The pandemic has presented a major set of challenges for independent music venues, and in the process it’s put a spotlight on underlying issues in the world of live music. Chris and Telisha Cobb own the historic rock club Exit/In, which celebrates its 50th anniversary on Elliston Place this year. But like so many other club owners, the Cobbs do not own the site their venue is on, and on Feb. 15, reporter Nate Rau broke the news at Tennessee Lookout that the property’s owners had decided to put it on the market. The Cobb family outlined a plan to put in an offer with significant financial backing; they were turned down, reportedly out of spite, and word came in April that the property had gone under contract to developer AJ Capital Partners. The Cobbs wasted no time launching a GoFundMe campaign to sweeten their offer to the then-potential new owners; the sale to AJ was finalized in July for a whopping $6.45 million, and the Cobbs’ fundraiser continues. Their efforts to keep Nashville’s independent music venues independent (which also include the founding of Music Venue Alliance Nashville) made national news and reignited an important conversation. The city’s wealth of music venues draw hordes of tourists and tourism dollars. Are we taking care of the people who run those businesses and make them part of the community — who could make a hell of a lot more money by selling out?
Best Champions of the Music Community
