The East Nashvillian 9.5 May-June 2019 by The East Nashvillian

MAY | JUNE VOL. IX ISSUE 5

JESSY

Wilson

STAKES HER GROUND IN THE MUSIC CITY

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UPCOMING EVENTS

theeastnashvillian.com 5/2

102.9 The Buzz Presents: Badflower with Dead Poet Society, Fencer, Deal Casino

5/4

Honne with Hablot Brown

editor@theeastnashvillian.com Managing Editor

5/8

Marianas Trench Suspending Gravity Tour

randy@theeastnashvillian.com Associate Editor | East Side Buzz

5/10

The Damned Things with Crobot, He Is Legend, The Dead Deads

5/11

Yungblud - SOLD OUT with Saint PHNX

5/16

The Maine - SOLD OUT with Grayscale

Dana Delworth, James Haggerty, Joelle Herr, Brittney McKenna, Tommy Womack

5/18

School of Rock Presents: The Best of Queen and A Tribute to Def Leppard

Creative Director

5/23

P.O.D. with Nonpoint, Hyro The Hero, and Islander

5/24

Palaye Royale with Weathers, Starbenders

Founder & Publisher Lisa McCauley Editor-in-Chief

Chuck Allen Randy Fox

Leslie LaChance

leslie@theeastnashvillian.com Calendar Editor

Emma Alford

calendar@theeastnashvillian.com Contributing Writers

Chuck Allen

Layout & Design

Benjamin Rumble Photo Editing

Travis Commeau Illustrations

Benjamin Rumble, Dean Tomasek Contributing Photographers

Travis Commeau, Chad Crawford, Eric England, Michael Weintrob Social Media Manager

Liz Foster

liz@theeastnashvillian.com Advertising sales@theeastnashvillian.com Ad Design

Benjamin Rumble

6/1

Stephen Marley with Mystic Marley

6/9

The PettyBreakers

6/20

Lightning 100 Presents: The Weeks

6/28

Paul Oakenfold

7/6

Berlin

7/11

Lightning 100 Presents: The Weeks

7/21

Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers

7/23

Long Beach Dub Allstars with Aggrolites and Mike Pinto

7/30

Tom Keifer of Cinderella with The Great Affairs

9/24

half•alive

The East Nashvillian is a bimonthly magazine published by Kitchen Table Media. All editorial content and photographic materials contained herein are “works for hire” and are the exclusive property of Kitchen Table Media, LLC unless otherwise noted. 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. Reprints or any other usage without the express written permission of the publisher is a violation of copyright.

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COVER STORY

S T AWilson G E Sstakes& herP ground H A S EinSthe Music City 44 Jessy By Randy Fox

COVER SHOT

Jessy Wilson Photographed by Travis Commeau

Visit theeastnashvillian.com for updates, news, events, and more!

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FEATURES

BURANA RENATA 38 ACARMINA beloved classic is reimagined for Nashville audiences By Brittney McKenna

DELICIOUS SUSTAINABILITY 56 Henosis and Thriving Earth Farm are pleasing palates and Planet Earth By Leslie LaChance

COULD BE A SPOONFUL OF LIFE 65 Jason “Shakes” Hostetler has a firm grip on true success By Tommy Womack

CLOSE HARMONY 73 Kieran Kane and Rayna Gellert find a third voice By Randy Fox

CONTINUED ON 14

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EAST SIDE BUZZ 17 Matters of Development More Affordable Housing Slated for Madison

IN THE KNOW Your Neighbor 29 Know Dylis Croman By Dana Delworth

in Profile 30 Artist Jane McGrath

COMMENTARY

16 26 Astute Observations 97 East of Normal E ditor ’ s L etter By Chuck Allen

By James “Hags” Haggerty

By Tommy Womack

Lingo

By Joelle Herr

83 East Side Calendar By Emma Alford

#draftermath Photograph by Chuck Allen

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PARTING SHOT

79 Bookish A Lesson in Literary

By Tommy Womack

Your Nashville Symphony

Live at the Schermerhorn

may 23 to 26

maY 19

CARMINA BURANA

AN EVENING WITH

Branford Marsalis Quartet

WITH THE NASHV I LLE SYMPHONY

& NAS HVI LLE BA LLET

may 31 to june 3

june 7

RICHARD

MARX

The Final Performances with Al Jardine and Blondie Chaplin

june 14

june 20 & 21

H ERSATION WIT

A CONV MITE” POLEON DYNA JON HEDER “NA EZ “PEDRO” MIR RA EN EFR IN G AN D Q& A MOVI E SC RE EN

july 6 & 7

july 11

Live at Ascend Amphitheater june 15

june 22

june 29

615.687.6400 | NashvilleSymphony.org

WITH SUPPORT FROM

KC & The Sunshine Band, Branford Marsalis and Napoleon Dynamite presented without orchestra.

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Editor’s

L E T T E R

Proofs & Corrections

ews came this morning about the closing of Art & Invention Gallery. After 19 years, Meg and Bret MacFadyen have decided to retire to their Woodbury farm. Without a doubt, the MacFadyens and, by extension, Art & Invention were at the center of East Nashville’s post-tornado cultural renaissance. They began Tomato Art Fest in 2004 as a somewhat cheeky nod to the less-than-put-together neighborhood’s eccentricities — and eccentrics. “A uniter, not a divider; bringing together the fruits and the vegetables” was both banner and rallying cry. They founded The Idea Hatchery as an inexpensive place for fledgling businesses to bring, well, ideas to market. They collaborated with Wayne Goodwyn to bring the imaginative I Dream of Weenie to life. In countless ways, both large and small, the MacFadyens served as artistic and spiritual editors for their beloved neighborhood — making small corrections and additions that resulted in major transformations. Even as I write this, I feel somewhat overwhelmed by a flood of emotion and memories; we only mourn what can’t be replaced. During a recent stroll through Five Points I happened upon Bret, as I often have through the years, hanging out front of the gallery. And, as usual, I stopped for a chat. Our chats always turned into lengthy conversations during which we’d solve most of the world’s problems. This particular encounter occurred on an absolutely perfect late-spring day. It was nice just to sit on a bench with my friend and talk and let my cares drift away on the breeze. To be alive and in the moment. Oftentimes our conversations would center on the ever-changing neighborhood and the mutually shared

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feeling that something was being lost. Not the usual grousing about “tall-skinnies” and the like. More about seeing the cultural underpinnings of Nashville’s communities slip away. The concept of the baby being thrown out with the bathwater, as it were. In the rush to capitalize on the “it” city status, the very things responsible for making the city it-worthy are being unceremoniously eradicated. “Is there any way to change the inexorable march towards homogeneity?” Bret and I are of a generation in possession of memories of the way things were while recognizing the extraordinary impact development has had on the city’s social fabric over a short, ten-year span. It’s as though the city has become a Disneyland version of itself. Tidy and marketable — an attractive place to do business perhaps, but at what cost to our cultural substance and depth? Maybe that’s just the way it is. Still, it’s a noble struggle to stand against the tide of uniformity. One thing’s for sure, no one will mourn the closing of a chain store. I can’t deny my sadness, but I wish Bret and Meg the very best. Thank you for what you’ve given our community. The silver lining is the MacFaydens sold their properties to Christian Paro, who will continue this investment in the community. Jack Davis of Good Neighbor Festivals is taking over the reins of Tomato Art Fest — he’s already been producing the event for a number of years. Both are fully aware of the legacy left in their charge. Bret knew at the time of our last conversation the sun would soon set on Art and Invention Gallery but never let on. However, he did insist on giving me a gift — a short, red correction pencil.

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

Matters of Development NEW & NOTEWORTHY Vandyke Bed & Beverage, a new luxury boutique hotel and bar from the Nashville-based team behind the popular restaurant and bar Geist, opened on April 1 in the heart of Five Points at 105 S. 11th St. The property features eight stylish suites, a ground floor bar, and outdoor patio, as well as a private rooftop terrace, accessible to guests only. “The owners Doug Martin and Justin Prince developed the concept and made it its own trademarked bed and beverage,” says Vandyke Property Manager Tinsley Dempsey. “They saw a need to break the mold of the standard bed and breakfast where you have an odd breakfast with strangers, and it’s not really well-conceived. Doug comes from such a great cocktail,

hospitality and food background with Geist that they saw the opportunity for cocktails to elevate the experience of food and your stay, so they wanted to create a bespoke experience to offer that.” “That’s how we came up with the inspiration of using spirits for each room,” Dempsey says. Each of the eight rooms and suites at Vandyke Bed & Beverage are styled to reflect eight individual spirit themes: rum, tequila, gin, vodka, wine, beer, champagne, and whiskey. The design, led by local interior designer Brooke Prince, ranges from a romantic suite with touches of gold and rose (Champagne) to a vibrant tropical oasis (Rum) to desert vibes (Tequila) to the loft-like, “top shelf” suite (Whiskey). Dempsey, also an essential part of the design process, curated the impressive art collection found throughout the property. The art program highlights one-of-a-kind purchases and

commissioned pieces from photographers, fine artists, illustrators and installations artists, nearly all of whom are residents of East Nashville. “When I first moved to Nashville I started meeting street artists and contemporary artists,” says Dempsey who’s an artist herself. “I like taking artists who haven’t necessarily painted a mural but could do that with their work. I think a lot of work could be awesome murals even though they’re not used to painting outside of a canvas.” “The Red Arrow Gallery on Gallatin Avenue is one of my favorites.” Dempsey continues. “Katie [Shaw] is amazing, and so she was the first person I reached out to in terms of trying to find pieces for all the rooms.” An anchoring piece in the collection is the large bar installation by Dustin Hedrick that tells the story of the musical heritage of Music City through the faces of some of Nashville’s

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East Side B U Z Z most celebrated performers, including the Fisk Jubilee singers, Todd Snider, Dave Rawlings, Loretta Lynn, Gillian Welch, and Jack White. “We really wanted to concentrate specifically on East Nashville residents,” explains Dempsey. Other artists featured throughout the Vandyke are Emily Miller (Tequila room and courtyard mural), Georganna Greene (Rum room), Jodi Hays (Whiskey room), Daniel Holland (Wine room), and Joshua Black Wilkins (Champagne suite). “The themes were very tailored and specific per room,” Dempsey says. “This is just the beginning of creating a program here that will grow, and we’ll add pieces, do installations and things like that. We’ve got the rooftop patio space where we can do pop-up programs as well.” “We wanted to create these spaces where you can immerse the folks from out of town with the locals in the neighborhood. Justin thought it was super important for us to be a neighborhood spot; he didn’t want to come into this historic neighborhood and just do something new for tourists, he wanted it to be a place for people that live here to come as well,” Dempsey explains. “We’re all about community and neighborhood here.” The Vandyke Bed & Beverage bar is open to locals and visitors everyday from noon to

midnight. Nashville bar expert Freddy Schwenk designed the seasonal menu of inspired craft cocktails, which are complemented by eight rotating beers on draft and wine-by-the-glass options. Food is also available, with kitchen hours 3-11 p.m., Monday through Thursday, noon to 11 p.m., Friday through Sunday. For room reservations and additional info visit vandykenashville.com. Donut Distillery, which has kept an address running about town in a food truck for the past two years, now has a more permanent parking space at 311 Gallatin Ave. in the former Mrs. Winner’s restaurant. The new location, which opened this spring, brings custom mini donuts in easy reach of East Nashvillians. Yes, that’s right. Custom. Mini. Donuts. Cute, delicious, and in their bite-sized frosted tininess, hard to resist. The Donut Distillery has donuts with signature toppings like the Whiskey Glaze, Cinnamon Sugar, Sweet Swine (Porter Road Butchers bacon bits and maple syrup), and Dreamsicle (vanilla frosting dipped in Tang). There are plenty of other topping options (graham crackers, mint chips, and coconut, for example), so customers can create their own donut delight. Each is made to order and served hot; starting with a vanilla cake donut as the

base, customers choose a frosting, a topping, and a drizzle. “It’s definitely not your typical donut experience,” says owner Shauna McCoy. “We encourage our customers to be very creative, and they often come up with combinations we’d never considered, and they turn out to be delicious.” McCoy encourages wine and beer donut pairings. “Prosecco is good with the Dreamsicle and Strawberry Lemonade donuts,” she says. “Red wine, of course, is good with the chocolate ones. My husband says the Fruity Pebble (vanilla frosting dipped in Fruity Pebbles cereal) goes with an IPA.” Florida-based Metro Diner, a national chain, has a new location open in the Rivergate area north of Madison. The 4,300 square-foot eatery at 2315 Gallatin Pike N., is in a building last home to a First Tennessee Bank branch. According to Metro records, TTS & H, LLC based in Norman, Oklahoma acquired the Madison property in August for $885,000. “Located in the heart of a residential community, Madison is the perfect area to open our next Metro Diner where we can offer guests a true diner experience without them having to travel all the way to Nashville,” says Alex Sullivan, Metro Diner director of real estate. This will mark the second Metro Diner in the Nashville area after opening a location in Murfreesboro this past December. With the slogan, “We cook for the love of food,” Metro Diner has been serving guests for 27 years. Initially opening as Metro Diner in Jacksonville in 1992, master chef Mark Davoli and family took over in 2000 and elevated the menu to include innovative new dishes created from local ingredients. This elevated menu earned the diner a spot on Guy Fieri’s TV show Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives where three items were featured — including the meatloaf, which moved Fieri to state, “Diners across the world have to take a lesson on this one.” Featuring a menu of diner classics, the diner serves an all-day breakfast, along with the lunch and dinner menus. The restaurant is especially known for its chicken and waffle – a half-fried chicken served with a Belgian waffle, topped with powdered sugar and sweet strawberry butter – and the “Holy Davoli,” a half-pound Angus burger stuffed between two grilled cheese sandwiches. The diner is open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. CLOSINGS & MOVES Just as this edition was going to press, we recieved word Art and Invention Gallery will be permanently closing its doors on May 19. Owners Bret and Meg MacFadyen announced in a press release they are selling their properties, including The Idea Hatchery, located at 1106 and

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East Side B U Z Z 1108 Woodland St. to local developer Christian Paro. The press release states Paro “will continue the small business initiatives the MacFadyens started with the Idea Hatchery by continuing to offer small retail spaces at a reasonable price. This will be an extension of Paro’s assemblage of coworking and group-working spaces on Main Street and around East Nashville. These include Center 615, Studio 615, and Main Street Gallery, along with other projects.” Additionally, upon the MacFadyen’s retirement to their farm in Woodbury, Tomato Art Fest will be turned over to Jack Davis of Good Neighbor Festivals. Davis has been coordinating the event for the past few years and helped “take the event to the next level of growth,” according to the press release. Since its humble beginnings in 2004, Tomato Art Fest, under the banner of “a uniter, not a divider; bringing together the fruits and the vegetables,” has grown in attendence from 1,500 to over 60,000 people. From Bret and Meg: “We are grateful to all the kind, generous, creative, imaginative, strongwilled, soulful, artistic, thoughtful people who have come through our doors over the past 19 years. We will be forever indebted to our friends, family members, neighbors, visitors, inquisitive children, abandoned cats, happy dogs, longwinded conversationalists, committed huggers, help givers, idea sharers, heavy lifters, and ego sideliners who shared in our happiest times and helped us in our weakest moments. Each of you made our life a unique and fulfilled experience. We wish all of you a similar experience in your lives ... with a little imagination, some trust in the unknown, and a healthy dose of sweetdreams-do-come-true, and the world becomes an even more beautiful place to be! We send our love to all!” The East Nashville Farmers Market will open at a new location and on a different day this year. Look for the weekly market beginning on Tuesday, May 7 from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. in the parking lot of the First Church of the Nazarene at 511 Woodland St., across from East Park. The decision to move from the location at Shelby Bottoms Park, where the market had been held on Wednesdays for the past few years, to the new spot on Woodland, was driven by a desire to make the market more accessible. “The move was necessary as there was not enough parking to accommodate everyone at Shelby Park, and it was not as accessible to foot traffic and public transit,” says market manager Leah Benjamin. “We moved the day to Tuesday as the church has services Wednesday night and there would not have been room for everyone,” she continues. “And really we’re just happy to be back near our original location, near the old Turnip Truck parking lot, and just being on the way home for so many people and near the park for families will make this location more accessible.” Over 35 vendors will participate in the mar-

ket, with many favorites returning for another season. Shoppers can look forward to the return of Delvin Farms, Lost Weekend Farms, Harpeth Moon, Kelley’s Berry Farm, The Peach Truck, and King of Pops popsicles. “The farmers market is about community and having a great time while you’re there, but the keystone is making local food accessible, and making the location accessible to farmers who take time out from their farming to come and sell to us,” Benjamin explains. The market is also an important part of the growing farm-to-table culture here in Nashville. “I see all these chefs around town using these great farm-to-table foods to create these glamorous and gorgeous meals,” Benjamin says, “but they are actually really simple dishes at heart; it’s the freshness of the local ingredients that make them so wonderful. These heirloom varieties which we have at the market are just so incredibly gorgeous and delicious, and with just a few simple ingredients anyone can have a beautiful meal, because it’s the fresh food that is key.” The market will be open every Tuesday afternoon and evening, May 7–Oct. 29. While we can look forward to a robust return of the Farmers Market, East Nashville has lost two other produce market locations this year. The Crop Shop, a produce vendor that oper-

ated seasonally at 900 E. Trinity Lane, will not be returning to the location this season, citing as the reason the owner’s intention to sell the property, which the market was leasing. Barnes Produce, as well, has closed its 4000 Gallatin Pike location. No word yet on what will move into the storefront near the corner of Ardee Avenue. The former location of the grocery Bill Martin Foods on the corner of Fatherland and South 11th Street has been purchased by Glengarry Partners, LLC for $3.54 million. Bill Martin, who founded the business in the 1970s, died in 2017, and many in East Nashville were saddened by the grocery’s closure in March of this year. Some in the community have voiced concerns about the fate of the property. For many, Bill Martin’s was the only grocery store within walking distance, and it was accessible for residents of nearby Cayce Place and Edgehill Manor. There is no word yet on plans for the property. The zoning description for the property is CN (commercial neighborhood) which Metro defines as, “intended for very low-intensity retail, office, and consumer service uses which provide for the recurring shopping needs of nearby residential areas.” In other words, the plot is zoned for retail or mixed-use possibilities.

LOCAL EYECARE. INDEPENDENT EYEWEAR.

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East Side B U Z Z Councilman Brett Withers, whose district includes the market, is concerned about how the loss of Bill Martin’s will affect the residents in lower income properties such as Cayce Place, where many residents are without vehicles. The store was about five blocks away from Cayce Place, a short walk for affordable groceries. “The closing of Bill Martin’s grocery store at 11th and Fatherland Street as well as the Family Dollar at Sixth Street and Shelby Avenue will make food access challenges for residents of the larger Cayce-area even more severe than they already were recently,” says Withers. “Residents who lack access to a private vehicle living in the MDHA James Cayce Homes and Edgefield Manor senior apartments, CWA Apartments and Samaritan Recovery along Fourth Street and Shelby Avenue, Lenore Gardens and Roberts Park Apartments along Lenore Street and Glenview Drive, and other privately-owned apartments in that vicinity will now have no grocery store within walking distance,” Withers says. “It is becoming the reality for some of these residents, particularly south of Shelby, that literally, the only businesses within walking distance where food can be purchased are gas stations.” Withers did confirm that Metro Social Services, Martha O’Bryan Center, and other organizations do provide some access to groceries for residents, mainly through meals-on-wheels programs, and some Cayce youth and families receive food packages through their schools. “But otherwise, East Nashville presently has no WeGo bus service south of Shelby, and even the Shelby bus does not stop at a grocery store,” says Withers. The Envision Cayce Master Plan does call for bringing grocery stores into the Cayce campus, both in the form of a commissary as part of the amenities proposed for the area next to Kirkpatrick Community Center as well as a full-service grocery store on South Fifth Street. “Still, the Kirkpatrick Park-area commissary proposal is still in early conceptual stages and so even if the building were funded and designed, opening day would be a couple of years away,” Withers explains. “The grocery store proposal for South Fifth Street could not begin to be constructed until the residents of the CWA housing on that block have moved into other apartments in the Envision Cayce mixed-income housing units in order to enable those buildings to be removed and replaced. A timeline for beginning that phase of tenant relocation and constructions within the northern portion of the campus has not yet been determined.” Withers stated that along with MDHA and the Mayor’s Office, he’s aware of these residents’ concern about lack of walkable access to locations where they can purchase nutritious food and household and personal care products. Executive chef Jason Zygmont of the pop-

ular Five Points neighborhood restaurant The Treehouse announced his final night at the restaurant will be Saturday, May 18. Chef Zygmont is departing to launch a pop-up series at another East Nashville restaurant that has not been disclosed. The new pop-up series will begin in late May or early June and will feature a small menu offering around 10 small plates, similar to dishes offered at The Treehouse. He’ll also be curating a specific wine list to pair with the small plates. Chef Zygmont has spent his time at The Treehouse expanding on the laws of Southern cuisine tradition, with playful, even challenging (but still suitably Southern) food. “I am incredibly proud of the work that we do at the Treehouse and am in debt to all of our current and previous staff that has made it what it is,” Inglewood Bowl, which opened in 1959 and closed in 1994, was demolished in midApril. Most recently owned by Big Tent LLC, which acquired the property in 2017, the historic 3501 Baxter St. building had been empty and crumbling for decades. The bowling alley was originally built and owned by the Crescent Amusement Company, which also built the Inglewood Theater next door, facing Gallatin Pike on the same spot where a former, empty drug retailer stands now. Crescent also built the

now closed Madison Bowl, and Donelson Bowl, which is still in operation, as well as Woodland Studios. Future plans for the property are not yet known. Fond Object, the vintage vinyl, clothing shop, and music venue at the corner of McGavock Pike and Riverside Drive, has been demolished, along with the rest of the attached structure at the site. Inglewood Partners LLC acquired the property in 2016 and put tenants on notice regarding plans to demolish existing buildings and redevelop the parcel. Fond Object closed in late February and threw itself a farewell party at Soft Junk on March 2. A demolition permit was issued to property developer ZMX Inc. on April 3, and all the structures on the corner of Riverside came down on April 24. East Nashville Magnet Middle School, which currently makes its home in the former Bailey Middle School building at the corner of Greenwood and Scott Avenues will be vacating the premises at the end of this school year, and the growing Nashville Classical Charter School will move in, leasing the building from Metro Nashville Public Schools. East Nashville Magnet Middle will merge back in with East Nashville Magnet High School at the 110 Gallatin Ave. campus.

May | June 2019 theeastnashvillian.com

Smile Maker Orthodontics Urban Cowboy Lockeland Table Good Wood Nashville East Nashville Family Medicine ootstrap Architecture & Construction Dr. Helen Cavasin, Hendersonville OB Marathon Pilates/P3/BWell Building Company Number Seven The East Nashvillian Future Shirts Midtown Printing Brantley Sound

It takes a village to raise happy, healthy kids.

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East Side B U Z Z COMING SOON Vui’s Kitchen, Tacos Aurora, The Grilled Cheeserie, and Hugh Baby’s BBQ and Burger Shop will join Citizen Kitchens, a food entrepreneur incubator, on the food campus of Hunters Station at the intersection of Main and South 10th Streets. Restaurant developer Fresh Hospitality says the project at the former location of Hunters Custom Automotive will also have a marketplace featuring local goods. Most of the new tenants at Hunters Station already have other locations in town that will continue to operate, and two, Tacos Aurora and The Grilled Cheeserie, have food truck histories. Vui’s, which has restaurants in the Berry Hill and Germantown neighborhoods, will bring its Vietnamese flavors to Five Points. Hugh Baby’s, with current locations on Thompson Lane, West End Avenue and Charlotte Avenue, will offer burger shop and BBQ fare on the East Side. The Grilled Cheeserie, of food-truck fame and with another spot on Belcourt Avenue, brings its melty sandwich favorites to the new location. California-style street food will be served up by the taqueros of Tacos Aurora, currently a food truck operation that will take up residence in their first Nashville brick-and-mortar location. Citizen Kitchens, which currently operates in West Nashville, will expand operations to an 8,000-square-foot space at Hunters Station. The new kitchen will accommodate up to 150 members and serve as a home base for a wide variety of food entrepreneurs with many different specialties. Members will have the opportunity to sell what they make in the Hunters Station marketplace. Honeytree Meadery is set for a grand opening of their tasting room at the 918 Woodland St. facility on May 23. Nashville’s first-ever meadery moved into the location last fall, and over the winter quietly began distributing its product to a few local establishments, including The Pharmacy and Peninsula restaurants. Partners Matt Loch and Ross Welbon have been working toward this grand opening day for a while now. “It has been a long time coming, so we’re both really excited,” says Loch, who handles the day-to-day business operations and brewing. “We’ve been working toward this seriously for the past three years, and it has been a dream of mine for about ten years.” The permit process took a little longer than expected. “That honestly was one of the longest parts, but everyone at ABC was really helpful. Because we’re Nashville’s first meadery, and we’re not quite beer and we’re not quite wine, there wasn’t really a category for us,” Loch explains. As the website explains,

“Beer has grains. Wine has grapes. Mead has honey.” Welbon, who servers as Honeytree’s bee keeper, sales and outreach manager, and assistant brewer, hopes to offer classes to educate people about beekeeping and mead making. “Everyone is worried about bee-colony collapse, and part of our mission is to educate people about bees, and their role in the environment,” Loch says. —Leslie LaChance Have any Matters of Development you'd like us to consider? Send us an email: leslie@theeastnashvillian.com

More Affordable Housing Slated for Madison A Kentucky developer is planning to build an affordable housing complex on Dickerson Pike, near Madison. LDG Development LLC, based in Louisville, recently acquired a 18.20-acre parcel at 3711 Dickerson Pike near Madison for $1.75 million, and plans to build 260 apartments that will be leased according to income guidelines. “We hope to officially break ground in the next couple of months,”

says Christi Lanier-Robinson, a public relations representative for LDG. “The property is going to be called Buffalo Trail.” The company built and owns another affordable housing complex nearby. The 240unit Paddock at Grandview, located at 5515 Scruggs Lane, near West Trinity Lane, offers one-, two-, and three-bedroom workforce apartments, and currently has a waiting list, as do other affordable housing complexes in Davidson County. Nancy VanReece, Metro Councilwoman for District 8, where Buffalo Trail will be built, is supportive of the project, based on what she’s seen already in touring The Paddock at Grandview. “They are awesome,” she says, about the Paddock units. “They’re market-rate style apartments at affordable housing rates.” LDG is a for-profit company that specializes in building workforce apartments. Once the apartments are built, the company typically retains ownership, says VanReece, which means they are involved in the upkeep. VanReece says she has seen properties LDG built several years ago, and they are still in good shape. While the main office for LDG is in Louisville, all the LDG projects in the Nashville and Madison area are managed locally. —Liz Foster

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Astute O B S E R V A T I O N S

Top Ten Bedazzlements B Y J A M E S “ H A G S ” H A G G E R T Y

Hags is a a full-time bass player, part-time bad influencer©, and goodwill ambassador for The East Nashvillian.

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pril in Paris, doo doo de doo doo. Count Basie’s version of this 1932 classic show tune is one of my favorite springtime songs. It makes me feel good to hear it at any time of year. Wouldn’t you agree that springtime in Nashville is truly wonderful? Well, as long as you’ve got plenty of Zyrtec on hand that is. This spring may be an exception for me. My mood is more “Springtime for Hitler,” another show tune of an altogether different color. Back in the ’90s, when I was an aspiring long-haired rocker rolling around Brooklyn and Manhattan, I had a job working in the marketing department of a mega law firm. Donald Trump was a client of the real estate department. Mia Farrow retained the firm to represent her when she divorced Woody Allen. I made sure the firm’s brochures and such were in perfect order. I’s crossed and T’s dotted. The firm’s offices were at 56th and Madison, the belly of the beast, as it were. These were entry-level, fresh-out-of-college, F train-commuting, bleary-eyed days. I made good money, had a place of my own in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn, and spent every cent on CDs, bar tabs, and pizza. I played music at night and wore a tie by day. If you saw me walking down Atlantic Avenue, you might say, “Who is that kid dressed like a bespectacled Donnie Brasco?” Think lots of leather car-coats and polyester. I thought I looked cool. My friends were working at entry-level corporate jobs too. We would get together over beers and compare notes. We played a game. We would try to see how long we could keep a conversation going, filled with big important sounding words like TQM — total quality management, if you will — while saying nothing of consequence. A typical sentence, overheard whilst sitting in minion-like silence and staring at the big board might go something like this, “You need to gain clarity on whether or not these systems and processes are

artifacts of your organization’s culture.” What? “We need to move the chains on this one. I would also suggest we stand this up in a sandbox environment before we bring it to alpha. We need a mobile first, fully committed approach here. If that’s not feasible, then I think we need to level-set. What’s our glide path? Put me on bcc if I don’t need to know.” Ok. Sure. You got it. I was fascinated by the bosses’ abilities to sound so smart and say nothing. It was the ropea-dope. I was George Foreman and they were Muhammad Ali. I was dazzled and pummeled all at once. This bullshit was astounding. This board meeting speak was a phenomena! It was also a fun drinking game. Twenty-four months later I was living in Nashville, playing in Joe, Marc’s Brother and working in a coffee shop. Looking back, I realize that this wasn’t all gobbledygook. These were Harvard Business School concepts; high math and such. Not total nonsense, which is how I heard them as a rocker with a stressful day job. And now I finally make a point: I have a new confusion phenomena to be morbidly fascinated by — influencers! What in the Sam Hill is an influencer? Corporate speakers got nothing on these champions of vapidity. These revelers of mediocrity, talking loud and saying nothing, existing only in the amorphous cloud of the internet. Kardashians and Jenners out there somewhere creating listicles of their top ten favorite plastic surgeons and private resorts. Listicle? What is that, an anatomical issue? Influencer? Don’t you mean tool for the man? It’s more rope-a-dope. Dazzle the lemmings with clickbait and we’ll sell ’em more gadgets! “I’m an influencer, I have 100,000 Instagram followers, and I get paid to appear at parties. My life is awesome. Follow me!” I will not. Get a job, kid. Obviously, I’ve been surfing the internet too long and my serotonin levels are off. Old man Haggerty needs to turn off his phone, read a book, and go for a nice, springtime walk. Join me if you’d like, provided it’s in your DNA.

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KNOW your NEIGHBOR

PH OTOGR AP H BY C HAD CR AW FOR D

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DYLIS Croman

Her circuitous route to Nashville began at the age of 17, when Croman moved to New York after being invited to study with the Feld Ballet. She kept By Dana Delworth New York as her home base for 23 years before a penultimate In between tour dates move to New Orleans with and home for awhile makes Walker. Around two years ago, Dallas-raised Dylis (prothe couple relocated to Nashnounced Dī-lēs´) Croman ville to facilitate the recordappreciate the neighboring of Walker’s tenth studio hood she calls home. “I’m album, Are You Open?. Upon half country, half city, arrival both fell in love with growing up in Texas for Music City and, especially, the half of my life and living in East Side. New York City for the other “For some reason East half,” she says. “So, I really Nashville just really speaks appreciate what Nashville to me and my spirit because I has to offer. People look think it’s just a little bit more you in the eye and give you down home,” Croman says. a smile while still bustling “It’s easy going, but it’s still to their next thing. Small a little crunchy. I like that. It town charm and kindness kind of reminds me a little bit with a city’s heart and soul. of the East Village.” Feels like home to a Texas Croman’s appreciation for gal like me.” both the Big Apple and small While Texas to New town homey-ness has served York to Nashville may be her well on the road, where a familiar route for many she keeps the Fosse dance musicians who have settled style alive and high-kickin the Music City, Croman’s ing. Noting the differences chosen art makes her an between her stints on Broadunusual convert to twang way and on the road, she town’s charms. She’s a seasays, “It seems that when soned musical actress for we tour with [Chicago], espewhom dance is her primary cially when we go to smaller language. After leaving the towns venues, they’re just Lone Star State, she was so hungry for good theater. mentored by renowned And of course, there are ChiBroadway actress/dancer/ cago fans all over the place. choreographer and Bob They all gather and they just Fosse collaborator, Ann go crazy. It’s almost like a Reinking, and Croman has rock concert.” made several signature Fosse Although still making roles her own. Alternating connections in Nashbetween Broadway runs and ville, Croman has already work with touring compaperformed in Chicago many times with nies, Croman has appeared another Nashville resident, former in Sweet Charity and Fosse, and added her Tennessee Titan turned Broadway star, dash of Texas flavor to the powerhouse Eddie George, who stepped into the roll starring role of Roxie Hart in hit musical of criminal defense lawyer Billy Flynn in Chicago for over two decades. 2016. Croman also says the idea of working When Croman steps back from the in her adopted hometown has its appeals. footlights, she returns to the Inglewood “I’m still so passionate about performing home she shares with singer-songwriter and would love to do some local theatre, stretch myself as an actor Seth Walker. With both of their touring schedules often in tandem, — plays in particular, as well as continuing to pass down the Fosse an understanding of what they both want and need is essential. style and legacy [through teaching]. I feel I’m doing a small part “We really understand each other because of what we do,” Croman to inspire and lift spirits, whether it be in the theatre or in a says. “He’s on the road, I’m on the road. When we can be together at sacred studio.” home it’s such a blessing, and we look forward to those moments. For now, though, Dylis Croman is putting her life as East Sider Those are really special for us. But we understand what we do as on hold to head back out on the road for another run as Roxie Hart. artists and what we do for a living is more than just a job. It’s who But it won’t be long before she can’t wait to get home again. we are.” he first time I felt that excitement like, ‘Oh, I can’t wait to get home’, I knew I was in the right place.” — Dylis Croman

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... East Nashville just really speaks to me ... It’s easy going, but it’s still a little crunchy.

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Jane McGrath A Sense of the Abstract B y To m m y W o m a c k

Jane McGrath is a synesthete. This means when she sees people, she also sees lights and colors surrounding them, different swirling hues like the surface of Jupiter, or jagged granular bits of colors like coral in a shallow blue sea. It’s not hard to understand what she sees that the rest of us don’t, because she paints it. A portrait of musician Kim Collins looks like a great river seen from outer space, bordered by pink and yellow landscapes. It might not look like the Kim Collins you see singing in the Smoking Flowers, and it’s not an image you could put on a driver’s license, but to Jane, it’s simply what she sees. Synesthesia is a perceptual phenomenon in which the stimulation of one sense (taste, smell, visual, auditory, etc.) triggers a corresponding reaction in another entirely different sense. Names can taste funny, and the sound of a trumpet can make a person see the color blue. Some two to four percent of the world’s population are synesthetes. They aren’t crazy; there’s nothing cognitively dysfunctional about them, and almost all synesthetes report that they never knew there was anything different about themselves until well into their teen or adult years. You mean your face doesn’t itch when a dog barks? You mean I’m different somehow? “Like most synesthetes, I was unaware that my experiences were vastly different to anyone around me for most of my childhood,” Jane says on her website. “It was not until my twenties that I discovered that I was not alone in my experiences and that they could be attributed to the condition.” →

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ART WOR K T HI S AN D FAC I N G PAGE S CO U RT E SY J AN E MCGRATH

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ART WOR K T HI S AN D FAC I N G PAGE S CO U RT E SY J AN E MCGRATH

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NEW LOCATION SAME VOCATION

FREEFORM RADIO FOR THE MUSIC CITY 36

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Jane’s portraits are as unlike Olan Mills as portraiture can be. “The thing about my portraits,” Jane says over a cup of coffee at the Post, “I see people with kind of moving colors and textures around them, so they’re abstract pieces, based on the colors and textures I see. I have both sound and color synesthesia, which is where you see music at the same time as you’re hearing it, and I also have person color synesthesia.” So, you can see someone’s aura? “Yeah,” she enthuses, “I started painting them, because it can be a little overwhelming at times, especially if I’m out at a gig — my husband is in music — and if there’s color coming from the music and color coming from the people around me, it can be a lot sometimes.” A stylish, blonde 40-year-old native of Melbourne, Australia, Jane moved to Nashville three years ago and works as a producer and director for the Food Network. “I’d say I do 80 percent TV work and 20 percent painting,” she says. “I would love to be a fulltime painter, but it’s tough out there. We’ve all got bills to pay.” She’s painted several East Side luminaries, including Robyn Hitchcock, and in his case, her synesthesia took on a clairvoyance. “His favorite color is green, and I did not know that before I painted him, and his painting is almost entirely green, all different shades of it, waves of green.” Like much of her work, it looks like a magnified smear under a microscope — something minute, blown up to show a whole world no one ever knew was there. “I’ve always drawn and painted,” McGrath says, “but I’ve not been doing these types of paintings long. I’m also a silversmith, so I make jewelry, so I’m always creating something. I think that’s why I like making TV shows about food, too. Because whether you’re creating new dishes, or art, it’s all creative.” The existence of synesthesia has been documented back to the ancient Greeks. The name comes from the Greek words “syn” (same) and “asthesia” (sensation.) In the 1700s, synesthetes were employed in Europe in the construction of musical instruments, tinkering with this and that until a musical note displayed the proper visual blue, red or whatever color was desired. The first known medical study of synesthesia was in Germany in 1812. But little is known about how synesthesia develops. It has been suggested that it develops during childhood when children are intensively engaged with abstract concepts for the first time. This hypothesis — referred to as semantic vacuum hypothesis — explains why the most common forms of synesthesia are grapheme-color, spatial sequence, and number form. These are usually the first abstract concepts that educational systems require children to learn. No matter its source, Jane has brought her own brand of synesthesia to Nashville, and

found a community that welcomed her way of seeing. “We moved to Nashville not really sure what it would be like and didn’t realize we would fall in love with it and build a community around us so quickly,” Jane says. “I think that’s what living in East Nashville gave us straight up. It gave us this really good community of close friends and musicians, going places like The 5 Spot all the time, seeing the same faces, so I think we’ll be here a

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while. When my husband is working in music it’s kind of crazy to move somewhere else. So our plan is to stay here a while.” No doubt seeing saturated hues the rest of us can only guess at. For a more extensive look at McGrath’s work visit her Instagram site @synesthesiadays and her website at synesthesiadays.com.

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A beloved classic is reimagined for Nashville audiences By Brittney McKenna Photographs by Michael Weintrob

May | June 2019 theeastnashvillian.com

ow do we make a piece that is so familiar hopefully look and sound new again?” That’s Giancarlo Guerrero, music director of the Nashville Symphony, considering the origins of a new collaborative project between his organization and the Nashville Ballet, one that promises to showcase the diversity of local artistic talent in a way never seen before. From May 31 to June 3, the Schermerhorn Symphony Center will play host to multi-disciplinary performances of Carmina Burana. Featuring the Nashville Symphony and the Nashville Ballet performing in tandem, the shows will also include the Nashville Symphony Chorus, the Blair Children’s Chorus, and never-before-seen visual media from filmmaker Duncan Copp. Carmina Burana is a widely loved piece of music based on medieval poems from the 11th and 12th centuries. Composed in the mid-1930s by German composer Carl Orff, the music has since become a mainstay in popular culture, with the movement “O Fortuna,” in particular, popping up frequently in film (Last of the Mohicans, Excalibur), television (The Simpsons, How I Met Your Mother) and advertising (Adidas, Domino’s). That familiarity is at the heart of Guerrero’s question: How do you breathe new life into such a well-known work? The question posed a great challenge to the Symphony and the Ballet, both of which already had Carmina Burana in individual repertoires. Guerrero had conducted the music a number of times, while the Nashville Ballet’s artistic director Paul Vasterling had created choreography for the work in 2009. This new collaboration also inspired the organizations to test the limits of what could be accomplished in a live performance. Both Guerrero and Vasterling cite the bravery and sense of mystery of the original poetry, written in secret by young clerics, as inherent to their connection with the music and to their willingness to make a project of such ambitious scope work. “What I did when I choreographed the ballet in 2009, for my own sake I guess, was to make sense of it,” Vasterling says. “Of course the music was driving me, and some of the poetry was driving me ... . To me it’s really this cycle-of-life kind of idea, and how we go back to the beginning every time. We can do that in bigger and smaller ways and there are these elements in life that are sort of constant, which are love and lust and fear and goodness and badness. The basics.” To pull off such a grand idea, it only made sense that the two organizations would work together. The Symphony and the Ballet have a longstanding, fruitful partnership, one that spans several years and numerous joint productions. For a time, the Symphony would join the Ballet for performances at TPAC, until, in 2016, the two organizations decided to try something new. “We turned that relationship around a little bit and we commissioned the Ballet to do something with us at the Schermerhorn,” says Steven Brosvik, Chief Operating Officer of the Nashville Symphony. “We asked Paul Vasterling if he would create new choreography for Aaron Copeland’s Appalachian Spring. Copeland wrote the piece two ways, originally for 13 instruments. Then he expanded it to full orchestra. We did it there in the Schermerhorn and did it in its original instrumentation. Then the next month we

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went to TPAC and performed the large-scale version at the Ballet so the audience could hear it both ways if they wanted. That was a beginning of a new part of our relationship.” It was after those performances that the seeds of Carmina Burana began to take root. Enlivened by the new possibilities opened up by their work together on Appalachian Spring, the Symphony and the Ballet brainstormed new ways to collaborate, eventually realizing a shared love for the beloved piece. “We said, ‘Well what would we like to do next?’” Brosvik explains. “We talked about several projects, and Carmina Burana was the one that really seemed to grab everyone’s interest from both organizations. We just started working right away. It was a couple-year process getting to where we are now.” “We had a couple of concerts where the Ballet performed in the Schermerhorn and the orchestra was on stage with them,” Guerrero explains. “It was so successful that we wanted to do something else, to do something perhaps a little bigger. The ballet has been part of the repertoire. Carmina Burana is one of the most beloved pieces in the orchestral classical repertoire, and it’s a piece that’s really close to my heart that I have conducted many times. We basically came up with the idea of how we could get those projects together, since it’s already part of the Ballet’s repertoire and I have a strong affinity to it. It just kind of rolled from there.” While all involved had no shortage of enthusiasm for the collaboration, there were still many logistical difficulties to confront once a unified creative vision had been established. The biggest of those difficulties was how to make such a performance work within the restrictions of the Schermerhorn, which is notably not a multi-purpose hall. The team ultimately decided to remove a portion of the hall’s floor seats to make room for a makeshift orchestra pit, freeing the stage for dancers. Vasterling says he’s long envisioned performing Carmina with a visible orchestra, because the music itself is so integral to the experience. “We had to get really creative with how all of this would work out,” Guerrero explains. “We’re fortunate that we have people in both of our organizations who are incredibly open-minded and incredibly creative. We’ve all been working very hard to make it work.” “It is a gargantuan effort,” says Brosvik. “The dance company is bringing their dance floor and putting it on our stage. The chorus will be behind the stage. We have the Blair Children’s chorus, which will be out at the back of the audience. Everyone will have this multi-directional, surround-sound in the performance.” Another component to consider was Copp’s film, which combines images of the original Carmina Burana text juxtaposed with multi-angle footage of the dancers in real-time. (The dance footage will appear live, not unlike that shown at a sporting event, but was actually shot in advance of performances.) Vasterling was especially excited by this component of the production, noting that he tweaked his original choreography to suit the show’s unique, 360-degree view of the dancers. “It’s going to be a feast for the eyes, and really for every sense,” Vasterling says. “We filmed the ballet from a million different →

Nashville Ballet dancer Jamie Kopit May | June 2019 theeastnashvillian.com

Nashville Ballet dancer Nicolas Scheuer 42

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angles. There’s a lot of creativity there and a lot of fun. ... There are times when it feels like you’ve switched your perspective and you’ve gone above the dancers, or you’re seeing them from the side. What’s wonderful about this technique they use is that the film is synched to what is happening in the orchestra and what is happening in the dance in that moment. There’s actually a person who’s almost performing the film, and connecting the film to the dance.” “Having somebody of [Copp’s] creativity and ability with us in this program has been absolutely essential as well,” Brosvik says. “He comes from a perspective that whatever he creates on screen for a live performance really has to serve what’s happening live on stage.” The team worked out its logistical kinks in theory, though no one really knew if the production would work as planned, and wouldn’t until they were able to bring each disparate part together for a run-through. Until that point, the organizations worked in good faith, driven by their enthusiasm for the concept. “About a month and a half ago, we had a logistical run-through to see if all of this would actually work out,” Guerrero says. “Again, we really didn’t know. We were pushing the envelope not only with the orchestra and the choir and the dancers, but also we were stretching the possibilities of the hall. We were beyond thrilled by the fact that we might have found another wonderful aspect of how we can truly expand on what the Schermerhorn Symphony Center is able to present.” Guerrero, Brosvik, and Vasterling agree an ambitious multimedia collaboration such as Carmina Burana is uniquely suited to Nashville, citing the city’s world-class talent, high-end facilities, growing population, and hunger for and understanding of sophisticated musical performances. It’s these elements, they say, that make Nashville fertile ground for truly groundbreaking artistic collaboration. “We want to do more,” Guerrero says. “I already know that the Nashville Symphony by itself is recognized as an orchestra. It’s incredibly bold in its programming, and this is just proof of that. I do believe that 20 years, 50 years down the road, people are going to say, ‘What was going on in Nashville at the time that these institutions were pushing the envelope?’ The only answer you can have is that they had the support of their community. They allowed their institutions to dream big and think big.” “I’ve worked in other cities through other opportunities, and have worked with other partners, but I really do have to say that there is something special about the artistic environment and culture in Nashville,” Brosvik says. “It’s an environment of understanding one another, of collaboration. There are so many genres of music happening here and so many arts happening all around us. People here are

happy to share; they’re happy to work together. I think there’s a real spirit here of being able to do more than apart.” Buoyed by that spirit and by shared willingness to creatively address any logistical challenges, the Nashville Symphony and the Nashville Ballet have envisioned a project that’s sure to change how people think about going to see a musical performance. Brosvik sums up the organizations’ mission succinctly when extolling the virtues of Carmina Burana

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and its musical longevity. “It remains one of the most popular and favorite pieces for audiences,” he says. “But music doesn’t stand still.” The Nashville Symphony and Nashville Ballet, along with the Nashville Symphony Chorus and Blair Children’s Choir perform Carmina Burana at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center, May 31 through June 3. For tickets and more, visit nashvillesymphony.org

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& STAG E S

PHASES

J E S S Y W I L S O N S TA K E S H E R GROUND IN THE MUSIC CITY

B Y R A N DY F O X P H O T O G R A P H S B Y T R AV I S C O M M E A U

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n the autumn of 2018, Jessy Wilson was searching for her voice as a solo artist. A meeting with Black Keys drummer, songwriter, and record producer, Patrick Carney convinced her he should produce her solo debut. Carney wasn’t sold, yet she eventually talked her way into a second meeting at his studio. “I had been recording all week with my band at the Bomb Shelter and had a tape of some board mixes,” Wilson says. “I played it for him and ten seconds into the first song he said, ‘Stop.’ Fifteen seconds into the next song — ‘Stop.’ Ten seconds into the next song — ‘Stop,’ and he said, ‘I don’t think this is what you want to do, and I don’t think this is who you are.’ He actually told me I was having an identity crisis, which for most artists would have been insulting, but I’m from Brooklyn so it’s really hard to insult me.” Wilson’s charm and grace are immediately apparent while her thick, Brooklyn skin is not. She begins an interview with her own questions — Where are you from? What’s your story? What brought you to this point in your life? Her curiosity is genuine, a desire to understand the person she is about to share her story with, and it’s through this process that her grit and tenaciousness reveal themselves. The same mixture of charisma, curiosity, soulfulness, and determination flows throughout the 11 tracks of Wilson’s debut solo album, Phase (produced with aplomb equal to its seeming inevitability by the aforementioned Carney). Sonically, it mashes up the musical styles that have captivated Wilson as a professional singer — classic soul, hiphop, Americana, indie rock, and more, while also declaring an exciting creative independence. Although a proud Brooklynite through and through, Wilson’s familial and musical roots are a tangle of cultural fonts. Her father, a Costa Rican immigrant of Jamaican descent, brought an international flair to her life, while her mother’s family roots in Plains, Georgia, meant each summer brought direct exposure to Southern African-American gospel traditions, and the constant accompaniment of the radio tied the threads. “My mother loves music, and I grew up listening to everything on the radio,” Wilson says, “all the classic soul — Isaac Hayes, Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye, black disco — Loleatta Holloway, the Salsoul Orchestra, and lots of hiphop. When I was about 3 years old, my babysitter noticed every time a song came on the radio I would sing along. →

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Jesse Wilson photographed in East Nashville, March 21, 2019. Makeup by Dante Alderson; Styling by Christo Collins and Jane Belfry. Photographs on pages 46-51 & 53-55 taken on location at Vandyke Bed & Beverage.

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My mother went straight out and bought a microphone and an amplifier and set it up in our living room.” Wilson’s mother went beyond simple encouragement as she utilized her daughter’s musical passions to provide educational moments. “I was an only child, and I would listen to a lot of music with my mother. My mom taught me to listen to the quiet moments, like the way different artists hum in songs — where is it coming from? The head or the chest? What does it mean in the song? She taught me the emotional intelligence of music, along with how music connected to our place in the history of America. When I hear soul music I hear my mother’s voice, my grandmother’s voice, and the voices of my ancestors.” By the age of seven Wilson was performing in local talent shows. Moving up to off-Broadway shows, she toured Japan at the age of 11 as part of a production of the James McBride musical Harlem Kids Symphony. While attending the prestigious Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, she worked as a back-up singer for Alicia Keys and held down a steady gig on Fridays and Saturdays with a cover band in a New York nightclub. After graduating from high school in 2006, Wilson secured what seemed like a dream job, singing backing vocals for soul and pop superstar John Legend. But rather than supplying satisfaction, it instilled a desire for further creative horizons.

“W

orking with John was when I started taking the idea of songwriting seriously,” Wilson says. “Before that I really didn’t have the confidence to write. There was something about the way he approached the craft and his lyricism that was deeper than just ‘this is what I feel and I’m writing it down.’ I was making a lot of money working as a background singer, and I started flying to any of his studio sessions I could so I could watch the process. Since I was there, he started having me record background vocals, which I still do for him.” As Wilson gained confidence in her writing, she relocated to Atlanta and then Los Angeles, eventually co-writing songs for successful R&B artists Keyshia Cole, Vivian Green, Fantasia, and Ledisi. Despite her successes, including songs on two Grammynominated albums (Fantasia’s Back to Me and Ledisi’s Pieces of Me), she found herself hemmed in by musical stereotypes and arbitrary boundaries. “The music industry has a way of putting you into boxes and keeping you there,” Wilson says. “If I walked into the room as a songwriter, it was very hard to prove to people I was anything else. And if I was writing for a female R&B artist, the only subject allowed was, ‘Oh you hurt me, I took you back.’ We also frequently wrote to beats the producer already created, so you’re not making the music in the moment. I didn’t feel like that was who I am, so I stopped and took a step back.” Her thoughts turned to an experience in Nashville while working with Legend. “In 2011, John and I were at [country songwriter’s] Aimee Mayo’s house. We got there at 10 a.m., which never happened in LA, where you never start work until 5 p.m. We were writing and having a great time, and at around 3:30 she stopped and said she had to get her kids from school and start making dinner. I was like, ‘What?’ Everything switched for me in that moment. You can have music and be successful with gold and platinum records on the wall, and be a well-rounded person with a family. In the culture I had come up in New York and LA, that didn’t exist.” →

Relocating to the Music City in the fall of 2013, Wilson quickly discovered the city an unexpected match to her talents, personality, and her evolutionary path as an artist. “My friends thought I was crazy, but I just fell in love with Nashville,” she says. “I met my now fiancée on the second day I was here, and it just seemed like the right place to be. It’s amazing that the city celebrates songwriters, and as a black woman from Brooklyn, making that conscious decision to move to the South and to live in Nashville seemed to switch on my self-awareness of who I am and what I wanted to give as a musician. I recognized there was an absence of people like me, and I wanted to be a part of building that here.” Four months into her time as a Nashvillian, Wilson found a new outlet for expression upon meeting and writing with photographer, songwriter, and singer Kallie North. Billing themselves as Muddy Magnolias, the duo began attracting notice with a fusion of classic rock and soul. “It was different from what I had done professionally to that point, but it wasn’t different from what was in my heart,” Wilson says. “When we were writing songs I was thinking about classic soul. Loving Aretha Franklin like I do, I was longing to explore what I had grown up listening to and the true essence of my voice.” After a sizzling performance at the 2014 CMA Music Festival, the duo released their debut EP in 2015 and their follow-up album, Broken People, in 2016, both to critical acclaim. While Muddy Magnolias offered Wilson the chance to explore her love for classic soul, it was a step back in time, just as her musical palate was expanding in new directions. “I started discovering different styles of music through my friendships,” Wilson says. “I soon found there was a lot of music that my friends loved that I had never been exposed to — My Morning Jacket, Cage the Elephant, Tame Impala — I had never listened to indie rock before. I remember thinking, ‘I really love this, but how do I incorporate it into who I am?’ The idea became clear to me when I discovered the Alabama Shakes. When I saw Brittney Howard singing abstract rock lyrics soulfully over twangy guitars, it was like I suddenly had permission to be who I was. I’m an urban girl. I’m from Brooklyn, all my old friends at home twerk to Cardi B, but I also love Aretha, and I’ve gone to indie rock festivals and had a blast.”

ilson’s epiphany and vision of fusing disparate styles of music she loved came at an opportune moment. Near the end of 2017, Kallie North stepped away from recording and live performances. “When Kallie decided to leave Muddy Magnolias, we both met with Coran Capshaw, the owner of Red Light Management that was handling us,” Wilson says. “He asked me what he could do for me, and I said I wanted a meeting with Patrick Carney.” “I had listened to the Black Keys before and hadn’t connected to their music, but their interpretation of Junior Kimbrough’s ‘Meet Me in the City’ was the spark,” Wilson says. “I became obsessed with their music, and as I listened, I began to dissect their influences. I started zoning in on Patrick’s drumming, and I could tell from the way he played the drums that he listened to hip-hop. Even though it was rock music, there was a swagger that sounded like hip-hop. That gave me the idea that maybe Patrick could produce my record.” After one positive but formal meeting with Carney, Wilson’s enthusiasm to work with him was piqued. Even though she saw an obvious musical connection, the consummation of their creative partnership was not immediate. “Rock stars can be kind of elusive,” Wilson says. “He tried to play it cool. I eventually started texting him saying, ‘Let’s just do one song.’ He finally agreed and told me to bring my band by his studio. But that was not the way I wanted this to go down. So I kept bugging him and asking if I could just come by and talk.” Wilson’s persistence eventually led to their second meeting at Carney’s Audio Eagle Studio and the confrontation of Carney’s frank criticism and Wilson’s Brooklyn-tough hide. “His personality was perfect for me,” Wilson says. “He’s very opinionated and, in this industry, there are so many people that just tell you what they think you want to hear or give you a version wrapped in a package that they think you can accept. He was straight and direct, just like my mom. Finally, I said, ‘Well why don’t we make something right now.’” The challenge resulted in the song “What’s Wrong,” a powerful and soulful fusion of hip-hop cool with fuzz tone indie rock, unflinchingly delivering a dissection of a dead end love affair. Carney says it was the tipping point that made him commit to an album with Wilson. “Her personality, out-goingness, and power resonated with me,” Carney says. “She also had an element of being an underdog that appealed to me. She’s never had a fair crack at getting her voice heard.” The resulting album, Phase, defies genre boundaries and subverts the listener’s expectations. It’s also a bold statement from an artist not timid about wearing her passions on her sleeve rather than appealing to market expectations. →

I want to see more black musicians and artists, and especially women, walk a path where they are free to combine whatever inspiration they want in their music, and have their music recognized and celebrated for what it is. 54

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“It’s so easy for an artist to pigeonhole themselves as a singer-songwriter, or ‘I’m an Americana act,’ or whatever it might be,” Carney says. “I think there’s more fluidity to art than that. Artists get to that point because of thinking about who has played their music in the past, or what radio stations will play it, and the minute you start working toward those markets, you stop making music for yourself.” The desire to break free of genre clichés and musical stereotypes is not only reflected in the sonic landscape of Phase, but also in Wilson’s lyrics. In “L.A. Night” Wilson recalls her time in the City of Angels — dealing daily with the 21st century pop stardom machine. But I’m too dark. And too short That’s what they said in New York Now I’m here. I took a different route But it’s politics as usual Never sneakers. Always heels On my tippy toes for a record deal A mixture of desire and frustration, acknowledgment of the status quo, and struggling for a better future winds its way throughout the songs of Phase — the precious yet precarious nature of love in “L-O-V-E Me;” the anxious, impatient passion of making art in “Waiting for Genius;” or confronting the ever-present background racism of American culture in “Cold in the South.” “It’s the first time in sound and song that it says 100 percent who I am — standing on my own in my own truth,” Wilson says. “My art has always been attached to someone else, whether it was singing with an ensemble in musical theater, as a background singer for another artist, or writing and singing in a duo. I now have the awareness that I’ve opened this door and I’m in a room that’s my own.” A greater and forward-looking vision is central to Wilson’s art and life. It’s a simple acknowledgment that change always begins with one person opening a door and stepping into a forbidden place — for art or for a larger social change. “This is a beautiful and bold time we’re living in where you see lots of people, especially women, standing up and saying we all need to be represented and we all need to be seen and heard,” Wilson says. “Because it gives the next person that shares something in common with you the power to fully realize who they are. Coming into this record I wanted to show reverence to all of the music that has inspired me while still making it something new and very representative of my generation. You don’t associate people who look like me with the sound on my album, but I want to see more black musicians and artists, and especially women, walk a path where they are free to combine whatever inspiration they want in their music, and have their music recognized and celebrated for what it is.”

Jessy Wilson’s solo debut Phase, produced by Patrick Carney and released through Thirty Tigers, dropped May 3 and is available through most streaming services and on vinyl at Grimey’s New & Preloved Music.

May | June 2019 theeastnashvillian.com

David Wells pairs mushrooms with companion vegetables to increase yield.

Delicious Sustainabi Henosis and Thriving Earth Farm are pleasing palates and Planet Earth

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lity

By Leslie LaChance Photographs by Travis Commeau May | June 2019 theeastnashvillian.com

Jon Ramirez inoculates hundreds of shiitake logs per year at Thriving Earth Farms.

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n a cold morning late in February, David Wells, Jon Ramirez, and a small crew of local hands gathered under a carport at Ramirez’s Thriving Earth Farm to give inoculations. Not to people, but to about 500 sweetgum logs sustainably harvested from the forest on Ramirez’s land. The workers got busy drilling angled holes into the small, straight logs, filled them with mushroom spawn-laced sawdust, and then covered the openings with paraffin wax. Wells, owner of the mushroom business Henosis, had provided the shiitake mushroom spawn from the Henosis lab. Ramirez and Wells sold nearly all of those shiitake-bearing logs at the Nashville Lawn and Garden Show in early March. The happy buyers are looking forward to several flushes of shiitake this fall. “If you inoculate your logs in cooler weather — winter, early spring, late fall, they will fruit the next fall,” Ramirez explains. But the mushroom business isn’t just about the commercial market for Ramirez and Wells; they are both quick to point out the ecological importance of fungus in the big picture of a healthy planet, especially when it comes to soil regeneration. “Sustainable forest products can actually add value to the forest,” Ramirez says. “The mushroom logs we use we can put right back into the forest after use to become compost.” Wells adds, “Ten inches of substrate wood chips [on which mycelium, the network of fine white filaments which are the vegetative part of mushrooms, has been growing] can become two inches of topsoil in four years.” For both men, growing mushrooms is one piece in a larger effort toward developing permaculture (agricultural systems that are ecological, sustainable, and permanent) in Middle Tennessee. Psychedelic jokes aside, Ramirez and Wells both believe the region is a great place for mushroom cultivation, especially as part of an overall emphasis on agricultural diversity. “We have so many possibilities for local, diverse agriculture here, and we’re heading in that direction, with more farm-to-table,” Wells observes. “We just need to do more.” When Ramirez was growing up in Queens, New York, like most city kids, he wasn’t thinking about becoming a farmer. “I went away to a senior military college aiming for an officer’s commission,” he says. “But then I had a big change of heart.” That change led him from military →

May | June 2019 theeastnashvillian.com

King oyster mushrooms (above) are a Henosis speciality. Winecap mushrooms (right) are not only tasty, they also help create topsoil as they break down wood chips for food.

theeastnashvillian.com May | June 2019

aspirations to sustainable farming in Tennessee. “I was looking at all the problems in the world then, and they seemed unending. So I went looking for solutions,” he explains. Ramirez found some of those solutions by apprenticing with the Collaborative Regional Alliance for Farmer Training (C.R.A.F.T.), a network of organic, sustainable farms in New York and Massachusetts. He spent some time co-managing a farm that served 250 families through a community-supported agriculture (CSA) business model. Then about four years ago, he and his wife, Heather Sevcik, a midwife, purchased 18 acres near Nashville’s Beaman Park and founded Thriving Earth Farm and Development. Ramirez grows shiitake mushrooms as part of Thriving Earth’s farm-to-table effort. “Shiitakes last the longest and are easiest to grow,” he says. Part diverse market garden, part silvo-pasture for raising small farm animals, part forest, part regenerative land development and natural building company, Thriving Earth Farm has begun to offer solutions to some of the problems, like deforestation and aggressive commodity farming, that drew Ramirez to agriculture. “A big part of the solution has been to get back to the land, to get the land back by farming in a sustainable way in order to reclaim our health and the health of the earth.” Like Ramirez, Wells came to agriculture in search of solutions to some of the same problems. Henosis, located in Whites Creek, is just a few miles from Thriving Earth Farm. The neighboring mushroom growers offer proof that more than just subdivisions are springing up out there on Nashville’s suburban rim. Why did Wells choose to focus on growing mushrooms as opposed to some other food? Well, it wasn’t the culinary aspect that first drew him to fungus cultivation. “Initially, my interest in mushrooms was sparked by learning about the interdependence of fungus and plants, and about the mycoremediation aspects of mushrooms and ecology,” he explains. Mycoremediation, a form of environmental restoration that relies on fungus to draw out toxins from contaminated areas of earth, has been used to mop up things in the soil that endanger its health, like heavy metals, dioxins, herbicides, and industrial waste. And while that was where Wells’ enthusiasm for fungus began, he also saw a backyard economic opportunity in sustainable agriculture. “Of course studying and growing mushrooms lends itself to market gardening, and you can scale it to a level that’s appropriate for home growing too,” Wells says. He founded Henosis (the name

is a Greek word meaning unity) in 2013, in part to offer mycoremediation services, but also to grow mushrooms for sale at farmers markets and to local eateries. Currently, Wells is focusing on growing varieties of oyster mushrooms. Henosis also supplies other growers with mushroom spawn for lion’s mane, shiitake, pioppino, and the blue, king, and pearl oyster varieties. In the wild, mycelium spreads through the soil and breaks it down into compost, but it doesn’t just provide mushrooms with soil nutrients; it creates a vast underground network through which the entire woodland ecosystem communicates, sharing habitat updates, nutrients, antibodies, enzymes, and other life-sustaining goodies around the neighborhood. Mycelium provides fundamental forest infrastructure that senses changes in the environment and sends that information along to all the plants and trees. Those rumors about plants communicating with each other are actually true. The mycelium internet is one of the ways they do that. And it has been demonstrated that certain plants, like wild carrots — better known as Queen Anne’s lace — actually grow better with mushroom companions. A healthy mycelium makes for a healthy forest; it yields mushrooms, as well as food for forest dwellers. Of the many sorts of fungi out there, at least 17 varieties are good eating for humans, and many have medicinal properties too. “We’re used to eating only a few types of button mushrooms in this country, like white button caps, or brown, like portabella.” Wells says. “But there are so many more, a great variety of taste and texture. In Asia and Europe for instance, people cultivate and eat so many other mushrooms; it’s just part of the food culture in those places.” →

David Wells’ mushrooms begin as spawn in the Henosis lab.

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Why is it that only a few kinds of mushrooms make it to the American plate? “Policy dictates what the American palate is. And policy favors commodity farming. We gave up our traditional agriculture, which was diverse, in favor of row crops,” Wells explains. He believes we have the potential to expand that monoculture palate, in part by eating more and different types of mushrooms. A national touch of mycophobia may also play a role in the American reluctance to consume unfamiliar mushrooms. “People are also a little afraid of mushrooms because they are so ephemeral, especially in the wild, and we can’t really tame them. Mushrooms aren’t the same thing as row crops,” Wells says, “We need to educate people more about the value of mushrooms as food, as medicine, and with regard to ecology as well.” Wells and Ramirez are doing just that, with both Henosis and Thriving Earth Farm each offering various workshops on mushroom cultivation and cuisine, along with teaching people that Tennessee is a good place to cultivate mushrooms. “Our climate [in Tennessee] is not that much different than other places known for mushrooms,” says Wells. “We’re a bit warmer than some, and we’re not near an ocean like growers in Japan, but we are plenty wet. Mushrooms have always grown here; people have always foraged them but also cultivated them. You probably know someone, probably an older person, who forages morels for instance.” For Wells, king oyster mushrooms are the “bread and butter” of his mushroom business. Inside a sparkling clean 16-by-8 grow trailer on rows of shelving, the next harvest of oyster mushrooms grows in about 1200 pounds of sawdust substrate arranged in neatly aligned white bags. Between 200 to 400 pounds of mushrooms go out each week to restaurants and markets. Cultivated mushrooms begin in the Henosis lab where Wells coaxes mycelium threads across a potato dextrose medium in petri dishes by giving them a cozy warm, nutrient-rich and HEPA-filtered environment in which to thrive. He likes to change out the potato dextrose for other kinds of nutrients now and then. “Mushrooms actually get bored if they eat the same thing for six months,” Wells explains. The small room smells sweet and loamy with growth, a distinctive aroma one might remember from certain biology labs. To get the mycelium running (developing threads) and producing mushrooms, Wells transfers spawn to a substrate: sawdust, wood chips, grain, soybean, or coffee bean husks. He’ll try out different strains on different substrates, looking for just the right match that will yield tasty, vigorous varieties. It takes about three months for mushrooms to go from the petri dish to market-ready.

One of Wells recent projects is to create a good strain of almond oyster mushrooms. He discovered that when he grew a particular strain of mushroom in compost that had been created by oyster mushrooms, somehow the mushrooms came to taste like almonds. He’s working on developing that strain for market. This year Henosis received a grant through the Sustainable Agriculture Research Education Program to study the effects of mushroom mulch on vegetable crops in the South, based on the holistic concept of mushroom companionship facilitating growth. Wells hopes the mushroom mulch will work its magic and significantly improve yields, and he’s testing his theory at Henosis by comparing the yields from vegetable gardens with the same plantings and different mulches or no mulch. At Thriving Earth Farm, mushroom growing is integrated with another important aspect of sustainable farming, forestry. The Thriving Earth property previously had been a commercial row crop farm, and in recent decades, large tracts of land went unfarmed and reverted to forest. Sweetgum proliferated, which is one of the reasons Ramirez chose to use them for shiitake logs. “When we first moved here, everyone said sweetgum are trash trees, useless,” Ramirez says. “It’s true that they are over-represented on the property, and for that reason, we decided to use them for our shiitake logs. Most people use red or white oak or other hardwoods for mushroom growing, but those are under-represented here, so we won’t take those. By thinning the sweetgum, we make room in the forest for other things to grow, for greater diversity. It turns out sweetgum make great shiitake logs; they are very straight, and the mushrooms grow really well on them. So our shiitake business is helping us bring our forest back into ecological balance. If you let the forest grow and give it time, harvest selectively instead of clear-cutting, you’ll always be able to get wood from it.” In a region facing increased stresses on land use and water resources due to growing population and sometimes less-than-thoughtful development, the fight for sustainable, ethical agriculture is on. Wells and Ramirez are certain that decreasing our dependence on food sources from outside the region and diversifying our local selection make for a good start. “California’s on fire; they’re the ones growing all our food and using up all the water,” Wells says. “There is a growing local food movement here. Mushrooms are a part of that, but we still have a long way to go.” “The name of the game is diversity,” Ramirez says. “If you are paying any attention at all, or thinking about the future, you have to think about how to keep the land healthy, how to get what we need from it ethically and sustainably, because all life depends on that.” May | June 2019 theeastnashvillian.com

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Could Be A Spoonful of Life

Jason “Shakes” Hostetler has a firm grip on true success

By Tommy Womack Photographs by Chad Crawford May | June 2019 theeastnashvillian.com

theeastnashvillian.com May | June 2019

poons. It’s all about the spoons. If you approach Jason “Shakes” Hostetler (heretofore known as Shakes) and ask him what was most important to him, that would be it: spoons. Forget the 10 years tending the back door at The 5 Spot, forget the filmmaking and Not So Steady Cam Productions, forget the nascent standup comedy career, all that matters, in the end, are the spoons, and getting them into the hands of those most in need of them.

Sitting at the bar in the back of said 5 Spot, Shakes has his laptop set up on the counter plugged into its charger. This, as much as any other place, is his office. Since most people enter the club through the front, he’s not exactly confronted with a lot of work to do. Long-haired, genial, and with the kind of beard where if he shaved it, he’d still look the same, he demonstrates one of the spoons. If you haven’t figured out yet, this is no ordinary spoon. The same digital gyroscope that keeps your phone screen reading straight up no matter how you hold it is at work in the handle of this spoon, which looks a bit like a lunar command module. No matter how you shake your hand or jostle the handle back and forth, the spoon stays level and stable, spilling not a drop, were it to have anything in it. If you have cerebral palsy, as Shakes does, and your hands shake, as his do, this spoon is a gift from heaven. At last, a spoon that will transport chicken soup to your mouth without much of it getting on the table or onto your shirt. It’s odd and intriguing to watch. No matter how the handle is shaken, the spoon sits in serenity: flat in relation to the Earth. “Now check out this one,” says Shakes, laying down that spoon and picking up another. “This one is going to blow your

mind.” This one has an even bigger rocket ship handle, a Saturn V comes to mind, and Shakes holds it out horizontally. “Now dig this,” he says. He turns the spoon from holding it horizontally to vertically, and as he moves the handle, the spoon itself counters every bit of the motion, staying level, until the handle is completely vertical, but the spoon is bent at ninety degrees from it, still straight across, holding a bite of virtual cereal. →

“

This is the most important thing in my life, getting these spoons into the hands of those who need them. Before filmmaking, before anything, these spoons are my life’s work.

Jason “Shakes” Hostetler pictured on the patio at The 5 Spot with his gyroscopically controlled spoons. May | June 2019 theeastnashvillian.com

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It looks like a magic trick, or something out of Star Wars, but it’s for real. The handle moves; the spoon doesn’t. And you can try to futz with it and fool it as much as you want, swivel it this way and that, and the spoon will still be smarter than you. So, if you have cerebral palsy, or anything else that might make your arms tend to draw up to your sides, bent at the elbow, this spoon is a godsend, a ticket to more independence, and less food on the floor.

“

“Harvest Spoon.” There is a GoFundMe page that has raised $2770 so far. And most recently, a crucial sponsorship from CBD product mainstay LabCanna, which will help many other people get spoons. “Last year when I did the Spoons of Diamond show, I had to pay the band, production fees, the cost of putting on a show,” Shakes says. “LabCanna has stepped in and they’re going to relieve me of all those costs. That way every dime I raise can go

That meeting the other day was life -changing. I know of children who fed themselves for the first time with the spoons I gave them.

“This is the most important thing in my life,” Shakes enthuses, “getting these spoons into the hands of those who need them. Before filmmaking, before anything, these spoons are my life’s work.” So how many spoons have you given to people? “Eighteen!” he says. His own first spoon was a gift, when noteworthy figures in the East Nashville community ponied up to purchase it for him. After getting it, he stopped off on the way home to buy some milk and Frosted Flakes, and had the most, shall we say, triumphant bowl of cereal one might could imagine. Suddenly, he could eat green peas, and so many other things that had been pretty much wiped off (or perhaps shaken off ) his menu. And the spoon portion is detachable from the handle, so if you need a fork, you can make the switch. (You think with this technology they wouldn’t think of the fork?) Before giving away 18 spoons doesn’t sound like a lot to you, consider that each of these spoons, complete with charger and carrying case, costs $330 with tax and everything. That’s very American, isn’t it? Make a product that millions without means can use — Huntington’s Chorea sufferers, people with post-stroke deficits, or spinal injuries — and then price it out of their consideration. Hence, Shakes puts on benefit shows, such as the “Spoons of Diamond” show, a Neil Diamond tribute with all the profits going to buy such utensils for people in need. Coming soon is a Neil Young tribute to be called

towards the actual spoons. This partnering is my equivalent to getting a record deal here in Nashville. “That meeting the other day was lifechanging. I know of children who fed themselves for the first time with the spoons I gave them.” This is all revelatory stuff to the author, who’s grandfather could only have a third of a cup of coffee at a time because otherwise he would shake hot liquid all over the table, who’s mother’s hands shook so bad she couldn’t sign Christmas cards, so she’d roll the card into the typewriter roller and type “Love, Mom & Dad”, and whose own tremors have started, making difficult work of threading a guitar string. Shakes, 44, came from Memphis to East Nashville 17 years ago, his mind and heart set on filmmaking. “What started it all” he says, “was my plan to go into audio recording. But because of my palsy, I did not have the physical ability to play music. But I went to recording school at Memphis State and they required two film classes. I never looked back. I got a degree in film and that became my medium.” He has produced a fair dozen short subjects over the years, one of which, Scenes From a Velvet Rope, can be seen on YouTube under the handle, “Not So SteadyCam.” Shakes has also worked as a production assistant on many major-market films over the years, including The People Vs. Larry Flynt. →

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The big kahuna project right now is the documentary, Mary Martin: Music Maven. Martin is a bit of a Zelig, being everywhere at once from the swinging ’60s on. “Mary worked for Albert Grossman (Dylan’s manager) back in the ’60s,” Shakes says. “She’s the person who signed Emmylou Harris to her first contract, convinced Leonard Cohen to start recording music and Cohen recorded his demo in her bathtub in New York. She’s credited for being the catalyst for putting Bob Dylan and The Band together and bringing Keith Urban here from Australia. She managed Van Morrison and Rodney Crowell. She’s a Grammy winner, and that just scratches the surface. “But in 1992 she was the victim of a completely random crime. Someone broke into her home that she still lives in on the West Side, tied her up, and spent hours and hours sexually assaulting her. They got the guy, he went to prison, and she became an activist for survivor’s rights. She’s the reason the State of Tennessee has videoconferencing [with crime victims participation] during parole hearings. She’s just a strong woman.” Shakes came on board as a co-producer of the documentary after it was already in production by former Channel 17 broadcaster Mikayla Lewis’ company, Be Reel. The film is on schedule for release this fall. Shakes speaks in a tremulous voice, like someone who might have just been crying. It’s a bit halting, like a slight stutter, but it only serves to highlight his capable mind and creative bent. Aside from the voice and the constant little movements he makes, there’s little that would give him away as having any sort of ailment. He works at The 5 Spot four or five nights a week. Wednesday is his sacred night off. It’s when he shoots pool. (Yes, a man with dicey cutlery chops can grab onto a pool cue and sink two solids in a row with no problem.) Once a month or so, he does stand-up comedy at the Radio Cafe. “I’ve done some open mics here and there,” he says, “at least once a month at the Radio Cafe. A friend of mine put something together called the East Vaudevillian, and instead of being at a writers in the round, or a comedy open mic, you get six minutes on stage to do whatever you want. So, there’s been comedy, we’ve shown a film trailer, there’s been a fire twirler, and of course in Nashville there’s the singer-songwriters, but it’s definitely a fun night.” When pressed for his comedic influences, he offers, “I’m a George Carlin and Richard Pryor guy. But more recently I’ve loved David Cross. Josh Blue is a big inspiration for me. He won Last Comic Standing I think the first year, and he also has cerebral palsy. I’m kind of hesitant to say, but he and I both make fun of how it works as much as we can, but there’s the observation of life through that lens,

which is definitely different than the average person would see.” Asked for some nugget of perception only a person in his position would think of, he says, “Always put a lid on your coffee cup!” After a beat, he goes on. “You know, the best way to put that would be not everything’s easy, and even the simple things may not be that simple, but it’s really not that big of a deal. You got this. There’s always a speed bump and you just can’t let it slow you down.”

And the bumps have never slowed Shakes down. As he self-awarely proclaims in his comedy routine, “I can’t stop moving!”

Consider attending HARVEST SPOON A Tribute To Neil Young Saturday, May 11, 9 p.m. at The 5 Spot The $10 donation at the door helps provide assistive “Smartspoon” utensils for the disabled.

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HARMONY Kieran Kane and Rayna Gellert find a third voice By Randy Fox | Photograph by Eric England

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ieran Kane and Rayna Gellert were both booked to play at the 2015 Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festival in San Francisco, unaware they were on a course to a new chapter in their careers. “I was out there playing with [songwriter] Scott Miller and I saw Kieran playing with [his son] Lucas, Kevin Welch, and Fats Kaplin,” Gellert says. “I was blown away and gravitated toward Kieran’s sensibilities and his playing. I recognized immediately that he thought the same way I did musically.” Kane adds, “We started talking after the show and she seemed quite convinced that we should do something together. At the time I only knew about the old timey side of her music, but she sent me a couple of songs she’d written and they were really great. At that point I thought maybe we could do something.” Since that first meeting, Kane and Gellert have cultivated their musical partnership with songwriting and accompanying each other on respective solo recordings, as well as recording and performing as a duo. The Ledges, their first album of duets, was released in early 2018, and they continued their creative partnership on their new collection, When the Sun Goes Down, released in March on Dead Reckoning Records. Both Kane and Gellert partially built their individual careers by collaborating with other musicians. Kane was a member of the 1980s hit-making country duo the O’Kanes and more recently has been with the Americana supergroup, Kane Welch Kaplin. Gellert was a member of the all-female old-timey band Uncle Earl and has worked on a variety of projects with other musicians. But despite past travels on the collaboration highway, both quickly realized there was a unique quality to their musical partnership. “We sat down and wrote one song,” Kane says. “We found the pocket pretty quickly in terms of the rhythmic groove. I’ve worked in duo-esque situations back to my days in the O’Kanes, but this is different. What we’ve been able to do together is rooted in traditional music, but it also feels very new to me.” “I have loads of friends who co-write all the time, so I knew it was a way people can

function,” Gellert says, “but I was totally new to co-writing and it was kind of scary for me. Some of our first songs came out on Kieran’s EP [Unguarded Moments from 2016] and some wound up on my EP [Workin’s Too Hard from 2017]. But we kept writing and pretty soon we’d piled up enough songs that we said, ‘I guess we’re making a duo album.’” In addition to the songs, the pair soon found their shared performances were creating a sound and atmosphere very different from their individual work. This unique and different voice called for something outside the usual recording procedures. “We wanted to avoid what Rayna calls the Red Light Syndrome — having someone hit a record button in a studio, the red light goes on, and the attitude is ‘let’s make a record!’” Kane says. “We wanted to remove all that. So when we recorded the first album, we did it in New York at my lake house. We set up a studio in the living room, and if it was going great we’d keep going, and if it wasn’t, we’d go for a swim in the lake or play some golf. There was no pressure to get it done in a set amount of time. The clock wasn’t running.” Working with simple recording gear and simple instrumentation of just fiddle and guitar, mandolin or banjo, Kane and Gellert recorded the basic tracks in New York and brought the bare bones recordings back to Nashville for mixing. “The recordings were really raw and to be honest, hard to listen to,” Kane says. “But if everything was in tune and the groove was good, then we thought it would be fine when we mixed it. We have a great engineer, Charles Yingling, who I’ve been working with since he was a baby. He was able to take what we were doing and clean up the edges a little bit and it sounded amazing, but at first he was doing too much engineery stuff and it just wasn’t working. When we listened to the first mix, we were both like, ‘What happened?’” “He was scooping out too many things from the mix,” Gellert says. “I texted him to warn him that we were going to have him make a lot of changes, and he texted back, ‘I’m already doing it.’ His wife had the same reaction we did.” Released in February 2018, The Ledges drew rave reviews from critics for its lean but →

I’ve worked in duo-esque situations back to my days in the O’Kanes, but this is different. What we’ve been able to do together is rooted in traditional music, but it also feels very new to me. —Kieran Kane

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powerful instrumentation, sharp and skillful songwriting, and stately vocal harmonies. Writing for No Depression, critic John Amen said, “The Ledges, taken track by track and in its entirety, exudes a seductive magic.” Even better than critical praise was Kane and Gellert’s discovery that their collaborative well continued as a source for more music. Before the end of 2018, they began work on a follow-up record, When the Sun Goes Down. Although the album was recorded in Kane’s Nashville living room rather than a secluded cabin, little else changed. “With The Ledges we were still concerned about things like, we need more fiddle or more banjo,” Gellert says. “With this one, we were more confident about letting it be what it was. We were still feeling our way through what we were doing as a duo, but this one feels so muchmore settled.” “On the first record we were pushing and pulling a lot,” Kane says. “I think this album is less thoughtful and more instinctual, and the songs are more cohesive. When we were sequencing the album, there were several times that the songs (as recorded) flowed perfectly into the next, like it was the next chapter.” Both Kane and Gellert agree the ability to trust instinct over intellect has been the key to their collaboration, both lyrically and musically. “I’ve also been more experimental in our duo than in other settings,” Gellert says. “My background is in old time fiddle music and the way I use the fiddle in this setting is different from anything I’ve done before. I’ve used mutes and clothespins to change the tone of the fiddle and working with Kieran affirms my most minimalist instincts. I’m not afraid to hang out on one note for a while. I may have the same instincts with my own work, but I always seem to talk myself out of it.” Kane adds, “This is much more than the duets I did with the O’Kanes or what I’ve done with Kane Welch Kaplin where it wasn’t duets but more like swapping songs back and forth. The combining of our voices makes it bigger, almost like a third voice is being created. I was listening to a track recently on an iPhone. The music was coming out of that tiny little speaker and it made me think of something you’d hear on WSM from the classic days. It was just the two of us, but it felt and sounded like a whole band playing. It was almost like an out-of-body experience where you say, ‘Is that us?’ I’ve worked with really great harmony singers who can come into the studio and really match the timber, accent, and phrasing of another singer, but it still sounds like someone singing harmony. What we’ve been able to capture is pretty unconscious.” That blending of two voices to create a uniquely powerful and passionate sound has a long tradition in country music from Sara and Maybelle Carter stepping up to a microphone

in a make-shift studio in Bristol, Virginia to Ira and Charlie Louvin cutting devastating songs of love and loss on Music Row. It’s a form of musical alchemy that Kane and Gellert continue to practice. “I laugh sometimes because I was so insistent at first,” Gellert says. “Kieran was not playing much at the time we met, but I said, ‘I have to be doing something with you.’ I recognized a shared wavelength and I’m so happy I was right.”

Available now a kanegellert.com

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B Y

J O E L L E

H E R R

A Lesson in Literary Lingo

ike in any industry, there’s a lot of jargon in book publishing. As if it were yesterday (and not 15 years ago), I can vividly recall sitting in a production meeting on my first day as managing editor at Running Press, a gift book publisher in Philadelphia. So many terms were flying about that it felt like everyone was speaking a different language entirely: Belly bands, fore-edges, errata. Kind of sexy, right? More like nerdy — book-nerdy — and ranging to decidedly unsexy with the likes of recto, flush, and gutter. More, you ask? Well, a galley is an early (not final) bound version of a book that’s sent to reviewers to build buzz before publication. A blurb is a “this is the best book ever — read it immediately” quote (usually by a prominent writer) featured on a book’s cover to lure readers in. And a debut is an author’s first published novel. All together now: A galley of Sally Smith’s debut was sent to Reese Witherspoon in hopes she’d write a clever blurb for it — and pick it for her book club. I don’t need to define book club for y’all, right? All of this (circuitousness) was prompted by my noticing that three of the “new & notable” books I’ve selected for this issue (turn the page to see) are debuts: Disappearing Earth by Julia Phillips, Mostly Dead Things by Kristen Arnett, and On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong. The fact is, there are several “big” (non-debut) novels from “established” writers due to publish around the same time. Did I think about highlighting them in this column, instead of these newbies? Yes, though the consideration was brief. Those big-time writers already have a following, and, trust me, you will hear about them elsewhere (and everywhere). I’ve never been much of a bandwagon-er,

and I have an unwavering affinity for underdogs, not to mention a particular fascination with debuts: what led up to them, how they were received and whether they were successful, what the author did, or didn’t do, next. Take for instance, Jane Austen’s debut, Sense and Sensibility, which was relatively successful when it hit the British literary scene in 1811. Too bad it was published anonymously, since female authors weren’t taken seriously (and weren’t allowed to sign contracts) in those days. An 1818 co-edition of Northanger Abbey and Persuasion was the first to identify Austen as the author — a year after her death. F. Scott Fitzgerald dashed out his debut, This Side of Paradise, in hopes its publication would convince Southern belle Zelda Sayre to marry him. It was quickly accepted by Scribner in 1919, and the book was a smashing success, launching their legendary (if tumultuous and — especially in her case — tragic) life together. Harper Lee was more of a one-and-done writer. Her 1960 debut, To Kill a Mockingbird, was an instant hit, so beloved and instantly iconic that Lee never published another book. (In her lifetime, anyway. Don’t even get me started on the whole Go Set a Watchman debacle.) These days — in the social media era — it is particularly fascinating to witness how quickly word can spread about a debut, months before its publication even. Three that particularly caught my attention recently were In the Distance by Hernan Diaz, Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney, and There There by Tommy Orange. All had so much buzz around them that I was skeptical whether the books could live up to the hype. But they did — to me, anyway. And I eagerly await their follow-ups. →

“First learn the meaning of what you say, then speak.” — Epictetus

May | June 2019 theeastnashvillian.com

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New &

notable

⟫ ⟫ ⟫

With the Fire On High Elizabeth Acevedo Last year, Acevedo won the National Book Award for The Poet X. Her sophomore young adult novel features a teen mom with dreams of becoming a chef.

{May 7}

Disappearing Earth

Julia Phillips

⟫ ⟫

Mostly Dead Things Kristen Arnett

Familial love and dysfunction are at the heart of this darkly comedic, Florida-set satire. The title alludes to the family’s taxidermy shop, by the way.

{June 4}

On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous Ocean Vuong

Vuong is an award-winning poet, and this — his first — novel unfurls in the form of a letter written by a son to his mother, who can’t read.

{June 4}

This debut mystery involving two missing girls is set in Russia’s remote Kamchatka peninsula and has been hailed as a vivid, immersive, and suspenseful page-turner.

{May 14}

Ruth Kassinger Ponder this: If it weren’t for algae, none of us would exist. Even if this pun has your eyes rolling, you’re intrigued, no?

⟫

Slime

Anthony Bourdain Remembered Various Contributors

The folks at CNN originally compiled this illustrated collection of Bourdain tributes to give to his daughter. His many devoted fans will surely be glad to see it, too.

{May 28}

{June 11}

Joelle Herr worked as a book editor and is the author of several books. She owns and curates The Bookshop in East Nashville. May | June 2019 theeastnashvillian.com

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East Side C A L E N D A R EMMA ALFORD CALENDAR EDITOR

M A Y | J U N E 2019

F O R U P -TO - DAT E I N F O R M AT I O N O N E V E N TS , A S W E L L A S L I N K S , P L E A S E V I S I T U S AT: T H E E A ST N A S H V I L L I A N .C O M

UPCOMING FARM FRESH

East Nashville Farmers Market Tuesdays through October, 3:30 to 6:30 p.m.

Amqui Station Farmers Market Sundays through October, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The East Nashville Farmers Market will kick off again for another fresh season on May 7 in a new location just down from East Park. Down the road in Madison, they’ll start up their market up on May 5. Looking for something a little more fresh than the usual Kroger haul and far more local than Whole Foods? Make a pit stop at one of these. Browse the locally grown organic and fresh foods. Sniff, sample, and snag the local cheeses, milk, breads, herbs, fruits,

vegetables, jams, and jellies. Usually a few food trucks are in tow as well, so you can even grab a bite on site. Go out and meet the farmers who make your food. They also accept SNAP (food stamp) benefits. Double down and visit both. First Church of the Nazarene, 511 Woodland St., & Amqui Station and Visitors Center, 303 Madison Station Blvd, Madison, 37115

A HEAPING HELP

Proceeds from the event go toward Second Harvest Food Bank, making for fewer hungry mouths all around. Specifically, funds raised will go toward Second Harvest’s Middle Tennessee’s Table program, which “rescues groceries” from over 224 nearby grocery stores and delivers food to hungry children, families, and seniors across the state. Tickets are available online. secondharvestmidtn.org 609 Lafayette St.

Second Harvest Food Bank’s Annual Generous Helpings

STEADY AS SHE GOES

What’s better than a generous helping that helps? The philanthropic annual grub down is back again. Here is what you can expect: a ton of samples from the city’s top eateries and foodies. Wine and beer offerings will be provided by some of your local favorites as well. But most importantly: Generous Helpings isn’t just generous to your belly, it’s all for a great cause.

Saturday, May 11, 9 p.m. The 5 Spot

Harvest Spoon A Tribute to Neil Young

Thursday, May 9, 6-9 p.m., City Winery

If you’ve ever accidentally dumped a spoonful of cornflakes and milk on your t-shirt, then you’ve experienced what some people deal with every time they try eating with a fork or a spoon. While most of us can laugh it off as a minor annoyance, it’s no joke to those with disabilities

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East Side C A L E N D A R like cerebral palsy. Fortunately, there is a solution in the form of gyroscopically controlled spoons and forks; unfortunately, these devices are expensive. Enter Jason “Shakes” Hostetler. He’s seeking to raise the funds to purchase these spectacular utensils for those who need but can afford them, through Harvest Spoon. Your $10 donation at the door will go towards this effort. 1006 Forrest Ave., 615.650.9333

EAT YOUR PAIN Depressed Cake Shop

Saturday, May 18, noon to 4 p.m., Anaconda Vintage There aren’t many things cake can’t help. May is National Mental Health Awareness month and Anaconda Vintage has something on the books to help with those woes and worries. They’re hosting what they call a Depressed Cake Shop to raise awareness and support NAMI Tennessee, a local chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Health. On par with the Depressed Cake Shop theme, local bakers and volunteers will cook up delicacies that are grey, black, or any other morose coloration they can conjure up. Go by and snag one of these Eeyore treats for a good cause. namitn.org 1062 E. Trinity Lane. #101 • 615.864.8635

SPRING SHOPPING

EAT (EAST) FOR THE CAUSE Yum!East

Thursday, May 30, 6-9 p.m., Pavilion East Yum!East is warming up its culinary engines for this year’s feast. Here’s the deal: The cost of a ticket gets you in to snack on treats from more than thirty of East Nashville’s foodie neighbors, all in one place. Guests will have the chance to sample bites from all over the Eastside, while enjoying some live music and local craft beer and wine. Grown-ups only, so leave the little ones at home. (Call up that babysitter now.) Most importantly, proceeds from the event will benefit Fannie Battle Day Home For Children. Admission will include samples of food and drink from oodles of East Nashville businesses and a guaranteed full belly. yumeast.com 1006 Fatherland St. • 615.228.6745

to have some family friendly activities, food, beverages, and their signature lab. The event is free and open to the public. urbangreenlab.org 1402 Clinton St.

PRIDE AND PARADE

Nashville Pride Festival and Parade June 22 and 23, Public Square Park

June welcomes LGBT Pride month to Nashville with a decadent two-day hoorah. The city’s rainbow filled-romp kicks off with the Pride walk at 10 a.m. on Saturday (2nd Avenue and Commerce). Over the two-day fest, they’ll have oodles of artists take the stage. Namely, TLC (still a bit confused about this one sans Left Eye) will Creep on stage on Sunday. The festival includes plenty of kid-friendly activities, too. Show some love and don’t miss out on this one. 10 Public Square

GREENER WITH AGE

QUENCH YOUR THIRTH

Sunday, June 9, 1-4 p.m., Marathon Music Works

Wednesday, July 3, Historic East Nashville

Urban Green Lab’s 10th Anniversary Urban Green Lab, our city’s sustainable living do-gooder, is turning 10 this June. The group has been hosting classes, workshops, and cruising the city in their mobile lab for a full decade now. You can expect the event

18th Annual Thirth of July Block Party

This neighborhood hoorah is a quintessential preemptive party to the 4th. Buy your tickets online in advance to save a buck, or shell it out at the gate. thethirth.com 404 North 12th St.

Spring Market at Smith & Lentz

Sunday, May 19, Noon to 5 p.m., Smith & Lentz If you’re done with your spring cleaning (or decided to skip it this season), you can move on to spring shopping. The folks at Smith & Lentz are putting together a hoppy vendor market this May. They’re hosting around 20 different local pop-ups in the brewery and on the patio. Snag a pint of your favorite brew and peruse the goods. 903 Main St. • 615.436.2195

BOOGIE ON Nashville Boogie

May 23-26, Opryland Resort | Nashville Palace Bop ‘n’ boogie on down to Opryland and Nashville Palace for this menagerie of events. There will be an outdoor car show, a western fashion show (East Nashville’s High Class Hillbilly will be in tow), a vintage vendor market, a pinup contest, AND a record convention. Did we mention the music? The B-52’s, Ronnie Spector & The Ronettes, and our previous cover artist JD McPherson are all scheduled to perform.Needless to say, there is something for everyone. The vendor market runs May 24-25 and entrance is free, but you’ll need tickets for the rest of the Boogie. nashvilleboogie.com

May | June 2019 theeastnashvillian.com

East Side C A L E N D A R

LAZING ON A SUNDAY AFTERNOON Under the Sun Fest

Sunday, June 8, noon to 10 p.m. It’s the time of the season to get outside and hang. Luckily for you, The Red Arrow Art Gallery, in collaboration with Cold Lunch Recordings and Soft Junk, is having a shebang, and you’re invited! Local and regional bands,

peotry, acoustic sets, DJs, and more ensure the promise of fabulous time to be had by one and all. Presented by The East Nashvillian and Red Arrow Gallery 919 Gallatin Ave.

RESIDENCIES =

DEE’S COUNTRY COCKTAIL LOUNGE deeslounge.com 102 E. Palestine Ave., Madison

Sunday Rock ‘n’ Roll Gospel Brunch Brunch: Noon to 4 p.m. Music: 2-5 p.m.

World-Class Bluegrass Jam Hosted by East Nash Grass Mondays, 6-8 p.m.

Madison Guild Hosted by various songwriters Mondays, 8:30-11 p.m.

Jon Byrd and Paul Neihaus Tuesdays, 6-8 p.m.

Kenny Vaughan Tuesdays, 8-10 p.m.

The One and Only Bill Davis Hump Day Happy Hour Wednesdays, 6-8 p.m.

Songwriter Showdown hosted by Andy Beckey Wednesdays, 8-10 p.m.

Classic Thursdays Thursdays, 6-8 p.m.

Rodeo Wranglers Thursdays, biweekly in May, 8-10 p.m.

Allen Thompson and Friends Thursdays, biweekly in June, 8-10 p.m.

Hoedown with the Dee’s House Band Fridays, 5:30-8 p.m. =

THE COBRA NASHVILLE

thecobranashville.com 2511 Gallatin Ave., 629.800.2518

Comedy Open Mic Sundays, 7-9 p.m.

Another Night, Another Dream DJ Dark Heart & DJ Gravy Wednesdays, 10 p.m.

Funk Night Nashville Thursdays through March, 9 p.m. to 1 a.m.

She’s Lost Control DJ Orlock & DJ Dark Heart Last Saturday of the month 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. =

THE 5 SPOT

the5spot.club 1006 Forrest Ave., 615.650.9333

Sunday Night Soul Hosted by Jason Eskridge Every second and fourth Sunday, 6 p.m.

Swing Dancing and Drink Specials 86

theeastnashvillian.com May | June 2019

East Side C A L E N D A R Mondays, 8-10 p.m.

Two Dollar Tuesday Hosted by Derek Hoke Tuesdays, 9 p.m. to close

Tim Carroll’s Rock & Roll Happy Hour Fridays, 6-8:30 p.m.

RAVEN AND WHALE GALLERY

RED ARROW GALLERY

ravenandwhalegallery.com 1108 Woodland St. Unit G, 629.777.6965

theredarrowgallery.com 919 Gallatin Ave., Ste. 4, 615.236.6575

Ongoing Collection

Brian Edmonds, Alex McClurg, and Bryce Speed

Noon to 5 p.m., Thursday through Sunday 6-10 p.m., second Saturday of every month

Opening reception 6 p.m., May 11; through June 15

Strictly ’80s Dance Party

Julian Rogers Alexander’s Dark Band

First Friday of the month 9 p.m. to close

Opening reception 6 p.m., June 22;

The 5 Spotlight Artists vary First Saturday of the month 6-8:30 p.m.

Funky Good Time

TOMÁS AND THE LIBRARY LADY

First Saturday of the month 9 p.m. to close

ART EXHIBITS EAST NASHVILLE ART STUMBLE

5-8 p.m., second Saturday of every month There’s a new way to stumble around this side of town, so get on up and get down to the new and improved — and expanded — East Nashville Art Stumble. Starting on May 11, the updated Stumble will include the following venues:

Red Arrow Gallery Michael Weintrob Photography 919 Gallatin Ave.

Raven & Whale Gallery Riveter Defunct Books Black by Maria Silver

Located within The Idea Hatchery 1108 Woodland St.

The Groove

1103 Calvin Ave.

Toro 917 Gallatin Ave.

April 25-May 19, 2019 By José Cruz González, Adapted from the book by Pat Mora In English with some Spanish dialogue Saturday and Sunday at 2 pm

Free Parking on Site

Nashville Children’s Theatre NashvilleCT.org or 615-254-9103

Now Enrolling

Ages 4-18

Friendly Arctic

1004 Gallatin Ave.

Galleries ∑

ART & INVENTION GALLERY

artandinvention.com 1106 Woodland St., 615.226.2070

Permanently Closing May 19 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Thursday through Saturday; noon to 5 p.m., Sunday Call or check website for extended hours in May.

May | June 2019 theeastnashvillian.com

East Side C A L E N D A R through July 28

A Red Arrow Gallery art talk series Every month—check the website for details

Museums ∑ COUNTRY MUSIC HALL OF FAME & MUSEUM countrymusichalloffame.org 222 Fifth Ave. S.

Outlaws & Armadillos: Country’s Roaring ’70s Ongoing This major exhibition explores the artistic and cultural exchange between Nashville, Tennessee, and Austin, Texas, during the 1970s.

Every Poster Tells a Story: 140 Years of Hatch Show Print Through April 2020 This retrospective focuses on pivotal periods in the history of Hatch Show Print, from its founding in 1879 as C.R. & H.H. Hatch, Printers, to its golden age in the 1920s led by Will T. Hatch, to the shop’s continued breadth and scope of work and long-standing dedication to its “preservation through production” mantra, allowing guests to experience and learn about the shop’s 140-year history through a collection of posters, blocks and memorabilia.

The Judds: Dream Chasers Through July 14 The exhibit will follow the popular duo from their mother-and-child beginnings as Diana Judd and daughter Christina Ciminella to their chart-topping career peak as one of the most successful duos in country music history.

Emmylou Harris: Songbird’s Flight Through August 4 This exhibit explores the musical and personal journeys of an artist who has, for nearly fifty years, captivated both her industry peers and her music fans. Johnny Cash called Harris his favorite female vocalist, and Bruce Springsteen hails her as a national treasure.

Keith Whitley Opens Friday, May 3 The exhibit encompasses Whitley’s entire career, from his bluegrass roots to his success as a singer in a traditional style of country music with #1 hits “Don’t Close Your Eyes,” “When You Say Nothing at All,” “I’m No Stranger to the Rain,” “I Wonder Do You Think of Me,” and “I’m Over You.” The installation will also look at Whitley’s influence and legacy. Musician Spotlight:

FRIST ART MUSEUM

Mavis and Friends Wednesday, May 15, 7:30 p.m.

Dorothea Lange: Politics of Seeing

Tuesday, May 21, 7:30 p.m.

Carol Burnett Through May 27

Old Crow Medicine Show

2018 ARTlab: Youth Reflections of Mental Health and Violence

Saturday, June 1, 8 p.m

Through June 30

Sunday, June 9, 7:30 p.m.

Wu-Tang Clan

Connect/Disconnect: Growth in the “It” City

The Adventure Zone

Through August 4

Friday, June 14 7 p.m.

(

THEATER/OPERA

Roseanne Cash and Ry Cooder Sunday, June 16, 7:30 p.m.

Carly Rae Jepsen Sunday, July 7, 7:30 p.m,

Andrew Bird

NASHVILLE CHILDREN’S THEATRE

Friday, July 12, 8 p.m. ∂

Tomas and the Library Lady

NASHVILLE SYMPHONY

Presents

Through May 19 Evenings and weekends are open to the public. nashvillechildrenstheatre.org 25 Middleton St. ∂

THE THEATER BUG Presents

Showmance

July/August Finalized dates and showtimes TBD Dates subject to change thetheaterbug.org 4809 Gallatin Pike ∂

NASHVILLE OPERA Presents

The Cradle Will Rock

nashvillesymphony.org One Symphony Place

ABBA The Concert with the Nashville Symphony May 9, 7 p.m. May 10-11, 8 p.m.

KC & The Sunshine Band Sunday, May 19, 7:30 p.m.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix May 23-25, 7 p.m. May 26, 3 p.m.

Carmina Burana with the Nashville Ballet Friday, May 31 trough Monday, June 3

Free Community Event at Two Rivers Mansion Sunday, June 9, 7:30 p.m.

Brian Wilson presents Pet Sounds: The Final Performances with Nashville Symphony, Al Jardine and Blondie Chaplin

Friday, May 10, 8 p.m. Saturday, May 11, 8 p.m. Sunday, May 12, 2 p.m. Season tickets on sale now nashvilleopera.org 505 Deaderick St.

Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons with the Nashville Symphony

Monday, July 1, 7:30 p.m.

CONCERTS

Thursday, June 20, 7:30 p.m. Friday, June 21, 8 p.m. Thursday, June 27, 7:30 p.m. Friday, June 28, 8 p.m.

Jerry Lee Lewis

RYMAN AUDITORIUM

SHELBY BOTTOMS NATURE CENTER 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday, Thursday,

Eddie Izzard

& Saturday Noon to 4 p.m., Wednesday and Friday Closed, Sunday and Monday

ryman.com 116 Fifth Ave. N

Wednesday, May 8, 8 p.m.

Johnnyswim Friday, May 10, 8 p.m.

Gladys Knight

Paula Jo Taylor

Satuday, May 11, 8 p.m.

Sunday, May 19, 1-2 p.m.

Michelle Obama

theeastnashvillian.com May | June 2019

Sunday, May 12, 8 p.m.

fristartmuseum.org 919 Broadway

The Nature Center offers a wide range of nature and environmental education programs and has a Nashville B-Cycle station where residents and visitors can rent a bike to explore Nashville’s greenways. 1900 Davidson St., 615.862.8539

East Side C A L E N D A R

EVENTS & CLASSES

3-4 p.m., Intermediate/Advanced Hard Shoe Class

You Light Up(cycle) My Life: Sustainable Candlemaking!

805 Woodland St., Ste. 314, 615.601.1897

11 a.m. to 12 p.m., Saturday, May 11 Ages 10 and up, registration required

House Plant Swap & Pickin’ Party

Mondays: Eastwood Christian Church 5-5:30 p.m., Beginner Class; 5-6 p.m., Intermediate/Advanced Class

1-3 p.m., Saturday, May 11 All ages, no registration

Eastwood Christian Church, Fellowship Hall 1601 Eastland Ave., 615.300.4388

HAVE IT YOUR WAY

East Vaudevillian: An Absolutely Open Mic

8-11 p.m., Second Sunday of every month, Radio Cafe Like the Burger King slogan, the mantra of this night is “have it your way.” This shindig welcomes tricks and trades of all kinds.

Bird Friendly Coffee Social 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., Saturday, May 11 All ages

Nighthawk Prowl 8-9:30 p.m., Friday, May 17 Ages 6 and up, registration required

Young Birder’s 4-H Club 9:30-11:30 a.m., Saturday, May 18 Ages 10-18

Family Bike Ride w/Metro Park Police (&treat!) 10-11 a.m., Saturday, May 18 All ages, registration required

Shelby Bottoms Paddle: Canoe and Kayak 2-5 p.m., Saturday May 18 Ages 12 and up, registration required ($25)

Howl at the MOON Hike & Pickin’ Party 8-9:30 p.m., Saturday, May 18 All ages, registration required

Won’t you “BEE” My Neighbor 11 a.m. to 12 p.m., Friday, May 24 All ages, registration required

Bird Friendly Coffee Social 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., Saturday, May 25 All ages

The Superb Snakes of Shelby Bottoms 11 a.m to 12 p.m., Saturday, May 25 All ages, registration required

SHOP AROUND SUNDAY Sundays at Porter East

Noon to 4 p.m., First Sunday of every month, Shops at Porter East The Shops at Porter East open their doors the first Sunday of every month for a special parking lot party. You can expect to enjoy a selection of rotating food trucks (and usually a flower truck), fix-ups from Ranger Stitch, and often some good tunes, too. 700 Porter Road

TRY OUR TOAST TODAY! - Avocado Toast - Almond Toast *Show this when you order for Buy One Get One Free any toast! *GF Available

RINC, Y’ALL

Scott-Ellis School of Irish Dance

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 enthusiasm, a heart of gold, and ScottEllis School of Irish Dance classes, and you’ll be dancing in the clover in no time. danceast.org

Sundays: DancEast 2-2:30 p.m., Beginner Class; 2-3 p.m., Intermediate/Advanced Soft Shoe Class; May | June 2019 theeastnashvillian.com

theeastnashvillian.com May | June 2019

East Side C A L E N D A R Everyone has six minutes of stage time to sing, dance, juggle, talk European trade policy, or express themselves in whatever way seems fit. Anything goes, as they say. It’s $3 at the door and 100 percent free to hop on stage. 4150 Gallatin Pike 615.540.0033

ANSWER ME THIS Trivia Nights

8 p.m., each week, various locations East Siders, if you’re one of the sharper tools in the shed (or not), 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: Drifters Tuesday: Edley’s BBQ East, Lipstick Lounge (7:30 p.m.) Wednesday: Nobles Kitchen and Beer Hall, The Mainstay (7 p.m.) Thursday: 3 Crow Bar

BRING IT TO THE TABLE

Community Hour at Lockeland Table

TELL ME A STORY East Side Storytellin’

7 p.m., first and third Tuesdays, The Post East Looking for something to get your creative juices flowing? East Side Story has partnered with WAMB radio to present an all-out affair with book readings, musical performances, and author/musician interviews in just one evening. Look for this event twice each month. If you want some adult beverages, feel free to BYOB. Check the website to see who the guests of honor will be for each performance. The event is free, but you may want to reserve a spot by calling ahead of time. The Post East theposteast.com 1701 Fatherland St., Ste. A, 615.457.2920 East Side Story eastsidestorytn.com 615.915.1808

BLUEGRASS FED & BRED

Bluegrass Wednesdays 8 p.m., Wednesdays, American Legion 82

Been searching for a midweek jam pick-me-up? Wander no more. Scoot and pick on down to

American Legion Post 82 for their bluegrass night. The lineup changes each week, but you can check out their Facebook for the week’s grinners. Admission is free, but tips for the pickers are encouraged. Don’t forget to sign the mandatory guest log on your way in. Happy strumming. 3202 Gallatin Pike, 615.228.3598

WALK, EAT, REPEAT Walk Eat Nashville

1:30 p.m., Thursdays; 11 a.m., Fridays, Five Points What better way to indulge in the plethora of East Nashville eateries than a walking tour through the tastiest stops? Walk Eat Nashville tours stroll through East Nashville, kicking off in 5 Points, with six tasting stops over three hours. You will walk about a mile and a half, so you’ll burn some of those calories you’re consuming in the process. This tour offers the chance to interact with the people and places crafting Nashville’s culinary scene. You even get a little history lesson along the way, learning about landmarks and lore on the East Side. Sign up for your tour online. walkeatnashville.com Corner of South 11th and Woodland Streets 615.587.6138

4-6 p.m., Monday through Saturday, 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 a community happy hour that includes a special snack and drink menu, as well as a menu just for the kiddies. 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. lockelandtable.com 1520 Woodland St., 615.228.4864

SHOUT! SHIMMY! SHAKE! Motown Mondays

9:30 p.m. to close, Mondays, The 5 Spot For those looking to hit the dance floor on Monday nights, The 5 Spot’s Motown Mondays dance party is the place to be. This shindig, presented by Electric Western, keeps it real with old-school soul, funk, and R&B. If you have 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. Get up and get down and go see why their motto is “Monday is the new Friday.” electricwesternrecords.com 1006 Forrest Ave., 615.650.9333 May | June 2019 theeastnashvillian.com

DELBERT MCCLINTON - RODNEY CROWELL

MCCRARY SISTERS - ROBBIE FULKS LILLIE MAE - Rev Sekou - Pat Byrne Peterson Brothers - Jason Ringenberg

presented by

MAY 31 - June 1

Hop Springs Beer Park, Murfreesboro, TN

MIKE FARRIS - MANDY BARNETT SARAH POTENZA - Lee Roy Parnell Liz Brash e r - Steve Poltz AN D MORE 92

theeastnashvillian.com May | June 2019

Tickets and info at 895FEST.ORG

East Side C A L E N D A R

HONESTLY, OFFICER ...

East Nashville Crime Prevention Meeting 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Thursdays, Noble’s Kitchen & Beer Hall

Join your neighbors to talk about crime stats, trends, and various other issues with East Precinct’s 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. 974 Main St., 629.800.2050

WAIT FOR THE PUNCHWINE

Punchwine Comedy Hour

8 p.m., third Friday of each month, The Tank Room at Nashville Urban Winery Few things in life are as fine as a good laugh and a tall glass of wine. You can snag both at these stand-up nights — a laid-back evening of laughs brought to us by local comedians Connor Larsen and Lucas Davidson. If you’re looking for a few laughs over some vino, look no further than Main Street. The cost is 10 bucks and each night they’ll have a lineup of four national comedians (with some local jokesters occasionally). Check in online to see who’s on stage each month. Nothing to wine about here. 715 Main St., 615.619.0202

A DANCE PARTY WITH STYLE Queer Dance Party

9 p.m. to 3 a.m., third Friday of every month The Basement East On any given month, the QDP is a mixed bag of fashionably clad attendees (some in the occasional costume) dancing till they can’t dance no mo’. Shake a leg, slurp down some of the drink specials, and let your true rainbow colors show. thebasementnashville.com 917 Woodland St., 615.645.9174

PICKIN’ YOUR BRUNCH Bluegrass Brunch

10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturdays, The Post East What could make brunch even better, you might ask? Bluegrass. For a pickin’ and grinnin’ kind of meal, join the folks at The Post East every Saturday. They’ll have a few jammers there to complement the toast (and jam). P.S.: For those just focused on snacking, brunch runs from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. theposteast.com 1701 Fatherland St., Ste. A, 615.457.2920

ONCE UPON A TIME … Weekly Storytime

10 a.m., Saturdays, The Bookshop The Bookshop has a story to tell us each and every weekend. On Saturdays, they sit down for a good old-fashioned story time for young East Side bookworms, occasionally welcoming special guests (learn more about that on the shop’s website). One thing is certain: These are solid Saturday plans for wee bibliophiles. thebookshopnashville.com 1043 W. Eastland Ave., 615.484.5420

NEIGHBORHOOD MEETINGS HISTORIC EDGEFIELD NEIGHBORS historicedgefieldneighbors.com Neighborhood Meeting 7 p.m., Tuesday, May 25 and June 25 East Park Community Center 700 Woodland St.

CLEVELAND PARK N.A.

6:30 p.m., second Thursday of every month Cleveland Park Community Center 610 N. Sixth St.

INGLEWOOD N.A.

inglewood37216.org 7 p.m., first Thursday of every month Isaac Litton Alumni Center 4500 Gallatin Pike

MCFERRIN N.A.

6:30 p.m., first Thursday of every month (Location may vary though summer) McFerrin Park Community Center 301 Berry St.

ROSEBANK NEIGHBORS

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

HENMA

lockelandsprings.org TBA 1701 Fatherland St.

eastnashville.org Dates and locations vary Historic East Nashville Merchant’s Association (HENMA) is a cooperative formed among East Nashville business owners to promote collaboration with neighborhood associations and city government. Check the association’s website to learn about the organization and where meetings will be held each quarter.

SHELBY HILLS N.A.

MOMS Club of East Nashville

LOCKELAND SPRINGS N.A.

shelbyhills.org 6:30 p.m., third Monday of every month Shelby Community Center 401 S. 20th St.

MAXWELL HEIGHTS N.A.

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

EASTWOOD NEIGHBORS

eastwoodneighbors.org Odd Month Social: Outdoor Party 6-8 p.m., Tuesday, May 14 1724 Sharpe Ave. Business Meeting 6:30 p.m., Tuesday, June 11 Eastwood Christian Church 1601 Eastland Ave.

Monthly business meetings at 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 four 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 and cover regular business items (including upcoming service initiatives and activities), and also allow women to discuss the ins and outs, ups and downs of being a mother. Check their website for the MOMS group in your area.

GREENWOOD N.A.

6 p.m., second Tuesday of every month East Precinct 936 E. Trinity Lane

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS N.A.

6 p.m., third Thursday of every month Trinity Community Commons 204 E. Trinity Lane

Would you like to have something included in our East Side Calendar? Please let us know — we’d love to hear from you. Reach out to us at: calendar@theeastnashvillian.com

May | June 2019 theeastnashvillian.com

marketplace

Misty Waters Petak M.S., CFPÂŽ, CLUÂŽ Financial Advisor (615) 479-6415 mistypetak.nm.com

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marketplace

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theeastnashvillian.com May | June 2019

E A S T OF N O R M A L Surrender — it ain’t just a Cheap Trick song BY TOMMY WOMACK

like my life. I really do. I’ve made out like a bandit: great family, cozy home, made it as a second-string cult artist. I have many friends and know a lot of people who are so cool I can’t believe I’m friends with them, colleagues even. I get to play gigs, I’ve gotten to make records and be a published author. I write for this magazine and host shows on two different radio stations. I even sometimes load the dishwasher. I’m grateful for my contentment because I spent a whole lot of time in my life being vehemently unhappy. Rather than get into chapter and verse, let me just tell you there would be a list: clinical depression, Tourette’s, gym class abuse, ostracism for being weird (aptly), unrequited puppy love. I could go on and on. My mom was very depressed, very sweet, very nervous, and every so often batshit crazy. Dad was a potted plant who Tommy Womack is a Nashville-based watched television for four or five singer-songwriter hours a night after work. I think he and author. His new was depressed too, but he was so book, dust bunnies: inscrutable that I still don’t know. a memoir, and his He was damned grumpy, that I can 7" single “We’ll Get tell you. Through This Too”/ I was pissed off I got born into “Feel Beautiful” are the “freaks down the street” family; available around I was pissed off I was born in Kentown and at tucky far away from any city lights tommywomack.com. and rock ‘n’ roll; I was STILL pissed off at the gym jock assholes from 1975, and I was pissed off that all these setbacks in Podunk made me a ludicrous choice for anyone you’d want to hire for an entertainer. Most of all, I was pissed off because I thought I was born too low and freakish to ever raise up to any heights. So? Tommy? You got a bad hop. Big deal. Get over it. Okay … I have. I’ve finally stopped being bitter about (almost) all of that shit. It took the last seven years of my life exhuming it, but in that issue and in many other respects, I have come as close to sane as I’ve ever managed to be, and for this long a period of time, without fucking it up somehow. I strongly feel a correlation exists between that and how it’s not been since July 18th, 2012 that I’ve drank a drop of alcohol. I’m coming up on seven years. Things don’t upset me much like they used to. Besides rehab,

in these seven years I’ve also survived a really cool, mondo, bone-shattering, air-bag-deployed car crash, and a bout with bladder cancer. In these last few years I’ve notice a gradual mellowing in my heart, and my take on things has gone way more towards, ‘what’s there to get het up about?’ I used to get het up about a lot. I burned out some circuits in my brain being so het up for so long (and that’s a problem, I’m stupider now. Not senile by any means, but stupider, yes). Fear is not as ever-present anymore either. I mean, I’ve had my pelvis shattered and a tube up my Johnson. What are you gonna do to me? Shoot me? Take your best shot. You’ll hit fleshy parts, my friends will do a GoFundMe, I’ll be fine, and your ass’ll be in jail. That’s my attitude a lot of the time anymore. As TS Garp would say, I’m pre-disastered. The only big thing I still fear a lot is dying poor. That one still gets to me. I’ll be straight with you, I just logged on to my BOA phone app and let’s see here … I have $283.43 in checking, $44.93 in savings, and that’s IT. There is no retirement plan at all. I do have some sort of Fidelity Life pension plan from the 6 years I worked full-time with benefits in Hell. Oh, did I say Hell? I meant at a local, super-pricey, private university whose name shall remain anonymous. How silly of me! I’ve got about seven grand in that kitty which inspires a “whoopety-doo” down in my soul. And guess what? I’m not alone in that fear. There are people who sing for you and serve your dinner and take your toll money who feel the same way and have less in their accounts than I do. I get it, but I also get (and finally accept) that I’m an artist, mannn. When you commit your life to art, or other pursuits pregnant with risk, you give up the American Dream: the white picket fence and the two-car garage, vacations at Six Flags with the kids, actually HAVING a stock portfolio — you surrender all that. And you know what? It’s worth it. Gobs of friends you would have never made in any other scene. Moments of ecstasy the more sensible people in the suburbs don’t ever get to have. Yep. Sometimes, you have to surrender, but never — ever — give yourself away.

May | June 2019 theeastnashvillian.com

PARTING SHOT

#draftermath W iskey W olves of the W est

Matty Apples, Tim Jones, Leroy Powell, Chase McGillis April 28, 2019 PHOTOGRAPH BY CHUCK ALLEN

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May | June 2019 theeastnashvillian.com

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