From Snoop Dogg and NSYNC to Post Malone and Bon Jovi: The Diverse a Transformative New Wave of Celebrity Bars Shaking Up Nashville
On a Monday night in Nashville, a live band’s belting out “Sweet Child O’ Mine” at Jon Bon Jovi’s Nashville, while one block down, you’ll be hard-pressed to hear yourself speak on the raging roof of Kid Rock’s Big Ass Honky Tonk. “They keep their windows wide open so all of Broadway hears them,” gripes…
On a Monday night in Nashville, a live band’s belting out “Sweet Child O’ Mine” at Jon Bon Jovi’s Nashville, while one block down, you’ll be hard-pressed to hear yourself speak on the raging roof of Kid Rock’s Big Ass Honky Tonk. “They keep their windows wide open so all of Broadway hears them,” gripes a neighboring bartender.
Nearby, down a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it stairwell, lies Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre’s elusive new rum joint, The Spot By Dre and Snoop, while up at Justin Timberlake’s The Twelve Thirty Club, immaculately dressed wait staff swiftly sweep in to refold my napkin the second I head to the restroom.
I first came to Nashville in 2014 to explore how you don’t have to love country music to enjoy Music City. Judging by the growing culinary world, evolving fashion industry, pedal tavern adventures and burgeoning indie rock scene I found, I was right. But one area that remained dominated by country crooners and fans, albeit amid gradual change, was Broadway.
It’s a different story a decade later, thanks to a post-pandemic slew of musicians outside of the country genre blazing onto Broadway to feed and entertain a broader range of music lovers, while also enticing those looking for a fancier night out.
“Nashville’s Music City, not Country Music City,” says longtime local, NSYNC musician and JBJ’s Nashville partner Chris Kirkpatrick. “The heart of Broadway’s honky-tonks and country and still has the soul of what this town was built on, but now there’s something for everyone. It’s a Disney-like experience. The spots we’ve always loved are still there — just with artists’ names on them.”
Celebrity-infused bars aren’t new to Broadway. Tootsie Bess opened iconic honky-tonk Tootsies in 1960, while JesseLee Jones’ legendary Robert’s Western World landed in 1999.
“When The Opry were housed at the Ryman, Willie Nelson, Patsy Cline and Loretta Lynn would come out, go into Tootsies and get on stage,” says Deana Ivey, president and CEO of the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp. “These bars have always had celebrity connections.”
Blake Shelton’s Ole Red
Opry
However, Broadway wasn’t where many locals, nor tourists, would hang, let alone dine. Blake Shelton recalls little more than a Planet Hollywood restaurant and NASCAR Café when he arrived at 17. “It was all dive bars and not where you wanted to be walking down the street after dark,” he tells THR.
Shelton credits city and tourism officials for transforming Broadway into a “star attraction” and is proud to have been part of the wave of country artists — like Dierks Bentley, Luke Byran, John Rich and Jason Aldean — who opened venues in 2018. “We all blew in and created something that’s never happened in Nashville,” says Shelton, whose Ole Red dining, drinking and music venue now has six U.S. locations. “Music was always a draw, but now it’s also food and Broadway’s truly the centerpiece.”
Kid Rock and Gavin DeGraw also entered the scene in 2018; however, it’s post-COVID-19 that a greater influx of mainstream artists have joined the party, starting with Tennessee native Timberlake, who partnered with restaurateur Sam Fox to open decadent supper club The Twelve Thirty Club in 2021.
Fox scored the prime location, opposite Bridgestone Arena, on the condition he’d create something unique. Cue a swanky dining experience — and Timberlake.
“Rather than a cliché with his name on the building, we wanted something low-key that was more about the food, wine and cocktail experience, which often gets overlooked in such a touristy area,” says Fox. “Justin’s big into wine, so the wine program was really important to him.”
“And the music was important since that’s what Justin does,” continues Fox, adding that Timberlake’s career has enriched his hospitality skills since he “knows how to put on a good time.”
That good time starts on the ground floor honky-tonk, which leads up to the restaurant, offering dishes like scallops with artichoke fondue. A cocktail cart rolls up, with the waitress lighting an Old Fashioned on fire then presenting the smoky drink as a country songstress performs acoustically behind her. There’s also a rooftop and members-only lounge.
From here, you can spot JBJ’s Nashville, the seeds of which were planted pre-COVID, when Tara and Josh Joseph of Big Plan Holdings explored Broadway to sniff out what was missing.
“Before Miranda Lambert [who opened Casa Rosa in 2021] and Lainey Wilson [who opened Bell Bottoms Up in 2024], there wasn’t any female representation,” says Tara Joseph. “We also noticed even in country bars, people were requesting ‘80s music like Journey and Bon Jovi. Why not open a bar that represents the ‘80s music being requested up and down the street?”
The Josephs wanted to introduce a venue themed around a rock act and attracting a multi-generational, international clientele. Enter Jon Bon Jovi, who has Nashville ties, while bandmates including keyboardist David Bryan live there.
Although it’s the frontman’s name on signage, and his spookily realistic hologram welcoming guests, the five-story complex honors the whole band, from cocktails named after songs to Bryan’s personal plaque-adorned booth. “We call him the Mayor of Nashville because he knows everybody and it doesn’t matter what fan’s coming up to him at what time, he’ll say ‘Hi,’” says Tara Joseph.
Kirkpatrick didn’t think twice when the Josephs invited him to become a JBJs Nashville partner and he regularly visits, jumps on stage or brings in celebrity pals, like Megadeth drummer Shawn Drover. The musician, who’s currently on the Pop 2000 tour, saw JBJ’s Nashville as a chance to “embed” himself in the community and show he’s committed to Nashville “for the long haul.”
“We’re not here while it’s trendy then leaving,” he says. “I came here to write in the ‘90s/early 2000s and have always felt this was a special place. Plus, I grew up in the ‘80s as a rock guy. Being a fan growing up, it’s great to be part of this family and go, ‘Wow. I’ve got friends in Bon Jovi.’”
Post Malone‘s Posty’s
Leena Tailor
One block over, rapper turned country act Post Malone’s new spot Posty’s salutes the Grammy winner, like with a replica of the 1971 Ford F-100 pickup truck from his F-1 Trillion album cover suspended above the bar. Another bar with hunting lodge touches displays the singer’s photos and vinyls, while the stairwell stars a chandelier of Bud Light bottles — Post’s favorite beer. Local rumor has it that Post will shut down Broadway and perform a street party marking the venue’s official opening.
While Post, Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre and DeGraw aren’t strangers to country music, their venues reflect the changing face of Broadway. DeGraw opened Nashville Underground with his brother, Joey DeGraw. With a bowling alley, arcade games and mechanical bull, it’s the type of place you can imagine DeGraw and his One Tree Hill pals frequenting on the show.
As with Nashville Underground, The Spot by Dre and Snoop doesn’t have its owners’ names blazed across the entrance. But inside, the rappers’ photos, records and cassettes are on show. Described as “West Coast meets Southern soul,” the intimate space has curtained booths and cocktails made with the pair’s Still G.I.N. brand.
So, what does everyone think of the newer kids on the block?
Fox says The Twelve Thirty Club was warmly welcomed, while Shelton’s all for variety.
“There’s an enormous part of the fan base who are country music fans, but there’s also those who also love rock, rap or pop,” he says. “So, for Kid Rock to be across the street from Ole Red makes sense and helps create an environment where everybody has a spot. If your friends don’t love country, they’ve got somewhere to go while the rest of you hit country bars.”
“I’m surprised how many guests say, ‘I’m not a big country fan,’” adds Sean Fisher, guest services and concierge manager at Four Seasons Nashville.
Ivey has seen a “definite” increase in visitors to Nashville thanks to celebrity-owned bars. The broader range of genres and establishments also caters to increased international visitation, largely spawned by direct flights from cities like London, Dublin and Reykjavik. International visitors increased from 391,000 in 2019 to a record high of 419,000 in 2024.
The Spot By Dre and Snoop
Ely Garcia
That’s something JBJ’s Nashville focused on. “We’re rock venue meets Cheers because we want everyone to feel at home,” says Tara Joseph, adding that foreigners love finding concert posters or platinum records from their countries. “When people come from overseas, they find a piece of home here.”
JBJ’s Nashville is also one of several newer bars highlighting a flourishing market for luxury or VIP experiences, likely spurred by increased spending. The average visitor spend rose by around 30 percent from $511 in 2019 to $663 in 2024.
The Vegas-style bottle service at Jelly Roll’s Goodnight Nashville or Dierks Bentley’s Whiskey Row (which also holds weekly EDM nights) is a far cry from traditional honky-tonks, as is Miranda Lambert’s VIP lounge Buckle Bar, Lainey Wilson’s dueling piano bar Bayou Keys and The Spot By Dre and Snoop.
Similarly, I would get the heels out for The Twelve Thirty Club and JBJ’s Nashville’s fourth floor, which feels like a members-only lounge — decked out in plush red couches, crystal chandeliers and an illuminated wall of enlarged band photos.
With bigger bucks being splashed around, 2022 marked the arrival of Four Seasons Nashville, the city’s first international five-star luxury brand. Perfectly positioned a few minutes’ walk to 20-plus celebrity-owned Broadway bars, plus Nissan Stadium, Bridgestone Arena and Ascend Amphitheatre, the riverfront property’s indulging those who like the finer things, with first-class dining, rooftop infinity pool, salon and spa. A Ritz-Carlton and Pendry Nashville are also coming to town.
The contrasting juxtaposition of luxury spas and bars alongside honky-tonks is a welcome dichotomy if you ask Fisher. “I call them palette cleansers. When you’ve hit enough honky-tonks and country music, you can listen to jazz, see a burlesque show and enjoy fine, prohibition-era cocktails. That’s where The Twelve Thirty Club’s the perfect addition. It’s this elevated dinner experience overlooking Broadway and afterwards, you have your whole night right there. That’s a night worth traveling for.
“Having an approachable honky-tonk experience, alongside the highest echelon of Michelin-caliber dining is an experiment, but it’s working.”
The Molten Butterscotch Angel Cake dessert at Justin Timberlake’s The Twelve Thirty Club.
Leena Tailor
Adds Fox: “That’s the evolution of a city maturing. There’s still incredible down-and-dirty beer saloons and that’s what some people want, but others want an elevated experience.”
Increased variety in artists and venues coming to Broadway, and Nashville overall, has also impacted the music community. Fisher cites his bluegrass guitarist pal landing a gig with Broadway’s newest restauranter, Post.
“The more collaborations we have, the more it elevates local artists,” says Fisher. “My friend Seth Taylor’s now touring the world with Post Malone. To see Post, who came from a pop/rap scene, recruiting our bluegrass musicians is great.”
Kirkpatrick, who owns an Eagleville music studio, adds that the broader scope of artists creating ties with Nashville only enhances musicality.
“In the ‘90s, most writers here were country-driven, but there’s diversity now, which helps me get co-writes,” says Kirkpatrick. “It helps to say, ‘We’re not just writing on a lap steel and fiddle.’ The music culture’s expanding into pop and you never know who’ll be in town. I mean, Snoop Dogg, for Pete’s sake!”
