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Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) calls for support for music venues outside Brookyn’s Baby’s All Right on Aug. 18, 2020. (Photo courtesy NIVA)
Congress on Monday passed a pandemic relief bill that includes $15 billion for independent venues and promotors, providing a vital lifeline to music venues such as DC’s 9:30 Club, Black Cat, DC9, and others.
Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-NY) appears in front of Brooklyn Independent Venue Baby’s All Right with Elsewhere’s Druv Chopra, NIVA Executive Director Rev Moose, Baby’s All RIght’s Billy Jones, and Independent Artist Sean McVerry. (Photo courtesy NIVA)
U.S. Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer yesterday announced at a press conference that he is co-sponsoring bipartisan legislation aimed at providing relief to independent live venues, promoters and festivals across the nation. Since the pandemic shutdowns began in March, music venues, comedy clubs, and festivals have been shuttered with no revenue, high overhead and no timeline for when they can fully reopen. The National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) said that if the shutdown lasts six months or longer and there’s no meaningful federal assistance, 90 percent of its members would be forced to fold forever.
Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) speaks to the Brookings Institution in 2016. (Photo courtesy Brookings Institution)
U.S. Senators John Cornyn (R-TX) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) last week introduced the Save Our Stages Act, which would provide Small Business Administration grants for independent live music venue operators affected by COVID-19 stay-at-home orders. These grants would provide six months of financial support to keep venues afloat, pay employees, and preserve a critical economic sector for communities across America.
The National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) today calls for Congress to provide-long term federal assistance for music venues shuttered due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Whitney (Photo by Olivia Bee)
Indie rockers Whitney released Forever Turned Around, the band’s sophomore album last year, prompting Playboy to declare it “finds the pair once again at ease with and in complete control of their sound.”
The gents are now taking the time to support the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) with a livestream show via Noon Chorus on Thursday, June 4, presented by 9:30 Club.
River Whyless perform at DC9 in 2017. (Photo by Mark Caicedo)
Required Reading is Parklife DC’s essay series on music appreciation.
“Just as we talked about the community, I think it’s one thing to see an artist or a song in a one dimensional way, but what’s really inspiring is when you see an actual human being onstage with an instrument made of wood and wires, and one microphone, do something so moving that it conjures emotion and you fall into like a romantic state of loving life because people do great things.” — Dave Grohl, Alternative Nation, October 2019
Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (R-Mo.) addresses the Third Way Think Tank on July 19, 2017. (Photo by Third Way Think Tank)
Congressman Roger Williams (R-Texas) and Congressman Emanuel Cleaver II (D-Mo.) and 91 of their colleagues sent a bipartisan letter yesterday to U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy urging congressional support for independent music venues during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) recently wrote to Congress to press for federal financial relief for music venues, which were “the first to close” and likely “the last to reopen” among businesses shuttered during the national pandemic.
NIVA is further urging individuals to take action and send a video or letter to their members of congress.
Betty Who performs at 9:30 Club, a NIVA member, in 2017. (Photo by Mickey McCarter)
The National Independent Venue Association (NIVA), whose members, employees, artists and local communities are facing an existential crisis as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, yesterday sent a letter to Washington leadership proposing solutions to address the unique and dire situation facing the industry.
National Independent Venue Association just formed and already has more than 450 charter members in 43 states, including 9:30 Club in D.C., First Avenue in Minneapolis, Chicago Independent Venue League, World Cafe Live in Philadelphia, Pabst Theater Group in Milwaukee, Red River Cultural District in Austin, and Exit/In in Nashville.