Next Big Nashville 2008

In case you haven't heard, Nashville isn't all about Country Music and urban cowboys dressed in rhinestone shirts that cost more than my car. Nashville is also the hub of a very vibrant independent music scene, and Next Big Nashville is it's showcase. The first year of the festival was in 2006. By 2007, close to 150 artists and bands played during the event, and this year the number has blossomed to 250.

We'll be there!

Why, you might ask, would a website that will deal with Independent Christian musicians be at a festival that isn't really for Christian bands? One word. Indie. Next Big Nashville is a festival that features the next big band to come out of Nashville. In other words, it's a festival for mostly independent bands.

But the festival is not all about music. Also at Next Big Nashville (NBN) is a conference that will take place during the day that will focus on the changes in the business of music that is enabling and empowering independent musicians. On Friday morning we'll be going to a panel discussion at the Musician's Hall of Fame led by Derek Webb, co-founder of Noise Trade, and other media companies that are interested in helping independent musicians. According to the NBN website, the 21st Century DIY panel will discuss the tools available for independent artists.

We're not going to miss the music though. Come on, it's Music City! We've been invited by a folk rock band from Nashville named Quote to come to their performance during NBN on Thursday night at Douglas Corner. The show at Douglas Corner starts at 8 PM includes Levi Weaver, Bryan Cates, Aron Wright, Emily DeLoach, Lylas and Quote.

The bands playing at NBN may be mostly unknown for now, and although not all will make giant waves in the overall music scene, their performances at NBN could be a step toward wider exposure within the indie scene.

If you're an indie band looking for an immediate way to make contacts and extend your exposure, then the place you need to be during the 2nd week of September is the Next Big Nashville festival.

See you there!