There’s only been one place in the world where I’ve ever seen “Naked Karaoke” advertised as an actual thing, and that was in Nashville, Tennessee.
After four days of drinking, eating and partying in New Orleans, I was more than ready to head home, but we’d pencilled in a stop in Nashville on our way back to St. Louis; mainly to break up the driving time and mainly because it sounded like a damn cool place to visit.
I won’t even patronise you by trying to pretend that I know anything about country music. The most I’ve ever been able to tolerate has been a little Sugarland or Kenny Chesney every now and then. So when I discovered that Nashville was the home of country music, I have to admit, I was dubious.
Country music has always seemed to have somewhat of a cult following – as in, the people who love it really love it. They wouldn’t be seen dead without their cowboy boots and bouffant hair (the girls and the guys), and they know all the words to every single song ever produced by Keith Urban. Cults scare me, therefore country music has always scared me.
But then I visited Nashville. And yes, there were cowboy boots. And yes, there was big hair. And yes, everyone else in the city appeared to know every word to every song except me. But it didn’t matter. Nashville was a damn cool city.
Most of the country music bars are concentrated along two main streets – Broadway and Second Avenue. Here you will find live music every night of the week. We went into at least three different bars and heard everything from modern day pop-country to proper old school Hank Williams.
We also headed to Printer’s Alley, which is where I saw the sign for the Naked Karaoke (and no, we didn’t partake), but the “two drink minimum” signs in all of the bars there scared us off. Hey, we had just spent three days living it up in New Orleans. We were broke. And didn’t need any more alcohol.
I’m sad I didn’t have more time to spend in Nashville, because I really don’t feel I did it justice in that one night. But I’m sure I’ll be back. And next maybe I’ll even buy myself some cowboy boots.
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