Noteworthy Nights: Enjoy Live Music in Rutherford County

County's vibrant music scene entertains residents and visitors alike.

By Kelly Rogers on July 12, 2023

Jeff Adkins

Music is woven into the fabric of Tennessee’s identity, not just because of the legendary artists that emerge from big cities like Nashville and Memphis, but also because of the enthusiasm and demand for live entertainment across the state. Live music in Rutherford County is no exception. Here, music plays a major role in the area’s culture, quality of life and tourism.

And while some of the county’s hospitality activity can be attributed to overflow from nearby Nashville, Rutherford County draws plenty of visitors on its own merit.

“The type of music attractions that bring in visitors to Rutherford County are ones that range from intimate settings, like songwriters in the round, indie bands, classic country and rock, to larger stages at outdoor venues,” says Barbara Wolke, senior vice president of the Rutherford County Convention and Visitors Bureau.

In addition to concerts, there are also attractions for music history buffs in Rutherford County, thanks to its participation with the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development in placing Rutherford County on the map of the Tennessee Music Pathways Program.

A statewide driving tour, the program spans seven genres of music with hundreds of landmarks, two of which are located in Rutherford County: Chris Young Pathway Historical Marker at Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) and Middle Tennessee Center for Popular Music at MTSU.

“We also participate in the annual Tennessee Songwriters Week to promote music venues and live performances in Rutherford County,” Wolke says.

Jeff Adkins

Plenty of Options for Live Music in Rutherford County

Beyond statewide attractions and events, however, there are plenty of private performances to go around. Rutherford County boasts a wide array of venues, which host artists of all genres to perform for crowds of all sizes.

Many are drawn to the county’s smaller venues for a more intimate experience, and in this, they are not short of choices. Local musicians regularly perform at restaurants like Puckett’s and Hank’s Honky Tonk in Murfreesboro, both of which also serve delicious food.

Coffee and concerts are a common combo in Rutherford County, with at least three coffee shops with music on the menu. Bean Loft Coffee Co. in Murfreesboro hosts successful open mic nights for the community, for example. But one newcomer to the coffeeshop venue space, Grindstone Cowboy, is already making headway on a national scale.

Started in 2022 by country music artist Craig Campbell and his wife, Mindy, Grindstone Cowboy takes a different approach. “We never have live music as background,” Craig Campbell says. “Every show that we have, people come to see that show.”

The venue books national acts like Bryan White and Love and Theft, in large part thanks to Campbell’s connections in the music industry. The audience caps out at 50, so each show is small and intimate – similar to The Bluebird Cafe in Nashville – and dinner is included.

“It’s very up close and all acoustic,” Campbell says. “The artists talk about the songs and joke with the crowd. It’s a lot of fun.”

Going Big

One of the larger local entertainment venues is Hop Springs Beer Park, located on 83 acres of land outside of Murfreesboro. The park opened in 2018, and one year later, it began hosting music festivals.  To quench your thirst in between songs, several local craft breweries do business on site.

New York City-based Knitting Factory Entertainment is now signed on to book all the indoor and outdoor concerts at Hop Springs. The park features a 400-seat indoor concert hall and a 3,500-capacity outdoor amphitheater, and the craft breweries also stage taproom concerts that can attract as many as 300 attendees per show.

Acts that have played Hop Springs in 2023 include Old Heavy Hands, Black Joe Lewis, David Nail, Zepparella, Bryce Leatherwood, Chatham Rabbits and Passafire. By the way, the park is also great for outdoor exercise, with a disc golf course, dog park, walking trails and creek nearby.

Jeff Adkins

MTSU Students Enjoy Success in Music Industry

Middle Tennessee State University has a reputation that extends far beyond its Murfreesboro campus for its music business program.

“Schools That Rock: The Rolling Stone College Guide” notes that “Middle Tennessee State University – located in the surprisingly hip Murfreesboro, Tennessee – boasts one of the preeminent music business programs in the country.”

The MTSU Department of Recording Industry was established in 1973 to allow students from around the world to turn their music production, business and songwriting ideas into reality. The department offers bachelor’s degrees in audio production, music business and commercial songwriting. While getting their degree, students learn about recording, mixing, editing, sound effects, live sound studios and virtual reality.

MTSU is consistently ranked on Billboard’s annual list of Top Music Business Schools worldwide, and the Department of Recording Industry recently added a fourth and fifth sound studio to its music equipment lineup. MTSU grads who are currently carving out recording careers of their own include country music artists Sam Hunt, Brett Eldredge, Mitchell Tenpenny, Chris Young and Lady A’s Hillary Scott.

MTSU students and alumni themselves are actual Grammy Awards nominees and winners, including five former students nominated for the 65th annual Grammy Awards that took place in February 2023.

In fact, MTSU alumni, faculty and former or current students have been a part of more than 135 Grammy Awards nominations in the last two decades, and the number of MTSU-connected Grammy winners since 2001 currently stands at 15 people in categories from classical to country.

– Staff Writer Kevin Litwin contributed to this article.