On this date 18 years ago, you might have been riding a high from seeing Aerosmith and Mötley Crüe live at Starwood Amphitheatre on Oct. 19, 2006. Little did you know, that would be the last performance to grace the stage.
Middle Tennessee’s $10 million outdoor music venue broke ground in Antioch on Nov. 11, 1985. By June 1986, it would be ready to host “One for the Sun,” the site’s first music event.
The fundraiser by WKDF took place on the first day of summer (June 21, 1986) and featured the likes of Blue Oyster Cult, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, and Lone Justice. Fun fact: Tickets cost $14.50 for reserved seating or $12.50 for general lawn admission.
Setting the stage
The 65-acre amphitheatre was the brainchild of former Country Music Association CEO Steve Moore who wanted to attract major music events to Nashville. The venue could hold 17,000+ people and featured a main stage, covered pavilion, and large grassy area for general admission seating. It even included a small stage at the gate for local bands to greet guests as they entered.
Some of the earliest performers included Jimmy Buffett, The Beach Boys, Duran Duran, and Bob Dylan. Near its end, the stage hosted John Mayer, Goo Goo Dolls, and Coldplay.
Over the years, Starwood saw several name changes — First American Music Center in the late ‘90s + AmSouth Amphitheatre in 2000 — before reverting to its original name in 2004.
Your memory of the venue might be as fuzzy as this aerial, but here’s a look at Starwood’s layout. | Photo via Wikimedia Commons
Closing the curtain
In 2007, owner Live Nation abruptly announced that the remainder of that year’s season was canceled + the venue would be closing permanently in anticipation of a potential buyer hoping to develop a mixed-use retail and residential development called Starwood Commons. (Spoiler alert: The sale fell through.)
Demolition began in the fall of that same year, leaving the once crowded concert hub in ruins for years.
To this day, many developers have proposed plans for the area. The list includes a new concert venue in 2011, residential, office + retail spaces in 2018, and a three-part mixed-use development in 2020.
Most recently, in October 2024, Hobson Pike Land submitted a document to Metro outlining plans for 450 residences, 550,000 sqft of warehouse space, and 30,000 sqft of office space.
Turn back time
From noteworthy shows to personal tidbits that bring back fond memories, we asked you to recollect on your time spent at Starwood Amphitheatre — and you delivered.
“I saw Pearl Jam at Starwood at least twice and both shows are among my favorites. It was so oppressively hot during the 2003 show that I remember Eddie saying, ‘You guys are great. I would love to do more songs, but it is so @#$! hot out here!’” — Julie S.
“My 1995 graduation from La Vergne High School was there. I saw so many great concerts through the years: Aerosmith with Stone Temple Pilots, Aerosmith with KISS, and many others. Definitely miss that venue.” — Kimberly H.
“I saw so many concerts there. I attended three shows in one weekend. It’s bad when when the security guards would say to me, ‘Weren’t you here last night?’” — Pamela G.
“Phish in July of 1993. They played a small stage by the snack bar.” — Chris M.
“I saw Coldplay perform ‘Ring of Fire’ in honor of Johnny Cash.” — Vanessa N.
“I saw Muse on a side stage in the gravel parking lot at Cure Fest.” — Ben B.
