“It has been a great time to create new material with the extra time during these stay-at-home orders,” admitted Minneapolis based rapper Mike Dreams. That is the mantra of many musicians walking this turbulent and unforeseen trek together. The aftermath of something terrible is oftentimes new life. But that salary doesn’t cover all of the bills and the two kids,” he said. Unlike many, Bynum is fortunate to keep one of his positions as a salaried musician at his church since they’ve begun to stream church services to comply with federal and state guidelines to prevent the spread of coronavirus. He encourages other artists to do the same. He added that it is his due diligence as a musician to search the web for resources that support artists and entrepreneurs at this time. “I’m actually supposed to be in the Bahamas right now and after the Bahamas, I was supposed to go to Colorado,” he stated regrettably. Ryan Bynum is a local musician and musical director for organizations, including the United Way Twin Cities and Pimento Kitchen and Rum Bar. Local organization Springboard For the Arts is currently offering a Personal Emergency Relief Fund to compensate independent artists up to $500 that may have been lost due to upcoming event cancellations. “I just hope the thing works itself out sooner than later and that the bands can get back to work,” said Kline.Īs a response to what has become a common crisis among artists, many emergency-relief resources have been made available. Likewise, the Reggae Allstars have been performing at Bunkers for nearly 10 years. Mambo’s Combo who have been performing weekly at the venue for nearly 30 years now. “I have the club pretty much booked out for a good six, seven months in advance… We just have to cancel the bands and see when we can have them come back.”Īs both a restaurant and event space, Bunker’s serves food specials during the day while the other side of the business is generated by evening concerts and bar sales.īunker’s is the regular performance venue for a number of local bands, including Dr. “The decisions have been made for us,” he said. James Kline, owner of downtown Minneapolis restaurant and performance venue Bunker’s Music Bar and Grill is hoping for the best.
KMOJ General Manager Freddie Bell said, “I’ve gone through some really difficult times before and this is about as difficult as I have ever faced in my career.”įor many organizations, COVID-19 has presented a terrifying balancing act of maintaining business while remaining a resource to both the patrons and local artists that make their businesses possible.
In the past two weeks alone, Minneapolis has lost two prominent local music venues: Fifth Element backed by record label Rhymesayers, a staple of the Twin Cities music community for more than 20 years and Honey, a beloved underground performance venue nestled in the heart of Northeast Minneapolis for more than 10 years. The grim reality is that many of these organizations may never open again. This includes countless entertainment venues that where large numbers of people would normally commune, thus putting them at risk. All non-essential organizations have been forced to cease operations and close their doors for the time being. Governor Tim Walz issued a statewide stay-at-home order that began on March 27 and was recently extended to May 4. Today, it is a tragic reality that the artists, venues, and businesses that both sustain and survive off of this vibrant legacy are bearing the tremendous weight of the COVID-19 pandemic.įor music businesses in the Twin Cities, COVID-19 has proven both aggressive and complicated to navigate. The waters of the Minnehaha just might appear purple if you look close enough. The beat of Minneapolis funk can be felt beneath the pavement downtown.
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