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MAN 1: I don't think
that there's an artist
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that I know that doesn't have
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a Bluebird story.
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WOMAN 1: The kind of songs
that have come out of here
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have had a depth
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00:00:26,578 --> 00:00:27,855
and the careers
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that have come out of here
have had depths.
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MAN 2: If you had a discography of all the songs
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that got played in here,
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I bet it would
just be staggering.
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MAN 3: It's almost like
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seeing something
you're not supposed to.
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MAN 4: If you can get a ticket, if you can get in,
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00:00:52,259 --> 00:00:54,261
you get to see.
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WOMAN 2:
Whether you're the biggest
songwriter in Nashville
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or someone
that's been there a week,
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00:01:00,957 --> 00:01:02,993
it's an equal playing field.
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00:01:03,028 --> 00:01:04,409
MAN 5: There could be
a show there tonight
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00:01:04,443 --> 00:01:05,996
where a special guest gets up
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00:01:06,031 --> 00:01:07,998
and a couple years from now,
they're all over the radio,
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00:01:08,033 --> 00:01:09,966
they're all over the TV
and everybody knows
who they are,
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but the crowd
that's here tonight
gets to say,
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"I saw them back there
at the Bluebird."
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♪ From the corners
of the country
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♪ From the cities and the farms
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♪ With years
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♪ and years of living
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00:01:34,335 --> 00:01:37,269
♪ Tucked up
underneath their arms
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♪ They walked away
from everything
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♪ Just to see a dream come true
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♪ So God bless the boys
who make the noise
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♪ On 16th Avenue
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JOHN OSBORNE: When you hear
a hit songwriter play a song
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that they just finished
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and you're like,
"Wow, we are some
of the first people
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00:01:55,080 --> 00:01:57,151
in the world
to ever hear this song."
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Any of the biggest writers
you've ever heard of
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or haven't heard of
have played there.
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00:02:02,329 --> 00:02:04,262
It just made you feel
like you could dream
40
00:02:04,296 --> 00:02:07,851
and you could be
on the stage right there.
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00:02:07,886 --> 00:02:11,165
It just made the dream
a reality, like, in the room.
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00:02:11,200 --> 00:02:16,066
The Bluebird Cafe is a place
to come and be found.
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00:02:16,101 --> 00:02:18,724
It's a place to come
and call home.
44
00:02:18,759 --> 00:02:21,106
♪ With a million dollar spirit
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00:02:22,038 --> 00:02:25,179
♪ And an old flattop guitar
46
00:02:25,214 --> 00:02:28,493
♪ They drive to town
with all they own
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♪ In a hundred dollar car
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♪ 'Cause one time
someone told them
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♪ About a friend
of a friend they knew
50
00:02:37,778 --> 00:02:40,712
♪ Who owns you know a studio
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♪ On 16th Avenue
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CHARLIE WORSHAM:
Whether it's me
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00:02:44,785 --> 00:02:46,200
just having moved to town
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00:02:46,235 --> 00:02:48,823
with songs I've never sung for anybody, or me a week ago,
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I get the same butterflies.
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00:02:50,860 --> 00:02:53,207
There's a couple of places
I get nervous. One, playing
at somebody's wedding
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00:02:53,242 --> 00:02:55,347
and one is, for some reason,
playing at Bluebird.
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00:02:55,382 --> 00:02:57,556
It's like the first time
I've ever performed
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00:02:57,591 --> 00:02:59,109
every time I play there.
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00:02:59,144 --> 00:03:01,215
You'd see the people
you're about to play for
in the bathroom,
61
00:03:01,250 --> 00:03:02,768
-so you usually just try...
-Yeah, it's true.
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00:03:02,803 --> 00:03:04,011
Just try and hold it.
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00:03:04,045 --> 00:03:07,221
♪ 'Cause they walk away
from everything
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00:03:07,256 --> 00:03:10,362
♪ Just to sing for me and you
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00:03:10,397 --> 00:03:14,090
♪ So God bless the boys
who make the noise
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00:03:14,124 --> 00:03:16,437
♪ On 16th Avenue
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00:03:25,619 --> 00:03:27,414
Thanks so very much.
68
00:03:27,448 --> 00:03:30,140
You're very kind.
I'm so glad you're here.
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00:03:35,836 --> 00:03:37,217
AMY KURLAND:
When I rented this place,
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00:03:37,251 --> 00:03:39,391
it was the Greenhouse Game Room
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00:03:39,426 --> 00:03:41,738
and there were pool tables
and pinball tables.
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00:03:41,773 --> 00:03:44,051
BARBARA KURLAND: And it was
bright yellow, as I recall
73
00:03:44,085 --> 00:03:46,812
and looked much bigger.
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00:03:46,847 --> 00:03:49,608
BARBARA: I do remember
when you were getting
the bar built.
75
00:03:49,643 --> 00:03:52,439
-Yeah.
-And that was very exciting
76
00:03:52,473 --> 00:03:55,442
-because she wanted it
to look antique-y.
-Yeah.
77
00:03:55,476 --> 00:03:57,167
I love the neon.
78
00:03:57,202 --> 00:03:58,997
I think that's really beautiful.
79
00:03:59,031 --> 00:04:01,379
Whoever designed it for you
did a wonderful job.
80
00:04:01,413 --> 00:04:03,657
A songwriter named
Gove Scrivenor did it.
81
00:04:03,691 --> 00:04:06,729
He just took it neon class
and that was what he chose
82
00:04:06,763 --> 00:04:08,800
to make and then
he brought it to me.
83
00:04:08,834 --> 00:04:11,251
And I remember going out
in the country
84
00:04:11,285 --> 00:04:14,840
to really terrible
antique stores
85
00:04:14,875 --> 00:04:17,671
and digging those pews
out of the back
86
00:04:17,705 --> 00:04:20,743
of old collapsed barns
and things.
87
00:04:20,777 --> 00:04:23,021
Guess you put a lot of people
in those chairs.
88
00:04:24,505 --> 00:04:27,025
We have, we have.
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00:04:27,059 --> 00:04:28,613
JAY PATTEN: A one, two, three.
90
00:04:28,647 --> 00:04:30,615
ROGER COOK: Amy got this place
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00:04:30,649 --> 00:04:34,308
and she didn't intend it to be a music venue, initially.
92
00:04:34,343 --> 00:04:36,793
She just wanted
a restaurant or a cafe.
93
00:04:36,828 --> 00:04:38,657
She had gone to cooking school
94
00:04:38,692 --> 00:04:40,590
and she became
a really good chef.
95
00:04:40,625 --> 00:04:43,490
It was a, you know,
an established lunch place.
96
00:04:43,524 --> 00:04:46,147
It was kind of a ladies
who lunch type situation
97
00:04:46,182 --> 00:04:48,046
Folks would come over
from next door
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00:04:48,080 --> 00:04:50,359
after they had their hair done
at the salon.
99
00:04:50,393 --> 00:04:52,982
There were fancy tablecloths
on the table,
100
00:04:53,016 --> 00:04:54,466
Crab Louie on the menu.
101
00:04:54,501 --> 00:04:55,709
People like Minnie Pearl
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00:04:55,743 --> 00:04:57,227
would come over
after she had her hair done.
103
00:04:57,262 --> 00:04:59,368
And then a couple
of friends, I think
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00:04:59,402 --> 00:05:00,714
it may have been Jay Patten.
105
00:05:00,748 --> 00:05:02,198
It may have been
Bob White.
106
00:05:02,232 --> 00:05:05,201
"You should have some
live music in here."
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00:05:05,235 --> 00:05:07,030
PATTEN: Ladies and gentlemen,
I'd like to introduce you
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00:05:07,065 --> 00:05:08,998
to the Anniversary Choir.
109
00:05:10,724 --> 00:05:14,348
Jonnell Mosser, Carrico
and Sheila Lawrence.
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00:05:14,383 --> 00:05:16,833
PATTEN: Opening night
was so beautiful.
111
00:05:16,868 --> 00:05:19,526
I come in,
everybody was all dressed up.
112
00:05:19,560 --> 00:05:22,356
And I thought, "This is
gonna be very special."
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00:05:22,391 --> 00:05:26,360
♪ So nice to be with you
114
00:05:26,395 --> 00:05:27,913
♪ So nice
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00:05:27,948 --> 00:05:29,708
I went to work
for The Tennessean
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00:05:29,743 --> 00:05:32,401
as the music reporter
in the summer of 1981
117
00:05:32,435 --> 00:05:34,195
and almost a year later,
118
00:05:34,230 --> 00:05:35,749
The Bluebird Cafe opened.
119
00:05:37,682 --> 00:05:41,824
♪ So nice to be here
with you tonight
120
00:05:41,858 --> 00:05:45,931
♪ You're exactly
what I want to see
121
00:05:45,966 --> 00:05:49,728
♪ So very nice to be
where the vibe is just right
122
00:05:49,763 --> 00:05:53,180
♪ It's an absolute pleasure,
indeed
123
00:05:53,214 --> 00:05:54,871
OERMANN: It was different
in several respects.
124
00:05:55,596 --> 00:05:57,667
It was not in Midtown,
125
00:05:57,702 --> 00:05:59,117
It was not near Music Row
126
00:05:59,151 --> 00:06:00,256
and it was not Downtown.
127
00:06:00,290 --> 00:06:02,534
It was out here
in a suburban strip mall.
128
00:06:02,569 --> 00:06:06,193
♪ So nice to be here with you
129
00:06:06,227 --> 00:06:09,714
♪ Tonight
130
00:06:11,440 --> 00:06:12,717
♪ So nice
131
00:06:17,584 --> 00:06:19,309
RICHEY: We'd have
some lingering diners
132
00:06:19,344 --> 00:06:20,759
and we'd have to play
some music
133
00:06:20,794 --> 00:06:22,520
that wasn't especially
134
00:06:22,554 --> 00:06:24,522
conducive to, like,
an intimate dinner.
135
00:06:24,556 --> 00:06:26,903
I remember it was the '80s,
so we had Talking Heads
136
00:06:26,938 --> 00:06:29,285
and we cranked them up
a little more and more and more
137
00:06:29,319 --> 00:06:31,321
to get rid of the diners,
so then we could turn it
138
00:06:31,356 --> 00:06:33,979
into a club and that's when
the music would start.
139
00:06:42,332 --> 00:06:43,817
RICHEY: It was like
a regular, you know,
140
00:06:43,851 --> 00:06:45,819
any other club back in the day,
you know,
141
00:06:45,853 --> 00:06:47,752
drinking and smoking
and talking.
There wasn't any...
142
00:06:47,786 --> 00:06:50,996
There was definitely not
the shushing business going on.
143
00:06:51,031 --> 00:06:54,344
The room was loud,
it was smoky.
144
00:06:54,379 --> 00:06:55,932
Four people deep at the bar,
145
00:06:55,967 --> 00:06:57,624
you could not move
through this room
146
00:06:57,658 --> 00:06:59,936
without putting your tray
up over you head
147
00:06:59,971 --> 00:07:01,490
and shoving people
out of the way.
148
00:07:01,524 --> 00:07:03,837
My band played louder back then.
149
00:07:03,871 --> 00:07:05,977
People wanted louder music.
150
00:07:10,844 --> 00:07:12,466
AMY CLEVELAND:
The room was rocking.
151
00:07:12,501 --> 00:07:14,813
It was loud and people...
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00:07:14,848 --> 00:07:17,644
Glasses were clinking
and people were having
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00:07:17,678 --> 00:07:20,785
a good time and, you know, getting their hair blown back.
154
00:07:20,819 --> 00:07:23,615
I had the waitresses dancing
over the bar
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00:07:23,650 --> 00:07:25,341
which was a sight to behold.
156
00:07:25,375 --> 00:07:26,480
VINCE GILL: If you still had
157
00:07:26,515 --> 00:07:27,688
an hour or two left
in the night,
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00:07:27,723 --> 00:07:29,690
it was midnight
or whatever you need,
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you could come over here
and catch the end of something.
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They would all come down,
support their friends
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00:07:33,729 --> 00:07:35,006
when they were playing
and then everyone
162
00:07:35,040 --> 00:07:36,801
would hang out
at the bar late night.
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00:07:36,835 --> 00:07:38,492
CLEVELAND: Maybe it was
a little bit folkier,
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00:07:38,527 --> 00:07:40,218
maybe it was a little more
rock and roll,
165
00:07:40,252 --> 00:07:42,116
Maybe it was a little more R&B.
166
00:07:42,151 --> 00:07:44,049
It was Steve Earle
and the Dukes
167
00:07:44,084 --> 00:07:45,534
and John Scott Sherrill
168
00:07:45,568 --> 00:07:47,121
and The Wolves
in Cheap Clothing.
169
00:07:47,156 --> 00:07:49,296
None of them
were hardcore country acts.
170
00:07:49,330 --> 00:07:52,057
I remember The Bluebird
as a rock joint
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00:07:52,092 --> 00:07:54,474
more than I do anything else.
I remember my memories
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00:07:54,508 --> 00:07:56,545
at the Bluebird
are starting in the kitchen
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00:07:56,579 --> 00:07:58,339
with a wireless guitar rig
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00:07:58,374 --> 00:07:59,824
and playing Rebel Rouser
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00:07:59,858 --> 00:08:01,411
and rocking to the stage
to the back of the house.
176
00:08:01,446 --> 00:08:03,206
That's the Bluebird to me.
177
00:08:03,241 --> 00:08:05,001
When I first opened
the Bluebird, we did everything.
178
00:08:05,036 --> 00:08:06,865
We did all kinds of music
179
00:08:06,900 --> 00:08:08,867
and it was fun.
180
00:08:08,902 --> 00:08:10,662
But the number one complaint
I got was,
181
00:08:10,697 --> 00:08:12,077
"It's too loud in here."
182
00:08:12,112 --> 00:08:14,632
And in that first summer
we were open for business,
183
00:08:14,666 --> 00:08:16,565
the guy who was helping me
book it
184
00:08:16,599 --> 00:08:17,980
booked something
called a Writer's Night.
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00:08:18,014 --> 00:08:19,913
I didn't even know
what that is.
186
00:08:19,947 --> 00:08:22,053
♪ On a warm summer's evening
187
00:08:22,087 --> 00:08:25,021
- ♪ On a train bound for nowhere-
188
00:08:25,056 --> 00:08:27,921
♪ I met up with a gambler
189
00:08:27,955 --> 00:08:30,440
♪ We were both
too tired to sleep
190
00:08:30,475 --> 00:08:32,201
♪ So we took turns a-starin'
191
00:08:32,235 --> 00:08:34,548
AMY KURLAND:
Everybody was just silent.
192
00:08:34,583 --> 00:08:37,517
All they were doing
was focusing on the song
193
00:08:37,551 --> 00:08:39,415
and the person
who was playing it
194
00:08:39,449 --> 00:08:41,072
and it was magic.
195
00:08:41,106 --> 00:08:43,764
And over time,
I just transformed
196
00:08:43,799 --> 00:08:45,214
to what I think this room
197
00:08:45,248 --> 00:08:46,836
was crying out to be
198
00:08:46,871 --> 00:08:49,701
as a place where people could
really listen to the songs.
199
00:08:49,736 --> 00:08:52,186
The idea
of showcasing songwriters.
200
00:08:52,221 --> 00:08:54,844
Well, there was no such thing
as a songwriter venue
201
00:08:54,879 --> 00:08:56,397
or a songwriter club
202
00:08:56,432 --> 00:08:59,435
where you would go in
with the expressed intent
203
00:08:59,469 --> 00:09:01,368
of hearing not a star,
204
00:09:01,402 --> 00:09:03,232
but of hearing
a great songwriter.
205
00:09:03,266 --> 00:09:05,337
♪You got to know
when to hold 'em
206
00:09:06,269 --> 00:09:08,962
♪ Know when to fold 'em
207
00:09:08,996 --> 00:09:11,965
♪ Know when to walk away
208
00:09:11,999 --> 00:09:13,932
♪ And know when to run
209
00:09:13,967 --> 00:09:17,039
♪ You never count your money
210
00:09:17,073 --> 00:09:19,317
♪ When you're sittin'
at the table.
211
00:09:19,351 --> 00:09:22,562
♪ There'll be time enough
for countin'
212
00:09:22,596 --> 00:09:24,805
♪ When the dealing's done
213
00:09:24,840 --> 00:09:27,601
♪ You've got to know
when to hold 'em
214
00:09:27,636 --> 00:09:29,120
MAN: ♪ When to hold 'em
215
00:09:29,154 --> 00:09:31,329
-♪ Know when to fold 'em
-MAN: ♪ When to fold 'em
216
00:09:31,363 --> 00:09:33,538
♪ Know when to walk away
217
00:09:34,332 --> 00:09:35,989
♪ And know when to run
218
00:09:36,023 --> 00:09:39,233
♪ You never count your money
219
00:09:39,268 --> 00:09:42,167
♪ When you're sittin'
at the table
220
00:09:42,202 --> 00:09:44,514
♪ There'll be time enough
for countin'
221
00:09:45,446 --> 00:09:46,758
♪ When the dealing's done
222
00:09:46,793 --> 00:09:50,590
♪ There'll be time enough
for countin'
223
00:09:50,624 --> 00:09:52,246
♪ When the dealing's done
224
00:09:52,281 --> 00:09:56,009
♪ There'll be time enough
for countin'
225
00:09:56,043 --> 00:09:58,149
♪ When the dealing's done
226
00:10:00,013 --> 00:10:02,256
THOM SCHUYLER:
I think the world at large
doesn't realize
227
00:10:02,291 --> 00:10:05,950
that, you know, Kenny Rogers didn't write everything he sang
228
00:10:05,984 --> 00:10:07,745
and you know, when you hear
229
00:10:07,779 --> 00:10:09,850
Schlitz start The Gambler,
or something, they go,
230
00:10:09,885 --> 00:10:11,956
"No way. This guy
didn't write that song."
231
00:10:11,990 --> 00:10:14,027
Until I got into
the music business,
232
00:10:14,061 --> 00:10:16,650
I just thought, if I wrote
songs, and they recorded them,
and they put them out.
233
00:10:16,685 --> 00:10:18,307
Like, I didn't really know,
234
00:10:18,341 --> 00:10:19,653
until I was taught.
235
00:10:19,688 --> 00:10:23,001
I didn't realize that, uh,
these artists,
236
00:10:23,036 --> 00:10:25,383
that I listened to growing up,
didn't write all these songs
237
00:10:25,417 --> 00:10:29,007
That there's this community
of folks in Nashville,
238
00:10:29,042 --> 00:10:32,321
a small handful really,
writing the majority
of these songs.
239
00:10:32,355 --> 00:10:35,324
And, then I go,
"Where did they play?"
240
00:10:35,358 --> 00:10:38,499
Because there are venue
for people that's not an artist,
241
00:10:38,534 --> 00:10:40,363
to play the songs,
that they wrote for the artist.
242
00:10:40,398 --> 00:10:42,503
That's whenever
the Bluebird,
243
00:10:42,538 --> 00:10:45,403
and what the Bluebird does,
started to be real to me.
244
00:10:45,437 --> 00:10:48,199
♪ I came
245
00:10:48,233 --> 00:10:50,684
♪ See you over there
Starin' at your drink
246
00:10:50,719 --> 00:10:54,895
♪ Watchin' that ice sink
All alone tonight
247
00:10:56,725 --> 00:11:01,005
♪ And chances are you're
Sittin' here in this bar
248
00:11:01,039 --> 00:11:04,733
♪ 'Cause he
Don't treat you right... ♪
249
00:11:05,734 --> 00:11:08,564
AMY: These people are true artists.
250
00:11:08,598 --> 00:11:11,878
They may not be
performing artists,
but they are artists.
251
00:11:11,912 --> 00:11:16,089
And they deserve
to be recognized,
for how wonderful they are.
252
00:11:16,123 --> 00:11:18,816
NATALIE HEMBY: Whenever
I go to the Bluebird,
I can be an artist.
253
00:11:18,850 --> 00:11:21,853
And I... I'm not someone,
who wrote a song
for somebody else.
254
00:11:21,888 --> 00:11:25,201
They nurture the songwriter,
in an artist way.
255
00:11:25,236 --> 00:11:30,068
♪ 'Cause blue
256
00:11:30,103 --> 00:11:33,209
♪ Looks good on the sky
257
00:11:34,590 --> 00:11:38,525
♪ Looks good on that
Neon buzzin' on the wall
258
00:11:38,559 --> 00:11:42,771
♪ But darlin',
It don't match your eyes
259
00:11:44,738 --> 00:11:47,085
♪ I'm tellin' you...
260
00:11:47,120 --> 00:11:49,122
Whether you've had
30 number ones,
261
00:11:49,156 --> 00:11:50,951
or whether you're brand new,
262
00:11:50,986 --> 00:11:53,057
songwriters want
to be heard.
263
00:11:53,091 --> 00:11:55,266
The Bluebird provides that
for both.
264
00:11:55,300 --> 00:11:57,026
FAITH HILL:
I learned in that room,
265
00:11:57,061 --> 00:12:00,236
being a songwriter
is a legit job.
266
00:12:00,271 --> 00:12:03,067
I would never say,
"Oh, yeah, I'm a songwriter."
267
00:12:03,101 --> 00:12:06,035
It... I just have
so much respect
for songwriters.
268
00:12:06,070 --> 00:12:08,244
And I always have,
and it's because of that place.
269
00:12:08,279 --> 00:12:10,039
It's because of Bluebird Cafe.
270
00:12:10,074 --> 00:12:11,765
♪ I'm not tryna
271
00:12:11,800 --> 00:12:14,595
♪ Be another
Just pick you up kinda guy
272
00:12:14,630 --> 00:12:18,254
♪ Tryna drink you up
Tryna take you home... ♪
273
00:12:18,289 --> 00:12:19,773
DAVE BARNES:
It's as much educational
as it is,
274
00:12:19,808 --> 00:12:20,947
I think, entertainment,
275
00:12:20,981 --> 00:12:22,569
and that people can
hear these songs,
276
00:12:22,603 --> 00:12:23,673
from the people
that wrote them.
277
00:12:23,708 --> 00:12:25,227
And a lot of times, I think,
278
00:12:25,261 --> 00:12:28,886
what's so unique about that
is their version of that song
279
00:12:28,920 --> 00:12:31,440
is sometimes more personal
than the artist's version.
280
00:12:31,474 --> 00:12:34,098
Even if you've heard a song
a hundred times on the radio,
281
00:12:34,132 --> 00:12:36,341
and then you hearing
the songwriter sing it,
282
00:12:36,376 --> 00:12:39,689
there's different inflections,
there's reasons
that different lines stick out.
283
00:12:39,724 --> 00:12:41,070
BARRY DEAN: The songs hold
284
00:12:41,105 --> 00:12:42,796
the pictures of their lives.
285
00:12:42,831 --> 00:12:44,108
That's what songs do.
286
00:12:44,142 --> 00:12:45,937
So, if I play the song
287
00:12:45,972 --> 00:12:47,836
from when
you're in high school,
288
00:12:47,870 --> 00:12:49,285
you see the pictures.
289
00:12:49,320 --> 00:12:51,356
They wanna know
how that song get written,
290
00:12:51,391 --> 00:12:54,774
it's connected,
it's holding these things
that are precious to me.
291
00:12:54,808 --> 00:13:00,641
♪ Blue ain't your
292
00:13:00,676 --> 00:13:02,574
♪ Color
293
00:13:12,136 --> 00:13:13,965
Thank you guys, so much.
294
00:13:14,000 --> 00:13:17,727
AMY: We stayed with the music
on stage, for a few years,
295
00:13:17,762 --> 00:13:21,559
until Don Schlitz
and Fred Knobloch,
came in one Sunday night,
296
00:13:21,593 --> 00:13:25,114
perhaps having, uh,
imbibed a few.
297
00:13:25,149 --> 00:13:29,809
KNOBLOCH: Don was upset about
people talking
while we're playing.
298
00:13:29,843 --> 00:13:33,019
And, I said, "Well, you know,
299
00:13:33,053 --> 00:13:35,849
"we could make them shut up,
if we set up
in the middle of the room."
300
00:13:35,884 --> 00:13:39,542
I mean, if you sit and write
next to you,
they're not gonna say anything.
301
00:13:39,577 --> 00:13:41,061
And so, it's kind of...
302
00:13:41,096 --> 00:13:42,752
We decided to try it
the next time
303
00:13:42,787 --> 00:13:45,686
and it was me, Paul Overstreet, Don Schlitz and Thom Schuyler.
304
00:13:45,721 --> 00:13:47,171
Tom and Paul
305
00:13:47,205 --> 00:13:49,069
were not too crazy
about the idea.
306
00:13:49,104 --> 00:13:53,556
I considered it really bizarre
and stupid idea
307
00:13:53,591 --> 00:13:55,696
and I reluctantly
showed up the first night
308
00:13:55,731 --> 00:13:57,181
to do that with them.
309
00:13:57,560 --> 00:13:58,389
And...
310
00:13:59,390 --> 00:14:01,323
two hours later, it was like,
311
00:14:01,357 --> 00:14:03,877
it's the most fun I ever had
with my clothes on.
312
00:14:06,397 --> 00:14:09,434
I became aware of the
original man in the room
313
00:14:09,469 --> 00:14:10,746
because one of
the original guys,
314
00:14:10,780 --> 00:14:12,713
Fred Knobloch,
is from Mississippi.
315
00:14:12,748 --> 00:14:14,232
I'm from Mississippi.
316
00:14:14,267 --> 00:14:16,407
And I thought,
"Let's see if we can get
four girls
317
00:14:16,441 --> 00:14:18,996
"who can do this,
sitting around
and do the same thing."
318
00:14:19,030 --> 00:14:20,687
She said, Ashley Cleveland,
319
00:14:20,721 --> 00:14:23,069
who's a gospel singer,
who I knew,
320
00:14:23,103 --> 00:14:25,416
is very good friends.
They were college roommates
321
00:14:25,450 --> 00:14:26,589
with Pam Tillis,
322
00:14:26,624 --> 00:14:29,006
who was a successful
country star,
323
00:14:29,040 --> 00:14:31,629
and Karen Staley,
who was writing
a lot of hits.
324
00:14:31,663 --> 00:14:34,908
They came in. I gave them
the chance to do it,
and what do you know?
325
00:14:34,943 --> 00:14:38,049
STALEY: They became the next
true, in demand,
326
00:14:38,084 --> 00:14:40,293
you gotta get there
and see these shows.
327
00:14:40,327 --> 00:14:42,122
The guys that did it first
328
00:14:42,157 --> 00:14:43,917
were sort of their, you know,
329
00:14:43,952 --> 00:14:45,608
sisters, in a way,
that just seemed
330
00:14:45,643 --> 00:14:47,231
a natural thing
for us to do that.
331
00:14:47,265 --> 00:14:48,646
To be the women in the ramp.
332
00:14:48,680 --> 00:14:51,511
♪ Ain't shinin' bright
333
00:14:54,169 --> 00:14:58,242
♪ And the stars the stars
the stars
334
00:14:58,276 --> 00:15:00,900
♪ Won't shine for you tonight
335
00:15:00,934 --> 00:15:03,799
PAM TILLS: It was almost,
like, an alternative persona,
336
00:15:03,833 --> 00:15:06,077
Like, to be,
to have my own career,
337
00:15:06,112 --> 00:15:08,631
but then, to be
a part of something fun.
338
00:15:08,666 --> 00:15:10,599
Maybe the world
didn't know about it but,
339
00:15:10,633 --> 00:15:12,808
you know, we had
our little groupies, you know.
340
00:15:12,842 --> 00:15:17,433
♪ Out of hand
341
00:15:17,468 --> 00:15:18,918
♪ Come to mama
342
00:15:18,952 --> 00:15:20,816
ASHLEY CLEVELAND:
I drive up to the club
and think,
343
00:15:20,850 --> 00:15:23,853
"What are all those people
doing that were lined up
for the show,
344
00:15:23,888 --> 00:15:25,165
you know, I mean, I just...
345
00:15:25,200 --> 00:15:27,685
It didn't occur to me
that it would be anything.
346
00:15:27,719 --> 00:15:32,517
♪ If you need
347
00:15:32,552 --> 00:15:35,969
♪ If you need a satisfier
348
00:15:36,004 --> 00:15:38,661
STALEY: We weren't trying to hit people over the head with anything
349
00:15:38,696 --> 00:15:41,112
or prove anything.
That's just who we were.
350
00:15:41,147 --> 00:15:43,459
TRICIA WALKER:
I never gave much thought
to the fact
351
00:15:43,494 --> 00:15:46,255
of trying to find out
how many women writers
that were here.
352
00:15:46,290 --> 00:15:47,981
But I think
as the years have passed,
353
00:15:48,016 --> 00:15:50,984
I can look back
and see that we were
354
00:15:51,019 --> 00:15:52,813
some of the first ones
to really
355
00:15:52,848 --> 00:15:55,989
trying to make a foray
into the Nashville
songwriting community.
356
00:15:56,024 --> 00:15:58,164
Which at the time,
was mostly men writers
357
00:15:58,198 --> 00:16:00,994
and there are some
great female writers
who have come along
358
00:16:01,029 --> 00:16:03,445
behind us, you know,
just blowing the doors off.
359
00:16:03,479 --> 00:16:06,344
So, if we had a hand in that,
then I'm... I'm pleased.
360
00:16:17,321 --> 00:16:19,219
THOM SCHUYLER:
We were just, kind of,
opening a vein, you know.
361
00:16:19,254 --> 00:16:21,463
It's like, well,
here's who we really are.
362
00:16:21,497 --> 00:16:23,810
We're just gonna sit here
and be ourselves.
363
00:16:23,844 --> 00:16:25,398
It was modeled
after a guitar pull,
364
00:16:25,432 --> 00:16:28,228
you know, which is songwriters
get together in the living room
365
00:16:28,263 --> 00:16:31,507
and pass the guitar
and take turn playing songs
for each other.
366
00:16:31,542 --> 00:16:32,750
It's what you dream of,
367
00:16:32,784 --> 00:16:35,373
is having a bunch of really
great musicians
368
00:16:35,408 --> 00:16:37,651
come over to your house,
sit in the living room
369
00:16:37,686 --> 00:16:40,033
and play their songs for real.
370
00:16:40,068 --> 00:16:43,519
♪ Bet your window's rolled down and your hair's pulled back
371
00:16:46,108 --> 00:16:48,145
♪ Bet you got no idea
372
00:16:48,179 --> 00:16:51,010
♪ you're going way too fast
373
00:16:51,044 --> 00:16:53,529
It's almost this voyeuristic
kind of thing
374
00:16:53,564 --> 00:16:55,428
where the people
on the outside,
375
00:16:55,462 --> 00:16:57,533
they're not quite in the circle
but they feel like they're
a part of it.
376
00:16:57,568 --> 00:16:59,880
TILLIS:
You feel like you're inside
the music business.
377
00:16:59,915 --> 00:17:01,503
You're not just
inside the Bluebird,
378
00:17:01,537 --> 00:17:03,263
you're inside
the music business.
379
00:17:03,298 --> 00:17:04,920
Everybody feels like
they're in the round
380
00:17:04,954 --> 00:17:06,508
even if you're not
sitting in that circle.
381
00:17:06,542 --> 00:17:09,028
You know, you really do
feel like you're in that circle.
382
00:17:09,062 --> 00:17:10,201
Someone's eating chicken,
383
00:17:10,236 --> 00:17:11,961
and they can
touch your shoulder.
384
00:17:11,996 --> 00:17:14,240
Oh, I've, I mean,
I've shared some french fries
with strangers.
385
00:17:14,274 --> 00:17:18,416
My water's sitting
on this lovely couple
from Iowa's table.
386
00:17:18,451 --> 00:17:22,110
♪ The highway won't
dry your tears
387
00:17:22,144 --> 00:17:25,458
♪ The highway don't
need you here
388
00:17:25,492 --> 00:17:30,256
♪ The highway don't care
if you're coming home
389
00:17:30,290 --> 00:17:32,982
♪ But I do, I do.
390
00:17:35,088 --> 00:17:37,194
GILL: It's a neat environment where,
391
00:17:37,228 --> 00:17:39,403
where, kind of,
everybody gets to shine.
392
00:17:39,437 --> 00:17:41,474
If somebody's playing
a song over here,
393
00:17:41,508 --> 00:17:43,959
you know, the guy or girl
across the aisle from them,
394
00:17:43,993 --> 00:17:47,238
when they hear a lyric
that they really respond to,
395
00:17:47,273 --> 00:17:49,654
they'll nod their head
or smile, or you know,
396
00:17:49,689 --> 00:17:53,900
react in a way that musicians
don't normally react
in a larger venue,
397
00:17:53,934 --> 00:17:55,971
because they're
part of the audience too.
398
00:17:56,005 --> 00:17:57,800
As soon as
you finish your song,
399
00:17:57,835 --> 00:18:01,080
then the round passes you,
you become part of the audience.
400
00:18:01,114 --> 00:18:03,116
I was excited in this moment
by watching
401
00:18:03,151 --> 00:18:05,118
other writers sing their songs
because I...
402
00:18:05,153 --> 00:18:07,224
Even if it wasn't
a song I heard before,
403
00:18:07,258 --> 00:18:08,673
I could just understand
404
00:18:09,605 --> 00:18:10,951
what would make them write it.
405
00:18:11,780 --> 00:18:13,851
♪ But I do, I do
406
00:18:13,885 --> 00:18:18,511
♪ I can't live without you,
I can't live without you,
baby
407
00:18:20,202 --> 00:18:26,105
♪ No, I can't live without you, I can't live without you, baby
408
00:18:26,139 --> 00:18:28,452
♪ Baby
409
00:18:39,014 --> 00:18:40,291
ELLIOT DUKE:
The Bluebird is,
410
00:18:40,326 --> 00:18:41,603
you know, it had a life
411
00:18:41,637 --> 00:18:44,468
before the Bluebird cafe
was in this room.
412
00:18:44,502 --> 00:18:46,263
And so, the infrastructure,
413
00:18:46,297 --> 00:18:49,058
as a building,
is always a challenge.
414
00:18:49,093 --> 00:18:52,269
The air conditioning in here
is not up to par.
415
00:18:52,303 --> 00:18:54,650
So, we try to get the room
as cold as we can
416
00:18:54,685 --> 00:18:57,446
before we open doors
and as soon as
we seat the room.
417
00:18:57,481 --> 00:18:59,345
The roof used to leak.
418
00:18:59,379 --> 00:19:01,450
The plumbing's always
a challenge.
419
00:19:01,485 --> 00:19:02,831
When I first started
working here,
420
00:19:02,865 --> 00:19:04,488
the water pressure
was so bad
421
00:19:04,522 --> 00:19:05,972
that they used to keep
a bucket of water
422
00:19:06,006 --> 00:19:08,388
around to be able
to go flush the toilets.
423
00:19:08,423 --> 00:19:10,218
And several years later,
they, um,
424
00:19:10,252 --> 00:19:12,081
renovated the offices downstairs
425
00:19:12,116 --> 00:19:13,842
and as they were
tearing down a wall,
426
00:19:13,876 --> 00:19:17,328
they discovered
a faucet down there
427
00:19:17,363 --> 00:19:19,675
and someone turned it on
and all of a sudden,
428
00:19:19,710 --> 00:19:21,505
we magically
had water again.
429
00:19:21,539 --> 00:19:24,197
We had water pressure.
It was like the greatest thing
430
00:19:24,232 --> 00:19:25,854
that ever happened
to the Bluebird
431
00:19:25,888 --> 00:19:27,752
was that no one was
toting buckets of water
432
00:19:27,787 --> 00:19:29,237
to the restroom
all night long.
433
00:19:30,514 --> 00:19:32,309
♪ There ain't no number
434
00:19:32,343 --> 00:19:35,346
♪ There ain't no sign
435
00:19:35,381 --> 00:19:40,179
♪ The secret code is just
you knock three times
436
00:19:40,213 --> 00:19:41,870
My first time coming
to the Bluebird, I go,
437
00:19:41,904 --> 00:19:43,527
"This can't be it."
438
00:19:43,561 --> 00:19:45,598
When I drove to it
the first time when
I moved to Nashville,
439
00:19:45,632 --> 00:19:46,530
I couldn't find it.
440
00:19:46,564 --> 00:19:48,256
Directions are pretty easy.
441
00:19:48,290 --> 00:19:49,843
It's right before
you get to McDonalds.
442
00:19:55,608 --> 00:19:57,230
You could drive by that place
443
00:19:57,265 --> 00:19:59,232
looking for it,
determined to get there
444
00:19:59,267 --> 00:20:01,372
and never imagine that
that was it.
445
00:20:01,407 --> 00:20:04,030
You pull up and it's like,
next to a dry cleaner.
446
00:20:04,064 --> 00:20:06,239
You're like,
"Am I at the right place?"
447
00:20:06,274 --> 00:20:10,278
♪ Bamboo curtains
and a neon moon
448
00:20:10,312 --> 00:20:11,762
Think about your favorite spot
449
00:20:11,796 --> 00:20:13,212
that's like the place to go.
450
00:20:13,246 --> 00:20:15,973
Most of those places
are in odd spots,
451
00:20:16,007 --> 00:20:18,286
the decor hasn't changed
in 35 years,
452
00:20:18,320 --> 00:20:19,701
and that's kind of
what you love about it.
453
00:20:19,735 --> 00:20:24,153
♪ We got it all
at the Jungle Room
454
00:20:24,188 --> 00:20:25,948
HUNTER HAYES:
And it's small.
455
00:20:25,983 --> 00:20:28,157
You see it in pictures
and you think it looks small.
It's smaller.
456
00:20:28,192 --> 00:20:30,090
You feel like you might be
in a small town
457
00:20:30,125 --> 00:20:31,885
where it's the only restaurant in town.
458
00:20:31,920 --> 00:20:34,578
MAN: Cool and hip,
and grungy and greasy.
459
00:20:34,612 --> 00:20:36,165
MAN 2: Dark, friendly.
460
00:20:36,200 --> 00:20:37,753
There's a scent of whiskey.
461
00:20:37,788 --> 00:20:38,892
LUKE LAIRD: All the headshots.
462
00:20:38,927 --> 00:20:40,756
Does anybody still
get those headshots?
463
00:20:40,791 --> 00:20:46,279
♪ Bring it on home
to the Jungle Room
464
00:20:46,314 --> 00:20:50,352
♪ Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah
465
00:20:50,387 --> 00:20:52,630
Can I say the one thing
that people do not
get to enjoy
466
00:20:52,665 --> 00:20:53,873
unless you come here,
467
00:20:53,907 --> 00:20:55,046
is the smell.
468
00:20:56,324 --> 00:20:58,947
You can feel
and taste and smell
469
00:20:58,981 --> 00:21:01,190
years and years of grease
from french fries.
470
00:21:01,225 --> 00:21:03,986
TILLIS: You might see
the acoustic tile ceiling
471
00:21:04,021 --> 00:21:06,230
and the not fancy chairs,
472
00:21:06,265 --> 00:21:08,612
and the vinyl table cloths.
You might see all that.
473
00:21:08,646 --> 00:21:10,372
Well, that means, there's just
474
00:21:10,407 --> 00:21:13,306
people rolling their sleeves up
and working here.
475
00:21:13,341 --> 00:21:15,860
♪ A little dirty dancing
476
00:21:15,895 --> 00:21:17,966
♪ Blue collar romancing
477
00:21:18,000 --> 00:21:21,003
♪ I can get cleaned up
If you ask me
478
00:21:21,038 --> 00:21:23,247
♪ But I can only get so fancy
479
00:21:23,282 --> 00:21:25,525
♪ Got a little dirt
On my boots
480
00:21:25,560 --> 00:21:28,356
♪ But I'm taking you
Uptown tonight ♪
481
00:21:28,390 --> 00:21:30,806
TILLIS: If you start
studying the walls,
482
00:21:30,841 --> 00:21:33,637
you realize what's really
going down here.
483
00:21:33,671 --> 00:21:36,467
BRANDY CLARK: It's not about
the ceiling or the bathrooms.
484
00:21:36,502 --> 00:21:37,710
It's about the songs.
485
00:21:37,744 --> 00:21:39,746
And songs have
humble beginnings.
486
00:21:39,781 --> 00:21:41,921
♪ Got a little dirt
On my boots
487
00:21:41,955 --> 00:21:46,926
♪ So we're gonna dance the dust right off them tonight
488
00:21:47,685 --> 00:21:49,169
♪ Yeah, girl
489
00:21:54,934 --> 00:21:56,280
ERIKA WOLLAM NICHOLS:
The really unique piece
490
00:21:56,315 --> 00:21:58,696
of what we do here
at the Bluebird cafe
491
00:21:58,731 --> 00:22:00,940
is our audition process.
492
00:22:00,974 --> 00:22:02,942
That audition process
has been going on
493
00:22:02,976 --> 00:22:04,357
since the '80s.
494
00:22:04,392 --> 00:22:06,911
Some of the biggest names
in country music,
495
00:22:06,946 --> 00:22:08,568
songwriters and artists
496
00:22:08,603 --> 00:22:10,605
have come up through
that audition process
497
00:22:10,639 --> 00:22:11,951
here at the Bluebird cafe.
498
00:22:11,985 --> 00:22:13,746
♪ Looking back
499
00:22:15,644 --> 00:22:18,164
♪ On the memory of
500
00:22:19,959 --> 00:22:22,341
♪ The dance we shared
501
00:22:23,583 --> 00:22:26,862
♪ 'Neath the stars above
502
00:22:26,897 --> 00:22:28,761
I got a call
from a woman I knew
503
00:22:28,795 --> 00:22:31,936
who said, " I got a young kid
from Oklahoma, you know,
504
00:22:31,971 --> 00:22:34,974
"he's really wanting
to make it.
I think he's really good.
505
00:22:35,008 --> 00:22:37,459
"Can we get him on the songwriter's audition?"
506
00:22:37,494 --> 00:22:40,289
And so, one of the Sunday
auditions, he showed up.
507
00:22:40,324 --> 00:22:42,222
Late, may I add.
508
00:22:42,257 --> 00:22:43,431
♪ And now
509
00:22:44,742 --> 00:22:48,401
♪ Glad I didn't know
510
00:22:48,436 --> 00:22:50,714
♪ The way it all would end
511
00:22:50,748 --> 00:22:51,991
He passed the audition.
512
00:22:52,025 --> 00:22:54,165
He came back
and he played one of those
513
00:22:54,200 --> 00:22:55,581
showcases we have.
514
00:22:55,615 --> 00:22:58,549
He'd already been turned down
by all the labels.
515
00:22:58,584 --> 00:23:00,309
But for some reason,
Lynn Schultz
516
00:23:00,344 --> 00:23:02,450
from Capitol Records
was here anyway,
517
00:23:02,484 --> 00:23:04,417
and that vulnerability,
518
00:23:04,452 --> 00:23:07,351
that honesty, that truth
that he does
519
00:23:07,386 --> 00:23:10,285
made all the difference
and Lynn Schultz
grabbed him
520
00:23:10,319 --> 00:23:11,976
and said, "I think
we made a mistake.
521
00:23:12,011 --> 00:23:14,323
"Come in the kitchen.
I wanna talk to you."
522
00:23:14,358 --> 00:23:16,671
And they signed that deal
the next day.
523
00:23:16,705 --> 00:23:20,019
♪ But I'd have had to miss
524
00:23:20,053 --> 00:23:24,851
♪ The dance
525
00:23:24,886 --> 00:23:27,026
Nothing like the writer
that sings this song.
526
00:23:28,303 --> 00:23:29,373
♪ Holding you
527
00:23:29,787 --> 00:23:30,788
Ah.
528
00:23:31,686 --> 00:23:34,033
♪ I held everything
529
00:23:35,483 --> 00:23:37,485
♪ For a moment
530
00:23:38,693 --> 00:23:41,212
♪ Wasn't I the king
531
00:23:41,247 --> 00:23:42,835
LAIRD: When I graduated
high school,
532
00:23:42,869 --> 00:23:44,940
I came up and drove up
to the Bluebird
533
00:23:44,975 --> 00:23:46,286
and auditioned.
534
00:23:46,321 --> 00:23:47,633
I had a cowboy hat on,
535
00:23:47,667 --> 00:23:49,186
I think I had a vest on,
536
00:23:49,220 --> 00:23:51,775
And I actually have
brought that paper with me
537
00:23:51,809 --> 00:23:53,328
from when I did the audition.
538
00:23:53,362 --> 00:23:56,400
You have to do
a self-addressed envelope.
539
00:23:56,435 --> 00:23:58,954
♪ Our lives
540
00:23:58,989 --> 00:24:02,510
♪ Are better left to chance
541
00:24:02,544 --> 00:24:05,271
♪ I could have
missed the pain
542
00:24:06,203 --> 00:24:09,206
♪ But I'd have had to miss
543
00:24:10,000 --> 00:24:13,728
♪ The dance
544
00:24:15,523 --> 00:24:17,421
LAIRD: If you made
the audition,
they sat you and told you
545
00:24:17,456 --> 00:24:18,974
you know, you got in.
546
00:24:19,009 --> 00:24:20,528
I mean, this was like,
you might as well have
547
00:24:20,562 --> 00:24:23,185
told me that I won
the lottery because...
548
00:24:23,220 --> 00:24:24,808
This was one of those moments
I thought,
549
00:24:24,842 --> 00:24:28,018
"Boy, maybe I have
what it takes to do this,"
550
00:24:28,052 --> 00:24:30,745
and it was a huge deal
because people thought
551
00:24:30,779 --> 00:24:34,058
your song is good enough
to get to play
at the Bluebird Cafe
552
00:24:34,093 --> 00:24:36,716
and I still almost get emotional
talking about it because
553
00:24:36,751 --> 00:24:38,511
this was my dream and...
554
00:24:38,546 --> 00:24:41,065
And this was one step closer
to living that dream.
555
00:24:46,450 --> 00:24:48,521
BARBARA:
We do about 65 writers.
556
00:24:48,556 --> 00:24:51,766
They'll come in on that
Sunday morning check-in,
with their instruments.
557
00:24:51,800 --> 00:24:53,837
The room is full
of these people.
558
00:24:53,871 --> 00:24:55,735
Guitars and nerves.
559
00:24:55,770 --> 00:24:58,289
And each one of them
will play a minute
of the song.
560
00:24:58,324 --> 00:24:59,532
That was established
561
00:24:59,567 --> 00:25:01,430
by Amy, long ago.
562
00:25:01,465 --> 00:25:03,605
Her theory
for that was that
563
00:25:03,640 --> 00:25:06,401
that's how long it would take you to change the radio station
564
00:25:06,435 --> 00:25:08,092
if you didn't like a song.
565
00:25:08,127 --> 00:25:09,197
NICHOLS:
How are you guys?
566
00:25:11,440 --> 00:25:12,441
Thank you
for being here
567
00:25:12,476 --> 00:25:14,547
as part of our
Bluebird auditions.
568
00:25:14,582 --> 00:25:16,238
We're glad to have you.
569
00:25:16,273 --> 00:25:19,310
We know it's a stretch
for everybody to be here
on a Sunday morning,
570
00:25:19,345 --> 00:25:21,968
including our judges
who we appreciate so much.
571
00:25:22,003 --> 00:25:23,798
You're gonna play
a minute of a song
572
00:25:23,832 --> 00:25:26,041
which is basically,
a verse chorus.
573
00:25:26,076 --> 00:25:28,561
And you're going
to not do a long intro.
574
00:25:28,596 --> 00:25:29,942
You wanna get
right into the song
575
00:25:29,976 --> 00:25:31,875
because that's
what we wanna hear.
576
00:25:31,909 --> 00:25:33,980
MADELINE MCDONALD:
I actually had no idea how
to get into the Bluebird
577
00:25:34,015 --> 00:25:37,915
or how I could even get my foot in the door to perform there.
578
00:25:37,950 --> 00:25:39,641
I literally
called the Bluebird.
579
00:25:39,676 --> 00:25:41,056
And I was like, "Hey, guys.
580
00:25:41,091 --> 00:25:42,886
"Hi, I'm Madeline.
I'm from Texas.
581
00:25:42,920 --> 00:25:45,405
"And I love your place,
and can I sing there?"
582
00:25:45,440 --> 00:25:48,132
And so, they were like,
"Of course, you can.
583
00:25:48,167 --> 00:25:49,513
"But you need to go
through this process."
584
00:25:53,448 --> 00:25:56,002
♪ I was going out tonight
585
00:25:57,832 --> 00:26:01,111
♪ With my friends on my side
586
00:26:02,699 --> 00:26:05,460
♪ It's been too many weeks
587
00:26:05,494 --> 00:26:08,808
♪ To not be on my feet
588
00:26:08,843 --> 00:26:10,983
♪ They've been
pushing me... ♪
589
00:26:12,571 --> 00:26:16,747
When I stepped
on that stage,
my voice was shaky.
590
00:26:16,782 --> 00:26:18,266
I was trying
to think to myself,
591
00:26:18,300 --> 00:26:19,508
"Don't forget the lyrics.
Don't forget the lyrics."
592
00:26:19,543 --> 00:26:20,958
which I never do to myself,
593
00:26:20,993 --> 00:26:23,443
but just knowing
594
00:26:23,478 --> 00:26:27,620
the... the heaviness
of the Bluebird just really...
595
00:26:27,655 --> 00:26:28,863
It was really awesome.
596
00:26:29,691 --> 00:26:33,902
♪ That old Silverado
597
00:26:34,972 --> 00:26:37,492
♪ Took me right back
598
00:26:39,356 --> 00:26:42,152
♪ It would take me downtown
599
00:26:42,186 --> 00:26:44,637
♪ Spin me around
600
00:26:44,672 --> 00:26:47,019
♪ Till the night ends
601
00:26:47,053 --> 00:26:48,814
I mean, that kind of
changed my life in a way.
602
00:26:48,848 --> 00:26:50,850
I know that sounds cliche,
but it really did,
603
00:26:50,885 --> 00:26:52,956
because you're surrounded
604
00:26:52,990 --> 00:26:55,337
by people with the kind
of the same dream as you.
605
00:26:55,372 --> 00:26:56,718
To be a part
of that with them,
606
00:26:56,753 --> 00:26:58,030
it was just so cool.
607
00:26:58,064 --> 00:27:01,689
♪ Oh...
608
00:27:03,587 --> 00:27:04,519
Thank you.
609
00:27:10,421 --> 00:27:14,149
TONY WOODRUFF:
I came in for a part time job
and ended up barbacking.
610
00:27:14,184 --> 00:27:15,426
I stuck with it
611
00:27:15,461 --> 00:27:16,669
and started
working full time,
612
00:27:16,704 --> 00:27:18,084
quit for a while, came back.
613
00:27:19,085 --> 00:27:20,742
Still here.
614
00:27:20,777 --> 00:27:22,537
It all started
in the kitchen
615
00:27:22,571 --> 00:27:25,264
and quickly
just became
the prep guy,
616
00:27:25,298 --> 00:27:26,541
where I would come in
in the afternoon
617
00:27:26,575 --> 00:27:27,818
since it's prep all day,
618
00:27:27,853 --> 00:27:29,509
and got to go home
by 6:00
619
00:27:29,544 --> 00:27:31,097
so it was
the perfect schedule,
620
00:27:31,132 --> 00:27:33,444
and then Erika asked me to...
To come and be the manager,
621
00:27:33,479 --> 00:27:34,722
so at that point,
622
00:27:34,756 --> 00:27:38,518
I was here earlier,
and stayed later.
623
00:27:38,553 --> 00:27:40,693
My first job here
at the Bluebird
624
00:27:40,728 --> 00:27:42,453
was a lunch waitress.
625
00:27:42,488 --> 00:27:44,041
KIM RICHEY:
They were looking
for a cook,
626
00:27:44,076 --> 00:27:46,285
and it just seemed like
a really, you know,
great place
627
00:27:46,319 --> 00:27:47,527
with music
and everything.
628
00:27:47,562 --> 00:27:49,875
Worked in a kitchen
for about two years.
629
00:27:49,909 --> 00:27:52,118
After about two years,
I graduated to the bar
630
00:27:52,153 --> 00:27:54,120
and I worked for the bar
for about four years.
631
00:27:54,155 --> 00:27:56,260
RICHEY: It was a really
great place to work.
632
00:27:56,295 --> 00:27:58,193
Amy Kurland
was great to work for.
633
00:27:58,228 --> 00:27:59,643
It was...
It was kind of a family,
634
00:27:59,678 --> 00:28:02,888
and like a big gang of people, we hung out a lot together.
635
00:28:02,922 --> 00:28:05,131
WOODRUFF: It's a
small business,
636
00:28:05,166 --> 00:28:07,444
so it's a small
family of folks.
637
00:28:07,478 --> 00:28:10,102
AMY: Maybe they could make more money somewhere else.
638
00:28:10,136 --> 00:28:12,483
They like to work here
because they're
music lovers, too.
639
00:28:12,518 --> 00:28:14,106
And a lot of them
640
00:28:14,140 --> 00:28:16,556
are up and coming
musicians themselves.
641
00:28:16,591 --> 00:28:19,214
We've had some
of our staff go on
642
00:28:19,249 --> 00:28:23,046
to fame and fortune
in the music business.
643
00:28:23,080 --> 00:28:24,116
MARK IRWIN:
I was lucky enough
644
00:28:24,150 --> 00:28:25,980
to get a song cut,
that was a hit
645
00:28:26,014 --> 00:28:29,397
and in my fourth year,
I graduated to a publishing deal
646
00:28:29,431 --> 00:28:31,571
and I was able
to leave.
647
00:28:31,606 --> 00:28:35,058
♪ Well, cowboys
don't cry
648
00:28:35,092 --> 00:28:36,922
MAN: Yeah.
649
00:28:36,956 --> 00:28:39,959
♪ And heroes don't die
650
00:28:42,375 --> 00:28:46,172
♪ Good always wins
651
00:28:47,795 --> 00:28:51,315
♪ Again and again...
652
00:28:51,350 --> 00:28:52,592
IRWIN: When I was
attending bar,
653
00:28:52,627 --> 00:28:54,249
my first single
was a song I wrote
654
00:28:54,284 --> 00:28:56,355
with Alan Jackson called
Here in the Real World.
655
00:28:56,389 --> 00:28:59,668
It was his first number one,
my first number one as well,
656
00:28:59,703 --> 00:29:02,085
and some of the writers
that would play here
657
00:29:02,119 --> 00:29:04,328
were sweet enough
to announce to the audience,
658
00:29:04,363 --> 00:29:08,263
"Your bartender right now
has the number 20 song
on the charts,
659
00:29:08,298 --> 00:29:10,196
"number ten song
on the charts."
Whatever it was.
660
00:29:10,231 --> 00:29:11,301
And I started to notice
661
00:29:11,335 --> 00:29:13,268
as people were buying
drinks for me,
662
00:29:13,303 --> 00:29:14,856
they'd stopped
tipping me.
663
00:29:14,891 --> 00:29:20,103
♪ But here
in the real world
664
00:29:20,137 --> 00:29:23,727
♪ It's not that
easy at all... ♪
665
00:29:24,866 --> 00:29:27,179
They were sweet,
but they would say,
666
00:29:27,213 --> 00:29:28,525
"Eh... you don't need that tip.
667
00:29:28,559 --> 00:29:29,664
"You're doing great.
You don't need the tip."
668
00:29:29,698 --> 00:29:31,010
You know, I mean,
I think they thought
669
00:29:31,045 --> 00:29:32,840
that Alan Jackson showed up
at my door every week
670
00:29:32,874 --> 00:29:35,152
with a check
for a million dollars
or something.
671
00:29:35,187 --> 00:29:38,155
So, I had to ask the writers
to stop making the announcement
672
00:29:38,190 --> 00:29:42,125
'cause I was going broke
having a hit song on the charts.
673
00:29:42,159 --> 00:29:45,162
♪ Here in
the real world...
674
00:29:49,891 --> 00:29:52,825
You have this awesome staff
who actually really cares
675
00:29:52,860 --> 00:29:54,723
about what
the Bluebird represents,
676
00:29:54,758 --> 00:29:56,415
and cares about
the songwriters,
677
00:29:56,449 --> 00:29:58,348
and takes care
of the songwriters.
678
00:29:58,382 --> 00:30:00,488
The bartender
is so quiet in making drinks.
679
00:30:00,522 --> 00:30:01,972
I still don't even know
how they do that.
680
00:30:02,007 --> 00:30:03,836
MAN: The sound guy in there
is really considerate
681
00:30:03,871 --> 00:30:05,700
which is usually
not the case.
682
00:30:05,734 --> 00:30:07,081
It's because we ask
683
00:30:07,115 --> 00:30:08,737
for too much,
and they're
stressed out already.
684
00:30:08,772 --> 00:30:11,844
I've never seen better balance
and grace among the wait staff.
685
00:30:11,879 --> 00:30:14,053
GARY BURR:
They'll wait in time,
and the song's over,
686
00:30:14,088 --> 00:30:16,262
and you go,
and you put the gin,
and you put the beers down,
687
00:30:16,297 --> 00:30:18,989
so you're not gonna hear
a margarita machine go off,
688
00:30:19,024 --> 00:30:21,336
you're not gonna, in the middle of the ballad going off.
689
00:30:21,371 --> 00:30:22,544
"Here's your beer."
690
00:30:22,579 --> 00:30:24,167
They're part of
the performance.
691
00:30:24,201 --> 00:30:26,859
SHANE MCANALLY:
I mean, I was, as a staff,
692
00:30:26,894 --> 00:30:29,517
many times,
and seeing them lost
in the song,
693
00:30:29,551 --> 00:30:32,900
that feels really rewarding
to those of us sitting there
694
00:30:32,934 --> 00:30:34,073
'cause we know they hear
695
00:30:34,798 --> 00:30:36,351
every song first.
696
00:30:36,386 --> 00:30:39,285
And so if you
can stop one of them
in their tracks,
697
00:30:39,320 --> 00:30:41,391
you better pitch
that song.
698
00:30:41,425 --> 00:30:46,568
♪ But here
in the real world
699
00:30:46,603 --> 00:30:50,607
♪ It's not
that easy at all
700
00:30:52,920 --> 00:30:56,682
♪ 'Cause when hearts
get broken
701
00:30:57,925 --> 00:30:59,892
IRWIN: I was
lucky enough to be here,
702
00:30:59,927 --> 00:31:01,583
just watching
who is playing,
703
00:31:01,618 --> 00:31:05,898
and to now be able
to play a hit myself here,
704
00:31:05,933 --> 00:31:08,073
I mean, it's hard for me
to articulate it right now.
705
00:31:09,798 --> 00:31:13,699
♪ Here in
the real world ♪
706
00:31:17,013 --> 00:31:19,015
NICHOLS: Mark Irwin.
707
00:31:19,843 --> 00:31:20,844
IRWIN: Thank y'all.
708
00:31:24,261 --> 00:31:26,574
MAN: I'm just gonna
go over the ground rules
real quickly.
709
00:31:26,608 --> 00:31:29,128
Tonight's show,
there's $25
cover charge
710
00:31:29,163 --> 00:31:30,889
but you should have
already paid that online.
711
00:31:31,441 --> 00:31:32,304
Yes?
712
00:31:32,338 --> 00:31:33,581
ALL: Yes.
MAN: Yeah?
713
00:31:33,615 --> 00:31:34,616
FRANK HURD: A friend
of mine, uh, was...
714
00:31:34,651 --> 00:31:36,101
Was working
at the Bluebird.
715
00:31:36,135 --> 00:31:37,861
MAN: You all enjoy, okay?
WOMAN: Thank you.
716
00:31:37,896 --> 00:31:39,311
Job opened up there
717
00:31:39,345 --> 00:31:41,347
and I figured it would be
kind of a perfect place
718
00:31:41,382 --> 00:31:43,418
for me to work
a little bit there
part time,
719
00:31:43,453 --> 00:31:46,974
and just get to be exposed
to such great songwriting
720
00:31:47,008 --> 00:31:48,527
on a regular basis.
721
00:31:51,633 --> 00:31:53,842
I first heard
about the audition process
722
00:31:53,877 --> 00:31:56,949
after playing
an open mic night
at the Bluebird.
723
00:31:56,984 --> 00:32:00,435
I went ahead and found out
when the date was to register,
724
00:32:00,470 --> 00:32:03,197
and so then,
I registered for it,
I think about a year ago.
725
00:32:04,992 --> 00:32:09,030
The audition, it's a bit
of a stressful process
for sure.
726
00:32:09,065 --> 00:32:12,033
There's this long
line of people,
you know, all lining up,
727
00:32:12,068 --> 00:32:14,139
and you're trying
to size 'em up
and figure out
728
00:32:14,173 --> 00:32:16,969
if, you know,
if they're talented or not,
or how talented they are,
729
00:32:17,004 --> 00:32:19,144
or kinda assuming
that they're all amazing.
730
00:32:19,178 --> 00:32:21,456
They're all like,
George Strait and Garth Brooks
731
00:32:21,491 --> 00:32:23,389
about to walk in there.
732
00:32:23,424 --> 00:32:26,392
Hello, my name
is Frank Hurd.
733
00:32:26,427 --> 00:32:29,016
Perhaps you've heard me.
Likely you haven't.
734
00:32:30,155 --> 00:32:32,502
♪ If life is a flame
735
00:32:33,503 --> 00:32:35,677
♪ I wanna
make it dance...
736
00:32:37,541 --> 00:32:41,890
I think my preparation
was probably unconventional.
737
00:32:41,925 --> 00:32:44,479
I played a song that I hadn't finished writing.
738
00:32:44,514 --> 00:32:46,136
I just went
to the audition,
739
00:32:46,171 --> 00:32:47,758
and had been working
on this song,
740
00:32:47,793 --> 00:32:51,486
and I knew
that I only needed
a verse and a chorus.
741
00:32:51,521 --> 00:32:55,042
I was like, "Well, I guess I can just use the song I've been working on."
742
00:32:55,076 --> 00:32:56,905
And so that's
the song I played,
743
00:32:56,940 --> 00:32:58,838
or the fragment
of a song I played.
744
00:32:58,873 --> 00:33:00,840
♪ So I will run
745
00:33:00,875 --> 00:33:04,016
♪ With my arms spread wide
746
00:33:04,051 --> 00:33:09,159
♪ And I will
leave my fears
a mile behind
747
00:33:09,194 --> 00:33:11,437
♪ Oh, I'm old enough to see
748
00:33:11,472 --> 00:33:14,095
♪ And not a
moment's guaranteed
749
00:33:14,130 --> 00:33:18,651
♪ While my fire's
still burning
750
00:33:20,964 --> 00:33:24,623
♪ I will never
stop learning ♪
751
00:33:24,657 --> 00:33:26,866
I think there's always
a little bit of self-doubt,
752
00:33:26,901 --> 00:33:28,454
and I think
I'm my harshest critic,
753
00:33:28,489 --> 00:33:31,595
so I certainly didn't think
it was in the bag per se,
754
00:33:31,630 --> 00:33:35,427
but while I felt
like this audition went well,
755
00:33:35,461 --> 00:33:37,774
I also thought
that my first audition
went pretty well,
756
00:33:37,808 --> 00:33:39,948
but I didn't end up
getting through that time.
757
00:33:41,398 --> 00:33:43,262
INTERVIEWER:
How would you
describe the room
758
00:33:43,297 --> 00:33:44,919
to someone that's never been
to Bluebird before?
759
00:33:45,678 --> 00:33:46,783
SAM HUNT: Um.
760
00:33:50,338 --> 00:33:52,202
Huh.
761
00:33:52,237 --> 00:33:57,518
It's kind of
a combination of like...
762
00:33:58,795 --> 00:34:01,453
...your living room
and a church sanctuary.
763
00:34:12,291 --> 00:34:15,329
♪ I've cussed on a Sunday
764
00:34:15,363 --> 00:34:18,435
♪ I've cheated
and I've lied
765
00:34:18,470 --> 00:34:21,645
♪ I've fallen down
from grace
766
00:34:21,680 --> 00:34:24,786
♪ A few too many times
767
00:34:24,821 --> 00:34:27,617
♪ But I find
holy redemption
768
00:34:27,651 --> 00:34:28,790
ERIC PASLAY: We're on the road,
769
00:34:28,825 --> 00:34:30,275
and you get out,
and you play shows,
770
00:34:30,309 --> 00:34:32,622
and you can
feel disconnected
from Nashville.
771
00:34:32,656 --> 00:34:34,244
But getting to go back
to the Bluebird,
772
00:34:34,279 --> 00:34:37,109
you're, like, filled
with the songwriter
holy spirit again.
773
00:34:37,144 --> 00:34:41,596
♪ Can I get
a hallelujah?
774
00:34:41,631 --> 00:34:43,495
♪ Can I get an amen?
775
00:34:43,529 --> 00:34:47,775
♪ Feels like
the Holy Ghost
running through ya
776
00:34:47,809 --> 00:34:50,985
♪ When I play
the highway FM
777
00:34:51,019 --> 00:34:54,713
♪ I find
my soul revival
778
00:34:54,747 --> 00:34:58,199
♪ Singing every
single verse
779
00:34:58,234 --> 00:35:03,618
♪ Yeah I guess
that's my church
780
00:35:03,653 --> 00:35:06,138
♪ Hey, can I get a hallelujah
781
00:35:06,173 --> 00:35:07,864
RUSTON KELLY:
There's this
built-in reverence
782
00:35:07,898 --> 00:35:09,728
towards what
a song means
783
00:35:09,762 --> 00:35:11,695
and how it can affect people,
784
00:35:11,730 --> 00:35:14,319
and, like,
this is the genesis
of where it happens.
785
00:35:14,353 --> 00:35:16,562
You feel the energy
of that reverence
786
00:35:16,597 --> 00:35:20,325
whether you are aware
of the Bluebird's
reputation or not.
787
00:35:20,359 --> 00:35:21,843
Even though it might be
a place you've never been,
788
00:35:21,878 --> 00:35:23,811
with people you've never met,
songs you've never heard,
789
00:35:23,845 --> 00:35:25,502
it will feel
like home.
790
00:35:25,537 --> 00:35:29,575
I have had the most
spiritual experiences
in music in my life,
791
00:35:29,610 --> 00:35:31,543
and many of them
have been in that room.
792
00:35:32,199 --> 00:35:34,304
♪ Yeah I guess
793
00:35:34,339 --> 00:35:38,032
♪ That's my church
794
00:35:38,066 --> 00:35:39,930
Thank you, Nashville!
795
00:35:44,211 --> 00:35:46,592
BARRY DEAN: Live music used to be where we touched things.
796
00:35:46,627 --> 00:35:48,353
We go to the show.
797
00:35:48,387 --> 00:35:50,562
But the show's
gotten so big.
798
00:35:50,596 --> 00:35:52,874
That's one
of the reasons
799
00:35:52,909 --> 00:35:56,533
a place
like the Bluebird
becomes critical,
800
00:35:56,568 --> 00:35:58,190
'cause we're all
seeking touch.
801
00:35:58,225 --> 00:36:00,434
We're seeking that,
the real thing.
802
00:36:00,468 --> 00:36:03,195
I wanna see the real thing
with none of the tricks.
803
00:36:03,230 --> 00:36:05,059
It's always
a fun experience
804
00:36:05,093 --> 00:36:07,337
to watch people
come into this room.
805
00:36:07,372 --> 00:36:09,028
They don't know
what to expect.
806
00:36:09,063 --> 00:36:11,583
They see the musicians
in the center of the room,
807
00:36:11,617 --> 00:36:12,756
it's crowded,
808
00:36:12,791 --> 00:36:13,964
cramped.
809
00:36:13,999 --> 00:36:15,966
People are stiff.
They're seated with
810
00:36:16,001 --> 00:36:18,072
people they don't know
811
00:36:18,106 --> 00:36:21,213
and then,
all of a sudden,
the music starts,
812
00:36:21,248 --> 00:36:22,973
and people relax,
813
00:36:23,008 --> 00:36:26,184
and there's this energy.
814
00:36:28,082 --> 00:36:30,222
♪ There's a jersey
on the wall
815
00:36:30,257 --> 00:36:31,948
♪ In a high school gym
816
00:36:31,982 --> 00:36:34,399
♪ In my hometown
817
00:36:34,433 --> 00:36:37,540
♪ In the corner
by the scoreboard
818
00:36:37,574 --> 00:36:40,646
♪ Where the bleacher
seats fold down
819
00:36:40,681 --> 00:36:44,063
♪ 27 took the Tigers
820
00:36:44,098 --> 00:36:47,377
♪ To the finals that year
821
00:36:47,412 --> 00:36:51,485
♪ But that's not why
it's hanging there
822
00:36:51,519 --> 00:36:54,557
DEAN: It will help you find
where your soul is located.
823
00:36:54,591 --> 00:36:55,661
You'll have a lot of fun.
824
00:36:55,696 --> 00:36:57,180
You'll laugh,
you'll enjoy things,
825
00:36:57,215 --> 00:37:01,080
but you will also have a moment,
someone's gonna sing a song
826
00:37:01,115 --> 00:37:03,255
that will
locate for you
827
00:37:03,290 --> 00:37:05,602
where your soul is.
828
00:37:05,637 --> 00:37:08,433
♪ I bet somewhere
there's a yearbook
829
00:37:08,467 --> 00:37:11,574
♪ In a box under a bed
830
00:37:11,608 --> 00:37:14,266
♪ With a senior
picture missing
831
00:37:14,301 --> 00:37:17,925
♪ And loving memory instead
832
00:37:17,959 --> 00:37:21,169
♪ And somewhere
there's a mother
833
00:37:21,204 --> 00:37:24,276
♪ Who stopped
going to church
834
00:37:24,311 --> 00:37:27,624
♪ 'Cause Your plan quit
making sense down
835
00:37:27,659 --> 00:37:30,213
♪ Here on earth
836
00:37:31,179 --> 00:37:34,459
♪ If I ever get
to heaven
837
00:37:34,493 --> 00:37:37,841
♪ Got a long list
of questions
838
00:37:37,876 --> 00:37:40,534
♪ Like how do you
make a snowflake?
839
00:37:40,568 --> 00:37:43,640
♪ Are you angry
when the earth quakes?
840
00:37:43,675 --> 00:37:46,471
♪ How does the sky
change in a minute?
841
00:37:46,505 --> 00:37:50,026
♪ How do you keep
this big rock spinning?
842
00:37:50,060 --> 00:37:51,959
♪ And if you got
your hands
843
00:37:51,993 --> 00:37:54,651
♪ On everything
that happens
844
00:37:56,377 --> 00:37:58,068
♪ Why couldn't you stop
845
00:37:58,103 --> 00:38:03,073
♪ That car from crashing?
846
00:38:03,108 --> 00:38:06,491
♪ Forgive me,
I'm just asking
847
00:38:11,599 --> 00:38:16,328
♪ Oh, I'm just asking
848
00:38:20,712 --> 00:38:23,266
MAN: Yeah.
849
00:38:29,617 --> 00:38:30,894
Thank you.
850
00:38:52,813 --> 00:38:55,850
♪ Where's that angel
with dirty knees
851
00:38:55,885 --> 00:38:59,337
♪ Who wasn't
hard to please
when we first met?
852
00:39:00,752 --> 00:39:03,858
♪ She don't act like
she needs me now
853
00:39:03,893 --> 00:39:07,241
♪ And even seem
to be upset
854
00:39:07,275 --> 00:39:09,933
You always feel humbled by...
by this kind of room
855
00:39:09,968 --> 00:39:12,695
because you know
what's happened
in here before.
856
00:39:12,729 --> 00:39:14,317
If you're
a songwriter
and you're singing
857
00:39:14,352 --> 00:39:16,284
your own songs
in and around
at the Bluebird,
858
00:39:16,319 --> 00:39:18,217
you think,
"I better give it my best,
859
00:39:18,252 --> 00:39:19,909
"because people are here
to hear the words
860
00:39:19,943 --> 00:39:21,876
"and the melodies
and, you know,
861
00:39:21,911 --> 00:39:23,706
"that's all
that really matters."
862
00:39:23,740 --> 00:39:27,779
♪ And the chairs
go up on the bar now
863
00:39:27,813 --> 00:39:31,714
♪ And the table lights
go black
864
00:39:31,748 --> 00:39:34,751
♪ So I order
one last double
865
00:39:34,786 --> 00:39:37,375
♪ And start calling
people back
866
00:39:39,618 --> 00:39:41,413
I think this
was probably
the first place
867
00:39:41,448 --> 00:39:43,415
that I
ever performed
in the round
868
00:39:43,450 --> 00:39:44,796
and I was terrified
869
00:39:44,830 --> 00:39:47,799
and I played this song,
uh, Streetlights...
870
00:39:47,833 --> 00:39:51,181
And when I got
to a certain verse in the song,
871
00:39:51,216 --> 00:39:54,012
the lyric that I was
supposed to say
872
00:39:54,046 --> 00:39:57,015
was, "Part a block away"
873
00:39:57,049 --> 00:40:00,018
and I said,
"Blocked a park away."
874
00:40:00,052 --> 00:40:02,365
I was nervous and jittery
that I'd mess it up,
875
00:40:02,400 --> 00:40:04,298
but when I finished
the song,
876
00:40:04,332 --> 00:40:07,439
the rest of the songwriters
in the round,
877
00:40:07,474 --> 00:40:08,751
especially Angela Cassidy,
878
00:40:08,785 --> 00:40:11,201
was sitting
immediately to my left,
879
00:40:11,236 --> 00:40:13,307
said, "I love that line
where you said,
880
00:40:13,341 --> 00:40:14,619
"'I blocked
a park away,'"
881
00:40:14,653 --> 00:40:15,965
and I didn't tell her,
882
00:40:15,999 --> 00:40:17,484
you know,
that it was
an accident.
883
00:40:17,518 --> 00:40:19,106
I was just, like,
"Oh, thank you
very much," you know,
884
00:40:19,140 --> 00:40:20,866
and pretended
that I meant to do it,
885
00:40:20,901 --> 00:40:22,454
and the song
stayed that way.
886
00:40:22,489 --> 00:40:24,456
I hadn't recorded it yet,
so it rem...
887
00:40:24,491 --> 00:40:26,354
I kept that line as it was
888
00:40:26,389 --> 00:40:27,666
because I thought,
"Well, she liked it,
889
00:40:27,701 --> 00:40:29,979
"then there must
be something to it."
890
00:40:30,013 --> 00:40:32,982
♪ Think I blocked
just a park away
891
00:40:33,016 --> 00:40:37,883
♪ But I can't really say,
it's been all night
892
00:40:37,918 --> 00:40:40,783
♪ How I wish
you would
call me here
893
00:40:40,817 --> 00:40:42,716
♪ But you
just disappeared
894
00:40:42,750 --> 00:40:44,994
♪ It wasn't right
895
00:40:45,028 --> 00:40:49,377
♪ And the streetlights
help a little
896
00:40:49,412 --> 00:40:52,001
♪ But they're
barely half alive ♪
897
00:40:52,035 --> 00:40:54,900
WALKER HAYES:
One thing I loved
about the Bluebird is
898
00:40:54,935 --> 00:40:56,799
it's a place
where you wanna go.
899
00:40:56,833 --> 00:40:58,870
I wrote this on Tuesday.
900
00:40:58,904 --> 00:41:00,527
I don't really know
if I know it.
901
00:41:00,561 --> 00:41:01,804
Probably gonna
mess up some words,
902
00:41:01,838 --> 00:41:03,495
but I wanna
try it on you guys.
903
00:41:03,530 --> 00:41:04,876
It's okay
if you mess up.
904
00:41:04,910 --> 00:41:06,809
It's okay
if you need
to start it over.
905
00:41:06,843 --> 00:41:08,673
It's okay if you got
your lyrics in front of you.
906
00:41:08,707 --> 00:41:10,813
Multiple times
I've written
a song that day
907
00:41:10,847 --> 00:41:12,573
and played it
that night
at the Bluebird
908
00:41:12,608 --> 00:41:15,162
and it's, like,
all of a sudden,
you're very aware,
909
00:41:15,196 --> 00:41:16,991
like, this is the song
that's either gonna
910
00:41:17,026 --> 00:41:18,993
not go over
or it's going to.
911
00:41:19,028 --> 00:41:20,823
PASLAY: Some of
the greatest songs
in the world
912
00:41:20,857 --> 00:41:21,893
probably won't
ever be heard
913
00:41:21,927 --> 00:41:23,895
except through
the Bluebird Cafe
914
00:41:23,929 --> 00:41:26,276
and that's
the magic of Nashville.
915
00:41:26,311 --> 00:41:28,175
Some of the greatest songs
that have ever been written
916
00:41:28,209 --> 00:41:30,798
in the world
we'll never hear.
917
00:41:38,599 --> 00:41:40,290
ASHLEY MCMILLEN:
Yes, so, this...
This is actually...
918
00:41:40,325 --> 00:41:41,533
We laughed
for many years
919
00:41:41,568 --> 00:41:44,432
because I would
write songs on my napkins.
920
00:41:44,467 --> 00:41:47,712
I shouldn't be driving
and writing, but that's where
921
00:41:47,746 --> 00:41:48,747
a lot of my s...
922
00:41:48,782 --> 00:41:49,955
Especially in
the very beginning,
923
00:41:49,990 --> 00:41:51,750
that's where
a lot of my songs
would happen.
924
00:41:51,785 --> 00:41:53,683
Like, because
I've always lived
far from my family
925
00:41:53,718 --> 00:41:57,584
and traveling,
and I would always,
in the car
926
00:41:57,618 --> 00:42:00,725
when there's
no distractions
and it's quiet,
927
00:42:00,759 --> 00:42:02,002
the hum of
the interstate.
928
00:42:06,316 --> 00:42:08,284
I had auditioned
once before
929
00:42:08,318 --> 00:42:10,389
and I didn't
get through.
930
00:42:10,424 --> 00:42:12,495
You know,
the selection is so small
931
00:42:12,530 --> 00:42:13,807
and I was
pretty bummed out,
932
00:42:13,841 --> 00:42:16,568
but I knew
that it would
take another chance.
933
00:42:16,603 --> 00:42:19,295
So, when it came time
to sign up again,
934
00:42:19,329 --> 00:42:21,297
I knew I was
super pregnant,
935
00:42:21,331 --> 00:42:24,093
but I was, like,
"You know what,
you only live once."
936
00:42:24,127 --> 00:42:26,267
Due to my condition
I'm gonna have to sit down.
937
00:42:28,546 --> 00:42:30,168
My name
is Ashley McMillen.
938
00:42:39,177 --> 00:42:42,974
♪ We can build a fire
from one little stick
939
00:42:44,665 --> 00:42:49,359
♪ Build a house
from leftover bricks
940
00:42:49,394 --> 00:42:54,502
♪ Who needs a room
with five stars?
941
00:42:54,537 --> 00:42:59,680
♪ We've got a million
in our own backyard
942
00:42:59,715 --> 00:43:04,305
♪ We know how
to make the most
of what we have
943
00:43:06,135 --> 00:43:09,138
♪ When we hit
the bottom dollar
944
00:43:09,172 --> 00:43:12,935
♪ We'll make it last
945
00:43:12,969 --> 00:43:15,593
♪ I'll take
this little bitty ring
946
00:43:16,663 --> 00:43:19,493
♪ On my left hand
947
00:43:19,527 --> 00:43:22,979
♪ Out of city
Asked if all you gave me
948
00:43:23,014 --> 00:43:25,326
♪ Was a box of sand
949
00:43:25,361 --> 00:43:28,778
♪ Don't need
a big shiny thing
950
00:43:28,813 --> 00:43:32,195
♪ You've got
nothing to prove
951
00:43:32,230 --> 00:43:35,647
♪ In a case
full of diamonds
952
00:43:35,682 --> 00:43:38,926
♪ The one
I would choose
953
00:43:40,721 --> 00:43:43,448
♪ Is this
little bitty ring ♪
954
00:43:51,421 --> 00:43:53,734
Thank you.
955
00:43:58,705 --> 00:44:00,430
NICHOLS: Hey, everybody.
Once Rob rolls in,
956
00:44:00,465 --> 00:44:02,398
let's get started
real quick.
957
00:44:03,606 --> 00:44:07,541
Um... All right,
let's talk about auditions.
958
00:44:07,575 --> 00:44:10,544
MAN: Auditions were yesterday.
959
00:44:10,578 --> 00:44:14,686
Um, looks like
we have about eight people
that are gonna pass.
960
00:44:14,721 --> 00:44:17,033
Liv, Nate Chancey...
961
00:44:18,207 --> 00:44:19,242
-...Frank Hurd.
-Yeah.
962
00:44:19,277 --> 00:44:20,554
Oh, right.
That's great.
963
00:44:20,588 --> 00:44:21,935
-Yes.
-Yeah.
964
00:44:21,969 --> 00:44:25,766
Ryan Larkins,
Madeline McDonald,
Ashley McMillen
965
00:44:25,801 --> 00:44:27,561
Michael Peterson
966
00:44:27,595 --> 00:44:29,252
and Josiah Siska.
967
00:44:29,287 --> 00:44:31,116
I'm gonna reach out
to him this week
968
00:44:31,151 --> 00:44:32,946
and, um,
they will play
their first show
969
00:44:32,980 --> 00:44:34,568
sometime in
the fall.
970
00:44:34,602 --> 00:44:37,467
Excellent. Great.
971
00:44:37,502 --> 00:44:39,124
KATHY MATTEA: I got
my record deal in this room.
972
00:44:39,953 --> 00:44:41,886
And, uh,
973
00:44:41,920 --> 00:44:44,267
played the first time
with a band in this room
974
00:44:44,302 --> 00:44:47,374
and got over
my stage fright
in this room
975
00:44:47,408 --> 00:44:51,481
and kind of
grew up here.
976
00:44:55,106 --> 00:44:59,662
♪ Claire had all
but given up
977
00:44:59,697 --> 00:45:05,772
♪ When she and
Edwin fell in love
978
00:45:05,806 --> 00:45:07,394
My husband's
getting cuts
from all kinds
979
00:45:07,428 --> 00:45:08,567
of people in town,
980
00:45:08,602 --> 00:45:10,259
but I've never cut
one of his songs.
981
00:45:10,293 --> 00:45:12,502
We got upstairs
to his listening room
and he puts it in
982
00:45:12,537 --> 00:45:14,953
and when
the first chorus
goes around
983
00:45:14,988 --> 00:45:17,438
and the hook is,
"Where've You Been..."
984
00:45:17,473 --> 00:45:19,440
I know
my husband's
family story,
985
00:45:20,096 --> 00:45:21,615
so, I knew.
986
00:45:21,649 --> 00:45:25,205
♪ Where've you been
987
00:45:27,448 --> 00:45:33,006
♪ I've looked
for you forever and a day ♪
988
00:45:33,040 --> 00:45:35,111
When his grandmother
was in the hospital
989
00:45:35,146 --> 00:45:37,355
and was dying,
990
00:45:37,389 --> 00:45:39,909
his grandfather
got a brain tumor
991
00:45:39,944 --> 00:45:42,015
and went in
the same hospital
on a different floor.
992
00:45:42,049 --> 00:45:43,913
He asked the doctor
if he could go get
his grandfather
993
00:45:43,948 --> 00:45:45,294
and bring him in
to see his grandmother
994
00:45:45,328 --> 00:45:47,779
and she had kind of
995
00:45:47,814 --> 00:45:49,470
moved into dementia.
996
00:45:49,505 --> 00:45:50,851
Wouldn't talk,
wouldn't speak
997
00:45:50,886 --> 00:45:52,991
wouldn't even look
at anybody,
998
00:45:53,026 --> 00:45:55,338
and he said that when he
999
00:45:55,373 --> 00:45:57,858
wheeled his
grandfather in,
1000
00:45:57,893 --> 00:46:00,171
his grandmother
looked him right in the eye,
1001
00:46:00,205 --> 00:46:02,207
just looked at him
all the way around,
1002
00:46:02,242 --> 00:46:04,451
and she looked up
and said, "Where have you been?"
1003
00:46:04,485 --> 00:46:07,005
And it was
the words
she ever said.
1004
00:46:07,040 --> 00:46:12,217
♪ He asked her
for her hand for life
1005
00:46:12,252 --> 00:46:16,463
♪ Then she became
a salesman's wife
1006
00:46:16,497 --> 00:46:17,982
MATTEA: The story goes,
1007
00:46:18,016 --> 00:46:20,570
that every
publisher in town
1008
00:46:20,605 --> 00:46:22,987
had a cassette tape
of that song
in their desk,
1009
00:46:23,021 --> 00:46:25,368
but nobody
would touch it,
'cause it was so sad,
1010
00:46:25,403 --> 00:46:26,956
so there was
a showcase night
1011
00:46:26,991 --> 00:46:28,406
here at the Bluebird
1012
00:46:28,440 --> 00:46:31,858
and my husband
was on the showcase
1013
00:46:31,892 --> 00:46:33,825
and he sang,
Where've You Been
1014
00:46:33,860 --> 00:46:35,206
and the whole place...
1015
00:46:36,448 --> 00:46:38,036
...started sobbing.
1016
00:46:38,934 --> 00:46:42,385
♪ Where've you been
1017
00:46:43,939 --> 00:46:46,182
♪ I've looked
for you forever
1018
00:46:46,217 --> 00:46:48,598
♪ And a day
1019
00:46:48,633 --> 00:46:50,048
The reaction
1020
00:46:50,083 --> 00:46:53,086
was huge and...
And she went back
1021
00:46:53,120 --> 00:46:54,570
and said,
"Can't we just
kinda tuck this
1022
00:46:54,604 --> 00:46:56,227
"on the end
of a record?"
1023
00:46:56,261 --> 00:46:58,608
And it kinda just sat
on the end of the record
1024
00:46:58,643 --> 00:47:00,852
and that's all
it was ever
supposed to be.
1025
00:47:00,887 --> 00:47:06,168
♪ They'd never spent
a night apart
1026
00:47:06,202 --> 00:47:10,448
♪ For 60 years
she heard him snore
1027
00:47:10,482 --> 00:47:12,105
I'll tell you,
I don't how many times
1028
00:47:12,139 --> 00:47:14,348
people have come up
after a show
1029
00:47:14,383 --> 00:47:16,074
and said, "My mom
and dad went through that,
1030
00:47:16,109 --> 00:47:18,111
"or my grandparents
went though that thing
in Where've You Been.
1031
00:47:18,145 --> 00:47:20,216
"It's exactly like that."
1032
00:47:20,251 --> 00:47:22,287
I don't know
if I have any other
songs that do that.
1033
00:47:22,322 --> 00:47:24,117
Thanks to...
To Jon and Kathy,
1034
00:47:24,151 --> 00:47:26,636
I'm involved
in a little piece of music
1035
00:47:26,671 --> 00:47:28,880
that might live
a little longer
than me, I hope.
1036
00:47:28,915 --> 00:47:33,816
♪ No, I'm just not myself
when you're away ♪
1037
00:47:39,580 --> 00:47:40,927
BURR: It's kind of funny
1038
00:47:40,961 --> 00:47:43,791
how many roads lead back
to this little building.
1039
00:47:43,826 --> 00:47:45,276
When I first came
to town,
1040
00:47:45,310 --> 00:47:47,726
the main songwriters
that I wrote with
1041
00:47:47,761 --> 00:47:49,901
all wrote
for Gary Morris Music
1042
00:47:49,936 --> 00:47:54,078
and their receptionist
was a young girl.
1043
00:47:54,112 --> 00:47:56,149
She heard me sing
a song of mine called
1044
00:47:56,183 --> 00:47:57,495
Where Love Is Concerned.
1045
00:47:57,529 --> 00:47:59,221
I had heard him
perform at the Bluebird
1046
00:47:59,255 --> 00:48:01,292
and I was obsessed
with the song.
1047
00:48:01,326 --> 00:48:02,914
And one day
she just came up to me
1048
00:48:02,949 --> 00:48:03,984
and said,
"Would you teach me
1049
00:48:04,019 --> 00:48:05,848
"how to sing with you
on that song?"
1050
00:48:05,883 --> 00:48:08,299
He goes, "Okay,
1051
00:48:08,333 --> 00:48:10,094
"I mean, can you sing?"
1052
00:48:10,128 --> 00:48:12,096
I go, "Yeah, I can do it."
1053
00:48:12,130 --> 00:48:14,581
He goes, "Okay, well,
let's go try it."
1054
00:48:14,615 --> 00:48:17,273
So, we go upstairs
with the, you know, publisher
1055
00:48:17,308 --> 00:48:19,241
and another songwriter
was up there
1056
00:48:19,275 --> 00:48:22,071
and he plays it
and I sing it,
1057
00:48:22,106 --> 00:48:23,831
like, note for note with him,
the harmony part,
1058
00:48:23,866 --> 00:48:25,247
and he goes,
1059
00:48:25,281 --> 00:48:26,662
"You're in."
1060
00:48:26,696 --> 00:48:28,077
So, the first time I played
at the Bluebird Cafe
1061
00:48:28,112 --> 00:48:29,837
was with Gary Burr,
1062
00:48:29,872 --> 00:48:31,287
I sing harmony for him.
1063
00:48:31,322 --> 00:48:33,186
BURR: So, then
when I would
do showcases,
1064
00:48:33,220 --> 00:48:34,877
I made her
a part of the band
1065
00:48:34,912 --> 00:48:39,330
and fast forward, after many
soul crushing rejections
1066
00:48:39,364 --> 00:48:41,539
doing my
showcases for me,
1067
00:48:41,573 --> 00:48:43,334
I decided
I was gonna
do one more.
1068
00:48:43,368 --> 00:48:45,715
Martha Sharp,
who is an executive
1069
00:48:45,750 --> 00:48:47,821
at Warner Bros. Records
was in the audience.
1070
00:48:47,855 --> 00:48:50,203
Everybody left
except the lady
from Warner Bros
1071
00:48:50,237 --> 00:48:51,514
and I thought,
1072
00:48:51,549 --> 00:48:53,965
"Okay, she
must be here
for a reason."
1073
00:48:54,000 --> 00:48:55,863
"She wants to talk to me,"
and she did wanna talk to me.
1074
00:48:55,898 --> 00:48:57,555
She wanted Faith's
phone number
1075
00:48:57,589 --> 00:48:59,660
because she said,
"I want to give Faith
a record deal."
1076
00:48:59,695 --> 00:49:04,113
♪ Where love is concerned...
1077
00:49:04,148 --> 00:49:05,908
FAITH HILL:
Being in that room,
1078
00:49:05,943 --> 00:49:07,841
playing in that place
1079
00:49:07,875 --> 00:49:08,704
can change your life.
1080
00:49:09,394 --> 00:49:10,844
As it did mine.
1081
00:49:12,604 --> 00:49:13,536
WOMAN: You're okay?
1082
00:49:15,676 --> 00:49:17,023
CRAIG WISEMAN:
Got a little surprise.
1083
00:49:17,057 --> 00:49:18,990
I was doing a solo thing
when I got a phone call
1084
00:49:19,025 --> 00:49:20,578
from a friend of mine.
1085
00:49:20,612 --> 00:49:22,476
Somebody who
I have know since...
1086
00:49:22,511 --> 00:49:23,650
Since day one.
1087
00:49:23,684 --> 00:49:26,342
We actually did
a charity show way back
1088
00:49:26,377 --> 00:49:27,550
and this little girl got up
1089
00:49:27,585 --> 00:49:28,827
and now she's
singing this song
1090
00:49:28,862 --> 00:49:31,175
and I was, like,
"Holy crap, who's that?"
1091
00:49:31,209 --> 00:49:32,314
And I went back
to meet her
1092
00:49:32,348 --> 00:49:33,591
and she asked me
for my autograph,
1093
00:49:33,625 --> 00:49:35,558
and I was, like,
"I wanted your autograph."
1094
00:49:35,593 --> 00:49:37,008
So she called
and asked to do this
1095
00:49:37,043 --> 00:49:38,354
and, um,
ladies and gentlemen,
1096
00:49:38,389 --> 00:49:39,562
would you please
put your hands together
1097
00:49:39,597 --> 00:49:41,944
for Taylor Swift?
1098
00:49:46,121 --> 00:49:47,398
WOMAN: Oh, my God.
1099
00:49:48,088 --> 00:49:50,021
Oh, my God.
1100
00:49:50,056 --> 00:49:51,436
Well, hello!
1101
00:50:12,250 --> 00:50:13,424
-Oh, hi.
-Hi.
1102
00:50:15,771 --> 00:50:16,944
How's this going?
1103
00:50:16,979 --> 00:50:18,049
It's... it's... it's...
1104
00:50:18,084 --> 00:50:20,189
It's picking up considerably.
1105
00:50:20,224 --> 00:50:21,915
Amazing.
1106
00:50:21,949 --> 00:50:23,468
SCOTT BORCHETTA: In 2004,
1107
00:50:23,503 --> 00:50:26,954
the first time
I ever met Taylor Swift
was November 2nd.
1108
00:50:26,989 --> 00:50:29,612
She said, "Hey, why don't you
come and see me
on Thursday night?
1109
00:50:29,647 --> 00:50:31,407
"I'm playing at the Bluebird."
1110
00:50:31,442 --> 00:50:33,754
SWIFT: This is the place
where I played
in a Writers Night
1111
00:50:33,789 --> 00:50:35,722
When I was 14 years old.
1112
00:50:35,756 --> 00:50:39,622
And, uh, the guy
right in front of me was sitting
literally right in front of me,
1113
00:50:39,657 --> 00:50:41,590
13 years ago
and gave a record deal.
1114
00:50:43,247 --> 00:50:45,490
When I first went to Nashville
and even before that
1115
00:50:45,525 --> 00:50:46,940
I would come here and I'd think
1116
00:50:46,974 --> 00:50:49,632
that this was such a rare
opportunity to see people
1117
00:50:49,667 --> 00:50:53,326
who have written these songs
in rooms up and down Music Row.
1118
00:50:53,360 --> 00:50:56,087
But when I would play
Writers Nights in the round
1119
00:50:56,122 --> 00:50:58,089
I was playing songs that
1120
00:50:58,124 --> 00:51:00,436
I knew I was gonna be
putting out and hopefully...
1121
00:51:00,471 --> 00:51:03,508
Hopefully like, praying
people would one day
hear in the radio.
1122
00:51:03,543 --> 00:51:05,303
I didn't have the experience
of a writer.
1123
00:51:05,338 --> 00:51:07,512
Writing something and then
it going out into the world.
1124
00:51:07,547 --> 00:51:10,860
Then you're hearing it
from someone else's voice
and someone else's perspective,
1125
00:51:10,895 --> 00:51:15,658
and them putting their own spin
on it until Little Big Town
1126
00:51:15,693 --> 00:51:17,936
heard a song that I'd written.
1127
00:51:17,971 --> 00:51:21,181
And they gave me
that opportunity
to feel that way.
1128
00:51:21,216 --> 00:51:22,907
This's a song
called Better Man.
1129
00:51:37,404 --> 00:51:42,513
♪ I know I'm probably
better off on my own
1130
00:51:42,547 --> 00:51:45,516
♪ Than loving a man
who didn't know
1131
00:51:45,550 --> 00:51:48,381
♪ What he had when he had it
1132
00:51:50,176 --> 00:51:56,320
♪ And I see the permanent
damage you did to me
1133
00:51:56,354 --> 00:52:02,533
♪ Never again,
I just wish I could forget
when it was magic
1134
00:52:03,499 --> 00:52:07,469
♪ I wish it wasn't four a.m.,
standing in the mirror
1135
00:52:07,503 --> 00:52:11,473
♪ Saying to myself,
"You know you had to
do it,"
1136
00:52:11,507 --> 00:52:18,238
♪ I know the bravest thing
I ever did was run
1137
00:52:18,273 --> 00:52:21,379
♪ Sometimes, in the middle
of the night
1138
00:52:21,414 --> 00:52:24,002
I can feel you again
1139
00:52:24,037 --> 00:52:27,178
♪ But I just miss you,
and I just wish
1140
00:52:27,213 --> 00:52:30,906
♪ You were a better man
1141
00:52:30,940 --> 00:52:35,013
♪ And I know why we had
to say goodbye
1142
00:52:35,048 --> 00:52:37,499
♪ Like the back of my hand
1143
00:52:37,533 --> 00:52:39,742
♪ And I just miss you,
1144
00:52:39,777 --> 00:52:44,713
♪ And I just wish
you were a better man
1145
00:52:44,747 --> 00:52:49,580
♪ A better man
1146
00:52:59,072 --> 00:53:02,351
♪ Sometimes,
in the middle
of the night
1147
00:53:02,386 --> 00:53:04,871
♪ I can feel you again
1148
00:53:04,905 --> 00:53:06,804
♪ But I just miss you
1149
00:53:06,838 --> 00:53:11,429
♪ And I just wish you
were a better man
1150
00:53:11,464 --> 00:53:15,709
♪ And I know why
we had to say goodbye
1151
00:53:15,744 --> 00:53:18,574
♪ Like the back of my hand
1152
00:53:18,609 --> 00:53:20,404
♪ And I just miss you
1153
00:53:20,438 --> 00:53:24,960
♪ And I just wish you
were a better man
1154
00:53:24,994 --> 00:53:29,240
♪ A better man
1155
00:53:29,275 --> 00:53:34,590
♪ We might still be in love,
if you were a better man
1156
00:53:36,316 --> 00:53:38,801
♪ You would've been the one
1157
00:53:38,836 --> 00:53:41,977
♪ If you were a better man
1158
00:53:47,016 --> 00:53:52,677
WISEMAN: Good night.
Ah, that was a good song.
1159
00:53:52,712 --> 00:53:55,232
-That was a good song.
-Thanks!
1160
00:54:00,789 --> 00:54:01,859
Bluebird Open Mic.
1161
00:54:04,965 --> 00:54:06,691
All right, sure.
What's your name?
1162
00:54:08,383 --> 00:54:10,592
You're guaranteed one song.
1163
00:54:10,626 --> 00:54:13,111
If we have extra time
at the end,
1164
00:54:13,146 --> 00:54:15,562
we do draw straws for your
who gets to play a second song.
1165
00:54:17,978 --> 00:54:19,186
All right, you're welcome.
1166
00:54:26,366 --> 00:54:27,816
MAN: All right.
Come on in, guys.
1167
00:54:29,818 --> 00:54:31,820
BARBARA CLOYD: When I first
moved to town in '83,
1168
00:54:31,854 --> 00:54:34,892
the Bluebird was already
the cool place to play.
1169
00:54:34,926 --> 00:54:38,723
And then a woman
named Gail Sherry started
the Sunday Writers Night.
1170
00:54:38,758 --> 00:54:41,347
And I used to go to that
faithfully.
1171
00:54:41,381 --> 00:54:44,073
And one night somebody else
was filling in for her.
1172
00:54:44,108 --> 00:54:46,490
And I'm like, "Well, hey.
I could do that."
1173
00:54:46,524 --> 00:54:48,354
So, next time I saw her
I told her,
1174
00:54:48,388 --> 00:54:50,666
"Oh, you know, I used to host
open mics in St Louis,
1175
00:54:50,701 --> 00:54:53,013
"if you ever need somebody
to fill in, I can do that."
1176
00:54:53,048 --> 00:54:55,671
That was December of 1986.
The first December...
1177
00:54:55,706 --> 00:54:58,881
First Monday in 1986
is the first show that I hosted.
1178
00:54:58,916 --> 00:55:00,331
Good evening.
1179
00:55:00,366 --> 00:55:02,713
I'm Barbara Cloyd
and I'm the host for the show
1180
00:55:02,747 --> 00:55:04,335
I'm gonna tell you everything
you need to know
1181
00:55:04,370 --> 00:55:06,510
about how the show runs
and then I'll go
1182
00:55:06,544 --> 00:55:09,236
run the sound
and let the songwriters
run the show
1183
00:55:09,271 --> 00:55:13,827
This is a Writers Night
for you all to play
original material.
1184
00:55:13,862 --> 00:55:17,106
We have 28 people
on the list tonight.
1185
00:55:17,141 --> 00:55:20,489
Number One is
Michelle Poppola.
Two, Credenda.
1186
00:55:20,524 --> 00:55:23,561
Three, Cory Wilson.
Four, Landon Wall.
Five...
1187
00:55:23,596 --> 00:55:24,666
LANDON WALL:
My name is Landon Wall.
1188
00:55:24,700 --> 00:55:26,564
I'm a 14-year-old
singer-songwriter.
1189
00:55:26,599 --> 00:55:29,084
You know, the Bluebird Cafe's
changed my life.
1190
00:55:29,118 --> 00:55:33,675
When he was seven years old
he went to a guitar store,
asked them to take lessons
1191
00:55:33,709 --> 00:55:36,436
and they said,
"You're too young,
come back in a few years."
1192
00:55:36,471 --> 00:55:37,955
I showed him
a few chords I knew,
1193
00:55:37,989 --> 00:55:40,406
and he got online
and learnt a few more,
1194
00:55:40,440 --> 00:55:42,580
and before you knew it,
he was playing guitar.
1195
00:55:42,615 --> 00:55:44,444
Hey, guys. This is Landon Wall.
1196
00:55:44,479 --> 00:55:47,792
And his is one of my new songs
I'm learning.
1197
00:55:47,827 --> 00:55:49,069
KEN WALL: At that age
1198
00:55:49,104 --> 00:55:50,519
there weren't songs
for him to sing
1199
00:55:50,554 --> 00:55:52,383
So we started writing
songs together.
1200
00:55:52,418 --> 00:55:54,385
In the car we'd play game
called "The Rhyming Game".
1201
00:55:54,420 --> 00:55:57,388
I'd give him a rhyme
and he'd have
to rhyme back and
1202
00:55:57,423 --> 00:56:01,116
we just kinda play that game
and he learnt to get
good at rhymes,
1203
00:56:01,150 --> 00:56:03,532
and then few years ago,
he said "That rhyming game,
1204
00:56:03,567 --> 00:56:05,120
"you were teaching me
how to write songs,
weren't you?"
1205
00:56:05,154 --> 00:56:07,536
Well, yeah. Yes.
1206
00:56:07,571 --> 00:56:09,745
♪ Mary had a little lamb
1207
00:56:11,091 --> 00:56:13,370
♪ Its fleece was white as snow
1208
00:56:14,371 --> 00:56:16,890
♪ Everywhere the child went
1209
00:56:16,925 --> 00:56:19,893
♪ That lamb was sure to go
1210
00:56:19,928 --> 00:56:22,102
KEN WALL: We learned
about the Bluebird
around the same time
1211
00:56:22,137 --> 00:56:25,589
as he started playing music
and got interested
in country music.
1212
00:56:25,623 --> 00:56:27,418
I'm a huge Garth Brooks fan.
1213
00:56:27,453 --> 00:56:29,731
And I'd seen that, you know,
whenever he first played
the Bluebird,
1214
00:56:29,765 --> 00:56:31,008
that's where he got found.
1215
00:56:31,042 --> 00:56:32,768
So, I was like, ever since
I was nine years old
1216
00:56:32,803 --> 00:56:34,943
it was my dream
to play the Bluebird.
1217
00:56:34,977 --> 00:56:37,946
- Right when I had just turned
ten, I was in Nashville.
1218
00:56:37,980 --> 00:56:39,430
And I found out
about the Open Mic.
1219
00:56:40,673 --> 00:56:42,744
This song is one
me and my dad wrote.
1220
00:56:42,778 --> 00:56:43,986
He's over there.
I love him to death.
1221
00:56:44,021 --> 00:56:45,609
CROWD: Great dad.
1222
00:56:45,643 --> 00:56:47,783
It's called "Nashville
Never Leave You, It's True".
1223
00:56:52,995 --> 00:56:55,308
LANDON: Me and my dad we're just riding on the road,
1224
00:56:55,342 --> 00:56:56,516
listening to country radio.
1225
00:56:56,551 --> 00:56:59,588
And we heard
Kelsea Ballerini's Peter Pan.
1226
00:56:59,623 --> 00:57:02,695
So, me and him look at each
other. And we're like, there's
two sides to every story.
1227
00:57:02,729 --> 00:57:04,490
So, we gotta write
Peter Pan's side of the story.
1228
00:57:04,524 --> 00:57:06,837
So, we go home
and wrote the song
1229
00:57:06,871 --> 00:57:08,183
and we did a little video of it.
1230
00:57:08,217 --> 00:57:12,946
♪ Saying I'm a lost boy
1231
00:57:12,981 --> 00:57:15,708
♪ Girl that's probably true
1232
00:57:15,742 --> 00:57:18,124
♪ Because I lost my mind
1233
00:57:18,158 --> 00:57:22,300
♪ When I found myself
in love with you
1234
00:57:22,335 --> 00:57:24,855
KELSEA BALLERINI: I started
getting a lot of tweets
about this kid
1235
00:57:24,889 --> 00:57:29,204
who had written a response
to Peter Pan.
1236
00:57:29,238 --> 00:57:31,862
And it was basically
why he was Peter Pan.
1237
00:57:31,896 --> 00:57:33,519
And it was adorable.
1238
00:57:33,553 --> 00:57:35,141
Couple of my friends,
they sent me a tweet,
1239
00:57:35,175 --> 00:57:37,488
they were like,
"Kelsea Ballerini
retweeted your song."
1240
00:57:37,523 --> 00:57:39,697
I'm like... No way!
1241
00:57:39,732 --> 00:57:42,804
And I was in Nashville
and I was gonna play
the Bluebird.
1242
00:57:42,838 --> 00:57:46,014
♪ Lost Boy...
1243
00:57:46,048 --> 00:57:48,810
And so, everyone started
tweeting me like, "Hey,
he's playing the Bluebird,
1244
00:57:48,844 --> 00:57:50,432
"he's doing Open Mic night,
he's playing tonight."
1245
00:57:50,467 --> 00:57:51,640
And I was actually in town.
1246
00:57:51,675 --> 00:57:54,401
Thank you.
1247
00:57:56,231 --> 00:57:57,335
Oh, my gosh!
1248
00:58:02,202 --> 00:58:05,689
- If you're gonna sing
the response,
- WOMAN: What?
1249
00:58:05,723 --> 00:58:07,173
I get to sing mine too.
1250
00:58:10,728 --> 00:58:14,180
Great song. He's amazing, y'all!
1251
00:58:14,214 --> 00:58:16,734
KEN WALL: From that point on,
anytime we were in Nashville,
1252
00:58:16,769 --> 00:58:20,186
we had to stay over
a Monday so he could play
the Bluebird Open Mic,
1253
00:58:20,220 --> 00:58:24,535
and looking back at our videos we have of him, we've watched him grow up on that stage.
1254
00:58:24,570 --> 00:58:26,779
He's just been embraced.
1255
00:58:26,813 --> 00:58:28,574
BARBARA: There's
just nothing cooler
1256
00:58:28,608 --> 00:58:30,472
than the fact that anybody
1257
00:58:30,507 --> 00:58:34,131
whose phone call is one
of the 25 that gets through
on a Monday,
1258
00:58:34,165 --> 00:58:37,790
can stand and play on the stage where Garth Brooks played,
1259
00:58:37,824 --> 00:58:39,964
and where Taylor Swift
got her deal.
1260
00:58:39,999 --> 00:58:42,795
So, every week I get to watch
these people come in
1261
00:58:42,829 --> 00:58:44,279
from all over the world,
and go,
1262
00:58:44,313 --> 00:58:47,558
"This is the Bluebird!"
I get to go,
1263
00:58:47,593 --> 00:58:50,768
"Yeah, it is, isn't it!
It's pretty cool."
1264
00:58:54,289 --> 00:58:55,117
Thank you all very much.
1265
00:58:59,259 --> 00:59:00,088
This is for Jack.
1266
00:59:08,199 --> 00:59:11,133
♪ This old guitar and me
1267
00:59:11,168 --> 00:59:13,342
♪ And the things
that we've been through
1268
00:59:14,309 --> 00:59:16,898
♪ C.F. Martin built him
1269
00:59:16,932 --> 00:59:18,693
♪ Back in 1942
1270
00:59:19,832 --> 00:59:22,351
♪ I remember when we met
1271
00:59:22,386 --> 00:59:25,320
♪ I was only seventeen
1272
00:59:25,354 --> 00:59:28,426
♪ Spent all my college money
1273
00:59:28,461 --> 00:59:30,532
♪ On a half a dozen strings
1274
00:59:30,567 --> 00:59:33,086
GILL: It's an aspiring place
to young songwriters.
1275
00:59:33,121 --> 00:59:34,812
There's a kid that works
over here at Nashville
1276
00:59:34,847 --> 00:59:36,814
where I go eat
breakfast everyday
1277
00:59:36,849 --> 00:59:38,782
He's a young writer
and he finally got to do
1278
00:59:38,816 --> 00:59:40,335
a round at the Bluebird.
1279
00:59:40,369 --> 00:59:43,994
You know, and he couldn't have
been more excited.
1280
00:59:44,028 --> 00:59:47,342
♪ They said your future's
written on your face
1281
00:59:47,376 --> 00:59:49,551
♪ When you sing
those traveling songs
1282
00:59:49,586 --> 00:59:52,312
♪ So we headed for Kentucky
1283
00:59:52,347 --> 00:59:56,006
♪ With a suitcase
full of dreams
1284
00:59:56,040 --> 00:59:59,009
♪ Rough-out boots,
a few t-shirts
1285
00:59:59,043 --> 01:00:00,804
♪ A worn out pair of jeans
1286
01:00:00,838 --> 01:00:03,634
LAIRD: Whenever I see
new writers,
or somebody comes up
1287
01:00:03,669 --> 01:00:05,153
to me at the Bluebird,
1288
01:00:05,187 --> 01:00:07,534
I hope... What I say
to them is,
1289
01:00:07,569 --> 01:00:10,779
it can be encouraging,
because I've been
in those shoes.
1290
01:00:10,814 --> 01:00:12,643
You gotta be careful,
1291
01:00:12,678 --> 01:00:15,059
to be just encouraging enough.
1292
01:00:15,094 --> 01:00:18,891
Every show you do,
there's somebody
in the audience that
1293
01:00:18,925 --> 01:00:21,548
you might make them
pack up a U-Haul
1294
01:00:21,583 --> 01:00:25,380
and leave everything
they love to come here.
1295
01:00:25,414 --> 01:00:28,141
♪ Now my dearest old companion
1296
01:00:28,176 --> 01:00:30,212
♪ Lies underneath my bed
1297
01:00:31,386 --> 01:00:33,664
♪ Our traveling days are over
1298
01:00:33,699 --> 01:00:36,425
♪ But the memories fill my head
1299
01:00:36,460 --> 01:00:38,842
♪ I've settled with my family
1300
01:00:38,876 --> 01:00:40,878
♪ Here in the hills
of Tennessee
1301
01:00:42,086 --> 01:00:44,675
♪ To teach
my children's children
1302
01:00:44,710 --> 01:00:46,746
♪ About this
old guitar and me
1303
01:00:52,787 --> 01:00:55,859
I got a buddy that's here
and he's a young kid.
He's only 20.
1304
01:00:55,893 --> 01:00:58,516
And he's a...
He's crazy talented.
1305
01:00:58,551 --> 01:01:01,174
A great little guitar player
and songwriter and singer.
1306
01:01:01,209 --> 01:01:03,038
I just mentioned I was
playing tonight,
1307
01:01:03,073 --> 01:01:04,453
if he
want to come by.
1308
01:01:04,488 --> 01:01:06,421
And he goes, "Yeah that's, uh,
1309
01:01:06,455 --> 01:01:09,700
"That's a bucket list
for me is to get to sing
at the Bluebird."
1310
01:01:09,735 --> 01:01:12,047
So I thought tonight
we might see if we couldn't
1311
01:01:12,082 --> 01:01:13,704
get that bucket list to get
filled up.
1312
01:01:13,739 --> 01:01:16,293
- Jack, would
you come sing a song?
1313
01:01:16,327 --> 01:01:18,744
- Say hey to my friend
Jack Schneider, everybody.
1314
01:01:19,814 --> 01:01:20,677
Whoo!
1315
01:01:25,785 --> 01:01:28,201
♪ Remember that swing set
1316
01:01:28,236 --> 01:01:30,825
♪ In Riverside Park
1317
01:01:31,826 --> 01:01:34,173
♪ Remember that cold wind
1318
01:01:34,967 --> 01:01:36,623
♪ Blew after dark
1319
01:01:38,522 --> 01:01:41,076
♪ Remember the day
1320
01:01:41,111 --> 01:01:43,665
♪ I bought my first guitar
1321
01:01:44,528 --> 01:01:47,324
♪ Counting coins on the counter
1322
01:01:47,358 --> 01:01:50,120
♪ Sure took me far
1323
01:01:50,154 --> 01:01:52,260
MAN 1: The Bluebird is
almost scary.
1324
01:01:52,294 --> 01:01:53,779
Because you're so exposed.
1325
01:01:53,813 --> 01:01:55,608
Everywhere there is
wall space,
1326
01:01:55,642 --> 01:01:58,784
there is someone
that you should be nervous
to mess up in front of.
1327
01:01:58,818 --> 01:02:01,476
HILL: I have played some
big places.
1328
01:02:01,510 --> 01:02:03,754
I sang the national anthem
at the Super Bowl.
1329
01:02:03,789 --> 01:02:05,549
But going back
to the Bluebird
1330
01:02:05,583 --> 01:02:07,137
to sing now,
1331
01:02:07,171 --> 01:02:09,622
would probably make
me more nervous.
1332
01:02:09,656 --> 01:02:12,176
Because the room is full of
1333
01:02:12,211 --> 01:02:15,662
the kind of talent
you just simply don't see
in one place.
1334
01:02:15,697 --> 01:02:18,493
At one time ever.
1335
01:02:18,527 --> 01:02:21,082
♪ Hoping life gets you again
1336
01:02:22,808 --> 01:02:25,362
♪ Remember to dance
1337
01:02:31,195 --> 01:02:32,541
SCHNEIDER: Thank you all
for letting me, um...
1338
01:02:32,576 --> 01:02:34,371
Letting me play a song
up here.
1339
01:02:34,405 --> 01:02:36,511
Made a dream come true
for me tonight.
1340
01:02:36,545 --> 01:02:38,685
Young Jacky Schneider
right there, y'all.
1341
01:02:42,379 --> 01:02:44,208
AMY: This is an
exciting night for me.
1342
01:02:44,243 --> 01:02:47,039
Of course we have gone
through the world's greatest
songwriters perform.
1343
01:02:47,073 --> 01:02:51,871
But it's also a chance for me
to tell you about my plans for
the future at the Bluebird.
1344
01:02:51,906 --> 01:02:55,426
This has been the celebration
of our 25th birthday.
1345
01:02:55,461 --> 01:02:58,567
A great year of shows,
parties and awards.
1346
01:02:58,602 --> 01:03:01,778
I thought a lot about the
Bluebird's place in the
Nashville community
1347
01:03:01,812 --> 01:03:04,332
and how to make sure
that it will be here
for songwriters
1348
01:03:04,366 --> 01:03:06,748
and for Nashville
for years to come.
1349
01:03:06,783 --> 01:03:09,406
And for that reason,
I've made the decision
1350
01:03:09,440 --> 01:03:12,789
to entrust to the hands
of Nashville Songwriters
Association International,
1351
01:03:12,823 --> 01:03:14,998
as of January 2008.
1352
01:03:16,896 --> 01:03:20,106
NICHOLS: Amy just decided
she wanted to retire after
her 25 years.
1353
01:03:20,141 --> 01:03:22,764
And she had options,
lots of people that
1354
01:03:22,799 --> 01:03:25,422
perhaps wanted to take over
the Bluebird Cafe.
1355
01:03:25,456 --> 01:03:28,943
But she decided she
wanted to protect
its legacy
1356
01:03:28,977 --> 01:03:32,049
and make sure it was
a home for songwriters.
1357
01:03:32,084 --> 01:03:34,776
So she choose to turn
it over to NSAI.
1358
01:03:34,811 --> 01:03:37,227
So, it's not only
songwriter's showcase,
1359
01:03:37,261 --> 01:03:38,918
that place where you go
to your songwriters.
1360
01:03:38,953 --> 01:03:42,370
It's a place where
the songwriting community
owns it.
1361
01:03:42,404 --> 01:03:45,856
WOMAN 3: She left it
in good hands to
respect her...
1362
01:03:45,891 --> 01:03:48,445
Her life's blood,
her baby you know.
1363
01:03:48,479 --> 01:03:50,827
And also to make sure
all of us songwriters
1364
01:03:51,586 --> 01:03:52,656
still had a place to go.
1365
01:03:52,690 --> 01:03:54,658
One of my dearest friends
in the industry
1366
01:03:54,692 --> 01:03:56,384
is Erika Wollam Nichols
1367
01:03:56,418 --> 01:03:58,765
who succeeded
Amy Kurland.
1368
01:03:58,800 --> 01:04:01,285
Grows up from being
a waitress.
1369
01:04:01,320 --> 01:04:03,046
She understands
1370
01:04:03,080 --> 01:04:04,599
what this club means.
1371
01:04:04,633 --> 01:04:07,602
She understands how
important it is.
1372
01:04:07,636 --> 01:04:09,776
And she understands
how dang cool it is.
1373
01:04:13,815 --> 01:04:17,094
NICHOLS: Although I had done
many, many things at
the Bluebird,
1374
01:04:17,129 --> 01:04:21,581
to actually take over
Bluebird was a big learning
curve.
1375
01:04:21,616 --> 01:04:26,069
To really understand
how a small business
operates from every aspect.
1376
01:04:26,103 --> 01:04:28,174
Our budget was getting by,
1377
01:04:28,209 --> 01:04:30,176
but it wasn't terrific.
1378
01:04:30,211 --> 01:04:33,490
So I needed to work
on finding new ways
1379
01:04:33,524 --> 01:04:35,664
to generate revenue
for the venue.
1380
01:04:35,699 --> 01:04:37,528
And at that point,
1381
01:04:37,563 --> 01:04:41,325
unfortunately, I got a call
from Steve Buchanan at
the Grand Ole Opry,
1382
01:04:41,360 --> 01:04:42,879
who was working
with Callie Khouri
to create
1383
01:04:42,913 --> 01:04:45,122
a new television show
called Nashville.
1384
01:04:45,157 --> 01:04:47,504
And they wanted
Bluebird team
involved in that.
1385
01:04:47,538 --> 01:04:50,679
So I thought, "well,
here's our opportunity."
1386
01:04:59,723 --> 01:05:01,898
♪ I'm old enough to know that
1387
01:05:01,932 --> 01:05:04,693
♪ I'm too young to know a thing
1388
01:05:04,728 --> 01:05:06,833
♪ But I' seen what I seen
1389
01:05:06,868 --> 01:05:08,939
♪ And in you I see everything
1390
01:05:08,974 --> 01:05:11,286
♪ I'll ever need
1391
01:05:11,321 --> 01:05:14,531
STEVE BUCHANAN: The experience of music at the Bluebird is so pure and honest,
1392
01:05:14,565 --> 01:05:17,361
that that really helps convey,
1393
01:05:17,396 --> 01:05:19,985
what you're trying
to tell people,
1394
01:05:20,019 --> 01:05:22,849
about what motivates
and drives
1395
01:05:22,884 --> 01:05:24,713
songwriters and artists.
1396
01:05:24,748 --> 01:05:26,577
CALLIE KHOURI: If you're gonna do a show about Nashville,
1397
01:05:26,612 --> 01:05:28,959
you have to put a
stake in the ground
1398
01:05:28,994 --> 01:05:30,685
around the songwriters,
1399
01:05:30,719 --> 01:05:33,343
and is the place that is
been the most supportive
of the songwriters.
1400
01:05:33,377 --> 01:05:35,414
ALL:
♪ The night ain't long enough
1401
01:05:35,448 --> 01:05:37,830
♪ I ain't leaving without
your love
1402
01:05:37,864 --> 01:05:41,765
♪ I ain't leaving without
your love ♪
1403
01:05:41,799 --> 01:05:43,870
Yay!
1404
01:05:43,905 --> 01:05:46,528
NICHOLS: When they
came and filmed
the pilot at the Bluebird,
1405
01:05:46,563 --> 01:05:49,980
of course, nobody knew
whether the show
was gonna take off to not.
1406
01:05:51,637 --> 01:05:53,087
And once it did,
1407
01:05:53,121 --> 01:05:55,675
they determined
that it would be a good idea
1408
01:05:55,710 --> 01:05:57,677
to re-create the Bluebird,
1409
01:05:57,712 --> 01:06:00,577
and to build a set that is absolutely remarkable.
1410
01:06:01,267 --> 01:06:03,097
And action!
1411
01:06:03,131 --> 01:06:05,685
STEVE EARL: I haven't been
in the Bluebird in at least
10 years.
1412
01:06:05,720 --> 01:06:07,032
Maybe 15 years.
1413
01:06:07,066 --> 01:06:09,241
But I shot the penultimate
1414
01:06:09,275 --> 01:06:10,725
episode of Nashville.
1415
01:06:10,759 --> 01:06:13,348
And I hadn't seen the set
that they had built.
1416
01:06:13,383 --> 01:06:15,454
And if you're standing on
that stage,
1417
01:06:15,488 --> 01:06:18,629
I swear to God,
you're on stage
at the Bluebird cafe.
1418
01:06:18,664 --> 01:06:21,149
It's frightening how
accurate this is.
1419
01:06:27,811 --> 01:06:30,055
CHARLES ESTEN: One of the early things about our show
1420
01:06:30,089 --> 01:06:31,953
that made me have hope
1421
01:06:31,988 --> 01:06:36,302
that they were so intent
on re-creating this room.
1422
01:06:36,337 --> 01:06:39,478
CONNIE BRITTON: I never
got over, how,
1423
01:06:40,168 --> 01:06:41,790
exactly the same
1424
01:06:41,825 --> 01:06:44,069
our set of the Bluebird was,
1425
01:06:44,103 --> 01:06:45,829
in relation to the real
Bluebird.
1426
01:06:45,863 --> 01:06:48,590
ESTEN: If they had just
some Bluebird-ish
type placed there,
1427
01:06:48,625 --> 01:06:50,592
I mean, there are
shows literally
1428
01:06:50,627 --> 01:06:53,043
where we would have showed
up to some place called
the Blackbird and it would
1429
01:06:53,078 --> 01:06:55,632
have been
completely different,
1430
01:06:55,666 --> 01:06:57,289
but basically the same, no.
1431
01:06:57,323 --> 01:07:00,326
This is a cast member
of Nashville.
1432
01:07:00,361 --> 01:07:03,985
This isn't a set or a location. This is a cast remember.
1433
01:07:04,020 --> 01:07:06,056
SAM PALLADIO: My first night
in Nashville,
1434
01:07:06,091 --> 01:07:09,646
the producers and Callie Khouri took us to the Bluebird
1435
01:07:09,680 --> 01:07:12,235
to show it off, to get
the essence of what
1436
01:07:12,269 --> 01:07:13,995
this character was gonna be,
1437
01:07:14,030 --> 01:07:15,652
'cause it is really a character
in our show.
1438
01:07:15,686 --> 01:07:19,104
This is the most
perfect introduction
1439
01:07:19,138 --> 01:07:22,348
to what I didn't realize
was gonna be the rest
of my life.
1440
01:07:29,528 --> 01:07:33,497
♪ Sitting here tonight
1441
01:07:35,465 --> 01:07:40,677
BOTH:
♪ By the fire light
1442
01:07:40,711 --> 01:07:45,716
♪ It reminds me, I already have
1443
01:07:45,751 --> 01:07:51,343
♪ More than I should
1444
01:07:51,377 --> 01:07:53,517
BRITTON:
The Bluebird was really
the centerpiece of the show,
1445
01:07:53,552 --> 01:07:55,726
I think because it was
so important to us,
1446
01:07:55,761 --> 01:07:58,108
on the show to really have
1447
01:07:58,143 --> 01:08:00,145
the show being about
the songwriters.
1448
01:08:00,179 --> 01:08:04,839
And to be about the ground
of where this music
comes from.
1449
01:08:04,873 --> 01:08:07,704
ALL:
♪ Two arms around me
1450
01:08:07,738 --> 01:08:10,362
♪ Heaven to ground me
1451
01:08:10,396 --> 01:08:15,091
♪ And family that always
calls me home.
1452
01:08:16,747 --> 01:08:19,716
♪ Four wheels to get there
1453
01:08:19,750 --> 01:08:22,305
♪ Enough love to share
1454
01:08:22,339 --> 01:08:26,136
♪ And a sweet, sweet,
sweet song
1455
01:08:26,171 --> 01:08:29,484
NICHOLS: We were so lucky
to have this cast of actors,
1456
01:08:29,519 --> 01:08:32,142
who were also musicians
and songwriters.
1457
01:08:32,177 --> 01:08:35,076
Who came to the Bluebird,
learnt about what we did.
1458
01:08:35,111 --> 01:08:36,491
Integrated it into
1459
01:08:36,526 --> 01:08:38,735
what we did as part of
the songwriting community.
1460
01:08:38,769 --> 01:08:40,771
And took what
they found from us
1461
01:08:40,806 --> 01:08:42,325
and brought it back
out to televisions.
1462
01:08:42,359 --> 01:08:46,639
BOTH:
♪ Sometimes I'm hard on me
1463
01:08:47,985 --> 01:08:53,750
♪ When dreams don't come easily
1464
01:08:53,784 --> 01:08:57,754
♪ I wanna look back and say
1465
01:08:57,788 --> 01:09:02,862
ALL:
♪ I did all that I could
1466
01:09:02,897 --> 01:09:06,211
ESTEN: Nashville the city
is not Nashville without
the Bluebird.
1467
01:09:06,245 --> 01:09:07,867
And Nashville the show
1468
01:09:07,902 --> 01:09:10,387
ain't even close to Nashville
the show without the Bluebird.
1469
01:09:11,733 --> 01:09:17,256
ALL:
♪ I have a life that's good
1470
01:09:30,338 --> 01:09:33,134
Hey everybody, welcome
to the Bluebird cafe.
1471
01:09:33,169 --> 01:09:34,549
Nice to have you all here.
1472
01:09:34,584 --> 01:09:36,758
How many people are here
for the first time?
1473
01:09:36,793 --> 01:09:39,934
Well,
1474
01:09:39,968 --> 01:09:41,591
Welcome everybody.
1475
01:09:41,625 --> 01:09:44,559
How many of you are
fans of the television show
Nashville?
1476
01:09:44,594 --> 01:09:47,769
Once the television
show started to air,
1477
01:09:47,804 --> 01:09:50,979
I would say a few weeks
into it,
1478
01:09:51,014 --> 01:09:54,742
things started to get
really, really crazier out here.
1479
01:09:54,776 --> 01:09:58,504
Two to three hundred people
at a time in the parking lot
trying to get in here,
1480
01:09:58,539 --> 01:10:00,644
when you see 90 folks
at a time.
1481
01:10:00,679 --> 01:10:03,992
It was just an onslaught.
It was lord of the flies.
1482
01:10:04,027 --> 01:10:06,581
It was big shift, it was
a life changer for all
of us.
1483
01:10:06,616 --> 01:10:08,480
And we were completely
overwhelmed.
1484
01:10:08,514 --> 01:10:10,792
DUKE: There are lot of people
here tonight.
1485
01:10:10,827 --> 01:10:13,209
I don't know if we're
gonna accommodate everybody.
1486
01:10:13,243 --> 01:10:14,831
But we'll give you
updates periodically.
1487
01:10:15,452 --> 01:10:17,661
And, uh, good luck.
1488
01:10:17,696 --> 01:10:18,593
All right?
1489
01:10:18,628 --> 01:10:20,837
Okay, thank you guys.
1490
01:10:20,871 --> 01:10:24,530
At staff meeting each week,
we would say to ourselves,
"What do we do?"
1491
01:10:24,565 --> 01:10:26,360
We had to
have security.
1492
01:10:26,394 --> 01:10:28,051
Elliot was at the parking lot,
1493
01:10:28,085 --> 01:10:29,811
trying to help people
be reasonable.
1494
01:10:29,846 --> 01:10:31,192
I came here at 7:30
this morning
1495
01:10:31,227 --> 01:10:34,506
from Mother's Day,
26 hour trip
to Nashville.
1496
01:10:34,540 --> 01:10:36,646
And the first place was
coming to the Bluebird
1497
01:10:36,680 --> 01:10:38,372
and see Sam Palladio.
1498
01:10:38,406 --> 01:10:42,479
I was in line at 9:45
and nobody was here,
for a 6:00 show.
1499
01:10:47,104 --> 01:10:49,728
We heard that Charles Esten
was going to be at the
Bluebird Cafe tonight.
1500
01:10:49,762 --> 01:10:51,799
And we're standing in line
hoping to see him.
1501
01:10:51,833 --> 01:10:53,490
And we're on our
honeymoon.
1502
01:10:53,525 --> 01:10:56,079
MAN: Constantly all day long, people are looking in the windows,
1503
01:10:56,113 --> 01:10:58,219
tapping on the glass.
1504
01:10:58,254 --> 01:11:00,911
A bunch of families pull up,
get out the car, they stand
in front of the door
1505
01:11:00,946 --> 01:11:02,637
and take these family
photographs.
1506
01:11:02,672 --> 01:11:05,813
We're from
Granger, Indiana
on a family reunion.
1507
01:11:05,847 --> 01:11:07,815
And we're big fans
of the Nashville show.
1508
01:11:07,849 --> 01:11:10,645
So we wanted to come
see the Bluebird cafe
1509
01:11:10,680 --> 01:11:12,544
and have our picture taken.
1510
01:11:12,578 --> 01:11:16,064
WOMAN: In some ways,
the Bluebird was best
kept secret in the world.
1511
01:11:16,099 --> 01:11:17,583
It always had an audience.
1512
01:11:17,618 --> 01:11:19,033
But you could always
get in.
1513
01:11:19,067 --> 01:11:20,690
And then that TV show
came on,
1514
01:11:20,724 --> 01:11:22,036
and everything exploded.
1515
01:11:22,070 --> 01:11:23,865
The running gag is, now,
1516
01:11:23,900 --> 01:11:26,282
"Hey man, I did a round
at the Bluebird,
we sold out."
1517
01:11:26,316 --> 01:11:28,387
I said, "Dude, everybody sells
out at Bluebird."
1518
01:11:29,457 --> 01:11:31,390
I always ask when we start
the show.
1519
01:11:31,425 --> 01:11:32,771
Like, "How many of you are
from out of town?"
1520
01:11:32,805 --> 01:11:34,531
It's like 80 percent, at least.
1521
01:11:34,566 --> 01:11:36,395
Everybody in the world now
knows about the Bluebird.
1522
01:11:36,430 --> 01:11:40,537
And people make their vacation
plans based on, "I wanna
go to Bluebird."
1523
01:11:40,572 --> 01:11:42,850
MAN: It's great to have
the folks coming in,
we appreciate that.
1524
01:11:42,884 --> 01:11:47,026
Maybe could have done
without some of
the bachelorette parties.
1525
01:11:47,061 --> 01:11:50,409
MAN 2: I don't think there's
ever been a time
where songwriters
1526
01:11:50,444 --> 01:11:52,791
were more respected.
1527
01:11:52,825 --> 01:11:58,210
The show has made
songwriting suddenly
become a groovy profession.
1528
01:11:58,244 --> 01:12:01,247
We're from Monterey, California.
It's actually my
60th birthday weekend.
1529
01:12:01,282 --> 01:12:03,422
This is a bucket list
thing, so,
1530
01:12:03,457 --> 01:12:06,114
I love music, I'm a singer,
and I've always wanted to
1531
01:12:06,149 --> 01:12:08,876
go here and watch the process
of the songwriters.
1532
01:12:15,745 --> 01:12:18,713
NICHOLS: So along the stretch
of the road,
1533
01:12:18,748 --> 01:12:21,267
which used to be the small
businesses basically.
1534
01:12:21,302 --> 01:12:24,098
Now we have a
lot of chains.
1535
01:12:24,132 --> 01:12:28,723
We have a huge condo building
going up beside our office.
1536
01:12:28,758 --> 01:12:32,382
And you just never know
what's gonna happen.
1537
01:12:32,417 --> 01:12:35,489
They've torn down
several buildings next
to the Bluebird.
1538
01:12:35,523 --> 01:12:39,424
This whole property
belongs to the developer.
1539
01:12:39,458 --> 01:12:42,979
We're tucked in the middle
of what the developer owns.
1540
01:12:43,013 --> 01:12:47,673
And all around us is becoming
extremely built up
1541
01:12:47,708 --> 01:12:49,744
because the developers
bought that
1542
01:12:49,779 --> 01:12:51,297
piece of a strip mall,
1543
01:12:51,332 --> 01:12:56,130
it could be essentially
be demolished.
1544
01:12:56,164 --> 01:13:00,134
And once they get the order
to be able to demolish
that building,
1545
01:13:00,168 --> 01:13:03,275
who know what will happen
to our building,
we're about this far
1546
01:13:03,309 --> 01:13:07,003
from the wall of the building
that the developer owns.
1547
01:13:07,037 --> 01:13:09,695
INTERVIEWER: What happens
if the strip mall goes away?
1548
01:13:12,526 --> 01:13:15,943
I mean, you can't anticipate
what that would look like.
1549
01:13:15,977 --> 01:13:19,325
Sure, I mean, you could have
a plan B, that's, you know,
1550
01:13:19,360 --> 01:13:22,432
we get investors
and we build a new building.
1551
01:13:22,467 --> 01:13:25,539
But, I don't wanna make
a decision too quickly
1552
01:13:25,573 --> 01:13:28,714
on a space that has
a sense of holiness to people.
1553
01:13:30,854 --> 01:13:35,790
MAN: Over the years, we've all said, "Why don't we just move? Build a new building."
1554
01:13:35,825 --> 01:13:38,793
Then you realize, it's like
the new Yankee Stadium,
1555
01:13:38,828 --> 01:13:42,383
where everyone would go
"Yeah, its's the Bluebird,"
but not that Bluebird.
1556
01:13:42,418 --> 01:13:45,973
MAN 2: The fact that Amy
kept it open even when times
were hard,
1557
01:13:46,007 --> 01:13:49,010
because she really
wanted a place for writers
in this town.
1558
01:13:49,045 --> 01:13:51,496
Anybody else could have easily closed the place down.
1559
01:13:51,530 --> 01:13:53,808
I'm sure she had some real
financial troubles with it.
1560
01:13:53,843 --> 01:13:55,431
AMY: I suppose
it would have been nice
1561
01:13:55,465 --> 01:13:59,193
to have had a business
where I was minting money
hand over fist.
1562
01:13:59,227 --> 01:14:04,405
But the real joy
in this for me is getting
to listen to the music
1563
01:14:04,440 --> 01:14:08,513
and to participate
in helping people that
I really love and really admire.
1564
01:14:08,547 --> 01:14:11,101
MAN 3: As this town
has exploded and grown
1565
01:14:11,136 --> 01:14:13,587
and become this giant thing,
1566
01:14:13,621 --> 01:14:15,830
what made Nashville unique,
1567
01:14:15,865 --> 01:14:17,729
what made Nashville special,
1568
01:14:17,763 --> 01:14:20,870
and what keeps Nashville
special has been preserved
1569
01:14:20,904 --> 01:14:22,941
because of the Bluebird cafe.
1570
01:14:22,975 --> 01:14:25,909
No one goes to Europe
to see condos.
1571
01:14:25,944 --> 01:14:27,255
History is everything.
1572
01:14:27,290 --> 01:14:30,396
It breaks my heart driving down Music Row, going,
1573
01:14:30,431 --> 01:14:33,917
"Wasn't this historical?" Now we're tearing it all down.
1574
01:14:33,952 --> 01:14:36,437
The fact that the
Bluebird cafe is still there,
1575
01:14:36,472 --> 01:14:38,612
when a lot of money
is trying to erase
1576
01:14:38,646 --> 01:14:42,374
why everybody is moving here,
makes me hopeful.
1577
01:14:42,408 --> 01:14:45,135
MAN 3: There's something
beautiful about something
unassuming.
1578
01:14:45,170 --> 01:14:47,690
The Bluebird remains
in a place that gets
1579
01:14:47,724 --> 01:14:51,970
continually built around
and upon, and gentrified.
1580
01:14:52,004 --> 01:14:54,455
But it still remains
where it's always been.
1581
01:14:54,490 --> 01:14:56,388
They never sold out.
1582
01:14:56,422 --> 01:14:59,495
They never said, "We can
make way more money
if we do this, this, this."
1583
01:14:59,529 --> 01:15:01,324
They stayed the course.
1584
01:15:01,358 --> 01:15:02,981
LAIRD: You can have a great
experience sitting
in the back corner
1585
01:15:03,015 --> 01:15:05,431
sitting at the bar,
sitting in the church pews.
1586
01:15:05,466 --> 01:15:07,882
That's why I think it's so cool
that it's still small.
1587
01:15:07,917 --> 01:15:10,920
I know that that hasn't
probably been
easy to keep that way.
1588
01:15:10,954 --> 01:15:13,267
The Bluebird cafe lifted
our community up
1589
01:15:13,301 --> 01:15:18,134
and gave us a sense of pride
and ownership in the community.
1590
01:15:18,168 --> 01:15:19,825
WOMAN: The fact that it doesn't change
1591
01:15:19,860 --> 01:15:22,725
yet seems to change constantly with the people inside of it
1592
01:15:22,759 --> 01:15:24,830
is what's so
magical about it.
1593
01:15:24,865 --> 01:15:27,557
I want this to be that place
when I'm much older
1594
01:15:27,592 --> 01:15:30,284
and I'm bringing
my grandchildren in here
and I can go,
1595
01:15:30,318 --> 01:15:31,941
"This is the Bluebird.
1596
01:15:31,975 --> 01:15:35,185
"This is what it is
and it is what it was."
1597
01:15:35,220 --> 01:15:37,084
MAN 4: We know
everything's gotta change.
1598
01:15:37,118 --> 01:15:39,638
And if change meant,
this place would close down,
1599
01:15:39,673 --> 01:15:40,950
well, that's not
the change I want.
1600
01:15:40,984 --> 01:15:43,987
I'd rather it evolve
and keep being here
1601
01:15:44,022 --> 01:15:47,473
as a showcase for songwriters
and a place for artists
to find new songs.
1602
01:15:47,508 --> 01:15:50,546
And for audiences
to hear songs,
not just the hits.
1603
01:15:50,580 --> 01:15:53,790
But the ones that may never
be hits, that may be better
than the hits.
1604
01:16:12,153 --> 01:16:15,605
♪ The gravity of a dream
don't wait around
1605
01:16:15,640 --> 01:16:19,367
♪ So you chase it down
It throws out of a small town
1606
01:16:19,402 --> 01:16:24,614
♪ Fills the parking lot
with out-of-state plates
1607
01:16:24,649 --> 01:16:28,722
♪ Words are more like wheels
They won't stand still
1608
01:16:28,756 --> 01:16:32,311
♪ Once they're rolling off
of the back of your mind
1609
01:16:32,346 --> 01:16:37,351
♪ Trying find
some brand new way to say
1610
01:16:37,385 --> 01:16:40,250
♪ I love you
or I hate you
1611
01:16:40,285 --> 01:16:43,978
♪ Or I miss you,
goodbye ♪
1612
01:16:44,013 --> 01:16:46,843
NICHOLS: We are not just
a performance space.
1613
01:16:46,878 --> 01:16:48,638
We're a community builder
1614
01:16:48,673 --> 01:16:52,055
When they come to audition
not everybody is great.
1615
01:16:52,090 --> 01:16:53,816
But they're getting a chance.
1616
01:16:53,850 --> 01:16:57,613
And that chance means
that maybe they can
get to be great.
1617
01:16:57,647 --> 01:16:59,442
KACEY MUSGRAVES: No matter
if you're known,
1618
01:16:59,476 --> 01:17:00,857
If you waited
in line all day
1619
01:17:00,892 --> 01:17:02,652
and you're from
Wichita, Kansas,
1620
01:17:02,687 --> 01:17:05,759
you're gonna be treated
as equally as someone
that everyone knows.
1621
01:17:05,793 --> 01:17:07,588
The circle has to continue,
1622
01:17:07,623 --> 01:17:10,764
and the only way to
do that is to keep
the doors open
1623
01:17:10,798 --> 01:17:13,594
for those that may not
have a publishing deal.
1624
01:17:13,629 --> 01:17:17,425
All of us, whether we are
singer or songwriter, we
all got started somewhere.
1625
01:17:17,460 --> 01:17:19,393
Nobody knew who we were
in the beginning.
1626
01:17:19,427 --> 01:17:22,016
And so, there's got to
be that place, there's
got to be hope.
1627
01:17:22,051 --> 01:17:25,675
♪ I end up on the sidewalk
trying to get in
1628
01:17:25,710 --> 01:17:28,574
♪ Where the troubadour ghosts
are whispering
1629
01:17:28,609 --> 01:17:31,370
♪ So you show me
what you got
1630
01:17:31,405 --> 01:17:34,546
♪ And take a breath
while the pen drops
1631
01:17:34,580 --> 01:17:37,445
♪ These are the songs
we sing
1632
01:17:37,480 --> 01:17:41,242
♪ These are the truths
we tell
1633
01:17:41,277 --> 01:17:43,141
♪ These are the words
and the rhymes
1634
01:17:43,175 --> 01:17:46,869
♪ The lives and the lines making sense to the way it felt
1635
01:17:46,903 --> 01:17:49,975
♪ The heaven and the heartbreak
1636
01:17:50,010 --> 01:17:53,669
♪ It's all waiting in one place
1637
01:17:53,703 --> 01:17:57,431
♪ Where you find that
missing part of yourself
1638
01:17:57,465 --> 01:17:59,709
♪ You thought you lost
1639
01:17:59,744 --> 01:18:03,782
♪ Right here in the songs
we sing ♪
1640
01:18:03,817 --> 01:18:06,336
NICHOLS: We have people
who have been playing here
1641
01:18:06,371 --> 01:18:09,063
since Open Mic and
Sunday Writers Night
1642
01:18:09,098 --> 01:18:11,479
who are playing here
on the late shows,
1643
01:18:11,514 --> 01:18:13,447
and they're family to us.
1644
01:18:13,481 --> 01:18:15,311
We've watched them change
1645
01:18:15,345 --> 01:18:18,245
from somebody that is just
learning to write a song
1646
01:18:18,279 --> 01:18:19,971
to somebody that's got
a number one hit.
1647
01:18:20,005 --> 01:18:21,662
I mean how many places
can say that?
1648
01:18:36,504 --> 01:18:38,334
MAN: We're all
crazy dreamers, you know.
1649
01:18:39,887 --> 01:18:43,926
♪ Way back on the radio dial
1650
01:18:43,960 --> 01:18:49,207
♪ The fire got lit inside
a bright-eyed child
1651
01:18:49,241 --> 01:18:52,797
♪ Every note just wrapped
around his soul
1652
01:18:52,831 --> 01:18:55,282
♪ From steel guitars
to Memphis,
1653
01:18:55,316 --> 01:18:58,009
♪ All the way to rock and roll
1654
01:19:00,183 --> 01:19:04,498
♪ Oh, I can hear 'em playin'
1655
01:19:04,532 --> 01:19:09,296
♪ I can hear the ringin'
of a beat up ol' guitar
1656
01:19:09,330 --> 01:19:13,576
♪ Oh, I can hear 'em singing
1657
01:19:13,610 --> 01:19:18,063
♪ "Keep on dreaming,
even if it breaks your heart"
1658
01:19:27,521 --> 01:19:31,697
♪ Some dreams stay
with you forever
1659
01:19:31,732 --> 01:19:36,357
♪ Drag you around but bring
you back to where you were
1660
01:19:36,392 --> 01:19:40,396
♪ Some dreams
keep on gettin' better,
1661
01:19:40,430 --> 01:19:44,331
♪ Gotta keep believing
if you wanna know
1662
01:19:44,365 --> 01:19:45,781
♪ For sure
Here we go
1663
01:19:47,437 --> 01:19:51,787
♪ Oh, I can hear 'em playing
1664
01:19:51,821 --> 01:19:56,412
♪ I can hear the ringin'
of a beat up ol' guitar.
1665
01:19:56,446 --> 01:19:58,276
-♪Oh, oh
-I can hear them singing.
1666
01:19:58,310 --> 01:20:00,623
♪ Oh, I can hear em singin',
1667
01:20:00,657 --> 01:20:05,904
♪ "Keep on dreamin',
even if it breaks your heart"
1668
01:20:05,939 --> 01:20:12,290
♪ "Keep on dreamin', even if it breaks your heart" ♪
1669
01:20:27,512 --> 01:20:29,134
♪ I know they say
1670
01:20:30,066 --> 01:20:32,793
♪ You can't go home again.
1671
01:20:36,279 --> 01:20:39,765
♪ I just had to come back
one last time.
1672
01:20:42,941 --> 01:20:49,051
♪ Ma'am I know
you don't know me from Adam.
1673
01:20:49,085 --> 01:20:54,090
♪ But these hand prints
on the front steps are mine.
1674
01:20:56,368 --> 01:21:01,684
♪ Up those stairs,
in that little back bedroom
1675
01:21:04,135 --> 01:21:08,656
♪ Is where I did my homework
and I learned to play guitar.
1676
01:21:11,625 --> 01:21:15,077
♪ And I bet you didn't know
1677
01:21:15,111 --> 01:21:18,114
♪ In the shade
of that live oak
1678
01:21:19,702 --> 01:21:24,051
♪ My best dog is
buried in the yard
1679
01:21:26,812 --> 01:21:31,645
♪ I thought if I could
touch this place or feel it
1680
01:21:33,992 --> 01:21:38,894
♪ This brokenness inside me
might start healing.
1681
01:21:40,826 --> 01:21:45,003
♪ Out here it's like
I'm someone else,
1682
01:21:45,038 --> 01:21:48,006
♪ I thought that maybe
I could find myself
1683
01:21:52,148 --> 01:21:57,533
♪ If I could just come in
I swear I'll leave
1684
01:21:57,567 --> 01:22:00,398
♪ Won't take nothing
but a memory
1685
01:22:01,571 --> 01:22:06,991
♪ From the house
that built me ♪
126400
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