PHOENIX - The entertainment industry has been hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, and now, music venues are rallying together to get help from Congress.
“Revenue is down to zero," said Stephen Chilton, who owns Rebel Lounge in Phoenix. "We’ve been closed since March 14, I think, was our last show."
It’s tough to make money at a concert venue when you can’t have people at the shows.
"Venues and places of mass gatherings are going to have a harder time than a lot of businesses, because we were the first to close and will be the last to open," said Chilton.
Chilton sits on the board of an organization called the "National Independent Venues Association." The organization is working on lobbying Congress, So that in the next stimulus bill, there will be funds specific for music venues.
In just a week, 900 members from all 50 states joined the cause.
"We hope to lobby Congress for the next stimulus package to save music venues," said Chilton. "If this lasts a long time, and we are closed 10,12,18 months, I just don’t think any business can function with zero revenues."
Chilton says he won’t be opening until he can do that safely, and he doesn’t know when that could be.