A stunning 64% of independent concert stages weren’t profitable in 2024, according to a report unveiled at the National Independent Venue Association conference in Milwaukee on Monday.
NIVA shared the results of its first-ever comprehensive national economic impact study, called “The State of Live,” conducted by economic research firm TEConomy Partners.
About 2,000 NIVA members have gathered in Milwaukee for the conference, which kicked off with a party at the Pabst Theater on Sunday night.
Of the independent stages that weren’t able to turn a profit last year, 42% were able to maintain operations with limited challenges but 22% “struggled mightily to stay open,” NIVA Executive Director Stephen Parker told conference attendees who gathered at Miller High Life Theatre.
It’s time to pick your Milwaukee favorites for the year!
“And while 87% of the profitable stages expect things to hold or improve this year, we can’t mistake that optimism for stability,” he said. “Our sector remains vulnerable, especially without financial support and public investment.”
Several factors are at play when it comes to depressed profitability, including marketing challenges; rising costs for artists, staff, insurance, rent and mortgage; inflation; monopolies; predatory resale platforms; and decreasing alcohol sales.
The report found that independent stages generated $153.1 billion in total economic output across the country, including indirect effects from fan spending, tourism and local businesses. The independent live sector supported more than 907,000 jobs across all 50 states and Washington, D.C., and paid more than $51.7 billion in wages and benefits.
Independent stages have a significant impact on tourism, accounting for about 9.2% of total U.S. travel and tourism revenue, translating into more than $10.62 billion in annual visitor spending on lodging, dining, shopping and local transportation.
Live entertainment in Milwaukee has an estimated economic impact of $400 million on the city’s businesses every year, according to Tourism Economics.
NIVA’s Milwaukee members include: The Pabst Theater Group (Pabst Theater, Miller High Life Theatre, Turner Hall Ballroom, Riverside Theater and Vivarium), Baird Center, Cactus Club, The Cooperage, Falcon Bowl, The Fitzgerald, Linneman’s Riverwest Inn, Marcus Performing Arts Center, Miller High Life Theatre, Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, Shank Hall, The Rave/Eagles Club, Summerfest, X-Ray Arcade, The Argo and Villa Theater.
The NIVA study also revealed that, in 2024 alone, independent live venues, festivals and promoters contributed $86.2 billion directly to the U.S. Gross Domestic Product, more than the U.S. beer, gaming and airline industries.
“Independent venues are more than stages for entertainment; they are economic engines and cultural lifelines,” Parker said. “This report underscores the urgent need for policy reforms and public investment to sustain these indispensable community anchors.”
The report is important in painting a clear picture of the independent venue environment, NIVA leaders said.
“We can make our cases to the statehouses and city councils on why we matter, and how our elected representatives can help us continue to help our communities,” said Sean Watterson, State of Live Task Force Chairman and President and co-owner of The Happy Dog, a neighborhood bar and live music venue in Cleveland.
The conference’s first main session kicked off with statements from several NIVA leaders, including NIVA Board President Andre Perry, who serves as the executive director of Hancher Auditorium and the Office of Performing Arts and Engagement at the University of Iowa.
Here’s Perry’s opening address welcoming attendees to Milwaukee:
“For those of you from far away, the coasts, the mountains, the Southwest or the South, we welcome you to the Heartland, this wonderful place, Wisconsin, that stretches from rural farms to plots on Lake Michigan to the city hustle in Madison and Milwaukee. The farms are not that far from the city, the woods aren’t that far from the farms and nothing is ever that far from the lake. It’s in these environs that we’ve heard the ethereal yet rustic songcraft of Juston Vernon, Sean Carey and the whole Bon Iver crew from Eau Claire, the soulful yarns of Cory Chisel up in Appleton, the funky drums of Clyde Stubblefield, or Monica Martin with her powerful voice leading Phox from the quiet confines of Baraboo, to clubs in Downtown Madison and, of course, right here, the underground jangle of Violent Femmes.
“Milwaukee, or Cream City, or Brew City. The irrepressible grit, the range and perspective and the unavoidable tension and the resulting artful beauty that makes up our industry is all right her in Milwaukee. This city that experienced magnificent industry in the 20th Century is reinventing itself in this one. The city that tussled with economic disruption, rugged segregation and the ways that those elements might split up your collective core, is ultimately so full of people intensely dedicated to building Milwaukee into a home for all communities and all expressions. Through that growth – the challenge, the constructing, the reimagining – there’s always been so much art with the priority on place and process over product here. There’s a distinct DIY spirit, a resilience and independence that is so uniquely Milwaukee that it can be felt in the streets and these halls. It’s the sense, at least to me, that nothing is ever taken for granted and if you want something you build it. In a town like this, where people are committed to making things with their hands, their passion, their intelligence, this is the kind of place where we, NIVA, should gather and where we should feel at home. So, welcome to Milwaukee.”
Monday’s opening session also included a Q&A with comedian, performer and venue owner Hannibal Buress, who recently opened Isola, a Brooklyn club located in the former Knitting Factory, an iconic music and entertainment venue.
Buress drew laughs with his discussions about the importance of having a comfortable green room for performers, while noting he recently performed at a club in the south that had a disruptive ice machine in the green room.
“The green room doesn’t have to be wonderful because some of these places are old and there’s only so much you can do so you just make it comfortable, but the ice machine shouldn’t be in the green room,” he said.
Buress also spoke of his decision to open Isola.
“I wasn’t chasing it. I wasn’t in the mindset that I have to open up a venue in the most expensive city in the country,” he said. “I used to do a lot of shows there. It was an instrumental part of my career. The Knitting Factory closed in 2022 and I did the last night there.”
He eventually decided to become a club operator after being approached by a real estate agent for the property.
“The idea of having a space where I could perform and also host different types of things was interesting to me,” Buress said. “We opened on March 9th. Doors opened at 7 and we were still hanging lights at 7:25. We were holding people in the front room while we were still doing a little bit of work. But it was exciting.”
The Chicago native shared his memories of performing in Milwaukee.
“Milwaukee was an important part of my early career because this is one of the spots where you didn’t need to make much money on a gig to justify coming up here,” Buress said. “You could take the Greyhound for $15 or $20. I did a lot of shows up here early on.”
He pointed to the Riverside Theater as one of his favorite venues.
“Riverside’s got a great green room,” he said. “They still got NBA Jam up there? And they bring in a chef.”
