On Monday, Dave Grohl expressed an “enormous and sincere thanks” to supporters of the Save Our Stages Act, which provides approximately $ 10 billion to independent concert halls amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The financing is part of a long-delayed economic stimulus project that President Trump signed on Sunday.
“The preservation of America’s small, independent sites is not only crucial for the millions of people [concert-goers] whose lives are enhanced by the experience of their favorite artists in the flesh, but for the future of music itself, as it gives the next generation of young musicians a place to cut their teeth, improve their craft and grow in the voices of tomorrow, ”wrote the leader of the Foo Fighters.
“The absence of live music this year has left us longing for that common feeling of connection, which is best felt when united in one song,” Grohl continued. “The Save Our Stages Act brings us a step closer to sharing that feeling again, one that I hope we can experience again soon. Every day we are one step closer. See you there, Dave. “
Thanks. #SaveOurStages @nivassoc pic.twitter.com/kD95iUmanw
– Foo Fighters (@foofighters) December 28, 2020
Senators Amy Klobuchar and John Cornyn introduced the Save Our Stages Act in July, setting aside $ 10 billion for local owners, developers and industry professionals to invest in rent, utilities, mortgages, PPE and other costs. (Another $ 5 billion was added later for cultural institutions, such as museums and cinemas.)
Klobuchar recently spoke to Rolling Stone on how to defend live music during the pandemic, hailing the “bipartisan” cause.
“One of the things that will happen when people look back, to see how we saved the music and not let it die, is that this was such a bipartisan effort and was reflected in the fan base, because it was from country music to rap to classic, ”she said. “And it really brought out the best in America in terms of what I consider to be one of our country’s cultural icons, but also one of our best economic drivers. And so it was this combination that we always knew existed in our country, but it is always classified in one area or another, and we were able to combine it. “