Local musicians, venue owners and elected officials gathered outside a closed music venue in Williamsburg Tuesday to voice their concerns about surviving the pandemic.

Many music venues have lost nearly all revenue during the pandemic, and now Sen. Charles Schumer is pushing for legislation called "Save Our Stages."

Not only are music venue closures putting a financial burden on the music scene, but one local music venue owner said the art of music is not able to survive without any place for people do develop their crafts.

"These locally-owned businesses that have worked so hard over the years to create spaces that artists and fans love, were closed with no warning and no timeline for reopening," said Rev. Moose, executive director of the National Independent Venue Association.

The "Save Our Stages" Act would provide relief for independent venues like concert halls, theaters and other places of live entertainment. It would also provide small business administration grants of up to $18 million to eligible live venue operators, producers, promoters and more to help offset the economic impact of COVID-19.

"We have to make sure that they get funding because 90% of independent venues will have to close permanently without federal funding, and that would be a disaster," Schumer said.

The grants can also be used for payroll costs, rent utilities and personal protective equipment.