Independent Venue Week Kicks Off July 12; Bartees Strange Named Artist Ambassador

Bartees Strange
Farrah Sheiky – Bartees Strange
Independent Venue Week Artist Ambassador Bartees Strange

Independent Venue Week kicks off July 12 with 367 venues participating across all 50 states, plus Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico, staging more than 450 events from artists including Snoop Dogg, Steve Earle & The Dukes, Beach Bunny and hundreds more.

Running through July 18, IVW 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 July 15.
Last month, Independent Venue Week announced Bartees Strange as its official Artist Ambassador. 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. 
“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,” says 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.”
Among the more than 450 shows to take place as part of Independent Venue Week are performances by hip-hop icon Snoop Dogg at Phoenix’s Celebrity Theatre, roots music icons Steve Earle & The Dukes at Ram’s Head On Stage in Annapolis, midwest indie-pop sensation Beach Bunny at Milwaukee’s The Cooperage, world-class Afro-Cuban  percussionist Pedrito Martinez at NYC’s DROM, New Jersey DIY favorites Long Neck, Whiner and PYNKIE at White Eagle Hall in Jersey City, legendary  rock’n’rollers The Marshall Tucker Band at Missoula’s KettleHouse Amphitheater, and bass virtuoso  George Porter Jr. for his reopening run at Garcia’s in Port Chester.