By Jeanni Ritchie
If Broadway is where country music parties, Backstage Nashville is where country music begins. Hidden just off the main tourist drag at 3rd and Lindsley, this live songwriter showcase is one of the purest, most electric experiences you can have in Music City. No smoke machines. No stadium lights. Just a songwriter, a stool, and the stories behind the songs the whole world sings.
Backstage Nashville peels back the curtain and proves what every Nashville local will tell you: the songwriter is the heartbeat of country music.
What Makes Backstage Nashville Different
Most Nashville shows feature performers. This one features creators. Every songwriter on stage has cuts recorded by major artists or rising ones, and the beauty is hearing the original version — and the story of how it came to be.
A Front-Row Seat to the Writers Behind the Hits
The show runs every Saturday afternoon and — while the lineup is never the same — the experience is always unforgettable. On my last trip, I met Heidi Newfield (Johnny and June) and heard stories from her time with the Cash family. This time, I planned my trip so I could attend two weekends in a row and met an entirely new set of powerhouse songwriters:
Bridgette Tatum
Writer of She’s Country, one of Jason Aldean’s biggest hits. Bridgette is pure fire — gritty, hilarious, and unmistakably authentic. Every time that song plays, she earns songwriter royalties for 100 years. After the show, I told her that my daughter’s “Ragin’ Cajun” softball nickname — and the fact that they blasted She’s Country every time she came up to bat — probably earned her about seven dollars in royalties. She said it still surprises her how often she hears that story, and she gladly took a photo for Kelsey.
Julia Hutchinson
Before the main lineup even stepped on stage, production assistant Julia Hutchinson delivered a pre-show performance that stopped me in my tracks. Her song, Made That Man, echoed every woman’s sentiment of watching an ex turn into the perfect man for the next girlfriend — and taking full credit for the upgrade.
Peytan Porter
Making her Backstage Nashville debut, Peytan introduced Deep Cut, a song about being the girl who isn’t mainstream or traditional but the track a listener plays on repeat. Maybe not for everyone, but the ones who get her… get more than surface-level romance.
Bobby Tomberlin
If velvet had a voice, it would sound like Bobby Tomberlin. He wrote One More Day for Diamond Rio — one of the most beloved country ballads of all time — and sang it with a tenderness that quieted the room. He also penned Darryl Worley’s A Good Day to Run, and performed a hysterical number built around the line, “Wherever she is, I hope that she stays there.” His song I’ve Lived Country Music felt less like name-dropping and more like sitting on a porch listening to a friend share really cool experiences.
Johnny Clawson
Johnny brought equal parts heart and humor. But it was Gettin’ Older, recorded by Chris Young, that pulled tears from my eyes and made me half-want to drive straight home after the show.
“If I could be the man my dad was, then I’m not afraid of gettin’ older.”
Then he swung us back to laughter with the shoulda-been-a-hit Cow, Baby, followed by the Ella Langley cut Weren’t for the Wind. He ended with the CMA-nominated Texas, recorded by Blake Shelton. As the audience sang along, I marveled at the lyrics:
“She’s probably in Texas
Amarillo, all I know
George Strait said it
Yeah, that’s where all them exes go.”
Yep. That tracked.
Earl Bud Lee
A legend in every sense. Earl Bud Lee has written 238 songs cut by major artists — George Strait, Blake Shelton, the Oak Ridge Boys, Loretta Lynn, Christy Lane, Holly Dunn, and dozens more.
He closed with the Garth Brooks anthem we all belted out: Friends in Low Places. There are songwriters, and then there are icons. Earl Bud Lee is an icon.
Maura Streppa
Another pre-show standout — bright, modern, and full of momentum. Her songs Branded and Skinnier set the tone perfectly.
Elliott Prather
Part of the production staff and an outstanding vocalist in his own right. His pre-show performance included That’s How I See It, a faith-forward song that reminded me how deeply Christian and country music are interwoven in Nashville.
Gary Nichols
A raw and compelling storyteller who lived a life similar to my own, right down to the redemption. He performed Stranger, a gut-level song about addiction and darkness, followed by the hopeful God Will Send You Somebody, and a hilarious audience-participation piece called Who Gets to Heaven. A perfect example of why Backstage Nashville is more than just a song set.
Tony Arata and Brice Long
Brice Long has over 175 cuts, and hearing him perform a handful of them felt like flipping a Top 20 country music catalog. He brought the crowd to life with Nothing on but the Radio (Gary Allan), Randy Houser’s Anything Goes, Jon Pardi’s Heartache on the Dance Floor, and Houser’s Like a Cowboy. When the writer himself delivers the songs, the room shifts — a radio hit suddenly becomes a story being told straight to you.
Tony Arata is Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame royalty. He wrote The Dance, one of Garth Brooks’ most defining songs, and the Grammy-nominated Dreaming With My Eyes Open recorded by Clay Walker. He also performed Here I Am (Patty Loveless) and A Handful of Dust, which has been recorded by over a dozen artists.
It felt like a private masterclass.
Devon O’Day
Devon is from Central Louisiana, so I brought her a taste of home — Natchitoches meat pies — which earned me a sweet shout-out from the stage and a hilarious post-show moment as we unsuccessfully tried to explain to Bridgette Tatum what a meat pie actually is.
Why This Show Works Even If You Don’t Know a Single Song
Country music is storytelling, and songwriters are the storytellers. There’s something special about hearing a song in the form it was born — just a writer, a guitar, and the heart behind the lyric.
Tips for Travelers
Arrive early — or if you’re with a group of four or more, pay a little extra for an assigned VIP table.
Bring a little extra money for merch; songwriters are supported by the shirts, handwritten lyrics, and small-batch items they sell.
Respect the intimacy of the room.
Check the rotating lineup — every show is different, and that’s part of the magic.
Bottom Line
Backstage Nashville is the closest you’ll ever get to the soul of Music City. Warm, funny, emotional, and unforgettable. You walk in as a visitor and walk out feeling like you’ve been invited behind the curtain.
If country music is a tree, the songwriters are the roots — and Backstage Nashville puts you right under its shade.
Jeanni Ritchie is a contributing journalist from Central Louisiana. She can be reached at jeanniritchie54@gmail.com.
