Live music continuing at Mud Bums
The crowd was massive on Back to the Strip Night at Mud Bums Family Sports Grill.
For many people, Mud Bums Family Sports Grill is the place to catch the big game. For others, it's become the place to catch a band.
What began with a handful of performances in the summer of 2020 has evolved into one of Warren County's most consistent live music destinations. Since launching a weekly summer concert series five years ago, Mud Bums has made live entertainment as much a part of its identity as the sports playing on dozens of televisions inside the restaurant.
"We started the summer weekly part in 2021," owner Brett Simmons said. "Honestly, we really had several acts in summer of '20. It’s just grown and evolved ever since. It’s to the point where we have artists reaching out weekly and have to work on trying to book a full slate months in advance sometimes.
“We’ll try to work with everybody. It’s obviously something more and more people have gotten accustomed to seeing at our place."
Simmons was so determined to keep live music at the forefront of the restaurant's identity that Mud Bums scraped the trademark trailer provided for artists for a few years and spent this spring constructing a permanent stage in its parking lot, creating more room for crowds and giving musicians a dedicated place to perform during the warmer months. When the temperatures drop, the music simply moves indoors with acoustic performances, allowing the schedule to continue.
"We really don't slow down much in the fall and winter," Simmons said. "We try to work around the Tennessee football schedule as much as possible. We may ask a band to play at halftime then really kick up postgame if Tennessee is playing at night. Otherwise, you can usually find music at our place year-round.”
One of the restaurant's biggest traditions has become Back to the Strip Night, an event that unofficially kicks off the summer concert season at Mud Bums while folks take an evening to celebrate McMinnville's cruising culture of the past and raise money for local charities. The TC Bryant Band has become a familiar part of that celebration, helping draw crowds as classic cars fill the parking lot.
The weekly schedule has also introduced music fans to a wide variety of local and regional performers. Familiar names such as Shattered, Sticky Kim, Second Fret, Southern Justice, Knight Flight, Jay Martin, Cecil Shields, Jacob Johnson, Limelight Band, Caleb Mills, Andrew & Jesse, Robby Myers and Split Decision have all taken the Mud Bums stage this year, creating a lineup that ranges from country and acoustic acts to classic rock and Southern rock bands.
Tuesday nights have become a destination of their own thanks to Charlie Allen's Songwriter Night.
"Charlie has been doing it since fall of 2022, so that's going on four years this fall of continuous run," Simmons said.
And while the goal for any restaurant is to fill seats, for Simmons, the investment he takes on as the business owner booking and paying acts has never been just about attracting business.
"This has been good for us and I think it's good for the artists," Simmons said. "But it's also good for the community. I hope people will come check it out if they haven't already."
This weekend, the Charlie Allen Band will take the stage at 7:30 p.m.
Other upcoming shows:
July 31 - Jay Martin
Aug 1 - Split Decision
Aug 8 - TC Bryant
Aug 15 - Second Fret
Aug 21 - Sticky Kim
Aug 22 - Shattered
Aug 29 - Knight Flight
Editor’s Note: Brett Simmons, co-owner of Mud Bums Family Sports Grill, is the brother of WC Way’s Jeff Simmons.
