Live Music Society Issued $1M in Crucial Grant Funding Support to 58 Small U.S. Performances Venues in 2024

Nonprofit Has Given $4.1 Million To Support Small Music Venues Since 2020

December 12, 2024 — Live Music Society - the nonprofit organization supporting small venues and listening rooms across the U.S. - awarded $1M in grant funding to 58 venues in 2024. As Live Music Society prepares to open their third annual Music in Action grant application in January, the nonprofit highlights the transformative impact that their grants have had on recipients this year, underscoring its commitment to fostering innovation, inclusivity, and community growth by enabling venues to take risks on big projects and explore new ideas.

“Live Music Society’s goal has always been to uplift small venues as economic, cultural, and community hubs,” said Cat Henry, Executive Director of Live Music Society. “We are proud of the progress we’ve made, and we’ll truly celebrate when our impact has touched every state in the union, ensuring that live music remains a vital part of communities everywhere.”

The Music in Action grant, which debuted in 2023, is designed to develop audiences, encourage community engagement, boost visibility, and promote diversity while empowering small venues to take creative risks through curated live programming. Below are some highlights from venues that received Music in Action funding this year, showcasing how this grant has been a game changer.

The Spot on Kirk (Roanoke, Virginia): Música y Cultura

“Thanks to the Music in Action grant from Live Music Society, we have widened our reach by addressing a significant need in the local Hispanic community,” reports John Pense, venue manager, “Ten exciting events make up our ‘Música y Cultura’ series, within Hispanic Heritage Month and beyond, including music, dancing, art, and even comedy from extremely talented local, regional, and touring artists. We’ve made a huge impact by providing an inclusive environment and we couldn’t be happier to support the Hispanic community here in Roanoke!”

Bossa Bistro (Washington, DC): Bossa Tributary Project

The Tributary Project brings together culturally connected ensembles to showcase the music of specific cultural spheres, reflecting the rich diversity of Washington, DC. These concerts not only feature talented musicians from around the world but also culminate in a unique compilation record release, blending global influences and showcasing the vibrant spirit of DC’s music scene.

Rebel Rebel Studio & Lounge (Berea, Kentucky): Pop Pop! Emerging Artist Incubator Program

Pop Pop! supports emerging Kentucky musicians through workshops led by industry professionals on essential topics like sound engineering, branding, grant writing, and activism in the arts. Participants also host open mics and curate monthly music nights. Aja Haynes is one of five musicians in the first cohort and describes the benefit to her artistic development, "Getting to know the others in this program as artists, and discover our shared anxieties and ambitions as working musicians, has enabled me to look at myself from a new perspective. Seeing everyone’s efforts in action has inspired me and strengthened my resolve. This program has granted accessibility to tools for better presenting myself as an artist, through photography and videography sessions, skills workshops, and showcase opportunities that have been a great space for sharing the progress I’ve made." 

The Royal Room (Seattle, Washington): ‘Staycation’ and ‘What’s Going On’ Festivals

This fall, The South Hudson Music Project presented two groundbreaking festivals at The Royal Room. Over Labor Day weekend, the Staycation Festival celebrated African American artists in jazz, hip-hop, and R&B, bringing vibrant performances to a typically slow weekend. Six weeks later, ‘What’s Going On’ honored the legacies of Sun Ra, Butch Morris, and Julius Hemphill. Owner Wayne Horvitz could not have been happier, “The [What’s Going On] festival was incredible; great crowds, great response, and I had multiple people say ‘that was the most amazing concert of my life!’ As principal music curator since 2011, I can say this was the apex of over a decade of music presentation.”

Maple Leaf Bar (New Orleans, Louisiana): Funkin’ 50th Anniversary

Marking its 50th anniversary in 2024, Maple Leaf Bar launched new initiatives to engage audiences and ensure business stability, including a Weekly Wednesday Emerging Artist Showcase and an oral history video project to celebrate and archive the legends who have graced its stage. Assistant manager Jonathan Brown explains, “Through our Music in Action project, we've been able to collect over a hundred hours of video and audio, capturing oral history around the Maple Leaf Bar's role in the development of New Orleans' music tradition over the past 50 years. Preserving these timeless stories for future generations of music fans would have been a lot more difficult, if not impossible, without Music in Action funding.”