Tag: #SaveOurStages

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How Biden’s American Rescue Plan Helps #SaveOurStages

#SaveOurStages

The American Rescue Plan, the latest COVID-19 relief package, includes an amendment that will help #SaveOurStages nationwide.

As we cross the first anniversary of COVID-19 shutting down the touring music industry, many venues and venue staff still see a cloud of uncertainty overhead. The provisions made to help venues back in 2020 to help #SaveOurStages have not proven as beneficial as many hoped. There are many reasons for this, but the biggest may be a law forbidding anyone who applied to the Payroll Protection Plan to apply for the Shuttered Venue Operations Grant.

Now, according to a press release from the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) regarding President Biden’s newly passed American Rescue Plan, change is in the air. NIVA members are grateful that it includes Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s Amendment to the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG) provisions and supports its passage in the upcoming COVID Relief Bill.

The release continues:

The previous law forbade eligible entities to apply for both Payroll Protection Plan (PPP2) after Dec. 27, 2020 and the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG, f.k.a. Save Our Stages Act). The revised provision enables eligible entities to apply for PPP2 starting now until March 31, 2021, and also seek SVOG when the applications are made available by the Small Business Administration. The SBA has yet to set a date to accept SVOG applications. 

NIVA members, devastated by having no income and enormous overhead for a year, have been anxiously awaiting the SVOG application forms; many venues have gone under while waiting to access this program. “Now that independent venues and promoters can be eligible for both PPP2 and SVOG, we’re hoping Congress will extend the deadline for applying for PPP2, since it’s set to close March 31, or in just 14 business days,” say Adam Hartke, NIVA’s Advocay Cochair and owner of The Cotilian and WAVE in Wichita, Ks.

The PPP2 money can help eligible independent venues and promoters to hold on until SVOG funding starts being distributed. Any amount of PPP2 money taken by a recipient will be reduced from SVOG funds, i.e., if a venue is eligible for $100,000 SVOG and they have taken $25,000 in PPP2 funds, their SVOG cannot exceed $75,000.

Speaking about the American Rescue Plan’s impact on their efforts, Dayna Frank, NIVA Board President and CEO of First Avenue Productions in Minneapolis, said “This change can save countless venues from bankruptcy, as the immediate PPP2 money will help them hold on until the SVOG funds flow. This entire industry is grateful to President Biden for the relief the Majority Leader Senator Schumer for spearheading this provision and Senators Cornyn and Klobuchar for championing our cause with the #SaveOurStages Act.”

Frank Added, “The quicker the SBA can staff up and roll out this program, the better.  To say our members are frantic and anxious is an understatement. The eviction notices have been coming at an even faster pace as time goes by without this emergency relief.”

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Congress Allocates $15 Billion To Help #SaveOurStages [VIDEO]

After nine months without concerts or assistance, independent concert venues across the US may soon receive a much-needed helping hand.

Congress is (hopefully) hours away from passing a long-awaited second COVID-19 relief package to boost the economy and help citizens nationwide. Much of the coverage around the package has focused on the $600 stimulus checks Americans will receive, but there is another piece of the package that has the music industry crying tears of joy. It turns out, Congress may #SaveOurStages after all.

According to USA Today’s Nicholas Wu, the relief package incorporates the  Save Our Stages Act (#SaveOurStages). First introduced by Senators John Cornyn of Texas and Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota over the summer, the act calls for six months of financial support to “keep venues afloat, pay employees, and preserve a critical economic sector for communities across America.” Under the original proposal, venues would be provided grants accounting for either 45% of a business’ operation costs from the previous year or $12 million in total — whichever is the lesser amount. Venues would then be allowed to use that money to pay off “costs incurred during the COVID-19 pandemic” as well as rent, utilities, mortgages, personal protective equipment, maintenance, administrative costs, taxes, and expenses to meet local and federal social distancing guidelines.

“We’re thrilled that Congress has heard the call of shuttered independent venues across the country and provided us a crucial lifeline by including the Save Our Stages Act in the COVID-19 Relief Bill,” said Dayna Frank, owner & CEO of First Avenue Productions and Board president of NIVA.

“We’re also incredibly grateful that this bill provides Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, which will help the millions of people who lost their jobs through no fault of their own during this economic crisis. We urge swift passage of this legislation, which will assist those in the greatest need and ensure the music lives on for generations to come.” 

Congress is expected to pass the latest COVID-19 relief bill before Christmas. President Donald Trump is expected to sign the legislation as soon as it is presented to him. Follow Haulix for more updates on the #SaveOurStages movement while the industry waits for live music to return in 2021.

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#SaveOurStages Explained: How COVID-19 Is Killing Venues

Visit https://www.nivassoc.org/take-action and do your part today. It takes less than a minute and costs nothing.

COVID-19 brought the live music industry to its knees. Almost overnight, virtually every venue in the United States had to close their doors and layoff their staff. Many venues remain closed today, and there is no clear timeline for them to reopen.

While all venues are suffering right now, independent venues are worse off than the rest. These concert halls are essentially local small businesses, but only many shops and companies, they have not received any financial aide from the federal government. Not one cent of any federal stimulus or bailout money has been given to live music businesses, and that needs to change. 

As of June 2020, over 90% of all independent venues in the United States are in jeopardy of closing before October. Such a loss would upend the entire music ecosystem, not to mention leaving thousands without a job. NIVA, the National Independent Venue Association, is trying to save these establishments from going under, but they need our help.

In this episode of Music Biz News, host James Shotwell explains the #SaveOurStages movement and what viewers can do to take action. Please do your part. 

Music Biz is brought to you by Haulix, the music industry’s leading promotional distribution platform. Join Haulix today and gain instant access to the same promotional tools trusted by Bruce Springsteen, Jason Isbell, Slipknot, and thousands more. Visit http://haulix.com/signup for more information.

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