pulpRoadTrip
By Cole Wakefield

Deconstructing Nashville

Everything you know about Nashville is wrong. Well, maybe not completely wrong, but at least a little bit. Yes, there is still a whole lot of country music in this town, and more than one conservative religious organization calls Nashville home. Yet, just blocks from the largest producer and retailer of anti-gay, anti-women, anti-thought products in the U.S. (Lifeway) sits a strip of vibrant and progressive gay-owned businesses and clubs. You can explore the history of gospel music by day and groove at one of the country’s top dance bars at night. So temper your expectations, put on some jeans and head on down to Nashville, Tennessee.
First things first, you’ll need a place to stay. My hotel of choice is Loews Vanderbilt (loewsvanderbilt.com). Loews is Nashville’s premier, modern luxury hotel. It provides the superior service the Loews brand is known for and delivers it with a distinctive Music City twist. The Loews is also just a short walk from the section of Church Street that makes up a large chunk of Nashville’s gay nightlife. There is a wide variety of other fine hotels in town to choose from, including the massive Gaylord Opryland Resort (gaylordopryland.com) and the historic Hermitage Hotel (thehermitagehotel.com).
On Church Street, between 15th and 19th, sits the gayest half-mile in all of Tennessee. Starting at the 15th Street block we have Red Restaurant (eatatred.com). Red is a relaxed but trendy food joint that has something on the menu to satisfy everyone. My personal favorite is one of their old standbys—the baked macaroni and cheese supreme. Red also serves up two buffets each week. Tuesday evenings feature their Italian buffet and on Sunday they set up for brunch.
Next door to Red you’ll find Tribe (tribenashville.com). Tribe was created as the cornerstone of Church Street’s renaissance. This 21-and-up video bar is a trendsetter that could be found on either coast. During the day Tribe has the aura of a nice neighborhood bar. At night the lights dim and the music turns up, but it’s never so loud as to impede your conversation. Tribe and its neighbor, Play, are both smoke-free. Play (playdancebar.com) is two clubs in one. The show bar at Play features Nashville’s best drag show most nights,but it’s the dance bar that has earned the club national acclaim. Play’s dance bar ranks as one of the top venues of its type in the nation. The dance floor features state-of-the-art audio, video and light technology. Three bars line the illuminated walls and the dance floor fills up with the hottest boys in town. If you like your meat fresh, visit on Wednesday; the college boys get in free. Thursday night is lady’s night. Friday and Saturday nights bring out the regular crowd, a general assortment of gay Nashville. The crowd tends to run on the younger side, but everyone feels welcome. Play is open nightly, Wednesday through Sunday. It is an 18-and-up club.
Skip a block down Church and you will be in front of one of America’s largest LGBT bookstores. Outloud (outloudonline.com) features a sizable selection of new and used books. It also has the best magazine rack in town. You’ll find a wide variety of other merchandise, from gifts to underwear to the latest in lubrication. Attached to Outloud is the brand new Revive Coffee Bar (revivenashville.com). This relaxed space provides great coffee and noshes from Nashville’s top bakeries.
The next door down is Outcentral (outcentral.org), Nashville’s LGBT community center. Outcentral is home to several community organizations and hosts a variety of events weekly.
The Church Street corridor continues with Music City’s newest dance club, Vibe (vibenashville.com). Vibe is the only LGBT club in town to cater to the Latino community and its admirers. If you like your boys muy caliente check out Vibe. It is 21-and-up and open Friday and Saturday nights. The last stop on Church Street is Nashville’s favorite dive, Blue Gene’s. At Blue Gene’s you can smoke, enjoy the cheap drinks, and strike up a conversation with a stranger. They even have karaoke!
You don’t have to stay on Church Street to have a gay old time in Music City. There are many other gay and gay-welcoming joints around town. Lipstick Lounge (thelipsticklounge.com) is the primary stop for lesbians. Lipstick is in East Nashville and next to Mad Donna’s (myspace.com/maddonnas). Mad Donna’s is a hip restaurant and lounge. It’s not necessarily a gay place, but any queen would feel welcome. Nashville has at least another half dozen gay bars and lounges scattered throughout the city. I’d list them all, but finding them is half the fun!
Enough with the booze, dancing and food, let’s explore what Nashville is famous for. The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum (countrymusichalloffame.org) is arguably the number one institution preserving and presenting the history of a truly American form of music. You don’t have to be goo-goo for Garth or coo-coo for Carrie to appreciate and enjoy the Country Music Hall of Fame experience. For a lighter take on the country scene book a seat on the NashTrash tour (nashtrash.com). The famous Jugg Sisters, Shari Lynn and Brenda Kay will haul you around Nashville on their big pink bus and tell you stories about country stars you won’t hear anywhere else. The NashTrash tour is also known for more “celebrity sightings” than all the other tours in town combined. The Jugg sisters love LGBT visitors more than anyone, and the tour is BYOB. You’ll want to make your reservation ahead of time; this is a very popular tour and is often sold out.
There is plenty of country sound to be found in Nashville, but the music scene is as diverse as Seattle’s and as well-rounded as Austin’s. Lower Broadway features several world-famous honky-tonks, while just up Second Street you can catch a variety of acts. Spread throughout the city at venues like the renowned Exit/In and eclectic Mercy Lounge, some of the top up-and-coming acts from all genres can be heard. Recently,  the Ryman Auditorium, once home to the Grand Ole Opry, has become a must-stop for the rising stars of the alternative and rock scenes.
The classical arts get plenty of play here too. Nashville’s Grammy-winning symphony recently moved into their new multi-million dollar home, the Schermerhorn Center. The Schermerhorn is a beautiful building that warrants at least a quick drive-by. It is considered both an architectural and acoustical masterpiece. The Nashville Opera and Tennessee Repertory Theatre regularly produce shows that receive national acclaim.
As you can see, Nashville has a hell of a lot more to offer than many expect. It is the perfect destination for an affordable and unique long weekend. You can find out more about visiting Nashville at visitmusiccity.com and a calendar of concerts, plays, and more can be found at nowplayingnashville.com.