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Nightlife Music is the focus of Nashville’s nightlife, of course, with many of the city’s bars starting their music stints at 1000, when they open. Acts play throughout the day and into the night – sometimes two acts play simultaneously in different rooms at the same venue. Country music is not the only attraction, however, as Nashville also attracts rock, swing and jazz musicians too. Downtown is the hub, with many of the liveliest places along Broadway or nearby in Printer’s Alley. The legal drinking age in Tennessee is 21 years and bars are licensed until 0300. Beers cost, on average, US$2 or US$3 for imported beers and US4-5 for wine and spirits. A tip of 20% is expected at the bar and table. Dress code is ‘anything goes’ in the honky-tonks and ‘smart-casual’ elsewhere, although Nashville is always more casual than smart. The free, pocket-sized weekly listings magazine, The Rage (website: www.nashvillerage.com) and the more comprehensive free weekly paper, Nashville Scene (website: www.nashvillescene.com) provide information on nightlife venues and events. Listings information is also available online (website: http://nashville.citysearch.com). Bars: These are too numerous to mention them all, however, no one should miss Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge, 422 Broadway. Close to the stage door of Ryman Auditorium, musicians used to nip in here for a drink between shows and famous visitors have included Hank Williams, Willie Nelson and Kris Kristoffersen. Other nearby options with live bands include the Bluegrass Inn, 418 Broadway, where there would be no prizes for guessing that bluegrass is always playing, Wolfy’s, 425 Broadway, with a more club-like atmosphere and the hill-billy hang-out, Robert’s Western World, 416 Broadway, where the band BR5-49 launched their career. Well worth the cab ride across the river to East Nashville, is the up-and-coming dive bar, Slow Bar, 1024 Woodland St. Casinos: There are no casinos in the Nashville area. Clubs: Swing, salsa and disco, with live music, can be had at The Lava Lounge, 1719 West End Avenue. Blues music, a bar and good food is available at the ever-busy Bourbon Street Blues and Boogie Bar, 220 Printer’s Alley. There are several sophisticated jazz clubs, including Gibson Caffe Milano, 176 Third Avenue and Manhattan’s, 901 Second Avenue North. Live music: As one would perhaps expect, Nashville is a thriving live music centre – and not just for country music. Great live performances can be caught just about every night of the week, in one or other of the city’s numerous bars and clubs. Robert’s, 416 Broadway, Tootsie’s, 422 Broadway, and The Bluegrass Cafe, 418 Broadway (see above), have live bands virtually around the clock. The Ryman Auditorium, 116 Fifth Avenue (see Key Attractions in the Sightseeing section), has bigger acts, as does the Tennessee Performing Arts Center, 505 Deaderick Street (see Culture section). Only a short cab ride away, The Station Inn, 402 12th Avenue South, hosts bluegrass in home-style surroundings. |
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