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When Sally Williams talks about The Truth, she doesn’t start with the building, although it’s beautiful. She talks about community.
The beloved longtime Nashville music executive has spent decades helping shape some of the city's most historic institutions, including Ryman Auditorium and the Grand Ole Opry. As president of Nashville Music and Business Strategy for Live Nation, she saw an opportunity to create something she believes Nashville needs, a contemporary concert venue rooted in the city's identity.
"When I started talking to Live Nation about coming here, what was appealing to me was that they said they wanted to grow their presence in Nashville, and they wanted to do it in a way that honored the community," Williams says. "Having been in a position that I felt was all about honoring the community, that was what I wanted for my next chapter."
Honoring the Music Community
The Truth, a 4,400-capacity venue developed by Live Nation and AJ Capital Partners, will officially open its doors in Wedgewood-Houston for concerts in early October. Its flexible, three-level design allows entertainers to customize the space, which gives them freedom to choose how their fans experience their shows. The space can shift between an intimate seated theater and a standing-room concert hall.
Williams says the venue’s defining features aren’t its adaptable floor plan or its world-class acoustics. It's the feeling.
"I'm so proud of what we are building because it fulfills that promise they made to me and that promise that I made to them, which was we're going to do good things in Nashville that honor Nashville,” she explains.
Not a Generic Venue
The philosophy shaped every decision. Williams understood Nashville didn't need another generic entertainment space.
"We are blessed with a few really, really special venues," she says, indicating spaces including the Ryman Auditorium, the Grand Ole Opry House, the Station Inn and the Bluebird Cafe. "We had to build something that was going to fill a need but also be something that could only happen here."
The project took shape through countless conversations with Blueprint Studio, Live Nation's design and development team. Although many of its members came from Los Angeles, New York, London and beyond, Williams wanted them to understand the city before designing for it.
"They visited the venues. They went to the museums. They spent a ton of time getting the history, not only of Nashville as a whole, but of this neighborhood," she says. "They met with fans. They met with industry executives."
Three Chords and The Truth
One idea resonated above the rest: "THE CHORD."
It prompted Williams to share the famous Harlan Howard songwriting quote: "Three chords and the truth."
The quote inspired the name shift to "THE TRUTH," the idea being that music is the truth.
From there, the creative process continued.
"I think of this building in three ways," Williams says. "Honor the art. Create connection. Reflect the spirit of Nashville."
Those principles are apparent throughout the venue.
The Music City Details
Guests will enter to a chandelier that projects lyrics from each night's performer across the lobby ceiling. An old-school letterpress will print a limited number of set lists for every concert, creating keepsakes unique to that performance. Harlan's, a whiskey bar with a view of the stage, pays tribute to Howard. The Vinyl Room celebrates Nashville's recording history and will feature exhibits curated with United Record Pressing, whose facility is located across the street.
"It's going to create the story," Williams says of the venue. "Stories are going to happen there, and then we are going to be able to tell them."
The luxurious details extend behind the curtain, too. Williams toured extensively with the cast of the television series Nashville and realized artists often spend whole days in cities without understanding or connecting with them.
"We want artists to feel like they're walking into their home for the day," she says. "We really want them to have a sense of place."
Record players stocked with vinyl pressed at United Record Pressing will fill dressing rooms. Flexible backstage spaces can adapt to each touring production's needs. The crew’s lounge was designed with natural light, which can be rare in venues.
Home Away From Home
Williams believes when artists feel connected to the city, their shows are more authentic.
"I hope that what they do on stage is resonating in a deeper way."
In the way executives designed the space for artists to feel at home, they hope their bars and added features encourage guests to linger in the space.
"It's about connection," Williams says. "It's not just about the connection between the artist and the fan. It's about the connection between the fan and the fan."
As Nashville continues to evolve, Williams hopes The Truth becomes more than another stop on a tour itinerary.
"I think a lot about Nashville and how it's growing right now," she says. "Growing is so, so good. But we can't as a city grow without being grounded."
She pauses, thinking about what the building may become decades from now.
"The Truth is going to outlast us," she says. "I feel like it's an opportunity for Nashville to have something else that's really special and just Nashville's."