Nashville Scene 1-12-23

CITY LIMITS

Why Parents of Third-Graders Should Consider Registering for Summer School 7

A state law could require certain third-graders to be held back starting this year

BY KELSEY BEYELER

Pith in the Wind ......................................... 7 This week on the Scene’s news and politics blog

23

CRITICS’ PICKS

Josephine Foster, Vertigo, D. Striker’s RR Party, Aaron Lee Tasjan and more

30

FOOD AND DRINK

Farewell to Arnold’s Country Kitchen Last week, the family behind the iconic local meat-and-three made an ‘exit on our terms’

BY CHRIS CHAMBERLAIN

COVER STORY

Stories to Watch 2023

TennCare Coverage 9

More than 350,000 Tennesseans are expected to lose coverage in the first post-pandemic renewal process

BY HANNAH HERNER

East Bank Development and a New Titans Stadium ................................................... 10 Cooper eyes ‘Nashville’s next great neighborhood’ as negotiations with the team continue

BY ELI MOTYCKA

TISA Implementation, Charters and Potential Book Banning 10

Keeping an eye on the education sector, from how schools are funded to the books that students are allowed to read

BY KELSEY BEYELER

Mayoral, Vice Mayoral and Metro Council Races 12

With a campaign finance disclosure deadline closing in, the field for Metro elections is taking shape

BY STEVE CAVENDISH

A Prospective Shrinking of the Metro Council 12

Will the state punish Nashville for raising a stink about hosting the RNC?

BY STEPHEN ELLIOTT

Nashville’s Film-Production Boom ......... 14

Vū Studios’ recently opened Nashville location is home to an impressive new piece of tech

BY D. PATRICK RODGERS

Keeping an Eye on Nashville’s Small Independent Venues 14

Talking with small indie venue programmers Caroline Bowman, Olivia Scibelli and Megan Loveless about the year ahead

BY STEPHEN TRAGESER

The Titans’ General Manager Search 16 What we know about Tennessee’s efforts to replace Jon Robinson

BY MICHAEL GALLAGHER

ART

The Light Bringer

Julia Martin shines a feminist light in an exhibition of new paintings

BY RACHEL EBIO

33

BOOKS

Overcoming the Divide David Dark is still questioning everything

BY MARIA BROWNING, CHAPTER16.ORG

MUSIC

A Melody for What Has Come and Gone ......................................................... 35 The Features release a long-shelved document of a transitional era with The Mahaffey Sessions 1999

BY P.J. KINZER

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COURT DECISION TO STRIKE DOWN LEE’S DENIAL OF RECORDS REQUEST IS EXCELLENT NEWS FOR DEMOCRACY

The Davidson County Chancery Court’s recent decision to require Gov. Bill Lee to consent to requests for public records is good news — not only for the groups seeking the legal decision, but for democracy as a whole.

As multiple news reports have detailed, our own FW Publishing filed a lawsuit against the governor’s office one year ago in order to obtain records detailing Lee’s no-bid contract with the multinational corporation McKinsey & Co. during the pandemic. The governor’s office denied our request, using a legal loophole to refuse to make these records available to the general public. Chancellor Patricia Moskal agreed with our argument and has required Gov. Lee’s office to comply with our request. I would like to thank her for her thoughtful consideration of our argument, but the real winners in this court case are the general public and democracy as a whole.

The Washington Post’s slogan rings true here: “Democracy dies in darkness.” What makes that expression even more apt in this instance is that the slogan was popularized by the Post’s investigative journalist Bob Woodward — made famous for his role in revealing the Watergate scandal to the world.

If Gov. Lee had won the day, the records of this controversial $3 million no-bid contract would have remained hidden from public scrutiny. It is the job of the general public and of the news industry as a whole to ensure that our government is operating fairly, efficiently and above board. When requests such as ours are denied, suspicion grows. The chancery court agreed with FW Publishing, but the fact remains that Gov. Lee has used this same legal maneuver to deny more than 60 records requests while in office. It is the responsibility of the news industry to question our government when it actively attempts to hide material that, by rights, should be available to everyone.

This situation reminds me of other recent attempts to shield information from the public by our elected officials — most

notably former President Donald Trump and Tennessee’s senior U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn. Everyone knows of Trump’s refusal to hand over any document that might put him in a negative light or benefit him personally down the road. Despite an FBI raid and stories of flushing sensitive material down the toilet, Trump’s most ardent fans have still not been dissuaded from following him in lockstep. Even our own Sen. Blackburn, who has stood by Trump’s side and supported Lee throughout his campaigns, is famous — or should I say infamous — for her refusal to provide documentation on expenses for a trip to Los Angeles while employed by the state of Tennessee. In the 1990s, she burned expense receipts that had been questioned by the governor’s office at the time and then mailed the ashes back with a note reading, “Copy of L.A. expense report as requested!”

It’s hard to believe that Lee’s refusal to provide the above records is the mildest example we have of our far-right GOP leaders’ efforts to deny release of records that don’t put them in the best light. Gov. Lee simply hid behind a legal loophole. Trump lifted confidential and classified material in broad daylight and hoarded it at Mar-a-Lago. Blackburn has long been accused of funding her family members’ lifestyles with campaign donations, as well as multiple campaign issues that have warranted audits and led to serious findings by the FEC.

It may not rise to the level of Trump’s and Blackburn’s misdeeds, but Lee’s attempt to hide behind legal maneuverings to avoid public scrutiny of no-bid contracts doesn’t sound like the person who campaigned with his personal faith front-and-center. It doesn’t sound like the man who promised to lead our state with honesty and forthrightness.

Bill Freeman

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FROM

GOV. BILL LEE

Vintage East Nashville Antiques 3407 GALLATIN PIKE 615●649● 8851 12,000 SQUARE FEET OF VINTAGE COOLNESS L & L M a r k e t | 3 8 2 0 C h a r l o t t e Av e n u e 6 1 5 - 9 4 2 - 5 5 8 3 | d a p h n e h o m e c o m PET OF THE WEEK!

5-YEAR-OLD

WHY PARENTS OF THIRD-GRADERS SHOULD CONSIDER REGISTERING FOR SUMMER SCHOOL

BY KELSEY BEYELER

Everyone can agree that they want kids to read well — the difficult part is agreeing on how to go about it. In 2021, the Tennessee General Assembly passed legislation requiring third-graders who score beneath a certain level on the English language arts portion of the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program to receive tutoring, attend summer school or be retained. The law, which updates similar 2011 legislation, is set to go into effect during this, the 2022-2023, school year, and it has created controversy and confusion as families and schools prepare for its possible implications.

The legislation is commonly referred to as the third-grade retention law, but the law’s passage doesn’t necessarily mean students at that grade level who don’t pass the ELA portion of the TCAP are automatically held back. Those who score what’s deemed “approaching” will have the option to receive in-school tutoring in fourth grade or attend summer school programming (with a 90 percent attendance rate). Those who score “below” must take both of these routes. Students who do not fulfill these requirements would be retained. The law doesn’t apply to some students, however — including those who have been previously retained, students with disabilities or suspected disabilities, and English learn-

ers with fewer than two years of English instruction. Students can take a retest and families can submit an appeal to the Tennessee Department of Education.

Policies like this exist in other states, and the emphasis on third-grade literacy comes from that grade level’s significance in determining future academic success. Even so, some lawmakers are questioning the legislation. Proponents of the law cite Tennessee students’ low reading scores and the need to address them. Currently, the majority of Tennessee’s third-graders would require some kind of intervention as required by the law. While research supports the effectiveness of targeted tutoring and academic interventions, it also indicates that retention can lead to negative implications such as stigmatization and bullying. Additionally, some folks disagree with staking retention on the results of a single test, and others say the TCAP test does not properly measure literacy. According to the Metropolitan Nashville Education Association, Nashville’s teacher’s union, the law is “an irresponsibly enacted piece of legislation that reduces students to one single standardized test, a practice that research shows is largely biased and an incomplete assessment of learning.”

“There are times when it is appropriate to retain children, but that decision has to be made at the local school with the teachers, the principal, the staff and the parent

of that child,” says state Rep. Gloria Johnson (D-Knoxville), a former public school teacher. “This is not a decision to be made by legislators in Nashville with zero experience in education.”

While Johnson tells the Scene that she’s “very likely going to have a bill that repeals the third-grade retention law,” the Republican supermajority likely won’t let that get very far. Some Republican legislators, however, are also interested in addressing the legislation in this year’s session. Sen. Jon Lundberg (R-Bristol), who was chair of the Senate Education Committee during the last session, has shared that he isn’t interested in revisiting the law. Rep. Mark White (R-Memphis), most recent chair of the House Education Administration & Planning Subcommittee, is.

“We’ve heard from all the school districts across the state this summer and fall asking us to take a relook at that,” White tells the Scene. “What I want to do when we go back in session, I’m going to plan a committee hearing and we’re going to have bills addressing this. … I want to look at not third-grade retention, but I want to look at early childhood literacy. What are we not doing that’s causing this continual problem that not enough students are reading adequately?”

Though the law may or may not change, Metro Nashville Public Schools is preparing for its implications by encouraging parents of third-graders to sign their students up for Promising Scholars, the district’s summer program that spans the month of June. The TCAP test isn’t administered to third-graders until April, and students’ scores won’t be released until afterwards, but the registration window for Promising Scholars is open Jan. 17 through March 30.

“We are encouraging 3rd grade parents to go ahead and plan now on registering their students for Promising Scholars this summer to ensure they are on track to get the interventions required and be promoted to 4th grade,” reads the district website.

Those interested in getting involved by tutoring students can learn more at AcceleratingScholars.org. Johnson also suggests talking with your legislators about the law.

EMAIL EDITOR@NASHVILLESCENE.COM

THIS

State Republicans have filed legislation to reduce the size of Nashville’s Metro Council, a move seen as retaliation for city lawmakers rejecting a push to bring the Republican National Convention to town. The legislation, filed Monday morning, would cap the size of municipal legislative bodies in Tennessee at 20 members, slashing the city’s 40-person chamber. … Rookie U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles made a splash in his first week as a D.C. legislator. The Republican former Maury County mayor held up Kevin McCarthy’s bid for House speaker for three days, joining 19 GOP colleagues in the party’s rightmost flank who demanded, and received, concessions from McCarthy and party leadership. McCarthy was elected speaker after 15 rounds of voting and will lead the chamber’s Republican majority. Ogles was elected in November over Democrat Heidi Campbell to represent Tennessee’s gerrymandered 5th Congressional District, which includes parts of Nashville. The seat was held by former U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper for two decades. …

A Davidson County judge ordered Gov. Bill Lee to furnish documents about the state’s COVID response after a yearlong suit brought by Nashville Post editor (and Scene reporter) Stephen Elliott and Scene parent company FW Publishing. Lee initially refused to comply with open records laws, claiming a “deliberative process privilege” exemption. … Neighborhood groups representing 12South, WedgewoodHouston and Chestnut Hill co-signed a letter opposing the city’s $119 million plan to redevelop The Fairgrounds Nashville racetrack into a NASCAR-ready speedway. … The first Metro Council meeting of the year saw debate on land use and zoning laws, areas where legislators see potential for headway on the city’s housing affordability crisis. The city also approved a $37 million TIF subsidy for a mixed-use development in Madison — a controversial practice that falls somewhere between city planning and real estate speculation, writes columnist @startleseasily. … The parents of Vandy undergrad Brian Adams filed a lawsuit against Vanderbilt University, alleging negligence by the school and an attempt to cover up information relating to Adams’ death by suicide in a dormitory in summer 2021. At least five Vanderbilt students have died by suicide since 2020 amid high demand for on-campus mental health services. … Iconic meat-and-three Arnold’s Country Kitchen served its last patrons on Saturday. Nashville developer SomeraRoad — the same team behind the huge Paseo South Gulch project across the street — already has the building under contract. A sale price has not been made public but could top $7 million for the 0.47-acre parcel at 812 Eighth Ave. S. … Tennessee’s hostility to marijuana legalization ignores a critical, obvious, lucrative stream of tax money, writes contributor Betsy Phillips While more states welcome the cannabis industry and public support spans party lines, Tennessee lawmakers’ resistance to marijuana legalization is inhibiting progress on the governor’s expensive infrastructure plans.

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A state law could require certain third-graders to be held back starting this year

STORIES TO WATCH 2023 ST O RIE S

and Supplementation Nutrition Assistance Program information — and if eligibility cannot be confirmed based on that, members will receive a renewal packet in the mail or by email.

Most recently, TennCare has sent a letter to all members — save for those on supplemental security income — steering members to its online portal to update contact information. Organizations like Family & Children’s Service are gearing up to help navigate the bureaucracy, especially when it comes to users who are not tech-savvy.

BY HANNAH HERNER

IN APRIL, for the first time in three years, all of TennCare’s 1.7 million members will be required to renew their enrollment in the program.

Prior to the COVID-19 public health emergency, members were responsible for proving that their income level and other demographic traits were still in compliance with TennCare limits on a yearly basis. But since January 2020, that process has been halted. In that time, enrollment has grown from a typical 1.4 million users to more than 1.7 million, and TennCare reps estimate that when all is said and done, more than 350,000 Tennesseans will no longer be eligible for the state-sponsored insurance.

The renewal process has been far from smooth in the past. TennCare Connect, a new online portal for applications and

WA TCH TO 2023

renewals, was launched in March 2019. Later that year, a Tennessean investigation revealed that at least 220,000 children lost coverage due to clerical errors in receiving and returning hard copies of renewal paperwork, even though many of those children were still eligible.

“There’s going to be two groups,” says Emilie Fauchet, a health care access navigator at area nonprofit Family & Children’s Service. “One group of people who’s truly no longer eligible, but who are probably very likely eligible for the [Affordable Care Act] marketplace, and then another group who is still technically eligible for TennCare but there was some procedural error in the processing of their application.”

The unwinding program is expected to

take 12 months, according to TennCare. Renewal information will be due according to typical renewal dates — meaning if a person was eligible for renewal in June 2020, they’ll now be eligible in June of this year. Come April, TennCare hopefuls can confirm their eligibility date by calling or checking their TennCare Connect portal. In an effort to streamline the process, TennCare will fill in existing data — such as Internal Revenue Service income data

“Not only do you have to receive the packet [and] fill it out, you’ve also got to send it back successfully, which means you’ve got to have access to one of several methods of sending that back,” Fauchet told Scene sister publication Nashville Post in September. “Then TennCare has got to receive it and put it all in the system. So there’s lots of steps there where there’s room for things to get missed.”

Fauchet advises members to update their contact information as soon as possible to ensure they don’t miss their renewal packet. Those who no longer qualify for TennCare will have their information sent to the Affordable Care Act health insurance marketplace.

Members can update their information by accessing their online account at TennCareConnect.TN.gov, by calling 1-855259-0701 or by using the TennCare Connect app. More information is available at tn.gov/tenncare/renewals

From the mayoral race to independent local venues, potential development of the East Bank, TennCare coverage and more, here are eight stories to keep an eye on this year

EMILIE FAUCHET PHOTO:

East Bank Development and a New Titans Stadium

Cooper eyes ‘Nashville’s next great neighborhood’ as negotiations with the team continue

BY ELI MOTYCKA

NEARLY A YEAR AGO, news broke that the Tennessee Titans and Mayor John Cooper had abandoned plans to renovate Nissan Stadium. Instead, they’d pursue a new build. Nissan was outdated — a VCR in the streaming era, according to Titans CEO Burke Nihill. Cooper had his eyes on a completely redeveloped East Bank. A $2.1 billion line item appeared in the budget a few months later, previewing the second-mostexpensive sports stadium in the world and floated by $1.3 billion in public money.

The deal has been a collage of moving parts across state and local governments, financing and media, complete with carefully crafted messaging and high-powered players. The NFL — a savvy entertainment megadealer that was, until recently, the world’s largest nonprofit — hired lobbyists and helped the Titans access hundreds of millions in financing. With updated facilities around the country, the league can offer a better product to media markets. (It sold $110 billion in broadcast rights in 2021.) At a Metro Sports Authority meeting in November, Nihill briefly referenced pressure the

team has gotten from the NFL to update its outdated facility.

Despite rosy projections from Nashville’s tourist-industrial complex — quite excited to vie for a new tier of events like the NCAA playoffs and a Super Bowl — sports stadiums do not return public investment, according to economists. The real beneficiaries will be the team, a $3 billion franchise expecting to bump its value with a new round of season ticket sales, and the NFL. The city benefits in that it avoids the potential financial repercussions of its current lease with the team, a liability that the Titans estimated at $1.8 billion through 2038. Despite efforts from the Metro Council to order an independent cost analysis of the city’s obligations under the current lease, the city hasn’t gotten its own numbers but has agreed to pay dearly to get off that hook. It will keep paying, in related infrastructure costs and by pledging future tax dollars, to develop a new commercial district surrounding the stadium — currently a jigsaw puzzle of industrial sites and parking lots.

The mayor calls this “Nashville’s next great neighborhood.” He’s engaged in a deli-

cate messaging dance with skeptical councilmembers, aggrieved residents, smiling football executives and pious media, eager to share the latest on a high-profile billiondollar deal. The Scene can confirm that the stadium’s glossy renderings get a lot of clicks. Back in the summer, the Metro Council formed its own panel, the East Bank Stadium Committee, to kick the tires on everything coming out of negotiations between the team and Cooper. Bits of legislation — a request to solicit potential real estate developers, formal approval for a boosted hotel-motel tax — sailed through a compliant council in November and December. The most pushback came with the deal’s terms sheet, viewed as a precursor for a new lease. Wary to give what might be construed as the body’s blanket approval for mayor-team negotiations, Councilmember At-Large Bob Mendes, who chairs the East Bank Stadium Committee, went to great lengths to clarify that the far-ranging document remains nonbinding, and council approval comes purely to facilitate ongoing discussion between the team and mayor.

A new stadium for the Titans would be the biggest thing the city has done in decades. It has two real peers — the Music City Center, built for $623 million in 2013, and the city’s decades-long effort to overhaul its sewer system — and several painful could-have-beens,

The Republican-led state legislature hasn’t held back from wielding power over local school districts, and some huge decisions will play out in Tennessee this year. The overarching question to consider as time unfolds: How are these decisions helping or hurting students?

like the city’s failed mass-transit push in 2018. To some residents, a new stadium has come to represent priorities misplaced by out-of-touch politicians while the rest of us struggle with growing commutes, rising rents and paychecks that don’t go as far as they used to.

Meanwhile, the Titans completely tanked a season that looked Super Bowl-worthy in October, adding a new variable — shaky public opinion of the team — to a story in which the team’s favorability does factor into political considerations for Cooper and other supporters. Many Nashvillians don’t care about football and said so during five public hearings this fall.

This one has it all: big money deals, national intrigue and closed-door discussions, with each party spinning complicated realities to suit its position while many basic facts remain unknown. The mayor thinks it’s a chance to preempt future liabilities and tap potent real estate opportunities across the river from downtown Nashville. Some Metro councilmembers bristle at being treated like an afterthought by Cooper, but they don’t have the actual votes to stop anything. The team and league want a new domed arena suitable for all-weather public concussions. Proponents cite volatile bond markets and building supply shortages, saying time is of the essence. ■

BY KELSEY BEYELER

WHEN IT COMES to education stories to watch in 2023, well … allow us to gesture toward the entire education sector.

There are plentiful education-related develop-

ments that warrant attention this year, from how schools are funded to the books that students are allowed to read and the proficiency with which they’re reading them. (Read more on that last bit on page 7.)

In last year’s Stories to Watch issue, we at the Scene highlighted the possible transition of education funding formulas. The General Assembly successfully passed legislation implementing a new formula, which has been met with mixed reactions. The new Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement Act will replace the 30-year-old Basic Education Program; it’s also supposed to add $1 billion to the state education budget. Democrats worry that the additional investment still isn’t enough to remediate Tennessee’s historically low education funding, and that the student-based formula will make it easier for public education dollars to flow to charter and private schools. The formula isn’t set to go into effect until the 2023-2024 school year, and it could see some revisions in this year’s legislative session, which gavels in this week, before classes restart in August. Not only should folks pay attention to this first year of TISA rollout, but note how well it holds up over time.

One of the biggest education stories of 2022 was that of the Hillsdale College charter network, and it’s not over yet. Last year, Gov. Bill Lee announced his intention to partner with Michigan’s conservative Hillsdale College to bring its charter schools to

Tennessee. That plan was initially criticized because of the conservative nature of the curriculum, which condemns progressivism and downplays America’s role in slavery. Later, Lee adviser and Hillsdale President Larry Arnn was caught on video insulting public school teachers. Three Hillsdale-affiliated charter schools applied to open in Rutherford, JacksonMadison and Clarksville-Montgomery county school districts, and all were denied by local school boards. Following three contentious Tennessee Public Charter School Commission hearings, the Hillsdale-affiliated charter operator (American Classical Education) ultimately withdrew its applications before the commission made a decision. It has since filed five letters of intent to open charters in the same three districts, plus Maury and Robertson counties.

What children can read has been another source of extensive debate among Tennessee parents and politicians. In the past year, several school districts across the state removed books from curricula and school libraries That may continue, especially since a new law gave the state Textbook and Instructional Materials Quality Commission power to ban books across Tennessee if challenged material reaches the body through an appeal process. Though the commission was supposed to issue guidance about book challenges by Dec. 1, it still has not as of press time. Furthermore, members of the commission are struggling with a lack of administrative support How the commission moves forward, and the number of book challenges that could follow, remains to be seen. ■

Mayoral, Vice Mayoral and Metro Council Races

With a campaign finance disclosure deadline closing in, the field for Metro elections is taking shape

BY STEVE CAVENDISH

BARELY FOUR DAYS into 2023, Steve Smith’s ad hit the airwaves.

“Aug. 3, 2023, Nashville voters will step into the voting booth to select the next mayor,” the ad’s narrator says. “The choice is as easy as A-B-C: Anybody but Cooper.”

Smith is best known for his ownership of several high-profile Lower Broadway bars. He supported Cooper in 2019, but the pair got sideways over COVID policies, property taxes and more. The buy for the 15-second ad was relatively small — just $3,000 on NewsChannel 5 — but it signaled that there are at least some people out there itching for a fight in local elections.

This year, voters will pick a mayor, vice mayor and a new Metro Council on Aug. 3. Here are some important dates to watch along the way.

JAN. 15: The final day candidates can raise money before having to file a campaign finance disclosure.

In the 2015 cycle, Megan Barry and Charles Robert Bone both posted strong results by January, raising $450,000 and $565,000 respectively. It gave both candidates the ability to build a campaign apparatus, get some early ads on the air (remember Bone’s “Joelton connected to Bellevue” jingle?) and show their relative strength as candidates.

After disclosing that he had raised more than $300,000 in his first weeks as a candidate in July 2022, former MDHA executive Matt Wiltshire is the candidate most likely to get close to those marks.

District 19 Councilmember Freddie O’Connell raised $100,000 quickly after declaring in the spring, but his ceiling may be lower. At-Large Councilmember Sharon Hurt just jumped into the race, so she’s

unlikely to disclose a big number.

Mayor John Cooper has done minimal fundraising, hosting only one big event in 2022. And to be fair, Cooper has never been a fundraising machine. He financed his 2019 campaign with more than $2 million of his own money versus just $331,000 from donors. He’s still carrying $725,000 in loans from the last race.

MARCH 20: The first day to pick up a petition.

Candidates can officially pick up their qualifying forms, often referred to as “pulling papers,” in mid-March. By that point, we should know most of those trying for mayor, vice mayor and council.

At least six new candidates are already fundraising for an at-large position on the Metro Council: Jeff Syracuse, Quin Evans Segall, Russ Pulley, Olivia Hill, Chris Cheng and Tony Chapman. Meanwhile, 14 district councilmembers are term-limited and cannot run again, opening up seats across the county.

In the vice mayoral contest, incumbent Jim Shulman plans to run for a second term,

tion did not mention the RNC or Nashville. Perhaps Republicans believe this would allow them somehow to get more conservatives elected to the overwhelmingly liberal Metro Council. Perhaps they simply want to stick a finger in Nashville’s eye. Perhaps they are earnestly concerned about efficiency and local governance and believe that no local government should have such a cumbersome legislative body. Lamberth said that “government functions best closer to the people,” despite the obvious result of the reduction being that each councilmember would represent more Nashvillians.

Vice Mayor Jim Shulman, who runs Metro Council meetings, is opposed to the hypothetical reduction and is still seeking a meeting with state House Speaker Cameron Sexton (R-Crossville) and eventually Senate leadership, too.

BY STEPHEN ELLIOTT

LIKE A KID who brought home a bad report card, the city of Nashville is stuck in its bedroom anxiously waiting on its parents to hand down a punishment. The transgression: opposing a bid to bring the 2024 Republican National Convention to Nashville, something desperately wanted by many in the GOP-dominated Tennessee General Assembly. Unfortunately for the Metro Council, the state legislature that meets down the road holds more power than the combined city-county government, and some in the Republican supermajority seem

to be itching for retribution.

Speculation in recent months has centered on one possible punishment for thwarting the RNC bid. Tennessee Republicans could cut the size of the Metro Council in half, from 40 members (among the largest councils in the country) to 20. House Majority Leader William Lamberth and Senate Finance Chair Bo Watson filed legislation to that effect on Monday, though specifics on how the changes work, or whether the proposal makes it through the legislature, remain to be seen. Their press release about the legisla-

“I think it’s important to at least have a discussion with the proper folks at the state legislature and point out that Nashville’s Metro Council has worked pretty well for over 50 years,” Shulman tells the Scene

Though the proposal has been pitched as punishment, many people around Metro have long argued that a smaller Metro Council could be good for the city. It would mean more money for council staff and members — who currently make part-time money — resulting in a more professionalized body with representatives able to devote more time to legislating and constituent services, and the possibility that more working-class people could seek the elected positions. It could also mean more manageable meetings. And some argue that the relatively small council districts that exist now lead some members to govern parochially, beholden to provincial interests and less

while District 34 Councilmember Angie Henderson has said she is interested in the job as well.

MAY 18: Qualifying deadline.

Candidates can remove their names from the ballot until May 25.

Historically speaking, late entries to races can be effective — Cooper didn’t enter his at-large council race or the mayor’s race until April of 2015 and 2019, respectively — but that’s generally the strategy of candidates who are already well-funded and/or well-known. In the case of Cooper vs. David Briley in 2019, getting in late turned the race into a sprint. Cooper is expected to announce his reelection bid sooner than that, but maybe not before a crucial Titans vote in March.

JULY 5: Voter registration deadline.

AUG. 3: Election Day.

SEPT. 14: Election runoff (if necessary). ■

focused on the well-being of the city as a whole.

Shulman, for his part, says those questions have been asked and answered. Proposals to change the size of the council have come and gone, unsuccessfully, in the years since Nashville and Davidson County combined in the 1960s, and one failed a citywide vote in 2015. And more councilmembers, he says, means constituents can more easily engage with government. Another concern about reducing the size of the council is the possibility that it could reduce minority representation, though that possibility is difficult to prove.

“If they want to reduce the size of the council to 20, then let Nashville decide,” Shulman says.

This wouldn’t be the first time the state government has waded into Metro governance in recent years.

Legislation around education savings accounts, short-term rental regulations and development impact fees have been targeted — at least in part — at Nashville. The state could get around restrictions on legislation targeting individual communities by, for example, capping all metropolitan government legislative bodies at 20 members. (Of the two other metro governments in the state, the largest council has 20 members.)

“Cities and counties are creatures of state government,” says Dewey Branstetter, chair of the Metro Charter Revision Commission and son of one of the authors of the original Metro Charter. “They do have some authority and ability to make changes and do things, but it would be, in my opinion, highly unusual and really inappropriate without a valid reason. It would border on being unconscionable.”

FROM LEFT: JOHN COOPER, FREDDIE O’CONNELL, SHARON HURT, MATT WILTSHIRE

Nashville’s FilmProduction Boom

BY D. PATRICK RODGERS

DESPITE THE industry-wide choke on filming brought about by the pandemic, Nashville’s film-production scene has been humming along for years. Over the past 16 months alone, countless productions have filmed in Nashville, including the Reese Witherspoon-produced country music competition series My Kind of Country, coming soon to Apple TV+, and the Showtime series George & Tammy. There have also been labor-of-love low-budget indies like Best Laid Plans and larger-scale independent features like the forthcoming Seth Worleydirected children’s fantasy flick Sketch. And while plenty of productions film on location, an essential part of the industry is the filmproduction facility — something Nashville is seeing more and more of.

Skyway Studios’ 16-acre gated campus on Dickerson Pike in East Nashville has existed since 2015 and was the shooting location for the syndicated daytime talk show Pickler & Ben as well as countless music videos, commercials and corporate videos. Worldwide Stages opened at the former Saturn headquarters in Spring Hill, about a half-hour south of Nashville, in September 2021. It’s home to more than 300,000 square feet of facilities on nearly 40 acres. Also in 2021,

Music City Studios announced plans to open a similar large-campus facility out in Hendersonville, though there’s been little news of that development since. (When reached by the Scene, a representative for Music City Studios notes that they’ll “have news to share in the coming months, but nothing we can share at this time.”)

Meanwhile, in West Nashville near John C. Tune Airport, another large facility is also playing host to loads of productions — and doing so with bleeding-edge technology. Vū Studios has four locations, three of which opened in 2022, including Vū Nashville, which launched in March. The campus is on property built and owned by Citation Support, and offers 8,000 square feet of studio space, plus green rooms, hair-and-makeup spaces, VIP rooms, conference rooms and a large loading bay.

But none of that is what makes Vū Studios particularly remarkable. Vū is home to a massive, J-shaped, high-definition LED wall — a type of technology known as a “volume” that’s being increasingly used in place of green screens, having first been developed and introduced by Industrial Light & Magic for the hit Disney+ series The Mandalorian

“It’s so brand-new that probably 80 per-

cent of the people who come in have never shot virtual production before,” says Vū Nashville general manager Megan Hill, a Nashville native and Trevecca Nazarene University graduate. “So we’re holding their hand and guiding them through the process to make sure their shoot is successful. … Our virtual operators will work with them.”

The volume can be programmed with intricately designed virtual spaces that can be tweaked to the smallest detail.

“Every project is completely different,” says Hill. “We can just put videos up on the wall, and you embrace the stage, and it’s more of a concert vibe where you have this amazing LED wall and crazy lights for a music video. Or for commercials and short films and feature films, we use Unreal Engine, which is a gaming technology that creates these worlds. Say we put a forest up on the wall — it’s interactive, so we can change the time of day. We can move trees, delete trees, we can add in grass. And then an art director can build out practical art on the set, so they would match and work with our virtual operators.”

Having an illuminated LED backdrop sheds real-world light on performers and sets that eliminates the need for the amount of lighting and post-production touch-ups that green screens necessitate. “It’s a lot more immersive,” says Hill. “It’s great for clients, because they can see exactly what you’re shooting. It’s in-camera — there’s

no more guessing like, ‘Just imagine trees here, and a river.’ You know exactly what you’re getting.”

Hill uses an example of a recent ad for a pharmacy: Vū created a virtual store that can be loaded up on the wall and paired with practical real-world props like shelving and a checkout counter. “So now that we have that in place, every time they need a commercial they don’t have to shut down a store or shoot at night — they can just come into our space and we can re-create their store and shoot anything they need.”

Vū saw a wide array of clients in its first year. Carrie Underwood shot a four-song performance in front of the volume in one day — with the performances used for different programs, including a rendition of “Pink Champagne” on The Tonight Show

Starring Jimmy Fallon. They’ve shot music videos for Dierks Bentley and corporate work with big companies like Volkswagen, Amazon, Tractor Supply Co. and others.

While Vū hasn’t shot any feature films at the Nashville location yet, they’re signed up to shoot a few scenes of an upcoming feature at Vū Nashville in February, and parts of the forthcoming Nicolas Cage picture Sympathy for the Devil were filmed at Vū’s Las Vegas location in 2022.

Seeing as how Nashville has a filmproduction scene teeming with talent — and increasingly advanced infrastructure to match — that’s likely just the beginning. ■

Keeping an Eye on Nashville’s Small Independent Venues

Talking with small indie venue programmers Caroline Bowman, Olivia

and Megan Loveless about the year ahead

BY STEPHEN TRAGESER

THE PANDEMIC ADDED layers of unpredictability to everything, including the already difficult business of booking and promoting shows as an independent in Nashville. Musicians and fans were dismayed when both the three-venue Mercy Lounge complex and the historic

Exit/In — two independent spots with long track records of striking the balance between keeping the lights on and serving the music community — went dark in 2022 amid conflicts with new landlords. Both sites are set to reopen as music venues under new management in 2023.

The Metro Council approved funding for a study of the needs of indie venues that has not yet been completed. Meanwhile, indie promoters and venue bookers across town have been working hard to offer programming that serves all kinds of community needs. While there’s plenty

of healthy concern, several representatives of smaller venues are looking confidently at the challenges of 2023. “We’re all kind of in this understanding that this space is for experimenting or exploring or discovering — we’re not just trying to fill a room because we have to sell tickets,”

Scibelli

V ū Studios’ recently opened Nashville location is home to an impressive new piece of tech

TRISTEN AT DRKMTTR

PHOTO: LANCE CONZETT

itans need a new GM (Gallagher)

says Caroline Bowman. She has booked the rotating cast of musicians, DJs and other events at Vinyl Tap since 2016, when owner Todd Hedrick opened the combination bar, record store and performance space in the former home of East Side mainstay The Family Wash. “I don’t have to book something I don’t like or believe in. There’s no pressure to do that, luckily. I think small spaces are really important for that kind of thing.”

This kind of agility allows Vinyl Tap to be an incubator for events like the Dare to Fail short-film showcase, which graduated to a bigger venue in less than a year. There aren’t layers of decision makers to consult, so Bowman can quickly make calls like turning The Spiral Groove’s hip-hop party into a monthly event. One struggle is that the business is a neighborhood bar that’s also a record store, so it can’t charge a cover for shows; though the guarantees are not as much as Bowman would like, performers do always get paid. She stresses that she wants to hear from community groups that need a way to raise money, because Vinyl Tap can accommodate fundraising DJ nights with little fuss.

“It’s not even a competitive market so much as it is a completely closed-door market,” says Olivia Scibelli, co-owner of all-ages venue and community space Drkmttr. “You can’t find a building in Nashville to rent … that makes sense for many businesses. And you’ll see a decline in small business resulting from that. And I feel like venues are obviously really high-risk because it’s a low-income situation.”

In 2019, Drkmttr moved into what hopefully will be its permanent location at 1111 Dickerson Pike

The building was purchased by a consortium of folks who helped make Lucy’s Record Shop a vital place for youth arts culture in Nashville in the 1990s, and their goal has been to keep Drkmttr in place. The business owners have taken advantage of that security by responding to community needs — during COVID lockdown, Drkmttr housed the Nashville Free Store — as well as making the space welcoming for everyone, performers included. Looking ahead, Scibelli says she and the other co-owners have started the process of becoming a federally recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, which will open up a vast array of grant programs that can help them seize growth opportunities.

Scibelli also notes appreciatively that places like The Blue Room, the music venue at the Nashville headquarters of Jack White’s Third Man Records, have been expanding their all-ages offerings. Megan Loveless is a co-founder of DIY show promoter and label To-Go Records and the Nashville Show To-Go Menu, as well as The Blue Room’s talent buyer and promoter. Since 2021, the space has opened as a bar on off-nights, and Loveless has programmed local musicians, trivia events and much more during those hours. Though it’s still a high-end venue for culturally significant touring artists — like Zambian psych heroes W.I.T.C.H.’s October 2022 stop and the upcoming March 1 visit from Brazilian Tropicália heroes Os Mutantes — the additions to the calendar have made it feel more like a neighborhood hangout.

“It’s more and more expensive to put on shows ... trying to balance that out and still keep the venue running and still paying bands well, and trying to book more local acts and smaller bands and try to cultivate the scene a bit more,” says Loveless, pointing out the post-lockdown inflation that’s affecting many, many businesses. “With a lot of the spaces closing like Mercy and Exit/In, it feels like we have a duty to take on more of those local shows.”

The past few years have been even harder than usual for indie promoters and bookers. While it doesn’t look like it will get any easier anytime soon, Loveless hopes more young showgoers will develop an interest.

“I’m just putting it out there that I hope more people get inspired to do those types of things,” she says, “because they are so important for the music scene here.” ■

The Titans’ General Manager Search

What we know about Tennessee’s efforts to replace Jon Robinson

BY MICHAEL GALLAGHER

IN THE SPAN of 10 months, Jon Robinson experienced the extreme high and extreme low of life as an NFL general manager.

In that time, Robinson was given a multi-year contract extension and a ringing endorsement from Tennessee Titans controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk, only to be unceremoniously fired midseason following a 25-point blowout loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 13 for not meeting “higher aspirations.”

Cutting ties with a GM during the season is a rarity in the NFL. And the ones who do get axed usually aren’t at the top of their division with a winning record and on track for a sixth straight winning season and fourth straight playoff appearance. That makes the timing of Adams Strunk’s decision all the more puzzling.

“Honestly, [once] I had made the decision, it was time to move forward,” she told the Associated Press in December. “There was no reason to go six, seven, eight weeks — however long we remain in the season. It was not fair to Jon, it was not fair to the team; it just seemed the right thing. It gives us plenty of opportunity now to identify future candidates that we’re going to interview, to get to watch the internal candidates. I’m just not that person that’s going to sit on a decision like that.”

Statistically speaking, Robinson is the most successful GM in franchise history.

In six-plus seasons, he compiled a .605 winning percentage (66-43 record) with six straight winning seasons, four playoff

appearances, back-to-back AFC South titles and an AFC championship game appearance. But despite all of Robinson’s accolades, Adams Strunk said she realized he likely had taken the team as far as he could, and it was time for fresh blood — someone who could launch the Titans into the upper echelon of the NFL.

“I told the fans from the very beginning that I want to win it all and I want to be one of those elite teams that people are always scared of, and it’s my responsibility,” Adams Strunk told the AP. “And eventually it’s up to me to make those kind of decisions that get us there.”

Rumblings from those close to the situation indicate there are two likely paths that Adams Strunk’s GM search could take.

The first — and perhaps most likely scenario — is to promote from within. The Titans have two executives on staff — Ryan Cowden and Monti Ossenfort — who have interviewed for GM openings over the past few years, and it’s not out of the realm of possibility that one or both could be poached away as soon as this offseason.

Both Cowden, who’s Tennessee’s interim GM and VP of player personnel, and Ossenfort, the director of player personnel, could help make a seamless transition, and both know the inner workings of the team, having worked extensively with head coach Mike Vrabel. And while it’s doubtful that Vrabel wants complete autonomy over personnel decisions, it’s likely he will yield more authority over his roster after making

some tongue-in-cheek digs this season about Tennessee’s lack of receiver depth and a few other roster shortcomings.

The second path involves the Titans shaking things up with an external hire, presumably someone with a strong track record of drafting and developing top-end talent.

There are many young up-and-coming executives who fit that bill, but guys like Kansas City Chiefs assistant GM Mike Borgonzi, San Francisco 49ers assistant GM Adam Peters and former Houston Texans GM Rick Smith seem to be of the mold that Adams Strunk is searching for.

Borgonzi directs the Chiefs’ college and professional scouting departments, and he works in tandem with GM Brett Veach on roster management, player acquisition, the draft and free agency. He’s had a hand in drafting the likes of Travis Kelce, Tyreek Hill, Chris Jones, Kareem Hunt and Justin Houston.

Peters is 49ers GM John Lynch’s righthand man. He has an impressive scouting résumé that includes eight seasons with the Denver Broncos, working his way up from a regional scout to a national scout to the director of college scouting. In Denver, Peters helped acquire 27 players who were a part of the team’s Super Bowl-winning roster in 2015. In San Francisco, he’s played a part in the drafting of George Kittle, Deebo Samuel and Fred Warner.

Seven of Smith’s 11 seasons in Houston resulted in a winning record, and he led the Texans to four AFC South titles. He also has a track record of hitting on first-round draft picks, including Duane Brown, Brian Cushing, Kareem Jackson, J.J. Watt, Whitney Mercilus, DeAndre Hopkins and Deshaun Watson.

Vrabel also worked for Smith in Houston from 2014 to 2017 when he was the Texans’ linebackers coach, then defensive coordinator.

Adams Strunk has made it clear she’s working on no timeline but her own, and she’s doing her due diligence.

The last time she made a move as polarizing as this — firing then-head coach Mike Mularkey in 2018 after consecutive winning seasons and a road playoff win over the Kansas City Chiefs — it yielded Vrabel, who’s won the third-most games (50) with the second-best winning percentage (.581) in franchise history among coaches with three or more years of service. ■

PHOTO: CASEY GOWER

TITANS CONTROLLING OWNER AMY ADAMS STRUNK

living well

fresh perspectives to live your best life in

Nashville Crystal Store and Crystal Farmacy

Though crystal healing is trending, renowned healer, author and visionary Ataana Badilli has supported Nashville with this ancient form of energy work in Nashville since 2005.

Crystals are stones with unique physical characteristics and energies — each one affects the human body’s vibrations in different ways.

“Crystals help us remember our full potential and self-healing abilities,” says Badilli, who opened Nashville Crystal Store’s Berry Hill location in 2017, East Nashville in 2018 and The Chattanooga Crystal Store in 2021.

Nashville Crystal Store carries consciously sourced, healing crystals and beautiful gemstones from around the globe, ranging from pocket size to 8 feet tall. Their goal is to connect each client with their healing crystal — and vice versa.

“Upon entry, our knowledgeable and intuitive staff is there to support you on your healing journey with crystal information and pairings, Badilli says. “Each crystal is labeled with its individual healing properties, like a crystal pharmacy. After a brief consultation, our staff pairs crystals that are unique to the individual and their energy.”

Crystal pairings are a two-way street. Badilli and his staff also work to ensure that each stone will be happy in its new home.

“The energy of our crystals is extremely important to us, ensuring that when they are rehomed they hold a beautiful, healing energy,” Badilli says. “We work directly with the miners and their families to ensure a fair and healthy process for everyone involved, including the stones.”

Badilli, who encourages families and children to experience the “wholesome healing energy” of stones, also works with international artists on one-of-a-kind gemstone jewelry, sculptures and crystal furniture.

His books, Sacred Inner Dialogue: Calling My Power Back and Mantras & Music: Prosperity Healing Mantras, are available in-store and online.

To learn more about guided crystal meditations, complimentary crystal readings, energy healing work and more, visit nashvillecrystalstore.com, follow on Instagram @NashvilleCrystalStore and sign up for text updates and a live nightly Zoom meditation of Prosperity Healing Mantras at ataanamethod.com.

The energy of our crystals is extremely important to us, ensuring that when they are rehomed they hold a beautiful, healing energy,

Braces by Dr. Ruth

After Dr. Ruth Ross Edmonds completed her graduate training in orthodontics at the University of Tennessee in Memphis, she moved back to Nashville to put her knowledge and experience to work.

“No one was hiring, so I decided to open my own practice,” Edmonds says. “As a result, I am the first African-American female to own and open an orthodontic office in Nashville.”

Edmonds opened Braces by Dr. Ruth 22 years ago with a staff of one. Today she has 12 highly trained team members in a brightly colored Midtown space that’s also “a bit of a mural gallery,” she says.

At Braces by Dr. Ruth, customized orthodontic treatment plan options include metal and ceramic (clear) braces, aligners and their newest product, Brava by Brius.

“These are independent tooth movers that are placed behind teeth. They are the truly invisible treatment option,” she says. “Our patients are loving having a tray-less option, as many people do not have the discipline to wear the trays. You are able to brush and floss as you would without independent tooth movers.”

A family-friendly, inclusive environment is important to Edmonds: Braces by Dr. Ruth also offers bilingual services for children and adults and several rewards programs. The token program lets patients earn tokens for punctuality and clean teeth. Tokens can be saved and applied to everything from a travel toothbrush to ear buds, wireless speakers, movie tickets or two tickets to Nashville Zoo. Patients can also create an entry for the Braces by Dr. Ruth t-shirt design contest and attend a patient appreciation party during summer break.

Braces are a science — but also an art. Outside the office, Edmonds funnels her creativity into stained and fused glass art.

In addition to being the owner, operator, orthodontist and self-described “Queen of Everything,” Edmonds is also a member of the American Dental Association, American Association of Orthodontics, Southern Association of Orthodontics, Nashville Dental Society and the Pan-Tennessee Dental Society, and has received awards from the National Dental Association and the Capital City Dental Society.

“We are not the biggest, or the busiest,” Edmonds says of her practice. “But one difference between Braces by Dr. Ruth and your local chain — or office that has several locations — is that you will always get Dr. Ruth.”

Third Coast Salt and Day Spa

It’s no coincidence that Third Coast Salt Day Spa has been open for 6.5 years and voted Best Spa for six. Based on the healing power of salt, this 5300-square-foot space caters to those who seek solitude or social interaction.

“Want to know why you are so relaxed at the beach? It’s the salt!” says self-proclaimed “grateful owner” Shari Arnold. “Escape to Third Coast Salt and Day Spa for the most uniquely designed menu of services. Your massage can be transformed into the best treatment of your life.”

The 28-member team of professionals offer massage, reiki, salt, sweat and spa therapy, facials, chemical peels, waxing and threading, tinting, microblading, lash extensions, wellness workshops, private events and more.

Now in their forever home minutes east of the airport in Mt. Juliet, Third Coast Salt will debut two of the best lasers in the industry, the Ultra and Clarity Two, with full certification and advanced training on February 1.

The Ultra resurfaces the face, helps with acne scaring, hyperpigmentation, melasma and an overall glow as well as hair rejuvenation. The Clarity Two does laser hair reduction. Look for Third Coast Salt’s “Love Lasers” and unique couples date escape Valentine’s Day promotions.

“Let 2023 be the year of self care and self love,” Arnold says. “Trust Third Coast Salt with your skin, body, mind and health.”

Photo by Southern Social

CRITICS’ PICKS

ROUNDUP OF THINGS TO DO

GOONIES

THURSDAY, JAN. 12

GOONIES

The Belcourt’s Sight & Sound top 10 series comes to an end this week, closing with one more screening of the film that made most of Film Twitter lose its collective shit. Chantal Akerman’s 1975 feature Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles made quite the quantum leap from its last showing in the once-per-decade Sight & Sound poll, going from No. 35 all the way to the top spot. And with its ascension came hella backlash from people wanting to know what makes this three-hour foreign film that most people haven’t heard of — mostly consisting of a Belgian housewife (Delphine Seyrig) doing a lot of dull shit — the greatest film of all time. There’s no doubt that this slow-cinema masterwork might not be everyone’s cup of tea. (I’ve actually had a copy of the Criterion Collection DVD for years, but I could never talk myself into cracking the seal and watching it.) But it’s a fascinating study of a widowed mom (and occasional sex worker) whose meticulous daily routine starts to unravel during a quietly suspenseful three days. Kate Rennebohm, co-host of The Akerman Year podcast, will give a prerecorded introduction. 8 p.m. at the Belcourt, 2102 Belcourt Ave. CRAIG D. LINDSEY

“Kids suck,” says Mama Fratelli, the antagonist of high-energy, wide-eyed outsiders in The Goonies. While filming the 1985 adventure comedy, director Richard Donner could relate. According to an interview, corralling the tween cast — which included Ke Huy Quan (as gadget-master Data), Jeff Cohen (the fan-favorite Chunk) and Sean Astin (the Goonies’ leader Mikey) — exasperated Donner. Their on-set rambunctiousness comes across on screen too, prompting one reviewer to compare watching the cult classic to “being buried alive in the ball pit at Chuck E. Cheese.” Nevertheless, like many Steven Spielberg productions, The Goonies — about imaginative friends who hunt for centuries-old pirate treasure (the worth of which could prevent the foreclosure of their parents’ homes in a gentrifying coastal Oregon town) — captures the distinctive wonderment of childhood. The cast’s friendships have endured off screen as well. At last year’s annual Asian American Awards, where Quan received the best-actor award for his role in Everything Everywhere All at Once, he was joined by Cohen (who is Quan’s real life entertainment lawyer) as well as Astin (Quan’s lifelong friend), who exclaimed Mikey’s famous line to the crowd: “Goonies never say die!” Catch a repertory screening of the kids’ classic Thursday in Franklin. 7:30 p.m. at The Franklin Theatre, 419 Main St., Franklin WILLIAM HOOKER

FILM

[TWO TOGETHER ARE ALWAYS GOING SOMEWHERE] SIGHT & SOUND TOP 10: VERTIGO

Years ago, when the Belcourt played a digital restoration of the film, the Scene let me give a few reasons why Vertigo is my favorite Alfred Hitchcock flick. With the 1958 movie playing the Belcourt again, this time as part of its Sight & Sound Top 10 series — it was No. 1 a decade ago; now it’s down to No. 2 — I’m glad to say not a damn thing has changed. I can still easily slide into Hitch’s colorfully surreal vision of obsession the same way I did when I saw it the first time. Let’s face it: If it weren’t for this woozy psycho thriller, wherein Jimmy Stewart’s acrophobic detective becomes so fix-

ated on a married woman (Kim Novak) that he later makes another woman (also played by Novak) look and dress just like her, we wouldn’t have David Lynch’s filmography of bizarre neo-noirs about gorgeous women in trouble. For all those who’ve never seen it on the big screen or otherwise, I dare you to buy a ticket and not fall into its dark, dreamlike spell. 5:20 p.m. at the Belcourt, 2102 Belcourt Ave. CRAIG D. LINDSEY

[AMMATEUR HOUR]

MUSIC

AMM SKELLARS

Local improv and punk communities have historically orbited around each other, but rarely collaborated. Here, they collide. Amm Skellars member Mia Soza, who moved to town from Missoula, Mo., in 2019, describes her crew as a gang of accidental theater kids who met through music but actively try each other’s disciplines on for size. Explains Soza: “Singers, dance. Dancers, sculpt. Writers, do a livestream play-through of The Sims. And so forth. We get asked a lot if we’re a theater troupe, but at our core, we’re just a gang of people who want to see wilder art in Nashville. Expect wild antics, ridiculous costumes, and [vibes] somewhere between K-pop, rock ’n’ roll, ABBA and Lady Gaga.” Along with Soza, the group includes Hannah Dorfman, Ally Baker, Camille Faulkner, Bea Troxel, Rita Pfeiffer and Ryan Wood. There are some recognizable names in the crew too, including Neil Fridd (of local band Terror Pigeon) on light production, soul frontwoman Alanna Royale on makeup and rock bassist Ariel Dornbush as costumier. 7:30 p.m. at The East Room, 2412 Gallatin Ave.

CHARLIE ZAILLIAN

MUSIC [UP ALL NIGHT]

PITCH MEETING TAKEOVER FEAT. AARON LEE TASJAN & MORE

Aaron Lee Tasjan knows music. The Berklee College of Music dropout — who cofounded Semi-Precious Weapons and played with the New York Dolls before coming to Nashville — has a musical wanderlust. He embraces trippy power pop, Neil Young-

FILM [NUMBER ONE WITH A BULLET] SIGHT & SOUND TOP 10: JEANNE DIELMAN, 23, QUAI DU COMMERCE, 1080 BRUXELLES

FILM [NEVER SAY DIE]

The Franklin Theatre

style crunchy Americana and genre fluidity. His appearance at Pitch Meeting’s 3rd & Lindsley Takeover benefit signals a deep respect for the level of musicianship and creativity employed by the nascent nonprofit collective in service of Nashville’s emerging songwriters. Tasjan has enlisted an all-star band, and it’s an opportunity to present a song from the ground up — with no rehearsals and no pre-production, think of it as flying without a net — and have an experience that truly serves their song. For Tasjan, whose stripped-down folk, sparkling pop and Bowie-esque rocksoul employ melodies, song structure and thick psychedelic Beach Boys harmony, musicianship matters. 6:30 p.m. at 3rd and Lindsley, 818 Third Ave. S. HOLLY GLEASON

NASHVILLE SYMPHONY PRESENTS THE MUSIC OF STAR WARS

Once you hear the opening orchestral boom of the main Star Wars theme, written by legendary composer John Williams, you know where you’re headed. It’s one of the most transporting cinematic compositions ever written, and for good reason. Williams’ ballyhooed body of Star Wars music will take center stage with the Nashville Symphony this weekend, when a galaxy far, far away won’t be so far away at all. If you’ve ever attended one of the Nashville Symphony’s stellar Williams tributes, you know they take good care of the maestro’s legendary scores. Enrico Lopez-Yañez will be conducting this concert series, the latest in the symphony’s many movie-themed programs. Rumor has it that if you buy a ticket, you won’t be called a scruffy-looking nerf

herder by any of your family members and friends for the next year. We can’t confirm that, but we can confirm that none of the members of the Mos Eisley cantina band will be present for any of this weekend’s shows. May the Force be with you! Jan. 1215 at the Schermerhorn, 1 Symphony Place CORY WOODROOF

FRIDAY / 1.13

[ALL YELLOW]

MUSIC

D. STRIKER’S RR PARTY

In Nashville, the mythology of country music routinely butts up against both the reality of the music business and the city’s struggle to find the balance between big city and small town. What better place, then, for D. Striker to thrive? Every Friday the 13th — and only on Fridays the 13th — the perpetual rising country star with a fetish for the color yellow plays a show to celebrate the new issue of his country fanzine RR, which revels in true country fandom while poking fun at the genre’s tendency for selfaggrandizement. Striker’s self-deprecating shenanigans continually ring true because they paint a picture of an ordinary guy who wants to be larger than life. By now, you probably know that he’s the alter ego of music-biz pro Jeff Meltesen. While Meltesen is not a career songwriter, the songs in Striker’s catalog are well-crafted, whether they’re of the heartfelt variety or tend toward the silly or absurd, and they always feature the support of an excellent band. The very first RR party took place in 1998, and to mark the 25th anniversary of the tradition, Meltesen & Co. head down to Spring-

water on Friday, joined by three outstanding acts who have deep roots in the city and its arts scenes: superbly soulful and thoughtful rock group Altered Statesman; standup comic, songwriter and the Scene’s own Advice King, Chris Crofton; and Tom House, a prolific poet turned writer of phenomenally intense songs. 9 p.m. at Springwater, 115 27th Ave. N. STEPHEN TRAGESER

[WSM COMES HOME AGAIN]

MUSIC

OPRY AT THE RYMAN

Who says you can’t go home? For the Grand Ole Opry, the long-running country (radio) show broadcast on WSM-AM, January means going live from the original Mother Church of Country Music, the Ryman Auditorium. As is the Opry’s longtime tradition of presenting the best of all eras of country, this weekend’s lineup has plenty for everyone. Jan. 13 will be a master class in real country: Hard-charging traditionalist and multiple Canadian Country Music Association Award winner Terri Clark brings her wide-open, kickass hard honky-tonk, while 2022’s Academy of Country Music Female Artist of the Year Carly Pearce offers her sleek take on the traditionalism of icons from Tammy Wynette to Trisha Yearwood and the rootsy side of Dolly Parton. Country Music Hall of Famer and one of modern bluegrass’s most foundational icons, Ricky Skaggs, rounds out the bill. On Jan. 14, twotime CMA Entertainer of the Year, Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame member and ad hoc Eagle Vince Gill will be joined by emerging red-dirt Texas sensation Corey Kent — fresh off his hit “Wild as Her” — and Nashville guitarist-around-town Charlie Worsham, whose singular artistic vision is making him a first call in Music City. Jan. 13-14 at the Ryman, 116 Rep. John Lewis Way N. HOLLY GLEASON

ART [LET’S GET CRAFTY]

CRAFT A NEW YEAR

If your New Year’s resolutions included taking up a new hobby, you’re in luck — the Tennessee State Museum’s Craft a New Year: Learning Craft Workshop Series is back with a great lineup of beginner workshops. Presented in partnership with Tennessee Craft, each class offers a oneday, seven-hour course designed to get you started in one of Tennessee’s favorite craft traditions. The series continues this Saturday with Nancy Jacobsohn, a respected sculptor and educator, leading participants as they create a sculpted clay animal mask. Jacobsohn is expected to provide a bit of background on the art form, along with an overview of techniques, while exploring “ideas for enhancing the finished project with found objects of the artist’s choosing.” All skill levels are welcome. Other upcoming classes include Painting With Thread with Beizar Aradini (Jan. 21) and Bookbinding with Mary Sullivan (Jan. 28). Classes run 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. every Saturday in January. Through Jan. 28 at the Tennessee State Museum, 1000 Rosa L. Parks Blvd. AMY STUMPFL

ART [TOUGH SHIT]

WHAT A TOUGH! THE WORK OF AARON WORLEY

From George Bellows to Basquiat to Nashville’s own Jessi Zazu, visual artists have a long history of using the sport of boxing as subject matter — and for good reason. Thought-provoking themes like violence, power and subjugation fit hand-in-glove, so to speak, with portrayals of individual bodies that are straight out of ancient Greece or Renaissance Italy. The recent work of Aaron Worley builds on that framework and adds powerful gestural brushstrokes to further the idea of an artist as a kind of warrior. According to the exhibition materials, Worley relates the battle between fighters in a ring

CLASSICAL [BINARY SUNSET]

WHAT A TOUGH! THE WORK OF AARON WORLEY

AARON LEE

TASJAN

PHOTO: MICHAEL WEINTROB

to the “daily struggle to survive, and moreover, to overcome obstacles.” What a Tough! is Worley’s first solo exhibition at The Forge, but it’s also the first collaboration between The Forge and Red Arrow Gallery. Worley was the recipient of The Forge’s STATE Scholarship Program and is represented by Red Arrow. Opening reception 6-9 p.m. Through Feb. 6 at The Forge, 217 Willow St. LAURA HUTSON HUNTER

MUSIC [WITH FEELING]

JOSEPHINE FOSTER

Josephine Foster has a voice and a songwriting style that you’d never mistake for anyone else’s. There are strains you can pick up in her work from Appalachian and British folk, 19th-century art music, psychedelic country music and more. But it’s something all her own, which reaches deep into the gaps between cold, hard fact and our perception, touching on something sublime. During her two-decade-plus career, the widely traveled Colorado-born songsmith has worked with all kinds of collaborators, including members of Nashville’s various music scenes like venerable experimental folk ensemble The Cherry Blossoms and producer-engineer Andrija Tokic. Along with several recent archival records, Foster released two new recordings in 2022 that feature some new perspectives as well as her work with synthesizers and drum machines, instruments that have occupied relatively small parts of her palette before. Godmother features somewhat more traditional forms, while Spellbinder/Experiment features two hypnotic pieces, the first an original and the second an inventive setting of a Cole Porter piece. Supporting her Satur-

day at Third Man will be multifaceted songsmith Nick Woods, who recently let fans know he’s got two new records of his own that will hopefully see the light of day this year — expect to hear lots of new material. 8 p.m. at The Blue Room at Third Man Records, 623 Seventh Ave. S. STEPHEN TRAGESER

MUSIC

[FAKE OUT] COUNTERFEIT

On “Heartburn” and “Empty Out Now” — two of just a few tracks made available by Counterfeit, who formed in Nashville in 2019 — the up-and-coming heavyweights suss out a sweet spot between mournful guitar melodies and guttural metal growls, splitting the difference between beating your ass and crying on your shoulder. Linkin Park’s late Chester Bennington would approve. McMinnville blackmetalers Daedalus support, plus fellow locals Achilles Heel and Growler. 8 p.m. at Drkmttr, 1111 Dickerson Pike CHARLIE ZAILLIAN

[I’LL SEE YOU IN MY DREAMS]

MUSIC

LOMAX ON LOMAX

Longtime Nashvillian John Lomax III has had just about every job imaginable in the music industry. He’s worked as a manager for the likes of Townes Van Zandt and Steve Earle, and as a music journalist and photographer. He’s worked in foreign music distribution and — as part of his family tradition — as an archivist and preservationist. (If Lomax’s surname looks familiar to you, that’s likely because you’re aware of the work of his grandfather John Lomax Sr. and his uncle Alan Lomax, world-renowned preservationists who are responsible for keeping generations of American folk,

country and blues music alive.) Recently, Lomax III has added another job title to his ever-lengthening résumé: performer. On Saturday, Lomax will appear at the Country Music Hall of Fame’s Ford Theater, where he’ll present a show “based on 112 years and four generations of Lomax family contributions to American music.” In addition to providing valuable historical context, Lomax will perform classic folk songs like “Home on the Range,” “Goodnight Irene” and many more. The show will be included with museum admission and free to Country Music Hall of Fame members. 2:30 p.m. at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s Ford Theater, 222 Rep. John Lewis Way S. D. PATRICK RODGERS

its premiere at Belmont’s Fisher Center in November. Audience members also can look forward to performances from the acclaimed soprano NaGuanda Nobles and noted poet (and sometime Scene contributor) Kashif Andrew Graham, plus the Celebration Chorus and the Celebration Youth Chorus. Tickets are pay-what-you-can. 7 p.m. at the Schermerhorn, 1 Symphony Place AMY STUMPFL

COMEDY [IT’S YA BOY?]

NOEL MILLER

Even if you never had an account on Vine — the app that many consider to be the precursor to TikTok — if you were in middle or high school between the years of 2013 and 2017, the shouts of “What’s up, it’s ya boy, skinny penis!” filling the hallways likely still haunt your dreams. The man who spawned this craze has since cultivated a career for himself that almost makes it hard to believe Noel Miller first blew up through Vine virality. Whether you discovered him through Vine, his and Cody Ko’s That’s Cringe YouTube series, or most notably his Tiny Meat Gang podcast, Miller’s content has been pretty unavoidable if you’ve found yourself on Gen Z’s corner of the internet over the past decade. Miller’s entrance into stand-up comedy wasn’t exactly by the book, but in a rapidly changing comedy landscape,

NASHVILLE SYMPHONY PRESENTS LET FREEDOM SING

For many, Martin Luther King Jr. Day represents a welcome opportunity for reflection, education, volunteer service and civic engagement. And thanks to the Nashville Symphony’s 29th annual Let Freedom Sing performance, we can also honor the profound legacy of Dr. King with a free community concert event. This year’s tribute will offer an inspiring mix of classical works, traditional spirituals and more. Once again, Belmont University’s Dr. Jeffery L. Ames will be on hand to lead the program, which will feature familiar anthems such as “Lift Every Voice” and “We Shall Overcome,” along with selections from Ames’ own Requiem for Colour — which enjoyed

he’s managed to introduce the art form to a younger generation who might have otherwise missed its peak. Catch him on his Everything Is F#&ked Tour on Wednesday. 8 p.m. at TPAC’s Polk Theater, 505 Deaderick St. CONNOR DARYANI

[AN

MUSIC

EVENING OF CHAMBER WORKS]

GIVEN NEW VOICE: VOCAL CHAMBER MUSIC REIMAGINED

Along with its popular classical and pops programming, the Nashville Symphony also offers a wide range of free concert events designed both to educate and entertain audiences. Its Chamber Music Series is the perfect case in point. Developed by the orchestra’s own musicians, these free performances offer more of an informal concert-going experience with plenty of opportunity to dig into the history and artistry surrounding the selected works. You can check out the series’ latest installment

JOSEPHINE FOSTER

PHOTO: ALEX BRANCH

CRITICS’ PICKS

on Wednesday with Given New Voice: Vocal Chamber Music Reimagined. Led by the versatile violist Anthony Parce, the program presents an intriguing blend of original and “reimagined” chamber works featuring voice. Parce will be joined onstage by Tamara Benitez-Winston (oboe), Charissa Leung (violin), Annaliese Kowert (violin), Grace Parce (cello), Evan Bish (bass), Erich Parce (baritone) and Theresa Zick (clarinet). 6 p.m. at the Schermerhorn, 1 Symphony Place AMY STUMPFL

[DICTIONARY OF SOUL]

MUSIC

THEE SACRED SOULS

The music on San Diego trio Thee Sacred Souls’ 2022 self-titled debut tends to the retro side of things, and it could hardly be otherwise. Thee Sacred Souls are signed to the Daptone Records label, which has brought forth plenty of retro-plus goodies by the likes of Sharon Jones and the DapKings. What differentiates retro soul from neo soul is the scale of the ambition — neo soul was a response to hip-hop, and its best practitioners often managed to make soul and R&B sound as weird, experimental and, you know, modern, as the best rock and pop. Thee Sacred Souls’ debut album keeps to a midtempo groove and addresses such universal topics as love and romance. The trio — Josh Lane, Sal Samano and Alex Garcia — play and sing with aplomb, and the songs hit the mark as high-generic examples of the sort of thing performers and bands as different as William DeVaughn, The Chi-Lites and maybe even Jay and the Techniques (what, you don’t know the latter band’s 1966 hit “Apples, Peaches, Pumpkin Pie”?) were doing a half-century ago. I also hear hints of the approach of Bay Area soul legend Darondo in a few songs. The album goes down easy, and something titled “Future Lover” moves smartly. All I could wish for from this group is a few uptempo numbers — things do get a little samey over the course of the album. Still, Thee Sacred Souls stands as an impressive debut that doesn’t add much vocabulary to the dictionary of soul, and that’s the way it usually goes with retro. 8 p.m. at The Basement East, 917 Woodland St. EDD HURT

Caterpillars become butterflies in the quiet yet epic orchestral pop songcraft of June Rosewell — that’s the alias of recent Vanderbilt grad and former WRVU music director June Kolentus. Show up early for live performances from Salt Water Baby and Claire Jenkins, neither of whom have much of an internet footprint, but promise to emote accordingly. 8 p.m. at Drkmttr, 1111 Dickerson Pike. CHARLIE ZAILLIAN

MUSIC

[JUNE IS FINALLY HERE]

JUNE ROSEWELL

JUNE ROSEWELL

FAREWELL TO ARNOLD’S COUNTRY KITCHEN

Last week, the family behind the iconic local meatand-three made an ‘exit on our terms’

BY CHRIS CHAMBERLAIN

“I

’m tired,” says Rose Arnold, the matriarch behind Nashville meatand-three restaurant institution Arnold’s Country Kitchen. “My back hurts like hell! I want to retire, and I’ve got a lot of people to take care of, including my husband.”

News broke just before New Year’s Eve that Arnold’s would be serving its last meal on Saturday, Jan. 7, after decades in business.

Jack Arnold, the restaurant founder, originally purchased the restaurant from his boss, Lynn Chandler, who was considered the father of the meat-and-three after opening the original Elliston Soda Shop. Jack Arnold has not been involved with day-today operations for more than a decade due to illness, and Rose and her son Kahlil have served as the faces of the institution.

“This was never my dream,” Rose explains. “I just got lucky.”

A decade ago, Rose and Kahlil were faced with the realization that Jack’s 30-year lease on the restaurant building was coming due. “We didn’t intend to buy it,” Rose recalls. “We just wanted to extend the lease or at least get the first option.” They were surprised to see the building listed for sale on a commercial real estate site and realized that they would have to act.

Kahlil shares: “It was just Rose and me. We didn’t go to Jack about it since he wasn’t really involved anymore. When I asked him about buying the building one time, he said that there was no way we could afford it with what the restaurant was bringing in, but when I looked at the numbers I thought, ‘Well, actually I think we can!’ Outside de-

velopers had big plans for the property, but nobody wanted to be the one to tell Rose that they had bought it out from under her.”

“I’d spent 30 years in the building, and I knew everything that was wrong with it,” says Rose. “I knew I’d have to fix the infrastructure, and nobody else would have done it.”

So Rose and Kahlil purchased the building and two adjacent lots for $750,000 in 2012. “We knew that a restaurant was the worst possible use for that property, and it took a year to find someone to lend us the money,” Rose admits. “Then we ended up spending more than the purchase price on the remodel, but after we appeared on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives, the money rained in.

Guy Fieri set us off!”

Like any construction project, the refurb took longer than expected, and costs climbed through the roof. At the end of the ordeal, Arnold’s had doubled the size of its dining room and added a new cooking line, restrooms, a bar and a patio. Rose wasn’t comfortable with doubling the volume expectations for the kitchen and serving staff, so she waited months to add extra seats, even after the building was completed. Ever creatures of habit, fans of the restaurant refused to spread out into the added space and continued to huddle together elbow to elbow while half the square footage remained unoccupied.

Eventually, Rose and Kahlil were confident that they had the systems in place to handle the increase in volume and added more seating and an evening service branded as Arnold’s After Dark. But in the immortal words of Biggie, mo’ money, mo’ problems — not to mention the onset of a pandemic.

KAHLIL AND ROSE ARNOLD

“We had just spent five years putting the place together when COVID hit,” Rose recalls with a sigh. “We had planned a big new grand opening right before we got shut down. Since we reopened, it’s just been one thing after another: supply chain, food costs, utilities. I thought everything was going to double.”

“Double, my ass!” Kahlil butts in. “When we bought the building in 2012, our property tax was $11,000. Then it went to $44,000, and now it’s $78,000 with another reassessment coming up in 2024.” While the value of the property used to be compared to other single-story industrial buildings in the neighborhood, the growth of the Gulch has demonstrated the value of the air rights above the ground floor — something a small restaurant can’t really take advantage of, unlike a hotel or mixed-use housing/retail complex.

“If we could charge $40 to $50 per plate, we’d be good,” says Rose.

“Restaurants operate on very small margins, and the cost of everything is going up!” Kahlil adds. “As a restaurant, we make money off of other people’s money, and we refuse to cut corners. One thing my dad always said was, ‘Son, you can have a restaurant with great service, but they don’t come back for the service. The kitchen runs the restaurant!’ We make great Southern food without shortcuts, and we genuinely care if you enjoyed yourself. It’s always been a balancing act between good food, great service and keeping your people happy.”

Rose admits the crux of the problem: “The thing that kept pushing me was knowing the property tax increases were coming. That’s the straw that broke my back. We couldn’t afford to close when we remodeled, because we needed the money to keep coming in since we didn’t borrow against the equity. The 2024 reassessment will just be unaffordable for us, and I wanted the chance for us to exit on our terms.”

She also wants to be clear that the choice

to sell the building and close the restaurant is a family decision. “I don’t want the developer to be crucified!”

“It’s not like they came to us,” Kahlil adds. With many low-margin businesses, much of the wealth of a company is tied up in property and inventory, but cash-flow demands are high, leaving owners in a precarious situation. Rose could have retired and let her family or someone else operate the business, but then she would never see the benefit of her family’s brave and prescient gamble a decade ago. News broke earlier this week that Nashville development company SomeraRoad currently has the property under contract, though further details have not been disclosed. But given the wild increase in property value in the area, it’s a safe bet that the Arnolds should recoup what they paid many times over.

While the move was difficult, and Rose went back and forth on the details several times during the past months, she is at peace with her decision, if not the timing of the revelation of the closing. “We’ve been the luckiest people on earth. I feel like I have angels that look over us. It’s been an amazing ride — just wonderful.

“It’s never been easy, working from 6 in the morning until the last person left, but people appreciate it,” she continues. “I hear it every day. We have met some of the most amazing, genuinely kind people through this business, from suppliers to country music stars to politicians, really all of our customers. It gives you a sense that humanity is good. People have been so good to us through the years, but I’m ready to retire. It’s been 40 years.”

“It’s been my whole life,” Kahlil adds.

Kahlil Arnold’s life as a chef/restaurateur is far from over, though, and he already has several potential projects under consideration. “Kahlil’s always had great ideas,” Rose says proudly. “He’s a great commodity!” It shouldn’t be too long before he pops up in a kitchen again, be it at another version of Arnold’s or something different.

EMAIL ARTS@NASHVILLESCENE.COM

BY RACHEL EBIO

Julia Martin’s most recent collection of work is an exploratory practice of psychedelic healing and sensual self-expression created through femininity, nudity and bewitching portraitures.

Bring the Light includes 26 artworks: 25 paintings (22 of them solo portrait paintings and three group portrait paintings) and a single drawing. While her mediums cover a wide range — everything from oil paint and mixed media on paper to wax pastel on paper and acrylics — every portrait has a unique antique-style frame, which Martin sourced through vintage shopping. The frames add a nod to the traditional origins

of painting, while the work itself presents an opportunity to transcend hetero-whitemale identity. And while exhibition framing is typically black or white, Martin selected framing colors like brass, bronze and even blue. This choice adds to the effect of Victorian-style portraiture, but with a womanly, curatorial hand.

On an Instagram post in December, Martin disclosed that she’d made paintings in this show — namely “Going Up” — while on mushrooms. “I always worried that painting on psychedelics would be too overwhelming,” she wrote, “but the fear did indeed melt away.”

The exhibition is filled with works that seem to showcase a similar exploration. “Searching” is balanced somewhere between reality and dreams — a heterosexual couple appears to be submerged in a psychedelic realm. The refined detail of the woman’s body seems to be mirrored in the man’s face — her nipples and his eyes are among the only body parts that are clearly outlined. Martin’s use of muted washes of color adds to the ghostly, abstracted appearance of their bodies. While the male figure is undeniably present, it’s the woman’s shadowed facial expression that draws you into “Searching.” She is the painting’s focal point — not just her body,

but her presence. Her resin-tinted physical dimensions seem almost tangible, while his multicolor physical attributes are more like a mirage or a memory.

The painting’s title, “Searching,” seems to echo that sentiment. After all, what is it that women search for? To be truly seen and understood? To demand opportunities for equality within systems of inequality? “Searching” is there with us, asking that a woman’s existence be seen, appreciated and understood — in both real and fantastical contexts — against the presence of a man.

At a staggering 43 by 61.5 inches, “Five Points” is a drawing that explores the reflective femininity found within five of the seven chakra points: root, sacral, solar plexus, throat and third eye. The fascinating detail of this piece lies within the woman’s pose and the colors adorning her body. The woman, seen in profile, is doubled, as if her body is pressed against a mirror.

Within each piece, Martin leads the viewer further into a fever dream of matriarchal power. Can we choose to listen to our base feminine desires and instincts without societal pressures?

Martin explores hidden dimensions and fractured memories with female portraiture in the oil-and-mixed-media painting “Littlewing.” In it, Martin seems to have re-

used her own painting — the woman’s face is revealed through a portal rip, sort of like what you might see after swiftly ripping paper diagonally off a wall. The piece’s title brings Jimi Hendrix’s song “Little Wing” immediately to mind.

While most of Martin’s paintings feel purposely obscure, “Knee Socks” is simple. The oil-on-canvas painting depicts a woman sprawled out on a bed framed with shadows and colorful lights, her body casually positioned in something reminiscent of post- or pre-coital bliss.

“Clam Bake” evokes the stylings of Renaissance paintings with a 1960s aura. The environment is ambiguous, but the intent is clear — female nudity is power. This interpretation of clam-bake gatherings showcases the liberation of a nude summer. The women depicted in this piece are painted with a bold, playful color palette, while the men are depicted in enigmatic shades of gray. The dark-toned arches above each head mimic angelic halos.

This exhibition shows Martin at her most introspective. She’s exploring ideas about women as truth seekers, light bringers and life bearers. And we — as a species, as a gender — all thrive from the accurate portrayal of artistic, sexual women.

“MCMERBOT,” JULIA MARTIN

“SEARCHING,” JULIA MARTIN

BY MARIA BROWNING

In his 2009 book The Sacredness of Questioning Everything, David Dark urged his readers to “submit everything we’re up to, at work and at play, to the discipline of sacred questioning.” He’s taken that advice to heart in his subsequent books, and now he’s carried the interrogation process a step further by revisiting 2016’s Life’s Too Short to Pretend You’re Not Religious, offering a “reframed and expanded” new edition.

The essence of Life’s Too Short can be found in a line that appears in both versions of the book: “Our real sense of what’s really sacred is regularly on display.” There is, in Dark’s view, no escaping our sacred selves or our intersections with the sacred in others. He’s now considering that idea anew during a time when “something is being revealed (or shaken loose) when it comes to our relationship with institutionalized power, which of course is our relationship with ourselves and the natural world.”

Dark, a Nashville native, teaches in the College of Theology & Christian Ministry at Belmont University and at the Tennessee Prison for Women. He answered questions from Chapter 16 by email.

The idea of religion as “perceived necessity” is central to the book, and the word “perceived” seems designed to upend conventional notions of religion, which don’t usually leave much room for subjectivity or relativism. In your view, is all religion relative? Are there any absolutes? Whatever we have in mind when we speak of religion is certainly relative to context. I find it helpful to distinguish between good and bad, true and false religion. Like culture, it comes in many forms. I suppose there are what I think of as absolutes across cultures, such as the imperative to not do to someone else what I’d hate to have done to me. True religion, it has been alleged, is looking after the orphaned, the widowed and the marginalized. I like the sound of that because it need not have anything to do with believing (or not believing) in God. Defining religion as “perceived necessity” broadens the concept to include all human activity. It also makes way for affirmations like this: Whatever lore helps you love yourself and others more is lore enough.

“Spiritual abuse” is a term you use pretty often, but I’m not entirely certain what you mean by it. What separates it from ordinary manipulation and gaslighting? I think plain old abuse becomes spiritual abuse the moment I speak or act as if I’m an authority in someone else’s experience. It’s subtle but sometimes not at all subtle. It’s a refusal to honor another person’s boundaries because I believe (or wish to imply) that I’m closer to God or more intimately familiar with God’s purposes than someone else. It’s a form of violence, whether in speech or behavior, in which

I try to deny someone the right to assess their own thoughts, feelings or experiences without me or, more broadly, apart from the community or tradition I imagine I’m adhering or being true to.

There’s a common argument that religion and politics can and should be separate, but you write that they’re often “two words for one thing.” Can you explain what you mean by that? You bet. I worry over the way unexamined abstractions (religion, politics, media) can serve as a tool for blaming most everything and anything — including my own behavior — on someone else. The essential questions (Who is my neighbor? What do we owe each other? How do I go about enjoying my own life?) are all ineluctably religious and political.

You write, “When we label people, we no longer have to deal with them thoughtfully.” You also acknowledge the importance of naming things, and at one point say bluntly that “a lot of us are beginning to realize that we’ve been tied to a network of bigots for most of our lives.” What’s the difference between labeling and naming? This is a lovely question. Labels, it seems to me, don’t work on persons because a person is a process. I can’t fix on a person because they’re always more than whatever I think I have in mind, even when, for instance, I call them bigots. Nobody’s just a bigot. But … I nevertheless feel compelled to speak of networks of bigots, especially in recent years, because we have to name what’s happening. We have to name the public-safety threats posed by bigots and those who coddle them. I don’t think anybody wants to be a bigot, but I know feelingly what bigoted speech, behavior and legislation are doing to us. We have to name it as bigotry the better to stand up to, resist and overcome it. Otherwise, we normalize it. And it’s clear to me that, in a deep sense, we become what we normalize.

To read an uncut version of this interview — and more local book coverage — please visit Chapter16.org, an online publication of Humanities Tennessee.

EMAIL ARTS@NASHVILLESCENE.COM

A MELODY FOR WHAT HAS COME AND GONE

BY P.J. KINZER

On Jan. 12, a recording that acts as a snapshot of a pivotal time in Middle Tennessee music will be widely available for the first time.

Michael Eades’ YK Records will release The Mahaffey Sessions 1999, a full-length record by beloved rock outfit The Features that was finished five years before their major-label debut Exhibit A. For members of the hard-earned fan base that the band still enjoys — even though they’ve been mostly quiet for the past six years — it’s like a time traveler getting a chance to correct a great cosmic error. But maybe this is the first you’ve heard of The Features, so a little context is helpful.

The explosion of alternative rock and independent labels in the wake of Nirvana, grunge and Sub Pop left the music industry throwing darts at maps, looking for the next Seattle. In 1997, the suits discovered a little bit of the Emerald City spirit just 45 minutes from Nashville, when Billboard ran Chet Flippo’s Aug. 9 cover story heralding the arrival of Murfreesboro, Tenn. The nation’s biggest music-biz rag was championing Middle Tennessee State University’s recording industry program, rock clubs like Sebastian’s and Main Street and the community of bands that sprang up amid it all. Right in the first column of print was the logo for Spongebath Records, the flagship indie label that bubbled up from the ebullient scene, whose goal was developing talent with the intent of landing

bigger deals later on. The label was born of a partnership between two prominent musicians and a business guy: producer and Self mastermind Matt Mahaffey, singersongwriter-pianist Seth Timbs of Fluid Ounces and artist manager Rick Williams. Alongside Self and Fluid Ounces, the label released records from promising young groups like pop-rockers The Katies and groundbreaking MC and producer Count Bass D — as well as a CD EP and a 10-inch single by a high-octane, pop-schooled outfit called The Features.

“Seth Timbs was really stoked on The Features,” recalls Mahaffey in an email. ”He took me to a show at Chameleon Cafe when they first started playing around the ’Boro. At the time, they weren’t quite yet the band we all came to know and love, but it was all there.”

By 1999, The Katies and Self had deals with major labels. The Features, while also beloved locally, were still looking for a way to reach new ears. And they were at an inflection point: Their original drummer Jason Taylor and second guitarist Don Sergio had left the band, and singer-guitarist Matt Pelham, keyboardist Parrish Yaw and bassist Roger Dabbs were pressing on with new drummer Rollum Haas. The time had come to make a full-length statement of an album, and Mahaffey brought them into his home studio. The band had recorded before, but this was an earnest attempt at putting their music in front of a broader audience than what Nashville and Murfreesboro had to offer.

Mahaffey has some fond memories of the sessions. “I remember teaching Matt

Pelham basic functions in Pro Tools so he could track his own vocals and experiment without prejudice,” he says. “I would just go play video games and he would come upstairs and say, ‘I think I got it?’ I’d go downstairs and listen. It was perfect every time, and I’ve since incorporated that method for a lot of artists.”

Working in a home studio did come with some downsides. “Mahaffey’s Dalmatians were on a vegetarian diet and letting out these noxious farts that would fill the entire studio,” Haas remembers. “I was relatively experienced for my age, but it was my first time being in a studio where there was time to screw around with ideas and sounds.”

Shortly after tracking was finished, Mahaffey moved from Murfreesboro to Los Angeles. Once he’d had a couple of weeks to settle in, he invited Pelham out for mixing sessions in the vicinity of the fabled Laurel Canyon. The result was something to be proud of — 10 tracks of snarling, grooving, emotionally complex rock ’n’ roll that recall Elvis Costello and the Attractions and Split Enz at their loudest.

According to Pelham’s admittedly hazy memory from this time in his mid-20s, the plan was that Spongebath would pay for the recording and then shop the album around until a bigger label partnered with them on the manufacturing and distribution. But even with the record nearly complete, there was turbulence ahead.

“Spongebath kind of collapsed at that point,” says Pelham. “So Rick wasn’t really involved with us — The Features — anymore.” The band’s manager Rory Daigle sent the recordings around to some press, but ultimately a proper release never materialized. “That was about it,” Pelham says with an almost-audible shrug. “I think they were shopped a little bit, but I don’t think anyone really got it. And we were really bad about second-guessing stuff.”

The Features chose to move on and leave the recordings on the shelf. Their trajectory included a brief stint with a major

label in the mid-Aughts, a kind of renaissance with Kings of Leon championing the band in the early 2010s and then dormancy following 2015’s Sunset Rock. Members have gone on to various projects; in the post-quarantine era, Haas has been touring the world as Soccer Mommy’s drummer. But the songs from the dates with Mahaffey remained in the band’s repertoire, and bootlegged versions of the album have circulated among Features fans for years, burned onto CD-Rs zipped safely away in CaseLogic folders that live under the driver’s seat.

“I heard a rumor that some of that came out through an undisclosed band member trading CD-Rs for dime bags to a fan,” says Haas. “I’ve never confirmed it, but I’d bet good money at least one or two members are guilty.”

One fan never forgot. Cut to Michael Eades, who was Spongebath’s webmaster back when that was a strange thing for a label to have, and went on to launch YK as a home for music that deserves to be presented beautifully whether or not it’s likely to have huge commercial success.

“Fast-forward 22 years, YK Records was encroaching on its 100th release, and I knew I wanted to do something special and unexpected,” says Eades. “I shot an email to Matt Pelham as a total Hail Mary to see if he would be interested in releasing the record after all this time, and he shockingly said yes.”

Eades then reached out to Mahaffey, who luckily still had the ADAT digital tape with the final mixes in his archive. To complete the package, the YK boss recruited some fellow fans and longtime local rock-scene champions: John Baldwin mastered the album and Sam Smith did the artwork.

“The Features had such a fantastic discography throughout their career,” Eades says, “but I always felt like The Mahaffey Sessions 1999 were a bit of a missing piece to their story.”

It’s a document of a transitional period, just a little more than half an hour of music from a time when The Features were deciding how they wanted to enter the world stage. The Mahaffey Sessions 1999 will be released digitally and on vinyl on Thursday — if you’re one of those fans still holding onto a scratched-up Maxell disc, you can now properly complete your Features catalog. While the band doesn’t currently have plans to play, you’ll be able to hear the record played in full at Grimey’s at 5 p.m. on Friday the 13th.

EMAIL MUSIC@NASHVILLESCENE.COM

BY CHARLIE ZAILLIAN

“I

t’s about how fucking insane the right has gotten — antiscience, anti-intellectualism.”

Eric Bachmann and I are discussing Archers of Loaf’s first new record in nearly a quarter-century, Reason in Decline — its title, specifically. Contrasted with more cryptic work like the North Carolinians’ mid-’90s indie-rock touchstones Icky Mettle and Vee Vee, Reason meets the moment with its directness. Back in the Clinton era, Archers “never used to print the lyrics” in their liner notes, Bachmann says, talking over the phone just before Christmas from his home in Athens, Ga. But there’s “a massive political bent to this one,” he explains, and it’s borne out in material like the Appalachian-folk-tinged “Mama Was a War Profiteer” and the soaring call-to-arms “In the Surface Noise.”

Archers are one of three pillars of a cacophonous, agitated strain of lo-fi rock ’n’ roll called, in punk parlance, the Chapel Hill sound; Superchunk and Polvo are the others. Bachmann describes the community in which he and bandmates Eric Johnson (guitar), Matt Gentling (bass) and Mark

Price (drums) came of age as “all together, all connected.” The scene brought together players from Durham, Raleigh and Chapel Hill — the area colloquially called The Triangle, aka the Research Triangle for its trio of prestigious universities — as well as The Triad nearby, a more blue-collar area that includes Greensboro and Winston-Salem.

“I was a 22-year-old angry kid who hated Walmart,” Bachmann, now 52, says of his mindset in Archers’ early days. “I was just screaming — I didn’t know what the hell I was doing. Everything was just full-on. But people liked the way it sounded.”

Like U2 or Radiohead, Archers never had a member change. But tour burnout to the tune of 200-plus gigs a year did the foursome in following 1998’s ornery, claustrophobic, synth-accented White Trash Heroes That’s despite a third wind given to the band by a then-unknown opener.

Remembers Bachmann: “We were done — so grumpy. It wasn’t fun. But we met this band At the Drive-In, who opened some shows for us. We were tired. They were wired. Polite. Kind. Showed up on time. Played on time. Their energy kept us going

a little longer.” For evidence of Archers’ influence on At the Drive-In, check out “For Now..We Toast,” a ragged, dissonant gem from their 1998 statement-of-intent In/ Casino/Out

Bachmann is a nomad by nature — “I moved cities 13 times before I was even 11 years old,” he says — and following the band’s dissolution, he did stints in Seattle and Denver with his solo project Crooked Fingers. Then he landed in Athens, where he and his wife Liz Durrett — a fellow musician, and niece of the late, iconic Vic Chesnutt — are raising a 5-year-old son. Bachmann has also played with Neko Case, while Gentling has held down the low-end for Southern psych-folk greats Band of Horses since the mid-2010s. Johnson is a lawyer by day and a solo musician by night under the alias Spooky J; he and Gentling both call Asheville home. Meanwhile, drummer Price lives in Chapel Hill-adjacent Carrboro, where he manages a bicycle shop called Clean Machine.

Intermittent one-off reunions laid the groundwork, and a Springsteen-ian 2020 single titled “Raleigh Days” helped build the foundation for the new album. Archers headlined Cannery Ballroom in March 2020 with locals Peachy supporting and a whole slate of cross-country dates ahead, literally 48 hours before the world hit pause. Although no one is likely to call COVID a blessing, Reason in Decline likely wouldn’t have been thrashed into existence were it not for lockdown.

Parlaying the burst of inspiration that spawned “Raleigh Days” and its B-side, a faithful take on The Rolling Stones’ “Street Fighting Man,” into an album was not by design, Bachmann says, but, “when COVID happened, I got depressed, was stewing, and songs started coming.” A catalyst came in the form of “Screaming Undercover,” a standout of the new record’s A-side that he calls the first of this set of tunes “that felt significant.” Firing back up the equipment they’d used in the early days, Bachmann adds, “helped make it more Archers-like. Those old amps and guitars are a security blanket. They’re our sound.”

The end result is a blueprint for future comeback albums. From the first ringing chords of Reason’s opening salvo, “Human,” to “War Is Wide Open,” the piano jam that closes the 10-song set, it’s clear that the Chapel Hill sound is alive and well. It would be impossible to mistake this album for the work of any other band. Yet it’s also brighter-sounding and more streamlined than before, with greater urgency. The intervening 25 years are audible in its passion, focus and clarity.

“I’m still sort of shocked we were able to do it — to get a cohesive batch of music together after so long, that doesn’t sound like it’s trying too hard. But it still sounds like us, how we were — and also like the men we are now.”

EMAIL MUSIC@NASHVILLESCENE.COM

PHOTO: KATE FIX

THERE’S SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE CHILDREN NR, 92 MINUTES

AVAILABLE TUESDAY, JAN. 17, VIA VIDEO ON DEMAND; COMING SOON TO MGM+ (FORMERLY EPIX)

CHILD’S PLAY

BY JASON SHAWHAN

Fresh off a multinational tour directing episodes of Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin, Creepshow and Riverdale, former Nashvillian and icon of decency Roxanne Benjamin is about to unleash her second feature film onto an unsuspecting public. A tale of a family vacation intersecting with something cosmic and unspeakable, There’s Something Wrong With the Children is a dark, kicky tear through social anxiety and unearthly terror, filled with grindhouse thrills and arthouse emotions. I had three very immediate responses to the film: I was really impressed with the relationship between the sisters; it has very Debra Hill vibes; and I am in awe of the opening song and however Benjamin snagged it. Also, I wish it wasn’t the winter so I could see this at the drive-in.

Violent and fraught with the sort of emotional confrontations that horror does so well, There’s Something Wrong With the Children is the kind of ice pick in the subconscious that Benjamin has been delivering since she started out producing the first two V/H/S movies. We spoke with her via Zoom in preparation for the film’s upcoming release.

There’s an anecdote from the set of 1978’s Halloween — Jamie Lee Curtis talks about having to have a fear-o-meter to let her know exactly how scared she needed to be in each scene. Did you have to take a similar tack with your young-adult actors? It’s kind of the same as working with the adult actors. They’re all prepared, but

as director, it’s part of my job to let them know where they just came from. Because the schedule is all over the place, and sometimes things change. So it can be a lot to prepare for. But as far as a specific level of evil, we never really had to talk about that; they were just so good at being creepy. One of the things I told them about the way the movie unfolds was, “Pretend you have a sibling that you’re messing with, but you don’t want your parents to know.” It’s the same energy as a younger sibling pulling that “I’m not touching you,” so that they’re the one who gets in trouble and not you. And they got that right away.

Did you have a name for the thing or the phenomenon in the film’s mysterious pit? No, not really. We came up with sort of an insect language — what’s written in the script is more a sequence of nonsense noises, chittering noises; but what exactly does that mean? So I had the sound designer send me over a bunch of bug noises, and I looked up a bunch of things on YouTube, and then I played them all many times, these clips of bugs and animals. And then on some of the night scenes, I would be making all sorts of weird noises for [actress Alisha Wainwright] to react to. And our animal wrangler, whom we had to have on set every day because Louisiana is filled with venomous snakes, and they are everywhere. So many snakes. I had no idea how many snakes were just always around and chilling within 10 feet of you at any given time in the woods around New Orleans. So we had the snake wrangler every day, and everybody loves the snake

wrangler. But on the night scenes when the kids weren’t on set, I’d make noises for Alisha to react to, and the snake wrangler said to me, “You sound exactly like my hyena.” To which I responded, “Cool!”

Louisiana is the Australia of America. It really is. But the kids were so good at taking the language and making it their own. It’s so funny, the old adage about never working with kids or animals, and I’ve done both now.

Producers Blumhouse have had several different eras of producing up-and-coming films, and I’m wondering how you came to be part of this new incarnation, working in conjunction with Paramount and MGM+? It’s interesting because a lot of their previous films felt like series, and these films via MGM+ don’t really feel like that. The previous movies all had an umbrella that they fit under [Into the Dark, Welcome to the Blumhouse], and the Hulu ones were holiday-themed, but this batch are each individual films. And I think this has allowed them to be more varied, just in the types of films that they can be. The only limitations were that they had to be something that could be shot in Louisiana and on location, because there aren’t really stages. I think my manager had initially put me up for one of them, and it wasn’t the right one. And then I sent the producers another script of mine, and once they read that they said, “Oh, we have one for you.” The one I had written wouldn’t really work; it was an oceanside piece. But they said, “Oh, you like outdoor stuff,” and pretty much everything I shoot is outdoors, so they said, “Have a look at this one.” And I did, and it was exactly my vibe.

You’ve been very busy in the past few years. In addition to your first feature Body at Brighton Rock, you’ve been directing all over the place on a lot of interesting TV shows. In a way, they’re like two completely different jobs. In one

instance, it’s your own vision and you’re telling a beginning, middle and end. But when you’re tackling TV episodes, it could be the second or fifth season, and you’re just telling a chunk of the story. What’s fun about it, though, is that it’s like playing dress-up — you’re trying on different shooting styles and acting styles, to fit the acting and to approach the specific rhythms of that show. Like, they don’t really do close-ups on Sabrina, or we don’t move the camera so much on other shows. There’s different kinds of aesthetic rules that you’re playing with, and those aren’t necessarily your style, but you learn so much, and you take bits and pieces from them. Plus you get to play with all their toys, and they have so many toys, because TV has so much money. But I get to play with and try things that I wouldn’t necessarily be able to do. On One of Us Is Lying, there was a scene where the characters go skinnydipping and run down the beach. That’s not a scene I would have written for one of my scripts, and it’s not something I would have shot for one of my projects, but it’s kind of awesome to figure out the mechanics, and the logistics, of shooting something like that. It gives you so much experience in so many different realms.

So how exactly did you get away with the ending of There’s Something Wrong With the Children? I don’t know. Blumhouse was very good about letting me work with the script. As soon as we got into prep, we did like seven or eight drafts of the script. But that’s normal, and it’s not a case of me taking credit for their script. The DNA of the script is all writers David White and T.J. Cimfel. But that ending — I wrote it out and sent it in, and no one really said anything. And as we moved through the preproduction phase, I asked, “Y’all are really letting me do this?” And they said, “We love it, it’s great.”

EMAIL ARTS@NASHVILLESCENE.COM

Talking to up-and-coming director and former Nashvillian Roxanne Benjamin about There’s Something Wrong With the Children

UNDER THE SKIN

Skinamarink is a deep psychic masterpiece

BY JASON SHAWHAN

We are told, before anything else, that whatever this Skinamarink is, it’s happening in 1995. That seems like a specific point, 28 years ago, to ground things in, but it’s an elegant feint. Things feel like whenever your childhood might have been.

The carpet looks and feels eternal, occupying countless decades, absorbing the passage of time in its shaggy carapace, and nothing in this arcane ritual of a movie is the constant that allows you to orient yourself within it. Even the occasionally subtitled dialogue is no handle to grab hold of — you are in the grip of a deep psychic experience.

At times throughout this film, I found myself squinting because I simply could not bear what could be organizing itself into existence before me, but I could not look away. There’s something hypnotic in the way writer-director Kyle Edward Ball unfolds the diaphanous menace that’s lurking at the heart of Skinamarink — a textured nightmare that takes little bits of memory and then assembles them into a pointillist collage. Truthfully, this may not even be understandable in a linear fashion. It’s more an experience you have to react to, like an allergy test.

There’s something so simple about its setup that it really sinks its claws into you: the idea of being in your home, the place where your memories and your identity are established and nurtured, but there is some other presence holding sway. Mom and Dad or whatever authority/signifier of stability you’ve made the foundation of order is nowhere to be found, and the doors and windows are gone. Children can experience the surreal, but they don’t really understand it. And this film sets up shop in some visceral place in the back of your mind that you haven’t really consciously visited in a long time, unless you’ve got a

really good therapist. Or a really bad one.

In a way, the house in this film is the canvas on which your mind splatters your anxiety. It’s not a Rorschach test; it’s not abstract enough for that purpose. But it’s a singular masterpiece that I can’t shake or keep from recommending, despite knowing that there are folks who are going to hate this, or worse, who will disrupt the experience for others. (I’ve never understood that response. If you’re not feeling a film, why not just leave and find something more rewarding to take part in? There’s always a story behind the people who like disrupting films, and it’s usually a sad one.) There’s no score here. Just room tone, and the occasional bit of audio from the cartoons that the two children seek the comfort of routine in.

It feels like the map of a nightmare, or a documentary of childhood fears, and it will likely infuriate audiences who lack imagination. That’s a bad tack for me, as a critic, to take, but it’s similar to the way that there are some people for whom The Blair Witch Project is just running and yelling. There are thousands of found-footage films, and many to most of them are not special in any way. But when one of them taps into the imagination and starts extending tendrils deep into the hippocampus, like Blair Witch does, it can be terrifying like no other experience. And Skinamarink doesn’t just do that, because it taps into that part of the brain where you feel fear, but it goes back further — to before the rational adult mind gives you the words and experience to try to understand what you’re experiencing. There are fingerprints from The Navidson Record all over this, and some DNA from The Shining, and several of The Magnus Archives’ Fears, but to its credit, Skinamarink never acts like how we think a film should.

At times, the isolated angles and emphasized intersections of the suburban experience can feel more like an art installation than a traditional haunted-house narrative. But this fits — to wrestle a metaphor I’ve been working with for years to the ground — because Skinamarink is like spooky church.

It is solemn, isolating, structured and constantly unfolding on the precipice of a chasm that stretches so far that you lose all sense of time and self. This is a psychological minefield, made with an incredible amount of care.

Crosswords for young solvers: nytimes.com/ studentcrosswords.

satisfaction of the Court that the defendant is a nonresident of the State of Tennessee, therefore the ordinary process of law cannot be served upon SHARRE NICOLE FOUTH. It is ordered that said Defendant enter HER appearance herein with thirty (30) days after JANUARY 12, 2023, same being the date of the last publication of this notice to be held at the Metropolitan Circuit Court located at 1 Public Square, Room 302, Nashville, Tennessee, and defend or default will be taken on February 13, 2023.

is therefore ordered that a copy of this Order be published for four (4) weeks succession in the Nashville Scene, a newspaper published in Nashville.

15, 2022

nessee, therefore the ordinary process of law cannot be served upon SHARRE NICOLE FOUTH. It is ordered that said Defendant enter HER appearance herein with thirty (30) days after JANUARY 12, 2023, same being the date of the last publication of this notice to be held at the Metropolitan Circuit Court located at 1 Public Square, Room 302, Nashville, Tennessee, and defend or default will be taken on February 13, 2023.

It is therefore ordered that a copy of this Order be published for four (4) weeks succession in the Nashville Scene, a newspaper published in Nashville.

December 15, 2022

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LEGAL NOTICE

It is my privilege as your elected Criminal Court Clerk to notify all citizens of Davidson County, that relative to grand jury proceedings, it is the duty of your grand jurors to investigate any public offense which they know or have reason to believe has been committed and which is triable or indictable in Davidson County In addition to cases presented to the grand jury by your District Attorney, any citizen may petition the foreperson (foreman) of the grand jury for permission to testify concerning any offense in Davidson County This is subject to provisions set forth in Tennessee Code Annotated 40-12-105. Pursuant to Tennessee Code Annotated 40-12104 and 40-12-105, the application to testify by any citizen must be accompanied by a sworn affidavit stating the facts or summarizing the proof which forms the basis of allegations contained in that application. Your grand jury foreperson is Parker Toler His address is 222 Second Avenue North, Washington Square Building, Suite 510, Nashville, Tennessee 37201. The grand jury will meet at 8:00 A.M. on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays for three (3) months. Submission of an affidavit which the applicant knows to be false in material regard shall be punishable as perjury. Any citizen testifying before the grand jury as to any material fact known to that citizen to be false shall be punishable as perjury. For a request for accommodation, please contact 8624260.

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proof which forms the basis of allegations contained in that application. Your grand jury foreperson is Parker Toler His address is 222 Second Avenue North, Washington Square Building, Suite 510, Nashville, Tennessee 37201. The grand jury will meet at 8:00 A.M. on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays for three (3) months. Submission of an affidavit which the applicant knows to be false in material regard shall be punishable as perjury. Any citizen testifying before the grand jury as to any material fact known to that citizen to be false shall be punishable as perjury. For a request for accommodation, please contact 8624260.

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EMPLOYMENT

Computer/IT: Johnson Controls, Inc. seeks a Senior Software QA Engineer in Nashville, TN. Remote work may be prmttd. Dvlp, execute test procedures, & test cases for new &/or existing prdcts. REQS: Bach or frgn equiv in CompSci, Comp Engrg, Info Science, Civil Engrg or rltd + 5yrs exp in regression tstng, system tstng, integrated tstng & automation tstng. Apply by mailing resume to Global Mobility/JCI, 5757 N Green Bay Ave, X34, Milwaukee, WI 53209. Must ref Senior Software QA Engineer / Ref # SSQE-NAD.

HealthStream Inc., in Nashville, TN seeks a Software Developer, Team Lead to evaluate the performance of junior managers and software developers. Reqs. BS + 5 yrs exp. 100% telecommuting role. Reports to company headquarters in Nashville, TN. Can work remotely or telecommute. To apply: mail resume to HealthStream, Inc., 500 11th Avenue North, Ste 1000, Nashville, TN 37203; ATTN: Whitney Drucker, Must reference job title: Job ID: 000081.

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Joseph P. Day, Clerk L. Chappell Deputy Clerk Date: December

Roland T. Hairston, II Attorney for Plaintiff NSC 12/ 22, 12 2922, 1/5,

Joseph P. Day, Clerk L. Chappell Deputy Clerk Date:

Roland T. Hairston, II Attorney for Plaintiff

It’s like little billboards right in front of you!

Howard C. Gentry, Jr., Criminal Court Clerk