Nashville Scene 5-2-24

HANDGUNS

— BUT MNPS WON’T ALLOW IT

THE OTHER NASHVILLE

PART 3

The final installment of our three-part series on unhoused Nashvillians and the outreach groups working to serve them

BY BRITTNEY McKENNA

New Law Allows School Staff to Carry Handguns — but MNPS Won’t Allow It

The bill passed despite opposition from teachers, students, advocates and Democrats. Here’s what it means.

BY KELSEY BEYELER

New Law Changes Aggravated Prostitution Punishment

Law prosecuting HIV-positive sex workers won’t require sex offender registration

BY HANNAH HERNER

Gorging on Aetna Mountain

How an East Tennessee developer sidestepped regulations to open River Gorge Ranch

BY MICHAEL RAY TAYLOR

COVER STORY

The Other Nashville, Part 3

The final installment of our three-part series on unhoused Nashvillians and the outreach groups working to serve them

BY BRITTNEY MCKENNA

CRITICS’ PICKS

TROLLS: Save the Humans, Gloom Girl MFG, Aaron Lee Tasjan, Hermanos Gutiérrez and more

FOOD AND DRINK

‘Grow Food, Not Landfills’

A new pilot program is addressing Nashville’s food waste

BY CHRIS CHAMBERLAIN

ART

Crawl Space: May 2024

It’s a Small World at Red 225 and a celebration of AAPI artists at Fido

BY JOE NOLAN

BOOKS

The Best-Laid Plans

Nashvillian Jeff Zentner’s new novel signals a change in literary direction

BY TINA CHAMBERS;

CHAPTER16.ORG

MUSIC

Keep Dreaming

Dream-pop legends Slowdive bring their improbable second act to The Caverns

BY CHARLIE ZAILLIAN

Come Through

T Bone Burnett returns to making his own music — and to the stage — with The Other Side BY

MATTHEW LEIMKUEHLER

Another Look

The Scene’s music writers recommend recent releases from Gee Slab, Candi Carpenter, Sarah Jarosz and more BY JAYME FOLTZ, EDD HURT, ELIZABETH JONES, P.J. KINZER, ADDIE MOORE, DARYL SANDERS, STEPHEN TRAGESER, RON WYNN

Estimated Prophets

Will Kimbrough connects rock with politics on For the Life of Me BY EDD HURT

The Spin

The Scene’s live-review column checks out The Protomen’s 20th anniversary show at Eastside Bowl BY STEPHEN TRAGESER

FILM

Early Days

John Early might make you sad with Stress Positions BY

ELI MOTYCKA

NEW YORK TIMES

CROSSWORD AND THIS MODERN WORLD MARKETPLACE

ON THE COVER:

The community around City Road Chapel; photo by Eric England

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The Compost Company • PHOTO BY ERIC ENGLAND

LEE AND COMPANY FUMBLE THE VOUCHER BALL ON THE 1-YARD LINE

“DEAD IN THE WATER.” “Chances look increasingly grim.” “Less than optimistic.” “On the ropes.” “Stuck in neutral — if not dead.” “Defeat.”

The local news reports that contain the above quotes about Gov. Bill Lee’s school voucher program have all focused on one thing: the fate of the school voucher program that has been the capstone of Lee’s governmental platform. The Tennessean, the Nashville Scene, Tennessee Lookout and WPLN News are the authors of the above quotes, but they all point to the same issue: Lee has been unable to get this ball across the finish line.

What struck me most about this issue was not that the school voucher program was stuck in neutral. It was the fact that our second-term GOP governor, with his GOP supermajority in the Tennessee General Assembly, our two GOP U.S. senators, a GOP-led congressional delegation and the entire fleet of far-right super PACs have been unable to get Lee’s pet legislation passed.

It should have been a slam-dunk in such a scenario. What does it say about our governor that he was unable to get this legislation through both chambers during his second term in office? He has been championing the belief that siphoning public tax dollars away from public schools would benefit our schools ever since he first started on the campaign trail, but it has become quite clear that the general public and our elected officials are wary of this issue — preferring instead to endlessly debate without calling for a vote or even moving the legislation out of committee before the session came to an end last week.

Simply put, Lee backed the wrong horse in this race. With so many other necessary and challenging issues to address at the state level, why would Lee prioritize such a highly controversial, unproven and risky policy initiative like

school vouchers? It doesn’t make sense. Why not work to improve existing public schools, adolescent mental health or community programs to support families and parents struggling to make ends meet? Does a family whose income is 500 percent higher than the income of a family at the federal poverty level honestly need $7,000 so their children can get a coupon for private school? That is what the legislation under debate had been offering.

What has happened to Lee’s plans to fight Tennessee’s opioid epidemic? What is the latest legislation to support rural Tennesseans? What happened to criminal justice reform?

What about gun safety measures? Increase in availability and economic infrastructure to encourage trade schools and technical and vocational programs? We’ve heard precious little about these policy initiatives. It seems the noise of school vouchers has grown so loud that it has silenced progress on anything else.

Out of all the news stories and opinion pieces on school vouchers that have been published in recent days, I think The Tennessean’s David Plazas said it well in a recent editorial: “Admit it: Tennessee Senate and House are at odds on school vouchers. It’s time to move on. If the Republican super majority in the Tennessee General Assembly cannot agree on the governor’s signature legislation, that spells trouble.”

It certainly did spell trouble. Clearly it spells trouble for the fate of school vouchers. But does it also spell trouble for Lee’s future attempts to push through far-right partisan legislation? Let’s hope so.

Bill Freeman

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

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Carne asada tacos at Oscar’s Taco Shop

WATCHING: Aaron Lee Tasjan at The Blue Room

PHOTO: HAMILTON MATTHEW MASTERS

GOV. BILL LEE

NEW LAW ALLOWS SCHOOL STAFF TO CARRY HANDGUNS — BUT MNPS WON’T ALLOW IT

The bill passed despite opposition from teachers, students, advocates and Democrats. Here’s what it means.

BY KELSEY BEYELER

LEGISLATION PASSED NEAR the end of this year’s session of the Tennessee General Assembly will allow qualified staff to carry concealed handguns in public schools. The legislation, which was introduced last year but set aside after the Covenant School shooting in March 2023, passed in the state House of Representatives on April 23 of this year — two weeks after it passed in the Senate. Gun safety advocates filled the galleries for both discussions and were ordered to be removed from the chambers for loudly opposing the bill. When the legislation passed the House, protesters could be heard chanting, “Blood on your hands!” On Friday, Gov. Bill Lee signed the legislation into law.

Under the new law, in order for school staff to carry, they’ll need a handgun permit and must receive 40 hours of training in school policing, plus an additional 40 hours of related training each year. They’ll also need to pass a background check and a mental health check from a psychologist or psychiatrist. The bill exempts local education authorities and local police departments from “claims for monetary damages” that may result from this legislation. It also establishes that information about who may be carrying weapons will be kept confidential.

In order to carry a handgun on school grounds, staff will need permission from the school’s principal, district superintendent and local law enforcement. Several school districts, including Metro Nashville Public Schools, have already stated that they do not intend to allow teachers to carry firearms.

“We have a strong relationship with the Metro Nashville Police Department and agree that it is safest for only approved active-duty law enforcement officers to carry weapons on campus,” says an MNPS spokesperson. “This has been our consistent practice at MNPS, and we have no intention of changing it.”

Williamson County Schools Superintendent Jason Golden has also said he “will not authorize teachers or staff being armed at WCS schools.”

House Democrats opposed the legislation and introduced several amendments to the bill, none of which passed. Their amendments sought to limit which counties could implement this law (based on their population size) and sought to set storage requirements and make school districts liable for damages, and more.

Gun safety advocates, along with many students and educators, also strongly opposed the legislation. Critics expressed concern over what may happen if a student gets hold of a gun, or if an armed teacher has a mental health crisis. They also fear that, in the event of a school shooting, a teacher might accidentally shoot a student or that police might accidentally shoot

an armed teacher. Further, critics point out that a handgun cannot stand up to an assault rifle in a firefight — and note that if a teacher were killed by a shooter, their classroom could be left unprotected.

Covenant School parent Sarah Shoop Neumann presented lawmakers with an open letter in opposition to the legislation, which at the time included more than 5,000 signatures from across the state. Neumann tells the Scene that “there are some good considerations” in the bill, but she takes issue with the fact that staff “with direct student responsibility” could be armed. Her letter cites related guidance from the FBI, the National Association of School Resource Officers and a national school safety report.

Proponents of the legislation, including House sponsor Rep. Ryan Williams (R-Cookeville), see arming teachers as a way to deter threats. They also point to the fact that it’s permissive, meaning teachers don’t have to carry handguns if they don’t want to. On the House floor, Williams referenced a similar 2016 law that allows teachers in the state’s most economically distressed counties to carry firearms — though it hasn’t really been utilized. Williams also noted that other states have passed similar legislation.

“One of the biggest questions that people ask me all the time [is] ‘Have you done everything you can possibly do to make our schools safe across the state?’” said Williams. “I believe that this is a method by which we can do that.”

Immediately following the passage of the bill, a handful of students gathered on the steps of Legislative Plaza to protest its passage. Earlier that week, other students missed school to gather on the steps of the Capitol to discuss and rally in opposition to the legislation.

“I feel very resigned to the fact that this legislature is immovable because they will only vote on party lines,” said local Hume-Fogg Academic High School sophomore Emmie Wolf-Dubin, who co-organized the student event on April 22. “And optimistic in the fact that this is a galvanized state — we are ready and excited to make a change.”

Paige La Grone Babcock teaches sixthand seventh-grade literacy at Apollo Middle School in Antioch. Her students watched the discussion of the bill during class via livestream. While she doesn’t agree with the legislation, she says she “did not tell the children my own thoughts about this or lead them in any way, other than to say that we were going to listen to everybody’s perspective.”

“These are kids who pay attention,” says Babcock. “They’re in the midst of standardized testing, which is pretty stressful and taxing. But they were honestly more stressed by the idea

that these lawmakers — who are supposed to represent them and protect them — are want-

ing to do something that … actually makes them more endangered.” ▼

NEW LAW CHANGES AGGRAVATED PROSTITUTION PUNISHMENT

Law prosecuting HIV-positive sex workers won’t require sex offender registration

BY HANNAH HERNER

A PERSON CHARGED with aggravated prostitution in Tennessee must register as a violent sex offender for the rest of their life. But a law passed during this year’s legislative session will change that punishment, and provide a pathway to be removed from the registry.

Tennessee’s aggravated prostitution charge applies only to people who have HIV — a fact that prompted American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee and part-

ner organizations to bring a lawsuit to repeal the statute entirely in October. The U.S. Department of Justice joined the effort in its own complaint against the state of Tennessee and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation in February, asserting that the charge is in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act, as HIV is a protected disability.

According to the law, a person who is HIV-positive can be charged with aggravated prostitution if they simply “loiter in a place for the purpose of being hired to engage in sexual activity,” points out Jeff Preptit, ACLU of Tennessee staff attorney. (Preptit also happens to be the Metro councilmember for Nashville’s District 25.)

It does not matter if the person has transmitted HIV to anyone, and it does not matter if the person takes precautions not to transmit the disease. If they are caught even arranging sexual acts, they can be charged with aggravated prostitution. Prostitution is typically a misdemeanor charge in the state of Tennessee. But even after this year’s changes, aggravated prostitution is a class-C felony, carrying three to 15 years of potential

PHOTO: HAMILTON MATTHEW MASTERS

SARAH SHOOP NEUMANN

The 2024 legislative session came to a close late last week. Visit nashvillscene.com/state-legislature for more, and stay tuned for further legislative coverage and analysis in next week’s issue.

imprisonment, loss of voting rights and fines. The law disproportionately affects Black trans women, Preptit observes.

“One of the things that is so insidious is that it specifically disincentivizes people from learning of their health status and getting tested,” Preptit says. “Because if you have knowledge of your health status — you go out, you’re getting tested, you are receiving treatment, to where there’s essentially no risk of transmission because you were on a certain regimen of medication — you’re still criminalized for it.”

When expungement becomes available following the law taking effect in July, individuals have to reach out to TBI — they won’t necessarily be notified. In expungement, they have to show proof they’ve been forced into sex work. It’s a “tall order,” Preptit says.

Sen. Page Walley (R-Savannah) was a freshman in the House when the aggravated prostitution law was added to the books in 1991 — the same year Magic Johnson revealed he was HIV positive, Walley recalls. In 2010, the sex offender requirement was added (though Walley was not in the state legislature at that time). This year, 33 years after the original law was passed, he tells the Scene he was proud to bring the bill to remove the sex-offender-registry requirement.

“There was a lot of fear amongst everyone because [HIV] was basically a death sentence back then,” Walley says. “I think it needs additional work, but we decided to take an incremental approach.”

Thistle Farms, a local nonprofit that works with women who are survivors of prostitution, trafficking and addiction, originally sought to remove aggravated prostitution as a charge too. But after consulting with the TBI and state legislators, the group opted to chip away at the issue, according to spokesperson Amanda Clelland. The change in aggravated prostitution prosecution will affect around 80 people statewide — but for those people, the change will be significant.

Clelland shares testimony from a survivor of rape and abuse who was infected with HIV by a man she dated. The survivor was arrested twice for prostitution by an undercover cop — the first incident was a misdemeanor, but the second was a felony because she had been tested and learned she was HIV-positive. After her prison time, she was told she would have to register for the sex offender registry every year for the rest of her life. She began working with Thistle Farms, but couldn’t work at the organization’s cafe because of its proximity to a church and school.

After she graduated from the program, the woman struggled to find housing and employment because of her sex-offender-registry status. Advocacy efforts are a new venture for Thistle Farms, Clelland says, but they see the obstacles that survivors face firsthand.

“Removing the barrier of the sex offender registry for prostituted people living with HIV is huge,” Clelland says. “It opens up so many doors, it removes so many barriers for people to be able to go to treatment centers, to be able to access safe housing and be able to have meaningful employment. We’re just going to continue to look forward to seeing what other meaningful legislative efforts we can pursue to help make the world a little better for survivors because they deserve that. It’s the least they deserve.” ▼

GORGING ON AETNA MOUNTAIN

How an East Tennessee developer sidestepped regulations to open River Gorge Ranch

BY MICHAEL RAY TAYLOR

HOW DO YOU PUSH through a huge development with hidden problems? By ignoring multiple warnings from the planning commission that’s supposed to safeguard the public, relying instead on well-placed friends to keep the cash rolling in.

The Marion County Regional Planning Commission has nine members, five of whom are appointed by the commission’s chair, County Mayor David Jackson. A vocal booster of River Gorge Ranch (RGR), Jackson stood beside Gov. Bill Lee, developer John “Thunder” Thornton and Thunder Enterprises president Dane Bradshaw to break ground on the project April 6, 2022.

Jackson told the crowd of about 100 people that the planning commission had already approved plats on 300 of the development’s expected 2,500 lots.

“They’ve got the green light,” he said, as quoted that day in the Chattanooga Times Free Press

This was six months before completion of a geophysical report that Thornton later touted in a Facebook post to reassure a private group of RGR property owners on March 16, 2024 — after the Scene reported that RGR sits above what locals call a “Swiss cheese” of abandoned coal mines.

“I think it is important to note that the Marion County Planning Commission reviewed and approved all the geo engineering reports and testing reports that we provided,” Thornton wrote. Several commission members have said they saw the engineering report for the first time that day, nearly two years after the groundbreaking.

Besides the mayor, the planning commission includes Gene Hargis, a detective in the Marion County Sheriff’s Department reported to have done private security work for Thornton; Robert Kelly, a local banker; and Louise Powell, a local realtor. Billy Gouger, the county attorney, sits as one of three advisory staff members on the commission. In addition to his private law practice, Gouger runs a local title office. At many of the meetings, commissioners pushed for “conditional” and “incremental” approvals for improper plats.

Of course, in rural areas of Tennessee, government officials are frequently intertwined with local business. Still, the appearance of conflicts of interest in Marion County is not helped by persistent rumors from anonymous sources that Thornton offers his private jet to local “friends” for trips to the Super Bowl and expensive hunting resorts.

DOCUMENTS SHOW PERSISTENT PROBLEMS

In any case, planning commission documents demonstrate that River Gorge Ranch repeatedly flouted development rules regarding roads, septic systems and utilities — not to mention

ignoring (and denying to the point of lawsuits) the dozens of old mines beneath homesites that could cause subsidence or poison well water or could clog future septic systems.

An advisory review of Phase 1 of RGR, dated Nov. 29, 2021, noted 15 lots with improper road frontage, 16 lots that exceeded the proper depthto-width ratio, four that were too narrow, no sediment basins or streams shown as required by law, and numerous other violations in the depiction of streets and lots. The planning commission recommended 16 changes and that the developers change the name of the document from “Final Plat” to “Preliminary Plat,” writing, “Due to the large number of corrections needed, and the uncertainty about where the road will intersect with Highway 134, staff cannot recommend approval at this time.”

The “Preliminary Plat” and the “Final Plat” are different required documents: The first lays out proposed infrastructure for a development so that road construction and other improvements can begin, while the Final Plat focuses more on individual homesites. Tennessee law once required that no Final Plat could be submitted until the preliminary work was done, but the state eventually allowed developers to put up a bond or letter of credit so they could start selling lots before a Final Plat was approved.

In the “Final Plat,” dated Feb. 22, 2022, advisory staff found excessive grades on four roads, writing, “The final, engineered road design for mountain roads must be approved by the planning commission before road construction can commence.” Typed in bold was a line stating that no stamped engineering plans had been submitted. Some individual lots appeared that they might not be “suitable for building” because of drainage issues and lack of sufficient soil for septic fields. A series of letters between planning staff and various state agencies noted “unbuildable” areas due to streams and wetlands, as well as problems in locating private wells, which all lots were listed as needing. (The letter of credit for private wells was far cheaper than one for community water.)

On April 29, 2022, barely two weeks after the groundbreaking ceremony, Lot 1016 sold for $266,000. Other sales followed.

At the planning commission meeting on June 23, 2023, there were still many missing factors blocking approval of the Final Plat, including a Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation analysis of the number of bedrooms allowable on each lot according to the size of septic field. With much discussion, as documented in the meeting minutes, the commission voted for “conditional” approval of the final plat of Phase 1. By the summer of 2023, some suggested revisions still failed to meet

TROLLS: Save the Humans

May 2 - September 1

Inspired by the beloved Bridgerton series, The Queen’s Empire Ball will be enchanting evening of grandeur and sophistication benefitting the National Museum of African American Music. On May 11th, guests will don their finest Regency era attire to step back in time into a scene straight out of 19th century London.

Six gigantic sculptural trolls by prominent Denmark-based recycle artist Thomas Dambo take up residence at Cheekwood to share messages of stewardship and sustainability. Reserve tickets at cheekwood.org.

Image credit: Courtesy Atlanta Botanical Garden

Cheekwood is funded in part by Hospitality Sponsor Sponsored by Supported by

THE WESTERN EDGE OF RIVER GORGE RANCH (LOTS OUTLINED IN RED) SITS ABOVE THE SEWANEE COAL SEAM (IN BLUE) AND KNOWN MINES (IN YELLOW). THE AREA OUTLINED IN BLACK SHOWS NEARLY ALL OF THE AREA STUDIED FOR A 2022 GEOPHYSICAL REPORT.

county standards. The commission ultimately approved variances for each one.

As of April 27, 2024, the TDEC septic permit system lists only 31 permits issued for lots in RGR. Of those, all but six specified construction details requiring further inspection after the homes are built. Some lots were approved only for two-bedroom homes.

A LESSON FROM THE PAST

In 1987, Anthony “Tony” Wheeler, a chemist and biochemist, bought a home on Signal Mountain in Hamilton County “as is,” in full knowledge that the old mines there had “played out” long ago. “My sons found a large airshaft within weeks of moving into our new home,” he wrote in a 2020 statement for TDEC. After the county refused to blast the shaft closed for fear it might cause other collapses within the interconnected mines, Wheeler began a complex odyssey of land remediation that continues today.

He’s given public talks and a recent radio interview on construction and coal mines, and he has followed RGR news. “Developers are buying up every piece of land they can get their hands on, irrespective of the quality,” he says. “What’s happening on Signal Mountain is basically the past version of what Aetna’s going to turn into.”

Wheeler describes acid mine drainage that requires keeping children away from all creeks and ponds. “It’s been an educational process over the last 30 years to get people to understand the hazard and what to do to avoid it.”

He notes that most RGR lots include mine “spoils” or disturbed soils. “According to TDEC, you’re not supposed to put sewage systems in disturbed soils. Going with septic systems really doesn’t solve the problem of the stability of the area related to the other disturbances.”

Another thing Wheeler finds disturbing: “They claim 120 feet of sandstone. That varies from place to place all over the mountain.”

This observation seems to be borne out by historical data showing an average depth of the Sewanee coal seam below Aetna of about 80

feet. Some mine entrances drawn on the OSM topo map (and in the geo study from Thornton’s company Thunder Air) appear 80 feet or less below the surface. Entire RGR lots, including some already purchased, sit above known mines.

NOT A DROP TO DRINK

“When I bought my property here in 1987 and tried to get water, the local water authority didn’t want to pipe water to me,” Wheeler says. “So I hired a crew, and we dug a 175-foot well. I’m below the coal seam, and my well brought up water that was so laden with iron that we couldn’t get it to the point where we could drink it. [Thornton] is going to have the same problem.”

Because of this, and perhaps the well placement problems noted by the planning commission, Thornton has been telling residents that municipal water is on the way. All that’s lacking is a proposed 1 million-gallon water tank, to be placed on land Thornton may not yet own, supplied by a complex piping system that will cross land he may not yet own, bringing water from some source yet to be determined. The city of Jasper might provide water, according to one source familiar with local government, but waterworks manager Jason Turner, who sits on the water board and is also the mayor of Jasper, did not return calls requesting comment.

It’s a fluid situation.

Tennessee American Water, the planned water utility for RGR, said in a company statement: “Water infrastructure being developed by a property owner proceeds largely at the pace of that owner and is highly variable. Any water infrastructure developed by any property owner is subject to engineering review, inspection, and approval by Tennessee American Water. Once approved, the water infrastructure assets are transferred.”

In plain language, no one will drink RGR public water soon. Meanwhile, at its March 2024 meeting, the planning commission approved a variance to yet another RGR lot.

There are still no homes on the mountain. ▼

SOURCES: OSM AND TN PROPERTY VIEWER

Wonders OF THE UNIVERSE

NEW INTERACTIVES • MARS ROVER • OPENING JUNE 1

ALL THE NOSTALGIA OF SUMMER CAMP, NONE OF THE BUG BITES

THEMED ARTS & CRAFTS • S'MORES & STORYTELLING • SUMMER CAMP OLYMPICS

COCKTAILS & MOCKTAILS • FOOD TRUCKS • THIRD COAST COMEDY SHOWS

FRIDAY, JUNE 14 • 7 PM - 10 PM 21+

WITNESS HISTORY

Bluesman James Harman bought this 1964 Fender Mustang at a Santa Ana pawnshop for Dave Alvin, who played it onstage with the Blasters. Glass from beer bottles thrown by punk rock purists who objected to the band’s genre-bending style are still embedded in the guitar today.

From the exhibit Western Edge: The Roots and Reverberations of Los Angeles Country-Rock, presented by City National Bank

RESERVE TODAY

artifact: Courtesy of Dave Alvin artifact photo: Bob Delevante

THE OTHER NASHVILLE PART 3

The final installment of our three-part series on unhoused Nashvillians and the outreach groups working to serve them

BY BRITTNEY McKENNA

See also: Our April 27, 2023, cover story “The Other Nashville: Facing a housing crisis and an opioid epidemic, Nashville’s unhoused community lives in the margins of society”; and our Oct. 26, 2023, cover story “The Other Nashville, Part 2: A look at the outreach organizations working to support Nashville’s unhoused community.”

All names with an asterisk are pseudonyms.

IN MID-JANUARY, Nashville experienced a record-breaking snowstorm. More than 7 inches of snow blanketed the city, with Jan. 15 seeing more snowfall in a single day than Nashville typically gets during the entire winter season. Frigid temperatures kept the accumulation from melting for several days, making for a cold, icy week.

Most Nashvillians sheltered in their homes during the storm, but the city’s unhoused population didn’t have that luxury. Metro opened an extreme cold weather overflow shelter to expand access to more people in need, and the city’s network of homelessness-focused organizations sprang into action. The temperatures were deadly, and all hands were needed on deck.

One such organization was The Beat, which we met in April 2023 in the first installment of this three-part series. The first two pieces in the Scene series sought to give voice to people who are closely affected by the homelessness crisis: those who live it and those who work to end it. This one is more ellipsis than period, as — broadly speaking — little has changed since this time last year. But as we’ll see, there have been smaller-scale wins that could point to a way forward for everyone.

The Beat was founded by Darrin Bradbury, a folk musician turned outreach worker who initially operated under the pseudonym “Mother Hubbard.” Part of The Beat’s ethos is a commitment to flexible, on-the-fly action, so when the snow began to fall, Bradbury teamed up with the Rev. Jay Voorhees of City Road Chapel to open an emergency warming shelter in the church’s basement.

Additionally, Bradbury and his team of volunteer workers — most of whom are formerly

unhoused themselves — ventured out into Madison to perform welfare checks and distribute propane tanks to people still staying at encampments. The Beat was able to do this via real-time grassroots fundraising during the storm, raising $7,000 from “mostly small donations,” primarily through social media. All proceeds went directly toward necessities for those in need.

“We hosted and fed 40 people per night while simultaneously providing $1,000 worth of propane each night to those stranded in camps,” Bradbury says. “The money was crowd-sourced, and the total head count was about 200-plus folks still out in camps [during the storm]. We did this during the thick of night in case anyone needed emergency services, and provided this service for the duration of the storm.”

Since its inception in early 2023, The Beat has carried out several other DIY, spur-of-themoment efforts, like setting up another temporary shelter at City Road last summer after an encampment closure left a dozen people with nowhere to go. In addition to offering them a safe place to stay, The Beat helped move half of the group into other shelters.

Not all organizations can operate with that level of agility — most are hamstrung by lack of funding, red tape, understaffing or some combination thereof — but several unhoused people expressed to the Scene that they hope to see more like-minded, quick-thinking efforts as homelessness continues to grow in Nashville. While 2024 data is not yet publicly available, the Metro Development and Housing Agency’s 2023 point-in-time count saw an 11 percent increase in unhoused Nashvillians from 2022.

Jen Alexander is a longtime vendor and writer for local street paper The Contributor Having bounced around the country for years, she settled in Nashville because she “fell in love with the people.” Her first experience with homelessness in Nashville was shortly after the deadly May 2010 flood that killed more than two dozen people regionally and displaced more than 10,000.

“People had come together and said, ‘Oh, my God, these people have lost their homes — they’ve lost everything,’” says Alexander. “Every-

one just rallied together and helped everybody out. And people were not rude to you because you were homeless. They were fabulous.”

Around that time, Alexander found refuge at Room In The Inn, which she says — along with The Contributor — saved her life. Her more recent stint with homelessness was anything but “fabulous,” though. After leaving Room In The Inn and living in Hadley Park Towers for a decade, she found herself once again without a home. She then discovered that Room In The Inn no longer accepts women, so she slept on the street for nearly three months, spending the night in the downtown bus station when she could.

“I was never treated so badly in my life as I was treated this last time,” she says. “I was only homeless for two-and-a-half months, and I’ve never been spoken to so rudely. I’ve never been treated so badly. I was spit upon. It was awful.”

Alexander specifically hopes the city can invest in hiring more outreach workers, particularly to serve aging people experiencing homelessness as well as other less visible unhoused populations — groups including women, children and people of color. She understands the scope and complexity of the problem but can’t grasp why more isn’t being done to help people in need.

DARRIN BRADBURY

“First, I would say [the city] is doing a good job,” she says. “Second, I would say they’re not doing enough. There are just so many people [in need]. There are too many people out on the street. There are too many people crying out for help, and no one’s listening.”

Demetris Chaney, public information coordinator for the Office of Homeless Services, says OHS has hired a manager and two additional staffers for its outreach team. Chaney says that as Nashville is a “Housing First Community,” OHS is primarily “focused on housing creation for our unhoused neighbors.”

“OHS has a robust outreach team,” Chaney writes in an email to the Scene. “Currently, we have acquired a manager and 2 additional positions. They coordinate outreach efforts across the city with multiple nonprofits, ensuring coverage of each quadrant in Nashville Davidson County. We will host weekly service events, monthly resource fairs and schedule cleanups.”

Caroline Lindner is a critical-time intervention caseworker at The Contributor and co-founder of outreach group Nashville Street Barbers. She also sees a need for more robust outreach efforts. She notes that while established processes and policies are necessary to run a successful organization, adhering too strictly to rules can sometimes undermine the efficacy of the work itself. Boots on the ground move quickly — policy change, not so much.

Lindner sees The Beat’s nimble approach as one way to fulfill that need.

“I’ve been in well-organized [nonprofits], I’ve been in not-so-organized ones,” she says. “The biggest thing I see between The Beat and all of the organized, even government-funded [efforts] is that The Beat sticks with you. It supports you, and there are multiple people that support you. And it’s a 24/7 job.”

IT’S A SUNNY Thursday afternoon when The Beat’s outreach team convenes for its weekly meeting in the library at City Road Chapel. Bradbury leads the conversation, with his pitbull mix Albert making the rounds to lick hands and solicit head rubs. First on the agenda is checking in on a friend and neighbor, Ted*.

“He’s back out there [on the street], brother,” David Wooten says. “He’s back in the game.”

You may remember Wooten from part two of the Scene’s series. A photo of him with the Rev. Voorhees was featured on our cover — it was taken on the day Wooten and his wife found out that their yearlong effort to secure a Section 8 voucher was finally successful. Wooten, who uses a wheelchair, had been camping in a tent behind the church while his wife stayed at the transitional shelter upstairs — the building is not handicap accessible, so he could not stay in the shelter with her.

Unfortunately, Wooten’s housing situation is also an agenda item, but the group will return to it after making a plan for Ted.

The group throws out names of potential places Ted could go, and a subgroup forms to take the lead on his case. It’s not their first time helping him — The Beat has no cap on how many chances they’ll offer someone in need,

with only a handful of exceptions for legal or safety reasons.

Bradbury and several Beat team members live communally. His south Madison home houses a group of formerly homeless people, all of whom share chores and responsibilities to keep things running smoothly. Affectionately named “Hobo House” (a portmanteau of “Homeward Bound,” though Bradbury quips, “Bob Dylan can sing, ‘I am a lonesome hobo,’ and that’s not a problem, but a bunch of people that are actually hobos can’t be hobos”), the home is, thus far, a successful experiment. Each resident has solid employment and maintains a strict commitment to sobriety.

Jeff and Cat were photographed for the first piece, hours before both overdosed and required immediate life-saving medical attention. Now they are both sober, hold steady jobs, live in their own apartment and will welcome their first child later this spring. Both tried rehabilitation and other support programs before, but nothing stuck until The Beat brought them into Hobo House. Jeff credits the group’s persistence, compassion and open-mindedness as a saving grace.

“When we showed up, we were at the lowest point of what could happen in a life,” Jeff says. “It was a downward spiral. And the fact that when we showed up there, Wes and Biddy came out and helped me with my stuff — it felt like somebody picking you back up, and doing it unbiasedly.”

“When we showed up, I sat down in a chair and fell asleep,” Cat adds. “I felt comfortable. I felt safe. Nobody made me feel weird, because they knew that I needed that time.”

Wes and Biddy are two pillars of Hobo House. Wes and his fiancée MacKenzie are the house leaders, and Biddy is integral to outreach efforts and bringing new team members aboard.

Biddy’s journey to Hobo House was a winding one. Having spent much of his youth in and out of prison and mental health facilities, he says he “never thought [he] had a shot.” Later this month, he’ll graduate from Lincoln Tech’s welding technology program. He’s proud of that accomplishment and of his sobriety, which he’s maintained since moving in.

“I’m pretty sure that if I hadn’t met Darrin that couple days before my last overdose, I’d still be out there doing the same thing that I was,” Biddy says. “And that’s because I didn’t have anybody. He presented himself and made himself available. And he showed his willingness to help and that he cared. It just took off from there.”

Another agenda item is “Operation Cat Out of the Bag” — an effort to find stable housing for Betty*, a 61-year-old unhoused woman battling colon cancer and other health complications. Betty lives in the woods and does not want to leave her camp, as she takes care of and is closely bonded with five area cats.

Lindner contacted Southern Alliance for People and Animal Welfare, an organization that helps people experiencing homelessness take care of their pets. SAFPAW, Lindner and Betty agreed on a plan that would allow her to keep two cats with her (the housing options they are exploring allow residents to have two pets) and find new homes for the remaining three.

“The thought process was, ‘We have to first figure out what we can do with the cats, and then she’ll start listening and taking care of her-

There are too many people out on the street. There are too many people crying out for help, and no one’s listening.”

— JEN ALEXANDER

self,’” Lindner says. “Laurie Green from SAFPAW, which is based here in Madison, is taking a cat a week and getting it fully vetted, getting it spayed or neutered if it needs it. … Then, Laurie has a relationship with The Catio. So she’s going to take those cats directly to The Catio so they’ll be adopted into families. Betty was very OK with that.”

Back to Wooten. The 62-year-old and his wife used their Section 8 voucher to move into Chippington Towers, an apartment community in Madison for seniors. Both Wooten and his wife found steady jobs after moving in, which proved to be a double-edged sword: Their now-higher income affects their Section 8 eligibility, and even with steady paychecks and disability benefits the pair can no longer afford their rent.

Wooten explains that it took him more than eight months to secure a voucher and then more time to find an available unit within the Section 8 housing system. Now he’s unsure they’ll be able to stay there another month.

“Section 8 isn’t what it’s cut out to be,” he says. “I found a place to get into, and I thought it sounded like a good deal. I get a check once a month, and next thing you know, my check isn’t going to pay the rent.”

“In one way, it was a tremendous blessing because you’re no longer in the tent outside of the church,” Bradbury adds. “But in other ways, it beats you down in the sense of like, this guy was promised help with rent, and now he’s paying a grand.”

PHOTO: ERIC ENGLAND JEFF AND CAT

There is no easy solution to Wooten’s problem, so the group offers commiseration instead.

As the meeting closes, the conversation turns to January’s makeshift warming shelter, with the team expressing pride in how many community members they were able to serve.

“We walked about three miles in the snow to reach people,” Wes says.

“She was pregnant, waddling down the road,” Jeff adds, pointing to Cat.

“Darrin took heat to everybody, found all the homeless people out there in that terrible snowstorm and took them all propane,” Wooten says.

While the meeting unfolds, team members head in and out of the building to check on Adam*, a longtime community member who relapsed that same afternoon. Adam is visibly upset and a bit unsteady but sticks around for a firm chat with Jim Neely, a retired schoolteacher and City Road member who heads up the church’s Showers of Blessing program, which offers free weekly showers and laundry service. Neely exudes a quiet, paternal energy and sits outside the meeting room with Adam while the group discusses next steps.

“When it comes to that situation and stuff like that, you really need to get a look at somebody and really, really, really keep them under your wing,” Jeff says. “For me and Cat, it’s the same thing. In the past, we would do great, but as soon as we got out there by ourselves, you know, we’d run into someone else [who was using] or we’d hit a trigger.”

The group once again rattles off rehabilitation facilities that could be a fit for Adam. They also consider what might have triggered him to start using again.

“I think this is a trigger,” Wes says, gesturing toward the window. “Just Madison.”

“THERE’S SOMETHING I would like to point out about your first article,” Alexander tells me, referring to the Scene’s April 2023 piece.

“I think that [piece] reinforced the idea that all homeless people are drug addicts,” she says. “And that’s what I hated most about the article, because that’s just not the case. This 73-year-old woman was homeless. And I know other older — and younger — women who are also homeless, who are not drug addicts.”

Alexander is right. Though each person I met for that first piece was struggling with addiction, there are many people in Nashville who find themselves unhoused for myriad other reasons. Focusing solely on the intersection between homelessness and addiction without acknowledging that it’s only one piece of a much larger whole is a disservice to those other populations.

She explains that drug-related stereotypes not only embolden others to treat unhoused people cruelly but also divert resources away from people experiencing homelessness for different reasons. She offers the example of an elderly person becoming homeless after being scammed financially and losing their savings, though she clarifies that is not what happened to her. She considers educational outreach for aging people

as one way to prevent more seniors from becoming homeless.

“The outreach is just not there,” Alexander says. “Outreach for people who are homeless but who are otherwise not burdened … those outreach programs are not available to older Nashvillians who end up homeless … because they’re naive and they don’t have the information they need.”

Alexander explains how elderly people experiencing homelessness struggle even more with visibility, largely due to physical limitations. You won’t find her sitting outside on a hot day, as extreme heat would be an even greater threat to her health than it is for younger people. This lack of visibility can translate to a lack of available resources, as efforts tend to target the most conspicuous groups.

“I spend a lot of time by myself,” she says. “I think a lot of older people do. … Older people are isolated, alone. We need some sort of effective outreach. Please, God, the city of Nashville — find these people. Not only the older people, but the younger people who have become confused and have nobody to point them in the right direction.”

Asked if the city has plans to expand pro-

rent housing in a residential neighborhood but is uncertain how long she’ll be able to stay there.

“It’s the most charming place I’ve ever lived,” she says. “The architecture just sets my heart aflutter. People are very kind, and it’s very quiet. You know, for an old woman, it’s sort of perfect.”

I ask Alexander what she would change about Nashville if she could snap her fingers and make anything happen.

“I don’t have the answer,” she says. “There’s no way I have the answer. I just think that people need to realize that people who are homeless need their help. We need helpers. We need people who will identify people who have been left behind, who have found themselves lost in the big city. … The thing that I most care about these days is, how can all of us help everybody else?”

In my email conversation with Chaney, I ask what could be done to help OHS better face the obstacles that inevitably present themselves when trying to tackle a problem as large and complex as homelessness in Nashville. Chaney points to limited community capacity as one obstacle, “as the Homelessness Planning Board Chair continues to remind [OHS] that the same few organizations are applying for funding.”

“Research shows that this is national issue, not a Nashville [issue],” Chaney writes. “Consequently, we are enhancing community training options and looking for ways to strengthen collective impact. For example, we recently trained 250 community partners and leaders on Housing First practices. We are seeking ways to decrease Continuum of Care meetings to offset volunteer fatigue.”

grams for both older people experiencing homelessness as well as the broader aging community, OHS rep Chaney writes, “Metro has multiple departments that serve the aging population of which our unhoused citizens qualify based on their age, social security benefits and housing needs.”

Alexander was fortunate enough to connect with The Contributor, which offered her not only a way to make a living but a platform for her voice as a writer. While she was grateful for a means to help pay the bills, she says the opportunity to express herself through writing is “the life-saving quality of The Contributor.”

“I have a brain,” she says. “And people who think I’m homeless don’t think I have a brain, and don’t think I can contribute in any way. Writing for The Contributor was a way to prove I had a brain and to keep my mind sharp. It was a way to be a whole person. Without that, I wouldn’t have had the ability to be a whole person, to even look at myself as a whole person. It helped me remain who I was.”

Alexander believes she will experience homelessness again in her lifetime, primarily due to her age, as it will become increasingly difficult for her to earn a living wage. She loves her cur-

To a similar question, Bradbury answers: “The issue is fluid, not static. Invest in people, not shiny new buildings. Hire Metro outreach workers who get out of the car and meet folks where they are at. Work with community partners. Fund a shelter in each neighborhood that has the type of housing instability that Madison has. Empower other nonprofits to call out Metro without fear of repercussion.”

On May 10, The Beat will host a fundraising concert at Amqui Station in Madison. Performers include Becca Mancari, David Dondero and Bradbury himself, with state Rep. Aftyn Behn (D-Nashville) slated to speak. Beat worker and Hobo House resident Claire Annette Possum will showcase her artwork, which will be for sale. There’s a $10 suggested donation at the door, with all proceeds going directly to The Beat.

Like Alexander, The Beat understands the power of coming together for a collective purpose. The team hopes this second year in operation will bring even more growth than the first one did. During the outreach meeting, team members express sincere gratitude for how their lives changed in the past year, and for having the opportunity and resources to help other people improve their lives, too.

“What if we could just keep coming together more and more, and keep engaging with the people that are in our communities?” Wes wonders. “They may be unhoused, but they’re still in your community. They’re still your neighbors. And we’re supposed to ‘love thy neighbor’ as we love ourselves, right?” ▼

KEITH D., THE CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR PHOTO: ERIC ENGLAND

MAY 9

CHRIS RENZEMA

WITH CITIZENS

MAY 10 & 11

AMY GRANT

MOTHER’S DAY WEEKEND

MAY 17 & 18

DREW HOLCOMB & THE NEIGHBORS

JUNE 2

ROBERT EARL KEEN ON SALE FRIDAY AT 10 AM

JUNE 13 - JULY 25

SPRINGER MOUNTAIN FARMS

BLUEGRASS NIGHTS AT THE RYMAN

JUNE 29

TIM DILLON ON SALE FRIDAY AT 10 AM

JULY 23

LUCKY DAYE ON SALE FRIDAY AT 10 AM

JUNE 3

BENEFITING ST. JUDE CHILDREN’S RESEARCH HOSPITAL

DARIUS & FRIENDS ON SALE FRIDAY AT 10 AM

SEPTEMBER 11

WILD RIVERS ON SALE FRIDAY AT 10 AM

SEPTEMBER 27

GUSTER ON SALE FRIDAY AT 10 AM

AUGUST 1-4

VINCE GILL ON SALE FRIDAY AT 10 AM

AUGUST 17

FUTUREBIRDS ON SALE FRIDAY AT 10 AM

NOVEMBER 21

TYLER HUBBARD

WITH ALANA SPRINGSTEEN ON SALE FRIDAY AT 10 AM

DECEMBER 11

CODY JINKS AND WARD DAVIS ON SALE FRIDAY AT 10 AM

DECEMBER 28

NIKKI GLASER ON SALE FRIDAY AT 10 AM

MAY 2 TO 4 | 7:30 PM

5 | 8 PM AT

Nashville Symphony

Giancarlo Guerrero, conductor

Shaham, violin

Nashville Symphony | Brent Havens, conductor and arranger

TO 18 | 7:30 PM

MAY 30 TO JUN 1 | 7:30 PM

2 | 2 PM

Series

BURANA with the Nashville Symphony

JUN 13 TO 15 | 7:30 PM

Pops Series

EVENING WITH

22 | 7:30 PM

JUN 20 & 21 | 7:30 PM

Event

ROBINSON with the

9 TO 11 |

Symphony

Symphony

25 | 7:30 PM

JUN 22 | 8 PM

Amphitheater

hill performs "black sunday" with the Nashville Symphony

MAY 2-SEPT. 1

ART [TROLL MODELS]

TROLLS: SAVE THE HUMANS

Danish artist Thomas Dambo makes giant outdoor sculptures that fit nicely into Cheekwood’s sweet spot — they’re imaginative crowd-pleasers that are unlikely to raise eyebrows or ruffle feathers. They also look fantastic in Cheekwood’s wooded setting. The building-sized trolls are all made from recycled wood, and in keeping with traditional Scandinavian folk tales, their friendly faces are more childlike than menacing. Six of Dambo’s trolls will be on the Cheekwood grounds through Sept. 1, each with its own personality and backstory. A troll named Sofus Lotus, for example, is lying on its side with an ear to the ground as if listening for what’s underneath. Download the Troll Map on Cheekwood’s website to see where they are and find out details.

LAURA HUTSON HUNTER

THURSDAY / 5.2

[RAMPING UP PRODUCTION]

MUSIC

GLOOM GIRL MFG EP RELEASE FEAT.

THE WEIRD SISTERS & WILBY

Nashville rockers Gloom Girl MFG had a massive 2023, with tons of shows and well-earned praise spread far and wide for the well-crafted blend of punk, glam and post-punk fueling their debut EP Factory. They’re already back with a follow-up called Polycrisis that shows even more of their range. “Bougie Girl” and “Batshitlorette” are the hardest-charging rippers of the six-song set, while “Crimes” and “Damaged” still ride highenergy peaks but play with dynamics and work in stronger threads of blues and soul through a glam lens. The comparatively laid-back closing combo of “Firing Line” and “I Love You” opens up even more dimensions for the band — over arpeggiated minor chords that sound like they’re desperate to escape a black hole, singerguitarist Paige MacKinnon turns the line “‘I love you’ is a prayer” into a knife twist. They’ll celebrate Polycrisis on Thursday, the night before its release, with a headline set at The Basement East. The Weird Sisters will support; they stir an

ever-broader array of electronic elements into their funky blues-rock stew on their newest LP Who Are The Weird Sisters? Wilby will also join in; she’s been in the studio working on the first full-length collection of her dreamy and heartfelt indie pop.

STEPHEN TRAGESER

8 P.M. AT THE BASEMENT EAST

917 WOODLAND ST.

MUSIC [COME TOGETHER]

AARON LEE TASJAN

None of singer-songwriter, guitarist and producer Aaron Lee Tasjan’s five solo albums sounds quite like the one that came before it, making Stellar Evolution a fitting name for the latest. Among many other threads of sonic influence, you might notice bits throughout the record that make you think of ’90s Technicolor vocal-pop revivalists Jellyfish, rock ’n’ roll hero Tom Petty, songwriter’s songwriter John Prine and electroclash titans Fischerspooner. It’s also notable that Tasjan is in very fine voice on the LP; in a recent interview, he noted feeling like he’s singing better than ever since he got sober. But what may be most important in defining “Aaron Lee Tasjan music,” as he calls it, is the lyrical style he’s cultivated. It’s heartfelt and

thoughtful but conversational, with a welldeveloped knack for discussing human nature in an honest, frequently funny way that also gives folks grace — including himself when he needs it. Thursday, he’ll be back in his adopted hometown, warmed up after a few weeks on the road, to celebrate the release and share these songs about how important it is to have a supportive network to rely on when big changes and challenges inevitably come. STEPHEN TRAGESER

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

623 SEVENTH AVE. S.

FRIDAY / 5.3

SPOOKY [WOULDN’T YOU LIKE TO SEE SOMETHING STRANGE?]

HALFWAY TO HALLOWEEN

Things are scary out there. (Need a reminder? Tune into the Scene’s recent podcast on the state of our legislature.) But if you’re the sort who likes to be spooked more often, then Nashville Nightmare has the weekend jaunt for you. Its Halfway to Halloween haunted house takes place Friday and Saturday, and those ages 12 and older are invited to Madison to preview some new tricks as the haunt debuts scary scenarios in preparation for the Halloween season later this year. The scary stuff includes performances with live actors, and a gift shop where you can stock up early on your October gear. Tickets start at $30, with options to add on with mini escape games, a carnival, Mummy’s Curse Laser Maze and the Secret Bar Access Pass (for those 21 and older; drink not included) — plus, not one but two secret bars.

MARGARET

LITTMAN

MAY 3-4 AT NASHVILLE NIGHTMARE 1016 MADISON SQUARE, MADISON

SHOPPING [HANDMADE]

TENNESSEE CRAFT FAIR

Centennial Park is set to become an arts epicenter as the Spring Tennessee Craft Fair returns for its 53rd running. Visitors will be greeted by a curated selection of finely crafted artwork and potential collectors’ items — as well as the artists behind the creations, ready to share their inspiration and techniques with

you. If you’re lucky, you just might witness the artisans in action as they craft their masterpieces. In addition to the featured crafts, visitors can engage in hands-on activities at the kids’ tent or grab a bite from local food vendors. The event is organized by Tennessee Craft, a nonprofit dedicated to championing the local craft scene. Through their support, artists find a platform for growth and creative expression, while the community gains a deeper appreciation for the value of fine craftsmanship. Whether artists are hobbyists or master crafters, the fair gives them a golden opportunity to present their one-of-a-kind pieces to fellow enthusiasts and the Nashville community.

MAY

MUSIC

[MUSIC CITY ODYSSEY]

EMILY NENNI

Truth-telling country up-and-comer Emily Nenni takes Nashville by storm this weekend to celebrate the release of her third record, and second for New West Records, Drive & Cry. The singer-songwriter kicks off festivities Thursday with an in-store performance at Grimey’s New & Preloved Music before hosting an album release show Friday at The 5 Spot and stepping into the Grand Ole Opry circle Saturday to perform a few songs on the famed live broadcast. She wraps the weekend Sunday with a musical homecoming at Santa’s Pub, the spot where the California native cut her teeth as a rising Nashville talent. Nenni boasts a honky-tonkin’ sound and a knack for head-turning wordplay, and she describes Drive & Cry as “an album that’s truly ‘me.’” Find out for yourself by hearing her sing a song or two on a stage in town this weekend. Taylor Hunnicutt opens the 5 Spot show, then Nenni joins an Opry lineup that includes Elvie Shane, Steve Wariner, Mark Wills and more. MATTHEW LEIMKUEHLER

9 P.M. AT THE 5 SPOT 1006 FOREST AVE.

[ERA PRIMAVERA]

MUSIC

CHICANO BATMAN W/LIDO PIMIENTA

Fellow movers and shakers: WNXP presents

Latin-funk revivalists turned mega popsters Chicano Batman. The L.A.-based group returns to Music City on the sequined heels of their fifth studio outing, Notebook Fantasy. Released in late March, Fantasy continues the band’s evolution into genre-bending modern pop but does so without sacrificing their deep Latin roots. Glossy production by John Congleton — whose boundary-pushing clients include St. Vincent and Erykah Badu — encompasses the record. His signature punchy sound is featured most notably on tracks such as “The Way You Say It” and album opener “Live Today.” Vocalist and lyricist Bardo Martinez sings on the latter: “Love who you are / Everyone is a star/ I don’t know where I’m gonna go / Gonna live for today.”

With anthemic dance hits, chill Latin vibes and sing-along balladry, Chicano Batman continues to explore their own unbridled sonic palette.

Colombian artist Lido Pimienta opens the show.

JASON VERSTEGEN

8 P.M. AT BROOKLYN BOWL

925 THIRD AVE. N.

MUSIC

[ALL THE WAY FROM TEXAS] ALEJANDRO ESCOVEDO

The music magazine No Depression named Texas roots-rock legend Alejandro Escovedo as its artist of the decade in early 1998. Their nod to Escovedo as an emblematic Americana artist seems logical — though I think they could’ve waited another 18 months to make the call, just in case someone great came along in his place. Escovedo’s ’90s albums mix David Bowie, Lou Reed and John Cale’s atmospheric rock with hints of rootsy grooves that lurk in the mix. Escovedo sounds like he’s imitating lateperiod Roxy Music, complete with a mutated rockabilly guitar riff, on “Bury Me,” a track from his 1992 album Gravity. That album also features something titled “Oxford,” which is a fine Mott the Hoople-Faces-Stones rip. Meanwhile, Chris Stamey’s crisp production elevates 2001’s A Man Under the Influence to iconic status among hardcore Escovedo fans, and the album sports what might be his single catchiest — and thus best — track, “Castanets.” It’s a slice of basic rock ’n’ roll that telescopes all those Exile on Main St. and Lou Reed guitar licks into a great song. Now 73, Escovedo released his latest album, Echo Dancing, in March. It traces a retrospective arc over the material he’s recorded during his long career, and includes a rearranged and rewritten version of “Castanets.” EDD HURT

7:30 P.M. AT CMA THEATER AT THE COUNTRY MUSIC HALL OF FAME AND MUSEUM

224 REP.

JOHN LEWIS WAY S.

SATURDAY / 5.4

NATURE [THE FOURTH AWAKENS] STAR PARTY AT HARPETH RIVER STATE PARK

At some point May 4 (“May the Fourth”) became the official day for Star Wars tomfoolery worldwide because when you say the date aloud, you sound like Obi-Wan Kenobi with a speech disorder. Baseball teams invite fans to

dress up like their favorite Jedi, and indie movie theaters show various Lucasfilm properties for fans to witness on the big screen all over again. Even to me — a guy who could quote The Empire Strikes Back verbatim and correctly name every non-speaking character in Jabba’s palace — the traditions can be a bit of nerd overkill. I mean, they are just movies. But if you want to explore the galaxy we live in (instead of one far, far away), Hidden Lake in Harpeth River State Park is a great place to celebrate Star Wars Day. Park ranger Lisa Housholder will guide visitors through the night sky, with telescopes provided by the Nashville Astronomy Club. For two hours, you can gaze into the Milky Way and never sweat someone calling out the inauthenticity of your Ewok costume.

P.J. KINZER

8 P.M. AT HARPETH RIVER STATE PARK

7851 MCCRORY LANE

SUNDAY / 5.5

FILM [TIME MARCHES ON]

STEEL MAGNOLIAS

I love Julia Roberts more than anyone, so it’s saying something to note that she’s not even my favorite person in the 1989 comedy drama Steel Magnolias. In the original trailer, she’s the last billed after Sally Field (whom I fell in love with all over again after the recent resurgence of her 1985 “you like me” Oscar acceptance speech for Places in the Heart), Dolly Parton, (no notes needed) and more heavyweights including Shirley MacLaine, Daryl Hannah and Olympia Dukakis. If it’s your first time watching Steel Magnolias — screening via Fathom Events as part of its 35th anniversary this year — you’ll be a little bit devastated by at least one plot point. But somehow, it remains a very comforting movie. Perhaps because it passes the Bechdel test with flying colors, or because it centers on a salon, or just because it contains Dolly Parton. I watched Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion recently at the Belcourt, so I can say there’s something beautiful about watching old favorites with an audience. I’d like to sit in a room of people who know the significance of, “Shelby, drink your juice.” That original trailer calls Steel Magnolias “the funniest movie that will ever make you cry.” I concur.

MUSIC

[MUSICAL MILESTONES]

NASHVILLE IN HARMONY & THE NASHVILLE PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA

Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony is not only one of the world’s most frequently performed symphonies, it’s also widely regarded as a true masterpiece of Western classical music. The Ninth was actually the first symphony to incorporate vocal parts into its score, concluding with the famous “Ode to Joy.” You can experience the piece for yourself as Nashville in Harmony and the Nashville Philharmonic Orchestra team up for a pair of concerts celebrating both organizations’ 20th anniversary seasons. The program begins

JAYME FOLTZ

3-5 AT CENTENNIAL PARK 2500 WEST END AVE.

HALFWAY TO HALLOWEEN

MAY 3

CHEST FEVER

THE OFFICIAL REVIVAL OF THE BAND

MAY 9

JB STRAUSS

SAINTS OF THE SOUTH RECORD RELEASE with ROBBY PEOPLES

MAY 11

WEBB WILDER 70TH BIRTHDAY BASH

COMING SOON

5/8 TRALER PARK featuring Dallas Davidson, Jamey Johnson, Jerrod Niemann, Lee Brice, Randy Houser and Rob Hatch

5/22 FORD COOPER Single Release Show

9/3 BUG HUNTER & THE NARCISSIST COOKBOOK

THU

TUE

with NPO presenting the world premiere of Brian Raphael Nabors’ “Voyages.” NIH will then perform Craig Hella Johnson’s “All of Us” (from Considering Matthew Shepard), “Tennessee Waltz” (arr. Wesley King) and “I Love You”/“What a Wonderful World” (arr. Craig Hella Johnson). Finally, the two organizations will take the stage together to perform Beethoven’s Ninth — which first premiered in Vienna on May 7, 1824. AMY STUMPFL

MAY 5 AT FRANKLIN SPECIAL SCHOOL DISTRICT

PERFORMING ARTS CENTER (1030 EXCELLENCE WAY, FRANKLIN); MAY 7 AT THE SCHERMERHORN (1 SYMPHONY PLACE, NASHVILLE)

BOOKS [WHERE THE HEART IS]

TODD SELBY: THE SELBY COMES HOME

Todd Selby has been photographing people and their homes for two decades and has three books and a successful website under his belt. But his fourth book, The Selby Comes Home: An Interior Design Book for Creative Families, is special. In this edition, Selby has turned his lens to creative family homes. He also used a photo of Nashville-based artist Vadis Turner’s family on the cover. If that weren’t enough cause for celebration, Selby is hosting a book launch here in Nashville at The Green Ray, where The Selby Comes Home will be right, ahem, at home among specialty photography books and a curated design section that wouldn’t be out of place in one of his photos. In addition to Turner’s home, several other creative Nashville families are featured prominently in the book alongside a Māori household in Auckland, New Zealand, and a cozy treehouse in L.A. It’s a real melting pot of unexpected, quirky, family-centric style.

LAURA HUTSON HUNTER

2-4 P.M. AT THE GREEN RAY

3237 GALLATIN PIKE

MONDAY / 5.6

BOOKS [FOR A CHANGE]

LIFE LITERACY EDUCATION FUNDRAISER

On Monday, a host of Nashville talent will gather at Riverside Revival for a fundraiser and silent auction for Life Literacy Education, a nonprofit that works with disadvantaged youth to create plans for schooling, career and financial literacy. The show will feature Rachael Sage, Veronica Stanton, Sar Rudy, Will Payne Harrison, Mark Robert Cash, J. Dewveall and Austin Mayse. Willie Carver, a former Kentucky Teacher of the Year and LGBTQ advocate, will also speak.

RACHEL CHOLST

7 P.M. AT RIVERSIDE REVIVAL

1600 RIVERSIDE DRIVE

[TINY MUSIC BOX TOUR]

MUSIC

RAINBOW KITTEN SURPRISE

Rainbow Kitten Surprise — Ela Melo (lead vocals), Darrick “Bozzy” Keller (guitar, vocals), Ethan Goodpaster (guitar, vocals), Jess Haney (drums) — kicks off their North American Tiny Music Box tour with a sold-out show Monday

night at Brooklyn Bowl. The tour is in support of Love Hate Music Box, the North Carolina-bred quartet’s first album in six years, which hits stores and streaming services May 10 via Elektra Records. The album, which builds on the group’s eclectic sonic mix, was recorded in Nashville and co-produced by Melo, Daniel Tashian and Konrad Snyder, who also mixed the record’s 22 tracks. Tashian produces Kacey Musgraves, and the country hitmaker appears as a guest vocalist on one of the album’s singles, “Overtime.” Monday’s show will be the group’s first live performance since April 2023, and while they’ll be spotlighting material from the new album, RKS also will perform fan favorites from their earlier releases. Musgraves is in the midst of a European tour, so she won’t be sitting in with the band at Brooklyn Bowl, but it won’t be a surprise if Tashian joins them onstage for some of their new material. DARYL SANDERS

8 P.M. AT BROOKLYN BOWL

925 THIRD AVE. N.

FILM [HIP-HOP HANGOUT] MUSIC CITY MONDAYS: LOST SOULZ

Unless I’m mistaken, the new indie dramedy Lost Soulz practically creates a new genre in motion pictures: It’s the first hip-hop hangout movie. An aspiring Austin, Texas, rapper (Sauve Sidle) flees a busted house party and leaves his producer buddy, who overdoses in one of the bedrooms. He hitches a ride with a misfit group of rappers and singers (any similarities to Texasborn, misfit hip-hop group BROCKHAMPTON are purely coincidental) as they take a road trip across the Lone Star State. It’s almost disarming watching a movie that consists mostly of young MCs smoking weed, feeding animals, making music, getting into goofy shenanigans and smoking more weed. Writer-director Katherine Propper (whose previous work on Terrence Malick’s editing team clearly influenced her fly-on-the-wall filmmaking) populates her feature-film debut with actual up-and-coming rappers, who basically bond while the cameras roll. Propper will be taking a similar trip with this film, as she, her producers and some of the cast go from the movie’s New York premiere to screenings across Texas. Of course, they’ll

TUESDAY / 5.7

MUSIC [GIANT STEPS] HELMET W/CRO-MAGS

If you want to understand Helmet, guitarist Page Hamilton’s 1994 ode to the greatest avant-garde saxophonist is the most fitting introduction. In June of that year, Hamilton wrote in Thrasher magazine that “the intense passion and constant progression in the music of John Coltrane exposes a spiritually driven man who seemed to play every note as though it would be his last.” Hamilton, who studied guitar at the prestigious Manhattan School of Music, took a similarly tireless ethic with his guitar work, looking to dissonant instrumentalists like Peter Brötzmann, Archie Shepp, Glenn Branca and Ornette Coleman for inspiration. Helmet was the ideal soundtrack to the sea change of skateboarding culture as the spotlight moved from California’s vert ramps to the East Coast’s concrete and steel. As the pants got wider and the injuries got gnarlier, Hamilton’s harsh guitar tones and imaginative guitar chords provided the perfect score for street skating. With their down-tuned, drudging aggression, Helmet constantly dared listeners to try to like their band and never made it easy. But the payoff was always worth it. Returning to Nashville for the second time in 2024 will be openers CroMags, who graced the Exit/In stage on their Best Wishes tour in 1989. Still ferocious all these years later, Harley Flanagan and company pack their sets with NYHC favorites like “World Peace” and “Malfunction.” Their recent show at Cobra proved that the 57-year-old man can still bring a circle pit as hard as he did 35 years ago. P.J. KINZER

be making a Music City Mondays stop at the Belcourt. CRAIG D. LINDSEY

RAINBOW KITTEN SURPRISE

BRENNLEY BROWN

Join us to celebrate Brennley’s latest single “Miracle Story” and get a sneak peek listen of her new music soon to be released. The Voice, Season 12 finalist, and the show’s youngest, highest-charting Artist to date, she’s opened for Tim McGraw, Sheryl Crow, Dwight Yoakam, and others Destined to touch people and hearts everywhere, you won’t want to miss this special evening.

5 PM SHOW: 6 PM GEN ADM: FREE

week for an extended run at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center with memorable characters and plenty of stage magic. Based on the 2013 smash-hit animated film, this charming stage adaptation sticks pretty close to the original movie while bringing the relationship between sisters Elsa and Anna into sharper focus. The musical features an expanded score with several new numbers from Academy Award winner Kristen Anderson-Lopez and EGOT winner Robert Lopez. Audiences also can look forward to eye-popping design elements, with scenic and costume designs by Christopher Oram, lighting by Natasha Katz, video design by Finn Ross and remarkably detailed puppets by Michael Curry. (Rumor has it that the role of Sven the reindeer is so demanding — with one person essentially performing in a plank position on mini-stilts — that two actors have to alternate performances.) It’s quite a spectacle, to be sure. But don’t be surprised if this Frozen also melts your heart.

AMY STUMPFL

MAY 7-18 AT TPAC’S ANDREW JACKSON HALL

505 DEADERICK ST.

MUSIC

[THE GOOD AND THE BAD] HERMANOS GUTIÉRREZ

The music of Hermanos Gutiérrez is the rare kind that blends perfectly into the fabric of any mood or occasion. Brothers Alejandro and Estevan Gutiérrez use an enchanting mixture of musical styles and have received critical acclaim for their latest full-length release, El Bueno y el Malo, recorded with producer Dan Auerbach in his very own Nashville Easy Eye Sound recording studio. The album, an atmospheric and ambient collection of tracks, was a nominee for Album of the Year at the 2023 Americana Music Honors & Awards. The music the brothers create in the studio is just as engrossing in person, with their live performances serving as a perfect showcase for their musical abilities and the dedication they put into each of their songs. Every concert is an intimate and inviting occasion, allowing their audience to grow closer to the music and to feel as though they are a part of the joyful, laid-back and sensationally groovy world of Hermanos Gutiérrez. ROB HINKAL

7:30 P.M. AT THE RYMAN

116 REP. JOHN LEWIS WAY

FROZEN

HERMANOS GUTIÉRREZ

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‘GROW FOOD, NOT LANDFILLS’

A new pilot program is addressing Nashville’s food waste

BY CHRIS CHAMBERLAIN

“NASHVILLE

IS FULL!”

It’s a common refrain among long-term residents who feel like the city is starting to burst at the seams. While it might make for a decent T-shirt slogan, the phrase is also applicable when it comes to Nashville’s solid waste management issues.

Construction and demolition waste along with food waste make up the majority of Nashville’s contribution to the massive Middle Point Landfill in Murfreesboro, a facility that is probably within a few years of reaching capacity. Nobody wants a new landfill in their backyard, so the trash will probably have to travel even farther away from Davidson County for disposal. With that move will almost certainly come additional costs, which could lead Metro to start charging by the pound for trash pickup in the Urban Services District instead of providing free weekly service, which Metro Nashville Waste Services has done for decades. In 2021, waste collection was moved from Metro Public Works to Metro Water Services. Do you know what Water has that Public Works does not? They already have the mechanisms in place to bill Nashville residents directly for services based on consumption; that would make it an easy add-on to include trash with your water bill.

The Metro government made a step to address the city’s solid waste issues in 2019 with an organized Zero Waste initiative, which calls for diverting 90 percent of Nashville waste from landfills. The plan’s goals also include increased recycling, food waste reduction and recovery, and a focus on composting. A separate program to address construction and demo waste has been established, and public education programs aim to increase awareness of the issue.

According to Metro, more than 80 percent of Davidson County’s waste goes to landfills. A new pilot program aims to reduce that number while educating the public about disposal options.

The initiative is managed by Compost Nashville, a program that has diverted more than 10 million pounds of waste from landfills since 2014 through a combination of residential and commercial composting programs. The commercial portion of the effort picks up organic waste from local restaurants and large cafeterias. Some of the city’s favorite restaurants are part of that program, including Miel, Butcher & Bee, Lyra,

Bastion and Peninsula. Used coffee grounds are an excellent addition to compost, so local shops such as Frothy Monkey, Bongo Java and even some Starbucks locations contribute their leftovers to the effort.

Compost Nashville doesn’t ascribe to the “Nashville is full” attitude. Instead, the program’s mottos include “Treasure not trash” and “Grow food, not landfills.” Compost Nashville works with Ashland City-based The Compost Company as their diversion partner. The 37-acre facility was founded in 2012 by brothers Clay and Jeffrey Ezell along with Ed Wansing, and started out with multiple Middle Tennessee Walmart locations as their primary customer. Previously, waste from the big-box store was shipped all the way to Indianapolis or Little Rock for processing, contributing a lot of needless carbon output.

The Compost Company works with larger commercial customers in Middle Tennessee in addition to Compost Nashville to provide organic waste collection and drop-off services. The company also offers convenient composting options for large events like concerts and festivals. (They also helped out with the Scene’s recent Iron Fork event to ensure that compostable waste didn’t end up in the landfill.)

Working with a small staff of fewer than a dozen full-time employees, The Compost Company annually converts millions of pounds of organic waste into compost, mulch and soil blends that the company sells to garden centers, landscapers, contractors and individuals. If you’ve ever tried to start your own compost pile at home, you probably discovered that it’s hard to keep it healthy and percolating. Thanks to the volume it takes in, The Compost Company can ensure that its small mountains of material maintain the proper mix of organics, moisture and aeration to naturally maintain the 140-plus-degree temperatures necessary to break down collected components into nutritious compost.

I visited The Compost Company’s Ashland City facility and was immediately struck by how wonderful it smelled. Well, the first stop in the process was the “tipping pad,” where newly arrived materials are screened for contaminants before being added to one of the percolation piles. So, yeah, that part smelled pretty much

like garbage. But as I walked deeper through the production site to where more mature piles were breaking down waste, it began to smell like sweet mushrooms — the aroma of happy bacteria doing their jobs of oxidative decomposition. This also means that their retail products don’t smell like manure, because the inputs are cleaner, and the outputs don’t need the addition of cow patties.

Compost Nashville’s yearlong trial was funded entirely through the largesse of one anonymous donor with the goal to help expand residential composting in Nashville. More than 3,000 people applied for the 750 spots in the program, which offered the same service that many Nashvillians have paid $39 a month for: weekly pickup of one 4-gallon bin. In return for the free subscription, participants in the pilot program agreed to participate in online surveys and Zoom focus groups throughout the year.

The new program also included expanding Compost Nashville’s service area to include all of Davidson County, as well as part of Williamson County. I’ve personally been a part of the pilot since the beginning of the year, and it has been a pleasant experience full of surprises. My first awakening: discovering the vast variety of materials that can go in my bin. In addition to the obvious vegetable trimmings and those spoiled bunches of scallions and parsley that I didn’t need to buy, Compost Nashville will accept a plethora of unexpected items for processing. They’ll take bones, meat, shrimp shells, pet hair, dryer lint and even all-natural clothing, provided that you are certain no inorganic fibers are included.

If you do accidentally include something verboten in your bin, the operator of the van that collects and weighs your materials will probably send you a gently shaming email with a photo of the offending object and a reminder to, for instance, cut the buttons off next time. Every week, we discover another benefit of composting in our household. In addition to the smug self-satisfaction of doing the right thing, we’ve enjoyed the fact that our trash doesn’t smell nearly as bad now — after all, roughly 6 pounds of organic materials aren’t sitting there until trash day each week.

The program includes a smaller kitchen bin that can sit right on the counter to collect the

leftovers from a good mise en place session. If the bag in the mini bin begins to fill up (or we know those fish bones or the mysterious bag of offal stuffed inside a whole chicken will probably start to reek soon), we just take the liner out of the bin and pop it in our chest freezer. Then come Tuesday morning, all we have to do is drop the “waste-cicle” in the big bin before placing it on the sidewalk. Compost Nashville customers can also request a free bag of compost to be dropped off with their new weekly bin one or two times per year as a bonus for participating in the program.

In a larger sense, the benefits of the trial include opening up new pickup routes that could encourage new users to take advantage of Compost Nashville’s service. More customers make for a larger and more efficient operation within the entire system and could extend the lifespan of nearby landfill options. Less organic matter in those landfills also leads to a reduction of methane — a particularly disruptive greenhouse gas. There is also hope that the pilot program could be extended, or could include a new batch of participants in the future.

Micah Puncochar is one of the co-founders of the organization, and he’s proud of helping to change how the city views food waste. “We’re returning nutrients to the soil for food production by local farmers,” he shares. “Food waste doesn’t have to be waste. We’re helping make Nashville food more nutritious.” ▼

PHOTOS:

THE COMPOST COMPANY

MAY FINDS NASHVILLE smack dab in the middle of the always-bustling spring art season. Spring decorating and wedding season all conspire to make this month a big one for gallery sales and museum events. Now’s the time to grab that one-of-a-kind gift or just the right piece for your newly painted bedroom. Highlights for this month’s First Saturday events include a solo display by an emerging artist whose busy exhibition schedule has her burning through curatorial calendars as quickly as she’s trying on new styles. Another don’t-miss display is a throwback to the earliest days of Nashville’s contemporary art scene, arranged by an OG curator with a global perspective on community art. My backyard roses are just starting to bloom, and we’ve been getting a lot of those familiar Middle Tennessee “80 degrees and a frost warning” weather reports for weeks now. Baffling climate patterns or not, it’s only fitting that one of the highlights of this weekend’s First Saturday happenings will be outside.

WEDGEWOOD-HOUSTON

The first Saturday of May marks the midpoint between last year’s inaugural Zine City Fest and this fall’s event, appropriately dubbed the 2nd Annual Zine City Fest. Free Nashville Poetry Library founder and ringmaster Matt Johnstone conceived the small-mag-a-thon as the library’s contribution to last year’s Artville festival. The celebration of small publishers, offbeat authors and DIY bookbinders is a natural extension of the Show & Sell outdoor art bazaars that the library organizes during most First Saturday afternoons, outside its digs at The Packing Plant. This month’s Show & Sell event is appropriately dedicated to zines. Longtime S&S supporters Dicey’s Pizza and Jackalope Brewery are supplying food and drink alongside a roster of Middle Tennessee little literature specialists, including SALT Weekly, Emma Lambiase, Zaki Daouk, AP Comfort, Sara Carter, Matt and Joseph Christy, Aaron Zvi Felder and Dylan Simon. Johnstone estimated about 2,500 visitors during the fall’s Artville event, so this weekend’s sneak peek will give you a better chance to linger and connect with some new favorite authors and DIY printed-word geeks before the bigger, busier event during this year’s Artville fest in September. Johnstone’s getting the bands back together this weekend from 4 p.m. through sunset — just in time for you early crawlers to catch a bookish buzz before you hit the galleries.

➡ DETAILS: 4-8 p.m. at The Packing Plant, 507 Hagan St.

We have a long way to go before we get too excited about autumn art events — especially when Saturday afternoon zinesters will be

MAY 2024

It’s a Small World at Red 225 and a celebration of AAPI artists at Fido

BY JOE NOLAN

only a few steps from the front door of Free Nashville Poetry Library’s neighbor, art gallery Red 225. The Packing Plant space is hosting a Saturday night reception for Grace Hall’s Small World, marking the start of the second month of a two-month stand for this cozy solo display. Hall recently completed her BFA at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, but she’s already participated in numerous group exhibitions in both Nashville and Chi-town, and she’s coming off of another solo exhibition at Random Sample just last year. Nashville’s embrace of student artists is one of the hallmarks of our contemporary art scene — you can thank Watkins College of Art for cementing that legacy in the culture. And while Hall is relatively experienced for an emerging artist, she’s still on a restless search for her unique

HILLSBORO VILLAGE

creative voice. Hall’s Random Sample show, Microcosms of Introspection, included shaped, biomorphic abstract paintings as well as sound elements. Small World features a collection of multimedia paintings that all feel of a piece, but they also look like they were made by a totally different artist than the one who made Microcosms of Introspection. Kudos to Hall for embracing a breakneck pace of growth and not limiting her reach in hopes of finding a comfortable compromise on the path to discovering her own distinctive vocabulary. See this show now, because I’m hoping Hall’s next one might be something completely different all over again.

➡ DETAILS: Opening reception 6-9 p.m. at Red 225, 507 Hagan St.

I can’t remember the last time a Hillsboro Village event blipped on my First Saturday radar. Cheers to this display, which reminds me of the days when coffeehouse art shows were one of the few options for emerging artists anxious to share their work in Nashville. Hillsboro Village is actually the cradle of Nashville’s contemporary art scene, which was born when the original Untitled Artists Group installed its first pop-up display in a room above Multi Bob restaurant in the early 1990s — the location where Hopdoddy Burger Bar stands today. Artist and curator Ben Vitualla knows all about those early times in the DIY badlands of the city’s art scene — Vitualla cut his teeth in one of the first incarnations of the Untitled Artists Group, and his aheadof-its-time community art curating at his Blend Studio helped to make The Arcade a highlight of the original Downtown Art Crawl. For May, Vitualla’s organized Pacific Family at Fido. The show features works by local artists with roots in Asia-Pacific regions including Heather Moulder, Aimee Cericos Cedro, Giro Gabayoyo, Sean Redondo, SuengHee Brown Alliman, Nozomi Takasu, Kazu D Hishida, Andy Anh Ha, Erik Sharpnack, Sai Clayton and Vitualla himself. May is Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month, and this show is a celebration of AAPI artists working in design, printmaking, drawing, painting, digital art and photography.

➡ DETAILS: Opening reception 5-9 p.m. at Fido, 1812 21st Ave. S. ▼

PACIFIC FAMILY AT FIDO

SMALL WORLD AT RED 225

SAI CLAYTON, PHOTO BY ASHLEY HOLSTEIN

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THE BEST-LAID PLANS

Nashvillian Je Zentner’s new novel signals a change in literary direction

BY TINA CHAMBERS

an independent bookstore for independent people

UPCOMING

EVENTS

PARNASSUSBOOKS.NET/EVENT FOR TICKETS & UPDATES

THURSDAY, MAY 2

6:30PM

C. J. REDWINE at PARNASSUS Return of the Vengeful Queen

6:30PM

SATURDAY, MAY 4

ALEXANDRIA BELLEFLEUR

with LAUREN KUNG JESSEN at PARNASSUS Truly, Madly, Deeply

MONDAY, MAY 6

6:30PM

JOE INGLE

with KEITH SIMMONS at PARNASSUS Too Close to the Flame

TUESDAY, MAY 7

6:30PM

AIMEE NEZHUKUMATATHIL

with MARGARET RENKL at PARNASSUS Bite by Bite

WEDNESDAY, MAY 15

6:30PM HELEN SIMONSON at PARNASSUS

The Hazelbourne Ladies Motorcycle and Flying Club FRIDAY, MAY 17

12:00PM

3900 Hillsboro Pike Suite 14 | Nashville, TN 37215 (615) 953-2243

Shop online at parnassusbooks.net

SIGNING LINE WITH VALERIE BERTINELLI at PARNASSUS Indulge parnassusbooks parnassusbooksnashville parnassusbooks parnassusbooks1

WITH COLTON GENTRY’S THIRD ACT, awardwinning YA author Jeff Zentner tries his hand at adult contemporary romance with a Southern flair. Complete with a cover blurb by bestselling romance writer Emily Henry, Zentner’s new book marks a turning point in his storytelling journey.

In a note posted to Goodreads earlier this year, Zentner explains that although writing YA has been “a blast,” he ultimately found the genre limiting because it didn’t allow him to tell a story “where someone plans for years on taking one path, and his dreams wither on the vine and force him to take another path.

… My story.” Much like Colton Gentry, Zentner began his career as a musician who dreamed of stardom. When that didn’t go according to plan, Zentner pivoted to writing. Colton, on the other hand, eventually finds moderate success as a country music singer-songwriter and ends up married to a world-famous pop star. But when his best friend Duane is killed in a mass shooting, everything in his life starts to unravel.

“Grief undermines your structural integrity,” Zentner writes. “It crazes your foundation. Alcohol does the same from another direction. Sometimes they meet in the middle, and when they do, once-solid things crumble. When the crumbling begins, it quickly becomes catastrophic. Somewhere, deep inside himself, where the ember of good judgment still smolders, Colton Gentry knows he’s about to make a terrible mistake. But he just doesn’t care.”

Colton’s terrible mistake is to advocate for gun control, first during an interview on Fox News, and finally in a drunken, profanity-laced rant in

front of 20,000 people at a country music concert.

Colton loses his tour, manager, recording contract, radio station airplay and wife in quick succession and becomes the main attraction of at least one album-smashing party that features a bounce house for the kids and a bulldozer. He is done in the music business, so he retreats to his hometown of Venice, Ky. There he begins his recovery from alcoholism, grief and selfloathing.

The first half of the novel alternates between his current situation and flashbacks to his life in Venice as a high school student, when he was the homecoming king and star quarterback with a football career ahead of him and a girlfriend he truly loved named Luann. Those promising starts ended badly too, and music was meant to be his saving grace. So Colton is definitely ready for a new chapter but doubts he will be given another chance.

As he reconnects with friends from his past and makes amends for his neglect over the years, he finds a bit more peace. Inspired by the AA serenity prayer, he even goes so far as to rescue a dog, telling the shelter rep he wants their “sorriest, most broke-down-ass dog,” figuring he can at least have the courage to change some other poor creature’s life for the better. “I’m gonna take care of you, buddy,” Colton tells Petey. “And that’ll be one good thing I don’t screw up.” (In several charming asides, Zentner reassures readers via footnotes that “Petey will not die in this book.”)

But the book wouldn’t be a romance without romance, so naturally Colton runs into Luann, divorced with two adorable children and a

wildly successful field-to-table restaurant that she’s passionate about.

Their original teenage love affair took place against a backdrop of smoldering Southern charm: “Firefly-bedazzled, star-swept nights; lightning against purple thunderheads; chirring of crickets. Driving backroads aimlessly, wind the temperature of a fever on their faces; lying on a blanket at the bluff, tangled like a necklace in a pocket. They gripped one another like they were clinging to the same riverbank root to keep from being swept downstream and parted forever.” It was Colton who let go first, and it’s the regret of his life. But when Luann offers him a job at her restaurant, Colton must decide who he truly wants to be.

In the first lines of the Goodreads post, Zentner writes: “One of the wonders of moving through this world is how unpredictable it can be. You end up in places you never imagined, doing things that were never part of your plan. And sometimes it all works to your greater joy.” Readers will root for the affable Colton Gentry and his much-needed third act and no doubt wish his creator greater joy in this new venture.

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

Colton Gentry’s Third Act

By Je Zentner

Grand Central 400 pages, $30

WMOT Roots Radio Presents Finally Fridays feat. MUSTANGS OF THE WEST, CHRIS SMITHER & PI JACOBS

LARRY CAMPBELL & TERESA WILLIAMS with RAINY EYES

Backstage Nashville! Daytime Hit Songwriters Show feat.

BEN JOHNSON, ED HILL, WILL WEATHERLY with TRACK 45

917

Bluebird on 3rd feat.

BOWEN*YOUNG, BRYAN DAWLEY & IMOGEN CLARK with GRACE MORRISON & WAKEFIELD

SAT 5/4 12:30 8:00 8:00

VINYL RADIO

BETTER THAN EZRA with HEY STEVE

FREESHOW SOLDOUT! SOLDOUT!

FEATURED

THE TIME JUMPERS

Louisiana Fest feat.

AMANDA SHAW & ALEX SMITH with STEVE CONN

DUSTBOWL REVIVAL with MELODY WALKER

THE LAST TROUBADOURS SHOWCASE feat. DYLAN SMUCKER, BRENNA MACMILLAN & MOLLY RUTH

COMING SOON

5/23 KODY WEST WITH JASON SCOTT & THE HIGH HEAT 5/24 STEPHANIE CHAPMAN WITH MARTINA MCBRIDE, CHARLES KELLEY & MORE! 5/25 RESURRECTION: A JOURNEY TRIBUTE 5/26 KYSHONA WITH RISSI PALMER 5/28 CORDOVAS 5/29 ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC ONRAMP 5/30 JASON EADY W/MIDNIGHT RIVER CHOIR

JESSE DANIEL WITH ALEX WILLIAMS 6/1 SMOKING SECTION 6/4 WILLIAM LEE GOLDEN & THE GOLDENS

OF PATTY GRIFFIN SONGS

6/5 COUNTRY FOR A CAUSE - HOSTED BY TG SHEPPARD & KELLY LANG

6/6 DARRYL WORLEYFAN APPRECIATION PARTY

- 6/8 THE EAGLEMANIACS

SOUTH FOR WINTER WITH THE WOODS

CORDOVAS

NASHVILLE IS DEAD

ANDERSON COUNCIL: A PINK FLOYD EXPERIENCE

6/14 LARRY KEEL EXPERIENCE

6/15 THE PIANO MEN: THE MUSIC OF ELTON JOHN AND BILLY JOEL

6/20 JON WOLFE WITH CATIE OFFERMAN

6/22 WORLD TURNING BAND “THE LIVE FLEETWOOD MAC EXPERIENCE”

gloom girl mfg w/ the weird sisters and wilby the emo band live karaoke party psychedelic porn crumpets w/ spoon benders holly humberstone nate smith & friends sim w/ fame on fire, within destruction & crystal lake adeem the artist w/ Flamy Grant & Brandi Augustus enter shikari josh meloy

alice merton w/ juliana madrid Drowning Pool, Saliva, & Alien Ant Farm w/ above snakes dead poet society w/ andres hannah wicklund augustana w/ verygently shaboozey kendell marvel's honky tonk experience wild child w/ oh he dead real estate w/ water from your eyes g flip w/ Florrie yot club w/ boyscott project pat

alaina stacey w/ teddie collinz (7PM) jesse roper w/ pressing strings (9PM) the ballroom thieves (7PM)

flight attendant w/ social creatures & spirit ritual (9PM)

sammy arriaga w/ rae isla (7PM)

tsushimamire w/ massie99 (7PM)

devan w/ eva cassel (7PM)

annika bennett w/ abby cates (9PM)

vienna vienna (7pm)

shane weisman w/ wily (7PM)

lily meola ft. melissa fuller & bre kennedy (9PM)

michael marcagi w/ lily fitts carson jeffrey & tyler halverson

the emo night tour

jeff bernat toni romiti

shannon and the clams w/ tropa magica x ambassadors w/ new west & rowan drake ben chapman's peach jam

zebra

six one tribe, brian brown & sweet poison the dead daisies w/ rock city machine co. baroness w/ portrayal of guilt & filth is eternal jmsn paris paloma athena up all night: a one direction party five iron frenzy hot in herre: 2000s dance party wyn starks

colton sturtz w/ jesse kramer, henry conlon & strange company nightrain: guns n' roses tribute experience

me nd adam w/ thebrofresh (7PM) this pine box w/ mosant (9pm) will kimbrough (7PM) thomas csorba w/ grayson jenkins (7PM) vukovi & calva louise w/ stellar circuits (7pm) odie leigh (6:30pm)

plush (7pm)

dallas alexander w/ ellis melillo (9pm)

nicolette & the nobodies (7pm)

ric robertson (9pm)

bee taylor w/ boys club for girls chemtrail w/ shedonist & hollow head

KEEP DREAMING

Dream-pop legends Slowdive bring their improbable second act to The Caverns

BY CHARLIE ZAILLIAN

WITH ALL DUE respect to Cocteau Twins and Beach House, Slowdive is the crown jewel of dream pop — that alternative-rock subgenre and cousin to shoegaze, characterized by washedout, psychedelic guitars cozying up to unintelligible yet gorgeous male-female harmonies. Many have attempted it since, but few have done it better. The Reading, U.K., ensemble — whose first run lasted from 1989 to ’95 before they reformed in ’14 — will play The Caverns in Pelham, Tenn., on May 8 in support of their fifth LP, 2023’s Everything Is Alive

Growing up at the turn of the 1990s in Reading, 40 miles outside London, Slowdive’s members didn’t have to work too hard for an education in rock ’n’ roll.

“We’d go into London for the biggest shows — Sonic Youth, the Pixies — but smaller bands would also come to Reading,” guitar player Christian Savill tells the Scene. “We’re 17, 18, seeing bands like My Bloody Valentine and Loop playing these tiny rooms, and that’s what shaped us. At the time, they seemed so much older, even though we were probably separated by only two or three years.”

From the moment they hit the practice room, Savill, guitarist-vocalists Rachel Goswell and Neal Halstead, bassist Nick Chaplin and drummer Simon Scott proved they could hold their own. Two high points from their early output are 1993’s sweeping, melancholic Souvlaki — which Brian Eno agreed to appear on after the band mailed him a fan letter — and its sparser, high-atmosphere 1995 follow-up Pygmalion

Still, even the seal of approval from Creation Records (home of Primal Scream, Swervedriver and other British greats) couldn’t save the band from the vipers of the U.K. music press. It reads humorously now, but back then, quotes like a

curmudgeonly Melody Maker reviewer’s quip “I’d rather drown choking in a bath full of porridge than ever listen to [Souvlaki] again” did a number on the young band’s confidence — and its sales. Once the deliberately more polarizing Pygmalion came out, remembers Savill, “Britpop was peaking, and people weren’t interested at all.”

Today, however, Slowdive’s influence can be heard everywhere both above-ground and underground, from modern faves like Australia’s Tame Impala and NYC’s DIIV to newer Nashville acts like Total Wife. In revisiting the band’s first-generation output decades later, Savill says, what stands out most — for all its wall-to-wall guitars and elaborate vocal treatments — were its simplicity, and humanity.

“We never did have a ton of gear back when we wrote these songs at 19, 20, and weren’t supreme musicians, so we kept it quite easy to play,” Savill explains. “When we got back together, not everything worked, of course — and not that we didn’t love that element of chaos — but what did … reminded us of how we went from being mates having fun to being a real band. Which is awesome.”

After Slowdive’s initial dissolution, Halstead and Goswell formed the pastoral indie-country combo Mojave 3. Love, meanwhile, brought Savill to our neck of the woods.

“I married an American and worked in a grocery store in Asheville [N.C.] for several years, where occasionally an old Slowdive fan would recognize me,” he says. “‘Is it true you were in Slowdive? Why are you collecting carts in the parking lot?’ One time [Souvlaki track] ‘Machine Gun’ came on the in-store radio while I was vacuuming the produce mats. I was thinking: ‘God, has my life come to this?’ I moved back to the

U.K. in 2012. This will be our first time playing anywhere near Nashville or Chattanooga.”

Severe as rock-reunion fatigue feels these days, Slowdive’s self-titled 2017 comeback LP was astonishing. My pick from that one, the second-side standout “Go Get It,” felt like Souvlaki 2.0 — front-to-back, the eight-song set honored the band’s legacy while benefiting, naturally, from time and perspective.

Now comes Everything Is Alive, a spirited follow-up rooted in the quintet’s signature languid, delay-driven sound, highlighted by the moody instrumental “Prayer Remembered,” the slow-burning, synthpop-styled “Chained to a Cloud” and hard-driving closer “The Slab.” Over 36 minutes, it runs the gamut of emotions and sounds — alternately youthful and optimistic, heavy, dreamy and dark. In other words, it’s classic Slowdive.

“I like this one more [than Slowdive],” Savill says. “More coherent, and more complete.”

As for the live show: “What’s been noticeable lately, is the audiences getting younger,” he

COME THROUGH

T Bone Burnett returns to making his own music — and to the stage — with The Other Side

BY MATTHEW LEIMKUEHLER

T BONE BURNETT went shopping for a few guitars and found a new solo album along the way.

Among a laundry list of credits, the songwriter-artist-producer is known for once touring with Bob Dylan, shepherding the trendsetting O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack and uniting the unlikely duo of Alison Krauss and Robert Plant for a run of acclaimed recordings. He’s one of the most sought-after storytellers in roots music and has released several solo albums, but not since 2008’s Tooth of Crime. However, he returned April 19 with The Other Side, a stirring collection of new songs.

He birthed the album — for which he handed over production duties to Colin Linden — in part after buying a trio of bucket-list guitars: a 1932 Gibson L5, a ’49 Gibson Southern Jumbo and a ’59 Ephiphone Texan. With new toys in hand, Burnett began to play. His purchase turned out to be the

says. “That’s nice — they bring an enthusiasm people who’ve been to a million gigs can’t, which carries over to us.”

Tickets remained available for Wednesday’s show at press time, and the ultra-intimate choice of venue — a literal cave, with the option to camp out overnight and get weird — is just about perfect. Newcomers should start with Slowdive’s aforementioned “Go Get It,” Souvlaki’s yearning opening salvo “Alison,” its sprawling centerpiece “Souvlaki Space Station,” and Pygmalion’s long, labyrinthine opener “Rutti” — a Halstead-penned homage to late, elusive proto-post-rockers Talk Talk. Drab Majesty, Los Angeles’ heirs apparent to Depeche Mode, open the show. ▼

world’s gain.

“Every time I would pick one up, another song would come out,” Burnett says.

This week, he’ll bring out his magical guitars — because it must be magic, right? — for a three-show run billed as a tour of the city. His first set of headlining gigs in roughly 20 years, the trio of dates kicks off Friday at The Franklin Theatre before heading to The Blue Room at Third Man Records on May 9 and wrapping May 10 at the CMA Theater inside the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.

“I love these songs,” Burnett says. “And I want other people to do them. And I want to get them circulating. I thought it might be fun to go do it. Colin talked about it, and there are a lot of good gigs right in the neighborhood that we can play.”

With a room full of new guitars, Burnett began writing The Other Side after Ringo Starr reached out asking if he’d pen a tune for an upcoming project. In a nod to Starr’s longtime love of cowboy music, Burnett channeled a Gene Autry influence for what became “Come Back,” a standout number anchored by a subtle twang and Burnett’s soft-spoken, intimate storytelling. (And yes, Burnett notes, Starr still cut the song, whose

Playing 8 p.m. Wednesday, May 8, at The Caverns

PHOTO: DAN WINTERS

release date is TBA.)

From there, Burnett dug into a handful of ideas — like the spellbinding standout “Waiting for You,” featuring widely loved indie duo Lucius, and “Sometimes I Wonder,” a collaboration with inventive rock singer Weyes Blood that Burnett describes as a callback to Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry and other early rock ’n’ roll stars he discovered when he was a boy in Texas. After finishing “Come Back” on his L5, Burnett had a thought: “I really love writing for other people —

ANOTHER LOOK

The Scene’s music writers recommend recent releases from Gee Slab, Candi Carpenter, Sarah Jarosz and more

SPRING IS ROCKETING on by, and great records just keep coming from musicians in Nashville. The Scene’s music writers have eight new recommendations for you: Add ’em to your streaming queue or pick them up from your favorite record store. Some of our picks are also available to buy directly from the artists on Bandcamp, whose Bandcamp Friday promotion — in which the platform waives its cut of sales for a 24-hour period — returns May 3.

GEE SLAB, EXPECT TO WIN (Trïbe Over Everything)

Thankfully I don’t have to name just one artist who embodies rap in Music City, but if I did, I’d point to Gee Slab. He’s a founding member of Six One Trïbe, and his laid-back Southern voice sounds like it could only come from Nashville. Expect to Win, his first solo full-length since 2018, is another example of the artist’s ability to patiently build tension and withhold the release, a skill few MCs can boast. His latest explores new sonic territory; “Trending Topic” is built around New Age sounds. Though a few of his Trïbe teammates show up on the new album, Slab handles the mic on the lion’s share of it. And if you want to get a jump on the front-porch anthem of the summer, check out ”Drinking Uncle Nearest.” P.J. KINZER

CANDI CARPENTER, DEMONOLOGY (A Frame)

Candi Carpenter’s first alt-pop album is all about a person coming to terms with adulthood and finding themselves at odds with their upbringing: “I didn’t ask to join, it wasn’t

imagining what they would sound good doing,” he recalls. “So I just started writing for other people, and pretty soon I had six or eight songs.”

The album continues with songs like “Everything and Nothing,” a co-write with singer-songwriter Gary Nicholson that at times questions mortality, and “(I’m Gonna Get Over This) Some Day,” a collaboration with Rosanne Cash that marks the duo’s first recording together.

“I love Rosanne,” Burnett says. “When I was thinking

my fault / Growin’ up is like leaving a cult.”

Carpenter’s history is in Americana, but they leave behind the twang on this album for harder guitar riffs and wailing vocals. In fact, the only similarity between Demonology and their earlier Brandi Carlile-produced songs is Carpenter’s powerhouse voice. Vivid storytelling celebrates exorcizing their demons — from disordered eating to religious trauma and the universal experience of disappointing your parents.

ELIZABETH JONES

THE BLACK KEYS, OHIO PLAYERS (Easy Eye)

The Black Keys’ 12th studio album Ohio Players may be their best album ever. That’s in part because of its excellent collection of songs, but also because Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney clearly had a blast making the album. You can hear the joy in the grooves, and this record is all about the grooves — fat, funky ones that swing like a mutha. With help from a number of their musical friends, the Keys broaden their sound on the record and embrace a wider selection of their musical influences. There are superb performances throughout, and Auerbach impresses with his soulful lead vocals. Half of the 14 tracks feature Beck on vocals and multiple instruments, and three others include

of harmony on that song, I knew that she would know exactly what to do and have exactly the right tone, which she did.”

As for what can be expected when Burnett steps onstage in Nashville? A few guitars and a few guests, of course. After all, it wouldn’t be a neighborhood show without inviting some neighbors to join.

“I plan to play the album start to finish, and then take a break and play some old songs, some other stuff. I’m very excited about it.” ▼

performances by Noel Gallagher; Lil Noid and Juicy J are among the other performers on the album.

DARYL SANDERS

SARAH JAROSZ, POLAROID LOVERS (Rounder)

Sarah Jarosz’s seventh studio album pairs her with Nashville producer and songwriter Daniel Tashian, and Polaroid Lovers is the singer and multi-instrumentalist’s most assured foray into pop-folk-rock to date. Tashian’s keyboards add a subtly futuristic edge to tracks like “Take the High Road” and “Jealous Moon.” Polaroid Lovers also benefits from the work of a collection of smart cowriters that includes Natalie Hemby, Ruston Kelly and Tashian himself. Jarosz recorded Polaroid Lovers at Nashville’s Sound Emporium mostly live over eight days with Tashian and a crack band. It’s a gloriously widescreen post-folk album that evokes the approach of greats like Paul Simon and Joni Mitchell.

EDD HURT

BRAUNZIE GURL, “WISH YOU THE BEST” AND “LITTLE LADY” (MC1/DKM)

Award-winning singer-songwriter Brauninger McDaniel has built a passionate, devoted local following since relocating to Nashville from Louisiana, cultivated through her ability to effectively explore and merge multiple

Playing 8 p.m. May 3, at The Franklin Theatre, May 9 at The Blue Room at Third Man Records and May 10 at the CMA Theater at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

idiomatic references in her work. “Little Lady,” her most recent single as Braunzie Gurl, is an exuberant number saluting the joys of a successful relationship that emphasizes McDaniel’s soulful side. By contrast, “Wish You the Best” puts the best face on a oncegreat experience that’s gone bad; its tone is contemporary blues, but it also expresses the hope both parties can ultimately find a fresh start and happy resolution.

RON WYNN

TOWER DEFENSE, “FRIENDLY FACTIONS” BACKED WITH “U GOT THE LOOK” (YK)

Tower Defense’s latest single — the third in a series of digital releases pairing an original song with a cover — owes way more to threechord punk rock than usual for the quartet. This back-to-basics approach defangs neither the band’s unrelenting wall of sound nor their cryptic, politically charged storytelling. Per the accompanying release, the song tells a post-apocalyptic tale about travelers en route to Memphis from Nashville after the fall of the state Capitol. The B-side is a cover of JEFF the Brotherhood’s “U Got the Look.” Tower Defense’s two bassists and their coed vocalists inject the local garage-punk benchmark with equal doses of brawn and finesse — all without tempering the 2009 original’s psychedelic mood. ADDIE MOORE

SUN SEEKER, HOUSE OF GOLD (Goofy Guy)

Sun Seeker’s House of Gold dives into the complexities of millennial life and the everpresent question of self-worth with raw honesty. Announced seemingly out of the blue, the album showcases Sun Seeker’s signature blend of energizing punk and dreamy indie-pop melodies. Reminiscent of their acclaimed 2017 Biddeford EP, the album contains music spanning the past 10 years of their musical journey. Songs like “So Excited”

Saturday, May 4

SONGWRITER SESSION

Jerry Salley

NOON · FORD THEATER

Sunday, May 5

MUSICIAN SPOTLIGHT

Wyatt Ellis

1:00 pm · FORD THEATER

Saturday, May 11

HATCH SHOW PRINT

Block Party

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

HATCH SHOW PRINT SHOP

LIMITED AVAILABILITY

Saturday, May 11

SONGWRITER SESSION

Bryan Simpson

NOON · FORD THEATER

Saturday, May 18

SONGWRITER SESSION

Faren Rachels

NOON · FORD THEATER

WITNESS HISTORY

Thursday, May 23

EXHIBIT OPENING RECEPTION

Lori Field

Saints, Tigers, Warriors, Lovers, Flowers

5:00 pm – 8:00 pm · HALEY GALLERY

Saturday, May 25

HATCH SHOW PRINT

Block Party

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

HATCH SHOW PRINT SHOP

Saturday, May 25

SONGWRITER ROUND

Songs of

Eric Church

Luke Dick, Jeff Hyde, and Driver Williams

NOON · FORD THEATER

Saturday, May 25

CONVERSATION AND PERFORMANCE

Meet the Eric Church Band

2:30 pm · FORD THEATER

Saturday,  5/4 12

-­  7  p.m.

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and “A Dirty Bath of Everything” visualize the simplicities and disorder of daily life. Themes of losing control in “Still Waste My Time” and love’s phases in “The Wake of You and Me” are underscored by guitardriven melodies and introspective lyrics. In many ways, House of Gold serves as a sonic time capsule, filled with the band’s highs and lows of the past decade.

JAYME FOLTZ

SPKN, SPKN EP1 (self-released)

SPKN is a collaboration among a cast of top-shelf players from across Music City’s experimental and experiential music scenes — including two you usually see fronting their bands, namely Kyle Numann from Cloudmouth and Steve Poulton of The Altered Statesman. But the project is all about creating evocative instrumental soundscapes, with contributions from Ceclia Wright on cello, longtime John Prine bassist David Jacques, Scott Mattingly and producer-engineer Joe V. McMahan on guitars, synth work by G. Seth West (aka Gray Worry), TJ Larkin on guitar and bouzouki, and percussion maestro Robert Crawford. Their debut EP may end up being a one-off, but it’s a fascinating listen, and all proceeds go to a very worthy cause: long-standing nonprofit Nashville Launch Pad, whose goal is ensuring that area youth experiencing homelessness have a safe place to sleep.

STEPHEN TRAGESER ▼

ESTIMATED PROPHETS

Will Kimbrough connects rock with politics on For the Life of Me

BY EDD HURT

IT COULD BE that Will Kimbrough’s new full-length For the Life of Me remains too evenhanded to qualify as a political album, but you might come away from the Nashville singer and guitarist’s survey of postTrump culture with a sense of unease. For the Life of Me contains a series of songs that are as Nashvillespecific as Kimbrough’s slick guitar style and his wellmannered vocals. Kimbrough and a set of sympathetic co-writers address the malaise of an era fraught with attacks on democracy, but For the Life of Me is the work of a pop optimist, with guitar in hand.

Kimbrough’s guitar powers For the Life of Me throughout, and the songs sit easily within the confines of power pop and rock. A well-traveled guitarist who has worked with Americana stars like Emmylou Harris and Todd Snider, Kimbrough moved to Nashville in early 1988 from his native Mobile, Ala., as a member of Will and the Bushmen, a Music City-meets-New Wave band of the era. Along the way, Kimbrough — who turns 60 on May 1 — has played with fellow Nashville rocker Tommy Womack in the band DADDY and has written and recorded with the late Jimmy Buffett.

For the Life of Me peaks with the most overtly political song on the album, “I Don’t Want to Start a War,” which he wrote with Bobby Hall. The song’s protagonist is a Grateful Dead fan who participates in the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. As Kimbrough tells me from his Nashville home, the song is based on the true story of someone Hall had known since the 1980s.

“It’s a puzzle, but it’s a puzzle for the listener to figure out if they choose,” Kimbrough says. “Then again, it’s not a puzzle — it’s a true story. Sometimes when you just tell a true story, it seems so bizarre. Events keep happening, and you have to process it —

or don’t.”

“I Don’t Want to Start a War” lopes along like an outtake from the Grateful Dead’s Terrapin Station. Kimbrough and Hall tell the tale of a Dead fan who becomes unhinged in 1986 after he hears that Jerry Garcia has slipped into a coma. Flash-forward to 2021, and the same Dead fan is now storming the Capitol building, in thrall to Trump’s conspiracy theories.

The song works as satire, since Kimbrough and Hall make the connection between the communal aspects of Dead fandom and the community provided by conspiratorial believers. As Kimbrough sings: “Zip-tie guy with his mean old mom / Waiting for Sidney to file a brief / QAnon shaman in his buffalo hat / I swear we tripped with him on Shakedown Street.”

Still, I had to ask Kimbrough exactly which Sidney he’s referring to in the song. He tells me it’s North Carolina lawyer Sidney Powell, who in 2020 joined the Trump team that was seeking to overturn that year’s presidential election. Powell pleaded guilty in 2023 to misdemeanor charges brought by the state of Georgia that are related to her efforts to subvert the election, and she will testify against the other defendants in the case.

“I Don’t Want to Start a War” suggests that the tie-dyed mentality of rock fans might not lend itself to understanding politics and culture. Meanwhile, Kimbrough sings about the legacy of a ship that landed illegally in Mobile, Ala., in 1860 with 110 enslaved people from West Africa in “Clotilda’s on Fire.” For the Life of Me is partly an album about the dark side of Southern history, and Kimbrough strives to understand the motives of his Dead-fan-turned-insurrectionist, as he tells me.

“To him, it’s the same thing: to find a community of free-spirited people who are Deadheads. And then, I guess, as a resentful old guy.” ▼

For the Life of Me out Friday, May 3, via Soundly Playing May 10 at The

PHOTO: NEILSON HUBBARD

THIS CITY MADE THEM

BY STEPHEN TRAGESER

JUST BEFORE SUNDOWN Saturday, a line snaked its way through Eastside Bowl, from the door leading to the venue area all the way in the back, past the bar and bowling lanes, and spilled out onto the sidewalk. A separate line to buy merch, brimming with fans in silver-and-black makeup, was about as long. That could mean but one thing: It was time for Middle Tennessee video-game rock heroes The Protomen to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their first live performance.

REP YOUR CITY REP YOUR CITY

YOUR CITY

REP YOUR CITY

That show two decades ago was at The Boro, a Murfreesboro dive well-known to MTSU students of the 1990s and Aughts (including yours truly, class of 2008) for its beer, burgers and generally liberal booking policies. Saturday’s lineup was stacked with standout players who spent lots of time at The Boro. So was the audience, making the show about the most fun college reunion I could ask for, with erstwhile Nashville indie-electro dance-party institution Left Can Dance reporting for DJ duty.

Suddenly, the curtain around the venue’s side stage retracted, revealing the latest incarnation of Ri¢hie, aka Richie Kirkpatrick and his bass-and-twindrums ensemble. They ripped on twanged-out rockers from the mustachioed frontman and guitar wizard’s catalog with his old band Ghostfinger, plus Ri¢hie tunes and some songs I hadn’t heard before. The onetime Kesha band member told the crowd to watch for new releases under the name “Richie Earl”; they can’t come soon enough.

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Then a true blast from the past took the main stage by storm. Destroy Destroy Destroy hasn’t released new music in 15 years and hasn’t played much during that time. But with original vocalist Bryan Kemp back in the fold — death-growling and wielding a battle ax, clad in his studded leather briefs and gauntlets — they came roaring out of the gate like they’d just stepped off the tour bus. Their set was a whirlwind of warp-speed, synth-enhanced metal riffage, furious solos and Gatling-gun beats, making even casual heshers like me hope this appearance heralds a new era of DDD.

Back on the side stage, it was time for Makeup and Vanity Set, the project of longtime Protomen associate Matthew Pusti. He’s built an extensive catalog of cinematic electronic music including film and video game soundtracks. Saturday, he leaned into the ominous image cast by his traditional stage outfit of leather jacket and ski mask, unleashing crushing waves of dark beats amid a thick fog-machine haze.

About 10:30 p.m., a spotlight trained on the main stage curtain. Out stepped The Protomen’s hypebot K.I.L.R.O.Y. to welcome the sold-out crowd of about 800 to this auspicious occasion. A drumline composed of several of the band’s robot soldiers wound through the crowd, and we were thrust into a twohour epic battle between the forces of good and the robot minions of the despotic Dr. Wily.

If you aren’t in the know, The Protomen’s original music builds on the universe of Capcom’s extensive Mega Man game series. So far they’ve released two dense, high-concept LPs and snippets of a long-awaited third installment, among albums of covers and soundtrack work. You don’t need to know or care anything about that to have a blast with their music. They revel in everything over-the-top in 1970s and ’80s rock ’n’ roll, as well as the massive advances in video game sound design at that time. For 20 years, The Protomen have used everything at their disposal to put on spectacular shows, carrying thousands of delighted fans along with them into their dystopian vision of the future, in which covers of Journey (“Separate Ways,” which the band played at their first show) and Phil Collins — “Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now),” which closed the night — fit in perfectly.

The band sounded better than ever Saturday, seemingly a combination of intense practice, upgraded gear, a good sound system and a great mix. Singers Raul Panther III and Gambler Kirkdouglas have two of the best voices you’ll hear in the whole wide world of rock. Tons of past members joined in for this show, including trumpeter Master Blaster and drummer Demon Barber — as well as guitarists Heath Who Hath No Name, Cobra T. Washington and Scartoe Gleason, augmenting the twin-guitar attack of current members Sir Dr. Robert Bakker and Shock Magnum

The elaborate stage setup also looked better than ever. The band used both stages and the mezzanine, plus extensive projection mapping on parts of the backdrop and video feeds on old TVs stacked along the back of the stage. These technologies are widely used now, though they weren’t when The Protomen got their start. But they aren’t unfamiliar to the band, who’ve consistently experimented with new techniques to tell their stories. Still, the midshow confrontation between robot brothers Mega Man and Proto Man — wearing their DIY costume helmets and cracking self-effacing jokes about how they’ve been doing this for so long — got the biggest cheers.

The show marked two decades of excellent musicians finding ways to explore stuff they’re passionate about in a way that rhymes with how thousands of others love those things too. And it also honored people who never stop looking for more and more sophisticated ways to bring artistic ideas to life. Determination and ingenuity are precious for all of Nashville’s music scenes, and they manifest in different ways across an incredible wealth of different styles of music. Change, as my tired feet reminded me on my way to the car after the show, is inevitable; but as we keep navigating it as a city, we’ve got to make sure we’re making moves that protect that spirit.▼

MOTHER’S DAY BRUNCH

5.3 DAR WILLIAMS WITH HEATHER MALONEY

5.4 ALAN DOYLE WITH SPECIAL GUEST ADAM BALDWIN

5.17

5.4 NASHVILLE IMPROV COMEDY PRESENTS MAY THE 4TH BE WITH YOU

5.5 THE BEATLES: A JAZZ TRIBUTE WITH THE MILES DAMASO QUARTET

5.5 AN EVENING WITH KEVIN ROSS

5.6 THE PURPLE MADNESS : THE # 1 AMERICA’S PRINCE TRIBUTE EXPERIENCE THE BAND

5.8 GIRLS OF NASHVILLE FEATURING SURPRISE HOST AND SPECIAL GUESTS

5.8 TALBOT BROTHERS WITH HALEY JOHNSON

5.10 LET’S SING TAYLOR

5.11 SOUL BRUNCH: TRIBUTE TO 90S R&B

5.11 AN EVENING WITH JEFFREY GAINES & DAVY KNOWLES

WITH KRISTEN MERLIN SHOW BEGINS AT 12:00 PM (DOORS AT 11:00 AM) 5.05 5.04

5.15 5.12

5.19

5.11 TAJ FARRANT WITH SPECIAL GUESTS JAZEL FARRANT AND NATHAN BRYCE & LOADED DICE

5.12 JIMMY GNECCO OF OURS

5.12 AN EVENING WITH JONATHAN BUTLER (EARLY AND LATE SHOWS)

5.13 PENNY LANE: THE ALL-GIRL BEATLES TRIBUTE

5.15 ZAN FISKUM WITH MAKENA HARTLIN

5.16 FOUND FOOTAGE FEST VOL. 10

5.18 DRAG BRUNCH

5.18 EXTC - TERRY CHAMBERS & FRIENDS

5.18 MUSIC CITY WITHOUT BORDERS: A BENEFIT CONCERT FOR NICE AND REFUGEES IN MIDDLE TENNESSEE

5.19 NASHVILLE BEATLES BRUNCH FEAT; FOREVER ABBEY ROAD & FRIENDS

5.19 RHYTHM + RHYME: SONGS, STORIES, AND SPOKEN WORD TO MOTIVATE AND ELEVATE

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EARLY DAYS

John Early might make you sad with

Stress Positions

BY ELI MOTYCKA

ANYONE WHO GOT near the University School of Nashville auditorium in the mid-2000s knew the buzz: John Early, the shoo-in lead for school plays and musicals, would be a star one day.

The prophecy has been fulfilled. It took less than a decade for Early, who left Nashville almost 20 years ago for New York University, to get a brief but memorable role on 30 Rock. Subsequent spots on Broad City and Portlandia firmly established Early in the comedy vanguard. High-profile Netflix projects and voice-over gigs followed, culminating with 2023’s HBO Special Now More Than Ever, in which Early strings together rollicking bits, songs and stand-up rooted in millennial sensibilities. He brought a version of the show to City Winery in the summer.

Harried homemaker Terry Goon, played by Early in Stress Positions, will also make you laugh. Goon may also stress you out or even make you sad. The role shows off new dramatic dimensions for Early — typically a scene’s absurd and maximalist centerpoint — as Goon navigates unfunny challenges like pandemic anxiety and a disintegrating Brooklyn household. His fate becomes one satisfying thread among the movie’s meandering characters and narrative chaos. Early’s longtime friend Theda Hammel co-wrote, directed and costars in the film, which Early affectionately hails as his “little Parker Posey dream.”

He spoke with the Scene from his home in Los Angeles ahead of the movie’s Belcourt premiere.

Growing up, everyone had such confidence in you as an actor and entertainer. Are you finally famous? It doesn’t feel like I’m famous. I would say I’m very moderately famous. It was very humbling coming back and doing a show at City Winery in June. I could barely sell tickets. I boldly added a second, late show because I thought it would be kind of a hometown-hero return, you know? “Get ready because the website might crash.” But literally, I was begging people on the day of to come to that show.

It was hilarious. But if people went to that show — or saw your special in Nashville — then they see your name attached to Stress Positions, they’re going to see two very different John Earlys. Why did you want to help make this? I’ve known Theda for a very, very long time. She wrote this script during COVID, in 2021, and sent it to me on my birthday, like a birthday present. It was a starting point — more prose-heavy, a piece of text to use in a more experimental way. Originally we wanted to make this movie for, like, no money at all, completely off the grid. Theda knows that, on a kind of comedic level, people are familiar with some of the comedic tropes in this movie from my own work — the manic gay host. For some reason, throwing a dinner party is a preoccupation of mine, and I have a very emotional relationship to hosting. Like, if I oversalt something, it will stick with me for days. But Theda also knew, in a beautiful way, there’s a sadness I can bring to this character. He’s a very sad, sad man. Hopefully, if we’ve done our jobs well, you start watching with an ironic “poor Terry,” then by the end, I hope you’re, like, actually clutching your heart saying, “Poor Terry.” That’s the way this character differs from most of the stuff I put out on my own, which often shares a lot of the same comedic rhythms and the same cultural preoccupations.

I did notice that 9/11 comes up in your comedy special and in Stress Positions. Is that one of these preoccupations? I’m borrowing from Theda’s brilliant ideas here, but I believe it’s very generationally important. The millennial generation is bracketed by these two major world events: 9/11, beginning the youth phase, then COVID, the end of the youth phase. So I think it kind of makes sense. I mean, my special also was very much about some need to investigate millennials. Some of it was very conscious and some of it not at all. At the end, I was very surprised by the thematic coherence.

Queerness, gender and lots of types of identity show up in this movie and in your comedy. Do you

Stress Positions

NR, 95 minutes

Opening Friday, May 3, at the Belcourt

John Early will participate in post-screening discussions at 5 and 8 p.m. on May 3, and at 2 p.m. on May 4

think about how that will be perceived in Nashville, where you grew up, as opposed to other places, particularly with how forms of representation are under legal threat here? Frankly, I just don’t think that’s the crowd that’s going to be coming to this movie anyway at the Belcourt, so I don’t think there’s any real risk of any controversy on that end. This movie consciously handles those issues in an irreverent, non-pious way. Theda and I, as friends and collaborators over the years, have always been very allergic to the pressure of queer representation. We have never wanted to make things that fit snugly into what a “queer story” or a “trans story” is supposed to be. I don’t think either of us know what that even means. This movie has sharp teeth and pokes fun at some of those expectations — if anything, I’m curious if the other side of the political spectrum will be offended. I hope not, I hope it’s liberating. We never, ever were like, “Let’s make a queer movie.” It was just, “Let’s make a movie.” Then Theda very quickly realized that she really didn’t know any straight people. These are just our friends, our community.

What do you remember about growing up in Nashville? What were some of your inspirations or cultural touch points? Let’s just start with what was literally on my wall: the Muriel’s Wedding poster. I also had the Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion poster, and I had a lot of Toni Collette paraphernalia framed. I was very obsessed with her in middle school. I do remember seeing Sarah Silverman’s Jesus Is Magic at the Belcourt many, many times. It was electrifying for me.

Did you personally make sure Stress Positions would play at the Belcourt? No, it was already in the works, but I think my dad has made several calls to the Belcourt about the movie. My parents are very excited. I told them, “You cannot buy tickets in bulk. We have to let the young people who want to see this movie come in organically. If I get there and it’s all boomers who I went to church with at Second Presbyterian, I will be so angry with you.” We’ll have to see. ▼

ACROSS

1 Enhance, in a way

4 Is against

9 Lead-in to -genesis

12 A famous one begins “Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness”

13 Dustin’s sweetheart on “Stranger Things”

14 Palindromic family member

15 O-O-O part

16 Queen consort starting in 2022

18 Imitated

19 What might come between May and December?

21 Not widely known

23 Part of a furniture joint

24 Specialist in family medicine, in brief

27 Shade-tolerant perennial

28 Bone-related prefix

29 “Woo-___!”

30 Made a contented sound

31 Bank deposits?

34 National park that’s home to the Narrows

37 Synonym found after deleting half the letters of EXHILARATE

38 Taiwanese president ___ Ingwen

42 Skinny

43 Bishop’s topper, to Brits

44 Feels bad

45 “Be mindful when clicking,” in brief

46 Shaped like this puzzle’s subject

47 Queer community inits.

48 Currency once pegged to the U.S. dollar

51 Enthusiastic

52 “Good answer!”

53 Colorless

55 Apple Music heading

57 “The Story of ___” (1975 film by François Truffaut)

59 Like the parts of this puzzle’s toy, as depicted throughout the grid

63 “Later!”

64 Later

65 Iberian greeting

66 Where tabs are kept

67 It flows from the Alps to the Mediterranean

68 Made one’s mark?

DOWN

1 With 58-Down, classic toy that dropped gendered titles in 2021

2 “Better late than never” and “Better safe than sorry”

3 Dressed, say

4 Urgent letters

5 Bring down, with “out”

6 Rap’s Lil ___ Vert

7 Dusk-dawn connector

8 Ward of Hollywood

9

10 Kind of shoe for a ballerina

11 Cry from a goner

16 Equipment for an Olympic slalom or sprint

17 Nirvana achiever

20 Makes little progress

22 The Outer Banks or the Jersey Shore, e.g.

24 Winner of 10 World Series of Poker bracelets

25 Deeply asleep, hyperbolically

26 They can be epic or lyric

32 Exceptionally driven sort

33 Wanting

34 Certain red, for short

35 Line-skipping assets

36 Slightly misaligned

39 Building that maintains train operations

40 Bishop’s vestment

41 Natural finish?

49 Not quick to react

50 Source of milk

51 Olympic marathon powerhouse

54 Detroit’s ___ Isle Park

55 Songwriter Barry who once had six consecutive #1 hits

56 Leave a mark

57 Pulitzer-winning author whose name is found in nonconsecutive letters of “page turner”

58 See 1-Down

60 Former title for 16-Across: Abbr.

61 Bother

62 Diarist Anaïs

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE

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.

Miller filed a Petition for Adoption of Minor Child E.R.S. in the Superior Court of Gordon County, State of Georgia.

As the biological and legal father of said child, you are to appear on June 13, 2024 at 1:45 p.m. in Courtroom A of the Gordon County Judicial Building, 101 S. Piedmont Street, Calhoun, Georgia 30701, 2nd Floor, to show cause why the relief sought by the Petitioner should not be granted on a final basis.

Witness, the Honorable D. Scott Smith, Chief Judge, Gordon Superior Court.

This 8th day of April, 2024.

NSC 4/18, 4/25, 5/2/24

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PEST CONTROL: PROTECT YOUR HOME

are hereby notified that on September 18, 2023, Thomas Wesley Miller filed a Petition for Adoption of Minor Child E.R.S. in the Superior Court of Gordon County, State of Georgia. As the biological and legal father of said child, you are to appear on June 13, 2024 at 1:45 p.m. in Courtroom A of the Gordon County Judicial Building, 101 S. Piedmont Street, Calhoun, Georgia 30701, 2nd Floor, to show cause why the relief sought by the Petitioner should not be granted on a final basis.

Witness, the Honorable D. Scott Smith, Chief Judge, Gordon Superior Court.

This 8th day of April, 2024.

Grant Walraven, Clerk, Gordon County Superior Court 101 S. Piedmont Street, Calhoun, Ga. 30701

NSC 4/18, 4/25, 5/2/24

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COMMUNITY AMENITIES

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Grant Walraven, Clerk, Gordon County Superior Court

101 S. Piedmont Street, Calhoun, Ga. 30701