Man this sure is an interesting time to be alive. Interesting is a good word because it is kind of neutral. Things being interesting may be good or they maybe bad or maybe just interesting. The thing is, I am of the philosophy that we cannot really ever know in the moment if something is good or bad. Meaning that we don't know the bigger picture. Something happens which we view as bad, but as a result of that thing - something else happens (or doesn't happen) which we then interpret to be a good thing. But even then, we don't really know...
All that to say, that for today, I am choosing to just take in all of the "interesting" things, to act and/or speak when I feel I must, but to stop trying to pretend I know everything or actually much of anything...
I will hopefully have some exciting announcements soon. Ironing out the final details of the June Anniversary Residency at The 5 Spot, and I hope to have a show announcement soon for April. And who knows what else.
Meanwhile, it is Wednesday - the day we get "Wild" at E2TG. Actually, we get wild everyday, but Wednesday, we shuffle from all the songs on my phone - so you never know what will come up... so it's like a wildcard. Thus, Wild Wednesday!
Last night, I got a good and much needed dose of rock and roll- checking out Snakehips and Smoky White Devils at The 5 Spot.
Tonight is the long awaited CD release show for Rayvon Pettis' Dying Light album. I am pretty sure I wrote about this album last year, and I got to hear a preview several months back. I am so excited for people to hear this album.
So, I have one Earie to give out before we get to the shuffle. Over the course of this year, I have found myself reading about what my friends are up to and saying, "Man, they are killing it!" And yes this happens a lot with musical performers but as often it has been people in other fields (closely or loosely or completely connected to music) (music is kind of a big part of my life). So, I have several winners of the "Killing It"* award. This is not an exhaustive list, but all of these folks are infinitely deserving.
1. Hayden Coleman (and not just because I accidentally tagged him in yesterday's post) - I have featured Hayden's own music several times in the past. He is a hip-hop producer and a rapper - who has been immersed in that world for much of his life. In 2017, Coleman has been busy as a producer, co-writer, and guest performer. Most notably (perhaps) on Morgan Bosman's cool track "Runaway". Check out the video where Hayden can be seen running...
2. Lindsy Davis - I met Lindsy - as I did so many people - through Darrin Bradbury. You may recall she drew the cover image for Bradbury's The Story of Bob" album. You member the devilishly handsome man on the cover. That, though, is just the tip of her talents. She is an extraordinary visual artist, this year she ventured into tattoo artistry. For me, she is inspiring in the way she has carved out a niche for herself in this town and continues to chip away and grow that niche.
3. Stacie Huckeba - To be honest, Stacie used to kind of scare me, but that was probably more about me than her. I know that Stacie has had a difficult year, but through that, she has managed to continue to kick ass as a photographer, writer, advocate, and just generally all around awesome person. She is up for East Nashvillian of the Year - which I think she richly deserves, but I don't get to vote on that one (as far as I know), but I get all the votes on the Earies.
4. Chad Cochran - I had been aware of Chad's photography - mostly his art photography of incredible landscapes - for a couple of years. I think I followed him on Instagram before I ever met him. He still produces some of the most visually stunning landscape photographs I have ever seen, but in 2017 (and before) he has been killing it with his photos of musical performers - both on and off stage.
All of these folks motivate me to do more, and I am happy to know them.
*I know some people hate the phrase "killing it" (and to be honest, my use is somewhat ironic but I mean it with the utmost respect and admiration)
Okay - on we go to the shuffle and perhaps a few more Earies...
Well, it's Monday, the world is screw-up, life is hard, and hope is fleeting. But, it's December, and time for the 3rd Annual E2TG "Earie" Awards. "The Earies, they sound strange but they're really not".
For the uninitiated, the "Earie" awards are my annual chance to give kudos to the musicians and others who made my year better. Unlike, the Brand X awards, at the Earies, we don't mess around with nominees, our categories are... um... non-standard, and the eligibility period is liquid and determined solely by me.
As we did last year, we are going to embed many of the awards into the shuffles. The awards will continue throughout December and culminate in the awarding of the "Golden Earie" awards for band(s) and artist(s) of the year.
Much love! The WXNA Fall Pledge Drive 2017 is going well! If you haven't pledged yet, there is still time. Go to wxnafm.org to make a quick and easy donation (either one-time gift or an automatic monthly pledge).
If you want to talk to one of our fantastic volunteer DJs, you can donate by calling (615) 933-9962. I will be answering phones tonight from 10-11pm during Born in a Barn.
It's Thursday, so we go back to the "New Music" playlist to see what is "Trending" on E2TG!
Well - the Great American Eclipse is over... From my vantage point, we had quite a bit of cloud cover. It broke enough to see several points of the waning sun, but we missed seeing the totality. I feel fortunate, though, that I had read something about being attuned to everything going on... so for the two minutes of totality, I noticed the decrease in temperature, I was amazed by the "sunset" effect, and the sounds of cicadas.
Kind of appropriately, I went to the Basement East last night for a tribute to Darkness on the Edge of Town and other Springsteen songs. I have mixed feelings, overall, about tribute shows in general. I think sometimes that there are too many of them, and that I, personally, would rather see original artists doing their own songs. But, I do recognize the economics for venues like The Basement East, and the unfortunate reality that more people attend these type of shows than original music shows. I do also understand from talking to my friends who do these shows that there is a tremendous lift from finding common musical ground with other artists and in collaborating with musicians that you may not otherwise get to work with.
All that being said, the tribute shows I have seen at The Basement East have all been top-notch and loads of fun, and last night's show was one of the best. For starters, the band sounded amazing. Of all the shows like this I have seen, there were probably more singers I was not familiar with vs. those I knew. But, I really didn't care so much because everyone nailed their songs and the songs were the stars. Shout out to Andrew Leahey, Scott McMahan, Lilly Hiatt, Becky Warren, Mary Bragg, and Jon Latham (who stole the show - as he often does).
I could of bits of unsolicited advise from me... make sure you clearly introduce each performer. I know I am a bit of an anomaly, but when I see someone at these shows, and I enjoy their performance, I want to know more about what their own music is like. At the recent John Prine tribute, Jerry Pentecost not only introduced each artist but also plugged their latest album.
That reminds of another bit of unsolicited advice for artists in general: if you have a new (or fairly recent) release or project - and you have a Facebook Page - that project should be front and center on your page. Cover photo, pinned post etc. I don't know how often I will be writing about a song in my shuffle - and think - what's the name of the album or when is it going to be/was it released - only to go to the artist/band page and have to scroll down several posts to find the information. As I said, I am an anomaly - most casual listeners will not work that hard.
All righty then - enough with advice... it's all offered with love and admiration for the incredible talent that I am fortunate to experience daily. - It is Tuesday and time for our Trending Tuesday shuffle - new and newish music...
As a microcosm of what life is... the last few days have been filled with moments of pure joy while simultaneous grieving for friends and friends of friends who are suffering through unspeakable loss and pain and suffering. My hearts go out those who are facing some devastating and difficult times. My heart also goes out to those who are experiencing joy and moments of triumph. Life is and will always be filled with both.
I have been trying to ride my current good mood to getting some stuff done that I have put off for too long during some periods of less than good news. This often puts me at odds with myself - in that when I am in a good mood, I tend to want to get out and see people. Overall, this is a most excellent "problem" to have and much better than the days when I don't want to do anything at all.
Americana Fest just announced their full line-up. As it tends to be, the week is kind of like typical Nashville on steroids. Every year, though, the steroids seem to be just a little bit stronger. The list is a wonderful sampling of friends and heroes, and heroes who have become friends.... It's all less than two months away.
It is Tuesday, and on Tuesday we shuffle out of our "New Music" playlist... and we call it Trending Tuesday - because... well just because...
Hmm... I'm just not feeling like a commentary today... maybe it's the heat. Maybe it's just life... whatever... ah more time for the music... music is a constant for me. Hot, cold, good moods, bad moods... music is a balm, it makes me think sometimes, it makes me dance sometimes, it makes me nostalgic sometimes...
Today is Tuesday so we dive into the "New Music" playlist for our Trending Tuesday Shuffle....
Alright, I am back after the Fourth of July holiday. Back to the reality that the United States of America is deeply divided. This divide did not start with the election of the current resident of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, but it has gotten worse. The thing is, I don't think "united" is the context of the USA means that everyone agrees... the fact is there is a deep and fundamental disconnect between Americans as to how we see the world. Is this the fault of the media or the two party system or the information age? Probably. What is the solution? I don't have a clue. The saying goes united we stand, divided we fall. Many, myself, included, wonder how far the current administration needs to go before the vast majority of Americans will say enough is enough and at least be united on that front? Does such a threshold exist? The pessimist in me, says if that mark has not yet been made, then it may not be made.
So... for my part, just for today, I am choosing love over fear. I am going to fight as hard as I can for the most vulnerable among us. I am going to #Resist and #Persist for as long as I must - for as long as I breathe.
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As promised, we are continuing to shuffle from the "New Music" playlist. Wednesday's are normally "Wild Wednesdays" on E2TG, and I think this shuffle is sufficiently "Wild" to qualify.
