Nashville: Home of Cold Cuts and the Ickey Shuffle

Liza and Nicole with a few of JR’s awards 

With Rodge at the power of our disposal, no place seemed too far away or too out of the way so we made a late afternoon dash for Nashville where we were generously put up by Liza, a friend we had briefly met back in Brazil.

It may just be the people we have met so far, but it seems generosity and friendliness are bred in the south. We met Liza for a night back in Ilha do Mel where she made the mistake of saying if we were ever in Nashville to look her up. So we did, and she poured on the southern hospitality – from homemade quiche and breakfast spreads to rival Bazil (my old man who still cooks me breakfast even though I’m 27 and am apparently an adult), to putting up with us for far too long, to showing us the sights, sounds and tastes of Nashville, to introducing us to her group of friends (who again took us in like we were family), Liza made Nashville a place that was very hard to leave – both physically and mentally.

She invited us to a local gig on the first night, Music City Roots Live from the Factory, where she works as an event promoter. Not only did she get us free entry, she gave us more free drink tickets than we could keep track of, literally.

Music City Roots Live from the Factory

Liza had the following day off and had a ready-made list of activities we could do with our time in Nashville. With the weather not too appealing for outdoor activities she showed us down town, introduced us to some local celebrities, a few local brews and we all got to know Johnny Cash a little better whiling away a few hours at the Johnny Cash Museum. It is fairly new in town, but is definitely one of the better museums I have been to lately. You literally could spend the entire day listening to all the interactive displays that they have decked the place out with, and if you are lucky you may get to meet the people that put the place together. 

The Million Dollar Quartet

Meeting Johnny Cash’s sister Joanne was not only quite  a shock, but made the visit a little more memorable as she runs off-hand tours throughout the museum whenever she pops in to say hi.

Joanne Cash giving us a moment of her time 

Later that night Liza took us all out to dinner where we got to meet her boyfriend Ryan, and his roommates Dave and Brent, and her roommate, the party loving Emily. Given it was a Thursday most of the others had work on the Friday, but Dave and Brent were keen to show me and Al a few typical dive bars of Nashville. So after Em proudly resisted the lure of a night out, Dave and Brent took the two Aussies on a quick bar hop across town to see a few bands, suck back a few pitchers and try our hand at darts.

The Dart Victors – me and Brent

Copperhead Road?

A little rough the next morning, Nic and I took Liza’s advice and made the short trip out to Fall Creek Falls and Cane Creek, where once you get off the highways, is a beautiful, windy drive through hills and valleys full of switchbacks and hairpins until you reach the state park. From here it’s a pleasant loop hike to both Cane Creek Falls and Fall Creek Falls and, where if you are lucky you get to see a few Copperheads along the way, or if you’re unlucky you don’t see them until it’s almost too late.

Fall Creek Falls

Cane Creek Falls

Next up was Nashville on a Friday night and it was Em’s turn to be in the spotlight. She entertained us while Liza finished work and then they all took us out to downtown Nashville at a little after midnight.

For this part of the story to make any sense, I should explain that Al and I have become infatuated with a Geico (car insurance) add that is getting heavy air time in the states at the moment, and it has somewhat become our catch phrase of the trip (for the time being). Check out this YouTube clip titled ‘Ickey Shuffle: Did You Know - GEICO’, and not only will your life be changed but you might be able to make sense of the rest of the blog.

My memory is a little hazy but I think we went to a good 3 or 4 bars, of which none were serving cold cuts but that didn’t stop us thinking we were going ‘get some’. To which Em overhead some other pub goers question, ‘are those guys talking about cold cuts?’ A late night stop off at a White Castle where some very good decision were made, and possibly translated to the checkout chick through the use of a road cone and the fact that the girls are now fluent in “Strayan”, capped of a night to remember – not that all us of can though.

Saturday was like any other hungover day – non-productive. Well at least for the Aussies of the group. Liza got up for work like the trooper she is whilst the rest of us got up early’ish to watch a ‘live’ replay of the Freo v Port game where we introduced Em to AFL and (not that she needs introduction to this part) getting drunk before midday. We later continued Em’s foray into AFL with a kick down the park where she excelled as a goal umpire so much so that old mate Chelsea (not my sister-in-law but the one and only female goal umpire) back home may have to watch her back.

Downtown Nashville

Saturday night was shaping as a non-event with most of us still suffering from the morning activities until Em offered the question of going out and we all somehow stepped up to the plate and took up the challenge. I think we smashed it out of the park.

Enjoying a ‘Bushwacker’

It was to be remembered as the night Geico and Ickey Woods brought the famed Ickey Shuffle to Nashville with a little help from someone and something called a ‘Bushwacker’.  Not too sure what most of the other pub patrons’ thoughts were on this new dance routine but it was apparently amusing to some. Saturday night’s shenanigans were closed out with a 3.30am beer pong and cigar session because why wouldn’t you.

The Ickey Shuffle

Sunday didn’t really exist for me. As Kev (Bloody Wilson) would say, ‘I felt like I woke up recovering from an autopsy’ and that was pretty much the end of it for me. Liza again worked, just a casual 12.5 hour shift this time, while Em amazed us all by getting up early and going jet skiing – I say she is somewhat non-human.

Nashville blew me away, in part due to the activities on offer, but mainly due to the generosity, kindness and friendliness paid to us by Liza, Em and the guys. You all made our stay one that will be hard to top, and we all hope one day we may be able to repay you the favour.

Just Because! 

Wooh!!! 44…That’s me! (Commence the shuffle whilst repeating ‘Get some cold cuts, get some cold cuts!)