Sheila K Miller Elias, Music Business Professional, New Media Journalist
According to the National Independent Venue Association, Americans love concerts, as 172 million people attended concerts in 2019. NIVA is an organization 2,600 members strong, including at least 114 independent venues from Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, and Washington, D.C. The live entertainment industry is one of the largest impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Due to the pandemic, these live entertainment businesses were one of the first to shut down and will be one of the last to reopen. The independent venues are particularly in jeopardy of shutting their doors for good. These businesses do not have the corporations supporting them, like Live Nation and AEG venues. The results of a National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) survey estimated 90 percent of independent venues may close within the next few months.
NIVA has been lobbying for Congress to #SaveOurStages and #RestartAct. In the Senate, the Save Our Stages Act would provide $10 billion to support live entertainment businesses. Even with 1.6 million emails sent to legislators and a letter signed by artists from the Foo Fighters to Jeff Foxworthy to Billy Joel and others, the Save Our Stages Act was left untouched at the time of the Congressional recess in the beginning weeks of August. Another bill included the RESTART Act. This bill allows for more leniency with how the loan could be spent and more forgiving loan forgiveness options.
Every state government has developed its reopening COVID-19 regulations. In West Virginia, live entertainment, including fairs, festivals, indoor and outdoor concerts, and similar events, are still banned, according to Executive Order No. 51-20. The neighboring states of Virginia and Maryland are permitting live entertainment with some restrictions.
Rainbow Road Club – West Virginia
Rainbow Road Club, in Rippon, West Virginia, is one of the largest live entertainment venues in Jefferson County. The current owners, Louis and Ellen Mae Ruffner, owned the venue for the last 38 years. Just on the other side of Virginia’s state line, this honky-tonk roadhouse establishment has a long history in the West Virginia and Virginia area. Parts of the building are over 150 years old. This honky-tonk hosted Winchester, Virginia native Patsy Cline in the ’50s and ’60s many times. Also, Cline’s biopic, Sweet Dreams, was filmed there in the 1980s.
Liz Ruffner, the manager, stated that their last band show was on March 14, 2020. On March 17, Rainbow Road closed their doors until they reopened on May 26, 2020. Ruffner says the venue did not apply for any support from the CARES ACT. Ruffner does not care to have that extra burden of a loan hanging over the business.
Though the venue is open, there is still no live music allowed by West Virginia. The honky-tonk’s most significant revenue comes from live music. Ruffner says, “The bands make our week.” Rainbow is breaking even due to the venue’s food and beverage services. Rainbow Road offers take-out specials, outdoor dining, and 50 percent limited-capacity indoor dining. Ruffner says Rainbow is still here, “by the grace of God, and we have the best customers. They [customers] are a blessing.”
Soundbite of Liz Ruffner, Manager of Rainbow Road Club, explaining how much revenue live entertainment brings to the club.
When finally allowed to produce concerts, one of Ruffner’s biggest dilemmas is the bands already scheduled for the year are canceling for later dates. The artists are booking in other states that are allowing live entertainment now. She says, “I can’t fault them for that. They need to make money too.”
What can be done to reopen live entertainment in West Virginia?
At the time of print, Dr. Clay Marsh, Executive Vice President of West Virginia University’s Health Sciences and West Virginia’s COVID czar, had not returned any contact attempts made by this journalist. With all Maryland and Virginia allowing some form of live entertainment, it is unsure what it will take for West Virginia to reopen live entertainment with even a 25 - 50 percent capacity level.
As some life comes back into the live entertainment venues, this is not happening everywhere. So how can ordinary citizens help? Here are some suggestions from NIVA’s Head of Communication, Aubrey Fix Schafer:
- Ask for a future show’s credit or donate the money to the venue if your show cancels.
- Buy gift cards to your local venue for special occasions like birthdays and Christmas.
- Donate to local venues directly.
- Donate to NIVA’s operation fund
- Buy merch from venues and NIVA
- Contact your senators by phone, emails, and social media asking for their support in #SaveOurStages and #RestartAct.