CAPITAL REGION, N.Y. — Entertainment industry representatives and supporters are on a mission to help local venues struggling to survive the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic with the Save Our Stages Act.

U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer, a cosponsor of the bipartisan legislation, visited The Palace Theatre in Albany recently to warn that independent music venues throughout the Capital Region and the rest of the state face an uncertain future without dedicated federal assistance.

“Places here like The Palace, and like the small venues throughout the Capital Region, are what makes New York New York,” Schumer said during a press conference in downtown Albany. “They are part of the heart and soul of this community.”

According to a survey of National Independent Venue Association members, 90 percent of independent venues report that they will have to close permanently without federal funding.

Schumer and others believe the Save Our Stages Act, or SOS Act, is crucial to saving independent venues – like concert halls, theaters and other places of entertainment, including Palace Theatre, Proctors Theater, The Egg, Saratoga Performing Arts Center and Troy Savings Bank Music Hall – which generate economic activity within communities.

Schumer said the Senate needs to act in an immediate way if independent venues are going to stay afloat and reopen when it is safe to do so and he will fight to include federal assistance for independent venues in any upcoming coronavirus relief legislation.

“Independent venues, like theaters and concert halls, are the beating heart of New York’s cultural life and a driving force in the Capital Region’s economy. These local businesses were among the first to shut down at the start of the pandemic, are struggling to stay afloat, and will be among the last to reopen,” he said in a press release. “That’s why it’s so important to provide dedicated federal assistance to independent venues so when it is safe, we can gather again for music, comedy, theater and other live performances in venues that have been around for generations. I’m proud to cosponsor the Save Our Stages Act, and I’ll fight to include federal funding for independent venues in coronavirus relief legislation.”

Schumer cautioned that without federal aid, the economic impact of COVID-19 on live venues is insurmountable.

Live venues are part of one of the hardest hit industries and need dedicated assistance for long-term, flexible relief that would be available through the Save Our Stages Act, the release said, explaining that if venues remain closed through 2020, it is estimated that live venues across the country will lose $9 billion in ticket sales alone.

Independent venues not only drive economic activity within communities in restaurants, hotels, taxis and other transportation and retail establishments, but live events provide 75 percent of all artists’ income, the release noted.

The Save Our Stages Act would create a new $10 billion Small Business Administration (SBA) program to provide grants of up to $12 million to eligible live venue operators, producers, promoters, or talent representatives to help cover six months of operating expenses and offset the economic impact of COVID-19. These grants could be used for payroll costs, rent, mortgage, utilities, and personal protective equipment, among other needs.

The legislation has 28 bipartisan cosponsors and is supported by countless artists, performers, and industry advocates, including the Foo Fighters, Billie Eilish, Lady Gaga, Jimmy Buffett, Coldplay, Vampire Weekend, Jerry Seinfeld, Jay Leno, National Independent Venue Association, Recording Academy, Spotify, Association of Performing Arts Professionals, and many others.

Locally, senator was joined by supporters Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan, Albany Symphony Orchestra music director David Alan Miller, Palace Theatre executive director Billy Piskutz, Palace Theatre board chairman Steve Baboulis, Proctors Theater and Proctors Collaborative CEO Philip Morris, Saratoga Performing Arts Center President and CEO Elizabeth Sobol, Troy Savings Bank Music Hall executive director Jon Elbaum, Albany Symphony Orchestra executive director Anna Kuwabara, International Alliance for Theatrical Stage Employees president Bobby Igoe and business representative Jimmy Anziano.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc on the entire Arts & Entertainment industry displacing more than 12 million jobs and over $49 billion dollars for our economy. Our businesses were the first to shut down and will be the last to re-open,” Piskutz said in a statement from Palace Theatre. “We are profoundly grateful for the support of Senator Schumer as he champions the #SaveOurStages effort. Our Arts & Entertainment venues and their employees are in critical need and are counting on as much support as possible so that one day soon we can all safely raise our curtains once again. The show must go on and without the help many venues will not make it!”

Sobol, of SPAC, echoed these thoughts. “Performance venues were among the first to close when the pandemic hit. And unfortunately, we will be the last to open,” she said in a statement. “Artists, as well as stage hands, engineers, artist managers — and a whole host of other professionals who keep the concerts coming — are currently facing a devastating loss of work, their very futures in peril. Performing arts centers, concert halls, jazz clubs and theaters are the hearts and souls of our communities. It is imperative that we all work together to ensure the future of our beloved stages.  We encourage everyone to contact their legislators to join us in supporting the Save our Stages Act and the Restart Act.”

Elbaum, of TSBMH, added that most people don’t realize the significance of the impact that the arts and culture have on the economy. “We are the fifth largest employer in the Capital Region, and account for almost trillion dollars of the U.S. GDP. It’s not just artists and administrative staff. It’s stagehands, truck drivers, designers, marketers, painters, bartenders, caterers, printers – literally hundreds of thousands of people. Over 30,000 jobs in the Capital Region alone,” he said. 

Citing the warning that 90 percent of independent venues could close without significant relief from the government, Elbaum continued, “When this crisis is really over we will crave the opportunity to share experiences with our friends and neighbors and that is what the arts can do.”