VENUE CHECK-IN: CLUB PASSIM TURNS TO LIVE STREAMING DURING PANDEMIC

HEADS on TV chats with live music venues across the country for their perspective on what both musicians and fans alike can do to support their favorite spots throughout the COVID-19 crisis.

“While streaming can’t replace the real thing, it has allowed performers to keep in touch with their fans and generate income.”

It’s been well over five months since clubs, bars and venues nationwide were told to shut their doors to the public in response to 2020’s global pandemic. Traditionally, local live music venues serve as the cornerstone of an artist’s relationship to their community—from merch tables to meet and greets, these are essential platforms for keeping a steady flow of income for both venues and creatives. 

On the east coast, smaller venues with unique histories remain active in keeping a connection going with their patrons. Club Passim, a Cambridge, Massachusetts staple since 1958, created their own open mic series via StreamYard, in addition to live streamed performances and events on their Facebook page. “We’ve learned that musicians and our audience still yearn for that intimate interaction between performer and fan, and while streaming can’t replace the real thing, it has allowed performers to keep in touch with their fans and generate income,” says Passim Executive Director Jim Wooster.

We caught up with Jim to chat about how Passim has adapted their mindset in the present, and how they’re already looking towards the future. 

HEADS on TV: Tell us a little bit about the history of the club, for those who haven't yet been introduced.

Jim Wooster: Club Passim has been around for over 60 years – it was founded in 1958 as Club 47, and was later renamed Passim by Bob and Rae Anne Donlin who ran it from 1969 to 1994.  When they retired a new non-profit was formed that is still running Passim today.  We’re an intimate 100-seat listening room and we feature the best local and national folk and acoustic music.

How was Passim initially impacted by the shut downs in early March? 

Like other businesses we closed in early March when COVID hit.  We immediately began booking streaming shows with artists, either from the club with no audience or from the artist’s location.  We also brought our School of Music classes online.  Unfortunately a large portion of our revenue is generated by food and beverage sales from our kitchen so we’re missing that a great deal.

What has Passim been doing to stay active in this new digital era as a venue, as well as stay connected with artists? 

In addition to moving our programming online we established the Passim Emergency Artist Relief (PEAR) fund to provide small grants for artists who have performed or taught at Passim.  So far we’ve raised over $130,000 and given out grants to 240 musicians.

What have you learned or observed in trying out new virtual events, like open mics or live streams, via social media?

We’ve learned that musicians and our audience still yearn for that intimate interaction between performer and fan, and while streaming can’t replace the real thing, it has allowed performers to keep in touch with their fans and generate income.  We’ve been using StreamYard to pull multiple artists into the same event, and that has helped make our events more interactive and interesting.

What can music fans do to support venues during this time? (Feel free to share any Passim-specific fundraising links here, if available.)

Please check out streaming events and tip generously so both artists and venues will benefit.

What can artists do to support venues during this time?

Artists can support their local venues by doing streaming concerts with them and letting the venues do the marketing and the tech work. 

What recommendations might you make to other struggling venues across the country, searching for new ways to stay virtually active? 

Talk with the artists who normally play your room, find out what they’re doing and see if you can be helpful to them by streaming events from your venue.

Keep up with Club Passim here, and check out their upcoming live streamed events announced via their Facebook page here.

For additional ways to support legislation and funding for live music venues during this time, check out the National Independent Venue Association: https://www.nivassoc.org/