This weekend was CMT Country Fest in Nashville, which meant two things. First, the city was PACKED with people, particularly downtown around the stadium where the concert was. Second, there was A LOT to see and do. I hit a lot of touristy sites (Andrew Jackson's home; Ryman Auditorium, the former home of the Grand Ole' Opry; the Country Music Hall of Fame; and the Parthenon--let's just say an interesting site...history here...), but spent a bunch of time down around the music festival. While I chose not to pay three times face value for tickets into the stadium, I was able to see a few "up and coming" bands on the Riverfront (aka, free) stages, and ran into lots of interesting concert goers.
I won't cover specifics of this particular stop on the trip (mostly due to exhaustion), but I did want to share a few reflections.
I have always been a big country music fan. Starting very early in life with Sawyer Brown, Randy Travis and King George (aka, George Straight), I have sung along--albeit poorly--to so many talents within this genre and have a deep appreciation for the music and culture it represents. Growing up in the south, I identified with many of the themes, and was exposed to so many of the cultural phenomenon to which the artists often referred that it was almost impossible for it not to resonate at some level. It also didn't hurt that most of the radio stations in southwest VA were country-oriented, so I didn't really have much of a choices...
Even though I've been a fan for my entire life, I was unfamiliar with much of the music's history. Nashville, as those who have visited know, is oozing with the stuff of legend in country music. The Ryman Auditorium, home the Opry for thirty years or so, provided a good re-introduction to the stars and stories which birthed the genre. This was strengthened by the two hours or so I spent in the Country Music Hall of Fame. It was really interesting, and in some ways inspiring, to hear and read the stories of so many of the self-made artists who overcame personal difficulties or time outside the spotlight to craft their image and sound. Walking up and down the streets of Nashville, with music and dreams flowing from the voices and fingertips of musicians hoping to "hit it big," this overarching feel is alive and well today.
In many ways, this is not just a country music story; it's a human story. The genre and the city are built around folks who pulled themselves up by their bootstraps. It took ingenuity, like that of Johhny Cash or Loretta Lynn or Merle Haggard or Buck Owens; it took unbelievable skill and talent, like that of Brad Paisley, George Jones, Pattie Smith and so many others. But it also required hard work and dedication to a cause that they loved. And so often, they are singing biographical tunes about the simple and real things that happen to real people everyday.
This is why country music is so appealing. Sure, there are plenty of pithy, simple, and superficial songs. But at its base, the music and the people are about hard work, innovation and perseverance. And it's about real life. The really good songs and artists tackle life's most difficult and rewarding moments through song. This resonates with me, and is a big reason as to why I'm continually drawn to artists new and old that got their start in Nashville.
This is not to say that other artists in other genres don't work hard or create innovative new sounds. They most certainly do. In my opinion, few other genres are able to do so in such a genuine and accessible manner.
Sorry to delve into the philosophical for a moment...thanks for indulging me...
On to Memphis tomorrow...working through a simple photo sharing arrangement, and hope to have a bunch of pictures to put up in the next few days...stay posted.
Have a great night.
DRB
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