World Travel Guide

City Guide  - Nashville  - Nightlife
Nightlife

Music is the focus of Nashville's nightlife, of course, with many of the city's bars starting their music stints at 1000 when they open. Acts play throughout the day and into the night, sometimes two acts simultaneously in different rooms in the same venue. Country music is not the only attraction, as Nashville attracts rock, swing and jazz musicians too. Downtown is the hub, with many of the liveliest places along Broadway or nearby in Printer's Alley. The legal drinking age in Tennessee is 21 years and bars are licensed until 0300. Dress code is 'anything goes' in the honky-tonks and 'smart-casual' elsewhere, although Nashville is always more casual than smart.

Bars: Too numerous to mention them all, but no one should miss Tootsie's Orchid Lounge, 422 Broadway (tel: (615) 726 0463). Close by the stage door of Ryman Auditorium, musicians used to nip in here for a drink between shows, and famous visitors have included Hank Williams, Willie Nelson and Kris Kristoffersen. Other nearby options with live bands include the Bluegrass Inn, 418 Broadway (tel: (615) 726 2799), where there'd be no prizes for guessing that bluegrass is always playing, Wolfy's, 425 Broadway (tel: (615) 251 1621), with a more club-like atmosphere, and Robert's Western World, 416 Broadway (tel: (615) 256 7937), where the band BR5-49 launched their career.

Casinos:
There are no casinos in the Nashville area.

Clubs:
Swing, salsa and disco, with live music, can be had at The Lava Lounge, 1719 West End Avenue. Blues music, bar and good food is available at the ever-busy Bourbon Street Blues and Boogie Bar, Printer's Alley. There are several sophisticated jazz clubs, including Café Milano, 176 Third Avenue and Manhattan's, 901 Second Avenue North.

Live music:
Most live music takes place in the bars and clubs (see above), with bigger acts performing at Ryman Auditorium (see the Key Attractions section) or the Tennessee Performing Arts Center (see the Culture section).



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