New Live Nation Venue ‘The Truth’ Targets Local Bars
In October of 2025, Saving Country Music reported on the impending construction and opening of Live Nation’s newest venue in Nashville called “The Truth.” The real “truth” behind the new venue is that it’s opening is a predatory move by the Live Nation monopoly to rival and undercut other local venues like The Ryman Auditorium, also known as the Mother Church of Country Music.
The Truth will be located only about 1 1/2 miles away from The Ryman, and the venue’s architecture also looks very similar to The Ryman. Also, the President of Nashville Music & Business Strategy for Live Nation who announced the new venue, Sally Williams, is the previous General Manager of The Ryman.
The Truth also presents direct competition to the AEG-owned mid-sized indoor venue called The Pinnacle that was opened in February of 2025. The name “The Truth” is inspired by songwriting legend Harlan Howard’s definition of country music, which was “Three chords and the truth.” The venue sits in the under 5,000-capacity range, just like The Ryman and The Pinnacle.
Of course a brand new venue will not carry the same prestige as the Country Music Mother Church does. Nobody will be playing “The Truth” anytime soon to mark it off their bucket list, and fans won’t flock from around the country to see a performance there above other venues like they do with The Ryman. But The Truth could present a substantial threat to established venues nonetheless.
This was illustrated quite starkly last week. As construction continues at 500 Chestnut St. in Nashville’s Wedgewood-Houston neighborhood on The Truth, Live Nation recently announced the first performers scheduled to play the venue, with Sting, Beck, Limp Bizkit, Bleachers, GloRilla, and more booked to appear this fall. At the moment, opening night will be on October 5th when Disney actor Freya Skye takes the stage.
As part of an ill-conceived marketing plan to promote the new venue and shows, Live Nation hired a company who went around Nashville stenciling graffiti-style advertisements for The Truth on sidewalks around town, and specifically in front of a couple of locally-owned venues. The ads read, “The Sound of New Nashville Text ‘TRUTH’ to + 1 (615) 205-7022.” Texting the number signs you up for automated ticketing alerts for the venue.
One such spray-painted advertisement was stenciled right outside their front door of the beloved East Nashville music venue The 5 Spot. The community-oriented venue is considered the epicenter of the city’s independent music scene. A Facebook video illustrates just how egregious the ad was, with owner Todd Sherwood flipping the bird at it, and captioning, “Live Nation can eat a bag of turds.”
The Springwater Supper Club near Centennial Park—which the oldest operating bar in Tennessee and a place many up-and-comers got their start—also got hit with one of the ads. Nashville city code strictly prohibits such ads, along with posters on telephone poles and other such advertisements deemed as “graffiti,” though you do see these kinds of stenciled ads rather regularly, not just in Nashville, but in Austin and other locations. Charley Crockett has used them in the past.
When anger about the ads went viral in Nashville and Live Nation was confronted about them, they apologized, blamed a 3rd party vendor for the blunder, with the company saying,“Once we became aware, we moved immediately to have them removed. We take responsibility and sincerely apologize to the venues impacted.” The ads were removed at some point between Thursday evening (3-19) and Friday morning (3-20).
It’s good that Live Nation took responsibility for the ads and had them removed, but it speaks to the predatory nature of the company that’s currently in a trial in Manhattan to decide if it’s indeed a monopoly or not. After the United States Justice Department and a small handful of states attempted to strike a backroom deal with the company to end the trial, the majority of states refused to sign on, with the judge in the case reprimanding the Justice Department and allowing the trial to proceed.
Last week, leaked slack messages between Live Nation employees bragging about “Robbing them blind baby” and other disturbing rhetoric illustrated the aggressive, monopolistic nature of the company. Advertising on the turf of two of Nashville’s most fiercely independent venues does the same as the company lobbies its case to a jury to avoid its ticketing arm Ticketmaster getting spun off and other potential concessions.
Some continue to say Live Nation doesn’t affect them because they’re not going to Taylor Swift concerts or arena shows. But the case of The Truth and its advertising campaign shows that no venue is immune from the company’s influence. From small clubs to massive stadium shows, Live Nation wants a piece of it all. And as the impending disruptions from AI make live music one of the only options for revenue for independent artists, the fate of Live Nation is critical to making sure independent venues, festivals, and events remains healthy.
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March 22, 2026 @ 8:37 am
We are sociopaths and thought we would get a way with it, but since we didn’t and already got the attention we wanted, we’ll remove them.
Another day in the USA.
March 23, 2026 @ 6:16 am
Can we all agree that it’s time that angry mobs with pitchforks and torches should be our base level for dealing with corporate assholes like Live Nation? (or Purdue Pharma, or the social media companies, etc)
March 22, 2026 @ 9:04 am
You phrased that last part wrong Trigger…..Live Nation wants it ALL. Not part of it all. But yes…..they can eat a bag of turds. I really wish I didn’t ever have to pay them another red cent to see shows I want to.
March 22, 2026 @ 10:21 am
Is it a true competitor, if they don’t book independent artists? I will never go to this venue, but I doubt they’ll ever book an artist that I want to see. And definitely not for less than $100/ticket. Sure, Sting and Beck are cool, but I’d rather flush my money down the toilet than give it to Live Nation.
March 22, 2026 @ 11:12 am
Of course they will book all our favourite artists. And will pay them extremely well, and tickets prices will be low.
And the artists will have exclusivity clauses so they can’t play at other places.
In 10 years or so, when a lot of people remember it as a great place for music, and the smaller venues are closing, then the prices go up and quality goes down.
A company the size of Live Nation can do really evil things with money. This place might always be really good with great bands and a good experience at a massive loss, BUT it would be worth it to get independent bands supporting them for when they need a reference in court.
March 22, 2026 @ 11:20 am
So The Ryman doesn’t just exclusively book country artists, or independent artists that would be talked about here. They book all genres, and all kinds of events. I do expect this new venue to book country and roots acts as well. They artists on the calendar now are just the initial names.
Calling the venue “The Truth” and citing Harlan Howard, I think it’s safe to say there is a country music tie-in here.
March 22, 2026 @ 11:03 am
What a stupid name for a venue.
“Where are we going this weekend, honey?” “Let’s go to The Truth.”
Who is going to say that?
March 22, 2026 @ 11:17 am
The people who don’t go to “The Hook?”
March 22, 2026 @ 12:23 pm
Big Jilm once again more obsessed with The Hook than the people actually involved in it.
New shows in May in Austin!
March 22, 2026 @ 7:45 pm
Trig,
What the hell is Big Jilm’s problem? Did he perform a song and get “the hook?” Dude’s got a dry hard on for all things SCM.
March 22, 2026 @ 11:25 am
Many “stupid” names for venues become accepted with the passage of time, especially if they book big name artists and pack the place with fans every weekend. That’s what’s going to happen to this one, unless the “Live Nation is Satan” attitude becomes mainstream rather than being lost on the masses who don’t care what corporations or venues do or stand for just as long as they give them the music they love You think the average Bailey Zimmerman or, heck, even Lainey Wilson fan gives a crap about Live Nation’s business practices?
March 23, 2026 @ 4:30 am
They can’t handle The Truth.
March 22, 2026 @ 11:05 am
Why refer to a phrase recognized as referring to country music in naming your venue, then proceed to book Limp Bizkit and Sting there? Is The Truth going to compete for country acts, mainstream or otherwise?
March 22, 2026 @ 11:59 am
“Three chords and the Hot Dog-Flavored Water!”
March 22, 2026 @ 11:20 am
This whole thing sounds so gross and corporate and skeevy. They’d turn the Ryman into a parking garage if they had their druthers.
March 22, 2026 @ 11:48 am
So would I. The NPR/hipster/elitist stink of that place can be smelled all over Nashville.
March 22, 2026 @ 1:33 pm
Watch Childers headline it.
March 22, 2026 @ 1:37 pm
Tyler Childers sold out the Bridgestone Arena. He’s multipliers bigger than this venue.
March 22, 2026 @ 5:53 pm
Crockett, then.
March 22, 2026 @ 7:46 pm
Crockett’s probably just too big to play this venue too. He’d probably have to play Ascend Amphitheater. Last year he played Geodis Park, but it was with Tyler Childers. This year he’s playing the Bridgestone, but that’s part of a rodeo thing, so not sure what his Nashville draw is, but it’s probably north of 4,400.
Also, think what you want about Crockett, he pays attention to these kinds of things. He’d rather do a 3-night residency at the Ryman and brag that he sold it out.
March 23, 2026 @ 8:01 am
Crockett has already reached his peak in country music.
He is going back to soul and reggaeton. He wants to open for Bad Bunny.
March 22, 2026 @ 4:25 pm
Does anyone really believe Live Nation had nothing to do with this? That it was done without their knowledge by “a 3rd party vendor?” It seems the marketing worked, people are writing about and giving Live Nation and the venue free publicity. I wonder what their taxes will be, or if they have gotten some form of tax break.
March 22, 2026 @ 7:26 pm
Hardy, Scotty Mccreery, Stephen Wilson Jr, and Wyatt Flores already booked.
Love how all these artists would talk about the history and sanctity of a place like the Ryman but take the money from Live Nation/The Truth at first chance. What a joke.
March 22, 2026 @ 7:51 pm
I do think artists need to be made aware of this, and that’s why I post articles like this. But most of these folks aren’t choosing where to perform. Their booking agents are, and I’m sure Live Nation is offering them sweet deals trying to entice them to help promote this new venue. Wyatt Flores lives out on a farm in Oklahoma and is barely online.
March 23, 2026 @ 4:42 pm
I’m sure Big Loud would be quite unhappy with Hardy and Stephen if they were to take a stand against Live Nation, seeing as how the label is giving both of them a big push.
March 23, 2026 @ 12:27 pm
How dare these artists get booked at these kinds of venues in order to make a living!
March 23, 2026 @ 6:15 am
“live music one of the only options for revenue for independent artists, the fate of Live Nation is critical to making sure independent venues, festivals, and events remains healthy.”
So The Ryman and other independent venues can’t handle competition from a pablum music dealer? If so, then maybe those indy’s need to improve their goods, services, operations or prices. If The Truth builds a better mousetrap, then too bad for the rest. If folks flock to the The Truth (I will not be one of them) then maybe there should be a The Truth. I have that same feeling as most against LN – my age allows me to have experienced gross inflation of ticket prices and loss of really enjoyable, affordable, early/lower tier performers. But if the market moves away from these independent venues, then blame starts with a look in the mirror. Don’t cry, compete and run The Truth out of business not the other way around.
March 23, 2026 @ 9:25 am
The problem is when you have a monopoly, the free market doesn’t work, and the “better mouse trap” gets squashed in development. Nobody would ever accuse Live Nation events or venues, or the Ticketmaster system of being a “better mouse trap.” On the contrary, ticketing in America has fallen into the same technological dystopia, pattern of regression, and failing upwards that has plagued so many sectors of society in modern America. But since they’ve squashed all competition, Live Nation doesn’t have to deliver quality customer service, affordability, or even efficiency. They can literally squeeze the American consumer for every dollar they can, and then brag about it in slack messages.
I’ve been to Live Nation festivals, and independent festivals. The logistics, the vibe, the community is night and day. The difference is Live Nation can throw and event for three years and lose money simply to bankrupt the competition while an independent festival is run by people taking out a 2nd mortgage to try to make the second year happen.
March 23, 2026 @ 12:34 pm
I mostly agree, Trigger, but this: “They can literally squeeze the American consumer for every dollar they can, and then brag about it in slack messages.” This is the problem; people have allowed this to happen.
The artists are just as guilty, if not more so, for putting up with it and not demanding better pricing for their fans. Greed is the main culprit, and the artists are every bit as greedy as LN. But, if people continue to pay the goofy prices, they can expect to continue getting screwed.
March 23, 2026 @ 12:45 pm
Zach Bryan did a whole campaign against TicketMaster and named a live album “All My Homies Hate Ticketmaster.” Kid Rock has been screaming about this for years, and recently participated in viral testimony in front of Congress about it. Taylor Swift and Bruce Springsteen have been very outspoken about it, as have preety much every other major artist in America, as well as many small and medium artists. The truth is that Live Nation and Tickermaster are bigger than all of them, and combined. They hold the cards. The call the shots. That’s how you know it’s an monopoly because an artist like Zach Bryan has no choice but to deal with them if he wants to tour.
March 23, 2026 @ 2:00 pm
Genuine question for you (and not a debate on the internet ’cause we not stupid enough to waste that time), how did LN get to the point of “squishing competition”? I know TM has been around a long time. If they took unfair steps in that climb, that counts. Again, if they just beat the doors off the 2nd mortgagees, that counts too. I am genuinely interested to read the history if you know it or can link to it.
March 23, 2026 @ 2:13 pm
We’ll in 2023 I did an extensive report on how Live Nation/C3 Presents were threatening locally-owned festivals in Oregon, and officially killed one off. That would be a good place to start:
https://savingcountrymusic.com/live-nations-new-fairwell-fest-crowding-out-established-events/
March 23, 2026 @ 1:42 pm
I attended a show at Ascend Amphitheater 2 years ago in Nashville. It was a very pleasant evening, and it was a nice clean venue, polite employees, excellent sound, so no real complaints.
Unfortunately, it is a Live Nation venue. Next day, i got a survey from them in my email. Guess what all the survey questions were about. Ads and marketing. It was asking which product ad signage I had noticed. What products was I most likely to buy as a result of seeing the signs at their event, what kind of products would I like to see advertised at their venues, How likely I am to purchase one of these products in the next 30 days, how much merch did i buy from the artist and if so what merchandise did I buy. And on and on it went. What brands of beer and alcohol did I purchase at the venue, what food did I purchase, how likely am I to recommend said alcohol to my friends and did I purchase a VIP experience etc. Clearly, the actual music is secondary to Live Nation. Its all about shaking you down financially. It starts with the overpriced tickets and excessive fees, and then continues when you park, and when you enter the gates, and even after the event they are still trying to relieve you of any expendable dollars. These vultures are destroying everything that used to be great about seeing live music.
March 25, 2026 @ 5:31 am
The ad campaign was a dick move, for sure. But the Ryman needn’t worry. LN’s just starting a venue because they lost Ascend Amphitheater