Gov. Tony Evers is allocating $100 million for independent businesses in Wisconsin, including $15 million for music venues, which have really been suffering since the pandemic hit.
These music venues were among the first businesses to close in the wake of Covid-19, and they will not be reopening any time soon. As Gary Witt from the Pabst Theater Group told Piet, it's been a long time since venues have had a victory, so they really needed this. In Milwaukee alone three music venues have already closed permanently.
We break down how this works. Piet explains that eligible venues will be able to apply for grants if they can demonstrate that 50% of their revenue from 2019 came from ticket sales. Witt likened this to a Band-Aid on a wound that needs stitches: It won't solve the problem, but it will help in the short term.
Hear us explain it all on this week's episode below.
