ACM Group of the Year Nominees Perform at Transformed Exit/In
NASHVILLE, TN – For a band that has played over 200 dates each year throughout the last decade, THE CADILLAC THREE know the value of local venues first-hand and continues investing in creative ways to support the music community. “The group cut its teeth in independent clubs and remains a touring staple inside rooms run by those impacted by COVID-19 closures,” observes The Tennessean. The Nashville born-and-bred trio teamed up with Red Bull and MVAN (Music Venue Alliance Nashville) as famed Rock venue Exit/In was transformed into a private pop-up skate park for a series of socially distant skate sessions. Over the course of three days, nine skate crews from Nashville, Chattanooga and Memphis had the opportunity to ride custom-built features, listen to live sets from local DJs and participate in a music video with TC3. Filmed on the set of Red Bull Skate Nash Stages, the “Bridges” music video will launch in April. The track is on featured TABASCO & SWEET TEA, their second album released in 2020 following COUNTRY FUZZ (Big Machine Records).
The ACM Awards Group of the Year nominee’s relentless effort to #SAVEOURSTAGES over the course of the last year, paired with their dynamic sound made the skate setup a no-brainer. “Anything new these days,” said TC3 lead vocalist Jaren Johnston. “I grew up skateboarding, so I thought it was a really cool thing to be a part of, and Exit/In is our favorite place.”
For the first time in over a year, the Exit/In was brought to life. Valued staff members returned to work, security welcomed guests and the bass bumped to the sound of optimism for the family of staff and the creative class who call Exit/In home.
“Independent music venues are the soul of our city,” said Chris Cobb, Owner of Exit/In and President of MVAN, whose mission is to fiercely protect Nashville’s 15 independent music venue owners, operators and the ecosystem surrounding these notable properties. “Pretty quickly we realized it was existential and most of us realized we would go out of business if we didn’t do something about it,” he said. “Thus far we’ve been successful. We’ve been able to fend it off through fundraising initiatives, grant programs and a streaming series. That’s allowed us to collectively pool our resources and our talents to raise enough funds that we can all pay our bills.”
The transformation from rock club to skate park came together with a custom mini ramp built into the iconic Exit/In stage with an adjacent quarter-to-quarter hip feature. The pop-up park also utilized the venue’s outdoor space as a street section to accommodate skaters of all abilities.
Dropping in on the action as TC3 performed, Gallatin, TN native and pro Red Bull skateboarder Jake Wooten shared, “Skateboarding has given me everything in my life. It’s given me purpose and a way to connect with people; a way to communicate with people that I can’t speak the same language with. I know music does the same thing — it’s just something that’s felt. Skate and music are intertwined.”
Visit mvan.org to donate and support Nashville’s independent music venues.
Jaren alongside Neil Mason (drums) and Kelby Ray (lap steel/bass) most recently highlighted those faced with the livelihood challenges of COVID-19. Watch here. “The Cadillac Three’s contribution to a year like no other can be measured in albums released, songs released (28), live-streamed shows recorded, donations collected, venues supported, mouths fed, and positive messages sent. Landing a spot on the revered list [ACM Awards], among their friends, collaborators, and peers, feels like a victory for the trio who has never stopped putting in the work,” observes AMERICAN SONGWRITER. Their freewheeling vibe has found fans from all sides of the world relishing in their unpredictable sets – the live shows may look a little different, but the music always plays on as TC3 “Sound the Alarm for Clubs in Crisis” (Rolling Stone). For the latest updates, visit TheCadillacThree.com.