Station Inn documentary film airing online

True Life Bluegrass, a documentary about Nashville’s iconic Station Inn, is set to air on Saturday evening online.

The 2004 film by Pat Isbey runs to 75 minutes, giving the history of the storied live music venue which has been the home of bluegrass in Nashville since 1974. Launched by a group of local pickers as more of a jam spot, it grew to such popularity in town that they sold it in 1981 to its current owner, JT Gray, who moved it to 12th Avenue South, in a region known as The Gulch.

At the time, The Gulch was a pretty seedy part of town, lying between Music Row and the downtown area, and you didn’t want to be stuck there without a ride. But over the years, it has become one of the trendier neighborhoods in Nashville, with fashionable shops and restaurants filling vacant lots that once existed there.

In the film, Isbey traces the life of The Station Inn from 1974 to 2004, including discussions with Sam Bush, Bela Fleck, Alison Krauss, Del McCoury, Ricky Skaggs, Ralph Stanley, and Roland White.

It will air tomorrow night, April 18, at 8:00 p.m. (CDT) on Station Inn TV and the Station Inn Facebook page. There will no fee to watch this online, but a link for donations will be provided to help the venue function during the COVID 19 shutdown.

True Life Bluegrass will also be crossposted on the Bluegrass Today Facebook page, along with the link to the Station Inn Lockdown Club.

This film is only quite rarely screened, so don’t miss this opportunity to watch online Saturday night. It will only be available this once, and will be taken down after the screening tomorrow evening. No replays!

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About the Author

John Lawless

John had served as primary author and editor for The Bluegrass Blog from its launch in 2004 until being folded into Bluegrass Today in September of 2011. He continues in that capacity here, managing a strong team of columnists and correspondents.