The End

Me and The Squad rolled up looking REAL nice after getting sorted out with some real good bean rolls at The Gold Rush and we had matching Dilly Bar Squad t-​shirts but we weren’t wearing them at the time but the show was great and our friend Matt really loved Jeff Rosenstock’s set like Matt was going off down in front but anyway bye for now…

Man this place is cool but it could be so much cooler. Basically no one is in charge here. The name should be changed to «THATS NOT MY JOB». If you’re fortunate enough to catch the bartender/​owner actually tending the bar rather than doing God knows what in the back room be prepared. His favorite statement is «we don’t have that» and he moves about half as fast as a fart. The lack of leadership falls unfairly on the sound guy and makes them slightly grouchy. If you’re playing here be very polite and you’ll get good sound. Don’t ask the sound guy about anything but sound and set time or you will be quickly told «that’s not my problem». Anyways, this place could be great if they got a friendly bartender and a stage manager. It’s got potential but poor execution.

Dank and overpriced but great music, nice crowd, and a homey culture dive bar like experience.

If you’re wanting to book a show here, move along. They don’t communicate well at all and the last time I put a touring act there, the staff treated them like shit. Always shady about pay too. As an audience member it’s just ok… Nashville has far better places to see live music.

I feel I should start by saying I have been here only once and for a Jeff the Brotherhood show, which is an experience in and of itself. The End is located in an alley in Elliston. It feels like s shanty inside. It’s low ceiling-​ed and cramped and it sells cheap beer and the scent of cigarette smoke leaks in from its small fenced-​in patio. It doesn’t take much to sell out this small shack and it becomes difficult to move or breathe.
And its freaking awesome.
The energy at the shows here is just so much fun. Its such a different venue from the other ones about town. It enjoys its own filth and it gets wild in here. I’m sure there are plenty of more low-​key shows but there’s nothing like a rock-​fueled sold out experience here. It’s a dive bar music hole in the wall and I absolutely love it. No frills, nothing fancy, just good music, cheap beer, and a unique atmosphere in the face of a becoming-​too-​fancy Nashville. I’d recommend throwing caution to the wind and coming here at least once to see a band you might normally not see.

Good booking.
Good sound.
The guy who’s always behind the bar is a crab and makes getting an overpriced beer suck.
Drink somewhere else and come in for the bands.

Great little music venue! This is the spot for locals so if you want to see something off the beaten path & not country, head here. It was very cool to see all of the posters from bands who have played there before, like town favorites The White Stripes.
We came to check out some local metal and found it to be a thoroughly acceptable hole in the wall venue. They are 18+ but do have a bar (beer only) and even had Yazoo! (Which they promptly ran out of after our first round). They take debit cards with a minimum.
The woman’s bathroom was clogged and uninviting so I used the men’s bathroom. It was actually cleaner than I was expecting given the abomination I had seen in the girls bathroom. It wasn’t an issue with less than 40 people there, but if it were busy I can see that being annoying.
Overall, staff was friendly, beer was cold, price was right ($ 5 cover) and the sound was good. It was a bit of a bummer that the 9pm doors were more like 9:45 while we waited on the bartender to open the venue — but to be expected with a small run operation.

Extremely small little venue behind a pizza place. The manager/​owner/​whoever was there right before a show was extremely rude. Yelling at my friend for no apparent reason. Definitely not interested in coming back.

The venue was great. Although it was a bit of a slow night, the bartender was not attentive and seemed indifferent to my service. Saw a great show there, and plan to return.

It’s The End. It’s a lovely little dive-​y venue to see bands no one has ever heard of and some artists who left their bands to go out on their own, hah.
It’s an intimate setting with a good view from anywhere in the place. The walls surround the stage are covered in old, cheap purple velvet, but it adds to the ambiance of the place.
This place isn’t the Ryman, it’s The End. It’s at the other end of the concert venue spectrum from the Ryman. It’s grunge-​y and it’s Nashville, love it or leave it.

Maybe I’ve just always been too drunk or excited to dwell on the negative, but I’ve had some of the most fun nights I’ve ever had in Nashville here. You can catch acts here wayyyy before they have sucess or implode. Get it while it’s gritty. Yes it’s a dive, yes the sound is crap, but it’s also priced appropriate and a pioneer of nashville rock. It’s a venue, so you’ll like it as much as you like whoever you came to see. In my case I’ve always loved every minute of it.

Oh man, I had fun at The End.
Dislikes: bathroom lines for overflowing toilets, $ 10 minimum on credit cards
Likes: $ 2 PBRs, the names of all the (awesome) bands that have come through written on the wall to the right of the stage, posters of past performances, character (and characters) galore, friendly vibe, cheap admittance!
I’m definitely coming back.

Oozing with character and raw charm, The End doesn’t apologize for wanting to pump you full of booze and rock your face off. And why should they? Venues don’t have to be fancy and polished to house great acts and provide a good time.
The last time I went to The End was to see Toro y Moi. What a show! Despite the venue being overwhelmingly hot, the sound was good and I loved how intimate the room felt and how involved with the audience the artists were. Doesn’t happen often in big venues. Fans crowded together dancing and singing in unison… pure indie magic.
Go in with an open mind and I’m sure you will have a blast!

A dive bar in every definition of the word, but also a cool little live music venue.
Now maybe I enjoyed myself because I went with the expectation of The End being a dive bar. And I was pleasantly surprised to find it was much larger than I anticipated. Bigger even than some popular venues in Hollywood. Or maybe that’s just because on a Wednesday night it was not crowded at all.
I guess many weeknights they have a line up of local bands stretching in to the wee hours of the morning and that’s why we were there, to support our friend’s band QuicheNight. I don’t have an ear for acoustics, and it’s pretty obvious this place isn’t the Schermerhorn. But it’s damn fine for a good old fashioned rock out session.
I cannot comment on beverage prices as my boyfriend purchased draught PBR, when in Rome do as the Roman’s do –or in this case when in Nashville do as the hipsters do. The PBR came in plastic cups by the way. Classy!
Will surely be back at some point to see a cheap show!

Tiny and full of character but if only their sound and acoustics were worth a damn…
Just saw Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin here and yet again, was disappointed by the cruddy sound. However, you can’t help but appreciate the gritty and cozy vibe here.
Small venue = Small review

The End is a classic Nashville venue. One of the best in the country in my opinion. It’s small and very rocknroll. If you want clean and nice then listen to some Kenny G.

The End is overshadowed by Exit/​In across the street because it’s nicer and bigger, but God bless the End. Most acts who play here are either local or independent and not blown up yet, but I’ve still seen Tilly and the Wall and of Montréal grace their presences here. You’ll be surprised to see a bigger act play here, which is every now and then, and it’s great because I’ve never seen a show be more than $ 12.
It can get cramped here because it is a small venue, but there’s an outside patio for when you need a fresh breath or air and a raised area with seats and tables. The bar is only so-​so, though.

The End is a great place to check out your favorite local bands. It’s small, dark and can get very crowded, but it has a very intimate atmosphere. Tables are limited so I suggest coming early if you’re the type of person who likes to sit down to watch their music. You can see the stage from almost everywhere which is great because one of the things I hate the most is playing the ‘bounce around the venue craning your neck to see the stage’ game.
It’s across the street from the much larger Exit/​In which is convenient because there have been numerous times there has been someone I wanted to see playing at both venues on the same night. It’s location makes it great for show hopping, and don’t forget to stop off at Gold Rush or Café Coco for a nightcap or a pre-​gaming beverage.
The End is one of those places it’s always a good idea to go to when you don’t have anything else to do or don’t know of anything else going on. Even if you don’t know the band (s) playing you’ll probably like them, local or not. A lot of more popular bands have stopped and played here back in the day before they were ‘discovered’. Usually if a band is playing across the street at Exit/​In, they probably played the End on their last tour through Nashville.
The sound guy at the End is legendary, at least around time. A favorite local topic of debate is whether or not the teeny tiny End has the best sound in town. Whether you agree or disagree, the music is always just right, the bands are usually always on and a good time is usually had by all. On nights when it’s extra hoppin be prepared to leave drenched in sweat as it gets hot and sticky with all the people .
A downside to the End is it’s lack of parking, just like a lot of its Elliston Place neighbors, there is no parking lot so come early to search for a place on the street. Oh and never, never park in the massive church parking lot up the way. They will and do tow, even if it’s 9 pm on a Thursday evening and the church is dark as night. Seems rather un-​neighborly in my opinion but oh well. Also if you’re strictly a liquor drinker, you’ll have to get your cocktails somewhere else as the End’s bar is beer only. However if cheap beer is your bag, you’ll be right at home.

The End is a pretty decent venue to check out local acts. It’s small, but open enough that you have a decent view of the stage from most areas. The smoking patio is spacious and a good way to get a break from the noise even if you’re not a smoker.
The End is often host to the Left Can Dance parties hosted by local DJs. If you’d like to dance to the kind of music you would play in your living room plus great songs you haven’t heard yet this is a great time to check out The End.
My main complaint is that the bar is beer only. It’s a lot easier for me to get into the dancing spirit after a Jack and Diet than a High Life.

The End has long lived in the shadow of its larger counterpart, The Exit/​In, which can be found just across the street. Despite The End’s more modest digs, I find it to be more charming and an all-​around better spot to grab a beer and see an unassuming rock show.
The End is basically one room divided into three often cramped sections. The bar is toward the back and makes for a good spot to lay low and catch your breath if the place is more slammed than usual. Beer is dirt cheap, though the selection is modest. While you probably won’t see the enormous touring acts that often grace The Exit/​In with their presence, The End is an absolute must for popular local bands, and you can often catch comedy shows and DJs if you keep up with their schedule.
Probably the most exceptional feature at The End, however, is the sound. Run by Bruce (you can’t miss him), the mix at this little dive is possibly the best in Nashville. Speaking as someone who has played and seen shows all over the city, I have to tell you that you won’t hear a more unadulteratedly clean and pure board mix anywhere.
Being tucked right in the middle of Elliston Place makes for a good evening, and you can always skip down to the Goldrush or the Corner Bar for a shot if you’re sick of swilling cheap beers. The End also has a nice but somewhat busted little patio for smokers. The door on the men’s restroom, however, has never seemed to fully shut. I suppose that’s just the price you pay at an authentic dive bar.