SASKATOON -- The Capitol Music Club in downtown Saskatoon has been offering live music for six years – but if it doesn’t get a cash injection from a fundraiser, it could close.
Co-owner Mitch Lupichuk said having the music stop at his venue has been tough for him and the entire music community.
He said the Saskatoon music scene is like no other in the business because it’s like a family and they want to see everyone succeed.
“You don't know what you have till it's gone,” Lupichuk said of having to close the club abruptly because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mandy Pravda with Mane Productions helped get a GoFundMe page going to support the Capitol. She didn’t want the close-knit local music scene to suffer because of the financial losses caused by the pandemic.
“Not only do musicians come together, but artisans and there’s markets and fundraisers in this place. There’s so many different purposes that this venue serves,” Pravda told CTV News.
This month marks the Capitol’s sixth anniversary, but a big celebration which was planned cannot take place and acts had to be cancelled.
The goal of the Go Fund Me is $50,000, which would let the Capitol continue to give local artists a venue to share their talents. So far the page has raised almost $10,000.
“People have been leaving positive comments and it’s been really inspiring. It makes me want to come to work and clean and paint up and hope to open, sometime," Lupichuk told CTV News.
Under government regulations live music venues cannot open yet, but he says he will be ready when the rules change so local artists don’t miss a beat because of COVID-19.
