Velour To Close For The Rest of August

_{By Zach Collier}

Velour Live Music Gallery will be closing its doors for the remainder of August as owner Corey Fox takes time off to focus on his health and prepare for the fall. Fox has been battling kidney disease and first went public with his health struggles last March. The months between September and May are the busiest for venue owners downtown, as students from all over the country pour back into the Provo/Orem area to attend Brigham Young University and Utah Valley University. The number of students in Provo directly correlates with the number of bands playing in Provo and the size of their audiences.

Being the most lucrative season of the year, Velour has been spending a lot of time on planning and strategy in case Fox finds a match and undergoes a kidney transplant. Because of infection risks, large groups can be problematic. Velour will have to close as needed, hosting only private events, parties, and weddings during his recovery – events their current staff is equipped to manage. Fundraising concerts have been held periodically throughout the summer time, building up a financial safety net in the event of a Velour closure and raising money to fund Fox’s transplant.

The venue will reopen the first week of September. Major Provo acts like John Allred, Foreign Figures, Child Ivory, and The Strike are already slated for Friday night shows. Velour will also be welcoming two touring acts from Seattle to the stage: Rocky Votolato and Deep Sea Diver. Dates and ticket pricing for those shows will be available on our Shows This Week post once September hits.

Gezzo Hall and Muse Music will still be hosting events the remainder of the month. This has been one of the slowest summers for Provo music events in recent memory. Here’s to hoping things pick up in the fall.

If you would like to make a donation to Velour Live Music Gallery, visit KidneyForCoreyFox.com for more information. You can watch Imagine Dragons’ acoustic set from their #FixTheFox Benefit Concert at Velour Live Music Gallery below.