The National Independent Venue Association, NIVA, has been advocating for financial support for independent venues that would allow them to survive the extended closures they've weathered amid the coronavirus pandemic. With President Donald Trump calling for an end to negotiations over a new stimulus package (which, as passed by the House of Representatives, includes the Save Our Stages act) in favor of forcing through his Supreme Court justice pick before the election, the prognosis for venues looks more and more grim with the prospect of no much-needed financial aid arriving in the immediate future. To help amplify their message, and raise money for their Emergency Relief Fund, NIVA has announced a virtual music fest, Save Our Stages Festival, or #SOSFEST. It streams from Friday, October 16 through Sunday, October 18 on YouTube, hosted by Reggie Watts and featuring performances recorded at independent venues throughout the country.

Artists streaming sets include Brittany Howard, Foo Fighters, Leon Bridges, Major Lazer, Nathaniel Rateliff, Phoebe Bridgers, Portugal. The Man, The Roots, and YG, and they'll be performing from NYC's Apollo Theater and Le Poisson Rouge; Los Angeles' Hotel Cafe, Troubador, Whisky a Go Go, and Teregram Ballroom; Austin's The Parish, Nashville's Ryman Auditorium, Exit/In, and Mercy Lounge; Philadelphia's World Cafe Live; Minneapolis' First Avenue; San Francisco's The Independent; Seattle's Neumos; Portland's Crystal Ballroom; Chicago's Metro; and more. See the current lineup, and watch a trailer, below.

#SOSFEST Executive Producer and NIVA Board Treasurer Stephen Sternschein says, "Our nation’s most-loved venues are fighting to hold on because they’ve had no revenue since they’ve been shuttered by the pandemic in March. It’s been brutal to watch as scores of them go under through no fault of their own while we continue to push for the Save Our Stages Act to pass. #SOSFEST will help save many of our nation’s most vulnerable and treasured venues by providing a lifeline to make it through this devastating time as we wait for federal relief. We’re beyond grateful for the support from the artists, venues, and production professionals, YouTube, Anheuser-Busch, and the countless volunteers who are all making this possible. Now the public has the ability to make a difference, too, by donating to the NIVA Emergency Relief Fund. It’ll be fantastic to see the #SOSFEST artists back in our rooms, and I can’t wait to see their performances."

#SOSFEST Lineup
Adam Melchor – Hotel Cafe (Los Angeles, CA)
Alec Benjamin – Hotel Cafe (Los Angeles, CA)
Bea Miller – Teragram Ballroom (Los Angeles, CA)
Black Pumas – The Parish (Austin, TX)
Brittany Howard – Ryman Auditorium (Nashville, TN)
Brothers Osborne – Mercy Lounge (Nashville, TN)
Cautious Clay – World Cafe Live (Philadelphia, PA)
Dave Matthews – Jefferson Theater (Charlottesville, VA)
Dillon Francis – Teragram Ballroom (Los Angeles, CA)
Dizzy Fae – First Avenue (Minneapolis, MN)
FINNEAS – Teragram Ballroom (Los Angeles, CA)
Foo Fighters – Troubadour (Los Angeles, CA)
G-Eazy – The Independent (San Francisco, CA)
Gus Dapperton – Le Poisson Rouge (New York, NY)
Jason Mraz – Belly Up (San Diego, CA)
JP Saxe – Troubadour (Los Angeles, CA)
Kelsea Ballerini – Exit/In (Nashville, TN)
Leon Bridges – Troubadour (Los Angeles, CA)
Little Big Town – Exit/In (Nashville, TN)
The Lumineers – Boulder Theater (Boulder, CO)
Marshmello & Demi Lovato – Troubadour (Los Angeles, CA)
Macklemore – Neumos (Seattle, WA)
Major Lazer – Gramps (Miami, FL)
Miley Cyrus – Whisky a Go Go (Los Angeles, CA)
Monica – Center Stage (Atlanta, GA)
Nathaniel Rateliff – Boulder Theater (Boulder, CO)
Phoebe Bridgers – Troubadour (Los Angeles, CA)
Portugal. The Man – Crystal Ballroom (Portland, OR)
Reba McEntire – Ryman Auditorium (Nashville, TN)
The Revivalists – Tipitina’s (New Orleans, LA)
Rise Against – Metro (Chicago, Il)
The Roots – Apollo Theater (New York, NY)
Sebastián Yatra – Amaturo Theater (Ft. Lauderdale, FL)
YG – Troubadour (Los Angeles, CA).