By Greg Ellison

(July 23, 2020) Recently launched live music at the Ocean Pines Yacht Club, slated to run four nights a week through Labor Day, took a quick hiatus last weekend because of mixed feedback from patrons concerning covid-19 health restrictions.

Matt Ortt Companies cofounder Ralph DeAngelus said the situation became untenable following a performance by Fab Four devotees Beatlegacy on Saturday night.

“We were catching hell from both sides,” he said. “There were the people who didn’t think we were taking enough safety precautions, and then there was the other side who said we were taking way too many.”

Before the headline act, First Class, hit the stage on Sunday, the decision was made to pull the plug, with tentative plans to reevaluate matters in three weeks.

“My managers were getting pulled in both directions,” he said. “It was really, really tough on them and the staff.”

While most concerns communicated to wait staff were reasonable, DeAngelus said proactive measures were still deemed appropriate.

“Then they’re the ones that make the outlandish claims to try to get their point across to the local jurisdictions,” he said.

After considering all the comments and reactions, the scales appeared to be unfavorably balanced.

“We thought we were in a no-win situation, so we just cancelled the bands,” he said. “To make it clear, that’s not what we wanted to do.”

DeAngelus said regardless of seaside melodies taking a pause, Yacht Club food and drink offerings remain unchanged.

“All the tables and everything else stays, it’s just that we’re not going to have the bands,” he said. “We obviously still hope people come and dine on the water even though there’s no entertainment.”

Yacht Club management will look at the possibility of bringing back live shows in several weeks.

“We know not having bands is going to be a huge financial blow,” he said. “We just wanted to keep our fingers crossed and never say never, so we’re going to reevaluate around Aug. 10.”

DeAngelus said it’s too soon to predict what direction the coronavirus health crisis could take over the remainder of this summer.

“In three weeks, if the climate is exactly the same, then we’ll remain the same,” he said.

“If it’s gotten better then, hopefully, we can go back to it, if not then we won’t.”

For more information visit online at https://www.opyachtclub.com/live-music