According to reporting by Variety, the bipartisan Save Our Stages Act (S. 4258) is a piece of legislation that is co-authored by Senators Amy Klobuchar (Democrat) and John Cornyn (Republican) and is set to unleash $10 billion in funding to support artists and live-music venues currently struggling to make ends meet. Variety stated that, according to the National Independent Venues Association (NIVA), 90 percent of independent music venues are expected to shut down without federal assistance.

The Save Our Stages Act is designed to do just what its name suggests: save the independent stages currently on the margins between solvency and bankruptcy. Counted among the list of venues in danger is none other than New Orleans icon Tipitina's, which has hosted generations of talented musicians. Tipitina's is just one of many businesses in trouble across the country. Among those affected are the Troubador in Los Angeles and the Bitter End in New York, while icons such as Great Scott in Boston, Threadgill's in Austin, the Eighteenth Street Lounge in Washington D.C., and Spaceland in L.A. have already closed down.

The bill is poised to provide funding to these struggling businesses, and it needs all the support it can get. Reach out to your legislators and tell them that you care about this bill and want to support it. The existence of many venues and the future of New Orleans music depend on it.