Cleveland’s west-side music club, the Happy Dog, located in Gordon Square, has been awarded a 2023 Music in Action grant from the New York City-based nonprofit Live Music Society whose mission to promote small live music venues aligns with that of the Happy Dog’s owner, Sean Watterson. Watterson was one of the leaders in NIVA — the National Independent Venue Association — which was formed during the pandemic to work for the survival for small venues and lobby the government for support.
Known for its eclectic programming, which includes classical music, author events and world affairs discussions as well as both touring and local indie rock bands, the grant will fund a program called Cleveland Hip-Hop Underdogs, a collaboration with the iFilm216, a BIPOC-led nonprofit film organization that runs inclusivity-focused youth workforce development programs. Its students will film local hip-hop artists performing at Happy Dog.
livemusicsociety.org/the-happy-dog