By 2017, Irish Hill was being repositioned as a mixed-use residential area and had become a magnet for new development, with a 400-unit apartment building erected on an industrial site down the street from Headliners.
Even before the events of 2020, Argabrite was already feeling pressure from surrounding development. And then came the pandemic.
Forced closures of music venues across the country due to social distancing meant overall revenue losses of up to 90% for some of the over 3,000 independent venues across America, with rent or mortgages still expected to be paid. “There were times when we were very close to seeing ourselves not being able to get to the next month.”
Developer Raising Impact Fund To Save Live Music Venues Through Real Estate
Joe Argabrite was expecting a record-breaking 2020 at his 750-seat live music venue in Louisville, Kentucky. But Argabrite and his co-owners at Headliners Music Hall were forced to cancel every show after March and found themselves struggling to stay in business.
Headliners has a deep connection to the Louisville music scene. Since opening in 1998, the venue has hosted the Black Keys, Ice Cube, Kings of Leon, My Morning Jacket and comedian Patton Oswalt. Bands like Wolf Mother, Strfkr, The Lone Bellow and Bikini Kill were booked and likely to sell out Headliners, Argabrite said. The shows didn t go on.