First ever National Independent Venue Association Conference comes to Cleveland this week

We know the story of March 2020, when the pandemic shuttered all matter of businesses across the country.

Soon though, many of those businesses figured out how to re-open with some degree of safety, serving customers through new practices and techniques.

But music venues, those tightly packed spaces with people should to shoulder drinking, talking, singing, dancing were some of the hardest hit businesses and last to re-open.

In response to the hardship they were facing, independent clubs around the country banded together and formed the National Independent Venue Association.

That group then lobbied congress through the 'Save Our Stages Act' and obtained federal funding to keep them afloat.

The association, NIVA now has its first national conference heading to Cleveland this week.

It will focus on supporting the independent venue ecosystem, bring thousands of club owners, bookers, and musicians to Northeast Ohio and of course, there will be some music as well.

Today on the program, a conversation between Ideastream’s Amanda Rabinowitz and two local club owners, Sean Watterson of Cleveland’s “The Happy Dog” and Jilly Bacon-Madden of Akron’s “Jilly’s Music Room”.

We kick off the show with a different topic though, the recent shooting death of Jayland Walker – an Akron man shot by police on June 27 ^th.

Details continue to emerge about the case, and protests condemning the shooting persist as well. Our criminal justice reporter Matt Richmond joins us to discuss the latest.

- Matt Richmond, Criminal Justice Reporter, Ideastream Public Media

- Amanda Rabinowitz, Host, "All Things Considered" and "Shuffle"

- Sean Watterson, Owner, "The Happy Dog"

- Jill Bacon-Madden, Owner, "Jilly's Music Room"