Welcome to Broadway

    Let me introduce you to Broadway. This is one of the areas that makes Nashville well, Nashville.
It is a street in downtown that runs about 4 or five blocks long and is filled with people, restaurants, gift shops, buskers, a life-size statue of Elvis, and of course the music in the bars.
 Music is Nashville. It blasts in the cars, the parks, at farmers markets, the Grand ole Opry, and  of course Broadway.

  The music coming from these bars is unlike anything else. These people are AMAZING. upright bass players, slide guitars, electric guitars, acoustic guitars, fiddles, and singers. They are of course, playing country music, old country, new country, Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton and their own creations. I am not kidding when I say they are amazing. They are, There is no production, no voice tuners, no fancy costumes or glitzy lights, just sheer talent on a stage the size of a shoe box.

  They play for free, and take requests and pass around a pickle jar every once in a while for tips. It costs you nothing, absolutely nothing to go into these bars, and listen, if you like what you hear you stay a while grab a beer, and listen. You leave when you're done and head down the sidewalk until you hear something else you like. If you stop long on the sidewalk and happen to be in front of the window where the band is playing the drummer might tap on the glass and invite you in.
  The band acknowledge almost every single person as they enter the door, and tip their hat at you as you leave. You walk out wondering how these people aren't rich and famous, and how some of the artists out there actually are rich and famous.

  The great thing about hanging out here is you can also take the kids until 6:00pm. The kids get the chance to hear these people and see the possibilities, see what people are capable of, without MTV airbrushing and auto tuning.

They dance, they get so excited when the band plays a song they know, or when the lead singer comes up and talks to us. It's such an experience for them, and us. We can't wait to take people and show them Broadway when they visit.

 So whenever you're ready, Don't be bashful.