Music injects flavour into a travel destination.
The Society of American Travel Writers, the world's largest organization of professional travel journalists and photographers, recently polled its members to come up with the best 10 North American cities for live music.
Here are the top 5:
1. New Orleans, Louisiana: "New Orleans bleeds music - it's in the air, in the water, in the people," said Lisa A. Tomaszewski, travel editor, HMP Communications.
2. New York City: "Where else can you Rent a seat next to some Guys and Dolls, let down your Hair and be transported anywhere from the South Pacific to Chicago," gushed Evelyn Kanter, freelance travel writer/photographer.
3. Austin, Texas: "Only in Austin can you go for super-delicious and inexpensive barbecue, sit outdoors at a picnic table and hear decent live rock at no additional charge," said Carole Terwillger Meyers, travel writer.
4. Nashville, Tennessee: "Nashville isn't just the 'home' of country music. It's the heart and soul of country music," according to Steve Winston, freelance travel writer.
5. Chicago, Illinois: "Chicago's reputation as home of the blues can't be understated," said Laurie Borman, freelance travel writer.
Montreal was the only Canadian city to make the top 10 list. It came in at number seven.
"Montreal has anything you might want, with a European accent," said George Bryant, freelance travel writer.
-- Nicole Feenstra is canoe.ca's travel editor
