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Well back on topic, I guess I never provided any reasoning for my suggestion of Baltimore, but I do think it is the best example I've seen that is similar to Richmond on a larger scale, yet still not as large as places like NYC/DC/Philly (although I've never been to Nashville or Austin so can't really comment on those).
The only criteria that it doesn't really fit is that most people probably don't consider it Southern, but it does have some southern qualities to it and a lot of the people do have more of a laid back feel IMO (especially compared to it's neighbor DC). It is also only about a 2.5 hour drive to Richmond (outside of rush hour) in case you still want to visit any family/friends in Richmond (and if weather is a factor it isn't a whole lot different than Richmond, although you will get more snow than the other cities mentioned if that matters).
The biggest complaint about Baltimore is usually the crime, but Richmond has some of the same problems so I don't think it'd be that much of a culture shock to you, and as everyone always says as long as you don't do things like leave valuables in your car and always be aware of your surroundings you'll usually be okay. And of course some neighborhoods are better than others, and like Richmond, a lot of the nicer neighborhoods are very walkable with many dining/bar options. It can be a bit of a concrete jungle with a lot of rowhouses that look similar, but there are quite a few neighborhoods with more unique architecture as well as some really nice parks.
The traffic getting to the city can be bad (once again not as bad as DC), but if you live/work in the city it isn't bad at all.
I have lived in Charlotte and Nashville. For a bustling social scene, Nashville trumps Charlotte BY FAR. Otherwise, the two cities are on pretty equal footing.....with Charlotte besting Nashville by a hair due to its proximity to the beach.
Savannah does not represent the entire South, and your experience doesn't either. Every city has it's certain areas; one with the most crime, one with the most money. Oh, and FYI, Williamson County is not the wealthiest county in the United States.
Nashville has a huge musical presence, majority of which is country music. For country artists, it's the hot spot. It isn't some music haven for Hip Hop, R&B, Pop, Rock, ect. you're making it out to be. You wouldn't catch Lady Gaga or Beyonce dead in Nashville, unless the crime, which seems to be more frequent in Tennessee cities, got to them. Atlanta and Charlotte have Nashville beat when it comes to sports, and Raleigh-Durham have Nashville beat when it comes to college sports (and colleges). Nashville is however showing healthy growth numbers, and is doing great things with healthcare.
Atlanta is without a doubt an African American hub, as well as Charlotte to a smaller extent. This isn't the 1980s South, and both Atlanta and Charlotte are two of hottest cities for people and companies to move to. You can't even bring racial separation, ect. into this conversation when you're living in a state that's fairly conservative against it's racial views.
Nashville can be great all it wants, but it hasn't worked it's way up to be "better" than Atlanta or Charlotte at the things you're mentioning.
Quite an interesting read. I've caught both Lady Gaga and Beyonce in Nashville. Both appeared to be alive and kicking to me. You'd actually be shocked at how many non-country artists spend a considerable amount of time here for various reasons. Nashville is increasingly becoming a major entertainment player and even TMZ has taken notice by setting up an office.
Your knowledge of Nashville's music scene appears to be extremely limited. It's sounds like that of a tourist who strolled down Lower Broadway one weekend thinking that's what Nashville's all about. It's not. There's much more to it than the casual, uninformed tourist would likely uncover on a short visit. Nashville gets the same major touring acts of all genres that roll through Charlotte plus a bunch of other special concerts and events most other city's its general size does not by virtue of being Nashville. It is the third coast for the American music business. Outside of NYC and L.A., you'd be hard-pressed to find an American city with a higher concentration of vocalists, session musicians, songwriters, producers and record labels.
It's nowhere near all mainstream country here either. We have a strong scene for both mainstream and independent artists with the only genres I find slightly lacking for my personal tastes being electronic and sometimes R&B. However, even those have more of a presence than the majority of cities I've frequented. Mainstream & independent artists of many genres other than country reside and work out of our city: Jack White, Sheryl Crow, Ben Folds, The Black Keys, Paramore, Kelly Clarkson, Kings of Leon, The Winans, etc. Nashville also has tons of great festivals and concerts series throughout the year including major ones like the CMA Fest right in the heart of downtown and Bonnaroo just south of the metro. It's hardly just a hot spot for country music lovers. It's a hot spot for music lovers.
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You'd actually be shocked at how many non-country artists spend a considerable amount of time here for various reasons. Nashville is increasingly becoming a major entertainment player and even TMZ has taken notice by setting up an office. 
