At this point, no one needs to be told that the COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc on the music industry, with live music suffering particularly hard. Regardless of predictions and plans to open the country back up, one thing is clear: live music is not coming back this year and independent venues desperately need help.
The National Independent Venue Association (NIVA), a collective formed out of thousands of independent venues, has organized to petition and encourage United States politicians to take action to save these venues, which serve as important places for people from all walks of life to celebrate the arts. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota) and Senator John Cornyn (R-Texas) have co-sponsored the Save Our Stages Act in the Senate; it would provide millions in funding for short-term economic relief in order to pay rent and employees, thus keeping venues afloat.
NIVA has organized a day of action to #SaveOurStages. It’s simple: head to the Save Our Stages website and fill out the form provided; it takes less than a minute to make your voice heard. A recent survey found that as many as 90% of venues could be forced to shut down without aid, so our support is critical. Please fill out the form to write to Congress and share this information far and wide so that we can once again enjoy live music in independent venues in the future.
