Places to Visit in NASHVILLE

Several years ago, I started a list of all of my favorite places in Nashville. The list grows every year, and is now to the point where I can't even send it to people anymore--except by email--because it's too long. But because I keep getting requests, and I enjoy sharing my love for this city, I decided to publish it here. 

Most of these places I've been to, and some I haven't. All are in downtown or midtown Nashville, and within a few blocks or miles of each other, unless specified otherwise:

BARS

- Loser's and Winner's, on Division Street, in what's known as Midtown, a couple miles west of downtown. Loser's is a bar, and Winner's is a bar and grill; they're right next to each other. A good amount of country stars come in to these bars. Winner's hosts Whiskey Jam every Monday and Thursday night, which is a very popular music event, that I highly recommend going to. 

- Tootsie's, on Broadway and 5th Ave, right across from Bridgestone Arena. It's a famous honky tonk (it's the the purple building). If you ever see a guy named Scott Collier playing here, say hi. He's a friend of mine, as are a few other performers there. 

- Legends, on Broadway, next to Tootsies. It's right on the corner of Broadway and 5th.

- Swingin' Doors Saloon, just off Broadway, between 5th and 2nd Ave South.

- The Stage, on Broadway. Another good honky tonk, with a big neon sign. This may be one of the most popular, in terms of seeing it on TV and in music videos and stuff.

- Honky Tonk Central, on Broadway and 4th Ave South. Big three story bar, live music on every floor (that is becoming the norm for Broadway bars). Scott Collier plays here, too.

- Coyote Ugly, on 2nd Ave North, just north of Commerce Street. 

- Wildhorse Saloon, on 2nd Ave, between Broadway and Commerce. It's supposedly a bit touristy, but it's a cool place. Easily the biggest honky tonk I've seen, it's three stories, with a huge stage. Good food, a good size dance floor (pretty much the only place to dance in downtown Nashville, though don't expect it to be as good as California), and some good up and coming acts play showcases and stuff here, sometimes. 

- Tin Roof, a cool bar in midtown, on Demonbreun Street (they also have a location downtown, on Broadway). Here and Losers and Dawg House are three of the more popular bars in midtown, from what I've observed. The advantage/difference between midtown bars and downtown bars, is that midtown is more locals, and downtown is more tourists. Drinks might even be a tad cheaper in midtown, too. They have a weekly singer-songwriter night on Tuesdays at Tin Roof Demonbreun, called Revival, that I hear is really good. 

- Printers Alley, an actual alley off of Church Street, between 3rd and 4th Ave North, two blocks north of Broadway. It houses a number of bars and clubs, including one or two karaoke bars, and B.B. Kings Blues & Boogie Bar. Part of the music video for Carrie Underwood's "Before He Cheats" was also shot here. 

- Wild Beaver Saloon, at the corner of Commerce and 3rd Ave North, one block north of Broadway. If you like karaoke bars, this is another one I've been to. 

- Dawg House Saloon, a cool and popular locals sports bar, on Demonbreun in midtown. Go here on Sunday afternoons for Sunday Funday, NFL football, and a hilariously entertaining live band called the Spazmatics. 

- Magaritaville, on Broadway, between 4th and 3rd Ave. It is probably worth going to on its own, but it is DEFINITELY worth going to on Fridays, between 3 and 7pm Nashville time, because Buzz Brainard hosts his live radio show, called Music Row Happy Hour, on SXM The Highway, which always includes audience participation and interaction and interviews, and frequently includes visits from country artists, who will do interviews and play a few songs, and even sometimes take pictures with the audience. 

-  FGL House, a brand new multi-level bar, on 3rd Ave in downtown. Pretty happening place. 

- Luke Bryan, Jason Aldean, Blake Shelton, Dierks Bentley, Alan Jackson, John Rich, and Kid Rock have all opened bars recently. Google them to find their location. I believe they’re all downtown, on or just off of Broadway. 

FOOD

- Jack's BBQ, on Broadway. Big light-up neon sign. Supposed to have really good BBQ. I've had it once, and it was ok. 

- Rippy's, another good BBQ place, on the corner of Broadway and 5th, across from Legends and Bridgestone Arena. They have frequent live music (as do many restaurants in town), including my friend Kaitlin Walker, who plays there on Mondays and Tuesdays, I believe. 

- The Row, another cool bar in midtown, just down the street from Loser's (on Lyle Ave; Loser's is on Division Street, which Lyle dead-ends into in front of Loser's). They appear to have a restaurant side and a bar side, but you can get food on either. The bar side has a small stage, and is a good place to watch live music in an intimate setting. 

- The Southern Steak and Oyster, on 3rd Ave South, near Demonbreun. There are several places you can go to get good southern cooking; this is one of them. Pick your time of day wisely, though, because they only offer certain menus at certain times of day. 

- Puckett's Grocery and Restaurant, at the corner of 5th Ave North and Church Street. Another good place for southern food. 

- Martin's BBQ. There are multiple locations, but the closest is probably the one on 4th Ave, a few blocks south of Broadway. Edley's is good too; I have been there once. They have multiple locations, as well - I went to their location in the 12 South neighborhood. 

- Hattie B's Hot Chicken. If you're in Nashville, you gotta try their signature hot chicken, and this is one of many places to get it. 

- Monell’s, in Germantown; and Loveless Cafe, a few miles from downtown. Both are excellent places to experience authentic southern cooking. Monell’s is particularly special, because it features family style dining (where you will share a table and meal with friendly strangers), and because it is in a beautiful and historic area of Nashville (Germantown). The restaurant is over 100 years old, is next to a Victorian garden, and the surrounding area includes beautiful Victorian architecture, over 100 types of trees, the Nashville Capitol, Bicentennial Mall State Park, and Farmers Market. And if you happen to be there in September or October, you can experience Oktoberfest. 

MUSIC VENUES

- Grand Ole Opry. About a half hour from downtown, but a must-see if you're in Nashville. They have shows at least once a week, on Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday nights. Visit Opry.com for more details. They sell backstage and VIP tours, too

- Ryman Auditorium, "the mother church of country music", on 5th Ave North, between Broadway and Commerce, just down the street north of Bridgestone Arena. The Opry has shows there, too, sometimes, and they sell tours, as well.

-Bluebird Cafe, about five miles from downtown. It's a famous place for songwriters to play, you may have seen it on the show "Nashville" on ABC/CMT (that's a good way to find other places of interest, too, by the way). It's very intimate, and they take the shows very seriously. It's what is known as a listening room, which is a venue where singer-songwriters play their original material, and people actually stay quiet and listen, as opposed to a lot of other places, where the musicians are basically background music. 

- Bridge Bar, a bar inside the Renaissance Hotel, on Commerce Street, in downtown. I haven't been to it, but I know they host some cool singer-songwriter shows. 

- Listening Room Cafe, on 4th Ave South. It’s a great venue for live music, hosting singer-songwriter shows just about every day. On Mondays, they host an all-female singer-songwriter showcase, called Song Suffragettes. Song Suffragettes is a weekly showcase every MONDAY at 6pm CT, that features very talented female singers and songwriters who are trying to make it, but haven't broken through yet. 

-  Belcourt Taps, a cool, small bar & grill in midtown, that has daily singer-songwriter shows that are very intimate. 

- 12th & Porter, a larger music venue (though I've never been in it) that hosts many genres of music, not just country. Other similar venues are Exit/In, 3rd & Lindsley, The Basement, The Basement East, City Winery, Marathon Music Works, Cannery Ballroom, Limelight, Mercy Lounge, and Schermerhorn Symphony Center. 

- Whiskey Jam. I mentioned it above, but it takes place every week, usually at Winner’s Bar in midtown, and usually on Mondays and Thursdays, though there are exceptions to both the day and location. Among the recurring weekly singer-songwriter nights in midtown bars, this is perhaps the favorite among locals, and easily the most popular and famous. There are a ton of acts who have played Whiskey Jam, both before and after they became famous. 

SHOPPING

- Boot Country, on Broadway between 3rd and 4th Ave, and Nashville Cowboy, their sister store, on 2nd Ave North, between Broadway and Commerce. They both have a buy ONE, get TWO FREE (equal or lesser value) policy on boots!!!!

- The Nash Collection, on Broadway, between 2nd and 3rd Ave, on the second floor at 212 Broadway. They are a very popular Nashville-themed clothing and apparel line, which has an extensive online store, as well. Visit www.thenashcollection.com, or look them up on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or Pinterest.

- I’m not much of a shopper, haha, so the above is about all I got, but a few areas I’ve heard are good are The Gulch (which includes a Lucchese Boots flagship store), 12 South, Green Hills, and Opry Mills.

PARKS AND OTHER AREAS OF INTEREST

- Centennial Park, about 2.5 miles from downtown. They have a replica of the Parthenon. 

- Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park, aka Bicentennial Mall. Near the State Capitol building, it has a lot of civil war and World War II history, including a museum. I haven’t been to it yet, but I hear it’s really cool. This is also where Keith Urban has headlined a New Years Eve concert the last couple years. 

- Ascend Amphitheater, on 1st Ave South, a little bit south of Demonbreun. I don't know if you'll get a chance to see inside, unless you attend a show here, or view from a distance higher on the hill, but it's a really cool new venue that opened recently. Great addition to the city for concerts and festivals. 

- Riverfront Park, at the corner of Broadway and 1st Ave. I haven't seen much of it, other than during CMA Fest, when they turn it into a music venue with a big stage on the edge of the river, but I'm sure it's a cool and pretty place to walk around and hang out anytime of year. They have a party pontoon now that floats down the river, called Pontoon Saloon! It's BYOB, and is really fun! Kinda like the pedal taverns that can be found all around town, but bigger and less work, and on water! I did it for my birthday in 2018.

- Music City Center, at the corner of 5th Ave South and Demonbreun. Not sure you'll have a reason to go in here, either, but it's basically the new convention center (the old one is a couple blocks north, at the corner of 5th and Broadway/Commerce). One of the most notable events held here, is Fan Fair X during CMA Fest, which features tons of exhibitors, artist autograph signings, and live music.

- Music Row, an area of streets in midtown, around the intersection of Demonbreun, Division, and 17th Ave South. This is where many of the recording studios and offices are located. Don't be expecting high rises or office buildings. Many of them are actually old houses, that are converted into studios and offices. 

- SiriusXM The Highway has their studio inside the tall glass cone in front of Bridgestone Arena, on the corner of Broadway and 5th Ave. I don't think it's open to the public, but it's worth knowing its location. 

- Pontoon Saloon. As mentioned above, they are a BYOB party barge that floats down the Cumberland River, with their dock being located just across the bridge from downtown, next to Nissan Stadium. They’re a great way to celebrate a birthday, bachelor/bachelorette party (Nashville is now the #1 destination for bachelorette parties in the USA, by the way), or Sunday Funday. Visit www.pontoonsaloontn.com to learn more. 

- Pedal Tavern. I haven’t done one, but these are very popular, and you’ll see them all over town. They are basically a bar on a bicycle, and you ride with a group through the streets of Nashville, drinking and singing and pedaling all the while. Visit www.nashvillepedaltavern.com to learn more. 

- I've come to accept that Nashville is all about live music, but if you do want to DANCE, one place you can go is Silverado, which is in Goodlettsville, about 20 mins from Nashville. There are others as well, from what I hear, but none in or close to downtown. I do have friends, though, who are trying to develop a dance scene, so if interested in dancing, contact me, and I will ask them about their latest/current dancing events that they have going. 

- There’s a really cool mural, located in the 12 South area, that says “I Believe In Nashville”. It’s a popular spot to stop and take photos. The whole 12 South area is another cool spot to hang out, with many restaurants and coffee shops, such as Frothy Monkey

- Even though Nashville is known for its music, it has a booming food scene, as well as arts. I've named a few good places on here, but I recommend googling to find others, because just like the bars and music venues, there's just so many!!! I've been to Nashville eight times as of September 2018, and I'm still finding and checking out new spots every time I go. 

- There are also lots of great hikes and other places to observe all the natural beauty out here. I'm not too experienced in this regard, as of yet, but there is a park only about five miles from downtown, called Edwin Warner Park, that has some cool places to hike, or you could just take a drive on one of the interstates, such as I-65, either north or south. Radnor Lake and Percy Priest Lake are also nearby. You could also walk around the campuses of Vanderbilt or Belmont University. Both are beautiful, both in terms of nature and architecture. 

- If visiting during CMA Fest week (second week of June every year), I want to give you a heads-up on the most amazing resource I’ve ever found in my five years of attending the festival: Look up “Music City Meet and Greets – Unofficial Guide to CMA Fest.” They have a Facebook page, Twitter page, website, email newsletter, and more! They are easily the most extensive resource I’ve ever found for all things CMA Week, from meet & greets and fan club parties for EVERY artist, to stage schedules, to other amazing shows and events not officially affiliated with the festival, and more! You won’t know what to do with yourself after browsing through their website, nor find any other website (including the official festival site) with anywhere close to this much info! Trust me, whether you’re a first timer, or 10 year festival veteran, everyone has something to gain from their services. www.musiccitymeetandgreets.com

Treacher Collins Retreat 2017

So this past weekend, I ventured out with my mom to my first ever retreat for Treacher Collins Syndrome (TCS), the medical condition with which I was born. It was not only my first TCS retreat, but my first TCS event of any kind. Previous to this, I had met other individuals with TCS, and--more recently--have gotten involved with some TCS Facebook groups, but had never been at a place with several other people, let alone a gathering meant to celebrate and educate about the condition. 

It was a unique and cool experience. I really wasn't sure how it would go, or what to expect. I didn't know how I would react, or what I might have to offer or gain from the experience. As it turned out, I had a pretty good time, met lots of cool people, made some new friends, learned some new information, met a great medical team, and hopefully made a positive impact on some of the other people at the retreat. 

It was interesting to observe the age range of all the people with TCS at the retreat. There were babies, young children, older children, young adults, middle aged adults; a pretty wide spectrum. I think from a pure observation standpoint, I most enjoyed watching the young children. They played and acted just like any other children, oblivious to their condition, which helps to emphasize and remind that people with TCS are really just like other people, despite their appearance. They like to play and have fun and go out just like anyone else. This was further reflected on Friday night, when I went out with a small group of people about my age, two of whom have TCS, and two of whom do not. In fact, it was actually two couples, which provides hope and inspiration and a reminder to me that I can find someone, as both couples were "mixed", i.e., a TCS person and a non-TCS person. In this case, both TCS individuals were girls, which means they found guys who were undeterred by--or perhaps even attracted to--their significant other's appearance. Seeing how guys tend to be more visually oriented than girls when it comes to attraction, that gives reason for hope for me that I can find a non-TCS girl who will love me.

While I certainly met and interacted with other people with TCS, I got the most enjoyment from interacting with the families of the TCS people. This mirrors my pattern of behavior here at home. Because while I'm able and willing to interact with others who have TCS, I'm not perfectly comfortable doing so. I find that when I'm around others with TCS, I get a little self-conscious. This happens when I'm around non-TCS people too, but when I'm around them, I feel myself comparing myself to them, determining who looks more normal and such. Obviously I keep all of this to myself and don't let it show, but that's what goes on in my head. I've always tried to view myself as normal and live my life as such, and so I think as a partial consequence of that, I feel most at ease around people without TCS, because that's what I'm used to, as well as where I feel best about myself, because I take pleasure from being surrounded and liked by attractive people (which probably says something about how I view myself, and compensation methods that I'm employing, but that's a separate topic for another post). Speaking of attractive people, there were a few of them at the retreat. Some were siblings of TCS people, some were medical staff, some were traveling nurses with the TCS kids. I definitely had my eye on a few different women there, but I've come to find out that all of them are in relationships. Bummer. Anyway, right or wrong, that's how I enjoyed my time socializing with others at the retreat (a little alcohol at the nighttime events didn't hurt, either). I should probably work on embracing my own TCS and being more comfortable around others who have it, but that's something to work on going forward; and given that this was my first wide exposure to others with TCS, I think it's understandable that I might have trouble jumping right into it.

In terms of medical information/education, I received a lot, as there were several presentations on Friday and Saturday; but most of the info kinda went over my head. Furthermore, most of it was regarding procedures that either I have already had done as a child, or that are not necessarily feasible as an adult. However, I did get to try out a couple different kinds of hearing aids, and talk to several individuals who have them, along with their families. This was very valuable, because my type of hearing aid is very outdated, so much so that the company has stopped making them. This means I will soon be forced into newer technology, and that's what I got to test out and discuss this weekend. 

Aside from all that, I also participated in a clinic day at the hospital (Cincinnati Children's Hospital, where the majority of the retreat events took place) on Monday, where I got to be seen by a whole team of doctors of varying specialties, all in one place and all completely free of charge. Most of these doctors had participated and given presentations over the weekend at the retreat, but even the ones who hadn't were so nice and friendly. It was a really cool experience to get to be seen by a whole team, all in one place, where I literally sat in a single exam room and they all came to me. It was kinda like speed dating haha (because we were short on time). I had apparently experienced a team approach when I was a child here in LA, but I was too young to remember or appreciate it. It's really cool to think that I can have a whole team of professionals working together with their respective specialties and perspectives, all coming together for a unified approach to my treatment. The purpose of speaking with all these doctors was mostly informational and speculative--as opposed to practical with the stated intent to do procedures--but nevertheless, it was a wonderful opportunity, and I'm glad we took advantage of it. If nothing else, we got to meet and talk with an incredibly friendly and pleasant team of doctors, at a beautiful and state-of-the-art medical center. 

I came into this weekend wondering if anything might come out of it that could impact my future, or lead to me choosing to be further involved with TCS going forward. It's probably too early to say, but I think if there is one area in which I'd be interested in being involved, it would be advocacy in terms of speaking to young parents with young children with TCS. At this retreat, there was a young couple my age who spoke on Friday night. They have a nine-month-old son with TCS, and they were pretty brand new to all of this. I chose to reach out to them at one point during the weekend, because I wanted to encourage them and show them what a son with TCS looks like 30 years down the road. That's the kind of thing I think I can get passionate about: Going to events and speaking to young parents, giving them hope and encouragement, using my life history and my parents' decisions as an example and an inspiration for what they have ahead of them as first-time parents of a child with TCS. Because I'm sure that having a child with TCS is very scary and overwhelming, with so much doubt and fear and uncertainty about the child's future and what decisions they should make. So if I can provide some hope and encouragement and reassurance that things can be OK, that would be a cool thing to be a part of. I suppose it remains to be seen if I will pursue something like this or if there is opportunity for it, but if there is, maybe that will be something I could be useful with. 

I want to make further mention of the fact that my mom accompanied me to this retreat. I was going to come regardless, but she ended up choosing to come with me, and I'm glad she did. She was a valuable source of information, in terms of providing information about my medical history, collecting information from the presentations and doctor visits, and being really good about engaging other parents and families with TCS children and asking questions about their experiences. In addition, her companionship was appreciated, because while I would've gotten by more or less alright if I had been on my own, I would've been the only one at the retreat without a companion with me, and that would've inevitably led to a little bit of awkwardness and periodic loneliness; so her presence was helpful. 

All in all, this trip consisted of some new experiences, and a couple steps outside my comfort zone, but I think it went well, was worthwhile, and I enjoyed myself. I may not have interacted and engaged with my fellow TCS peeps as much as I could/should have, but the fact that I was there in the first place is hopefully a victory; and while I may not have gained a ton from interacting with them, hopefully they and/or their families gained something from interacting with me. In any case, I had a good time, and wouldn't be opposed to doing it again. I made a few new friends from other parts of the country who I'll hopefully stay connected with, got introduced to several awesome doctors and an awesome medical center for future reference, and may have found a bit of a calling, or way that I would be interested in being involved in TCS advocacy. Sounds good to me! 

Random Thoughts on the Meaning of Life

So lately, I've been unhappy with some of my decisions that I've been making. I won't elaborate, but it led to me thinking to myself that despite that, life is good, and it'd be nice if I could just make good choices consistently, so that I could be living in a way that I'm proud of myself all the time, not just here and there. 

But then I sort of caught myself and realized that even if I were living that way, that's really not what life is all about. I might feel good and be somewhat happy, at least for a while, but that would still be missing the point. Many people think that if you live a good life, be a good person, provide for yourself and your family, help others, etc., you have lived a good life. I haven't done all of those things, but I'm somewhat of a "good person", and even seem to manage to inspire people by the way I live despite the medical condition I was born with (which is called Treacher Collins Syndrome, for those who don't know). 

But coming from a Christian worldview, I know that when it really comes down to it, none of that stuff matters. Don't get me wrong, all those things are good in and of themselves. But when you're talking about what life is all about—or the meaning of life, if you will—I know that the primary purpose that we are here for is to be in relationship with God. Do that, and everything else listed above will come naturally through and as a result of that. Thus, that ought to be my primary concern. 

But the devil is smart, and knows that if my time and energy is going elsewhere, he's winning. This is true even to the extent that my life could look as good as can be by the aforementioned measures—I could be the most law-abiding, moral person in the world, volunteering my time to help others, raise a family who I love, and still end up in hell. That may sound like a shock to some people, but I believe it's true. Anything we do in our lives that doesn't include being in a relationship with God or sharing Him with others, is a victory in the devil's book. He doesn't have to destroy our lives, or lead us to destroy others. All he cares about is our eternal destination—whether we spend eternity with God, or separated from God, as he is—and that is dependent upon whether or not we know God. In fact, Satan probably prefers that we are happy and successful in life by the aforementioned measures. Because as long as we are distracted/busy/preoccupied/etc with our own lives and making ourselves and/or others happy, we won't have any energy left for God.

And that's where I stand. I believe I have entered into a relationship with God, but the last several years, I've been putting all my energy into myself. My primary concern has been making myself happy, and that has been the single most influential factor in almost every decision I make. That may sound bad, but it's true. For me, I see my life as following one of two paths. Either God will be at the center of my life, or I will. If I choose the former, I believe life will work out exactly as it should. I will be happy, my life will be a blessing and benefit to others, and most importantly, God will know me. If I follow the latter, I may have some fun and do some good and seem to live a pretty successful life; but in the end, it will be a failure. Because in the big picture of eternity, this life is but a blip on the radar. Hence, what happens in it matters little to Satan, or perhaps even to God. What matters most to both of them, I believe, is whether I am in relationship with God, and leading others to Him. If I am, God gets what He wants and what He created me for. If not, Satan wins, because that's less people spending eternity with God, and more people spending eternity with Him (which, the fact that we're with him is probably beside the point; i.e., I don't think he wants to torture us for eternity, he just wants us to be like him, separated from God). 

You would think that since I realize all this, and say I believe it, that I would change and surrender my life to Christ. But as it stands now, I'm having too much fun serving myself (dancing, going to concerts, going on trips, going out, making friends, pursuing girls, pursuing whatever it is that's on my mind, etc.) that I don't have much desire or incentive to serve God. That sounds terrible to say, but that's where I'm at. And again, that's all it takes for Satan to get what he wants. Even if I'm already saved, if I'm living a life where God isn't a big part of it, I'm less inclined to share the gospel with others, and Satan will take that every day he can. We'll see what the future holds. Hopefully, I'll come to a point of surrender. That could come by a variety of methods. My hope is that it comes "gently", and not by tragedy, but that remains to be seen. God knows how the story will play out. I don't, but I do have some control over it...

Nashville/CMA Fest 2016, Day 3

Man, writing these things at 3 in the morning ain't easy....

So today was decent. It still lacked the excitement/stimulation/thrill that Monday had, but to be honest, that level is pretty hard to reach, or at least unlikely. Today consisted of live music all day at the festival Kickoff Concert featuring Sirius XM Highway Finds at the new Ascend Amphitheater, followed by a couple other shows downtown, and ended with me going out to a couple bars.

The highlights of the first part (kickoff concert) was seeing Kalie Shorr (an artist who I had recently discovered) for the first time in person, and having Clare Dunn appear to notice me in the crowd and wave to me. The highlight of the second part (downtown club/bar shows) was seeing and meeting Hailey Steele (another artist I had recently discovered) for the first time, and watching Craig Morgan and Adam Sanders in their show (as well as a couple special guests that Craig brought out). The highlight of the third part (going to bars) was meeting a couple girls, one of who recognized me from Whiskey Jam on Monday, as I had run into her there.

So that's about all I have to say about Wednesday. See you guys tomorrow...

Nashville/CMA Fest 2016, Day 2

Well, overall, today wasn't quite as exciting as yesterday, at least from a social perspective. HOWEVER,  there were still some noteworthy moments, certainly from a music perspective:

The first half of our day consisted of a lot of touring. First, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. Next, RCA Studio B. And finally, the Grand Ole Opry. All three were fun and informative, and I enjoyed learning about some of the history of country music (though I had done some of those tours before, so it wasn't all new info and experience for me, whereas for my mom it was).

After that, we went to the City of Hope Celebrity Softball Game. It was fun. We had pretty good seats, and it was fun to see the artists competing and interacting with each other. 

After this, we had a bunch of dead time before we went to the Opry that night. We chose to kill it by going to Whiskey Jam at Losers, followed by dinner at The Row while watching Steel Blossoms (a female duo that I follow and had seen the previous night at the same place). 

Then it was the Opry. Our seats were amazing--easily the best seats I've ever had there. We were in the 3rd row just left of center. The music didn't disappoint either. The lineup was Darius Rucker, Jeannie Sealy, Lindsay Ell, "Whisperin'" Bill Anderson, Charles Esten, Carrie Underwood, and Chris Janson. Everyone did great, but the ones who stood out the most to me were Charles and Chris. The reason was somewhat the same--I had not seen either of them before, and was surprised and impressed by their performance. With Charles, I knew of him, but never followed the show (Nashville). With Chris, I knew his songs from the radio, but was not particularly a fan of any of them. Both were very energetic and highly enthusiastic in their interaction with the audience. But both were also great singers. Chris stood out to me the most, and "won" the night, if I had to vote. But at the same time, Carrie was flawless, Bill was funny, and Lindsay impressed me with her guitar ability. Great show overall.

After the Opry, my mom and I took an uber back to the hotel, where we dropped her off, and I continued back to downtown to try to find some more fun to end my night. I didn't end up finding much. The most notable thing that happened was that I ran into John Stone, an artist who plays Tootsies sometimes, and happened to be playing tonight. I said hi to him after he finished, and he invited me to come back the next two nights.

One other highlight from today that I want to mention, has to do with the softball game. I took some pictures and video while at the game, and posted some of them on social media. Well, one of them was a video of Cassadee Pope getting a hit. She happened to see it, and decided to retweet it with a quote of her own. This was really cool, because she doesn't do a whole lot of that. In fact, of all the times I've tagged her, I believe this is the first that she has ever responded to me in any way (including a couple pictures I posted of her from the softball game). So that was really cool. I can use that as discussion material when I meet her later this week. Plus it caused my twitter notifications to blow up for the rest of the day, which was fun.

So now it's Wednesday (was too tired to finish this post last night). Should be another day filled with live music. I also have some friends who will be arriving or otherwise available to hang out today, so let's see if I can meet up with some of them. Cheers to another great day in Nashville!

Nashville/CMA Fest 2016, Day 1

Wow....What. A. Day. This was our first day here in Music City, and what a day it turned out to be. This was my first time in Nashville in THREE YEARS, and my mom's first time ever. Needless to say, there was a lot of excitement for both of us. And man, did today live up to the hype. Forgive me for boasting, but I'm gonna give you a rundown of today's events. Can't believe it turned out so well...

We got into Nashville at about 3:30pm local time. From there we went to our hotel, checked in, and got situated. Then we went into downtown for the first time and met up with my friend Tiffany, who just moved here from California a couple months ago. We walked around for a bit, then got dinner at Puckett's. Dinner was great. I had BBQ, and there was live music, including a female singer who I took a liking to, and subsequently talked to after she finished. Her name is Nessa Survant.

After dinner, we headed back to the hotel to drop my mom off (she was tired after little sleep the night before), and then Tiffany and I headed to Loser's for Whiskey Jam. Whiskey Jam was awesome, as they always have a big show during CMA week (this year they have three). We didn't see the whole thing, but my favorite act was Adam Sanders. He performed some of his own songs, as well as at least one song he's written that have been recorded by other artists. The most notable, and my favorite, was "Ain't Worth the Whiskey", which he wrote with Cole Swindell and one other guy, and which Cole recorded and released as a single, and ended up going to #1. That was really cool to see.

Tiffany left after Adam finished, and I stayed a bit longer to finish my drink, and then headed to The Row to see a female duo I've been following, called Steel Blossoms. Cool story behind that....They followed me on Twitter a while back. I followed them back, and subsequently checked out their music. I took a moderate liking to them, and ended up communicating with them sporadically on Twitter. When I found out they would be performing during my time here, I messaged them and told them about it, and that eventually led to me going to see them tonight...They sounded great. The coolest part for me was the fact that they knew me by name. In fact, they said hi to me while performing on stage (in between songs) after I walked in. That was simply awesome. Then after they finished, they came up and talked to me for a bit, and ended up taking a picture with me with their own phone. I thrive off of interaction with artists, so to experience such personal interaction with these girls was thrilling. Sure, they may not be well known. But they're still professional musicians--and good ones at that--who pay enough attention to their fans/followers to know them by name, despite having never met me in person. That's awesome.

After that I went back to Loser's for a bit, because my friend Blake informed me of two friends of his--Heather and Kim--who now live in Nashville (but formerly lived in CA) and were working at Whiskey Jam tonight. I wasn't sure if they knew me or not, but as it turned out, once they saw me, they both got very excited and came over and greeted and talked to me. That was followed by a picture, and Heather asking me to two-step with her, which I did, to Jerrod Niemann, who was the final act of the event. After that, I met a guy named Rob, who recognized me from a recent concert I was at in CA. He works for a major artist (I'm gonna keep the details to myself), but he was super nice, and he and I exchanged info. Then after that I met a girl named Jordan, who was very nice, and turns out is also a singer songwriter. I may meet up with her, as well as Heather and Kim, and maybe even Rob, later in the week.

After all of this, I went over to downtown again, to Tootsie's, where my friend Scott was playing. As soon as I walk in and he sees me, he invites me up on stage with him, as is our tradition. Bear in mind, I am the last person who deserves to be up on that stage. Nevermind the fact that it is a legendary stage where so many great artists have stood and performed....I can't sing....So for me to be up there was definitely not something I deserve. On the contrary, Scott is an amazing guy; so kind, that despite my poor ability, he invites me up anyway, just to shine the spotlight on me a bit. We sang a few songs, and then I got a drink and walked around a bit (including checking out Tootsie's new third floor rooftop patio, which did not exist the last time I was here). Eventually I left and came back to my hotel, but not before Scott ended up inviting me on stage yet again to sing some more. I tell you, that guy is so generous,

So in closing, today was pretty epic, and far greater than I saw coming. If this trip continues like it did today, I might die from overstimulation haha. I guess this town loves me as much as I love it ;-)

Garth Brooks Concert Review

On Saturday, November 7th, 2015, I went to a Garth Brooks concert for the first time. It was in San Diego, at Valley View Casino Center (formerly the San Diego Sports Arena). I had never seen Garth perform live before, so this was my first exposure to him of any kind in-person. 

As you can imagine, I had high anticipation and expectations of how he would be and what I would see. After all, he’s won multiple Entertainer of the Year awards at the CMA and ACM Awards, and is widely considered an exceptional performer and entertainer—one of the best in country music history, and perhaps even all musical genres.

Well, he definitely didn't disappoint. My friend Valerie and I did have two 6’5” football players in the two rows in front of us, which limited our view and allowed me to see Garth only about half the time, but aside from that, the concert was awesome.

The most notable element of the show, which made it and his performance stand out the most, was the energy. I’ve been to a lot of shows, and seen almost every famous live act in country music, including possibly all of the nominees for Entertainer of the Year at the CMAs and ACMs in the last five or 10 years, and I have never seen anything quite like this. Garth Brooks had more consistent and nonstop energy and enthusiasm than anyone I’ve ever seen. And don’t worry, he only played for two hours, this being the third show in as many nights, with another one coming up the next night, AND one more THIS SAME NIGHT AFTER MY SHOW!! It’s not like he needed to conserve himself or anything…

Seriously, it was very impressive. And it wasn’t just him either. I’ve never witnessed an audience so loud and consistently electric. Everyone in that building was cheering during every song, knew all the words, and stood almost the entire time, even though they all had seats. Obviously it helps that he has so many well-known songs and hits (he is one of the most successful artists in music history), and that he is touring for the first time in 15 years and was visiting San Diego for the first time in 19 years. But all of that notwithstanding, it was an audience response that was exceptional.

And to his credit, he encouraged it and took advantage of it. Audience interaction and involvement, at least in my opinion, is a key element to what makes any artist a great live act and entertainer. Garth did plenty of that. He let us sing choruses, sing verses, held a cheering competition between sections, and yelled and cheered during every other song, further energizing us, which in turn further energized him. He even pointed it out early in the show, saying that he had to do so many shows in so few nights, so we would have to carry him. And carry him we gladly did.

Another thing I loved about him was his song choice. Though he left a few out that I would’ve liked to see (“If Tomorrow Never Comes”, and “Beaches of Cheyenne”, to name two), he was smart in that he stuck almost completely to his old stuff. In fact, he only played ONE song off his current album (in comparison to which everything else is “old”, since this is his first studio album of all-new material in almost 15 years). And he knew what he was doing—he stated early in the show that when he goes to shows, he goes for the old stuff. 

Adding to the uniqueness of the show was his band and crew. He thanked his crew member (John was his name) every time he handed him a guitar between songs. And among his band (background singers included; and he introduced everyone extensively), every single member has been with him for 20+ years (one of the funny moments of the show was when he introduced “the rookie” of the band, who has been with him for 21 years I believe). That’s astounding. Granted he took the last 15 years off of touring, so assuming he wasn’t omitting those years, that statistic is a little skewed. But at the same time, the fact they they would all come back and tour with him again after all that time away is surprising and impressive. Another cool moment was when his wife Trisha Yearwood introduced one of his background singers, who she said was a songwriter as well. Trisha performed one of her songs, and had her come out and sing part of it center-stage by herself. She (the background singer) was clearly very appreciative, and it was a really cool moment to watch. 

In closing, I want to mention that Garth and his team market his shows as “The Garth Experience”. Prior to the show, I figured that was just a creative and more-or-less meaningless slogan. But after seeing his show, I can attest that it is definitely an accurate expression and description. It was unlike any show I’ve ever been to. Unbridled and consistent enthusiasm from both Garth and the fans for two hours. I don’t know how much of what he does is an act or is scripted, but however much of it is or isn’t genuine almost doesn’t matter. I mean I hope it’s genuine, and I wouldn’t want to see exactly the same show the next time I see him, but regardless, he gets that energy and enthusiasm from somewhere (I don’t know where), and I believe he truly enjoys it (at one point in the show he said something to the effect of being very happy and thankful that he got to do this earlier in his career, and now again 15 years later). So even if some of what he does is a bit scripted or manipulative in order to get the crowd into the show, it’s almost like who cares? His job is to perform and entertain, and he clearly does that.