Nashville’s independent music venues have long been a proving ground for up-and-coming artists. They’re also increasingly under threat as development and gentrification continue to put pressure on property values. Mercy Lounge, Cannery Ballroom and the High Watt recently closed, and it’s an uncertain future ahead for revered venues like Exit/In.
The city is waking up to the problem. Mayor John Cooper recently declared the week before Memorial Day weekend to be “Music Venue Independence Week.”
What makes these spaces so vital to the life and culture of Music City, and what do we risk losing if they continue to shut down — or are replaced by corporate venues? We’ll look at some of the history, the daunting circumstances of the present and what, if anything, can be done in the future to preserve this slice of Nashville’s cultural landscape.
Also this hour, we talk with WPLN afternoon host Marianna Bacallao about her reporting on anti-trans laws in Tennessee.
Guests:
- Chris Cobb, owner of Exit/In and president of Music Venue Alliance Nashville
- Jeff Syracuse, Metro Council member, District 15
- Kathryn Edwards, co-owner of DRKMTTR and musician
- Mel Bryant, musician
- Ariel Bui, musician
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