The Steel Guitar Forum

Was in Nashville yesterday. Walked Broadway from one end to the another and no Steel Players!!! NOT much in country music either. Bunch of Rocked up crap.

I've never lived outside the northeast and have only been to the south a couple times. Finally made my pilgrimage with my partner to Nashville (I play steel in her band in NYC). We were very disappointed by what we say. Robert's may have been the only good country joint on all of Broadway. Guess it really isn't like the old days...

I've never been (going for the first time this weekend!) but I'm getting the impression from folks who are recommending places to go that Broadway isn't really the place to go for good country music.

not only is there no steel guitar in most places, there's no country music. on one of my last visits I heard bands covering Nirvana, Guns n Roses, Stevie Wonder, Whitney Houston, you get the idea. I did hear some Merle Haggard on the house PA at Robert's when the band took a break

steer clear of Broadway, Nashville Palace is always a pretty safe bet and Music City Bar & Grill right behind it. plenty of other places to hear steel guitar as well but sadly, downtown ain't it.

The weekend is never a good bet to find steel on Broadway in my experiences. You can find it during the week at Robert's and Layla's usually. But your best bet is always Nashville Palace or Music City. Downtown doesn't have any steel on the weekends unfortunately.

I’ve said it before, the predominant sound coming out of Nashville these days should be called “Nashville Pop”. It would be an honest descriptor of the sound. Many of the musicians seem to be really good rock and roll musicians that have found work with a new costume.
And that’s fine, as long as we remember it is Nashville Pop.

If you want to hear country, go to Texas.
Erv

Erv, it's especially funny you say that because when I was in Robert's complaining to my partner about the lack of real country some guy chimed into our conversation and said "if you want real country, go to Texas"

Guess we really do need to make a trip to the lone star state next!

They still have the old fashioned honkytonks in Texas.
That's where you hear the REAL country.
Erv

As stated, Broadway is not the main place for country music in Nashville these days. Music Valley up by Opryland, Nashville Palace, Music City Bar and Grill have it pretty much non-stop. I saw Mike Sweeney with Mel Tillis Jr. at the Palace: Wednesdays 4-7 this month. Shuffle City. Mike is also playing AJ's on Broadway (used to be the Wheel) Saturday afternoon.

Another good bet is 3rd and Lindsley's: most every Monday night is Time Jumpers (usually Paul Franklin on steel), but get your tickets ahead of time, they're sold out tonight. And you missed Dale Watson there last night (Don Pawlak on steel). They ripped it up. But this venue features all kinds of music.

You can't just go walking down the street and expect traditional country music with steel and fiddle 24x7 pouring out of every door, but there's plenty of country music in Nashville. Most of the good places have calendars, e.g.,

3rd & Lindsley: https://www.3rdandlindsley.com/calendar/

Station Inn: https://www.stationinn.com/events/ - more bluegrass but some traditional non-bluegrass country too

Nashville Palace: https://www.nashville-palace.com/on-stage

Music City Bar: https://www.calendarwiz.com/calendars/c ... siccitybar

AJ's on Broadway: https://www.ajsgoodtimebar.com/calendar

And that's just a start, there are tons of places. But you will need to scope things out. Some of the calendars are slow to load, but just google the place - for some of them, the near-term calendar just pops up as the first result. And schedules change over time.

Not country, but I also recommend Mike Henderson and the Blue Bloods on Mondays at the Blubird Cafe for great blues.

What’s up with the Legion Hall I keep hearing about?

If you go to Broadway during the week find out where my buddy Vince Moreno is playing and you will hear the best country music in Nashville He always has a Steel Guitar in the band!

the American Legion on Gallatin Pike hosts a country music night every Tuesday, not sure about other nights of the week. I've seen a bunch of steel players there, including Mike Sweeney and Pete Finney among others

Hey Erve, according to Alabama, if you're gonna play in Texas you've gotta have a fiddle in the band!!! I agree with Kevin, I was down there last Oct. for three days there was no country music on Broadway. I did have a nice visit with Bob Hempker and Buck Reid. Jim Goins.

I've caught Doug Jernigan playing at the Station Inn a few times when I've visited Nashville.

Jim,
If you're going to play in Fargo, you've got to have a shovel in the van.
Erv

Erv Niehaus wrote:Jim,
If you're going to play in Fargo, you've got to have a shovel in the van.
Erv

😂
....or a chipper.

Saw Steve Hinson playing his old s 10 push Pull at the Score Board bihind the palace last Saturday night wow great band. The Vally out by the Opry my favorite place to here country music.

Thank you,Johnie!It was my pleasure to meet you and your sweet wife...please come back to see us soon!

Dave ‘s List is spot on!! That’s where the steel players are pickin!

Just wanted to thanks Dave for the thoughtful and detailed reply.

How helpful! Friends just told us they are headed back north by way of Nashville and wanted to hear some music there. Thanks to Dave I was able to give them 2 suggestions which might suit them.

One of these years I'll have to finally get down there myself!