Right now, my friends I am making a mad dash attempt to catch up to my mid-year content and all my emails and such. I have festival dates for 2026 on the front half of that article and 2025 in the fall, and I catch up on shows. I usually have Muddy Roots coming up and Americanafest and North Springs Music Festival all on my horizons. So, in order to combat some of these situations I make attempts to combine article ideas into one to cut down on the clutter. It’s really just the way I like to operate, especially because I don’t always have time to create content on a timely manner.
All three of the reasons I have to list inside this joint article are focused on the downtown area that we call Lower Broadway. See unless you have been living under a rock, you know that Broadway has become pedal car taverns and bachelorette parties. Also, unless you have been living under a rock, you know that I often write about many reasons that real Country DOES exist in Nashville if you look for it.
In my honest opinion, I think there is truly a juxtaposition of things just about any type of Country Music fan can enjoy. There is still a long list of powerhouse heroes out in Nashville that are keeping history alive in Music City with a modern twist to appeal to young and old both, and that’s not a bad thing. Thankfully, when we had to throw up our arms and ask, “who’s going to step up and solve this mess?” many people answered. This first reason Nashville does not suck is the glorious return of the Ernest Tubb Record Shop. Here is what I know:
In late 2023, Bryan and Jamie Kenney bought and took control of the landmark, and along with Ernest Dale Tubb III (grandson) they took on the job of rebuilding and preserving the landmark, with additional plans to modernize it along with keeping up the tradition alive. I mean, let’s face it, this here is right where the Midnite Jamboree began. So, when they announced that it would resume, I was elated. Also, at first there was a lot of speculation that it wasn’t even going to be a record shop. Here in the last week, they announced the changes.
The ground floor of the building is going to be split into two bars, each with a live band and a stage. Mostly what the majority of Broadway is, and it will be adorned in the Tubb keepsakes and memorabilia. The second floor will be the record shop and will be an authentic family approved reinterpretation of the original store. The second floor will also have a stage and will host the Midnite Jamboree with a “modern rendition” of it being the focus. It will be open to the public and will be free to shop in the store.
The third floor will apparently be a venue with ticket sales much like Eric Church did (keep reading), it will have new artist spotlights and label events. The lower level will serve as a member only VIP club with artist meet and greet and the like. I tell you what, I am over the moon excited to see this happen to the store, and I hope all of this comes to fruition.
Originally the owners of Robert’s Western World JesseLee Jones and Emily Cousins were buying and preserving it from former owner David McCormick. However, due to an estate dispute, the property could not be sold, and both parties withdrew. I am not completely sure exactly how the current owners purchased the property, but I do know one thing JesseLee Jones did indeed buy and that was my second reason that Nashville does NOT suck is…….
Robert’s Western World has purchased the Jack’s Barbeque space next door. The current store on Broadway alongside Robert’s has been there for over 30 years. The notes on the press release announced the new owners, and it was stated they plan to use it for Robert’s in some form. That has not been completely reported on by anyone as of yet, and I will be following up on this soon. And now for the third reason:
Ashley Mcbryde celebrates sobriety by opening a non-alcoholic bar upstairs from Eric Church’s Chiefs. This establishment will also indeed have a full bar but will offer a wide and extensive selection of nonalcoholic beverages for a first of its kind of business target demographic. Let me tell you exactly who that target demographic is….me.
Hi, I am Gary Hayes, and I am an addict and an alcoholic. I am 5 years sober. Redemption…yeah. I loved heroin folks, and I beat it. A long long list of artists in our kind of Country are turning to sobriety. This new generation of Country artists are all now celebrating sobriety and still singing about consuming copious amounts of alcohol….but that’s for another time. Redemption opens August 28th.
