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Podcast: This Is Nashville
Episode: The state of Nashville’s independent music venues
Description: 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 l...