused, there are some reasons to be cheerful.


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