Old Dominion Celebrates Odies Opening With Surprise Pop-Up Show In Nashville

Before they were award winners, the members of Old Dominion were working song sluggers looking for a place to chill after a day sequestered in a Nashville writers’ room. What they found were gritty hangouts with cold beer, good conversation and no pretenses.

It’s what they envision for their new music hub Odies, named for their fan community and housed in one for their former haunts in Nashville’s Midtown.

“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 hotspots” said Matthew Ramsey, lead singer/guitarist for the band. “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.”

After a social post, more than 300 fans showed up Saturday at the inauspicious bar where the multi-Platinum band hung out before they had a record deal. During the pop-up show, the band, which scored nine No. 1 songs, played new material and took requests.

“We wanted to make a place where if you’re a musician and artist, you can come here and play here, welcome home. And if you live here, you love a vibe and want somewhere to hang out, welcome home,” Ramsey said from the stage. “It feels so good to finally be here. Thank you to everybody who made it happen, including you guys just by showing up tonight.

Thank you so much for showing us that chasing our dreams wasn’t a stupid idea entirely.”

The venture is a partnership with Good Time Design, a hospitality and entertainment company based in Nashville and San Diego, California. Created in 2006 by Ty Hauter, the company portfolio includes restaurants, bars and music brands including Moonshine Flats, Moonshine Beach and The Blind Burro.

In Nashville, the company opened Sonny’s Patio Pub in 2020 followed by Coal Town Pizza & Public House in nearby Franklin. In 2024, GTD opened Sidecar Bar in Nashville’s Germantown neighborhood. According to the company website, GTD is working on a large-scale music venue expansion into Las Vegas as well as the acquisition of additional properties in Nashville. At all GTD venues, performers are largely composed of Nashville-based, up-and-comers with occasional national touring acts.

Odies is housed in the former Rebar, which closed several years ago. The new incarnation features neon “No Bad Vibes” and “Cold Beer Stiff Drinks” signs as well as a 12-seat pontoon boat bar. The seven-time ACM and CMA Group of the Year performed for 90 minutes at the official opening.

“A lot of heavy conversations went down in these places, even if it’s just frustration over a song that’s not quite working,” continued Ramsey. “But a lot of us fell in love with writing, and the community of people chasing this dream in these rooms, too. So, when someone approached us about doing a bar, before we said no, we asked if we could do something a little bit different.”