Say what you want about Garth Brooks, the man gives a great interview.
Garth recently announced that he would be opening a new bar on Lower Broadway (although it was first discovered and reported on by Whiskey Riff).
Garth’s new entertainment concept and bar will be located at 411 Broadway in the old Downtown Sporting Club location, or for those who remember, the location of Paradise Park. The 3-story, 40,000+ square foot property on Lower Broadway was purchased in December, 2021.
Ahead of his Nashville shows, Garth discussed plans for the bar in more detail, officially confirming that it would be named Friends in Low Places (although it had already been reported because the giant sign in the window kinda gave that one away).
But aside from saying hilarious things like he wanted it to be the “Chick-fil-A of honky tonks,” and how they thought about naming it the G-Spot, when it came do the particulars of the actual bar, Garth comments were encouraging.
Anyone who’s been on Broadway recently knows half the places, even the ones with a country singer’s name out front, turn into Top 40 nightclubs when the sun goes down.
Robert’s Western World is still holding it down, AJ’s Goodtime Bar is pretty good, but overall, you’re gonna hear more “Wagon Wheel” and bad Journey covers on Broadway than you are gonna hear good country music.
Which is why Garth wants his bar to be a classic honky tonk:
“I’d love it to be a classic honky tonk. Cause country music to me has been so good to me.
And I want to hear, on lower Broadway in 2022, I want to hear King George coming out of that honky tonk. I want to hear Haggard coming out of that honky tonk.
And I don’t think that’s impossible to ask. But I also think you can play Luke Bryan in there, I think you can play Chesney in there, I think you can play Yearwood, McEntire, Dolly with the new group too, the Ashleys.
What’s coming out of those speakers… undeniably country music. So that’s what I’m hoping, I’m hoping this place is a thumpin’ place that always looks like something is going crazy in there. I like that.
But when you walk in, I hope it’s country music that you hear.”
Already sounds better than most of the bars on Broadway to me… although you keep saying “hope” Garth. You keep saying “I hope” is plays this, and “I hope” it’s like that…
Don’t hope G… make it happen.
