At Exit/In, 11/21/2022
In the week before Thanksgiving, a surging sea of fans joined Lilly Hiatt, JEFF the Brotherhood, Diarrhea Planet and others in marking the end of an era at historic rock club Exit/In, as the lengthy tenure of operation under Chris and Telisha Cobb came to a close. At the time, AJ Capital Partners — the development firm that purchased the property home to Exit/In and neighboring bar Hurry Back in 2021 — announced plans to renovate the space and reopen the venue next year. Earlier this week, word went out that AJ Capital has named Dan Merker as head talent buyer for the venue.
The firm’s projects in Nashville include the Graduate Hotel on West End and the May Hosiery Mills and Nashville Warehouse Co. developments in Wedgewood Houston. Per Billboard, Merker was formerly on staff at Outback Presents and HUKA Entertainment, and he oversees talent buying for all of AJ Capital’s properties. Music Row notes that other music venues operated by the firm include Minglewood Hall in Memphis and Joy Theater in New Orleans.
“We are honored to carry on the legacy of this iconic venue and raise the bar for both the fan and artist experience,” Merker said in a statement to Billboard published on Monday. “We look forward to announcing 2023 shows soon and as the calendar will reflect, restoring Exit/In as a welcoming place for artists that span all genres and everyone within our community.”
Meanwhile, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s process to resolve the question of ownership of the name “Exit/In” and several associated items of intellectual property continues. Cobb had filed an application that was accepted; attorneys for AJ Capital filed opposition documents.
Following the publication of the Billboard piece — which initially only included a partial statement from Cobb before being updated on Thursday — he posted a note to Facebook, which he agreed to let us publish below.
“Through thoughtful, intentional programming, and a commitment to the communities they exist to serve, small independent stages create and incubate music, art, and those who make it. These creatives are the foundation of the music industry, launch from these stages to be superstars and soundtrack our lives, and ultimately shape our culture. Its concerning to see this mom and pop-esque, 51 year old, local microbusiness overtaken by a global real estate developer that began acquiring venues at their most vulnerable, at the height of covid disruption, has no proven track record in the field, and has exited the long-term team that thousands of times over proved its commitment to community, music, and art. AJCP should publicly commit to hosting diverse local bands and artists, community events, and non-profit fundraisers, equitably, as the venue has done over the past 18 years. This is the commitment Nashville's communities and creatives deserve and how venues should serve.”
