Q&A with Mishawaka Intern About the Past year and Future of the Ampitheatre
I had the opportunity to talk to Ben Kruger, an Operational Intern at the Mishawaka Amphitheatre. He gave me to details about the impacts of COVID, how the music venues faced those challenges and how live music and it’s venues mean a lot to the people of a community.
Eliza: Why did you decided to work at the Mishawaka?
Ben: I wanted to start working at the Mishawaka because I really enjoy live music. I wanted to see this ins and outs of how production happened. When I first started off it was because we were in a live music drought live music and one of the only ethical places, I thought was doing it was Mishawaka Amphitheatre during when COVID restrictions were extremely constrictive.
What were some of the things they did that were more ethical than other places?
It’s an outdoor venue and as shown in a lot of scientific studies your chance of catching COVID at outdoor venues are statistically it’s a million times harder to catch COVID than in an outdoor setting then isn’t an indoor strike setting where air circulated because…the exact terminology on the virus is not my not my strong suit but it’s an airborne virus based on Larimer County Health Department said. Being outside is smarter scientifically so people don’t get ill and doing that was really filling to me because I still wanted to see live music. Fundamentally, at the end of the day, I love live music, so I want to see it one of the work with it. Then everything changed quite drastically from an outdoor pottage setting to everyone would buy a pot of table next with general admission to a general admission audience
You mentioned that you really enjoy live music. What value do you see in it?
it’s the true last bastion of human experience when you see live music it is the most public display of human artistry that there is and it’s fulfilling, it makes me happy. It makes you feel things and we are emotional beings so it’s really important to listen live music.
You mentioned the emotional factor in human beings in general. But how do you think live music can bring people together?
How does live music bring the community together, let me think about this for a second. In my mind, there isn’t a strong community without live music. my music is a good gathering place the center place for a lot of people to get together bring your friends along bring your family along listen to something that you like listen something that you don’t like isn’t this something artistically interesting.
Picking up where you’re talking about the community there is no community without live music, what was an experience at a live concert that made you feel connected to another person?
There is my personal experience when I go to concerts and there’s when I’m working concerts so which one do you prefer?
Let’s do the personal experience.
Okay. Spring of 2019, I saw what I thought was the best live concert ever seen it was voltec live in concert at red rocks Amphitheatre. I don’t really get to go out and do a lot of concerts with my father and this was something that I wanted to do. We experienced fantastic music, fantastic bonding experience and we left there a lot happier and a lot more fulfilled than when we entered the place originally. Every single time I go to a concert with somebody, I learn more about them I feel closer to them in almost every way because it’s fun to see expression. It’s fun to be with people then you can discuss the expression and enjoy it.
Have you made connections with people that you just met at the concert with no previous experience?
There are definitely people or more into that but I personally like to bring people in my life to the concert and not try and connect at the concert. Normally my first rule of concert going is you never go to a concert alone, you always bring somebody along with you. To go by yourself to have your own experience is just as good. Normally in the small concert settings that I would meet somebody and we would have a good conversation would probably be at a bar or very small venues where there’s a local guitarist or singer-songwriter singing and playing at the same time.
How do you think your work with the Mishawaka has helped other people have great concert going experiences?
I think without me helping out the Mishawaka’s the concert going experience won’t be as good. You know I I’ve took the time to make sure everything was perfect for the concert. Everything from scheduling shuttles and making sure that shuttles get up to Mishawaka on time because parking is a little bit more difficult at an outdoor venue right on a river and I’ve just seen people go to the Mishawaka and leave with the biggest model that I’ve haven’t seen for a long time and it’s in seeing people publicly celebrate that’s brings a smile to my face by also see a smile on theirs. I know for sure that near the end of the night we try to make sure that people say safely off the road because it’s a right next to a state highway. So we make sure that everyone stays off the road stays safe gets home safely in their cars and we call and make sure that everyone gets home safe at the end of the night.
Why are some of the other steps that the Mishawaka takes to ensure safety, especially when it comes to COVID?
In general concert safety, there’s around 12 security officers that are there every single show to protect and make sure that people within the crowd and around the crowd are being safe and taken care of appropriately. Our next concern is making sure that people are safe from being now I’m running into the road. Thirdly, when it comes to the outdoor venue aspect of the Mishawaka, it’s 1000 times safer than your Aggie theater or indoor public that is full of hosting live music just because of how air circulates in those particulates that COVID lives and manifests in.
So even with COVID the Mishawaka was able to more or less have a normal stream of concerts.
As soon as that we got approval from Larimer County.
How long did that take from like the start of COVID?
We started potted shows in April. And then so we had a maximum capacity of 200. How that would work was you would buy a table with hopefully your household, you couldn’t leave your table service would come to you and that’s how you would watch the show. And then later on those tables disappeared and as we got the green light to do full capacity concerts again, people started feeling more comfortable coming to the venue and then we kept in constant contact with the Larimer County health department. Since all the business would kind of operate on a what the government is mandating for them, especially in a time like this.
Are there any rules or regulations that are here to stay after COVID?
Rules and regulations around the industry? Yes. I think that there will definitely be some that exist specially for big from promoters such as Live Nation or AEG. You see at all of their venues they require proof of vaccination and some artists that don’t feel comfortable with patrons not wearing masks they require masks as well. I think that it’s just going to be an evenflo situation up until we get into a semblance of what people feel comfortable with in normal way. The Mishawaka isn’t owned by either of those entities, But no COVID precautions are purely leftover.
I think that what COVID will change is how artists react when they’re moving from place to place. Like artists they get on tour bus they go from city to city, club the club performing every night. Then they go, meet people, shake hands, and do a whole bunch of things. I think artists awareness of that is a lot higher and they feel a lot less comfortable being around a bunch of people but other than that I don’t think that any long impacting COVID changes will stick around.
Ss there anything in like the Mishawaka schedule or at 830 N that you’re really looking forward to?
The Mishawaka is having their final shows this weekend. The Disco Biscuits, which is kind of a jam band that have kind of been pretty big previously in the past specially with older generations. At 830 N they had DJ Shots Fired, who is actually not DJ. He’s more like a rocker, very Jimi Hendrix-esque. I enjoyed Cactus Cat and Cactus Cat is amazing. There are some exciting things to come at 8:30 N for sure and it’s a will be great to see what they come up with.
830 N is owned by the Mishawaka but I do not personally do a lot of work with a 830 N. I only do work for the Mishawaka and there’s a lot more logistical things that have to be handled for a bigger venue and that’s a little bit more in nature. So I can’t terribly answer that one well.
No that’s, that’s totally fine. I was just curious how much the staff transitioned between each location depending on the seasons
Yeah they’re pretty separate. The you know things that kind of come here and there or audio engineers like engineers and security staff.
What are you looking forward to most about the next concert season at the Mishawaka?
I’m excited to see local come for next season at the Mishawaka. I think that artists are going to definitely like outdoor venues considerably more. I have a strong feeling that full capacity shows will start in the beginning of the year through the end. I know that there will be some big acts coming to the Mishawaka that I can’t disclose, but that will be really exciting for a lot of kids a lot of college aged individuals. I’m stoked to see what more is to come!
