Live Music Society Awards Record $1 Million in 2024 Grants to Small Music Venues
Live Music Society (LMS) has awarded over $290,000 to 34 small music venues across the United States in their largest-ever Toolbox grant round, bringing their total 2024 funding to more than $1 million.
The organization, founded in 2020 by Pete Muller, provides financial support to small venues and listening rooms, having distributed $4.1 million in total grants to date. This year's expansion includes first-time recipients in Nevada, Kansas, and Georgia.
Empty stage with musical equipment setup
The Toolbox grants fund practical improvements including:
- Accessibility upgrades
- Sound and lighting equipment
- Training programs for live music production
- Stage lighting systems
Several all-ages venues received funding for youth-focused initiatives:
- Make.Shift Arts Space (Bellingham, WA) - Audio system upgrade and LED lighting installation
- The Holland Project (Reno, NV) - Production equipment for artist support and training
- Groundworks (Tucson, AZ) - Equipment upgrades and volunteer crew training
"These grants ensure that small venues remain vital spaces for creativity, learning, and connection," says LMS board president Gavin Berger. "By reaching our $1,000,000 goal this year, we're reinforcing our commitment to the small venues that foster local and emerging talent."
2024 Grant Recipients (34 venues across the US):
- 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)