Скачать или смотреть Bowling Green: The Not-So-Secret Music Scene Just North of Nashville

Bowling Green is known for cars, caves, and college life, but dig a little deeper and you’ll find a rich and diverse musical history.

From ragtime to rock and gospel to grunge, Bowling Green’s music scene stretches back more than a century.

“People here are really proud of their musical history,” said Kentucky Museum director Brent Bjorkman. “Whether you’re a performer or a longtime fan, or maybe you’re new to this region. You know, we’re this close to Nashville, but we have our own musical legacy here. We have so many people who have gone on to do great things. So much music has been recorded here. So much community.”

Throughout the years, Bowling Green has seen jazz musicians playing in places like the Shake Rag district and Lost River Cave.

In the 50s, gospel music became a major facet of the local sound, and in the 60s and 70s bands like TyBarc and Buster Brown would take the stage, bringing their own unique sounds respectively.

“I’ve seen the scene go through the hair metal phase of the ’80s all the way up to modern day alternative and college rock, and now the influx of modern country and bluegrass kind of roots music, it’s always been welcomed here it seems like. I’ve said for years that our town deserved a documentary treatment because you could go all the way back to the early turn of the century with music in this area alone and tell the story,” said long-time Bowling Green musician, Dean Collier.

In 2000, music in Bowling Green saw a burst of mainstream energy with Cage the Elephant gaining worldwide recognition with their hit “Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked.”

Around the same time, bands like Morning Teleportation and the Black Shades were starting to get noticed as well, bringing a wave of musicians from across the country to the ever-growing musical community who were seeking like-minded musicians to make their own marks.

“That was the influence factor of what Cage has done and what Morning Teleportation had done, and you know, even Black Stone Cherry and the Kentucky Headhunters,” Collier said. “You could go on and on and on about the ones that made it, and they brought people here as their influence made them want to come here. And instead of going to Nashville or Los Angeles or New York, they came here.”

More recently, though the Covid era dealt a major hit to the scene, with bands being forced off the stage by social distancing restrictions and area venues struggling to keep their doors open.

In 2025, another painful blow came when one of the most popular venues, Tidball’s, shuttered their doors.

“We used to play here on a regular basis, you know, we called this place home. Losing this, we lost our heart and soul as far as I’m concerned. There are still places for musicians to play, but it’s just not the same for me, and I’m sure a lot of others would agree,” he said.

But the show must go on, as they say.

Other venues like Donna’s, the Spillway Bar, and White Squirrel Brewery continue to act as a breeding ground for the next generation of musicians to hone their craft and add their name to the marquee of legendary artists from Southcentral Kentucky.

On Sept. 8, the Kentucky Museum opened an exhibit dedicated to telling the story of these musicians called Sonic Landscape.

The multi-year exhibit features artifacts, photographs, and memorabilia from multiple eras throughout Bowling Green’s history, offering a glimpse into the musicians who made the city their home.

“Sonic Landscape is an exhibit that’s been in the works for about 9 years. It’s based on 90+ oral interviews with musicians, record producers, recording studios, and some fans, too. One of the things this shows, too, is it validates the voices of those who live here,” Collier said.

The Kentucky Museum is open every Wednesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and admission is free.

More information can be found on their website.