Wednesday, January 10, 2007
Rock Rehab
Posted by Lee Stabert on Wed, Jan 10, 2007 at 11:19 AM
There's been a fair amount of hot goss surrounding Exit/In over the last few months. First, word was that Great Big Shows' Chris Cobb would buy the historic Rock Block venue. Rumors followed about the club's closing. Then, a couple weeks ago, things started to look up. Cobb informed us that Exit/In was being bought by Josh Billue, owner of Birmingham rock club Zydeco, and that Cobb would stay on and book both venues.
But, that was then—read the next chapter in the saga, after the jump... The most recent plot twist involves Cobb's dismissal. Ashley Givens, former booker for 3rd & Lindsley (who also booked the occasional quite creative show around town—Mickey Avalon at Play, anyone?) will be taking over. When it comes to music, Givens is as passionate as they come, and anyone paying attention noticed that she recently nudged the booking at 3rd & Lindsley from singer-songwriter overload to include a more rock bent.
And there's more: Billue has undertaken a massive facelift renovation project—"Botox for the Exit/In," he says. A new sign is already up. Other improvements include expansion of the balcony (to hold 75), reacquisition of a liquor license, complete overhaul of the air conditioning and ventilation systems (welcome news for anyone who sweat off 5 lbs. this summer or wished they'd brought gloves in the winter) as well as a brand new paint job, inside and out.
Overall, this looks like a wonderful development for the Rock Block and for the Nashville music scene as a whole. Check back for new developments.
