Garth Brooks Dishes on Plans for His Nashville Bar Friends In Low Places
Garth Brooks has staked his claim in Nashville's ever-growing nightlife scene. Nashville's Lower Broadway area boasts loads of bars and restaurants tied to country artists including Miranda Lambert, Blake Shelton and Dierks Bentley. Now, Brooks is getting in on the fun in Tennessee's capital with Friends in Low Places, a three-level honky tonk in a 40,000-square-foot-space. Brooks discussed the venue ahead of his Nashville concerts at Nissan Stadium and revealed his ambitions for the bar.
"I want the Chick-fil-A of honky tonks," Brooks told PopCulture.com and other media at a Friday press conference. "I want a place you can go where you feel good, [where] they say everybody's got good manners. I'm hoping that, right when you walk in, 'to love everybody' is stated right there. That's what it's about. I want a place that's just safe. It feels good."
He also stressed the importance of Friends in Low Places being a country-music-centric spot. While many other places in Music City — even those affiliated with country music stars — will mix hip-hop, pop and rock songs into their playlists, Brooks wants his bar to be an oasis of country music.
"I would love it to be a classic honky tonk," he said. "Because country music to me has been so good to me. And I want to hear on Lower Broadway in 2022, I want to hear King George coming out of that honky tonk. I want to hear [Merle] Haggard coming out of that honky tonk. And I don't think that's impossible to ask, but I also think you can play Luke Bryan in there. I think you can play [Kenny] Chesney in there. I think you can play [Trisha[ Yearwood, [Reba] McEntire, Dolly [Parton]. I think you can do all that with the new group, too, the ['Ashley McBrydes.']"
He went on to add, "I'm hoping this place is a thumping place; that always looks like it's something's going crazy in there. I like that. But when you walk in, I hope it's country music that you hear."
While Brooks knows just about everything about country music, opening a bar will be a new undertaking for him. However, he's determined to do it right, opting to be more involved than just licensing his name to another entity. (He also coyly teased that his wife, Yearwood, might be involved in the destination's food offerings.)
"Obviously I'm scared. I'm nervous, never bought a building before," Brooks said. "I don't know if [licensing] works for me. Because I want to know how people are treated. I just do. Not saying that anybody's license isn't worried about that. Just for me, this was cooler for us. I think just a place that you're welcome. I think a place where you feel like the people around you are good people that love one another, and the honky tonk's amazing. The music's amazing. Oh, and if you serve food, I'm trying to think of somebody in my family that knows anything about food. That'd be some pretty damn good food." As for the name, which is a reference to his iconic 1990 song "Friends in Low Places," he lightheartedly noted, "What else are you going to call it, right?"
Friends in Low Places is set to take over 411 Broadway in Nashville (the former location of Downtown Sporting Club) sometime in the next couple of years. Currently, a merchandise store featuring Brooks-related items is housed in the building while construction is underway.
As for Brooks' music career, he's deep into his final run of stadium dates. The next stop on The Stadium Tour will see Brooks play Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville, Arkansas, on April 23. That show is sold out, with no official resale tickets available via Ticketmaster. However, Brooks has a steady lineup of dates throughout 2022, including stops in Baton Rouge, Cincinnati, Salt Lake City and Charlotte. Click here to see a full list of upcoming tour dates.
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