Nashville's increasingly raucous reputation rebuffed by tourism leaders

Nashville's leaders are worried its very lifeblood – the city's homegrown music scene and authentic country roots – is at risk if the wild parties in the streets downtown don't settle.

Outlandish party buses, pedal taverns, and other oversized entertainment vehicles are overwhelming downtown streets with noise and unruly traffic, they say.

It's not a good look for a city intent on winning over the world's travelers with its unique brand of heartfelt Southern hospitality and edgy-but-accessible artistry.

The post-pandemic surge in tourism put the NashVegas vibe squarely in focus with pent-up revelers demanding more and more cover bands and mechanical bulls.

Tractors, monster trucks and wagons hauling drunk tourists in hot tubs are more popular than ever.

The trend is eclipsing Music City's historic reputation as a collection of friendly dive bars full of soul and innovative young talent. 

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Nashville Mayor John Cooper said he's "seeking the authority to regulate the entertainment vehicles that don’t currently fall under Metro’s regulatory purview."

The thriving "transpotainment" industry is flouting rules and seemingly oblivious to community complaints, said Butch Spyridon, president of Nashville Convention and Visitors Corp. 

"I'm not necessarily saying we need to get rid of them, but there has to be some sort of regulation, whether its for noise, routes or alcohol consumption," Spyridon said. "You can rest assured there are underage adults consuming alcoholic beverages on those vehicles. Not every bride's maid is over 21."

What's more, they pay far fewer taxes than the bars they cruise by on their circuitous routes.

Spyridon said the businesses take advantage of the lack of local control with lax ID checks and a general willingness to over-serve. 

"It's literally the Wild West," he said. "We hung our hat on music and authenticity. If we lose that, we'll never get it back. This is about our overall brand."

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Metro leaders have targeted the businesses for years without success.

This week, officials met to begin outlining recommendations to state leaders on the issue – even as Gov. Bill Lee works to promote more Nashville tourism with a $2.5 million marketing investment in plane-ticket giveaways. 

Spyridon, who aggressively promoted the recent July 4 celebration as the nation's largest, said he's not trying to stop the parties. 

"I love music. I love having fun. And I'm partially responsible for all this," Spyridon said. "But why is this OK? When it starts to endanger our long-term year-round success, we have to talk about it."

'Transpotainment': Wild-West-style

State law prevents local regulation of transpotainment vehicles, which simply need to obtain a state license to operate and are not checked for safety violations.

In 2019, Nashville officials tried to change that by promoting a law increasing safety and operational regulations including non-slip flooring and railings for open-air vehicles. 

But the effort wilted under pressure from industry leaders.

Last year, transpotainment companies filed suit when Metro leaders ordered them to shut down amid the COVID-19 pandemic, saying they were treated unfairly.

"We agree that everybody needs to be responsible," attorney Gary Blackburn said. "These companies are acting in a responsible manner. The Metro Health Department is trying to do something without any authority to do it, and without any notice and opportunity to be heard."

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'It's not if, it's when'

Mayor Cooper, Spyridon and other community leaders are studying how to bring order to honky-tonk row as the strip heats up.

Their efforts coincide with a major redevelopment effort for historic riverfront buildings off Broadway. Several 19th-century warehouses were torn to pieces in a Christmas Day bomb attack. Demolition permits and rebuilding plans are currently being debated.

Redevelopment discussions include activating 1st Avenue river-facing businesses and temporarily closing streets to vehicle traffic along Broadway.

Meanwhile, the popularity of party buses and pedal taverns seems to have surpassed pre-pandemic levels. 

"It’s not if, it’s when, somebody is going to fall from one of the vehicles," Spyridon said. "Or there’s going to be road rage or something and I don’t want that to happen."

He hopes local leaders can find short-term fixes to improve the downtown experience for a larger audience before a bill is considered by state leaders next year.

"The city and state need to come together to regulate and oversee it in the issue of public safety," he said. "One bad incident is going to set us back."

Tom Turner, president of Nashville Downtown Partnership, said residents and workers are exasperated by traffic and all-night party sounds interrupting sleep and business meetings. 

"We need to aim towards reasonable behavior," Turner said. "We have 15,000 people living downtown so it is a neighborhood. A lot of the buildings were built long before there was a rolling hot tub or a party bus. We had a lot of residents here long before we had those pedal taverns."

Sandy Mazza can be reached via email at smazza@tennessean.com, by calling 615-726-5962, or on Twitter @SandyMazza.