Entertainment Abounds in Nashville, TN
From stand-up to improv and everything in between, Nashville’s entertainment scene offers something for everyone.
Besides being famous comedians with Netflix specials, there’s another thing that stand-up comedians Nate Bargatze, Dusty Slay, Henry Cho and Kathleen Madigan have in common: they all live in Nashville, TN.
From open mic nights at intimate venues to well-known clubs with legendary stages, Nashville is an ideal place to experience top-notch comedy.
In This Article
Stand-Ups Take the Stage in Nashville, TN
Though an unassuming brick building from the outside, Zanies Comedy Night Club is the premiere comedy venue in the region, drawing top talent from across the nation. In addition to booking big names like Neal Brennan and Michelle Wolf, there are plenty of shows that feature emerging and rising comedians, too.
Zanies also hosts “New Material Mondays,” where audience members are treated to a surprise lineup of comedians as they work out new material – and you never know who might show up to perform! (Pro tip: If you love surprise entertainment like this, also check out Don’t Tell Comedy, which coordinates pop-up performances in town and across the nation.)
Of course, famous comedians also perform at much larger venues around town, like The Ryman, the Grand Ole Opry and The Mulehouse. The Opry, in particular, has been a longstanding staple in Nashville’s comedy scene.
“Comedy has been a rich part of the Opry’s performance mix since some of its earliest days,” says Dan Rogers, Grand Ole Opry executive producer. “For several decades, Minnie Pearl was among the Opry’s most recognizable faces nationally, appearing on television and promoting the Opry wherever she went.”
In 2023, for the first time in 50 years, comedians became members of the Grand Ole Opry cast with the induction of Henry Cho.
“We work to include comedy in Opry shows several times a month,” Rogers says. “A great comedy set makes any Opry show better.”
Besides individual shows across town throughout the year, there’s one big event that celebrates comedy on a huge scale: the Nashville Comedy Festival. An annual showcase that’s known as “the funniest week in Nashville,” this event features a jam-packed schedule of regional and national comedic talent in multiple venues across town.
The 2023 festival featured the Tennessee Kid himself, Nate Bargatze, as the main headliner, with Leanne Morgan, David Spade and Fortune Feimster as fellow headliners, along with dozens of other performers.
Improv and Beyond in Nashville, TN
Nashville also has a strong community of comedians that specialize in improv, sketch and other forms of comedy. Third Coast Comedy Club is an absolute staple in this category, offering a vast variety of shows encompassing every genre of comedy you can think of. Located in Marathon Village, the club primarily highlights local talent, with both in-house and outside-produced shows taking the stage.
“Our bread and butter is improv, but we have stand-up, sketch comedy, musicals and talk shows – we do a little bit of everything,” says Scott Elam, artistic director and training center director of Third Coast. “We really pride ourselves on doing comedy of all stripes, and we want people from all walks of life to be able to come in and experience comedy.”
Many of the house produced shows are recurring, like the weekly Third Coast Comedy Show, which combines short and long-form improv in a familiar “Whose Line is it Anyway”-style format. Other popular shows include Cherry Bomb: An Improvised Musical, the Third Coast Stand-Up Showcase and Alco-LOL, where the host crowdsources drinking rules for the performers at the beginning of the show.
Third Coast also has a robust training center, offering classes across the spectrum of comedy practices, including improv, stand-up, writing and even clown classes. (Yes, you read that right: clown classes.)
Another improv act in town, Nashville Improv, does pop-up shows all over Nashville, including a regular gig at City Winery.
“We specialize in short form and musical improv,” says Jarvis Bynum, director of Nashville Improv. “We do a lot of themed shows, including our T. Hanks Giving Show and our one-act improvised musicals.”
Music Venues in and Around Nashville, TN
In addition to comedy, it’s no secret that Nashville is the epicenter of live music in Middle Tennessee – but there are plenty of incredible music venues in the surrounding areas, too. Whether you prefer a more intimate setting or an energizing crowd, drive in any direction, and you’re sure to find a place to enjoy the famous Nashville Sound. Here are four music venues to check out in the region’s neighboring counties:
Marathon Music Works
Davidson County
marathonmusicworks.com
Close to downtown Nashville, you’ll find Marathon Village, an old automobile factory that’s been converted to a multiuse retail and entertainment space. One of the tenants is Marathon Music Works, a 1,500-person standing-room concert venue that hosts a wide variety of acts. There is plenty of affordable, easy-to-find parking nearby, making it one of the lowest-hassle concert spots in Nashville proper.
FirstBank Amphitheatre
Williamson County
firstbankamphitheater.com
Leave those city lights behind and head to FirstBank Amphitheatre, where you experience “Music City in the country®.” Located at the Graystone Quarry, just outside of Franklin, this setting incorporates nature into the concert experience, thanks to the surrounding trees, meadows and wildlife. There’s no shortage of parking, but you do have to walk about a quarter mile on a paved path to reach the venue itself – a quick and easy sojourn that’s well worth the effort when the payoff is experiencing live music encompassed by nature.
The Mulehouse
Maury County
themulehouse.com
A church-turned-music venue with gorgeous stained-glass windows and transcendent acoustics? No, we’re not talking about the Ryman – we’re talking about The Mulehouse in historic Columbia, which opened in 2021 after a $7 million renovation that turned the beloved, abandoned building into a shining centerpiece for the community. The venue can hold up to 500 guests and is decked out with state-of-the-art sound systems and live-streaming 4K technology. In the future, the owner also plans to add a restaurant and boutique hotel to the space, which could simplify the entire concert-going experience: lodging, food and entertainment all in one place.
The Sunset Music Colosseum on the River
Rutherford County
(website coming soon)
Set to open in 2023, this campus promises to be a massive addition to the community, with both an indoor concert venue that seats 1,500 and an outdoor amphitheater that seats 4,500. Full-service restaurants will also be located on-site, along with luxury fire pit suites, making it an ideal spot to gather all year long.
Music and Film Production Near Nashville, TN
A satellite location that personifies Nashville’s talented music and video industries can be found 30 miles south of Music City in Spring Hill.
Worldwide Stages provides high-tech soundstage and production facilities for artists wanting to make professional music videos, TV shows, short films or movies. With its motto of “We Provide A-List Facilities for A-List Talent,” the company offers advantages like multiple soundstages, green rooms, production suites and a private 70-seat theater for intimate performances.
Also on-site is a Grade A commercial kitchen that can feed hundreds who might be in attendance to shoot videos or films, and there are more than 1,000 parking spaces. One entertainment genre that often books Worldwide Stages is top country music stars, many of whom will travel to Spring Hill to practice and work out any sound/production kinks prior to staging their concerts at Nashville venues, including Bridgestone Arena, Nissan Stadium and Ryman Auditorium.
Kevin Litwin contributed to this article.
Get to Know Nashville, TN
Want to learn more about living and working in Nashville? Check out the latest edition of Livability Nashville Region, TN.
