The curtain comes down – on Nashville & the trip

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Yes folks, it is curtains for this blogger and this should be the last. It is 10.45am in Nashville, I fly out to LA-then to Akld this afternoon at 5.30pm so have one final chance (it seems it will remain dry today) to have a further look at sights before catching the bus to the airport.

I arrived on Sunday – and after the usual disorientation – which way is North etc walked uphill to the avenue that the Holiday Inn was on. This was a few minutes walk down the Broadway rise to the centre of the honky tonks – all night bars really – and also the Ryman Auditorium. This was the old home of the Grand Ole Opry before it moved out to the suburbs or wherever. Still hosts shows and I was delighted that there was something on there that night, Sunday at 7.30pm. Like a fool I paid Ticketmaster (those universal bloodsuckers) about 40% of the price of the actual ticket to book online – will collect is usually free – but if you are not from USA they charge you extra $2.50 etc etc. About $11 of charges on a $27.50 ticket – could have simply bought one there. Cheapskate whinging aside, went down early and ate at Merchant’s – an 1892 hotel/bar across the road. There I had quite an amazingly tender piece of pork roast which was a big chunk with some veges etc – surprisingly good. The Ryman is of course holy ground for country music fans – pity it was a pretty poppy bill on this occasion – but to do a tour of the Ryman costs you $12.50 so in that sense $40 was almost cheap and got some music. The seats are like wooden pews, and where I was – row W about 4 from the back, the low roof line caused by the upper balcony (not to mention pillars – and the black bouffant of the Chinese guy in front!) interfered with sight lines. However the main fact was that when the ‘main act’ OneRepublic came on everyone stood up from 2nd number on – so I abandoned my seat and moved around and eventually saw the rest of the show from the right side standing at the back. Binoculars got some use for close ups.

Who were they? First, Jared Evans who was already playing. Backed by 4 piece band and poppy sort of. Then the Daylights – who sounded initially like a U2 cover band – which the guy next to me agreed with. He was a big fan of Flight of the Conchords so he was OK! Then the finale was OneRepublic who were definitely in the Coldplay mode – they even play violin and cello during the set. And the lead singer dashes around all over. Had somewhat flashbacks of this sound when this was virtually the soundtrack at dinner at Watermark the next night (more on that later).

Monday was fairly wettish and showers – so did some more research on what to do musically and decided the Timesteppers att eh Station Inn was the go. Before that did not leave the hotel until 3pm and then to go directly across the road to the Frist Art Museum – a magnificent deco building. It cost $10 but there mini catalogues of commentary for each exhibition – a good show by William Eggleston a very influential photographer who really used the colour in very everyday objects. Surprised he had been used by many rock artists for their covers etc. A very very details exhibition of Indian material relating to the role Vishnu and the various sub-gods/avatars– as detailed (and exhausting due to text reading) as anything I saw in India. And a very bizarre collection of very large format photos by Simen Johan – stuffed animals located in various bizarre but still natural situations with a lot of photoshopping involved I think!

A quick breather at the hotel then along Broadway to 12thAve South and down to the Gulch. This has become a very trendy area – and it reeks new yuppie apartments etc – a total surprise just out of sight and down the hill from downtown c.10 mins walk from my hotel. Had chosen to eat at Watermark, which appears to be Nashville’s top restaurant – and it just happened to be across the road from the Station Hotel, my chosen Monday night knees up country/bluegrass event. I am pushed for time – but this was pretty serious food. The butter comes from Vermont, the duck form Hudson Valley, NY etc. I had veal sweetbreads for first course – should never have actually queried the provenance of them as told they were hypothalamus muscle etc – just had to think chicken when they arrived crumbed and fried in a little filo basket. Then the world-wide duck saga continues. Breast finely sliced with Israeli couscous – very fat balls they were too, with pea tendrils and fat sultana raisins – I only realised how good the residual sweetness of those was on cleaning up the plate. A glass of red zinfandel – not as zingy as the one I had in Miami. Then an orange cheese caketo complete the “research” – not very orangey I thought but a ball of tart lemon gelato ice on top. And a glass of matching French late picked chenin blanc – not too sweet, but just right.

The across the road to the Station – a crowded small bar with tables running towards the stage and no hope of a seat so stood in front of the sound mixer all night. A band of 11 – all crack Nashville session musos who do this Timesteppers thing every Monday night there. I bought the double live CD recorded there in May 2006 as a souvenir. 3 fiddle players who were all top notch – one of them the leader in a Bob Wills Western swing kind of way – 2 guitarists, a rhythm guitarist called “Ranger” Doug who also sang – a female singer called Dawn, wife of the leader who sang very well on some numbers. The steel guitar guy has only won steel guitarist of the year 8 – or is that 9 times?! It was the ideal way to cap my Nashville experience and would leave all those downtown honkytonk cover bands for dead I am sure.

Back down to lower Broadway for a final photo shoot of the honkytonks then to bed. So that’s about it. The Country Music Hall of Fame will be visited today then I will be off outta here and homewards.

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Photos

Betty Boots
on Broadway

the Timesteppers
at the Station Inn

Steppers w. Jack Greene
he won every CMA award in 1969 (other than female vocalist)

Comments

[Huddo]

Yeh Hah.
Hi Mike, Nashville down, that sure sounded pratty good there boy! Steel geetars 8 -9 time Champion, that sure must be good. Jack Greene must be some sort of legend there. Beautiful photo's, Tonk's and Betty's Boots. Love Huddo and girls.