Archives for category: Country Music

The August CD Release Party at Douglas Corner Cafe

May 2, 2011 //

Photo / Julia Zave

Saturday May 7^{th at} 9 PM The August with Jacky Dustin upfront doing crowd control, will be raising the roof and rattling the dishes at Douglas Corner Cafe in support of their recent Rockin’ Chicago- Country- Nashville Roots effort.

The August, who came down from the windy city to Nashville in search of musical dreams has recently finished a 7 song EP produced by Chris Donohue (Bassist with Emmylou Harris) and Stephen Leiweke (owner of Yackland Studio) in East Nashville.

“Dear Chicago, Love Chicago” is a tribute to the hometown while most of the tracks can be considered straight up Nashville with a more Americana feel.

A local crowd favorite sing-a-long, “This is My Place” from the new CD will get things going.

– Brad Hardisty, Nashville, TN thenashvillebridge@homail.com

Categories Americana Music, Chris Donohue, Country Music, Douglas Corner Cafe, Stephen Leiweke, The August, Yackland Studio

Rolling Stone: Nashville – Best Music Scene

April 24, 2011 //

Jimi Hendrix in Nashville

Word hit the street over the last two weeks like a brush fire in New Mexico: Rolling Stone wrote in print and on the net, Nashville has the best music scene in the country. I haven’t even read it yet because it is in the subscriber content on the web, but, I believe it to be true.

What was the turning point? The Kings of Leon? I don’t really think so. The Kings of Leon had to go over to England to become big in the U.S., kind of like Jimi Hendrix, in fact Jimi was gigging up on Jefferson Street with Billy Cox and The King Kasuals for just a little scratch and room and board just a couple of years before he went to the U.K.

Paramore? Well, giving a little credit to a younger scene was a good thing when they were signed to Fueled by Ramen (sort of) yet there is no scene of bands trying to sound like Paramore around Nashville so it is its own thing.

Just a couple of years ago, Nashville was licking its wounds when Be Your Own Pet and The Pink Spiders, especially The Pink Spiders who went in with guns loaded and a Ric Okasek Produced album and an Artist Relations war chest were unable to break big.

Was it when Jack White moved Third Man Records down to Nashville, that is definitely a key piece to being Rolling Stone cool, with new 45’s by regionals being released almost on a Sam Phillip’s Sun Records schedule along with concert events that are showstoppers like the Record Store Day plus one Jerry Lee Lewis concert featuring Steve Cropper and Jim Keltner.

Okay, Jack White has given it the one two punch by introducing past icons to new generations like Loretta Lynn’s Van Lear Rose Grammy award winning album with Loretta standing in front of the East Nashville house where it was recorded. How about when Porter Wagoner opened for The White Stripes at Madison Square Garden? Who would have known that Porter’s final call would be an outstanding album, The Wagonmaster and a gig opening for The White Stripes?

Maybe, that was key in making sure that real icons are represented like Wanda Jackson’s great new album on Third Man Records. Jack is definitely not just looking behind but is really tuned into the ether. I was excited to see Dan Sartain, a part of the same Birmingham scene I was in for a number of years cut some vinyl on Third Man Records. Dan opened up for The White Stripes on several dates a few years ago and my friend Emanuel Elinas who made some guitar pedals for me down at Highland Music in Birmingham talked about playing Bass with Dan Sartain and going bowling with Jack and his Mom. How cool is that?

In fact, when I saw the band on the flip side of the Dan Sartain 45 and Matt Patton was there, I was really happy about what was happening. Matt and a few others had put out some of the best Indie music in Birmingham that I have ever heard. Matt had this band called Model Citizen and their CD, The Inner Fool, produced by Tim Boykin (The Lolas, The Shame Idols, Carnival Season) on Bent Rail Foundation is one of my all time favorites. Matt is getting recognition with Tuscaloosa, Alabama’s The Dexateens now.

I tell you what; let’s get down to ground zero. When we talk about Todd Snider and the East Nashville scene we are getting close, but, let’s get down to one album and one artist. Okay, I am going to say the transition came when Nashville got behind one of its own in 2008. When Justin Townes Earle got signed to Bloodshot Records and released The Good Life both weekly music papers got behind with big in depth articles about how Justin got to that point. The Good Life is a classic album out of left field but it really represented what Nashville was known for, good songwriting, a little rock and roll, a little country with a nod to the past and to the future of Americana.

At that time, you could hang with Justin over at The Basement, but with extensive touring and a prolific three years, Justin is well established and still with indie cred enough where I can still turn people onto his music as something new.

Justin was recognized at The Americana Music Awards in Nashville in 2009 the year before Rolling Stone called the Americana Music Festival the coolest festival in the U.S. In fact 2010 would be the no holds barred year when Warner Brothers would finally release American Bang’s CD. Robert Plant would record Band of Joy in East Nashville with an Americana A-List including Buddy Miller and Darrell Scott and be the surprise guest at The Americana Music Awards.

The 2010 Americana Music Festival was a real eye opener when you had The Long Players, Bobby Keyes, Dan Baird and a laundry list doing Exile on Main Street at The Cannery Ballroom, Hayes Carll at The Basement, with people coming from Australia just to see him play and a festival closer with Todd Snider and an all-star band featuring Don Was on Bass, with a grin and looking somewhat like Slash’s older brother.

Don Was got in the game this year when he produced Lucinda Williams (a Nashville alumnus) new Cd, Blessed. Did it start at The Americana Music Festival with an exchange of phone numbers backstage at The Rhyman? Only they know for sure, but Nashville is becoming a ground zero magnet for much more than Popular Country Music Radio songs and Christian Music.

There had to be a change. The music business had changed and Nashville has changed along with that. Instead of twenty major labels in town, there are now five. The rest are Indie Country, Rock, whatever.

Coming to Nashville to be a hit songwriter may be a goal for a lot of people, but, getting a staff writing gig is becoming really difficult and less lucrative. Back in 2007-2008, we talked about how a songwriter with good songs getting signed to a publisher with maybe a 25-35k draw now going for 18-24k and the need for a day job for many. Also, one of the larger publishers had in the past as many as 135 staff writers and was then down to Thirty five.

I know for a fact things are much worse for that dream with less staff writers, less money and less records being sold. The dream is still there, but, now you need to get lucky and find a new face with a great voice and the potential to get signed and start co-writing before some money starts flowing.

In early 2008, I could go to The Commodore Grill and see an endless supply of new songwriting talent for the Country Music Industry, but, with less staff gigs and the economy in the tank, less people are rolling into Nashville with an acoustic guitar and lyrics in the guitar case. In fact, it really is a trickle compared to just three years ago. Also, many of the writers that are coming into town have Dave Matthews, Jason Mraz or Jack Johnson chops and are not really what the Country Music Industry is looking for.

On the other hand, the Indie Rock and Americana scenes are ripe for development. Vinyl is making a comeback with this crowd and United Record Pressing is right here where it always was. Colored vinyl, short runs, whatever you need with local labels like Third Man Records and Nashville’s Dead Records, United Pressing is back to increasing production and essentially back in the game.

The song publishing and royalty distribution infrastructure is realigning in Nashville with changes in staff announced publicly last year at ASCAP and I am sure accommodations are coming with a paradigm shift to handle multiple styles now in the pipeline.

Grimey’s New and Pre-Loved Music is probably the most famous record store in the country now, maybe second to Amoeba’s out on the West Coast. It’s not enough that Indie bands make in-store appearances. Metallica made a little short announced gig for fans at The Basement below Grimey’s in 2008 before their Bonnaroo appearance and released the whole experience as Live at Grimey’s worldwide in 2010. Now all the gloves are off.

If you are a music lover, archivist, etc. in a world with disappearing Record stores, Nashville not only has Grimey’s, but also, Phonoluxe Records, The Great Escape, The Groove and plenty of other outlets for local as well as rare Cd’s and vinyl.

Look what is going on at Thirty Tigers Indie Distribution and their great success over the last couple of years.

Belmont University is turning out Music and Music Business degrees every year and a lot of students want to stay here and not necessarily go into the Country Music Machine. They have their own ideas from the scenes they came from whether it was in California or New York.

Bands like The Black Keys and The Deadstring Brothers are migrating here. Even though Music Row still has a big chunk of the day to day business great records are being made in East Nashville, Blackbird Studio and Buddy Miller’s living room.

With the advent of a studio in a gig bag, Indie artists can make records anywhere and with cheap housing and a plethora of like minded musicians gathering in what really is now becoming truly Music City it only makes sense to live and work here, especially when gas is going for near $5 a gallon. Why not be close to all the blessings that come with a great music talent smorgasbord.

Speaking of food, you don’t want to leave Austin because of Texas Barbecue? Okay at least try Jack’s and Rooster’s Texas Style BBQ and Steak House on 12^th. I promise you won’t be disappointed. You want California style Mexican Food? Go to Oscar’s Taco Shop on Nolensville and in Franklin. Thai? Thai Star. Vietnamese? Far East Nashville. Indian? Tamarind. New York Style Italian? Are you kidding? Maffiozas or the place at the Arcade. Okay, so you can’t get Hawaiian Plate BBQ here yet, but, there is plenty to explore. We could still use an In and Out Burger.

Okay, back to music. Country is going through a lot of changes. The ripple of the Taylor Swift explosion that Big Machine Records put into motion are still being felt, being one of the only Platinum Recording Artists in the new digital era, as well as outside pressures from Texas Charts, the Red Dirt scene and T-Bone Burnett Produced masterpieces that can’t be denied.

Country even has its own street cred in Nashville with bands like Kort who are local but signed over in England as well as Indie Singer / Songwriter Caitlin Rose and Country spun Those Darlins. Even Charlie Louvin, who as part of The Louvin Brothers can take some credit for inspiring The Everly Brothers and therefore The Beatles harmonies, got his Indie cred with The Battle Rages On that was released on Austin’s Chicken Ranch Records. I can say I got to see two Midnight Jamboree tapings and get his autograph on an early Louvin Brothers recording before he passed into immortality.

So what about Nashville’s own Indie scene? Heypenny, Jeff The Brotherhood, Cheer Up Charlie Daniels, Uncle Skeleton, Pujol, Heavy Cream (kind of Karen-O fronting a better looking MC5), Todd Snider, John Carter Cash, The Coolin System, The Deep Fried 5 and a laundry list playing at places like The Basement, The End, Danzig’s House, Exit/In, The Rutledge, Mercy Lounge and a house party near you.

How could Rolling Stone not call Nashville the best Music Scene in the country? It is a multi pronged Country, Alt-Country, Americana, Bluegrass, Newgrass, Folk, roots, rock, funkified attack on your senses.

It’s one of those places you could actually plan a week of your life to check out bands as well as pick up a new Nudie or Katy K suit. A place where you might find Joe Maphis’ old Mosrite double neck or the Bass player from Cinderella’s vintage Precision Bass on sale on Craigslist.

You may never win over Nashville, but, it’s a good place to write, do your business and go to the Third Sunday at Third pot luck at Doak Turner’s house in Nashville. Maybe it doesn’t have a burgeoning Death Metal scene but it does have The Billy Block Show. When the sun is out you can’t deny how beautiful Nashville is. Where else can “Bless Your Little Heart” actually mean, I don’t give a ****.

Nashville is a great place to throw your guitar case in the corner and call home.

There are several trackbacks links for your viewing pleasure.

– Brad Hardisty, Nashville, TN thenashvillebridge@hotmail.com

Categories American Bang, Americana Music, Americana Music Festival, Band of Joy, Billy Cox, Birmngham Alabama, Bloodshot Records, Buddy Miller, Caitlin Rose, Cannery Ballroom, Carnival Season, Charlie Louvin, Cheer up Charlie Daniels, Chicken Ranch Records, Commodore Grill, Country Music, Darrell Scott, Debi Champion, Doak Turner, East Nashville, Grimey's, Hayes Carll, Heavy Cream, Heypenny, Indie Rock, Jack White, Jeff the Brotherhood, Jimi Hendrix, John Carter Cash, Justin Townes Earle, Kort, Lolas, Lucinda Williams, Model Citizen, Music, Music City Roots, Music Row, Nashville, Next Big Nashville 2010, Paramore, Pujol, Robert Plant, Rock Music, Shame Idols, T Bone Burnett, The Coolin System, The Deep Fried 5, The End Nashville, The King Kasuals, The Mercy Lounge, The Rutledge Nashville, Third Man Records, Those Darlins, Tim Boykin, Todd Snider, Uncategorized, Uncle Skeleton, Wanda Jackson

Garth Brooks Historic Run at Bridgestone

December 20, 2010 //

Garth Brooks 2nd show 10pm crowded entry

Just weeks after Nashville Scene had published its best shows of 2010 list where Paul McCartney took top honors, Garth Brooks, who had not played an arena show in town since 1998, shattered tickets sales records, 140, 000, with nine shows sold out in four hours and spread across five days at Bridgestone.

Garth came to town to do his part for flood relief along with his original band, every member from the shows that played arenas in the 90’s made it for the night as the Country Star who sold 100 million records in 10 years and set a new standard of what was possible for Country crossover did a “best of” show to a sing along crowd and raised closed to 4 million dollars for The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee.

(Photo: Dipti Vaidya/Tennessean Staff )

This was a full production that was also being filmed for broadcast on the Armed Forces Network and the crowd benefitted from a multi angle camera production that was broadcast on several screens in the arena. Garth made note that “You’ve done your part, now we are going to do our part” before going into a greatest hits night that featured guest spots by his wife Trisha Yearwood and Steve Wariner who had won a Grammy for his Chet Atkins tribute album just a year ago.

Garth had just come out of retirement a year ago playing a show in Vegas that features him on acoustic guitar and a stool, with no backup band. As Garth says, getting back to where it all started. Not only was this the first Arena show in Nashville since 1998 but it was the first show with his original band.

Songwriter Sam Cooper/Mrs. Cooper/Mother first time from New Jersey

I was invited by a record executive who happened to have a spare ticket left to caravan with a group of songwriters and family to the second show. I had not seen a crowd that nuts since the first time I saw Van Halen. The entire audience was on their feet for almost the entire show singing along to every song.

It was Garth’s 10:00 late show the first night on Thursday and if he was worn out from the first set he didn’t show it other than maybe breaking a sweat now and then. Rolling through hit after hit, Garth not only made eye contact but interacted several times with the audience. At one point, he grabbed a camera from a fan up front and took pictures of the audience and his band before giving it back.

Crank it up/Full Video Production at Monitor Board

If this was meant to be a return to the stage, it was enough to land front page articles not only by local press, but from Rolling Stone, Billboard and every major press across the country. There were several well written pieces out the next couple of days.

Country Music fans are now used to Arena sized Country shows put on by Kenny Chesney, Brad Paisley. Taylor Swift and Rascal Flatts but this was the artist that started it all with his blend of singer/songwriter style that blended country with influences from James Taylor to Billy Joel. Garth figured out how to do “Arena Rock” size shows almost 20 years ago with high wire acts and smashing acoustic guitars.

Garth at Bridgestone Arena December 2010

Garth was in his element, walking around the entire 360 stage, egging on the audience and spotlighting band members as the night rolled toward the finishers “Friends in Low Places”, which has become his “Honky Tonk Women” as well as the song he wished he was known by “The Dance” finished out the night.

In a year where several major stars returned to do huge shows to benefit those who suffered most in the historic floods in May this was the icing on the cake. Now getting back to Paul McCartney, yes it was legendary that Paul played in Nashville for the first time. Paul has been playing a lot of second tier markets this go around. He also played Coachella for the first time in 2009. Those who know Nashville history know that Paul wrote “Juniors Farm” after staying at a Nashville area farm laying low one summer with Wings and the family.

Now back to Garth, as a personal triumph, this was as important as the Central Park Concert or playing at The Dallas Cowboys stadium. What started out as an offer to play a show turned out to be an avalanche of positive response with ticket buyers as far away as Canada to see Garth with the full band. Not bad for a member of “The Class of ‘89”.

Note*** First photos from my new HTC EVO 4G, we shall see…

– Brad Hardisty, Nashville, TN thenashvillebridge@hotmail.com

Categories Country, Country Music, Garth Brooks, Rolling Stone, Steve Wariner, Trisha Yearwood

Year in Music and My Top Ten 2010

December 7, 2010 //

A year in Exile

If there was any kind of recurrent theme this year, The Rolling Stones kept popping up on the radar. It started when I bought the Deadstring Brothers album Sao Paulo an obvious well done Stones influenced work of art. It would be in my Top Ten if it had come out in 2010 but it actually was released in 2009. It is a great album and when I saw them live at The Basement it came across really well.

It didn’t stop there; Exile on Main Street had been remastered with bonus tracks where The Stones actually brought in Mick Taylor to play his parts on some unfinished tracks. The Rolling Stones released a new single “Plundered My Soul” from the found tracks and released several versions of the album.

Grimey’s did a midnight screening of the Documentary Stones in Exile that took photographs, film, new interviews with the band as well as Bobby Keyes and others about recording Exile on Main Street in the south of France way back when at The Belcourt Theatre. “Exile” is now considered a pivotal record but at the time “Tumbling Dice” was considered a difficult single on a rather un-commercial record.

During the Americana Conference the Long Players augmented with Stones Sax Player Bobby Keyes, Dan Baird and several singers like Mike Farris, Grace Potter and others did the entire album live at The Cannery Ballroom.

The Theatre release Ladies and Gentlemen The Rolling Stones which was filmed during the Exile promotional tour in the States was remastered and released on DVD in the fall. The set featured many of the songs from Exile that are not played much by latter day Stones such as “Sweet Virginia”. The sound and film looked phenomenal and it was good to see Mick Taylor at his best, an integral part of The Stones during that period and in truth is really missed nowadays.

Finally, to finish off the year of The Stones, Keith Richard’s Autobiography Life was released in November along with a compilation of his X-Pensive Winos recordings from the late Eighties. The Rolling Stones managed to keep in the music news almost as much as Taylor Swift.

Original cover for Straight Up

It also seemed to be the year for catalog re-releases as Apple Records remastered most of the Apple back catalog of non-Beatles recordings by Badfinger, Mary Hopkins, James Taylor and released all of them at the same time.

FnA Records continued to not only re-release 80’s metal catalog but also unearthed several recordings that were set to release but never were by labels such as A&M and Geffen when the Seattle scene took over. There were several recordings by different artists from The Thirteenth Floor Elevators 45’s to Carnival Season vinyl that saw their material released on CD for the first time.

Janie Hendrix continues exquisite releases of all things Jimi Hendrix with the release of West Coast Seattle Boy that not only has yet another Bob Dylan song done by Hendrix but goes back to the background of what he was doing before going to England with expanded packages that include a disc full of Isley Brothers and other nuggets, pre-Experience as well as a DVD Voodoo Child that even talks about his Nashville days.

Country continues to sell big, but real, traditional or Texas Country has been swallowed up by the Americana scene. At least it has found a home. As far as innovation in current pop country the last leap forward was Miranda Lambert’s Revolution and that was released last year.

Here are few honorable no less worthy than the list:

Ratt – Infestation

Merle Haggard – I Am What I Am

Kort – Invariable Heartache

Charlie Louvin – The Battles Rage On

Marty Stuart – Ghost Train

Jim Lauderdale – Patchwork River

Crazy Heart – (Soundtrack) Various Artists

Okay, now for my Top Ten. In making my choices, I not only looked at material, but innovation and game changers, records that made things interesting.

10- Carnival Season / Misguided Promises / ARRCO

This represents not only a re-issue on CD for the first time of regional Birmingham band Carnival Season that features local legend Tim Boykin, but, painstakingly includes every recording the band made during their short time together as well as extensive liner notes that tell the whole story of the late 80’s rockers. It sits well on the shelf with bands like Redd Kross as well as The Replacements. The band has been doing occasional reunion gigs playing not only this set but some new stuff as well over the last couple of years. This was one of the first alternative rock bands out of Birmingham, Alabama.

Featured tracks: “Misguided Promises”, “Please Don’t Send me to Heaven”

9- Robert Plant / Band of Joy / Rounder –Esparanza

Robert was in the middle of recording the follow up to Raising Sand with Allison Krauss when he pulled the plug when he felt the magic wasn’t there. He retreated to Nashville and entrusted Buddy Miller to put together a band that features Darrell Scott, Byron House, Marco Giovino and Patty Griffin and secluded into Woodland Studio to see what they would come up with. The result is obscure covers as well as a Plant-Page piece from Walking into Clarksdale that shows some Zeppelin flavor with uncharted Americana territory which sonically could have only happened with Nashville session players in such a short time. The band gelled in the studio and continues to roll across Europe and Stateside. This is probably Buddy Miller’s best Production effort yet.

Featured tracks: “Angel Dance”, “You Can’t Buy My Love”, “House of Cards”

8 – Ryan Bingham and The Dead Horses / Junky Star / Lost Highway

Ryan tends to write like a modern day Dylan but his voice is more like John Kay from Steppenwolf. Ryan who comes from the red dirt scene of West Texas and now lives in so-L.A. got national notice with the Grammy winning “The Weary Kind” from the Crazy Heart soundtrack defiantly writes about a drifter leaving behind a dead end life to go to California only to end up sleeping on the Santa Monica pier.

Featured tracks: “The Wandering”, “Junky Star”

7- Sweet Apple / Love & Desperation / Tee Pee

Put together by members of Dinosaur Jr. and Witch, this little known defiantly Hard Rock and other worldly idea collection of songs with its Roxy Music rip off style album cover is actually closer to something between an early Alice Cooper (when they were a band) and Ziggy Stardust era Bowie. The album kicks off like a Raspberries send off with Guidedbyvoices production and then the desperation begins with some morbid love lost desperation with a chugging Alice Cooper band style with lyrics like ”Looking out the window, watching people fall, how I wish I could fall to death”. It’s a rock and roll gem this year.

Featured tracks: “Do You Remember”, “I’ve Got a Feeling (That Won’t Change)”

6 – Preservation Hall Jazz Band / Preservation / Preservation Hall Recordings

What a fantastic album. A collection of well-known New Orleans Ragtime with this important Horn based band where the tuba still carries much of the bass part, mashes PHJB with an all-star cast of vocalists such as Andrew Bird, Pete Seeger, Ani DiFranco, Ritchie Havens, Steve Earle as well as the sultry vocals of Memphis’ Amy LaVere. The band ended up on tour with Maroon 5 this year.

Featured tracks: “Blue Skies”, “Baby Won’t You Please Come Home”

5- John Mellencamp / No Better Than This / Rounder

Recorded for the most part at Sun Studios with one RCA 44 ribbon mic into vintage Ampex Analog gear, John not only sounds like the old Sun recordings, this sounds like old tape that had to be baked in a microwave to finally put it on digital media. It was not only a great idea with equal parts Cash country, Rockabilly and blues but probably his best album since Scarecrow. The T Bone Burnett produced masterpiece even got airtime on WSM.

Featured tracks: “No Better Than This”, “Coming Down the Road”

4- Justin Townes Earle / Harlem River Blues / Bloodshot

If you missed it, Justin just rolled a third strike in three years. Every album has been decidedly Justin with marked differences and excellent songwriting. This would be his “Ode to New York City” where he now calls his second home. Jason Isbell (Drive by Truckers, The 400 Unit) puts in guitar duties and gives this more of an edgy guitar feel as well as some straight up Rockabilly. It really would be cool to see a pure Rockabilly album in the future.

Featured tracks: “Move Over Mama”, “Workin’ for the MTA”, “Christchurch Woman”

3- Black Mountain / Wilderness Heart / Jagjaguwar

This album sometimes feels like Led Zep III and Deep Purple Fireball at the same time. The duality vocals of Stephen and Amber still remind me of a haunting Jefferson Airplane with the production sounding very early 70’s analog, sometimes acoustic but when they rock it’s got Jon Lord style Hammond B3 all over the place. Although the first album by this Vancouver band may have been a defining moment this is the one that makes me wants to crank the stereo full blast on road trips.

Featured tracks: “The Hair Song”, “Old Fangs”, “Let Spirits Ride”

2- Mike Farris and The Cumberland Saints / The Night The Cumberland Came Alive / Entertainment One

Recorded in just six hours just two weeks after the Nashville Flood in a downtown Nashville church just blocks from the flooding, Mike shows that his bluesy/gospel voice can sound fantastic over anywhere he wants to go. Mike has been everywhere from Indie Rock, Blues, Gospel, working with Double Trouble to now this pre-war Gospel Blues style gem working with The McCrary Sisters, Sam Bush, Byron House and members of The Old Crow Medicine Show, his originals mesh well with the rare covers. He showcased the album at Cannery Ballroom during the Americana Music Festival and it was electrifying.

Featured tracks: “Wrapped Up, Tangled Up”, “Down on Me”

1-She & Him /Volume Two / Merge

Zooey Deschannel & M. Ward are some kind of modern Indie Captain and Tennille and somehow it works. Zooey has a sunny California breeze running through her muse that translates into a digital era take on The Beach Boys versus Phil Spector. Even though the material is fresh it makes me daydream of being back on the beach in Santa Cruz when I was six with my Mom and little sister.

Featured tracks: “In The Sun”, “Don’t Look Back”,”Lingering Still”

– Brad Hardisty, Nashville, TN thenashvillebridge@hotmail.com

Categories Americana Music, Americana Music Festival, Ampex, Amy LaVere, Analog Recording, Apple Records, Badfinger, Black Mountain, Bloodshot Records, Buddy Miller, Byron House, Carnival Season, Charlie Louvin, Country, Country Music, Darrell Scott, FNA Records, Geffen Records, Grimey's, Hair Metal, Indie Rock, Jefferson Airplane, Jim Lauderdale, Jimi Hendrix, John Mellencamp, Kort, Lost Highway Records, Merle Haggard, Mike Farris, Music, Old Crow Medicine Show, Patty Grififn, Preservation Hall, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Robert Plant, Rock, Rock Music, She & Him, Sweet Apple, T Bone Burnett, The Rolling Stones, Tim Boykin, Uncategorized, West Coast Seattle Boy, WSM 650

Gwyneth Paltrow, Nashville Loves You

October 21, 2010 //

Filming "Country Strong" at War Memorial

When Gwyneth Paltrow was in Nashville months ago filming Love Will Find a Way, I got the call to be an extra at the War Memorial where Gwyneth was filming sequences that featured her “comeback” in the movie that will be released now with a new title Country Strong.

Gwyneth was singing live with a band of Nashville natives to canned tracks for the actual film. She really did work the audience and was “in the part” enjoying herself as a send up of something in between Shania Twain and Taylor Swift.

It’ s hard for me to remember the words to the songs but, the upbeat song was kind of a Country version of “Shake Your Booty” got the crowd going and we were having a good time running through the song several times for several shots.

Gwyneth in Nashville

When Gwyneth did the ballad “Country Strong” we were cheering even after the filming stopped the first time she did the shot. We didn’t stop. I think we were all in shock at how good the song was and how good her voice was. Gwyneth was surprised too and while the Director was talking to her about her next shot they finally stopped collaborating. Gwyneth walked back out to the runway and took a bow to the thousand of us that were there. We didn’t stop cheering for probably 10 minutes while the cameras were turned off.

The Director finally walked out and talked to us about who wrote the song. It was an all star team. It may be the old formula, but, picking a great song made all the difference. I will not be surprised that it will be a huge hit and could even get Best Song at the Academy Awards.

If you get the chance, watch her performance of “Country Strong” at the CMA Awards on November 10^th. I don’t write about stuff I don’t believe in. Gwyneth made me a believer. In reality, Nashville is full of people from all over the world that come here to sing Country just like there are plenty of Blues musicians that didn’t grow up in Mississippi or the wrong side of Chicago.

Gwyneth and Tim McGraw

If you haven’t noticed, Gwyneth loved Nashville and talked positively about her experiences while filming Country Strong including the food and the lifestyle. Gwyneth was absolutely polite, warm and she won a lot of fans who worked as extras while she was in town. This film also stars Tim McGraw and features Nashville in a big way with a lot of city venues and vistas. I am looking forward to seeing the finished work and hope you will too.

– Brad Hardisty, Nashville, TN thenashvillebridge@hotmail.com

Categories Country Music, Country Strong, Gwyneth Paltrow, Music, Sony Pictures, Tim McGraw, Uncategorized

Kenny Harlan Celebrates Birthday at Commodore Grill

October 14, 2010 //

Kenny Harlan at Commodore/photo/Brad Hardisty

Kenny Harlan, Nashville Singer/Songwriter, celebrated his Birthday at Commodore Grill last night with friends including long time co-writing partner, Suzahn Fiering performing in his first songwriter round at Commodore Grill in almost two years.

Debi Champion longtime host of the successful songwriter nights played the gracious host delivering a slice of Chocolate Mousse Cake when he was on stage and getting the crowd to join in a round of “Happy Birthday”.

Kenny performed the song that got a lot of buzz on triple-A/Americana radio and in Europe in 2008, “Waiting for You”. It was not a trip down memory lane but a reminder of the strength of his ever the romantic lyrics that give thought to longing love and a bright hope for the lonely hearts club.

It was an all-star round prior to Kenny’s performance featuring Gary Hanan who co-wrote the top ten Country hits, “When I Knew It All” and “Tequila Makes her Clothes Fall Off” and Sam Cooper with his cinematic ode to walking poetry “East Nashville Girls”. If you live here you know what he is talking about.

We got a chance to catch up that evening and I found out he has been busy being Dad. His daughter, who turns three and his wife have been the center of his attention for the last couple of years in Franklin, Tennessee. Nashville is not only a great town to be a singer/songwriter but also to raise a family as one can tell by the number of Artists who have moved here over the last few years.

Kenny shared lyrics of a song he wrote as a tribute to his father who passed away recently. We reflected on past accomplishments and Kenny shared I Phone videos of his daughter while talking about new material that should be coming out over the next year.

Suzahn who has been busy instructing songwriter workshops in Prague and working for Sir Paul McCartney’s Organization for the past several months was hoping to get some writer’s nights going with Kenny before she goes back to England.

Kenny who knows to always travel with his trusted Martin guitar, was not planning on playing, but hoped to get in on the action and had a wonderful Birthday at one of the Nashville’s finest venues.

– Brad Hardisty, Nashville, TN thenashvillebridge@hotmail.com

Categories Commodore Grill, Country Music, Debi Champion, Kenny Harlan, Music, Sam Cooper, Suzahn Fiering, Uncategorized

Junky Star Embraces The California Depression

September 23, 2010 //

Welcome to the Depression, an honest portrait of the “Junky Star” by Ryan Bingham and The Dead Horses, a down and outer that could be any of us or somebody we know. In fact, if I start counting all of the friends I have who are lost to drug addiction, prescription or otherwise or lost a job because their skill set is no longer needed, I could have wrote this story.

While “The Weary Kind” won Ryan Bingham an Academy Award, recognition and new friends, he was preparing to release a bleak and beautiful effort of a wanderer leaving behind the hopeless junkies and lost jobs for the possibilities of California.

During the Great Depression and Dust Bowl days many who lost their land or livelihood left for California’s oil fields and Agriculture. It was a different place then. Merle Haggard’s parents were some of those souls who found happiness and work in the Central Valley in Oildale. If it was not the best paying work, it was steady and provided a way for the next generation to improve upon their simple means.

Oildale CA during theBoom

This time California itself is feeling the pressure of a busted housing boom, tech boom and any other kind of boom they had in the past. As we set out “The Poet” writes “Sweethearts kiss in the dark, Homeless sleep in the park, I myself just move on through town…oh how I love the highway sun, the poet in the dark writes down his song in blood”.

As he travels the lonely road, the character in Ryan’s songs scribbles lyrics on found paper with a guitar on his back. In “The Wandering” he sings in a broken voice that is as distinctive as Bob Dylan “Disregard the time, find your peace of mind, among the wandering”.

The Doors

We are into track number three and he hasn’t yet sung about his goal to make it to California, “Strange Feelin’ in the Air” just shows an uncomfortable drifter “I’m feelin’ strange, in this town, I feel deranged, as I look around” with an echo to Jim Morrison and The Doors’ “People are strange when you’re a stranger, Faces look ugly when you’re alone”.

I’m beginning to realize I haven’t heard any band this empty since The Cowboy Junkies “Femme Fatale”; in fact this is almost like a Country Album made in Berlin (think “Walk on the Wildside, Lou Reed) by the love child of Bob Dylan and Kurt Cobain. The hooks are only implied but understood.

Finally in “Junky Star” lies the thesis of somebody taking away his farm so “I shot him dead and hung my head, and drove off in his car, so on the run with a smoking gun, I’m headin’ for the coast” only to find himself “sleepin on the Santa Monica Pier, with the junkies and the stars” and finds himself telling God “that the whole damn world was waiting around to die, but not me this time, I left trouble far behind”.

But the truth is you can’t leave trouble behind and this is the total opposite of Bob Dylan’s “Modern Times” where Bob was asked “why something so hopeful in such troubled times?”, he just shared that when you went back to films and music during the Depression and World War II things were always so bright and sunny as an opposite to what was going on and now Ryan no longer calls it just a Recession.

“Depression” makes it very clear “Would I wake up for a lifetime, lose my job in this Depression, well I don’t care, cause I got your love, in this Depression”. As long as he has the love of his life he can make it and let his strung out friends know “…we’ve gone out to California”.

“Junky Star” lets you know there is a Depression going on. The Depression has been getting deeper every year for musicians where the only hope is to make enough to stay out on the road and have enough to keep your apartment when you get back home. The music business started shrinking long before 2008. Whereas a classic album or a piece of Cotton Candy like NSync could sell six million or more, now we talk about a few mega stars going Platinum in a year.

Jobs have been taken from us by a “monkey puzzle” called a Computer and by companies finding cheaper labor overseas. We don’t even know how we can replace what has been taken away. We are only told to spend our way out of these bad times. There are records of people who spent themselves into comfort only to realize they played the fool and became slaves to their ease.

“Junky Star” gives way to another character mindlessly shot by a stranger, “I said you must be down on your luck, I’m out of money and I’m all out of time, he pulled the trigger and I fell to my knees, my spirit left and then my body went cold” the biggest thing the talking dead man worries about is his honey and let’s her know “I’m everything in between the harmonies singin loud, Hallelujah”.

These are the tough luck stories that happen maybe not to you or me but they happen to somebody. Ryan has decided to be the voice of the most difficult California stories one could imagine.

He shares his own thoughts about what we are becoming and in his own “John Lennon-Imagine” style, “there’s just no time for traditions, tying people down to class when everyone’s a shade of green that suffers in the grass of greed”. Maybe the problem is too many can be bought.

Dust Bowl Days

Dead Horses in the middle of the road

California seems to be the last hope even if only a change of location. In “Lay my Head on the Rail”, he sings”The head lights are blinding and the diesels are on fire, hauling ass down a mountain pass to the California state line”.

If you wonder what it feels like after a lifetime of wandering only to find yourself looking back, it is there in “Self-Righteous Wall” in the lyrics “I guess you just couldn’t keep up with the wild horse that you stole, you set yourself on the back steps and you feel yourself growin old, you feel your gray hairs runnin back to a place you left so cold”.

I guess the path is over when you find yourself only looking back.

“Junky Star” is a thematic piece told in first person that never strays from the concept from start to finish. The Who almost did that with “Tommy” except they threw a curve ball in with “Pinball Wizard” for Rock Music Journalist Nik Cohn in hopes of a great review. The 1960’s were a different time, back then that little difference might be enough to get a radio hit.

Nowadays, recordings might as well be something that means a lot to the writer, in hopes that the listener can find something he can relate to. If there was a “Tommy” written about the down and out “in this Depression”, Ryan has done it.

Village Recorder mural

It’s quite the paradox that this was recorded at The Village Recorder just one block off Santa Monica Boulevard with its mural of California falling into the ocean. There are so many huge albums that were done there such as Steely Dan “Aja” and Joe’s Garage by Frank Zappa. This album will at the very least be the Big Star #1 Record of modern Americana. While this may be a gut wrenching piece of work, I don’t remember anything but great times at The Village Recorder back in late 1989-1990 listening to a mix with Producer Howard Benson or talking about the problems of getting tape for those crazy Akai recorders with Jeff “Skunk” Baxter. In fact I can see myself walking a couple of blocks over to pick up some new guitar strings at West LA Music. While I am at it, let’s go up another block and get one of those real Carne Asada Burritos.

The Liner notes and the accompanying booklet discards anything unimportant such as who wrote the song, who the publisher is or what performing rights organization is involved. The focus is on the music; even T Bone Burnett lists more credits than the band. Instead of letting you know what brand of strings Corby Schaub uses or thanking some local music store or fan club the special thanks goes out to “Our Family of Friends who have helped make this all possible”. I was not even familiar with Mastering Engineer Gavin Lurssen, but I am now. There is no annoying distortion by trying to make the CD “louder”. I perceive undebatable warm clean Mastering.

Last stop California!

T Bone Burnett has yet again produced a project that will no doubt be in my top ten for the year. This isn’t an album you would want to listen to when you are in the middle of the tech boom but the American Dream is on the verge of disappearing in these stories of the down trodden that hope to turn a corner by going to California. If you get to California and find out that the struggle is even harder than the one you left behind, then all there is left to do is go back and face problems head on.

– Brad Hardisty, Nashville, TN thenashvillebridge@hotmail.com

Categories Americana Music, Country Music, Gavin Lurssen, Lost Highway Records, Lou Reed, Merle Haggard, Music, Rock, Ryan Bingham, Ryan Bingham and The Dead Horses, T Bone Burnett, The Great Depression, The Village Recorder, Uncategorized

Americana Report: Hayes Carll Emerges

September 15, 2010 //

Trouble in Mind Two Years Strong

It has been two years since the release of “Trouble in Mind” on Lost Highway and Hayes Carll is still garnering recognition by both his peers and the Americana Music Association. He has been compared to Townes Van Zandt in the tradition of the best songwriters Texas has to offer.

I couldn’t believe his set was the first night, Wednesday at the earliest time slot of 8pm at the smallest venue of the Americana Music Festival, The Basement, which can only hold about 100 fully packed. I was tied up at work until 8PM and rushed over in 10 minutes flat to get in as soon as possible. I ran into a couple who travelled from Australia who were rushing like me over to The Basement. They had come for the Festival, but more specifically, to see Hayes Carll play. I was surprised they knew about him. They said,” you can find Hayes Carll CD’s in Australia but it’s not easy.”

Hayes had won AMA Song of the Year in 2008 with “She Left me for Jesus” one of the cleverest songs that at one point is irreverent but at the same time you can’t help laughing with lines like “She says he’s perfect, well how can I compete?” This was my first time to see him since finding “Trouble in Mind” eight months ago while rummaging through all the links Amazon had when I put in Texas songwriters.

Neon Glow Hayes at The Basement

The album “Trouble in Mind” has taken Hayes Carll about as far as any artist could. He not only won “Emerging Artist” this year at The Americana Music Association Awards, but, Ray Wylie Hubbard was up for song of the year for a cover of another song off that album, “Drunken Poet’s Dream” which opened up “Trouble in Mind” written by Hayes and Ray.

Ray Wylie Hubbard at Mercy Lounge

In fact, I left the show at The Basement and was at Mercy Lounge listening to Ray play it onstage 3 minutes after I arrived. If I had left any later, I would have missed it. What a Karma moment with Ray playing Hayes and his song with Ray’s son, Lucas, being featured on lead guitar. Maybe, Robert Plant would be the surprise guest the next night at the awards and overshadow what was going on, but Hayes’ had the Karma and Mojo.

The song didn’t win, but, it was up against Ryan Bingham’s “The Weary Kind” the theme song from “Crazy Heart”. It is hard to argue with success and T Bone Burnett. Ryan may have opened more doors for Americana and Country music, but, maybe not as big as “Urban Cowboy” did way back when.

The funny thing is “Crazy Heart” did open the door for the Texas charts. Maybe that is what T Bone Burnett wanted to do since true Country music can be found in Texas under the banner of “Americana Music” in these day and times. The banner of “Americana” is the revolution and Hayes Carll and fellow writer, Texas raised, Ryan Bingham are leading the way.

Hayes did a great set, I was squished in the secondary room with just a glance of the stage here and there. It was absolutely awful, but I could say I was there with the rest of the sardines. Hayes did a slow interpretation of “Bad Liver and a Broken Heart”. It was a great set that was with a full band that featured tour mate Bonnie Whitmore of Nashville on Bass. Hayes was one of the sardines as you can see from the sweat dripping off as he made his way out after the set.

I was standing between media reps from KPIG out of Santa Cruz, California (Santa Cruz was at the forefront of the hippie scene, surf music and Punk so only fitting to hear this, a good barometer), who said “Trouble in Mind” was the only album they have played every cut and a guy from Mother Earth News who couldn’t stop saying good things about Hayes. There were plenty of Aussies and a few Englishmen.

If I had only one set I could make it to, with the exception of Wanda Jackson, it was to see Hayes. He has a great sense of self deprecating humor, non cliché lyrics and a unique voice that will carry him for years. He may be the big crossover between Americana, Folk and Country as time passes.

Brad, Hayes Carll, the Basement, Nashville

After the show, I was able to meet up with him briefly. I told him it would be good to see him on a package tour with Ryan Bingham. Hayes shared he had “talked to Ryan but they haven’t got together yet”. My feeling is that they were both unique in their own way but complimented each other’s style to build on each fan base.

Corb Lund, Hayes Carll, Lucinda Williams and Hayes' Parents

The next time I caught up with him was after the Americana Awards where his Mom was hanging onto his award for him. It looks like Gibson Guitar had a hand in making the awards with the Gibson logo headstock coming out of the wooden base. Each award was hand painted and featured some artifacts of the artist.
It was cool being considered an emerging artist, yes; “Trouble in Mind” has legs and now can be considered a great album that stood the test of time now two years strong. I kind of joked about him getting the “Emerging Artist” award which he got since it has been eight years since his first album release. The thing is the award was not for “New” artist and after all, it is a great recognition from such a widespread community of artists that this album got a lot of airplay and will probably get more as the anticipation for the next release is getting strong.

Emerging Artist 2010

I would have liked to ask more questions, but, it was a big night and his parents were there to share the moment. I can always call management and schedule a follow up interview later. Congratulations, Hayes, it was a whirlwind weekend, but, hopefully will create some momentum this year. Please get on Lost Highway to update some photos and stuff on your website. After all, you deserve it. There is nothing like recognition from your peers. Good luck on the follow up.

– Brad Hardisty, Nashville, TN thenashvillebridge@hotmail.com

Categories Americana Music, Americana Music Festival, Corb Lund, Country Music, Hayes Carll, Lucinda Williams, Music, Ray Wylie Hubbard, The Ryman Auditorium, Uncategorized

Jimmy Webb Songwriter Extraordinaire

September 12, 2010 //

September 11, 2010

Jimmy Webb live at Country Music Hall of Fame

What an amazing opportunity to listen to Jimmy Webb play the songs he wrote such as “ Galveston” and listen to tall but true tales of a landmark songwriter, one that cannot be duplicated.

Such was the case last Saturday at the Theater inside The Country Music Hall of Fame , packed with Jimmy Webb at the piano playing not only his hits but songs from his just released CD “Just Across The River”.

Jimmy grew up in West Texas, the son of a Baptist Preacher, near an Air Force base famous for the B36 Bomber. They would fly so close to his family home that “the utensils played “Chinese Fire Drill” and were “rearranged” and had to be put back in their place.” While he was still young he quietly prayed to God (so as his parents couldn’t hear his crazy plans) to be a great songwriter and work with somebody as great as Glen Campbell after he heard, um.. Jimmy Webb forgot and Fred Mullins, who happened to be sitting next to me, blurted out “Turn Around “.

Well, Jimmy said you don’t need Stephen Hawking to believe in God. The fact that he was working for Glen Campbell at age 17 was all the proof you need. Glen was able to interpret his songs in such a way that he probably could be considered the first Country crossover artist charting high in the pop charts. It was for the most part, unheard of at that time.

Waylon Jennings was a great friend; Jimmy shared how he was talking to Waylon the day after the Grammys when he won for his song “Highwayman”. He said Waylon would sit laid back on his couch and with his hat tilted forward covering half his face, appeared half asleep most of the time. Jimmy said “I had a good one with that song”. “What song?” I won a Grammy for “Highwayman””. “What for?” “Country”. Waylon then said “What Country?” Waylon was relentless on teasing him that day.

Jimmy said Waylon was one of the most interesting people he had ever met. Waylon had recorded “Macarthur Park” three times. Jimmy wondered why, but then again, if he had asked Waylon he probably would have not given him a straight answer.

Interestingly enough, Jimmy spends fifty percent of his time listening to classical music. To him, it is all the same, what makes a great Classical piece, like repeating a motif later on by another instrument or inverting the motif as you would hear in a good country song to get you to remember the melody are used the same way in great classical music.

He talked about a workshop he attended where Billy Joel dissected “Wichita Lineman” had him red with embarrassment as Billy would talk through a line while playing it and stop and say something like “Why does he need her more than want her?” Finally, at the end, Billy Joel said the song was about” an ordinary man thinking extraordinary thoughts”. Jimmy at that point felt he got it. He knew what he was after. Billy actually performs the song with Jimmy on his new CD, which also features Jerry Douglas on Dobro.

Jimmy was amazed at how different Lucinda Williams interpreted “Galveston”. He didn’t think it was possible, after all the different recordings, to have a new spin on the song. He complimented Lucinda on her ability to bring something new to the song.

He performed “Macarthur Park” I guess as a tribute to Waylon and their friendship.

He finished the hour, leaving the room with a standing ovation without performing “Wichita Lineman”. How could that be? Well, a few calls for “Wichita Lineman” and enough clapping and cheers and he sat back down at the piano and played the best rendition of “Wichita Lineman” I had ever heard. At the end the motif climbed up the piano and repeated in different keys until he hit softly over and over the highest key on the piano almost like Morse code. You could feel that distance as the Wichita Lineman was working his way down the line far away from home. I hate to say this but I was choked up. Music can get me emotional when everything puts me in that space. Jason, who was sitting next to me, visiting the Americana Music Conference from the U.K. said after he finished, “I don’t even know what to say”. I couldn’t say anything, I just nodded and looked away because I was a little misty and felt like I didn’t want to share that.

Jimmy Webb CD signing

It was impossible not to buy the CD and have him sign it in the music store at the Hall of Fame. They say people will buy CD’s to memorialize a show. I bought the CD because there was no way I could not after hearing his music on such a personal level. It felt like a house show with a few guests except there were a couple hundred more behind my second row seat. “Wichita Lineman” has and will continue to be one of my all time favorite songs.

– Brad Hardisty, Nashville, TN thenashvillebridge@hotmail.com

Categories Americana Music, Americana Music Festival, Billy Joel, Country Music, Country Music Hall of Fame, Glen Campbell, Lucinda Williams, Nashville Scene, Uncategorized, Waylon Jennings

Lucinda Williams Meets Perry

September 10, 2010 //

September 9, 2010, Nashville, TN, The Ryman Auditorium

Courtyard Hounds in the Alley

Just as Robert Plant was finishing up his surprise guest slot at The Americana Music Association Awards Show, former Dixie Chicks, as of late, Courtyard Hounds, Martie Maguire and Emily Robinson were emptying out the famed side door of The Ryman, signing autographs and taking pictures with a few of the media and locals that wandered down the beer light lit alley where John Ritter played as a boy while his father, Tex Ritter would be performing in the Mother Church, the home of The Grand Ole Opry.

Brad with Martie Maguire

I asked Martie if they were the surprise guests being talked about and she said “Nope, it was Robert Plant”. After which, I let her know that we had a general consensus that is who it would be. Yes, every time the stage door would open to the back door at the top of the stairs, there was no mistaking the voice of the Golden God.

It appears this could be a big turning point for the Americana Scene as it increases the sheer volume of styles and talent. WSM 650, “The Legend” will not only play the “Americana Files” on AM radio but will stream a 24/7 Americana Channel starting next week. It is amazing that a radio station that was there in the beginning is leading the way into the future.

Peter Buck (REM), Brad

Other performers and presenters began streaming out after Robert Plant had finished his Buddy Miller lead set. Peter Buck stopped briefly on the misty asphalt for a couple of pictures. It seemed that Artists from Country and Nashville understood what the side door of The Ryman meant. It was where Elvis, Bill Monroe, Lefty Frizell and others used to disappear into the backdoor of Tootsies and other Lower Broad watering holes back in the day after performing before sold out crowds. It has been a place where a few fans would chance to meet the Entertainers from the Saturday night airwaves.

Lucinda Williams slowly made it down the stairs, appearing to be a little exhausted, maybe a little travel weary. Lucinda made time to talk, sign, take pics and hang out with the few of us who had gathered to greet them in the late dewy air of The Ryman. Lucinda was Indie before there was “Americana” helping to define the genre by being fiercely independent in her songwriting and delivery.

Lucinda Williams at The Ryman, Brad

Lucinda expressed concern about what was going on in the Country, she felt she had never been this concerned before. We discussed the Pastor who was planning on having a Koran burning on 9/11. Lucinda was relieved to find out he wasn’t going through with it.

A few more people came through the alley and lined up about 4 or 5 long with a man in a fresh clean promotional shirt of some new upcoming Country Artist at the very end. He waited patiently as he approached Lucinda with a piece of paper he found to get her autograph. He had a big smile on his face. A little luck had come his way this time as he walked the back alley.

He could have been a homeless man or a local African-American maybe from the Southside. Who knows but he is a part of the Carnival feel that attracts even those with not much to hang down on Lower Broad.

He politely asked for her autograph and shared some words with her. As he wandered west towards Tootsies, Lucinda was a little reflective and teary eyed. She said “Excuse me” as she tried to regain her composure. Lucinda lived in Nashville for nine years and I am sure some things still have not changed. I just said, “he kind of touched you didn’t he?” She responded, “He probably wasn’t even at the show, if I had known, somehow, you know I would have gotten him in somehow… his name was Perry”.

She was very reflective for a moment. I said “You never know. There may be a song in that”. Her Manager said, “There can always be a song in something”. Lucinda noted “You know it’s one of those things where what if Jesus was somebody in the crowd that nobody paid any attention to”. We all seemed to think about it for a moment. Lucinda shared a little of her thoughts and some “Real Love“. What a big heart.

I said, “You ought to move back to Nashville.” Lucinda just came back, “Too many cloudy days, I need sunshine”. Well, it has been cloudy this week but then again they always say “It Never Rains in Southern California ”.

Corb Lund, Hayes Carll, Lucinda, Hayes' Parents

As she left, a few others streamed out. We soon found out Robert Plant decided to make a rock star escape out one of the other doors after security had cleared the quad and he jumped into a waiting Hummer. Not quite the “rub shoulders with Country fans” type of thing, but, hey, he is a famous person who values his privacy.

As I was getting ready to leave for the next big show, Lucinda’s new friend came wandering down the alley again. I smiled at him “Hey Perry how’s it goin?” He stopped and smiled and said “How do you know my name?” I said “ Lucinda told me. You made a big impression on her”.

Perry smiled and said “it’s not every day you get to meet somebody famous”. He put his hand on my shoulder for a minute and smiled at me. It was there that I realized what Lucinda saw. The eyes don’t lie. He had a smile that penetrated your soul. He was as common as anybody down at the Mission with a couple of missing teeth, but, he had that “One of Gods Children” vibe that only a person with a pure soul could have. As he backed away, he stared at the Press badge with my name on it for a minute and strolled down the same path he was on before. In God’s hands.

– Brad Hardisty, Nashville, TN thenashvillebridge@hotmail.com

Categories Americana Music, Americana Music Festival, Buddy Miller, Corb Lund, Country Music, Courtyard Hounds, Dixie Chicks, Hayes Carll, Lucinda Williams, Music, Peter Buck, REM, Robert Plant, Rock, The Ryman Auditorium, Uncategorized, WSM 650