The Honky Tonk Highway, the city’s main drag.Jake Matthews/Supplied
Making my way through a sea of pink cowboy hats and “howdy” T-shirts on the wild creatures of a bachelorette party, I find some quiet at Bobby’s Garage, a small graffiti-covered speakeasy in downtown Nashville. It was my first night exploring the city streets without a plan. I’d gotten my fill of live country music at the Tin Pan South Songwriters Festival – more than 250 songwriters performing for five days across 10 local venues – and I was looking for something different.
After all, rock and jazz history has been made here by the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Etta James, Joni Mitchell and Elvis Presley. To find the best jazz spot, I asked a local – a woman with spiky hair and a sparkly jacket chatting with the bartender – and took her advice, heading next door to the bustling Skulls Rainbow Room. Seconds later, in walked the same woman, right on stage to sing to a cheering crowd.
What may be a rare coincidence anywhere else is quite ordinary in a place known internationally as “Music City.” The city received the moniker in the 1800s when the Fisk Jubilee Singers from Nashville’s Fisk University (a school for freed slaves) performed around the world, including for Queen Victoria. This spirit was kept alive throughout the century, and with more than 180 live music venues in the city today, the title still applies.
Free live music can be heard everywhere in town, from the morning until well past midnight, at multifloor celebrity-owned establishments or the local Taco Bell on the Honky Tonk Highway, the city’s main drag. One block over in Printer’s Alley, you’ll discover blues, jazz and intimate prohibition-era bars, or you can join the show at Big Bang Dueling Piano to sing Shania Twain tunes back-to-back on stage and without judgment.
The city has a walkable, small-town feel but it is far from the sleepy place it was just 10 years ago. Visitors spent a record-breaking US$9-billion in 2022 and over 87 restaurants and 12 hotels have opened since that year.
Here’s how to get a taste of modern Nashville while still experiencing that famed southern charm.
A songwriters’ round is one experience you can’t miss.Wade Brothers/Supplied
Get an insider’s perspective: A songwriters’ round is one experience you can’t miss. Three to four songwriters share the stories behind their songs as they perform one by one “in the round,” harmonizing, riffing and showing camaraderie. This makes for an unscripted, one-of-a-kind, intimate experience. Performers play their No. 1 hits or songs that haven’t been released yet, and often bring surprise A-list guests on stage. The Bluebird Cafe, the famous 40-year-old venue where Taylor Swift and Garth Brooks were discovered, holds rounds Tuesday through Saturday nights (US$10.00). Closer to downtown, the Listening Room Cafe has two nightly ticketed shows, six days a week (US$5-$15).
The Bluebird Cafe.Grace Boto/Supplied
Go back in time: The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum (US$27.95) is where you’ll find iconic relics, such as the outfit Taylor Swift wore in the Red (Taylor’s Version) music video, Shania Twain’s famous pink suit from the 1999 CMA Awards and Elvis’s car. But you do not want to miss the highly immersive National Museum of African American Music (US$24.95), which opened in 2021. Here, you can venture through the history of gospel, soul, jazz and hip-hop, discover new music through an interactive listening library, learn dance moves, create your own songs and check out more than 2,500 treasures (such as Louis Armstrong’s trumpet).
The National Museum of African American Music.353Media Group/Supplied
Jam out in guitar town: The Gibson Garage is a guitar player’s wonderland, where country music stars such as Chris Stapleton often visit to make custom orders. While the flagship store transforms to a live music event venue after 6 p.m., during the day it’s free to visit, plug in and play their line of acoustic and electric guitars, or design your dream instrument from a block of wood. Add another stop at Carter Vintage Guitars to browse various brands of electric guitars, fiddles and mandolins from the past century.
The Gibson Garage main room and stage.Supplied
Need a place to stay?
The first thing guests notice in the lobby of downtown boutique hotel Bobby is a massive, intricate chandelier constructed solely of car parts. The eclectic, retro design throughout makes this a standout choice. The rooftop is one of the best in the city, offering great views, plenty of space and seating, a pool, free backyard-style performances, plus a 1956 Scenicruiser bus that’s retrofitted for late-night parties. bobbyhotel.com, rooms from US$240.
Rooftop lounge at Bobby Hotel.Supplied
Noelle originally opened in 1930 as the tallest building in the city, and the hotel is still blooming with creative offerings and events. The gorgeous art deco-style Trade Room lobby bar features performances from up-and-coming vocalists and musicians from Thursday through Saturday. All in one building, you can find a monthly art crawl, quarterly makers market, coffee shop, “hidden bar,” Makeready L&L restaurant, a rooftop bar and event spaces that accommodate up to 120 guests. noelle-nashville.com, rooms from US$240.
The Noelle is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.Supplied
Germantown Inn is the only hotel in Nashville’s oldest neighbourhood of the same name, an area just north of downtown and home to high-end restaurants such as Monell’s or Detroit-style pizza spot Emmy Squared Pizza, local breweries including Bearded Iris, and colourful stores such as Bits & Pieces Antique Boutique, not to mention the Nashville Farmers’ Market. This quaint 10-suite boutique hotel was renovated from an 1865 Federal-style home formerly belonging to a German shoemaker. With free parking, a rooftop terrace and a quirky presidential theme, the small space is perfect for couples and solo travellers, but not ideal for families. germantowninn.com, rooms from US$270.
Germantown Inn.Alyssa Rosenheck/Supplied
Three great places to eat
Church & Union.Supplied
Try southern specialties with a touch of fine dining at Church & Union, from two-time Top Chef contestant Jamie Lynch and chef Adam Hodgson. Instead of waiting in the long lunchtime line at the famous spicy chicken spot Hattie B’s, you can have a taste of the Nashville specialty here with the spicy chicken sandwich (US$17). Pair it with refreshing specialty cocktails such as the Parton Me, a mix of gin, Aperol, orgeat, orange zest and egg white. churchandunionnashville.com
Peg Leg Porker is just a short walk from high-end retail street 11th Avenue.Supplied
Peg Leg Porker is a short walk from high-end retail destination 11th Avenue in the Gulch neighbourhood. The award-winning, family-owned eatery was recently named the best barbecue in the state by Southern Living. Dry-rub ribs are smoked overnight with seasoning added just before serving, allowing for abundant flavour. Pair with delicious sides such as macaroni and cheese or potato salad made from scratch. peglegporker.com
Noko is located in the laidback and artsy East Nashville neighbourhood.ADDISON LEBOUTILLIER/Supplied
Visitors will find Noko in the laidback and artsy East Nashville neighbourhood. When it opened this spring, diners were welcomed with an Asian-inspired, wood-fired menu of shareable plates broken down by flavour profiles. You’ll find “fresh and bright” options such as salmon carpaccio or burrata, “rich and savoury” highlights such as Wagyu tartare, or “wood fired” tomahawk ribeye. The beverage menu includes adventurous cocktails, from the ube colada to the Wagyu-fat washed old fashioned made with Japanese whiskies. nokonashville.com
The writer was a guest of Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp. It did not review or approve the story before publication.