The East Nashvillian 9.1 Sept-Oct 2018 by The East Nashvillian

SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER VOL. IX ISSUE 1

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M U S I C

I S S U E

JOHN PRINE & OH BOY RECORDS and Kari Leigh Ames • Ben Blackwell • The Boom Bap • Tim Carroll • Cold Lunch Recordings Brenda Colladay • Creamer • Mike Floss • Jason Galaz • HOME • Anna Lundy Magnolia Record Club • Chase McGillis • Jonell Mosser • Jim Sherraden • Alicia Witt

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Historic Preservation

Fighting Hunger Childcare Support

Mentoring Children

Supporting the Arts

Disaster Relief

Animals

Digital HumanInclusion Services

CONNECTING GENEROSITY WITH NEED The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee works with people who have great hearts, whether or not they have great wealth. We have served as a leader in philanthropy for more than 25 years, bringing good people and good causes together in Middle Tennessee. Whether your heart lies in supporting the arts or in children or in your county or with human services, The Community Foundationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s personalized giving helps you make an impact.

County Initiatives

Human Services

Armed Forces

JOIN US IN MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN OUR COMMUNITY! Visit CFMT.org to learn more. 6

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Scholarship & Education

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FOUNDER & PUBLISHER Lisa McCauley EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Chuck Allen MANAGING EDITOR Nicole Keiper PROOFING EDITOR Randy Fox ONLINE EDITOR Nicole Keiper CALENDAR EDITOR Emma Alford CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Peter Cooper, Dana Delworth, Warren Denney, Randy Fox, Jon Gugala, James Haggerty, Joelle Herr, Chark Kinsolving, Theresa Laurence, Sean L. Maloney, Brittney McKenna, Steve Morley, Tommy Womack CREATIVE DIRECTOR Chuck Allen DESIGN DIRECTOR Benjamin Rumble PHOTO EDITOR Travis Commeau ILLUSTRATIONS Benjamin Rumble, Scott Guion, Dean Tomasek CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Travis Commeau STYLING/MAKEUP Kim Murray Kitchen

Table Media Company Est.2010

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ADVERTISING SALES Lisa McCauley lisa@theeastnashvillian.com 615.582.4187 ADVERTISING DESIGN Benjamin Rumble

©2018 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, LLC unless otherwise noted. Reprints or any other usage without the express written permission of the publisher is a violation of copyright.

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FEATURES

46 25 YEARS IN A FIVE-YEAR TOWN Journeys with Tim Carroll By Peter Cooper

Ben Blackwell, Third Man’s resident ‘psychedelic stooge,’ steers the label’s vinyl ship by Theresa Laurence

60 CURATING THE VIBE

Music advocate Kari Leigh Ames sets the stage for creativity, from behind the scenes By Brittney McKenna

62 THE WHOLE DAMN FAMILY

Talking 10 years of hip-hop classics with The Boom Bap’s DJ Case Bloom

John Prine’s Oh Boy Records is once again redrawing the indie-label blueprint

by Sean L. Maloney

By Warren Denney

Cold Lunch Recordings gets dirty looking for Nashville’s next great rock bands

COVER STORY

54 CAN’T KNOCK THE HUSTLE By Jon Gugala

Brenda Colladay has spent a career documenting country music — and Nashville itself By Jon Gugala

52 THE VINYL FRONTIER

56 BY ANY OTHER NAME

58 NOT ANOTHER NASHVILLE STORY

70 MUDDY NEVER SLEEPS

With his DIY music empire Muddy Roots, Jason Galaz is building special musical moments, from East Nashville to Western Europe By Randy Fox

CONTINUED ON PAGE 15

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619 W DUE WEST AVE. MADISON, TN 37115

FEATURES CONTINUED

72 VINYL IS DEAD, LONG LIVE VINYL! Drew Holcomb’s Magnolia Record Club rides the wave of the record renaissance By Jon Gugala

With plug-and-play rehearsing, recording, performing space, and more, HOME aims to be a base for Nashville’s music makers By Nicole Keiper

76 MUSIC CITY MAGIC MAKER

Manager and ‘Indiepop Princess’ Anna Lundy keeps plates and records spinning at Grimey’s By Brittney McKenna

Philip Creamer chased his classic-rock dreams from Texas to Tennessee, and found a home in East Nashville that’s just right By Steve Morley

Between top local acts and sold-out tribute shows, bassist Chase McGillis’ Nashville dance card is perpetually full By Tommy Womack

NO PLACE LIKE HOME

78 FRESH CREAMER

84 ‘EVERYBODY’S FILL-IN GUY’ 86 THE SOUL OF WITT

Actor/musician Alicia Witt finds her people in East Nashville By Nicole Keiper

88 DAYDREAM BELIEVER

Rapper, producer, and second-generation musician Mike Floss writes a new Nashville story By Sean L. Maloney

90 THE UBIQUITOUS JONELL MOSSER Veteran Nashville artist Jonell Mosser is still singing with passion, pipes, and personality — and loving this town By Randy Fox

CONTINUED ON PAGE 16

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COMMENTARY

EAST SIDE BUZZ

21 Matters of Development

18 Editor’s Letter

loss of ‘Nashville Arts’ hits East 30 The Nashville art community

32 Astute Observations

By Chuck Allen

By Nicole Keiper

By James “Hags” Haggerty

By Nicole Keiper

Channeled 35 History It Hurts So Much (To See You Go)

IN THE KNOW

By Randy Fox

in Profile: 36 Artist Scott Guion

44 Tales from the Gluten Highway 120 East of Normal By Chark Kinsolving

By Dana Delworth

97 Bookish

By Tommy Womack

By Joelle Herr

101 East Side Calendar By Emma Alford

COVER PAINTING

PARTING SHOT

Jon Prine

Jim Sherraden By Travis Commeau

By Scott Guion

Visit

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

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September | October 2018 theeastnashvillian.com

EDITOR’S LETTER David vs. Goliath

n the drive into the office this morning I caught a commotion out the corner of my eye. Turns out, a very spunky squirrel was standing up to a very large red-tailed hawk. The squirrel won that round, literally jumping up and clawing at the hawk as it turned tail to fly away. The episode brought the underlying spirit of this issue into focus for me. Many of the stories presented herein have to one degree or another an element of the David versus Goliath parable, beginning with our cover story on Oh Boy Records. John Prine made a ballsy move when he decided to walk away from a major label to start his own. He’d had a string of successful singles, to be sure, but, in the capricious and fickle land of the music business, walking away from the infrastructure and support a major offered wasn’t without risk, especially in the early ’80s. Making a record was an expensive proposition in those days, and independent promotion and distribution channels didn’t exist to the extent they do today. His was a case of David saying to Goliath, “You don’t understand what I’m trying to do, so I’m gonna go do it without you.” It’s difficult to understand the context of that time in Nashville if you weren’t, at the very least, peripheral to it. I was, and I remember seeing Prine play in local clubs to a handful of people. The same goes for Townes Van Zandt and Guy Clark. The three of them have become bona fide legends of the genre known now as Americana, but at the time they were lucky to cover their bar tabs. Prine’s — and by extension, Oh Boy’s — journey, girded as it was and is by an independent spirit and staying true to the art above all other considerations, has struck a chord with a new generation of artists. The life well lived of a brilliant songwriter has become its own parable, one the struggling songwriter can turn

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to for comfort and strength when there isn’t enough money to pay the rent, when the mailbox is full of rejection letters instead of royalty checks. So, too, does the parable apply when it comes to vinyl records. I remember going into to Grimey’s first joint in what was basically a ranch house in Berry Hill containing Mike Grimes’ personal (vinyl and very preloved) record collection. I seriously doubt Grimey had any inkling that things would turn out like they have. Not to take anything away from him; the guy is a walking encyclopedia of music. Try stumping him on some obscure release sometime. More than that, as far as the success of Grimey’s New & Pre-Loved Music goes, has been his uncanny ability to surround himself with seriously talented people. People like Doyle Davis and the subject of one of our features, Anna Lundy. The tenacity she and the Grimey’s family bring to their collective labor of love has had a huge impact on the resurgence of vinyl in the marketplace. Maybe in an unguarded moment one of them might humbly acknowledge this, but don’t be fooled. Their impact can’t be overstated. While the rest of the music business was literally freaking out about downloads and streaming, the Grimey’s team soldiered on to become a cornerstone of the vinyl renaissance. Jack White seems to have been born with a magnetic tape brain, so the founding of Third Man Records seems like part of his evolutionary process. He, too, found kindred spirits early on with the likes of Ben Blackwell, the focus of “The Vinyl Frontier” feature. Third Man’s launch took guts. Success was by no means guaranteed. The Music Row majors still held a tight grip on the city’s image and profit margins and weren’t interested in sharing with some upstart — even if it was White’s upstart. East Nashville has a way of pulling in the Davids of the world, providing solace through a shared struggle against the powers that be. I, for one, am proud to have them as neighbors.

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Delgado Guitars is excited to announce the production of our first ever electric guitar model.

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

Matters of Development East Nashville food/drink fanatics have a lot to look forward to, from sweet treats to beer and mead. Good complement: Lots of new fitness and wellness businesses joining the neighborhood, too. NEW AND NOTEWORTHY Last issue, we mentioned that the folks revamping the former Bagel Face Bakery spot at 700 Main St. — East Park Donuts and Coffee — would be opening soon. How soon is now: The shop soft-opened in late August, and their team is now slinging donuts, coffee, and more at 700 Main St. Hours were still evolving at press time, but they’re sharing the latest updates on Instagram: @eastparkdonutsandcoffee. All the donut details you could need: eastparkdonutsandcoffee.com.

Something fun for East Siders with little ones: Emily Arrow’s Singalong Shop — stocked with children’s books, storytime supplies, kid-friendly instruments and more — offered an early peek in August, at 1100 Fatherland St, #107, and was gearing up for a grand opening party set at press time for 1 p.m. on Sept. 8. Shopkeep Arrow — a musician and soon-tobe published children’s book author, with several albums out and two books due via Penguin Random House in 2019 and 2020 — took over the former/longtime home of Thrive, which closed in the spring. Mixing music and books has been her go-to: She started as an elementary music educator in Los Angeles, and the fun of sharing picture books with students during lessons blossomed into writing songs about her favorite books, then recording and sharing them at schools,

libraries, and fests throughout the U.S. The shop is stocked with a bunch of Arrow’s own work, including her Storytime Singalong albums, and the work of other artists and creatives she’s drawn to. Arrow’s hosting more than browsing/shopping hours at her place too — lots of events are filling out the Singalong Shop calendar, including yoga classes for kids and weekly Storytime Singalongs. Learn more at thesingalongshop.com; listed hours: 11 a.m.-6 p.m. (ish), Wednesday to Sunday. Over at 521 Gallatin Ave., #2, fashion designer Natalie Busby opened a new design studio and storefront in July, where we can shop a mix of Busby’s own designs (like shirts, dresses, sweaters, and more) and pieces from other brands she loves. The Busby originals are meant to be

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a nook for people who love beautiful books 1043 West Eastland Avenue thebookshopnashville.com @thebookshopnashville

EAST SIDE BUZZEAST SIDE BUZZ “versatile, well-made garments with everyday life in mind,” with a focus on sustainability, from textile choices to production practices. Busby is a relatively new Nashvillian, coming our way from Boston, Austin, Chicago and, originally, Alabama. She told us she kind of fell into opening a retail space here in the neighborhood. The intent, initially, was just to secure a studio. “But when I found the space itself,” she said, “it just seemed like such a cool idea to have both a design studio and shop in one. It is so beneficial as a designer to work directly with customers. It is an incredible resource to have immediate customer feedback at your fingertips, and it helps me to stay connected with my audience.” Learn more at nataliebusby.com; shop hours are 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, noon to 4 p.m. Sunday. More on the fashion front: Phancee — a women’s clothing boutique stocking a mix that spans from cocktail dresses to custom T-shirts — hosted its grand opening in early August at 700 Fatherland St., the former home of gifts/decor shop Rustique. Hours are 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. on Friday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. on Saturday. Two new East Nashville spots to get your nails beautified: Comfy Nails Zone (3026 Gallatin Pike in Inglewood) and CURED Nails (813 Gallatin Ave., next to the recently opened East Nashville Dental Co.) have both opened their doors recently. CURED, which saw its first fingers and toes in early August, focuses on mirroring “the expectations of a luxury spa experience,” with manicures, pedicures, and a variety of add-ons, including olive oil massages and charcoal masks. Hours are currently 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and you can grab more info/make appointments at curednails.com. Their Inglewood neighbors, open the same hours/days, offer an interior that matches the name, and a full menu of services: “Dip, gel, acrylics, sugar scrub, paraffin wax, hot stone pedicure massage, rose petal water, we do it all,” a socials announcement from the Comfy kids said. Find them on Facebook or go the old-fashioned route and ring them at 615.750.2516. Another new fitness spot joins the East Side: Yoga studio Zen Den recently opened in the restored fire station known as The Station, at 1220 Gallatin Ave. They’re offering classes and private sessions, along with meditation memberships that offer more broad access to their space. To learn more, visit zendennashville.com. What good is it to be fit and fashionable

if your dog’s dropping the style ball? Enter Hunter & June, a new East Nashville shop sharing “beautifully designed and unique products for dogs and the people who love them,” from T-shirts and bandanas to collars and leashes that’ll have your furry friend looking fittingly fantastic. The shop, run by husband-and-wife team Pete and Kalina Stormer, opened in late July at 727 Porter Road. The two are self-professed “crazy dog people” who wanted to offer wellmade, stylish pieces for folks like them. “When we shop for ourselves or for our homes, we are intentional about the quality and aesthetic,” Kalina told us. “Our goal is to offer that same experience for pet owners.” The shop is open now 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. on Sunday. For more/to shop online: hunterandjune.co. In mid-July, the new Riverside Village Clinic grand-opened its doors at 1406B McGavock Pike. Run by healthcare provider Jennifer Campbell PA-C, the clinic is offering all kinds of “health hub” services, including vaccinations, general care, and women’s care. The new business has established Inglewood roots,

too: It’s being managed by Riverside Village Pharmacy next door, and Kate Mills — the former owner of neighborhood vintage/décor shop Old Made Good — helped design the interior. Neighbors in need of a new health-care spot should check out riversidevillageclinic. com; they’re open 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday. For non-traditional wellness seekers, East Nashville welcomed another CBD-focused shop in August. CBD American Shaman is now stocking cannabidiol products aplenty, from gummies and cookies to tinctures and lotions, at 925 Gallatin Ave., Suite 103. This brand has franchises in various states, including several in Tennessee. Lots more about what they sell (and the wellness benefits many CBD aficionados tout) at: cbdamericanshaman.com. A welcome return: Little Octopus — an East Nashville restaurant before it was a Gulch restaurant — started slinging its menu on the East Side once again in late June. It’s just not a full Little Octopus setup, exactly: Its former/ newly reanimated home, POP Nashville, has added some trademark fresh, seasonal Little Octopus dishes to its “To-Go” setup, along

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EAST SIDE BUZZ with the already up-and-running Otaku Ramen menu. So if you’re looking for something light — ceviche, raw veg with tofu — either hit pop-togo.com or swing by 604 Gallatin Ave. for a to-go Little Octopus order, Wednesday through Saturday 5-10 p.m., Sunday noon to 10 p.m. Not in the neighborhood, but of the neighborhood: Furnishings/home goods shop Apple & Oak, whose flagship is at 717 Porter Road in the Shops at Porter East, opened a second location in Hillsboro Village in August. They’re up and going at 1818 21st Ave. S. from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. on Sundays and Mondays, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. The original Apple & Oak has slightly different hours: noon to 4 p.m. Sunday and Monday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturday. Explore more by visiting appleandoaknash.com. In the same development as the new CURED Nails, Nashville craft beer builders TailGate Brewery have an East Nashville home coming online just as we go to press. Those folks already have several taprooms here in town (on Music Row and on Charlotte Pike), where they’re pouring a blend of approachable craft brews (golden ales and IPAs included) and some weirder, creative concoctions, like a PB&J Milk Stout. They’ve earned high local marks for food offerings, too, with a menu that leans heavily on pizza and pub food (wings and pretzels, at the ready). Hours at their new place, 811 Gallatin Ave., are 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, 11-11 Friday and Saturday. Lots more at tailgatebeer.com.

Amazon — played a significant role. “Please know that when folks do this, they are telling the store owner(s) that all of those hours spent carefully curating a selection don’t matter, and that they couldn’t care less if that shop succeeds or fails,” he wrote. “If you find something you like on the shelves of an independent retailer, please BUY IT THERE!” The shop first opened in 2015, at 1603 Riverside Dr., reopening on 11th Street in late 2017. Just a little move for East Nashville Chiropractic: In late July, they trekked next door from their old location, to a new office at 211 S. 17th St. That new place offers a lot more space, which helped them bring on new services and bring in new faces, including Stephanie Oakley, LMT, the new in-house massage therapist. Find out more by visiting: eastnashvillechiro.com. COMING SOON Definitely among the East Nashvillest of coming-soons to ever come our way: Local baker Beca Lewis Skeels, who’s been providing local vegans with all manner of sweet treats for a while now under the brand name Leeuw Bake Shop, is teaming up with pet rescue advocate Anna

Talaga to open The Catio, “East Nashville’s one and only vegan retail bakery, cat lounge, and cat-safe plant shop.” Their new home: 1603 Riverside Drive, the first home of recently shuttered East Side shop Atomic Nashville. On the bakery front, we should see a lot of the concoctions that have made Leeuw a popup success around town, including gourmet “pop tarts,” super-stylish cinnamon rolls and all kinds of impeccably decorated cookies and cupcakes. On the kitty front, direct from Skeels’ socials: “We will be partnering with local rescues to bring adoptable cats into the lounge and to ultimately provide homes for these wonderful animals. ... both Anna and I are passionate about animal rescue, community and CATS! Our primary mission always has been and always will be to promote responsible pet ownership, support animal welfare, and to help save more animals in need. We are grateful to now be able to do this via a unique, community-oriented space and serve our community in such an incredible way.” The duo hopes to get the Catio doors open this fall. In the meantime, fix your eyes on Skeels’ creations and get the latest opening news on Instagram: @thecationashville.

CLOSINGS AND MOVES Cute and cozy Fatherland District shop Pom Pom Nashville announced in July that it’d be shuttering after two years in business here, at 1006 Fatherland St., Ste. 203. “Thank you all so much for love and the support you’ve given us,” a goodbye note from the Pom Pom socials said. “We will miss your smiling faces and be forever grateful.” The brand isn’t done, however — just the brick and mortar. Locals who felt particularly drawn to Pom Pom’s home goods, clothing, and accessories can still peruse and purchase online at pompomnashville.com. Another summer closure: Atomic Nashville announced in August that it’d be closing its doors at 118 S. 11th St., after an almost three-year run, in two different East Nashville locations. Owner Dan Balog cited a mix of reasons for the shuttering, but pointed out that “showrooming” — browsing small business owners’ carefully curated shops to find good picks, but ultimately making purchases from monster retailers like September | October 2018 theeastnashvillian.com

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EAST SIDE BUZZ The Catio isn’t the only new East Nashville sweets name in the works. Down near 5 Points, in the old Mrs. Winners across from East High, local entrepreneur Shauna McCoy is busy building mini-donut-focused family business Donut Distillery. Like lots of local food brands, Donut Distillery started as a mobile business, and this location, 311 Gallatin Ave., will be its entry into brickand-mortar life. “We absolutely love East Nashville,” McCoy told us. “The community is vibrant, fun, exciting, and growing and the people are extremely nice and welcoming. All these qualities are what we aspire for our shop. A brick and mortar has been the dream from the beginning, we just needed to find the perfect home.” McCoy told us that, along with mini donuts in a bunch of crafty flavors (including whiskey-glazed and maple bacon), the Donut Distillery menu will also feature “great coffee, donut sundaes, craft beer, and wine.” She’s aiming to get the doors open by December. For more: donutdistillery.com. East Nashville is just about flush with craft beer these days, and we even have our own winery in Nashville Urban Winery. So why not move on to mead? “Nashville’s Premier Craft Meadery,” Honeytree Meadery, has a new home brewing at 918 Woodland St. here in the neighborhood. Not familiar with the stuff? A little lesson straight from Honeytree heads Matt Loch and Ross Welbon: “As beer has grains and wine has grapes, Mead’s featured ingredient is honey. Traditional meads are most similar to wines, found between 10 to 12 percent ABV and can be sweet, semisweet, and dry. The main flavors of the mead typically come from the types of honey used (i.e. wildflower, sourwood, orange blossom), but adjuncts like fruit, spices, and herbs are also commonly found and can elevate the beverage to previously unattainable levels.” Loch and Weldon will be sourcing honey from their own hives and from local beekeepers, and through the summer, they’ve been busy brewing and bottling samples and getting the space ready. Hopes are to be open and serving by fall. To learn more about what they’re up to: honeytreemeadery.com. A little more than a block over from our new mead-making neighbors, at 922B Main St., we’re welcoming a new hot spot for gamers who like to keep it old-school: pinball-and-pints bar No Quarter. East Nashvillian Seth Steele and friend/former coworker Scott Holdren — both hardcore pinball fans — are opening the new business, and “going for just a neighborhood bar feel,” Steele told us.

In the cozy former home of Gizmo’s vape shop, they’ve installed a collection of pinball games spanning decades — from a newer Guardians of the Galaxy game with movie clips on an LCD screen, to Joker Poker pinball from the ’70s — plus a comfortable bar with lots of local beer on tap and a vintage jukebox programmed with quality college-rock.

Also important to note: If you’re drinking or eating, playing’s pretty much gratis — they’ll be handing over a bunch of tokens to play with every order. At press time, a grand opening was set for Sept. 6. For the latest No Quarter news, hit noquarternashville.com. Tenants are finally starting to sign leases

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876-5479 |

EAST SIDE BUZZ over at the new retail center in front of the former Walmart, at 1214 Gallatin Ave. Two businesses we had confirmation on by press time: a new T-Mobile shop, and an East Side Orangetheory Fitness. Both are national brands, but the fitness spot has a tight East Nashville connection: It’ll be led by longtime East Nashvillian Martine Mahoney, who’s also helped bring the Orangetheory brand to Hendersonville and Mount Juliet. She fell in love with fitness as a kid, and as an adult, had a job with a startup called YouScience that immersed her in the science of the human body. Those experiences fed into why Orangetheory’s data-centric approach really appealed — workouts are all tracked with performance summaries. She’s particularly excited to get a studio open close to home (though it likely won’t be until midto late November). “My goal is to build a strong studio tribe within the greater East Nashville community that all of us who live here or spend time here understand is pretty special,” Mahoney told us. “East Nashville has been my home for over 10 years, and my dream has always been to bring this to my friends, neighbors, and anyone who wants to better themselves physically and mentally.” To learn more in advance of their opening: orangetheoryfitness.com. The new T-Mobile shop, meanwhile, came about because that brand’s seen a lot of local growth in the area, communications manager Kaitlin Craig told us. “In addition to having one of our call centers based in Nashville, we also opened 11 stores in 2017, and we’ve already opened two stores this year, with six more planned,” she said. We’re still waiting on a concrete grand opening date, but last timeframe we got was late summer. More coworking in the works: New Yorkbred “modern and affordable coworking” company Bond Collective — which already has locations throughout its home city and in Philadelphia — announced plans in July to branch out to several new areas, including East Nashville. The local home they’re planning to occupy: the former Ray of Hope Community Church sanctuary at 901 Meridian St. in Cleveland Park. Like other Bond spots, this space should offer an array of coworking options, from flexible memberships to private offices, plus the amenities that usually come with highend professional cohabitation, like conference rooms, guest reception, and rooftop lounges. Bond Collective’s message to East Siders:

“We are excited to join the vibrant community in East Nashville and bring you an unmatched, boutique work experience.” This project is part of a massive expansion for Bond, which could include as many as 30 new sites over three years. No word yet on when they expect the East Nashville space to open, but meantime, learn more about the company and their already-open spaces at bondcollective.com. Another East Nashville tiki bar is reportedly on the way: The Tennessean reported in late June that Hubba Hubba — a new project from the Crying Wolf ’s Dave Young and former Shotgun Willie’s BBQ slinger Kyle Lamoureux — was in the works at 912 Main St. Lamoureux told the paper we should expect a “‘beach hut bar’ with 1980s influences, an open-air feel, an outdoor patio and a small grass area for dogs.” No word yet on when they’re looking to get the doors open. Just a little more development news that isn’t East Nashville-based, but East Nashvilleattached: Three different local brands are branching out in the coming months. Locally bred natural grocer Turnip Truck has a third location in the works in West Nashville,

which they hope to open late next year. Beauty brand Lemon Laine, which opened its East Nashville shop last May, will add a Houston, Texas, shop, likely by fall. Also in Texas: SnapShot Interactive, whose HQ is here in the neighborhood, is working on an Austin location. —Nicole Keiper

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EAST SIDE BUZZ The loss of ‘Nashville Arts’ hits East Nashville art community After nearly 10 years of chronicling and celebrating Nashville’s arts scene, Nashville Arts Magazine announced in August that it’d printed its last page.

In a note to readers, publisher and CEO Paul Polycarpou expressed his appreciation for the years of getting to dig deep into Nashville’s creative scene, and a desire to start “ticking off some of the boxes” on his bucket list, after 109 issues filled with the work and stories of Nashville photographers, sculptors, painters, performing artists, and more.

Through the years, the monthly magazine featured a slew of East Nashville artists, businesses, and events — exhibits at Red Arrow Gallery, the opening of Poverty and the Arts’ new East Side studio, year after year of Tomato Art Fest love. So for many of those who make, share, and spotlight all kinds of art here, Nashville Arts’ shuttering is a profound loss. “I remember when I moved here in late 2011, I was blown away that ‘Music City’ had a monthly full-color magazine, devoted to the arts,” says Katie Shaw, Red Arrow’s owner. “Within the first few weeks of establishing Red Arrow in Nashville, Paul had reached out and stopped by the gallery to meet me in person and decided to do a story in a future edition. For my gallery this was top exposure that I didn’t have to pay for and desperately, being new to the community, needed. … For the community as a whole, NAM provided a venue for all artists to be shown and written about.” To Sara Lederach — who co-curated East Nashville’s Gallery Luperca, and was a driving force behind the neighborhood East Side Art Stumble art crawl — that support wasn’t just a boost for individual artists and galleries, but a vital part of what kept the arts scene in Nashville from being washed out by “It City” growth and the ever-present “Music City” shadow. “[It’s] devastating, and should be a reality check for people who value visual and performing arts in this city,” she says. “Nashville is experiencing an identity crisis in the face of tremendous growth and the monolithic country music industry. This will only be exacerbated by the loss of Nashville Arts Magazine.” The larger question, as the Nashville arts scene loses a valued mouthpiece and cheerleader: “What is our clearinghouse for exhibitions and performances now?” Lederach asks. “This feels like a step backwards for the arts community. … Through NAM, we had access to people who were as passionate about art and community as we are. I’m so bummed to see it end.” —Nicole Keiper To read Paul Polycarpou’s goodbye message — and to explore the years of Nashville arts coverage the magazine produced, including the final, August 2018 issue — visit: nashvillearts.com.

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Astute OBSERVATIONS by

Summer vacation? Hags, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re a grown man!

tâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s true. Nonetheless, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been a fantastic summer thus far. The bass gods have smiled upon me in this fair season. As you know from my last missive, the month of May found me on the breezy, sunny West Coast. Allow me to synopsize for the few who may have missed said observations: great music, great beauty, and great green recreational inhalation. After returning from the balmy days and breezy nights of the Josh Rouse West Coast tour, I spent a few weeks at home. Nashville was HOT. And MUGGY! I stayed in and drank gallons of water, popped antihistamines, and baked sourdough bread in a cast-iron pot. I find the baking process relaxing and meditative â&#x20AC;&#x201D; itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a slow process that requires attention and time. It also makes the house smell great, and if I do it right and throw some love into it, I am rewarded with crusty, delicious, aromatic boules and baguettes to share with my nearest and dearest. In these ever-more-maddening times, a little self-care and nurturing, fermented goodness goes a long way. I did leave the house occasionally to commune with the deer, herons, eagles, flowers, creatures, and critters on the Shelby Bottoms Greenway for a few scenic rides to the Percy Priest Dam on my two-wheeler. Alas, man cannot live on bread and bicycles alone and must earn his living. I hung up my bakerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hat and cyclistâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s helmet and strapped into my P bass. The charm of the Northeast beckoned in the form of an Autumn Defense tour. By late July, I was headed north with my pals, John Stirratt, Pat Sansone, and Greg (G Wiz) Wieczorek. As an aside, I must say, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s nice to be in a band with another guy who goes by a nickname. Newtown, Connecticut; Providence, Rhode Island; Brownfield and Boothbay, Maine; and good-old Boston, Massachusetts. We dubbed this run â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Autumn Defense Vacation Tour.â&#x20AC;? Salty

Have a hankering for more Hags? We suggest visiting theeastnashvillian.com for all of his previous observations.

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theeastnashvillian.com September | October 2018

summer sea breezes and beautiful locations make for lovely music making. Being a seafaring yankee myself, the local fare was much to my liking. Lohbstahs, claaams, and steamahs were the highlights, and letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not forget the chowdah! Are you not familiar with lohbstah? Allow me to use the word in a sentence, by way of clarification: Er, ah er, ah could I please have another lohbstah roll and anothah hahp lagah, for Mr. Quint? After the vacation tour, I made a brief stop in Nashville to check the mail, water the plants, wind the grandfather clock, and feed the sourdough starter before setting off once again. As I write this from the future, it is 8:01 p.m. on August 5, but in Tennessee, it is 1:01 p.m. You see, I am in Sant Feliu de GuĂxols in Catalunya (Spain) with The Original Blues Brothers Band. We are in the middle of a two-week run. Tonight, we play a festival by the sea, as we did two nights ago in Italy. Tomorrow, we head to MĂĄlaga for three days on the beach, followed by Switzerland, Norway, and then back stateside. I must tell you, dear reader, that when Blue Lou Marini tells a joke at the dinner table, it brings the house down. And heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s got a million of â&#x20AC;&#x2122;em. I count myself very lucky to be playing this music with some of its original architects. It is an honor. Mid-August will find me back in Nashville for a brief minute. Just enough time for mail, plants, starter, and old grandad before Joe and Marc Pisapia and I head to Los Angeles, California, for a concert in celebration of Joeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s excellent new record entitled Connection. To top it all off, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll return west with Mr. Pat Sansone and Mr. Dave King of Hamilton, Ontario, known locally as the man on the skins with the band Creamer. The three of us will be playing Patâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tunes in Wyoming and Colorado. By the time this all wraps up, it will be September. As I said before, I am a very lucky man because this is how I spent my summer vacation. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll see you in the fall, friends and neighbors!

đ?&#x201E;˘

Hags is a part-time bon vivant, man-about-town, and resolute goodwill ambassador for The East Nashvillian. He earns his keep as a full-time bassist extraordinaire.

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illustration :

J ames â&#x20AC;&#x153;Hagsâ&#x20AC;? Haggerty

September | October 2018 theeastnashvillian.com

theeastnashvillian.com September | October 2018

HISTORY

Channeled By Randy Fox

It Hurts So Much (To See You Go) The sad and almost forgotten saga of Evergreen Place

n Sept. 22, 2005, the locks were removed from a temporary chain-link fence at the intersection of Gallatin Pike and Briley Parkway. Despite a revoked demolition permit and a Metro stop work order, bulldozers rumbled across the property. Pushing against the foundation of “The Jim Reeves Museum at Evergreen Place,” the bulldozers quickly exposed ancient log timbers hidden by the clapboard facade. In less than two hours, the house was no more. Some East Side residents viewed the destruction as good riddance to a run-down former tourist trap and neighborhood eyesore; others lamented the loss of an East Side landmark. Evergreen’s story began in 1785, just six years after the founding of the city of Nashville, when the Rev. Craighead was appointed the first dean of Davidson Academy (the predecessor of Peabody College at Vanderbilt). Settling in the small village of Haysborough, approximately six miles northeast of Nashville, Craighead built a two-room log cabin on what is now the dividing line between Inglewood and Madison. In 1826, real estate trader Anthony W. Johnson purchased the home from the Craighead family and expanded the ground floor, added a second story, and transformed it into a Greek Revival manor house. In 1854, Johnson sold the property to Mary and George Bradford. The Bradfords planted a grove of evergreen trees on the property, named it Evergreen Farms, and established a large farm on the surrounding property. After George Bradford died in 1866 from tuberculosis he contracted while in a Union prisoner of war camp, Mary continued operating the farm, eventually passing it on to her sons. By the middle of the 20th century, the residential development of Inglewood and Madison, along with the construction of Briley Parkway, had nibbled away at the acreage of Evergreen Farms. Ownership of the original farmhouse, outbuildings, and several wooded acres was maintained by the Bradford family until 1980, when Jim Reeves Enterprises purchased the historic home and property. Opening in 1981, the Jim Reeves Museum at Evergreen Place was a memorial to the late Grand Ole Opry star and Country Music Hall of Fame member. Reeves began his career in the late 1940s as a radio announcer and vocalist.

After scoring several country hits in the mid-1950s, Reeves transitioned to a smooth, crooning pop-vocal style that made him a superstar. Starting with the 1957 No. 1 country hit “Four Walls,” Reeves began regularly scoring top 10 country hits, frequently crossing over to the pop charts, and placing him at the forefront of the new, smoother “Nashville Sound.” Reeves’ crossover hits not only expanded the popularity of country music in the U.S., but led to him becoming the first international country star, attracting large followings in the U.K., Ireland, Europe, South Africa, India, and Sri Lanka. Reeves’ life ended on July 31, 1964, when his plane crashed just north of Brentwood, Tennessee, killing Reeves and his manager Dean Manuel. In the years that followed, Reeves’ widow, Mary Reeves, worked to preserve his legacy. RCA continued releasing his recordings, drawing from both previously unreleased material and remixes and overdubs of past releases. As the records kept rolling out, Reeves eventually scored an astounding 36 posthumous country hits. Opening in the spring of 1981, the Jim Reeves Museum at Evergreen Place quickly became a popular tourist attraction — drawing fans from around the world, many erroneously assuming Evergreen was Reeves’ former home. Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982, the house told the story of Reeves’ life alongside the history of Evergreen Place. The museum closed in 1996 after Mary Reeves’ declining health left her unable to manage the property. While the property’s legal ownership was tied up in bankruptcy court for many years, it fell victim to vandals and squatters. In 2004, real estate investor Robert N. Moore, Jr. purchased the property and soon worked out a prospective retail development deal. There was one problem: that pesky house and its status as a historic landmark. In the weeks that followed the bulldozers, accusations flew, denials were issued, and lawsuits were threatened. But in the end, a $3,000 settlement was paid to Metro (compensation for three days of “archeological study”), two log cabin outbuildings (conveniently located on a less-developmentally attractive portion of the property) were preserved, an estimated $1.4 million profit was pocketed, and the East Side gained a Home Depot and a Regions Bank but lost a portion of its physical history forever.

September | October 2018 theeastnashvillian.com

Artist in Profile

SCOTT GUION Portrait of a punk-playing painter By Dana Delworth You’ve likely seen his work: the fences surrounding the House of Blues recording studios in Berry Hill, covered with smiling, mandala-like images of Nashville’s musical DNA; Hieronymus Bosch-esque album covers for Galactic and Hurray for the Riff Raff; the oh-so-Instagrammable mural on the side of Fanny’s House of Music in East Nashville, depicting a panoply of women taking the rock ’n’ roll lead from Sister Rosetta Tharpe forward. What you may not know: The artist, Scott Guion, lives among us, and we’re getting to see what he hears. Guion moved to Nashville over a decade ago, after a short-lived, post-Katrina return to his native New Orleans. He and his family now live in Inglewood and count among the proud creative contributors to the area, with Guion’s Tomato Art Fest submissions — surreal portrayals of usually disparate characters and elements joined together in a way that somehow makes sense — garnering high praise from attendees and judges alike. Take 2017’s “Best in Show”-winning “That’s all Folks,” which shows Barbie riding atop a Monopoly bill like a flying carpet, alongside G.I. Joe, MC Hammer, and Vanilla Ice, holding trays of food in front of a Piggly Wiggly grocery whose namesake mascot inexplicably watches television with Archie Bunker while Jesus, holding an automatic rifle, looms in the air. Not only does Guion take it all in, he has a way of making a statement that addresses all the world’s ills and ridiculousness simultaneously. It might come as a surprise, after taking in his meticulously detailed work, that Guion happened into a field that has given him national renown by accident. Early on, Guion considered himself a “band guy” — he started playing in bands at 16, before he was old enough to get in the bars of late-1980s New Orleans. “The art happened accidentally,” Guion says. “The flyers and cassette covers became an art form in itself.” →

theeastnashvillian.com September | October 2018

Scott Guion

stands in front of his creation at House of Blues Recording Studios photographed by

Travis Commeau

September | October 2018 theeastnashvillian.com

Artist in Profile

“THAT’S ALL FOLKS”

theeastnashvillian.com September | October 2018

“DA LASS SUPPAH”

Artist in Profile

ALL ARTWORK THIS AND FACING PAGE ©SCOTT GUION; USED BY PERMISSION

“LEGO MY EGO”

“GODS PLAYING POKER”

“EXPULSION FROM EDEN”

“ERNEST TUBB INVADED BY GOOGLY-EYED GOOGOO BUSKERS”

September | October 2018 theeastnashvillian.com

Artist in Profile

theeastnashvillian.com September | October 2018

Artist in Profile

He always liked to draw, but “never gave a thought to it at all” as a career path, he says. Guion’s love of/involvement in live music led him to a job selling T-shirts at the House of Blues in the French Quarter, for both employment and steady access to some of the most vibrant musicians of the time. Guion was fascinated with the establishment’s reputation as having the largest collection of Southern folk art in the world (really — there’s a Trivial Pursuit question), and their street-side chalkboard gave him an avenue to express his own creativity and enthusiasm for the incoming HOB acts. “You know, art is part of the whole music thing of working here,” Guion says. “And it got really fun. And I got more and more into it. And I would come in to work in the morning before my shift and make this really cool chalkboard. I would be thinking about it a lot.” At the House of Blues, he also met Brett Spears, whose decorative and scenic painting at the venue left a lasting impression. (He’s “still one of my favorite artists,” Guion says.) Spears, blown away by Guion’s fastidious chalkboard visions, invited the 25-year-old to the HOB in Chicago to create alongside him. “Do you know how to paint?” Guion was asked. “I said, ‘Well, yeah,’” he remembers. “But I had never painted a day in my life.” A quick study, Guion said they found his style to be a perfect fit for the franchise. He found the side trips to create art fulfilling but was still gigging as a musician in a “’90s monosyllabic metal punk rock” group called Rigid, with hopes of playing outside of New Orleans. “No one ever came to New Orleans to look for bands that weren’t funk, weren’t Dixieland,” Guion says. Regardless, like many musicians here, he persisted: “I never made a dime playing gigs. You know what I mean? We would make, like, a hundred bucks and it would go into making flyers and T-shirts. … it wasn’t like a job, but we treated it like a job, for sure.” Guion went on to marry (his wife, Melanie, is a musician, artist, and teacher) and start a family while still playing music, painting for the House of Blues and freelancing for companies including Tabasco. Although the Guions returned to New Orleans after being evacuated, they had a child on the cusp of beginning school in a city struggling to rebuild its collapsed infrastructure, and their neighborhood’s recovery had degraded. Existing in that city had become untenable, and Nashville, with its rich musical culture, called. “I couldn’t get any kind of gigs, you know playing, doing art there, and playing in a very

heavy metal band,” Guion says. “I was really into that. I really thought we were gonna do something with that. But, you know, Katrina really broke us up, and even for a while after we moved [to Nashville], I was trying to do that with them, and driving eight hours to do gigs and stuff. It just wasn’t working.”

Over time, Guion’s focus shifted from music to art. In Nashville, work with House of Blues locations around the country continued, along with other individual commissions (including some whimsical work for an 18-yearold Taylor Swift), while Guion began to familiarize himself with country music. →

Patio now open.

Nashville’s Japanese-style pub and social house twotenjack.com

September | October 2018 theeastnashvillian.com

theeastnashvillian.com September | October 2018

Artist in Profile

In his hometown, where radio offerings in the genre were scarce, his exposure to country music had been limited to weekly viewings of Hee Haw. “It was like watching Soul Train,” Guion says. “I may as well have been watching Martians, you know. And it was like another world that didn’t even occur to me that it was what it was, you know what I mean?” Here, Guion discovered something in the classic country players that resonated with his punk-rock sensibilities. “The very first thing that I did was go to Ernest Tubb’s record store and buy Hank Williams — it was probably like 50 Hank Williams songs,” he says. “Well, yeah, that’s a good primer. I’m thinking, ‘This is the best music I’ve ever heard.’ Then I went and bought Merle Haggard, Buck Owens ... then eventually I got into Gram Parsons, the Flying Burrito Brothers, and more offshoots of traditional country.” He was so impressed that calling himself a “guitar player” in Nashville began to feel uncomfortable, given the mastery of classic players and newer players such as Kenny Vaughan and Jack Pearson. “I think people just take it for granted,” Guion says. “And it’s in the air, you know what I mean?” Today, the music itself allows Guion to create iconic homages to these musical heroes. “I am addicted to music. And I don’t like to paint without it going on,” he says. “You know, even when I’m out there painting on those fences, I’m listening to the artists that I’m painting. It helps me to see them just beyond the representation of their face.” Guion also researches his subjects before he paints them — the artist getting to know the artist, as the subject helps create the timbre of his portraiture. It’s made him pause to look at how we view our musical past, through the perspective of his hometown. “If you’re a punk-rock kid growing up in New Orleans, you don’t know about James Booker or the Meters or the contribution of Louis Armstrong to the creation of a whole genre of music,” he says. “You just know there’s a park and an airport named after him.” Guion has revisited many classic New Orleans haunts and figures in his work, and now brings a fresh eye to classic country in Nashville. “You know that bumper sticker, ‘Visualize Minnie Pearl’? You need to visualize Merle Haggard, you need to visualize George Jones, even if you’re just driving through the neighborhood,” he says. “I meet the nicest people just sitting on the side of the road. It’s like, meditative, you’re in another zone and people will honk or they’ll stop and roll the window

down and tell me that they dig it. Or they take a little detour on their way to work. And it’s like, that’s the coolest thing in the whole world. You put your art out there, and it’s a little piece of you when it’s anonymous, and you get to stand back and watch people enjoy it.”

Scott Guion’s work in progress at the House of Blues Studios can be viewed for free daily, at 518 E Iris Dr. If you see the artist, tell him you dig it, or honk rhythmically.

Nashville Children’s Theatre TUCK EVERLASTING

A TYA premiere adaptation of the Broadway Musical!

September 13October 7, 2018 Book by Claudia Shear and Tim Federle Music by Chris Miller Lyrics by Nathan Tysen Based on the novel Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt

615-252-4675 or NashvilleCT.org

Disney’s THE LITTLE MERMAID

November 8December 23, 2018 Music by Alan Menken Lyrics by Howard Ashman and Glenn Slater Book by Doug Wright

Join NCT’s Shellebration parties over Thanksgiving break! All performances take place at The Martin Center at 25 Middleton Street Nashville, TN 37210 FREE PARKING ON SITE

September | October 2018 theeastnashvillian.com

TALES FROM THE

Gluten Highway BY CHARK KINSOLVING

ROAD TRIP!

“Step away from the dog, Frenchy ...”

ver since the invention of the automobile, man has found himself headed down various roads and highways to destinations both planned and unplanned, often with friends or family in tow. And as anyone who has embarked upon a long journey knows, two things are inevitable: a) you will run out of gas, and b) you will be hungry. In the olden days folks would pull up to a gas or “filling station,” as they were then known, and as many as two or three attendants would come out and pump the gas, check the fluids and the tires, and basically make sure that you had everything you needed to keep rolling down the highway toward your final destination. Some fancier places might have a diner attached to it, and inside you’d find clean restroom facilities and a simple menu of burgers and fries and other basic road fare served to you by a friendly waitress in a crisp uniform. These are not the old days. This is Gallatin Road, or what I like to call the “Gluten Highway.”

theeastnashvillian.com September | October 2018

In the case of a well-planned excursion, meals might be pre-arranged or pre-packed, maybe procured from a nice destination restaurant or roadside attraction. Since this is Gallatin Road, I’m not that lucky. And I’m always in a hurry. Most gas stations are chain-based — Speedway, Mapco — but past Rivergate, up at the border of Hendersonville, there’s a great one called Dodge’s. I’m not sure when it was founded but recall it being there in the early to midt-’80s, as it was very close to Monthaven Farm, where I saw an early outdoor festival called Rock for the Animals that featured the cream of the Nashville rock scene circa 1983. We tried to buy beer and failed, but I digress. Inside Dodge’s you’ll find a great little chicken shack. Real chicken with natural flavor — not this disgusting Hot Chicken that so many of you out there are destroying your colons with. Just good old-fashioned gas station fried chicken over here — on a biscuit, on a stick, on platters, tenders and strips, even the whole damn chicken if you so desire. And, of course, my personal favorite: the nugget. Dodge’s also has a great selection of Chark-friendly road food such as corn dogs, potato sticks, and quite possibly the greatest invention of driving food, the pizza stick. I don’t know who invented the pizza stick but I would love to one day shake his hand. They also have a great selection of breakfast biscuit items, but as I sleep a little later than most I have yet to give ’em a try. A little closer to the East Side, there’s a nondescript BP station that sits in the parking lot of the old Kmart building and inside you’ll find a Krispy Krunchy Chicken. As gas-station chicken goes, it’s not bad. Not as good as Dodge’s — but I don’t come here for the chicken. There’s a hidden secret within these walls and it’s called jambalaya. Yes, you heard me correct: You can get a damn fine jambalaya in a gas station. On Gallatin Road. Now, I know most of you are reading this and thinking, “There’s no way in hell I’m eating some kinda canned crap that’s reheated in a gas station just because some hippie told me to.” And you’d be right to think that, except for the fact that I have watched these ladies cut the sausage by hand and prepare it fresh every day in crock pots, and they won’t serve it until it’s done. So please give this hippie a little credit. They serve up deep-fried Boudin Balls that are pretty damn good as well. But the real treasure in this place is somewhat of a gas ’n’ go food unicorn: the breakfast empanada made with egg and chorizo. Whenever I’m in D.C., I stay at this amazing place on O Street. A block away on P Street is Panas Empanadas, and I will eat there every day, two or three times a day, and when I get back to Nashville there’s not an empanada in sight, so I’m jonesing hard. I still remember my first time seeing them behind the glass. There I was, awestruck and hungry at 8 a.m., and I thought I was having some kind of hallucination left over from the night before. But no, they do exist. Here’s the kicker, though: They only make a lonely few, and they don’t have them every morning, AND you’ve gotta get there early to get them. But I’m here to tell you that they’re fantastic. I keep pestering the manager to make more and serve them later, and he keeps giving me the runaround, so we’ll see. I wish everyone safe travels on this over-travelled and over-populated expanse of pavement, and hope that next time you’re gassing up the grocery-getter at your local filling station, you’ll skip paying at the pump, and venture indoors to have a look around. You just might be surprised.

September | October 2018 theeastnashvillian.com

25Years in a Five-year Town Journeys with Tim Carroll By Peter Cooper

Photographs by Travis Commeau 46

theeastnashvillian.com September | October 2018 2018

September September | | October October 2018 2018 theeastnashvillian.com

he raucous crunch of a scarred but churning Telecaster, played through an amp smaller than most self-respecting guitar players would plug into. Then bass and drums — and only bass and drums. And then Tim Carroll’s impassioned yelp told the story. “I first came to Nashville with my heart full of hope,” he sang. “In a little while, I started feeling like a dope.” This was the mid-1990s, when grunge and sludge still ruled the day, and any rock ’n’ roll references to dope had nothing to do with a person feeling themselves to be of inadequate intelligence. The sound, and the humor, found a sweet spot between Chuck Berry and Joey Ramone. And the story was true. “Then someone told me, ‘Hey, Tim. Don’t you let yourself get down,’” he continued, while his fingers commanded his Telecaster’s Keith Richards-y descent. “’Cause you’ve been here only about one year, and it’s a five-year town.” That was the word back then, and it holds true in many music minds today: Nashville is a five-year town, if you’re lucky and great. It takes that long to meet the people who know the people who know the people you need to meet to have even a chance. Whoever you are, if you play a guitar then you were the hottest player in whatever place you’re from, and everyone knew it. Your parents probably didn’t want to encourage or admit, but you listened to the radio and knew that you were just as good as the people who were making dollars and noise. None of us look at LeBron James playing basketball and think, “Hell, I could do that.” Many of us can download a song, sing along, and think that the overall sound has been improved by our participation.

If I could pay all these bills with my guitar, then I would pay these bills with some rock ’n’ roll.

”

“You can start on bottom, exactly like the rest,” Carroll sang. “You’ll get your tail kicked, sometimes, around here there’s the best.” In coming to Nashville, your hometown résumé flies out the window of whatever vehicle gets you here, and no one cares how much they liked your songs in Tucson or Tallahassee. It’s “play me something, kid.” Except it’s really not. It takes forever to get to the point of, “Play me something, kid.” Music lawyers and managers and producers — the people who can get you to the “play me something kid” folks — don’t hang out in the places you’re lucky enough to find a stage. For the most part, they don’t hang out at all. They try to beat the traffic back to Franklin. How many nights did Chris Stapleton play the Station Inn, five blocks from Music Row, before someone in corporate authority heard and believed? And after that, how many meetings, bands, dropped record deals, heartbreaks, and horseshit did he endure before rising to what so many called overnight success? At some point, in almost every case, the dream draws its last breath, the morning mirror says that all you’re left with is the music. After 25 years in a five-year town, most every mirror says that kind of thing. →

theeastnashvillian.com September | October 2018

5 at 5

Tim Carroll plots a set at The 5 Spot, home to his weekly Rock â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;nâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Roll Happy Hour residency for the past five years. September | October 2018 theeastnashvillian.com

FREEFORM, INDEPENDENT HOMEGROWN

THE SOUNDTRACK OF THE MUSIC CITY 50

theeastnashvillian.com September | October 2018

im Carroll started as a punk at Indiana University, the youngest-looking kid on campus, playing in an audacious band called The Gizmos. When the Ramones came to Bloomington, The Gizmos opened the show with a sledgehammer of a song that begins, “Real rock ’n’ roll don’t come from New York.” Led by Dale Lawrence, who would later make glorious music with the Vulgar Boatmen, The Gizmos mixed noise and irony in ways that would forever impact Carroll, who wound up moving to Hoboken, New Jersey, and forming The Blue Chieftains, a hard-hitting, hard-twanging, song-oriented ensemble. In Hoboken, Carroll decided he would write his masterpiece, and by some estimations he did, with a song called “If I Could.” It’s an instant sing-along, with audiences hollering back Carroll’s common-sense chorus: “If I could, then I would make money doing something that I love.” He sings, “If I could pay all these bills with my guitar, then I would pay these bills with some rock ’n’ roll.” Iconic songwriter John Prine recorded that song, as did Kasey Chambers, and Asleep at the Wheel (though Asleep’s version added something about golf that Carroll never really dug). Aided by Gotham City roots-music force Jeremy Tepper (who now programs several SiriusXM channels, including Outlaw Country), The Blue Chieftains made some good headway and some great music, but never found the kind of audience that paid all of Carroll’s bills with his guitar (he worked on the stock market floor for a time, finding that brokers make a much greater cacophony than rock bands). And so, heart full of hope, Tim Carroll came to Nashville. It was 1993. The “Great Credibility Scare” artists of the late 1980s — Foster & Lloyd, Nanci Griffith, Steve Earle, Mary Chapin Carpenter, etc. — were falling away in favor of mega-sellers Garth Brooks and Brooks & Dunn. But those sales meant Music Row was expanding, and publishing deals were flying around. Carroll was able to get his songs heard, and those songs’ heart, quirk, and melody gained some attention. When Bloodshot Records put together a “Hey, Nashville isn’t all corporate dreck” album called Nashville: The Other Side of the Alley, featuring Jason & the Scorchers, Greg Garing, Lonesome Bob, Phil Lee, and other rabble-rousers, Carroll’s mighty “Open Flame” was the lead musical track.

something great and true and right. After the show, he gives a fan his number and says, “Call if you’re coming to Nashville. I live at a place called Coolsville.” A month later, in Nashville, it turned out the Green Hills Kroger was on the way to Coolsville. Beer was purchased. Emmylou Harris was sighted, shopping for groceries. On the way out, the Nashville Scene had a write-up about the South by Southwest festival, and a picture of Nashville’s Lonesome Bob performing there with Allison Moorer. “Hey, that’s my roommate,” Carroll said. “Lonesome Bob is your roommate?” “Yeah, at Coolsville. We usually just call him ‘Bob,’ or sometimes ‘Lones.’ Or maybe ‘LoBo.’ It’s cool when your nicknames have nicknames.” Coolsville was a place of significant creativity, with Mark Horn’s drums set up in the living room and a full P.A. system. Kind of like if East Nashville’s purple building had double beds. Coolsville is gone. It’s the Green Hills Library now. A few doors down, Emmylou’s house remains intact.

“D

on’t give up if you’re good,” Tim Carroll sings. “You’ll finally get renowned. It may take some time. It’s a fiveyear town.”

Carroll got a record deal in the late 1990s, right around the five-year mark. And the words of the prophets are written on a blonde Telecaster. Sire Records. Same label as the Ramones. They paid for him to go make an album in Memphis, with drummer Rick Schell and Blue Chieftains bass man Scott Yoder rounding out a righteous three-piece. One of the songs, “Find a Way to Win,” was used in a Reese Witherspoon movie about a high school election, and Reese Witherspoon is super-famous. The label was excited. This was gonna be big. Sire boss Seymour Stein saw Nashville as rock ’n’ roll’s new hotbed. Carroll would help lead the way, but he’d have to stop playing local gigs for $5 covers all the time, because when the record came out he’d be playing big places for big dough. And so he stopped for a while. And then he kept stopping, because the record kept not coming out. And then he wasn’t doing what he loved. Every day and night, at the Exit/In, or the Sherlock Holmes pub, or the Mojo Tavern, it was, “Hey, Tim, heard about the record deal. Congratulations. When’s it coming out?” Sire kept telling Tim, “Soon,” and then they stopped telling him anything. He’d wake up CONTINUED ON PAGE 113

im Carroll walks onstage at the Double Door in Charlotte, North Carolina, and blasts into “Open Flame,” hands flying across that blonde Telecaster. By the time he’d finished with that one, and “If I Could,” and “After the Hurricane,” and “Five Year Town,” and all the rest, everyone in the place — all 35 people — realized that they’d heard Hatch_RET_EastNashvillian_PrintAd_07_JUL-AUG_18.indd 1

6/11/18 2:19 PM

September | October 2018 theeastnashvillian.com

THE

Vinyl Frontier Ben Blackwell, Third Man’s resident ‘psychedelic stooge,’ steers the label’s vinyl ship by

Theresa Laurence

s he leads a relaxed yet highly informative tour of Third Man Records’ downtown headquarters, it’s clear Eastwood Neighbors resident and vinyl expert Ben Blackwell is in his element. “It’s second nature to me, being here since day one,” he says, sharing musician, producer and label head Jack White’s musical wonderland, a hub that includes offices, a storefront and “novelties lounge,” photo studio, and the famed “Blue Room” venue. Day One was back in 2009, in a little less “It City” incarnation of Nashville — back before this yellow and black spectacle of a building regularly hosted some of the biggest names in the music business (from Jerry Lee Lewis to The Shins), before it was embedded in the fabric of Music City. When White opened his Third Man storefront in Nashville, Blackwell and business partner Ben Swank were the operation’s only on-the-ground employees. “Ben and I were doing everything,” Blackwell says, conjuring a Third Man shop that was assuredly not the highly polished and meticulously curated showplace it is now. “We were running the store like a merch table — cash only, no tax, no receipts.” If he had to venture a guess about what the Music Row establishment thought of Third Man back then, “I’d imagine folks would think that we’d just putter along for a few years before eventually and unceremoniously closing up shop.” Now, says Blackwell, who relocated from Detroit to East Nashville the same year Third Man’s home base opened, “I think we’re viewed as the only people in town smart enough to have signed Margo Price.” The label issued Price’s breakout debut, Midwest Farmer’s Daughter, in 2016 (and its 2017 follow-up, All American Made), and continued to build a roster of outsider country artists with crooner Joshua Hedley’s Mr. Jukebox album, and multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Lillie Mae Rische’s Forever and Then Some. This year brought White’s Boarding House Reach (which led vinyl sales in the U.S. for the first half of the year), along with an album from stoner-metal legends Sleep, and a reissue of Captain Beefheart’s Trout Mask Replica on vinyl, pressed at Third Man’s Detroit location.

Third Man clearly casts a wide net, releasing eclectic music in a range of genres, prioritizing the quality of the music over the potential for chart-busting sales. “If we’re excited about it, we’re probably going to get other people excited about it,” Blackwell says. As Third Man’s Nashville emporium has evolved, and grown to a staff of 28 employees, Blackwell’s role has changed, but it is intentionally fluid. Like all Third Man employees, Blackwell created his own title: “psychedelic stooge,” an homage to his all-time favorite band,The Stooges. In reality, Blackwell serves as the in-house vinyl expert, overseeing “most everything we do that touches vinyl records.” He coordinates manufacturing with United Record Pressing in Nashville and Third Man Pressing in Detroit, and keeps an eye on the distribution of Third Man’s vinyl records, whether wholesale or direct-to-customer. And of course, most everything Third Man does touches vinyl in some way. “We did a Margo Price release that was cassette-only, something special just for the U.K. I believe. Besides that, I can’t recall any other release we’ve done that has not had a vinyl component,” Blackwell says, whether it’s a live Dinosaur Jr. recording from Third Man’s Blue Room or a reissue of ’50s and ’60s gospel music. Vinyl sales may be dwarfed by digital music sales overall, but vinyl remains the most popular physical format for music sold today — CD sales have dropped off by 90 percent since their 2000 peak, while vinyl has gone in the distinctly opposite direction. In 2009, when Third Man opened shop in Nashville, 2.5 million vinyl units were sold in the U.S. Last year: 14.3 million. Blackwell doesn’t see that changing any time soon. “No one is falling in love with CDs the way they are with vinyl,” he says, predicting that CDs will eventually go the way of the 8-track tape and laserdisc. As Third Man grows and expands its reach, Blackwell will continue to steer the vinyl ship, becoming ever more firmly rooted in Nashville. “We definitely feel more integrated now than when we opened,” he says, “while still operating on the margins of the traditional music industry that drives this town.”

Got a craving for the smell of fresh vinyl?

Visit Third Man Records 23 Seventh Ave. S., 10 a.m.-6 p.m. every day. For more (including upcoming events and online ordering): thirdmanrecords.com.

theeastnashvillian.com September | October 2018

The Analogue Aficionado Ben Blackwell rocks the primary colors of

Third Man Records photographed by

Travis Commeau

September September | | October October 2018 2018 theeastnashvillian.com

In for a spin

Nashville DJs and promoters of The Boom Bap Rate (left) and Case Bloom settle in with a wall of vinyl. photographed by

Travis Commeau

theeastnashvillian.com September | October 2018 2018

CAN’T KNOCK

The Hustle Talking 10 years of hip-hop classics with The Boom Bap’s DJ Case Bloom by

“I

Sean L. Maloney

don’t have the benefit of distance. It’s still a blur, everything is still happening,” says DJ Case Bloom, promoter for Nashville’s long-running monthly dance party The Boom Bap, on the phone from New York City. He’s still a little groggy from last night’s late-night gig, but there’s a spark in his voice as he recollects a decade with his boys Rate and Bowls, bringing classic hip-hop to the dancefloors of Music City. Back in the days when hip-hop was still an outlier on the city’s social calendar, The Boom Bap incubated at Midtown haunt the Blue Bar, before branching out to Fluid in Philadelphia and The 5 Spot in East Nashville. “Then,” recalls Bloom, “we did a stint where we were doing — I mean, this is the craziest period of time — we orchestrated these runs where we would fly to Miami on Thursday [host a Boom Bap], then go right to the airport and fly to Atlanta with the guest . . . do the party in Atlanta, then tear down, go to sleep, wake up, and drive to Nashville.” As The Boom Bap crew darted around the Southeast, its reputation at home started to outgrow the cozy confines of The 5 Spot. While the Blue Bar years were populated by a small, insular crowd of rap nerds, the party’s

move to the East Side saw The Boom Bap events become the hottest club nights in town, a party with a reputation for selling out early and staying packed and sweaty till last call. “Everybody knew it was time,” Bloom says of the crew’s change in East Nashville venue. “The staff there, everybody was like, ‘It’s just wall-to-wall, just insanity.’ I don’t know, it was just getting crazy. Those were wild times, man. . . . I do miss those like really sweaty, like sweatbox moments at 5 Spot that were just so crazy, where like everybody was jumping. But then I’m grateful that we have the space now.” These days you can find The Boom Bap posted up at The Basement East, bringing in some of the art form’s most respected practitioners, including Gang Starr’s DJ Premier, Philly legend DJ Jazzy Jeff, and Salt-N-Pepa’s platter-pushing high priestess, Spinderella. Even with more than twice the capacity of their previous East Side home, The Boom Bap has maintained its reputation as the sweatiest, funkiest place to be in Music City. But that doesn’t mean promoting hip-hop here is without its challenges. “Nashville’s not really, like a DJ market. I mean, that’s the big thing,” Bloom says. “I guess we’re really lucky, because they trust us now, you know?”

Be at The Boom Bap

The Boom Bap happens the last Saturday of every month at The Basement East, 917 Woodland St. For more info, visit theboombaplive.com.

September | October 2018 theeastnashvillian.com

BY ANY

Other Name Cold Lunch Recordings gets dirty looking for Nashville’s next great rock bands by

“H

Jon Gugala

ave you ever looked it up in the dictionary? Specifically, the Urban Dictionary?” asks Gary Branigan. He’s not smiling through his reddish-gray beard, but his tone smirks. “It’s a gross, lewd sex act — disgusting,” says Caroline Bowman, sitting across

the booth. It’s Friday, 1 p.m., at Drifters in 5 Points, which is holding two-thirds of Cold Lunch Recordings’ owners. (The missing piece, Taylor Jones, is touring with his band, Sad Baxter.) But a problem emerges: As the two tell their label’s origin story, they can’t seem to remember exactly what the name meant. “I think there’s something with glass,” Bowman says. Branigan dismisses it. “That’s a Hot Carl,” he says, scrolling down his phone. “Oh, wait, here we go,” he mumbles, and reads. “I think that’s the one.” Bowman, slightly sickened, thinks so, too. So what is a Cold Lunch? In the murkier corners of the Internet … you probably don’t want to know. In East Nashville, it’s a 2-year-old fledgling rock label and the 2.0 version of the shuttered Palaver Records, once home to the now legendary Buffalo Clover (read: early Margo Price) and many, many others. CLR is three calculating music businesspeople and five interns releasing records by local bands they love, only partially disguising their earnestness behind a beard of sophomoric sex jokes. Palaver Records was a mess, Branigan openly admits. Started after the New York native failed to find a job as a sound engineer, the then-24-year-old started his own label as a fuck-you to the country music houses that didn’t want him. He drew an equally ill-fitting group of musicians. As the now-33-year-old Branigan says, “[Margo Price and her husband, Jeremy] were the kids that would go down

to Music Row and sing protest songs against the big machine. They encouraged us to keep moving.” Branigan was working at a manic pace, throwing a weekly show at FooBar in East Nashville (since rebranded as The Cobra) to fund Palaver’s releases. But the shows were scattershot in genre and success. Sometimes they’d sell out. One time three people showed up. It was electric and always on the verge of disaster. And like a moth to a flame, Bowman, a misty-eyed, recent college grad from Alabama, was drawn into the fold. “In my mind, a record label, regardless of size, was a certain thing,” the 28-year-old Bowman says. “It wasn’t like that at all. It was me, in a coffee shop, with some dudes that I didn’t know.” Bowman didn’t have an affinity for one particular thing. She had talent in many, acting as photographer, PR rep, scout, and a few other roles. She also offered focus, and in 2015 she held an intervention of sorts with Branigan to hone his shotgun-style band selection to something they all loved: the nascent rock scene. Launching in February 2016 at The 5 Spot, CLR introduced itself with local rockers Goth Babe, Quichenight, The JAG, and Lasso Spells. It’s only grown since. “[CLR] finds these bands, these people who are great and have a voice, and they put them in front of people,” says Liz Cooper, of Liz Cooper & the Stampede, whose band has played four or five of the label’s shows. “They’re active in making something that’s a little different.” The label will curate between 50 and 75 shows this year, including its first-ever destination festival (late September’s BobFest, in Adams, Tennessee). But Cold Lunch is more controlled, even as the official voice is more irreverent and obscene than ever. Got something to offer? Send them an email. It’s sucknfuck69@coldlunchrecordings.com.

Upcoming from Cold Lunch Recordings

The BobFest 2018 music and arts festival, hosted by the Nashville Psych Alliance and Cold Lunch Recordings, is scheduled for Sept. 28-29 in Adams, Tennessee. Learn more about that and other events and releases at: coldlunchrecordings.com.

theeastnashvillian.com September | October 2018

Cold Lunch crew has a brew

l-r: Taylor Jones, Caroline Bowman, and Gary Branigan at

The Cobra

photographed by

Travis Commeau

September September | | October October 2018 2018 theeastnashvillian.com

Colladay in the life

Country Music Hall of Fame VP of museum services Brenda Colladay feels right at home in East Nashville. photographed by

Travis Commeau

theeastnashvillian.com September | October 2018 2018

NOT ANOTHER

Nashville Story Brenda Colladay has spent a career documenting country music — and Nashville itself

By Jon Gugala

f Country Music Hall of Fame’s Brenda Colladay were traveling the world and fighting Nazis in pursuit of precious country music artifacts (go with the Indiana Jones metaphor for a moment), there would be no giant, rolling stone trying to crush her. She would not have switched a golden idol with a bag of sand, and therefore would not be running toward a river trailed by a swarm of poison darts. Rather, the longtime East Nashvillian would be commissioning geologic surveys of the cave system. She would be living in the local village to understand its culture. She would license photos from the bullwhip manufacturer. “It’s not really about the objects,” Colladay, former museum and photo curator for Ryman Hospitality Properties and now the vice president of museum services at the Hall, says. And it’s not even about the artists themselves: “It’s about making sure that we are getting the stories down,” she says, “that we are expanding the stories so that it’s more complete, so that we’re really understanding the history of the places.” On May 1, Colladay assumed her new role with the Hall, in which she oversees its collections and exhibitions, its writing and editorial staff of 30, and a massive library and digital archive. Her job now, as it was with the Grand Ole Opry during her Ryman tenure, is not to track down obscure doodads from country music’s early days or beg Tim McGraw for an old pair of jeans. Colladay’s job is to tell stories. She’s done just that for the length of her career. In one sense, Colladay, a Kansas native, has come full circle with her current employer. Moving to Nashville in May 1993 with then-partner and now-husband Chuck Mead of BR549, her second internship was with the CMHoF. A Middle Tennessee State University grad student studying public history with an emphasis in museum studies at the time, she hoped her summer temp position would turn full-time after graduation. It didn’t. At that point, the tiny museum — “a post-modern glass barn” on Music Row — didn’t have the funding. But the space was magical even then. Colladay remembers coming across Hank Williams’ old ID from his days as an Alabamian shipbuilder. That type of history wasn’t just in the Hall; it was Nashville itself. Demonbreun Street, now a strip of Midtown bars, was then a row of museums dedicated to foundational artists like Loretta Lynn, George Jones, and Barbara Mandrell. “The history was within the city a lot

more than it is now,” Colladay says. “You become aware of it because you watch it disappearing before your eyes.” Roll your eyes, but this is another story about a changing Nashville, because Colladay’s work has been to remind Nashville and its visitors of where it came from. Starting at the Opry and later, the Ryman Auditorium, Colladay established, organized, and expanded their collections while working on books, videos, and with the artists themselves to cement legacies and establish histories. Most impressively, she did it by herself — an army of one. After overseeing the remodel of the Ryman’s tour materials in 2014, she left the following year, working on a Mississippi museum for Marty Stuart, advising the Ken Burns documentary Country Music (to be released in the fall of 2019), and researching the Aubrey Preston-led restoration of RCA Studio A. “Her work ethic is amazing,” says friend and longtime colleague Sally Williams, Opry Entertainment senior VP. “All of her knowledge about country music translates to stories, not only accurate but engaging.” Despite these projects, Colladay never settled into the freelance life: “I’m someone who has somewhere to be at all times my entire life, so that unsettled, unanchored feeling was hard for me to enjoy,” she says. The near-daily emails from LinkedIn were by and large a waste of time, but the Hall position kept popping up. Friends from within the organization messaged her about it. And finally, the call came from an eventual boss, then-senior VP for museum services Carolyn Tate. Colladay joins a museum that, by any metric, is in strong health. Since its move downtown in 2001, it currently sees more than one million annual visitors and maintains national accreditation for excellence. Her goals center around programming that engages Nashville locals, both native and adopted, who have never crossed the museum’s threshold. “When people move to Nashville and aren’t really aware of the history of the city and of country music, I would hope that they visit the Hall of Fame to understand how important it is,” she says. “Cities all over the world are creating fake things to draw people, and Nashville has this amazing identity that has served it well. It’s important to preserve those things that make Nashville unique. Otherwise we just become Anytown, U.S.A.”

Further studies

The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s current major exhibits include Outlaws & Armadillos: Country’s Roaring ’70s, Ralph Stanley: Voice From on High and The Judds: Dream Chasers, which just opened in August. For information on those and other exhibits and events, head to countrymusichalloffame.org.

September | October 2018 theeastnashvillian.com

C U R AT I N G

The Vibe

Music advocate Kari Leigh Ames sets the stage for creativity, from behind the scenes by

Brittney McKenna

ven if you’ve never met Kari Leigh Ames personally, there’s a good chance you’ve encountered some of her handiwork around town. A real estate agent by day, Ames spends her free time as a fierce advocate of Nashville’s music scene: She co-founded Far Out Fest, a psychedelic music festival that launched in 2017, and started “multimedia kinetic light show” Labrys, performing at venues across the city and touring with acts like local band Ttotals. She also DJs at Nashville’s freeform community radio station, WXNA, and volunteers at the Tennessee Teens Rock Camp. Though Ames, who was born in Michigan but moved to Nashville during her formative years, is a trained visual artist, her heart keeps leading her back to work in and around music. It’s a passion she in part attributes to her family: Her father, Mike Waldron, is a successful local bandleader who has worked with Lee Ann Womack and Martina McBride, while her stepmother, Marcia Ramirez, currently sings backup vocals for Christopher Cross. “I never really was interested in being in the music industry as a professional musician, the way my parents and most of my friends are,” Ames says. “But I felt I had a unique understanding of the industry, and felt very comfortable in those scenes because I grew up watching my parents backstage at concerts. … I think I like to be curating the vibe, but not necessarily the center of attention.”

Ames gets ample vibe-curation time with Far Out Fest, created alongside Brianne O’Neill. The festival draws musicians and visual artists from around the country, and along with offering psychedelic music, art installations, and more (Far Out’s second iteration, hosted earlier this year, featured an accompanying film festival at Third Man Records), the team also uses the event to promote the potential healing properties of properly used psychedelic substances. Ames says they’ll introduce a recycling component to the festival in 2019, too. “Since Far Out Fest is run primarily by women, we’re tuned in to the hospitality vibe really hard,” she says. “We really try to make it worthwhile for the guests and make the venues really happy, but also treat the artists really well. From my time in the music industry, I’ve seen a lot of mistreatment of artists. I’m really trying to bring a platform to all of these people.” Ames also donates five percent of her real estate commission earnings to Tennessee Teens Rock Camp, which she says “encourages kids to be themselves,” and reminds her to “destroy the cool,” a catchphrase the camp uses to encourage teens to follow their passions without fear of how others might perceive them. “I don’t like dealing with people who are too cool for school,” Ames says. “I like people who are authentic and genuine and passionate, and aren’t acting like you’ve been bestowed with a gift from God by having their presence as part of your event. I don’t dig that.”

Catch Kari

Tune in to Kari Leigh Ames, a.k.a. DJ Karl, during “Acid Altar” on Tuesdays, 3-4 p.m. on Nashville’s WXNA, 101.5 FM. For more on Far Out Fest, visit: faroutnashville.com

theeastnashvillian.com September | October 2018

Psych-out

Far Out Fest co-founder Kari Leigh Ames soaks up the sun at home in East Nashville. photographed by

Travis Commeau

September September | | October October 2018 2018 theeastnashvillian.com

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Oh Boy

Oh Boy Records teammates (from left) Jody Whelan, Collin Fidler, and Eileen Tilson hold down the Oh Boy Records fort in Nashville while John and Fiona Prine tour Europe.

theeastnashvillian.com September | October 2018 2018

The Whole Damn Family John Prineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Oh Boy Records is once again redrawing the indie-label blueprint

By Warren Denney

Photographs by Travis Commeau

September September March|April | | October October 2018 2018 theeastnashvillian.com

andom generosity occasionally falls from the sky. Explain Hank or Dylan. Explain John Prine. These artists, and many others, of course, bring words to the ground for everyone — often providing gifts in the form of ideas ahead of their time. Prine’s presence in the world particularly burnishes some of its rougher edges. From the moment Kris Kristofferson found him at Chicago’s Quiet Knight pub, he has done good works. His self-titled release on Atlantic in 1971 is a gleaming blade that cuts through the years into today, and his current and acclaimed album The Tree of Forgiveness states again plainly that real living is for the everyman. And, fittingly this recording resides on Oh Boy Records, Prine’s own and Nashville’s oldest active independent label. Founded in 1981 with longtime manager Al Bunetta, Oh Boy Records was one of those gifts ahead of its time. Prine was three records into a contract with Asylum, and he knew it wasn’t right. No major label would be right. When his contract was up, he and Bunetta agreed there was a better way. Maybe. There was some precedent. Prine’s good friend, Steve Goodman, who had penned the mythic “City of New Orleans,” had worked with Bunetta to set up his own Red Pajamas label. They had engaged Dan Einstein (now the owner of East Nashville’s Sweet 16th Bakery) on the business side of things, as would Prine and Bunetta for Oh Boy. “I had [starting Oh Boy] in the back of my head,” Prine says, from a train as he tours Europe in support of Tree of Forgiveness. “I saw it working with Steve. I didn’t really want to talk to the majors anymore [after Asylum]. I didn’t think they

”

I didn’t really want to talk to the majors anymore. I didn’t think they had a grasp on what I was doing. —JOHN PRINE

had a grasp on what I was doing. I knew I had a really good core audience. And I just wanted to service them for a while. It’s where I was and what I wanted to do before I went to a major label. “The first thing we put out was a Christmas red vinyl 45 with ‘I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus.’ The only place you could buy it was at the Ernest Tubb record store on Lower Broadway. The rest of them were through mail order. The word got around that I was going to do an album — this was before the internet — and people started sending me money … they trusted me, you know. It was a form of social media through the U.S. mail. We knew we had a solid audience, and they really showed up in spades.” Oh Boy was born. “We had no real idea,” he says. “We just forged ahead. We didn’t really care, you know. I knew my living was on the road. I could be in control of when I would take a break. It wasn’t something against the major labels. I wasn’t walking around in that frame of mind, nothing like that. It was stressful and frustrating for me. I didn’t see any reason to go and take a big advance check from them — and then owe them all these records to pay off my debt. I wanted to remove the stress.” →

theeastnashvillian.com September | October 2018

Shop Talk

Eileen Tilson, Collin Fidler and Jody Whelan take a coffee break with Oh Boy Recordsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; founder, John Prine (at least in spirit). September | October 2018 theeastnashvillian.com

JOHN PRINE AND FRIENDS • THE MILK CARTON KIDS

TOMMY EMMANUEL • JOHN HIATT • CANDI STATON • JERRY DOUGLAS • RON POPE • HAYES CARLL• ASHLEY MONROE I'M WITH HER • JASON BOLAND & THE STRAGGLERS • JOHN OATES AND THE GOOD ROAD BAND • ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL ALEJANDRO ESCOVEDO • MARY GAUTHIER • AMERICAN FOLK WITH JOE PURDY AND AMBER RUBARTH • THE BAND OF HEATHENS

LERA LYNN • BRANDY CLARK • WILL HOGE • MIPSO • JOE PURDY • ANDREW COMBS • COURTNEY MARIE ANDREWS • MINDY SMITH ROBBY HECHT & CAROLINE SPENCE • DRIVIN N CRYIN • JACKIE GREENE • MOLLY TUTTLE • THE SUFFERS • WHITEHORSE • DOUG SEEGERS JOHN CARTER CASH • RIVER WHYLESS • THE EARLS OF LEICESTER • AMERICAN AQUARIUM • NICKI BLUHM • AARON LEE TASJAN SOUTHERN AVENUE • BOTTLE ROCKETS • MADISEN WARD AND THE MAMA BEAR • LUKE WINSLOW-KING • ISRAEL NASH • SHOOK TWINS LUCIE SILVAS • DAWN LANDES • JEFFREY FOUCAULT • LINDSAY LOU • THE BLACK LILLIES • THE LAST REVEL • THE WAR AND TREATY ROBBIE FULKS WITH LINDA GAIL LEWIS • JOHN SMITH • KIM RICHEY• COURTNEY HARTMAN • CORDOVAS • PHIL COOK • GUY DAVIS THE WANDERING HEARTS • DOM FLEMONS • CAITLIN CANTY • THE MCCRARY SISTERS • AHI • SHEMEKIA COPELAND • DARLING WEST GREYHOUNDS • JOHN CRAIGIE • JIM WHITE • GHOST OF PAUL REVERE • RUEN BROTHERS • VAN WILLIAM • AMY HELM • THE WATSON TWINS THE WAY DOWN WANDERERS • MANDY BARNETT • KAIA KATER • DANIEL DONATO • JIM LAUDERDALE • H.C. MCENTIRE • RUSTON KELLY KELSEY WALDON • ERIN RAE • MOUNTAIN HEART • CATHERINE BRITT • MIKE FARRIS • NICHOLAS JAMERSON • WILLIAM CRIGHTON • JADE JACKSON • DEAD HORSES • SAM LEWIS • THE NUDE PARTY • GREAT PEACOCK • CHANCE MCCOY • GUTHRIE TRAPP • BLACKFOOT GYPSIES • AUSTIN LUCAS • BOBBY LONG SONS OF BILL • CEDRIC BURNSIDE • ANIMAL YEARS • LEAH BLEVINS • ROMANTICA • HOLLY MACVE • KRISTIN ANDREASSEN • RUBY BOOTS TREETOP FLYERS • FRANK SOLIVAN & DIRTY KITCHEN • CALEB CAUDLE • LIZ BRASHER • DEVON GILFILLIAN • FANNY LUMSDEN • TOMMY ASH • VANDOLIERS PHIL MADEIRA • SAM MORROW • JOHNNY IRION • TYLER RAMSEY • ORDINARY ELEPHANT • THE AMERICANS • PETER CASE • TIM BLUHM • ROSS COOPER JAIME WYATT • HOLLY GOLIGHTLY & THE BROKEOFFS • CARSON MCHONE • SUGARAY RAYFORD BAND • SCOTT MULVAHILL • LUCKY LIPS • THE COMMONHEART

WHISKEY WOLVES OF THE WEST • JAMIE MCLEAN BAND • CAROLINA STORY • KATIE PRUITT • WILLIAM PRINCE • SUNNY WAR • J2B2 (JOHN JORGENSON BLUEGRASS BAND) • JOHN PAUL KEITH • THE RECKLESS ELECTRIC • IAN NOE • THEM COULEE BOYS • EMILY SCOTT ROBINSON • AMYTHYST KIAH • IDA MAE • BUFFALO GOSPEL SZLACHETKA • KYLE DANIEL • LULA WILES • WILLIAM THE CONQUEROR • SARAH BORGES • MCKENZIE LOCKHART • WORRY DOLLS • MANDO SAENZ

theeastnashvillian.com September | October 2018

For the record, “Silver Bells” was on the B-side of that red Christmas 45. The first Oh Boy album release was Prine’s Aimless Love in 1984. And they were improbably crowdfunded before crowdfunding was a thing. “I could not have started Oh Boy Records without Al,” Prine says. “Al had helped Stevie set up Red Pajamas so he knew what we needed to do. And, I think taking Dan Einstein on board was one of the best things we did for the label. Dan really had a great grasp of the industry and knew exactly how to run the day-to-day operation. “Between them they knew a lot of people — Al was a natural-born storyteller and I know that helped spread the word about us and what we were trying to do. When Dan left it took Al a while to find someone to replace him, and when he did it took two people to do the job he had done. I’ll always be grateful to both of them for what they put into Oh Boy.” Wait. Natural-born storyteller teams with natural-born storyteller to run an independent label in a town that has frowned often on independence? Prine, Bunetta, and Einstein were proving there was room for free thinking. “They had both developed a following — John a larger following, Steve [with Red Pajamas] more of a cult following,” Einstein says today. “But they were both very loyal followings, same kind of nature where people would come out year after year and see them play. The thought was well before independent labels were in vogue or wasn’t really a thing. It was growing in a couple of areas. Rap had started that, and there were certain areas where it already had a foothold.” Prine’s oldest son, Jody Whelan, is Oh Boy’s current director of operations and understands the spark that has carried them all through 37 years. “Well, I guess to go backwards, John has always put himself in a position to be lucky,” Whelan says, from Oh Boy’s office. “Right? You know, not many people get a confirmation early from Roger Ebert [who broke an unknown Prine in the Chicago Sun-Times] and Kristofferson. That happened because he was part of the community. Because of his friendship with Steve Goodman. Because people around him wanted him to succeed. “I think that’s the same thing in the ’80s when they started Oh Boy. He had taken care of the audience and the fans. They were sending him money. It’s the same feeling now that he’s got his first record of original material out in 13 years, and people are sort of tripping over themselves to help him — the whole independent music community in Nashville and so many friends. There aren’t many people as well-liked as John. I think everyone is seeing that there’s an actual benefit to not being an asshole.” This is the blood flow. The label actually represents hope. Whether the invisible songwriter living in a backhouse off Eastland, or the singer

living in the backhouse inside his or her own head, Oh Boy provides a shining light. You are not alone. Prine’s wife and present-day manager, Fiona, expands on the heart of Oh Boy’s family ways and community sense as they travel. Following Bunetta’s sudden passing in 2015, the Prines had to look to one another. “It really is a family-run business, and even though it is kind of organic in a way, we had to look at it as if we were starting over,” she says. “We just started going piece by piece through each part of John’s career. There was the record company, the publishing, the merchandising, the road, and publicity — and then the day-today management of the bigger opportunities. And we also recognize the legacy piece as being something that was becoming more and more relevant that needed a lot of attention. We are who we are. As Jody likes to put it very well, ‘We’re a nimble little organization.’

“W

e all have our hands in everything. I mean it’s true to say that Jody is completely responsible for the day-to-day running of the record label and has really grabbed that with two hands — especially in the area of our growth in the digital world. So that’s been really gratifying, to watch him just get in there and learn everything.” This nimble little organization is today riding the crest of a wave created by Prine’s newest and fastest-selling record. Oh Boy is the physical manifestation of his recording career, one that earned a Grammy for the 1991 album The Missing Years, and a second for Fair & Square from 2005. He joined the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2003, the same year he was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Americana Music Association. The Grammy Hall of Fame in 2015 finally inducted that 1971 self-titled debut album, which gave listeners 13 jewels, including “Sam Stone,” “Hello in There,” “Paradise,” and “Angel From Montgomery.” He accepted the PEN New England’s Song Lyrics of Literary Excellence Award in 2016, and at the age of 70, Prine was named Artist of the Year by the Americana Music Association in 2017 (an honor he’s up for again this year). But Oh Boy is also the physical manifestation of a life well lived. See Whelan’s reference to the benefits of not being an asshole. Nashville has embraced Prine from the moment he arrived in town for a weekend visit in 1973 — falling in then with songwriter Lee Clayton. They knocked on the backstage door at the Ryman on a Friday night, and he quickly found himself standing behind the curtain of the Opry in a narrow passage, wedged between Ernest Tubb, Roy Acuff, and Bill Monroe. He and Clayton went from there to Hank Cochran’s houseboat in the wee hours. Enough said. His Nashville papers have been in order ever since. “It’s been another one of those redefining things that we’ve discovered,” Fiona Prine →

9/16 BOBBY MCFERRIN & GIMME5: CIRCLESONGS 9/16 TENNESSEE JAZZ & BLUES SOCIETY GREAT ALBUM SERIES: “MONGO AT THE VILLAGE GATE” BY MONGO SANTAMARIA FEATURING YAMIL CONGA IN THE LOUNGE 9/17 BOBBY MCFERRIN & GIMME5: CIRCLESONGS 9/17 VIOLET BELL & BEN DE LA COUR IN THE LOUNGE 9/18 CITY WINERY RIESLING TASTING 9/20 TEITUR WITH OPENER ALEX WONG IN THE LOUNGE 9/21 DARRELL SCOTT PRESENTED BY WMOT/ROOTS RADIO 9/21 HUNTERTONES IN THE LOUNGE 9/22 DEBBY BOONE 9/23 GREG LASWELL 9/23 FREDDY AND FRANCINE IN THE LOUNGE

9/24 THE NASHVILLE ALTERNATORS 9/25 BOYCE AVENUE WITH OPENER MEGAN DAVIES 9/25 NATIONAL VOTER REGISTRATION DAY BENEFIT SHOW FEATURING MARY GAUTHIER, GRETCHEN PETERS, EMILY SALIERS & MORE PRESENTED BY HEADCOUNT & WMOT ROOTS RADIO IN THE LOUNGE 9/26 DAVINA AND THE VAGABONDS 9/26 CHEERS FOR CHANGE! PUERTO RICO TASTING BENEFITING VISIT RICO 9/28 DENNIS QUAID AND THE SHARKS 9/28 WASABASSCO BURLESQUE 9/28 WINES OF SOUTH AMERICA TASTING PARTY 9/30 FACE TO FACE WITH OPENER AUSTIN LUCAS 9/30 ROCKZONE LIVE! IN THE LOUNGE 9/30 ROBIN GRANT & THE STANDARD IN THE LOUNGE

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September | October 2018 theeastnashvillian.com

theeastnashvillian.com September | October 2018

says. “The number of friends and allies that we’ve found over the years. Nashville absolutely stepped up to the plate when they saw us take over the business. We had nothing but support and help. I think John would echo all of that — the community has been hugely helpful.” Whelan takes it a step further. “Hopefully, [what we’re doing is] about the culture, and about the storytelling and being able to raise that up,” he says. “That’s where it can be harder to see from the outside, but once you’re in it and you see it, whether it’s the organizations, or just the friendships, or the shows and the players, it feels really natural. It’s a part of the community. I don’t think that could happen in another town.” Elaborating on the importance of the label’s relationships, he points to Nashville-based marketing, distribution, and management company Thirty Tigers. “That was one of the first things we started working on after we took over,” Whelan says. “We had kind of a patchwork distribution, worldwide, both physical and digital. It really made sense to consolidate that into one company that we trusted and respected. Also, one that we knew we could lean on. It was in town, and it’s been great, because we can just go over there and talk with them whenever we want and bounce ideas around. They do things like radio promotion where — we could hire an outside person in — but they’ve already represented

Jason [Isbell], too. When they make that call, it’s just as powerful, or more so, as if we were trying to call. It builds our network and relationships. I think, again, it’s like every business — 90 percent of it is the relationships, and just 10 percent of it is your own knowledge.” East Side resident Eileen Tilson, Oh Boy’s director of marketing, was brought on as the Prines restructured. A Music Row veteran, Tilson had stepped away from the business, but found a friendship with Fiona through work at Thistle Farms, the non-profit organization that provides employment and housing support for women survivors of trafficking, prostitution, and addiction. Her long-held wish to work for an independent label meant she couldn’t say no when approached to join Oh Boy. “I did find myself thinking, ‘Oh, I’m getting back into the music industry — but it’s with John Prine and Oh Boy Records,’” she says. “You can’t really say no to that. I feel incredibly lucky to be at an independent label, something I’ve always wanted, and being in a place that is a family-run business is also sort of a sweet spot. It allows you a lot of flexibility, allows you to be creative. I love it. There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t feel really, really lucky.” Tilson also adds further insight into the label’s place in space and time. “When we stepped into Oh Boy, there was shifting going on in the independent community,” she says. “John Allen had very

recently stepped in [as president] at New West. Concord [Music Group] had very recently got Rounder and had a new vision for that. Dualtone was doing things. So it was. Then here we are with this label that has had, I think such an extraordinary history, but was relatively unknown. “It kind of gave me freedom to say: ‘You can tell this story and we can do it justice.’ It’s how we present this and build on this community — show the world that Nashville has a really strong independent community. Nashville’s always been seen for its major labels — major country star labels, and Music Row. But this whole side of independent communities never had a national identity. To me, I think that that was a cool piece of it to say: ‘Yeah, we can show this, we can do this.’” It is true that Oh Boy has managed to survive, even flourish, and fly under the radar simultaneously. While Prine’s initial vision was ahead of its time, there was the ability to navigate rough waters in the early years, thanks largely to Bunetta and Einstein. “I think the answer [to its survival] is found in both sides of that coin,” Einstein says. “What Oh Boy has meant to Nashville, and what Nashville has meant to Oh Boy. Certainly, it speaks to a lot of artists, even though you might not be on a major label or even an independent label. CONTINUED ON PAGE 115

September | October 2018 theeastnashvillian.com

The Mudfather saga

Muddy Roots founder Jason Galaz built a musical sandbox that just about everybody, from country stalwarts to punk upstarts, can play in. photographed by

Travis Commeau

theeastnashvillian.com September | October 2018 2018

Muddy

NEVER SLEEPS With his DIY music empire Muddy Roots, Jason Galaz is building special musical moments, from East Nashville to Western Europe By Randy Fox

sk Jason Galaz about standout memories from eight years of running the Muddy Roots Music Festival, and he quickly recalls a special moment shared with bluegrass founding father Dr. Ralph Stanley. “I was about to drive Doctor Stanley back to his bus, and this totally drunk dude knocks on the window,” Galaz says. “Doctor Stanley was a nice guy, so he opens the window and the guy leans in and starts telling him about being stationed in Afghanistan, and how every day he was afraid he would die. He started crying and said, ‘Your song, “Oh Death,” became my song. I would listen to it every day — “Won’t you spare me over till another year?”’’ For almost a decade, Galaz has been nurturing special musical moments and confounding conventional music-marketing wisdom through his DIY country-punk music empire, Muddy Roots Music. Beginning with the first Muddy Roots Music Festival in 2010, Galaz promoted an iconoclastic and egalitarian vision of American roots music that spans from hardcore traditional blues, honky-tonk, and bluegrass to hardcore garage rock, punk, and doom metal. In addition to the annual Muddy Roots Music Festival, Galaz owns and manages the Muddy Roots Europe Festival in Waardamme, Belgium; the Nashville Boogie Vintage Weekender rockabilly festival; and the quarterly Wine on the Rails music/train excursion. He’s also curating the classic country music stage at this year’s Tennessee State Fair. Galaz’s other ventures include Muddy Roots Records, the Vinyl Bunker record shop downtown (now closed due to time commitments), and the promotional merchandise supplier, Power Merch. A native of Riverside, California, Galaz grew up in a culturally diverse environment, and he was exposed to a wide variety of music. “The Hispanic music I heard mainly came from friends,” Galaz says. “My father’s family was more into traditional country, soul, and doo wop, but I had hair-metal uncles and cousins that were into rap. So I had this ‘it’s all good’ attitude about music from an early age.” In high school he became involved in local DIY music events, and

at the age of 19, launched a screen-printing company with $1,500 he won in a community grant competition. Using his connections with the local music scene, Galaz built a successful business printing band T-shirts and other merchandise, a trade he continued when he moved to Nashville in 2005. “At the time I was fed up with Southern California — the crime, the traffic, and everything was too expensive,” Galaz says. “After I moved, I was going to a lot of small festivals and seeing great bands that never came to Nashville. I would reach out to get their business to print shirts, and then try to find a venue for them to play in town. I eventually began promoting shows at Matty’s Alley [now The East Room], and within a year that turned into Muddy Roots.” Embracing what might be called the DMZ of Americana, Galaz crafted an ever-expanding series of festivals and events where country icons like Ralph Stanley are venerated alongside such hardcore/ punk pioneers as Black Flag. “The first Muddy Roots sold 336 tickets and I went $10,000 in debt,” Galaz says. “It took me a year of screen-printing sales to pay off that one and do it again. And the next year I lost 30 grand. But what I didn’t realize at the time was we were creating a scene for this music and the people that love it around the world. Since then more than two dozen other festivals have popped up, inspired by the same formula. We may compete but we also support each other.” That devotion to building a music community through mutual support is one of the bedrock DIY principles that guide all of Galaz’s businesses, along with the unofficial Muddy Roots mantra: “Don’t be a dick.” “The thing about Muddy Roots is it’s all in one big field. There’s no VIP package where you pay to hang out with the stars. Most of the musicians are in the crowd after they play. Everyone is equal. When Little Jimmy Dickens played Muddy Roots in 2012, he walked off the stage with tears in his eyes saying, ‘That’s how it used to feel.’ I’ve also had old-school, first-wave punk rockers tell me, ‘This is how punk was. This is how it started.’ I take those as the biggest compliments of all.”

Upcoming from Muddy Roots

This year’s Tennessee State Fair, September 7-16 at the Tennessee State Fairgrounds, includes a Muddy Roots-curated country music stage with performances from Pat Reedy & the Longtime Goners and others. More on that at tnstatefair.org. For more on other Muddy Roots events and productions, visit muddyrootsrecords.com.

September | October 2018 theeastnashvillian.com

Vinyl is Dead, LONG LIVE VINYL!

Drew Holcomb’s Magnolia Record Club rides the wave of the record renaissance By Jon Gugala

rew Holcomb has one last stop, the hours winding down before his flight to California for a spot on Jimmy Kimmel Live! “We played a festival last year in Gothenburg — Jayhawks were headlining,” the longtime East Nashville resident tells Tim Hibbs, host of Acme Radio’s The Vinyl Lunch. “First time I’d seen them in 10 years, because I guess they took a long sabbatical. It was so good.” “They’re a great band,” Hibbs says, off-mic. The two sing along with “Tailspin,” from Rainy Day Music. Through the picture window behind, Lower Broadway tourists look in to see who the apparently famous bearded person is. “Ethan Johns [Rainy Day Music’s producer] went through an era. That early Ryan Adams, early Ray LaMontagne, that Emmylou Harris record,” Holcomb continues, “he made no bad records for four or five years.” He and Hibbs are off, naming records, before drifting to a discussion of Johns’ father, producer and engineer Glyn Johns, and all his famous records. The conversation goes this way for the next hour, Hibbs and Holcomb back and forth, whether or not the “On Air” sign is lit. This visit started as business — Holcomb played a few songs at the top of the two-hour show (including “Postcard Memories,” off 2017 Drew Holcomb & The Neighbors album Souvenir), and he plugged his just-announced Christmas show at the Schermerhorn. But the guitar was put in its case long ago, and Holcomb is here for his passion project and side gig: that of vinyl renaissance magnate. Holcomb launched vinyl record subscription service Magnolia Record Club in November 2015, born from the

idea of an artist-curated service. “‘A fun thing to do on the side,’” Holcomb remembers thinking. And it was, at first, with MRC releasing special- and signed-edition pressings from Patty Griffin, The Lone Bellow, The Milk Carton Kids, and others. But that initial idea grew and grew and grew, and a second record was soon offered each month from lesser-known but equally worthy artists like Nashville’s Becca Mancari, whose Good Woman was a selection in June. Subscribers can now sign up month-to-month, or three months to a year at a time, and get artist-curated boxes delivered with an exclusive vinyl release, original art print, and listening notes from the curator, plus the option to tack on a record from an emerging artist. They can pause delivery or swap unloved records, and dig into the Club’s online “Vinyl Community,” too, to talk records and get/share other recommendations. With climate-controlled warehouse space needed to store back stock, “It’s so much work,” Holcomb says. But the reason he keeps on is the same reason that Willie Nelson, whom Holcomb opened for, continues to tour: “He loves doing it. You can just tell it,” Holcomb says. “It makes him tick.” “It probably has extended his life by a good margin,” Hibbs says. Then, shaking himself from it, “We’ve got time to play another couple of records.” “This is from Brandi Carlile’s new record, a song called ‘Sugartooth,’” Holcomb says. He takes out the ruby-red vinyl, a special MRC pressing of By the Way, I Forgive You. The needle drops, the two listen to the opening bars, and for a moment, California is a world away, everything seems easy, and there are still a few more minutes of music left as the record plays.

Join the club

Magnolia Record Club subscriptions range from month-to-month ($27) to annual ($300), and the deadline to subscribe is 11:59 p.m. ET on the last day of each month. To sign up, or for more info, visit: magnoliarecord.club

theeastnashvillian.com September | October 2018

Spinning a tale or two

Singer-songwriter and Magnolia Record Club founder Drew Holcomb spends his days making, picking, promoting and playing records. photographed by

Travis Commeau

September September | | October October 2018 2018 theeastnashvillian.com

Where the art is

HOME founder Logan Crowell lounges inside the multi-faceted musicians hub he built in East Nashville. photographed by

Travis Commeau

theeastnashvillian.com September | October 2018 2018

NO PLACE LIKE

HOME

With plug-and-play rehearsing, recording, performing space, and more, HOME aims to be a base for Nashville’s music makers

By Nicole Keiper

ogan Crowell’s coming-to-Nashville story will sound familiar — singer-songwriter excelling in a smaller town comes to Music City to take a swing, gets bowled over by the talent and industry insularity. And like many other transplants in this five-year town, Crowell gamely and repeatedly asked for advice on how to get plugged in. “Everybody just kept telling me to go to bars,” the Little Rock expat says, now about three years in. “‘Just go to bars, man, that’s where you do that.’ OK, I like going to bars and I like drinking, so for me that’s not a good place to be all the time. Especially when I came out here to be really productive and goal-oriented. … I remember thinking, ‘That’s really weird that the only place to go to do what you ultimately came here to do is bars.’” That’s where Crowell’s Nashville route takes a less-traveled turn. Chewing on what he saw as an obvious problem — “You have just crazy, phenomenally talented people converging on this town with no real place to go and start working” — the musician and then-Belmont Adult Degree student got hit with a bolt of inspiration. The solution: a “community center for all the music people,” with practical resources, built-in networking opportunities, and a nonprofit framework to keep a focus on affordability. That was January of 2016; by April of 2018, Crowell was welcoming the first visitors into East Nashville’s HOME, a fully fleshed-out musician’s hub replete with rehearsal space, a recording studio (set up by producer/engineer Anthony Falcone, who’s worked with T.I., Jennifer Lopez, and others), a performance space, and coworking/lounge areas, plus a calendar full of opportunities to meet, share, collaborate, and learn from other musicians and industry folks. “I call it a ‘content production facility,’” Crowell says, “because

to call it rehearsal space or to call it a studio or to call it a venue just doesn’t really capture what I believe is the game-changing aspect of what we’ve done here.” That game-changer, from Crowell’s perspective: In HOME, musicians have a place to go that readily and specifically facilitates productivity and connection. The organization offers a mix of membership options, all of which include access to the full run of HOME offerings. Their highest-level “Pro” membership, at $100 a month, includes 24/7 access to the space and the lowest hourly rates for rehearsing, recording, and performing ($10, $20 and $30, respectively, where $5-a-month “Online” members pay three times that). Everything’s set up to be plug-and-play, to allow for multitrack recording on the live stage or live streaming from the rehearsal space. The community aspect comes in digital form (a searchable online member portal, built to help bands find members and songwriters to find engineers, and so on) and in person. Quarterly, HOME contracts with mentors who host workshops and offer one-on-one time (producer Lamont “Logic” Coleman and publishing pro Thalia Ewing are among the recent contributors). HOME also hosts weekly “Variety Nights,” with an open jam in the rehearsal space, listening party in the studio, open mic in the venue, and rounds of “Cowrite Roulette” with songwriters tossing names into a jar for random pairings with new collaborators. Crowell’s hope: In time for his own five-year mark, for the HOME he founded to have helped foster teams, projects, friendships, and, ideally, thriving music careers. “Our measure of success is by the success of our members,” he says. “By the projects that are coming out of here, the people that are getting traction, and the relationships that are being built.”

Make your way HOME

HOME is located at 615 Main St., Suite G1, in the back of the Center 615 building. To learn more, including information about upcoming events and membership options, visit helpingmusic.org.

September | October 2018 theeastnashvillian.com

MUSIC CITY

Magic Maker Manager and ‘Indiepop Princess’ Anna Lundy keeps plates and records spinning at Grimey’s By Brittney McKenna

or nearly a decade and a half, Grimey’s New and Preloved Music has been a mecca for record-loving locals and visitors alike. Comprising Grimey’s, Grimey’s Too, Howlin’ Books, and the original Basement, the Eighth Avenue South Grimey’s campus was a player in both the city’s music scene and its tourism industry. As the store prepares to move to a new location on Trinity Lane in East Nashville, manager Anna Lundy has been and will continue to be an integral player, helping to ensure a transition that preserves, as she puts it, “the magical vibe” of the Eighth Avenue location, while capitalizing on everything the new spot has to offer: plenty of parking, a lively, engaged new neighborhood and, perhaps most importantly, more space for records and live events galore. Lundy first came on board at Grimey’s in mid-2004, just as the store was moving to Eighth Avenue from its original home in Berry Hill. She’d met Grimey’s co-owner Doyle Davis at a record conference in Atlanta a few years prior, and he reached out to see if she’d be interested in taking Grimey’s to a new, higher level. “I went and met him at the little store in Berry Hill, and he drove me over to the spot on Eighth Avenue and said, ‘Hey, can you imagine a record store here?’” Lundy remembers. “And I said, ‘Yes, absolutely.’” At the time, Lundy was working at the now-defunct Tower Records, where she’d been for about nine months, following a yearlong stint at the also-defunct Spun Records, owned by Café Coco’s Chuck Cinelli. Lundy’s first job upon moving to Nashville in 2002 was also at a record store: The Great Escape. A graduate of the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, Lundy earned a degree in women’s studies and English literature, working at Knoxville record shop the Disc Exchange for three out of her four undergrad years. Her experience led Lundy to a career in record stores in Nashville. As manager of Grimey’s, Lundy wears many hats, and her breadth of knowledge and experience is essential to both the store’s day-to-day operations and its bigger-picture plans for growth.

“I spend a lot of time communicating with vendors, distributors, record labels, and folks that we’re setting up events with,” Lundy says. “I’m one of the buyers for the store so I have several accounts that I order from regularly. I also coordinate the majority of the events we hold in the store. I correspond with customers who email the record store with questions. I assign daily tasks for our staff to do and make our schedules.” With her long record-store tenure, Lundy has weathered many changes, particularly as the music industry has shifted from CDs to digital downloads to streaming over the last two decades. Though such trends have sparked fears of a dying music industry, Lundy’s firsthand experience fuels a belief that there will always be a market for physical music, and a need for community record stores. “It has been really interesting to see the conversation go from being, ‘Burning CDs is killing the music industry,’ to, ‘Downloading music is killing the music industry,’ to, ‘Streaming music is killing the industry,’ while all the while being a physical retailer,” she says. “But ultimately I have seen that people continue to buy physical media, even now. Grimey’s would not have grown in the way that it has in these years if that weren’t the case.” And the proof is in the pudding, as Grimey’s’ move to a larger location proves. While Lundy admits she’s a bit nervous at the prospect of moving from such a well-known and loved location, she is primarily excited for all that the new Grimey’s has to offer staff, customers, and the city’s music community. “I’m looking forward to being able to do what we’ve done and not be held back by too little space, the close quarters we had in the store and that we’re experiencing right now as we have shoved Grimey’s Too back into Grimey’s,” she says. “The new store is beautiful. We’re really happy with the vibe, with the neighborhood, with the other businesses that are already open or are opening on this campus. I think we’re going to be able to harness that Music City magic here like we did there.”

Get into Grimey’s

Grimey’s New and Preloved Music’s new home on the East Side is 1060 East Trinity Ln. The East Nashville opening, at press time, was set for Friday, Sept. 28 at 10 a.m.

theeastnashvillian.com September | October 2018

Life of Grimey’s

Grimey’s ‘indiepop princess’ Anna Lundy gets ready to make the move to East Nashville. photographed by

Travis Commeau

September September | | October October 2018 2018 theeastnashvillian.com

theeastnashvillian.com September | October 2018 2018

Fresh Creamer

Philip Creamer chased his classic-rock dreams from Texas to Tennessee, and found a home in East Nashville thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just right By Steve Morley

Photographs by Travis Commeau September September | | October October 2018 2018 theeastnashvillian.com

f you’ve ever known a born-and-bred Texan, you know that leaving Texas isn’t something to be taken lightly. Dallas-born Philip Creamer admits he’s been irreversibly marked with “the everything’s-bigger-in-Texas mentality,” but ultimately, he didn’t find his home state sufficiently expansive to accommodate the whole of his ’60s- and ’70s-influenced pop-rock aspirations. “I’m kind of a hippie and I’m just a huge fan of rock ’n’ roll and power pop,” Creamer says. “My music, you know, I don’t think was ever really going to find its perfect home in North Texas.” Creamer moved from Dallas to Nashville’s Inglewood neighborhood in September of 2015, along with his wife, Sam, and 1-year-old son. He’d spent the previous eight years with Dovetail, a band he formed in 2008 with his brother, Daniel, and close friends from the Dallas-Fort Worth music scene. Dovetail garnered popularity outside the Big D and in 2012, released an album of vintage-flavored contemporary rock, cowritten by the Creamer brothers. Two of its songs took Grand Prize honors in the John Lennon Songwriting Contest, but career-wise, the Big Payoff remained elusive. “Things were just not hitting at the rate that I wanted them to,” Creamer says, looking back on his family’s decision to relocate to Music City. Back in DFW, Dovetail’s remaining members morphed profitably into The Texas Gentlemen, a cadre of crack musicians that has backed Kris Kristofferson, among other notables. It’s a curious dichotomy — though clearly capable of typically Texas-centric music-making, Creamer’s bandmates were also crucial to bringing Dovetail’s clean, melodic pop-rock sound to life. Meanwhile, Creamer was pressing into his decidedly non-rootsy, Anglo-rock-inspired vision in an Americana-saturated music town 650-odd miles to the northeast. Eager to expand, not abandon his musical vision, he held to his hope that he would find kindred musical spirits in his adopted hometown — musicians with whom he could develop the kind of easy, intuitive rapport he enjoyed with Dovetail.

I’m kind of a hippie and I’m just a huge fan of rock ’n’ roll and power pop.

”

During his first few months in Nashville, Creamer began by employing the most practical tool he owned: a more than 3 1/2-octave range, which he’d begun developing as a teenager, learning to sing along with the fluid, muscular voices of such marquee-toppers as Stevie Wonder and Freddie Mercury. Along with building a client base as a private vocal coach, Creamer found an especially fitting platform as a guest vocalist on classic-rock tribute shows, with such stalwart Nashville bands as The Long Players and Sons of Zevon. With The Tennessee Help, which he founded with bassist Chase McGillis and Truth & Salvage Co. singer/guitarist Tim Jones, Creamer staged half a dozen benefit shows at The Basement East, covering the likes of Van Morrison and Joe Cocker. For many local players, classic rock is a welcome indulgence, enjoyed between bread-and-butter gigs. For 34-year-old Creamer, it’s remained a primary draw, tracing back to when he and a buddy first discovered The Beatles at age 12, and began to unravel the history of classic rock via homemade cassette recordings of a Dallas FM station. While he’s conversant with contemporary rock, Creamer believes that “when you start expounding on ’60s and ’70s pop-rock, everything’s there that you need and more.” →

theeastnashvillian.com September | October 2018

Futureâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s so bright

Among singer-songwriter Philip Creamerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rare gifts: a 3 1/2-octave vocal range.

September | October 2018 theeastnashvillian.com

theeastnashvillian.com September | October 2018

Creamer significantly upped his Nashville rock-sector credibility in December of 2016, after being asked by Black Crowes drummer Steve Gorman to handle vocals for the Misty Marathon Hop, an all-star night of Led Zep covers sponsored by Lightning 100. With his elastic vocal range and seasoned stage presence, Creamer was clearly the man for the job, and people took notice. “That was a big, big thing for me,” he says. “That night I basically met and worked with dozens of musicians I look up to, and love.” One of Creamer’s most ardent supporters: guitarist and fellow East Nashvillian Audley Freed, who has tapped the singer to appear on his Audley Freed & Friends classic-rock covers shows. “There aren’t many frontmen/singers — especially of his caliber — around anywhere, so to have him in the neighborhood is fantastic,” says Freed, whose resume includes stints with Sheryl Crow, the Black Crowes, and a slew of others. “Obviously there’s no shortage of amazing musicians all over Nashville, but I’m not sure there’s anyone who does what Philip does: that classic sort of flamboyant rock ’n’ roll frontman that understands the music on a deeper level and can sell it.” “He’s got real classic-rock crooner pipes,” adds Wilco’s Pat Sansone. “Yes, with great technique, but also with so much depth and musicality.” Sansone and Freed first heard Creamer at the Family Wash in March of 2016, fronting the then-dissolving Dovetail. The Dallas crew came up to rejoin their frontman after Joe Firstman — leader of East Nashville band Cordovas, and a musically simpatico friend — learned that Creamer had moved to Nashville, and offered some valuable local exposure opening for his band. Sansone came to sit in with the headliner, but ended up being knocked out by the unknown opening act. “Audley and I were loving it,” Sansone recalls. “The band was tight, amazing harmonies, some sophisticated musical elements, and the tunes were drawing from a lot of classic rock and pop that we both love.” Sansone introduced himself to Creamer after the show, as did Freed. Plans were later made to begin work on an album, with Sansone producing and Freed on guitars. That Family Wash encounter, Creamer says, was “kind of a quintessential Nashville moment. I met the two guys who would become my collaborators, mentors, friends, and biggest advocates that night. Those musicians reaching out and bringing me into their respective worlds has made a massive impact on my career, and more so my development and place on the scene.” Creamer spent nearly two years methodically assembling his solo debut, which will hit the streets in vinyl form on Sept. 21. Titled Creamer, it will feature a dozen tracks recorded to two-inch analog tape at Nashville’s Club

Roar, produced by Sansone and Josh Shapera. Some of the songs are holdovers from the Dovetail days, with writing input from brother Daniel; others came together solo, here in Tennessee. Throughout, the album’s tracks create an introspective mood as often as not, employing an intricacy and restraint more in keeping with Creamer’s soft-rock and lush pop-rock sides, at times evoking glimpses of ELO and Queen, Creamer’s reigning influence. The album’s more rock-leaning lead-off

single, “Drugs No More,” is one of his most recent compositions, with a direct message Creamer says reflects the fearlessness he’s gained from soaking up “the spirit, the energy, the focused direction that all these really great Nashville artists have. “Here, I’m brushing shoulders with so many artists who are very clear what their vision is,” he explains, “and that has rubbed off on me.” Creamer’s hope of expanding his original CONTINUED ON PAGE 117

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‘Everybody’s FILL-IN GUY’ Between top local acts and sold-out tribute shows, bassist Chase McGillis’ Nashville dance card is perpetually full

By Tommy Womack

p until recently, Chase McGillis drove to Texas every weekend, to play bass for the likes of Joe Ely and Ray Wylie Hubbard. He’d drive 14 hours from Nashville to Austin, do the weekend of gigs, and drive all the way back to work construction. Then he’d do it again the next weekend, and again after that — for years. For reasons of health and sanity, McGillis — now 31, with a wife (fellow musician Liz Foster of Texas’ The Trishas) and children — knocked all that on the head about a year ago. He stays in town now, slinging nails in the daytime as a project manager on home-building sites, plucking low notes at night for a host of the young, fresh next-wave names in town. He loves it. The acts love him too. McGillis is easy to love: serene, polite, mustachioed, humble, and a good hang — a trait in this town considered much more pressing than being able to play the “Barney Miller” theme. Stirring a cup of joe at the Post, he’s fittingly self-effacing about his full dance card. “Well,” he shrugs, “I’m a bass player, and everybody needs one of those. And I guess folks know they can call me to do a gig in town because I’m not going to be on the road.” There’s Patrick Sweany, Nicole Atkins, Jonathan Tyler, the Texas Gentlemen, Ruby Boots — a lot of Americana, plus a lot of packed tribute nights at The Basement East. “I moved here as a songwriter but ended up playing bass more than anything,” McGillis says. “Just in the last couple of years I’ve been everybody’s fill-in guy.” The biggest name McGillis can drop: Kris Kristofferson, who brought him in for a few gigs. “Terry Allen, Joe Ely, Ray Wylie Hubbard — it’s just one, two, three-offs,” he says, “and they call me back later and that lets me know I didn’t blow it.” Hailing from Manhattan, Kansas (the “Little Apple,” he calls it), McGillis’ musical ambitions

theeastnashvillian.com September | October 2018

took him first to Tulsa, Oklahoma, ostensibly for college, but really to get his feet wet musically. He joined The Effects, who moved en masse to the East Side “for a co-pub deal,” before fellow East Nashvillians The Wild Feathers formed and pulled in lead singer Joel King. Inspired by Nashville tribute-show stalwarts the Long Players and the Sons of Zevon, McGillis subsequently hung out his own tribute shingle, forming The Tennessee Help. He and his fellow mad scientists have since plowed some rows no other tribute bands have touched, including Joe Cocker’s Mad Dogs & Englishmen and Elton John’s Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. “It’s not a regular thing,” he says, “but they’re so much fun. You meet new folks if you don’t know them already, and … I’ve learned more licks and tricks from doing these tribute nights than anything else. They’ve been really creatively inspiring and spurred on my playing more.” In June, McGillis took on producer and musical director duties for Comrades in Song: A Tribute to East Nashville Community Spirit, featuring a slew of local performers, including Sweany, Boots, and Philip Creamer, celebrating the songwriting of other locals, including each other. It showed off the intense devotion and respect among the artists in the petri dish Chase McGillis germinates in. “Terry [Rickards] at The Basement East has always been very supportive and encouraging about the tribute nights, and we fill the room,” McGillis says. “Of course it’s not just me. It’s the great artists. Everybody puts his or her name on the poster. We’ve had some big lineups as far as heavyweight singers, and heavyweight players in the band.” McGillis smiles, has another sip and muses a moment. “I feel like I finally got my feet underneath me here in town,” he says. “I have to work a side job to be able to play, but I don’t mind my side work, and love the artists I get to play with now. It’s a real privilege.”

Chase on stage Catch Chase McGillis and a mix of his mad-scientist cohorts (including Whiskey Wolves of the West and Philip and Daniel Creamer) on Friday, Sept. 14 at The Basement East. Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll offer up a four-hour, four-set tribute to the hits of 1968, as part of The Americana Music Festival & Conference. For more on that show (and other fest events), visit: americanamusic.org. September | October 2018 theeastnashvillian.com

Catch Alicia Witt in Nashville Alicia Witt celebrates the release of 15,000 Days on Sept. 9 in The Lounge at City Winery Nashville, 609 Lafayette St. Doors at 5 p.m., advance tickets $15 (the show was close to sellout at press time, check citywinery.com/nashville for the latest). 86

theeastnashvillian.com September | October 2018 2018

The Soul

OF WITT

Actor/musician Alicia Witt finds her people in East Nashville By Nicole Keiper

ver a 30-odd-year career, Alicia Witt’s been a lot of things: a cosmic, glowing-eyed “abomination” in Dune; a zombie-bashing badass in The Walking Dead; a honey-voiced country superstar on Nashville. The first two: bit of a stretch. The latter role, of singer Autumn Chase, let Witt pull from her own experience: About as long as she’s been an actress, the now-East Nashvillian has been making music, growing up as a classical piano prodigy, and expanding into pop singing and songwriting — a career that’s grown alongside her IMDB resume. Witt issued her first LP, Revisionary History, in 2015, produced here in Nashville by piano-pop hero Ben Folds. Her latest release, EP 15,000 Days, is another Nashville creation, helmed by Grammywinning producer Jacquire King (who’s worked with Kings of Leon, James Bay, and onetime East Nashvillian cover stars Moon Taxi, among many other bold names). “They were such different experiences, but equally thrilling,” Witt says of those two Nashville-made projects. Both producers had a major effect on the resulting songs, she says, Folds playing drums, bass, and “lots of guitar” on Revisionary History, and King spearheading a thick, layered aesthetic full of loops and ’80s keyboard tones. “I felt so honored to have him producing,” Witt says of King. “I really stepped back in terms of what I imagined the tracks sounding like, for the most part, and let him take the reins. For example, on ‘Blinkers,’ I never would have imagined that groove on it. But once I started listening to it in the studio

and recording to it, it became hard to imagine it any other way.” The delicate dance of leaning in and stepping back is one Witt’s had to become adept at, as she juggles set time and studio time, Hollywood and Nashville. On Sept. 9, she wraps a quick EP release tour with a hometown show at Nashville’s City Winery, then jets off to Connecticut to start filming a new Christmas movie, Hallmark’s Christmas on Honeysuckle Lane. “And I just got back from [New York] where I was filming an indie movie for five weeks,” she says of Modern Persuasion, a modern adaptation of Jane Austen’s novel Persuasion. “In May, I also filmed an episode of the anthology series Lore, for Amazon, in Prague, and I combined that with filming two music videos for my EP. So far it’s been an effortless balance. I find I need music to feel centered when I’m acting, and I also depend on the specific catharsis of acting to balance out the catharsis of songwriting. So that part is cool, too.” East Nashville, conveniently, has helped provide some added balance. “I had loved East Nashville for a while,” Witt says, “and had always found time to spend here when I was in town before. So when I was here in 2016 working on the show Nashville, I knew I wanted to find a place to rent over here. I ended up finding my now dear friend Fran [Patton]’s guest house, and through Fran I met this incredible infrastructure of dear friends who are like family now — just a real sense of, ‘Oh. My people.’ East Nashville feels like home in a way nowhere else ever has, and I feel so proud and blessed to live here.”

September | October 2018 theeastnashvillian.com

Daydream

BELIEVER

Rapper, producer, and second-generation musician Mike Floss writes a new Nashville story

t hasn’t quite been a year since Nashville rapper/producer Mike Floss’ debut album Tennessee Daydreams dropped, and his summer-scorcher of a single, “Local Satisfaction,” hit streaming services just a few months ago. But he’s back in the studio, working on new music. From the beginning, Floss has plotted his own journey, and kept himself moving beyond the industry-prescribed release-cycle schedule. “The record-label formula is completely stupid to me,” Floss says via phone, on the road in Detroit. “I don’t think I’ve ever met anybody that was signed to a label in hip-hop that was happy with that situation.” A longtime fixture in Nashville’s hip-hop underground — a vibrant, productive scene that’s been bubbling under Music City’s rhinestone surface since the early ’80s — former Inglewoodian Floss has been creating and releasing music for nearly a decade. His work has spanned shifting sonic trends, swirling distribution currents, and the ebb and flow of media tides. Throughout, he’s managed to maintain a unique voice, absorbing cultural shifts without being consumed by them. From his early For the Rebels mixtapes (recorded as Open Mic) to his latest single, Floss has stayed on trend and on his own shit, while he’s watched peers disappear, consumed by the commercial music beast. “At one point, I was kind of chasing [a label deal], just off of ignorance and just not knowing,” Floss says. “But after you’re out in these [festival and tour] situations with all these people, it’s like, ‘Oh, my career is really in no different place than most of these people, except they may have more Instagram followers.’ ... [And I] absolutely would have signed. If I wasn’t a second-generation artist, I would have signed a bad deal, and I probably would be trapped.” Floss benefits from generational knowledge passed on from his father, trumpeter Rod McGaha — a pillar of the Music City jazz scene, who forged

theeastnashvillian.com September | October 2018

By Sean L Maloney a career playing alongside artists as disparate as Lou Rawls, CeCe Winans, and Kenny Rogers, before releasing his own solo records. McGaha toured the world, and saw the industry from all angles. “I grew up with the knowledge of like, ‘Yo, this money is not yours,’” Floss says. “‘This can be taken away from you. You won’t own the master. You won’t be able to control what your release schedule is. You won’t have any of the things that I’m able to do now.’ “[It] really helps, because I would be screwed right now if I had signed a deal. I really would. I’d be in such a bad spot.” McGaha’s advice didn’t just pertain to the business side of the ledger, but to the philosophical as well. “My dad pretty much made sure me and my sisters are creative minds,” Floss says. “He be on some, ‘If I can’t find anything different in this [music] then I’m not really interested in it.’ I think now that’s kind of the way I listen and stuff. It doesn’t really impress me as much, unless it’s done at the highest level.” That highest-level aim came through even during Floss’ days of dorm-room tapes and half-empty shows at The End — from 2015’s Don’t Blame the Youth mixtapes and its million-streamed Spotify hit, “Movie,” to the complex and conscious arrangements of Tennessee Daydreams’ supremely Southern art-rap. While rooted firmly in the classics — Floss’ dedication to rich, humanistic lyricism is a direct descendent of hip-hop’s golden era — he doesn’t get bogged down in nostalgic formalism. Tracks like Daydreams’ “Peach Soda” (featuring a shout-out to Nashville’s own Knockout Wings) and the new “Local Satisfaction” embrace timeless soul sounds, and the endless electronic opportunities afforded by 21st-century production techniques. His aesthetic, fittingly, feels unstuck from time and convention. “The business is constantly changing. The personnel is constantly changing,” Floss says. “It always evolves, so I think the best thing to do is just feed your core and put out good music.”

Check out Mike Flossâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; lyricism live Floss performs at the Breakaway Nashville Music Festival at the Bicentennial Capitol Mall. The festival runs Oct. 5-6, with more information available at breakawayfestival.com. September September | | October October 2018 2018 theeastnashvillian.com

theeastnashvillian.com September | October 2018

Jonell Mosser

Veteran Nashville musician Jonell Mosser is still singing with passion, pipes, and personality â&#x2C6;&#x2019; and loving this town By Randy Fox

Photographs by Travis Commeau

September | October 2018 theeastnashvillian.com

onell Mosser learned one of the most important lessons of her life at a writer’s night at the Bluebird Café in the late 1980s. “I had written only one song at that point, ‘Mama’s Dream,’” Mosser says. “I was singing with Karen Staley and Lee Satterfield and both had written hits. Mine was last and there was a guy in the front row with a big cigar in his mouth. The first line of the song was, ‘I never got along too well with Mama,’ and the cigar chomper said, ‘You can’t say you didn’t get along with your mama. That’s like saying you don’t like apple pie!’” Mosser’s eyes shine with fire as she continues her story. “I thought, ‘Screw these people! Why am I opening my heart to them?’ I was singing the song through gritted teeth. At the end I put my guitar in the case and thought, ‘I’m leaving! I’m never going to do this song again!’ On my way out I ran into this very tall man. He had tears in his eyes, and he said, ‘Did you write that song about your mother?’ “I said, ‘Yes I did!’ still furious about what had happened. And he said, ‘That’s one of the best songs I’ve ever heard in my life.’” A big, infectious smile fills Mosser’s face. “I thought, ‘I’m singing this song every night of my life, and I don’t care what any of these people think!’ That’s how one person’s encouragement can destroy the criticism of a mob. I’ve had to learn that lesson a few times. You cannot live and die by other people’s opinions because you will be living and dying 50 times a day.” Since arriving in Nashville over 30 years ago, Mosser has built a reputation as a solo artist, backup singer, session vocalist, and more. Loaded with passion, pipes, and personality, she’s a singer who has never quite grabbed the brass ring, but creates gold every time she performs. A native of Louisville, Kentucky, Mosser’s chosen profession called to her at an early age, but for many years she faced a seemingly unsurmountable obstacle.

I got mad over being scared, and my anger became a bigger motivator than my fear.

”

“I knew I wanted to be a performer, but I had debilitating stage fright,” she says. “I thought I wanted to be in theater because somehow that seemed easier than singing.” That decision led to her majoring in theater at Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green in the late 1970s. She struggled with acting classes and auditions for two years until she decided to drop out and jump into the deep end of the performance pool as a singer. “Being in Bowling Green and just having to do it made the difference,” Mosser says. “I got mad over being scared, and my anger became a bigger motivator than my fear.” Performing with a variety of local groups and cover bands, Mosser quickly became a stylistic chameleon, imprinting her personality on every performance. Mosser’s career found a new path when she began dating (and eventually married) New Grass Revival bassist and vocalist John Cowan, who was living in Bowling Green in the early 1980s. →

theeastnashvillian.com September | October 2018

Mighty Jonell

In possession of almost improbably powerful pipes, Jonell Mosser remains one of Nashvilleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s guiding stars.

September | October 2018 theeastnashvillian.com

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“Meeting John really changed me as a singer,” Mosser says. “Listening to New Grass Revival and how they interwove things vocally was an education, and John had a very natural way of singing and opening up.” In 1985, Mosser and Cowan relocated to Nashville. While Cowan expanded his career as a singer, instrumentalist, and songwriter beyond New Grass Revival, Mosser began a process of discovering herself as an artist. “I had no plans about what I wanted to do when I moved to Nashville,” she says. “I was in love, happy, and just wanted to sing. Both John and my good friend Sharon Eaves were telling me, ‘OK honey, now you have to find songs of your own. People don’t need to think of you as a lounge singer.’ I didn’t believe I could write songs, because I would look at people I knew — Harlan Howard, Townes Van Zandt, John Prine — as writers, not me.” After writing her first song, Mosser’s chance encounter with a simpatico audience member at the Bluebird proved particularly fortuitous. The very tall man was singer-songwriter (and eventual U.S. Congressman) John Hall, who, as a member of the pop group Orleans, captured a huge swath of ’70s pop-radio real estate with the hits “Dance with Me” and “Still the One.” Mosser became fast friends with Hall and his wife and co-writer, Johanna, and they became her songwriting mentors. At the same time, Mosser’s desire to sing made her the hardest-working singer in the Music City. “I started meeting more people and putting a band together,” she says. “I was trying to learn about recording and became a demo singer, and I grabbed every opportunity to sing I could. I became the ‘benefit queen.’ I was on almost every bill and every show. [The late Nashville journalist] Jim Ridley referred to me one time as the ‘ubiquitous Jonell Mosser’ and I guess I was. People started telling me I played too much, but I said. ‘Why? People are still coming. The place is packed every time.’ They’d say I needed to be more exclusive, but that would be manufactured, not real. The whole thing about me is: This is real.” Despite her refusal to play by the standard industry playbook, Mosser zoomed to the top of Nashville’s “Next Big Thing” list. The one-two punch of her marriage to John Cowan ending in late 1988, and the death of her mother in early 1989, were challenging but temporary setbacks, as she continued impressing audiences and acquiring well-connected supporters. “Harlan Howard was such a good friend he brought everybody to hear me,” Mosser says. “He always called me, ‘Juve-nell.’ Don Was saw me sing ‘Dark End of the Street’ at the Bluebird with Mike Henderson and hired me for a session. That led to The New Maroons.” Formed in 1993, The New Maroons was star producer Don Was’ personal “supergroup,” featuring Mosser on vocals, Was on bass, Mark Goldenberg on guitar, Tom Petty

and the Heartbreakers’ Benmont Tench on keyboards, and Ringo Starr on drums (yep, that Ringo). After making their debut at the 1993 Farm Aid benefit concert, an album was planned with Merle Haggard as a second guitarist, but the project fell apart as various members pursued other projects. As an alternative, Was signed Mosser to his newly formed personal label, Karambolage Records, and recorded her planned debut solo album in November 1994.

“We finished the album right before Thanksgiving and [the distributor] MCA said to hold on, and they would bring it out after the holidays,” Mosser says. “First of the year, there was a complete changeover of staff at MCA, and I was persona non grata, so the record never came out.” It would be 1996 before Mosser finally released her debut solo album: Around Townes, a tribute album to her close friend, legendary CONTINUED ON PAGE 117

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theeastnashvillian.com September | October 2018

B Y

J O E L L E

H E R R

The way you shake and shiver

f you’ve ever popped into my bookshop, you may have noticed the “spooky” section. It encompasses horror, mystery, and sci-fi, and is one of our larger categories — more than twice the size of our history offerings. I’ll admit to blushing at that acknowledgment, but, really, I just love a good shiver-inducing story. And that’s one of the fun parts of having my own shop: getting to decide which books go on the shelves. Thankfully, lots of y’all seem to love a good spooky tale, too. Don’t laugh, but I can pretty much trace my affinity for getting creeped out by a story back to Scooby-Doo. I would often build a couch-pillow fort in front of the TV and nestle inside to watch an episode, my pulse racing a bit as I accompanied the gang on their investigation of a (not really) haunted castle, swamp, ski lodge, factory, or other fill-in-the-blank location. To not lose my buzz during the commercials (this was way before DVRs and fast-forwarding capabilities), I’d flip through my well-worn copy of The Berenstain Bears and the Spooky Old Tree. I loved that show — my 2-year-old hound mix is even named Scooby. Other early memories include ogling my older sister’s Nancy Drew books, with their dark, moody covers featuring sweater-set-clad teens and flashlights and staircases and cobwebs and gnarled forests. I devoured Bunnicula by Deborah and James Howe and The Witches by Roald Dahl. When I was a freshman in high school, a spell of

Saturday-afternoon browsing at Davis-Kidd (RIP) led me to The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson. The cover featured blurbs calling it “spine-chilling” and “terrifying” — a “masterpiece.” How could I resist? The next day, I flopped on my bed and cracked it open. It was a bright and sunny afternoon. As I turned the pages, I kept thinking to myself, “Why all the hubbub? This isn’t that scary.” At one point, the phone next to my bed rang, and I jumped a good foot (like, vertically), the book flying out of my hands. I guess I was spooked, after all. The brilliance of Hill House is its subtlety, its old-fashioned, less-is-more approach to building suspense. It has a permanent spot in the shop’s spooky section. Some more recent, made-me-sleep-with-thelights-on favorites have been NOS4A2 by Joe Hill (Stephen King’s lookalike and write-alike son), The Winter People (featuring a terror-inducing scene involving a closet) by Jennifer McMahon, Baby Teeth (sinister-kid alert) by Zoje Stage, and The Troop (gruesome and fun) by Nick Cutter. I’ve just started Sarah Waters’ The Little Stranger, an English-manorset ghost story that’s been likened to . . . The Haunting of Hill House. What say you, my fiends . . . er, friends? Do you enjoy a creepy tale this time of year? What’s the last book that made you shake and shiver? Swing by the shop to chat about this or any other bookish thing on your mind these days. →

“I delight in what I fear.” —Shirley Jackson

September | October 2018 theeastnashvillian.com

LOCKELAND DESIGN CENTER

www.lockelandpto.org

theeastnashvillian.com September | October 2018

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New releases for September | October

Bitter Orange Claire Fuller

Fuller’s sultry, decadent, setin-1969 third novel is, like her others, a smart, suspenseful page-turner that’ll have readers holding their breath till the very last word.

Killing Commendatore

(Oct. 9)

Haruki Murakami

Murakami is a Beatles-caliber literary star in his home country of Japan. This latest novel is apparently an homage to The Great Gatsby. Consider me intrigued.

Waiting for Eden Elliot Ackerman

(Oct. 9)

Ackerman is a National Book Award finalist and a decorated veteran, and his latest novel is one of the most buzzed-about books of the fall, garnering starred reviews left and right.

The Mermaid and Mrs. Hancock

(Sept. 25)

Imogen Hermes Gowar

This much-anticipated historical novel was first published in the U.K. earlier this year and has since been charming both readers and reviewers with its heart and magical realism.

Made Out of Stars Meera Lee Patel

(Sept. 11)

Patel’s Start Where You Are is one of the shop’s biggest sellers. Made Out of Stars is another guided journal filled with thought-provoking prompts and gorgeously dreamy artwork. (Sept. 18)

Friday Black Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah

This debut story collection from rising star AdjeiBrenyah promises satire, humor, honesty, and insight into some of today’s most pressing societal issues, and, ultimately, a sliver of hope. (Oct. 23)

e: You may have noticed, but the name of the shop has not changed: Her Bookshop is now The Bookshop! Turns out

that the “Her” — though really just a pun on my last name — Aconfused some folks. Lots thought we carried only books for or by

women. Some fellas would joke around, lingering at the door, asking if they were allowed in. And so, we’re now simply The Bookshop. Aside from the name, nothing else has changed. We’re still your neighborhood indie, a carefully curated “nook for people who love beautiful books.” September | October 2018 theeastnashvillian.com

Still in the groove (since 1984)

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EAST SIDE CALENDAR EMMA ALFORD CALENDAR EDITOR

S E P T E M B E R | O C T O B E R 2018

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

UPCOMING FARM FRESH

East Nashville Farmers Market 3:30-7 p.m. Wednesdays, Shelby Park

Looking for something a little fresher than the usual Kroger haul and far more local than Whole Foods? Head to East Nashville’s weekly Farmers Market and browse the locally grown organic and fresh foods; sniff, sample, and snag the local cheeses, milk, breads, herbs, fruits, vegetables, jams, and jellies; and meet the farmers who grow your food. A few food trucks are usually on site too, so you can even grab a bite. They also accept SNAP benefits. The East Nashville Farmers Markets will run through the end of October.

PADDLE Y’ALL

Cumberland River Dragon Boat Festival 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 8, Cumberland East Bank

Paddling on this year: The Cumberland River Dragon Boat Festival, which celebrates traditional Chinese dragon boat racing and culture. We could drag(on) for days about how cool and unique this festival is, but let’s cut to the tail: A crew of 22 folks slides into a boat that’s 40-plus-feet long, with a drummer banging out the beat that paddlers will row along to. The family-friendly event will also have a handful of tasty vendors on site, and plenty of fun and educational activities for fire-breathers of all ages. The races kick off at 11 a.m., and funds raised go toward supporting the Cumberland River Compact. cumberlandrivercompact.org 592 S. First St.

AMERICANA,

THE BEAUTIFUL

Americana Music Association Festival and Conference Sept. 11 - 16, citywide

The strum-centric, six-day Americana Music Festival and Conference returns in 2018, toggling between educational sessions by day and live music by night. The conference portion features seminars, lectures, and panels

with top music-biz professionals, and showcases featuring tons of musicians will go down throughout the city over the course of the weeklong event. Grab a wristband for entry to all shows or pay per showcase. If you want to attend the conference, register online. The Basement East, The Groove, The 5 Spot, and Fond Object will all be hosting shows on this side of the Cumberland. americanamusic.org

AMERICANA COMEDOWN

Sunday Morning Coming Down 1-7 p.m., Sunday, Sept. 16, The Compound A comedown isn’t always a bummer: After a one-year breather, free, all-ages East Nashville AmericanaFest wind-down party “Sunday Morning Coming Down” is back in 2018, with a lineup that includes organizer JP Harris and Friends, The Watson Twins, Elizabeth Cook, Erin Rae, Creamer, Kevin Gordon, and Kristina Murray. Along with music, there’ll be vintage and handmade goods for sale, gumbo for eating, drinks for drinking, and more fun. 919 Gallatin Ave.

Writers’ Collective), Kendra DeColo (My Dinner with Ron Jeremy), and Rob Rufus (Die Young with Me). Each author will select a novel to read, start from the beginning, and read for 10 minutes each. Making this story time especially adult-friendly, there’ll be wine, treats, and the opportunity to hang with fellow bookworms. thebookshopnashville.com 1043 W. Eastland Ave., 615.484.5420

ON PAR

Southern Word Golf Classic 7:30 a.m., Saturday, Sept. 29, Historic Shelby Golf Course

Southern Word is dropping the pen and picking up the 9-iron for this all-ages, all-skill-levels golf scramble, which supports the organization’s efforts to promote youth literacy, through workshops, school residencies, open mics, and shows. The morning will kick off with breakfast from Alexander’s Catering. Sign up for the scramble for $50, which includes breakfast, greens fees, and a cart. southernword.org 2021 Fatherland St.

HELLO, HOLLY!

DEAR DIARY

Made Out of Stars book launch with Meera Lee Patel 6-7:30 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 18, The Bookshop This September, best-selling author Meera Lee Patel releases her latest book, Made Out of Stars — a guided journal that sets readers up with thought-provoking prompts and beautiful artwork. When she stops in East Nashville to celebrate its release, we can expect a chitchat about the journal and an opportunity to snag a signed copy. As with any good book signing, wine and treats will be on hand too. thebookshopnashville.com 1043 W. Eastland Ave., 615.484.5420

NEVER TOO OLD FOR A STORY

Storytime for Grownups 6-7:30 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 21, The Bookshop Adults deserve a bedtime story, too. The Bookshop rolls out its first grownup story time in late September, with featured readers Susannah Felts (cofounder of The Porch

Holly Street Rocks! 6-10 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 22, The Pavilion East We all know it: Having kids ain’t cheap. Holly Street Daycare gets it, too. The annual Holly Street Rocks event benefits local families with kiddos at Holly Street Daycare that need a helping hand. Proceeds enable these kids to remain in a safe and supportive environment, which is certainly toast-worthy. A $50 ticket will include four hours of wine and beer tastings from Midtown Wine and Spirits, eats from Alexander’s Catering, and a silent auction featuring donations from over 100 local businesses. They’ll also host a live auction with artwork, trips, concert tickets, and more goodies up for grabs. hollystreetrocks.org 1006 Fatherland St., #105

HOLD ON TO YOUR

LEDERHOSEN

Smith & Lentz 3rd Annual Oktoberfest Party Noon to midnight, Saturday, Sept. 29, Smith & Lentz Brewing

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EAST SIDE CALENDAR Noch ein Bier, bitte: The folks at Smith & Lentz are back with another Oktoberfest party, and they’ll start tapping for this year’s third-annual event at noon. Don your best lederhosen and get ready to play some traditional German games, snag a souvenir stein filled with S&L’s signature Festbier brew, and grab some beer brats to soak up the suds. Just pace yourself — the party goes all night. smithandlentz.com 903 Main St.

RUN (OR WALK) IF YOU CARE

27th Annual Nashville AIDS Walk 9 a.m., Saturday, Oct. 6, Public Square Park

Nashville CARES is asking us to strap on those sneaks again. The organization works to end the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Middle Tennessee, and this annual 5K walk and run has the same goal every year: to raise $200,000 to support their advocacy, education, and preventative services efforts. (At press time, they’d already raised over $60,000 toward the cause.) On top of the jaunt, there will be a community fair, expo, and raffle, and interested runners/ walkers can register online, or on race day. nashvillecares.org Third Avenue North and Union Street

on the ’Gram) for more details as they’re hammered out. thegroovenashville.com 1103 Calvin Ave., 615.227.5760

MAS TEQUILA, POR FAVOR

Day of the Dead Festival 6-8 p.m., Friday, Oct. 26, The Pavilion East

The spirit of tequila is alive and well in East Nashville. Pavilion East hosts another Día de los Muertos celebration this year, with good tunes, tasty bites, painted faces, and most importantly, tequila. A ticket gets you 15 samples of the latter, but there will be a cash bar if you’re still thirsty. Ticket proceeds will benefit Fannie Battle Day Home for Children, so cheers to the cause. 1006 Fatherland St.

IT’S NEVER TOO EARLY

(OR LATE) TO LEARN Nashville Community Education Courses

professional and personal education. Both the online registration portal, as well as a downloadable PDF of the Fall 2018 Class Catalogue can be found at: nashville.gov/Nashville-CommunityEducation.

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RESIDENCIES DEE’S COUNTRY COCKTAIL LOUNGE deeslounge.com

102 E. Palestine Ave., Madison 615.852.8827

World-class Bluegrass Jam Hosted by East Nash Grass

Mondays, 6-8 p.m.

Madison Guild

Hosted by various songwriters

Mondays, 8:30-11 p.m.

Nashville Community Education is a program sponsored through Metro’s Nashville Community Education commission, offering classes to enrich Nashville residents through

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

SOMETHING TO

BARK ABOUT

East C.A.N. Annual Yard Sale 8 a.m.-3 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 6, Eastwood Christian Church

The folks at animal advocacy organization East C.A.N. once again host their annual sale to raise money for the furry friends they work to foster and rehome across the East Side. Hand-me-down lovers and bargain hunters take heed. If you aren’t looking to buy, but to purge, the organization is also accepting donated items to resell the morning of the sale, between 6 and 9 a.m. Email info@eastcan.org for more information. eastcan.org 1601 Eastland Ave.

READY, CASSETTE,GO Cassette Store Day 2-8 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 13, The Groove

For the lonely car-stereo tape deck owners out there, this one’s for you: This year, The Groove will host Cassette Store Day, with a lineup of performers compliments of Banana Tapes, a self-proclaimed “bitchin’ tape label” based out of Nashville. A-Sides and B-sides to come — check in on the shop’s socials (@thegrooverecords

GERMANTOWN, OPENING IN SEPTEMBER | 200 MADISON, SUITE 8 EA ST NA SHVILLE, OPEN DAILY | 1006 FATHERL AND, SUITE 204 615.678.1332 | @longevit yboutique | w w w.longevit y-boutique.com

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EAST SIDE CALENDAR

Kenny Vaughan and Dave Roe Big Monti Acoustic Blues

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. â&#x2C6;&#x2018;

Wednesdays,Â 6-8 p.m.

ART & INVENTION GALLERY

Songwriter Showdown

1106 Woodland St., 615.226.2070

with The Spotmen

Tuesday, 8-10 p.m. Happy Hour

artandinvention.com

Hosted by various bands

11 a.m.-6 p.m., Thursday through Saturday; Noon to 5 p.m., Sunday Tomato Art Fest Exhibit Currently on display

Big Montiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Blues Duo

FRIST CENTER FOR THE VISUAL ARTS

Wednesdays, 8-10 p.m.

Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t Ease At Deeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Wednesdays, 10 p.m. to midnight Thursdays, 6-7:30 p.m.

Daniel Lawrence Walkerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hoedown Fridays, 5:30-8 p.m.

= THE 5 SPOT the5spot.club

1006 Forrest Ave., 615.650.9333

Sunday Night Soul

Hosted by Jason Eskridge

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

fristartmuseum.org 919 Broadway

Chaos and Awe: Painting for the 21st Century Through Sept. 16 The Presence of Your Absence is Everywhere: Afruz Amighi Through Sept. 16 Image Building: How Photography Transforms Architecture Through Oct. 28 We Shall Overcome: Civil Rights and the Nashville Press 1957-1968 Through Oct. 14

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LANE MOTOR MUSEUM lanemotormuseum.org 702 Murfreesboro Pike

The Dan Auerbach Collection: Vintage Harley-Davidson Motorcycles from 1937-1950 Through May 6, 2019 â&#x2C6;&#x2018;

RAVEN AND WHALE GALLERY

ravenandwhalegallery.com 1108 Woodland St., Unit G, 629.777.6965

match maker Mike Bell

Opening Reception 5-9 p.m., Sept. 9 Noon to 5 p.m., Thursday through Sunday 6-10 p.m., second Saturday of every month â&#x2C6;&#x2018;

RED ARROW GALLERY

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

Moons of Another

Bethany J Carlson

Through Sept. 2

Casey Pierce

Opening Reception 6 p.m., Sept. 8; through Oct. 7

Two Dollar Tuesday Hosted by Derek Hoke

Tuesdays, 9 p.m. to close

Tim Carrollâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

Rock & Roll Happy Hour

Fridays, 6-8:30 p.m.

Strictly â&#x20AC;&#x2122;80s Dance Party FirstÂ FridayÂ of the month 9 p.m.Â to close

Funky Good Time FirstÂ SaturdayÂ of the month, 9 p.m. to close

đ&#x;&#x20AC;&#x2014;

ART EXHIBITS STUMBLE ON TO ART East Side Art Stumble

6-10 p.m., second Saturday of every month, multiple East Nashville galleries

Every month, local galleries and studios open their doors after hours to showcase some of the fabulous work they have gracing their walls. You can expect to see a diverse, eclectic mix of art, and to get the opportunity to meet local artists and support their work. Local retail stores are stumbling as well, with some businesses participating in a â&#x20AC;&#x153;happy hourâ&#x20AC;? September | October 2018 theeastnashvillian.com

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THE THEATER BUG

con-fab

presents

A Red Arrow Gallery art talk series Every Month â&#x20AC;&#x201C; check the website for more details

Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re Still Here July 28 - 29, Aug. 2 - 5

thetheaterbug.org 4809 Gallatin Pike

â&#x2122;&#x2020;

THEATER|OPERA

đ?&#x201E;&#x17E;

CONCERTS

NASHVILLE CHILDRENâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S THEATRE

EXIT/IN

marathonmusicworks.com 1402 Clinton St.

Chromeo Saturday, Sept. 22, 8 p.m. Ashley McBryde Thursday, Sept. 27, 8 p.m. Social Distortion Sunday, Oct. 21, 8 p.m.

exitin.com

Halloween Ball Yâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;all Saturday, Oct. 26, 9 p.m.

Kendell Marvelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Honky Tonk Experience Tuesday, Sept. 11, 8 p.m.

RYMAN AUDITORIUM

NASHVILLE OPERA

Carbon Leaf Wednesday, Sept. 12, 8 p.m.

116 Fifth Ave. N.

La Traviata

White Denim Saturday, Sept. 22, 9 p.m.

presents

Tuck Everlasting

2208 Elliston Place

Sept. 13 through Oct. 7 Evenings and weekends are open to the public. nashvillechildrenstheatre.org 25 Middleton St. â&#x2C6;?

presents

Oct. 4 - 6

Three Decembers

WizardFest Sunday, Sept. 23, 8:30 p.m.

Nov. 9 - 11 Season tickets on sale now nashvilleopera.org 505 Deaderick St. â&#x2C6;?

NASHVILLE REPERTORY THEATRE

Local H Saturday, Oct. 6, 8 p.m. Saving Grace III: A Benefit for

presents

Avenue Q Sept. 8 - 22

A Dollâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s House, Part 2 Oct. 13 through Nov. 3

nashvillerep.org 161 Rains Ave. â&#x2C6;?

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MARATHON MUSIC WORKS

theeastnashvillian.com September | October 2018

AFSP Saturday, Oct. 20, 8 p.m.

Festival of Ghouls Wednesday, Oct. 31, 8 p.m. â&#x2C6;&#x2018;

â&#x2C6;&#x2018;

ryman.com

Old Crow Medicine Show Friday, Sept. 14, 8 p.m. Nashville Songwriter Awards Wednesday, Sept. 19, 7:30 p.m. Anderson East Friday, Sept. 28, 8 p.m. Shakey Graves: The Tour X9 Tour Wednesday, Oct. 3, 7:30 p.m. John Prine Oct. 5 - 6, 8 p.m. Goo Goo Dolls Sunday, Oct. 7, 8 p.m. Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit October 22 - 27, 8 p.m. Boz Scaggs Monday, Oct. 29, 7:30 p.m.

EAST SIDE CALENDAR

NASHVILLE SYMPHONY

nashvillesymphony.org One Symphony Place

Reese Witherspoon: Whiskey in a Teacup Tour Sunday, Sept. 23, 7:30 p.m. Pirates! The Quest for Blackbeard’s Treasure Saturday, Sept. 29, 11 a.m. Aegis Sciences Classical Series Presents:

Beethoven’s Violin Concerto Oct. 4-7

Aegis Sciences Classical Series Presents:

Haydn’s London Symphony Oct. 11-12 ∑

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

Exhibits: Outlaws & Armadillos: Country’s Roaring ’70s

This major exhibition, slated for a minimum three-year run, explores the artistic and cultural exchange between Nashville and Austin during the 1970s.

Ongoing

Musician Spotlights: Jerry Pentecost

Sunday, Sept. 16, 1 p.m.

Missy Raines

All ages, registration required

It’s the Balm (night series) 6-7 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 13

Sunday, Oct. 7, 1 p.m.

21 and up

Film Screenings at the CMA Theater

Second Annual Puppy Pageant — a celebration of all dogs! 2 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 15

cmatheater.com 224 Fifth Ave. S., 615.760.6556

All ages, registration required

Honky Tonk Heaven: The Legend of the Broken Sunday, Sept. 9, 11 a.m.

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

! SHELBY BOTTOMS NATURE CENTER 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday Noon to 4 p.m., Wednesday and Friday Closed, Sunday and Monday

The Nature Center offers a wide range of nature and environmental education programs and has a Nashville B-Cycle station where residents and visitors can rent a bike to explore Nashville’s greenways. For more information, as well as the online program registration portal, visit: nashville.gov 1900 Davidson St., 615.862.8539

EVENTS & CLASSES

RECURRING SHOP AROUND SUNDAY

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

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

RINC, Y’ALL

Scott-Ellis School of Irish Dance Sundays at DancEast: 2-2:30 p.m., Beginner Class; 2-3 p.m., Intermediate/Advanced Soft Shoe Class; 3-4 p.m., Intermediate/Advanced Hard Shoe Class

M ondays at Eastwood Christian Church:

Hummingbird Happy Hour & Pickin’ Party! 1-3 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 1

5-5:30 p.m., Beginner Class; 5-6 p.m., Intermediate/Advanced Class

You’re never too young — or too old — to

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BRING IT TO THE TABLE

kick out the Gaelic jams with some Irish Step dancing. No experience, or partner, required. Just enthusiasm, a heart of gold, and Scott-Ellis School of Irish Dance classes, and you’ll be dancing in the clover in no time.

Community Hour at Lockeland Table 4-6 p.m., Monday through Saturday, Lockeland Table

danceast.org

805 Woodland St., Ste. 314, 615.601.1897

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

ANSWER ME THIS Trivia Nights 8 p.m., each week, various locations

East Siders, if you’re one of the sharper tools in the shed (or not), stop by one of these East Side locales to test your wits at trivia. They play a few rounds, with different categories for each question. There might even be some prizes for top-scoring teams, but remember: Nobody likes a sore loser.

Drifter’s Edley’s BBQ East Lipstick Lounge (7:30 p.m.) Wednesday Noble’s Kitchen and Beer Hall The Mainstay (7 p.m.) Thursday 3 Crow Bar

Monday Tuesday

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

lockelandtable.com

1520 Woodland St., 615.228.4864

SHOUT! SHIMMY! SHAKE!

Motown Mondays 9:30 p.m. to close, Mondays, The 5 Spot

For those looking to hit the dance floor on Monday nights, The 5 Spot’s Motown Mondays dance party is the place to be. This shindig, presented by Electric Western, keeps it real with old-school soul, funk, and R&B. If you have two left feet, then snag a

seat at the bar. They have two-for-one drink specials, so you can use the money you save on a cover to fill your cup. Get up and get down and go see why their motto is “Monday is the new Friday.” electricwesternrecords.com 1006 Forrest Ave., 615.650.9333

TELL ME A STORY East Side Storytellin’ 7 p.m., first and third Tuesdays, The Post East

Looking for something to get your creative juices flowing? East Side Story has partnered with WAMB radio to present regular book readings, musical performances, and author/ musician interviews wrapped up in just one evening. Look for this event twice each month. If you want some adult beverages, feel free to BYOB. Check the website to see who the guests of honor will be for each performance. The event is free, but you may want to reserve a spot by calling ahead of time.

The Post East

theposteast.com

1701 Fatherland St., Ste. A, 615.457.2920

East Side Story

eastsidestorytn.com 615.915.1808

LADIES AND LAUGHS Crying Laughing 9 p.m., first Wednesday of each month, The Crying Wolf

At monthly comedy showcase Crying Laughing, two talented ladies — Chloe Stillwell and MK Gannon — lead the proceedings, with local and regional comedians serving up feisty, feminist jokes. Expect lighthearted ribbing on politics, LGBTQ rights, pop culture, and more. The show donates a portion of proceeds to Everytown for Gun Safety, so your laughs go toward a worthy cause. Think wisecracking with a hint of activism. thecryingwolf.com 823 Woodland St., 615.953.6715

TRANSFORMING AT THE POST

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

Looking for a supportive environment to focus on your professional and personal development? These monthly meetings, led by energy healer Ben Dulaney, offer an opportunity to focus on conscious transformation teaching, tools, and 108

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EAST SIDE CALENDAR meditation practices to promote and home in on a plan of action to support your transformation. Think of it as conscious coupling with other like-minded folks. theposteast.com 1701 Fatherland St., Ste. A, 615.457.2920

WALK, EAT, REPEAT

Walk Eat Nashville 1:30 p.m., Thursdays; 11 a.m., Fridays, 5 Points

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

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

Nashville Urban Winery

Few things in life are as fine as a good laugh and a tall glass of wine. You can snag both at Nashville Urban Winery’s stand-up nights — laid-back evenings of laughs brought to us by local comedians Ben Sawyer and Lucas Davidson. Each month the shows will offer sets from some of Nashville’s funniest folk, kicking off at 8:30 p.m. Just $10 at the door. 715 Main St., 615.619.0202

A DANCE PARTY WITH STYLE

Queer Dance Party 9 p.m.-3 a.m., third Friday of every month, The Basement East

On any given month, the QDP is a mixed bag of fashionably clad attendees (some in the occasional costume) dancing till they can’t dance no mo’. The dance party has migrated over to the Beast, which gives shakers and movers even more space to cut up. Shake a leg, slurp down some of the drink specials, and let your true rainbow colors show. thebasementnashville.com 917 Woodland St., 615.645.9174

PICKIN’ YOUR BRUNCH Bluegrass Brunch 10 a.m.-1 p.m., Saturdays, The Post East

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

ONCE UPON A TIME… Weekly Storytime 10 a.m., Saturdays, The Bookshop

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

Join your neighbors to talk about crime stats, trends, and various other issues with East Precinct’s Commander David Imhof and others. If you’re new to the East Side, it’s a great opportunity to get up to speed on criminal activity in the area.

Noble’s Kitchen & Beer Hall 974 Main St., 629.800.2050

THE GROOVE GETS GHOULISH

Horror Movie Night at The Groove 7-9 p.m., Fridays in October, The Groove

Things are getting spooky this October in The Groove’s backyard. They’re laying off the vinyl in favor of video, screening slashers in the backyard every Friday in October. Titles hadn’t been announced yet at press time, but keep an eye on The Groove’s socials (@groovenashville on Twitter/@thegrooverecords on Instagram) for the film lineup. thegroovenashville.com 1103 Calvin Ave., 615.227.5760

WINE ABOUT IT

The Sidebar Comedy Hour 8 p.m., first Friday of every month, September | October 2018 theeastnashvillian.com

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EAST SIDE CALENDAR

PICKIN’ AT THE PARK Cornelia Fort Pickin’ Party Third Saturdays, through October, 6 p.m., Cornelia Fort Airpark

It’s pickin’ season at the Airpark again. Running through October, Cornelia Fort will be host to a pickin’ party fundraiser, with all proceeds going toward preserving the historic airpark. Strumming starts at 6 p.m., and the featured performers go on an hour later at 7. Tickets are $12 in advance, or $15 at the “door,” and include one adult beverage (two if you come with an instrument to pitch in on the pickin’). Sept. 15: Miss Tess & The Talkbacks and The Cowpokes feat. Sierra Ferrell Oct. 8: The Tillers and Cicada Rhythm corneliafortpickinparty.org 2640 Airpark Drive

NEIGHBORHOOD MEETINGS & EVENTS

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

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS N.A.

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

CLEVELAND PARK N.A.

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

INGLEWOOD N.A.

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

ﬁn.

inglewood37216.org 4500 Gallatin Pike MCFERRIN N.A.

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

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:

301 Berry St.

ROSEBANK NEIGHBORS

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

calendar@theeastnashvillian.com

1211 Riverside Drive

MOMS Club of East Nashville HISTORIC EDGEFIELD NEIGHBORS

Business Meeting East Park Community Center 7 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 25 Neighborhood Social 7 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 30 Location TBD

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

MOMS (Moms Offering Moms Support) Club

{shop local}

historicedgefieldneighbors.com 700 Woodland St. LOCKELAND SPRINGS N.A.

Date and time TBD

lockelandsprings.org 1701 Fatherland St. SHELBY HILLS N.A.

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

MAXWELL HEIGHTS N.A.

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

ROLLING ACRES NEIGHBORS

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

EASTWOOD NEIGHBORS

Business Meeting 6:30 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 9 Eastwood Christian Church

eastwoodneighbors.org 1601 Eastland Ave.

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Your Nashville Symphony Live at the Schermerhorn Kristin Chenoweth POPS SERIES

SEPTEMBER 23

PIRATES! THE QUEST FOR BLACKBEARD’S TREASURE

SEPTEMBER 27 to 29

ON THE TRAIL OF B I G C AT S wi th Steve W i nte r

Family Series FAMILY SERIES

BEETHOVEN’S VIOLIN CONCERTO

october 1

HAYDN’S LONDON SYMPHONY

with JAMES EHNES CLASSICAL SERIES

SPEAKER SERIES

september 29 at 11 am

october 4 to 7

CLASSICAL SERIES

October 11 & 12

JON BATISTE: SO LO

JAZZ SERIES

october 19

october 25 & 26

Reese Witherspoon, National Geographic Live and Jon Batiste presented without orchestra.

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WITH SUPPORT FROM

25 Years in a Five-year Town CONTINUED FROM PAGE 51

in Nashville, off Charlotte Avenue, call Sire’s New York offices, and holler for an answer from any poor soul who answered a telephone. One afternoon, he disappeared for hours, and came back with hundreds of photocopied CD covers. The covers read, “Tim Carroll: Not For Sale.” After a trip to a guy who could make copies of CDs, the covers went into cases. “Not For Sale” was for sale, wherever Tim Carroll was gigging. And Tim Carroll was gigging again, most everywhere. Five bucks at the door. Hell with it.

opportunity or backhanded slight can take away the music. The mirror says all that’s left is the music, and Tim Carroll says that’s more than enough. As he wrote and others have sung, “Things don’t work out like you planned, and

you’ve had all you can stand, there’s always tomorrow.” Twenty five years in, there’s always tomorrow. And Nashville’s not really a five-year town … It’s Coolsville, man. It’s Coolsville.

oon, Carroll was spending nights on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry, playing increasingly country-style guitar with his thenwife, Elizabeth Cook. After Bloomington and Hoboken and 1,000 cigarette-stained dressing rooms, most people would play the Opry and revel in the glory, the ease, and the air conditioning. But Joe Diamond, who sang good, hard country music at an absolute dump off of 51st Avenue, needed a fill-in lead guitarist. His usual guitarist, a guy named Bebo, couldn’t be there. “They’re paying $35 and all the beer you can drink,” Carroll said. “The more I drink, the more I earn.” Ten seconds into Carroll’s first solo, Joe Diamond hollered into the microphone, “Bebo who? Bebo WHO?”

East NASHVILLE

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“I

f it’s a five-year town, as I’m so often told, who’s got time to wait around, by then I’ll be too old,” Tim Carroll sang. Waiting around makes you old, and so Tim Carroll never waited around. For more than 9,000 Music City mornings, he has woken from dreams of songs, and he has worked to bring those dreams to fruition. He is frequently hilarious and habitually serious. He is dismissive of the dismissive, and encouraging of encouragers. He’d rather swing and mightily miss than stand with the bat on his shoulder. These days, Carroll rarely brings the blonde Telecaster out in public. He plays a pretty Gibson through a little Vox amp, producing Nashville’s most joyfully searing rock tone every week at various venues, especially East Nashville’s 5 Spot, where he began a residency — swear to God — five years ago. He’s making fine albums, the latest of which is the Dave Coleman-recorded Keeping Time. He gets up every day, looks in the mirror, and knows that no broken promise, missed

rozmond lewis, mD kristen maida, Fnp-bc

mimi gerber, Fnp

Melissa E. Crim

elizabeth morse, Fnp

m. ed.

licensed professional counselor

Find healing. Past, Present, Future. melissa.crim@comcast.net | 615.482.2746

East NashvillE Family mEdiciNE located in: eastside station • 801 Woodland street, nashville, tn 37206 September | October 2018 theeastnashvillian.com

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The Whole Damn Family CONTINUED FROM PAGE 69

“The connection with people, once you make that connection, it’s indelible. So there was always an optimism. The label always projected optimism, which is a can-do spirit ... John Prine embodied that, and embodies it still. “Nashville, to Oh Boy, was a community that accepted us. ‘You guys are for real. You’ve made records and you’re selling some numbers.’ There was at least an understanding and a value to great songwriting. It was appreciated and recognized. We operated in sort of this parallel universe, but it was still a mutual respect.” Oh Boy’s roster has included Prine, Kristofferson, Slick Ballinger, Shawn Camp, R.B. Morris, Riders in the Sky, Donnie Fritts, The bis-quits, Dan Reeder, and Todd Snider over the years. Prine and Reeder are the two active Oh Boy artists today. The label has also released a dozen reissues of classic country music artists, including compilations like Oh Boy Classics Presents Country Greats, featuring Merle Haggard, Roy Acuff, Don Gibson, Willie Nelson, and others. And, in a songwriters’ town, songwriters have always been acutely aware of the label’s presence. Snider considers his work with Oh Boy to have been defining in his life. “They took me into their family, and I felt they showed me how to do the best I could,” he says. “I feel like they were altruistic people who took good care of me just to do it. They took over for my third record — and if anything they taught me how to work with other people and how to listen to other people, and not be as much of a right fighter as I think I was when I was young. “It wasn’t coming from a label that wanted me to be a pop star. It was coming from a songwriter that knew I wanted to be a lifer. It’s as hard to be Guy Clark as it is to be George Jones. To this day, when he meets a singer that he sees something in, he really helps out. They were people that walked me through those years that most of my peers talk about as having been so hard. When I was around John, I just wanted to learn more about songs and try to get as good as I could at that … it’s a cool thing they’ve built over there. When I look back on it, I still feel part of it in a way. “Oh Boy is important to Nashville. It’s been fun to watch … I feel like this town is really going through a high-art phase — and in my opinion, I would say that John’s the epicenter of it. He’s the Hank Williams that people moved here to be.” Tilson agrees that Oh Boy respects the song. “I like to think that we will always be a home to people who don’t necessarily fit in a

genre,” she says. “I think that Oh Boy strives to always represent good music, whatever that looks like. We strive to put a voice behind someone who has something to say. That feels really genuine, feels like it’s in line with the John Prine vision.” Collin Fidler, the label’s e-commerce manager (and another East Nashvillian), points further to a symbiotic relationship within the community. “I think it feels like John Prine is a Nashville success and vice versa,” he says. “Everyone’s cheering us on at Oh Boy and in the same sense, if we’re working with someone, many Nashville musicians, we’re giving them work — they might be opening for John — and it will show. John Prine succeeding means Nashville is succeeding.” Again, it is important to celebrate hope in this town. The impact Oh Boy has had on Nashville’s independent artists over four decades is hard to quantify in numbers. It should be viewed more in terms of hunger and dreams, and celebrated for its sanctuary. From that moment Prine knew he could no longer walk the major-label walk, musicians everywhere have benefitted. Oh Boy is an idea ahead of its time, one that has given for almost 40 years. “I think in seeing someone like John, a singer-songwriter can believe in doing things their own way,” Whelan says. “People have always seen he’s honest and authentic. I think it gives someone the license to think that they can do that for themselves, too, whether Oh Boy’s involved in it or not. I think that it’s the idea that you can see someone you respect doing it, and that makes it seem doable.” Prine in Nashville On Tuesday, Sept. 11, City Winery Nashville hosts John Prine and Friends, as part of the 2018 AmericanaFest. For info on the festival and tickets, visit: americanamusic.org For more on Oh Boy Records (and to order The Tree of Forgiveness), visit: ohboy.com

SEPTEMBER 16 Ingénue Redux 25th Anniversary Tour

K.D. LANG

with Mak Grgić

SEPTEMBER 25

DAUGHTRY OCTOBER 2 The Concert for Cumberland Heights

HERE COME THE MUMMIES

OCTOBER 3

SHAKEY GRAVES

THE TOUR X9 TOUR

with The Wild Reeds

OCTOBER 16 & 17 Performing 12 Golden Country Greats

WEEN

and The $#*! Creek Boys

OCTOBER 29

BOZ SCAGGS

Out of the Blues Tour

OCTOBER 30

YOUNG THE GIANT

with Lights

NOVEMBER 1

LAKE STREET DIVE NOVEMBER 4

JULIEN BAKER AND PHOEBE BRIDGERS

with Lucy Dacus

NOVEMBER 12

IRON & WINE

with OHMME

NOVEMBER 21

MICHAEL MCDONALD

Season of Peace: Holiday & Hits Tour

FOR TICKET INFORMATION AND MORE, VISIT RYMAN.COM

A V A I L A B L E NO W O N

Historically Cool Since 1892 116 Fifth Avenue North Nashville, TN 37219

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Fresh Creamer CONTINUED FROM PAGE 83

musical base has come to pass, too: Along with Audley Freed and Ontario-based drummer Dave King (who anchors the touring lineup that’ll soon hit the road), the album features Dovetail mates Scott Lee on bass and Daniel Creamer on a variety of analog keyboards. The last three years in Nashville have indeed been a time of growing: In addition to building his team of collaborators, he and Samantha have produced two additional Creamers — the first on either side of his family to be born on non-Lone Star turf. The most stalwart of Texans might consider their bi-state brood a blended family, and yet Creamer’s transplanted

Texas-Tennessee life is fulfilling the artist’s dream. Creamer and his band will debut material from the new album here at home, as part of September’s AmericanaFest, during a showcase at the 5 Spot — a twist that Sansone admits might seem a little like a contradiction. “What Philip does as a writer and singer is a little outside of the general vibe. It doesn’t have a blatantly Americana foundation,” he says, “which I think sets him apart and makes him a special part of the current Nashville scene.” It was those artistic idiosyncrasies, after all, that led Creamer to Tennessee, where he found

a rough-hewn, roots-centered movement in full bloom. Still, the big patchwork quilt comprising the city’s red-dirt-flecked Americana scene has proven to be an accommodating one. It may not be the Big D, but in Nashville, Creamer has found a home that’s just the right size. Catch Creamer at AmericanaFest Creamer performs Wednesday, Sept. 12 at The 5 Spot in East Nashville, as part of AmericanaFest. For more on the festival, including the schedule and tickets, visit americanamusic.org

The Ubiquitous Jonell Mosser CONTINUED FROM PAGE 95

but troubled songwriter Townes Van Zandt. “My management at the time said my debut record can’t be a Townes Van Zandt cover album, and I said, ‘Yes it can,’” Mosser says. “Perhaps it wasn’t the wisest career move, but I’m so glad I stood my ground because he died the next year.” The ability to accept the negative and embrace the positive has been woven through dead-end projects and four independently released, critically acclaimed solo albums (featuring her own songs), as well as the mega-wattage Nashville vocal group Kentucky Thunder, where Mosser shares the spotlight with three fellow Bluegrass State expatriates: Etta Britt, Vickie Carrico, and Sheila Lawrence. It’s the same thread that runs through Mosser’s forthright acknowledgement of subsequent failed marriages that produced and molded her two beloved sons, Matthew and Kenan, and other discussions of life’s ups and downs. Mosser’s chance at big-time superstardom never arrived, but as she sits in the East Side Bongo Java on a warm summer’s morning, 31 years after she learned a lesson about not living and dying by the opinions of others, it’s evident her life is a major Nashville success story. She may lack “name recognition” to the public at large, but there’s a frequent parade of friends who spot her across a crowded coffee shop and stop by to say hello, each one receiving a big smile and a hug. And as she runs down her schedule for a typical week of live appearances, rehearsal jobs, and session work, it’s clear that Jonell Mosser never had time to become a “star” because she was too busy singing her heart out. “I sometimes feel I dodged a bullet by never becoming a star,” Mosser says. “There

have been a few times where circumstances have tried to steal my joy. Times when I’d say, ‘Why them and not me?’ I don’t do that anymore, and I regret those moments of pettiness. I always wanted to be like Harlan Howard was when I met him

— tooling around town, singing when I want to, hearing new musicians, and loving this town. I might not be the most famous person in the world, but I’ve gotten to do everything that I wanted to do, and I’m still doing it.”

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

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East of NORMAL ⟿ by Tommy Womack ⟿

An ode to The Clash

(by a punk from Skynyrdville)

hen I was 16, in July or August 1979, I bought the only Clash album in the Sound Shack, which was the only record store where I grew up in Kentucky. That same copy of Give ’Em Enough Rope lingered in the racks forever until I finally bought it. Creem magazine had indoctrinated me into the notion that these guys were the best thing since beans on toast. So, I was curious, and apparently the only record buyer in Skynyrdville who was. It was their first album released in America, although it was actually their second record overall — the first was England-only. I’ll never forget when I brought it home, closed my bedroom door, put it on the stereo, turned it up, and suddenly there was a crack of a snare drum and a massive wall of guitar. It assaulted me like an exploding brick wall. Nanananananananawwggghhhh! I fell in love instantly. I was 16, very much a square peg at school, starting to have an internalized anger problem, depressed as hell a lot of the time, and I listened to a lot of in-your-face, aggressive rock ’n’ roll — AC/DC, Aerosmith, Kiss, Cheap Trick, Ted Nugent, the usual loud redneck diet. No bands I’d ever heard had projected anger as a singular vibe. The Clash were the first angry rock act I’d ever heard and they came into my life at the perfect time. All of a sudden, I wasn’t alone. Somebody out there understood. Joe Strummer roared invective, and lyrics came out of his mouth like a machine gun. They were sometimes indecipherable, and a lot of it was London slang I didn’t get. But I could tell one thing clearly and unmistakably: I’d found someone as pissed off as I was. I remember feeling that even though I had no idea what he was singing about (if you could call it singing), it would behoove me to learn. I had the feeling that he was raving about something real. Not too long after that, the band’s actual first album was released in America, entitled simply The Clash. The American version was different from the English original, with some songs taken out and others added, but that made no nevermind to me. Lo and behold I found one copy in town and snagged it. I got home, got a glass of sweet tea, shut myself in the bedroom, sat my glass on a stereo speaker, put on the record and BAM! Mick Jones’ guitar attack on “Clash City Rockers” put a bullet through my head. I turned it up louder, then louder, and then my sweet tea shook off the side of the speaker and fell down onto the turntable, spilling spidery webs over all the grooves. I

wiped it out best as I could, and it turns out that record not only played, but you couldn’t make Side One of The Clash skip after that. It won’t skip to this day. The first lead guitar break I ever learned to play was the one in “Police & Thieves” on that record. And this time — the earlier record in their career — Joe Strummer was more than just angry, he was crazed. Shit was really fucked up and he was the only one saying anything about it, in a gravel-throated, intensively rhythmic howitzer of a voice. And it’s enough to say the rest of the band was as good as he was. Simply put, they all rocked. Hard. And fast! The fastest music I’d ever heard. Not long after that, ABC’s “20/20” program did a piece on the punk scene in England and America, and it was the first time I ever saw The Clash play, however briefly, but long enough to notice what maniacs they were, dashing all over the stage, with Strummer rolling on the floor and swinging his mike stand around, then jumping up to spit lyrics like it was the last thing he’d ever do. And then there was an edit, and the television showed him attacking his guitar like a man who’d been shot up with a toxic level of stimulants. I understood then and there that if Elvis Presley had contracted rabies, he would have been Joe Strummer. I’d never seen that much human energy expelled in three minutes on television, ever. I had a hero on my hands. A few months later, London Calling came into my life, with the same effect the others had and a bit more on top. It’s the springtime soundtrack to my senior year in 1980. It’s the soundtrack to my entire adult life too. I could go on. And many people have. There are plenty of books you can read, a great documentary called Joe Strummer: The Future is Unwritten, reams of stuff on the web. (And I lead a Clash tribute band called Tommy Gun.) Joe Strummer was not just a pissed-off lunatic. He was lucid; he was well read. He loved to talk to everyone about heady topics. He showed more and more development as a musician and bona fide singer as the music gained more breadth, depth, and technical expertise, and the band issued one great song after another. Strummer died at the age of 50, from an undiagnosed congenital heart defect, and the world was robbed of a man who didn’t stop when The Clash broke up and was making vital music to the day he died, shaking hands with fans and always talking, always listening, always learning, and committed to making the world a better place. He was one of the coolest people ever to live. Due to constrictions in my column length, I have to stop here. But if you’re not familiar with Joe Strummer, you’ll need to check him out before you die.

Tommy Womack is a singer-songwriter and author. His new book, dust bunnies: a memoir, will be released in November, 2018.

☕

tommywomack.com

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PARTING SHOT

JIM SHERRADEN

H atch S how P rint â&#x20AC;&#x2122; s The Haley Gallery Aug. 20, 2018 P h o t o g r a ph e d 122

Travis Commeau

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totally love the shadows

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