Nashville's Best Songwriter Stage - The Bluebird Cafe

It's off the tourist-beaten track, and it's a place to gather for sincere listening, so the staff doesn't tolerate conversations during the live performances.  If you've heard of the Bluebird Cafe but have not been there youself, you may be shocked at how small it is.

Nearly buried in a characterless strip of shops beside Hillsboro Road in Green Hills, with a scarcely obvious sign, the Bluebird Cafe is a lilliputian hole in the wall cafe and saloon, where four artists sing from the middle of the room, in the round. It's a very free and easy, up close and personal scene, in which to experience some of Music City's up and coming and accomplished musicians.

Actually, the musician in the round setting began years ago at the Bluebird.  Writers Fred Knobloch (Used to Blue and Meanwhile), and Don Schlitz (The Gambler and Forever and Ever, Amen), purportedly after an evening of drinking, determined to install four seats facing each other in the middle of the cafe, kill the lights, and just take in what materializes. This setting turned out to operate so well, that you're likely to see it at most songwriter's get-togethers close to Nashville.

The Bluebird has not solely become noted as Nashville's most well thought of spot to enjoy artists, but it has been the starting chance for lots of acknowledged country musicians, beginning back in 1983 when Kathy Mattea got a record contract after playing at the Bluebird for merely a short time. Once that happened, the Bluebird turned into one of the most competitive venues to play.  And this phenomenon would prove to recur over and over, as some of the Bluebird's artist regulars proceeded to obtain record agreements, and musician after songwriter attained popularity in the one and the same way. (There have been too many popular musicians "born" at the Bluebird to list all of them here, but do you remember Garth Brooks? - Yes, indeed, he got his start at the Bluebird, as well,also.)

The Bluebird Cafe hosts two performances each evening, and reservations are advised, which you can set up online (likely the best fashion) or by telephone. But if you didn't make reservations and wish to travel out there at the last minute, you really should go for it - the folks there will do everything possible to seat you at the performance. The Bluebird certainly should be on any visitor's list of Nashville attractions to visit.