First Peek: The Vinyl Room at The Truth

Earlier this week I was able to get a sneak peek of The Truth, the new Live Nation performance venue in Wedgewood-Houston, ahead of its official opening with Miranda Lambert's Thursday night show. I’ll leave it up to the discerning eyes and ears of our music writers to talk about the actual acoustics and architecture of the building, but to my untrained eye, it sure looks like a helluva place to see a show.

Standing on the stage, you could easily see the face of someone sitting in the third-level mezzanine, because the intimate dimensions of the performance space mean the back row is less than 200 feet from the musical acts — in a room that can hold 4,400 fans for a sold-out show.

The highlight of our particular preview event was the food and beverage offerings at The Truth. Sally Williams, Live Nation's president of Nashville music and business strategy, said the team wanted every aspect of the venue to feel like it belonged in a Nashville space — down to the meat-and-three barbecue sliders with slaw and mac-and-cheese that greeted us upon arrival.  

There's an emphasis on Tennessee spirits in the main bar — named Harlan’s after Harlan Howard, the originator of the “three chords and the truth” phrase that gives the venue its name. (Even so, if you ever hung out at Maude’s Courtyard on the afternoons that Harlan held court there, you know his drink of choice was a white Russian.) Harlan’s stocks more than 150 bottles from more than 30 Tennessee distilleries in the bar, with more being added by the week.

The real surprise was on the floor above Harlan’s. The Vinyl Room isn’t unique to The Truth. There are similar lounges at several other Live Nation venues, but none of them happens to be across the street from the original home of United Record Pressing. So I’m going to go out on a limb and say our Vinyl Room is the best and makes the most sense.

Access is available as an add-on to a ticket and entitles guests to enter the private lounge — from up to one hour before showtime until the last note of the night fades away. Vinyl Room access also includes admission to a rooftop deck and bar with sweeping views of the neighborhood. Large screens will broadcast views of the show onstage to The Vinyl Room, so you won’t miss your favorite song.

The room's walls are festooned with show posters, photographs, records, album art, vintage guitar pedals and generally all things music-related. A DJ spins vinyl while patrons enjoy cocktails from the bar, or food from the fun and frivolous Asian-inspired menu. Small bites include a nicely balanced cucumber salad, a goof on crispy tuna rice they call "sushi tots" and chicken and beef skewers. The speared steak comes from Bear Creek Farm, so that’s a real feather in The Vinyl Room’s cap, because Bill and LeeAnn Cherry are quite particular about who they sell their beef to.

Two other favorite dishes from our table were a spicy Caesar salad with decidedly non-Asian Calabrian peppers in its dressing, and a tuna au poivre presentation served with the restaurant's own gochujang steak sauce and miso sweet potato fries. 

Current plans are for The Vinyl Room to be open only on show nights, but the jam-packed opening schedule at The Truth means it will be accessible most nights. Management also plans to offer the room for special event rentals, and it would definitely be a dramatic spot to host a group. The add-on cost for access varies by show, but I’ve seen prices in the $55 to $60 range for the VIP experience. If you’re planning a baller evening at a show at The Truth, I’d consider adding TVR access to your ticket.