Bluebird Cafe Review From A Local: How To Get Bluebird Cafe Reservations, Best Seats To Choose + Helpful Tips Before You Go

Bluebird Cafe Nashville Reservations

To date, we’ve been to The Bluebird more times than we can count. Reservations are a MUST.

My husband and I started visiting The Bluebird Cafe semi-regularly right after we moved to Nashville in 2001.

Back then, they used to have a “frequent visitor club” — and I remember we were so excited to use our “special privileges” at the time to score front row seats for Vince Gill, Amy Grant, Ashley Cleveland, Lari White, and Leslie Satcher on 11/13/2004:

Since then, we’ve been a zillion times.

To this day, our all-time favorite songwriters to see at The Bluebird are: Jeffrey Steele, Craig Wiseman, Tony Mullins, Bob DiPiero, Shawn Mullins, Chuck Cannon, and Chris Wallin. (Most of these guys still play occasionally at The Bluebird — so if you ever get the chance, go see them!)

Open since June of 1982, The Bluebird Cafe features songwriters and acoustic music 7 nights a week — providing a stage for both the newest songwriters in town to play as well as for Nashville’s most established writers. The Bluebird is known for helping start the careers of many country artists including: Garth Brooks, Kenny Chesney, Keith Urban, Trisha Yearwood, Kathy Mattea, and Taylor Swift.

Good To Know Before You Go To The Bluebird

If you’re planning a visit to The Bluebird Cafe, here are some things you might appreciate knowing before you get there:

#1 – The Bluebird Cafe is NOT located in downtown Nashville. It’s in the suburbs, called Green Hills. It’s not far from Music Row and Broadway — but it’s definitely not in a touristy part of town. The building itself is SUPER tiny! It’s part of a strip mall. On the righthand side of The Bluebird, there’s a hair salon, a dry cleaner, and a bridal store. On the lefthand side, there’s a large bank (which recently replaced all of the buildings to the left of The Bluebird in that strip mall, except for the barber shop which remains).

#2 – While sitting at a table up in front, right next to the musicians is ideal, it’s also hard to come by — even if you try making your Bluebird Cafe reservations early. Don’t fret if you can only manage to score a “bleacher seat” or “a seat at the bar” — there really isn’t a bad seat in the house. Since the place is so small, virtually everyone is within direct view of the musicians. (FYI… some of our friends actually prefer the bleacher seats at The Bluebird!)

Because it’s writers, they tell you the story. You know, “I wrote this song because my dog jumped out of the bed of my truck, and I lost him and I was afraid.” So from the very minute that they start to play the song, you’re engaged, you’re really listening for the story.

~Amy Kurland, founder of The Bluebird Cafe

#3 – Most shows have a nominal cover charge — and it’s SO worth it due to the caliber of songwriters they get these days! The early show (6PM) is usually the up-and-comers — some of these shows are FREE, others have a low cover charge ($5 to $10). The late show (9PM) often features the bigger-named artists who’ve been around for awhile, and the cover charge is a bit higher ($10 to $20). Monday shows are always FREE shows — but the seating is first come, first serve.

#4 – While clapping, and laughing, and singing along, and taking pictures of, and talking with the songwriters is encouraged… there’s a fairly strict policy against random loud talking and cellphones. Their motto is, “Shhhhhhh. Shut up and listen.”

I can’t take all the credit for this … the people who would come to The Bluebird really came to listen to the music. If somebody was talking, the audience would turn around and tell them to shush. We took on ‘shush,’ capital SHHH and an exclamation point basically as our motto. We are a listening room. The Bluebird is much less interested in selling maximum numbers of drinks than it is in making sure the musicians are listened to. It is probably the most important thing that The Bluebird does.”

~Amy Kurland, founder

#5 – The food is so-so… typical bar food. We usually try to eat before we go. There are several restaurants within walking distance of The Bluebird. When you’re searching for restaurants near The Bluebird Cafe, just punch in The Bluebird’s address (4104 Hillsboro Pike / Nashville, TN 37215) and see what’s on the map nearby. Here is The Bluebird Cafe menu.

#6 – Parking is limited at The Bluebird Cafe, and if you park in another company’s parking space in this strip mall, you might be towed. (Yes, they do enforce towing!) The Bluebird has a very small parking lot in front of the building, a larger gravel lot behind the building, and… after business hours, you can also park at the bank next door. (To access the rear parking lot, use the alley entrance on Hillsboro Pike next to United Community Bank.)

#7 – The doors at The Bluebird Cafe are only open at night (5PM to 11PM). So, don’t expect to just swing by and have a look inside or buy a souvenir or anything like that. A few times each year — like during CMA Fest — they do open the building for tourists and for shopping (more info below).

Ever since the TV series Nashville aired (from 2012 to 2016 on ABC, and then from 2017 to 2018 on CMT), it has become incredibly difficult to get tickets for The Bluebird Cafe. Practically overnight, The Bluebird became a bucket-list destination for people from all areas of the country… and the world. It’s not just Nashville’s “little secret” anymore.

Bluebird Cafe Reservations (How To Reserve A Seat)

To reserve a seat for any show, first check out the The Bluebird’s upcoming events, then follow the steps online to reserve your spot. Easy-peasy!

Your best bet on scoring tickets at The Bluebird is to join their mailing list (from their homepage). They’ll send you a weekly newsletter with the latest show calendar — so you’ll always be the first to know when tickets for someone you want to see go on sale.

Tickets go on sale one week in advance for the WEEKDAY shows. But for WEEKEND shows, tickets go on sale the Monday of that week — so there’s not a lot of time. It’s all spelled out in this Bluebird Cafe ticket FAQ.

The biggest thing to remember is: Tickets ALWAYS sell out fast!!! To be honest, this has led to a lot of frustration for us through the years. Especially when there’s someone you really want to see, and you can’t even get CLOSE to a ticket because they sell out so quickly… like within minutes!

But then again, you have to remember there are only around 20 small tables in this place. And they’re not all 4-seaters, either. The maximum capacity at The Bluebird cafe is only 100 seats.

Where To Sit (Bluebird Cafe Seating Charts)

The good news is… when you make reservations online, you get to pick the exact table where you’d like to sit!

The seating chart is different — based on whether the show is “in the round” or “in the row” (on a stage).

The 2 seating charts for The Bluebird Cafe:

Plus, you can usually count on there being a handful of seats available for those that didn’t make reservations. They’re awarded “first come, first serve” after the doors have officially opened for the show — which is why you ALWAYS see a long line of people waiting to get into The Bluebird. Most of them leave disappointed. Some are content to hang around outside and peer into the window. (They do pipe the music outside, so you can hear the songs that the performers are singing.)

People will arrive super-early (like 1 to 3 hours before the show starts, depending on who’s playing) with the slim hope of scoring a seat after all of the people who RSVP’d have been seated. It’s definitely a nail-biting process to go to The Bluebird Cafe without a ticket in hand!

Don’t delay in making your Bluebird Cafe reservations! The songwriters’ own friends, co-workers, label-mates, and family often take up a good number of the best available seats as soon as reservations become available online.

When you arrive at The Bluebird Cafe, as long as you have a reservation (and you’re on time), then you won’t have to worry about getting a seat.

EVERYONE has to line up outside of The Bluebird’s front entrance door:

• Those WITH reservations line up on the LEFT side of the entrance door.
• Those WITHOUT reservations (hoping to score a last-minute seat) line up on the RIGHT side of the door.

If you arrive after the show has already started (or come back inside after going out to make a phone call or something)… then you have to wait until the musicians are in-between songs before you can go inside. That way, there’s no major disturbance of the show with people entering the room. (Remember… it’s a very small, very intimate setting. And their motto is “Shhhhhh!”)

You Never Know Who You’ll See At The Bluebird!

One of the best things about The Bluebird Cafe is the fact that you never REALLY know who’s going to be there.

Of course, there are always “the headliners” on the bill for the night. Sometimes they’re popular songwriters who’ve penned a lot of hits for well-known singers. Often they’re unknown songwriters hoping for their big break — for a song of theirs to be sung by a popular artist.

But it’s more than just that…

At The Bluebird Cafe, there are almost always “surprise guests” — either in the audience (“big wigs” from the major record labels) or on stage (“music friends” of the songwriters).

More times than not, songwriters will bring other artists and/or songwriters with them.

It’s not unusual to spot music producers, managers, and record label execs in the crowd. Over time, you begin to realize who the muckity-mucks in the business are.

Plus, you never know who might just show up at the last-minute to support their “buddy.” Sometimes, this has obviously been pre-planned well in advance. Other times, “so and so” just happened to be in town and wanted to come by to show support for their friend and colleague.

The Nashville music scene itself is pretty tight-knit — where everyone helps out and looks out for each other. Songwriters seem to do whatever they can to show support for one another. At The Bluebird, often a “bigger” star will give up one of their “turns” in the round to introduce a “rising star” to the audience and invite them to play a song or two (off the cuff) in their place. Those times make for some really special memories:

• For the artist – who is simply paying it forward, grateful for the many “small breaks” they were given back when they were first getting started in the business.
• For the rising star – who is beyond grateful for just being able to get their foot in the door at The Bluebird Cafe!
• For the audience members – who are witnessing the true spirit of music, hard work, and gratitude at its finest.

To top it all off, some songwriters who are on the bill for the night will bring in some “really big” surprise guests with them! Usually they’re not announced beforehand because their names are so big, they’d attract too much media and crowds — which would completely take away from the true ambiance of The Bluebird Cafe.

So, my point here is… Don’t think that just because you don’t know the names of the performers on any given night means that you won’t know the songs they’re associated with, or appreciate the jist of their music. You never know who might be showing up on stage with them that night!

In 1987, the Bluebird hosted a showcase night for the Nashville Music Association. Right before the event, one of the performers called in sick and was replaced by an unknown kid from Oklahoma. That boy was signed that night and would later become award winning country music artist, Garth Brooks. 

~Amy Kurland, Lunch To Lyrics

One thing’s for sure… If they’re at The Bluebird today, they will most likely be on the music charts in the very near future — if they’re not already.

I think Mark Miller at The Legacy Lab says it even better than me: “The Bluebird is a rare place where audiences come knowing that they will be listening to history being made every night.”

Even the FREE shows are loaded with high-caliber performers each and every day at The Bluebird Cafe in Nashville.

The sign above the door at The Bluebird Cafe in Nashville says: “The best songwriters in the world pass through these doors.”

Bluebird Cafe Swag

Every few years, I make a visit to The Bluebird Cafe store (either in person or online) — specifically to buy another Bluebird T-shirt or another piece of Bluebird Cafe memorabilia.

I especially like the retro looks they incorporate into their stuff.

The T-shirts make for some interesting conversation when you’re traveling, and people see “nashville” and “bluebird cafe” on a shirt!

A few times throughout the year (mostly in the summer months), they’ll open The Bluebird Cafe’s doors during the daytime — so people can come in, have a look around, and shop. I think they call it “Open House.” As you can see from this video, A LOT of people look forward to being able to step inside The Bluebird — even when there are no shows going on!

During these daytime hours Open Houses, you can:

• Take all the pictures you want (Yes, there are plenty of classic photos on the walls to take pictures of; it’s an “if these walls could talk” kind of thing!)
• Order food & drinks
• Buy souvenirs
• Stand on the stage (Just because of the “vibe” inside The Bluebird, I’m guessing it’s probably the original stage from opening day, but I keep forgetting to ask).

They always announce their Open House and other special events on The Bluebird Cafe’s Facebook page.

History Of The Bluebird Cafe

My fondest memories of attending shows at The Bluebird were back when Amy Kurland owned it.

I met her a few times. She was a hands-on business owner — always at the events, always fixing things, and always the voice behind the brand. Things might have been a little less organized back then, and a little more hectic — but she was making a go of something on a shoestring budget back then.

I’ve always admired how one single person with a passion could make such a difference in the music industry — and create a legacy.

As it turns out, Amy Kurland always had big dreams… First, she wanted to become a lawyer, and then go into politics. She said, “I wanted to be the first woman president.” Here are Amy’s own words on how she started The Bluebird Cafe.

I really like hearing new things about the history of The Bluebird Cafe. If that’s you, too, then you’ll appreciate these “gems” from (or about) The Bluebird’s founder, Amy Kurland that I’ve saved:

• Amy Kurland grew up in Nashville in a musical family — her father was the session musician [violinist] and arranger Sheldon Kurland. After she dropped out of culinary school, she decided to open a restaurant, picking Green Hills because the neighborhood was affordable at the time. Source
• With an inheritance from her grandmother, Amy was able to rent space and open the Bluebird Cafe — a lunch restaurant — in 1982. And they would clear out the tables and set the space up as a music venue to bring people in during the evenings. Source
• It was initially a passion for hanging out in bars, eating food and being with guys who played the guitar. I was just out of college, and I wanted to open a restaurant. I was dating a guitar player, and we liked to go out and drink in music clubs. So with a small inheritance from my grandmother, and an unwillingness to get a real job, I opened a restaurant. My guitar-playing boyfriend and his friends said, ‘Why don’t you put in a stage, and we’ll put music in there?’ And so, that’s what I did. It was no more than the first fun idea of a young person. Source
• One night, maybe 3 or 4 months in, a friend who was booking the music brought in a Writers’ Night. I didn’t even know what it was. But we did this Writers’ Night. It was a benefit show, and when I arrived the room was full. Everybody was listening attentively. You could’ve heard a pin drop in there. The next morning, when I went to ring out the cash register, it was the most money I’d made to date. All I thought was, “Writers’ Night… Let’s do more Writers’ Nights.” Source
• The thing I heard more than anything from the audience was, “I didn’t think I liked country music.” It turns out, you didn’t not like country music, you just never listened to country music before because you had an attitude about it. That’s part of the Bluebird’s larger legacy: We helped popularize country music to a different audience. The CMA [Country Music Association] may say, “We were putting in millions of dollars into it at that time,” but we were over there providing a place for people to hear music they’d never been willing to listen to. People would come to the Bluebird who weren’t going to the Opry. Source
• People aren’t there [at The Bluebird] to get drunk. People aren’t there to meet their next mate. They aren’t there to see and be seen or anything else. Source
• In 2008, Kurland … was burned out and didn’t want the venue to fail. She says a voice told her to “give it to the songwriter’s association.” Rather than sell the famed venue to an investor, Kurland transferred ownership of The Bluebird Café to the Nashville Songwriters Association International later that year. The Association said, “We will not let you give it to us. We will take it at a reduced price, and we will pay you a royalty.” Their business is to make sure that people who create things get royalties, so I get a small payment out of profits. Source
• The Bluebird’s founder, Amy Kurland, turned over the keys to The Bluebird to its new General Manager and COO, Erika Wollam-Nichols in 2008. Erika initially worked as a waitress at The Bluebird (from 1984 to 1988). She then left to attend Temple University to get a doctorate in philosophy — but Amy had referred her to a job booking musicians at a music festival (Summer Lights Festival, a 4-day, city-wide music, art, and dance event). So Erika deferred her doctorate and worked 5 years for that music festival, and supplemented her income by bartending and helping with marketing at The Bluebird Cafe. Erika then produced the Tin Pan South Songwriters Festival for 5 years. Next, she worked for the Country Music Hall of Fame — creating the programming for their new museum. In 2008, she was working with the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI, ”the world’s largest not-for-profit songwriters trade association”). That’s when Amy asked her what she thought about NSAI taking over The Bluebird Cafe. Erika said: “It just made sense. She knew that if NSAI took over, there would be an umbrella of protection for The Bluebird, and the venue would not be subject to commercial interests as opposed to that of the songwriting community. It would continue in the spirit Amy intended it. Which was great! She understood. I understood.” Source

This video trailer for The Bluebird Cafe movie provides a WONDERFUL glimpse into what it’s really like to attend a show at The Bluebird:

The people that come into The Bluebird are changed by what they see and hear. It’s a little room but a huge experience.

~Erika Wollam-Nichols, COO & General Manager of The Bluebird Cafe