Whole lotta shakin' going on in Nashville

Kitschy and friendly, Nashville takes well to visitors. It is a rare town when a dude in lizard skin boots will buy you a drink and expect nothing but a smile when he tips his hat. If you're only here for a night, Nashville landmark Printer's Alley and 2nd Avenue are the places to take in the nightlife. The venues run the gamit from old fashioned dance halls to cheesy club MTV spots where scantily clad young women gyrate on the bar. I found the smaller, easy going live music spots on Printer's Alley to have the best vibe. At a friendly little honkytonk like the Fiddle and Steel, it seems like everybody you talk to winds up on stage to croon at some point in the evening.

Quick Tips:

One rule: you gotta dance. Line dancing is the thing for those with minimal rhythm--you just follow the person in front of you and fake it until your feet start to follow the groove. Lots of clubs have free dance lessons, and local Fred Astaires will be all too happy to swing you around on the dance floor.

Best Way To Get Around:

Step on board a trolley to get downtown if you can. It's a festive ride and the drivers are good people to ask for tips on where to go. They serve most of the major hotels and stop every fifteen minutes or so.

Beware of nights when a convention is in town. Downtown hotels jack the rates up and it is tough finding a place to lay your head if you haven't called in advance. My friend and I went a little outside the heart of downtown and found a Days Inn for around 90 bucks. I have to say that although it was slightly less expensive than more convenient locations, this place rated minimal on the charm scale. The room had a funky smell and you'd think for that much money you wouldn't feel trepidation taking a shower. On the upside there was a trolley stop right outside and the manager was pretty helpful.

This is the cornerstone of 2nd Avenue. When you walk in you'll be confronted with a 3,300 square foot dance floor which is intimidatingly well lit and surrounded by floor and balcony seating. There's nowhere to hide if you want to boogie, but it doesn't really matter. Things are pretty easy-going, although the DJ may raise a good-natured complaint if you leave the dance floor too soon. If you're a guy you'll be especially welcome--I'd say the men were outnumbered three to one. There was mainly line dancing the night I was there, with an occasional disco tune thrown in for good measure. They have free dance lessons--I know this because my dance partner at another club had to rush out suddenly at midnight to go teach at the Wildhorse.

A place you can sink into and feel right at home in Nashville, especially if you like chatting up the locals. A bare bones, low key spot, folks eye you sheepishly at first, but after a beer or two they'll be stopping by to say hello. By the end of the night our shoes were abandoned beside the dancefloor--a little two-steppin and a Western swing that made me feel the G-force. We were treated to some great local acts, including a cowboy named Colt with a low, silky voice, and Jeff James, whose mellow singing has a touch of James Taylor--both are regulars. A good call if you don't care for a lot of glitz.