A guide to Nashville’s music scene
How to experience Music City (and not just country)—according to a local


With a nickname like Music City, it’s almost ironic that Nashville, Tennessee is so commonly misconceived as a destination solely for country music lovers. Of course, there’s lots of that—it is also referred to as the Country Music Capital, after all—but there’s so much more to Nashville than honky tonks and the Grand Ole Opry.
Don’t get me wrong; I certainly appreciate the hallowed halls of country music’s most famous venue, and the buzz of Broadway is what made me want to move to Nashville when I first visited 11 years ago. Now, as a music writer who has lived here for almost a year-and-a-half, I’ve quickly learned that Nashville doesn’t take its Music City moniker lightly.
It’s not even just live music that defines the city, either. It’s musical bingo; it’s quirky karaoke spots; it’s the future of music right before your very eyes. Clearly I love the place I now call home, and I want you to, too—especially if country music isn’t your jam.
For music discovery: songwriters rounds

When it comes to live music, a signature experience here is called “in the round,” where songwriters share their original music while also sharing a stage with fellow budding artists. For this, you’ll find most tourists heading to the Bluebird Cafe—likely because of its renown for being the place where Taylor Swift was discovered as a teen in 2004, or because of its frequent occurrence in the once-beloved TV drama Nashville. You may have also heard about another famed songwriter’s venue, the Listening Room, or the longtime artist showcase staple Whiskey Jam.
While there is always undeniable talent at all of the above, they’ve become either far too crowded or hard to get into. I’ve found equally impressive singer/songwriters in much cozier quarters with local songwriter’s rounds—and the best part? They’re all free.
To my knowledge, there are writer’s rounds happening every night of the week except Saturdays, and multiple happen each night across town. The Local in West End is a divey local favorite with two regular songwriter series, Porchlight Pickers (typically on Tuesdays), and Music Row Freakshow (Wednesdays and Fridays); Live Oak in Midtown always hosts a round on Mondays and is home to Grindhouse Nashville on Thursdays. On Tuesdays, Eastside Bowl in East Nashville hosts perhaps one of the city’s more unique songwriter showcases: Pitch Meeting, which is an open mic night with a full band—a prime display of just how much talent is here.
One of my personal favorites is Nashville Tour Stop, which hits four different locations: The Row in Midtown on Mondays, True Music Room in the Cambria Hotel downtown on Tuesdays, Nelson’s Green Brier Distillery in Charlotte Corridor on Wednesdays, and a rotating spot on Thursdays (check their Instagram or website for a full schedule). And as a Germantown resident, one of my regular neighborhood haunts is Sonny’s Patio Bar & Refuge, which features Pindrop on Sundays and Songsmiths on Fridays; while you’re there, order the pretzel bites with extra beer cheese—you won’t regret it.
Travelers say: “We did not purchase [a Bluebird Cafe] ticket ahead of time but we were 12th in line and we were able to get in. Tickets were $20 a person at the door which was very reasonable. The seating was tight but the atmosphere was great. Chicken strips were very tasty and served hot.”—@lilcajungirl
For country music lovers: tried-and-true bars

Amid the jacked-up beer prices and “Don’t Stop Believin’” covers on Broadway are a strip of honky tonks that offer the opposite: cheap beer and traditional country bands. Legends Corner is the first you’ll hit as you step onto Broadway from 5th Ave, followed by Robert’s Western World, where you can find $2.50 cans and their famous Recession Special—a fried bologna sandwich, chips and a PBR for $6—and Layla’s Honky Tonk, which has $5 cans of their signature lager.
But if you’d rather not deal with the Broadway craziness, you can find classic country music all around town. Bobby’s Idle Hour Tavern is only a seven-minute drive from downtown, and it’s as hole-in-the-wall as you’ll get, with wood-paneled interiors and Vienna Sausages on the menu. (Be sure to bring a few $1 bills—there’s a Sharpie and a staple gun ready for you to leave your mark on the place.)
In the northeast suburb of Madison is Dee’s Country Lounge, a good old boys’ watering hole complete with a pool table and a jukebox. Even if you’re not hungry, the brisket frito pie from Backstage BBQ is worth a try; pitmaster Pearce emulated his mom’s Texas brisket chili for the concoction that a bartender-dubbed “chili in a bag”—an unpretentious menu item that really completes the aesthetic.
Just five minutes up the road from the Grand Ole Opry is a little strip mall area that features two quintessentially country spots. Music City Bar & Grill is perhaps the most traditional joint in Nashville, with odes to greats like Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson all over the walls (and bartop), cheap drinks, and country acts practically from open to close.
If you’re hankerin’ to do some two-steppin’ or line dancin’ while you’re in town, head across the parking lot from Music City Bar over to Nashville Palace, where there’s dancing on Friday and Saturday nights. Don’t worry if you don’t know what you’re doing—there’s lessons from 9 to 10 p.m. on Fridays and starting at 7:30 p.m. on Saturdays. (If you happen to be around on a Tuesday, there’s lessons from 7 to 9 p.m. too.)
Travelers say: “[Nashville Palace is a] brilliant place. Lovely food and good size portions at a very good price. Line dancing room is also fantastic a really good place to visit in Nashville.”—@MEH
For country music naysayers

Here’s some proof that Nashville isn’t just country—and one bar is only a block down from Broadway. The Twelve Thirty Club includes a self-described “dapper-as-hell” supper club that features entertainment from open to close, none of which is country music. If you’re still around on Monday or Tuesday, do yourself a favor and make a reservation so you can see The Nashville All Stars. They’re a Motown/R&B collective of seasoned industry vets who have toured the globe with superstars (which is how they landed on their name), and they’re one of the most mind-blowing cover bands I’ve ever seen.
There’s an option for jazz fans, too. Rudy’s Jazz Room has ticketed shows multiple times a night, complete with swanky, intimate basement vibes and New Orleans-inspired cocktails and cuisine. (And if you feel inclined to turn your jazzy evening into a late-night dance party, the Nashville installment of the acclaimed speakeasy Blind Barber is around the corner.)
In between Music City Bar & Grill and Nashville Palace is Scoreboard Bar & Grill—which I’ve explained to folks as a mix between a biker bar and a beach bar, if you can imagine that combo. While there’s live music nearly all day every day, Sundays from 4 to 7 p.m. is where it’s at: The Nashville iteration of the nerdy-yet-irreverent cover band Spazmatics deliver hits from the 70s through today, making quips about the clientele and dirty jokes along the way. If you’re hungry, try their hot chicken; it may not be Hattie B’s, but you can wash it down with one of their signature Bushwackers (a boozy frozen drink).
Travelers say: “[Scoreboard Bar & Grill] has great country music, great atmosphere, and great food! I had the pork BBQ and it was delicious as was the sides of baked beans and coleslaw. Definitely visit when in Nashville!”—@Steven K
For the wannabe superstars: karaoke bars

With so much talent around every corner, Music City can be quite the inspiring place. So why not take a stab at your own live performance? Nashville has its fair share of karaoke spots, but these three are some of the quirkiest.
If you’d like a little accompaniment, Sid Gold’s Request Room in Inglewood serves up live piano karaoke nightly, aside from Tuesdays when it’s closed. Though it is a chain—the original is in New York City, along with others in Detroit and Washington, D.C.—it’s the only place you’ll find live piano karaoke in Nashville (and perhaps in the South, period?).
And if you’d rather not have help from real musicians, you can head to the Graduate Hotel in Midtown for the Cross-Eyed Critters Watering Hole, where a three-piece animatronic “band” will assist you—and you can get a good laugh and scare at the same time.
Over in one of the city’s most happening neighborhoods, East Nashville, is Lipstick Lounge, an LGBTQ-owned bar that has karaoke until 3 a.m. every single night. Whether or not you opt to hop on the mic, be sure to hop on the sittable pair of lips outside for a photo opp to properly commemorate your visit.
Perhaps the karaoke bar to top all karaoke bars, Santa’s Pub has become a thing of Nashville legend (which was especially solidified when pop star Ed Sheeran publicly proclaimed his love for the dive, following his surprise post-concert appearance last July). It’s karaoke in a trailer—yep, you read that right—and it’s decked out for Christmas year-round. How can you not have a good time in a place like that? Note: Bring cash (cards aren’t accepted) and don’t order hard liquor (they can’t serve it).
Travelers say: “Well [Santa’s Pub is] a trailer with a long porch, and hella crowded at night, but still such a fun experience! Live music and karaoke, people dancing, hanging on the porch. Seems like Santa greets everyone. It’s all lit up by Christmas lights inside.”—@RiRi1027
For music nerds: tours and trivia

If you’re a Nashville first-timer, I’m not going to poo-poo the Nashville must-dos. The Opry, the Ryman Auditorium, and the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum are worth a visit if you’re interested—I’ve done all three multiple times myself.
Prefer to expand your horizons? There are several cool music-related tours and activities for you to enjoy. The Johnny Cash Museum may not be a secret, it’s extremely well-done, and fascinating even to someone who (admittedly) isn’t a huge fan of Cash’s music. And just above it is the Patsy Cline Museum, which offers some fun photo opps and insight into a beloved country icon.
Get a look into the careers of another slew of legends with a tour of RCA Studio B, where Elvis Presley, Dolly Parton, and Waylon Jennings recorded. You don’t have to spend money to see it, either: the studio is in the heart of Music Row, which is home to all of the labels and publishing houses in Nashville. While it isn’t open to the public, it’s pretty cool to walk around the area, because there are countless banners congratulating today’s country stars for their No. 1 hits—and you never know, you might be walking by as the next one is being written.
True history buffs can head to Tennessee’s official tourism website and virtually explore the Tennessee Music Pathways, which features Nashville as a location but also includes Bristol, Chattanooga, Knoxville, Memphis, and the Smokies areas for those who might be traveling outside of Music City. There’s four stops in Music Row alone, including a giant microphone bike rack and a statue dedicated to late musician/producer Owen Bradley.
Contemporary rock god Jack White is helping to prove Nashville isn’t just country with his independent label, Third Man Records, which has one of its three home bases in Music City. Even if you weren’t a White Stripes fan, it may be worth checking out, as it’s the only currently operating record label in Nashville that has public tours.
If you’re visiting during the week and want to test your music knowledge, play a little “Name That Tune” with music bingo—where instead of looking for G-52, you’re identifying the B-52’s “Love Shack” in order to cross it off your sheet. You can find it at Eastside Bowl in East Nashville on Mondays, Fat Bottom Brewery in The Nations on Tuesdays, Neighbors in Germantown on Wednesdays, and Monday Night Brewing in Germantown on Thursdays.
Travelers say: “Make sure [RCA Studio B] is on your A list. It was better than we imagined it would be. Ron was our guide for the Studio B tour and will share so much history and he is entertaining as well. We really enjoyed the experience.”—@Jamie H
For local recs: songwriters’ picks

Ask anyone in the music industry what is integral to Music City, and you’re likely to get the same answer: the songwriting community. Songwriters are the fabric of Nashville, so I thought it was only right to let a few of them give their suggestions of where to experience music while you’re in town.
Jessie Jo Dillon (songwriter for Maren Morris, Jelly Roll): “Nestled amongst the high rises now is the little hidden gem that is the Station Inn in The Gulch. Some of my favorite music nights have been there, and you never know who will pop up. I’ve seen [everyone] from the late, great John Prine to Billy Bob Thornton make an appearance.”
Blake Pendergrass (songwriter for Morgan Wallen, Jake Owen): “Basement East in East Nashville is a go-to place to listen to live music. It’s one of the only venues in town (that I know of) that can hold a couple hundred people, so oftentimes you can catch artists that are right on the cusp of moving up to playing large 500+ venues before they break through. It’s a historic Nashville staple that has tons of bands of all genres coming through it, and for the most part, there are shows every day of the week. I’ve never been to one that I didn’t enjoy there, and I highly recommend checking out a show.”
Guthrie Trapp (guitarist, singer-songwriter): “There’s a place I found in East Nashville a few years ago that defies all logic in Music City. It’s called the Underdog, and for good reason. There’s never been any press, but artists of elliptical proportions have played at this venue that have never graced any other stage in Nashville. World class local talent on a regular basis include Jack Ruch, Tom Bukovac, Billy Gibbons (comes to listen most Monday nights), Todd Sharp, Russ Paul, Rob McNelly, and yours truly every Monday 8 to 10 p.m.”
Travelers say: “Took my daughter to the LoveJoy concert at The Basement East and was extremely impressed with the venue and the location. Parking was very easy, across the street at the fireman's credit Union and it's a very nice and safe area.”—@Brandie B