Six One Tribe 012724 Basement-52.jpg

Namir Blade, 30 $ALE$ and AndréWolfe wow the crowd with Six One Trïbe at The Basement, 1/26/2024

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.

The Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp and MVAN worked together on Music City Bandwidth, a series of virtual concerts that took place during COVID lockdown in 2020. Based on the feedback from the 2024 studies, the two organizations have teamed up again to launch what they hope will be the first run of an annual event called 615 Indie Live.

On Saturday, Feb. 1, 17 independent venues — some within multi-venue complexes — will host more than 50 musicians for a day of original music, with a wristband to access all the shows at the low price of $15 (including fees). The cost of the event, including paying musicians, is being funded by the NCVC. Proceeds from ticket sales will benefit MVAN, including the organization’s Emergency Relief Fund, which helps the city’s independent venues keep their doors open during times of financial crisis. The timing of 615 Indie Live was intentional, to boost business at a time of the year that is typically slow. 

“The Music Census highlighted even more what we already knew — that there are financial pressures on these venues,” says Deana Ivey, president and CEO of the NCVC. “They are important to this city, and that makes them important to us.”

The decision to charge $15 rather than subsidize a free event was intentional too. 

“Music has value,” Cobb says. “It has brought me so much in my life. We thought having this event be free would accidentally devalue it. Nashville has a world-class music scene. People should spend money on music.” 

Shows start at noon at Eastside Bowl (which will host shows in its main room as well as the Low Volume Lounge stage and The ’58) and end at 3 a.m. at Night We Met. Other participating venues include 3rd and Lindsley, The 5 Spot, Acme Feed & Seed, The Basement, The Blue Room at Third Man Records, Cannery Hall venues The Mil and Row One Stage, Dee’s Country Cocktail Lounge, Drkmttr, The East Room, The End, Music Makers Stage at Delgado Guitars and Rudy’s Jazz Room. 

The venues booked the acts on their own stages and worked collaboratively to develop a citywide lineup that represents the variety of music in Nashville. Working with other independent venue owners was part of the fun, says Lauren Morales, COO of TomKats Hospitality and owner of Acme Feed & Seed.

“I was excited for us all to be in one virtual space, getting to connect,” Morales notes. “It is 24/7 to run a venue, and it was special to be able to collaborate.”

At Acme Feed & Seed, musicians were selected to reflect the decade of original music being performed at the Broadway venue. Acts include Space Capone, who performed at Acme during its first week (and many times since) as well as Honky Tonk Women. Striking Matches will perform new music at Music Makers Stage at Delgado Guitars, and The Wooten Brothers will head to Rudy’s. A lineup curated by the Black Opry takes the stage at Cannery Hall’s The Mil, and Lillie Mae plays at Dee’s.

Other artists scheduled to perform include Alanna Royale, Davidson County String Band, Funky Good Time, hip-hop collective Six One Trïbe and The Pink Spiders. An official event app, available for both iPhone and Android, will help concertgoers build their schedule. While some hardcore fans may be able to work in more sets, Cobb expects most folks will be able to catch three to four acts. Shows at Acme Feed & Seed are typically free, and Morales didn’t want to change that, so a wristband is not required for entry — but show it at the bar and you’ll get a free beer.

Ivey and NCVC staff will be headed to the shows — not just because they like live music, but because they book acts for shows they produce throughout the year, including the city’s annual Fourth of July party and the aforementioned Big Bash on New Year’s Eve. She hopes they will discover locals who can grace more of their stages.

“All of us have been begging the city to do something like this for a long time,” Morales says. “We hope it becomes an annual thing.”

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