The East Nashvillian 8.4 March-April 2018

K N O W Y O U R N E I G H B O R : Chris Galloway A R T I S T I N P R O F I L E : Eastside Murals

MARCH | APRIL VOL.VIII, ISSUE 4

MOON TAXI FUELED FOR INTERSTELLAR OVERDRIVE

THOUGHT FACTORY

Libby Callaway’s talents breathe life into The Callaway Plus

GET ON THE BUS The Jugg Sisters on mass transit

JO E LLE

H ER R ’ S

RADIO CAFE PERSEVERANCE SOCIETY Mac Hill isn’t done yet

NEW

COLUMN

BOOKISH

VIOLINS OF HOPE

Nashville Symphony brings the Weinsteins’ vision to town

ALL GROWN UP

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ROOTS

onthe ROAD

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COVER STORY

42 FUELED FOR INTERSTELLAR OVERDRIVE

Let The Record Play combines Moon Taxi’s DIY ethos with a major-label debut

By Andrew Leahey

FEATURES

COVER SHOT

54 THOUGHT FACTORY

Moon Taxi

Libby Callaway’s unique mix of talents breathe life into The Callaway

By Jeremy Harris

By Tim Ghianni

63 GET ON THE BUS

The Jugg Sisters’ side-splitting take on mass transit

By Tommy Womack

70 VIOLINS OF HOPE

The Nashville Symphony joins the mission of one Israeli family intent on remembering the Holocaust in hopes of changing the future

By Michael DeVault

RADIO CAFE 79 THE PERSERVERANCE SOCIETY Serving up music for two decades, Mac Hill isn’t done yet

By Randy Fox

Visit

THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM for updates, news, events, and more!

CONTINUED ON PAGE 10

March|April 2018 theeastnashvillian.com

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COMMENTARY

EAST SIDE BUZZ

17 Matters of Development

14 Editor’s Letter

25 East Nashvillians Ponder Mass Transit

28 Astute Observations

By Chuck Allen

By Nicole Keiper

By James “Hags” Haggerty

By Michael DeVault

104 East of Normal

26 Dee’s to the Rescue!

By Tommy Womack

By Randy Fox

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PARTING SHOT

IN THE KNOW Your Neighbor: 31 Know Chris Galloway

THE SHERWOODS STAND UNITED Women’s March 2.0: Power Together TN

March 20, 2018

By Randy Fox

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by Travis Commeau

Artist in Profile: Eastside Murals

By Brittney McKenna

85 Bookish

By Joelle Herr

89 East Side Calendar

By Emma Alford

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THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM for updates, news, events, and more!

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theeastnashvillian.com March|April 2018

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PUBLISHER Lisa McCauley EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Chuck Allen COPY EDITOR Nicole Keiper PROOFING EDITOR Randy Fox ONLINE EDITOR Nicole Keiper CALENDAR EDITOR Emma Alford CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Michael DeVault, Randy Fox, Tim Ghianni, James Haggerty, Joelle Herr, Andrew Leahey, Brittney McKenna, Tommy Womack CREATIVE DIRECTOR Chuck Allen DESIGN DIRECTOR Benjamin Rumble PHOTO EDITOR Travis Commeau ILLUSTRATIONS Benjamin Rumble, Dean Tomasek CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Travis Commeau, Chad Crawford, Eric England, Jeremy Harris, Stacie Huckeba STYLING/MAKEUP Kim Murray Kitchen

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EDITOR’S LETTER

Topically a drag

T

hank God for Spring. Sure, it forebodes summer’s heat but, at least for a little while, one can experience the lightness of just being. Ah, to just be all the time.

Alas, to be is not to be, not in a society where every last drop of blood is commoditized.

My bad. That last line was winter-talk.

Don’t get me wrong — I love Winter, with her long blond hair and ice-queen stare. But

by March, her pessimism wears thin and thoughts of the May Queen return. The time of new beginnings.

Some folks enjoy drifting down the river of life. Some seem to prefer speedboats. No matter, the destination is always the same.

Would sports exist without spectators, or music without a listener? Whatever the case, the plutocracy is monetizing your bliss by keeping the egalitarians distracted with social justice.

The equation that will break the cipher is always and forever right in front of us. If we don’t see it, it’s because we choose not to see it. Built into us at the DNA level is a resistance to look at our part in causations.

Elevate this tendency to a group-think level and the consequences are war, poverty, the raping of the earth for resources — the usual stuff. It’s not us, it’s them.

The Polariod is dead, long live the selfie!

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If I were to devise a way to keep the proletariat distracted, the plan would include an appeal to The Ego. Convince everyone of their super awesomeness, experienced through the celebration of themselves in a way all can see. Toil in solitude? Not! Not for me, because I’m special! Self-reflection?

Who needs it! Besides, I just got a dopamine hit out of the 30 likes on my most recent post, so bite me.

Back to the May Queen. Which reminds me of the Lou Reed-penned tune by Velvet Underground called “Pale Blue Eyes.” I wonder if he wrote it in March? The line “Down for you is up” has got to be the result of some transcendental moment (drug induced or not). Prescient, too, as it could be our surrogate National Anthem right now.

Speaking of downers, I seriously doubt the hippies could have predicted the co-opting of drug culture by The Man, although, in a capitalist society, it is the natural order of things.

What your parents hate today will be selling Doritos tomorrow. Think ... Rap. There will never be another Public Enemy circa Fear of a Black Planet because the white kids in the suburbs who bought that record are now white adults in the suburbs.

Will the next dangerous, radical music sound like The Carpenters? Don’t knock The Carpenters, either. They made pristine pop records that sound like springtime.

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EAST SIDE B U Z Z FOR UP-TO -DATE INFORMATION ON EVENTS, AS WELL AS LINKS, PLEASE VISIT US AT: THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM Matters of Development The year kicked off with some major changes — longtime restaurant closures and lots of new concepts in the works — plus some really cool projects at historic East Nashville properties.

NEW AND NOTEWORTHY POP Nashville went and POPped back up: The onetime restaurant incubator-and-more, which closed in late 2016, reopened in February in the same location — 604 Gallatin Ave., #202 — with a slightly different thrust, at least to start.

POP To Go is now up and running there, at press time offering takeout/delivery eats from POP owners Sarah and Brad Gavigan’s Otaku Ramen (which is now in The Gulch, but once operated out of POP).

An announcement from the Gavigans said

they expect to offer multiple menus there.

As the Otaku to-go effort was ramping up at press time, they were serving Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays 5 to 10 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays 5 p.m. to midnight. A release noted that “extended hours and additional menus” would follow shortly.

POP originally opened in that Gallatin Avenue space in 2014, and in its first few years there, it helped spur both Otaku and Little Octopus (which also now has its own space in The Gulch).

To keep up with POP To Go and the “ever changing hospitality group” behind it, visit popnashville.com.

The old East Nashville Walmart spot? It’s not empty anymore either.

In February, the newly renovated SpaceMax storage facility opened its doors where the Wal once was, offering lots of options for locking down your extra stuff, from lockers to

300-square-foot climate- and humidity-controlled spaces.

That isn’t the end of the build project over at 1216 Gallatin Ave. — along with overhauling the Walmart space for SpaceMax, a new retail building is nearing completion on the property, too. At press time, Nashville SpaceMax property manager Ray Peng told us that part was likely weeks away from wrapping.

We reached out to Southeast Venture about potential tenants for the 15,000 square feet of Class A retail space, but didn’t get a reply.

We’ll keep digging; look out for updates on our blog at theeastnashvillian.com.

That former Walmart Neighborhood Market closed in early 2016, as part of a nationwide store shuttering, alongside more than 150 other locations.

White we wait for word on that retail hub, the Porter East retail hub has a tasty new

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EAST SIDE BUZZ tenant: KOKOS Ice Cream opened their KOKOS To-Go Shop in January at 729 Porter Road, offering dairy- and nut-free, vegan artisan ice cream, built on a coconut milk base.

The inspiration came via co-founder Sam Brooker’s own dairy intolerance — left with an ice cream-shaped void, his now-KOKOS partner/bandmate Jerusa van Lith encouraged him to try out the already available coconut-based stuff.

“We went to the grocery store to get some,” he told us, “and it felt really good to eat ice cream. But it wasn’t that great. So we got to talking. …”

After months of experimentation, the two landed on a non-dairy formula informed by gelato techniques Amsterdam native van Lith got familiar with in Europe, and hard ice cream techniques we’re used to here in the States.

The brand initially launched on the road — Brooker and van Lith kicked things off with a cute, sweet ice cream bike that made its way around Nashville, including lots of East Side spots. After setting the stage and building a fanbase, they moved to their first brick-andmortar, which is still a trimmed-down version

of their ultimate plans.

At KOKOS To-Go, folks can grab cups of various rotating KOKOS flavors (some winter ones included Orange Ginger Snap and Vanilla Cherry Bomb), along with chocolate-robed KOKOS pops. Pints on the way, too.

Down the line, Brooker and van Lith are hoping to launch a sit-down Nashville scoop shop, along with a sister location in Amsterdam.

More immediately, though, they’re planning to expand flavors and hours at the To-Go shop, and get the bike out four days a week as the weather warms up.

Initial winter hours were 1 to 4 p.m., Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, but check kokosicecream.com — with spring springing, they might already have expanded KOKOS’ times.

Now open at 715 Main St.: kitchen/ lounge/curated wine shop Nashville Urban Winery.

They’re serving pizza and snacks from the kitchen, and lots of grape-based beverages from the bar, including reds/whites/roses and sparkling wines, along with mixed drinks like house-made sangria. (Beer and craft cocktails

are on offer, too.)

Hours are 4 p.m. to midnight Mondays through Wednesdays, 4 p.m. to 1 a.m. Thursdays to Saturdays, 4-10 p.m. Sundays. More at nashvilleurbanwinery.com.

A different kind of kitchen: East Side books/music/art shop Atomic Nashville recently added The Kitchen, a low-key acoustic listening room inside the actual kitchen in their historic building, at 118 S. 11th St. The thrust is “no microphones, no speakers, no Internet,” meant to keep the focus on what’s actually happening in the room.

Shows are rolling regularly now (Grammy-winning songwriter, children’s book author, and filmmaker Scot Sax is booking them), and you can keep up at facebook.com/thekitchenatatomic.

CrossFit East Nashville celebrated their grand opening in early February at 400 Davidson St., Suite 410, and they’re now offering group classes, community workout sessions and open gym hours six days a week, with classes starting as early as 5:30 a.m. and as late as 6:30 p.m.

For schedule/membership info and more, head to crossfiteastnashville.com.

CLOSINGS AND MOVES A big bummer for East Nashville diners in February: After almost a decade at 1601 Riverside Drive, neighborhood diner Pied Piper Eatery closed its doors.

Owner Becky Piper set the eatery stage in late 2008, creating a fun, family-friendly, music-themed hangout that offer comforting American staples, from big burgers to bacon and eggs and apple pie. After her death to cancer in 2015, Piper’s family forged forward with the diner, but as 2018 kicked off, they announced that the time had come to move forward, and on.

“As her family, we have done our best to honor her vision for her creation, but it was her heart that beat for this diner, this work,” a closure announcement posted on Facebook said. “We’ve decided it’s truly time to let her rest, and to honor her by following our own creative visions.”

The Pipers also launched and run East Nashville ice cream favorite Pied Piper Creamery, and that business will keep scooping at 114 S. 11th St. Another bummer closure: Gerst Haus, the stalwart German restaurant near the stadium at 301 Woodland St., closed its doors in February.

They’d been dishing up Rindergulasch

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EAST SIDE BUZZ and Kartoffelpfannkuchen and steaming hot pig knuckles in Nashville since the ’50s in various locations, though East Nashville (again, at various addresses) had been home for decades.

DCXV — best known for the selfie-siren “I Believe in Nashville” murals — also closed its East Nashville storefront at the end of January, though owner/designer Adrien Saporiti noted that it’s not a shuttering of the T-shirt/ apparel brand, just the brick and mortar at 727 Porter Road.

DCXV continues as an online entity, but Saporiti said in his goodbye message late last year that, “the focus going forward will be on periodic limited releases.”

Saporiti rose to Nashville design prominence when the bold but simple “Believe” design hit the scene in 2012, and since, he and his team have worked diligently toward the DCXV goal of sharing art and representing Nashville (he’s a native — and the name’s “615” in Roman numerals).

“Through DCXV I received an education, a lifetime of experiences, and made friends from all over the world that I will cherish for the rest of my life,” Saporiti said. “Thank you to everyone who has supported DCXV (especially those of you who got the logo tattooed … I mean, come on!).”

If you’d like to stay up with those limited releases/DCXV projects going forward, keep tabs on dcxvindustries.com.

Also moving to an online-only brand: Steluta, the fashion/gifts/home goods shop launched by Fort Louise owner Jessica Bower at 1601 B Riverside Drive a little over a year ago.

“We are astronomically grateful for the community we have met and grown to love,” said an announcement from Bower. “… As with all celestial bodies, we look forward to continuing a long life orbiting through these beautiful skies together.”

If you loved Bower’s taste, keep up with shopsteluta.com, which remains stocked with women’s clothing, jewelry and more.

Not closing but ramping down some: longtime 5 Points-area fixture Wonders on Woodland. Late last year, owners Wayne and Debbie Goodwyn announced that the longloved vintage/antiques shop would be moving toward a “seasonal approach,” shutting the doors at 1110 Woodland St. for the winter, reopening for a few weeks in the spring and mid-summer, then again around the holidays.

“For some time now we have struggled with balancing our love for our shop with the desire to enjoy some of life’s other adventures,” their announcement said. “…The commitment to

present interesting and unique finds in a pleasant setting is one we’ve taken on with pride and pleasure. However, that commitment leaves time for little else.”

If they’ve been your go-to for furnishings and vintage trinkets, you’ll still be able to schedule by-appointment visits, and you may see the shop open on “random days by chance.”

Wonders has been open in that spot for nearly 11 years, and even with the maelstrom of change around it, it looks like it’ll remain a steadying sight (if one with more frequently locked doors). For the latest, follow them at facebook.com/WondersOnWoodland.

Another non-closure closure that may be a lapsed closure by the time you read this: In early February, restaurant/venue/cafe The Family Wash/Garage Coffee unexpectedly and abruptly closed its doors at 626A Main St. Repeated word received from owner/operator Mitchell Fox is that the temporary closure would come to an end inside of a month, after some upgrades were finished.

Time being what it is, there’s a chance you might be reading this in a fresh new Wash; if not, keep an eye on our blog at

theeastnashvillian.com for the latest.

After about two years in East Nashville, Memphis-bred chapeau shop Mister Hats has opted to close its local doors, at 921 Gallatin Ave. (At press time, they were gearing up for an end-of-February end, so by the time this is in your hands, things should be wrapped, barring any unexpected changes.)

Its flagship in Memphis remains, slinging all manner of caps, bowlers, homburgs, pork pies and the like. No word yet on what might take over the East Nashville space.

Furniture/decor/gift shop Rustique also shut its doors early in the year, after more than four years at 700 Fatherland St. In announcing the shuttering, mother-daughter owner team Erica Howard and Karin Farr noted that, “retail has been great ... but we are ready to have our weekends back.”

Both have plenty with which to fill those weekends: Howard is running letterpress/ lettering/design business Ruthie & Oliver Letterpress; Farr is running event/wedding venue the Barn on Willis Branch, in Goodlettsville.

Cloud IX, a hookah bar/lounge in business at 3807 Gallatin Pike since 2016, has closed.

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EAST SIDE BUZZ The lounge’s future seemed uncertain in the wake of two shooting deaths on the premises inside of a year, particularly after news hit that eviction proceedings had begun, with the property’s owners citing more than $175,000 in overdue rent.

In February, District 8 Metro Nashville councilmember Nancy VanReece updated us, noting that the club owners had lost a court case related to that claim, and that as a result, the space was to be vacated by Feb. 17.

The business’ Facebook page and Instagram feed both appeared to be down, and no updates were available at cloudixnashville.com (the club’s online calendar was empty).

For more on the issues at Cloud IX, visit theeastnashvillian.com — our January/ February issue had a primer.

COMING SOON A double-shot for food lovers from the folks behind downtown coffee haunt Slow Hand Coffee: Come spring, owner Nick Guidry told us, he’ll have two new East Nashville concepts going under one roof, at 1012 Gallatin Ave. The first will be familiar: Slow Hand is moving East, but broadening and morphing into Slow Hand Coffee + Bakeshop.

With the “+ Bakeshop,” we can expect an even more specialized version of artisan coffee service, with about triple the house-made pastry selection, plus lots of grab-and-go options, like quick-service coffee and wraps, biscuits, and sandwiches.

The second, which’ll be settled in the center unit of the building (to the left of Slow Hand): Pelican & Pig, a full-service restaurant with a live wood/ember fire cooking bent, facilitated by an onsite raised-brick grill.

“Live fire will be utilized at its various stages from smoking and grilling meats over embers, to ash roasting vegetables and hearth-baking breads,” Guidry told us.

Approaches the neighborhood tends to love — locally sourced, seasonal produce and proteins, and baked goods made in house — are also in the works, along with a “small and specialized” cocktail/beer and wine menu, and desserts, concocted by pastry pro Audra Guidry, that’ll lean toward “comforting classics and fun twists on old favorites.”

Plans are for dinner six nights a week, plus weekend brunch.

The Guidrys and their team started working on both projects simultaneously; the best place for regular updates (and appetite-whetting food photos): facebook.com/SlowHandCoffee.

A mile up the road in Inglewood, at the old

Hop Stop space, new bar concept Walden is taking shape.

Owners Robyn Donnelly and Katie MacLachlan shared details about the new project in late January, noting that they’re aiming for “a place that feels as familiar and accessible as a dive bar, while having the service and selection of a high-end spot.”

The menu will have a focus on affordability, the partners said, with lots of on-tap beers, wines, and cocktails priced under $10, and a food menu with a mix of shareable options; late-night and brunch will be added later.

The décor will draw from the name, with murals designed and painted by local artist Tarabella Aversa, inspired by Walden Pond plants described by Henry David Thoreau in his famous book.

Key bonus for East Nashville’s many dog lovers: A pet-friendly patio with seating is in the planning too.

Walden is expected to open in the spring.

For more: waldenbar.com.

Craft beer haunt The Hop Stop closed in November, after four years in that space.

Another East Nashville haunt getting new life: The former Holland House space at 935 W. Eastland Ave. is set to house Lyra, a

Middle Eastern restaurant led by onetime Holland House chef Hrant Arakelian.

The Nashville Business Journal dropped that scoop just before the New Year rolled in, noting that Arakelian and his wife, Elizabeth Endicott, were hoping to get Lyra open in late spring.

Holland House closed over the summer after seven years.

By the time these pages hit stands, you may already be able to check out Rolf and Daughters chef Philip Krajeck’s new East Nashville place: Folk, a pizza-centric restaurant bar, was due to open in March at 823 Meridian St., according to a report from Eater Nashville.

Krajeck told Eater we should expect “authentic,” “wood-fired,” “flavorful” food that’s “easy for people to digest” at the new location, starting with dinner, then later, brunch. Along with pizza, we should see seafood and house-cured meats, plus a classic cocktails/wine program led by Rolf alum Shane O’Brien.

Expected in March — although at press time the project has been delayed: a new East Nashville location from Urgent Team, a large Southeast urgent/family care center brand.

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EAST SIDE BUZZ They’re set to open at 3024 Gallatin Pike (the former 615 Ave. space), where you’ll be able to walk in for urgent, primary, and wellness care, along with school/sports physicals.

Announced hours: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays, and 1-5 p.m. on Sundays. More at urgentteam.com.

A big addition to the ongoing revitalization of Dickerson Pike on the way: A team of investors that includes Lyon Porter, of Urban Cowboy B&B and Urban Cowboy Public House, has plans to overhaul the historic Key Motel at 1414 Dickerson Pike, turning it into affordable but stylish lodging.

While Porter’s other East Nashville lodging space is a high-end, boutique stay, with suites starting at $295 a night, he expects this reinvigorated hotel to offer single and double-bed rooms in the $100 to $150 range, but without sacrificing the style-forward aesthetics that have made Urban Cowboy such a draw.

The space currently has 26 rooms, and when it reopens (ideally around summer, Lyon said), it’ll likely be around the same number, depending on how lobby designs shake out.

That said, while the Key is getting turned around in a significant way, Porter was clear that their effort would be far from a teardown/rebuild.

“We’re not changing it,” he said, “we’re just breathing some life back into a property that’s not seen any TLC in a while.”

That’ll include nods to the building’s midcentury beginnings, Porter said, along with “thematic and cinematic” elements, and “a lot of whimsy.”

Beyond, a lot’s yet to be announced — including whether Porter and his partners (including Elliott Kyle and Talbott Ottinger) will keep the Key name.

But overall, Porter said, “My goal is to make it the most approachably affordable, highly designed hotel in the city.”

Another exciting renovation of a historic building: Nashville music scene stalwarts Chark Kinsolving and Jamie Rubin — founders of Mercy Lounge and The Family Wash, respectively — are working on overhauling the long-shuttered Madison Bowl, at 517 Gallatin Pike N. in Madison, and turning it into combination bar/restaurant/bowling alley/venue, kind of in the spirit of New York’s throwback-cool Brooklyn Bowl, just with a Nashville edge.

The project was very much in its nascent stages at press time, but the partners did have a well-sketched-out vision.

Once renovations get under way, they’ll be working on building out two bar areas (one

a quieter lounge, set behind windows/doors), adding a performance stage and freshening up an adjacent dancefloor/dining and games space. Bowling will happen on about two dozen lanes (traditional bowling is likely, though the duo was also exploring other options, like candlepin and duckpin bowling).

Both food and programming will echo a bit of the early Family Wash spirit, with booking focused almost entirely on local musicians, and the bar and kitchen staying simple and honed-down but not run-of-the-mill.

“All that we’ll work out later,” Rubin told us. “It’ll be basic, but like nothing else you can get up in Madison.”

And while the renovation will be significant, Kinsolving and Rubin were clear that they’re hewing to the property’s history, clipping out some of the ’80s additions that made the place feel overwhelmingly “Miami Vice,” and bringing back as much of the 1960 aesthetic as possible — including refreshing the iconic sign out front.

“The idea is to keep everything pretty simple but comfortable,” Rubin said. “A good hang.”

Hopes are to get the new Madison Bowl open around August.

An in-the-works addition to the Wabash building at 901 Woodland St.: Sips n Strokes Nashville, a kind of hangout/ art class provider for painters of all ages and experience levels.

The brand is a growing Southeast chain, and this East Nashville location, owner/ manager Emily Krenkel Bussman told us, will bring a similar experience to other Sips n Strokes studios: Creatively inclined patrons can bring their own sips, and work on a pre-planned painting with step-by-step help from instructors.

It’s a “fun, laid-back atmosphere,” she said, that can offer a low-key night with friends and give budding artists a chance to discover hidden talents.

For news, follow Sips n Strokes Nashville at facebook.com/sipsnstrokesnashville.

Have any East Side development news to share?

Reach out to: nicole@theeastnashvillian.com

LOCAL EYECARE. INDEPENDENT EYEWEAR.

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EAST SIDE BUZZ East Nashvillians Ponder Mass Transit The future of transportation in Music City goes before voters May 1, and for some residents and businesses in East Nashville, the notion of a state-of-the-art mass transit system connecting their community to downtown and points beyond is a dream years in the making.

Mayor Megan Barry’s transit proposal calls for dozens of miles of light rail along the region’s busiest arteries, hundreds of miles of additional bus routes, and more than 10,000 feet of tunnels carved into the bedrock beneath downtown. All that development will take time — current plans call for a ten-year, multi-phased expansion beginning in 2019. Additionally, Barry’s administration estimates the massive expansion will cost some $9 billion. But that’s money well-spent to Leslie LaChance.

LaChance and her husband live in Inglewood, and their house is near the end of a proposed light rail spur that will run along Gallatin Pike to downtown Nashville. Additional spurs will follow three other highly congested routes: Charlotte Pike, Nolensville Road, and Murfreesboro Road.

“I’ve lived in cities where there was great mass transit, visited places with great transit,” LaChance says. “I really look forward to being able to walk the four blocks from my house, hop on a train, and head downtown to a concert.”

Combined, these four light rail lines will converge in downtown Nashville at a central terminal, where riders can change trains, depart for business, commerce, and tourist areas, or hop on a connecting bus line. For people living in East Nashville, the proposed transit improvements could cut the commute into downtown from 20 or 30 minutes down to just 5 or ten, depending on the time of day and number of riders.

Barry’s proposal to overhaul transit is not without its detractors, though, who contend the proposed $9 billion is far too little to complete her vision. That’s not to say opponents of the plan don’t see the need. In fact, several Metro Council members have vowed to present their own plans to redouble the city’s mass transit efforts.

At least one councilmember has criticized the plan for not going far enough, noting that tens of thousands who work downtown actually live as far away as Gallatin or Murfreesboro — areas Barry’s proposed rail won’t reach. Without addressing transit

needs in those communities, some think the plan may be too little, too late.

Barry and her supporters aren’t backing off the plan, and come May, voters will be asked to consider a massive overhaul to the city’s tax structure to finance construction of the system. The proposal includes a one-cent sales tax increase, and additional increases to the city’s business and excise

taxes, hotel and motel room taxes, and taxes paid by those who rent cars.

Still, for residents of East Nashville, reducing traffic along Gallatin Pike is a worthwhile investment, one that LaChance believes can change people’s lives.

“I’m excited about the possibilities, and that’s why I’ll be voting yes,” she says.

— Michael DeVault

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EAST SIDE BUZZ Dee’s to the Rescue When The Family Wash

abruptly shut its

doors on Jan. 26, patrons, employees, and musicians who were booked to play the venerable East Nashville venue were taken by surprise. With access to the Wash’s quirky, beloved stage suddenly cut off, Daniel Walker at Dee’s Country

Cocktail Lounge in Madison immediately saw an opportunity to help.

“The people that worked at the Wash who contacted me said they received a text that morning that they were let go,” Walker says. “It just so happened there was a show scheduled for the next night at the Wash with three acts — Francis, Dayna Rose, and Bre Kennedy — all of

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which had employees from the Wash in their bands. Fortunately, I didn’t have a packed schedule that night, so I was able to push one show early and the other later and place that three-hour show in the middle. That night it was packed, and it felt good to be able to help out.”

After saving the day with last-minute re-scheduling, Walker also came to the rescue with several other bands that were left out in the cold. “Mallorie McRea, who was the talent buyer for the Wash, reached out to me,” Walker says. “There were some special shows she had curated.

We couldn’t fit everything in on the exact same night it had been scheduled. We added shows on Sunday, when we usually didn’t have music, and worked other sets into our regular schedule. We weren’t the only venue that stepped up, but it felt good that people would think of us when something like this happens. We’re also happy that Liz Turner (former Family Wash bar manager) has joined our staff. We needed someone strong, and we’re really happy to have her.”

Walker also says the timing has turned out to be a great way to focus attention on the growth that Madison has been experiencing. “We’re becoming an extension of East Nashville now,” Walker says. “I hear from people who live in Inglewood that they’re heading north rather than going to 5 Points now, and I think that’s great.

We’re expanding the reach of Nashville’s music community.”

— Randy Fox

For up-to-date information on events, as well as links, please visit us at: theeastnashvillian.com

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Astute OBSERVATIONS by

J ames “Hags� Haggerty

�ᚒᚔᚒ�

Hay mucho espacio en El Hotel California

Have a hankering for more Hags?

We suggest visiting theeastnashvillian.com for all of his previous observations.

áš?áš’áš?

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Kevn Kinney, The Old 97’s, Tweedy, John Paul Jones and, more recently, Andrew Leahey, Cordovas, Brian Wright, Jesse Lafser, Matt Haeck, Becca Mancari, Las Cafeteras, La Santa Cecilia, The JAG, and Steve Poltz.

The festival takes place over a two-week period, and there is music every night. The first year I came for a weekend. This year I stayed for a week. Some folks check out but can never really leave. As festivals go, it’s on the small side. The audience at the hotel is around 500 people per night, which is one of the things I like about it. I’ve gotten to know some of the folks who come back year after year, and it’s always a happy reunion when we catch up with each other.

You may be asking yourself what it felt like to visit Mexico this year given our current (#WTF?) commander in chief.

To answer your question, I was feeling a bit apprehensive and apologetic — feelings encountered in every foreign land I’ve visited since last January. But in this case, my worry was unwarranted. I was warmly welcomed and physically embraced by the hotel staff as they remembered my gringo mug from years past. I could scarcely pay for a meal or a drink, and when the weather conspired to postpone my return, the hotel manager simply pushed a button on his computer and told me with a smile, “It’s no problem, you can stay here for the rest of the month. Don’t stress, decompress.� I searched my brain for the Mexican equivalent of “Mahalo� but I came up empty. #toomuchdonjulio Even so, questions came calling as I lay my head down on that last night in Mexico. I was thinking about the border wall.

Earlier that day a friend remarked, “I hope he does build it, so we can’t go back.â€? I found myself wondering how it could be that Trump is in the White House, and yet I don’t know a single person who voted for him. As I drifted off and sleep started its shadowy dream dance, my subconscious offered this analogy: Hootie and the Blowfish sold millions of records in the ’90s, and yet no one I know owns Cracked Rear View. That’s the riddle, friends. #ÂżquĂŠpasĂł?

�

Hags is a part-time bon vivant, man-about-town, and resolute goodwill ambassador for The East Nashvillian.

He earns his keep as a full-time bassist extraordinaire.

�

illustration :

W

ho am I? Why am I here? Where am I going? Heavy stuff. Dark-night-of-thesoul stuff. Life’s essential questions, the kinds of things one thinks about late into the night, staring at the ceiling when sleep refuses. I found myself asking these questions in a dark room with a stone floor as the roosters crowed and the mission bell chimed. ‌ I’m kidding. Well, not about the roosters and the mission bell. I’ve just returned from a sun-soaked, tequila-and taco-fueled musical exploration and vacation known as “The Tropic of Cancer Music Festivalâ€? in the lovely and sleepy town of Todos Santos, Mexico. For the past four years, I’ve been fortunate enough to play this festival — formerly hosted by Peter Buck of R.E.M. fame and more recently by Nashvillian Joe Firstman and his band, Cordovas — with my musical compatriots, The Autumn Defense.

Since 2015, Januarys have found me gazing at the beautiful blue Pacific with a smile on my face as the migrating whales leap from the water and splash down magnificently. The sea breeze, the friends, the music, the heartwarming hospitality, and fantastic food all restore my faith in humanity. That’s a pretty good way to start the New Year. I am a lucky man. “Hashtag blessed,� some might say. I wouldn’t say that, but I’m not much of a #hashtagger.

The festival is centered at The Hotel California. Although the joint predates the song by about 30 years, it still possesses a hippie vibe, to be sure. Boho meets surf culture and old Mexico in a blender with ice. The result is a laid-back mix of vibrant folk art, one-of-a-kind furnishings, sculpture, mosaic tile, and lots of music. Did I mention music? #lostshakerofsalt Music, of course! My apologies. Palm trees, surf and sun, and the pink champagne on ice (so nice) had me distracted.

Over the years I’ve seen and heard some great performances at the festival: Peter Buck, Steve Wynn, Scott McCaughey, Mike Mills, Chuck Prophet,

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KNOW your NEIGHBOR

“H

P H OT O GR AP H B Y C HA D CR AW F O RD

aving my smoker parked in front [of my restaurant] is probably my best advertising. On a regular basis people drive by … catch a whiff of the smoke and have to U-turn. I have a magnetic sign with my phone number on the side of my truck. They’ll pull up outside thinking I’m just set up in the parking lot and they’ll call me. I tell them turn around and come on in.”

— Chris Galloway

Chris GALLOWAY

by Randy Fox

For the last five years, Chris Galloway’s big, booming, bass voice and warm personality have been welcoming patrons through the doorway of G’z Barbecue & Catering at 925 Gallatin Ave. Although the setup at G’z is small and simple — with the counter and kitchen equipment running down the length of one side of the restaurant and a handful of tables and chairs filling the rest of the space — the flavors, traditions, and love in Galloway’s cooking are far bigger.

As owner and head cook at G’z, Galloway makes the short walk, rain or shine, from his front door to his parking lot smoker multiple times each day, doing his part to preserve Nashville’s AfricanAmerican barbecue traditions. A native Nashvillian, Galloway grew up in South Nashville where he acquired a passion for cooking from his mother and other family members.

“I was raised around a lot of women,” Galloway says. “That led to a lot of time in the kitchen helping out. They never had to ask me to help; in fact it was almost to the point of them saying, ‘Get out of the way!’ As I got older, I knew I wanted to have my own restaurant someday. I would cook for family reunions and throw barbecues at home. When people tried my food they’d say, ‘I would buy that!’ ” The call of burning wood and slow cooking eventually proved irresistible. By 2013 Galloway was ready to change his passion into a career. He initially envisioned a barbecue food truck, but his plans went awry when a deal to buy a truck fell through at the last minute.

“I was riding down Gallatin, feeling disgusted and mad and happened to see this space for rent,” Galloway says. “It had been a tobacco market and pizza place, so it already had most of the restaurant equipment I needed. I thought, ‘Hey, forget the truck,

“ When you come to G’z Barbecue, I want you to have that home experience — like you’re sitting down at your grandma’s house.

barbecue restaurant instead.’ It was time to see if East Nashville was ready for the big G.” From the beginning, Galloway knew that the key to his success would be flavor — not tourist-friendly décor or flashy neon signs. “When I was growing up there were a lot of small, historically black barbecue places,” he says.

“Over the years the owners died off, new cooks came in, and the food changed — or the places closed.

When I started, most of those small barbecue joints were gone. There were a lot of bigger, chain places in Nashville like Whitt’s, Corky’s, and Bar-B-Cutie, but I wanted to highlight the home-cooked, African-American, Tennessee style that I learned from my mom.”

In addition to barbecue staples like beef brisket, pulled pork, ribs, and chicken, Galloway has expanded with a number of unusual and unique specialty items (only available on specific days) like smoked meatloaf; smoked, deep-fried, Cajun-spiced chicken wings; and his heavenly Shoulder Mac — macaroni and cheese made with six cheeses and layered with pulled pork. G’z also serves a variety of seasonal dishes, including smoked turkey hash and brisket chili during winter, and smoked chicken tetrazzini and smoked turkey for the summer months.

Galloway’s side items are where he really demonstrates his smoking genius.

“I try to incorporate smoke into most of my side items,” Galloway says.

“Smoked cabbage is my number one signature side item, but I also use smoke in preparing collard greens, green beans, corn on the cob and more. I just try different things, and the flavor of the smoke

transforms everything.”

While smoke may be the most important tangible ingredient that goes into G’z barbecue, it isn’t just a simple matter of heat, smoke, and chemistry. Galloway’s true secret ingredient is the care and love he brings to cooking — a process he learned firsthand in those crowded kitchens of his youth.

“I cook for people to make them feel like they’re at home,” Galloway says. “When you come to G’z Barbecue, I want you to have that home experience — like you’re sitting down at your grandma’s house.”

G’z Barbecue & Catering 925 Gallatin Ave., Nashville, TN 37206

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Artist in Profile

Eastside MURALS Cultural influence, one spray can at a time by

I

Brittney McKenna

f you’ve driven anywhere in Nashville lately, there’s a very good chance you’ve encountered the work of Eastside Murals. The Stella Artois mural downtown? That’s Eastside. The tomatoes below Pomodoro East? Yep, Eastside. The Green Fleet Bikes building on Jefferson St.? Well, you get it.

A mural craze has clearly swept Nashville over the last couple of years, and the duo of Nashville natives Ian Lawrence and Sterling Goller-Brown has been at the very front of it. The two are the founders (and only employees) of Eastside Murals, a company that, in some ways, has been a couple decades in the making.

“We grew up together, just being kids, learning how to skateboard together, getting interested in graffiti, just normal teenage stuff,” Goller-Brown says.

“With the graffiti background, we were just playing around and one day we were finally like, ‘Let’s paint a mural.’ ” Both Lawrence and Goller-Brown have backgrounds that include arts training, but they learned most of what they know about making murals from their time exploring graffiti as kids. Last year, Lawrence graduated from The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga with a degree in graphic design. Goller→ Brown studied painting at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. photography by

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Travis Commeau

Ian Lawrence and Sterling Goller-Brown hanging out in their lair.

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Artist in Profile

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Artist in Profile

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Artist in Profile

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Artist in Profile Although the two have collaborated on and off since those heady days as young graffiti artists, Lawrence and Goller-Brown started working together in a professional capacity in 2013. After painting the tomato mural at Pomodoro, calls for new commissions began coming in and, with the exception of some time off to finish school, the duo hasn’t stopped painting since.

“The first real one we got together on, we were trying to figure out how to start a mural project and Tomato [Art] Fest was coming up and we were like, ‘Well, we’ll just piggyback off of Tomato Fest and use it to get a bunch of attention,’ ” Goller-Brown says.

classic, one modern — welded together and bursting through a cinder block wall.

Both Lawrence and Goller-Brown still reference that piece as one of their favorite projects together.

The pair recently graduated from working out of Goller-Brown’s garage to renting a small space just off Nolensville Pike. The one-room studio houses a computer, a couple of chairs, a futon, and lots of paint.

Above a wall of milk crates stacked with spray paint cans is a colorful painted logo that reads “Out East Boys,” which the two painted together using brushes. In one corner sits a half-finished oil painting — a

‘‘

Really, it’s a direct form of change. It’s such a visible thing. One day there’s a blank wall. Overnight this crazy thing pops up. ...

It’s a more effective way to influence the place that we live.

— Sterling Goller-Brown

“We painted a piece on Porter Road. [Ian’s] dad works for the company that owns the building — underneath Pomodoro Restaurant, basically. It’s tomatoes that are breaking up the wall. It was an easy way to get a bunch of attention really quickly. And it worked. We got other jobs from doing that one — pretty small stuff, small budgets.”

“Yeah, we just put our number on that one,” Lawrence adds. “I don’t think we had a website or anything at that point. That’s how we got the Lincoln job. That was our first really big job. It just kind of snowballed from that basically. We did that one for free, just for fun.”

With the “Lincoln” job, Lawrence is referencing a mural commissioned by Lincoln College of Technology in 2014. The mural shows two brightly rendered cars — one

landscape — by Goller-Brown.

A simple space is all the pair needs. They spend the vast majority of their time out working on an ever-growing list of commissioned jobs. Last summer, Eastside Murals got so many requests from potential clients that, for the first time in their professional career, they had to start telling people no.

“Last summer it just exploded,” Lawrence says. “We didn’t have time for all the projects we had to do. We were telling people we couldn’t do it, basically, or that we would have to do it months from now.”

Despite the deluge of work, Lawrence and Goller-Brown don’t hire any other artists to help them paint murals — with their long history of friendship and shared artistic vision, they aren’t ready to bring anyone else into the fold just yet. They do hire →

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Artist in Profile

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Artist in Profile out friends for sign painting, though, which often keeps them just as busy as their mural work.

“We were hiring our friends when we were really slammed with projects, mostly for sign painting stuff,” Lawrence says of summer 2017.

“For logos and stuff, we hire friends that we went to school with.”

“We use all spray paint on the big stuff,” Goller-Brown adds. “The guys that we hire are good with brushes, but not experienced with spray paint.”

Getting good with a spray can requires a lot of practice, and practice often includes getting out and finding any canvas you can. Their teenage days painting fences and sheds may have seemed like goofing off at the time, but all those hours with spray cans in hand built the foundation for what would eventually become the duo’s livelihood.

“Graffiti is how we learned how to use a spray can,” Goller-Brown says. “Even though it wasn’t anything like what we’re doing now, that’s basically what it all led to. That’s how I got interested in art in general.”

That interest in art would eventually lead Goller-Brown to pursue a degree in painting at UTK. “I was undecided, just doing graffiti and taking core classes,” he says. “I was like, ‘I’ll take a painting class.’ I also had a couple friends already deciding to do art.

“I learned how to use oil paints in college, which was useful. I don’t really do much of that kind of stuff anymore. I’ll use oils sometimes in certain pieces, but I’ll use them more like I would a spray can. It taught me studio practice.

Besides that, the stuff we do now is all selftaught or learned from working for another sign painter or mural artist.”

Lawrence’s time studying graphic design didn’t influence his actual painting, but he has found that his new graphic design skills come in handy when plotting the initial stages of a new project. “I learned about typography, and we use that a lot,” he says. “The technical skills I learned in the Adobe programs like Photoshop — that’s helped a lot with our design process.”

Coming up with design concepts is often one of the more enjoyable aspects of the process for Eastside, particularly when clients allow them to take the lead creatively. For example, Pabst Blue Ribbon hired the duo to paint a mural on East Nashville bar The Cobra, giving them free rein to do as they pleased so long as one of PBR’s iconic cans made an appearance; Lawrence now cites that mural as his favorite project to date.

“Usually for bigger clients it’s hard to have creative direction, but we basically designed the whole thing,” he says. “We included a can of PBR, but I don’t think it took away from the mural. It was fun to paint and wasn’t corny like a lot of stuff we’re asked to do.”

“If it gets super corporate, it can very easily

be more about the corporation than the art,” Goller-Brown says. “But they let us run with that one.”

The art always comes first for Lawrence and Goller-Brown, and when clients come to them with uninspired ideas, they do their best to steer them in a more artistic direction. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.

“A lot of times, there will be some agency

that the client is hiring to find us, then we’re dealing with them but they’re also dealing with the client, so there’s weird communication,” Lawrence says.

“Everybody that wants a mural now wants the Nashville skyline,” Goller-Brown says, laughing. “There are already like 10 murals like that in the city. If you want to see the skyline, just look downtown at the skyline. →

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Artist in Profile

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Artist in Profile We’ve had clients that are based downtown ask us for a downtown Nashville skyline.”

For Goller-Brown, the project he’s most proud of is the “Galactic Gardens” mural on the side of the Adventure Science Center building.

The massive piece shows vibrant wildflowers popping out of a cosmic backdrop and was commissioned to advertise the center’s outdoor learning center of the same name. And while the flowers in the mural are decidedly fake, the pair did have to deal with some very real, very aggressive insects to get the project done.

“For that one, we were painting on this giant wall that also had a huge air intake vent and we found out the first day that there were several wasp nests in the vents,” Lawrence says, laughing.

“Several nests meaning hundreds of wasps,” Goller-Brown adds.

“The whole time, we were up in this lift 30 feet in the air batting down wasps,” Lawrence continues. “I got stung once. We probably killed like 50 wasps. We were literally spraying them with spray paint.”

Despite the occasional difficult client or wasp infestation, Lawrence and Goller-Brown deeply love what they do through Eastside Murals and take pride in creating public art for the city they care about. Each sees mural painting as not just a recently trendy form of advertising, but as a means to visibly improving their community. They cite the dragon mural (which, for the record, they didn’t paint) and adjacent “Dragon Park” in Hillsboro Village as a prime example of the kind of artwork that can add value and culture to a neighborhood.

“It’s the artists designing these things that create culture in a city,” Goller-Brown says.

“Whoever designed the Batman Building, that wasn’t their intent to make it look like Batman, but it’s a huge icon in Nashville now. The things that really change a city and redefine it might not have anything to do with the city at first. So that’s what we’re trying to do, put a little spin on it and put our creative influence on the city.”

Instagram-ready murals — like international street artist Kelsey Montague’s infamous “What Lifts You” mural (colloquially known as “the wings”) in the Gulch — have grown exponentially in popularity in recent years, which Lawrence and Goller-Brown see as a double-edged sword. On one hand, their business has grown accordingly. On the other, some of the works to come out of this craze don’t have the artistic staying power of, say, the Hillsboro Village dragon.

“Obviously, she was going for something that they would interact with, and that’s happened,” Lawrence says of Montague. “But it seems weird for a mural to just be something to pose in front of rather than something to actually look at and appreciate.”

Eastside murals may not attract legions of millennial women eager for photo ops, but that was never their mission. And with a busier schedule than they’ve ever had, it’s clear that their approach to public art is working pretty well for them, hashtags be damned.

“Really, it’s a direct form of change,” GollerBrown says. “It’s such a visible thing. One day there’s a blank wall. Overnight this crazy thing

pops up. People are going to react to that way more than a building taking two years to build.

Then it’s slowly incorporated into the community. It’s a more effective way to influence the place that we live.”

Lawrence sums up Eastside Mural’s laidback attitude toward its mission this way: “Even if we just make someone’s boring commute a little better, that’s good with us.”

THE WOOD BROTHERS with Valerie June March 17 • Ryman Auditorium • ryman.com

KHRUANGBIN with The Mattson 2 April 2 • Basement East • exitin.com

THE FAB FAUX April 13 • TPAC’s James K. Polk Theatre • tpac.org

THE DECEMBERISTS with Tennis April 13 & 14 • Ryman Auditorium • ryman.com

THIRDSTORY April 16 • Cannery Ballroom • mercylounge.com

MODEST MOUSE April 23 & 24 • Ryman Auditorium • ryman.com

ECHOSMITH with The Score and Jena Rose May 2 • 3rd and Lindsley • 3rdandlindsley.com

DESCENDANTS May 25 • Marathon Music Works • marathonmusicworks.com

INDIGO GIRLS July 14 • Ryman Auditorium • ryman.com

STEVE MILLER BAND WITH PETER FRAMPTON July 23 • Opry House • opry.com

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The pilots of Moon Taxi (l-r):Trevor Terndrup (vocals, guitarist), Wes Bailey (keyboardist), Tyler Ritter (drummer), Spencer Thomson (lead guitarist and producer), and Tommy Putnam (bassist).

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Fueled for INTERSTELLAR

Overdrive Let The Record Play combines Moon Taxi’s DIY ethos with a major-label debut by

Andrew Leahey

M

ore than 100 screen-printed posters cover the floor of Moon Taxi’s dressing room. They stretch from wall to wall like plants in a greenhouse, with long lines of bare floor running between each row.

Before they can be transported to the merch table and sold at tonight’s show — the first performance of a sold-out, two-night stand at the Mill & Mine in Knoxville where their latest release, Let The Record Play, will be performed in its near entirety — they are to be autographed by all five band members.

At the moment, however, most of the band members — vocalist and guitarist Trevor Terndrup, keyboardist Wes Bailey, drummer Tyler Ritter, lead guitarist and producer Spencer Thomson, and bassist Tommy Putnam — are busy. Several are onstage, overseeing the setup of their equipment. Thomson is wrapping up some work on a laptop — the same one he used last summer, when he mixed Let The Record Play’s 10 songs both at home and on the road. The only one currently attending to autograph duties is front man Terndrup, who crisscrosses the room on a four-wheel scooter, coming to a stop at each poster. photography by

Marker in hand, he scrawls his signature before wheeling his way toward the next print. After two minutes, he climbs off the scooter and begins squatting down instead. “I’m giving my legs a workout!” he announces to no one in particular. Then, after signing another dozen or so posters, he loses interest and jumps to his feet, flagging down the band’s in-house photographer as she walks by.

“Hey, have you been working on the yoga flow I showed you?” he asks brightly, before dropping to the floor and demonstrating a complicated series of postures. He does a chair pose, then a crane pose, then another chair pose. It’s an easy routine for the singer, who keeps himself in shape with daily yoga workouts aboard the band’s bus. As he launches into a prolonged headstand, though, the photographer laughs and shakes her head.

“I can’t do that,” she says.

“I thought you told me you were ready for beast mode,” Terndrup replies with a smile, before standing up and retrieving the marker from his back pocket. He returns to the posters. This ☛ time, he finishes them all.

Jeremy Harris

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ulti-tasking. It’s been a crucial part of Moon Taxi’s DNA for a dozen years, ever since their early days as Belmont undergrads. Back then, the guys balanced their college coursework with dorm-room band practices and local gigs. They played everywhere, performing their first show at Windows on the Cumberland — a now-shuttered bar on 2nd Ave. — before quickly climbing their way up the Nashville ladder. As their homegrown promotional campaigns grew, so did their audiences.

“Trevor and Tommy used to drive around the Belmont campus in a Subaru Hatchback with a huge flag off the back, advertising their upcoming shows,” says Dawson Morris, the band’s co-manager. “They had a very DIY approach from the start, almost like a punk band.

Tommy would book most of the shows, and they’d hang signs around town to promote them. They’ve never really waited for someone to tell them how something works — chances are, they’ve figured it out already.”

When the band’s debut album, Melodica, was released in 2007, everyone but bassist Putnam and guitarist Thomson was still in school.

That didn’t stop Moon Taxi from touring the southeastern college circuit hard, earning their stripes as a killer frat party band before graduating to bigger venues. Although heavily influenced by the jamband scene during those years, Moon Taxi’s sound offered something for everyone: plenty of guitar-fueled improvisation for the stoners; the occasional classic-rock cover song for the jocks; dance beats for those looking to burn off the kegerator calories; and finely crafted pop hooks for more discerning listeners. Few bands were better suited to creating the soundtrack for 20-something coeds in the SEC than Moon Taxi.

Even so, the band’s aspirations reached far beyond the college world. Running their own business with help from a booking agent and a small management team, the guys began touring nationally. They purchased their own lighting rig and hired a classmate to operate it.

They edited their own music videos. They produced their own albums.

Most importantly, they revamped their musical approach, this time focusing on concise, song-based pop/rock that could pack a punch not only in concert, but on the radio, too. Cabaret introduced that new sound in 2012, while Mountains Beaches Cities blew the doors open one year later, catapulting the group into the world of late-night TV performances and BMW ads. Proudly independent, Moon Taxi operated like a wildly successful mom-and-pop business for years, not partnering with their first (and only) major label — RCA Records, home to heavyweights like Kings of Leon, Justin Timberlake, and Foo ☛ Fighters — until last year.

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Wardrobe provided by Black Shag Vintage.

Special thanks to Tommy Dale and Cait Brady.

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I

t was “Two High” that changed everything. Bailey, who shares the bulk of the band’s songwriting duties with Thomson and Terndrup, credits the song’s existence to his iPhone’s autocorrect function. (Truth be told, a good buzz might’ve been involved, too.)

“We were in Asheville, playing a gig at the Orange Peel,” he remembers. “A few days back, I’d typed ‘too high’ into my phone, and my phone automatically changed it to ‘two high.’ I thought that was hilarious, but nothing would’ve happened if I hadn’t shown it to Trevor.

He looked at the words ‘two high’ on my phone and said, ‘Oh, like a peace sign!’ It was a mic-drop moment. He walked out of the room, and I thought, ‘Damn, that’s good!’ ” The next day, while the band drove 600 miles to a gig at Notre Dame, an estimated 5 million activists across America hit the streets, rallying together against sexism, racism and other social injustices personified by the newly elected president, Donald Trump. The 2017 Women’s March was the largest single-day protest in U.S. history, and its magnitude wasn’t lost on Moon Taxi.

“We were watching C-SPAN as the march was happening, and a lot of the lyrics were formulating at that point,” Bailey says. “Trevor got a good handle on the verses, and I came up with the chorus: ‘Put ’em up, two high.’ I took that idea and wrote some chords once we got home, and Spencer wrote the guitar lick. Everything was finished one week after the Women’s March.”

“We haven’t always written from that place of social consciousness,” admits Terndrup. “We used to write about travel and escapism — things that don’t always concern themselves with reality. With ‘Two High,’ we focused on people’s need for hope.”

Meanwhile, the guys were nearing completion on a new album.

They’d worked with producer Jacquire King on their previous record, Daybreaker, and the results had been fruitful. “All Day All Night,” Daybreaker’s anthemic tribute to the party that never stops, had even found its way onto a McDonald’s commercial, providing the soundtrack for a slow-motion montage of cracked eggs and airborne sausage patties. Moon Taxi’s songs were reaching more people than ever before, but the band craved more control over the music’s creation and presentation. With Thomson resuming his role as in-house producer, they began recording new material at the guitarist’s house, where a computer and a handful of microphones constituted a simple, frills-free home studio.

“Nothing’s acoustically treated,” he says of the recording space. “It’s not that kind of place. Honestly, we don’t need that kind of place when we make our albums. The songs on Let The Record Play were built largely on the computer first. I programmed a lot of the drums, which we folded into some live drum tracks that we recorded at Sputnik Sound in Berry Hill. We spent a total of five days at Sputnik, but most of the work was done on my computer, either on the road or at my house. It was hugely liberating. Staying in one location feels like a nightmare to me. I love being able to go anywhere in the world and work without feeling tied down to one place.”

“He’s actually working right now,” Terndrup chimes in, pointing to Thomson’s open laptop. “You’re literally inside Spencer’s studio at this moment. Take your shoes off !”

T

o whip up excitement for the new material, Moon Taxi released “Two High” as a single in May 2017. The reaction was seismic, particularly on Spotify. Tens of millions of people listened to the song, making it the most popular track — at least by digital standards — in Moon Taxi’s catalog. Today, the single has racked up 80 million streams, a stunning number for an inde☛ pendently released track.

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“

We haven’t always written from that place of social consciousness. ... With ‘Two High,’ we focused on people’s need for hope.

—Trevor Terndrup

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FROM MEMPHIS MINNIE TO SLEATER-KINNEY.

IT ALL SOUNDS GOOD TO US. 50

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“You could sit there and watch the numbers climb,” says bass player Putnam. “It was clearly a hit song, and the next thing you know, every label in America is calling us. At first, we weren’t sure we even cared about that. For me, the turning point came during a show in Opelika, Alabama. We were in the middle of playing ‘Run Right Back,’ which is one of our favorite songs. There were all these young girls in the front row, singing along with Trevor, and I thought, ‘Man, this song is so good. It’s making those girls happy. If we’d been with RCA or Sony or Atlantic when that album was released, maybe so many more people would know this song, and it could somehow make their lives better.’ I started thinking perhaps this new record did need to be put out by a label, because it would have more reach.”

Multiple labels came to see the band perform. They held meetings and took the guys out to dinner. It was something of an old-fashioned bidding war — the kind that doesn’t often happen these days. For an independent band, Moon Taxi enjoyed an almost unprecedented amount of leverage during those negotiations. After all, the guys had an established fan base that stretched across the country.

They had an album in the can, and a hit on their hands, too. They didn’t need to sign with anyone. In the end, Moon Taxi chose to work with the label that most clearly understood their vision, inking a deal with RCA. “ ‘Two High’ changed our lives,” says a wide-eyed Terndrup. “We released it in May as a teaser for our fans, and by the end of the summer, we had a major label deal. Ten years into our career!”

When Let The Record Play hit stores earlier this year, it bore RCA’s famous logo on the album’s rear cover. Even so, the record remains a homemade album at heart. Written before the major labels came calling, it shows just how savvy the Moon Taxi bandmates have become. They’ve carefully crafted a sound rooted in a modern, festival-friendly blend of gauzy synthesizers, four-on-the-floor kickdrum stomp, blasts of brass, and short, meteoric choruses. There are hints of world music, too: an Eastern-sounding scale here, a hint of syncopated Afro-pop there, and a whole lot of reggae throughout. Highlights like “Not Too Late” and “Good as Gold” even push the band into EDM territory, thanks to a combination of builds, breaks, and drops.

It’s a sound that combines the organic with the electronic, folding man-made and synthesized sounds into the same beat-heavy blend.

For millennials raised on Spotify rather than FM radio, Let The Record Play offers up the right blend of diversity and dynamics, never limiting itself to one genre. For older listeners who prize the familiar over the fresh, though, the guys remain a guitar-driven rock band on songs like “Moving to the City” and “Keep Me Coming,” both of which are propelled forward

by meaty, fuzz-pedaled riffs. The result is a sound that still appeals to the 30-somethings who caught Moon Taxi’s college gigs back in 2007, while targeting their younger siblings, as well.

“We’ve been playing some of our oldest markets long enough to go through two and a half senior classes,” notes Don VanCleave, who began managing the band shortly after Melodica’s release. “It all started in the SEC schools. The band found some of their earliest fans there, and those kids would turn their younger brothers and sisters onto the band, too. When those siblings became old enough to go to college, they’d tell their friends about the band. That’s how we’re able to get all the incoming college classes. It’s cool to watch.

We still do some all-ages shows, and we’re stunned at how young it can go.”

Morris agrees, adding, “There’s an inherent positive message in Moon Taxi’s music, and I think young kids pick up on that. It’s something they can connect with. It’s not like the guys are playing heavy metal, psychedelic rock, or some type of music that’s more narrow and genre-specific. They have a wide sound filled with positivity, which lends itself to youth.”

Appropriately, a children’s choir makes an appearance during Let The Record Play’s title track, doubling Thomson’s distorted guitar lick with a thick chorus of “na, na, na” vocals.”

Thomson wrote the song in frustration, after spending an afternoon answering reporters’ questions at a music festival. Once Terndrup tracked his lead vocal, though, the song became something different: a bright, summery urge to tune in, turn on, and drop the needle onto the wax.

“Spencer created the song as a form of venting,” the singer says, “but that’s not really what it means to me. Personally, I think it’s about divorcing yourself from constant cell phone usage and social media. It’s about unplugging, disconnecting, and trying to figure out what really matters. I’m happy to find some irony in the fact that we had this huge streaming song, and it got us signed to a major label, and we decided to name the record Let The Record Play. At the end of the day, that’s what we want people to do. Listen to the whole thing.

Don’t just listen to ‘Too High.’ Don’t just play ‘Good as Gold.’ Listen to the entire album.”

“I think it’s a metaphor for life, too,” Putnam offers. “Just let it be. Live your life.

Let it happen.” “ ‘Let it Happen’ is already a Tame Impala song, though,” Terdrup points out.

“Oh, damn,” Putnam says with mock disappointment. “Can I change my answer?”

Rather than transport an entire children’s choir to a recording studio, Moon Taxi met the kids on their home turf, bringing Thomson’s mobile recording rig to the School of Rock on Belmont Boulevard. For a classroom full of musicians in training, the ☛

April 13 & 14

THE DECEMBERISTS with Tennis

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April 15

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April 23 & 24

MODEST MOUSE

May 13

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May 18

TRAMPLED BY TURTLES with special guest Hiss Golden Messenger

May 21 & 22

FLEET FOXES with Amen Dunes

June 24

BILL MAHER

July 20 & 21

PUNCH BROTHERS

August 3

DAVE BARNES

August 17

TOTO

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theeastnashvillian.com March|April 2018

chance to perform on a major-label album was a once-in-an-adolescence event. The School of Rock shared a building with an adjacent Iron Tribe gym, though, which presented some challenges.

“The walls weren’t exactly soundproof,” Terndrup recalls. “You’ve got the Iron Tribe gym next door bumping bro-country, and then you’ve got a sixth grader practicing his drum set in a classroom down the hall. It wasn’t an ideal sound environment, but we made it work. And really, that’s the essence of Spencer’s recording philosophy — just get good sounds, no matter where it comes from.

All that matters is, ‘Does it sound good? Yes? OK, go with it. Does it sound bad? Yes? OK, delete that shit and move on.’ ” Other songs came together in green rooms across the country, with Bailey often leading the charge. The guys are quick to point out, however, that there’s no chief songwriter in Moon Taxi’s lineup; the songs, just like the band that wrote them, are a collaborative effort.

“We were touring behind Daybreaker,” the keyboardist remembers, “and I had a little riff from each city we visited. There was the Boston lick and the Baltimore lick. If I remember it right, the Boston riff became ‘Moving to the City.’ The Baltimore riff became ‘Let The Record Play.’ All of a sudden, we had those little musical ideas in our arsenal to use. After the tour, Spencer went to Florida for a family vacation and had a creative explosion where he wrote a bunch of poems. I told him, ‘Send me something; I’ve got musical ideas!’ We already had these musical riffs we’d written on the road, so we mashed them together with Spencer’s lyrics and wound up with the first few songs on the album.”

“We don’t sit down in the same room with our acoustic guitars, showing each other chord charts,” Terndrup says of the songwriting process. “Instead, we’ll sit down at a computer, create sounds and mash up loops. We’ll explore tones. We’ll run banjos through distortion pedals and see what comes out.”

“Trevor usually comes in when we’re starting the demo process,” Bailey adds, “and he helps arrange everything and get the lyrics in order. Then we’ll bring in the rhythm section and prepare for the studio. That’s how a lot of the music came about. Spencer and I would do the formulating, and then the guys would come in and we’d knock it out as a group. It ends with us all working together.”

released Let The Record Play, yet the track somehow feels familiar.

Such is the beauty of Moon Taxi’s music.

There’s enough sonic complexity here to encourage repeated listens — or, in the rare case of “Two High,” 80 million streams — but the songs are built with large audiences in mind, engineered to unleash their hooks as frequently and directly as possible. It’s easy to “ride the Moon Taxi,” a phrase the bandmates still deploy with self-deprecating smiles. And these days, that Taxi’s headed skyward.

AVA I L A B L E N O W RCA Records

O N

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ours after Terndrup’s poster-signing shenanigans in Knoxville, it’s showtime at the Mill & Mine. The place is packed to capacity. When Moon Taxi launches into the first chorus of their kickoff song, “Let the Record Play,” roughly half the audience sings along. By the third refrain, nearly all 1,500 people in attendance have learned the words. It’s only been two weeks since the band March|April 2018 theeastnashvillian.com

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Libby Callaway photographed in Printer’s Alley, just down the way from Noelle. Her business, The Callaway, was brought in by architect Nick Dryden to help shape the boutique hotel’s offerings.

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Thought

Factory Libby Callaway’s unique mix of talents breathe life into The Callaway

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T

he Callaway staff gathers regularly around a six-chair dining room table deep in the heart of East Nashville, where they plot strategies to make their name and those of their clients nationally known.

They only fill three of the chairs.

“It sounds like a country club or something,” founder and principal Libby Callaway says of the name she gave her as-yet intimate but flourishing operation, headquartered in her home filled with vintage clothing, energy, and shoes.

In reality, The Callaway is more a fashion/lifestyle/thought factory, filled with creative individualists.

Callaway and the company’s two other full-time employees — marketing director Katy Smith and account manager Kori Titzer — specialize in “Content … Curation … Communication.” It’s part public relations, part content producing (think company blogs and bios), and part fashion and personal style, with clients ranging from boutique Nashville hotel Noelle to Paramore singer Hayley Williams’ “hair makeup” and accessories brand Good Dye Young.

“We meet here, but work wherever,” Callaway says, perched at home. “If they want to go to California and work for two weeks, I’m fine with that.”

Leaving town can have its inspirational qualities. Ultimately, Callaway’s vision for the company was birthed, or at least spurred, by her own fairly long tenure in New York City.

The East Tennessee native initially headed north to pursue her master’s in journalism at New York University, after earning a bachelor’s degree at the University of Tennessee.

“I wanted to write about music,” she says. “But I became interested in the cultures around New York. I wrote for indie mags about personalities. You know, take some rock star shopping. That was what I always was thinking about.”

Callaway’s education, along with her experience living in the Big Apple, put her on the path for a full-time dive into journalism. In 1997, opportunity knocked in the form of what is perhaps the gaudiest of New York City’s tabloids, New York Post. With its Fourth Estate aim of informing and entertaining what, in good, old-fashioned newspaper semantics, is called “the lowest common denominator,” the Post would prove to be fertile ground in which to develop her skills.

“I moved to New York knowing very little about tabloid journalism,” Callaway says. “Got to see a lot of different things happen.”

She joined a corps of journalism “superstars” in the Post’s bus→ tling newsroom.

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“

PR and marketing are like journalism when you do the storytelling.

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“You gotta be smart to write dumb,” she explains. “They were great journalists and knew their beats well.”

Callaway got her start as an assistant on the “Women’s Page,” a sexist, now-retired moniker for what dailies currently call “Features” or “Lifestyles” pages.

“I hate the ghettoization of women,” she says, “… But that was a different day.”

She eventually started covering fashion for the Post full-time, enjoying perks like front-row seats at runway shows, covering Fashion Week in New York and the Oscars in L.A., flying to Paris and Milan. She launched a fashion supplement and worked alongside supermodels.

She was dazzled and awed by the exotic world.

“But it didn’t make me happy,” she says.

She noticed her high-profile role led to her being treated differently — “you are somebody” — and tried to at least embrace the access she had. It wasn’t always healthy.

“I knew I drank too much,” she says.

“Pressure getting the best of me. Those were dark days in New York. I was still doing good work, but I was miserable. It’s hard to be miserable in a position people tell you you’re very lucky to have, to not feel grateful for that. But I just didn’t feel it.”

Callaway gave New York the better part of seven years, but realized it wasn’t the “what” and the “where” she saw for her future.

“It suddenly occurred to me that I could leave,” Callaway says. “I knew I was coming to Nashville.”

willie, the custom jeans company then-housed in an abandoned 12 South gas station, as media director.

“I did concept creations,” she says. “The most interesting thing that sells jeans is the story behind the brand. And I saw these guys as a really good story.”

Instead of focusing completely on the product, she went to work creating “The Brand” through storytelling — not only about imogene + willie, but “about the awesome people who wore the jeans,” including singer-songwriter

Jessie Baylin and actress Mary Steenburgen.

“That’s when everything changed. I realized what I was doing,” she says. “PR and marketing are like journalism when you do the storytelling.”

Her handiwork became her calling card as the hipster population grew in the Athens of the South. “[Around 2011], there were a lot of interesting places in Nashville that were coming up,” Callaway says. “I started writing for small, independent things that had a good story.” →

S

canning journalismjobs.com, she saw that The Tennessean was looking for an assistant features editor, and “immediately applied.” She was hired in 2004 to visualize, write, and edit stories about Music City’s burgeoning fashion scene for the city’s daily newspaper.

But by then, Callaway had been shaped by her tenure at the Post.

“In New York, I had this glamorous job, but the drinking followed me [to Nashville],” she says. “I didn’t drink less, I drank more.”

A clinical facility that specialized in multiple diagnoses helped Callaway get healthy, and clear.

“My personal mix was anxiety and depression, which I was medicating with alcohol,” she says. Sober, she briefly returned to The Tennessean, but realized she still wasn’t happy, and set off on her own.

Using connections from New York, Callaway started working as a wardrobe stylist, and tapped her love of vintage clothing as another income source, selling stylish pieces she hunted down. She also wrote a fashion column for Glamour magazine, brought on by an editor who “liked the idea of someone not being in New York writing about fashion.”

That mix of skills — fashion sense and storytelling — opened a new door for her in 2011, when she went to work for imogene + March|April 2018 theeastnashvillian.com

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Annual Wine Tasting and Silent Auction 16th

benefiting

EAST NASHVILLE HOPE EXCHANGE

Tickets may be purchased at the door or online at www.enhopeexchange.org

(Auction Staggered End Times)

7:45pm & 8:00pm (Ticket)

$35.00

FRIDAY. APRIL .20th (6-9PM) hosted by

ST. ANN’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH

( 419 WOODLAND ST.) Wine Tasting Features Wines From Around The World. Silent Auction Merchandise Includes Donations By Area Merchants And Artists.

East Nashville Hope Exchange is a non-profit organization that seeks to strengthen literacy of at-risk children in East Nashville. We are committed to building relationships, delivering high-quality programming and championing a life of success for each child.

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It also caught the attention of Billy Reid, a fashion company based in Florence, Ala., that initially called Callaway for marketing help.

She spent two years consulting, then joined the Billy Reid team as VP of marketing. When the company opened New York offices in early 2014, Callaway left Nashville, setting up in a company-owned apartment and returning to the New York fashion world.

But “I missed Nashville,” Callaway says, “and kind of realized I made a mistake.”

Billy Reid closed the New York offices the next year, something Callaway saw as a “godsend.”

“It was good for everybody,” she says. “I moved back to Nashville … and took the time to realize what to do next. That’s when I decided I’d like to have my own company.”

From that dream she began fashioning what became The Callaway, “by doing long-form interviews in the East Nashville community.”

“That brought me the attention of people, got me some new clients,” including, eventually, the group behind Noelle — a historic former bank and office building that last year was recast as an art deco hotel, at Fourth and Church.

Callaway figures her team now spends about 55 percent of their time with Noelle, in a role that’s three-fold, and then some. She curates Keep Shop, a luxury retail store in the hotel’s lobby, serves as editorial director of The Line, its custom in-house newspaper, and the Callaway team does PR for Noelle and its amenities.

It’s a role that requires a unique mix of skills — the particular one Callaway happens to be working with — and a collaborative mindset.

“I am part of a team of local creatives,” she says, noting the wide range of people working on Noelle-related projects and expectations, including architect Nick Dryden, who brought The Callaway into the fold, and who assembled the “creative partners” helping parent company Rockbridge “shape the offerings of the hotel in a way that we feel will appeal to Nashville residents as well as those visiting town.”

Her reputation and the quality of The Callaway’s work continue to open new doors.

“I got a call from someone who wanted me to help do press for a rap festival,” she says.

“And I didn’t say, ‘No.’ “I really appreciate that people are able to see a different approach” to marketing The Callaway way.

And she figures her timing was spot on, if lucky. “The growth that’s happened in Nashville in the last five years has been tremendous.

Out-of-town clients see that wonderful things can be done in Nashville.”

Promoting Nashville as a creative fountainhead got her involved with others in the fashion industry here, and helped spring the Nashville Fashion Alliance, a trade collective working toward supporting and promoting the regional fashion industry.

And by keeping in touch with her New York friends and colleagues, she helped get the word out about what she now refers to as “the community” that is the local fashion industry.

The community that is East Nashville has Callaway’s devotion, too, tracing back to a visit to the Tomato Art Fest in 2007.

“I was with my sister,” Callaway says. “I told her, ‘Oh, this is it. I think I need to move to East Nashville.’ ” She has dreams for her house here — a

historic place in Eastwood, which she loves. (“I’m trying to make a big renovation, make it a dream fortress.”) But she has bigger ones for her company, her brand.

“I’d love it if The Callaway took over the world.”

For more information about Callaway’s creatively collaborative business endeavours or to sign up to recieve The Callaway Report, visit thecallaway.com.

March|April 2018 theeastnashvillian.com

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650 AM WSM presents

5K

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$35.00

Saturday, April 7, 2018 6:00AM REGISTRATION | 7:30 AM RACE STARTS

Grand Ole Opry Plaza, 2804 Opryland Drive

REGISTRATION AND RACE DETAILS AT WSMonline.com All participants will receive a race t-shirt, commemorative wooden circle participant medal, and a special post-race digital photo on the stage of the world-famous Grand Ole Opry.

Portion of Race Proceeds Benefit Nashville Kiwanis Club Foundation

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GET ON THE

BUS by

Tommy Womack

photography by

Chad Crawford

The Jugg Sisters’ side-splitting take on mass transit

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Three of a pair: Sheri Lynn, Brenda Kay, and Beth Thorneycroft in front of the tool of their trade.

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T

he bus is nothing fancy. It’s just like the one you rode to school on when you were 8 (assuming your school bus was pink).

It sits on the east side of the Farmers Market just off Rosa Parks, north of the state capitol and the rest of the skyline you get from that view. The bus is emblazoned with the NashTrash Tours logo and the names of your hosts: Sheri Lynn and Brenda Kay — the Jugg Sisters, longtime East Nashvillians with feet planted firmly on both sides of the river. A bit shy of 11 a.m., they welcome their passengers onto the bus, most of them tourists from out of town. “Good mornin’!” the sisters crow. “Now sit your ass down!”

Sheri Lynn dresses like a country star, with teased hair, teardrop eyeglasses, and a knotted neckerchief; Brenda Kay is a little more dressed-down, a denim jacket and a NashTrash cap holding back her long hair. They both wear earrings with dangling pink guitar picks. From the moment the passengers board, the two ladies greet everyone and learn everyone’s names, adding a personal touch to

they riff on Davy Crockett and point out that Andrew Jackson is indeed dead. (Which is as political as they get.)

The pair’s funny song and dance routines usually (but not always) have something to do with the site the bus is passing by at the moment. At some point, God knows why, but the ladies pass along the German word for Vaseline (der weinerschleider). At another point: “On your left is the Davidson County Jail, former home of Randy Travis, Marty Stuart and, of course, Hank Jr.” Born and raised in Kalamazoo, Mich., Sheri and Brenda Schnyders were performers from the start, starring in school plays and suchlike. “In those early days we performed very rarely together,” Sheri Lynn says. “One time we did ‘Fiddler on the Roof ’ at the Kalamazoo Civic Theatre, but we were five years apart, so in the world of teenager stuff, I was driving and Brenda wasn’t, and we had a brother between us, so I kind of grew up before her. And I was out of the house while Brenda was still in high school, so we didn’t do a lot of things together until NashTrash. But we have always been very, very, very close.”

“

Good mornin’!

Now sit your ass down!

Sheri Lynn would wind up on the west coast as a cabaret singer and Brenda Kay wound up singing in bands.

“Brenda did blues, and was also an actress, too. But we were both known as actresses who could sing really well. Brenda did a couple of things at the Ryman when we first moved here. She understudied for the original part of Louise [Seger] in ‘Always … Patsy Cline,’ when Mandy Barnett played Patsy, and she originated the role of Mama in ‘The Lost Highway: The Music and Legend of Hank Williams.’ ” While the sisters lived in different parts of the country, their bond was strong enough and their vocations so similar that it seemed almost predestined that they would wind up working together at some point.

“Sheri has traveled all over the world singing the music of Edith Piaf,” Brenda says. “Vanderbilt hired her a couple of times, she’s done some stuff for their French department. When one night our friends did [The] Doyle and Debbie [Show] at the Station Inn, they had a special guest.

Sheri brought her piano player in from LA, who has toured all over the world with her, doing this one-woman show that was written specifically for Sheri — ‘The Miracle of Piaf ’ — and so she performed that one woman show at the

the whole excursion. On the trip your humble scribe rode on, there were tourists from New Mexico, the Bronx, and Canada. To the couples, they ask, “Are you married, or are ya doin’ it?”

For 21 years, Sheri Lynn and Brenda Kay (who really are sisters) have been putting on their headset microphones and escorting tourists and natives alike around town, pointing out landmarks while deploying side-splitting remarks on the sites to be seen — and almost anything else that crosses their minds, too.

They have the comic repartee of Martin and Lewis finishing each other’s sentences, but their act is not for your Pentecostal grandparents. Bawdy is too small a word, no cow too sacred to be slaughtered. Ad-lib jokes range from the endowment of male passengers to personal dryness to anything else that crosses their transoms. (Sheri Lynn once riffed, apropos of nothing, about her “court-ordered hysterectomy.”) They stop just short of the F-bomb, and we’re talking just short.

One street inspires the classic story of George Jones and his lawnmower trip to the liquor store; another street brings about, “On your left, that’s Fort Nashborough, and some historical shit happened there.” At other points

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Station Inn one night after Doyle and Debbie.

So, we’ve both done all sorts of different things in show business.”

Brenda Kay was the first of the sisters to try Nashville on, moving here in 1989.

Sheri Lynn made the move in 1996, and it wasn’t too long before the idea came up to christen themselves the Jugg Sisters and find themselves a niche, which they certainly did.

“Sheri came up with this idea [for the tour bus],” Brenda Kay recalls. “We told our parents about the idea, and our dad surprised us with a little tiny pink bus. We opened in ’97, and here we are today!”

Starting with the aforementioned smaller bus, demand for tickets soon enough necessitated buying the larger bus they use today.

Almost all the tours are sellouts, and tickets go fast online, so it would behoove any tourist to get them ahead of time. Having appeared on the Today show and many other network programs, they appear to the top of the screen on sites like TripAdvisor and others.

Brenda Kay says that when they started, “We had nothing but an 800 number, a logo, and our name trademarked, and Nashville just kind of really embraced us. We had so much free publicity from Nashville Women, the Nashville Business Journal, The Tennessean, we were on the cover of the Scene, and of course there was the Internet.”

They have exactly one employee and no office. The employee, Beth Thorneycroft, a vision in bright blue hair, works in the garage of Sheri Lynn’s home, booking tours, putting out fires, and answering calls like the angry ones she got after the Jugg sisters pulled the bus over and ejected a slew of passengers so noisy that the other customers couldn’t hear the sisters’ act. (It was the only time that’s ever happened, and the culprits — if you even have to ask — were a bachelorette party.) “I’m so lucky to have run into these two idiots,” Thorneycroft offers. “They’re family to me.”

“Well, of course, working with my sister is really great, and being our own bosses, and making a nice living out of being in show business,” Sheri Lynn says. “I’ve never had to, you know, go on public assistance, but it’s hard being an artist. It’s very daunting. But since we’ve been successful, it’s really a joy.

We’re working together, we’re making a living and another really joyful thing is that we get to meet 40 people every day. And that’s such a joy because we meet people from all walks of life. A lot of them are Americans, but some of them are Canadians, from the U.K., many Europeans, and meeting all these people is just fantastic.”

Brenda Kay sums it up: “After 21 years people ask, ‘Don’t we get tired of it?’ No! Because we meet people all over the world, some of whom over the years have become close friends of ours. We love what we do every day — make people laugh for two hours,

which I think is the most important thing that we’ve done. For two hours we make people forget all the shit that’s going on in the world. All the fucking assholes in office right now — don’t get me started — and as we say lately, the political world is just so effed up right now.

“Our political views are very liberal. I say, ‘Well, Sheri Lynn, they did not pay to come on our bus and hear our political views.’ And then Sheri says, ‘Well, that’s why we give it to

you for free!’ But you’ve got to laugh about it though, because we’ve got both sides on our bus. Ha! Sheri says we’ve got the right side and the wrong side, not to mention just other crap that everybody’s dealing with. If we can just make everybody forget all that for a couple of hours, and laugh and giggle and make fun of ourselves, it’s inspiring, it’s worth it, and we love what we do every damn day.”

For tickets and more, visit nashtrash.com.

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The Auschwitz Violin Germany, Circa 1850

Yaakov Zimmerman Violin Circa 1920

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The Feivel Wininger Violin

The Krongold Violin

Schonbach, Germany, Circa 1924

Warsaw, 1924

German “klezmer” Violin with Star of David Circa 1900

Violins of All photographs for this story courtesy of Nashville Symphony

Hope The Nashville Symphony joins the mission of one Israeli family intent on remembering the Holocaust in hopes of changing the future

A

by Michael DeVault

t first, he thinks his ears must be deceiving him, because only a few hours ago, he was roused from bed by armed soldiers, demanding he leave at once. He’s heard the stories about the horrors of the internment camps near the border, but there’s music. Surely the terrifying rumors in the ghetto cannot be true, because as he steps off the train, the young man hears music. There’s music here.

Nearby, he finds a small quartet, two violins, a viola, a cello, playing Schubert. The young man loves music — in fact, he himself is a violin player. He considers lingering for a moment, but when he sees the SS guard nearby, he thinks better of it and moves on with his fellow travelers. Auschwitz can’t be what they claim, he tries to convince himself, → because they have an orchestra.

Facing page: Instruments from the Violins of Hope collection.

Further information about these and other violins in the collection is available at violinsofhopenashville.com

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“M The Heil Hitler Violin Taken for a repair in 1936, the craftsman opened the instrument and for unknown reasons inscribed “Heil Hitler 1936,” along with the swastika.

Its owner was unaware of the inscription, which wasn’t discovered until many years later. This violin, though part of the collection, will never again be played.

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usicians in the concentration camps were forced to play, once they were discovered as musicians,” says Nashville Symphony’s Steve Brosvik. “Orchestras were used to march people in and out of the camps at night. Some were forced to play during executions, when the trains were arriving, during dinner for the guards. Some people were quoted as saying, ‘It can’t be too bad. There’s an orchestra.’ There were all sorts of ways in which music was deceptively used.”

For two Israeli luthiers, father Amnon Weinstein and his son, Avshalom, preserving the memories and histories of these musicians — the Jews who were forced to play their instruments for the demented pleasure of their captors during the Holocaust — has become their life’s work. Their work began almost 30 years ago, when Amnon agreed to restore the first of many violins. Since then, dozens more have followed, and Avshalom has joined his father’s sacred task of preserving the dozens of Holocaust violins that have found their way to their shop. For Avshalom, the violins represent individual stories, the history of what happened to his people, on an intense, personal, and haunting level.

Telling these stories is his mission, and the violins are the medium through which he tells it.

“When you go to school, when I learned in Israel about the Holocaust, they give you a lot of numbers,” recalls Weinstein. “They talk about this date and that date, how long the war was, the numbers of people here and there. It’s not something we can understand because, have you ever seen six million people? No. No one has seen six million people in one place ever. It’s not a number we can understand.”

The challenge for the Weinsteins became finding a vehicle through which the vast scale could be made comprehensible. They’ve collected the instruments, restored them, and sent them back out into the world to tell the story of the six million through the eyes of the one who held the instrument — the one who played at the train station or outside the gas chamber. That’s where the power of the story comes from, and Weinstein believes it’s a story that’s important for people to hear.

“When we break this story down to one person, who was sent here, then sent over there, it makes it more personal,” he says. “It makes it much more intimate, more personal. You can hear the same music he heard, or she heard, the music they heard around them when they played.”

Since undertaking the process of restoring and preserving these instruments and their legacies, the Weinstein family has amassed a collection totaling some 60 violins, and each one tells a story. 32 of those stories are in Nashville, 26 of which will be on exhibit at the Nashville Public Library main branch.

When Brosvik first heard of the violins, he knew he wanted to bring them to Nashville.

But he didn’t want just another violin exhibition and a concert or two. Instead, he had a much bolder vision for how the violins could become instruments of transformation in Music City.

“We heard about the project back in 2015, and we started working on it back then,” Brosvik says. “It will have taken us a two-year process of getting it off the ground, bringing it to fruition.”

That process has resulted in more than a dozen activities scattered across 2018, beginning with Nashville Ballet’s production of “Light.” A series of concerts are also on tap, along with public lectures on topics ranging from archaeology to comparative religion, and an appearance by Nashville Symphony fan favorite Joshua Bell.

“We knew what we could bring to the table as the symphony — commissioning a new symphony, staging concerts and performances,” Brosvik says. “But we didn’t want to drive the entire conversation. Instead, we wanted to use it as a way to bring organizations together in a way that’s never been done on this scale. Certainly, we’ve never done anything on this scale as the Symphony, and I don’t know of any other time when this number of groups have come together at one time, all to talk about the same thing.”

25 organizations are involved in the community-wide effort to create a dialog, and that’s one of the key reasons the Weinsteins’ collection is coming to Nashville in 2018 — it’s the 70th Anniversary of the founding of Israel. Avshalom Weinstein believes the violins have the power to get people to engage with one another, to bridge the gaps between cultures, political divisions, and race.

“There is no more conversation,” Weinstein says. “People don’t talk.”

It’s a problem he’s seen all over the world, from Israel to America, to Europe, and across Asia. And it’s a problem that troubles him.

“People don’t try to persuade,” he says. “They simply hurl things at one another. The conversation doesn’t exist. We are losing the touch of being able to try and solve problems by talking to each other.”

Changing all that is the hope Weinstein sees in the violins, and he believes people →

Amnon Weinstein examines one of the Violins of Hope

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Amnon and Avshalom Weinstein in their Tel Aviv workshop.

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still have the potential to step back, learn from their mistakes, and make sure we don’t repeat history.

“No matter what happens, there is always hope that things can be solved in a civilized way, by people sitting down and talking to one another like they would like someone else to talk to them,” he says. “People are all more alike than different.”

That’s true in his own family, he points out. His wife is a practicing Muslim while he is an observant Jew. There’s work to be done everywhere, he says, even in his home country of Israel, where he could not legally marry his wife. Though Israel recognizes the marriage, they had to go abroad to become wed, he points out.

“My own country, the country I grew up in, served in the army for, and am paying taxes to, would not let me get married in Israel because of religious discrimination,” he says. “They can call it whatever they want, but it’s religious discrimination. It’s time these things are going to pass away from the world.”

Brosnik agrees, which is why the Nashville Symphony has taken up its broader mission to unite diverse groups and organizations in the common goal of engaging in dialog and fostering a deeper understanding of the things that unite, rather than divide us. Pulling often-competing groups together was less of a challenge than many thought. The array of participating organizations underscores the power of the violins.

“They’re from all over the city and different genres,” Brosnik says. “We started with the Jewish Federation, and then we expanded from there to Nashville Ballet, Nashville Children’s Theatre, and Frist Center for the Visual Arts.

It’s really all over the city.”

The Weinsteins will be on hand during some of the events to discuss the work, the history of the violins, and their importance in the contemporary world. Also, Nashville Symphony string players will be offered the opportunity to play the instruments in some of the performances throughout the year.

One of the earliest highlights will come March 22-24, when the orchestra premieres a new symphony composed by Jonathan Leshnoff. Giancarlo Guerrero will conduct Leshnoff ’s Symphony No. 4, “Heichalos,” which will be recorded during the concert, marking the first time the Violins of Hope will be used in a recording slated for commercial release. That concert will also feature additional works, including music from the motion picture Schindler’s List.

Perhaps most importantly, the Violins of Hope will be on exhibit for the public to see from March 26 through May 27, at the Nashville Public Library main branch. This exhibition will give people of all ages the chance to see the violins, read their stories, and learn more about the events surrounding the

instruments and the people who played them.

Weinstein’s ultimate desire is that these violins will inspire a new era of cooperation and openness in the young people who encounter them, especially children. After all, he points out, reaching children with this message is society’s best hope for change.

“There is a way we have to talk, and the only way for us and for the next generations to be able to live on this earth peaceful is if we’re going to talk to kids in schools today and teach

them these values,” Weinstein says. “If they don’t learn these values now, then when are they supposed to learn it? When they are 50 years old? None of us are going to change when we are 50. That’s too late.”

Violins of Hope events run through Oct. 8, 2018. A complete list of events, including locations, times, and cost of admissions (when applicable) can be found online at violinsofhopenashville.org

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The RADIO CAFE Perseverance Society Serving up music for two decades, Mac Hill isn’t done yet.

PHOTOGRAPH BY

STACIE HUCKEBA

BY

RANDY FOX

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M

ac Hill was in downtown Nashville on that cloudy, stormy day in April 1998 when an F3 tornado came roaring through the center of the city, crossed the Cumberland River, and tore a path down Woodland Street. The swirling maelstrom headed straight for his home, restaurant, and music venue, the Radio Cafe.

“I wanted to get home as fast as I could,” Hill recalls almost 20 years after that day of black clouds and sirens. “You couldn’t drive down Main Street it was so torn up. I had to go up Ellington, circle back to the Eastland Kroger parking lot, and walk the rest of the way, climbing over downed trees and telephone poles. As I got closer to Woodland Street, I started seeing some of the posters from my windows hanging in the limbs of trees.”

Hill eventually made his way to the corner of Woodland and 14th and found the majestic two-story, limestone building was still standing, but the tornado had done its work. “The windows were blown out, the roof had been partially blown off, but my cook was sitting outside smoking a cigarette,” he remembers.

“We had no power, but I had a generator — enough to power a light bulb and the beer cooler. We cooked all the food we could, and we never missed a lick. The neighbors who were all sorting

in high school I booked the band for the senior prom. I was always that kind of guy, hanging around with musicians. I had a pickup truck, so I would book bands and provide cartage to gigs.

I loved music, but luckily for listeners, I don’t play.”

By the early ’90s, Hill was working as a salesman for a lab equipment company in Memphis, Tenn. “I was really into the Memphis music scene. I even started working in bars because I was always there anyway. In 1992, my company transferred me to Nashville, and I made the switch from one music scene to another. I was going to the Bluebird all the time.”

After renting for a year, Hill decided to buy property in Nashville. As a lover of classic architecture and with some experience in construction and renovation, Hill cast his eyes east of the river, settling on the former Hooser’s Pharmacy building at the corner of Woodland Street and 14th. Built around 1900 by Dr. Eddie Hooser, the building had been a landmark neighborhood business for over 80 years. Although it still exuded tons of classic architectural charm, the surrounding neighborhood was anything but fashionable.

“It was considered one of the worst neighborhoods in Nashville at that time,” Hill says. “By the ’80s, two pharmacists had bought the business from the Hooser family, but they got robbed so many times they just quit. It was used as a training

“

I’ve never been a musician, but I’ve always loved music. through the damage they had sustained to their homes during the day showed up that night. We had music every night for the three weeks it took them to hook the power back up.”

That spirit of perseverance and neighborhood camaraderie is the flame that Hill has protected and nurtured for over two decades on the East Side. As the founder, owner, and manager of the Radio Cafe in the mid-1990s, he brought regular live music performances back to East Nashville at a time when most of the city had written off the neighborhood as a de-musicalized zone.

Working with other neighborhood revitalization pioneers, he encouraged a vision of what East Side neighborhoods could be despite years of neglect, demonstrating his belief through persistence and building his game-changing music venue one step at a time.

That same persistence is evident in the rebirth of the Radio Cafe. Since reopening the beloved music venue in the spring of 2016, Hill has slowly rebuilt, expanded, and improved its new Inglewood location at 4150 Gallatin Pike. It’s been a slow journey bringing the Radio Cafe back to life, but one that Hill has doggedly pursued. On a rainy Thursday afternoon, Hill was busy working on the soon-to-be-opened kitchen when he paused to reminisce on two decades of making friends, building a community, and bringing music to the East Side of the river.

“I’ve never been a musician, but I’ve always loved music,” Hill says. “I grew up in Jackson, Miss., and when I was a sophomore

gym for women wrestlers and a plastic flower florist for a while, but it had been sitting vacant for a year when I found it. I had a down payment, but no bank would touch it. It took me nine months to close the deal. Finally, the two owners self-financed it to me.”

Hill’s plan was to live in the upstairs and rent out the downstairs as commercial space. His first renter opened the coffee shop Cafe Crossroads in early 1994, but closed in less than a year. Shortly thereafter, Hill’s company wanted to transfer him to a new territory. Instead, Hill decided to go into business for himself. In March 1995 he opened the Radio Cafe coffee shop and restaurant — and quickly discovered some special challenges.

“The drug dealers did not want me there, and they did not want the neighborhood to change,” Hill says. “The drug dealers started shooting out my windows. I had to replace them four times. I got bulletproof glass so finally I just left the bullet cracks in the window. Other people were moving into the neighborhood and renovating houses, and we became really tight. It was like living on the frontier.”

In addition to making a stand on his corner of the Wild, Wild East, Hill became a community organizer, cofounding the East Bank Business Coalition (which evolved into the East Nashville Business Council) to lobby the city council for improvements to the neighborhood and promote East → March|April 2018 theeastnashvillian.com

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Nashville’s image. Along with improving his neighborhood, Hill soon found a way back to his love of music.

“A lot of musicians were moving into the neighborhood and would drop in the Radio Cafe and say, ‘Let’s have some music.’ Within six months of opening, we were having regular shows. We started out with a little stage right by the windows that were being shot all the time, but we didn’t tell them that.”

Over the next three years, the Radio Cafe slowly built its reputation as an off-the-beaten-path restaurant and music venue. Tourists flocked to the Bluebird Cafe on the west side, but among Nashville music cognoscenti, the Radio Cafe became the locus of singer-songwriter underground cool with performances

by Todd Snider, Gillian Welch and David Rawlings, Marshall Chapman, Phil Lee, Emmylou Harris, and many others. Gradually word spread through stories in the local papers, as well as national publications like No Depression and Mix magazine.

As excitement about the East Side’s nascent music scene increased, many felt that something big was coming, but no one expected it would manifest as the tornado that arrived on April 16, 1998. Along with the Radio Cafe, dozens of businesses and approximately 300 homes were damaged in East Nashville. St. Ann’s Episcopal Church on Woodland Street was partially demolished, the Russell Street Church of Christ and the Tulip Street United Methodist Church suffered major damage, and an estimated 8,000 trees were uprooted.

Ironically, the tornado ultimately accelerated the revitalization of East Nashville.

“The tornado brought publicity to the neighborhood,” Hill says. “Everyone was talking about how messed up East Nashville was. A lot of onlookers from other parts of the city discovered these beautiful houses. A lot of people got their insurance money and moved out, putting their homes up for sale. That started a new wave of renovation and growth.”

As East Nashville rebuilt and transformed, music venues began to open. Joe’s Diner (now the Rosepepper Cantina), Slow Bar (now 3 Crow Bar), and others joined the Radio Cafe, expanding the East Side’s cache of musical cool. By September 2001, Hill grew weary of 18-hour days, and with new, locally owned eateries springing up, he decided to shut down the restaurant operations of the Radio Cafe while continuing to book music in the downstairs space.

For two years, the Radio Cafe continued as a part-time music venue. In 2003, Hill agreed to rent the space and the name to outside management. The new version of the Radio Cafe brought a greater emphasis on rock shows and featured a full bar, but the arrangement only lasted a few months. Hill resumed management in early 2004, but by 2007 he was definitely ready to step away.

“I was just burned out,” Hill says. “I wanted to get out of the business, so I sold the building in 2007. I bought a house in Inglewood and just hung out for a while trying to figure out what I was going to do next. I have a degree in finance, so I started working as a tax advisor for H&R Block and managed one of their branches for a couple of years.”

Although preparing tax forms provided stability and less stress for Hill, the excitement of live music was not easy to leave behind.

He began looking at potential locations for a new Radio Cafe, and as before, he decided to fulfill his vision with patience and persistence.

His path eventually led him to the former home of Joe Corley Motors at 4150 Gallatin Pike, a used car lot once known for its Native American décor and a notorious, politically incorrect statue of “Chief Waki-No-Mo.” “As soon as I saw it I knew it was the place,” Hill says. “It had plenty of parking, two bathrooms, an area I could use for dining, and the garage area would make a great performance space. I started working on it around the first of 2014. I did all the work myself, so it took over two years. The main performance space is over 1,200 square feet and I had to do a lot of work on the acoustics of the room, but it sounds great now.”

Since opening for special shows in 2016 — followed by a more regular schedule in the spring of 2017 — the new Radio Cafe has hosted a wide variety of music, acting, standup comedy, poetry readings, and more. With each event, Hill improves the venue with an eclectic and always surprising schedule.

Goat Day is perhaps the finest example of the new Radio Cafe’s eclecticism. A partnership with Shenanigoats, a local company supplying goats for landscaping and special events, as well as classes in “Goat Yoga,” Goat Day is a monthly Sunday afternoon family event involving music, beer (for the adults) and baby goats.

“I contacted them and asked if they would bring their baby goats for a day last July,” Hill says. “Our back yard area is completely fenced in so it’s perfect. We had probably 200 people show up for the first Goat Day. We’ve made it a monthly event and added kid karaoke. We’re going to start it up again in March and add an arts fair to the day, although we’ll have to make some arrangements to prevent the goats from eating the artisans’ products.”

Hill sees the Radio Cafe as more than a music venue. It’s a neighborhood hub, a place where locals and like-minded visitors can hang out and enjoy themselves no matter what’s on the schedule — a place where the East Side moxie that created good times with nothing but a light bulb, a beer cooler, and an acoustic guitar still endures.

“I’m just trying to keep some of the old school going,” Hill says. “That’s all there is to it.”

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B Y

I

J O E L L E

was going to spend this initial column introducing myself, kind of a ta-da and a laying out — in an opening-argument sort of way — of why anyone would really care what I have to say about books.

But I got a little sidetracked. A few weeks ago, a dear friend passed away suddenly and unexpectedly.

Ben and I met because of books. In May of 1999, he was hired as a publicist at the environmental publisher where I was an editorial assistant, in Washington, D.C. To say we were opposites would be an understatement. I was serious and quiet. He was gregarious and charming — his arrival a jolt of adrenaline to our somewhat cloistered office of fewer than 20 people.

A couple of weeks after he started, we grabbed an after-work beer at Kramerbooks, an indie bookstore that featured a legit bar tucked behind the bookshelves.Though we both had English degrees (not uncommon in publishing), our areas of study barely overlapped. I’d concentrated on 19th-century British and American fiction, while his focus had been on modernist and postmodern poetry. What we did share was an intense passion for literature and a desire to introduce each other to works that the other hadn’t yet discovered.

Our email exchanges (composed at our 10-feetapart desks) were peppered with lines from Wallace Stevens, William Blake, and Herman Melville. He’d been surprised-slash-impressed when I’d told him that I’d read Moby-Dick … and that I’d read it more than once. We’d flipped through my marked-up copy, reading passages to each other.

One day, Ben handed me a well-worn paperback.

H E R R

“Read this.” He chuckled at some recollection of its contents. The bright artwork on the cover featured a not-svelte, mustachioed guy with a tropical bird on his head. It hardly looked up my alley. Yet, inside was one of the most guffaw-inducing, absurd (in all the right ways), brilliant books I’d ever read: A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole.

In a park near Ben’s Adams-Morgan apartment, we read The Catcher in the Rye aloud, trading off every 10 pages or so. We got more than halfway through the book before we were both too parched and hoarse to continue. We had plans to take up where we’d left off — but we didn’t, and I later finished the book on my own.

That summer was the beginning of nearly 10 years together, during which Ben and I crossed the country and back, trying to find ourselves and having loads of adventures along the way. It was an intense and tumultuous relationship, off and on at times. When it ended for good, the love that remained evolved into a deep friendship.

We still chatted about books, but I was waiting to tell Ben about this column until I could send the published version to him. While I’m sad that I didn’t get to share it with him, here he is in it. Our story — particularly the beginning — is, I think, a perfect illustration of what I love so much about books (and, more recently, about owning a bookstore): how they bring people together, prompt meaningful discussion, change minds, inspire adventure, and broaden horizons. These are just some of the bookish things I look forward to exploring with you right here, in this and future issues. Until then, read on, booklovers.

So long as men can breathe or eyes can see, So long lives this, and gives life to thee.

— William Shakespeare, Sonnet XVIII

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Notable books releasing in March and April

The Female Persuasion Meg Wolitzer

This novel is on just about every most-anticipated-booksof-2018 list out there. Wolitzer’s most recent novel, The Interestings, is one of my go-to recommendations in the shop.

The Hunger

{April 3}

Alma Katsu

I love a good spooky read, and this reimagining of what happened to the ill-fated Donner Party, with a supernatural twist, looks right up my alley. The cover is alluringly ominous.

Tangerine

{March 6}

Christine Mangan

Early buzz for this debut novel has likened the thriller, set in 1950s Morocco, to the works of Daphne du Maurier, Patricia Highsmith, and Donna Tartt.

Yes, please!

American Histories

{March 27}

John Edgar Wideman

John Brown, Frederick Douglass, Nat Turner, and Jean-Michel Basquiat are just a few real-life folks who make appearances in this new collection of stories from the critically lauded Wideman. {March 20}

Turnip Greens & Tortillas Eddie Hernandez

Hello Hello Brendan Wenzel

Wenzel’s bestselling, award-winning They All Saw a Cat is a favorite at our shop storytime, so I’m sure there are a lot of kiddos (and their parents) who’ll be excited about his new picture book. {March 20}

with Susan Puckett

Hernandez is the executive chef at Taqueria del Sol, which has two locations in Nashville.

With this, his first cookbook, you can enjoy his SouthernMexican dishes without having to cross the river. {April 10}

Joelle Herr worked as a book editor at various publishers across the country for nearly 20 years. In 2016, she opened Her Bookshop in East Nashville, a cozy bookstore featuring a highly curated selection. She is the author of more than 15 books.

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theeastnashvillian.com March|April 2018

EAST SIDE CALENDAR EMMA ALFORD CALENDAR EDITOR

M A R C H | A P R I L 2018

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

UPCOMING WE WILL SHAMROCK YOU

Shenanigans: A St Patrick’s Day Celebration

Noon to midnight, Saturday, March 17, Smith & Lentz Brewing

Time again for our favorite appropriated Irish holiday. Bring out your green gear lest you get pinched. The folks at Smith & Lentz will be celebrating the Celtic affair in their own way. You can expect Irish beer (Looking at you, Guinness), Irish food, and Irish music.

They’ll also be selling some green-hued swag while supplies last. If you’re feeling the luck of the Irish, there’ll be opportunities to win “Pots of Gold” throughout the day. Added bonus: These aren’t located at the end of the rainbow — they’re right up the road at your local brewery.

903 Main St.

DO A JIG

St. Patrick’s Day with Scott-Ellis School of Irish Dance

10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday, March 17, Historic Amqui Station and Visitors Center

Riverdance your way on up to Madison for a

family-friendly St. Patrick’s Day celebration.

The students of Scott-Ellis School of Irish Dance will be performing and leading dance instruction, along with some other fun and festive activities for everyone. There will be refreshments for sale to raise funds for Historic Amqui Station. Don’t forget your green.

303 Madison St.

pretty rockin’ festival every year. Edgehill Rocks is the neighborhood’s yearly day festival. They set up two stages for local music all afternoon and invite craft vendors and food trucks to park themselves in the street. There will also be a children’s area to keep the tots busy. Their website for details about music and vendors.

Edgehill Avenue and Villa Place

ALL BEER FLOWS EAST

AND A CHERRY ON TOP

East Nashville Beer Festival

Noon to 5 p.m., Saturday, April 7, East Park Pass a cold one to your east. The East Nashville Beer Fest is returning for its eighth year. The festival remains the sole beer-tasting festival this side of the Cumberland. The day-drinking kicks off at noon and will feature beers from 45-plus brew kings. You’ll have a smattering of your local favorites (some of whom call the East Side home), plus a plethora of national pours. They’ll have a local-music lineup and, as always, there will food trucks aplenty. Games, selfie, and photo booth opportunities included and encouraged. This thirsty throwdown always sells out fast, so grab your tickets ASAP. 700 Woodland St.

ON THE EDGEHILL Edgehill Rocks

Nashville Cherry Blossom Festival

9:45 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday, April 14, Nashville Public Square The Cherry Blossom Festival is a free, familyfriendly hurrah of all things Japanese culture.

The fest kicks off with the 2.5-mile Cherry Blossom Walk along the Cumberland River Greenway. At the festival, you can see a sampling of both contemporary and traditional Japanese culture including martial arts displays, cuisine, music, and plenty of children’s activities.

Proceeds from the festival go toward a city beautification goal, the planting of 1000 Cherry Trees across the city over 10 years. As you’ve probably already seen, we’re well on our way. edgehillrocks.com 10 Public Square

Saturday, April 7, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

DINNER WITH A CAUSE

This may extend beyond our neck of the woods, but Edgehill Village (home of tacos, gelato, and other fanciful things) throws a

Tuesday, April 17, various locations

Dining Out For Life

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For hungry mouths and generous hearts, we’ve got the night for you. On this special Tuesday, restaurants across the country will participate in this nationwide fundraiser to raise money for HIV/AIDS services and organizations.

Participating restaurants will donate a portion of all sales on this day to Nashville CARES, an organization that offers services to over 60,000 Middle Tennesseans suffering from the HIV virus and AIDS. Over 80 Nashville restaurants have joined on for the evening, and they will donate between 30 and 100 percent of their proceeds for the night to Nashville CARES. Check diningoutforlife.com for a full list of participating restaurants.

WINE NOT?

Sixteenth Annual Wine Tasting & Silent Auction

6-9 p.m., Friday, April 20, St. Ann’s Episcopal Church

Raise your glasses to this one: East Nashville Hope Exchange (ENHC) is a nonprofit that works to strengthen the literacy of at-risk youth in the East Nashville area, primarily serving the Stratford and Maplewood clusters. How can you help? Well, this April they’ll unwind and raise some dollars for all the work they do through their annual wine tasting and silent auction. The event will feature wines from around the world, a silent auction, and some live music. Local do-good retailers and restaurants from the area have donated items for the silent auction. Bottoms up!

419 Woodland St., 615.254.3534

UNDER THE NEEDLE Record Store Day

Times vary, Saturday, April 21, Vinyl Tap, The Groove, and Fond Object

Vinyl-philes, your favorite national holiday has returned. Record Store Day has been celebrating those indie shops slinging records for over a decade now, so let’s drop the needle again. Leave your Spotify playlists at home, folks. All three of our fine record shops will be celebrating in their own way. Fond Object will have shows at both of their haunts (1313 McGavock Pike and 535 Fourth Ave. S.), plus vendors and brews. Vinyl Tap (2038 Greenwood Ave.) and The Groove (1103 Calvin Ave.) both have something similar planned, with music and cold ones all day long, and of course most importantly: sweet, smooth, vinyl. Acme Radio will also be streaming live from The Groove. You can snag some exclusive Record Store Day limited releases at all locations, so if there is one in particular you have been eyeing, show up early. More info to come on each shop’s events, so stay tuned to their socials in the meantime.

EAT EAST FOR THE CAUSE YUM!EAST

Tickets on sale Friday, April 27 6-9 p.m., Thursday, May 31, The Pavilion East We’re getting a bit ahead of ourselves on this one, but food is on our minds.

YUM!EAST is firing up its engines for this year’s culinary feast. The tickets for this year’s banquet go live on April 27 at 9 a.m., so don’t miss out. You can expect to snack on treats from more than 30 of East Nashville’s culinary neighbors, all in one yard. Guests will have the chance to sample bites from all over the East Side in one spot, while enjoying live music and local craft beer and wine. This is a grown-ups only event, so book your babysitter in advance.

Most importantly, proceeds from the event will benefit Fannie Battle Day Home For Children.

Admission will include an open bar, samples of food and drink from oodles of East Nashville

businesses and guaranteed fun. You’ll even leave with a nifty souvenir glass.

1006 Fatherland St., 615.228.6745

DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENT BOOKSTORE DAY

Independent Bookstore Day

10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday, April 28, Her Bookshop

Every day is as good as any to support your local bookstore, but this particular holiday is a celebration of the indie bookshops. The small, locally owned community anchors that fill our bookshelves deserve a day of their own, for sure.

Her Bookshop is hosting a party of its own for this trip around the sun. Details are still being hammered out, but we can confirm treats, giveaways, and readings! You’ll also be able to scoop up official International Bookstore Day merchandise, which is available only once a year (understandably). You can snag your swag when you stop by Her Bookshop.

1043 W. Eastland Ave., 615.484.5420

ARE YOU SEVIER-IOUS? Sevier Park Fest

May 4-5, Sevier Park

A non-East Nashville celebration that you’d be remiss to skip is Sevier Park Fest, happening in our neighborly friendborhood in the West, 12 South. This party comes in two parts. On Friday they’ll have a ticketed music festival — locked in thus far are J. Roddy Walston and the Business, Amanda Shires, and Susto. Part two on Saturday is a free, daylong festival, featuring tasty eats and drinks, artisan vendors, live music, and kids activities.

More deets to come on this one, folks, so keep your eyes peeled.

2031 Lealand Lane

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MARCH 16

6 PM

LOCKELAND DESIGN CENTER STUDENT VARIETY SHOW EVENT AT EAST HIGH

MARKET

URBAN BIKE RIDE

MONROE 555 777 8:30AM

MONROE 555 8:30AM 8, 25, 45 mile rides available PRESENTED BY

TOURDENASH.ORG

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A tour of Nashville artists, businesses, food vendors, & musicians

$5

EAST SIDE CALENDAR

BROADWAY BROADS BRUNCH, TOO

=

NASHVILLE CHILDREN’S THEATRE

RADIO CAFE

MARCH 1-18, 2018

Nashville Repertory Theatre’s Broadway Brunch

radiocafenashville.com 4150 Gallatin Pike., 615.540.0033

The stereotype that ladies love brunch is not lost on us. Nashville Repertory Theatre takes that and raises you one better: a brunch celebrating Broadway’s fiercest females in the biz. Here’s the script. You can expect a decked out meal with bottomless mimosas and Bloody Marys, a live auction benefitting Nashville Rep, and a Broadway-esque performance from some of Nashville’s own actors. You may not be able to say Broadway Brunch three times fast, but you won’t want to miss out on this one. Buy your tickets online at broadwaybrunch.com.

609 Lafayette St.

Mondays, 6:30-10 p.m.

11 a.m., Sunday, May 6, City Winery

q

RESIDENCIES = DEE’S COUNTRY COCKTAIL LOUNGE deeslounge.com 102 E. Palestine Ave., Madison 615.852.8827

Bluegrass

Hosted by East Nash Grass

Mondays, 6-8 p.m.

Madison Guild

Hosted by various songwriters

Mondays, 8:30-11 p.m.

Songwriter Night Good Friends Comedy Hour Third Wednesday of the month, 8:30 p.m.

not everything

thecobra.plusvanvelzen.info 2511 Gallatin Ave., 629.800.2518

Not Another Open Mic

An evening of open mic comedy Curated by MK Gannon

Tuesdays, 10 p.m. to midnight

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

Don’t Ease At Dee’s

Hosted by various bands

Wednesdays, 8:30-11:30 p.m.

Kenny Vaughan Thursdays, 8-9:45 p.m.

Daniel Lawrence Walker’s Hoedown Fridays, 5-8 p.m.

is black and white--the world is full of colors--messy and beautiful.

Sundays, 7 p.m.

Jazz Variety Show

Curated by Charles Kay

Mondays, 9 p.m.

Fine Lines

Curated by Chris Probasco

Tuesdays, 9 p.m.

Western Wednesday with The Cobra Cowpokes Curated by Brendan Malone

Wednesdays, 9 p.m.

= THE 5 SPOT

the5spot.club 1006 Forrest Ave., 615.650.9333

Sunday Night Soul

Hosted by Jason Eskridge

Jim Oblon Trio Hosted by Mikah Wyman

Syndrome

THE COBRA NASHVILLE

Hosted by Derek Hoke

Comedy Night

with Asperger’s discovers that

Second & fourth Sundays of the month, 6 p.m.

Tuesdays, 8-9:30 p.m.

An 11 year-old

=

Jon Byrd acoustic Tuesdays, 6-8 p.m.

MOCKINGBIRD

Two Dollar Tuesday

Adapted for the stage by Julie Jensen Based on the book Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine Winner of the National Book Award

APRIL 12-MAY 13, 2018

DRAGONS LOVE TACOS

If you want a bunch of dragons at your party, you should definitely serve tacos. Buckets and buckets of tacos. But hold the spicy salsa.

When dragons eat spicy salsa oh boy.

Tuesdays, 9 p.m. to close

Allen Thompson

By Ernie Nolan Based on the book by Adam Rubin

Tim Carroll’s

SUMMER CAMP REGISTRATION IS OPEN

Thursdays, April 5, 12, 19, 26 6-8:30 p.m.

Rock & Roll Happy Hour

Fridays, 6-8:30 p.m.

Strictly ’80s Dance Party First Friday of the month 9 p.m. to close

Funky Good Time First Saturday of the month, 9 p.m. to close

☞

MAY 21-AUGUST 3, 2018 FOR AGES 4-18

YOUR SUMMER OF FUN! TICKETS & INFO: NASHVILLECT.ORG

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EAST SIDE CALENDAR

ART EXHIBITS STUMBLE ON TO ART East Side Art Stumble

6-10 p.m., second Saturday of every month, multiple East Nashville galleries We don’t art crawl on the East Side, we art stumble. Every month, local galleries and

studios will open their doors after hours to showcase some of the fabulous work they have gracing their walls. You can expect to see a diverse, eclectic mix of art, affording the opportunity to meet local artists and support their work. Local retail stores are stumbling in as well, with some businesses participating in a “happy hour” from 5-7 p.m., offering discounted prices on their merchandise to fellow stumblers. Be sure to check out the

happy hour deals in The Idea Hatchery.

RED ARROW GALLERY

Lester Merriweather’s HYDRA

Opening Reception 6 p.m., March 10 Through April 8 Duncan Mcdaniel

Opening Reception 6 p.m., April 14 Through May 6

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

ART & INVENTION GALLERY 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Thursday through Saturday; noon to 5 p.m., Sunday artandinvention.com 1106 Woodland St., 615.226.2070

RAVEN AND WHALE GALLERY Works by Kate Harrold and Jason Brueck

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

ravenandwhalegallery.com 1108 Woodland St. Unit G, 629.777.6965

THE HARDING ART SHOW 2018 6-9 p.m., Thursday, May 3, 21 and up only

Noon to 5 p.m, Friday, May 4, all ages

6-9 p.m., Friday, May 4, 21 and up only

10 to 4 p.m., Saturday, May 5,

all ages thehardingartshow.com

h

THEATER|OPERA NASHVILLE REPERTORY THEATRE presents

Inherit The Wind

March 24-April 21 Johnson Theater at Tennessee Performing Arts Center nashvillerep.org 505 Deaderick St. ∏

NASHVILLE CHILDREN’S THEATRE presents

Mockingbird (Mok’ing-burd) March 1-18

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EAST SIDE CALENDAR

Dragons Love Tacos

April 12-May 13 Evenings and weekends are open to the public. nashvillechildrenstheatre.org 25 Middleton St. ∏

THE THEATER BUG

COUNTRY MUSIC HALL OF FAME & MUSEUM

Nick Cave: Feat. Nashville Friday, April 6, 7:30 p.m.

countrymusichalloffame.org 222 Fifth Ave. S.

Schoolhouse Rock!

with the Nashville Symphony

Musician Spotlights:

∑

Sunday, March 11, 1 p.m.

Jordan Tice

Saturday, April 21, 11 a.m.

presents

William Shakespeare’s

Love’s Labour Lost March 22-25

thetheaterbug.org 4809 Gallatin Pike ∏

NASHVILLE OPERA presents

Susannah

April 6-8, 8 p.m.

James K. Polk Theater at TPAC nashvilleopera.org 505 Deaderick St.

e

CONCERTS

USING SMART TOOLS

TODAY TOMORROW. WILL HELP YOU SAVE FOR

RYMAN AUDITORIUM ryman.com 116 Fifth Ave. N

Lewis Black

The Joke’s On US Tour

Friday, March 9, 8 p.m.

Tony Bennett

Tuesday, March 20, 7:30 p.m.

The Decemberists with Tennis April 13-14, 8 p.m. ∑

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NASHVILLE SYMPHONY nashvillesymphony.org One Symphony Place

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban in Concert March 15-17, 7 p.m. and March 18, 3 p.m.

Guerrero Conducts Violins of Hope

Thursday, March 22, 7 p.m.

Friday and Saturday, March 22-23, 8 p.m.

Voices of Hope Choral Festival

East Nashville Office 599 Gallatin Ave. Nashville, TN 37206 615.770.4383

1.800.regions I regions.com

Monday, March 26, 7 p.m.

The Music of Michael Jackson with the Nashville Symphony

© 2018 Regions Bank. Mobile Banking, text alerts, the Regions mobile app and Regions Mobile Deposit require a compatible device and enrollment in Online Banking. Regions Mobile Deposit is subject to fees. Your mobile carrier’s messaging and data fees may apply. | Regions and the Regions logo are registered trademarks of Regions Bank. The LifeGreen color is a trademark of Regions Bank.

Tuesday, March 27, 7:30 p.m.

March|April 2018 theeastnashvillian.com

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EAST SIDE CALENDAR Roland White

Sunday, March 18, 1 p.m.

Wendy Moten

Sunday, March 25, 1 p.m.

Justin Schipper

Sunday, April 15, 1 p.m

Merle Haggard and the Strangers: On Tour Spring ’84 (1984)

Sunday, April 8, 11 a.m.

Hee Haw (1980)

Sunday, April 15, 2018, 11 a.m.

Al Perkins: Steel Guitars

The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour (1972)

Belmont Bluegrass Ensemble

Johnny Cash’s Cowboy Heroes (1982)

Program Pass (free with museum ticket or museum membership) required to guarantee admission.

Sunday, April 22, 1 p.m.

Sunday, April 29, 1 p.m.

Film Screenings at the CMA Theater

Admission is included with museum ticket or museum membership. Seating is limited.

cmatheater.com 224 5th Ave. S., 615.760.6556

Nashville Now (1991)

Sunday, March 4, 11 a.m.

Country Night of Stars (1978)

Sunday, March 18 11 a.m.

Tim McGraw: Sing Me Home (2002)

Sunday, March 25, 11 a.m.

Loretta Lynn Seasons of My Life (1991)

Sunday, April 1, 11 a.m.

Sunday, April 22, 11 a.m.

Sunday, April 29, 11 a.m.

j

SHELBY BOTTOMS NATURE CENTER 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday Noon to 4 p.m., Wednesday and Friday Closed, Sunday and Monday 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. For more information, as well as the online program registration portal, visit: nashville.gov/Parks-and-Recreation/ Nature-Centers-and-Natural-Areas/ Shelby-Bottoms-Nature-Center 1900 Davidson St., 615.862.8539

EVENTS & CLASSES

Printmaking with Julie Sola 11:30 a.m., Saturday, March 10 All ages

Saint Patty’s Day Open House 1-3 p.m., Saturday, March 17

All ages, registration required

Campfire Commemoration Spring is here!

12-2 p.m., Saturday, March 24

All ages, registration required

Fable Friday

11 a.m. to 12 p.m., Friday, March 30

Ages 3 and up, registration required

Spring & Sing Picking Party 1-2:30 p.m., Saturday, March 31 All ages

It’s the Balm!

2-3 p.m., Saturday, April 7 Registration required

Possum Dreams

Julie Sola book launch

1-3 p.m., Saturday, April 21 All ages

Earth Day Picking Party 3-4 p.m., Saturday, April 21

All ages, registration required

Audubon Day Hike 6-7 p.m., Thursday, April 26

All ages, registration required

Fable Friday

11 a.m. to 12 p.m., Friday, April 27

Ages 3 and up, registration required

Springtime Moonlight Mosey 8-9 p.m., Tuesday, May 1

All ages, registration required

Into the Wild

Jewelry by Hardwear Merry

6-8 p.m., Friday, May 8 All ages

Mommy Match Up!

11 a.m. to 12 p.m., Friday, May 11

All ages, registration required

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EAST SIDE CALENDAR

RECURRING MINDFULNESS MATTERS

Mindful Connections

6 p.m., Sundays, WeWork

Call it a workout for your mind. A little vocabulary lesson for our readers: Kaizening, a Japanese word meaning continuous improvement. These mindful meetups are shaped around that goal. Tired of cocktail conversations? If you’re searching for some like-minded folks on the path to personal development, here’s your chance to make that connection. You can expect meditation and discussions revolving around personal growth and wellness — think of it as an exercise in community and personal development. If you’re looking for a group of people to bounce these topics around with, drop by one of these free weekly group sessions.

901 Woodland St.

SHOP AROUND SUNDAY

Sundays at Porter East

Noon to 4 p.m., First Sunday of every month, Shops at Porter East

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, it’s no matter to us), stop by one of these East Side locales to test your wits at trivia. They play a few rounds, with different categories for each question. There might even be some prizes for top-scoring teams, but remember: Nobody likes a sore loser.

Drifter’s Edley’s BBQ East Lipstick Lounge (7:30 p.m.)

Wednesday Noble’s Kitchen and Beer Hall The Mainstay (7 p.m.)

Thursday 3 Crow Bar Monday Tuesday

BRING IT TO THE TABLE

Community Hour at Lockeland Table

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. until 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.” motownmondays.club 1006 Forrest Ave., 615.650.9333

⇾

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 a flower truck), fixups from Ranger Stitch, and occasionally catch some good tunes. Amelia’s Flower Truck will let you build your own bouquet while Ranger Stich weaves some amazing chain stitch on your favorite denim.

700 Porter Road

RINC, Y’ALL

Scott-Ellis School of Irish Dance

Sundays at DancEast:

2-2:30 p.m., Beginner Class; 2-3 p.m., Intermediate/Advanced Soft Shoe Class; 3-4 p.m., Intermediate/Advanced Hard Shoe Class

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

You’re never too young — or too old — to kick out the Gaelic jams with some Irish Step dancing. No experience, or partner, required.

Just you, some enthusiasm, and a heart of gold will have you dancing in the clover before you can say “leprechaun.”

DancEast

danceast.org 805 Woodland St., Ste. 314, 615.601.1897

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

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EAST SIDE CALENDAR

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

GET YOUR GREEN ON Engage Green

First Wednesday of each month, locations vary

Tap into your eco-consciousness every month when Urban Green Lab and Lightning 100’s Team Green Adventures join forces for Engage Green. Join these enviro-crusaders for a discussion that highlights government agencies, businesses, and organizations that practice sustainability. They will provide you with info on these trends and a way to make them an affordable and a convenient part of your own life. You can expect an hour-long presentation or demonstration with a fun, hands-on component. Green looks good on you! urbangreenlab.org

TRANSFORMING AT THE POST

Free Conscious Transformation Groups

7-8:30 p.m., second Wednesday of every month, The Post East

Looking for a supportive environment to focus on your professional and personal development? These monthly meetings offer a place to focus on conscious transformation teaching, tools, and meditation practices to promote and home in on a plan of action to support your transformation. The meetings are led by Energy Healer Ben Dulaney. Think of it as conscious coupling with other likeminded folks. theposteast.com 1701 Fatherland St., Ste. A, 615.457.2920

ART IS FOR EVERYONE John Cannon Fine Art Classes

1-3 p.m., Wednesdays, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturdays The Idea Hatchery

If you’ve been filling in coloring-book pages for years, but you’re too intimidated to put actual paint to canvas, it might be time to give it a try. Local artist John Cannon teaches intimate art classes at The Idea Hatchery, and the small class size keeps the sessions low-pressure and allows for some one-on-one instruction.

If you’re feeling like you could be the next Matisse with a little guidance, sign yourself up. johncannonart.com 1108-C Woodland St., 615.496.1259

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EAST SIDE CALENDAR

WALK, EAT, REPEAT Walk Eat Nashville

1:30 p.m., Thursdays; 11 a.m., Fridays, 5 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 1.5 miles, 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 11th and Woodland Streets 615.587.6138

over to The Beast, which gives shakers and movers even more space to cut up. 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

ONCE UPON A TIME… Weekly Storytime

10 a.m., Saturdays, Her Bookshop Her Bookshop has a story to tell to us each and every Saturday. Once a week, they sit down for a good old-fashioned storytime for the bookish kiddos of the East Side. They occasionally have special guests stop in the shop for these readings — you’ll learn more

FIND YOUR STATION Songwriters Night at The Station

7 p.m., third Thursday of every month, The Engine Bay of The Station

They’re not fighting fires anymore, but the folks at The Station are on to something hot.

Every third Thursday, they host a writer’s round of local musicians. You can check the monthly lineup at facebook.com/ TheStationNashville/. Tip: There is limited parking behind the building, but overflow parking is available across the street at Eastland Baptist Church. thestationnashville.com 1220 Gallatin Ave.

HONESTLY, OFFICER ...

East Nashville Crime Prevention Meeting

11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Thursdays, Turnip Truck 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.

East Precinct

615.862.7600

Turnip Truck

701 Woodland St., 615.650.3600

CAN’T FORCE A DANCE PARTY 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’. The dance party has migrated March|April 2018 theeastnashvillian.com

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we love our kids!

you can find a family here!

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www.nfcn.org

EAST SIDE CALENDAR

about that on their website. One thing is certain, this makes for some solid Saturday plans for our wee bibliophiles. herbookshop.com 1043 W. Eastland Ave., 615.484.5420

NEIGHBORHOOD MEETINGS & EVENTS

HISTORIC EDGEFIELD NEIGHBORS

INGLEWOOD N.A.

MOMS Club of East Nashville

inglewoodrna.org 4500 Gallatin Pike

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, cover regular business items of the organization including upcoming service initiatives and activities, and also allow women to discuss the ins and outs, ups and downs of being a mother. Check their website for the MOMS group in your area. momsclubeast.blogspot.com

7 p.m., first Thursday of every month Isaac Litton Alumni Center MCFERRIN N.A.

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

ROSEBANK NEIGHBORS

7 p.m., Tuesday, March 27 East Park Community Center

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

LOCKELAND SPRINGS N.A.

Dates and locations vary

historicedgefieldneighbors.com 700 Woodland St.

Date and time tba

lockelandsprings.org 1701 Fatherland St.

SHELBY HILLS N.A.

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

MAXWELL HEIGHTS N.A.

6 p.m., second Monday of every month Metro Police East Precinct

1211 Riverside Drive

Monthly business meetings at 10 a.m., first Friday of every month, location varies by group

HENMA

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. eastnashville.org

fin.

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

936 E. Trinity Lane

ROLLING ACRES NEIGHBORS

6:30 p.m., second Tuesday of every other month Eastwood Christian Church (Sanctuary) 1601 Eastland Ave.

EASTWOOD NEIGHBORS

Social: 5:30-7:30 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 9 Business Meeting: 6:30-7:30 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 13 Eastwood Christian Church

615-576-0742

call & set up a Spring preventative maintenance today.

eastwoodneighbors.org 1601 Eastland Ave.

GREENWOOD N.A.

Meeting times and dates TBA Metro Police East Precinct

greenwoodneighbors.org 936 E. Trinity Lane

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS N.A.

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

CLEVELAND PARK N.A.

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

facebook.com/groups/Cleveland Park 610 N. Sixth St.

Service – Maintenance – Installation www.cumberlandcooling.com March|April 2018 theeastnashvillian.com

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

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East of NORMAL ⟿ by Tommy Womack ⟿

S

Of royalties and a stiff upper lip

tuck for a topic, I asked my editor, Moloch, what I should write about. “Write about your favorite band,” he suggested.

That’ll work, I thought. And so here we go.

We’ll get to the music in a moment, but there’s an interesting dynamic between the members that I want to discuss first. On one side of the band we had a crack-shot rhythm section, two young men not given to dramatics or hooliganism. Then you had the two guitarists. They were brothers, and they hated each other. The reason why goes back to the very beginning of their lives, with a family situation that almost never happens.

In the 1920s, a working-class Englishman named Mr. Davies took a wife. It was a happy marriage, and over the years they had six daughters. Working-class English homes are very small, and the large family’s pip-pip, cheerio, stiff-upper-lip constitutions kept them from bumping into each other all the time.

Years went by, the daughters grew up, and then, when you would least expect it, Mrs. Davies got pregnant again. But this time they had a boy! They named him Raymond Douglas Davies, and called him Ray. With six older sisters, Ray was doted on, spoiled rotten, and precocious. He displayed an early aptitude for music, and he delighted in being the center of attention. Babies of families are often the ones who turn into performers, and Ray was exactly that. Until he was 5 years old.

And that is when Mrs. Davies, unbelievably, became pregnant — again!

She delivered another boy, whom they named David Russell Gordon Davies, and called Dave.

Ray’s egocentric, performer’s personality was fully formed, and now there was a new kid in town, and he was the one getting all the lovey-dovey treatment from the older sisters. Ray instantly hated him, and over time Dave learned to hate Ray right back. The notion of the two of them someday forming a band together, and living in vans and buses together for decades, was unthinkable, but that’s what happened. And in 1963, when Ray was 20 and Dave was 14, they became the Kinks, with Mick Avory on drums and Pete Quaife on bass.

There were two primary activities for the band as they rocketed to the top of the charts: the pounding of pulse-quickening rock & roll with off-the-rails catchiness, plus a distorted guitar sound that had hardly ever yet been heard; and Mick and Pete stepping out of the way whenever Ray and Dave got in a fistfight, an almost daily occurrence. They fought in dressing rooms, they fought over the dinner table, they fought in the recording studio, they even fought onstage. (I saw a goodly shoving match between them onstage in Louisville in 1982.) I interviewed the producer of their early records, Shel Talmy, and he recalled how, one day, the two siblings had an atrocious punch-up in the studio, got it out of their systems, and immediately thereafter recorded the version of “Tired of Waiting” you hear on the radio to this day.

They rocked harder than the Beatles or the Stones.

“You Really Got Me” and “All Day and All of the Night” were perhaps the first head-banging hits in rock’s pantheon

of head-banging hits. Dave invented the power chord by slitting the speaker cone on his amp with a razor blade, creating an unholy distortion. Ray wrote the songs, and he sang them. His voice was better than Dave’s, and it became clear before long that Ray was a genius on par with Lennon/McCartney, Pete Townshend, Jagger/Richards, and even Bob Dylan.

Within a short few years, the band abdicated the head-banging power chord rock & roll for a more reflective type of pop with increasingly sophisticated chord changes and arrangements. Songs like “Autumn Almanac,” “Sunny Afternoon,” and “Shangri-La” adapted the theme of observing British life, the taking of tea, the conservatism, the aforementioned stiff upper lip, the love of the Queen, and so forth.

Then came the band’s 1967 masterpiece, “Waterloo Sunset” — a gorgeous, encrusted jewel of heartbreaking harmonies accompanying Ray’s poignant story of two lovers crossing over the Thames to share a romance the observer might never know. It’s enough to simply say that the band was good enough to play such a song. It was a long way from “You Really Got Me.” The trouble was that their sales were slumping. Beginning in the mid- to late ’60s, the albums were getting better and better, but they weren’t always rocketing to the top of the charts anymore. In 1968, they delivered their magnum opus, the understated and reflective The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society. It was arguably the best record anyone’s ever made, and it didn’t even crack the Billboard Top LPs chart. That’s how far they’d fallen.

Meanwhile, as they were Ray’s songs from the beginning, it was he who collected publishing royalties from them, and he who subsequently got richer than the other lads — just another excuse for right crosses to the jaws.

With the exception of their surprise monster hit, “Lola,” they otherwise limped through the ’70s, writing and performing rock operas, of all things, and drank to excess onstage. By the end of the decade and into the next they reconnected with their rock & roll roots and had hit singles again: “Superman,” “Low Budget,” and “Come Dancing.” With the latter part of the ’80s came the long, slow final dance. Eventually, the relationship with Ray and Dave (and Dave and Mick Avory, for that matter) just became too sulfurous, and that’s no way to live.

I’ll close with a story that’s too good to fact check. In 1987, Nashville’s Royal Court of China opened a spate of shows for the legends, and one night, Robert Logue and Oscar Rice found themselves riding in a hotel elevator with the Davies brothers. The rock heroes acted like Robert and Oscar weren’t even there as Dave screamed bloody murder at Ray for skipping over Dave’s solo vocal in the set that night and going to the next song on the list. Ray’s response was measured and matter-of-fact. “Well, Dave,” he said, “they’re here to see me.” WHAM!! POW!!

Ah, Ray and Dave, their lives started with fights and will probably end with them, in the old folks’ home, in wheelchairs, playing chicken. Rocking to the end.

Tommy Womack is a Nashville singersongwriter, musician, and freelance writer.

Keep up with his antics on Facebook and at tommywomack.com.

☕

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PARTING SHOT

THE SHERWOODS STAND UNITED

Women’s March 2.0: Power Together TN March 20, 2018 Photograph 106

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Travis Commeau

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FEATURED ARTIST

ERIN McINTOSH Between the lived and the imagined, the reality and the dream, the artist and the art: Discover beauty in the works of featured artist Erin McIntosh and more than 70 other distinguished artists.

MAY 3.4.5 3 DAYS • 73 ARTISTS • 12 STATES Celebrating its 43rd year, The Harding Art Show is the oldest school-sponsored fine art show in Middle Tennessee. Featuring more than 70 artists from 12 different states, this three-day event brings together the greater Nashville community for a weekend of art and celebration at Harding Academy.

THEHARDINGARTSHOW.COM @THEHARDINGARTSHOW

Mr. & Mrs. James F. Turner, Jr. & Family

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