With a nickname like Music City, I knew I wanted to check out some great live music on my visit to Nashville.

We had hoped to see a performance at the famed Ryman Auditorium during our stay. Unfortunately, Loretta Lynn canceled her scheduled shows there during that time due to health reasons. There were no replacement shows, so we missed the opportunity. Instead, we decided to wing it and check out a schedule of shows around town once we arrived.

Our first music stop: Douglas Corner Café. The venue has a dive bar vibe, with a great local bar staff, dim lighting and no-frills drink menu. We watched a performance by a songwriter who wrote many of Garth Brooks’s songs. Our bartender winked as she told us he should stick to writing, not performing. Next up we went to The Basement. Known for hosting indie acts, we saw a singer-songwriter duo. It was a much different vibe than our first stop and nice to see the variety Nashville has to offer. Our final music stop of the night was The Station Inn for some true bluegrass.

On our last night in Nashville we hopped around on Broadway, downtown’s busiest street. We stopped in Robert’s Western World and Legends Corner to hear some local acts perform traditional honky-tonk music.

Despite missing out on the Ryman Auditorium, I was pleased with my first music experience in Nashville.

— Katie Skrzek, vice president/digital director