Beyond Broadway: The Stages that Built Nashville.

BoomTown Saints perform live at Exit/In in Nashville. Photo courtesy of BoomTown Saints.

In Music City, our history did not begin with the Grand Ole Opry and the Ryman Auditorium. It also began on smaller stages that are still vibrant with life, music, and the artists who continue to shape Nashville’s sound. The first stage we will look at is Exit/In. Built in 1971, Exit/In became one of Nashville’s most important intimate venues and helped build Music City’s everyday music scene. The venue was opened by Owsley Manier and Brugh Reynolds as a breakaway from the traditional honky tonks of Lower Broadway. Their goal was to create a place for alternative and non traditional music, giving artists a stage that was different from what audiences would typically find on Broadway. Exit/In created a space for artists who might not otherwise have had a place in Nashville’s mainstream music scene. Over the years, the venue became an important part of Nashville’s musical identity and helped establish the city as a place where artists from different backgrounds and genres could find an audience. Today, Exit/In remains open and continues to bring visitors and live music through its doors. During one of its ticketed events, music fans can experience the intimate atmosphere that has made the venue such an important part of Nashville while discovering artists they may not have encountered anywhere else.

The Biscuit Burners perform at the Station Inn in Nashville. Photo courtesy of Kim Jenkins.

The next stage we look at is the Station Inn, which opened in 1974. The venue was founded by six bluegrass musicians: Red Smith, Bird Lee Smith, Jim Bornstein, Bob Fowler, Ingrid Fowler, Charmaine Lanham, and Marty Lanham. They created the Station Inn as a place for musicians to come together, jam, and share their love of bluegrass music. The Station Inn originally operated out of a converted house on 28th Avenue North, near Vanderbilt University. From its earliest days, the venue became a gathering place for musicians and music lovers. With support from legendary musicians, including Bill Monroe, the Station Inn continued to grow and establish itself as an important part of Nashville’s bluegrass community. As the venue grew, the Station Inn eventually moved to the Gulch on 12th Avenue South, where it continues to welcome musicians and fans from Nashville and around the world. These stages have helped build Nashville’s daily music scene, and they remain part of the heart and soul of Music City.

Broadway may have become one of Nashville’s most recognizable destinations through tourism, but we should also remember the stages that helped build this city’s incredible music scene long before Nashville became the tourist destination it is today. The small stages matter. They give artists a place to be heard, give fans a place to discover something new, and keep the spirit of Music City alive.So while you explore Nashville, remember to look beyond Broadway. Support the venues that have helped build this city’s musical identity, discover a new artist, and experience the stages where the heart of Music City continues to play.