Looking to enjoy some live music but not in the mood for the masses typically found at Bridgestone Arena, Ascend Amphitheater, and Ryman Auditorium shows? For a more intimate experience—one where you can actually see the faces of the musicians on stage—check out these smaller, equally impressive local venues.
3rd and Lindsley
Neighborhood: SoBro
There’s no arguing that 3rd and Lindsley is part of Music City’s fabric—it offers up its stage for big local events like the CMA and Americana festivals. Add in a Monday-night residency with the Grammy-winning swing band The Time Jumpers and this place is simply one of the best in town.
The 5 Spot
Neighborhood: East Nashville
The 5 Spot gained national attention when it was featured on the hit show Nashville—and then again when Lady Gaga chose the tiny club as the first stop on her 2016 dive bar tour. On normal days, this East Nashville club features a healthy mix of modest, primarily local acts, and dance parties.
AB
Neighborhood: Hillsboro Village
AB, formerly known as Anzie Blue, is a 4,000-square-foot reimagined live music and event venue. This space features concerts, album release events, comedy shows, and more! All shows and events are 18 and over only and include free parking for one hour in the garage below AB.
The Basement
Neighborhood: 8th Avenue South
The den-like setup of this classic Nashville club can place you mere inches from your favorite bands—close enough for them to sweat on you, should you wish. The Basement has a couple of tables up front if you need to sit, but being part of the shoulder-to-shoulder crowd is a tight squeeze that’s always worth it. Just step outside to the back patio when you need fresh air.
The Basement East
Neighborhood: East Nashville
Dotting the calendar of The Basement’s sister property in East Nashville, The Basement East, are local acts, national tours, and “tribute” nights. With a capacity of about 400, it offers about four times the breathing room as the OG Basement. Catching a show at this local hot spot is highly recommended when visiting Music City.
The Bluebird Cafe
Neighborhood: Green Hills
If you only know of the Bluebird from watching Nashville, you might not realize it’s actually located in a strip mall in Green Hills. But the real-life interior is just as magical as it appears on TV, with twinkling lights, an in-the-round setup for its performers, and a generally hushed vibe. For an extra heavenly experience, try to score a coveted church pew seat.
The Blue Room
Neighborhood: SoBro
Jack White’s Third Man Records wouldn’t be complete without The Blue Room. This live music venue is among the few in the world capable of recording shows direct-to-acetate, essentially producing a vinyl master in real-time. This popular venue puts on concerts, comedy shows, film screenings, events, trivia, and more. Make sure to try one of the signature cocktails from the bar!
City Winery
Neighborhood: SoBro
Just like at the franchise’s other locations, Nashville’s City Winery values live music as much as its in-house winemaking facility. Regular shows employ assigned seating and the atmosphere is relatively subdued, making this spot a good pick for date nights and intimate evenings with friends.
The Cobra
Neighborhood: East Nashville
The Cobra (nĂ©e Foobar) prides itself on being a dingy, divey east side club. A few times during the month, The Cobra will host rock acts that feature Nashville’s best artists sharing songs and stories of love, life, death, and on-the-road adventures.
East Room
Neighborhood: East Nashville
You probably know someone, or someone who knows someone, who’s recently played at East Room—so it’s no surprise that when you’re here, it feels like you’re chilling in a friend’s basement. (Maybe it’s the couches, too.) It’s dark and low-key, with a focus on spotlighting local musicians and comedians.
The Electric Jane
Neighborhood: Gulch
The Electric Jane is a live music venue situated on Division Street in the Gulch neighborhood. This modern dining and entertainment club features weekly live shows and events. Some of their popular weekly events include Sunday Bluegrass Brunch (every Sunday from 10:00am to 2:00pm) and Women Wednesday (every Wednesday starting at 5:00pm).
The End
Neighborhood: Elliston Place
This grungy dive club can get cramped on certain nights, but that’s part of the hole-in-the-wall appeal of The End. So are the dirt-cheap beers, the purple-velvet-covered walls, and the up-and-coming rock acts that frequently take the stage.
Exit/In
Neighborhood: Elliston Place
Nearly 50 years into its life on Elliston Place, Exit/In is still going strong. That’s likely because it attracts a nearly limitless range of top-notch acts, from Maroon 5 to Paramore. Want (many) more examples? Get lost in the hand-painted “Wall of Fame” above the bar, featuring the names of bands who’ve played sold-out sets at this Nashville institution.
The Listening Room
Neighborhood: SoBro
When you think of songwriter nights in Nashville, you think of The Listening Room. Whether you’re a wide-eyed visitor or a wizened local, the lineup always manages to feel fresh. Its digs in SoBro feature separate rooms for music and food—a notable departure from the previous location.
The Local
Neighborhood: West End
Seemingly contrary to its name, The Local welcomes all types of genres to its stage (including a weekly writer’s round every Tuesday). This place is often overlooked as a Midtown hangout, which is a shame because the acoustics are great and it’s a comfortable distance from the rowdy tourists downtown. Use that to your advantage and enjoy the extra breathing room while you can.
Rudy’s Jazz Room
Neighborhood: Gulch
Rudy’s Jazz Room is located in an 1800s stone-walled basement with about 50 seats, providing an authentic jazz room atmosphere similar to renowned jazz clubs like Smalls in New York City. Rudy’s is named after the late saxophonist Rudy Wooten, brother of five-time Grammy award-winning bassist, Victor Wooten, who is a supporter of the jazz-centric venue. For a cozy setting and an ultimate jazz experience, Rudy’s has it.
Sid Gold’s Request Room
Neighborhood: East Nashville
Sid Gold’s Request Room is a piano karaoke bar and lounge that is a great spot to grab drinks, listen to live music, and sing karaoke. Nashville is Sid Gold’s third concept with two other locations in New York and Detroit. Whether you’re the one doing the singing or enjoying the music, you’re guaranteed a good time.
Springwater Supperclub and Lounge
Neighborhood: West End
Open as a bar since 1897 and in its current iteration as a club for nearly 40 years, Springwater has seen it all. Rock bands and comedians from across the country perform in front of the stage’s famous glittery streamers. Though Springwater went smoke-free, the allover grittiness remains intact.
The Station Inn
Neighborhood: Gulch
As the Gulch’s landscape continues to boom, its iconic bluegrass and roots venue, The Station Inn, hasn’t changed a bit. Every seat provides a picture-perfect view of the stage, and you’ll likely walk out with a few new music-loving friends. Sunday nights are reserved for a weekly bluegrass jam session—a classic “pickin’ circle” where you never know which local legend will show up.
Is there a great intimate music venue missing from the list? Let us know in the comments!Â
My husband and I honeymooned in Nashville 30 years ago and found a little hole-in-the-wall Bluegrass bar through a back alley off Music Row. It had a single light bulb over the door and supposedly Rascal Flatts and Earl Scruggs would stop in a play there. We are coming back to Nashville for our anniversary in May and would love to try to find this bar again. Any ideas of the name and address of this bar?
Bourbon Street (in Printers Alley) definitely belongs on this list…
The single lightbulb over the door says station inn to me…been there many many times…
Bourbon Street Blue/Jazz Club, a hidden gem. We try to get to Nashville at least once a year, and this is a definite stop we make. The Stacy Mitchart Band always puts on a great show.