Short and sweet. That’s the best way to describe my 36-hour New Years adventure in Nashville, where the booze, courtesy, and music flow. After landing at BNA, a quick 15-minute drive got us to the Millennium Maxwell House Hotel, a music-themed hotel with impressive lobby and large rooms. Located 2.2 miles from downtown, the hotel provides a free shuttle service and is close enough to the Starbucks across the street to steal wi-fi (I’ve spent enough money at the ‘bucks in my life to justify this action). While typically running for under $100, the holiday price hike boosted the hotel to $150.
We headed out to mid-town to find dinner and to do a drive-by Vanderbilt University. Campus seemed to have a nice Southern flair to it, but it also mimicked the slow drawl…students vacated the area for break, so the vibe was off. But gorgeous brickwork architecture and sprawling green campus lawns make it worth a stroll even during the off-season. Plus, the college bar and restaurant scene is plentiful.
Wander through the downtown region of Nashville in daylight and you’ll quickly gather that most of the action happens in the dark of night. The next day, while crews were setting up for the big guitar drop scheduled for that evening, we walked freely in front of the stage and surveyed the commotion. To get a better view, we trekked over the Shelby Street Bridge—one of the longest pedestrian bridges in the world. Even though bridges aren’t the safest place for two tourists, it did provide some great views of the Cumberland River and surrounding city. The primary visual element of the view includes the eye-catching statue Ghost Ballet (best name ever?). Funded by the Metropolitan Nashville Arts Commission, it stands 100 feet high and wide and acts as an arty backdrop to the downtown skyline.
With our mandatory culture points racked up, we spent the rest of the afternoon record shop hopping. Past the Rescue Mission and in a rundown neighborhood, you’ll find Third Man Records owned by Jack White of White Stripes fame (RIP White Stripes). Of course, if you’re us in the middle of the afternoon on New Year’s Eve, you’ll find Third Man Records closed. Something for next time. Next up, Grimey’s New and Preloved Music, a small hole-in-the-wall record store off the beaten track and worth the trek. Go beyond the tiny entrance and discover stacks of reasonably priced music. I dare you not to buy something. Here’s the thing about Nashville: as friendly as it seems, as modern as it appears, it doesn’t feel safe. It’s a fairly basic tenet of travel that you’re going to wander mistakenly into a sketched out neighborhood or two in an attempt to find a must-see place, but in Nashville I felt uneasy most of the time. It took four attempts at various stores before we even felt secure to get out of the car (I’m sure all the parents out there reading this are duly impressed, don’t worry…we kept the doors locked). So when it comes to Nashville, and perhaps anywhere foreign in general, I advise you to travel in pairs, stay aware, and know when to admit it’s time to turn around.
Despite the feeling of slight unease, we were ready to rock downtown for the evening. While Alicia and I joked that hanging in the hotel and avoiding the crowds was probably a better alternative to joining the hoards of drunks, we decided against it; you can’t go to Nashville on New Years and not go downtown (think of the alliteration!). So after a drink and gussying ourselves up (well, as gussy as we gals get), we hitched a ride on the free hotel shuttle with some dolled up Southern blonds who told us the primo locations for New Years. We took note of their advice, and reserved it for our “no way are we going there” list. Let’s establish first and foremost that New Years Eve is one of the most highly anticipated—and in turn biggest letdown—holidays of the year. The pressure is on to have a blast, and if you’re not trying to live up to the hype, then you’re intentionally downplaying the magnanimous event by coolly saying it’s not your thing anyway. The latter excuse is for people who don’t have plans—not that there’s anything wrong with that. After all, I rang in 2010 in my dreams.
We dropped into the Beer Sellar (107 Church Street), a pretty basic lower level bar that only charged $1 cover. If you like your beer with a side of moldy basement and noticeable lack of fire exits, this is the place for you. The vibe was decent, but it cleared out around 11:45 in time for the guitar drop. We headed out and ended up gliding by the ineffectual security guards straight into the main area, right by the stage just in time to count down to midnight.
The fireworks were spectacular and lasted just long enough to maintain my interest, and even though the guitar drop was anti-climactic (allegedly it didn’t even drop all the way), the crowd made it a worthwhile endeavor. Friendly, polite, and enthusiastic, the downtown celebrators were a hoot.
The crowd then spilled into the dozens of bars that line the main street; cover charges were all forgotten and bouncers were letting most people in. We went into the first bar we found with a live band, which was absolutely on point doing a Journey cover. Magically, we secured two stools at the bar and ended up taking orders for the five-person-deep line that formed behind us. We later ended up singing along with the band in front of the stage. Friends were made. Beers were downed. Tunes were heard.
Set aside your pre-conceived notion of Nashville being just a country music hotspot and recognize it as the music haven it truly is. Rock, pop, jazz, blues—it’s all here. And while the country music scene is huge (Nashville hosts the annual CMA Music Festival), it is ideal for all music lovers, regardless of genre.
We got our fill of 80’s and 90’s rock cover songs and headed to the bar next door, which proved to be a true honky-tonk country joint with old-timer musicians rocking away. We toasted last call with some champagne and then hailed a taxi back to the hotel in the rain. Our bar-hopping experience proved Nashville to be one of the nicest cities in the world, what with the Southern gentlemen and their drink-buying ways and the friendly girls who were always chatty. Even on New Year’s Eve, the bartenders were all attentive and talkative. Overall, and for once, NYE lived up to the hype and proved to be one of my favorite holidays of all time.
The next day, before we departed for Jackson, Tenn. to see Alicia’s brother, we scouted out a Diners, Drive-In’s, and Dives location. Athen’s, a tiny Greek family-run restaurant, had a chaotic, 20-minute wait, but ultimately that resulted in a heaping pile of gyro and fries. Was it worth the wait? Eh. I’m sure Guy Fieri would lead you to believe it was, but it's certainly no diner from My Big Fat Greek Wedding. The first time I visited Tennessee, I was surprised to find myself there and thought I’d never return. But about a year later, I found myself back on Titan soil and this time, it really was everything I would expect from a hip-and-happening Southern city. From the bar scene to the music scene, the polite people to the downtown vibe, Nashville is indubitably the entertainment and courteous capital of the South.
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