Spent the day running around Nashville. Took just about everything I had in me to not visit that Hatch Show Print studio downtown. I had to save this one for when Ryno was here. I cruised all over town, past the Exit/Inn venue, through school campus’, sketchy neighborhoods, hi-falutin’ neighborhoods and perused a couple of thrift stores. Just general “killing of time” around a city I’ve been to only once up to this point. Can’t say I was all that impressed. Nashville has country music. Memphis has the blues. I think I’m more interested in the latter. Or maybe, “Nashville in the ’70s” with those outlaw artisits.

Thought about stuff like Willie Nelson peddling songs to Patsy Kline, Steve Earle hitting rock bottom and my ol’ pizza-making-buddy JT Kroupa getting high on cheap speed and way too many ghetto tattoos. Stuff like that. Really.

Can’t say I like the “new Nashvile” or whatever it is. Fuck all this “Rascal Flats” shit and the haircuts and tailored jeans and Hollywood looks. And for the record, fuck Kenny Chesney’s oiled chest, Toby Keith’s fleet of Ford trucks and pretty much any turd who sings about fishin’ holes and his father’s hands and shit.

Ryno flew in from the Twin Cities without much trouble. Picked him up and drove all over town scoping the Nashville night scene. Not too much going on.

We settled on crummy hotel just south of the skyline. Air conditioning sure did work good.