Breaking Stereotypes

When most people think of the Nashville music scene I'm sure one thing comes to mind: country, country and more country. 

While living here we have attended many different concerts and bars with live music and they have all lived up to the stereotype (examples here and here).

Two nights ago, Lizzy's friend, Tom invited us to a show he was playing in at The Basement. While we would normally go to the Whiskey Jam on Monday nights (which is country) we decided to try something new. He gave us the name of the bar and told us he would be on at 10:30. 

We headed over around 9PM so we could check a few of the other bands. Not knowing what to expect, we were very surprised when we pulled up to this:

Half the lights on the sign were out, there were no cars in the parking lot and when we stepped out of the car we only heard silence. Didn't quite seem like the place where live music was happening. Then we noticed that little "use alley entrance" on the sign and realized we needed to drive around the back of the building, we are such newbs. 

After getting in the car and driving around back we saw people, cars, lights and heard music but still, were not sure where to go. Then we saw this sign:

Oh you wanted to know what the sign said? Me too.

That's the sign. It was scavenger hunt to figure out where this place was

The look of this place, the vibe and people hanging out were the exact opposite of anything you might think you would find in Nashville. No cowboy boots, to plaid shirts and no acoustic guitars. At first we were skeptical but ultimately had an awesome time. The live bands sounded like a mix of Maroon 5/Justin Timberlake (sexy back days)/and The Killers. It was nice to have some variety and get to see Tom perform!

The entrance to The Basement. Not intimidating at all.

There is Tom doing this thannng

This was another guy who performed first, he was actually hilarious. I just wonder if he knows that if you wear that shirt with those glasses, I will call you Waldo.

I think we learned some lessons that night and they all involved never judging a book by it's cover.

XO Emmy

The Loveless Cafe

Since moving to Nashville, we have made it a point to have brunch every Sunday. It is a nice way to start a lazy Sunday Funday and allows us to continue to explore different areas. 

Since being here, we have yet to find a typical hole in the wall diner. You know the place I'm talking about? Eggs, bacon and greasy home fires? Well it has seemed so far that those do not exist around here. Most brunch places have been well, classy I guess, with seared duck and weird things that I would never eat. We had been looking for a typical diner style breakfast but had no luck, until now. 

The Loveless Cafe is about 30 minutes away from the section of town we live in but is one of Nashville's most famous destinations. With a typical wait for 1-2 hours, we were hesitant to drive all that way there to just wait. After checking our their website, I discovered they do call ahead seating. BOOM. 

So this past Sunday, we woke up and decided to try it out. While still laying in bed, I called and asked how long the wait was. 45 minutes. Perfect. Just enough time to get up, get ready and drive over. 

After pulling in, I realized this is exactly what were were looking for. The smell from their outdoor BBQ pit was amazing and their "property" was bustling with people everywhere. I loved the atmosphere and the look of everything. 

They have a whole "campus" of little shops to browse through while waiting

But on to the things that really matter, the food. It was amazing, perfect and just what we were looking for. It was less 'brunch' and more 'what your momma makes' kind of breakfast. 

If you are in the Nashville area, you must check it out. Be sure to use our trick of calling ahead so you don't have to wait as long!

P.S. Dear Nashville, what the eff are these and why are they at every restaurant?

XO Emmy

The Art of Hair: Parlour & Juke Style

After many weeks of waiting I finally checked out the infamous salon, Parlour & Juke, this past Saturday. I have had the same hair dresser ever since I can remember so venturing to a brand new place had me a little nervous. Since I've moved here, all I have heard about is this amazing salon and the amazing stylists who work there. Needless to say, I was pretty excited.

I knew that I was going to love this place the second I walked in. Hot coffee and relaxing music was just what I needed after a late night and a bad hangover. The salon itself with its exposed brick and beams and floor to ceiling mirrors looked like it belonged in a magazine.

Pretty Mirrors

I had no idea what I wanted to do and let Melody work her magic. Melody was the perfect fit for my hair. I recommend anyone with curly hair go to her because she gave me to perfect cut and color and the end result was better than I could have ever expected. The stylists are truly artists and if you ever have the chance to go, go with an open mind because you may be surprised.

Check out Parlour & Juke on Twitter (photo c/o: Parlour & Juke)

The amazing product lines they carry. (Photo c/o: Parlour & Juke)

Most relaxing part. (Photo c/o: Parlour & Juke)

Vote Parlour & Juke Best Hair Salon in the Nashville Scene's 2012 Best of Nashville Readers Poll here.

XO

Lizzy

Rockstars in Paradise

This story starts about 15 years ago when these two mini rock stars were spending some time with their grandparents:

They were watching music videos on CMT. Remember when music television stations actually played music? Anywhooo, they stumbled across the video below and fell in love. For some reason the piano on the sand and perfect little family in the house with no ceiling and no walls appealed to them.

Fast forward to today, those cousins still text each other every time Just Another Day In Paradise comes on.

Earlier this week Lizzy and I were at one of our favorite spots, The Whiskey Jam at Winner’s (adjacent to Loser's) bar. It also happened to be the night Vanderbilt moved back in so the bar was abnormally swarmed with 21 year olds. Not wanting to hang out with co-ed’s we decided to wander across the street to a more “mature bar”. Ha. Which is where we ran into a friend who lives in our apartment complex.

We ended up chatting with him and his friends and after playing some really “mature” games; we decided it was time to go home. We were getting up to leave when our friend invited us to hang out with them the next night at a private concert they were going to. Come to find out, one of his friends is a long time manager of Phil Vassar. He was playing a private concert for a company’s party the next night and they had back stage access.

Since we didn’t have plans and think we are rock stars, we obviously agreed.

It was one of the most hilarious nights of my life. Phil is a sweetheart and his entire band/team is wicked fun. The only embarrassing part of the night was when Phil’s stage manager asked me to run out on stage and bring Phil a new beer. I don’t really remember it since I have never been in front of so many people before and I’m pretty sure I blacked it out. Phil stopped singing, took the beer from me and kissed me on the cheek to thank me. I am very surprised I didn’t trip over the wires on stage since most of my life involves klutzy moves. 

Our view from side stage

Oops.

Behind that curtain is the stage. Thank god I didn't fall through it

Phil is very agile, he could jump up and down on the piano in a second

Our bad decision to stay out late led us to our new friends, Britney and Natalie. Oh and those flowers? Presents from a homeless man.

We accidentally stayed out way too late and I am now writing this post before work and I can barley see the screen since my eyes are still glued shut from the sand man….damn sand man.

When I moved to Nashville, I told myself I would live up any and all opportunities so I guess I can check “go-backstage-at-a-concert-get-kissed-on-stage-in-front-of-hundreds-of-people-and-have-the-most-hilarious-night-ever” off my list.

XO Emmy

Taylor Swift and the Country Music Hall of Fame

This past Sunday we played tourist. 

We ventured over to the Country Music Hall of Fame to check out the Taylor Swift Exhibit. 

We brought with us Lizzy's niece for her birthday as she is a big fan of Taylor's. 

Truth be told, I'm not sure who was more excited for the day, the 8 year old birthday girl or the 24 year old me. Last summer I went to the Speak Now tour with some of my best friends (

hello best day of my life) so I was really excited to see the "treasures from the tour". 

(let the reminiscing begin)

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Taylor Swift wrote this blog post about the epic day:

“The other night, we were playing our first of two shows at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts. I’m all the way at the end of the stadium, playing “Fearless”, and I swear as soon as I sang the words “With you I’d dance in a storm in my best dress, fearless”… I felt a drop of rain hit me. Then there was another one, then there was another. And then it turned into an absolute downpour. Everyone is soaking wet. And at this point in the show, about halfway through our set, this fear came over me that everyone was going to leave the concert. I tried to push it way back into the back of my mind and just kept playing, and to my surprise, the strangest thing happened. No one left. Instead, this ocean of people in front of us just started dancing even more, screaming even louder… And that night I actually got to dance in a storm with them. In my best dress. I’ll never forget it.”

Before the concert

During the concert, it's hard to see the monsoon that was taking place but I promise it was crazy

After the concert we decided to go to a bar at patriots place, soaking wet. We figured everyone else would also be wet but since most concert attendees were under 21, we were the only soaking wet people in the bar.

 - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

(okay, back to this past Sunday)

To be honest, I was a bit disappointed. I felt for an exhibit geared towards young Taylor Swift fans, it wasn't very age appropriate. Basically all it was, was her costumes behind a glass case, not too exciting. I guess I was expecting a more interactive exhibit or even a guest appearance by Taylor Swift herself, a girl can dream right?

I was able to snap a few pics of her costumes up close and personal which were cool to see but again, I was expecting a bit more. However, the day was still very fun and I'm glad we went!

Anyone want to give me $500 to buy this hand painted album cover signed by Taylor herself?

Just let me know.

XO

-Emmy

Parking Lot Parties

One of the best things about Nashville is by far the music scene. Coming from a town that just got their first bar the week before I moved here, having live music at all the bars is the best thing since sliced bread.

One of the bars is in a section known as Midtown, Loser's (yes that's the name of the bar) puts on free outdoor summer concerts. The bar itself is your typical college dive bar, complete with sticky floors, dim lighting and a bathroom that you don't want to even touch. They do however, have a great deck area that is the perfect spot for a birds-eye view of the stage they put up right in the middle of the parking lot. 

We have been to two of the concerts there so far, the first one included several smaller acts, but we only caught the last one Ashley Rae. The feature band of the night was The Randy Rogers Band. Originally from Texas, the band has several well-known songs ("Kiss Me in the Dark" being one of them). I had never seen them live before and LOVED every minute of it. 

Pictures from this concert: 

We got upgraded to VIP for the concert!

Emmy and I were front row!

Check out the video we got of the band!  

(you have no idea how long it took us to get that video to work/rotate/crop. #learning)

 

 

The second concert lineup was Ty Brown(the guy from Ali's season of the Bachelorette) Scotty McCreery and Randy Houser. Best surprise of the night was seeing Scotty. He was amazing live and made even us feel like 16-year-olds. Unfortunately, this concert was cut short because of a monsoon that came through 3 songs into Randy Houser's act. Hey, at least we could wait it out in the bar!  Here are some shots before the floodgates opened:

Scotty and the swarm of teenage girls at his feet.

Ok, I'll admit we were part of the swarm at his feet.

Overall, these summer concerts are one of the reasons I moved here in the first place. Who wouldn't love to break up a monotonous week with a free concert?

XO

-Lizzy

Nashville Farmers Market

We are lucky enough to live right across the street from Bicentennial Park and the Nashville Farmers Market. 

This past weekend we finally ventured over to the Farmers Market and we were NOT disappointed.  

Sorry Harris Teeter (the grocery store for all you northerners) but we will no longer be buying your fresh produce.

Check out some of our Instagram pictures below:

 

We ate lunch at this gem of a wood fire oven and split a Margherita Pizza. We would have shown you a picture of it but unfortunately we devoured to quickly. 

Bella Nashville was recently featured in the Nashville Scene, read the article here.

 

The market had the most amazing fruit and vegetables.  We arrived right around closing time but the selection was still mouth watering.

We ended our trip to the market with the most amazing Peanut Butter Banana cupcakes from The Sweet Stash an awesome bakery located right inside the Nashville Farmers Market. 

P.S. If you want to follow us on Instagram (you know you do)

Emmy: emmyrho13

Lizzy: lizzyhaines

-E&L

Goodbye New England, Hello Nashville!

Welcome to our new blog! 

A little place for all our friends, family and probably creepers to follow our shenanigans in Nashville!

Never want to miss a post? Well then click that little "join this site" button to your right - - ->

Did you do it? Phew. 

Stay tuned for more fun as we get the hang of this and get to know Nashville.

And now to end with one of Emmy's favorite quotes:

"Every story has an ending...but in life, every ending is just a new beginning" - Uptown Girls

(yes, I just quoted Uptown Girls)

-E&L