A Beat to Reflect

For my last story, I decided to take a break from my live performance beat and write about the Tompkins County Public Library (TCPL), its effect on the Ithaca community, and the issues the library faces. I had a great time visiting the TCPL, talking with my sources and learning about the wide range of events the library has to offer.

With that being said, I wanted to include one aspect of my last story in the next one. For my next story, I’m returning to my live performance/entertainment beat, with a focus on the need to survive for artists, business owners and community.

For my fourth story, I’ve decided to report on Ooy’s Café and Deli’s and their weekly Live Shows. The deli welcomes comedians, artists and performers to share their talents with customers every Tuesday night.

What really caught my eye is that they opened in August 2020: A few months into the initial COVID-19 shutdown. If the pandemic taught us anything, it’s that local businesses and local performers need to be supported. Therefore, I wanted to focus not necessarily on the event itself, but on a young business that survived such a tumultuous obstacle.

Additionally, I want to highlight how this event helps the business, the performers they hire and the community they serve. How does this event enhance the survival of these three groups? That’s what I want to explore.

In terms of sources, I plan to talk to owners Bonner and Ooy Herron, past performers I found on the business’s social media pages, current performers and customers. That way, I can cover business, performers and community perspectives.

I’ve held this idea in my back pocket for a while, and since it wasn’t time sensitive like some of my other stories, I refrained from reporting on it. The business posted on their Instagram page that they’re looking for December and January performers, so I was excited to see that by the time I decided to report on this event that it was still up and running.

An Instagram story calling out to locals to share their talents in the upcoming months | Source: Ooy's Deli's via Instagram @ooysdeli

I also wanted to mention that I’ve expanded my beat from live performance to entertainment. Especially when Tweeting specifically to my beat, I felt so limited in what I could and could not discuss. This change will let me focus not just on local performers, but local movie theaters, festivals, video games and even sporting events. I think it’ll be interesting to see how any of these forms of entertainment affect the Ithaca community.

What’s your favorite entertainment medium? Comment below or email me brookelauryn918@gmail.com