The music industry has been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic and independent venues in Chicago and across the country are joining forces to fight for these beloved stages, staff, artists and fans across the live music ecosystem.
The Chicago Independent Venue League – a coalition of more than 20 local music venues including Empty Bottle, The Hideout, Metro, The Vic and Thalia Hall among others – has announced that its members are now working with the National Independent Venue Association to fight for their lives, writing a letter to Congress urging members to make changes to the Paycheck Protection Program in order to ensure the survival of small, independent venues that have been closed due to government mandates.
“CIVL includes some of the most historic music venues in Chicago, and in fact, the world. Our venues employ thousands of people and economically fuel our neighborhoods. Our venues help draw millions of tourists to Chicago,” said CIVL co-chairs Katie Tuten and Robert Gomez in a statement. “Recently Conde Nast, USA Today, and others have recognized our music venues’ importance in making Chicago America’s number one tourist destination. For over 100 years, our stages have presented live performers in every genre of music, comedy, and theater; from their first show, through international stardom. CIVL venues never forget that we come from neighborhoods of working people, just trying to make it, just trying to be heard. From the streets of Chicago, to the halls of the nation’s capital, we must fight to sustain the absolute cultural and economic impact of independent music venues.”
CIVL also shared some numbers behind the six-week shutdown (occurring between March 15 – April 30) stating that 1,219 cancelled events across 16 venues has led to lost revenue of $7,176,253 with over 1,900 full and part-time jobs affected by the closures.
While CIVL is requesting funding and support from the city, state and other groups, organizers also express gratitude for a generous donation from Shure, Inc. which has recruited industry partners and artists in a campaign to support local music venues in Chicagoland and beyond. Joe Trohman from Fall Out Boy, Wilco‘s Jeff Tweedy and singer/songwriter Jamila Woods are just a few of the artists who have encouraged audiences to support CIVL.
Head over to www.civlchicago.com to learn more about CIVL and to donate to GoFundMe campaigns for Chicago venues in need of relief. Don’t forget to write or call your local officials to urge them to help independent venues throughout the duration of the closures.