Drkmttr to Celebrate Nonprofit Status With Drkmttr Fest

When COVID came crashing down in 2020, shows and festivals went out the window and the existential threat facing our national ecosystem of independent venues came into sharp focus. One of the best stories of 2024 in the Nashville music world: Not only is inclusive, all-ages space Drkmttr still fighting the good fight, the organizers have been putting in the work to turn the business into a federally recognized nonprofit, opening up opportunities for grant funding and other support. Per a press release, their efforts have paid off, and they’ll be celebrating their freshly minted 501(c)(3) status with a two-day fundraiser event called Drkmttr Fest on Oct. 19 and 20.

Among much else, COVID laid waste to Drkmttr co-founder Kathryn Edwards’ multi-day DIY event Nameless Fest. Its fifth iteration in 2019 served as a kind of unofficial housewarming for Drkmttr's current (and hopefully permanent) home on Dickerson Pike. While Nameless Fest is seemingly gone for good, its spirit lives on in Drkmttr Fest, which will have shows on an indoor and and outdoor stage, running from noon to 11 p.m. both days.

(Side note: You don't have to wait till the fest to help Drkmttr celebrate — also check out their benefit cassette release party and tape swap on Saturday.)

Expert songsmith and onetime Nashvillian Katy Kirby is your Saturday afternoon headliner at Drkmttr Fest, and she’ll be followed that night by Athens, Ga., post-punk heroes Pylon Reenactment Society. Expressive guitarist extraordinaire William Tyler headlines on Sunday afternoon (take a listen to “Flight Final,” a track he’s just released hinting at new music for 2025) and Kansas post-punk duo Sweeping Promises wraps it up Sunday night. The release notes that all of the headliners will play indoors and the full performance schedule will come in September. It also shares the rest of the lineup, including local greats like Cassie Berman, Budge, Baby Wave, Husband Stitch, Soft Bodies and Yammer Jaw, as well as touring folks like Kal Marks, Nightosphere, Margaritas Podritas and Confusion’s Prince.

The Drkmttr crew sees the new nonprofit status as an avenue to get beyond surviving and thrive. For them, that looks like expanding on community work with programming like music lessons for LGBTQ youth and other after-school activities, hosting community organizers and offering free skill-sharing classes.

“Drkmttr Fest will become our annual fundraiser to help us engage more with the community,” Edwards says in the release. “With two days of music and festivities, we hope to reach more Nashvillians so they can see what we’re about, and how we help support our community.”

Early Bird weekend passes to Drkmttr Fest — a limited run of the first 100 tickets — are $50, regular weekend passes are $60 and single-day passes will be $40 each and available at the event. Tickets go on sale Friday, Aug. 23 at 10 a.m. Keep an eye on Drkmttr’s website for advance ticket links and the venue’s Instagram profile for more updates.