The United States is a wonderful place for music lovers to explore. With its incredible cultural diversity, there’s something in this country for everyone, no matter what music you enjoy or dislike. Here are some of the top destinations for music lovers to travel to in the United States.
New York City
Yes, there’s much more to the States than the dazzling lights of New York City, but the Big Apple has been the home of so much musical history-making that it just had to feature on this list. New York City was at the center of the birth of jazz and blues, first through the work of George Gershwin in the early 20th century and then through the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s. Fast-forward to the 1970s, and both disco and hip-hop saw their beginnings in New York City. Unfortunately, many of the city’s historic music venues have now closed down, but a few are still standing, including the Greenwich Village rock and roll club The Bitter End, which was established in 1961 and has hosted the likes of Stevie Wonder and Bob Dylan.
Waikiki, Honolulu
The Waikiki district is located in southern Honolulu, on the Hawai’ian Island of O’ahu. The area includes the scenic Waikiki Beach, one of the most famous surfing destinations in the world, as well as plenty of shops, restaurants, and bars. Like everything else in Hawai’i, Hawai’ian music is a unique blend of different cultural influences. It is perhaps best known for the use of steel guitars and for the slack key method of guitar playing.
Playing music is a key part of Hawai’ian social life, and this Waikiki beach hotel keeps the tradition alive by hosting local musicians and bands every night of the week. Sandy beaches, sunshine, and live music—what more could you want from your vacation?
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Memphis, Tennessee
This one’s a must for fans of Elvis Presley. The King of rock ‘n’ roll grew up in Memphis and bought the Graceland mansion, in the southwestern part of the city, at the tender age of 22, just after his rise to fame. Today, Graceland has been turned into a museum and exhibition center dedicated to the life of the King, where aficionados can see Elvis’s classic cars, gold records, and other possessions and learn more about this stellar musician through interactive exhibits. Predictably, the road on which Graceland sits has been renamed Elvis Presley Boulevard.
Hardcore Elvis fans might want to travel to Graceland in the second week of August, which has become known as Elvis Week. The 2022 gathering will be particularly special, as the 45th anniversary of Elvis’s death is going to be commemorated through special events and exhibitions.
Chicago
The capital of Illinois has a rich musical history and is particularly dear to lovers of house music. This pioneering electronic music genre was created in the 1980s by Black American Chicagoan DJs such as Frankie Knuckles and derived its name from the Warehouse club in the West Loop. While the Warehouse has now closed down, plenty of live music venues remain in Chicago, catering to fans of all genres with a particular emphasis on jazz and blues.
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