The East Nashvillian 6.3 Jan-Feb 2016 by The East Nashvillian

- 2015 East Nashvillians of theYear -

DARRELL DOWNS, KELLY PERRY & MATT CHARETTE

JANUARY | FEBRUARY VOL.VI ISSUE 3

Music City Classical

The Real Mark Huff

Feel the Love

Miracles in theMaking

ALIAS Chamber Ensemble begins the new year with its third album and a renewed sense of purpose

Valentine’s Weekend Guide

Before Sunrise Memphis legend Sam Phillips had roots in East Nashville

Parks & Amplification Inside the East Nashville noise wars

Nashville is the well that never runs dry

Lost and Found Pets Facebook page helps reunite lost pets and their owners

KEEP

A-Movin’

Whether it’s singing, performing, or flexing her muscles, Dorothy Gilmore-Seavers has no time for standing still

{Artist in Profile: John Cannon | Know Your Neighbor: John Dyke}

THE POWER OF

ONE C A N M E A N A F R E S H S T A R T.

With NES Project Help, a single dollar can provide temporary relief for those in our community struggling to pay their energy bills. So help us help our neighbors, and letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s make the future brighter together. Please visit NESPowerNews.com to enroll and donate today.

GIVING. A GREAT USE OF ENERGY.

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NEW YEAR. NEW ADVENTURES.

SAME GREAT PARKING OPTIONS. PARK SMART. PARK AT THE AIRPORT.

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PUBLISHER Lisa McCauley EDITOR Chuck Allen ASSOCIATE EDITOR Daryl Sanders COPY EDITOR John McBryde CALENDAR EDITOR Emma Alford CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Emma Alford, Rebecah Boynton, Sarah Hays Coomer, Timothy C. Davis, Randy Fox, James Haggerty, Nicole Keiper, John McBryde, Tommy Womack, Ron Wynn CREATIVE DIRECTOR Chuck Allen DESIGN DIRECTOR Benjamin Rumble ADVERTISING DESIGN Benjamin Rumble

ILLUSTRATIONS Benjamin Rumble, Dean Tomasek

STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Stacie Huckeba

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Kelli Dirks, Eric England, John Partipilo SOCIAL MEDIA Nicole Keiper Kitchen

Table Media Company Est.2010

ADVERTISING SALES Lisa McCauley lisa@theeastnashvillian.com 615.582.4187 ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Jaime Brousse, Nikkole Turner

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

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START YOUR 2016 WITH A NEW HOME. WE'LL BUILD THE HOME, YOU BUILD THE MEMORIES.

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CONTACT: ADAM GLEAVES (615)243-6666 BUILDING adam@thirdcoastre.com MASTERS THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM January | February 2016

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COVER STORY

44 KEEP A-MOVIN’

Whether it’s singing, performing, or flexing her muscles, Dorothy Gilmore-Seavers has no time for standing still

FEATURES

By Randy Fox

65 MIRACLES IN THE MAKING

35 FEEL THE LOVE

Valentine’s Weekend Guide

The East Nashville and Inglewood Lost and Found Pets Facebook page helps reunite lost pets and their owners

By Rebecah Boyton

2015 EAST NASHVILLIANS OF THE YEAR

By Rebecah Boyton

70 THE REAL MARK HUFF

Business: Matt Charette

Nashville is a well that never runs dry

By Randy Fox

Citizen: Darrell Downs By John McBryde

76 BEFORE SUNRISE

Citizen: Kelly Perry (a.k.a. “Jack Kitsch”)

Memphis legend Sam Phillips had roots in East Nashville

By Randy Fox

58 MUSIC CITY CLASSICAL

By Randy Fox

ALIAS Chamber Ensemble begins the new year with its third album and a renewed sense of purpose

79 PARKS & AMPLIFICATION Inside the East Nashville noise wars

By Ron Wynn

By Timothy C. Davis

ON THE COVER MEET THE SEAVERS Photograph by Chuck Allen

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

January | February 2016 THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM

EAST SIDE BUZZ

IN THE KNOW

Matters of Development

26 Artist in Profile: John Cannon

COMMENTARY

33 Know Your Neighbor: John Dyke

By Nicole Keiper

Editor’s Letter

Astute Observations

By John McBryde

By Tommy Womack

85 East Side Calendar

By Chuck Allen

By Emma Alford

By James “Hags” Haggerty

AUXILIARY

25 Simple Pleasures

83 Cookin’ in the ’hood

By Sarah Hays Coomer

104

By Timothy C. Davis

East of Normal By Tommy Womack

Parting Shot: Meta & Hella Dead of The Dead Deads By John Partipilo

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

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EDITOR’S LETTER Scary Monster

hat in God’s name is that thing?” I was starting to freak out. There was a mass of unspeakable bullshit beginning to take the shape of ... no, it was definitely taking on the form of a multiheaded monster with each head sucking the brains out of the other ones. But that wasn’t even the weird part. It was wearing khaki chinos and a blue blazer with an American flag lapel pin. “I gotta get outta here.” Did I say that? I couldn’t tell where the voice came from. It was as though all the air had been sucked out of the room by the monster. Like I was living in a vacuum. My mind ached. The monster seemed annoyed whenever I would try to make sense of it. “Crap! The damn thing’s telepathic!” As hideous as the thing was, I couldn’t look away. It was that quintessential cliché of not being able to take one’s eyes off a car wreck come to life. Only this was my living room. “It can’t be coming out of my TV, can it?” Definitely my voice this time. I was slowly coming around — at least enough to hear my own voice as a thought in my head. This thing, whatever it was, was definitely emerging from my TV. Emerging is probably too tame a word. Bursting forth? Exploding out of? Whatever. All I know is it was FREAKING ME OUT. What was really scary was the damn thing looked vaguely familiar — which is in and of itself freak-out worthy since it’s not every day you see a multiheaded monster wearing khaki chinos and a blue blazer with an American flag lapel pin sucking its own brains out. Wait a second; I think one of the heads ... “Hey, babe, you wanna order a pizza for dinner?” OK. Definitely not me or the monster.

THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM January | February 2016

Great. I’m freaking out, the end of life as we know it is imminent, and Lisa wants a pizza for dinner. “Sure, honey, but can you order it? I’m kinda busy right now.” I tried to sound normal. “Sure. What kind would you like?” “Whatever you’re having, honey. I’m kinda like freaking out about the end of the world right now, so I don’t really care.” I don’t think she heard the second part, and if she did she ignored it. Probably for the best. The distraction did nothing for my mental state, however. Just as the dinner issue was settled another disembodied voice wafted through my cranium: “Are you freaking out? [YES] Do you believe the end of times are upon us? [Definitely] Are the Muslims coming to get you? [Wha?] Do you want to nuke countries you can’t find on a map? [What the ... ?] If so, you may be suffering from Acute Bullshit Syndrome, or ABS.” The monster has been replaced with heavily armed, shiney white people and lame background music. “ABS affects white, low-information voters that have an overwhelming desire to stockpile automatic weapons in fear of a government takeover — by the government. Ask your Medicaid-paid-for doctor about ABSexor. Side-effects may include nausea, vomiting, and a complusion to vote for a Democrat.” The lame background music makes me want to gouge out my ears with an icepick. Thankfully, the monster has returned. One of its heads resembles an orangutang. “Hey, honey, are you still watching the Republican debate?” Lisa hollers from the bedroom. Happy 2016. It’s going to be an interesting ride.

January | February 2016 THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM

THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM January | February 2016

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 NEW AND NOTEWORTHY

At long last, the fancy and intensely embiggened new Turnip Truck market opened its doors at 701 Woodland in late November, with Mayor Megan Barry joining the opening celebration as a ceremonial first customer. The original location, at 970 Woodland, stayed open until a few days before the new space welcomed shoppers in, so the neighborhood was able to keep on Truckin’ with very little interruption. The fine points of the new Turnip Truck for those who haven’t been by yet: It’s about four times the size of the former space, with 13,000 square feet of shopping space, and although all the bells and whistles weren’t up and running at the jump, they’ve been adding quickly — at

press time, the new meat department, juice bar, and cold salad bar were up and going, and the hot bar was on its way. Hours are 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sundays. For more, visit theturniptruck.com. Smith & Lentz Brewing — one of three fresh craft brewery faces in/coming to the neighborhood — opened its taproom at 903 Main in late October, sharing lots of different on-tap S&L brews in pints and growlers. To start with, offerings included two different IPAs, a session ale, oatmeal stout, and a Bavarian Hefeweizen, among others. East Nashville wasn’t originally where Smith & Lentz was planning to end up — cocaptains Kurt Smith and Adler Lentz initially had a space downtown in the works. But when a fire waylaid those plans, they looked our way, and

found the perfect place in the former Worms’ Way building. “A learning experience at our first location is that the sense of a community was nonexistent, except for a couple breweries nearby, which were extremely supportive and helpful,” Smith told us. “I live in East Nashville, and Adler ends up spending a lot of time in the neighborhood, so it was a target area of ours when we got another chance for real estate. We hope our taproom becomes a meeting place for our neighbors and is something they become proud of.” Brewery and taproom hours are 4-10 p.m. Tuesday to Thursday, 2-10 p.m. Friday, noon to 10 p.m. Saturday, and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday. More info at smithandlentz.com. In late November, Bar Luca — “a bright, neighborhood wine and cocktail bar with

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EAST SIDE BUZZ

a friendly bent” — opened its doors at 1100 B Stratton Ave. The brainchild of a large crew of creative neighbors — including furniture designer Matt Alexander, interior designer Katie Vance, beverage director/wine expert Robin Riddell Jones, food chief Molly Fitzpatrick Martin, creative director Luke Stockdale, and manager Patrick Kearney — Luca set out to be a for-the-neighborhood/by-the-neighborhood haunt.

The team’s own description of the space: “This East Nashville establishment mixes in a touch of elegance in an approachable setting. A great place to grab a happy hour cocktail, a glass of wine, or spend the evening catching up with friends. Nosh on small plates, charcuterie boards, and classic cheeses, sip your way through the cocktail list, or explore the memorable wine menu. If you’ve been missing something in your regular evening agenda,

THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM January | February 2016

there’s a good chance you’ll find it at Bar Luca.” Hours are Tuesday through Sunday, 4 p.m. to midnight. More info at lucanashville.com. Porter East welcomed a new face recently: Apple & Oak is now in business at 717 Porter Road, selling all kinds of home decor, from rugs and furniture to ornamental incidentals. Hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday. For more info (or to purchase stuff online), visit appleandoaknash.com. The Urban Juicer’s East Nashville location also opened in November at 1009 Gallatin Ave., slinging additive-free, fresh fruit and vegetable juice. The East Side location joins other Urban Juicer spots in town, including ones on Eighth Avenue and in Green Hills. Hours are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. For more, visit theurbanjuicer.com. Skater kids in East Nashville got a new home base in October, as Hunt Supply Co. opened at 118 S. 11th St., Unit D, selling boards, apparel, accessories, and more. Owner Jason Hunt isn’t an East Sider (he’s based in Ashland City), but he saw our side of the river as a perfect spot for a skater-owned and -operated shop. “I love the area,” he told us. “It’s a good spot for a skate shop to be in — there are lots of restaurants and shops, and those are intertwined with the skateboard community pretty well.” Hours are noon to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. More info at huntsupplyco.com. East Nashville’s latest entry into the world of high fashion got a fittingly high-fashion-y introduction: The new Two Son shop opened in December at 918 Main St. (otherwise known as the squat black building that’s changed faces more than a few times in recent years), and it came to more than a few Nashvillians’ attention via a pretty impressive piece in Vogue magazine. The shop sells a mix of high-end men’s and women’s fashions and home goods, and the owners — couples/friends-in-charge David Perry and Leigh Watson and Aubrey McCoy and James Kicinski-McCoy — also have plans to launch a clothing line. So why the quick interest from fancy pages? Might have something to do with the pedigree of two of the owners: James Kicinski-McCoy is the woman behind the massively popular blog Bleubird (bleubirdblog.com), and Watson is half of sister duo The Watson Twins (and one of the owners of Nashville events space The Cordelle). Lends a little cachet and inspired a fantastic, clickbaity headline: “This New Shop Is Giving NYC Retail a Run for Its Money — Though You Won’t Guess Where It’s Located.” The shop’s holiday-season opening had them welcoming shoppers 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday

January | February 2016 THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM

EAST SIDE BUZZ

through Sunday. For more, visit twoson.co. In late October, the neighborhood gained a new health care provider, as Neighborhood Health at Inglewood opened at 3904 Gallatin Pike. The new location is one of several in Nashville (including ones in Madison and downtown) bringing affordable health options — from prescriptions to lab tests counseling —

for patients of all ages. In a release, CEO Mary Bufwack noted that insured patients and uninsured patients were welcome — “those without (insurance) will be provided care at a discount,” she said. The Inglewood space is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and walk-in visits are welcome. For more information, visit neighborhoodhealthtn.org.

East Nashville also got a new meat-and-three recently, as Homa’s Southern Cuisine opened in October at 1201 Dickerson Pike in 37207, serving pulled pork, mac and cheese, and other staples. The restaurant’s name came from the lady who also cooked up a bunch of its recipes: owner Dwanna Murphy’s grandmother Lahoma, a.k.a. Homa. Hours are Monday through Thursday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. CLOSINGS AND MOVES Local vintage shoppers said goodbye to a fun neighborhood shop in November, as Lost Century, at 1011 Gallatin Ave., closed its doors. Owner Rob Wey opened the shop in 2014, stocking preloved stuff from housewares to furniture. The closure, he tells us, was more a consolidation. “I decided it made more sense to combine (Lost Century Vintage) with my store Smack Clothing Co., celebrating 20 years on Elliston Place,” he said. “One store, one rent.” We likely haven’t seen the last of Wey on the East Side, though. “I was born and raised in East Nashville,” he said, “and I’ll be back.” First, the bummer news: Cole Family Practice, whose Riverside Village location has been offering family health care services to the neighborhood since 2013, set a Christmastime closing date for that space. This one’s another consolidation, though; the East Side and Old Hickory Cole locations have combined into a larger space in Hermitage. And that leads to the good news: The opening up of that space at 1406 McGavock made room for East Nashville Health and Wellness, an affiliate to Third & Church Healthcare downtown. ENHW’s Jason Boylan told us they were shooting to move in at the start of the year, and to begin offering primary care and walk-in services shortly thereafter. As an East Sider, Boylan’s excitement about the new venture is both professional and personally spurred. “It feels very natural and exciting to work with neighbors to improve their health and assist them with achieving a greater state of wellness,” he told us. For more info about our new neighborhood health care provider, check out thirdandchurchhealthcare.com. Eclectic East Nashville shop Artisan East. Goods & Good Finds, which opened in the summer of 2014 at 1601-B Riverside Dr., closed its doors in November. “For more reasons than I can list, the time has come,” owner Brandy Davenport wrote about the decision to close her brick-and-mortar shop. She hasn’t gone away altogether, though — Artisan East fans can still shop for crafty home

THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM January | February 2016

January | February 2016 THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM

EAST SIDE BUZZ

goods and local art at artisaneastnashville.com. As Christmas rolled in, a longstanding fixture in Inglewood’s Riverside Village was prepping to close its doors: M&M Furniture — the quirky antique/buy-and-sell furniture shop on the corner of Riverside and McGavock — planned to shutter by the top of 2016. Owner Roger Myers moved into the cozy shop at 1310 McGavock nearly 20 years ago, after stumbling on the then-for rent building

during a drive around the neighborhood. He put a bunch of work into fixing it up back then, but the decades had run the building back down, and it felt like time to retire. “That’s one reason I’m moving out,” Myers told us. “It’s just so old and everything, and they’re fixing everything else up around here.” As for the building’s future: The owner indicated that he has no immediate plans for the property.

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January | February 2016

12/16/15 10:37:12 PM

COMING SOON Lovers of Italian food have reason to rejoice in 2016: brothers and East Nashvillians Ryan and Danny Nicoletto are expanding their handmade pasta company, with plans to open Nicoletto’s Italian Kitchen, a full-service retail and restaurant space, at 2905A Gallatin Pike. Since mid-2014, the two have been making small-batch homemade pasta in Inglewood and sharing it at farmers markets and local shops around the city. The new space will not only serve as a regular place to sell their packaged pastas — from ravioli to gnocchi to lasagna — but also as a lunch and dinner stop (late-night hours Thursdays through Saturdays are in the works too), with handmade sauces, meatballs, sausages, and more. Alongside the brothers, Rome-via-Chicago chef Saverio Castellucci will be in the kitchen. At press time, the Nicolettos were shooting to open in January. For more, visit nicolettos.com. The start of 2016 was also set to bring another new tenant to the continually expanding Fatherland District: Be Well Nashville, “a health and wellness store specializing in high-quality nutritional products, herbal cleanses, protein powders and more,” was due to open in The Shoppes on Fatherland (1006 Fatherland) in January. Wife-and-husband owner team Dr. Leslie and Michael Shew are stocking items like essential oils, nutritional supplements, and herbal products for the business’ retail component, and planning regular wellness classes. For more on Be Well, visit bewellnash.com. And a few maybe-coming-soons: In mid-November, The Tennessean reported that plans for a “casual dining restaurant” were being explored by the new owners of 974 and 978 Main, part of the Hunters Custom Automotive campus. (Hunters, meanwhile, isn’t going anywhere — the longtime East Side business remains in business, with no plans to change that.) Right at press time, Nashville Post also dropped the possibility (which has now been confirmed) of upscale local burger chain Burger Up spreading to our side of the river. The Post says, “Nashville-based restaurant group Community Hospitality recently landed a charter for Burger Up East Nashville LLC.” We reached out to the Burger Uppers for more info, which we’ll share as soon as we hear it (stay tuned to our blog, TheEastNashvillian.com/blog, for regular updates on all things Eastly).

Have East Side development news to share? Reach out to nicole@theeastnashvillian.com

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January | February 2016 THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM 21 8/17/15 10:20 AM

Astute OBSERVATIONS James “Hags” Haggerty

Yo, neighbor, what do you think this is, Music City, U.S.A.?

ello. My name is James Haggerty, and I am a criminal. All of my friends are criminals. When we consort, we perform criminal activities. We divvy up our filthy lucre and light our cigars with it. You are probably asking, “What’s your racket, Mack?” Making records in Music City, USA, that’s what. Strike up the band, jailbirds. Let’s rock! I am not exaggerating. Under current Metro code, if you operate a home studio in Nashville, you are in violation of the law. You read it. It’s true. Home studios in Nashville are illegal. Recently, a home studio owner in East Nashville, one of my criminal associates, was issued a cease and desist letter from our city after a complaint from a neighbor. Out of fear of further penalty, he is taking the Fifth. At stake is his ability to make a living and support his family. Metro enforces the law selectively. They do not go out looking for studios in neighborhoods. It’s a “don’t ask, don’t tell” scenario. It only takes one complaint to earn a letter. If you do not cease and desist, heavy fines and possible property seizure come next. At this point, you are probably thinking, “Well that’s what you get for growing weed.” Except this is not drugs, or gambling, or any other vice that criminals normally traffic in. And that is as far as I am going to take the analogy. It’s been fun, but it’s over. I am not a criminal and neither are my friends. We are musicians. We are making music that provides our city with its national and international identity. Robert Altman made a movie about it. Now we’ve got a prime time soap opera about it. Music puts Nashville on the map. I would argue that it is the busiest recording city in the world. Music brings the tourists here and the conventioneers. I would love to tell you about the many famous names that have made hit records at their own Nashville home studios. I would love to tell you about the

many award-winning rock, pop, and country records that have been recorded at home studios in East Nashville. I am proud of my friends that produced, wrote, recorded, engineered, mixed, and mastered them. I would love to celebrate them in this column. Fear of naming names and threatening livelihoods prevents me from doing so. You know, it’s like McCarthyism with a beat. Instead, I offer this: As a young man, Rudy Van Gelder developed an interest in recording music. His parents devoted a room in their house in Hackensack, N.J., to a home studio. At home from 1946 through 1959, Van Gelder recorded artists like Thelonious Monk, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Art Blakey, Jimmy Smith, and so many others. He created the sound of Blue Note Records, the Van Gelder sound. In 1959, he built his own home studio in nearby Englewood Cliffs where he continued to work, recording much of the most important and influential jazz music for the next 40 years. What if Van Gelder’s studios had been declared illegal? What if the city had shut him down? What might have been lost? Perhaps jazz in America as we know it. In 2013, then-Councilwoman Megan Barry introduced legislation to legalize home studios. The bill was tabled to permit further discussion with interested parties, including the local chapter of the musicians union. I hope we get another chance at this bill before another letter shows up at another studio door. If Mayor Barry reintroduces this issue to the Metro Council, we must become politicians ourselves. The most famous among us, those whose voices carry the most weight, must step forward. Politicians live and die by public opinion and votes. If we take the music out of Music City, USA, we become Any City, USA. There must be a compromise that will satisfy the interests of concerned neighbors and allow for home studios. The future of music in Nashville hangs in the balance. We all must step forward in support. Secrets and fear have no place in Music City.

Hags is a part-time bon vivant, man-about-town, and contributor to The East Nashvillian. As a full-time bass player, he regularly aids and abets criminal activity occurring in home recording studios. Any donations to the “Help-a-Hags” Foundation will, unfortunately, go directly to his attorney.

THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM January | February 2016

January | February 2016 THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM

THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM January | February 2016

simple PLEASURES By Sarah Hays Coomer

Resolution beat down

spend a lot of time in January coaching my clients on New Year’s resolutions, mostly trying to talk people out of pursuing them. There are a whole lot of cockamamie schemes floating around in people’s heads at New Year’s and even more disappointments in the adrenaline nosedive that follows. Whether high or low, the holidays tend to bring catharsis. All bets are off. Caution is thrown to the wind, and optimism runs high about our ability to make abrupt changes in the wake of that catharsis. We ride up and over New Year’s Eve only to find ourselves crashing back to earth on the other side. Distractions creep in, and resolve withers. Momentum is a lovely thing — until it runs out — but as a personal trainer who gravitates toward slackers and misfits (of which I am most definitely one), I love it when the momentum runs out. It makes me sit up and pay attention. It’s a turning point where all the fun begins, the place where we have the most potential to have a lasting impact on our lives and bodies. You made a resolution. You tried. It was no fun, so you gave up and found yourself back at square one. Par for the course. At that point, do you sit around waiting for the next big event to spur you on for a week or two, before giving up again? Or do you figure out what you can legitimately do, until the end of your ever-loving days, to make your body feel better? If you can sort that out, your whole trajectory changes. Productive habits that can endure the fallow, aimless months of February and March, October and November, are the ones that end up being transformative, but the only way for them to be transformative is for them to stick. And the only way for them to stick is if you’re actually enjoying them, at least a little bit. Your resolution didn’t work for one of two reasons: either it was too extreme, or it didn’t have anything to do with your life and the passions that drive you. In other words, it messed with your vibe rather than

feeding it. If you don’t like your new routine, rest assured you’re going to quit it. Them’s the facts. Any master plan you have to improve your body or mind needs to be steeped in things you love to do that make you feel better in the here and now. If you hate cooking, why would you resolve to cook more often? Make smarter choices at restaurants instead. If you hate getting up in the morning to work out, don’t bother. There are countless moments filled with countless ways every day to have a positive impact on your body. Walks can be taken. Push-ups can be done in your living room. Going to bed an hour earlier instead of snacking mindlessly in front of the TV can happen — if you bother to notice that it reliably makes you feel lighter and more alert. Your resolution shouldn’t be about finding tedious hours to exercise or eating like a bird. It should be about filling in the cracks of your life with active, healthy, invigorating things that you happen to love, whenever and wherever you can — no matter how small they might seem. Over the course of a lifetime, those choices make all the difference. If you don’t fill in the cracks with stuff that feeds you, they will fill up with whatever byproducts of living happen to seep in while you’re busy just trying to get by. Transformation comes from a million little changes, not one big one. It doesn’t come from boot camp at 5 a.m. on Jan. 1. It comes from doing a few small, simple things that make you feel better and stronger on Jan. 26, 27, and beyond. And when those few things become easy and habitual, it comes from adding a few more. So when willpower and momentum collapse in on themselves this year, have a look around from your uncomfortable comfort zone. See what you can do easily that will make you feel physically better, and go do it. Sign up for a pottery class. Set up a walking date. Volunteer. Have a piece of fruit. Get some fresh air. Nurture your body. Strengthen it. That’s the only resolution worth making.

Sarah Hays Coomer is a certified personal trainer, nutrition coach, and prenatal fitness instructor. She kinda likes to exercise, kinda not, and loves all things sugared, salted, fried, or dipped in dark chocolate. She runs a free wellness group in East Nashville for anyone looking to raise a glass to good health, and her book on wellness will be published by Rowman & Littlefield in 2016. You can find her at www.strengthoutsidein.com or on twitter @strengthoutside

January | February 2016 THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM

John Cannon working in his studio at The Idea Hatchery.

THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM January | February 2016

Artist in Profile

JOHN

Cannon

5 Points artist uses strong, bold colors to convey an emotional image B Y J O H N M C B RY D E

f all his paintings, the one that John Cannon may favor the most sits almost hidden in the window of his 5 Points studio. Titled Light in Fog, it’s displayed prominently enough for any passerby to take notice, and sports a price tag of $495. But on this warm December Saturday at The Idea Hatchery on Woodland, where Cannon has had his art studio and gallery for more than three years, the painting would be mostly unseen by anyone venturing inside Cannon’s doors. It’s a captivating piece, one that draws a viewer’s eyes to a bare tree illuminated in white against an otherwise foggy, dreary background of grays and browns. Cannon isn’t sure it’s something he really wants to sell, and that’s part of why it is more or less hiding in plain sight. Though Cannon insists his professionalism would outrank his sentimentality if an offer came forward, he believes Light in Fog is just too personal to part with — it’s a piece he painted in memory of a dog he once had, and no other viewer or would-be buyer could grasp the same symbolism it evokes in the man who created it. “That’s one I painted after I lost Sweetie,” Cannon says of a rescue dog he had had for

11 years before she died in October of 2014. “I really just need to take it home. It’s kind of about her. I called it Light in Fog because I felt that she was oftentimes a light in the fog for me. When you have a dog that has really, really bonded with you and is incredibly sweet, you can’t really have a bad day. She would jump up on the couch and cuddle up in my lap, and there’s no way on earth you can be in a bad mood after that. So when I painted that, she’s the little white tree.” His attachment to Light in Fog reveals a couple of things about Cannon’s approach to painting, a hobby he pursued around 2001 that eventually led to a full-time profession after he retired from a law practice some five years ago. For one, painting is a very personal and introspective practice for Cannon. “I just really enjoy creating something,” he says from his cozy space at The Idea Hatchery. “I don’t care what it is, if it’s a building, a dog, an abstract. It doesn’t matter. I love the process of combining the colors and the paints and coming out with something that someone looks at and goes, ‘Wow,’ or even goes, ‘What is that?’ The process of creating something tangible with paints is like an act of meditation. I get lost in a different world, a different time, a different conscious space →

PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHUCK ALLEN

January | February 2016 THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM

Artist in Profile when I’m creating something.” His passion for Light in Fog and the whole idea of paying honor to a beloved pet led Cannon to a new niche for his art. “I’ve kind of become the dog painter,” he says. “It started out as a request for a friend and has grown exponentially over the years. Commissioned pet portraits are undoubtedly my biggest area right now. I’ve been very fortunate that it’s become popular. I’ve shipped them all across the country. I’ve done many East Nashville dogs, but I’m kind of getting a national reputation for it.” Growing up in East Nashville, where he attended Inglewood Elementary School and Stratford High, Cannon didn’t envision

himself as the next van Gogh or Monet. In fact, he graduated from Belmont College in 1974 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and was actually more interested in written words than brush strokes. “I had no interest whatsoever in art and thought I was going to be the next great American writer,” says Cannon, who later earned a master’s degree in Literature from Middle Tennessee State University. Cannon did study art for three years at the University of Tennessee-Nashville, and that opened his eyes toward the possibilities of visual arts. However, he launched a career in teaching English before eventually getting a law degree and beginning a law practice

THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM January | February 2016

with his wife, Grayson, that would last for 25 years. The law firm Cannon and Cannon had an office in Goodlettsville, and Grayson is now a lawyer in Gallatin. The couple moved from Goodlettsville to East Nashville eight years ago. To help nurture a passion for painting that had returned during his law career, Cannon took lessons from a well-known artist in Goodlettsville “to get back in the flow of things,” he says. He opened a studio and gallery in The Factory at Franklin in 2006, and stayed there until coming to The Idea Hatchery in September 2012. “I’ve been really happy here,” says Cannon, adding that his commute is by bicycle when

weather permits “It’s been fabulous. I can have my own music, control my own air and heat, which wasn’t the case when I was at The Factory. I get to see people and paint. It couldn’t be better.” Several of Cannon’s paintings are placed throughout his gallery, and visitors are wandering in and out on this unseasonably warm afternoon just before Christmas. Ludwig

in Red, an abstract that reveals the face of Beethoven when just the right focus is used, transfixes one onlooker. A group of young women are impressed by Determination, which depicts a bride and several of her attendants holding umbrellas and braving what is obviously a downpour. “This was when I was at The Factory, and my studio had a window that looked on the back of

the courtyard,” Cannon explains. “They held weddings there at the time. It was pouring down rain, and these ladies were determined to get their picture taken [for the wedding]. I snapped a picture through the window, and thought, ‘That is determination.’ ” His gallery also holds titles such as Infusion, Emerging, and Dance, among others, all with radiant colors that can →

January | February 2016 THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM

“ Artist in Profile

I just really enjoy creating something. I don’t care what it is, if it’s a building, a dog, an abstract. It doesn’t matter. emit varied emotions depending on one’s viewpoint. “The thing that I’ve discovered as years go by is that the emotional responses from color is subjective,” he says. “Part of that is based upon the literal physical structure of the viewer’s eyes and their visual cortex. Twenty-five percent of men, for example, are color-blind, in at least some sphere. I may paint something that to me is very powerful because it’s red or bright orange and really warm and strong and pushing out at you, and someone else may look at it and see nothing because they may not be able to see the red that I do. “That’s another thing about being an artist,” he adds. “You produce it by what you’re seeing, and you may never really know how other people see it unless they tell you. A lot of people who don’t see it the way I do may not tell me. And I’d love to find out: ‘What do you see, do you feel anything when you see that?’ So for me, it’s a question of trying to put really strong, bold colors out there to make a very strong, emotional statement.” In addition to his space’s function as a studio and gallery, it also serves as a classroom for a variety of students Cannon teaches each week. He has a class on Thursdays of 9- to 11-year-olds from a home school program, and on Saturdays he teaches adults. Their skill levels and interest vary widely, and Cannon adapts to individual needs. “He understood who I was as an artist

THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM January | February 2016

and where I was in my progression,” says Carl Hoffman, a Goodlettsville resident who started taking lessons from Cannon about three years ago. “I had had a year of lessons [before taking from Cannon] with several art instructors. John was the one who, instead of me adjusting to the teachers and their nuances, he adjusted to me. I was able to see improvement in my work. “Most of the classes you go to everybody is doing the same thing,” Hoffman continues. “With John, that’s not the case. Everybody is doing something related to their level and what they want to do. For example, there would be three people in the class. One is drawing, I’m doing abstract, and another is doing realistic. That’s as far spread apart as you can get, and John is on top of all of that. Because of his instruction, I can call myself an artist. His instruction is impeccable.” Cannon’s effectiveness as an instructor owes largely to his passion for art. Whether it’s his dog portraits (and cats, too, for that matter), his absorbing abstracts, or his eye-catching landscapes, it’s easy to see how much fun he’s having. “I didn’t really see painting as a professional career choice, but it has become one,” Cannon says. “I considered myself very fortunate to do something I always wanted to do while I still had time to do it. I’m having the childhood I never had.” Cannon pauses and looks around his gallery, then adds, “I can’t believe how much fun this is.” John Cannon Art 1108-C Woodland St., Nashville, TN 37206 johncannonart.com 615.496.1259

January | February 2016 THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM

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KNOW your NEIGHBOR

“i

’ve been in East Nashville 27 years, but I grew up on a farm, and we always raised a garden. By the time I graduated college and moved here, I was really missing some of the food I grew up with. I found out about Sunshine Grocery on Belmont and just loved what they were doing, and I kept running into neighbors of mine from the East Side. I started on a quest to figure out how I could put a store like that in East Nashville, not knowing the first thing about the natural food industry. I was in medical sales before I started the store. I spent four or five years just going to all the natural food expos, talking to anybody and everybody in the industry. I heard about building relationships with local farmers, and it inspired me. I came home wanting to reach out to local farmers, local vendors, get more local things going, and be local ourselves.”

John DYKE

the second floor is finished — downstairs already is — there will be tables, and the space set up for meetings, classby Tommy Womack es, and other endeavors local groups may need a gathering place for. “The design of this new store, with the mezzanine on the second floor especially, is to show the customer as the heart of the store,” Dyke says. “This is East Nashville’s store, and I want the community to tell me what they want from us.” He is clearly excited about the expansion. “Our produce department is four or five times the size of what it was in the old store,” he says. “We’ve added more and more to the juice bar, we have kambucha on tap, beer on tap, a deli, we’re putting in a fresh salad bar, a hot food bar, and a bakery. We have a full-service meat and seafood department now, which we didn’t have before, John Dyke’s primary misgrass-fed beef from just up sion — to educate his comthe road in Kentucky. munity on the existence and “Between the farms we appreciation of fresh real food work with, and the vendors — comes to life on the first for soaps, honey, health and step inside The Turnip Truck’s beauty aids, candles, and new location. You’re instantly other things, we’re working in the produce section, a wild with about 80 different vendors now,” Dyke says. (And party of fruits and vegetables lest it be forgotten, there is a that just look different. All second Turnip Truck on the organic, all local, no two tomatoes look exactly alike, as their west side of the river in The Gulch genetically modified cousins do for the convenience of the Westies.) marching in lockstep at Walmart’s “With the two stores, we now herbaceous Triumph of the Will have roughly 120 employees, so it motif. The Turnip Truck’s greens are feels good to be a source of employment for the community,” he says. varied and often large, the myriad Down the road, Dyke envisions an bell pepper colors are deeper, and aquaponics greenhouse on the roof one would be forgiven for wanting of the new location, and reaching out to the community children to snatch a shiny big strawberry and blithely chomp it while passing with an education program about real food and why it matters. through to the juice bar. So what does John Dyke do for fun? More of his passion, actually. The Turnip Truck, from its inception in 2001 in 5 Points to its “I just bought a little farm outside of town,” he offers. “I’m looking brand-new and muchly expanded digs a few blocks away at 701 at putting in an organic orchard with apples, peaches, pears, plums, Woodland, is a magnet and hub for people who care that you are figs, and apricots, looking at cultivating heirloom fruits, keeping what you eat. A lanky, 50-something gent, with whitish hair and those seeds growing for new generations.” beard, Dyke could be Hemingway’s genial younger brother. We sit Dyke’s own entrepreneurial seed found good purchase on in his new office (still under construction, as is a good bit of the the East Side. “It’s a great neighborhood to be in. I’ve lived here second floor) with a floor-to-ceiling window view of East Park just now longer than I lived in my childhood home. This is home. across Woodland from the store. The sunlight streams in, a vista I love it.” metaphoric for what he wants to do: engage the community. When

“

P H OTO GR A PH BY CH U CK A LLE N

I’ve lived here now longer than I lived in my childhood home. This is home. I love it.

January | February 2016 THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM

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Feel the Love: Valentine’s Weekend Guide ♥ We’ve compiled a list of the top restaurants, boutiques, spas, and candy shops, as well as local luthiers, stationers, herbalists, chocolatiers for you and your special someone to have the best Valentine’s experience the East Side has to offer.

By Rebecah Boyton

Photography by Kelli Dirks January | February 2016 THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM

{Rock &Roll ♥ ROMANCE } Gimme Shelter

Every rocker knows that a good day begins with a proper breakfast, and there’s no better place to find one than amongst the salvage yards and tire stores of Dickerson Pike. Charlie Bob’s Restaurant has long been a haven for the hungry and hung over, where patrons can indulge in traditional diner fare and a daily meat-andthree menu far from the crêpes and freshly pressed juices of 5 Points. The no-frills atmosphere maintains the same kitschy vibe that it did when it opened its doors back in 1952, with the original drive-in carport still standing in the parking lot. Couples can cozy up in vinyl booths and enjoy $5 bloody marys and mimosas every Saturday and Sunday. Order the hefty Thumper Breakfast, and you’ll be raring to go like a couple of little rabbits. Whether you’re a Sid and Nancy or a Johnny and June, Charlie Bob’s has everything you need to get your motors running before you head out on the highway.

Roll Over Beethoven

Cruise down to Inglewood’s Riverside Village to score some vinyl or a vintage item at Fond Object. Located on the corner of MacGavock 36

Pike and Riverside, Fond Object houses an ensemble of gifts for every rocker, from new and used records, CDs, cassettes, and books to a cache of vintage clothing and furniture. The finely curated vinyl selection at Fond Object features ample offerings of Classic Soul and R&B, so you and your music enthusiast can play DJ all night long.

Get Strapped

After you’ve gotten your long play fix, head to one of East Nashville’s music supply stores to get your B.B. a Lucille of his/her very own. Fanny’s House of Music has kept East Side musicians strapped in style for nigh on seven years. The shop specializes in rare vintage guitars that are made to be played. Find gems like a 1930s Gibson tenor arch-top acoustic or a 1960s Fender Music Master, as well as a menagerie of ukuleles, mandolins, pedal steels, and Peruvian hand-woven Original Fuzz guitar straps. Fanny’s also offers music lessons for aspiring artists and a large selection of men’s and women’s vintage clothing to ensure your valentine shines on stage. New(er) kid on the block, Eastside Music

THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM January | February 2016

Supply, has carved out its own niche in the neighborhood. The shop stays open late and offers full-service repairs for local musicians who find themselves in a jam. Inventory includes names like Scale Model guitars crafted by East Nashville luthier Dave Johnson, and an eclectic selection of pedals including vintage-styled Tomkat fuzz pedals. If shopping for music supplies isn’t your bag, the store also offers gift certificates that can be used toward both retail and repairs.

At the Hop

After shopping and bebopping, refuel with an American classic at one of East Nashville’s most famous (or infamous) watering holes. The Edgefield Sports Bar and Grill is a destination for locals looking for one of the best burgers on the East Side. Well-seasoned, hand-shaped, and grilled-to-order, Edgefield’s burgers come styled with a variety of accoutrements and a side of classic crinkle fries. And though you won’t find a milkshake to split with your steady, the spot does offer a fine selection of tallboys and a weekly vinyl night. Belly up to the bar and strike up a conversation with a native, throw a game of

darts with your sweetheart, or play a tune on the multifarious jukebox.

Sugar, Sugar

Eddie Van Halen’s FrankenStrat may be sweet, but giving the gift of a handcrafted FrankenHeart from Chocolate FX is even sweeter. Winner of the Writer’s Choice award for Best Chocolate Shop in the Nashville Scene, Chocolate FX is redefining the chocolate trade with its rock & roll, sci-fi, and horror-inspired confections. It’s where sugar-craved couples go for an assortment of sweets in wild and wacky patterns like skulls and leopard print. Owner and chocolatier Andrea Smith handcrafts and paints every one of her European-style chocolates, truffles, and caramels. Thrill your beloved with Smith’s hand-cast FrankenHeart or a Heart Box loaded with an assortment of her luxurious bonbons.

Pamper Your Pompadour

O.Liv Body Bar on Main Street has a number of services tailored for rockers on Valentine’s. Their signature On the Rocks hot stones massage for couples uses a blend of high-grade oils for an hour of mutual hot rock bliss. If your mane needs taming, opt for the Rockstar Massage that includes a hot stone rubdown plus a hot oil and herbal hair treatment — because pompadours and bouffants need a little love on Valentine’s, too. (On Feb. 4, O.liv Body Bar will host their annual Dirty Girl Valentine’s shebang with mini-manicures, more affordable services, giveaways, and cocktails for the ladies.)

Paperback Writer

Reading is important, rockers. Don’t just tend to your hair, tend to your brain at Eastside Story — Nashville’s only all-local bookstore. Give the gift of Third Man Books’ Language Lessons, Volume 1 — a collection of poetry, prose, vinyl, and original artwork coedited by local author/ poet Chet Weise and Third Man’s Ben Swank. Or, snag a copy of Based On: Words, Notes, and Art from Nashville, a special anthology of short stories, songs, visual art, and music, curated by the store’s proprietor, Chuck Beard.

Fashion

Located adjacent to Eastside Story, Hello Boys is East Nashville’s hippest haberdashery, where guys go for the finest selection of vintage and contemporary men’s clothing and accessories. Owner/operator Gavin O’Neill will assist you in finding all the best B’s — bolo ties, blazers, leather belts and boots — to ensure your babe’s got swagger like Mick Jagger. Skip over to East Nashville’s favorite motorcycle lifestyle shop, Moto Moda, to score an iconic Schott or RDS leather jacket for him or her. The store also offers a collection of sterling silver, Southwestern-inspired rings and cuffs by Nashville designer Chad Barela and mixed-medium necklaces by Bone and Hide for the ladies.

After you’re good and gussied up, get your portrait made by Nashville-based photographer Giles Clement. Clement is best known for his tintype and wet plate portraits, yet he is famed for his film photography, as well. Book a session with Clement online. Have your portrait placed in a vintage locket from Old Made Good for an extra-special gift for your betrothed.

Dinner

Rockers can feel right at home at the Holland House Bar and Refuge, where modern twists on classic favorites can be found from the drink menu to the drapery. With plush velvet sofas, crystal chandeliers, and exposed brick walls, the atmosphere echoes the glamour of Old Hollywood while still maintaining a contemporary vibe. The restaurant’s proprietary cocktail list features classic ingredients shaken into modern concoctions, and the continental food menu boasts influences from Spain and the Middle East. Look for seasonal Valentine’s specials both Friday and Saturday night, and a special four-course prix fixe menu Valentine’s evening. Seatings for Valentine’s dinner will take place from 5-10 p.m. and are reservation only, so make yours sooner rather than later.

In the Midnight Hour

Before your evening ends, make a late-night stop at Mickey’s Tavern for a dart game and a couple rocks glasses of fine whiskey. The dimly lit neighborhood haunt invokes the ghosts of East Nashville past, when Slow Bar, Radio Café, and the Alleycat Lounge were the go-to spots for imbibing locals. Whatever the night calls for, patrons can make it their own at Mickey’s — pound a tallboy, devour a hot ham and cheese, or sip a 23-year Pappy Van Winkle neat. Couples can shoot a game of pool under the glow of the red Christmas lights or slow dance to the classic jukebox until the bartenders make last call. ♥ January | February 2016 THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM

{An Active ♥ AFFAIR} Breakfast of Champions

Whether you’re carb-loading or starting your morning with lean protein, Tower Deli is a one-stop full breakfast spot for fit couples who are on the move. The New York-style deli offers a little something for everyone in the morning, including local produce, fresh-squeezed juices, Bongo Java coffee, and fresh fruit. Carb-up with a local doughnut from DOH Nashville or a local toasted bagel from Bagel Face. Or, beef-up with an egg-white omelet or Tower Deli’s popular breakfast burrito. With the friendly staff, lightning-fast service, and lots of available parking, Tower Deli is a super breakfast spot for couples headed to the gym or in a hurry to explore the outdoors.

Tour de East Side

Biking is a splendid way for couples to take a tour of the neighborhood, and Eastside Cycles has the best rentals to ensure you cruise in style. Rent an Electra Townie for the morning, or get both your hearts racing on the shop’s classic Electra Hellbetty Tandem — a cherry-red bicycle designed for lovers. Eastside Cycles is also where to purchase sweet rides like off-road Canondale trail bikes and Schwinn suburban riders, as well as custom bikes and accessories. Visit the store or call the shop for more information. 38

Hit the Bottoms

Take the Hellbetty down to Shelby Bottoms Greenway and Nature Park, where workouts can be enjoyed in the peace and quietude of nature. The Bottoms boast 960 acres of preserved wetlands, hardwood forests, wildflower meadows, and streams that host an abundance of biodiversity including native Tennessee wildlife and plant species. The winding, paved greenway is where walkers, joggers, bikers, and skaters exercise in the outdoors. Go off-road to explore the park’s secluded trail systems or savor a tranquil view from one of the many romantic boardwalks.

The Couple That Climbs Together …

Does your partner’s love have you climbing the walls? Free those urges at Climb Nashville, where challenge-seeking couples go to test their endurance. Climbing not only builds muscle and flexibility, but is a fun date idea for fit couples to get a workout together. The indoor climbing facility houses more than 4,000 square feet of space, so you and your bae can boulder all night long. Or, start off slow with one of the top ropes where you and your honey can holster up and take turns being the climber and the belayer.

THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM January | February 2016

Post Workout

Before hitting the showers, visit the Turnip Truck Natural Market for a post-workout smoothie to share with your sweetie. Bulk up with add-ins like hemp or whey protein, or boost your immunities with spirulina or turmeric powder. Stay hydrated with a refill at the Turnip Truck’s new filtered water station with reverse osmosis, deionized, or high pH water choices. The market also offers a full selection of vitamins and supplements to keep you both on top of your game.

Meal Planning

Meal planning is easy for active East Nashville couples with shopping options that offer locally produced food. While at Turnip Truck, shop for the freshest produce grown by local Tennessee farmers to create veggie-heavy meals with your loved one at home. Or head to Porter Road Butcher where you’ll find locally raised cuts of meat like pastured chicken and premium grass-fed steaks. For Valentine’s weekend, Porter Road Butcher will also offer their “Sweetheart Steak” —a 2-inch thick boneless ribeye butterflied into a perfect heart shape, for you and your beloved to get down together, Paleo style.

Gear for Gifts

Nashville Running Company provides topof-the-line sneakers and gear for joggers and outdoor-lovers. For cold winter running, clothe your special someone in Breath-Thermo gear by Mizuno. The line offers tops, bottoms, socks, and hats that generate heat while simultaneously wicking away moisture, so your running buddy will stay warm and dry.

Treat Those Tired Muscles

Spa massages are certainly relaxing, but lifters, bikers, and joggers need a much more vigorous rubdown. East Nashville’s Tyrus Aurthur, L.M.T., is trained in a variety of pain-relief techniques including deep tissue massage, sports massage, and trigger point therapy, and his massage studio is conveniently located on Gallatin Pike. Schedule an appointment for your favorite athlete with Aurthur online to get those muscles worked out right. After a long Valentine’s weekend filled with physical activity, pamper your better half with soothing balms and salves made locally on the East Side. Double N Urban Farm and Apothecary is a half-acre urban farm located in the heart of East Nashville, where owner and herbalist Nicole Mattingly crafts body care products from her organically grown herbs. Select a jar of Epsom salts with dried rose petals and geranium for a relaxing bath, or rub your lover down with the Fire and Ice salves that treat aching muscles and joints. Visit the Double N Apothecary Etsy store to make your purchases or find their products at Mitchell’s Deli and Old Made Good. ♥ January | February 2016 THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM

{Bohemian ♥ BLISS} Wake and Bake

Artists, caffeine seekers, and health-conscious consumers love to rise and shine at The Post East. The Post has a little something for everyone, with daily offerings of housemade traditional, vegan, and gluten-free baked goods and pastries, plus breakfast and lunch menus and a full brunch menu on Sundays. Split a slice of the traditional or vegan quiche du jour, or one of the gluten-free muffins in flavors like spicy coconut and cacao nib. For more vigorous appetites, select something off the full breakfast menu like the popular polenta Benedict with a side of house-made pecan sausage. For carnivorous couples, share a plate or two of the remarkable biscuits and gravy — a lesser-known delight. The cathead-style biscuits are baked by queen pastry chef Nicole Wolfe, and the house-made sausage gravy is a far cry from traditional diner fare. Though the food is a heavy draw, The Post is best known for their cold-pressed organic juices in hues as vibrant as the flavors. Try the popular Synergy — a zippy pineapple, lime, and mint blend to optimize your health and satisfy your taste buds. The Post opens every day at 7 a.m. and hosts live bands for their Bluegrass Brunch every Sunday. 40

Be a Conscientious Consumer

East Nashville hosts a number of boutiques that specialize in all-natural and fair-trade wares, so you can feel good about the gifts you give. Thrive Store is the spot to score stellar body care and bath supplies with all-natural ingredients. Thrive’s signature Rejuvenating Herbal Bath Bag with orange peel, rosebuds, and lavender is fragrant and soothing. Light some of the shop’s handmade beeswax candles in multicolored recycled glass votives and you’re looking at one groovy bath time. Take a trip to Sisters of Nature to find a fair-trade gift for your favorite soul sister. The shop specializes in women’s clothing, accessories, and fragrances, and boasts progressive brands like Nisolo and FASHIONABLE that create positive life opportunities for women in developing countries. Sisters of Nature is also the only shop in East Nashville to offer a full self-wrap gift station and a personal profile for each customer, so ladies can have an accessible wish list at the store, making shopping a snap for their significant others. Add a sweet pink jar of Herbivore Coco Rose Body Polish to your list so you can buff out any unwanted signs of hippy feet.

THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM January | February 2016

Support Your Local Artisans

Spending your dough on mass-produced gifts is a real bummer, especially since East Nashville is filled with so many talented crafters, designers, and artists. Keep your dearest warm this February with a one-of-a-kind wool scarf by local artisan Cathie Cargill of Fiber and Bone. Cargill hand knits unisex scarves and hats using all-natural fibers and materials in unique colors and sizes. Follow Fiber and Bone on Instagram to make your purchases, or visit the Etsy store to place a custom order or purchase a ready-to-ship piece. When it comes to vintage shops, Old Made Good is unlike the rest, not only due to its expansive size, but its unique and eclectic ensemble of repurposed art, home goods, vintage clothes, and original pieces of jewelry. Owner and artist Ashley Sheehan gets all handmade and avant-garde with her inventory, restoring old paintings into new pieces and collecting interesting vintage finds. Old Made Good also carries locally made body products from places like Double N Apothecary and Little Seed Farm. Get your valentine one of Sheehan’s naughty needle points to hang on his/her wall or one of her handmade necklaces with an engravable plaque to inscribe whatever pet name you like.

Soup for the Soul

For lunch, grab a table at El Jaliciense, where locals go for authentic Mexican cuisine in a warm setting. The family-owned outfit serves house-made Mexican favorites like tacos, fajitas, and a guacamole that has patrons raving, but it’s the traditional Jaliscan soups and stews that really showcase the Oleas’ family recipes. The birria, a spicy stewed barbecue beef, is made by the Oleas’ matriarch, Leticia Gonzalez, and prepared with a secret blend of authentic spices. Try the caldo de res — a healthful beef soup loaded with tons of vegetables, or Gonzalez’ special hominy-laden pozole available on Saturdays and Sundays only.

Unconventional Chocolates

Satisfy your wacky sweet tooth at Wild Cow with raw vegan chocolates that are as nutrient-dense as they are delicious. Dessert chef and chocolatier Allison Osborne of RAWr Vegan Desserts creates Valentine’s treats that are rich in antioxidants and lightly sweetened with ingredients like dehydrated fruits and dates. Try RAWr’s white chocolates with organic rose petal and peppermint or the dark chocolate hearts with dehydrated ruby red grapefruit and beets.

Wanna Take You Higher

If you’re looking for a departure from the typical dinner and a movie, take your date to High Garden Tea where couples get snug over steaming pots of brew. Herbalist Leah Larabell along with husband Joel built their

romantic apothecary-style tea shop as a team, with wooden tables hand-carved by Joel and over 100 teas designed and hand-blended by Larabell herself. Order a tea flight and sample four of High Garden’s teas for $10, or share a pot of one of the shop’s proprietary blends such as the Red Velvet — a red tea blended with cocoa and hibiscus. To get your blood pumpin’, snag a bag of Pimp Juice tea for him or Venus tea for her (both intended to lift moods and increase circulation) and you’ll be ready for a night of hot and steamy tea making. High Garden Tea will open on Valentine’s night to host a special Tea, Cheese, and Chocolate Pairing for both couples and singles. Graze a sumptuous spread from the Bloomy Rind and Chocolate FX, and taste a few of Larabell’s special teas to match. Purchase your tickets in advance by calling the store.

Energy Exchange

Finish your day nurturing your favorite yogi with a Partner Thai Yoga Massage at Kali Yuga Yoga. The workshop teaches couples how to press, stretch, and rock each other’s bodies through a number of directed positions until nirvana is reached. Unlike typical European massages, Thai yoga massage is interactive, where both participants remain fully clothed and take turns as the massager and massagee. Deep stretches are reached through assisted yoga poses, acupressure, and heavy muscular compression using hands, feet, elbows, and knees. Thai yoga massage can strengthen both physical and spiritual connections and be as healing to the giver as it is to the receiver. The class will be held at the Kali Yuga Yoga studio on Friday and Saturday night from 6:308 p.m. Visit their website for more details. Preregistration is strongly encouraged. ♥

January | February 2016 THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM

{The Food ♥ LOVERS} Le Brunch

Possibly the most popular portmanteau amongst food fetishists, brunch is where every memorable food adventure begins. Start your romantic weekend tucked away with your favorite bon vivant in one of East Nashville’s European-style eateries, where long languid brunches are la joie de la vie. Late-morning meals with flutes of bubbles is a religious rite amongst the food-loving set, and on weekends followers go to worship at the altar of Marché Artisan Foods. The graceful bistro serves rustic dishes prepared fresh from the open kitchen, with a full beverage and wine menu and daily baked breads and pastries. The café’s myriad selection of desserts, which includes bombes, crème brulees, cookies, tarts, and cakes created by deity pastry chef Tom Huber, can make for a difficult decision if one possesses a sweet tooth. Start your meal with Marché’s elegant cheese plate and a glass of wine or savor the tartine with seasonally paired fruit. Indulge with the popular croissant French toast and a cappuccino made with Drew’s Brew espresso to wash it down. Couples can toast with a fresh-squeezed blood orange mimosa or a bloody mary prepared with a house-made mix. Brunch is every Saturday from 8 a.m 42

to 4 p.m and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Expect robust crowds and heavy lines at the walk-up counter. If the bustle of 5 Points is not to your taste, veer off the beaten path to Porter House Bistro, where chef Andrew Bryant fills growling gullets with classic French fare. The brunch menu features standards such as eggs Benedict with variations like fennel and citrus house-cured salmon. The popular croque madame is served with a 62-degree egg on house-made challah, and omelets are true to the classic style served with only two ingredients and sans browning. Porter House Bistro’s Valentine’s brunch will be served from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday. Expect to find pastry plates of house-made profiteroles, galettes, and danishes, as well as steaming bowls of fresh mussels, sweet crêpes, and other seasonal and sexy specialties. (Porter House Bistro will also offer a prix fixe Valentine’s menu for both Saturday and Sunday night. Reservations are strongly recommended.)

Bar and Pantry

True food lovers enjoy feeding their minds as much as feeding their faces. While at Marché, peruse the fine selection of books authored by local food writers who are steeped in the

THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM January | February 2016

cuisine of Nashville. Give your gastronome a copy of Jennifer Justus’ new book Nashville Eats, an ensemble of stories and recipes born and bred in Music City, or Timothy Charles Davis’ Hot Chicken Cookbook, a collection of recipes from the hottest chicken joints in town. Marché also offers a selection of original letterpress and designed cards from local stationers Sawtooth Print Shop for a special Valentine’s card. Head north up Gallatin Pike to Hey Rooster General Store for an eclectic mix of gifts for your gourmand. Select a sack of Soberdough brew bread to combine with your favorite bottle of beer and bake for an easy meal. Grab a jar of Coop’s Hot Chicken Paste, or a whimsical tea towel by illustrator Claudia Pearson to keep your favorite chef ’s hands nice and dry. Give the mixologist in your life the gift of hammered copper mule mugs, small-batch bitters, or choose from a collection of stainless steel bar tools from Welcome Home. The home goods store also carries the ever-popular cube, sphere, and highball ice molds to keep you and your best drinking buddy sophisticatedly sipping. Welcome Home also carries fun vintage items such as cut-glass coupe glasses and crystal decanters for the boozer who enjoys a little throw back.

A Study in Chocolate

A darling amongst pastry chefs near and far, Olive and Sinclair Southern Artisan Chocolate is featured on some of the most impressive dessert menus in Nashville and beyond. The shop is where sugar-lovers flock for handcrafted chocolates and confections, and where knowledge seekers can take a tour of the chocolate factory in the back. Immerse yourselves in the chocolate-making process, and taste your way through the experience with the famous Bourbon Nib Brittle — the 2014 Gold Winner for Best Confection by Specialty Food Association. Tours are $5 and offered on Saturdays only from 10 a.m. to 5pm. Visit their website for further information and to reserve your spots.

Artify Your Kitchen Arsenal

Culinary artists know Art and Invention Gallery is where to score the most beautiful collections of functional handmade pottery and other kitchen accessories. Equip your favorite cook with a set of one-of-a-kind artisanal bowls by potter Christina Cohn or a full set of hand-carved cherry serving utensils. Owners Bret and Meg MacFadyen will also host their annual Valentine-Making Workshop for couples and friends to create their own glittered works of art. Participants are encouraged to bring bottles of wine or food if they like, and to purchase tickets in advance by calling the gallery to reserve your spots. If getting artsy is not to your taste, purchase a whimsical card for your valentine by Nashville stationer Lisa Sarmento.

Dinner

An East Side Valentine’s guide would be remiss without mentioning the indubitable romance of Margot Café and Bar. The rustic, provincial cuisine has marked the restaurant as an institution among sensualists, and has been considered to be the crown jewel of the East Nashville food scene since its opening in 2001. Nominated for Best Chef of the Southeast by the James Beard Foundation, and dubbed “the Alice Waters of Nashville,” chef Margot McCormack maintains a steady flow of followers with her seasonal menus that change daily. Margot’s Valentine’s menu is set to be an elegant departure from the heavier winter peasant fare of stews and braises. Expect sexier a la carte offerings like raw oysters, foi gras, and shrimp bisque both Friday and Saturday night. And though there’s not a bad seat in the house at Margot Café, the view from the mezzanine is recommended for optimum romance. Reservations should be made for Friday and Saturday night well in advance. Nominated for Best New Restaurant by the James Beard Foundation, Lockeland Table’s reputation has risen to the top in a

city booming with new culinary faces. The warm atmosphere coupled with chef Hal Holden-Bache’s cuisine has sparked a buzz amongst locals, but also earned the restaurant a cannonade of national praise. But don’t let the many awards and accolades intimidate you — Lockeland Table is as approachable as any neighborhood restaurant goes. The dinner menu features comforting bites like woodfired pizzas and chicken liver pate, along with heavy-hitting crowd pleasers such as the house-smoked bone marrow and Hereford

steaks served in the signature chimichurri. Experience neighborhood camaraderie during the restaurant’s community hour on Saturday from 4-6 p.m., with food and beverage specials and a portion of the proceeds benefitting the Lockeland Design Center PTO. Lockeland Table will open on Sunday for normal business hours and offer a five-course prix fixe Valentine’s dinner menu thoroughly designed to wine and dine epicurean couples. Be sure to make your reservations in advance.

January | February 2016 THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM

Meet the Seavers: Jace and Dorothy are at home in their element.

THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM January | February 2016

Keep A-Movin’ Whether it’s singing, performing, or flexing her muscles, Dorothy Gilmore-Seavers has no time for standing still by Randy Fox | photography by Chuck Allen January | February 2016 THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM

n 2007, Dorothy Gilmore-Seavers came to a crossroads in her life. She was 47 years old, the mother of two children, and successful in her profession. She had recently begun a relationship with Jace Seavers that would soon lead to marriage. On the surface, she had everything, but in a moment of self-realization, she knew she wanted more. “I just came home crying one day,” she says. “I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life. My relationship with Jace was great, but he did all these things. He was an engineer and electrician. He was an artist. He wrote songs and played music. I needed to do something. Jace said, ‘Just move; if you do one thing then that may lead to something else.’ ” Nine years later, Dorothy hasn’t stopped moving. When she welcomes you into her home, she’s friendly and effusive, and the air around her seems to crackle with energy. When she talks about what she’s done with her life, you find that energy is quite real. In less than a decade, she’s become an accomplished singer, the cohost of a comedy variety TV show, appeared in low budget films, stirred up crowds as a Nashville Rollergirls “jeerleader,” led the annual Tomato Art Festival parade as the “Grand High Tomato,” and just recently brought home a trophy from her first body building competition. At an age when many people are thinking about slowing the pace, Dorothy is just getting started. Born and raised in Mississippi, Dorothy had no trouble channeling her enthusiasm and extroverted personality into the usual extracurricular school activities. “I was always involved in something,” she says. “I lettered in basketball, ran track, got voted Miss East Side High, and was salutatorian of my high school graduating class. I went to college at Delta State University in Cleveland, Miss., and I was on the Delta Belle dance team, so I was always performing even though I never thought about singing or playing music.” After graduating with a business administration degree, she pursued a career in retail management.

“In Mississippi, everybody knows your business,” she says. “So I wanted to get out of there. After college, I moved straight to Pittsburgh where I started working in retail management for the Lerners clothing chain. In the early ’90s, I transferred to Nashville to manage the Lerners store in the old Church Street Center Mall. I eventually realized you can’t grow old gracefully in retail because it’s so demanding and you’re on your feet all day. I was a good typist, so I started working at receptionist jobs.” With her friendly personality and strong people skills, Dorothy found she was a natural as the first contact person at high-profile professional firms such as Tuck Hinton Architects, Hastings Architecture Associates, and Brasfield & Gorrie General Contractors. “It never seems like work to me — talking to people and helping them to connect with the right person,” she says. “When people come into a professional business, they need to feel good about spending their money with that company, and I love being that first contact.” But while her professional life was going well, her personal life had fallen by the wayside. As a single mother nearing middle age, she decided to try an online dating service. After dealing with the expected “dream dates” who turned out to be duds, a rather eccentric profile photo caught her eye. “He was holding a globe on his back,” Dorothy says. “It just intrigued me and spoke to me. Everything about him was different. I lived on the West Side in Belle Meade and worked in an office. He lived on the East Side and was a musician and artist. I had never even been to East Nashville. Our first date was at McCabe’s Pub, and when this tall, Germanlooking guy came through the door, he was the stuff. He was dressed all in black. Black coat, black boots, and his hair was spiky black sticking up in the air. I thought, is he coming for me? Because generally when a handsome man came through the door, they were for the person behind me or on the side of me. He had roses in his hand, and it was just a moment.” That striking man was Jace Seavers, whose

background turned out to be a world away from Dorothy’s. A Wisconsin native who grew up in the port city of Manitowoc, his life had been anything but conventional. “I lived in a Christian commune with about 500 people for almost 10 years,” he says. “It was very bizarre. After I left, I was writing lyrics for a Christian label when Warner Chappell publishing contacted me and offered me job.” Moving to Nashville, Jace Seavers continued writing contemporary Christian music for several years before drifting away from the music business full time. He continued playing and recording his own music in different genres, including prog rock and eventually his own quirky, idiosyncratic take on small combo jazz. In addition to his music, he dabbled in art and design and worked as a telecommunications engineer for I. C. Thomasson Associates, Inc. After their first meeting, the couple’s relationship quickly flowered as their personalities and strengths complemented each other. “When I met Dorothy, my goal in life was to be a grouchy old man,” Seavers says. “I was actually looking forward to that, but Dorothy wrecked that. Now every day I find myself happier; that may sound corny, but it’s true. She’s fun to be around all the time.” From Dorothy’s perspective, Jace brought both stability and a world of possibilities. “When we first met, my youngest son was 12. Jace stepped in and became a great father. Beyond that, Jace had a huge bearing on the direction of my life. I had all this energy, but no idea what to do with it. Our motto became, ‘Why not you?’ ” The first exploration was based on Jace’s suggestion to try one thing and see where it led. Dorothy signed up for vocal lessons with renowned, Nashville-based vocal coach Ron Browning and soon began to notice other opportunities, even before she felt secure enough to sing in public, as Jace recalls. “Shortly after Dorothy started the vocal lessons, I had a CD release party that had a boxing theme,” he says. “We had a fake boxing ring onstage, and she came out carrying a card

... when this tall, German-looking guy came through the door, he was the stuff. He was dressed all in black. Black coat, black boots, and his hair was spiky black sticking up in the air. 46

THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM January | February 2016

→ January | February 2016 THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM

THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM January | February 2016

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... so I found some cheap exercise equipment on Craigslist and started working out. I made some progress and then wanted to see what would happen if I gave it everything I had. that read ‘SONG 1’ and ‘SONG 2’ like she was announcing each round of the boxing match. Of course, she got all the applause.” “I loved dressing up,” Dorothy says, “so when he suggested I hold up the signs, I got really excited over the idea of wearing different outfits. Soon I was dancing at his shows, and Jace suggested I learn a song to sing. I learned one, and then another, and then another.” With Dorothy taking a larger role on stage, and the couple’s marriage in 2008, it didn’t take long before a full-fledged duo act evolved. Billing themselves as “Meet the Seavers,” Jace and Dorothy built a reputation as one of Nashville’s most unusual and theatrical musical acts — like Frank Sinatra and Peggy Lee working their way through the Tom Waits songbook — with more than a touch of classic vaudeville thrown into the mix. “We approach each set with the idea of what can we do to make it different from the last set we played,” Dorothy says. “Which is why we use different props and have costume changes; in a way, we’re really presenting a musical play.” The theatricality of their performances soon led to other avenues for Dorothy — a stint as a member of the Rhinestone Ruckus jeerleader squad for the Nashville Roller Girls, a small role portraying “Damnazon” in the low-budget, locally produced, independent feature film The Deadliest Gender, and a multiyear run as the “Grand High Tomato” in East Nashville’s annual Tomato Art Fest. “I saw this ad on the East Nashville Listserv,” Dorothy recalls. “ ‘Needed, someone to dance in tomato outfit.’ I showed up and got the part. Now I get to lead the parade each year. It is the best. I can see myself out there as a dancing tomato when I’m 75 years old.” The next avenue that Dorothy and Jace conquered turned out to be television. After a guest appearance on the locally produced musical variety program The Chico and BMan Show, the couple began contemplating their own show for the Nashville Education, Community and Arts Television (NECAT) network that provides community-generated programming for local cable providers. “At first, Jace wasn’t sure about it,” Dorothy says. “I decided I was going to do it, and then

he got on board. My vocal coach kept telling me I should interview people, and I was gung ho about trying something new. I thought it would be fun, but it also might open up other avenues. We had been playing out in clubs for a while, so this was a way to get into people’s homes.” Debuting in the fall of 2013, Meet the Seavers is a 30-minute musical, interview, comedy, variety show. The show, which just completed its second season, airs several times a week on Comcast’s Community Access channel (Channel 19), and the Music City Arts Channel (Comcast Channel 9, AT&T U-verse Channel 99). All the episodes are archived on YouTube. Drawing inspiration from The Carol Burnett Show, the classic show that aired from 1967 to 1978 on CBS, the program combines off-kilter sketch comedy, musical segments from the show’s star couple, and interview and performance segments with guest musicians. For sets, the Seavers rely on the vivid pop art décor of their Shelby Hills neighborhood home. “We basically have no budget, so we’ve had to be highly creative,” Dorothy explains. “We turned different rooms of our house into specific sets for the show. We keep an idea board in our kitchen covered with notes for potential sketches, and Jace writes all the scripts.” By January 2015, Dorothy had become accustomed to the constant changes in her life, but with her 54th birthday approaching, she began to notice a change that was not welcome. “As we go through life, we somehow believe our body will magically stay the same,” Dorothy says. “I was up to 154, the heaviest I’ve been my entire life, so I found some cheap exercise equipment on Craigslist and started working out. I made some progress and then wanted to see what would happen if I gave it everything I had.” Deciding that working with a personal trainer was the next step, both Dorothy and Jace began a six-month program with Dustin Moore at Platinum Built Training that included structured meal plans and workouts. “I went to the gym every morning and then when I got off from work too,” Dorothy says. “I CO N T I NUED ON PAGE 96

January | February 2016 THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM

THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM January | February 2016

2015 EAST NASHVILLIANS of the

year The start of 2016 can only mean one thing: the announcement of the 2015 winners for East Nashvillians of the Year! Awarded by the Historic East Nashville Merchants Association (HENMA) from nominations submitted by the general public and selected by HENMA members in a secret ballot, these awards recognize contributions to the local community that stand out — ones that “pay it forward” and exemplify the values we share in our humble neighborhood. The awards are presented in two categories: Business and Citizen. This year, for the first

time since its inception in 2008, there was a tie in the Citizen category. Darrell Downs of East Nashville Little League and Kelly Perry of the East Nashville & Inglewood Lost and Found Pets Facebook page will each receive the Citizen’s award. Matt Charette, the proprietor of the popular 5 Points establishments Beyond the Edge, Drifter’s BBQ, and Batter’d and Fried Boston Seafood House is the recipient of the Business award. We’d like to offer our congratulations to the winners and wish them all the best in the coming year.

Past Winners 2008

BUSINESS: Meg & Bret MacFadyen/ Art and Invention Gallery CITIZEN: Bob Acuff

2009

2010

BUSINESS: Dan Heller/ Riverside Village CITIZEN: Carol Norton

2012

2011

BUSINESS: Alan Murdock/ ArtHouse Gardens CITIZEN: Catherine McTamaney

2013

BUSINESS: The East Nashvillian

BUSINESS: March Egerton

CITIZEN: Elizabeth Chauncey

CITIZEN: Carol Williams

BUSINESS: The Green Wagon CITIZEN: Eric Jans

2014

BUSINESS: Powell Architecture + Building Studio CITIZEN: Brett Withers

January | February 2016 THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM

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The experience of being fired for the first time in my life actually turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to me.

PH OTOGR A P H B Y C H UC K AL LE N

THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM January | February 2016

Business:

Matt Charette

n the spring of 2003, Matt Charette was driving south on 11th Street. He was just half a block from 5 Points when he noticed a red brick building set back from the street. “I drove past the building and wondered what it was,” Charette recalls. “I stopped and looked around and there was a For Rent sign leaned up against the building behind a fence. I called and left a message three times. Finally, this guy called me back and said, ‘Well, Matt, you passed my first test — persistence. Tell me what you’re going to do with my building.’ I said I was planning to open a bar and restaurant, and he goes, ‘Wait a second, Matt. If you’re going to do business with me, you’d better be a helluva lot more enthusiastic about what you’re doing!’ “I didn’t know what to say,” Charette continues. “No one had ever talked to me that way before. It felt like there was five minutes of silence, and all of sudden this big, booming voice started laughing. ‘I’m just messing with you, Matt. But seriously, if you’re not enthusiastic about what you’re doing, how do you expect anyone else to be? Now you tell me what you’re going to do.’ ” Although he didn’t realize it at the time, Charette’s first conversation with his soon-to-be landlord, David Knoble, embodied the three elements that would lead to success — persistence, a belief in what you are doing, and openness to advice. It’s a trinity upon which he has built his East Nashville culinary landmarks — Beyond the Edge, Batter’d & Fried Boston Seafood House, and Drifters BBQ. Charette’s journey as a successful restauranteur didn’t happen overnight. A native of Palmer, Mass., Charette is the youngest of seven children and learned about good food and great restaurants from his father. “My father is a French gourmet chef,” he says. “He never owned his own restaurant, but I did a lot of catering jobs with him, and I was around the whole food experience growing up. It was something I thought I might want to do, but my dad always discouraged me. He’d say, ‘You don’t want to be in the restaurant business because you work too damn much.’ ” In addition to fine food, Charette also had a passion for sports that led him to majoring in physical education at Springfield College in Massachusetts. After two years of classes, he was still unsure what he wanted from life. That

restlessness led to the Marine Corps. “I was in through the whole Desert Storm thing,” he says. “That changed my perspective on a few things. I think a lot of veterans experience that kind of change. You begin to question some things when you see a different side of what the world is like.” After four years of service, Charette returned home in 1994. He was still unsatisfied and desiring a drastic change. He recalled a fellow marine’s stories about growing up in Nashville. Although Charette played guitar and wrote songs, music wasn’t what brought him south. “I needed a change after getting out of the Marine Corps,” he says. “I had some things to figure out, and Nashville appealed to me. I really came to town to finish my degree at TSU, but at that time, the attendance was way up, and the dorms were overcrowded. I was 25 years old at the time and tired of living in barracks. I ended up living in East Nashville in an apartment with some other guys.” Between his classes, Charette found employment at the Wildhorse Saloon. There he learned the bar and restaurant business from the ground up, working the front door and on through a variety of positions — bar-back, server, bartender, and eventually general manager, a position he held until 2002 when he suddenly and unexpectedly was let go. “At first, I didn’t know what I wanted to do,” he says. “The experience of being fired for the first time in my life actually turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to me. I felt like Ebenezer Scrooge when he woke up and realized that he hadn’t missed Christmas. It was a chance for a fresh start. I was getting job offers from vendors and suppliers that knew me from the Wildhorse. I went on a lot of interviews, but soon realized that what I really wanted was to open my own place.” Charette began his search for a potential location, looking at real estate in several locations, including midtown and 12 South, but East Nashville kept calling him back. Even though he had moved away from the East Side, Charette had several friends who were buying houses in East Nashville to renovate, and he was familiar with the 5 Points revival that was just getting off the ground with the Slow Bar and the recently reopened Radio Café. That led him CO N T I N U E D O N P A G E 9 7

By Randy Fox January | February 2016 THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM

THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM January | February 2016

PH OTOGR A P H B Y C H UC K AL LE N

It doesn’t matter if it’s the pros or 8-year-olds, if you’ve got a good pitcher against a great hitter, you want to see that matchup, that competitiveness. That’s really rewarding to me.

Citizen:

Darrell Downs

s a child growing up in Pilot Mountain, N.C., Darrell Downs was frequently trying to beat his sister to the TV. If she was first to the set, it meant soap operas ruled the afternoon. But on the days Downs outraced his sister, he got to enjoy another installment of Chicago Cubs baseball. “When we started getting cable television [around the late 1970s] in the small town where I grew up, we didn’t have that many channels,” says Downs, the 43-year-old president of the East Nashville Little League. “But we did have [Chicago’s] WGN, so if I could beat my sister to the television, I could spend all afternoon watching a baseball game. That’s how I became a Cubs fan.” His allegiance to the Cubs is just a part of Downs’ passion for baseball. It’s a lifelong fascination that helps to explain why he can be found well after dark mowing the outfields or raking the infields of the baseball diamonds in Shelby Park. It provides a clue as to why his twins — son Amos and daughter Lydia, born this past September — are often dressed in onesies bearing the East Nashville Little League logo. And most tellingly, the baseball in his blood gives rise to why he so wants to be sure that America’s pastime helps to form the basis for continuously improving the East Nashville community. It was his mission from the get-go, when he became president of the ENLL just prior to the 2012 season. Downs and his wife, Denise, along with their children, daughter Brittany and son Clay, had moved to East Nashville in January that year, and Dad wanted to be certain Clay, then 11, had a place to play organized baseball come spring. He found what were basically the remnants of the old Jess Neely Athletics league that had played under the sanction of Dixie Youth Baseball in Shelby Park, and it was then that Downs discovered his calling in the community. “When Denise and I took it over, we felt like there was a big community responsibility,” Downs says. “It was bigger than baseball. Little by little, I think people are seeing it evolve. They’re seeing it that way, that it’s not just baseball. It’s a community feel. But we’re trying to play good baseball, too. That’s what we’re working toward now, getting better and better, but not losing that whole community feel.”

Many parents, youth baseball enthusiasts, and others who have stakes in East Nashville liked what this newcomer was preaching, and before long Downs had a solid group of supporters. He says he couldn’t begin to name all those who have volunteered in one way or another, but he lists a core group that includes Brett Vargason, Michael Bell, Jamie Hollin, Pete Hawes, Nick Ewald, Lauren Napier, and Kathy Truitt. “There are so many volunteers that do so much and help out in so many ways,” Down says. Much of that comes from the inspiration they’ve received, Vargason says. “[Downs] has revitalized this program. His heart, his mind, and his passion — it’s infectious,” says the league’s director of sponsorships who has a son that plays. “When I brought my son down there [to sign up], just being around Darrell and his vision makes you want to buy in to what he’s doing. He’s a great leader. He’s someone who inspires people to want to do things for the community. He inspires change, so that baseball’s the front-end piece to being about community and helping others.” Downs’ childhood was spent in the town that was the influence for Mount Pilot, the fictional name of the next town over from Mayberry in The Andy Griffith Show. Pilot Mountain is just 12 miles from Mount Airy, where Griffith is from and the town that formed the creation of Mayberry. Downs’ dad was sort of the “Sheriff Taylor” of the area, only as a high school baseball coach instead of a lawman. “It was the East Surrey Cardinals, and Dad coached there for 30-plus years,” Downs says. “He was head coach, then turned that over to the assistant coach when my sister and I were small. He stayed involved with it throughout. He’s retired now, but he still keeps up with the games.” Downs figures he was introduced to baseball when he was about 2 months old, and he began playing within just a few years. “I started playing when I was 5, all the way through high school,” he says. “I wasn’t the best player, but I wasn’t the worst. I was a left-handed pitcher. I probably learned more about the game from my father than actually from playing. I knew more about the big picture of the game — the rules, the positions, everything you’re supposed to do — than me focusing on my game. I might have CO N T I N U E D O N P A G E 9 8

By John McBryde January | February 2016 THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM

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If people realize there’s a system and procedures in place to help lost pets, they will be more likely to step up and do their part.

PH OTOGR A P H B Y C H UC K AL LE N

THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM January | February 2016

Citizen:

Kelly Perry

ith the tireless devotion that Jack Kitsch has brought to the cause of reuniting lost pets with their owners through the East Nashville & Inglewood Lost and Found Pets Facebook group, one might imagine a dashing and heroic figure — an Internet superhero whose organizational and social media skills are matched by his compassion. The real Jack Kitsch, aka Kelly Perry, is a bright, friendly, and unassuming woman, quietly sipping her coffee at Sip Café. Though she may be missing the cape, cowl, and rippling muscles as she discusses the chain of events that led to her mission in life and her accidental secret identity, there’s little doubt that she has risen to the challenge of a “great responsibility.” A native of South Carolina, Perry moved to Nashville in the mid-1990s. “I was married to a drummer,” she says. “He wanted to move for the music. Once we were here, he found a girlfriend, and I found Nashville. I wouldn’t have come here if it wasn’t for him, so I’m glad I did.” Eventually, the charms of the East Side proved to be irresistible. “About 12 years ago,” she recalls, “I went to a show at The Family Wash and just got hooked on the neighborhood. I loved East Nashville and Inglewood because it had that vibe of, ‘We’re all making it together.’ I bought in East Nashville first, and then after I remarried, we moved to Inglewood. My husband is a professor at Vanderbilt, and he’s tenured so we’ll probably be here until we die.” A dealer in vintage décor and collectibles, Perry writes for several vintage lifestyle and collectibles blogs under the name Eartha Kitsch. Although she has loved animals since childhood, she never planned that caring for their well-being would become a central part of her daily life. “I had done small things like scooping litter boxes for cat rescues and worked on food drives,” she says. “We had a stray cat that showed up in our yard, and I reached out to a cat rescue to find it a home. Soon I was on several mailing lists.” That experience gave her an awareness of just how many pets are lost and found each year — and how many reunions fail to happen simply because there was no central point of contact connecting owners searching for their lost pets and well-intentioned people who have

found them. She began scanning Craigslist and local Listservs in her spare time, attempting to match lost pet notices with found listings. In August 2011, she reached a turning point with the disappearance of a tan Labrador named Skippy Lou. “I received a group email from a mailing list I was on about a lady in Franklin who had cancer,” Perry says. “While she was recovering from surgery, her dog, Skippy Lou, had gotten lost from a pet sitter. It was a heartbreaking story. My husband and I went down to Franklin to help search for the dog, but it was never found.” Continuing to help with the search for Skippy Lou, Perry became the administrator of a Facebook group set up for possible sightings and launched a blog to coordinate information. At the time, she was using a Facebook account under the name “Jack Kitsch,” a joke name she had created for an online contest, and never expected it to become a full-fledged alter ego that she would still be using four years later. As the search for Skippy Lou continued, other people in the Nashville area began posting lost and found pet notices to the site, and the Facebook group gradually transformed into a lost and found pet group for the Nashville metropolitan area. Although Skippy Lou was never found, the group named in her honor has acquired over 5,500 members and has played a central role in reuniting hundreds of Nashvillearea pets with their owners. As successful as the Skippy Lou group was, Perry still saw a need for a group with a tighter focus on East Nashville and Inglewood. “I wanted to do something that was centered closer to home,” Perry says. “The lost pet situation in East Nashville and Inglewood is particularly bad. East C.A.N. Rescue struggles to find homes for all the pets they take in, and they were trying to help with lost and found, too. I started the East Nashville & Inglewood Lost and Found Pets group in February 2014, and it caught on like wildfire.” Both groups that Perry administers provide a central point of information for lost pets, found pets, resources on how to search for pets, and a place where pet owners can find support, encouragement, and empathy. “When you post about a lost pet on general community pages or Listservs, sometimes CO N T I N U E D O N P A G E 9 9

By Randy Fox January | February 2016 THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM

Music City

Classical

THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM January | February 2016

ALIAS Chamber Ensemble begins the new year with its third album and a renewed sense of purpose by Ron Wynn photograph by John Partipilo

January | February 2016 THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM

hough Nashville is famous as Music City, home to many different kinds of music, a lot of people don’t realize that includes a vibrant classical music scene. Nashville not only boasts a world class symphony orchestra, but also a number of smaller classical groups, such as ALIAS Chamber Ensemble, which has called the city home for over 14 years. In addition to being an accomplished and increasingly popular contributor to the city’s diverse musical scene, ALIAS is also heavily involved in something else equally important: community growth and arts engagement. ALIAS has 12 members — Zeneba Bowers (violin), Chris Farrell (viola), Alison Gooding (violin), Licia Jaskunas (harp), Lee Levine (clarinet), Leslie Norton (horn), Sari Reist (cello), Melissa Rose (piano), Christopher Stenstrom (cello), Matt Walker (cello), Roger Wiesmeyer (English horn, oboe), and Jeremy Williams (violin). Most of them also are members of the Nashville Symphony, while four serve on the faculties of Vanderbilt’s Blair School of Music (Norton, Rose, Wiesmeyer) and Belmont School of Music (Gooding). Their 14th season began in October, and continues through 2016, with several exciting

“

We work hard to make it clear that Music City is more than just country music. — Zeneba Bowers

things on the horizon. Among the most notable are their third album and their winter concert, which will be held at Blair School of Music on Feb. 10. The album — spotlighting works by Pulitzer-winning composer Paul Moravec — will be issued in January. ALIAS’ winter concert features selections from the disc, as well as from Kenji Bunch and Gabriela Lena Frank, the composers featured on ALIAS’ two previous recordings. “This seemed like an appropriate way to celebrate the release of our third CD, and to highlight ALIAS’ recording history,” Bowers, who is also ALIAS’ artistic director, says. “We love all three of these composers,

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and we’re really proud of our recordings of their music.” She points out how this disc differs from previous ALIAS releases. “The key difference is that ALIAS partners with two organizations, the Nashville Ballet, a cocommissioner of the new work, and Portara Ensemble,” Bowers says. “We performed all the works on the CD for a ballet with new choreography, as well as premiering them on ALIAS concerts. This kind of collaboration is not unusual for ALIAS, but it is unusual to have that many artistic entities involved in a recording project. It’s unusual for a ballet company to commission new chamber music; the way we approached the project, working with Moravec, the resulting piece, ‘Amorisms,’ works both as a ballet work and as a stand-alone chamber work. “The project is connected to Delos Records and Naxos USA, our previous labels, which both have a large interest in promoting and distributing the disc. Most importantly: The project continues ALIAS’ legacy of commissioning and recording modern music by important American composers, creating a lasting archive of great music from the modern era.” ALIAS goes to great lengths to ensure its albums are exemplary. “Each of our recordings is the result of something like two years of preparation or more,” Bowers explains. “It begins with an idea, meetings with various people, like the key figures of Portara and the ballet, identifying composers and feeling out their interest, coming up with a funding plan and a project timeline, talking to recording engineers and record labels, and so on.” ALIAS is also presenting repertoire from the concert event that was cancelled last season due to ice storms, including a world premiere by John Marvin. Other items spotlighted during the season will be pieces by modern composers Eric Ewazen, Andy Akiho, and Karim Al Zand, as well as 20th-century masters like Paul Hindemith, Benjamin Britten, Andre Jolivet, and the 17th-century composer Giovanni Antonio Pandolfi Mealli.

“ALIAS has a reputation for collaborating with composers,” explains Walker, ALIAS cellist and a composer himself. “Seven of this season’s composers are living, which of course makes the collaboration much easier.” The group has a dynamic and intriguing history. Indeed, their name reflects a delicate balance its members regularly negotiate. “ALIAS was suggested by Lee Levine, our clarinet player,” Bowers says. “It was chosen because we are all full-time professionals either teaching or playing, and our work with ALIAS is our ‘alias,’ a second side to us people didn’t get to see before.” Their mission has also been as much about expansion and advocacy as preservation and authenticity. ALIAS performs and presents music from a variety of composers and sources, some of which date back centuries. In addition, they’ve been dedicated since their inception to refuting the conventional wisdom that classical music appeals to only older, upscale, culturally elitist types. The biggest way they’ve combated that notion has been through aggressive outreach efforts. They’ve given more than $35,000 to various local nonprofit groups over their tenure through an arrangement in which they annually pick a local partner to whom they donate 100 percent of every concert’s profits. ALIAS has played before more than 4,000 children and adults in various settings as part of their Community Education Program (CEP). Yet, while all those things are commendable, if ALIAS’ music weren’t exemplary, its other goals would be jeopardized or compromised. ALIAS’ impressive track record includes a Grammy nomination for the group’s 2011 release Hilos (Threads) with Gabriela Lena Frank (coproduced by Bowers). They followed that with the release of Boiling Point: Music of Kenji Bunch in 2012. They’ve debuted 23 world-performance works. Listening to any ALIAS album, the precision and beauty of the compositions and playing reflect the musicians’ high caliber. Bowers got hooked on violin in public school after seeing an instructor playing it — the major reason she’s such an advocate for ALIAS’ community program. “My college violin professor and friend Lynn Blakeslee, who passed away in August, was a huge influence on me,” Bowers says. “It’s impossible for me to overstate Lynn’s impact on my professional life. I credit her with completely changing my technique, helping me diagnose technical problems in myself and others so I can solve problems on my own, and giving me the thick skin I needed to make it in this tough business.” There’s also an interesting personal component in ALIAS’ success. Bowers is married to Walker. Walker’s father was a jazz drummer, and that’s a principal reason

those strains have found their way into his approach as a composer, and into some of the pieces performed by ALIAS over the years. As ALIAS’ profile and reputation continue to grow, the personal and professional bond between Bowers and Walker remains equally strong. “I love working with Matt,” Bowers says. “For some, it would not be a great idea to work so closely together in our three jobs [Nashville Symphony, ALIAS, and their travel business, Little Roads Europe], but we

have found a groove and it works for us. We each have unique strengths, and we let each other take the lead as necessary to achieve our goals.” Still, looking back, Bowers admits it took some time to get things going smoothly. “In the beginning, our challenges were establishing a nonprofit organization, developing our board, managing the administrative functions, establishing an audience and our reputation, and getting all the musicians →

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THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM January | February 2016

on board,” she says. “Our challenges today are about finding balance and finding some time for seeking out and creating new musical opportunities, time in our ever-increasingly crazy schedules to handle all the work we do, and time for all the musicians to rest and think so we can bring our best to the stage,” she continues. “We also challenge ourselves to continuously educate the community and potential donors about the valuable and important work we do with community outreach.” This season’s nonprofit partners are Safe Haven Family Shelter, Tennessee Coalition to End Domestic Violence, and the Nashville Freedom School Partnership. ALIAS’ Nashville home base is in Turner Hall at the Blair School of Music, where they are also a resident ensemble. Another among their season initiatives will be increasing the number and scope of CEP programs. Past locales for these events have ranged from the Park Center, Dismas House, and Tennessee School for the Blind to many Metro schools. As if all this weren’t enough, there have also been some changes in ALIAS’ support structure. Heather Lefkowitz is the new executive director, while Georgeann Burns is now board president, replacing longtime chair Stacy Widelitz. “Georgeann has been an asset to the ALIAS organization since she joined the board,” Widelitz says. “As vice president, she has been of tremendous help to us with her wise counsel and clear-eyed vision of the future of the organization. “Heather is the perfect person to be our next executive director,” he adds. “This new team is poised to take ALIAS to the next level, and that’s exciting news for Nashville.” While Bowers and Walker acknowledge Nashville isn’t the mecca for classical music, they feel the amount of work they’ve done over the years has helped woo more people to classical events, including many who may be seeing or hearing their first performance of a chamber music ensemble. ALIAS performances outside of Nashville also provide the ensemble an opportunity to spread the word about the breadth and scope of the city’s music scene. “Yes, we work hard to make it clear that Music City is more than just country music,” Bowers says. Oddly, one thing that might be considered a strength — regular classical radio programming on WPLN, WRVU, and now at times on WMOT — isn’t really seen as that big an asset, at least in terms of getting more people to their concerts. “I’m not sure about that — whether the radio programming has had a positive impact,” Bowers says. “I do know we have a loyal audience base, and we’re always looking to expand that to people who may not consider themselves classical music fans but like our eclectic

repertoire. We’re also encouraging new audience members who encounter us through our community outreach.” When asked about special highlights and memorable achievements, the first thing that’s mentioned is the Grammy nomination. But they also cite an appearance on the nationally syndicated radio show Performance Today, as well as an engagement at The Schubert Club in Minneapolis, which they rank as their favorite venue outside Nashville.

With its new structure in place and the season underway, Bowers prefers looking to the future rather than the past. But she doesn’t hesitate when asked if she ever anticipated ALIAS would survive for 14 years while establishing itself as an important part of Nashville’s classical music scene. “Absolutely not,” she concludes. “When we started we just wanted to perform with friends and give back to the community. It’s been one wild ride, and I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity.”

January | February 2016 THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM

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P H OTO GR A PH BY CH U CK A LLE N

Escape artist Oscar is back home thanks to the East Nashville & Inglewood Lost and Found Pets Facebook page.

Miracles in the Making The East Nashville & Inglewood Lost and Found Pets Facebook page helps reunite lost pets and their owners. By Rebecah Boynton January | February 2016 THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM

THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM January | February 2016

lizabeth Poynter was despondent. On a sunny Sunday morning while vacationing in Florida, the East Nashville resident awoke to a barrage of missed calls and urgent text messages: her beloved 2-year-old Great Pyrenees, Oscar,

Pets page. Kitsch believes the most important steps East Nashvillians can take to help lost pets reunite with their owners begins with intervention. “A lot of times, a lost pet will be seen many times before anyone will actually intervene and start looking for an owner, and unfortunately, for a lot of pets, there are no second chances,” Kitsch says. “If you pass that pet up, there is no guarantee that it will live to find someone who will help. We have to be that someone.” In Oscar’s case, that someone was a neighborhood couple who spotted him wandering alone in Shelby Park. Instead of brushing the pup off as yet another East Nashville stray or assuming he would find his way home eventually, the neighbors intervened, following a plan of action that Kitsch and the other page administrators strongly advocate: They removed Oscar from the streets, took him to the safety of their home, and began the search for an owner.

get hit on all the time through email,” Kitsch, whose real name is Kelly Perry, says with a chuckle. “Other women just couldn’t believe that there could be such a man out there who would do all of this stuff. It just goes to show that animal rescue is hot! So, dudes — rescue a pet.” Though Kitsch admits more women than men seem to participate in the page’s cause, there are numerous devoted male members who will grab found pets and work hard to unite them. She rejects the notion that “maternal instincts” are what fuels the fires of reuniting. Instead, Kitsch maintains that both men and women possess tenderness and empathy, and opening up to those feelings is key when helping pets in need. “My page is definitely not a ladies club,” she asserts. “It’s not a sweet place where we just sit around and coo over cute pets. Some days are seriously wrenching and leave us all gasping. We have heartbreak, but at the same time, so much elation. We’ve got men and women and people of all races and generations, just like in our own neighborhood, and we all love reuniting pets.” From swift reunions like Oscar’s to one unforgettable feline returned home after missing for two years, Kitsch and the other page administrators possess a genuine devotion to each furry wayfarer that comes their way. It is what attracted so many unwitting suitors to her inbox, and may be the most defining mark of Kitsch’s recently declared sainthood. Yet, Kitsch maintains humility and a strong faith in the power of community. She believes that if given the proper channels, individuals can and will unite to take care of their own. “Oscar’s reunion story is the perfect example of why I started the page,” Kitsch says. “I wanted to create a place where East Nashville neighbors could post about their lost and found pets and then receive advice, encouragement, and leads. Oscar’s reunion was all of that and then some. It wasn’t about my doing anything special, but just that a place was created where the perfect storm of a reunion could happen. That’s what I want the East Nashville & Inglewood Lost and Found Pets page to always be about: neighbors helping neighbors and their pets.” Before the page’s inception, Kitsch’s work as a lost pet advocate began when she fell into matching lost and found pets on Craigslist. “It was just my way of doing volunteer work, a little feel good thing,” she says. But as neighborhoods in and around Nashville began creating Facebook pages for their own adrift animals, Kitsch followed suit and launched the East Nashville & Inglewood page in February of 2014. “Since I live in Inglewood, I really wanted to have a page that just focused on the pets that

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was missing. “We were having nice weather that weekend in Nashville, so a window was left cracked open in my house,” she explains. “Oscar is 90 pounds, so it didn’t take much for him to raise it with his snout and escape.” Panic set in as Poynter grappled with the unbearable uncertainty that accompanies a missing loved one. Back home, family and friends were springing into action as Poynter made plans to return early to join the effort. “It’s a really helpless situation to be in,” she admits. “It was difficult being away, even though I knew everyone was doing everything they could.” In the past, if an East Nashville pet decided to go rogue, methods of getting him/her back home were limited. Photo albums were brought down from the shelves, and pages of shiny-eyed images were shuffled through. Pictures were photocopied to Sharpie-inked fliers, and search parties wandered the streets calling out in desperation. The process was slow and inefficient, resulting in a low rate of reunions. But with the onset of social media, a sea change has taken shape. Platforms such as Facebook now serve as online alert systems for lost pets — an invaluable tool for pet owners and advocates to gain immediate access to the surrounding community. Today, East Nashville residents, both bipeds and quadrupeds alike, are benefitting greatly from the establishment of the East Nashville & Inglewood Lost and Found Pets page on Facebook. With 3,000 page followers, owners now have an effective venue to post their pet’s disappearance, and lost dogs and cats are getting the exposure they need to facilitate their return home. The page also serves as an online work space for page administrators and other community advocates to collaborate and assist distraught pet owners with encouragement and advice. Just ask Elizabeth Poynter. “We immediately posted Oscar’s picture and information to the Lost and Found Pets page,” she recalls, “and right away, we began to receive leads on his whereabouts, and that guy, Jack Kitsch, started commenting with suggestions on the best steps to take to bring him home.” Jack Kitsch, who Poynter refers to as the patron saint of lost pets, is the founding member and head administrator of the Lost and Found

We have to own up to what’s ours, and these pets — well, they’re ours. Nobody did this to East Nashville — we have to take responsibility for our own. — Kelly Perry, aka Jack Kitsch

Oscar’s picture and pertinent information were spotted on the group page, and within two days of his disappearance, Oscar was successfully returned home. “I don’t know how we would have found him without the Lost and Found Pets page,” Poynter says. “That, and all the helpful suggestions from Jack.” That name — Jack Kitsch — has become increasingly well-known within East Nashville social media circles. Kitsch is often summoned first whenever a four-legged friend is missing or found, and promptly arrives with experienced advice or an encouraging word. Yet, unbeknownst to most, “Jack Kitsch” is not a real name. In fact, Kitsch isn’t a “guy” at all, like Poynter and many others believe. “When I started the Lost and Found Pets page and it was less known that I was actually a woman with a manly sounding screen name, I’d

January | February 2016 THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM

THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM January | February 2016

were in my community,” she explains. “I could see that it was badly needed. Lost pet owners and finders were grasping at straws and needed a place where they could feel supported.” The “need” that Kitsch refers to is an issue that could be described as an East Nashville elephant in the room — remedying the community’s stray cat and dog epidemic. The problem is so great that Kitsch says many East Nashvillians claim the area to be a “dumping ground” for cats and dogs, which she vehemently refutes. According to Kitsch, the problem did not come from the outside in, but was spawned within the community itself. “We have to own up to what’s ours, and these pets — well, they’re ours,” she explains. “Nobody did this to East Nashville — we have to take responsibility for our own. Change can come, but we have to recognize our own shortcomings in pet ownership and animal welfare. If we see a pet that needs help, we have to help it. We have to be the change that we want to see. This goes for lost pets, pets on chains that are suffering from neglect, animal hoarding — the whole ball of wax. Say something. Do something.” Solving the problem of strays in East Nashville brings up a common misconception that Kitsch aims to shed light upon. “A huge majority of dogs and cats that turn up as strays on the streets are actually not strays at all, but lost pets who never made it home,” Kitsch explains. “They’re not just falling out of the sky or being tossed out of car windows onto our sidewalks. They lose their way and they get absorbed into our neighborhoods. It’s up to us to make the next move. We are a fantastic, loving community, and together, we can do this.” Coadministrator and lost pet advocate Annaliese Barber adds additional perspective to the conversation. “Too many people assume that a roaming dog or cat does not have someone looking for it,” she says. “It is amazing how quickly a pet’s behavior and appearance can change once they are out on their own — their hair gets matted quickly, their survival instincts kick in, and they become skittish very fast. So what may appear to be a stray is usually someone’s lost pet, and we want to urge everyone to do their due diligence and find an owner.” With the creation of the Lost and Found Pets page, Kitsch also intended for other animal activist groups in the community to be freed to function more efficiently. “East C.A.N., an amazing animal rescue group in the neighborhood, was being inundated with lost and found pets on their page,” she says. “I knew that if I created a group exclusively dedicated to reuniting, I could get a lot of that load off of them so that they could breathe a little easier and concentrate solely on rescue.” As the success of the page grew, and the number of followers and reunions increased, more pet owners and finders needed assistance than Kitsch could manage alone. She brought on a dedicated team of coadministrators

who work diligently by her side. “Currently, I have Annaliese Barber, Susan Hosey, Jane Whitesides, Erica Silverboard, and Jennifer Core as my coadmins. They’re really wonderful and have so much energy for reuniting. I’m hoping that the team will continue to grow with the page.” Today, the Lost and Found page is blossoming with a grand emergence of community participation and volunteerism. Residents are enthusiastically coming together and taking part in the care of their own. “At first, it was just the admins that were offering advice, but now we see page members chiming in with helpful tips and offers to hang signs,” Kitsch says enthusiastically. “Someone will post a lost pet, and within minutes, another page member will say, ‘Is this her at animal control?’ or ‘I think I just saw him on the neighborhood page,’ and soon we’re all cheering because a reunion is happening. It’s pretty exciting to watch.” What lies ahead for the page and its administrators is continued growth, education, and becoming a more organized entity. “We hope to recruit more volunteers to help with hanging fliers and visiting animal control,” Barber says. “Lots of people need help taking those steps. We are also looking to raise future funds to purchase supplies like microchip scanners, and eventually we’d like to build a searchable database of lost and found pets that will allow us to network with other Nashville community Facebook pages.” “I hope to encourage all East Nashvillians to follow the page and question each animal that they see out there,” Kitsch adds. “A lot of people get caught up in this feeling of helplessness because they can’t help all of the pets on the streets, and so they do nothing. But it’s important to realize that helping just one pet is huge. There is no underestimating the power in that. For that one pet, it’s everything. “I also want people to know that getting pets microchipped and tagged is a very simple and inexpensive thing to do to help get pets reunited,” she continues. “There is no excuse these days for not taking these precautions. Also note that pets that are seen roaming while wearing tags are more likely to be helped by strangers, because these folks feel like they won’t get ‘stuck with’ a found pet. If the unexpected happens and your pet gets lost, you want them to look like they have swift reunion potential.” When asked what she aspires her community members to take away from her page, the response from Kitsch is one of endurance and hope: “Never say ‘never’ — and never give up! Lost pets will keep trying to get home for as long as they have breath in them. They don’t and can’t give up. We can’t give up on them, either. Sometimes, all it takes is a single post to spark a reunion. That’s exciting to me.” Check out Kelly Perry’s 2015 East Nashvillian of the Year profile on page 56. January | February 2016 THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM

THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM January | February 2016

The Real Mark Huff Nashville is the well that never runs dry By Randy Fox Photography by Stacie Huckeba

January | February 2016 THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM

THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM January | February 2016

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inger and songwriter Mark Huff had been plying his craft for many years when he received a most unexpected and unusual email. “About 10 years ago,” he recalls, “I got this email that said, ‘My name is Mark Huff. I’m a singer, and I live in San Diego. I’m in a band called 5150; we’re a Sammy Hagarera Van Halen tribute band. I was wondering if you’d like to sell your domain name, markhuff. com.’ I Googled a couple of videos of him and I thought, Really? I was feeling like a smart ass that day, so I wrote him back and said I’d sell it to him for $20,000. He wrote back all sad, and I replied to say I was just joking and that I wished him all the best. “Fast forward a decade,” Huff continues, “and I’m at my folks’ house in Las Vegas, and there’s this documentary on TV about the ’80s metal band Quiet Riot. The band had reunited. This other Mark Huff had become the lead singer, and then he got fired. The documentary was just brutal. Every time the name Mark Huff came

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Vegas pop music royalty, when it came to his own music, he was a rock & roller. In the early ’80s, he began building his musical reputation in the alternative rock bands Smart Bomb and Big Wow and made his solo debut with the album Happy Judgement Day in 1989. Over the next 10 years, he built a following in the Las Vegas scene, and his 1999 album, Skeleton Faith, was chosen as “Best Album” in the annual Las Vegas City Life music poll. He made the jump from the smaller Vegas clubs to opening for such artists as Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, Al Green, and Chris Isaak and garnering regular gigs at the House of Blues and the Hard Rock Hotel. With steady bookings and a good income, some musicians might have been satisfied, but Huff knew something was missing. “I was signed to Bug Music’s Los Angeles office,” Huff recalls. “The guy that signed me, Eddie Gomez, told me I should check out Nashville since I was doing the whole rootsy singer-songwriter thing. First time I came out was in 1995; a friend of mine in Vegas had

Nashville is the greatest place in the world because of the deep well of talent here. You have these great musicians who have played with so many people, and they’re all approachable.

up and the other band members were bitching about him, I felt like drinking. Later, I was telling my manager this story and he said, ‘Man, you’re the real Mark Huff,’ and I said, ‘Yeah, you’re right!’ ” Although that moment of comic and unwanted notoriety through association might have seemed like an identity crisis, the real Mark Huff had been making his presence known to the world for quite some time — through live performances, a series of critically acclaimed albums, and as a fixture of the Nashville music scene. His latest statement of self, the EP Down River, features six examples of Huff ’s songwriting performed with some of Music City’s finest musicians. But the road to Huff ’s self-actualization began 1,800 miles away, on the brightly lit streets of Vegas. “I was born in Miami,” Huff says, “but we moved to Las Vegas when I was 1 month old, so that’s where I grew up. My dad was a golf pro, and he gave lessons to all the celebrities. When we were teenagers, my brother and I would caddy for Bob Hope, Dean Martin, and Sammy Davis Jr. We’d get a hundred bucks just for driving their golf carts around for an hour or so.” Although Huff grew up in close proximity to

— Mark Huff hooked me up with (singer-songwriter) Bill Lloyd, who was like the ‘mayor of Nashville.’ We had a three-hour breakfast one morning, and Bill introduced me to several people around town. I started coming back and forth, and every time I came to town, Bill would introduce me to more people. “In September 2002, I was in Nashville with my band, and the next day while we were flying back to Vegas, I decided I was going to move. Two nights later, I told the band, and anybody was welcome to come with me. Everybody thought I was crazy except our guitar player who was from Austin. He said, ‘I hate to see you go, but it will be the best thing for you.’ ” Recently divorced and with no firm prospects in Nashville, Huff sold his house, filled a U-Haul trailer with his guitars and amps, corralled his dogs into his van, and hit the road to Nashville. Before he reached the city limits, he had a gig, thanks to the network of friends he had built. “I was about three hours away from Nashville when I called Daniel Tashian to let him know I was on the way,” Huff says. “He asked me if I wanted to play a songwriters showcase at 12th & Porter that night and I said, ‘Sure.’ When I got to town, I unloaded all my stuff into a → January | February 2016 THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM

THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM January | February 2016

weekly motel in Bellevue, and I had to kennel my dogs because they couldn’t stay at the motel. Even though I had a gig that night, I was feeling pretty down and asking myself, ‘What did I just do?’ I called Bill Lloyd, and he said to meet him at the Exit/In after my gig. He took me around and introduced me to more people, including Allison Moorer. Three months later, I was on tour with Allison, opening for her.” Huff soon found that Nashville’s community of musicians wasn’t just a path to good live gigs, but also made a big difference in the studio. “The first album I cut in Nashville, Gravity [2007], was recorded at Bucky Baxter’s studio with Bucky, Dan Baird, and Brad Pemberton,” he says. “I had been a fan of Dan Baird, but I had never met him before. Right then, I realized that Nashville is the greatest place in the world because of the deep well of talent here. You have these great musicians who have played with so many people, and they’re all approachable. They’ll play on your records and really give you their best, whether you’re a star or just starting out.” That well of talent has proved especially rich for Huff. He returned to it for his 2010 album, Feels Like California, which he cut with producer Adam Landry at Landry’s Playground Sound Studio, with Fred Eltringham on drums, James Haggerty on bass, and Stuart Mathis on guitar. Working with a changing cast of top players has been a perfect match for his impressionistic, image-driven style of songwriting. “I look at my songs in terms of colors and shapes, and the people you pick to work with is like an artist picking different colors for his canvas,” Huff says. “When I cut a record, I pretty much have the concept for it in mind, but not the details. I like to hire musicians for what I know they can do, rather than hiring them to play a specific thing.” For his newest release, Down River, Huff returned to the Nashville well for another cool, clear dipper of inspiration, working with producer Mark Robinson and another first class lineup of Music City stalwarts that included Audley Freed on guitar, Paul Griffith on drums, Jen Gunderman on keyboards, Mike Vargo on bass, and Lisa Oliver-Gray on backing vocals. “The record has a special meaning for me because it came together so fast” Huff says. “Mark Robinson approached me about recording, but we could only get Paul Griffith for a day. About 10 days before the recording date, I bore down and wrote all the songs.” Down River moves through six image-filled compositions, creating sonic montages of words, emotions, and music that capture the passion of a group of ace musicians playing in the moment. It’s the kind of record based on one artist’s vision, but could only be made with the right group of collaborators. “We recorded the songs in the sequence I wanted them on the record so they would have the right feel to me,” Huff says. “It was very spontaneous. We only took two or three passes

at each song, and no two of them were ever the same. I didn’t want to play them the way I wrote them, exactly. I wanted the band to play by instinct. Sometimes, you can catch real magic that way.” Having the ability and resources to capture magic is what Huff found when he moved to Nashville. And ironically, finding the real Mark Huff was a not a process of self-reflection, but rather a discovery of what he could achieve through camaraderie and collaboration. It’s an

essence that isn’t found in a website name or in repeated mentions on cable channel documentaries, but can be found in the nightclubs and studios of Music City. “I moved to Nashville because I wanted to be an artist, not just a musician,” Huff says. “I couldn’t really be one in Vegas. I had no visions of grandeur about becoming famous or rich. I came to grow as an artist, and being around all the great players and songwriters made me want to be better than I was.”

January | February 2016 THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM

Sam Phillips, 1944 (Courtesy of the Sam Phillips family and the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum)

Before

SUNRISE Memphis legend SAM PHILLIPS had roots in East Nashville By Randy Fox 76

THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM January | February 2016

s the founder of Sun Records, Sam Phillips was one of the architects of rock & roll, producing groundbreaking records that fused R&B, country, and pop into a world-shaking new style. The artists he discovered included Howlin’ Wolf, Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison, and more. A native of Florence, Ala., Phillips built his business and reputation in Memphis, Tenn., but few know of Nashville’s role in his story, as detailed in Peter Guralnick’s outstanding new biography, Sam Phillips: The Man Who Invented Rock ’n’ Roll. In 1944, Phillips was a 21-year-old announcer and production manager at radio station WMSL in Decatur, Ala. Recently married, Phillips divided his time between his job, his new bride, Becky, and regular trips to Florence to help his widowed mother. Phillips had been prone to anxiety attacks for a number of years, and in 1944, they overwhelmed him.

off immediately, but there simply were no openings at the station. Satisfied that he had given WSM his best shot, Phillips headed for WLAC. “He was over the moon about getting a job at WLAC,” Guralnick says. “He had been at a 250-watt station in Decatur and here he was coming into a 50,000-watt clear channel station with the most modern facilities.” Relocating to Nashville, Sam and Becky Phillips moved into a house on Scott Avenue in South Inglewood. At first, Phillips’ duties at WLAC were limited to announcing news, but he soon expanded his responsibilities into deejaying and radio engineering. Becky Phillips, who also had experience as a DJ and announcer, began to fill in for vacationing announcers at WLAC. Although Phillips became friends with many of his coworkers, he had a special affinity with nighttime DJ Gene Nobles. A fast-talking, eccentric ex-carny, Nobles became one of the most popular DJs in Nashville through his effusive personality and his personal brand of slanguage. Atlthough Phillips loved his job at WLAC, in June 1945 he heard about an opening at

“

in Memphis. For the next two years, Phillips recorded local R&B talent for Modern Records in Los Angeles and Chess Records in Chicago. After the song “Rocket 88” by Ike Turner and his Kings of Rhythm (released as Jackie Brenston and his Delta Cats) became the biggest R&B hit of 1951, Phillips decided to launch his own label. His business partner in the newly formed Sun Records was his old Nashville friend Jim Bulleit. After leaving WSM in 1946, Bulleit had founded Bullet Records, Nashville’s first independent record label. Phillips and Bulleit remained business partners through the first two years of Sun Record’s existence. Phillips’ best friend in Nashville proved to be WLAC’s Nobles. About a year after Phillips left Nashville, Nobles launched a nightly program of rhythm & blues music. Although a few scattered stations had programmed R&B shows before Nobles, WLAC became the first major Southern radio station to do so. With its powerful clear channel signal, Nobles’ show was heard across most of the Eastern U.S. and into Canada. Nobles (along with the other nighttime WLAC DJs — “John R” Richbourg,

[Sam] was over the moon about getting a job at WLAC. He had been at a 250-watt station in Decatur and here he was coming into a 50,000-watt clear channel station with the most modern facilities. — Peter Guralnick “Sam had what you could call a nervous breakdown,” Guralnick says. “He was just unable to function. The doctors had just about given up on him. Finally, he found a sanitarium in Birmingham that gave electroshock treatments, and he determined that was what he needed.” After eight shock treatments and several weeks of hospitalization, Phillips was ready to get back to work. He returned to his job at WMSL only to find out his services were no longer needed because of his illness. “Sam was a very positive man, but felt this was a cruel thing to do,” Guralnick says. “All of his life, he considered mental illness to be no different from physical illness, and he was not at all reluctant to tell you about his experiences.” Fortunately, Phillips’ longtime friend and brother-in-law Jimmy Connolly had recently started working at radio station WLAC in Nashville. When WLAC announcer John Richbourg joined the U.S. Navy, Connolly called his brother-in-law about the job opening. In the first week of January 1945, Phillips headed north to sell himself to the management of WLAC. Always ambitious, Phillips first stopped at WSM, Nashville’s most well-known station, and introduced himself to WSM Artists Service Bureau head Jim Bulleit. The two hit it

WREC, Memphis’ top radio station. With World War II winding down, Phillips knew that John Richbourg would be returning to WLAC soon, and there were other reasons calling him to Memphis. “Sam had wanted to live in Memphis since he had visited Beale Street when he was 16 with a bunch of his high school classmates on their way to a revival meeting in Dallas,” Guralnick says. “Sam had insisted they drive down Beale Street. His classmates were amused by it to say it politely, but Sam was inspired. He said, ‘Broadway could have never shown as bright.’ He saw people of color from every class, and had a vision of freedom that he wished the rest of the world could see. From that moment, he was absolutely determined that he would live in Memphis one day. It was his destiny.” Phillips started work at WREC during the last week of June 1945, and a few weeks later he and Becky moved to their new home in Memphis. Although their time in Nashville was short, the connections Phillips made proved to be valuable. After working at WREC throughout the late 1940s, Phillips founded the Memphis Recording Service in 1950 with the express purpose of recording the vast pool of black musical talent

“Hoss” Allen and Herman Grizzard) became instrumental in the birth of rock & roll and soul music. Phillips made sure the first copies of each new Sun release went directly to Gene Nobles and WLAC. Phillips continued to maintain ties to Nashville even while forging a new musical style in Memphis. In 1962, he opened a Nashville studio and hired future superstar producer Billy Sherrill to manage it. In 1969, Phillips sold Sun Records to Nashville-based independent record man Shelby Singleton, who moved the label to its current headquarters on Belmont Boulevard. Although the story of Sam Phillips and Sun Records primarily unfolded in Memphis, the roots of Sun’s success and the music that changed the world wound their way back through the Tennessee soil to Nashville and that short but vital period when Sam Phillips was an East Nashvillian. Flyin’ Saucers Rock & Roll: The Cosmic Genius of Sam Phillips is a featured exhibit at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum through June 2016. Sam Phillips: The Man Who Invented Rock ’n’ Roll by Peter Guralnick is available from Little, Brown and Company.

January | February 2016 THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM

THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM January | February 2016

PARKS & AMPLIFICATION Inside the East Nashville noise wars

ince moving into her new, sustainable house in Historic Edgefield — the construction of which included two-by-six-inch studs, both cellulose and foam insulation, all-brick construction, and sturdy casement windows — Dr. Karen Younghale says that outside noise has never been an issue. That is, unless Ascend Amphitheater has a show booked. Her calm was first stirred on Aug. 9, when the new venue hosted its first heavy rock show: Marilyn Manson and The Smashing Pumpkins. Younghale — despite turning on a fan for white noise and placing earplugs in her ears before retiring for the evening — reports that the concert kept her awake long past her usual bedtime. “I had to get up at 5:30 a.m. the following morning for work,” she says. “As an emergency room physician, it is necessary for me to get proper sleep so I can be alert and available when there are life-threatening emergencies that need to be tended to. I think the Amphitheater is an asset to our city. However, I believe 11 p.m. is too late to be playing loud music.” Former Metro Council Member Eileen Beehan, who lives on Fatherland Street, says that even with the venue’s Metro-mandated 11 p.m. curfew, the amphitheater still too often assaults her ears. “I am grateful for that,” Beehan says of the curfew. “However, the sound is intrusive. I’ve resided in my house for 21 years. We’ve never had these experiences, to this degree, with the Country Music Festival,

the Fourth of July, New Year’s Eve, or with athletic events at Nissan Stadium. I appreciate the opportunities that we have in Nashville for entertainment, but the heart of any community is the people who live there every day.” Younghale and Beehan aren’t alone in their concern. At one point, complaints about the noise from Ascend and other outdoor concerts and events reached such a fever pitch that they were being forwarded directly to the mayor’s office, District 6 Metro Council Member Brett Withers says. Withers, who had just bested Peter Westerholm for the position, took the brunt of those complaints, along with Metro Parks and Recreation. He says the initial contact from constituents took him by surprise. “Election Day was Aug. 6, and I took office on Sept. 1,” Withers says. “During the months of August and September and escalating into October, contacts about noise from a variety of sources were second in number only to requests for sidewalks and traffic calming. Now, with sidewalks being a huge campaign issue in the mayoral race, everybody was talking about sidewalks, crosswalks, and stop signs. So for noise complaints to come in second only to sidewalk requests — and notably for District 6, for noise complaints to come in far ahead of concerns about house teardowns and → tall skinnies — was quite a statement.”

By Timothy C. Davis

January | February 2016 THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM

‘‘

Music fans travel from all over to spend their hard-earned money at live music events. They also stay in local hotels and eat at our local restaurants. We need to find a workable compromise.

We’re called Music City for a reason. —Bill Holden, Board Member, Historic Edgefield Neighborhood Association

Withers says he expected a few complaints connected to the opening of Ascend Amphitheater, but soon learned that the noise complaints didn’t stop there. “There were complaints from one or two noteworthy Ascend Amphitheater concerts, but also about noise from an electronic dance music concert at Nissan Stadium on a school night, some noise complaints from Basement East, a noise complaint from a Dino’s live music performance, and a number of noise complaints from short-term rental properties where outdoor parties were taking place,” he says. “As September wore on, noise complaints were becoming an increasing concern expressed to me, and I began tracking those with various Metro departments including the East Precinct, since noise complaints typically occur at night and so neighbors must contact the police department to record a noise ordinance violation, which later gets forwarded to the Codes department.” A couple weeks after the election, Withers received a call from Metro Parks’ Natural Resources & Cultural Arts and Special Events coordinator Jim Hester. “I had already received enough Ascend-related constituent complaints from throughout District 6 that Jim Hester at Metro Parks had proactively contacted me to establish lines of communication,” Withers says. “I felt that, as a councilmember, my responsibility to my constituents was to ask good questions and seek solutions where possible. We then scheduled a meeting at Ascend Amphitheater with Jim Hester, me, District 19 Councilman Freddie O’Connell, and representatives from Live Nation [which manages the amphitheater] to determine what, if anything, could be done to address these concerns. “It was really this discussion that solidified the current agreement with Live Nation,” Hester says. “They (Live Nation and Metro Council) both continue to check in to see about progress, and with the latter, pass along various questions from their constituents. We

heard no sound problems at all with Ascend until the Marilyn Manson show on Sunday night, Aug. 9. After that, we had a handful of complaints from the Sublime show, and a few from Janet Jackson’s show, which was also on a Sunday night. “Amphitheaters are by nature open-air, and thus send out sound,” Hester continues. “What’s more, the Ascend Amphitheater was overwhelmingly approved by the city and the populace. How do you balance trying to allay people’s concerns with not having to feel like you need to address every phone call or snarky email? We did review other urban outdoor amphitheaters’ operating agreements with their municipalities and how they went about sound mitigation. All the urban ones — such as Chastain Park in Atlanta — have agreements very similar to the one we now have with Live Nation.” As concerns Ascend, Withers points out the city itself is somewhat limited in its powers to police noise levels. “One thing about Metro’s noise ordinances that is important to remember is that Metro-owned outdoor venues, including Ascend Amphitheater and Nissan Stadium, are exempt. So whereas Fontanel is a privately owned outdoor live music venue that must abide by regulations and agreements, Ascend Amphitheater is not similarly restricted other than having 11 p.m. curfews.” While the October meeting marked a productive start toward working on solutions about noise at some Ascend Amphitheater shows, it also marked the peak of what Withers calls a “perfect storm” of East Nashville constituent concerns about events at parks in general. Within the same month, he says, he got separate complaints from Edgefield residents upset about East Side Social (Oct. 3) and about the Tootsie’s Birthday Bash (Oct. 22), and general complaints about noise resulting from a 7:30 a.m. 5K run and from the screening of the movie Ghostbusters, both held in Shelby Park. [It should be noted that The

THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM January | February 2016

East Nashvillian is a partner with the Shelby Park Picture Show, which produces the event during which Ghostbusters was shown. —The Editor]

ibah Qubain, president of the Historic Edgefield Neighborhood Association, says noise complaints from residents in Edgefield and beyond aren’t a new phenomenon. What is new, she says, is the frequency of the complaints. “There have always been complaints about noise due to the fireworks downtown,” she says. “After Ascend opened, however, the complaints significantly increased. I think this might have been due to the fact that the noise went on for three or four hours, and the fact that it was often during the week, when people had to go to work the next day and kids had to go to school. I realized this was an issue when I could hear concerts, clearly, in my home a mile away, and people three miles away also complained about hearing it.” Continuing, Qubain says, “How rude to allow a venue (like Ascend) to be plopped down in the middle of thousands of residents with no thoughts to noise. The amphitheater has a design that does not trap sound well. We all love live music, but if someone is hearing it three miles away, you can turn it down by half and still have it be loud enough for the people who are attending. A ton of residents made this city safe enough to have these venues thrive and as a thank you they make the noise unbearable. They should be so proud.” Bill Holden, a Historic Edgefield board member, says the occasional noisy gig is part of the excitement of living in a vibrant and diverse urban neighborhood. “When we first moved to the area about five years ago, the noise complaints were about fireworks from the CMA festival, New Year’s Eve celebrations, and Titans games. We typically would receive a notice in the mail or via email about the special event details so the late-night noise didn’t come as a surprise.

“We weren’t bothered by any of that; most communities, both urban and rural, have fireworks and other such events, and the displays put on here are fantastic. The complaints on our neighborhood Listserv and Facebook page shifted with the opening of Ascend Amphitheater. Most complaints were related to the volume and frequency of the live music events, and particularly those on weeknights. We think the events had kind of a cumulative effect on people who were already bothered to begin with.” Holden adds that he can sympathize with his quiet-craving neighbors, but notes that you can’t call yourselves the music capital of the United States and not expect to hear some every now and again. “Most cities have outdoor music venues as assets to their respective communities,” Holden says. “The closing of Starwood [Amphitheater] created a void for outdoor music venues, which has been filled by The Woods at Fontanel and Ascend Amphitheater. Music fans travel from all over to spend their hard-earned money at live music events. They also stay in local hotels and eat at our local restaurants. We need to find a workable compromise. We’re called Music City for a reason.”

ithers says some compromises have been made, with a few already in effect. For instance, since the meeting Oct. 1, Metro Parks and Live Nation have entered into discussions including a recent Parksapproved agreement stating that “during any Concert Event the overall spectrum of the dB level as measured at the furthest point of the property line of the Park from the edge of the stage shall not exceed an overall spectrum of 98dBA for any five consecutive minute period.” But what of the other sources of noise in the neighborhoods? According to both Withers and Hester, Metro Parks is working on that, too. Both note, however, the best course of action may be talking to the offending neighbor first. “Metro has been responsive to constituent concerns that I have forwarded about noise from specific events in parks, including East Park and Shelby Park,” Withers says. “In some cases, the Parks department is using this feedback to provide better guidance to parks users about start/stop times and speaker placement directions for those who seek amplification permits. If noise complaints persist, that could justify the denial of amplification permits for repeat offenders.” “There were only a couple of complaints on the Shelby/Old Timers Field movie nights, and we did ask organizers to turn it down,” Hester says. “We had no more complaints after that. We will continue to monitor and talk to the organizers as needed to keep that

under control. On occasion, we hear about something from an event at East Park, but that usually involves an event going over the permitted time. [Parks Director] Tommy Lynch has directed us to implement a new rule that prohibits amplified sound past 8 p.m. on weeknights,including Sunday, and 10 p.m. on weekends. This applies to all residential area parks in the city, not including downtown parks.” Section 11.12.070 of the Municipal Code states that it is unlawful for any person “to operate or allow the operation of any sound amplification equipment so as to create sounds that are plainly audible from the boundary line of the nearest residentially occupied property.” Which means, Withers says, “that yes, your neighbor’s guitar amplifier is too loud if you can hear it at your house. In order to address the concern, you might speak to them first, but otherwise a police call may be in order.” If it’s a famous rock band’s amplifiers causing your anguish, the solution might not be quite so simple — public-private enterprises often have a lot of moving parts that must be coordinated to work efficiently in tandem. But both Hester and Withers are quick to point out that most of the Ascend complaints came on nights they had bass-ier type shows on school nights rather than straight-ahead rock acts, which could mean that, moving forward, the issue could also be addressed with an eye to more sensitive scheduling. “Live Nation has sound level monitoring equipment, and Metro Parks staff have handheld devices available,” Withers says. “To provide an example of how Metro Parks staff are working to monitor this issue, Jim Hester sent me a photo of his device reading taken from the Korean Veterans Bridge during the Pretty Lights concert on Halloween night.The measurement was 84.6 dBA, versus the regular noise ordinance requirement that sound levels not exceed 85 dBA at the property line of the nearest residential property. “Discussions are ongoing about more permanent sound monitoring solutions,” he continues. “But these actions show a good faith effort to address the problem, and I am optimistic that everyone is aware of the concern and working together to solve it.”

Community meeting announcement:

Metro Parks and Councilmember Brett Withers have scheduled a community meeting for Wednesday, Jan. 13, 6:30 p.m. at East Park Community Center to discuss Metro Parks programming related to amplification for parks that are adjacent to residential properties as well as any other updates regarding Ascend Amphitheater.

January | February 2016 THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM

THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM January | February 2016

T Cookin IN THE ’

’HOOD Recipes from East Nashville favorites

BY TIMOTHY C. DAVIS

he pairing of eggs and tomatoes doesn’t begin and end with huevos rancheros, although that dish is certainly a hearty, savory breakfast during the summer months when tomatoes are abundant and in-season. There is also a traditional Chinese pairing of eggs and tomatoes stir-fried together that is served with rice and is beloved in that country as a simple, tangy workingman’s breakfast. And then there’s the traditional English “fry-up,” which augments all the fried, fatty deliciousness of bacon and blood pudding with beans (usually Heinz), eggs, and a tomato, often simply grilled, halved or quartered, until the skin just begins to wilt. This egg- and tomato-centric recipe, from Alexia Humphrey of Tower Market and Deli, is for a traditional Middle Eastern dish called

shakshuka (or shakshouka, depending on where you’re eating it). Humphrey notes that the inclusion of eggs makes people assume it’s solely a breakfast dish, but notes that it is also a popular evening meal, especially in Israel, where it is a national favorite. Food historians disagree (as food historians often do) on the preparation’s beginnings: Some say it was conceived in the Ottoman Empire, before spreading through the Middle East and Spain; others insist it is of Yemeni origins. Indeed, it is still hugely popular in Yemen, where Humphrey notes it is customarily served with sahwoqa, a spicy sauce paste that Tower Deli often pairs with its pulled lamb. Regardless of the true genesis of shakshuka, it’s the kind of recipe that always travels well: quick, easy to prepare, and tasty besides.

SHAKSHUKA INGREDIENTS

1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (optional) 1 small chopped green pepper (optional) 6 eggs 2 teaspoons tomato paste 1/4 cup vegetable oil 6 cloves garlic, roughly diced 2 teaspoons salt, or to taste 1 teaspoon sweet paprika 2 pounds fresh tomatoes, unpeeled and cut in quarters (or one 28-ounce can of tomatoes)

PREPARATION

Place the tomatoes, garlic, tomato paste, salt, paprika, and vegetable oil in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer and cook uncovered, over low heat until thick (about 30 minutes), stirring occasionally. Ladle the tomato sauce into a greased 12-inch frying pan. Bring to a simmer, and break the eggs over the tomatoes. Gently break the yolks with a fork, if desired (doing this will affect the aesthetics of the final dish, if you’re worried about such things). If adding parsley, sprinkle it on top. Cover and continue to cook for about 3 to 4 minutes, until the eggs are set. Bring the frying pan directly to the table, place on a trivet, and serve. Sprinkle with a salty cheese if desired. January | February 2016 THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM 83

THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM January | February 2016

EAST SIDE CALENDAR J A N U A R Y | F E B R U A R Y 2016

EMMA ALFORD CALENDAR EDITOR

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

UPCOMING BECOME A LITTLE LEADER

East End Prep Leadership Day 9 to 11 a.m., Friday, Jan. 15

Last year, charter school East End Prep became one of our nation’s “Leader in Me” schools, which is a transformation process for schools that foster 21st century leadership skills — adapted from Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. This day will offer folks the opportunity to learn about the leadership culture and environment at East End, tour the school, and meet student leaders. Learn about registering in advance or sign up the day of. 1460 McGavock Pike, 615.630.7470

ME WANT COOKIE Annual Girl Scout Cookie Program Begins Jan. 1

We know you’ve been thinking about them since last year…it’s time again for Girl Scouts across Middle Tennessee to start pushing our favorite sweet treats. Place your cookie pre-order now or wait to pick them up from a card table near you. You’ll probably kill a box of Thin Mints in one sitting, so stock up.

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY, PAL-AVER Palaver Thursday 3rd Anniversary Blow Out 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 14, FooBar and The East Room

Hard to think that Palaver Records has been hauling out their showcase to FooBar for three years’ worth of Thursdays now. That’s a lot of stool sitting. Party with Palaver for this momentous occasion. Nineteen bands will be taking over both stages at FooBar and The East Room across the way. That means 19 bands, three stages, two bars, and one cover — $10. Acts aplenty include Daddy Issues, The Gills, Buffalo Rodeo, and many more (16 to be exact). Czech it out. 2511 Gallatin Road, 2412 Gallatin Road

WAGGONER ON HOME Brooke Waggoner Album Release Show Saturday, Jan. 16, EastSide Manor

Nashville’s own Brooke Waggoner is bringing it home for this show, celebrating the release of her new album, Sweven, out the day before on Jan. 15. The show is at the new home of music magic, EastSide Manor, a recording studio/event space hybrid. Check out the sweet digs and support this Nashville-based act. Good Buddy, another NashVegas act, opens. 1279 Kenmore Place

SMOOTH AS A BABY’S …

Smile, Mommy! Cloth Diapering Informational Workshop 6 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 17, Baby + Co. East Nashville-based baby bum service, Smile, Mommy! is hosting an informative workshop to get new parents privy to the perks of cloth diapering. Save the Huggies for someone else. 3212 West End Ave.

MIXER IT UP WITH NAMA NAMA Monthly Mixer 5 to 7 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 12, Amerigo Italian Restaurant

NAMA, Nashville American Marketing Association, hosts a monthly mixer to explore the trends — new technologies and techniques of the trade. Meet for the mixer to learn all about the tools they’ve got in their shed. You’ll meet marketing gurus from a wide array of industries. Light apps are served. Register in advance on NAMA’s website. Free to members and $5 for newbies. 1920 West End Ave.

EAT YOUR HEART OUT Nashville Original’s Restaurant Week Jan. 18-24, various locations

Restaurant week is back for its first installment of

January | February 2016 THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM

EAST SIDE CALENDAR

January 31

ART GARFUNKEL

February 12

BETH HART

2016. The twice-yearly event is powered by Nashville Originals, the nonprofit restaurant association. They’re here to turn you belly up. Many restaurants across the city participate, creating special menu items and deals for diners dropping by during the week. On the East Side, Two Ten Jack, Rumours East, and Holland House will be in on the fun. Nashville Originals helps support local initiatives and charities through the restaurant week festivities. So, you’re supporting something worthy while you’re stuffing that face with local fare. Go! Feast!.

NAMA-STE COFFEE Get to Know NAMA Coffee 8 to 9 a.m., Thursday, Jan. 21, StagePost Studios

March 1

IL VOLO

March 3, 4 & 5

TEDESCHI TRUCKS BAND 3/3 - with Brothers Osborne 3/4 - with Junior Brown 3/5 - An evening with (2 sets)

March 15

THE PIANO GUYS

March 17

GORDON LIGHTFOOT

March 20

THE MOODY BLUES

March 30

ANDREW BIRD

NAMA is all about introductions.. Their monthly coffee meet-ups are a great chance to learn more for would-be or first-time members. See what NAMA is all about and what a membership can do for your career. It’s free to attend, but register on their website to let them know you’re dropping by. 255 French Landing

HOW THE BIRD AND THE BEAR BEAT CANCER Lymphoma Benefit Concert 8 p.m., Friday, Jan. 29, Mad Donnas

Cancer sucks, but music rocks. Local singersongwriter duo + couple The Bird and the Bear got the worst news this holiday season when Garry Wood, the bear of the band, received a Hodgkin’s Lymphoma diagnosis. The young couple has been reeling since the news and this musical fundraiser has been organized to help them foot the costs of the chemotherapy and treatment. The cost is $5 at the door, plus any additional donation you would like to make. Half of the donations will go towards the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) and the other half will go towards Garry’s medical bills. Four bands will play, including The Bird and the Bear and their UK-based friend Stephen Glithero, who’s flying in specifically for the special event. If anything can get Nashville to come out for a cause, it’s music, right? We here at The East Nashvillian don’t know a better way for you to spend your Friday night. . 1313 Woodland St.

April 13

JETRHO TULL

WRITTEN AND PERFORMED BY IAN ANDERSON

April 17

CHICK COREA & BÉLA FLECK

CAN’T RUN FROM CUPID’S ARROW Cupid’s Chase 5K Saturday, Feb. 13, Shelby Park

Valentine’s Day asks you to lead with your heart, but let your legs lead the way to this 5K the day before. This lope of love is a 5K run/walk, with all event proceeds going toward supporting people with disabilities. If you’re looking for love, grab an “available” T-shirt to don during the run and maybe you’ll find the one at the sweaty finish line. For those happily taken, throw on the “unavailable” tee. This Cupid canter supports

THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM January | February 2016

a great cause and let’s face it, if you’re on the market, Cupid’s Chase might yield more results than OK Cupid. We recommend practicing your one-liners before this run.

THIS OLD HOUSE

Old House Fair 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, March 5, Sevier Park Community Center

Sure, that old house is charming, but what about the faulty foundation, funky plumbing, or that poltergeist in the attic? The Metro Historic Zoning Commission is holding its annual free, daylong festival that will explore and explain the many facets of owning and restoring historic properties. There will be presentations and hands-on demonstrations on a variety of topics pertinent to historic home ownership, like energy efficiency, maintenance and restoration, and era-appropriate design and architecture. For the pip-squeaks, Historic Travellers Rest Plantation & Museum will be providing hands-on activities for children of all ages. Plus, noms from the Smoke Et Al food truck. 3021 Lealand Ave.

• UPCOMING

ART EXHIBITS Red Arrow Art Gallery

(new location: 919 Gallatin Ave., Suite 4)

Red Arrow Gallery’s Grand Reopening Saturday, Jan. 9

Featuring Daniel Holland’s “Slow Violence” Jan. 9-Feb. 7

Mahwish Chishty & Maplewood High School Students present “This is Our War” Opening reception Saturday, Feb. 13 Feb. 13- March 6

Gallery Luperca No Skyline Nashville- Various artitsts

Opening reception 6 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 9 Jan. 9-Feb.9

Sneak Peak: An Evening of Pleasures for the Senses Music by Sarah Aili and Eric Erdman with preview of “Box of Letters” Friday, Feb. 12 BYOB Tickets online

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EAST SIDE CALENDAR

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S EHV EENLT SB&YC LPA SAS ERS K

Woodcock Watch

5-6 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 25 All ages, registration required

Bird Banding: 2015 in Review

10-11 a.m., Saturday, Feb. 27 All ages

Calm, Quiet, and Still Hike

2-3 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 9 Ages 14+, registration required

Where Am I? Intro to Navigation 1:30-4 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 9 All ages

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Birds of a Feather — Around the World

RECURRING

Scat Scoot

TELL ME A STORY

10 a.m.-noon, Saturday, Jan. 16 All ages, registration required 2-3 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 16 All ages, registration required

Turtle Tracks

10-11 a.m., Wednesday, Jan. 20 Ages 3-5, registration required

Coffee Social

7-9 a.m., Saturday, Jan. 23 All ages

Poetry in the Park: The Art of Writing Haiku Poetry 2-3 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 23 Ages 13+, registration required

Owl Prowl

5:30- 7 p.m., Friday, Jan. 29 All ages, registration required

Tracks and Traces

10 a.m.-noon, Saturday, Jan. 30 All ages, registration required

Chinese New Year

11 a.m.-1 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 6 All ages

Many Moons: A Collection of Art by Christie Wiser 6-8 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 6 All ages

Love Birds Picking Party and Winter Wonderland Cake Walk

6-8 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 11 All ages, registration required

Star Party with Barnard Seyfert Astronomical Society 6:30-8:30 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 13 All ages

MicroADVENTURES

10 a.m.-noon, Saturday, Feb. 20 Ages 7+, registration required

Winter is Weird

2-3 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 20 All ages, registration required

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East Side Storytellin’ 7 p.m., the first and third Tuesdays, The Post

Looking for something to get your creative juices flowing? They’ve 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 East Side Story ahead of time. 1701 Fatherland St. Suite A, 615.915.1808 (East Side Story)

ANSWER ME THIS

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

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 the East Side locales to test your wits at trivia. They play a few rounds, with different categories for each question.There might even be some prizes for top scoring teams, but remember: Nobody likes a sore loser. Monday at Drifter’s Tuesday at Edley’s BBQ East, Edgefield Sports Bar and Grill, and Lipstick Lounge (7:30 p.m.) Thursday at 3 Crow Bar

SING US A SONG

M.A.S.S. (Mutual Admiration Society of Songwriters) 7-10 p.m., every other Sunday, Mad Donna’s

Join Mad Donna’s for their night dedicated to all you songwriters out there (which is most of Nashville, right?). The first half of the night is dedicated to a singer-songwriter set, with an open mic at the end of the night. Check out the sweet drink specials, too. 1313 Woodland St.

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EAST SIDE CALENDAR

HIP-HOP AT THE SPOT The Boom Bap 9 p.m., fourth Sunday of every month, The 5 Spot

Once a month, The 5 Spot brings the beats and you bring the moves. Think of it as a hip-hop roundtable. A mess of DJs — resident hosts and guests — spin their favorite tracks, rotating throughout the night. Let their records bring the ruckus to you. This soiree was so popular it’s spread to other cities, but you can catch it where it started here in East Nashville. 1006 Forrest Ave., 615.650.9333

EAST ROOM HAS JOKES Spiffy Squirrel Sundays 6 p.m., Sundays, The East Room

The East Room is making a name for itself in Nashville’s comedy scene in part through Spiffy Squirrel Sundays, started up by The East Room head honcho Ben Jones through NashvilleStandUp.com. Hosted by local comedian Chad Riden, the shows bring in an array of national and local funny guys and gals, and it’s quickly become one of the best places in town for up-and-coming comics to flex their funny bones. If you’re looking for a laugh, check it out. Five bucks gets you in the door. They usually have some music planned for post-laughs, so stick around to see the bands. 2412 Gallatin Ave.

RINC, Y’ALL

Scott-Ellis School of Irish Dance 4:30-5 p.m., ages 3-6, and 5-5:45 p.m., ages 7 & up, Mondays, Eastwood Christian Church Fellowship Hall You’re never too young — or too old — to kick out the Gaelic jams with some Irish Step dancing. No experience, or partner, required. Just you, some enthusiasm, and a heart of gold will have you dancing in the clover before you can say “leprechaun.” 1601 Eastland Ave., 615.300.4388

JAZZY BOTTOM FOR YOUR BUCK East Nashville Jazz Jam 7-9:30 p.m., Tuesdays, Fat Bottom Brewery

Q: What’s even better than cheap craft beer and a tasty meal? A: Cheap craft beer, a tasty meal, and a jazz jam. Fat Bottom Brewery offers their $10 pint and entrée special accompanied by a jazz jam hosted by local drummer Nicholas Wiles. It’s a chance to meet some other jazz cats and play your poison. Peruse their menu and beer garden and pick a brew; they’ve got plenty of options for the seasoned beer drinker, and they’re always kegging fresh batches and pouring cold ones. 900 Main St.

DRAG B-I-N-G-O WAS HIS NAME-O Drag Bingo 8-11 p.m., Tuesdays, Mad Donna’s

Drop by Mad Donna’s Loft for the rotating cast of Drag Bingo-callin’ queens. Each week, they’ll have prizes for the first to get to B-I-N-G-O, plus drink specials. They’re calling your name — and possibly your number/letter combo. 1313 Woodland St.

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

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

BRING IT TO THE TABLE Community Hour at Lockeland Table 4 to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday, Lockeland Table

Lockeland Table is cooking up family-friendly afternoons to help you break out of the house or away from that desk for a couple of hours. Throughout the week, they host 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. 1520 Woodland St., 615.228.4864

SHAKE A LEG

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

For those looking to hit the dance floor on Monday nights, The 5 Spot’s “Keep on Movin’” dance party is the place to be. This shindig keeps it real with old-school soul, funk, and R&B. Don’t worry, you won’t hear Ke$ha — although you might see her — and you can leave your Apple Bottom jeans at home. If you have two left feet, then snag a seat at the bar. They have two-for-one drink specials, so you can use the money you save on a cover to fill your cup. 1006 Forrest Ave., 615-650-9333

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EAST SIDE CALENDAR

SPINNING SMALL BATCHES

Small Batch Wednesday and Vinyl Night 6-9 p.m., Wednesdays, Fat Bottom Brewery

Fat Bottom has plenty of things happening on Wednesday nights — reason enough to move your own bottom over there. Each Wednesday they have food specials and a small batch brew release. They’re called small batch for a reason, so get there early enough to sip one. They’ll also have special guest DJs every week spinning their own vinyl, but you can even bring your own records if you’ve got a special song request. It’s an excellent way to get through hump day. 900 Main St.

TOAST TO MOTHER EARTH

East Nashville Green Drinks 6-9 p.m., third Wednesday of every month, Village Pub & Beer Garden

Tired of talking sports and gossip every night out? Village Pub has something in mind for the greener East Nashvillian. Once a month, they host an evening for environmentalists to sit down for a drink and discuss ideas for a more sustainable future. Think about it like this: You’ll be saving the planet, one drink at a time. 1308 McGavock Pike, 615.942.5880

PUG, NOT SMUG

WALK, EAT, REPEAT

Contrary to the name, you won’t see pugs taking the stage with their stand-up routine. You can, however, expect to see a fresh lineup each month full of local and national funny dudes and dudettes. Nashville comedians Paulina Cornbow and Mary Jay Berger host this pugnacious evening. Performers will show off their storytelling, stand-up, sketch, and musical comedy acts. If the $5 price tag and laughs aren’t enough to make your tail wag, a portion of ticket sales will benefit MidSouth Pug Rescue. 1313 Woodland Ave.

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.

ART IS FOR EVERYONE

YES, IT’S LADIES’ NIGHT

Comedy Pug Hugs 7:30 p.m., third Wednesday of every month, Mad Donna’s

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

If you’ve been filling in coloring-book pages for years, but you’re too intimidated to put actual paint to canvas, it might be time to give it a try. Local artist John Cannon 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. 1108-C Woodland St., 615.496.1259

Walk Eat Nashville 1:30-4:30 p.m., Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Fridays, 5 Points

“Dame’s Day” Happy Hour 6:30-10 p.m., Thursdays, Pomodoro East

It’s ladies’ night and the feeling’s right. Pomodoro East is making a happy hour just for the broads. Gals can grab a Genny Light for $2, bubbly for $3, wine for $4, and well-crafted Hangar 1 cocktails for $5. They’re calling all contessas and queens — go wet your whistle. 701 Porter Rd., 615.873.4978

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

Looking to hear some fresh new tunes without paying a pretty penny to do it? Head over to fooBAR on Thursday nights — East Nasty-based record label Palaver Records hosts a weekly showcase to promote both local and traveling acts. It gives them a chance to scout performers, bands an opportunity to promote themselves, and music lovers a cheap show to catch during the week (only $5 at the door). You can see an array of different genres from week to week, and the beer always flows easy at foo Too with $3 Yazoo drafts. 2511 Gallatin Rd.

HONESTLY, OFFICER ...

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

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

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EAST SIDE CALENDAR

BLUEGRASS, BEER, BURGERS

Bluegrass Thursdays with Johnny Campbell & the Bluegrass Drifters 8 p.m. until close, Thursdays, Charlie Bob’s To celebrate your post-Hump Day, head to Charlie Bob’s and bring your axe along. Watch North Second Street’s own Bluegrass Drifters kick things off, then join in on the pickin’ party afterward. Have a burger, buy a few beers, and add a little ’grass to your life. 1330 Dickerson Pike, 615-262-2244

YARNING IS CONTAGIOUS Stitch-n-Bitch 6-8 p.m., Fridays, Nutmeg

We all know the quintessential image of an old woman knitting by the fire — so take that, add a few more stitchers and seamstresses, throw in some wine, and you’ve got yourself a Stitch-n-Bitch. Bring your supplies, or better yet, buy some there. Get hooked. 1006 Fatherland St. #204

ROCKIN’ AT THE SPOT

Tim Carroll’s Friday Night Happy Hour 6-8:30, Fridays, 5 Spot

Your local watering hole has rocker Tim Carroll’s band playing their way through happy hour every Friday. It’s a great Spot to grab a beer and hear some tunes to kick off the weekend — drinks are discounted and the music is free. 1006 Forrest Ave., 615.650.9333

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

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

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

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

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CAN’T FORCE A DANCE PARTY

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

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’ at The 5 Spot, which was coincidentally named the second-best place to dance in Nashville. Help pack out the cozy club, shake a leg, slurp down some of the drink specials, and let your true colors show. 1006 Forrest Ave.

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

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

POETS WHO KNOW IT Poetry in the Brew 5:30 p.m. Second Saturday of every month, Portland Brew

Wordsmiths out there: East Nashville’s own open mic poetry night goes down at Portland Brew once a month. A poet is featured every month, with a chance to promote their work and read for 15 minutes — all the other poets get five minutes live. Arrive early because this poetry powwow fills up fast and there is limited seating. Sign-up for the open mic begins at 5:30 p.m., with reading starting at 6. 1921 Eastland Ave.

TURN THIS ONE OVER Palaver Records Presents at Turn One 9 p.m., Saturdays, Turn One

Palaver Records is casting out its net a little further into the dives of East Nasty. They have their weekly showcase spot at fooBAR and now they’re moving down Gallatin with another evening of music at Turn One. Each Saturday, they will have three bands to get your grooves going. Tip: This haunt is cash only with games galore. Get your shuffleboard on, shoot some pool, or throw darts while you listen to the Palaver lineup. Bring enough dough for the $5

EAST SIDE CALENDAR

cover and your tab. 3208 Gallatin Pike

STUMBLE ON

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. Participating venues stretch across East Nashville — Gallery Luperca, Modern East Gallery, Red Arrow Gallery, Sawtooth Printshop, and Main Street Gallery, to name a few. 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.

PARTY FOR A CAUSE LightsOut Events 7:30 p.m., fourth Saturday of every month, The East Room

The East Room is getting a little philanthropic. Every month, the venue hosts a show in partnership with LightsOut Events to benefit selected charities. Four bands perform and proceeds go toward the cause of choice for the month. One of the event’s most notable benefactors is Notes for Notes, which provides musical instruments and lessons to children. (We know how much you love that, Music City.) Come on out, and listen to some local acts for a good cause. 2412 Gallatin Ave.

NEIGHBORHOOD

MEETINGS & EVENTS Lockeland Springs Neighborhood Association 6:30 p.m., second Monday of each month Quarterly meetings are held at Mad Donna’s Locations vary, visit www.lockelandsprings.com for more information.

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Shelby Hills

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

Maxwell Heights Neighborhood Association 6 p.m., fourth Monday of every month, Metro Police East Precinct 936 E. Trinity Lane

Eastwood Neighbors

6:30 p.m., second Tuesday of every month, Eastwood Christian Church 1601 Eastland Ave. Odd Month Happy Hour: Sept. 8, 5:30 p.m. @ Eastland Cafe www.eastwoodneighbors.org

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

East Nashville Caucus

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

Chamber East

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

East Hill Neighborhood Association

6:30 p.m., second Wednesday of every month, Metro Police East Precinct 936 E. Trinity Lane

Cleveland Park Neighborhood Association

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

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EAST SIDE CALENDAR

Inglewood Neighborhood Association

McFerrin Neighborhood Association

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

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

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

Rosebank Neighbors

Memorial Lutheran Church 1211 Riverside Dr.

HENMA

6-8 p.m., second month of every quarter, locations and days vary 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. www.eastnashville.org

Dickerson Road Merchants Association

4 p.m., last Thursday of every month, Metro Police East Precinct 936 E. Trinity Lane www.dickersonroadmerchants.com

• MOMS Club of East Nashville

10 a.m., first Friday of every month, location varies by group MOMS (Moms Offering Moms Support) Club is an international organization of mothers with three branches in the East Nashville area. It provides a support network for mothers to connect with other EN mothers. The meetings are open to all mothers in the designated area. Meetings host speakers, cover regular business items of the organization including upcoming service initiatives and activities, and also allow women to discuss the ins and outs, ups and downs of being a mother. Check their website for the MOMS group in your area. www.momsclubeast.blogspot.com

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 For club listings and other events visit our Do615powered calender online at theastnashvillian.com

THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM January | February 2016

AMAZING CONCERTS FROM YOUR COUCH.

See past shows and buy tickets for the upcoming shows at MusicCityRoots.com

musiccityroots.com

January | February 2016 THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM

Meet the Seavers CONTINUED FROM 49

january 22–23

kaki king tHe neck is a bridge to tHe body

february 19–20

taylor mac a 24-decade History of PoPuLar music: 1806-1836 for ticket information

oZartsnasHViLLe.org 615.350.7200 #oZarts

found out I just love working out. The way I’m designed, I need to have something to work toward. After I lost the weight, I had to find something else to work toward.” By August, Dorothy had found her next goal. Increasing the intensity of her training, she prepared herself for the NPC Music City Muscle Bodybuilding, Physique, Figure, Bikini & Fitness Competition. Sanctioned by the National Physique Committee (NPC), the largest amateur bodybuilding organization in the United States, the competition was held on Nov. 7, 2015, at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center and attracted over 650 competitors from across Tennessee. Entering in two categories, “Novice C - 5’7” and Taller” and “Master Bikini - 45 and Older,” Dorothy brought home the fourth-place award in the Bikini competition. “Leading up to the competition day, I was a mixed batch of emotions — excited, nervous, exhausted, and I kept asking myself, ‘What the hell did I get myself into?’ But what was even better than the fact that I placed in one category was just being a part of it. People were there for many reasons other than competing. I met one woman who could barely walk for several months due to back trouble, but through therapy she was able to compete. And even before the competition, I’d meet other women at the gym and tell them my age and what I was

THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM January | February 2016

doing; they would say, ‘No way!’ I’d tell them they can do it, too, with no drugs or anything crazy. It’s just a matter of committing to it and then sticking with it.” Although Dorothy plans to compete again, the experience of sharing her accomplishments with others may have opened yet another avenue to explore. “Now I’m thinking I’d like to become certified in teaching physical fitness,” she says. “I’d really like to be able to teach older women how to properly exercise and perhaps become a motivational coach.” Eight years after that simple decision to “just move,” Dorothy’s life is hardly recognizable. “When I first took Jace’s suggestion and tried one thing, I had no idea that it would lead down so many paths — singing, a TV show, performing in other ways, competition bodybuilding, and more. You have to have the will to do things, but you also need support from the people around you. “Everything I have tried or done, Jace has supported me,” she continues. “When I tell people about my life, they ask how we do all these things. We just do it. We enjoy where we live. We enjoy all the things we do. The main thing is to just decide to do something and then do it. Something may happen along the way to steer you in another direction, but the important thing is you have to move and keep moving.”

ENOTY: Matt Charette CONTINUED FROM 53 to his discovery of the former vending machine warehouse on 11th Street, and his fateful phone conversation with Knoble. “David has been a tremendous mentor and friend to me,” Charette says. “Even before I signed the lease, I started calling him and asking for advice because he was the first person on my journey that gave me real, honest feedback. He would talk to me for an hour, or two hours. That’s been my relationship with him for the last 13 years. If I have a problem, I call him. If I need advice, I call him. He’s an amazing guy.” Although Charette was receiving encouragement from his landlord, several of his friends had different opinions about the prospects for a bar in 5 Points. “All of my friends thought I was crazy,” he says, “but the folks that were over here were so welcoming and friendly. Margo’s had just opened a few months before, and the Alleycat Lounge signed their lease at the same time. Bongo Java was here, and the Lipstick Lounge had just opened. Sometimes you just know you’re in the right place.” Opening in the early summer of 2003, Beyond the Edge became the newest addition to the Five Points renaissance and Charette found immediate synergy with his neighbors. “When I first opened I didn’t have a beer license,” he says. “We were just serving high-alcohol beer and liquor. The Slow Bar only had a beer license and no liquor. So I would get real busy before and after Slow Bar shows. We were very disciplined about staying open until 3 a.m., and we became the last stop for a lot of musicians and restaurant industry folks that lived over here.” In addition to late-night stops by locals, Beyond the Edge quickly became the favorite bar for many East Side sports fans, and the combination of those two groups of customers quickly proved to be a winner for the new business. “I had worked for a corporation that demanded business plans, profit and loss statements, and quarterly projections, so I did those for Beyond the Edge, too. I found out I could throw them all away because the business kept beating my forecasts. The real boost came when the Red Door Saloon and 3 Crow Bar both opened [in summer 2004]. That doubled my business. People started staying in East Nashville to bar hop, and that’s when we really became a destination.” By late 2005, Charette was ready to expand his business. He cast his sights across the parking lot of Beyond the Edge, on a building that had formerly housed a barber shop and laundromat. For inspiration, he thought back to the local Massachusetts seafood restaurants he had grown up with.

“There were several family restaurants that my dad would take us to as kids,” he says. “So it was very important to me personally to start a restaurant where families can have a great experience. I chose to go nonsmoking before Metro’s smoking ordinance was passed, and that was a big deal at the time.” Opening in February 2006, Batter’d & Fried Boston Seafood House quickly gathered a loyal following among locals. Duplicating the experience and quality of Massachusetts seafood over 1,000 miles from Cape Cod proved to be a challenge. “We stumbled when we first opened, but I learned a lot,” Charette says. “Kay West, who was food critic at the Nashville Scene, wrote a stinging review to say the least. It got the community up in arms. Some people who supported me attacked Kay unjustifiably, but I stuck up for her. She called me and asked how she could thank me, and I said come talk to me. That started a process of improving the restaurant. We put all of that great feedback into improving the menu, and the next year we were voted best seafood restaurant in Nashville [in the Scene’s readers’ poll].” One of the changes at Batter’d & Fried was the addition of the Wave Sushi Bar — an innovation that made the restaurant appealing to families and couples that find themselves split across the great sushi divide. “I had visualized an oyster bar at Batter’d & Fried originally, but that hadn’t worked out,” Charette says. “So I had this bar, and the idea started floating around about doing a sushi bar. Sushi chef Hide Watanabe contacted me and said he would love to be the guy that did it. It was so popular, we thought maybe we’d become partners on a separate restaurant.” Opening in November 2008, the next addition to Charette’s culinary empire, Watanabe, brought sushi and Asian fusion cuisine to Riverside Village in East Nashville. “Opening Watanabe on Riverside Drive was a leap out of the 5 Points comfort zone,” he says. “As an entrepreneur, you’re always looking for the next challenge. The restaurant had a good run (2008-2014), but after the Japanese tsunami in 2011, Hide decided to move back to Japan to be closer to his family. We tried a little bit different direction, but it just wasn’t right for us. Sometimes things just don’t add up and it eventually became apparent that closing Watanabe was the best decision.” Charette’s fourth culinary endeavor, Drifters BBQ, was launched just a year after Watanabe’s opening. That idea came together quickly when Beyond the Edge’s back door neighbor, the Alleycat Lounge, announced it was closing in early 2009. → January | February 2016 THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM

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“My landlord called me and said, ‘Put something there! Sell bologna sandwiches! Do something!’ Andy Trexler, the chef at Batter’d & Fried, suggested barbecue and I said, ‘OK, let’s do it.’ ” Opening as a family-friendly restaurant with a catering business on the side, Drifters quickly became a favorite with locals and a destination for traveling barbecue fans, and the restaurant’s patio became a popular venue for many local musicians. “We have a great lineup of eclectic music at Drifters, and all of the musicians that play there are phenomenal,” Charette says. “My impression is that people just have a great time playing.” Although he has no definite plans for further expansion at the present, he’s still open to new ideas and suggestions. “People ask me all the time to open another Batter’d & Fried in other neighborhoods,” he says. “For many people it’s become a once-amonth date night even though they live as far

away as Hendersonville or Murfreesboro. I’m always looking for that right opportunity, but the good side of closing Watanabe was that it gave me the time to focus more on the three core businesses. All of them are still growing, and it’s phenomenal to still have double-digit growth after 13 years in business.” Although Charette has built his businesses on the three elements embodied in that first conversation with his landlord, when it comes to the “secret of his success,” he emphatically points to others. “A big part of my success is because of the fantastic people that I’ve had the privilege to work with,” he says. “I didn’t create all of this. I just got the ball rolling. My customers don’t know me, but they do know Jessica, Cat, Jason, Terry, and the other great employees. I’m proud of that. The biggest thing I’ve learned is how to give them some direction and then get the hell out of their way.”

ENOTY: Darrell Downs A

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been born more to be a coach than a player.” Downs moved to Charlotte, N.C., and began working for Mac Paper, a company he has been with for 18 years and one that brought him to Nashville four years ago when it opened a distribution facility here. Darrell and Denise had lived in a Charlotte arts district known as NoDa, and wanted something similar when they moved to Music City. “We called a Realtor and said we wanted a place with the same look and feel as what we had in Charlotte,” Downs says. “We looked at other areas, but we could tell East Nashville was just the right fit. It felt like home right away.” The Downses are now completely a part of the East Nashville fabric, and their enthusiasm for making baseball a working arm of community endeavors has helped to bring on not only volunteers, but also a slew of sponsors. The league has garnered support from businesses in and out of East Nashville, including Five Points Pizza, Edley’s Bar-B-Que, The Turnip Truck, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Region’s Bank, and The Pancake Pantry. “Local businesses … have been tremendous to support us,” Downs says. “I can’t emphasize enough that, without their funds, we really don’t have anything.” It’s a relationship that works both ways, says one of the owners of Five Points Pizza. “We’ve been a sponsor for about three years now,” Tanner Jacobs says. “It started off with them just being great customers, and then they asked if we’d be interested in sponsoring. It has worked out well. It’s been one of our best sponsorships, and it’s a relationship that’s back and forth. We’re happy to help out with their league, and

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we get some good promotion in turn.” The ENLL continues to grow, Downs says. For one thing, the league now comes under the umbrella of what’s known as East Nashville Baseball. ENB is comprised of the spring league play with nearly 30 teams, a summer program, and fall baseball. The total number of kids participating in ENB was over 400 in 2015. “This year it will probably be closer to 500,” Downs says. “A lot of that is the changes in East Nashville that have a lot of people moving here with a lot of young kids. But also we continue to reach out to those who have been here, but maybe haven’t played because of the [previous negative] reputation of the [Shelby Park fields]. Now that it’s better, the kids are coming back to play.” The baseball itself is improving as well. Using the sport to strengthen the community is, of course, the main goal of ENB, but it’s also critical that players and teams work to get better. To that end, the league has been able to secure space inside a hangar at the old Cornelia Fort Airpark for indoor drills during the winter months. In addition, there are more opportunities for players to step outside their “comfort zones” of Shelby Park and compete elsewhere. “We’ve put together some teams to play in tournaments outside of recreation baseball, so those that want more, we’re providing that,” Downs says. “They get to compare themselves to people outside of this area, and it has opened a lot of kids’ eyes to see where they need to improve.” As for Downs himself, he says the return on investment is well worth the long hours he and Denise put into ENB. “At first, it started

because I saw a need,” Downs says of his getting involved. “Now it’s continuing the vision. I’ve met some of the most amazing people, and they’ve become friends through the baseball program. It’s very good from a social standpoint. It’s rewarding for me to go down there and see

the kids enjoying the atmosphere. “Plus, I enjoy seeing good baseball,” he adds. “It doesn’t matter if it’s the pros or 8-year-olds, if you’ve got a good pitcher against a great hitter, you want to see that matchup, that competitiveness. That’s really rewarding to me.”

ENOTY: Kelly Perry CONTINUED FROM 57

people can be really mean,” Perry says. “Like, ‘How can you be so careless to lose your dog?’ People who have lost a pet need practical advice, and they need someone that understands what they’re going through.” When it comes to resources, both groups provide lists of Nashville area shelters and rescue services, downloadable files for lost and found posters, and detailed procedures on what to do when a pet is lost or found. When it comes to the procedures for finding a lost pet, Perry says one size definitely does not fit all. “Most of the time indoor cats revert back to their instincts — get tight, get hidden, and stay quiet. The cat could be in your crawl space or under a neighbor’s shed and stay there for days and sometimes weeks. It’s like a game of hide and seek. On the other hand, dogs very seldom hide. When they get lost they just keep going. Often they’ll roam the neighborhood in ever widening circles, and can go past their own house several times.” Although cats and dogs may be as different as, well, cats and dogs, Perry says it’s important to think like the animal rather than a human. For both Fluffy and Rover, that means using the nose. “You have to set up a scent perimeter around your home. Put the cat’s litter box outside, sprinkle litter from it around. For dogs, put some of your dirty clothing in the yard or the dog’s bedding material. Some people think I’m crazy when I tell them this, but it truly works. There was one dog that got lost, and they put all the dirty bedding material outside. The next morning the dog was found sleeping on it.” It’s not just cats and dogs that Perry has helped. Over the last four years, she’s also assisted in the return of a veritable Noah’s Ark of critters. “We have a lot of lost chickens and several found roosters that turn up in Shelby Park. I think people dump those because they’re not supposed to have roosters in the city limits. There have been goats, smaller birds, ferrets, lizards, and even a turtle. I didn’t know the science behind hunting for a turtle, but I said start low and slow. He was eventually found, trapped in a flower bed.” But along with the joyful reunions, there is an ample supply of heartbreak and frustration. “Many people look for their pets for months

and months and you see that heartbreak. Beyond that, every day I wake up to 15 or 20 Facebook messages and many of them are photos of cats or dogs found dead in the street and wanting to know if I know them. Then we have cases of someone moving away and just leaving a cat or dog behind to starve, which happens a lot. We also have people writing because they saw a neighbor kicking a dog in the face and want to know what they should do.” Even when pets have been recovered and are safe, there’s a responsibility for making sure they are returned to their rightful owners.” Conflicts with owners who feel they do not need to provide proof of ownership can be difficult. Even more troubling are people who prey upon lost animals for profit and even darker reasons. “Sometimes it’s almost like we’re at war with people who want to make money off found pets,” Perry says. “With smaller purebred dogs or pit bulls, people will call and pretend that they are the owner. People want to sell them or use them as fighting dogs, and then there are serial animal abusers. It’s a roller coaster ride, but you can’t get off. We have to give animals a fighting chance against what humans do to them.” Despite the discouragement that is a natural result of her work, Perry is optimistic about the growth of both lost and found pet groups she administers and the growing numbers of people that want to help directly. “I’ve added four new administrators to the page recently,” she says. “They’re young and have more energy so they want to do more things with the page — set up microchipping clinics, work more closely with animal rescues — stuff that I just did not have the energy to do by myself.” Although Perry may lack the super-human energy and appearance of a caped crusader, ultimately heroes are people who do the right thing, for the right reasons, despite the obstacles. And that’s where the heroic mantle fits nicely on her shoulders. “There is no worse feeling than being lost,” she says. “We have to help them, and there is strength in numbers. If people realize there’s a system and procedures in place to help lost pets, they will be more likely to step up and do their part. I have to keep doing it because in the end, every tiny step can make a huge difference.” January | February 2016 THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM

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East of NORMAL TOMMY WOMACK

Five minutes later and slightly unhinged

hey say you should never send an email in anger, and neither should you post upon the Internet when in the throes of that corrosive passion we in the South call pissed as hell. No, you should never do those things; but there is no rule saying you can’t write a column, some toxic, vile polemic dedicated to that special someone whose freshly severed head would look absolutely adorable perched upon my dining room table right now, with the eyes popped out and replaced with olives, the mouth yet quivering in a last gasp at life, retching in mute protest as I put my cigarette out on his tongue and jam a railroad spike down through the top of his dickwad head while “Sister Ray” plays at a paint-peeling volume and the heavens open up to receive my sacrifice to the gods of ass-stomping, brain-boiling, unfettered fury. You see, I have this friend — and we can’t be using real names here. So this is what I’m going to do. I’m going to get out that old phone book we have sitting on a bottom shelf, and I’m going to open it up to A, close my eyes, and stab my finger on a name. Boom! There we go. Allied Van Lines. That’s a cool name. It’s Dutch-sounding, what with the Van and all. Let’s call him Al. There are two things you need to know about Al: One, he doesn’t suffer fools. Two, I’m not kidding, he really doesn’t farging suffer fools! GOT IT? You’ve got to step lively around Al. He’s one of those guys who has a quick answer for everything, and a Pew Research study recently showed that people who have a quick answer for everything really need their eyeballs replaced with olives and their severed heads fitted inside one of those charming cast-iron, spin-around apple peelers like your grandmother had.

The thing about people who have a quick answer for everything (also known as “assholes”) is they compel you to try and have a quick answer for everything too. And if you are — like I am — not much for verbal zingers, then the verbal overload from Al or anyone like him causes a venomous residue to pile up in your gullet. And here’s the worst part of it: You always think of the right comeback five minutes later! When the moment is gone! And you feel like George Costanza running into a meeting a week later yelling, “Well, the jerk store called and they’re outta YOU!” This is not my first rodeo with Al. There have been many times over many years when I’ve wanted to sauté his ears in a wok full of pot stickers with a little onion and teriyaki sauce. The way I feel right now, I can unshakably affirm to you that this is the last — absolute last — time I take any of Al’s guff, or lose my mind over some snarky email he sends thinking he’s funny, when he’s really about as amusing as a dead car battery at 3 a.m. Never again will I take his guff! But I also know, should I really ever have a dead car battery at 3 a.m. and was somewhere near the simpering white bread, preppy suburb where Al makes his den, he would come jump me. The only payment would be having to listen to him while he did it. I can hear it now: “Womack, this battery’s ancient! Don’t you ever take care of shit? Jeez, I’m surprised you’re alive! How do you live, Womack? No, get out of my way; you’re no good at this! I got this! Go write something!” And I will stand there, waiting for the comeback that will hit me five minutes later, and I’ll know he loves me, and I love him, even as I picture his head mounted on my turntable, red pimentos jammed up his nostrils while I chop up his heart for stew.

—Tommy Womack is a Nashville singer-songwriter, musician, and freelance writer. His next solo album, NAMASTE, is scheduled for a spring 2016 release. Keep up with his antics on Facebook and at tommywomack.com.

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PARTING SHOT

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