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Wetaskiwin band one of nine to play at Beaumont Blues & Roots Festival

Punch Drunk Cabaret will be returning to live performances for the first time since COVID-19.
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Punch Drunk Cabaret, photo by Keith Moore. Submitted.

Local band, Punch Drunk Cabaret, is one of nine Alberta based acts set to perform at the Beaumont Blues & Roots Festival Sept. 5, 2020.

The Festival itself is one of Alberta’s first live music venue settings to hold performances since the start of the Pandemic. Regularly choosing from musicians across Canada, the festival has chosen to keep the musical talent this year within the province, and select Alberta based acts.

This performance will be Punch Drunk Cabaret’s first return to live music performances. It is also their first live appearance since the release of their most recent album, Vampire Anthems.

Band member Randy Bailer says that when they were asked to perform at the festival, “I was very leery as to what does that look like. But their plan was really solid.”

The festival will sell a maximum of 200 tickets, with individuals being regulated to stay within their ‘pods’ during the performances. These ‘pods’ will be groups of six that are seated together, social distanced from other ‘pod’ seating. Within your pod’s seating section you will not be required to wear a mask, however, masks are required when visiting the vendors or washrooms.

Adhering to AHS guidelines, the audience will not be allowed to sing or dance along to the performances.

Bailer says that although they will have to alter the way they perform slightly due to audience interaction being forbidden, that this will be a “great opportunity to showcase our new music that we released earlier in the year.”

Bailer says that they were excited when they were asked to be one of acts for the festival and that so far there has definitely been a public interest in a return to live music with the tickets nearly selling out just days after their release.

“This group of organizers are doing their best to support local artists and it’s amazing,” says Bailer. Bailer applauds the way this festival and its volunteers are taking the extra steps to help artists in this time.

Bailer predicts this festival will be many Albertan’s only chance to see live music this summer.