PROVO — Corey Fox, owner of Velour Live Music Gallery, needs a kidney, and Velour alumni Imagine Dragons and Neon Trees are coming to Utah to help.
The surgery, which will require a living donor and months of recovery, puts Velour at risk, according to publicist Kaneischa Johnson, as Velour will close for public performances this summer while Fox recuperates.
“Some of his friends are getting together because they want to repay Velour for the success it’s enabled them,” Johnson said.
The event will be a two-night benefit show April 29 and 30 to cover the costs of Fox’s surgery, as well as to ensure that Velour will remain afloat after its summer closure.
“It will be a three- to six-month recovery, which definitely throws a wrench into Velour's near future,” Fox said of his surgery in an email interview with the Deseret News. “There is a lot of community support for Velour, so I'm sure we can work through it.”
Imagine Dragons and Neon Trees will return to Velour, which is located at 135 N. University Ave. in Provo, on Friday, April 29, for the #FixtheFox Benefit Event, which will be “an intimate, acoustic show,” according to a news release.
“I have to admit that when I first opened Velour, my goal was to simply help bring back the music scene to its mid-1990s heyday," Fox said. "I had no idea at the time that Velour would become a launching pad for so many prominent bands both locally and nationally. Since Velour opened 10 years ago, we have had five bands sign major label record deals, including chart-topping Neon Trees and Grammy-winning Imagine Dragons.”
Tickets for the first night of the event can be purchased between 2-5 p.m. on April 23 at Velour with a $300 cash contribution to the #FixtheFox donation fund. According to the news release, tickets will be available on a first-come, first-served basis, and the public can begin waiting in line no earlier than noon. There is a limit of four tickets per purchaser.
The following day, Saturday, April 30, the bands The Moth & the Flame and Fictionist will continue the #FixtheFox benefit concert. The Moth & the Flame will release its new CD during the event.
Tickets for Saturday’s concert are $20 and can be purchased at 24tix.com.
Local musicians, filmmakers and supporters of the music community are rallying for Fox’s — and Velour’s — future.
“I think the music scene is really at the heart of Provo, and (Fox is) the main ingredient in that,” said Brady Parks, frontman of local band The National Parks. “He helps bands come together, and he creates an environment where bands can grow outside of Provo. He’s got a way of bringing things together.”
The community response has been extensive since the news of Fox's need for a kidney transplant was first announced; according to Johnson, the transplant clinic has been overwhelmed with living donor requests in Fox’s behalf.
“With the amount of people stepping up and wanting to be a part of it, that’s really great,” Johnson said. “Corey’s whole life is about Velour. He feels better not talking about himself, but if we’re talking about saving Velour or providing a way for Corey to continue and ease the burdens that are happening there, well, that’s a really cool story.”
If you go ...
What: #FixtheFox Benefit Event
When: April 29 and 30, 8 p.m.
Where: Velour Live Music Gallery, 135 N. University Ave., Provo
How much: Tickets cost $300 for the April 29 show featuring Imagine Dragons and Neon Trees; up to four tickets per person may be purchased at Velour on Saturday, April 23, from 2-5 p.m., with the line forming at noon.
Tickets cost $20 for the April 30 show featuring The Moth & the Flame and Fictionist and may be purchased at 24tix.com.
Phone: 801-818-2263
Email: scobb@deseretnews.com