Know your Neighbor Patrick Clifford • Artist in Profile Kim Radford
May | June Vol. XII Issue 3
andrew leahey
Top Tomatoes Winners of the 2022 Best of East Readers' Poll
& the Homestead find their way through the apocalypse
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Contents
9. 10.
13.
On the Cover Andrew Leahey photographed by Chad Crawford
19. 20.
28. 38.
49. 50.
Editor’s Letter by Chuck Allen
Astute Observations by James “Hags” Haggerty
Matters of Development by Randy Fox
Know Your Neighbor
Patrick Clifford by Randy Fox Artist in Profile:
Kim Radford by Leslie LaChance Cover Story
Andew Leahey
Find their way through the apocalypse on American Static Vols. I & II by Stephen Deusner
Best of East 2022 and the winners are ...
Out East Soundtrack
10 greatest hits from artists featured on our covers through the years curated by Chuck Allen, Randy Fox & Lisa McCauley
East of Normal by Tommy Womack
/ Featuring the Nashville Symphony
October 7–9
TPAC’s Polk Theater
ON SA L E ! N OW
PHOTO COURTESY OF BELMONT UNIVERSITY
June 4–5
See your Nashville Ballet perform at the brand new Fisher Center for the Performing Arts
Season Ticket holders get the best seats at the best price.
L E A R N M O R E AT
NashvilleBallet.com
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This project is funded under a grant contract with the State of Tennessee.
Editor’s
Letter
For my Editor's Letter, I've decided to mine the archives for the reprint below from our Nov/Dec 2017 issue. As we are about to open a new chapter, it seems appropriate to remember that change is the one constant in life. To everyone who's been a part of the ride, “Thank You!” We ditched the station wagon long ago, and now it's time to let the old van go and get on a bus. We hope you'll stick around!
In the blink of an eye
T
by
Chuck
he nexus of memories and time has always fascinated me. It’s where change lives. We seem to have a built-in resistance to change, and the foundation of this resistance rests on memories. Through memories we create the myth of ourselves, and by myth, I mean how we see ourselves in terms of the world that surrounds us. This myth is a construct, of sorts, but without it we would be like a ship without a compass because there would be no waypoints to help us reach our next destination. Think of each destination as a chapter in our own personal book of life. Last night, I was at The Family Wash to support Jamie Rubin as he leaves the business he began 13 years ago and closes a chapter in his book of life. The O.G. Wash lived at Porter and Greenwood. It was a smallish joint with a humble kitchen and bad plumbing and a green room about the size of a closet. Debates about transgendered folks using the bathroom were nonexistent because there was only one, in which hung a picture of Jesus watching over the United Nations building. The bathroom was located across from the green room/closet and just to the right rear of the stage, which meant those standing in line for the bathroom were about three feet from the band. The stage itself was a rather small affair, but no one seemed to care. On Sons of Zevon nights one could find Jen Gunderman sitting at her keyboard, squeezed up against the wall audience left; Sadler Vaden, Jamie, Audley Freed, and Kevin Hornback crammed on the rest of the stage — often with a guest singer; Pete Finney would actually set up his pedal steel on the dining room floor in front of Jen, and background vocalists were set up on the floor in the path leading to the bathroom, so that you were never sure who was singing and who just needed to pee. I think there was a drummer, but only because I could hear one — they were concealed by everyone else. Serving as a backdrop for the stage was Jennifer Quigley’s American flag painting. There were a couple of par cans for stage lighting, in addition to Christmas lights — everywhere. The room sounded, in a word, amazing. Very natural, since there usually wasn’t much in the PA other than vocals and acoustics, maybe a little kick and snare. The guitars were usually coming at you straight out of the amp, and most players would show up with a 20-watt combo. Except for Reeves Gabrels. He’d show up with his 50-watt half stack on occasion, but he’s
Allen
Reeves, so he can do whatever he wants. The East Nashvillian hosted a couple of Christmas parties at The Wash. The Ornaments played one, and Keith Gattis and friends played twice. You’ve never really heard what drums are supposed to sound like until you’ve heard a Martin Lynds or a Fred Eltringham in a room like The Wash. I could go on and on for days about the way it sounded in there, but I’ll stop here since anyone who ever darkened the door of the joint knows exactly what I’m talking about. Jamie had a way with décor, too, meaning, there was stuff everywhere and the place felt … welcoming. Like a home well lived in. Photographs all over the walls; books and memorabilia and a Pink Jesus on the bar; and an espresso machine. It was good vibes and people well met, and it anchored the neighborhood in a way that seems to be vanishing. And it was all Jamie, heart and soul. For awhile, he and I had a tradition of sorts where I would visit during the day while he was receiving deliveries and taking care of business — the O.G. Wash was only open at night — and have coffee and shoot the shit. Which brings me back to the nexus of memories and time and why we’re resistant to change. I miss those days hanging with Jamie for no good reason other than to hang with Jamie. Sometimes he’d have his boys with him. Sometimes Pete would be there. Or Audley. It was super chill. I’m sure Jamie is missing those days, too. On Jamie’s final night, some friends of his from Boston were playing. Human Sexual Response was, in a way, the perfect band to close it out. Having them brought things full circle for Jamie, musically and spiritually. Their New Wave underpinnings brought back a flood of memories for me as well, kind of reminding me of the Now! Explosion shows at the Exit/In and the alternative music scene during the ’80s in general. Grimey was there, and our conversation about change inspired me to write this. He said, “Change is good. I’m excited about it. If the Slow Bar hadn’t closed, I wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing now, you know what I mean?” He’s right, of course, and change is not only good, it’s inevitable. It’s just that sometimes it feels like the chapter we’re about to close happened in the blink of an eye. I just hope I create my myths as beautifully as Jamie created his with The Family Wash.
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Astute Observations
by James “Hags” Haggerty
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THE JIMMYS AGREE… “We must resist the polarization that is reshaping our identities around politics. We must focus on a few core truths: that we are all human, we are all Americans, and we have common hopes for our communities and our country to thrive. We must find ways to re-engage across the divide by standing up collectively to the forces dividing us. Our great nation now teeters on the brink of a widening abyss. Without immediate action, we are at genuine risk of civil conflict and losing our precious democracy. Americans must set aside differences and work together before it is too late.” President Jimmy Carter, New York Times, January 2022 “I think now more than ever, it is up to us as free thinkers, as thoughtful people, to look out for each other. It is up to us to embrace love and not fear. As we make our way back out into the world again, we have the power to reform it.” James Haggerty, The East Nashvillian, March 2022
M
ental health struggles, burnout, isolation from community, feeling a loss of control over one’s own life. These are the things that we have all had to deal with since the chaos of the pandemic descended upon us. For me, the warning signs started popping up in the 11th month of 2016. The forced downtime during the pandemic provided time to reflect on our values and where we wanted to be in our lives. The pandemic has been a wake-up call regarding career vs. family and community. We asked ourselves some essential questions from behind our masks. Who am I? Where am I going? What the hell is going on?! In short, the plague jammed a stick in the spokes of our collective bike and sent us careening through space, hoping to come out with just a few scrapes vs. a painful, senseless death. It kicked our collective ass off the hamster wheel. Staring down the barrel of an invisible virus and one’s fragile mortality can shake things up, n’est-ce pas? In my research for this column, I learned a new phrase: “The Great Resignation” or, more bluntly, hold on a minute, fuck the man! In the words of David Allan Coe, as sung by Johnny Paycheck, “Take this job and shove it. I ain’t workin’ here no more.” Folks realized that life is short, and slaving away for little reward and two weeks off a year to relax as the shareholders chuckle from their yachts while mouse clicking offshore accounts is not a happy, healthy existence. Let’s heed Jimmy Carter’s words, “We must resist the polarization that is reshaping our identities around politics.” I couldn’t agree more. If we could magically abolish 24-hour news outlets, both left and right, I suspect we would be in a much better
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place as a society. We no longer agree to disagree or set aside differences for the good of the whole. Instead, our politics have become like football, only with knives. The goal is not just to beat but, more importantly, destroy the opponent so they can never play (govern) again. We are all human, we are all Americans, and we have common hopes for our communities and our country to thrive. I’m not sure if the dude with the Viking horns, flag outfit, and myself can find common ground, but I hope this is true for most of us. Given a choice, I believe most people would choose peace, harmony, and goodwill over civil war and the unraveling of society. We must find ways to re-engage across the divide, respectfully and constructively… by standing up collectively to the forces dividing us… Without immediate action, we are at genuine risk of civil conflict and losing our precious democracy. Americans must set aside differences and work together before it is too late. I must admit that my vitriol for Donald Trump and many of those who voted for him, marched and stormed the capital for him, were appointed to the Supreme Court by him, and continue to profit politically from his hate-mongering will be a bitter pill to swallow. Still, I would love the opportunity to do it. I would love for all of us to work together to improve the lives of all Americans. I would love to be a part of that movement. It sure would be wonderful if our rallying cry became “We hold these truths to be self-evident” and then worked together to make that beautiful idea a reality. Instead of have vs. have not, how about simply, the haves? Sign me up. Count me in. Equality, accept no substitute. Act now.
Hags is a bass player, bread maker, and regular contributor to The East Nashvillian. Although his opinions are his own, we mostly agree with him.
YALL STAR Y NEIL YOUNG TRIBUTE with Lucinda Williams
Aaron Lee Tasjan • Nicki Bluhm
Dirt Reynolds • India Ramey • Jamie Rubin Jon Latham • Katie Pruitt • King Corduroy • Kristina Murray Lilly Winwood • Luke Schneider • Taylor Brashears & MORE AND Creature Comfort • DeeOhGee w/ Grace Bowers Kirk Fletcher Band • Joey Fletcher Band w/ Heather Gillis Mike Miz & MORE
SAT MAY 28TH AT EAST PARK tix:
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GA $35 / VIP $100 www.nashvillehelpingnashville.com May | June 2022 theeastnashvillian.com
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2022 BEST OF EAST NASHVILLE Best Elementary School We are grateful for the opportunity to serve East Nashville for 68 years. As our community has grown and changed, so have we. However, our foundation of providing children a safe and loving environment, academic excellence and opportunities to dream of great possibilities has remained the same. Thank you for supporting us! Learn more about Rosebank Elementary at rosebank.mnps.org The Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, creed, sex, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, color, age, and/or disability in admission to, access to, or operation of its programs, services, or activities. MNPS does not discriminate in its hiring or employment practices.
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Matters of
DEVELO PM E N T BY RANDY FOX New & Noteworthy After months of delay, Melvil Arnt’s latest addition to his growing ParisianTennessean hospitality empire, Mel’s Overlord Bar at 2503 Gallatin Ave., celebrated its grand opening on March 21. The 1940s Continentalthemed space was designed as a tribute to the classic Gallic bars that greeted American G.I.s as they liberated France after the success of Operation Overlord (aka the Invasion of Normandy) during World War II. The jaw-dropping, ornate transformation of the interior of the nondescript cement block building that houses Overlord was completed last Spring, and Arnt’s original goal was to open the bar on June 6, 2021, the 77th anniversary of D-Day, the start of Operation Overlord. However, pandemic-related supply chain problems and other delays postponed opening for several months. Mel’s Overlord Bar is now open seven days a week, 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. For more information and updates, follow
M AY | J UNE 2022 Overlord on Instagram @overlord_nashville. Spicy Boy’s Cajun food is now open at 924 McFerrin Ave., near Eastside institutions The Pharmacy and Mas Tacos Por Favor. Spicy Boy’s serves traditional Louisiana staples, including po’boy sandwiches, gumbo, boudin sausage, New Orleans beignets, and more, along with a variety of fine cocktails and beer, all prepared under the supervision of soul food chef, owner, and Baton Rouge native, Justen Gardner Cheney. For hours and a look at their menu, visit @spicyboysnashville on Facebook. Tyler Cauble’s micro-restaurant complex The Wash celebrated its grand opening on April 30, with live music performances and pop-up vendors. Housed in a former DIY car wash complex at 1101 McKennie Ave., The Wash features five restaurant stalls, including Two Peruvian Chefs, Soy Cubano, The Poki, Tootsie Lou’sm, East Side Pho, and Bar 6, a craft cocktail bar. For more info, hours, and updates, follow The Wash on Instagram @eatwash.
A belated “Welcome back!” to Eastside fave, Drifters Tennessee BBQ Joint, which reopened with a soft launch on March 1. Drifters’ home at 1008-B Woodland St. was damaged by the March 3, 2020 tornado (and then there was the pandemic), but they’re good as new, serving up their signature take on barbecue along with their fried hot pickles and an amply variety of cold beers. Keep an eye out for the return of their popular live shows on the outdoor stage. For updates, visit Drifters’ socials: Facebook @ driftersBBQ or Instagram @drifters_bbq. Eastsiders were very happy in March over the new No Parking signs on the westbound side of Main Street in front of Hunter’s Station at 975 Main. Aggreived Eastside residents had demanded the signs for several months. Rather than parking in nearby surface lots, many patrons of the surrounding restaurants had been illegally parking on the street and blocking one lane of one of the busiest intersections in East Nashville, creating a serious safety hazard. Police are now ticketing →
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Matters of Development cars parked on Main Street within 30 feet of the Main and 10th Street intersection. Free 90-minute parking for patrons is available in the lot directly behind Hunter’s Station. Closings & Moves East Nashville’s locally-owned optical center, Look East, will move to 966 Main St. on May 24. While that may be a new location for Look East, it’s not a new location for an Eastside optical center. For 35 years, Dr. Don J. Fenn and his wife Glenna ran the Horner Rausch Optical Super Store and an adjacent optometrist practice until it closed in November 2016. According to Look East co-owner Dr. Kathleen Brasfield, it isn't the first time Look East has inherited a legacy from the now-retired Dr. Fenn. “He retired right after we opened in 2016. I met with him and he gave us his charts to hold on to for patients. So it's kind of fun; we’ve come full circle.” Dr. Brasfield says the new location will accommodate more appointments, more exam rooms, and more in-stock frames — as well as expanded hours. Clients can also look forward to an increased menu of specialty services and more parking than at the current location. For updates, visit Look East on Facebook @lookeastnashville.
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The Crying Wolf closed their doors at 823 Woodland St. at the end of April. The popular local bar and live music venue opened in August 2013 following nearly a year of renovations to the building. A farewell post said, in part, “It’s been ten incredible, wild, beautiful years here at 823 Woodland Street. We are so grateful for the East Nashville (and, honestly, worldwide) support of this place. We’ve seen hundreds of bands come through, watched people meet and fall in love, grow families and friend groups, move away, and come back again. We’ve seen buildings go up, businesses around us flourish, and we somehow survived a tornado and the pandemic! Our staff has been behind the bar and in the kitchen to serve you all with so much love, and it’s been an unforgettable ride.” Happy trails to The Crying Wolf gang, and thanks for the memories. Coming Soon 5 Points Diner and Bar will be taking over the prime Five Points real estate of 1016 Woodland St., formerly the home to local favorite Tenn Sixteen, which closed suddenly in November 2019. Native Nashvillians Rick Ryan and Steven Murff will be running the new restaurant.
The 150-seat restaurant will feature a large bar serving several exclusive cocktails and 14 beers on tap with 12 local brews, along with a menu that will include burgers, chicken, meatloaf, shrimp, grits, salads, steak, and pasta dishes. Friday through Sunday, a brunch menu with several classic diner items will be available, with Fridays’ offerings labeled “Frunch.” 5 Points Diner and Bar is expected to open soon and serve up victuals and liquor seven days a week for dinner with with Frunch on Fridays, and brunch Saturdays and Sundays. For updates, visit 5pointsdiner.com. Since last July, the husband and wife team of Brian Lea and Leina Horii have been wowing taste buds with their casual take on Japanese barbecue with a pop-up restaurant at the Patterson House in Mid-Town and other locations. Now, with Kisser — located at 747 Douglas Ave. in Highland Yards — they'll have brick and mortar digs all their own. The 25-seat takeout location is slated for opening in late Spring. Follow them on Instagram @kisser_nashville for updates. According to a story published in The New York Times, the popular Brooklyn-based Italian restaurant, Frankies 457 Spuntino in Brooklyn, plans to open a location in East Nashville, their first outside New York City. Opened in 2004 by co-owners Frank Castronovo and Frank Falcinelli, Frankies 570 Spuntino found success with a focus on simple Southern Italian food. Next January, the Nashville location will open as Frankies Spuntino Nashville in the Laurel & Pine development at 905 Cherokee Ave. Plans for the restaurant include an event space, an outdoor patio, and a retail space with wines, Italian cured meats, and the restaurant’s packaged products. For updates, visit Frankies on Facebook @frankies457spuntino. A new eatery, Gully Boyz, is now under construction at 900 Main St. While few details have been released about the restaurant, the owners have referred to it as a “Fresh, Fast South Asian” concept. The Birmingham, Alabama-based Good People Brewing Company has announced plans to open a craft beer bar in the historic McGavock-Gatewood-Webb House at 908 Meridian St. in Cleveland Park. An opening date is planned for late 2023. For more on Good People Brewing Company, visit their website at goodpeoplebrewing.com. Breakfast sandwich pop-up, Beginner’s Luck recently announced plans to open a brick-andmortar location at 1012 Main St. The brainchild of chef Chris Calder and former musician Chase Huglin, Beginner’s Luck was launched in early 2021 with their first event at Lucky’s 3 Star in Wedgewood-Houston followed by a residency at Zeppelin Rooftop Bar & Lounge. In addition to crafting tasty breakfast sandwiches on Japanese milk buns, Beginners Luck promises a free scratch-off lottery ticket with
Matters of Development every sandwich. An opening date has not been announced yet. For updates, follow them on Facebook or Instagram. ICON Entertainment, run by entertainment memorabilia collector and hospitality mogul Bill Miller, is working on a new restaurant and bar in the old Southern Grist location at 1201 Porter Rd. Miller’s businesses include The Johnny Cash Museum & Cafe, The Patsy Cline Museum, magic venue House of Cards, and Skulls Rainbow Room. Eastside-based grocery chain Turnip Truck announced plans to build a new location in Midtown Nashville between Lyle and 20th Avenues. “We’re thrilled to bring fresh, healthy food to the heart of Nashville on a grander scale than ever before,” Turnip Truck founder and CEO John Dyke said. “Our customers will find the local, natural, and organic goods they enjoy at our other locations, in our largest store footprint.” The new store will occupy 23,500 square feet in a new Vanderbilt University graduate and professional student housing development and will be easily accessible to both car and foot traffic. For updates, follow @TurnipTruckNash on Twitter. The East Nashville-based Elegy Coffee at 2909A Gallatin Pike recently announced plans to open a second location in the Germantown neighborhood. Elegy’s cross-the-river location will be in The Griff building at 1390 Adams St., near The Optimist. Late summer or early fall is projected for the opening date. For updates, follow them on Instagram @elegycoffee.
Nashville-based developer Legacy South announced plans for a new mixed-use development on 3.54 acres at 218 Maplewood Trace between Dickerson Pike and Ellington Parkway. It will include 43 townhomes and five single-family homes, ranging from 1,600 to 2,170 square feet, with two-car garages and a starting price of $400,000. Construction is expected to commence in July of this year with a fall 2023 completion date. The plans for a long-delayed development project at the corner of Riverside Drive and McGavock Pike, the former home of Fond Object (among others), have been changed to a single-story retail building with an expected December 2022 completion date. A 28-townhome development, Sunnymeade Commons, is now under construction at Gallatin Pike and Sunnymeade Drive in Inglewood. The project is a joint venture between Public Square and OpenWorks, both Nashville-based firms. Plans for a mixed-use building have been announced for 730 Main St. The five-story building would have 57 residential units and ground-level retail space. Nashville-based Richland Building Partners is undertaking the redevelopment with Smith Gee Studio handling the architectural work. The Right-of-Way (ROW) acquisition to complete the sidewalks on Stratford Drive from
Gallatin Pike to Preston Drive was recently completed. The project now moves into the design phase. The home of Grace Apostolic Church, 1100 Lischey Ave. in Cleveland Park recently sold for $2.15 million. Local businessman Martin Bubis purchased the property. No word on any possible future for the property at this time. The Eastland apartment complex at 1035 W. Eastland Ave. sold to a Washington, D.C.-area company for approximately $14.87 million. Dallas-based Stillwater Capital recently paid $21.5 million for approximately four acres of East Bank property near Topgolf. According to the Nashville Business Journal, a 361 apartment unit is planned for the site. A half-acre commercial property at 3100 Dickerson Pike sold for $950,000. Metro Grant Application Proposes a New Bridge to the East Bank A new bridge over the Cumberland River and a new three-mile boulevard to run through the East Bank area are proposed ideas detailed in a new application for $5 million of federal grant funding. The new bridge would be located just east of the existing I-24 Silliman Evans Bridge →
Quick Bits The 0.18-acre property home to the East Nashville location of Bolton’s Spicy Chicken and Fish (aka Hot Fish Heaven), 624 Main St., recently sold for $1 million. According to the Nashville Post, Bolton’s new landlord is an LLC affiliated with Justin Leach, a shareholder with the Nashville office of Birmingham-based law firm Maynard Cooper & Gale. Bolton’s location appears to be secure for now. For more about Bolton’s, visit them online at boltonsspicy.com. Luxury community Shelby Green Development is currently under construction near the Shelby Golf Course. The Nashvillebased Movement Property Group development will feature 20 homes, with the first round of homes slated for availability in summer 2022. According to a press release, 10 percent of Movement Property Group’s profits after closing go directly to the LiftUP fund, an initiative created by MPG to provide mortgage payments and rent relief to families and individuals who have been affected by circumstances beyond their control. May | June 2022 theeastnashvillian.com
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Matters of Development and be anchored at South Fifth and Crutcher Streets. From there, the proposed new boulevard would follow the path of Crutcher to the current course of North First Street through the existing Nissan Stadium site and northward to end near Cleveland Street, at the northern edge of the Oracle campus site. The grant proposal estimates “East Bank Boulevard” will cost $175 million to build, with another $15 million in estimated preliminary engineering expenses. According to the proposal, the new boulevard would be 110 feet wide with three lanes running in both directions — two for drivers and one reserved for possible rapid-bus transit or “high-occupancy autonomous vehicles.” Sidewalks would be included on both sides of the street, and protected bike lanes are mentioned as a possibility. The proposal says that the boulevard “would transform the current disconnected street network and provide access to many underserved areas in East Nashville, employment and educational opportunities in downtown and West Nashville.” Party Bus Rules Debate Rages On Residents of neighborhoods adjacent to the downtown area, representatives from several community organizations, and “transportainment” vehicle operators filled a crowded meeting room on April 29 to express their opinions on an early draft of Nashville’s first party-vehicle regulations under consideration by the Metro Transportation Licensing Commission. The commission also received nearly 50 written comments on the proposed regulations. Industry operators voiced their objections to 10 p.m. or 11 p.m. curfews and rush-hour restrictions, bemoaning that such measures would lead to millions of dollars in losses. Meanwhile, residents of the affected neighborhoods cited multiple examples of noise and lewd actions from drunken partiers that disrupt the peace. Vehicle operators also expressed their opposition to an enclosure requirement for having alcohol on board. They argue that the requirements — aimed at reducing noise and ensuring the safety of passengers — would lead to excessively high temperatures in the vehicles. The commission continues to consider the proposed regulations. It will continue gathering more information and comments from residents of adjacent neighborhoods, Metro’s legal consultants, insurance professionals, and the Nashville Department of Transportation regarding areas of operation, regulation of nudity or lewd behavior on the vehicles, reasonable insurance requirements, and traffic patterns. The commission will vote on a finalized set of regulations at a later date.
Help for Indie Venues Metro Council approved funding for a study to assist independent music venues at their April 19 meeting, along with a separate measure aiming at expanding the mission of the Music City Music Council to provide support to local music venues and working musicians. Chris Cobb, the owner of Exit/In and president of the Music Venue Alliance Nashville (MVAN), said, “Our elected officials validated the importance of Nashville’s creative working class, small businesses, and independent venues, who make our amazing music culture, by unanimously passing this legislation. I look forward to continuing to work together for an authentic and equitable Music City.” The first piece of legislation appropriates $260,000 from American Rescue Plan Act funds to “take an inventory of every music venue in Nashville to better inform the Metropolitan Government as to how best to preserve, sustain, and support these venues for the decades to come.” The Music City Music Council legislation expands the focus of the Council’s original mission of attracting events to the city to work on policies that help Nashville’s working-class creatives and small businesses. For more, visit the Music Venue Alliance Nashville at mvan.org.
Envision Cayce Moves Ahead with Cherry Oak On Wednesday, May 4, ground was broken for the next phase of the Envision Cayce Master Plan implementation, Cherry Oak Apartments. Located at 705 S. Sixth St., Cherry Oak Apartments will feature 96 units — 45 subsidized for current Cayce Place residents, eight new affordable, six workforce, and 37 market-rate apartments. It is the seventh new residential construction and sixth mixed-income development at Cayce Place. According to District 6 Council Member Brett Withers, “Cherry Oak Apartments was designed around and named for a Nashville Tree Foundation Big Old Tree Contest champion specimen tree. The design of these new apartments that Smith Gee Studio created doesn’t just work around the tree but makes it a highlight of this block. This tree will beckon residents and visitors to explore the planned park that will expand through the heart of the campus and form the centerpiece and prime gathering place for one of Nashville’s most inviting and uplifting neighborhoods.” More info on Cherry Oak Apartments and the Envision Cayce Master Plan can be found at nashville-mdha.org.
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“
PATRICK Clifford
P
B Y
R A N D Y
KNOW your NEIGHBOR
F O X
eople have said to me, ‘ You’re like the Mayor of Nashville,’ but I don’t want to be the Mayor of Nashville, which means I’d have to care for bad contemporary country radio and TikTok music. A friend of mine who is a big agent said, ‘ You’re so good to creative people and people in general. You’re like Pope Pius IV or V.’ I said, ‘That’s great. I’ll be the Pope of Five Points.’” — Patrick Clifford
Ask Patrick Clifford, “The Pope of Five Points,” what his favorite hangs are and get ready for a long list. “I love music, and I live in The Basement East,” he says. “The 5 Spot, The East Room, Dukes, Margot’s — I think Margot should be made a saint — Bongo Java East, I loved Tenn Sixteen when it was open, Frothy Monkey, Lockeland Table, Urban Cowboy, I love the people at East Nashville Family Medicine, Yeast Nashville, Maru, and I’m eager to see what goes in these new spaces that are being built out right now. That’s going to be exciting.” Clifford’s liturgy of favorite haunts, his bigger-thanlife personality, and his effusive love for his adopted neighborhood are the traits that earned him his honorary title. “There are people in the neighborhood that only know me as the Pope,” he says. “People honk their horns when they see me walking down the street with my dog, Enzo the Wonder the Dog, and yell out the window, ‘Hey Pope!’” A native of the Long Island City neighborhood in Queens, Nashville was the last place Clifford ever thought he would hold a papacy. “The first time I came to Nashville was in February 1979 with Steve Forbert,” he says. “He wanted to make his second record in Nashville. I was like, ‘I know what you want to do; you want to make Nashville Skyline.’ I flew down from New York; I had never been south of the D.C. area. I got to Nashville, and I was like, ‘This place is like Mayberry!’ First place I went was the Pancake Pantry, and I fell in love with it.” “I came back and forth a lot,” Clifford continues. “I made records in Nashville with different artists, but I never thought I’d live in Nashville. And then, around 2005, I was living in Austin. I had left a job in New York with A&M Records, and I came to Nashville to take a job with a music company on Music Row called Ten Ten Music.” Moving with his two children to Nashville, Clifford lived the life of a single dad in the Belmont area for several years. Then, in 2013, he accepted a job as Vice President for Disney Music Publishing. At the same time, he made a switch in neighborhoods. “I purchased a house on Woodland Street and moved to East
The forever sunny Pope of Five Points relishes the sun of a spring day. Photograph by Chuck Allen
Nashville,” he says. “I was infatuated with the house, the neighborhood, and Five Points.” The corporate job with Disney only lasted three and a half years, but his connection to the Eastside remained steadfast. “After [the Disney job] ended, I told my girlfriend, ‘If the music business is done with me, I’m cool. I’ve got plenty of stories and plenty of friends.’ She told me, ‘You ain’t done, son, get out there and just go be you.’” Launching his own consulting company, Clifford now manages artists and is an independent A&R rep for Concord Music Group. Along the way, he’s managed to retain a boundless joy for music in a business that often seems dedicated to snuffing out that passion. “I didn’t get into the music business because of money,” he says. “I got into the business because of the music. I was very blessed to have a great mentor for my first gig, a gentleman named Nat Weiss [a legendary figure who managed the Beatles’ business affairs for several years]. I also worked for Herb Albert and Jerry Moss at A&M Records. I’ve been blessed to work with people like that, but I’ve also had the misfortune to work with people that are just in this for the money and don’t care about artists. I love meeting talented people. My one rule is, I can’t know enough good and talented people. “I like to say I’m from New York; my cell phone rings in L.A.; my heart’s in Austin, Texas; and I’m stuck in Nashville with the Memphis blues again. But I don’t mean stuck in Nashville in a bad sense. I love Five Points, I love my neighbors, and I feel very blessed to live here. I’ve been in Nashville for 16 years now, and I’ve never lived in any place that long except on Planet Earth.” Find Patrick Clifford IRL at one of his haunts in Five Points, where you can be regaled with stories about his escapades in the music business.
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ARTIST IN PROFILE
KIM RADFORD Photograph by Chuck Allen
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PAINTING IN REAL SPACES W hy Kim R a d f o r d L o v e s M aking M u r a l s
M
ost East Nashville denizens have laid eyes on a mural by Kim
Radford, whether or not they knew it was she who painted them. Indeed, casual passersby have been treated to Radford’s colorful
palette in her series of super-size musician portraits on the walls at
Grimey’s and The Basement East for some time now.
“I have 100 percent always wanted to be a muralist,” Radford declares. “I
didn’t know that I could be; I didn’t know that there’d be enough work, but there’s definitely enough work.”
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theeastnashvillian.com May | June 2022 Murals photographed by Ricky Pineda; courtesy Kim Radford
ARTIST IN PROFILE Recently, Radford painted a pop-art portrait of Taylor Swift at Grimey’s for Record Store Day as their way of saying “thank you” to Swift for her acts of generosity in support of record store employees during the pandemic. And then there’s Dolly. As in Parton. Which is arguably Radford’s most recognized mural to date. Featured on the wall at The 5 Spot, the mural includes a sassy Dolly quote taken from an interview in Billboard just as Radford was finishing the piece. Above Dolly, among the butterflies and pollinator garden flowers, the Queen speaks: “Of course, Black Lives Matter. Do we think our little white a**es are the only ones that matter?” We should mention that Radford’s brush cleverly renders the missing “ss” as a pair of butterflies, Dolly’s spirit animal. “I think it’s just visually very beautiful to put typography with painted imagery,” she says of her penchant for including quotations. “It’s nice to just say a little bit and let the visuals take over a little bit. Also, people want to be in a picture with the mural, and it’s like an instant caption.” Since her early days in art school at Austin Peay State University, Radford has felt the calling to paint big. Still, some oldtime East Nashvillians might remember her pre-mural days, back when she shared her folk-art-inspired pieces hung on the inside walls at the original Family Wash at the corner of Porter and Greenwood. “I was really inspired by Day of the Dead. I love Mexican folk art; Howard Finster is a big influence and just folk art in general. It’s so colorful, and it just paired well with The Wash interior,” she recalls. In the intervening years, Radford’s focus has centered on the outside walls of her hometown. “East Nashville is where the majority of my murals are. A few are sprinkled outside our little island, but these are my people over here.” One of her most recent off-island murals is another Dolly Parton portrait in Ringgold, Georgia. Located at the corner of Tennessee Street and Nashville Street on the wall of a commercial building in the center of town, it commemorates Dolly’s marriage to Carl Dean in May of 1966. People in Ringgold know the
story, and they thought the time had come for it to be more widely celebrated. “The city officials said, ‘We need to make this more of a landmark, and a place for people stop off and see a huge mural of Dolly and a place for people to get their picture taken after they get married.’ Ringgold is still a popular city to get married in because there
is no wait for a license,” she explains. Radford enjoys the collaborative aspect of creating commissioned murals. “Typically, a client is already inspired by some subject or wants to promote something,” she says. “That’s why I love murals; it’s a good place to springboard off of something someone else is already excited about. I prefer that.
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theeastnashvillian.com May | June 2022 Murals photographed by Ricky Pineda; courtesy Kim Radford
ARTIST IN PROFILE I have original ideas, but I’ve always liked marrying it with something someone else is ordering and excited about and then letting my voice come through that way.” The path to painting murals began with a children’s summer camp project. “There was something about painting in real spaces and making decisions in real spaces on real walls around real windows that I just loved,” she says. “The gallery was not interesting to me. I was just so bored in a gallery thinking about framing stuff and hanging it just so. I’m more excited about art in real environments.” Further inspiration came from seeing murals on visits to Atlanta, Venice Beach, and New Orleans while in college. “It was such an impact on me that artists could do their thing on the sides of buildings,” she says. “It just added so much character to the place, and the cities weren’t vanilla anymore. Some cities really invited the art in. They all just blew my mind when I was in college. Every chance I got to paint a mural, whether it was a children’s room, a store — it was my number one ambition.”
of challenges that come with each new work and with being her own boss. “It’s so fun because I don’t have to check in typically with anyone. There’s a lot of preparation for each day. You think you’re ready, and when you get there, you’re out of a color, or you’re short on something, or you get there, and you’re ready to go, and here come the rain
clouds. Or the side of the building is being beat down with sunshine, and you realize you need an umbrella. There’s just a lot of variables, working outside and managing multiple jobs at once,” Radford says. “I can just slide in, do my work, and leave a mural behind, and I like that.” Many of her best-loved murals have been
O
ver the years, Radford has come to accept that murals don’t last forever, despite their grandeur and effort. The nature of her work often requires her to paint over her murals. Does she mind? “I actually prefer it. It’s great job security,” she says with a laugh. “At first, when I started painting at Grimey’s and Basement East, it felt strange to spend so many hours doing that. Now I’m used to it. I know the deal; it’s a temporary piece. But they all still matter, and they live on in photographs and on my website, and in the photos people take of themselves with the mural. With the frequency that I’ve been able to paint, I have grown so much as an artist in the past two or three years, just in terms of my skill level and what I can handle. And that’s been really good; the murals are getting covered up, but I’m getting better as a painter too.” Although she’s done interior work in private residences, Radford focuses on largescale public pieces. “It holds me accountable, painting public art,” she explains. “I get into my studio, and I won’t finish anything. I’ll start things I’m excited about and then lose interest. So public art holds me accountable to finish and to finish well. “If it’s inside, I’m interested, but only if it will be more of a public piece. It’s just where my brain is, and my heart is. It’s what I’m driven by right now.” She also takes pleasure in the great variety
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ARTIST IN PROFILE of women artists: Joni Mitchell, Lilly Hyatt, Amanda Shires, Brandi Carlisle, Allison Russell, and Valerie June. The portraits, usually drawn from photographs and album art, are loving and playful; the artists seem to be in motion, and their hair is fabulous. The figures at scale take on the mythic quality of Nashville’s pantheon of folk-art goddesses. “I paint a lot of women, and I’m never gonna leave a woman on the wall looking awkward. I’m just not,” she says. While the portraits are based on photographs, Radford renders them in a signature style all her own. “Probably my favorite way I got to paint is how I painted the Black Keys. It was loose, but it’s photo-based, so all of that’s there. I love it when I can just take off and start slapping paint around, but you can still totally see it’s them.”
“ Murals photographed by Ricky Pineda; courtesy Kim Radford
I THINK IT’S WHERE I’M MOST COMFORTABLE, WITH A PAINTBRUSH AND PAINT.
So how does one go about painting a mural, anyway? “I never free-hand,” she explains. “I would run into proportion issues because when you are up on larger walls, you just can’t tell. My favorite tool to use now is something called a squiggle grid. I learned it from some younger artists, and it’s popular with graffiti artists. It gives you way more reference points on the wall and makes mural painting more accessible. It’s one of my favorite methods, and I love it now. But I also use a projector sometimes.” Folks often stop by to watch her paint, and Radford enjoys conversations with the spectators. “I think it’s where I’m most comfortable, with a paintbrush and paint. I love to talk about it, and people are typically talking to me about the process, or they’re excited about whom I’m painting. I like all those conversations. I’m a little shy and more reserved when talking about other things. I’m just more of a private person. Let’s not talk about me; let’s talk about painting and art and making stuff.”
#kimradfordart kimradfordart.com
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Creating Music Out of the Noise Andrew Leahey & the Homestead find their way through the apocalypse on American Static Vols. I & II
story by Stephen Deusner | photography by Chad Crawford
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ne morning in November 2013, Andrew Leahey drove with his wife to Vanderbilt hospital. He was scheduled to undergo a craniotomy to remove an acoustic neuroma tangled in the nerves behind his right ear, culminating months of excruciating headaches, strange tones no one else could hear, overwhelming fatigue, loss of balance, and one disastrous medical misdiagnosis. While obviously excited to see an end to those afflictions, he was worried
that the procedure might damage his auditory nerve — a nightmare for any musician, especially for one just starting his career. “They said I had a one in two chance of losing my hearing in that ear completely,” he recalls nearly a decade later. “They also gave me odds on losing my life, but I blocked that out.” As he rode along those empty Nashville streets, Leahey turned on the radio to hear what he thought might be his last song in stereo, if not his last song →
ever. Instead of a bro-country hit or a pop trifle, it was a deep cut from one of his favorite artists. “They were playing ‘Face in the Crowd’ by Tom Petty. I love that song, and I love that late ’80s production style. It’s not that cool to a lot of people, but I love how immersive it is. It sounded fucking glorious.” In his darkest moment, he found solace in a song. “I’m not a praying person, but I thought: If I get through this, I promise not to take anything for granted. I’m not going to just sit on my ass again. I’m not going to waste the opportunity.” Eighteen hours later, he woke up in the recovery room, his dad whispering in his right ear. “He said, ‘You’re okay, Andrew.’ And I heard it!” That ailment still impacts his life today. Leahey continues to experience severe headaches and fatigue, and he has frequent MRIs to detect similar tumors elsewhere in his body. Yet, he continues to fulfill his promise to St. Tom Petty, which has made him one of the busiest musicians in Nashville. Somehow he finds the time to balance his band Andrew Leahey & the Homestead with various ancillary gigs and side hustles, including a full-time career as a well-regarded journalist and editor who has written for Spin, Rolling Stone, and this very magazine. He undertakes it all with a passion his friends and collaborators often refer to as indefatigable. “Music has done so much for me. It balances me. And I want my music to do that for others.” Or, as he sings in his new song “Carry the Weight”: “If you need someone to carry you home, won’t you let me?” With its zero-gravity Mellotron chords and Rundgren pop polish, the song is ostensibly about seeing a beautiful woman ignored by her date, but Leahey turns it into an invitation to put one’s woes into the music. This is precisely the kind of song he loves to write: extroverted, big-hearted, philosophical, alive to the contradictions of life, and intimately aware of the listener on the other side of the speaker. “I write a lot of carpe diem anthems. I use them as mantras to remind myself to be mindful and enjoy every gig I play. They’re messages to myself to enjoy the light while it lasts.”
“C
arry the Weight” closes Andrew Leahey & the Homestead’s new record, American Static Vol. 2. As the title suggests, it’s a sequel to American Static Vol. 1, released in 2021. Together they form a loose double album that surveys American life at the dawn of a new decade, which means it’s full of worry and dread while maintaining a sense of hard-won hope and awe. It’s about finding instances of beauty in so much ugliness, moments of peace amid the chaos: the signal within the static. For Leahey, most of that beauty and peace comes from music: listening to it, writing about it, talking about it for many stoned hours with his bandmates, and playing it with friends. Both volumes of American Static move fluidly and energetically from one style to another, blending dusty Laurel Canyon folk with strutting classic rock, tender soul balladry with jangly cosmic country, old-school doo-wop and baroque ’60s pop. Leahey has figured out how to distill his favorite sounds and influences, creating brand-new songs that already sound lived in. “We come from a lineage of heartland rock heroes, like Springsteen and Petty,” he says. “I didn’t feel the need to condense what we do into an easily definable box. I wanted to show the breadth of it. It’s easier to explore the far-flung corners of our sound rather than always → trying to hit it in the middle.”
“
I didn’t feel the need to condense what we do into an easily definable box. I wanted to show the breadth of it. It’s easier to explore the far-flung corners of our sound rather than always trying to hit it in the middle.
A traveling band of kindred spirits. Andrew Leahey & the Homestead (l-r) Steve Duerst (bass), Jay Dmuchowski (guitar), Andrew Leahey (vocals/guitar), Dan Holmes (drums)
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Initially, he didn’t plan to make a double endless creativity: not only was he unusualbum. Or even a single album. Leahey and ally prolific during the pandemic, but he the band — including Jay Dmuchowski on was writing at the top of his game, penning guitars and Dan Holmes on drums — were song after song after song that balanced his already working on a few of these songs in eccentricities with that heartland rock & late 2019, with an ambitious plan to release roll sensibility. Take “Dial Tone,” a song with one each month throughout 2020. When curlicue guitar licks, sympathetic keyboards, the pandemic intervened, they scuttled that and lyrics that toggle between the personal idea and started writing new songs for their and the public. “I miss her like a dial tone, weekly Live & Online livestreams, tightenI miss her like TV static, like some comfort ing their chops and broadening their setlist. of home that we left all alone because we In addition to new originals, they worked up thought we’d always have it,” he sings, hinthandfuls of covers and crammed them into ing at matters more dire than a breakup. In medleys of Beatles hits or TV theme songs. Leahey’s hands, that long-forgotten sound (How many other Nashville bands can jam becomes a heartbreaking metaphor for his the theme to Who’s the Boss?) At last count, mother’s struggles with Alzheimer’s disease. they’d amassed more than 400 cover songs. The song’s intuitive mix of whimsy and “If we were going to have an audience gravity recalls John Prine in his prime. that would come back week after week, we couldn’t just keep playing the same songs n October 4, 2017, Andrew Leahey from my two previous albums,” says Leahey, & the Homestead took the stage at referring to 2016’s Skyline in Central Time The Basement East to back a roster and 2019’s breakout Airwaves. “So we had of local singers, including Sadler Vaden, a really good reason to learn all this new Jon Latham, and East Nashville hellion, material I’d been writing. It refocused our Elizabeth Cook. The band had hosted energies, and we would come up with a similar showcases before, but this one was completely different show every week. That personally important for Leahey: It was just primed us to take these new songs I’d a memorial for Tom Petty, who had died written, try them out on an online audience, suddenly two days earlier. Cook was slated and get them to a good place so we could to perform “Room at the Top,” a favorite of record them.” hers and Leahey’s, so they met up beforeAfter workshopping them online, the hand to run through a quick arrangeband recorded a few ment and work out some songs with bass player harmonies. They clicked and producer Jon Estes almost immediately, and with the idea of releassoon Leahey was playing ing an EP. “But Andrew guitar in Cook’s band kept on writing songs,” (and was eventually joined says Dmuchowski. “We by Holmes). went back and recorded “I was drawn to his two more songs with Jon. vibe,” she says. “He’s one Then it became seven of the most solid humans songs. Then nine. Then I’ve ever met, but that’s we rented a cabin in the something I would come Andrew Leahey & the Homestead Smoky Mountains to jam to know. He has skills as American Static Vols. I & II and write some more. At a lead guitar player that listen on Apple Music | Spotify a certain point, we felt like are at the level of the best or, better yet, buy a CD at we shouldn’t have any more sidemen in this town. andrewleaheymusic.com sessions for a while, just so And most importantly, we could let things settle he’s just always, always and release everything.” down to rock. He’s chief “Andrew said we were organizer, ringleader doing a double album,” of the circus, sideman, says Holmes, “and I frontman, hype man, and couldn’t tell if he was jokprolific as hell. He wears ing or not. He wasn’t.” all the hats … actually, he American Static is, doesn’t wear hats because among many other things, why would you cover that a testament to Leahey’s glorious hair?”
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MAY 19
GEORGE THOROGOOD AND THE DESTROYERS MAY 21
MILLION DOLLAZ WORTH OF GAME MAY 24
JOSS STONE JUNE 10
7 & 9:30 PM
CHELSEA HANDLER JUNE 17
AMERICAN AQUARIUM JUNE 18
THE LAST PODCAST NETWORK COUNTRY JAMBOREE JUNE 25
MANDY MOORE JULY 25
PAT BENATAR & NEIL GIRALDO
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While he had backed other locals before, including Michaela Anne and Courtney Jaye, the Cook gig became Leahey’s longest and most rewarding sideman role, sharpening his skills as a frontman. “Because he’s a guitarist for other artists, he knows what it’s like to be in other people’s bands,” says Holmes. “He knows what it’s like to fill a role for someone else rather than always being the creative force in a band. He’ll bring in ideas but always ask for our input.” It all makes him a well-rounded composer and performer, whether he’s standing center stage or stage left. “His guitar playing is very much that of a songwriter,” says producer Butch Walker, who worked with Leahey while helming Cook’s 2020 album, Aftermath. “He’s understated rather than overstated, and I’ll take that any day of the week. It’s loose and cool, like the way Tom Petty or Keith Richards plays. It’s not technical. It’s not perfect. It’s just good to hear. It feels like a worn-in pair of Chuck Taylors. Worn in, not worn out.” Leahey admits that getting him out of the venue can be hard after a show. He’s not there just to play a few songs; he likes to stick around after the last notes have faded and the lights have come up so that he can talk to fans and anyone else sticking around. “If there’s someone who wants to come up and talk, I will talk to them as long as they want to talk,” he says. “That’s what music is. That’s what we’re trying to do. We’re trying to be part of people’s lives and bring them something close to what music has brought into our lives. So why would we isolate ourselves?” Both Dmuchowski and Holmes have noted this tendency in their friend and bandmate, which they find admirable and sometimes frustrating. “It’ll be 1:00 in the morning, and we just want to go to our hotel,” says Dmuchowski. “And Andrew’ll be sitting at the bar, which is closed and the bar stools are up, and he’ll be talking with some dude who’s telling him about how he saw Stryper at some random auditorium in Toledo. He’ll give people as much time as they want, and you can’t get mad at that.” It’s part of that promise he made long ago on that cold November morning to make the most of every moment, to appreciate every opportunity. It’s hyperdrive to some, but it’s just life to Leahey. The downside, however, is that no matter how hard he works, he’ll never fulfill that promise, which is open-ended. There’s no finish line, just more moments, more opportunities, more gigs to play, more songs to write, more double albums to release, more tours to book, more tribute shows to host. It can be inspiring, but it can also be concerning to his bandmates. “He won’t listen to me,” says Dmuchowski, “but this is my advice to him: Slow down a little bit. Really. You’re running yourself into the ground. If you want to do this for much longer, just slow down,
Check out this story online where we have and let’s do some Brian of it gave me a renewed an exclusive interview and behind the scenes Eno ambient for our perspective on what it video of Andrew Leahey & the Homestead next record.” means to make music, by our friends at Contrary Western But he never tires of what it means to hear, theeastnashvillian.com/andrewleahey it, no matter how tired what it means to get up his body gets or how on stage, what it means long someone bends to be relatively pain-free. his ear. “Going through the operation, nearly It made me recommit to my music. That’s losing my hearing and my ability to appreciate the way I can help other people, the way music, my ability to just live, having all that that I was helped and continue to be helped nearly taken away from me,” Leahey says. “All through music.”
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Welcome to the second annual Best of East Awards! Here you’ll find the Top Tomatoes as selected by votes cast through our online ballot. We realize it’s early in the season for tomatoes, but it’s never too early to celebrate the fruits and labors (sorry, vegetables) of these dedicated Eastside businesses, organizations, and individuals! A heartfelt thanks to everyone who took their time to cast a ballot, and congratulations to the 2022 winners!
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Victuals Victuals Victuals Libations Libations Libations Asian Cuisine
Bite A Bit Bakery
Sweet 16th Bakery Bar
Duke’s Bartender Top Tomato Tie!
Mark Fessenden El Fuego Coral Sherwood The 5 Spot
Customer Service (Restaurant)
Lockeland Table Deli
Mitchell Delicatessen Dive Bar
Dino’s Bar & Grill Donut Shop
East Park Donuts & Coffee
BBQ
Edley's Bar-B-Que
Burger
Riverside Grill Shack Brewery
East Nashville Beer Works Chef
Margot McCormack Margot Café & Bar Cocktails
Pearl Diver Coffee Shop
Dose
Best Chef
Margot McCormack Margot Café & Bar
Lockeland Table
Latin American/ Mexican Cuisine
El Fuego Restaurante Liquor Store
Sinkers Beverages Meat & Three
Nashville Biscuit House Patio Dining
El Fuego Restaurante Pizza
Five Points Pizza Quick Eats
Breakfast/ Brunch
Hunters Station
Hearts
Sandwich
Mitchell Delicatessen Seafood
Family Friendly Restaurant
Boston Commons
BoomBozz Craft Pizza & Taphouse
Happy Hour
Restaurant for Romance
Gas Station Beer Selection
Hot Chicken
Vegetarian/Vegan
4 Way Market
Greek or Mediterranean Cuisine
GReKo 40
Urban Juicer
Best Restaurant
Beer Selection
East Nashville Beer Works
Juice Bar
theeastnashvillian.com May | June 2022
Lockeland Table Bolton's Spicy Chicken & Fish Italian
Nicoletto's Italian Kitchen
Margot Café & Bar The Wild Cow
Wine Selection
Woodland Wine Merchant
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JUNE 25&26
Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park
SAT 6/25 • 11 AM-9 PM
Scan to buy tickets
SUN 6/26 • 11 AM -7 PM GA & VIP TICKETS NASHVILLEPRIDE.ORG
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Culture Culture Culture Revelry Revelry Revelry
Music Venue
The Basement East Art Gallery
Place to Go Dancing
Festival or Event
Place to See Live Comedy
The 5 Spot
The Red Arrow Gallery
The East Room
Tomato Art Fest
Toddlers, Tykes, Teens
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High School
East Nashville Magnet High School
Daycare or Pre-K
Family Friendly Festival or Event
Elementary School
Place for Music Lessons
Junior High
School of Dance
Holly Street Daycare Rosebank Elementary School Meigs Academic Magnet School
Tomato Art Fest
Fanny’s House of Music DancEast
Teacher Top Tomato Tie!
Lucy Grunkemeyer Rosebank Elementary Katherine Webb Rosebank Elementary May | June 2022 theeastnashvillian.com
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MEDIA PARTNER
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Antique or Vintage (home decor)
East Nashville Antiques & Vintage Bookshop
The Bookshop
Black Shag
ry Goods D & Sundries
Clothing - Women’s
Hardware Store
Clothing - Kid’s
The Getalong
Clothing:- Men’s
Vinnie Louise Eyewear
Look East
Elder’s Ace Hardware East Nashville
Musical Instruments
Fanny’s House of Music Vintage Clothing
Black Shag
Grocery Store
The Turnip Truck
Gifts
Gift Horse
Customer Service (retail)
Look East Nashville Record Store
Grimey’s New & Preloved Music
Hemp/CBD Store
Labacana
Home Goods
Welcome Home
1043 W Eastland Ave East Nashville @thebookshopnashville May | June 2022 theeastnashvillian.com
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Taking Care of Business Accountant Top Tomato Tie!
Jessica Wilmoth Peacock Financial Scott Stone Advanced Tax & Income Services
Dry Cleaners
Nicholson Cleaners Hair Salon
Local Honey
Non-Profit Organization
Plant the Seed
Attorney
Auto Repair
Nail Salon
Arborist
Barbershop
Tattoo Studio
Home Remodeling
H&H Automotive Repair Scout’s Barbershop Bicycle Repair Shop
Non-Profit Fundraiser or Event
Regions Bank CURED Nails
Kustom Thrills Tattoo
Shelby Ave. Bicycle Co.
theeastnashvillian.com May | June 2022
& Yum! East
Hearth Home
Financial Institution
Jessica Doyle
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Paying It Forward
Life and Limb Tree Care
Plumber
Ron Gomez East Nashville Plumbing
Bootstrap Architecture + Real Estate Agent Construction John Zupancic HVAC
Cumberland Cooling
Real Estate Company
Muttz Realty
Self Self SelfCare Care Care Acupuncture
Encircle Acupuncture Chiropractor
The Spine Shop Dentist
East Side Smiles Doctor
Optometrist
Dr. Kathleen Brasfield Look East Nashville Orthodontist
SmileMaker Orthodontics Personal Trainer
Sarah Hayes Coomer
Dr. Rozmond Lewis East Nashville Family Medicine
Pharmacy
Gym
Pilates
Massage Therapist
Place to Walk, Bike & Run
Medical Clinic
Yoga
Margaret Maddox YMCA Tyrus Arthur
East Nashville Family Medicine
Riverside Village Pharmacy Maeva Movement Shelby Park & Bottoms
Domestic Critters Pet Sitter
Dogs to Frogs Pet Store
Wags & Whiskers Place to Adopt a Pet
East C.A.N.
Veterinarian
Dr. Josh Good 5 Points Animal Hospital Veterinary Clinic
Mobley Veterinary Clinic
Hot Yoga of East Nashville
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ARLO MCKINLEY PHOTOGRAPHED FOR THIS MESS WE’RE IN
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Out East Soundtrack
Greatest Hits!
For this very special edition, my associate editor Randy Fox, publisher Lisa McCauley, and I decided to compile a “Greatest Hits” version of the “Out East Soundtrack.” While revisiting some of our favorite tracks from a few of the many artists who've graced our cover over the years, we quickly realized
that there isn't enough space to cover them all! Well, at least in print. Which is why the online version of the "Soundtrack” will be extended to accomodate them. We'll even have Spotify and Apple Music playlists embedded for your listening pleasure! We hope you enjoy.
Curated by Chuck Allen, Randy Fox & Lisa McCauley
“Sail on, My Friend” Todd Snider (2021)
Vol. 1 issue 4 march–april 2011
Todd Snider has been something of a spiritual presence for The East Nashvillian from the beginning. His songwriting embodies tenderhearted mercy while maintaining poignancy and relevance, along with the recognition of our humanity, warts and all. Although "Play a Train Song” from East Nashville Skyline (2004) must be mentioned — being the Eastside's kinda unofficial anthem, after all — I went with "Sail on, My Friend,” from last year's First Agnostic Church of Hope and Wonder. Written for his late friend Jeff Austin, the beauty of this song is in its road-worn celebration of life in the face of loss. I cried the first time I heard it. And still do.—CA
THE “ambassador”
Todd snidEr matt Charette
The Long Road to East Nashville
Running Community
L I L L Y
H I A T T
NOV/DEC 2021 • VOL. XI ISSUE 6
ON LOVE, LOSS & ACCIDENTAL REINVENTION
PLUS THE 2021 BAD INFLUENCERS' GUIDE TO THE HOLIDAYS
Lilly Hiatt (2017)
MARCH | APRIL VOL.VI ISSUE 4
‘Monumental Stuff’
BottomsUp!
How Cinderella Sound Studio helped shape Nashville music history
Building community on the East Side, one pint at a time
Karma &
Karisma
Huzzah!
Richie Lee has been changing lives in East Nashville for a decade, and he’s just getting started
With pill and willow, Phoenix of East Nashville is helping keep vintage base ball alive
There Goes the Neighborhood Market
The Heat Is On East Nashville author serves up the lowdown on the city’s hot chicken craze
Walmart calls it quits in East Nashville
Unbound & Unabashed Aaron Lee Tasjan finds his place in the crowd
Robyn Hitchcock & The Egyptians (1989)
2016 MUSIC ISSUE Featuring
Robyn Hitchcock +
ANDREW LEAHEY • ANDRIJA TOKIC • CAMERON HENRY • DUALTONE JOSH FARROW • THE DEAD DEADS • TODD AUSTIN • 3RD POWER • TOMMY WOMACK TIM EASTON • PASHUN MUSIC BRANCH • COWBOY KEITH THOMPSON MARK ROBINSON • FINANCIER • COSMIC THUG RECORDS • SARAH POTENZA
K N O W Y O U R N E I G H B O R : Marilyn Greer
Hopping in the time machine back to one of my favorite albums of ’89, the delightfully weird Queen Elvis. Upon seeing Robyn on our cover, a friend recalled my singing “Madonna of the Wasps” in its entirety while sitting at the bar of Elliston Square (now The End). Needless to say it was a surreal moment when, 27 years later, I found myself having coffee with Robyn at Bongo East prior to shooting the cover there. “Is it love?” Definitely! —CA
Bill Lloyd (1986)
¯ \_(ツ)_/ ¯ VOL. X ISSUE 5
Elephant feeling
the
Our New Reality As Seen Through The Eyes Of The Beholders
He’s a legend around here Dave Olney made dreams that will never die
shows us the way with his new album
First Agnostic Church of Hope and Wonder
The Big Purple Building Pandemic Playlist Elizabeth Cook & Aaron Lee Tasjan
From his sublime album Silver Tears, I picked “Little Movies” because it's melancholy writ large wrapped up in a beautiful pop song. And when ALT delivers the line Angels born in hell will sing our praises, Like this broken song deserves, you know he's getting to the heart of all our little movies. —LM
A R T I S T I N P R O F I L E : Sarah Walden
Jason Eskridge (2014)
The title says it all. Think of a well-concocted drink at Lockeland Table and substitute a soft-soul R&B vocal delivery for the alcohol, and SOUL MAN! you'll be able to visualize this one in your mind's ear. The 5 Spot's Todd Sherwood teaming up with Eskridge for the Sunday Night Soul series embodies the spirit of neighborhood. —LM NOVEMBER | DECEMBER VOL.VIII, ISSUE 2
JASON ESKRIDGE HAS A SPECIAL BRAND OF SOUL
2017 HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE
BUGGIN’
At The Theater Bug, kids learn to be ‘fearless and bold and brave’
‘A DREAM COME TRUE’ Friday Night Lights return to East Nashville
‘DRINKING BLACK COFFEE’ Andy Mumma’s business success is powered by community
THE BIG 6-0
When RCA Studio B opened in 1957, it became a cornerstone for Music Row
“Hurtin' (On the Bottle)”
“Feeling the Elephant” 1 7 T H A N N UA L T O M AT O A RT F E S T . . . i s h
Remembering I’m Enough Just As I Am An essay by Lydia Luce
Snider
“Sweet Love”
“Madonna of the Wasps” SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER VOL.VII ISSUE 1
T dd
Aaron Lee Tasjan (2016)
Artist in Profile: AARON MARTIN | Know Your Neighbor: MELANIE COCHRAN
After our first feature on Lilly Hiatt, we were all looking forward to her next record. But when Trinity Lane dropped, it was one of those precious musical moments where an artist transcends all expectations. Drawing from a well of hope that can only be dowsed after travels on troubled waters, the title cut is sanguine slice of celebrating life while taking it one day at time. —RF
Air Americana: WMOT ROOTS RADIO 89.5 LAUNCHES
MARCH | APRIL 2021 VOL. XI ISSUE 2
“Little Movies”
“Trinity Lane” ARTIST IN PROFILE: JEREMY FETZER & KNOW YOUR NEIGHBOR: JIM HAWK
KNOW YOUR NEIGHBORS {pandemic edition} FEATURING: JON LATHAM AMANDA KAIL MEGAN TENBARGE BRETT WITHERS
Margo Price (2015)
When I moved to Nashville in the late summer of 1986, Bill Lloyd’s “Feeling the Elephant” was in heavy rotation on Vanderbilt University’s radio station, the late WRVU-FM. Thirty-six years later, when we began work on our first post-2020 Tornado and post-COVID print issue, the song seemed to be the perfect soundtrack for the new world. —RF
I've seen a lot of great shows at Mercy Lounge, but seeing Margo there a few months before Midwest Farmer's Daughter took the world by storm ranks as one of the best ever. She and the band were absolutely on fire. It was one of those rare nights Margo Price when everyone knew they were witnessing something that only happens once: a hometown performance by an artist on the cusp of greatness. “Hurtin'” blew the roof off the joint and, in another rare occurance, the balls-to-the-walls live energy was captured on the recording version. —CA MAY | JUNE VOL.VIII, ISSUE 5
THE WORLD ACCORDING TO
“Perfect Girls of Pop” Elizabeth Cook (2020)
ALWAYS FREE!
VOL II, ISSUE 5 MAY/JUNE 2012
Elizabeth
Cook
NEIGHBORHOOD KITCHEN
NEW BREWS!
MEET THE CURATORS
In terms of geographic origin, culture, and accent it would be pretty hard to find someone more country than Elizabeth Cook. In terms of musical classification however, mainstream country radio has kept her locked out of their small pen for some time and the bigger pasture of Americana couldn’t hold her. With her 2020 album, Aftermath, Cook officially slipped under the wire, delivering a record with a big rock tsunami of sound built on a bedrock of twang. “Perfect Girls of Pop,” a honey-dipped barb directed straight at the heart of an industry that simply wants women to “smile more,” is a stand-out favorite. —RF
Artist in Profile: SARA LEDERACH + KATIE WOLF | Know Your Neighbor: KATY MCWHIRTER
MAY | JUNE VOL.VI ISSUE 5
Wild Feathers in the Wind An American band chases the dream
Raising the Bar Development doesn’t have to be a dirty word
How Does Your Garden Grow? Lessons in enlightenment through gardening
Faith In Music The Rev. Keith Coes spreads the gospel of rock & roll in Music City
Venus In Exile The emancipation of Elizabeth Cook
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THE ONE-EYED LIFE SUCK
I
love television. I always have. The television is always on in my house or my hotel room, even if it’s background noise. That’s how I was brought up. When I was a kid, my mom and dad always had it on (apple, tree). It was the modern hearth. I like today’s flat-screen TVs for the picture quality, but I miss that old reassuring whine of a cathode ray tube. Inaudible in the living room, but you could hear it everywhere else in the house. It was comforting; you felt connected to the world. As a child, dinner time was usually around 5:30, and the family would gather in the “dining room” (the left side of the kitchen). Dad would turn Walter Cronkite up to ear-splitting volume in the living room to hear it when he was in the other room eating his country ham and fried potatoes. After dinner, he’d go back to his cream-colored recliner in the living room and watch whatever he decided we all would watch. It didn’t matter that much. He was in a trance — a potted plant, to be frank. And you didn’t get between him and that television if the house was on fire. Television was so much better than real life. We all gathered in the living room and became potted plants along with Dad, savoring the superior world that was blazed into our home every night. In our house, there would be Dad in his recliner with a cigarette and a glass of iced tea, farting at will with no sense of decorum nor embarrassment. Then he’d push against his uppers with his tongue and stick those dentures out of his mouth so as to look Neanderthal for a moment, and then he’d pick his nose like he left a goddam nickel up there. And then he’d fart again. Meanwhile, on the The Brady Bunch, Mike Brady, played by a gay guy named Bobby, would be giving fatherly advice to Bobby Brady, played by a boy named Mike, and that was better than real life. Thanks, God.
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The laugh track wasn’t weird to us. Nor to anyone else, apparently. The audience on M*A*S*H or The Andy Griffith Show was fake — or “canned,” as they called it — but it was just the accepted way of doing things, and the entire world didn’t appear to think a thing about it. (My favorite is the laugh tack on The Flintstones: imaginary people laughing at ink-drawn imaginary people.) Strange things happen on television that don’t happen in the real world. People never say goodbye before they hang up the phone. Nobody says, “You’re welcome.” after being thanked for something. No cop ever kicks a door in and says, “Oh FUCK, that hurt!” Kojak always found a parking space right in front of where he wanted to go. Some criminal gets charged, and the trial starts immediately after the commercial break. A few things about TV back then were better than they are now. For instance, there were only four channels to choose from: NBC, CBS, ABC, and the educational channel nobody watched. With our modern banquet of 150 channels, there is no nextday water cooler discussion of what was on the tube last night. Every Monday in high school, everybody discussed the musical act on Saturday Night Live. “Did you see that? What was their name, Devo? That was some fucked up shit, man!” And back then, we had Johnny Carson, a man who, with one facial expression, could beat the shit out of all late-night talk show majordomos working today. The audience for The Tonight Show WAS real, and they acted real. Johnny would tell a joke, and they would laugh if it was funny. And they WOULDN’T applaud. Have you ever noticed how the host will tell a joke during today’s late-night comics’ monologues, and the audience always applauds? Not just laughs? Why? And then you have supremely obnoxious shows like James Corden’s where the audience cheers like mad over anything — AAAAAHHHHHHH! WOOO WOOO!!! — from the first millisecond of the show to the very end, like it’s a soccer game. Like bridesmaids on a Lower Broad pedal tavern. WOOO WOOO WOOH! (I want to flog those bitties in the town square, but that’s a story for another time.) And so that’s how television is and was. A critic once called television “a vast wasteland.” I suppose that’s true. For every M*A*S*H, there was an Alice. “Mel! Kiss my grits!” Oh, how my Mom would laugh at that line every time she heard the waitress, Flo, say it. Like it was the first time she heard it. Maybe, in her televisionnarcotized state, she thought it was.
EAST OF NOR MAL by Tommy Womack
Tommy Womack is a singer-songwriter and member of Government Cheese, whose new album, LOVE, is available now. His column appears in each issue of this magazine. He’s 5’ 10’, a Scorpio, and picks his nose just like Dad.
marketplace Misty Waters Petak M.S., CFP ®, CLU® Financial Advisor (615) 479-6415 mistypetak.nm.com
Lean on
Lockeland.
Simple, personalized insurance coverage for every stage of life. Get your personalized quote by visiting www.heylockeland.com or calling us at (615) 266-0246
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