Here’s my 2nd installment of Nashville 4 Free:

Day 2 & 3 & 4

– My sweet friend Annie, who is about to move to Rhode Island, surprised me with a free ticket to the Ryman to see Secret Sisters and She & Him. Obsessed with Secret Sisters! Not only do they have heavenly voices but they are precious. She & Him was okay, but really it was just cool to see Zooey Deschanel. She funny, cute, and quirky. My favorite moment was when She & Him did “You Really Got a Hold on Me” totally acoustic without any amplified sound (no mics). That is always a baller move in The Ryman. To be honest, I don’t really get the allure of She & Him, but it is always great to go to The Ryman.

– My free movie was a bit of a letdown last time at Belcourt but I didn’t hesitate when a colleague sent me a link to get a free pass to see “The Heat” starring Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy. I’ve been in love with Sandy since Speed and McCarthy got me hooked, like most people, with her performance in Bridesmaids. The movie is HILARIOUS! Now, the process to get into the theatre which included being searched by a security guard and relinquishing your cell phone was not that great, but I’m really happy I saw this movie. The women bring it in their performances. I would suggest venturing to the theatre for this one. Cost: $6.50 for popcorn and a soda

– Sometimes, things are accidentally free like when the woman working the ticket counter at The Frist Center for the Visual Arts asked me if I was a college student because college students get free admission on certain days at the museum. Now, this was probably really unethical BUT I work with college students all day long and all of my gray hair is the result of college students. I also still have the good fortune of being able to pass for a college student. I showed her my ID, she gave me a sticker, and I don’t really think anyone was harmed in the process. Eek! Now that I’ve made that confession, let’s talk about the actual exhibit. My friend Leslee Mitchell, who is an incredibly talented photographer happens to be obsessed with cars. Sensuous Steel: Art Deco Automobiles is certainly worth a visit. In a strange turn of events, you are actually allowed to photograph the cars. Cost: Free, but I did purchase one cider at Flying Saucer post exhibit so $5.00.

– I had so much fun at Musician’s Corner in Centennial Park last week that I ventured back out this Saturday. The Bird and the Bear, Stacy Lantz, Matt Giraud, and Humming House were the acts I was able to see before I headed out to a friend’s engagement party. My favorite would have to be Matt Giraud and anything the female lead singer of Humming House sang during their set. She’s phenomenal! “Pick It Up” and “Seven Days a Week” were great from Giraud. His soulful voice “took us to church”. I don’t watch American Idol but apparently he was on the show. He also did a cover of Sam Cooke’s “A Change Gone Come” mashed up with Jackson 5’s “Whose Loving You?” Humming House did a fun cover of Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean”.

While at the show, the Music City Roots bus was present and giving away free koozies and if you could answer one trivia question you could get a hat or tickets to an upcoming show at Loveless Café. I happened to know the name of the host of MCR and I picked up 2 tickets for an upcoming show. I’ll certainly tell you about it in a future post.

The World Vision Experience was parked in Centennial Park. If you arrived early enough, you could help assemble promise packs for kids in Africa. I took a tour of the interactive World Vision Bus and went on a journey through Tanzania with a sweet little boy who told us about the difficulties his village has had with obtaining clean water, having time to attend school, and the devastation of Malaria. By serving as a sponsor, participants could donate money to purchase mosquito nets, finance a Micro Loan, donate chickens to a family, a clean water source, or just donate to the education fund. It was quite the adventure to Kisongo. We learned a couple phrases in Swahili and I also learned that we say “Tanzania” incorrectly in the States. Cost: $5.00 for some Dark Chocolate “Jeni’s Ice Cream”

Can’t wait to report more fun and free Nashville adventures.

Later Y’all