State of our Stages
A look into how independent stages in the United States are holding up during the COVID-19 pandemic
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, venues in the United States are unable to safely open their doors to musicians and fans with the health safety guidelines in place. They are forced to remain closed meanwhile still needing to pay rent every month. Without financial support from the government to subsidize these costs, over 3,000 venues in the United States are facing the threat of closing their doors for good; ultimately loosing iconic venues that have been a home for musicians and fans.
This project addresses the current state of the legislature the National Independent Venue Association is pushing to #SaveOurStages.
image: Bully performing at Riot Fest in Chicago IL, 2018
Lala Lala at Sleeping Village in Chicago, IL 2020
sound check.
what happened?
In early March 2020, the United States and the rest of the world were hit hard with the COVID-19 Pandemic, unfortunately closing many businesses and restaurants for the foreseeable future. Months passed during the pandemic and many businesses were able to reopen at a limited capacity safely. However, given the nature of music venues it’ll be longer for them to safely reopen, putting many independent venues at risk of closing their doors forever.
what’s happening?
When everything closed down due the pandemic back in March of 2020, independent venues across the United States banded together to start the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA). NIVA has been working hard to share information about how communities and individuals can work together to contact their government representatives to try to pass the following two pieces of legislature:
Ratboys at Lincoln Hall in Chicago, 2020
image: Eleanor Friedberger (left) Dan Bejar of Destroyer (right)
taken at Thalia Hall in Chicago, IL 2020
NNAMDI at Sleeping Village in Chicago, IL 2020
Bodega at Schubas Tavern in Chicago, IL
"We have over 3000 venues now as part of NIVA and the stats that we have seen say that if this federal help doesn't come, 90% of those venues will close and are not coming back.”
Jordan Grobe, NIVA
image: Black Midi at Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago, IL 2019
What people are saying.
“[The Save Our Stages Act] is the least we can do as a group of people who take care of our own. And I don’t mean our own as musicians, I mean our own as citizens. This is as important as roads, as important as cellphone towers. This is how we communicate with each other.”
— James Murphy (LCD Soundsystem) (source)
“If concerts don’t resume in 2020, 90% of independent venues will most likely not open again. Ever.”
— Mavis Staples (facebook)
image: Mavis performing at Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago, IL 2019
Listen up.
Right now, the National Independent Venue Association is making their last push to congress to pass the Save Our Stages Act and the HEROES Act.
Without financial assistance, many venues may need to make the difficult decision to close permanently such as Boot and Saddle in Philadelphia.
The easiest course of action one can do is to head to saveourstages.com and take action by filling out a form to contact your local representative.
Image: Julien Baker at House of Vans Chicago, IL 2019