Support Chicago’s Independent Music Venues with UMAW’S DIY CHI Mutual Aid Benefit at The Hideout

If you haven’t heard already, The Save Our Stages Act was recently passed as part of the COVID-19 relief bill in Congress, . The stimulus bill will provide $900 billion to aid Americans and businesses affected by the pandemic, including $15 billion allotted to independent music venues who have been hurting greatly for almost an entire year. According to an article in Variety, “Applicants must have lost at least 25 percent of their annual revenue to qualify, and those have lost more than 90 percent will be able to apply in the first two weeks after the bill is signed into law, with others in the following two weeks.”

Thanks to organizations like NIVA (National Independent Venue Association) and CIVL (Chicago Independent Venue League) and music fans around the country, over two million emails were sent to elected officials, urging them to support the bill in Congress. 

It will still take a long time for venues to receive aid, and it’s important for music fans to continue supporting their local venues as much as they can. That’s why The Union of Musicians and Allied Workers (UMAW) Chicago is hosting their first event at the Hideout (Online) this Friday, January 8th at 7pm. UMAW Chicago formed in response to the pandemic and has now become the largest chapter in the United States. Check out more on UMAW here. 

The livestream fundraiser includes programming from local organizations, a raffle, performances from Chicago-based artists LaLa Lala, Ariel Zetina, Fran, Cordoba, Tenci and others.

Tickets are $10, which benefits the DIY CHI Mutual Aid fund, which provides COVID-19 relief to Chicago’s artist and music community.

If you’re looking to support Chicago’s independent music venues in other ways, click here.