Owners Ponder The Future Of Music Venues In Chicago
CHICAGO (CBS) -- As many businesses try to plan on someday reopening or adapting, a major sector is having trouble evening imagining that.
At CBS 2 we are committed to getting Chicago back to work, so CBS 2's Vince Gerasole took a look at those who is trying to stop the looses, those who run performance venues. But it is going to take some creative thinking.
The Hideout has been closed since March 13. Many venues have been streaming events online, asking patrons to donate to worker funds, but in the long term they are trying to figure out how to keep the music playing.
Chicago's music venues sit eerily quiet, but there are memories of the good old days.
"The best thing that can ever happen is to have it sold out, packed," said Tim Tuten of the Hideout. "That's never going to happen again."
While other closed businesses try to reimagine themselves in a social distancing future, on the Hideout's stages, it's hard.
"We will be the last of any business in Chicago or anywhere to be allowed open," said Robert Gomez of Sunterranean. "I don't even know how to plan for it. How do I even support the staff?"
The Chicago Independent Venue League represents 16 performance spaces. Since mid March they have canceled about 1,200 performances -- a los of more than $7 million. Caught in the middle are 206 full time and 1,700 part time workers.
"Every club in Chicago is going to have to cut their capacity by their own choice," said Tuten.
For now owners ponder if there is some way to work it out.
"We speculate like crazy," said Gomez. "Are we going to be taking temperature of everyone's forehead before they are allowed in? Do we section off the floor? Do we literally tape the floor so everyone gets one box? What if two people come together? Do they both get a box, and then does that up your occupancy or not?"
"Our biggest fans, some of them are saying, 'I can't come to a show, not for a year, not until there is a vaccine," Tuten said.
Employees like Lawrence, a bartender, are keeping busy making online videos, but real wages would be better.
"We are really worried about our staff," Tuten said. "Our whole idea of music clubs is the opposite of social distancing. It's social connection."
The Hideout and the Subterranean did not receive the first round of federal loans. The Chicago Independent Venue League says they believe the mayor and her staff are listening to their concerns, but coming up with a viable solution for the industry is not an easy solution.
The venues may be closed, but they have continued to book acts. What they've done is move many of the bookings to the fall. Now many of the bands and acts are saying they would rather push to next spring, feeling more confident in making commitments for them.