About

I moved to Nashville in 2021 and spent my first six months doing what every tourist does: hitting Broadway, paying $10 for a domestic beer, hearing the same six cover songs at every honky tonk, and watching bachelorette parties go screaming past on party buses.

Eventually, I couldn't justify the Broadway prices, and I wanted to see what the local music scene looked like. Some friends mentioned a few Midtown bars, and we found out fast that the better music lives off Broadway. After a few weekends at Losers and Winners (now Riley Green's Duck Blind), I found Whiskey Jam. It's a Monday and Thursday night showcase for Nashville's best up-and-coming artists, which took place at Winners back then. One show in, I knew I wasn't going back to Broadway unless I had friends in town.

Whiskey Jam has since moved to Whiskey Row on Broadway, so these days you're more likely to fight a tourist crowd to get in the door. But it's what got me exploring the rest of the city, and after a few years of it, I've gotten pretty good at knowing where to send someone for a real night out in Nashville.

This site is that knowledge, put into something useful for people planning a trip here. It's the guide for someone who wants to go where locals actually go, not just the machine that is Broadway.

Most of these venues are places I've been myself. The rest come from Nashville friends whose taste I trust, or from hours of digging into what a place is actually known for before it makes the list.

My name is Peter, and I've lived in Nashville for five years and counting. I work at a marketing agency as a creative strategist, while building this and another business on the side. I'm a die-hard country music fan who loves a good night out for drinks, dinner, and live music. A site built by someone who actually lives here felt like the right way to help other people find that.

Think a venue's missing, or something here's wrong? Holler: hello@offbroadwaynashville.co