Screaming Females at Drkmttr, 10/31/2023
Drkmttr has a history — going back almost 10 years now — of exemplary community service in spite of whatever challenges current conditions can throw at it.
Since its launch in 2015, the all-ages music venue and arts space weathered the storm that struck venues with a reputation as “a DIY space” following the fire that killed 36 people at Oakland, Calif.’s Ghost Ship in 2016. In 2019, Drkmttr moved for the second time in its life, into what is hopefully its permanent home on Dickerson Pike. When the pandemic came, the organizers shifted gears and provided space for the Nashville Free Store to operate. And since live music came back strong post-lockdown, Drkmttr has hosted show after show, with a couple recent highlights including touring punk legends Screaming Females (pictured above) in October and a massive abortion access benefit in February.
While it’s been common to see venue calendars bursting with shows — and in Drkmttr's case, a wide range of other community events too — during the past two years, the financial struggles of running a small venue haven’t gotten any easier. Now, the crew at Drkmttr is taking the laudable and fitting step of seeking federally recognized nonprofit status — in legal jargon, that’s becoming “a 501(c)(3) organization.” This will open up lots of opportunities for the venue to apply for grants and other forms of financial assistance that are only available to nonprofits.
However, that process takes time; so does applying for grants, and it will be months before funds are disbursed for nonprofits that receive grants during the upcoming cycle. Drkmttr needs financial help much sooner, and so has launched a crowdfunding campaign called “Help Drkmttr Bridge the Gap!” on the platform Givebutter.
“Like many independent venues, not only during but ever since Covid lockdowns, we have been in ‘survival mode’, working diligently to keep the doors open and maintain our community,” Drkmttr co-owner Kathryn Edwards says in a release. “And while the move to a non-profit status will surely help, we are weathering a funding gap, awaiting the upcoming 2024-25 grant application and award process. This Help Drkmttr Bridge The Gap fundraiser is vital for us to continue uninterrupted until we can benefit from grant opportunities.”
Drkmttr is seeking a total of $15,000. Music Venue Alliance Nashville kicked off the fundraiser with a $5,000 donation, and it’s been awesome to watch the total keep ticking up as I write this.
If you donate $100 or more, you automatically get a cool bonus: your own digital copy of the first installment of the venue’s live recording series, called (naturally) Live From Drkmttr. Live From Drkmttr Vol. 1 is set to drop on Bandcamp as a digital recording and a limited run of 100 cassettes on May 31.
The 11-track comp features tracks from area rockers like The Sleeveens, Lou Turner, Joe Kenkel and Total Wife as well as touring artists Sweet Pill and Horse Jumper of Love. You can also preorder the comp separate from the fundraiser, and if you do that on Bandcamp Friday (the next one of which is May 3), the platform will waive its cut of sales.
