The Venue expanding livestream offerings
After opening its doors June 1, 2019, the live music space in downtown Aurora dubbed The Venue was just finding it footing when the pandemic hit.
“We were building all this momentum into 2020, and then to be shut down was really a killer for us because we were just starting to get our feet,” said Dave Glynn, president of the Fox Valley Music Foundation. “We were really starting to build a brand and a name for ourselves as the best sounding room in Aurora and the Fox Valley … It was quite a setback.”
But that’s when the small and resilient staff began to pivot, he said. With the volunteer help of Charlie Mayton and the “Stream Team,” they then began to livestream programming, and later offered outdoor concerts when regulations and the weather allowed.
“We opened up for a little while and had some outdoor shows out in Mundy Park, and those were very successful … ” Glynn said. “And then the weather changed. And then once the weather changed the COVID restrictions kicked in again.”
Now, The Venue is back with a schedule of livestreams and previously recorded programs.
“This time we came up with steady programming,” Glynn said. “People know they can tune into us every Wednesday and Sunday night and see some entertainment, hear some music.”
The shows will stream at 7 p.m. Sundays and Wednesdays from The Venue on its Facebook page and on its YouTube channel.
No tickets are required to view the shows, which will remain available for online viewing. Donations can be made to the Foundation at any time. However, donations made during the actual livestream concerts benefit both the foundation and the artists.
“During that period of time, a percentage goes to the performer,” Glynn said. “It’s better if you watch live and donate, because then part of the donations will go to the performer.”
Among the shows scheduled this month is Los Perros Cubanos at 7 p.m. Jan. 17, streaming live from The Venue. Register at eventbrite.com.
“These guys are wonderful,” Glynn said. “It’s the first time they’re playing our place. And I’m very excited to have them. It will be top-notch and very entertaining.”
Los Perros Cubanos performs music from Cuba’s Golden Age in the 1940s and ’50s.
The band was originally scheduled to play The Venue before a live audience, so the show was rescheduled as a livestream.
A new monthly program will premiere this month, “What’s on Your Turntable?” hosted by Steve Warrenfeltz, owner of Kiss the Sky record store in Batavia. The Foundation had been talking about presenting a unique program to feature vinyl for some time, Glynn said.
“Steve Warrenfeltz is super-knowledgeable about music, obviously,” Glynn said. “He’s going to feature different peoples’ record collections in the Fox Valley. He’s going to feature his own on the first show.”
The new series debuts at 7 p.m. Jan. 20. In February, the collection of bass player Chad Watson, who has performed at The Venue several times and plays with area bands including The Heavy Lifting, is scheduled to be featured.
The monthly Venue for Venues series also continues. Run by the Foundation’s Special Projects Producer Scott Tipping, Venue for Venues streams the last Sunday of the month, featuring a different iconic music venue in the Chicago area. At 7 p.m. Jan. 24, Chicago rock club Reggie’s will be in the spotlight.
“Those segments are just wonderful to watch. The club owner will talk about the club and the history and how they got into the whole music scene,” Glynn said. “Typically they’ll have a performer from the club perform as well. It’s all done live.
Any donations raised during the livestream are given directly to the club being featured, Glynn said.
While Sundays and Wednesdays will be the regular livestream dates, once in a while programming will take place on other nights, he said.
“Right now for February we’re planning a Mardi Gras show with Brother John Kattke that will happen on Fat Tuesday. And then in March I’m actually going to do a St. Patrick’s show, on the 16th, the night before.”
The Fox Valley Music Foundation is scheduling streaming programming through April and into May, he said.
“Then our intention is to start doing outside shows again,” Glynn said. “We’re hoping that things will open up a little bit by the May time frame to do some outside things. We’ll slowly ramp that up into more shows this summer.”
But that’s going to be dependent on what the state regulations are and what the weather is like.
Since the cancellation of shows in front of live audiences, The Venue has been very aggressive in seeking funding and grants, he said.
“We need the funding, it’s the only way we can stay open,” he said. “But at the same time, it’s the stifling of the presentation of live music that’s really the bigger hit for us. We’re nonprofit, so we’re not in it for the money. We’re in it to present music. That’s what it’s all about for us because we love it and want to get it out there as much as possible.”
Rather than requiring ticket purchases to watch the streaming programs, the Foundation is asking for donations so the shows can be accessible to everyone.
“The donations are greatly appreciated, but we also understand that some people are out of work and not doing so well and they can still go in and watch the show,” Glynn said. “We don’t want them to feel guilty either about that, because there are a lot of people that are suffering economically.”