Nashville begins phase 2 of reopening, includes live music

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Nashville begins phase 2 of its reopening plan Monday and that includes allowing live music in restaurants.

Restaurants on Broadway will also be allowed to bring in more guests, increasing capacity to 75%.

Now, as the city enters phase 2, up to two performers can be on stage at a time as long as social distancing is still practiced. However, dance floors also need to remain closed.

Allowing live music is significant because originally, it wasn't going to be allowed until a later phase of the reopening, but the Metro Health Department was willing to re-think it to fit it into this phase.

“We put out a road map and we've made changes now as you've seen,” said Dr. Alex Jahangir, chair of the Metro Coronavirus Task Force. “Some, maybe a little less strict and some maybe a little more strict.”

Few places are as grateful to have musicians back on stage, than the restaurant bar that literally has "live music joint" written on the wall. The Tin Roof managed to run business last week without musicians, but owners say it's no where near the business they could do with simply having people on stage.

"Musicians are what has made Nashville special. They will make Nashville come back quicker and we will do it in a safe way, but having them back on stage? Yeah, it makes us feel good," said Bob Franklin of the Tin Roof.

You won't be able to get up-close to your favorite performers just yet. One of the guidelines is that the audience must be 15 feet from the stage.

That did little to keep Dan and Cindy Dernulc from enjoying the first day back for Broadway musicians.

The couple traveling from Florida to Chicago, have made it a habit of stopping in Nashville along the way every year. This year they couldn't have timed their trip any better as it coincided with the beginning of phase 2.

"It was unfortunate what happened over the last several months, but it's good to see that it's coming back," said Dan Dernulc.

At the Tin Roof, they expect to play live music until 11 most nights, but dance floors will not be open. Other safety measures you’ll notice at some tables are these plastic dividers.

You’ll still see menus at each table, just in the form of a QR code you can download and order from.