NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Since 2005, TRAX has been a welcoming bar for members of the LGBTQ+ community and allies here in Music City.
Now it's being forced to relocate after their lease was terminated. TRAX is located in the middle of the hustle and bustle of Ensley Blvd. and Bianca Paige Way.
"Down the road was just empty space, and there was a gravel parking lot at the corner," TRAX Owner Steven Kiss said.
It's a small bar decorated with lots of color. It also has a lot of history.
"A lot of people call it their home bar, a place they fell comfortable. They can hangout and be themselves. We opened in September of 2005," Kiss said.
"We've been here for so long and did so many things for so many people," TRAX General Manager Kimmie Mayfield said.
For the 19th chapter, TRAX was hit a major turning point in their story, after the lease was terminated, during Pride month.
"It's sad to lose something that holds so many memories. The building owner wants to renovate the building and put in a vet clinic. Our lease was terminated," Kiss added.
Kiss is trying to locate a new space, but it’s proving to be a challenge.
"It's going to take time finding the right fit and something affordable, so we don’t have to charge $15 for a beer or something like that," Kiss said.
Kiss hates to see this chapter close, because it’s been a haven for anyone whose felt different.
"This is where people have put together their own family; their chosen family," he explained.
The TRAX team plans to keep spreading love.
"Like Dolly Parton said — we will always love you and we will be there for you," Mayfield shared.
They refuse to let this be how their story ends.
"Hopefully we bring the community together and do a last hoorah in this building and then repeat at the next," Kiss said.
Trax will be open through the first week of July and will reopen when they find a new space.
Kiss plans to be busy heading into Nashville Pride next week on June 22 and 23. They will have a "Stonewall Drag Show" on June 28. They're inviting performers back for a final show and Pride Celebration.
The Stonewall Riots, also called the Stonewall Uprising, began in the early hours of June 28, 1969 when New York City police raided the gay club, Stonewall Inn. The raid sparked a riot among bar patrons and neighborhood residents as police roughly hauled employees and patrons out of the bar, leading to six days of protests and violent clashes with law enforcement outside the bar. Learn more, here.
