Snoop Dogg, Steve Earle & The Dukes, Beach Bunny and more will perform more than 450 shows across the country for Independent Venue Week.
Between July 12-18, fans can see Pedrito Martinez, The Marshall Tucker Band and George Porter Jr. at some of the nation’s favorite music venues as the non-profit organization reveals its 2021 schedule.
“Independent Venue Week exists to highlight the importance of independent stages all over the country, from the busiest of cities to the smallest of towns,” said Cecilie Nielsen, director of special projects at Marauder, the firm that runs the American iteration of Independent Venue Week. “We’re thrilled that our full program reflects our mission and we are happy to see such a high level of participation following 16 months of hardship for independent live music.”
Earle will grace the Ram’s Head On Stage in Annapolis, Md. Snoop will perform at Phoenix’s Celebrity Theatre and Beach Bunny at Milwaukee’s The Cooperage. With 367 venues from all 50 states, plus Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico, this year’s event will be the largest Independent Venue Week to date.
Alongside shows, Independent Venue Week also features the return of #IVWTalks, a virtual conference series that discusses current live music industry issues. Returning with #IVWTalks this year is Get Schooled, a day of panels dedicated to students and young professionals pursuing a career in live music, taking place on July 15.
“It was at small independent venues that I found my first idols, eventually grabbed drinks with them, and learned that we were the exact same,” said Independent Venue Week artist ambassador Bartees Strange in a release. “That was powerful for me – and I think that the more we make music accessible to everyone, the more people and experiences we’ll see reflected across it.”
On July 14, Strange is slated to host the second episode of Independent Venue Week’s podcast series, Independent Venue Speak. He’ll be joined by 9:30 Club’s Audrey Fix Schaefer, Head of Communications at I.M.P. and Head of Communications and Board Member of the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) for an in-depth discussion about the legendary D.C. venue, where Bartees will perform later this year while on tour with Lucy Dacus. Listen to the first episode of Independent Venue Speak here.
See a full list of shows, artists and participating independent venues here.