We believe that music is at the center of what it means to be alive.

Photo: Hotel Cafe, Los Angeles, CA

Our Mission

Welcome to Live Music Society! Our mission is to recognize and protect small venues and listening rooms across the United States so that live music can remain accessible to all.

Our love for music runs deep, and we understand the vital role that small venues play in nurturing emerging talent and creating unforgettable experiences. That's why we work to support those that provide a platform for artists to connect with audiences and develop their craft.

We're committed to promoting best practices and innovations that enhance the live music experience for everyone involved. So, whether you're a musician, a venue owner, or a music lover, you play an important role in the music ecosystem. Together, we can create a vibrant, inclusive, and thriving live music scene that benefits us all.

What is Live Music Society?

Since its inception in 2020, Live Music Society has impacted 180 small music venues across the US. Hear from our grantees, board members, and staff to learn more about our organization.

Our Story

We are a nonprofit foundation dedicated to championing smaller music venues and listening rooms. These creative spaces are where musicians hone their skills, build their fan base, and develop into the artists we know and love. They offer an intimate experience between performer and audience that cannot be replicated by any other platform. However, despite their importance, small venues often struggle to receive the recognition and support they need, especially during economic downturns and times of crisis.

In 2020, just weeks after the founding of Live Music Society, the Covid-19 pandemic struck, shutting down live music performances and putting countless small venues at risk of permanent closure. We responded by providing crucial grants to help venues survive and welcome performers and audiences back to their stages as soon as it was safe to do so.

This year, we renewed our efforts to highlight the unique contributions of small venues to an inclusive music culture by supporting creative ideas and innovation with our Music in Action and Toolbox grants. We believe that live music is a vital force that brings people together, fosters creativity, and enriches our lives. Join us in our mission to protect and preserve the magic of live music for generations to come!

Testimonials

“The Dark Matter Series and Residency was impacted greatly by Live Music Society’s Music in Action grant. It allowed us to turn the series back into a monthly event. It helped to amplify and support the Dark Matter residents, bringing emerging artists together with more established mid-career and legendary artists, helping them to reach new audiences in Chicago and beyond.” – Adam Zanolini, Elastic Arts Center in Chicago, IL
“I cannot overstate how life-changing the Live Music Society grant has been for us at Cactus Club. There are so few opportunities for for-profit organizations to be eligible for comparable grants.” Kelsey Kaufmann, Cactus Club in Milwaukee, WI
“We threw an event called Big Ass Boombox which featured 20 local bands, all emerging artists in our community. The LMS grant made it so we were able to kickstart this idea and bring it as a free event to our music community, while also providing a foundation for us to create similar events in the future.” - Adam Prairie, Sunset Tavern in Seattle, WA
"Live Music Society is providing a much needed and extremely rare opportunity for venues to make improvements that often get pushed to the wayside. We were able to improve our sound equipment and upgrade the vibe of our stage so it not only sounds amazing, it looks killer in photos and when people see it they know it’s Drkmttr, and that’s been game changing for our branding." - Olive Scibelli, Drkmttr in Nashville, TN
“Being an underground music venue in a historic building presents us with daily challenges but perhaps none more than the heat in July and August. In the fall of 2023 we found out about the toolbox grant to help small businesses and were miraculously accepted! The grant enabled us to purchase two commercial AC units, quite literally saving our business.” - Chris Jones, Belltown Yacht Club in Seattle, WA
“The Live Music Society grant really helps jumpstart this pilot program. It helps us ensure that, from the beginning, we are compensating our musicians, workshop facilitators, and community organizers at a rate that ensures the sustainability this program moving forward and is in alignment with our ethics, raising the bar for how artists are cared for in independent music spaces.” - Wylder Ayres, The Parlor Room in Northampton, MA
“With the Live Music Society Toolbox grant we were able to reinvigorate and increase the visibility of the Grand Annex Music Hall, just in time for our 15th Anniversary. We now have a contemporary new logo and a dynamic new neon-style sign above the stage. Not only is it a vibrant addition to the room, it has vastly extended our promotional reach. Now, every photo taken of our stage and posted on social media carries our brand, inviting new audiences to the Grand Annex and into our community.” - Taran Schindler, Grand Annex Music Hall in San Pedro, CA

American Road Trip: Jalopy Theatre
In this episode, we talk with the incredible team and talented musicians of the Jalopy Theatre in Red Hook, Brooklyn. Learn why this venue is a staple of the folk community, and enjoy a performance by multi-instrumentalist and old-time Appalachian music expert Bruce Molsky.