Live Music Society Awards $765,500 To 26 Small Performance Venues

Live Music Society announced the 26 small performance venues receiving funds from the 2025 Music In Action grant program. In total, $765,500 is being awarded to support programs that strengthen the community, expand access to live music and improve the concert experience for audiences, artists and venue staff.

With the latest round of funding, Live Music Society has granted $4.8 million to support 201 small venues across the country through 236 grants, since the nonprofit was founded in 2020. The Music In Action program launched in 2023 and provides support for venue-led initiatives that promote sustainable growth, amplify marginalized voices and strengthen connections between artists and their audiences.

“We are proud of the impact that this grant has had since its 2023 launch,” says Gavin Berger, Live Music Society Board President in a release. “Three cycles later, we’ve granted 67 venues close to $2 million and are consistently impressed by the creative ideas they’ve implemented to support artists, engage with their communities and welcome more music lovers through their doors.”

The 2025 recipients represent a wide spectrum of small venues across the U.S. The programs that will be funded by the Music In Action grants span genres – from jazz, experimental, world and Appalachian music to hip-hop, punk, indie rock and musical theater.

Programs include Ashkenaz Music & Dance in Berkeley, California, which will host a global music series that will bring underrepresented international artists to their stage; Greenwood Social Hall in Kansas City, Missouri, which is programming in-school concerts paired with free family matinees and evening performances to encourage youth attendance at the venue; Pie Shop in Washington, D.C., which will offer a monthly showcase for local emerging acts that welcomes all-age performers; and No Name Bar in Winona, Minnesota, scheduling free and low-cost events featuring local artists and educators that serve marginalized communities in rural areas.  

Earlier this year, LMS launched “One Night Live” a touring collaboration with D-TOUR and Salt Lick Incubator that connects indie venues with emerging artists. The 14-date run at locally owned, independent venues recently wrapped in Nashville creating the template for future outings.

The 2025 Music in Action grantees and their projects:

• Ashkenaz Music & Dance, Berkeley, CA: A global music series and street team effort to connect with new audiences and bring underrepresented international artists to the stage.

• Indexical, Santa Cruz, CA: A residency program providing local experimental artists with stipends, workspaces and production support.

• Sam First, Los Angeles, CA: Six performances by nationally recognized jazz musicians in an intimate venue setting to grow visibility and reach.

• SJZ Break Room, San Jose, CA: A monthly free and inclusive jazz jam for all ages, fostering mentorship and musical connection.

• World Stage Performance Gallery Los Angeles, CA: A revived Saturday concert series spotlighting new talent in jazz and indie music.

• eTown Hall, Boulder, CO: Immersive residencies led by acclaimed artists featuring performances, workshops and youth engagement.

• Pie Shop, Washington, DC: Free all-ages monthly showcases that include live recordings for local emerging acts.

• Arden Gild Hall, Wilmington, DE: Relaunch of the Shady Grove Music Fest and a new monthly emerging artist series.

• Crowbar, Tampa, FL: Monthly Church Sessions that celebrate hip-hop culture with music, dance, visual art and community vendors.

• Cobra Lounge, Chicago, IL: Development of an artist incubator space for emerging local musicians in a small performance room.

• Color Club, Chicago, IL: Weekly shows supporting local talent, paired with internships for students from Columbia College.

• The Venue, Aurora, IL: A quarterly masterclass and live event series in partnership with Delmark Records and Fox Valley Music Foundation.

• State Street Pub, Indianapolis, IN: A series of zines, tapes and live shows that spotlight Indianapolis’s underground scene.

• Spire Center for Performing Arts, Plymouth, MA: Sunday matinee programming designed to welcome older and retired audiences.

• No Name Bar, Winona, MN: Free and low-cost events led by artists and educators that serve marginalized communities in rural Minnesota.

• Greenwood Social Hall, Kansas City, MO: In-school concerts paired with free family matinees and evening performances.

• Flat Iron, Greensboro, NC: A monthly series that pairs emerging local acts with national headliners to address artist development gaps.

• 54 Below, New York, NY: A mentorship and performance initiative supporting early-career Broadway composers and lyricists.

• Towne Crier Café, Beacon, NY: Free summer concerts designed to engage the region’s Black and Latin communities.

• Tubby’s, Kingston, NY: Saturday afternoon shows throughout the summer that feature local and regional talent.

• OPOLIS, Norman, OK: A community-driven cooperative model that supports music, education and inclusion in rural Oklahoma.

• The Jazz Station, Eugene, OR: In-school jazz clinics with performances and small group mentoring for student musicians.

• AS220 Main Stage, Providence, RI: A weekly free local showcase that helps emerging artists step into live performance.

• Old Quarter Acoustic Café, Galveston, TX: A three-day festival with workshops, showcases, and local business involvement in downtown Galveston.

• 5 Points Music Sanctuary, Roanoke, VA: Accessibility and inclusion training for regional venues and festivals.