US Tour Diaries #2 – Tuscaloosa, Atlanta and Nashville
Continuing on the same theme as for the opening instalment of the tour diaries, a winners/losers synopsis of the happenings in Tuscaloosa, Atlanta and Nashville sits below. Try to contain your excitement.
WINNERS
· Everything about Alabama Crimson Tide football. They have a monstrous 110,000-seat stadium which has sold out every game for almost 25 years now. Their Homecoming week involved a Saturday afternoon parade that exceeded everything we have in Australia which doesn’t include the words ‘Anzac Day’. The catchcry “Roll Tide” can be used as a substitute for hello, goodbye or as a term of endearment (even in Nashville, people would yell “Roll Tide!” out the window as they drove past if you were wearing ‘Bama gear). Oh, and the number one-ranked college team in the country took care of business in our presence. Alabama 38, Missisippi State 7. Roll Tide.
· Winning 10 dollars apiece off Nick and the Bossman via inane prop bets on the second half of the terrible Chiefs-Raiders NFL game.
· This ad for an Alabama country music radio channel – “If you think the words flash drive still mean a car trip down to Mardi Gras, this is the station for you”.
· Nashville in general – what a fun city. Of course, that won’t stop me listing all of the details as to why it is so fun below.
· High quality country music. I’m only a minor fan of the genre as a general rule, but seeing it done so well (and indeed, so many rock and pop-based songs given a ‘country makeover’) has given me a much greater appreciation of what it can bring to the table.
· Tootsie’s bar on Broadway. Packed to the rafters from the get go, with everyone in the mood to party. If it’s like that on a Monday night, how much more could it crank up on a weekend?
· The Molotov cocktail created by combining Nashville, middle-aged women and the Bossman.
· Having ribs for breakfast at 2pm.
· Rooster’s bar and grill, as seen on Man v Food. We didn’t take on the 72-ounce (about 2.1 kilos) steak and sides challenge, but the ribs, chicken and beef brisket were fantastic. There’s a 98 per cent chance that I’ll never eat Australian ribs again after seeing how they can be done elsewhere.
· The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. Americans like to do everything in a big way, and that really pays dividends when it comes to museums.
LOSERS
· Getting your arse handed to you in college football and NFL gambling over the course of the weekend.
· Grits. I had in my head that it would be something along the lines of diced hash browns – instead, it’s a bizarre concoction that seems like a cross between a runny risotto and cous cous. The only read food fail of the tour to date.
· Avis putting a two per cent ‘NBA arena fund’ levy on our hire car from Memphis. What do I care if the Grizzlies get a new stadium or not?
· Watching pro wrestling live. I bypassed this to watch the Saints-Broncos NFL game, but Nick and the Bossman were both adamant that it was crap.
· Atlanta’s downtown nightlife of a Sunday evening – borderline non-existent.
· The first couple of beers on Tuesday night after a massive Monday. They went down like a Christmas tree backwards. Most unpleasant.
· The effects of Superstorm Sandy – most pertinently on those who been badly affected by the storm, but also on our touring buddy Parko, who detoured to NYC for the weekend and has yet to be able to rejoin us. Let’s hope that the recovery process for cities and individuals alike is a rapid one.
US CITY POWER RANKINGS
1. Nashville
2. Tuscaloosa
3. Memphis
4. Atlanta
The upcoming schedule sees a date with Churchill Downs racetrack in Louisville, Tennessee Vols college football in Knoxville and a return to Nashville for the NFL on Sunday, before the Texas swing of the tour.
Thanks to Jason Kempin/Getty Images North America for use of the photo
