“I was in Nashville, Tennessee last year. After the show I went to a waffle house. I’m not proud of it – I was hungry. And I’m alone, I’m eating, and I’m reading a book, right? Waitress walks over to me : ‘Hey, watcha readin’ for’? Isn’t that the weirdest effin question you’ve ever heard? Not what am I reading, but what am I reading FOR? Well goddamit you stumped me! Why do I read? Well… hmmm, I dunno, I guess I read for a lot of reasons and the main one is so I don’t end up being an effin waffle waitress.” – Bill Hicks

So we made it to Nashville. Apparently they have some country here. And some western too. Hopefully not too much of it, but the Z’s don’t mind a bit of it , and they did put up with the first chunk being blues based. It’ll be interesting,, no doubt.

We arrived by bus. What should have been a simple booking and check in process was complicated by some bewildering technology and issues with the bus. It was late, replaced, further delayed, followed by a baggage isuue for we all. We finally left an hour an hour and a quarter late. Still, a late bus with wifi is better than nothing at all, right? Oh, but did you want aircon as well? Maybe we should have clarified that beforehand.

The Tennesseans are funny with their aircon. They had evaporative air throughout our Memphis hotel, hardly appropriate for yet another day in the mid-high 90’s with a bit of humidity. (The comfort level was around 105-110 degrees for our duration.) I would not recommend the hotel we stayed at for many reasons which I do not need to relate to here. Suffice to say I caught up on a bit o’ shuteye during our extraordinarily lengthy bus trip.

At our hotel checkin, after L specifically requested a room away from elevators, foyers and ice & vending machines, as had twice before been our situation, we ended up in a room – you guessed it – near the elevators. Still, the room is one of the better ones we have had, even if the aircon fan is very loud. The Tennesseans are funny with their aircon. And in auctioning their checkin requests.

So lat night, and it was another late one, we all had the BBQ pork ribs, as all visitors to Nashville probably do. The hangout here is Broadway St, maintain the B pattern that has emerged (Bourbon in NO and Beale in Memphis). Not as big as the others and a little more refined maybe. Plenty of bars with the bands all playing in the windows so you can clearly see what you’ll get upon entering. After a few short viwings os what was available we settled on the Full Moon where the good ol’boys came to cheer their band of choice – a mixture of a whole range of musical genres yet still very very C&W!! The most entertaining double bassist I’ve seen. But when those good ol boys and girls packed in and started on their whoopin’ and a hollerin’, truckers caps being waved in the air, we set off for home. Its evident the locals wear the obligatory boots, western shirts and the occasional Stetson. And anything with Harley Davidson is de rigeur.

The girls retired as the fellas found a blues bar right next door to our digs, but unfortunately caught only the last song. Still, todays another day and we need to get busy. Goodnight.