We live in the digital generation of influencers who want to be the next big thing. The next "it…." The "it" designation goes beyond people wanting to get noticed. This descriptor can also be applied to locations like cities. Like Nashville. Music City has become the "It City."
Nashville has always been known as the birthplace of country music. This rich history has coursed through the decades and has produced music legends and signature hit songs.
Many songwriters and artists continue to make their way here, hopeful of landing a gig at the best bar on Broadway to showcase their talent.
Tourists and loyal country music fans arrive from all over the United States and the world to visit Nashville so they can experience what it means to be in "The It City of the South.
Nashvillians already know their home is a treasure and are proud to share its history, entertainment, and hospitality. Let’s look at some of the reasons why Nashville has become one the most popular cities for visitors who want an authentic Southern experience in a vibrant, bustling atmosphere.
Southern Hospitality
Anyone who visits Nashville will immediately experience the deep-rooted charm of Southern hospitality. For Nashvillians, you are not a visitor but a guest who must be treated with the proper amount of welcoming, feeding, and fussing. Folks love to visit Nashville for its warm and friendly personality, live country music, and the taste of hot chicken.
Ask a local to direct you to famous bars in Nashville, and they can recite a long list of choices, especially the places to most likely spot a country music star.
Booming Tourism
There is no denying that Nashville is a bustling tourism hub, and we are proud to roll out the welcome mat. In addition, to live country music at the best bars in Nashville, there are numerous well-known venues and attractions downtown, like the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Ryman Auditorium, Printers Alley, and the Johnny Cash Museum.
The part of these Nashville institutions is that they are only a short walking distance to Lower Broadway, where you will hear the sounds of live country music.
Downtown Music Scene
In addition to the best bars in Nashville playing live country music, the downtown area also features bars and clubs featuring rock, blues, jazz, and Americana. For an exciting live music scene, downtown Nashville, including the area around Lower Broadway, can’t be beat!
Music Festivals
Nashville and the surrounding area love to host large-scale festivals that showcase country music and a diverse array of genres. Depending on the time of year you visit Nashville will determine if the more prominent festivals are taking place, like the CMA Music Festival, formerly known as Fan Fair, the Bonnaroo Music Festival, and the Pilgrimage Music and Cultural Festival. But never fear! Nashville has live music for you, no matter the day, month, or year!
Traditional and Trendy Food Scene
Nashville's unique take on Southern cuisine includes hot chicken joints, barbeque with all the fixins', and where a meat-and-three is only a hop, skip, and jump away.
In addition to our Southern-style food and restaurant traditions, Nashville also boasts high-end dining with James Beard Award-winning chefs, ubiquitous food trucks, cozy bistros, and ethnic cuisines like Ethiopian, Uzbek, Dominican, and Nigerian. If you are hungry, Nashville has the perfect meal for you.
Arts and Culture
No one who visits Nashville should be surprised that the “It City of the South” is home to world-class art museums, galleries, theaters, and performance halls. Visitors are encouraged to experience the artistic and architectural beauty of the Frist Art Museum, the Tennessee Performing Arts Center, the Tennessee State Museum, the Parthenon, the National Museum of African American Music, and the Nashville Symphony at the Schermerhorn Center. And all these Nashville gems are a stone’s throw away from the best bars in Nashville featuring live country music, a staple for any time spent in the downtown area.
Professional and College Sports Teams
Nashville is the "It City" for fantastic sports teams with legions of devoted fans. The minor league baseball team, the Nashville Sounds, laid the foundation for live sports entertainment, and other pro sports soon followed.
Nashville is also the home field for the NFL Tennessee Titans football team, the NHL Nashville Predators hockey team, and the Nashville Soccer Club. And because Nashville is also known for its numerous colleges and universities, college sports are equally popular, with outstanding teams from Vanderbilt University, Middle Tennessee State University, and Belmont University.
Other major sporting events include the Music City Bowl during the NCAA college football bowl season, and the Country Music Marathon held annually in the spring.
Nashville may have earned its reputation as the "It City of the South" with its growing population, diverse range of industry headquarters, and burgeoning music, restaurant, art, and culture scene, but residents and tourists never forget Nashville's roots.
If you need a little reminder to ground yourself in authentic history and culture, venture down to Lower Broadway and enjoy live country music at the best bars in Nashville.