In Addition to Great Hot Rods, This Is A Fun City

If you haven't received or bought the November issue of Rod & Custom yet, you should soon. Our coverage of the Goodguys Nashville Nationals is part of the package. This was only the  third year for this event, and our second year of attending, but the quality of the cars was outstanding—just like we remembered it from 2006. Obviously we’ll only be able to show you a tiny percentage of the hot rods and customs that showed up (and, unfortunately, none of the outstanding musclecars), but we’ll have extended coverage, with a slightly larger percentage, on this website in the  future.

In addition to the show itself, one of the things I like about going to Nashville is the nightlife. The show at the stadium is five minutes by car and 20 minutes by foot from downtown Nashville—by the time you find parking it’s about the same. Broadway is the where the action is. I usually try to get dinner at Jack’s Bar-B-Que or Rippy’s Ribs. If you like country music—and you’re in the wrong city if you don’t—you can hear it live at Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge, or on vinyl at the Ernest Tubb Record Shop across the street, or in your imagination around the corner in front of the Ryman Auditorium—the historic home of the Grand Ole Opry for more than 30 years. You can also hear it for free on the street, since just about  every street corner (and a few doorways) is a spot for local street musicians. In fact, I bumped into Dave Lane and Brandon Lane sitting on a window ledge listening to a guy in a lawn chair playing slide guitar. He was good too.

I didn’t have my camera with me downtown ( I was off the clock) so I don’t have any photos of the action on Broadway. All I can do is encourage you to see it for yourself next year.