About

Since the doors to the Mercy Lounge first opened back in January of 2003, the cozy little club on Cannery Row has been both locally-favored and nationally-renowned. Building a reputation for showcasing the best in burgeoning buzz-bands and renowned national talents, the club has maintained its relevance by consistently offering reliable atmosphere and entertainment. The second story music venue is tucked neatly away in a low-key location half a mile from downtown, and its central location and metropolitan demeanor enable it to draw a diverse crowd of downtown tourists, hip-young socialites, and fans of live music alike. Mercy Lounge has a standing room capacity of 500, a state of the art sound system, and a back bar area that features pool tables, booth seating, and a more-relaxed environment from which to take in the show. Performing artists are offered dedicated monitor and front of house sound engineers, an array of lighting and production options, and a loft-style hospitality suite complete with kitchen, bathroom and comfort area.

With the addition of the Cannery Ballroom in 2005, the happening little lounge off 8th avenue adopted a big brother club capable of accommodating much larger national acts with more elaborate stage production, 1000-capacity standing room, and a huge bar stocked with all your favorite libations. In 2013, The High Watt opened up to accommodate emerging artists in a 250 capacity venue.

In the years since our arrival on the Nashville music scene, we’ve hosted household names like John Fogerty, Katy Perry, Snoop Dogg and The White Stripes and introduced the city to countless breaking artists. From our annual Anniversary celebrations to our unparalleled Road to Bonnaroo concert series to BMI’s 8 off 8th showcases (a staple of the local rock scene that the New York Times described as “ultra cool”), our reputation as one of the premier purveyors of awesome musical happenings in town has been firmly cemented. Perhaps that’s why the Chicago Tribune called us “one of, if not the best, live music bars in Nashville.”

History

Mercy Lounge, Cannery Ballroom and The High Watt reside in Nashville’s Historic Cannery building. Built in 1883, the Cannery was originally a flour mill and later a place to grind coffee. The building earned it’s name when the Dale Food company bought it in 1957 and began processing food (jams, jellies, mustard, mayonnaise, peanut butter, etc.) eventually opening a restaurant called “The Cannery” in the early 1970s. The building housed a country music theatre in the late 70s and evolved into one of Nashville’s primary music venues in the 80s and early 90s. Jimmy Cliff, Janes Addicition, Iggy Pop, Lenny Kravitz, Midnight Oil, Greg Allman, Robin Trower among other touring acts of the time played the Cannery. The Mercy Lounge is on the second story of the massive structure and is typically open six nights a week. The Cannery Ballroom is on the ground floor and has also been renovated with new hardwood floors, large tiled bathrooms and a standing room capacity of 1,000. It is open only for concerts and special events. For information on booking any of our venues, please contact us.