Tip your band, say honky tonk musicians, during NFL Draft
NASHVILLE — Country stars Dierks Bentley and Tim McGraw are playing free concerts in Nashville during the NFL Draft, but the hundreds of musicians working in honky tonk clubs just blocks from the draft stage want football fans to remember to tip the band.
With turnout expected for each day to reach 100,000 people for the outdoor draft starting Thursday and running through Saturday, the bars on lower Broadway will have plenty of cold beer and live music for visitors.
But many of the musicians say as the city grows, the working musicians who put Nashville on the map are getting squeezed financially. Most venues pay musicians like other service staff, which means a low base pay, which they have to supplement with tips or selling some CDs.
As construction downtown increases, parking fees go up and most musicians have to carry their gear (guitars, drums, amps, etc.) through crowds and traffic to the venues, especially when streets are closed to allow for foot traffic. Those challenges escalate during a special event like the draft.