Nashville, where else but the Grand Ole Opry

This road-trip is quickly turning into a journey through various music styles: our next stop is Nashville! Now we didn’t used to be big fans of country music, but somehow that kind of music fits so well with the glorious nature landscapes in the USA. I mean, can you think of anything more fitting then John Denvers’ Rocky Mountain High when you’re cruising the Colorado roads like we did a couple of years ago? And pretty soon we chanced upon a best-off CD of Tim McGraw, and we played it again and again during our trip.

First thing we tuned into when we got our rental car in Chicago was the music station The Highway, and we were good to go. And with plans to visit Nashville after Memphis, we checked out the program for the Grand Ole Opry on the nights we were there. The Grand Ole Opry is a weekly performance that broadcasts the show live on the radio and through the internet and has done so for a long long time now. It is what made Nashville the Country Music Capital!

The Grand Ole Opry holds such significance in Nashville that its name is included on the city and county line signs on all major roadways. The signs read “Music City | Metropolitan Nashville Davidson County | Home of the Grand Ole Opry”.

Shall I be totally honest? The names on the line-up where all unfamiliar to me…which goes to show I don’t know much about country music at all. But my daughter said some of the names where well known artists, like Carrie Underwood. Little did I know that it was quite a big thing that miss Underwood performed a couple of songs from her upcoming Storyteller tour!

Still, even though I hardly knew any if the songs that where being performed, I had a wonderful time. Just the atmosphere, the announcer with his special radio-voice, the big hall filled to the rafters with people. Lots of people sang or clapped along, and some of the songs where really catchy even for us, who had never heard them.

Lauren Alaina invited a little girl up on stage that was one of her biggest fans, and sang a song while having her dance along. Charles Esten had a catchy song about beer, that went over really well with the public. Carson Peters was unbelievable, 12 years old and a lot of experience already. Carrie Underwood was great, and the public loved her.

What struck me most was a song that Lee Greenwood performed, called “God bless America”. It had the entire hall standing up and proudly singing along. Even not being American ourselves, we stood too of course, and it had me thinking: Americans sure are fierce in their love of their country!

We had a wonderful time, and it marked our Nashville visit for me! Even though we also visited the Heritage, former home of president Andrew Jackson, and did some serious shopping in the Opry Mills Mall. And of course, The Grand Ole Oprey was a Pokestop.