SHELBYVILLE — It opened as the headline-grabbing “Guiness World Records Longest Bar” and has since developed a reputation for its world-class cuisine and A-list live music. On March 21-24 the Nearest Green Distillery’s Humble Baron will celebrate it’s first birthday with an anniversary weekend packed with unique events and an impressive line-up of live music including a Saturday performance by American alternative Southern rap group, Nappy Roots.
A-list performers on a world-class stage
Humble Baron opened its doors in 2023 as a restaurant, bar, and live music venue. It’s the brainchild of and named for Nearest Green founder Keith Weaver. He’s one part of the dynamic duo of Fawn and Keith Weaver, who launched the distillery in 2017. It’s meant to be a slice of Music City right here in rural, southern, middle Tennessee. In the past several months, acts like Post Malone, Jelly Roll, and Eddie Vedder as well as the best up-and-coming talent from this area have graced their stage.
The southern showplace features a 17-station, 518-foot-long curved bar that wraps around an indoor stage. That stage transforms into a state-of-the-art music venue during live performances. The former technical director and engineer for Prince’s Paisley Park designed the live concert venue.
Nappy Roots concert and Global Cocktail Takeover
The anniversary celebration will kick off on Thursday with Humble Baron’s first-ever Country Line Dancing with DJ Geoffrey Dotson from 5-10 p.m. A special anniversary menu will begin on Thursday as well with items like the elevated Smash Burger with Uncle Nearest sauce. Executive Chef and Twisted Dish host Jay Craddick developed the special anniversary menu.
Friday will kick off with a performance by the Grammy-nominated country duo, The War & Treaty. The American husband and wife duo of Michael Trotter Jr. and Tanya Trotter play southern soul, blues, and folk-inspired music and have collaborated with Emmylou Harris, Zach Bryan, and other artists. In 2023, the Country Music Association nominated them for Duo of the Year, and they also received a Best New Artist nod at the Grammy’s this year. They are probably best-known for their 2023 collaboration with Bryan titled Hey Driver. The song debuted at #14 on the Billboard Hot 100. The show kicks off at 7:30 p.m.
On Saturday from 2:30 to 7:30 p.m., you can enjoy a one-of-a-kind cocktail by some of the world’s best bartenders during the Global Cocktail Takeover. Mixologists from London, the Netherlands, Puerto Rico and all part in between will showcase their signature cocktails for one day only.
Then you can enjoy a live concert performance by Nappy Roots, the American Music Award and Grammy Award-nominated artists hailing from Bowling Green, Kentucky who blend Hip Hop with authentic deep-country roots to produce a unique sound. That concert begins at 7:30 p.m. and will be followed by a 9 p.m. the sounds of C-Wizz & Darryl Jaye.
Sunday gospel brunch closes out the weekend
On Sunday, the ever-popular Gospel Brunch will feature a performance from Kai A. Pineda. She’s a gospel and contemporary Christian artist from Inglewood, California who blends sultry yet crisp vocals with upbeat and elevating instrumentals meant to inspire and uplift. To hear some of her songs, click this link. Her Sunday performance happens during Humble Baron’s Gospel Brunch from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Admission to all the concerts is free and tickets will be issued on a first-come, first-served basis, so arrive early.
In addition to these anniversary special events, Humble Baron will also release a limited-edition single barrel expression, The HB Pick. There are only 600 bottles available, so get-it-while-it-lasts. To learn more about Humble Baron, check out their website.•
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