Local events promoter Jade Presents is joining National Independent Venue Association members across the nation today for a day of action and is asking for fans of live events to join in.
Due to overwhelming support from artists and fans, Congress has heard the National Independent Venue Association’s calls for help and introduced the Save Our Stages Act, the RESTART Act, and the ENCORES Act. This Tuesday, August 4, we’re doubling down and asking all fans of live music, comedy, and events to please follow up with local representatives to confirm support for these bills. The pandemic and the necessary response to combat the spread of the disease is continuing to severely impact independent venues.
The 43 Minnesota clubs, theaters, and agencies, including Jade Presents associated with the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) have declared a Day of Action to support three congressional bills in Washington, D.C.
- The Save Our Stages (SOS) Act introduced by Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and John Cornyn (R-TX), would provide a lifeline for independent venues like ours by establishing a grant program for live venue operators, promoters, producers, and talent representatives.
- The RESTART Act, led by Senators Michael Bennet (D-CO) and Todd Young (R-IN), tailors the PPP program to work for shuttered businesses like ours that have zero revenue, high overhead, and no clear timeline for reopening.
- The ENCORES Act is a bipartisan motion introduced by Rep. Ron Kind (D-WI) and Rep. Mike Kelly (R-PA). This legislation would support independent music and entertainment venues as they work to survive the COVID-19 crisis, by providing a tax credit for 50 percent of the refunds the venues have delivered for events canceled by the pandemic.
Unlike PPP, which is centered around payroll protection, and not applicable for all NIVA members, these new bills were crafted to help sustain independent venues and promoters on a longer-term scale.
“We need Minnesotan music, comedy, and live event supporters to write their senators and representatives and tell them independent venues and promoters matter,” says Dayna Frank, NIVA President, and First Avenue CEO. “Critical conversations are happening right now in D.C., and one of these bills needs to be included in Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s recovery package for independents to survive. That happens when our representatives know it matters to their constituents. If one of these bills isn’t included, many independent venues will close for good.”
In addition to visiting SaveOurStages.com to write, tweet, and call congressional representatives, NIVA is asking fans to post messages of support on social media, using the hashtags #SaveOurStages and #SaveMNStages throughout the day.
Events venues were among the first to close and the last targeted industry to reopen in most plans, and their independent businesses have lost 100 percent of revenue due to the closure.