Independent Venue Week Announces Initial U.S. Venues + Shows July 9-15 Nationwide

Independent Venue Week US has announced its first confirmed venues and shows across the country partaking in its upcoming debut edition. Following a half-decade of massive success in its home region of the UK, Independent Venue Week will make its US debut July 9-15 in venues across the country. The American version will launch with a limited number of venues, echoing how the event was originally introduced to the UK. An alphabetically ordered list of founding cities, venues, dates, and performers is below, with more to be announced.

Austin, TX - Hotel Vegas - Show details to be announced
Boston, MA - The Middle East - Show details to be announced
Chicago, IL - Schubas Tavern - Show details to be announced
Cleveland, OH - Beachland Ballroom and Tavern - Show details to be announced
Dallas, TX - Deep Ellum Art Co - July 11, LEV
Durham, NC - Motorco Music Hall - Show details to be announced
Los Angeles, CA - The Echo - Show details to be announced
Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue - Show details to be announced
Nashville, TN - Mercy Lounge/The High Watt - Friday, July 13, Western Medication - Tickets
New York, NY - Pianos - Thursday, July 12, Lineup to be announced
Philadelphia, PA - World Cafe Live - Show details to be announced
Pittsburgh, PA - Mr. Smalls Theatre - Friday, July 13, The Lone Bellow - Tickets
Seattle, WA - The Crocodile - Show details to be announced
Washington, DC - 9:30 Club - Sunday, July 15, The Get Up Kids - Tickets

Full show details including ticket links to be updated at Independent Venue Week's website.

Independent Venue Week officially welcomes Eventbrite and Songtrust as founding year partners for the US launch. Eventbrite partners with over 2,000 of the top independent promoters, venues and festivals across North America, and along with bringing leading technology to the live music space, the company demonstrates a fierce commitment to the independent live music community both in the US and abroad. Songtrust provides a technology platform for music publishing and royalty collection services to help songwriters, artists, managers, labels and publishers simplify music rights management.

Independent Venue Week, which debuted in the UK in 2014, is a celebration of, a display of gratitude for, and a series of shows in independently run music venues. It gives a nod to the people that own, run, and work in them day in, day out to bring the very best new live talent to eager audiences. The fifth UK Independent Venue Week, which this year saw BBC Music make official their support as its broadcasting partner, took place in late January and early February; Independent Venue Week US was announced concurrently.

Independent Venue Week's founder, Sybil Bell, says of the US debut:

"It's so exciting to see the first edition of Independent Venue Week in the US come together. We've been talking with the brilliant team at Marauder for a few years about making this happen. The list of founding venues announced so far is so strong. It feels like this is the perfect foundation to celebrate these spaces all across the US, with more amazing venues to be announced. As we celebrated our 5th birthday in the UK this year with a ten-fold increase in participating venues from year one, we hope we can expand in the US in the same way. It sets the scene to make this a true celebration of venues globally over the coming years."

Marauder is producing and promoting the American event from scratch. Managing partner/Co-founder Rev. Moose says:

"We are humbled to have such outstanding venues as part of the inaugural American event. The owners and operators of these independently owned venues face daily challenges unique to their spaces. We look at the American launch of Independent Venue Week as a chance to celebrate these people that are the cornerstones of their individual communities. The success of the UK event is a glowing model that shows the potential of what can be done on American soil. This upcoming week of special events is a great way to refocus people's attention on the rooms that build musical careers."

Andrew Dreskin, President of Eventbrite's music division and Co-Founder of Ticketfly, on partnering with the US Edition:

"As a trusted partner to a tight knit community of 2,000 of the top independent music venues and promoters across North America, Eventbrite could not be a more perfect partner for Independent Venue Week. We're excited to get behind an initiative that will drive more people to go out and see great live music, and to support their local venues and promoters."

About Independent Venue Week

Independent Venue Week is launching in the US from July 9-15, 2018 to unite venues, rising and established artists, promoters, labels, media, and tastemakers across a nationwide series of gigs. This is a unique live music project that, although it runs across the whole United States, has a completely local feel-there's nothing else like it.

These are the venues that continue to give artists the early experience of playing live in front of an audience. For fans, these are the venues to get up close to artists that, one day, may well be playing stadiums. And for the working industry, these are the venues where new talent gets discovered and behind-the-scenes careers are fostered. Independent venues are the backbone of the live music scene, and Independent Venue Week annually recognizes all that they have done to create some of the most memorable nights of the past so they can continue to do the same in the future.

The project has shown impressive growth in its first five iterations hosted in the UK. It works with lots of venues not just in major markets but, just as importantly, venues in secondary and tertiary locations. Artists at all levels support the project, as independent venues are where any credible performer hones their craft. Performing artists don't need an active release to be involved with Independent Venue Week; most are just happy to give back to the spaces that gave them a start.

Independent Venue Week is a platform providing considerable exposure to venues across the country. Participating venues in the UK have said that not only do they love the extra foot traffic, new contacts, and the chance to build relationships with new partners including agents, labels, artists, promoters and media, but that for this week they feel part of a collective rather than just operating in isolation.

Extensive previous press coverage of the UK event can be found here with an explanation of the statistics. In addition, Steve Lamacq's BBC 6 Music Tour can be found on the BBC's website.

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