Live Music in BR is back again, and it's at Beauvoir Park

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In normal times, dozens to hundreds to thousands of people gathered in the bars, restaurants, clubs, theaters and arenas where musicians performed.

But since the implementation of coronavirus pandemic restrictions on public gatherings, in-person musical performances have been in limbo.

Enter Beauvoir Park. A mixed commercial use property alongside the Perkins Road overpass, the two-acre site includes an outdoor stage and lawn that can accommodate a few hundred people.

“It was a joy to play after not having the opportunity in a while,” the Levee Road Revue’s Eric Schmitt said after the band's June 4 concert at the park. “It’s a nice stage and a beautiful little area. It’s an ideal location because of what’s going on now. The crowd can spread out and be outdoors responsibly. We had a bunch of cancellations in the spring. Since then, when something like this comes along, I take it if it feels like it’s safe.”

While the pandemic continues, local music promoter J. Hover is booking weekly shows and some Saturday events at the park. Thursday performances begin at 7:30 p.m. Admission is $20 and the drink policy is bring-your-own.

Pre-pandemic, Beauvoir Park and its owner, Leslie R. Bratton Jr., hosted St. Patrick’s Day parties timed to the annual Wearin' of the Green parade held in the Perkins Road area. Hover has been booking stand-alone shows there since spring 2019.

Like so many music venues, Beauvoir Park stopped the music in March. Realizing the logistical advantage an outdoor concert space has over indoor venues, Hover and Bratton relaunched their music series with the Levee Road Revue, a local singer-songwriter collective.

“People can practice social distancing here,” Bratton said. “We’re big enough to have 250 people but we stop it at 75 or 100. There’s plenty of room to move around, because we have the pavilion, the patio and the lawn area.”

“We encourage people to bring blankets and socially distance that way,” Hover said. “We’ve got a temperature gun to make sure that no one comes in running hot. The last thing we want to do is be irresponsible.”

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