Fewer than 1% of Shuttered Venue Operator Grant applicants have received award notices so far.
There were plenty of cheers, smiles and carefree hugs as fans filled Phoenix's Rebel Lounge on Friday to see Sydney Sprague perform the venue's first 100% capacity show since the pandemic forced the closure of the 300-person space.
The venue's owner
Stephen Chilton was one of the first people to join a group of fellow indie promoters to form the National Independent Venue Association, where today he serves as vp of the group's board. NIVA helped win the passage of the federal bill that created the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant, allocating $16 billion in grants for venues hurt by the pandemic.