January-February 2015 by The East Nashvillian

THE PLEASURE PRINCIPLE :

WELLNESS UNHINGED

JANUARY | FEBRUARY VOL. V ISSUE 3

The EAST NASHVILLIANS of the Year & Brett

Withers

P owell Architecture +

Building Studio

ROCK’n’ROLL REAL to REEL

The

LOWER CAVES

Brent Little captures musical magic on analogue tape in a digital world

Musical Odyssey

Artist in Profile

On the Banks of

ANTHONY GUERRIERO Know Your Neighbor

COOPER CREEK

The ‘Great Flood’ left a lasting and costly legacy

DAVID GEHRKE Jan | Feb 2015

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PUBLISHER Lisa McCauley EDITOR Chuck Allen COPY EDITOR Nicole Keiper

CALENDAR EDITOR Emma Alford

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ADVERTISING DESIGN Benjamin Rumble

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ILLUSTRATIONS Danielle Dietze, Benjamin Rumble, Dean Tomasek

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Emma Alford, Ellen Mallernee Barnes, Timothy C. Davis, Randy Fox, James Haggerty, Eric Jans, Nicole Keiper, Lockeland Springsteen, Daryl Sanders, Brett A. Withers, Tommy Womack CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Dave Cardaciotto, Eric England, Melissa Madison Fuller, Emily Gnetz EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Danielle Dietze ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Jaime Brousse, Nikkole Turner INTERNS Victoria Clodfelter ADVERTISING SALES Lisa McCauley lisa@theeastnashvillian.com 615.582.4187

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COVER

FEATURES

57 ROCK’N’ROLL REAL TO REEL

NASHVILLIANS 42 EAST OF THE YEAR Intro

Brent Little captures musical magic on analogue tape in a digital world

By Chuck Allen

Citizen: Brett Withers

By Randy Fox

By Theresa Laurence

THE BANKS OF 65 ON COOPER CREEK

Business: Powell Architecture + Building Studio By Randy Fox

The ‘Great Flood’ left a lasting and costly legacy By Randy Fox

FEATURES

29 PLEASURE PRINCIPLE:

ON THE COVER

Wellness Unhinged By Sarah Hays

CONTINUED

BRETT WITHERS (L) AND STEVE POWELL (R)

THE TURQUOISE BLUES BLUES

On a musical odyssey with The Lower Caves

Photograph by Chuck Allen

By Chuck Allen

Visit

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

Jan | Feb 2015

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EAST SIDE BUZZ

IN THE KNOW

15 Matters of Development

26 Nashville Five: Andrew Combs

17 Zoning, Zoning, Zoned

36 Artist in Profile: Anthony Guerriero

21 A Buncha Rigamarole

67 Know Your Neighbor: David Gehrke

22 Yippee! Um ... but wait, not yet

71 East Side Calendar

By Eric Jans

By Lockeland Springsteen

Brett Withers

by Ellen Mallernee Barnes

By Chuck Allen

By Ellen Mallernee Barnes

By Chuck Allen

By Emma Alford

COMMENTARY

AUXILIARY

12 Editor’s Letter

22 Thud Thunder Comic Strip

69 Cookin’ in da Hood

By Danielle Dietze

By Chuck Allen

Astute Observations

By Timothy C. Davis

By James “Hags” Haggerty

94 Cutting Room Floor: Turkey Shoot

96 East of Normal

By James “Hags” Haggerty

By Tommy Womack

98 Visit

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Parting Shot: The Smoking Flowers Photographed by Dave Cardaciotto

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EDITOR’S LETTER

here’s no telling where it came from, but I have my suspicions. You’ve heard it. The meme that keeps getting regurgitated on social media and in the press that implies if you’re not for every development then you must be antiprogress. If you’re not lockstep with some master plan that has as its central tenet density, density, density, then you must be feebleminded and unreasonable. It isn’t the fact this idea is complete, unadulterated bullshit that makes it stick in my craw. Rather, it’s that it forces me to recognize as reality what I’ve up until now preferred to remain in denial about: Money doesn’t give a damn about communities. Especially BIG money. I realize that might sound naïve, especially to the laissez-faire types in the crowd, but it isn’t. What it is is pushback against a cynicism that is eating away at our society like a cancer. The new, catchall, remove-all-responsablity phrase is “market forces at work.” Really? I call it pissing on your fellow human beings. I’ve said it here before, and I’ll say it again now: In a perfect world, we’d all be Libertarians. The thing is, last time I checked, the world is far from perfect. We may all be created equal, but by the time we’re adults our Masters differ. Some lead lives of service while others serve Mammon. It’s always been this way. If you asked them, the vast majority of people living in our community would consider themselves middle class. They work for a living. They don’t have golden parachutes and stock options. They probably wouldn’t trade their lives for that of a Wall Street banker, either. But does it follow that because they haven’t chosen a life of making money on complex financial instruments they are less than those who do? When capital begins flowing through our community in the form of residential development, the profits from which flow right back out again, are we being obstructionist simply because we want a seat at the table? The game being played now is one with very high stakes, and the monied interests understand very well that the only threat to their interests lie in zoning and planning. They hire attorneys to pour through ordinances — all of which are available online at Nashville.gov should you care to look. They pay people who are well-dressed and well-spoken to appear before the planning commission and Metro Council. They know the game. The average citizen, on the other hand, is working, raising a family, putting food on the table, living a life. Diving into the nuances of city governance is something most people have neither the time nor the inclination to do.

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That’s the reason for Metro Council. If you voted in the last election in which your council member was on the ballot, then you have a say (theoretically), whether your candidate won or not. 2015 is an election year; we will choose a new mayor, as well as new council members. This election will have a far-reaching impact on Nashville’s future, particularly where our neighborhoods are concerned. During the many conversations about the changing face of Nashville I’ve participated in, not once did anyone ever say they were staunchly opposed to new development. On the contrary. What I hear repeatedly is a desire to be heard and for there to be a balance. The developers arrived hear for a reason — and, yes, it is definitely a market driven one. There’s money to be made, and lots of it. NOW is the time for leadership at the council and mayoral level. Put in place mechanisms that force developers to be better stewards of the city from which they are profiting so handsomely. Which leads me to one the greatest concerns I hear: Who pays for the infrastructure to support all of this? Right now, we do. That’s why I don’t buy the “market forces” mantra. It’s a scenario similar to the too-big-to-fail banks, only in this case after the developers sail into the sunset, Metro realizes it’s time to pay the infrastructure piper, and we get hit with the bill. Sure, it’s more complicated than that, and the wonks in the finance department are hollering, “Just think about all of the property tax revenue,” but so what? I’ve met with and know more than a handful of developers, most of whom I believe are genuine in their intentions to make a positive contribution to the city. Unfortunately, it seems the good ones are in a minority. We get the government — and the neighborhoods — we deserve. If we don’t participate in the process, what should we expect? When a developer goes before Metro Council for a public hearing on a Specific Plan rezoning and 10 people show up that sends a message. If 100 people show up and they’re organized and armed with the facts, that sends a MESSAGE. Sending 5,000 emails to a council member has a helluva lot of traction. It really isn’t all doom and gloom for 2015, because the power is there if we choose to use it. It takes a little bit more effort than posting displeasure on your Facebook page, however. It takes some form of proactive engagement, whether that takes the form of an email to your council member, attendance at a neighborhood meeting, familiarizing yourself with the basics of how the system works, or even something as simple as getting to know your neighbor. Or not. And if that’s the case, welcome to your neighborhood.

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EAST SIDE BUZZ

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ter of Taste. It is the sixth location for regional franchise The Local Taco, which features eclectic blends of flavors wrapped in a Tex-Mex setting. Smoked Brisket or Korean BBQ Taco? Can’t decide? Get ’em both Rudie’s Seafood, on the same plate. Sausage & Taproom Future Location of Next door, A Matter of Basement East Taste features a gluten-free menu with convenient Matters of Development takeout options and is open DID YOU HEAR? TURevery day for lunch. NIP Truck will be building a Rudie’s Seafood, Sausage 12,000-square-foot store at 7th & Taproom is now open at and Woodland. Slated to be 1402 McGavock Pk. and just open in the summer of 2015, announced late night hours the store will quadruple the Thursdays - Saturdays. size of their current space in Madeline is a new café/ East Nashville. It will feature laundry/bar across Ellington a roof-top dining area, and Parkway at 1224 Meridian add wine tastings and cooking St. Owner Mark Schottland classes. A café space will be was developing right in the center of the main his idea for a floor with plenty of seating for diners. No The Basement on Laundromat with word yet on what will become of their current 8th Avenue South. a bar and realized Grimes also owns space. there were no good Mike Grimes is coming back to East Nash- Grimey’s and used late-night dessert ville, this time with Basement East at 917 to own The Slow Bar at Five Points. places. He recalled two of his favorite spots Woodland in the building next to Edgefield There are two newly opened restaurants at he frequented during his time in Seattle and Sports Bar. This is a second location for 1100 Fatherland: The Local Taco and A Mat- combined them. Mark also owns Dogtopia, a Jan | Feb 2015

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EAST SIDE BUZZ

doggy-daycare on 8th Avenue. Mary Nell Sullivan is one of his coworkers who happens to live in Cleveland Park and pushed him to do the concept there. Madeline will be open 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. every day except Monday serving casual fare. Hang The Moon is a new consignment shop at 1108 Gallatin next to Hey Rooster. They sell men’s and women’s vintage and contemporary clothing and accessories, and housewares. Women’s clothing shop Vinnie Louise is now is open at 729 Porter Rd., near Pomodoro East. Jet’s Pizza is coming along, converting the

dry cleaning building in the Kroger parking lot. Jet’s is a national chain franchised locally. Take out or delivery. 721 Gallatin. The building that is home to Edgefield Sports Bar (921 Gallatin) is for sale. The lease is up this summer with an option for extension but there is no word yet what the future is for this site. Next door, the B&B Screen Print building is empty and for sale. Exit Realty has opened a new East Nashville office across the parking lot from Edley’s BBQ at 904 Main St. Connie Williams and Sheila Tidwell are the brokers and are excited to now have an office here.

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Today’s Fashion Mart next to The Dog Spot has closed and is being developed into several spaces by new owners Chad and Andy Baker. Pepperfire and Nomzilla are among the tenants that will be located in the new development. Also coming along is the new Paro development at 628 Main St. There will be a café/ restaurant in the downstairs space, with office space upstairs. The church across the street from The Post and Olive & Sinclair at 1700 Fatherland has sold. There are rumors swirling about it becoming a music venue or boutique hotel. Speaking of churches, according to The Tennessean, the Crystal Fountain Church of God in Christ at 10th and Russell, right behind Family Dollar, has been taken back by the mortgage holder to avoid foreclosure proceedings. There is a new mixed-use development in the works across the street called the Farrow at Five Points. Nearby at the southwest corner of 10th and Russell, the large empty lot that used to host the East Nashville Farmer’s Market is for sale. Jesse Hamilton, owner of the Hop Stop and Village Pub, purchased the building at Trinity Lane and Gallatin — former home of Logue’s Black Raven Emporium — and is currently looking for tenants.

EAST SIDE BUZZ

Over at the Shoppes on Fatherland, Two Feathers has changed its name to Rusty Rats. Recent closings: Boone and Sons, Watanabe, Studio Green Organic Salon, Worm’s Way, Logue’s Black Raven Emporium, Nashville Piano Rescue and Little Italy Pizza. —Eric Jans

Zoning, Zoning, Zoned

ZONING MATTERS DOMINATED EAST Nashvillians’ conversations in 2014. Neighbors frequently and passionately shared concerns about developments changing our neighborhoods, and not always for the better. Quite a few of those neighbors lent that passion to community efforts urging the Metro Council to pass zoning ordinances geared toward preserving our neighborhoods’ character. In addition to requesting Conservation Zoning Overlay expansions in Eastwood and Lockeland Springs in the last year, East Nashvillians participated heavily in letter-writing campaigns to help pass three

county-wide ordinances that were sponsored by District 3 Council Member Walter Hunt. BL2014-769: Accessory Dwelling Units, Detached broadened eligibility for “mother-in-law apartments,” BL2014-770: Two Family Dwellings signaled the end of the “umbilical-cord duplex” trend and eventually reached a compromise to limit “tall-skinny” duplexes, and BL2014-771: Contextual Overlay District created a new kind of Overlay that neighbors can apply if they want to limit new construction to be similar in height and lot coverage to the surrounding homes. But while attempts to shape or limit infill development grabbed the headlines in 2014, East Nashvillians also proved that yes, there are large developments that our neighbors will support. At the October 7 Metro Council public hearing, no less than four dense projects near the Gallatin Road corridor passed their public hearings. In Council District 5 (Scott Davis), a six-unit project at 1032 Maynor Ave.

Jan | Feb 2015

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EAST SIDE BUZZ

was approved that will bring new affordable units to the Maynor Place neighborhood. In Council District 7 (Anthony Davis), two projects in the 1100 block of Chester Avenue behind the Walgreens were approved with enthusiastic supporting comments from Chester Avenue residents. These include a multi-family project immediately behind the Walgreens and the 16-unit Woodland Grove cottage

development further east on the same block. Woodland Street Partners worked with the Chester Avenue neighbors to envision both projects to fit the context of that street. A few blocks north, a 130-unit condominium project on Litton Avenue near Gallatin passed its public hearing. Kline Swinney Associates had presented this project at a CCSI neighborhood meeting and received that community’s

THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM Jan | Feb 2015

approval earlier in the year. East Nashville neighborhoods also voiced support for two large projects on West Eastland near Gallatin. The proposed LIV East development project at 1034 West Eastland was previously covered in the September-October edition of The East Nashvillian. It will bring over 300 apartments plus some ground-level retail spaces and adjacent townhomes to the south side of West Eastland across from the Rite Aid parking lot, where a 65-unit apartment project with ground-level retail was also recently approved with neighborhood support. District 5 Council Member Scott Davis held at least six community meetings on the LIV East project and it ultimately passed its Council public hearing on December 2 with a letter of support from the Greenwood Neighbors organization and with representatives from three adjacent neighborhoods in attendance to support the project. What’s in store for 2015? One ordinance that will interest many East Nashvillians is BL2014-992, sponsored by Council Member Erica Gilmore (19), which seeks to address noise at construction sites in residential areas. The current Code limits allowable construction noise to not more than 70 dBA from construction equipment, including the transportation of materials to/ from the site, between the hours of 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. Gilmore’s ordinance would extend that “quiet time” to 7 a.m. Council Member Burkley Allen (18) continues to work on two ordinances that seek to amend Metro Codes to permit ShortTerm Rental Properties such as AirBnB as an approved accessory use in residential zoning areas (BL2014-909) with certain conditions pertaining to the number of rooms/guests, required hazard insurance, and other Codes requirements (BL2014-951). This legislation received passionate public comment at the November 4 Council public hearing with wide overlap between supporting and opposing testimony. As a general statement, the opposing testimony supported the intent of the ordinance, but offered suggestions for modifying the requirements, generally in the direction of relaxing them. Both companion ordinances appear to be close to passage at press time. The effort to balance preservation and development in East Nashville shows no sign of slowing down in 2015. On the preservation side, the Inglewood Neighborhood Association came one step closer to applying for a Conservation Zoning Overlay when late in 2014, the Metro Historical Commission received a state grant to pay for an expert to prepare an application for parts of Inglewood to be included in the National Register of His-

Jan | Feb 2015

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EAST SIDE BUZZ

torical Places. That work could begin as early as February and will continue through the summer. As part of the Conservation Zoning Overlay process, a survey of property owners will likely be conducted during the same time period. A Contextual Overlay proposal for Rolling Acres and parts of East east of Porter also is being discussed at press time. On the development side, two recent proposals are being considered near the Porter/ Eastland intersection. At the intersection of Porter and Tillman in Eastwood, a large apartment project named Heritage East has been proposed. Nearby, March Edgerton is meeting with Rolling Acres neighbors to discuss a proposed 25-unit cottage development on property he owns near the intersection of Eastland and Skyview that abuts the Shelby Golf Course. And at the Hobson Church site at Greenwood and Chapel in Eastwood, Edgefield resident Clay Haynes is working on a project named Greenwood Village that seeks to reuse the historic church buildings as commercial spaces while adding single-family detached livework units around the perimeter of the site. These are but a few of the exciting development projects sure to garner neighborhood attention in the early months of 2015. â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Brett Withers

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EAST SIDE BUZZ

A Buncha Rigamarole

THE PRE-“DUPLEX BILL” EYESORE pictured below, which has been honored with at least one stop work order that we know of, continues along its excrutiatingly slow path to completion, all the while maintaining a perpetually trashed landscape. There was a construction dumpster on site months ago, but its owners picked it up — dumping its contents in the yard as an apparent parting gift to the developer (or was it the builder? Who cares). Newsflash: As we go to press, the dumpster has reappeared! Meanwhile, the huge pile of dirt on the lower left of the Photograph #1 blocks a stormwater culvert, which is super cool, because when it

rains all the loose trash in the yard is washed onto the street, along with mud. The neighbors on either side of this wondrous, steaming pile of whatever should be awarded medals. Not for putting up with plumbers working at midnight to avoid the codes guys, nor for dealing with laborers making trails through their yards because the zero lot-line property doesn’t allow for access to the back; no, they

deserve medals for not burning the thing to ground. Anyway, this is the poster child for why residential developers have a bad name. Which sucks, because they’re really not all bad. It’s really easy to understand, and it goes like this: treating the residents in the area around your construction project with respect, keeping the site clean, keeping disrup-

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tions to a mininum, and communicating = Being neighborly.

Yippee! Um ... but wait, not yet.

PHOTOGRAPH # 2 IS OF A HOUSE everyone was thrilled to see go, just not so slowly. The razing begin a few days before Christmas, the crew ran into some snags. Understandable. Everything grinds to halt between Christmas and New Years Day. But we almost wish they would have waited, instead of leaving the neighborhood with a really nasty, half-torn down house for the holidays. â&#x20AC;&#x201D;The Editor

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Astute OBSERVATIONS James “Hags” Haggerty

Weekends were made for Michelob

reetings to you once again, dear readers of The East Nashvillian. As is customary each January, I have a resolution. I resolve to use this column to rail against whatever I see fit! That’s right. Unscrupulous, aesthetically atrocious real estate developers: check. Locust-like hipsters: check. Bogus banjo plinking: check. And now we face an insidious, perplexing, snuck-upon-us-when-we-weren’t-looking kind of problem. I can feel your concern mounting as I type. What is it? I must speak out! Craft beer. It’s a menace. Danger, Will Robinson! That’s right, readers. It’s beer with snob appeal, beer with status, beer with … notes? A man is not supposed to sip a beer and ask, “Is that oak, raspberry, a hint of clove?” Hell no! Notes are to be played, not discerned in a glass of beer with one’s palate! Craft beer is a buzzkill. It is harshing my mellow, twisting my melon. I want my beer brewed in a factory in St. Louis or Chicago or Milwaukee — in places so cold the only thing to do is drink beer while ice fishing. Beer is a blue-collar beverage. It does not have status. It’s for ball games and lawn mowing. It goes good with hot dogs and pizza. It is not for banquets (unless they have Coors). When I finish mowing my lawn in the middle of August, I want to sit on my porch and drink an ice-cold Bud, just like folks have done for generations. I want the Clydesdales to saunter down Riverwood Drive pulling that proud carriage and give me an approving snort as I swallow that cold beer as if to say, “We approve, man who works for a living.” Saunter on, proud beer horse. Weekends were made for Michelob. Schaefer is the one beer to have when you’re having more than

one. And if you want to get fancy: Tonight, let it be Löwenbräu. I’ve got a few slogans for you East Nashville craft brewers and bars. “Grab a growler; it’s flat in a moment!” “Crafted just for you, a hangover in every bottle!” “Drink our winter lager; you’ll swear you’re on acid!” “That’ll be $10! Have another? We just raised the price! You’re welcome!” When I go to a bar in my neighborhood, I want to be able to get an ice-cold can of fizzy American alcohol water for $3.50. I know it’s not tasty or complex. It doesn’t have notes or ironic graphics. It is not organic. It’s beer, and if it was good enough for my grandfather, it’s good enough for me. In fact, it’s not just good enough — it’s great. It’s not high alcohol. It’s the right amount of alcohol. It’s a beer. I want to have a few and not forget my address or break the bank. Now before I start a full-on Boston Tea Party-style beer revolution on the banks of The Cumberland, let me just say that I am a reasonable man, capable of good-willed compromise. Brew and serve your craft beer. Pat yourself on the back. Sniff approvingly at the complexity of your beverage. Spend mightily! Just give us the domestic, working-for-a-living Milwaukee gold in a can. If you simply cannot abide having the likes of a Miller Lite or Budweiser mingling in the same ice with your raspberry wheatcake amber lager, charge a corking fee! We heathens can pick up a sixer at the convenience store, pay the penalty for our ignorance, and happily coexist with the more informed imbibers. Can I get an amen, East Nashville? Cheers! Happy New Year!

Hags is a part-time bon vivant, man-about-town, and contributor to The East Nashvillian — and a full-time bass player. He spends his spare time on a quest to find the ever-elusive 6-pack of Löwenbräu in the beer isle at Kroger.

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Nashville Five: ANDREW COMBS

he first time we heard Andrew Combs’ “Too Stoned To Cry,” we had to see if it was a cover of some hidden Townes Van Zandt B-Side that never made it to vinyl. But then we realized that this could truly only be a track written in the here and now, by someone with a keen hand at describing the universal remedies to heal lost

love with a sharp modern tongue. This has been the inherent charm of the southern-folk singer’s catalogue; his songs fit the structure of traditional country tunes, with an au courant lyrical approach. Combs first came onto the scene in his early twenties, making the pilgrimage from Texas to Nashville, as so many of his idols — including Guy Clark and Van

Zandt — had done before. Combs has since made his home here, and will release his second LP, All These Dreams, March 3rd, which features a little help from local instrumental duo Steelism. To herald the occasion, we had Combs offer us five of his Nashville Favorites — though the real secret is that he’s one of ours, too. —Team L/S

MICKEY’S TAVERN This is by far my favorite bar and haunt. It’s also walking distance to my house, which is nice. Their motto is “no DJ’s, no bands, no karaoke, no trivia nights” - so basically just a bar, which is just what I like about it. Prices are good, there are darts, and it never quite gets too crowded. A place to have a conversation and drink a beer… whoddathunkit!?

THE INGLEWOOD KROGER I know it sounds funny, but I love this place. It sure beats the hell out of the Eastland Kroger and Piggy Wiggly. I spend many late nights or early mornings perusing the isles of this beloved grocery store. I can see the entrance from my front porch, so it’s an easy walk over to grab the necessities. My lady and I love the huge selection of different seltzer water and they always have LOAVES of Hawaiian bread (not just the rolls).

BAGEL FACE BAKERY

The best breakfast sandwich, in my opinion, comes from Bagel Face Bakery. They are made on the spot, so it takes a minute, but its well worth the wait. Hungover mornings are always cured with a Porter Road sausage, egg and cheese on an everything bagel. When I’m feeling frisky I go for the Leo - lox, eggs, and sautéed onions.

EDWIN WARNER PARK On the western fringe of the more popular Percy Warner Park, this little oasis is almost never populated by more than a handful of people. It has a sprawling meadow, picnic tables, and the Little Harpeth river running right through it. When I can’t find the time to get out of town to go fishing, I come here to get a line wet and catch some red eye bass. I might even bring a little cold adult beverage to enjoy afterwards in the shade.

MCKAY’S About once a month I make the trek to far west Nashville to spend a few hours here exploring the huge selection of used books, records, and movies. I always come away with some gems, without spending more than fifteen bucks or so.

Andrew Combs photograph by Melissa Madison Fuller

THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM | Feb 2015Nashville Five’s at lockelandspringsteen.com CheckJanout more

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Pleasure The

Principle

Photography by Chuck Allen

WELLNESS UNHINGED

BY SARAH HAYS

Jan | Feb 2015

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W hen I was a sophomore in college, I had a professor who, on the first day of school, took the class outside for a friendly game of tag. Home base was a large oak tree situated at the far corner of an open courtyard. I eyeballed it from beneath the steps of a nearby building. I skulked and schemed and, when I saw an opening, took off running: chest out, chin up, legs pumping like my life depended on it. I was going to make it home

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pretty much exactly that way. In particular, my relationship with my body was a never-ending series of tactics designed to “manage” my weight in one way or another. A low-frequency hum of weight loss ambition and inadequacy developed in the back of my mind. I would ruminate and then leap, hard and fast, usually ending up a few pounds heavier than where I started. I’m a personal trainer now, but the bulk of my work is not about sets and reps. It’s about helping my clients shape bodies that serve their lives and steering them away from the tired old trap of “no pain, no gain.” Everybody seems hell-bent on something or other … losing 20 pounds, squeezing into a wedding dress, or gaining the attention of an inattentive, prospective lover. We’re at battle, continually trying to command our bodies and

to have it fall away, replaced by another ill-fated plan or no plan at all. East Nashvillians have been told a time or two that we are a community of provocateurs, activists for our cause. We strive to live lightly in old houses with dirt basements and low-hanging eves. We want a good time. We want the freedom to pursue our work and build our families the way we see fit … friends, pets, lovers, kids and neighbors. There is no reason for that love of life and independence of spirit to fall away when it comes to our bodies. Bubbling up from under this cauldron of liveand-let-live is a feisty army of small business owners, healthcare renegades driven by a uniting principle that pursuing health should be a source of pleasure, not pain. When we enjoy our bodies more, we treat them differently. When we’re no longer in pain,

When we enjoy our bodies more, we treat them differently. When we’re no longer in pain, when strength multiplies, cravings subside and digestion runs smooth, life feels better.

untagged even if it took every ounce of strength I had. And I did, mission accomplished. When we got back to the classroom, the prof informed us that the game had been a ruse, a social experiment to expose the way we each approached our lives as a whole. Some of us sauntered carelessly out in open daylight; some dashed out recklessly, intent on being the first to make it home; others hung back until time was called, never making it at all, afraid to make a move. “Sarah, over here, clearly thinks too much,” he told the class, “and expends way too much energy trying to get where she’s going — probably out of a fear of failure.” I was enraged. Stupid, ex-hippy wash-up. What did he know anyway? It was manipulative perhaps, but also spot on. Ten years later, I looked around and realized that my entire young adult life had been expended in 30

minds into submission, but neither wants to cooperate. The weight remains, and so it goes. The way we’re pursuing health and fitness is backwards. Bodies are best when utilized, not conquered. Wellness — the only kind that matters, the only kind that sticks around — grows out of pleasure, passion. Anything we’re doing in the name of fitness that makes us resentful or bored is a waste of time. Wellness should feel good. Runners get off on running. Yogis get off on chaturanga. Most people who truly eat well and take care of their bodies — whatever weight they might be — get off on it someway-somehow. They don’t tend to despise every living, breathing moment of it. So maybe the rest of us should stop strong-arming ourselves into doing things we hate; falling in lock step with diets and fitness routines that make us miserable; vowing allegiance to the latest and greatest only

THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM Jan | Feb 2015

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when strength multiplies, cravings subside and digestion runs smooth, life feels better. And when life feels better, there’s no need to medicate with the customary crutches we use to prop ourselves up. Making healthy decisions becomes infinitely easier. This past fall I went in search of local resources for my clients — and for myself — and was astonished by the array of options I found, fresh modalities in addition to tried-and-true, older ones modified for a more holistic aim. These neighborhood businesses are making health and fitness accessible for anyone who wants them, no matter the size of our backsides or bank accounts. They are offering new ways to access and awaken our bodies. The resources are there. Looking and feeling better this coming year is a matter of changing what you’re going after, finding what works for you and doing more of it, as often as you can.

YUMMY in Your TUMMY

began my search for wellness at the chocolate shop. Before I can expect my clients to commit to any kind of fitness plan, I have to make sure they’re eating right, and in my humble opinion, eating right must include the holy grail of decadence, fine chocolate. We all know that OLIVE AND SINCLAIR has brought incredible bean-to-bar chocolate to our neighborhood along with the tranquilizing scent of roasting cacao beans on the open breeze, but I had heard tell of a one-woman chocolate maker at the Shoppes on Fatherland who specializes in single-serve treats adorned with intricate imagery. I stopped by CHOCOLATE FX unannounced and discovered Andrea Smith with the white sleeves of her chef ’s coat rolled up, intently bent over her work. She was too far-gone into her delicate chocolate-making ritual to communicate adequately with a regular human such as myself. She stumbled over her words, intriguingly awkward in her single-mindedness. The display cases were filled with tiny works of art, candy images of skulls and monsters with flavors like ghost pepper, but she showed a softer side too, sending me out the door with smooth raspberry dark chocolate and vanilla caramel. People such as this are the ones who can free us from the misery so often associated with the pursuit of weight loss. If we know everyday, during every small decision we make, that a shot of exquisite poison is waiting for us at the end of the day, lesser temptations shrink in comparison. A reliable, decadent ritual is the best way I know to reduce the heavy toll of countless mediocre substitutes. Around the corner from Chocolate FX, I spent some time at HIGH GARDEN TEA SHOP with owners Leah and Joel Larabell as we steeped in the aroma of hundreds of loose-leaf teas and herbal remedies. The sheer size of the selection might be overwhelming if not for the steady hand of the staff who are infinitely patient and willing to help with whatever ails you: from insomnia to nausea, immune support to burnedout vocal chords. These people are soul

soothers, at the ready with herbal remedies and a warm place to decompress. Across the street, AMOT offers an upscale, fully realized, gluten-free menu with beer and wine. As a celiac-sufferer, I can tell you that their arrival is something resembling nirvana for those of us with gluten intolerance. They assured me that their French toast should not be considered health food, but I beg to differ. If I can share a treat with my three-year-old son without a second thought and we find ourselves battling over the last few bites, it’s a win for his body and mine. Beyond that, the neighborhood has sprung two new juice bars, LYNNE LORRAINE’S and THE POST. We have THE WILD COW, KHAN’S BAKERY, and MY VEGGIE CHEF for vegan fare, ITALIA for vegan and gluten-free pizza, and countless locally-sourced, farm-to-table restaurants like LOCKELAND TABLE, SILLY GOOSE, EASTLAND CAFÉ, RUMOURS, MARGOT, HOLLAND HOUSE … and the list goes on. Outdoors, from May through October, we can go in search of sustenance and inspiration at the EAST NASHVILLE FARMER’S MARKET every Wednesday afternoon. At the center of it all is our beloved TURNIP TRUCK, which will be expanding this year to a new space on

Woodland and 7th Street. With four-times the square footage of their current home, they’ll make room for a deli, bakery, salad/hot food bar, a café, and a learning space for cooking classes. If you’re trying to lose weight, don’t be afraid of the food you love. If it’s real and whole and you’re not eating mindlessly, the food isn’t the problem. The issue is portion size. If you stop eating like it’s your last chance at happiness and know there are more yummies coming tomorrow, you’ll be a lot less likely to eat too much. Eat what you want… just less of it, and try not to get it out of a bag or a box. Consider making one new, healthy recipe per week, or if you’re not much of a cook, come stand with me outside the construction site that will be Turnip Truck’s new location. We can salivate as we wait for the hot bar to start steaming.

Lockeland Table (1) Lynne Lorraine’s (2) AMOT (3) Italia (4)

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PRANCERCISE

Once your body is well fed, move it. Find something you enjoy that involves moving from the desk chair or couch out the door. Stretch, lift, or prance. Try something new, and see if it feels good. If it doesn’t, don’t bother with it again, but keep searching for something else until you find the thing that does feel good. And then do more of that. There are options for joiners and loners alike, muscle-heads and walkers. I promise it feels better to move than to be static and stiff. Just figure out what you like. I go to KALI YUGA for yoga class once a week like religion. To be honest, I’m a little churchy about it. It’s one, uncompromising hour of my week that reliably makes me better. Everything stops. Beyond that, I lift weights here and there and haunt the walking trails of Shelby Park almost daily. It’s all I need. My own personal fitness is about feeling good, not killing myself. Clients come to me for personalized workouts that cater directly to their needs. My gym is a place they can come in the full glory of their own mess. Tears, laughter, muffin top, and flatulence … it’s all welcome in my little enclave, but that kind of focused, one-on-one environment doesn’t work for everybody. I wanted to find places they could go for a more communal experience, where they would feel welcome, no matter their size or physical challenges. When I met Anna Guest-Jelley, owner and founder of CURVY YOGA, I found a soul sister. She has created a “yogaverse” where every size and shape is not only welcomed but also celebrated. Her classes and teacher training reach far and wide online, filling a cavernous hole in the traditionally skinny-white-girl world of yoga, and this past September she opened her first brick and mortar location on 11th Street near Five Points. She is gentle, playful, and can teach you how to prevent “boob-strangle” while in down dog. Her playlist at the first class I attended included, among others: Otis Redding, Bob Dylan, Alanis Morissette, Pharrell Williams, Gillian Welsh, and Airstream (which I mistook for Enigma circa 1990). In her own words, “Happiness doesn’t have a size.” Go there for a totally non-threatening yoga experience. If, on the other hand, you prefer a dance party and are bored to tears of standard fitness classes, head up Porter Road to SERENITE, a

new exercise studio behind The Family Wash with three hybrid classes I had never heard of before. The first is a gentle hula hoop based class; the second focuses on balance and form, springing from the Barre tradition (but without the barre); the third marries hip-hop and yoga (what?!) for a high-intensity, low-impact workout. I haven’t experienced the classes for myself but am very curious to check them out. The first week of classes are free for the month of January. If you want to bulk up, hit GYM 5. If you want a challenge, CLIMB. If you want a family-friendly, all-in-one facility, sign up at MARGARET MADDOX YMCA or the extremely affordable EAST PARK COMMUNITY CENTER. If you want to pirouette or tippity tap, go to DANCE EAST. If you like to sweat, try HOT YOGA. If you’re a runner, chase down the EAST NASTIES. And if you walk or bike (try EASTSIDE CYCLES if you’re in a buying mood, and NASHVILLE B CYCLES are always handy in a pinch), well… we’re blessed to live in hilly neighborhoods from Inglewood to Lockeland Springs, dotted with adorable and historic homes, big and small, and SHELBY PARK is open to anybody with legs or wheels mobile enough to get there. The park is more welcoming every year with new paths and sculptures, baseball diamonds and open fields. It’s free and available for anybody in need of fresh air.

PHOTO BY EMILY GNETZ

f you’ve never had the pleasure of witnessing “prancercize,” please go to YouTube and look it up. It will make your day and open your mind to a new definition of “exercise.”

THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM Jan | Feb 2015

BACK to BASICS

nce upon a time, in order to get any kind of medical care, Eastsiders had to make their way over the river or go to a doc in the box at Walgreens or CVS. No more.

PHOTO COURTESY GYM5

minimal co-pay. Once a year, why not? When you’re done with that and need your meds or if you’re in search of supplements or a little free nutritional advice, RIVERSIDE VILLAGE PHARMACY can help you out. They’ll fill your prescriptions and have them delivered to your front door for free. You can even have old scripts transferred from another pharmacy with a simple phone call. Amanda Gilbert is their in-house nutritionist/social media maven. She’s available to talk with you about your diet or what supplements may or may not be helpful. They also have bulk, organic body products (cheaper, less plastic) and winter gloves with rubber fingertips so you can cruise your smart phone in the cold. It’s easy access: pills, prevention, and primping. What’s not to like?

Dr. Rozmond Lewis, MD and Mimi Gerber, FNP opened EAST NASHVILLE FAMILY MEDICINE last year across the street from East Park. It’s a full-service, community-based clinic that provides primary care for whole families: newborns to grandparents. They’re open seven days a week and have a nutritionist, psychologist, exercise physiologist, and doula on-site. Appointments are best, but Mimi takes drop-in patients as well. In Inglewood at Riverside Village, COLE FAMILY PRACTICE EAST offers similar primary care services plus certified Nurse-Midwives and full prenatal care. There is no physician on staff and they don’t take walk-ins, but the nurse practitioners can handle most basic care needs. It’s a trip to the doctor. Not glamorous, but also not a bad idea to have an on-going relationship with a caretaker who knows you and your issues. Now that we’ve all survived the mind-numbing process of open enrollment for health insurance, what do you say we go use it? Preventative Margaret Maddox YMCA (1) Nashville B Cycles (2) annual exams are free under all Curvy Yoga (3) Marketplace plans, and most priKali Yuga Yoga (4) vate plans are free or require just a

GYM 5 (5) Serenite (6) Riverside Village Pharmacy (7)

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FREE Your CHI

he last group of practitioners I visited was the most intriguing of the bunch.

I was a little queasy heading into EAST NASHVILLE COMMUNITY ACUPUNCTURE. The whole needle thing didn’t sit well with me. I tried it years ago with students at an acupuncture school in New York City. Let’s just say acupuncture-in-training is maybe not the best plan. I stayed away from it for a long time, but over the past ten years, the more I witnessed and experienced the profound impact of massage and Reiki, the more curious I became about acupuncture. If you don’t believe your energy needs balancing, consider that nerves, muscles, and connective tissues run throughout your body, and acupuncture is a way to stimulate them to help them work together more effectively. If you have a nagging issue that western medicine can’t seem to fix, acupuncture might help. ENCA is a community-based model. You pay what you can from $15-35 per visit. The first time, they meet with you in private to discuss any difficulties you might have from digestion to back pain to thyroid imbalance. After that, they tuck you into a snuggly recliner in a large, dark room with vibey, peaceful tunes and a bunch of other people lost in their own, private dreams. Most fall asleep, and you can stay for as little as thirty minutes or as long as you like. Best of all, there are a bunch of old folks drinking free tea in the waiting room, having social hour with their acupuncture. Apparently, the word has gotten out to the older and wiser among us that this ancient technique can heal what ails you. As Jolie Holland wrote in her song, “Old Fashioned Morphine,” “If it’s good enough for my Grandpa, it’s good enough for me.” If the community thing freaks you out and you prefer a more intimate acupuncture experience, go see KAREN CRAVEN in Riverside

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Village. Her private treatments are more expensive than ENCA, but the personalized attention you get may be well worth it. Both methods are valuable in their own ways. Karen is wide open, knowledgeable, simultaneously non-judgmental and fearlessly honest about what she sees when she looks at you. Her clinic is beautiful and calming, and she takes whatever time is needed to get to know her patients. She specializes in allergy and pain elimination and knows first hand the difference it can make. As Karen puts it, this is her “second half of life career” which she came to after being treated with acupuncture and overcoming life-long, debilitating food allergies. She also uses herbal medicine, cupping, and NAET allergy treatments. I could have talked with her all day. Massage is the last, most obvious, and most enjoyable treatment available. Sometimes we just need to let somebody else have a go at our bodies. Massage may cost a pretty penny, but it matters. If you can swing it, it’s worth every dime. GRETCHEN RAUB GRAGG, LMT is upstairs waiting for you at Curvy Yoga. TYRUS ARTHUR, LMT is on Fatherland and 11th, KATHLEEN CAMPBELL-SMITH, LMT is on Porter Road at MASSAGE EAST, JILLIAN REED in on Gartland at MUSIC CITY HEALING ARTS and ISAAC GUNN, LMT will come to your house and carry your troubles away. Once a month if you can, or even once a year, let them move some fresh blood through your muscles and ease your pain. Make it a ritual. Give yourself an excuse. Do it for your birthday. Our bodies and minds can’t be separated. They work in tandem. When I’m feeling a little nuts, the worst thing I can do is get in my head about it. It’s better to change my physical alignment, take action from the outside in. If I can relocate my body; move it, poke or prod it along somehow; get a little sunshine and air, things get better.

Sarah Hays is a certified personal trainer, nutrition and wellness coach, and prenatal fitness specialist. She kinda likes to exercise, kinda not, and loves all things sugared, salted, fried, or dipped in dark chocolate. Sarah is currently working on two books and can be found at www.strengthoutsidein.com, strengthoutsidein.blogspot.com, or on twitter @strengthoutside. She lives and trains near 5 Points in East Nashville.

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Pain and heaviness don’t have to be the status quo.

o this year, instead of making feeble resolutions, what if we spend the winter soothing our minds, easing our pain, and dragging our friends along with us? What if, simply, we do more things we enjoy that also happen to nourish us or somebody else? Pain and heaviness don’t have to be the status quo. They happen, of

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course, but why not do everything in our power to be pain-free and light on our feet more often than not? This community has stepped up to offer every resource we might need. Food doesn’t have to be a battleground, and exercise doesn’t have to hurt. Go in search of pleasure over pain. Start wherever you can, however you can — but start somewhere and keep going.

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THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM

Artist in Profile

Anthony Guerriero STORY BY ELLEN MALLERNEE BARNES

nthony Guerriero is not sure he wants this story to be written. His disinterest in publicity is what led him to delete his website several years ago, so that now when you Google “Anthony Guerriero,” you won’t find a damn thing.

Even though the nearly 50-year-old artist and musician has spent much of his life in the smoky spotlight of Nashville’s music and art scene, he’s less concerned about having an audience these days. Even at the stone house in Inglewood where he’s lived since ’98, he doesn’t particularly enjoy having more than one friend over at a time to play music. There you will find his “Volcano Room” — a dining room turned soundproofed music-making refuge — so-called because, he says, “It’s where tone erupts.” He doesn’t play in public often, but when he does, he busks outside The Parthenon, where he wears a leather mask and goes by the name King GoGo. Surrounded by a few of his paintings, he sits on some Moroccan rugs, playing a resonator guitar. “I like to be on display, but the way I want to do it,” Guerriero says. “I went underground real heavy because I was tired of it all — tired of art shows, tired of playing shows, tired of all the Nashville handshaking stuff.”

PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHUCK ALLEN

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Guerriero can often be found painting in the bed of his 1970 Dodge D Rat Rod

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Artist in Profile

ne of Guerriero’s earliest memories is from age 4, when he secretly painted a mural of Where the Wild Things Are in his closet; it was the closest to ecstasy he’d ever come. His first time on stage was in elementary school, when he was the only boy in a Denver Civic Ballet production of The Nutcracker. He moved to Nashville from Colorado in 1985, attended Belmont for a few years and lived with his grandparents — music business veterans who ensured that part of his youth was spent at the homes of the best of the best old-time country music guys. His entry into the music scene coincided with a management position at a long since closed Bellevue health club. By day, he ran the place; by night, he played with his heavy metal band in the aerobics room and made use of the hot tub and pool for after-hours parties. Then came his 14-year stint at 12th & Porter, during which he waited tables, tended bar, painted nude portraits of most of the waitresses, and played in hard rock bands Rockfish and Horse.

“ I’m behind the mask, and I’m anybody they want me to be.

—Guerriero on King GoGo “In the ’90s I dressed outrageous,” Guerriero says. “I had long hair, and I’d wear makeup and paint my nails up and wear sandals and a robe and walk around with claw necklaces.” During that time, painting commissions were coming hard and fast, and he sold everything from Southwestern dreamscapes to pet portraits, even pairing with his nephew and his daughter to create and sell art. His inspiration hasn’t waned. “Lately I’ve been doing these Dolly Ramas — is what I call them — with dolls,” he says, and holds up a framed canvas mounted with doll parts slathered in gold paint.

n 2004, a month-long trip to Morocco inspired both Guerriero’s music and a new direction in his life. Not long after he returned to Nashville with a head full of new rhythms, he met his now-fiancée, Caliente, whom he refers to as his “muse.” Together they formed a two-piece band Mono Amor, but only after Guerriero encouraged her to play drums. “I saw her dancing one night,” he says, voice heavy with awe. “I was playing bass with this funk band, and she cleared the room dancing, moving her arms and legs around. I said, ‘It looks just like you’re drumming.’ She was a natural.” The two have yet to play outside of the Volcano Room. In 2009, Guerriero released an album on vinyl under the name The Dollections — one of many CON TI N U E D ON PAGE 8 6

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King GoGo Keeper of the Flame

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ENO & 20

(East Nashvillians

Brett Withers

CITIZEN:

or the second year in row, the winners of the Historic East Nashville Mechants Association’s East Nashvillians of the Year awards are known for their work in development — albeit for much different reasons. Through his indefatigable efforts championing neighorhoods, coupled with an encyclopedic knowledge of Metro’s planning and zoning ordinances, Brett Withers leads by example, demonstrating that active, sustained participation and civilized dialogue are the quintessential elements to maintaining the continuity of residential neighborhoods during this period of explosive growth throughout the Nashville area. We congratulate Brett Withers as the 2014 recepient of the Citizen award for East Nashvillian of the Year.

(Previous 2008

Business: Dan Heller/Riverside Village Citizen: Carol Norton

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2009

Business: Meg and Bret MacFadyen/ Art and Invention Gallery Citizen: Bob Acuff

2010

Business: Alan Murdock/ ArtHouse Gardens Citizen: Catherine McTamaney

OTY & 14

of the Year)

Powell

BUSINESS: Architecture + Building Studio

o say the 2014 recepient of the Business award for East Nashvillian of the Year, Powell Architecture + Building Studio, has had a major impact on the look and feel of commercial development in the East Nashville area is probably an understatement. Like putting a genii in a bottle, the design|build studio has an uncanny knack for capturing the neighborhood spirit in brick and mortar (and various and a sudry other materials). Their work speaks for itself, but if affirmation is needed one needs to look no further than crowds frequenting the Wild Cow, Five Points Pizza, or Ugly Mugs. Under the guiding hand of Steve Powell, the studio strives to be a good steward of the vibe that makes East Nashville such a popular place to live and visit.Our hatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s off to you, and congratulations!

Winners) 2011

Business: Green Wagon Citizen: Eric Jans

2012

Business: The East Nashvillian magazine Citizen: Elizabeth Chauncey

2013

Business: March Egerton Citizen: Carol Williams

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Citizen

BRETT WITHERS By Theresa Laurence

n a chilly December night, Brett Withers stands in front of the last Eastwood Neighbors meeting of the year, his last as president of the neighborhood association. “It’s time for this benevolent dictatorship to come to an end,” he joked, noting that he had served as president for five years, exceeding the technical term limit of the position by two years. Not that anyone at the meeting was complaining. Instead, the two dozen or so neighbors present gave Withers a round of applause and thanked him for his service.

His vast knowledge of neighborhood zoning issues and willingness to share that with others has been invaluable, she says. “He really only has the best interests of the neighborhood as a whole in mind.” After the Lockeland overlay was completed, Withers worked with crosstown neighbors and Metro Council members to get a countywide “duplex bill” and a new Contextual Overlay bill passed. “He’s like the Energizer bunny of the neighborhood,” says Cliff Lippard, recently elected to succeed Withers as president of Eastwood Neighbors. As vice president of the neigh-

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personal interest and a hobby,” says Withers, who works as an assistant to the president of a private transportation company. The overlay process, Withers says, “was very much a uniting experience for the neighborhood.” There was a high level of engagement and good turnout at community meetings, and of course, many virtual discussions over the East Nashville listserv. “What I’m most proud of is that there was so much participation among neighbors who talked to each other, knocked on doors and canvassed,” he says. “There are so many people who are passionate, involved and who care

There are so many people who are passionate, involved, and who care about this neighborhood. For the past five years, and during 2014 in particular, Withers has provided invaluable leadership to Eastwood Neighbors, and all of East Nashville, as it adjusts to the growing pains of rapid redevelopment. Where some people might see a problem, sigh, and say, “Oh well,” Withers is the guy who is already figuring out the solution. Deeply concerned about protecting the historic character of the neighborhood, and dismayed by the recent spate of poorly designed tall-skinny umbilical-cord duplexes crammed on postage-sized lots, he decided to do something about it. First, Withers guided the effort to expand the Conservation Zoning Overlay District in Eastwood Neighbors, and then he worked closely with Lockeland Springs to expand theirs. “Brett taught me how to understand zoning,” says Elizabeth Smith, president of the Lockeland Springs Neighborhood Association. 44

borhood association last year, Lippard worked closely with Withers on the overlay efforts and attributes the campaign’s success to Withers’ “slow, deliberate approach.” “He has just dedicated himself to this cause,” says Carol Norton, a friend and fellow neighborhood activist who was one of many people who nominated Withers for the 2014 East Nashvillian of the Year honor. “He helped organize neighbors and was out in the cold, dreary weather during the holidays last year, knocking on doors and explaining conservation zoning to his neighbors.” It’s not a task every neighborhood leader would be up for, but Withers embraced the cause with a true activist spirit, pounding the pavement, maps and surveys in hand, ready to answer all kinds of architectural and zoning questions. “My dream job would be to be an urban planner, but for now I’m glad to do it as a

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about this neighborhood. “Even if people were not in favor of it, they went along with the majority opinion” of their immediate neighbors regarding the overlay, Withers says. If there was enough opposition on certain blocks, they were simply left out of the coverage. Withers “made sure that people really wanted to be in the overlay; he was not dragging people into it,” Lippard says. On the front end of the overlay efforts, Withers insisted there would be only one survey circulated. “I didn’t want to create an atmosphere of competition,” he says. He is proud that the tone of the debate remained civil and “we avoided the split that has happened in other neighborhoods” regarding zoning issues. Even though Eastwood Neighbors successfully passed an extension of its conservation overlay, that will not magically stop all the “tall skinnies” from being constructed. “The

Photograph by Chuck Allen

Andrew Dougherty (left) looks on as his father Joe pulls a roast of African Smoke beans from Bean Centralâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Sivetz Jan | Feb 2015

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M D

. C O N N A S

brunch

M D

week

end Now open @

9AM 2-for-1 mimosas & build your own bloody mary bar

1313 Woodland St 615.226.1617 46

non-conforming structures just moved across the line” from where the overlay boundaries were drawn, Withers says. Within the Conservation Zoning Overlay District, structures that are determined to qualify as “contributing to the historic character of the district” cannot be demolished in most cases, and significant alterations to the exterior of the buildings are reviewed by the Metro Historic Zoning Commissioners to ensure compliance with design guidelines. The conservation overlay expansion passed last spring helped Eastwood Neighbors ensure that the most characteristic structures can be renovated but not demolished, and helped to ensure that the remaining one-third of the structures in the district can be redeveloped, but must meet the design guidelines for the area. This year’s overlay expansion included approximately 450 properties in four areas, bringing the total district coverage area up to about 900 properties in the general area from Gallatin to Porter and Eastland up to Douglas or Greenwood. In order to offer some protection to parts of the neighborhood such as Rosebank and Rolling Acres that do not qualify for historic or conservation overlay coverage, Withers worked with neighborhood leaders from Whites Creek to Green Hills, the Metro Planning Department staff and Council Member Walter Hunt to craft a contextual overlay bill which passed this summer. This new overlay tool, available to neighborhoods throughout Davidson County, allows residents to have some control over the size of new structures going up on their block. “It doesn’t protect buildings, but it limits the size of new ones,” Withers says. “The main thing is it stops them from being really tall.” This kind of an overlay does not prevent demolitions or require design reviews, but it does limit the size of new construction homes or additions to existing homes to be no more than 125 to 150 percent larger than the average of the four neighboring properties. “It was a battle getting it passed,” Withers says. “The development community fought very fiercely.” Withers also butted heads with developers when he rallied the neighborhood in support of the so-called “duplex bill” that was resoundingly passed by the Metro Council in September. The bill removes the “umbilical cord” that was previously required between two units, and limits the height to no more than twice the width of the structures. “Overlays are somewhat controversial over property rights issues. But I don’t know of a single homeowner who is constructing duplexes,” Withers wrote on the listserv in August, one of his many online zoning updates that neighbors came to rely on. Withers’ ability to get information out to neighbors in a way they could understand it was key, Norton says, as he was able to translate

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technical and confusing language into something palatable to residents. “He spent an enormous amount of time sorting through all of this and outshone everyone in that regard,” she says. “Keeping East Nashville so well informed made a really big difference” in neighbor engagement and, ultimately, the success of the overlays and duplex bill passing, she says. Withers is proud of the regulations that have been passed during 2014 to help protect the character of historic neighborhoods in East Nashville and beyond, but, he says, “It’s best to put these things in place before crazy things happen, otherwise you’re working to undo past mistakes.” Norton, who has lived in Edgefield since the mid-1970s, says, “Some of us who have been around for decades fighting the good fight got complacent. It took some of our newer neighbors to jump in and fight to keep what’s good about East Nashville. It’s really good to see folks banding together to protect the neighborhood again.” During the seven years he has lived in the neighborhood, Withers has witnessed “the pace of development accelerate so quickly” that it was initially difficult to get a handle on what could be done before “crazy things” happened. “My first year as president of Eastwood Neighbors, our biggest problem was crime,” he says. “We cleaned that up and then architectural crime started happening.” With the rapid redevelopment of the neighborhood and the sharp increase of housing stock prices, East Nashville still needs to get a handle on how to encourage more affordable housing. “There are a lot of people who can’t afford to buy or rent a house for $1,600 a month,” Withers says. “There seems to be a real aversion to apartments,” but maybe more are needed to accommodate single people, traveling musicians, those who work in restaurants and don’t need 2,000-square-foot, $400,000 homes. “We haven’t solved the problem of people getting priced out of the neighborhood,” Withers says. During his tenure as president, Withers has gotten a crash course in zoning laws and mediating differences between neighbors and developers. He has spent countless hours poring over zoning and building codes information, attending public hearings, and relaying that information back to others. “I definitely do not have a personal life,” he jokes. But Withers adds that the work he has done over the past year “has been personally rewarding, and I think we’ve accomplished a lot.” It may seem like a thankless job at times, and of course, it’s not even a paid job, but one that Withers does because he cares deeply about his community. “He really embodies the spirit of East Nashville,” says Norton. “Brett is one of those selfless individuals that it’s kind of rare to find these days,” Smith says.

The Powell crew (l-r): Steve Powell Manley Seale Marc Dail Luke Tidwell Katie Vance Sharon Powell

Business

POWELL Architecture + Building Studio

hen Steve Powell walks into a building, he may know his clients’ goals, tastes and ideas, but the voice he hears comes from the building itself. “I’m looking for clues,” Powell says. “What does the building tell me about what it

By Randy Fox

wants to be? What’s the character? Are there unique design features or materials? I really work off that. How can I tap into the spirit, character and zeitgeist of that building? You have to go in with an open mind, instead of preconceived ideas.”

Powell’s ability and willingness to approach each project as a unique entity with an eye for both preservation of existing character and practical renovation has made his firm, Powell Architecture + Building Studio, one of the stars of East Nashville’s rejuvenation.

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Through their creative redesign of existing structures and neighborhood-friendly new construction, Powell has played a hand in creating such landmarks as East Side Smiles, No. 308, Five Points Pizza, The Crying Wolf, Walden on Eastland (The Wild Cow, Jeni’s East Nashville, The Silly Goose, Ugly Mugs Coffee & Tea, Two Ten Jack) and the old Fluffo Mattress Factory on Main Street (Fat Bottom Brewery, The Filling Station East, Exit Realty, Hot Yoga of East Nashville, and Scout’s Barbershop). A native of Boston and a graduate of Georgia Tech, Powell moved to Nashville in 1988 and worked for various architectural firms, primarily designing high-tech medical facilities. “I designed a lot of medical facilities all over the United States,” Powell says, “but at a certain point you want to get closer to home. I wanted to do things more unique. With the medical work you couldn’t do a lot of creative stuff. [Starting my own firm] was my chance to do unusual projects and have a creative outlet.” Establishing the firm as Powell Design Studio in 2007, Powell first set up his office in Marathon Village. After a year, he made the jump across the river to a clapboard Victorian house at 10th Street and Shelby Avenue. “We were still in Marathon when we started working with March Egerton on the Walden project,” Powell says. “We were looking to relocate, and East Nashville had the vibe and the opportunity we wanted.” The multistage Walden project is an example of Powell designing new construction that integrated with the existing neighborhood. “I’m proud of Walden because it helped create a core,” Powell says. “We tried to set a tone, quality and character for East Nashville — to work on [the neighborhood’s] original strength, so we don’t look like we’re in filling it with Brentwood strip malls or apartment

buildings.” Although the mixed-use new construction of Walden was one of Powell’s first designs for the East Side, the firm has truly made its mark in the rehabilitation of existing buildings. “I would much rather take an existing building and renovate,” Powell says. “A lot of the projects we’ve done in East Nashville have been renovating and building out old buildings — the nastier the build, the better. One of the first was the 308 Bar. It definitely fell under the category of old, nasty building. There was shag carpet glued to the walls that had been there since the ’70s.” After establishing themselves as premier designers and architects, it eventually made sense for Powell to expand into contracting. As one of the few firms in the state of Tennessee licensed for both design and construction, Powell Architecture + Building Studio is able to see projects through from initial concept to completion. “I like to say that we’re architects that build, not contractors that do blueprints,” Powell says. The company recently moved their offices into a newly renovated space in the old Fluffo Mattress Factory on Main. Their simple but appealing and functional office space features several Powell design hallmarks, including the prominent use of recycled wood from previous projects. The company currently employs seven people, including Sharon Powell, Steve’s wife, who joined the firm in 2012 as office manager, and architect Manley Seale, who became a full partner in January 2014. Rounding out the office staff is Juno, Powell’s friendly and curious black greyhound, a retired racing dog who has happily adjusted to her “renovated” life as the official office greeter. “We don’t have a house style,” Powell says, “but we do have a consistent theme in a lot of our projects. We reuse, recycle and work with

the building, but if you look at the projects, they’re completely different. The Walden project, the 308 bar, The Crying Wolf or Five Points Pizza — they all look different, they have different needs, they’re in different buildings and the clients have different visions of what they’re trying to communicate.” Those similarities and differences make it difficult for Powell to single out one project as his favorite. “We’re proud of all our projects because they’re all different,” he says. “I’m proud of being able to play a part in what is happening in East Nashville as a whole. When our offices were still at 10th and Shelby, I would walk Juno over to 5 Points and back, and we would pass four of our projects.” With the accelerated pace of redevelopment that has hit Nashville recently, Powell acknowledges the challenges that beloved neighborhoods are now facing and the responsibilities he has as a hometown architect and builder. “There are a lot of market forces at work here,” he says. “There are a lot of big boys from other cities and they want to tap into East Nashville and profit from what we have here. So we could be hijacked if we’re not careful.” While the challenges are great, Powell is still a believer in the spirit of the East Side. “I’m optimistic about the future because there are so many folks here that are aware of the character and attributes of East Nashville,” Powell says. “The delicate thing is how we maintain that character, diversity and uniqueness so we don’t become a homogeneous Atlanta-Buckhead neighborhood. I think it will require folks coming together that have that vision and commitment. As soon as you get on this side of the river, you can taste it over here. That’s going to be our struggle: How do we grow but still keep that feeling?”

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Turquoise The

On a musical odyssey Story by Chuck Allen

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Blues Blues with The Lower Caves Photography by Eric England

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N Aaron

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Jon

othing quite beats a good, old-fashioned odyssey. Maybe that’s part of the allure of being in a rock band: Embarking upon a journey, destination unknown. Whether it’s writing a song, going on tour, or, as in the case of The Lower Caves, making a record, things never go according to plan. Lines on a map don’t always reveal the hidden dangers of the landscape, much less the true character of its inhabitants. When Jonathan Williams, Aaron Ahlstrom, Jon Shearer, and Sean Savacool decided to make a record together, they couldn’t have imagined at the time that it would be a three-year process. But that’s what makes an odyssey interesting; you might find the throne at the end of the road, or the Cyclops could thwart you. Of course, ignoring the harpies’ call is all in a day’s work. “We decided, ‘Ok, we’re making this record ourselves.’ So we made this record. It’s called Turquoise Blues, and we decided to not work with a producer. We thought we were the best people ever at making things ever,” says Ahlstrom, who sings and plays guitar. That’s usually how strange trips begin, especially when the trip is about recording an album. Too much thought projection would probably result in no records ever being made ever. “We had this wonderful, successful Kickstarter campaign that paid for the album, and we figured, well, this is our opportunity to do exactly what we want,” he continues. “We don’t have to worry about any business types [being] like, oh you guys need more ‘Anytime’ songs [the album’s obvious single, and the song for which the band made the first video for Turquoise Blues] or you need less whatever, and so that’s what we decided to do. Obviously, I think at some point someone came up with a sad analogy — that, also, we were kind of set, it was almost like letting cats out into an open field. There was no, like, fence.” So, was there any adult supervision? “No, it was just like a bunch of bearded grown ups in a ball pit in a Burger King somewhere with no manager to kick you out.” Sounds like fun. But so much for the harpies calling from within, unwittingly unleashed by choices made or roads not taken. How about those beguiling voices calling from without? Those are the ones that test the mettle of intrepid travelers. “Anyway, we decided to make this record with a friend of ours who was starting up a studio over in 5 Points in East Nashville,” says Ahlstrom, who besides being the singer is also the band’s resident raconteur. “It’s no longer there, and unfortunately we just ran into a lot of problems along the way. To just be really transparent, you know, at the same time we were discovering a lot of our process, he was discovering a lot of his process. And there were all kind[s] of, you know, things along the way that we kind of didn’t agree on. Or we’d stumble into a scenario of YouTube videos we did not want to watch. “[Our friend] was an awesome guy, but in that environment not only were we the cats loose in the field somewhere but, I don’t know, what analogy could he be? Like the paper bag blowing in the wind that we were chasing the whole time.” “That’s it,” Williams, the band’s drummer, exclaims. “So, there was all kind of discoveries, and not all of them were lovely. You know?” Ahlstrom continues. “Like, even in the recording process there were times when its like, ‘Aw that recording didn’t sound so great,’ — for him, too, because he was starting a studio. So, I mean, we were his guinea pigs in a lot of ways. We’re a lot of animals in this story.” Using animals as a metaphor for rock musicians has a long and illustrious precedence. The thing is, these guys are incredibly laid back, and they have a disarming, self-effacing wit. Hedonistic-rockstar-animal behavior was never exhibited during the interview.

“

ll four grew up in Nashville, and their tastes in music were similar long before they met one another. As bassist Sean Savacool explains: “Early on, when I was a kid I was totally subject to whatever my dad played. My dad’s a bass player, and he was really big into the prog rock scene as a musician [during the] ’70s and going into the ’80s. He was always listening to Rush, Yes — all that sort of stuff. But then he also listened to a lot of Jackson 5, The Beatles, Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, and that was always the bass plane I gravitated towards. I loved the way Roger Waters played his and Paul McCartney played and John Paul Jones. That was always in my musical memory when I was trying to be a bass player later on.”

“

My dad let me discover Zep and The Stones on my own, which I think is a really good parenting idea.

Sean

— Aaron Ahlstrom

Long after the pyrotechnics, the groupies, and the excesses are gone, the music made by earlier generations of rock musicians still holds up. What’s more, a new generation is experiencing rock ‘n’ roll with fresh eyes and ears, unencumbered by the glitz and glamour surrounding days gone by. Sure, there’s still the intrigue, but when Pink Floyd’s music, for example, is first heard outside of the context of the times, it’s the same … but different. In a way, it’s more about the music. “Going into my teens, … I was a big fan of Rage Against The Machine, Metallica, Pantera — hard rock stuff,” says Savacool. “But before the early ’90s, I remember being a kid listening to the radio.

Jonathan

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I remember Radiohead’s ‘Creep’ when that was a new thing. I remember that being awesome, and I remember digging Nirvana and Pearl Jam. I’ve always liked rock ‘n’ roll.” Williams also followed in his father’s footsteps. “I was a little bit of a late bloomer when it came to listening to a bunch of stuff,” he says. “I grew up remembering my dad playing, … I see him like once a year, and I’m like, ‘Fuck! I thought I was good,’ I turned like 17 or 18 somewhere around there, that was about the point where I decided I wanted to play drums. I had been in drum lines and played some music here and there, but never made that hard choice, you know. He was like, you need to go upstairs and learn ‘Cissy Strut’ by The Meters. You need to just play it. It was 54

about the feel and all that stuff. And a buddy of his, a bass player, Steve Mackey, was like, you need to go listen to D’Angelo ‘Chicken Grease.’ To this day, The Meters and D’Angelo, that’s some of my all time favorite drum sounds, feel, everything.” Jon Shearer, who handles guitar and keyboards, also found his way to the heavier side of rock. “So probably the first records that were an on for me — Pearl Jam’s 10 and Soundgarden’s Super Unknown,” he says. “Those two for sure kind of stuck with me. I grew up in a little stricter family environment, where I kind of fought for listening to anything that was outside of the guys of like — like classic rock was safe, old stuff was safe. I remember listening to Crosby, Stills & Nash records when

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“

I was a kid, but that was the extent of it. My dad would sneak in Zeppelin or The Who now and then.” Landing in the midst of all these memories and self-reflection is this quasi-psychoanalysis: Shearer: “Anytime I would learn a guitar solo or part he [Dad] would parade me in front of his friends.” Ahlstrom: “So you’re like the precursor to Honey Boo Boo.” Shearer: (Laughs) “Yeah. Basically.” Ahlstrom: “You got to talk to your dad about that shit.” “I had a lot of Beatles,” Ahlstrom says. “That stuff he [my dad] introduced me to. He grew up in Texas, so he could play every ZZ Top solo along with a lot of other things and Yes’

‘Mood For A Day.’ He’d play all that on guitar. That is kind of what clued me in — like, I want to play guitar. I still can’t play all of that song. So he introduced me to all of that. My mom grew up in South Louisiana, so Saturdays with her sisters dancing to Soul Train on TV … Beatles and Marvin Gaye were kind of like the meeting point. I wasn’t subjected to too much else.”

in vans and being in a van all the time and being sleep deprived — doing all that stuff,” Savacool says. “It all comes together when someone is sitting there, and they get to hear what you do. As a band and as friends you do that as a whole, so it’s not an individual thing you do. We actually have made something together of our own individual talents and made something in and of itself. Like, I can’t do a Lower Caves song

“

For me, my thing I truly do love is that connection with people. Interaction. I love playing a live show. It all comes together when someone is sitting there and they get to hear what you do.

Friday, February 6

Sunday, February 8

Thu, Feb 12 & Fri, Feb 13

with JERRY

DOUGLAS (2/12) and PARKER MILLSAP (2/13)

Friday, February 27

Saturday, February 28

— Sean Savacool

The commonality of their backgrounds provided a starting point when they joined forces as a band. Having a musical language in common is important; otherwise, it would be like two painters trying to discuss the color of the sky without the word “blue.” The results of their collaboration have yielded a sound that’s all their own. Both textural and melodic, with strong dynamics and a unique atmosphere, The Lower Caves’ Turquoise Blues is a musical journey that reflects the temporal journey they made during it’s making.

s for immediate plans, The Lower Caves look forward to playing live. But are they willing to pile in a van and leave it all behind? “Yes — for all of us, I would imagine,” says Williams. “Yes,” Shearer adds. “It’s been kind of the idea.” “I know that being on the road and sleeping

Thursday, March 5

by myself, that’s not going to be it. It has to be everyone else. “So now it’s more than myself. I’m up there, and it’s a bigger thing. It’s greater than I am, so I love being a part of that and selling that. I love entertaining and being an entertainer. So for me, it’s about the actual show I play. I could care less about a shirt, color, the way it looks or what the album looks like. I just want to play my bass and entertain people, so if I get to do that on the road, then hell, yeah.” So as the “Making Turquoise Blues” chapter comes to a close, a new chapter begins, and, like the first odyssey, no one knows how it will end. There will be harpies along the way, beckoning them to cast their dreams upon the rocks, and they’ll look forward to showers and laundromats. And what about the singer? Will his delicate sensibilities be able to weather the rigors of the road?

Wednesday, March 11

Sunday, March 15

Friday, March 27

Tuesday, April 21

The Lower Caves’ album release show will be held at Black Abbey Brewery on Jan. 23. Turquoise Blues is available on iTunes, and the 2 LP vinyl edition (which includes a free download code) is available at all fine record shops. thelowercaves.com Jan | Feb 2015

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THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM Jan | Feb 2015

ROCK’n’ROLL REAL to REEL

Brent Little captures musical magic on analogue tape in a digital world By Randy Fox Jan | Feb 2015

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“I

probably listen to 10 albums a day,” Brent Little says in the control room of his East Nashville recording complex, Cream Puff Studios, “and this is the type of gear that those old classic records were cut on. Being an all-analog studio, I probably run off 80 percent of the music business, but I’ve always loved tape, and it just sounds right to me.” Looking around the room, a small, darkened flat-screen monitor on the recording console is the only hint that you haven’t stumbled through a time warp and ended up in 1973. Every other piece of equipment in the room is from the classic era of analog sound. Bulky recorders with spools of magnetic tape — quarter-inch, one-inch, two-inch — sit ready to capture the music that will be banged out in the adjoining room. Meanwhile, Little continues to extol the charms of analog recording. “I have a lot of happy accidents,” he says. “They’re inherent in running these machines. Two-inch tape is $320 a reel, so it gets reused. Sometimes I buy ‘lightly’ used reels from other studios. I was recently recording a band, erasing the music that had been on the tape while I recorded the new, but you always leave a little space between songs. In between songs there was 10 seconds of this big lavish orchestra playing classical music. It sounded beautiful coming out of the speakers. We ended up using that at the start of a song. It was free orchestra — it would have cost us a thousand bucks! I’ve stumbled on to that type of thing many times.” In an age ruled by digital manipulation of music, Auto-Tune and pop stars drawn from central casting for their sex appeal, recording music in the old-style, analog method might seem the result of stubborn nostalgia or hipster contrarianism. Why make music in an antiqued prison when technology allows unlimited freedom? But old-style, analog “tapeheads” like Brent Little understand that working within those limitations can generate a special freedom all its own. As the saying goes, “Rome wasn’t built in a day,” and neither are successful businesses or satisfying and lasting music careers. But sometimes, the most rare musical magic can be captured in the studio, playing live, in just one or two takes straight to tape. A native of Fargo, N.D., Little’s love of music began at an early age. “We had a console hi-fi at my house,” Little says. “The sound of it was just glorious. My big sisters had records by the Stones, the Beatles, Elvis — all the classic stuff. I remember being a small kid, not even in kindergarten yet, opening that big lid on the stereo, putting a stack of 45s on, and I would play my baseball bat to it.” Bitten by the rock ’n’ roll bug, Little progressed from a baseball bat to an electric guitar in just a few years. Jan | Feb 2015

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” ”

... the digital thing was starting up, but I always knew it was tape for me. “When I was about 12, I got a guitar and started picking up songs from records,” he says. “My dad let me practice in the basement, and the first time I ever played with some guys, I knew right there, ‘This is what I’m going to do.’ By the time we were in the eighth grade, we were playing high school parties. Dad would haul us around in the station wagon and we would bring our own PA column. It just kept growing. By the time I was in the 11th grade, I got in with some older fellows who had an old school bus for touring. We played Canada and the Midwest and that continued all through the ’80s. “I moved to Nashville in 1990, thinking I was going to play my own music,” Little says. “I started a band, the Ripple Kings. We played for about five or six years, and when the band split, I decided I was really going to concentrate on recording and production. That’s when I started investing in the nicer, prostyle machines and consoles.” Although Little had been trying his hand at recording since his high school days, starting on simple four-track cassette machines and working his way up through more sophisticated equipment, the lure of mixing boards and tape decks grew irresistible. But it wasn’t the cutting-edge digital technologies of the ’90s that spoke to him, it was the clunky, out-of-favor spiritual brothers of that old console hi-fi that had first fascinated him in his preschool days. “Everybody was getting rid of their old tape decks,” Little says. “ADATs were coming in and the digital thing was starting up, but I always knew it was tape for me.” Building a studio in his house near Centennial Park, Little staked his claim on analog ground in the middle of a digital gold rush. “A lot of my clients were personal friends,” he says. “I knew a lot of people from other bands and they were the people that I was recording. A lot of us still loved the sound of tape.” Just like the “happy accidents” inherent in analog recording, Little soon stumbled on a rather unusual name for his studio. “I had recorded this band,” Little says, “and we were listening back through the big house speakers. The bass player was lying on the couch listening and she said, ‘I love it. It sounds like a big cream puff!’ We all started laughing and it just stuck. I get mixed reviews about the name, but I’ve had it over 20 years now. People get it wrong — powder puff or something — but I guess I’m just going to stick with it.” With the arrival of the 21st century, Little continued his devotion to the recording technology of the previous era, and he also found a new home for Cream Puff, when he and his wife Nanette relocated to the East Side. Purchasing a pre-war stone Tudor house close to Shelby Bottoms, Little began converting a large portion of the main floor into his personal analog recording playground. “We moved here in 2001,” Little says. “The East Side was

Analog vs. DIGITAL What’s all the fuss about?

he visual representation of analog and digital waveforms depicted in the illustration below actually goes a long way in explaining why the two sound different. Analog is, by definition, of or relating to a device or process in which data is represented by physical quantities that change continuously. So a clock would be an analog of time. Where it pertains to the sound recordings, a voltage — or the differing depths of the gooves on a vinyl album — is the analog of sound. Sound waves traveling through the air are cohesive, as represented below. When these are captured through a microphone, for example, they become voltages, which are also cohesive throughout their amplitudes. Digital, on the other hand, converts the wave into binary form — a series of 1s and 0s. Theoretically, digital can never be the perfect analog of a natural soundwave. As seen in the digital sound wave below, the wave is represented by a series of steps. It isn’t cohesive. Digital is either “on” or “off.” Digital music file formats like MP3 and AAC became ubiquitous because those formats use complex algorithms that basically capture the “vital” information in a complex sound wave and then truncate and compress it. This discards certain information contained in the original wave in favor of a smaller file size, and at the expense of sound quality. Many people perceive a “flatness” to the sound stage (front/back, up/ down 3D imaging) of MP3s. Converting an analog recording to a digital file is extraordinarily complex. Converters can cost over $10,000, or as little as $10, and it does follow, to a degree, that you get what you pay for. It’s a two-way street, as well; analog to digital and back again — digital to analog. The former is an ADC, with the latter being known as a DAC. They are found in one form or another in our smart phones, computers, stereos — any device that allows sound to be recorded to a digital file or played back from one. Most people rely on a variety of methods with which to listen to music, and at the end of the day, it’s the music that matters. Nevertheless, hearing well-recorded, great music on a high-quality playback system can’t be beat. And if you really want to hear the difference between analog and digital, the earbuds that came with your phone probably aren’t going to cut it. The very best way is to find vinyl that was recorded, mixed, and mastered analog — and compare that to your MP3.

ORIGINAL SOUND WAVE

Analog Sound Wave

Jan | Feb 2015

DIGTAL SOUND WAVE

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just starting to take off, but we got a good deal on this house. I liked the old neighborhood, and I still do. It’s quiet, you have big yards and good people.” With the main studio in the living room and a second tracking room in an adjacent, enclosed side porch, a Cream Puff recording session invokes fond memories of a high school garage band jam session, held in the home of the hippest parents in town. But in this case, Little has the equipment and know-how to capture those magic sounds. “My philosophy of recording is, ‘Come in with a band and everyone plays together,’” Little says. “The more guys that are playing at the same time, the quicker it’s going to go. Play the first take, second take, third take and just get it. If you’re not getting it after that, maybe it’s time to move on and come back to it, because the best sounding takes to me are the ones that are fresh. That’s really what’s important. If the guitar is a little out of tune, that may be OK. There are a lot of classic hits where a guitar was a little out of tune.” That back-to-basics philosophy and keep-it-simple work ethic also extend downward into the lounge and break room

” ” After about four hours, everyone wants a pizza and a couple of chili dogs. I provide that stuff on the house.

in Little’s basement. Surrounded by the unfinished stone and brick walls and nestled below ductwork and water pipes is a home bar, vintage sofas, an amply stocked selection of classic LPs and 45s, and as Little dryly describes it, “fine dining” in the form of a small pizza oven and hot dog roller grill — basically the dream “clubhouse” of every teenage, rock ’n’ roll malcontent. “I show the basement to everyone that is thinking about recording here and the next thing you know they’re booking the place,” Little says. “After about four hours, everyone wants a pizza and a couple of chili dogs. I provide that stuff on the house. Then after we’re done, we hang out, have a few beers and listen to records.” Little’s mastery of analog recording combined with his easygoing, good-times attitude is a winning formula for his longtime clients like Asheville, N.C.-based glam popsters The Cheeksters and blue troubadour Ron LaSalle, as well as up-and-coming acts like local Western dreampop duo The American Dream. Although Cream Puff has the capability to convert basic tracks and final mixes to digital files, Little prefers to keep the bulk of the process in analog. “The East Side has a lot of similar analog studios,” he says. “They record on analog, but end up mixing digitally. For me, tape is just easier. I understand tape machines. I can work on them. It’s like if you have an old ’50s Chevrolet. You can open CON TI N U E D ON PAGE 8 6

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ON THE BANKS OF

COOPER CREEK The ‘Great Flood’ left a lasting and costly legacy BY RANDY FOX

Jan | Feb 2015

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n the morning of May 2, 2010, Inglewood residents Larry and Susan Bryant awoke in the middle of an all-too-real nightmare. “About 7 a.m. we heard a thumping noise,” Larry Bryant says. “Susan got up and looked out the window and screamed. We were sitting in a lake with 2 and 1/2 to three feet of water surrounding us on the foundation and the walls of the house.” Quickly gathering their essentials and pets, the couple rushed to vacate their home, but soon found they were trapped. “The sheer force of water made it impossible to move against it,” Bryant says. “We had our dog and a small cat. Unfortunately we lost the cat. The little thing got out of our grasp before we got very far, and we never saw it again. Our phone service was non-existent, but one of our neighbors got a call

”

Cooper Lane and snakes through the northernmost portion of the Shelby Bottoms Greenway, emptying into the Cumberland River. The legacy of the 2010 flood soon turned out to be greater than just the cost of recovery. “My wife’s grandfather built this home around 1950 or 1951,” Bryant says. “Up until 2010, we had never even had a hint of flooding. After the flood, if we had two days of rain you may have a foot and a half worth of water in the creek, but if there was a third day of rain it was ready to come out of its banks. Anything over that, we would see flooding in our backyard that came up to the back steps.” The fear of flooding proved to be very real in August 2013, when a severe storm dumped over seven inches of water on Inglewood and Madison in just a few hours. While the flooding

We found three different graveyards of dumpsters. One spot had 27 of them.

through to the fire department.” The Metro Fire Department managed to rescue the Bryants from their home, but the torrential rains that dumped over 13 inches of water in less than 48 hours on Nashville left a costly legacy. “We were lucky compared to some in that the water never got to the main floor of our house,” Bryant says, “but it tore up all the ductwork, we had to have our furnace and air-conditioner replaced and we suffered damage to our garage. The total was about $22,000.” The Bryants were not the only Inglewood residents who found themselves at the mercy of Cooper Creek. What had been a scenic and helpful neighborhood waterway became a very real menace. Starting just west of Gallatin Pike, Cooper Creek runs parallel to Ardee Avenue and Sunnymeade Drive before crossing under McGavock Pike. The creek then runs parallel to 66

THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM Jan | Feb 2015

”

wasn’t as dramatic as in 2010, many Sunnymeade Drive residents faced a repeat of the same property damage: flooded basements, ruined furnaces and A/C units, loss of ductwork and more. Sunnymeade Drive homeowner Mary Alice Bernal was one of the repeat victims. “It didn’t destroy our homes like in some areas,” Bernal says, “so it wasn’t as dramatic of a story to get on the news, but people had losses. I started calling the water department to try and figure out what had changed. Cooper Creek had never flooded before and now it had twice in three years, so something had happened.” Bernal soon discovered a classic bureaucratic boondoggle, as various metropolitan and federal agencies viewed Cooper Creek as the responsibility of “the other guy.” Frustrated by the lack of action, a group of homeowners led by Bernal and the Bryants took their

concerns to a meeting of the Inglewood Homeowners Association. “A group of us decided to walk the creek and see what was up,” Bernal says. “Lance Wagner from the Nashville Stormwater Management Committee and Anthony Viglietti (Metropolitan Beautification and Environment commissioner) went with us, and we found all kinds of blockages.” The group discovered a hidden “treasure trove” of items swept into the creek by the 2010 flood: furniture, shopping carts, trashcans, recycling bins, 55 gallon drums, large appliances, mattresses and even a set of pre-cast cement steps clogging up the waterway. “We found three different graveyards of dumpsters,” Bernal says. “One spot had 27 of them. Tony has since found a couple more spots where they floated down the creek and landed. There’s a lot of weird stuff that I never would have guessed in a million years.” As a result of their explorations, a neighborhood-based cleanup of the creek was organized in April 2014. “We worked with Tony and councilman Anthony Davis, and they were very helpful,” Bernal says. “We had over 25 volunteers who came out, and we got some major blockages opened up. Four days later, we had a massive storm. We got about four plus inches and no one flooded. That was really amazing.” A second cleanup was held in October. Viglietti has also worked with Metro Stormwater Management to clean up multiple fallen trees and debris in the portion of Cooper Creek that runs through the 55 acres of undeveloped land that comprises the former Riverside Riding Academy, just west of the Shelby Bottoms Greenway. The neighborhood creek cleanups have made a dramatic difference, and the flood and subsequent problems raised awareness of the importance of maintaining the waterway. A Facebook page, “Friends of Cooper Creek,” was established as a source for news, updates, and announcements of future cleanups. “We’d like to hold two cleanups a year,” Bernal says. “We’d love to get to the point where it’s just a maintenance issue. We are also working with Mark Thien at the Nashville Clean Water Project to come up with an education plan. I never realized that if you put brush in the dry creek bed that will hurt somebody down the line. There are many simple things that people can do that will make a big difference.” “I won’t say it’s been pleasant,” Bryant says, “but we have made a lot of good friends. We had a bit of unofficial neighborhood watch to look out for each other, but that’s been expanded to when there’s a possible storm, we’re usually out watching and talking to each other. Making people aware of the situation, getting homeowners to take responsibility for the channel on their property, and keeping it clean, it will make everyone much safer and hopefully make us all a little closer.”

KNOW your

NEIGHBOR

David Gehrke

o you recognize David Gehrke? The guy gets around. As an entrepreneur, drummer, and carpenter, he has left his imprint on numerous East Nashville bands and businesses over the past 20 years. He’s perhaps best known for opening the storied and beloved Slow Bar (now 3 Crow Bar) with Michael “Grimey” Grimes in 2000, thus setting the tone for 5 Points as we know it today. When Gehrke moved to East Nashville in ’95, he lived in a house on Holly Street where the rent was $150/month. He’d just quit a band he was in with Josh Rouse, who followed Gehrke to East Nashville to record his first album, Dressed Up Like Nebraska. Gehrke eventually moved out of that house and into a Volkswagen van long enough to save up money for a sixweek solo backpacking trip across Europe.

Upon his return, he worked at Radio Café (now Mad Donna’s) and helped to open Sam & Zoe’s in Berry Hill. Later, he was part of the crew that started Mercy Lounge — which he named — but soon parted ways with them. His biggest entrepreneurial hit, however, came in 2000 when he and Grimes decided to open a dive bar.

Jan | Feb 2015

CO N TI N UED O N PAG E 88

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Cookin IN THE ’ ’HOOD Recipes from East Nashville favorites

BY TIMOTHY C. DAVIS

FOR SANDWICH

fter being made aware of my interest in Nashville-style Hot Chicken, I’ve had countless friends tell me that they want nothing more than to try a piece of the fiery fowl, but that doing so would effectively put the kibosh on their vegetarian/ vegan lifestyle. I’m sympathetic to their plight. Mind you, I’m nothing approaching a vegetarian, but I also don’t consider a meatless meal to be “missing” something. Sometimes I make the meatless version of a given dish, and sometimes I don’t. I like meat, but like renowned food writer Mark Bittman, I prefer it more for its flavor and umami than its heft or size, and believe the less meat we eat, the better for our health, our pocketbook, and the environment. Which brings us, in an admittedly roundabout way, back to Hot Chicken. Know what the best/most notable thing about Hot Chicken is? The “Hot.” The Hot in Hot Chicken invariably comes from a spice paste. If the paste is the thing, the thinking goes, why hasn’t someone come out with a vegetarian Hot “Chicken” experience? Local vegetarians’ prayers have been answered. In an exceedingly rare crossrestaurant collaboration, The Wild Cow’s Nick Davis and Pepperfire Hot Chicken’s Isaac Beard have teamed up to create two different “Hot Tempeh” dishes: a take on the Cow’s signature beans-and-greens, and a toasted sandwich so well-balanced and, well, tasty that you’ll want to add it to your Nashville-style “Hot” repertoire regardless of your meat leanings. The following is our take on the Hot Tempeh sandwich. As Pepperfire’s hot seasonings are proprietary, we’ve substituted a standard spice “base.” Get to be Isaac Beard’s friend and you might get the real thing. As with any recipe, the better ingredients you start with, the better the end result.

FOR THE RUB

avocado, cut into strips

1/3 to 1/2 cup hot frying oil or other fat source (to replace Hot Chicken’s lard)

sliced tomato

1 tablespoon light brown sugar

2 slices wheat bread, lightly toasted lettuce (iceberg will do in a pinch) shredded carrots

3 tablespoons cayenne pepper

bean sprouts

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

tempeh steaks (The Wild Cow marinates theirs)

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Vegenaise, or other vegan mayo

1/2 teaspoon paprika, smoked or hot

PREPARATION

Bake tempeh according to instructions on package (you’re looking for it to have a slight, friedchicken-like crisp on the outside, yet still tender and chewy throughout). Assemble rub mix, brush liberally on tempeh. Toast bread. Spread both sides with Vegenaise. From the bottom up, layer lettuce, tempeh, lettuce, carrot, avocado, tomato, and sprouts. Assemble sandwich, slice diagonally, toothpick each triangle.

Jan | Feb 2015

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NASHVILLE HOME ENERGY Proudly Calling East Nashville Home

Owner Jeff Middlebrooks holding insulation made of recycled newspaper and cardboard

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Give us a call and find out why so many of your neighbors have turned to Nashville Home Energy to upgrade their home’s energy efficiency, comfort and health.

615.788.6408

www.NashvilleHomeEnergy.com Jeff@NashvilleHomeEnergy.com ENERGY EFFICIENCY • COMFORT • HEALTH 70

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EMMA ALFORD CALENDAR EDITOR

J A N - F E B 2015

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

UPCOMING ME WANT COOKIE Annual Girl Scout Cookie Program

Jan. 1 through March 1

Everyone’s guilty pleasure is back on the market. It’s that time of year for Girl Scouts across the country to start pushing our favorite cookies from a booth near you. They’ll have the classics, but the Scouts are also introducing some new sweet bites. This year they’re rolling out their first gluten-free cookie “Toffee-tastic,” and a reinvented oatmeal treat “Rah Rah Raisin.” Place your cookie preorder now or wait to pick them up from a card table near you on February 8.

LEND A HAND

Winter Volunteer Day

10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 10, Shelby Park Maybe you decided to be a little more charitable with your time for the New Year? Shelby Bottoms is hosting its Winter Volunteer Day to give you the lowdown on how you can help out your local park. It’s a great opportunity to put some time in helping with ongoing projects at Shelby. For more information, call 615-862-8539 or email shelbybottomsnature@nashville.gov.

STRETCH IT OUT AT SHELBY

ART SMART SHOPPING The Art Market

Body Works

10 to 11 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 10 and 24, Feb. 14 and 28, Shelby Park

Let’s face it, after a holiday season filled with fudge, peppermint bark, ham, and hollering in-laws, we could all probably use a little body work. Shelby is hosting two Pilatesyoga fusion classes at the park this January. They will focus on core training, balance, and flexibility. Don’t forget your own mat! For more information, call 615-862-8539 or email shelbybottomsnature@nashville.gov.

WHOOO’S THERE?

Wild Animal Meet and Greet with Walden’s Puddle

12 to 1 p.m. second and fourth Saturday of January and February, Shelby Bottoms Nature Center

Time for a walk on the wild side. Shelby Bottoms hosts a meet and greet with Walden’s Puddle Rehabilitation and Education Center twice each month, and the Walden’s folks bring a different one of their animals to each session. You never know who (or what) you might meet! You’ll learn about the animal and the characteristics of its species while having a chance to get up and close and personal. For more information, call 615-862-8539 or email shelbybottomsnature@nashville.gov.

Opening Reception 4 to 8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 16; Market runs 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday, Jan.16 through Sunday, Jan. 18, KT Wolf Gallery

If you haven’t stopped by fairly new art spot KT Wolf Gallery, you may have found your reason to. The creative space is kicking off a monthly “art market” with its first installment this January, bringing out local artists, woodworkers, potters, jewelers and more to share their wares. January’s market starts with an opening reception on January 16 (complete with cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, of course), with the event stretching through the weekend. The next Art Market is scheduled for the end of February; check the gallery’s Facebook page, www.facebook. com/ktwolfgallery, for updates. 604 Gallatin Avenue, Suite 212; 615-440-0633.

I’VE GOT A STORY TO TELL YOU… Story Time

10 a.m. Saturday Jan. 17, and Feb. 7 and 21, Shelby Park

We all love a good story. Bring out the kiddos for this nature-based story-time session. After the story, you’ll learn a little about each of the critters in the tale. Snacks to follow. For more information, call 615-862-8539 or email shelbybottomsnature@nashville.gov.

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FOR THE KIDS

Montessori East Open House

5:30 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 28, Montessori East

For all the mommies and daddies out there, Montessori East will host an open house to showcase their brand new infant

and toddler classroom. Their doors will be open and their teachers will be ready for any parental Q&A. They are currently accepting student applications for ages six weeks to six years, so if your tyke fits in that bracket, drop on by. 801 Porter Road; 615-226-4588.

ICELAND IN EAST NASHVILLE “North of Everything”

Opening Reception 6 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 7; exhibit runs Saturday, Feb. 7 through Saturday, Feb. 19, KT Wolf Gallery This photo exhibition featuring the work of artists Justin Key and Ivan Clow will offer a peek at the beauty of Iceland and its people (sorry, no Björk pics included). The photo journal will be on display for a week, possibly longer — but catch it while you can. 604 Gallatin Avenue, Suite 212; 615-440-0633.

PAINTING IN THE PARK Nature Painting Night Series: For the LOVE of Art

6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 12, Shelby Bottoms

Looking for a unique date night with your Valentine, or maybe an escape from a date night altogether? The Nature Center hosts another paint party in the park in February. Show your love for the outdoors with this nature-themed painting class. Just $25 will cover the cost of materials, snacks and beverages. For more information, call 615862-8539 or email shelbybottomsnature@ nashville.gov.

DRINKING CREATIVELY Paint Nites

7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 11, POP

At Paint Nite paint parties, artists take you step by step through an entire painting, providing all the goods you need to get going: brushes, paints, and even a smock. Artist Sara Beigle brings her brushes to the East Side in mid-February, and she’s even offering a $20 discount if you enter the coupon code “eastnash20” when buying tickets online through www.paintnite.com. Grab a drink and release all inhibitions; it’s time to make your masterpiece. 604 Gallatin Avenue, Suite 201.

HERE BIRDIE

Great Backyard Bird Count

4 to 5 p.m.Friday, Feb. 13, 9 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 14, Shelby Park

Every year the National Audobon Society hosts the Great Backyard Bird Count, asking bird watchers to be all eyes for the weekend, filling out a checklist detailing the number of birds you observe. Do it from home or join the crew at Shelby Park. For more information, call 615-862-8539 or email shelbybottomsnature@nashville.gov. 72

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EAST SIDE CALENDAR

DON’T RUN FROM LOVE Cupid’s Chase 5K

Saturday, Feb. 14, Shelby Park

Let your heart and legs lead the way to this run/walk 5K, proceeds from which will go toward supporting people with disabilities. Looking for love? You single swingers can grab an “available” T-shirt to don during the run (maybe you’ll find “the one” at the sweaty finish line). Happily taken? Throw on the “unavailable” tee. This 5K supports a great cause, and let’s face it, if you’re on the market, Cupid’s Chase might suit you better than OkCupid. Lace up those sneaks and practice your pickup lines.

22nd annual

UnBound Arts for a limited-edition run at Riverwood Mansion. The event’s general approach will still be the same, but chef Debbie Sutton of 8 Lavender Lane Catering will be spicing up the menu a bit, crafting special meals influenced by each evening’s readings. They’re bringing these stories to life, one bite at a time. Check out this souped-up version of Storytellin’ through March. Email chuck@eastsidestorytn.com or unboundartsnashville@gmail.com about purchasing tickets. 1833 Welcome Lane.

IN FASHION

ANSWER ME THIS

Soups from 50+ Nashville restaurants Kids activities A silent auction Celebrity judges & more!

6 p.m. Friday, Feb. 20, KT Wolf Gallery

8 p.m. each week, 3 Crow Bar, Edley’s East, Drifters

February 22, 2015

KT Wolf Gallery Fashion Show Hey fashionistas, catwalkers, Project Runway watchers: The East Side is having a fashion show of its own. KT Wolf Gallery will bring in stylists Aaronique and Takeshi Kelson, who are collaborating with local designers to create the outfits for this show. There will be a reception and cocktail hour from 6 to 7 p.m., with the show following. 604 Gallatin Avenue, Suite 212; 615-4400633.

HEY MEOW

The Hong Meow Collective

8 p.m. first Friday of each month, The East Room

The Hong Meow Collective’s events at The East Room always guarantee a smorgasbord of happenings. On most nights, they feature four bands, a DJ, an art show, clothing and fashion items, and giveaways. The Collective usually chooses a theme for the night, too, which keeps things interesting — as if this unique affair needed more to grab your attention. 2412 Gallatin Avenue; 615-335-3137.

TELL ME A STORY …IN A NEW WAY

UnBound Arts Present: East Side Storytellin’ at Riverwood Mansion

7 p.m. the first and third Tuesdays of each month, Riverwood Mansion

Every story needs revising, right? Long-running book reading/musical performance/author Q&A East Side Storytellin’ is trying out something new for the next couple of months, partnering with

RECURRING Trivia Time!

East Siders, if you’re one of the sharper tools in the shed (or want a chance to brush up on random knowledge), stop by one of several East Side locales to test your wits at trivia. You’ll play a few rounds, with different categories for each question, and there might even be some prizes for topscoring teams. Monday @ Drifters; Tuesday @ Edley’s BBQ East and Edgefield Sports Bar and Grill; Thursday @ 3 Crow

11:00 AM - 2:00 PM LP Field - Club Level West Purchase tickets at OurKidsCenter.com or call 615-341-4917 Adult: $25 Children (ages 4-17): $5 Children (under 3): Free

HIP-HOP AT THE SPOT

Proceeds benefit Our Kids which provides medical exams & crisis counseling for children & families affected by child sexual abuse.

The Boom Bap

9 p.m. fourth Sunday of each month, The 5 Spot

Once a month, The 5 Spot brings the beats and you bring the moves. Think of it as a hip-hop roundtable: A mess of DJs — resident hosts and guests — spin their favorite tracks, rotating throughout the night. This soirée is so popular it’s spread to other cities, but catch it where it started here in East Nashville. 1006 Forrest Avenue; 615-650-9333

A limited number of tickets are available, so we recommend purchasing them in advance.

OurKidsCenter.com sponsors:

BRING IT TO THE TABLE

Community Hour at Lockeland Table

4 to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, Lockeland Table

Lockeland Table is cooking up familyfriendly afternoons to help you break out of the house or away from that desk for a couple of hours. Throughout the week, they Jan | Feb 2015

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EAST SIDE CALENDAR NASHVILLE

Nashville

NASHVILLE

host community hours that include a special snack and drink menu, as well as a menu just for the kiddies. A portion of all proceeds benefits Lockeland Design Center PTO, so you can feel good about giving back to your neighborhood while schmoozing with your fellow East Nashvillians. 1520 Woodland Street; 615-228-4864.

Email studio@curvyyoga.com to save 20% on any class package!

EAST ROOM HAS JOKES

CurvyYogaNashville.com Nashville

6:30 p.m. Sundays, The East Room

NASHVILLE

Nashville

SPiFFY SQUiRREL Sundays

The East Room is making a name for itself in Nashville’s comedy scene in part through SPiFFY SQUiRREL Sundays, started up by East Room head honcho Ben Jones through NashvilleStandUp.com. Hosted by local comedian Chad Riden, the shows bring in an array of national and local funny guys and gals, and it’s quickly become one of the best places in town for up-and-coming comics to flex their funny bones. If you’re looking for a laugh, check it out. Five bucks gets you in the door. They usually have some music planned post-laughs, so stick around to see the bands. 2412 Gallatin Avenue; 615-335-3137.

STOP, SHOP AND SWAP FOR THE SONGSTERS

Nashville’s Musician’s Swap Meet

11 a.m. to 5 p.m. the first and third Sunday of each month, The Building

If you’re among the glut of musicians and songwriters in Nashville, you might want to drop in on the monthly Musician’s Swap Meet at The Building in 5 Points. The musically inclined gather to buy, sell and trade their gear, and there’s always a smattering of various musical odds and ends: guitars, drums, amps, fiddles, horns — you name it. You’ll also find vinyl, artwork, clothing and other music-related memorabilia. This folky flea market of sorts is free and open to the public. Stop by, grab a coffee at Bongo Java, grub down at Drifters and check out the musical arsenal. If you’re interested in renting a booth for the swap, contact Dino Bradley at 615-5937497. 1008-C Woodland Street.

HIT THE OPEN ROAD Open Road Monday

8 p.m. Mondays, The Building

The Building’s four-year tradition of “Open Road Monday” rambles on. It’s a weekly show that features one or two different bands every week, promptly followed by an open mic sesh. It’s just a $5 cover and BYOB. Check out some of the budding talent the Building is showcasing over here on the East Side. 1008 C. Woodland Street; 615-262-8899.

SHAKE A LEG Keep On Movin’

10 p.m. until close Mondays, The 5 Spot

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

RINC, Y’ALL

Scott-Ellis School of Irish Dance

4:30 to 5 p.m. ages 3-6, and 5 to 5:45 p.m. ages 7 and up, Mondays, Eastwood Christian Church Fellowship Hall

You’re never too young — or too old — to kick out the Gaelic jams with some Irish step dancing. No experience, or partner, required — just you and some enthusiasm. 1601 Eastland Avenue; 615-300-4388.

I’M WITH YOU IN ROCKLAND

UKE IT IF YOU GOT IT

8:30 p.m. Mondays, Performing Artist Co-op

6 to 7:30 p.m. Third Monday of each month, Fanny’s House of Music

Kerouacs Beat Mondays

The Performing Artist Co-op (a.k.a. the “Purple Theater”) has set up a forum for lovers of the Beat generation to share their 74

own writing, and they’re calling all you Dharma Bums to bring out your prose, poetry, or music to this laid-back listening party. It’s reminiscent of a 1950s lounge setting — the kind of joint you might have seen Burroughs stumble into on a hard night. Five bucks gets you in the door and a strong brew of coffee or tea. If you require some other type of liquid courage, it’s BYOB. 107 N. 11th Street.

THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM Jan | Feb 2015

Nashville Ukulele Monthly Jam

Fanny’s calls in all the uke-heads once a month for a jam night at their House of

EAST SIDE CALENDAR

Music. They invite players of all skill levels and anyone else who might just want to drop in for a listen at this ramble. 1101 Holly Street; 615-750-5746.

HAVE YOUR PIE AND DRINK A PINT, TOO $11 Pint & Pie Night

6 p.m. to midnight Tuesdays, The Family Wash

Every Tuesday night at The Family Wash, you can score a pint of beer and a shepherd’s pie for just $11. The reigning music venue on the East Side, The Wash is home to an abundance of good music, and on Tuesdays, the club plays host to the longrunning songwriter series Shortsets, hosted by Cole Slivka. They offer a wide selection of craft beer, and even have a vegetarian shepherd’s pie for herbivores. So sit back and enjoy the show, along with your pint and pie. 2038 Greenwood Avenue; 615-2266070.

FAT BOTTOM FOR YOUR BUCK

$10 Pint and Entrée Special

4 p.m. until close Tuesdays, Fat Bottom Brewery

What’s better than a craft beer and a tasty meal? Cheap craft beer and a tasty meal. At Fat Bottom Brewery you can grab a pint and an entrée for just $10 on Tuesdays. Peruse their beer garden and pick a brew; they’ve got plenty of options for the seasoned beer drinker, and they’re always kegging fresh batches and pouring cold ones. 900 Main Street.

NO LAUGH TRACK NEEDED

Ultimate Comedy Show by Corporate Juggernaut

8:30 p.m. Tuesdays, East Room

Local jokesters have taken up residency in the East Room for Corporate Juggernaut, a weekly series of open-mic comedy shows put on by Gary Fletcher, Jane Borden and Brandon Jazz. Brad Edwards is your host and his backing band is The Grey Grays. You can always expect to see fresh material and new talent. Doors and sign-up are at 8 p.m. Get out and help support Nashville’s growing comedy scene. 2412 Gallatin Avenue; 615-335-3137.

FROM THE LIPS

A Night of Free Speech

6:30 to 10 p.m. second and fourth Tuesday of each month, Cult Fiction Underground

The Underground has relocated from underneath the now-shuttered Logue’s Black Raven Emporium to a new haunt on Trinity Lane — at press time, they were still in the process of getting the new spot fixed up, so stay tuned to their Facebook page, www.facebook. com/CultFictionUnderground, to learn when their events will resume in the new place. At the venue’s Nights of Free Speech, local author Honest Lewis hosts an evening dedicated to fully exploring your First Amendment rights in the presence of others. Be it poetry, prose, rants, diatribes, or manifestos, the mic is open to all forms of haranguing. This is a first-come, first-read kinda night, so arrive in time to sign yourself up if you’re looking to share. Entrance and parking are located at the back of the building. 1048 E. Trinity Lane.

TOAST TO MOTHER EARTH East Nashville Green Drinks

6-9 p.m. third Wednesday of each month, Village Pub & Beer Garden

Tired of talking sports and gossip every night out? Village Pub has something in mind for the greener East Nashvillian. Once a month they host an evening for environmentalists to sit down for a drink and discuss ideas for a more sustainable future. Just think about it like this: You’ll be saving the planet, one drink at a time. 1308 McGavock Pike; 615-942-5880.

ART IS FOR EVERYONE John Cannon Fine Art classes

6 to 8 p.m. Wednesdays, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 to 4 p.m. Saturdays, The Idea Hatchery If you’ve been filling in coloring book pages for years but you’re too intimidated to put actual paint to canvas, it might be time to give it a try. Local artist John Cannon has been teaching intimate art classes at The Idea Hatchery for a while now, and the small class size keeps the sessions lowpressure and allows for some one-on-one instruction. If you’re feeling like you could be the next Matisse with a little guidance, sign yourself up. 1108-C Woodland Street; 615-496-1259.

Jan | Feb 2015

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YES, IT’S LADIES NIGHT Dame’s Day Happy Hour at Pomodoro East

6:30 to 10 p.m. Thursdays, Pomodoro East

Pomodoro East has a happy hour just for the dames: Gals can grab a Genny Light for $2, bubbly for $3, wine for $4, and wellcrafted Hangar 1 cocktails for $5. 701 Porter Road; 615-873-4978.

BLUEGRASS, BEER, BURGERS

Bluegrass Thursdays with Johnny Campbell & the Bluegrass Drifters

Drifters kick things off, then join in on the pickin’ party afterward. Have a burger, buy a few beers and add a little ’grass to your life. Oh yeah: It’s also Thumper Burger night! 1330 Dickerson Pike; 615-262-2244.

8 p.m. until close on Thursdays, Charlie Bob’s

To celebrate your post-Hump Day, head to Charlie Bob’s and bring your axe along. Watch North 2nd Street’s own Bluegrass

FEELING JAZZY

UnBound Arts Presents Second Thursday Jazz

3 to 5 p.m. second Thursday of each month, Riverwood Mansion

UnBound Arts is bringing the boogie over to Riverwood Mansion. The second Thursday of each month, that historic home will host jazz performances from prominent vocalists and musicians on the local jazz circuit. All you jazz cats should contact unboundartsnashville@gmail.com for further information. 1833 Welcome Lane

TROUBADOURS AND VIRTUOSOS UNITE

UnBound Arts Presents: Third Thursdays

7 p.m. third Thursday of every month, Riverwood Mansion

UnBound Arts has come up with a unique way to combine the worlds of visual and musical artists together in one evening. Each month, UnBound seeks out intriguing artists and displays their work while musicians play a few sets of their best stuff. Think of it as a hybrid art opening/ rock show. Come join in on this artistic amalgamation. 1833 Welcome Lane

PALAVER RECORDS POW WOW Palaver Thursday Showcase

9 p.m. Thursdays, FooBar Too

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

THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM Jan | Feb 2015

NEW WORSHIP SCHEDULE BEGINNING 2.22.15 10AM 11AM 9AM CELEBRATION SMALL THE BRANCH WORSHIP GROUPS WORSHIP Choir, Orchestra, Tradition

All are Welcome!

Band, Simple, Casual

COME JOURNEY WITH US ON 2.22.15

East Nashville’s Community Church 510 Woodland Street Nashville, TN

WWW.NFCN.ORG 615.255.1289

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EAST SIDE CALENDAR

COMEDY AT THE UNDERGROUND

Hopefully Funny Open Mic Night

6 p.m. Thursdays, Cult Fiction Underground

The Underground has relocated from underneath the now-shuttered Logue’s Black Raven Emporium to a new haunt on Trinity Lane — at press time, they were still in the process of getting the new spot fixed up, so stay tuned to their Facebook page, www.facebook.com/ CultFictionUnderground, to learn when their events will resume in the new place. Every Thursday, the Cult Fiction Underground puts on its own open mic comedy night, hosted by local funnyman Josh Inocalla. Sign-ups start at 6 p.m., the show begins at 7 p.m. and each comic gets four minutes. The Underground’s unique gothic style is reason enough to check out this standup night — plus beers are cheap and there’s no cover to sweat. 21048 E. Trinity Lane.

HONESTLY, OFFICER... East Nashville Crime Prevention meeting

11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Thursdays, Beyond the Edge

STOP AT THE SPOT

Tim Carroll’s Friday Night Happy Hour

6 to 8:30 p.m. every Friday, The 5 Spot

Your local watering hole has Tim Carroll’s rock ’n’ roll band playing their way through happy hour every Friday. It’s a great Spot to grab a beer and hear some tunes to kick off the weekend — drinks are discounted and the music is free. 1006 Forrest Avenue; 615-650-9333.

SHAKE YOUR FOOBAR Sparkle City

10 p.m. Fridays, fooBAR

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

DO THE JITTERBUG Jump Session Swing Dance Classes

8 p.m. to 12 a.m., Fridays, DancEast

Join your neighbors to talk about crime stats, trends and various other issues with East Precinct commander David Imhof and head of investigation Lt. Greg Blair. If you are new to the East Side, get up to speed on criminal activity in the area. If you are a recent victim of crime, they want to hear your story. 112 S. 11th Street; 615-226-3343.

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

YARNING IS CONTAGIOUS

CAN’T FORCE A DANCE PARTY

Stitch ’n’ Bitch

6 to 8 p.m., Fridays, Nutmeg

We all know the quintessential image of an old woman knitting by the fire. Take that, add a few more stitchers and seamstresses, throw in some wine, and you’ve got yourself a Stitch ’n’ Bitch. It isn’t a new concept, but Nutmeg, a sewing and crafts supplies store in the Shoppes at Fatherland, is. Welcome this spicy new edition to the neighborhood by dropping by one of these sessions. Bring your supplies, or better yet, buy some there. 1006 Fatherland Street, #204.

Queer Dance Party

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

On any given month, the QDP is mixed bag of fashionably clad attendees (some in the occasional costume) dancing ’til they can’t dance no mo at The 5 Spot, which was coincidentally named Nashville’s secondbest place to dance in the Nashville Scene’s Best of Nashville poll. Help pack out the cozy club, shake a leg, slurp down some of the drink specials, and let your true colors show. 1006 Forrest Avenue.

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Goodpasture Christian School serves children from 12 months to 12th grade.

The Great Beginnings toddler program opened in 2013 and provides a learning environment that nurtures and stimulates each childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s growth and development. PreK 3 and Junior Kindergarten offer young children an opportunity to grow physically, socially, academically and spiritually. Curriculum includes music classes, technology classes, library time, play time, and beginning Spanish. Kindergarten classrooms are located in a little red schoolhouse, and curriculum includes technology, iPad lab, Spanish, music, P.E., library, art, and Mandarin Chinese. Students in grades 1-4 enjoy a new STEM lab which emphasizes science, technology, engineering, and mathematics in addition to a large variety of special area classes. Cameras are located in all classrooms from 12 months to 4 year olds in order for parents to view their child on a secure website at any time throughout the day.

Building Confidence, Intellectual Growth and Spiritual Strength.

Preview Day, Sunday, January 25, 2015 at 1 pm. Or call Ted Bloodworth at 868-2600, ext. 212 to set up a visit. 80

619 Due West Ave. Madison, TN 37115 | www.goodpasture.org

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EAST SIDE CALENDAR

GUFFAW AND GET DOWN

GET YOUR CREEP ON

7 p.m. third Friday of every month, The East Room

8 p.m. and 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, Cult Fiction Underground

Luxury Prestige III

You’ll be able to get all your giggles and grooves in one spot on Friday nights at The East Room. At 7 p.m., Luxury Prestige III — a scripted comedy competition where the audience chooses the winner and the Nashville Scene’s 2014 Best of Nashville winner for best sketch comedy night — kicks off. Each month features live sketch and scripted video competitions for prizes, plus a musical guest, for a $3 cover. Starting at 10 p.m. after Luxury Prestige III, East Room will have bands playing until 1 a.m. 2412 Gallatin Avenue; 615-335-3137.

The Cult Fiction Underground Movie Nights

Grab your weekly dose of chiller cinema at Cult Fiction Underground, which hosts screenings of rare and classic horror and cult films every weekend for $5. Check

out Cult Fiction’s Facebook page, www. facebook.com/CultFictionUnderground, to see what films they’re screening each week. (The Underground has relocated from underneath the now-shuttered Logue’s Black Raven Emporium to a new haunt on Trinity Lane — at press time, they were still in the process of getting the new spot fixed up, so stay tuned to their Facebook page to learn when their events will resume in the new place.) 1048 E. Trinity Lane.

WHOSE EAST SIDE IS IT ANYWAY? Music City Improv

8 p.m. third Friday of each month, The Building

Music City Improv proudly puts on their high-energy show at The Building in East Nashville each month. Every show is different, featuring a healthy mix of shortand long-form improv, plus live and video sketch comedy. Think of it as your own local Saturday Night Live on a Friday night. This gig tends to sell out, so buy your tickets in advance online via www.musiccityimprov. com. 1008 C. Woodland Street.

THERE’S A FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING… First Time Stories

7 to 10 p.m. first Friday of each month, Actor’s Bridge Studio

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

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Traditional Health Care

Bethany Sanders Certified Nurse Midwife

with a Holistic Approach

Cole Family Practice locations are now affiliated with Certified Nurse-Midwives from Vanderbilt University School of Nursing. We offer well woman care and prenatal care with the option to deliver at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Cole Family Practice feels that it is important to provide women the option of holistic midwifery care in their communities and are excited to serve you and your families!

Annie Sorensen Certified Nurse Midwife Women's Health Nurse Practitioner

Wellness Care

Physical Exams for Men, Women & Pediatrics Sports Physicals • DOT Physicals • Nutrient Testing Hormone Testing (Men & Women) • Vitamins & Supplements B12 Injections • Weight Loss Program • LipoB Injections EKG & Stress Test • Bio-Identical Hormone Therapy Natural Hormone Pellets • In-House Labs

We Treat the Following Chronic Illnesses: Diabetes • High Cholesterol Hypertension • Hypothyroid • Asthma & more Skin: Laceration Repair • Acne Care Ingrown Toenail • Mole & Skin Tag Removal

Amy T. Cole FNP-C, CNM

Women’s Health

Paps • Colposcopy for Abnormal Paps • Mirena® • Nexplanon® • Birth Control • PMS & Menopause Care • STD Testing

Aesthetics

Botox • Juvederm • Chemical Peels • Latisse Organic Skin Care Line • Spider Vein Treatment ALSO PROVIDING HOLISTIC PRENATAL CARE WITH CERTIFIED NURSE MIDWIVES

Panayiota Smethers FNP-C, CNM, MPH

ACCEPTING NEW PATIENTS & MOST INSURANCE.

615.732.1030 • 1406 B McGavock Pike, Nashville, TN 37216

colefamilypractice.org • call today for an appointment

Accepting New Patients & Most Insurance

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EAST SIDE CALENDAR

GET ALTRUISTIC AT EAST ROOM LightsOut Events

7:30 p.m. fourth Saturday of each month, The East Room

The East Room is getting a little philanthropic. Every month the venue hosts a show in partnership with LightsOut Events to benefit selected charities. Four bands perform and proceeds will go toward the cause of choice for the month. One of the event’s most notable benefactors is Notes for Notes, which provides music instruments and lessons to children (we know how much you love that, Music City). If you’re feeling froggy, come out and listen to some local acts for a good cause. 2412 Gallatin Avenue; 615-335-3137.

WELCOME TO THE PLEASUREDOME Desire/Desire/Desire

9 p.m. first Saturday of each month, The East Room

If you’re looking for a place to shake it out to some tunes that don’t include the latest and greatest from Billboard’s Top 100, The East Room fits the bill. They host a dance night solely dedicated to only the most dark and sensual tunes of years past. This party, created for “electric youth and dream warriors,” blends all types dark pop including (but not limited to) Italo disco, freestyle, synth-pop, lazer soul, hi-NRG, and electro-hop. DJs Baron Von Birk, Grey People, and HYPE will be laying down the tracks for the evening. 2412 Gallatin Avenue; 615-335-3137.

NEIGHBORHOOD MEETINGS & EVENTS

EAST NASHVILLE CAUCUS

5 p.m. first Wednesday of every month, Metro Police East Precinct

The East Nashville Caucus provides a public forum for East Nashville community leaders, representatives, council members and neighbors. 936 E. Trinity Lane.

SHELBY HILLS NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION

6:30 p.m. third Monday of every odd-numbered month, Shelby Community Center

401 S. 20th Street; www.shelbyhills.org.

MAXWELL HEIGHTS NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION

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

936 E. Trinity Lane.

EASTWOOD NEIGHBORS

CHAMBER EAST

8:15 to 9:30 a.m. first Wednesday of every month, location changes monthly

The Chamber East meets every month for a networking coffee to discuss community updates and how to grow and improve the East Nashville area.

CLEVELAND PARK NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION

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

6:30 p.m. second Tuesday of every other month, Eastwood Christian Church

610 N. Sixth Street; www.facebook.com/groups/ClevelandPark.

1601 Eastland Avenue; www. eastwoodneighbors.org.

GREENWOOD NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION

INGLEWOOD NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION

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

6 p.m. second Tuesday of every month, House on the Hill

4500 Gallatin Road; www.inglewoodrna.org.

909 Manila Street; www.greenwoodneighbors.org

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EAST SIDE CALENDAR

MCFERRIN NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION

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

ROSEBANK NEIGHBORS

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

301 Berry Street.

1211 Riverside Drive.

HENMA

6 to 8 p.m. second Tuesday of every month, location varies

HENMA is a cooperative formed among East Nashville business owners to promote collaboration with neighborhood associations and city government. Check the associationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s website to learn about the organization and where meetings will be held each month. www.eastnashville.org.

DICKERSON ROAD MERCHANTS ASSOCIATION

4 p.m. last Thursday of every month, Metro Police East Precinct

936 E. Trinity Lane; www. dickersonroadmerchants.com.

MOMS CLUB OF EAST NASHVILLE

10 a.m. first Friday of every month, location varies by group

MOMS (Moms Offering Moms Support) Club is an international organization of mothers with three branches in the East Nashville area. It provides a support network for mothers to connect with other EN mothers. The meetings are open to all mothers in the designated area. Meetings host speakers, cover regular business items of the organization including upcoming service initiatives and activities, and also allow women to discuss the ins and outs, ups and downs of being a mother. Visit www. momsclubeast.blogspot.com to determine which MOMS group your residence falls under. Inglewood: 10 a.m. (email inglewoodmoms@ gmail.com for location) Lockeland: 10 a.m. East Park Community Center, 600 Woodland Street Eastwood: contact chapter for time and location

If you have an event you would like to have listed, please send information about the event to calendar@theeastnashvillian.com. For more up to date information, be sure to visit us at theeastnashvillian.com

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Artist in Profile: Anthony Guerriero CO NTI NUE D F R OM PAGE 3 9

Rock ’n’ Roll Real CO N T IN UE D F R O M PAG E 6 3

up the hood and tinker on it. Computers — that’s not the case.” Although his studio has remained his main passion, Little works a day job at a local auto body shop and plays bass with local blues rockers Super Honk. That means much of his studio work involves night sessions or weekends. His long-term plan of building an independent studio piece by piece, and session by session, might seem laborious for younger, 86

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names he’s worked under over the years. He calls those 10 songs a “romantic journey from Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, all the way to New Orleans,” saying, “I fell in love with Caliente, and all these songs were coming out.” One of the songs that came out featured a vocal by the late blues and reggae singer Aashid Himons, who was so ill that Guerriero had to carry him upstairs to the studio to cut the track. Part of the reason Guerriero is wary about this story, this small sliver of his whole story, is that prior to telling it to us he felt he had to make some sense of it — this life, marked by both hard times and halcyon days — and he is as daunted by the task as anyone who hasn’t gotten it all figured out yet. It’s more comfortable to don a mask and be someone anonymous, someone named King GoGo. Of the day he first put on the King GoGo mask outside The Parthenon, Guerriero says, “I played for an hour up there with no mask, and everyone just walked past me like I was a normal musician. Then I put the mask on and instantly everyone was around me. Throwing money in. It was safer. I’m behind the mask, and I’m anybody they want me to be.” Guerriero waits tables a couple of nights a

week at South Street, where he has prints on display, and he still takes painting commissions for murals and portraits and more. He works out of a gallery behind his house where visitors see his work by appointment. “I’ve had a great life,” he says. “Met a lot of good people, had more than my share of good times. I want

to eventually move to the desert. I’m from the west, and I want to move back west — just go out there and do artwork and sell trinkets from a gypsy car. I want to meet people.” One on one, just the way he likes it. Anthony Guerriero can be reached at guerriero@bellsouth.net.

to Reel

Expect more imagination.

we-want-the-world-and-we-want-it-now rockers, but Little has found tremendous satisfaction in the scenic route to success. “Basically all the money I made in the studio went back in the studio,” he says. “That’s how I got a little better this and that over the years. I’m at the stage now where I’m really content with my equipment, and I’m not really shopping. Now all the money I make from the studio is going to home improvements and paying the

Every musician begins with a creative spark. That’s one of the main reasons Regions is so committed to supporting the arts in our communities. It’s also why we focus on making banking so easy. You shouldn’t have to sacrifice the fun and excitement of your dreams just to make them come true. So we put our imaginations to work each day, finding the best ways to help you reach your goals. Imagination might not be what you expect from a bank, but maybe we can help change that.

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bills. I hit 50 this year in May. I’m hoping this will be the year when I get out of my day job and just do studio work and occasional live gigs.” That patience and willingness to operate within self-imposed limitations — whether it’s building a business over 20 years or recording music with nothing but instruments, amps and

the whirr of a magnetic tape recorder — leads to its own kind of freedom. It’s the same kind of freedom that can be found locked in the grooves of classic rock ’n’ roll records, recorded with technological limitations, pressed on a permanent, unchanging format, and revealing magic in three minutes or less per song.

“This gear really does one thing — that classic warm sound,” Little says. “You only have 16 tracks so you have to commit to having limitations on what you can do. Everybody that comes in here realizes that. Some people don’t want those limitations, but if you want that tube and tape sound, it’s the only way to get it.”

Alex Chilton, and The Shins. Grimes’ eighties cover band Guilty Pleasures came cartwheeling to life at Slow Bar, as did Gehrke’s own The Bees, since renamed The Silver Seas. Slow Bar closed in 2003, but it lives on both in legend and in the way it shaped East Nashville’s reputation. He’s also made a significant contribution to Bonnaroo: For the last ten years Gehrke has constructed the Hay Bale Studio in the backstage area, where performers record performances for Roo Radio. Gehrke lived in Greece until he was 12, and the time spent there inspired him to open Zavo’s across from Family Wash with his mother and his brother, Niko, in 2009. In spite of terrific reviews, the little Greek restaurant was plagued by zoning issues —not to mention the recession — and closed within a couple years.

These days Gehrke is focusing his efforts on construction, reveling in an East Nashville real estate market where he can scoop up a house for $85,000, renovate it, and resell it for $485,000. He’s currently building a home high atop a hill on Mcferrin Avenue and has plans to start his own development company with a friend. He lives in Madison, though he dreams of getting back to Greece, where he might open a little hotel and “just cook for my guests.” But things in East Nashville are too good to contemplate leaving any time soon. “I’m really happy with what’s going on here,” he says. “It’s good for everybody. We’re world-famous right now. When you say ‘East Nashville’ people all over the country know there’s a difference between East Nashville and just Nashville.” — Ellen Mallernee Barnes

KYN: David Gehrke CO NTI NUED F R OM PAGE 6 7

“Michael had never stepped foot in East Nashville,” says Gehrke. “I told him there was a place called 5 Points and on the corner a place called Shirley’s. I went in there with Michael, and I looked at Shirley and said, ‘OK, how much to buy this bar right now?’ And she looked at me and said, ‘Ten thousand dollars.’ And Mike pulled out his checkbook right there and wrote a check. We stocked it with a bunch of good beer, and it had a jukebox, which we turned into the best jukebox on the planet. I mean — Mike owned a record store. This was before Margot, before Bongo, and everybody was like, ‘Are you guys crazy?’ We literally had to escort people to their cars.” Gehrke built a stage and parked his drum set there, and the onetime “really, really scary” bar became a really, really cool bar and music venue, hosting the likes of Ryan Adams, Patty Griffin,

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marketplace

THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM Jan | Feb 2015

marketplace

When the Best is Required

(615) 262-0011

pianotuningnashville.com

New Location:

NOW on MAIN STREET Proud to help build great new businesses in our community “You’ve Seen Us Around” powellarchitects.com 615.320.5000

Jan | Feb 2015

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marketplace

Jupiter 92

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marketplace

East Nashvilleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Best Kept Secret

*NEW & Pre-Owned Designer Clothing *NEW & Pre-Owned Designer Handbags *NEW Jewelry & Unique Accessories

209S 17th Street

Tues-Fri 12-7, Sat 10-5, Sun-Mon closed

/nattykicky

Jan | Feb 2015

@nattykicky

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The

CUTTING ROOM FLOOR STORIES THAT JUST DIDN’T QUITE MAKE IT

Recently, I decided to do a little investigative reporting. Of interest was an eyebrow-raising sign at 3204 & 1/2 Gallatin Pike. American Legion Post 82 Inglewood. Turkey Shoot! What’s going on down there? I did a bit of Googling. One short paragraph mentioned family fun and bonding over shotguns. I had questions. Are shotguns provided or is it a BYOG situation? Are wild turkeys flapping around and being fired upon at will? Are the wild turkeys I brake for on Brush Hill Road escapees from a firing squad? On three separate occasions, with my editor Chuck along for the ride (just in case the need 94

for an ambulance arose), I attempted to find out for myself. I regret to inform you that we were unsuccessful in our journalistic endeavor. On two Sundays and one Saturday, we were too late for gunplay. Much like Jeff Spicoli in Mr. Hand’s class, we just couldn’t make it on time. Tardiness and shotguns apparently do not mix. We did however find some answers, as well as more questions. The participants are shooting at targets, not turkeys. This was something of a letdown, although first place does take home a frozen turkey. Two signs on the wall of the shotgun shack caught my eye: “No Profanity Allowed. Women Present.” Commendable. The other was

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more troubling: “No sleeve guns.” I don’t know what a sleeve gun is. A Travis Bickle-esque handgun attached to the arm on a spring-loaded track? “You talkin to me?” That’s probably not a bad thing to ban. Adventures such these, even when the ultimate goal remains unfulfilled, do have small rewards. Being skeptical about the acceptance of credit cards on a shooting range, Chuck decided we might need some cash. In line at the ATM, we couldn’t help but notice a decal on the cab window of the pickup truck in front of us. Two ducks pictured peacefully. In between them, simply put, “If it’s flyin’, it’s dyin’.” — Hags

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East of NORMAL TOMMY WOMACK

the condo people

hen you’re coming off of Ellington Parkway down near Spring Street, and you’re at the intersection with Main Street looking across at the convenience mart, there it is on your left. You know what I’m talking about. They’re sprouting like truffles all over town. The condo. It’s quite a structure. I’m not looking at it right now so I can’t give you the architectural chapter and verse, but I recall it being modern looking, chic if you will. Minimalist maybe. European looking perhaps. This is where people live now. And they’re a different kind of people, such as are popping up all over our booming town, on the East Side and the West Side — the condo people. People who live in condos intrigue me. I think they’re different from people in the big apartment complex expanses in Bellevue or off Harding Place. Those places I understand. That’s the sort of place where grad students pool together and share a flat. Those are the places where the pizza gets delivered, and the guy bringing it lives in the next unit. But condos? That’s a different breed living there. Drive by condos and take a peek into the tinted windows on the first floor: the exercise machines, the juice bars. These are worlds unto themselves. They don’t have parking lots. There are magical hidden places where you can put your car and it disappears until you need it, unless of course you’re that most rad of condo people, the type who doesn’t even own a car. I’m a Southerner. Worse yet, I’m from Kentucky. We had yards. And driveways. It’s hard for me to wrap my head around the notion that we are watching a seismic shift in the direction toward city life, where people not only have exercise rooms and juice bars right downstairs, but they’re working jobs that can support a splendid existence, a life of Uber

rides and macchiatos, touring company shows at TPAC and music at the Ryman. They’re working jobs, and I mean serious jobs. I’m a musician. And that means that for 30 years I’ve supplemented my income with shit jobs. It’s the only kind of work I understand. So here are these condo people who grew up in places like California, Chicago and Stuttgart. And they’re going uptown everyday to work in other big buildings, and they talk on the phone all day and make decisions, the kind that seriously affect other peoples’ lives and bank accounts. And they look out a cool window when they do it. I’m not knocking those people. I think the fact that they live among us is cool as hell. Now there is the notion that these buildings are obliterating places where noteworthy shit went down, where music was recorded that changed as many lives as a thousand condo people making decisions every day for a year, and those buildings are replaced with a new cityscape, without plaques to inform passersby what went on at this spot in years before. There is no point in fighting this change. Maybe we can save one old titular building here and there, and that’s a fight worth making, but overall, the condos are going to spring up anyway, because Nashville is growing like a weed, and we can either embrace it and harness it, or bitch about it. In the meantime, I wonder if the jobs condo people have would give me chest pains if I had to work one. I wonder if maybe they sit in their living rooms and channel surf and ponder where their life is headed just like I do. In other words: maybe they’re humans. Maybe you’re the same age I am, and we’re both people who can look at any street on either side of the river, and remember what it looked like before what it looks like now.

—Tommy Womack is a singer-songwriter and a member of Government Cheese, Daddy, and the bis-quits. He is the author of “Cheese Chronicles” and “The Lavender Boys & Elsie.” Visit his website at tommywomack.com and keep up with his popular “Monday Morning Cup of Coffee” series and “Tommy Womack’s Friday Happiness Hour” on EastNashvilleRadio.com. His column “East of Normal” appears in every issue of The East Nashvillian. He is currently working on a memoir and a new Government Cheese record to be released in Spring 2015.

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PARTING SHOT

KIM & SCOTT COLLINS

THE SMOKING FLOWERS PHOTOGRAPHED BY DAVE CARDACIOTTO 98 THEEASTNASHVILLIAN.COM Jan | Feb 2015

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