Comedian, musician, host of Chris Crofton's Advice King Podcast and former Nashvillian Chris Crofton asked the Scene for an advice column, so we gave him one. Crowning himself the “Advice King,” Crofton will share his hard-won wisdom with whosoever seeks it. Follow Crofton on Facebook and Twitter, and to submit a question for the Advice King, email bestofbread[at]gmail[dot]com or editor[at]nashvillescene[dot]com.
Dear Advice King,
I’m going to be in Nashville for my buddy’s wedding, and I was wondering if you had any tips for where to catch the best live music. We don’t want to go where the tourists go. I like all kinds of music, as long as it’s good.
Thanks,
—Chip from Denver
Uhhhh. Hmmm. Nashville’s not really so much of a music town anymore, Chip. It’s more of a “hotel town.” Or a “hot chicken that isn’t actually hot because the tourists complain on Yelp” town. Or an, um, “tax shelter.”
It’s still called “Music City” in all the brochures, but that’s become less a reality than a real estate agent’s talking point.
In 2022 Nashville, there are probably more climbing gyms than independent music venues. More wood-fired pizza places. More mani-pedi joints. There are more leaflets stuck to windshields offering cash for poor people’s houses than there are venues, banjos and guitars combined.
Maybe Nashville should be called “Murals Referencing the Music That Used to Be Made Here City.”
Ten years ago, when “Music City” was still more a reality than a real estate agent’s talking point, there were a lot more venues, and a lot more good music. Some of them were bought by out-of-town economic consortiums. These consortiums always make vague promises about “planning to honor the cultural heritage of the site.” The promises are vague on purpose, so they aren’t legally binding. Translated, “preserving the cultural heritage of the site” almost always means that they keep the old sign. The storied music venue is turned into a shitty, expensive hotel decorated with taxidermy and airplane propellers — but they keep the sign.
Sometimes they leave it out front, sometimes they hang it above the sushi bar. It becomes a nostalgic “nod” to the music that used to happen there — as if good music is a thing of the past, something that past cultures had time for, but not us. Not us, the phone people. We’ve moved past sentiment. And lyrics? Who’s got time to listen to them? Just give me a computer-generated day-spa-disco thump in the background to accompany my relentless Instagram posting. And a mural, and an old sign. My Uber’s here!
One of the places I would have recommended is Mercy Lounge, Chip. It has three venues inside it. It closes at the end of May, so you might be able to catch one of the last shows. The whole complex was purchased by the New York-based “Thor Equities” — that’s what they’re really called, I’m not kidding — and a guy named Zach Liff. Zach bought out Thor's stake, and he owns the whole thing now. And he says he’s “excited about its future and the stewardship of its character.” That means Zach is gonna keep the sign.
I would have recommended Exit/In. That venue is no longer booking shows past Thanksgiving of this year. The Exit/In property was purchased by Chicago-based AJ Capital Partners last year. The longtime proprietors of Exit/In raised more than $200,000 to sweeten an offer to buy the property from AJ — a large chunk of which came from Nashville musicians, including me. But ultimately the capital group won. Mom and Pop can’t compete with “capital groups.” Capital groups need to be regulated.
Exit/In is a HISTORIC venue. It is not replaceable. As part of a PR campaign, AJ Capital applied for a historic landmark overlay from Metro on the Exit/In site. Sounds great, right? Check the fine print. The protections only go so far. They’ll be able to keep the bare minimum of what has made the venue unique, and that will probably not include the people who’ve been running it. And I betcha it will include Live Nation. They’ll keep the sign.
FUN FACT: During a dispute regarding Wedgewood-Houston (another neighborhood where they own property), AJ Capital CEO Ben Weprin tried to smooth things over on a Zoom call from a private jet! Typical Nashville, super-musical Music City behavior right there.
Here’s an idea, Chip: Speaking of Live Nation, while you’re in Music City, why not get a glimpse into our joyful, musical future? Visit the brand-new, humongous, frightening, brand-new Live Nation office in a building called Nashville Warehouse Co. They put the giant guitar sign from the old Nashville Sounds stadium in the parking lot. No live music or baseball though, ironically. Lots of tech bros in tiny suits browsing Zillow, I’m sure. Probably a climbing gym. Definitely retina-scanning.
I hate to be such a bummer, but unless we get serious about taxing the rich there won’t be any music venues left. The last thing money-obsessed people want is to enable the creation of any new songs like Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Fortunate Son” or Public Enemy’s “Bring the Noise.”
They want good music to be a thing of the past — it’s bad for business.
Nashville venues to visit: Exit/In (for now), The End, Springwater Supper Club, Mercy Lounge (until the end of May), Robert’s Western World, The East Room, The 5 Spot, DRKMTTR, The Basement, 3rd and Lindsley, The Basement East, Eastside Bowl, Dee’s Country Cocktail Lounge.
