Nashville's independent music venues are an endangered species, a new study says, and government and industry leaders must take an all-hands approach to ensure their survival.

Why it matters: Corporatization, soaring real estate costs and financial losses during the pandemic combined to push independent music venues to the brink.

• In the last year, studies and surveys of music industry stakeholders have been conducted to get a handle on what can be done to save independently owned concert venues.

Between the lines: The high-profile sale of Exit/In rock club in 2021 prompted then-Metro Councilmember Jeff Syracuse to sponsor legislation to fund the study. It was conducted by PennPraxis, an affiliate of the University of Pennsylvania.

• Independent venues are considered the core of the city's music industry. They're unique for offering bookings to up-and-coming artists as well as community programming, the study says.

The intrigue: The study calls on more government and private sector collaboration to assist independent venues.

• It suggests a coordination of city agencies to participate in the effort, with the Metro Office of Nightlife as the central department.
• The study also calls for the formation of an independent venue land trust, which could fund the preservation of endangered venues. Earlier this year, the legislature passed a law creating a live music venue fund.

By the numbers: One of the more interesting aspects of the PennPraxis study is that it crunched the numbers on the scope of Nashville's music venues.

• Nashville has 252 music spaces, including 112 that regularly present music as their primary business. Of those 112, 24 are independent venues not owned by or affiliated with larger corporations like Live Nation.

Fun fact: Nashville boasts more venues per person than other major music hubs. The city has over six times the "venue density" of Tokyo or New York, according to the study.

What we're watching: The PennPraxis study is the first document to offer solutions for preserving music venues in Nashville, but other reports are coming. This spring, several industry groups collaborated on a census that interviewed creatives and business people.

• The results of that survey are due in September.

Go deeper: Read the PennPraxis study results

Share this story

The Swan Ball is in limbo after a bitter battle over its finances wound up in federal court.

Why it matters: The white-tie gala that benefits Cheekwood Estate and Gardens has been a premier event among Nashville's wealthiest residents since 1963.

• Lawyers for Cheekwood and a group of volunteer organizers are now fighting over who is in charge of the event and how its finances should be handled.

State of play: A new lawsuit filed this week claims that Cheekwood "nefariously and covertly took complete control over accounting and bookkeeping services relating to the Swan Ball account" last year in the run-up to the 2024 Swan Ball on June 1.

• The lawsuit comes from a nonprofit created in May by a group of people who have helped organize the Swan Ball. The group equates Cheekwood's actions to a "coup," saying the organization systematically blocked organizers from all facets of an event that was always run by outside volunteers.

But a July 2 letter from Cheekwood's attorney, which was obtained by Axios, said "a faction of former Swan Ball volunteers" was trying "to wrest ownership of the Swan Ball from Cheekwood."

• Attorney Maia Woodhouse's letter stated that the Swan Ball organizing committee "is a department of Cheekwood from a legal, operational, and financial standpoint, reports to Cheekwood leadership, and relies on Cheekwood's assets."

Zoom in: The Cheekwood letter further states that only 32% of the Swan Ball's revenue went to Cheekwood over a three-year average, well below the "nonprofit industry standards" of 60-70%.

• "Lavish spending, resulting in such low fundraising efficiency ratios, is contrary to Cheekwood's charitable objectives and guiding values, and likely shocking to Cheekwood's donors."
• Attorney Chanelle Acheson, who represents the Swan Ball group suing Cheekwood, disputed that analysis, per the Tennessean, saying that it failed to account for nearly $600,000 for staff pay and infrastructure costs.

The bottom line: In a statement, Cheekwood's board pledged to "vigorously defend its ownership of the Swan Ball and ensure that it meets nationally recognized benchmarks and best practices for philanthropic fundraising and expense ratios."

• Cheekwood will stop planning for the 2025 Swan Ball "until this matter is resolved."

Share this story

Defense attorneys have questioned the competency of Nashville Judge Cheryl Blackburn in separate legal filings this year. Blackburn is hearing cases again after suffering a stroke in 2021.

• Documents related to her competency are sealed. (Nashville Banner)

🍎 A new documentary by the Nashville Public Education Foundation shows what life as a Nashville public schools teacher is like. (Tennessean)

🍔 A new burger joint called Mr. J's Original plans to open next week in the former Hermitage Cafe building. (Nashville Post, subscription)

Nearly 10,000 people came out to celebrate McKay's 50th anniversary road trip, the book store told WFMY News 2.