Georgia Venues And Live Industry Make Plea To ‘Save Our Stages’
Blood on the Harp performs at the Earl in East Atlanta on Saturday, Sep. 1, 2018. Georgia music venues like The Earl are asking fans to participate in the Georgia Day of Action by appealing to senators to #SaveOurStages.
Evey Wilson / WABE
Live performance venues across Georgia are encouraging fans to participate in the Georgia Day of Action by visiting SaveOurStages.com on Tuesday and submitting a pre-written message of support to be sent to their local representatives.
In Georgia, that means the message will be delivered to Sens. Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue. Among the requests is for them to back the bipartisan Save Our Stages Act and the RESTART Act, which according to the National Independent Venue Association, “would ensure the survival of live performance venues across the nation.”
The message goes on to say that more than 90% of independent venues could close permanently without financial support from congress.
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Josh Antenucci, co-founder of Rival Entertainment, helped coordinate the day of action. He says the industry, which has gone without substantial revenue since the pandemic took hold in March, needs immediate funding if it’s going to survive.
“We need people to consider how venues, music, comedy, the arts – how those things have impacted their lives and communities. We need an understanding that these businesses are facing the possibility of extinction. Now is the moment we need to be considered if we’re going to come back and rebuild,” Antenucci said.
A representative of The Earl, a music venue and bar in East Atlanta Village, echoed the urgency for assistance in a statement, saying, “This is all about saving the ecosystem that many touring artists rely on to get across the country. Without immediate assistance, it could take a very long time to rebuild this industry.”
Other Georgia venues like Smith’s Old Bar, Center Stage, The Masquerade, 40 Watt Club in Athens and Hargray Capitol Theatre in Augusta also posted appeals on social media for followers to participate and spread the word.
According to a press release, the Save Our Stages Act, which was introduced by Sens. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., would provide six months of financial aid to independent music and entertainment venues.
When asked if he thinks the Georgia senators will ultimately support the legislation, Antenucci said, “We don’t know where our senator’s heads are at because we’ve gotten no response. Which is why we’ve dubbed this day to raise and combine our voices.”
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