Oshawa Music Hall shutting down

By Chris Jones/The Oshawa Express

Oshawa’s music scene has taken a hit as The Music Hall has shuttered its doors.

The Music Hall Concert Theatre will be closing down after four years in Oshawa’s downtown core.

Maggie Maybee and her husband Ed have released a statement expressing their grief.

“It is with the saddest heart that Ed and I must announce The Music Hall has been forced to close its doors,” the statement reads. “We are unable to keep up with financial obligations with zero revenue and not qualifying for any of the [COVID-19 relief] programs.”

The statement, written by Maggie, explains they opened the doors to The Music Hall in December 2015. She writes the first two years were difficult, as they were having a hard time selling shows.

“We bought a decrepit building, where the repairs needed were from long before our residency,” she writes. “A leaky roof where we prayed it wouldn’t rain on a show day as there were 12 or so buckets we would put out to catch the water.”

Before the COVID-19 pandemic forced the venue to close its doors, the last concert performed there was by Matthew Good.

It hosted more than 150 shows per year, and had a capacity of approximately 600 people.

In a second statement released, the couple expressed their appreciation for the support they’ve received from the community as they close their business.

“We can hardly put into words the immense love we have received,” the second statement reads. “We underestimated the magnitude of the hall to everyone.”

In their statement, Maggie and Ed urge everyone to support live entertainment when things open up again.

“Buy the band’s merch, get out and support the bars, the venues, the bands, the artists. They will need you more than ever after all of this,” she writes.