WILKES-BARRE, Pa. — There hasn't been a music or comedy show inside Karl Hall on North Main Street in Wilkes-Barre since March 11th of 2020.
Owner and manager A.J. Jump says it's been a rough year. So rough, it's caused him to let some important dates for the concert venue pass by.
"We'd be turning 3," said Jump as he checked his cell phone. "Today's our third birthday."
"Today? April 14th?" asked Newswatch 16.
"Yeah, I just realized today," laughed Jump.
Before the venue's third year amid the pandemic, Jump took pride in the hall as a place for up-and-coming artists or popular favorites to come and do something they love.
Jump says a place like Karl Hall is too small to hold an event with anything less than 50 percent capacity for indoor events. Not being able to play for a crowd or manage a venue has been rough for him.
"It's one of the most uncomfortable things, you know, I don't want to tell you a sob story, but it's like, this is music. It's who I am; it's what I do. I'm a drummer by trade. It's been my life for 22 years," explained Jump.
That's why he tells Newswatch 16 it's worth all the extra effort to bring a concert series "Out Back at Karl Hall."
"Out here, it's a lot different. I had to get external power put outside the building. I have to get a stage and play, you know, more staff, talk to neighbors down here, all things of that sort that, you know, inside we have all set," added Jump.
But the lineup is almost ready to host 150 guests for an outdoor concert series on select Sunday afternoons in the parking lot behind the venue. Jump says the plan is to bring in artists from, or originally from, the area.
"I'm trying to keep it as local as possible and keep us together as a community during these crazy times," added Jump.
The lineup for the Out Back at Karl Hall concert will be released on Monday on the venue's social media pages here.