CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- As some businesses are starting to slowly reopen around the country, others are still playing a waiting game. With uncertainty as to when large crowds will be allowed again, music venues and concert halls are stuck in limbo.

This leads many music halls like the Neighborhood Theater and the Visulite Theater in Charlotte to lean on GoFundMe campaigns to get by. And even though bigger theaters have received help, they say many other small community spots are still in need of support.

“So we were the first to raise the flag and say 'yes we need help,'” says MaxxMusic owner and neighborhood theater promoter Greg McCraw.  “But we’re not the only ones. Every music venue in this city, every music venue in this country, is struggling right now.”

McCraw says during the pandemic, more than 1,000 independent venues have come together to form the National Independent Venue Association. Their goal is to support these local venues and help lobby for aid during this crisis.