| ABC's
"Nashville" stars Hayden Panettiere as
Juliette Barnes, Robert Ray Wisdom as Coleman
Carlisle, Charles Esten as Deacon Claybourne, Powers
Boothe as Lamar Wyatt, Eric Close as Teddy Conrad,
Connie Britton as Rayna Jaymes, Sam Palladio as
Gunnar Scott, Clare Bowen as Scarlett O'Connor and
Jonathan Jackson as Avery Barkley. |
 |
NASHVILLE,
Tenn. — Fans of ABC’s drama "Nashville" are
getting to know not only the show’s fictional country
music divas, struggling songwriters and aspiring musicians
but the very real music venues they play and the
neighborhoods where they live and work.
So
far, fading country music queen Rayna Jaymes (Connie
Britton) is standing by her man, who, thanks to her
scheming father, is now the mayor of Nashville. But it’s
clear she would rather be in the arms of her former guitar
player, Deacon Claybourne (Charles Esten).
To
further complicate things, sexy pop tart Juliette Barnes
(Hayden Panettiere), has been wooing Deacon away from
Rayna, persuading him to join her in the recording studio
and, occasionally, the bedroom.
Behind
their Southern belle smiles the two women hate each other,
but they are forced to tour together to save their
careers.
Love
triangles and power struggles are part of everyday life on
the show — situations just waiting to become country
music songs, and they do in every episode.
—Ryman
Auditorium
It
was on the stage of the Ryman Auditorium, the "Mother
Church of Country Music," that Rayna outshone her
young nemesis, Juliette, proving to the world she was ripe
for a comeback.
The
National Historic Landmark was home to the Grand Ole Opry,
the world’s longest running live radio program, from
1943-1974, when it moved to its current location near the
Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center.
During
those 31 years, plenty of real dramas played out onstage
and behind the scenes. It was here that country music
legend Hank Williams was called back for a record six
encores after performing "Lovesick Blues," Patsy
Cline mesmerized the audience with her chart-topping hit,
"Crazy" and Johnny Cash fell in love with his
future wife, June Carter.
Costumes
from iconic Opry performers are on exhibit, including
glamorous, floor-length gowns worn by Loretta Lynn, the
First Lady of Country Music, and the gingham dress worn by
the late Sarah Cannon when she played Minnie Pearl, a
backward but lovable country girl who had a price tag
eternally dangling from her straw hat.
A
self-guided tour reveals that decades before it became
famous for country music, the Ryman was a venue for
classical theater and some of the world’s most renowned
ballet and opera companies. Nashville’s old guard
cherished the city’s reputation as the "Athens of
the South" and resented the lowbrow
"hillbilly" music that began broadcasting on WSM-AM
(650) from the National Life Building in 1925. When the
show moved to the beloved Ryman, it was the last straw.
Complaints
were made, but country music was here to stay.
Today
the Ryman hosts bands representing a broad spectrum of
musical genres.
—Bluebird
Café
"Nashville"
fans know sultry songwriter Scarlet O’Connor (Clare
Bowen) waits tables at the Bluebird Café, an intimate
music venue that seats only 100 listeners. An impromptu
duet with music partner Gunnar Scott (Sam Palladio) caught
the ear of a record producer in the audience, giving the
pair the break they needed. Now they have a songwriting
gig at a publishing house on Music Row, the heart of
Nashville’s vast music infrastructure. They continue to
struggle as they navigate their way through the complex
politics of Nashville’s music scene, but it looks like
Scarlett may be able to quit her day job soon.
The
characters are fictional, but the scenario is not. Many
music careers have been launched at the Bluebird.
Back
when Garth Brooks was just a wannabe with a dream, he sang
at the Bluebird’s Monday open mic nights and tried out
new songs at Sunday songwriters shows. When a
representative from Capital records heard him perform,
Brooks landed a record deal and went from struggling
songwriter to superstar almost overnight.
Walt
Aldridge has been an established songwriter for decades,
penning hits for artists like Travis Tritt and Tim McGraw,
but he still likes to play the Bluebird. He says he’s
seen lots of new faces in the audience lately.
"It’s
really interesting, the proliferation of new people drawn
into the Bluebird Café because of the show, ‘Nashville,’"
says Aldridge. "I usually ask for a show of hands
about how many people have never been here, and there’s
an increasing number of new folks." Newcomers should
know this is no rowdy honky tonk. "Shhh" is the
slogan on the wall and everyone takes it seriously. When
performers take the stage, patrons are so quiet you would
think they were in church.
"Nashville"
scenes that take place at the Bluebird are shot on a
Nashville sound stage that perfectly replicates the famous
listening room.
—Nashville
neighborhoods
After
checking out Nashville’s iconic music venues, get off
the tourist track and explore a couple of neighborhoods
featured on the show. Edgehill Village, just a block off
of Music Row, is a trendy urban neighborhood with loft
apartments, chic boutiques, and casual restaurants.
"Nashville"
recently shot a scene outside Legato Gelato, an Edgehill
gelato shop that serves unexpected flavors like pineapple
basil. Remember a gelato-licking Gunnar breaking up with
jealous girlfriend Hailey (Chloe Bennet) after she tried
to persuade his songwriting partner to abandon songwriting
and join a band? Next, head to East Nashville, a recently
gentrified neighborhood with a fun, funky vibe. It’s
home to edgy hipsters like Scarlett and her former
boyfriend Avery Barkley (Jonathan Jackson). Among its cool
clubs is The 5 Spot, where ambitious Avery used to rock
out with his band mates before he threw them under the bus
to go solo.
It’s
impossible to know what’s going to happen next on
"Nashville," and the same could be said for the
city itself. While Nashville is steeped in tradition, it’s
also on the cutting edge — a fascinating paradox that
gives Music City its magic.
———
IF
YOU GO:
WHERE
TO STAY: Hutton Hotel, 1808 West End Ave., 1-615-340-9333,