The reality has really begun to set in for me that we are still in the early stages of the COVID-19 crisis here in the U.S. The idea that even the best guesses mean that we have longer to go under these present conditions than we have experienced so far. Temporary no longer seems like the right word, but this is temporary - just longer-term temporary.
One question on many of our minds is what will the world and our worlds look like at the end of this crisis. That things will change no longer seems the question but rather how will they change. In some ways, I can look upon this change as a good thing - although change - especially radical change - is by its nature frightening. I mean, we have been given this time, and it behooves us all to take the time for deep reflection of what is important and how we might live to best reflect our priorities. Being forced to slow down, to not go out has provided a clarity on somethings.
I already see myself considering things and deciding on some level that they aren't really that important to me, and on the other hand considering my past hesitation to step out boldly on other things - and wondering why I ever let fear stand in my way.
For now, E2TG is still important to me, and I hope it is to some of you. At the beginning of this year, I changed some things about E2TG to better utilize my time. Now, I have been given a chance to reflect upon those changes and see what is working and what isn't. So, expect more changes.
What will not change, for as long as I continue to write E2TG, is my commitment to featuring music that crosses genres with a focus on independent artists and bands. More to come, I am sure...
Well... it's Wednesday and not only that it is November. Which means, we have just two months to go in 2017. The time for the 2017 Earie Awards (3rd Annual) are fast approaching. Watch this space for more details.
I will be hosting a show in January at The Country. Be on the lookout for details.
Well, being Wednesday, we shuffle up all of the songs in my phone's memory. We call it "Wild" Wednesday because...well, because the results are often wild. And because it is like a wildcard. You never know what it will be. Here's today's shuffle.
You know, the world is a great big wonderful, awful, beautiful, ugly, complicated, simple, tranquil, frenetic place. Most days, I am glad to be alive and experiencing it - as a person who matches many of the qualities I just ascribed to the world. That's all.
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I am still getting goosebumps thinking about last night's Week 3 of the E2TG Residency. Thanks to everyone who made it out - we had a great crowd. Sergio Webb was wonderful, David Olney was the towering and entertaining performer as always. When Sergio joined David Olney on stage for the first time in almost a year and a half, the results were magical! What a way to celebrate six years of Ear to the Ground!
Oh! And a big thanks to Adeem the Artist for some shout-outs that helped the E2TG Facebook Page reach 1,000 "Likes"!
Next week, the residency continues... And we have a good one for you! The fine human beings from Cafe Rooster Records will joining us! That is Sally Jaye, Brian Wright, Darrin Bradbury, and the rapidly healing Jon Latham! Plus special guest Rorey Carroll! May 24, The 5 Spot, $5, 6pm!
Thursdays we pick a topic and shuffle up songs that fit that topic. For our 6th Anniversary, I created a large playlist of artists who have been featured on E2TG over the years. Here is today's shuffle....
Wow! The days seem to be flying by of late... The anniversary show will be here before I know it! So much to do, so little time...
A lot on my mind, I kind of feel another of those long, multi-subject posts coming on.. kind of the state of my mind address/manifesto...
Kind of sort of non-music related, but I went to an art talk last night at The Red Arrow Gallery in East Nashville. The talk was between Joe Nolan (who besides being an excellent songwriter/singer also writes about art) and Lindsy Davis. Lindsy's incredible show at Red Arrow is closing this weekend, so if you are in Nashville go see it. (Just to make a connection for you) Lindsy also happens to be the creator of the "Bob" image from Darrin Bradbury's album The Story of Bob (which I use as my profile picture on Facebook). So, see it does relate to music... Anyway, the talk was illuminating and inspiring and seems to have set off some creative sparks for me personally.
So, the moral of all this is to say, go out and explore some art. Even if you don't think of yourself as an "art" person, go to an art talk (if possible one with Joe Nolan) and listen and take in the art with an open mind and open heart. Art (visual, musical, verbal, whatever) is an important part of the fabric of our world. As governments cut funding and society tries to marginalize true art (while elevating people who almost literally do nothing), art endures and it is vital and needs to be supported.
Coming down off my soapbox - it is Friday. Featured stuff coming up...
Let's face it. The world is a scary place, however, the antidote for the very natural fear is always love. Music heals. Even, as it was Friday, a musical event was a target... music still has the power to heal. Above all, I invite and encourage everyone - regardless of ideologies or political leanings to avoid knee-jerk reactions (which are almost always based upon fear of some kind) and take a breath and wait for facts to become clear.
Here at E2TG, our job is to bring you music from the sublime to the silly to the serious. Think of our little playlist as a respite from whatever it is that you need a respite from.....
Friday night began with a visit to one of my favorite weekly events - I dare say it is one of Nashville's hidden gems (hidden in plain sight). Tim Carroll has been playing a weekly Rock and Roll Happy Hour at The 5 Spot for a long time. What you get: a casual and fun atmosphere, great music from Tim and his band along with Luella, No Cover (Tips welcome and encouraged), and 1/2 priced drinks from 6-8. The music usually goes from 6-8:30 and the band does not take a break. It is a superb way to start your Friday night plans.
After that - this week, I headed to the Basement East to see Sam Outlaw open for an ultra rare reunion of Bare Jr. Sam Outlaw was awesome (and he was joined by a long time #E2TG favorite Shelly Colvin). Bare Jr. quite simply rocked the house. Delivering their entire album, Boo-Tay - they closed the night with an epic mash-up of The Cars' "My Best Friend's Girl" and The Who's "Baba O'Riley". It was loud and raucous and man was it fun.
Sunday Night found me back at "The Beast" for another edition of East Nashville Songwriter's Club. This time with Sally Jaye, Zach Schmidt, and the one and only David Olney. It was an awesome evening of music.
Then, I headed over to The Building - possibly for the last time before that great space closes. Kira Hooks, Tom Schreck, and Yosi Mesbah offered up prime examples of the diversity of talent in this very vibrant local music scene.
Kind of a low-key weekend. Got to hang out with some of the folks from Nashville's newest radio station: WXNA-LPFM on Saturday, and I picked up my t-shirt and tote bag. Things seem to be rolling along. The studio will be in the former location of Thirty Tigers above Grimey's and The Basement.
Last night, I went to the Basement East where East Nashville Songwriters Club made their debut in the new location with sets by Allen Thompson, Jay Rutherford (of Los Colognes) and Elise Davis. Cool night of music!
Speaking of cool... the temperatures were in the 30s this morning. Which makes the first song of the shuffle appropriate even is weather isn't exactly what the song is about.
I'm not sure what it is about round numbers... zero is a round number. We all seem to like lots of zeros. Why zero? Why not nine? or eight? Ah well, who am I to blow against the wind?
So this is post number 1000* for Ear to the Ground. Quite a milestone, I suppose, and I am really thankful for everyone who has read, shared, commented over the years. I am been introduced to a lot of great music and met a bunch of really awesome people as a result of this blog. I certainly did not expect that happen when I began. I mean I hoped someone, somewhere would read theses rambling posts, but it has been a great ride so far.
*1000 posts on Blogger. The first six or seven months of Ear to the Ground were on Posterous. A few entries were cross-posted but some were not.
Ear to the Ground is for one thing, a way for me to share my experiences with the music of my life. From the beginning, I knew that I could not cover all of the music being made - that I would not compete with the Brand-X music blogs with their top ten lists and clickbait headlines... In my daily shuffle, I strive to keep a good mix of old and new music from a variety of genres and movements.
I cannot really say for sure why music has become such an important part of my life. I just remember the joy of discovery I experienced when music like Velvet Underground or The Jam or The Clash or Bob Dylan or Bruce Springsteen first came into my consciousness. Music is filled with connections and if you follow those connections you often are lead down rabbit holes and find yourself in places you never could have expected. I think life can be like that, too. I hope I never lose that spirit of discovery - again. I lost it once, and I was lucky enough to have it revived.
Been in a nostalgic mood... last night I took the Music City Roots bus from The 5 Spot in East Nashville to The Factory in Franklin for a special Music City Roots show. It was a benefit from Tommy Womack who was seriously injured in an automobile accident earlier this year. The show was filled with iconic figures from the Nashville Rock music world that I first experienced (from the perimeter) back in the mid to late 1980s. Dan Baird opened his set with "Keep Your Hands to Yourself" which became a massive hit single for Baird's old band, The Georgia Satellites. Beginning in February 1985 and ending sometime in early 1993, I kept a journal which basically would have probably been a blog or at least a Livejournal in a later time. Just random thoughts, and I quoted song lyrics quite often. From the moment I first heard, "Keep Your Hands to Yourself" - it made it's way into my brain and I quoted it often in my journal. It was almost surreal watching the song move from this (sort of) local college radio song to the top part of the nationwide singles charts. Dan's set included material from his brand new record as well as a way too cover of Springsteen's "Johnny 99" from Nebraska - which by the way was the first album I ever bought on CD.
Webb Wilder - so many great shows over the years, and his set was filled with songs from his brand new album. Will Kimbrough - I remember a sput-of -the-moment drive to Nashville with my friend Boyd to see Will's old band Will and the Bushmen. I remember Bill Lloyd joining them on stage that night. Lloyd was there, too last night.
Jason and the Scorchers tore up the stage and 30 something years later - Jason Ringenberg and Warner Hodges still defy gravity and still careen around the stage like an out of control whirling dervish. I first saw the Scorchers live almost exactly 30 years (give or take a few weeks) ago, and "Broken Whiskey Glass" still gets me every time.
So - let's get on with our shuffle for post number 1000. It isn't a shuffle of a specially prepared playlist.. like almost all of my posts - the music player shuffle picked the tunes and placed them in a certain order... and here we go.
"The Return of Jimi Hendrix" by The Waterboys
I love music that references other artists and their music. I love songs that are about dreams. I love The Waterboys and I love Jimi Hendrix. This song is from The Waterboys 1993 album Dream Harder and the version I heard was from the 2005 live album Karma to Burn.
"The Old and the Young" by Midlake
Midlake are a folk band from Denton Texas. This song is from their fourth and most recent studio album Antiphon.
"All Along the Watchtower" by The Jimi Hendrix Experience
Speaking of Hendrix... the recording I heard was from the Atlanta Pop Festival in 1970. Bob Dylan has indicated that when he plays this song (which Dylan wrote) he performs it as a cover of the Hendrix version.
"Enjoy the Rise" by Saint Cole
We have a sneak peak of from forthcoming album Within the Skin from this electronic dance/indie pop band from the UK. Great sounding, accessible electronic music.
"Waterfalls" by Crow and the Canyon
Crow and the Canyon are an acoustic folk band from Portland, Oregon. I love this song.
"Hoka Hey" by Dan Martin
We close out this milestone post with the opening and title track off the current album by Oklahoma musician Dan Martin. Maybe my favorite song on the album, and I dig all the songs from Hoka Hey - the album.
14 Years... I have read some really powerful things today about THAT day. What I remember is some sense of unity... if nothing else, for a moment or moments, many of us were united... if in nothing else, then in fear and confusion and uncertainty. In degrees and over time, that unity has mostly dissipated... into conspiracy theories and feelings about the events that followed about the need for security vs. the importance of freedom. I was at work, and getting my news in fits and starts on a slow internet connection and the radio.
What I remember... I was taking part in an drama workshop put on by the Parks Department. Of the course of the workshop, we learned acting techniques, but our main goal was to create an original production which would then perform. If I recall correctly, the second class was on September 11, 2001. The class was held as scheduled, though I remember thinking it might be cancelled, and we spent much of that class talking about what had happened. It was a pretty diverse group of people and there were a variety of different feelings being expressed, and of course, the day ended up greatly shaping the production we created. Our production included adaptions of Brecht's The Good Person of Szechwan and Beckett's Waiting for Godot - as well as some other elements - all subtly adapted to speak to the events of 9/11/2001.
I don't know what THE lesson of that day is supposed to be... maybe it's still too soon, or maybe there is not one lesson. For me, today at least, I am going to try to remember how fragile life can be and make the most of every moment and treat people with as much kindness as I can. I will probably fall short of that... I probably already have... but I am going to keep trying.
