The Music Venue Alliance of Nashville (MVAN) shines a spotlight on independent venues that capture Nashville’s musical soul. These spots host original performances from local artists you won’t find on bigger stages. Thanks to MVAN’s new calendar, discovering smaller, affordable shows has never been easier.
The Music Venue Alliance of Nashville (MVAN) is a local non-profit that advocates for independently owned concert halls and bars, where you can hear live music in the greater Nashville area. While there are plenty of places to catch live music, independent venues capture Music City’s zeitgeist. These are places locals go and locals play. As a generalization, you’re more likely to hear original music on these stages than on some of the larger, corporate-owned stages, where cover songs are crowd-pleasers. Not that there’s anything wrong with cover songs: We all love to sing along when we know the lyrics. But being exposed to original music is part of why you come to Nashville. Hear and see performers you could not catch elsewhere. Many of these stages play the kinds of shows you’ve grown to love at Bobby Nashville’s Backyard Sessions at Rooftop Lounge, including Springwater Supper Club and Lounge, Rudy’s Jazz Room, The Listening Room Café, and Drkmttr.
Earlier this year, MVAN launched a new searchable calendar to help you find shows at the city’s independent music venues. Because of MVAN’s member profile, the calendar helps you find both venues and artists that sometimes get overlooked. The calendar includes a number of lunchtime and early evening shows, so you can head to one of these before going to a higher-profile concert at night. Another bonus of the smaller, independent venues? They tend to have low ticket prices so that you can see a number of acts on your holiday. Just remember to put money in the hat when it is passed; tipping musicians is the Nashville way.
