BUFFALO, N.Y. — Music and entertainment venues are in big trouble.
Since the New York on Pause order in March, their doors have been closed, and the vast majority of them haven’t been able to do anything except stay home during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The outlook for 2021 isn't very promising either.
“Our industry is going to remain shuttered probably through the summer, or even into the fall,” Chris Ring said.
Ring is a concert promoter and the Western New York representative for the National Independent Venue Association.
"We came about this March after the shutdown of music venues across the country," Ring said.
In the region, 25 different venues have joined NIVA, and they’re calling on Gov. Andrew Cuomo to use $75 million of CARES Act funding to be used for the entertainment venue industry to keep them afloat while they remain closed during the pandemic.
“Any sort of money that New York state can give, to kind of help keep our cultural institutions alive, would be huge," Ring said.
Ring says several other states, not necessarily known for the bustling music venues, received relief funds from their respective states.
"Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, all states gave money from their coronavirus relief funds to arts programs," Ring says.
According to Ring, venues need the money until at least March. That’s when federal funding from the new COVID-19 relief bill that was agreed upon by the House and Senate would kick in and be a lifeline for these venues.
Back in September the governor said that music venues would be "the last tranche" of spaces to reopen.
"We all understand the safety is the number one priority for the patrons and our staff, we're all obliging," Ring said. "But in the interim, you know, something's got to be done to save these these generational venues that have been around for 10, 20, 30 years."
2 On Your Side reached out to the executive chamber to try and get some information and gauge the governor’s temperature on this, and they sent the following statement:
"We have approximately $7 billion in eligible expenses for the $5.1 billion in funds received from the CARES Act and we’re spending all of the funds on other eligible expenses to keep New Yorkers safe and healthy, including personal protective equipment, medical equipment, and food for the hungry. The state budget currently has a $14.9 billion imbalance meaning every dollar spent additionally from the CARES Act funding will require spending reductions elsewhere, and the state funds schools, hospitals and services for the most vulnerable. We hope those in the music venue business will continue to join us in calling for the federal government to deliver the funding we all desperately need.”
In a less bloated way, the state is saying no.
In the meantime, unlike restaurants and other businesses that may have been able to pivot to stay afloat during the pandemic, most venues aren’t able to do that.
"Every day that goes by venues are digging, you know, deeper and deeper holes of debt," Ring says. "So the sooner we can kind of get some sort of local relief will be huge.”
In the year to come, if places are allowed to reopen, there's a strong possibility your favorite local venue might not be there.