Story Pitch

The live music industry has truly suffered due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Music lovers, musicians, merch companies, and venues alike have all lost something due to the restriction of gatherings. I plan to reach out to bands, venues, those who make merch, and people who have a love of music similar to mine to incorporate a different topic for each blog post. For the venues, I would like to talk about the #saveourstages and the initiative to create legislation that would provide relief funds for independent venues across the nation. The National Independent Venues Association is at the forefront of this movement, and there are nearly 2,000 members that need the help from #saveourstages.

The way that I will make this topic visually compelling is with contrast. Any person who has attended a live music show understands the energy that is created by live music, no matter how small or large the room is. This contrast can be shown by a lack of bodies in a room, a lack of lights, a lack of fog. By taking my own photos from shows I have attended and comparing them to empty venues, it will show the sadness and emptiness that COVID has created in the music scene. I plan to make my posts on Instagram and Facebook. It was mentioned many times that we all know that Facebook is outdated, however, there are so many people on the site, and it is often a good avenue for spreading your cause. I can also connect directly with businesses and bands through their Instagrams and Facebooks.

As I heard in feedback from my peers in class, the Moxi in Greeley would likely speak to me about their struggles with coronavirus. I also know of several local bands who have likely been impacted greatly. It is important to me to keep the venues that I discuss independent and the bands that I speak to small, I want to know how it is affecting the music community as close to me as possible.