Thoughts On The Closing Of The Exit/In in Nashville

Fred: So… It seems that this Saturday night, August 20th, will be our last show at the Exit/In in Nashville. The location has been bought and the curtain will be brought down around Thanksgiving. No telling what’ll happen after that, but the Exit/In itself will be gone. 

Damn shame, too. There’s a lot of vibrant, living American history in those walls. That stage has hosted everyone from REM to Jerry Lee Lewis. Willie and Waylon to Jason & the Nashville Scorchers and the Georgia Satellites. Dash Rip Rock to Cowboy Mouth. 

I reckon that CM has played 50 or so shows in that room over the last 32 years. Everything from packed, sold-out nights to nights where just a hand full of folks showed up. From a room stuffed with bored college frat kids who couldn’t care less about this weird band they never heard of to rabid CM devotees who knew the song lyrics better than we did! We’ve been the hot new thing and the old has-beens over and over again so many times through the years, I stopped worrying about it long ago. Now I just do my thing and enjoy every single f#%king second if it. Playing in what I think is the finest rock ‘n’ roll band in the world. But I’m biased, just a bit. 

Strange times we’re living in these days, my friends. Not sure why this is affecting me so much right now, I’m not someone who is easily given to sentiment. But I’m really pissed off at the moment. 

Damn it. I mean, really God DAMN it! I’m sick of all the crap we’ve had to endure these past few years, as I know we all are. And sadly, the closing of this venue is just another thoughtless corporate casualty amongst too many these days. 

I mean, this room is the connection between the country music honky-tonks of the 50s and 60s to the punk rock/country hybrids of the 70s, 80s, and through today! This room is the link between Hank, Sr. and Hank 3… and I’m sorry to see it go. 

There’s a peripheral character called the Sire in this hilarious TV show called “What We Do In The Shadows” (which is essentially a vampire reality show. Check it out sometime. Very adult, but funny).  The Sire is THE original vampire who has lived for thousands of years and now resembles a gargoyle more than a person. Anyway, in a recent episode the Sire gives a toast at a vampire wedding with all of the hindsight of his many, many years on this earth. I’m paraphrasing here…

“Love turns to dust, ruin is inevitable, and all is prelude.” 

A moment at once hilarious in the context of the character and the show, but also poignant at the same time. 

Unlike the Sire, I actually do believe in the eternal strength of the immortal soul. I believe that each moment lives and breathes throughout eternity for us to live again and again through memory of experience and then to enjoy again in whatever life comes after this one. Like Dylan said…

“And onward in my journey, I come to understand
“That every hair is numbered, like every grain of sand.”

And that’s what a Cowboy Mouth show has always been meant to be; a series of moments to be held onto tightly in order to provide the necessary strength, energy, joy, and inspiration whenever needed. Take us with you so that these moments can help you through the harsh times of life. As I’ve said before, when I dreamed up this band, I didn’t dream us to be the biggest, but I did dream us to be the best. I think we've gotten pretty damn close many times over the years, and I believe we still do. Not bad for a misfit kid whose life was saved by a scratchy old Bo Diddley 45 rpm vinyl single. 

So, if you’re in the vicinity, come on out to the Exit/In this Saturday night in Nashville. Hell, come see us at any shows this week: Thursday in Memphis at the Railgarten, Friday in B’ham at Workplay. All great venues to see and hear a CM show. Walk away with some great moments. Better yet - come help us make some new ones! I really don’t know what will happen after Saturday night, but I do know it won’t be quite the same there ever again. 

Come on out and see a killer rock ‘n’ roll band, maybe have a couple of beers and/or shots. Come sing loud, jump, dance, laugh, cry, or none or all of the above… whatever! If indeed love turns to dust and ruin is inevitable, then I don’t think that in a hundred years anyone at all will care about a bar or a band that’s playing this weekend at the Exit/In, but I do know this: Though the time will pass, this Saturday night, the moments we all make will live forever!