Venus & the Flytraps at Drkmttr Fest II, 10/17/2025
Last fall, Drkmttr was marking a year since becoming a federally recognized nonprofit and celebrating its 10th anniversary of making a safe space for all-ages audiences to see a kaleidoscopic array of great live music. All kinds of factors go into making an independent venue a very difficult business to run; our Feb. 5 cover story by Margaret Littman features an update on the big-picture status of Nashville’s indie clubs. Recently, venerable clubs The End and The 5 Spot launched campaigns to help offset their losses during especially tough times. Following days without power that necessitated moving or canceling shows, Drkmttr has joined a wide range of small businesses in asking for your help.
“Drkmttr is one of many local businesses that have been without power for over a week, and canceling a week of shows is absolutely detrimental to our existence,” reads an Instagram post published Feb. 2. “If you follow us, you know the precarious financial state we are in as a community-funded nonprofit music venue. We have no backup plan other than hoping our community helps us bounce back.”
The post outlines a couple of ways you can contribute to that effort. One way is making a one-time or recurring contribution through Drkmttr’s Givebutter campaign, refreshed as a Winter Storm Fund. Another is supporting the organization with a monthly donation via Patreon. Support levels start at $5 a month, and the top two tiers ($20 and $35 a month) come with special perks. If you’ve had a concert tickets line item in your budget — and maybe have been using it a bit less lately — here’s a very easy way to get a few bucks circulating to do some good.
The Drkmttr crew, which operates largely on a volunteer basis, advocates strongly for mutual aid, and their post notes that they’re happy to amplify any requests for help from folks who are still struggling. Keep up with the venue on the afore-linked Instagram account, and watch the calendar for more show announcements. If all goes to plan, you’ll be able to visit in person on Saturday during 615 Indie Live, when Venus & the Flytraps, Total Wife and more will play. That’s an early show, and though you’ll need a separate ticket, you can come back later that night to catch Boston post-hardcore group Seahaven’s 15th anniversary celebration of Winter Forever.
