2 Chainz, Brandi Carlile, Brittany Howard and T-Pain are on board.
Superfly is pitching in to help minority-owned small businesses around the country this month with a virtual music experience they’re calling Small Business Live. The June 20 event will take place from 4-10 p.m. ET and include performances from 2 Chainz, Brandi Carlile, Brittany Howard, Leon Bridges, Nathaniel Rateliff, Allen Stone, Moon Taxi, T-Pain and more acts performing live from across the nation.
The sets, on-site at local small businesses that are close to the artist’s hearts and in other unique locations, will include the acts sharing their personal stories about what the businesses mean to them and their community, according to a release announcing the special. It will be livestreamed on TikTok, as well as YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Twitch, Twitter, LiveXLive and Bustle Digital Group’s publications.
“Three and a-half million small businesses are currently at risk of permanent closure due to COVID-19, with a disproportionate number of them being minority-owned,” said Rich Goodstone, co-founder of Superfly in a statement. “We look forward to raising the profile of this issue by showcasing amazing music performances and the stories of small businesses across America that urgently need our support.”
All proceeds from the show will be donated to the Accion Opportunity Fund, which has been working towards creating economic opportunity for all since 1994, providing nearly 90% of their loans to small businesses founded by people of color, as well as supporting immigrant-owned and women-owned businesses since its foundation. Viewers will also be encouraged to donate via a text code that will be revealed later; fans can also donate on Superfly’s site before and after the livestream through June 26.
“Entrepreneurs of color are denied credit more often and charged higher rates for money they borrow to fund their businesses. We need to accelerate support to underserved businesses in order to reach our full potential,” said Luz Urrutia, CEO of Accion Opportunity Fund in a statement. “We have to decide what we want our Main Streets to look like when this is over, and we must act decisively to keep small businesses alive and ready to rebuild. This is a fun way to do something really important. Everyone’s support will make a huge difference to small business owners, their families and employees who have been devastated by this pandemic, the recession, and centuries of racism, xenophobia, and oppression.”
2 Chainz is slated to perform from K&K Soul Food in Atlanta, with Stone playing at Terrain in Spokane, Washington, Brandi Carlile from Seattle’s Easy Street Records, Howard from Nashville’s Fanny’s House of Music, Jufu from Brooklyn’s Envirobliss, Bridges from Fort Worth’s Avoca Coffee and Moon Taxi from Nashville’s Grimey’s, with more locations to be announced soon.
Click here to see more places to tune in.