What is Nashville's claim to fame other than country music?

country music's roots are as much southern/midwestern/appalachian as they are western/southwestern.

[BG918]

Originally Posted by bossabreezes

Of course not! However, it would make sense for the Western Music scene to actually be based somewhere in the west and not the Upper South/Almost Midwest.

Austin would fit the bill, but clearly Austin took the corporate route and is now a tech hub. Probably better for the average Joe in Austin having tech than the average Joe in Nashville having the music industry though.

The average Joe can no longer afford to live in Austin because they took the tech/corporate route. Nashville is becoming similarly too expensive with wages in both cities not keeping up with sky-high cost of living.

[jmecklenborg]

Originally Posted by BnaBreaker

There was certainly some marketing involved,

Everything on Broadway with the exception of Tootsie's and Robert's is a come-lately hedge fund-funded fraud.

In the 90s, Second Ave. was where most of the action was at, because the TNN Dance Ranch was filmed there every night. CMT might have also had a live show that filmed on Second Ave.

What's funny to think about is that the the other "old" things down there are the Olde Spaghetti Factory, Hooters, and the Hard Rock Cafe. All of those were there in the mid-90s and are still there in the same spots. They're all older than all of that crap on Broadway that pretends it's old (marketing???).

There was a Planet Hollywood on Broadway right here:
https://www.google.com/maps/@36.1618...7i16384!8i8192

This is embarrassing but I applied to be a bus boy there in 1997. My mom made me apply because it "looked fun". The guy who interviewed me was this greasy-haired Italian who was pissed off he wasn't a strip club doorman. I never heard back so I don't have a follow-up other than to say I came awfully close to working on Lower Broadway before it was cool. Before anyone had heard of a pedal wagon and there was no such thing as a destination bachelorette party, let alone dozens of rival bachelorette parties roving the downtown streets on their respective pedal wagons.

Also, people are afraid to call B.S. on the hot chicken backstory because it's of black origins. Those same people won't hesitate to criticize other ethnic foods. If the hot chicken was Irish or German it wouldn't be cool. But if Cincinnati-style chili was black, people would line up and take photos of it with their phones. I mean, didn't you hear that back in 1920 some woman made hot chili to piss off her husband?

[BnaBreaker]

Originally Posted by jmecklenborg

Everything on Broadway with the exception of Tootsie's and Robert's is a come-lately hedge fund-funded fraud.

With all due respect my friend, it seems you have a habit of calling anything you don't have a particular taste for, a "fraud." I mean, those three story celebrity backed bars and clubs filled with squealing bachelorettes wearing matching cowboy hats aren't really my thing either. And I agree, they're pretty far off from the spirit of places like Robert's Western World where you can get a one dollar beer and see singer songwriters perform their latest song they wrote on a napkin for free. But in reality, all they really are is just different than what was there before. That's all. Not fraudulent, just different. And quite frankly, as annoying as the hoards of drunk tourists filling the mega bars and corny 'pedal taverns' and all the shit that comes with it at times can be, I'd personally still prefer that scene, and the money and exposure it brings the city over the weird mix of chain restaurants, sticky dive bars, and peep shows that was down there before. Okay, now that I type it out that really doesn't sound all bad. lol... but still, nobody was going to come to Nashville to have some $40 Chicken Fingers at Hard Rock Cafe and then go to a peep show.

Also, people are afraid to call B.S. on the hot chicken backstory because it's of black origins.

I don't think people refrain from "calling BS" on the hot chicken story out of fear. I think they refrain because, number one, they have no idea whether it's true or not, and neither do you. And number two, because they don't care whether it's true or not, and neither should you. It's just a fun little story. Who cares if it was made up or not?

Those same people won't hesitate to criticize other ethnic foods. If the hot chicken was Irish or German it wouldn't be cool. But if Cincinnati-style chili was black, people would line up and take photos of it with their phones. I mean, didn't you hear that back in 1920 some woman made hot chili to piss off her husband?

Most popular regional delicacies in this country don't have origins in the African American community, whether it's New York style pizza, or Chicago style pizza, or Italian Beef sandwiches, or Gyros, or Chinese Barbecue Pork Buns, or Quesabirria, or Philly Cheesesteaks, or Lobster Rolls, or Tacos Al Pastor, or Sonoran Hot Dogs, or Detroit Coney Dogs, or the Kentucky Hot Brown, and on and on.. But that doesn't seem to be a problem for them when it comes to getting likes on Instagram. Look, I'm a big fan of Skyline Chili. But maybe the reason it doesn't have that 'cool' factor is not because it's "not black," but because it's... well... a bowl of chili. Not exactly sexy food, ya know?

[bobdreamz]

What is up with all of the city bashing threads lately on SSP?
First Atlanta now Nashville.

[dchan]

This was my favorite longform article about hot chicken:

https://www.theringer.com/2016/8/31/...n-bf87446b4dda

[watchmanonthewall]

According to the Nashville Chamber of Commerce healthcare is the largest industry in the area. I made a quick scan of the various segments of the local economy and Nashville seems to be a major healthcare center. I am talking about publicly traded companies that have national footprints as well as local hospitals. It appears Nashville is a major player in healthcare and could possibly be the largest healthcare business hub in the nation.You can look at the data and judge for yourself. I specifically looked this up because Nashville is listed on various business intelligence resources as such. I think that healthcare can be added to Nashville’s claims to fame.

[Crawford]

Originally Posted by jmecklenborg

Since about 2010, Nashville has become a grotesque parody of itself. The tourists are mostly yuppies from Chicago, Michigan, and Ohio - areas where country music was never heard until recently. These people have never done any farming, worked on a ranch, cut the head off a chicken, etc., but they sure love pretending to be the rural working class for a bachlorette weekend.

I don't understand the "modern country" subculture. It's all this faux rural nostalgia about dirt roads and country preachers and good ole boys napping in hammocks near the creek, but the audience base is mostly middle class white moms in American suburban sprawl. Like it literally has nothing to do with them. They should be singing about Sam's Club, kids travel soccer teams and McMansions.

[tdawg]

Being awesome. There are few other cities in the U.S. where you can hear live music (not just C&W) in crowded venues along a dozen blocks at 11 am on a weekday and pop in for a beer. I also find it to be a very beautiful city with all the rolling green hills. It's also a major center for publishing, health care, and insurance.

[edale]

Originally Posted by Crawford

I don't understand the "modern country" subculture. It's all this faux rural nostalgia about dirt roads and country preachers and good ole boys napping in hammocks near the creek, but the audience base is mostly middle class white moms in American suburban sprawl. Like it literally has nothing to do with them. They should be singing about Sam's Club, kids travel soccer teams and McMansions.

The moms are listening to nu-country artists sing about a lifestyle they know nothing about, and their kids are listening to rappers talk about an equally, if not more, foreign lifestyle.

[Steely Dan]

and as a middle-aged white dude, i keep listening to zeppelin singing songs about vikings, hobbits, sex, and rock n' roll itself!

[JManc]

Originally Posted by Steely Dan

and as a middle-aged white dude, i keep listening to zeppelin singing songs about vikings, hobbits, sex, and rock n' roll itself!

[MolsonExport]

Well I loved Robert Altman's eponymous film.

[TexasPlaya]

I enjoy some of the older Texas Country Music, which has some "outlaw country" influences. The 70s and 80s were the golden years, before my time.

Country music in the 21st century is mostly an abomination.

[DCReid]

Originally Posted by watchmanonthewall

According to the Nashville Chamber of Commerce healthcare is the largest industry in the area. I made a quick scan of the various segments of the local economy and Nashville seems to be a major healthcare center. I am talking about publicly traded companies that have national footprints as well as local hospitals. It appears Nashville is a major player in healthcare and could possibly be the largest healthcare business hub in the nation.You can look at the data and judge for yourself. I specifically looked this up because Nashville is listed on various business intelligence resources as such. I think that healthcare can be added to Nashville’s claims to fame.

Yes, the healthcare industry established Nashville as a viable and desirable business center. I think there are more 500 companies that developed from or after the healthcare giants HCA was established. Also when GM chose Nashville area for its brand new car subsidiary, Saturn, that decision also put Nashville on the business radar. Along with good universities (notably Vanderbilt), a state capital, a decent logistic location, and an fairly unique identity as the country capital, Nashville passed Memphis and became a premier midsized city for business expansion. No - I've never been to Nashville and am not a fan of Tennessee with all of their crazy laws

[Buckeye Native 001]

I think GM establishing Saturn (before they ruined it with rebadged Opels) in Nashville might've been a response to Nissan setting up shop back in the 1970s or 1980s?

Well, that and probably cheaper/union-free labor?

[craigs]

Originally Posted by DCReid

Yes, the healthcare industry established Nashville as a viable and desirable business center. I think there are more 500 companies that developed from or after the healthcare giants HCA was established.

Anecdotally, a nurse friend of mine earned an advanced degree in hospital administration in San Francisco, and then promptly moved to Nashville for career advancement.

[BnaBreaker]

Originally Posted by Crawford

I don't understand the "modern country" subculture. It's all this faux rural nostalgia about dirt roads and country preachers and good ole boys napping in hammocks near the creek, but the audience base is mostly middle class white moms in American suburban sprawl. Like it literally has nothing to do with them. They should be singing about Sam's Club, kids travel soccer teams and McMansions.

I'm definitely with you there. I'm not really a country fan for the most part, but the old school stuff is at least an authentic form of expression amd artform which I can absolutely respect. However, much of the newer stuff like Florida Georgia Line (who have a bar on Broadway in Nashville because of course they do... ugh) is vapid fake throwaway horseshit.

[LAsam]

Originally Posted by bossabreezes

If Nashville's claim to fame landed on Civil Rights, Selma would be a hyped resort town. It adds background but it's not the reason why people hype Nashville, at all.

Agreed. When I visited Nashville and took a tour of the city, a lot of focus was on the civil rights activity that took place there. Claim to fame has to be country music though... that was basically all I knew about Nashville before visiting. I visited Memphis as well and the Civil Rights Museum definitely seemed to be a draw for out-of-towners, so there's certainly some interest in this regard if it's executed well.

[iheartthed]

Originally Posted by LAsam

Agreed. When I visited Nashville and took a tour of the city, a lot of focus was on the civil rights activity that took place there. Claim to fame has to be country music though... that was basically all I knew about Nashville before visiting. I visited Memphis as well and the Civil Rights Museum definitely seemed to be a draw for out-of-towners, so there's certainly some interest in this regard if it's executed well.

Yeah, Memphis is definitely the center of Civil Rights Era history in Tennessee. Memphis is up there with Birmingham and Atlanta for the pivotal role it played in the Civil Rights Movement.