Everything You Need to Know About Going to a Concert at Ascend Amphitheater
From Americana rock to jazz pop, we’ve seen it all at Ascend, one of our favorite Nashville venues.
Vance Joy. Norah Jones. Odessa.
Kimbra. Lucius. Young the Giant.
Brandi Carlile! St. Vincent!
Ascend is Nashville’s premiere outdoor venue. It’s downtown (like on the riverfront) and there’s a blend of lawn seating and actual seating. While they have just changed their bag policy (and have been truly so rude about implementing it without so much as a heads up or email via TicketMaster etc to upcoming visitors… I digress), I have generally had good experiences there. We’ve learned some things over the years of our shows at Ascend, so I’m sharing them with you!
Where to Eat and Drink
I would describe all these restaurants as $$ (not cheap, not totally spendy). That’s to be expected for the area. You’re in the heart of a city so expect to pay a little extra for your pre-show cocktail.
For a casual bite: Liberty Common
A cute French bistro meets American cafe style menu with Aperol spritzes and oysters. Their happy hour is actually excellent.
For a large group: Bakersfield
As a Californian, the town of Bakersfield does not elicit fondness or an association of authentic Mexican food, but this place does know what they’re doing. Their guac and margaritas are not messing around. If you’re going with a group of 6 or more, they do a house selections menu for $18 per person.
For a date night: Calacas
Jackson took me here recently on a date night and it was so yummy! We enjoyed the Día de los Muertos vibe. While we’d say skip the ceviche, definitely try the pork pibil tomale and the chingon carnitas.
For Southern cuisine: Martin’s
If you’re from out of town and hungering for some genuine Southern barbecue, we recommend Martin’s. It’s a solid joint with a few different offerings, though you can’t go wrong with pulled pork, fried pickle chips, or a half rack of ribs.
What to Wear
When people from home (California) ask me about the weather at home (Nashville) in the summer, I have come to terms with describing it as “similar to what I imagine it feels like to be inside a giant mouth.” Ew. But TRUE. The humidity. Feeling that outdoors is giving you a shower after you already showered and put on make up and dry clothes. Peeling your thighs off of plastic chairs and carrying their indent with you for an hour. It’s a mess. But it’s non-optional, so we deal with it. K? K.
That said, if you’re seeing a show any time between May and September, prepare to sweat. Ascend’s dress code is casual. I like wearing something long and flowy (protection from the itchy grass, breeze, comfort) or something short and strappy (limited fabric, breathing room for my arms). That bug spray in your friend. Wear comfy sandals so that you can pop them off once you’re to your lawn seats. Remember that you’ll want to be comfortable sitting on the ground, so wear something you can move around in decently.
What to Bring (and NOT Bring)
Ascend has joined many other arenas in implementing a clear bag policy. It helps speed up the entrance line and makes safety checks easier (so I get it, but next time you implement a policy, at least alert people: ugh). While you technically can still bring in a tiny clutch, I find it’s best just to set up a clear back and leave it in the closet so it’s always ready to go. Camille and I split this two pack from Amazon and spent $9 each on a bag dedicated for outings like this.
Here’s what you can put in there:
Cell phone - duh.
Credit and/or debit card - inside Ascend is cashless—which I think should be illegal and is discriminatory, but I’ll save that rant for another day. For now, you’ve been warned.
Mini deodorant - you’ll thank me when you want an extra swipe because the Outside Mouth is too sweltering.
Empty Water Bottle - you can bring in one full and sealed plastic water bottle (sure, but the environment, ja feel?) or an empty aluminum or plastic water bottle to fill up near the bathrooms once you’re inside. If you want to get specific, you’re allowed “up to 1 gallon in a factory sealed or empty reusable water bottle. All reusable water bottles must be plastic or aluminum, no glass allowed, or ones with a camel-back straw.”
Food - you can bring your own food with you! This is amazing and so rare. Pack your picnic, making sure that you remove any branded packaging and everything is in a clear container. The deets: food must be “in a clear plastic container or 1-gallon ziplock bag. No food with any bones or that would need the use of utensils. No commercial branding names/ branding so please put any food into a separate clear bag/container to store your food.”
Deck of Cards - if you’re waiting between sets or you get there early to stake out a good lawn spot, having a little game with you is handy.
Handkerchief - we keep these handy for when you need a last minute tissue, napkin, or sweat absorber.
Old Quilt - this doesn’t have to fit in the bag (thank goodness). We find that a large old quilt is the comfiest to sit on, gives you large surface area, and can easily be doubled in case the grass is wet without losing much seating space. If you don’t have one, swing by Good Will and wash one you find thoroughly.
Do NOT bring:
Umbrella - it will get confiscated and you will be sad. Not that I know that from personal experience…
Aerosols - bug spray, hair spray, dry shampoo: leave them at home. Bug spray your legs and arms before you leave home or bring one with a pump-style top.
Lawn chairs - you can rent them there for $10!
Any outside beverage that isn’t water. Sorry.
Animals (except service animals) - leave your pets at home. This is not the time and place.
What to Eat and Drink Once Inside
Ascend has a pretty fair selection of food.For local food, you’ve got Daddy’s Dogs, Ben & Jerry’s, and different food trucks each show. They also have in-house entree offerings from cheeseburgers, hot dogs, chicken tenders, hot chicken, Impossible meat cheesesteaks as well as side snacks like nachos, pretzels, candy, and popcorn.
For drinks, expect to find canned wine (red, white, and pink), a couple different beers, and some cocktails. Drinks are ungodly expensive IMHO. Jackson paid $32 for a large seltzer and a tall boy of beer. YIKES. We say pregame and just pretend it’s a college throwback vibe.
Are you the designated driver for your group? I have good news for you! You get free fountain sodas. Just go to the Guest Services tent right inside the main gate and someone will get you a voucher.
Where to Park
Option 1: Don’t drive in the first place. Take a Lyft! This is what we do pretty much every time we come downtown. When we come with friends, they drive to our place in East and we take one ride share together. (It was actually a factor in choosing the location of our house). We recently had a horrible experience with Uber and have always loved Lyft as well as have some friends who have had good experiences working for Lyft. There are designated drop off and pick up zones for ride shares so check your app to know where those are. We always order the Lyft ride 2 songs before we think it’s the end of the show. We typically don’t mind missing the last bit of the encore unless it’s someone we are huge fans of (read: Brandi Carlile). Beating the rush a little bit helps. But it’s also for sure the time to pay that extra surge charge or the up-fee for having your car come directly to you. Trust us.
Option 2: Reasonably priced garages. I used to work downtown and can attest that you’ll rarely get the $11 parking ticket for an expired meter so I never pay them. If you can find a street spot, this is for sure your best move. If you’re heading downtown—I was about to say “on a weekend” but really every day is some tourist’s weekend in Nashville—then it’s worth knowing a few of the best garages to park in.
Library Garage: 151 6th Ave N, Nashville, TN 37219
Their hourly rate is $6 BUT their daily max rate is $20. If you park after 5 pm or on weekends, then it’s a $10 max for up to 12 hours. If you’re a Nashvillian with a library card, you can park for free for 90 minutes any time and then it’s just $3 per half hour after that.
Metro Courthouse / Public Square Park Garage: 101 James Robertson Pkwy, Nashville, TN
Their hourly rate is $8 BUT their daily max rate is $20. If you park after 5 pm or on weekends, then it’s just $5. Find yourself downtown frequently for work or live somewhere downtown where parking is tough? Night-only parking is $100/month.
4th and Commerce Garage: 147 4th Ave N, Nashville, TN 37219
Their hourly rate is $10 BUT their daily max rate is only $25. If you park after 4 pm, the max rate is $15 and if you park after 6 pm or on a weekend, then it’s just $10! Truly a steal.
Bonus: Getting Great Tickets for Cheap
Ok this really feels like sharing some insider secrets. We have seen many shows at Ascend for free. Yep. We’ve been gifted tickets here or there by loving friends.
But our number one trick? DoMore615.
Register for an account and pay only $3 to cover your first 3 months of membership. If you like it after that, they’ll charge you just $5 a month. What does membership get you, you ask? At least one pair of free tickets to an upcoming Nashville event (live music, sports, plays, and more) each month. You’ll get an email asking if you want to keep the tickets, release them back to others in the pool, or gift them to a friend. Typically, tickets get your name on the list somewhere or stash a pair for you at will call. It’s a great way to have what my family calls “planned spontaneity” because the events on offer are between one week and 2 months out and you can opt in rather than having to search from scratch by yourself. Then, just plan a fun date night or GNO around the event you got tickets to! We’ve been to the Ryman, Ascend, writer’s rounds, and Bridgestone through the DoMore615 program.
Don’t forget to take at least as many silly photos as you do cute ones. Blessings upon your Ascend-sion!
xo,
em
So I Went to A Hardcore Concert
A bit of backstory: Jackson (my husband) met his best friend Drew when they were randomly assigned as roommates freshman year at Vanderbilt in 2011. They are somehow very different and very similar at the exact same time. We’ve spent countless hours together over the years and we love Drew very much. A few years ago, Drew moved to Atlanta to work in the film industry. While there, he connected with a really rad girl named Allyson. Now they’re married! They came to town for the Coheed and Cambria concert and invited us to join them since it was Drew’s 29th birthday. They knew full well that it wasn’t our typical music, but also could count on us to be down for a new experience and to get to see a bit of their world as they’re both fans and this was their third time seeing the band live.
The show was at Municipal Auditorium, which I must say was incredibly well air conditioned for hosting over a thousand people in the dead of July heat in the South. (We usually describe outside in the summer here as feeling like being inside of a mouth. Ew. But accurate).
We snagged dinner at the new 5th and Broadway project’s Assembly Food Hall, which I can happily recommend even as a Nashvillian whose relationship status with downtown is “It’s Complicated.” We walked from there to the show and prepared our ears for blasting. Pro tip: if you forget your earplugs on the counter like I did ( * face palm *) then you can always stuff some toilet paper in your ears. It ain’t glamorous but it’ll get the job done and your cilia will thank you later.
If you’ve been to a live show with me, you might know that I tend to write during shows. Yep. I don’t know why, but the muse has inconvenient timing.
While I haven’t written any song pieces yet (which is what I usually do), I was very inspired by the experience of being out of my musical element and thinking about what it meant to listen in this arena. Here are my (hot) take aways:
This is a rock opera. Serious classical structure underlies much of hardcore and metal instrumentation. Walk the Moon is just the poppy end of this spectrum. They’re somehow vocally similar to the lead singer of Band of Horses. But also see: Phil Collins? The lead guitarist and singer has some of the most beautiful hair I’ve seen. Very fitting for his industry / genre. The audience parts sounded like me trying to hum the anthem of Game of Thrones from memory (it would be a mostly accurate struggle). We then sonically took a hard left into Beach-Boys-covered-by-Fall-Out-Boy territory. For aforementioned hair and opera reasons, I recommend Coheed and Cambria to fans of Les Mis.
The whole experience reminded me of youth group. Jackson described it as being similar to going to Catholic mass for the first time and not knowing the words to songs or what to expect from the rituals. The average person here is Drew, who I know went to youth group. There were songs that swayed in 6/8. There was more in-time clapping than the Baptist center down the street on any Sunday. Really giving mega churches’ Easter Sunday production a run for their money. The house lights were still up, the floor is linoleum, everyone here is a nerd (that’s a compliment): Like, was a school assembly in there. Again like CCM, the songs are organized around a central narrative and have unnecessary Nth repetitions of a chorus or refrain just so its followers can experience the joy of singing along.
There was an alien balloon that I have a suspicious theory about: the same company that must do most of the balloons for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade must have had a turkey body leftover whenever the production designer for Coheed and Cambria. Balloon person was like “Yeah we totally have an alien for you” and then promptly added some tentacles to the turkey body and recolored it. I mean, props. But it if you’d seen the show, you would 100% be on board with my theory. Side note: They paid a lot for CGI. But also, not enough.
This is true at all shows: There’s nothing like the face of the panicked stage hand who is running up between songs to secure a microphone stand.
We had a great time and I would definitely go back. It might not be the kind of music I listen to on a day-to-day basis, but the show was nothing short of fantastic and a true culturally immersive experience.
How have you gotten out of your musical comfort zone lately?
xo,
em
3 Favorite East Nashville Happy Hours
My requirements for a quality happy hour:
Reasonable hours. None of this 5-6 pm nonsense, which is impossible to get to in time for most of us working folks.
Reasonable prices. If your happy hour drink is only $1 off regular prices or is north of $9, you’ve lost me.
Something for everyone. Jackson is dairy-free, I can only handle so much gluten, and plenty of our friends are vegan. We’ve gotta be able to meet up somewhere that has a decent number of options.
Bonus points: Food included.
Plane Jane
When: Daily from 5 - 7 pm; Tuesdays all day!
What: Beer $3, Wine $6, Cocktails $9
Specials: $8 shot + beer combo.
$10 specialty cocktail
Why we like it: Plane Jane was recently (another favorite of ours) by a Vandy grad (go ‘Dores) as his second enterprise after the success of Coneheads (right above Plane Jane!). We love this spot and it’s right near our house. Drinks are creative and on point, service is friendly and prompt, and the space is vibey without being over the top. While there isn’t food on site for happy hour, we just wander upstairs for delicious (and reasonably priced) chicken and truly the best damn grits I’ve yet tasted.
Up Down
When: Daily from 3 - 7 pm; Saturday from 11 am - 9 pm; Sunday all day!
What: Cocktails $7 (seven options to choose from)
Specials: Tuesday $1 off TN drafts.
Wednesday $1 off domestic tallboys.
Thursday 10-cent game tokens
Friday $2 pizza slices until 8 pm
Saturday 2-for-1 tokens
Sunday $30 six pack and a pound of tokens
Why we like it: With a rooftop patio (that is pet friendly!) and a ton of games inside, you’re set at Up Down whether it’s raining or sunny. Great entertainment for all ages and excellent drink deals. What’s not to love? The retro games provide a good space for larger groups to mill about and enjoy a corporate happy hour if you’re planning one of those.
Lockeland Table
When: “Community Hour” daily from 4 - 6 pm
What: Snacks to share $7, Cocktails $7
Specials: $7 glass or $30 pitcher of cocktail of the day. Food specials for kiddos!
Why we like it: While it’s a little on the early side, Lockeland Table’s Community Hour is true to its name in that way. The pizza is my personal go to, along with some grilled veggie of the day to round it out. Their cocktails are excellent and the pitcher is always a fun way to do a large format cocktail to share for 2-4 folks. The best part? A portion of the proceeds from Community Hour benefit the PTOs of schools in and around Nashville.
HONORABLE MENTION
Lyra
When: Daily from 5 - 6 pm
What: Cocktails $6, Beers $6, Wine $6 and discounted food
Why we like it: We love the food at Lyra. Their happy hour deals are great! This one gets an honorable mention because of the limited hours. We recommend getting a reservation for the patio at exactly 5 pm when they open and happy hour kicks off. Place your order and wait for the deliciousness to arrive. You’ll have time for a second round of HH drinks before the deals end and you’ll have plenty of food to make it dinner. When family is in town, we tend to go here and order one of everything off the menu. No joke.
Jackie Shane: Transgender Soul Music Pioneer
Born and raised in North Nashville, Jackie was 7-years-old when she came out to her mom as transgender. As she grew up, she performed in the local clubs on Jefferson Street—Nashville’s original Music Row—wearing clothes that fit her persona: sequins, jewelry, beautiful wigs, and fantastic makeup. Being a transgender person and a Black person in the South, Jackie faced serious oppression from transphobia and the Jim Crow era.
In 1959, Shane escaped her oppression by joining a traveling circus in Ontario, Canada. Jackie later joined Frank Motley and his Motley Crew (yes, Crew not Crue) who had a regular spot at a local night club. Their fame grew and Jackie became their lead singer as they traveled the Chitlin Circuit.
In 1965, Jackie Shane performed “Walking the Dog”, a Rufus Thomas cover, on WLAC-TV’s famous show called NightTrain. She was invited to perform on the Ed Sullivan show, but since they required her to present as a man, she declined. Jackie continued to be misgendered at concerts, in reporting, and by those around her throughout her life. Despite the undoubted frustration and hurt this must have caused, Jackie turned to her music and kept up the pep.
Shane’s songs reflected her own life, with celebration not shame. She sung about living conditions in New York with “In My Tenement”, looking for love as a transgender woman with “Chickadee”, and facing her critics down in “Sticks and Stones”. Her single 1967 re-released single “Any Other Way” sounds like a modern LGBTQ anthem:
“Tell her that I am happy
Tell her that I am gay
Tell her I wouldn't have it
Any other way”
Her clever play on words still ring true.
Then, at the height of her career, Jackie Shane disappeared.
There were rumors that she’d been stabbed to death. That she’d been lost to suicide. That she’d moved back to Nashville. That she was hiding out somewhere in New York.
What was the truth?
We’ll never know the details of Jackie Shane’s life from the 1970s through the 2010s.
What is known?
In the 1990s, Jackie Shane moved to Los Angeles so she could take care of her mother who had fallen ill. She moved back to Nashville some time after her mother’s death in 1996.
There are stories of folks who got a hold of Jackie’s number in Nashville—and were promptly hung up on whenever they called. Even old bandmates seem to have lost track of her.
Here and there, Jackie would open up for a phone call or a conversation. In 2017, Jackie Shane met Lorenzo Washington and visited his museum, Jefferson Street Sound Museum, which is dedicated to the preservation of Nashville’s Black music history. Lorenzo and Jackie developed a close friendship and she trusted him to get her groceries and take her on outings. Lorenzo recalled one time they shopped until they nearly dropped at a department store and Jackie bought classic Jackie things: bold, gold jewelry, a faux fur coat, and fun shoes. It was Lorenzo who, when she didn’t pick up the phone, went to Jackie’s house to find that she had passed away in her sleep.
Before her death, Jackie’s music was rediscovered by the public and she was nominate for a Grammy in the category of Best Historic Rhythm and Blues Record. She had begun giving occasional interviews about what it was like to be trans in the South in the 50s and 60s and about her musical career. Currently, Janelle Monaé owns the rights to Jackie’s life story as a dramatic film and Netflix is collaborating with a team of Canadian documentary makers to bring Jackie’s story to a screen near you soon.
During her time, Jackie Shane was compared to Little Richard and David Bowie for her sonic innovation, clever song topics, and overall style. Now, you can hear her influence in popular music from, yes, Janelle Monaé but also Yola (compare Jackie’s “Comin’ Down” to Yola’s “Stand For Myself”) and Sam Smith (the emotional tone and melodic deliberation of “Any Other Way” feels like Smith’s “Love Me More”). Do yourself a favor and listen to some Jackie Shane, baby.
A benediction from Jackie:
“I’m going to be all Jackie. That’s all I can be,” Shane said in a 2018 interview.
May we each be all ourselves, for that’s all we can be. Amen!
Our 3 Favorite Camping Spots within 2 hours of Nashville
There’s a growing list of why we love camping:
cooking your food in the wilderness
sitting in a hammock for hours on end
ruminating on big ideas by the fire
taking in the whispery light of morning
snuggling with a puppy on your lap and a beer in your hand
hanging out with friends far from distractions
We could go on and on. Camping has been a grad-student-budget-friendly way for us to feel like we’re getting to travel a bit. Since we pack everything into the car, we are pretty versatile in terms of the kinds of sites we use. Sometimes we go full boondock or even ditch the car and walk in a bit with a tent. For the most part, we try to find sites away from the big RVs and campers and opt for something more primitive. We give strong preference to places that have a scenic drive, good local hiking routes, and interesting terrain.
We’ve camped our from Tennessee to California and back, up and down the coast. We’ve camped in the Rocky Mountains at -13 degrees; we’ve camped in July in a heat wave of 101 in Nashville. (Not that we’d recommend either, but it’s possible). Having to bring all your stuff with you reminds you how much stuff you have (and probably don’t need). We’ve camped with groups of friends for birthdays. We’ve camped just us—no other souls—in the desert. We’ve gotten so see so much of this country and meet so many folks through our adventures. If you’re interested in starting your own camping adventure, but not ready to convert one of your cars into a camper, then here are a few of our favorite places near Nashville that we’d recommend trying out. We saved the best for last.
Evado Travel
3. Fall Creek Falls Campgrounds
This is one of the more popular sites in Tennessee and for good reason—it’s got all the amenities you need and is only 45 minutes from Virgin Falls. If you’re not into camping, they’ve also got lodge rooms and cabins for rent in the area.
RoverPass
2. Cedar Creek Campground
With views of Old Hickory Lake, settle in for a restful weekend at Cedar Creek. Snag one of the lake-front campgrounds and enjoy the other offerings: showers, swimming, boating, fishing, ADA accessible sites, bbq pits, and a playground. There are electrical hook ups and even a washing facility if you’ve been camping for a bit and need to do some laundry. Only 40 minutes outside Nashville (30 from east!), Cedar Creek is a great option.
1. Merriweather Lewis National Monument Campground
I truly debated whether or not to share this one. Because it’s my absolute favorite and I’m selfish like that. Alas, I gave in to my better angels and opted to reveal this gem. Merriweather Lewis’ place of death (spooky) is just off the Natchez Trace. Right around here is my most favoritest gold star diamond camping spot. It’s not crowded. It’s free. It’s 90 minutes from Nashville. It’s a beautiful drive to get there. It’s near several hiking trails and waterfalls. It’s ADA accessible. It has real bathrooms. And trash cans. And fire pits. I MEAN. C’mon. Just do me a favor and don’t spoil it for anyone else, k? K. Bring your own firewood (we may have learned this one the hard way).
Where to Pick Your Own Berries Around Nashville
May
Green Door Gourmet
Call for availability.
20 minutes from downtown Nashville | 7011 River Road Pike, Nashville, TN 37209
For $10 per person, you get to pick your own quart of certified organic strawberries (though you’re welcome to pick more for increased charge). Arrive close to 5 pm for the extra bonus of entertainment after your sunset harvest at their Pickin’ Party or visit on a Saturday morning from 9 am - 1 pm throughout May.
June
Kelley’s Berries
June - September: Daily from 7 am - 6 pm
30 minutes from downtown Nashville | 631 Beckwith Road Mount Juliet, Tennessee 37122
Kelley’s has it all: strawberries in May and June are replaced by blackberries and peaches in July. Blueberries are ripe toward August with raspberries close behind.
July
Stoney Creek Farm
July: Wednesday and Saturday 8 am - 1 pm, Sunday 1-5 pm
30 minutes from downtown Nashville | 4700 Coe Lane, Franklin, TN 37064
Stoney Creek offers not only blueberries and blackberries but also herbs and flowers that you can pick yourself! Get some berries for a snack and put together your own farm-to-vase bouquet.
August
Breeden’s Orchard
July - October: Thursdays 4-7 pm, Fridays - Saturdays 8 am - 12 pm.
30 minutes from downtown Nashville | 631 Beckwith Road, Mount Juliet, Tennessee 37122
A local farm with decades of history and new ownership, Breeden’s offers peaches and apples for picking. Apple cider donuts return on September 1st and are the perfect way to kick off the fall season.
Picnic at Arrington
When it’s fall and friends come into town, the time is ripe for dining al fresco. Picnic comes from the French word pique-nique, with piquer being the verb for “to peck at or nibble”; it’s kind of like saying snackie snacks. We may be far from France, and (devastatingly) far from Napa, but we can still pack up some cheese and grapes and grab a bottle of wine to enjoy outdoors. Camille made this fantastic loaf of honey beer bread that we enjoyed with goat cheese and local whipped honey (great for allergies too!). We took a nice drive out to Arrington Vineyard where we opted for a red blend and set ourselves up in the partial shade of a beautiful oak. So this is your reminder that something as simple as eating outdoors can be a the chance of pace you need and an autumn experience to enoy!
Drinks at White Limozeen
Sometimes you just need a fancy drink with your sissy. That is all.
xo
em
Goodbye, wallpaper. Hello, paint!
When wallpaper is too expensive but you still want a pop of color and pattern in a space, painting is the way to go.