Live Music Society has awarded over $290,000 to 34 small music venues across the United States in their largest-ever Toolbox grant round, pushing their 2024 funding total past $1 million. Since its founding in 2020, the organization has provided $4.1 million in total grant funding to support independent venues and listening rooms.

The 2024 Toolbox grants focus on practical improvements including:

• Sound and lighting system upgrades
• Accessibility enhancements
• Equipment for music production training
• Stage lighting equipment

Notable grant recipients include:

• Make.Shift Arts Space (Bellingham, WA) - Audio system upgrade and LED lighting installation for youth training programs
• The Holland Project (Reno, NV) - Production equipment improvements to attract top artists and expand training opportunities
• Groundworks (Tucson, AZ) - Equipment upgrades for volunteer crew training

"These grants ensure that small venues remain vital spaces for creativity, learning, and connection," says Live Music Society 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."

The organization has expanded its reach to include first-time recipients in Nevada, Kansas, and Georgia. In total, 34 venues across the country received funding in this round, supporting their role as community spaces for live music and artist development.

[Complete list of 34 grant recipients follows with their locations]

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)

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