We went to the Grand Ole Opry again last night. This is comparable to going to Alcatraz in the Bay Area. It's something that you usually do with out-of-town visitors. I will say that unlike Alcatraz, the Opry is a different experience each time and you never know what new artist you might find. The tour groups bus in folks like cattle, so for the most part the audience tends to have grey hair. I'm getting there quickly but I don't have enough to qualify yet…

Like most music shows or live theater, it is an evening show. And this is where my love affair with music (and most women) has it challenges. I'm an unabashed morning person. I simply can't lay in bed and go back to sleep once I've woken up in the morning. Some say it's a curse, some say it's a blessing.

But it sure does make it hard to go to events in the evening where they turn down the lights. My mind is thinking of soft mattresses and warm sheets, not voices and distant faces.

What was different last night was that instead of the Opry being held in the 70's era monsterous Opry House, we're in the winter schedule (Nov-Jan) when the Opry is held in the quaint, compact Ryman Auditorium, the "Church of Country Music." Its nickname comes from the fact that indeed, it was built as a church. Pews and all. So sitting on hard pews for 2+ hours does make dozing a difficult task.

I've also been frustrated trying to find a place to listen to good singer-songwriters here in Nashville. Almost every venue has concerts starting at 8 or 9, mostly at 9. The Bluebird Cafe early show is our one trusty option, but you have to plan in advance to get tickets, making impromptu choices very hard in this Music City.

So why is this? Is it that performers are night people (seems that creatives seem to lean that way) and so the performances end up late at night? Or is it that people prefer to listen to music late at night and only night owl musicians become successful? 

I don't have any answers. I only have the constant remaining frustration of wanting to listen to great music when I'm not falling asleep. 

Any ideas?