You might be surprised! There's really good local bands in just about every city (even small ones) depending on your music tastes and even the small bands tour! Sometimes I'll just go to the venue's site (like The Middle East) and look at their calendar, and if they have a band that sparks my interest I've never heard of I'll listen to a song, if I like it I'll go (if I can).

While Nashville was at it's peak you also had Knoxville for the outlaw stuff and Buck Owens was pioneering the Bakersfield sound in CA, and that's just country, Nashville ain't the only town that knows how to strum a guitar! Lol