Tennessee Arts & Music

Tennessee is rich in cultural arts and music. Nashville is nicknamed Music City, U.S.A. and is considered to be the country music capital of the world. Memphis is home to Beale Street and blues greats like B.B. King.

Come explore all the music and arts that Tennessee has to offer!

Nashville

The status of Nashville as country music's capital city dates back to the Twenties and the arrival of thousands of migrants fleeing rural poverty. The music they brought with them, rooted in the folk songs of Tennessee's first Irish and British settlers, soon mutated in the urban environment into something new, incorporating elements of Tin Pan Alley musicals, religious hymns and the songs of ex-slaves.

Though Nashville's country scene is both conspicuous and accessible, submerging yourself in it takes time and quite a lot of money; prices are set at what the industry knows enthusiastic fans will pay.

Downtown at 116 Fifth Ave, you can take a self-guided tour of the Ryman Auditorium (daily 8.30am-4pm; $6; tel 615/254-1445), the former home of The Grand Ole Opry. With its wooden church pews and glass cases filled with flowered frocks and bootlace ties belonging to the stars, it's certainly an evocative place to visit - it also presents live performances in the evening. Around the corner, among the Broadway honky-tonks, Hatch Show Print at no. 316 (Mon-Fri 9.30am-5.30, Sat 10.30am-5.30pm, hours vary on Sun; tel 615/256-2805) has been in business since 1879. It still prints and sells evocative posters from the early days of country and rock'n'roll, using the original blocks, along with probably the best postcards in the USA. Flamboyant leather and sequined garments are sold in Dangerous Threads , at the foot of Second Avenue nearby at no. 105, but to see some really outlandish stage costumes, visit Manuel's Exclusive Clothing up toward Music Row at 1922 Broadway.

Blue route trolleys run along Broadway to the Country Music Hall of Fame , at 222 Fifth Ave S (daily 9am-5pm; $10.75). This is packed with costumes, guitars and personal possessions of the stars, including Boxcar Willie's hobo hat, Gram Parsons' acoustic guitar and Elvis's gold Cadillac, whose forty coats of paint contain crushed diamonds and fish scales. Film and TV clips abound to help to clarify the arcane distinctions between bluegrass, cowboy, rockabilly, honky-tonk, Cajun and western swing.

Music Row is the heart of Nashville's recording industry, with companies like Warner Bros., Mercury and Sony operating out of plush office blocks. Almost adjacent are the garish souvenir shops on Demonbreun Street, and several tacky "museums."

With the exception of the Grand Ole Opry itself, Opryland , the area nine miles northeast of downtown on Briley Parkway, just off the I-40 E loop, isn't all that country. The old theme park has been ripped down and replaced by Opry Mills , a giant series of malls filled with flagship stores, restaurants and cinemas. Also leaving from here are paddlesteamer trips on the beautifully restored General Jackson Showboat ($25-65; tel 615/871-6100). You can ride a bus #34X to nearby Music Valley , opposite the Opryland hotel, which boasts the popular Nashville Palace , along with a museum dedicated to Willie Nelson and others, that showcases wax dummies and surplus cars of the stars. A factory outlet mall, various stores and movie theaters all compete to snatch the tourist dollar.

Of all Nashville's country music venues, the main ones to avoid are the ersatz clubs along the much-hyped and tacky downtown Printers Alley . The honky-tonks on Broadway, between Second and Fourth avenues, are more genuine and down-to-earth, though steer clear if you're on your own. Dine-and-dance places like the Nashville Palace offer good-quality mainstream country music (and more crowds), while up-and-coming progressive country bands play smaller venues like the Bluebird Café . Every June, the Fan Fair is a week-long series of concerts and opportunities to meet the stars (tel 615/770-2040, ). Every Thursday evening in summer, the free Dancin' in the District event in Riverfront Park features talent from various genres.

For listings of upcoming gigs and events, check the free weekly Nashville Scene , Thursday's Nashville Banner , or Friday's and Saturday's Tennessean . If you're looking for music other than country, Second Avenue is a popular downtown hangout for both locals and tourists, offering everything from bluegrass to funk and punk, and various interesting venues can be found around Vanderbilt's campus.

Nashville's prime venue for theater, dance and classical music is the Tennessee Performing Arts Center at 505 Deaderick St (tel 615/726-3372). Its symphony orchestra also puts on concerts in Centennial Park , at West End and 25th avenues by Vanderbilt University, from June to August.

Bluebird Café 4104 Hillsboro Rd tel 615/383-1461. Intimate café, six miles west of downtown, which has become the place to see the latest honky-tonk and country artists. Early evening entertainment is free, but a cover of $7-15 is charged for the second show. Reservations recommended.

Bourbon Street Blues & Boogie Bar 220 Printers Alley tel 615/242-5837. Consistently good blues in the otherwise awful downtown Printers Alley.

Ernest Tubb's Record Store Midnight Jamboree Texas Troubadour Theatre, 2414 Music Valley Drive tel 615/889-2474. A live radio show, recorded every Sat from midnight to 1am, next to Tubb's store, in a purpose-built theater that puts out musical and other productions most evenings. Features genuinely promising newcomers as well as major Opry stars.

Exit/In 2208 Elliston Place tel 615/321-4400. Very popular venue for rock, reggae and country, with the occasional big name; serves beer and pizza. Tues-Sat until late; $5-20 cover after 9pm.

Nashville Palace 2400 Music Valley Drive tel 615/885-1540. Resident country bands, and Oprey acts on summer Mon; good country food. Cover around $5.

Robert's Western World 416 Broadway tel 615/244-9552. The best of Broadway's country music by far, which also doubles up as a cowboy boot store.

Knoxville

Market Square District

Founded in 1854, the Market Square District is the site of the city's original city market area. The Square has been rejuvenated with new shops, restaurants and residences and frequently hosts outdoor concerts and other performances. On Thursday nights in the summer, Knoxville's celebrated free outdoor concert series, “Sundown in the City”, will return to Market Square in downtown Knoxville in the spring and summer months with live concerts!

Featured Link - Sundown In The City Concert Series

Baker Peters' Jazz Club

If you are in the mood for a more elegant evening then stop by Baker Peters' Jazz Club where jacket or tie is required. Housed in a historic mansion, this jazz club creates a stylish atmosphere for listening to some great music. Enjoy dinner before your music listening joy begins, take pleasure in options such as Angus beef or lobster. Compliment your meal by ordering a cigar from the extensive humidor and prepare for the show. Baker Peters' is truly an unforgettable experience from start to finish.

Featured Link - Baker Peters' Jass Club

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