During the evening there was a Whiskey Jam show featuring Dozzi, Willie Shaw, and Johnny Hayes.Photo: Yvonne Gougelet/Red Bull Content Pool
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NASHVILLE—Typically, events are designed to transport attendees to a never-before-seen setting. With its new global event series, called Red Bull Unlocked, the energy drink brand turned that idea on its head.
Instead of reinventing the wheel, so to speak, Red Bull is popping up in cities around the world showcasing the venues and talent—including bars, clubs, mixologists, performing artists, and more—of that particular city. All in one location, each event creates an immersive nightlife experience complete with custom Red Bull cocktails.
The participating venues have the opportunity re-create their signature vibe and aesthetic via miniaturized pop-up versions throughout the event series, which kicked off in November 2021 in Switzerland and will continue through 2022, with upcoming to-dos in Santiago, Chile and Warsaw, Poland this month.
In August, Red Bull visited Nashville—the only U.S. destination on the itinerary—setting up the collaborative experience in the city’s Five Points neighborhood. Venues such as Pearl Diver, Tin Roof, Lipstick Lounge, White Limozeen, The Stage, and more took over Rosemary & Beauty Queen and the surrounding properties. The evening also presented a Whiskey Jam show featuring Dozzi, Willie Shaw, and Johnny Hayes, plus local food vendors like Martin’s BBQ, Daddy’s Dogs, Wild Cow, and Burger & Co., a tattoo shop, and of course, a Dolly Parton impersonator. The event was produced by Nashville-based Good Neighbor Festivals.
“Whiskey Jam has been an integral part of the rising artist scene in Nashville since 2011, going about things in a slightly atypical way. Red Bull obviously wrote the book on atypical, positive disruption and giving back to the people that built the brand. It really is a perfect match,” explained Whiskey Jam founder Ward Guenther, one of the event’s curators, about working with the brand.
He added that the neighborhood served as the perfect setting for the event. “Five Points has always been an open door for any and all walks of life. The blend of culture and style is unlike any other part of Nashville. It's a greenhouse for creativity.”
Lyon Porter, the creative lead of Red Bull Unlocked Nashville echoed that sentiment, saying that “Five Points in East Nashville is the local confluence of Nashville’s vibrant art, music, and food/beverage scene. A safe haven for local Nashvillians of all walks to come together to collaborate, drink, eat, and be merry.”
As for the actual venue—Rosemary & Beauty Queen—Porter said that the brand “wanted to push the envelope and think outside the box, bringing this to life in a unique location made up of several structures and outdoor spaces. Programming all of these different spaces didn’t come easy, but it brought something inspirational to life that hasn’t been done before.”
See more from Red Bull Unlocked Nashville.
