Nashville, Late
by Lee S. Wilbur
Aaah yes, Nashville, town of dreams to every country music lover. Brought back teen memories of WWVA from Wheeling, West Virginia. Listening to country in the 50’s with the radio turned low under the blankets, study lamp out. Catching some sounds different from the parent’s 30s and 40s stuff. Benny Goodman, Louis Armstrong, Glen Miller, bands that were coming up on time for a change. They played Hank Williams, Ernest Tubb, and Charlie Daniels, Waylon and Willie, and then the “King”. Elvis.
Country in Nashville is Broadway Street. Center of town. Almost what I’d hoped for. Bars with country tunes streaming out the doors. There were old geezers in wrangler outfits, retireds with their Navy warship caps and “World’s Greatest Grandparent” garb, cute girls in 5-gallon straw hats, cowboy boots, T-tops and blue jeans. Country coming from everywhere, from outside speakers, cars, taxis, from people on the streets strumming for silver coins. There were older couples (my age) just a grinnin’ and steppin’, and hopeful wannabees belting out star stuff from the hit parade.
And then there were the talent shows where hopefuls gathered. Some came from states away. Others were transient Nashvilleans. Many were apparent regulars getting their audience fix to test often meager talent on an eager audience. “Talent Show” maybe not. But, it was fun and it was alive. Near as much fun watching the crowd as it was the entertainers. One of the many young groups we sat in on had a lead singer who reminded us of a Hank Williams String Bean. He was so involved in gyrating to his tunes you could forget what he was singing just watching. Except, he had the beat. From Midwest retired to streetwise homeless nursing a beer, we got to stompin’ and tappin’, pushing the kid to his limits. Sweat was exploding as he blew through the last notes and bailed into the next. Much more fun than a Kenny Rogers concert earlier in the trip.
I had the feeling, though, we were late. Waited too long to make a pilgrimage to Nashville town. Reyman’s Theatre and the “Grand Ole Opry” it housed, is now pretty much relegated to museum status. You can see pictures of “Minnie Pearl” and history from 10-5 every day. “Country” strip had about half as many places closed as open. Good talent was sparse. Guess the Brandon, Missouri’s, Memphis, Tennessee’s, and Gatlinburg’s have become too strong competition as has one of the more amazing enclaves this boy’s every seen on the edge of town, Gaylord’s “Opryland”.
With over one thousand rooms in four opulent yet different theme settings “Opryland” shelters multiple restaurants, bars, shops, lobbies, botanical gardens, quarter-mile of canal and boats to play tourist on, and lots of fountains. Rooms are $275/night and up (unless of course you were on a tour or had a “Kruger” marker card and then the prices started at $125/night, I thought that strange). All under one roof. Striking and well executed. The antithesis of Mayberry. Yuppyfied. No correlation to the lonely prairie, broken home, or lost love of country music theme. Here now is where well known country performers rotate through revolving doors in constant booking. Someone plays every day and then replaced by another. It’s commercialized country. Not unlike a Las Vegas casino atmosphere where country has replaced the gambling and Gucci loafers are worn in place of old boots.
The weekend had left me with a niggle. Wasn’t until we were headed north again on I-75 that the long straight highway gave me time to mull it over. Came into focus quite easily. Newport, Rhode Island, Coconut Grove in Miami, Scully Square in Boston, Annapolis, Maryland. The edge, the grit, the real people, the personalities going through a homogenizing wash machine. The old neighborhoods and places are being “cleaned up”. The fun is going. “Goody-two-shoes” is winning.
Here’s a fun, versatile recipe from a very dear friend who loves, like I do, the simple things in life.
* R E C I P E *
Simple & Easy Beer Bread
3 cups flour
3 tablespoons sugar—try also raw sugar
1 twelve oz. can beer (think of the variations)
3 tablespoons baking powder
Mix together, place in greased pan—oven 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes. Spread butter (the real stuff) on top and let cool. Raisins, nuts or any good stuff can be added. I like more butter and strawberry jam after. Try dark beer or whole wheat flour or rye. If you spend very little time mixing, the texture will be coarse like a country bread. As good as it gets.
Good roads and fair winds.