The Underground Meltdown; Backwoods Metalfest; the Rotary Park shows...these are the types of shows that give a scene its' flavor and style, and it's something that I would love to see more of. It always means more when the bands do it themselves rather than hope and pray they get booked at Joe Blow's Bar and Oyster Shack once a month. There's also a measure of pride when you look out at the crowd and see people having a great time at an event that you busted your ass to put together. And what's more, putting on an independent show is something that can be done by pretty much anybody; it doesn't necessarily have to be thrown by the bands themselves. In fact, putting together a show is the ultimate way for a fan to get involved in their local scene. All it takes is a couple hundred dollars (it will cost a little bit, but odds are you'll at least break even if you do everything you're supposed to) and a copy of this article, and pretty soon you'll be throwing independent shows with the best of them.
The first thing that you have to do is decide if your show will be held outdoors or indoors. Weather, availability of the venue, adequate bathroom facilities, parking space, location of the venue and rental costs are several variables that have to be considered when making this decision. Outdoor venues like Rotary Park in Clarksville are few and far between, but if you can find one that's suitable outdoor shows are badass because they lend a totally cool atmosphere to the proceedings. Keep in mind that an outdoor venue has to have some form of power supply in order to run the PA system and the bands' equipment, and adequate light sources are also required so the bands can be seen onstage during the later hours of the show. The costs of renting out an outdoor venue are relatively the same as that of a building (maybe cheaper), so that's not much of a factor. Indoor shows are easier to put together and run due to several factors. Odds are the building is going to be already wired for power and lights, and the bathroom space is going to be part of the deal (if not, find another building). Keep in mind that if you have a show inside of city limits or around residential neighborhoods there is always the possibility of run-ins with the law over noise violations. Outside of city limits though is another story all together. Once you've made your decision concerning indoor versus outdoor, the next step is scouting out the perfect place.
If you decide to go with the outdoor show, your options are probably going to be limited unless you live in the middle of several national parks. The only outdoor venue in the Clarksville/Nashville area that I'm aware of is Rotary Park (unless of course you can rent out Am South for a day. If you can afford to do that you might as well go balls out and throw your own Ozzfest). You can always start your venue hunt by calling your city's Park and Recreation Director and inquiring about possible places and rental costs. Their phone number should in the phone book somewhere.
