Eric Church’s new bar Chief’s opened on Broadway in Nashville this weekend. After three years of collaborative effort between Eric Church and Ben Weprin, founder and CEO of AJ Capital Partners, the historic building at 200 Broadway has undergone a remarkable transformation. Chief’s is a six-story establishment comprising a bar, music venue, and restaurant. The celebratory grand opening welcomed the Church Choir as the proud recipients of its keys.
We were lucky to be invited to the pre-opening celebration for a media introduction to the bar on Thursday night in Nashville. The bar was curated by Church and the attention to detail shows throughout the space. One of the most striking features of the bar is the stained glass windows with iconic music stars that cover the front of the building. Artists like, Dolly Parton, Johnny Cash, George Strait, Hank Williams Jr., Bruce Springsteen and Eric Church himself are immortalized with the beautiful glass displays.
Eric didn’t sing on Thursday evening but he did welcome everyone to the new space and spoke to the crowd about how special the bar was to him and how he wants to give singer-songwriters a place to play their music.
“This building is a lot like the songs I write … they’re mine until I release them, and then they’re not mine anymore, they’re yours,” shares Church.
“We’re pretty good at storytelling through song, and I trusted Ben implicitly to bring what was in my heart and head for Chief’s to life as way of storytelling through space. The genesis of this place started with the vision of what the venue would be that we built the building around,” he adds of the two-story, 400-capacity Neon Steeple performance space in the heart of the building situated on floors 3 & 4.
“When I came to Nashville in search of a place to play my songs, nowhere on this strip would have me. I went to Fiddle & Steel in Printers Alley and found my tribe,” Church shared with the original neon sign illuminating the theater balcony. “So, when we started building this, it was designed to be a place to bring original music back to the heart of historic Broadway.”
Church fulfilled his pledge on Friday night with the inaugural performance of his nineteen-residency series, aptly named “To Beat The Devil.” Through a captivating journey recounting his life and musical journey, Church Choir members, who were the exclusive ticket holders, were treated to an intimate, nearly two-hour set tailored solely for their enjoyment.
“I wanted a place I play songs that didn’t make albums — and this is the only place I’ll do a lot of these songs and share a lot of these stories. It’s a conversation in a place only for the people there.”
Chief’s boasts a multifaceted entertainment experience on six floors, featuring a ticketed music venue complemented by Chief’s Tavern on the first floor, adorned with over 4,000 concert posters spanning the career of the CMA Entertainer of the Year.
Additionally, on the second floor, guests can enjoy the Friendly Shadows Dueling Piano Bar, boasting carefully curated decor elements from Eric’s personal collections. The second floor was my personal favorite space in the bar with the live piano performances, the vast memorabilia collection on the walls and a bathroom that gives you a glimpse at the singer’s love of Field & Stream Magazine. Church recently purchased the magazine with his friend Morgan Wallen.
The venue also hosts a broadcasting studio, including Eric Church Outsiders Radio on SiriusXM, with the capacity to facilitate broadcasts from various media partners. Positioned at street level, the studio offers fans worldwide an immersive behind-the-scenes glimpse into live broadcasting.
Chief’s pays homage to Eric Church’s Carolina roots through a collaboration with Rodney Scott. Scott’s Whole Hog BBQ, a part of the Pihakis Restaurant Group, occupies the fifth and sixth floors, featuring its signature ‘Hell of a Q’ rooftop setting that offers panoramic views of downtown.
Overall Chief’s is one of our new favorite bars in Nashville and it stands out among the other celebrity owned establishments with the musical spaces and curated design elements.