Hot Ticket Set to Open in East Nashville 

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What is the meaning of life you ask? Or maybe you didn’t, but I am going to enlighten you anyway. I am here to say that our purpose is to connect with others. Human connection is quite simply the key to happiness as we float around on this giant space orb. If this isn’t the answer, it is certainly a big factor in my opinion. When you gather with like-minded people in a space that offers you something to gravitate towards, your “feel good” neurotransmitters soar. We need more environments that offer us tangible benefits rather than those corporate run spaces that force us to think they are feeding us what we require. Accessibility to other humans that lust for interaction that supports our mental health seems rare these days. So, let us unplug our devices for a while (he said as he typed away at his device) and truly bond with one another; but where do we do such activities?

A few months ago, I had the privilege of attending a house party in East Nashville hosted by Angel Bond. My friend, Dana, told me that Angel had been organizing the most epic of events for some time and that I didn’t want to miss it. She was right. Bands set up inside her home, and the open floor plan allowed a gathering of beautiful folks to collect in a common space and imbibe in the tasty tunes that were being delivered by several musicians. Not only was the music fire, but the ambience was so inviting, and the communal atmosphere so intoxicating, that I truly felt like I had known everyone for years; despite us just meeting for the first time. So, it’s no surprise that the former frontwoman for the band Cusses is bringing her love of community and music to the masses with her friend and business partner Kylee McCoy.

Kylee takes over where her mother left off in opening the new venue which is called Hot Ticket. Hot Ticket occupies the formerly monikered Donut Distillery building at 311 Gallatin Ave in Nashville, which was owned by Shauna and her husband Todd. As a recent transplant, I missed this former establishment that opened in 2019 and served up pairings of desserts and alcohol. I heard it was a wonderful establishment that was loved by its patrons and the neighborhood it occupied. However, a good pivot is sometimes very necessary, and these amazing ladies aregiving the space a remodel and rebrand. The idea is to have a space for locals, by locals who are looking for great music, art, food and dancing that is away from the nonsense of Broadway. Angel and Kylee are busy with friends, decorating the interior that is set to have a series of soft openings in August with the grand opening soon after. There will be a featured monthly artist adorning the walls as well. The women’s music connections are also endless, so the quality of shows is sure to be top-notch.

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I had the opportunity to sit down with Angel and get some more details on what to expect from this venture. This Jill-of-all-Trades is wearing many hats in order to get things up and running, including acting as the Director of Operations and Program Director. She spoke about being heavily involved in all kinds of programs and community driven projects in Savannah and was looking for that same vibe in her current hometown. Angel says, “When Kylee approached me with this opportunity, I thought here is something that I can do for Nashville, especially with the location in East and a chance to bring a lot of things into the space that you don’t always see everywhere”. Most importantly she emphasized a need for a dance space that isn’t just Honky-Tonk and line dancing.

The venue will pursue all avenues of music and will not be pigeon-hole by one facet. “We want to be inclusive to everyone”, she said, “So, there will be disco, funk, soul, Latin and everything in between as far as the music. Knowing that soul and R&B came before country is also important. We need more space to host those artists”. Not only that but Hot Ticket will do “thoughtful programming” during the week and will include storytelling, poetry, comedy, and burlesque to name just a few of the ideas presented.

The name, Hot Ticket, is also a great story in itself. Angel told a tale of her grandmother who was very conservative. So, when gramma would describe another woman as sassy or artsy, she would say, “She’s a hot ticket”. That saying would be passed on to Bond’s dog whom I had the opportunity to meet at her house party and was aptly named Hot Ticket. Then, when it came to giving the business a new title, why not keep gramma’s legacy in play. The name is both meaningful and fun and gives a sense of the energy that patrons will find inside. Programs involving painting, writing, sculpting, sewing, and other art-minded gatherings could be offered in time. This is for people to get off their screens and get involved with their neighbors. Bond made sure to let me know that one policy would be “no phones on the dance floor”. Hot Ticket will be about staying present and living in the moment. Bond regaled about her time as a musician, “I remember when people danced at our shows. Nobody dances at shows anymore. If someone starts dancing now, people are like ‘what are you doing?’” As an artist, a fan and a patron of other spots around Nashville, Bond leans into shifting the paradigm. She went on to add, “We all feed off each other’s energy and being in a smaller and more intimate space for that is vital”. LGTBQ+ events will also be a focal point for Bond and McCoy. There are promises of Queer Dance Parties and Drag Brunches among those festivities.

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Food and drink are obviously an important part of the vibe. A chef (whose name is under lock and key right now) has been brought on to create a wholesome list of bites that will feature elevated classic fare, inspired from various parts of the world. There will be a cocktail menu to pair with these bites as well as some frozen drinks offered. “I’ve traveled around as a musician and tried a lot of different foods, so I want this menu to be worldly” Bond described. “I want things to be shareable and at a good price point. I feel like the food and the programming are going to be the stars of the show”. I was sure to ask if donuts would make an appearance on the card, and it sounds like there will be an homage to the pastries in question.

The curation is also one that Angel hopes will continue to “bond” (pun intended) the neighborhood with even more walkability. She spoke of first moving to that area and the fact that there wasn’t the inviting atmosphere that exists now with Dino’s, Coral Club, Velvet Taco, and Five Points. If you are looking for something new, exciting, and different then Hot Ticket is a destination that will be worth exploring. If all goes according to plan, they should have the doors open to the public by late August. Go support more locally owned and independent venues whenever you possibly can. This is going to be a magnificent space run by marvelous people who want you to feel included. That’s a Hot Ticket!