Save Our Stages
$16 Billion Save Our Stages Relief Fund Has Distributed $0
<span class="localtime" data-ltformat="F j, Y | g:ia" data-lttime="2021-05-25T15:31:01+00:00“>May 25, 2021 | 11:31am ET When is $16 billion equal to $0? It’s not a riddle, but rather the reality facing America’s independent venues, as more than five months after Congress passed the $16 billion Save Our Stages Act, not a single dime has been distributed in relief. As Variety reports, a pandemic crisis has been compounded by a crisis of bureaucracy. The bipartisan SOS Act was signed by Donald Trump last December, and its passage was hailed by artists including Dave Grohl. But while other programs targeting small business, such as the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), saw relatively quick rollouts, the Small Business Administration’s implementat...
Facing Closure, NYC Clubs Forced to Pivot or Fail
With the landmark $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package now in the hands of the Senate, financial aid for struggling families and businesses is almost within reach. In fact, the embedded Save Our Stages Act earmarks $15 billion in grants to music and arts venues. But for New York City’s nightlife, this eleventh hour support may have missed the boat. Small restaurants and bars have been hit especially hard by the pandemic, and New York Post now reports even the city’s top club owners have also been drastically affected by both closures and brand pivots. Butter Group, which owns the iconic 1Oak brand, recently shuttered its Up & Down venture in West Village. The Tao Group, which owns properties worldwide, has also permanently closed two of its five ...
Save Our Stages Grants Aren’t Open Yet, But Here’s How Venues Can Get Ready
Who is eligible? The SOS Act was initially intended to solely support independent music venues when it was introduced in the summer of 2020. By the time it passed passed as part of the stimulus package in December, the now-called Shuttered Venue Operators (SVO) Grant program includes $15 billion for live performance venue operators and promoters, performing arts organizations, theatrical producers, talent representatives, motion-picture theatre operators and non-profit museums. Subsidiaries of these organizations can also be eligible. Businesses that fall under those categories must have been fully operational as of Feb. 29, 2020 and planning to continue operations in the future. In order to be eligible for the grant, the entities must be able to show at least 25% gross revenue loss in any...
Dave Grohl Hails Passing of $15 Billion Save Our Stages Act
Dave Grohl has shared a “huge, heartfelt” statement hailing the recent passing of the Save Our Stages Act. As part of the bipartisan COVID-19 relief bill, the act will allocate $15 billion dollars in federal aid for independent music venues and theatres that have been forced to close during the pandemic. The Foo Fighters frontman has been a fervent champion of the bill, which was first introduced by Senators John Cornyn of Texas and Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota back in July. In October, Foo Fighters headlined the virtual #SOSFEST, an event hosted by the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) to raise money for concert spaces and rally for Save Our Stages to be included in all future iterations of the COVID-19 relief package. Thankfully, it happened on December 20th. “A huge, heartfelt...
Save Our Stages Fest Raised $2 Million for Independent Venues: “This Moment Brought Millions of People Hope”
As our Annual Report continues, we’ll be taking several looks at how live music changed in a year where most of the world was in lockdown. Today, we share our conversation with Save Our Stages Fest’s Stephen Sternschein on what’s being done to preserve live music and venues during this pandemic. The American experience of the COVID-19 pandemic is dominated by unimaginable numbers made real: 300,000 dead, 16 million infected, an estimated $3-$5 trillion hit to the country’s GDP over the next two years. Tucked inside that last figure is another statistic, revealed over the summer, that made the year even darker for music fans: According to a nationwide survey of club owners and promoters conducted by the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) this past June, 90% of independent music v...
Kaskade, Major Lazer, More to Headline ABRACADABRA NYE Virtual Festival and #SaveOurStages Fundraiser
ABRACADABRA has announced its third and final digital festival of the year and it’s shaping up to be the biggest yet. Get ready to ring in 2021 with the 24-hour event, broadcasted live on AbracadabraTV from December 30th through January 1st. All proceeds—raised via voluntary viewer donations, brand partner donations and merch sales—will benefit #SaveOurStages. The festival will host over 50 hours of nonstop music and self-love experiences. The lineup is stacked with some of the biggest names in the industry, including John Legend, Kaskade, Major Lazer, Aloe Blacc, and ABRACADABRA co-founders BLOND:ISH. It will be hosted live from Miami by Hannah Rad, but can be accessed worldwide. Four hours each day will be dedicated to mental health workshops and welln...
US Congress Set to Pass $15 Billion Save Our Stages Act for Independent Music Venues
As of Sunday, Congress has thankfully reached a deal on a $900 billion stimulus bill that will provide urgent aid to those most affected by the pandemic. The hard-hit music industry has been included in the measure via a designated $15 billion package called the Save Our Stages Act. The bill is expected to officially pass in Congress early this week. Through the provision, independent music venues and movie theaters—along with similar cultural institutions—will become eligible for grants through the Small Business Administration, with awards of up to $10 million earmarked for six months of payroll, rent and other necessary costs. Venues that have lost more than 90% of their annual revenue will be able to apply in the first two weeks before the process opens up to those who have lost at lea...
Congress Allocates $15 Billion to Independent Theaters and Concert Venues As Part of New Relief Package
The United States Congress has agreed to a new bipartisan coronavirus relief package that allocates $15 billion in funding to independent movie theaters and concerts venues. According to USA Today’s Nicholas Wu, the relief package incorporates the Save Our Stages Act. 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 pa...
