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Nashville visit. Must do's?
- Thread starter pepj
- Start date
Basses:
Low End Bass Shoppe (you'll need a car to get here but it's "bass heaven" and Brian is cool)
Carter Vintage Guitars (expensive but they have some good stuff)
Gruhn's Guitars (also expensive with good stuff, especially the second floor)
Fanny's House Of Music (great little shop, bass stuff can be a bit sparse but cool guitars for sure)
Nashville Used & New (cool used place, you'll find lots of cool stuff from years past)
Corner Music (really good selection of basses and bass amps)
Fork's Drum Closet (some amazing kits and snares here)
Food:
Hattie B's is okay but Princes is a bit better IMO, and there's tons of great independent chicken joints all over. I'm a big fan of Frothy Monkey for brunch and coffee, especially the location on 12 South. 5 Daughters Donuts are great but really expensive ($5 per donut).
Live Music:
Dee's in Madison is a bit out from downtown Nashville but has a great country dive vibe and good musicians most nights. Also a fan of Scoreboard's and Music City Bar & Grill over by the Opry and Opry Mills Mall. The Local on the west side has some great songwriter nights, and Whiskey Jam at Winner's on Monday and Thursday nights is fun if a bit overcrowded. Bluebird Cafe is also a great room that's well worth the drive to Green Hills.
Low End Bass Shoppe (you'll need a car to get here but it's "bass heaven" and Brian is cool)
Carter Vintage Guitars (expensive but they have some good stuff)
Gruhn's Guitars (also expensive with good stuff, especially the second floor)
Fanny's House Of Music (great little shop, bass stuff can be a bit sparse but cool guitars for sure)
Nashville Used & New (cool used place, you'll find lots of cool stuff from years past)
Corner Music (really good selection of basses and bass amps)
Fork's Drum Closet (some amazing kits and snares here)
Food:
Hattie B's is okay but Princes is a bit better IMO, and there's tons of great independent chicken joints all over. I'm a big fan of Frothy Monkey for brunch and coffee, especially the location on 12 South. 5 Daughters Donuts are great but really expensive ($5 per donut).
Live Music:
Dee's in Madison is a bit out from downtown Nashville but has a great country dive vibe and good musicians most nights. Also a fan of Scoreboard's and Music City Bar & Grill over by the Opry and Opry Mills Mall. The Local on the west side has some great songwriter nights, and Whiskey Jam at Winner's on Monday and Thursday nights is fun if a bit overcrowded. Bluebird Cafe is also a great room that's well worth the drive to Green Hills.
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Visit The Lowend a few miles outside of Nashville. Call first and see if you need to schedule a time. Brian Barrett runs the place, and Howard Ulyate is usually hanging out there as well. Both are super nice and knowledgeable dudes!
Wow, so much stuff and places to consider.
I'll go through all the suggestions as an insider take can be invaluable and I appreciate it lots.
I think a couple of traditional shops for bass.
Not going for anything vintage but might be interested in a vibtage vibey 5st like an Alleva.
Good call on out of town hotels or accomodation and Uber in.
Fancy the HoF or a place of history. Ditto Stax in Memphis.
Food suggestions sounds great and some off beat out of town pointers appeal to relax too.
Its sounds like 4 nights will be a flying visit and I'll have to come back. lol
I'll go through all the suggestions as an insider take can be invaluable and I appreciate it lots.
I think a couple of traditional shops for bass.
Not going for anything vintage but might be interested in a vibtage vibey 5st like an Alleva.
Good call on out of town hotels or accomodation and Uber in.
Fancy the HoF or a place of history. Ditto Stax in Memphis.
Food suggestions sounds great and some off beat out of town pointers appeal to relax too.
Its sounds like 4 nights will be a flying visit and I'll have to come back. lol
When my wife and I were there we stayed at the LaQuinta Inn...they provided light fare and happy hour from 4-6 and shuttles to Broadway.
We visited The Ryman (awesome), Grand Ole Opry, Studio A, Bluebird Cafe, did a bus tour of "what to see in Nashville" and ate at some amazing places. The one that comes to mind immediately is Biscuit Love...always a line out the door but WELL worth the wait. Have fun!!!
We visited The Ryman (awesome), Grand Ole Opry, Studio A, Bluebird Cafe, did a bus tour of "what to see in Nashville" and ate at some amazing places. The one that comes to mind immediately is Biscuit Love...always a line out the door but WELL worth the wait. Have fun!!!
Also.... definitely check out Gruhn's Guitars. I almost came home with a vintage Gibson Les Paul Bass!!!
As others have said Broadway is still worth the trip. However maybe not just to listen. If a greenhorn like me can put this off maybe playing on Broadway should be on your list?
A decade ago, new to playing country music, I went to Nashville for the first time. Hit Broadway during the off hours and chatted up singer named Carl D and his bassist Sid. They let me come back the next night with a list of all the songs I knew and sit in for a few tunes at the Crossroads.
I also maintain its not a proper visit to to Nashville if you don't hear some Pedal Steel being played live. It can be hard to find these days and there is not a PSG shop you can ask in anymore. Still ask a couple bars and a couple bands and you'll find a Steeler on Broadway to listen to.
A decade ago, new to playing country music, I went to Nashville for the first time. Hit Broadway during the off hours and chatted up singer named Carl D and his bassist Sid. They let me come back the next night with a list of all the songs I knew and sit in for a few tunes at the Crossroads.
I also maintain its not a proper visit to to Nashville if you don't hear some Pedal Steel being played live. It can be hard to find these days and there is not a PSG shop you can ask in anymore. Still ask a couple bars and a couple bands and you'll find a Steeler on Broadway to listen to.
Look up to see where Slick Joe fick is playing hes a great upright player in the RockaBilly slap style. You can find video of him at Roberts Western World or on the sight for Thompson Upright Basses.
The Low End Bass Shop is NOT by appointment only. Appointments needed only on Mondays & Saturdays. Tues-Fri open 10-4. Geez, pay closer attention to the statements you make. It could affect someone's business.
Must do: go to a random pizza place at 3:00 in the afternoon and hear the backing band from a name recognized artist that's just killing it, probably for tips only. Sure, they're using it as a rehearsal but I'm thinking that I need to go home and up my game.
Also, Hattie B's chicken had a crazy line out the door at all hours of the day, must be good, right? So we tried it and I wasn't impressed.
Also, Hattie B's chicken had a crazy line out the door at all hours of the day, must be good, right? So we tried it and I wasn't impressed.
Back around 95', my band won a contest and got to go to Nashville to record a 4 song demo. Turns out they had professional musicians to play on it. The only thing of ours on the demo were the lead vocals and some harmony. The really cool thing about was who the bass player was. DAVE POMEROY sat on the other side of the glass playing the smoothest bass lines I'd ever heard up to that point. They only took about 3 hours to nail everything down. Very cool Nashville experience for me!
Grew up using Nashville as stompping grounds. The last concert I saw at the speedway was Ted Nugent opening for Lynyrd Skynyrd. It was before their plane crach but I can't remember whether it was 74 or 76. Edgar Winters was a no-show then. Concert started about 4:30 in the afternoon. Most fans were still in the stands. By the time Nugent was in full swing the place was full to the stage. We mad our way to the stage in time for Skynyrd. Had to be one of their most dynamic concerts ever. They were on it. Good Times.
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