Bluebird Café and Friends In Low Places Bring Iconic Nashville Songwriting to Broadway for One Night Only
Country music power couple Trisha Yearwood and Garth Brooks are helping kick off CMA Fest 2025 with a must-see event that celebrates legendary songwriters—and spotlights women’s voices in country music.
For one night only, Nashville’s iconic Bluebird Café is moving downtown to Broadway in partnership with Brooks’ Friends In Low Places Bar & Honky-Tonk, just in time to mark the café’s 43rd anniversary and usher in a week of country music celebration.
The June 4 double-header will feature intimate, songwriter-centered performances highlighting the talent behind Brooks’ biggest hits and music from Yearwood’s highly anticipated new album, The Mirror.
Trisha Yearwood Brings Female Songwriters to Center Stage
At 1:30 p.m., Yearwood will be joined by a powerhouse lineup of women songwriters including Leslie Satcher, Bridgette Tatum, and Rachel Thibodeau. Doors open at 12:30 p.m., and though the event is currently sold out, seats will be released on a first-come, first-served basis.
Attendees may even get a sneak peek of The Mirror, Yearwood’s first new album in six years, which drops July 18. Not only is it her return to the studio—it’s the first time she’s co-written and co-produced an entire album.
“I’ve always written a little bit, but I’ve never called myself a songwriter,” Yearwood told Kelly Clarkson. “In fact, I usually will say if somebody says we should write, I’m like, I’m not a songwriter. Because someone told me when I was in college that I was not a songwriter, and I let it be the truth for just like 45 years. I sort of had an a-ha about, ‘Why does that have to be the truth?’”
Yearwood also took to Instagram to say she’s “so proud” of this new project—one that reclaims her voice as both an artist and a writer.
Women Behind the Hits
The afternoon’s featured writers are behind some of the most well-loved songs in country music. Satcher penned “Tough” for Kellie Pickler, “Troubadour” for George Strait, and “When God-Fearin’ Women Get the Blues” for Martina McBride. Tatum wrote “She’s Country” for Jason Aldean, and Thibodeau is known for “Good Directions” by Billy Currington, along with hits recorded by Reba McEntire, Luke Bryan, and more.
Garth Brooks’ Writer Circle Returns
Later that evening at 5 p.m., Brooks’ hitmakers will take the stage in a reunion of sorts—featuring Pat Alger, Kent Blazy, Tony Arata, and Victoria Shaw. Doors open at 4 p.m., and like Yearwood’s show, the event is sold out but offers limited walk-up availability.
Last year’s Friends In Low Places songwriter night turned into a heartwarming (and hilarious) roast of Brooks, who wasn’t present—but whose early career was recounted by his longtime collaborators.
Blazy recalled the early days, when record executives rejected Brooks repeatedly. “Garth came in and did ‘If Tomorrow Never Comes,’ and someone who had passed on him for the third time that week came up to him afterward and said, ‘I know we passed on you three times, but maybe we missed something,’” he said. “He came back in and got a record deal.”
Alger also shared how they celebrated Brooks’ breakout single “I’m Much Too Young (To Feel This Damn Old)” despite it peaking at No. 8. “We didn’t know anyone who’d had a No. 8,” Alger joked. “We got him a cake with an eight on it, and the eight is bigger than the cake. We played volleyball in the backyard.”
Brooks, already looking ahead, told Alger that night: “‘If Tomorrow Never Comes’ would be his next single and that it would go to No. 1.” Alger added: “Like so many things he predicted, it did.”
Exclusive Access at Friends In Low Places
In addition to hearing the stories behind iconic hits, showgoers will also have access to two private areas inside Friends In Low Places Bar & Honky-Tonk: Garth Brooks’ SEVENS Club and Trisha Yearwood’s Studio Kitchen.
Whether it’s hearing raw, emotional lyrics from Trisha Yearwood’s new record or revisiting Garth Brooks’ path to superstardom through the pens of his closest collaborators, this Bluebird Café takeover is shaping up to be a highlight of CMA Fest 2025—and a moment that honors the women who write the songs.
📍 Friends In Low Places Bar & Honky-Tonk is located at 411 Broadway, Nashville, TN.
🔗 For updates and ticket info, visit bluebirdcafe.com.