Pittsburgh-area music venues, theaters hamstrung by issues with Small Business Administration website
Local music venues are facing another shutdown.
The Small Business Administration website where venues submit an application for money is not working. The glitch is holding up federal relief money for venues and causing frustration.
The Save Our Stages Act was passed as part of a covid-19 relief bill in December to help with funding for local venues. The act led to Shuttered Venue Operators Grants, which were to be available to apply for on April 8.
“They had major technical issues and they took it down and have been radio silent about when it will be back up to apply,” said Brian Drusky, owner of Drusky Entertainment, a Pittsburgh-based concert promoter, via email. “Not one application has been filed.”
There is a message on the U.S. Small Business Administration website that recognizes the technical problem. Drusky, who is PA precinct captain for the National Independent Venue Association along with Drusky’s marketing manager Adam Valen, has been in correspondence with the Small Business Association.
“They’ve been trying to get answers, but no answers are forthcoming, except that they are working on it and they will let everyone know exactly when they can apply,” Drusky said.
#SVOG UPDATE: Over the next few days, our tech team and vendors will remain focused on testing the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant application portal; it will not reopen this weekend. We are aiming to reopen the portal by the end of next week.
— SBA (@SBAgov) April 16, 2021
Drusky said he’s received a lot of calls, texts, and emails expressing panic. He said some venues are relying on the money due to pay bills.
They haven’t said that too many people tried to log on at once, but Drusky said from what he understands it was upwards of 14,000 people on at one point.
“Although a lot, that’s hardly too many people in the grand scheme of things,” Drusky said. “You could get on the portal to start to apply, but you weren’t able to upload any of your documents. These venues are hanging on for dear life, not just here but all over the country. We can’t understand why it’s taking so long for the money to get to people that really need it to survive.”
Ron Esser, known as “Moondog,” is owner of Moondog’s Pub and Starlite Lounge in Blawnox. The Starlite will be on the Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” on May 14. He said he’s had someone monitoring the Small Business Administration site but that person hasn’t been able to get through.
“I am not worried about me,” said Esser, of Frazer. “I’ve been around a while but I am worried about everyone else. How long do they expect people to hang on? I don’t understand it.”
Esser owns his buildings, but there are clubs that have been paying rent for more than a year even though they weren’t open, he said. And all of them have to pay utilities, whether they rent or own the building.
This latest challenge to get funds is another roadblock, Esser said. He doesn’t plan to open Moondog’s until October. He plans to host music Thursday evenings beginning June 3 at the Pittsburgh Shrine Center’s outdoor pavilion in Harmar for 20 weeks.
“Eventually, you have to jump off a sinking ship,” said Esser, who was helped some by an event “Save Moondog’s” in March, which raised more than $55,000.
“It’s frustrating to say the least,” Drusky said. “Most are simply biding time at this point. The level of panic when the program didn’t open was immense, which really went to show how many venues are relying on this funding.”
The $16 billion has been ready for distribution for months, Drusky said.
“We all have been patiently waiting for the portal opening,” Drusky said. “It’s like they sent the life preserver, but we find out that it’s been popped. Our ship is sinking at an alarming rate.”
The outage is hurting Mr. Smalls Theatre in Millvale.
Liz Berlin, co-owner of Mr. Smalls, said they are doing their best to remain optimistic.
She said in a previous Tribune-Review story that the venue was forced to take out an economic industry disaster loan when the pandemic hit. Monthly expenses are $10,000-$12,000.
The delay prolongs the venue’s state of insecurity, Berlin said in an email. She said with the loss of income for more than a year, she’s used all her resources and the business is in debt. Having to wait longer to even see if her club is eligible “is difficult,” because there are no guarantees, she said. Supporters can help Mr. Smalls here.
This past autumn, The Rex Theater, one of Pittsburgh’s most-beloved rock clubs, closed for good. Like many independent venues across the United States, the South Side stage fell silent earlier in 2020, when the coronavirus pandemic shuttered the live music industry without warning. It’s not the only one. Brillobox, Howlers and Mixtape in Bloomfield and Hambones in Lawrenceville have also shut their doors permanently.
Berlin said owning the building is the only reason they’ve been able to survive.
“While the (Shuttered Venues Operators) grant appears to be a light at the end of the tunnel, that tunnel is getting longer like in a bad dream, and the end is not feeling like a given,” she said. “(Small Business Administration) has tweeted that they’re hoping the portal can reopen by the end of next week. It can’t come soon enough. We are running on fumes over here at Mr. Smalls.”
JoAnne Klimovich Harrop is a TribLive reporter covering the region's diverse culinary scene and unique homes. She writes features about interesting people. The Edward R. Murrow award-winning journalist began her career as a sports reporter. She has been with the Trib for 26 years and is the author of "A Daughter's Promise." She can be reached at jharrop@triblive.com.
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