Type to search

Features

#AmericanMusicTrail: Your Quick Guide to New Orleans-Memphis-Nashville

The best places to catch live music, eat great food and soak in history

Sep 30, 2019

If you have been meaning to do a trail across the music meccas in the Southern states of America, now is the time. Here’s a checklist of places to visit and things to do while you’re in New Orleans, Memphis and Nashville.

1. New Orleans’ Bourbon Street is where all the popular and touristy jazz clubs are but if you want a more intense, local experience, head to the Frenchmen Street. One of our favorites there is the good ol’ Maison, which features a slamming house band.

2. If you’re a seafood fanatic, make the most of the Creole-meets-Cajun-meets-Southern cuisine that NOLA has to offer. Binge on chargrilled butter-glazed oysters at Desire Oyster Bar and pair it with the classic N’awlins cocktail Hurricane. Bite into the world-famous New Orleans’ po’ boy (shrimp is your best bet) at a local eatery, and if you’re in the mood for some baked goodness, there’s the local beignets that you can try at the iconic Café du Monde.

3. A jazz cruise on the vintage Steamboat Natchez is a must if you’re in the Big Easy. The two-hour sail of the Mississippi amidst jazz tunes played by the band on board – the Grammy-nominated Dukes of Dixieland – puts you at instant ease. Also, definitely do a road trip from New Orleans to Memphis. It’s a six-hour drive but super scenic.

4. Stroll down the historic Beale Street in Memphis and soak in the vibe. Memphis is a feeling, they say. Our favorite blues bar on that stretch is the BB King’s.

5. Relive the soul and gospel era at the Stax Museum. Spend a full two hours for the best, most immersive experience courtesy of yesteryear greats like Isaac Hayes and Ike Turner.

6. Go honky tonk-hopping on Broadway in Nashville and discover your favorite variant of country music – do you like bluegrass, country-rock or good ol’ pop ballads? There’s no place like a Nashville bar to let your hair down and sing your favorite songs at the top of your lungs.

7. Try the hottest fried chicken in town at Hattie B. It comes in three levels of spiciness and the hottest variety can put even the toughest Indian taste buds to test.

8. Catch the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville and experience the best country music the place has to offer. The Opry is the oldest country music concert, which has been broadcasted live on the radio since 1925.

9. Visit the Parthenon, which is the full-size replica of the original structure in Athens. Click pictures against this stunning backdrop and if you’re in the mood, stroll in the idyllic gardens nearby.

10. Delve into the kaleidoscopic world of letterpress posters at Hatch Show Print, a legacy publishing store that has printed woodblock flyers and promotional material for almost every big act in America since 1879. There’s a lot of cool merch on sale and you can even create your own poster as part of a quick tutorial during their guided tour.

Tags:

You Might also Like