90% Of US Indie Music Venues Will Shutdown Without Federal Help says NIVA Survey
The 2000 member strong National Independent Venue Association (NIVA has published a new study the shows how at-risk independent music venues and promoter are because of the COVID-19 crisis.
The demise of any music venue endangers Main Street USA’s comeback as well and eliminates a crucial avenue of music discovery and artist income.
NIVA also released an updated NIVA Fact Sheet and Policy Ask Document which stipulates what will be required to save the industry.
90% Of Venues Will Shutdown
90% of NIVA members surveyed said they will be forced to close forever if the shutdown lasts six months or longer and there’s no federal support.
Current measures are not enough. The existing Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), even with the recent modifications, will not save independent venues, as it is the fixed costs, like rent/mortgage, utilities, taxes, and insurance that still need to be covered, even when venues are not permitted to be open. Only a small fraction of NIVA members have received other government loans related to COVID-19.
Impossible To Route Tours
The entire nation must be open at full capacity for national music tours to route. No other industry has this challenge. reminds NIVA. Restaurants, movie theatres, hotels, airlines, service providers and retail stores are not dependent on other jurisdictions’ readiness.
With reopening regulations differing throughout the country and NIVA venues ranging from 250 to 18,000 capacity, even staggered openings are still effectively a national shutdown for music venues.
Dayna Frank, NIVA president and CEO of First Avenue Productions in Minneapolis said, “The complete and instant shut down of every venue is devastating. Revenues have ceased, but overhead hasn’t. We’re fighting for the future of our industry, our beloved venues and our communities. This is the one time we’re asking for assistance to do that. Without it, we fail. With it, we can once again be the gathering places that bring back our communities. With it, we will stand on our own feet and once again generate economic gains for businesses around us and the tax base of our towns and cities.”
GET INVOLVED
NIVA is encouraging everyone to have their voice heard by going to SaveOurStages.com to support legislation that can save independent venues.
Click here for the new NIVA NIVA Fact Sheet and Policy Ask Document
Click here to read the Senate and House letters to Congressional Leadership in support of NIVA’s requests.
“There are so many decisions in indie rock bands like Sublime where you have to question the meaning of music, the community it has, the attitude it has. We’re trying to figure out what it’s supposed to be doing and what it’s supposed to represent.”
Bledsoe’s stand was among many voices of outrage against the record label-like restrictions put in place by the federal government earlier this year as part of the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA).