The more I visit, the more I like Nashville. Despite the recent tornado, is will continue to be featured on most “must see” or “cool” places to visit lists. The place remains hot to trot. 


For me in Nashville, there is fine line between its two faces…


1. a Disney-ized country music tourist shithole (I know the proper spelling of shithole is either two words or hyphenated, but not in this case.  Shithole is a big glob of mess. One word.)


2. the epicenter of roots-based Americana music that has great venues to engage the music fans palette of senses: touch, see, hear and understand.


The Johnny Cash Museum across from my hotel (Moxy Nashville) was fantastic and a super engaging representation of the latter. The size (not too big or too small), the content (told a great story) and presentation (interactive displays were unique) all were A+. In comparison, the Country Music Hall of Fame is a huge undertaking and needs a multi-day commitment.

At the Cash Museum, there are many rabbit holes to explore providing context and content that celebrates the massive impact the Man in Black had on the Outlaw Country and Americana music movement that began with Hank Williams and is carried on now by the likes of the time-defying John Prine, the revamped Jayhawks, country twangers Sturgill Simpson, and Chris Stapleton; and parking lot rockers Drive-By Truckers, Caliexio, Alejandro Escovedo, Jason Isbell’s band.  Each of these artists adds their own beautiful twist on today’s roots-based music.


Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, The Band, Hot Tuna, Neil Young and Bruce Springstein have all been important shepards of this “better to be defined by feel than with words” music genre smartly called Americana.

Important to note, the massive contribution from Uncle Tupelo (now Wilco and Son Volt), and The Band to Americana music

My favorite exhibit was the mixing board display that allowed me to control volume on all tracks for a  dozen of his songs. As a musician with no knack for recording, this was very empowering to be “that guy” at the mixing board. I never knew Cash’s music has so many fantastic layers, the songs seem like a simple few tracks.  When deconstructed and isolated the many tracks demonstrate how critical they are in creating the mood and tone of his songs.


The last exhibit of the tour shares items from his last effort “Hurt”. The eerie chair he sits in during the video is front and center. I can’t imagine a better bow on his story that this unique cover of Nine Inch Nails song. Cash was a man torn between his demons and big heart.