Day 6, Wednesday May 29^th:

Given the long week we’d been having, peppered with insufficient bouts of rest we decided to sleep in this day.  Feeling refreshed and rejuvenated, we were ready to take on Nashville, one of music’s most beloved and historical cities. Starting off at the Country Music Hall of Fame, right next to the Music City Center, it was clear that our day would be filled with music related sights and experiences.  Walking through the surrounding rose garden, we found the Music City walk of fame, where painted stars overlying the walkway each represented a Nashville born and bred musician. 

From there we found ourselves at the Schermerthorn Symphony Center. While trying to sneak in to see a performance we made a friend in an employee that worked there. She showed us the best spot to peek in at the brilliant looking concert hall and the orchestra rehearsing onstage. 

We then walked around historic Broadway, with its many colorful bars and shops, amongst which we stopped in to a vintage guitar shop, a cowboy boot and hat store, and Jack’s Barbeque - a local favorite.

We even attempted to get into CMT television studios (but were denied access by security).  After getting a good sense of Nashville’s downtown in the daytime, we ventured to the outskirts of the city to check out Centennial Park.  This park is noteworthy for its many live-music stages and for having the only full scale model of an Athenian Parthenon in America.  

Being the middle of the week, there was little live-music going on, but the Parthenon was truly a spectacular rendition of the original. Because of the park’s proximity to Vanderbilt University we decided to walk through the campus, and enjoy the collegiate nostalgia on our way to Music Row, a strip of famous studios where many musicians have started their careers.

At this point we were ready to start our evening. After heading back for a quick shower and some rest we headed back down to the already lively Broadway. Our first stop was the legendary BB King’s Restaurant and Blue’s Club where we enjoyed the music of Alyssa Jacey, and the Herschel Bailey Band. 

The music was fantastic as well as the food, and we even experienced some local flavor in the form of a duo of older men who called themselves “Bang This”. We later found them on the street and they gave us their business card.  It is recommended that you check them out.

From there we went bar hopping to take in some of the local music.  The Music City came alive with sounds of Country, rock, and jazz.  Almost every bar we visited had a live band playing - truly an appropriate end to the evening for one of America’s most musical cities.    

~Jeremy, Max, and Adam