As published in Minnesota Monthly on April 9, 2020.
Vemos, a data-driven Minneapolis company that works with event venues, has partnered with Minneapolis’ Icehouse restaurant and music venue to host a livestreamed concert featuring Minnesota musicians and benefiting hospitality workers who are out of work due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The concert, Bridge the Gap, will stream Saturday, April 20, from 6 to 11 p.m., with headliners Gabe Douglas, of 4ontheFloor, and Pavielle.
It might look a little strange. Taking place at Icehouse, “no patrons will be present, and no two bands will be in the same place at the same time.” Artists will “strictly follow CDC protocol on social distancing,” the press release says, and undergo “full sanitation” between sets.
Tickets are available at vemos.io/bridgethegap. The $11 price matches one hour of minimum wage in Minneapolis, with the idea being that each ticket could cover an hour of lost pay due to COVID-19 shutdowns. Proceeds go to a Sanneh Foundation fund providing financial aid to hospitality workers, toward a goal of at least $110,000.
“In Minnesota, nearly 50,000 hospitality workers have been laid off in the last few weeks due to COVID-19,” says Whitney Larson, co-founder and president of Vemos. “It’s devastating to our industry, and we want to do what we can to help bridge the gap many in the industry are facing during this crisis.”
Vemos has also partnered with Utepils Brewing on the Silver Linings Fund, for ticket packages that include growlers from local breweries, available for curbside pickup.
