Pretty special surprise for a group of fans.
Ashley McBryde dropped her newest single, “What If We Don’t,” this morning, the first release from an as-of-yet-unannounced upcoming album. And last night, she thrilled fans in Nashville as she resumed her residency at Chief’s on Broadway with a special acoustic show, appropriately called Just Me & My Shadow.
But this morning, Ashley had another surprise in store for a group of lucky fans.
As the tour group made its way through Chief’s for their popular Coffee Tour, which gives Church Choir members a behind the scenes look at the House That Church Built and all the hidden details in the building, Ashley was waiting for them on the fifth floor in her Redemption bar.
Ashley was waiting for the group, guitar in hand and performing “One Night Standards” as the shocked tour group walked in:
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And from there, she chatted with the group, most of whom were here to attend Ashley’s residency show tonight, and even took some song requests:
While the new album hasn’t officially been announced, Ashley shared a video recently of her tearful reaction when she first heard it, and it sounds like it’s going to be a special one.
She explained that even though she’s written and been through every stage of the process with these songs, it still felt brand new and had her in tears, and she said that it was like she had never heard the music, or the artist:
“I just listened to ‘—‘ for the first time. It’s a rough mix, it’s not even mixed. And I had just listened to ‘Hand Me Downs,’ and I wrote the damn thing, me and Jessie Jo and Laura, I knew what was in that song.
And then I listened to it, and I kept staring at the dash, like, why would you do that to me? I’ve been here for every note, every syllable, every breathe of this record.
And I’m listening to the mixes and it’s like I’ve never heard this record. It’s like I’ve never heard this artist.”
It’s raw, vulnerable, and real, which is exactly what I love about Ashley and her music – and her bar.
Redemption opened back in August inside Chief’s, and is unique on Broadway not only in that it was designed by Ashley and contains all kinds of Easter eggs throughout the floor, but because it’s a non-alcoholic focused bar for those who want what she calls a “safe space” to get away from the pressure to drink in downtown Nashville.
If you haven’t been to Nashville to check out Chief’s or Redemption, it’s pretty much the only place you’ll find me on Broadway these days. Far from just another “artist bar,” Chief’s is one of the few ACTUALLY owned by the artist with their name on the sign, and every inch of the space holds a story from Eric Church’s life and career.
Whether it’s the “two pink lions” wallpaper that was inspired by his mother’s misunderstanding of his single “Two Pink Lines,” or the original neon sign from the Fiddle & Steel Guitar Bar, the now-shuttered bar in Printer’s Alley where Church found himself playing when Broadway wouldn’t welcome him, it’s impossible to catch all of the details that Church put into the bar.
And Redemption is much the same way: There’s artwork inspired by Ashley’s tattoos and bras on the wall (a nod to her fan-favorite single “Brenda Put Your Bra On”).
Chief’s is also one of the only (if not THE only) bar on Broadway where you can hear artists and songwriters perform their original music, instead of the obligatory “Wagon Wheel” and Journey covers every hour. It’s a bar that was truly designed for music fans, by one of the biggest fans and torchbearers of songwriting and artistry.
If you’re an Eric Church or an Ashley McBryde fan it’s obviously a must-stop in Nashville, but if you’re a fan of original music and want a break from the cover songs you find in every other bar, it’s pretty much your only option on Broadway.
And if you get lucky, you might even get a surprise and see Ashley hanging out in her own bar.
