Yeah, I know. I’m preaching to the pork-lovin’ choir here. Barbecue lovers seem to be able to sniff these things out. Like those pigs who find truffles, which takes us back to pork. For those who might not know, August means Nashville’s 2010 Music City BBQ Festival to the Grand Ol’ Porker Arena at Riverfront Park. The festival brings more than 100 (yep, that’s right) bbq joints to the table, demonstrations, plenty of music–Saturday night will feature Grammy-award winning Delbert McClinton–and the much-appreciated Kid Fun Zone.

But hold on to your forks: After a five-year break, the beloved Swine Ball is back. Always a blow-out (or pig-out, if you will), the dance features live music and plenty of swing. As they say, get ready to don your rubber snouts for the “Pig Noses Required” event, and be prepared to “get piggy with it.”

Date: August 26-28

Oink oink,

Dane

Let me just say that a vacation beats a staycation any day. But since some people just don’t have the time to jet off to the Eiffel Tower or the Great Wall, the Preston makes sticking close to home a lot more affordable and a lot more enjoyable. Don’t spend your precious days off parked in front of the boob tube or, worse–like my pal Russ–cleaning your garage. Really.

The Preston’s Staycation Package sets you up with an overnight, free wifi, a cocktail at the Pink Slip lounge, and a breakfast voucher the next morning. Plan on taking a dip in the pool, and don’t forget to nab the pillow of your choice from the menu before heading to bed. And for our neighbors to the north and our in-state guests–that’s you, Kentuckians and fellow Tennesseans–the Preston will knock off an additional 30 bucks. No garage cleaning required.

Later,

Dane

You’ve got a 7 a.m. flight, off for a week on business to Random Big City. You’re planning on getting up at 2:30, being at airport long-term parking by 4:30 (at an average of eight bucks a day), taking the bus to get to the terminal by 5 a.m. How about this instead?

Check in to the Hotel Preston the evening before, making sure to be here for cocktail hour in the Pink Slip Lounge. Maybe a dry martini, just a little dirty. Your car is parked, safe and sound, free (yes, free) for up to seven days. Sit down to a fabulous plate of Chicken Parmigiana at Preston’s Café Isabella. Up to your room, maybe dessert from our 24-hour room service. Our wake-up service rouses you at 4:15, you’re on the complimentary airport shuttle at 4:45, easily making the three-mile trip to the terminal by 5. How much is your time worth?

Later,

Dane

Nashville Event: Adam Lambert

Believe me or don’t: I was persuaded/coerced, by my friend Lisa, into writing about the upcoming Adam Lambert show at the Ryman Auditorium. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not much of an American Idol fan, didn’t even know he didn’t win (seems like he’s gotten as much or more attention than any of the AI winners), but anyone with ears can tell that this guy’s got chops. I wanted to check out some of Lambert’s earlier work (so I’d know what I was talking about, at least a little), bee-lined it to ever-reliable youtube.com. For a young guy, he’s got himself quite a resume.

Seems he’s been singing and dancing since he was a wee lad (sans guyliner and lacquered nails), belting it everywhere from amateur theater productions and his high school graduation ceremony to nightclubs and a touring production of Wicked. Hey, Lisa—still got that extra ticket?

Later,

Dane

Ok, here’s a straight-up plug for the Hotel Preston. Watching everyone come together during the recent flooding made me damn proud of Nashville, Tennessee. So, if you haven’t been here yet, I want to tell you that you’re really missing something.

So, that’s cleared up. You’re coming to Nashville. Now, where are you going to stay? That’s right: at the Hotel Preston. This is honestly one of the nicest hotels I’ve ever seen (and I’ve been around a bit). There’s always some kind of special offer, too, and this one’s great, whether you’re here on vacation or business.

If you book two or more nights, you can save 30% off the best rate we offer. Keep in mind that the Preston is a boutique hotel, and then you realize how cool that is. I’m personally inviting you to come see the hotel and one of the best cities you’ll ever run across. I guarantee you’ll be glad you did.

Later,

Dane

You really can’t imagine how challenging this is: Writing a short monthly post about what to do and see in a city like Nashville. In any given month there are more concerts, music festivals and even non-music events than just about anywhere in the country.

Suffice to say, there’s just too much to say. So, I’ll tell you what I’m most looking forward to. Tonight, at the Ryman Auditorium, one of my old favorites is teaming up with someone who will likely soon be added to that select list. You know Neil Young (one of the best live shows you could hope for), but you may not be familiar with Bert Jansch. He’s a Scottish folk singer/songwriter and really worth a listen. Hope to see you there.

Later,

Dane

Bear with me, ‘cuz this is definitely not in my wheelhouse. I’m not a crafty guy (at least not in the artsy way), but a friend of mine was going on about this event last weekend, told me I needed to pass it on to everyone at the Preston.

So, here’s the deal. On the first weekend in May, you need to head out to Centennial Park to the 39th Annual TACA Tennessee Craft Fair Image gallery. It’s a TACA (Tennessee Association of Craft Artists) gig, the biggest one of its kind in the state. There will be almost 200 artists and their work represented, with a lot of the craftspeople on hand to talk about their process and inspiration. Throw in events for kids, special exhibits and booths, and I think there’s going to be something for everyone – even me – to like.

Enjoy,

Dane

Boy, things have changed. When I was growing up, my dad left the house at 8:30 and was home and in his Bermuda shorts in time for dinner, every night at 6. These days, people work from home, take working vacations, and even “staycations.” I say, if you travel for work, or God forbid, work while on vacation, why not at least make it as easy on yourself as possible?

If you’re headed to Nashville, the Preston’s got a great hotel package deal going on: We shuttle you straight from the airport, then get you set up in a cushy room. Wireless internet access is included, natch, but the complementary cocktail waiting for you is a nice bonus. We don’t want you working on an empty stomach, so we give you a breakfast voucher the next morning. If you drove here, we’ll park your car for up to eight days. So, get to work!

Later,

Dane

There is so much going on in Nashville this month; it’s a little something  we like to call Awesome April. For the fifth straight year, the city promises at least one major event each weekend, with plenty more to choose from throughout the month. And the really cool thing is, it’s not just concerts. There are great films, exhibits, sporting events; you can even be in the audience of a big radio show.

Start things off by catching the tail end of the Tin Pan South Songwriters Festival, at venues all over the city. There’s no way for me to name everything you should see and do, but you’re crazy if you miss the Nashville Film Festival, the taping of The Prairie Home Companion, David Sedaris, Roy Clark, The Crawfish Boil, Bon Jovi, or the half marathon. Oh, and did I forget to mention Miss Aretha Franklin? Yeah, like I said, awesome.

Later,

Dane

Since I was a kid, science has always been something that’s fascinated me. Yes, I was the 5th grader who actually looked forward to the science fair (maybe you can guess some of the nicknames this earned me). So, imagine my excitement when I learned that the exhibit “Bodies Human: Anatomy in Motion” was coming to Nashville.

Having already seen it myself, I would highly suggest a trip down to the Rivergate Mall to see the exhibit of over 100 real human bodies, preserved through plastination. It’s honestly one of the most amazing exhibits ever. I assure you that there’s none of the ick factor that you might expect, just a really cool look into the way the human body works. This exhibit does show all of the human body—um, everything— so kids under 13 should probably be accompanied by an adult.

Happy learning,

Dane