The Oakland Arena has been sitting empty for more than a month now. Concerts that were scheduled for April were postponed to August.
But Gov. Gavin Newsom has a sobering message for all those music fans -- concerts and mass gathering events are the last things to go back to normal.
Sam Johnson is one of many performers itching to get back on stage. The San Francisco singer and songwriter typically performs 15 gigs a month. Since March, the coronavirus pandemic wiped out all those performances.
"I'm really focusing on songwriting currently because there's not much you can do," Johnson said. "I'm not going to create gigs out of nowhere."
Organizers have either canceled or pushed large-scale concerts and sports events to late summer and the fall.
The Oakland Arena postponed April concerts from several big-name artists like The Weeknd to early August. The same goes for the PGA Championship at San Francisco's Harding Park, which is now moved to the first week of August. There is still an open question whether there will be fans in the bleachers.
On Tuesday, Newsom threw cold water on anyone looking forward to attend a concert, music festival, or sports event anytime soon.
"The prospect of mass gatherings is negligible at best until we get to her immunity and we get to a vaccine," Newsom said.
When will that happen? CNBC reports Johnson & Johnson could have a COVID-19 vaccine ready by April of next year. One thing is for certain -- the more concerts you cancel, the more money arenas and stadiums like Oakland Arena stand to lose.
"I can't tell you how much because to the extent that we haven't had any events, we also haven't had certain expenses," said Henry Gardner with the Oakland-Alameda Coliseum Authority. "It's not where we want to be financially. We make money off these events."
Gardner said the real impact will be felt among the 200 part-time employees who work the concession stands when the arena is hosting large-scale concerts.
Roger Hacker, director of corporate communications for the San Francisco 49ers and Levi's Stadium, provided the following statement:
"While there is much uncertainty regarding the appropriate time for the return of sports, our intent is to exercise great patience and make the most informed decisions regarding the health and wellness of all San Francisco 49ers and Levi’s Stadium employees, patrons, and the community at large. Our organization continues to collaborate with federal, state, and local health organizations, as well as our League office, to monitor the ever-evolving developments regarding COVID-19."
