Eastside Bowl

What to Expect

Eastside Bowl opened in Madison in 2021, in a building that started as Madison Bowl in 1960 and spent years as a Kmart in between. The founders, Chark Kinsolving and Jamie Rubin, aren't new to Nashville venues. Kinsolving previously owned Mercy Lounge, The High Watt, and Cannery Ballroom. Rubin ran the East Nashville institution The Family Wash for over a decade. It became known as a community hub, where regulars, working musicians, and touring sidemen all mixed at the same tables between sets. The main room here, called The Wash, carries that same spirit forward. It holds up to 750 people and has hosted touring acts like Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, Tyler Childers, and Jenny Lewis. The '58, a smaller 225-capacity room added in 2024, took over the old diner space. Its walls are painted to match the color of a 1958 Gibson Les Paul Goldtop guitar. There's also a smaller, free stage called the Low Volume Lounge, built for acoustic and smaller sets. Beyond the music, there are 16 bowling lanes, a full bar, and an arcade. Tuesdays bring a standing honky tonk night with The Cowpokes. Architectural Digest has named Eastside Bowl one of the world's most unique bowling alleys. It's a bit of a trip from downtown compared to most East Nashville venues, as it sits right near the border of East and Madison.