Musically Fed Hosts Food Distribution Drive-Thru At Phoenix’s Rebel Lounge

Musically Fed
Shari Corbett – Musically Fed
Maria Brunner of Musically Fed (middle) poses with Rhino’s Jayson Adamsen and Keno Snyder and Rebel Lounge’s Steve Chilton and Jeff Taylor at a drive-thru event in Phoenix Feb. 20.

Musically Fed held its latest food distribution event to help live entertainment workers and their families that are facing food insecurity with a drive-thru held on Saturday outside the Rebel Lounge in Phoenix, Ariz. 

The Feb. 20 event was put on in partnership with the venue, Rhino Staging and Mesa, Arizona-based non-profit Resurrection Street Ministry. The drive-thru provided 60 families with 12 meals per car for a total of 720 meals served. Each family was given a box that included produce, dry good and protein. 
A press release from Musically Fed noted that the nonprofit was “proud to conduct the drive-thru at the Rebel Lounge, which is owned by Steve Chilton, Vice President of NIVA and one of the authors of the Save Our Stages bill that was recently passed.  Steve is passionate about providing a voice, tools and resources to independent venues across America.
“Musically Fed applauds Steve and his venue, which by day is a fast-growing and popular espresso joint called Reap & Sow Coffee Bar. At night it’s still an active bar with an empty space just waiting for the day when live music can return.”
Maria Brunner, owner of Scottsdale, Ariz.-based Insight Management, started Musically Fed in 2016 in honor of her late husband, who was a proud Vietnam veteran, to repurpose unused backstage catering from concerts and festivals to donate to community organizations that serve veterans. After the coronavirus pandemic brought live events to a halt, Musically Fed shifted its focus to donate meals to the families of production professionals who are out of work and facing food insecurities. The nonprofit has worked with renowned production director Jake Berry, Just a Bunch of Roadies, Rhino Staging and other live event companies to organize dozens of drive-thru events in Phoenix, Denver, San Diego, Nashville, Minneapolis and Atlanta. 

The Rebel Lounge opened in 2015, taking over the building that used to be the home of The Mason Jar. That club, which was founded in 1979, hosted early shows from Rage Against the Machine, Tool, Jane’s Addiction, Green Day, Guns ‘N’ Roses and Nirvana. The Rebel Lounge has featured gigs from Soccer Mommy, Jimmy Eat World, Beach Bunny, Japanese Breakfast and Khruangbin. Reports for the Rebel Lounge submitted to Pollstar include an Oct. 23, 2019, show by The Lucky Daye that sold 325 tickets and grossed $6,500 and a Dec. 20, 2019, show from Emarosa that sold 325 tickets and grossed $5,200.