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Nashville's legendary country music venue the Grand Ole Opry is still worth a visit 90 years on
Even cynics will find themselves dancing in its aisles
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Your support makes all the difference.I never thought I would be disappointed not to have won a pair of cowboy boots. But as I glance over at the man a few rows away clutching his prize, I catch myself feeling envious. This is what Nashville does to you. It's a place where the sound of twanging guitars is never far away, where country music starlets with bleached hair extensions meet their agents over lunch at the next table, and where cowboy boots are worn without a glimmer of irony.
As I stroll along Broadway, the main street downtown, it's easy to see why Tennessee's capital city is nicknamed "Nash Vegas". Rows of windowless honky-tonk bars with gaudy neon signs fill the street with music, hosting open-mic nights for country singers and bands hoping to make the big time. A few blocks away, you'll find the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, a temple to the genre, outside which its biggest names have stars dedicated to them on the Music City Walk of Fame.
"The Strip" is full of raw energy and fun, but for real country music aficionados (and bewildered tourists), no trip to Nashville is complete without visiting the Grand Ole Opry, which celebrates its 90th birthday this year with a series of special events and concerts.
The country music venue holds such significance that its name is included on all state road signs to Nashville; Tennessee home girl Dolly Parton made her Opry debut on stage aged just 13, while Elvis Presley performed at the venue in 1954 only to be told by the then- manager that he should return to his truck-driving day job. In recent years, famous country names including Carrie Underwood, Garth Brooks, and the Dixie Chicks have performed to its 4,400 capacity crowd.
Having seen photos of the auditorium, with its pew-like benches and wooden beam stage, I'd expected to find the venue in an olde-worlde setting. Instead, it turns out to be 12 miles from Broadway, along a highway, in a huge entertainment complex that makes it seem more like an out-of-town Ikea than a world-renowned concert hall.
The venue moved from downtown – its run-down home at the Ryman Auditorium – in the Seventies, and now stands shoulder to shoulder with the enormous Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center, one of the largest hotels in the US.
Far more than just a venue, the Opry is also host to the longest- running radio broadcast in history. The show began life as a one-hour live barn dance on local radio station WSM, and now prides itself with the slogan "The Show That Made Country Music Famous". The Opry's three weekly concerts are still played on the radio, as well as on the venue's website and podcasts.
It's easy to be overwhelmed by the wholehearted Americanness of the experience. A radio host with a honeyed Southern drawl, sitting to the left of the semi-circular stage, introduces the performers and, between the acts, reads out adverts for companies such as Dollar General and Cracker Barrel. These are live "commercial breaks" that go out on the radio. It is he who doles out the free boots to that one lucky ticket holder, whose good fortune is met with rapturous applause from the audience.
I'd dragged my younger brother along to this Tuesday night Opry concert as "an experience", expecting us both to be bored watching two hours of country musicians we hadn't heard of before. Instead, the radio broadcast forces the show to be such a slick operation that the acts are restricted to playing a tight, varied set. All seven artists pay tribute to the hallowed country music venue, with additional shout-outs ranging from one singer's grandmother to foster carers across the US.
The most memorable act of the show is The Willis Clan, an Irish-American take on the Von Trapp Family Singers. Made up of 12 children, the Tennessee-born family perform music inspired by their Irish heritage, with the older members playing violin, accordion, and guitar. They are joined by their younger siblings for their final song, which sees the children swing each other round in a traditional jig. I'm not surprised to learn they've previously featured on America's Got Talent.
Country pop band Rascal Flatts are by far the biggest name of the night, with nine albums under their belt. And by the time they close the two-hour show with the phenomenally catchy "Life is A Highway", I'm on my feet before any of the hardcore country fans around me, and I even manage to persuade my brother to dance. We leave wanting more; the only option is to blast the song on full volume as we take the highway back into Music City to continue the night.
Getting there
There are no direct flights from the UK to Nashville, but there are plenty of one-stop options with airlines including British Airways (0844 493 0787; ba.com) and its partner carrier, American Airlines.
Visiting there
The Grand Ole Opry (001 615 871 6779; opry.com). Shows take place on Friday, Saturday, and Tuesday. Backstage tours, including the option of a tour after the show, cost from $22 (£14.20). The official 90th birthday celebrations take place 2-3 October, featuring four Opry performances and a two-day Opry Plaza Party.
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