The Great Wait Out: Bartenders and musicians endure life under lockdown
Michele Gutierez at the helm of Patrick Malloys on Hermosa Beach’s Pier Avenue. Photo by J.P. Cordero
On a rainy April afternoon, Michele Gutierez stood solemnly behind the bar, looking around at the empty Patrick Molloy’s in Hermosa Beach, the cavernous room void of bustling conversation and the comforting clink of glasses. A few straggling patrons wandered outside with their beverages in plastic cups, adjusting to the new normal.
Gutierez, a bartender and talent booker for Patrick Molloy’s, remains a shining light on the uncharacteristically desolate Hermosa Beach pier.
“It’s so weird,” said Gutierez. “I really didn’t expect any of this to happen. I didn’t know how real it was.”
Patrick Molloy’s swiftly made the transition from hotspot music venue to pandemic take-out restaurant.
“We started [to-go orders] right away,” said Gutierez. “I try to promote a lot, but the sales still aren’t what they were. [the owner] is donating all of the sales to cover our hourly wages.”
Gutierez said she is thankful for her regulars and the solid support from the South Bay, both of which are helping the bar in this time of uncertainty.
“Our regulars message me just to check in and see how things are going and they’re ordering to-go food all the time,” said Gutierez. “They’re so awesome, just really great people.”
But even with her regulars doing their part to support, Gutierez says the financial effects of the coronavirus are hitting hard.
“My boyfriend and I scrambled what we could to cover rent for April, but I really don’t know what’s going to happen in May,” said Gutierez. “I don’t know how any of us are expected to live.”
The recent change in business practices at Patrick Molloy’s has affected more than just their service staff.
“I canceled two full months of bands,” said Gutierez. “I went ahead and booked May with some seriously good acts, and now we probably won’t even be fully open in May.”
The effects of the novel coronavirus crept in little by little at first — a long two months ago — ultimately forcing business closures. Will Hambley, a bartender at the Zebra Room in Torrance, said he thought it was a media scare until the doors of his bar were forced shut.
“I didn’t take it seriously at first,” said Hambley. “I really thought [the Zebra Room] would be one of the last places to shut down, but it was one of the first. That really pulled the carpet from under my legs.”
When asked if his bartending skill and experience has aided in preparation for a situation such as this one, Hambley said, “I can answer that with a question: do you think just anyone can be a bartender? Probably not.”
“I think there is a certain set of skills that take years to master [with bartending],” Hambley said. “You’re always aware of your surroundings, you’re good at multitasking; you’re adaptable.”
20200421 _John Brooklyn Castillo-14.jpg
John “Brooklyn” Castillo, a bartender at The Slip Bar and Eatery in Redondo Beach, also said that adaptability is a skill he learned in his industry.
“I think individuals who are in the service industry are good at becoming adaptable,” said Castillo. “A lot of us are adapting faster to it — we’re still socializing like we would at our bars, but we’re doing it digitally.”
Thanks to apps like FaceTime, Zoom, and Houseparty, bartenders are still able to keep their social batteries charged with virtual happy hours and maintain a sliver of normalcy, despite being classified in the “non-essential” category of our current workforce.
“Technically, we are [non-essential],” said Castillo. “It doesn’t mean I’m not essential as a human being. My job is to pour drinks. There are other great things we do, but a bartender isn’t needed at the moment.”
Melissa P., a bartender at Torrance’s Hi N’ Dry, has taken to FaceTime to see familiar smiles and toast a shot of Jameson with her treasured patrons. When the promise of a good time (and a bit of liquor) is involved, the socialites of the South Bay are a resilient bunch.
“Me and one of my best friends were already doing shots over the phone before the quarantine happened — ‘Pop shots,’” Melissa said. “So when the quarantine happened, it was a no brainer.”
“It didn’t so much make the lack of work easier to cope with, but it definitely did help pass the time. I felt like I was out with friends all night, even though I was home alone on my couch, waking up the next morning wondering how I got home.”
Melissa says there is one significant bonus to her new FaceTime happy hours.
“It’s nice only having to talk to the people you want to, not being forced into conversations because it’s part of the job,” she said.
As bartenders retreated home to wait out the virus-induced quarantine, so did the musicians who frequently played at these same establishments.
“This whole thing caught us so much by surprise,” said Corey Manske, drummer for Modern Bronze. “We played February 28, so we got really lucky that we got [a gig] in right before all of this.”
“I didn’t take the virus seriously at all,” said Jimmy Sagun, guitarist for Almost Famous and Rocktane. “On some occasion, I — or, we — made fun of it.”
“My band, Rocktane, had a gig on [March 14] that we ended up canceling due to illness with three out of four band members, myself included (all non-COVID-related),” continued Sagun. “I think that same weekend was the start of forced closures for some bars and restaurants.”
Musicians and bartenders have struggled to find ways to maintain their resilience and momentum during the lockdown — “stay at home,” after all, is the exact opposite of what their professions are about. For musicians, social media and social apps have been a saving grace. Singers, guitarists, and drummers alike are posting live streams of solo performances to stay in tune and satiate music-starved live fans.
Zeal Levin live streaming from home. Photo by Zeal Levin
Redondo-based vocalist and guitarist Zeal Levin has been a locally prominent presence via live stream, initially with the South Bay Stream-a-Thon, which took place on March 15 (and garnered nearly $10,000 in donations), and now with personal streams from his home.
“I think it’s really important to have some music going on for everyone right now,” said Levin. “I think the music helps bring people into the moment because when we’re in the moment, I think it’s easier for us to accept what is going on and to feel okay and feel less of the anxiety and the panic.”
“From a musician’s standpoint, yes, this is part of what’s keeping us sane,” said Manske. “But I also think that, from the music consumer’s perspective, it’s certainly a way to satisfy their appetite as well, and that’s important.”
“There is a rush as soon as I hit the ‘record’ button,” said Sagun. “The fun for me is playing tunes I never get to play live. I am hoping to maybe light a fire and encourage my extended music family to post or go live jamming themselves. I want to be a catalyst.”
Though those who bring songs and drinks to the South Bay’s normally spirited nightlife are doing their best to cope with the unexpected results of the virus, the hard financial reality is setting in more and more.
“I’m not on salary and most of my money comes from tips,” said Hambley. “If I don’t work, I don’t make money.”
“I’m forty-three years old, I’m a father,” said Castillo. “My whole life is dedicated to [my daughters]. If I can’t provide for them, I’ve failed. And that’s where this whole thing is taking us.”
Liquor companies such as Jameson and Skrewball have donated large sums to bartender relief programs, which supply grants to laid-off bartenders who apply; the Recording Academy also established a COVID-19 relief fund for out-of-work musicians.
“I’m envious of people who are working,” said Hambley. “I haven’t seen a dollar out of these relief funds. We’ve been in this for a month and I haven’t seen anything.”
“I personally haven’t [applied] because I have additional forms of revenue,” said Manske. “I’m standing down because I’m friends with so many whose sole source of income is music.”
If there’s one thing bartenders and musicians are in agreement about, it’s their excitement to return to their beloved bars and venues.
“Have you ever been on a long vacation and after two weeks you’re like, ‘I’m so ready to go home,’” said Hambley. “I’ve had my fun, I’m ready to go get in the grind. My batteries are recharged, let’s get back to work. That’s how I’m feeling right now.”
“Our [crowd] will be ready to blow off several weeks of pent-up steam and angst,” said Sagun. “The band will be excited, maybe just a little anxious. I might need a couple of shots to get ready, that’s for sure!”
Castillo and Levin also pointed out the importance of remaining positive for the duration of the pandemic and beyond.
“I’ve been practicing finding the silver lining in everything,” said Castillo. “I have to take this time out; I’ve been going real hard, to the point where my health was suffering. I don’t want to repeat that process when things go back.”
“We have to just be grateful for what we have,” said Levin. “I’m trying to keep grounded, keep making art, and keep it rolling.”