Pictured above: Grand Ole Opry, Nashville
Content Produced in Partnership with Rhythms of the South
Nowhere in America is there more of a wealth of live music and musical heritage than in its three vibrant Rhythms of the South cities – New Orleans, Louisiana; Nashville, Tennessee; and Atlanta, Georgia.
Best known as the Birthplace of Jazz, New Orleans is also home to rock, zydeco, rhythm & blues and soul music. You hear it on the street corners, from commemorative marching bands, in such landmark venues as that bastion of trad jazz, Preservation Hall, in riproaring Tipitina’s, and in the convoy of clubs along lively Frenchmen Street.
Image credit: Zack Smith
There’s also so much more to enjoy in ‘The Big Easy’ – the splendid architecture and joie de vivre of its fabulous French Quarter; its rich literary heritage the lovely Garden District; City Park, one of America’s largest and most multi-faceted green spaces; its wealth of award-winning restaurants with their French, African-American and Hispanic influenced cuisine; and those relaxing cruises up the wide and picturesque Mississippi River.
Any time is a great time to visit Nashville, Music City, but 2025 will be very special – it’s the centenary of the Grand Ole Opry, the pioneering live radio show that launched many an internationally acclaimed superstar, many of whom come back to pay their tributes to the Opry and in other Nashville venues, even as aspiring artists perform in vibrant clubs along Nashville’s Neon Neighborhood, aka Lower Broadway.
And don’t forget to visit such hallowed sites as the Ryman Auditorium, the Country Music and Musicians Halls of Fame and Museums, tribute museums to such superstars as Johnny Cash and Patsy Cline, and one of the city’s newer attractions, the National Museum of African American Music.
Atlanta, which considers itself the ‘Cultural Capital of the South’, brings the music scene right up to date as an ever-evolving hub for hip-hop, rhythm and blues and indie music. Not only are there long-established venues such as The Tabernacle and the Fox Theatre but also a wide range of other venues such as the Northside Tavern dive bar; Blind Willie’s, a Mecca for blues fans; the Masquerade, a magnet for hard rock fans; and an increasing number of venues in the buzzy Eastside. The scene is further enhanced by Atlanta’s thrusting skyscraper skyline, a variety of appealing neighbourhoods and museums, award-winning restaurants and rich Civil Rights heritage.
So come, listen in, tap your feet, clap your hands and sing along to the Rhythms of the South!
Find out more at RhythmsOfTheSouth.com
