shaunapuff

Hi, I’m Shauna and I did not survive the 2022 bloodbath that was the US Eras Tour Ticket sales via Ticketmaster. If you live under a rock, Taylor Swift announced that she’d be performing music across her 10-album discography. Up until this point, each tour has focused on a single “Era,” which was the current one of the time. So if you missed the 1989 era on tour back in 2015, its unlikely that you’ll hear many of the songs live. As I am a good citizen, I fan verified, got onto the waiting list, and never made it further. Like many, I watched scalpers scoop up thousands of tickets from fans all over the country, and eventually the world.

So.. how does not getting concert tickets have anything to do with a trip to Nashville?

I'm so glad you asked! It was Memorial Day Weekend, and Taylor was coming to my home city of NY and as previously mentioned, I didn’t have the tickets. A few days before the concert, a coworker of mine simply asked “You like Taylor Swift, right?” I felt my neck snap 360 degrees. It turns out he had a lead for tickets. Additionally, Taylor Nation alerted the public that we’d have one more shot at grabbing the remaining tickets from the initial release. My friend Heather and I were ready.

Unfortunately, our hopes were decimated as quickly as they came and everything fell through. I was devastated as I walked through NYC all weekend, littered with fans in their Eras merch. It was beyond FOMO. For what should have been our show, Taylor also released a special version of the Midnights album including the new song “You’re Losing Me,” which STILL as of 11/2023 is unavailable for streaming, despite how close I hold it to my heart.

In the mean time, I was looking up the castle from the Love Story music video and realized it was in Nashville. The pieces started to come together, so was Centennial Park and other references along her career. In a manic afternoon, I reached out to my friend Heather with screenshots of an Expedia Bundle and a list of places we could go. A long weekend in August was reasonably priced, so my credit card took a nice hit and we were officially going to Nashville.

Like a method actor, I prepped hard for this trip by returning to my country roots exclusively for like 2 weeks. It was honestly so nice and nostalgic to get me in the spirit. Although I was born in the city and grew up in the suburbs, I spent my high school years in a small town that had some pretty redneck patches. Many of my closest friends lived on scary dirt roads, with twists and turns, and I got to learn to drive there.

The flight was relatively quick, and getting there we quickly realized why it was so reasonably priced. It was 90+ degrees the whole weekend, because down south bby. We really did our best to work around this part, which I’ll get into a little later on.

I chose the hotel we stayed at completely randomly through Expedia, but once I saw the photos I was completely sold. We stayed at the Graduate— easily the cutest hotel I've ever stayed in! If you can’t tell by this webpage, I love pink. Plus, you know you’re staying in one of the cutest spots when people are in the lobby at all hours taking photos. The rooms were super cute and pastel but then the bathrooms were a dark/rock and roll themed. The hotel was also home to the rooftop restaurant White Limozeen, which was Dolly Parton Themed, Cross-eyed Critters Karaoke Bar, and Poindexter Cafe where they served coffee.

The hotel was a little further from Broadway in Nashville, but it was a nice escape from the hustle and bustle. Plus, the Ubers were super reasonable ! Everyone at the hotel was so kind and patient, and it was worth every moment. When we had first gotten there, I was kinda sad about some boy stuff, but a cheerful “Howdy” from the front desk, and some recommendations on places to go, brightened me right up.

Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

Was it a little gimicky? Yea, but it was pretty cute and I got to learn a little bit. There were costumes on display from many different ages of country music, complete with descriptions on the artist and their legacy. There was a special exhibit dedicated to Taylor Swift where we got to see her robe from her honorary doctorate at Columbia, and the elevator buttons and cloak from Bejeweled. There was also a stand in broken Koi-Fish guitar from the Speak Now era that was featured in the 2023 video "I Can See You," since the original guitar that's usually there was with Taylor on tour at that moment. We also got to see hand written lyrics from Taylor's breakout hit, "Tim McGraw" which was super emotional. We also got to see the Hall of Fame, with so many noteworthy and historical names!

Centennial Park

The mecca of our trip. Taylor Swift wrote a sickeningly sweet song called Invisible String for her folklore album and I knew I needed to end up here one day. From its green grass and sometimes gold leaves, to its Parthenon for some reason, it’s definitely a special place. Because I am a disgusting fool, I immediately started playing it from my phone for both of us as we entered. I did see a guy in a teal shirt right on cue!

Additionally, we wanted to make our pilgrimage to the newly placed Taylor Swift Bench. As we approached, we saw some teenage girls around it, so we kinda awkwardly waited for them to finish from a distance, and then started to take pictures with it. One of the girls noticed us and came back with two friendship bracelets— I think I started to cry. Randomly, mine said “august” after one of my favorite songs of all time, as well as the month we were in. It was a bigger deal to me because she had released 1989 Taylor’s Version the day before (on 8/9). Heather’s was equally perfect, Daylight is such an incredible song too. We talked shop with her for a little bit before we parted ways. I wished I had made some bracelets so I could give her one. I was really moved by this small act of kindness.

The Gulch

I had so much fun chilling and walking around the Gulch. We went down to see the famous mural by Kelsey Montague, Nashville What Lifts You Wings, which was even cooler in person! I loved the little guitar details. There was a small line queued up, but it moved super quickly. We were pleasantly surprised with how many cute stores were there as well. We especially enjoyed Winky Lux and Kittenish ! Both stores had cute little photo-op areas and they encouraged us to go crazy, which we did ;)

Tractours

We got to live out our Woo-Girl dreams on this fun little adventure. A few friends had recommended doing a tractor tour of some kind, and Heather went ahead and found this one. This took some research, because not all of these tours are created equal. Some of them require peddling, which is a hard no, and others don't have alcohol.It’s not much of a “socializing” event, since people tended to stick to their groups, so keep this in mind.

This tour basically took you on an hour long drive through Nashville, complete with a bar, dance floor and elevated sides that you’re encouraged to stand on, dance on and most importantly hold on. The music selection was a good mix of country and pop, and our MC/Bartender RJ was so much fun. He was dancing on the bar and so engaged, you’d almost never know he does this every day.

Because the tour takes you through the city of Nashville, it starts off in the outskirts. Since we had chosen a later time-slot, it meant we were getting to the drop off spot- aka the middle of nowhere- while was dark dark outside. The entrance wasn’t marked, and the Uber had a little trouble getting there. Once you get there they have games like corn-hole, and drinks for sale as well as a relatively nice restroom, since there isn’t one on the tractor. Everyone was super nice and friendly and it was overall a great experience.

Broadway

The most "touristy" thing that you have to do on a first trip is to just walk up and down Broadway. There are a bunch of stores with cute souvenirs you can take home, which is my kryptonite as a magnet and post card collector. I knew if I tried on the overpriced cowboy boots, there was no turning back, because I love the look so much.

At night, the vibe changes substantially as the focus is less on shopping and more on.. Bar hopping. The whole honky-tonk vibe changes along with the street, as each location fills up with people ready to party all night.

We spent most of our time on Broadway where there are a million places to choose from. Most of them are multiple floors with a rooftop component, so they are made for more comfortable shoes to deal with the stairs and dance ofc.

Luke’s 32 Bridge- As a long time fan of his music, we had to stop at Luke Bryan’s Bar and it was one of my favorite spots to party in all of Nashville. There were 3 different floors with 3 different vibes— the first being super country, the middle being a little more clubby, and the top playing a lot of pop music. Since most of the crowd were marriage age (late 20s/early 30s) it was a lot of music that was popular when I was in college. Two highlights for me were screaming Shake it Off at 3am, and bopping around to Cotton-eyed Joe. I also experienced the most thirsty men here, so be warned.
FGL House- Florida Georgia Line’s Bar— I am so sad to say this was the biggest disappointment for me. This was the first bar we went to and I am a HUGE fan of FGL. I saw them live back in 2014, and used to listen to their first album on repeat for years. The live band performing was great, but we didn’t know almost any of the songs, and worse, not one of them were Florida Georgia Line. I’m sure the vibes are different at night, but if I had to pick, I’m always gonna pick Luke’s.
Layla’s Honky Tonk- We made a short stop at Layla’s but it was PACKED. We had a quick Jell-o shot and hydrated. The bartender was honestly an angel, there were a couple of girls who were melting down a bit in the bathroom, and she really took care of them.
Tailgate Brewery- They are a local brewery that had their own ciders and beers. There was some super cute art around the building as well!
Lucky Bastard Saloon- They were giving out free Jell-o shot coupons, and since the guy handing them out gave me like 5, we had to stop by. It was pretty chill, and I lost it when they played Welcome to the Black Parade. The biggest negative here was they charged for bottles of water. We didn’t experience it anywhere else so we were caught a little off guard. Considering we were encourged to dance on the dance floor and it was 90 degrees outside, it would have been nice.
Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge- We stopped in before it got too late and the vibes were so nice. We got to hear a live band perform both old and new country music, while attempting to beat the miserable heat.
Cross-eyed Critters Karaoke- had to get a quick drink at our hotel on night one and sing a quick “Santeria” for karaoke as per traditions. The bartenders were singing, and we made friends with them because they had amazing musical taste!

For your safety: I think it’s important to mention that due to the volume of people in these spaces, and the fact that it is a hotspot for Bachelorette parties, don’t let your guard down. Groups like this and women in general are targeted here for drink spiking/roofies. We did a good portion of drinking safely in our hotel room, and would mostly do sealed Jell-o shots when we were out to reduce risk. If we were drinking full drinks we were trying to space them out and really keep an eye on them and each other.

I honestly didn’t plan ahead as much as I had thought, but we found some cute places collectively around Nashville

Liberty Common- we stopped in for a lovely brunch along with a “Single Girl Spritz.” We went at a bit of a slower time which was such a breath of fresh air from the craziness. Our bartender was super sweet, and the food was good too. I promised a co-worker I’d do a shot of Tennessee whiskey while I was out there, so it was extra fitting that we were here when I was supposed to be on a call with him. This experience was really nice, but def a bit pricey so just be cogniscent.
San Antonio Taco Co- for a 180, slightly divey experience, I LOVED this spot so much. It was super casual, and you’d write your orders by checking off what you wanted in quantities. The food was super cheap and SO good and I couldn’t stop thinking about it. Genuinely was trying to scheme ways to get back there.
Slider House- We grabbed a quick bite and a cider here on our first night. I really loved that they had such a wide cider selection, I had to get one I’d never tried before- which was a peach flavor!
Elliston Place Soda Shop- The aesthetic, vibes, and food were so on point here. The whole place felt very vintage Americana, which makes sense since they’ve been serving since 1939! I absolutely loved the cherry ice cream soda and the impossible burger. I definitely wasn’t inspired by the signage… Additionally, they had an adorable Lego replica of the restaurant at the host stand. It was really the perfect place to go for a rainy brunch to lift our spirits.
Parlour Doughnuts Since we were pressed for time heading to the airport, we gave Nashville one last hurrah at Parlour Doughnuts. Their flavors were all so interesting, I had an impossible time choosing. I settled on a raspberry pistachio donut, but I was holding myself down from grabbing a creamsickle one as well.

Final Thoughts

I really enjoyed Nashville a lot—It was a good time. It was a little out of body being a single girl at a bar for the first time in my adult life. I may be a NYC 6 but I felt like a Nashville 10 for sure. Since I spend too much time on Tiktok with these hot skinny 20 somethings, and I’d kinda resigned myself to feeling unworthy of shimmering in a place like this. It totally went out the window for a fleeting moment when I was there, which was super freeing. As fun as the attention was, it’s a little scary, so it’s nice to know I still have it but also I need a break.

I’d love to go back with a bigger group next time when it’s not 90 degrees now that we know our way around. There were definitely some things I wanted to do that I couldn’t get to this time around. Most poignantly, we couldn’t go to the famous castle as it’s a private residence, only open to the public for their annual renaissance faire.

Maybe next time we can pretend to be in a bridal party to fit in— considering how many times we were asked what we were celebrating. Famously, when asked this question one too many times, Heather responded enthusiastically “OUR FRIENDSHIP” and I’d like to think she dropped an invisible mic.