THE BACKBONE OF AMERICAN ROOTS MUSIC
SEE NASHVILLE’S RETRO SIDE
Music City always had great food and tunes, but great hotel rooms are a more recent development. The latest example: The Dive Motel, a circa-1950s motor lodge that’s been thoroughly reworked in full retro glamor with a decadent 1970s vibe (including the pool, as well as the disco balls in every room). Even if the place is booked, stop by for a beer and disco fries in wood-paneled confines of its Divebar & Lounge.
RIDE THE NATCHEZ TRACE
The Natchez Trace is worthy of a road trip in itself. Originally a Native American footpath, it’s now a network of trails along a 444-mile graceful ribbon of tarmac running from outside Nashville clear to Natchez, MS, flowing through stunning southern scenery. Taking even part of this serpentine scenic parkway will lengthen your trip, as the speed limits are slow (mostly 50 mph or less), which just leaves more time to listen to your mix.
FIND MEMPHIS’ SOUL
Music is elemental to Memphis, but before checking out what’s new you must pay respect to the old. Start at the Stax Museum, which tells the story of the legendary soul label on its original footprint. Continue onto Sun Studio, where the first rock & roll records were cut. And no musical journey through Memphis would be complete without a visit to Graceland, where Elvis’ Jungle Room still stands in all its shaggy glory.
GET DOWN TO THE CROSSROADS
Even casual blues fans should know the significance of the “crossroads”—the intersections of U.S. Highways 49 and 61, where legend has it Robert Johnson sold his soul to the devil in exchange for otherworldly guitar skills. The sign commemorating the transaction is a landmark worth a photo, but you’re here for live blues. Get your fill at Red’s Lounge, or Ground Zero Blues Club.
In the morning, when your ears are still ringing, hit the Delta Blues Museum.
GET WEIRD (AND OUTSIDE) IN ATX
Austin may be the nation’s capital of live music, but if venues are shuttered due to the pandemic, head just outside of town. Some of the best listening (and beer) can be found at breweries like Jester King and Vista, which are nestled into the region’s sprawling hill country. Both offer plenty of live entertainment, enjoyable from socially distanced outdoor stages.
What’s open or closed shifts regularly during a pandemic. Check before you go.