Red Alert RESTART Night

You're taking a live look at a lit up von braun center!

It's part of the "red alert restart" day of action!

This is nationwide initiative to raise awareness about the economic hit the "live events industry" is taking during the coronavirus pandemic.

The event comes as the number of coronavirus cases increases across north alabama.

Here in the metro -- i-65 corridor -- madison, morgan, limestone and lawrence counties averaged 85 new cases each day in the past week.

In the sand mountain region -- jackson, marshall and dekalb counties averaged 26 new cases over the past 7 days.

And in the shoals -- lauderdale, colbert and franklin counties averaged 33 new cases per day over the past week.

Thank you for joining us tonight -- i'm najahe sherman.

And i'm dan shaffer.

The goal of tonight's event is to urge congress to pass the "restart act" -- as well as extend pandemic unemployement assistance.

Waay31's megan reyna joins us live... she spoke to people who've been working to keep the industry alive during the pandemic, megan?

We make events is the organization that started this nationwide initiative.

Huntsville's organizer justin young has first-hand experience with the pandemic's impact on live events nats young says:"when covid hit and the live event industry shut down, we were the first ones to shut down and we were probably the last one to shut down."

Most people don't think too much about what happens before nats or after a show.

But for von braun center's production supervisor justin young -- this call for action is about bringing awareness to an industry crippled by coronavirus.

Young says:"70,80,90 percent of the people in our industry went to zero income immediately."

His hope is lawmakers will continue to provide economic relief to those whose jobs have nearly disappeared due to the pandemic.

Burton says:"our income has basically been cut in half and we're making it through, but i could not imagine those people who only do industry stuff trying to make it through."

Andrew burton is a contractor -- mainly dealing with lighting and audio.

He says if it wasn't for his wife's income -- he'd have to find a new industry entirely.

Nate luckily performers like josh allison found a way to keep an income flowing live streaming allison says:"it was a circus of uncertainty because there was something new every coming out of the curtain."

Allison is aware he was able to find a new avenue for performing but it doesnt include much help behind the scenes.

Allison says:"i mean i hate to say it like this, but i'm glad i'm not a sound or lighting guy, because if i was, i would have to find something else."

So while you may never see them in the spotlight -- without people like burton and young -- the show as we knew it -- can't go on.

Burton says:"i'm just looking forward to spreading out awareness about what we are, who we are, because we've always been people behind the scenes, you know in the shadows, making sure things go right for our artists, but in a time like this its time for us to be heard, we want to be seen."

Young adds this economic impact goes beyond just the workers -- live events also bring revenue to other businesses in downtown huntsville.

Until big events can be held -- places like the mars music hall are hosting socially distanced concerts every weekend.

Reporting live in hsv mr