The Basement organizes benefit concert for victims of Hurricane Helene

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — When the “Volunteer State” and “Music City” come together, you can expect the sounds of success.

An iconic rock venue in Nashville will be holding a benefit concert designed to aid in the relief efforts for those affected by Hurricane Helene .

The Basement will hold a benefit concert Monday, Oct. 7, to help support relief efforts, with proceeds raised going to help those affected by the flooding.

According to Gil Costello, Talent Buyer at The Basement, the idea of the benefit event came from a frequent Basement performer and friend, Lucciana Costa, of folk/country duo King Margo. He told News 2 she floated the idea to him after seeing the news coverage of the devastation brought by the hurricane in East Tennessee and western North Carolina.

The hurricane made landfall as a Category 4 storm, with wind speeds topping 120 miles an hour and dumping rain all over the southeast United States. Flooding was reported in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina, with whole roadways closed due to the damage and flooding.

Gov. Bill Lee declared a state of emergency in the eastern part of the state , and President Joe Biden approved a disaster declaration for the area, allowing FEMA to coordinate direct assistance to those impacted.

Costello said the jump to action was a natural conclusion for The Basement, as they were on the opposite end of the kindness of strangers four years ago.

In 2020, a tornado ripped through Nashville, destroying multiple businesses and homes, killing 25 people and injuring hundreds more. The Basement East was devastated in the storms—save for the iconic “I Believe In Nashville” mural that survived the damage.

“We were the recipients of a lot of great community support when that tornado destroyed The Basement East, and we leaned very heavily on people that decided to raise funds. It just seemed like a very logical conclusion that we should try to repay that forward,” Costello told News 2. “The damage and familiarity of needing that support and not knowing where to turn to, it all kind of congealed, like this makes perfect sense for us to do.”

When the tornado destroyed The Basement East, Costello said the community rallied around the music venue, and he and Costa wanted to bring that same spirit to those affected by Helene.

“At that time we got a lot of really great community support. Now that we’re reopened, let’s use the resources that we have to kind of bring everyone together and try to raise some money to try to help these people out,” he said. “It’s a little bit jarring and kind of familiar to see the destruction. It triggered my memories of walking through 5 Points the day after the tornado. It just seemed so familiar that it was a situation where there was no question—we’ve got to do something.”

Since putting out a call for artists on social media, Costello said around 300 artists responded looking to help, including Basement alumni and newer acts to the Basement stages.

“We’ve been spending the last day and a half putting everything together for that,” Costello told News 2.

With so many willing to help out, Costello said he’s been able to finalize a lineup for the event already.

The concert will take place on Monday, Oct. 7, at The Basement in the 8th South neighborhood. The lineup includes a special secret headliner supported by artists Katie Pruitt, King Margo, Meg McRee, Ben Chapman, Zach Meadows, Gabe Lee and more.

Because of the overwhelming response, Costello said they’re planning a second, “overflow” event over at the Basement East on Sunday, Oct. 6. That lineup has yet to be finalized, but things are in the works.

In addition to ticket sales, Costello said the Basement team is looking at adding QR codes around the venue during the concert for attendees to donate directly to The Red Cross. There is no set fundraising goal for the concerts – only a wish to donate as much as they can to the relief efforts.

“I know that they need help. I know that they really need financial resources more than they need physical resources, because it’s really difficult to get the physical resources to North Carolina because of the road closures, so we’re really just trying to raise as much money as we possibly can,” Costello said.

The dedication Costello’s seen from artists and others around Nashville didn’t come as a surprise to him, he told News 2.

“It’s a beautiful thing that so many people have offered their services and their time,” he said. “It doesn’t surprise me because four years ago we were in a very similar situation. We were faced with a giant, catastrophic weather event, and our community really did show up to support, so it’s not surprising. It just makes me really proud.”

Tickets will be $20 in advance of the show or $25 at the door. For ticket information, including when they go on sale, keep checking The Basement’s website .

In addition to the benefit concert, multiple organizations across Middle Tennessee have begun collection drives for food, water and other resources.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2.