As Exit/In Turns 40, New Venue Coming To Nashville

Nashville’s celebrated live music hall Exit/In will mark its 40th anniversary next month. The club opened in September 1971 at its current Elliston Place location and became known as the “Rock Block.”

The anniversary celebration has lined up acts from throughout the venue’s history for a series of shows kicking off the week of Sept. 6. Confirmed are performances by Guy Clark, Griffin House, Clayton Bellamy, Marshall Chapman, Barefoot Jerry, Mac Gayden, Dianne Davidson, Tracy Nelson, Alex Harvey, Will Kimbrough, Tommy Womack, Tom Kimmel, Buzz Cason, The Babushka Brothers, Lee Clayton, Jimmy Hall, Matthew Perryman Jones, James Talley, and Cadillac Blacks. Proceeds from the event will benefit MusiCares, which assists musicians and their families in need. Details at exitin.com.

As Exit/In reaches a milestone, its owner Josh Billue is part of a team planning to add a new venue to Nashville’s landscape. He joins Chris Cobb (Sell Out Presents, Live On The Green, Next Big Nashville/SoundLand) and Telisha Arguelles Cobb (Special Events Plus) in opening the multi-use space in October in Marathon Village. It looks to fill the void left by the shuttering of 328 Performance Hall and City Hall, and also maintain a commitment to eco-friendly efforts, charitable community outreach, and left of center music.

Owners aren’t disclosing the venue’s exact capacity yet, but say they are creating the space to fill the void in the market for a mid-sized venue. “Music industry professionals across the country recognize the need, in Nashville, for a mid-sized venue that offers all the modern amenities that concertgoers and performers expect in a city like Nashville. Our plan is to meet that need,” says Chris Cobb.

Lightning 100 is hosting a contest through Aug. 5 for Nashvillians to name the venue. Every submission will receive one ticket to the grand opening show. Favorite submissions will then be voted on by listeners.

For more information contact Telisha Arguelles Cobb at 615-497-1549 or [email protected].

Editor’s note: For insight into contests like this, see today’s subscriber-only article on crowdsourcing.