Nashville Scene 3-28-24

LOOKING BACK A YEAR AFTER THE COVENANT SCHOOL SHOOTING

STREET VIEW: THE STATE OF SHORT-TERM RENTAL PROPERTIES

Rounding up our favorite vintage and boutique vendors, checking out Nashville’s best street style and lots more

STYLEISSUE STYLEISSUE

Looking Back a Year After the Covenant School Shooting

People are still grieving the deaths of three students and three staff members — and still asking for gun safety legislation

BY KELSEY BEYELER

Street View: The State of ShortTerm Rental Properties

While Metro legislation has slowed the growth of short-term rentals in some residential neighborhoods, their numbers are increasing overall

BY LENA MAZEL

Pith in the Wind

This week on the Scene’s news and politics blog

Street Style

Our man on the street Ray di Pietro once again checks out some Nashville looks

Designer Destination

Nashville’s new position as a luxury fashion hub

BY JANET KURTZ

Fit City

Our roundup of some of the most interesting and stylish designers and shopping spots in town

BY SCENE STAFF

West Meets East

Acclaimed designer Prabal Gurung to headline 2024 Symphony Fashion Show

BY JANET KURTZ

Otoboke Beaver, Aoife o’Donovan, The Great Spring Art Hop, Fall Out Boy and Jimmy Eat World, Starship Troopers and more FOOD

Date Night: The Great Midtown

Fail, Joyland and Up-Down Burgers, fries, shakes and Skee-Ball right all wrongs

BY DANNY BONVISSUTO

Big Shoes

An exhibition of art by Willie Cole is a monumental event BY

BOOKS

The Royal Slave

Percival Everett’s James builds a new story from an old one BY

MUSIC

Generational Wealth

Sampha looks to the past to build the future on Lahai

KIM BALDWIN

Breaking Ground

Stella Prince carries the banner for a new generation of folk musicians BY

Getting Through

River Shook stands for themself on Revelations BY RACHEL

Flying High Again

The Black Crowes soar on Happiness Bastards BY DARYL SANDERS

The Spin

The Scene’s live-review column check out Sierra Ferrell at the Ryman BY STEPHEN TRAGESER

NEW YORK TIMES CROSSWORD AND THIS MODERN WORLD MARKETPLACE

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Street Style

From left: Rebecca Moon, Kay Woods; photos by Ray di Pietro

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FROM BILL FREEMAN

NAVIGATING NASHVILLE’S TRAFFIC TROUBLES: MAYOR O’CONNELL’S VISION FOR INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS

NASHVILLE, RENOWNED for its vibrant culture and dynamic entertainment scene, is dealing with an increasingly pressing issue: traffic congestion. As the city continues to attract new residents and businesses, its roads are becoming increasingly clogged, leading to longer commute times and mounting frustration for Nashvillians. Mayor Freddie O’Connell recognizes the urgency of the situation and is taking proactive steps to address it. With plans for a transit referendum in November, Mayor O’Connell aims to garner support for a transportation and mobility project — which Metro has aptly named

“Choose How You Move.”

Mayor O’Connell’s commitment and approach to reducing transportation costs and enhancing mobility is admirable. The mayor’s transition committees, commissioned when O’Connell took office, highlighted the need for dedicated funding for transportation systems. That is an excellent observation. Additionally, to ensure a comprehensive and inclusive approach, Mayor O’Connell has sought public input, engaged with Metro councilmembers and collaborated with advisory committees to craft a plan that meets Nashville’s unique needs.

In February, a report from WPLN noted the top three reasons why former Mayor Megan Barry’s 2018 transit plan failed: not seeking input from the community, an inconsistent approach regarding priorities, and hasty timing. Further, the cost was a sticker-shockinducing $5.4 billion. To avoid repeating rejection, O’Connell is working to differentiate his approach. “We didn’t want to produce an expensive program,” the mayor told WPLN. “We wanted to look at a more right-sized approach for the city, given our growth, growth potential, cost-of-living and quality-of-life concerns.” The latter two are things that weigh on each of us, and that makes a straightforward no-frills approach a sensible choice.

Want more good news?

According to the results of Nashville’s March 22 Power Poll, 69 percent of those polled say they “like O’Connell’s more modest proposal than the massive $5.4 billion plan proposed by former Mayor Megan Barry.” Also, 57 percent “think a county-wide referendum put before voters will likely pass.” Perhaps the main reason for these higher percentages is that, as the Power Poll notes, the new plan “does not call for any light rail or tunnels beneath downtown as was proposed in the Barry plan. Emphasis instead is being placed on more sidewalks, traffic signals, bus service, and safety.”

The issue of transportation, infrastructure and traffic has only been worsening over time. And as much as we are grateful for all the beautiful things Nashville has to offer — from

entertainment and the health care industry to diverse cultures, incredible shopping and fine dining — it comes with its price. The more people move here (the Nashville area is estimated to have grown at a rate of roughly 86 people per day in 2023), the more transportation issues we will find ourselves facing.

Our city has been working on this for years, making strides toward a better tomorrow. It’s certainly not that we haven’t been proactive — according to Nashville.gov, “there are over 70 neighborhood, community, citywide, and regional plans created over the last 15 years that support expanded and enhanced transportation and mobility infrastructure.”

From NashvilleNext’s vision for future growth to nMotion’s blueprint for a robust public transit system, these plans have laid a strong foundation for Mayor O’Connell’s initiatives. The WalknBike Plan prioritizes pedestrian and cyclist safety, while the Vision Zero Action Plan aims to eliminate fatalities on Nashville’s streets. Additionally, initiatives like Connect Downtown and Middle Tennessee Connected have been committed to improving mobility and reducing congestion.

“Choose How You Move” builds upon this history of planning as well as recommendations from Mayor O’Connell’s transition committee. The goal is to create a transit plan that is practical and affordable yet comprehensive. O’Connell’s plan is hovering around the $1 billion mark. It’s much more affordable than the previous plan, and makes a bit more sense for our city at this particular time. The plan’s focus is on safety, infrastructure, bus service and optimizing that which we already have.

As Nashville prepares for a November referendum, it’s vital that we recognize the significance of investing in transportation and mobility infrastructure — especially as the city experiences rapid growth, and infrastructure struggles to keep pace. Mayor O’Connell’s initiative offers hope for progress. Passing this referendum would mean less traffic and frustration for all Nashvillians. And who doesn’t want that?

Bill Freeman

Bill Freeman is the owner of FW Publishing, the publishing company that produces the Nashville Scene, Nfocus, the Nashville Post and The News

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LOOKING BACK A YEAR AFTER THE COVENANT SCHOOL SHOOTING

People are still grieving the deaths of three students and three staff members — and still asking for gun safety legislation

BY KELSEY BEYELER

ALL AROUND NASHVILLE, you’ll still find homes displaying black-and-red ribbons, or yard signs showing support for the Covenant School community following a mass shooting at the private school on March 27, 2023. The city now knows the names of the six victims: 9-year-olds Hallie Scruggs, Evelyn Dieckhaus and William Kinney, along with school staff Cynthia Peak (61), Mike Hill (61) and Katherine Koonce (60). So much has happened since then, yet so little has changed.

In the year since the Covenant School tragedy, we’ve learned more about those whose lives were taken. Through statements from parents and family friends, we know that Hallie was the first downstairs on Christmas morning, and that William was brave and kind. Through a NewsChannel 5 interview with Evelyn’s parents, we learned she squeezed tight during hugs. Peak was a passionate longtime educator; Hill was a kind man with a deep dedication to both Covenant Presbyterian Church and the Covenant School. Koonce was a strong leader who devoted herself to those around her until her last breath.

Following the shooting, the city united in grief at a vigil held at the steps of City Hall. The next day, thousands of people channeled their anger into calls for action at the steps of the state Capitol. Inside, Reps. Gloria Johnson (D-Knoxville), Justin Pearson (D-Memphis) and Justin Jones (D-Nashville) protested gun violence from the House floor — a move that motivated House leaders to call for their expulsions.

Protests continued as the three Democrats, who became known nationally as the Tennessee Three, faced expulsion hearings. Jones and Pearson were expelled, but were quickly reinstated by their respective city councils. Johnson escaped expulsion by just one vote.

During the remainder of last year’s legislative session, students, parents, faith leaders and community members of all stripes continued showing up at the Capitol calling for gun reform and seeking justice for the lawmakers who faced expulsion. At times the energy was intense, but protests remained peaceful. Galvanized by the tragedy, people with different viewpoints supported one another, sang together, marched together and modeled the kind of bipartisanship that they asked for but did not see from members of the Tennessee General Assembly.

Amid pressure from protesters and scrutiny at a national level, Republicans fought among themselves, the Senate chose not to hear any gun-related legislation for the duration of the session, and lawmakers rushed the session to a close in late April. Lawmakers and right-wing media figures demanded to see the shooter’s writings, which were not released during the

Metro Nashville Police Department’s investigation (which was assisted by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation). Covenant parents didn’t want the public to see the documents — described by the TBI as “journal-type rantings” — though photos of journal pages were leaked by right-wing podcaster Steven Crowder in November. Several MNPD officers were reassigned

pending an investigation, which ultimately proved to be inconclusive.

When Gov. Bill Lee called a special session in August to address the shooting, some Republicans didn’t want to return to the Capitol. Protesters returned, and a few were removed from a committee room simply for holding signs — a House rule prohibiting signs was challenged by

the American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee, and a Chancery Court judge swiftly blocked enforcement of the rule. Parents of Covenant School students provided devastating testimony about the day — but lawmakers didn’t always listen. Again, the Senate deferred voting on virtually everything until the 2024 legislative session. The special session resulted in a handful of bills that changed very little. Lee’s call for extreme risk protection legislation — also known as red-flag laws, designed to take guns from people deemed a risk to public safety — went unanswered by the General Assembly’s Republican supermajority.

One bill that Covenant parents advocated for during the special session has since passed — it requires schools to develop a policy to determine what caused a fire alarm. Another, which would close autopsy records of minors who were killed in a violent crime, is currently making its way through the legislature.

Covenant parents have continued to show up and advocate for legislation to prevent similar tragedies from happening again. They created two nonprofits — Covenant Families for Brighter Tomorrows and Covenant Families Action Fund — to formalize their advocacy. They joined an increasingly large group of others doing similar work. These groups held a rally calling for gun reform in February.

Two prominent gun safety advocates have announced their intentions to run for office. Earlier this month, Maryam Abolfazli, founder of civic engagement nonprofit Rise and Shine Tennessee, announced she’s considering running as a Democrat to challenge Republican U.S. Rep. Any Ogles in Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District. Shaundelle Brooks, whose son Akilah Dasilva was killed in Nashville’s 2018 Waffle House mass shooting, is running for state House District 60 (currently represented by Democrat Darren Jernigan, who is not seeking reelection following an appointment to Mayor Freddie O’Connell’s administration).

Despite all the energy, advocacy, organization and emotion that followed the Covenant School shooting, there’s been little meaningful change to help prevent future instances of gun violence in the state. Lawmakers have provided support so schools can be more equipped to respond to intruders, but critics seek proactive rather than reactive measures. They’re calling for red-flag laws and legislation related to safe storage, background checks and magazine capacities — measures that have received support from both conservative and liberal voters, including a majority of Tennessee Republicans and gun owners.

The question remains — what must happen to facilitate stricter gun safety laws in Tennessee? ▼

PHOTOS: HAMILTON MATTHEW MASTERS

COVENANT SCHOOL PARENT SARAH SHOOP NEUMANN WITH STATE REP. GINO BULSO, JANUARY 2024

MAKESHIFT MEMORIAL TO VICTIMS OF THE COVENANT SCHOOL SHOOTING, MARCH 2023

COVENANT SCHOOL PARENT MARY JOYCE TESTIFIES BEFORE A HOUSE COMMITTEE, AUGUST 2023

THE STATE OF SHORT-TERM RENTAL PROPERTIES

While Metro legislation has slowed the growth of short-term rentals in some residential neighborhoods, their numbers are increasing overall

BY LENA MAZEL

Street View is a monthly column taking a close look at development-related issues affecting different neighborhoods throughout the city.

IN LATE 2022, real estate agent Brittania Nosworthy sold a house in Madison for $343,000 to Daniel Hernandez, an investor from Illinois. Hernandez had bought the property to rent on Airbnb and applied for a short-term rental permit in December 2022.

But there was one problem: The house wasn’t zoned for non-owner-occupied short-term rentals. So in 2023, after Hernandez had allegedly spent $69,000 on furniture and $35,000 on improvements for the property, his permit was denied. He sold the property in March 2023 for $360,000. In February of this year, he filed a civil lawsuit against Nosworthy and her previous employer, Parks Village Nashville LLC. Hernandez’s suit alleges that Nosworthy should have realized — and disclosed — that the home’s zoning didn’t allow Airbnb.

Hernandez’s case is an example of what Nashville’s short-term rental code is now designed to block: an out-of-state investor operating a short-term rental in a residential area. His house had come up against a piece of legislation that has changed the makeup of Nashville neighborhoods and their relationship to short-term rentals like Airbnb and VRBO.

In 2018, the Metro Council voted to phase out non-owner-occupied short-term rentals in residential neighborhoods. As of Jan. 1, 2022, no new non-owner-occupied permits were issued in residentially zoned areas. But as reporter Hannah Herner wrote for our sister publication the Nashville Post in October 2023, this doesn’t mean the number of short-term rentals has decreased as quickly as some residents would like. Metro law stipulates that once a short-term rental property in a residential zone changes hands, the permit can’t be renewed; however, many owners can still hold onto properties for a long time.

Nosworthy tells the Scene she wasn’t aware of the zoning changes impacting Hernandez’s property; the listing happened a few months after Metro’s legislation took effect, and the local homeowners’ association had approved the property for Airbnb. When she found out Hernandez was suing her, she reached out to her broker. “[The broker] said, ‘Wow, you’re the third one in the office,’” says Nosworthy. “I guess a lot of agents weren’t aware of the transition.”

Nosworthy says she’s seen fewer investors looking for short-term rental properties since the restrictions took effect; some clients have shifted to long-term rentals instead.

Nashville’s short-term rental market has grown explosively over the past decade. In 2015, Councilmember At-Large Burkley Allen (then a district councilmember) told WPLN that Nashville had 1,500 Airbnbs. In November 2022, the Scene reported that the city had 7,733. As of this writing, data-aggregating site insideairbnb.com estimates that Nashville has 8,850; 86.7 percent of Nashville’s current Airbnb stock (7,673 listings) are short-term rentals with a minimum required stay of less than 30 days, and 3,702 are held by hosts who own more than 10 properties. Some investors, like Goodnight and Host Extraordinaires, own hundreds of Nashville Airbnbs. While Metro’s legislation has slowed the growth of short-term rentals in some residential neighborhoods, their numbers are increasing overall.

Residential neighborhoods have also raised complaints about short-term rentals. A Street View story from 2022 chronicled the woes of residents witnessing shootings, late-night parties, safety concerns and noise. One group told the Scene that a “party house” in their residentially zoned neighborhood was secretly run by an outof-state investor. These complaints have been happening for years; Metro Codes still hears complaints about noise and illegally operated rentals, though the latter can be difficult to prosecute.

Short-term rental restrictions, combined with distance to Lower Broadway and other local attractions, have meant that short-term rentals are largely clustered in particular areas — mostly in and around Nashville’s downtown core. At the

State Republicans have been using several procedural tactics to stymie bills backed by Democrats Last week, GOP chairs of House committees prevented votes on legislation related to gun control and commercial driver’s license regulations — both backed by House Democrats — over their colleagues’ objections. Both instances fit into a larger trend of rules manipulation by the Republican supermajority to control and silence political opposition.

The city announced it will use $3 million in surplus funding to fully cover arts grants promised to independent artists and art organizations last year. Metro Arts has endured a tense six months of public scrutiny related to disputes over funding decisions and allocations, including awards to artists that have gone unpaid. Metro Arts director Daniel Singh has faced criticism for mishandling funding allocations from the Metro legal department, specifically legal director Wally Dietz. This month, board member Will Cheek — who worked against funding changes within the department in the fall — resigned under pressure from the public and the Metro Council

time of writing, more than half of Nashville’s Airbnbs are in just four of the city’s 35 council districts.

But in District 9, where Hernandez attempted to obtain a permit for an Airbnb, there are only 44 listings — 0.5 percent of Nashville’s overall stock. By comparison, District 19 (in Nashville’s downtown core) currently has 2,068 listings. Districts 17 and 21 both have around 1,000 each; East Nashville’s District 5, where the Scene previously reported on short-term rental safety concerns, has 879.

So has Metro’s legislation changed where short-term rentals are in the city? It’s a difficult question to answer in detail. It has certainly blocked some investors from purchasing properties in residential areas. Amid fierce debate over zoning and density and Nashville’s pressing shortage of affordable housing, these restrictions feel important. But with more than 1,000 new Airbnb listings in the past year-and-a-half, the zoning rules haven’t necessarily slowed short-term rental growth everywhere.

Nosworthy says she’s staying away from selling short-term rental investment properties for the foreseeable future. But she also wants to be transparent, and says she agreed to an interview for this story so other people can learn from her mistakes. “The more that people know the better,” she says. “I’m not about hiding anything. So if I do something and it’s caused some sort of action, I’m all about educating people.”

Representatives for Daniel Hernandez declined to comment on the case. ▼

The death of Riley Strain, a college student found in the Cumberland River last week after a two-week search of downtown, has prompted urgent questions about the safety of Lower Broadway. Lawsuits have detailed rampant downtown violence, including by bouncers. Widespread intoxication fuels a chaotic environment with few health or safety guardrails. We should first recognize the danger downtown poses to tourists and patrons, opines Scene contributor Betsy Phillips in order to strengthen safety protocols in Nashville’s cultural heart.

Beloved meat-and-three Arnold’s Country Kitchen will continue serving weekday lunch on a regular basis. The longtime Eighth Avenue establishment had been grappling with an uncertain future since announcing its plan to close more than a year ago.

SHORT-TERM RENTAL PROPERTIES IN EAST NASHVILLE

PHOTO: ANGELINA CASTILLO

RILEY STRAIN

WITNESS HISTORY

This colorful suit, decorated with hundreds of rhinestones, lit up the showroom at Nudie’s Rodeo Tailors like a stained-glass window. Nudie Cohn helped shape the history of western wear by outfitting countless performers such as Country Music Hall of Fame members Lefty Frizzell and Hank Snow.

From the online exhibit Suiting the Sound: The Rodeo Tailors Who Made Country Stars Shine Brighter

artifact photo: Bob Delevante

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Rounding up our favorite vintage and boutique vendors, checking out Nashville’s best street style and lots more

STYLE

Our man on the street Ray di Pietro once again checks out some Nashville looks

PHOTOS BY RAY DI PIETRO

“It’s better if you make it!”

Lawyer and seamstress

Amanda Colohan, 37, on Fourth Avenue North. March 14, 5:32 p.m. @modernjunecleaver

“My style philosophy is to be bold. I think that it’s really important not to be afraid to wear color. I love fashion!”

District 17 Metro Councilmember Terry Vo, 38, at the new Nissan Stadium groundbreaking. Feb. 29, 3 p.m. @terryvofornashville

“Always comfortable, but always try to keep a little edge. I’d rather wear an outfit that I feel great and happy in that other people don’t like, as opposed to something trendy that I’m miserable and uncomfortable in.”

Activist and actress Candice King, 36, captured at TPAC, Sixth Avenue and Union Street. Feb. 27, 1:02 p.m.

@candiceking

“My style philosophy? To make yourself feel beautiful. I like to make myself feel good, but also others. I’m always looking for textures and colors for me. It’s always evolving. I always have the clothes work for me, rather than working for the clothes. A balance of beauty and practicality or functionality, and a little bit of fun! Otherwise it gets boring.” Musician Wila Frank, 25, at Flora + Fauna Cafe on Douglas Avenue. March 10, 12:29 p.m. @wilafrank

“If I have to wear them, they have to match my personality. I’ve been wearing glasses since kindergarten.”

Rae’s Sandwich Shoppe employee and nursing student Alexis Bassham, 30.

“I have a lot of glasses. It’s how I accessorize for the day. Some girls accessorize with earrings and necklaces — I accessorize with glasses.”

Rae’s Sandwich Shoppe co-owner Isaaca Harvell, 36. Captured at Rae’s Sandwich Shoppe on Union Street. Feb. 22, 1:26 p.m.

@alexisnielle and @ahmajorwoman

“If you wear it, you got to repair it. That’s something I do with my clothes. How would I label my style? The easiest label to put on my style is vintage. Pretty much my whole closet is before the ’70s.”

Hume-Fogg Academic High School senior Nick Roston, 17, on Seventh Avenue North. Feb. 26, 3:10 p.m.

@nick.roston

“I’m from Baltimore, and I’m in Nashville to audition for the Nashville Symphony. I’m a bass trombonist. Stylewise, I like to dress in a way that is clean but has a little extra flavor to it.”

Musician Dylan Heid, 24, at Fourth Avenue and Church Street. March 11.

@h.atcherson

“I’ve had bangs since I was 4 years old. I’ve always had bangs. I’m all about the second-hand vintage clothing, like this Wrangler shirt that I bought in Atlanta. I like looking for ’70s/’80s style, and I’m really into Western. Almost Western punk, if that makes any sense.”

Third Man Records employee and yoga instructor Jenay Gardner, 36, at Third Man Records on Seventh Avenue South. March 14, 1:47 p.m.

@naybird13

“It’s a high-low look — the sweater is from a fast street fashion retailer, and the pants are Givenchy.”

Product manager Kay Woods, 35, at E+Rose on Church Street. March 15, 11:11 a.m.

@huedview

“I thrifted the jumpsuit! The sweater is from Ross, and I cut all of the fringe off of it.”

Hume-Fogg Academic High School student Ella Quintel, 15, at the Nashville Public Library downtown, Church Street. Feb. 27, 3:41 p.m.

“I work in a toxic environment, so I dress to make myself happy, and maybe others.”

State Rep. Gloria Johnson (D-Knoxville), 61, also a Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate. Captured on the steps of Legislative Plaza. Feb. 7, 10:03 a.m. @votegloriaj

“My style philosophy is comfort over trends and zany color combinations.”

The Green Ray bookstore owner Rebecca Moon, 36, with Boots, at her store on Gallatin Pike. Feb. 24, 1:23 p.m.

@thegreenraybooks

“I think my style changes everyday. It continues to evolve. I’m a melting pot of style.”

Marketing/content creator Jillian Jackson, 31, on Church Street. Feb. 25, 3:50 p.m.

@jillian.oc

Designer destination

Nashville’s new position as a luxury fashion hub

BY JANET KURTZ

FOR YEARS, Nashville’s high-end fashion scene could have been kindly described as arid. Few retailers carried luxury brands, and those that did — department stores like McClures, Jamie, Harveys and Cain-Sloan, for example — have since shuttered (though Gus Mayer has remained the stalwart leader of boutiques for high-design attire). Fashion-minded Nashvillians used to have to travel to New York or Atlanta to buy high-design attire.

But those days are long gone thanks to a new school of retailers expanding the local shopping scene with elevated fashion and trusted brands. With the influx of new residents and a generational shift in the market, Nashville has become an attractive location for luxury fashion brands.

Though luxury retail contracted during the height of the pandemic, it’s since bounced back. Luxury sales in the U.S. rose by 8.5 percent in 2021 to reach more than $64.1 billion, the brokerage firm JLL noted in a 2022 report on luxury retail.

Since the pandemic, luxury retailers have focused on opening more storefronts — often outside of central business districts and in less densely populated areas. Nashville has been one of the largest-growing markets for luxury retailers like Chanel, which opened a beauty store in the Mall at Green Hills in 2022, as well as Veronica Beard. Growth in the luxury retail segment continued in 2023, and seems to be holding strong in 2024. Here’s a look at some of Nashville’s best retail destinations.

THE MALL AT GREEN HILLS

Opened in 1955 as an open-air strip mall, the Mall at Green Hills has been a shopping destination for discerning Nashvillians for decades. Since then, it’s transitioned into a lifestyle center

with a robust home-goods category, featuring retailers like Arhaus, Crate & Barrel and Tennessee’s only RH.

“Shopping centers tend to be more successful when they have a strong mix of luxury, uniqueto-market and innovative brands,” Norah Buikstra, Mall at Green Hills general manager, tells the Scene. “In 2019, we added contemporary stores, the hottest fashion brands and many unique-to-market tenants and restaurants. These additions rounded out our retail mix and expanded our offerings to a larger audience.”

The mall encompasses more than 1 million square feet in retail space, and houses some of the top brands in the country. Recently, its roster expanded to include not only the aforementioned Chanel Beauty, but also Saint Laurent, Gucci, St. John and more.

“Nashville is one of the fastest-growing metropolitan areas in the U.S.,” says Mandy West, senior vice president of retail, wholesale and

buying for St. John. West notes that St. John had been eyeing a Nashville expansion since 2019.

“We also have a very successful and long-standing relationship with Nordstrom, so we were confident our loyal clients [had] been waiting for a space where we [could] showcase a more in-depth product assortment.”

KIRNA ZABÊTE

Just a few blocks from the Mall at Green Hills sits Kirna Zabête, a stand-alone boutique that was originally based in New York. The brand — owned by former fashion editor Beth Buccini — strives to dress women seven days a week, whether they’re making a trip to the grocery store or attending black-tie events.

Kirna Zabête primarily offers luxury designers not seen in the Nashville market before. “There are names you know, like Loewe, Saint Laurent, Bottega Veneta, etc.,” says Buccini. “And then [there are] a lot of surprises, because that’s what makes shopping fun.”

After years in the fashion magazine industry, Buccini opened the first Kirna Zabête in New York’s SoHo in 1999, and the boutique quickly became known as something like a candy store for designer fashion. The brand has since expanded to several more locations.

“We are thrilled with the move to Nashville,” Buccini says. “I’ve just returned from a buying trip to Paris and Milan, and all the Europeans wanted to hear most about our Nashville store.”

Buccini says the expansion has already paid off.

“We opened in mid-November, and were profitable in November! The response has been extraordinary.”

FIFTH + BROADWAY

Luxury shopping has also expanded beyond the traditional boundaries of Green Hills and Belle Meade to locations like 12South and down-

town. Opened in 2021, the downtown destination Fifth + Broadway has garnered attention as a luxury dining and shopping experience located just steps from the Honky-Tonk Highway.

Giving bachelorettes in miniskirts and cowboy boots a luxurious detour from taking shots on Broadway, Fifth + Broad offers a unique blend of local restaurants with high-end retailers that had not previously been seen in Music City. Guests to the mixed-use retail space find brands like Ariat, Carhartt, Free People and more. Anchored by an Apple Store, the complex also offers downtown residents and office workers elevated retail and dining options unseen since the closure of the downtown mall Church Street Center.

“[Nashville is] an ‘it city’ for business and entertainment, and Fifth + Broadway epitomizes Nashville — a world-class, generational asset that draws locals and tourists alike,” says Ward Kampf, president of Northwood Retail.

12 SOUTH COLLECTION

The newly opened 12 South Collection added unique, high-end retailers to the already bustling 12South neighborhood. The space was specifically enticing to new-to-Nashville luxury retailers that wanted to attract visitors and locals to their stores.

“It’s an honor to help bring a mix of the most sought-after and first-to-market brands to 12South,” says Stephen Summers, owner and president of Mockingbird Interests. He adds that he wants the 12 South Collection additions to complement the businesses already in the neighborhood.

“Our goal is to celebrate Nashville’s growth by thoughtfully cultivating these important retail relationships, which will contribute to the dynamic energy of the city,” Summers says. Brands that have already opened in the complex include PAIGE, Rag & Bone, Alice + Olivia, Mejuri and Oliver Peoples, with more on the way. ▼

KIRNA ZABÊTE

THE MALL AT GREEN HILLS

PHOTO: DANIEL MEIGS

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE MALL AT GREEN HILLS

ST. JOHN

STYLE issue

Fit City

Our roundup of some of the most interesting and stylish designers and shopping spots in town

BY SCENE STAFF

CYBELLE ELENA

cybelleelena.com

@by_cybelleelena

If you haven’t heard of Cybelle Elena by now, it’s time to listen up. She’s a Nashville-based designer whose creativity extends far beyond fabric, and her contributions to the local music and arts scenes are undeniable. In addition to creating an ever-changing roster of playful, ethereal and nature-inspired pieces, Elena also costumes all kinds of artists. A suit she designed for Kelsey Waldon, for example, is currently on display at the Country Music Hall of Fame’s American Currents: State of the Music exhibition. She also helped style boygenius’ legendary drag-clad Nashville performance, and has created looks for Missy Raines, Whoa Dakota and many more. KELSEY BEYELER

SAVAS

525 Merritt Ave. ateliersavas.com

@savas

Savannah Yarborough and her signature leather jackets are in the fast lane. She opened a second Savas store in L.A. just last year, but

she’s already scouting potential retail partners in Tokyo and New York, where she’s currently preparing for a stint at Bergdorf Goodman. “So many guys are intimidated by it, then they put one on and look in the mirror,” she tells the Scene from her flagship storefront on Merritt Avenue in Wedgewood-Houston. “It’s my goal for people to feel comfortable in everything we make — I want them to wear this jacket to the grocery store.” Savas has carved out a notable niche in the style world — actor Brian Cox briefly took over the internet last year with an orange suede shirt-and-boots combo, to name just one example. In addition to custom work, the Nashville store offers ready-to-wear jackets, shirts, boots and leather accessories.

ELI MOTYCKA

GALEXY galexyworks.com

@galexy_works

Galexy is committed to sustainable fashion, making pants from textile waste and surplus fabric — but all those good intentions wouldn’t matter if the pants weren’t great to look at and fun to wear. Luckily, they are that. The workwear pants are timeless enough to be good investment pieces, but include details that make them cooler than your average pair. Checkerboard motifs, double-knees and colors like chartreuse and the occasional floral print — not to mention sizing options from 25 to 35 — make Galexy the most interesting local jeans. LAURA HUTSON HUNTER

NATALIE BUSBY

521 Gallatin Ave. nataliebusby.com

@nataliebusby

For simple and high-quality pieces you can keep forever, Natalie Busby is a Nashville main-

stay. The local womenswear designer abides by the notion that choosing outfits shouldn’t take too much time or energy — her clients are busy! Busby pays careful attention to fabrics, selecting neutral tones and naturally derived fibers. Plus, the items are all made nearby and in small batches. If you’re going to buy an investment piece, it feels good to do that from a local designer who’s not about mass production.

HANNAH HERNER

ABLE

5022 Centennial Blvd. ableclothing.com @able

Nashville-based company Able puts an emphasis on sustainable clothing constructed by people who are paid a living wage. Soft colors and cozy fabrics dominate the line, which is size-inclusive up to a size 3X. Able is where you’ll find your new favorite jean jacket, classic leather bag or totes that will last years — with monogram options if that’s your vibe. Available online or at their flagship store in the Nations.

ELIZABETH JONES

THE PLUS CLOSET

2517 Lebanon Pike

theplusclosetnashville.myshopify.com

@theplusclosetnashville

Those of us who are plus size — which is an estimated 67 percent of us, by the way — know how hard it can be to find clothes. That’s especially true if we want to shop in-store, or if we want to shop secondhand. Julie Hollis and Shannon Clemons are here to help. Together they opened The Plus Closet, a secondhand boutique for people who wear plus sizes. The boutique carries sizes ranging from 12/XL to 30/5X+. You can also make an appointment

to sell your clothes, or trade for a store credit. They are open Wednesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from noon until 5 p.m. And if you want to take a peek at their inventory, they do an Instagram live every Thursday at 11 a.m.

KIM BALDWIN

LIVE TRUE VINTAGE

103 22nd St., Old Hickory

@livetruevintage

Live True Vintage is hands-down my favorite place to buy clothing. Some of my best outfits are from that quirky shop — a sturdy pair of pleated ultra-high-waisted jeans; an oversized, emerald-green button-up; a jewel-toned floral sweater; the jewel-encrusted top I bought to wear to Beyoncé’s most recent show. You never know what you’ll find at Live True, and that’s what makes each visit so delightful. If you don’t live in Old Hickory, don’t let that turn you off. You could easily spend an afternoon over there — grab a coffee at Dose on Hadley Avenue or visit Sam’s Sports Grill for some riverside dining, then visit other nearby shops like Baby Snakes Vintage for kids and Lawrence & Clarke Cacti Co. KELSEY BEYELER

TORRES VINTAGE

3111 Gallatin Pike

torresvintage.com

@torres_vintage

Nashville is stuffed to the gills with vintage, so it’s essential to have a reliable source to edit out all the bad and boring. Torres Vintage is that spot. Its owner, Maria Torres, already got a Best of Nashville writers’ choice nod for Best Vintage Curator, and now Torres Vintage has moved into its own brick-and-mortar space on Gallatin Pike in Inglewood. Look for romantic vintage nightgowns, chic winter coats and — that most elusive gem in a rhinestone-encrusted city — stylish basics.

LAURA HUTSON HUNTER

PHOTO: JON KARR

PHOTO: ANGELINA CASTILLO

PHOTO: ANGELINA CASTILLO

PHOTO: ANGELINA CASTILLO

PHOTO: ERIC ENGLAND

PALOMA VINTAGE GOODS

3109 Gallatin Pike

palomavintagegoods.com

@palomavintagegoods

If you’re going to talk about style, you can’t overlook interiors. The stuff you live with is just as essential to your personal style as your clothes. Paloma Vintage Goods knows this, and has the eye and the sources to pick out the very best. There’s no shortage of midcentury-modern furniture in town, but Paloma — right next door to Torres Vintage — sets itself apart with a slightly West Coast/Georgia O’Keeffe interpretation of MCM. There are Selig chairs and Knoll sofas, plus chrome and marble and tessellated stone. Open by appointment only.

LAURA HUTSON HUNTER

MUSIC CITY VINTAGE

2503 Gallatin Ave.

musiccityvtg.com

@musiccityvtg

Music City Vintage is one of the coolest shops in town, and it plays a critical role in the local vintage clothing scene. Inside the colorful walls of the East Nashville shop you can expect to find a plethora of T-shirts and sneakers, plus sportswear, cool jackets, hats and so much more. You might also find some retro toys or home goods while you’re at it. The shop is absolutely dripping with nostalgia, and the friendly staff is there to help you navigate it all.

BEYELER

KELSEY

NOT JUNK

shopitsnotjunk.com

@isnotjunk

It’s true that the charm necklace has been done, but never quite like Not Junk does it. The collage jewelry — handmade by Em Lasater and Cassidy Bidwell — feels fresh because they use thrifted vintage books and magazines to create

their eye-catching charms. The pair also employs pearls and fun graphic images that evoke childhood craft nostalgia. Plus, they are gifted merchandisers — just check out their Instagram account. They don’t have a storefront, but necklaces are available online, and the duo keeps fans notified on Instagram about upcoming markets where they’ll have a table. HANNAH HERNER

TNT GOODS shoptntgoods.com

@tntgoods

Those cool nameplate-style necklaces with your birth year on them? TNT Goods will make you one. The local company creates the kind of minimal gold jewelry pieces that you can leave on indefinitely, from simple gold hoop earrings to snake rings and lockets. TNT Goods was founded by two best friends in 2020, and they offer their goods at a handful of locations around town — in Paddywax Candle Bar in the Gulch and Berry Hill, and also at Fringe Beauty Lounge in Hendersonville. HANNAH HERNER

NISOLO

1803 Ninth Ave. N. nisolo.com

@nisoloshoes

Sure, Nisolo has a strong lineup of timeless

West Meets East

Acclaimed designer Prabal Gurung to headline 2024 Symphony Fashion Show

BY JANET KURTZ

EACH SPRING, the Nashville Symphony brings a top fashion designer from anywhere in the world to the Schermerhorn Symphony Center for the annual Symphony Fashion Show. Illustrious designers who have headlined past shows include Brandon Maxwell, Lela Rose, Carolina Herrera, Zang Toi and Jason Wu. Now in its 19th year, the event — presented in partnership with Gus Mayer and taking place April 23 — raises crucial funds for the symphony’s education and community initiatives, like music education program Accelerando. This year’s evening of high style will be headlined by Nepalese American designer Prabal Gurung.

Gurung is a perfect match, as he has spent years using his platform to advocate for human rights and uplift marginalized communities. Born in Singapore and raised in Kathmandu, Gurung studied fashion at the National Institute of Fashion Technology in New Delhi, where he apprenticed with Indian designer Manish Arora. Having returned home to Nepal after school, Gurung was inspired by an episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show about living your dream — he decided to move to the United States and further pursue design. While at the Parsons School of Design in New York City, Gurung interned for fashion icon Donna Karan. He then worked for global lifestyle brand Cynthia Rowley before serving as design director for Bill Blass. In 2009, Gurung struck out on his own to create the eponymous design label PRABAL GURUNG.

Using designs that speak to both Eastern and Western culture, Gurung filled his fall 2024 collection with bold colors and flowing yet structured fabrics. Shearling plays a prominent role in many of the looks, and Gurung’s more feminine pieces offer a kind of comfort-in-strength quality. The collection — aptly named West Meets East — will be on view at the Symphony Fashion Show in April.

Known for using his celebrity, his megaphone and at times his runways to send a message, Gurung has worked to uplift communities in both the United States and Nepal.

“It’s an honor to headline the 2024 Symphony Fashion Show and to have the opportunity to showcase my newest collection at the beautiful Schermerhorn Symphony Center,” says Gurung in a release. “I am passionate about artistic expression in every form, so it’s truly a joy to support the Nashville Symphony’s educational programs through this wonderful event.”

Throughout his career, Gurung has earned a range of accolades. In 2010, he received the Ecco Domani Fashion Foundation Award and was runner-up for the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund. The next year, he received a USA Network Character Approved Award, was named goodwill ambassador of anti-trafficking group Maiti Nepal, was a finalist for a Cooper-Hewitt National Design Award and received the CFDA Swarovski Award for Womenswear. He was also named Designer of the Year at the 2022 American Image Awards. ▼

2024 SYMPHONY FASHION SHOW

TUESDAY, APRIL 23, AT THE SCHERMERHORN SYMPHONY CENTER

For a look at the designer’s spring and pre-fall collections, visit our sister publication Nfocus nfocusmagazine.com

PHOTOS: TAUSHA DICKINSON

PRABAL GURUNG

PHOTO: ERIC ENGLAND

shoes, but what really sets it apart is its emphasis on doing right by its workers and the planet. It’s not a flashy brand — you won’t find sparkles or vivid colors — but if you’re looking for sturdy, versatile staples that will carry you countless miles, Nisolo is a solid bet. Whether you’re looking for boots and sandals or slip-ons and loafers, Nisolo offers styles in a range of earthtoned leathers. It also carries a well-curated line of belts, bags and wallets.

KELSEY BEYELER

N.B. GOODS

9 S. Ninth St. shopnbgoods.com

@shopnbgoods

in the market for a vintage or bespoke custom rug, you should most definitely also check out East Nashville-based Relic Home.) Holley and her business partner Camille Alston also run Lucky Rabbit Candy Shop out of the Shops at Porter, so you can grab a fancy little sweet while you’re browsing Apple & Oak’s furniture, vases, apparel and accessories.

D. PATRICK RODGERS

EASTWOOD STUDIOS

eastwood-studios.com

@eastwood__studios

After suffering the loss of their warehouse in the Dec. 9 tornado, N.B. Goods owner Camille Alston had to close the beloved micro shop in Shops at Porter East. But there’s good news for fans of her eclectic hats and shirts — she will reopen in mid-April in a new spot by Joyland. Shop her pop-culture-inspired line online until then, and follow along on Instagram for your next chance to pick up a customized oversized tote.

ELIZABETH JONES

APPLE & OAK

717 Porter Road

appleandoaknash.com

@appleandoaknash

Sadly, Dec. 9’s deadly tornado severely damaged local vendor Apple & Oak’s storage warehouse in Madison. But owner Allison Holley is still going strong, operating Apple & Oak out of a storefront in the Shops at Porter East, where she offers home goods, candles, cute pop-culture gifts, barware, bags, shirts, accessories and jewelry — not to mention a curated selection of high-end rugs. (Speaking of which, if you’re

Gigi Jordan, the founder of Eastwood Studios, is onto something. She partners with area businesses to host bead-bar events around the city or for your own small group (bachelorettes, take note). With a curated selection of beads and charms, including her signature pearl pieces, it’s easy to assemble a bracelet or necklace that feels handmade and high-end at the same time. The outcome is a piece that matches your daily looks, and time well spent with friends.

HANNAH HERNER

THE SHOWROOM NASHVILLE

1016 Eighth Ave. S.

showroomnashville.com

@theshowroomnashville

Located minutes from the heart of downtown Nashville on Eighth Avenue sits The Showroom — a designer clothing rental oasis. Owner Kristin Geyser Williamson has carefully filled the clothing mecca with top designer pieces — all available to rent or buy. With outfit options ranging from perfect brunch looks to stunning black-tie ensembles (and even gowns for prom), The Showroom offers a “try or buy” approach perfect for shoppers who want to wear designer looks without paying designer prices. JANET

PHOTO: ANGELINA CASTILLO

PHOTO: KEVIN KAZLAUSKAS

ANNIVERSARY BASH

FRIDAY, APRIL 5

A ONCE-IN-A-DECADE ART PARTY!

NEW DIALECT SHACKLED FEET DANCE

PAY-WHAT-YOU-WISH IN INCREMENTS OF $10 OZARTSNASHVILLE.ORG

Saturday, April 6th • 2 - 5 p. m .

whiskey, wine & beer Tastings, 20+ Distilleries, Grounds Passes, FOOD, Live music, Lawn Games.

thehermitage.com/sip-of-history

THURSDAY, MARCH 28

MUSIC [PARDON?] OTOBOKE BEAVER

As a self-described “lyrics person,” I sometimes find it hard to connect with music that exists outside my limited understanding of language. Sure, I love the occasional Shakira or Rosalía record, but it helps that I know enough Spanish to parse out some meaning behind the songs. I don’t know a lick of Japanese, but that can’t stop me from loving Otoboke Beaver, and it won’t stop you either. The punk quartet will draw you in with their unapologetic attitudes and riot grrrl-reminiscent sound. Dave Grohl famously gave the group his approval, telling Vulture they’ll “blow your mind, dude.” I don’t know what they are mad about, but I’m sure mad with them. You can never really tell what the lyrics are to a punk song anyway, even if it is in your native language. The band will take over the big stage at Eastside Bowl on March 28, with support from Korean punks Drinking Boys and Girls Choir and local rockers The Sewing Club. HANNAH CRON

8 P.M. AT EASTSIDE BOWL

1508 GALLATIN PIKE S.

ANDY SHAUF PAGE 28

THURSDAY / 3.28

ART [THROUGH A GLASS, DARKLY] CLEAR MIRROR

The art that hangs on the walls at Bobby Hotel is part of a series of rotating exhibitions curated by Tinney Contemporary’s Joshua Edward Bennett, and the space has become one of the most essential places to see art downtown. Clear Mirror, which opens Thursday, is the latest in the line of exhibitions showcasing strong art that’s both accessible and interesting. All the artists in the exhibition engage in some type of alternative portraiture — the two self-portraits by Nashville-based artist Sai Clayton, for example, are oil paintings on raw canvas that are matched with embroidered silk panels that float just in front of them. It’s a good representation of the show’s thesis, which is that representation shifts depending on perspective, just as your reflection can be visible on glass even as you’re looking past it. The other Clear Mirror artists are John Alleyne — whose silkscreen monotypes are gestural and deep — Blake Blanco, Nick Dupey, Daniel Ingroff, Alaina Love Kalbfell, Julia Martin, John

Harlan Norris and Joey Slaughter. An opening reception will be held Thursday from 6 to 9 p.m.

LAURA HUTSON HUNTER

THROUGH NOV. 2 AT BOBBY HOTEL

230 FOURTH AVE. N.

[LIVING IN HOPE]

MUSIC

ALAN SPARHAWK

One of the more evocative phrases I’ve come across to describe a piece of music is “rock ’n’ roll prayer,” and seldom have I heard it applied more aptly than to the music of Duluth, Minn.’s Low. Starting in the early 1990s, the core of the group was singer-drummer Mimi Parker and her husband, singer-guitarist Alan Sparhawk. Across three decades of gentle evolution and forays into a healthy variety of side projects, what didn’t change about Low’s “slowcore” music is its contemplative, intentional temperament. Sadly, that evolution came to a stop when Parker died of ovarian cancer at age 55 in 2022. Loss isn’t something you get over or recover from, really; grief is more about adapting and trying to establish a new equilibrium. And that’s what Sparhawk has been doing for more than a year — in part using music, the tool he’s been working with for most of his adult life. As he’s

PHOTO: MAYUMI HIRATA

FULL MOON TATTOO AND HORROR FESTIVAL PAGE 24

SARAH ADAMS: THE RULE BOOK PAGE 26

been preparing to make a solo record, slated for release at a time TBA this year, he’s been playing new material with a rotating band that always features his and Parker’s son Cyrus on bass and harmony vocals. Sometimes there are heavy vocal effects, sometimes there aren’t; sometimes Sparhawk’s band has included Trampled by Turtles’ Dave Carroll on banjo. Many of the new songs have grief at the center, with all the different related emotions radiating out. Thursday, you have a chance to explore this realm with Sparhawk as he kicks off a new leg of his tour at East Side all-ages space Drkmttr.

STEPHEN TRAGESER

8 P.M. AT DRKMTTR

1111 DICKERSON PIKE

FRIDAY / 3.29

FILM [I’M DOING MY PART] MIDNIGHT MOVIES: STARSHIP TROOPERS

There are moments in life you can never forget, and one that is indelibly burned in my mind was the day after 9/11, when war criminal and thenPresident George W. Bush made his first address to the nation. The inescapable thought was this: Why is Dubya lit and staged like Sky Marshal Tehat Meru from Starship Troopers? There may be fewer late-20th-century media moments more prescient than that. Much like The Hateful Eight would 17 years later, Starship Troopers feels like a warning no one paid attention to. Taken on its own terms, Starship Troopers shows how director Paul Verhoeven and screenwriter Ed Neumeier (RoboCop) are a peerless team in the annals of American science-fiction — it’s a ruthless satire somehow genuinely embraced by the fascists it mocks, an exciting war picture that in no way shirks the meat grinder of youth that warfare is, a work of propaganda that simultaneously deconstructs itself, and the best special effects of the latter ’90s. (Yeah, I said it — this movie eats Titanic’s lunch, gleefully.) The recent surge in Starship Troopers discourse confirms its place as an essential document of how we got where we are. Verhoeven’s 1990 film Total Recall will serve as Saturday’s Midnight Movie. JASON SHAWHAN

MIDNIGHT AT THE BELCOURT

2102 BELCOURT AVE.

MUSIC [TWISTS AND TURNS] AOIFE O’DONOVAN RELEASE SHOW

Singer and songwriter Aoife O’Donovan’s 2022 album Age of Apathy peaks with a track that makes a case for the Massachusetts-born artist as a purveyor of what I can only call superfolk. “Elevators” twists and turns in a brisk metrical world that adds beats to a rhythm you could notate as a waltz, or as a dizzy example of 6/8 time, complete with chord changes that put you in mind of exemplars like Syd Barrett and Joni Mitchell. Age of Apathy shows off O’Donovan’s agile voice and her compositional skills. Like fellow super-folk avatar Sarah Jarosz, with whom she’s toured alongside Nickel Creek singer Sara Watkins in the band I’m

With Her, O’Donovan creates intricate music that’s as warm as it is progressive. You hear hints of Mitchell’s great The Hissing of Summer Lawns and Hejira on Apathy tunes like “B61” and “Galahad,” but O’Donovan is in a league all her own — her harmonic and rhythmic inventions make for post-folk ear candy.

O’Donovan has released a new collection, All My Friends, that she wrote after composing a couple of commissioned pieces, including one by the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra, that marked the centennial of the passage of the 19th Amendment. To complete All My Friends, O’Donovan added new material to the commissioned compositions and incorporated passages from the work of pioneering suffragist Carrie Chapman Catt. All My Friends chronicles a unique political and cultural moment with flair. Friday’s show marks the release of All My Friends before O’Donovan sets out on tour this summer. Bluegrass chamber music quartet Hawktail opens. EDD HURT

8 P.M. AT AMERICAN LEGION POST 82 3204 GALLATIN PIKE

FESTIVAL [IT’S ALL HOPPENING]

THE GREAT SPRING ART HOP

Spring is officially here, and Cheekwood has the perfect way to celebrate with its Great Spring Art Hop. You might start by searching for the eight fanciful bunnies hidden throughout the grounds, each one designed by a different Nashville artist. Little ones can sign up for an egg hunt or enjoy a special musical performance from Farmer Jason or Mr. Steve, The Music Man on the Arboretum Lawn Stage. There will be plenty of arts activities in the Children’s Garden, or you can simply grab a snack from one of the food trucks and stroll

the gardens — enjoying more than 250,000 colorful blooming bulbs. While you’re at it, be sure to check out upcoming events, including everything from children’s story times and adult education programs to ongoing art exhibitions (Edgar Degas: The Private Impressionist continues through June 16) and the Garden Club of Nashville’s annual native plant sale (April 6).

AMY STUMPFL

MARCH 29-30 AT CHEEKWOOD

1200 FORREST PARK DRIVE

FESTIVAL

[SHRIEK-END FESTIVAL] FULL MOON TATTOO AND HORROR FESTIVAL

It’s that time of year again, when horror stars and horror fans take over a Nashville airport hotel for the three-day Full Moon Tattoo and Horror Festival. This also means guests of the 21st annual fest will stop by Full Moon Cineplex for some special screenings. Things kick off with the Sly Stallone actioner Cobra. Brian Thompson, who played the villainous “Night Slasher,” will be there for a post-screening Q&A. Sleepaway Camp star Felissa Rose will also do a Q&A after that film (which is sold out). The Nun will be introduced by The Nun herself, Bonnie Aarons. We also get two Halloween showings: Halloween: Resurrection, with a Q&A featuring Brad Loree (aka that film’s Michael Myers); and Halloween III: Season of the Witch, introduced by star Tom Atkins (and also sold out). Barbara Crampton and Johnathon Schaech will dish after Suitable Flesh. Finally, Robert Brian Wilson and Eric Freeman will introduce a 40th anniversary screening of Silent Night, Deadly Night CRAIG D. LINDSEY

MARCH 29-30 AT SONESTA NASHVILLE AIRPORT

600 MARRIOTT DRIVE

MUSIC [SLAM DUNK]

SHAQ’S BASS ALL-STARS

If a 7-foot DJ in downtown Nashville looks really familiar this week, well … that’s because it’s Shaq. Yes, that Shaq. Four-time NBA champion and outspoken sports media opinion-slinger Shaquille O’Neal returns to Nashville this weekend as his onstage alter ego Diesel to headline a one-night EDM show called Shaq’s Bass All-Stars. The event takes place at Skydeck, the rooftop venue located atop Fifth + Broadway. The show marks the second Middle Tennessee stop for Diesel in less than a year; O’Neal played The Other Tent at Bonnaroo in June, headbanging into the early morning hours on The Farm in nearby Manchester. The Bass All-Stars lineup features a handful of EDM acts, including Virtual Riot, Levity and Celo. When Diesel takes the stage to headline this night of low-end shenanigans, here’s to hoping the audience goes hard in the paint.

MATTHEW LEIMKUEHLER

8 P.M. AT SKYDECK

5055 BROADWAY

SATURDAY / 3.30

MUSIC [IT’S RAINING TODAY]

SAN FERMIN

The 2013 self-titled debut album by Brooklyn ensemble San Fermin was rich with the vocabulary of chamber pop, which means that the songs bandleader Ellis Ludwig-Leone wrote for the record remind me of something Scott Walker might have come up with in 1969. I don’t find San Fermin’s rather fussy vision of chamber pop as compelling — and certainly not as weird — as I do the post-Frank Sinatra

AOIFE O’DONOVAN

PHOTO: SASHA ISRAEL

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thur 3/28 4PM Open Mic Night w/ Elray Jackson

9PM Ellisa Sun Residency ft. Emily D’Ranged • Audrey Jane

fri 3/29 7PM Dustin Sellers • Adrea Castiano

9PM Nick Morris Single Release w/ Special Guest Char Nicols • The Midnight Revival

sat 3/30 7PM Masterson • Trailer Flowers 9PM Layna “Seventeen Less” Release Party hosted by Studio Rats ft. Ishani

mon 4/1 7PM Collin Marks • Troy Donohue

tue 4/2 7PM TexPats hosted by Rachel Laven + Grace Pettis w/ Natalie Price • Andy Sydow 9PM Camden West • Sahara Moon

wed 4/3 7PM Meg Gehman Residency ft. Ellen Angelico w/ James Richardson + Lala Deaton

9PM Miss Lonely Presents Doll Parts ft. Gwen Holt & The Blue Souls • Grace McKenna Rische

THU 3.28 • THAD SAAJID & THE COMPANY FEAT:

• AG SULLY • LAMONT LANDERS

• CALEB ELLIOTT

FRI 3.29 • PAGEANT • CINEMA STEREO

• DIXIE DRAGSTERN

SAT 3.30 • PRISM: A RAINBOW THEMED THROWDOWN FEAT: TAYLS • OTNES

• BEAU BURNETTE

SUN 3.31 • CA$HK • SUMMER JOY

• BEX JAYNE

MON 4.1 • LUNGS • ARREIS • BOURGEOIS

• MNERVA

TUE 4.2 • ULTIMATE COMEDY FREE LOCAL STAND UP!

WED 4.3 • LIGHTHEARTED • HANA EID

• LEGIT SMITTY

THU 4.4 • TIGER DAUGHTER BY CHARLENE KAYE

2412 GALLATIN AVE @THEEASTROOM

music on Walker’s late-’60s albums. Still, San Fermin’s debut contains some interesting examples of pop-oriented art songs that gain resonance from the brass, strings and choral arrangements Ludwig-Leone devised for tunes like “Renaissance!” and “Methuselah.” A decade later, Ludwig-Leone has toned down the chamber-pop aspects of his sound on this year’s Arms. Longtime collaborator Allen Tate renders Ludwig-Leone’s impressionistic tunes in a warm baritone, while singer Claire Wellin brings a tart irony to her readings. Arms registers as soft pop that fans of bands like Dirty Projectors and maybe The Go-Betweens will appreciate, and Ludwig-Leone writes convincingly about his various romantic disappointments throughout the album. Ludwig-Leone’s takes on the vicissitudes of romance may not be as well-crafted or as funny as Grant McLennan and Robert Forster’s, but that’s a high bar to set. Ludwig-Leone’s version of pop is subtly turned and often insightful. Opening will be Runnner, whose new album Starsdust combines the approaches of ambient and electronica instrumentalists like Boards of Canada and David Behrman. EDD HURT

8 P.M. AT THE BLUE ROOM AT THIRD MAN RECORDS

623 SEVENTH AVE. S.

FESTIVAL [STRINGS ATTACHED]

FRIENDS OF MILL RIDGE PARK’S MY OUTDOORS: KITE FEST

Go fly a kite — literally! The ever-lovely Mill Ridge Park is hosting its biannual Kite Fest on Saturday, and I can’t think of a more wholesome way to spend a spring afternoon. The feeling of getting a kite to lift with the wind and watching it go higher and higher is, I believe, a joy that transcends age (even if it takes a few unsuccessful attempts to get there). Doing that alongside fellow kite enthusiasts and watching yours join an airborne bouquet of other colorful, aerodynamic contraptions makes it even better. While the event is part of MY (Mentoring Youth) Outdoors programming, all are welcome. Alongside the kites, you can expect snacks, flying tutorials and lawn games. If you can’t make it in March, you can also attend on April 13, April 27 and May 11. Look out for signs and flags that indicate the drive-in entrance so you know you’re in the right spot.

KELSEY BEYELER

11 A.M TO 3 P.M. AT MILL RIDGE PARK

12965 OLD HICKORY BLVD., ANTIOCH

FAMILY [HATCH SHOW] EGGSTRAVAGANZOO

Each spring, the Nashville Zoo rolls out the red carpet for local families with its annual Eggstravaganzoo. Once again this year, egg hunts will be offered throughout the day for different age groups, with goodie bags for everyone. (Don’t forget to bring a basket or bag to collect your eggs!) Kids can enjoy a meetand-greet with the Easter Bunny, along with face-painting and a wide range of themed games and activities. Families can also look forward to checking out special zookeeper talks and animal encounters along the trails. Looking for a little added adventure? The optional Early

Riser package offers early entry to the zoo, a quick “grab-and-go” breakfast (including doughnuts, fruit, coffee and juice), early-morning animal encounters, a souvenir craft activity and more. This special celebration is actually included as part of your regular zoo admission or membership, but advance timed-entry reservations are required for all guests. AMY STUMPFL 9 A.M. TO 4 P.M. AT THE NASHVILLE ZOO

3777 NOLENSVILLE PIKE

SUNDAY / 3.31

MUSIC [ONE NIGHT AND ONE MORE TIME]

FALL OUT BOY W/JIMMY EAT WORLD

The year is 2005. I only know the names of two bands: The Beatles and the Providence Baptist Church worship band. Then my older brother shows up with a CD that seems to reference Ferdinand the Bull, one of my favorite books. He cranks up 43 minutes of catchy, heavy but still approachable pop punk. Turns out there’s a third band: Fall Out Boy. The Chicago rockers may not have been as huge as my 7-yearold self thought, but albums like From Under the Cork Tree undeniably helped bring emo and pop-punk music into the mainstream during the 2000s. I never blamed them for embracing a radio-first sound in the 2010s — I had discovered a few other bands by then — but I also never stopped hoping for more songs like the ones my high school band jammed to. My patience was rewarded last year: So Much (for) Stardust is like a 2020s version of Infinity on High with the way it blends a punk band’s riffs with a pop act’s ear for hooks. The official Tumblr Emo Trinity members will be joined at Bridgestone by another titan of Aughties pop punk, Jimmy Eat World, and modern torchbearers Hot Mulligan and CARR. COLE VILLENA

6:30 P.M. AT BRIDGESTONE ARENA

501 BROADWAY

MONDAY / 4.1

BOOKS [BRING ON THE ROM-COM RESURGENCE]

SARAH ADAMS: THE RULE BOOK

As an indie bookseller, I got to see firsthand the adoration romance readers have for Nashville native Sarah Adams. Within moments of announcing a preorder campaign that included personalized signatures, the requests poured in with the fervor of a Black Friday sale (but kinder — like a lot kinder). Put simply, the girls go ham for Sarah Adams, whose bubbly rom-coms have topped bestseller lists and taken TikTok by storm. And it doesn’t strike me as just a fad. Scroll through enough preorders, all adorned with notes for Sarah about how her smile-inducing, heart-warming stories brightened their lives, and you’ll believe, too, that her fans aren’t fair-weather. So join the club, if you’re so inclined — Adams will be signing and celebrating her newest book, a companion novel to her massively popular friends-tolovers hit, The Cheat Sheet. Lauren Kung Jessen, whose own highly lauded slow-burns have received glowing reviews, will be present and in conversation with Adams. The Rule Book joins Sarah Adams’ colorful catalog on Monday at Parnassus Books, and the book releases the next day at other bookstores. Remember to shop local! RYNE WALKER

6:30 P.M. AT PARNASSUS BOOKS

3900 HILLSBORO PIKE

[PHILLY FAVES]

MUSIC

SHEER MAG

“Nobody seems to write straight-up rock bangers anymore,” Sheer Mag frontwoman Tina Halladay said when announcing her band’s third full-length record, Playing Favorites. “More than anything else, we want this record to put huge, catchy songwriting front and center.” Sure enough, the Philadelphia outfit’s latest album

FRIENDS OF

— released March 1 via Nashville’s own Third Man Records — keeps the power-pop dream alive. Filled wall to wall with quick tempos, pick slides, catchy riffs and Halladay’s impossibly high vocal hooks, Playing Favorites is indebted to the monsters of 1970s rock ’n’ roll. Sheer Mag fetches relatively frequent comparisons to Thin Lizzy (you’ll definitely hear shades of the Irish rockers in the guitarmonies of “Golden Hour” and “Moonstruck”), but Halladay & Co. are very much doing their own thing on off-kilter songs like “Tea on the Kettle” and lead single “All Lined Up.” It’s tight, sinewy, high-energy, fun rock ’n’ roll, and best of all, Sheer Mag absolutely kicks ass live. D. PATRICK RODGERS

8 P.M. AT THE BLUE ROOM AT THIRD MAN RECORDS

623 SEVENTH AVE. S.

TUESDAY / 4.2

MUSIC [SLEEPAWAY]

CAMP WAYFARER BENEFIT FEAT. MAREN MORRIS & JOY OLADOKUN

Were you a summer camp kid? I certainly was — the first week in June was always my favorite of the year. These days, my favorite week of the year is probably one that includes air-conditioning, but I still have a soft spot for a simple night of s’mores and stargazing. One such beloved summer camp for many in the region is Camp Wayfarer, a small boys-and-girls camp in the picturesque mountains of North Carolina. The camp served as the setting for Maren Morris’ In Rare Form live performance of her 2022 album, Humble Quest, as it’s owned by her guitarist Bennett Dean Lewis’ family. Camp Wayfarer suffered the devastating loss of their dining hall and lodge to a fire just weeks ago, and Morris is teaming up with Joy Oladokun to raise money for repairs. The benefit show will be at The Basement East on Tuesday, with ticket proceeds going to the rebuilding fund. If you care about the camp but didn’t get a ticket to the sold-out show, you can still donate to the fund via the Beast’s website. HANNAH CRON 8 P.M. AT THE BASEMENT EAST 917 WOODLAND ST.

MUSIC [ALL FUN AND GAMES UNTIL ...] MORTAL WOUND W/ACT

OF IMPALEMENT, ARTICLE V & SELF INFLICTED

The Arcane Workshop was established in 2022 as an inclusive space for tabletop gamers, spell conjurers and metalheads of all ages to gather. Arcane doubles as a high-fantasy hangout and heavy metal venue for both touring and local acts. In this spirit, Jukebox Booking presents Los Angeles death outfit Mortal Wound, who recently embarked on their first cross-country tour christened Probing the Unexplored 2024. Hardcore fans are eagerly awaiting a full-length follow-up to 2018’s Forms of Unreasoning Fear EP and a 2021 split EP co-released with Down Under thrashers GUTLESS from Melbourne, Australia. Both records were released on Maggot Stomp Records in Pasadena, Calif., a label that boasts a bevy of other death metal acts. Local doomers

Act of Impalement — fresh off the February release of their brutal Infernal Ordinance — join the bill, as well as fellow Music City hardcore groups Article V and Self Inflicted. JASON VERSTEGEN

7 P.M. AT THE ARCANE WORKSHOP

113 E. OLD HICKORY BLVD.

WEDNESDAY / 4.3

MUSIC

[WHERE EVERYBODY KNOWS YOUR NAME] ANDY SHAUF

When you hear the phrase “a movie for your ears” to describe a piece of music, it might make you expect something programmatic, in which the piece outlines the progression of the story as it goes along. Norm, the eighth LP from Canadaborn songsmith Andy Shauf, is not program music, but it is cinematic; it’s a slab of gentle rock inspired by ’70s pop that shifts between several perspectives as it tells a harrowing story about obsession, which you could miss entirely if you’re not paying attention. What may sound on a casual listen like some wistful songs about loneliness — punctuated by a Jonathan Richman-ish narration of a trip to the Halloween store to buy a costume — is actually a very complex look at human nature, how people treat each other, and what role divine intervention might (or might not) have in the unsettling events that unfold. Shauf toured extensively following the album’s release in February 2023, but he’ll be back in Nashville for a two-nighter April 3 and 4. (At press time, the April 3 show was sold out.) Here’s your chance to get up-close and uncomfortable. STEPHEN TRAGESER

8 P.M. AT THE BLUE ROOM AT THIRD MAN RECORDS

623 SEVENTH AVE. S.

MUSIC [I DON’T WANT TO GROW UP] DESCENDENTS & CIRCLE JERKS

Tenured punks, take an Advil, stretch out your back and get in the pit, because Descendents hit the town Wednesday night — and they’re bringing Circle Jerks along for the ride. This one-two punch of time-tested angst and consequences-be-damned anthem-making stops at Brooklyn Bowl, the city’s best bowling alley and rock club named after another town, with main support from West Coast punk torchbearer Adolescents. For those who weren’t old enough to experience the height of Milo Goes to College or “Live Fast Die Young” (that includes this 30-something-year-old alumnus of teenage debauchery at the Warped Tour), this might be the best way to describe how hyped a generation of loud-and-angry music listeners may feel about this gig: Your favorite punk band’s favorite punk bands decided to tour together, and the show’s coming to Nashville. Don’t miss out. MATTHEW LEIMKUEHLER 7:30 P.M. AT BROOKLYN BOWL 925 THIRD AVE. N.

Date Night is a multipart road map for everyone who wants a nice evening out, but has no time to plan it. It’s for people who want to do more than just go to one restaurant and call it a night. It’s for overwhelmed parents who don’t get out often; for friends who visit the same three restaurants because they’re too afraid to try someplace new; and for busy folks who keep forgetting all the places they’ve driven past, heard about, seen on social and said, “Let’s remember that place next time we go out.”

LAST YEAR, in a North Nashville elementary school gym, I struck up a conversation with a husband and wife who were noticeably overdressed for youth basketball. I wasn’t surprised to hear they had post-game reservations at a new restaurant they’d heard good things about — I know a Date Night hustle when I see one. What blew my mind was their backup plan.

“Any time we try a new restaurant and feel disappointed, we go to Burger Up afterward for a cocktail and truffle fries,” the husband said. “It always satisfies, then we can go home happy.”

Fascinating. If you go out on the regular and a new spot misses the mark, you cross it off your list and move on. But if you don’t get out often, and you try something new and it disappoints, it can ruin the few precious hours you’ve carved out. The backup restaurant covers you no matter what. You could apply the same theory to sex: You’re up for trying something new, but if it doesn’t work out, cut your losses and go back to what makes everyone feel good.

Until now, I haven’t needed a backup plan because I can usually tell if a restaurant isn’t for me long before I walk in the door. But recently, when planning for this column, I ignored my gut and embarked upon The Great Midtown Fail. Midtown is an area I haven’t covered in my previous nine installments of Date Night, and even though I avoid that part of town at all costs, I thought I could find something redeeming about it. I was wrong. With apologies to Randy Rayburn and Midtown Cafe, who’ve outlasted many other institutions in that slice of the city (RIP Ken’s Sushi, Bound’ry, South Street, Granite Falls, Mario’s, etc.), Midtown has become Broadway South — a place where tourists go to feel like they’ve ventured out of downtown and seen the real Nashville. It’s for them, not for us.

STOP 1: HOPSMITH

Part of the Chicago-based Big Onion Hospitality group, Hopsmith felt oddly dead even though it was full. We waited too long for a host to acknowledge us, then too long for a server, and the food came out in minutes, which is a sure sign it’s slop-and-serve. The side panel of

THE GREAT MIDTOWN FAIL, JOYLAND AND UP-DOWN

Burgers, fries, shakes and Skee-Ball right all wrongs

BY DANNY BONVISSUTO

Joyland 901 Woodland St., Suite 101 eatjoyland.com

Up-Down 927 Woodland St. updownarcadebar.com/nashville

a Jeep Grand Wagoneer behind the beer taps gives strong Planet Hollywood vibes. There’s a defunct tube across the ceiling that’s used to propel a shot glass made of ice from one end of the bar to the other, and a breathalyzer machine by the bathrooms — as if anyone drunk enough to need a breathalyzer before driving home would have the presence of mind to use it. The whole experience felt transient and sad.

STOP 2: HI-FI CLYDE’S

Hi-Fi Clyde’s on Church Street, from the same people behind Taco Mamacita and Milk & Honey, is a huge, bright space full of TVs, shuffleboard, ping-pong and foosball, and I was intrigued by their all-day brunch menu. But we couldn’t get anyone to wait on us for so long

that I seriously wondered if people over the age of 25 were invisible to Hi-Fi servers. We walked back out the door, and into what will be my backup plan for all disappointing Date Nights moving forward.

STOP 3: JOYLAND

The smell of fried food will hit you first at Joyland. Breathe it in: It’s the scent of a sure thing. At the corner of Woodland and South Ninth Street in East Nashville, Joyland is fast food without the drive-thru. Glorious wall-to-wall grease. Order, take a number and find a seat among real people, young and old, who aren’t showcasing the shirt they just bought at Garth Brooks’ new honky-tonk. Why cross the mighty Cumberland when we could’ve gone from Hi-Fi Clyde’s to

Cook Out in four minutes, and remained in the comfort of our car? Because Joyland doesn’t just serve burgers, fries and shakes — they serve Sean Brock’s version of burgers, fries and shakes. And if you don’t respect his incredible range by now, or trust him to give you the absolute best version of every dish in whatever concept he’s created, it just means one less person in line between me and the curly fries.

While Joyland doesn’t scream Sean Brock — and certainly isn’t overworked, overbranded or (thank you, Jesus) over-merched — it’s clear the acclaimed chef is having fun with the food. The fried Springer Mountain chicken thighs on a stick is called a Joystick, which can be dipped in ranch, Joy sauce or fancy sauce. Monday through Friday you can get a version called the Dip Stick, which is a Joystick bathed in a sauce of

PHOTO: DANIEL MEIGS

PHOTO: ANGELINA CASTILLO

PHOTO: MICK JACOB

JOYSTICK AT JOYLAND

CRUSTBURGER AT JOYLAND

duck fat emulsified into hot sauce and sorghum. It reminded my husband Dom of the Hooters wings he had as a child. (Yes, his mother let him host his 12th birthday there.)

With the exception of a Chicago dog and its signature neon-green pickle relish, Joyland is mostly about their Bear Creek Farm beef burgers, the most popular being the Crustburger — so flat that even the buns look like pancakes on either side of crispy splayed meat. I was most curious about the Impossible™ JoyBurger, and whether or not it’d be a throwaway “I guess we need to offer something for the veg-heads” version, as so many of them are. But it was — and I say this with zero exaggeration — the closest any meatless burger in the past three decades has come to tasting like the beloved McDonald’s of my youth. Next time I see Brock grocery shopping in the White Bridge Trader Joe’s, I may have to hug the man.

Joyland’s waffle hashbrowns are just that — hashbrowns crisped in a waffle maker — which made them more brown than hash. The curly fries are where it’s at: reminiscent of the ones you might’ve had alongside a classic roast beef and cheddar, but better. Crinkle fries were just as good. I wish they offered a side that’s half-curly and half-crinkle fries for those of us who can’t bear to miss out on either.

I’ll admit it’s a little jarring to look at a backlit fast-food menu and see $16.95 for a fried chicken sandwich combo, but when you elevate the fast-food experience, the prices come along with it. That didn’t stop us from getting back in line for dessert, as there was no way I was leaving without a chocolate malt shake — so thick you need the extra-wide straw that could double as a vacuum attachment. The woman who’d originally taken our order at the counter noticed us in line as she walked by, asked if we were ordering dessert and said she’d get my shake started and pull Dom’s custardy vanilla soft-serve right after we ordered. Who’s lovin’ on you like that at Micky D’s?

STOP 4: UP-DOWN

Joyland has a retro tabletop arcade game in the back with all the classic games, and if we were in a rush I would’ve crushed Dom at Ms. Pac-Man quickly and headed home. (I am not remotely humble about this, as it’s one of the few competitions in which I’ve consistently beaten him.) But we had a little more time to kill, so we

made a left out of Joyland’s patio door, walked east on Woodland Street for two minutes and entered the arcade bar Up-Down — and I became 10 years old again.

When arcades became popular in the ’80s, my dad would grab a roll of quarters on Saturday afternoons and take my sister and me to the Quarterhorse in Franklin. I thought it was a fun father-daughter thing to do at the time, but looking back, I can see he was buying my mom time to wash her perm in peace. That’s where I honed my considerable Ms. Pac-Man skills, as it was certainly not on our Texas Instruments home gaming system, which offered only offbrand Munch Man

Up-Down is 21-and-up and centered around a bar, with sports and movies showing on various screens and huge graphics of ’80s and ’90s icons on the walls. They offer pizza by the slice from a walk-up window near the photo booth, which makes the whole place smell like bread and cheese and, not to be redundant, heaven.

Dom and I took our plastic shot glass of tokens and went separate ways — he to Pop-AShot and NBA Jam, and me to Skee-Ball because Ms. Pac-Man was taken. Few sounds take me straight back to childhood like the computerized doo-doo-doo-DOO-doo-doo! and clack of the wooden Skee-Ball balls knocking against each other as they roll down the ramp. After two restaurant fails and copious comfort food, nostalgia was just the nightcap we needed. ▼

PHOTOS: ERIC ENGLAND

UP-DOWN

ART

Find out what’s going on

BIG SHOES

An exhibition of art by Willie Cole is a monumental event

BY LAURA HUTSON HUNTER

AT THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM of Art in New York, a sculpture made from women’s shoes by Willie Cole is featured prominently in the ongoing Afrofuturist installation Before Yesterday We Could Fly. The sculpture is inside a bookshelf vitrine, flanked by an African nkisi figure from the 19th century and a colorful print that William Henry Johnson made in 1941. The sculpture’s placement is sound — Cole is, in many ways, an heir to both African and African American art history, and his iconic sculptural works are a postmodern amalgam of Black imagery. But although his work borrows from those traditions, Cole is a singular artist with his own distinctive point of view.

In Lyrical Reconstructions, which opens March 28 at Haley Gallery inside the Country Music Hall of Fame, the New Jersey-based artist turns that point of view onto Nashville. It’s an expansive exhibition with a variety of mediums — assemblage, works on paper, bronze sculpture — but a connecting thread could be the work’s relationship to music. Lyrical Reconstructions will contain several of the artist’s signature shoemask sculptures, but there will also be works made from musical instruments — guitars, saxophones, even a piano. Still, Cole is quick to dismiss any concrete symbolism.

“It’s not about the instruments,” he tells the Scene via phone from Hatch Show Print, the legendary print shop that houses Haley Gallery. “It’s about the availability of a single object in multiples. If I had 50 Volkswagens, I’d be excited to make art out of that. It’s whatever I have in abundance — I don’t really choose the objects.”

It’s fitting that so many of Cole’s works have musical references, and that association will be even more clear in the context of the storied Country Music Hall of Fame — not to mention Hatch Show Print, which has its own history of

bridging the art-music gap. Cole himself is a musician, though he rarely plays.

“I’ve been a bedroom strummer,” he says. “I played for my daughters every night when they were little girls. For 14 years, every night at 8:30 I was in their rooms playing songs.”

The various sculptures made from Yamaha guitars are likely to draw attention from country music fans and art history lovers. “Guitar Head,” which is so new it hadn’t even been completed until just before installation began, is exactly what it sounds like — a shiny wooden head made from disassembled acoustic guitar bodies that looks a little like a mask from Cameroon. A 3-foot-tall bronze figure titled “The Worrier” has a similar aesthetic, but is cast from one of Cole’s shoe sculptures.

“That’s been my main shtick for the past few years,” he says, humbly referencing the powerful post-Dadaist, post-Surrealism assemblages that are his calling card. He was even asked by Japanese fashion designer Rei Kawakubo to create headgear based on them for a 2021 Comme des Garçons runway show. That kind of cross-disciplinary collaboration is one of the reasons Cole’s reputation is growing — his influence spans the art world, the fashion world, and with Lyrical Reconstructions, the world of country music.

But the intersection of Willie Cole and music goes back much further. The exhibition features a handful of ink-on-paper works that illustrate his favorite country and blues songs. The exhibition will also feature a print by Cole made at Hatch Show Print. It’s based on a painting Cole made in 1973 of a bird playing a guitar, and he had thought it might be his first album cover.

“But I never made an album,” Cole explains, saying the painting has been in his studio for the past five decades. The painting is the basis for his print at Hatch, and speaks to a vision Cole had for himself at a young age, and is just now approaching again.

“I had a goal to start playing publicly once I reached a certain age,” he says, “but when that age came, we were in a pandemic. The place I had planned to play — a cafe in my town — closed down. So that whole idea was put on hold, until now.” Cole’s work is in the collection of every major art museum in the country, and yet his time in Nashville is still special, and for entirely Nashville reasons. He’ll also perform two original songs at Thursday’s reception.

“It’s a real breaking-out-of-your-shell moment,” he says, before realizing that the perfect word is right in front of him, on the print shop’s door. “A hatch!”

“It’s something I want to do more of, but this will be the first time I’ve done it.” ▼

Willie Cole: Lyrical Reconstructions

March 28 through May 16 at Haley Gallery, 224 Rep. John Lewis Way S.

Artist’s talk and opening reception 3:30 p.m.

Thursday, March 28, in the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s Ford Theater; Cole will perform two original songs during the reception

“GOLDYLICKS,” WILLIE COLE

“THE WORRIER,” WILLIE COLE

THE ROYAL SLAVE

Percival Everett’s James builds a new story from an old one

BY KASHIF ANDREW GRAHAM

WHEREVER YOU ARE in the world, you can be sure of one thing: Percival Everett is at work on another book.

Everett’s oeuvre includes more than 30 works of fiction and poetry, as well as a children’s book. His first novel, Suder, was published in 1983, and his name has rarely disappeared from new-release lists since, often with two major works in the same year. He was a Pulitzer finalist in 2021 for his novel Telephone. The following year, The Trees was shortlisted for the Booker Prize, and Dr. No was shortlisted for the National Book Critics Circle Award. Cinephiles will recognize Everett as the author of Erasure (2001), which was recently adapted into the film American Fiction, directed by Cord Jefferson. To quote the old song, the beat goes on — and so does Percival Everett with the release of his latest novel, James James is the kind of work we have come to expect from Everett. It is at once acerbically humorous and existential. The novel is a retelling of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn from the perspective of Huck’s enslaved companion Jim. But what Everett has constructed is not merely the result of a perspective shift. He’s telling a new story altogether, one that is blazing with nuance and reveals the precarious underpinnings of America’s “peculiar institution.” One need not have read the Samuel Clemens text to fully experience the pastoral drama of Everett’s tale. Readers may argue about whether this is a protest novel, but it is certainly pro-Black. One of the major ways it speaks to Black life in America is through its overt distinctions in language. Early in the novel, we hear the protagonist, Jim, speak in what might be deemed standard African American vernacular English of the

time — or as Everett simply calls it, “slave.” Jim accepts a gift of cornbread from Miss Watson, his owner. After accepting the food with deference, he is questioned on the whereabouts of missing books. He replies: “No, missums. I seen dem books, but I ain’t been in da room. Why fo you be askin’ me dat?”

The reader wonders whether they will be able to stand an entire novel of this and precisely what Everett is trying to do. Then in the very next scene, Jim enters his home with the cornbread and speaks to his wife, Sadie, and his daughter, Lizzie. He says to Lizzie, as she sniffs the air and inquires about the scent: “I imagine that would be this cornbread.” We realize through this interaction and others in the novel that when slaves speak to white people, they sound almost unintelligible. When they speak to each other, their English follows formal, if not antiquated, conventions. And they work at this dual fluency since “slave” is language they must learn along with the concomitant mannerisms. Jim teaches his daughter and several pupils as one would teach etiquette classes. Here, though, it is etiquette for survival.

In a way that is sweetly quixotic, Everett intercalates the main plot of Jim’s adventure with the stories of other characters such as the Duke, the King and Norman, yet the novel does not feel crowded. It feels rather that we are in motion with Jim as he meets and then leaves people rather quickly. This is similar to the way Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra structures Don Quixote, so that the novel maintains an itinerant flair. On the move — always.

Those familiar with the genre of slave literature will appreciate Everett’s literary references

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to this end. For instance, when Jim is caught up in a scheme that calls for him to be renamed, his temporary slavers give him the name “Caesar.” This is likely a reference to Oroonoko: or, the Royal Slave by Aphra Behn, in which the protagonist is given the name Caesar once he is sold into slavery. Oroonoko and Jim bear other striking similarities, namely in terms of their nobility, and show that even the Black man possessing the most integrity can be hated.

James is here to stay. With a transformation that rivals the biblical Saul to Paul, Jim’s road to becoming James is worth these several hundred pages. His transformation comes about through the discovery of his own voice and his rebellion against the strictures of slavery. We see that Jim is a character this man has been required to play, essentially embodying the words of the racist minstrel song “Jump Jim Crow.” But the man of liberty and agency is James. And James knows that freedom is often not found, but made.

For more local book coverage, please visit Chapter16.org, an online publication of Humanities Tennessee. ▼

James

By Percival Everett Doubleday 320 pages, $28

PHOTO: MICHAEL AVEDON

MUSIC

IF YOU’RE A person who listens carefully to music, you’ve likely heard Sampha. His distinct voice and haunting vocals can be heard in features with contemporary artists like Solange, Kendrick Lamar and Travis Scott. As an artist who’s known for his collaborations, he’s glad the people who listen to his own music — an energetic but thoughtful blend including various traditions in R&B and kinds of electronic music — are along for the ride.

“It’s always been a bit of a mystery as to how people are going to react to you,” Sampha says. “To get back out there, touring again and seeing people’s reactions to the music I put out, has been really heartwarming. It’s been lovely having that kind of pure connection.”

The Scene caught up with the English singer-songwriter and producer at his home in London, fresh from tour dates in Australia. We spoke over the phone about his upcoming North American tour, his new album Lahai and his growth as an artist.

Sampha’s 2017 debut album Process finds him grieving the loss of his mother, who died of cancer in 2015. You don’t have to know the backstory to know that “(No One Knows Me) Like the Piano” is a song about loss. While Lahai may not be exactly the flip side of that coin, it is a continuation of his journey of pondering and processing life.

“I always feel like music for me — especially in the context of those two records — has felt like a real document,” Sampha says. “Recognizing the things I’m preoccupied with, recognizing the changes and still using music as a conduit to figure out where I’m at, and see where I’m going.”

Lahai is Sampha’s middle name, and it’s

BREAKING GROUND

Stella Prince carries the banner for a new generation of folk musicians

BY RON WYNN

GENERATIONAL WEALTH

Sampha looks to the past to build the future on Lahai

BY KIM BALDWIN

also his grandfather’s name. Sampha’s family immigrated to the U.K. from Sierra Leone, and he never met his grandfather, but there are connections to West Africa throughout his music. Lahai is a personal record, and a way to find his place in the continuum of his heritage and lineage — a way to tie it all together, especially important since he recently became a father.

Curiosity and experimentation are key in Sampha’s approach to making music. He gets creative in the studio, wondering what a piece of equipment is going to come up with, where his mind will take him, what will shake him awake.

“The amazing thing is that it just feels like it comes out of nowhere,” Sampha says. “This magic that’s laying dormant, but through the exercise of music, it imbues you with a spirit, with a life, with this kind of energy.”

In 2020, Sampha and his partner had a daughter. Laughing, he recounts how they’re trying to teach her “cleaning songs” because she loves to turn things upside-down and just leave. He tells me that she does listen to his music and has grown more fond of it as she’s getting older.

“Just watching her, it’s just pure imagination,” Sampha says. “I feel like having a kid makes you learn how to breathe in and breathe out. You know, approach things with a bit of calmness.”

With Lahai and this new tour, Sampha is feeling more confident. Though it’s still a reflection of him and his humanness, there’s a lot of emotion that connects immediately with anyone who’s listening. There’s been growth in terms of his performing, songwriting and confidence, which is special to witness.

Asked to turn an eye to the future, Sampha

IN THE EYES of many, folk music is the exclusive province of elderly performers who’ve spent decades absorbing and passing on forgotten songs from past eras and artists — or else younger artists eager to follow their pattern precisely. Nashville singer-songwriter Stella Prince obliterates those notions. At 19, she has the poise and polish of a crafty veteran, since she’s been writing and playing songs for many years. Prince, originally from New York, has come a long way in a very short time since relocating to Nashville, becoming one of Music City’s most ardent champions of folk and acoustic sounds.

For the past two years she’s hosted the monthly Stella Prince and Friends showcase at The Underdog on Gallatin Pike. It’s one of a steadily growing number of all-women showcases in Nashville, and was created with the support of Change the Conversation, an organization focused on gender equality in music founded by industry vets Leslie Fram, Tracy Gershon and Beverly Keel. Interest in Prince’s music and showcase has

already grown to the point that she has taken it on the road to such sites as Nashville songwriter mecca The Bluebird Cafe and venerable New York City folk club The Bitter End, as well as venues in Boston and London.

This week, Prince will make more news. She’ll be the youngest host and performer featured in a showcase at long-running Nashville songwriters’ festival Tin Pan South. Wednesday, she’ll perform with fellow standout songsmiths Denitia, Erin Enderlin and Jasmine Harris at Cross-Eyed Critters Watering Hole inside Graduate Nashville.

“I love all genres of music,” Prince tells the Scene “But I grew up in Woodstock, New York. I saw every folk singer live when I was growing up — Pete Seeger; Levon Helm; Peter, Paul and Mary. It was an incredible environment to grow up in. I’ve known every Joni Mitchell song by heart since I was 6. So I think my music combines elements of folk music and pop music, the two genres that have inspired me the most, and merges into ‘Gen Z Folk,’ which I like to call my sound.”

Prince specifically cites the influence on her voice of such legends as Karen Carpenter, Patsy Cline and Judy Garland. For lyrics, Joni Mitchell is a major inspiration, while Shania Twain’s gift for melody is a current fascination. Prince says she watched Shania Twain: Not Just a Girl, the Netflix documentary about the country megastar, some 20 times.

Prince’s most recent single “Dear Future Me,” released in October, was

dreams up collaborations with André 3000, Steve Reich or Tracy Chapman. André Lauren

Benjamin, if you’re reading this, please make this happen. ▼

Playing 8 p.m. Friday, March 29, at Brooklyn Bowl

PHOTO: JEFF FASANO PHOTOGRAPHY

PHOTO: JESSE CRANKSON

co-produced by Grammy winner, author and steelguitar ace Steve Fishell, who has raved about the maturity and power of Prince’s voice, as well as the intensity and quality of her writing and music. And with good reason: The catchy “Dear Future Me” is a nuanced look at the unease of young adulthood — something she’s living through right now — with insightful perspective that typically comes only with hindsight. She filmed a video for another single, November 2022’s “Closing Doors,” at The Basement; it also got airplay on CMT. In August, Prince won the Folk Alliance International’s First Timers Scholarship; around the same time, her single “Two Faced” went to No. 2 on the North American College and Community Radio Folk Chart, a notable feat for a track not tied to a longer release.

The daughter of a painter and writer, Prince rejects the notion that it’s difficult to interest her generation in folk music. She points to the rising popularity of folk among the Gen Z audience, including Taylor Swift’s top-selling 2020 LPs Folklore and Evermore, which lean into folk influences. Meanwhile, musicians who draw even more heavily on folk traditions are gaining ground as well.

“Artists like Noah Kahan and Phoebe Bridgers have exploded. Times are changing, and the folk train has already left the station. It’s such an exciting time.” ▼

Playing 9 p.m. Wednesday, April 3, at Cross-Eyed Critters Watering Hole

GETTING THROUGH

River Shook stands for themself on Revelations

BY RACHEL CHOLST

RIVER SHOOK IS more themself than ever on their upcoming Sarah Shook & the Disarmers album Revelations, out Friday via Abeyance Records/Thirty Tigers. With their recent sobriety comes newfound energy. In addition to writing and producing this album — the band’s fourth LP in less than a decade — the accomplished country-informed, narrative-driven singer-songwriter-guitarist produced Cruel Liars, the full-length debut from their indie-rock band Mightmare, as well as fellow North Carolinian Izzy Rider’s forthcoming debut album.

Shook, who plays 3rd and Lindsley as part of Lightning 100’s Nashville Sunday Night, spoke with me about all the exciting changes leading up to Revelations. Here is an excerpt from a longer conversation you can hear on a forthcoming episode of the Rainbow Rodeo podcast, which highlights the work of queer country artists; it’s a companion to the Rainbow Rodeo zine I edit. Subscribe today to listen to the full interview when it drops on Friday.

You’ve changed your name in your personal life to River, but you’re still performing under the name Sarah. How has that been for you? It’s still a little bit weird. A couple months before we started talking about releasing the next Sarah Shook & the Disarmers record, there was a big internal conversation about changing the band name:

“We have X amount of listeners on Spotify every month. If we change the band name, do those accounts merge? Or is there a new account and all of that data is lost?” We need to make sure we’re still easily accessible to people who want to find us. I’m finally getting to a place where I’m asking fans to call me River. I don’t mind if someone says “Sarah Shook,” but that’s just not me.

It feels like your sound has changed a lot on Revelations, in part because of you producing the album after taking a crack at it with Mightmare. How did that feel for you? It felt positive. It felt very validating. We worked with Pete Anderson, and there was a lot of butting heads between him and I on stylistic decisions. He was shooting for a certain thing. I felt my voice literally wasn’t being accurately represented. There are a lot of imperfections in my singing voice, and I’m OK with that. That experience really propelled me into music production.

I didn’t start writing songs with the intention of being a great singer or even a great guitarist. My voice is just simply a catalyst for the writing, and to me, the writing is everything. When I’m listening to vocal takes and choosing what’s going to be on the record, I’m not looking for perfection. I’m listening for the thing that makes my heart feel something. If I had a production

signature, it would be finding beauty in the flaws.

The songs here are more explicitly queer and explicitly political than ever. Is that also part of your growing comfort? I think so. With the first two records, I was still drinking really heavily. When you’ve been heavily drinking for a decade, you have to take time to come back to yourself — and that’s really hard, specifically, because if you are a person who’s been abusing substances specifically to get away from yourself, there’s a lot to unpack in there. By the time Revelations rolled around, there were three entire years of growth between albums. I feel like I’m at a place where I’m very secure in my sobriety, and I’m excited about the opportunities that being sober has afforded me.

In 2022, I released two records on two different labels and toured with two different bands — and produced a record for somebody else. I would never have been able to do that if I was drinking. To me, sobriety always had to be more than just, “I don’t drink.” There has to be something more to it that really anchors me and gets me to stay in it. Feeling healthy, feeling energized and excited about music and having the energy to do a lot of different things in music is really motivating.▼

Playing 7 p.m. Sunday, March 31, at 3rd and Lindsley

PHOTO: BRETT VILLENA

6PM WHITE ANIMALS FREE

THU 3.28 9-12PM ZENTRANCE, JOHN LANIER $10

6PM WHITE ANIMALS FREE

FRI 3.29 5-7PM ATTABOY FREE 9-12PM DJ FRANKIE FREE

THUR FRI SAT

9PM CROCTOPUSS, PUMP ACTION & POPLAR CREEK

SAT 3.30 4-7PM DOSSTONES FREE 9-12PM DJ OAX $10

SUN

4PM KEVIN WOLF FREE WED

4PM JAY PATTEN BAND FREE

SUN 3.31 4-7PM SPRING WATER SIT IN JAM

5PM WRITERS @ THE WATER OPEN MIC

Thursday, March 28

ARTIST TALK Sculptor and Printmaker

Willie Cole

3:30 pm · FORD THEATER

Thursday, March 28

EXHIBIT OPENING

Willie Cole

Saturday, April 6

SONGWRITER ROUND Acoustic Guitar Project

11:30 am · FORD THEATER

Saturday, April 6

POETS AND PROPHETS

Jackie DeShannon

2:30 pm · CMA THEATER

115

WED 4.3 5-8PM WRITERS AT THE WATER 9-12PM OWL KEY, NO CONTROL, THE WIND UPS $10

115 27TH AVE. N OPEN WED.-SUN. 11AM-LATE NIGHT

Lyrical Reconstructions

5:00 pm · HALEY GALLERY

Saturday, March 30

SONGWRITER SESSION

Alan Rhody and Kent Blazy

Saturday, April 6

HATCH SHOW PRINT Block Party

9:30 am, NOON, and 2:30 pm

HATCH SHOW PRINT SHOP

Sunday, April 7

NOON · FORD THEATER

Because Nashville is so much more than honky-tonks and bachelorettes...

MUSICIAN SPOTLIGHT

Sunday, March 31

FILM SCREENING

Travis Anderson

1:00 pm · FORD THEATER

American Music Shop

Saturday, April 13

SONGWRITER SESSION

Patty Loveless with Special Guest Vince Gill (1991)

1:00 pm · FORD THEATER

WITNESS HISTORY

Museum Membership

Tia Sillers

NOON · FORD THEATER

Receive

Playing 8 p.m. Tuesday, April 2, at the Grand Ole Opry House

FLYING HIGH AGAIN

The Black Crowes soar on Happiness Bastards

BY DARYL SANDERS

THE BLACK CROWES were not looking to the past when they recorded their powerful new album Happiness Bastards. But it was on their minds. They arrived at producer Jay Joyce’s Neon Cross Studio in East Nashville in summer 2023 to work on the album, having spent significant portions of the two previous years on a 100-plusdate tour celebrating the 30th anniversary of Shake Your Money Maker, their 1990 quintuple-platinum debut.

“Getting into the Shake Your Money Maker tour and really focusing on that record — and doing something that we had never done, which is playing that record or any record in its entirety every night in its sequence — I think gave me an appreciation for the streamlined song,” Crowes co-founder, co-writer and rhythm guitarist Rich Robinson tells the Scene. “The thing about Shake Your Money Maker is the brilliance in a three-minute-long song — to be able to take someone somewhere in just that rock ’n’ roll format. And I think that really kind of informed the way that we were going to make this record for both Chris and me.”

Robinson’s brother Chris, who is one of the greatest lyricists and most dynamic rock frontmen of his generation, calls Happiness Bastards “our love letter to rock ’n’ roll.” The Black Crowes will kick off their tour in support of the album, which was released March 15, on Tuesday at the Grand Ole Opry House.

Happiness Bastards is the kind of record people hoped the most recent album by The Rolling Stones would be. It has inspired songs with edgy

MUSIC: THE SPIN

A PLACE I CAN COME TO

BY STEPHEN TRAGESER

“WE’RE GONNA DO a song from the record that’s coming out in a few days,” Sierra Ferrell said, tuning her guitar a few minutes into Thursday’s show at the Ryman. Then she laughed and shook her head. “Er, tomorrow! What year is it? Where am I?”

She could be forgiven for a little confusion during the second show of the two-night release party for her new LP Trail of Flowers; the past several years have been a whirlwind for the widely traveled West Virginia-born and Music City-residing roots-centric musical polymath. As the music world inched back toward full speed in late-summer 2021, she released her stunning third LP and Rounder Records debut Long Time Coming, followed by hundreds and hundreds of tour dates at progressively larger venues — including a circus-themed NYE 2023 blowout at Brooklyn Bowl. The first of Ferrell’s two release shows at the Mother Church sold out, and if the second didn’t, it was hard to spot an empty seat.

Osborne Brothers (not to be confused with Brothers Osborne, they’re the ones who had a mega hit with “Rocky Top”) about the dull ache of being alone in the world. Why is it that so many of the most resonant and beautiful songs are so incredibly sad? The best answer I can come up with is that writing, performing, listening and singing along to them helps us process those experiences and live a happier life in spite of them. “If a song makes me cry, I’m gonna learn it,” Ferrell said as she introduced “Don’t Let Your Deal Go Down” near the end of the show.

Among Ferrell’s many gifts is her ability to tap into and embody the rich nuances of what the character in a song is singing about — whether the piece is about her life or not, she makes it easy to envision the narrative instead of just hearing and seeing her sing about it. Another gift is her omnivorous musical taste, which draws together threads from string-band music, blues, country, an array of folk traditions from Appalachia to Eastern Europe and — notably on Trail of Flowers — rock ’n’ roll, creating a tapestry you’d never mistake for someone else’s.

arrangements featuring combustible guitars, a swinging rhythm section and vocal performances full of soul, sass and swagger.

“It’s like a fresh version of their old sound,” says Joyce, who also mixed the record.

The Crowes connected with Joyce after the Robinson brothers decided they wanted to work with an outside producer.

“[Chris] has done a lot of producing,” Robinson says. “I’ve done a lot of producing — other people, my own stuff — and we just felt it would be kind of cool to have someone come in and give us the 10,000-foot view. We talked to a lot of people, and we really both instantly liked Jay. We just thought he was really cool, kind of came from such a cool musical place and was open to anything.”

Joyce is probably best known these days for his award-winning work with country artists like Eric Church, Miranda Lambert and Lainey Wilson, who was a guest vocalist on the Happiness Bastards song “Wilted Rose.” But first and foremost, Joyce is a master at guitar-based rock, which made him a perfect match for what The Crowes had in mind.

“They came to town ready to fucking do it,” Joyce says. “It was all live, no click track.”

The Robinsons recorded the album with their touring band at the time, which included Sven Pipien, the only other official member of the band, on bass, Nico Bereciartua on lead guitar, Erik Deutsch on keys and Brian Griffin on drums.

The band handled a lot of the backing vocals on the record, but Joyce also enlisted a few Nashville pros to add background vocals on some of the cuts: Robert Kearns from Sheryl Crow’s band, Joanna Cotton from Eric Church’s band, and session ace Vicki Hampton. Cotton and Hampton sang together on a few tracks to give them a soulful, gospel-inspired flavor.

“We added that as a final touch,” the producer says. “I think The Black Crowes need that, you know. It’s part of their sound.” ▼

Nashville’s rocking country singer-songwriter Nikki Lane opened the first night, and East Tennessean Vaden Landers, who aptly describes himself as “The Yodelin’ Country Bluesman,” warmed up the crowd Thursday. Landers and his crack band, dubbed The Doe River Playboys, looked and sounded like they stepped out of the 1950s. For a solid hour, they played old-school honky-tonk stompers and weepers, as well as originals and covers that emphasized how the boundaries between country, blues and R&B are both arbitrary and pernicious.

It’s fitting that Landers’ recent single, which he mentioned is a preview of a forthcoming album, is called “Goin’ Hog Wild,” since he is — in the most endearing sense of the word — a ham. He had a wealth of self-deprecating bits, and his animated hiccups and horsey snorts during “White Lightning” owed as much to June Foray or Mel Blanc as to George Jones. “These aisles weren’t made for this band — we’re a boogeying band,” Landers said on a brief tuning break. The set was well-executed, but the applause was on the polite side; the only thing that would make it better is experiencing it with a dance floor and with time to get in a shot and a beer first.

After a short interval, the stage lights dimmed to a warm, rosy glow and Ferrell and her band eased into “Lonesome Feeling,” a song made famous by the

Ferrell was a busker early in her career, and you get the idea she could hold the crowd in the palm of her hand using just one of the several instruments she plays and her evocative and finely tuned voice, with which she can drawl, croon and holler as needed. But she also consistently works with an exceptional band. Thursday, bassman Geoff Saunders and drummer Matty Meyer held down the foundation of the rhythm, while Josh Rilke played mandolin and Oliver Bates Craven doubled expertly on fiddle and guitars; Billy Contreras played another fiddle, and Cory Walker added banjo to a few tunes. Several guests came out as well: In the gravelliest of voices, Tim Bolo pleaded with Ferrell’s character on the duet “Golden Ring,” Cole Ritter played sparkling electric guitar and sang along on Dolly Parton’s “Old Flames,” and string-band guitar hero Tim O’Brien joined in on John Anderson’s “Years” and his own heartbreaking song “The Garden.”

There were no circus acts this time, but the two-hour run flew by just as fast with only Ferrell and her fellow musicians onstage. Newer songs like Trail of Flowers opener “American Dreaming” — a look at the disconnect between the capitalistic drive to acquire and the things that actually fulfill you — and the bittersweet “Wish You Well” sat naturally alongside longtime fan favorites “At the End of the Rainbow” and “I’d Do It Again,” both odes to persistence. In the wake of the unmiked, all-handson-deck sing-along to “Goodnight Irene” that ended the night, it felt like it’s only a matter of time before Ferrell returns to this stage — or takes ones that are even bigger.

PHOTO: ROSS HALFIN

PHOTO: KRISTEN DRUM

SINGING OF YOU AND ME: SIERRA FERRELL

FEATURING

Get ready to eat, sip and shop till you drop on April 6 at our freeto-attend and family friendly market. Stock up on unique items and eat your heart out with 40+ vendors selling locally made noshes.

While you shop, enjoy craft beer and cocktails, jam out to live music and watch a spectacular Chef Led Cooking Demonstration!

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3.31 AN EVENING WITH LALAH HATHAWAY SOLD OUT - JOIN WAITLIST

4.1 COMEDIAN BRANDON T. JACKSON

4.4 TENNESSEE YOUNG PROFESSIONALS SUPPORTING GLORIA JOHNSON FOR US SENATE

4.5 THE BODEANS

4.7 JASON ERIE, BELLE-SKINNER AND SHLOMO FRANKLIN

4.8 XOXO, CODY RIGSBY SOLD OUT - JOIN WAITLIST

4.9 ANDRES CEPEDA

4.9 THE HEART COLLECTORS

4.10 JETHRO TULL’S MARTIN BARRE A BRIEF HISTORY OF TULL TOUR

4.11 RACHAEL DAVIS, R.O. SHAPIRO & ZAK BUNCE

4.12 THE VERVE PIPE

4.12 AN EVENING WITH CHRISTIE LENÉE

4.13 NASHVILLE IMPROV COMEDY PRESENTS YOUR MUSICAL

4.14 SCOUT COOKIE AND WINE PAIRING

4.14 THE PIANO MEN: TRIBUTE TO BILLY JOEL & ELTON JOHN

4.14 AN EVENING WITH DAVID WILCOX

4.15 NOTHING PERSONAL - LIVE WITH DAVID SAMSON

4.17 THE BROTHER BROTHERS

4.18 PETER COLLINS

4.19 AN EVENING WITH KUDZU KINGS

4.20 DRAG BRUNCH

4.20 HUB OF LOVE PRESENTS: SCHATZI’S LOVE LOUNGE LIVE BAND BURLESQUE FEATURING CHAMPAGNE HOLIDAY 4.17

ENJOY FULL BRUNCH BUFFET FROM 10:30 AM - 2:30 PM

SHOW BEGINS AT 12:00 PM

31

Across

1 Hot topping for a cone?

5 Practical joke

9 Tricky billiard shot

14 Way off

15 Ensconced in

16 Asian dog breed

17 *Ensign

19 Rich sources of beta carotene

20 Joint

21 One of millions in New Zealand

23 Migration pattern?

24 Lose one’s shirt, say

25 *Emirate

28 Coup planners

30 Ensiform, adj.: Shaped like a ___

31 ___ Valley

34 Singer Williams who founded the Temptations

36 Split up

38 Pre-med pre-req

39 *Arbiter

41 Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, e.g.

42 Came to pass

44 Bibliographer’s abbr.

45 Ceremony

46 They’re typically older than seniors

48 One in it for the long haul

50 *Depot

52 Put on a big smile

56 ___ Formosa (barrier island system of Portugal)

57 Figure in I Samuel

58 Issuance from an American embassy, in brief

59 Discombobulated

61 *Begin

64 Meant to be

65 “And so

66 Actor Woo-shik of “Parasite”

67 Long hauls

68 Doesn’t stay tight

69 Hankerings

Down

1 Scores

2 Underway

3 Steamy stuff

4 Most-grown coffee bean in the world

5 Copacetic

6 Bon ___

7 Exemplar of neatness

8 Barely defeated

9 Launches an attack

10 Going by, in brief

11 Chevy truck since 1998

12 Staple of Trinidadian music

13 Plein-air prop

18 Kelly of morning talk

22 “Time ___ …”

25 Nonreflective, in a way

26 Not too much

27 First part of a triple jump

29 Stole from a burlesque act

31 With 50-Down, annual June sports event

32 It’s never out of tune

33 Anathema to an aesthete

35 Cut down

37 Surpass

39 What some people are dyeing to be?

40 Puckish sort

43 ___ fly

45 Implied right in the First and Fourth Amendments

47 Big star, in Spain

49 If-then-___ (programming construct)

50 See 31-Down

51 Things one might pick up while entering a room

53 Church offering

54 Apply to

55 2024 Olympics site

58 Focus of the U.S.A.F.’s Project Blue Book (1952-1969)

60 “Yikes!”

62 Time to remember

63 ___ white

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AUTO ACCIDENTS WRONGFUL DEATH TRACTOR TRAILER ACCIDENTS Voted Best Attorney in Nashville EMPLOYMENT Advertise

MISCELLANEOUS

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.

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Call 24/7: 844-875-6782 (CAN AAN)

For 24 mos, Free Installation! 165+ Channels Available.

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855-401-8842 (CAN AAN)

FREE AUTO INSURANCE QUOTES

for uninsured and insured drivers.

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Call 833-976-0743 (CAN AAN)

Over $10K in debt?

Be debt free in 24-48 months. Pay nothing to enroll. Call National Debt Relief at

844-977-3935 (CAN AAN)

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

Call 24/7: 1-888-290-2264 Have zip code of service location ready when you call!

(CAN AAN)

AGING ROOF? NEW HOMEOWNER? STORM DAMAGE?

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Have zip code of property ready when calling!

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We are there when you need us for home & car lockouts. We’ll get you back up and running quickly!

Also, key reproductions, lock installs and repairs, vehicle fobs. Call us for your home, commercial and auto locksmith needs!

1-833-237-1233 (CAN AAN)

NEED NEW WINDOWS?

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You will be asked for the zip code of the property when connecting.

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with energy efficient new windows! They will increase your home’s value & decrease your energy bills. Replace all or a few! Call now to get your free, noobligation quote.

866-366-0252 (CAN AAN)

YOU MAY QUALIFY for disability benefits if you have 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.

1-877-247-6750

(CAN AAN)

Attention:

VIAGRA and CIALIS USERS!

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1-833-237-1199 (CAN AAN)

BATH & SHOWER UPDATES in as little as ONE

DAY! Affordable prices - No payments for 18 months! Lifetime warranty & professional installs. Senior & Military Discounts available.

Call:

855-977-4240 (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.

877-589-0747 (CAN AAN)