For over a decade, The Rex Theater has been an intimate and welcoming home to live music and entertainment for Pittsburgh's South Side community and beyond. But today, the venue joined the growing number of small businesses gravely hit by the COVID-19 pandemic as owner Ben Penigar announced The Rex will close indefinitely.
"We want to thank everyone who's come to a show, everyone's who's played a show, everyone who has worked in ways big and small and helped us make this crazy dream a reality," Penigar wrote in a Facebook post. "It meant much more than a music venue to us, and we hope it did to you too."
Since March, Penigar and his team at The Rex and Grey Area Productions have been working on creative ways to keep the venue open, from t-shirt fundraisers to BBQ dinners. The Rex was also a part of the Save Our Stages campaign, which called for federal funds to help venues stay afloat during the pandemic. Unfortunately, their efforts were not enough to save the space from closing its doors.
Read the full Facebook post below.
"We want to thank everyone who's come to a show, everyone's who's played a show, everyone who has worked in ways big and small and helped us make this crazy dream a reality," Penigar wrote in a Facebook post. "It meant much more than a music venue to us, and we hope it did to you too."
Since March, Penigar and his team at The Rex and Grey Area Productions have been working on creative ways to keep the venue open, from t-shirt fundraisers to BBQ dinners. The Rex was also a part of the Save Our Stages campaign, which called for federal funds to help venues stay afloat during the pandemic. Unfortunately, their efforts were not enough to save the space from closing its doors.
Read the full Facebook post below.
Due to the ongoing hardship and uncertain future caused by the Covid pandemic, The Rex Theater will be closing our doors...
Posted by Ben Penigar on Tuesday, September 22, 2020
"Due to the ongoing hardship and uncertain future caused by the Covid pandemic, The Rex Theater will be closing our doors after over a decade of live music and events.
We want to thank everyone who's come to a show, everyone's who's played a show, everyone who has worked in ways big and small and helped us make this crazy dream a reality.
It meant much more than a music venue to us, and we hope it did to you too. Nothing has made us happier than sharing this space and music with all of you over the past eleven years. The memories that we've all made in these four walls will live on. The music that's happened here will live on. The friendships and relationships made in this room will live on. The beautiful energy that all of you helped us create will live on.
While we greatly appreciate all of your support, and we understand that many of you would like to find some way to save The Rex, please trust that we have considered every option and have done everything possible to keep our dream alive for as long as we could.
We all hope to run into you at a concert, somewhere, somehow, sometime, down the road.
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts, The Rex Theater Family
'Fare you well, fare you well, I love you more than words can tell. Listen to the river sing sweet songs, to rock my soul' - Brokedown Palace, Grateful Dead"
