Few music venues generate revenue to feed into nonprofits.
At Riverside Revival of the Boedecker Foundation, that’s the whole point. The community-focused music venue and event space is a vibrant hub for both local culture and charitable initiatives. Housed in a beautifully updated 73-year-old church in East Nashville, this venue is part of the Boedecker Foundation Collaborative Campus, a project founded by George B. Boedecker Jr. that fosters community-driven work. Since opening in 2020, Riverside Revival has hosted performances by renowned artists like Emmylou Harris and Brittany Howard, alongside a variety of other events. A portion of proceeds from every event supports nonprofit organizations offering below-market rent and grants to those dedicated to making a positive impact.
We spoke with the vice president of the Boedecker Foundation, Brianna Healy, about her background, the foundation’s efforts, and the charming East Nashville venue.
FAMILY AFFAIR: I have a master’s degree in education, and I taught in public school before deciding to come over to the family business. In the beginning, I worked mostly in educational consulting for the foundation and as it evolved, managing our grant programs to overseeing our staff, and then to help bring the vision of Riverside Revival to life.
HELPING HAND: Our mission is broad because we want to be agile and be able to pivot when needed, but our focus is to provide resources and opportunities for communities that wouldn't otherwise have them. We are mostly focused on health, education, and wellness. In Middle Tennessee, we've really honed in on the prenatal to aged five area, focusing on prenatal maternal health, postnatal maternal health, and the early education space.
WHY NASHVILLE: Mr. Boedecker, my father, came to Nashville in 2010. He has had a passion for music, writing, and poetry his whole life and just fell in love with philanthropic sort of ethos of Music City. He decided that he wanted to focus much of the Boedecker Foundation’s giving in Middle Tennessee. It’s been a gradual thing like, “If you build it, they will come,” and here we are.
ACCESSIBILITY: We knew as we were building that accessibility was the most important part, and being that it's nearly a 75-year-old building, it took a little extra planning and patience with the permit and everything, but now it really is accessible. We wanted to be a place where anyone feels welcome, but at the same time, everyone receives a high-level experience with beautiful sound and wonderful food. Just a high-tech experience with a magical venue.
REVIVING THE STRUCTURE: Our founder, having been in East Nashville since around 2010, has really seen how East Nashville has changed so much, and I think a lot of history has been lost. So, in stepping into the renovation of Riverside, we knew that we wanted to keep as much of the original bones that had been well cared for while making it accessible, making sure our sound is impeccable, making sure our kitchen has everything needed to make any type of meal that anyone is requesting for their particular event. The stained-glass windows and floors are original, and we took some of the floor seating and moved it to the balcony. We just tried to keep some of the charm, character, and history while making sure that it was super technologically advanced and culinary forward.