Local businesses looking forward to live music in Phase 3

LAKE CHARLES, La. (KPLC) - Live music is an integral part of many businesses in the Lake Area, and now in Phase 3, indoor music restrictions have been lifted.

Businesses like the Crying Eagle Brewing Company have had to adjust to COVID-19 restrictions.

“Starting in Phase 2, Crying Eagle was required, as every restaurant was, to offer table-side service. Meaning that every table, you had to come in, you had to sit and be waited upon by a server,” owner and founder of Crying Eagle Eric Avery said. “That’s all well and good except one, we didn’t have the employment for that, and two, that’s just not who we were. And so, we’ve had to make a lot of adjustments.”

They’ve had live music at their outdoor stage, but Avery says they’ve missed having music inside available for their customers.

“There’s just a level of intimacy that’s lost whenever you have bands playing outside. And sometimes you just want a singer-songwriter to come on in, and make the people inside, dining or having a beverage - to enjoy their time here.”

He says having live music indoors isn’t just a win for them.

“This new restriction going into Phase 3 is going to be really helpful for a lot of singer-songwriters, because more and more people will have them back. Not that we didn’t want them back, but it wasn’t allowed. And not everybody in town has got the venue that we do outside for singer-songwriters.”

For Downtown Lake Charles coffee shop, Stellar Beans Coffee House & Edibles, owner Chelsea Boudreaux says they’ve had to adjust by creating their own outdoor space to accommodate for live music.

“We’re really interested in having the bands play no matter what. It’s been almost a year of them sitting out. So, if they want to play inside, we have a spot for them. But, we have this community deck here, and we’d love to have music out on the deck for the whole city.”

Both Stellar Beans and Crying Eagle say they’re excited to provide a venue for musicians, and Stellar Beans says they host live music every Saturday.

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