If you grew up in Nashville, you might have passed a few nights at 12th & Porter, a legendary music showroom that launched many local acts but never would have been described as “luxurious.” While the beloved bar and venue closed in 2015 and the space has since been home to a pizza joint and an immersive video complex, it will soon be reborn as a nightclub that promises to be unlike anything Music City has seen.
Night We Met is a new project by Austin Knight and parents Jim and Allison Knight that is slated to open to the public on March 29. Owen Gibler and Harrison Drost will head up the cocktail program at the new club. Gibler has worked in some of the most acclaimed cocktail emporiums in the world, including The Violet Hour and Pouring Ribbons, as well as opening new outlets of the legendary NYC-based Employees Only in Singapore and Hong Kong. He moved to Nashville to open Roze Pony and continues as beverage director there and at its sister restaurant Cafe Roze.
The new nightclub will have a capacity of about 350 patrons and feature dramatic lighting and decor, as well as a world-class sound system from Void Acoustics — which promises to provide crystal clarity for techno music pumping through the space's speakers without leading to hearing fatigue — along with a sophisticated cocktail program.
I’ll leave it to the music experts here at the Scene to share the impact that the new club may have on the local house scene, but Night We Met has plans to bring a combination of international, national, regional and local acts to the stage to present experiences heretofore unexperienced in Nashville.
What really intrigues me about Night We Met is the team’s almost militant commitment to sustainable practices. Starting with the cocktail program, they aim to bring a sophisticated and elevated drink menu to the bars inside the club without introducing artificial ingredients that are often found in generic liqueurs and mixers used in popular drinks. Relying on fresh and natural ingredients, the bar staff will still manage to focus on speedy service without leaning on the crutch of premade mixers, because those party people need their fuel fast!
Night We Met aims to be no less than the greenest club in the country, eschewing single-use plastics and promoting a meticulous composting and recycling program. Joel Atchison, the CEO of Deep Culture, heads the sustainability initiatives for Night We Met, and he’s an evangelist for making intelligent choices, sharing, "Our motivation for integrating sustainable practices into our operations is rooted in education, awareness, and community engagement. Music venues act as a central hub of social interaction, uniting diverse communities. By embracing sustainable practices, we aim to cultivate a sense of responsibility and community engagement among patrons, employees, and stakeholders. Night We Met becomes a platform to educate our audience, and inspire them to make more sustainable choices in their daily lives.”
Gibler and Drost are also all-in when it comes to promoting sustainable practices. In the official opening announcement, they explain:
"Sustainability isn't just a trend; it's a commitment to preserving the rich heritage and vibrant future of our community. At Night We Met, our sustainable cocktail program is our toast to the environment. By carefully selecting local and organic ingredients, minimizing waste, and using eco-friendly products, each sustainable sip is a step towards a healthier planet, and that's something worth raising our glasses to. Our sustainable cocktail program is designed to ensure that the only thing we leave behind are memories, not waste. Through innovative practices such as acid pulls and adjustment, clarification, in-house flavoring and draft strategies, we create not only a superior cocktail experience but also one that our patrons can feel good about. Sustainability at NWM is more than an initiative — it's our mission to mix responsibility with pleasure, one drink at a time.”
Night We Met will feature all sorts of separate spaces dedicated to different types of music experiences. Whether you want to chill in the Vera Lounge or keep the party pumping in the large Club Room, they will have a space for you. Plus you can feel good about doing your part to save the world while experiencing the best in house and techno!
