Your new home means a new neighborhood to explore. Each month, Onward brings you “Your New Favorite” – our team’s hand-selected places unique to Middle Tennessee that locals love.
This month, find your new favorite independent music venue. Chances are you’re familiar with the legendary Opry and Ryman Auditorium, but Music City has a plethora of venues for music enthusiasts of every genre. Catch a show at one of these storied stages!
The Basement and The Basement East
What better way to immerse yourself in the Nashville music scene than by supporting local up-and-coming artists? The Basement’s New Faces Night has become a crowd favorite. And keep your ear to the ground for occasional pop-up shows featuring the likes of Keith Urban, The Lumineers, Metallica and other well-known artists.
- Location: 8th Avenue and East Nashville
- Addresses:
- The Basement: 1604 8th Avenue South, Suite 330, Nashville, TN 37203
- The Basement East: 917 Woodland Street, Nashville, TN 37206
Housed inside the old Marathon automobile manufacturing plant, Marathon Music Works has turned the building’s focus from tires to tunes since 2011. They host a range of musicians from big names to indie artists, and plenty of comedians have gone up to the mic over the years to bring the laughter.
- Location: Marathon Music Village in Nashville’s Watkins Park neighborhood
- Address: 1402 Clinton Street, Nashville, TN 37203
Station Inn has been a mecca for bluegrass, roots and Americana for the past 40 years. Because they believe good music is meant for everyone, they host The Bluegrass Jam, a free jam session where musicians come together to continue building on the music that has made Nashville what it is today.
- Location: Nashville’s The Gulch neighborhood
- Address: 402 12th Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37203
Not many places can say they hosted a then-unknown Jimmy Buffet, but EXIT/IN can. Other greats who have entered these doors have been Red Hot Chili Peppers, Etta James, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Linda Ronstadt, Muddy Waters, and The Police. What started as a “listening room” grew into a 500-capacity rock club over the past 50 years. Take a stroll down “Rock Block” and hear the great music coming from EXIT/IN.
- Location: Nashville’s Elliston/West End neighborhood
- Address: 2208 Elliston Place, Nashville, TN 37203
Named after Tennessee’s state bird, The Mockingbird Theater was started by Will Jordan, owner of The Legendary Kimbro’s Pickin’ Parlor. Mockingbird is tucked inside Building 6 of The Factory at Franklin, a community hub for shopping, dining and performance venues.
- Location: Franklin
- Address: 230 Franklin Road, Suite 6, Franklin, TN 37064
Cannery Hall anchors a building on Cannery Row between downtown and Nashville’s original railroad gulch. In its 100-plus-year history, the Cannery building has been a flour mill, coffee mill, food processing plant, restaurant and – as it is today – one of Nashville’s most beloved independent music venues.
- Location: Nashville’s The Gulch neighborhood
- Address: 1 Cannery Row, Nashville, TN 37203
Feel like you’re stepping back into a ’20s jazz speakeasy at Rudy’s Jazz Room in The Gulch. Listen to local jazz musicians while dining on a New Orleans-inspired menu. If live jazz is what you are after, head over to Rudy’s.
- Location: Nashville’s The Gulch neighborhood
- Address: 809 Gleave Street, Nashville, TN 37203
One of the most well-known music spots in Nashville is The Bluebird Cafe, famous worldwide as the place to see singer-songwriters perform – whether they’re up-and-coming or veterans of the industry who have penned your favorite classic hits. Don’t miss In The Round, where three or four artists share songs and stories with their small, captivated audience.
- Location: Nashville’s Green Hills neighborhood
- Address: 4104 Hillsboro Pike, Nashville, TN 37215
Fox and Locke’s open mic night has drawn locals and travelers to Leipers Fork since 1947 and helped solidify its reputation as a haven for music folks. This Thursday-night staple features rising musicians and the occasional Grammy-winning artists. You won’t want to miss it.
- Location: Leipers Fork
- Address: 4142 Old Hillsboro Road, Franklin, TN 37064
Two MTSU entertainment and arts graduates started The Laundry Room to showcase the talented music community of Murfreesboro and MTSU, as well as some great traveling acts. Step outside the hustle and bustle of Nashville to see what cool music Murfreesboro has to offer.
- Location: Murfreesboro
- Address: 2801 Bradyville Pike, Murfreesboro, TN 37127
What started as an impulse buy of a restaurant space turned into a rocking community of musicians and music lovers. Many superstars, such as Lady A and Kacey Musgraves, found themselves at 3rd and Lindsley before achieving fame.
- Location: Downtown Nashville
- Address: 818 3rd Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37210
Bourbon Street Blues and Boogie Bar
Craving authentic Louisiana taste and tunes? Bourbon Street Blues and Boogie Bar pairs Louisiana soul food with soulful sound. With a calendar full of touring artists and a house band that plays three nights a week, you’re guaranteed to hear some of the best blues in the industry on any given day. Bourbon Street also opens its stage to new musicians every Monday for their Open Jam nights. Location: Downtown Nashville
- Address: 220 Printers Alley, Nashville, Tennessee 37201
Contact an Onward agent to bring you one step closer to your new home and what you can experience right in your backyard.
