Stepping into the Grand Ole Opry – a must-visit on any country music fan’s bucket list – the atmosphere is electric. The venue, where a live radio show is broadcast every week, is one of the top performance destinations in Nashville – if not the world.
Watching a show was one of my main motivations for planning a trip to this legendary city in Tennessee.
Ahead of the performance, I settle into the Circle Room as part of a VIP experience limited to just 100 guests per night. I then watch Bill Anderson and American Idol star Lauren Alaina set the crowd alight, with audience members holding each other as they dance in the aisles.
For decades, Nashville has been the pulsing heart of America’s live music scene and some of the greatest in the business have made their name here.
With more than 30 free-entry bars playing live music, Lower Broadway is the centre of the city’s nightlife. Revellers in cowboy hats run from bar to bar singing along to Dolly Parton and drinking a beer called Pabst Blue Ribbon, with many artists happy to accept drinks in lieu of cash tips.
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While there are several stand-out bars – including Tootsie’s and The Stage – the best, hands down, is Robert’s. Serving the ‘recession special’ – a fried bologna sandwich, crisps, and a can of beer – for just $6/£5, it’s the perfect place to end the night.
Nashville has been home to some of America’s most recognisable stars, many of whom feature in the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. The expansive venue is packed with country music memorabilia, including guitars, stage outfits and gold albums.
I also take a tour of the Historic RCA Studio B, the recording studio that was once home to Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison, and the Everly Brothers. Our enthusiastic tour guide points to the spot where Elvis stood when he recorded scores of his most famous songs, including Heartbreak Hotel.
I top the morning off with a trip to the National Museum of African American Music, where interactive exhibits run through the history of black music in the US, and there’s an opportunity to record your own remix in a mini studio booth.
Contemporary A-listers like Reese Witherspoon, Taylor Swift, and Jack White from the White Stripes have also left their own mark on the city.
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Swift wrote some of her early hits while sitting on a bench at Centennial Park, now a popular hang-out for her fans. White, meanwhile, has set up a recording studio, Third Man Records, as well as the Blue Room – one of the hottest new music venues in town.
The singer’s nephew, Ben Blackwell, gives me a tour of the studio, including the famous 1947 Voice-o-Graph recording booth used by the likes of Neil Young. The booth, which resembles an old phone box, records up to two minutes of audio before dispensing a one-of-a-kind six-inch phonograph.
The only thing in Nashville as good as the music is the food.
Hattie B’s Hot Chicken joint would give the best south London chicken shops a run for their money, while Biscuit Love serves southern-style biscuits (a cross between a nsausage roll and a scone) doused in gravy.
However, the finest food, in my opinion, is served at Bad Idea, a Laotian inspired restaurant on the hip side of town in East Nashville. Featuring dishes such as truffled potato dumpling and New Zealand rack of lamb, and with a wine list bursting at the seams, it’s the ideal spot to settle in for the evening. Prices range from between £12 to £20 for small plates and £35 to £75 for mains.
With so much dining and drinking to juggle, I stay at the W Hotel, perfectly placed in the centre of Nashville and within stumbling-home distance of Broadway’s bars. Rooms are sleek and spacious, with stunning views of the bright city lights. It also features the city’s largest hotel pool area, running along the outside of the hotel – ideal for a hangover-curing swim each morning.
The Ryman Auditorium – the former home of the Grand Ole Opry – feels like a fitting final stop on my trip. Founded as the site of a revivalist church, over the years it slowly morphed into a world-famous music venue, hosting performances from Hank Williams, Elvis, and Johnny Cash.
As I discover during my brief visit, in Nashville every activity has its own soundtrack. From day to night, tunes blast from bars, cafes and on street corners – literally pure music to my ears.
How to do it
Rooms at the W Nashville hotel start from around £280 per night; visit w-hotels.marriott.com. For more info, on the city visit the Nashville Convention and Visitors Corp website.
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