Marauder just wrapped producing and introducing Independent Venue Week to the US market. The company created a new position, Events Specialist, to do so; in this role, Cecilie Nielsen collaborated with Marauder’s managing partner, Rev. Moose, on organizing and overseeing all Independent Venue Week logistics. Marauder’s collective efforts resulted in a massive first week that involved 20 venues in just as many cities across the country, spanning the legendary (9:30 Club in Washington DC; Pianos in New York) to the new and revolutionary (solar-powered, zero-waste venue The Caribou Room in Nederland, CO; renovated historical building White Eagle Hall in Jersey City, NJ). Chuck D of Public Enemy and Prophets of Rage fame joined Independent Venue Week as this year’s honorary artist ambassador, a role filled in the UK’s first year by Colin Greenwood of Radiohead.
Marauder has committed to Independent Venue Week’s long-term growth in the market and already announced the event’s return to the US next year, July 8–14, 2019, for its second edition. Independent Venue Week unites 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. Today, independent venues can struggle to be heard, yet they remain the spaces where new and emerging artists play their very first shows, the performances that will put them on the path to stardom not just here, but across the world.
Of the US launch, Rev. Moose recently said to Pollstar, “Our main goal is to be able to support business owners, the people that own, run and spend their days in these independently owned venues, and try to give them a bigger mouthpiece. I think it’s important for small business owners to have infrastructure that continues to give them support, so that they can continue in their own local markets.”
Independent Venue Week founder Sybil Bell recently said to BTRtoday, “These venues open their doors regardless of knowing if people are going to actually come, if it’s going to be busy or if the band is even going to have a good show…It’s a tough business to be in—it’s not an area of the industry that gets a lot of recognition, but it’s a very vital part of the whole ecosystem for artists.”
About Marauder
Marauder is a boutique music marketing firm with a focus on developing emerging talent within North America. By custom creating long-term strategy and services for each client’s specific needs, Marauder shows a true prowess in media and industry engagement. Its unique advantage in the market comes from not just providing services to its clients but also putting them in position to grow.