As we settle in to almost a solid month of an informal lockdown, the economy is turning blue in the face as every aspect of our society holds it’s breath waiting on the virus to either fade away or treatments to be found.
One part of that economy that is very near and dear to all of us is the music industry. Music artists are all holed up in a sort of house arrest as social distancing has become essential to avoiding the transmission of this aggressive, highly contagious and potentially fatal virus and subsequent disease. The good news, more artists find themselves with nothing but time to write, produce, and muse. The bad news, they may not have a place to perform for a while.
In terms of the music industry, the “industry” are the real victims. Venues, producers, promoters, and everyone that has built careers out of bring music to the masses have all but had their businesses frozen. Tulsa, which has been recognized as one of the most vibrant local music scenes in the US has been hit hard. Large, medium, and small venues alike now stand empty.
For now, it’s unclear what the local music scene will look like when all this is over. As it is now, many are struggling to support their staff, not to mention pay the rent/mortgage. Several in town have set up GoFundMe pages hoping that crowdsourcing can buy them more time before the tough decisions have to be made. Below are some of the music halls that we all know and love and their respective fundraising pages.
Cain’s Ballroom
The Shrine
Blackbird on Pearl
