Nashville Scene 10-31-24

The 29 th Medallion Ceremony

Produced

and Presented by

THE COUNTRY MUSIC HALL OF FAME® AND MUSEUM

We congratulate John Anderson, James Burton, and Toby Keith, and express our deepest gratitude to the many people who gave their time and talent to produce this very special 2024 Medallion Ceremony.

Jen Gunderman,

Tania

Jeff King, Electric Guitar

Rachel Loy, Bass

Jerry

Deanie Richardson, Fiddle and Mandolin

Mica Roberts, Vocals

Charlie Worsham, Rhythm Guitar, Banjo, and Vocals

Keith Richards, James Burton, and Steve Jordan

Vince Gill Rodney Crowell

Emmylou Harris

Keith Richards and Vince Gill

Tanya Tucker

Eric Church

Medallion All-Star Band

Blake Shelton

Post Malone

Shawn Camp

Bobby Braddock

Elvis Costello and John Jorgenson

Lucinda Williams and Travis Stephens Del McCoury Band

Randy Owen

Brad Paisley

Tricia Covel for Toby Keith

John AndersonJames Burton

Photos by: Jason Kempin and Terry Wyatt / Getty Images for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, Mary Caroline Russell, Donn Jones, and Amiee Stubbs

Biff Watson,Bandleader and Acoustic Guitar

Keyboards

Hancheroff, Vocals

Mike Johnson, Steel Guitar

Pentecost, Drums

THANXX Daddy's Dogs says

Journey through Japan: Myths to Manga explores how imagination, playfulness, and the environment have inspired Japan’s folklore, design, and technology through the centuries. Designed with our younger audience in mind—yet fun for all ages—this exhibition offers a colorful, atmospheric exploration of Japan’s visual culture and displays more than 150 historical and contemporary objects, ranging from kimono, origami, and woodblock prints to animated movies, graphic novels, and robots.

Downtown Nashville

919 Broadway, Nashville, TN 37203 FristArtMuseum.org @FristArtMuseum #TheFrist

THROUGH FEBRUARY 16

Created by the V&A – Touring the World

Katsushika Hokusai. Under the Wave off Kanagawa, from the series Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji, ca. 1831. Woodblock print; 9 3/4 x 14 1/2 in. V&A: Given by the Misses Alexander, E.4823-1916. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London

The Frist Art Museum is supported in part by

Support for Spanish translation provided by

Sandra Schatten Foundation Supported

The Anne and Joe Russell Family

Woodhouse...It

Follow the Leader

Tennessee laws on abortion, trans health care make their way through the courts

BY HANNAH HERNER

Roughly 400 Books Removed From Wilson County School Libraries

District removes books including The Bluest Eye, The Handmaid’s Tale and Dr. Seuss’ Wacky Wednesday to comply with state law

BY KELSEY BEYELER

COVER PACKAGE: THE ELECTION ISSUE

Johnson Marches Uphill in Effort to Unseat Blackburn

Lopsided U.S. Senate race leaves candidates campaigning in different realities

BY ELI MOTYCKA

Scandal-Plagued Ogles Defends

5th Congressional District Seat

Challenger Abolfazli has energized Democratic voters but faces an uphill battle in gerrymandered district

BY HAMILTON MATTHEW MASTERS

Republicans Outraise Democrats in Federal Races

Blackburn takes PAC money from corporations; Barry and Green spend money on TV ad battle

BY NICOLLE S. PRAINO

Green Fights Off Barry to Keep Congressional Seat He Didn’t Always Want

The Trump-approved incumbent is favored to retain Tennessee’s 7th District despite personal scandal

BY KELSEY BEYELER

Tennessee Republicans Don’t Want to Talk About Reproductive Health

Most registered voters in Tennessee are in favor of abortion rights — what does that mean for November’s election?

BY LAURA DEAN, NASHVILLE BANNER

After Covenant, Tennessee Elections Will Gauge Possibility of Gun Control

A shift from moderate Republicans and activism from Democrats mean this election cycle could move the needle on gun control BY SARAH GRACE TAYLOR, NASHVILLE BANNER

As Gov. Lee Seeks to Reshape Education, Vouchers Loom Large in House Races

Millions in outside spending shaped some Republican primaries, but Democrats believe they have a shot running against vouchers BY SARAH GRACE TAYLOR, NASHVILLE BANNER

CRITICS’ PICKS

Billie Eilish, Atsuko Okatsuka, Halloween at The East Room, Nashville Jewish Film Festival and more

FOOD AND DRINK

Gem Dandy

Talking to Nashville Hidden Gems’ Anas Saba about the local food scene

BY KELSEY BEYELER

Cheap Eats: Big Al’s Deli’s Breakfast Biscuits — $3 to $7

The city keeps changing, but the Salemtown deli’s biscuits — and the man behind them — stay the same

BY SETH WRIGHT

ART

Goodbyes at Red 225 and a Reunion at The Browsing Room

A Wedgewood-Houston gallery’s final show and photos by Tamara Reynolds lead November’s highlights BY JOE NOLAN

MUSIC

Van Went

Being Dead makes rock that’s good for your soul

BY SEAN L. MALONEY

From the Inside Out

Songwriter Abby Nissenbaum advocates for sexual violence prevention in the music industry BY KATIE BETH CANNON

Guided Meditation

Olivia Barton surrenders to songwriting BY GRACE BRASWELL

The Spin

The Scene’s live-review column checks out Sturgill Simpson at Bridgestone Arena BY MATTHEW LEIMKUEHLER

FILM

Ani, Are You OK?

Talking to Mikey Madison about Anora — an explicit, hilarious, heartbreaking riot BY D. PATRICK RODGERS

NEW YORK TIMES CROSSWORD AND THIS MODERN WORLD

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FROM LEFT: BOB FREEMAN, BOB CLEMENT, BILL FREEMAN AND ZACHARIE KINSLOW

On Thursday, Oct. 24, Bill Freeman — founder and chairman of Freeman Webb and owner of FW Publishing, which produces the Nashville Scene — received the Clement Railroad Hotel Museum’s Legacy Award at the Hotel Halbrook State Historic Site in Dickson, Tenn. Also honored at the event for their contributions to the state were Judy Redden and posthumous recipients Charles Walton Speight, William Leech Sr. and William Leech Jr.

DID YOU MISS OUR BEST OF NASHVILLE ISSUE?

Find out who won our readers’ poll and writers’ choices at BestofNashville2024.com

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF D. Patrick Rodgers

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STAFF WRITERS Kelsey Beyeler, Logan Butts, John Glennon, Hannah Herner, Hamilton Matthew Masters, Eli Motycka, Nicolle Praino, William Williams

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CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Sadaf Ahsan, Ken Arnold, Ben Arthur, Radley Balko, Bailey Brantingham, Ashley Brantley, Maria Browning, Steve Cavendish, Chris Chamberlain, Rachel Cholst, Lance Conzett, Hannah Cron, Connor Daryani, Tina Dominguez, Stephen Elliott, Steve Erickson, Jayme Foltz, Adam Gold, Kashif Andrew Graham, Seth Graves, Kim Green, Amanda Haggard, Steven Hale, Edd Hurt, Jennifer Justus, P.J. Kinzer, Janet Kurtz, J.R. Lind, Craig D. Lindsey, Margaret Littman, Sean L. Maloney, Brittney McKenna, Addie Moore, Marissa R. Moss, Noel Murray, Joe Nolan, Katherine Oung, Betsy Phillips, John Pitcher, Margaret Renkl, Daryl Sanders, Nadine Smith, Ashley Spurgeon Shamban, Amy Stumpfl, Kay West, Nicole Williams, Ron Wynn, Kelsey Young, Charlie Zaillian

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FOLLOW THE LEADER

Tennessee laws on abortion, trans health care make their way through the courts

BY HANNAH HERNER

SEVERAL OF TENNESSEE’S state legislators have sought to make a splash on the national level when it comes to limiting access to gender-affirming care for transgender youth — and they’ve succeeded. Arguments over Tennessee legislation banning trans health care will be heard by the U.S. Supreme Court in December.

One such legislator is state Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson (R-Franklin). After promising action at an anti-trans rally led by conservative media outlet Daily Wire, Johnson co-sponsored the ban as the first bill of 2023’s legislative session. He was successful in passing the law, and Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti was successful in arguing that the law should go into effect, despite legal backand-forth in lower courts.

Tennessee was the third state in the country to enact a law banning gender-affirming care for people younger than 18, including hormone therapy, puberty blockers and surgery. (Alabama’s law is still under litigation, and Arkansas’ law was blocked.) Johnson recently told Scene sister publication the Williamson Scene he is happy to see his law reach the Supreme Court level.

“I’m just grateful to the Supreme Court for being willing to take it up,” Johnson says. “It is a very important issue. People are very passionate about it. … I’m honored as the sponsor of the legislation that’s going to be the test case, the bill that’s going to be the one that’s argued.”

On the plaintiffs’ side — which includes the American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee, a Memphis doctor, a New York legal firm, a Nashville family and others — is the U.S. Department of Justice, which will be arguing against the law

during oral arguments set for Dec. 4. The ACLU of Tennessee will be arguing, on behalf of the private plaintiffs, that the law violates the equal protection clause of the U.S. Constitution because it discriminates based on sex and unfairly targets one group: transgender teens.

“It’s rare for any law to be heard at the Supreme Court,” says Lucas Cameron-Vaughn, staff attorney at ACLU of Tennessee “This law is, we believe, so harmful and so egregious that it required us asking the U.S. Supreme Court to step in.

Cameron-Vaughn continues: “ACLU’s task is to stand with our clients, on behalf of our clients, these brave families and young people who are having their rights violated, and to stand before the U.S. Supreme Court and say, ‘This is discrimination based on sex, it violates our rights under the Constitution, we are entitled to equal protection of the laws, and this law impermissibly discriminates against us, and it should be struck down.’”

In recent years, the Tennessee General Assembly passed a law requiring transgender children to play school sports based on the gender listed on their birth certificate, along with another protecting teachers who don’t use students’ preferred pronouns.

“Tennessee, unfortunately, has become somewhat of a national leader in passing these kinds of anti-trans laws aimed at people under 18,” Cameron-Vaughn says.

Tennessee is also leading the nation in abortion restrictions.

The U.S. Supreme Court was also set to hear Moyle v. United States and Idaho v. United States, both of which claimed that Idaho’s abortion ban

NASHVILLESCENE.COM ON ELECTION NIGHT TO FOLLOW ALONG WITH OUR COVERAGE OF THE NOV. 5 GENERAL ELECTION RESULTS.

ROUGHLY 400 BOOKS REMOVED FROM WILSON COUNTY SCHOOL LIBRARIES

District removes books including The Bluest Eye, The Handmaid’s Tale and Dr. Seuss’ Wacky Wednesday to comply with state law BY

KELSEY BEYELER

ROUGHLY 400 BOOKS have been removed from Wilson County Schools’ libraries since a state law went into effect this summer limiting which books public school students have access to. It’s possible even more could be removed in that district and others across the state.

(which resembles Tennessee’s) conflicts with the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act — federal legislation that requires emergency medical treatment. According to ACLU of Tennessee legal director Stella Yarbrough, the cases were dismissed, in short, because the law is still evolving.

“The takeaway for Tennessee would be that there really isn’t that much precedent at all in the Idaho case,” says Yarbrough, “and that these issues are still very much live issues, and that this court kind of jumped the gun and got involved a little bit too quickly and is now taking a step back and letting the lower courts figure it out.”

Meanwhile, some of Tennessee’s lower courts are, in fact, trying to figure it out. Earlier this month, the Davidson County Chancery Court ruled that doctors should be able to provide abortions during a few more specific medical emergencies without punishment. That case, Blackmon v. State of Tennessee, included Idaho plaintiffs. Enforcement of Tennessee’s “abortion trafficking” law (which also resembles one in Idaho) was temporarily blocked while undergoing litigation as well.

“Even when Roe was still the law of the land, we have a long history of making abortion really difficult to access, and so in some ways, Tennessee continues to uphold that tradition of making access to abortion really impossible for people,” says Yarbrough. “I think that the efforts to control access across state lines for minors is keeping with that tradition and could indicate a trend of what’s to come.”

Additional reporting by Hamilton Matthew Masters. ▼

Per the legislation — a recent update to the Age Appropriate Materials Act of 2022 — books that contain “nudity, descriptions or depictions of sexual excitement, sexual conduct, excess violence or sadomasochistic abuse” are not to be made available to students in public K-12 school libraries. The law also states that materials that are “patently offensive,” or that appeal to “prurient interests,” should not be available. The law requires schools to post public lists of library materials on their websites and create policies for continual reviews of library materials. This includes a process for parents, students or school staff to challenge books. If school boards do not respond to such challenges in 60 days, they can be taken to the Tennessee Textbook and Instructional Materials Quality Commission.

A Wilson County Schools representative tells the Scene that the decisions of which books were to be removed were made by the district’s librarians in order to comply with the law, and that when the district sought clarification from the Tennessee Department of Education, they were directed to consult with their district’s legal personnel.

The list, which was recently outlined in a director’s report, includes frequently targeted texts such as Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye, Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale and Angie Thomas’ The Hate U Give, which were removed from high school libraries. It also includes Dr. Seuss’ Wacky Wednesday, which was removed from elementary school libraries, plus Sherman Alexie’s The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, Erika L. Sánchez’s I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter and Marjane Satrapi’s The Complete Persepolis which were removed from middle school libraries.

See the complete list of books at nashvillescene.com ▼

PHOTO: KENT NISHIMURA, GETTY IMAGES

U.S. SUPREME COURT

WITNESS HISTORY

Willie Nelson gave this velvet, silk-lined “Dracula” cape to his longtime friend and drummer, Paul English. The drummer’s concern that adding the cape to his already all-black ensemble would make him look like the devil was confirmed when that became his nickname.

From the exhibit Sing Me Back Home: Folk Roots to the Present

artifact: Courtesy of Paul English artifact photo: Bob Delevante

ELECTION ISSUE

TAKING ONE LAST LOOK AT WHAT’S ON THE BALLOT BEFORE ELECTION DAY

JUST AS IT’S BEEN at the top of many Americans’ minds for the past several months, the presidential election will be at the top of voters’ ballots on Nov. 5.

Polls close at 7 p.m. Tuesday night, and it likely won’t be long before Tennessee’s 11 electoral votes are called for Donald Trump. The former president — and now, convicted felon — won the state with 61 percent of the vote in 2016 and 61 percent of the vote in 2020. (In both presidential election years, Davidson was one of just three of Tennessee’s 95 counties won by the election’s Democratic candidate.)

Davidson County’s two-week early-voting window closes on Oct. 31, with Election Day to follow on Tuesday — and Nashvillians will of course find much more than the presidential election on the ticket. Mayor Freddie O’Connell’s proposed $3.1 billion transit plan, “Choose How You Move,” is on the ballot as a “for” or “against” referendum. Should the plan pass, it will use a half-cent sales tax increase to modernize Davidson County’s transit infrastructure with upgrades to buses, sidewalks, signals and more. If you somehow still haven’t made up your mind on that one, look back at our Aug. 22 cover package “Your Move, Nashville,” which dives into the details of the transit plan in six parts.

Also on the ballot is the statewide race for one of Tennessee’s two U.S. Senate seats, with underdog Democrat and Knoxville state Rep. Gloria Johnson challenging incumbent Trump-approved Republican Sen. Marsha Blackburn. Following GOP-led redistricting in 2022, Davidson County was split into three gerrymandered U.S. congressional districts — meaning the Democratic candidates in Tennessee’s 5th, 6th and 7th districts face longshot odds in 2024. The race for state Senate District 20 will also be on many Nashvillians’ ballots, as will state House races in Districts 50, 51, 52, 53 and 60. (Davidson County’s state House Districts 54, 55, 56, 58 and 59 are also on the ballot, though each of those races is uncontested.)

In this issue, we’ve got stories on the Blackburn-Johnson matchup, as well as the races for Tennessee’s 5th and 7th Congressional Districts. We also have an update on the latest campaign finance disclosures, as well as in-depth electionissue pieces from our friends at the Nashville Banner, touching on both federaland state-level races.

Dive in. And if you haven’t voted yet, make a plan to get to the polls.

D. PATRICK RODGERS, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

JOHNSON MARCHES UPHILL IN EFFORT TO UNSEAT BLACKBURN

Lopsided U.S. Senate race leaves candidates campaigning in different realities

BY ELI MOTYCKA

FEW THINGS UNITED Tennessee like the Paris Olympics. Nashville had two local superstars, sisters Alex and Gretchen Walsh, vying for medals in the pool, while Chattanooga’s Olivia Reeves brought weightlifting gold back to the U.S. for the first time in 24 years.

Rather than focus on the athletes who won, Republican incumbent U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn paid thousands of dollars to put anti-trans activist Riley Gaines in front of constituents. It was the closest Gaines, a former University of Kentucky swimmer, has ever made it to the international podium. She raced (and lost to) hundreds of women in her collegiate career, but has built a new, lucrative career in the GOP culture war obsessing over one opponent: trans swimmer Lia Thomas, whom Gaines tied for fifth place in the 2022 NCAA 200-meter freestyle championships.

Blackburn ad buys began in July. Currently wrapping up her first term in the U.S. Senate — she served as Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District rep in the U.S. House before that, from 2003 to 2019 — Blackburn has a formidable fundraising operation, raising more than $16 million as of Oct. 1. She has efficiently converted corporate PAC dollars into massive media purchases throughout the late summer and early fall. Blackburn’s preferred firm, the D.C.based Smart Media Group, has billed more than $2 million on the campaign since July. Her

where Blackburn is favored by double-digit margins. Second, by claiming the bread-andbutter issues like health care affordability and economic mobility for Democrats in Tennessee’s 95 counties, where Johnson has spent months stumping.

latest ad features a smirking Blackburn blaming China for various American ills while shattering dinner plates printed with China’s national flag.

Inflaming Tennesseans against trans people, China and TikTok has become Blackburn’s campaign strategy in her abbreviated reelection campaign. After ascending from the state Senate to the U.S. House to the U.S. Senate over the past 25 years, the divisive politician is seeking her second term as a rising Republican mudslinger and close Trump ally.

“To my knowledge, we haven’t had one transgender woman trying to play sports in Tennessee,” says state Rep. Gloria Johnson, the Knoxville Democrat challenging Blackburn.

“Marsha Blackburn is talking about it because it’s distracting from the irreparable damage she is doing to people in this country. She puts women at risk with a federal abortion ban. She doesn’t believe in abortion exceptions for rape or incest and is fine forcing a 10-year-old woman to carry a pregnancy. Or forcing a woman to carry her rapist’s baby.”

Blackburn did not respond to the Scene’s interview request. She has consistently opposed laws expanding access to abortion and received endorsements from top pro-life groups this election cycle.

Johnson’s campaign, directed by veteran organizer Cyrus Shick, aims to win on two fronts. First, the longshot race at the ballot,

“Tennessee families have been ignored for a long time,” Johnson tells the Scene three weeks before Election Day. “Republicans in this state fight for corporations, lobbyists and the wealthy. Marsha Blackburn, a multimillionaire, thinks $7.25 an hour is an acceptable wage. She voted against capping insulin at $35. She opposes negotiating drug prices for senior citizens. She voted to repeal the [Affordable Care Act] multiple times. These are things Tennesseans desperately need — we need someone in D.C. who understands how most Tennesseans live.”

As one of the so-called Tennessee Three, Johnson narrowly avoided expulsion after joining her fellow Democratic Reps. Justin Jones and Justin Pearson in calling for gun reform on the House floor. Now, on the campaign trail, Johnson says she sees a growing gap between Republican leadership and everyday people. In a recent ad, she even touts being a gun owner. In part, she says, the decision to run for statewide office comes from Johnson’s desire to spread Democrats’ message to voters who have been difficult for the party to reach.

Johnson tells the Scene she’s gradually winning over disaffected Republicans across the state. Internal polling, she says, put her down by single digits. (A Beacon Center poll weeks before the election put Blackburn up by 23 percentage points.) But practical constraints like time, money and the national media ecosystem still make the race an uphill battle for Johnson’s campaign, which is built on field organizing and retail politics.

Tennessee’s lopsided Republican advantage

has allowed Blackburn to avoid one topic in particular: the mere existence of her opponent.

A $5 million cash advantage, deep-pocketed corporate donors, incumbent connections, elevated party status and Tennessee’s Trump streak afford Blackburn tangible luxuries like chartering private planes with campaign funds. They also generate organic publicity and name recognition for Blackburn that enable her to avoid unfriendly spaces altogether. Blackburn’s knack for hyperpartisan scorn earns her regular free media appearances on Fox News, beaming straight to Tennessee living rooms. While Johnson crisscrosses the state shaking hands and meeting voters, the Blackburn campaign clearly sees running out the clock as a winning strategy.

On Oct. 20, Blackburn appeared with Gov. Bill Lee in Franklin at the 18th annual Boots & Jeans, BBQ & Beans event hosted by Republican state Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson. For about seven minutes, she spoke broadly about fighting for Tennesseans, the importance of lower taxes and building a wall on the southern border of the United States.

“We are going to have a great day on Nov. 5 keeping the supermajority in our state House and state Senate and winning the U.S. Senate and winning the White House,” Blackburn told the cheering crowd. “Making certain we are able to get this country back on the right track.”

Blackburn sat for a friendly interview with The Tennessean’s David Plazas on Sept. 16. Multiple news outlets, including The Tennessean, report that her campaign has ignored or declined requests for a debate with Johnson, reinforcing the central story of this year’s Senate race — the two candidates are operating in different realities. ▼

GLORIA JOHNSON MARSHA BLACKBURN

SCANDAL-PLAGUED OGLES DEFENDS

5TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT SEAT

Challenger Abolfazli has energized Democratic voters but faces an uphill battle in gerrymandered district BY

HAMILTON MATTHEW MASTERS

EMBATTLED, CONTROVERSY-PLAGUED U.S.

Rep. Andy Ogles of Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District is defending his record, as his challenger Maryam Abolfazli has energized Democratic voters in the gerrymandered district.

The Trump-endorsed freshman congressman touts support from U.S. Sen. Bill Hagerty, state Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson, U.S. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson and conservative PAC Americans for Prosperity Action, with Ogles declaring that “Republicans have to win if you want a prosperous economy.”

In early 2023, less than two months after the former Maury County mayor beat Democratic state Sen. Heidi Campbell by nearly 14 points in the newly redrawn 5th, Ogles joined the farright wing of the party in opposing fellow Republican Kevin McCarthy’s bid for Speaker of the House. Months later, McCarthy was ousted from the speaker’s chair.

“I stand on my record,” Ogles told Scene sister publication The News in July of this year. But that record has been called into question by Republicans and Democrats alike.

Ogles has been the subject of numerous reports noting his false statements about his professional and educational background and qualifications, unaccounted-for money meant for a children’s burial garden, civil penalty payments for multiple campaign finance violations and amended campaign finance reports. Some of those scandals led Nashvillian and prominent Republican donor Bobby Joslin to call for Ogles’ resignation just months into his term, with Joslin comparing Ogles to New York’s disgraced former U.S. Rep. George Santos. Even so, Ogles

remains heavily favored in the red-leaning 5th — which was a reliably Democratic district represented by Rep. Jim Cooper for many years before Republican-led redistricting split Nashville three ways in 2022.

When asked about the controversies, Ogles responded, “My record stands for itself, and biased reporting from a left-leaning journalist doesn’t make it true.” Ogles was specifically referring to NewsChannel 5 investigative reporter Phil Williams. When asked why he chose not to directly answer Williams’ questions — oftentimes walking away from Williams — Ogles said, “I’ve addressed those issues.”

In the Aug. 1 primary election, Ogles defeated his Republican challenger, Metro Councilmember Courtney Johnston, despite her characterizations of Ogles as a “totally ineffective politician who’s getting nothing done” and “a do-nothing grandstander who just chases headlines.” Ogles’ Democratic opponent has echoed similar criticisms, arguing that 5th District voters — Democrats, Republicans and independents alike — have been “neglected.”

“The approach of this campaign is that, gerrymandering be damned, we are humans and we are all fed up in one way or another,” Abolfazli said at a September town hall in Brentwood.

Abolfazli’s background includes nonprofit work and international political and economic development. She also led a series of protests in support of gun reform at the Tennessee State Capitol in the wake of last year’s Covenant School shooting. That work led to her being recognized as one of the Scene’s 2023 Nashvillians of the Year.

“A really big thing that I see needs to get done, that is not getting done, is bringing that federal money down to our district,” Abolfazli said in September. “I’m not talking about going out there and passing a new bill for resources.

“I’m talking about existing money that needs to come down here,” she continued, citing continued opportunities for funding and grants from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act.

The day after Ogles’ primary win, the Federal Bureau of Investigation raided Ogles’ office and seized his cellphone as part of an investigation into the congressman’s financial reporting. Ogles characterized the FBI’s investigation as a politically motivated attack on his campaign.

“Considering that they seized my phone the day after my election, it sure seems political,” Ogles told The News in September, adding that he believes the FBI “leaked” the warrant to NewsChannel 5’s Williams, who broke the story.

“If I’m not the target, they could have just waited until after November,” Ogles said. “Anything to do with my filings, we’ve corrected. We’ve gone out of our way. I hired a law firm to do a full audit of every transaction. I mean, we’ve corrected even clerical [errors]. … That’s the thing, they could have just asked me [for my cellphone.]”

“Before we get started, if you wouldn’t mind checking your table, I have misplaced one of my phones,” Ogles joked to Republican voters at a Williamson County fundraiser in September.

“If they can target me, a member of Congress, with a fancy little pin, then they can target anybody,” Ogles warned his supporters. “If the exec-

utive branch can tear down that wall between themselves and the legislative branch, then the Fourth Amendment goes away. There’s more at stake here than just my phone.”

At her town hall, Abolfazli said she is “deeply concerned” about the federal investigation, and voiced concern that if Ogles is re-elected, voters could soon be represented by a congressman potentially charged with crimes.

“I honestly find it extremely insulting that he would take the rule of law and the processes of investigation to be a joke,” Abolfazli said. “In this country, you are not a patriot if that’s how you approach these incredible processes that keep our democracy in place.

“We need this to end,” she continued. “We need these lies to end. We need honest representation. His blowing it off does not surprise me. It’s a great tactic to make it smaller than it is, but clearly, if the FBI is after [his phone, emails and texts], there’s something there.”

Ogles insists that he’s not actually the “target” of the FBI investigation: On Sept. 3, he filed an emergency motion in federal court saying he is simply a “subject” in the investigation. The filing revealed that investigators also obtained emails and text messages between Ogles and other current and former elected officials, including Trump, during last year’s contentious Speaker of the House selection process.

Abolfazli has said that part of her strategy in the race has been reaching out to Johnston’s voters and donors.

“You can feel the energy on the ground,” Abolfazli said in an October release. “Our message is being heard. There’s been a surge in volunteers, and we are talking about the issues that matter to everyone in the 5th District.” ▼

REPUBLICANS OUTRAISE DEMOCRATS IN FEDERAL RACES

Blackburn takes PAC money from corporations; Barry and Green spend money on TV ad battle

BY NICOLLE S. PRAINO

CANDIDATES RUNNING FOR federal office were required to turn in two financial reports this month. The final quarterly finance disclosures were due on Oct. 15, and pre-general-election filings were due Oct. 24. The last time candidates reported their finances was prior to the primary election and covered dates through July 12. Now candidates’ reports show financial updates through Oct. 16.

In the race for one of Tennessee’s two U.S. Senate seats, incumbent Republican Marsha Blackburn has outraised and outspent her Democratic challenger, state Rep. Gloria Johnson of Knoxville. Blackburn began the quarterly period with almost

MARYAM ABOLFAZLI ANDY OGLES

GREEN FIGHTS OFF BARRY TO KEEP CONGRESSIONAL SEAT HE DIDN’T ALWAYS WANT

The Trump-approved incumbent is favored to retain Tennessee’s 7th District despite personal scandal BY KELSEY BEYELER

VOTERS IN TENNESSEE’S 7th Congressional District will see a pair of familiar names on the Nov. 5 ballot: Democrat and Nashville’s former Metro Councilmember and Mayor Megan Barry is challenging incumbent Republican Rep. Mark Green, who has held the district since 2019.

In February, Green said he wouldn’t run for reelection to the U.S. House of Representatives this year, saying, “Our fight is not here within Washington, our fight is with Washington.” But he reversed course two weeks later, saying in a statement that he was urged to seek reelection by Donald Trump, among others.

Former middle school civics teacher Shaun Greene is also running in the district as an independent.

Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District stretches from the state’s northern to its southern border, encompassing Stewart, Montgomery and Robertson counties at its northernmost point and Wayne County at its southernmost. Since Republican-led redistricting efforts carved Nashville into three pieces in 2022, the district also includes large chunks of Davidson and Williamson counties. While the gerrymandered district makes for a strongly Republican voting block (Green defeated Democratic challenger and community advocate Odessa Kelly by more

than 20 points two years ago), Barry tells the Scene she believes there’s a path forward.

“If it had been drawn like this in 2018, Phil Bredesen — who was a great Democrat — only would have lost this district by one point,” Barry tells the Scene. “And since 2018, this district has gotten even more blue.”

Though Green did not respond to the Scene’s interview request, Scene sister publication The News reported that Green called Barry a “good campaigner” at a September fundraiser — and that he wasn’t taking the race lightly.

By and large, both candidates are consistent avatars for their respective parties. An Army veteran, physician and businessman, Green touts Christian values and aligns himself with the GOP’s MAGA faction. He also chairs the House Committee on Homeland Security and led the House’s successful partisan effort to impeach Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas earlier this year — though impeachment failed in the Senate. He was also among the 147 legislators who voted to overturn the 2020 election results and has been known for his negative rhetoric about LGBTQ and Muslim people. His top policy priorities include anti-abortion efforts, cybersecurity, immigration and decentral-

$8.8 million in the bank and ended with just shy of $8.1 million. Her pre-general filing shows she spent more than $3 million in the first two weeks of October, leaving her with about $5 million going into the general election on Nov. 5. That $3 million is more than Blackburn spent over the quarter ending in October, in which she reported $2.95 million in disbursements. She received a total of nearly $1.13 million in the quarter and added an additional $180,000 in the first two weeks of October.

Blackburn has spent more than $3.5 million on media and strategy groups during the two reporting periods. Her campaign reports also show more than $27,800 in “other receipts” between the July and October reporting periods. That line item can potentially represent stock dividends or Bitcoin donations. The Nashville Banner reports that no other Tennessee candidate for federal office has filed any “other receipts” this election cycle.

Blackburn has received more than $2.7 million in contributions via political action committees throughout the election cycle, including from leadership at large companies including manufacturer Ingram Industries, private prison corporation CoreCivic and chain retailer Tractor Supply.

Johnson began the quarter with $2 million in the bank and ended with just under $2.4 million. Her pregeneral filing shows she spent $1.2 million in the first two weeks of October, leaving her with about $1.5 million going into the general election on Nov. 5.

izing the power of the federal Department of Education.

Before entering politics, Barry worked as a corporate ethics consultant. She served as an at-large Metro councilmember for two terms, and since the overdose death of her son Max in 2017, Barry has advocated for issues related to substance abuse. She too lists immigration reform among the relevant issues on her website, along with reproductive freedom, gun safety and addressing congressional dysfunction with a bipartisan approach. Barry has also been a vocal opponent of congressional stock trading — something she’s criticized Green of benefiting from in an op-ed for the Cheatham County Exchange as well as in a recent campaign ad.

Barry has released three video ads since she kicked off her campaign in December. Green released his first ad in mid-October, calling Barry “too liberal for Tennessee.” Green has raised nearly $2 million to date, while Barry trails with roughly $1.1 million.

Voters looking for a candidate free from personal scandal won’t find one in this race. Green is embroiled in a contentious divorce, with his wife recently accusing him of carrying on an affair with a woman 27 years his junior — leading to Green’s daughter Camilla publicly criticizing her father for not being the “Christian, conservative family man” he claims to be. Barry’s single term as Nashville’s mayor ended prematurely in 2018 when she admitted to an affair with her head of security. She resigned and pleaded guilty for theft of property related to the affair, paying the city $11,000 in restitution. Barry tells the Scene she has been working to regain voters’ trust through conversation.

“My belief is that Tennesseans, and especially the folks in this district, believe in second chances,” says Barry. ▼

Johnson also spent nearly as much in the two weeks of the pre-general report as she spent over the entire quarter, in which she reported $1.5 million in disbursements. She received a total of nearly $1.8 million in the quarter and added an additional $367,000 in the first two weeks of October.

Johnson has received just $67,000 in contributions from political action committees throughout the election cycle. Over the entire election cycle, she has raised almost $6.9 million total.

Incumbent U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles is defending his 5th Congressional District seat against Democratic challenger Maryam Abolfazli, an activist and founder of the nonprofit Rise and Shine Tennessee. Ogles has amended his filings several times during this election cycle and is under investigation related to his campaign finances.

In his pre-general filings, Ogles reports only $659 raised and less than $11,500 spent in the first two weeks of October. He reportedly has less than $100,000 on hand going into Nov. 5. Abolfazli has a little more going into Election Day, with about $110,000 on hand, but she has some momentum: She raised more than $34,000 over the first two weeks of October and spent more than $75,000 over that time.

Incumbent U.S. Rep. Mark Green faces former Nashville Mayor Megan Barry in the 7th Congressional District, and the two have been locked in a TV ad battle that has ramped up over the past month. Barry slightly outraised Green in the pre-general filings of the first two weeks in October, reporting more than $53,500 raised, with Green reporting more than $44,300.

Green had fuller coffers to pull from, reportedly spending more than $465,600 over that same time period, with Barry spending about $225,000. But that has left Green with just about $104,000 going into Election Day, while Barry has $410,000 on hand. She’s put up a good financial fight during the cycle, raising $1.1 million compared to Green’s $2 million in the heavily red-leaning district. ▼

MEGAN BARRY

MARK GREEN

TENNESSEE REPUBLICANS DON’T WANT TO TALK ABOUT REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH

Most registered voters in Tennessee are in favor of abortion rights — what does that mean for November’s election?

BY LAURA DEAN, NASHVILLE BANNER

This story is a partnership between the Nashville Banner and the Nashville Scene. The Nashville Banner is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization focused on civic news. Over the summer, the Banner sent out a community survey to ask what issues mattered most to readers in this election cycle. Visit nashvillebanner.com for the rest of the Banner’s community-focused series and 2024 voter guide.

REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH AND RIGHTS are top of mind for many Tennesseans heading into the Nov. 5 election. A Vanderbilt poll in May shows that most registered voters in Tennessee consider themselves “definitely or somewhat” in favor of abortion rights.

But those views are not represented by the Republican-supermajority legislature, and a number of Democratic candidates running this November are trying to change that.

HOW WE GOT HERE

In June 2022, the right to abortion in the United States fell when the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. In August of that year, Tennessee was one of 13 states where a trigger ban went into effect, effectively outlawing abortion in almost all cases. Nearly a year later, on May 3, 2023, the Tennessee legislature passed a bill making an exception for ectopic and molar pregnancies as well as to prevent the death or “substantial and irreversible impairment of a major bodily function” of a pregnant person. In the time between when the trigger ban went into effect and when the bill providing for a few exceptions was passed, many pregnant people were forced to wait as their conditions worsened to receive life-saving care, resulting in at least one case of an emergency hysterectomy. State reports on maternal mortality and morbidity for that period are not yet available but may offer a clearer picture of the law’s effects. Meanwhile, Tennessee has the highest maternal mortality rate in the country. Nearly one-third of Tennessee women lack access to adequate maternity care, and more than 27 percent live more than half an hour from a birthing center. In the last legislative session, more than 40 pieces of legislation containing the word “abortion” were introduced. On the Democratic side, there were measures to ensure that contraception was not deemed abortion, that IVF was protected and that doctors who performed them on children under the age of 13 — the age of consent in Tennessee — were exempted from criminal abortion charges. None of them passed. Republican legislators, however, passed measures to criminalize helping a minor get an abortion, prohibit local governments from

spending money on “criminal” abortions and exempt treatment of ectopic and molar pregnancies from the abortion ban.

WHERE DO OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS STAND?

Many Democrats running for office see this election as one of life and death for women in the state.

“It’s a trifecta of terror for Tennessee … at the top of the ticket,” says state Rep. Gloria Johnson (D-Knoxville), referring to rape allegations against Donald Trump and his conviction for sexual abuse. “And for VP, you’ve got a guy who believes women should stay with their abusers, who believes women with no children should have less say in society … and you’ve got Marsha Blackburn, who voted against the Violence Against Women Act.”

Johnson is vying to unseat Republican Blackburn for one of Tennessee’s U.S. Senate seats in the general election.

“We live in a state where a 10-year-old who is a victim of rape is forced to carry the rapist’s baby, and we know that children are two times more likely to die in childbirth than adults,” says Johnson. “It’s risk upon risk upon risk.”

Among those in Tennessee who cite reproductive health as the primary reason for their candidacy are Dr. Laura Andreson, running against incumbent state Rep. Jake McCalmon in House District 63; Allie Phillips, running against incumbent state Rep. Jeff Burkhart in House District 75; and Maryam Abolfazli, running against incumbent U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles in Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District.

“We have two choices,” says state Sen. Charlane Oliver (D-Nashville). “Whether we have bodily autonomy in the future or not. And there is only one side that is championing that, and that is ‘pro-choice’ Democratic candidates.”

“We are already in a situation where reproductive rights have been taken away [in Tennessee], and that has nothing to do with the ‘pro-life’ mantra — it’s about control and misogyny,” says state Sen. Heidi Campbell (D-Nashville). “This is the most important election of our time, but it’s particularly important for women who’ve already lost agency in this state.”

The following Tennessee Republicans, including all of the women Republican legislators, declined or did not respond to the Banner’s requests for comment: state Sens. Paul Rose, Becky Massey, Mark Pody, Janice Bowling, Dawn White and Debra Moody; state Reps. Mary Littleton, Iris Rudder, Susan Lynn, Patsy Hazlewood, Michele Carringer, Elaine Davis, Rebecca Alexander, Esther Helton-Haynes, Jeff Burkhart and Jake McCalmon; as well as U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles and U.S.

Sen. Marsha Blackburn.

“I have no comment, I don’t know the answer, I’m not willing to talk about it,” Rep. Rudder told the Banner

Rep. Lynn said she was too busy to speak. Nationwide, Republican legislators have downplayed abortion in their campaigns this cycle.

WHAT COULD CHANGE AFTER NOVEMBER?

Since Roe was overturned, what can legally be done at the legislative level with a Republican supermajority is narrow. Democratic lawmakers say their first focus will be on passing more exceptions to the abortion ban.

Sen. Oliver says she would push for an exception for rape and incest, which she calls “the least we can do.” But she says she’s also concerned that Republican lawmakers would attempt to curb other aspects of reproductive health.

“Roe was never the end — it was always the beginning of trying to take away women’s bodily autonomy,” she says. “They are going to come for contraception and IVF.”

All of the Democratic lawmakers from Tennessee who spoke to the Banner echoed these concerns.

Rep. Johnson says she would pass a bill that provides a “true exception” for the health of the pregnant person. Currently, the law states that doctors must use “reasonable medical judgment” to determine whether the life of the pregnant person is at risk. This is a legal term championed by anti-abortion lobbyists, which would allow a doctor’s decision to be challenged after the fact by an expert witness in a court of law. Democrats and many doctors advocated for the term “good faith medical judgment,” which would allow doctors more leeway.

“You’ve set up a situation where the closer to death a woman is, the safer the doctor is, and that is disastrous,” Johnson says.

And given the abortion ban at the state level, Democratic lawmakers say the outcome of the presidential race would be particularly consequential for reproductive rights in Tennessee.

“If Kamala Harris wins and if Congress changes in her favor, that can also predict what we can do here in Tennessee,” says Oliver. “We’ll have allies at the federal level protecting women’s rights.”

Campbell worries about the converse, saying that should Trump be elected and Project 2025 go into effect, Tennesseans could lose the right to emergency contraception, and see sending pills for medication abortion by mail criminalized nationwide.

“It would allow the state to prosecute local officials who protect doctors and women,” she says, “and that is terrifying.”

MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT BIOLOGY AND A LEGISLATURE ‘IMMUNE TO ADVOCACY‘

As a physician, Republican state Sen. Richard Briggs brings a medical understanding to his work that most of his colleagues don’t share. He says his focus next session will be on trying to add more medical exceptions to the ban. He cites pregnancy complications that, when left until the life of the pregnant person is in danger, can result in permanent infertility even if the

doctor manages to save their life.

“So either her life is endangered, or the state is forcing her involuntarily to be sterile,” Briggs says. He also says he’d like to add an exception for what he termed “futile pregnancies,” in which the fetus will either die in utero or will only live a few minutes to a few days, often in extreme pain or distress. The likelihood of a pregnant woman developing such complications, he says, increases the older a person is. Therefore, because many are having babies later in life, Briggs says, doctors will likely see more and more instances of these kinds of outcomes.

“If those things aren’t treated, you’re denying that woman the ability to ever have a child,” he says. “That’s what the problem is, and I don’t think people understand that.”

Briggs is not the only legislator who fears his colleagues do not fully understand the implications of some of the bills they write. Johnson says the framing of abortion as a decision taken lightly by women is a misrepresentation.

“Having an abortion is one of the most difficult decisions we can make,” she says. And as for abortions later in pregnancy, Johnson says, “no one decorates their nursery and then decides to abort at nine months. Such abortions are emergencies with either the fetus or the woman.”

Oliver goes on to say that abortion itself is far more widespread than people understand, because people don’t talk about it for fear of being stigmatized.

“I tell people, ‘You know someone who’s had an abortion,’” Oliver says. “It happens way more often than you know.”

Though Briggs is more aligned with many of his Democratic colleagues when it comes to exceptions to Tennessee’s abortion law, he doesn’t feel Democrats will be able to pass legislation in a Republican-controlled legislature.

“You can vote for a Democrat, but you’re basically throwing your vote away — we are a supermajority-Republican legislature, and a Democrat is not going to get anything passed that is controversial like that,” he says, acknowledging that his Republican colleagues are unlikely to pass a bill sponsored by a Democrat regardless of whether they agree with its content.

Johnson has another take: “This is exactly what gerrymandering gets you: more and more extreme legislators, because they don’t worry about having to beat a Democrat — they just know they have to fire up that red-meat base.”

Advocates have also decided it’s no use trying to change minds in the legislature.

“Our position is that the legislature is far too extreme and immune to advocacy, so we have to start flipping legislative seats to get anywhere with reproductive health,” says Ashley Coffield, a member of the board of directors for Tennessee Advocates for Planned Parenthood.

She says her group’s focus is on breaking the Republican supermajority ahead of redistricting in 2030.

Following the Banner’s initial publication of this story in September, a three-judge panel ruled in Davidson County Chancery Court that Tennessee doctors who provide abortions during a medical emergency to protect the life of the mother will not be punished. ▼

AFTER COVENANT, TENNESSEE ELECTIONS WILL GAUGE POSSIBILITY OF GUN CONTROL

A shift from moderate Republicans and activism from Democrats mean this election cycle could move the needle on gun control

BY SARAH GRACE TAYLOR, NASHVILLE BANNER

This story is a partnership between the Nashville Banner and the Nashville Scene. The Nashville Banner is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization focused on civic news. Over the summer, the Banner sent out a community survey to ask what issues mattered most to readers in this election cycle. Visit nashvillebanner.com for the rest of the Banner’s community-focused series and 2024 voter guide.

SINCE TENNESSEE’S LAST regular legislative election, a school shooting and subsequent furor from voters and elected officials have reshaped the landscape for gun control in the Republican-supermajority state. The reverberations from that shooting could influence state and federal elections in November.

In 2023, a shooter killed three adults and three children at the Covenant School, a small Christian elementary school in Nashville. The shooting spurred an unprecedented outcry of support for some form of gun control legislation in the state, including from elected officials.

Three members of Tennessee’s state House made national news when they protested for gun control on the House floor, and Republican Gov. Bill Lee — whose wife was close friends with one of the adult victims — even forced the legislature into a special session to address gun control.

Since then, a majority of Tennessee voters have said they support gun control efforts like strengthening background checks and implementing a so-called red-flag law, which would allow a judge to temporarily seize firearms from someone believed to be an immediate threat to themselves or others.

Groups like Voices for a Safer Tennessee, a nonpartisan advocacy organization formed in the wake of Covenant, have tried to thread that needle to make the most out of some Republicans’ newfound willingness to pass new regulations.

The group, which donated money to both Republican and Democratic candidates in the August primary election, backs laws requiring mandatory background checks and temporary transfer (or red-flag) laws and safe gun storage in vehicles, where most gun thefts occur. The group says it is “committed to collaborating with our state legislature to advance firearm safety policies that also uphold Second Amendment rights.”

Board chair Todd Cruse tells the Nashville Banner that the organization aims to push the

same platform in the upcoming session.

“While it is too early to predict specific outcomes for the upcoming session, we are confident that by building on the incremental progress we’ve achieved, we can continue to make meaningful strides toward safer communities,” Cruse says. “We will continue to have a strong presence at the statehouse and will closely monitor any legislation that relates to firearm safety.”

While the immediate aftermath of Covenant showed spikes in concern from even previously reluctant sources, the gains in the highly Republican state were limited due to retaliation from the staunchest supporters of gun rights. Lee’s special session, for example, fell short of delivering any significant gun control policy.

But even opponents of gun restrictions recognize that this year’s state and congressional elections will test whether the state is ready to budge on the perennial issue.

Among them is John Harris, executive director of the Tennessee Firearms Association, which advocates for “no-compromise” protections of the right to bear arms. Harris says that the state is “absolutely” more likely to pass gun control in the upcoming session than they have been in the past.

“That is a clear and present danger,” Harris says, noting that support from Republicans makes it possible for bipartisan gun regulations to pass. “We were successful — very successful, I think — in defeating Gov. Lee’s true agenda with the red-flag special session, but it took a tremendous amount of effort and money.”

Harris says opponents of gun control will have to rely heavily on the court system to make any headway in loosening restrictions and may also struggle, at least relative to past years, to oppose new regulations, depending on the outcomes of this year’s elections.

“We’ve got a supermajority in both the House and the Senate of Republicans, but there’s not a supermajority of constitutionally focused conservatives,” Harris says.

KEY RACES

Just as the election will define the future of gun control in Tennessee, the issue will likely determine the outcome of some of the state’s closest races.

No race is more defined by the current gun control argument than District 60, where Democrat Shaundelle Brooks and Republican Chad Bobo are vying for Rep. Darren Jernigan’s

vacated seat.

Brooks, a former parole officer and mother of four, became a relatively prominent gun control advocate at the state level after her 23-year-old son Akilah DaSilva was killed in the 2018 Waffle House shooting in Antioch. Many believe his death could have been prevented with a red-flag law. Unsurprisingly, Brooks’ campaign centers on gun control — supporting red-flag laws, waiting periods, enhanced background checks and a ban on assault weapons.

The seat represents Donelson, Hermitage and part of Old Hickory, a suburban area on the county’s edge and fairly evenly split between Republican and Democratic voters. Beyond being a litmus test for how a politically diverse area may vote, the Jernigan seat is also crucial for Democrats to maintain in the highly Republican House.

Bobo largely has campaigned outside of hotbutton partisan issues, focusing on more local topics like housing and infrastructure. But in a questionnaire, he told the Banner he would oppose red-flag laws, mandatory safe storage in vehicles and universal background checks.

“I oppose laws that can deprive lawful citizens of their constitutional rights without due process,” Bobo said when asked about red-flag laws, adding that the state “should prosecute those who steal weapons to the fullest extent of the law, and the theft of property does not make the victim a criminal,” when asked about safe storage.

Some other Republicans — like Jennifer Frensley Webb, who is opposing incumbent Democrat Rep. Bo Mitchell in District 50 — are positioning themselves as more open to certain gun control efforts. In the same questionnaire, Webb, a Metro councilmember, says she would oppose red-flag laws but supports background checks.

“While reassuring the right to bear arms, mandatory background checks are essential for public safety. It is a common-sense measure that supports responsible gun ownership,” Webb wrote.

When you look at the races, candidates fall more predictably along party lines. However, they could still impact the outcome of congressional gun control efforts, since both the U.S. House and Senate are narrowly divided and more or less up for grabs in November’s election.

The three Republican incumbents who represent Nashville in the U.S. House — 5th Congressional District Rep. Andy Ogles, 6th

Congressional District Rep. John Rose and 7th Congressional District Rep. Mark Green — have all opposed Democratic efforts to regulate guns and campaign on a promise to protect Second Amendment rights. Green tried to pass a true “constitutional carry” bill three times while in the state Senate, and Ogles says “disarming the people is the most effective way to enslave them” on his campaign website.

The Democrats opposing them, however, are each trying to strike a balance between promising enhanced safety through gun laws and not threatening people’s rights in their messaging.

Maryam Abolfazli is running against Ogles after becoming an outspoken advocate for gun control at the state level following the Covenant shooting. Abolfazli says she’ll support universal background checks, waiting periods, safe storage laws and regulations for semiautomatic weapons while also acknowledging her support of responsible gun ownership.

Similarly, former Nashville Mayor Megan Barry, who’s opposing Green, says she will support universal background checks, temporary transfer laws and safe storage requirements, but promises not to “compromise” Second Amendment rights.

Lore Bergman, an activist running against Rose, also supports red-flag laws and keeping guns “out of the hands of the mentally ill and the addicted” while also advocating for a ban on assault weapons. Guns are also the central issue for state Rep. Gloria Johnson of Knoxville, a Democrat running against incumbent U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn. Johnson, one of the Tennessee Three, was nearly expelled from the state House after protesting for gun control with Reps. Justin J. Pearson and Justin Jones in the wake of the Covenant shooting. While Jones and Pearson were expelled from their seats by their fellow House members — both winning back their positions in a special election — Johnson was spared by one vote.

The national backlash to the expulsions helped gain all three members’ notice within the Democratic party and an abnormal influx of cash for minority members in Tennessee. With her newfound political standing, Johnson hopes to bring her gun control fight to the U.S. Senate, namely supporting red-flag laws. Johnson’s campaign, however, is a longshot in deepred Tennessee, where no Democrat has been elected statewide since Gov. Phil Bredesen in 2006.

Blackburn, a Trump-backed firstterm senator with an A rating from the National Rifle Association, acknowledges preventable gun violence in Tennessee and calls for reforming the mental health care system rather than implementing gun control in her online platform. Moreover, Blackburn says she will “not allow the radical mob to take away our guns.” ▼

AS GOV. LEE SEEKS TO RESHAPE EDUCATION, VOUCHERS LOOM LARGE IN HOUSE RACES

Millions

in outside spending shaped some Republican primaries, but Democrats believe they have a shot running against vouchers

BY SARAH GRACE TAYLOR, NASHVILLE BANNER

This story is a partnership between the Nashville Banner and the Nashville Scene. The Nashville Banner is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization focused on civic news. Over the summer, the Banner sent out a community survey to ask what issues mattered most to readers in this election cycle. Visit nashvillebanner.com for the rest of the Banner’s community-focused series and 2024 voter guide.

WHAT KIDS LEARN, where they learn it and who makes those decisions have become increasingly politicized questions in Tennessee over the past decade. The answers, to some extent, will be determined by a series of close state House races in November.

In recent years, many Tennesseans have been motivated by a string of national culture wars over whether and how students are educated on race, given access to LGBTQ literature in libraries or otherwise exposed to ideas unpopular with some parents. As these ideas consumed conservative media, they spawned efforts to ban books from libraries and restrict how teachers address certain topics, generally prompting some parents to question who has the final say over what their children learn.

The confluence of these suddenly hot-button issues, combined with frustration over mask mandates and closed school facilities during the pandemic, have made way for broader changes to how the state debates education issues, including allowing outside groups to pour millions of dollars into state and local elections and converting once-benign school board elections into competitive partisan races.

On the shoulders of the growing “parental choice” movement, Gov. Bill Lee has — with the help of some well-funded political action committees — made sure that his fight to establish a statewide school voucher program is central to the last cycle of statewide elections before his second and final term ends in 2026.

Lee, whose office did not respond to a request to comment for this story, wants the state to give families of schoolchildren the choice to attend public schools or receive over $7,000 from the state in tuition for students who attend private or charter schools. Proponents argue that parents should have the right to send their kids to the best schools, and the money the state spends on public education should follow a student wherever they learn.

“It’s much broader than vouchers, it’s about parental empowerment,” says Tori Venable, senior adviser for Americans for Prosperity’s PAC, AFP-Action.

“We think that parents should make the de-

cision for their children and how their child is going to learn best, whether it’s public school, private school, charter school, homeschool,” Venable continues.

Others, like former Williamson County School Board member Nancy Garrett, worry that a voucher program would undermine public schools that rely on that funding, creating a greater disparity between students who are able to attend private schools and those who are left at now less-funded public schools.

“Why would you give public taxpayer funds to a private school that is not policy-bound to educate all students?” Garrett asks.

After the most recent version of Lee’s voucher proposal died in the spring without making it to a full House vote, the governor went all-in on endorsements for Republicans who supported vouchers, defying other Republicans — including former President Donald Trump — and national PACs like AFP poured nearly $5 million in largely untraceable dark money into more than a dozen state primary races. In the end, Lee won a few new voucher-friendly representatives, but not enough to guarantee his bill will pass in the next legislative session.

Garrett suspects that the increased commotion around “parental choice” is a misnomer — at least when it comes to curriculum or what books are allowed in libraries — perpetuated by those who stand to make money off of the state diverting public school funds to private and charter schools.

“It is the agenda of certain people who will profit from these for-profit schools,” says Garrett, the daughter of a longtime Franklin public school teacher.

IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES

Within the school-choice debate is also the question of whether students should be allowed to enroll in public schools for which they are not zoned, if space allows.

“I know from a planning position for public schools, that’s difficult, but I mean, if there’s open seats available and the parent wants to transport their child, why should they not be able to just take their child to a different public school?” Venable asks, noting that funding should also “follow the student” to the school where they are enrolled.

Garrett and others have pushed back on the idea of open enrollment, noting that like sending a student to private school with state funding, the process could widen the gap between students with greater means and options to attend other schools and those who are left at their originally zoned schools — which, again,

would be losing funding.

“What about when a school can’t exist anymore?” Garrett asks about the potential funding loss and “chaos” for less desirable schools. “So does that school just go away? What does that do to the other students?”

Garrett says any non-zoning enrollment should be up to the local education authority, which is usually an elected school board, though she notes that a 2021 change making school board elections partisan might tarnish a board member’s ability to vote in the best interest of students.

“I think it compromises your independent thinking,” Garrett says.

Venable says those school-choice Republicans who cleared their August races are as good as elected, noting that most general elections in Tennessee will go Republican.

“We’re not worried about a Tennessee general election,” Venable says, noting that the group estimates they will have somewhere around 53 or 54 House votes in favor after the November general election and that the voucher bill’s success will come down to committee assignments and whether the bill makes it to a floor vote in the House.

KEY RACES

There’s truth to Venable’s confidence.

There are three state House races where the Democrats are pouring in national money because they’re close enough to impact the net number of Democrats elected in November. Only one of those could result in a pro-voucher incumbent losing his seat.

In Memphis, Democrat Jesse Huseth, who strongly opposes the so-called “voucher scam,” has a chance at unseating Republican Rep. John Gillespie, who voted to pass the voucher bill through the House Education Committee this spring. Gillespie says on his campaign website that he “supports the right of parents to have a strong voice in their child’s education.”

The other two are tight Middle Tennessee races where Republicans are keeping their voucher stances under wraps as they fight for currently Democratic seats.

With Democratic Rep. Darren Jernigan vacating his seat — which represents Donelson, Hermitage and part of Old Hickory — Democrats are hoping gun control activist Shaundelle Brooks can keep the narrowly split district blue, while Lee-endorsed Republican Chad Bobo aims to flip it.

Brooks has unequivocally said she will not support vouchers, telling the Banner in a questionnaire that “redirecting resources to private schools undermines the funding for public schools, which are the backbone of our communities, especially for families who rely on them the most,” and advocating for strict regulations if any private schools do receive state money from vouchers.

Bobo, however, has hedged on the issue throughout the campaign, despite being anointed by Lee. In July, Bobo said he supports “school choice” and answered “yes” when asked if he supported school vouchers, before

adding that he doesn’t like the term “voucher.”

In the more recent questionnaire, Bobo said “students should receive the best education possible, and we should continue to find ways for parents to make the best decisions for their children.”

Asked to clear up his stance, Bobo would not say whether he supports vouchers or if he would vote in favor of Lee’s voucher bill if elected and added he would need to see the bill before voting. Asked what he thought of the version that failed in the spring, Bobo, who was working in state House Speaker Cameron Sexton’s office at the time, said “not very much, because I wasn’t voting on it.”

“I’m not really trying to have an agenda — I just want to make sure that our children get educated properly,” Bobo says, noting that he would prioritize students in “failing” schools and expressing his support for magnet schools.

Similarly, the race between Clarksville Democratic Rep. Ronnie Glynn and Republican challenger Jamie Peltz has Democrats playing defense after Glynn won the seat with 50.7 percent in 2022 — a margin of just 153 votes.

While Glynn is unabashedly opposed to vouchers, Peltz is an unknown who on her campaign website lists education as one of her top three priorities — though she has not addressed vouchers publicly during her campaign. Asked by the Banner, Peltz says she would not have voted for the latest iteration of the bill, but leaves the door open on the concept of vouchers, also called Education Savings Accounts.

“While I support school choice in principle, I have concerns with the ESA legislation that was presented in the last legislative session and would not have been a yes,” Peltz writes in an email. “As a mother with children in our local public schools, I understand first-hand the importance of ensuring that our education system works for all students, parents and educators.”

Some Democrats believe they might topple Republicans in some less, but still slightly, vulnerable House seats on the ballot in November — like those held by a pair of pro-voucher incumbents in Rutherford County.

In Smyrna, where pro-voucher Republican Rep. Robert Stevens is up for reelection, Democrats are hoping a growth in population and increase in Democrats will tip the scale toward challenger Jonathan Yancey, a former public school teacher who opposes the voucher program, after Stevens handily beat a primary challenge from an anti-voucher opponent.

Similarly, Murfreesboro’s Republican Rep. Mike Sparks, who supported the last voucher bill, is also a target of Democrats seeking to capitalize on growth in Rutherford County, but would be a long-shot victory.

Even with the die already cast in some races, Garrett urges voters to consider the future of public education when voting in November.

“Don’t be that person who says, ‘I didn’t know what I had until it was gone,’” she says. ▼

Rhiannon Giddens

FRIDAY, NOV. 1

COMEDY [SUPER BOWL] ATSUKO OKATSUKA

Whether you recognize her from her viral videos or her 2022 HBO standup special The Intruder, Atsuko Okatsuka stands out. “She’s that hilarious comedian with the bowl cut.” That’s how I keep describing Okatsuka to my friends, forgetting that not everybody spent the entire pandemic on TikTok watching Okatsuka teach her elderly grandmother viral dances. In an interview last year with Margaret Cho, I asked Cho about opening the door for comedians like Okatsuka, and the comedian said it’s her greatest achievement. Okatsuka is bringing her Full Grown Tour to Nashville, and it’s a great opportunity to see a rising star in a theater, because I suspect she’ll move on to much bigger venues before long.

KIM BALDWIN

7

Visit calendar.nashvillescene.com for more event listings

THURSDAY

/ 10.31

MUSIC

[OPEN UP AND SAY BOO!] HALLOWEEN AT THE EAST ROOM

All Hallows’ Eve in a music town is a night for musicians to appear in musical costume, and few are more fitting than those you’ll find onstage at The East Room. Esteemed party-starting, posi-vibing singer-songwriterproducer Tyler Walker (aka Sessy, fka Meth Dad) tops the bill, gathering some friends to take on the punked-up Technicolor electronic soundscapes of LCD Soundsystem as LSD Soundsystem. Musical comedy troupe Amm Skellars will present their take on Arthur Miller’s The Crucible — you know, that ol’ laugha-minute chestnut. Standout pop-and-rock megaband Tayls will break out the eye shadow and crimson lipstick for a tribute to The Cure; also, get ready to protect ya neck when hyperpopping dance-rock champions Terror Pigeon host vampire karaoke. These folks all have extensive experience in finding creative ways to make a party fun, so expect to be surprised and delighted.

STEPHEN TRAGESER

8 P.M. AT THE EAST ROOM

2142 GALLATIN AVE.

[NO

MUSIC

ONE GETS OUT ALIVE] MAGGIE ROSE HALLOWEEN BASH

Toss on a werewolf mask and howl into Halloween weekend with a spooky and spine-tingling performance from one of the hardest-working members of Nashville’s singer-songwriter scene, Maggie Rose. The roaddoggin’ troubadour rolls back into Music City in support of No One Gets Out Alive, her 2024 LP that doubles as the singer’s debut on hitmaking Nashville label Big Loud (and triples as arguably the most fitting album title to promote at a Halloween show). The show includes a support performance from Alabama rock band Billy Allen + The Pollies. Those who don’t want to go home after Rose hits the final notes can stick around for an after-party in the Eastside Bowl’s

NASHVILLE JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL PAGE 30

THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS LIVE SCORE PAGE 32

NASH JAM & KOSHER HOT CHICKEN JEWISH MUSIC & FOOD FESTIVAL PAGE 34

adjacent venue The ’58 with local soul outfit LadyCouch. And per an Instagram post from Rose, costumes are — of course — encouraged for this All Hallows’ Eve gig. MATTHEW LEIMKUEHLER

8 P.M. AT EASTSIDE BOWL

1508 GALLATIN PIKE S., MADISON

MUSIC [IN CIRCLES] 666 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN CONCLUDES

Halloween comes just once a year, but Acme Feed & Seed is doing a favor for those of us who find this to be far too short. They set up six nights of spooky-season entertainment, dubbed 666 Days of Halloween, which kicked off Oct. 26 with a haunted house and wound its way through a screening of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, a special spooktacular Dead Monday featuring primo Grateful Dead tribute The Stolen Faces and more. It all comes to a head on Halloween night with a Full Moon edition of Funky Tonk with long-running Thursday night house band The Music City Toppers, including a costume contest. Plus, don’t miss a special Bewitched-themed drag bingo game hosted by the inimitable Vivica Steele. All proceeds from bingo card sales go to Oasis Center’s Just Us program for aiding LGBTQ youth, so c’mon, Samantha, get that nose to wigglin’.

STEPHEN TRAGESER

6-11 P.M. AT ACME FEED & SEED

101 BROADWAY

FILM

[MAZEL

TOV!]

NASHVILLE JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL

The Nashville Jewish Film Festival will feature both in-person and remote screenings for one more week as it wraps up its 24th year in Music City. The Gordon Jewish Community Center hosts Irena’s Vow, a film from director Louise Archambault about the true story of a woman who sheltered a dozen Jewish men and women in the house of a Nazi officer during the Holocaust. Adar Shafran’s Running on Sand, screening at AMC Bellevue 12, is a sports comedy about an Eritrean refugee who’s mistaken for an international soccer star and becomes a star in his own right. Benny Fredman’s Home centers on a computer store and will, perhaps appropriately, be featured in the festival’s final at-home screening Monday. Finally, the Belcourt wraps up the festival with The Catskills, a documentary celebration of the “Borscht Belt” area that produced comedians and silver screen legends like Mel Brooks, Danny Kaye and Shecky Greene. COLE VILLENA THROUGH NOV. 7 AT VARIOUS LOCATIONS

FRIDAY

/ 11.1

[TENNESSEEIN’

IS

TENNEBELIEVIN’]

FILM

THE LIVING LAND

The mission behind the locally filmed The Living Land is a noble one: The 60-minute nature documentary is intended, in part, “to

MAGGIE ROSE

NOVEMBER 15

ROUNDS FOR HOPE WITH RYAN HURD, ADAM JAMES & MORE

DECEMBER 6

A McCRARY KIND OF CHRISTMAS WITH BUDDY MILLER, EMMYLOU HARRIS & MORE

DECEMBER 9

JASON COLEMAN SHOW WITH JEANNIE SEELY, EMILY WEST, CHARLIE McCOY & MORE

FEBRUARY 14

LOVE SONGS AND SUCH

SAM BAKER AND SPECIAL GUEST RODNEY CROWELL

NOVEMBER 7 & 8

NITTY GRITTY DIRT BAND

WITH WINE, WOMEN AND SONG: SUZY BOGGUSS, GRETCHEN PETERS AND MATRACA BERG (11/7) AND KATHLEEN EDWARDS (11/8)

NOVEMBER 9

KATHLEEN MADIGAN

JANUARY 9

PETER ROWAN & SAM GRISMAN PROJECT PERFORM OLD & IN THE WAY WITH SAM BUSH AND TIM O’BRIEN

JANUARY 14 & 15

RINGO STARR & FRIENDS

JANUARY 29

PHANTOGRAM

JANUARY 29

JOSH TURNER ON SALE FRIDAY AT 10 AM

MARCH 14

LAST PODCAST ON THE LEFT ON SALE FRIDAY AT 10 AM

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 16

NISSAN STADIUM • 1-5 P.M. • mn ps.org/parade

encourage and inspire us to become more active in protecting and conserving the resources of Middle Tennessee — and the earth itself — for future generations.” Created by documentarians Anne Goetze and Nathan Collie along with editor and videographer Ken Tucker, The Living Land features drone footage, macro photography and other carefully captured video of Tennessee’s exceptionally biodiverse landscapes through each of the four seasons. Visuals of flora and fauna, waterfalls, foliage and more are accompanied by poetry from narrators Paul Kingsbury, Patti Freeman and Ken and Elizabeth Tucker, along with music from Indigenous singer-songwriter Bill Miller, who also reads from the Native American Book of Wisdom. Given the fast-paced nature of modern life — not to mention a news cycle laden with updates about natural disasters, senseless violence and political turmoil — the opportunity to reflect with serene depictions of Tennessee’s gorgeous landscapes is one we ought to all stop and take. Find more details about the documentary via annegoetze.com, and tune in to Nashville Public Television Friday evening to see it. D. PATRICK RODGERS

8:30 P.M. ON NPT

BOOKS [INTERIOR DIVINE] DARCY HEASER: LIVING INSIDE ART

The stories behind some iconic East Nashville homes are being showcased in Darcy Heaser’s new coffee table book, Living Inside Art: Nashville Interiors, Exteriors, and Gardens. Snag

a copy on release day at Novelette Booksellers, where author Heaser will discuss her work in person. Heaser, a Nashville native, was inspired by a neighbor’s “Wave” home while on a run and began to leave notes in her neighbors’ mailboxes with requests to photograph their interiors. Many of them agreed, and the project highlights the best of the neighborhood, including a dining room full of chandeliers — dubbed the “chandelier chateau” — and the House of Adora, easily recognizable by its hot-pink exterior. Tickets are being offered on a pay-what-you-can basis, and copies of the book will be available for purchase (although it’s

suggested that you preorder). TINA

6 P.M. AT NOVELETTE BOOKSELLERS 1101 CHAPEL AVE.

SATURDAY / 11.2

[WHAT’S THIS?]

FILM

THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS LIVE SCORE

The Nashville Symphony is gearing up to bring yet another iconic movie score to life with Tim Burton’s beloved The Nightmare Before Christmas. The two-night event lands right between the fall and winter holiday seasons and features the story of Jack Skellington, the “Pumpkin King” of Halloween, attempting to hijack Christmas in what has become an instantly recognizable stop-motion world. A live performance of Danny Elfman’s emotive score, conducted by Jacob Joyce, will surely enhance the nostalgia, magic and whimsy of tracks like “Jack’s Lament,” “Sally’s Song” and the iconic opener, “This Is Halloween.” Audience members are encouraged to participate in the festivities and don their most Burton-esque attire (as long as this attire is family-friendly and doesn’t include costume masks) as they fall into Burton’s immersive world. Snag tickets quickly and don’t miss out on this delightfully frightful night.

MADELEINE BRADFORD

NOV. 2-3 AT THE SCHERMERHORN 1 SYMPHONY PLACE

FASHION

[PAINT IT, BLACK] CHROMA: A CELEBRATION OF GOTHIC FASHION

As I detailed in a recent installment of the Scene series In the Club, being goth is not all about outfits. But it is about outfits, in part. Several of the members of GOTHBATS (Guild of Tennessee Humanitarians Bolstering Alternative Trending Subcultures) have serious fashiondesign chops that they’ll put on display at their second annual goth fashion show. The show promises looks across the spectrum of gothic subcultures — subcultures of the subculture, if you will. They include nu goth, punk, Victorian and rockabilly. Ever seen a corset that turns red when wet? Designer Kat Gaume brought that to life, and she’ll display her line Pretty Grungy as a finale to the show. The show will also include designs by The Lash Melody, performances by emcee and drag performer DJ Casanova and a set by DJ Setsuki Korinzu. Proceeds benefit the Nashville City Cemetery and Bridges Domestic Violence Center. Whether you’re goth or not, wear something black and get in on the excitement. Stay after for the goth industrial after-party. HANNAH HERNER

5 P.M. AT CANVAS

1105 FATHERLAND ST.

THEATER

[A SWEET, SWEDISH STORY] PIPPI LONGSTOCKING

Over the years, we’ve seen countless characters make the journey from page to stage at Nashville Children’s Theatre, from Frog and Toad to Cinderella and Sherlock Holmes. One

Guided Tours: Hermitage Mansion, Garden, Lives of The Hermitage Enslaved, VIP Tour • Grounds Passes & Audio Tour • Award-Winning Exhibit & Documentary Film • Seasonal Events • Local Wine Tastings

NOVEMBER

DECEMBER

DECEMBER

JANUARY

JANUARY

TICKETS ON SALE NOW

notable exception? Pippi Longstocking, the fiery redhead from Astrid Lindgren’s beloved books. But that changes this weekend as NCT presents Pippi Longstocking for the first time in the esteemed company’s 93-year history. Adapted to the stage by Danish singer and guitarist Sebastian (who wrote the music and lyrics) and Staffan Götestam, Pippi Longstocking draws us into a world of adventure where there’s “no school, no parents, no bedtime or rules.”

Directed by Abe Reybold, the cast features familiar faces such as Mallory Mundy in the title role along with Alex Dee, Alisa Osborne and Gerold Oliver. I’m eager to check out the production’s Scandinavian-inspired designs, with set by Scott Leathers and costumes by Billy Ditty. And Jesse Mooney-Bullock, from MoonBull Studio, has cooked up some marvelous puppets — including Pippi’s mischievous monkey friend Mr. Nilsson. AMY STUMPFL

NOV. 2 TO DEC. 15 AT NASHVILLE CHILDREN’S THEATRE 25 MIDDLETON ST.

SUNDAY / 11.3

FILM

[THE KEY TO THE FUTURE] STAFF PICKS: BLADE RUNNER

2049

Director Denis Villeneuve loves filming stories that were previously deemed unfilmable. His source material usually falls into the category of books or short stories that have seemed too difficult to translate to the big screen. Arrival, Enemy and, especially, the Dune series exist under this umbrella. A sequel to Ridley Scott’s groundbreaking, uber-influential Blade Runner (itself an adaptation of a Philip K. Dick novel) was considered similarly nearly impossible. Although the 1982 film exists in a rich universe ripe for exploration, a sequel was long thought of as a pipe dream. Enter Blade Runner 2049, a 2017 follow-up that somehow walks the precarious tightrope between reverence and subversion, between homage and a fresh approach. Although Ryan Gosling excels in comedic roles, he loves to play silent, brooding characters. His work as K might be the peak of his tight-lipped performances. The craft is enveloping (and earned the film two Oscar wins), while the story is surprisingly emotional. Blade Runner 2049 screens as part of the Belcourt’s Staff Picks series. Thanks, Kirk, for the selection! LOGAN BUTTS

8 P.M. AT THE BELCOURT 2102 BELCOURT AVE.

[HEATING UP]

FOOD & DRINK

NASH JAM & KOSHER HOT CHICKEN JEWISH MUSIC & FOOD FESTIVAL

The “ninth annual Nash Jam & Kosher Hot Chicken Jewish Music & Food Festival” is a mouthful of a name — and I will have a mouthful of hot chicken on Sunday, Nov. 3. A panel of judges, including me, John Stephenson of the recently shuttered Hathorne, former Mayor Bill Purcell and several others, will be tasting kosher hot chicken cooked by eight amateur teams. If anyone is to be thanked (or blamed) for Nashville hot chicken becoming

ubiquitous, it is Purcell, who shared his love of the spice with everyone. The day also includes kids’ activities such as an obstacle course, art booths with goods for sale, live music, beer and nonalcoholic drinks from party planner Rhizome Productions and a food truck of kosher hot chicken from Hattie B’s Hot Chicken. Admission is free. You can buy tasting tickets (10 for $20, 24 for $40 or 48 for $80) online in advance or once you arrive at the Gordon Jewish Community Center for all the sampling you can handle. It’s not kosher to drink milk while eating hot chicken, so I’ll need a nontraditional technique to cool my palate.

MARGARET LITTMAN NOON AT THE GORDON JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER 801 PERCY WARNER BLVD.

FILM [VERN NOTICE] ERNEST SCARED STUPID + ERNEST AND THE DREAM STONE CELEBRATION

While Jim Varney’s life was sadly cut short by lung cancer in 2000 when the comedian and actor was just 50 years old, his most famous character will soon live again. In September, local writer Corey Perkins, a self-professed lifelong Ernest P. Worrell fan, launched a Kickstarter campaign in support of his graphic novel Ernest & the Dream Stone, which features illustrations by M. Arief Russanto and a plot that follows the lovable rube on an all-new

adventure. Perkins and his team didn’t just hit their $35,000 goal — they exceeded it several times over, ultimately earning $131,575 from nearly 2,000 donors. In celebration of the successful campaign, Perkins, Josh Cherry (son of frequent Ernest director and Nashville native John Cherry) and Justin Lloyd (Varney’s nephew and biographer) are throwing a screening and party this weekend at the Palace Theater in Gallatin. They’ll show 1991’s troll-centric romp Ernest Scared Stupid, the fifth film featuring Ernest — and the only one in the series featuring screen legend Eartha Kitt. But be sure to secure your spot in advance, because tickets will not

Hannah Dasher – Wanted: The Live Album Recording

Pick, Pick, Pass Writers Round w/ Kevin Mac, Dan Tyminski, Ronnie Bowman 11.11 Salute the Songbird w/ Maggie Rose, Special Guest: Emily Ann Roberts

NOVEMBER LINE

11.16 Outlaws Apostles – Free Show

Eric Church: To Beat The Devil Residency SOLD OUT 11.18 Cigarettes & Pizza w/ Aaron Raitiere, Shelly Fairchild 11.19 SiriusXM Presents Eric Church: One Night Only SOLD OUT 11.20 Tom Douglas – Love, Tom 11.21 The Warren Brothers 11.22 BlondMe – A Blondie Tribute 11.24 Pick, Pick, Pass w/ Kevin Mac, Abram Dean, Wyatt Durrette 11.25 Buddy’s Place Writers Round w/ Stevenson Everett, Cyndi Thomson, Chuck Wicks

William Michael Morgan

be available for purchase at the door. Find the details and the ticket link via the graphic novel’s Instagram account (@ernestgoestocomics).

D. PATRICK RODGERS

1:30-5 P.M. AT THE PALACE THEATER

146 N. WATER AVE., GALLATIN

ART [LET IT OUT] THERAPAINT STUDIO COMMUNITY WELLNESS DAY

Are you a bit on edge lately because of … well, everything? TheraPaint Studio owner Jackie Laurian Long feels you. This summer she and her husband, former NFL player Jake Long, opened their business on Music Row. They’ll set you up in a pristine, clean room with PPE and compostable paint and paper and allow you to spend 45 minutes throwing paint and letting all your feelings out. On Sunday, they’re hosting their first Community Wellness Day, an opportunity to get introduced to their brand of self-care with mini sessions. You can also do yoga with Alexis Jones, do some breathwork and maybe take a quick cold plunge with the Detox House alongside other people looking for new, safe ways to regulate their emotions. Tickets are $40 and can be purchased online. MARGARET LITTMAN

9 A.M. YOGA, 9:30 A.M. BREATHWORK, 10 A.M. MINI PAINT-THROWING SESSIONS, 10 A.M. COLD PLUNGE AT THERAPAINT STUDIO

1613 17TH AVE. S.

MONDAY / 11.4

MUSIC

[COLD WEATHER CHARM] CLAIRO

Claire Cottrill’s third album, Charm, may have been released over the summer, among high-energy Brat remixes and the virality of Midwest Princess, but Charm has fall vibes from top to bottom. When you’re ready to ease into the cold weather, cozy up inside with your red wine or huddle around a bonfire, Clairo’s sophisticated, retro compositions just fit. Not slow and drowsy like a lot of autumnal playlists, Charm has bounce and a jazzy kind of groove with soft vocals and surprising moments of flute, clarinet, Mellotron and organ. I hear the

horns at the end of “Juna” and just want to dance in my kitchen while I cook a roast. (I have never cooked a roast, but that’s what functional adults do in the winter, right?) Clairo’s Charm tour is coming to the Opry House, a perfect venue for her music’s golden ’70s aesthetic, this Monday night. Clairo will be joined by South African songwriter Alice Phoebe Lou. Welcome in winter with some good, warm music.

RYNE WALKER

7:30 P.M. AT THE GRAND OLE OPRY HOUSE

600 OPRY MILLS DRIVE

[SONGBIRDS]

MUSIC

CAITLYN SMITH, CAYLEE HAMMACK, MADELINE EDWARDS, ASHLEY MONROE & MORE

Caitlyn Smith hits The Basement East stage this week, and she’s bringing a ton of friends to the gig. Smith anchors a show at the East Nashville club this week called Songbirds, which features an only-in-Nashville lineup of six-string storytelling talent. The bill includes big-voiced country singer Caylee Hammack, British-born artist Lucie Silvas, Pistol Annies member Ashley Monroe, up-and-comer Ben Chapman, CMT Next Women of Country alum Madeline Edwards, Geffen Records upstart Laci Kaye Booth and Georgia-raised songwriter Meg McRee. Not a bad lineup for a Monday night at the local club, right? And while most have likely heard songs from these artists before (Hammack’s 2019 “Just Friends” remains one of the coolest songs to come out of Music Row in recent memory, while Monroe continues to crush her solo career), don’t sleep on potentially new-to-you artists like Booth, who earlier this year released The Loneliest Girl in the World, a head-turning LP of dreamy country tunes. MATTHEW LEIMKUEHLER

8 P.M. AT THE BASEMENT EAST 917 WOODLAND ST.

TUESDAY / 11.5

THEATER

[I LOVE CORN!] SHUCKED

There were plenty of skeptics out there when Shucked first premiered on Broadway in

SHUCKED

Thank You, Nashville!

All of us here at Lightning 100.1FM are honored to be voted the Best Radio Station in town! This award means the world to us because it comes from YOU —our listeners, our community, and our fellow music lovers.

Whether you tune in to discover new music, catch your favorite shows, or connect with the local scene, we’re endlessly grateful for your support.

2023. I mean, let’s face facts: It’s a show about corn. But this down-home comedy would have the last laugh, as it became the surprise hit of the season and received a wide range of accolades, including a whopping nine Tony Award nominations. Now Nashville audiences will have their say, as Shucked arrives at Tennessee Performing Arts Center. Featuring a campy book by Robert Horn (Tootsie), this “farm to fable” show follows the good ol’ folks of Cob County as they struggle to save their failing crops. Broadway veteran Jack O’Brien (Hairspray) directs, and scenic designer Scott Pask (The Book of Mormon) has conjured a wonderfully wonky barn and cornfield setting. But the real draw for me is the score, which comes courtesy of Nashville’s own Grammy Award-winning songwriting team Brandy Clark and Shane McAnally. Packed with goofy puns and oneliners, Shucked promises an evening full of corny fun. AMY STUMPFL

NOV. 5-10 AT TPAC’S JACKSON HALL

505 DEADERICK ST.

WEDNESDAY / 11.6

[MAKING ROOM]

COMMUNITY

HOMELESSNESS PANEL

Councilmember Jordan Huffman will tell you that the No. 1 issue in his district — primarily made up of quiet, diverse suburban enclaves around Donelson and Hermitage — is homelessness, particularly the visible homelessness that has intensified around the county. Just as faith spaces around the city prepare for another season with longtime local homeless outreach center Room In The Inn, Vine Street Christian Church brings together Huffman, Open Table Nashville

co-founder Lindsey Krinks and Barnes Fund vice chair Antone Christianson-Galina for a panel discussion to help chart a path forward for the city. The Nashville Banner’s Demetria Kalodimos will moderate. Nestled among the city’s most expensive neighborhoods, Vine Street’s panel provides the chance to discuss how encampments like Old Tent City relate to wealthy single-family homes across Belle Meade and Green Hills. ELI MOTYCKA

6:30 P.M. AT VINE STREET CHRISTIAN CHURCH 4101 HARDING PIKE

[THE PARTY’S NOT OVER YET]

MUSIC

BILLIE EILISH

The pop girls are back, and Billie Eilish’s third studio album Hit Me Hard and Soft represents another widely celebrated album in the current renaissance. At only 22, Eilish owns the stage like a veteran of the industry, incorporating inclusive elements that make everyone feel as if they were invited to the party. She gets loud, she gets hype, she gets her fans riled up and singing along. But her shows aren’t all flash and noise. At one point in the show, she brings the entire arena to complete silence, asking the audience to not make a sound. Then she begins to sing, looping her voice in real time onstage. Her creative onstage production and masterful command of the audience make these performances of “When the Party’s Over” all the better. Her shows reflect the essence of her latest album — it’s about letting loose, embracing love and being honest with who you are. Towa Bird, whose debut album American Hero came out earlier this year, will open. KATIE BETH CANNON 7 P.M. AT

BILLIE EILISH

PHOTO: PETROS STUDIO

FOOD & DRINK

GEM DANDY

Talking to Nashville Hidden Gems’ Anas Saba about the local food scene BY KELSEY

BEYELER

WHEN ANAS SABA started taking his friends to different restaurants in South Nashville, he wasn’t planning to make a full-time job of it. He just wanted to share his hometown’s many delicious, multicultural restaurants.

Now, years later, his recommendations reach thousands of people through his @nashvillehiddengems Instagram account, where he posts about everything from small, immigrant-owned restaurants to well-known local staples. A self-described “celebrator” of food as opposed to a critic, Saba has been broadening people’s palates through posts, food tours, chef-led educational sessions and more. The Scene recently caught up with Saba to discuss his perspective on Nashville’s everchanging food landscape.

How do you distinguish a “hidden gem” from other restaurants? That username has been

a blessing and a curse. … Being on my page doesn’t mean that I’m considering this place a Nashville hidden gem — it just might be a great place. … To me, a hidden gem is a place that’s just not in the regular media rotation. … Maybe they don’t have the savvy or the budget or they’re not necessarily thinking about marketing a lot, but they’re doing something really good, and something that I think is worth experiencing and worth sharing. So the places that I consider the certified hidden gems, they’re not super active on social media, and they kind of have that mom-and-pop, homey vibe.

Is it even fair to ask if you have a favorite restaurant in town? My number one rec when people do ask me for a sitdown dinner — I do send people to Noko a lot. What I like about Noko is the service is always really great

there. And I think, to me, that’s actually the most important thing when you are paying a higher price or you’re going to a higher-end restaurant. … And then there’s just too many to count when it comes to lunch.

Have you found any new hidden gems that you’re excited about? TashTea [Cafe] in Antioch — really cool Turkish/Kurdish breakfast place. Lovely staff there. The food is amazing. We just don’t really have anything like that in Nashville right now, so I was really happy to see that they were doing that.

Is there a food culture that you’d like to see more widely represented in Nashville? Chinese and West African.

Any hot takes about the local food scene? I gotta be careful here. I think food in Nashville is a

little bit expensive compared to cities that have a much higher cost of living than Nashville — but food prices are essentially the same. … I totally understand pricing. I have no problem paying a lot for good food, and I understand the way the margins work, and I understand that most of the time the prices aren’t inflated — it’s just the cost of things is so high. I think I would just like to see a few [or] some more reasonable options on every menu. … I do wish we had more late-night options. … I feel like, in general, the quality of service

PHOTO: ERIC ENGLAND

ANAS SABA AT EDESSA

is so down — especially at a higher-end restaurant. I mean, it’s really hard to find a place that can deliver a consistently good experience from the food and service perspective. I think there’s just a little, sometimes, too much focus on atmosphere and vibe, and then the service gets neglected and stuff. I feel like I see some places that will put so much into bringing new people in. It’s like, OK — getting people in the door is one thing. Once they’re in there, how are you training your staff, what kind of practices are you doing to make sure that people feel like they’re taken care of? At the end of the day, this is the hospitality industry, and people are going out to feel taken care of. And I’m just noticing it’s becoming harder and harder to find places that do deliver that level of service.

Is there a local market that you really like?

Newroz [Market], K&S [World Market] and Richland [Park] Farmers Market.

What advice would you give to people wanting to discover new restaurants and new kinds of food? For me, it was hard for a while to go and try new spots. I mean, starting this page really encouraged me to. … But I would say for most people — I used to hear this all the time — people would be afraid of going to an international restaurant because they might be worried about language barriers, or they might not know what to order on the menu. I think that’s a really interesting experience, because that’s how most immigrants feel 99 percent of the time when they’re in America. It’s like, they may not have a high level of English, they may not be able to communicate, but they go out and they do what they gotta do anyway. And so I would say do a little bit of research before you go, see if you can find the menu, and just be open to trying new things and understanding that … so much can be communicated just through body language and expressions. And don’t let your fear or your anxiety about trying a spot for a first time keep you from finding your new favorite place.

A lot of those places, I mean, they rely on someone just taking that chance and trying them for the first time. They’re not investing a lot in marketing, they may not have a big web presence, so they rely on their neighbors just saying, ‘Hey, I’ve seen this Uzbek restaurant — I pass by it a hundred times,” “I see this taco truck all the time, let me just go give it a shot,” right? The beautiful thing about a lot of these mom-and-pop restaurants is you can give it a shot, and if you don’t like it, I mean, usually you’re not going to be breaking the bank entirely to try them for the first time.” ▼

BIG AL’S DELI’S BREAKFAST BISCUITS — $3 TO $7

The city keeps changing, but the Salemtown deli’s biscuits — and the man behind them — stay the same

BY SETH WRIGHT

NASHVILLE CONTINUES TO GROW, expand and rebuild. Even as seemingly every neighborhood changes, some things stay the same. All of Nashville should be glad Big Al’s Deli hasn’t changed a bit.

The moment you walk in off Fourth Avenue North in Salemtown, you’re greeted by the smell of Southern cooking and the sounds of laughter. When he’s not busy at the griddle, Alphonso “Big Al” Anderson talks to everyone, and when they’re not busy eating his food — food that Nashville has loved and appreciated for many years — everyone talks to him. From French toast and shrimp-and-grits to chicken-and-waffles and all the daily specials, Big Al’s Deli makes big portions for every entrée, all at a reasonable price. You can stuff yourself off of just one plate and never pay more than $20.

If you need something lighter to get you through the morning, Big Al’s Bacon, Egg & Cheese Biscuit is perfect. Lathered in butter and as soft a biscuit as I’ve ever devoured, it’s just enough to satisfy my Big Al’s craving without leaving me feeling stuffed — and it’s only $4. The biscuits range from $3 to $7 and are always worth the trip. While you’re at it, say hello to Al, his son and the new friends you’ll meet inside.

People keep coming back to Big Al’s, and while the city keeps changing, it’s a delight to see this comfort food — and the man behind it — stay the same. ▼

BIG AL’S DELI

1828 FOURTH AVE. N. BIGALSDELIANDCATERING.COM

PHOTO: ERIC ENGLAND

GOODBYES AT RED 225 AND A REUNION AT THE BROWSING ROOM

A Wedgewood-Houston gallery’s final show and photos by Tamara Reynolds lead November’s highlights

BY JOE NOLAN

IT’S INSANE THAT it’s almost November. I say that because November is generally insane, as we tip past the top of the seasonal roller coaster and begin the terrifying plunge into the jingle-jangle blare of the holidays. Regardless of all the crazy-making, we’re about to be kneedeep in the most wonderful time of the year, and it’s never too early to start thinking about giving one-of-a-kind local art from galleries and boutiques all over Nashville. This month’s First Saturday happenings will help you fulfill your wish lists with prints, photography, paintings, sculpture and more.

WEDGEWOOD-HOUSTON

As I recommended in last month’s “Crawl Space” column, Khara Woods’ Square Biz exhibition of geometric abstract paintings was a highlight of October’s First Saturday happenings in Wedgewood-Houston. The show continues through November at Red 225 in The Packing Plant. Red 225 gallerist Kathleen Boyle has also announced that Woods’ show will be the gallery’s final display before they close their doors at the end of the month. Red 225 debuted in February 2023, and it was full of surprises from the start. Boyle programmed, curated and installed the gallery as a one-woman operation, and the tiny space regularly punched above its weight. Red 225 hosted a show of Bryan Jones’ trippy and exquisite multimedia abstract landscape paintings in April 2023, and Boyle organized local printmaker Chris Cheney’s poignant childhood/fatherhood exhibition, 1995: Dirt Roads Were Everything in August 2023. Red 225 teamed up with Rock Wall Gallery in Wedgewood-Houston and Lorenzo Swinton Gallery in Clarksville for the Jay Sanchez-curated mega-exhibition Cosa Nostra last winter, and Boyle included more than 80 works by women artists exploring the theme of intimacy in her Intimacism show this summer. Galleries come and galleries go, and in between we can all hope they matter. Red 225 mattered.

➡DETAILS: Closing reception 5-8 p.m. at Red 225, 507 Hagan St.

If I had one wish for Nashville’s contemporary art scene, it would be for a dedicated contemporary art museum. But if I had two wishes, I’d request more galleries committed to showing photography. For now, we’ll have to make due with the occasional exhibition of light-based images. This month, Coop will be doing the heavy lifting with a display of Tamara Reynolds’ exhibition The Drake. The show takes its name from the Murfreesboro Pike motel known for its glorious vintage road sign and its weekly

room rentals. The Drake is a moving series of portraits, still lifes and streetscapes that offers an unfiltered look at lives affected by addiction, crime and abuse, all centered on the titular derelict motel. Reynolds’ images document a subculture that society often ignores: addicts, sex workers, felons and day laborers, living in dangerous environments, only one misstep away from homelessness or even death. The images — and the stories behind them — are impactful in and of themselves, but what makes this series so compelling is its personal connection to Reynolds’ own experiences with addiction and recovery. The artist’s raw and intense photographs challenge viewers to see the unseen and acknowledge the marginalized.

➡DETAILS: Opening reception 1-9 p.m. at Coop, 507 Hagan St.

Danya Parvin’s In Memory arrives at Open Gallery in November. The show affirms my predictions of the ascendance of abstract landscapes that echo the work of early American modern artists. Parvin’s process transforms her outdoor observations into images of captured moments, highlighting how creative depictions of the natural can inform ongoing conversations about

preservation, conservation and the importance of touching grass. Parvin’s work is exceptional in the way her woodcut materials and processes reflect her natural subjects and content. This kind of resonance between the stuff a work of art is and the stuff it’s about is always a sign of next-level making. Parvin’s a young artist — she only recently graduated from Lipscomb — but she’s already creating work with the kind of integrity that lots of local art veterans have yet to manage. Parvin studied graphic design at Lipscomb, and In Memory boasts elegant patterns populated with insects and flora. It would be a pleasant enough show at that, but Parvin’s use of woodcuts introduces the grain and imperfections of her printing matrix into her finished images, upsetting their symmetry, disrupting their colorful backgrounds and enveloping her cleanly cut lines in undulating expressions of natural disorder. The visual noise that Parvin’s materials and processes bring to her work pushes these sylvan scenes into abstraction. Her hand-cut designs of insects, vines and flowers remain intact, but her overall images are brought to life in the tension between Parvin’s crafted representations and patterns, and the comparative visual chaos

pulled from her natural surfaces.

➡DETAILS:: Opening reception 6-9 p.m. at Open Gallery, 507 Hagan St.

DOWNTOWN

Last but not least, The Browsing Room at the Downtown Presbyterian Church opens Firmament: Early Artists in Residence at Downtown Presbyterian Church this Saturday night. The show celebrates 25 years of the church’s one-of-a-kind creative studio program with a display by some of the artists who first populated the DPC’s storied making spaces way back at the turn of the 21st century. The display includes contributions from Andy Harding, Herb Williams, Julie Lee, J. Todd Greene and the founder of the artist residency, Tom Wills. In addition to the opening, I’ll be chatting about my new book Nowville: The Untold History of Nashville’s Contemporary Art Scene with former Scene contributor David Maddox at 6:30 p.m. J. Todd Greene’s band, Buulb, will perform at 8 p.m.

➡DETAILS: Opening reception 5-9 p.m. at The Browsing Room, 154 Rep. John Lewis Way N. ▼

FIRMAMENT:

DOWNTOWN PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

WMOT Roots Radio Presents Finally Friday featuring DAVID NEWBOULD, ZG SMITH, KEVIN GORDON

with

“The Live Fleetwood Mac Experience” with SAM MULLENS

Intonations Presents An A Capella Fall Concert featuring THE BELLES, THE BELTONES, INTONATIONS, PRISMATICS + Writers Rounds! MALL GAG with VOLTAGEHAWK

BACKSTAGE AT 3RD: A Night with SongStory Music featuring GABRIEL BROUSSARD, DANI STACY, SARAH MOSELEY & DAVID AUSTIN EMILY WEST featuring friends SHELLY FAIRCHILD, JACKIE WILSON & MORE Singing THE BEACHES and BODYGUARD SOUNDTRACKS

monroe, & laci kaye booth

jean dawson w/ Quadeca

david shaw (of The Revivalists) w/ crowe boys

Vincent Neil Emerson w/ leon majcen

The Music of Taylor Swift for Kids (11:30aM)

kitchen dwellers w/ shadowgrass (8PM) sasha alex sloan orion sun w/ cruza

godspeed you! black emperor w/alansparhawhk

Marc Scibilia w/ cassandra coleman

marc scibilia w/ cassandra coleman

wolves of glendale w/ melissa villasenor the wild feathers w/ nathan graham dogs in a pile

the emo night tour the last waltz tribute

chemtrail w/ shanny and the east men & morbid orchid preston james w/ Chandler Brown

steve schultz w/ shaun livingston

fuller and eastern dreamers w/ grace gunn

a deer a horse w/ wesley and the boys, oginalii, & fossil creek

becca neighbor w/ hannah delynn vinnie paolizzi w/ jack mckeon (7PM)

david ryan harris (7PM)

kairos creature club w/ future crib (9PM)

jedd hughes w/ guthrie trapp, & tom bukovac

mojo thunder w/ zachary scott kline & highway natives (9PM) trella (7PM)

jedd hughes w/ Guthrie Trapp, Tom Bukovac, & more! (7PM)

the cold stares (9PM)

zach hood (7PM)

moondance w/ bluphoria & jaid (9PM) the privates

elijah johnston, jack and jealous, &

MUSIC

VAN WENT

Being Dead makes rock that’s good for your soul

BY SEAN L. MALONEY

EELS HAVE BURROWED into my brain. Or more accurately, Eels, the latest album from Austin, Texas, rock outfit Being Dead, has burrowed deep, deep into my noggin. Built around the principal notions that singing with friends is fun as hell and more reverb makes things more fun, Eels is a slippery listen, taking the audience into some deep, dark rock formations while maintaining a calm and shimmering surface. Voices slide in and out, stack up and break down as rhythms turn inside-out and melodies twist. All this while Being Dead’s trio — consisting of Falcon Bitch, Shmoofy (fka Gumball) and, uh, Nicole Roman-Johnston — taps into classic tones to make something very au courant, which they’ll bring to the show they’re co-headlining Halloween night with Omni at The Blue Room at Third Man Records.

“We just took off a few hours ago,” says Falcon Bitch, who shares vocal, guitar and drum duties equally with Shmoofy while Roman-Johnston holds down the bass line. “And we’re walking to — oh, it’s much quieter over here. And there’s a nice tree. We just want to be under this nice tree.”

The Scene is catching up by phone with the band “somewhere in Texas” at their very first pit stop of the tour, and it’s the best sort of chaos. Over the years, we have done a lot of phoners with bands as they’re trying to make it

from Point A to Point B, cramming in questions between bathroom breaks — but never have we encountered this kind of energy. Not unlike on the record, the band members’ voices ebb and flow into each other, jokes zip past, and the noise of the environment — a rumbling fuel tanker, a poorly maintained muffler, crazy wind — all gets funneled into the act. We quickly cross the line from publicity interview to musique concrète buddy comedy. This sort of descent into disorganization would usually be a portent of doom, but with Being Dead it just feels right.

“Any minute [the album] should hit platinum,” Falcon deadpans against the backdrop of highway traffic. “We’re just kind of waiting with bated breath here. We’re trying not to jump the gun, but we do have Champagne on rocks in the van.”

“We’re just waiting on the team to get back to us,” Shmoofy pipes up, extending the joke. The whole group laughs, and the wind picks up as if it’s laughing along with them.

Eels is scrappy and clever, taking some timetested rock ’n’ roll tropes and making them feel shiny and new and ready to live rent-free in your brain. A big part of Eels’ success comes from the way the trio uses classic garage and punk musical ideas but without being hypercitational. Sure, this writer might describe it as something

FROM THE INSIDE OUT

Songwriter Abby Nissenbaum advocates for sexual violence prevention in the music industry BY

KATIE BETH CANNON

MUSIC CITY IS HOME TO musicians of all kinds — multiple races and gender identities, covering a huge range of styles and traditions from country to hip-hop to rock and beyond. Nashville is a physical manifestation of their dreams, a place where musicians can grow, hone their craft and feel safe through it all.

Unfortunately, that’s not the experience for everyone. A 2018 survey from the Music Industry Research Association revealed 67 percent of women in the music industry report they have been victims of sexual harassment, and 72 percent report having experienced discrimination in the workplace. It’s a harrowing reality that women in the music industry face every day, whether they’re performing in clubs or working in an office, and Nashville is not exempt.

like “The Feminine Complex by way of Factory Records,” but your mileage may vary, and that’s the beautiful part. The minimal elements — voice, guitar, drums, bass, occasional synths or weird percussion, and reverb (and more reverb, and then some more reverb) — afford a lot of places for their hooks to latch onto your brain. The end result is a record that permeates your subconscious with minimum effort.

“[Recording] all went pretty well,” Shmoofy continues. “There was a second … right before we went to the studio where I think that we were like ‘uh-oh.’ But then it all came together, so it was all pretty smooth.”

On the stage, that smoothness translates to a set that is both high-energy and really chill. They are masters of crowd work, interacting with the crowd in a way that feels like old friends shooting the shit over late-night drinks. Seconds later, they jump back into choruses that remind you that the best part of underground music is singing your heart out with sweaty strangers. ▼

Playing 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 31, at The Blue Room at Third Man Records

Some artists are confronting this issue head-on. Abby Nissenbaum, a Connecticut-born and Nashville-based indie-rock and pop artist, has worked with organizations in her home state, like the Connecticut Alliance to End Sexual Violence and its Connecticut Safe Bars program, to raise money for sexual violence prevention and awareness. (Though its mission is similar, it’s not the same as the Safe Bar program developed in Nashville by the Sexual Assault Center.) Nissenbaum is expanding her advocacy efforts in her adopted hometown with a show at The Bowery Vault on Friday. She’ll join fellow musicians Miggie Snyder and Kate Cosentino (once a contestant on The Voice) for a performance benefiting the Tennessee Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual Violence.

“In terms of venue-safety thinking … I’m a young woman,” Nissenbaum says. “I’m going to, potentially, venues alone, or with another accompanist. So how can we stop aggression in those places, and how can we make people feel more comfortable in those spaces?”

ABBY NISSENBAUM

PHOTO: HANNAH KIK

The Connecticut Safe Bars organization helps raise awareness of sexual violence, especially in situations where alcohol is involved. They often work with bar staff on bystander intervention training, giving them the tools to intervene in situations where it might be necessary. Nissenbaum hopes her support of the Tennessee Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual Violence will not only raise money for similar awareness and prevention efforts, but also fight for clear legislation on preventing sexual violence — and preventing harm to people who want to help.

“I think those advocacy efforts are great because we’re preventing violence by nature of teaching people to intervene,” she says. “But the other side of that coin is that, when those people intervene, are they protected? Are they shielded from retaliation? Is there any amnesty given if they intervene in the wrong way, and more violence occurs? Those are the types of gaps that I particularly want to address as an artist and an activist.”

This work overlaps with Nissenbaum’s study of social psychology; as a graduate student, she did research work on preventing sexual and gender-based violence. Her music dives into similar issues, exploring themes of power and agency. She offers a unique perspective to the overarching conversation surrounding power dynamics in the music industry as a young queer woman, and allows that to be a part of her work.

Nissenbaum released her latest EP Don’t Want to Cry Oct. 18. She hones in on indie pop, drawing inspiration from artists such as Uh Huh Her and Novo Amor. These influences give the work a sound you might hear mid-Aughts indie-pop artists make if they had access to contemporary gear and production techniques.

The song “Perfect Crime” takes a deep dive into the way sexual violence is often overlooked in the industry. Nissenbaum takes a stance on how women who report misconduct and sexual abuse are often brushed away or asked to stay quiet, as she sings: “Only abusers flourish in silence / If you did nothing wrong, then why try to hide it?”

“In general, people of influence tend to brush these accusations under the rug and silence the victims of their crime,” she says. “Either through NDAs [or] telling them that they’re not allowed, if they’re paid off, they’re not allowed to talk to police or doctors or anyone about what happened to them. I think that’s something that’s very prevalent in our society, and it’s not talked about enough.”

While sexual violence and enforcing a culture of silence about it can happen in any industry, Nissenbaum points out how strong the fear of retaliation can be in the music business.

“If you’re building a name for yourself, any one thing could prevent you from rising and being successful. … If you’re rising in the industry and someone powerful comes, engaging in violence against you, it’s just really tough.” ▼

PLAYING 9 P.M. FRIDAY, NOV. 1, AT THE BOWERY VAULT

GUIDED MEDITATION

Olivia Barton surrenders to songwriting

BY GRACE BRASWELL

FOR OLIVIA BARTON, songwriting looks like stopping whatever she’s busy with on a Tuesday afternoon and sitting cross-legged on her bedroom floor, surrounded by piles of dirty laundry and dishes from breakfast that morning. Songs are a spontaneous art for the Nashville folk-pop songsmith, trailing behind a buildup of emotions that can only be released through pausing in the thick of the chaos and taking the time to write.

“Initially, it feels really involuntary when a song wants to be written, so I usually just plop down on the floor and try to let it come out, in the midst of whatever is going on that day,” Barton says while sitting in a coffee shop in East Nashville. She has opened tour dates for established names like Lizzy McAlpine and Madi Diaz, but she’s headlining a tour of her own that covers mostly the East Coast and returns to Nashville on Friday.

Imperfection is Barton’s superpower. Her raw, real, spur-of-the-moment songwriting connects on a basic human level, putting a spotlight on the unavoidable emotions that emerge right before rushing out the door for a shift at a restaurant, or while sitting on the couch thinking about all of the dishes in the sink that need to be done. It’s Barton in the middle of a normal day, trying to express something she didn’t even realize she needed to feel.

“I was just hooked,” she says of her entry into songwriting. “I did it in secret, and I was so scared to share my songs, but it just always felt like the only thing I was really going to do. It never really felt like a choice for me.”

After graduating high school, she attended Berklee College of Music in Boston, where her horizons as a songwriter grew exponentially. Barton felt a shift in her writing: For the first time in her life, she was surrounded by music, and completely inspired by the music of her peers.

“I was forming, like, my own … musical language, and I was figuring out the kinds of things I wanted to say in my songs,” Barton says. “I enjoyed singing with other people, and I loved going to shows, and I recorded my first songs with producers. But when I wrote, I preferred to do that songwriting exploration on my own. And I feel really grateful for that time to just have my little cocoon and find out what kind of music I wanted to make.”

Barton’s most recent release “Dad Song,” a gentle single with an acoustic pop groove, is the first taste of an album she plans to release in 2025. She writes with candor as she explains some challenges in her relationship with her dad, and how she wants it to be stronger: “I finally called you after Kelly’s dad got diagnosed / Through my tears I told you that I wanna be close / I could barely choke it out, asking if you want that too / You said, ‘Honey I’d get on a

plane right now if you asked me to.’”

When it comes to lyricism, it feels like you’re listening to Barton’s diary. She turns mundane moments into something extraordinary. Her detailed descriptions of the events in her life make it feel like listeners have experienced the same things she has, even though their lives are not exactly the same.

“I just happen to love songs that give you a window into a specific moment in time,” Barton says. “There’s so much meaning in everything. I think what songwriting does for me is it really

grounds me in my own life. I don’t have to go through something extraordinary for it to be valuable. I can start to notice the little things, as cliché as that sounds. We give those little things value by writing songs about them.” ▼

Playing 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 1, at The Blue Room at Third Man Records

A MARATHON, NOT A SPRINT

BY MATTHEW LEIMKUEHLER

TWO WORDS, ONE QUESTION: Why not?

It’s a fitting ask for someone like Sturgill Simpson. He’s the type of artist who at any given moment can draw on his country music pedigree, knack for gnarly fuzz rock or pristine bluegrass tradition — because why not? After becoming well-known for unfiltered opinions and sonic rabble-rousing, he can virtually escape from the public eye (except for the occasional film or TV role) — because why not? And under a new stage name and backed by a tight-knit band, he can remerge years after his last headlining gig and seem to be at the apex of his game — because (you guessed it) why not?

This fall, the 46-year-old singer-songwriter and guitarist returned to the road for his first proper headlining tour since COVID-19 shut down a run of arena gigs with Tyler Childers in March 2020. And holy shit, he’s making up for lost time. On the tour appropriately dubbed Why Not?, Simpson and his four-piece band — Laur Joamets on lead guitar and steel, Miles Miller on drums, Kevin Black on bass and Robbie Crowell on keys — took the stage promptly at 8 p.m. on Friday to play nearly three-and-a-half hours of loud and rowdy riffs at Bridgestone Arena. (You may recall Simpson’s prior appearance at the ’Stone, busking during the CMA Awards in 2017.)

The group rarely paused for the audience to catch its breath. One key component of the set list was expansive rock jams, like the wicked groove of 2016’s “Brace for Impact (Live a Little)” and a 10-minute rendition of the Sabbath-worthy headbanger “Fastest Horse in Town,” during which Simpson told two scuffling audience members to “chill the fuck out” without dropping a beat. There was also old-school country foot-stompin’ in “Long White Line” and crooning on “The Promise,” a fan-favorite cover of the 1988 hit by U.K. pop group When in Rome. Unlike artists whose arena tours come with contemporary trappings like pyrotechnics and floor-to-ceiling screens, Simpson & Co. tore through these songs with a minimal stage setup and no flashy distractions — because why not?

Simpson’s onstage revival comes in the wake of

a new album, Passage Du Desir, released earlier this year under the alias Johnny Blue Skies. The Kentucky native adopted this moniker after bidding a so-called farewell to his solo career once he finished a five-album cycle with 2021’s country concept LP The Ballad of Dood & Juanita. Shortly after releasing Dood & Juanita, Simpson ruptured his vocal cords and left the road for the foreseeable future.

An hour-and-a-half into Friday’s marathon gig, Simpson paused to say hello, shout out his induction into the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame, and share that the opportunity to tour again isn’t lost on him.

“We’ve been on the road for about a month, which is pretty cool because there was a time not so long ago that I didn’t know if I’d do this or anything again,” Simpson said. “It’s been a very interesting, wild ride the last 10 or 12 years. A lot of ups — a lot of really beautiful moments. A lot of downs. I ain’t gonna lie to you, the last few years was pretty damn dark, but here we are. … I’m havin’ the most fun I’ve ever had.”

Largely playing his red Gibson hollow-body, Simpson showed just how much fun he’s having. Among the highlights were his reinvented take on the howling fatherhood anthem “Welcome to Earth (Pollywog),” power-pop Passage Du Desir standout “Right Kind of Dream,” funky rock number “Sing Along” and laid-back new tune “Scooter Blues,” which he dedicated to longtime collaborator and Nashville record-maker David R. “Ferg” Ferguson. But Simpson and the packed house arguably had the most fun when the band busted out a well-placed cover song, like the Allman Brothers’ “Midnight Rider,” The Doors’ “L.A. Woman” and best of all, Prince’s “Purple Rain.” There was also a little hint of the Grateful Dead’s “China Cat Sunflower,” which has been popping up in sets on this tour; it was especially appropriate Friday as a salute to Dead bassman Phil Lesh, who died earlier that day at age 84.

Despite his years away from touring, Simpson still knows how to save some of his best for last.

After 30 songs and nearing the three-hour mark, the set reached a roaring high point with a onetwo-three punch of some of his best-known numbers: “Life of Sin,” “Turtles All the Way Down” and “Living the Dream.” A few songs later, Simpson cruised into the night’s closer: a 16-minute rendition of ramblin’ protest rock tune “Call to Arms” that played the role of ferocious send-off without wasting a second.

Now Simpson just needs to come back and do it again real soon — because why not? ▼

Saturday, November 2 HATCH SHOW PRINT Block Party 9:30 am, NOON, and 2:30 pm HATCH SHOW PRINT SHOP LIMITED AVAILABILITY

Saturday, November 2 SONGWRITER SESSION Twinnie NOON · FORD THEATER

Saturday, November 2 CONVERSATION AND DEMONSTRATION Martin Guitars in Country Music 2:30 pm · FORD THEATER

Sunday, November 3 CONVERSATION AND PERFORMANCE

Making the Musical ‘Shucked’

With Mike Bosner, Brandy Clark, Robert Horn, and Shane McAnally 3:00 pm · FORD THEATER

WITNESS HISTORY

Museum Membership Receive free admission, access to weekly programming, concert ticket presale opportunities, and more.

Thursday, November 7 PANEL DISCUSSION

Gee’s Bend Quilters

3:30 pm · FORD THEATER

Thursday, November 7 EXHIBIT OPENING RECEPTION Heritage

Southern Vernacular 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm · HALEY GALLERY FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

Saturday, November 9 BLUEGRASS AND BEYOND Tim O’Brien with Jan Fabricius 11:00 am · FORD THEATER

Saturday, November 9 BLUEGRASS AND BEYOND Wood Box Heroes 1:00 pm · FORD THEATER

1 Wonder drug

8 Have the final turn

14 Scolding

15 Prominent feature of Hello Kitty

16 Julian who founded WikiLeaks

17 Intractable situation

18 Some hormonal flare-ups

19 Crowd

21 Like hotel checkouts that may cost extra

22 Civil rights leader ___ B. Wells

23 Maximum

25 Something found near a trap

26 Currency of 20 countries

28 Got the word out?

30 Bygone Apple products

32 Command to a getaway driver

34 Reality TV staple

35 Three-time nominee for Best Director (1994, 2009, 2019)

37 Nation to which the island of Tortuga belongs

39 Rescues

43 What has posts all around a site

44 Band dates

45 Impose, as a tax

46 Foundation, e.g., for short

47 Bareilles of Broadway

49 Palindromic family nickname

50 Smell

52 Period preceding a big event

55 Name suffix that can combine with “Henri”

56 Unit of explosive power

58 Final circuit in a track race

60 One whose mentality begins with M-E?

61 They take marks off at school

62 With 63-Across, tricky football play ... as represented by this puzzle’s shaded squares?

63 See 62-Across DOWN

1 Kooks

2 Film that lasts a while?

3 Sudden riser in status

4 Civil War and Reconstruction, e.g.

5 Longtime college basketball coach Kruger

6 Makes a note of

7 Not many

8 Kind of radiation

9 Body part just below the philtrum

10 ___ exam

11 Biblical figure whose name is repeated in a Faulkner title

12 Dish with a crispy tortilla shell

13 They’re often sugarcoated

15 Like some goons

20 Advanced H.S. course taught by a professoressa, say

24 Russian ballet company

27 Related to vision

28 “Wake word” for an Apple device

29 Raggedy ___

31 Group of cable news talking heads

33 Author Joyce Carol ___

34 Burn, so to speak

36 Playground game

37 Announcement before taking a leap

38 She recited her poem “On the Pulse of Morning” at Clinton’s first inauguration

40 More forgiving

41 Game faces?

42 Point of contact between neurons

43 Like lightning and some tongues

44 Powerlifter’s sound

48 Materialized

51 Hoda of morning TV

53 Transportation app banned in Denmark, Hungary and Thailand

54 Parisian patriarch

55 Conditional word in programming

57 Up to, briefly

59 Loo

PUZZLE BY JESSE GUZMAN

LEGAL

Public Auction to satisfy owner’s lien for unpaid storage rent. Fox Moving and Storage of Nashville, LLC on November 15th at 9 am. The auction will be held at 5030 Harding Place Nashville, TN 37211. The following units will be sold to the highest bidder: Ashely Bush, Maggie Harris, Valency Horton, Kate Swan, Kathryn Yearsley.

HOUSING

NOTICE

Nashville

Call 615-425-2500 for FREE Consultation

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Potential Applicants of Margaret Robertson Apartments located at 571 Margaret Robertson Dr. Hermitage, TN, please be advised the community waiting list is open as of 10/15/2024.

EMPLOYMENT

Developers, IT Adobe. Develop, test, and deploy Adobe suite of products for a major retailer. Employer: Tractor Supply Company. Location: HQ in Brentwood, TN. May telecommute from any location in the U.S. Multiple openings. To apply, mail resume to J. Yokley, 5401 Virginia Way, Brentwood, TN 37027. Ref. job code 23-0294.

Lead Analysts, IT HR Systems. Analyze and define HR systems (payroll, ADP Enterprise), processes, and user needs for a major retailer. Employer: Tractor Supply Company. Location: HQ in Brentwood, TN. May telecommute from any location in the U.S. Multiple openings. To apply, mail resume to J. Yokley, 5401 Virginia Way, Brentwood, TN 37027. Ref. job code 190234.

define HR systems (payroll, ADP Enterprise), processes, and user needs for a major retailer. Employer: Tractor Supply Company. Location: HQ in Brentwood, TN. May telecommute from any location in the U.S. Multiple openings. To apply, mail resume to J. Yokley, 5401 Virginia Way, Brentwood, TN 37027. Ref. job code 190234.

MISCELLANEOUS

Attention: VIAGRA and CIALIS USERS!

A cheaper alternative to high drugstore prices! 50 Pill Special - Only $99! 100% guaranteed.

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1-866-472-4367 (CAN AAN)

AGING ROOF? NEW HOMEOWNER?

STORM DAMAGE?

You need a local expert provider that proudly stands behind their work. Fast, free estimate. Financing available.

Call 1-888-292-8225 (CAN AAN)

WATER DAMAGE CLEANUP & RESTORATION:

A small amount of water can lead to major damage and mold growth in your home. We do complete repairs to protect your family and your home’s value!

For a FREE ESTIMATE, call 24/7: 1-888-290-2264

(CAN AAN)

STOP OVERPAYING FOR AUTO INSURANCE!

A recent survey says that most Americans are overpaying for their car insurance. Let us show you how much you can save.

Call Now for a no-obligation quote: 1-866-472-8309 (CAN AAN)

NEED NEW WINDOWS?

Drafty rooms? Chipped or damaged frames? Need outside noise reduction? New, energy efficient windows may be the answer!

Call for a consultation & FREE quote today. 1-877-248-9944

(CAN AAN)

PAYING TOP CA$H FOR MEN’S SPORT

WATCHES!

Rolex, Breitling, Omega, Patek Philippe, Heuer, Daytona, GMT, Submariner and Speedmaster.

Call 1-855-402-7109 (CAN AAN)

PEST CONTROL: PROTECT YOUR HOME from pests safely and affordably. Roaches, Bed Bugs, Rodent, Termite, Spiders and other pests. Locally owned and affordable.

Call for service or an inspection today!

1-833-237-1199 (CAN AAN)

LOCAL ATTRACTIONS

Frist Art Museum

Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park

Adventure Science Center

NEIGHBORHOOD DINING & DRINKS

Butcher & Bee

Redheaded Stranger

Hall

ENJOY THE OUTDOORS Cleveland Park

BEAUTIFUL BATH UPDATES in as little as ONE DAY!

Superior quality bath and shower systems at AFFORDABLE PRICES!

Lifetime warranty & professional installs. Call Now!

1-855-402-6997 (CAN AAN)

BATH & SHOWER UPDATES in as little as ONE DAY!

Affordable pricesNo payments for 18 months!

Lifetime warranty & professional installs. Senior & Military Discounts available. Call: 1-877-510-9918

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YOU MAY QUALIFY for disability benefits if you are between 52-63 years old and under a doctor’s care for a health condition that prevents you from working for a year or more. Call now!

1-877-247-6750 (CAN AAN)

GOT AN UNWANTED CAR???

DONATE IT TO PATRIOTIC HEARTS. Fast free pick up. All 50 States. Patriotic Hearts’ programs help veterans find work or start their own business.

Call 24/7: 1-855-402-7631 (CAN AAN)

AFFORDABLE TV & INTERNET.

If you are overpaying for your service, call now for a free quote and see how much you can save!

1-844-588-6579 (CAN AAN)

TOP CA$H PAID FOR OLD GUITARS!

1920-1980 Gibson, Martin, Fender, Gretsch, Epiphone, Guild, Mosrite, Rickenbacker, Prairie State, D’Angelico, Stromberg. And Gibson Mandolins / Banjos. 1-855-402-7208 (CAN AAN)