A few years ago, I started noticing a trend in the rock community. It seemed every month or so, another rock idol was picking up and moving to Nashville. The first that I can recall was Jack White when he opened the incredible Third Man Records, followed by members of Aerosmith, Motley Crue, and soon it became a noticeable trend. Obviously, I was intrigued and had to check it out. I wasn’t sure what to expect but growing up the son of a cattleman I was inundated with country music growing up and I even learned to love the music and the folklore surrounding legendary musicians from this genre. I wasn’t, however, a huge fan of contemporary country music, so there was a level of trepidation on visiting the city.
I was blown away.
The city has an energy surrounding live music like few others. Many of the establishments on the Broadway strip had a different band on every floor – it was everywhere. My kind of city. I was also pleasantly surprised to find most bands avoiding the contemporary stuff and really focussing on the material I heard blasting from my parents’ old cabinet style turntable, mixing in some heartland style rock and roll such as Lynyrd Skynyrd, Steve Earl, Bob Seger and Springsteen.
As always, I made a pilgrimage to some of the legendary venues. The Ryman Auditorium (Grand Ole Opry) was every bit the cathedral of music I thought it would be. The tour and accompanying media presentation was astonishing and did an exemplary job in explaining the pivotal role this historic landmark had on music of all genres.
The strip itself unveiled some, but definitely not all, its secrets over the next few days. Stumbling into an innocuous store would often lead to a discovery that, at some point, the joint was once a venue that housed the biggest stars of country music. Others like Tootsies Orchid Lounge are not so innocuous as they have grown to be pillars of the Nashville tourist destinations. This legendary club would often welcome performers from the neighbouring Ryman Auditorium through the backdoor to have drinks between sets. The rich history, coupled with a different band on every level, make it a destination every music lover should add to their list.
