“Independent venues have no financial backstop. We do not have corporate parents. There are no financial resources we can turn to.”
THE NEW YORK TIMES, May 6th, 2020
ARTICLE: Small Clubs Are Where Rock History Is Made. How Many Will Survive?
By Ben Sisario

“If we lose our concert industry, we lose the heart and soul of who we are as a country.”
GLOBE & MAIL, March 16th, 2020
ARTICLE: Canada’s Live-Music Industry Calls For Government Support As Coronavirus Cripples Concerts
By Brad Wheeler

Hear us when we say, these are really tough times. With no answers to if and when the large public gathering ban will be lifted.

The effect this virus has caused is beyond panic buying of toilet paper; foremost, the decision to not ‘put thousands of people’s health at stake’. Countless jobs are at stake here, countless more have already been lost, financial security is no longer for so many in our community. Starlite Room, ConcertWorks and River City Revival House is among so many companies that’s fundamental success and livelihood depends on events.

The live performance and music industry spreads the happiness and joy that so many of us thrive on and look forward too. We are an extremely passionate group of people. The reality is we, the arts and culture community, are about to take a hit beyond expectation, right from the guys at the bottom to those at the very top. There is no information to project for the foreseeable future. We can only monitor daily changes and react accordingly.

When we first came up with the idea of our digital venue, the idea was to create an online community by providing music based education, business solutions and digital exposure. We would work with local musicians, live venues, the city of Edmonton, and the province of Alberta to build employment, youth retention and economic growth for, the City, the Province, local musicians and independent businesses. Our industries, Travel & Tourism, Hospitality & Night Life, the Arts & Culture Community, were already suffering from the weak economy. Now, like all other industries, are facing an increasingly difficult time as an outcome of the COVID-19 virus.

We would love to continue bringing you awesome live performances across the internet and into your homes! Donations will help Starlite Sessions to continue building a digital venue at this time of global distancing.

We are currently asking for donations. The current economic devastation that has hit the Arts & Culture Community is absolutely earth shattering for venue owners like ourselves, as well as for musicians. If venues like The Starlite Room do not receive economic relief, venues like ours will close our doors permanently and there will no longer be infrastructure for musicians to continue to hone their craft.

Spread love. Not hate. Wash your hands. Please donate!

If you would like to donate directly to one of the bands or artists that have helped us raise funds for the technicians and engineers who are instrumental in producing our live stream concerts, in support of the Starlite Room & Starlite Sessions, please do so by clicking on the below links:

Edmonton International Jazz Festival

David Shepherd

North Country Fair

Fruit Loop

Jake Ian

Brigadiers

Jay Gilday

Landon Bushell

SooShe & the Banshees

Humble

the Leo Martinez Project

the Dice Cubes

Bliss Band

Rebecca Lappa

the McGowan Family Band

iVARDENSPHERE

Ayla Brook & the Sound Men

Sticks & Stone

The Real McKenzies