Sweeping Promises, Katy Kirby and More Help Drkmttr Ring In a New Era

Nashville’s all-ages, DIY and now federally recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit venue Drkmttr hosts the best shows in Nashville that don’t fit comfortably within established genre boundaries, and the inaugural Drkmttr Fest continued that tradition masterfully. The event Saturday and Sunday, which was the organization’s debut fundraiser event as a nonprofit, boasted a stacked lineup of local and touring bands and drew a crowd of Nashville’s most dedicated moshers, swayers and headbangers. The Drkmttr crew expanded their usual setup: A second stage outside hosted bands in front of the in-progress mural for trans solidarity along the north wall of the building, while musicians performed inside beneath the glow of multicolor lights and a tiny combo VCR-TV.

Shoegaze-y indie-rockers Avalon enticed the early-evening crowd inside, though their start was a little delayed by a quest for a missing guitar strap. Lead singer Avalon Mirabel encouraged corner-lingerers with a menacing “Everybody scoot the fuck up,” followed by a delicate “Please.” The group ended their set with the unreleased “Down a Notch,” a tranquil ballad that turned heavy, complete with creative bouts of ear-piercing screams. A post-Avalon crowd followed the fuzz to Minneapolis duo Dug on the outdoor stage. Contrasting with the tranquil vibes of the setting sun and mural painters behind them, the pair brought scorching vocals and distorted doom beats.

Back inside, co-headliner Katy Kirby’s one-woman show provided a brief moment of reprieve for the thrashers, her gentle indie rock encouraging listeners to sway rather than mosh. Kirby supported her wispy vocals with a soft electric guitar sound as she kicked off the set with “Tap Twice,” released as a single ahead of her debut 2021 full-length Cool Dry Place. Between songs, the former Drkmttr employee expressed her admiration of the sanctuary the DIY venue provided in her early days. Kirby wrapped up her set with a lilting cover of The Mountain Goats’ tart and bitter “No Children” followed by her own tender “Portals.”

Bleach-blond experimentalists Total Wife, stopping in ahead of the new EP they’re releasing Oct. 28, took the coveted win for loudest band of the night. They kept the vocals to a minimum with glitchy synth freakouts that bled into lengthy electric jam sessions. Occasional siren-soft vocals followed by guttural shrieks punctuated the performance, with the band hopping off the stage to play guitar and sing from the floor.

The schedule got off-track a bit and had nighttime headliners Pylon Reenactment Society hitting the stage just after midnight. Formed from the second coming of original Pylon lead singer and New Wave champion Vanessa Briscoe Hay aided by some musicians from subsequent generations, the band performed a few Pylon “chestnuts,” along with material from PRS’ recent debut album Magnet Factory. They led off with Pylon’s 1980 song “Danger,” complete with Hay blowing harshly on a whistle in time with the beat. The Athens, Ga., band resurrected an influential alternative ’80s live sound with new songs like “Flowers Everywhere,” settled alongside oldies like Pylon’s post-punk classic “Crazy.” The group encored with “M-Train” — a song you’ll want to know that is not by Quad City DJs but also a “whoo-whoo!” sing-along moment — and took their bows.

For her Sunday afternoon set as Soft Bodies, Taylor Jensen set up solo on the indoor stage to deliver a performance of R&B-informed electronic beats topped with her world-class vocals. Like many of the weekend’s performers, Jensen sang the praises of Drkmttr for being a wonderful and inclusive space — one where she can’t believe she’s been playing nearly a decade. She also shouted out a special thank-you to drugs for helping her write her set-closing song, a vibey house track that brought the late-afternoon crowd in close to the stage.

As twilight fell over Dickerson Pike, longtime Nashville singer-songwriter Cassie Berman took the indoor stage for a short but sweet solo set featuring her own tunes as well as songs by Silver Jews, her legendary indie-rock band with her late husband David Berman. She noted that the date was Oct. 20, the 26th release anniversary of the Jews’ influential album American Water, and played selections from that record as well as others from the band’s catalog. Perhaps most memorable was “Tennessee” from 2001’s Bright Flight, performed solo but recorded as a beautiful duet about the Bermans’ relationship; it’s all the more heartrending now, five years after David’s death.

Nashville native William Tyler’s music has been described as cosmic country, cosmic pastoral, indie folk and folk rock. His set at Drkmttr Fest consisted of one continuous 20-minute solo electric guitar piece played to a rapt crowd. Within those 20 minutes, though, his performance went from unassuming to blistering, an ambient Southern rock ramble enhanced by loops and layers including dissonant shredding weaving through the floating cosmic base. Tyler guided us on a wander through a dark Southern forest, bringing us back home safely, if not unchanged.

Later in the evening, the energy ramped up with heavy psych-rockers Oginalii bringing the cinematic metal flavor with punk edges. Frontwoman Emma Hoeflinger’s strong and soulful voice marked the path for the audience through the dark progressive marathon of riffs, all the way to the sludge-laden finish line. Oginalii hasn’t played as much locally in recent years, so catching them is always the best treat.

Margaritas Podridas, a band from the Mexican state of Sonora whose name transtlates to English as “rotten daises,” took a break from their current tour with Mannequin Pussy to make this stop, and the crowd was clearly appreciative. The three-piece mixes 1990s grunge and shoegaze influences into their own noisy psychedelic punk concoction of reverb-drenched vocals and ponderous grooves.

Kansas post-punk outfit Sweeping Promises closed out Drkmttr Festival, bringing second, third, and even fourth winds to the audience. Every time they come through, Sweeping Promises rip up Nashville with their energetic and animated style. Their tight and angular music is sure to delight any Gang of Four fan, and maybe even fans of The B-52s and The Gossip. They embody the original spirit of punk and post-punk music — though there’s nary a mohawk or chain in sight, they’re a nerdy group of music-lovers playing their hearts out. Their set consisted of bangers from their first album Hunger for a Way Out from 2020 and 2023’s excellent Good Living Is Coming for You. Highlights included “Cross Me Out,” dedicated to the people of Palestine, and “Hunger for a Way Out.” The dancing crowd was treated to a new song from the in-progress third Sweeping Promises LP, and were still rocking right through the end of the night.

Additional reporting by D. Patrick Rodgers.

Features

Drkmttr Looks Ahead to a New Era of Music, Community and Activism

• Jayme Foltz