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Knuckleheads plans concert Friday as stay-at-home order relaxes

Posted at 4:54 PM, May 14, 2020
and last updated 2020-05-14 18:24:48-04

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The stay-at-home order will begin to relax Friday in Kansas City, Missouri.

Businesses will have to follow the 10/10/10 rule, which limits the number of people permitted at an establishment to either 10% of the maximum occupancy or 10 people — whichever is greater.

KCMO guidelines also recommend businesses get the name and contact information for anyone in the building for more than 10 minutes in case contact-tracing of possible coronavirus exposure becomes necessary.

Knuckleheads in the city’s East Bottoms is going to test drive the new rules by reopening Friday and hosting its first live concert in two months.

"It’s always good to be the first one, but then you’re the first one to make mistakes too," Knuckleheads owner Frank Hicks said. "But I think it’s going to be good."

Hicks' staff was tapping off chairs and placing X's on the floor to arrange tables 10 feet apart Thursday. Concert-goers will be asked to remain seated and not stand next to the stage to maintain social-distancing.

Knuckleheads staff will be wearing masks and a protective barrier has been installed to keep bartenders safe, Hicks said.

While he'd love to have all of his staff back, Hicks said he will only have two bartenders and two waitresses along with a bar back and door man for the first night.

The complex has four different stages. When Outlaw Jim and the Whiskey Benders takes the stage at 8 p.m., it’s likely to be outside unless bad weather forces the performance indoors.

Based on the city's occupancy rules, Knuckleheads can have about 100 people for the event.

"If I can get a 100 people in here, it’s 100 more than I had,” Hicks said.

If turnout exceeds that limit, Hicks said he’ll turn people away at the door and plans to enforce the social-distancing rules, if people are too close together.

"It’s my liquor license and my business that’s at stake, so I have to be kind of a, I don’t want to say forceful, but I have to say if you don’t want to do it, can you please leave,” Hicks said.