Exit/In Transforms Into Pop-Up Skate Park to Benefit Independent Venues

Nashvillians walking past Exit/In Thursday afternoon might’ve noticed some familiar sights and sounds at the longtime venue — loud bass bumping inside, an employee working security for the first time in a year, refreshing comforts after the long silence COVID forced. Red Bull partnered with Exit/In and the Music Venue Alliance Nashville to transform the club into a pop-up skate park for a series of private, socially distanced skate sessions with proceeds supporting independent music venues.

The collab features crews like the all-women’s Nightmare Skateboards and an Old Hats session of skaters age 45 and up. Nine sessions have been scheduled between March 25 and 27. Gallatin’s Jake Wooten, a pro skater who’s been around since the Two Rivers Skate Park opened in 2004, spent a few hours dropping into a half-pipe that traveled from a similar event in New York City and was custom-built into the Exit/In stage to accommodate DJ performances by Rod Youree, KDSML, Case & Daru and more. Nashville’s own The Cadillac Three filmed a music video at the pop-up park.

Wooten says pro skaters are used to touring, competing and traveling, and he feels camaraderie for out-of-work musicians who are in the same boat. He describes the event as a “Thanksgiving of skateboarding” and says Tennessee is his favorite place.

“[It’s] amazing to give back to the community that’s given me everything,” says Wooten, who delivered mobile skate parks to Nashville homes in 2020. “Venues have really struggled. ... We can band together.”

Josh Greene, president of Throwing Star Collective and project manager for the event, says the build was unique because it was custom-made for the venue. There were also multiple COVID-19 considerations, including having five compliance offers on site, temperature checks, symptom questionnaires and mask requirements at all times.

Chris Cobb, Exit/In owner and MVAN president, says the event will help the venue make a rent payment. Exit/In’s property is up for sale, and in February, Cobb partnered with real estate investment firm Grubb Properties to try and purchase it. He says events like this help indie venues and encourage other owners to apply for Shuttered Venue Operator grants. Even so, he says that purchasing the property will be a long road. Cobb expects parking-lot concerts as soon as May, and says a coffee-table book commemorating the venue’s 50th anniversary will be available soon.

As for Wooten, he’s headed back to California after the event. The half-pipes will move on to New Orleans for Red Bull’s next iteration, called Terminal Takeover. But no matter where Wooten goes, his home town is still special.

“I’ve seen the world, and Nashville is pretty sick,” he says.

See more photos from the event below.