The Best Country Music Venues in Nashville and What to Wear

Nashville's got a reputation, and most of it's earned. This city's been pumping out country music for over a hundred years, and if you're serious about hearing the real thing, you need to know where to go and how to dress the part. There's a difference between looking like you belong in a honky-tonk and looking like you just rolled in from the gift shop on Broadway.

The Honky-Tonks on Broadway

Broadway is where the tourists go, and that's fine. There's nothing wrong with starting here if you want to catch a decent band and soak in the atmosphere. Places like Tootsie's Orchid Lounge have been standing since 1960, and they've got walls covered with photographs of real country artists who drank there when it meant something. The music is live and loud, and the crowds run thick.

For Broadway, wear your best jeans—clean, fitted, dark denim works. Pair them with a pearl-snap western shirt, rolled sleeves if it's warm. A good belt matters more than most people think. Boots are non-negotiable, and they should be broken in, not looking fresh out of the box. A cowboy hat completes the look if you wear one naturally, but don't force it if it's not your style. The key is looking like someone who actually wears ranch clothes, not someone playing dress-up.

The key is looking like someone who actually wears ranch clothes, not someone playing dress-up.

The Bluebird Cafe and Room

If you want songwriting—real songwriting where artists sit close enough that you can see their fingers work the neck of a guitar—th