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| Broadway...downtown Nashville, TN... Tootsies is the purple building... |
Ever wonder what the inside of a honky tonk bar in Nashville, TN aka "Music City" looks like? what goes on? how's the music scene? Especially inside
Tootsie's World Famous Orchid Lounge! Its a place started by a lady who went by the nickname "Tootsie" and her husband and son over 50 years ago when Nashville barely even had 9 songwriters and the Ryman (a music venue that I hold near and dear to my heart). Nashville's Lower Broad area was to say the least dingy. Not anymore. Broadway is alive! Full of neon, great music, cowboy hats, boots, and the stench of bud light (kindda kiddin' bout' the last part..but not really)... Even if you aren't a fan of country music you will love a night hanging out in the honky tonk bars. My favorites are Tootsie's, The Stage, Roberts Western World (they serve fabulous hamburgers and grilled cheeses...they also sell boots) it's not much bigger than a walk in closet though, oh yeah and I also like the Second Fiddle.
Tootsie's was/is the place for any musician wanting to hit it big the likes of Mel Tillis, Wille Nelson, Johnny Cash, Garth Brooks, Kid Rock, Waylon Jennings, Patsy Cline and the list goes on and on have walked through their purple doors. The walls are lined with pictures telling the bars history. Kris Kristofferson at one time lived in the apartment upstairs and there's a rumor that Willie Nelson wrote his "Hello Walls" song inside Tootsies... According to
www.toostsies.net, Willie Nelson received his first songwriting gig after singing at Tootsie's. Speaking of stars... while we were there Kellie Pickler (American Idol alum) was listening to the band downstairs.
We arrived around 10ish pm on a Friday night and both the upstairs and downstairs bands were in full force and so were the crowds. At around 2 a.m. the place started clearing out and this made me sad... bars in Nashville close around 2-230 a.m. I had a great time. There is not a better city with live music scene than Nashville in my opinion. Honky Tonk bars never charge a cover. Never! The bands work on tips only so when the tip jar goes around make sure you throw something in.
Here are some pictures from our recent Tootsie's visit:
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| Upstairs band |
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| upstairs crowd |
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| downstairs crowd |
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| downstairs |
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| upstairs |
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| upstairs |
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| downstairs... |
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