Standing in the throes of 12th and Porter's ongoing constructionworkers are sanding, hammering, and shouting instructionsNathaniel Beaver keeps getting drowned out by the cacophony. But his full-circle story is worth a listen: The Nashville native grew up going to concerts here; today, as owner of Infinity Restaurant Group, he's purchased it with a mission of restoring its fading glory.
'I remember it being a place where you would always see a great show,” he says. 'In the past couple years, it just kind of fell off the radar a bit to where those great shows were few and far between.”
Artists and audiences alike have long agreed that 12th and Porter is one of the best-sounding venues in town, on par with the Ryman in terms of acoustics. Over nearly three decades, it's welcomed acts from Neil Young to Run-DMC, hosted a Townes Van Zandt live recording, and been name-checked on Ryan Adams' seminal Demolition album. But a recent period of mismanagement dimmed its spotlightand blemished the institution's well-regarded run.
'It got away from what it was,” Beaver says. 'It became ‘How many people can we get in for this one show?' Instead, it should be a local spot for people to come to.”
And that's what the Infinity team is transforming it into. After the tarps are lifted and the debris is swept away, the club will reopen this month as an enhanced version of the original: a space to hang and see quality live musicnow with state-of-the-art specs, in-house food and drink menus, and a second stage for weekly showcases. Virtually every inch of the place is new, save for the main stage.
The most significant change is the widened entryway, allowing 12th and Porter to consume the adjacent room, which previously housed Music City Pizza. That's where you'll find the small acoustic stage, a terminal to purchase tickets for upcoming shows, and food and drinks served till 3 a.m.the latest curfew of anywhere downtown, according to Beaver. Anchoring the room is a 16-tap bar made of liquid metal; it's as handsome as it is massive.
Over in the 300-capacity main venue, there are all-new speakers, lighting fixtures, and acoustic paneling, while HD video recording allows patrons to watch the show from both rooms. The mezzanine has been extended, and the bar here has been upgraded.
Through establishing his company's other downtown spaces, The Bell Tower and The Bridge Building, Beaver has perfected the art of completely gutting a building while preserving its integrity. For this project, the only unfamiliar territory was ticket sales and artist contracts; to that end, he borrowed War Memorial Auditorium's national booker and hired an entertainment director for the Sunday house shows. 12th and Porter's opening night, February 5, features three hefty local acts: Chuck Mead & His Grassy Knoll Boys, JP Harris, and The Howlin' Brothers.
It's all part of his plan to bring back 12th and Porter's eclectic rootsthe rest of the initial lineup bounces from Shemekia Copeland to O-Town to Coolio.
'What I don't want to do is get pigeonholed,” Beaver stresses. 'Everyone's so busy trying to find their niche and a crowd to cater to. We want it to be what Nashville is in terms of music: It's all over the board.”
