WHAT’S UP WITH THE EAST NASHVILLE DUNKIN’S WEIRD WALL TO NOWHERE?
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This 1969 Gibson Les Paul Custom electric guitar with gold-plated hardware was used by Rick Nelson while leading his country-rock group, the Stone Canyon Band. Nelson is pictured holding the guitar on the cover of his 1972 album Garden Party, the title track of which went to #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
From the exhibit Western Edge: The Roots and Reverberations of Los Angeles Country-Rock, presented by City National Bank
artifact: Courtesy of Gunnar and Matthew Nelson artifact photo: Bob Delevante
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Potemkin Donuts: The East Nashville Dunkin’s Weird Wall to Nowhere
How Gallatin Avenue’s zoning requirements led to the fast-food outpost’s peculiar facade
BY ALEX PEMBERTON
Nashville CrimeCon Draws Thousands to ‘Victim-Centric’ Event
The conference also saw the debut of a digitally ageprogressed image of missing Nashvillian Tabitha Tuders
BY HAMILTON MATTHEW MASTERS
Pith in the Wind
This week on the Scene’s news and politics blog Ex-Officer Casts Blame Across MNPD
Extensive complaint says top officials routinely ignored policy, avoided accountability, manipulated investigations BY ELI MOTYCKA
Progress Report
CMA Fest continues its slow move away from toxic culture BY BRITTNEY M c KENNA
Striking Gold
Ten shows and panels you don’t want to miss on the smaller stages at CMA Fest
Pretty Lights, Post Malone, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Fred Again.. Headline Bonnaroo
BY SEAN L. MALONEY, CLAIRE STEELE AND STEPHEN TRAGESER
Nashville Music Is All Over the Farm Look for Brittany Howard, Cage the Elephant and many more at Bonnaroo
BY STEPHEN TRAGESER
Bonnaroo Thursday
Bring your dancin’ shoes to Bonnaroo Day 1, but also prepare for raining (fake) blood
BY STEPHEN TRAGESER
Bonnaroo Friday
Ride a wave of indie rock and pop — or focus your attention elsewhere — on Bonnaroo Day 2
BY BAILEY BRANTINGHAM
Bonnaroo Saturday
Get in your feelings, get in the club and rock out — you can do it all on Bonnaroo Day 3
BY STEPHEN TRAGESER
Bonnaroo Sunday
The ladies are here to slay on Bonnaroo Day 4
BY HANNAH CRON
Bonnaroo Bingo
ILLUSTRATION
Shannon and the Clams, Ravi Coltrane , James Taylor, Robyn Hitchcock, Soccer Mommy and more
FOOD AND DRINK
Perusing Peruvian
Examining Nashville’s small but mighty boom of Peruvian restaurants BY RADLEY BALKO
VODKA YONIC
Up Close
What my first relationship taught me about concerts and vulnerability BY HANNAH HERNER
CULTURE
In the Club: Tennessee Sumo Association Nashville wrestlers celebrate a traditional Japanese sport with a niche U.S. following BY ALEJANDRO RAMIREZ
Trixie Mattel Tells All Talking with the drag superstar ahead of Solid Pink Disco at Cannery Hall BY KIM BALDWIN
BOOKS
Forging an Autonomous Path
Music critic Ann Powers shows us how Joni Mitchell made her own way BY JANE MARCELLUS; CHAPTER16.ORG MUSIC
The Spin
The Scene’s live-review column checks out André 3000 at The Blue Room BY ALEJANDRO RAMIREZ
NEW YORK TIMES CROSSWORD AND THIS MODERN WORLD MARKETPLACE
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How Gallatin Avenue’s zoning requirements led to the fast-food outpost’s peculiar facade
BY ALEX PEMBERTON
ADMIT IT, EAST NASHVILLE. We’re all thinking the same thing: What’s up with the new Dunkin’ on Gallatin and its weird wall to nowhere?
Is it a future mural canvas to bait bachelorettes with Instagram Moments™? No. Maybe some sort of backdrop for avant-garde performance art? No.
No, the answer is way more stupid: zoning. Zoning for the site dictates that buildings must be built within 15 feet of the sidewalk, and the building facade must extend across at least 60 percent of the parcel’s frontage, with windows making up at least 40 percent of that facade.
But get this: It turns out the zoning rules don’t require anything behind the facade. All it took was one savvy real estate attorney to read the zoning code, and we have the start of a modern-day Potemkin village. Call it Potemkin Donuts!
The Dunkin’ developer didn’t want to do this — in early 2023, they begged for a Metro Board of Zoning Appeals variance to allow them to use the same formulaic, four-walled rectangular building module that Dunkin’ plops down from Boston to Bakersfield. The variance was denied, because BZA members wanted to uphold the intent of the zoning — to encourage pedestrian-oriented forms and discourage drive-thru uses.
The Potemkin Donuts’ wall reveals a tension between the intent and the letter of the law.
The BZA will have more opportunities to play this lose-lose prisoner’s dilemma: a proposal for a drive-thru-only Scooter’s Coffee at Gallatin and Delmas is also requesting a facade width variance from the BZA, as has a planned Whataburger at Gallatin and Greenwood. If the BZA adheres to the code and denies those variances, will the Scooter’s and Whataburger throw on a false facade like Dunkin’ did?
Why isn’t the zoning achieving its intent? Quite simply, because zoning cannot promote — it can only prevent. Zoning only restricts land use; it does not and cannot determine land use. Zoning is a capable means for certain ends, like keeping slaughterhouses out of areas with residences. But it cannot bring certain uses into existence, and it is ill-suited to the intricate art of designing buildings to meet boundless human desires.
That’s not how American cities treat zoning, though. With perpetually constrained state capacity and shoestring budgets, municipalities lean on zoning as a no-cost public-policy Swiss Army Knife — to manage infrastructure capacity, discriminate with various degrees of legality, mitigate the need for public services like noise and nuisance ordinance enforcement, preference certain family formations, supply or deny
affordable housing, and otherwise map political power onto geography.
The gentrification of East Nashville throughout the 1980s and ’90s established a more politically active and privileged population, who turned their attention to commercial nodes and corridors. The entire Main Street/Gallatin Avenue corridor was rezoned in 2007, with then-Councilmember Mike Jameson explaining: “Gallatin Road has got more than enough title, pawn shops, cash loan facilities, adult bookstores and some other unsavory businesses. We can’t eliminate businesses, but we can lay down some zoning regulations that can prevent new ones from coming.” That’s what American-style zoning is: public provisos to coerce private action to achieve political interests.
Gallatin Avenue was rezoned — and litigated, and rezoned again — for a higher-class, more urban, pedestrian-oriented future. Less pawn shop, more Paris. But in the decades since, the handful of new construction projects on the corridor haven’t exactly lived up to that vision — a couple of banks, a 7-Eleven, a drive-thru Starbucks, a Publix behind a sea of surface parking and a few new strip malls. The largest, most Parisian proposed project on the corridor to date — the Lincoln Tech/Nashville Auto Diesel College redevelopment — will turn its back to Gallatin Avenue, focusing its retail uses toward
an internal festival street and pocket park. If the diesel college plan is urbanist tragedy, the Potemkin Donuts is farce.
Bottom line: Gallatin Avenue is a far cry from the Rue de Rivoli. It’s hostile to humans — loud, ugly, exposed to the elements and downright deadly. Zoning cannot encourage a human, with free will and a love of life, to sit down and sip an espresso along a drag strip — it can only force buildings to pretend that they will.
There is hope on the horizon. After 20 years of futile prescriptive zoning, Gallatin Pike is set to receive a real solution — smart urban planners and transportation engineers will reshape its public realm with the Gallatin Pike and Main Street Vision Plan. The proposed concepts will widen sidewalks, dedicate bus lanes, add medians with trees and create safe crossings. Starting sometime in 2025, Gallatin will be humanized — and the buildings along it will follow the lead.
A decade from now — if we make the right decisions today — we’ll enjoy an appealing public realm on Gallatin and wonder why we wasted two decades on prescriptive, preventative rules for private property. We’ll have the Potemkin Donuts to remind us.
Alex Pemberton is a real estate development consultant with experience navigating complex rezoning efforts in Nashville. ▼
The conference also saw the debut of a digitally age-progressed image of missing Nashvillian Tabitha Tuders BY HAMILTON MATTHEW MASTERS
CrimeCon returned to Nashville this year — the first time since the conference’s 2017 inception that it has returned to a previous host city. The event drew thousands of true crime enthusiasts to the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center, where the focus wasn’t just on the dark realities of our world, but also on the victims and justice seekers bringing light to both solved and unsolved cases.
Top true crime podcast Small Town Dicks — which also launched in 2017 and is now in its 14th season — made an appearance at this year’s event. The show, whose name references a centuries-old slang term for detectives, has exploded in popularity, in part due to diversity of experience brought by its hosts: actress Yeardley Smith (the longtime voice of Lisa Simpson); twin brothers Detective Dave Grice and Detective Dan Grice (the latter of whom is married to Smith); and famed cold-case investigator Paul Holes, best known for his work in identifying prolific serial killer Joseph DeAngelo (aka the “Golden State Killer”).
“We’re not salacious, because we understand that sometimes it is way too much,” Detective Dave tells the Scene. “The basic gist of our podcast is: What was the case, tell me about investigating it, and how did it impact you? How did it impact the victim and their family? It’s really just to give the law enforcement perspective, and always be respectful to the victims, and we’re pretty respectful most of the time to suspects as well.”
Holes, who joined the podcast as a permanent host in 2022, says he has advocated for a “victim-centric” approach in discussing cases with the public.
“Part of the message that we’re trying to pro-
port with full-time money and sort of all those things,” he continues. “And I’m really proud of how the community has come together to show that to the families directly who we hear from after these events.”
This year’s event also spotlighted local cases. The convention saw the debut of a digitally age-progressed image of Tabitha Tuders, who disappeared from her East Nashville neighborhood in 2003 when she was just 13 years old.
Tennessee’s U.S. Sens. Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty described last week’s felony conviction of former President Donald Trump as a “WITCH HUNT!” and a “dark day for American democracy,” respectively, in public statements. Both maintain strong support for Trump, who won Tennessee in the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections. Blackburn, responding to Trump’s 34-count felony conviction on talk radio, said, “People are going to rise up like they have not in a long time.” Blackburn rose to political prominence among the populist right opposing state tax laws in the early 2000s. Gov. Bill Lee, high-ranking state Sen. Jack Johnson and U.S. Reps. Andy Ogles and Mark Green joined the Republican chorus dismissing the convictions and doubling down on their support for Trump.
vide is to give the general layperson kind of that authentic understanding on not only how law enforcement operates, but the real impact these cases have on the victims’ families,” says Holes. “And I’ve even seen it here at CrimeCon.”
According to the hosts of Small Town Dicks, trust with their audience, with victims and with their law enforcement peers is key to telling their stories.
“They know that we’re going to get the story right, so they’re reaching out to us,” says Detective Dan. “And I think that our net is going to get wider, and we’re going to be able to bring in a lot more interesting guests to our podcast.”
“I think we fill a kind of hole that doesn’t yet exist in terms of live shows of true crime, or ‘real crime,’ as Paul says, so we’re exploring that,” says Smith, explaining that the podcast is considering the possibility of hosting live shows.
CrimeCon founder Kevin Balfe tells the Scene the focus on ethics is a part of the greater mission of the convention.
“I don’t think it’s a surprise that true crime content can be problematic when done incorrectly,” says Balfe. “And we’re trying to show that the people we can turn out, in terms of this community, aren’t just looking backward and sort of gawking at crime.
“They’re here to advocate, [to] educate, sup-
“We love to pull in local storylines and make sure that we’re always reminding people that there are human beings and families behind these stories,” Balfe says.
Several Middle Tennessee-based podcasts and talent were also represented at the event, including Music City 911. The podcast launched by host Brandon Hall uses real 911 calls to break down emergency responses, covering both well-known and lesser-known incidents from around the country, including the greater Nashville area. Hall has worked as an emergency dispatcher in Nashville for more than 20 years, and this was the third CrimeCon that he’s both attended and spoken at.
“I like my show to be both entertaining and educational, because I want people to know what goes on with the dispatcher, what they have to go through and their day-to-day life,” says Hall. “And also if someone were to have to call 911, the right things to do and the wrong things to do.”
Hall says the community of podcasters and fans from across the country are a big part of CrimeCon, adding that he’s heard from numerous listeners who have utilized tips from his show while making their own 911 calls in emergency situations.
CrimeCon is already prepping for the 2025 convention, which will take place Sept. 5-7 in Denver. ▼
The Vanderbilt University Board of Trust extended the contract of Chancellor Daniel Diermeier through 2035, according to a release from the university last week. Diermeier oversaw the suspensions and expulsions of several students for participating in proPalestine activism on campus as well as the arrest of Scene journalist Eli Motycka while covering a student sit-in at Diermeier’s office in late March. The board’s extension is a clear expression of approval for Diermeier, who faced dissent and condemnation from alumni, students and faculty for his harsh response to protests this spring. Diermeier was serving as provost at the University of Chicago when he replaced Nicholas Zeppos as Vanderbilt chancellor in 2020.
It’s time to start collectively peerpressuring tourists into good behavior, writes Scene columnist Betsy Phillips Nashville depends on its tourist economy and has built up infrastructure to keep visitors coming here and spending money. As downtown grapples with several high-profile examples proving that it’s a toxic environment, the city has to start thinking hard about a culture shift.
Extensive complaint says top officials routinely ignored policy, avoided accountability, manipulated investigations
BY ELI MOTYCKACITY POLICE REGULARLY interfered with internal investigations, selectively followed policy and ran a department on double standards, alleges a 61-page complaint filed with MNPD’s Office of Professional Accountability last week by a retired police lieutenant. Metro released a redacted version of the complaint on Thursday evening; an unredacted version appeared online around the same time.
Complainant Garet Davidson, who ended his career within MNPD’s OPA, describes systemic malfeasance from top MNPD officials, including Chief John Drake and Deputy Chiefs Mike Hagar and Chris Gilder. Shortly after retiring from MNPD in January, Davidson started a podcast called IA: the Good, the Bad, the Ugly, which focuses on stories of police misconduct. His allegations read like a retrospective from more than a decade within the department.
In an email to the Scene, Davidson emphasizes that, even though his complaint was made “in good faith” and “with a credible basis of knowledge,” they are still allegations subject to vetting and investigation. Specific incidents span mistreatment and physical harm toward female employees, rank bias in internal investigations and Gilder receiving an award for helping pass state legislation that gutted the Metro Nashville Community Oversight Board in 2023.
Davidson further alleges that MNPD repeatedly lied to the public and the mayor’s office about department reform, specifically in response to recommendations from a 2020 Policing Policy Commission under then-Mayor John Cooper.
“The department’s effort and DC Gilder’s work to change COB law undoes efforts made to create transparency and build trust with Nashvillians,” Davidson’s complaint reads. “It upends progress in creating a culture of accountability with the public, eliminates a specific mechanism of this, and further enables the department to insulate its own culture of how accountability is performed or not performed.”
The breadth of Davidson’s complaint presents conflicts of interest with respect to a follow-up investigation by MNPD, OPA, the Civilian Review Board (formerly COB) or the mayor’s office. Mayor Freddie O’Connell released a statement Friday morning indicating that the city will enlist former U.S. Attorney Edward Stanton III to look into Davidson’s allegations.
“Recognizing that these are allegations, which are unproven at this time, I, Chief of Police John Drake, Civilian Review Board director Jill Fitcheard, and the Department of Law Director Wally Dietz all have a strong interest in ensuring the integrity of the investigation,” O’Connell’s statement reads in part. “I have insisted that our process be above reproach. Mr. Stanton will have access to resources from Metro
Legal, MNPD, Human Resources, the CRB, and anything else needed to conduct a thorough investigation.”
The CRB held a special meeting on May 28 to discuss the complaint. Members Fitcheard and Alisha Haddock pushed for explicit discussion of complaint details. Nicki Eke, the Metro attorney present at the meeting, cautioned members from straying too close to a high-profile pending investigation. Attorneys Mary Beard and Drew Goddard, both board members, tried to sketch out the legal guardrails defining the CRB’s role in any complaint follow-up.
Davidson’s allegations confirm suspicions long held by CRB members that MNPD both actively and passively resists external oversight.
Board member Mark Wynn, a retired police officer, referred to Davidson as a “whistleblower” and condemned any future communications from MNPD as “fruit from a poisoned tree.” The board, created by referendum in 2018, has struggled to formally define its relationship with the police department since the state’s 2023 law went into effect.
At the meeting, the body endorsed an independent investigation vetting Davidson’s claims. Gov. Bill Lee previously hired Stanton to look into Tennessee’s lethal injection protocol after the state repeatedly botched executions.
Much of the complaint focuses on efforts by MNPD to avoid, diminish or otherwise control external accountability for police officers. Internal investigations inconsistently applied department policy, Davidson writes, and exhibited bias benefiting higher-ranking officers facing disciplinary matters, which he terms “cherry-picking winners and losers” among police ranks. Davidson names several officers whose cases support this pattern.
“The department continues to cherry pick cases and delay them from going to a departmental hearing for reasons outside of policy and procedure,” Davidson writes. “In my estimation, these are violations of employees’ due process rights.”
Following the allegations, Chief Drake released a statement reading, in part:
“The police department has been reviewing and will investigate the complaint submitted by Mr. Davidson on May 22. As this occurs, we will look at whether our administrative processes for internal investigation and discipline need any refinement. A periodic review of practices and procedures in a large police department such as ours is healthy for the organization.
“Mr. Davidson did not bring any complaint to me, or, I am told, the Director of the Office of Professional Accountability, prior to his resignation becoming effective on January 5, 2024.” ▼
The who, what, when, where
CMA Fest continues its slow move away from toxic culture
BY BRITTNEY M c KENNAWHO DOES DOWNTOWN Nashville belong to?
As it has been for most of this century so far, the greater Nashville area is set to greet the summer with two massive music events. CMA Fest, pretty much the biggest country fan gathering there is, takes over downtown June 6-9, and Bonnaroo, among the longest-running multigenre music fests in the South, rolls into The Bonnaroo Farm in Manchester June 13-16.
In our annual Festival Frenzy issue, we take this opportunity to examine the slow evolution of country music in general and CMA Fest in particular, and run down 10 events worth catching on the smaller stages. We also check out your Bonnaroo headliners — Pretty Lights, Post Malone, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Fred Again.. — round up the local talent at Bonnaroo, and give you a day-by-day guide to our favorite performances during the fest.
That question is at the heart of a long-simmering debate that is currently boiling over. Broadway and its surrounding blocks are at the heart of a specific and lucrative subsection of Nashville tourism, drawing throngs of people from the world over to landmarks like Robert’s Western World and the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, as well as heaps of bars and restaurants named for and/or co-owned by country stars.
Downtown is also a business hub, and a not-insignificant number of residents call the neighborhood home. As tourism in Nashville continues to balloon, Nashvillians find the district less welcoming by the day, pointing to a rampant culture of public drunkenness among tourist bargoers and its accompanying dangers. One example: the tragic death of 22-year-old University of Missouri student Riley Strain in March.
Then, of course, there was ChairGate, in which perpetually controversial, wildly popular country star Morgan Wallen — whom you’ll know for, among other things, getting caught using the N-word on camera in 2021 — threw a metal chair six stories off a balcony at Eric Church’s bar Chief’s on Broadway, nearly hitting
police officers standing on the sidewalk below. A few weeks after the incident, the Metro Council voted to reject a proposal for a large marquee sign at Wallen’s new bar, Morgan Wallen’s This Bar and Tennessee Kitchen. (Yes, that is its real name.)
Speaking with Scene columnist Nicole Wil-
liams, Councilmember and former police officer
Bob Nash explained his decision to vote no, saying: “My primary concern was, here we’ve got a young man throwing chairs off rooftop bars, endangering my former comrades and the public at large. And there should be consequences for that.”
DOWNTOWN NASHVILLE PHOTO: HAMILTON MATTHEW MASTERS CMA Fest June 6-9 at various venuesThough the decision is unlikely to pass a First Amendment challenge, it still felt like a win to see the council put its foot down on behalf of its constituents, as Betsy Phillips pointed out in a recent Scene column. Wallen’s camp and legions of vocal fans were not happy. That tension embodies the rift between a big swath of Nashvillians and the broader country music industry, which drives a large part of downtown tourism. And it comes as nearly 100,000 country fans are expected to descend upon the city for CMA Fest. Wallen is not part of this year’s lineup, having played a three-night stint at Nissan Stadium in early May. Some of his most vocal compatriots are on the bill, though, like rock-leaning artist and noted Beyoncé fan HARDY. And while Wallen retains a chokehold on country charts, this year’s CMA Fest lineup better reflects the diverse and exciting array of artists currently innovating the genre.
Brittney Spencer has a coveted slot on the Nissan Stadium Main Stage — where four nights of shows will be recorded for a three-hour special that will air June 25 on ABC affiliates — performing Saturday evening on a bill that also includes ’90s icon Terri Clark and white-hot star Lainey Wilson (who recently took home CMA’s Entertainer of the Year award, the Grammy for Best Country Album and three Academy of Country Music awards). Fresh off an appearance on Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter, Spencer will likely pull from her January debut LP My Stupid Life, a longawaited and critically acclaimed project from the Baltimore-raised singer-songwriter.
Her fellow Cowboy Carter collaborator Shaboozey will also appear on the Main Stage, performing Thursday evening. The genre-agnostic multihyphenate just released a new album, Where I’ve Been, Isn’t Where I’m Going, which features the fun and infectious viral single “A Bar Song (Tipsy).” The tune nods to both country and hip-hop influences in its twangy interpolation of J-Kwon’s 2004 hit “Tipsy.”
Other Main Stage highlights include Americana Honors and Awards winners and CMA Awards nominees The War and Treaty, slated for Saturday, and a Sunday lineup that includes recent Scene cover boys Brothers Osborne, Carly Pearce and newcomer Megan Moroney. Reyna Roberts, yet another of the many Black country artists Beyoncé invited to join her on Cowboy Carter, will be the first to play the stage this year with a short set on Thursday. Jelly Roll, who took home New Artist of the Year at the CMA Awards in the fall, will close out Saturday night with a late-night slot that’s sure to be as rowdy as his music. And of course, the aforementioned Lainey Wilson’s Saturday set is sure to be a huge draw. Wilson has a new single, “Hang Tight Honey,” which she’ll likely perform alongside hits like “Watermelon Moonshine” and “Heart Like a Truck.”
This year’s festival boasts an especially exciting undercard — see our rundown for even more detailed recommendations — with artists who span a wide range of interpretations of the genre. Quickly rising pop-country singer Dasha will play both the Nissan Stadium Platform Stage and the Chevy Vibes Stage, bringing her
hits “Austin (Boots Stop Workin’)” and “King of California” along with her.
The Black Opry has a stacked list of artists slated to perform during its showcase: Willie Jones (one more Cowboy Carter collaborator), Denitia, Jett Holden, Carmen Dianne and Aaron Vance. Denitia’s new album Sunset Drive is on the way in September, making this a great opportunity to get an early listen. Rissi Palmer’s organization Color Me Country also pulled together an ace group of talent, including O.N.E the Duo, who gracefully weave hip-hop and R&B influences into their sound.
Queer artists will be part of the festival too, including TJ Osborne of Brothers Osborne, Brooke Eden and Chris Housman. Housman’s new record Blueneck is one of the best releases of the year thus far, so make sure not to miss his set Friday morning at the Good Molecules Reverb Stage. The RNBW-organized Country Pride showcase is also back at the Hard Rock Stage on Friday, bringing Gina Venier, The Country Gentlemen and more.
Like other country music institutions, the CMA Fest has struggled with diversity in recent years, and this year’s lineup feels like a step in the right direction. That’s particularly true on the Main Stage; headliners are typically current country radio chart-toppers, and thanks to the echoes of racist decisions about music marketing dating back a century, the lineups have traditionally been predominantly white. This year’s lineup is a better (though not perfect) representation of the genre as it actually exists, rather than just mirroring the Hot Country Songs chart. There is still so much room for growth. While queer artists and fans have long been part of the fest, and the Country Proud showcase is one excellent and very visible element celebrating and welcoming the LGBTQ community, it’s still modest in comparison to the rest of the festival. There’s not an extensive presence of trans and nonbinary artists at CMA Fest. While it’s unlikely that anyone made this an explicit goal, it speaks to the high incidence of violence against queer people, especially trans individuals — and how the country industry at large isn’t great about making people who threaten the LGBTQ community, or Black and brown communities for that matter, understand that they’re not welcome.
That goes hand in hand with Betsy Phillips’ observation about the toxicity of “Broadway culture,” to wit: “I think a problem we have as a city is that, in reducing ‘host’ down to ‘the person who takes your money and gives you stuff,’ we have lost any expectations of our guests beyond them giving us money for our stuff.”
Nashville shouldn’t bend to the will of visitors who want to wreck the place because they feel like it and they’re paying handsomely to be here. And the country music business in general and CMA Fest in particular shouldn’t let anyone who wants to make BIPOC or LGBTQ artists or fans uncomfortable feel that it’s OK just because they have cash (or cultural cachet). Slowly but surely, the festival is inching away from the kind of culture propagated by chair-throwing slur-hurlers, making that seem a tiny bit more possible. ▼
Ten shows and panels you don’t want to miss on the smaller stages at CMA Fest
THE COLOSSAL NIGHTLY shows at Nissan Stadium are one of the main draws to CMA Fest, but there are dozens of rising artists to discover on smaller stages around the Lower Broadway area and at Fan Fair X inside the Music City Center. Here are notes on 10 happenings — some individual shows, some showcases and some panels — that caught our attention, along with scheduling details. Be sure to check the CMA Fest website and the CMA Connect app for the most up-to-date information.
SAMMY ARRIAGA
10:15 a.m. Thursday, June 6, at Hard Rock Stage; meetand-greet 2:30 p.m. June 6 inside Fan Fair X; 12:45 p.m. June 7 at CMA Close Up Stage
Sammy Arriaga has been pushing forward his potent mix of country and Latin beats for years, and he hasn’t settled for the tried-andtrue route: He’s a Cuban-American singer who grew up in Miami and moved to L.A. to pursue his music career. Back in 2011, he turned heads on Season 10 of American Idol, when he leaned into country music — the perfect showcase for his intimate rasp and earnest belting. Songs like Arriaga’s recent single “Dominoes” illustrate his comfort with spinning his own twist on pop country, while his faithful Spanish-language cover of “Neon Moon” asserts that country music is for everybody.
RACHEL CHOLST
SCOOT TEASLEY
1:30 p.m. Thursday, June 6, at Spotlight Stage inside Fan Fair X
Sift through the nearly never-ending dayside CMA Fest lineup long enough and eventually you’ll strike gold. One of this year’s prime examples? Scoot Teasley, a small-town Georgia native with a big voice and knack for earwormy melodies. A genre-fluid performer self-described as inspired by Chris Stapleton and Tyler Childers — now there’s a solid playlist, no doubt — Teasley comes to town in support of Country Back, his four-song debut EP released in February. It’s anchored by a subtly neotraditional title track in which the singer longs for simpler times.
MATTHEW LEIMKUEHLER
DAN SPENCER
Meet-and-greet 3:30 p.m. Thursday, June 6, inside Fan Fair X; playing 8:55 p.m. June 6 at Hard Rock Stage
In the last little tidbit of ink we gave Dan Spencer, he was the country outlier in a pile of metal bands at a benefit for Metro Animal Care and Control. This time, he’s bringing something a little more evil and complex than even the fine folks at CMA Fest might be used to. Spencer will be just shy of a week out from releasing Return to Your Dark Master on May 31; he calls his latest set of tunes “country vampire metal.” Here’s hopin’ the heathens downtown can handle a song called “I Like to Worship the Devil.” Spencer also plays Bonnaroo, and it’ll be interesting to see which crowd responds with more enthusiasm. AMANDA HAGGARD
JUNE 6, 7 & 8 12 - 5 PM
BMI BLOCK PARTY FREE & OPEN TO THE PUBLIC LIVE MUSIC, OUTDOOR BAR + MORE
JUNE 14
JOSH GATES LIVE! AN EVENING OF LEGENDS, MYSTERIES, AND TALES OF ADVENTURE
SEPTEMBER 20
NIKO MOON WITH SOPHIA SCOTT ON SALE FRIDAY AT 10 AM
SEPTEMBER 21
KEB’ MO’ AND SHAWN COLVIN WITH PAUL KELLY ON SALE FRIDAY AT 10 AM
SEPTEMBER 29
GRACIE ABRAMS WITH ROLE MODEL ON SALE FRIDAY AT 10 AM
OCTOBER 26
KAMERON MARLOWE ON SALE FRIDAY AT 10 AM
NOVEMBER 22
THE STEEL WOODS ON SALE FRIDAY AT 10 AM
REYNA ROBERTS
7:45 p.m. Thursday, June 6, at Nissan Stadium Mainstage; 2:55 p.m. June 7 at Hard Rock Stage; meet-and-greet 4 p.m. June 7 inside Fan Fair X
Of the many surprise special guests on Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter, the one that had me most hyped was a feature from rising star Reyna Roberts. Before I knew Queen Bey had called upon her to contribute, Roberts converted me into a fan via a 15-second reel on Instagram featuring her absolute barn-burner of a single “Louisiana,” from her debut album Bad Girl Bible, Vol. 1. The song tells the story of one such bad girl named Louisiana, who rambles her way across the South, leaving a trail of broken hearts, and who was last seen “stripping on a pole down in New Orleans.”
Unapologetic, fierce and fully realized, this song — along with every other track on Bible — is a testament to Roberts’ raw talent and potential as the self-proclaimed Princess of Outlaw Country. JACQUELINE ZEISLOFT
CHRIS HOUSMAN
10:15 a.m. Friday, June 7, at Good Molecules Reverb Stage
Chris Housman is one of Nashville’s best-kept secrets, but that’s not for lack of effort on his part. Housman’s been deftly spinning radio-friendly country music that homes in on the queer experience, and his album Blueneck, released May 31, represents the culmination of his efforts. The title track is a catchy subversion of mainstream country music and its presumed audiences, a casual anti-racist summer bop. (Having been in Housman’s repertoire for a long time, it put the phrase “y’all means all” into a song years before a certain singer used it in her lukewarm acceptance of gay rights.) “Bible Belt” is the more somber side of the coin, but not a song to be ignored. More importantly, Housman is charismatic as hell and is sure to put on an exciting, life-affirming set. RACHEL CHOLST
COUNTRY PROUD SHOWCASE
10:15 a.m. Friday, June 7, at Hard Rock Stage
For the third year in a row, the Country Proud showcase organized by the RNBW crew is bringing a wealth of LGBTQ talent to the heart of CMA Fest. Gina Venier kicks it off at 10:15 a.m. — listen out for her new single “God Knew,” a heartfelt track about love being love; The Kentucky Gentlemen (who spoke with us about their phenomenal recent single “Heartache in the Hills” and a big season ahead in our Summer Guide issue) follow at 10:55 a.m. Thoughtful singer-songwriter Denitia, who’ll be sharing more from her forthcoming LP Sunset Drive plays at 11:35 a.m., while Sonia Leigh (whose recent single “Beautiful Mess” has an unbeatable groove) is up at 12:15 p.m., followed by Julie Williams (whose “Big Blue House” is a sterling example of her knack for working intense narratives into her music) playing at 12:55 p.m. These sets give you time to really get to know these artists, so don’t miss out. STEPHEN TRAGESER
ME COUNTRY SHOWCASE
1 p.m. Friday, June 7, at Spotlight Stage
Songsmith Rissi Palmer’s Apple Radio program Color Me Country and its related endeavors like the Color Me Country Foundation have been joining other organizations in the much-needed effort to build community for BIPOC country musicians. The mission continues with Friday’s showcase, whose lineup includes O.N.E the Duo. Their 2023 debut LP Blood Harmony is a fantastic introduction to the mother-daughter team’s wide range within country. Alyssia Dominguez’s recent EP Chasin’ the Wild organically weaves Latin dance styles into the mix;
meanwhile Michael B. Whit, who’s in the run-up to his debut EP Before September, is building a big name for himself with his update on traditional country sounds. David Unlayao, who rounds out the showcase, showcased his own contemporary-traditional spin, which borrows a lot of techniques from contemporary R&B, on his December EP Front Row Seat. S
12:45 p.m. Friday, June 7, at CMA Close Up Stage
Latino artists have contributed a ton to the development of country music — something that’s never talked about enough, and hasn’t really translated to Latino country artists breaking into the mainstream. Everyone benefits when the conversations around Black artists in country music that have been getting louder over the past five years grow more intersectional. Friday afternoon, Rolling Stone staff writer Tomás Mier hosts a combination panel-and-performance event with a kaleidoscopic array of Latino country singers, including the aforementioned Sammy Arriaga. Also joining in will be Angie K, who leans more to the rocking side of country; meanwhile, grand-scale balladry is one of Leah Turner’s biggest strengths. Frank Ray was a police officer before he became a musician, while Louie TheSinger was a dancer and his singing focused mostly on R&B before he turned his focus to country; he also doesn’t make light of having been incarcerated for two years on a drug charge as a young adult.
STEPHEN TRAGESER
TANNER ADELL
9 p.m. Saturday, June 8, at Nissan Platform Stage; 12:55 p.m. June 9 at Good Molecules Reverb Stage; 3 p.m. June 9 meet-and-greet inside Fan Fair X
I can’t say it better than author David Cantwell in our annual Country Music Almanac: Tanner Adell’s 2023 debut album Buckle Bunny comes to the modern country party bringing a joyful abundance of beats, jokes and sexuality, which it feels like mainstream country and Americana have been holding back on. “Buckle Bunny,” “Strawberry Crush” and “Throw It Back” are frank in ways that feel refreshing; Adell clowns on a fool with such finesse in “FU-150” that I imagine he’s had to find himself a new bar to frequent. And Adell’s voice is incredible: No wonder Beyoncé called on her to join the choir on Cowboy Carter’s “Blackbiird.” STEPHEN TRAGESER
WYATT FLORES
2:30 p.m. Sunday, June 9, at Chevy Riverfront Stage; 9:35 p.m. Sunday at Nissan Stadium Platform Stage
Oklahoma-born songsmith Wyatt Flores has been on a rapid rise since he made his way to Music City in 2022. That can take a toll on anyone, especially someone who’s in their early 20s and still figuring out how the hell to live their life. Right from the beginning, he’s made both the journey and the importance of taking care of yourself while you’re on it — especially your mental health — a central part of his work. Flores draws inspiration from lots of different country-related styles; you can hear a lot of the clean lines of contemporary bluegrass in his delivery and his arrangements, and it’s a perfect fit for the plainspoken style that’s drawing in more and more fans by the day.
STEPHEN TRAGESER ▼
PRETTY LIGHTS
8:30 p.m. Thursday, June 13
In a year when it has seemed like every other festival is trotting out the same tired headliners, the Bonna-crew made a bold move bringing Colorado audiovisual wizard Pretty Lights to the big stage. Maybe Pretty Lights isn’t a household name in every house, but you’d be hard-pressed to find a more respected and revered member of the EDM community or a more consistently ecumenical and explorative mainstay on the festival circuit. PL’s dazzling visual aesthetic and monklike commitment to blissed-out sound design make for a joyously immersive experience in even the smallest rooms — this is where we brag that we saw Pretty Lights at Exit/In way back when — so expect a wigdome-wobbling experience at the What Stage. If you miss out on Thursday, make plans to stay awake Saturday night and head to The Other Stage for his 3 a.m. sunrise set — a surefire setup for a religious dance-music experience if we ever saw one. SEAN L. MALONEY
POST MALONE
11 p.m. Friday, June 14
Texas-raised nine-time RIAA Diamond certified MC and singer Post Malone made his debut as a Bonnaroo headliner in 2019 with a dynamite set, during which he performed all by himself onstage. Based on his career trajectory over the past couple of years, it wouldn’t be a surprise if he has some company on his return visit. He’s also appeared on fellow megastars’ recent hits — Beyoncé’s “Levii’s Jeans” and Taylor Swift’s “Fortnight” — and enlisted some chart-topping talent as he enters the country music chat. The chart smash that seems destined for Malone’s country album is “I Had Some Help,” a twangy breakup song that sounds a little like Tom Petty’s “Learning to Fly.” The only bummer is that it’s a collaboration with Morgan Wallen, known as much for his chart dominance as he is for tossing chairs and racial slurs and doing practically nothing to discourage his fans from being racist assholes. Malone has already proven he doesn’t need Wallen’s help, so what’s the point? Here’s hoping Malone’s country album also features folks like Shaboozey and Jelly Roll — and maybe he’ll bring them along to the Farm. STEPHEN TRAGESER
RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS
10:45 p.m. Saturday, June 15
Look for Brittany Howard, Cage the Elephant and many more at Bonnaroo
BY STEPHEN TRAGESER2023 full-length Who Are You Now, Who Were You Then? they’ve got a catalog stocked with body-movers.
Saturday’s set marks the third time Red Hot Chili Peppers — the long-running funk- and punk-schooled band who are contenders for “most California band ever” — have headlined Bonnaroo, following stops in 2012 and 2017. They consistently leave it all on the stage, and this time they’ll have a special weapon in their arsenal: inventive guitarist John Frusciante, who rejoined the group for the second time in 2019 after a 10-year spell away. He’s been with them when they’ve made some of their most enduring work (namely 1991’s Blood Sugar Sex Magik and 1999’s Californication), and his return came amid a burst of creativity that yielded two jam-packed albums in 2022, Unlimited Love (which contains nods to New Orleans funk and even a hint of country) and Return of the Dream Canteen (which includes a tribute to the late Eddie Van Halen). The Peps are road dogs of the highest order and have been on a worldwide stadium tour for much of the past two years, so expect them to roll back into Manchester as a well-oiled machine. STEPHEN TRAGESER
FRED AGAIN..
9:30 p.m. Sunday, June 16
Having made his Glastonbury debut last year, Fred Again.. arrives to close out the Bonnaroo festivities on Sunday night. A prolific DJ and producer from the U.K. with a stellar pedigree and two Grammys to his name, Fred began his musical journey by singing in Brian Eno’s a cappella group (naturally). A stint working on albums with Eno and Underworld’s Karl Hyde followed, and Fred has since made his name working with artists like Charli XCX, Shawn Mendes and Rita Ora. His sound comes across as a contemporary take on musique concrète — among the oldest forms of electronic music — with many of his samples coming from YouTube videos and social media. Expect an upcoming collaboration with Anderson .Paak to feature prominently in his set. CLAIRE STEELE ▼
AS HAS BECOME tradition, familiar players from across Music City’s music scenes will be on stages big and small at Bonnaroo this year. Fresh off the release of Neon Pill, their first album since 2019, Nashville-via-Bowling Green rockers Cage the Elephant are on What Stage at 8:30 p.m. Saturday, warming up the crowd for headliners Red Hot Chili Peppers. Blues-rocking duo Larkin Poe, whom we last saw making a guest appearance during Elvis Costello’s three-hour marathon at the Ryman, are at What Stage at 3 p.m. Friday. Following a spring packed with tour dates behind her stellar, funky, forward-leaning LP What Now, Brittany Howard graces Which Stage at 5:30 p.m. Saturday. Ahead of a big summer opening for The Head and the Heart, rocking singer-songwriter Jason Singer has been teasing lots of new music, and he and his post-Pixies power-pop band Michigander will warm up with the first set for this year at That Tent at 2:30 p.m. Thursday.
There’s also a wealth of talent from within Nashville proper and close by to be found on Who Stage, and it’s worth seeking out, especially if you haven’t been to Bonnaroo in a while: The stage is bigger and better than ever, and the lineup is stacked. In addition to Molly Grace, who plays at 2:15 p.m. Sunday (read more about her in our Sunday write-up), you’ve got electronically enhanced rockers The Foxies at 9 p.m. Thursday — from their electroclash-meets-No Doubt single “Timothée Chalamet” to their
On Friday, Who Stage’s Nashvillian complement includes Abby Holliday at 2:15 p.m., whose recent singles blend dance-pop underpinnings and an intimate writing style that’ll be especially appealing if you’re into boygenius. At 3:30 p.m., see songsmith Mon Rovîa, whose family fled the Liberian capital city he takes his moniker from to escape civil war when he was a child, and who has a knack for gentle songs that carry a heavy weight. And Cookeville-based Dan Spencer brings his special concoction of country and metal at 4:45 p.m., in the wake of his new LP Return to Your Dark Master and appearances at CMA Fest. Big-bearded, gentle-voiced songsmith Paul McDonald and his band The Mourning Doves will appear at Who Stage at 7:15 p.m. on Saturday, as will indie rockers Jive Talk (8:30 p.m.), who recently announced their signing to Warner imprint War Buddha with the hard-charging single “Rat People.” Songsmith Jobi Riccio, who continues to make waves in the wake of her excellent debut LP Whiplash, will join in as well at 3:30 p.m. ▼
Bring your dancin’ shoes to Bonnaroo Day 1, but also prepare for raining (fake) blood BY
STEPHEN TRAGESERTHE BIG NEWS about the first day of Bonnaroo this year is that there’s an official headliner — Pretty Lights is on deck for a two-set show worthy of your favorite jam band. But there’s a ton more for you to see as you get your body and mind running on Bonnaroo Farm Time. There’s a full complement of electronic music to help you pregame. English DJ HoneyLuv captains this year’s maiden voyage of The Other Stage with her set at 7:45 p.m., while Grammy-nominated Aussie EDM star Fisher takes the day’s final slot there at 12:45 a.m. The Plazas dotted around Outeroo, which began hosting activities for early birds on Tuesday, will be bustling by this time; among them is Where in the Woods, where Fisher rides again from 3 to 5 a.m., and the Galactic Giddy Up, where country trio Chapel Hart plays at 11 a.m.
Ride a wave of indie rock and pop — or focus your attention elsewhere — on Bonnaroo Day 2
BY BAILEY BRANTINGHAMAFTER WHAT MAY be an unbearable night in the toss- and turn-inducing Tennessee heat followed by your first baby-wipe bath, it’s time to get serious and plan ahead early for the latenight party. We didn’t pack our AppleBottom jeans or boots with the fur, but it might be easier to get low in that good ol’ sweat-drenched Bonnaroo spandex anyway. So bust out those flip-flops — or cowboy boots, if you’re feelin’ fancy — to hit the floor at Which Stage with T-Pain into the early hours of Saturday starting at 12:30 a.m.
For those seeking moments of calm before the storm, Friday afternoon and evening come chock-full of ethereal, dreamlike sounds. The Japanese House (3:45 p.m.) and Lizzy McAlpine (7:45 p.m.) make the Which Stage a circle-back staple, with quintessential sets to complete any main character’s real-life movie soundtrack. Atlanta-based Faye Webster may hypnotize unsuspecting That Tent crowd-goers at 5:45 p.m. with the familiar opening twang of the pedal-steel guitar on her viral hit “Right Side of My Neck.” Rounding out the feminine energy offered by the quartet of tranquil indie-pop acts anchoring Which Stage is Maggie Rogers, fresh off her new album Don’t Forget Me. Rogers is part of a dying breed of musicians doing their own thing, with her signature transcendental indie-folk sound
You have heaps of other options if that’s not your preference. We’ve got a separate roundup of Nashvillians who’re Rooing it up, but rockers The Foxies (playing Who Stage at 9 p.m.) and Michigander (2:30 p.m. at That Tent) are some top picks for locals to catch on Thursday. That Tent also hosts disco-schooled outfit Say She She at 3:45 p.m., Medium Build (the project of onetime Nashville songsmith Nicholas Carpenter) at 6:30 p.m. and
ready to whisk crowds away to another planet at 9:45 p.m.
Nostalgic quintet Grouplove will ramp up the indie BPM at This Tent at 6:15 p.m., activating the early 2010s sleeper agent in all of us. You will find yourself jumping up and down to the opening strums of their first hit “Tongue Tied,” now something of a classic; don’t try to fight it. Quirky and equally earworm-y group TV Girl follows, sure to captivate This Tent at 8 p.m. The California band brings a whimsical neon sound with songs that sample every piece of media under the sun, including Richard Nixon’s Watergate tapes — and yes, it works.
Ready to deviate from the indie tidal wave? Ross Lynch — who seems to have graduated from his Disney Channel days — and his brother Rocky make up a duo called The Driver Era (What Stage, 4:45 p.m.) that has a firm grasp on the tail end of modern rock. Dominic Fike is next on What Stage at 6:45 p.m. with his modern take on upbeat indie pop complemented by a generous helping of hip-hop. Tuareg guitar wizard Mdou Moctar hits That Tent at 2:45 p.m., and Memphis rap ace Key Glock is there at 7:30 p.m. Folk stars Bonny Light Horseman take over This Tent at 3 p.m., and modern progsters The Mars Volta kick off their set there at 12:30 a.m., just as headliner Post Malone wraps up. At 9:45 p.m. This Tent hosts Interpol, the New York band whose angst-ridden early-Aughts post-punkrevival sound might have made you swear they were from Manchester. (Not this Manchester, of course.)
If you’re looking to go out with a bang and T-Pain is not your speed, prepare to submit your night-prowling electro heart to the strobe lights and mosh-pitting of The Other Stage for SVDDEN DEATH (midnight) and follow-up Seven Lions (1:15
Chicago glam-funk-rocker Neal Francis at 11:45 p.m. Joining Francis will be the 11-piece band that played with him on the tour recorded for his 2023 live album Francis Comes Alive. (For clarity’s sake: Be aware that a chill funk duo called Neil Frances is playing Saturday afternoon at The Other Stage; also cool but totally different.)
Highlights of Thursday’s offerings at This Tent include electronically enhanced post-punks
Nation of Language at 7:45 p.m. and deep-voiced Dallas rapper BigXthaPlug, who makes firing off heavy bars sound easy, at 9:30 p.m. If you’ve had your fill of Pretty Lights, head to This Tent at 11 p.m. for L.A. rockers Militarie Gun. And if you like your metal with heavy doses of gore and lore, stick around for Gwar at 1 a.m. — they’ll be ready to spray stage blood and other fluids on all bohabs in spurting distance. ▼
a.m.). For those more inclined to lower the pace but kick up the funk, progressive R&B maestro Thundercat (That Tent, 12:45 a.m.) wants to party
Get in your feelings, get in the club and rock out — you can do it all on Bonnaroo Day 3
BY STEPHEN TRAGESERGETTING THE MOST out of the third day of Bonnaroo is all about making sure you stay hydrated and slathered in sunscreen — and pacing yourself. That’s especially true this year, since there are sets you won’t want to miss stretching deep into the night after Red Hot Chili Peppers finish up.
Harmony-driven rock trio Trousdale, Tennesseebred country folksters Josiah and the Bonnevilles and soulful U.K. indie rocker Bakar get going early with This Tent sets at 1:30 p.m., 2:45 p.m. and 4:30 p.m., respectively. Maybe the back-to-back combo of master of beats Diplo at 1 a.m. and Pretty Lights’ sunrise set at 3 a.m. at The Other Stage is in your wheelhouse; if not, maybe you prefer hard-hitting British rockers Idles, who blast off at That Tent at 12:45 a.m. Meanwhile, electropop fans have a choice: Head to This Tent at 12:15 a.m. for funk- and R&B-kissed group Parcels, or get to That Tent at the same time for Melanie Martinez, whose melancholy spin on the sound is bound to an elaborate dark fantasy that follows a character she created over a three-album arc.
The ladies are here to slay on Bonnaroo Day 4
BY HANNAH CRONNashville talent abounds, including performances from Brittany Howard, Cage the Elephant, Jobi Riccio, Jive Talk and Paul McDonald — more on them in our roundup of local folks. Onetime Nashvillian and ace country singer Cale Tyson is also someone to watch for on the Who Stage at 4:45 p.m. Teezo Touchdown, who hits That Tent at 6 p.m., has a phenomenal voice that he can bend at will toward rapping or crooning, which suits the broadly experimental streak of his 2023 debut album How Do You Sleep at Night?
Right before the headliners, this year’s Superjam goes down at 8:30 p.m. at This Tent. Riding the wave of emo and pop-punk nostalgia, it’s called Once More With Feeling(s), and it’s organized and led by Dashboard Confessional. Few details are available at press time; all I know for sure is that Chris Carrabba will be there and Paramore has a conflict, since their tour has them in Liverpool that night.
Jon Batiste is one of the most wide-ranging musical talents of our time — he’s worked with a host of stars of R&B, country, pop and hip-hop all while composing for and leading his band Stay Human, which was the house band on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert from 2015 to 2022 — and he’ll be at What Stage at 6:30 p.m. At the same time, Jamaican MC Sean Paul, who is the only Bonnaroo performer I know of to appear on a posse cut with Idris Elba (that’d be Wiley’s “Boasty”), will turn This Tent into a dancehall.▼
SOME SAY THAT “Saturday is for the boys,” but Sunday is definitely for the girls at Bonnaroo this year. The final day’s lineup is stacked with pop girlies from start to finish. Nashville-based funk-pop powerhouse Molly Grace will play the Who Stage at 2:15 p.m. A recent Belmont graduate (congrats!), Grace won the chance to play at this year’s Roo following her success in the school’s annual Best of the Best showcase. She combines a retro, soulful sound with the hyper-feminine aesthetic of Lizzo or fellow Sunday performer Chappell Roan.
Canadian all-girl band The Beaches scored a viral hit last year with “Blame Brett,” a ridiculously catchy song with a festival-ready screamable chorus. They’ll be rocking This Tent at 2:30 p.m. If The Beaches had started making music a few years earlier, I imagine they would have been worshipped by the mid-2010s Tumblr groupies and hipsters, à la The 1975 or Haim.
If you’re the kind of person who will enjoy the aforementioned Chappell Roan, you’re probably already obsessed with her. She’s a viral pop sensation, a connoisseur of camp and most importantly, the people’s Midwest Princess. Despite her relatively newfound popularity, she can command an arena-size crowd like a seasoned veteran. If I could give you one piece of advice, it’d be, “Good luck, babe!” — she plays This Tent at 4 p.m., and if her massive crowd at Boston Calling is any indication, you’ll have to arrive way early to get a good spot.
While you’re cooling down from the dancealong to “Hot to Go!” that’s almost sure to be part of Roan’s set, make your way over to What Stage to complete the perfect pop-star double feature. Carly Rae Jepsen will be there at 5:15 p.m. playing her impeccable hits and fan faves, from “Call Me Maybe” and “Run Away With Me” to “Too Much” and “Kamikaze.” Jepsen hasn’t released a skippable song in the past decade, and how she isn’t on her own version of The Eras Tour is a mystery to me.
Megan Thee Stallion isn’t technically the Sunday headliner, but she should be. (No offense to Mr. Again..) I’m not a huge rap fan, but I think about her “Megan’s Law” bar in “Hiss” at least once a week. If the trio of snake-themed singles she’s dropped since November gives any indication, her star is about to rise even further — the Gwen Stefani sample in “Boa” is life-changing for anyone who grew up during the early Aughts. Be there when she hits What Stage at 7:15 p.m.; there’s no need to make a “Plan B.”
If you’re not into the poppier options, there’s still plenty of great music on the last day of Bonnaroo. Fans of Americana, Sunday will have a handful of great sets for you: If you miss Jobi Riccio at Who Stage on Saturday, she plays an encore at Outeroo’s Galactic Giddy Up at 11 a.m.; entrancing Kentucky singer-songwriter S.G. Goodman is at This Tent at 1 p.m.; and Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit are on Which Stage at 8:15 p.m. Sociopolitically engaged jazz ensemble Irreversible Entanglements and ace Brooklyn MC Joey Bada$$ are highlights of the That Tent lineup, playing at 2:45 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. respectively, while much-loved beatcrafter Four Tet is at The Other Stage at 5 p.m., and experimental producer Yves Tumor is at This Tent at 5:45 p.m. If you’re looking for a wildcard pick, get to What Stage early at 1:45 p.m. for Elton John protégé Jake Wesley Rogers, or stay up late for Allison Wonderland’s DJ set at Where in the Woods kicking off at 11:30 p.m. ▼
Nashville Symphony | Enrico Lopez-Yañez, conductor
Nashville Symphony | Sarah Hicks, conductor
Pleasenotethatthefirstpartoftheconcertwillpresentorchestrawithout SmokeyRobinson.Followingintermission,theprogramwillfeature SmokeyRobinsonwithorchestra.
Nashville Symphony | Jonathan Rush, conductor | DJ Jerry, opener Lawn seats start at $37
JUL 7 & 8 | 7:30 PM
HCA Healthcare and Tristar Health Legends of Music john legend: a night of songs and stories
PresentedwithouttheNashvilleSymphony.
THURSDAY, JUNE 6
FILM [WAHOO!] MOVIES IN THE PARK: THE SUPER MARIO BROS. MOVIE
When The Super Mario Bros. Movie was released, I remember seeing mostly negative reactions, and so even though I’m a lover of current and retro Mario games, I decided to skip it. (Also, games from my childhood are “retro” now … wow.) I assumed it was made just for children, a glorified toy commercial. Fast-forward to a slow Saturday afternoon about a year later; I’m looking for something to turn on while I clean, and I decide to give it a go. I’m sure going in with low expectations buoyed my enjoyment, but I also think that maybe, just maybe, the internet was a little wrong on this one. The story is sweet and packed with gags for us older gamers. I laughed out loud throughout, with Jack Black as Bowser and Seth Rogan as Donkey Kong giving my favorite performances. “Sit. Jam with me.” might have actually made me snort. I got no cleaning done. The Super Mario Bros. Movie will kick off the Nashville Scene’s 30th annual Movies in the Park season — a perfect pick, I think, for lounging under the stars with your little ones or your pets. The event is free. Food trucks will abound. Mario dives into the green pipe at sunset. RYNE WALKER
5 P.M., SCREENING BEGINS AT SUNDOWN AT ELMINGTON PARK
3531 WEST END AVE.
THURSDAY
[GRAN CELEBRACIÓN]
MUSIC
CELEBRATE MUSIC CITY: LATINX NIGHT
This week, Celebrate Music City closes its threepart series celebrating Nashville’s diverse music scene with a lineup of local Latin American artists. The free event at New Heights Brewing kicks off with a salsa lesson from Dynamic Ballroom and Performing Arts, followed by a performance by pop artist Elia Esparza (whom you might recognize from The Voice). Indie singer-songwriter Karina Daza, who mixes jazz, R&B and various Latin genres, takes the stage next, with soulful rock duo Cane & Cancino — that’s singer-songwriter Hobo Cane and guitarist Miguel Cancino — closing the show. Series organizers Music Neighbors crafted the lineup in partnership with the Latin American musician collective Musicana, founded by Daza. It isn’t a party without food, of course, so food trucks and vendors will also be on site for the festivities. ALEJANDRO RAMIREZ
5 P.M. AT NEW HEIGHTS BREWING 928 REP. JOHN LEWIS WAY S.
FRIDAY / 6.7
BOOKS [SUMMER READING] SUMMER ACTIVITIES AT THE NASHVILLE PUBLIC LIBRARY
School may be out for the summer, but the Nashville Public Library has plenty of ideas to
keep kids and their families busy, entertained and reading. You might start with the Summer Reading Kickoff Party June 7 at Amqui Station in Madison. This fun event will be a great way for families to get into the spirit of the season and will feature food trucks, music and other activities, along with a performance by magician Rodney Kelley. Plus, children who sign up for the summer reading challenge at this event will receive a free book. Other summer programs will include everything from interactive music and dance performances to animal-themed story times to STEM activities, science demonstrations and more. And beginning June 7 at the library’s downtown branch on Church Street, families can check out Library Pete and the Storytime Band Rock and Roll Puppet Show Extravaganza on Friday and Saturday mornings. Always a crowd-pleaser, Library Pete draws in his audience with a sweet blend of music, puppets and a real celebration of reading. Visit library.nashville.org for a full
schedule. AMY STUMPFL ONGOING AT NASHVILLE PUBLIC LIBRARY BRANCHES
MUSIC
[THE BAND IS IN THE COOL PLACE] SHANNON AND THE CLAMS
What one word best describes Shannon and the Clams? Cool. It’s that simple. This band has mastered the art of a throwback sound by mixing a sonic cocktail of dreamy pop rock and psychedelic garage grooves. The California-bred outfit heads to town in support of The Moon Is in the Wrong Place, a collection of otherworldly tunes produced by longtime collaborator and Black Keys frontman Dan Auerbach. The album — Shannon and the Clams’ seventh — debuted last month via Easy Eye Sound, Auerbach’s Nashville-based label that’s a mainstay for vintage tunes. Prepare for a sweaty night on The Basement East dance floor by spinning new album cuts — beginning with the upbeat number “Big Wheel,” the mystic ballad “Real or Magic” and the jangly one-of-one title track
“The Moon Is in the Wrong Place.” Support comes from Tropa Magica and Mouth Reader. See you there? Cool. MATTHEW LEIMKUEHLER
8 P.M. AT THE BASEMENT EAST 917 WOODLAND ST.
AND BASEBALL]
Grabbing some last-minute cheap-seat tickets to a Sounds game with my friends is honestly one of my favorite pastimes. It’s a laid-back, sunshiney hang with local beer, salty food, a game and plenty of time for catching up. Sometimes we focus on the game, but other times we spend our hours meandering around the breezy park, taking in the downtown views and scoping out the ever-popular cornhole court. I grew up going to Minor League Baseball games (shoutout to the Tennessee Smokies!), so maybe I just have a soft spot for them, but I’ve never attended a chiller sport, one better suited for a group hang. The only way you could make it better is if you, like, somehow added some kind of nerdy, bookish event …? Yeah, OK, you probably see where I’m going with this. Parnassus Books and the Nashville Sounds are teaming up to throw a pregame Pride Night Book Fair! Tickets include admission to the party and the game against the Louisville Bats, plus a coupon for two-for-one beers and well liquor from Third and Home. Get tickets and find out what the Venn diagram results are for baseball lovers, Pride celebrators and book nerds. I bet they’re cool AF. RYNE WALKER
6:35 P.M. AT FIRST HORIZON PARK
19 JUNIOR GILLIAM WAY
Over the past few years, Monthaven Arts & Cultural Center in Hendersonville has brought some real star power to its galleries, including works by Pablo Picasso and Peter Max. And now, not only is it bringing the art of a well-known creative to town, but you have an opportunity to rub elbows and hear about his process. Bernie Taupin, best known as the longtime collaborator with and lyricist for Elton John, will be in town for the opening of American Resurrection, an exhibit of 25 of his paintings. Cheryl Strichik, Monthaven’s executive director, will lead a conversation with Taupin over brunch to discuss his love of American art and pop culture. Tickets for the sit-down brunch scheduled before the opening of his exhibit are $50 and include a copy of Taupin’s book, Scattershot: Life, Music, Elton and Me, which you can get signed. American Resurrection runs June 9 through July 14, so even if you can’t make brunch, you can explore Taupin’s works in the free museum for the next five weeks. MARGARET LITTMAN
[GIMME GIMME GIMME A THRIFT STORE THAT’S OUTSIDE]
Thrifty vintage aficionados no longer need to limit themselves to brick-and-mortars as they hunt for their next find. Parking lots all over Nashville are filled with bins of aesthetically distressed Levi’s and $70 Harley Davidson shirts waiting to be rummaged through by competitive shoppers. With the free-form reseller scene rapidly growing in the area, Gimme Gimme More! has reeled in the community with uniquely curated events to match their perfectly picked pieces. The founder of GGM!, Annalia Alba, has elevated typical thrift markets into can’t-miss events for the Nashville fashion community through local partnerships and a dash of funky marketing.
At a recent event at East Nashville cocktail spot Cherries, dozens of shoppers partook in live screen-printing done by Bad World Anarchy, flash tattoos by Honey Hollow Tattoo and a DJ set by Wckd Ok while perusing the products of more than 30 local vendors. Gimme Gimme More’s upcoming event, P.H.A.T. (Pride, Hot and Tempting), at Inglewood Lounge will celebrate Pride Month with freshly added activities alongside fan favorites reemerging with flair.
AIDEN O’NEILL
NOON-5 P.M. AT INGLEWOOD LOUNGE
3914 GALLATIN PIKE
GROUNDS]
UNPLUGGED MUSIC SERIES: O.N.E THE DUO & TONY EVANS JR.
Looking to take a dive into contemporary country without wading into CMA Fest this weekend? The Unplugged Music Series, copresented by Slim & Husky’s and BMI, has your back. Tony Evans Jr. has a twangy, honeyed baritone that’ll make any country crooner green with envy. He uses it to especially excellent and emotionally nuanced effect on ballads like “Kids We Never Had” and the insightful and wrenching “F*ckboy Lullaby” from 2023’s Starless EP, as well as recent single “Yours.” O.N.E the Duo is the team of Tekitha and her daughter Prana Supreme, who made their full-length album debut last summer with the aptly titled Blood Harmony. Across the LP, the pair offers a reminder of the stylistic diversity within the realm of country music — from the bluesy stomper “River of Sins” to the tender ballad “Hearts Like Mine” to the stern-warning-witha-groove that is “Don’t Come for Me” — while making every cut feel like it’s theirs and no one else’s. You can actually see O.N.E the Duo at the festival during a Friday showcase organized by Color Me Country, but here’s your chance to catch them up close and well away from the hubbub. STEPHEN TRAGESER
7 P.M. AT ANALOG AT HUTTON HOTEL
1808 WEST END AVE.
MUSIC
11 A.M. AT MONTHAVEN ARTS & CULTURAL CENTER 1017 ANTEBELLUM CIRCLE, HENDERSONVILLE SHOPPING
[YOU’LL HAVE TO GO SIDEWAYS] AN EVENING WITH ROBYN HITCHCOCK AND HIS ILLUSTRIOUS FRIENDS
At the end of June, singular songsmith Robyn Hitchcock (he of art-punk champions The Soft Boys, a wealth of solo albums and others with ensembles like The Egyptians and The Venus 3) will publish an unusual memoir. Titled 1967: How I Got There and Why I Never Left, the book zooms in on a brief, formative period in his adolescence and all the ways it has continued to reverberate through his career. This reflection promises to shed some light on the parallactic qualities that have drawn a kaleidoscopic wealth of friends and collaborators into his orbit over the past four-and-a-half decades — several of whom will join him for a show on Saturday in the performance space at Nelson’s Green Brier Distillery, within shouting distance of Marathon Music Works. Fellow musician Grant-Lee Phillips and actor and comedian Eugene Mirman (whose musical work as Gene Belcher on Bob’s Burgers is near and dear to my heart) will join him, as will Hitchcock’s partner and fellow singer-songwriter Emma Swift and songsmith and rocker Sean Nelson. We’ve been told the show is likely Hitchcock’s only appearance in town this year. Expect it to include music, comedy and more, in a loose format that’ll probably take as many turns as one of his songs.
STEPHEN TRAGESER
8 P.M. AT NELSON’S GREEN BRIER DISTILLERY 1414 CLINTON ST.
MUSIC
[ROCK GOT NO REASON, ROCK GOT NO RHYME] YEAH! ROCKS SUMMER CAMP SHOWCASE
Is your favorite movie the classic 2002 Jack Black film School of Rock? Do you cry just a little when you think about The Runaways, The Jackson 5 or The Linda Lindas? If so, there’s no better way to spend a Saturday than at this year’s YEAH! Rocks showcase. If you’re unfamiliar, YEAH! Rocks hosts a weeklong summer camp for 6- to 17-year-olds where campers learn the ins and outs of the music world. The week culminates in a showcase where campers perform original songs with the bands they’ve formed. So precious! This year’s finale performance will take place at The East Room — a bright-andearly matinee with doors opening at noon. Grab some brunch and head over to support
the coolest kids in town. Tickets are $10, and you’ll have the chance to bid on some great silent-auction items to support the camp while the campers rock your socks off. The show is open to the public, so go support the talent of tomorrow, and if you see me there looking like the “face holding back tears” emoji, no you don’t. HANNAH CRON NOON AT THE EAST ROOM 2412 GALLATIN AVE.
[GLASGOW TALE]
“The 400 Blows by way of Ken Loach” is how critic Elvis Mitchell described Ratcatcher, the debut film from writer-director Lynne Ramsay (Morvern Callar), when it hit American shores in 2000. (It premiered at Cannes the year before, which explains why it’s in the Belcourt’s ongoing 1999 series.) That’s actually a pretty spot-on assessment. Just like François Truffaut’s coming-of-age masterpiece, this movie follows a rapscallion of a boy (William Eadie) who dreams of a better life. The film is set in 1970s Glasgow during a real-life garbage strike that made the city’s poorest neighborhoods look even more like rat-infested trash heaps, and this kid is surrounded by squalor, cruelty, heartbreak and plain ol’ shit — both literally and figuratively. His mom and sisters are struggling, while his dad is a useless drunk. He starts a comforting bond with a girl the older boys fornicate with in back alleys. And there’s also the issue of him being somewhat responsible for the death of one of his young pals. Even with all this lowerclass misery, Ramsay does find beauty in the ugliness. CRAIG D. LINDSEY
JUNE 9 & 13 AT THE BELCOURT 2102 BELCOURT AVE.
Soccer Mommy makes the final stop on The Lost Shows mini-tour Sunday evening in her hometown with a solo performance at The Blue Room. The four-date run, which includes
NASHVILLE SCENE
stops in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago, is a nod to a time before Sophie Allison became an indie-rock darling — back when she first began performing as Soccer Mommy while attending New York University from 2015 to 2017, playing shows around the city with just her guitar. In a post on her socials in early May, Allison hinted at a possible return to that simpler approach for her next album. “Been busy working on some new music,” she wrote. “Can’t say too much yet, but I really wanted to focus on the songwriting and keep the production more organic. I want to preview some of it in a more intimate way, so I’m excited to announce The Lost Shows!” Those fortunate enough to have a ticket to Sunday’s sold-out show will get a preview of some of her new material, as well as “familiar favs and some old, deep cuts.”
DARYL SANDERS
7 P.M. AT THE BLUE ROOM AT THIRD MAN RECORDS
623 SEVENTH AVE. S.
[LOVE. EXPULSION. REVOLUTION.]
FILM
1999/MUSIC CITY MONDAYS: RUSHMORE
I recently wrote a reappraisal of Rushmore, Wes Anderson’s sophomore flick from 1998. (It had a brief Oscar consideration run before its theatrical rollout in February 1999.) Back in my younger days, I wasn’t won over by Anderson’s tale of overachieving teen Max Fischer (Jason Schwartzman in his first of many Anderson roles), who gains a mentor/kindred spirit in disillusioned industrialist Herman Blume (Bill Murray, in a career-reviving turn). This bond turns sour when they both pine over a teacher (Olivia Williams) at Fischer’s titular private school. Looking back on how 1999 gave us oodles of films in which teens gaslight each other in an effort to get laid on prom night or something like that (one of them, 10 Things I Hate About You, will be playing at the Belcourt in a couple weeks), Rushmore turned out to be the most surreal, the most romantic, even the most honest of all those coming-of-age films. It also made people realize that this Anderson kid had a weird, wonderful future ahead of him. It will show both as part of the Belcourt’s current 1999 series and its long-running Music City Mondays series. CRAIG D. LINDSEY
JUNE 10 & 14 AT THE BELCOURT 2102 BELCOURT AVE.
MUSIC [BLUES POWER]
GRACE BOWERS
FRIENDS
Guitarist and singer Grace Bowers got into blues after she took inspiration from hair-metal bands and the artistry of Guns N’ Roses ax man Slash. Bowers turns 18 on July 30, and the blues-rock guitar phenom is set to make her Grand Ole Opry debut on that day. The California native made the move to Nashville when she was in high school, and she’s released a single, “Tell Me Why U Do That,” pulled from her forthcoming August album Wine on Venus. “Tell Me Why U”
registers as a George Clinton homage, complete with some nice soloing by Bowers. Monday at Brooklyn Bowl, Bowers headlines a benefit for Voices for a Safer Tennessee and MusiCares along with her band, The Hodge Podge, and a brace of performers who draw inspiration from blues, soul and rock. On hand will be Devon Gilfillian, whose latest album is 2023’s neo-soulinfluenced Love You Anyway. Also playing will be singer-songwriter Lucie Silvas and pop-country singer Brittney Spencer, who released her debut album My Stupid Life this year. The show, which also features performers on the order of Butch Walker, The Cadillac Three and Caroline Jones, promises to be a master class in the eclectic nature of modern roots-oriented music. EDD HURT
8 P.M. AT BROOKLYN BOWL
925 THIRD AVE. N.
TUESDAY / 6.11
[LEGALIZE EVERYTHING]
COMEDY
In a characteristically chaotic and deranged promo video released about a month ago, comedian Eric André promised that his Eric André Show Live tour will give fans the “craziest night of your life.” Hyperbole? Maybe. But given the predilection for confrontational pranks, partial (and sometimes full) nudity and absurdist freak-outs that André has showcased on Adult Swim’s The Eric André Show since 2012, there’s a good chance Tuesday’s show will at least crack your personal top 10. Past tour stops have featured massive amounts of liquids being sprayed on the audience (some fans wear ponchos), sets getting obliterated (especially André’s desk, naturally), special guests, musical performances, crowd participation and André’s ghoulish puppet sidekick “the Fridge Keeper.” Thanks in part to his 2021 film Bad Trip, his collaborations with the Jackass guys and his long-term commitment to keeping things extremely weird on Adult Swim, the Floridaborn comedian’s cult status has only grown over the past decade. He’s calling this the “last
chance ever to experience the Eric André Show Live,” so now may indeed be the time to have the craziest night of your life. Or one of them, anyway. D. PATRICK RODGERS
8 P.M. AT MARATHON MUSIC WORKS 1402 CLINTON ST.
We are now in the era of jazz musicians born into the world where hip-hop music was king. And the fresh era of modern fusion has finally begun to invade the mainstream, with artists like Thundercat, Kamasi Washington and Robert Glasper reaching a much broader audience over the past decade. If you know those three artists well, Grammy nominee Terrace Martin is likely on your radar too. The
producer/multi-instrumentalist has lent his ultra-velvety talents to the work of Glasper, Washington, and Martin’s cousin Thundercat, teamed up with hip-hop luminaries like Busta Rhymes, Pete Rock and Kendrick Lamar, and he even crafted an album with pioneering keyboardist Herbie Hancock. The 45-year-old L.A. native was born the son of drummer Ernest “Curly” Martin nearly a year before the release of Sugarhill Gang’s “Rapper’s Delight.” Martin was raised on a steady diet of John Coltrane and George Clinton in the era when Southern California G-funk was taking over the airwaves, and his work feels like a continuation of that musical legacy. With a sultry, expansive sound, Martin’s intimate albums invite listeners into the imagination with funky late-night jam sessions like 2013’s 3Chordfold Pulse or his recent minimalist work Grounded. Because Martin constantly juggles so many projects as both a producer and player, fans rarely get the opportunity to see Martin onstage as the centerpiece of the band. P.J. KINZER
7:30 P.M. AT CITY WINERY
609 LAFAYETTE ST.
WEDNESDAY /
[BEBOP DELUXE]
MUSIC
RAVI COLTRANE
There has been a lot of talk about whether 19-year-old basketball phenom Bronny James can live up to the expectations that come with being the son of four-time NBA MVP LeBron James. Saxophonist Ravi Coltrane can likely relate to some of that pressure. Ravi, the son of jazz royalty John and Alice Coltrane, was named for Bengali composer/virtuoso Ravi Shankar. Coltrane has always embraced the heritage
SLIM + HUSKY’S & BMI PRESENTS UNPLUGGED Highlighting emerging talent and diverse sounds of Black musicians, this event transcends the ordinary night out – it’s a vibrant celebration of Black Country music. Prepare to be transported by soulful melodies to the essence of Country music.
Thursday, June 6 CONCERT AND CONVERSATION Lorrie Morgan
Friday, June 7
CONCERT AND CONVERSATION
CMT’s Next Women of Country
Featuring Tanner Adell, Mae Estes, Kylie Frey, Emily Ann Roberts, and Tigirlily Gold
12:30 pm · CMA THEATER
Saturday, June 8
SONGWRITER SESSION Trannie Anderson NOON · FORD THEATER
Sunday, June 9
MUSICIAN SPOTLIGHT
Jenee Fleenor
1:00 pm · FORD THEATER
Saturday, June 15 CONVERSATION AND PERFORMANCE Alice Randall NOON · FORD THEATER
Tuesday, June 18
CONCERT CELEBRATION From Where
Presented by Amazon and Riverview Foundation 6:30 pm · CMA THEATER FREE
Saturday, June 22 HATCH SHOW PRINT Block Party
9:30 am, NOON, and 2:30 pm HATCH SHOW PRINT SHOP
that comes with his name, even producing Translinear Light, an album with his mother in 2004 for the Impulse! label that released so much of his father’s classic early work. His 2003 album Mad 6 shows a deep connection to the period of jazz he grew up during, including reimagined works by Monk, Mingus and other 20th-century bebop titans. But the younger Coltrane never rested solely on his name. His 2016 collaboration with drummer/composer Jack DeJohnette and bassist Matthew Garrison, In Movement, was an unpredictably funky contemporary work. Coltrane even appeared on Cosmogramma, the triumphant 2010 album by his cousin Flying Lotus. This summer tour teams up Coltrane with trumpeter Jonathan Finlayson, pianist Gadi Lehavi and percussionist Elé Salif Howell. Their run together concludes with eight shows at New York’s storied jazz club Birdland — the current location — just a few blocks from the original location where John Coltrane recorded his 1964 live masterpiece. P.J. KINZER
7:30 P.M. AT CITY
When, writing for the Scene recently, our film-loving Mayor Freddie O’Connell shared his thoughts on the Belcourt’s exquisite 1999 series, I was impressed not only with his takes but with the sheer amount of the movies in the series he had seen in the theater. However, I did take umbrage at one of his blurbs. The Insider, Michael Mann’s account of the controversial
60 Minutes segment on tobacco industry whistleblower Jeffrey Wigand, is far from unmemorable. It’s a tense, thought-provoking look at one of the most consequential pieces of journalism of the ’90s. Sure, as a journalist
myself, I’m a bit in the bag for a high-level procedural centering on the producers and reporters of a news program (Christopher Plummer’s portrayal of legendary CBS anchor Mike Wallace is thunderous), but bias aside, it’s a compelling watch. As a fellow Mann-head, I expected better from Mayor O’Connell. I expect to see him at one of the Belcourt’s 35 mm showings. LOGAN BUTTS
JUNE 12 & 15 AT THE BELCOURT 2102 BELCOURT AVE.
I’m not biased, but the best song written about a U.S. state is James Taylor’s “Carolina in My Mind.” I don’t think that because I’m from North Carolina. It is not incredibly meaningful to me that Taylor wrote it about his hometown of Chapel Hill, where I attended college. I also totally did not cry when it was sung at my graduation, or when I randomly heard it in an airport one time heading home. OK, maybe I am biased, but I’m not alone in my admiration of the legendary songsmith. Taylor impressed The Beatles of all people when he came onto the scene, as he was the first non-British artist signed to their Apple Records label. More recently, Late Night host Seth Meyers said the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer’s songs are so timeless that “you forget at some point they weren’t songs, and someone had to write them.” Taylor’s originals, including “Carolina,” “Fire and Rain” and “Sweet Baby James” are indeed exceptional. But his unmistakably warm and friendly voice has also helped him breathe life into covers like “You’ve Got a Friend” and “How Sweet It Is (to Be Loved by You).” Seeing him in Nashville will be a treat — regardless of whether you’re a Tar Heel like me and my old pal James. COLE VILLENA
MONTGOMERY GENTRY featuring EDDIE MONTGOMERY Celebrating 25 years with Special Guests CALEB LEE HUTCHINSON, ALLIE COLLEEN & IRA DEAN
SOUTH FOR WINTER with THE WOODS
(7pm)
jake burman & company, the henry cruz band & snowbird hollow (9pm)
WMOT Roots Radio Presents Finally Friday featuring JAY GAVIN, STELLA PRINCE & DANA COOPER THE EAGLEMANIACS: The Music of Don Henley and The Eagles WITH TERESA
Backstage Nashville! Daytime Hit Songwriters Show featuring MATT ROGERS, IRA DEAN, GEORGIA MIDDLEMAN with HALLE KEARNS
THE EAGLEMANIACS: The Music of Don Henley and The Eagles WITH TERESA
Bluebird on 3rd featuring CAROLYN DAWN JOHNSON, REBECCA LYNN HOWARD & RACHEL THIBODEAU with JACK SETTLE + AVA PAIGE
CARVIN WALLS BIG Announcement Show!
CORDOVAS & SPECIAL GUESTS!
NASHVILLE IS DEAD THE TIME JUMPERS
6.8
TEN YEARS AGO, Nashville had no Peruvian eateries. Today there are three. Leche de Tigre is part of The Wash, the popular group of micro restaurants on Gallatin Avenue. Limo is a more upscale spot on Fatherland with a minimalist, brightly lit dining room. Panca, in the Plaza Mariachi complex on Nolensville Pike, has been around longer, and has a more laid-back, sportsbar feel.
Two more Peruvian eateries are reportedly in the works, including a food truck featuring Peruvian-Chinese fusion, and Chotto Matte, a highend Japanese-Peruvian concept designated for an eye-popping 11,000-square-foot space in the gleaming new tower at 1221 Broadway.
You could be forgiven for mistaking Peruvian-Asian fusion for another gimmicky new culinary trend, but both Peruvian-Chinese (called chifa) and Japanese-Peruvian (nikkei) are part of Peru’s rich culinary history. It hasn’t always been a pleasant history, and includes conquest and colonization, slavery, indentured servitude, and periods of both in- and out-migration during economic crises and periods of authoritarian rule. But as we know well here in the South, however problematic the cause, that sort of churning of humanity tends to mash disparate cultures together in ways that create interesting and innovative food.
The menus of Nashville’s three Peruvian spots certainly reflect this patchwork of cultural influences. All three restaurants, for example, feature versions of the Peruvian staple lomo saltado, a wok-cooked stir-fry of steak, onion, tomato and cilantro over rice, often flavored with pisco and amarillo peppers, sometimes served with plantains — so it’s a Chinese-style stir-fry flavored with Peruvian alcohol and peppers, served with a fruit native to Africa. Leche de Tigre adds another cultural element by also offering the dish in the form of a taco, and another by converting it to a sandwich on French bread. (The Scene rightly named it the city’s best sandwich in 2023.)
Limo and Panco also serve the Italian-influenced tallarines verdes — linguine tossed in a creamy, bright-green pesto sauce, then topped with a pounded grilled steak — and tacu tacu, a West African-inspired crispy cake of beans and rice, usually topped with meat and a fried egg. The story of Peruvian cuisine begins with its Indigenous cultures. The best-known and best-documented were of course the Inca, who emerged in the 1200s and terraced Andean mountainsides to domesticate potatoes, beans, maize, peppers and quinoa. They also came up with their own process of freeze-drying. Spanish colonization in the 1500s brought rice, onions, olives, garlic, citrus, wine and livestock like chickens, pigs, cattle and sheep. Remnant Moorish influence in Spain brought Middle Eastern and North African spices and cooking techniques to Peru. Spanish slaves from West Africa
brought plantains and okra, along with Creole traditions like caked rice and slow-cooked stews.
After Spain abolished slavery, a wave of Chinese and Japanese immigrants came to fill the resulting labor shortages on cotton and sugar plantations. Both cultures today are a small percentage of Peru’s population, but they’ve had an outsized influence on Peruvian food (and its politics). The Japanese introduced octopus, noodles and tempura-style light frying. The Chinese brought ginger, soy sauce and wok-fired preparations like stir-fried rice.
Meanwhile, all of this cultural crossbreeding transpired in a country with astonishing biodiversity. Peru sits at the intersection of the Amazon rainforest, the Andes mountains and the Pacific Ocean, where, despite the tropical latitude, the Humboldt Current serves up a bounty of coldwater seafood to the coast. Peru is home to the ancestral plants of domesticated tomatoes, quinoa and potatoes. (The country produces about 3,000 varieties of the tuber.)
Perhaps the best embodiment of Peru’s rich culinary heritage is ceviche — the curing of raw seafood in citrus and salt, typically with onion, chile peppers and a wide variety of other ingredients. It’s the national dish of Peru, where it has its own holiday.
“Just about every town in Peru has a signature ceviche,” says Hugo Novoa, president of the Peruvian Association of Tennessee. “In the mountains and highlands, they’ll make it from the trout, and they might add beans or potatoes. In the forest, they’ll use river fish. Along the coast,
you’ll get it with every kind of seafood. Sometimes they’ll add fried fish or shellfish.”
The origins of ceviche likely go back to the Moche, a tribe that predates the Inca by about 1,000 years and is said to have cured raw fish in the juice of the tombo, a variety of passionfruit.
The Inca continued the concept by marinating fish in chicha, a sweet fermented drink made from maize, or in salt and aji, a green salsa.
“Ceviche used to take several days to cure,” says Marcio Florez, the owner and chef of Limo. “The Spanish brought limes, which worked better than native fruits. Then the Japanese brought
the technique we use today, which cures the fish in just a few minutes.”
At Limo, Florez offers seven different variations of ceviche, including a coastal Peru-inspired version with plantain chips and fried calamari, a Japanese-inspired tiradito featuring octopus and sashimi-style fish, and — in a nod to the highlands — a “causa” variety with aji amarillo-flavored potato and crab.
On our first visit to Limo’s minimalist, brightly lit dining room, my wife and I opted for the “Nashville hot” variation, another cultural alteration Florez made for the city he has called
home since 2009. It’s made with a soft white fish — whatever is in season — cured with lime juice, fish stock, a spicy pepper called the limo (from which the restaurant takes its name), garlic and other herbs and spices. Limo offers a generous portion, served winsomely in a large bowl with honey-scented sweet potatoes, sliced red onion and choclo, the thumbnail-sized Peruvian corn. It’s less sweet than U.S. corn, so the plump kernels are less about imparting flavor and more about giving a texturally pleasant pop. Toasted corn kernels called cancha provide some crunch.
The lime, fish, peppers, warm spices and sweetness meld into a rich, wonderfully complex broth known in Peru as “leche de tigre” or “tiger milk.” It’s a bit like potlikker — a reward to be savored after a meal well eaten. In Peru, tiger milk is touted as an aphrodisiac, a cure-all and a hangover remedy.
The elixir’s namesake restaurant here in Nashville is helmed by chef Roberto Bernabe, who operated the Two Peruvian Chefs food truck with Florez before the two parted ways. It offers the quickest, most casual fare of the three, but still delivers comparable quality. Bernabe also offers several varieties of ceviche. They aren’t quite the “event” that ceviche at Limo can be, but they’re just as tasty. They’re also served in smaller portions (and are less expensive), allowing you to try more than one variety.
At Panca, where a Peruvian flag adorns a wall dominated by large photos of alpacas and Andes mountainscapes, I opted for an appetizer trio of ceviche, fried fish and papa a la huancaína, a dish of boiled potatoes smothered in a spicy, bright-yellow cream sauce. The components complemented one another well. The lightly fried fish was juicy, with plenty of crunch and salt to balance the softness and acidity of the ceviche.
But my two favorite Peruvian dishes were both from Limo. The clear star of all three restaurants was Limo’s chupe de camarones, an exquisite, bisque-like cacophony of flavors and textures. Shrimp, butternut squash, carrots, peas, plump lima beans and tender bites of queso fresco all swim in a lush, laminated broth.
Next-best was arroz con mariscos, a Peruvian take on paella studded with seafood, peppers and chalaca, flavored with cilantro and Parmesan. Thanks to a rich lobster sauce, it ate more like a sticky risotto.
Panca is owned by Pedro Polanco, a Dominican immigrant who came to the U.S. in 2004. It served the best pollo a la brasa, the charcoal-fired rotisserie chicken that has become Peru’s most ubiquitous culinary export to the U.S. This dish too is a product of Peru’s diverse cultural history. In the 1950s, two Swiss immigrants living in Lima developed the rotisserie mechanism to cook the chickens in bulk while retaining its crispy skin and juicy interior. Over the years, the chicken was Peruvianized with seasonings like cumin, soy sauce and native peppers. It’s typically served with two sauces — a vibrant verde and a bright-yellow mayonnaise base flavored with paste made from the amarillo pepper.
I lived for 10 years in the D.C. area, where Peruvian chicken spots have been operating for 20 years. Panca’s version was among the best I’ve had.
with most residing in the suburbs, particularly around LaVergne and Murfreesboro. But Peru is also in the midst of a political crisis and a crisis of confidence in its government. In the past, such events have spurred spikes in emigration. Nuovo expects that will bring more Peruvians directly to Nashville, and that the blossoming restaurant and cultural scene will attract more Peruvians already in the country.
There can be a chicken-and-egg problem when establishing a new ethnic cuisine in a city that doesn’t yet have it. Restaurants can’t really operate without access to the right ingredients, but there’s no market for those ingredients until there are established restaurants. That’s particularly true of a cuisine like Peru’s, which despite its diverse influences, is distinguished by varieties of peppers, legumes, potatoes and corn mostly found only in Peru.
“When we first started the food truck, we had to drive to Atlanta to get our ingredients,” Florez says. But Novoa and the Peruvian Association of Tennessee began talking to distributors, and eventually established a pipeline. That helped the city’s culinary scene jump from one food truck to three restaurants, with another restaurant and truck on the way.
The Peruvian population in Nashville is small but growing. Novoa estimates that the metro area is home to about 1,500 to 2,000 first- or second-generation Peruvian immigrants,
We concluded our first meal at Limo with an order of picarones, a dessert made of a squash or sweet potato dough shaped into a ring and fried. It’s another dish with rich, fraught and tapestried origins. Because there was no wheat in the New World, Spanish colonists couldn’t make sweet dishes from home like buñuelos — fried fritters. So they re-created the dish with dough made with native ingredients like pumpkin and sweet potato. Afro-Peruvian women would later turn the fritter into a popular Creole street food by shaping it into a ring and serving it with a syrup made from dried sugar cane infused with cinnamon and cloves. At Limo, the airy fried rings are served with a fig-infused honey. It’s a simple, satisfying bite, but also the product of conquest, slavery and redemption, with contributions from cultures spanning three continents. In other words, a saporous, aptly Peruvian way end to a meal. ▼
Vodka Yonic features a rotating cast of women, nonbinary and gender-diverse writers from around the world sharing stories that are alternately humorous, sobering, intellectual, erotic, religious or painfully personal. You never know what you’ll find in this column, but we hope this potent mix of stories encourages conversation.
IF YOU’VE BEEN to a concert in Nashville, you’ve likely seen it: the space between the audience and the stage. We call this the “Nashville bubble,” and musicians know it well. Sure, the audience could move closer to the stage, but they don’t. Maybe it’s because it’s too loud, they’re too shy, they don’t care enough, or they want an easier exit. My own participation in the bubble sometimes comes from knowing the people onstage, which happens a lot in Music City. I can’t transition to fangirl, front-row behavior when the artist can see me — it feels so cheesy. Especially when that artist is my ex-boyfriend.
got hangry.
Together we found common ground. Watching documentaries, then making out. I learned to cook, tried weed, had sex for the first time. He could play any instrument, and was sometimes even better when he was drunk. He’d slow-dance with me and always linger outside after he walked me to my car. We loved to unpack religion and politics and music and pop culture. I felt like he wanted to understand me. It was a new feeling. He wrote me letters on a typewriter and sealed them with wax. Throughout this time, we wrote each other a lot of cards. I remember writing to him about how lucky I felt to get to see him “up close.” It’s a phrase I write often in cards — but the way I felt toward him embodied it the most. We all do things and post about them, but it’s a select few who get to know the inner workings. He knew the minutiae of my life, like if I stopped for gas on the way home from work, or in the deepest sense, why it felt so shameful to even talk about sex. I got to know more about him than everyone else too.
Being a main character in his life made me feel wanted, needed, important. I felt lucky to experience love with him and intoxicated by the fact that my goal in the relationship was to just know him very well. It’s a feeling I get often — I want to know everything about everyone — but never got to act on it until him. Quite simply, we were close.
“Ex-boyfriend” doesn’t feel like quite the right word. He was my first love. I was 25 years old, and he was my first boyfriend. I had dreamed of having a boyfriend for a decade, but was terrified of the idea. To tell them what’s on your mind, show them your body, stay in tune with their well-being — it seemed like too much of a compromise, too much of an opportunity to get hurt. Here was someone who felt safe to do all that with. We’d both grown up with repressive religious backgrounds, so he understood why I was so inexperienced.
In an early Hinge chat, I had told him I wasn’t much of a crier — and that was true up to that point. But being with him made my heart grow two sizes, like the Grinch. Part of that was because I cared about him so much. Looking back, I think a bigger part might have been because of all the old hurts of not feeling desired, and all the insecurities about being a late bloomer that demanded to be felt. Turns out, I am a crier.
We were so different — starting with our families. Mine was almost too close; his was too distant at best. He’s from out West. I’m from Ohio. He told me he didn’t like going out to eat or to bars, and felt uncomfortable in upscale spaces and parties where he doesn’t know anyone. I love talking to strangers and bougie settings. The songs he liked were all sad, and the movies too. He asked me to watch The Pursuit of Happyness and Waves — both times looking over at the end to see my face blotchy with tears. I’m really more of a My Best Friend’s Wedding kind of person. He said he didn’t really like going to concerts. He could spend all evening making sounds on his computer — sometimes not pausing to drink or eat, while I
I didn’t see my ex play live until a year after I ended our pandemic relationship. I was the one who ended things. Seeing him play felt like something I needed to do. I had never gotten to see this version of him — it was the one he liked the best.
I regret the times I got frustrated with him when he was obviously hurting. The times I stood back and watched, or didn’t jump in and show any kind of unconditional love. So when his bandmate asked the audience to close the “Nashville bubble,” I looked around as everyone hesitated and stepped to the front.
A few weeks later, I ran into him at a bar. Later that night, I both threw up and sent him a drunk text telling him a part of me will always love him — I’m not sure in which order. He reciprocated.
The next morning I struck again, typing: “Sometimes it still feels big weird that I’m not up close anymore, but I promise I’m getting better and adjusting.”
Months later, I went to see him play again in the same venue, opening for a band that I was a fan of. He was on the opposite side of the stage from where I stood, and his new girlfriend was in the audience, in the middle back.
She’s up close to him now, but I really loved my time at the forefront. ▼
Nashville wrestlers celebrate a traditional Japanese sport with a niche U.S. following
BY ALEJANDRO RAMIREZIn the Club is a recurring series in which the Scene explores Nashville’s social club offerings.
FOR SEVEN HOURS one cloudy April afternoon, Germantown was home to marathon sumo wrestling action. More than 60 competitors from across the country attended the inaugural Sakura Cup tournament. Some were heavyweights — the hulking figures often associated with the sport — while other wrestlers were lighter, bucking the stereotypical image. Women also entered the ring, including world champ Kellyann Ball from Los Angeles. All contestants wore the traditional loincloth called a mawashi in the ring, but some wore it over shorts or gym clothes. Don’t call it a diaper.
The tournament was hosted by the Tennessee Sumo Association at Music City Muscle Gym, where the group meets for weekly practices, at the start of Japan Week. The gym’s lawn was transformed into a dohyō, sumo’s circular wrestling ring. A few dozen spectators came out too, plus a handful of vendors like Black Dynasty Ramen. There was even a celebrity in the mix: Former professional sumo Yama sat ringside as a guest of honor, fanning himself in a sky-blue outfit.
Heavyweight Zachary Sparkman, a Tennessee Sumo Association member, entered the ring to cheers from friends and teammates for his semifinal match. The referee gave commands in Japanese to prepare the wrestlers, and Sparkman and his opponent — veteran sumo Caleb Baccus out of San Antonio — both sank low and placed their fists on the ground. The ref gave one final shout, and Sparkman and Bacchus shot toward each other. The two big men were deadlocked in the dohyō’s center, their feet, hips and shoulders shifting for a better angle. Both men grabbed the waistband of his opponent’s mawashi, but Sparkman found better leverage and swung Baccus out of the center and closer to the edge of the ring. Both wrestlers were still upright, but Sparkman drove forward, pushing his opponent out of the dohyō. Sparkman won, and moved on to the finals.
It was over in half a minute. Nathaniel Hudson, president of the Tennessee Sumo Association, says it’s surprising how fast sumo is. It’s also unforgiving — if you get pushed out or any part of your body besides the soles of your feet touches the ground, the match is over, no second round. Clinches may end when one opponent suddenly launches the other with a throw from the waist, and some matches see one wrestler bulldoze the other right out of the ring. Sparkman would ultimately finish with the silver medal, but he was proud of his performance in front of the hometown crowd. He has a real love for the sport — he’s about to train for two weeks in Japan with a professional stable. His wife Jennifer also competes, but she notes it can be hard to find other women in her weight class at many competitions. Still, she wants to
show their kids that both parents are giving it their all, and inspire them to do the same.
Part of the Tennessee Sumo Association’s mission is to educate people about the sport, and Hudson hopes the club can earn nonprofit status. The association started in 2022 and has about eight core members. Hudson himself started following the sport after a trip to Japan way back in 2007, and eventually connected with a small but passionate fan base in the U.S.
He was mentored for a while by a wrestler in East Tennessee, but has also made use of online videos to learn more about the fundamentals and help instruct others. Hudson, a public school teacher, also started a sumo club for students at Antioch High School.
The Tennessee Sumo Association meets on Sundays at Music City Muscle Gym. Five members were present on the stormy May afternoon when the Scene visited, practicing footwork and improving their balance next to a collection of weightlifting benches and squat racks. Sparkman had returned from Japan with advice, new exercises and insights into the lifestyle of professional sumo wrestlers. Sparkman was preparing for the national sumo tournament held in San Diego on June 1, along with another member of the Tennessee outfit: Antioch High student Gabriel Tolentino, 16.
During sparring practice, all four older members of the club took turns wrestling Tolentino, throwing everything they could at the kid.
Sparkman thinks the high-schooler will be a champion, and Hudson agrees.
Tolentino was surprised by his talent for sumo,
but was nervous for nationals. He trained hard though, and his fellow Tennesseans had his back.
“It feels great having everybody support me,” he says. “At first I felt like I was gonna be a stranger, the new person, but everybody was
good. They took me in as one of their own.” All the training paid off: Tolentino won the junior heavyweight division on Saturday and will be competing in a world competition in Poland in September. ▼
Talking with the drag superstar ahead of Solid Pink Disco at Cannery
“I’M DOING A costume fitting, and you get the distinct pleasure of me putting my drag body on while you watch,” Trixie Mattel says as soon as her camera turns on. “Normally I charge money for this, so this is huge for you.”
Seeing as how I’m a fan of 8-year-old UNHhhh clips, the iPhone 3 joke in “All I Want for Christmas Is Nudes” and the surprisingly correct advice in Trixie and Katya’s Guide to Modern Womanhood — it was huge for me.
The Scene is catching up with Mattel — who has appeared on RuPaul’s Drag Race, RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars, UNHhhh, The Trixie & Katya Show, Trixie Motel, The Pit Stop and more — via Zoom ahead of Solid Pink Disco, her Saturday show at Cannery Hall. We discuss becoming a self-taught pandemic DJ, making a reality TV show with her partner, and her love of Nancy Sinatra.
“What I love about disco is, at a time where the world is so divided, disco is where your conservative grandma and your queer nonbinary granddaughter can go to the same party and dance to the same music,” says Mattel.
A skilled musician (she plays guitar, piano and autoharp, for starters) and self-described tech nerd, Mattel taught herself how to DJ while at home in the lockdown days of the early pandemic. She clocked hours every day for months teaching herself the basics. By the time the restrictions were lifted, she was ready to start taking DJ gigs around L.A.
“I love it,” she says. “It’s everything I love. I love doing drag and feeling fabulous. I love pressing buttons and hitting levers. I feel like I’m operating the Star Trek Enterprise up there.”
Speaking of enterprises, Season 2 of Trixie Motel, the hotel renovation reality TV show Mattel made alongside her partner, producer David Silver, is out now. This time they’re renovating their own house.
“You have to be a little bit crazy to renovate,” Mattel says. “But I think you also have to be a little bit crazy to, you know — love is a trustfall. And it’s a trustfall for the insane.”
Mattel is proud of the motel she and Silver renovated in Trixie Motel’s first season. She says the world may be in decline, but she’s keeping her side of the street clean, and the Trixie Motel stands alone. It’s pure, beautiful, distilled and joyous. When people walk in, they start crying.
“I knew we did something special,” Mattel says. “I remember the first episode, when they unveiled the pink flamingo room. I saw the vision and I was like, ‘Oh my God, this is gonna be the best thing in Palm Springs.’ And it is. It’s the most amazing thing in Palm Springs.”
Depending on how closely you follow Mattel on social media, you may or may not know how much she adores Nancy Sinatra. Mattel posted a photo with the legendary singer in L.A. in October with the caption: “Had to go meet Nancy Sinatra! A major inspiration for my look and a complete icon.”
“I remember when I first saw the music video for ‘These Boots Are Made for Walking,’ I pretty much had a heart attack,” Mattel says.
“For years, Google image searching her was a major source of inspiration for me, because she really embodies that super ’60s fembot. She’s everything to me. I met her at the Amoeba
Records down the street from my house once, and I was like hyperventilating.”
Mattel has been to Nashville many times — she’s performed at the Ryman, the House of Blues and Play. She says shows in more conservative parts of the country have better audiences, because when they’re in a room full of like-
minded people, it’s a safe place. They laugh harder, they scream louder, and they dress up.
“It’s a Trixie city,” Mattel says about Nashville. “When I was doing country music, they loved that. When I do Trixie and Katya Live, they love that. And I hope they’re a disco city. I think they are.” ▼
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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12
Traveling: On the Path of Joni Mitchell
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NEAR THE BEGINNING of Ann Powers’ Traveling: On the Path of Joni Mitchell, the NPR music critic writes about standing in her front yard to look at gathering storm clouds when a New York editor called to ask if she’d like to write about the singer-songwriter best known for 1960s folk hits such as “Both Sides Now” and “Big Yellow Taxi.” Powers told the editor she needed a minute. Seeing herself as “not a biographer, in the usual definition of that term,” she took a walk around the block “to mull over the possibility of entering the Joni congregation” made up of “devotees and scholars” who thought Mitchell could do no wrong. Though taking on the project would complicate her life for a while, she called the editor back to say yes.
As the title implies, Traveling: On the Path of Joni Mitchell is not a traditional biography, nor is it hagiographic. Powers understands that Mitchell, like all of us, has had her ups and downs. The book is more like a road trip, with stops along the way to consider Mitchell’s childhood in Canada, where she grew up as Roberta Joan Anderson, an only child who contracted polio at age 9; her start as a musician in local coffeehouses; an unexpected pregnancy by a man who left her and a brief marriage to Chuck Mitchell, whose name she kept; and on to Los Angeles, where she built the career most of us know.
fore in books such as Joni Mitchell: In Her Own Words, a series of interviews the singer did with journalist Malka Marom, published in 2014, and Reckless Daughter, a 2017 biography by David Yaffe. Powers’ book is marked not only by its conversational tone but by the way she weaves in women working in various art forms, including poets Sylvia Plath and Anne Sexton, novelist Margaret Atwood and painter Georgia O’Keeffe. According to Powers, they are all geniuses who had to forge an autonomous path to avoid being swept up in “generic womanhood” during the era when the women’s liberation movement was just beginning to bring greater awareness of sexism.
story, notably in the song “Slouching Toward Bethlehem,” in which Mitchell’s lyrics build on W.B. Yeats’ iconic post-World War I poem “The Second Coming.” The song also shares a title with Joan Didion’s classic 1968 book of essays, and its lyrics echo Chinua Achebe’s 1958 novel Things Fall Apart — strengthening the argument that popular music is too small a container to consider the work of a woman who, in her teens, had found the work of philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche a good read.
Near the end, Powers tells us how she met her subject only once, in 2004, at a conference. About to give a panel talk on Mitchell’s album Blue, Powers looked up to see the singer with Kilauren, the daughter a 21-year-old Mitchell had placed for adoption and who had found her in the late 1990s. A newly adoptive mother herself, Powers became emotional when talking about “Little Green,” a song Mitchell had written about Kilauren, whom she had once called Kelly. Having a hard time going on, she heard a voice from the front row — Mitchell’s.
“You can do it!” the singer told her.
To read an uncut version of this review — and more local book coverage — please visit Chapter16.org, an online publication of Humanities Tennessee. ▼
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It’s also about more than Mitchell herself. It’s about the iconic times she lived in, her relationships with other musicians, and “what it means to move in a body gendered female through spaces dominated by men.” A hybrid work that includes interviews, critical analysis and a little bit of Powers’ own story, it reads like a long conversation with a friend who is telling you what she thinks.
Much of Mitchell’s story has been told be-
The most intriguing chapter, to me, is “The Boys,” which is partly about Mitchell’s romantic relationships with David Crosby, Graham Nash and James Taylor, but mostly about gender-power relations in the popular music scene of the 1960s. It was difficult, Powers argues, for even the most talented women not to be subsumed by the role of a male musician’s “old lady” — the popular term for wives and girlfriends. Mitchell had romances, but she avoided being one of the “boys’ girls” whose history “is mostly one of women claiming power that also at least partially erases them.” Largely because of her enormous talent, Mitchell was one of the “free women” who “upset the whole order by doing what they wanted and still demanding respect.” Still, Powers notes, it is odd that no one asks why Crosby, Stills & Nash, who often sat in her kitchen singing, never asked her to join the band.
Later in the book, Powers explores at length Mitchell’s work in the 1980s and beyond, including the 1991 album Night Ride Home, much of which she wrote with second husband Larry Klein. Again, other genres become part of the
Traveling: On the Path of Joni Mitchell By Ann Powers
Dey Street Books
448 pages, $35
Powers will discuss her book at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 12, at Parnassus Books
IT’S SURREAL SEEING one of the best rappers to ever bless a microphone hit the stage without unleashing a single bar — especially when it’s your first time seeing the artist live. I never thought my first time watching André 3000, onehalf of the legendary Atlanta act Outkast, would be for a live rendition of New Blue Sun, an ambient jazz album that grew out of his love for the flute. At the same time, the first 20 minutes of his intimate set at The Blue Room at Third Man Records made for some of the most transcendent, hard-to-describe live music I’ve ever heard.
I guess calling the show a “live rendition” isn’t quite right, given the performance was almost entirely improvised. As Dré himself said near the show’s conclusion, the band was “pulling stuff out of the sky.”
The difference was clear from the start of the show when Three Stacks, wearing a greenand-yellow beanie, walked through the standing-room crowd of a couple hundred people with his band. The Atlanta artist played a small woodwind instrument, and people parted to make way and glimpse the rap star. There was something ritualistic about it, which fits the New Age sounds of his flute era. When the band hit the stage, they kicked off with a more forceful opening than that of New Blue Sun’s “I Swear, I Really Wanted to Make a ‘Rap’ Album but This Is Literally the Way the Wind Blew Me This Time.” André’s flute didn’t chime in until past the two-minute mark of the album’s intro track, but it was at the center onstage. I always found the way he put “rap” in quotes funny in that title — if anyone in hip-hop pushed the musicality of rapping to its limits, it’s him.
An arsenal of wind instruments lay at André’s feet, from electric flutes to Indigenous pipes to bird whistles. He also tapped wind chimes and played the xylophone. He huffed and grunted, and the band looped primal exhalations. Carlos Niño, one of his main jazz collaborators, sat behind an unusual drum kit and also took out reeds, shakers and more offbeat noisemakers over the course of the show. Keyboardist Surya Botofasina crewed a station of Roland instruments, Deantoni Parks was the one-man rhythm section, and Nate Mercereau held it down on guitar.
The quintet showed flashes of Miles Davis’ organized chaos and glimpses of Yusef Lateef’s global-minded soundscapes. Sometimes the interplay between flutes and grunts reminded me of how the Head Hunters version of Herbie Hancock’s “Watermelon Man” builds on the sound of whistling into beer bottles. Dramatic changes to the light, including a persistent beam focused on a glass of water, added to the otherworldly vibe. It was easy to be transported elsewhere by the performance when sounds swirled together, but soon the band hit something that shook you back to reality — a crunchy chord, a primal howl, an electric flute note held seconds longer
than the last time André found it.
Throughout the show there were familiar sounds and riffs from the album, including the double flute from standout piece “That Night in Hawaii When I Turned Into a Panther and Started Making These Low Register Purring Tones That I Couldn’t Control ... Sh¥t Was Wild.”
But they didn’t lean on those motifs, instead making it up as they went along. The most infectious element was how much fun André was having, apparent in moments like when he cheekily tapped a mic stand with a chime.
The band was recording the performance to vinyl but never paused when the acetate was changed twice (per the live video of the recording process). They filled two sides of a record and ended up with room on a third — so Niño suggested they “blast off” into a thunderous encore.
It felt like the band was excited to make up
for lost time. The performance was originally scheduled back in March but was postponed due to illness. But Dré didn’t just make up the one show — they added four to the schedule, and this 6 p.m. show on May 29 was the first of the bunch.
New Blue Sun was a pleasant surprise from a middle-aged rapper who, in past interviews, admits he doesn’t have much to rap about these days. He told the crowd that no one has any idea what they’re going to do until it happens — he didn’t know he’d become a rapper till he met Big Boi in high school. Fans can’t wait to see where the wind blows André 3000 next, whether it’s to another jazz project or back to rapping or something else entirely. But the performance, and the album, is a good reminder that we’ll all be carried somewhere new and strange, too.
1 Zin alternative
4 In which means “I love you,” for short 7 Pinnacles
12 The “toe” of Italy’s “boot”
14 Animal that shares its name with a Spanish 101 word
15 Regal figure on a tarot card
16 Bit of urban art
17 What has a big part in “The Ten Command-ments”?
18 Self-titled debut album released four years before “Jagged Little Pill”
20 Dot in la mer
21 Protected from the wind
22 ___ monster
23 Made it to the big leagues
27 Early Netflix offering
29 Metroid console, for short
30 Grunts
32 Less welcoming
34 Manages with delicacy
36 Skippable part of a streaming series
37 Mobile home?
38 T-shirt size: Abbr.
39 Language in which “sabaidee” means “hello”
41 Like roughly a quarter of the world’s population
45 Lincoln and others
47 “One” on a one
49 Father of, in Arabic
50 Banishes
52 Opposed (to)
55 Wirelessly operated toy vehicle, informally
56 Divination aids … or a phonetic hint to the shaded squares in this puzzle
58 Eyelike openings
59 Uses DoorDash, say
60 Mullet resting places
61 Hush-hush org.
62 Son of, in Hebrew DOWN
1 One end of Philadelphia’s Benjamin Franklin Bridge
2 Range for many ibex
3 Romantic partner, casually
4 Word sometimes texted as its middle letter
5 Rope fiber
6 Zapped, in a way
7 ___ mater
8 Held on (to)
9 Aquatic 10 Online correspondent 11 Chipotle choices 12 Singer Green 13 Nursing ___ 15 Fix
19 Imposes, as a tax 21 Tops
24 Like one for the books
25 Ring
26 Presidential also-ran of 1988, 2008 and 2012
28 Big battery
31 *Air escaping*
33 Actress Fisher
34 Championship trophy for the P.G.A. Tour
35 Carpenter’s wedge
36 Hitchcock film that won Best Picture
38 Stand-up comedian Marc
40 Pickup capacity, perhaps
42 Martian who wears a green helmet and skirt
43 Playwright Henrik
44 Sticks on a table, maybe
46 It might elicit a “cha-ching”
48 Beta testers, e.g.
51 Apt name for a florist or optometrist?
52 One might be pale
53 Last but not least?
54 Make smooth
57 ___ Limón, first Latina U.S. poet laureate
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LISA R. SCRUGGS vs. CHARLES E. SCRUGGS
In this cause it appearing to the satisfaction of the Court that the defendant is a non-resident of the State of Ten-nessee, therefore the ordi-nary process of law cannot be served upon CHARLES E. SCRUGGS. It is ordered that said Defendant enter HIS ap-pearance herein with thirty (30) days after JUNE 27, 2024, same being the date of the last publication of this no-tice to be held at the Metro-politan Circuit Court located at 1 Public Square, Room 302, Nashville, Tennessee, and defend or default will be taken on JULY 29, 2024.It is therefore ordered that a copy of this Order be pub-lished for four (4) weeks suc-cession in the Nashville Scene, a newspaper published in Nashville.
Joseph P. Day, Clerk K. Bass, Deputy Clerk Date: May 23, 2024
companies, executed a Deed of Trust, Assignment of Rents, and Security Agreement dated Septem-ber 29, 2015, of record at Instrument 20151002-0100643, Regis-ter’s Of ce for Davidson County, Tennessee, which was later modi- ed by that Modi cation Agreement dated October 29, 2015, of record at Instrument 20151109-011375, said Register’s Of ce, that Second Modi cation Agreement by Plaza Mariachi, LLC, dated January 15, 2016, of record at Instrument 20160128-0008248, said Register’s Of ce (collectively, the “Deed of Trust”) and conveyed to Jonathan R. Vinson, Trustee, the hereinafter described real property to secure the payment of certain indebted-ness (“Indebtedness”) owed to Her-itage Bank USA, Inc., which Indebtedness is now held and owned by First Financial Bank, N.A. (referred to as “Lender” and sometimes as “Bene ciary”); and WHEREAS, default in payment of the Indebtedness secured by the Deed of Trust has occurred; and WHEREAS, David M. Anthony (“Trustee”) has been appointed Substitute Trustee by Lender by that Appointment of Substitute Trustee of record at Instrument 202405230038624, Register’s Of- ce for Davidson County, Tennes-see, with authority to act alone or by a designated agent with the powers given the Trustee in the Deed of Trust and by applicable law; and WHEREAS, Lender, the owner and holder of said Indebtedness, has demanded that the real property be advertised and sold in satisfaction of said Indebtedness and the costs of the foreclosure, in accordance with the terms and provisions of the loan documents and Deed of Trust. NOW, THEREFORE, notice is hereby given that the Trustee, pur-suant to the power, duty and author-ity vested in and imposed upon the Trustee under the Deed of Trust and applicable law, will on Tuesday, July 2, 2024, at 11:00 o’clock a.m., prevailing time, on the steps of the historic Davidson County Court-house, 1 Public Square, Nashville, Tennessee 37201, offer for sale to the highest and best bidder for cash and free from all rights and equity of redemption, statutory right of re-demption or otherwise, homestead, dower, elective share and all other rights and exemptions of every kind as waived in said Deed of Trust, certain real property situated in Da-vidson County, Tennessee, de-scribed as follows: Legal Description: The real property is described in the Deed of Trust at Instrument
20151002-0100643, Register’s Of ce for Davidson County, Tennessee.
Tract I: Land in Davidson County, Tennes-see, being Lot No. 5, on the Plan of Revised Plat of the Elysian Plaza Lots 4 and 5, as shown on plat of record in Instrument No. 200304160050965, in the Register’s Of ce for Davidson County, Tennessee, and being more particularly described as follows: COMMENCING at an iron pin set in the southwest right-of-way line of Nolensville Pike, said iron pin set being the Northeast corner of Lot 4 of The Plan of Resubdivision of Tract 4, Elysian Plaza, of record as Instrument No. 20010316- 0025374, Registers Of ce for D Da-vidson County, also being 394.26 feet from the South right-of-way line of Elysian Fields Road; thence with said right-of-way line as follows: South 40 degrees 53 minutes 23 seconds East a distance of 140.95 feet to a concrete right-of-way mon-ument found; thence on a curve turning to the right, said curve hav-ing an
Depart-ment of Revenue; JMM, LLC; JMM II, LLC; JMM III, LLC. THIS PROPERTY IS SOLD AS IS, WHERE IS AND WITH ALL FAULTS AND WITHOUT ANY REPRESENTATIONS OR WAR-RANTIES OF ANY KIND WHAT-SOEVER, WHETHER EX-PRESSED OR IMPLIED, AND SUBJECT TO ANY PRIOR LIENS OR ENCUMBRANCES, IF ANY. WITHOUT LIMITING THE GENER-ALITY OF THE FOREGOING, THE PROPERTY IS SOLD WITHOUT ANY REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES, EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, RELATING TO TITLE, MARKETABILITY OF TITLE, POS-SESSION, QUIET ENJOINMENT OR THE LIKE AND WITHOUT ANY EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED WAR-RANTIES OF MERCHANTABIL-ITY, CONDITION, QUALITY OR FITNESS FOR A GENERAL OR PARTICULAR USE OR PURPOSE. As to all or any part of the Property, the right is reserved to (i) delay, continue or adjourn the sale to an-other time certain or to another day and time certain, without further publication and in accordance with law, upon announcement of said delay, continuance or adjournment on the day and time and place of sale set forth above or any subse-quent delayed, continued or ad-journed day and time and place of sale; (ii) sell at the time xed by this Notice or the date and time of
Lot No. 4, on the Plan of Revised Plat of the Elysian Plaza Lots 4 and 5, as shown on plat of record in Instrument No. 20030416-0050965, in the Register’s Of ce for Davidson County, Tennessee, to which plat reference is made for a more particular description. INCLUDED IN THE ABOVE LE-GAL DESCRIPTION BUT EX-PRESSLY EXCLUDED FROM the Deed of Trust is that property more particularly described in a convey-ance by Elysian Fields Shops, LLC, a Tennessee limited liability com-pany to Kroger Limited Partnership I, an Ohio limited partnership of rec-ord in 20030417-0051599, Regis-ter’s Of ce for Davidson County, Tennessee. Being the same property conveyed to Plaza Mariachi, LLC by Quit Claim Deed dated January 27, 2016, from JMM III, LLC, in Instru-ment 20160128-0008247, Register’s Of ce for Davidson County, Tennessee. Street Address: The street ad-dress of the property is believed to be 3955 Nolensville Road, Nash-ville, Tennessee 37211, but such address is not part of the legal de-scription of the property. In the event of any discrepancy, the legal description herein shall control. Other interested parties: Mid-City Community Sub-CDE XVIII, LLC; PM Realty Nashville, LLC; Internal Revenue Service; Liberty HVAC & Energy Services, Inc.; Equipment Finders, Inc. of Tennessee; Inter-state AC Service, LLC (Attorney: Brandt McMillan); Charles W. Cook, III; Capital One, National Associa-tion; State of Tennessee,
Inglewood
October 2, 2020, against PM Realty Nashville, LLC, of record at Instrument No. 20201013-0118534, Register’s Of- ce for Davidson County; that in-strument dated December 23, 2020, against PM Realty Nashville, LLC, of record at Instrument No. 20210105-0001263, Register’s Of- ce for Davidson County; that in-strument dated April 1, 2021, against PM Realty Nashville, LLC, of record at Instrument No. 20210409-0047680, Register’s Of- ce for Davidson County; and that instrument dated May 5, 2021, against PM Realty Nashville, LLC, of record at Instrument No.
