Hey guys, thanks for tuning in for a special emergency episode of the show.

This episode will be a bit different than most.

It's regarding the Save Our Stages Act that is being lobbied for in Congress.

It's a congressional act that would provide financial stimulus to independent venues around the country

that have been forcibly closed due to coronavirus in the name of public health.

The act is being lobbied for by a newly formed organization called the National Independent Venue Association, or NEVA.

This is a group of performing arts businesses all over the country bonding together to ask for help.

I have on the program today the head of NEVA, Miss Dana Frank, who also happens to be the owner and CEO of First Avenue in Minneapolis, one of the

absolute crown jewels of music venues in our country. She's going to talk a little bit about

the impact that COVID has had on the arts and entertainment sector, also what the Save Our

Stages Act is advocating for, and finally, how you as a music lover or a songwriter yourself or a

musician can help this particular cause so thanks for listening and thanks for helping out where you

can. Dana Frank, thanks so much for being a part of the Working Songwriter podcast.

Would you give our listeners a just kind of a brief history of your career in music

and also a brief history of First Avenue in Minneapolis?

Yeah, thanks so much for having me.

This is awesome.

I am the current owner, CEO of First Avenue.

First Avenue began as the Depot in 1970, April 3, 1970, with a show by Joe Cocker.

It was a converted Greyhound bus station.

And it went through a few different iterations as a disco tech called Uncle Sam's,

and then it was renamed into Just Sam's, and then it became First Avenue,

...