Last year, two reports were published — the Greater Nashville Music Census and the Nashville Independent Venues Study — that collected data and made recommendations on the state of independent music venues in town. The resulting information was multifaceted, but there were a few findings that immediately resonated with supporters of those efforts.
“If the New Year’s Eve Big Bash is the top end of the live ecosystem, then Rudy’s Jazz Room and The 5 Spot are the foundation,” says Chris Cobb, president of the nonprofit independent venue organization Music Venue Alliance Nashville. The artists and musicians who play small stages work their way up the live music ecosystem, he says. “Jelly Roll is not on that Big Bash stage if it were not for the independent stages 20 years ago. If we want more Jelly Rolls on Big Bash stages, then we have to ensure that there are opportunities to get there.”
Jamie Kent, a communications consultant and founder of Backstage Strategies, adds that respondents to the Music Census point out a disconnect. They feel that the city infrastructure supports tourists going to big-name and big-budget venues on Broadway, but doesn’t prioritize getting tourists to the independent venues, where original music is more likely to be played.
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