HAMPTON, Va - It’s been more than a year without them, but the Hampton Coliseum is bringing back concerts for the first time since the pandemic began.
"I’m pumped. I’m ready to go. I’m vaccinated. I’m ready to go and ready to have a good time," Ernie Holberton, a concert attendee, said.
Holberton is a huge Sevendust fan, and says it’s been more than a year since he’s been to a concert.
"It’s a way to release energy. It's like therapy for me. I need this. I've been itching to get out and do something. I’ve been locked up for a year and 10 months, and I want to let loose and destroy this place," Holberton said.
People attending the show say they are pumped to see live music again.
"My last concert was right before everything went down and shut down before social distancing and all," Anthony Barker, a concert attendee, said.
"Anything I didn’t get to do during quarantine is now happening tonight," Josh Cummings, a concert attendee, said.
Director of the Hampton Coliseum Terri Vander Vennet says around a thousand tickets were sold for the show.
"It feels great. All the staff have come back excited to do business again. We all have a passion to do shows, so they’re excited to be working again,"Vander Vennet said.
The Coliseum has pods for families and groups that want to social distance, and for those that want the full experience, there is a general admissions section.
"We put the pods out and if folks still aren’t comfortable being shoulder to shoulder, they have their space," Vander Vennet said.
She says more tour managers have contacted the Coliseum since Governor Ralph Northam lifted COVID restrictions.
"Every single weekend from now until June has one or two holds for different shows. Everyone is excited to get back to touring," Vander Vennet said.
Vander Vennet says this is the first concert of a few scheduled for this year.
