How to be a Hip Freshman in Nashville: The Rec
[Ed. note: This is part 2 in a 3-part series by Eileen and David. Part 1 is here. Part 3 is here.]
Part II: The Rec(reation)
(cc) Flickr user Darin Barry
Looking cool is only one third being Nashvegas. You must also act the part. Nashvillians have developed a culture based on doing trendy things. To be cool, you should do these things and act these ways:
1. Take your guitar everywhere you go. This is especially important on campus, where you will be meeting many other hip freshmen. Memorize four or five relevant songs by indie bands.
2. Attend shows. Go to every single show. You can never go to enough shows. This will build your cred as a cool individual.
3. Become a regular at an independent coffee shop. Learn your barista’s name. Forget that chain coffee shops ever existed.
4. When you meet a new person, ask them what bands they like. Nashvillians LOVE bands. We love talking about bands. We can’t get enough of bands. Most of us are in bands. Join a band. Start a band. Be your own band.
5. Spend a Saturday afternoon browsing used vinyl at Grimey’s or The Great Escape.
6. Use abbrevs. (“Abbrev” being the abbreviation for “abbreviation.”) Example: “Hey rooms, I’m gonna caf it for some fro-yo and maybs some coff. Meet me at the lib and we’ll stud for philos. Lates bro.”
7. Stalk Ben Folds and Jack White.
8. Ride a road bike like this:
(cc) Flickr user richardmasoner
This list contains only eight of the numerous trendy things there are to do in the Ville of Nash. Start by perfecting these and leave the rest to your brilliant, creative mind. We believe in you and your burgeoning hipness.
Stay tuned for the final installment later this week: THE KNOW.
