These, more than movie theaters seem more endangered. Several clubs around Boston are not going to re-open, some such as Great Scott which had frequently booked above its weight and had been around for 40 years had to close (though they are trying to reopen in a new location) and now a recent great venue Once has just announced they will not be re-opening. Once not only hosted many great underground acts but also yearly Kaiju Big Battel wrestling shows. As a lover of live music I’m finding this heartbreaking. Boston area honestly has always had some issues with smaller venues, with a bunch all being owned by the same company so it could at times be hard for local acts to get stage time, with the closing of these smaller local band friendly venues it’s going to hurt even more.
The best metal club in North Carolina, The Maywood, is about a five minute walk from my apartment, and it’s barely surviving right now. Think this renewed rise in cases is going to be the nail in its particular coffin, and I’m fucked crushed :(
I am enough of an optimist to believe that venues and restaurants that are in good locations and were a success before the pandemic will return afterwards, although sadly under new management and maybe offering a different type product (music genre or food type).
New businesses and new entreupenuers (sp) will pop up trying to make money.
And unlike the doom and gloom people who think a recession will result I tend to agree with the people who think the economy will boom once we all (most of us) get the vaccine. People are just begging to get out and spend money.
I dunno man, these are good venues closing and at least a few instances it’s because landlords want something more stable so that club ain’t gonna be a club it’s gonna be condos.
Well, landlords be landlords. That is a different argument because the same thing could happen with the next lease if the landlord truly wants a different tenant.
I have seen covid close down a brewery here “for good”, but even then you could argue that the brewery couldn’t afford the rent on it’s reduced income so that the landlord was to blame. It’s not like new tenants are waiting in line as long as covid is raging.
All the big places will re-open after being bought up for pennies on the dollar by Live Nation.
Small clubs are fucked.
I can’t see many small theaters surviving that don’t have a “friends of” organization to contribute in a smart and persistent way. If there isn’t one for a venue you love, get organizing. :)
Yeah the one I linked in the OP had one and was hosting virtual events but still went under.
That’s unfortunate. It’s important to attract patrons who will give substantial money and in-kind contributions. It’s pretty awkward work if you’re, like me, not a totally shameless person.
In the metal scene, this should be a positive, no?
Heyoooooooo :(
I’ve dropped like $100 between their GoFundMe and the benefit album a bunch of local artists released to support the venue. Looking like it’s not gonna make it, though.