Jimmy Buffett Auditioned Before Exit/In Was Finished

Before Exit/In had its long concert history, it had an unfinished stage and an unexpected audition. In his account of the Nashville venue’s beginnings, Jimmy Buffett recalled walking in during construction in 1971 and asking whether the founders were hearing performers.

The saws and drills stopped. Buffett sat down and played several songs. Exit/In’s own history identifies that visit as part of the room’s beginning, while Buffett later described how it led to his playing the opening.

It is a small scene with a lasting consequence: a musician looking for work and a venue still being assembled. The story places Buffett inside Exit/In before the room had an audience, helping turn a building project into a place where people would come to listen.

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Sources: exitin.com; buffettworld.com.