An epidemic has hit Downtown Nashville.
No, I’m not talking about the “Country House” EDM music that’s taken over the Honky Tonks of Broadway, though that’s a problem within itself. We actually touched on that with a story recently, so all I’ll say is that if you don’t know what “country house” is, imagine pop country on steroids.
You could even go as far to call it TikTok country if you wanted to…
But anyways, despite the influx of non-country-music on Broadway, there are still traditional country music artists and musicians trying to make a name for themselves on the street considered to be Music City’s hub. Day after day, hundreds if not thousands of musicians fight the crowds and traffic to chase the dream of playing music for a living.
Merna Lewis has been playing on Broadway for over 20 years in various venues on the famous street, and most of the money she’s made across the last two decades has come from tips. And recently, she and other Broadway artists have noticed a concerning trend: fake money being used to tip.
Lewis spoke to the WSMV 4 in Nashville about the rising issue, and explained how it feels as an artist to think you are being rewarded for your work and later finding out the money you received is worthless:
“It’s degrading. You think people are enjoying what you’re doing and you’re giving them a service and you feel like if they are tipping you, they’re enjoying what you’re doing.”
For the most part, the fake money that is being used is motion picture quality. As you’ll see in the video below, the bills that are really hard to discern from actual currency have a giveaway of “for motion picture purposes” printed on the front. It’s easy to see it when you’re holding it in your hand, but for artists playing up on stage, Merna suggests it’s almost impossible to spot it in the moment:
“It’s pretty subtle. You really have to know. You really have to learn how to feel it (being fake), and I’m trying to be more diligent.”
It’s only after the band or the artist is finished playing that they find out the tip jar full of cash might not be as it seems. Lewis explained that it’s during the counting process where artists like herself find out they were duped by some cheap, horrible people:
“At the end of the shift when we’re counting, we separate all of the denominations out and we pull (a fake one) out and we’re like, ‘Oh man.’ The last time I got one, it was a $100 bill and I tore it in half so I knew not to put it in a stack.”
Needless to say, artists are infuriated by the fake cash tips that have began to plague the streets of Broadway. It’s even more frustrating because these musicians and singers often take requests based upon tips, and then only later find out they played a requested song basically free of charge. Plus, the artists and musicians that work long hours on Broadway often depend on tips as payment for their service. Many don’t get any kind of fee for playing, or a very nominal one… it’s just the opportunity to get tips.
With the millions of people that visit Nashville each year, and the billions of dollars that Broadway and Downtown Nashville brings in on an annual basis, it’s a travesty really that the musicians that keep the row of artist-owned bars and Honky Tonks going aren’t seeing any of the money. And if they are… there’s a good chance its fake.
Merna Lewis, obviously upset that she now has to be worried she’s getting tipped with counterfeit cash, had this to say towards people planning on visiting Broadway:
“Just be prepared that if you come to a bar on Broadway, you’re going to get asked to tip the band. You’re gonna see a tip jar. If you don’t want to tip the band, that’s fine. But don’t be belligerent. Don’t be rude and obnoxious about it.”
You can hear more about the disheartening fake tip trend in the video below:
