Aerial's hard to get into, but worth the wait

A view out to Aerial's killer balcony. (Credit: Heather Byrd)

High above the countless honky-tonks on lower Broadway, a different kind of bar caters to Nashville’s hipster elite.

Thumping bass has replaced the familiar din of acoustic guitars. Wranglers and cowboy boots have given way to skinny jeans and deep v-neck tees. While it might seem out of place considering its tourist-friendly location, the hot new hang for the 20-something crowd is Max and Ben Goldberg’s rooftop party pad, Aerial.

The appeal of the place is simple. From a 2000-square-foot open-air patio, it offers a stunning view of downtown, especially the action on Broadway, with the Cumberland River on the horizon.

The vibe: Plush lounge furniture livens up the outdoor decor, arranged differently each week to create an entirely new experience. Add killer music to the mix — Mindub and Lunchbox are often manning the ones and twos. Factor in a lively crowd of beautiful people, including celebrities such as Jewel, Keith Urban and Nick Carter, and you’re guaranteed a fabulous party under the stars. 

Perhaps the bar’s biggest coup is helping to revive nightlife on Sundays, a notoriously slow night in Music City. The majority of radius10’s eclectic Tea Dance crowd migrates to Aerial between 10 and 11 p.m. for its weekly Sunday School gathering. Bartenders dress in saucy school uniforms and serve sinfully strong drinks to help even out the hangover from Saturday night.

Drinks: Drink prices are reasonable, though service can be painfully slow when the place is packed. (On one visit the wait for a cocktail was more than 20 minutes. What’s that about?) The friendly staff does its best to keep up with the demand, but despite the presence of a beer tub on the patio, the small bar fails to adequately accommodate a full house.

When to go: The other thing to keep in mind is that if you don’t show up before the club reaches its 300-person capacity, you might not make it to the roof at all. (Unless you know the bouncer, of course.) After wating in line for more than half an hour on a muggy night, my cranky group gave up and headed across the street to quench our thirst with the commoners at Robert’s.

Making admission to the club even more coveted is its limited business hours: Aerial is open to the public every Sunday, plus the third Friday of the month for a soiree they call Happy Valley, which features an electronic/techno vibe (as opposed to Sunday School’s top 40 and dance). For the remainder of the week the space is reserved for private events, and promoter Brent Young says there are currently no plans to expand the hours of operation.

Bottom line: Aerial is one of the hottest clubs in town for the see-and-be-seen crowd. The doors open around 9 p.m., so arrive early to enjoy the end of your weekend in style at one of Nashville’s most exclusive nightspots. 

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