CLEVELAND, Ohio – Entertainment venues in Ohio are now permitted to host public events for the first time since mid-March. But for music venues, the news may be bittersweet.

On Tuesday, Interim Ohio Department of Health Director Lance Himes today signed the Director’s Order that Provides Mandatory Requirements for Entertainment Venues. Among the mandatory requirements: Indoor venue attendance capped at “the lesser of 15 percent of fixed-seated capacity or 300 people” and an outdoor venue attendance capped at “the lesser of 15 percent of fixed seating capacity or 1,500 people.”

Other mandatory guidelines include daily health assessments for venue employees, performers and patrons, 6 feet of distance between performers on stage as well as between groups of no more than four individuals in the audience. Face coverings would be mandatory and audiences would not be allowed to congregate before the show or during intermissions.

Venues will also be required to have hand sanitizer readily available, glass partitions at will call windows, directional pathways and floor markings. Frequent cleaning of surfaces and performance spaces is also mandated.

Tuesday’s order seems mostly geared towards entertainment venues with fixed seating, making the capacity limitations a serious problem for smaller music clubs.

“The governor’s order certainly helps some smaller theaters with fixed seating setups. Most of the live independent music venues don’t fit into that category though and 15% capacity in a 100 seat room is unlikely to work economically,” says Megan Van Voorhis, president and CEO of Arts Cleveland.

To that point, Gabe Pollack, director of the Bop Stop says 15% capacity of his venue amounts to just 14 people.

“If I have a jazz quartet and two staff members at the club that means that I can I only have 8 guests,” Pollack says. “There is no way that is helpful. It is honestly detrimental.”

The circumstances might not be much better for larger, theater-style venues either. For instance, a venue like the Goodyear Theater in Akron can fit between 1,400 and 1,500 at capacity. That would put its max attendance at around 220 people. And as, Van Voorhis points out, small attendance is just one of the challenges music venues are up against.

“When you consider things like an average ticket price against the average cost of a show and the limitations on bar sales to 10 p.m., which drives much of the revenue, it really poses challenges,” Van Voorhis says. “Some may be better off by remaining closed until the capacity limits can be higher, rather than losing money trying to stay open.”

Indeed, the entertainment venue order seems to be more suitable for larger spaces. But don’t expect to see too many major concerts in Cleveland before the end of the year.

During its second-quarter earnings call, Live Nation said it was focused on a “spring return to business outdoors in 40 countries.” The world’s largest concert promoter tputs on most of the concerts at Blossom Music Center and Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.

“I believe ’21, ’22 will be record years,” CEO and president Michael Rapino said during the call. “Regardless of what quarter exactly we scale at, the business will be stronger than ever.”

Live Nation may have the financial resources to keep the company afloat until live music returns. However, small clubs do not.

Just this past week, Wolf’s Den and Stella Music Club, two clubs in Cleveland, closed their doors permanently. Meanwhile, other venues have turned to other revenue streams to keep things going.

The Bop Stop has been hosting private concerts. B-Side Lounge, located in the same building as the Grog Shop in Cleveland Heights, has been hosting socially distanced patio concerts.

Mahall’s in Lakewood launched a Kickstarter fundraiser to help stay in business through the coronavirus pandemic. The venue hoped to raise $15,000 before Sept. 23 and has already surpassed that goal.

To make it through the end of the year, smaller music clubs are looking for more assistance from the government. United States Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer recently announced that he is co-sponsoring the “Save Our Stages” bill.

The bill, introduced by Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar and Texas Sen. John Cornyn would provide six months of financial assistance to small venues to pay employees, rent, mortgages, utilities and other bills. The money would go to small, independent venue operators, promoters and talent agents.

Until the bill passes, Tuesday’s order appears to offer a small bit of optimism, but not much more.

“I’m all for keeping people safe,” says Pollack. “I personally would have no problem operating using the guidelines that the governor wants to impose if he would provide subsidy, support or relief to offset all of the income that we are losing and have lost. Otherwise, I’ll stay closed because operating at 15% makes me lose more.”