🎵 The best music venues in Nashville

🍜 The Best Soups in Nashville

It’s cold, and I don’t know about you, but that means it’s soup season for me! Today on the City Cast Nashville podcast, food contributor Margaret Littman gives us the rundown on the best soups in town, from ramen to butternut squash. [🎧 City Cast Nashville]

👶 Child Care Bill Aims To Cut Costs

Nashville Sen. Heidi Campbell has filed a bill to exempt child care centers from paying business taxes, hoping to encourage new centers to open. On average, children spend 6-12 months on child care waitlists. [WKRN]

• More on Nashville’s child care crisis. [🎧 City Cast Nashville]

🚨 Fewer Guns Stolen From Cars

According to the Metro Nashville Police Department, 928 guns were stolen from vehicles in 2024, compared to 1,209 in 2023, the lowest since 2019. MNPD cites a new initiative as the reason for the change. [WPLN]

🧓 Senior Care Programs Expand

Metro Social Services has launched new programs for seniors amid growing economic disparity due to inflation and increased housing costs. These programs include welfare checks, trash assistance, emergency freezer bags, and coalition groups to advocate for their needs. [NewsChannel 5]

Nashville is called Music City for a reason: We always have great music happening somewhere. But downtown is typically packed, and it’s nice to relax and hang out with friends and neighbors at music venues outside of the tourist hubbub. Here are some of our best music venues that don’t require a trip downtown.

🍸 The Bowery Vault

📍2905C Gallatin Pike

Grab a cocktail and get cozy at this smaller venue, which consistently hosts local singer/songwriters debuting a new song or album.

🎙️ 3rd and Lindsley

📍818 3rd Ave. South

This independent music venue on the edge of downtown has been open since 1991! It always has a great lineup, and you can check it out for free on Fridays, when WMOT tapes its weekly live shows.

🎸 Drkmttr

📍1111 Dickerson Pike

This all-ages nonprofit music venue and late-night vegan cafe turns 10 this year! It’s a vital community space, and one of Mayor Freddie O’Connell’s favorites.

🎵 OG Basement & Basement East

📍1604 8th Ave. South & 917 Woodland Street

The OG Basement has been around for almost 20 years, and The Basement East opened in 2015. Many big names have performed here, like Kacey Musgraves, Alice Cooper, Maren Morris, and John Prine. It’s also a great place to discover new voices.

🎶 Analog at Hutton Hotel

📍1808 West End Ave.

Tucked downstairs at the Hutton Hotel, this swanky venue has a living-room vibe, albeit a much nicer living room than mine.

🏛️ Nashville Palace

📍2611 McGavock Pike

This country music honky-tonk and Southern restaurant hosts line dancing on Friday and Saturday nights. While always packed, there’s plenty of parking.

🍸 Dee’s Country Cocktail Lounge

📍102 East Palestine Ave.

Dee’s in Madison is a much more laid-back country music venue, bar, and neighborhood favorite. A lot of locals call this place home.