Eric Church has always done things differently and the highly-anticipated opening of his downtown Nashville bar, restaurant and live music venue, Chief’s, is no exception. Its roll-out reminiscent of his 2015 Mr. Misunderstood surprise album release that prompted fans to run to mailboxes for the first word (and listen) of his fifth studio album, this week similarly saw tens of thousands of fans logging online to match their personal deeds to the physical framework of the revitalized six-story downtown Nashville establishment.
“This is top class cool,” one Choir member remarked, posting an image of their deed to which another replied, “This is so awesome to be a part of!”
“You’ve helped me build my career brick by brick, and I want the whole world to know that the building is yours,” Church shared directly with fans. “This is not just another club downtown. This is our house. I’ve been involved in every step of restoring this historic building into a place we can call our own and, because you’ve been with me every step of my career, I’m proud to dedicate a physical brick of the Chief’s building to each and every one of you.”
In addition to being given a deed to individual bricks that form the building, fans also received the first of an ongoing series of digital collectibles, including a digital version of their brick which gives access to exclusive content and other new fan club perks – like never before heard demos, unreleased video footage and priority entry at Chief’s. Other digital collectibles given to fans upon launch included ‘Vinyl for Life’ – which grants a fan first edition vinyl of Church’s entire catalog and a copy of every new piece of vinyl released going forward, including all color variants. The new technology is also being utilized to give away rare items, including a signed guitar that is paired with a digital collectible that grants access to content like a guitar lesson from Church’s guitarist Driver Williams and videos of performances of Church playing the guitar. Other giveaways include year-long subscriptions to SiriusXM and a chance to record a guest DJ set at the Chief’s studio as part of Outsiders Radio “Insiders Hour.”
“My songs are mine, until I release them, and then they’re never mine again. And this building’s a lot that way,” reflects Church. “It’s been mine in the building of it, in the cultivating with the stories, the challenges, and the successes. But once Chief’s opens, it’s not mine anymore. It belongs to the Choir. It belongs to the fans. It belongs to the patrons. It belongs to the stories they create there. It belongs to the music they listen to there and share from there. So, my story ends where theirs begins and that’s the essence of what you do musically and what we’re trying to do at Chief’s.”
Church initially announced Chief’s in early 2022 with real estate developer and hospitality entrepreneur Ben Weprin of AJ Capital leading the renovation. As construction is well underway, the co-owners have also revealed more details of the space designed to celebrate Church’s ever-expanding musical legacy while creating a downtown Nashville gathering place for all.
Chief’s features a ticketed music venue plus additional live entertainment throughout the building and unique décor elements such as more than 4,000 concert posters from throughout the CMA Entertainer of the Year’s career papering the ground floor. Chief’s will also house a studio for broadcasting, inclusive of Eric Church Outsiders Radio on SiriusXM, with the capability of hosting broadcasts by various media partners. With street-level windows, the studio will provide fans from around the world with a thrilling behind-the-scenes experience with a front-row view of broadcasting in action.
The venue also taps into Church’s Carolina roots in partnership with Rodney Scott, whose Whole Hog BBQ – part of the Pihakis Restaurant Group – will overlook downtown with its ‘Hell of a Q’ rooftop location.
Situated at the intersection of 2nd Avenue North and Broadway at 200 Broadway in historic downtown Nashville, Chief’s is designed with Church’s direct input to pay homage to chapters in his life. Between the inspirational interiors and thoughtful focus on unique live performances – and now ownership of the building itself – Chief’s will offer fans an unparalleled entertainment experience in Music City.
For more information, visit EricChurch.com and ChiefsOnBroadway.com.
