Bryan and Jamie Kenney, alongside Dale Tubb — the grandson of Ernest Tubb — have been working together on the restoration of the Ernest Tubb Record Shop space at 417 Broadway. The space will reopen in the fall, rolling out multiple concepts.
In addition to multiple bar concepts and performance areas within the venue, they will be introducing a members-only club called The Victor on the building’s lower level, according to a release. The name offers a nod to popular 1940s radio station RCA Victor. Back in the day, the late-night performances at Ernest Tubb Record Shop were broadcast across the Midwest and Southeast.
The Victor will offer an intimate atmosphere with design nods to the record shop’s old recording studio. Like the rest of the space, it will pay homage to the original record shop.
The Kenney brothers, founders of Tusk Brothers Entertainment and the team behind other Nashville spots like Never Never bar in Wedgewood-Houston and Reunion Bar & Hotel in East Nashville, are dedicated to maintaining the spirit of the historic space, known for performances from greats like Dolly Parton, Johnny Cash and Elvis Presley.
“We’ve always felt like this project was bigger than us. It’s our opinion that Ernest Tubb Record Shop belongs to Nashville, belongs to the Tubb family, and belongs to a nation of country music fans and visitors who came through the space for more than 75 years. We felt this was our chance to help keep it that way,” Bryan said in the release. “We come from a long line of musicians, and we both share a love of history, so the opportunity to play a part in ushering Ernest Tubb Record Shop into its next phase felt too good to be true.”
