Smith's Olde Bar — music venue
Founded by Dan Nolen and Mike Reeves, Smith's Olde Bar opened its doors in 1994 and has continued to be one of Atlanta's most historic music venues, having hosted some of the most prominent names in music today including David Bowie, Train, Tom Morello of Rage Against The Machine, Bush, Band of Horses, Janelle Monae, Kings of Leon, John Mayer, B.o.B, Collective Soul, Kings X, The Wallflowers, Moe, Zac Brown Band, Butch Walker, Fishbone, Corey Smith, Jennifer Nettles, Lady A, Jason Isbell, Old Dominion, Chris Stapleton, The Revivalists, Luke Combs, and many more. The catalyst behind Smith's Olde Bar, Mr. Dan R. Nolen, simply fell into the bar and music business with his intoxicating personality alone. Throughout their careers Mr. Nolen and Mr. Reeves have worked with some brilliant music artists you may have heard of: Charlie Daniels, Wet Willie, Dixie Dreggs, James Brown, Gregg Allman, Hank Williams, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Widespread Panic, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Irving Azoff and more. "...Those close encounters have continued on throughout my whole career with not only great artists and songwriters but brilliant men." According to Mr. Nolen, when they found the location for Smith's Olde Bar, it was "a sitting duck," just waiting for the right opportunity. Mr. Nolen and Mr. Reeves were drawn not only to its history as the first strip mall in Atlanta built in 1927 but to the excitement of the current owner, Mrs. Beverly Taylor, as she was ecstatic to place SOB in the building her father built. Prior to opening the doors in 1994, there was still the nagging issue of the name and logo. After much pondering and many designs being vetoed, Dan and his partner, Mike Reeves, finally agreed to a design that embodied these two men perfectly... the derby, the cigar, the glasses, and the cunning grin became known as the infamous "Smitty". Down the road, the partners faced a much bigger battle than the naming of "Smitty". Smith's Olde Bar was being threatened to close. After the passing of the beloved Mrs. Beverly Taylor, the building that housed Smith's was being sold, and Mr. Nolen was being told with a fury to vacate. With rumors circulating about the demise of Smith's Olde Bar, Mr. Nolen put up a brilliant legal fight with the help of his core staff including original Talent Buyer, Sean McPherson, and original Assistant Talent Buyer, Brittany Burdett. Once the dust had settled, Mr. Steve Selig purchased the building and decided that Smith's needed to stay right where it was. With our new partner, Charlie Hendon of Hendon Properties, Smith's Olde Bar continues to thrive.
Address: 1578 Piedmont Avenue Northeast, Atlanta, Georgia 30324, United States
Phone: +1 (404) 875-1522