NEW YORK (CelebrityAccess) – Live Music Society – the non-profit organization supporting small venues and listening rooms across the U.S. has notified applicants to the 2024 Toolbox grant round about the status of their applications and awardees are in the process of accepting their grants. A complete list of awardees is posted on their website, and this year’s Toolbox grant round stands as the largest in its history, providing over $290,000 to support 34 venues—the most recipients awarded in a single round. The organization’s reach also broadens with this cohort, to include venues in Nevada, Kansas, and Georgia, demonstrating their growing impact across the country.
Live Music Society Toolbox grants are tailored to practical needs, helping small venues address short-term issues that can have long-term positive effects on the health and growth of the venue. Projects funded in this round include accessibility improvements, sound and lighting upgrades, and equipment that enables training opportunities in live music production and stage lighting.
Since the organization was founded by musician and philanthropist Pete Muller in 2020, Live Music Society has provided $4.1 million in grant funding to small venues and listening rooms across the United States and awarded $1,000,000 in 2024 alone. Live Music Society board president Gavin Berger says, “These grants ensure that small music venues remain vital spaces for creativity, learning, and connection. By reaching our $1,000,000 goal this year, we’re reinforcing our commitment to the small venues that foster local and emerging talent and provide access to live music in communities of all sizes.”
Among the 2024 Toolbox grantees are several all-ages venues focused on training programs that provide opportunities for underserved young adults, including Make.Shift Arts Space in Bellingham, WA, The Holland Project in Reno, NV, and Groundworks, a volunteer-run venue in Tucson, AZ.
With Live Music Society’s support, some venues are celebrating significant anniversaries in 2024, such as Kuumbwa Jazz in Santa Cruz, CA, and The Focal Point in St. Louis, MO, both marking their 50th anniversaries with audio, video, and stage upgrades. Kilowatt in San Francisco, CA, celebrating 30 years, will also benefit from new sound equipment and enhanced seating.
X-Ray Arcade in Cudahy, WI, will make its entrance ADA-compliant with a new ramp, allowing more people to enjoy live music comfortably and safely. In Littleton, NH, The Loading Dock will address stage functionality by building a storage area for sound equipment and a drum riser, improving sightlines and stage organization.
Previous grantees have shared their experiences on the transformative effects of Live Music Society’s support:
“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
“This generous support has enabled us to enhance our marketing strategies and broaden our market reach. After seven years of aspiring to advertise in a prominent Detroit metro publication, assistance from Live Music Society has finally made this goal achievable. We deeply appreciate their role in helping us attract new audiences and welcome more visitors to our venue.” – Kevin Bessert, 20 Front Street in Lake Orion, MI
“The Toolbox grant allowed us to bring the music experience to a higher new level making our audience truly appreciate live music at PAUSA. With the purchase of high-end speakers, mics, and sound equipment the audience can fully immerse in the experience. Musicians appreciate the attention to detail and quality of the sound at PAUSA making it a desirable space to perform for local and touring acts alike.” – Lázara Martinez, PAUSA Art House in Buffalo, NY
Full List of 2024 Toolbox grantees:
Churchill School (Baker City, OR)
Make.Shift Art Space (Bellingham, WA)
ISSUE Project Room (Brooklyn, NY)
Snug Harbor (Charlotte, NC)
Rosa’s Lounge (Chicago, IL)
X-Ray Arcade (Cudahy, WI)
Lager House (Detroit, MI)
Red Clay Music Foundry (Duluth, GA)
Jamey’s House of Music (Lansdowne, PA)
Lucia (Lawrence, KS)
The Loading Dock (Littleton, NH)
Siberia (New Orleans, LA)
The Jazz Gallery (New York, NY)
Silvana (New York, NY)
The 5 Spot (Nashville, TN)
The East Room (Nashville, TN)
Ojai Underground Exchange (Ojai, CA)
The Sound Room (Oakland, CA)
The Apohadion Theater (Portland, ME)
SPACE (Portland, ME)
The Holland Project (Reno, NV)
The Focal Point (St. Louis, MO)
Jazz St. Louis (St. Louis, MO)
Black Cat (San Francisco, CA)
Brick & Mortar Music Hall (San Francisco, CA)
El Rio, Your Dive (San Francisco, CA)
Kilowatt (San Francisco, CA)
Mr. Tipple’s Jazz Club (San Francisco, CA)
Kuumbwa Jazz (Santa Cruz, CA)
Conor Byrne (Seattle, WA)
Fremont Abbey (Seattle, WA)
Groundworks (Tucson, AZ)
The Pocket (Washington, DC)
Rhizome DC (Washington, DC)
