LIVE AT THE MVBC STAGE!

We are pleased to support and showcase the artists and musicians of our humble community. Our goal is to have a live act every Friday evening. If you would like to play at MVBC, please read through our FAQ below.

THE OFFICIAL MUSIC FAQ

• Where can I see what bands are playing at MVBC?
  • Check out our Events Calendar on Facebook. Note that our schedule is subject to change and events may be cancelled due to bad weather or poor driving conditions.
• ​Can my band play at MVBC?
  • Probably! Note that due to the laws and regulations set forth by Performing Rights Organizations (PRO's) we are quite limited in what we are allowed to have you play within our establishment. There are now four PRO agencies, and artists, performers, songwriters, etc. may only belong to one of the four. We are presently contracted with both ASCAP and BMI Inc. Note that to play a "cover tune", the song must be 100% covered between these two agencies. You are strictly prohibited from playing music associated with the other two PRO's, SESAC and GMR while in our establishment. Questions may be directed to legal@mvbc.beer.
• How do I know if my "cover tune" is covered?
  • ​Performing Rights Organizations each maintain a database. While they do not guarantee that this information is 100% accurate, it's a great place to start. You can check the BMI database here which is now linked with ASCAP's database. Or you can check ASCAP's own database here. Note that the PRO's are not an issue if you write and compose your own fully original music!
• How much do you pay for live acts?
  • Now the bad news ... we don't pay you anything! We encourage our artists to play for tips. We have a large tip jar that we will put out for you when you play, and between songs we like to remind our patrons to tip you. You will also receive free drinks for the nights that you play, so that's a plus!
• Can I charge a "cover" for people to see me play?
  • ​No! - This is a restriction set by various Performing Rights Agencies. We have agreed that we will *not* charge for our live bands in any way. In doing so, we are able to negotiate lower rates to allow for live music.
• How much space do you have for "my band"?
  • We have a very limited space to work within. If you have not seen our little taproom, we encourage you to check it out. The main room has pretty great acoustics and may or may not warrant a PA system. ​Most of our acts are a single musician, who sing with a guitar. A larger band will likely encounter issues with our environment such as 1) not enough space to cram together, 2) too many instruments (a violation with some PRO's), and 3) not enough electrical outlets for all of your gear.
• Can you livestream my band? Or can I livestream my performance?
  • ​We used to occasionally stream our bands live over Facebook, but the PRO's didn't like that as they consider livestreaming a performance as something other than the license that we carry to perform live music. We will hype your band on our Facebook feed, and probably post some pictures of you. But unfortunately we are no longer permitted to livestream you! Note that this rule only applies to "cover tunes". If you write your own music, and it is 100% original, you are welcome to livestream your show.
• Do you have DJ's, or Karaoke?
  • ​No! - These services require specific PRO licensing, which is different than what we have for live music acts. We may add these services in the future.

We hope that we haven't scared you off with all of this legal stuff. If you would like to come play for us, please stop by and see us in person. You can also call us on the brew phone @ (740) 326-1220 or email us at steve@mvbc.beer, or tina@mvbc.beer.

If you have any questions specifically about music legalities, please direct them to legal@mvbc.beer.