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    War Memorial Auditorium

    3.9 (40 reviews)

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    Alexis B.

    As a new Nashville resident, I was lucky enough to attend my first event at War Memorial Auditorium just last week! I attended a living taping of NPR's Ask Me Another. It was hilarious, intelligent, and absolutely a joy to view live (I listen to it most weekends on the radio)! Several Nashville celebrity guests, including Martina McBride and Connie Britton, participated in the taping, which was really cool! War Memorial is a great venue for events and concerts - such a gorgeous building. The interior isn't quite as fancy as you might expect from the outside, but it's a big venue that is flexible for different types of events. (When I attend Ask Me Another, they utilized chairs on the floor of the auditorium, but for concerts, they can remove the chair and make it standing room only). It could use a little renovation/updating, though. They sell water, wine, and beer, which you can take to your seat. The only bathrooms are upstairs - we went upstairs to our seats and then had to walk all the way down (oops). Only con? The seats upstairs are pretty close together and the elevation could be better. I'm a short girl, and I had to swap seats with people to try to see over taller people in the row in front of me. And I hit my knee on the chair in front of me dozens of times (and I'm only 5 feet tall)! But such is the situation at almost every auditorium I've ever been in! Some great events and concerts are held at War Memorial Auditorium, so I'm sure I'll be back.

    Charity C.

    Came here for the Louis York & The Shindellas concert and it was fabulous! The speakers are loud and clear. I don't believe there were any "bad" seats. The staff was very accommodating. Nathan and Jeremy helped me exchange my tickets and ensure I still had a great view. It wasn't until I visited the balcony that I realized they're all good. There isn't much leg room unfortunately, but that's due to the age of the building.

    The Fault in our Stars event, 5/8/14
    Liz P.

    I came here for the TFIOS event this past Thursday. I was media so I was able to snag a reserved seat in the balcony ... felt bad for the poor teens standing near the stage! I can't speak for the venue as a concert place, but for TFIOS it was fine. Easy to see the actors + writer (John Green! *fangirls out*) from where we were in the balcony. Good acoustics although I don't think it was meant to play movies/clips from movies. I'd like to explore this place more if ever back in Nashville.

    Courtyard
    Kathy C.

    The War Memorial Auditorium is a majestic and beautiful historic building. After climbing many levels of long marble steps, you're greeted with enormous white columns and a huge courtyard. This is truly one of the most beautiful buildings in Nashville. The auditorium was built as an incredible memorial for the fallen soldiers who gave their lives for our country in World War I. For more information on this incredible building, you may find this link helpful : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_Memorial_Auditorium ( The State Capital stands behind the Auditorium making it even more impressive. The lighting and the beauty of these two landmarks is absolutely breathtaking. ) Now for my review on the auditorium itself: We purchased VIP tickets for the Cowboy Jack Clement tribute benefiting musicians without health insurance. ( I've known Cowboy all my life, so this was one tribute I wouldn't have missed for anything. ) I could go on and on about the line up of incredible artists, how great the show was, and how much I enjoyed it, but this review is about the auditorium. Our seats were in the balcony ( 3rd floor) which gave us a great view of the stage but the elevator only goes to the main floor. If you have trouble walking up stairs, buy your tickets for the main floor. The interior of the auditorium is beautiful, even the ceiling is something to admire. The stage is more than ample for a very large band, choir or even orchestra. Unfortunately the sound wasn't great which is a shame because the atmosphere is amazing. The auditorium sells drinks which include sodas, beer, mixed drinks and water. ( no wine) On the third floor, the "bar" is basically a closet with a counter and one girl operating it as a "cash only" bar. ( a small beer - $8.00, large - $15.00 ) Now for the worst part....the ONLY restrooms in the building are in the BASEMENT. This may not be an issue for some people, but for me it was a real inconvenience. Every time I needed to make a trip to the ladies room, it involved going down 3 floors to the basement and 3 floors back to our seats. ( approximately 100 stairs each way.) Recent knee surgery made this a painful inconvenience. Another problem is the seating. I'm 5ft. 3in. and I had absolutely no leg room. My son and husband are over 6 ft. 3 in. and were so uncomfortable it caused us to stand in the stairway a few times. ( my purse was in my lap the entire time -no room on the floor by my seat.) I felt like I was sitting on an airplane. It was very cold and windy that night so we used valet parking. ( Parking is also an issue here.) If there's another event at the auditorium that I absolutely don't want to miss, I'd definitely get tickets on the main floor.

    War Memorial venue, from their website
    Sharon K.

    The War Memorial Auditorium is a huge venue located near the State Capitol Building. It has a gorgeous plaza at the entrance, and huge Roman Style columns in the foyer. The State uses this room for various events and it can be rented out by the public if you wanted to have a huge wedding or something of the like here. The standing room capacity of the space is somewhere around 1,500 people. The facility is run and operated by TPAC, so they hold theater events here in addition to rock concerts, and other music events. I went to see the rock band 'Muse' here at the War Memorial Auditorium. They had a huge stage setup with backdrops, props, and build outs. The lighting was fantastic. I don't know how much of this the touring band brought with them to show, but the room accommodated all their theatrics and sound equipment. The sound in the room is great. I was really surprised at how good the room sounded because the ceilings are very, very high. The stage spans across an entire side of the enormous room. But with 1,500 people in the room, the sound gets proper buffering. This is a fun room to see a big band. I like the experience here much better than seeing a show at a stadium.

    The entrance
    Tran T.

    I took off one star because I had to walk down a cave to find the restroom. Other than that, this place is nice for big events. The closest parking we found ($8 before 8 AM) was at Printers Valley, which I don't recommend because it reeked of urine smell and dark. There might be closer and cleaner parking around, but we were too lazy to drive around at 7 in the morning. 2013/#1

    Sts9
    Salman S.

    Came here for Sound Tribe concert and did it rock. The house was full but the line kept moving fast outside to get in, the only bad thing here was the bar which had such long lines that the wait was forever and they ran out of water bottles. Sound - was pretty good and balanced not as great as tpac or rymon but on part to them. Staff - was great and courteous but that all depends on the kind of concert and crowd you are expecting. Overall good place and parking will always be expensive around so might as well uber.

    Terrell L.

    War Memorial Auditorium is a Great venue to catch any performance and this facility also houses the Tennessee State Museum's Military Branch, it's FREE to tour

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    12 years ago

    The Auditorium is a great venue. It can be difficult to find parking. Also, the food that is sold inside is very unhealthy

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    I love my military history. Huge selection of war memorabilia. I really liked the "Band of Brothers" stuff.

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    Review Highlights - War Memorial Auditorium

    The facility is run and operated by TPAC, so they hold theater events here in addition to rock concerts, and other music events.

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    Music City Burlesque - Their fun and beautiful logo

    Music City Burlesque

    5.0(7 reviews)
    0.9 miDemonbreun Hill, Music Row, Midtown

    The lovely and talent ladies of Nashville's Music City Burlesque are a reason to be proud of living…read morein this city. Beautiful and skilled burlesque dancers who make me proud to be a woman! Most of their performances are at Marathon Music Works, though I have also seen shows at Darkhouse Theater and Exit In (I have reviews for all the venues) but the Marathon shows are the best. They have a Cabin Fever show each winter which is worth braving the cold for. They have done special shows with the touring Suicide Girls and with local songwriters. The tickets are always reasonably priced so there's no excuse not to go. These ladies are not strippers. They are dancers, classical and edgy. So many people I know are nervous about going to one of their shows but these are classy, fun girls providing classy, fun entertainment. The crowds are energetic and great to be a part of. The dancing is about tantalizing, teasing, enticing...and it's fun! Their skits are a combination of dance and humor and beauty. I would highly recommend attending one of these shows. You will not be disappointed. I am proud to say I attend every show I can and I bring anyone I can with me, and everyone has fun...so check out their website and check out their shows!

    True burlesque performers, with one eye focused on the origins of the art and another on the…read morecutting edge. These girls have it all! Every member brings their own style, grace, and energy to each act. There are the burlesque purists, the sex bombs, the comics and the alternative performers. If you are new to Nashville, a long time fan, or just passing through: add an McB show to your to do list.

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    Music City Burlesque - This is from their summer show

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    This is from their summer show

    Grand Ole Opry - Appetizers in The Circle Room Ig mel_foodie_ventures

    Grand Ole Opry

    4.4(1k reviews)
    5.9 miDonelson
    $$

    The Grand Ole Opry is the iconic venue that you really have to see if you're in Nashville. A…read moreperhaps lesser example is First Avenue/7th Street Annex in Minneapolis. It also doesn't hurt to have seen the Ken Burns Country Music production to add a bit of history and context to this place and Ryman. Auditorium. It's a decent Taxi/Uber ride out here (and back), with drop off and finding one to go back pretty easy. There are snacks and a gift shop here, but if you want to make it a dinner and a show, there are places nearby. Gayle and I, along with Erin and Jim attended the April 30 performance of Opry Country Classics. The Larry Gatlin (and Brothers) were the MCs, with the Opry band handling the backup music, and Charlie Mattos doing the folksy "Play by Play", all live on WSM (We Shield Millions) Radio. Performers were Janie Fricke, Hanna Dasher, Moe Bandy, and Daily and Vincent as the featured artist. It was a great show! We had a nice 4 seat pew near the front, the sight lines (direct and via screens) were clear, and the sound quality/mix was excellent. Daily and Vincent (with the guest banjo player) were fantastic and I've already preordered their next album. The only minor irritation was Hanna Dasher shamelessly promoting her cook book (Stand by Your Pan), but even that added to the high quality entertainment value of this show. I'd love to experience this again.

    The Grand Ole Opry refers to a live country music radio broadcast, not a theater. Founded on…read moreNovember 28, 1925, it is the longest-running radio broadcast in US history, with over 5,200 episodes. The Grand Ole Opry has operated out of several venues, and since 1974, performances have been in the Grand Ole Opry House; previously, it was the Ryman Auditorium in downtown Nashville between 1943 to 1974. This year (2026) is a special year, as the Grand Ole Opry turns 100, and on February 28, 2026, there was a performance to celebrate 25 year anniversary of the movie "O Brother Where Art Thou?" The movie is well known for its soundtrack, and it introduced bluegrass music to a new generation. Performing were several artists from the soundtrack, such as Alison Krauss (my fifth time seeing her!), Emmylou Harris, Dan Tyminski, The Whites, The Fairfield Four, and the actor Tim Blake Nelson. There were also numerous other artists performing songs from the soundtrack such as Old Crow Medicine Show, Billy Strings, Sarah Jarosz, Molly Tuttle, Jerry Douglas, Stuart Duncan, and many, many more. Even though I didn't know most of the performers, I really enjoyed the show. After the performance, there was a Q&A with Tim Blake Nelson, Dan Tyminski, and Chris Thomas King. [Yelp collections: Nashville, TN 2026; Plays, Shows, and Musicals]

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    Grand Ole Opry - One of the very nice dressing rooms shown during the tour.

    One of the very nice dressing rooms shown during the tour.

    Grand Ole Opry - Performance

    Performance

    Grand Ole Opry - Everyone!

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    Everyone!

    Lakewood Theatre - 39 Steps.

    Lakewood Theatre

    4.6(5 reviews)
    9.8 mi

    Over the years I've heard jokes about "Community Theater" but this is the first time I've ever…read moreactually been to one. It's a unique, but fun, experience. Imagine coming to a friendly strangers house and watching friendly strangers perform a play for you in their living room. That's the Lakewood Theater experience. The better half and I saw 39 Steps, and it was thoroughly enjoyable. The players do a wonderful job of telling a story with a bare minimum of props and some pretty decent acting. If you are looking for a Broadway experience, you'll probably be disappointed but if you are looking for some fun in an intimate setting I highly recommend it.

    STILL SCRATCHING MY HEAD!…read more Let's be honest, Lakewood Theatre is a very small, very old, slightly neglected theater. HOWEVER, this little theatre really delivered when it came to their recent production of A Christmas Carol. My husband and I were simply bewildered by the talent here as it is a very small town and this venue does not exactly scream: Talent resides here! According to one audience member, the theatre has been around for approximately 30 years but the building is quiet a bit older and this is most evident with the seats. The wooden seats are super narrow and somewhat uncomfortable for those that are fluffier than most. They appear to be at least fifty years old. The production was very professional as was the cast. My husband and I both agreed that this group of talented actors and actresses deserve a larger and much nicer space. Regardless of the venue, the play did not suffer one bit. We enjoyed every aspect of it including the singing and instrumental performances. This play was perfect for the entire family and proudly represented the spirit of Christmas. Lakewood is a great little theatre and worth checking out if you are looking for great plays and performances.

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    Lakewood Theatre - 39 Steps

    39 Steps

    Lakewood Theatre - Production of Devils Deciple

    Production of Devils Deciple

    Lakewood Theatre - Their little tree in the front entrance.

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    Their little tree in the front entrance.

    Darkhorse Theatre - Check their website for images and descriptions of upcoming shows

    Darkhorse Theatre

    3.9(7 reviews)
    3.4 mi

    It's difficult to enter the theater if you have limited mobilty. Your two choices are very steep…read morestairs or a very long winding uphill wheelchair ramp. Once inside, you enter a dark theater with stadium type seating. There were no handrails on the way to your seat, which we would have appreciated. The restrooms are stage left & many stairs to navigate. BUT the theater itself is lovely. The performance we saw was top-notch. All employees at theater very helpful. The feel of the theater is so nice.

    My playwright friend asked me: "So, what did you do in Nashville?"…read more"I meant to tell you, I saw a play!" "...What??" "It was an Ibsen play. A Doll's House." "...You went to Tennessee to see theatre?" "Well, I-- "You went to /Tennessee/ to see theatre?" "Yes. It was community theatre, too!" "Oh, god." It's not that my friend's cynicism was totally misplaced. I'd give the production itself 3 stars - the actors lapsed back into a slight Southern twang on occasion, which was distracting. And I personally wasn't a fan of the director's work. I prefer more creative license, thought put into light/set/timing/etc. A play is more than just its script! (Another theatre friend told me: "I've always imagined the set of that play to be just a door." BRILLIANT) Also, I hated the stadium seating. Heads potentially blocking your view is easier to deal with than having to gaze downward the whole time. Still, I'm all for supporting local arts, and the theatre and the production company that had put on the show (Act I) are great. We went to a 2:30pm Sunday matinee, because we're old people. Actually, yes, everyone else was a senior, aside from a young woman with a horribly intrusive cough. The theatre space, set in an old creaky church, was probably less than 20% full. The bathroom was pretty ancient looking. We were confused about the parking situation since there was no street parking available and no signage, and ended up in the McDonald's lot around the corner. Tickets were only $12. Credit cards are accepted; they use the Square card reader hooked up to an iPad. Otherwise, there's a low-budget feel to all of it, and it's really up to you whether to take it as dreary or endearing. Worth a visit as a tourist? Sure, if you're curious about Nashville's community theatre scene, or if like me you've been starved for theatre for too long in your ridiculously expensive home city.

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    Darkhorse Theatre
    Darkhorse Theatre - The logo says it all!

    The logo says it all!

    Darkhorse Theatre - This beautiful unassuming building on Charlotte is home to the Darkhorse

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    This beautiful unassuming building on Charlotte is home to the Darkhorse

    Blackbird Theater - A dinner of the enlightened

    Blackbird Theater

    5.0(1 review)
    11.8 mi

    One Saturday in August of 2010, I was having lunch at Panera with my then-girlfriend now-wife. We…read morewere discussing our plans for the day, and what we could do in the evening. It so happened that my eyes fell upon a pretty grim and ominous looking poster tacked to the community billboard at the back of the Panera. "Twilight of the Gods - Great minds die alike." A play by a new theater company in Nashville called Blackbird Theater. Curious, I looked it up on my phone and found it interesting enough that I bought us tickets for that very night. Since that first night, we've seen 3 other productions by Blackbird Theater: Arcadia, Magic and their current production, Amadeus. Blackbird Theater is a Nashville theater company by Greg Green and Wes Driver. They bill themselves as theater for the "intellectually adventurous," - in other words they specifically select plays that are challenging - in their dialog, in their ideas, in their acting and also in their production. From my experience they certainly deliver on all these. Production quality: From their very first play, I've always been impressed with their production quality. From the stage, to the props and wardrobes, to the acting - they've always have managed to create scenes specific to their era and to the mood. Acting: They've also been very skilled at finding impressive talent for their roles: In Twilight of the Gods, they had to cast for Mark Twain, Rasputin, Annie Oakley, Nietzsche and more. When you've got characters who are so well known to the public, it's easy for them to appear as caricatures, but in every case I've found the roles to be very convincing. Play selection: While I've missed two plays out of the 6 shows they've now done, from the 4 that I've seen I would say that while I definitely appreciate the plays they select, they are also not for everyone. As I mentioned, they select plays which tackle difficult material - philosophical, scientific, mathematical. That being said, the plays are far from being college lectures - they are entertaining, they are emotional, and even thrilling. As an example: The first play they had put on, Twilight of the Gods, was written by themselves (Wes Driver and Greg Green). It's a murder-mystery with notable Victorian people as the main characters. To put it brief: Clue for Grown Ups. The premise is that a wealthy intellectual is able to find historical luminaries reincarnated into present day people. With some convincing, he is able to transform these people back into their former selves - upon which they take on the appearance and mannerisms of the figures. The man's goal is to create a more enlightened age by specifically choosing a set of people who were experts in their own rites, and can discuss issues in a productive way. These discussions begin to be interrupted as the people are suddenly killed off - one by one. I managed to catch their current production, Amadeus, on opening night. Having seen the film, I wasn't sure what to expect. To put it simply, I was blown away. It was profound material and delivered better than Hollywood. For a play to span more than 30 years of time means a lot of scenes, and for characters to age. The actor who played the lead role, Salieri, was incredible as he transitioned back and forth between the young Salieri to the old. Most importantly, they managed to capture the mood, music and emotion of the story in a way that was deeper than the film (I could hear sniffles and tears of the audience). My major criticism unfortunately is with the venue - Blackbird Theater has all its shows at Lipscomb's Shamblin Theater. The theater itself is not bad: I like its proximity to some restaurants and coffee shops you can visit during intermission, and the main area is set up with circular tables that give the stage production more depth as those at the tables often feel more immersed within the play. What is really problematic for me are the chairs - which is not something I'd normally complain about. Shamblin Theater's chairs are awful - they are stiff, and upright in such away that three-quarters of the way through the production, you find yourself with a stiff lower back, and neck. The chairs are so bad they can sometimes become distracting, as you can't find a comfortable position. All in all, I'll finish off by saying that I look forward to future productions by Blackbird Theater, and there's a lot that can be said about a theater company when my only complaint is with the chairs. I encourage everyone (even those who may be intimidated by the idea of "intellectual theater") to give Blackbird Theater a shot - they're a small, local theater company that puts on high quality productions with ticket prices far less than what you'd find at TPac.

    From the owner: Blackbird Theater produces two shows a year - original works and rarely seen plays by artists like…read moreStoppard, Shaw, and Sondheim. Our Mission: To create entertaining, enlightening stage productions that reawaken audiences to the thrill of theater. Our shows will be intellectually challenging and imaginatively rendered, focusing on inventive original works, rarely produced plays by renowned playwrights, and one-of-a-kind special events--all of which celebrate the vitality and immediacy of the live theater experience. Blackbird - Nashville's most intellectually adventurous theater.

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    Blackbird Theater - Blackbird Theater

    Blackbird Theater

    Blackbird Theater - Amanda Card-McCoy in G.K. Chesterton's MAGIC by Blackbird Theater

    Amanda Card-McCoy in G.K. Chesterton's MAGIC by Blackbird Theater

    Blackbird Theater - Mark Twain talking to the present day incarnation of Emily Dickinson

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    Mark Twain talking to the present day incarnation of Emily Dickinson

    War Memorial Auditorium - musicvenues - Updated May 2026

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