The $900 billion coronavirus relief stimulus package will likely be finalized by Congress today and will help the economy in the short term, but it is in many ways a flawed stopgap measure that does not do enough to help Americans during the COVID-19 crisis. There is no aid to the beleaguered restaurant industry, measly $600 checks to adults who made less than $75K in 2019, and a lack of funding for state and local governments. But there are some positives, including much-needed pandemic relief for performance venues, independent music theaters, and other cultural institutions.

The Save Our Stages Act, which will provide $15 billion for these independent venues as well as Broadway theaters, comedy clubs and more, will be included in the relief package. Over 3,000 music venues and promoters across the country have been working together as the group National Independent Venue Association (NIVA), and in NYC as New York Independent Venue Association (NYIVA), fighting to get this passed since the summer. These types of cultural venues and institutions were among the first to shut down when the pandemic started last spring, and in most parts of the country, including NYC, have not been able to reopen yet.

“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, 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.”  

Speaking on the floor of the Senate on Sunday night, New York Senator Chuck Schumer, who has been campaigning in support of the bill for months along with everyone from LCD Soundsystem's James Murphy to Jerry Seinfeld, said, “I’m especially pleased this this bill will provide money for bars and restaurants, and $15 billion in SPA grants for theater operators and small venue operators through the Save Our Stages Act. These venues are so important to my state and so many other states across the country. They are the lifeblood of our communities. They were the first to close and will be the last to open. This bill gives them a fighting chance.”

Last week, NYIVA calculated that in NYC alone, live music venues support 25,500 jobs, $722.8 million in wages, and $2.2 billion in economic output with another $400 to $500 million in tourism dollars that can be attributed solely to attending music-related events. Those independent venues are projected to have accrued more than $135 million in collective debt since the pandemic began.

There are still some concerns about the bill: Audrey Fix Schaefer, a spokesperson for various venues in the D.C. area including the 9:30 Club and Merriweather Post Pavilion, told the Washington Post that she is worried about whether there is sufficient help for the lighting designers, sound technicians, bartenders and others who have been out of work for months because of the pandemic.

"The earliest I see anyone thinking about opening is this summer or fall,” Fix Schaefer told the Post. “We’re trying to fight for survival.”