The Bluebird Cafe

For a quintessential Nashville experience, visit this unassuming 100-seat club that remains one of the nation's premier venues for up-and-coming as well as established songwriters. Surprisingly, you'll find the Bluebird not in the District or on Music Row but in a suburban shopping plaza across the road from the Mall at Green Hills. There are usually two shows a night. Between 6 and 7pm, there is frequently music in the round, during which four singer-songwriters play some of their latest works. After 9pm, when more-established acts take the stage, there's a cover charge. This is the place in Nashville to catch the music of people you'll be hearing from in coming years. Because the club is so small, reservations (taken noon-5pm) are recommended.

Shhh! -- That's the slogan of The Bluebird Cafe. So save your hell-raising for elsewhere. Once the audition-winning songwriters step onstage, the Bluebird becomes pin-drop quiet. For musicians the world over, playing here is the country music equivalent of Carnegie Hall. Reserving one of the venue's 21 tables takes persistence. Weekend shows often sell out days in advance. The Bluebird advises patrons to start calling on Monday "and keep hitting the redial button until you get through!" If you can't get reservations, there's usually standing-room-only (on a first-come, first-served basis) at the bar or at benches.

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.

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