Vēmos and Icehouse to Host Virtual Concert to Bridge the Gap for Hospitality Workers

Ticket proceeds will go towards those hardest hit by COVID-19

Minneapolis, Minn. (April 1, 2020) – Today, Vēmos announced they will host a live streamed benefit concert in partnership with Icehouse called Bridge the Gap to raise money for local artists and hospitality workers who have been forced out of work due to the COVID-19 shutdowns.

The concert will be live streamed on April 11, from 6:00-10:00 P.M. and will feature local Minnesota artists, including headliners Gabe Douglas of 4ontheFloor and Pavielle.

“In Minnesota, nearly 50,000 hospitality workers have been laid off in the last few weeks due to COVID-19,” said Whitney Larson, Co-Founder and President of Vēmos. “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.”

The livestream concert produced by Feedback will take place at Icehouse on April 11. The concert venue and artists will strictly follow CDC protocol on social distancing — artists will perform solo with full sanitation between sets, no patrons will be present, and no two bands will be in the same space at the same time.

“We are honored to be a part of this wonderful mission to support, not only our own employees, but all those in the hospitality industry who are struggling during these tough times,” said Brian Liebeck, Co-Owner of Icehouse.

Tickets to access the livestream are available at vemos.io/bridgethegap and are priced at the Minneapolis minimum wage of $11, with the idea that one ticket pays for one hour of work for displaced industry workers. Ticket proceeds will be donated to The North Stands, a Sanneh Foundation fund providing financial relief to hospitality industry professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Vēmos has also partnered with The Silver Linings Fund created by Utipils Brewing to offer special ticket packages that include growlers from local breweries that are available for curbside pickup. Growler sales will be donated to The Silver Linings Fund.

The Bridge the Gap Benefit Concert would not be possible without the effort of local business leaders who pulled together as a team of volunteers to make the concert a reality, including Modern Foundation who is leading the digital marketing efforts, Schuler Publicity who is leading the publicity efforts, and Middlebrook Design who created all the branding assets. The goal is to sell at least 10,000 tickets to raise a minimum of $110,000 to benefit displaced workers in the hospitality industry.

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