What Are the Best Music Venues in East Nashville?

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For a small club with a weekly lineup, start with The 5 Spot at 1006 Forest Ave. Its own site lists recurring nights such as Motown Monday and Blue Monday with The Tiger Beats, plus Sunday karaoke, and says it sells its own tickets with no third-party ticketing (The 5 Spot). For a bar with live music and dancing, The Infatuation’s citywide bar guide tags Skinny Dennis at 2635 Gallatin Pike (The Infatuation). For records and events, Grimey’s at 1060 East Trinity Lane calls itself Nashville’s premier record store and posts upcoming events on its site (Grimey’s).

Venues and What They Offer

Venue Address What the source says
The 5 Spot 1006 Forest Ave recurring nights including Motown Monday; tickets sold directly by the venue
Skinny Dennis 2635 Gallatin Pike a boot-scootin' saloon tagged for live music and dancing (The Infatuation)
Grimey's 1060 East Trinity Lane a record store with an events calendar; open Monday to Thursday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Sunday noon to 5 p.m.
The Basement East East Nashville a 475-capacity venue that has hosted Kris Kristofferson, John Prine, Margo Price, and Cage the Elephant; its roof and back walls were torn off in the March 3, 2020, tornado, leaving the "I Believe In Nashville" mural standing, per Pollstar in January 2021, when it was rebuilding; check its current calendar before you go
Eastside Bowl 1508A Gallatin Pike S, Nashville, TN 37115 bowling plus a shows calendar; note the address, in ZIP code 37115, outside the ZIP codes that make up greater East Nashville

The Basement East history is from Pollstar, and the Eastside Bowl address from its site.

Planning a Music Night

  1. Check the calendar first. The 5 Spot and Eastside Bowl post their shows, and The 5 Spot sells tickets itself.
  2. Pair a show with dinner from the best restaurants in East Nashville.
  3. Want honky-tonk music instead? Lower Broadway is the place for that, covered in the best honky-tonks on Broadway.

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