A Nashville 101 Glossary: How to See and Hear It

Before we start this journey, here’s a little terminology you should know and how to see and hear it:

Music Row

Music Row refers to the "row" of recording studios, offices, and a few living spaces located about a mile from the heart of downtown. It is legendary because of places like historic RCA Studios A and B, where Elvis recorded numerous songs. Dolly Parton and Reba McEntire have beautiful studios here, and companies like BMI and ASCAP are also located in this area. Drive down one of the streets on Music Row and read the banners where management companies support their artists and songwriters by announcing their success. Please note, there are hotels and a few music venues and bars at the top of Music Row, next to the Musica statue. This area is often confused with the honky-tonks. You can tour this famous space with a ticket through the Country Music Hall of Fame.

Honky Tonk Highway

Honky Tonk Highway (or the Honkytonk or Lower Broadway) consists of live music venues that start playing almost every day at 10 am and continue until 2 am or 3 am. There are many music venues in the heart of the city on Broadway between Fourth Avenue and Fifth Avenue. The Honkytonk plays traditional country, bluegrass, country covers, original songs and much more. Take note of who you hear; they could be the next big star or songwriter.

Tootsie's Orchid Lounge

Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge is one of the oldest honky-tonks with lots of history and there's a history lesson on the wall.

Nudie's Honky Tonk

Nudie’s Honky Tonk references Nudie Cohn, the famous custom designer to the stars, and many of his rhinestone-studded suits are displayed inside.

Singer-Songwriter

A Singer-Songwriter is a musician or someone who collaborates with musicians to write songs. Many songwriters may not be the performers who take your breath away; instead, they author the songs for the people who do. Nashville is very fortunate to have many talented singer-songwriters whose brilliance matches their performance. Maybe you’ve never heard their names, but if you hear a song, you’ll know who wrote it.

Check out famous singer-songwriter venues in Nashville for a memorable experience:

• The Listening Room (Live Music and Great Food - Listening Room Cafe - Nashville, TN)

• The 5 Spot in East Nashville

The Grand Ole Opry

The Grand Ole Opry, a.k.a. the Opry, is the country’s longest-running radio show. The shows are traditionally on Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday, and in the summertime, also on Wednesday. The shows last about two hours with a 15-minute intermission. There are usually 6 to 8 performers, commercials, announcements, and special guests. People start buying tickets a year in advance, so don’t wait to see who’s playing. Get your tickets now and enjoy this famous experience.

The Grand Ole Opry House

The Grand Ole Opry House is the current and larger home of the Grand Ole Opry radio show, seating about 4,400 people. They offer additional concerts or shows in the venue and a unique backstage tour. I highly recommend this experience. It’s located about 20 minutes from downtown.

The Ryman Auditorium

The Ryman Auditorium was the former home of the Grand Ole Opry. It is also the "soul of Music City," formerly a Tabernacle, and over many decades, it has transformed into a world-famous concert venue. There’s no bad seat in the house; the last row at the Ryman feels like the fifth row at an arena. They also offer a daytime tour, which I highly recommend as well.

The Music Hall of Fame

For my final glossary term, if you mention you want to see the “Music Hall of Fame,” please specify which one. The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum is the most famous, but there are a few places with “Music Hall of Fame” in the title. Here are my three favorites:

The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum is one of our most popular museums. It showcases the evolution of folk, blues, and Americana music into today’s country music. There is a collection of historical costumes, memorabilia, instruments, photographs, manuscripts, and other interesting pieces that tell the story of country music. Elvis’s Gold Cadillac is on view, as well as an interactive exhibit. In the interactive space, you can create your digital album cover, respond to trivia questions, and even record a song (from the choices given) in a recording booth. Before you leave, stop in the Rotunda where the ‘Hall of Fame’ is located. It is tradition to find famous country singer Kitty Well's plaque and rub her nose for good luck! (Hint: If the Rotunda were a clock, look at 9 pm for her plaque.) The average guest spends 2 hours at this museum.

Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum (Home - Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum) shares all kinds of history, including devices music has been listened to through the years, the recording process (the interactive features are some of my favorites in Music City), and the re-creation of the Jolly Rogers, where Jimi Hendrix played guitar in Nashville.

Music City Center and the Songwriters Hall of Fame – The Music City Center was completed in June of 2013. Our city's beautiful green convention center has a guitar-shaped ballroom, many local art exhibits, and a green rooftop. It also has a Songwriters Hall of Fame. To enjoy the small interactive Songwriters Hall of Fame, please enter on the northeast corner of the Music City Center.

Now that you know the basic Music City terms, schedule a week visiting this destination. There is so much more, including shopping and designers, art, history, and day trips. Check with your advisor to help find all the special sites you want to see and hear!

Day Trips:

Take a day trip outside Nashville to visit Historic Franklin, Leiper's Fork and various waterfalls in the surrounding area.

Lunch and dinner

• Puckett’s Restaurant and Grocery Downtown - Offering music every night and they serves very Southern cuisine including items like BBQ, Catfish and fried chicken.

• ETCH is an upscale chef driven by the award-winning Deb Paquette. There is a reason this is one of Taylor Swift’s favorite restaurants in the world. The creative new American cuisine if phenomenal.

• Acme Seed and Feed is a very cool space. They have casual southern sandwiches and live music. You can even go to the top floor and have a great view of the river. (If it is cold, we recommend this for photos, but maybe not dinner.)

• Peg Leg Porker - Carey Bringle, the Peg Leg Porker, had a BBQ cooking team for years. When he opened a counter service restaurant in Music City, he had immediate success and an excellent reputation from his competition days. He serves a minimal menu (chicken and pork) to focus on what he does best. The original Peg Leg Porker is located in the Gulch area. It is an authentic BBQ experience. As a bonus, there is also a full bar. Carey is usually there and has a peg leg. Ask him and he will tell you the story.

Dinner:

• Kayne Prime is a chic steakhouse located in the Gulch area. You cannot go wrong with anything on the menu, but the Lobster popcorn should not be missed! It is pronounced CANE, as in a candy cane for special occasions. This experience is fantastic for a special occasion.

• Sinema - This is a chef driven restaurant serving contemporary and creative American cuisine. It is an upscale option in the area of Melrose, just outside our hotel’s shuttle range. The restaurant is an old renovated movie theater.

• Chauhan Ale and Masala House - Indian Restaurant. Chef driven by Maneet Chauhan. The plates don’t match, but you won’t remember, the food is so memorial is best, experiential way that won’t leave your mind.

• Silo - They are farm to table serving elevated southern cuisine. They are located in Germantown, less than two miles from downtown. Serving dinner and Saturday and Sunday brunch.