Closing Up Shop

Over the past four years, the tiny, picturesque Leiper’s Fork listening room Green’s Grocery has gotten a reputation as a fairly exclusive Music Row hangout—as well as one of the state’s coziest, most intimate music venues. Well, enjoy it while it lasts. Owner Aubrey Preston is said to be considering closing Green’s Grocery primarily to the public, using the room mainly for private industry showcases and occasional charity functions like its recent Alive Hospice benefit.

“What’s happened, pretty much, is we’ve gotten too successful,” says Preston half-jokingly. He purchased the country store/restaurant/listening room from Ernie Woodard last year, but the grocery’s frequent capacity gigs have forced him to spend 20 days out of the month at the club. “I’m spending more time away from my family than I want,” Preston explains. “I’ve got small children, and the whole reason I moved out to the country was to be with them.”

However, if Green’s Grocery does close to the public—which is likely—most Nashvillians won’t know the difference. Green’s Grocery is famously remote; under Preston’s management, performers, like guests at many of the venue’s shows, have been booked strictly by invitation only. Such exclusivity accounts for the high quality of the featured acts—an unbilled John Hiatt, Kim Carnes, Michael McDonald, and Larry Carlton have all appeared on the Green’s Grocery stage. “We’ve had the best of the best,” says Preston.

Preston insists he hasn’t reached a decision yet. He says if the grocery closes, he’d still like to reopen it to the public perhaps 60 to 90 days of the year—probably during the fall months, when artists are off the road. He also says that special events (community fundraisers, etc.) would probably be opened to the public every month or so. Still, if you’ve heard about Green’s Grocery and have always wanted to go, you might want to make reservations soon—unless you own a record company.