WEDNESDAY | Getting from the greyhound station to our East Nashville home was a tad challenging given the station is in the middle of nowhere and also a telecom black out zone. After many frustrating minutes standing in the freezing wind with our backpacks weighing on our shoulders I spotted a taxi pull up a few feet away and so we scrambled to claim it as our own and be on the way to our accommodation. Given the week and a half stay in Nashville we booked ourselves our two-bedroom cottage that turned out to be a spacious home complete with swing porch chair and sun light kitchen and deck. Rooms assigned (Ash kindly gave me the double bed) and our belongings dumped we headed out into the hipster streets of East Nashville. Settling on the popular Five Points Pizza for a later afternoon lunch we did not leave disappointed. Waddling back through East Nashville we stopped for supplies at Bill Murray then we retreated home. Our Airbnb host popped in to say hi and then the remainder of the evening we chilled at home and recharged our batteries for the mayhem we predicted was to come. THURSDAY | We allowed ourselves to wake with the day rather than an alarm. By mid-morning we were both up and prepped ready to tackle the day. Our first stop was the cluster of shops at Fatherland village where Ash scheduled herself in for some hair removal the next day and I loitered outside taking photos of mail boxes. Then it was on to Marche' for a French inspired brunch and some tea. Over the course of a couple of hours we enjoyed the restaurants quaint provisional vibe and planned out our activities for the reminder of the day: window shopping, nap time then out to see some live music. Our first venue for the night was the pub at Basement East. Ash, having got confused that the Basement East and the Basement were different venues, we quickly realised the band we had wanted to see was actually playing across town. So, after enjoying one drink we headed on to the Family Wash for dinner and some life entertainment. First up was a solo county singer who post gig came around to each table to introduce himself and hug all the female viewers. Next up was a jazz country band of about 5 dudes post 40. Even though we'd finished eating we stayed to listen to their set. On our walk, home we passed the Crying Wolf and with the night feeling young we decided to head in for a beverage. Sitting outside despite it being a crisp march night we chatted with a few randoms before our table was infiltrated by a rowdy group of ice hockey fans who'd just come from a winning game. Over the course of a few rounds of drinks we chatted with our lovely new friends Taylor and Caitlin. They were high energy and highly engaging and we laughed and bonded as the night slipped on. Given it was a school night for them they decided to depart just prior to midnight, but not before details were swapped and promises of crossing paths again were made. We decided to be responsible and retreat home but on our walk, we passed Edgecliff Tavern and were drawn in by the neon lights. Tucked inside was the locals of Nashville, many of whom had clocked off from restaurants and bars in the area. The place reeked of stale beer, your feet stuck to the floor, you could barely see in front of you due to the smoke (everyone was lighting up inside) and your lungs felt tight in your chest due to the lack of clean air. The freshest oxygen could be found in the bathroom. Everyone mingled at tables or over at the pool tables or near the dart board. We were pulled into a game of darts with some random guys. I started to play with a blonde guy with lots of facial hair and luscious locks draping out of his cap, he went by the name Sam. We cracked a deal that if he was to get bullseye then he'd get a date with me. Next shot, it went straight to the red. While Ash continued to play, I went to get to know the dude I had just committed to a future encounter with. As stellar as the conversation was I struggling to breath in the smoky room and decided I needed fresh air and it was home time. Ash reluctantly joined me and 5 minutes down the road she convinced me that my lungs weren't caving in and that we should go back, I agreed. Sam was pretty smug when we walked back in, as he credited himself with our return. I went back to getting to know him and having banter whilst Ash mingled with a mix of the other patrons playing pool and chatting in groups. The night wore on and by earlier morning it was time to tear myself away from Sam as my lungs were actually decaying in my chest. And so along the empty streets of east Nashville we headed home on foot. FRIDAY | I woke up on Friday morning to a very sore head and a body that had turned on me – a head cold had set in. Luckily, I had no where I needed to be but unfortunately Ashlea had a meeting at the beautician so she had to tear herself out of bed and down the road. Upon her return, she brought food supplies which were welcomed with open arms and a grumbling stomach. We spent the remainder of the day lazing around the house before we loaded me up with Cold&Flu tablets and headed into the city. Printers Ally was the first stop for us and we were saddened to see that sections of it had been bulldozed down to make way for a hotel Richard Branson is building. Thankfully the blues jazz bar we enjoyed last visit was still operating and so we settled into a couple of seats at the bar and blissed out listening to an amazing jazz-country band. Big Shoes is made up of an array of seasoned Nashville musicians and so over the next couple of hours as we enjoyed our beverages (soda water for me) dined on some bar food as we soaked in their talents. Next stop on our downtown tour was the rooftop of ACME. In addition to enjoying the sensational views across the river we got in some ace people watching. In particular, the dudes next to us who were trying to hook up their mate by telling girls he’d been dumped that day by his girlfriend. It is fair to say his emotional vulnerability didn’t work wonders on the ladies. Our people viewing was interrupted by Max from Vancouver who was in Nashville for his brothers Bucks night. He wasn’t digging the frat boy vibe that his entourage were putting out and so he sort a distraction by talking to us. After our conversation with Max wrapped up we made our way up Broadway, dodging drunk girls squealing and intoxicated boys looking for a fight. We settled on Allan Jacksons bar and watched a semi talented blonde girl fail to keep the attention of the patrons gulping down their beverages. She also failed to keep us entertained so we headed back out into the mayhem of the street which worked up an appetite and so the only logical thing to do was head to Hooters for a late-night snack. We arrived just after 1am and despite the numerous empty tables had to wait 20 minutes to be seated. During our wait time, it became evident that they were extremely understaffed and that the girls working room were exhausted. Depression hung in the air as they faked smiles and giggles for the tables of men demanding their attention. Our server, Shyla, looked relieved when we just asked politely for some chicken wings and fries. We ate them quickly, paid our bill and jumped in a home bound Uber. SATURDAY | Despite the cold meds and my commitment to sobriety my body wasn’t ready to fight off my sickness and so Saturday was another lazy day at home. Enjoying the cable TV and the sunlight drenched porch the day was spent napping and relaxing. Our evening activity was a charity gig at the renowned music venue Third & Lindsey. We arrived too earlier and so after a quick google I located a nearby Cigar and Cocktail bar. On approach, we were sceptical about where we were going as the buildings around it were desolate. Upon entry, our nerves were settled as we entered a lush parlour where clusters of dudes sat around smoking cigars and sipping whisky. The smell was intense but we pulled up a stool and ordered a Bloody Mary. The zing of the drink made up for the lack of fresh oxygen in the room. By the time, we’d finished chatting to the suspending rocking bar tender it was time to get back to our core event for the night. Raising money for ‘Ride for Kids’ the venue hosted a showcase of three artists, including The Sisterhood (A two-gal band that happens to include Rod Stewarts daughter). The tunes continued well into the night and by the time everything was wrapped I was ready to repeat back to bed in the hopes that maybe just maybe I’d awake the next day cured. SUNDAY | My Cold symptoms had eased by the morning but in their place was a mammoth left throat gland (my bodies go-to when I’m run down). Not wanting to waste the day we ventured down to Five Points and settled on Margot’s for brunch. Usually there is an hour wait but they could serve us at the bar and so we snapped up the seats. In addition to a delicious meal we got the added entertainment of watching the Boss Bar Biatch whip up Bloody Mary’s and Mimosas non-stop. Evidently boozing at brunch is a big deal in Nashville. Stomachs satisfied we hailed and uber and were on our way out to Cheekwood Estate. The drive out there included a swing by Bell Meade, a suburb where the houses are big and the residences are exclusive. Arriving at the Estate we paid our entrance fee then settled in to watch the jazz band churn out some hits. Then it was time to be on our feet and begin the two hour walk through the grounds. With Spring settling in the Tulips were shinning bright and the path down into the gardens included row after row of vibrant blooming flowers. At the base of the garden we hit up the sculpture trail which included a Glass Bridge as well as random structures scattered throughout the forest landscape. We then toured the Manners grounds followed by the Japanese garden. By the time we’d seen it all and gotten our steps up for the day we were ready for some lunch. We hit up a local pub at the Five Points strip that was hosting a Sunday Session. The ice-hockey was playing and everyone in the room was transfixed by the game, including us. We enjoyed a late lunch and Ash made the most of the ‘two for one’ drink special. By 6pm the mood in the room was drying up and so we headed 5 minutes up the road to the Edge Cliff bar. Frequented by local bar staff, in particular the LGBT community, the place was pumping. We were enjoying listening in to the conversations around us when two dudes came to join us at our table. They were songwriters from Amsterdam and in town to work with some Artists (we were sceptical of them but upon googling them later they were indeed a big deal in the European Music scene). We chatted with them about TV shows and embarrassing travel stories and then as suddenly as they were there, they were gone. MONDAY | Barely able to eat or talk I woke unimpressed by life on Monday. But it was Bluebird day and so I loaded up on meds and by 3pm we were on our way across town to line up for 3 hours. Upon arrival at the venue people were already gathering but security was out in force informing us that no one was able to line up prior to 4pm. So, we headed over to Macca’s for a refreshment and by the time we returned ½ later the sky was a menacing dark grey colour. We overheard someone mention serve weather warning and within minutes the sky opened and chubby rain was drenching everything and everyone. We huddled away from the other patrons under a wedding dress porch but the storm was inescapable. Wind pushed the rain onto us and the sky crackled and danced with thunder and lightning. After ½ an hour that eased off by the rain remained. It was time to get inline and so we darted down the row of shops and scored position 15/16 in the que. Then we waited. We chatted with the people around us. We waited. We sat in silence. And finally, after the rain had eased and two hours had passed we were allowed in. Shuffling into the venue I spotted two empty seats at the bar and we quickly snapped them up. The next three hours was spent listening to 26 amateur singers blast out one song each. It was a mix of extremely talented people amongst some real doozies. Just before 9pm the live entertainment portion of the night was over and we found ourselves starving. We directed our Uber driver to 5 Points Pizza and after a short drive we were tuckering in to some divine slices. There was a small hick-up in the kitchen and as a result we ended up with three pizzas instead of two. This allowed us to par-take in the American tradition of a doggy-bag. Filled boxes in our hands we made the short but always entertaining walk back to our home, and into our beckoning beds. TUESDAY | Due to my incompetent immune system the daytime of Tuesday was spent at home again. However, for the evening portion of the day we ventured across town to the Basement to by entertained by a ‘new faces’ showcase. The venue is located under a vintage record shop and could easily be relocated to Fitzroy and it would be a hit. Each artist played 5-6 songs and each set was a different style of music. We had folk, country acoustic, Americana, pop and bluegrass. The talent that preformed was off the charts. One guy Chase, had already been experiencing success after having appeared on the Voice and was now having his songs featured and sung in Nashville (Ash’s favourite TV show). After a night of high quality entertainment by bed beckoned my aching body and so back to the cottage we went. WEDNESDAY | Enough was enough, I was done with off the shelf meds it was time for the over the counter stuff. Having barely eaten since the weekend and my pain levels through the roof I woke a woman on a mission: doctor time. I found a local GP that took walk-ins, I threw on some clothes and I ubered down to the clinic. I only had to wait 10 minutes before I was ushered into a room by a male nurse. He ran through the motions of weighting me, taking my temperature, getting my blood pressure and basically calculate nothing that had anything to do with how I was sick. Finally, after being poked and prodded he took a throat swab and disappeared to get it tested. Some more sitting around waiting and then the doctor came in. Upon examination, she proclaimed that she’d never seen throat glands so big on a adult female. She took some more biopsies for testing and then started loading me up with scripts. To collect the concoction of pills I had to hike 45 minutes through East Nashville to the pharmacy. Along the way, I stopped in at Clipso for a sweet tea. Upon ordering a take-away serving the middle age lady behind the counter said I had to drink it there and I wasn’t allowed to leave until I had some colour in my cheeks. Liquid consumed I was back out on my feet and off to the Pharmacy. Upon arrival, my script hadn’t been received and I was informed it would be an hour wait. When I told, her I was happy to wait the sassy lady behind the counter climbed up on the desk and moved the TV so I could watch the young and restless whilst I waited. By the time, I had collected my drugs Ash was also out of the house. She headed off to Marche’ for a lazy lunch with her book. Happy to do my own thing I decided to head to Barista Parlour to struggle through chewing lunch and some hipster watching. It took me a decent 90 minutes to finish my scone and by then some of the meds had kicked in and I was thoroughly exhausted. I walked the short distance back through East Nashville and settled contently into bed for the remainder of the day. At some point in the afternoon Ash returned with food suppliers, which for me meant Jello. The evening was spent on the sofa watching a movie and then it was back to the sanctuary of bed. THURSDAY | Knowing we had an evening of sport and the arrival of Michael (a colleague based in New York) ahead my day was spent in-between my bed and soaking in the rays on the porch. Ash disappeared at one point to get food supplies but for the most part my day was a haze of pumping myself with meds and snoozing. Our evening activity was to attend an ice-hockey game between the Nashville Predators and the Toronto Maple Leaves. Decked in neither teams’ colours our uber arrived to whisk us to the game and we were greeted by an enthusiastic blonde haired college aged guy. Having visited Australia to ‘surf Bondi’ last year he was stoked to be chauffeuring two Aussie girls to the game. In the short drive to the stadium he threw question after question at us about our travel plans as well as our evening plans. His line of questioning was leading to only one conclusion: he wanted to hang out. Seconds from the stadium he went in smooth and strong stating he was keen to come and meet us for a drink after the game. As we pulled up the venue he asked for my number and within seconds he’d texted so we had his details. Ash had also been in the process of swapping Facebook details but we ran out of time to seal the deal. Pregame we hit up the bar so Ash could get a beverage and then it was up into the Stadium to find our feet. We decided to grab some drinks and popcorn before we settled into our seats and just as we were done we found ourselves engaged in a conversation with a couple of Canadian dudes who were in town for a Bucks. One of them asked for my digits and so for the second time in ½ an hour I was swapping numbers with a guy. The game went for a couple of hours. It was violent and action packed. Lots of ice everywhere and people being slammed into walls. The Nashville Predators played a dismal game. But we cheered anyway. Everything wrapped up just prior to 10pm but then began a frustrating effort to get an uber back to East Nashville to meet up with Michael. We walked to the outskirts of the downtown area and locked in a driver. He called to ask where we were I said 3rd street. So he drove to 1st street and waited there for 10 minutes. He called again and I repeated we were at 3rd street. So he went to 5th street. He called again and asked where we were, Ash spoke to him and said 3rd street. He hung up and cancelled the booking based on us not being at the arrival point. By this time it was 30 minutes later and the rain was starting to bucket down. Within minutes we’d booked someone else and were on our way to ThreeCrows bar near home. Our Canadian buddies had wanted us to join them on Broadway but we were keen for a local night and so they were never to be seen again. The same cannot be said for the Uber driver. In-between watching the run bucket down and struggling to make conversation with this eccentric dude who joined our table we ate some cheese drenched fries and waited for Michael. Eventually he turned up and we sat around chatting and waiting for the rain to stop so we could make the journey home on foot. Finally just after midnight our break in the weather came and we trotted on home. The intention had been to hit the sack ahead of a big Friday but upon returning home male voices drifted over the fence and spiking Ash’s interest she grabbed a drink from the fridge and was out there enquiring why they were playing frisby at night. As Michael and I prepped for bed I predicted that within 5 minutes Ash would be over there socialising with them, and right on cue she was trotting out the front door (after having failed to scale the fence). She popped back around 2am to take the beer from our fridge back over to the boys home and sometime after 3am I heard her crawl into bed. At some point during these activities she also reached out to Matt the uber driver completing the friend request process and striking up a conversation about his lack of follow through at the drinks. FRIDAY | There was no sleep in on the agenda today. The arrival of a new posse member meant we had a city to explore. First stop was Barista Parlor for the fuel we needed to get us through to lunch. Post meal we piled into the Uber and shot across town to the one thing on Ash’s to-do list: I believe in Nashville sign. The line to take the snap was only a couple deep and so within minutes we were posing from our photo. Image secured we wandered up the shopping strip that is South 12th Street. Post midday it was time to get our tourist on and head to the Ryman Auditorium for a tour of one of the oldest music venues in Nashville. We wandered the self-guided tour for over an hour, soaking in the rich history of this famed space. My body feeling the strain of not being in bed the entire posse decided to join me at home for a nap ahead of our evening out in the local area. Expect for Ash no sleep was to be had, as throughout the day she’d been chatting with Matt the Uber driving and upon his suggestion of catching up for drinks she locked in a 6pm drink for the two of them, thus securing herself a date and leaving Michael and I to our own devices. By the time I woke from my nap Ash was headed out. The plan was to drop by the bar in an hour but after prepping ourselves and heading out the door just after 7pm Ash messaged to say that her and Matt were coming back to the house for drinks. A tad confused we passed them on the street as they headed home and Michael and I headed out. Our first stop was the Crying Wolf. The bar itself was dead but we discovered a small back room that was hosting live music and so we grabbed some beverages and headed into the small intimate space to listen to the artists. It was the best live music I’ve heard thus far on the trip and so we ended up staying for the entire show. As it was wrapping up Ash touched base to say they were heading into town to go to the rooftop at the Western but Michael and I were keen for a local vibe and so we decided to take up the recommendation of a stranger and instead we headed to a Bar138 across in East Nashville. The bar was dark and crowded with a DJ playing pop tunes with a mass screen showing ‘I know what you did last summer’ behind him. We took up two stools at the bar which resulted in us being squashed and danced on for the entire time we were there. We chatted over the loud music and enjoyed some drinks as everyone swarmed around us. Keen to be able to have a conversation we headed back down towards 5 points. We attempted to get into 4 different bars but all turned us away because Michaels licenses was expired. Our final attempt was 3Crow where we’d been the night before. The doorman recognised our faces and allowed us entry. Given everyone was smoking inside we settled on a table outside and gobbled down some fries and drinks. With the temperature dropping it became too cold to endure the chilly air and so we wandered through the neighbourhood and fell into our beds just after 1am. Keeping it consistent I heard Ash come in around 3am. In addition to the Western Rooftop she’d been to a drag show and a honky tonk with Matt the Uber driver. SATURDAY | My day kicked off with a follow up appointment at the doctor. The good news was I didn’t have mono the bad news was my drugs weren’t working fast enough and so she added an additional couple of meds to the mix. Back to the pharmacy I headed, which meant a 45-minute walk followed by a 30-minute wait. By the time, I was done Michael was up and about and came down to meet me. We tried some local brunch places but all had ridiculous waits and so we yelped and found a quaint place tucked in the depths East Nashville. Sitting on a nearby stoop we waited as our tummies grumbled until finally our names were called. It was worth it as I consumed my first full meal in about 4 days : berry smoothie and French toast stuffed with brie. Next on the agenda was to send Michael off to do touristy stuff and for me to go home and sleep. Upon my return the house was perfectly quiet. Ash had been whisked off by Matt so he could put his uber skills to use and drive her around Nashville. By early afternoon everyone was back at the house, including matt, as we prepped for a night out Downtown. The benefits of having matt around was he was able to drive us into the city. He half committed to joining us out later after he had run errands but he was never to be seen (or heard from) again. First stop was the Hard Rock Café to see some live music Ash was keen to view as it had a cast member from Nashville playing. After taking in the tunes we popped into a Mexican restaurant for some tacos and more live music. Stomachs lined it was off to the famous Tootsies on Broadway. A quick moment in line then we were on our way up to the rooftop. Given the amount of people crammed in its impossible not to bump and grind your way around this venue. Ready to get our dance on we popped down to the middle floor where the house band (the same one we saw 2 years ago) were busting out tunes. The male members of the band have the charming gift of making you feel like you are the only women in the room when they lock eyes with you. The female lead singer just utilises her rocking vocals to make you want to dance. And dance we did. With some random dudes, I’d earlier chatted to on the stairway. With some prissy girls who came in as part of a hens night. With the dolled-up cougars on the prowl. We swayed, we jived, we jumped. Then it was time to move on. Unlike everyone else on the street we walked with purpose onto our next location; Valentine. It was the only multi-level club on the strip not playing country music, instead the first couple of levels blasted pop classic and the rooftop (where we ended up) had two blonde identical DJs mashing up dance and pop to create a duof duof sound. Upon arrival on the rooftop we lost Michael to the unisex bathroom line where he meets a local Nashville girl Hannah. At first, we didn’t notice his absence because we were too busy setting up our own dancefloor on the ramp that snaked behind the DJ booth. Unsatisfied with the young drunk things bouncing on each other near the actual dancefloor we created our own space, much to the amusement of the DJS and people who passed us on the ramp. Michael surfaced with beverages for us but our awesome dance zone wasn’t enough to tear him away from Hannah and once again he was lost to us. In our self-created VIP section, we shimmed and shook to the array of tunes produced by the blonde DJS who stood above us. As people passed they tended to join in for a moment but for the most part we were left happily to our own devices. On a couple of occasions, we ventured away from the ramp to ensure Michael was still alive and hadn’t been kidnapped or drugged for his kidneys but the sweet and unassuming Hannah. But when we couldn’t spot him in the crowd of people we just gave-up on him and went back to dancing. A little before midnight with the sweat dripping off us and our limbs tired from all the movement we decided to bail. Unable to spit Michael on the rooftop we headed downstairs only to discover him deep in conversation with Hannah. They too were on their way out but their night involved kicking on for some Karaoke. We decided to leave the lovebirds and instead head on home to the cottage. SUNDAY | By the time the three of us rose on Sunday morning the day was already in full swing. In need of coffee we hailed an uber and made our way across town to Crema. A round of coffees and some good old avocado was enjoyed out in the blaring midday sun. It was the perfect recipe to accompany a recap of the previous night’s events. Next on the food tour was Biscuit Love in the Gultch, where we’d excepted a line. Instead of the usual wait we made it to the front of the line in a couple of minutes. There to welcome us was Carlos, who upon hearing our Aussie accents squealed with delight. As we waited for permission to enter we chatted with him about Australia and in particular the song star Matt Corby. We placed our order and on the way to our table we crossed paths with James. He too took a shining to us and kept stopping by to check in on us and engage in some banter. The benefit to our fast-new friendships came in the form of lots of free food. In addition to the plentiful that we’d ordered we were treated to other highlights from the kitchen. None of us had intended to have second breakfast so soon after we’d eaten at Crema but our eagerness to appease our new friends resulted in us shovelling mouthfuls of goodness into our traps.
Over indulged we said a sad farewell to our new door bitach friends of Biscuit Love and took up Taylor (our gal pal from the Crying Wolf) on her invite to visit her in the burbs at her food truck. On arrival in the park we went to say hey and decline the offer of more food. Then we settled in to watch some dudes partake in cos-play war games. Michael, still smitten with his new lady friend, extended an invite to Hannah and soon enough the four of us were lazing in the shadow of a tree whilst guys beat themselves with weapons for fun. By 5pm Ash and I were done with the bizarre war games and we popped back by the food truck to say farewell to Taylor and then we headed home. The intention had been to pack for our departure the next day but we instead found ourselves watching mindless TV. This is where Michael and Hannah found us an hour later when they too returned home. We chatted with Hannah whilst Michael threw his clothes into his bag ahead of his imminent departure. Out on the front lawn farewells and hugs were exchanged us our posse was once again reduced to two. After finally packing we headed for the last time down to Five Points for dinner. Settling at the bar at 3Crows we enjoyed some chicken wings and fries whilst we people watched and chatted with the other patrons around us. We lingered for us long as we could, hoping that our failure to accept we were leaving the next morning might slow down time. When we realised this logic was never going to fly we made our final trek through the burbs to our divine bluebird cottage.
0 Comments
|
ArchivesCategories |