DO NOT ABANDON US - #SaveOurStages
Some of my fondest memories in my adolescent life were made in the music industry. I can still remember every last detail of the first concert that I ever went to with my mom - from the feeling that I got in my chest when I heard C.C. DeVille play that first solo to the exhaustion that I felt when we left that night, because for the first time I had experienced something that truly rocked my entire world. Fast forward through a mirage of local shows, big concerts, and everything in between in my little hometown in Ohio. Music was the one thing in my life that was always consistent. It was the one thing that never let me down. So when I was in my early twenties and changing my major to photojournalism, after touring with a band as their visual storyteller, it was so easy to see what my path in life truly was. But, imagine working towards a goal your entire life and watching your dreams and your industry crumble in a matter of months. An industry that seemed indestructible, essential, and never-ending. Imagine pleading for help, sharing awareness, and standing in unity to save your stages, your venues, your career, and your biggest passions - all to watch those venue lights turn off day by day.
A June survey by the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) stated that 90 percent of independent venues reported that they would shutter before the end of the calendar year unless Congress passes legislation that will enable them to cover expenses until there is a vaccine and it's safe to host concerts at full capacity. NIVA has been fighting for those venues by lobbying for Federal assistance since March. And in August when that vote never came everything truly started to seem hopeless for us all. The hashtag #SaveOurStages had now transformed into #DoNotAbandonUs. And with this transformation, my heart has broken into a million pieces. My stomach turns at the thought of losing the one thing in my life that makes my soul soar.
As I write this with tears running down my face I urge you to remember what your first concert, play, or event felt like. Close your eyes for just a moment and take it all in again - the sights, the smells, the feelings that they left you with. These moments that entertained you, shaped you and moved you. Think of your favorite artists, your friends backstage and in front of the house - YOUR friends and favorites who might lose what they love forever. At a #SaveOurStages rally in New York, LCD Soundsystem frontman James Murphy put everything into a new perspective: “This is a natural ecosystem that can’t be built. It’s like a coral reef of venues. It’s like a natural national asset that if it goes away, it doesn’t come back.” And if it doesn’t come back there will be millions of individuals who never feel that spark again. Millions of individuals who have saved for years to stand front stage at their favorite band’s show - all to never experience that one big thing that they had always dreamt of checking off their bucketlist. Millions of individuals who will never feel like they belong to a community without their local music scene, or their online fanbase families. And millions of individuals who will not only lose their livelihoods but who will also lose the one thing in life that made their hearts beat faster and their souls soar higher.
If you have made it this far in my post, if I have tugged at your heartstrings even the faintest amount I am begging you to click HERE and help us win this fight. Take one minute out of your day to give the promise of another day to venues, musicians, crew, and anyone who has been touched by this industry. Share this article with your friends, donate to venues if you can, and PLEASE DO NOT ABANDON US as we try our hardest to SAVE OUR STAGES.
Photo by: Justin Gamble
Location: The Agora Theatre in Cleveland, OH
SOURCE AND FULL NEWS ARTICLE HERE