Ink-N-Iron Reportedly Files for Bankruptcy [Updated]

On paper, it sounded pretty great: A festival with a 13-year history of blending independent-spirited country and punk audiences relocates from Long Beach to Nashville, citing our music-event-friendly environment. But when it came down to it, Ink-N-Iron's inaugural Nashville festival, which featured music at stages spread across the Bicentennial Mall and a tattoo convention and hot rod show at Municipal Auditorium didn't go according to plan — in the wake of extremely poor ticket sales and a cancelation by headlining country legend Merle Haggard, chances that the festival would return to Nashville appeared slim.

Now it seems those chances have gone from "slim" to "none": NewsChannel5 reports that Ink-N-Iron has filed for bankruptcy. In an email sent to one contractor, Newport Beach, Calif., bankruptcy attorney Dennis Connelly says that the festival "has run out of funds to pay its bills due to an extreme lack of attendance. There are no plans to come back to the SoCal market or any other market as the festival is bankrupt."

The Scene reached out to festival founder Trace Edwards for comment, only to find that his business phone number was disconnected. An email has not been returned.

Update: According to an email from festival organizers, "There has been no filing of bankruptcy.”