With our Isolation Drills series, MAGNET has been checking in with Philadelphia-area musicians to see how and what they’re doing during the pandemic. Now, we’re also shining a light on our beloved local venues, hoping their stages will be saved. Photos by Chris Sikich.
How is Ortlieb’s currently holding up?
Kyle Costill (owner): We are hanging in there. We are starting to see a light at end of the tunnel thanks to our great staff and support from all our customers and the local music community.
What was the last show featured at Ortlieb’s?
I honestly forget at this point. Seems like it was so long ago. We are trying not to look back on the past year, but look forward to the future.
What does the future look like for Ortlieb’s?
Feeling more optimistic each day with the vaccine rolling out and the weather about to be nice again. We are upgrading our outdoor seating and our food and beverage program and hope to have a fun summer with everyone and hope we can get back to shows in some capacity by the fall.
How can the public support Ortlieb’s right now?
Come get some food and drinks. We would love to see everyone.
Cigarettes For Breakfast on Ortlieb’s and life during the pandemic
Ortlieb’s holds a special place in our hearts. We’ve all played countless shows there over the years in various bands before forming Cigarettes For Breakfast.
We were lucky enough to be included in the “Two For You” series last summer, and we were able to do a livestream show there in Feburary, which was really cool. We really appreciate what Ortlieb’s has done to safely keep the independent-music scene going during the pandemic.
COVID has been really rough on everyone, obviously. The silver lining for us has been how much creativity it has sparked through the struggles. The majority of Cigarettes For Breakfast’s existence has been during the pandemic.
We recorded “Aphantasia” remotely during the initial lockdown and had never all been in the same room together at the same time before its release. It’s been a pretty wild start for us, and we’re really excited for whatever comes next.