I’m really proud that this could provide the vehicle to save so many industries,” Frank, who’s also board president of the National Independent Venue Association, tells. “It’s not just live music and stages that need support; all of America is hurting. So if this can be the vehicle, that is a great source of pride. But I think as our champions have stated, it couldn’t come at the expense of those of us that are a week from going out of business.
“The past nine months have been an immense, but unifying and necessary, learning curve for all involved,” Prescher added. “Now, at the close of this unfathomable year and thanks to an enormous educational effort, small businesses in our industry stand to receive the resources needed to stay afloat until we can safely return to live events as we know and love them.”
Though it no longer bears the name, the section of the bill that helps independent venues and others was borne out of the Save Our Stages Act, which Senators Amy Klobuchar and John Cornyn . While the first stimulus bill, the CARES Act, had passed a few months prior in March, targeted relief for live music was still needed as many venues couldn’t take full advantage of Paycheck Protection Program loans for small businesses.
Additionally, some of the most vulnerable venues will get first access to grants: Applicants that have lost more than 90 percent of their revenue will be allowed to apply first during a two-week window that starts after the bill becomes a law. The law also calls for $2 billion to be set aside specifically for entities with less than 50 full-time employees, which includes many struggling venues nationwide.
Save Our Stages marks a rare bailout of Main Street when most financial crises prompt the federal government to simply pump money to Wall Street and large corporations,“You’re seeing a long-tail, distributed form of capital across many, many, many players on Main Street who are employing many, many, many people, and for the first time that narrative is resonating,” Chopra says. “And we still had to fight very hard for it.
With the financial cushion Save Our Stages provides, venues can turn their attention to the difficult process of re-opening.vary, though experts hope that scattered outdoor shows may be feasible by the summer,and something close to full touring will be possible by the end of 2021. But those hopes, as the Troubadour’s Karayan points out, come with all kinds of caveats, ranging from liability protections to questions over whether a mask-mandatory show means the bar can’t be fully operational.
this is all a moot point because the orange freak won’t sign the bill.
Not in the same boat