Guest Blog |
Pittsburgh’s Independent Music Industry Needs Your Help
When I think of live music and Pittsburgh, I think of community, passion, and friendship. As a millennial growing up in Pittsburgh, my earliest memories of the city’s live music scene were skipping eighth period at Taylor Allderdice to take the 61C Downtown and walk to Altar Bar to see some of my favorite bands I just saw at Vans Warped Tour in a more intimate setting, or to hitch a ride with a friend to Mr. Smalls in Millvale (where I saw my first live show that wasn’t something on Broadway). It’s at these places that I started to find my tribe and people I could truly connect with.
Live shows transcended what I heard through my Skullcandy earphones, but truly gave me a place to connect with people within this niche community, one I don’t want to ever live without.
Those experiences are what inspired me to completely change my path from music performance to live events. Today, I am proud to continue my journey in live music as the Director of Marketing at Drusky Entertainment, an independently owned and operated concert and event producer that produces over 700 events annually with some of these historic clubs that shape the heart of Pittsburgh. This sense of community and the people that we impact every day is what inspires me to continue the work here.
Pittsburgh is full of incredibly impactful spaces that are critical to the trajectory of an artists’ career. How lucky are we to have gotten to see a young Jeff Rosenstock with Bomb the Music Industry at 222 Ormsby, or a burgeoning bluegrass artist by the name of Billy Strings, who is currently selling out arenas across the country, at The Rex Theater (RIP). I’ve been obsessing over the rise of Doechii whose latest tour found her in independent venues across the country. It’s only a matter of time before her GRAMMY-award winning songs and performances take her to levels beyond our comprehension. Stories like these cannot happen without the existence of these stages.
Regrettably, the COVID-19 pandemic truly placed a long-lasting and devastating effect on the arts and entertainment community as a whole, but no more than some of these independent spaces, some of whom we’ve lost even before the pandemic began, and others that continue to face the threat of extinction with a varying degree of factors. The long list of losses over the years include the likes of The Rex Theater, Club Cafe, Hard Rock Cafe, Altar Bar, Shadow Lounge, Garfield Artworks, and so many more. But there’s hope.
The silver lining of COVID was the formation of the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA), which came in response to the COVID-19 pandemic as a pathway to advocate for independent clubs and venues like these listed. I jumped in immediately with NIVA on their Advocacy Committee and immediately began making calls and emails to venues across the state to start making the call to action. This work resulted in passing the single largest federal arts grant program, the Shuttered Venue Operator Grant program, a $16 billion federal grant program to support shuttered arts organizations, both for and nonprofit. Serving as Board Vice President for NIVA Pennsylvania, my goal is to continue to strive to connect independents and build on the sense of community and what we collectively bring to the table.
While this feat is massive, our work is not done. Yes, we are seeing artists return to the stage, but there are a multitude of factors that stack the odds against independent clubs, promoters, festivals, and theatres; from the rising cost of goods, to consumer confidence issues, industry consolidation, and beyond. Our story still needs to be told.
Many of these independent organizations are scrappy and have the “pull yourselves up by the bootstraps” mentality. Heck, sometimes the owner of the club you’re at may be the one taking your ticket and unclogging the toilet. But what these clubs do is bring value to their community. Communities like Millvale are completely reshaped because of Mr. Smalls. Or Allentown because of Bottlerocket Social Hall. This story is not unique, but our experiences are.
NIVA is working on the first-of-its-kind survey, The State of Live, to analyze and report the unique challenges and contributions the entire live independent sector brings to its community, state, and the country as a whole. We know, from a Chicago Loop study, that for every $1 spent in an independent club that $12 in economic activity is generated from driving heads in beds at the hotel, dinner before the show, rideshares after the show or parking at the garage, and so much more. But State of Live can go so much further than that to tell a story that needs told. If you are an independent promoter, venue, comedy club, theatre, or presenter, I implore you to take the time to fill out the survey. Help us tell the story of live.
And if you’re a music fan, go see a show and help ensure that Pittsburgh is a city local musicians are proud to play and one that traveling musicians want—and can—include on their tours. I’ll see you at the front of the stage, make sure you say hello!