You know Nashville as Music City, but you may not know that the roots of the city’s polished urban sound can often be traced back to the cozy bars and dime-sized stages of Franklin, Tennessee. Franklin is home to world-class session musicians, Grammy Award-winning singers, and chart-topping songwriters, many of whom regularly draw inspiration from the town’s historic charm and pastoral surroundings.
“The experience south of Nashville in Franklin is different from Nashville,” explains FirstBank Amphitheater owner Rick McEachern. “Nashville is one of the music capitals and it’s definitely a city experience. We’re focused more on a country experience.”
On a typical night in Franklin, you may well witness the birth of some of tomorrow’s biggest hits, as songwriters test them out in their neighborhood bistro. Or, you might be treated to an impromptu concert by an A-list country star, who decided to join her friends in a jam session at the tiny music venue a few minutes from her farm.
Even Franklin’s larger music venues offer a decidedly homier listening experience, pairing state-of-the-art sound systems with the ambience of a historic theater or a boutique amphitheater nestled in a rock quarry in the woods, miles from civilization.
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Below, you’ll find some of our favorite Franklin music venues, and what we think makes each one unique.
Puckett’s Restaurant
In 1998, entrepreneur Andy Marshall purchased Puckett’s, a small country market that first opened back in the 1950s. There, he began serving recipes that came straight from his own family’s kitchens. In 2002, Andy added live music, a decision that transformed Puckett’s into the world-famous restaurant and music venue it is today. Puckett’s now has six locations across Tennessee and a seventh in Alabama, where you can see performances from up-and-coming songwriters and performers. Franklin’s location has hosted performances from Kelsea Ballerini, Wynn Varble, Priscilla Block, Don Schlitz, Brett Eldredge, Chris Janson, Joey & Rory, Maddie & Tae, Carly Pearce, Thomas Rhett, Brett Young, and many more.
FirstBank Amphitheater
Rick and Nancy McEachern bought an abandoned rock quarry back in 2014 and transformed the property into FirstBank Amphitheater, a boutique music venue in rural Thompson’s Station that seats 7,500 people. Since opening in 2021, the venue has hosted world-class musicians ranging from Maren Morris and Willie Nelson to New Kids on the Block and Zach Bryan. Concertgoers park in fields and walk on nature trails to the amphitheater, creating a unique atmosphere you won’t find at any Nashville concert. “When the sun goes down, and the show begins, and there are hawks flying overhead, and the stars are out, and your favorite band comes on stage, and the crowd gives as much as the artist,” says Nancy, “there’s just nothing like a night here.”
Fox & Locke
Fox & Locke first opened its doors in the quaint village of Leiper’s Fork back in 1947. After an ownership change, it became the original Puckett’s Grocery & Restaurant and operated under that name for many years before returning to its original name in 2022. Today, Fox & Locke is known for its no-frills Southern fare and exciting music scene. Thursday open mic nights are a starting place for new talent as well as a spot to see local big-name performers unexpectedly turn up to belt out a few songs. Many of the big record labels will have scouts in the crowd on Thursday nights to hear the new talent. Notable names that have been discovered on the Fox & Locke stage are sisters Lennon & Maisy Stella, who went on to appear on the ABC/CMT series Nashville (2012–2018) and have since embarked on solo music careers of their own. Other notable artists who’ve made surprise appearances on the Fox & Locke stage include Megadeath frontman Dave Mustain, Carrie Underwood, Wynonna Judd, Jason Isbell, Keb Mo, and many more.
The Franklin Theatre
The Franklin Theatre once was a popular Art Deco movie theater when it opened on Main Street back in 1937. In the early 2000s, the Heritage Foundation of Williamson County bought and rehabilitated the theater. Three years and $8 million later, the theater reopened with a professional stage and state-of-the-art sound system and quickly became a favorite destination for movies, music, theater, and more. Music lovers adore the venue, both for the A-list performers it attracts (including Brad Paisley, Vince Gill, Sheryl Crow, and many, many more) and for its more intimate feel compared to Nashville’s mid-sized venues. You won’t find a bad seat in the house!
The Legendary Kimbro’s Pickin’ Parlor & Mockingbird Theater
Just east of Franklin’s Main Street sits a historic home that’s been converted into a quirky music venue known as The Legendary Kimbro’s Pickin’ Parlor. It opened back in 2005 and, since that time, has hosted hundreds of stellar musicians, including Leon Russell, Grace Bowers, Chris Stapleton, Jelly Roll, John Prine, Vince Gill, and many more. Will Jordan, the venue’s owner, says Kimbro’s is also a great spot to see artists and musicians on the rise: “We’ve got some guys that we think are probably on the cusp of getting so big that we probably won’t see them for a while. These are all friends of ours.” In 2013, Kimbro’s came in second behind Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium as “Best Live Music Venue” in The Tennessean’s readers’ poll, and second place behind The Bluebird in Nashville for “Best Open Mic” in the Nashville Scene’s readers’ poll. Jordan also manages the Mockingbird Theater at The Factory at Franklin, a newer, state-of-the-art music venue that hosts bands of all genres.
The next time you’re planning a night on the town, be sure to look up who’s playing in and around Franklin, or stop by a venue like Kimbro’s or Fox & Locke and cross your fingers that a major star will show up unannounced. It’s a regular occurrence, according to Will Jordan, who says that’s part of Franklin’s magic. “There’s a lot of people that want to keep their anonymity,” he explains, “and we are staunch protectors of that.”
No matter which music venue you choose, you’re sure to find a unique performance you won’t soon forget, thanks largely to locals like Rick & Nancy McEachern, who’ve committed their careers to ensuring patrons have an incredible listening experience. “Our heart is in it because if you do it right,” McEachern explains, “you’re going to make a memory that’s going to stick with people for the rest of their lives.”
