Review: The Station Inn

What are your first impressions upon arrival?
As much of the surrounding Gulch neighborhood has been bulldozed and rebuilt as gleaming highrises, The Station Inn stands pat: a tiny cinder-block holdout. The building itself isn’t much, just a simple room with little décor or fanfare. You might feel a bit like you're in your parents’ 1970’s basement but here (like, perhaps there) anything can happen.

What can we see here?
The Station Inn is not just Nashville's best bluegrass club, it's probably the country's best. You might hear country, rock, and pop at other Nashville venues, but The Station Inn brings fast pickin', down home excitement every night, with some of the genre’s best musicians as regular visitors. While open mics can be touch-and-go elsewhere, the open Sunday Bluegrass jam that sometimes features three generations of musicians playing at the same is a sight to behold and a joy to hear.

How are the seats?
Large communal tables are the norm, and there's a modest standing-room-only space in the back. The room is smallish, so there’s not really a bad seat, but it pays to arrive early enough to call dibs on your spot of choice. Doors open two hours before the first show, and there’s no reserved seating.

Good for kids?
Anyone under drinking age has to come with a chaperone, but as long as they're up for a raucous evening, they're welcome. The venue makes one request: "If your little tyke is making adorable noises that might not fit with the music being performed, we ask that you take them outside so that they can get it all out, then come right back in."

Anything truly special?
So much of Nashville has gone non-country, from cover bands to pop. Here, however, you can listen to real-deal bluegrass musicians playing honest-to-goodness bluegrass without flashy lights or other distractions. One of the charms of The Station Inn? It's not uncommon for a musician in the audience to come up and jam with the band.

Who do you think this is best for?
Locals and tourists alike should come here for foot-tapping, dance-floor-inspiring, fiddle-playing bluegrass music.