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How To Save Independent Venues When You Have No Money To Spare

#SaveOurStages

Independent venues around the country are joining forces to ask for help, and you can play a significant role in making sure they survive the coronavirus pandemic.

Have you heard about NIVA? Otherwise known as the National Independent Venue Association, NIVA brings together more than 800 venues across the country in an attempt to keep their businesses afloat while COVID-19 makes live performances impossible. Independent venues are more vulnerable to permanent shutdowns amid the coronavirus pandemic because they do not have the multi-million dollar backing venues owned by Live Nation or AEG possess. Their independence grants them the ability to take a chance on talent that may not normally get a chance to shine, and they need your help to survive these chaotic times.

NIVA is calling on all fans of live music to write their senators and representatives to demand the government help these organizations stay alive. Visiting the NIVA website will allow you to quickly fill out of a form letter and send it to those in power with just a couple of clicks. It takes only a few moments to complete. Please do your part.

A message from NIVA reads:

National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) is securing financial support to preserve the national ecosystem of independent venues and promoters. These entertainment hubs are critical to their local economies and tax bases as employers, tourism destinations, and revenue generators for neighboring businesses such as restaurants, hotels, and retail. Independent venues exist in every state across the country; they were the first to be closed, they will be the last to open. The economic recovery process will extend past just reopening the front doors, requiring solutions unique to the industry.

The vast majority of musicians rely on independent venues to tour and sustain their careers. Your efforts to keep these businesses going will make an impact on the livelihood of your favorite artists and the artists you’ve yet to discover. Action is needed. Do your part.

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LA’s Teragram Ballroom and Moroccan Lounge Launch Staff Relief Efforts

Two beloved Los Angeles venues are asking visitors to help support their staff as COVID-19 keeps venues around the world closed for the foreseeable future.

Los Angeles is one of the music industry’s biggest hubs. Over the last century, thousands of dreams have flocked to the city of angels in hopes of making it big with their songs. Far less saw their dreams realized, but nevertheless, the allure of Los Angeles and the opportunities it offers continue to draw in musicians from all over the world.

It’s hard to imagine anyone familiar with the Los Angeles music scene is unaware of The Teragram Ballroom and Moroccan Lounge. Those two venues are institutions in the entertainment industry, serving as launching pads for some of the biggest stars of all-time, but the current COVID-19 pandemic has kept their doors locked for over a month. When will they open? Nobody knows.

With that in mind, The Teragram Ballroom and Moroccan Lounge are calling on music fans everywhere to help them support their devoted staff until live performances resume. The venues recently launched a GoFundMe campaign seeking $30,000 in contributions, and so far, more than $7,000 has been donated.

A message posted to the campaign page reads:

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact our industry, Moroccan Lounge and Teragram Ballroom have made the difficult, but necessary, decision to close our doors indefinitely. While we continue to monitor this situation, the reality is that our hourly employees are out of work and facing an uncertain economic future.

We ask that if you are able, please consider donating to support your favorite independently-owned, LA music venues through our GoFundMe.  100% of the funds donated toward our goal will go to supplementing the income of our night-time hourly staff until we can open our doors again to you.

It’s absolutely imperative to us that the same people who have given their time to lifting up our artists, patrons, and the Los Angeles community are also taken care of in their time of need.

Stay healthy, be kind to one another, and we will get through this together.

To encourage contributions, the venues recently added an exclusive shirt to their campaign efforts. Details on how to receive the limited edition merchandise can be found on the Teragram Ballroom’s Facebook page.

It’s impossible to state the importance of supporting independent music venues like The Teragram Ballroom and Moroccan Lounge. In an increasingly corporate entertainment landscape, independent venues are often the best way for artists from any genre to get their start in the live music industry. If you have anything to spare, even $1, please consider donating to this campaign.

Please send other venue Kickstarter campaigns and fundraising goals to james@haulix.com for inclusion on our blog.

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Slim’s and Great American Music Hall Launch Staff Relief Efforts

As COVID-19 continues to keep venues nationwide shuttered, Slim’s and Great American Music Hall are doing their best to pay their staff.

Another week in the ‘new normal,’ another wave of fundraisers. As COVID-19 leaves the live music industry at a standstill, an increasing number of venues are turning to patrons in hopes of supporting their staff until concerts can return.

The latest crowdfunding campaigns come from Slim’s and Great American Music Hall, two iconic San Francisco entertainment hubs. Both venues are hoping to raise money to pay their staff while the establishments remain closed. The current goal is $20,000, and as of this post, the GoFundMe page shows more than $12,000 has been contributed to the effort.

A message on the campaign page reads:

As many of you are experiencing, the COVID-19 pandemic has created unprecedented hardship for many across the globe. The Slim’s and Great American Music Hall staff are in the same boat: with California State orders in place, our doors must remain closed until we can ensure the safety of our patrons, artists, and staff. 

During this shutdown, many of us are struggling to make ends meet, unsure when we will be able to return to normalcy. While many service industry jobs will begin to open their doors at the first sign of State clearance, the nature of live events requires a much longer lead time since most artists are not planning tours in the near future due to the uncertainty of the pandemic. So when CA gives us the green light to re-open, we’ll be further down the road from “business as usual” until artists can comfortably return to touring.

In an effort to provide additional relief during all this uncertainty, we are asking for your help with 100% of donations going directly to hard-working people who remain out of work indefinitely, and who are essential to the live music experience. We know this is a lot to ask in this strange Quaran-Time™️, but every little bit ensures staff—the box office attendants, security personnel, cooks, bartenders, waitstaff, stage managers, lighting and audio techs, and everyone in between that makes the scene possible—will have a promising return. 

We look forward to sharing more musical experiences with y’all, hopefully in the near future!

San Francisco’s ‘shelter in place’ plan currently remains in effect until May 3. There is a high likelihood that the date will be pushed later in May, or even into June. That is a long time for venue staff to be out of work, but you can make their lives a bit less stressful by making a donation today.

Please send other venue Kickstarter campaigns and fundraising goals to james@haulix.com for inclusion on our blog.

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St. Louis Venue Fubar Raising Money to Support Staff During COVID-19

With live music postponed until May or later, Saint Louis venue Fubar is hoping fans will help support the staff that makes concerts possible.

The live entertainment industry is at a standstill. The spread of the novel coronavirus, otherwise known as COVID-19, has driven people indoors and canceled thousands of events. There is no timeline for reopening venues, and there is no guarantee if audiences will be ready to return to crowded rooms anytime soon.

Venues need performances to stay open and pay their staff. When events get canceled, bills keep coming, and there is no stopping the fixed costs of operating a business. Fubar, the widely-recognized St. Louis venue, is one of many businesses currently facing an uncertain economic future. The owners are doing everything in their power to keep the business open, but they need help to care for their staff.

Recently, Fubar launched a crowdfunding campaign to help the venue’s ten-person staff support their families. A message posted to the GoFundMe page reads:

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, like every other venue, we are forced to close indefinitely.  

All shows for at least  8 weeks have been canceled or postponed,   We know this will at least be 8 weeks that Fubar’s 10 employees will have zero income.  This is a devastating blow to bands, artists, venue owners, and venue workers across the country.  As they scramble to try to find temporary employment, alongside every other person in the food/bar/service/entertainment industry, the least I could do is try this.   If you’ve ever had a good time at fubar, and you can spare even one dollar, consider it a tip, please do so.  Every bit helps.  Thank you, and please stay home, be extra safe, and take care of one another.

Fubar is currently seeking $24,000. As of this post, the campaign has raised just over $4,000. If you are able to contribute, please head over to GoFundMe and help keep this incredible venue alive.

Please send other venue Kickstarter campaigns and fundraising goals to james@haulix.com for inclusion on our blog.

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