The dominos are beginning to fall as predicted. On Wednesday, owners of Portland, ME’s Port City Music Hall announced its permanent closure as the independent venue has been forced out of business due to the ongoing pause on indoor concerts. The announcement comes at one of the darkest hours in the history of American entertainment as many venue owners and promoters across the country fear that the halt of all concerts and live events without any major financial assistance from the federal government will lead to the closure of up to 90% of independently owned concert halls and clubs in some cities.
A statement shared by the venue on Wednesday reads,
It’s with a heavy heart that we announce the permanent closure of Port City Music Hall, one of Portland’s great live music venues. For the last eight years, we’ve nurtured national and local bands, we’ve hosted countless benefits, and provided a safe, inclusive space for people to gather. Great shared experiences are an endangered species right now. Live music venues were the first businesses to close at the start of the pandemic, and we’ll be the last to reopen. Port City Music Hall unfortunately cannot survive this crisis without revenue — and no end in sight.
Over the years we’ve been honored to host an amazing range of talent from Maggie Rogers to the Mountain Goats to Jim James to The Ghost of Paul Revere to Father John Misty to Margo Price to Rustic Overtones to Lucius to Against Me! to Lane 8 to The Mallett Brothers Band. PCMH’s closure will be a huge loss to the Portland music and arts community.
The announcement goes on to state the venue will continue to process refunds or a 150% credit option for a State Theatre show over the phone. Fans who purchased tickets should reach out to info@statetheatreportland.com or call 956-6000 for more information.
Earlier this month, Senators Amy Klobuchar and John Cornyn introduced a new federal relief bill that aims to assist music and entertainment venues struggling from closing indefinitely amid the ongoing COVID-19 event shutdowns. A separate bill, the RESTART Act, was also introduced by Senators Todd Young and Michael Bennet earlier this summer, with broader goals for aid that would also help independent venues. Independent venue owners and live events promoters can sign up to join the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) free of charge here. Read the Port City Music Hall’s entire statement below.