Helping hand for honky tonks: How live Texas music may be saved by federal stimulus
The federal government is lending a helping hand to honky tonks such as Billy Bob’s in Fort Worth, and other live music venues across the United States.
The federal stimulus package that was just approved by Congress and signed by President Trump includes a provision dubbed Save Our Stages, which provides grants for live music venues — many of which have been shuttered, or operated with a tiny fraction of their normal capacity crowds, during the coronavirus pandemic.
Save Our Stages provides a total of $15 billion to assist music venues with payroll, rent, utilities, personal protective equipment and other pandemic-related expenditures. Venues with up to 500 employees can apply through the Small Business Administration for as much as $12 million each.
Officials expect several hundred bars, arenas, theaters and other venues across the nation to apply for the funds beginning in January.
“While these businesses face an uphill climb before they fully recover, until we can return to visit our favorite venues in person, this aid provides them a boost needed to stay open,” said Congressman Roger Williams, R-Austin, who introduced the Save Our Stages bill.
Williams’ district stretches from Burleson to Austin, and includes well-known establishments such as Hudson’s on Mercer Street in Dripping Springs, Songbird Live in Cleburne and the Broken Spoke in Austin. But on Wednesday, Williams chose Fort Worth’s famous Billy Bob’s honky tonk — which is about 30 miles north of his Congressional district — to hold a news conference discussing details of the new law.
“This will keep the entertainment business alive, safely and under a limited capacity,” said Marty Travis, Billy Bob’s general manager. Travis said he anticipated that his venue would apply for some of the funds.
Billy Bob’s reopened in August with limited seating capacity. The facility can hold up to 6,000 people for concerts, but Travis said that because of COVID capacity is limited to 2,300 people. Patrons must have their temperature checked upon entry and must wear masks until they are seated, he said.
Plans for a Tracy Lawrence show on New Year’s Eve have been canceled because of unforseen circumstances involving Lawrence, Travis said, but longtime Billy Bob’s favorite Granger Smith has agreed to play instead.
The Save Our Stages bill enjoyed wide support from music artists of many varieties across the U.S.
Walter Kinzie, chief executive officer of Encore Live, a Fort Worth company that books live music acts across the country, said his business is down 92% compared to a year ago. Kinzie said his family sold its home and moved into a recreational vehicle during the pandemic, but because of federal loans and grants he has managed to keep his business open.
“This pandemic has been a humbling experience for those of us that work in the entertainment industry,” he said. “But we haven’t missed one payroll. We haven’t cut any benefits, and our employees are still getting everything that they will need to thrive.”
Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price said federal assistance for music venues is “improving and saving the culture that we all love.”
“Remember, Fort Worth is cowboys and culture, and live music is a huge piece of that culture,” Price said. “There’s nothing like seeing a concert. Zoom is a great tool, and Zoom concerts are very creative, but folks, they ain’t live. It’s so much more fun to be together. This is about our artists and businesses and the servers and the vendors and the jobs that it brings.”
The city also has partnered with the United Way of Tarrant County and other agencies to provide small business grants. The Preserve the Fort grant program provided more than $6.5 million to more than 800 businesses.
This story was originally published December 30, 2020 at 1:08 PM.
