Nashville Scene 4-14-22

APRIL 14–20, 2022 I VOLUME 41 I NUMBER 11 I NASHVILLESCENE.COM I FREE

CITY LIMITS: BILL TO CRIMINALIZE HOMELESSNESS ADVANCES PAGE 7

CULTURE: NASHVILLE COMEDY FESTIVAL RETURNS WITH NEWFOUND RESOLVE PAGE 25

WHAT’S ON THE BALLOT BALLOT TAKING A LOOK AT THE PRIMARY RACES FOR JUDICIAL SEATS, SCHOOL BOARD SEATS AND THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S OFFICE

cover_4-14-22.indd 1

4/11/22 5:24 PM

CONTENTS

APRIL 14, 2022

7

26

Bill to Criminalize Homelessness Advances

Signed, Hopeful

CITY LIMITS

Advocates say the bill will do nothing to solve homeless encampments and may worsen the issue

BY ALEJANDRO RAMIREZ

Pith in the Wind This week on the Scene’s news and politics blog

THEATER

Tiny Beautiful Things unpacks big emotions at Actors Bridge

BY AMY STUMPFL

27

BOOKS

8

A Moveable Feast

How Do I Pick a Judge? .............................8

29

Tallu Schuyler Quinn’s posthumous memoir is a love letter to her life

COVER STORY

BY BETH WALTEMATH AND CHAPTER 16

Nashvillians vote May 3 for a slate of judicial candidates. But why is it so difficult to know whom to vote for?

BY STEVE CAVENDISH AND THE NASHVILLE BANNER

The Race for District Attorney ................ 10 Incumbent DA Glenn Funk faces challengers Sara Beth Myers and P. Danielle Nellis

BY ELI MOTYCKA

How Partisan Politics Are Shaping Nashville’s School Board Elections ........ 12

MUSIC

Kinship ..................................................... 29 Negro Justice draws strength from a wide circle on Chosen Family

For Love & Country Shines a Light on the Long History of Black Country Artists Vanderbilt Student Group Dores Divest Continues On-Campus Protests Joey’s House of Pizza Announces Closure Belcourt and Exit/In to Team Up for a Screening of Altman’s Nashville

BY BRITTNEY McKENNA

Gone to the Dogs .................................... 29 Guerilla Toss confronts lingering anxiety on Famously Alive

14 candidates are vying for school board seats in districts 2, 4, 6 and 8

BY MEGAN SELING

BY KELSEY BEYELER

Nomadic MC R.A.P. Ferreira puts down roots in Music City

15

THIS WEEK ON THE WEB:

From Somewhere .................................... 30

BY CHARLIE ZAILLIAN

The Spin ................................................... 33

CRITICS’ PICKS Blue Night at The Blue Room, Fruit Bats w/ Johanna Samuels, Waxahatchee w/Madi Diaz, Great Spring Art Hop, Harvey & Donnie Darko, Black Opry Anniversary Party, Come From Away and more

21

The Scene’s live-review column checks out The Protomen at Exit/In

BY P.J. KINZER

35 FILM

C’est Si Bon Paris, 13th District delves into the ugly moments of beautiful people

FOOD AND DRINK

Going Whole Hog .....................................21

BY CRAIG D. LINDSEY

Talking to pitmaster Pat Martin about his new book Life of Fire

37

BY CHRIS CHAMBERLAIN

Veg Out..................................................... 22 A Mediterranean-inspired eatery in Edgehill Village offers a hearty version of the Middle Eastern dish MARGARET LITTMAN

NEW YORK TIMES CROSSWORD

38

MARKETPLACE

25

CULTURE

You Have to Laugh After two years off, Nashville Comedy Festival returns with newfound resolve

BY CHARLIE ZAILLIAN

Call for take-out!

Authentic Mexican Cuisine & Bakery...Side by Side!

615-669-8144 PanaderiayPasteleriaLopez

615-865-2646 TacosyMariscosLindoMexico

917A Gallatin Pike S, Madison, TN

Cocktails Small Bites Intimate Atmosphere 4210 Charlotte Ave. | 615-678-4086 ottosnashville.com

nashvillescene.com nashvillescene.com | APRIL 14 – APRIL 20, 2022 | NASHVILLE SCENE

contents_4-14-22.indd 3

3

4/11/22 6:34 PM

PET OF THE WEEK!

FROM BILL FREEMAN

being a terrific houseguest in a NHA Foster Home. He’s BIG... a whopping 83 pounds of muscle and drool. He’s also super dog friendly. All of us here at NHA truly hope that when he gets adopted that he has a canine sibling. More about this gentle, almost 2 years old, giant: “Griffin is a giant teddy bear with so much love to give. He is curious, sweet, cuddly, and alert. He is still working on his manners and leash skills, but he is a smart boy and a quick learner. If he is doing something he is not supposed to and you tell him no, he stops immediately every time. He has great potty manners and loves to chill on the couch and watch TV with his people!” Are you thinking you must meet Griffin? Great! Please let us know you’re interested.

Call 615.352.1010 or visit nashvillehumane.org Located at 213 Oceola Ave., Nashville, TN 37209

Adopt. Bark. Meow.

Microchip. Neuter. Spay.

NEAL JOHNSTON

STEVE AUSTIN

With over two decades experience working in Nashville we’d love to be part of your next addition, renovation, or custom build!

QUA LIT Y TO SI N G ABOUT! BIRDIECONSTRUCTION.COM 4

GLENN FUNK

INCUMBENT DA GLENN FUNK HAS SHOWN HE IS BEST CHOICE IN MAY PRIMARY Nashville voters will go to the polls May 3 in primary elections for judicial seats, school board members, county offices like clerk, register of deeds and others, and for Davidson County District Attorney, a seat held for the past eight years by Glenn Funk. Funk is facing two relative political newcomers, former Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara Beth Myers and former Assistant DA P. Danielle Nellis.

No Republicans filed for the office of district attorney general, so the winner between the three Democrats will face little to no opposition in the Aug. 4 county general election.

Funk was elected as Davidson County’s 36th district attorney in August 2014 after a career that included positions as a special prosecutor, an assistant district attorney, a public defender and an attorney in private practice. He has seen and worked both sides of the courtroom, which has made him invaluable in representing Nashville as the DA. “My time as a public defender made me a better assistant district attorney,” Funk recently told The Tennessean. He also told attendees at a forum that experience enabled him to “understand the real needs and the collateral damage” for victims and their families and for defendants and their families. That experience, I think, gives him an ability to view his responsibilities and their impact from all sides.

Sara Beth Myers is a civil rights attorney who has spent her career as a prosecutor. I struggle to imagine what real improvements she could bring to the DA’s office. Myers told The Tennessee Tribune she is a “champion for victim’s rights.” I understand that she has a reputation as a punitive prosecutor.

P. Danielle Nellis is a former judicial clerk, assistant DA and a former defense attorney. Main Street Nashville describes Nellis as “a multigenerational Nashvillian,” and she tells the publication she wants to get the community more involved in the criminal justice process, would like a reentry office, and wants to expand restorative justice processes to adult courts. If Nellis has an advantage over Myers, I believe it’s that she can relate more readily to ordinary Nashvillians, as Funk has also done.

Though some may not care for Funk’s commonsense approach, attorneys in both defense and prosecution believe he has been doing a good job — that he took the

DA’s office out of the Stone Age virtually overnight. The Nashville Bar Association poll showed 62 percent of attorneys polled either highly recommend or recommend Funk, versus 38 percent for Myers and 22 percent for Nellis.

Instead of incarcerating offenders for minor offenses or infractions, Funk has been putting away more violent criminals.

By reducing the rate of incarceration for petty crimes, according to a January WKRN report, Metro Nashville taxpayers are saving about $50 million a year in incarceration costs.

In years past, it was commonplace for district attorneys to give people significant jail sentences on driver’s license cases, lowlevel weed cases and garden-variety crimes of poverty. DA Funk has made significant progress in moving the office away from those practices or abolishing them outright.

He has demonstrated a real commitment to developing and embracing meaningful alternatives to incarceration. He has shown a lot of sensitivity to people with mental health and substance abuse issues.

One thing DA Funk and his challengers have in common is the desire for diversity in the DA’s office. Historically, Tennessee’s district attorney offices have been notoriously lacking in diversity. But since Funk took office in 2014, there has been an 800 percent increase in diversity, according to The Tennessee Tribune. Ten percent of his staff members are fluent in Spanish.

DA Funk has long been proving himself a person of action when it comes to creating change. His numerous partnerships to support victims of human trafficking, assist veterans, reduce recidivism for juveniles and help individuals with mental health issues are the proof in the pudding.

His belief that incarceration should be “primarily reserved for violent offenders,” as he puts it, has led to a decrease of locally incarcerated inmates from 3,151 per day in 2013 to 1,535 per day in 2021.

After reviewing Funk’s experience and successes, I think he is still the best person for the job of DA. He is a proven entity, and I don’t like the idea of wondering whether someone else might be able to measure up.

PHOTO: DANIEL MEIGS

GOOD DAY FROM GRIFFIN! He’s currently

Editor-in-Chief D. Patrick Rodgers Managing Editor Alejandro Ramirez Senior Editor Dana Kopp Franklin Arts Editor Laura Hutson Hunter Culture Editor Erica Ciccarone Music and Listings Editor Stephen Trageser Contributing Editor Jack Silverman Staff Writers Kelsey Beyeler, Stephen Elliott, Hannah Herner, J.R. Lind, Eli Motycka, Kathryn Rickmeyer, William Williams, KateLynn White Contributing Writers Sadaf Ahsan, Radley Balko, Ashley Brantley, Maria Browning, Steve Cavendish, Chris Chamberlain, Lance Conzett, Steve Erickson, Nancy Floyd, Randy Fox, Adam Gold, Kashif Andrew Graham, Seth Graves, Kim Green, Steven Hale, Steve Haruch, Edd Hurt, Jennifer Justus, Christine Kreyling, Katy Lindenmuth, Craig D. Lindsey, Brittney McKenna, Marissa R. Moss, Noel Murray, Joe Nolan, Betsy Phillips, John Pitcher, Margaret Renkl, Daryl Sanders, Megan Seling, Jason Shawhan, Michael Sicinski, Nadine Smith, Ashley Spurgeon, Amy Stumpfl, Kay West, Abby White, Andrea Williams, Ron Wynn, Charlie Zaillian Editorial Intern Ashley Barrientos Art Director Elizabeth Jones Photographers Eric England, Matt Masters, Daniel Meigs Graphic Designers Mary Louise Meadors, Tracey Starck Production Coordinator Christie Passarello Festival Director Olivia Britton Marketing and Promotions Manager Robin Fomusa Publisher Mike Smith Senior Advertising Solutions Managers Sue Falls, Michael Jezewski, Carla Mathis, Heather Cantrell Mullins, Jennifer Trsinar, Keith Wright Advertising Solutions Managers Richard Jacques, Deborah Laufer, William Shutes, Niki Tyree Sales Operations Manager Chelon Hill Hasty Advertising Solutions Associates Jada Goggins, Audry Houle, Alissa Wetzel Special Projects Coordinator Susan Torregrossa President Frank Daniels III Chief Financial Officer Todd Patton Corporate Production Director Elizabeth Jones Vice President of Marketing Mike Smith IT Director John Schaeffer Circulation and Distribution Director Gary Minnis For advertising information please contact: Mike Smith, msmith@nashvillescene.com or 615-844-9238 FW PUBLISHING LLC Owner Bill Freeman VOICE MEDIA GROUP National Advertising 1-888-278-9866 vmgadvertising.com

©2022, Nashville Scene.

210 12th Ave. S., Ste. 100, Nashville, TN 37203.

Phone: 615-244-7989.

The Nashville Scene is published weekly by FW Publishing LLC. The publication is free, one per reader. Removal of more than one paper from any distribution point constitutes theft, and violators are subject to prosecution. Back issues are available at our office. Email: All email addresses consist of the employee’s first initial and last name (no space between) followed by @nashvillescene.com; to reach contributing writers, email editor@nashvillescene.com.

Editorial Policy: The Nashville Scene covers news, art and entertainment. In our pages appear divergent views from across the community. Those views do not necessarily represent those of the publishers. Subscriptions: Subscriptions are available at $150 per year for 52 issues.

Subscriptions will be posted every Thursday and delivered by third-class mail in usually five to seven days. Please note: Due to the nature of third-class mail and postal regulations, any issue(s) could be delayed by as much as two or three weeks. There will be no refunds issued. Please allow four to six weeks for processing new subscriptions and address changes. Send your check or Visa/MC/AmEx number with expiration date to the above address.

In memory of Jim Ridley, editor 2009-2016

Bill Freeman Bill Freeman is the owner of FW Publishing, the publishing company that produces the Nashville Scene, Nfocus, the Nashville Post and Home Page Media Group in Williamson County. He is a financial contributor to Glenn Funk’s campaign.

NASHVILLE SCENE | APRIL 14 – APRIL 20, 2022 | nashvillescene.com

letter_4-14-22.indd 4

4/11/22 6:35 PM

AT ASSEMBLY FOOD HALL

Apr 20 8

May 25

May 13

June 3

PARTY TIME BLACK STONE CHERRY WITH + GEORGIA THUNDERBOLTS SHY CARTER

NASHVILLE'S LARGEST ROOFTOP

LEONID & FRIENDS

JUSTIN FURSTENFELD

DEE JAY SILVER

OF BLUE OCTOBER

APR 15 Disco Night With The Groove Line

APR 30 Stairway to Zeppelin

APR 16 Kayley Green + Flying Buffaloes

MAY 4

Star Wars Trivia

APR 20 Party Time With Shy Carter

MAY 7

Cinco de Mayo Weekend Fiesta

APR 22 A Springsteen Celebration + Hyndesight APR 23 The Ultimate 90s Party with That 90s Show

MAY 13 Justin Furstenfeld of Blue October MAY 20 Paradise Kitty + Firepower MAY 21 8 Tracks Band + Fly 2K

APR 27 Brassville

MAY 25 Leonid & Friends

APR 28 Boots Above Broadway Line Dancing Kickoff

MAY 27 Eagles Tribute: 7 Bridges

APR 29 Sam McCrary & The Mix

JUN 3

Dee Jay Silver

JUL 6

Everclear + Fastball + The Nixons

LIVE MUSIC EVERY FRI - SUN @ 2PM

Learn More at AssemblyFoodHall.com or Scan Here 5055 Broadway Pl, Nashville, TN 37203 Q E /skydeckonbroadway

A WiLD DiSPLAY OF LiGHT & SOUND

APRiL 15 - JULY 17 Lorem ipsum

After sunset, stroll along the Zoo's pathways through a captivating show of stunning projections.

Lights will dance up and down trees, shimmer on water, and illuminate the Zoo's scenery in a kaleidoscope of color.

FOR MORE INFORMATiON: WWW.NASHViLLEZOO.ORG/NiGHT-ViSiONS

nashvillescene.com | APRIL 14 – APRIL 20, 2022 | NASHVILLE SCENE

5

COME BACK TOGETHER AT

CITY LIMITS

BILL TO CRIMINALIZE HOMELESSNESS ADVANCES Advocates say the bill will do nothing to solve homeless encampments and may worsen the issue

BY ALEJANDRO RAMIREZ

THIS WEEK ON OUR NEWS AND POLITICS BLOG: In what has to be one of the more bizarre censure votes in Metro Council history, Councilmember Jonathan Hall was publicly rebuked by his colleagues, even though the sponsor of the resolution, Tanaka Vercher, tried to both defer and withdraw it. She was required as chairman of the Rules, Confirmations, and Public Elections Committee to sponsor the resolution, which itself was required because Hall was found to have violated Metro’s ethics code by Metro’s Board of Ethical Conduct. Confused? It gets weirder: Hall delivered a

The bill, SB 1610, positions itself as primarily concerned with camps near highway entrances and exits, making the creation of such camps a class C misdemeanor. Law enforcement officers would give a written warning on first offense, and later a $50 fine. The legislation also expands the Equal Access to Public Property Law of 2012 — which in response to racial justice protests of 2020 was revised to make camping on state property a felony.

SB 1610 originally included language that would also penalize soliciting, but that was removed in an amendment.

It’s unclear how many citations or arrests will be made, but the bill’s sponsor, Sen. Paul Bailey (R-Cookeville), said that there were zero convictions under current laws over the past five years. The amendment predicts little change in conviction rate.

Sheriff Eddie Farris of Putnam County spoke in support of the bill, saying it would allow the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office to access county property they couldn’t otherwise enter to “confront” people camping there. However, Farris said the ultimate goal was to move people on the property to a service provider rather than cite or arrest them.

The bill passed the committee with a 7-2 vote, and as of this writing, it’s set for a vote on the Senate floor Wednesday, April 13 — after the Scene’s press deadline.

Speaking with the Scene, India Pungarcher of Open Table Nashville says she is concerned about how the law will affect people in rural communities.

“This bill does not create any sort of a solution,” she says. Pungarcher adds that “even if charges or tickets are not written or carried out, it will still be an

intimidation tactic” to coerce people to leave certain areas.

While there isn’t much research on the topic of camp closures, a 2019 study from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development suggests that clearing encampments without providing any resources to displaced residents may reduce the likelihood that they seek shelter or other services. If the law does deter people from camping in parks and other public spaces, there are concerns that unhoused people may seek refuge in even more remote areas.

Pungarcher says enforcement of camps in Nashville contributed to the growth of camps on the outskirts of town.

“If people can’t stay on public property, and they also can’t stay on state property, and they obviously can’t stay on private property, and there aren’t enough shelter beds … where will people go?” asks Pungarcher. “No one has that answer.”

She also notes that being charged with a felony makes finding work more difficult and creates barriers to both public and private housing.

The topic of homeless encampments has been spotlighted over the past year in part due to the growing camp at Brookmeade

Park in West Nashville, which inspired a vocal group of residents to pressure the city into taking action at the greenway.

Calling itself Reclaim Brookmeade Park, the group has gotten the attention of Mayor John Cooper and the Metro Homeless Impact Division. While the organization has received criticism for heated online rhetoric as well as surveillance of the camp, several members insist they want humane housing options for those staying at the park and not just arrests and enforcement.

Rebecca Lowe, the group’s founder, spoke at the judiciary committee hearing in support of the bill, saying it could deter camps like the one at Brookmeade Park.

Housing-first models, which prioritize getting people into homes as quickly as possible, have become widely accepted as the best solution to ending homelessness, and see more success than policing. Tackett reiterates this point in a statement to the Scene.

“If arresting people with no places to go would end homelessness, there would be no street homelessness in this country,” she writes. “Housing ends homelessness. Period.”

EMAIL EDITOR@NASHVILLESCENE.COM

stem-winder in which he may have given his blessing for the censure. As a cherry on this convoluted sundae, Hall actually voted to censure himself. … In any event, Hall is not running for re-election, telling our council correspondent, @startleseasily, that his decision is not based on the fact that he’s facing a $360,000 fine levied against him by the Tennessee Registry of Election Finance. … In less confusing news, Tennessee became the second state to pass legislation to allow registration of decentralized autonomous organizations, which are basically corporations except instead of shareholders, decisions are made by blockchain. See, we told you it was less confusing. … Speaking of being confused, the Tennessee General Assembly apparently was confused by the state constitutional requirement that state Senate districts in the same county be numbered consecutively. The legislature’s failure to do so in Davidson County resulted in a panel of judges tossing the districts and giving the legislature 15 days to make new maps. Also baffled by this requirement? State Attorney General Herbert

Slatery, who told lawmakers the districts would pass constitutional muster. … The legislature is trying to protect police body cam footage, license plate reader data and other public records requests to law enforcement by allowing the withholding of such records if they have “evidentiary value,” but leaving that determination solely to the departments themselves. … Dia Cirillo, a senior policy adviser in the mayor’s office, is among the latest high-profile departures from the Cooper administration. …

Teresa Broyles-Aplin will succeed Decosta Jenkins as Nashville Electric Service CEO in June. Jenkins is leaving the utility after 18 years in charge; BroylesAplin is NES’s chief financial officer. … Dores Divest, an unofficial Vanderbilt student group pressuring the university to divest from petroleum investment, showed up at the investiture of the school’s new Chancellor Daniel Diermeier, despite steps by university officials to frustrate their efforts. The group wants the new chancellor to recuse himself from any votes on divestment due to past ties with numerous oil companies. … A group of West

Nashvillians filed an ethics complaint against a Metro councilmember for describing them as “white people,” “loud white people” and “affluent white people,” saying the terms are slurs. The complaint aimed at District 16 Councilmember Ginny Welsch was filed by a member of Reclaim Brookmeade Park, a group that formed in response to a growing homeless encampment at the greenway. “We were angered, embarrassed and appalled at being referred to as a ‘white people!’ by a sitting council person!” reads the complaint, filed by Tim Tomes, a board member of the group. “We consider that a racial slur!

Wonder how things would have gone if I was another ethnicity?” … Betsy Phillips went on the hunt for the Dickinson Meeting House, which is the source of the name of Dickerson Pike. (Oh, you thought we were done being confusing?) It may be at a Sonic or perhaps a Walgreens or maybe a haunted house.

PHOTO: ERIC ENGLAND

A

bill that would further penalize unauthorized camping on public property is on its way to passage at the state Capitol, and opponents say it will criminalize homelessness in Tennessee. The legislation also aims to expand a current law that makes camping on state property a felony to include all forms of public property.

Service providers who work with unhoused communities say the bill won’t help reduce homelessness and simply puts people who need housing out of sight and out of mind.

“These folks are not going to disappear through some magic trick of a bill that says they aren’t wanted,” said the Rev. Jay Voorhees at the Senate Judiciary Committee meeting on April 6. Voorhees, who represents the congregation City Road Chapel United Methodist Church, called for city and state solutions that would help people find housing instead.

Lindsey Krinks is a co-founder of Open Table Nashville, a nonprofit that works with people experiencing homelessness. She noted that such laws can be expensive to enforce and that similar laws have in some cases been deemed unconstitutional.

Judith Tackett, the former director of Nashville’s Metro Homeless Impact Division, said rural leaders she spoke to were concerned about the consequences of the bill, and that energy would be better spent creating state programs to incentivize landlords to rent to unhoused Tennesseans and work with service providers.

Opponents of the bill also noted laws and ordinances exist that already prohibit camping.

BROOKEMEADE PARK

NASHVILLESCENE.COM/PITHINTHEWIND EMAIL: PITH@NASHVILLESCENE.COM TWEET: @PITHINTHEWIND

nashvillescene.com | APRIL 14 – APRIL 20, 2022 | NASHVILLE SCENE

citylimits_4-14-22.indd 7

7

4/11/22 5:21 PM

WHAT’S ON THE BALLOT

Election Day for the Davidson County primaries is Tuesday, May 3, and early voting has already begun. You can vote now through April 28 at the Howard Office Building, and April 20 through 28 at any of the other 10 early-voting locations listed on Metro’s site, where you can also find a full list of candidates running in this election cycle.

So what will you find on the ballot when you enter the voting booth? That’s what we’re here to answer.

A handful of incumbents are running unopposed in the primaries, among them Sheriff Daron Hall, Public Defender Martesha Johnson and Register of Deeds Karen Johnson. Voters will weigh in on the primaries for Metro’s entire judicial branch in the Democratic primaries, and you can see our explainer for how to pick a judge — published in conjunction with the Nashville Banner — below. A high-profile district attorney race sees two challengers, P. Danielle Nellis and Sara Beth Myers, taking on incumbent Glenn Funk, and we have more details on that race on p. 10.

In overwhelmingly Democratic Davidson County, the races for judicial seats and district attorney are essentially determined in the primaries. But Davidson County is now seeing its first partisan school board elections, thanks to a newly passed state law. We wade into the races in MNPS districts 2, 4, 6 and 8 on p.

12. And on p. 9, see the results from the Nashville Bar Association’s poll of its members, who provided their recommendations in each of the above races.

Read on for more. See you at the polls. D. PATRICK RODGERS, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

HOW DO I PICK A JUDGE? Nashvillians vote May 3 for a slate of judicial candidates.

But why is it so difficult to know whom to vote for?

BY STEVE CAVENDISH, NASHVILLE BANNER This story is a partnership between the Nashville Banner and the Nashville Scene. The Nashville Banner is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization focused on civic news and will launch later this year. For more information, visit NashvilleBanner.com.

W

orrick Robinson’s endorsement service is up and running again in his front yard.

The criminal defense attorney is asked every eight years about who he thinks would make a good judge by friends, neighbors and colleagues. So he plants his answers in the grass.

“I tell people that this is pretty simple,” Robinson says. “I put signs in my yard of judges that I hope to see elected. And the people that drive by my house, they know I’m an attorney, they know I spend time in court. And while they might not agree with one or so, the likelihood that they know everybody [in the race] is very, very, very marginal. So I put signs in my yard, so if people don’t want to call me, they’ll have an idea of who I’m supporting.”

Former U.S. Attorney Ed Yarbrough says he’s been pulled aside in church and asked whom to support, mirroring conversations that are happening with most of the attorneys in the city right now.

Charles Grant, a veteran litigator at Baker Donelson, says even other attorneys who don’t spend much time in a courtroom ask

8

him for recommendations.

Those endorsements often carry extra weight because judicial races are unique in that voters make choices based on character and reputation instead of policy positions.

Whether a candidate is for higher taxes or against them doesn’t matter, because general sessions judges can’t set property taxes or roll back any fees. Circuit court candidates can do little more than promise to be fair to all parties if they are elected.

Attorneys like Robinson, Yarbrough and Grant find people leaning on their judgment because they are some of the few who interact with judges — and the people who want to become judges — on a regular basis.

So, how should you pick a judge?

The Scene talked with more than two dozen attorneys of differing backgrounds and specializations to find out what makes a good jurist and what voters should look for in judicial candidates.

WHAT ARE VOTERS SELECTING?

Tennessee voters determine four types of judges: •

•

•

•

A chancery court judge presides over lawsuits, complex business litigation, administrative law disputes and generally handles suits against state governmental agencies. Recent high-profile cases involving the Davidson County Election Commission and Metro government were heard here, as well as lawsuits involving redistricting.

A circuit court judge in Davidson County is a civil judge who mainly hears lawsuits and civil appeals from general sessions courts. Probate and divorce matters are also part of circuit court.

A criminal court judge hears felony criminal cases as well as criminal appeals from general sessions.

A general sessions judge is at the lowest rung on the judicial ladder and hears both limited civil and criminal

PHOTO: JOHN PARTIPILO

TAKING A LOOK AT THE PRIMARY RACES FOR JUDICIAL SEATS, SCHOOL BOARD SEATS AND THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S OFFICE

ELECTION SIGNS IN WORRICK ROBINSON’S FRONT YARD cases. Misdemeanors, city fines, creditor debt collections, landlord disputes, orders of protection, mental health committals and code violations all are handled in these courts.

These are four very different roles.

A general sessions judge typically will handle 10 times the volume of a circuit or criminal court judge. In 2021, 24,613 civil cases were filed in general sessions courts versus 1,881 in circuit courts. Sessions judges issued 3,137 orders of protection, 8,519 emergency committals and 16,885 civil warrants. As much as being a judge, sitting on the general sessions bench means being a bureaucrat who is effective at moving cases through the system in an orderly manner, starting court on time and being decisive. While a chancery court judge may take weeks or months to issue a ruling, a general sessions judge must be decisive in the face of a mountain of work.

Chancery court, by contrast, can be the deep end of the judicial pool. Some complex cases may take years to resolve and touch on arcane areas of law. A sample of one week’s filings in late March included the town of Mason suing the state comptroller’s office, a contract dispute over the construction of a house and Metro government seeking delinquent property taxes.

Circuit court judges have a variety of backgrounds. Amanda McClendon was a Metro Councilmember before being elected in 2006, Philip Smith was a family law practitioner before his appointment in 2009, and Joe Binkley was a sole practitioner who handled a lot of workers’ compensation and personal injury cases before being appointed in 2008.

On the criminal court bench, four of the current judges are former prosecutors and the other two are former criminal defense attorneys. Cheryl Blackburn, who presides over the Division III mental health court, held both private and state mental health positions, as well.

WHAT MAKES A GOOD JUDGE?

In conversations with a broad range of lawyers, several common themes emerged about what makes a good judge.

EXPERIENCE. Most respondents say they would like to see candidates have at least 10 years’ experience practicing the law before donning a robe. This falls roughly in line with the American Bar Association’s preference for 12 years’ experience before becoming a federal judge. And preferably, those candidates should have relevant experience for the position they are seeking, as well as subject matter expertise. For example, how many trials has a candidate done before?

Has a candidate seeking a criminal court judgeship actually defended or prosecuted someone? Has someone seeking a circuit court position filed suits or represented defendants before? And because most cases don’t actually make it to trial, how many pretrial motions have they filed on behalf of a client?

But many caution that experience is a guideline, not an absolute. Margaret Behm, a longtime partner at Dodson Parker Behm & Capparella, has participated in more than 100 judicial selections over the years and served on the state judicial selection committee for a decade. (Full disclosure: Margaret Behm is a donor to the Nashville Banner.

Financial supporters play no role in the Banner’s journalism.) She says if someone is really strong in other areas, a lack of experience isn’t a deal-killer.

“Julia Gibbons was just Lamar Alexander’s legal counsel when he appointed her to a circuit position, and she’s risen all the way to the 6th Circuit,” Behm says. “She’s been a fantastic judge and gotten quite a few honors. She only had five years’ experience.”

Several respondents also say experience outside the legal profession was valuable to give the candidate perspective.

INTELLECT. This seems self-explanatory, but as Yarbrough puts it, “You don’t want a dummy on the bench.”

INTEGRITY. Parties who enter a courtroom have to believe that a judge will act fairly throughout the course of their case. For many respondents, integrity includes not only fairness, but the appearance of fairness to preserve public trust in the courts.

“One thing I look at is how judges handle recusals,” says one attorney. “Do they take it personally if a party asks them to recuse themselves from a case? Will they punish

NASHVILLE SCENE | APRIL 14 – APRIL 20, 2022 | nashvillescene.com

coverstory_4-14-22.indd 8

4/11/22 6:04 PM

my client for asking?”

TEMPERAMENT. A judge will interact with a multitude of parties in a given day, from attorneys trying cases and their clients to court officers and clerks to members of the public in their courtrooms. How do they treat people? This is especially true in general sessions courts, where a large number of defendants represent themselves. How does a judge handle someone who may be unfamiliar with the court’s rules, but is required to appear before them? As former federal Judge Kevin Sharp says, “Can they handle these cases and deal with the different parties?

You’re going to deal with some pro se.

You’re going to deal with lawyers of a lot of different abilities and personalities.”

WORK ETHIC. Do the judges — or candidates for judge — act expeditiously?

Do they make decisions and file in a timely manner? Do they do the research on their own? In a criminal case, are they decisive about making some of the many evidentiary decisions? If a judge takes months to render a decision in a civil case, for example, it may affect the financial well-being of the parties involved. If a judge doesn’t begin a docket full of cases on schedule, it may affect hundreds of defendants, attorneys and staff.

“If a judge doesn’t have a work ethic, none of the other stuff matters,” Sharp says.

WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THE CANDIDATES?

More than most elections, judicial races are what experts refer to as “lowinformation elections.” There are very few metrics that help voters understand judicial performance. If you examine the criminal courts bench in Nashville, for example, there are statistics available about how many cases each judge handled, how many remained open or closed and which cases were felonies or misdemeanors. But whether or not a case was decided properly?

That means sitting in court and watching the judges and lawyers work.

“It is much more common for voters to have almost no information about judges before they go to vote on them,” says Douglas Keith, a counsel in the Brennan Center for Justice’s Democracy Program.

“There are really limited resources to find out more information. There might be a local bar association, or a voter-minded group that publishes short questions and answers, or biographies. And even those are fairly standard in the responses you can expect and don’t give voters a great opportunity to really learn about the differences between judges.”

One of the biggest problems leading to this low-information environment is a decline in the number of journalists. Since the close of the original Nashville Banner in 1998, The Tennessean’s newsroom has shrunk by two-thirds. Nationally, according to the Pew Foundation, there are half as many newspaper newsroom jobs today as in 2008. With those cuts has come the loss of regular courts coverage, something more noticeable with every judicial election cycle.

“The public pays for those courts, and the public deserves to see that justice is done,” says Sandra Roberts, former editorial page editor for The Tennessean. “And today, there’s really no way of knowing how the judge treats the lawyers, how the judge

treats the defendants, if the judge shows up on time or if the judge is calling in a substitute, which many have done. It’s been a bad problem in Nashville.”

Without regular coverage, it’s harder for voters to make an informed decision, Yarbrough says.

“You’re losing the flavor of what’s going on in the courthouse,” he says. “In other words, are the right cases being prosecuted?

Well, if they’re being defended, well, who’s doing that? Now nobody knows the top 40 lawyers. The ‘Best of the Bar’ and so on is based on who goes to the right cocktail party. It has nothing to do with the quality of work in the courthouse. And that really deprives the public of the knowledge that they should have in order to elect the proper people. And, you know, a civic-minded citizen ought to know what’s going on in the courthouse.”

Outside of a few high-profile trials, there has been very little coverage of judicial conduct. For example, a special prosecutor has been investigating Judge Kelvin Jones for a year, following admissions from Jones’ divorce trial that he hid money from creditors and broke into his wife’s phone to access her email. The news has merited only two local news stories of any depth.

So what tools do voters have available to them? The Nashville Bar Association’s poll of members ranks every candidate in the contested judicial primaries on a five-point scale: highly recommend, recommend, do not recommend, no opinion, did not know candidate. With more than 500 responses, it provides voters with some measure of how Nashville lawyers see the field. It’s not perfect, but it remains one of the few surveys available of people who work in Nashville’s courts.

Both the Banner and The Tennessean have asked candidates to respond to questionnaires, mainly about biographical and career information.

The Banner surveys can be found online.

The Tennessean surveys can as well.

Additionally, the nonprofit Please Vote Nashville is publishing a questionnaire that you can find at pleasevotenashville.org.

But by and large, endorsements are one of the few remaining tools available to voters.

Jerry Maynard, who served multiple terms on the Metro Council, explains why they have added value in judicial elections.

“Voters will be voting on character and reputation,” Maynard says. “So when you look at certain people who are running for judge, these candidates count more on [members of the] community in which they live and serve to then endorse them to other voters who do not know the candidate.

Endorsements in the judge races are more important and carry more value than, let’s say, other state legislative races or Metro Council races. And the reason is because we don’t know anything about them. So then a lot of voters will say, ‘Well, if you like them or you like her, she has good character, I’ll vote for that particular candidate.’

Because we do not have access to that information. So endorsements really matter in these judge races. And reputation in the community really matters because most incumbents get reelected.”

Which is why Worrick Robinson’s front yard doubles as a bit of democratic service this spring.

EMAIL EDITOR@NASHVILLESCENE.COM

WHAT DO THE LAWYERS THINK? The Nashville Bar Association polls its membership on judicial races every eight years. Instead of being a preference, members are asked whether or not they would recommend each individual candidate for a position. As a result, multiple candidates may receive similar poll percentages. A helpful way to look at the poll is to see where there are areas of large consensus (40 percent or more). In all, 523 members responded to the poll out of more than 2,500 NBA members.

NAME

HIGHLY RECOMMEND

RECOMMEND

DO NOT RECOMMEND

NO OPINION

DO NOT KNOW CANDIDATE

In the selection for the Circuit Court Clerk in Davidson County, TN: Joseph P. Day

27.15%

8.99%

0.57%

13.19%

50.10%

Howard Jones

4.59%

8.03%

16.25%

18.16%

52.96%

Pam Murray

0.76%

1.91%

17.97%%

18.36%

60.99%

In the selection for the Circuit Court Judge Division I in Davidson County, TN: David Briley

27.34%

27.72%

23.33%

12.43%

9.18%

Wendy Longmire

41.49%

18.74%

8.99%

11.66%

19.12%

In the selection for the Circuit Court Judge Division VII (Probate Court) in Davidson County, TN: Larry Hagar

11.28%

17.40%

15.87%

17.02%

38.43%

Andra Hedrick

20.27%

9.37%

4.21%

18.55%

47.61%

John Manson

12.81%

15.68%

11.28%

18.93%

41.30%

In the selection for the Circuit Court Judge Division VIII in Davidson County, TN: Luvell L. Glanton

8.22%

12.62%

29.64%

21.99%

27.53%

Lynne T. Ingram

24.67%

19.12%

6.31%

17.02%

32.89%

Kelvin Jones

7.27%

14.53%

51.43%

14.34%

12.43%

In the selection for the Criminal Court Judge Division III in Davidson County, TN: Cheryl Blackburn 38.62%

20.84%

5.74%

14.34%

20.46%

Kyle Parks

6.88%

13.58%

20.84%

52.39%

6.31%

In the selection for the Criminal Court Judge Division V in Davidson County, TN: Khadija Babb

3.25%

Monte D. Watkins 36.71%

4.97%

16.06%

18.55%

57.17%

24.86%

4.21%

10.71%

23.52%

In the selection for the Criminal Court Judge Division VI in Davidson County, TN: Cynthia Chappell 38.49%

11.41%

5.80%

12.96%

31.33%

Seth Norman

19.11%

17.76%

10.62%

18.92%

33.59%

Tillman Payne

4.44%

11.39%

15.25%

21.81%

47.10%

Marcus Shute Jr.

4.26%

6.78%

14.34%

20.93%

53.68%

In the selection for the District Attorney General in Davidson County, TN: Glenn Funk

39.16%

23.61%

23.99%

7.49%

5.76%

Sara Beth Myers

19.31%

19.11%

16.80%

17.95%

26.83%

P. Danielle Nellis

8.16%

14.17%

20.39%

19.42%

37.86%

In the selection for the General Sessions Judge Division II in Davidson County, TN: Melissa Blackburn

40.69%

25.14%

6.72%

13.63%

13.82%

Kenneth Redditt

1.95%

4.87%

18.91%

20.27%

54.00%

In the selection for the General Sessions Judge Division V in Davidson County, TN: Robin Kimbrough 7.36% Hayes

10.66%

18.60%

21.32%

42.05%

Dianne Turner

18.65%

6.54%

16.92%

34.42%

23.46%

In the selection for the General Sessions Judge Division VI in Davidson County, TN: Frank E. Mondelli, Jr.

25.05%

22.93%

13.68%

18.88%

19.46%

Jim Todd

25.15%

18.38%

9.67%

16.05%

30.75%

Paul Walwyn

8.54%

11.46%

28.16%

17.48%

34.37%

In the selection for the General Sessions Judge Division VIII in Davidson County, TN: Rachel L. Bell

17.08%

16.89%

40.31%

11.52%

14.20%

Erin Coleman

23.98%

23.39%

9.36%

17.35%

25.93%

nashvillescene.com | APRIL 14 – APRIL 20, 2022 | NASHVILLE SCENE

coverstory_4-14-22.indd 9

9

4/11/22 6:04 PM

BY ELI MOTYCKA

A

s district attorney general, the city’s top prosecutor manages a roughly 100-person office of victim advocates, administrative personnel and dozens of assistant district attorneys across several different units. The office determines whether, why and how to bring charges on behalf of Nashville, dealing with cases that range from marijuana possession to domestic violence to police shootings.

Much of this year’s Democratic primary race has focused on how each candidate conceives of the office’s responsibilities and to what extent those responsibilities extend beyond managing each day’s volume of cases. All three candidates have articulated a vision for the DA’s office that includes community involvement, centers victims, reserves prosecution resources for violent crimes, seeks alternatives to incarceration for nonviolent offenses, and untangles the legacy of systemic racism and mass incarceration in Nashville’s legal system.

P. Danielle Nellis grew up in North Nashville and attended local public schools, graduating from Hume-Fogg High School.

She went on to Spelman College in Atlanta and Boston University Law School before returning to Nashville to start her own criminal defense practice. She served as an ADA in current District Attorney Glenn Funk’s office from 2014 to 2018. Nellis worked mostly on domestic violence cases, one of few Black women in a predominantly white office, leaving in 2018 to clerk for Davidson County Criminal Court Judge Angelita Blackshear Dalton.

Sara Beth Myers started her career as a prosecutor with DA Torry Johnson, Funk’s predecessor, and was among a small group of prosecutors immediately fired when Funk took office. She worked briefly with Tennessee Attorney General Herbert Slatery and recently completed a four-year stint at the U.S. Attorney’s office. She was discussed as a pick to fill the vacant U.S. Attorney’s position for the Middle District of Tennessee, but that went to Mark Wildasin as interim. Myers left her job in November to run against Funk.

Funk has presided over concrete shifts in the DA’s office as well as controversial legal decisions that reflect his position as both prosecutor and public figure. Since 2014, Nashville has eased up on prosecuting nonviolent offenses and jailed fewer people.

Funk’s office has abandoned harsh penalties for drug possession in school zones and driving on a revoked license. Funk has utilized diversion programs and worked with defendants for bail reductions, though Nashville’s cash bail system remains in place. His office has never pursued the death penalty.

There have been substantive changes under Funk, though individuals charged and incarcerated are still disproportionately

10

GLENN FUNK

PHOTO: DANIEL MEIGS

Incumbent DA Glenn Funk faces challengers Sara Beth Myers and P. Danielle Nellis

Black, brown and poor — as is the case across the nation. Nellis and Myers argue the DA’s office can do more, faster.

Funk has handled many cases that have roiled Nashville, like the 2013 rape perpetrated and documented by Vanderbilt football students, and the 2018 mass shooting at an Antioch Waffle House. When Metro Nashville Police Department Officer Joshua Lippert killed Jocques Clemmons in 2017, Funk declined to bring charges, anticipating Lippert’s “reasonable claim of self defense” and all the ways police officers manage to evade criminal accountability. A year later, 25-year-old MNPD Officer Andrew Delke killed Daniel Hambrick at Cayce Homes in East Nashville. Last summer, Funk offered Delke a plea deal for voluntary manslaughter and a three-year prison sentence, which Delke accepted. Despite viewing the incident as first-degree murder (and amid international protests against racist police violence) Funk chose to pursue what he considered a more assured conviction. Both Hambrick and Clemmons were Black. Both officers are white.

In January 2018, then-Mayor Megan Barry acknowledged a romantic relationship with MNPD Officer Sgt. Rob Forrest, the head of her security detail. Funk called in the TBI to probe any legal implications.

Questions about overtime for Forrest became sticking points, amounting to a misuse of public funds. Funk offered Barry a plea deal for felony theft, conditioned on her resignation, which Barry took. The charges were expunged in 2021.

Seen purely through fundraising numbers, Myers has mounted the bigger challenge against Funk. Her platform introduces a community prosecution model that would assign ADAs to police precincts, aiming to identify root causes of violence and crime. To address and prevent crime, she says she plans to leverage the services of area nonprofits. Her campaign has rallied several former county prosecutors, lawyers and familiar political figures, like Barry, who have reason for dissatisfaction with the incumbent.

Nellis proposes specific changes in diversion programs, pretrial services, and rights restoration among a litany of potential DA initiatives organized in an 18-page policy book.

“The best way to get people out of the system is to keep people out of the system in the first place,” Nellis tells the Scene.

Nellis left the DA’s office a few months after presenting Funk with proposals for increased efforts to directly engage the community. According to Funk, the proposals would have come with a restructuring of Nellis’ professional responsibilities, straining an already understaffed office. To Nellis, the incumbent seemed resistant to certain types of change.

The 2014 county primary tallied a little more than 30,000 votes for district attorney.

Funk won with 40 percent of that. Even with an incumbent advantage, a low-turnout election can mean small margins. As Nellis and Myers work to convince voters, Funk touts and defends his record.

Recent candidate forums are available to watch online. Those can get wonky — lawyers are involved — but they’re worth tuning in to. Few elected officials wield as much power as Nashville’s prosecutorin-chief.

EMAIL EDITOR@NASHVILLESCENE.COM

P. DANIELLE NELLIS

PHOTO: DANIEL MEIGS

THE RACE FOR DISTRICT ATTORNEY

SARA BETH MYERS

NASHVILLE SCENE | APRIL 14 – APRIL 20, 2022 | nashvillescene.com

coverstory_4-14-22.indd 10

4/11/22 6:05 PM

Fresh Ground. Hand Crafted. Locally Owned.

FRANKLIN

NASHVILLE

324 Main Street 615.472.8980

L&L Market 3820 Charlotte Ave. 615.730.8798

nashvillescene.com APRIL 28, 2022

DOWNTOWN

THE RENAISSANCE NASHVILLE HOTEL GRAND BALLROOM

11:00 AM - 1:00 PM Saturday, April 16

Saturday, April 23

SONGWRITER SESSION

SONGWRITER SESSION

CJ Solar

Frank Ray

NOON · FORD THEATER

NOON · FORD THEATER

Saturday, April 16

Sunday, April 24

FAMILY PROGRAM

HATCH SHOW PRINT

DeFord Bailey

Block Party

HARMONICA SALUTE AND LESSON

3:00 pm · HATCH SHOW PRINT SHOP SOLD OUT

With Carlos DeFord Bailey, Jake Groves, and Ketch Secor 2:30 pm · FORD THEATER Sunday, April 17 HATCH SHOW PRINT

Block Party

3:00 pm · HATCH SHOW PRINT SHOP SOLD OUT

Saturday, April 30 SONGWRITER SESSION

Kieran Kane & Rayna Gellert NOON · FORD THEATER

Presented by

To purchase tickets, visit

TheWomensFund.com The POWER of the PURSE® 2022 SPEAKER TIFFANY DUFU

Corporate professional, author, entrepreneur and philanthropist

Saturday, May 14 SONGWRITER SESSION

Roger Cook NOON · FORD THEATER

Check our calendar for a full schedule of upcoming programs and events.

CountryMusicHallofFame.org/Calendar

Benefiting The Women’s Fund of The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee. Your contributions help The Women’s Fund transform the lives of women and girls in Middle Tennessee.

Museum Membership Museum members receive unlimited Museum admission, concert ticket pre-sale opportunities, and much more.

JOIN TODAY: CountryMusicHallofFame.org/Membership

nashvillescene.com | APRIL 14 – APRIL 20, 2022 | NASHVILLE SCENE

11

O

W

H

tennessee

.

OF

s ta n

rd P RO

nashville

da

ISK Y C E

Who said Whiskey couldn’t be

HOW PARTISAN POLITICS ARE SHAPING NASHVILLE’S SCHOOL BOARD ELECTIONS 14 candidates are vying for school board seats in districts 2, 4, 6 and 8

BY KELSEY BEYELER

P g n i h s e r Ref

now offering private

Cocktail

classes

Scan the QR code for more info.

12

artisan school board elections are doing exactly what critics were afraid of — pulling attention away from students and their education.

When the Tennessee General Assembly passed a law in 2021 allowing partisan school board elections, Nashville Republicans and Democrats scrambled to decide whether to hold primaries.

After a game of political chicken, each party announced its plan to do so, and now we’re approaching Nashville’s first partisan school board primaries. Fold in the education-related culture wars happening across the country and tension between the Metro Nashville Public Schools board and the state, and you’ve got a highly politicized climate that has already diverted focus from students and schools.

District 6 candidate and Democrat Natalie Martin missed the deadline to apply for a teachers’ union endorsement because, she said at the time, she was busy teaching.

Martin is a member of the Metropolitan Nashville Education Association, but instead of endorsing its own member, the MNEA Political Action Committee for Education endorsed Cheryl Mayes, a former MNPS board chair and employee of U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper, because Mayes turned in the paperwork on time.

One significant consequence of partisan school board elections is changes in timing.

With early voting for primaries having started April 13 and ending April 28, the timeframe to campaign is significantly shorter for those running with a partisan affiliation. That also means voters have less time to familiarize themselves with candidates. But those who win the primary and move on to the general election will see a longer, more expensive campaign season before Election Day on Aug. 4.

Early campaigning aligns with a busy time for MNPS as the school year is wrapping up and the board is in its budget season. “Us having primaries during that is very, very hard,” says District 2 incumbent Rachael Anne Elrod. “But [campaigning] should not be more important than your actual job. So managing those two and juggling it, I think, is a new experience for sure.”

Not all candidates have to worry about the primaries. Elrod is the only Democrat running in her district, and Kelli Phillps is the only Republican running in District 4.

There are also three candidates running independently: Amy Pate in District 8, District 6 incumbent Fran Bush and Edward Arnold in District 2. Running independently eliminates the need to win a primary election, but it also means less political recognition.

“I wondered, should I run as an independent?” says Elrod. “Because I do very much pride myself in being a middleground person, and [I try] to consider all viewpoints. … But all studies and data and encouragement from both sides of the aisle show that independents do not get votes. You need to have the acceptance of a party, or you do not typically get … as many votes.”

Partisan elections aren’t the only curveball the state has thrown at school boards. Last month, Axios reported on legislation with a proposed amendment that would have required a mayoral-appointed school board in districts that have 10 or more priority schools — Davidson and Shelby counties are the only Tennessee school districts with more than 10 priority schools. The legislation — and the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce, which backed it — got attention from the Metro Council, which passed a resolution at its April 5 meeting “condemning the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce’s efforts to subvert democracy and eliminate the people’s voice in determining who serves on the Metropolitan Nashville Board of Public Education.” The bill is not likely to pass, but it demonstrates the politics and power struggles surrounding school board elections.

MNPS board members aren’t particularly shy about their frustrations with state and national politicians either. On March 22, a hot mic caught District 1 representative Sharon Gentry saying, “Can we just go set Marsha Blackburn on fire?” The comment came amid a conversation about Ketanji Brown Jackson’s Supreme Court confirmation hearings. Tennessee’s Sen. Marsha Blackburn asked Jackson to define the word “woman” (earning her a roast from Saturday Night Live), while fellow Republican Sen. Ted Cruz questioned Jackson about critical race theory, a legal concept that is typically taught in law school but has become shorthand for a conservative wedge issue. (Gentry is not up for reelection during this cycle — only the even-numbered districts are.)

Some candidates are centering these same topics in their campaigns. District 2’s “ ‘No Woke’ Todd Pembroke,” for example, is campaigning in part on the concept of removing critical race theory and “gender identification” from public school criteria.

Meanwhile, District 8 Democratic candidate Chris Moth’s website challenges the conservative talking point. His website states that “Chris will stand up to those who claim teaching about our nation’s history with race is some version of a spooky ‘Critical Race Theory’ curriculum.”

Every moment spent discussing these sorts of political-football issues distracts the conversations from the staff and students whom candidates are running to serve.

There are still staff shortages, underpaid employees and students dealing with the fallout of the pandemic — many of whom weren’t on track academically to begin with.

Most candidates have acknowledged these issues and their intentions to address them on the board, but they can’t entirely ignore the politics either.

“A lot of our positions are not political positions,” says Elrod. “They are … procedural positions. And if you start letting politics get into it, that’s not necessarily what’s best for students.”

EMAIL EDITOR@NASHVILLESCENE.COM

NASHVILLE SCENE | APRIL 14 – APRIL 20, 2022 | nashvillescene.com

coverstory_4-14-22.indd 12

4/11/22 6:05 PM

MKTG

B E TO U G H .

BE A NAIL.

Sing Me Back Home: Folk Roots to the Present EXHIBIT NOW OPEN

DOWNTOWN MKTG_BeHere_SceneAd_Ephemera 2022.indd 1

VISIT TODAY

CountryMusicHallofFame.org

4/11/22 9:49 AM

NO JUS UN T CE D AN

coming soon TOWER OF POWER April 22*

WITH THE N AS H V I L L E SY M P H O N Y

HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE™ IN CONCERT

Enrico Lopez-Yañez, Conductor

May 12 to 15

ON SALE FRIDAY, APRIL 15

July 6

A Celebration of the Roaring ‘20s

PROHIBITION May 25

LESLIE ODOM, JR. May 26 to 28

THE MUSIC OF JOHN WILLIAMS 90

WI T H T HE

May 29*

BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION WITH THE NASHVILLE SYMPHONY

NA S H VI L L E S Y M P H O N Y

SERIES PARTNER

CHAKA KHAN

TH

NATHAN ASPiNALL, CONDuCTOR

April 28 to 30

BEETHOVEN’S NINTH June 2 to 5

May 1

ABBA: THE CONCERT

Ballet Extravaganza

BACK TO THE FUTURE IN CONCERT

Firebird and Billy the Kid with Nashville Ballet

Y olanda a dams WITH THE NASHVILLE

June 8*

SYMPHONY

June 17 to 19

Giancarlo Guerrero, conductor Paul Vasterling, artistic director

A Gospel Mother's Day

BERNADETTE PETERS June 22

DR. HENRY PANION III, CONDUCTOR

May 8

SERIES PARTNER

May 19 to 22

*Presented without the Nashville Symphony.

EXPLORE OUR CONCERT CALENDAR AND BUY TICKETS

NashvilleSymphony.org/Tickets | 615.687.6400

WITH SUPPORT FROM

CRITICS’ PICKS W E E K L Y

R O U N D U P

O F

T H I N G S

T O

D O

of pop savvy and reliance on ready-made forms don’t apply. Davis, who moved to Nashville a decade ago, can sing like, say, Mildred Bailey or Peggy Lee, and she also nails “One More Mile,” a tune by Kentucky folk singer Jean Ritchie. She gets close to pop — catchy tunes that don’t rely on retro effects and give you the sense the singer inhabits the modern world — on “Monhegan Lullaby,” a fine track from her 2014 album Bandbox Jubilee. When Davis gets into the pre-World War II jazz she obviously loves, it’s not like listening to a more standard Americana artist like Sierra Ferrell mining that particular vein. Davis gives interesting shadings to her vocal performances, and I could imagine her tackling songs by just about anyone — Richard Thompson, Iris DeMent, maybe even The Go-Betweens.

Singers’ singers need encouragement too — check her out. 9 p.m. at the Station Inn, 402 12th Ave. S. EDD HURT

WHEELER WALKER JR. THURSDAY, APRIL 14

FILM

Ryman Auditorium

[NAUGHTY BY NATURE]

BLUE NIGHT AT THE BLUE ROOM

If you’re a Nashvillian who spends a decent amount of time doing things like attending comedy shows and reading about culture, there’s a good chance you’ve run across Chloë Stillwell’s name a time or two. She’s written for pubs including Slate, Playboy and The Guardian, and as a culture writer at Mic.com, she regularly opines about pop culture, celebrity and more — check out her interview with Dolly Parton (!!!) from back in December. As a stand-up comic, Stillwell is known to light up stages with fun, often-raunchy material designed to keep the pearl-clutching crowd clutching those pearls. This week, she’ll bring her blue humor to Jack White’s Third Man Records for an event she’s calling Blue Night at The Blue Room. The bar opens at 5 p.m. — and it’s a fun, vibey bar — so you’ve got a bit of time to get lathered up before the debaucherous comments and general horniness begin to fly. 8 p.m. at The Blue Room at Third Man Records, 623 Seventh Ave. S. D. PATRICK RODGERS

hallowed environs of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in March, I marked the event as another example of how country music ideologues get it wrong.

In case you don’t know, Hoffman performs as a country singer named Wheeler Walker Jr., and there he was at the museum, dressed as Wheeler, decrying its inclusion of a Florida-Georgia Line exhibit. Walker is a curious figure to rail against mainstream country, since his shtick is that he sings dirty songs in a half-parodistic Americanacountry mode. Wheeler sings tunes like “Sit on My Face” and “Pictures on My Phone” in an unfailingly filthy manner, and the title track of his 2016 breakthrough album Redneck Shit is one evolutionary step up from Kid Rock and a couple below, say, Jonny Fritz and Montgomery Gentry.

Wheeler gets close to the satirical tone he aspires to on something titled “Anal & the Dishes,” which is dirty comedy-country with an eye for detail: “Anal and the dishes / Sunday shoppin’ with them Walmart bitches,” he sings. Thursday’s show at the Ryman marks his first live appearance since 2018. Joshua Ray Walker opens. 7:30 p.m. at the Ryman, 116 John Lewis Way. N.

WHEELER WALKER JR.

When I heard that the country singer, actor and comedy writer Ben Hoffman — a Kentucky native who attended Tulane University and went on to host Comedy Central’s The Ben Show and write for series like Archer — had protested outside the

MUSIC

MUSIC

EDD HURT [NASHVILLE DIRT]

[A MOUTHFUL]

FRUIT BATS W/JOHANNA SAMUELS

There have been approximately 3 bajillion groups blending some combination of folk and indie rock since the late 1990s, but none has yet caught my ear quite like Fruit Bats. The ever-evolving

catalog of the project, helmed by singersongwriter Eric Johnson, boasts inventive harmonies and melodies deployed in subtle ways that enhance the tunes’ poppy underpinnings, as well as a tendency to bring unexpected sounds into the mix.

Johnson has had myriad other gigs over the years, including playing with The Shins and Califone, scoring films and joining up with Anaïs Mitchell and Josh Kaufman in the folk-schooled supergroup Bonny Light Horseman. In 2021, Fruit Bats released one of their most rocking records yet, The Pet Parade, as well as a folk-kissed reimagining of The Smashing Pumpkins’ revered 1993 LP Siamese Dream. On this visit to Music City, Fruit Bats will be joined by Johanna Samuels, a kindred spirit with a catalog of superlative songs marked by her wry sense of humor. 8 p.m. at The Basement East, 917 Woodland St. STEPHEN TRAGESER MUSIC

MUSIC

THURSDAY / 4.14

[GREEN PEACE]

REEL SOUTH: ‘BURY ME AT TAYLOR HOLLOW’

In 2019, the Scene took a tour of Larkspur Conservation at Taylor Hollow, a natural-burial site in Sumner County led by executive director John Christian Phifer.

“The metal caskets and embalming and cosmetics and special lighting,” Phifer told us of the funeral industry, “it creates an illusion, and it’s like an invisible fence that prevents us from being with the loss, and being in the loss.” Indeed, Phifer, who grew up on a farm in small-town West Tennessee, has made it his life’s mission to show people that they have another option when it comes to burying their loved ones — an option that doesn’t use chemicals, plastic, metal or concrete, and returns our bodies to the earth in a more economical and ecological way.

At the 2020 Nashville Film Festival, a short documentary about Phifer and Larkspur

[SINGING AMERICA]

RACHAEL DAVIS

You might call the Michigan-born, Nashville-based singer, multiinstrumentalist and songwriter Rachael Davis a singers’ singer, but that term often serves as code for not-quite-commercial.

In the case of Davis — a very good singer who works in several Americana-adjacent modes — the music she makes does come from that most problematic of Nashville places: the great well of retro. I don’t have a problem with this, because Davis is such a precise, piquant and altogether fascinating vocalist that my usual caveats about lack

‘BURY ME AT TAYLOR HOLLOW’

nashvillescene.com | APRIL 14 – APRIL 20, 2022 | NASHVILLE SCENE

criticspicks_4-14-22.indd 15

15

4/11/22 3:17 PM

Here’s a show that benefits a worthy cause. Nashville singer JR Hammond has been facing health problems that include cancer, and Thursday night’s show brings together a stellar roster of Music City bands and singers who will donate the proceeds to Hammond’s health fund. On board will be ’80s proto-Americana band Walk the West, an ensemble that combines New Wave sonics with Tennessee rock ’n’ roll. Walk the West’s 1986 self-titled debut includes classics like “Do You Wanna Dance” and “Too Much of a Good Thing,” and you might compare them to, say, Drivin N Cryin, who also combine Southern rock with New Wave. If anything, those ’80s records sound pretty much contemporary today, and the band recently released a live album that documents a 2021 Nashville show, Live at The Basement East.

Also appearing will be The Stage 4 Band, featuring Hammond along with fiddler and singer Andrea Zonn. Red Wine Hangover, a rock trio led by singer Cade Doyle, will blast off with their post-British Invasion tunes, along with Smoking Flowers and Suncat.

Rounding out the benefit will be Fleming & John, whose approach to rock history includes recasting Sonny & Cher’s “I Got You Babe” to the tune of Led Zeppelin’s “Black Dog.” 6:30 p.m. at Mercy Lounge, 1 Cannery Row EDD HURT

MUSIC

For Waxahatchee, the stage name of singer-songwriter Katie Crutchfield, 2020’s Saint Cloud represented a shift in art as in life. Her straightforward fifth LP brought her music back to the folkAmericana sounds of her native Alabama, and was her first release after getting sober a couple years earlier. A clarity brought by both decisions rings throughout the album, which sounds like it’d make a nice soundtrack for a day by the creek from which Crutchfield adopted her moniker. It also always sounds to me like a collection of songs that would beautifully score a night at the Ryman. Good for all of us, then, that Crutchfield is set to make her headlining debut at the Mother Church on Friday. It’s a triumph for her and a gift for us. Hometown gal Madi Diaz will appear in support. 8 p.m. at the Ryman, 116 Fifth Ave. N. STEVEN HALE [STORM BLOWS ON]

GARTH BROOKS

After postponing once because of wicked weather conditions and once because of rising COVID-19 numbers, Garth Brooks will hopefully (barring any natural disasters or aggressive variants) play for Nashville audiences on Friday and Saturday at Nissan Stadium. While this show was initially just a one-night reschedule, Brooks, as he is known to do, added another date on April 15 after tickets had already gone on sale for the Saturday performance. At this point, he might have figured that two nights gives Nashville a better chance to see him in action. We’ll be prayin’ there ain’t nothing else to keep this show from rolling in. Set lists from recent Garth shows boast all the hits — “Rodeo,” “Friends in Low Places,” “Standing Outside the Fire,” “The Thunder Rolls” — not to mention a whole slew of excellent covers. April 15-16 at Nissan Stadium, 1 Titans Way AMANDA HAGGARD

If you’re looking for a way to get the kids out of the house this weekend (or perhaps just enjoy a bit of sunshine yourself), you’ll want to check out Cheekwood’s Great Spring Art Hop. There are tons of family-friendly activities to choose from, including egg hunts and craft projects. You can catch live entertainment in the Bracken Foundation Children’s Garden (Mr. Steve the Music Man will be performing on Friday, with Farmer Jason appearing on Saturday). Or search for the nine oversized bunnies — all designed and created by local artists — which are displayed throughout the gardens. There will also be plenty of food trucks on hand, including Nashville Chicken & Waffles, The Grilled Cheeserie, Delicias Colombianas, Moosic City Ice Cream and more. Advance timed-entry tickets are required. April 1516 at Cheekwood, 1200 Forrest Park Drive AMY STUMPFL [HORRORS]

FULL MOON TATTOO AND HORROR FESTIVAL

It’s the time of year when tatted-up horror fans flock to a hotel next to the airport, hang out with iconic horror-movie stars, and maybe get some more body art from the dozens of tattoo artists who’ll be in attendance. This year, The Full Moon Tattoo and Horror Festival has rounded up an impressive guest list, which includes Billy Zane, Tom Sizemore and esteemed drive-in critic Joe Bob Briggs. Some stars will also show up for a trio of screenings over at Full Moon Cineplex. A Friday night screening of Rob Zombie’s 2005 grindhouse salute The Devil’s Rejects will include a post-screening Q&A with cast members William Forsythe, Ken Foree and Dave Sheridan. Later that evening, Felissa Rose will introduce a showing of the 1983 slasher favorite Sleepaway Camp. The following day, Lisa Zane (yes, Billy’s sister!) will introduce Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare, the 1991 “final” installment in the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise.

Festival attendees get access to all these screenings with their “Golden Skull” pass.

Friday-Sunday at the Sonesta Nashville Airport Hotel, 600 Marriott Drive, and Full Moon Cineplex, 3455 Lebanon Pike CRAIG D. LINDSEY

PHOTO: MOLLY MATALON

MUSIC

SATURDAY / 4.16 [VR TROOPERS]

VR SEX W/SERFS

Every time I’m about to curse myself for going overboard with my praise for L.A. band Drab Majesty — who, in 2019, in these pages, I declared heirs apparent to Depeche Mode — they turn around and prove me right. I’m not sure what the delineation is exactly between Drab’s punkier new side project VR Sex and potential demos for the follow-up to 2019’s instant-classic Modern Mirror, but I’ll leave that to the artist. VR Sex’s Rough Dimension record is mid-fi synth punk par excellence. Cincinnati electro punks Serfs open. 7:30 p.m. at The End, 2219 Elliston Place CHARLIE ZAILLIAN WAXAHATCHEE

16

FILM

GREAT SPRING ART HOP

[HOP ALONG]

EASTER WEEKEND DOUBLE FEATURE: HARVEY & DONNIE DARKO

Those clever bastards at the Belcourt thought it would be fun to give audiences a special treat this Easter weekend: backto-back movies in which the protagonist interacts with a mischievous, human-size rabbit that other folks can’t see. And while Richard Kelly’s 2001 cult fave Donnie Darko has been baffling audiences for two decades now, I find Henry Koster’s relentlessly zany 1950 farce to be the more deranged selection. Adapted from Mary Chase’s screwball stage play, Harvey has Jimmy Stewart playing a polite but possibly unhinged man whose friendship with an invisible, 6-foot-tall bunny has everybody around him — from his heavily histrionic sister to the employees at the sanitarium his sister keeps trying to send him to — acting far more insane than he ever could. It’s not a head-scratching ride like the other film, in which Jake Gyllenhaal’s time-traveling teen gets egged on by a rabbit named Frank to do some property-destroying shit. But firsttime viewers may be surprised at how much of a manic madhouse the black-and-white film from the ’50s can be. April 16-17 at the Belcourt, 2102 Belcourt Ave. CRAIG D. LINDSEY

SUNDAY / 4.17 MUSIC

JR HAMMOND BENEFIT FEAT. WALK THE WEST & MORE

WAXAHATCHEE W/MADI DIAZ

[SPRING FLING]

[NO EXCUSES]

JERRY CANTRELL

Guitarist-songwriter Jerry Cantrell doesn’t get enough credit as the true alternative-rock survivor he is. Alice in Chains — Cantrell’s ’90s Seattle brainchild and one of the grunge era’s Big Four along with Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Soundgarden — lost its original bassist Mike Starr in ’93 and its voice and face Layne Staley a few years later, both to the scourge of heroin. Yet AIC has bucked the odds and kept going with a new, excellent singer in William Duvall — losing some hardline fans perhaps, but gaining more open-minded ones. I ride hard for the Staley-era 1996 MTV Unplugged record, but just as much for 2013’s second-generation The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here, which rocks as hard as any OG AIC LP without sounding as dated. As for Cantrell himself, there’s a sense of joy and freedom — and remarkable cohesion — to his new solo LP Brighten, which has earned a proper Mother Church celebration.

Wear your finest flannel. Twenty-year-old Angeleno singer-songwriter Lola Colette will open. 8 p.m. at the Ryman, 116 Fifth Ave. N. CHARLIE ZAILLIAN MUSIC

[WALK STEADY]

[IN FROM THE STORM]

FESTIVAL

MUSIC

D. PATRICK RODGERS

FRIDAY / 4.15

MUSIC

took home the Best Tennessee Short Film prize. That short has been expanded into a 55-minute documentary, “Bury Me at Taylor Hollow,” which will screen as part of the seventh season of the PBS doc series Reel South. While an April 14 rental screening at the Belcourt Theatre has already sold out, you can watch “Bury Me at Taylor Hollow” via stream or broadcast beginning April 18. Visit pbs.org/show/reel-south for local listings or to stream the episode.

7:30 p.m. Thursday at the Belcourt, 2102 Belcourt Ave.; available Monday via PBS

ART

CRITICS’ PICKS

[REFILL]

ELLE VARNER

Elle Varner is no stranger to disruption.

Circa 2010, the R&B singer seemed poised for big things, dropping hit singles and an acclaimed debut album. She signed to a big label, there were business complications, streaming grew more lucrative, her sophomore LP was shelved, and she stepped away from music for five years. She came back in 2018, and the following year dropped her EP Ellevation, which showed Varner still had the magic touch — her voice could fit any era, but she was wearing ’90s and Aughts influences

NASHVILLE SCENE | APRIL 14 – APRIL 20, 2022 | nashvillescene.com

criticspicks_4-14-22.indd 16

4/11/22 3:17 PM

4.23 - 4.24.2022 26.2 I 13.1 I 6.15M I 5K I 1 MILE KIDS ROCK I DOGGY DASH

CRITICS’ PICKS

MUSIC

ALEJANDRO RAMIREZ

GREET DEATH W/LOCKSTEP & INFANT ISLAND

Greet Death hails from tranquil surroundings — Flint, Mich., technically, but in reality, the suburban wilds that surround it. But the foursome is one of the most fiery young rock acts to cross my path in some time. The group piqued my curiosity pre-pandemic with New Hell, an LP that on one hand resembles similarly minded reformed-hardcore shoegazers like Nothing and countless others, but on the other, has a quirkier vulnerability to it, and heavier-hitting dynamics. The track “Entertainment,” sung by co-frontman Sam Boyhtari, is an instant classic, as is the more recent “I Hate Everything.” I can’t wait to hear more. Also — support the Springwater.

There are only so many longtime small venues in this town remaining. Also on the bill: Lockstep and Infant Island. 8 p.m. at Springwater, 115 27th Ave. N. CHARLIE ZAILLIAN

Event Gatherings Conferences Private Tastings Networking events 615.356.6164

bellemeadewinery.com events@bellemeadewinery.com

MONDAY / 4.18 MUSIC

April in...

4/07 THURSDAY

FEAR OF THE DAWn listening party

4/13 WEDNESDAY

21 +

4/08 FRIDAY

JAZZ NIGHT

TICKET

with JACK SILVERMAN QUARTET 21 +

ata kak

with REAUX MARQUEZ

4/14 THURSDAY

COMEDY NIGHT

21 +

hosted by CHLOE STILLWELL

4/16 SATURDAY

TICKET

GueRilla Toss

4/21 THURSDAY

21 +

NASHVILLE DON’T UNDERSTAND

with SNOOPER

4/23 SATURDAY

[GM-CORE]

AARON STEELE & FRIENDS

jOSH HALPER’S BOSSA NOVA BAND

TITICKCKETET

4/27 WEDNESDAY

creature feature FILM NIGHT

TICKET

4/09 SATURDAY

VINYL RANCH PRESENTS:

21 +

DISKO COWBOY 4/15 FRIDAY

21 +

DJ NIGHT: The Cramps

4/22 FRIDAY

closed to

the public

4/28 THURSDAY

music trivia night

21 +

[ALL TOGETHER NOW]

BLACK OPRY ANNIVERSARY PARTY

It’s important that Black Opry, an organization launched by country music fan Holly G, provides a platform for promoting and celebrating artists who aren’t white in the extremely whitedominated country music business. Even more important than that is that Black Opry offers opportunities for those musicians to connect with one another and not be made to feel like outsiders in a tradition that Black musicians helped create but have largely been squeezed out of over the past century.

As Holly G told the Scene in January: “The message sent to Black people who are making country music or working around it is that you’re the only one. That’s why any

STEPHEN TRAGESER

MUSIC

Host Your Event Here

time we get together, there will be a few moments when we get really quiet and go, ‘Holy shit, there’s a lot of us.’ Can’t tell that lie no more.” To mark one year of furthering this work through the traveling Black Opry Revue concert series, Holly G and Nashville comedian Joshua Black will host a wide array of rising Black country artists Monday at City Winery. The lineup runs the gamut from phenomenal picker and roots scholar Jake Blount to rising singersongwriters Roberta Lea and Aaron Vance to string duo SistaStrings (who you might have seen playing with Allison Russell and Brandi Carlile on the Grammys broadcast) and beyond. Trust me when I say you’re going to kick yourself for missing this one.

8 p.m. at City Winery, 609 Lafayette St.

[SQUAD GOALS]

POM POM SQUAD W/CHLOE LILAC

Pom Pom Squad’s 2021 sleeper hit Death of a Cheerleader is an Advanced Placement-worthy study in punk-pop songcraft and unapologetic femininity.

It’s also a grand introduction to the hotly tipped Brooklyn-via-Florida group fronted

by Mia Berrin — the 24-year-old daughter of MC Serch of late-’80s 3rd Bass hip-hop fame. I’m not sure I heard a catchier song last year than the album’s opener “Head Cheerleader.” And that’s just the tip of the iceberg for Berrin’s loosely conceptual power trio, whose record got a production assist from the prolific Sarah Tudzin of L.A.’s similarly-minded Illuminati Hotties, and who’ll make their Nashville debut at this show. Chloe Lilac opens. 7:30 p.m. at The End, 2219 Elliston Place CHARLIE ZAILLIAN

TUESDAY / 4.19 THEATER

like Erykah Badu and Jill Scott on her sleeve, with an ear for beats and guest rappers that complemented her perfectly, as well as a penchant for acoustic ballads and pop. Then the world locked down due to COVID-19, and Varner was once again improvising, adjusting and getting ready for the next move. Her new tour, An Intimate Experience With Elle Varner, is hitting City Winery locations around the country, and Varner says fans can expect to hear some new music as well as her classics.

8 p.m. at City Winery, 609 Lafayette St.

[WELCOME TO THE ROCK]

COME FROM AWAY

The tiny hamlet of Gander, Newfoundland, may seem a world away from Music City. But with the arrival of the hit musical Come From Away, Nashville audiences can get a better sense of the community — and the incredible spirit — that united so many folks in the days following the tragic attacks of 9/11. Based on actual events, this inspiring musical takes us right into the heart of the small town that welcomed roughly 7,000 stranded passengers when global air traffic came to a halt and 38 planes from around the world were forced to land unexpectedly

hosted by BEN BLACKWELL

4/29 FRIDAY + 4/30 SATURDAY

DIJON

sold

out!

sold

out!

POM POM SQUAD

18

NASHVILLE SCENE | APRIL 14 – APRIL 20, 2022 | nashvillescene.com

criticspicks_4-14-22.indd 18

4/11/22 3:17 PM

CRITICS’ PICKS

Nashville’s ONLY vinyl record store with full bar and 24 seasonal craft beers on tap.

DJs, exclusive RSD releases, Be Good market, food trucks, etc.

Open at 9am) 24 Recovery Day with DJ Dad’s midday set 25 closed 26 closed 27 LIVE: Emily Blue 28 Classic Rock with DJ Callie

MUSIC

[HAKUNA MATATA]

PEDRO THE LION W/OCEANATOR

David Bazan’s longtime indie-rock project Pedro the Lion isn’t exactly known for light tunes, and the band’s latest efforts are further proof of that. Pedro’s most recent album Havasu is the second in a series of albums named for and inspired by cities Bazan lived in as a kid — the first was 2019’s Phoenix. Both deal with the difficulty and pain around a transient childhood.

These two albums conjure a different pain than the work that came before Pedro the Lion’s 13-year hiatus — less heartache over relationships and spiritual woes, more plunges into adolescent turmoil and the kind of hurt that comes with not knowing where you’ll be next. Brooklyn punk/grunge outfit Oceanator, whose sophomore album Nothing’s Ever Fine came out April 8, will open. 8 p.m. at The Basement East, 917 Woodland St. AMANDA HAGGARD

MUSIC

WEDNESDAY / 4.20 [OL’ HED]

JOSHUA HEDLEY ALBUM RELEASE

Talented multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Joshua Hedley has been a regular performer at Robert’s Western World for years, entertaining excitable tourists and local regulars with a mix of country classics and his own material. In 2018, Hedley’s talents earned deserved acclaim outside of the Nashville country scene with the release of his debut record Mr. Jukebox. The album, which he released via Third Man Records, was praised for a sound that harkened back to country music traditionalism from the 1950s and ’60s. He’s been open about drawing inspiration from greats like George Jones and Ray Price, but the 37-year-old also grew up soaking in the sounds of ’90s country hitmakers. The golden era that gave us hits like Joe Diffie’s “John Deere Green” and

Brooks & Dunn’s “Neon Moon” is at the sonic core of Hedley’s upcoming LP Neon Blue. Due April 22 via New West Records, Neon Blue was intentionally crafted in the same way as many of the biggest country records released in the 1990s. Hedley sought out a list of creative collaborators from the era — including multitalented Carson Chamberlain, who served as the bandleader and steel guitarist for Keith Whitley, and penned major country hits that include Alan Jackson’s “Love’s Got a Hold on You” and George Strait’s “The Best Day.” To create his own version of the trademark neotraditional sound found on those iconic ’90s country tunes, he recruited an all-star team of Nashville session players to back him. Their accompaniment brings the perfect touch, elevating tracks like his blue-collar anthem “Broke Again” and the powerful cover of Roger Miller’s “River in the Rain.” The result is a fun, refreshing collection of songs that capture the magic of the era while still creating a sound that’s both authentic and all Hedley’s own. On Wednesday, Hedley will celebrate the release of Neon Blue with a special performance at Eastside Bowl, featuring support from burgeoning singersongwriter Megg Farrell. It’s a must-attend event for anyone in need of a reminder that great country music lives on in Nashville, even if it can often feel a little harder to find.

8 p.m. at Eastside Bowl, 508A Gallatin Pike S., Madison LORIE LIEBIG

ta p yl

nashville .c

om

at the Gander International Airport.

Penned by married Canadian writing team Irene Sankoff and David Hein, Come From Away opened at Broadway’s Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre in March 2017 and went on to earn seven Tony nominations.

Christopher Ashley took home the prize for Best Direction of a Musical. See it when it comes to TPAC for a roughly weeklong run.

April 19-24 at TPAC’s Jackson Hall, 505 Deaderick St. AMY STUMPFL

vin

COME FROM AWAY

MUSIC

PHOTO: MATTHEW MURPHY

21 The Legendary DJ Heath Haynes 23 Record Store Day (live music,

GUITAR LESSONS

with former Musicians Institute and Austin Guitar School instructor

MARK BISH.

East Nashville

Antiques

Vintage

12,000 SQUARE FEET OF VINTAGE COOLNESS

Jazz, Rock, Blues, Country, Fusion, Funk, Flamenco, etc. Technique, theory, songwriting. Programs available. 40 years exp.

512-619-3209

markbishmusic@gmail.com

3407 GALLATIN PIKE 615●649● 8851

[RIFF RAFF, STREET RAT]

HURRAY FOR THE RIFF RAFF W/ ANJIMILE

Hurray for the Riff Raff will stop in at The Basement East on April 20 in support of the new album Life on Earth. The stage name of singer-songwriter Alynda Mariposa Segarra, Hurray for the Riff Raff is a critical darling in roots and Americana music, beloved for trenchant, often socially conscious songwriting as well as for Segarra’s masterful singing voice, which is especially fine in a live setting. Life on Earth is the outfit’s best album yet, and its songs — which Segarra playfully but fittingly deems “nature punk” — should translate transcendently to the stage. Boston-based folk singer-songwriter Anjimile will open.

8 p.m. at The Basement East, 917 Woodland St. BRITTNEY MCKENNA

nashvillescene.com | APRIL 14 – APRIL 20, 2022 | NASHVILLE SCENE

criticspicks_4-14-22.indd 19

19

4/11/22 3:17 PM

A Plant-Based Bistro & Bar Serving Brunch & Dinner 7 Days A Week

LIVE MUSIC | URBAN WINERY | RESTAURANT | BAR | PRIVATE EVENTS

4.15

BRUNCH 10:30 am 3:00 pm

Dinner All Day 10:30 am 9:00 pm

Presented by Lovenoise

4.20

4.20 Band of Other Brothers

Mikaela Davis

ft. Jeff Babko, Keith Carlock, Jeff Coffin, Nir Felder, & Will Lee

in the Lounge

LOW TICKE T ALERT

PRI NTERS ALLEY

PRI NTERS ALLEY

Nashville’s Family-Owned Boutique Music Shop 933B WOODLAND STREET · 629.256.6092 caldwellguitarsnashville.com

4.21

Ron Pope

in the Lounge

4.21

CANDLEBOX - UNPLUGGED TOUR 2022

4.23

ALAN DOYLE WITH SPECIAL GUEST CHRIS TRAPPER

with Lauren Morrow

4.28

ATLANTA RHYTHM SECTION

4.29

CHANTÉ MOORE LOW TICKET ALERT

4.30

AN EVENING WITH SARAH HARMER IN THE LOUNGE

5.1

THE KINGS OF QUEEN (TRIBUTE TO QUEEN) BRUNCH SHOW

SOLD OUT, JOIN WAITLIST

5.1

JESSE TERRY AND BRUCE SUDANO IN THE LOUNGE

LISA BELLO AND MIKEMRF IN THE LOUNGE

5.1-2

COLIN HAY

5.4

VICTOR WOOTEN WITH STEVE BAILEY & GREGG BISSONETTE: BASS EXTREMES

5.5

MIXTAPE - 80S TRIBUTE BAND CINCO DE MAYO PARTY

5.5

KYLE GORDON IN THE LOUNGE

5.6-7

ERIC ROBERSON

SOLD OUT, JOIN WAITLIST

SOLD OUT, JOIN WAITLIST

4.23

DINING WITH DIVAS DRAG BRUNCH

4.24

JAMES MCMURTRY (SOLO)

FRANK MCCOMB IN THE LOUNGE SHELBY LYNNE & ALLISON MOORER SOLD OUT, JOIN WAITLIST

4.26

EMILY MCGILL IN THE LOUNGE

4.27

STEPHEN KELLOGG April 17

feat u ri ng

REBECCA SAYRE QUARTET 609 LAFAYETTE ST. NASHVILLE, TN 37203, NASHVILLE, TN 37203 @CITYWINERYNSH . CITYWINERY.COM . 615.324.1033

20

NASHVI LLE, TN

Kitchen & Spirits | L ive music

Hide out tonight in Printer’s Alley, with a scratch, local kitchen and the next generation of bluegrass and Americana virtuosos. ja n e s h i d e away. c o m

4.22

Tony Lucca

4.25

GRAZENASHVILLE.COM

Elle Varner

ft. Rod & Rose

4.25

1888 EASTLAND AVE.

4.17

Rodney Atkins

4.24

615.686.1060

NASHVILLE SCENE | APRIL 14 – APRIL 20, 2022 | nashvillescene.com

LIVE IN A SUSTAINABLE AGRIHOOD • Craving privacy in your home, and community at your doorstep?

Maybe a HOA agrihood is what you’re looking for.

• This neighborhood offers private homes and a farm. Preserving farmland one neighborhood at a time.

• Burns Village & Farm has 15 acres of land to build a cohousing agrihood in Dickson County, TN. • We value relationships, connected communities, and sustainable agriculture.

• Check out our website to register and learn more about this neighborhood and decide if this is right for you and your family!

ance!

Last Ch Event f Kick-of -May 1 9 2 April hville at Nas ject ro Food P

NASHVI LLE, TN

PAT MARTIN

GOING WHOLE HOG

Talking to pitmaster Pat Martin about his new book Life of Fire

BY CHRIS CHAMBERLAIN

M

artin’s Bar-B-Que Joint and Hugh Baby’s founder-owner Pat Martin wasn’t looking for a book deal when one was offered to him in 2016, but he did have clear LIFE OF FIRE: MASTERING ideas about what he THE ARTS OF PIT-COOKED would share with BARBECUE, THE GRILL, AND readers if given the THE SMOKEHOUSE: chance. “I didn’t A COOKBOOK

BY PAT MARTIN AND NICK want it to be some FAUCHALD cheesy Father’s Day CLARKSON POTTER release filled with 320 PAGES, $35 recipes,” Martin tells the Scene. “If I was going to write one, I wanted it to be a teaching book that people would go back to again and again.”

The result of his efforts is Life of Fire, cowritten with Nick Fauchald, and it’s more manifesto than traditional cookbook.

“Writing this book was the hardest thing I’ve ever done,” says Martin. “It basically took up all my bandwidth for the past two years.” The entire project took more than

PHOTOS: ANDREW THOMAS LEE

FOOD AND DRINK

GRILLED GREEN BEANS WITH MEMPHIS DRY RUB five years to complete, beginning when the first photos were taken for the book. You can mark the passage of time by noticing how Martin’s three children grow up over the course of the photos, and how Martin has gotten a little grayer since Chapter 1.

The entire structure of the book revolves around various timelines, from Martin’s family roots in northeast Mississippi to his experiences first learning how to smoke meats while in college. He was under the tutelage of Harold Thomas, the proprietor of a barbecue restaurant in Henderson, a small West Tennessee town that was home to an astonishing half-dozen whole-hog barbecue joints.

Martin also tracks his professional journey, including working as a stock trader — a career that ended with an epic “Take This Job and Shove It” moment that he hints at in the book. (He might divulge the details about that moment around a late-night fire over a bottle of red wine after he’s known you for a while.) From there he progresses from opening his first 12-table restaurant in Nolensville to building the culinary empire that he oversees today.

The organizing timeline that parallels the fascinating personal stories in the book is the lifespan of a fire: birth, youth, middle age, the golden years, old age, cold smoke and after the fire. Each of these stages corresponds to specific steps of the open-fire cooking technique that Martin imparts through his easygoing writing style.

Martin doesn’t go out of his way to simplify his favorite cooking techniques for the average reader. On the contrary, he stays true to the methods he has developed and uses when he cooks for friends and family.

“I didn’t even want to have a grilling chapter,” he says. “I wasn’t going to dumb shit down so that people could cook on a Weber.

This is an arduous book! If you cook outside how I tell you to, you’re gonna screw up your yard, and you’ll need to call a welder to build some of this stuff.”

The grilling chapter ultimately became the longest section of Life of Fire — 60-plus pages. The chapter is a detailed dissertation on cooking open-pit barbecue using coals burned down from logs in a feeder fire or burn barrel and then shoveled onto the ground beneath a heavy, custom-fabricated steel grill. (Hence the burned-up yard and welder Martin was referring to.)

“Ironically, an open pit is the easiest place to start cooking over fire, but it’s the hardest to wrangle,” Martin explains. “Your flame is completely exposed to the atmosphere, and you have to constantly be preparing new coals and monitoring the heat.

It’s the antithesis of ‘set-it-and-forget-it’ cooking.” The recipes and procedures in the “middle age” open-pit chapter are impressively detailed and conversational in style, but they should be approachable for anyone willing to dedicate time and attention to a half-day cook.

Though he never intended Life of Fire to

be a Martin’s Bar-B-Que Joint cookbook, Martin does share the recipes for some of the popular sauces and rubs he uses at his restaurants. But he does so solely because they are his creations and are integral to what he loves to cook, and thus necessary parts of his open-fire backyard cooking as well.

Among the recipes and procedures in this chapter are some that every backyard pitmaster would love to learn more about.

Spare ribs are Martin’s favorite thing to cook over an open pit, and his procedure is

nashvillescene.com | APRIL 14 – APRIL 20, 2022 | NASHVILLE SCENE

food_4-14-22.indd 21

21

4/11/22 3:14 PM

FOOD AND DRINK

22

SHAKSHUKA

CHOPPED ISRAELI SALAD

VEG OUT

SADIE’S —

SHAKSHUKA

A Mediterranean-inspired eatery in Edgehill Village offers a hearty version of the Middle Eastern dish

M

y first trip to Israel was transformative. I learned much, reconsidered much and ate so much shakshuka — a dish made of a mix of spices, tomatoes and poached eggs. Shakshuka likely came to Israel from Northern Africa, and many Middle Eastern kitchens have their own recipes, with different takes on the staple, often using whatever ingredients tend to be on hand.

One of my favorite local variations is on both the brunch and SADIE’S lunch menus at Sadie’s, the Mediterranean-inspired eatery that 1200 VILLA PLACE, opened in Edgehill Village last year. Sadie’s shakshuka ($14) SUITE 100 includes artichokes and kale, giving it a hearty base for the eggs.

SADIESNASHVILLE.COM The Red Pebbles Hospitality-owned spot includes several other vegetarian-friendly dishes on the menu too, including a chopped Israeli salad ($14), whipped feta ($14) and falafel ($10).

The renovation of the Sadie’s building — formerly home to Taco Mamacita — is an exercise in transformation too. The space is light, airy and bright, a good setting for a leisurely brunch. Lunch is served Wednesday through Friday 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., and brunch is the same hours on the weekend. MARGARET LITTMAN

PHOTOS: DANIEL MEIGS

much more hands-on than the simplified recipes featured in many other popular barbecue books. Because of the open fire, Martin’s ribs require constant attention to burn down more coals to redistribute under the ribs, which must be flipped or rotated several times an hour over the course of a three-plus-hour cook. Martin promises they’re worth the effort.

Although he shares my disdain for baby back ribs as a waste of what could have made for perfectly good bone-in pork chops, Martin does share how he cooks them when he has to. Chicken thighs and whole chickens are also featured in the chapter, the latter accompanied by a recipe for Alabama white sauce. Vegetables don’t get the short shrift in Life of Fire — either grilled on the grate over an open fire, roasted in the embers and ashes alongside a protein or in foil packs that harken back to Cub Scout campouts Martin once enjoyed with his son.

But Martin saves his most passionate prose for the food that he loves best and has spent most of his adult life working to popularize and preserve — whole-hog barbecue cooked in a cinderblock pit. “I know whole hog sounds like ‘aspirational cooking,’ ” he admits.

“But whole hog is within reach of most people as long as you’re willing to dedicate the time and be OK with occasionally screwing everything up and just ordering pizza for a big crowd.”

Martin’s description of how to cook a whole hog runs on for several pages, starting with sourcing a pig to purchasing the materials for building a pit to ordering wood and specific plans for stacking the cinder blocks. He even offers suggestions for what clothing to wear, what tools to have on hand and what to drink while cooking. (He prefers coffee, water, light beer and wine instead of whiskey because “cooking a hog is an endurance sport, and getting yourself or your crew hammered is gonna make it real hard to get to the finish line.”)

“Whole hog is procedure-driven, so I had to figure out how to write it like I was there with you without being there,” Martin says. “Most books write up the whole-hog procedure like a recipe, but I can’t teach you this in one page. What I could do was to build a manual that will get you 85 percent of the way there. I had to work hard to figure out how to tell the reader what comes so natural to me, like how I don’t use thermometers and just hold my hand over the pit to tell if it’s too hot or too cool. I can’t tell you how my hand feels.”

Martin tested his final procedure by handing over his writeup to three friends who had never cooked a whole hog before. ”They cooked a pretty good pig,” he shares proudly. “We’ve all ruined hogs, even knowing better. But I truly believe that if you can cook this way, concentrating on whole animals and primal cuts, you can cook anything.”

EMAIL ARTS@NASHVILLESCENE.COM

NASHVILLE SCENE | APRIL 14 – APRIL 20, 2022 | nashvillescene.com

food_4-14-22.indd 22

4/11/22 3:16 PM

600 9th 9th Ave Ave SS #100, #100, Nashville, Nashville, TN TN 37203 37203 600

Music Row’s Legendary Neighborhood Bar Hosting live music every week!

Open Everyday: 12pm-1am 9 Music Square S, Nashville, TN 37203 bobbysidlehour.com

Support Local Save the dishwashing for later

Visit nashvillescene.com for our daily takeout picks.

704 18th Ave S. Nashville, TN 37203

ENTRANCE AND PARKING LOCATED IN THE BACK OF BUILDING

615.712.7227

@BOURBONANDBARBER

10% OFF DINE IN TOTAL BILL

$5 OFF TO GO ORDERS ON PURCHASE OF $25 OR MORE

MUST BE PRESENT AT SITAR (EXP 5/19/22)

WE DELIVER WITH GRUBHUB | POSTMATES DOOR DASH | UBER

116 21ST AVE. N. | 321-8889 | SITARNASHVILLE.COM CLOSED ON TUESDAY

TO ORDER CALL 615-321-8889 E PARKING FRE

nashvillescene.com | APRIL 14 – APRIL 20, 2022 | NASHVILLE SCENE

23

Vincent font

Presented by

Calling all foodies- the battle is back! Four of Nashville’s best chefs will battle it out in a head-to-head cooking competition to be crowned the Iron Fork champion! Attendees get to sample bites from 20+ of the best restaurants in town while sipping on cocktails, beer and wine and watching the competition go down.

Introducing our chef Competitors

Chris de Jesus Executive Chef

Star Maye Executive Chef

Nina Singto Chef & Owner

Hrant Arakelian Executive Chef & Owner

Thursday, April 28 / 6-9:30pm / First Horizon Park Get tickets before we sell out!

Benefitting

NEW *VIP* Tickets on sale now!

Includes specialty sampling, VIP Lounge access, and more!

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

®

Visit ironforknashville.com for more info

SPONSORED BY

CULTURE

YOU HAVE TO LAUGH

After two years off, Nashville Comedy Festival returns with newfound resolve

BY CHARLIE ZAILLIAN

A

s COVID chaos set in back in April 2020, I took a deep dive into the local stand-up comedy scene for the Scene. If not poised for a huge breakout at that moment, local comics seemed to be building toward one, with NASHVILLE COMEDY FESTIVAL traditionalist funny APRIL 18-24 AT VARIOUS people, deadpan alt VENUES comedians, artsier NASHCOMEDYFEST.COM improv types and many more who jump between these micro scenes sharing stages and comparing notes nightly. Top-flight Music City comics like Dusty Slay were opting to stick around in lieu of chasing the dream in Chicago, L.A. or New York, while veterans like Nate Bargatze were resettling in the area after putting in their time in said Big Three cities.

In the year that followed, creative people of all disciplines were severely hamstrung.

Bands could barely function. Solo musicians poured themselves into their recordings.

Some put interesting spins on the livestream format. Across all art forms, real ones worked to make lemonade from a sour situation. But few performers, as far as I could tell, were hit harder by the freeze on in-person events than stand-ups, whose whole medium is built on artist-audience chemistry.

Even in pre-COVID days, Nashville standups were birds who made nests of whatever they could find, never making excuses. In October 2020, Bargatze shot his second Netflix comedy special Greatest Average American, loaded with COVID jokes, to a crowd of viewers in parked cars at Universal Studios Hollywood, honking their horns in approval. He may have gotten the idea from alt promoter extraordinaire Seth Pomeroy, who put on a similar event earlier that fall at Daddy’s Dogs in The Nations dubbed Comedy in Cars — a homecoming for Carter Glascock and Laura Peek, both back in town from L.A., and a showcase for current standouts like Holly Perkins and Chance Willie.

“I think comedy’s in as good of a place as it’s ever been,” Bargatze tells the Scene.

“Life got so serious. People need to zone out.

Some comics are rustier than others. But everybody’s getting back into it.”

This resilience is something to celebrate — the return of Nashville Comedy Festival, even more so.

And there couldn’t be a better voice and face for the event than relative newcomer Josh Black, among the most outspoken figures the local scene has produced to date.

A blindspot in my 2020 coverage, Black has since seized the mic with a compelling, undeniable fearlessness. (And, full disclosure, Black has done a series of videos in collaboration with the Scene.) He’ll be the master of ceremonies for the seven-night multi-venue affair, heading up a strong local undercard for headliners including Bill Burr, Janeane

NATE BARGATZE

JOSH BLACK Garofalo, Nikki Glaser and Taylor Tomlinson.

Black joined the Nashville Fire Department in 2018 at age 28, following in the footsteps of his grandfather. Around the same time, Black had started doing stand-up. The day job and side hustle did not mix well. “I did a prank phone call to a certain lady at a hat store on Eighth Avenue with a big-as-fuck Trump 2020 sign, right next to a fire hall, to inform her that [Trump] lost,” he recalls.

“That got me suspended for eight days, and eventually fired. I was pissed — resentful toward the department and the toxic, good-old-boy, Confederate-culture system of fear there. It’s not sexy or heroic. It’s a bunch of guys who live in places like Tullahoma and Pulaski — literally where the KKK started — and other deepred Tennessee towns.”

After that experience, Black “was just fed up — I felt like I had nothing to lose.”

He found himself leaning further into his role as a Black comic, specifically.

“You don’t have to be Malcolm X,” he says. “But it feels irresponsible to not at least touch on race … to not try to move the needle forward.”

According to local stand-up veteran Brad Sativa — whom I’d last spoken to for that 2020 Scene cover story, and who’ll host a special edition of his regular Zanies Brunch of Laughs gig as part of the Nashville Comedy Festival — “a lot has happened these last two years. With social issues, with everything. There’s been a sense of pride in keeping things going, staying honest.”

Sativa calls Black “without question, the comic from Nashville who blew up the most during COVID. He stands on his beliefs very

BRAD SATIVA firmly, which is rare, and I’m glad for that.

Josh and I are both Virgos. Outside-the-box thinkers. Socially aware. Dave Chappelle and Louis C.K., they’re Virgos too. Nas a Virgo. Michael Jackson. Beyoncé. We’re coming in expressing ourselves.”

The well-traveled Bargatze — who for the fest will do a live taping of his Nateland podcast as well as producing a performance for his friend and peer Mike Vecchione — looks around Nashville and likes what he sees.

“I first left Nashville in 2003,” Bargatze recalls. “I think it’s good to be proud of where you’re from, of course. But I was scared that when I moved back, people would’ve thought

I’d quit. Now, though, Nashville’s blowing up. People in Nashville and in the state of Tennessee are definitely well aware that comedy is a thing, and I love that.”

The growth of the alt scene, he adds, “is an especially good sign. To have a parallel circuit, a different system with so many other shows, that doesn’t even involve having to do the road ... that’s very interesting. I see a lot more comics moving here than leaving. They don’t feel like they have to live in New York now. That’s a good thing. I only hope it keeps growing.

I think it will.”

EMAIL ARTS@NASHVILLESCENE.COM

nashvillescene.com | APRIL 14 – APRIL 20, 2022 | NASHVILLE SCENE

culture_4-14-22.indd 25

25

4/11/22 3:38 PM

THEATER

Your Best Yoga

TINY BEAUTIFUL THINGS THROUGH APRIL 16 AT ACTORS BRIDGE ENSEMBLE

SIGNED, HOPEFUL

Tiny Beautiful Things unpacks big emotions at Actors Bridge

BY AMY STUMPFL

T

he first time I read Cheryl Strayed’s 2012 book Tiny Beautiful Things: Advice on Love and Life From Dear Sugar — which documents the bestselling author’s work as an anonymous advice columnist for The Rumpus — I was shocked by how much I related to its themes and stories. After all, I’d never endured the crushing hardships shared by so many of her readers. I hadn’t suffered abuse or neglect, a lonely childhood or a loveless marriage. And yet, somehow I found bits of myself reflected in both the letters they wrote and in Sugar’s deeply personal responses.

Remarkably, Nia Vardalos’ stage adaptation of Tiny Beautiful Things — playing at Actors Bridge Ensemble through April 16 — packs an even more powerful punch than the book. Vardalos, of My Big Fat Greek Wedding fame, has created a thoughtful and surprisingly hopeful piece of theater.

Co-conceived by Marshall Heyman and Thomas Kail, the play celebrates all the complexities and contradictions of the hu-

26

PHOTO: RIK PHOTOGRAPHY

L&L Market |3820 Charlotte Ave. 615-750-5067 nashville.bendandzenhotyoga.com

man experience with honesty, humor and breathtaking compassion.

It opens in Sugar’s cozy, cluttered living room, just as she has agreed to take over the online column. Her email immediately blows up with queries big and small — all brought to life by a swirling trio of actors, who address Sugar directly as they take on the identity of various letter writers. And for the next 90 minutes or so, Sugar replies to each one with gentle truth and candor — revealing her own experiences and struggles in the process.

This nontraditional call-and-response format could prove to be rather trying, if not for the efforts of director Leah Lowe and her talented cast. Lowe demonstrates such a crystalline vision throughout, taking full advantage of the intimate Actors Bridge Studio and Paul Gatrell’s nicely detailed set, making us feel as if we are guests in Sugar’s home.

Lowe keeps her actors moving in a masterful constellation of aching humanity. And when they pause — just long enough for the emotions to really land — the impact is palpable.

It’s wonderful to see Actors Bridge Ensemble’s producing artistic director Vali Forrister back onstage as the unlikely hero Sugar. Forrister delivers her lines with warmth and credible wisdom, punctuating bits of humor with a knowing smile and a twinkle in her eye. But some of her best moments actually occur in silence, as she listens to her readers, allowing the considerable weight of their tragedies to register

fully on her face and in her body.

The three Letter Writers (Clay Steakley, Joy Pointe and Josh Inocalla) serve as a Greek chorus of sorts, highlighting the extraordinary highs and lows we all must encounter in this life. They work well as a unit, and I especially loved the way they took over Sugar’s space — whether helping fold the laundry or checking out leftovers in the kitchen. But each actor also finds their own moment to soar, seamlessly shape-shifting to become writers of different ages and genders. Pointe offers a particularly tender portrayal of a young woman who suffers a miscarriage and is left “grieving for a child that never was.” Inocalla also is excellent as a trans man, grappling with the possibility of forgiveness for the parents who once rejected him cruelly, but now seem ready to reconcile. And as “Living Dead Dad” — a man whose 22-year-old son was killed by a drunk driver — Steakley gives us an exquisite portrait of loss, anger and anguish.

Forrister’s Sugar meets them all with “radical sincerity and open arms.” Her love for these strangers is obvious and abundant, and she holds nothing back from them. And isn’t that what we’re all looking for in the end? Life may not offer easy answers, but it’s reassuring to know that our questions are valid. And at a time when so many of us are feeling isolated and alone, Tiny Beautiful Things reminds us that we are all worthy of love and connection.

EMAIL ARTS@NASHVILLESCENE.COM

NASHVILLE SCENE | APRIL 14 – APRIL 20, 2022 | nashvillescene.com

theater_4-14-22.indd 26

4/11/22 5:24 PM

BOOKS

A MOVEABLE FEAST

Tallu Schuyler Quinn’s posthumous memoir is a love letter to her life

BY BETH WALTEMATH

I

n What We Wish Were True: Reflections on Nurturing Life and Facing Death, The Nashville Food Project founder Tallu Schuyler Quinn prepares herself and her readers for the final surrender to death.

In the summer of 2020, while the world confronted a pandemic and a reckoning with national and global injustice, Quinn learned she had glioblastoma, an incurable malignant brain tumor with a life expectancy of two years. At age 41, Quinn had already lived what she calls a “charmed and wonderful” life. She had felt loved and supported by family, and she creWHAT WE WISH WERE TRUE: REFLECTIONS ON NURTURING LIFE AND FACING DEATH

BY TALLU SCHUYLER QUINN CONVERGENT BOOKS 208 PAGES, $25 AN EVENT TO CELEBRATE THE BOOK WILL BE HELD 6:30 P.M. TUESDAY, APRIL 19, AT HARPETH HALL’S FRANCES BOND DAVIS THEATRE. REGISTER AT PARNASSUSBOOKS.NET. ated a family of her own with her husband Robbie and their two young children, Lulah and Thomas.

Through a master’s degree in theology, work as a cook in a national anti-poverty movement, time living in Nicaragua and more than a decade as executive director of The Nashville Food Project, Quinn wrestled with ultimate concerns: her faith in God, racial and economic injustice, environmental degradation and what it means to offer solutions and solidarity in the midst of a broken world. Her memoir — some of which she first published on the website CaringBridge — offers an antidote to the distraction, indifference and denial of our modern culture.

“Perhaps the worst thing is not death,” she writes, “but the ways we cover up our own desire to express deep reverence for life.”

In short chapters that reflect on her happy childhood, her vocational path in food justice and the tender family life that she and her husband built, Quinn explores how grief and joy accompany each other as we learn to live fully in our bodies and then learn to surrender them. Through descriptive prose, she shares the beauty she finds everywhere, from the scent of the vegetable garden she tends to feed Nashvillians who are food insecure to the color of the wildflowers that will grow in the green burial ground she chooses as her final place of rest.

Her epiphanies do not mask the pain and confusion of her illness. Quinn describes the toll a brain tumor takes, dimming her sight and jumbling her thoughts so that she can no longer do simple things she loves without assistance: read, write, manage simple math or a coherent conversation. Someone is

always there to assist her in the vulnerable moments — her husband to read the cards she receives, her father to transcribe her voice memos into chapters, her mother to steady her as she picks out a grave plot, her cousin to weave a burial shroud in the colors of a sunset, her 10-year-old daughter to take over cooking dinner, and a close friend to help her process what her young children need now versus what they will remember.

What We Wish Were True is a love letter to her life, written as a dozen thank-you notes to the people, places, flora and food that filled it.

Quinn focuses on what she can do at each stage of her disease to be present in her life and for her children. Once admired for her fabulous cooking, she does the mise en place — gathering and organizing the ingredients — for her daughter’s culinary training. She listens to Lulah’s plans and thanks her daughter that the family won’t exist on frozen pizza after she dies.

Quinn died in February of this year, but if the stories in this book are any evidence, she had enough time to consider how she wished to be remembered and to leave a trail of crumbs for her loved ones. Each short reflection feels like an ingredient Quinn gathered and prepared for someone she loved, even the reader she will never meet. Together her words make more than a recipe for a good life; they’re an invitation to a great, unpredictable feast. No one can be sure how it will come together, but it’s easy to remain hopeful that it somehow will. She writes: No part of an embodied life is guaranteed except for death. I think about everything I will miss, what I won’t be alive to witness or to experience or endure or to bounce back from. … Part of my focus on the future is my desire to make a smooth path for loved ones in a tangibly helpful way — printing family photos, revisiting our advanced directive documents, setting aside gifts to open on special occasions in the future, finally cleaning out the basement, and, I don’t know, ending misogyny in all forms!

After learning of Quinn’s diagnosis, a friend wishing to show her support brought fresh loaves of bread every week, reminding Quinn that the word “accompany (au con pain)” means “to come with bread.” What We Wish Were True savors the moments and morsels that sustain our lives even as it uncovers our limitations and the depths of our grief.

There is not much we can do in the face of dying but show up for every moment in it and for each other — preferably with bread.

To read an extended version of this review — and more local book coverage — please visit Chapter16.org, an online publication of Humanities Tennessee.

EMAIL ARTS@NASHVILLESCENE.COM

nashvillescene.com | APRIL 14 – APRIL 20, 2022 | NASHVILLE SCENE

books_4-14-22.indd 27

27

4/11/22 3:39 PM

818 3RD AVE SOUTH • SOBRO DOWNTOWN NASHVILLE SHOWS NIGHTLY • FULL RESTAURANT FREE PARKING • SMOKE FREE VENUE AND SHOW INFORMATION

thebasementeast basementeast thebasementeast

917 Woodland Street Nashville, TN 37206 thebasementnashville.com

3RDANDLINDSLEY.COM GREAT MUSIC • GREAT FOOD • GOOD FRIENDS • SINCE 1991

THIS WEEK TUE

4/14

FRI

4/15 SAT

4/16

SUN

4/17

ROONEY’S IRREGULARS

7:30

FEAT. JIM ROONEY, PAT ALGER,

SAM BUSH, SHAWN CAMP, BILL KENNER, PAT MCINERNEY, PETE WASNER, DAN DUGMORE, DAVE POMEROY, RICHARD BAILEY & KIRK “JELLYROLL” JOHNSON 8:00

7:00

THE TIME JUMPERS

MON

7:00

SAWYER BROWN

TUE

BACKSTAGE NASHVILLE FEAT. DANNY WELLS, JAMES HOUSE, RAY

12:30

RESURRECTION A JOURNEY TRIBUTE

8:00

8:00

MAGGIE BAUGH & FRIENDS

CRAIG CAMPBELL, COOPER 4/20 ALAN, LEVON GRAY, CURT CHAMBERS, LAUREN MASCITTI & MORE!

THE LIL SMOKIES // APR 24

SON VOLT // APR 26

FEAT.

7:30

ALYSSA BONAGURA FEAT.

SEAN C. KENNEDY & KARL MICHAEL

5/4

7/14

4/21

JACE EVERETT WITH EMILY WEST

7/28 JESSE DANIEL WITH GABE LEE

W/ MICHIGAN RATTLERS

THU

6/1 MIDDLEMAN BURR WITH TOLAN SHAW

JEFFREY STEELE BAND

GOVERNMENT CHEESE // APR 23

WED

FEATURED

7/1

W/ FRANK RAY

MICKIE JAMES, 4/19 JOHN O’HURLY & ROSEVELT RAWLS KURT STEVENS HARPER O’NEILL

STEPHENSON, KAYLEY BISHOP & ROB MAYES

THE CALIFORNIA HONEYDROPS

EVLIE SHANE // APR 21

W/ ANJIMILE

4/18

BENEFITING CHILDHELP WITH AND

7:30

4/27

HURRAY FOR THE RIFF RAFF // APR 20

W/ OCEANATOR

WITH SPECIAL GUESTS

1982 THE NIGHTFLY TURNS 40!

SLOTHRUST W/ CALVA LOUISE

PEDRO THE LION // APR 19

KIM RICHEY

W/ S. G. GOODMAN

Upcoming shows Apr 14 Apr 16 Apr 17 Apr 19 Apr 20 apr 21 apr 22 apr 23 apr 24 apr 25 apr 26 apr 27 apr 28 apr 29 apr 30 may 1 may 2 may 3 may 4 may 5 may 6 may 7

fruit bats w/ johanna samuels lights w/ tillie sold out! southern underground pro wrestling pedro the lion w/ oceanator hurray for the riff raff w/ anjimile elvie shane w/ frank ray penny & sparrow w/ lera lynn sold out! government cheese the lil smokies w/ michigan rattlers feelrs, the weird sisters & the reveal son volt w/ s. g. goodman helado negro nilüfer yanya w/ tasha and ada lea los lobos w/ ian ferguson the chats w/ mean jeans & thick gang of youths sheer mag & angel Du$t w/ snooper clinton kane w/ lexi jayde sold out! built to spill w/ itchy kitty & prism bitch the menzingers w/ oso oso & sincere engineer teddy swims w/ fly by midnight sold out! taylor swift night

may 8 may 9 may 12 may 13 may 14 may 14 May 16 may 17 may 19 may 21 may 22 may 23 may 24 may 25 may 26 may 28 may 30 jun 2 jun 4 jun 5 jun 6

the band of heathens w/ chicago farmer taya north mississippi allstars william clark green w/ shaker hymns & gable bradley

joy oladokun w/ bre kennedy sold out! joy oladokun w/ bre kennedy stryper w/ true villains the afghan whigs role model w/ the blssm kikagaku moyo w/ hr lexy sold out! allison russell andy hull w/ creeks sold out! broods w/ ella vos 24kgoldn w/ lil bean john r. miller & vincent neil emerson jackyl w/ tuk smith and the restless hearts rare hare della mae TWRP w/ rich aucoin emmit fenn w/ ayokay shaman's harvest & crobot

COMING SOON 4-22 AN ACOUSTIC EVENING WITH MIKE FARRIS 4-23 BACKSTAGE NASHVILLE 4-23 MIKE FARRIS & THE FORTUNATE FEW 4-24 WE BANJO 3 4-25 THE TIME JUMPERS 4-26 DEREK ST. HOLMES 4-28 DAVID J 4-29 LIGHTNING 100S MUSIC CITY MAYHEM 4-30 WORLD TURNING BAND 5-1 ELLIOT ROOT 5-3 WINE, WOMEN, SONG & LOVE 5-5 WILLIAM LEE GOLDEN & THE GOLDENS

5-6 5-7 5-8 5-11 5-12 5-13 5-14 5-15 5-17 5-18 5-20 5-21

THE CLEVERLYS RUBIKS GROOVE MIDLAKE SARAH REEVES JON WOLFE WITH JUSTIN ADAMS 1971 - THE GREATEST YEAR IN MUSIC VINYL RADIO OLIVER WOOD W/ RIC ROBERTSON A REMEMBRANCE FOR OUR FRIEND FED JONELL MOSSER AND FRIENDS THE EAGLEMANIACS AVI KAPLAN

5-22 5-24 5-27 5-28

JD SIMO KINGS KALEIDOSCOPE SMOKING SECTION THEM DIRTY ROSES + TANNER USREY

6-2

MIKE & THE MOONPIES + TOWN MOUNTAIN THE PIANO MEN COUNTRY FOR A CAUSE RUTHIE COLLINS 12 AGAINST NATURE GUILTY PLEASURES DEAD LETTER OFFICE RYAN CLARK

6-3 6-8 6-23 6-24 6-25 6-30 7-19

LIVESTREAM | VIDEO | AUDIO Live Stream • Video and Recording • Rehearsal Space 6 CAMERAS AVAILABLE • Packages Starting @ $499 Our partner: Cinematic Focus

PRIVATE EVENTS

FOR 20-150 GUESTS SHOWCASES • WEDDINGS BIRTHDAYS • CORPORATE EVENTS EVENTSAT3RD@GMAIL.COM

28

NASHVILLE SCENE | APRIL 14 – APRIL 20, 2022 | nashvillescene.com

MIKE FRAZIER // APR 21

BLAC RABBIT // APR 25

W/ CAITLIN WEBSTER & TARA DENTE

W/ SATCHY

UPCOMING SHOWS apr 14 apr 15 apr 15 apr 16 apr 18 apr 18 apr 19 apr 20 apr 21 apr 21 apr 22

brody price w/ ellie turner kaitlin butts w/ meg mcree (7pm) sold out! joshua dylan balis w/ reed gaines & lauren watkins (9pm) elenowen w/ zoe sky jordan & sontalk adam chaffins w/ harper o'neill (7pm) echobaby w/ josh gilligan & carly bannister (9pm)

apr 23 apr 24 apr 25 apr 26 apr 27 apr 29 apr 29 apr 30 apr 30

the curves mary moore w/ arreis will overman w/ natalie duffy (7pm) mike frazier w/ caitlin webster & tara dente (9 pm) may 1 *repeat repeat w/ the sewing club may 2

*repeat repeat w/ badculture lake & lyndale, november blue, & vinje blac rabbit w/ satchy gfm dallas ugly, maya de vitry, & jobi riccio kind hearted strangers & welles (7pm) vandoliers & sam morrow (9pm) ned henry w/ the dambrino sisters (7pm) stoop kids, jack schneider & friends, the burps, & special guests! (9pm) dorian lackey, justin luis, & natasha blaine brent anderson w/ claire ernst

1604 8th Ave S Nashville, TN 37203 thebasementnash

thebasementnash

thebasementnash

MUSIC

Negro Justice draws strength from a wide circle on Chosen Family

BY BRITTNEY McKENNA

F

or Christin Brown, music is about family. A member of local hip-hop collective Six One Tribe who performs as Negro Justice, Brown does care about family in the traditional sense of blood relatives.

PLAYING THURSDAY, But a bigger conAPRIL 14, AT THE 5 SPOT cern for him is the community-focused kind of relationships that he celebrates on his excellent new LP, Chosen Family.

The record is Brown’s debut solo album, though he’s released a handful of EPs and singles over the past few years. He’s also a prolific collaborator, joining up with producer Cal Cuttah for 2020’s dark, ambitious Two Ronin: A Short Story EP and Gee Slab for last year’s acclaimed Resplendent, among others. The fact that Brown’s first full-length record would feature more than a dozen other artists was only natural.

“I started noticing a thread of me talking about people that are in my family, my circle,” Brown tells the Scene. “Before I even wrote one lyric, that was something that I lived by — that you make your own family, choose your own family. Blood is not thicker than water.

That’s how I’ve always felt, through experiences I’ve gone through with people that are both my blood family and not. And it’s led me to a very firm belief in that mantra.”

Chosen Family opens with “A Message From Amaze88,” a short intro on which Brown announces, “I do this because I live and learn and grow from y’all.” Then, the track cuts to a voicemail from producer Amaze88, who says: “Those that are creative are unique in a way that they have a different energy. And their energy connects in various ways. A lot of times it brings positive people, sometimes it brings negative. But when it brings other cre-

GONE TO THE DOGS

Guerilla Toss confronts lingering anxiety on Famously Alive

BY MEGAN SELING

I

’m trying not to get too distracted by the dog. But the dog won’t stop smiling at me.

His name is Watley, and he’s a delightfully floofy 60-pound chow chow with a contagious permagrin. He goes PLAYING SATURDAY, just about everywhere APRIL 16, AT THIRD MAN with his person Kassie RECORDS Carlson, the singer of the experimental electronic-pop band Guerilla Toss.

Watley tours with the band and appears in videos and on merch. He’s listed as a band member (“dog”) on the Guerilla Toss Wikipedia page. He even got to be there when Guerilla Toss signed their contract with esteemed indie label Sub Pop in the spring of 2020.

Today, Watley gets to ride along to band practice.

“That’s [one of the] reasons why I trusted Sub Pop

ative people around, that’s when it’s special.”

Brown peppers the album with other voicemails and personal clips like this, bringing a real sense of intimacy to a collection of songs grounded in trying to forge connections.

Brown tapped local producer Aaron Dethrage to helm the project, calling him his “right-hand man.” The pair met through Gee Slab, with whom Dethrage works frequently, including producing the appropriately titled Resplendent. Brown and Dethrage decamped to EastSide Manor, where Dethrage works as studio manager, and plotted out what would become the intricate, immersive LP. “Aaron kept telling me he wanted to do a record with me,” Brown says. “It kind of gave me a little impostor syndrome, because I was like, ‘Dude, you know Slab and all these talented guys, and you want to do a record with me?’… I don’t know if you follow Slab on social media, but his mantra that he says every day is, ‘Wake up every day and expect to win. Then accept the wins, never feel guilty.’ So, I’m really trying to do that more and more.”

Chosen Family has a rich full-band sound, with a stacked roster of guest players who joined Brown in the studio. Most of the instrumental parts were recorded live in the studio, including performances from singer and saxophonist Amber Woodhouse. She adds jazzy, atmospheric sax runs to “Cherry Limeade” (which playfully calls out Sonic Drive-In) and percussive bursts to “Folks Out Here,” at times acting as a call-and-response foil to Brown’s flow.

“Aaron has some live bass players and drummers,” he says. “He has access to guys who play with Yelawolf, guys who play with Big K.R.I.T. They’re laying down live drums and live bass. Then you see Amber Woodhouse all over the album. She actually has the most features because she’s playing sax on a bunch of songs. And she came in and did that live.”

However, Brown’s flow is the star of the show, playing off beats and grooves with playful curiosity and a studied assurance not always heard from debut projects. On “No Throwaways,” another track to feature Woodhouse, Brown shifts from plainspoken bravado at the first verse to almost a low growl at the chorus, with improvisational

immediately, because we went to visit their office and there were like 10 dogs running around,” Carlson says via video call. “I brought Watley, it was like a dog party.”

Carlson tilts the camera toward Watley’s face to show off his goofy tongue-out grin. I resist the urge to ask him about his favorite snacks.

In March, Guerilla Toss released their full-length Sub Pop debut, Famously Alive. Carlson, guitarist Arian Shafiee and multi-instrumentalist Peter Negroponte wrote the record while riding out the pandemic lockdown in Catskill, N.Y., where Carlson lives.

It’s a noticeable departure from their previous work. Guerilla Toss has always had a spirited and disjointed art-punk foundation. On 2017’s GT Ultra, for example, Carlson does more shouting and monotonous speaking than singing, and the music, though compelling, is fragmented and at times abrasive. Older songs sound to me like The B-52s, Talking Heads and The Dismemberment Plan are all practicing in the same building, and you can hear bits of everything all at once from the basement, where you and your friends are trying to pick up krautrockers on a 1970s HAM radio. It’s a lot.

Famously Alive is more focused. It’s shinier and

runs throughout. Standout “Work in the Morning” gives Brown the chance to show off a more aggressive flow as he confronts systemic racism and the tension between making money and making art. And “George Jefferson Strut” — which features Slab, Corduroy Clemens and FU Stan — slows things down, with each MC putting a crisp, deliberate focus on their contributions to the track.

On April 14, Brown will perform at The 5 Spot alongside much-loved rapper Spoken Nerd, video-game-centric rock band The Mad Gear and producer and wizard of the

sampler D. Sauls. While Brown is keeping most performance details under wraps until showtime, he says the collaborative spirit that permeates Chosen Family will also factor into his live set. He says this with a wink you can almost hear — that charisma that so elevates his music bleeding into real-life conversation.

“Going back to that impostor syndrome thing, I see these people [I work with] and I’m like, ‘Damn, should I really be here?’

And we all deserve to be here. It’s accepting them wins, man.”

EMAIL MUSIC@NASHVILLESCENE.COM

brighter — lyrics notwithstanding — and its clear pop melodies hold strong through those experimental

layers of electronic samples and textural elements.

Instead of a mishmash of noodling getting thrown

PHOTO: EBRU YILDIZ

KINSHIP

nashvillescene.com | APRIL 14 – APRIL 20, 2022 | NASHVILLE SCENE

music_4-14-22.indd 29

29

4/11/22 6:19 PM

MUSIC

EMAIL MUSIC@NASHVILLESCENE.COM

30

PLAYING WEDNESDAY, APRIL 20, AT DRKMTTR

FROM SOMEWHERE

Nomadic MC R.A.P. Ferreira puts down roots in Music City

BY CHARLIE ZAILLIAN

O

n “Decorum,” the opening salvo of R.A.P. Ferreira’s 2020 LP Purple Moonlight Pages, the artist born Rory Allen Ferreira introduces himself as a “poet from nowhere.” It’s not an exaggeration.

“I moved almost every six months of my life until I was an adult,” Ferreira tells the Scene.

Places he stayed for longer periods include Chicago and Milwaukee. He also had an extended stint in Los Angeles, specifically its Black middle-class bastion Leimert Park. Most curious, though, is the recent span of time Ferreira spent operating a Black-music-centric record store in the unlikely location of Biddeford, Maine, where he’d also lived with his mom when he was a teenager. The coastal town of about 23,000 people is a few clicks south of Portland, America’s northeasternmost major city. Ferreira describes the shop, called Soulfolks, as an exercise in tracing the wide-ranging history of Black music, while engaging crowds with new music and live happenings.

“We had events where people literally from across the world — from Chile to Australia — would fly out to do 30-minute beat sets,” he recalls. “We’d do 13 hours straight of music, and livestream it all.”

The store was well-received, something that might have been easier to achieve in a bigger city. The challenge was not a bad thing in Ferreira’s mind. “For me, it was an

PHOTO: JOHN HILL

into a pot — though that’s not necessarily a bad thing! — Famously Alive feels more thoughtfully crafted and less chaotic. That reflects how the band members, along with the occasional musician friend, built on one another’s ideas.

The lyrics to “Happy Me” came about after Carlson heard a beat Negroponte and Shafiee were making in another room. “Those words just came out sorta like a mantra,” she says — and the surprising, delightful Prince-like guitar riff in “Mermaid Airplane” was a last-minute addition

by Wes Kaplan of Boston band The Craters. “It was kind of like a little sprinkle on top towards the end, and it totally changed [the song] to something awesome,” says Carlson.

The most obvious example of the band’s sleeker sound is the title track, a gleefully woozy psych-pop journey in which Carlson attempts to guide you to your happy place, as she croons: “Stay famous / Famous in your mind / Keep it famous / Famous all the time.” In the music video for the song, she delivers this advice while lounging in a Clifford-scale model of Watley’s dog food bowl. It’s a much-appreciated shot of dopamine on all levels.

Were these words Carlson herself needed to hear during the pandemic? Or was she anticipating what fans would want to hear once the COVID clouds started to lift?

“I think it was a little bit of both,” she says.

“But of course when you’re writing, it is a little bit selfish and you’re thinking about yourself. But it’s not all positivity. There’s definitely processing some heavy stuff.”

Over the years Carlson has also been open about her hard-earned life lessons. That includes her opioid addiction that resulted in a blood clot, which required open-heart surgery.

In “Happy Me,” when she’s not repeating the title like a mantra, Carlson sings fragmented thoughts that paint a bleaker picture: “Absent a fact / Words are abstract / When the danger is nameless / Foreign and shapeless / Madness had me / Floating debris / On the void of anxious / Blanketed anguish.”

Her lyrics are ambiguous but bold in the song “Wild Fantasy” too, despite the lush and lovely chime-filled music. “That wicked’s your own / Soft crime with a chemical empathy,” she sings. “Too-easy escape / That led to impossible circumstance / The more that you move / The tighter the trap it just captures you / Slow sound of the crush / Scratches over the surface so vividly.”

At a glance, Guerilla Toss may look like a colorful explosion of positivity — their lineup includes a dog, after all. But even with a slick new coat of glossy paint, their songs are still nuanced expressions of relatable human experiences. To make Famously Alive, they had to push through the same self-doubt and uncertainty we’ve all experienced during the pandemic.

“Especially being a female musician, you’ve got this super impostor syndrome,” she says.

“Your art that you create may not look like other people’s, but if you are working really hard at it and you feel in your heart that it’s good, you gotta go with that.”

As Carlson says this, Watley continues grinning behind her. Sensing his smile, she tilts the camera toward his face again and I can no longer resist. I must speak to Watley. I’m sure I’m not the first journalist to be smitten with the 6-year-old pup. Carlson laughs, and answers my question before I’m even able to ask: “Favorite tour snack: Cheez-Its and peanut butter crackers.”

experiment,” he says. “If it could work [in Biddeford], it’d work anywhere.”

Now the well-traveled 30-year-old has brought his talents to Nashville — the East Side, specifically. In the long term, he’s got designs on a Southern outpost of Soulfolks.

More urgently, he wants to integrate himself into and carve out a niche of his own within Music City’s burgeoning hip-hop community.

“I’m trying to root my presence here,” says Ferreira, who has lived in East Nashville since autumn 2019. “It’s where my travels have brought me … where they’ve coalesced into an identity.” His current tour will bring him to his adopted hometown on April 20, when he’ll play a headlining gig that local fans have been waiting for at Drkmttr.

“I go a little bit deeper than the average MC,” Ferreira declares on “Blackmissionfigs,” a track from his most recent album The Light Emitting Diamond Cutter Scriptures. Released in the fall, it was tracked here in town with producer Vast Ness. The line is delivered less as a boast than a statement of intent. Ferreira has a natural gift for connecting wildly varied pop-cultural references based on the sounds of the words, in a way that cracks up the listener while wowing with its dexterity.

“Lil Wayne was a huge influence on me, especially when I was in high school,” Ferreira explains. “He’s an ethnolinguist. I don’t listen to him so much nowadays, but I was captivated by the sheer breadth of his mind, and the ferociousness with which he delivered that data to us.”

The crown jewel of Ferreira’s repertoire so far, Light Emitting contains a Wayneworthy range of lyrical nods to musicians, historical figures, cities and food — such a dazzling array that to keep a log quickly becomes a fool’s errand. Before I aborted that project, names I’d recorded included indie

rockers Band of Horses and Soul Coughing, MCs Del the Funky Homosapien and El-P, photographer Ansel Adams, actor Forest Whitaker and ballplayer Barry Bonds.

While he’s at it, Ferreira rhymes “Morongo” (a casino outside L.A.) with “mofongo” (a plantain-based Puerto Rican dish).

Then there’s “East Nashville,” a tour song with an accompanying video clip that features Ferreira lazily sauntering along the Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge downtown.

It’s not so much an ode to the East Side as to the whirlwind road trips that led him here. “From the coast of Maine to Leimert Park, Aquarius all down my birth chart,” he raps. “I like spare parts and a long time / I did it without the cosign / On the East Side of Atlanta and Nashville / We was up and down the Catskills, stackin’ up the rap skill.”

Eat your heart out, Johnny Cash: Asheville, N.C., NYC’s Tribeca neighborhood, Houston, Sacramento, Minneapolis and Montreal are among the other locations woven into Ferreira’s travelog flow.

In addition to making his own music and planning a new iteration of Soulfolks, Ferreira also operates a label and collective dubbed Ruby Yacht, of which Vast Ness is a member. At the moment the Scene catches Ferreira via phone, he and his crew are on the road, somewhere in New Mexico — having fun and wilding out, but with home base in their sights.

“I have to be home to work on music. I’ll bring a notebook on the road, but rarely even write in it. When I get home to reflect, that’s when I’m able to write. I’ve been blessed to be living off my art since I was 19, and just want to keep being creative. Right now that’s rap, but as time’s gone on … I’m finding a lot of joy in playing guitar and singing blues songs right now. Maybe that’s the Nashville influence on me.”

EMAIL MUSIC@NASHVILLESCENE.COM

NASHVILLE SCENE | APRIL 14 – APRIL 20, 2022 | nashvillescene.com

music_4-14-22.indd 30

4/11/22 6:19 PM

THU 4.14  A BENEFIT FOR JR HAMMOND

THU 4.21  BEDON, DRUMMING BIRD, & ETHANSROOM

W/ WALK THE WEST & MORE

MERCY LOUNGE

MERCY LOUNGE

THU 4.14  THE ZACH DAY TAKEOVER

THU 4.21  JOSH ROUSE, JOE MARC’S

W/ LOU RIDLEY & JB SOMERS

BROTHER, & DAVID MEAD

THE HIGH WATT

THE HIGH WATT

F RI 4.15  DANCEFESTOPIA

F RI 4.22  MY SO-CALLED BAND

YELLOW BRICK ROAD TOUR

THE ULTIMATE 90’S EXPERIENCE!

MERCY LOUNGE

MERCY LOUNGE

FRI 4.15  ZERO 9:36

FRI 4.22  JESSICA LEA MAYFIELD

W/ FAME ON FIRE & GARZI

W/ W.B. WOOTEN

THE HIGH WATT

THE HIGH WATT

SAT 4.16  BOSTON MANOR

SAT 4.23  GUILTY PLEASURES

W/ TRASH BOAT, HIGHER POWER, & ANXIOUS

MERCY LOUNGE M

MERCY LOUNGE

SUN 4.24  LUNA LUNA & DREAMGIRL

SUN 4.17  LALA LALA

THE HIGH WATT

W/ ELTON AURA

THE HIGH WATT

MON 4.25  HOMESHAKE

TUE 4.19  KELLY SOULE EBERLE

W/ DUENDITA

W/ JORDAN LINDLEY & MEG ELSIER

MERCY LOUNGE

THE HIGH WATT

TUE 4.26  THE FELICE BROTHERS

WED 4.20  JON FOREMAN

W/ JOSHUA BLACK WILKINS

MERCY LOUNGE

THE HIGH WATT

SUN. 4/17

SAT. 4/16

lala lala

boston manor

w/ elton aura · the high watt

mercy lounge · w/ trash boat, higher power, & anxious

FRI. 4/22

SAT. FRI.2/23 4/22

jessica lea mayfield

kendrick vs drake my so-called band

the high watt · w/ w.b. wooten

presented joco shows · ·mercy the ultimate by 90s experience! mercylounge lounge

TUE. 4/26

MON. 4/25

the felice brothers

homeshake

w/ joshua black wilkins · the high watt

mercy lounge · w/ babeheaven

WED 4.27  LVRBOY

THU 5.05  JAMES ARTHUR

W/ SAVANNA LEIGH

W/ NINA NESBITT

THE HIGH WATT

CAN NERY BALLROOM

THU 4.28  THE TALBOTT BROTHERS

THU 5.05  GAVIN DEGRAW - SOLD OUT

W/ EVAN BARTELS

NIGHT ONE

THE HIGH WATT

THE HIGH WATT

F RI 4.29  TRISTEN

F RI 5.06  SWIFT & SOUR: A TAYLOR &

W/ THE PRESCRIPTIONS & ABBY JOHNSON

OLIVIA DANCE PARTY

MERCY LOUNGE

CANNERY BALLROOM

FRI 4.29  DAN ANDRIANO & THE BYGONES FRI 5.06  GAVIN DEGRAW - SOLD OUT W/ EMILY WOLFE NIGHT TWO

THE HIGH WATT

THE HIGH WATT

SAT 4.30  THE STORY SO FAR

SAT 5.07  SUPERSONIC: NORTH

W/ JOYCE MANOR, MOM JEANS, & MICROWAVE

AMERICA’S TRIBUTE TO OASIS

CANNERY BALLROOM

W/ MATT SAHADI

THE HIGH WATT

SAT 4.30  DESTROYER W/ ROSALI

MON 5.09  THE HU

MERCY LOUNGE

W/ THE HAUNT

CAN NERY BALLROOM

SUN 5.01  KEVIN DEVINE

TUE 5.10  ALL THAT REMAINS

W/ KISSISSIPPI & KAYLEIGH GOLDSWORTHY

W/ MISS MAY I & TALLAH

MERCY LOUNGE M

WED 4.27  BONNIE ‘PRINCE’ BILLY & MATT SWEENEY: “SUPERWOLVES” W/ EMMETT KELLY

MERCY LOUNGE

CAN NERY BALLROOM

TUE 5.10  BORN RUFFIANS W/ SHAM FAMILY

THE HIGH WATT

ONE CANNERY ROW NASHVILLE, TN 37203 · 615-251-3020 BOOK YOUR EVENT OR PARTY AT ANY OF OUR VENUES EMAIL SPECIALEVENTS@MERCYLOUNGE.COM FOR DETAILS MERCYLOUNGE

MERCYLOUNGE.COM

INFO@MERCYLOUNGE.COM

nashvillescene.com | APRIL 14 – APRIL 20, 2022 | NASHVILLE SCENE

31

APRIL 15

APRIL 24

MAY 19

WAXAHATCHEE

NIKKI GLASER

GEORGE THOROGOOD AND THE DESTROYERS

APRIL 17

APRIL 25

JUNE 18

JERRY CANTRELL

GLADYS KNIGHT

THE LAST PODCAST NETWORK COUNTRY JAMBOREE

APRIL 18

APRIL 28

JULY 25

KID ROCK’S COMEDY JAM

JESSIE JAMES DECKER

WITH SPECIAL GUEST ADAM DOLEAC

PAT BENATAR & NEIL GIRALDO

APRIL 20

MAY 5

SEPTEMBER 1

ARI SHAFFIR

MELISSA ETHERIDGE

LAUV

WITH MADI DIAZ

WITH LOLA COLETTE

WITH DONNELL RAWLINGS, SHANE GILLIS, BIG JAY OAKERSON, CHRIS PORTER, ELEANOR KERRIGAN AND CHANCE WILLIE

WITH SAL VULCANO, BIG JAY

OAKERSON, SHANE GILLIS & MORE

Ryman_SceneFull_2021.indd 1

WITH SPECIAL GUEST HAYLEY KIYOKO ON SALE THURSDAY AT 10 AM

4/11/22 2:04 PM

2 2:04 PM

PHOTO: STEVE CROSS

MUSIC

HOPE RIDES TOGETHER: THE PROTOMEN

THE SPIN LIGHTING UP THE NIGHT

BY P.J. KINZER

T

he Protomen are among Middle

Tennessee’s longest-running musical acts, performing for nearly two decades with a rotating cast of costumed characters and doing things their own way. From Day 1, the sci-fi-fanatic rockers have never followed any form of tradition.

Formed by a wily bunch of MTSU music grads, The Protomen transcend the conventional vehicles of being a band.

Even by cult standards, their approach has never been anything short of weird. While other bands were trying to figure out how to play Coachella or Riot Fest, The Protos were playing San Diego Comic-Con and Nerdapalooza. Ten years ago they recorded a live Queen tribute album, purely because it was something they wanted to do. They released the soundtrack LP to The Cover Up, a film that never existed. So after 19 years of doing the unexpected, they would obviously have to find a new idea that makes absolutely no sense at all: celebrating New Year’s Eve on a random Saturday night in April.

As I found my way through the door at the Exit/In, the ear-damaging chaos of Hans Condor was already at full-tilt. I mean, if you’re going to celebrate Dec. 31 on April 9, you may as well have a punk band fronted by a former cop open the gig, just to keep with the WTF theme of the evening. The filth-rock power trio, in all of its incarnations, has a knack for marrying ’90s blues-punk with the 4/4 riffage of Bon-era AC/DC. Makeup and Vanity Set provided a buffer between the PBR-guzzling snarl of the openers and the hyper-slick production of the headliners. The long-running Protoadjacent synth act falls in line with the darker side of cinematic dance music like Gost or Perturbator, but with a seductive velvety quality.

I’ve always liked standing near the wall opposite the bar when I’m at an Exit/In show as an observer. It feels like I get to

watch everything that’s going on — not just what’s happening onstage, but the vibe of the room as a whole. I don’t think I’ve ever been in a room with more vibe than Exit had on Saturday night. There was a fan with a homemade helmet, including a blast shield and horns. There were Protomen T-shirts in the crowd from all eras of the band, like you might see when watching Metallica at their peak. A few in the audience had painted their faces. Proto-maniacs had come from far and wide — some of them even purchasing plane tickets — to ring in the New(ish) Year with one of geek culture’s biggest rock acts. It was a unique camaraderie of gamers and Funko Pop collectors.

But as with any act that comes with a corresponding culture, the anticipation is all part of the show. For The Protomen in particular, anticipation is essential. How many other bands start their show with an opening monologue from an iron-masked narrator? For those unfamiliar with their performances, I would urge you to click a few YouTube links to see what The Protos do — sort of a rock opera aimed at Nerdist podcast subscribers. And the band’s legion of players is nearly virtuosic. Each portrays a different character in a post-apocalyptic drama, looking like they escaped from an ’80s VHS cassette. And if their subtle nods to Reagan-era media wasn’t clear enough, they throw in a cover of the Phil Collins mega-hit “In the Air Tonight” — The Protos’ version appeared in the Netflix Karate Kid reboot, Cobra Kai. Throughout the night, I noticed a giant COVID-shaped piñata suspended from the ceiling. Just before the encore, a 10-minute timer started counting down on the stage. It didn’t exactly count down to midnight, but if you’re already three months past New Year’s Eve, what’s a few more minutes?

Just before the digital clock struck 0:00, the 6-foot piñata was smashed, scattering its fillings all over the Exit/In floor.

Fans went bananas, rabidly grabbing everything they could find falling from the enormous papier-mâché germ. I honestly believe they would’ve actually scooped up real oversized COVID-19 globules, had those been what fell out of the piñata. Meanwhile The Protomen emerged for one last round, giving fans another blast of the good stuff.

EMAIL THESPIN@NASHVILLESCENE.COM

nashvillescene.com | APRIL 14 – APRIL 20, 2022 | NASHVILLE SCENE

music_4-14-22.indd 33

33

4/11/22 6:19 PM

ABS ABS ABS ABS ABS ABS EXPERTS EXPERTS EXPERTS EXPERTS EXPERTS EXPERTS

99 99 99 9999 $$$89 $89 $89 99 $89 89 $$$59 $ $ $ 99 99 99 99 9999 59 59 59 59

GET LAID THIS EASTER. $25 OFF YOUR PURCHASE OF $100 OR MORE.

$15 $ $$15 FREE FREE FREE FREE FREE FREE $$15 $$$10 $10 $$10 15 15 OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF 10 10 OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF 4/28/22.

1/4/2021.

1/4/2021.

1/4/2021.

1/4/2021.

1/4/2021.

1/4/2021.

4/28/22.

1/4/2021.

1/4/2021.

1/4/2021.

1/4/2021.

1/4/2021. 1/4/2021.

4/28/22.

1/4/2021.

1/4/2021.

1/4/2021.

1/4/2021.

1/4/2021. 1/4/2021.

4/28/22.

1/4/2021.

1/4/2021.

1/4/2021.

1/4/2021.

1/4/2021.

1/4/2021.

25 White Bridge Rd., Nashville, TN 37205 615-810-9625

4/28/22.

1/4/2021.

1/4/2021.

1/4/2021.

1/4/2021.

1/4/2021. 1/4/2021.

MyPleasureStore.com *Offer Ends 5/15/2022.

Cannot be combined with any other offer.

Discount Code: NSLAID22

Columbia 1006 Carmack Blvd Columbia, TN 931-398-3350

PRB_NS_QuarterB_031322.indd 1

2/27/22 10:55 AM

NASHVILLE’S LONGEST RUNNING OUTDOOR MOVIE SERIES IS BACK! POPUP NIGHT

PRESENTED BY

ELMINGTON PARK JUNE 2 • JUNE 9 JUNE 16

WILLIAMSON COUNTY JUNE 23

SAVE THE DATES

2 022 M OV I E L I N E U P COMING SOON!

F R E E T O AT T E N D • # M I P 22 • N A S H V I L L E M O V I E S I N T H E PA R K . C O M I N PA R T N E R S H I P W I T H

34

NASHVILLE SCENE | APRIL 14 – APRIL 20, 2022 | nashvillescene.com

F O O D T R U C K S , G A M E S A N D F U N S TA R T AT 5 P M . M O V I E S S TA R T AT S U N D O W N .

S P O N S O R E D BY

FILM

an independent bookstore

for independent people

C’EST SI BON

Paris, 13th District delves into the ugly moments of beautiful people

BY CRAIG D. LINDSEY

T

here’s nothing like a French film with a lot of strong sexual content to remind American folks that our sex lives ain’t shit. I’m sure that wasn’t the point Jacques Audiard (known for 2009’s A Prophet PARIS, 13TH DISTRICT R, 105 MINUTES; IN FRENCH and 2012’s Rust WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES and Bone) was OPENING FRIDAY, APRIL 15, trying to make AT THE BELCOURT when he directed his latest film Paris, 13th District. But French filmmakers have a long-standing tradition of showing us how sex in cinema should be done — a tradition that the film industry over in these parts often ignores completely. (These days, that has a lot to do with not getting on the bad side of Chinese government censors.)

For this movie, Audiard took a trio of short stories from American cartoonist Adrian Tomine’s comic book series Optic Nerve and cobbled together a tale about the intimate lives of three single people, set in the titular arrondissement (read: administrative district). First up, we meet Émilie (Lucie Zhang), a feisty Taiwanese woman who immediately strikes up a friends-with-benefits relationship with

her new African-French roommate, Camille (Makita Samba). Of course, this arrangement goes sour when Camille gets a girlfriend, leaving a predictably smitten Émilie jealous, heartbroken and, eventually, looking for a new roommate.

Camille moves out and moves on, getting close to Nora (Portrait of a Lady on Fire’s Noémie Merlant), a French woman who unfortunately gives off some frigid vibes in the bedroom. She has a more emotional bond with a cam girl (French musician Jehnny Beth) whom Nora was mistaken for during her brief time at university, which she left due to constant harassment. As tender as their moments together are, Audiard is obviously taking the piss out of our onlineobsessed culture, showing how people would rather have a relationship on the internet than in person.

Shot mostly in black-and-white — just like recent Oscar winner Belfast, it’s a monochromatic film with a brief scene that’s, for some reason, shot in color — Paris is a sleek yet confining view of Parisians getting their rocks off in the big city. As much bumping and grinding as these characters do, they don’t appear to be having a swell time generally. Émilie may

devote her work breaks to having quick hookups with dudes from dating apps, but she’s also dodging spending time with her senile grandma. Camille is a pretentious prick who can’t even give his sister, who has a stutter, words of encouragement as she pursues a career in stand-up comedy.

And Nora is just trying to forget about the illicit affair she had that made her rush off to Paris in the first place.

Audiard has assembled a love triangle wherein two of the participants are people of color — and he’s also made sure female perspectives are properly fleshed out, thanks to having Portrait writerdirector Céline Sciamma and frequent Arnaud Desplechin collaborator Léa Mysius on board as co-screenwriters.

Dude has made a progressive tale of complicated urban love the woke crowd will appreciate.

And yet, as much as these characters literally let it all hang out (big ups to the main players for being comfortable enough in their skin to show us a lot of it), they’re still deeply self-serving and really need to work on looking inward. Audiard, no stranger to making films that capture beautiful people at their ugliest moments, follows in Tomine’s footsteps and crafts a story about emotionally stunted people who — despite having voracious sexual appetites — aren’t that fun to be around.

However, unlike Tomine, Audiard gives our dysfunctional romantics hope for the future at the end. Hey, Paris, 13th District may be about some fuck-ups, but they need love too.

EMAIL ARTS@NASHVILLESCENE.COM

UPCOMING EVENTS

PARNASSUSBOOKS.NET/EVENT FOR TICKETS & UPDATES

TUESDAY, APRIL 19

6:30PM

JENNA BUSH HAGER & BARBARA PIERCE BUSH

TICKETED VIRTUAL EVENT with ANN PATCHETT The Superpower Sisterhood 7:00PM

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 20

MARY LAURA PHILPOTT TICKETED VIRTUAL EVENT with KIMBERLY WILLIAMS-PAISLEY Bomb Shelter

THURSDAY, APRIL 21

6:00PM

CHRIS WHITAKER

VIRTUAL EVENT with CAROL FITZGERALD We Begin at the End 6:00PM

MONDAY, APRIL 25

LILY GREENBERG at PARNASSUS BOOKS In the Shape of a Woman 2:00-3:00PM

THURDAY, APRIL 28

SIGNING with SHAUNA NIEQUIST at PARNASSUS BOOKS I Guess I Haven’t Learned That Yet 6:15PM

SALON@615 SPECIAL EDTION with VALERIE BIDEN OWENS with TRISHA YEARWOOD at NPL Growing Up Biden

3900 Hillsboro Pike Suite 14 | Nashville, TN 37215 (615) 953-2243 Shop online at parnassusbooks.net @parnassusbooks1 @parnassusbooks1

@parnassusbooks Parnassus Books

nashvillescene.com | APRIL 14 – APRIL 20, 2022 | NASHVILLE SCENE

film_4-14-22.indd 35

35

4/11/22 5:23 PM

THANK YOU NASHVILLE!

KID + P E FRIEND T LY

TO FREE D N AT T E

T H AT ’ S A W R A P ON OUR SPRING C R A F T Y B A S TA R D S F A I R !

Thank you to our wonderful sponsors, vendors and partners for making this FREE community event possible. Thousands of Nashvillians showed up and showed out April 9th and 10th to shop from 100+ artisan vendors — making this our BIGGEST and BEST Crafty Bastards yet.

S P O N S O R E D BY

SAVE THE DATE L I B AT I O N S F R O M

FOOD VENDORS

CRAFTY BASTARDS NASHVILLE FALL FAIR NOVEMBER 5 + 6, 2022

Interested in being a vendor at Crafty Bastards? Applications for our fall fair will open soon. craftybastards.com // #CraftyBastards22 // @CraftyBastards

CROSSWORD EDITED BY WILL SHORTZ

15

16

17

19 20 21 22 23

27 28

33

36

38 39 41 42 43 45 46

51

53 54 55 56

58 59 60 61

6

14

7

8

13

22

24

25

27 31

12

19

21

23

11

16

18

20

26

28

32

29

33

35

36

39

34

37

38

40

41

42

43

45 51

10

15

17

30

9

46

44

47

52

48

53

49

50

PRESENTED BY

54

55

56

57

58

59

60

61

62

63

FRIDAY, MAY 20

PUZZLE BY JOHN WESTWIG

62 63

Member of the “Scooby-Doo” gang Shirts named for a sport

31

32 33

1 2 3 4 5

6 7 8 9 10 11 12

13

18 22 24 25 29 30

DOWN Showed some character?

Somber song Actress Sonia of “Moon Over Parador” “Nous sommes ___!”

Youngest person to win the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series (2020) Cocktail made with sparkling wine Willow used in basket-weaving Cause for pity Dug in Collector’s item?

DC Comics supervillain Museum curator is wanted to … / Experience needed: freestyle dancing Mortimer ___, ventriloquy dummy of old TV Brit’s bottom Casual greetings Chill Danny who played Walter Mitty Latin for “lust” Plant on a farm … or animal on a farm

34 36 37 40 41 43 44 45 47

Nurse is wanted to … / Experience needed: philanthropy Alarms Bud Human organ with its own immune system Kind of food or music All-out military conflict Steals, slangily Grinder vendor Checked out In ___ verba (verbatim) Alarm “Neat”

48 49 50 52 56 57

Volcanic vestige Politician Marco Just what the doctor ordered Swirl in a toilet bowl, say Burn notice?

“Hustlers” co-star, informally

6-9 PM ONEC1TY TICKETS ON SALE NOW!

CA

N TO GET TI

UPGRADE

X!

35

5

¯

¯

30

4

¯

26

3

¯

14

2

¯

10

1

S

6

ACROSS “Mad Men” milieu, informally Slammin’ Sammy ___ 331/3, 45 and 78, for short Sorceress who turned Odysseus’ men into pigs Exam that qualifies one for a National Merit Scholarship First name of Time’s 2021 Person of the Year Equestrian is wanted to … / Experience needed: conducting Smooth over, in a way Prankster’s projectile Parches Dummy, in Canadian slang Baseball pitcher is wanted to … / Experience needed: negotiating Scintilla Hearing disorder remedy?

Movement that began with Stonewall, informally It begins “again” Build Words of begrudging agreement Washington, but not Washington, D.C. (yet!)

Tied up “No hard feelings” Número de días en una semana Exclaim End of a trip?

Biathletes do it Carpenter is wanted to … / Experience needed: flying Places where you might ask for the Wi-Fi password Draws the short straw Yours: It. Drop it!

Change careers, or a hint to this puzzle’s theme Kicked oneself over What’s picked up in a hurry?

Basic skateboard trick Online crafts marketplace

¯

1

NO. 0310

TO VIP FOR ADDITIONAL SAMPLES, LOUNGE ACCESS AND MORE.

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE O T H E R

B A B B L E S

R H I N O

B A G HHO G Y

J A N E E Y R E

T U R N A L O S S

S N L I H C E L A A R S T S I E C HHO U R N T H

N U D E

S C A R F

F L Y E R

E N L A I

S N E L L

O M A C A D D R E S S E E Y A

W O D A F R S F A T O G E N C HHO R E R A S I C W A T E I S T S T H E O R A E R T V E N T HHO E S I S A C

D E M E N T O R

S T E T S O N

L A U G H

B O R N E

Online subscriptions: Today’s puzzle and more than 9,000 past puzzles, nytimes.com/ crosswords ($39.95 a year).

Read about and comment on each puzzle: nytimes.com/wordplay.

Crosswords for young solvers: nytimes.com/ studentcrosswords.

SPONSORED BY

PROCEEDS BENEFIT

GET TICKETS AT NASHVILLEMARGARITAFESTIVAL.COM nashvillescene.com | APRIL 14 – APRIL 20, 2022 | NASHVILLE SCENE

crossword_4-14-22.indd 37

37

4/11/22 6:15 PM

Marketplace

Rocky McElhaney Law Firm InjuRy Auto ACCIdEnts

Richard R. Rooker, Clerk L. Chappell, Deputy Clerk Date: March 31, 2022

WRongFul dEAth

James V. Mondelli Attorneys for Plaintiff

dAngERous And dEFECtIvE dRugs

Voted Best Attorney in Nashville Call 615-425-2500 for FREE Consultation

www.rockylawfirm.com LEGAL Non-Resident Notice Fourth Circuit Docket No. 21D1262

JAMES REGINALD PHILLIPS, IV vs.

EBONY A. DEAN

Rental Scene

In this cause it appearing to the satisfaction of the Court that the defendant is a non-resident of the State of Tennessee, therefore the ordinary process of law cannot be served upon EBONY A. DEAN. It is ordered that said Defendant enter HER appearance herein with thirty (30) days after April 28, 2022 same being the date of the last publication of this notice to be held at the Metropolitan Circuit Court located at 1 Public Square, Room 302, Nashville, Tennessee, and defend or default will be taken on May 30, 2022.

It is therefore ordered that a copy of this Order be published for four (4) weeks succession in the Nashville Scene, a newspaper published in Nashville.

In this cause it appearing to the satisfaction of the Court that the defendant is a non-resident of the State of Tennessee, therefore the ordinary process of law cannot be served upon EBONY A. DEAN. It is ordered that said Defendant enter HER appearance herein with thirty (30) days after April 28, 2022 same being the date of the last publication of this notice to be held at the Metropolitan Circuit Court located at 1 Public Square, Room 302, Nashville, Tennessee, and defend or default will be taken on May 30, 2022.

It is therefore ordered that a copy of this Order be published for four (4) weeks succession in the Nashville Scene, a newspaper published in Nashville.

NSC 4/7, 4/14, 4/21, 4/28/2022

IN THE FOURTH CIRCUIT COURT OF DAVIDSON COUNTY, TENNESSEE AT NASHVILLE Docket No. 20A84 ERICA SHAUNTAY CHRISTIAN vs.

PAMELA MICHELLE BRIDGES KEY, et al.

In this cause it appearing to the satisfaction of the Court that the defendant is a non-resident of the State of Tennessee, therefore the ordinary process of law cannot be served upon WILLIAM KEY. It is ordered that said Defendant enter HIS appearance herein with thirty (30) days after April 14, 2022 same being the date of the last publication of this notice to be held at the Metropolitan Circuit Court located at 1 Public Square, Room 302, Nashville, Tennessee, and defend or default will be taken on May 16, 2022.

It is therefore ordered that a copy of this Order be published for four (4) weeks succession in the Nashville Scene, a newspaper published in Nashville.

cated at 1 Public Square, Room 302, Nashville, Tennessee, and defend or default will be taken on May 16, 2022.

It is therefore ordered that a copy of this Order be published for four (4) weeks succession in the Nashville Scene, a newspaper published in Nashville.

Richard R. Rooker, Clerk M. De Jesus, Deputy Clerk Date: March 17, 2022 Laura M. Mallory Brianna R. Powell Attorneys for Plaintiff NSC 3/24, 3/31, 4/7, 4/14/22 IN THE FOURTH CIRCUIT COURT OF DAVIDSON COUNTY, TENNESSEE AT NASHVILLE Docket No. 20A84 ERICA SHAUNTAY CHRISTIAN vs.

PAMELA MICHELLE BRIDGES KEY, et al.

In this cause it appearing to the satisfaction of the Court that the defendant is a non-resident of the State of Tennessee, therefore the ordinary process of law cannot be served upon PAMELA MICHELLE BRIDGES KEY. It is ordered that said Defendant enter HER appearance herein with thirty (30) days after April 14, 2022 same being the date of the last publication of this notice to be held at the Metropolitan Circuit Court located at 1 Public Square, Room 302, Nashville, Tennessee, and defend or default will be taken on May 16, 2022.

It is therefore ordered that a copy of this Order be published for four (4) weeks succession in the Nashville Scene, a newspaper published in Nashville.

Richard R. Rooker, Clerk M. De Jesus, Deputy Clerk Date: March 17, 2022 Laura M. Mallory Brianna R. Powell Attorneys for Plaintiff

Scene, a newspaper published in Nashville.

Richard R. Rooker, Clerk M. De Jesus, Deputy Clerk Date: March 17, 2022 Laura M. Mallory Brianna R. Powell Attorneys for Plaintiff NSC 3/24, 3/31, 4/7, 4/14/22

EMPLOYMENT Just moved to Nashvegas?

Are you a musician and finish carpenter looking for the best of both worlds? The MCR Group is a general contractor searching for musicians/finish carpenters with construction experience. Perform music when you have the opportunity to play...work with other musicians in the construction field when you're not performing.

Contact us at info@mcrsouth.com

SERVICES EARN YOUR HS DIPLOMA TODAY For more info call 1.800.470.4723 Or visit our website: www.diplomaathome.com

LAWNCARE/LANDSCAPE LOW- VOLTAGE LIGHTING, DRAINAGE, ROCK WALL, BRICK REPAIR, FENCE REPAIR, PRESSURE WASHING, DRIVEWAY SEALING ,IRRIGATION REPAIR ( PH. 6159775970 /LV TEXT)

Advertise on the Backpage!

It’s like little billboards right in front of you!

Contact: classifieds@ fwpublishing .com

Do you owe over $10,000 to the IRS or State in back taxes?

TOP CA$H PAID FOR OLD GUITARS!

TRAIN ONLINE TO DO MEDICAL BILLING!

1920-1980 Gibson, Martin, Fender, Gretsch, Epiphone, Guild, Mosrite, Rickenbacker, Prairie State, D'Angelico, Stromberg. And Gibson Mandolins / Banjos.

Become a Medical Office Professional online at CTI! Get Trained, Certified & ready to work in months!

(Hours: Mon-Fri 7am-5pm PST)

877-589-0747

DirecTV Satellite TV Service Starting at $74.99/month!

Water Damage to Your Home?

Call 866-243-5931.

(M-F 8am-6pm ET) (AAN CAN)

Our firm works to reduce the tax bill or zero it out completely FAST. Let us help!

Call 877-414-2089.

(AAN CAN)

Free Installation! 160+ channels available. Call Now to Get the Most Sports & Entertainment on TV!

877-310-2472 (AAN CAN)

BATH & SHOWER UPDATES in as little as ONE DAY!

Call for a quote for professional cleanup & maintain the value of your home! Set an appt today!

Call 833-664-1530 (AAN CAN)

4G LTE Home Internet Now Available!

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

Get GotW3 with lightning fast speeds plus take your service with you when you travel! As low as $109.99/mo!

1-877-649-5043

1-888-519-0171

(AAN CAN)

Welcome to Sunrise Apartments

Richard R. Rooker, Clerk L. Chappell, Deputy Clerk Date: March 31, 2022

(AAN CAN)

(AAN CAN)

Train ONLINE to get the skills to become a Computer & Help Desk Professional now!

Grants and Scholarships available for certain programs for qualified applicants.

Call CTI for details!

1-855-554-4616 The Mission, Program Information and Tuition is located at CareerTechnical.edu/consumerinformation.

(AAN CAN)

NSC 3/24, 3/31, 4/7, 4/14/22

Richard R. Rooker, Clerk M. De Jesus, Deputy Clerk Date: March 17, 2022

FEATURED APARTMENT LIVING

Laura M. Mallory Brianna R. Powell Attorneys for Plaintiff NSC 3/24, 3/31, 4/7, 4/14/22

James V. Mondelli Attorneys for Plaintiff NSC 4/7, 4/14, 4/21, 4/28/2022

Your Neighborhood

Local attractions: · Plaza Mariachi · Tennessee Agricultural Museum · Belle Meade Historic Site & Winery Neighborhood dining and drinks: · 404 Bar & Grill · Peachtree Drive-in · Rafferty’s Restaurant & Bar Enjoy the outdoors: · Cheekwood · Nashville Zoo · Radnor Lake State Park Best place nearby to see a show: · Regal Hollywood 4DX, ScreenX & RPX · Nashville Repertory Theatre · Zanies Comedy Night Club

Favorite local neighborhood bar: · Wilhagan’s Sports Pub Best local family outing: · Adventure Science Center Your new home amenities: · Saltwater Swimming Pool · Community Vegetable Garden & Herb Garden · Dog Park · 24hr Onsite Laundry Facility · Picnic Areas with Grills · Beautiful & Expansive Lawn Area · Park Like Setting · Unique 1 bedroom community only

Call the Rental Scene property you’re interested in and mention this ad to find out about a special promotion for Scene Readers

189 Wallace Rd Nashville, TN 37211 | sunrisenashville.com | 615.333.7733 38

COMPUTER & IT TRAINING PROGRAM!

NASHVILLE SCENE | APRIL 14 - APRIL 20, 2022 | nashvillescene.com

Southaven at Commonwealth 100 John Green Place, Spring Hill, TN 37174

The Harper 2 Beds / 2 bath 1265 sq ft from $1700

The Hudson 3 Bed / 2 bath 1429 sq ft from $1950

3 floor plans southavenatcommonwealth.com | 629.777.8333 Colony House 1510 Huntington Drive Nashville, TN 37130 The James

The Washington

The Franklin

The Lincoln

1 bed / 1 bath

2 bed / 1.5 bath

2 bed / 2 bath

3 bed / 2.5 bath

708 sq. ft

1029 sq. ft.

908-1019 sq. ft.

1408-1458 sq. ft.

from $1360-2026

from $1500-2202

from $1505-2258

from $1719-2557

Rental Scene

The Jackson 1 Bed / 1 bath 958 sq ft from $1400

4 floor plans

liveatcolonyhouse.com | 615.488.4720

Gazebo Apartments 141 Neese Drive Nashville TN 37211 1 Bed / 1 Bath 756 sq ft from $1,119 +

2 Bed / 1.5 Bath - 2 Bath 1,047 – 1,098 sq ft from $1,299 +

3 Bed / 2 Bath 1201 sq ft from $1,399 +

5 floor plans

gazeboapts.com | 615.551.3832 Sunrise Apartments 189 Wallace Rd Nashville, TN 37211 1 Bed / 1 bath 600 sq feet from $950 - $1150

1 Bed / 1 bath 630 sq feet from $999 - $1200

3 floor plans

sunrisenashville.com | 615.333.7733 River West 411 Annex Ave Nashville, TN 37209 2 Bed /1 Bath 1008 sq ft from $1349

1 Bed / 1 Bath 675 sq ft from $1159 2 floor plans

riverwestnashville.com | 615.356.0257 Brighton Valley 500 BrooksBoro Terrace, Nashville, TN 37217 1 Bedroom/1 bath 800 sq feet from $1360

2 Bedrooms/ 2 baths 1100 sq feet from $1490

3 Bedrooms/ 2 baths 1350 sq feet from $1900

To advertise your property available for lease, contact Keith Wright at 615-557-4788 or kwright@fwpublishing.com

Studio 330 sq feet from $900 - $1000

3 floor plans

brightonvalley.net | 615.366.5552 nashvillescene.com | APRIL 14 - APRIL 20, 2022 | NASHVILLE SCENE

39

S U H P I TC

Nashville is a diverse city, and we want a pool of freelance contributors who reflect that diversity. We’re looking for new freelancers, and we particularly want to encourage writers of color & LGBTQ writers to pitch us.

Read more at our new pitch guide: nashvillescene.com/pitchguide

ERROR 404 nothing to do calendar.nashvillescene.com

MUSIC CITY

PSYCHIC

10% off

A TAROT CARD READING musiccitypsychictn.com Reach more than

Flat.

Studio.

Apartment.

Home.

400,000

Scene readers. Plugged-in, educated, active consumers who support local businesses.

Whatever you call it, find yours in the Rental Scene.

Email Mike at msmith@nashvillescene.com to get started planning for a BIG 2022!

Nashville Scene’s Marketplace on pages 38 - 39.

TEXT FROM T HE

SCENE

Text SCENE to 888-111 to receive the latest updates on all things:

BREAKING NEWS

FREE DEALS

TICKETS

EVENTS & PROMOTIONS

Msg frequency varies. Reply STOP to cancel, HELP for Help. Msg & data rates may apply.

40

NASHVILLE SCENE | APRIL 14 - APRIL 20, 2022 | nashvillescene.com