Many restaurants have now had live music as one of their main points of interest because of the continued spread of Covid-19. With Covid-19 being one of the main reasons there is not a large market for performances or concerts, many restaurants have chosen to get live music for their guests. One restaurant known for having live music is The Lodge in Hickory, Maryland.  

     Multiple days a week The Lodge has live acoustic bands and solo players. North Harford student Aliyah Gomez, senior, says she enjoys live music. “It creates an enjoyable atmosphere.” The Lodge specifically has brought six feet distanced live entertainment for its customers. 

     All the bands that play at The Lodge are mainly acoustic. People get to see these artists every week. There are different genre ranges between all the artists. The most common are country and classic rock. There are high top tables and a bar right nearby. Busser from The Lodge, Carmen Mirabile says, “The Lodge puts in its best effort to create a comfortable and enjoyable environment for people.” 

     Although many people enjoy live music, some do not. A poll was collected by 385 North Harford students. Out of that 385, 74 percent enjoy live music when they eat, but 26 percent do not. Haley Ries said, “It is too loud when I am trying to have conversations.” In response to this problem server, Monica McCotter says, “for people who don’t enjoy music right in front of them while we eat, we also have indoor dining with more of a relaxing environment.”  

     Not only does having live music help people enjoy themselves but it brings in so many customers. Senior/food runner Jason,  adds “With everything going on in the world today businesses are struggling to bring in the same amount of money.”. By encouraging people to come out and stay safe while having fun, it gives ample opportunity to get some extra high paying customers who are happy for the entertainment. Manager, Joey Wagner mentions, “with the start of Covid-19 we struggled to keep afloat at first. But with our live music and comfortable seating we have attracted many customers to keep the business running.” Other businesses along with The Lodge are using the same tactics and are continuing to work every day to keep their business running.

     The goodnews is that The Lodge and many other businesses with the live entertainment option seem to be planning on keeping it. So, if you enjoy some good live performance while you eat, you are in for a treat.