As a concert enthusiast, this year has been hard. I squeezed in one sweaty rock show before the world, and our favorite venues shut down. I only made it to a few nights out at bars to see my favorite local bands. After moving an hour closer to Portland, I had big plans for exploring the music scene this year. Of course, plans change.

They changed in a big, devastating way for musicians and fans alike, and for the employees of these clubs and venues. It's absolutely heartbreaking. Especially with Port City Music Hall announcing they're closing their doors for good.

Each day I wonder who's going to be next. I'm sad to admit nothing would surprise me but that doesn't make it any less heartbreaking.

One of those beloved venues is Portland House of Music and Events. They've been keeping music going virtually. They had the shows behind a paywall for a bit but they're back to free shows on their Facebook.

Despite everything going on in the world, they're still providing a platform for local artists which is incredible. Now it's time to give back to them.

A GoFundMe page was set up over the weekend to benefit Portland House of Music and Events. The funds would cover rent, insurance, utilities, promotions for the virtual acts, and payroll for the limited staff needed to pull everything off.

With no end to the pandemic in sight, and acknowledging that entertainment will likely be the last to fully reopen, we need to rally together and do what we can to save these spaces so they'll still be there for us when we return to normal.

If you are able to help financially, you can find their GoFundMe here. If not, it costs nothing to share.

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