Our BLUEBIRD @ the UNITED concert series in partnership with the renowned Bluebird Cafe features three legendary songwriters and performers of Nashville taking center stage to share their music and the compelling stories that inspired their songwriting journey. November’s concert features Victoria Banks, Phil Barton, and Emily Shackelton.
Doors: 7:00pm - Show: 8:00pm - all ages
Tickets: $52 to $62
Victoria Banks, labeled “one of the best songwriters in the business” by Nashville’s MusicRow magazine, has won ASCAP, SOCAN, and Covenant awards, has been nominated for 11 Canadian Country Music (CCMA) Awards and was named both Female Artist and Songwriter of the Year in 2010. She wrote Sara Evans’ hit “Saints & Angels”, Reba McEntire’s 2024 single “I Can’t” (premiered on NBC’s The Voice and the ACM Awards), Jessica Simpson’s Billboard record-breaking country debut “Come on Over”, 2 songs on Sister Sadie's 2025 Grammy-nominated bluegrass album No Fear, and numerous cuts on Mickey Guyton’s 2022 Grammy-nominated country album Remember Her Name (including “What Are You Gonna Tell Her”, which became the subject of a Country Music Hall of Fame exhibit on diversification of the genre when it made history with Guyton’s performance on the 2020 ACM Awards). She has had cuts by over 100 artists including Carly Pearce, Lauren Alaina, Terri Clark, and Isaac Slade of the band The Fray, plus screen placements including Breakthrough, Nashville, American Idol, and Dancing with The Stars. Victoria has released 4 self-produced albums, toured with artists from Reba to Wynonna, appeared on NBC’s Songland, and partnered with the Bluebird Cafe to perform alongside the Nashville Ballet in a choreographed set of her songs called City of Dreams. She shares unreleased songs and stories via her newsletter at www.victoriabanks.net.
Phil Barton is an Australian-born, Nashville-based songwriter known for crafting heartfelt hits across multiple genres. He broke into the Country Music scene with the Number 1 smash “A Woman Like You” by Lee Brice - a massive hit that earned him Music Row’s Breakthrough Songwriter of the Year award and an NSAI “Ten Songs I Wish I’d Written” award, and has since gone three times Platinum. Barton went on to build an impressive catalog with cuts by Sara Evans, Gabby Barrett, Dustin Lynch, Eli Young Band, Priscilla Block, Max McNown, Matt Stell, LOCASH, Alison Krauss, Chis Janson, Ashley McBryde, David Nail, and many more. His song “Cowboy’s Duty” was featured in the 3 time Oscar-nominated Sicario. Internationally, he has landed multiple Number 1 and Top 10 singles in Canada with artists like Tim Hicks, High Valley, Brett Kissell, Gord Bamford, The Washboard Union, and Meghan Patrick, while also earning multiple Number 1’s in Australia with artists like Kaylee Bell, Lee Kernaghan, Busby Marou, The Wolfe Brothers, among others. Barton has over 900 songs released throughout the world in the Country, Pop and Children’s music genres.
Emily Shackelton is a singer/songwriter hailing from Biwabik, Minnesota. She celebrated her first Number 1 with Carly Pearce's breakout single "Every Little Thing” in 2018, and recently celebrated her second Number 1 with Pearce's hit song "What He Didn't Do". Both songs won coveted NSAI “Ten Songs I Wish I’d Written” awards. Emily was awarded “Breakout Songwriter of the Year 2018” by Music Row Magazine. Her writing catalog also includes singles and cuts by Reba McEntire, Joe Nichols, Runaway June, Sara Evans, Jana Kramer, David Cook, Lauren Alaina, Chrissy Metz, Joy Williams and more, as well as tv shows like Nashville, American Idol, and Dancing With the Stars. She recently made her television debut performing and presenting alongside Carly Pearce on the ACM Honors Awards, streaming now on Hulu.
ABOUT THE BLUEBIRD CAFE
Nashville’s Bluebird Cafe is a small but mighty venue where up-and-coming songwriters and artists build their careers and rise to fame. Over the past 43 years, the tiny room has evolved into one of the most significant music venues in the world where all songwriters are welcomed and supported, from novice to established hit-makers. Artists such as Kathy Mattea, Garth Brooks, Faith Hill and Taylor Swift have had career moments along with countless hit songwriters whose music is represented on a wide range of charts.
A typical show at The Bluebird Cafe in Nashville features 3 or 4 songwriters performing “in the round,” a format made famous at the club where the performers take turns playing their original music, sharing the stories behind their songs, accompanying each other instrumentally, and vocally. The venue’s “SHHHH” policy establishes it as a listening room where audience members are encouraged to pay attention to the song itself – and since it accommodates only 86 people per show, the demand is high, and tickets sell out in Minutes.
Over 80,000 people visit the venue annually; many of them as a result of seeing The Bluebird Cafe on television, in news pieces, The Foo Fighters’ documentary, Sonic Highways, the feature film, The Thing Called Love, or on the ABC hit drama, Nashville. The Bluebird Cafe has been featured in publications such as Southwest Spirit, National Geographic Traveler, The New York Times and Rolling Stone magazine where the club was voted one of the Top 10 Best Clubs in America. The venue’s history was featured in the 2019 documentary, BLUEBIRD, available on streaming channels including iTunes and Amazon. For more information bluebirdcafe.com.