South Farms’ Socially Distanced Concerts Potentially Getting Shut Down Due to Resident Complaints

South Farms, a family-run farm in Morris, Connecticut that usually hosts weddings, has been hosting socially distanced shows over the past couple of months, with performances from musicians including Dinosaur Jr. and Lady Lamb. But after some residents complained, the shows may have to come to an end, according to BrooklynVegan. 

The venue has titled its quarantine-friendly series of shows “Twilight Concerts on the Farm,” and it’s hosted by Premier Concerts/Manic Presents. They take strict COVID-19 protocols, including requiring guests to wear masks, separating people in grids and conducting temperature checks. 

Musicians including Manchester Orchestra and The Front Bottoms have played concerts and comedians John Mulaney and Pete Davidson are set to perform shows there in the future. Comedian Bill Burr has already performed a set.  

But residents of the county have complained about the shows. Morris Planning and Zoning Commission voted this week to stop the concert series as of Feb. 1, 2021. Residents complained about “noise, lights and traffic,” as well as a zoning issue. 

Some complaints have also included performers using “adult language” as well as “increased noise, bright lights, traffic, people shouting on sleepy, rural streets. 

Owner Ben Paletsky said in a letter to the town: “We’re working on things. No one’s ever done this before, not just in Morris, Connecticut, but nationally. This is one of the few — if not only — places that are doing this. … There’s near-term things we can do and there’s long-term things we can do, but I’m pretty confident the long-term things will fully address any concerns. We’ve done a lot of due diligence before this happened. This was a fast project, but it was a thoughtful execution of it.”

Shortly after Dinosaur Jr. played at South Farms in September, they played drive-in performance at Cheshire Fairgrounds in New Hampshire. Grace Potter also played South Farms on Aug. 22. 

The Front Bottoms also played drive-in concert in Philadelphia in August where fans tuned into the concert from their cars.

Featured image: Raymond Flotat