If you visit Old Dominion‘s new bar in midtown Nashville, Odie’s, you’ll actually be hanging out where the guys did before they hit it big.
“When we started hanging at places like the Blue Bar where we played for no one, and decided on our name — Losers and Rebar — too, these weren’t hot spots,” lead singer Matthew Ramsey remembers. “These were places for songwriters to knock off after a day of maybe not getting a song, to sit with your publisher celebrating a cut. These were working-class bars, and the people who were working up and down Music Row were creating songs they hoped would say something or create a feeling that an artist was looking for.”
So when OD got the chance to create their own spot, they wanted to keep that spirit alive.
“We wanted to make a place where if you’re a musician and artist, you can come here and play here — welcome home!” Matthew said from the stage during an impromptu opening weekend concert.
“And if you live here, you love a vibe and want somewhere to hang out — welcome home!” he added. “It feels so good to finally be here. Thank you to everybody who made it happen, including you guys just by showing up tonight.”
As you might imagine, there’s plenty of OD-specific fun, like the 12-seat pontoon boat bar that evokes “I Was on a Boat That Day,” as well as a spot where you can leave your “Hotel Key,” just like their hit says.
Odie’s is located at 1919 Division on the site of the former Rebar.
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