The Coolest Nashville Venues for Live Indie Music
Nashville is most notably known for places like the Ryman or the Opry. There’s certainly no shortage of mega-pop and country acts that sell out massive shows. However, the music scene is far more vibrant here than most may realize. We have a humungous, thriving, independent music community in Nashville. Our music-centered colleges and world-class recording industry attracts talent from all over the country, making live music life here. Therefore, if you’re not local, you might overlook some of the coolest local bars and venues. We at Nashville Unsigned can’t be having that. So, we’ve put together a list of our favorite Nashville venues for live indie music.
Mercy Lounge, The Highwatt & Cannery Ballroom
Cannery Row is the place to be for the holy trinity of Nashville indie venues. Mercy Lounge was the first in this collection of venues and started the buzz. Opening in January of 2003, it quickly became the go-to place for hip young socialites and live performances from up-and-coming artists. With a rustic coolness and 500-person standing room capacity, it’s able to handle most of Nashville’s eager crowds who love good music.
It didn’t take long before the little joint added a larger counterpart, Cannery Ballroom, and started hosting larger acts. The Cannery Ballroom doubled the max copacity of Mercy Lounge with a standing room of 1,000 people. They did all of this while easily maintaining the atmosphere that made it famous. Many artists in the electronic, indie, and popular rock genres, who often had more national recognition, really flourished here.
Nestled upstairs from Mercy Lounge, the Highwatt is a listening room that is popular in the independent music scene. Stocked with an intimate stage and full bar, this place hosts both heavy hitters and local acts. Though all kinds of genres come through this lounge, it is particularly well-suited for niche audiences. This is also what makes it so interesting, as it combines the culture of Mercy Lounge with creative newcomers.
The Basement, East & The Beast
The 5 Points area is home to one of Nashville Unsigned’s favorite venues, The Basement East. Sure, that’s where we showcase the Unsigned Series each month, but there is a definite reason. With a wide-open floor plan, plenty of room for seating and standing, and a bar that is easy to get to, this place is perfect for live music.
The Basement East and her two other sister venues, The Basement and The Beast Pub, are Nashville-centric and embody our love for creativity. This is the reason they rock a state-of-the-art Meyer sound system, plenty of parking and booked-out shows. Of course, who could forget the giant Tennessee flag wall painting outside on their huge back porch.
On top of the physical qualities that make this trio of venues such great places to play music, these sister venues are staffed and run by friendly, music-loving people. Live music is a part of The Basements culture, the same as Nashville itself.
The Back Corner
Another great location for an intimate, creative, musical atmosphere is The Back Corner. As a relative newcomer to the Nashville scene, this venue pops from a visual layout like none other in the city. Intricate murals are painted in areas, repurposed gothic chandeliers hang from the ceiling, and the bar is laid out in a modern, diamond-shape style that adds to the energy here. It’s just a cool place to hang out. As the website suggests, it is a place for story. It’s the kind of venue where you can lose yourself in the creative space.
For more on Nashville’s indie music scene, check out our music videos and artist interviews! Nashville Unsigned is a collaborative effort between entrepreneurs and musicians in Nashville’s booming music industry. Like us on Facebook and catch more artist news, interviews and music videos.
