The History
Opened in 1982 as a casual gourmet restaurant with some live music, the Bluebird Cafe has become a music club first and a restaurant second. In 1985 Sunday writer's nights were added as a chance for new writers to audition and perform before a special guest writer. This became an immediate success. In 1987 dinner shows were added. The concept was to have the audience come earlier than 9:30, eat dinner and watch some lesser known musicians play. Although it took a while for the idea to catch on, these shows have also become very popular. The Bluebird has been featured in many newspapers, on TV, and is also the setting for the movie "The Thing Called Love," starring River Phoenix, K.T. Oslin, Samantha Mathis & Sandra Bullock. Our founder/owner, Amy Kurland, is quoted several times by Oslin's character. Kathy Mattea was the first star to be identified with The Bluebird, she is still a friend and a regular guest today. Garth Brooks played on our Open Mic and Sunday Songwriters Shows before he was discovered. You may be able to see some of our shows on the web. We take shows to other venues around the world including festivals in the Southeast and Robert Redford's Sundance Resort.
Amy Kurland's Dozen Memorable Events at the Bluebird Cafe