Nashville: Broadway, Music, BBQ, and Cowboy Boots

 

 

Eileen and Hank have a beautiful home on a golf course, a lake view across the street, and plenty of bedrooms.  Her brother, Paul, his daughter, Tori, and myself had a marvelous weekend in Gallatin, just outside of Nashville. (Spoiler alert - this is not their house, but it's nearby)

 We are all from California and I asked what’s the difference with Southerners?  The term “Southern Hospitality” is appropriate as I learned driving into the neighborhood.  Strangers wave happily as you go by, though I think I would have gotten a different hand gesture if my car had New York license plates.

 Eileen recalls the day they moved in everyone from the neighborhood came by with food to introduce themselves. Every week is Happy Hour at someone’s house and they bring their favorite dishes.  People drop by unannounced and freely talk politics, as most have the same viewpoint.  If you disagree, you might take Abe Lincoln’s advice: “Better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak up and remove all doubt”.

 Eileen and Hank were invited to join their church “We’re Catholic” was met with a brief pause, “Well, that’s OK too”.  They have to drive a little way to find the only Catholic church in the area.

 

Labor Day weekend Nashville on Sunday was just like a Saturday. Coming up from the Cumberland River westward on a rise of land is Broadway, the heart and soul of Nashville. To say this is a party town is like saying Paris is a French village.

 

The cross streets to Broadway bring foot traffic and the venues warm you up for the main attraction. You get a sensory bedlam of crowds, lights and live music from open air storefronts as you poke your way through the throngs on Broadway. Your eyes see more bars and restaurants than the Las Vegas Strip, as crowded as Times Square, outdoes music of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and sports more cowboy boots than a Texas line dance.

 I became fascinated, almost to a fetish for cowboy boots on cowgirls; snapping pictures and maybe getting leery looks as a creepy guy.  I’m merely reporting “just the facts ma’am” for the loyal readers of my travels.

 

One woman approached me saying “I’m sorry we were blocking your picture”, to which I replied, “No, I wanted to get a picture of your boots.”  She said nothing then turned around to pose for me.  I’m not sure if her message was “Kiss my boots” or “Take your best shot”, but I clicked away and said “thank you” as her boots marched off
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Here’s the Ryman Auditorium with a sweeping view of some rooftop bars down Broadway. Imagine street level venues with live music and, then add 4 floors with live music all the way up to the rooftop.  How do they get so many musicians? Since Nashville is a music industry hub, many aspiring performers from the world over come here to get their start to stardom.

 

The Ryman took seven years to build and in 1892 began as the Union Gospel Tabernacle, with wooden pews and a small oratory stage. To pay its bills they had to rent it out for a variety of performances, such as Houdini, W.C. Fields, Will Rodgers, and Charlie Chaplin.  With many musical acts including John Phillips Sousa and Enrico Caruso; it became known as “The Carnegie Hall of the South”.

In 1925 a local broadcaster started the Grand Ole Opry radio program which became a national hit. As it grew, they moved to new locations to accommodate a larger studio audience, but in 1934 they were evicted from the War Memorial Auditorium because the rowdy crowds were tearing up the upholstery. The Ryman was a perfect fit because it still had the stark wooden pews.  For the next 31 years it was known as The Grand Ole Opry.

 

So, you’d like to move to Tennessee to avoid your local taxes?  There is no state tax and property taxes are reasonable, but you see the consequences as there is a poor public transportation system.  You can commute to work on the pedal bus / bar, or buy a car.  Where do they get their revenue? Drinks in Nashville come with a 25% sales tax – no tourist gets to vote on that.