THE CRYING WOLF 

Address: 823 Woodland St., Nashville, TN, 37206
Hours: [5pm – 3am | 7 days per week]
Event Calendar: LINK

The Crying Wolf is as much a bar as it is a venue. They host local events pretty frequently, from local music to movie screenings. The whole place is decorated with animal skins and mounted animal heads putting a spooky twist on Americana. However, the Southern Gothic decor isn’t the only thing Crying Wolf has going for it (although it was enough to win me over).

In addition to an awesome vibe and reasonably priced bar, they also serve a pretty solid selection of burgers. With a pool table and an outdoor patio, it’s also a great spot in the summer. And even at it’s busiest, it’s never too difficult to move; it’s the right amount crowded. Overall, it’s just a great place to go for a drink.

THE 5 SPOT 

Address: 1006 Forrest Ave., Nashville, TN 37206
Hours: [8pm – 3am | Monday – Tuesday]
…………[5pm – 3am | Wednesday – Friday]
…………[7pm – 3am | Saturday]
…………[6pm – 3am | Sunday]
Event Calendar: LINK

GQ Magazine awarded the 5 Spot’s “Motown Monday” as the “Most Stylish Party In America.” This happens every Monday night, and things get pretty crazy, but this is just the tip of the iceberg. The 5 Spot is definitely more suited to function solely as a bar, but this doesn’t stop them from hosting live music every week.

In addition to playing host to bands from all over the country when they tour through Nashville (a recent highlight is The National Parks), The 5 Spot also has regular events put on by local organizations. For example, Cold Lunch Records, a recently founded Nashville-based record label, holds showcases in the 5 Spot most Wednesday nights nowadays, so that would also be a cool event to check out!

THE BASEMENT 

Address: 1604 18th Ave. S #330, Nashville, TN, 37203
Hours: [Varies depending on events schedule | typically holds 2 shows/night at 7pm & 9pm respectively]
Event Calendar: LINK

Underneath a little record shop called Grimey’s is a shabby little venue called ‘The Basement.’ This is not to be confused with ‘The Basement East” (although they are owned by the same folks). The Basement East is much bigger, and feel much more like a full-on concert hall, whereas The (original) Basement really is a basement. But don’t be fooled by its modest facilities... 

Once every month the owner of Grimey’s, Mike Grimes, hosts and curates “New Faces Night” where he will invite small up-and-coming artists that he likes to perform short sets. This would be a good thing to check out if you want to get a taste for Nashville's music scene. Slots on this night are highly coveted, because Grimes has become something of a tastemaker in the music world. Over the years Grimes has hosted then-obscure, now-famous artists such as Amy Winehouse, Mumford & Sons, and others. The first time I ever attended this event I saw a band called Barnaby Bright, and was literally moved to tears by their music... which was a first. As of now it’s also an ‘only’ as well. But if you miss “New Faces Night,” the Basement functions as a venue the rest of the month too, so be sure to take a look at their lineup! Every once in a while big bands will come through and play secret shows in this tiny venue, Metallica being a (relatively) recent example.

THE COBRA

Address: 2511 Gallatin Ave., Nashville, TN 37206
Hours: [5pm – 3am | Monday – Friday]
…………..[12pm – 3am | Saturday – Sunday]
Event Calendar: LINK

The Cobra is somewhat unique in this list because it is literally split in half – bar/venue. Well into East Nashville, The Cobra is just a good ol’ fashioned grungy music club. The bar side of The Cobra has pool tables, dart boards, and an extensive outdoors area for the summer. With a reputation for serving extra strong drinks, this bar often plays host to the after-hours crew from The 5 Spot’s Motown Monday. The Cobra’s venue side, however, hosts quite a few events of its own.

As a venue, The Cobra plays host to small, cool shows almost every night of the week. However, unlike fixtures like The 5 Spot, nobody comes to The Cobra by accident. People in The Cobra are typically there for a specific event, and for good reason: The Cobra is actually a great venue! In the past, The Cobra was called Foobar, but it has since been renamed (and re-decorated), so you should consolidate those 2 names in your mental library. 

12th & Porter

Address: 114 12th Ave N, Nashville, TN 37203
Hours: [Depends on event schedule]
Event Calendar: LINK

12th & Porter is a modestly sized venue but it has the facilities of a much larger space. This makes for the acoustics of high-level show combined with the intimacy of a listening room. That's the draw of 12th & Porter, in a nut shell. It occupies a brick building in the industrial limbo between Downtown and West End, which can sometimes make parking challenging, but after business hours, this area empties out relatively quickly. Having been in business for more than 30 years, 12th & Porter has seen now-huge acts such a Kieth Urban, Kings of Leon, Neil Young, and Dierks Bentley play shows for sold out crowds. It's got some history behind it. 

The biggest complaint that I tend to hear about 12th & Porter is the frequency of corporate parties. Presently, their weekly schedule includes a lot of highly lucrative but non-musical events, which seems to be slowly chipping away at their credibility as a venue. For this reason, artists who will be unable to bring a massive crowd (a very difficult task in Nashville) often find it difficult to work to work with management here. It'd be a great space for a party, especially after their extensive renovations in 2015, but it's an even better place for a show. Check their schedule! You might get lucky and catch an artist you love coming through here. 

CANNERY BALLROOM + MERCY LOUNGE + HIGH WATT 

Address: 1 Cannery Row, Nashville TN, 37203
Hours: [Depends on event schedule]
Event Calendar: LINK

Now we're entering the big-leagues. This is my favorite enclave of venues in Nashville, because it really is an enclave. In a 3-story building just outside downtown Nashville, each of these 3 venues operates independently.

First Floor: Cannery Ballroom (biggest)
Second Floor: Mercy Lounge (middle)
Third Floor: High Watt (smallest)

They are all owned by the same folks and even Cannery Ballroom is relatively intimate. Each of these venues hosts an incredible array of artists from all around the world on a weekly basis. The past couple times I was there I saw Jess Glynne (at Mercy Lounge) and Shaky Graves (at the High Watt), both of whom rocked. Of course you’d be hard pressed to find them playing a venue that small nowadays, so I feel lucky to have seen them there when they were still small. Check their schedules because there are lots of up-and-coming artists that play here.

EXIT/IN 

Address: 2208 Elliston Pl., Nashville, TN, 37203
Hours: [Depends on events schedule]
Event Calendar: LINK

Having hosted a virtual “who’s who” of the greats, like Muddy Waters, Johnny Cash, Dizzy Gillespie, B.B. King, Willy Nelson, The Ramones, and many more over the years, Exit/In is a Nashville classic. Older folks in Nashville laugh as they tell stories about sitting at the bar next to Neil Young ‘back in the day.’ Nashville was a lot smaller back then. (sigh)

It’s not quite the same today, but Exit/In still attracts bookings from world-class artists on a weekly basis, so if you have a few days in Nashville and you want to catch a show, this might be a good place to look into. The venue is big enough to hold a crowd, and small enough to keep it decently personal.

War Memorial Auditorium

Address: 301 6th Ave N, Nashville, TN 37243
Hours: [Depends on events schedule]
Event Calendar: LINK

With War Memorial Auditorium, we’ve officially moved out of the realm of anything that could be remotely considered a “small” venue. This is the big leagues now. But this particular venue isn’t exactly well-known around Nashville. It hosts such a broad spectrum of events that it’s not really top-of-mind for any “scene” in particular. In a given month, it will host a Swedish death metal band, a children’s choir, a symphony orchestra, stand-up comedy, a high school graduation, a wedding, and then a more “mainstream” music act. The pictures below were taken at a HAIM show (which, by the way, was incredible).

This venue is located Downtown, in Nashville’s Financial District (if you can call it that). It’s spitting distance from the State House, and from the outside, it looks to be part of the same complex of government buildings. The entrance way to this place looks like you’re walking into a giant courthouse, with Corinthian Columns surrounding a grandiose Roman-style statue. This place built in 1925, but almost a century later, and the acoustics in here still feel state-of-the-art. If you want to learn more about this history of this place, you can watch this 5 minute YouTube documentary. Or you can just buy tickets to a show here and see it for yourself.

All The Venues On The Map