Nashville was the third city on my music tour. The Airbnb where I stayed was on Music Row. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. It was dark and rainy when I turned on 16th Avenue and saw the sign: “Welcome to Music Row.” Then it dawned on me – OHHHHH this is Music Row. Signs for agents, lawyers, recording studios, etc. If it is music related, it was on the street where I stayed. What was also cool was I stayed near Vanderbilt University – I love the college vibe.

I made my way to Broadway Street to check out the bars and musicians. I walked into The Valentine to listen to two female singers and for some lunch. So fun, right?! Lunch and live music?! I was enjoying myself. I forgot to write their names down, so I can’t tell you who they were. They had a nice sound and liked a challenge of learning a song on the spot.

After lunch, I made my way to the Johnny Cash Museum. Much like Elvis, I was never a huge Johnny Cash fan. I appreciated his music and sound. Then when he paired up with Producer Rick Rubin to go a completely different route, I was intrigued. His distinguished voice was all of a sudden singing songs I knew from other rock bands – and it sounded phenomenal. Before my trip I had watched a documentary about that very subject. Johnny was a washed up, has-been musician (pains me to write that.) He was released from his recording contract in the late 90s. He floundered until Rick Rubin came up with this seemingly odd idea. The duo recreated some iconic rock songs into the Johnny Cash acoustic style and it worked!

The museum seemed like a natural tour for me. I was not at all disappointed! If anything I am a bigger Johnny Cash fan than ever before. Yes, he had his flaws and fallbacks. He also was a passionate musician. It was his life. Having recently visited Sun Records in Memphis, this tour felt full-circle.

I realized how much of my childhood involved Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash. The museum had outfits I recalled from watching a TV show or awards show. It was an unanticipated trip down memory lane. I relished it.

My absolutely favorite part of the museum had to be the area where his TV bit parts were highlighted. There was a video showing some of the TV shows or movies he had either cameos or character roles. I started giggling when I saw him on Little House on the Prairie. Chuckled when I saw him on Saturday Night Live. And then came unglued to see him on the Simpsons as Homer’s Spirit Animal, a coyote. (I may have been the only person in the room who found it absolutely hysterical!)

He became a very changed man with June Carter Cash in his life. I think he needed someone who knew the music business and all the drama that ensues with it. June Carter Cash had more than her own share of experiences. I loved their love story.

The tour ended with his gut-wrenching version of the Nine Inch Nails song Hurt. From the first time I heard his version of that song, I couldn’t get enough of it. He makes it sound like it was written for him, by him. The video – oh! Don’t even get me started – I will start to cry. And yes I did. I had to collect myself before leaving the museum.

I then had the unique opportunity to have dinner with Josh Gallagher. My aunt’s son who is a rising Country musician living and working in Nashville. The last time I saw him in person, he was 6 months old in a bassinet at my Grandma’s house. Isn’t it fun to look at babies and young kids and wonder what they will dream to be? 

He is smart and has been working hard. He is busy living the life of the early days of a music star: hauling his own gear, road trips in small vehicles, carefully writing songs, seeing venues that gradually increase in size, never losing sight of the dream. He even competed and took fourth place on a season of The Voice. So he is the real deal! I am enjoying watching his process and progression.

Dinner was great as we actually caught up on sports, family, hunting and music. It was truly as if I was hanging with my cousin. It was nice to have a familiar face across the table from me.

We parted ways and I headed back to Broadway for more music. It wasn’t very busy so it was good to watch and observe the work bands and band members have to do. One quickly understands there are no roadies to help with gear or sound checks. Sometimes there will be a band fan who walks around with the tip jar. That tip jar can really help or hurt a band. It has to be excruciating on slow nights. Like when I was there. I wondered – what keeps them up there? How do they not give up on their dream? Simple. Music is that powerful. many dream of greater days ahead. They sing or play as if they are the headliner at Madison Square Gardens. And why not? Who is to tell them to dream otherwise?

Watching different bands in small venues, I quickly understood that it is a crash course on crowd management.  Getting the crowd to like and embrace the music is no easy task. There are the nearly dead fans who have no sense of enjoying the music, the rabid fan who is crazy for everything, there is the happy drunk fan and then there is the belligerent drunk fan. The last ones always make me cringe no matter where I am watching music. I applaud anyone who can deal with that and still play a successful show.

My time in Nashville was brief. I know I will one day return to see and do more. I learned a lot about musicians, music, the industry and myself in that town. It was a great stop.

Wheels up.

On to the next city… New Orleans.