As Chicago's indie venues struggle, local musicians face their own financial burdens

Ava Brennan is a singer-songwriter who plays live a few times per month in Chicago.

But like most musicians, she can’t survive on her art alone so she also teaches music, works for a nonprofit and takes tickets at the door of a distillery that doubles as a live music venue.

“We're all having trouble generating revenue, period,” said Brennan, 26, of Lake View.

On Saturday, she attended a community expo for artists at the Color Club events space in Irving Park. The event was part of CIVL Fest, which opened on Thursday and runs through April 25. Hosted by the Chicago Independent Venue League, the citywide celebration features roughly 50 shows across nearly 30 locations.

Now in its fourth year, the festival occurs at a crucial time in the local music industry. Just one out of four of Chicago’s indie music venues is profitable, due to rising operational costs, according to a recent report by CIVL. Since its release, elected officials have reached out to the advocacy organization and local venues to “continue a conversation,” said CIVL Executive Director Billy Helmkamp. And on April 15, a coalition of 33 states, including Illinois, won a lawsuit against Ticketmaster and its parent company, Live Nation. A federal jury declared the latter a monopoly, ruling that the corporation had overcharged consumers and eliminated competition in markets across the country.

In the meantime, Chicago venues are still struggling, and local artists are feeling the financial burden. In addition to working multiple jobs, they are seeking out alternative spaces and advocating for systemic change.

”It makes me sad because that's my favorite way to experience music,” Brennan said of going to shows at indie spots. “I go to smaller, mid-sized venues where I might even know the owner or the booker, and just feel super comfortable in a space where independent artists are empowered.”

Helmkamp said CIVL Fest is a “call to action” for the city to invest in the indie ecosystem. And while he praised the Live Nation verdict, he stressed the need for support from local and state government.

“We still need policies that recognize the value of independent venues and actively help them survive and thrive,” he said. “Independent venues function like infrastructure for culture and jobs and tourism, but venues don't get treated like infrastructure when it comes to protections and incentives or relief.”

That sentiment was shared by Karen Suarez Flint, the secretary-treasurer of the Chicago Federation of Musicians union, which represents about 2,000 artists.

“Why can't there be a committee of alderpersons working together for our independent venues scene here?” asked Flint, who was a vendor at the community expo on Saturday. “We need to be part of the solution, talking to legislators, being on podcasts. There has to be a way to work together to help the ecosystem thrive so that we can get to the point where musicians are making a little more.”

For drummer George Rezek, 26, of Lake View, making a living just playing music seems unattainable.

“Really popular bands still have other jobs,” said Rezek, who also works for the Earth Libraries music label, another vendor at the expo. “The idea of one day buying a house playing music is completely unrealistic and impossible.”

But it’s not the venues’ fault, he said.

“If you look at it on a macro scale, the music industry has been squeezed of all funds for a long time,” he said. “Streaming has devalued the music and has caused artists to make less money.”

Brennan said attending a workshop by Arts Alliance Illinois at the expo helped her consider the bigger picture.

“They were getting us to look at it all as a system that's entangled with local government, which I don't think about very often,” she said. “It's important to do some community organizing to advocate for legislation where the arts are being funded.”

Venues like Color Club are using funding to support local performers. Co-owner Abby Monroe said a $40,000 grant from the Live Music Society nonprofit enabled the center to run a monthly emerging artists showcase called "Green."

But Color Club must also offer a variety of other arts programming to remain open, Monroe said. And they are currently only breaking even.

"You can't just do one thing anymore," Monroe said. "You have to be open to what the market is asking for.”

In addition to playing at Color Club and other music venues, Brennan also seeks out alternative spaces, from vintage clothing stores to record shops.

“So I can just do a show where it's me and my guitar and an amp and some pedals," she said. "We are making DIY shows happen, which are more well-paid than at a venue, because it might just be somebody's house and they're collecting 10 bucks at the door.”