It is impossible to have a conversation about the Asheville music scene without talking about The Mothlight. Since opening their doors in October 2013, the venue has hosted countless local, national, and international acts. The Mothlight prided itself on featuring acts “who value creative artistic expression and intellectual freedom,” solidifying its place as a local favorite. The Mothlight often had national artists who weren’t quite large enough to sell out the Grey Eagle or the Orange Peel, but were on their way to doing so. The venue also put on plenty of local shows and hosted a free Monday, where there was no admission cost.
Needless to say the Asheville music community was devastated when owners Jon and Amanda Hency announced on Thursday June 18th that the Mothlight would permanently close their doors. According to the Facebook post, COVID-19 was of course a motivating factor in the venue’s decision to close. The post also mentioned the addition of 2 young children to the Hensy Family as well as changing career interests as factors in their decision. In this class we have all been aware that some venues may not be able to weather the storm and survive the difficult challenge that COVID-19 is presenting businesses with. We discussed that smaller venues like Fleetwoods or Alley Cat may be too small and too new to have a safety net that would last the pandemic. We discussed larger venues like the Grey Eagle posting crowdfunding links, hoping that they could find a way to cover the cost of having such a large space. When we were having these hypothetical discussions of venues closing, I never thought it would be the well-rounded and well-loved Mothlight to be the one that fell first. In the Mothlight’s announcement post, they encourage followers to support “other businesses, musicians, and venues that are struggling during this pandemic.”
