NEW ORLEANS — New Orleans live music venues went silent in March.
Most of them have remained closed since then because of the Coronavirus pandemic.
“The last 8 months have been incredibly difficult for us and any live music venues,” Jason Patterson Music Director at Snug Harbor on Frenchmen Street said.
Patterson added, some clubs have already closed and many more could without an infusion of money from the federal government.
He’s encouraged the new stimulus bill passed by Congress includes $15 billion in grants for shuttered venues like his.
“Assuming we’re going to get that kind of support very soon, like within the next 30 days or so, it’s going to save a lot of the major venues in this town,” Patterson said.
Chuck Rogers’ family owns Buffa’s Lounge on Esplanade Avenue.
He said his club also needs help.
“Not just us, places like ours, just regular restaurants, let alone live venues, they can’t survive if we don’t get that money,” Rogers said. “It’s just that simple.”
Doug Trager and Rachael Arrington at the Maple Leaf on Oak Street say they went from having 500 shows a year to none overnight.
“This (the stimulus package) is what everyone has really been waiting for because it’s based on real numbers and real needs of music clubs around the country,” Trager said. “We’re all going through the same thing.”
“Even though this is going to help out the music clubs, there’s still no telling we’ll be able to have music again and have musicians in here to where they can earn and make a living,” Arrington said.
For New Orleans music clubs, the stimulus money is a lifeline for an industry now on life support.
“It’s a tough time,” Rogers said. “It’s a very tough time in New Orleans.”
Live music venues must have lost at least 25 percent of their revenue to qualify for the stimulus money.
Those who lost at least 90 percent will be the first group to apply for the money.
Zoos and aquariums will also be able to apply for federal grants under the new stimulus bill.
The Coronavirus pandemic has caused devastating losses for the Audubon Nature Institute in New Orleans.
The zoo was forced to lay off 74 percent of its workforce this summer.
It reopened at reduced capacity in June.
Audubon Executive Vice President Rebecca Dietz called the grant program an important step in their economic recovery effort.
“We cannot be certain yet what we’ll qualify for, but very penny counts,” Dietz said. “We will be asking for as much as we qualify for. Although we have a long way to go, the most recent recovery bill that passed is an important step toward rebuilding and ensuring the stability of our facilities.”
According to Dietz, revenue for the zoo and the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas on the Riverfront is down by more than 65 percent for the year.
