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“See the Music”
Gail Christofferson’s commissioned artwork in the Nashville Airport immediately conveys the beauty and importance of music in this southern city.
(27May2015 – iPhone6)
Nashville wears its love of music – especially country music – on its sleeve.
The moment you arrive at the International Airport, you know you are in country-music country, with exhibits and installations tipping their Stetsons to local stars and luminaries: mostly from the country music scene. Turn on the rental-car radio, and the the pre-sets will mostly be country stations. Take to the streets, and you’ll see more boots and hats than you can count. And you’ll see guitars – lots and lots of guitars.
Even the local architecture contributes to the music theme: the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum is shaped like a giant keyboard!
But, there is more to the city than country music – or even music in general. True, the downtown area is replete with music bars and music venues of all sizes – some with historical significance – and there are numerous museums to the artists and the art form itself. But, every time I’ve been in the city, the Bridgestone Arena has been at full capacity, hosting a football game or some other sporting event. The city is the state capital, and the Tennessee State Legislature is an integral part of the downtown, along with the expanses of green parks, and historical tributes that form a long corridor through the city.
The most surprisingly anomalous building (in my mind) is the Parthenon in Centennial Park: a full-scale replica of the Athenian original, built in 1897 as part of the Tennessee Centennial Exposition and a tribute to the city’s nickname at the time: the “Athens of the South”.
One of the things I love most about Nashville is its apparent lack of pretensions – the Parthenon aside! I’ve never watched the eponymous TV show, so I don’t know the “true story” of the city and the music business – my perceptions could be all wrong. But, on every visit I have made to the city, I’ve felt completely comfortable walking around the sights and wandering in and out of venues. Every-second bar and eatery has a performer playing; many of these bars and taverns are simple places with wooden floors and wooden benches. The music starts early and runs late: if you don’t care for a performer, just walk up the road to the next venue!
On my first visit to the city, many years ago, my husband and I had wandered into a real “country” performance: a female singer with big-blond hair and a sparkly belt on her low-slung jeans was singing the standards – releasing one hand from the mike to hoist her jeans at regular intervals. As she introduced a song, my husband and I looked at each other: we had been away from “the South” too long, and had not understood a single word she had said! We had to back-channel through the run-on sentence and parse it into words – a challenge made easier once she started singing and we could identify the original artist. “Ayye’ve binaysked tesingsuum lerredaliyn.” Loretta Lynn it was. When we had had our fill of the angst and heartbreak, we moved up the road, where the accents represented a completely different segment of the South’s people, and a small band of brothers was laying down some solid blues.
That’s Nashville!
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Into Nashville
The city’s downtown is compact, making it easy to get around. At the left of the skyline is the 33-story AT&T Building completed in 1994. It is nicknamed the “Batman Building” – for obvious reasons.
(11May2016 – iPhone6)
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Guitars are Everywhere!
The Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum pays tribute to all genres of music, and includes many instruments played on original recordings.
(12May2016 – iPhone6)
“Birth of Bluegrass”
Important buildings that have had a role at seminal moments in music history are dotted around the city and marked with informative signposting.
(12May2016 – iPhone6)
Twisted Sister Metal Sculpture
Quirky artworks are a constant fun surprise around the city.
Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge
Originally known as Mom’s, Tootsie’s was renamed after it was was accidentally painted purple – I have no idea how you can “accidentally” paint a building!
(12May2016 – iPhone6)
Inside Tootsie’s
It is dark inside the most famous honky tonk in downtown Nashville, but the three stages – decorated with photos and memorabilia from countless performers who have played there – are filled with great sounds and good vibes.
Nashville Street Scene
The upper level at Tootsie’s has an outdoor area that gives great views over the street life on Broadway.
Broadway Boot Company
As well as numerous bars (most listed on Google as “unpretentious”), Broadway is home to a number of leather-boot shops, …
♫ These Boots ♫
… selling boots in all manner of styles and colours; yes – I did find the perfect pair!
(12May2016 – iPhone6)
The GooGoo Shop and Desert Bar
Nashville is also home to the GooGoo Cluster: …
Making GooGoos
… a wonderful concoction of chocolate, peanuts and caramel.
Johnny Cash Museum Guide
Across the road from our GooGoo break, we wait for our turn into the Johnny Cash Museum.
Johnny Cash Records
I’m not a particular fan of the singer-songwriter, guitarist, actor, and author Cash, but I was impressed by what I learned in the small, but well laid out museum. He was/is one of the best-selling music artists of all time in all musical formats. (iPhone6)
Riverfront Station
A Hop-on Hop-off Trolley Tour is a good way of covering more ground and seeing more city sites.
Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
Tennessee State Capitol from under the James Robertson Parkway
The State Capitol building sits on a small hill; the rain keeps everything green.
(12May2015 – iPhone6)
Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park
The 19 acre park that runs several blocks towards the State Capital includes a number of tributes to elements of Tennessee history, …
World War II Memorial
… including a rather beautiful remembrance of World War II, and America’s role in it.
Hop On Hop Off Trolley
The Parthenon
The scale model of the Parthenon is the central feature of Centennial Park.
Fun at the Parthenon
The building – which houses exhibits – was closed the day we were there, so visitors made do with posing outside.
Couple at the John W Thomas Statue
It is a beautiful day – which is lovely, as it rained on our last visit – and people are enjoying the sunshine.
The John W Thomas Statue
Thomas was a local businessman and the president of the Tennessee Centennial and International Exposition in 1897.
Confederate Soldier’s Monument
Guitars on the Lawn
Outside the central downtown, our trolley takes us past various recording studios …
Musica
… and past the joyful bronze sculpture in the Music Row Roundabout. Musica, by Alan LeQuire, represents the physical expression of music.
The Musica statue has not been without controversy: it was privately and anonymously funded, but still raised the ire of some who objected to the nudity.
I see it as joyful and exuberant.
But, that is Nashville: elements you may not care for or agree with, but with an unpretentious “homespun” charm, and honest musical joy.
I always leave humming.
To the Music!
Photos: 16May2016
