It’s hard to stand out on Broadway these days.
There are nearly 40 bars in just a five block stretch of downtown Nashville that serves as a hotspot for tourists to Music City. And of those bars, over a dozen bear the name of a famous country artist, with bars owned by Garth Brooks, Post Malone and Jason Aldean to Alan Jackson, John Rich and Kid Rock.
(Of course when I say a bar is “owned” by an artist, the extent of that ownership can actually vary wildly. Some artists do actually own the bars named after themselves, while others just agree to license their name to a hospitality corporation to use on the bar).
The competition on Broadway, and its growth in recent years, makes it increasingly difficult for bars to places to stand out from the crowd. But Eric Church managed to find a way to do just that when he opened his bar, Chief’s, back in 2024:
Showcase original music.
Now, that sounds simple enough. But for some reason, most bars downtown don’t allow artists to play their original music, and instead only feature bands playing cover songs that appeal to the masses. The result is you hear the same rotation of 10-20 songs no matter which bar you go to, and unfortunately for the bands down there, they often end up stuck in the trap of choosing between the good money they’re making by playing covers or chasing their dreams.
But Nashville is Music City. It’s where some of the greatest songs of all time were written. It’s where some of the greatest artists of all time were discovered. And it’s hard for an artist to get discovered when they’re playing “Don’t Stop Believing” for the 5th time in the same night.
That’s why Church wanted Chief’s to be different. During a recent interview with Peter Zarzour on his Hometown Titans podcast, Church spoke about why it was so important to him to allow artists to showcase their original music in his bar:
“I hear the argument all the time of, ‘You don’t want Nashville to turn into Vegas.’ I hear it. And when we built this place – I mean, we’re still the only bar down there that, we have singer-songwriters, we have a venue that brings in people 5, 6 nights a week, and we put ’em on stage and we don’t make ’em play other people’s songs.
We let ’em play their songs. And that’s always been critical for me, and something that we’ve always leaned into.
It’s about people being discovered, it’s about them being able to play their music, to showcase their art in one of the busiest entertainment districts in the country.”
Chief’s features an incredible lineup of up-and-coming artists who regularly grace their many stages, names like Shelby Lee Lowe, Skyelor Anderson, Michael Leatherman, Cay Aliese and Nathan Belt. And while you may not know these names just yet, there’s a very good chance that you will in the future – and instead of being forced to play cover songs, Chief’s gives artists an opportunity to hone their craft by showcasing their own, original music.
The bar is also unique in the fact that it has a ticketed venue, the two-story Neon Steeple. The venue host shows from artists as big as Church himself, while also featuring up-and-coming artists, ’90s country favorites, writers rounds from hit songwriters, and pretty much everything in between.
There’s truly nothing like it on Broadway: In most bars, the music is the background noise for the party. In the Neon Steeple, the music is why you walk through the door.
Of course there’s more that sets Chief’s apart from other bars, including having famous BBQ pitmaster Rodney Scott serving up some of the best pulled pork and brisket you’ll find in Nashville. And during their interview, Zarzour and Church also joked about the bar’s now-famous rooftop:
“It does have a world famous outdoor roof. You can Google that one all day long.”
As someone who’s lived in Nashville for over 10 years now, I don’t really spend much time on Broadway these days. But if I do venture downtown, chances are you’ll find me at Chief’s. It’s the one place that’s still focused on what made me want to move here in the first place: The music.
Just like Church wants it to be.
