Daytona Bandshell concerts resume amid coronavirus pandemic

DAYTONA BEACH -- The crowd was socially distanced, and everyone wore face masks, but precautions against the coronavirus pandemic didn't seem to dampen the energy at the Daytona Bandshell Saturday evening, where hundreds gathered for a tribute concert.

Around 900 people came to see Highway to Hell, an AC/DC tribute band that graces the Bandshell stage each year as part of the Star Spangled Concert Series. By the time the group cranked up their guitars at 7:30 p.m. for debut song "Thunderstruck," seats were mostly filled except for a few rows in the back. People of all ages were up on their feet, hands in the air and dancing, with the woes of the pandemic forgotten for a moment.

[READ MORE: Summer concerts back on at the Daytona Bandshell after postponement from coronavirus]

[READ MORE: Daytona Bandshell concerts OK'd to start up]

But signs that the coronavirus pandemic still rages were everywhere. The concerts, which had been delayed from a May start to July 11, are being held with many safety precautions in place.

"We've worked hard. The Friends of the Bandshell worked with the city staff and with the fire chiefs to put a plan together that for the guests is as safe as possible," said Dino Paspalakis, president of Friends of the Bandshell, which runs the concerts in partnership with the City of Daytona Beach.

Seating is assigned, with two seats per party spaced six feet apart and rows widened so people have plenty of room to pass by each other. The Bandshell hosts around 25% of normal capacity, which is nearly 1,000 seats, Paspalakis said. Chairs are provided.

Attendees must enter through a gate, where volunteers take their temperatures and make sure they're wearing face masks. They must fill out a COVID-19 questionairre. Extra security and police are there to enforce the rules. The normally free concerts now have a $2 admission that goes toward the bands, as well as the masks the Bandshell provides free if attendees don't have their own.

About 300 people showed up for the first concert this year, with a salute to veterans, as is tradition for the kickoff show. It was a far cry from the 4,000-5,000 that usually pack the beachfront venue, Paspalakis said.

People normally come and go to the free concerts as they please, some walking right up from the beach. Attendees normally bring their own chairs and sit wherever they want.

Even with it being such a different scene this year, however, Paspalakis and concertgoers seemed happy just to be there.

Join the discussion! Find information on festivals, entertainment, live bands, great restaurants and any other events going on in our communities and beyond in the News-Journal's Things to Do, See & Eat in Volusia/Flagler Facebook group."The bandshell has been a historical place in the city since the '30s. And, you know, we're just trying to continue on the tradition," Paspalakis said. "We're not here for the money. We're here to provide entertainment to the public."

Steve Caron and Francene "Fran" Barnes have both been coming since Friends of the Bandshell started hosting concerts in the mid-'90s. The two aren't acquaintances, but they recognized each other from previous concerts. The two both came out for the Steve Wonder tribute July 11 as well as Saturday's AC/DC show. The latter is one of Caron's favorite tributes. And Barnes buys a season pass year after year, attending most shows in the months-long series.

"I'm 62, so this is all my music. I've lived here for 26 years, and these concerts are still my favorite thing in Daytona," Barnes said. "I was so happy Dino worked so hard to make these concerts happen."

Barnes, a nurse, even goes so far as to move her shifts around the concerts.

"My boss knows this is my favorite thing to do on the weekends in the summer, so he would let me work 10-hour shifts instead of 12," she said.

Caron also said the concerts are also his favorite thing to do in Daytona Beach, even over his hobby of sailing.

He and Barnes agreed that with crowds being spaced out as far as they were, and with all the other precautions, they weren't concerned about exposure to the coronavirus.

"It's a positive thing that they're spaced out like this, but normally, there's 5,000 or so people here," Caron said. "Last week, it was kind of sad, because there was hardly anybody here."

"You didn't have to worry about the crowds," Barnes added.

The Bandshell seems to be, like the rest of Daytona Beach, a melting pot of beachgoing locals and out-of-towners.

Friends Steve Jones and Dave Thomas are visiting from Canada, staying in Daytona Beach for an "indefinite vacation." They found out about the concerts online and decided to stop by.

"I'm obviously an AC/DC fan," Jones said, pointing to his T-shirt. It had the band's name emblazoned across the front, "AC/DC World Tour 1996" printed on the back.

Joey Courson brought his wife and young child along to the family-friendly show. The family came down from Alma, Georgia, to stay in Daytona Beach on vacation.

"We're big fans of AC/DC, so we heard about it and had to come here," he said. "We heard about it from our friends. They found it on Facebook."

Courson said "being out in the open air" and with seating spaced out, he's "not really worried" about the coronavirus.

Keeping the concerts both safe and fun is Paspilakis' goal this summer.

"Obviously, safety is our primary concern," Paspilakis said. "What we did this year is we're following the same guidelines that they've established both at Disney World, Universal Studios and major venues."

"We're just trying to offer a concert to the public and, you know, if you come in and you don't have a face mask, we'll give you a face mask for free," he said.

For information, visit daytonabandshell.com.

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