Broadway gets the attention, but the block directly north and south of it on 2nd Avenue runs a full night on its own. The strip is dense enough to spend several hours without doubling back, and the options cover enough ground that most groups will find something that fits, whether the goal is live music, sports, a dueling piano show, or a Cajun menu with a rooftop.
Pete’s Dueling Piano Bar at 152 2nd Ave N is the anchor for the night if you plan it right. The rest of 2nd Ave fills out the hours around it.
Pete’s Dueling Piano Bar
Pete’s sits at the intersection of 2nd Ave N and Commerce Street, steps off Broadway. The format has been running since 1992 across six locations, and Nashville was the natural next city for it. Two pianists take all-request song suggestions from the crowd all night, playing whatever the room is loudest about. There is no setlist, no predetermined playlist. You and everyone else in the building decide what gets played.
The Nashville location covers more than 10,000 square feet with a capacity of 485 and three full-service bars. The VIP section fits up to 65 guests and works well for groups that want their own space without a full buyout. A 50-foot LED screen runs throughout the venue. The drink menu includes the Lucky Duck schooner, the Tasty Tub Drinks served in souvenir bathtubs with a Nashville cowboy-hat rubber ducky, the Bangarang, and the Spicy Pineapple Rita.
Doors open Wednesday through Sunday. The show starts at 8 PM. Walk-ins are welcome, but for a group, book ahead at Pete’s Dueling Piano Bar. The venue is 21 plus and accepts credit cards only for the admission charge.
Nashville Live!
Nashville Live! at 128 2nd Ave N is a 50,000 square foot, five-level complex from The Cordish Companies that opened in October 2023. Three floors are currently running.
The ground floor holds DraftKings Sports and Social, which has a state-of-the-art LED media wall built for watching multiple games simultaneously alongside live fan cams, competitions, and elevated bar food.
The second floor is PBR Cowboy Bar, the Professional Bull Riders-branded concept with mechanical bull rides, line dancing, and a Western atmosphere that leans into the rowdier end of the 2nd Ave spectrum. The basement runs The Spot by Dre and Snoop, a hip-hop and R&B focused lounge with DJ sets and curated cocktails.
For a group that wants options without moving venues, Nashville Live! is the most versatile single building on 2nd Ave. The Gallery, a 10,000 square foot private event space with capacity for up to 450, is available for group bookings.
Bell Bottoms Up
Bell Bottoms Up at 120 3rd Ave S opened in 2024 when Lainey Wilson took over the former FGL House location in partnership with TC Restaurant Group, the same group behind Luke Bryan’s 32 Bridge, Miranda Lambert’s Casa Rosa, and Jason Aldean’s Kitchen. The 27,000 square foot venue runs three floors with two live music stages, four bars, and a mezzanine lounge that overlooks the first-floor stage.
The menu is the differentiator here. Wilson’s Louisiana upbringing shapes a Cajun-influenced food program with shrimp boils, crawfish, and boudin sitting alongside standard bar fare. The rooftop runs a 70s-Western theme with a strong whiskey selection. For a group that wants live music, a full meal, and something that feels distinct from the Broadway corridor’s tourist-facing bars, Bell Bottoms Up earns its spot on the itinerary.
The Johnny Cash Museum
The Johnny Cash Museum at 119 3rd Ave S is not a bar stop, but for any group with an hour to fill before the evening starts, it is worth knowing about. Opened in 2013 and officially authorized by the Cash estate, the museum holds the largest and most comprehensive collection of Johnny Cash artifacts and memorabilia in the world, including personal letters, stage costumes, handwritten lyrics, and guitars.
Forbes, Condé Nast, and National Geographic have all ranked it the top music museum in the world, and USA Today readers named it the best music museum in America three consecutive years from 2023 through 2025.
The museum is self-guided and open seven days a week from 9 AM to 7 PM. General admission is $27.95 plus tax, with discounts for AAA members, military, seniors, and students.
The Lounge at 2nd
The Lounge at 2nd at 139 2nd Ave N is the lower-key option on the strip. It is a small bar and restaurant with live acoustic music, a menu that has drawn consistent praise for standing out in a neighborhood where bar food tends toward the predictable, and a crowd that leans local. The Bloody Marys have a reputation, the service runs attentively, and the volume stays at a level where conversation is possible.
For groups that want to start the evening somewhere quieter before moving to Pete’s or Nashville Live!, or for anyone who wants a seat and an actual meal without the full production of a celebrity-branded venue, The Lounge at 2nd works well.
How to Build the Night
2nd Ave is compact enough that none of these require more than a few minutes of walking between them. A practical sequence for a group evening: arrive early enough to spend an hour at the Johnny Cash Museum before it closes at 7 PM, grab food and a drink at Bell Bottoms Up or The Lounge at 2nd, then head to Pete’s in time for the 8 PM show. Nashville Live! works as an add-on before or after Pete’s for groups who want to keep going.
Pete’s Dueling Piano Bar at 152 2nd Ave N runs Wednesday through Sunday with the show starting at 8 PM. Reserve your table online and get a real taste of Music City.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is on 2nd Avenue in Nashville?
2nd Avenue North and South runs directly adjacent to lower Broadway and holds a concentrated stretch of bars, restaurants, live music venues, and attractions. Notable stops include Pete’s Dueling Piano Bar at 152 2nd Ave N, Nashville Live! at 128 2nd Ave N, Bell Bottoms Up at 120 3rd Ave S, and the Johnny Cash Museum at 119 3rd Ave S. The strip is walkable from most downtown hotels and connects directly to Broadway.
Is Pete’s Dueling Piano Bar on Broadway or 2nd Avenue?
Pete’s Dueling Piano Bar is located at 152 2nd Ave N at the corner of 2nd Avenue and Commerce Street, steps off Broadway. The show runs Wednesday through Sunday with doors opening at 8 PM. Walk-ins are welcome, but groups should book ahead online.
Does 2nd Avenue Nashville have good options for watching sports?
Yes. The strip has dedicated sports viewing on multiple floors at Nashville Live!, with large-format LED screens, live fan cams, and a full bar and food program built around game days. The area stays active on major game weekends and draws a consistent crowd for NFL and college football watch parties.
Is there live music on 2nd Avenue outside of Broadway?
Several venues on 2nd Ave run live music independent of the Broadway honky tonk corridor. Pete’s Dueling Piano Bar at 152 2nd Ave N runs an all-request show Wednesday through Sunday starting at 8 PM. Bell Bottoms Up operates two live music stages with programming that runs through the week. The Lounge at 2nd at 139 2nd Ave N offers live acoustic music in a lower-key setting.
Is the Johnny Cash Museum worth visiting in Nashville?
The Johnny Cash Museum at 119 3rd Ave S has been ranked the top music museum in the world by Forbes, Condé Nast, and National Geographic, and the best music museum in America three consecutive years by USA Today readers. It is officially authorized by the Cash estate and holds the largest collection of Cash artifacts and memorabilia in the world. General admission is $27.95 plus tax. The museum is open daily from 9 AM to 7 PM.