Zanzabar to host 1st concerts since pandemic shutdown

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Live music returns to Zanzabar on Friday and Saturday for the first time since March 2020, but the show will not go on like it used to at the South Preston Street venue.

In a room that typically holds 400, Mama Said String Band will take the stage in front of a sold-out crowd of about 60 people sitting at socially distanced tables.

"I don't want to mislead anyone like we are reopening the venue," said Antz Wettig, co-owner of Zanzabar. "We're going to keep it seated like a restaurant. We're not selling conventional tickets. We're selling tables."

Zanzabar has been operating as a restaurant/arcade since being allowed to reopen during the COVID-19 pandemic, but its stage has sat empty. Currently, Wetting said his business is losing about $20,000 dollars a month. He hopes the return of live music helps keep Zanzabar afloat and provides Louisville residents with good vibes during a trying time.

"I'm grateful I'm going to get to use this room again for what it was built for," Wettig said, "but, again, in the back of my mind, nothing can come close to being open at full capacity."

Katie Didit, who plays upright bass in Mama Said String Band, said the shows at Zanzabar will be the band's first live performances in months.

"I didn't know we were going to sell out, but I guess everybody is craving live music," Didit said. "It's a healing experience, so I'm excited to see some of our familiar fans again."

The Limbo on West Chestnut Street in downtown Louisville is taking a similar small-group approach to hosting live entertainment.

"(Music) brings people together, and there's a way to do it safely," owner Olivia Griffin said. "We have a monthly French music singer. She sings with a mask on, and it still sounds great."

Both Griffin and Wettig said their venues are requiring guests to wear a mask when they are not seated and are enforcing guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

If all goes well this weekend, Wettig said Zanzabar will likely book more acts.