The Steel Guitar Forum

I read online that Tootsie’s on Broadway in Nashville no longer allows pedal steel to be played on its stage because it takes up too much space. I’m always wary of what I read elsewhere online and thought I’d ask here.

Is that true?

Tootsies has nothing but rock bands playing guns and roses AC/DC and journey. There ain’t been a steel in that place in 20 years or more. Country music is dead in that joint. We have Steve smith to thank for that. If you go to Nashville don’t go there. I can’t tell you how many tourist walk by the bars we play and rudely stick their nose up at us saying “no thanks, we’re going to the tootsies”. Then about 15 or 30 minutes later they walk back up the street with a perplexed look on their faces not understanding what they just witnessed in that place. It’s a top 40 rock n roll club that’s all it is now. If you come to Nashville, stick to music valley. That’s where you’ll see pedal steel and country being played. Except the at scoreboard.

During CMA Fan Fair about 2013 or so a band I was in played Tootsies two years in a row. While setting up the sound guy came up to me and said he couldn’t remember the last time he had done sound for a “slide” guitar there. I told him it was a pedal steel he was surprised.

It was a real pain the second year to haul the pp up to the third floor rooftop!

Here a shot from the first year.

A couple of days ago, I seen a Facebook post on Tootsie's not wanting steel as well. Somebody from the Pete Drake and Friends Facebook page posted it. I'm really not surprised. When I walked lower Broadway as far back as 2016, there was no steel in any of the bands except for two, but they were doing new country, very little steel too-at one of the places the guy was play rock guitar sitting at a steel. The remainder of all the clubs had all hard rock and distortion guitar. But listen to country radio today-same stuff!

Duane Becker wrote: The remainder of all the clubs had all hard rock and distortion guitar. But listen to country radio today-same stuff!

Exactly. That's why it's being played at Tootsie's and the other clubs on Broadway. I went to Nashville years ago and enjoyed it but I don't think that I would enjoy it now.

Mitch

Well, its ok to play hard rock, I guess, I do except it for what its worth. Not my style and things do change, there's enough people on lower Broadway to except the loud music and distortion, just won't be me.
However, I think steel guitars lend themselves to great distortion and would sound very good in these rock bands-just playing a completely different style. But I'm sure the rock musicians would not except a distortion steel.
Those folks are going to loose a good part of their hearing being exposed to loud levels. Its not just lower Broadway but everywhere. I live in Eastern Washington/northern Idaho area. If you're looking to hear good ole traditional country and western music don't come hear you will not find it. I'm now down to about one night a week playing steel, and its with bands that play the older rock stuff. Alot of it has the steel in it, stuff that Red Rhoades, Sneeky Pete and those country rock steel players played.

Has anyone actually contacted Tootsie's to get the actual facts?

I suspect that the owners/management of the establishment are going to provide the music that brings in the most people and sells the most "adult beverages"!

~Lee

Wife and I visited Music City Bar & Grill last week, and it could not have been better! When my daughter told Rusty I was an old steeler from upstate NY, he was very kind. Sat down and talked with us for a while and told us all about the band. They were great and even had AJ's old bass man sitting in, so the whole deal was amazing! If you want real old country music played the right way, visit Music City Bar. Well worth the trip.

Martin Yeomans wrote: Wife and I visited Music City Bar & Grill last week, and it could not have been better! When my daughter told Rusty I was an old steeler from upstate NY, he was very kind. Sat down and talked with us for a while and told us all about the band. They were great and even had AJ's old bass man sitting in, so the whole deal was amazing! If you want real old country music played the right way, visit Music City Bar. Well worth the trip.

Two members of Alan's band play there-Roger Wills on bass guitar and Rusty Danmyer on steel guitar. Roger on bass, Danny Groah on guitar, Bruce Rutherford on drums, and Mark McClurg on fiddle are still in Alan's band. Rusty came in 2016 after Robbie Flint, who'd been Alan's steel guitarist for many years left the band.

Last time I was on Broadway was about 8 years ago and I didn't hear any real country that night. Lots of kids hollering. I went over to Music City Bar and Grill and stayed until they shutdown. I ate a lot of chicken wings too.

RC

Brad Bechtel wrote:Has anyone actually contacted Tootsie's to get the actual facts?

Brad, living here in Nashville playing for 40 years, the last 4 years I’ve had incidents both with Tootsies and Rippy’s across the street where one of the owners John gave me trouble for being a steel players. I did work regularly at Rippy’s and he left me alone.

The sound man told me that he (John) hated stair guitar and not to pay attention to it.

About a year ago, I almost had a gig at tootsies but the singer apologized , told me they don’t like steel guitars at that place and wished he could have me there.

When I heard how Tootsie's is now acting towards steel guitarists, it really bothered me, and it still does because they're taking away the instrument I started loving when I was eight and started playing at eighteen, and the instrument which makes such a beautiful sound in country music. You won't see steel guitarist Brett Day at Tootsie's!

Brett Day wrote:When I heard how Tootsie's is now acting towards steel guitarists, it really bothered me, and it still does because they're taking away the instrument I started loving when I was eight and started playing at eighteen, and the instrument which makes such a beautiful sound in country music. You won't see steel guitarist Brett Day at Tootsie's!

I feel the same way, but unfortunately I think we're going to see more and more of this. Today's country music fans don't seem to care, and there's not enough of us to make any difference.

RC
.

It's probably been 10 yrs. since I've been there. We visited and heard steel guitar @ Robert's and Legends but I don't recall going to Tootsies this time

So, murder on Lower Broad follows right along with murder on Music Row.

Last time I played at Tootsies was 16 years ago, when my daughter was born…. at that time I decided that I’m going to stop playing dives and spending my nights entertaining drunks , and that I will make my new born child my priority , and spend as much time as I can with her … today 16 years later I’m happy to say , that I made the right decision, and I can’t care less about some dive on lower Broadway or some asshole who owns it , and what he likes or doesn’t like … as far as I’m concerned , they can close that dump down tomorrow…