Update on Saturday, May 30 with new dates for opening.
Adam Lindstaedt, the owner of The Pour House Music Hall, said the venue plans to open in early July as opposed to the June 11 date mentioned below.
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused months of concert and live show cancellations. This is an industry that has been hit hard by the pandemic with little light at the end of the tunnel. Representatives of local music venues have been discussing measures such as cashless transactions, disinfection and limiting capacity of halls.
In Raleigh, both small and larger venues have been impacted equally. The Pour House Music Hall is a record shop by day and live music venue by night. An extensive vinyl record collection and live music shows from national and local bands set this venue apart. Adam Lindstaedt, the owner of The Pour House Music Hall, emphasized the financial despair of this venue during the lockdown.
“We are struggling to stay open and bleeding money every day during the lockdown, losing approximately $400 a day and a $30,000 loss overall,” Lindstaedt said. “We have obtained funds from a [Paycheck Protection Program] loan to pay employees on the payroll.”
Alternatively, Imurj is a studio, art gallery, live music venue and bar located in downtown Raleigh. It is known for empowering local artists and musicians. Paul Voran, production manager and chief audio engineer at Imurj, describes similar hardships.
“Imurj was immediately shut down once the lockdown was declared, and in order to continue being economically viable, we had to temporarily lay off 75% of our staff,” Voran said. “Bar and live events, the main source of revenue, were completely cut off.”
To overcome these losses and remain alive, a lot of artists and businesses owners across the country have joined the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) to launch the #SaveOurStages initiative. Together they have outlined guidelines and strategies to reopen venues. The Pour House Music Hall is a part of NIVA and this campaign.
“We hope to reopen on June 11, 2020, allowing one band to play in three waves,” Lindstaedt said. “Adhering to social distancing guidelines allows us to have 50 out of 289 seats to be filled, so one band will play every night to 150 people in three separate shows with necessary precautions in place.”
Imurj, on the other hand, is an independent organization that has its own plan to reopen after the lockdown.
“We are wary of opening under the stipulations of phase 2 and phase 3 stipulations,” Voran said. “We will open with limited capacity during phase 3. There will be a station for disinfectant, the temperature will be taken using laser thermometers and masks will be provided for the safety of patrons who choose to come out.”
In the meantime, during the lockdown itself, these venues have been hosting live streams through their social media to raise money for the artists and the venue itself. The Pour House Music Hall also hosts concerts at your house, drinks to-go and an online merchandise store.
“Live streams have been helpful to the bands and artists raising around $10,000 through 15 to 20 live streams and $600 for the venue itself,” Lindstaedt said.
Imurj has been much more dependent on its live streams on Facebook and is continuously working towards showcasing more local talent in these troubled times.
“As a result of the pandemic and lockdown, we have a fully online streaming schedule and virtual tickets can be bought through PayPal,” Voran said. “We are doing this ourselves and incorporating local bands from all levels. The bar and food were our main source of revenue and virtual events are much less profitable…We are heavily dependent on donations right now. Every little bit counts, and we are currently receiving donations of $5 and $10.”
For more information about The Pour House Music Hall and Imurj, visit the websites of the venues. To donate to The Pour House Music Hall and Imurj, visit their PayPals.
*Editor’s Note: On Saturday, May 30, the link to donate to The Pour House Music Hall’s PayPal has been updated.
