In 2020 the Live Music Society was founded to provide a lifeline to small, independent venues forced to close their doors due to the COVID pandemic. Last year LMS disbursed their inaugural round of individual monetary grants of up to $50,000 to 20 venues across the United States. In 2021, LMS supports independent venues as they struggle to reopen in a challenging post-pandemic landscape. LMS will announce the recipients of the second round of relief grants on Tues, May 18th, on the Live Music Society's Website: livemusicsociety.
2020 LMS grantees included a wide spectrum of independent venues from all over the country, from the coasts to the heartland. Based in 14 states across the country, the initial grant recipients boast strong connections to their communities and run the gamut of genre orientations. The venues included such noted music stages as Club Passim (Cambridge, Mass.), the famed 85-seat folk club founded as Club 47 in 1958; the Jazz Showcase (Chicago, Ill.), the 170-seat Windy City landmark opened in 1947 by the late Joe Segal; Hotel Café (Los Angeles, Ca.) the intimate performance space featuring acoustic-based songwriters; and Caffé Lena (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.), the 110-seat coffeehouse where Bob Dylan performed in his folk-singing days.
Locations stretch from Maine to Washington, and from Michigan to Texas, including Mercury Lounge (Tulsa, Okla.), The Bowery Electric (New York, N.Y.), The Royal Room (Seattle, Wash.), Club Café (Pittsburgh, Pa.) , The Word Barn (Exeter, N.H.) , and Levon Helm Studios (Woodstock, N.Y.). See full list of all twenty 2020 LMS grantees here: livemusicsociety.
Last year Live Music Society granted over $800,000 to applicants. LMS is committed to giving $2 million in grants in its first two years of operation to support the live music ecosystem around the United States. LMS Grants supply philanthropic aid to music venues that have been in operation for three years or more with a sellable capacity of 250 occupants or less, with maximum one-year individual grants ranging from $10,000 to $50,000.
Applications for the next round of Live Music Society grants for Fall 2020 open in August 2021, look for updated information on grant criteria and applications at the LMS website: livemusicsociety.
The Live Music Society also supports “Empty Spaces”, a video series highlighting small U.S. venues; and the stories of their experiences before, during, and after the pandemic. Tune in June 3rd for the premiere of Empty Spaces: Hi-Dive, which focuses on Denver, Colorado’s beloved the Hi-Dive, an institution in the city’s historic Baker neighborhood, an incubator for local talent, and a vital stop for touring bands. Learn more about Empty Spaces and watch previous episodes here: livemusicsociety.
