The Roots Barn

The Roots Barn, a new, state-of-the-art music and events venue, is well under construction and set to open a new era of culture and community in the Spring of 2022. The old-world timber structure will be the showpiece of a campus in fast-growing Madison, TN encompassing historic Amqui Station, a future public park, and a new tree-lined Madison Station Boulevard. It is planned as a hub for music-making and an inclusive vision of Americana.

The creators and producers of Music City Roots (MCR) are especially excited about having a forever home for their Wednesday night shows. Launched in late 2009, Music City Roots became a fixture in Nashville and in the national roots music scene by channeling the spirit of the live radio shows that built Music City in the first half of the 20th century. MCR showcases four artists each week, mingling legends, veterans, and emerging artists in a journey of emotion and discovery. It started its successful run on American Public Television and a network of public radio stations at the Loveless Cafe Barn, and its theme song is “Born In A Barn” by Rob Ickes, so it will feel very much at home at The Roots Barn.

The Roots Barn is one of the most ambitious new concert venues to be built in the southeast in decades. Modeled in part on the legendary Barns at Wolftrap in Maryland, The Roots Barn will feature classic timber-frame construction with wood sourced from across the country by Big Timberworks in Gateway, Montana. The timber’s provenance includes a decommissioned sawmill in Oregon and tobacco barns in North Carolina. The Roots Barn will be sustainability constructed and designed for ideal concert audio for both electric and acoustic music. It will also feature a new free-standing “green room” building where artists will feel at home and taken care of so that nothing hinders their performance.

“The Roots Barn will encompass and celebrate the rich, complex musical history of Nashville,” said Nancy VanReece, Vice President of Public Affairs and Business Development for Roots Productions, LLC. “Nashville offers locals and tourists an experience like no other. The Roots Barn will be the home to roots music, no matter what your roots are."

John Walker, Executive Producer said “The Roots Barn will be a gathering and performance place to showcase all of these diverse musical backgrounds in a beautiful, state-of-the-art setting. Our focus is on broadcasting real music - past, present and future - but in the spirit of true Southern hospitality, we will offer an authentic experience combining the best of elements of food and drink to our visitors.”

Besides Music City Roots on Wednesday nights, The Roots Barn will host ticketed shows of all kinds. Already in the works is a weekly Sunday Soul Brunch hosted by Nashville’s McCrary Sisters. The Roots Barn will also have a catering kitchen and event staff, permitting private events such as fundraisers, corporate dinners, release parties, and more. Adjacent to the barn, a separate building will house a remote studio for partner WMOT Roots Radio 89.5 FM, the 100,000-watt Americana-format public radio station out of Middle Tennessee State University.