The room is plunged into darkness. And then the voice of Elvis fills the air. “Are you lonesome tonight?” he asks.
The hairs on the back of my neck stand to attention in a way that has nothing to do with the air conditioning beating back the oppressive heat and humidity outside. I’m sitting in RCA Studio B, where the ‘King’ recorded more than 260 of his songs.
It’s not for nothing there’s a special atmosphere in this room. On a visit, we’re told that Elvis recorded Are You Lonesome Tonight in the dark, so that session musicians could focus at 4am — hence the theatrical cutting of the lights. The original 1942 Steinway piano used by him is still there, too. I’m allowed to touch it, and I do so with an almost overawed reverence I didn’t know I possessed.
Elvis was one of many luminaries who graced the studio with his presence, along with other notables such as Tennessee’s first lady of country music Dolly Parton, Roy Orbison and the Everly Brothers. The tour is an added feature to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum ticket (countrymusichalloffame.org; $27.95 or $47.95 for the combined ticket). If you’re into music memorabilia, take a look, even just to see a gold-plated Cadillac once owned by Elvis that came complete with TV, phone and fridge.
It’s not the only music museum of note worth visiting in Nashville. Just up the street stands the legendary Ryman Theatre (ryman.com; self-guided tours from $30), where Johnny Cash, Van Morrison, Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles, Louis Armstrong and REM, among others, took to the stage, and, of course, the performers who took part in the Grand Ole Opry, broadcast from there from 1943 to 1974.
It’s hard to fathom that the city once considered pulling down this historical theatre. However, it was restored to its former glory and turns 130 this year. The Grand Ole Opry, which hosts rising talent, superstars and country legends, now takes place in the Grand Ole Opry House (opry.com; tickets from $69). No two shows are the same.
Down from the Ryman lies the National Museum of African American Music (nmaam.org; $24.95). If you go to no other museum in Nashville, go here. It’s not just for music lovers. You could easily spend a day absorbing the history of the people who arrived from Africa on slave ships, and their astonishing influence on music worldwide after that.
Interactive wrist bands allow you to download tracks from myriad recording artists, which can be emailed to you and enjoyed later on Spotify. You can also try your hand at becoming a producer, perform a rap, record and download the results, or just stare at Louis Armstrong’s gold-plated trumpet and engage in emotional musical chit-chat with other visitors as you try to absorb the enormity of what’s before you. That’s the thing I loved about Nashville — not knowing what bit of magic you’ll find around the next corner, or even along the same street.
Full disclosure. I had no idea what to expect before arriving. Nashville was all about country music, right? Friends here asked me if I liked that scene. Would I be buying a cowboy hat, boots, adding rhinestones to my shirt? They were greeted with an ‘Uh, I don’t know, but I like to keep an open mind, y’all’ response. I did do a little homework before my arrival though. Other friends and family living Stateside who had visited sung (ahem) its praises. I was “gonna love it”, they raved, before namechecking places to put on my don’t-miss list. They were right... Turns out you can be a little bit country, and a little bit rock ‘n’ roll.
The first thing to strike you on arriving isn’t the music though. It’s
Nashville’s southern hospitality. It’s as real as the city’s ubiquitous biscuits (freshly made, huge and delicious), gravy and generous helpings of grits.
Hmmm, the grits. Well, the jury is still out on that one. Grits are a sort of porridge made out of boiled cornmeal — they taste kinda gloopy, remind me of polenta, and take at least 20 minutes to cook. Think Joe Pesci in that pivotal scene from My Cousin Vinny.
The depth and diversity of food, as well as my appetite for it, is a real surprise though. Turns out Nashville has a thriving culinary scene — one of America’s best. Take Husk (husknashville.com), for example, where I feast on a sampling menu on my first night. Every tasty morsel is greedily plucked from my plate and washed down with some sparkling wine. It’s a wonderful introduction to this Music City.
Despite an enormous breakfast the next morning, which includes the aforementioned grits, at Kitchen Notes (kitchennotesnashville.com), somehow I’m hungry again. The Assembly Food Hall on Fifth and Broadway, with its 30 artisanal restaurants, beckons (assemblyfoodhall.com). First to catch my eye? Prince’s Hot Chicken. A long line forms for this restaurant with good reason — the story goes, this chicken dish was created more than 100 years ago as a ‘revenge’ recipe designed to deliberately burn the mouth of Thornton Prince, whose constant infidelities had exasperated his partner. She cooked him some extra-spicy chicken for breakfast to teach him a lesson, but the dish had him asking for seconds. He perfected the recipe and opened up his own restaurant, and his great niece, André Prince Jeffries, is still serving the legendary dish that Nashvillians and visitors alike are lapping up a century on.
Nashville is full of foodie stories — if not all quite like that one. Take “destination bakery” The Cupcake Collection (thecupcakecollection.com). Look for the queue in the suburb of Germantown. You’ll be served by founder, baker extraordinaire and mother-of-seven Mignon Francois. Her story is fascinating. Down to her last $5, things looked bleak. She didn’t even bake. But she had an idea... and Nashville looks after its entrepreneurs.
Now her cupcakes are a part of the city’s landscape, with locals and tourists alike heading (just a little) out of their way to take her sweet potato cupcake challenge. These are the best cupcakes in two states, the bakery claims, and they have the awards to prove it. Even better, she made gluten-free ones just for me. In any flavour I wanted.
Now that is worth travelling for alone.
Another foodie treat is the Walk Eat Nashville Tour (walkeatnashville.com; $85 plus taxes and ticketing fee). Bring your appetite! My tour guide, Teresa Currey, walks me through the trendy suburb in East Nashville and explains how it was almost wiped out by a tornado on March 2, 2020, but has risen phoenix-like since then, with new walls painted with bright murals, trendy indie stores, music venues and belt-busting restaurants. Along the tour, we sample lots of typical southern cuisine, vegan options, and a deep-fried sandwich, which will hit the spot if you’ve spent the previous night visiting too many of the downtown honky tonks.
Ah the honky tonks! The electrifying heart of the city, with free music everywhere, day and night, and no cover charges. In fact, if you’re asked for a cover charge, move on — you’re being ripped off! You might have to queue though. These bars fill up fast, especially at the weekend. You’ll be spoilt for choice.
My personal favourite is not hard to spot despite the bright buzzing neon signs lighting up every other bar on the street. It’s crowded too, but with good reason. There’s a kinda magic and an air of anticipation that makes Robert’s, well, Robert’s (robertswesternworld.com). Small bands with big sounds squeeze onto a tiny stage, and the music could be any variety — all of it feel-good and foot-stomping. You’ll find yourself dancing with cowboy-hat-wearing strangers who become instant friends, and there’s something special in the atmosphere that’ll remain in your head and heart, long after you’ve departed.
Just like the music, this city isn’t short of history. The kind that makes you want to delve into the books if only to better understand everything. Take Belle Meade, for example. Part historical house, part winery, (visitbellemeade.com, tickets from $28) you can try your hand at some wine and bourbon tasting, or visit the old plantation house to learn about the Harding family, their rags-to-riches story, their involvement in the Civil War, and their thoroughbred racehorse enterprise that almost left them in rags again.
I packed a lot into a five-day trip, it’s time to head home. But did I buy a hat? Boots? No. Not even a single rhinestone. I did take home a T-shirt emblazoned with ‘Dolly for President. Make Country Music Great Again’. But it’s Elvis that’s playing on a loop in my head. Can’t Help Falling in Love — It seems Nashville has converted me.
12 South This neighbourhood is a half-mile stretch with boutiques like Reese Witherspoon’s Draper James, and Imogene + Willie, making sustainable jeans for all shapes.
WeHo An up-and-coming area — for a feel-good moment, try Humphreys Street coffee shop, a social enterprise offering coffee and soaps handcrafted by its staff of students.
Geodis Park Another surprise? The city has a soccer team, Nashville SC, a Major League Soccer club. CEO Ian Ayre was a former chief executive and main board director of Liverpool FC.
Get there
There are no direct flights from Ireland to Nashville, but connecting routes are available with Delta, United and BA among others, via New York or London. Several Irish tour operators also do package trips.
More info
Overseas visitors to the US are no longer required to show a negative Covid test result, but passengers over 18 must be fully vaccinated, and everyone should complete an ESTA (esta.cbp.dhs.gov). See dfa.ie/travel for the latest travel advice.
Naomi stayed at the Omni Nashville Hotel (omnihotels.com/hotels/nashville; from $299 + tax) and the Kimpton Aertson Hotel (aertsonhotel.com; from $289 + tax).
Naomi was a guest of the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp. For more information, see visitmusiccity.com.
