Bucks Writs - Fall 2020 - 20

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By Scott L. Feldman

Music is probably the one real magic I have encountered in my life.
There's not some trick involved with it. It's pure and it's real. It moves,
it heals, it communicates and does all these incredible things. (Tom Petty)
Minnesota's concert halls, theatres, and places of
entertainment, like First Avenue in Minneapolis,
where Prince famously performed, have inspired
generations with the best of local music, art, and
education. This legislation would help ensure that
small entertainment venues can continue to operate,
and serve our communities for generations to come.

When the wildly popular Korean boy band, BTS, cancelled
their Asia-Pacific tour In February, ripples of concern were
felt here, all the way in the United States. By the end of
February, Khalid, Green Day and Ben Harper had cancelled
their Asian tour dates. Within several weeks, the concert
industry worldwide had ground to a halt. Locally, small and
mid-size concert and entertainment venues were among
the first businesses to close and would be among the last
to re-open. Most of these theaters, bars, comedy clubs and
concert halls are independently owned small businesses.

By August, U.S. Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer
had joined as a co-sponsor and a similar bill was introduced
in the House of Representatives. From NIVA's press release,
per its Executive Director, Rev. Moose:

Before long, the National Independent Venue Association
(NIVA) was created to " fight for venue survival amid
mandated, extended shutdowns. " Some 450 members
in 43 states were part of the initial founding and by
June, the organization grew to over 2,000 members,
representing venues ranging in size from 250 capacity
to 18,000. Fundraising and Congressional lobbying
efforts were underway.

Local independent scenes are the cultural lifeblood
of our communities as well as an economic driver
throughout America. A Chicago study last year
showed that for every $1 spent on a ticket at a local
venue, $12 of economic activity was generated for
area businesses such as restaurants, retailers, and
hotels. These mom and pop venues are unable to fully
reopen until well into 2021 due to safety concerns
posed by large gatherings. These institutions draw
most of their revenue from acts that tour the United
States, and until it's safe to gather people en masse, it
won't be possible for venues to bring back their staff,
which is one reason why the Paycheck Protection
Program (PPP) does not work for this industry.

On July 22, the bipartisan Save Our Stages Act was
introduced by Senators John Cornyn (R) and Amy Klobuchar
(D), who stated:

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Bucks Writs - Fall 2020

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