Since opening as a music venue in 2016, the Hook & Ladder Theater & Lounge has hosted numerous memorable shows — including the moving final performance by Grant Hart. When the coronavirus pandemic hit Minnesota this spring, marketing director (and co-founder) Jesse Brodd said, he was ready to pivot to a safer form of live music.

"I had been wanting to do livestreams for years," Brodd said yesterday in an interview via Instagram. "There's so many people that live in this state that can't make it out on a Friday night to an amazing concert that's happening at the theater. Those who live on the outskirts of [the Twin Cities] or even Duluth or St. Cloud could chime in and join us at the Hook & Ladder."

Having done "enough research to make myself dangerous," Brodd installed a multi-camera infrastructure to stream shows from the Minneapolis venue's stages — and partnered with CrowdCast to sell tickets to high-resolution video streams. With all the virtual "busking" taking place across various platforms, "Hookstreams" became a way for artists to be compensated for performances on a per-viewer basis.

While a livestream is obviously much safer than a traditional live concert, in a pandemic there are still health considerations any time any number of people gather under one roof. Brodd said they've employed screenings for virus symptoms, mandate mask wearing except for where absolutely necessary for performance, and employed as much distancing as possible between the artists and the technical crew. "We also have ionizer [air] filters," he added, "so we don't have lingering particles in the air."

At the immediate present, in-venue streams are on pause due to restrictions the State of Minnesota has instituted to slow viral spread at what's become a very dangerous time. "It was the right thing to do," said Brodd. Though "I'm sure we could have found a grey line to walk," he continued, they've temporarily pivoted to facilitating streams from offsite venues like the Big Wu's studio, Sarah Morris's "tiny bathroom," and Davina Sowers's "decked-out" living room.

While the venue, located at the intersection of Minnehaha and Lake, was damaged during this summer's unrest following the killing of George Floyd, Brodd said the theater survived thanks to thick doors, a sprinkler system, and community messaging about its nonprofit status. "You can't forget about the monk," he added, "that sat out in front of our establishment for hours and hours and prayed directly in front of the Hook. An actual monk? "An actual monk, putting a bubble around the Hook & Ladder Theater during all the uprising."

Brodd said it meant a lot to have Sowers, a personal friend and a neighborhood resident, re-inaugurate the Hookstreams when they resumed in June. Brodd also cited his work with "an amazing man named Lewiee Blaze." In addition to performing from the Hook, Blaze collaborated with the venue to create a video series called Young Voices Matter, encouraging young voters in the leadup to the November election.

Like all music venues, the Hook & Ladder is seeking sustenance during this pandemic shutdown. "We have been asking for donations to stay alive," said Brodd, who said, "we will make it. There's enough people here to support us, and live music will be back soon."

Below, watch our full conversation.

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