Nashville For “Newbies” – What a Town…And What a NIGHT!

I’m not much of a country music fan so Nashville has never ranked very high on my bucket list. In fact we have stayed on the outskirts of Nashville many, MANY times on our Snowbird journeys to and from Florida. But as we headed back North this year we decided to stay downtown and see what all the buzz was about.

Even though we’re not big country fans we’ve been watching that TV show Nashville, and because of that storyline I became intrigued with some of the history and legends that have made the city famous. So this year we booked a hotel several miles from the center of the action, a much cheaper location than the $400 per night plus downtown hotel options. When we arrived in the early afternoon we drove down through the heart of the city to get the lay of the land so we could plan our “night out on the town” for later.

I had done very little research on the city of Nashville, but the two places I really wanted to see were The Ryman Theater and Tootsies.

Tootsies Orchid Lounge was quite easy to spot on our reconnaissance mission. I made note of  their rooftop deck and we decided that would be an awesome place for “people watching” that evening since that is one of our favorite (and cheapest!) activities.

I absolutely LOVE old neon signs…and Nashville is filled with them. (I couldn’t wait to see them lit up after dark!)

I saw lots of names I recognized…

The history of the city quickly began to resonate with me, and some of the bars have quite a history too. I snapped this photo of Nudie’s Honky Tonk but we didn’t stop in. I wish we had, since that joint claims to have the longest bar in Nashville. I’ve since learned that owner Nudie Cohn was the Nashville based tailor who made all the rhinestone, bedazzled suits made famous by all of those old time country singers…and Elvis too.

So after our pass through the downtown we headed to our hotel for a nap and then a shower before our night’s festivities (just like college kids!) before we hailed an Uber and headed back downtown.

One of the first signs I saw really set the tone for the evening. There is MUCH more to Nashville than I thought!

Our first stop was Legends. And my first shock was that there was no cover charge!

I loved the idea that the bands simply “pass the hat” for donations. (Just like church!)

The better the music the better the tips I’m guessing.

The “old timey” record topped bar and the music related memorabilia were amazing.

After enjoying some fine music and a beer we headed down the street to do a little “window shopping” as Mom used to say. I have never seen so many cowboy hats or boot stores in my life…and I lost count of the number of girls wearing short skirts and cowboy boots. 

We ended up at a rooftop bar about a block away. It was the perfect spot to enjoy a warm and sunny Springtime afternoon. 

The view from high above the street was awesome.

As evening approached, I told Peepaw I wanted to find the Ryman Theater while we still had daylight…so we gave up our seats from our bird’s eye vantage point to leave. Those THREE FLIGHTS of stairs to and from that rooftop bar where quite a challenge for me, and I’m always amazed  to see what I’m willing to put myself through for a good view and a cold beer!

The Ryman is a beautiful building, and I immediately felt a sort of reverence for the place. So much music and so much history…all under one roof. If only those walls could talk. And I wonder how many would be stars have pulled open those doors and walked onto that stage…

It began to make sense that the Ryman is sometimes called “The Mother Church of Country Music.”

I could imagine those singers performing onstage and then heading across that famous alley…

And right into our next stop for the evening…

And even though Tootsies is one of the most iconic spots in Nashville…still NO cover charge!

We quickly made our way through the huge crowd and we headed up even more stairs…up to that rooftop bar we had seen when we drove by earlier that day. The rooftop was PACKED since a music video was being filmed up there that night. But like all the places we visited, nothing was off limits and there was no cover charge. I enjoyed listening and watching as the up and coming band played the same song snippet over and over to get it just right…with fog machines and lighting changes adding to the atmosphere.

Eventually I snagged a seat at the railing while Peepaw ducked back inside (to check the Cubs game score!) and I began to watch a large crowd surging through the doors of Bridgestone Arena across the street. A young man next to me told me a Tom Petty concert was scheduled that night.

I noticed Peepaw having a lively discussion with another young man in the crowd…

He was Eric Mellencamp, the CEO of Rocket Tone Records, and nephew of singer John Mellencamp. (Eric had been called onstage inside while Peepaw was checking the baseball score.)

Before we bought our Florida condo, John Mellencamp used to bring his guitar and come by to visit Frank, a former neighbor in our building. We’ve been told the two of them used to have “jam sessions” out by our pool, and all the condo owners on both side of the canal used to come outside to sit and listen to those free concerts. What a small world to meet Eric there that night!

When another seat finally opened up next to me, Peepaw made it across the deck to sit down for some simple chips and salsa and queso…nothing special but still tasty.

The young man next to me was also headed to that Tom Petty concert with some of his old fraternity buddies from college. When he learned that I was a foodie he told me we absolutely could not leave Nashville without eating a Recession Special sandwich at Robert’s Western World nearby. That young man said the sandwich was so good he and his frat brothers were going back for another one before they all left to head to their respective cities the next day.

Well…what Foodie could pass up a sandwich like that? Not THIS one!

So we finished our chips and fought our way back downstairs to walk just a few doors down…

Of course there was more live music and we headed upstairs where we were lucky to snag two seats at the railing…a perfect spot to watch and listen. And check out the rows of boots along the wall. You really can eat, drink, listen to music and BUY BOOTS…it’s a one stop shop for sure!

We were quickly greeted by Caroline, the friendliest bartender in Nashville. 

Caroline told us she loves her job at Roberts Western World.,,and it shows in her smile! In fact she has worked at that bar for 19 years! And she told us some employees have been there longer than she has! There is even a church service held in the bar every Sunday…

I told her we were there for the Recession Special Sandwich. And there it was…the first one listed in the menu. So what WAS it??? It’s A FRIED BOLOGNA SANDWICH!

And if you order the FULL Recession Special you’ll get a Fried Bologna Sandwich, Chips and a PBR Beer…ALL for FIVE BUCKS!!!

We had a bird’s eye view of the cook as he prepared our famous sandwich…

And how did it taste? 

It truly was delicious! It consisted of fried bologna on toasted white bread…with mayo, lettuce, and sliced tomato. It was a perfect way to end our night on the town.

Yup…that sandwich really summed up our “maiden voyage” to the city of Nashville.

No frills, no fuss, but well worth the price…and it left us wanting more!