WHITEFISH — When Covid-19 shutdown the state of Montana one Flathead valley musician lost shows overnight.
“It was scary you know I lost 17 shows like that," said Andrew Sweeney, a musician who has auditioned for American Idol and The Voice.
Sweeney has solo gigs as well performing with his band Overtime around the Flathead.
Sweeney says the difficulties of Covid-19 did not just impact performers but, bars and restaurants that offer live music.
“It is tough for the venues and obviously if they are unsure what to do if they can't book it makes it a lot harder for a musician if you have nowhere to play,” said Sweeney.
Sweeney says bars like Casey’s in Whitefish and wineries like Water’s Edge in Kalispell have been open to performances.
"That's what I think has been really cool as they understand hey this is how I make my living you know this is a few hours at a time getting up and entertaining people,” said Sweeney.
Sweeney says even when he has weekends off from performing, he goes out to see other performers.
“The couple weekends that are still open I'm going to be out listening to someone else play,” said Sweeney.
But Sweeney says he is not the only one supporting local artists and performers.
“This community here has been just amazing I I've been blown away honestly to to see the support even through all of the challenges,” said Sweeney.
Sweeney will be performing at Casey's Whitefish every other Saturday and hopes to release his own album later this year.
You can find more information about his performances here.
