Archives for category: Next Big Nashville 2010

Jeff the Brotherhood & Queen Both Champions

June 28, 2011 //

Sometimes you gotta wait till the right moment, let things simmer a bit, unwind at an Indie film about Lee “Scratch” Perry at the Belcourt Theater, listen to some bands you never heard at the Grimey’s listening station before turning to the obvious. Such was the case since I have known about Jeff the Brotherhood’s Infinity Cat Records release We Are The Champions for a while.

It really is a trip when you think that The White Stripes ended up down here with Third Man Records before a final break up, and then The Black Keys announced they were making their new home in Music City and all this time, at least for the last few years, we got Jeff the Brotherhood; our own homegrown Two Man band.

Jeff the Brotherhood were the show to see during Next Big Nashville last fall at Third Man with the live set being released on Third Man vinyl within a few days. In fact, the twelve inch can still be found in the Third Man Records shop any day of the business week.

Then came Bonnaroo. Jeff the Brotherhood started their own mania when they were supported by the first 30 people making up most of their audience being other local bands. How cool is that? Other local bands stirring up so much dust that another 200 people stop to see what all the fuss is about?

Nashville could not be in a better place right now. We have our own labels, our own scene, make that multiple scenes with a ton of bands that don’t sound the same. For me, that is exciting. It has been an interesting path between the gulch and the backside of the mission to where things are right now.

Jeff the Brotherhood and PUJOL are on lists in Rolling Stone Magazine and other national publications. They are on lists that really matter. Maybe they don’t have albums blazing up the charts, but, it is a grass roots thing, you gotta search them out or maybe your friend tells you about their live show. The difference is Jeff the Brotherhood are bad, they’re nationwide.

We Are The Champions is stacked and capped mixing up tones that fit the song, like stripped down, complicated garage rock, this was not thrown together, it’s like a stack of seven inch records to do some downhill skateboarding by or shut down Seattle and Portland. Okay, maybe not shut down but turn a few heads, sell a few records and rock the house.

photo - Pooneh Ghana

In a way, the title can be a laugh, using a standard rock term, like you thought you made it up yourself while everybody around you is thinking; don’t they know Queen Live at Wembley with 100,000 Brits singing along? But, in fact, this is Nashville’s time. It may be a metaphor for what it means to be accepted among your peers, the other bands in Nashville.

Back in CBGB’s time, Television played for The Ramones, The Ramones played for Blondie and The Dictators saved Rock and Roll. It is now Nashville’s time to leave their mark. It says a lot when bands show up to support one another and buy each others’ records. It says a lot more when Infinity Cat Records ran by the band and their father, Robert Ellis Orrall, goes nationwide.

Jeff the Brotherhood have a solid set here. Listen up.

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

Categories Alternative Music, Electric Guitar, Grimey's, Grimey's New and Preloved Music, Guitar, Infinity Cat Records, Jeff the Brotherhood, Next Big Nashville 2010, Pujol, Rock, Rock Music, The Black Keys, The White Stripes, Third Man Records, Uncategorized

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

Life Without a Net:Part 1

October 11, 2010 //

Life Without a Net: The Virtual Musician Part 1

In an attempt to be informative on the current state of the music business, I find that it may be good to look at where we are now and where things are going. If you ask different label heads, publicist, booking agents or musicians themselves, you will get a different answer every time, but, one thing that is consistent is that the CD is in a death spiral and the industry itself may be to blame.

The actual numbers of CD’s sold is continuing a steady decline every year. The closing of the New York Virgin Mega store alone cost a 2% drop in music sales. Wal Mart announced this year they were cutting in half the shelf space for CD music. The fact is that the end is still not in site.

The fact still remains that 63 million people buy only CD’s. That is twice as many as imusic buyers. They have found out recently that 58% of iPod buyers have never downloaded from a legal music source. In fact 3 out of every 4 13-25 age bracket individual has never bought a legal download. They are using file sharing and mobile download options.

One fact still remains; people are still listening to music as much as ever. The era of setting up a big stereo system and sitting down for a couple of hours to listen to music may be over, but, music is still there in the background on the laptop or going on while people are busy doing something else.

The one thing that may never come back is there were 20 million music buyers that left the CD format and never went to digital formats. These buyers may never come back. People are not disengaged from music but the value of music, the importance of the purchase that supports the career of the Artist and the business itself is getting lost in the shuffle.

One of the issues that was never discussed at either the Americana Music Conference or Digital Summit was the competition for the entertainment dollar that began in the 80’s and kept up a relentless pace through the 90’s until now. Back in the 70’s or before there was virtually no competition for the music dollar. Sports were played with minimal equipment and there was not the ability to purchase films or video games to compete with the music dollar.

The purchase of music was part of an adolescent rite of passage. The ability to purchase tape recorded movies first on VHS then on DVD took an ever increasing chunk of discretionary income away from the purchase of music. Then came the advent of video game technology. The purchase of different gaming formats as well as the games took an even larger chunk of entertainment dollars in the average household especially for teens.

So who are buying CD’s? The overwhelming percentage is female. The biggest age group segment is age 36 – 50 (how many new bands are aiming for this buyer?) with 51 and over being the second largest group. The imusic purchases are not even close to making up for losses in CD sales. There has been a recent nitch market in vinyl sales, but that is an “uber” fan type purchase. Lately, they have been developing the “uber” fan market by exploiting the serious music buyers with special multi-disc releases, vinyl and other promotional product. These are buyers that will buy no matter what. Many times they are musicians, essentially preaching to the choir.

The biggest problem is getting the average music listener to make a purchase. There are a few ideas coming down the road, subscription services, “connectivity” the wave of the future with devices such as Blue Ray players that are connected to the internet that make it possible to download movies will make it possible to download music. In the end the IPod may end up being a stop gap nitch market itself.

Next we will look at what bands are doing to raise funds, develop awareness and release music.

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

Categories Leadership Music Digital Summit, Music, Next Big Nashville 2010, Uncategorized

The Peelander-Z Circus Comes to Town

October 4, 2010 //

Future of Saturday Morning TV

In what may be a mindbender on an unsuspecting audience, Peelander-Z from Japan unleashed the craziest show to ever roll into Exit/In if not the Next Big Nashville 2010 Conference. Equal parts Aquabats Super Heroes and Flaming Lips larger than life costume changes, they made their entrance marching like 80’s band Toy Dolls with Peelander Yellow acting as ringmaster for all the kids on the playground.

I was forewarned if not recommended by Kyle Bowen of Modoc when I asked what band to check out this year. He said you got to check out Give Me Smile from Japan. I looked through the scheduled appearances and had no idea what he was talking about. On Friday night while exiting Third Man Records after the Heavy Cream set I ran into these two Japanese Guys in Yellow and Red and asked if they had heard of Give Me Smile. They just smiled exclaiming “oh! Oh!” and handed me a CD with what looked like a band named Peelander-Z?

Peelander-Z at Exit/In

I threw it in the car and was met with a barrage of The Banana Splits meets Motorhead. This was a Japanese band not even trying to fake their way through the English language, they were downright mangling words like “Ugly”. I almost had to pull over from laughing to tears while driving my car.

Finally, the words come on “Welcome to our show, next time bring Mom and Dad…give me smile, give me smile, give me smile”. Oh man, it’s the “Give me Smile” guys. Okay I had to check this one out. Luckily enough it was at Exit/In where I wanted to go check out Cheer up Charlie Daniels and Heypenny already.

Crowd Surfing Bassist

No one could have prepared you for this band live. It was tight Motorhead speed with twists and turns that occasionally stopped for audience participation in bowling games or a bunny hop style line of follow the leader behind bassist Peelander Red. Dressed in primary colors of Red, Yellow and Green on drums, they took as much from The Ramones as the Aquabats. If Peelander Yellow was the ringmaster who was equal parts Lemmy and Pat Morita from Karate Kid, Peelander Red was the instigator jumping into the audience at random, a flying Ninja jumping off a full Ampeg SVT cabinet up at least 10 feet in the air before landing onstage.

We were encouraged to sing along to unforgettable classics like “E-I-O” and “Medium Rare “with the crowd yelling like a frenzied table at Benihanas before taking all of us back to that response to “Rock and Roll High School”, with “Ninja High School”. Nashvillians were in a frenzy beating on what looked like hubcaps passed out by a magical Peelander Pink who would appear out of nowhere sometimes onstage or in the rafters.

MAD TIGER!!!

Peelander Black added a little lead guitar and mysterious vibe to the mix. Peelander-Z would at a moment throw on bigger than life bowling pin outfits or Mad Tiger headgear for very special songs about Mad Tiger and Bowling. One guy jumped on stage and thought he was going to just groove with the band when they all stopped and stared at him. Peelander Yellow kissed him on the cheek and he quietly faked a stage dive off the front sans music. That had everybody laughing.

At the end, they pulled people up and replaced the entire band with audience members on drums, guitar and bass while they were in the audience skipping rope or whatever. They finally worked back up on stage and finished out the last song.

Peelander Pink Cheerleader

If somebody was trying to find something serious about this stuff they came to the wrong set. This was all about a good time and to me was the high point of the Conference. There will be plenty of time for more structured thoughtful music but for now it was “Schoolhouse Rock” singing about steak and watching Superhero Japanese Anime in primary colors run amuck.

Even Lucas who was in town from Denver to see Widespread Panic at the Ryman said “I have to admit that was the first time I ever saw a full on Redneck moshing!” Peelander-Z wore out the audience with full participation! This was a primary color and primary rock and roll extravaganza!

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

Peelander-Z at actual Velocity!

Categories Cheer up Charlie Daniels, Heavy Cream, Heypenny, Modoc, Motorhead, Next Big Nashville 2010, Peelander-Z, Punk Rock, Rock, The Toy Dolls, Uncategorized

Next Big Nashville: First Night Review

October 3, 2010 //

The Mynabirds at Mercy Lounge

It was a big first night with Seattle’s David Bazan, Aaron Robinson and Omaha label, Saddle Creek, band The Mynabirds at The Mercy Lounge. I avoid republishing, especially my own stuff, so if you want to go to that, here is the link:

http://performermag.com/Blog/SEPTEMBER#nextbignashville

Enjoy!

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

Categories Aaron Robinson, David Bazan, Indie Rock, Next Big Nashville 2010, The Mercy Lounge, The Mynabirds, Uncategorized

The Deep Fried 5, Modoc at The 5 Spot/Sept. 30th 2010

October 3, 2010 //

Modoc at The 5 Spot

The easy beat was to just go hang out at The Mercy Lounge and The Cannery Ballroom with its upstairs/downstairs, if you get bored with one band go check out the other choices. I decided to go on DAY 2 of Next Big Nashville 2010 to one of my favorite nightlife scenes, The 5 Spot in East Nashville. Locals via Indiana, Modoc, were raging the stage with ol’ “Skydog”, Duane Allman, I mean Clint Culberson, hey, it was an honest mistake with the haircut, moustache and Gibson SG putting them through the paces of “The Struggler” and other great songs.

With a gritty sound and alternate chords, they are a comfortable fit in the Nashville scene after arriving three years ago. Next Big Nashville is different this year with almost half the bands being from out of state and even Japan. The 5 Spot still featured a lot of Nashville scene makers. Although, it was only a 5 minute drive from the center of town, it may as well have been in Birmingham. There were current fans and only a few conference attendees there to get sucked into the vibe.

The Deep Fried 5 were still celebrating the self released CD, Saturday Night Funk, Sunday Morning Soul, hitting the stage with six guys. The greatest thing about their retro 70’s-80’s funk style is that they are not a sampled artifact but have Dylan Stansberry beating the hell out of three Congas, Justin Martin on a Yamaha DX7, can we say Ready for the World?

The Deep Fried 5 /new material/six guys

Eric Koslosky alternating between Ernie Isley style lead guitar and vocals that would fit as an opener for Santana or Bell Biv Devoe for that matter. Andrew Muller kept the staccato single funk guitar lines letting Eric soar on the breaks and occasional lead roles.

This style of music demands a strong Bass interaction since many of the bands from that era were known for their strong players like Bootsy Collins or Larry Graham. Alex Dilley felt comfortable being in that role which is a lot more demanding than traditional Rock. The Bass player is the lead guitarist.

Taking us through “Soul Food” they even did a “Soul Sacrifice” break with Congas and kit going through a quick jam that could have been a great longer break with some soloing on top. The Deep Fried 5 are doing a great archivist gig that would be comfortable on Brooklyn’s Daptone label.

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

Categories East Nashville, Indie Rock, Modoc, Music, Next Big Nashville 2010, Rock, The 5 Spot, The Deep Fried 5

TACA 2010: Prelude to Next Big Nashville/World of Bluegrass Week

September 25, 2010 //

Elliston Place

Heading over to Centennial Park, I set myself down near Rock Block for starting point to TACA 2010 in front of Elliston Place Soda Shop, one of the oldest landmark Restaurants still at the same location near Vanderbilt University.

Today was a day off in preparation for the rest of “Busy-September” when the stars align and Nashville is taken over by The Americana Music Association and finally IBMA World of Bluegrass in the same moment as Next Big Nashville 2010 starting Monday.

Next Big Nashville has been touted as Nashville’s SXSW but then again there is a NXNW Indie Conference as well. The foundation has been laid for bigger plans in Nashville for the music business. Indie distributors such as Thirty Tigers and of course Jack White’s Third Man Records are adding to the landscape of Nashville.

Rock Block

Third Man Records has had involvement at SXSW in the past with a pop up music store during the festivities in Austin and has announced offsite Concerts at Third Man Studios during the Conference. There is even special Blue and Black vinyl releases to guests at the show. They have no less than three shows, Jenny & Johnny Sunday night, 9/26, 6 PM, followed by Tyvek from Detroit at 8PM Monday night and back to back shows 10/1 and 10/2 featuring The Ettes, Jeff the Brotherhood, Jacuzzi Boys, Heavy Cream among others.

Marilee Hall Ceramics

Not to be outdone Next Big Nashville has announced several showcases, one of which is The Bridges among its 4 Days/150 Bands/12 Venues Lineup. It actually dwarfs the Americana Music Conference that featured such great Artists as Robert Plant, Wanda Jackson and The Avett Brothers.

Dancin' in the Park

It is going to be hard to get around town with the IBMA World of Bluegrass taking on the same streets. This is the largest Conference of the Bluegrass scene that has Americana crossovers like The Steeldrivers performing during the week. Jerry Douglas will be one of the hosts at a packed awards show on September 30^th at The Ryman.

Roberta Elliott/The Velvet Hammer Ltd.

Yes, this weekend is a little peaceful among the Artisans, crafters, gawkers and dogs. It is a day on the green at Centennial Park in the mid 80’s with everything from John J. Quick hand carving Windsor Chairs without a lathe to Roberta Elliot-The Velvet Hammer Ltd. Showing off ironware for the home. She had the most interesting Music Stand I had ever seen with some famous folks that already own one. I asked if she had made a Mic Stand for anybody yet and the answer was no. You can be the first one out there with a Mic stand built from scratch to your own specifications.

Chair Swing with a View

A little time to contemplate the week ahead kicking back on one of the chair swings at Centennial Park with The Parthenon in the distance and I was back down to Elliston Place for a brief stop at Rock Block Guitars to check out the used gear that may have ended up there at tour’s end or a broke musician leaving town. Nashville makes as many dreams as it breaks. I always say “you will get out of Nashville what you bring to the table”. This week over 200 bands and artist will be playing for locals, the media and just for the sheer fact that a Musician has got to do what he is.

Rock Block Guitars

Okay tonight will be some mindless fun reminiscing my youth with a Van Halen tribute band by the name of Fair Warning at The Basement just a little break before next week’s madness and sleepless nights.