November-December 2014 by The East Nashvillian

RIVERWOOD MANSION | ONE STONE CHURCH | NEW MEDICINE

NOVEMBER | DECEMBER VOL. V ISSUE 2

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THE

Comedy Scene is cause for applause

MUSE

“TO CHOOSE or NOT TO CHOOSE?”

Is that the question for

Fanny’s House of Music

East Side Schools?

Serving Up Musical Inspiration, One Power Chord at a Time

The 2014

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17 menu items 36 craft beers 612 combinations Good thing we open at 11:30am Pair a fresh salad, some piled-high nachos, a hot dog on a pretzel bun, or delicious ice cream with a broad selection of porters, pales, sours, wits, and ciders sunday - thursday 11:30am - 12:00am friday - saturday 11:30am - 1:00am

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T HROUGH JANUARY 4 , 2015 Kandinsky: A Retrospective is organized by the Centre Pompidou, Paris and the Milwaukee Art Museum.

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PUBLISHER Lisa McCauley EDITOR Chuck Allen COPY EDITOR Nicole Keiper, Daryl Sanders

CALENDAR EDITOR Emma Alford

DESIGN DIRECTOR Benjamin Rumble

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Chuck Allen

STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Stacie Huckeba

ADVERTISING DESIGN Benjamin Rumble

SOCIAL MEDIA Nicole Keiper

ILLUSTRATIONS Benjamin Rumble, Dean Tomasek

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Emma Alford, Ellen Mallernee Barnes, Eric Brace, Melissa D. Corbin, Timothy C. Davis, Randy Fox, James Haggerty, Eric Jans, Nicole Keiper, Lockeland Springsteen, Daryl Sanders, Brett A. Withers, Tommy Womack CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Eric England ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Jaime Brousse, Nikkole Turner INTERNS Victoria Clodfelter, Autumn Jade Monroe ADVERTISING SALES Lisa McCauley lisa@theeastnashvillian.com 615.582.4187

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©2014 Kitchen Table Media P.O. Box 60157 Nashville, TN 37206 The East Nashvillian is a bi-monthly magazine published by Kitchen Table Media. This publication is offered freely, limited to one per reader. The removal of more than one copy by an individual from any of our distribution points constitutes theft and will be subject to prosecution. All editorial and photographic materials contained herein are “works for hire” and are the exclusive property of Kitchen Table Media unless otherwise noted. Reprints or any other usage is a violation of copyright without the express written permission of the publisher.

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COVER

FEATURES

75 A MANSION IN THE ‘HOOD

54 THE HOME OF THE MUSE Fanny’s House of Music serves up musical inspiration, one power chord at a time

Riverwood Mansion opens its doors to the Arts By Randy Fox

By Randy Fox

78 MEDICINE MEN

On Breaking The Model, New Medicine is ‘bringin’ you the rock’

FEATURES

By Daryl Sanders

2014 HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE

85 GOOD NEIGHBORS

Whether you’re ready or not, the season is upon is

One Stone Nashville Church is renovating neighborhoods and lives

By Emma Alford

CONTINUED

By Randy Fox

TO CHOOSE OR NOT TO CHOOSE

ON THE COVER

Is that the question for East Side Schools? By Timothy C. Davis

LEE MAPLES & PAMELA COLE

68 LAUGHING MATTERS

Photograph by Eric England

East Side’s growing comedy scene is cause for applause By Nicole Keiper

Visit

THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM for updates, news, events and more! CONTINUED ON PAGE 10

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EAST SIDE BUZZ

COMMENTARY

17 Matters of Development

14 Editor’s Letter

19 Toys for Tots Rocks!

28 Astute Observations

By Eric Jans

By Chuck Allen

By James “Hags” Haggerty

19 Zoning, Zoning, Zoned

114 East of Normal

22 A Caroling We Will Go

IN THE KNOW

Brett Withers

By Tommy Womack

By Chuck Allen

25 Life’s a Parking Lot

28 Nashville Five: Kellen Wenrich

25 Peter Cooper

30 Know Your Neighbor: Joe Dougherty 34 Artist in Profile: Brooke Seraphine

By Lockeland Springsteen

By Chuck Allen

By Daryl Sanders

By Eric Brace

26 Tracy’s Legacy

by Ellen Mallernee Barnes

By Chuck Allen

89 Cookin’ in da Hood By Melissa D. Corbin

91 East Side Calendar By Emma Alford

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EDITOR’S LETTER

oday was a good day because I was able to vote, which is a privilege denied far too many of our fellow human beings. Sure, I get frustrated by the amount of special interest money flowing into elections these days. And, like many of you, I wonder sometimes if my vote even matters. This being a representative democracy, there’s also the matter of finding a candidate that I feel somewhat represents my views. But it does matter. At the end of the day we get the government we deserve, not necessarily the one we want. All the polarization, money-grubbing — whatever — it all really boils down to one very important fact: Far too few eligible voters show up at the polls. You may ask yourself, “Yeah, so, what do I care?” I’ll give you an example. A Metro Councilman told me once that when a constituent emails about a problem, the first thing he does is check the constituent’s name

repealed. Everyone should have the opportunity to vote and be encouraged to do so. Arguments about voter fraud are a sham. We have incredibly low instances of voter fraud, probably because the penalties for it are so high. Of course, even if to a person everyone that can vote does vote, we still won’t rid ourselves of entrenched power so long as we have a huge swath of undereducated citizens. Which leads me to our current issue, and Timothy Davis’ piece “To Choose or Not to Choose.” Director of Metro Schools Dr. Jesse Register has decided to “reorganize” East Nashville schools. Unfortunately, it seems he made his decision with little or no input from the very people this will effect. His response to an email questionnaire reads like a sales pitch for school choice and disregards alternatives to his plan.

“” Voting gives you bitching rights. It’s a special honor available only to people who vote. If you don’t vote, don’t bitch.

against the voter rolls to see when they voted last, and if the name shows up as not having voted, the constituent is ignored. You can bet the developers building tall, skinny duplexes vote. There’s a much more important reason to vote, though. Voting gives you bitching rights. It’s a special honor available only to people who vote. If you don’t vote, don’t bitch. I think the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November should be a national holiday, and that artificial, politically motivated restrictions on voting be

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Education is the key to a functioning representative democracy. Bureaucratic double-speak should be viewed as shameful. The current system is rigged so that the onus of failure falls on the teachers without ever empowering them with the tools and support they need to teach. Instead of the students, the teachers, and the parents sitting at the top of the pyramid, we now have power concentrated in the hands of statisticians who make decisions that have far-reaching consequences in the lives of students they don’t even take the time to get to know. I’ll bet Dr. Register votes.

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EAST SIDE BUZZ

FOR UP TO DATE INFORMATION ON EVENTS, AS WELL AS LINKS PLEASE VISIT US AT: THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM

Matters of Development

THE PORTER HOUSE BISTRO IS NOW open at 1115 Porter Road. Described by Chef Drew Bryant as a “casual French bistro” it replaced Café Fundamental. Tue-Fri 5pm-10 pm, Sat-Sun 10 am-10 pm Also Koi Sushi and Thai is open at 923 Main Street featuring sushi, teriyaki, and a variety of Japanese and Thai dishes. Sun-Fri 11am-9pm, Sat 12pm-9pm Recently open is clothing boutique Any Old Iron at 1629 Shelby. Designer Andrew Clancey and artist Chris Melton have moved from the Lower East Side of NYC where their store was located for the last five years. It features one of a kind clothing with “British flavor”. Tue 12 pm-7 pm, Thu-Sat 12 pm-7 pm Over at Porter and Eastland, kids clothing store Rich Hippies has opened. They have had their “cool clothes for hip kids” in a corner of the store OMG for a while but have expanded into their new space at 725 Porter Road. Wallpaper & Home Consignments has opened at 3701 Gallatin Pike, replacing Hair World. They have a popular store in the 100 Oaks area as well and feature wallpaper, furniture, artwork, home décor and drapery. TueSat 10am-5pm, Sun 12pm-5pm Burger joint Cook-Out Restaurant is coming along at 3000 Gallatin Pike. The popular North Carolina franchise replaces a KFC. It is now open — with long lines! Also just about to open is local Tex-Mex franchise The Local Taco at 1100 Fatherland. Recently announced was expansion of a Charleston, SC favorite Butcher and Bee into a space near Edley’s BBQ and Fat Bottom

Brewery in the 900 block of Main Street. They are a gourmet sandwich shop featuring fresh local ingredients and plan to be open in the summer of 2015. Burned out Mac’s Market at Gallatin and Douglas is being reworked into Oasis Market. Site plans show a modern design with a “beer cave” and fuel pumps. Site plans are also online for a tear-down and rebuild of Edgefield Restaurant, next to Bongo Java on S 11th and Woodland. The new building is slated to be a one story brick restaurant structure with a walk-up window. The current rumor is Indian food. It was just announced that our stalwart

Watanabe will be serving its last meal on Sunday, November 16. Owner Matt Charette says, “We faced a lot of challenges there, from water and sewer capacity to the economy crashing, and we’ve been growing behind rising costs instead of growing ahead of them.” Charette made his decision to close the restaraunt on November 1, but wanted to have time to break the news to the staff prior to making a public announcement. “We’re in business for a reason,” he says, “but it’s not the business I’m attached to — it’s the customers and the staff.” The closing date was chosen in order to allow time for his staff to transition into other jobs. “It’s not about running down the inventory,” he explains, “because we want the last meal served to be just as great as people have come to expect from us.” —Chuck Allen

neighborhood dive Dino’s has been sold to local restaurateur Miranda Whitcomb Pontes, owner of Burger Up.

Old Time Pickin’ Parlor has moved from their spot in Lockeland Springs to Logue’s Black Raven Emporium at 2915 Gallatin Pike. East Side Music Supply is a new music gear shop located at the Shoppes on Fatherland. They sell new & used guitars, amps, effects, sticks, strings, drumheads, accessories, repairs, and parts. Mon-Thu 11pm-9pm, Fri 11pm10pm, Sat 10pm-10pm and Sun 12pm-6pm EMS is hosting a Grand Opening party at The Pavillion East on November 15 from 2pm10pm. Admission is free. There will be live music throughout the day. THE LINE-UP INCLUDES: THE BURPS | MOSELEY | PENICILLIN BABY BODY OF LIGHT | THEME AND VARIATION HOLY MOUNTAIN TOP REMOVERS THE LOWER CAVES | FUTURE UNLIMITED

Recent closings are Worm’s Way and The Green Wagon. —Eric Jans

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EAST SIDE BUZZ

to find out that the Toys for Tots charity is a program of the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve. The Toys for Tots website states: The mission of the U. S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program is to collect new, unwrapped toys during October, November and December each year, and distribute those toys as Christmas gifts to less fortunate children in the community in which the campaign is conducted. Founded in 1947, the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program, as it’s officially known, consistently ranks among the top performing charities in the country. A key element of the charity’s effectiveness, as reflected in its mission statement, is keeping collection and distribution localized. Last year’s John Corabi and Friends event raised over $10,000 worth of toys for the charity. “I want for this to be a really cool thing that happens in East Nashville every year,” he says. “I would love to get some cool country artist to come down, you know, and grow it ... it’s for a great cause.” For up to date information about the event — including the lineup — visit our website or check out our Facebook page. More information about Toys for Tots can be found at toysfortots.org. —Chuck Allen

Zoning, Zoning, Zoned

DEBATE ABOUT 2014’S MOST-TALKEDabout infill housing ordinance, the “Duplex Bill,” continued right up until the minute when it was finally approved by the Metro Council on September 9, 2014. The sponsor, Council Member Walter Hunt, had deferred the bill to allow time for builders and neighborhood leaders to discuss amendment proposals. The Sep-

Toys for Tots Rocks!

JOHN CORABI HAS TRAVELED THE world as a musician. The former lead singer for Mötley Crüe, who lived in L.A. for 25 years, as well as New York and Philadelphia, now calls our humble neighorhood home. “I love this city, but I’m totally in love with East Nashville,” Corabi said during a recent interview at Drifters.

He will be sharing that love when he hosts the 5th Annual John Corabi and Friends Acoustic Show benefiting Toys for Tots at Drifters and The Building on December 5th. Matt Charette, whose Drifters BBQ co-sponsors the event, is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, so the choice of Toys for Tots was an easy call for him. But it might come as a surprise to many of our readers Nov | Dec 2014

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EAST SIDE BUZZ tember|October edition of The East Nashvillian includes a description of the status of those amendment proposals as of late August. In the end, the builders and neighborhood leaders were not able to reach a definitive compromise agreement, and so Council Member Hunt brought the original bill back to be voted on by the Metro Council. Once again, a strong grass roots letter-writing campaign launched urging Council support of the

bill was instrumental in its passing. The final bill, BL2014-770, requires that 20 feet or 80-percent of the building’s length, whichever is greater, starting at the front façade, connect attached duplexes. It requires that detached duplexes have a height that is no more than 1.5 times their width (to reduce the “tall-skinny” aspect) and that the height be measured from the natural grade, not the foundation. The bill took effect immediately

upon passage. Note that building permits are valid for six months and that duplex building permits that were submitted prior to the date of passage are exempt from this ordinance, even if their permits were placed “on hold” and not issued until after the date of passage. This timeline means that non-conforming duplexes will continue to appear for several months, but construction should finish up by springtime. Duplex building permits applications filed after September, 11 2014 must comply with the new regulations.

nother countywide zoning ordinance pertains to the plethora of “check cashing” businesses that appear along commercial corridors like East Nashville’s own Gallatin Avenue. BL2014-908: Alternative Financial Services is a county-wide zoning text change ordinance that seeks to address the tendency of cash advance, check cashing, pawn shop and title loan businesses to locate close to one another on major commercial corridors. Council Members Jacobia Dowell (31), Karen Johnson (29) and Fabian Bedne (31) from Southeast Nashville sponsored the bill. The ordinance would clarify that the zoning code definition of “financial institution” does not include cash advance, check cashing and title loan establishments. Adding this language will help to distinguish between these uses and banks, credit unions and mortgage companies for permitting purposes so that approving zoning for a bank branch does not necessarily open the door to payday lending services, for example. The ordinance will also add a 1,320-foot minimum distance requirement between cash advance, check cashing, title loan and pawnshop businesses for future permitting purposes. While the ordinance would not impact current leases, it would require that new businesses in these categories could not open within a quarter-mile radius of existing ones in zoning areas where they are permitted. This ordinance was approved by the Planning Commission on October 23rd and passed into law during the Metro Council public hearing on November 4th.

wo Council District 5 zone change proposals have sparked discussions about another persistent Gallatin Avenue challenge: traffic at the Gallatin/Eastland intersection. The Planning Commission in August, along with the Metro Council in October, approved a mixed-use project that will bring groundfloor commercial space and 65 apartment units to the northeast corner of West Eastland and Bailey Street directly behind the Rite Aid. Another proposal across the street at 1034 West Eastland where Sophia’s Heart is cur-

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EAST SIDE BUZZ

rently located would bring another mixeduse project that would include ground-floor commercial space on West Eastland, over 300 apartment units wrapping a parking garage, a 17-unit townhome community lining an extension of Bailey Street from West Eastland to Maxwell Street, and an extended West Eastland turn lane onto Gallatin. Council Member Scott Davis hosted several community meetings and the LIV Development team met

with the adjacent neighborhood groups to ensure that the projects represented desirable transitions between the heavy commercial use on Gallatin and the historic single-family homes that comprise the Greenwood and Maxwell Conservation Zoning Overlay districts. The Planning Commission approved the 1034 West Eastland proposal on October 23rd and the Metro Council public hearing is presently scheduled for December.

Pairing these two large projects so close to the Gallatin/Eastland intersection has fueled speculation about what traffic improvements to that intersection Public Works might recommend. Details of those final recommendations are not available at press time; however, it appears that exercising eminent domain to route a “straightened” Eastland through the Rite Aid property is not feasible. Discussions with affected property owners are in process about widening a portion of Gallatin Avenue near Eastland to permit more turn lanes. The traffic signal at Gallatin and Eastland will also likely be radically reconfigured. Stay tuned! —Brett Withers

A Caroling We Will Go

THIS IS THE 98TH YEAR OF FANNIE Battle Caroling for Kids, with last year boasting a record-breaking year for revenues. This year you can become a part of this East Nashville tradition, and the proceeds raised help support the mission of the Fannie Battle Day Home for Children, which was established in 1891 by Miss Fannie Battle to provide affordable, high-quality child care for at-risk children in a nurturing environment while empowering families to reach their potential. To find out how you can show your support please call 615-228-6745, or visit them online at: fanniebattle.org/caroling. —Chuck Allen

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Life’s a Parking Lot

THE LARGE SWATH OF ASPHALT BEHIND Rosepper is about to get an overhaul. The lot belongs to the Fannie Battle Day Home, and it soon become a pay lot. Melanie Shinbaum, Development Director for Fannie Battle, told us, “We’ve had specifically good conversations with ... Josiah at Rosepepper (and are now working on some events they want to host in exchange for hopefully some spots for his late-night employees leaving shifts). In addition, Jared at Ugly Mugs has been very positive as well. “The parking vendor contract has been signed and there is now an approximate 3 week roll-out plan in place. The lot will begin to be repaired, lined, etc., and concrete poured for the signs and machine, etc.” Start saving your quarters, and remember it’s for a worthy cause. —Chuck Allen

Peter Cooper

BACK IN THE EARLY AUGHTS, MY BAND Last Train Home was still based up in Washington, D.C., but we were feeling the pull of Nashville. The Tennessean had run some kind words about us by a fellow named Peter Cooper. After a couple of gigs here, the pull became an inevitability, with this Cooper fellow heading up the welcome wagon, saying, “You know, Eric, what Nashville needs is another singer-song-

writer.” It took me a minute to realize he was kidding, but by then, I’d already packed the moving truck. When I got here, I thought how lucky we musicians were to have such a clear-eyed and clear-eared writer as Peter to tell the world how special we are. It was a couple of years before I realized Peter wasn’t just a music writer. He was also writing music, crafting songs as good or better than those of the folks he was writing about. It took me so long to realize this because he modestly kept his musical talents mostly to himself. At a guitar pull one night, I heard Peter unleash a blue-ribbon song that made me and everyone there rethink their thoughts about this tall man with the good head of hair. And there were many more songs where that one had come from. It was an easy next step for me to put out Peter’s music on my Red Beet Records label, and for the past seven years he’s been more productive than anyone I know: three solo records, three duo records with me (oh, right, we formed a duo), and five albums produced by him of other folks (one nominated for a Grammy). And doing all that while writing three columns a week for The Tennessean. Columns about people who for the most part aren’t Music Row darlings. Tim Easton, Kim Richey, Jon Byrd, Amy Speace, Tim Carroll, Brian Wright, Sturgill Simpson, Tommy Womack. And winning awards for his heartbreaking and brilliant coverage of the deaths of icons Johnny Cash and George

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EAST SIDE BUZZ

Jones (his was easily the best writing in the world about the end of these giants). And reminding people in a front page above-the-fold story of the genius of still-living Mac Wiseman (a story that led pretty directly to Mac being inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame last month). And writing obituaries of Nashvillians who may not be household names but who have made this city so special over the years: songwriter Paul Craft, sideman

Weldon Myrick, producer Ken Nelson. So here’s a question: Who’s going to write those stories now? Who, now that Peter is saying goodbye to the Gannett fiasco that has become The Tennessean? That’s for them to work out, because after nearly 15 years at Music City’s newspaper of record, Peter is heading across town to work at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. They’re lucky to have him, and they

know it. They know he knows more about the history of country music than almost anyone (heck, he’s professor of country music history at Vanderbilt, for crying out loud). They’ve created the job title of “Writer/Editor” for him there, and I hope they mean it. I hope they let him write regular dispatches, some kind of “Peter Cooper’s Nashville” blog thing for their website. Nashville can’t afford to lose Cooper’s distinct voice, the one where he tells us all about the great music he’s been listening to and seeing live, in perfectly constructed stories filled with heart and humor and empathy and critical smarts. For sure, he’ll keep writing excellent songs and singing them. And he’ll keep telling Vandy kids why Jimmie Rogers and Don Schlitz are important to our cultural history. And he’ll keep telling me to remember his cat allergies when I’m booking us a house concert. But I really hope he and the Hall find a way for him to keep writing stories about the people that make Nashville such a great place to be right now. Because Peter is one of the people that make Nashville such a great place to be right now. And please don’t tell him I’m saying all these nice things about him. —Eric Brace

Photograph by Tim Duggan

Our cover photo from January|February 2013 “The Warriors and Their Fight with Breast Cancer” (L-R) Brandy Smiley, Tracy Hamilton, Kim Collins, and Lisa McCauley

Tracy’s Legacy

An exhibit at the Shelby Bottoms Nature Center, which set to run from November 22 through December 31, will explore the idea that it’s not the longevity of a life that gives it meaning; instead, it’s what that life contributes to the environment in which it lives. Working with our friend Tracy Hamilton’s Facebook blog, as well as animals, plants, humans, and planets, the exhibit seek to incorporate the nature of life and death as a theme for this exploration. Tracy passed away last year from breast cancer, and the exhibit is curated by her family. There will be a special grand opening party at the Nature Center on November 21. Stayed tuned to our Facebook page for more information. —Chuck Allen 26

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Astute OBSERVATIONS James “Hags” Haggerty

Hey, you kids, get off my lawn!

reetings once again, dear readers of The East Nashvillian magazine. I hope this issue finds you well, happy and enjoying this beautiful autumnal weather. It is I, James Moffitt Haggerty, your astute observer, chronicler of the arcane, bass player for hire. I use my full name because I have something important to tell you: I’ve had a realization about myself… I am now officially a grumpy old fart. Me, Burgess Meredith, Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon should be in a movie together. Hopefully, I’d be the lucky one who ends up with Ann-Margret. Allow me to tell you what led to this self-realization, which came as I stood at the corner of 4th and Broadway on a recent Saturday night. But first, let’s back up a little, shall we? Earlier that evening, I played at some friends’ wedding reception. The newlyweds are big music lovers. They love each other and they love The Grateful Dead and Wes Montgomery. We played Dead tunes and soul jazz, and the invited guests had a ball twirling and grooving to the music. The reception was a lovely affair, and the event space was comfortable, welcoming and warm. Three stories up with great views of downtown. Very pretty. A great spot. As the last notes of “Dark Star” cascaded into the night, we loaded drums, guitars, amps, keyboards, and people into a tiny elevator and made our way to the street. This was no ordinary elevator, apparently. It was a teleporter in which we were beamed to a familiar, yet foreign, planet where I didn’t understand the language or customs of the natives.

I discerned their food source to be Jaeger bombs, cinnamon whiskey, and cotton candy. And Snickers and Coke. They moved as one, slowly up and down Broadway, from bar to bar. Glassy eyed with mouths agape as if to silently say, “This is fun, right?” Hypnotized by the glittery neon, verbal communication was minimal as they staggered past, deafened by NASCAR and the sound of six different cover bands blaring ’90s Creed-like tone into the street, playing six different Journey songs at once. Burly bouncers herded the throng easily through elaborate velvet-rope mazes that were beyond my ability to comprehend. It was all very shocking to my delicate sensibilities. We had to load our gear but could barely make our way through the teeming mass of bodies. I shouted, “Hooters has free margaritas, right now!” This caused a shift in the tide, and we made a break for our vehicles. As we drove away and headed back to the planet Earth, over the bridge to East Nashville, my breathing calmed, and I relaxed. Safely sitting in my living room, back from the strange planet known as “Young ’merica,” I put some Jobim on the turntable and opened a beer. Chilling in my armchair, it hit me. I used to do that. Saturday night. Open mouth. Pour in alcohol — as much as possible. Wouldn’t miss it for the world. Adrenaline, beer, and hormones. The cocktail of youth. Now I’m Mister Haggerty yelling, “Hey, you kids, get off of my lawn!” And I kinda like it.

Hags is a part-time bon vivant, man-about-town, and contributor to The East Nashvillian, and a full-time bass player. He spends his free time cooking up gastronomical delights while listening to jazz (and occasionally Yes) on his beloved turntable.

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VENN DIAGRAM DEPICTING T YPES OF AGENCIES

Fig. 5

Creative

Unicorn

Geek

Plan Left

Mermaid

Sasquatch

Strategist

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’s

NASHVILLE FIVE

ince founding Lockeland Springsteen over two years ago, we’ve been focused on two things: tracing the captivating scent of the music that emerges from every corner of our beloved city, and making sure we constantly uncover the secrets — from hidden taco trucks to unknown records — that our favorite artists seem to have an uncanny eye for. Thus was born the Nashville Five, our quintessential section where we quiz the musical community on their local favorites (or just sometimes just their dad’s “orgasmic

chicken” recipe, like Jonas Stein of Turbo Fruits offered up. Find that gem on the blog). For this special partnership with The East Nashvillian, we tapped the East Side-dwelling fiddler Kellen Wenrich of Apache Relay, who we first caught two years ago at Exit/ In on a shivery night just past Valentine’s Day. There was an electrifying spirit in the music of the six-piece group; a chilling tightness coupled with a sound both sensible and unique that shook us to the core.

We’ve since chronicled their winding road to success, as they gained slots at nationwide festivals, opened for Mumford & Sons and received resounding critical acclaim to 2014’s self-titled release. “Turn your back on Tennessee,” Michael Ford, Jr. sings on “Good As Gold.” Nevertheless, at the end of each period of wanderlust, after every nationwide tour, the group finds themselves heading back across the Cumberland River, resuming their constantly evolving love affair with our city.

Kellen Wenrich Of The Apache Relay

Whether I’m back in town for a few hours, a day, a week, or a month, this is the list of the first five things I try to do whenever I make it back home.

PERCY PRIEST LAKE

Need not apply in winter, but whenever I’m gone from Nashville in the summer it doesn’t take long to get the itch to get out on the water. A general day on the lake for me consists of wake surfing, floating, and having a beer with buddies early on a weekend morning. Take an afternoon nap when you get back to land and then get on with your night.

WILD COW I’ve ordered out from Wild Cow so much that they generally guess my name over the phone. An amazing place to grab a bite whether you’re vegetarian or not. My top picks include buffalo beans and greens with tempeh, philly cheese steak, and their ceasar salad. My only complaint with the place is that their Cuban sandwich hasn’t made it from their specials to regular menu yet (it’s so good!).

ROBINSON FLEA MARKET If you like the monthly fairgrounds flea market, Old Made Good, or any of the other countless vintage stores in Nashville, you’ll love Robinson Flea. Just past East Nashville in Madison, what once was a grocery is currently my favorite place to find the rare, the old, and the bizarre. Whether it’s a zepplin-shaped cocktail shaker, a politically-incorrect pamphlet on how to carve Native American figurines with a chain saw, or a one-of-a-kind hand made model sailboat made out of high life cans, Robinson Flea Market has it all.

THAI PHOOKET I only have three phone numbers listed as favorites in my phone, and Thai Phooket is one of them. Fear not the unassuming double-wide in the shadows of LP Stadium, for within is one of my favorite restaurants in all of Nashville. I would say my top dish if I could pick one, but among the bunch are drunken noodles, tom yum hot pot, and spicy mango stir fry (all with tofu).

EDGEFIELD BAR AND GRILL If the bars are still open whenever we roll back to town, there’s a really good chance you’ll find me at Edgefield (and many other nights as well). I hop on the 20 bus from my place in Inglewood and spend my nights drinking cheap beer while shooting pool or tossing darts. DJs spin vinyl on Thursdays. Kindest bartenders in the Volunteer State.

THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM Nov | Check Dec 2014 out more Nashville Five’s at lockelandspringsteen.com.

• • • • •

JEWELRY CANDLES GIFTS DECOR HIGH-FIVES

1882 EASTLAND AVE | LOCATED BEHIND UGLY MUGS WELCOMENASHVILLE.COM | @WELCOMEHOMESHOP Nov | Dec 2014

THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM

Dedicated TO THE BEAN

Roaster Joe Dougherty has been at the forefront of Nashville’s coffee culture for nearly three decades

ast spring, I was in a mild state of panic. As somewhat of a coffee connoisseur, and a full-blown coffee addict, I had lost my source for beans and needed to find a new one. Now, if you’re serious about coffee, you know the bean’s the thing. For me personally, I like to make my own fresh blend, a mixture of flavored beans — usually some kind of chocolate flavor — and a dark roast. As I searched the internet for a new source for beans in East Nashville, I ran across a familiar name, but one I hadn’t seen in more than a decade: Bean Central. Bean Central opened in 1986 and was Nashville’s first coffee house and roaster — or as owner Joe Dougherty puts it, it was the city’s first establishment “dedicated to the bean.” A Knoxville native, Dougherty moved to Nashville in 1972 to pursue a career as a songwriter full-time and landed a deal with Famous Music. After four years, however, he decided to move in a different direction. “I got married and had to make a living,” he says with a laugh. “Songwriting can be a great living and cannot be a great living.” Dougherty saw an opportunity in housewares, so he and his wife Lisa opened the Cook’s Nook in Green Hills in 1976, and later added locations in Brentwood and Atlanta. From the beginning, the stores, which catered to the gourmet lifestyle, sold high-quality coffee. 32

By Daryl Sanders “Originally, we were getting our coffee from a company called First Colony in Virginia,” he says. “Around the same time, we started doing gourmet trade shows in San Francisco, and I discovered some guys who had a company called Graffeo Coffee. They only had three coffees: a light roast, a dark roast and a decaf — take it or leave it. “I had to convince them — they didn’t want to wholesale,” he continues. “They were doing a nice trade there. They had restaurant business and walk in, so they didn’t want to ship or anything. But I convinced them to start shipping to me.” At that time, it took five business days via UPS for the coffee to reach Nashville from San Francisco, but even so, Dougherty noticed a big difference. “That coffee would come in, and it would be so much fresher than what I was getting from First Colony, it was remarkable,” he recalls. “So, I’m like, ‘Hmm, I’ve seen their roaster, I know what they are doing.’ “So I contacted the guy who made their roaster — Mike Sivetz, a legendary coffee guy. He was a major figure in coffee in a lot of ways. He developed that kind of roaster, which is called a fluid bed roaster.” A fluid bed roaster uses hot air to levitate and circulate the beans in a way that causes them to behave as if they were floating in a fluid. Since the beans are suspended in hot air, you get a more even roast. “So I bought that roaster from him because

THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM Nov | Dec 2014

that is what they [Graffeo] were using and it had a great taste profile — and still does.” Dougherty bought the Sivetz roaster at the end of 1985, and opened Bean Central in January of ’86 in a small space at the Park Place shopping center on West End Avenue. Some people told him he was crazy to open a store that “just sold coffee,” but he was already selling a lot of coffee at the three Cook’s Nook locations and at Gadgette’s, a Sharper Image-type store located in the Mall at Green Hills that he owned. Bean Central roasted all the coffee sold at his four stores, but it also had other commercial clients, as well as walk-in customers. It wasn’t long before the business had caught the attention of The New York Times. “They did one of those ‘They even wear shoes in Nashville now’ stories, and it mentioned we even have a place that roasts and sells coffee,” he recalls. In the mid-’90s, Dougherty sold Gadgette’s and closed his three Cook’s Nook stores to focus on Bean Central. He expanded into an adjacent space at Park Place, and later added a second location on Hillsboro Pike in Green Hills. When he introduced computers to the expanded space at the original location, Bean Central became one of the world’s earliest internet cafés. All was going well with the company until the best-known national coffee chain arrived. “Starbucks moved in beside us in two locations,” he says. “They opened up literally across

KNOW your

Photograph by Chuck Allen

NEIGHBOR

Andrew Dougherty (left) looks on as his father Joe pulls a roast of African Smoke beans from Bean Centralâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Sivetz Nov | Dec 2014

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KNOW your

NEIGHBOR

the parking lot — that’s what they do.” By the late ‘90s, Dougherty had shuttered Bean Central’s Green Hills location. He kept the West End store going until 2003, at which point he decided to close it and concentrate on their wholesale and mail-order business. That’s when he and his son Andrew, who is Bean Central’s chief roaster, moved the roasting operation to a nondescript building in the 900 block of Gallatin Avenue in East Nashville. “It was a major transition,” Dougherty says of the move, “but in a lot of ways, it’s nice to not be in storefront retail because you have to open and close on time every day.” Talking with Nashville’s pioneering coffee roaster is like getting a lesson in the history of coffee. “We’re in Coffee 3.0 right now, as it’s called by these young coffee geeks, and they’re into really light-roasted coffee — extremely light,” Dougherty says. “And they believe that’s the Holy Grail. “But when we started, the Holy Grail was Peet’s Coffee. [Alfred] Peet was in Berkeley — he came over from the Netherlands, I think— and he was into really, really dark coffee. It was super dark coffee and that was sweeping the country. And it was good. “There [also] were a lot of people who thought we shouldn’t roast that dark. The roast a lot of people preferred then was what we call 34

”

So, I’m like, ‘Hmm, I’ve seen their roaster, I know what they are doing.’

a French Roast. “But you can go a lot lighter,” he continues. “The lighter it is, the more of what we call the fruit flavor is still there, but the point is that what is considered best changes over time, so real dark coffee will come back.” Bean Central sells more than 100 varieties of coffee, including a wide array of decaffeinated choices. When asked about his most popular coffees, the owner has a ready answer. “Malabar Gold Espresso™ is very popular,” Dougherty says immediately. “We get that from a fellow named Dr. Joseph John, who is a nuclear physicist from India. It was his goal in life to create the perfect Italian espresso, which he maintains is an all-Indian blend.” One of the varieties in Dr. John’s blend is the Monsoon bean. “They take their coffee [beans] and put them out in the elements during the monsoon,” Dougherty explains, as he points them out in a bag of Malabar Gold. “You see those yellow, funny looking beans? Those are the Monsoon beans. The Monsoon bean is very soft, so when you use the Malabar Gold blend,

THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM Nov | Dec 2014

you have to grind it one or two steps finer than any other espresso. You have to dial it in right. And when you do, it produces more crema than any other espresso that anybody’s ever seen.” “Kenyan and Ethipioan are both highly popular, too,” adds Andrew. “Flavored coffees are also really popular. Amaretto, Highlander Grogg, Jamaican Me Crazy — it’s hard to keep those in stock sometimes.” Over the 11 years they’ve been in East Nashville, Bean Central has developed the internet side of their business to the point the majority of their orders come through beancentral.com, with customers stretching from coast to coast. But they still welcome orders from local customers — there’s a one-pound minimum — and ask that anyone interested please call 615-227-5715. As for my own coffee crisis last spring, the Doughertys came to the rescue, and I am more than pleased with my new blend. For the flavored coffee, I settled on Bavarian Chocolate, and for the dark roast, I went with a bean called Panama Red.

Nov | Dec 2014

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Brooke Seraphine STORY BY ELLEN MALLERNEE BARNES

A blonde-haired, blue-eyed baby with cherry popsicle stains on his cheeks pulls at his mama’s knees. His mama, Brooke Seraphine — as mother to a 4-year-old and 1-year-old — always has a child either in her periphery or directly in focus, even as she fights to keep her burgeoning jewelry line a prority, too. All along Seraphine has known just how she wanted it to go. The 35-yearold jewelry designer had scarcely sold one of her now-signature pyrite necklaces before launching her website and shooting an enchanting lookbook for her line, Seraphine Design. A former art teacher and model whose studio overlooks her Shelby Bottoms backyard, she appeared to be putting the cart before the horse. Her friends were perplexed when she didn’t assemble an Etsy shop or sign up for a craft fair booth. She didn’t mark her pieces down, instead pricing them to make their creation worth her while. But before her brand was a high-end brand, or even a brand at all, she envisioned it this way: wanting to build an exciting and lucrative business rather than consigning her talent to a craft or a hobby.

THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM Nov | Dec 2014

Photograph by Eric England

Artist in Profile

Nov | Dec 2014

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Artist in Profile

THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM Nov | Dec 2014

Photographs courtesy of Brooke Seraphine

f how to achieve that much-desired work-life balance, Seraphine says, “It’s freaking impossible!” She guffaws and throws her hands in the air, her electric-green eyes and tawny skin testaments to her earlier life as a model. But even with all the time she now devotes to diapering bottoms and doling out hugs and kisses, Seraphine’s plan is working. Among many thrilling moments, Holly Williams commissioned her to design a pyrite necklace as a present for Gwyneth Paltrow’s 40th birthday; she sold several pieces to a very enthusiastic Régine Chassagne of Arcade Fire; and not long ago she was whisked backstage to take a custom order from Kristen Bell, still in hair and makeup hours before her hosting gig at the CMT Music Awards. Hayden Panettiere and Kellie Pickler have also been customers, along with many other Nashville tastemakers, as word of mouth has been a faithful friend to the Seraphine Design brand. Seraphine herself has gotten some attention, too, for having had the foresight to handpick young model Binx Walton to wear her collection in the first lookbook, mere seconds before Walton hit the big time and escaped Nashville to grace Vogue covers and Chanel ads. Seraphine Design can now be found in eight boutiques in five states and with three online retailers. To get into these swanky shops — Marissa Collections in Naples, Fla.; Tootsies and B.D. Jeffries in Atlanta, Ga.; Cicada in Oxford, Miss.; and Aquarius in San Antonio, Texas; as well as Emmaline in Franklin and Emerson Grace and The Trunk here in Nashville — she walked into each individually, just a girl with a lookbook, some necklaces and bracelets, and exactly enough confidence to pull the whole thing off. Each of the Seraphine Design pieces is comprised of two chunky natural stones (one is almost always raw pyrite), anchored to a horseshoe-shaped wire. The stones don’t just look great, they feel great; slung across the collarbone, there’s a substance and presence about these one-of-a-kind pieces, designed to spruce up everything from ball gowns to tank tops. In January, Seraphine will take her collection to New York for the prestigious ENK Accessorie Circuit exhibition. In some ways, her pieces will be returning home. Though Seraphine Design was launched in January 2012, the inspiration for it was born a few years before Seraphine was. The necklace that started it all was crafted during the 1970s, rising from the glitter and grit of Manhattan’s Studio 54 era, during which time Seraphine’s maternal uncle, the late Richard Glassen, worked and played as a successful jewelry designer and model. Decades later one of his necklaces — featured prominently in an Estée Lauder skincare ad that ran in Vogue — would become the prototype for his niece’s jewelry line. After college, Seraphine was gifted the necklace by her mother. When she wore it to parties, she would amass a stunning number of compliments. “The necklace was special, something that always spoke to me,” says Seraphine. “After my daughter was born, I started tinkering with designs from home, and that was one thing I kept going back to. My uncle’s design was gorgeous, and it was simple. I envisioned making it a little bit more modern — a little chunkier. I started from there.” Referring to the necklace as a loose template, Seraphine sought out sources for pyrite and quartz, her mainstay materials even today. An Internet search led her to “the mother lode of pyrite sources” — a mine in Peru, from which she continues to source many of her stones. Next, she had to learn how to pull her designs out of her imagination. “I signed up for a jewelry class at Sarratt, but I came with an agenda,” says Seraphine. “I asked the instructor if she could help me figure out how to recreate my uncle’s necklace. We started by putting the stones I’d collected underwater and drilling into them. When I came home, I set up a plywood table to work on, and I went through drill bit after drill bit. I had water splattering all over the walls. It was a total mess.” By now Seraphine has invested in a prefabricated studio/designated happy place and all the tools she needs to complete her pieces from home. She works more efficiently and independently now, but the process of creating one of her pieces is still time and labor intensive. “I have a million designs in my head,” says Seraphine. “As a mom, it’s just a matter of getting the time to make the most of out of this opportunity I’ve been given. It’s worth the effort, though. I love seeing my pieces on people as they pass by. I love being able to run a business and to have my own path in life that I’ve created. It is mine alone.”

Nov | Dec 2014

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THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM Nov | Dec 2014

hether you’re ready or not, the season is upon is. Time to start making those lists and checking them twice — send out the holiday cards and newsletters, put that PS4 on layaway. Don’t leave you’re great Aunt Sue

off, you know she’ll have another hand knit pot holder for you waiting under the tree. We at The East Nashvillian are here to make this season’s shopping just a little bit easier for you. Check out this docket of some of our favorite local gift ideas, the kind of stocking stuffers you won’t see at Macy’s or Target on Black Friday. You can find all of these fine items in your own neighborhood without hopping on the highway. Shop on, brave soldiers.

Nov | Dec 2014

THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM

GIFT GUIDE

Reads East Side Story

ast Side Story is your one stop shop to scoop up the latest works from local authors. Chuck Beard, owner of East Side Story has a few recs for the bookworms on your list. 1108 Woodland St., Unit B. 615-915-1808

Adrian’s Nail Room

THIRD THURSDAY COMMUNITY POTLUCK COOKBOOK:

Recipes and Stories to Celebrate the Bounty of the Moment by Nancy Vienneau

his one-of-a-kind cookbook encapsulates the Southern tradition of potlucks, with a new twist. Author Nancy Vienneau focuses on dishes that are in season for each month of the year. Being a local author, you’ll be familiar with the family farms and local markets she references. This is the perfect gift for the foodie in the fam.

$25.00

Adrian’s Nail Room is nestled inside of m. Hair Studio at Porter East. She’s the goto gal to get those fingers and toes looking smooth and shiny again. Hangnails be gone. Treat someone on your list to a GIFT CERTIFICATE for a relaxing mani-pedi, hand or foot massage (or all of the above!). Drop by Adrian’s to pick up a gift card. 735 Porter Road. 615-474-4394 $15.00-$45.00

SHELBY PAST & PRESENT: A Centennial Commemorative by William R. Schumm

e can’t think of a better way to show your love of East Nashville than by buying a book from your local bookstore, about your local park, written by your own neighbor, William R. Schumm. Shelby Past and Present celebrates our beloved Shelby Bottoms Park, which is now over 100 years old. This makes a great coffee table book. Learn the history of Shelby and browse the beautiful photography that captures what the park was and still is today.

THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM Nov | Dec 2014

$29.95

Music City Healing Arts

Music City Healing Arts is known for it’s unique holistic approach to wellness. Owner Jillian Reed specializes in Thai Yoga massages, acupressure and reflexology. This is not your run of the mill massage parlor and you’re sure to find a service suitable for anyone on your list, whether it’s a twohour Thai Yoga massage, an hour on her Migun acupressure table or a row in the infrared sauna for a deep detox, she’s got your back, get it? Call about picking up a customized gift certificate from Music City Healing Arts today. 1107 Gartland Ave. 615-243-6068 $25.00-$100.00

Rock Star

Massage East

Pony Show HANDMADE PATCHES

e advise you to Pony up for the stylish rock star on your list. Pony Show has oodles of interesting, locally-made gift items and vintage finds. Personally, we can’t get enough of these rockin’ handmade patches. They’re stitched with love by local artist Nikki Reed and feature a number of the greats, like Dolly, Elvis, and Mick Jagger. Pick one up so they can slap it on their leather jacket to perfect that “too cool for school” look. 723 Porter Road. 615-319-2244

Country Music Hall of Fame

$10.00-$30.00

THE LOST NOTEBOOKS OF HANK WILLIAMS We don’t think Hatch Show Print or the Country Music Hall of Fame needs an introduction, nor does Mr. Hank Williams. For the musician here in Music City, we think it is heresy not to own some tunes from Hank. The Lost Notebooks of Hank Williams features previously unheard songs written by Williams, recorded by some of the finest artists in the biz — Bob Dylan, Lucinda Williams, and Nashville’s own Jack White. Grab a copy at the museum’s store today for the rock n’ roller this year. 222 5th Avenue South. 615-416-2001

Fanny’s House of Music GUITAR STRAPS

$11.98 CD | 21.98 VINYL

F J

Kathleen Campbell over at Massage East has been in the business of bodywork for over 20 years now. She can offer a wide range of services for the stressed out and strained on your list. She specializes in pain relief techniques, without using painful methods to achieve that relief. Grab a GIFT CERTIFICATE today to cover any of her services. Quick tip: her clients also have the options to add hot stones to any massage at no extra cost. 709 Porter Road. 615-545-5536 $40.00-$150.00

for the

GIFT GUIDE

PAMPER yourself

anny’s House of Music may have the perfect gift for the guitar stars in your family. Fanny’s offers plenty of strummin’ instruments for the pickers and oodles of trendy vintage clothes for the fashionista, but we’ve fallen in love with their trendy guitar straps. Spruce up a six-string with one of their neat straps for the musician in your clan. If you’re looking to teach a tike how to play a tune, they also offer gift certificates for children’s guitar lessons as well. 1101 Holly Street. 615-750-5746

$30.00-$65.00

Nov | Dec 2014

THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM

GIFT GUIDE

Homestead for the

Welcome Home

Thrive

PENDELTON WOOL SERAPE THROW

BAMBOO SERVING PLANK

elcome Home is like the Etsy of home stores, and they have some adorable items for the eclectic household. We want folks to cozy up with a beautiful Pendelton Wool Serape Throw — inspired by their namesake shawls commonly worn in Mexico but are woven right here in the USA. Pick one up today and you’ll have folks doing the mambo around the tree — or they could don it like a Sherpa, we think it’s appropriate for either use. 1882 Eastland Ave. 615-750-3354

$195.00

Abode CREATURE PLANTERS

Otto’s Framing RECLAIMED-WOOD SERVING TRAYS

tto’s Framing is the place to go for all your framing needs — they build custom frames tailored to match and fit anything you bring their way. Still have that weirdly-sized piece of elephant art from Bali sitting under the bed? They have you covered. But for a holiday gift idea, they have some lovely reclaimed-wood serving trays that we think are the perfect edition to any host or hostess’s home. They have a variety of stains, sizes, and colors to choose from — so you will have plenty of choices when you do your shopping. Feeling generous? Throw in a wine glass holder, too. 615-861-9663

$24.99

$60.00-$120.00

bode, a lovely little stop for all you shoppers, is located in the Shoppes at Fatherland. They specialize in home items and gourmet foods from local artists and crafters of the city. We adore the pottery from claymaster Joy Oettel. A variety of her items are in the shop, from critters and planters, to coffee mugs and jewelry. Grab one of these little creature planters for the fan of cacti in your family. Plus: You can snag a cup of hot coffee or cocoa while you browse to warm those winter fingers.1006 Fatherland Street #102A 615-330-0316

hrive is a special little stop on your shopping trail. They offer a fresh point of view, selling only sustainable, fair trade, and organic products. They call themselves a “store with a cause.” You can find a coterie of cool gifts at Thrive, from home items and accessories to essential oils and baby bibs. We think this hand-crafted, sustainably harvested bamboo board is a great gift for anyone’s kitchen. Chop up the celery, then flip the plank over and use it as a serving board. This dynamic board is the perfect fit for serving stinky cheese, hor d’oeuvres, or sushi if you’re feeling fishy. 1100 Fatherland St #107. 615-944-1534

$26.99

Artisan East REUSABLE PRODUCE AND GRAIN BAG

rtisan East is a new edition to this side of town, located next door to our beloved Pied Piper on Riverside. They’ve got a little bit of everything: cute stationary, furniture, baby goods, accessories, and home items. Anything you find in this shop is U.S.made, no plastic Chinese imports in sight. These reusable produce and grain bags have caught our eye and they may be the perfect gift for the eco-conscious individual on your list. Each bag has been screen printed by hand with a both adorable and informative design, so you don’t mix your quinoa with your couscous. 1601-B Riverside Dr. 615-668-5593

$12.00 EACH

THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM Nov | Dec 2014

Nov | Dec 2014

THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM

GIFT GUIDE

Sweet Tooth Chocolate FX

Olive and Sinclair

TRUFFLES, CARAMELS, STAR WARS-INSPIRED CHOCOLATES

ast Nashville’s resident Willy Wonka has some tasty confections for anyone with a sweet tooth. The bean-to-bar chocolatier has a few options that you can tailor to anyone’s personal flavor:

Kernals 2-GALLON HOLIDAY POPCORN TIN

ernals is poppin’ on Gallatin Avenue. This gourmet popcorn spot has the perfect gift for those folks around the office that you have no clue what to get. They offer a wide selection of flavors fit for any of taste bud, savory or sweet. They offer a two-gallon holiday popcorn tin that can be filled with an assortment of their tasty flavors — salted caramel, chocolate drizzle, and vanilla cinnamon are a few pops you’ll find there. We’re salivating just thinking about it. 2501 B Gallatin Ave. 615-378-7674

STARTING AT $32.00

$8.00-$30.00

hocolate FX is relatively new to the East Side. Finding their home in the Shoppes at Fatherland, this sweetery has got the best of the best for the chocoholic on your list. We’re drooling over their whisky-drenched cordial cherries — the perfect idea for that decadent individual who can’t get enough chocolate, or whisky, to satiate their palate. Pick your box up today. For a less boozy idea, Chocolate FX has truffles, caramels, and even Star Wars-inspired chocolates for the nerd on your list. You can’t go wrong with chocolate. 1006 Fatherland St. #306. 404-402-6562

VARIETY BOX OF CHOCOLATE BARS

ick up a variety box of chocolate bars — choose from a diverse selection that includes such drool-worthy flavors as buttermilk white chocolate with salt and pepper, Mexican cinnamon chili chocolate, or just good ole dark chocolate (to name a few). 1628 Fatherland St. 615-262-3007

$31.00

BOXES OF CARAMELS

J 46

THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM Nov | Dec 2014

If those bars aren’t enough, they also have boxes of caramels we can’t stop craving. The caramels come in two flavors, duck fat or sea salt and vinegar. We know these sweets are a great gift for anyone, so long as they haven’t started on those New Year’s resolutions early. 1628 Fatherland St. 615-262-3007

$17.99 PER BOX

Nov | Dec 2014

THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM

GIFT GUIDE

Critters The Dog Spot/ Spot’s Pet Supply

Wags and Whiskers LOOK WHO’S HAPPY DOG TREATS

ags and Whiskers is the OG holistic pet food supplier on the East Side, conveniently located in the middle of 5 Points. They offer a variety of foods, treats, and toys for your furry friends. For the hungry Rover that’s been a good dog this year, Wags and Whiskers has a healthy treat. Look Who’s Happy dog treats are a concoction of yummy U.S.-made jerky, crafted in a family-owned plant. These goodies are grainfree chock full of only USDA-certified beef, bison, venison, and chicken. We guarantee these will please your pooches palate. 1008 Forrest Ave. 615-228-9249

PET GROOMING

luffy dogs have you flustered? Fur balls running rampant in the home? Cloud 9 has you covered. This mobile pet grooming service comes to their clients, so those anxiety-filled trips to the groomer can be a thing of the past. We think a gift certificate from Cloud 9 would be the perfect present to the animal lover on you lists. They’re offering $50 gift cards with a $60 value for the month of December, so take advantage of the discount. Fido’s fur worries stop here. cloud9mobilegrooming.com 615-351-8473

PRICING IS VARIABLE DEPENDING ON SERVICE, BREED AND SIZE.

$7.99-$16.99

Cloud 9

SEASON’S GREENIES

e know you’ve seen the speckled buildings on Gallatin, and if you don’t know you’ve probably guessed that they’re pet stores (they are Dalmatian-patterned, after all). The Dog Spot can cover your grooming needs, and Spot’s Pet Supply has a mélange of four-legged-friendly toys and snacks. Dogs celebrate Christmas, too, right? We think the holiday-themed Season’s Greenies are an adorable choice for the dog-lover this year. Greenies are a “smart treat” and good for those pearly whites on your pet. Pick them up starting after Thanksgiving. 1004 Gallatin Ave. 615-385-1800 and 1013 Gallatin Ave. 615-208-9900

$11.00-$40.99

Baxter and Bailey CHILLY DOG SWEATERS

axter and Bailey is the perfect boutique for the luxurious mutt. Their locally produced products are high-quality, for only the finest fur babies. We think you would fall in love with all of their merchandise, but these pup sweaters are just too cute to resist. These Chilly Dog Sweaters are 100 percent handmade using plant-based dyes, for the eco-friendly dog. They are available in all shapes and sizes, guaranteed to fit any furball, small or large. 1006 Fatherland St., #101A. 800-535-8184

$36.00-$42.00

THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM Nov | Dec 2014

GIFT GUIDE

ODDS and Ends

NewMom

Main Attraction

Main Attraction offers an eclectic mix of new and vintage clothing, with one of a kind bric-a-brac for those looking for a unique goodie. These TERRANUNDI SMASH POTS harken back to an age-old tradition. Fill the pot with change till it’s full. When you’re ready to break into your bounty, smash it to bits while making a wish. We think it’s a neat gift fit for almost anyone on your holiday manifest. 937 Woodland St. 615-226-2288. $50.00

Smile, Mommy CLOTH DIAPER SERVICE

Pony Show BABY ONESIES

mile, Mommy is the only cloth diaper service serving the dirty bottoms of East Nashville. They provide delivery and pickup of 100 percent cloth diapers, plus all the needed accessories, right to your door. Smile, Mommy picks up the dirty diapers and replaces them with clean ones every week, making for one happy baby and even happier parents. We think the gift of this cloth diaper service, be it for a few months or an entire year, is the perfect gift for new or expectant parents this season. Keep the baby blues away this year. smilemommy.com 615-810-9113

Riverside Village Pharmacy

$100.00-$180.00 PER MONTH

$24.00

ony Show is an adorable little shop, squeezed into the shops at Porter East. They carry a number of vintage as well as locally made items, so you can probably pick up a couple of gifts for folks on your list at this spot. We can’t help but squeal over their baby onesies, though. They have a couple of designs, but check out this one for the badass baby on your list. What new parent doesn’t think their little one is a bonafide badass. Grab this thread for the new mumsy. 723 Porter Road. 615-319-2244

We all love a nice candle; you can’t go wrong with this universal gift. Riverside Village Pharmacy offers some of our favorites. PADDYWAX products are made right here in the USA and come in an array of designs and sizes, so you can nic nac paddywack and pick the perfect present. Guaranteed to burn long and strong. 1406 McGavock Pike. 615-650-4444 $5.99-$17.99

Nov | Dec 2014

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GIFT GUIDE

Him for

Hunters Custom Automotive GIFT CERTIFICATE

CASE POCKETKNIFE

umberland Hardware is the betterthan-big-box hardware store in the heart of 5 Points. They have any screw, nut, or bolt you could ever need served with a heavy dose of hometown charm; plus, you get to visit with their lovable shop cats. The folks at Cumberland have a great gift idea for the always-prepared handyman, a pocketknife. Cumberland Hardware is an authorized Case dealer, so naturally we’re spotlighting this old-school Case, a classic knife with a lifetime warranty, suitable for any collector. 1018 Woodland St. 615-227-1240

CIGAR CASES AND ACCESSORIES

an you smell the sweet scent of cigars? East Nashville’s premier cigar shop, Smokers Abbey, has everything you need for the smoker you’re shopping for. Check out these classy leather cigar cases from Warped — guaranteed to protect your smokes with a hint of Spanish craftsmanship and style. They also have all the other necessary gizmos and gadgets for the cigar enthusiast, such as lighters and cutters, and of course, the finest stogies around. 604 Gallatin Ave. #102. 615-678-8458

$15.99-$150.00

THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM Nov | Dec 2014

$30.00-$160.00

GIFT CERTIFICATES STARTING AT $25.00

Cumberland Hardware

Smokers Abbey

unters Custom Automotive has been in business since 1968, so we can guarantee you will find something there for the car buff on your list. They have grills, guards, gears, rims, tinting, and anything else your coupe cranium can dream up. With over 5,000 items, something can be found to titillate any roadster aficionado. Supe up a stocking; gift cards start at $25. 975 Main St. 615-227-6584

ODDS and Ends Onyx

Onyx has your body care needs covered. They offer GOAT MILK SOAP AND LOTIONS BY THE RIVER GARDEN — these products are great for shaving and moisturizing. They use only natural ingredients and essential oils — so think of it as farm to skin. Onyx is also the only shop to sell The River Garden products in the entire city, so grab them where you can, right here in East Nashville. 3107 Gallatin Rd. 615-732-1813 $5.00-$40.00

J J

Riverside Village Pharmacy

Welcome Home

For the up-and-coming mixologist this year, Welcome Home has the full gamut of bar tools. Grab your jiggers, shakers, strainers, and spoons; booze not included. These BARKEEP GIZMOS are everything they’ll need to craft those muddled mojitos and spiked ciders. Plus, we don’t think you’ll complain if you get to test out their new cocktails on Christmas morning. Think of it as the gift that keeps on giving. 1882 Eastland Ave. 615-750-3354 $5.00-$20.00

BEARDITION

or the whiskered fellow, we recommend you scoot by Riverside Village Pharmacy. They have a couple of facial hair formulas, but we’re really into Beardition. They’re a local Nashville product, suiting all beard grooming needs. Beard shampoo, beard conditioner, beard shave cream, beard aftershave, they’ve got all the necessary accouterment for any bristly dude, whether that’s your dad, uncle, boyfriend, husband, or bro. 1406 McGavock Pike. 615-650-4444

Red Dog Scooters

$12.00-$49.99

Red Dog Scooters is your neighborhood scooter shop, equipped to handle all of your scooting needs, whether that’s a new set of wheels or a repair on an old one. They will have a new fleet of SYN SCOOTERS in stock starting in November. If you’re planning on playing Santa Claus this year, this is a great gift. The new rider might finally look hip enough to pull into Barista Parlor. Starting this winter, Red Dog will also offer small motorcycles, just in case scooters aren’t your speed. 321 E. Trinity Lane. 615-262-9500 $1,900.00-$5,200.00

Nov | Dec 2014

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GIFT GUIDE

Her J

for

Riverside Village Pharmacy THISTLE FARMS SOAPS, OILS, CANDLES AND MORE

Welcome Home I WEST THIRD PERFUME

C Art & Invention Gallery JEWELRY BY LEAH MCINTYRE

ontrary to the name, Welcome Home doesn’t just offer home goods. We believe perfume is perfect for pretty much any lady on your list. Welcome Home offers a handful of chic handcrafted scents from West Third Brand. These smell-goods are concocted in small batches to create some truly lovely fragrances. We’ll leave it up to you to pick a properly suited pheromone for the woman on your shopping list. 1882 Eastland Ave. 615-750-3354

$32.00

ituated in the heart of 5 Points, Art and Invention Gallery has been part of the community for nearly 15 years. The gallery brings you the beloved Tomato Art Fest every year, and offers a wide variety of artistic styles and price ranges workable for any budget. Focusing on fine art, craft, original furniture, and jewelry, our gifts of choice are these oneof-a-kind necklaces from local jewelry artist, Leah McIntyre. These bold statement pieces are perfect for the stylish woman on your list. McIntyre has her necklaces, bracelets, rings, and earrings for sale at Art and Invention, so drop in and choose a piece today. Starting November 28, the Gallery will expand their hours for the holiday season, keeping their doors open seven days a week from 11a.m. to 6:30p.m. 1106 Woodland St. 615-226-2070

$50.00-$300.00

f you’ve ever dropped by Riverside Village Pharmacy, you know they’ve got more than just your prescriptions. We especially recommend you stop in now that they’ve had their grand “reopening.” This gift idea here is perfect for the conscious consumer. Thistle Farms creates soaps, oils, candles and more. They’re an organization that is fully-staffed by women who have survived prostitution, trafficking, and addiction. Your purchase goes back to supporting these women and giving them a chance to start their life over through gainful employment. We think these handmade products are a splendid gift to the gal on your list who cares about supporting her fellow females. 1406 McGavock Pike 615-650-4444

$3.99-$25.00

Onyx HANDMADE JEWELRY

ast Side newbie Onyx is a pretty diverse little shop, offering watch and jewelry repair, drive-thru coffee service, and a stellar selection of wonderful gifts. We think these beautiful pieces, made in-house at Onyx, are a precious present for the lady. They have a variety of styles and colors, so peruse and pick up a bracelet or necklace from their collection today; these pieces are all affordable, without sacrificing quality or class. Warm up with an espresso while you’re at it. 3107 Gallatin Rd. 615-732-1813

THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM Nov | Dec 2014

$30.00-$80.00

Nov | Dec 2014

THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM

HOME of 54

Fanny’s House of Music serves up musical

THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM Nov | Dec 2014

Pamela Cole and Lee Maples: Living the dream at Fanny’s House of Music, the business they built together from scratch on a wing and a prayer — and an idea.

the

MUSE

inspiration, one power chord at a time Nov | Dec 2014

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Story by Randy

Fox Photography by Eric England 56

THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM Nov | Dec 2014

t Fanny’s House of Music, co-owner Pamela Cole has one very special question she always asks a particular segment of her clientele. “When a young girl comes in who has been playing acoustic guitar,” Cole says, “maybe she’s into Taylor Swift, or Lorde, or perhaps something a little more angsty and introverted, I’ll ask her, ‘Have you ever played an electric guitar?’ and most of the time she’ll quietly say, ‘no.’ I’ll say, ‘Let’s go play a power chord.’ It truly is a rite of passage to play a power chord loud with distortion for the first time. If the girl comes in with her mom, I’ll ask her the same, and I’ll make them both do it. The same goes for young boys that are shy.” Cole clearly delights in introducing kids to the liberating power of RAWK, but she has the warmth and charm that makes it easy to understand how she could breach the walls of shyness and connect with the most introverted kids over a mutual love of music. They’re very valuable skills because the small business she runs with co-owner Leigh Maples may be listed under “Musical Instruments & Teachers” on Yelp, but it’s a lot more than just a music shop, it’s a store with a mission. In the five years since Fanny’s House of Music opened in the bluish-gray clapboard Folk Victorian house on the corner of Holly and 11th Streets, Cole and Maples have been at the center of a quintessentially Nashville success story. It’s a story that incorporates the standard tropes of following dreams, lucky breaks, and of course, lots of hard work. But it’s also a story of two women simply asking, “Why does it have to be this way?” and having the gumption to construct an alternative. Like any success story, it can be evaluated in financial terms and emotional satisfaction, but in this case, it can also be measured in the number of “Kerraaangs” that reverberate down the streets of Five Points. The story of Fanny’s House of Music began in the fall of 1982, when Cole and Maples were both freshmen students at Belmont University. “I heard that there was another female bass player at Belmont,” Cole recalls, “so I was on the lookout for her to see who it was and how she played. We met our third day at Belmont and it was like, ‘You’re the other one!’ She was really, really good, and I couldn’t compete with her.” In the early ’80s, rock music was beginning a slow change as more female musicians like Joan Jett, Chrissie Hynde and Tina Weymouth took the spotlight, but female rockers were still a novelty in many quarters. Both Cole and Maples benefited from growing up in families where a love of music was nurtured early and even more importantly, encouraged as a career choice. Maples, a native of Panama City, Fla., grew up in a family of musicians. “My sisters and I all took piano lessons and were very involved in music at church,” Maples says. “I started playing ukulele when I was around 6. My mom played French horn, Dad was a choir director, and my sister is an accomplished pianist. I went on to guitar, attended music camps and was always involved in music somehow. When I was a senior in high school, I switched over to bass for stage band and stayed with it. Nov | Dec 2014

THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM

“My parents were very encouraging. They never told me that a girl couldn’t play music. I entered junior college as a music major and was playing in a contemporary Christian band. A youth director at church mentioned Belmont to me. I ended up moving to Nashville and changing my major to music business, but I kept playing bass in various bands.” Cole grew up in a small town near Peoria, Ill., and the search for a music career also brought her to Nashville. “I started playing bass guitar when I was about 12,” Cole says. “I played trombone in marching band and bass in rock bands. I really thought that’s what I wanted to do for a living, but I had no idea what that meant or what I needed to do that. “I visited Nashville on a vacation and toured RCA Studio B. I knew absolutely nothing about how records were made and had never even thought about it, but seeing the studio made me want to learn more. When I got home, I was looking on the back of a Dan Fogelberg album and saw a studio listed in Nashville. I called it and asked if they knew of any schools that taught recording engineering. They told me about Belmont and said good luck.” After their first meeting at Belmont, Cole and Maples became good friends, but any dreams they might have entertained of a double-bass rock ’n’ roll attack never came to fruition as they chose different paths in the music business. Maples became a working musician, eventually

in Guitar Center and was there for two hours. Nobody said a word to me. Since that time Guitar Center has actually hired an outside consultant to help them with female customers. They should have hired me!” After their drive-through epiphany, both Cole and Maples became obsessed with opening their own music store, but they were willing to take their time and get it right. “We probably researched for five years putting our plan together,” Maples says. “We visited every music store in the area to see what was working and what wasn’t working.” “The demographic for most music stores is usually guys about 12 to 22 years old,” Cole says. “That’s who buys most instruments so it makes sense that most stores cater to them. But there are a lot of other people who play music, and we decided we wanted to create a store that would be comfortable for everyone. We had so many male friends who were just tired of the poor customer service. For a musician, working at a music shop is often a form of ‘settling.’ They would rather be out on the road playing gigs or recording instead of working in a music store, but for us it was a different story.” Beyond the idea that they could offer an alternative to the usual music store experience, the pair soon realized there was another factor driving their plans. “We talked a lot about how music had changed our lives.” Cole says. “How it had really helped us stay centered even in the crazi-

“”

I said, ‘Someday, someone is going to open a music store that is comfortable for women to go to.’ We looked at each other, and it was like, Oh my gosh, maybe we’re the ones that are supposed to do this! dropping out of college for, as she puts it, “some great gigs and a lot of restaurant work.” Cole graduated from Belmont with a music degree, and worked in music publishing before eventually leaving the business to work with animals as a veterinary assistant and in her own pet-sitting business. Although they had gone their separate ways career-wise, the two friends stayed in touch. Over two decades later, inspiration struck. “We were sitting in the car in a drive-through line talking about our experiences with music stores,” Cole says, “and I said, ‘Someday, someone is going to open a music store that is comfortable for women to go to.’ We looked at each other, and it was like, Oh my gosh, maybe we’re the ones that are supposed to do this!” Both Cole and Maples had many years of experience with the condescension, judgmental appraisals, way-off-base suppositions and unwanted advances that could often accompany a trip to a music shop. “One time I needed a speaker cabinet,” Maples says. “First of all, I had to explain to the salesman that I was actually shopping and that I was a bass player. Then he immediately said, ‘Well, for those small, country gigs you’ll want something like this.’ I had to explain I was in a funk band. I eventually stopped shopping at most of the music stores in Nashville. It was an uncomfortable experience a lot of the time.” “My experience is different,” Cole says, “I was usually just ignored. When we started researching (the idea of opening a music shop) I went 58

THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM Nov | Dec 2014

ness. It felt like it was something we were supposed to do, to give back for what we had been given. The more we researched and the more we thought about it, the more it made sense.” By 2008, Cole and Maples were ready to put their plan into action. With more and more musicians moving across the river, including Cole and Maples, it became apparent the East Side was the place to do so. “We were actually looking in Berry Hill before Guitar Center opened and then we moved to Inglewood,” Cole says. “We thought we might be able to make more money in a different part of town, but the musicians on the Eastside were the people we wanted to support.” Shortly after beginning their search for a location, the house on the corner of Holly and 11th became available. “We had no money, no credit, no nothing,” says Cole. “We didn’t know how we were going to do it, but we kept moving forward. Within two days the house was sold. I was talking to Bret MacFadyen at Art & Invention Gallery, asking him if he felt there was room in part of his space. He mentioned this house, but I told him it was already sold. And he said Tommy Keenum bought it. We knew Tommy, Leigh had been in a band with him. We went to him, said here’s our business plan, and he became our biggest supporter.” Keenum, who lives nearby, bought the property with the intention of refurbishing the former group home as a retail space. With the plan for a music store, the house was renovated specifically for Cole and Maples. In July 2008, Fanny’s House of Music opened its doors for business, taking

its name from the early 70s, pioneering all-female rock band, Fanny. Six weeks later, the worst global recession since World War II began to unfold. “We didn’t have any money and didn’t know what to do,” Cole says. “I always think of that scene in Indiana Jones when he steps off the cliff and that thing rises up to catch him. We just jumped off. We didn’t have hardly anything in the store, which was okay because we didn’t have any customers. No one was buying anything. A friend of ours had some inheritance that helped us get started, but none of the banks were lending money. So in a way, it was a good time to start a business because we never had the huge amount of debt that other people had. We would sit back here and have lunch and wait to hear the ‘ding’ of the door, hoping that someone would come in.” Although Fanny’s may have been low on inventory, the main focus was never meant to be the typical meat locker experience of most music stores, with rows and rows of guitars hanging from the ceiling and a frosty reception until a potential customer can prove themselves worthy of attention. “We didn’t want people to walk in and be overwhelmed by guitars from floor to ceiling,” Maples says. “One kind of guitar in every color imaginable – just same, same, same, same, same, same.” “We just wanted a place that’s comfortable,” Cole says, “a place where you could walk in and not be overwhelmed and over-stimulated with sounds and colors. A place where you would be treated with respect whoever you are and not only be allowed to play an instrument, be encouraged to play no matter your skill level.” In addition to the friendly atmosphere, Fanny’s hit the ground running with a full schedule of music classes. Maples oversaw the bulk of the lesson program with a few musician friends working on a contract basis for additional classes. Another unique feature was Fanny’s selection of vintage clothing and antiques, supplied by outside dealers who sold their goods on consignment. Prominently visible when one entered the store, the vintage goods drove the point home that this was not your typical music store. “The community embraced us right away because of the lesson program,” Cole says. “That and the clothing made us different, and we were getting a little money from both of those and the accessories [guitar strings, etc.]. Pretty soon people started bringing in instruments to sell on consignment. We were just month to month for the first two years. Every month got better. It just continued to grow and get better, we continued on.” “We never thought it wasn’t going to work,” Maples adds. “I didn’t want to entertain that thought.” For the first two years, Cole and Maples were running the store seven days a week. By the third year, their revenues had increased to the point that they were able to hire their first part-time employees. Business got even better when they gained a very popular and powerful ally — country-pop superstar Taylor Swift. “Taylor came by a few times and then mentioned the shop in a list of places she likes to shop,” Cole says. “Then she did an interview here in the shop with Parade magazine. Since those stories are on the Internet, people are still discovering us through them. Every week a young girl will come in with her mom just to see where Taylor Swift was. She signed a poster on one of our lesson rooms, and tourists come in and have to have their picture taken with the poster.” “They say things like, ‘Taylor touched this doorknob!’” Maples adds. “The influx of tourists because of the press that East Nov | Dec 2014

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The mural painted by local artist Scott Guion which now resides on the side of Fanny’s House of Music.

Nashville has received has been amazing,” Cole says. “I’ve lived in Nashville 32 years, and I’ve never seen anything like what’s happening now. Saturdays are mostly tourists and not a lot of sales, but that’s cool, too. It’s absolutely, completely different from the early days. We have so many people from other countries that come in the door. Just the other day I sold a guitar to a guy from Brazil. Some people came in from Iceland two days ago, and I gave a harmonica away to someone from Italy.” “She gives away too many things,” Maples says. “It’s true I do,” Cole says with a smile and a shrug of her shoulders.

n addition to the parade of tourists, Fanny’s also stays busy with sales of a variety of vintage and new instruments. Continuing the vintage theme, Fanny’s carries only two lines of new guitars, Recording King and Loar. Both are based on the classic, pre-WWII designs of Martin and Gibson guitars. Fanny’s also specializes in finding the right guitar for each individual, a level of personal service not found at most music shops.

THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM Nov | Dec 2014

“I love to match the right guitar with the right customer,” Cole says. “A lot of dads will buy guitars for their daughters. They’ll get a dreadnought guitar because they try it and it sounds good to them, but a girl or even a young boy can hardly get their arm over it. That’s why we carry a number of smaller guitars.” Fanny’s extensive program of music lessons has also grown over the last five years with approximately 50 students enrolled in weekly, personalized classes for guitar, bass, drums, piano and many other instruments. Fanny’s also offers a single parent discount and has a small scholarship program, endowed by local musicians. “Our lesson programs are less rigid than many programs,” Maples says. “They’re guided more by the wants of individual students than any set program. There’s about a 70/30 split between kids and adults. We have lots of adults that come in to learn piano again that had mean teachers when they were kids. We constantly see the awkward child, or the don’t-fit-in adult come here and find a place where they do fit.” In addition to Cole and Maples, Fanny’s currently has five part-time

“

I love to match the right guitar with the right customer

”

employees, all of who are musicians themselves. To avoid “settling syndrome” Cole and Maples work with their employees to give them extended time-off for touring or other music work. “We know that’s what they want to do, and we’re very supportive of them,” Cole says. “I’m not sure a lot of bosses would be that way, but we want to hire people that fully understand our mission.” As a celebration of their survival, growth and success, Cole and Maples commissioned a special mural for the side of Fanny’s facing 11th Street. Painted by local artist Scott Guion, and unveiled in March of this year, it’s a loving portrait of the house itself with a variety of influential women guitarists picking and performing on the porch, in the lawn, and even on the roof. The dream band includes: Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Maybelle Carter, Joan Jett, Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn, Joan Baez, Joni Mitchell, Bonnie Raitt, Memphis Minnie, Kitty Wells, Barbara Lynn, Carol Kaye and Suzi Quatro. Also included is Eulene Cole, Pamela Cole’s mother, with her 1948 Harmony Gene Autry guitar. “Scott insisted that my mom be in the painting or he wouldn’t do it,” Cole says. The portrait is drawn from a 1948 photo of Cole’s mother that hangs proudly by the front door, next to a portrait of Maples’ mom, Janie Maples, as an Oxford, Mississippi University High School majorette in 1948. It’s a tribute to two women who continue to serve as inspirations to their daughters, who in turn are passing on that inspiration to others. As for the future, both Cole and Maples know that the Eastside boom is sure to bring competition. “We’ve been lucky to have been the only dog over here, but we know that will change,” Cole says. “But we think we can keep growing, and if other music stores do come in, we’ll be able to compete.” “Something really cool happens here every day,” Cole says. “We’re so lucky to be doing what we love. Granted we’re tired as hell. Running a small business is not easy, but women players often tell us there’s no place like this anywhere. And for the boys that are taking lessons from Leigh, they will never question whether a woman can or should play guitar or bass, because they learned how to play from a woman.” “Guys want to be comfortable too,” Maples adds. “People walk in, find a friendly atmosphere and you hear that sigh of contentment — mission accomplished.” With that mission carried out every day, the future for Fanny’s House of Music looks bright — even without the rows and rows of guitars, walls of gadgets, and the standard issue long-haired dude sitting in the corner playing the guitar solo from “Stairway to Heaven.” “And even if one does show up,” Cole says with a smile, “that’s all right, he’s welcome to play too — for a little bit, just not all day.” Nov | Dec 2014

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THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM Nov | Dec 2014

TO CHOOSE or NOT TO CHOOSE? Is that the question for East Nashville’s schools? By Timothy C. Davis Nov | Dec 2014

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icture it: two rowdy camps clad in brightly colored T-shirts, on opposing sides of the gymnasium, raising cain and seeing who can drown the other out. Whispered gossip and sideways glances in the hallways. Vague statements delivered in private moments expressing a fundamental distrust for those in charge. Sounds like the trappings of a typical day for a student of one of Metro Nashville’s Public Schools, right? Alas, it’s not the kids we’re talking about here. It’s their parents. At press time, even the principals involved — and no, we don’t mean those of the school variety — don’t seem to know where anything stands with the much-publicized plan to improve the performance of East Nashville’s public schools. And the one person who might be able to clear up the confusion, Jesse Register, MNPS’s Director of Schools, doesn’t seem to be chiming in much as of late, thanks to early-and-often pushback on his his ideas. Which are not part of a preconceived, already-in-place “plan,” according to multiple public statements by Register. Which is baloney, say his detractors. At the heart of the debate is what to do with East Nashville public schools — specifically, those in the Maplewood and Stratford clusters, which include 15 so-called “priority schools,” which are schools which grade out as being in the the bottom five percent in the state in academic achievement as measured by the state’s Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP), a timed, multiple-choice test. Register says he has a plan to fix these schools. Register’s detractors, like the folks in East Nashville United (they’re the ones in the Stratford STEM High School orange T-shirts) say that’s just the problem: that he has a plan

already, despite his many protestations to the contrary, and despite his many meetings with parents and administrators at many of the schools that would be affected, he’s already got his mind made up and is charging ahead with a charter-school-heavy fix. The Carolina blue T-shirt clad group would be East Nashville Believes, whose slogan (“Choice Equals Power”) is also their Web site’s name. They’re a newer group, and first came to the attention of ENU when the latter showed up at a Metro School Board meeting only to find a slew of folks in light blue taking up most all of the available seats. The group’s rapid (not to mention quiet) formation and impressive show of force quickly got tongues wagging. “I would be interested in knowing who is funding East Nashville Believes and where the majority of their members live,” says MNPS School Board member Amy Frogge (District 9). “Some ENB members who have corresponded with me via social media said they came to our last board meeting to support a new lease for RePublic Charter Schools, and only one of the three RePublic charter schools is located in East Nashville. Others said they lived in Hermitage and Donelson. The ENB parents and students who spoke at our board meeting were sincere and thoughtful, and I believe we should always listen carefully to parent and student voices. However, while I am sympathetic to concerns raised by ENB parents, I think the conversation about the future of East Nashville schools should primarily involve those who live in the area or go to school there. The tactics used by the organizers of ENB seemed similar to those used by the Tennessee Charter School Center, which has different interests and a different focus than just East Nashville schools. The conversation should be about East Nashville, and by [East Nashville].” “I arrived at the board’s central office at 3:45pm on October 14 prior to the 5:00pm

THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM Nov | Dec 2014

board meeting, and found that it was already mostly full of students and adults in blue shirts,” says School Board member Jill Speering (District 3). “I had no idea who this group was, or what they believed in. Because I had attended all but one of Dr. Register’s East Nashville community meetings, I was totally surprised that a new group had sprung up from [apparently] nowhere. It was interesting that no one represented this group’s viewpoints during the series of community meetings held at the priority schools in East Nashville. ENB seems to align itself with Dr. Register’s original East Nashville plan announced on September 9, and from the letters I’ve received, ENB appears to consist of many parents who send their children to charter schools. On the night of October 14, I saw several charter school teachers and administrators wearing the blue shirts. During public comments at the October 14 meeting, Dr. Register appeared to nod often in agreement with many comments made by ENB, whereas he often looked down during comments made by representatives of ENU.” District 7 School Board member Will Pinkston, a longtime thorn in Register’s side, says simple arithmetic (of the 2 + 2 = 4 variety) leads him to believe similarly. “A few months ago, Dr. Register abandoned his longstanding criticism of charter schools and aligned himself with the charter movement in the interest of political expediency. The East Nashville Believes crowd appears to be comprised of parents from Nashville Classical charter school and a handful of others who have been organized and funded by the Tennessee Charter School Center, which is helping Dr. Register map out his plan to destabilize schools in East Nashville. It’s hard to imagine there isn’t at least an indirect connection between the Register camp and East Nashville Believes.” Katie Rizzone of East Nashville Believes says

her group’s origins aren’t altogether different than those of ENU, saying the group formed to fill a perceived need, and to make sure all sides of the issue were studied. “We did not set out to create an organization,” Rizzone says. “Our movement began with the op-ed that my wife and I wrote [“Improve schools for ALL East Nashville kids,” Katie and Kathryn Rizzone, The Tennessean, Oct. 9], which resonated with many families who felt that their voices were not being included in the conversation about East Nashville schools. We gathered at the school board meeting [on Oct. 14] to share diverse voices and in doing so realized that there was a collective energy to do more. We are a strong group of parents, unified by our guiding principles and advocating for the dramatic change and urgency that we believe is necessary to improve the quality of educational delivery for all. We are completely parent-driven and funded.” And, it would seem, largely from areas other than East Nashville. ENB’s attendees spoke almost exclusively about the benefits of charter schools at the Oct. 14 meeting, taking a “choose or lose” stance — which is more or less inline with Register’s previous public comments on the issue. Register’s reorganization plan — if there is indeed one — for the two clusters has always included charter schools, if couched with the “choice” descriptive instead. It also includes closing some schools, and using the students from these schools to re-populate other schools. But which schools will become what, or which might be on the chopping block, remains unknown. As part of Register’s “all choice zone,” parents will be required to choose where they’ll send their student(s), instead of relying on zoned schools, which are those that serve a certain area or zip code. To ease the fears of those feeling left in the dark by his silence — or at least his reticence to speak directly to those affected — Register

has announced that he’s forming a 20-plus member task force to study the issue. Mind you, they’re folks loyal to him for the most part, but Register notes that a community task force is in the works as well, which will include parents, teachers, and administrators. Many are still skeptical. “After serving more than two years on the Nashville School Board, I can say with some authority that Dr. Register’s style is to make decisions with limited input and then try to build community support after the fact,” says Pinkston. “It’s incredibly frustrating for board members who value real community engagement and input. I wouldn’t be optimistic that any ‘task force’ will result in a substantively different proposal from the Central Office.” I asked Speering and Pinkston if Register had backed away at all from his “all-choice” idea as some have intimated, and, if so, how the plan might be changing. “I don’t see that he’s come around,” says Speering. “I believe he is still considering a choice plan, possibly closing at least one school and converting one of East Nashville schools to a KIPP (Knowledge Is Power Program) charter.” “So far, Dr. Register seems to be sticking to his ‘all-choice’ concept,” says Pinkston. “However, he has yet to offer any evidence that all-choice will lead to improvement. In fact, there’s an abundance of evidence across the country that too much choice destabilizes schools and communities. Moreover, of the schools on the state’s “priority” list, as many as half of them already offer some level of choice. Choice is not a silver bullet, and what Dr. Register is proposing has the potential to make East Nashville’s schools worse, not better. The Tennessee Charter School Center and its leaders have long wanted to take over East Nashville’s public schools, and Dr. Register is opening the door to that possibility. A forced march toward all-choice will create

a ‘Hunger Games’ situation in which more engaged families will win and students whose families aren’t as engaged could end up without options. Choice can be a powerful tool for driving education improvement when it’s wielded equitably and fairly. When it’s done hastily and recklessly, it can actually do harm to kids and communities.” As you might expect, Rizzone sees things differently. “First of all, there is no mandate,” she says. “Dr. Register presented a proposal — an idea. The fact sheet from the district is on our website. What we are expressing is openness to the allchoice proposal. The key ingredient for choice, however, is quality — and by quality, we mean schools in which every child shows significant academic growth. As the fact sheet describes, 25 of the 27 schools in East Nashville currently have some component of choice. But when many of the schools are low-performing and/or inaccessible to families, that is not real choice. Dr. Register’s proposal offers the potential to dramatically improve the quality of schools and accessibility to them, thus offering equitable choice to all families in East Nashville. “No student under the new proposal would be forced to attend any school — charter, traditional or magnet. We acknowledge the academic gains made by effective charter schools and believe that they should be considered as a possible, but by no means the only, option for increasing the number of high-quality schools. Under the current system, many students have no choice but to attend failing schools.” In an email, I asked Register directly if he’d “backed away at all from, for lack of a better term, the ‘all-choice’ mandate” for the Maplewood and Stratford clusters. “No,” he responded. “We believe all children in East Nashville deserve equitable choice. Forty percent of [the students] in East Nashville already exercise choice. The way we do choice now,

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parents have to provide transportation to and from school if they choose a school other than their zoned school. For many families, that cuts out nearly all the options available to them. For example, families in the Cayce homes might be able to apply to a school like Lockeland or Dan Mills, but without a car, how do they get there every day? Our idea is to give all kids school bus transportation to any school they choose in the cluster so they can make the choices that are best for them. East Nashville is a small, compact geographic area, so we feel like we can do that pretty easily.” This seems to imply that the folks at Cayce don’t have cars, which appears contrary to the fact that on a casual drive through Cayce homes one can observe plenty of parking areas filled with cars. Not to mention it ignores the fact that any student attending a Metro Public School can ride an MTA bus for free. “We’re not doing away with zoned schools,” Register goes on to say. “If a family is zoned for Dan Mills or Glenn and wants to stay there, they will have a guaranteed seat at that school. What we’re really talking about is doing away with default school assignments. So instead of automatically being enrolled at Dan Mills because you live across the street, you have to make an active choice and tell us you want to go to Dan Mills. We’d like for everyone’s first choice to be their neighborhood schools. We need to strengthen the neighborhood schools so people feel good about sending their children there.”

Even so, it’s likely that, under the new plan, choosing to attend one’s zoned school will require filling out a “choice” application with the requesite photo ID, birth certificate, and proof of residency. No big deal if one has a computer and internet access at home, since the applications must be filled out online. Register has said he still wants the matter settled by January 2015. Many folks — most notably those from East Nashville United — think the timetable is way too accelerated, especially seeing that MNPS’s per-pupil expenditure of over $10,000 per year means the two clusters represent an almost $100 million entity. There’s also this to consider: Register recently announced that he’s retiring at the end of the school year (although he notes he will stay on for a year in a consultant role). This disclosure has led many to wonder aloud if Register’s impending retirement has had anything to do with the accelerated timetable. “At the community meeting at Neely’s Bend Middle School, Dr. Register shared that when he first came to MNPS, the board had previously passed a student assignment plan that he inherited,” says Speering. “Before he accepted the superintendent’s position, he had to ask himself if he could follow this plan. I interpreted this to mean that a plan passed by the board prior to his arrival caused him a certain amount of angst. I believe that the board job of hiring the next Director of Schools could be confounded

THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM Nov | Dec 2014

by passing an East Nashville plan that lacks buy in from the director of schools who will responsible for its implementation.” Will Pinkston thinks it may simply being a matter of saving face — not by Register, per se, but by the Central Office as a whole. “Management’s ostensible reason for making changes before January is to give affected families time to plan in advance of the 2015-16 school year,” he says. “Ordinarily, that would be a sound rationale. The only problem is, community engagement around these low-performing schools could have and should have started months, if not years, ago. It’s not like the Central Office didn’t know there were problems in these schools. The only thing that changed is that they’re now showing up on the State’s ‘priority’ list and management is trying to appear responsive.” “I believe the urgency is based on beating Achievement School District to the punch,” says Jai Sanders of East Nashville United and a vocal parent at and for Inglewood Elementary, a school that has been named as a KIPP candidate. “I don’t believe MNPS wants to lose control of any more schools to that moderately successful and highly controversial organization. Taken independently, the retirement announcement is not interesting. But taken in light of the [socalled] Third Way Plan or East Nashville Plan [of Register’s], it becomes a very interesting C O N T I N U E D O N PAG E 1 0 6

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Left to Right: Brad Edwards, Gary Fletcher, Josh Inocalla, D.J. Buckley, Chad Riden, Brett Cantrell, Daniel Swinney, Dusty Slay, Mary Jay Berger, Ben Sawyer

LAUGH East Sideâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s growing comedy scene is cause for applause

THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM Nov | Dec 2014

“

robably true: When Brett Cantrell stumbled onto The East Room’s stage in bulky thrifted rollerblades and commenced pirouetting to Alphaville’s “Forever Young” recently, it was a first for the East Nashville performance space. Definitely true: It was weird and hilarious, which, as part of the weekly Spiffy Squirrel Comedy Show, was certainly the point. East Nashville’s not always weird and hilarious on purpose. But with a spate of recurring live comedy shows popping up and sticking around in the neighborhood over the past few years — from the monthly Laugh Cycle open mics at the Family Wash to Jokers Abbey shows at Smokers Abbey — our side of the river has been steadily becoming, if not a hotbed for comedy, at least a vibrant proving ground and destination for it. For comics and comedy fans in town, East Nashville’s growth as a stand-up hub is cause for applause — it’s bringing steady stage time to local stand-ups, welcoming stops for touring names and broader entertainment options for those of us who hate crossing the river and love having first-rate performers right in our backyard. “[Massively popular touring comedian]

Tig Notaro came through and did a tour stop at The East Room [last year], and people were going apeshit,” says Chad Riden, East Sider, longtime Nashville comic, Spiffy Squirrel host and the typing fingers behind NashvilleStandUp.com. “It’s like, ‘She’s here!’ Somebody of her caliber of talent or fame

of the East Side, a town that once had minimal open-mic options now offers newcomer and rising comedians ample opportunities for testing, development and all-important practice. For Kate Spellman, who first started taking Nashville stand-up stages earlier this year, the shows with open mics have been a source of encouragement and a portal into a welcoming local comedy community. “I think I’ve been sticking with it because there’s such a growing scene around East Nashville,” she says. “People were really nice to me when I first started coming out. They were like, ‘Hey, you should keep coming out — it is really hard, but you’ll get better and better each time you do it.’ We’re always encouraging new people to come out and give it a try. After open mics, we’ll go out and get a drink and be, ‘Hey, this was a really good joke that you did — here’s another tag for it.’ Stuff like that.” For folks on the booking side of things, that community and camaraderie has made a marked difference in local comic quality. East Room head Ben Jones has been booking comedy shows at his Gallatin Avenue

It used to be us comics in a room together, laughing or not laughing at each other.

level could come to Zanies or The High Watt or whatever, and people would enjoy it and go, but people wouldn’t be losing their shit that she was actually in their neighborhood. People here have bumper stickers with the zip code on it. It’s stupid, but I think it’s awesome.” Also awesome: the fact that, with the rise

THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM Nov | Dec 2014

Where to see

club for a year and change, and he’s seen big growth in both talent and reception. “I noticed there was this community of comedians — there’s a lotta inside jokes, and they knew each other pretty well, and they’re constantly talking to each other, giving each other advice,” he says, “and I wondered … is this detrimental to them getting better, because there’s this safety in numbers and everybody patting each other on the back? Is that better or worse than having competition between each other? They’ve said and they’ve proven, I think, that the community aspect has been better. I’ve seen it. There’s probably about 15 comedians who went from seeming promising to I think legitimately great.” The “legitimately great” talent is slowly and steadily pumping up the crowds, too. “That used to not be a thing,” comic Paulina Combow, who cohosts the monthly Comedy Pug Hugs show at Mad Donna’s, says with a giggle. “It used to be us comics in a room together, laughing or not laughing at each other.” Pug Hugs partner Mary Jay Berger agrees. “The quality’s increased, so now people are like, ‘Oh, we can sit through a mic.’” It’s not just that shows exist, that they’re steady, and good, and somewhat plentiful. There’s something uniquely East Nashville

LIVE COMEDY In East Nasvhille

COMEDY PUG HUGS WHEN: 7:30 p.m., last

KAMIKAZE KITTEN DIVE BAR COMEDY SHOW

Thursday of every month WHERE: Mad Donna’s’ MD Loft, 1313 Woodland St. ADMISSION: $5 DETAILS: A monthly variety show cohosted by local comics Paulina Combow and Mary Jay Berger, Pug Hugs nights offer stand-up, storytelling, sketch comedy and more funny stuff.

WHEN: 8:30 p.m., second Wednesday of every month WHERE: Dino’s, 411 Gallatin ADMISSION: FREE DETAILS: NashvilleStandUp’s Chad Riden hosts this mix of local and touring comics, which also features short “bucket” spots for comics in the house who’d like to take the stage.

FEVER DREAM COMEDY

LAUGH CYCLE OPEN MIC

WHEN: 9:30 p.m., second

Sunday of each month

WHERE: Foobar Too, 2511 Gallatin

ADMISSION: FREE

DETAILS: Daniel Swinney hosts and brings

in a handpicked collection of local comics, starting up when Spiffy Squirrel lets out at The East Room.

FRIENDS & FRIENDS

WHEN: 9 p.m., second Thursday (just about) every month WHERE: The Family Wash, 2038 Greenwood Ave. ADMISSION: FREE DETAILS: Daniel Swinney hosts this one, too, offering up the Wash stage to comics for five-minute sets.

LUXURY PRESTIGE III

WHEN: semiregularly; keep an eye on

Facebook.com/TheEastRoom and/or www.corporatejuggernaut.com WHERE: The East Room, 2412 Gallatin ADMISSION: FREE DETAILS: From busy comedy-booking collective Corporate Juggernaut, a showcase of talented local folks focused on laughing “about friends and those friends’ friends!”

HOPEFULLY FUNNY OPEN MIC COMEDY

WHEN: 6:30 p.m., every Thursday WHERE: Cult Fiction Underground,

1048 E. Trinity Ln. ADMISSION: FREE DETAILS: Local comedian Josh Inocalla hosts this weekly gathering, which features four- to five-minute sets from participating comics.

WHEN: 7 p.m., every third Friday WHERE: The East Room, 2412 Gallatin

ADMISSION: $3 Details: Definitely not your average comedy show — participants produce original live sketch comedy and short films, and audience members vote on the best.

SPIFFY SQUIRREL

WHEN: 7:30 to 9 p.m., every Sunday WHERE: The East Room, 2412 Gallatin

ADMISSION: $5 Details: Longstanding local comic Chad Riden also hosts this weekly showcase of hometown and touring comics.

ULTIMATE COMEDY OPEN MIC

JOKER’S ABBEY COMEDYSHOW

WHEN: 7:30 p.m., first Saturday of every month WHERE: Smokers Abbey, 604 Gallatin, Suite 102

ADMISSION: FREE

DETAILS: BYOB and BYOC (buy your own

cigars) at this monthly local showcase at East Side cigar emporium Smokers Abbey, hosted by Ben Sawyer.

WHEN: 8:30 p.m., every Tuesday WHERE: The East Room, 2412 Gallatin

ADMISSION: FREE

DETAILS: Comics each take four to five

minutes at the mic; comedian Brad Edwards hosts and house band The Grey Grays (comedians Sean Parrot and Gary Fletcher) provide musical accompaniment.

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THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM

MUST-SEE NASHVILLE COMICS

According to NashvilleStandup’s Chad Riden SEAN PARROTT

DUSTY SLAY

A very funny comedian and an incredibly talented musician who has released several albums of outstanding material, both under his name and as part of The Dead Dead. He performs as half of the Ultimate Comedy open mic house band The Grey Grays, and has written and performed an impressive amount of sketch comedy both on stage and for podcasts such as Happy Birthday Gary and The Mangy Dog Radio Hour Whoop-Dee-Doo on ComedyPodcast.com. His body of work as a stand-up includes stories of frustration stemming from working as a barista and elaborate mini one-man plays that bring to life fantasy courtroom-drama scenarios involving oldtimey Southern lawyers who are aware of the fact that their reality is “inside a joke.”

Dusty recently moved to Nashville from Charleston, S.C., where he developed a dry, laid-back delivery, which couples nicely with a soothing, deep Southern voice and very clever and relatable, mostly TVfriendly material. He tells stories of coming from a trailer park environment, having divorced parents, working as a waiter, and making fun of people’s inappropriate choice of words. His new album, Makin’ That Fudge, was recorded right here in Nashville and is a fun hour of ordinary topics discussed in a unique, funny way.

SEANISOK.COM

MICHAEL HAMPTON

FACEBOOK.COM/MICHAEL.HAMPTON.967

A delightful weirdo whose nervous, nerdy, jittery persona complements his bizarre, surrealist, meta material. Michael is an artist and filmmaker associated with the Watkins community and his stand-up comedy sets are relatively infrequent, but always eagerly anticipated. His biracial heritage gives him the freedom and insight to explore topics and feelings that might otherwise have gone unsaid, but that doesn’t mean his material is for shock value… Expect lighthearted silliness mixed with a lot of moments that make you wonder, “Is this guy real?” Yes. He is real and he is hilarious.

MARY JAY BERGER

TWITTER.COM/MARYJAYBERGER

She’s quickly become a local favorite around Nashville’s comedy scene, telling stories of being a new mom (she has four beloved ducks), being a substitute teacher with no intention of ever teaching full time, and being kicked out of a Titanic museum for her outspoken shenanigans. Mary is the type of person who can’t stand when something everybody is thinking isn’t being voiced audibly, which, when mixed with an absolute refusal to tolerate rudeness often leads to sudden outbursts which are hilarious when retold on stage. She coproduces the Comedy Pug Hugs monthly comedy variety show and performs stand-up almost every night, rarely missing any opportunity to develop her material. 72

DUSTYSLAY.COM

D.J. BUCKLEY

FACEBOOK.COM/DENNIS.S.BUCKLEY

D.J. is a ridiculous master of puns and goofiness. He is also overly eager to take his shirt off on stage and was the only person who just couldn’t NOT be a part of this year’s “Underwear Show” at Spiffy Squirrel. His topics range from the afterlife to texting and driving to dating a ventriloquist. DJ is incredibly fun to watch, partially because he physically cannot stop smiling. This could be due to his high sugar intake but it might also be because there’s always something silly churning in his funny brain.

CHAD RIDEN CHADRIDEN.COM

Chad Riden’s comedy is about his chaotic reality. His last few years have featured bankruptcy, divorce, foreclosure and the best shows of his life. Riden tells self-incriminating stories of being a “recidivist vigilante instrument of karma” that embarrasses his daughter and makes everybody else shake their heads and laugh and/or contact the authorities.

THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM Nov | Dec 2014

that both comics and club owners are seeing — an openness, an enthusiasm, a refreshing lack of the sensibility, as Riden says, of people “being subjected to comedy. Comedy happening to them. At them.” “They’re comedy fans for sure,” Combow says of East Side crowds. “Whereas when we would do bar shows [elsewhere] it’s like, ‘Oh, people are there to drink and you’re interrupting them.’ Here, people actually do come to see us. And then they have the option to get beer.” East Nashville’s openness to testing and experimentation feeds the scene’s growth, too. “People are more receptive to stuff here, and it can be more experimental, and that’s good,” Riden says, “because that’s how you figure it out. When you’re just starting, these guys don’t always know their voice yet, they don’t understand who they are as people let alone comics. So I just tell them, ‘Write whatever you can, it doesn’t matter, you’re not locked into some image because you’re trapped in a sitcom on NBC at 8:30.’ ... And they feel comfortable taking risks. I would say that East Nashville contributes to the comfort there.” Perhaps not coincidentally, Nashville has steadily begun drawing in working comics from other cities, many of whom regularly take East Side stages to test new stuff and shape up sets. Dusty Slay, whose new Makin’ That Fudge album was recorded live at Logue’s Black Raven Emporium, moved here from South Carolina, while Ron Placone came in from Pittsburgh, and Bubba Bradley moved over from out west. As a home base — with at least 10 decentsized cities within a 10-hour driving distance — Nashville makes a lot of sense for touring performers of any ilk. And as East Nashville grows as a comedy corner — whatever it is that’s fueling it — the neighborhood is making more and more sense as a comedy home base within a home base. “I really think it’s out of selfishness, more than anything,” Riden says of the blooming East Nashville comedy show scene (and, as it happens, of his own series of regular East Side shows). “I feel like a lot of people feel that way: ‘I don’t want to leave the neighborhood.’ There’s cool stuff here. If I ever have to go to Green Hills, something’s fucked.”

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THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM Nov | Dec 2014

Photograph by Chuck Allen

D A Mansion inTHE

‘HOOD

Riverwood Mansion opens its doors to the Arts BY RANDY FOX

ebbie Sutton has a very precise memory of her first glimpse of the grand Inglewood mansion known as Riverwood. “It’s was November 13, 1999,” Sutton says, “and I was catering a wedding at Riverwood. I walked through the front door and it was, ‘Oh my gosh!’ I looked at my husband and said, ‘One day I will own this place.’” While Sutton doesn’t own Riverwood, she has taken ownership of the Antebellum mansion’s future. Sutton’s catering and events company, 8 Lavender Lane, assumed management of the property in July and has big plans for the future of the more than 200-yearold East Side landmark. With its grand Greek Revival entranceway, original hardwood floor parlors, black Egyptian marble fireplaces and the added, modern pavilion — Riverwood Mansion has hosted many corporate events, holiday parties, and weddings since it opened as a private events venue in 1997. While the private events and weddings will continue, Sutton says that her team’s mission is to expand the scope of events held in the mansion and on the surrounding eight acres. “I’ve always felt a connection with the property and felt it could do great things,” Sutton says. “I love all realms of art, and I think we have so much to offer with it. We want to take it from a weekend private events venue to a seven days a week arts and events venue. We want to offer a variety of fun things, both public and private — pop-up dinners, chefs’ forums, art shows, music events, educational field trips, luncheons, holiday parties. We’re partnering with other groups to find the right events because we want to maintain the integrity of the mansion, its history, appearance, and the grandness of it all.” The history of Riverwood is a grand one indeed. Irish immigrant and businessman Alexander Porter built the oldest sections of the house in the late 1790s, less than two decades after the founding of Nashville. Built as the main house of a 2,500-acre plantation on the banks of the Cumberland River, the original structure was a two-story, brick, Federal-style home. Porter named the house and grounds Tammany Woods in honor of his family home in Ireland. In the 1820s, Porter built a second structure in front of the original house. Tammany Woods’ transformation into a grand mansion occurred in 1850 under the ownership of Alexander Porter’s grandson, Alexander James Porter. A majestic, two-story, Greek Revival style portico supported by six Corinthian columns was added to the house along with additional rooms, transforming it into one of the grandest mansions in pre-Civil War Nashville. Many experts believe that noted architect William Strickland, best known for his design of the Tennessee State Capitol, designed these additions. In 1859, prominent jurist William Frierson Cooper purchased the property and renamed it Riverwood. Cooper and his descendants controlled Riverwood for over a century, making further additions and changes to the house while it continued as one of Nashville grandest homes. When Cooper, a bachelor, died in 1909, ownership of the property was divided into five lots, with his brother Duncan Brown Cooper inheriting the portion containing Riverwood Mansion. Duncan’s daughter, Sarah, and her husband Dr. Lucius Burch, dean of the Vanderbilt University Medical School, inherited Riverwood in 1922. Under the ownership of the Burches, Riverwood became a locus for Nashville’s high society. The Burches’ annual Christmas parties were considered the crown jewel of Nashville’s social calendar with hundreds of people attending the all-day event. One knew they “had arrived” socially when they received one of the lifetime invitations to Riverwood’s Christmas Nov | Dec 2014

THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM

soirees. After the death of her husband in 1959, Sarah Burch sold much of the property surrounding Riverwood to housing developers in order to pay debts, but she retained ownership of the mansion and eight acres of land, living there until her death in 1975 at age 98. After the death of Sarah Burch, Riverwood sat vacant for almost two decades. Ownership passed through two local physicians, both of whom planned to restore the grand mansion, but were unable to do so. Joe and Jackie Glynn purchased the property in 1994. They

immediately began work on restoring the home and transforming it into a private events venue, officially reopening to weddings and other events three years later. Riverwood’s history has included a long roster of notable guests including Presidents Andrew Jackson, James K. Polk, Franklin Pierce, Andrew Johnson, Grover Cleveland, Theodore Roosevelt, and William Howard Taft. But perhaps the most interesting guest is the one that remained with the house through the decades: The Lady in Gray.

William Cooper was the first owner of Riverwood to report the occasional appearance of a mysterious, silent feminine figure dressed in gray who was seen flitting up and down the stairs or joining guests in the parlors and bedrooms of the house. Two possible stories have been offered for the origin of the ghostly apparition. Some believe The Lady in Gray is the spirit of Mary Watson Porter, the former mistress of the mansion who passed away in 1860 shortly after her husband sold the property to William Cooper. Others say it is the spirit of a former visitor to Riverwood who died broken-hearted at the mansion after learning her betrothed was killed in a logging accident. Whichever story one chooses to believe, the spirit still makes the rounds of Riverwood. “We were recently meeting with a client,” Sutton says. “He was standing near the

“

I just love this I love the

Photograph by Chuck Allen

THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM Nov | Dec 2014

staircase when he suddenly went white. He said, ‘I would normally never admit this to anyone, but something just ran up the staircase. It was a gray shadow.’ We just kind of laughed it off, but at the same moment one of the staff left her office to go to the break room and when she got back, the office door was closed and locked. And no one ever locks that door.” Despite the occasional overzealous locking of doors, The Lady in Gray seems to be adjusting to the recent changes at Riverwood. With the ambitious plans for changing the branding of Riverwood and a busy events schedule, the staff at the Mansion has grown from five to fifteen fulltime employees, including head of marketing Matt Wilson. “We have so much talent on our team,” Wilson says, “because every one of us brings something different to the table. We’re working

on creating events that have never been done in Nashville. In September we held our first public event, opening the house and grounds to the neighborhood. Over 500 people showed up on a Monday. We had food tastings, sample cocktails from SPEAKeasy Distillery and tours of the mansion.” “So many neighbors had great stories,” Debbie Sutton says. “It was very touching how many people had personal family memories of the house. We want to open the property up to neighbors to use the lawn for a picnic or to walk through with your dog. We’re also planning to launch regular public events on the lawn like yoga, various art events, and gospel recitals.” With Sutton’s focus on fine food, it’s no surprise that culinary events will remain a prominent feature at Riverwood. In keeping

“

C O N T I N U E D O N PAG E 1 0 8

property. I love the house. history behind the house.

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Medicine MEN

On Breaking The Model, New Medicine is ‘bringin’ you the rock’

Story by Daryl Sanders Photography by Eric England

n a laid-back, overcast Saturday afternoon in early October, New Medicine’s charismatic lead singer Jake Scherer is sitting in the living room of the house in East Nashville he shares with his bandmates. He’s chilling with two of them — lead guitarist Dan Garland and bassist Kyle LeBlanc — and talking about the band’s current release, Breaking the Model, which dropped at the end of August.

On this fall afternoon, the band is enjoying a short break during a series of tour dates in support of the album which will run until the end of the year. Thus far, they’re happy with the response to the record. The lead single, “One Too Many,” a cautionary tale of excess cowritten by Sherer, Garland and Karl Gronwall, hit the Top 40 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock chart and is knocking on the door of the Top 40 on Mediabase’s Active Rock chart. Breaking The Model is the band’s second album, their first for the Washington D.C.-based indie label Imagen Records. It was produced and engineered by Kevin Kadish, who is currently in the spotlight as the producer and cowriter of Meghan Trainor’s No. 1 smash pop hit, “All About That Bass.” Kadish helped the band expand the scope of their sound. The record’s 11 tracks range from wrenching rock ballads to balls-to-the-walls headbangers, and include “Like A Rose,” a song cowritten by Scherer and Kadish that was first released by Meatloaf on his 2010 album, Hang Cool Teddy Bear. New Medicine’s arrangement of the song is much harder hitting. A line in the album’s title track speaks volumes about the band’s music and their defiant attitude: “My music isn’t made for the three-piece suit/ It’s for angry kids up in the mosh pit, dude.” “We’re rebelling against the norms of society,” says Scherer, who cofounded New Medicine with Garland in 2009. “You don’t have to go to college, and go work in a cubicle, and do the normal thing. You can be in a band, and be punk rock, and live in the moment. It’s not so much about getting fucked up, as it is about living in the moment and having fun. You’re only young once and you don’t want to waste it.”

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The band comes by its rebellious attitude honestly. Garland and Scherer grew up with chips on their shoulders as relatively poor kids in the ultra-affluent Minneapolis suburb of Orono, a community Scherer calls “privileged isolation.” Continuing, he says, “There’s definitely a frustration when you show up and get dropped off in front of the school and your dad is driving an old, beat-up, piece-of-shit truck, and everybody else’s parents are driving brand new Escalades and Suburbans.” “16-year-old kids would show up on their birthdays with Hummers,” Garland adds. “Or even things like the clothes, the backpacks, or

“There is still a great punk rock scene there,” he continues. “A place called The Triple Rock is run by a punk rock band and all these great bands come in. And First Avenue …” “You get everybody at First Avenue,” Scherer interjects. First Avenue is the famous Minneapolis club featured in the Prince film Purple Rain, and which served as the launching pad for a host of the city’s best-known acts, including The Replacements, Hüsker Dü, Soul Asylum, Semisonic and The Jayhawks. “There’s a huge hip-hop scene up there, too, with Atmosphere, and a lot of that,” Garland adds. “There wasn’t really a lot of rock, but punk rock, hip hop, funk, and then national

“” Dude, wake up, let’s start a band.

the shoes. You just felt a little bit separated, even though we grew up in the community and we would rub shoulders and be friends with people that were more privileged. I’d be like, ‘Everyone’s wearing these shoes, I want a pair of those.’ And Dad would be like, ‘Well, fuck, I can’t buy you a $200 pair of shoes right now.’” “You feel like you aren’t part of the club,” Scherer concludes. But music gave them an outlet that other kids in similar circumstances didn’t have. “We found a community of other kids like us,” Scherer says. “It wasn’t like every single person was loaded. There was a community of skateboarders and the guys who played guitars in bands in garages. We were part of the counterculture of the school.” Living just outside Minneapolis, Garland and Scherer had access to the city’s historic and still-vibrant music scene, and if you listen closely, you can hear the influence of the city’s music on New Medicine. The band features the basic rock ’n’ roll lineup of two guitars, bass and drums and their heavy brand of Heartland rock is flavored with Minneapolis influences, most notably Prince-style funk, punk rock and hip hop. “I think a big part of growing up in Minneapolis and being so involved in the scene — both Jake and I would go to shows all the time — there’s such a wide variety of music you are exposed to, from obviously Prince, and The Replacements and all the punk rock legends,” Garland says. “So we were always listening to all kinds of music. 80

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acts. I think that’s why we appreciate so many different forms of music.” Garland and Scherer first met when they were in middle school. “We went to school together,” Garland says. “He was one grade younger than me. I remember actually seeing him perform — he must have been in the sixth grade, I was in the seventh grade. I would always see him singing with bands — he had a band in high school that was really cool. “I played guitar and always wanted to be in a band, but I never really had one,” continues the guitarist, who won his first axe, a Fender Squire, in a raffle at the local music store. “Then my senior year, his bandmates were all older and had gone to college. We had a class together, it was first period in the morning — and I’m not good in the morning. I would show up 30 minutes late and would just sleep. I would be drooling on the desk, and Jake would be poking me, ‘Dude, wake up, let’s start a band.’ So I was a senior in high school before I ever actually played in a band. We started playing together and writing songs together my senior year and his junior year.” That was the fall of 2005 and the band they formed was called A Verse Unsung. Within a couple of years, they had attracted the attention of Atlantic Records. Around that same time, Scherer, who is the band’s principal songwriter, began making periodic visits to Nashville. He signed with SESAC as a writer and they set up writing sessions for him with other local rock writers. One of the first people he connected with was songwriter-guitarist

New Medicine (L-R): Kyle LeBlanc, Dylan Wood, Dan Garland and Jake Scherer.

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Elisha Hoffman, and over the next few years, he returned often to write with Hoffman, and with his wife, singer-songwriter Rebecca Lynn Howard. Despite having an offer on the table from Atlantic-affiliated label Photo Finish Records, A Verse Unsung disbanded over creative differences. But Scherer and Garland wanted to continue pursuing music professionally, so they went to work putting together a new band. They added bassist Matt Brady and drummer Ryan Guanzon, and became

New Medicine. “The whole idea is that music is medicine,” Scherer says of the origin of the band’s name. “Music has always been medicine, a healer. When you’re a kid and you’re mad at your parents, you go put Nirvana on in your room. Or if you’re with your friends and you’re partying, you throw on the Beastie Boys and you’re rocking out and singing all the words. Sometimes when you’re sad, you listen to a sad love song and it heals you. So it’s always been healing.”

He pauses, then adds, “Music is kind of the ultimate healer.” Photo Finish/Atlantic was still interested in Scherer and Garland, so New Medicine was able to secure a deal with the label which resulted in the 2010 release Race You To The Bottom. It was during the making of that record in 2009 that Scherer first met Kadish. “When we first signed with Atlantic, they said this is a producer we think you would be good with,” the lead singer recalls. “Kevin and I clicked right away. The first day we wrote together we ended up writing ‘Like A Rose.’” Another song they cowrote at that time was called “Rich Kids,” a pointed commentary on the affluent friends they grew up with in Orono. The band recorded a version of the song with producer Bill Stevenson, but decided they liked the demo of “Rich Kids” they recorded with Kadish better. “We really liked the way we had the song ‘Rich Kids’ with Kevin, so we went and finished out the version he did,” Scherer says. “And that’s the one that’s on the record.” The title track from Race You To The Bottom was released as a single and climbed to No. 19 on the Mainstream Rock chart. “Rich Kids” was released as a follow-up single and made it to No. 31 on the same chart. The album also featured six songs Scherer cowrote with Hoffman, four of which included Howard as a cowriter. On the strength of Race You To The Bottom, New Medicine had the opportunity to perform at venues and festivals across the globe. But near the end of 2012, they got word Atlantic was not going to pick up the option for a second record. Prior to that, Brady and Guanzon had been thinking about leaving the band to pursue other interests and that news prompted them to go ahead and make their move. But Scherer and Garland remained undeterred. “We decided we wanted to do something new, so we moved here early in 2013,” Scherer says. “I’ve always been inspired creatively down here. It was a creative escape for me. Back in Minneapolis, there are so many distractions around family and friends, a lot of distractions mentally. Down here, the only people I knew just did music. And Dan had been down here a couple of times with me and really liked it.” “Like he was saying, it was an escape for us,” Garland adds. “Where we grew up, being a musician for a living is still not really acceptable, but you move to a city like Nashville and everybody gets it.” It didn’t take the pair long to add bassist LeBlanc and drummer Dylan Wood to the lineup. “Dylan was obvious,” Scherer says. “We knew we wanted him. We had seen him play opening up for us on tour, and we were like, ‘Wow, that drummer is awesome.’ C O N T I N U E D O N PAG E 1 0 7

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Photograph by Chuck Allen

“I GOOD NEIGHBORS One Stone Nashville Church is Renovating Neighborhoods and Lives by Randy Fox

wanted to be part of something where only God could get the credit,” Pastor Mark Lancaster says, sitting on the steps of the historic Stainback Avenue building that is now home to the One Stone Nashville Church. “We want to focus on the local community. I’m really passionate about East Nashville and the Cleveland Park neighborhood. I wanted to represent what Cleveland Park represents: racial diversity, old and young. There’s something powerful when we can all come together.” It’s an ambitious and optimistic vision, but also one that is markedly different from the standard operating procedure of many new churches, where a good portion of the focus seems to be growing arena-sized congregations and building church complexes to match. One Stone Nashville is following a different path, one that harks back to the past while also looking to the future: growing a church focused squarely on its local community, a place where the members can easily walk to services each Sunday and work across denominational lines to give back to the community. “Different churches are for different things,” Lancaster says. “People like different worship expressions. I have a great appreciation for that, and I believe all of those expressions are not only valid but very important. Rather than focusing on the way different services look, let’s focus on our commonalities.” In his mid-40s, with a neatly trimmed and graying beard, Pastor Lancaster exudes a heady sanguinity. For Lancaster, renovation is a serious subject, whether he’s talking about an 89-year-old church building, entire neighborhoods or individual lives. Originally from Kalamazoo, Mich., Lancaster grew up deeply immersed in traditional church culture. “My mother was a missionary kid that spent the first 16 years of her life in India. When they moved back to the States, my grandfather planted churches,” Lancaster says, “and my father helped lead singing. So I was always in church.” Lancaster soon learned that a life built around church didn’t immunize one from human failings. “My dad used to slap my mom around a little bit,” Lancaster says, “and about the time I was 9 years old, he had an affair with his secretary. It was devastating to me. My mom remarried about four years later. At first, we seemed like the apple pie family, but no one knew my stepfather was a closet alcoholic who was abusive.” Bouncing between his parents’ homes, Lancaster discovered rock ’n’ roll as a refuge, a

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path his family did not understand. “My dad’s side of the family was convinced I was going to hell in a handbasket because of the music I liked and the way that I looked,” Lancaster says. “I felt the same thing in church. I stayed away from church because I felt judged based on the way I looked. I thought Jesus was cool, but I didn’t care for the people in church.” Over the next few years, Lancaster pursued a career in music. He also found himself locked into a cycle of substance abuse and mutually abusive relationships that continued after he moved to Nashville in 1996. “I had a personal goal of working on Music Row,” Lancaster

“

the meat grinder was never appealing to me. “But in August of 2012,” Lancaster says, “I got a call from a buddy of mine who said, ‘It was impressed upon my heart to call you and tell you that you’re supposed to start a church.’” At first Lancaster marked it down as impossible, but as he began to hear from more friends with similar suggestions, an impossibility soon turned into a conviction. “I told my wife I didn’t know any details, but I was sensing in my heart that I was supposed to start a church in East Nashville. She freaked out. Her whole family used to live here and they all got out of Dodge.”

I knew creating a multicultural church was going to be a tough nut to crack, says. “Six months later I was working at SESAC. My first wife got a development deal with Warner Bros. Records, but after a while, the only thing we had in common was getting drunk and high.” A week after his fourth wedding anniversary, Lancaster’s wife left him, and in just a few weeks, he hit bottom. “I was broken,” Lancaster says. “I was walking around my block crying, and I prayed, ‘God, I don’t care about anything else on the planet. The only thing I need today is a hug. An hour and half later I was at work and a guy walked up to me and said, ‘I came to work early this morning because God spoke to me and said you needed a hug.’ That was the beginning of my life transformation.” Lancaster soon found an alternative to the judgmental atmosphere of the churches of his youth at the interdenominational, charismatic church, GodWhy, based in Hendersonville, Tenn. He soon became a youth minister at GodWhy, eventually leaving his music career behind to focus full-time on the ministry. Lancaster also remarried and started a family with his current wife, Angie, but his journey was not over. “I thought I’d be a lifer working with youth,” Lancaster says. “I never wanted to work with adults. I love working with teens because they still believe you can change the world, and I believe that too. Working with adults who were cynical and jaded because they’ve been through 86

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”

As more signs began to mount, his wife’s initial hesitancy was overcome, and in January 2014, the couple bought a house in the Cleveland Park neighborhood and launched the One Stone Nashville Church with Sunday services at the East Park Community Center. The name was partially inspired by a passage in the Old Testament book of Joshua, in which God instructed the tribes of Israel to build a stone memorial on the banks of the river Jordan. “The fact is that we are all stones being built up,” Lancaster says. “A stone is a monument and a reminder of what God has done and can do.” Since that first service in January, the congregation of One Stone Nashville has grown to about 100. It didn’t take long before an opportunity presented itself for a more permanent home. “I was praying about finding a church building when I saw this property,” Lancaster says. “I drove around the block and could see that the building really wasn’t being used.” The yellow-brick church building at 1101 Stainback Avenue was built in 1925 by the Grace Baptist Church and served as the home for that congregation for over five decades. In 1981, the property was acquired by Grace Apostolic Church, along with the more modern church building at 1100 Lischey Avenue that backs up against the Stainback Avenue C O N T I N U E D O N PAG E 1 0 8

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Cookin IN DA ’ ’HOOD Recipes from East Nashville favorites

BY MELISSA D. CORBIN

3 tbsp butter 1 finely chopped onion 2 minced garlic cloves 5 oz (about 1.5 cup) chopped shitake mushrooms 2 cup vegetable or chicken stock 1 cup whole milk 1/2 cup heavy cream 3 tbsp sherry 1 tsp dried thyme 1/8 tsp cracked black pepper 1/8 tsp salt 3 tsp flour grated nutmeg

f you’ve had a holiday meal in America anytime in the last 70 or so years, there’s a better than average chance at least one of the dishes on the table contained mushroom soup. This ubiquitous ingredient in all manner of holiday offerings probably started it’s life in a can. A Campbell’s Soup can. But it doesn’t have to be that way anymore, because this year our intrepid gastronomic specialist Melissa D. Corbin is serving up a homemade mushroom soup recipe. Are you worried about the extra time it will take during your eleventh hour cooking frenzy? Well, don’t be; you can make batches in advance and pop them in the freezer, where they’ll be as convenient as, er, soup in a can! —the editor

CREAM OF MUSHROOM SOUP M elt butter with thyme and pepper in medium sized sauce pan on high heat. add onion and sauté until soft and glossy. fold in mushrooms, garlic and salt. stir frequently until mushrooms are reduced in size by half. sprinkle flour by the teaspoon and stir for 1 minute. add stock and simmer on low heat for 5 minutes. add milk and cream. stir occasionally to avoid scorching. simmer on low for 10 minutes before adding sherry and nutmeg. continue to simmer 10-15 minutes until desired consistency. Make this in large batches and freeze in 1.5 cup servings. You can thank us later when the last minute holiday potluck invitation hits your inbox.

For a quick weeknight meal, this recipe can be simplified. Once the stock is added, simmer for a minute. Then stir in 1 cup steamed rice or quinoa. Dinner is served! Combine 1 cup of soup with 2 cups julienned green beans, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/8 teaspoon salt and 1/2 sautéed onion topped with 1/2 cup bread crumbs baked at 375° until gold and bubbly. Step aside Aunt Edna! 1 cup of soup with 16oz cooked pasta and protein of your choice is begging for a bottle of Chianti shared under the mistletoe with your honey!

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N O V - D E C 2014

EAST SIDE CALENDAR FOR UP TO DATE INFORMATION ON EVENTS, AS WELL AS LINKS PLEASE VISIT US AT: THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM

UPCOMING MIGHTY MISSISSIPPI, IN LIVING COLOR

‘The River Sonnet’ film screening 7 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 13, Shelby Bottoms Nature Center

Poet and Middle Tennessee State University professor Matthew Brown has worked alongside Missouri-based photographer Justin Orlowski to create the film The River Sonnet: Images, Sounds, and Words. The documentary is composed of footage of the Mississippi River, filmed along the state bi-ways and levy roads throughout the spring and summer of 2013 and 2014. The film aims to capture shifts in the natural and cultural landscapes of the river’s biosphere, and its creators are hoping to foster a conversation about the impact those changes have on the surrounding river valley and the country at large. The nature center will be hosting a screening of the documentary this November, with a discussion to follow. Join in on the conversation about the river we call the Mighty Mississippi. For more information, call 615-862-8539

LIVIN’ LA VIDA LOCAL Local Fest at the Mansion 10 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 15, Riverwood Mansion

Continuing their campaign to change their “best kept secret” reputation, the new management at Riverwood Mansion is inviting

everyone out for Local Fest. It’s a free shindig to celebrate our city’s local culture and creators, and will showcase some of the city’s finest food trucks, brews, bands, and specialty vendors. After the fest, they’ll host a pop-up dinner with local chefs, featuring a six-course meal with drink pairings. The Fest is free, but the dinner runs $100; buy your tickets ahead of time at www.localfestnashville.com. 1833 Welcome Ln., 615-228-8892.

activities. The proceeds from your sweat will go toward reducing pollution from greenhouse gas emissions through continued advocacy of climate justice and a renewable energy economy. Register online at www.cleanair5k. racesonline.com.

HOP FOR HOPS AT LITTLE HARPETH

Backyard Jam 7 p.m., Friday, Nov. 21, Little Harpeth Brewing

JUST FOR ZEN

Meditation in the park 10 to 11 a.m., Saturday, Nov. 15

Just breathe. Shelby Bottoms is here to help those feeling bottomed out with a meditation class focused on mental balance and stress relief. We could all use a break, right? You’re invited to bring your mind to the park for a little recuperation. Dan LaVelle of Music City Hypnotherapy will lead the class. For more information or to register, call 615-862-8539

Little Harpeth is pouring brews and bringing tunes for their backyard jam events, which will be a staple for the brewery until it gets too cold and the beer freezes over. Bands for November’s jam haven’t been locked down yet, but you can guarantee they’ll find a set of songsters that will pair well with any ale or lager. Food trucks will roll in to serve up something hot and icy-cold drafts will run you $4. The event is free, just come thirsty. 30 Oldham St.

WE MUSTACHE YOU TO RUN

THE GREEN MILE

Clean Air 5k & 1K 2 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 16, Shelby Park

If you’re looking to stretch those gams for a green cause, this race is for you. The inaugural Clean Air 5K & 1K, brought to you by Climate Nashville, is the most eco-conscious course run you’ll find, taking you through the Shelby greenway, with free beer and live music to follow. They will also have a mile-long run/ walk for the family, with plenty of kid-friendly

LUNGevity Foundation’s Breathe Deep Stache and Lash 5K Saturday, Nov. 22, Shelby Park

Bring out the ’stache-shaping cream if you’re all natural, or dig out those stick-on handlebars from your Halloween party: This facial hairthemed 5K is a timed run and untimed walk to benefit critical lung cancer research. Find the craziest mustache or eyelash getup you

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Turkey Time 10 to 11 a.m., Tuesday, Nov. 25, Shelby Bottoms Park

What better time to talk turkey than now? Get your little gobblers in order and join the nature center for a celebration of wild turkeys. You’ll get a quick lesson on Thanksgiving’s feathered friend, plus you and the kids can join the staff for some fun turkey crafting. For more information, call 615-862-8539

BLACK FRIDAY BE GONE

5 Points Friday and Shop Local Saturday Nov. 28 and 29, 5 Points

Beat Night Market 6 to 11 p.m., Nov. 28-29, side lawn at Bongo Java East

This new monthly outdoor market is designed for East Nashville shoppers who want to support local makers and own and gift local, handmade goods. Situated between Bongo and I Dream of Weenie, Beat Night Market features local artists, artisans, crafters, and vintage sellers sharing their wares over two nights each month. Support the creative community and keep East Nashville eclectic. For November, Beat is partnering up with 5 Points Black Friday and Shop Local Saturday. 109 S. 11th St.

EAST C.A.N. ROCKS AROUND THE CHRISTMAS TREE

East C.A.N. Holiday Open House, 6 to 11 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 1, 1408 Ordway

The East C.A.N. organization hosts its annual open house this December to celebrate the holiday season and their group’s anniversary. The organization has been helping save, rescue

Fannie Battle Day Home for Children is continuing a yearly tradition of caroling this season, a staple of the organization since 1916. Every year, families, churches, companies, schools and other organizations carol their way around the city, collecting money for Fannie Battle. Raise your voices if you’d like to raise money for a childcare center that’s provided support to low-income families for years. This musical tradition continues through both caroling door-to-door as well as a variety of other creative endeavors. To become a caroler, call 615-228-6745 or visit www.fanniebattle.org/ caroling.

GO WILD FOR FANNIE BATTLE

TOUGH TO BEAT

Fannie Battle Caroling, Greater Nashville area Dec. 1–24

The mantra “Skip the mall, shop local” pretty much sums it up. You can pass up the angry big-box mobs and head for something a little more civil, and local. Deets aren’t confirmed yet, but in years past 5 Points Friday has offered up a full day of stampede-free local shopping and music, with bands on the lawn beside Bongo Java East and local craft brewers serving up pints to brighten your anti-Black Friday experience. Some 5 Points stores will be offering holiday discounts, and these shops will have a far fresher selection of gifts than the mall. Walk off that second helping of turkey while you put a dent in that endless holiday shopping list. 1100 Forrest Ave.

DO YOU HEAR WHAT I HEAR?

Slow & Steady don’t always win

GOBBLES IN THE PARK

and adopt animals on the East Side for over half a decade now. You can go and mingle, meet some of the East C.A.N. crew, some pup foster parents and newly adoptive pup families. They’ll have beverages and appetizers for everyone, and a sentimental slideshow chronicling the group’s work over the years. Don’t worry: They’re not asking for donations and they won’t push you to adopt that adorable, homeless hound dog — it’s just a laid-back celebration and everyone is invited.

Dine Out for a Cause Thursday, Dec. 4, The Wild Cow

If you happen to be dining out this day, head to The Wild Cow — not only do you get some great veggie cuisine, you’ll be supporting a great cause as well: Ten percent of all sales at the Cow will go toward Fannie Battle’s Day Home For Children. Help out by pigging out. 1896 Eastland Ave., www.fanniebattle.org.

FEELING DANDY-LION

Client Appreciation Holiday Party 7 to 10 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 6, Dandelion Salon

Dandelion salon loves your locks so much they’re throwing a party just to prove it. The salon will have their annual holiday celebration this December, with a full spread of food, music, and drinks. They’ll have an adorable photo booth for you to don elf ears, Santa hats, and other holiday garb, even if you’ve been naughty. Grab a complimentary gift bag and enter to win a salon product package while you’re there. ‘Tis the season. 1117 Porter Road. 615-953-3234.

can — real or fake — and head to Shelby Park. The wilder the facial hair, the better. They will also be selling ’staches and lashes on site. All proceeds will benefit Lungevity.

. C O N S N A

Book your holiday party now! events@maddonnas.com 1313 Woodland St 615.226.1617

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EAST SIDE CALENDAR

HERE BIRDIE

Winter Birding 3 to 4 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 6, Shelby Park

Calling all bird enthusiasts: Denise Weyer leads a bird-spotting session in the park, bringing a crew of birders to visit the feeding station and take a short hike with binoculars. Now you’ll be able to pick out two turtledoves when you start singing “12 Days of Christmas.” For more information, call 615-862-8539

OH, OPEN HOUSE

Art and Invention Holiday Open Hosue 6 to 9 p.m., Saturday, Dec.6, Art and Invention Gallery

Winter ‘tis the season of open houses. You can’t deny the chance for some tasty refreshments and treats under the bright lights of a tree or beside bushels of holly. Art and Invention Gallery can’t resist it either. They will host their annual open house this December, complete with some lovely gift-oriented fine art and artisan crafts for sale--plus treats and music, of course. Help ‘em deck the halls. 1106 Woodland St. 615-226-2070

HOME, SWEET HOME

Lockeland Springs Celebration of Home Tour Dec. 6 and 7, Lockeland Springs Neighborhood

The Lockeland Springs Celebration of Home Tour has been around for 36 years now, with Lockeland Springs homeowners opening their doors season after season. Treat yourself with a trot around some of the beautiful historic homes that make up that historic East Nashville corner. The tour is sponsored by a number of local businesses and it is the Lockeland Springs Neighborhood Association’s only fundraiser throughout the year. Check www.lockelandsprings.org to learn about event sponsors and ticket vendors.

PICK INTO WINTER

Winter Solstice Pickin’ Party 1 to 3 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 20, Shelby Park

Shelby Park is celebrating the winter solstice the only way Nashville knows how: with a pickin’ party. They’ll have crafts, games, refreshments, and of course, music, to ring in the season. This pickin’ party is appropriate for all ages, shapes, and sizes. Come strum your way into winter. For more information, call 615-862-8539

LOGUE’S BLACK RAVEN EMPORIUM EVENTS

Saturday, Nov. 8: Deep Roots starring Ted Drozdowski’s Scissormen plus Sam & Austin Tuesday, Nov. 11: Reckless Johnny Wales, Amelia White and the Sidecars, Julie Christensen 94

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Wednesday, Nov. 12: Phil Brown and friends Thursday, Nov. 13: Very Entertaining Records Showcase Friday, Nov. 14: The Secret Commonwealth Saturday, Nov. 15: Gerber & Gerber plus Auroric Dreams Tuesday, Nov. 18: Molly Balsam with CeCe and The Bandits Wednesday, Nov. 19: Gina Sicilia Thursday, Nov. 20: Dutch Whisky with Bone Jugs N’ Harmony Friday, Nov. 21: Afterlife Parade Friday, Nov. 28: Blooddrive with Scott Hogue Saturday, Nov. 29: Lylas, Coupler, Whisperer, Asher Horton Wednesday, Dec. 3: Brian James & The Revival Friday, Dec. 5: Peter T. Cummings Saturday, Dec. 6: Witching Hour Event Friday, Dec. 12: Big Daddy Cool Saturday, Dec. 13: Chris West Tuesday, Dec. 16: Lisa Oliver-Gray Wednesday, Dec. 17: Phil Brown’s Birthday Party Thursday, Dec. 18: Scott Sax & Suzie Brown Friday, Dec. 19: Schati Love’s Naughty Christmas Saturday, Dec. 20: A Very Entertaining Christmas, Emmitt Otters Jug Band Christmas Party

TENNESSEE TITANS AT LP FIELD

7:30 p.m. Nov. 17 vs. Pittsburgh Steelers 12 p.m. Dec. 7 vs. New York Giants 3:05 p.m. Dec. 14 vs. New York Jets 12 p.m. Dec. 28 vs. Indianapolis Colts

TSU TIGERS

2 p.m. Nov. 1 vs. Eastern Kentucky (LP Field) Time TBA, Nov. 15, TBA

RECURRING ANSWER ME THIS

Trivia Time! 8 p.m., each week, 3 Crow, Edley’s East, Drifter’s

East Siders: If you’re one of the sharper tools in the shed (or not, it’s no matter to us) stop by one of these East Side locales to test your wits at trivia. They play a few rounds, with different categories for each question. There might even be some prizes for top-scoring teams, but remember: Nobody likes a sore loser. Monday at Drifter’s, 1008 Woodland #B Tuesday at Edley’s BBQ East (908 Main St.) and Edgefield Sports Bar and Grill (921 Woodland) Thursday at 3 Crow Bar (1024 Woodland)

EAST SIDE CALENDAR

HIP-HOP AT THE SPOT The Boom Bap

9 p.m., fourth Sunday of each month, The 5 Spot Once a month, 5 Spot brings the beats and you bring the moves. Think of it as a hip-hop roundtable. A mess of DJs — resident hosts and guests — spin their favorite tracks, rotating throughout the night. Let their records bring the ruckus to you. This soiree was so popular it’s spread to other cities, but catch it where it started, here in East Nashville. 1006 Forrest Ave., 615-650-9333

RAVEN FOR PICKIN’

“Sunday Go to Picking” hosted by Old Time Pickin’ Parlor 2 to 5 p.m., Sundays, Logue’s Black Raven Emporium

Itching to pick? Nobody knows pickin’ better than the Old Time Pickin’ Parlor and they’re hosting their pickiest picking parties at Logue’s Black Raven Emporium. So, all you strummers and hummers grab your strings and jam with the best. Parking and entrance located at the back of the building. 2915 Gallatin Road, 615-562-4710.

BRING IT TO THE TABLE

Community Hour at Lockeland Table 4 to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday, Lockeland Table

Lockeland Table is cooking up family-friendly afternoons to help you break out of the house or away from that desk for a couple of hours. Throughout the week, they host community hours that include a special snack and drink menu, as well as a menu just for the kids. A portion of all proceeds benefits Lockeland Design Center PTO, so you can feel good about giving back to your neighborhood while schmoozing with your fellow East Nashvillians. 1520 Woodland St. 615-228-4864.

EAST ROOM HAS JOKES SPiFFY SQUiRREL Sundays 7:30 p.m. Sundays, The East Room

The East Room is making a name for itself in Nashville’s comedy scene in part through SPiFFY SQUiRREL Sundays, started up by East Room head honcho Ben Jones through NashvilleStandUp.com. Hosted by local comedian Chad Riden, the shows bring in an array of national and local funny guys and gals, and it’s quickly become one of the best places in town for up-and-coming comics to flex their funny bones. If you’re looking for a laugh, check it out. Five bucks gets you in the door. 2412 Gallatin Ave., 615-335-3137

STOP, SHOP AND SWAP FOR THE SONGSTERS

Nashville’s Musician’s Swap Meet 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. the first and third Sunday of each month, The Building

If you’re among the army of musicians and songwriters in Nashville, you might want to drop in on the monthly Musician’s Swap Meet at The Building in 5 Points. The musically inclined gather to buy, sell and trade their gear, and there’s always a smattering of various musical odds and ends: guitars, drums, amps, fiddles, horns — you name it. You’ll also find vinyl, artwork, clothing and other music-related memorabilia. This folky flea market of sorts is free and open to the public. Stop by, grab a coffee at Bongo Java, grub down at Drifters and check out the musical arsenal. If you’re interested in renting a booth for the swap, contact Dino Bradley at 615-593-7497. 1008-C Woodland St.

I’M WITH YOU IN ROCKLAND

Kerouacs Beat Mondays 8:30 p.m. Mondays, Performing Artist Co-op

The Performing Artist Co-op (a.k.a. the “Purple Theater”) has opened a forum for lovers of the Beat generation to share their own writing, and they’re calling all you Dharma Bums to bring your prose, poetry, or music to this laid-back listening party. It’s reminiscent of a 1950s lounge setting — the kind of joint you might have seen Burroughs stumble into on a hard night. Five bucks gets you in the door and a strong brew of coffee or tea. If you require some other type of liquid courage, it’s BYOB. 107 N. 11th St.

HIT THE OPEN ROAD Open Road Monday 8 p.m., Mondays, The Building

The Building’s four-year tradition of “Open Road Monday” rambles on. It’s a weekly show that features one or two different bands every week, promptly followed by an open mic sesh. It’s just a $5 cover and BYOB. Check out some of the budding talent the Building is showcasing over here on the East Side. 1008 C. Woodland St., 615-262-8899.

SHAKE A LEG

Keep On Movin’ 10 p.m. until close Mondays, The 5 Spot

For those looking to hit the dancefloor on Monday nights, The 5 Spot’s “Keep on Movin’” dance party is the place to be. This shindig keeps it real with old-school soul, funk and R&B. Don’t worry, you won’t hear Ke$ha — although you might see her — and you can leave your Apple Bottom jeans at home. If you have Nov | Dec 2014

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two left feet, then snag a seat at the bar. They have two-for-one drink specials, so you can use the money you save on a cover to fill your cup. 1006 Forrest Ave., 615-650-9333.

RINC, Y’ALL

Scott-Ellis School of Irish Dance 4:30 to 5 p.m. ages 3-6, and 5 to 5:45 p.m. ages 7 and up, Mondays, Eastwood Christian Church Fellowship Hall

You’re never too young — or too old — to kick out the Gaelic jams with some Irish Step dancing. No experience or partner required. Just you, some enthusiasm and a heart of gold will have you dancing in the clover. 1601 Eastland Ave., 615-300-4388.

UKE IT IF YOU GOT IT Nashville Ukulele Monthly Jam 6 to 7:30 p.m., third Monday of each month, Fanny’s House of Music

Fanny’s calls in all the uke-heads once a month for a jam night at their House of Music, inviting players of all skill levels and anyone else who might just want to drop in for a listen. 1101 Holly St. 615-750-5746.

HAVE YOUR PIE AND DRINK A PINT, TOO

$11 Pint & Pie Night 6 p.m. to midnight, Tuesdays, The Family Wash

Every Tuesday night at The Family Wash, you can score a pint of beer and a shepherd’s pie for just $11. The reigning music venue on the East Side, The Wash is home to an abundance of good music, and on Tuesdays, the club plays host to the long-running songwriter series Shortsets, hosted by Cole Slivka. They offer a wide selection of craft beer, and they even have a vegetarian shepherd’s pie for herbivores. So sit back and enjoy the show, along with your pint and pie. 2038 Greenwood Ave., 615-226-6070.

FAT BOTTOM FOR YOUR BUCK

$10 Pint and Entrée Special 4 p.m. until close Tuesdays, Fat Bottom Brewery

Q: What’s better than a craft beer and a tasty meal? A: Cheap craft beer and a tasty meal. At Fat Bottom Brewery you can grab a pint and an entrée for just $10 on Tuesdays. Peruse their beer garden and pick a brew; they’ve got plenty of options for the seasoned beer drinker, and they’re always kegging fresh batches and pouring cold ones. 900 Main St.

TELL ME A STORY

East Side Storytellin’ 7 p.m. the first and third Tuesdays of each month, Mad Donna’s

Looking for something to get your creative juices flowing? East Side Story has you covered. They’ve partnered with WAMB radio and Mad Donna’s to present a regular event that’s part book reading, part musical performance and author/musician interview. They host this lovely event twice each month; check eastsidestorytn.com to see who the guests of honor will be for each performance. The event is free, but you’ll have to reserve a spot by calling ahead. 1313 Woodland St., 615-262-5346.

NO LAUGH TRACK NEEDED Ultimate Comedy Show by Corporate Juggernaut 8:30 p.m., Tuesdays, East Room

Local jokesters have taken up residency in the East Room for Corporate Juggernaut, a weekly series of open-mic comedy shows put on by Gary Fletcher, Jane Borden and Brandon Jazz. Brad Edwards is your host and his backing band is The Grey Grays. You can always expect to see fresh material and new talent. Doors and sign-up are at 8 p.m. Get out and help support Nashville’s growing comedy scene. 2412 Gallatin Ave., 615-335-3137.

FROM THE LIPS

A Night of Free Speech 6:30 to 10 p.m., second and fourth Tuesday of each month, Cult Fiction Underground

Local author Honest Lewis hosts an evening dedicated to fully exploring your First Amendment right in the presence of others. Be it poetry, prose, rants, diatribes, or manifestos, the mic is open to all forms. This is a first come, first read kinda night, so arrive in time to sign yourself up if you’re looking to spout your words. A new twist for this regular event: The Underground has relocated from Black Raven to a haunt on Trinity Lane (at press time, they were in the process of getting the new spot fixed up). They’re hoping to open in December, so stay tuned to their Facebook page (www. facebook.com/CultFictionUnderground) to learn when their events will resume in the new place. 1048 E. Trinity Ln.

TOAST TO MOTHER EARTH East Nashville Green Drinks 6-9 p.m., third Wednesday of each month, Village Pub & Beer Garden

Tired of talking sports and gossip every night out? Village Pub has something in mind for the greener East Nashvillian. Once a month they host an evening for environmentalists to sit down for a drink and discuss ideas for a more

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sustainable future. Just think about it like this: You’ll be saving the planet, one drink at a time. 1308 McGavock Pike, 615-942-5880.

ART IS FOR EVERYONE

John Cannon Fine Art classes 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesdays, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 to 4 p.m. Saturdays, The Idea Hatchery

If you’ve been filling in coloring-book pages for years but you’re too intimidated to put actual paint to canvas, it might be time to give it a try. Local artist John Cannon has been teaching intimate art classes at The Idea Hatchery since last year, and the small class size keeps the sessions low-pressure and allows for some one-on-one instruction. If you’re feeling like you could be the next Matisse with a little guidance, sign yourself up. 1108-C Woodland St., 615-496-1259.

YES, IT’S LADIES NIGHT Dame’s Day Happy Hour at Pomodoro East 6:30 to 10 p.m., Thursdays, Pomodoro East

It’s ladies night and the feeling’s right: Pomodoro East is making a happy hour just for the gals, who can grab a Genny Light for $2, bubbly for $3, wine for $4, and well-crafted Hangar 1 cocktails for $5. 701 Porter Rd., 615-873-4978.

COMEDY AT THE UNDERGROUND

Hopefully Funny Open Mic Night 6 p.m., Thursdays, Cult Fiction Underground

Every Thursday, Cult Fiction Underground puts on its own open mic comedy night, hosted by local funnyman Josh Inocalla. Sign-ups start at 6 p.m., the show begins at 7 p.m. and each comic gets four minutes. At press time, Cult

Fiction was still putting the finishing touches on their new Trinity Ln. space (they’re hoping to open in December), so stay tuned to their Facebook page (www.facebook.com/CultFictionUnderground) to learn when their events will resume at the new address. 1048 E. Trinity Ln.

to combine the worlds of visual and musical artists together in one evening. Each month UnBound seeks out intriguing artists and displays their work while musicians play a few sets of their best stuff. Think of it as a hybrid art opening/rock show. Come join in on this artistic amalgamation. 1833 Welcome Lane

BLUEGRASS, BEER, BURGERS

Bluegrass Thursdays with Johnny Campbell & the Bluegrass Drifters 8 p.m. until close on Thursdays, Charlie Bob’s

To celebrate your post-Hump Day, head to Charlie Bob’s and bring your axe along. Watch North 2nd Street’s own Bluegrass Drifters kick things off, then join in on the pickin’ party afterward. Have a burger, buy a few beers and add a little ’grass to your life. 1330 Dickerson Pike, 615-262-2244.

FEELING JAZZY

UnBound Arts Presents Second Thursday Jazz 3 to 5 p.m., second Thursday of each month, Riverwood Mansion

UnBound Arts is bringing the boogie over to Riverwood Mansion on the second Sunday of each month. Second Thursday Jazz events will feature jazz performances from prominent vocalists and musicians on the local jazz circuit. All you jazz cats should contact unboundartsnashville@gmail.com for further information. 1833 Welcome Lane

TROUBADOURS AND VIRTUOSOS UNITE

PALAVER RECORDS POW WOW Palaver Thursday Showcase 9 p.m. Thursdays, FooBar Too

Looking to hear some fresh new tunes without paying a pretty penny to do it? Head over to FooBar on Thursday nights — East Nashville-based record label Palaver Records hosts a weekly showcase to promote both local and traveling acts. It gives Palaver a chance to scout performers, bands an opportunity to promote themselves, and music lovers a cheap show to catch during the week (only $3 at the door). You can see an array of different genres from week to week, and the beer always flows easy at Foo with $3 drafts. 2511 Gallatin Rd.

HONESTLY, OFFICER ...

East Nashville Crime Prevention meeting 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Thursdays, Beyond the Edge

Join your neighbors to talk about crime stats, trends and various other issues with East Precinct commander David Imhof and head of investigation Lt. Greg Blair. If you are new to the East Side, get up to speed on criminal activity in the area. If you are a recent victim of crime, they want to hear your story. 112 S. 11th St., 615-226-3343.

UnBound Arts Presents: Third Thursdays 7 p.m., third Thursday of every month, Riverwood Mansion UnBound Arts has come up with a unique way

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YARNING IS CONTAGIOUS

GUFFAW AND GET DOWN

We all know the quintessential image of an old woman knitting by the fire… Take that, add a few more stitchers and seamstresses, throw in some wine, and you’ve got yourself a Stitch N’ Bitch. It isn’t a new concept, but Nutmeg, a sewing and crafts supplies store in the Shoppes at Fatherland, is. Welcome this spicy new edition to the neighborhood by dropping by one of these sessions. Bring your supplies, or better yet, buy some there, and get hooked. 1006 Fatherland #204.

The East Room always has you covered for Friday nights. You’ll be able to get all your giggles and grooves in one spot. At 7 p.m., Luxury Prestige III — a scripted comedy competition where the audience chooses the winner, and the Nashville Scene’s 2014 Best of

Stitch n’ Bitch 6 to 8 p.m., Fridays, Nutmeg

Luxury Prestige III 7 p.m., third Friday of every month, The East Room

Nashville winner for best sketch comedy night — kicks off. Each month features live sketch and scripted video competitions for prizes, plus a musical guest. Admissio is $3. Starting at 10 p.m. after Luxury Prestige III, East Room will have bands playing until 1 a.m. 2412 Gallatin Ave., 615-335-3137

STOP AT THE SPOT

Tim Carroll’s Friday Night Happy Hour 6 to 8:30 p.m., every Friday, 5 Spot

Your local watering hole has Tim Carroll’s rock ’n’ roll band playing their way through happy hour every Friday. It’s a great spot to grab a beer and hear some tunes to kick off the weekend — drinks are discounted and the music is free. 1006 Forrest Ave., 615-650-9333.

SHAKE YOUR FOOBAR Sparkle City 10 p.m., Fridays, fooBAR

Foo’s best dance party with their freshest DJs happens every Friday night. Spinmasters David Bermudez and Jonas Stein drop the needle on vinyl all night with only the numbers that’ll make you shake what yer mama gave you. 2511 Gallatin Rd.

DO THE JITTERBUG

Jump Session Swing Dance Classes 8 p.m. to midnight, Fridays, DancEast

Grab your partner and swing on over to Jump Session’s swing dance classes at DancEast. They’ll be dipping and hopping all night long to 1920s-1940s jazz. If you’re a newbie, they have a beginner lesson from 8 to 9 p.m., with the full-on dancehall party starting after. You can hit the floor for just $7, or $5 if you have a student ID. 805 Woodland St.

CAN’T FORCE A DANCE PARTY

Queer Dance Party 9 p.m. to 3 a.m., third Friday of every month, 5 Spot

On any given month, the QDP is mixed bag of fashionably clad attendees (some in the occasional costume) dancing till they can’t dance no mo’ at the 5 Spot. Help pack out the cozy club, shake a leg, slurp down some of the drink specials, and let your true colors show. 1006 Forrest Ave.

Expect more imagination. Every musician begins with a creative spark. That’s one of the main reasons Regions is so committed to supporting the arts in our communities. It’s also why we focus on making banking so easy. You shouldn’t have to sacrifice the fun and excitement of your dreams just to make them come true. So we put our imaginations to work each day, finding the best ways to help you reach your goals. Imagination might not be what you expect from a bank, but maybe we can help change that.

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WHOSE EAST SIDE IS IT ANYWAY?

Music City Improv 8 p.m., third Friday of each month, The Building

Music City Improv proudly puts on their high-energy show at The Building in East Nashville each month. Every month’s show is different, featuring a healthy mix of short- and long-form improv, plus live and video sketch comedy. Think of it as your own local Saturday Night Live on a Friday night. This gig tends to sell out, so buy your tickets in advance at www. musiccityimprov.com. 1008 C. Woodland St.

THERE’S A FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING… First Time Stories 7 to 10 p.m., first Friday of each month, Actor’s Bridge Studio

We all have our firsts, some better than others. Whether it’s a story about that first prom night (when you weren’t crowned king or queen), your first concert, or maybe that first kiss, these stories are the stuff of the stage. Actors Bridge hosts an open mic night for which such soliloquies are made. They call it “storytelling karaoke,” and they only ask that you tell it straight from the heart in less than five minutes. Bring your first and it won’t be the last time you make it out. Admission is $5 (bring a few extra bucks for the cash bar). 4304 Charlotte Ave.

GET YOUR CREEP ON The Cult Fiction Underground Movie Nights 8 p.m. and 10 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays, Cult Fiction Underground

The Cult Fiction Underground may have moved from the basement at Logue’s, but they’ve still got your weekly dose of chiller cinema, with screenings of rare and classic horror and cult films every weekend for $5. At press time, Cult Fiction was still putting the finishing touches on their new Trinity Ln. space (they’re hoping to open in December), so stay tuned to their Facebook page (www.facebook.com/ CultFictionUnderground) to learn when their events will resume at the new address, and to see what films they’re screening each week. 1048 E. Trinity Ln.

WELCOME TO THE PLEASUREDOME

Desire/Desire/Desire 9 p.m., first Saturday of each month, The East Room

If you’re looking for a place to shake it out to some tunes that don’t include the latest and greatest from Billboard’s Top 100, The East Room fits the bill. They host a dance night solely dedicated to only the most dark and sensual tunes of years past. This party, created 102

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for “electric youth and dream warriors,” blends all types dark pop including (but not limited to) Italo disco, freestyle, synthpop, lazer soul, hi-NRG, and electro-hop. DJs Baron Von Birk, Grey People, and HYPE will be laying down the tracks for the evening. 2412 Gallatin Ave., 615-335-3137.

NEIGHBORHOOD MEETINGS & EVENTS

SHELBY HILLS NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION 6:30 p.m., third Monday of every odd numbered month, Shelby Community Center. 401 S. 20th St., www.shelbyhills.org.

MAXWELL HEIGHTS NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION

6 p.m., fourth Monday of every month, Metro Police East Precinct. 936 E. Trinity Ln.

EASTWOOD NEIGHBORS

6:30 p.m., second Tuesday of every other month, Eastwood Christian Church. 1601 Eastland Ave., www.eastwoodneighbors.org.

GREENWOOD NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION

6 p.m., second Tuesday of every month, House on the Hill. 909 Manila St., www.greenwoodneighbors.org.

EAST NASHVILLE CAUCUS

5 p.m,. first Wednesday of every month, Metro Police East Precinct The East Nashville Caucus provides a public forum for East Nashville community leaders, representatives, council members and neighbors. 936 E. Trinity Ln.

CHAMBER EAST

8:15 to 9:30 a.m., first Wednesday of every month, location changes monthly The Chamber East meets every month for a networking coffee to discuss community updates and how to grow and improve the East Nashville area.

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CLEVELAND PARK NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION

6:30 p.m., second Thursday of every month, Cleveland Park Community Center. 610 N. Sixth St., www.facebook.com/groups/ ClevelandPark.

INGLEWOOD NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION

7 p.m. first Thursday of every month, Isaac Litton Alumni Center. 4500 Gallatin Rd., www. inglewoodrna.org.

MCFERRIN NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION

6:30 p.m., first Thursday of every month, McFerrin Park Community Center. 301 Berry St.

ROSEBANK NEIGHBORS

6:30 p.m., third Thursday of every month, Memorial Lutheran Church. 1211 Riverside Dr.

HENMA

6 to 8 p.m., second Tuesday of every month, location varies HENMA is a cooperative formed among East Nashville business owners to promote collaboration with neighborhood associations and city government. Check the associationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s website to learn about the organization and where meetings will be held each month. Contact lisa@theeastnashvillian.com with your questions. www.eastnashville.org.

DICKERSON ROAD MERCHANTS ASSOCIATION 4 p.m., last Thursday of every month, Metro Police East Precinct 936 E. Trinity Ln., www.dickersonroadmerchants.com.

MOMS CLUB OF EAST NASHVILLE

10 a.m., first Friday of every month, location varies by group MOMS (Moms Offering Moms Support) Club is an international organization of mothers with three branches in the East Nashville area. It provides a support network for mothers to connect with other EN mothers. The meetings are open to all mothers in the designated area. Meetings host speakers, cover regular business items of the organization including upcoming service initiatives and activities, and also allow women to discuss the ins and outs, ups and downs of being a mother. Visit www.momsclubeast.blogspot.com to determine which MOMS group your residence falls under. Inglewood: 10 a.m. (email inglewoodmoms@ gmail.com for location) Lockeland: 10 a.m. East Park Community Center, 600 Woodland St. Eastwood: contact chapter for time and location

If you have an event you would like to have listed, please send information about the event to calendar@theeastnashvillian.com. For more up to date information, be sure to visit us at theeastnashvillian.com 104

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208 Thompson Lane www.vaporistllc.com Open Sunday 12-4, Tues-Sat 10-7

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To Choose or Not to Choose? CONTINUED FROM 66 pairing.” Register told us that the current time frame is in place for one reason: to move now on something that, he feels, perhaps should have been dealt with before. “We feel a sense of urgency to address the issues at our priority schools. Students are being

educated today in schools that we know are not preparing [them] for opportunity and success in life. That’s unacceptable and has to change. At the same time, we value the community input that is needed to create a successful plan for East Nashville schools. Ultimately, it’s the families of Nashville who have to have confidence in our

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public schools in order for them to succeed, and so involving them in the development of major changes to our schools is incredibly important. So our challenge is to balance the sense of urgency to respond to the academic needs of our students today with need to have community buy-in on long-term changes, and that’s what we’re aiming to do.” Regardless of the reason for the timetable, everyone agrees on one thing: that the majority of East Nashville’s schools need work, some remarkably so. The thing that no one’s really talking about — but plenty are asking — is where all the money’s going to come from, no matter which plan is ultimately decided upon. “Dr. Register has brushed off questions about the rapid-fire nature of proposed changes, and he hasn’t addressed the budget implications,” Pinkston says. “The fact is, there’s a lot we don’t know about what this idea could cost taxpayers. Everything from revised bus transportation routes to different staffing patterns to changing the letterhead in the schools’ front offices — it all costs money. Confronting the cost is a conversation we’ll have to have if this proposal gets real traction. Taxpayers will want to chime in as well. “The fiscal implications of what Dr. Register is proposing are unclear. That’s a major problem with MNPS. Dr. Register and his team sometimes advance ideas with little regard for how much they ultimately could cost Davidson County taxpayers. We’ve seen that play out time and time again with the Central Office’s failure to get a handle on the proliferation of charter schools. The reality is: You can’t have unabated growth of new schools of any type — charter, traditional or magnet — without significant amounts of new revenue or deep cuts to other schools. And you certainly can’t engineer the kind of structural change, in a cost-neutral way, that Dr. Register is proposing in East Nashville. If I were the Mayor and the Metro Council, I would be asking lots of tough questions right now. All taxpayers should be concerned.” “Another important consideration for taxpayers is the fiscal impact of charter schools on the system as a whole,” says Frogge. “Cash outlays for MNPS charter schools are growing at an average annual rate of 45 percent, versus only 4 percent for the system as a whole. Furthermore, all available new revenue is now going to our charter schools, which serve only 7 percent of our population. We must ensure that all schools are provided adequate resources.” Sanders — who cautions he’s more comfortable at speaking from an educational perspective, and moreover states that his skepticism regarding charter schools is his alone and doesn’t

Medicine Men CONTINUED FROM 88 reflect ENU’s mission — believes that, at the very least, Register’s “all-choice” idea, if implemented, will prove to be an extremely expensive one. “There is a potential influx of charter schools to take over low-performing schools either via MNPS or ASD,” he says. “If such an influx happens, low-performing schools will lose students. Students leaving low-performing schools leaves emptier neighborhood schools, which gives fiscal minded administrators and elected officials a legitimate reason to close, at least temporarily, said half-empty neighborhood schools. Charters are public schools, which means MNPS must make efforts to supply transportation to the displaced students so that they can attend the charter schools. So that is additional transporation cost. “The charters will need to be [installed] in a school,” he continues. “And [MNPS] hasn’t made a habit of building their own, so there are renovation costs too. Costs which, for better or worse, probably wouldn’t have happened while the school was occupied by the neighborhood school. There are also issues with the per-pupil cost during transferral from neighborhood schools to charters. I know, some of this sounds anti-charter. [But] I am very conflicted about the charter model of high discipline, lots of drilling, and teaching to the tests. I do not believe this is actual education. At the same time, I do recognize that we live in a world where standardized tests are necessary. But I also have a moral problem with the fact they are only allowed in low income, mostly black and brown areas.” “If they are such a panacea for our educational ills, then surely affluent neighborhoods would be clamoring for such a cheap way to educate their kids, too.” Register has said multiple times that East Nashvillians can’t afford to wait any longer for its schools to improve, and that the time to move was yesterday. His opponents argue that such quick action could lead to further turmoil down the road, and that movement, without a fixed destination in mind, could lead to our “priority schools” becoming further lost. To his detractors, Dr. Register’s “choice” plan seems oxymoronic. To Register and his camp, “choice” is the only real choice there is to improve our schools. Language is important, and to be properly informed in this debate reguires one to understand the meaning behind “choice” as it is floated by those in favor of it. All of which has led us to where we are now: choosing sides, a pep rally from hell, full of chants and cheers and jeers. The only thing missing? Our students.

We called him and he was down right away. And also Dan had been in contact with Kyle through a mutual friend in Houston.” “New Medicine, no shit,” LeBlanc recalls saying when he heard about the opening from the mutual friend. “Big fan of the band, had seen them a couple of times, so that’s when I got in contact with Dan.” With the new lineup in place, the band set about finding a new label to work with, and ultimately accepted an offer from Bob Weingarten’s Imagen Records. They enlisted Kadish as producer, and went into his studio in Nolensville last November to begin recording what would become Breaking The

Model. With only a break for the holidays, they worked on the record for four months and wrapped up production in February. The majority of the material on the album was written by Scherer and Kadish, but it also includes two Sherer-Hoffman-Howard cowrites, the ballad “All About Me” and the in-your-face rocker “World Class Fuck Up,” on which Scherer declares, “Ain’t gonna stop ’til I drop/ And I’m bringing you the rock.” Scherer credits Weingarten for giving the band the freedom to make Breaking The Model. “He gave us complete creative control, so we got to make a record we love.”

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Good Neighbor CONTINUED FROM 86 building. Over the last three decades, Grace Apostolic occasionally used the Stainback Avenue building for classes, special events and meetings, until it sustained damage during the 2010 flood. “I left several messages for Pastor Boyd at Grace Apostolic,” Lancaster says. “He finally returned my phone call, and told me, ‘Pastor Mark, it is obvious to me that God is up to something here. I can’t explain it, but you called at precisely the time we were making decisions about the property.’” An agreement to rent the church building was soon reached, but One Stone’s relationship with Grace Apostolic soon went beyond a typical landlord-tenant relationship. Although their worship services and business affairs will remain separate, the two churches — one predominantly African-American in membership

and the other predominantly white — agreed to merge their youth ministries. “I knew creating a multicultural church was going to be a tough nut to crack,” Lancaster says, “but I believed it could happen. We’re coming together to impact the children of this community — reaching across denominational and racial lines to work together for something greater than ourselves.” Since signing the lease a few months ago, Lancaster and his congregation have been hard at work on repairing and renovating the building. They fixed structural issues and removed years of “improvements” — restoring much of the vintage appearance of the building along with modernizing it for use in the 21st Century. Their first services in the building were held on Sunday, Oct. 5. Services are held each Sunday at 10 a.m.

Mansion in the ‘Hood

“We’re open to anyone,” Lancaster says. “I don’t want anybody to feel like they can’t come in to the church. Our tagline is, ‘A place where people are accepted, respected and listened to, exactly where they are.’ A lot of people feel like they’ve made one too many mistakes, like they’re broken and they can never make it right. Nothing could be further from the truth. I experienced that first hand. “I love East Nashville for that purpose,” he continues. “You see a lot of brokenness that’s been restored, and I think that’s very representative of what the church is supposed to be. Instead of building some big, glossy new building, it’s working with what’s already here. Just think of all the prayers that are hanging out in the walls of this place — all the people who were praying for lives to be touched and transformed. If these walls could talk.”

CONTINUED FROM 77 with the history of the house, the events will focus on both past culinary achievements as well as look to the future. “We actually have the menu with recipes of the original Burch family Christmas dinners,” Sutton says, “and we plan to offer them for our holiday parties this year. I would love to see Riverwood become a Southern-style James Beard House that would not only focus on culinary arts, but all the arts. Of course we’ll feature chefs from around the world, but we really want to concentrate on our Southern heritage and traditions. To achieve those goals, Sutton and Wilson are forging partnerships with local businesses and organizations. Trey Cioccia of Farm House restaurant will be overseeing an on-site garden at Riverwood to supply fresh produce for the many culinary events, and the East Nashville-based arts organization, Unbound Arts is planning an ambitious schedule of programs at Riverwood for the next year. “I just love this property.” Sutton says. “I love the house. I love the history behind the house. It’s got a lot to offer, and I think it’s been Nashville’s best-kept secret for too long. We’re now ready for Nashville to feel at home here.”

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Photograph by Chuck Allen

The next large public event for Riverwood Mansion will be Local Fest on November 15. The free event will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and feature yard games, artisan vendors, a local farmers market, beer from local breweries, food trucks and music by K.S. Rhoads, Jace Everett, Shane Piasecki and more. At 5 p.m., a ticketed pop up dinner will be held in the Mansion with food prepared by four local chefs: Trey Cioccia (The Farmhouse), Edgar Pendley (Urban Grub), Carey Bringle (Peg Leg Porker) and Debbie Sutton (8 Lavender Lane). Tickets can be purchased at localfest.com.

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marketplace

Live at Family Wash's “Family Night” every other Wednesday!

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When the Best is Required

(615) 262-0011

pianotuningnashville.com

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East of NORMAL TOMMY WOMACK

It’s Just a Damn Record

ecording studios are like spas: soothing, ambient lighting, couches, warm porous walls that soak up sound, and lounges stocked with magazines, bottled water and HDTV. They’re designed to make you feel good just being there. It makes sense. Musicians have to feel good in order to make feel-good music. I just got finished doing a record with my old band Government Cheese. It’s our first fulllength record in 23 years. Brad Jones produced us at his home base, Alex The Great Studios, in Berry Hill, which — along with Sylvan Park — is about as close as you’re going to find to an East Nashville vibe on the west side of the river. Berry Hill is almost nothing but dwelling houses tricked out to be businesses, except for a few streets that are mainly warehouses, and that’s where Alex is. You’d never know it’s a studio from outside on the street. All you see is a cinderblock wall and a big wooden gate; when the interior houses many thousands of dollars worth of priceless instruments and audio gear, that’s the kind of non-message you want to send to the outside world. Nothing to see here. Move along. I can say unreservedly that I enjoyed doing this record more than I’ve ever enjoyed making one before, and the way I enjoyed it would have disgusted my younger self 25 years ago. If I were looking at my 51-year-old self a quarter-century into the future, and seeing that I never bothered to make a copy of rough mixes to take home, never bothered to listen to the rough mixes obsessively, never bothered to get all worked up over whether my guitar part is the baddest-assed

guitar part in the history of badass guitar parts, never bothered to sing my part over and over again until it was “right,” and never bothered to be there for all the mixing, well, my 20-something self would be mortified. Don’t you care, man? What happened to your passion, dude? You got old and complacent, man! You sold out! I’m so ... disgusted! Well, Tommy’s 25-year-old former self, where did it ever get you to take rough mixes home and listen to them until you were convinced that they sucked? Where did it get you to believe that until the record was released, your life is on hold and you’re not allowed to breathe? Where did it get you to worry pathologically over whether the record is “cool” or not? I mean, really, why get out of bed if you’ve made an uncool record, right? You know what, young Tommy? The record I just made is miles better than the ones you made back then, because I care enough now to allow myself to not care so much. I care enough to know that the first couple of vocal takes are pretty much going to be the best it’s going to get. I care enough to know that it’s just a damn guitar solo — it’s not brain surgery, and it’s not Mozart. I care enough to let the guy mixing it do his damn job without me hanging over his shoulder saying, “Boost my solo, dude! Hey can you make the snare louder? And now can you make my guitar sound crunchier? And now can you make everything just a little bit louder than everything else?” I care enough to guard my sanity nowadays, and here’s how that’s done. Repeat after me: “It’s just a damn record. ... just a damn record. …”

— Tommy Womack is a singer-songwriter and author, and a former member of the bis-quits. His memoir, Cheese Chronicles, has just been released as an e-book by Amber House Books. Visit his website at tommywomack.com and keep up via his popular “Monday Morning Cup of Coffee” series. His column, “East of Normal,” appears in every issue of The East Nashvillian. He is currently putting the finishing touches on the new record from Government Cheese.

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5th Annual

JOHN CORABI & FRIENDS Friday, December 5th Doors open at 6pm Music starts at 8pm

Acoustic show

At Drifters and The Building 1008 B&C Woodland St. Nashville 37206 Behind Batterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d and Fried

Bring unwrapped toys!

Admission is a donation of $20 worth of toys or cash. All proceeds go to Toys For Tots.

VIP Package $50

Includes: Drink Tickets Meet and Greet Autographed Poster and more

Presented by Platinum Salon, Glow Skin Care, The Building, The East Nashvillian, Drifters and Yazoo. www.driftersnashville.com

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