Nashville's Music

Once I pretty much knew that Nashville wouldn't be a place I'd settle down, I decided to spend my last day in the city being more of a tourist.  I got lucky that Tuesday nights have a lot to see and hear, but unlucky in that I had to choose between what sounded like two great shows:  The Grand Ole Opry, classic home to country & western music, and the Doyle and Debbie Show, a spoof of country music and the people who sing it.  I chose the latter, and I'm glad I did, but went on a backstage tour of the Opry during the day so I'd at least get to see the place.

The tour of the Opry was pretty good.  It wasn't very long, but we went everywhere the musicians go:  Through their entrance door, their dressing rooms, past their post office (My favorite part! You can send your favorite star mail by just writing their name and "Grand Ole Opry" on the envelop!), the greenroom, backstage, and on the stage.  I knew, well, absolutely nothing about it before, but the Opry started as a stage concert and radio program in the 1920s and has been showcasing live country and bluegrass music ever since.  So if I ever feel nostalgic for my stop in Nashville, I can listen in every Friday and Saturday night.  The Opry hosts singers of all sorts, but it also has members.  Being a member is both an honor and an obligation to perform a lot at the Opry.  I'm under the impression people willingly do so, though.

The Opry's stage.  That circle is from the floor of the Opry's former home in the Ryman Theater, downtown.

Last tidbit about the Opry:  I did know know or remember this, but Nashville flooded last year.  Badly.  The water got so high, that the stage at the Opry was under 4 feet of water!  I don't know every single thing that flooded in the city, but lots of places I saw were still closed or the people who lived and worked there would say things like "we just reopened after the floods from last year."  How did I miss knowing that Nashville totally flooded?  /scratches head

The Doyle and Debbie Show was a laugh-out-loud spoof of country music by two very talented singers/actors.  They perform weekly at The Station Inn, a pizza parlour.  The place was jammed the night I went, but in a good way because everyone was laughing and enjoying the show.  If you're every in Nashville, I highly recommend you go see Doyle and Debbie.  And if you'd like to listen to some of their music, you can stream it online.  Not sure which songs to listen to?  My favorites were ABCs of Love, Fat Women in Trailers, and I Ain't No Homo (But Man, You Sure Look Good To Me).

It doesn't look fancy, but it's hilarious.

So, Nashville was a little bit of a bust in terms of looking for a possible new home, but was great when it came to the entertainment.  Oh, and switching gears partway through -- from explorer to tourist -- reinforced my belief that avoiding the cool stuff in cities I might move to is a smart move.  I liked Nashville a lot better on my last day there than on the preceding days, but I knew my tours/shows were unfairly skewing my perception of the city.  I mean, it's not like I'd be at the Grand Ole Opry every night if I lived there.  So it was great to see those things, but wouldn't be smart to base a decision to move on stuff like that.