More Than 600 Artists Sign Letter Asking Congress To Help Independent Music Venues

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Independent music venues took a hard hit when the concert industry came to a grinding halt due to the coronavirus. Well, now more than 600 artists have signed a letter to Congress asking for federal assistance to keep those venues from closing permanently.

“Independent venues give artists their start, often as the first stage most of us have played on. These venues were the first to close and will be the last to reopen," reads the letter signed by such artists as Dave Grohl, Billie Eilish, Lady Gaga, Mavis Staples, Willie Nelson, Coldplay and more reads. It notes that with “zero revenue and overwhelming overhead…if the shutdown lasts six months and there’s no federal assistance, they will never reopen again."

Gary Clark Jr, Led Zepplin’s Robert Plant Miranda Lambert, Billy Joel, Earth Wind & Fire, Kacey Musgraves, and others also signed the letter, which continues, “We are asking you to support [National Independent Venue Association’s] request for assistance so these beloved venues can reopen when it’s safe and welcome us and our fans back in,” adding, “The collapse of this crucial element in the music industry’s ecosystem would be devastating." 

• The letter to Congress is part of the #SaveOurStages campaign, which has already seen more than 500 touring artist and comedians urge their fans to send emails to Congress to help save indie venues. 

Source: Billboard