Nashville, US
Some cities just live and breathe music, but where are the top places music lovers should travel to at least once in their lifetime? reports.
Ben Groundwater
You know when you’re in a city that loves music. It’s all the venues displaying lists of bands coming to play. It’s the record stores that sit on every corner. It’s the sound of live music floating through the air, working its way out of pubs and bars and theatres and clubs.
Some cities just live and breathe music. It’s in the DNA. It’s not a part of life – it is life. It is the sort of places that every music fan should visit in their lifetime.
(First though, a short admission – I’ve had to exclude some truly great music cities from this list, purely for the sake of space. So to New York, Portland, Seattle, Memphis, Chicago, Cleveland, Boston, Leipzig, Bologna, London, Vienna and many more: apologies.)
Los Angeles’ musical glory years are probably behind it, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have fun visiting the venues that made it famous. For Beach Boys vibes, drive out to Santa Monica. Lovers of the Doors, go straight to Venice Beach, or stay at the Alta Cienega Motel.
Those who dig Spandex and big hair, meanwhile, head to the Sunset Strip, where 80s icons rocked venues like Dragonfly, the Roxy and the Viper Room, drank at the Rainbow Bar and Grill, and caused havoc in the Chateau Marmont.
Havana, Cuba
It seems like there isn’t a moment in the day or night in Havana that isn’t punctuated by the beat of bolero, the rhythm of cubaton, the sway of danzon. Music is everywhere in the Cuban capital, being played by buskers on street corners, pouring out of bars and clubs, drifting from the windows of apartments and houses. People here love music, and they love to dance. ‘‘Music City’’ is so named because it lives and breathes live music – Nashville was and still is a major hub for country and western; however, with the likes of Jack White (White Stripes) and Dan Auerbach (Black Keys) setting up shop here, Nashville also has a huge indie and blues scene. There are hundreds of music venues to visit, from the famous Ryman Auditorium, to the Bluebird Cafe and the Station Inn.
Berlin, Germany
Berlin’s musical history is a long and