Indy Star: Six months into the pandemic, concert venues say they need congressional help to survive
Senator Todd Young at The Slippery Noodle -Indianapolis, IN
Photo Credit: Jenna Watson / IndyStar
Thanks to Dave Lindquist from the Indy Star for an incredibly in-depth article live music venues and their fight to survive the Covid-19 pandemic. With so many politics at play, we are grateful for this type of coverage to help tell our story.
After a recess through August, lawmakers returned Tuesday, and are expected to be working on new economic relief packages. Three of these proposals are beneficial to music venues, and include: The RESTART Act, Saves Our Stages Act, and ENCORES Act.
“Venues can’t function at half capacity,” Riley said. “If you book a show on the basis of 50% capacity, it will lose the promoter money.”
Frank Riley, Owner - High Road Touring
If these pieces of legislation are not passed, independent music venues, promoters, and agents alike are in danger of seeing their businesses vanish. Without these small, independently run venues, many of today’s largest artists wouldn’t have their careers. If these small stages and promoters disappear, so do potential musicians and revenue streams within these communities.
“If we’re going to be closed, that’s fine,” Peyton said. “But there has to be some kind of safety net or life raft thrown to some of these people. They’re really struggling.”
Josh “Reverend” Peyton - Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band
Baker said the next step is to have lawmakers remember live music when crafting the economic relief packages, such as Senator Todd Young, who has advocated for venues through creating the RESTART Act. Republican Senator Young joined Colorado Democratic Senator Michael Bennett, along with more than 50 other co-sponsors in support of the RESTART Act.
“You try to be optimistic,” Baker said. “I don’t know really where we lie in the hierarchy of things. We hoped something would have been passed by now. I think as a group and as human beings, we ask everybody to put away the politics for a little bit and try to do the right thing.”
Read full article here.