The Truth, the new 4,400-capacity indoor music venue opening in Wedgewood-Houston this fall, was in the news earlier this week for its inaugural concert lineup with big names like Sting, Beck and Limp Bizkit. The venue is owned by ticketing and touring giant Live Nation and AJ Capital Partners in partnership with Nashville Songwriters Association International. Thursday, news of a different kind about the venue cropped up when Todd Sherwood, owner of longtime East Nashville music venue and bar The 5 Spot, spotted an ad for The Truth spray-painted on the sidewalk in front of The 5 Spot’s door.
“We do not own the sidewalk, and I do not want to report them to Hub Nashville, but today I got fed up,” Sherwood said on Thursday after posting a video of the message on Facebook. The ad reads “The Sound of New Nashville Text ‘TRUTH’ to + 1 (615) 205-7022.”
Similar messaging appeared on the sidewalk in front of the door at Springwater Supper Club, the oldest bar in the state. It reads “Music City’s Next Chapter Text ‘TRUTH’ to + 1 (615) 205-7022.”
Texting the number leads to “automated marketing alerts.”
A Live Nation spokesperson tells the Scene that stencils were part of a marketing effort carried out by a third-party vendor and that the organization was not aware of the specific locations in advance.
“Once we became aware, we moved immediately to have them removed,” the spokesperson says. “We take responsibility and sincerely apologize to the venues impacted.” The paint was removed between Thursday evening and Friday morning.
Sherwood says he received apologies from Live Nation, and the folks who reached out promised to have the paint removed. They also asked him to remove his video, which shows a hand flipping the middle finger to the signage. As of this writing, the video and the community’s reactions to it remain online.
Earlier this year, Live Nation’s U.S. Regions East president Grant Lyman told the Scene that the company was interested in “actively invest[ing] in initiatives that strengthen Nashville’s live music ecosystem by making financial contributions to local organizations that champion artists, songwriters and venues.”
To those who work and support independent music venues, this action is counter to that stated goal.
“It is incredibly disappointing that multi-entities involved in The Truth seem to be more interested in extracting from Music City than supporting it,” says Chris Cobb, president of nonprofit independent venue organization Music Venue Alliance Nashville.
It’s “soul-crushing,” Sherwood says, to see music fans excited about going to The Truth, while independent venues struggle to keep their doors open. Other indie venue owners called it “tone deaf.”
Sherwood notes that when bands staple posters to utility poles advertising a show at The 5 Spot, the bar needs to take them down or face a court appearance or a fine. Stapling posters or flyers to poles is a violation of Chapter 6.04.010 of the Metropolitan Code. Sidewalk graffiti violates the same rule. The Live Nation spokesperson did not immediately answer questions about whether the company was aware that the marketing initiative involved painting public sidewalks. Neither AJ Capital Partners nor Nashville Songwriters Association International immediately replied to requests for comment.
“Live Nation has a well-documented history of going after independent venues and promoters,” says District 5 Metro Councilmember Sean Parker. “They should be ashamed of spray-painting illegal advertisements outside of longstanding independent Nashville venues. I encourage every Nashvillian to visit and support our independent music venues. We’ll miss these spaces dearly if we lose them.”
The incident comes as Live Nation’s antitrust troubles continue, with multiple state plaintiffs, including Tennessee, refusing to sign on to the settlement the conglomerate reached with the U.S. Department of Justice. The trial resumed this week, with Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino taking the stand. Among other points, Jeffrey L. Kessler (the attorney representing the states) questioned Rapino about internal messages revealed last week in which Live Nation employees called customers “stupid” and referred to “robbing them blind, baby.”
