After moving to Nashville three years ago, musical artist Ollie Gabriel has been searching for a community hub where creatives can come together. Now, he is planning to open Aura Lounge at 2020 Lindell Avenue in Wedgewood-Houston to bring his vision to life.
“I think it really just started with the need for community and a vision of building a place that really put the entertainment and experience at the forefront of nightlife,” Gabriel told What Now Nashville. “I feel like there are so many amazing bars and places here, and I see a lot of bands, but it almost seems like a lot of the musicians are the backdrop to the tour scene. The vision really started with building something where artists and creatives and the crazies can all get together and hang out and collaborate and connect with each other.”
The 10,000-square-foot immersive venue and event space will feature high-quality sound and lighting, a stage and bar spaces. The venue was designed with flexibility in mind, so there will be several different seating configurations to adapt to different experiences. Gabriel said the space will be versatile enough to accommodate live music performances as well as business conferences or seminars.
“The thing I’m most looking forward to is the entertainment experience,” Gabriel said. “We spared no expense on creating a space that is just beautiful and can cater to a lot of different events. We are going to be a venue that can hold 1,000 people. There are not a lot of those venues here. We are going into a space, size-wise, that as Nashville grows, I think there’s going to be more demand for those kinds of engagements.”
Construction is currently underway in the space. The team is projecting a fall opening.
For Gabriel, Aura Lounge will be part of a grander vision for that area in Wedgewood-Houston, where more development is on the horizon. He recently opened cocktail spot The Corner Wedgewood at 2028 Lindell Avenue, and he has seen that grow into a community hub as well, with concerts, comedy events and more.
“The vision for the area is really that it’ll be a place in the future, maybe a year or two down the line, that would be comparable to a Printer’s Alley or 12South, where you can just go and hang out there, and there are tons of options for you to eat and to explore different types of entertainment,” Gabriel said. “We really want to build a place that becomes a destination in Nashville and I think we’re poised for a lot of success.”
