The Bluebird Cafe and Alive Hospice Announce Year-Long Streaming Series Plus a New Partnership with Nashville’s Green Door Gourmet Will Help Raise Funds for Hospice Patients
Annual Tradition Updated for COVID-safety with Streaming Concerts Via StageIt and Outdoor Venues
Nashville, TN (December 21, 2020) – For the past 28 years, in January, The Bluebird Cafe and a host of songwriters, have helped raise funds for Alive Hospice. Revenue from a month’s worth of shows, donated by the songwriters performing, has provided a significant portion of the nonprofit hospice’s annual budget over the years.
Alive at The Bluebird’s 2021 lineup features new and returning performers not limited to:
- 7-Jan: Gary Burr, Georgia Middleman, Jim Photoglo
- 14-Jan: Marc Beeson, Lucie Silvas & friends
- 21-Jan: Erin Enderlin, Kendell Marvel, Waylon Payne
- 28-Jan: JT Harding & friends
- 4-Feb: Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne & friends
COVID-19 has forced the longtime friends and partners to reimagine how this fundraiser can go forward with the tiny venue’s continued closure and lack of opportunity for social distancing. Their solution is to channel their creativity in new directions that include livestreaming from the cafe via StageIt’s platform plus a new partnership with Green Door Gourmet to ensure that the show will go on.
“Over the past 28 years, Alive at The Bluebird has become a joyful reunion where old friends reconnect, and new members of the community are welcomed into the circle. This year’s event will embody that same spirit,” said Kimberly Goessele, Alive’s President/CEO.
“This year forced all of us to think more about what really matters and find creative ways to sustain our work. When it came time to start planning Alive at The Bluebird, we knew we couldn’t let uncertainty overshadow a beautiful tradition that means so much to our community,” said Erika Wollam Nichols, President/GM of the Bluebird Cafe.
New Partners
In seeking COVID-safe spaces to expand the series throughout the year, Goessele turned to friend and farmer, Sylvia Ganier, co-founder and President of Green Door Gourmet.
Green Door Gourmet will partner with Alive for a series of fundraisers at their 350-acre farm including concerts and invitation-only tastings. The local, family business is finding new ways to connect to the community as an outdoor venue, and the partnership with Alive is part of this initiative.
“Connection is desperately needed right now, and so is the support Alive provides to local families at the end of a life. Green Door Gourmet is proud to be able to help,” said Sylvia Ganier.
Alive at the Bluebird Details
This year’s Alive at The Bluebird series will consist of fifteen live streamed shows from The Bluebird over the course of the year. Shows will stream every Thursday at 7:30 PM Central in January (January 7, 14, 21, and 28) and the first Thursday of each month thereafter. Starting in February, The Bluebird will continue to donate proceeds from one show per month to Alive. Follow Alive and The Bluebird Cafe to learn about performers as they are announced.
Tickets
In keeping with The Bluebird’s tradition of providing an affordable and intimate space to interact with the songwriters, tickets will cost $20 and attendance will be limited. Audience members will be able to send applause, donations, requests, and messages to the performers via SategeIt’s live chat feature.
Visit www.stageit.com/signup to create your account now. It takes about a minute and will allow you to purchase tickets to any of StageIt’s shows.
Tickets can be purchased at stageit/BluebirdTN once an account is created.
This year’s Presenting Sponsors are Buffkin/Baker and Galante Entertainment.
Alive at The Bluebird Souvenirs
Each year, a local artist creates the designs for our souvenir merchandise. This year’s collection is based on a carved wooden heart created by Bluebird employee Karleen Watt. Alivehospice.org/shop.
Alive at the Bluebird T-shirt $20
Alive at the Bluebird Wine Glass – $15.00
Alive at the Bluebird Trucker Hat – $25
Alive at the Bluebird Poster – $5.00
About Alive
Alive is the only nonprofit provider of hospice care and end-of-life services in Middle Tennessee. Its mission is to provide loving care for people with life-threatening illnesses, support to their families, and service to the community in a spirit of enriching lives. This includes in-home and in-patient hospice care, grief support, advance care planning, outreach, support to underserved communities, education, financial assistance, a comprehensive volunteer program, and professional training through the Alive Institute. A pioneer in the “good death” movement, Alive established the third hospice in the nation in 1975. Today, it remains true to its roots as an innovator and leader, helping individuals Adapt to Life Limiting Illnesses Very Effectively (ALIVE). To learn more or volunteer, visit AliveHospice.org or call 615-327-1085.
About The Bluebird Cafe
Amy Kurland opened the small but influential 90-seat Bluebird Cafe in a nondescript strip center just south of downtown Nashville in June of 1982. She added a stage as an afterthought, and live music became a staple of the eatery. Offering the club as an outlet for songwriters and aspiring artists to perform encouraged regular performers Thom Schuyler, Don Schlitz and J. Fred Knobloch to pioneer the idea of presenting songwriters “in the round,” where writers set their chairs in the center of the room to play their original material, telling the stories and inspirations for their songs. Both Garth Brooks and Taylor Swift were signed after performing in the Bluebird Cafe. Numerous aspiring artists and songwriters have been discovered and countless songs were first heard by artists, A&R execs, producers and others in the small venue. In 2008, Kurland sold the legendary venue to the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI). More of a donation than a corporate sale, Kurland saw NSAI’s mission to “educate, elevate and celebrate songwriters” as a way to continue the Bluebird’s relationship to songwriters and to the community. The venue was a featured character in the hit television show, “Nashville,” adding to its list of fans. Outside of its home base, The Bluebird Cafe continues a host of events that bear the iconic name. Bluebird on the Mountain – a sold-out concert series at Vanderbilt’s Dyer Observatory in Nashville, the Bluebird Cafe at London’s Country2Country Festival, Bluebird at Blackberry Farm, Bluebird at the Ballet, and the 16th anniversary of the Bluebird Cafe Concert Series at Utah’s Sundance Resort. For more information www.bluebirdcafe.com.
About Green Door Gourmet
Green Door Gourmet is a heritage family 350 acre farm located in Nashville which provides the Middle Tennessee community access to locally grown vegetables, fruit herbs and flowers as well as educational and agritourism experiences. By using organic methods and regenerative agriculture practices, Green Door focuses on sustainability and accessibility for its operations, featuring a CSA program, culinary demonstrations and U-Pick opportunities. A specialty On-Farm market offers fresh Green Door Grown products and also works with the very best local and regional purveyors to offer a full range of farm products. Farm education programs reach thousands of students of all ages yearly by focusing on understanding where food comes from, food waste prevention and a healthier lifestyle by incorporating fresh food choices. Find out more at www.greendoorgourmet.com
About StageIt™
StageIt is the premier ticketed livestreaming platform and community. Founded in 2009 for artists, by artists, StageIt is on a mission to enable live intimate experiences, providing a stage for every creator and a front row seat for every fan. As an early industry leader StageIt offers a platform for artists to perform live, interact with fans and monetize shows, while creating unique experiences for fans that are never archived. www.stageit.com
MEDIA CONTACT:
Erika Wollam Nichols, President/GM of The Bluebird Cafe
615-306-6377
[email protected]
Liz Haas, Alive’s Director of Communications and Marketing
615-613-1720
[email protected]
