Springwater Sit-In 7-28-24
23 videos • 107 views • by Arnie Reed Musicians gathered for the sit-in on Sunday, July 28, 2024 at the Springwater Supper Club in Nashville, Tennessee's oldest bar. The Springwater Supper Club & Lounge in West Nashville doesn’t exactly look inviting. Does it look a little rough around the edges, a little dirty and dilapidated? Yes. Is it what most people usually think of when they hear the words “supper club” and “lounge”? Probably not. As country music star Dierks Bentley once said of the Springwater when reflecting on his early days in the Nashville bar circuit, “There was no supper, and there was no lounge. It was such a dive that if it rained, the stage leaked.” But if cheap beer and a steady stream of live music sound like key components of a place you want to be, then you may have just found your new favorite Southern drinking establishment. Although it's only been known as the Springwater since 1978, the bar itself has been open in the same location for the past 100 years, and claims to be the “oldest bar serving alcohol, whether legally or illegally, in Tennessee.” (It converted into a speakeasy during Prohibition.) The building also allegedly served as a watering hole during the Tennessee Centennial and International Exposition in 1897. Legend has it that Al Capone liked stopping by the Springwater for a drink, and that Capone and Jimmy Hoffa both enjoyed gambling there. The bar is known as an essential venue for local indie rock and punk bands, and regular patrons no doubt appreciate that pool is free from noon to 7 p.m. on Mondays and Tuesdays. The walls of the Springwater are covered with neon signs and found objects. And despite its somewhat shabby appearance, stars such as Kesha have been known to show up and grace the stage with surprise performances. The Black Keys filmed a music video for their song Little Black Submarines, from their 2011 album El Camino, at the Springwater, turning the video shoot into a secret Nashville gig for some of their most dedicated fans. Rusty Nix - guitar David Simms - bass Dean Goodsell - bass Ray Crabtree - drums Arnie Reed - keyboard Susie Monick - banjo, squeeze box, vocals Deb Guy - guitar, vocals Jim Skinner - vocals Laura Gifford - vocals Mike Burns - lap steel