Green Hills

A neighborhood in Nashville

Green Hills is a quiet, residential Nashville neighborhood whose live-music identity rests almost entirely on one address. The Bluebird Cafe is a 90-seat listening room tucked into a strip mall on Hillsboro Pike, and its modest footprint understates its reputation. It is one of the world's preeminent listening rooms, known internationally as a songwriter performance space where the "heroes behind the hits" perform their own songs. In the Round shows run Tuesday through Saturday evenings, with three to four songwriters sharing the circle, and a strict quiet policy ensures every word and chord is heard in focused silence. Monday nights are reserved for Open Mic, free to enter, with eighteen slots available on a first-come, first-served basis. Over the years, Kathy Mattea, Garth Brooks, Taylor Swift, Keith Urban, Vince Gill, and John Prine have all performed here, many before they were widely known. The cafe draws over 70,000 visitors annually. Shows sell out regularly, and advance tickets are strongly advised.