With some of the most talented musicians in the world trying to get noticed on dozens of downtown stages, the Nashville strip is a giant, endless party with a killer soundtrack.
Anyone who has been there will tell you it's one of the best stops on the entire NHL circuit.
Sadly, though, there won't be any hockey trips to Music City this winter. Not with the league in one of its regularly scheduled lockouts.
"Every morning it sort of hits you," said Nashville Predators coach Barry Trotz, who has been breathing Zamboni fumes since he was grinding it out on the rinks of Manitoba 40 years ago.
"Coaches are no different than players, we're wired for hockey. From the middle of September you're wired to be ready, everything is done and you want to get playing. When that doesn't happen there's a void."
That can't be filled with music, no matter how good it is.
"You become a little bit of an adrenalin junkie," said the only coach the Preds have ever known. "You need a result. If you win your adrenalin is high. If you lose a game, you're upset. It's a roller-coaster. I love the battle of it, the highs and lows that come from being in the thick of a playoff race. That's what you miss."
Seven years ago, Trotz, now 50, followed lockout developments minute-by-minute, excited when there seemed to be progress, devastated when the sides grew farther apart -- eventually leading to a wiped-out 2004-05 season. Sitting by the phone waiting for a call that never comes is no way to spend six months.
This time he won't let the negotiators dictate his mood.
"Last time I didn't know what to do, I'd come in and stare at the walls all day," he said. "What I've tried to do is book as many (appearances) as I can and stay as busy as I can. I haven't said no to too many things.
"When you just sit around and stare at the walls and think 'I hope the two sides are talking today, have you heard anything?' it goes very slowly. What I've learned is to stay busy and make it productive."
Because while the NHL has forgotten about Nashville, Trotz is doing everything he can to make sure Nashville doesn't forget about the NHL.
"I've been here from Day 1 (the 1998-99 season) and it has taken a lot of time to build this up into a really good hockey market -- we had 26 sellouts last year -- and you don't want to see that go backward," he said. "Our organization has mandated 'let's get out in the community.' If we're not doing the hockey stuff, then the Nashville Predators brand will be out there helping in the community, creating goodwill."
Internally, too.
"We didn't lay anybody off," Trotz said. "I respect our owner so much for that because a lot of times the people who are affected are the people who can least afford to be affected."
If there's one silver lining to hockey's $3.3-billion cloud, it's that Trotz can spend more time with his family. Birthdays and special occasions that always seemed to arrive when the Predators were out of town are now landing on open dates in his calendar.
"As coaches you miss out on a lot of stuff," he said. "I got to be at my son's 11th birthday, which I haven't been able to do in years.
"Taking my son to swimming lessons daily, things you miss out on as a dad. I was here for Halloween, I can't remember the last time that happened, maybe six or seven years ago. Handing out candy, seeing him dressed up as Spiderman, you don't get to do that very often. You miss out on the little things.
"I do cherish them but, at the same time, am I wired to be working? Absolutely."
Like almost everyone, he can't understand why it's taking so long for the labour lawyers to work this out.
"There's a deal to be done. We all make a good living in the best league in the world. There's no reason we can't come together."
