Nashville music venues: a newcomer's guide
New to Nashville? Here's a great way to explore all corners of Music City — go hear some live music.
Yes, there's Lower Broadway and Music Row, but many of our top music spots aren't clustered together in one part of the city. They're sprinkled all over town, from the Bluebird Cafe in Green Hills to the Gulch's Station Inn. And whether we're talking about an arena or 90-seat club, artists and audiences feel right at home at these famed venues. Get to know a select few of them below:
Exit/In
Music City’s most historic rock room opened in 1971 and has hosted everyone from R.E.M. and The Ramones to B.B. King and Billy Joel (you can see all of those names etched on a mural in front of the club). In recent years, this Elliston Place haunt has been a haven for indie rock, punk, metal and hip-hop performers.
2208 Elliston Place, www.exitin.com
Mercy Lounge
Perhaps no other club in town gets as many hip and hit-making acts as this second-floor spot on Cannery Row, just off Eighth Avenue – especially when you include its two adjoining venues, Cannery Ballroom and The High Watt. On one night, it might be hosting eight up-and-coming local acts (as part of its 8 off 8th series), or hosting a private gig for The Black Keys. The Rolling Stones even stopped by one night to watch a group of local musicians tackle some of their tunes.
1 Cannery Row, www.mercylounge.com
Bridgestone Arena
Bridgestone Arena is Nashville’s largest indoor entertainment venue and also serves as home to the Nashville Predators hockey team. At capacity the facility holds approximately 20,000 people depending on the event. In 2015 the venue is scheduled to host concerts from acts including Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande and Foo Fighters, sporting events and family entertainment programs.
501 Broadway, www.bridgestonearena.com
Ryman Auditorium
Ryman Auditorium, known as the Mother Church of Country Music, is one of Music City’s most beloved and historic venues. The first event was held at the venue that would become Ryman Auditorium in 1890. About 50 years later, the space became home to the "Grand Ole Opry" until the Opry moved to the Grand Ole Opry House in 1974. Over the past 125 years, the Ryman has been updated by a host of renovations and housed events ranging from lectures from Teddy Roosevelt to concerts delivered by the top acts of today including Keith Urban, Coldplay and Foo Fighters.
116 Fifth Avenue N., ryman.com
Ascend Amphitheater
Ascend Amphitheater opened on Nashville’s riverfront in July. The venue, downtown’s most sizable outdoor music space, holds 6,800 fans. Its first concert schedule included Eric Church, Janet Jackson and Phish. The 2015 season runs through October.
301 First Ave. S., www.ascendamphitheater.com
Woods Amphitheater at Fontanel
The Carl Black Chevy Woods Amphitheater is about 15 minutes outside of downtown Nashville in Whites Creek. The venue is on site at Fontanel, the former home of Country Music Hall of Famer Barbara Mandrell, and has a capacity of about 4,500 guests. The VIP boxes are cut out of a hillside, and there are more than two miles of walking trails on the property. The 2015 lineup includes Kid Rock’s first Fish Fry.
4225 Whites Creek Pike in Whites Creek, Tenn., www.woodsamphitheater.com
Tennessee Performing Arts Center
Tennessee Performing Arts Center (or TPAC) is home to Andrew Jackson Hall, James K. Polk Theater, Andrew Johnson Theater and War Memorial Auditorium, which is across the street. The four performance spaces have a combined capacity of 5,500. Jackson Hall is the largest room in the complex and is a seasonal home to touring Broadway shows as well as other entertainment acts. Polk Theater and Johnson Theater often serve local and regional touring companies, while War Memorial Auditorium is primarily a music venue.
505 Deaderick St., www.tpac.org
Nashville Jazz Workshop
The hub of Music City’s often overlooked jazz scene, the Nashville Jazz Workshop brings professionals, aspiring musicians and jazz enthusiasts together in east Germantown. The complex includes a cozy music venue known as The Jazz Cave, where the city’s best players take the stage for weekly events such as “Snap On 2 and 4.”
1319 Adams St., www.nashvillejazz.org
Grand Ole Opry House
The Grand Ole Opry House has been home to the "Grand Ole Opry" since the house opened in 1974. The "Opry" conducts multiple shows at the Opry House every week in the spring, summer and fall before the famed country radio show moves to Ryman Auditorium for its winter run. The Opry House is also used for Christmas productions in conjunction with Gaylord Opryland’s A Country Christmas and various other concerts and theatrical productions over the course of the year.
2804 Opryland Drive, www.opry.com
Bluebird Café
The Bluebird is one of the area’s best listening rooms and, thanks in part to ABC's “Nashville,” now one of the most popular tourist attractions in town. The famous “in the round” shows featuring singer-songwriters might be the most popular events at the Bluebird, but for those looking for something a little louder, Mike Henderson’s played blues there nearly every Monday night for 20 years.
4104 Hillsboro Pike, bluebirdcafe.com
Station Inn
This glorious dive is a bluegrass lover’s dream. Over the past four decades, legends such as Bill Monroe, Jimmy Martin, Alison Krauss and Jesse McReynolds have all taken the stage at the Station Inn. One tip: Get there early, since tickets can’t be purchased in advance for these shows.
402 12th Ave. S., www.stationinn.com
The Basement East
Local music champion Mike Grimes (of Grimey’s fame) is one of the forces behind East Nashville’s newest music venue. It’s a roomy spot – in contrast to the cozy digs of the original Basement, which is still in action on Eighth Avenue.
917 Woodland Ave., www.thebasementnashville.com
Municipal Auditorium
Soon after opening in 1962, Nashville Municipal Auditorium became the place to see music’s biggest names in Nashville. Michael Jackson, Elvis Presley and The Rolling Stones all graced its stage in the ‘60s and ‘70s. Since the arrival of Bridgestone Arena in the late ‘90s, NMA hasn’t enjoyed the same status, though it hosts its fair share of touring rock, R&B and country acts. It’s doubly historic as the new home of the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum.
417 Fourth Ave. N., www.nashvilleauditorium.com
War Memorial Auditorium
Built in 1925 in honor of the men and women who died in World War I, this performance hall sits across the street from the state Capitol. It was home to the "Grand Ole Opry" in the 1940s before the show moved to Ryman Auditorium. For the past 60 years, it’s been a unique, regal setting to catch rockers and other acts on their way up – from Elvis Costello and the Attractions to Skrillex.
301 Sixth Ave. N., www.wmarocks.com
3rd & Lindsley
It’s been a live music staple for three decades – and smart renovations made in 2012 have seemingly ensured 3rd & Lindsley’s future for years to come. Local music makers feel at home on this stage, including Western Swing favorites The Time Jumpers, who perform every Monday night. But that also goes for massive Music City stars such as Miranda Lambert, who held a songwriters round-style concert there in July.
818 Third Ave. S., www.3rdandlindsley.com
Schermerhorn Symphony Center
It’s best-known as the home of the renowned Nashville Symphony, but the Schermerhorn — named after former Nashville Symphony conductor Kenneth Schermerhorn — holds a wide variety of music events, from pops to jazz to the “Legends of Music” series. During the 2010 flood, the building was filled with more than 20 feet of water and required more than $40 million in repairs.
1 Symphony Place, nashvillesymphony.org
Marathon Music Works
Since opening in 2011, Marathon has hosted everyone from rockabilly queen Wanda Jackson to rappers Ghostface Killah and Raekwon. The midsize venue, in Marathon Village, counts radio station Lightning 100 among its neighbors.
1402 Clinton St., marathonmusicworks.com
Honky-tonks of Lower Broadway
For those willing to brave the bachelorette and tourist crowds on Lower Broadway, honky-tonks such as Robert’s Western World (416 Broadway) and Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge (422 Broadway) are pieces of country music history and conveniently located within stumbling distance of one another.
City Winery
The City Winery — which began in New York before expanding to Chicago, Napa and Nashville — is, as its name implies, also a fully functioning winery in addition to being a fine listening room with a palate-pleasing menu. Recent acts to play this stage include Stephen Stills, Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell.
609 Lafayette St., www.citywinery.com/nashville/
More Nashville music venues
B.B. King’s Blues Club and Restaurant, 152 Second Ave. N.
Hard Rock Cafe, 100 Broadway
Acme Feed & Seed, 101 Broadway
Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, 222 Fifth Ave. S.
Belcourt Theatre, 2102 Belcourt Ave.
Blair School of Music, 2400 Blakemore Ave.
Café Coco, 210 Louise Ave.
Foobar, 2511 Gallatin Road
Grimey’s New & Preloved Music, 1604 Eighth Ave. S.
Loveless Cafe, 8400 Highway 100
Puckett’s Grocery, 500 Church St.
Rocketown, 601 Fourth Ave. S.
Sambuca, 601 12th Ave. S.
Soulshine Pizza Factory, 1907 Division St.
Springwater, 115 27th Ave. N.
The 5 Spot, 1006 Forrest Ave.
The End, 2219 Elliston Place
The Johnny Cash Museum, Third Ave. S.
The Listening Room Cafe, 217 Second Ave. S.
The National Underground, 105 Broadway
The Sutler Saloon, 2600 Franklin Pike
Third Man Records, 623 Seventh Ave. S.
Tin Roof, 1516 Demonbreun St.
Wildhorse Saloon, 120 Second Ave. N.
Winners, 1913 Division St.