The hope that independent live-music venues have been clinging to for months seems finally to become reality with the expected passage of the $900 billion pandemic relief package. 

The stimulus carves out $15 billion for live venues, independent movie theaters and cultural institutions, according to a joint statement issued by leading Congressional Democrats, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi of California and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York. It also expands eligibility to more nonprofits as well as local newspapers, TV and radio broadcasters.

That means not only will owners of local concert venues such as The Oriental Theater be eligible to apply for new relief, but nonprofits such as Denver Film and grassroots local news organizations including The Colorado Sun and Aurora Sentinel, which both took loans from the Paycheck Protection Program earlier this year. 

Independent music venues that have been closed throughout much of the pandemic have pinned their hopes for survival on the long-stalled Save Our Stages Act, which was folded into this larger new bill.

A statement from the Colorado Independent Venue Association said independent venues and promoters across Colorado have been “crushed” by the pandemic shutdown, and said the provisions in the bill will provide financial assistance to dozens of locally owned businesses including the Hi-Dive, Dazzle, Nocturne, Roxy Broadway, Levitt Pavilion, Swallow Hill Music Hall, Club Vinyl, Comedy Works, Red Rocks, The Boulder Theater, The Fox Theater, Larimer Lounge and Globe Hall.

Chris Zacher, Executive Director of the Levitt Pavilion, expressed his gratitude that the Save Our Stages Act was included in the relief package. “The entire music industry came to a screeching halt when COVID hit the U.S. in March,” he said. “We were the first industry to close and we will be the last one to reopen. Our venues have been shuttered, revenue streams have stopped, reserves have been depleted, our ability to keep employees on payroll has been severely hampered.”

The legislation will provide grants equal to 45 percent of gross revenue from 2019, with a cap of $10 million per entity. The grants will be administered through the federal Small Project Assistance Program. 

It is not yet known exactly what Schumer meant by “cultural institutions,” but he later took to Twitter to say the bill includes help for Broadway theaters and comedy clubs. “These are people’s jobs and livelihoods, and they need this help now,” he said. “I won’t stop fighting for them.” 

“These venues are so important to so many states across the country,” Schumer said from the floor of the Senate. “They are the lifeblood of our communities. They were the first to close and will be the last to open. This bill gives them a fighting chance.”

According to Rolling Stone, dozens of iconic music venues around the country already have permanently shuttered during the pandemic, including Great Scott in Boston, Boot and Saddle in Philadelphia, the Mothlight in Asheville, N.C., and the Satellite in Los Angeles.

Zacher said if not for the Save Our Stages Act, “90 percent of the independent venues in Colorado would have closed their doors for the final time by the end of March 2021.”

Scott LaBarbera, owner of the Oriental Theater, said closer to home, the situation is not quite that dire, at least not at his 700-capacity concert hall in northwest Denver. The Oriental received an essential $90,000 Paycheck Protection Program loan, as well as some assistance from the city of Denver. More than anything, he says the new stimulus will be “a huge psychological lift” to venue owners across Denver.

“We never thought we wouldn’t make it through this, but what this mostly means to us is some breathing room and peace of mind,” LaBarbera said. 

“But who knows how long this will last?” he added. “We don’t expect life to return to anything close to normal until June at the earliest. Things are going to get really tight if the shutdown lasts into the summer.”

Denver Film CEO James Mejía said the inclusion of arts organizations in the federal stimulus “speaks directly to the importance of the arts to the health of our overall economy,” and that at Denver Film, any additional federal support will translate directly into saved jobs and community programming once it eventually reopens. 

“I am very heartened by the fact that arts organizations like ours are looked at like a business in these conversations,” Mejía said, especially when you live in a city like Denver where more people attend arts events than sporting events.”

 “This action really expedites our ability to get back to business.”

But for that to happen, Zacher said, the first priority must be public safety.  

“COVID-19 is still working its way through our communities,” he said. “We must do right by our fellow Coloradans and follow the health orders in place while we wait on the distribution of the vaccine. This is the only pathway to getting back to enjoying live performances.”

 This article has been updated with responses from the Colorado Independent Venues Association and Chris Zacher.