Tin Pan South

Tin Pan South 2025–Welcome to Songwriter Utopia

March 25-29
5 nights / 10 venues / 100 shows / 400+ performers

If you appreciate the craft of songwriting, Tin Pan South is for you. Yes, you’ll hear hits from the people who crafted them. But I’ve always enjoyed the stories behind the songs and those cherished jewels that have never been recorded or never been on the radio. (Above: Bluebird Cafe)

Songwriters work primarily behind the scenes so a word of encouragement or appreciation is almost always welcome.TIP: Although there are 10 official venues, you will find songwriter showcases in hotel lounges and music venues all over town.

Tin Pan South Dates:
March 25-29, 2025

Tin Pan South Official Website

The Shows

  • Each show is individually ticketed and available for purchase in advance. FYI, the Bluebird Cafe shows and several other hot tickets have already sold out.
  • If a show has not sold out, you can purchase a ticket at the door.
  • Shows are at 6pm and 9pm each evening with a different line-up for each performance. A few programs are scheduled earlier. Check the Tin Pan South website for specifics.
  • The best way to stay up to speed: download the Tin Pan South app: Android or iOS.

The Seminars

  • Two all-day seminars will be held March 24-25 at the Scarritt-Bennett Learning Center near Music Row. It features a variety of successful songwriters and music business professionals in general sessions, panel discussions, and break-out sessions. Songwriters will have an opportunity to pitch a song to a pair of music publishers.

The Venues

Analog

Midtown. The Hutton Hotel’s club is like a large, beautifully decorated living room with couches around the stage. They invested the bucks to ensure great sound. Valet and self-parking.

Bluebird Cafe

Green Hills. It’s the best-known songwriters’ venue, has stellar line-ups, and is an intimate environment (only 90 seats). Translation: expect it to be difficult to a reservation. If a show is sold out, you’ve got a slim chance of getting in if there are no-shows. With construction next door, the parking situation is horrendous so I’d recommend a taxi or rideshare. After a show, consider walking a block or two up the street to get an exit ride.

The Lounge at City Winery

SoBro. The smaller of their two listening rooms. Surface parking is available adjacent to the building.

Commodore Grille

West End/Vanderbilt. With paid parking onsite (the Holiday Inn-Vanderbilt), it’s one of the easiest venues logistically speaking. The room wasn’t designed for live music so get there early to avoid sitting behind a pillar. FYI, the Commodore is one of the busiest songwriter spots year-round.

Crosseyed Critters Watering Hole

Midtown. I have to get over the fact that this is known as a karaoke bar with animatronic animals as a back-up band. This week it’s living, breathing poets with guitars and keyboards. The Graduate Hotel, home of this venue, offers only valet parking so keep that wait-time in mind when changes locations.

Hard Rock Cafe

Downtown. The Reverb Room is a box-shaped room up a level from the main floor. Check out the interesting memorabilia displayed on the walls. The bar is behind the audience so not so much of a distraction. No onsite parking but here’s a guide to downtown parking.

Listening Room Cafe’

SoBro. Walk through the lobby which doubles as a bar to the listening room in the rear where there’s another bar. Valet parking is available but can get backed up so arrive early and be patient.

3rd and Lindsley

SoBro. One of the larger venues, it frequently welcomes some of the city’s top songwriters and even hosts a midday songwriters’ round every Saturday. Even though its spacious by comparison to some, the sound is great and there’s not a bad seat in the house. Only a few parking spaces onsite with paid lot and scan-to-park street parking nearby.

Station Inn

The Gulch. The legendary home of bluegrass extends its borders a bit to welcome a variety of songwriters. It’s smaller than some of the other venues so take that into consideration in planning your week. Also, the food options are limited to pizza, garlic knots, and snacks so love basic pizza or eat elsewhere. There are plenty of restaurants nearby as well as several surface lots and parking garages.

Anzie Blue

Hillsboro Village. Just off 21st Avenue S. in a rather innocuous newer building, it was formerly known as AB. There’s on-site parking in an adjacent garage and a surface lot across the street. More than a dozen restaurants within three blocks.

The Logistics

  • Unlike a typical convention, this festival is decentralized…and that poses challenges. Careful planning is necessary if you’re trying to take in more than one show each night. Typically the 6pm show is over at 7:30, giving you 90 minutes before the 9pm show starts.
  • That can get a little stressful if you’re driving and need to find parking. Rideshares are easier UNLESS there’s a high demand and you’re vying for vehicles.
  • My suggestion is to prioritize the songwriters you really want to hear. Then consider the distance you need to travel to get from a 6pm show to a 9pm show.
    • Analog in the Hutton Hotel and Crosseyed Critter in the Graduate Hotel are only a few blocks apart on Broadway/West End. Easy peasy for walking. Both hotels have valet parking.
    • The Listening Room, City Winery, and 3rd & Lindsley are also only a few blocks apart BUT the area can be a bit intimidating after dark so travel with others if you’re walking.
    • The Bluebird Cafe is farthest from other venues–but it’s also the most legendary. Decide if it’s worth the trek.
    • I don’t recommend trying to drive between Hard Rock Cafe and the Bluebird for a double feature. You’ve got parking issues on both ends. A cab or rideshare is a better bet.
I hope you have a great time listening to the people who are foundational to the music of Music City.