Garth Brooks Announces Official Bar Opening
Garth Brooks announced that the official opening date for his Nashville bar “Friends In Low Places” will be March 7.
Garth shared the news on Studio G last night (2/20). He noted that they bought the building in 2021, and it’s taken time and construction to get it to where he wanted it, “It has been a journey, and what do you call it? It’s not a money pit, but it sure takes the dollars pretty good. It sure takes the slot; the slot sure eats them up. It will be great to be open, but now it’s all four floors.”
Brooks said the third floor would be like a convention space, and companies have already booked it five years out. The third floor is also dubbed his wife Trisha Yerwood’s floor, and her food will be served there and throughout the whole bar.
Garth advised fans to get in line early for the bar’s opening on the 7th because exclusive merch is on sale only at the “Friends In Low Places” bar. He admitted he couldn’t wait to wear the stuff and that it wasn’t Garth with just a “G” on it; it was “Friends In Low Places” stuff.
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When Brooks first announced his bar last year, he said on Studio G at the time, “Here’s the deal if you want to come to Friends In Low Places, come in. Come in with love; come in with tolerance and patience. Come in with an open mind, and let’s go have some fun, okay?”
Brooks continued, “Diversity – inclusiveness – that’s me! It’s always been me!” He explained, recalling how his song “We Shall Be Free” caught its share of flack years ago, “Everybody’s got their opinions. But inclusiveness is always going to be me. I think diversity is the answer to the problems that are here and the answer to the problems that are coming. So I love diversity.”
He added, “I understand that might not be other people’s opinions, but that’s okay, man! They have their opinions; they have their beliefs. I have mine.”
Five Garth Brooks Songs That Made Him An Icon
"Callin' Baton Rouge" (1994)
Chris Weeks/Liaison/Getty Images
Garth was not the first artist to record it. In an album liner notes, he said, “I have always been a fan of ‘Baton Rouge.’ I was, still am and always will be a fan of the members of New Grass Revival, four guys well ahead of their time (even if they came out thirty years from now). ‘Baton Rouge’ was a single for them about the time my first album was released.”He continued, “This song did not even break the top thirty, and I believe it did not get a fair shot. When we recorded it, it seemed only natural to bring in the guys from New Grass Revival – Pat Flynn, Bela Fleck, John Cowan, and Sam Bush, teamed with Jerry Douglas. This was the first time the New Grass Revival had been together since their breakup over a year prior to the recording of this song. It was a very good day and an extremely proud moment, and I think this is reflected in the cut itself.”
"The Thunder Rolls" (1991)
Adele Starr/Getty ImagesGarth co-wrote this dark number-one song. He said of the song, “There is no doubt that the toughest song in the GB catalog has to be ‘The Thunder Rolls.’ This song came out fighting the day it was released. It was originally cut by Tanya Tucker in 1988 but was never put on an album. It came back to us in time for No Fences. My hat’s off to Pat Alger, a great writer and friend, and to music itself because only music could withstand what this song has gone through.”
The lyrics include, “The thunder rolls / And the lightnin’ strikes / Another love grows cold / On a sleepless night / As the storm blows on / Out of control / Deep in her heart / The thunder rolls.”
"If Tomorrow Never Comes" (1989)
Frederick M. Brown/Getty ImagesGarth’s second radio single and his first number-one single on the US Billboard Hot Country Singles chart. “If Tomorrow Never Comes” was named Favorite Country Single in the American Music Awards of 1991. Brooks noted that the song “will probably always be my signature song.” Garth also said that the song is about the love of a father to his daughter, not to his lover. He co-wrote the song with Kent Blazy.
"Friends In Low Places" (1990)
Kevin Winter/Getty ImagesOne of the biggest songs in his career and the name of his new downtown Nashville bar. During a press conference when the bar opened, Garth said that when it came out and succeeded (four weeks at number-one) so much, nobody knew his name, but “everyone” knows “Friend In Low Places.” The song won both the Academy of Country Music and Country Music Association awards for 1990 Single of the Year.
"The Dance" (1990)
Stephen Chernin/Getty Images“The Dance” was the single released before “Friends in Low Places,” and also shot to number one on the country charts. In 1990, it was named both Song of the Year and Video of the Year by the Academy of Country Music. It was awarded the number 14 position in the CMT 100 Greatest Songs of Country Music broadcast in 2003. It also is in the number 5 position on the network’s The Greatest: 100 Greatest Music Videos special in 2004.
In 2001, after the death of Dale Earnhardt, Brooks was invited to the NASCAR Awards ceremony honoring Earnhardt to play the song as a tribute.
