Financially Vulnerable, Independent Music Venues Worry Of Having To Sell
Six months ago, Scott Hammontree's job consisted of long nights spent at his music venue, The Intersection, where, as operating partner, he's been helping to break artists like Eric Church for nearly two decades. But, almost every day since Apr. 24, Hammontree has woken up, picked up the phone or logged on to a video conference app and started calling Washington, advocating for federal relief that could save homegrown businesses like his. As a precinct captain for the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA), he's determined to keep The Intersection's doors from shutting for good. And he's determined to keep his 1,500-capacity club exactly how it's been since it opened in 1972: independent.
"I had zero experience talking to congressmen and senators," Hammontree says. He also oversees two smaller venues in the same complex, Elevation and The Stache, and welcomed artists like Grace Potter and Trampled By Turtles this year at The Intersection before closing. Hammontree is not a super political guy, but it didn't take long for him to spring into socially distanced action. "This isn't a partisan issue. Everyone likes to go to concerts and forget about our problems."
But when Congress left Washington for recess without passing the COVID-19 Relief bill, which includes the Restart Act and the Save Our Stages Act, Hammontree felt "a massive gut punch." His customers, he says, have already bought all the venue-themed shirts they can. He put the company's liquor license into escrow, and went from a staff of 70 people to zero. He never expected, like hundreds of venue owners and workers across the country, to turn from partner and talent buyer to activist, overnight.
It was an
