Dave Grohl, Killer Mike, Industry Luminaries Named Members Of New NIVA Advisory Board

Courtesy NIVA – Live Advisors
NIVA’s new advisory board features luminaries from across the music industry.

The National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) announced a new advisory board Thursday featuring luminaries from across the music business.

The board features artists such as production extraordinaire Quincy Jones, Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl and Run The Jewels rapper Killer Mike; ticketing executives such as Lyte CSO Lawrence Peryer and eTix CEO Travis Janovich; representatives of tech platforms including YouTube (Lyor Cohen) and Spotify (Ed Suwanjindar); and label executives like Sony Music Publishing SVP Amy Cranford and Interscope/UMG vice president of touring and special events Erika Spieldoch.

See Tickets CEO Boris Patronoff will chair the board, which also includes Cameo Carlson (mtheory Nashville), Dr. Portia Sabin (Music Biz Association), Janette Berrios (Symphonic), Michele Suzanne Ballantyne (RIAA), Tiffany Kerns (CMA), Wendy Ong (Tap Management) and several other artists (Christian McBride, Jimmy Jam, Noelle Scaggs).

The new advisory board will lend insights to both NIVA and the National Independent Venue Foundation (NIVF) as the live industry seeks to optimize its return from the live industry’s coronavirus shutdown.

“NIVA may have been founded amidst dire circumstances, but the future of the live industry and the people who inhabit it have always been top of mind,” said NIVA executive director Rev. Moose in a statement. “Officially expanding our coalition to include partners new and old, allows us to innately incorporate those who have stood by our side from the very beginning, like Boris Patronoff from See Tickets, and new voices that will help guide the future.”

“When the pandemic first hit it was clear the independent live music community would need to come together and rally for relief,” Patronoff added in a statement. “Doing just that, a dedicated group of promoters set out to form NIVA and we proudly stepped up to support them. The accomplishments to date have been remarkable and I’m thrilled to serve what I believe will be an important organization for years to come.”

NIVA also announced the addition of several members to its organizational board on Thursday, including Andre Perry (The Englert Theatre, Mission Creek Festival), Amy Madrigali (Troubadour), Audrey Fix Schaefer (I.M.P./9:30 Club, Lincoln Theatre, The Anthem, Merriweather Post Pavilion) and Grace Blake (Iridium).

Since its inception nearly a year ago in April 2020, NIVA has provided critical relief to and served as an advocate for the live industry, ultimately helping to secure the passage of the bipartisan Save Our Stages Act in December as part of the federal government’s larger COVID-19 relief package.