Podcast Summary: Takin' a Walk Nashville Concert Calendar

Podcast: takin' a walk
Host: Buzz Knight
Guest: Sarah Harrelson
Date: November 3, 2025
Episode: Takin' a Walk Nashville Concert Calendar

Overview

This episode of "Takin’ a Walk" focuses on the vibrant concert scene in Nashville, especially what's coming up in November 2025. Host Buzz Knight is joined by singer-songwriter Sarah Harrelson to preview upcoming concerts, discuss favorite Nashville venues, and spotlight music community events. The conversation also explores Sarah's experiences as an artist, her involvement in a new documentary about women in music, and a call to action for supporting local musicians in Music City.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Highlighting the Muscle Shoals Concert & Exhibit

• Country Music Hall of Fame Event:
  • A new exhibit dedicated to Muscle Shoals at the Country Music Hall of Fame, culminating in a special concert on November 14th featuring the Muscle Shoals Aces as the house band, with artists including Tierra Kennedy, Maggie Rose, Shenandoah, and Wendy Moten.
  • Sarah Harrelson: “I think I'm most excited about the Country Music Hall of Fame Muscle Shoals concert coming up on November 14th.” [00:23]
  • The CMA Theater is the venue for this show.

2. The Allure of Country Music Hall of Fame

• Constantly Evolving Exhibits:
  • Sarah: “What I love about the Hall of Fame is they're always changing up their exhibits, so there's always a reason to go back…” [01:14]
  • Buzz: “It touches everything...when it comes to Americana...the historical part and the legacy of it. It just has so much dynamic to it.” [01:29]

3. Personal Experiences in Muscle Shoals

• Sarah shares her connection:
  • “I have, yes. I've toured the different studios down there in Muscle Shoals and have family in Birmingham, Alabama.” [02:20]
• Both guests express excitement about seeing the musical connections between Nashville and Muscle Shoals.

4. Favorite Nashville Venues & Upcoming Gigs

• Venues Discussed:
  • Sarah: “The Ryman is one. Margot Price is playing there in November. We have the Listening Room, the Bluebird Cafe, if you can get a ticket… there’s a brand new music venue in Nashville called the Pinnacle… Paul McCartney is playing at the Pinnacle this November.” [02:57]
• Buzz reminisces about previous podcast walks to the Ryman and the venue’s historic charm.
  • “When we first met, we took a walk up to the Ryman and recorded our episode there...the Ryman remains certainly for one of my favorite places.” [03:35]

5. November’s Noteworthy Concerts

• Margot Price at the Ryman
  • November 20th with opener Rattlesnake Milk.
  • “Great Americana lineup…That’ll definitely be a popular show to attend.” – Sarah [04:09]
• Thomas Dolby at The Basement East
  • Noted for his hit “She Blinded Me with Science.”
  • Buzz: “I didn’t know he was still out touring… Thomas Dolby bringing an act on the road and he's playing in Nashville.” [05:17]

6. Venue Profiles: The Basement & The Basement East

• The unique charm and resilience after tornado damage.
  • Sarah: “They had some flooding issues and tornado damage…So they've rebuilt since and I've been to many concerts there.” [04:48]

7. The Listening Room: A Songwriter’s Haven

• Sarah discusses performing at The Listening Room, where the focus is on storytelling and songwriting in an intimate, attentive atmosphere.
  • “What’s fun about the Listening Room… people are quiet and they're actually listening to the songs being played. But it's more of a songwriter venue…” [06:13]
  • She describes the “end around” format—a circle of songwriters sharing their stories and songs.

8. Supporting the Local Music Community

• Buzz invites local artists to share their gigs for promotion on the podcast:
  • “If you're going out and you want us to publicize your gig that's coming up in the near future, certainly you can get a hold of us, and we're happy to give you a little props and a little publicity there…” [06:47]
• Sarah emphasizes the importance:
  • “When there's so many shows going on at once, sometimes it's hard to break through the noise…any way we can help to promote shows and get people to show up, we would love to help.” [07:44]

9. Upcoming Documentary on Women in Music

• Sarah shares about her upcoming documentary project featuring herself, Wendy Moten, Judy Pastor, and Delaney Ann, focusing on the experiences and challenges of being a female independent artist.
  • “It just takes a look in the life of what it's like to be a female in the music industry and maybe struggles we go through or what it's like for on the road as more of an independent singer songwriter.” [08:43]
• The artists will perform together at the Listening Room and a Strings for Hope benefit, supporting female survivors of interpersonal violence.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Country Music Hall of Fame Praise:

  • “It touches everything…it just has so much dynamic to it. That's certainly how I love getting lost at the Country Music Hall of Fame, walking through it.”
    —Buzz Knight [01:29]

• On the Power of Quiet, Writer-Focused Shows:

  • “What’s fun about the Listening Room… people are quiet and they're actually listening to the songs being played. But it's more of a songwriter venue.”
    —Sarah Harrelson [06:13]

• On Supporting the Music Community:

  • “The goal of the doing this concert calendar is not only to highlight folks like Margo Price and acts like Paul McCartney…we are so pro artist and pro musician that anybody that's out there that maybe wants us to put in a word, happy to do that…”
    —Buzz Knight [06:47]

• Reflecting on the Challenges of Local Artists:

  • “When there's so many shows going on at once, sometimes it's hard to break through the noise or sell tickets or get people to show up.”
    —Sarah Harrelson [07:44]

• About the Upcoming Documentary:

  • “It just takes a look in the life of what it's like to be a female in the music industry and maybe struggles we go through or what it's like for on the road as more of an independent singer songwriter.”
    —Sarah Harrelson [08:43]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [00:20] — Muscle Shoals exhibit and concert preview
• [01:14] — Dynamic exhibits at Country Music Hall of Fame
• [02:20] — Sarah’s connection to Muscle Shoals
• [02:57] — Top Nashville venues and Pinnacle opening
• [04:09] — Margot Price at the Ryman and opening act
• [04:48] — The Basement & Basement East venue discussion
• [05:17] — Thomas Dolby concert excitement
• [06:13] — The Listening Room and songwriter “end around” format
• [06:47] — Invitation for artist gig promotion
• [07:44] — Supporting local artists amid a crowded scene
• [08:43] — Details about the new documentary and benefit show

Tone and Atmosphere

The episode is warm, enthusiastic, and deeply respectful of Nashville’s music culture. Buzz Knight and Sarah Harrelson’s conversation is full of camaraderie and passion for live performance, local venues, and the importance of nurturing the local music community. Their dialogue offers both practical information for concert-goers and heartfelt encouragement for aspiring and working musicians.

Final Notes

This special "concert calendar" episode is both a guide to Nashville's can't-miss November concerts and an inspiring call to celebrate and support all artists—superstars and up-and-comers alike—in the heart of Music City.