Wow, I’ve been to a lot of places in my life, but I haven’t been anywhere quite like Nashville, where bar after bar after bar (after bar after bar…) has some of the most incredible music acts in the world performing country and rock and folk and probably many more genres, but a man can only go into so many bars in one weekend, especially with a 7-months pregnant-with-twins sister.
As someone who a decade ago thought he actually had a shot at making it in the music industry, I had to laugh while watching performers like Kyndal Inskeep, who apparently was on The Voice last season, randomly playing in low-key a singer songwriter’s series at a chill bar on Printer’s Alley.
I mean, literally every bar had a band and every act would have been the pride of any small town in the country. Yet in Nashville, just walk a couple doors down and you have another band blowing the crowd away with an Aretha Franklin song…
Or with a soulful ballad from a country artist I had never heard of but suddenly had the urge to fly across the country to go see…
Or with a Kid Rock song that somehow actually sounded good!
What a place to live if you’re a music fan! But with so many amazing musicians in one place, there’s also an obvious downside: increased supply and competition. Our Uber driver to the airport, J.T. Lewis, let us know that he is an aspiring country singer (of course) and rarely plays in downtown Nashville anymore since bars only pay $50 per musician per show (plus tips), because bars know there’s always someone else dying to play if you turn down the gig. And how the heck are you supposed to break through in a town where everyone is radio-worthy? Instead, J.T. travels to college campuses every week where the pay is a lot more and it’s easier to build a fan base.
So yeah, Music City isn’t perfect, but for a weekend babymoon with my sister, I couldn’t have picked a better spot. Thanks for coming along and watching me drink, Christina!
