I was overwhelmed by Nashville. Shiny new buildings mixed with old stone buildings decorated with neon lights. Looking down Broadway there are bars, a coliseum, bars with bands, a cathedral, curio shops, bars, record shops, a Hard Rock Cafe, bars, Ice Cream shoppes, bars, the Glen Campbell Museum, bars, Hat Shops, bars, The Country Music Hall of Fame including the Walk of Fame, and bars.
The number of Big Names who have opened bars reads like a Who’s Who for modern country music. Dierks Bentley, Jason Aldean, Blake Sheldon, Kid Rock, Jimmy Buffet, Luke Bryant, Johnny Cash, Florida Georgia Line and Alan Jackson (those are the ones I saw, there may be more).
We stood outside Jack’s BBQ on Broadway, after eating some fabulous food, and we could hear 4 different bands playing music. Loud. Right there! They were all full bands including drums. One was on a rooftop bar (there are many rooftops used for bands and bars and viewing stations to watch the crowds below) and the other bands heard were inside different bars with the window/doors open, allowing people on the street to hear them. We saw a limited version of this in Austin. It was crazy here. There were perhaps 2 different bars on a block. Here there are 5 on most blocks on each side of the street. Here you could not hear anything but noise. That is saying a lot after all the rock shows I’ve seen.
I heard an Irish woman singing and playing the guitar, an all-girl band doing shots at 6pm, a man singing Landslide, a leather-clad man singing Bryan Adams, a band paying Stevie Wonder, entertainers playing music and musicians trying to entertain.
There were food trucks and mobile marijuana sales (Edibles, buds, 2 pre-rolled joints $20), boot stores (buy 1 pair, get 2 free).
And the homelessness. Signs from ANYTHING HELPS and GOD BLESS YOU to HELP SUPPORT MY CATS (he had 3 cats) and my favorite I WILL KIDNAP YOUR BOSS $5 AND WHOOP HIS ASS.
There is no doubt COVID has left a mark here in Nashville, a town built around live music and tourism. Perhaps that is why I was so overwhelmed: there were more people walking the street than I have seen for over a year, and the residents are scrambling to keep up. Gratitude, desperation, fear and busyness were everywhere.
Like I said, I was overwhelmed. Maybe I will return. During the day. During the week. We shall see.
