Derrick Numbers dreamt of running a music venue for years. When a space opened up for sale in Aberdeen, he and his wife jumped at the chance, and the Neon Rooster was hatched. Originally from Ohio, Numbers played music growing up and eventually earned a degree in the music business before moving to Nashville to cultivate the dream.

Much of the inspiration for the Neon Rooster is drawn from that time of his life. The name is a nod to the lights and energy of Broadway in Nashville, where young musicians from around the country, the world, work night after night to hone their skills and learn what it takes to be a working musician. The Aberdeen venue has always been meant as destination for the music, much as The Bluebird Cafe is in Nashville.

Numbers unveiled a renovated Neon Rooster in February, one that takes that idea and executes it in a way more true to his original vision. There is now an enclosed sound booth, where Numbers and the dedicated staff and partners who work with him can capture the artistry and craft of the musicians playing in the space. Through professional videography and painstaking edits, the team at Neon are also creating visual content for the artists. In the age of social media, content like that can be invaluable to someone trying to break into the industry and to experienced musicians alike.

The new experience lends itself more to a listening room atmosphere. Numbers said that he loved having a place for the community to gather and hear music, and he wanted to lean in to that. He wanted to position the Neon Rooster as a place where people who love music can enjoy the music, because our area has other venues where people can play in open mic nights or sing karaoke.

The Neon Rooster will continue to support local musicians and bring world-class artists into our community, and we’re all anxious to see what that looks like.