ASHEVILLE, NC (CelebrityAccess) — The owners of The Mothlight, a live music and events venue in downtown Asheville, announced that the venue will permanently close amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The 250-capacity venue, located on Haywood Road in West Asheville, first opened its doors in 2013.
In a statement posted to Facebook, the venue’s owners cited the pandemic and the responsibilities of an expanded family as the reason to shutter the venue.
“With heavy hearts, we have decided that it is time to close The Mothlight’s doors.”
“Over the past few months, we have made the hard decision to permanently close our beloved Mothlight. While Covid-19 played a large part in this process, many factors have impacted this decision. As many of you know, in recent years we have added two little dudes to our family. Having a family has changed our perspectives regarding the future of our lives and our business. While The Mothlight has been our heart and soul for many years, we have been starting to pursue other career interests. Our growth as individuals, a family, and business owners during a pandemic have created the conditions in which it is time to say goodbye to The Mothlight as we know it.”
“For months we flirted with the idea of finding someone with a similar vision who values artistic openness and creative integrity to take over The Mothlight. New realities make finding the right person difficult. In the uncertain world of Covid-19, we know that it will be extremely difficult for anyone to maintain The Mothlight with lowered capacity shows and a limited schedule. We do not feel prepared for the challenges presented by the pandemic.
The owners also urged supporters to support local venues and artists.
“The Mothlight is a small piece of a very large and important puzzle. Venues all over the world are facing this same struggle. Without these homes for musicians, your favorite artists will be facing serious challenges for many years to come. Other businesses are of course taking a punch, but ones that thrive with large crowds are taking a particularly hard hit. We don’t have the answers but we encourage you to keep supporting your favorite musicians in whatever ways you can including paying a little more for drinks and tickets when places open back up.”
