Nashville's Honky-Tonks

Nashville's music economy runs on a peculiar arrangement: the honky-tonks along Lower Broadway have live bands playing from around ten in the morning until two the next, with no cover charge and no ticket, and the musicians work for tips from a bucket passed between sets. Tootsie's Orchid Lounge, Robert's Western World and the Stage are the classic addresses, several floors deep with a different band on each, and the standard is startlingly high because the city is full of players waiting for a break. Robert's still serves the fried bologna sandwich and plays honest honky-tonk rather than pop country. Around the corner are the Ryman Auditorium, where the Grand Ole Opry lived for decades, and the recording studios of Music Row.

Highlights

• Robert's Western World - traditional honky-tonk and the fried bologna sandwich.
• Tootsie's - the purple lounge behind the Ryman, a Nashville institution.
• The Ryman Auditorium - the mother church of country music, round the corner.
• Tipping the band - the bucket that pays the musicians, since there is no cover.

When to go

Spring and autumn are the most comfortable; the bars run every day of the year. Afternoons are quieter and the playing is often better, with the crowd there for music rather than a party. Weekends downtown are dominated by bachelorette parties, which is not an exaggeration.

Practical notes

Lower Broadway at the weekend is a loud, drunk, pedal-tavern-clogged strip that many locals avoid entirely, and the music in the bigger neon bars leans towards covers. Go on a weekday afternoon, or head to the Station Inn or the East Nashville venues for the serious playing. Tip the band properly; that bucket is their entire wage.

Nearby

The Country Music Hall of Fame and Music Row are downtown; the Grand Ole Opry is out at Opryland.