With American Idol in the early stages of a brand-new season, I thought it would be appropriate to blog today about some of America’s great music cities. I love hearing music when I’m traveling, and some of my favorite memories involve dark holes in the walls filled with that musical spirit, as some undiscovered local talent bewitches their captive audience into staying out until all hours of the night.
While I love hearing blues in Chicago, rocking at clubs in Los Angeles with eyes peeled for celebrities, and counting the Deadhead posters at San Francisco’s famous Fillmore, here are my top three go-to cities when I want a music-filled vacation:
1. New Orleans: From dark nightclubs to brass bands that parade through day-lit streets, the city of New Orleans is filled with music around the clock, and festivals like Jazz Fest are just the beginning. Gospel choirs emanate good feelings from the doors of churches, jazz legends like Carl Densen wait to start their shows at 4am when they know the true fans will be on-hand, and groups like the Rebirth Brass Band symbolize what the city spirit is all about.
2. Nashville: In the home of country music and rock and roll, it can sometimes seem like there’s a cowboy-boot-wearing guitar player on every street corner and that every time happy hour rolls around it’s time for the honky tonk. Just head to the Ryman Auditorium or the Country Music Hall of Fame, and you’ll be able to appreciate a rich legacy of stars famous for creating that one and only Nashville sound.
3. Washington, D.C: Most people don’t know that Go-Go music was invented in the nation’s capital by Chuck Brown, but you can still hear it played today in venues like Alexandria’s Birchmere and at the 9:30 Club. Sure Fugazi once reigned supreme on the D.C. music scene—and still does in some circles—but the city is also famous for its more classical venues, like the Kennedy Center, where the National Symphony Orchestra often plays.
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