Mystic Theatre in Petaluma launches gift card program to survive prolonged coronavirus closure

The Mystic Theatre in Petaluma doesn’t have much use for a security team these days, so Tyler Murray has turned his attention to a construction project, helping his girlfriend build a yoga studio in Penngrove.

The rest of his roughly 10-man crew isn’t as lucky. Each one is in recovery, and having a structured lifestyle and a tight-knit atmosphere at work was crucial to sobriety, said Murray, head of security for the iconic music hall.

The Mystic employed about 20 people, but all have been furloughed until large gatherings are safe again in Sonoma County.

The historic vaudeville theater now has turned to concertgoers and local supporters for assistance coping with the economic toll of the prolonged closure prompted by the coronavirus pandemic. The 109-year-old venue recently launched its first-ever gift card program to help pay employees and recover lost revenue, which has nosedived in the absence of concerts.

Thomas Cussins, president of Ineffable Music Group, which has leased the 400-person music hall since 2016, said spring is a vital money-making season for the venue since the live music calendar shifts outside for the summer.

“If this thing continues on where we cannot have shows in 2020, you’re going to see a loss of almost every independent venue in the country,” Cussins said. “The only ones that will be able to withstand this are the corporate ones run by AEG or Live Nation.”

Cussins said “revenue went to zero overnight” since ticketing companies are freezing funds until concerts resume.

Ineffable Music also noted its landlord has not budged on the music hall’s rent in a public post last week on Mystic’s social media pages. The post sparked an impassioned response, but most of the comments were filtered out a few days later when the entire post was edited, and the mention of the landlord removed.

Cussins declined to comment on any apparent financial issues with the landlord, who he did not identify. The Mystic is housed on a historic block on the downtown Petaluma boulevard, and abuts several boutique shops and restaurants, including McNear’s Dining House and Saloon.

Gov. Gavin Newsom said last week it would be “negligible at best” to expect mass gatherings like concerts to return June, July or August. Some proposals being reviewed by Sonoma County officials suggest it would take eight to 16 weeks after a stay-at-home order is lifted before events of 50 or more people could resume. Ultimately, it will be up to Dr. Sundari Mase, the county’s health officer, to decide when it’s safe from a public health perspective to allow public and private events to be held and with how many people in attendance.

Mystic’s ownership has begun discussing what a gradual reopening of the venue might look like, and what conditions would be placed on every ticket buyer. One idea was smaller concerts with 100 or 250 people and everyone is wearing masks and seated at least 6 feet apart, Cussins said.

Most of the venue’s staff has filed for unemployment benefits with the live music sector at a standstill, Murray said. He runs a sober living environment, which helps cover his rent and allows him to focus on the yoga studio.

The rest of his crew doesn’t have that sort of financial safety net, but so far everyone is staying healthy, he said.

“I’ll be OK, but it depends on how quickly the entertainment business gets back in motion,” Murray said. “I’m not a future-teller, but I don’t see that happening right away.”

Cussins has been heartened by the response to the Mystic’s gift card program. He did not have specifics immediately available, but said the theater has earned thousands of dollars so far, and they’ve needed “every bit of that.”

Ineffable Music also started a crowdfunding campaign on GoFundMe. All the proceeds will go directly to the staff.

“More than the money, it’s a great reminder that people really do appreciate live music,” Cussins said. “The number of messages we got saying ‘This is something we want in Petaluma’ - it gives us that resolve to find a way and outlast this.”

You can reach Staff Writer Yousef Baig at 707-521-5390 or yousef.baig@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @YousefBaig.