I just became a country music fan about a year ago and fell deeply in love with the genre. Soon thereafter, I added Nashville, Tennessee to my bucket list because I couldn’t think of a better place to visit to soak up a few days my new favorite music, live. As the 2018 holiday season approached, I was itching to do something fun, something different together for New Year’s Eve. Then, it hit me — let’s g to Nashville! We spent so much time in our younger years listening to live music together. That flash of inspiration turned out to be divine. New Year’s Eve Party in Nashville was hands down our best ever! Nashville, especially it’s Music Row, is a vibrant, exhilarating, blood-pumping town to visit not only for country music fans, but music lovers of all kinds. To boot, there is also plenty that will appeal to sports fans and foodies.
Nashville’s Music Row is a Must for Music Lovers
Music Row is Alive with Music Day and Night
For the music lover, options abound in Nashville. You definitely don’t have to be a Country music fan to enjoy Nashville. We went to Nashville expecting to find Garth Brooks style music in every bar. We were pleasantly surprised by what we discovered, a variety of music and a lot of rock and roll. It makes perfect sense when you think about it. Honky Tonk music is the root of rock n’ roll. You can definitely hear the origins of rock n’ roll in the artists performing in downtown Nashville. The hot spot for live music in Nashville is Music Row. Music Row is located in downtown Nashville on Broadway between 1st and 5th Avenues. Honky Tonks not only line both sides of Broadway on Music Row, but also spill over onto the cross streets. If you search the term on Google, you will find varying definitions of “Honky Tonk.” According to our trolley tour operator, to qualify as a Nashville Honky Tonk an establishment must be open seven days a week, have a stage for live music, and serve beer and whiskey.
Strolling down Music Row at 10:00 a.m., we found the doors and windows of the Honky Tonks wide open, bands playing, and live music already wafting into the street. As the day progressed the wafting became heart pumping and foot stomping, the crowds inside and outside grew, and the temptation to stop in for a song or two became irresistible. By night the place turns into “Nash Vegas.” The brightly colored neon lights of the bars and restaurants illuminate both sides of Broadway contributing to a year-round festive atmosphere. Lively gaggles of people of all ages spill out of the bars and fill the sidewalks along the street. This place is definitely one big down home party. And, don’t think Nashville is just for the young. It’s all about the young at heart, a bucket list destination for any one who loves live music.
Go Get Your Honky Tonk On
I lost track of how many Honky Tonks we wandered into. Each one is as good as the next, yet each has its own distinct personality. There is no cover charge for entry. The musicians earn their wage by passing a hat at various times throughout their performances. To hear your favorite song, just drop a ten or or twenty in the hat. The venues range from old time saloons, like Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge and Nudie’s Honky Tonk, to the new, fancier bars owned by celebrities, like Blake Shelton’s Ole Red, Dierks Bentley’s Whiskey Row, and Jason Aldean’s Kitchen & Rooftop Bar. Everywhere you go the music is amazingly good and the crowd is dancing and singing along.
It’s the Kind of Live Music that Makes Your Blood Pump
It’s the kind of music that makes you feel the base deep in your throat and in your veins, the kind of music that makes it impossible not to move to the beat. The passion of the musicians permeates the atmosphere. Their dreams of making it big are palpable, creating a contagious energy and excitement throughout each venue. Certainly, you will hear a lot of Country music, old and new, but you will also be moved by rock music, R & B and most likely any kind of music that you may be looking for. Each venue has a personality of its own. There is no doubt you will find a place perfect for you.
Nudie’s Cadillac 
Nudie’s Honky Tonk
One of our favorites was Nudie’s Honky Tonk. When we were there, the artist Cullen Greer was playing. Listening to Cullen, it was hard to believe that we hadn’t heard of him before. His voice is as country as it gets and as “smooth as Tennesee whiskey,” as they say. Cullen made an indelible impression on us. As we understand it, Nudie, whom the bar is named after, was the guy who created costumes for celebrities like Hank Williams, Gene Autry, Johnny Cash, and Bob Dylan, Roy Rogers. Nudie’s claims to have the longest bar on Music Row. The entire length is embedded with silver dollars. The place is chock full of music memorabilia too. Most impressive, however, is the Cadillac El Dorado hanging high above the stage on the first floor. We certainly had never see anything like that before!
Printers Alley is a Close Second to Music Row
Printers Alley, located on 4th Avenue between Union and Church Streets, just blocks from Music Row also should not be missed. After arriving in Nashville on an 11:30 p.m. flight, we dropped our bags and were immediately out the door, “just to check things out.” We were drawn to the Bourbon Street Blues and Boogie Bar by the funky R & B music we could hear from the alley and dynamic lead singer we glimpsed dancing on the stage. As the name suggests, the Bourbon Street Boogie Bar is a New Orleans style venue. You are adorned with the famous beads upon entry. Colorful paintings of music legends hang on the walls throughout along side masquerades and neon Jack Daniels signs. The stage consumes a large portion of the first floor of this intimate venue. A New Orleans style wrought iron balcony hangs above the stage. There isn’t a bad seat in the house. The energy from live R & B band, Al Green and The Hard Times , and the crowd was infectious. It was the last set when we arrived, and Al was still bouncing around the stage challenging the crowd to get up and dance. And, they did. Even though we were exhausted from our travels and our late arrival to Nashville, we stayed until the bar closed. First we watched from the bar on the first floor. Then we ventured up to the second floor balcony where we could observe almost directly over the stage. We were sad it was over when the music stopped for the evening.
The Party and Live Music was Electric on New Year’s Eve
We spent New Year’s Eve with nearly 200,000 other people at Jack Daniel’s Music City Midnight, an outdoor concert/party that takes over Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park in downtown Nashville. Though a crowd of such numbers may seem a bit daunting, the event was incredibly orchestrated and perfectly executed by the Nashville Convention and Visitors Center. It never felt overwhelming. The venue included food and drink trucks, party tents with bars, photo op stations, bathrooms and lockers. Best of all, the event is family friendly and free! We opted to purchase the VIP Gold Circle package, which included a party inside the Farmer’s Market with a food buffet, several bars, cocktail tables, photo booth, phone charging stations, bathrooms, and a designated outdoor viewing area of the stage. Though a bit pricey, the Gold Circle Party was worth every penny we paid.
The Musical Performances on New Year’s Eve Were First Class
The musical line up included Fisk Jubilee Singers, Devon Gilfillian, Caitlyn Smith, Judah & the Lion, Brett Young, Peter Frampton, and the headliner, Keith Urban. We hadn’t heard of half of the performers in the line up. I was worried that we may be bored before the arrival of Keith Urban. Absolutely not! Everyone one of the performers was first class and their performances heartfelt. You could feel their genuine excitement in being there, which fed the fervor of the crowd. At midnight, the City’s sixteen-foot red musical note dropped from high above the stage, an a flashy display of fireworks went off, and the crowd was showered with confetti. Keith Urban continued to play after the countdown.
Nashville is for Sports Lovers Too
Almost everywhere we went during our time in Nashville, we witnessed groups of fans “pre-gaming” at the bars. The NFL Tennessee Titans play at Nissan Stadium in downtown Nashville located across the Cumberland River from Music Row. The Titans cheerleading team and mascot paraded down Music Row in the afternoon before the Sunday night game, tossing out Titans paraphernalia and drumming up more excitement amongst the already enthusiastic jersey adorned fans. On New Year’s Day, Music Row was overtaken by exuberant NHL Nashville Predators Fans wearing the trademark “Smashville” gear. Like the football stadium, the Bridgestone Arena is within a short walk from Music Row on the corner of 5th Avenue and Broadway. If you stand in the middle of Broadway you will see Nissan Stadium at one end and Bridgstone Arena at the other.
The Food Lovers Nashville
A visit to Nashville would not be complete without trying its famous barbecue and hot chicken. Hattie B’s in Midtown is the famed place to go for “the best” hot chicken. We went to Hattie’s at about 2:30 p.m. The line of people waiting to get in was out the door and around the block. I was too hungry to wait it out. Instead, I got my hot chicken at Puckett’s Grocery & Restaurant located on Church Street in downtown Nashville. I ordered the Music City Hot Chicken sandwich with sweet potato fries and coleslaw. The hot chicken was a lightly battered fried chicken breast seasoned with Puckett’s own blend of hot chicken spices. My chicken was tender, juicy and spicy. The more I ate the hotter it got, but not too hot to finish!
Plan Ahead To Try Famous Barbeque
We encountered the same problem with trying the famous barbeque as we did with hot chicken. We did not plan ahead, and again I was too hungry to wait in the long line at the Peg-Legged Pig, located in the Gulch neighborhood. If you are hoping to try Hattie B’s or one of the famous barbeque joints, plan ahead and be prepared to wait for a long while in line!
You Can’t Visit Nashville Without Falling in Love
We didn’t have the chance to try the most famous hot chicken or barbecue in Nashville. And, we were having so much fun where in all of the Honky Tonks we visited listening to the live music that we never got to the Wild Horse Saloon to take the line dancing lessons I had planned. I guess that just means we will have to go back!
Nashville is a place with heart and soul. It is a City of hopes and dreams. We could see and feel the passion and drive of the musicians in every musical performance that we took in during our three-day stay. Nashville reminded me one of the reasons why I love to travel. Experiencing new things together always reignites our passion for each other and reminds us of all of the things we enjoy together. Nashville brought us back to your early days when savoring music together was more of a part of our lives. Nashville gave us new energy and new music to love together. Thank you Nashville for the best New Year’s ever!
The Wrap Up
The Vibe: Party, Cowboy/Cowgirl, Honky Tonk
What To Do: Experience live music, dance, eat barbecue and hot chicken, go to a Titans NFL game or a Predators NHL game.
What to Wear: Jeans, boots of any kind, and if you don’t have them you can buy them.
When to Go: Anytime. Locals told us that it was not busy at the end of December/beginning of January, when we visited. At that time of year, there were a lot of people around, but the no place was ever too crowded.
How to Get Around: We took a taxi from the airport and stayed downtown. We walked almost everywhere, and took the free Metro bus. We took a hop on hop off Trolley Tour from Music Row to take in all of the City’s landmark’s.
Where We Stayed: Stay Alfred, 505 Church St., within easy walking distance from Music Row and Printers Alley. Beautiful and a great value!
Where We Ate: Puckett’s Grocery & Restaurant, 500 Church St., Jack’s Barbeque, 1601 Charlotte Ave., Stock & Barrel, 901 Gleaves St. (We’re not big eaters!)
Our Shoes: A splurge for Pat, Justin Boots, purchased from Boot Country located at 304 Broadway (aka Music Row). I wore my boots purchased from Aldo over a decade ago! They don’t have to be cowboy boots. Wear any kinds of boots, and you will fit in.
Lisa’s Old Cowboy Boots 
Pat’s New Cowboy Boots
