Koe Wetzel Expands Riot Room Bar Concept To Nashville
The establishment will reportedly occupy the former space of The Dogwood Nashville.
Koe Wetzel; Photo by Jody Domingue
Country rocker Koe Wetzel is bringing his bar concept, Riot Room, to Midtown Nashville, the Nashville Business Journal reports.
The establishment will open at 1907 Division St., the former home of The Dogwood Nashville, which closed its doors on May 1.
Described as a “honky-tonk meets club” experience, Riot Room is a parentship between the “Sweet Dreams” singer and President and CEO of Texas-based Funky Lime Hospitality, Emil Bragdon, as well as Forth Worth businessman Fred Barnett.
Wetzel and his business partners did not comment on the news, which was revealed after Riot Room filed a beer permit with Metro Nashville.
The forthcoming Music City hot spot will mark the third Riot Room location, following the original location in Fort Worth (1100 Foch Street), which opened its doors in 2023, and Houston, which is set to open at 2416 Brazos St Unit A later this year.
Riot Room Fort Worth features a full menu with signature items such as “Kuntry & Western Fried Steak,” a hamburger dubbed “The Redneck Royale,” and “The Sancho” which is described as the “sure-fire remedy for one of Koe’s hangovers.”
In this sense, Bragdon explained that “Riot” is used to describe “someone who’s fun to be around.”
He told Culture Map Houston, “It’s about who Koe is and what he represents. He has a carefree party attitude, that whole persona, which is so infectious. He’s a true Texas guy, a good old country boy who’s hospitable and likes to have fun – that’s what the place is about.”
Further details surrounding the Nashville location of Koe Wetzel’s Riot Room, including the opening date, are unknown.
Wetzel isn’t the only country star bringing a bar to Midtown. Old Dominion is slated to open Odie’s at 1919 Division Street, the former home to ReBar near Music Row.
Koe Wetzel is gearing up to release his fifth studio album, 9 Lives, on July 19. The project features 13 tracks, including the recently released “Sweet Dreams,” “9 Lives (Black Cat)” and the introspective lead single “Damn Near Normal.”
“I want fans to know that there’s a different side of me, not just the sex, drugs and rock & roll Koe that they may have heard about online,” he shared of the LP.
Following the release of the project, Wetzel will embark on his Damn Near Normal World Tour, kicking off on July 27 in Woodland, Texas. The headlining tour will run through November, where it will wrap in Copenhagen Denmark after making stops in the UK, Germany, Netherlands, Sweden and Norway.
This summer, the Texas native is confirmed to perform at several festivals, including Hangout, Country Jam, Rock the Country, Country Thunder Wisconsin, WE Fest, Watershed and more.
Additionally, he will return to his hometown of Arlington, Texas, this July to perform a stadium show in support of Morgan Wallen’s One Night At A Time World Tour.
Lauren Jo Black, a University of Central Florida graduate, has immersed herself in the world of country music for over 15 years. In 2008, she co-founded CountryMusicIsLove, eventually selling it to a major record label in 2015. Following the rebranding of the website to Sounds Like Nashville, Black served as Editor-in-Chief for two and a half years. Currently, she assumes the role of Editor-in-Chief at Country Now and oversees Country Now’s content and digital footprint. Her extensive experience also encompasses her previous role as a Country Music Expert Writer for Answers.com and her work being featured on Forbes.com. She’s been spotlighted among Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. Black also spent time in front of the camera as host of Country Now Live, which brought live music directly to fans in 2021 when the majority of concerts were halted due to the pandemic. During this time, she hosted 24 weeks of live concerts via Country Now Live on Twitch with special guests such as Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Jordan Davis, Brett Young, and Jon Pardi. Over the course of her career, she has had the privilege of conducting interviews with some of the industry’s most prominent stars, including Reba McEntire, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert, Lainey Wilson, and many others. Lauren Jo Black is a longtime member of the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music.
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