by Vince Robinson
An update on the progress of Cuyahoga Live, the music commission being formed by Cuyahoga County, took place in The Sixty6 of the Midtown Collaboration Center on Thursday, December 11th. Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne re-introduced the concept, including comedy in the spectrum of live events the commission will support.
Sean Watterson, co-owner of the Happy Saloon and Chair of the Ohio National Association of Venue Owners, provided a statistical review of the impact of the music industry on the local economy, revealing that it is a large part of the GDP of this region, and in some ways, eclipses what is generated in 28 of the 50 in America.
State Senator Ken Smith went over proposed legislation in the form of Senate Bills 186,187 and 240. The former proposes a rebate on alcohol sales in venues of 3,000 seats or fewer. S.B. 187 proposes a tax credit for music recordings. S.B. 240 calls for a county adult use marijuana taxes for arts, culture and entertainment.
Smith indicated that there is bi-partisan support for all of these measures and also indicated that have momentum. “Because they have bi-partisan support, that doesn’t mean that they are D.O.A. That means that with enough kind of voices across Ohio talking about the economic impact that this could bring, these have a decent chance of becoming law.”
Chris Alvarado, Cuyahoga County Director of Regional Collaboration, is serving as the point person on this project. He indicated a two-prong approach would be enacted. One would serve small, independent venue owners. The other will look at providing artist support through agencies like the Assembly for the Arts.
He also spoke of Destination Cleveland and its Destination Advocates program by encouraging participation, saying it will provide a way for people in the music community to stay connected so that they could provide input “…to get those heads in beds here in Cleveland to help grow the economy, get more people into the venues, get more folks listening to the great talent that we’ve got here.”
Ronayne said they will plan another update for first or second quarter to possibly occur at the new Village Voice Bookstore on Lorain Avenue. It’s a new music venue.
Smith was asked about his vision for how the rebate dollars venue owners would affect the musical artists. He said, “Venue owners, if their balance sheet is healthier, then they’re booking more shows and that means there’s more money going to artists.”
It was suggested, in response, that legislative protection also be provided for the artists that are the essential element of live music, rather than continuing the current mode, in some instances, of exploiting artists with an eye on tight profit margins (or losses), particularly after the pandemic.
Watterson confirmed during his remarks, his Happy Dog Saloon has seen a significant drop in revenues since the COVID crisis, experiencing a struggle to break even.
The key will be building a means to ensure pay equity is implemented to give musicians the benefit of the revenue boost to venue owners. At present, only union musicians are guaranteed a certain level of pay for their performances while the majority of musicians are non-union. The absence of legal safeguards means non-union performers are often paid less than their union counterparts.
If the commission is to provide benefits to venue owners, the economy of this region and the audiences of Cuyahoga County, it must also equitably address compensation for all musicians.
