But, but but… It’s “Music City”. Live music is everywhere and you make no mention of it. We were there for three days and I’ll bet we saw 20 different bands/singers. Including shows at the Ryman and the Bluebird Cafe. If you haven’t taken the self-guided tour of the Ryman, do so - it’s where The Grand Ole Opry began.
The Opry didn’t begin in the Ryman (although it spent many years there). According to Wikipedia and our tour guide, it started as the WSM Barn Dance in the new fifth-floor radio studio of the National Life & Accident Insurance Company in downtown Nashville on November 28, 1925. Before the Ryman, at least according to our tour guide, it spent stints in two neighborhood locations, including one that is today an art house movie theater. He told us the show was attracting too many “rowdy hillbillies” for the neighbors to endure. Ryman finally got things under control.
Thanks, and point taken, but that’s the subject for the next post! We joined the throngs for the free music at Blake Shelton’s Ole Reds, Roberts Western World, Tootsie’s, and Alan Jackson’s bar — recommended to us as the best of the rest. Yesterday, we spent a delightful afternoon getting up close and personal with four aspiring songwriters/country singers at the Listening Room, one of several such showcase venues here. For $10 a ticket, its small, intimate setting provided us with a better experience than did anything along the Honky Tonk Highway. We’re headed to the Opry tonight.
But, but but… It’s “Music City”. Live music is everywhere and you make no mention of it. We were there for three days and I’ll bet we saw 20 different bands/singers. Including shows at the Ryman and the Bluebird Cafe. If you haven’t taken the self-guided tour of the Ryman, do so - it’s where The Grand Ole Opry began.
The Opry didn’t begin in the Ryman (although it spent many years there). According to Wikipedia and our tour guide, it started as the WSM Barn Dance in the new fifth-floor radio studio of the National Life & Accident Insurance Company in downtown Nashville on November 28, 1925. Before the Ryman, at least according to our tour guide, it spent stints in two neighborhood locations, including one that is today an art house movie theater. He told us the show was attracting too many “rowdy hillbillies” for the neighbors to endure. Ryman finally got things under control.
Thanks, and point taken, but that’s the subject for the next post! We joined the throngs for the free music at Blake Shelton’s Ole Reds, Roberts Western World, Tootsie’s, and Alan Jackson’s bar — recommended to us as the best of the rest. Yesterday, we spent a delightful afternoon getting up close and personal with four aspiring songwriters/country singers at the Listening Room, one of several such showcase venues here. For $10 a ticket, its small, intimate setting provided us with a better experience than did anything along the Honky Tonk Highway. We’re headed to the Opry tonight.
Been to Nashville? Have any recommendations to share? Please do!
Very enjoyable read. Thanks to your adherence to "News You Can Use", I have the town on my Google Maps "Want to go" list.