For Day 1: click here
For Day 0: click here
You can’t visit Nashville without paying respects to the country greats. We kick the day off at the Country Music Hall of Fame – a massive building downtown – to take a trip through some of America’s rich musical history. Top 40 country, not included.
The museum portion of the complex is a modern, two story expansive collection of memorabilia and information about the history of American country music (see above). Also, on the other side of the exhibits, there is an archive full of instruments, records, and other artifacts collected and donated to the museum.
The gallery’s collection is expansive – ranging from instruments from the 1930s and before (see above) to cowboy boots from early country stars.
Perhaps one of the early precursors to “bling” is Webb Pierce’s “Silvar Dollar” 1962 Pontiac Bonneville (see above), decked out with silver handguns, a silver rifle, 1000 silver dollars, and horseshoes as gas and brake pedals. Xzibit would be taking notes. One of Elvis’ Cadillacs is on display next door, with probably one of the earliest TV in-car installations and diamonds ground into the paint.
As country music progressed, showy displays – rhinestone suits, gold inlays, rings, etc. – became popular with the genre’s front runners. Elvis’ gold piano (see above) is no exception.
Speaking of gold – the museum has hundreds of gold records on display (see above and below), essentially wallpapering a few areas of the building. People love their country music, and some of the best sellers are on display.
With more gold records adorning the walls near the exposed staircase (see above), we descend to the bottom story of the museum and are greeted by a special exhibit highlighting the Hank Williams clan (Sr., Jr., and III). Some of the most important (and wild) folks in country music’s past, the exhibit told the family’s story and featured some interesting memorabilia. For instance, a six-shooter with a Warner Brother’s emblem given to Hank Williams Jr. after he signed a recording contract. Gangsta.
Of course, Johnny Cash makes an appearance in the museum, featuring one of his black suits and black guitars (see below).
Upon exiting the museum’s gallery, we find ourselves in the actual Country Music Hall of Fame (see below). Dozens of bronze plaques adorn the walls, each with a portrait and information about an important country star. Hanging from the middle of the roof is an inverted tower, representing the broadcast antenna from country mecca the Grand Ole Opry, and a famous lyric “Will The Circle Be Unbroken” wraps around the inside of the rotunda.
It’s nearing lunchtime, so we bid farewell to the Hall of Fame and head across the river which skirts downtown to East Nashville for lunch. We were recommended by a friend to be sure to stop by Bolton’s Spicy Chicken and Fish (see below), which turns out to be a small, hole in the wall restaurant in a semi-industrial area of town. However, it has a undeniable sense of authenticity for Southern comfort food.
And damn, did that fried catfish sandwich taste good! Inside, there was a small order window, four tables, and an old television playing a midday soap opera. It almost felt like we were in someone’s garage, yet that only added to Bolton’s charm. Mouths on fire from willingly overdosing on hot sauce, we jump back in the Scion and roll back over the river to the heart of Downtown Nashville.
We ditched the car a few blocks off of Broadway, downtown’s main drag. The street was an endless array of lighted marquees, honky-tonks, old-timey record shops, and country trinket stores. Among the droves of bars – most of which were featuring live music of some sort – was our target: Hatch Show Print (see below), one of the oldest letterpress print shops in America that is still operating.
For about 100 years, the Hatch Show Print has been pumping out posters for many of the artists in the country scene, especially those who call Nashville their home. The shop only uses typefaces from it’s historic collection, bridging current artists and designs with the Hatch’s vintage past.
At the front of the Hatch’s workshop is a small retail space. However, most of the area is devoted to printmaking, and the presses are alive with activity. The shop stay contemporary, and in fact just finished printing posters for the Flaming Lips show at the Ryman Auditorium tonight.
Right back at ya, Elvis (see below).
Broadway’s record stores all have an antique flavor, which makes for some very old school signage (see below).
Along Lawrence has a seemingly endless selection of 45s that stretches all the to the back of the store (see below), and some original pressings of famous country and classic Southern rock records.
Riding the record store browsing wave, we drive from the heart of downtown to continue perusing at Jack White’s Third Man Records (see below). The store/recording studio/label HQ is located in an iffy area of Nashville (and it was starting to get dark!), but the risk of getting mugged is worth checking out what goodies Third Man has on display.
The retail space is cozy and slickly designed. A quick glance down a hallway leads us face to face with Jack White’s gold and platinum record displays (see below) – and he has enough to stretch the entire length of the corridor!
Obviously, the first thing we look for is hometown hero Pokey LaFarge’s Third Man release (see below). He’s there, and according to the girl behind the counter, the 7-inch is selling well. No surprises, there!
We check out the Third Man Records mobile truck (which we first encountered in Austin during our On The Road SXSW trip), but sadly, Jack White doesn’t jump out to play some tunes this time. Still, the idea of a roving record store outfitted with gear for impromptu concerts is legit, and hopefully the truck will make it up to St. Louis in the near future.
Dinnertime was approaching, so we head over to an acclaimed chicken joint – McDougal’s – which skirts Vanderbilt University’s campus. Nashville is known for its fried foods, and our spicy chicken strips further confirmed it. Refueled and refreshed, we head back downtown to the Ryman Auditorium – which was the original Grand Ole Opry – to catch the Flaming Lips. Yeah, we’re pumped!
The Ryman (see above) used to be a church before becoming the original Opry, and the pews are still there. The room has a old-timey feel to it, which clashes in a funny way with the Flaming Lips’ psychedelic, futuristic stage setup. Though the venue is large, it holds on to an intimate feel – there’s no barrier at the front, meaning the bands will be playing almost on top of the audience. We’re bracing ourselves for the upcoming confetti and strobe-light blasts.
Openers The Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger (see above and below) – fronted by Sean Lennon (yes, he’s John Lennon’s son) – set the mood with some extended, spacey instrumental jams. It’s impossible not to get sucked in by the band’s soundscape, and their set flies by. Before we know it, we’re giddy again, waiting for the Flaming Lips to start the party.
And after thirty minutes of setting up the stage with even more gear (the band soundchecks and sets up with their crew – they still keep it real!), the house lights dim, the giant LED screen lights up, and the Lips jump out (see below).
Well, almost all of them. Frontman Wayne Coyne takes a different approach, and rolls out over the crowd in his signature “space bubble” (see below). Before the show, Coyne announced how crazy it was that the Lips were playing in a venue which still had the ghosts of country music’s greats in walls. And, he didn’t let them down.
After triumphantly surfing his way to the middle of the crowd, Coyne returned to the stage, and confetti, smoke, and balloons began to rain down on us. The band blasted into “Worm Mountain,” and the show is underway. The auditorium is transformed (see below), with dazzling lights and Lips charisma.
A Flaming Lips show is more than simply a concert – it’s a soul-searching experience. Coyne’s lyrics wrestle with life and love, and the band’s auditory, visual, and balloon driven assault is a complete sensory overload.
The band encores with “Race for the Prize” and “Do You Realize??,” which is almost too much to handle. Covered in confetti and streamers, we all sing with Coyne about our own mortality, and try our hardest not to let our eyes well up. The Lips exit with a wave, and we slowly return back to reality.
We’re not ready to call it a night yet, though. Our friends Sleepy Kitty are on tour, and are playing a show at the Springwater Supper Club (see above), a lovable dive bar just north of Vanderbilt. Unfortunately, by the time we get to the bar, they had finished their set. Nice poster, Paige (see below)!
However, we still manage to catch PUJOL (see below), one of Nashville’s rising stars in the garage rock scene. Playing a solo set, Daniel Pujol belted out tunes standing on top of his amplifier.
With the show coming to an end, we decide to call it a night. Ears ringing, we get some well deserved rest.
