Nashville Scene 11-23-23

NOVEMBER 23–29, 2023 I VOLUME 42 I NUMBER 42 I NASHVILLESCENE.COM I FREE

Our thank-you letters to the teachers, workers, nonprofits and institutions who make Nashville special

NEWS: SHELTERS PUSH CAPACITY AS WINTER WEATHER LOOMS >> PAGE 7 MUSIC: YOUR QUICK-REFERENCE GUIDE TO RECORD STORE DAY BLACK FRIDAY >> PAGE 40 cover_11-23-23.indd 1

11/17/23 5:18 PM

Cure boredom. Ignite curiosity.

Our 175+ hands-on exhibits are ready to inspire the next generation of creative and confident problem-solvers. Explore while staying warm.

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NASHVILLE SCENE • NOVEMBER 23 – NOVEMBER 29, 2023 • nashvillescene.com

CONTENTS NEWS 7 Shelters Push Capacity as Winter Weather Looms City and nonprofits coordinate to offer indoor beds to the increasing number of Nashvillians living outside

BY ELI MOTYCKA

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

8 Agenia Walker Clark Is Ready to Transform Fisk The university’s new president started her role this month

BY KELSEY BEYELER

9 Metro Seeks Firm to Study North Nashville, Take Another Look at Interstate Cap Community engagement would drive future Jefferson Street improvements, per request

8 Agenia Walker Clark • PHOTO BY ANGELINA CASTILLO

BY NICOLLE S. PRAINO

ADVICE KING

COVER STORY

FILM

38 Why Do Republicans Want to Turn Down Federal Education Money?

11 Hey, Thanks Our thank-you letters to the teachers, workers, nonprofits and institutions who make Nashville special

42 Napoleon’s Complex Ridley Scott’s Napoleon is interesting, strange and commanding

Public schools are an essential part of a functional, humane society

BY CHRIS CROFTON

BY JASON SHAWHAN

43 While You Were Sleeping

BY SCENE STAFF

Dream Scenario is ambitious but unwieldy

BOOKS

19 GIFT GUIDE

BY CRAIG D. LINDSEY

39 Building on Reality Talking with Nashville native V.E. Schwab about her new fantasy series and whether she’s a Southern writer

29 CRITICS’ PICKS

Zoolumination, Elf, Woofstock, Joss Stone, Boy Named Banjo and more

BY SARA BETH WEST; CHAPTER16.ORG

VODKA YONIC

MUSIC

36 Yes, New Moms Can Still Make Art

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NEW YORK TIMES CROSSWORD AND THIS MODERN WORLD

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MARKETPLACE

ON THE COVER:

Illustration by Kylie Taylor (@handtayloredtype)

40 Fell on Black Fridays

Step 1: Lower your standards

Your quick-reference guide to Record Store Day Black Friday 2023

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41 Nothing Feeds a Hunger Like a Thirst Liz Phair’s Exile in Guyville still feels powerful 30 years later

BY BRITTNEY MCKENNA

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11/29 Parquetry: Geometric Patterns with Wood Veneer, Part 2 11/30 Intro to MIG Welding 12/2 Intro to Metal Fabrication 12/5 Create Your End-Grain Cutting Board, Part 1 12/6 Parquetry: Geometric Patterns with Wood Veneer, Part 3 12/9 Intro to MIG Welding 12/12 Create Your End-Grain Cutting Board, Part 2 12/13 Intro to Adobe Illustrator 12/13 Build Your Own Canvas Stretcher Frame 12/14 CNC 101 12/14 Intro to MIG Welding 12/20 Laser 101 12/28 Intro to MIG Welding CLASSES

NASHVILLE SCENE • NOVEMBER 23 – NOVEMBER 29, 2023 • nashvillescene.com

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11/17/23 5:45 PM

FROM BILL FREEMAN

PHOTO: HAMILTON MATTHEW MASTERS

VETERANS DAY — A QUIET TRIBUTE TO SACRIFICE

NASHVILLE’S 2023 VETERANS DAY PARADE VETERANS DAY, often overshadowed by more flamboyant holidays like the Fourth of July, quietly stands as a testament to the unwavering dedication and sacrifice of the men and women who have served in the United States military.

When thinking of veterans and Veterans Day, I feel an obligation to delve into the historical roots of this holiday and reflect on its significance. I also think about how grateful I am that our military personnel are well-trained, ready and willing to put their lives on the line to safeguard Americans and the freedoms we enjoy on a daily basis. And if you think about it for long, you’ll likely feel a little gratitude also.

Veterans Day is now celebrated on Nov. 11 — a date that carries historical weight. On Nov. 11, 1918, Germany and the Allies signed an armistice signaling the end of hostilities in World War I. This day of remembrance, initially coined Armistice Day by President Woodrow Wilson, was dedicated to honoring those who made the ultimate sacrifice during the Great War. As President Wilson so aptly stated, “To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory.”

If you’re into history, you probably know that in 1938, Nov. 11 was declared a legal holiday, but it wasn’t until 1954 — in the aftermath of World War II and the Korean War — that Congress officially renamed it Veterans Day. This broadened the scope of the holiday, extending recognition to American veterans from all wars. On Oct. 8, 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower issued the first Veterans Day Proclamation, thereby giving it a place on the national calendar.

I’m proud to say that our city — though wellknown for tourism, sports, music and health care — also has many incredible organizations that stand ready to assist veterans. Operation Stand Down Tennessee offers career services, transitional housing, recovery assistance and much more. The Wounded Warrior Project also

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comes to mind, with its mission “to honor and empower Wounded Warriors who incurred a physical or mental injury, illnesses, or wound, co-incident to your military service on or after September 11, 2001.” Nashville Serving Veterans has partnered with multiple veterans organizations to form something of a one-stop shop for service members. These are just a few of many organizations with presences here to aid our veterans regardless of their circumstances. To me, this says a lot about our city and the people in it.

It tells me that we don’t simply nod at the ill that has transpired in the lives of others, but rather take action to take care of our own.

While we always want to honor our veterans, I believe it’s good to understand the distinction between Veterans Day and Memorial Day. While both are times to pay homage to the men and women of the U.S. military, Memorial Day is specifically designed to pay tribute to those who sacrificed their lives in various wars throughout American history. In contrast, Veterans Day serves as a broader acknowledgment, celebrating the dedication and service of all military personnel, living and deceased.

While many may view Veterans Day as just another holiday, I hope most of us took it as an opportunity to understand its historical context and the significance it holds. It’s important to remember the courage and sacrifice of our military. Veterans Day allows us to pause and acknowledge the debt we owe to those who have served — and those who are still serving — and to express our gratitude for the freedoms they have safeguarded.

Bill Freeman Bill Freeman is the owner of FW Publishing, the publishing company that produces the Nashville Scene, Nfocus, the Nashville Post and The News.

EATING: The Pastrami Dip at Schulman’s Neighborhood Bar

WHO WE ARE

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF D. Patrick Rodgers MANAGING EDITOR Alejandro Ramirez SENIOR EDITOR Dana Kopp Franklin ARTS EDITOR Laura Hutson Hunter MUSIC AND LISTINGS EDITOR Stephen Trageser DIGITAL EDITOR Kim Baldwin ASSOCIATE EDITOR Cole Villena CONTRIBUTING EDITORS LOVES: Erica Ciccarone, Jack Silverman Getting a cute beverage at Matryoshka!

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NASHVILLE SCENE • NOVEMBER 23 – NOVEMBER 29, 2023 • nashvillescene.com

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11/17/23 5:36 PM

NASHVILLE SCENE • NOVEMBER 23 – NOVEMBER 29, 2023 • nashvillescene.com

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WITNESS HISTORY Emmylou Harris & the Hot Band opened for Elton John at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on October 25, 1975—the same year she released Pieces of the Sky, her major label solo debut.

From the exhibit Western Edge: The Roots and Reverberations of Los Angeles Country-Rock, presented by City National Bank photo: Dan Reeder

RESERVE TODAY

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NASHVILLE SCENE • NOVEMBER 23 – NOVEMBER 29, 2023 • nashvillescene.com

NEWS

SHELTERS PUSH CAPACITY AS WINTER WEATHER LOOMS City and nonprofits coordinate to offer indoor beds to the increasing number of Nashvillians living outside

PITH IN THE WIND NASHVILLESCENE.COM/NEWS/PITHINTHEWIND

PHOTO COURTESY OF ROOM IN THE INN

BY ELI MOTYCKA

ROOM IN THE INN’S DAY CENTER “THE WORST IS the wet cold,” Kim tells the Scene. The 65-year-old is toting three bags of clothes, books and blankets just outside Room In The Inn’s Drexel Street campus. “I remember when it got really cold on Sept. 30. It was just freezing. I don’t think I slept for 10 nights.”

Kim hasn’t had permanent housing since April. Originally from Clarksville, she had been living alone, renting near Ashland City, when a mental health crisis led to an extended hospital stay. That led to a stint at the Middle Tennessee Mental Health Institute, a state-run psychiatric hospital in Donelson. She’s spent most nights since April at the Nashville Rescue Mission, which is where she’s planning to sleep the night we speak. She would not have been captured by 2023’s point-in-time count collected on a single day in January, which tallied 2,129 people experiencing homelessness in Nashville — an 11 percent increase from 2022.

Kim declined to give her last name because she has family and friends in the area. She’s now living on fixed retirement income, accrued from decades as a special education teacher. She’s saving for a car — the first step in her plan to get back into permanent housing. If she’s out of options, and the cold is too bitter, she’ll spend $75 on a motel room on Dickerson Pike.

As we speak, dozens of people pass by, navigating the well-traveled two blocks between Room In The Inn and the Nashville Rescue Mission. Small groups chat as they walk. Some greet Kim, and others sing.

“I never want to live alone again,” she says. “I want to live in community. I’ve met really great friends here. And I’ve always wanted to live in Nashville. Now I do.”

Many people who sleep outside talk about

Room In The Inn as their preferred way to find daily necessities, a warm meal and a bed at night.

But its capacity is limited and often unpredictable, and recently, it’s focused mainly on housing men. From Nov. 1 to March 31, the nonprofit coordinates with participating faith congregations every night to get people off the street. Its daily bed total — the cumulative number of available spots across all congregations on a given night — still lags behind pre-COVID numbers.

“The times when we aren’t totally full, it’s because our totals fluctuate so much,” says Melanie Ober, the organization’s community development director. “On a Thursday night, there may be 100 beds, and then on Friday night, there’s 300 beds.

People have to make their arrangements early, so we just try to be very transparent with our community about our counts so they know how to plan.”

Two blocks away, Christian shelter the Nashville Rescue Mission provides the bulk of the city’s bed space. Widely known simply as “The Mission,” the site can offer a stable, consistent stay for weeks or months at a time. It has earned a reputation for its disciplinary system, which can result in sudden bans or suspensions, and limited shower and bathroom space. An expansive new dedicated women’s campus is slated to open soon on Rosa Parks Boulevard.

Temperatures at or below freezing for three consecutive hours trigger Metro’s cold weather plan. Text alerts go out, buses offer free service from WeGo Central, and employees at Metro Social Services prepare to staff the city’s Extreme Cold Weather Overflow Shelter overnight. So far in 2023, this happened during a three-day cold spell starting Oct. 30, when the shelter took in 501 people over three days. Now operating for the second year in a former school on Brick Church Pike, the

site opened a couple dozen times in 2022. Once or twice, when the shelter was understaffed, the city tapped the Salvation Army to open an additional overflow shelter. The long-term plan is to contract out the city’s shelter capacity.

“I feel confident that we’ve got a near-term solution,” Mayor Freddie O’Connell told reporters in mid-November. “I think the ideal scenario is to get to a [request for proposals] that is fulfilled by a provider that does this regularly.”

Will Compton, an outreach coordinator for local nonprofit Open Table, canvasses people who live outside as the weather gets cold.

“People settle in more in the winter, just because they want to be able to get under covers and just stay as warm as possible,” says Compton. “There is definitely heightened anxiety and a sort of desperation.”

Many people Compton encounters know their shelter options and choose to stay outside.

“Rough sleeping,” as it’s known, is more dangerous, but some prefer a familiar environment where couples can stay together and pets and belongings can be close by. Hand warmers, gloves, water, snacks and restaurant gift cards, which provide both food and access to indoor space, can all help, according to Compton.

“Even in theory, if we had enough beds to shelter every single person that’s currently experiencing homelessness in Nashville, people are just going to continue to flow into homelessness until we have more permanent housing,” says India Pungarcher, Open Table’s advocacy and outreach director. “Homelessness is increasing, and we are still so far away from having the net gain in housing that’s accessible to our friends experiencing homelessness right now. We truly need thousands of units yesterday.” ▼

Mayor Freddie O’Connell has indicated he will welcome Bobby Joslin and Jimmy Granbery back to the Metro Nashville Airport Authority, after the two attended the city board’s November meeting. A few months ago, state lawmakers poached Joslin and Granbery, both conservative Nashville businessmen, for their own board, which the legislature created in the spring. O’Connell had previously declared that their decision to join the state’s board was effectively a resignation from the city board. On Halloween, a three-judge panel struck down the state’s takeover attempt and restored power to the city. Joslin and Granbery showed up a few weeks later. At its November meeting, MNAA decided to hire outside counsel to help untangle the mess.

Metro passed on the chance to purchase the Morris Memorial Building, a squat stone office building adjacent to the Metro Courthouse. An LLC affiliated with Nashville-based hotel development company Imagine Hospitality is under contract to acquire the building, according to a source with knowledge of the deal. The building is designated on the National Register of Historic Places and is billed as the only building left in downtown Nashville originally associated with the Historic Black Business District. It was built on land where Black people were once sold into slavery.

A joint task force assembled by conservative lawmakers to examine the potential impact of rejecting federal education funds has adjourned after two weeks of meetings. The group held hearings from state officials, including new Tennessee Department of Education Commissioner Lizzette Gonzalez Reynolds. They spurned offers for testimony from a bipartisan group of local parents who say rejecting federal funding “will impede the basic education of young people throughout the entire K-12 school system.” Conservatives publicly floated the idea of rejecting more than $1 billion in annual federal education earlier this year, theorizing that it might allow the state to ignore associated federal education standards.

NASHVILLE SCENE • NOVEMBER 23 – NOVEMBER 29, 2023 • nashvillescene.com

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11/17/23 5:25 PM

AGENIA WALKER CLARK IS READY TO TRANSFORM FISK The university’s new president started her role this month FISK UNIVERSITY’S Cravath Hall sits at a special intersection of history and the future.

The 93-year-old neo-Gothic building houses card catalogs left over from its time as a library, relics from the university’s 158-year existence, and astonishing murals from modernist painter and Harlem Renaissance leader Aaron Douglas. It’s also home to the office of Fisk’s administrative staff, including its newest president Dr. Agenia Walker Clark.

Replacing board of trustees chair Frank Sims — who served as interim president after the sudden departure of Vann Newkirk in August 2022 — Clark assumed leadership of the historically Black university earlier this month. She comes to Fisk after 19 years as CEO of the Girl Scouts of Middle Tennessee. Throughout her career, Clark has led human resources departments for various institutions, among other roles, and she has taught as a volunteer instructor at Fisk. Clark serves on the boards of FirstBank Financial Corp. and Belmont and Simmons universities, and is a trustee emerita on the board of the Haslam School of Business at the University of Tennessee. Clark recently sat down with the Scene to discuss her new role.

What do you hope to accomplish during your tenure? What I hope to accomplish is that students will say, “I was there when the transformation began.” I want the faculty to say, “I witnessed a transformation.” And I want the alumni to say, “When I came back, I saw a transformation.”

There are so many opportunities to transform.

The foundation is solid, but there are great needs on this campus — this campus is [more than] 150 years old. There are quite a few buildings on campus that are in the historic register.

The campus is in a historical overlay itself. With that comes buildings that need to be updated and upgraded. There are new buildings that need to be built. But the infrastructure underground is more important than what will be happening aboveground. … I would like for Nashville and Nashvillians and the people that live here to say, “I remember when a transformation began.”

What are you most excited to bring to the table, and what are you nervous to tackle as president? I am passionate about what I do. The beauty of what I’ve been able to do with my career — I feel very fortunate to say this — I’ve only worked with areas that I’m passionate about. You cannot live in this community for 30-plus years and not be passionate about Fisk University. … When you’re passionate about something, it doesn’t matter what time your day starts, it doesn’t matter what time your day ends. The issues are

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not issues, they’re opportunities. You just take a different lens to the whole experience. I’m just lucky that a search firm called. I’m luckier that the board said, “This is who we want to take this on, to take us into the next space.” This is just the beginning of a new chapter for Fisk, and I’m excited that I’m having the opportunity to be a part of that. I can’t say that there’s anything about this that I’m nervous about. I will say the only thing is, I want things to happen faster.

But everything will come in due time. And the other part about it that’s been so exciting is that because I’m a product of our community, I also have a better sense of who to call and ask questions of. … I think it hasn’t felt as daunting because I do have a sense of where to start and who to contact to get coaching and guidance and advice on how to approach an issue.

Who will you turn to when you need advice? That list is broad and deep, and many of them have already heard from me. And what’s fascinating is they come from a broad range of places and spaces, too. I knew who to call to help me put together a communication strategy. I know who to call to talk to about an overall strategy to address organizational structure, for instance.

I haven’t had any trouble figuring out who to call and who to ask, but that’s a direct result of years of being here and always being actively involved in the community. So I’m excited that my Rolodex of relationships have really helped me approach getting answers to questions just a little bit quicker, so that I can start formulating what my strategy will be for the institution.

Before you started there was controversy at Fisk surrounding a new policy that threatened to quickly remove some students from classes if they didn’t pay their balances soon enough. What’s the current state of that matter? Have you addressed it with students? This all happened before I got here — this was the purge. [On my first full day] I spent a couple hours with a group of students to talk to me about what they see my priorities should be. And in the midst of that conversation, the purge came up. And I found that fascinating, because every institution purges — I mean, that’s nothing new in higher ed. But what I learned from talking to them is that here at Fisk, it wasn’t purging. It was like you were asking a family member to move out of the house. And just seeing their emotional reaction to that was something totally different for me. Which is why it is so important … to engage in the listening, and hearing from the different constituents, but more importantly the students, what my priorities should be. The purge wasn’t the purge that I’ve heard about for years in higher ed. To them,

PHOTO: ANGELINA CASTILLO

BY KELSEY BEYELER

it went deeper. These were members of their family, in the figurative sense, that all of a sudden weren’t in class the next day. And to hear them talk about that helped me realize I need to make sure that doesn’t happen again. And if it does happen again, that we as a staff and our leadership take a totally different approach to it.

They felt that the communication around that was inadequate and should have been better.

They had lots of reactions to that. The only thing I can do since I wasn’t a part of it happening is to make sure, if it should ever happen again, it has to be approached totally differently. And if it does ever happen again, I can take the voices that I heard in the room with me on [my first day] and let it guide me and the staff on how we approach this. That was an awakening for me to hear them talk about that, because the language in the context of it was so far removed from a standard higher ed purge. But that also speaks to the culture here. And that was a great moment for me to share with these students, because it will affect everything that I do when I move forward if that ever becomes a necessity again.

Has there been communication with the students who were purged? Have they been able to return if they were able to get their finances together? The only thing I know is that was a short window and time frame ago. And so I don’t know what the current status of that is yet — that’s one of the debriefs I haven’t caught up on. I haven’t had a debrief on that yet. And that’s coming up, because we’re getting ready to approach a new semester, so we’re getting ready to dive into that.

Fisk has an astounding legacy. Is there a certain aspect of it that’s particularly inspiring to you? Right before I started, I took some time off and I was vacationing in Washington, D.C., and I went over to the Phillips Collection there in D.C. because they have an exhibit on African American modernism. And I walked around the third-floor gallery — most of that collection is from the archives of Fisk University. Then I learned that there are nine pieces out of our collection that are going to be featured at an exhibit coming up, curated by the Metropolitan Museum of Art. So for us here in the community, we’ve heard

mainly about the Stieglitz Collection, which is the famed collection that is now shared between Fisk University and the Crystal Bridges Museum in Arkansas. But we don’t know about all the other, and there’s so much other. So I want to really make sure the community is spending more time getting to know more about everything else that’s here, in relationship to the arts.

Fisk has produced some brilliant civil rights figures throughout history. How do you hope to continue shepherding that kind of presence, particularly in Tennessee’s current political climate? My job, I think, is to continue to share the excellence and thinking that comes from this campus. That and that alone I’m hoping will reshape what all of our leaders are thinking about for the future of every citizen in this city and in this state and in this country. I honestly believe that we are all guided by something that we hear, see something new that we learn about, and that’s why the sharing of messaging is so important.

It has been known that — especially for those of us who are in this country, and Black, and are descendants of a slave trade — that it was the storytelling and the passing of messaging, and the passing of stories. And I just sort of feel that what Fisk has done is continue to share stories that we hope will have greater impact outside of this campus. That is who we are, that is what we do. … I don’t see that ending anytime soon. It is a part of our legacy, and it looks like the opportunity to do more of that gets greater every day.

So I’m just excited that we continue to want to have a part and a voice in all of that.

But at the same time, I look at how we’ve touched this country and this world in so many other ways. … When people from around the world visit the Phillips Collection, they’re gonna see Fisk University’s name throughout it. One day last week, I had to get to campus early in the morning … around 6:30. There was a family standing out here in the middle of the lawn … from Germany. They are here to tour Middle Tennessee, and this was on their list. So I said, “So where are you going next?” “Jack Daniel’s.” I thought, “Oh my gosh, Fisk before Jack Daniel’s — it doesn’t get any better than that.” ▼

NASHVILLE SCENE • NOVEMBER 23 – NOVEMBER 29, 2023 • nashvillescene.com

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11/17/23 5:25 PM

METRO SEEKS FIRM TO STUDY NORTH NASHVILLE, TAKE ANOTHER LOOK AT INTERSTATE CAP Community engagement would drive future Jefferson Street improvements, per request

BY NICOLLE S. PRAINO METRO IS LOOKING for a consultant to provide community engagement services for North Nashville and the Jefferson Street corridor, including another look at a possible interstate cap.

In a request for proposals released on Oct. 31, Metro said it is looking for the consultant to “gather meaningful input on potential future planning needs and initiatives within the North Nashville Community Plan area.” It also asks for the consultant to provide a Federal Highway Administration Planning and Environment Linkages study for the Jefferson Street corridor.

The request mentions the previously proposed Jefferson Street Cap, which stalled in 2021 after community requests for more engagement in the process.

This time, the consultant would be expected to help educate the public about what an interstate cap would look like and what alternatives could be.

“One of the things that happened was it was something that just kind of came about that didn’t have a lot of education around it,” Metro Councilmember Brandon Taylor, whose District 21 includes the area where the proposed cap would have been, says. “All of those questions that I think were unanswered in the last approach need to be answered.”

The new request notes that between October 2021 and February 2022, the Nashville Department of Transportation and Multimodal Infrastructure “discovered the engagement process needed to include a more robust strategy that would include conversations around land use and transportation, both heavily impacted by urban renewal and the interstate system.”

“I think we could’ve done a better job of listening to the community and making sure North Nashville got to talk about the issues that really matter to them first instead of just throwing down an interstate project,” Eric Brown, who was former Mayor John Cooper’s North Nashville economic and community development manager, told Scene sister publication the Nashville Post last year.

The historically Black area of North Nashville faced displacement and disruption when Interstate 40 was built in the 1960s through the middle of the community, severing Jefferson Street, the historic heart of Black Nashville. The Jefferson Street Cap, designed to cover the interstate with newly usable space, was championed

by Cooper and others as a way of healing that wound. The request notes the construction of the interstate “physically separated the community and razed entire neighborhoods,” while the

area is now seeing increased redevelopment.

“If reconnecting this community to the rest of the city is to help build and strengthen the community with the people that’s here, that’s exactly what we want to do,” Taylor says. “We don’t necessarily want to have a lot of displacement into the growth. Hopefully the study can give us a broad view as well as help us kind of manage our blind spots.”

The councilmember said his understanding is that this effort does not move the previous cap project forward but instead is a new opportunity for the community to engage with Metro on what the future plans for the area should be.

As envisioned in 2021, the cap would have served as a 3.4-acre land bridge between Jefferson and Scovel streets, running from D.B. Todd Boulevard to 14th Avenue North. The project was estimated at the time to cost $120 million, with involvement from Metro, the state and the federal government.

“This is a huge opportunity for an investment in this part of town and this community where we have been divested in for decades,” Taylor says. “What we heard was, ‘We want to be a part of what type of investments come to this community,’ and I think this is the first step in doing so.”

The scope of the new project includes a full report on the Jefferson Street Cap’s purpose, anti-displacement strategies, existing conditions, alternatives, economic impact and environmental, engineering and cost feasibility.

The consultant is also tasked with providing community-based planning recommendations for Metro and identifying trends with an emphasis on equity and accessibility for topics such as housing, campus planning, transportation and public health. The project hinges on public engagement, with meetings, listening sessions and focus groups listed as the second task, behind only a project management plan.

“I see this as reconnecting the community and hopefully targeting opportunities for the people in this community,” Taylor says. “I think we can target the effort to increase for Black businesses, Black residents.”

The closing date for proposals was Nov. 21, and no date is given for when Metro intends to make a selection.

NDOT and the Metro Planning Department declined to comment because it is an open procurement period. Mayor Freddie O’Connell, until recently the councilmember for adjoining neighborhoods, also declined to comment.

This article was first published by our sister publication, the Nashville Post. ▼

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NASHVILLE SCENE • NOVEMBER 23 – NOVEMBER 29, 2023 • nashvillescene.com

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Hey Thanks, Nashville Public Library NPL’s 20 locations offer services that most Nashvillians probably aren’t aware of

Hey Thanks, Child Care Workers For many parents, these workers are a salvation

Any Nashville parent knows that good child care is expensive and hard to come by. It’s also priceless.

In reporting on child care this year, I found a group of passionate and lovely yet underpaid and underappreciated child care workers. The low pay makes it hard to recruit people into the field, and on top of that, federal funding that has kept day care centers afloat has not been renewed. I think Debbie Ferguson, executive director at Glen Leven Day School, said it best: “It seems really backwards that I’m still only paying $16 an hour for someone to build a brain.”

What’s striking about this field is how much it has evolved in the past 50 years. We now know that babies start understanding language from a very early age. We now know they need to be talked to and played with and held for their brain to develop to its full potential. Moving away from old tactics like corporal punishment takes extra effort, reasoning and time. Child care providers are doing that without fanfare. They know better, so they do better.

In many cases, a child care worker spends more waking hours with a child than the child’s parent does. For young parents without grandparents and family around, these workers are a salvation. It’s a heart-driven profession and a head-driven economic resource. These are people who studied little brains, how they work and what they need. They are a resource to parents, and to society. I cannot thank them enough for that service.

To the volunteers and fulltime administrators who work to protect democracy Following the 2020 presidential election, Donald Trump tried to villainize poll workers with accusations of fraud, corruption and all sorts of harebrained schemes as part of his attempt to reject the electoral results. The strategy is still popular among far-right candidates: After she was defeated at the polls in October, Franklin mayoral candidate Gabrielle Hanson cried voter fraud despite providing no evidence and never communicating with the election commission there.

It was a particularly egregious line of attack, because if you’ve ever actually met a poll worker, you know that almost all of them are passionate civics nerds who take a boring but incredibly important job deadly seriously. You probably took the old lady who helped pull up your ballot for granted when you voted for mayor a few weeks back — which is how the whole process is really supposed to work! — but she had to put in long hours for not that much pay to make sure votes were tallied fairly.

The full-time election administrators deserve some credit too. Many field constant and seriously bad-faith emails from Trump-inspired “election integrity” groups who are “just asking questions” about voting processes. But every time I’ve read an election commission response to one of these complaints, it’s been the kind of thoughtful and wellevidenced response that truly builds public faith in the democratic process.

—Hannah Herner Health Care Reporter, Nashville Post and Nashville Scene

—Cole Villena Associate Editor, Nashville Scene

Hey Thanks, Walk Bike Nashville For its 25th anniversary, the nonprofit advocacy group went above and beyond

For years, nonprofit group Walk Bike Nashville has been trying to make it possible for us to get places safely and efficiently without getting in our cars. On the list of things we can thank them for: advocating for removing parking minimums for new developments, campaigning to allow e-bikes on greenways, and teaching adults to ride bikes and maintain bikes.

This year, their 25th anniversary, they went above and beyond, earning an extra helping of gratitude.

Members of the nonprofit (that’s anyone who donates $50 a year or more) are eligible to buy a $25 yearlong WeGo QuickTicket pass. Yes, that’s good anywhere WeGo goes (and, true, WeGo doesn’t go as far or run as frequently as Nashville’s public transit system should), on buses and rail, for a whole year for $25.

That’s less than you’d normally pay for a one-month pass. Or parking for a couple of hours. Or a Lyft ride. If you are a regular WeGo commuter, you don’t need me to do the math for you. If you’ve been wanting to add public transit to the ways you get around town, it’s as good an excuse as any to test out. (And remember, WeGo has Transit Navigators to help you figure out your commute — Google Maps also has the routes plugged in.)

Public transportation is good for the environment, good for building community and, thanks to Walk Bike Nashville, currently good for our budgets.

—Margaret Littman Contributor, Nashville Scene

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There are few Metro entities that provide more free services than the Nashville Public Library system. In addition to the basics of lending books, music and movies from more than 20 locations spread across the county, NPL offers services that most Nashvillians probably aren’t aware of — but they should be!

The library’s Libby app offers free downloads of e-books, audio books, magazines and articles straight to your computer, phone or e-reader. Comics Plus gives complimentary access to thousands of titles of digital comics, graphic novels and manga, and Kanopy is like a free Netflix with streaming access to documentaries, award-winning movies and foreign films. NPL’s Library of Things allows cardholders to check out everything from a ukulele to an ice cream maker to a pickleball set to a sewing machine or a tool kit. They also offer a seed exchange program, free passes to local museums and e-bike rentals, free meeting spaces and study rooms plus no-cost parking downtown for 90 minutes, up to 100 free black-and-white and 40 color photocopies per month, and even free 3D printing.

If you’re interested in researching your genealogy, the library participates in programs that allow free access to sites like ancestry.com and FamilySearch, and research librarians will help answer your online questions with the click of a mouse. If you don’t have a computer, you can avail yourself of laptop loans for inlibrary use at several branches, or just sit down at one of their many desktops and browse away.

If you live in Davidson County and don’t have a library card, you’re really missing out on some amazing services!

—Chris Chamberlain Contributor, Nashville Scene

ILLUSTRATIONS BY KYLIE TAYLOR (@HANDTAYLOREDTYPE)

Hey Thanks, Poll Workers

NASHVILLE SCENE • NOVEMBER 23 – NOVEMBER 29, 2023 • nashvillescene.com

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NASHVILLE SCENE • NOVEMBER 23 – NOVEMBER 29, 2023 • nashvillescene.com

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Hey Thanks, Traffic Spotter App

Hey Thanks, Labor Organizers

If Nashville wants to be a truly walkable and bikeable city (or even just have less gridlock for drivers), then we have to figure out how not to randomly trap people on the wrong side of the tracks while a train blocks traffic. (Ask me about the time I got stuck, on foot, while a train was in the middle of the street for more than an hour, and I ended up having to call a Lyft to drive me several miles around the train to get to a place I could see through the immobile cars.)

Between my house and the gym, there’s a possibility of being blocked by freight trains at three different intersections. The unpredictability — what time the trains come by, how long they sit motionless — is annoying. The diagonal tracks at Fourth Avenue South and Chestnut Street are, by far, the most frustrating: Because Fourth is a one-way street, options for turning around and taking a different route are limited.

So infinite thanks to Cohub, the Wedgewood-Houston software company that wrote the Traffic Spotter app. The free app gives you a green “light” if both Chestnut and Fourth are open, a yellow one if one of the two streets is blocked by a train, or a red one if both are blocked. Check it before you get too far down Fourth, and you can reroute in advance rather than getting stuck. Cohub uses code and signals from CSX to make their predictions. I don’t understand how it works, and I don’t have to. Until we get pedestrian overpasses or tunnels, I just have to have it downloaded … and come up with a different excuse for why I’m late to gym class.

—Margaret Littman Contributor, Nashville Scene

To the workers who have joined ranks to improve pay and working conditions across an array of industries

Hey Thanks, 12 Hours of Terror To the spooky-season tradition that strengthened bonds for me and my life partner

When a couple’s been together just a little while, the next logical step is — well, probably not to go to an overnight movie marathon featuring seven horror films, whose titles will be kept secret until they’re about to hit the screen. But in October 2018, my nowwife (and then not-yet-girlfriend) Sarah and I took this gamble on our third date, and made our inaugural run at the Belcourt’s annual gauntlet of gore, 12 Hours of Terror. And it paid off: We were immediately welcomed into a joyful celebration of this dark realm of genre cinema — in which hilariously wild choices and self-effacing humor can do as much to make a film memorable as great acting, writing and direction — among an audience whose devotion and persistence rival the unquiet dead.

I’m not saying 12 Hours of Terror (which we await eagerly every year) is why we got married. But it didn’t hurt. Very early in our relationship, 12HOT gave us powerful positive reinforcement for trusting each other and stretching our comfort zones a bit.

Hats off to the chief programmers, Zack Hall and longtime Scene contributor Jason Shawhan, as well as everyone who helps them curate and book each year’s lineup. (Where else are you going to see genuinely terrifying found-footage feature Rec back to back with the uproariously splatter-tastic Blood Diner Diner?)

Also deserving of undying thanks: the other Belcourt staffers who stay up all night, stellar Halloween band Boo Dudes who join in each year and late, great Scene editor Jim Ridley, who encouraged the crew to start this tradition and keep it going.

—Stephen Trageser Music Editor, Nashville Scene

14

Thankfully, both the WGA and the SAG-AFTRA strikes were recently resolved (though a deal following the latter is technically still pending until early December). That means better terms for writers and performers related to streaming revenue, artificial intelligence, health care and more. But there’s an added bonus: More people are paying attention to organized labor and how that benefits the average worker — and not just in the entertainment industry.

Right here in Nashville, workers have organized to improve pay and working conditions across an array of fields. From baristas and kitchen workers to construction workers and beyond, employees have joined ranks in recent months to stand up to management and demand more for themselves and their colleagues. Even when unions aren’t striking, their leaders are working behind the scenes to make sure members aren’t being taken advantage of, to raise awareness and to raise funds for members who need a hand.

Nashville is home to a number of labor unions and worker centers, Nashville Musicians Association Local 257, Central Labor Council and Workers’ Dignity among them. To these and all the other groups doing the brave and honest work of standing up for the little guy, we say thank you.

—D. Patrick Rodgers Editor-in-Chief, Nashville Scene

Hey Thanks, Nashville Community Fridge and Those Who Stock It The fridge and those who fill it embody community care

No matter what you look like, how old you are or where you come from, food is a baseline necessity.

But finding access to enough nutritious food is a struggle for too many. According to a March poll from Vanderbilt, 41.2 percent of families across Tennessee struggle with food insecurity — a 9.9 percent rise from last year. Food insecurity is a huge issue that requires a multifaceted response, but there are simple ways to feed people, like through the Nashville Community Fridge.

The Nashville Community Fridge isn’t all that complicated. A lone, beautifully painted fridge sits under a shelter outside North Nashville art venue Elephant Gallery at 1411 Buchanan St. People can stock it or take food from it, any hour of any day.

There are, of course, health regulations that donors must abide by. Raw meat, leftovers, expired food and already-opened items aren’t allowed in the fridge. Those who drop off cooked items must label meals with listed ingredients and expiration dates. (More information can be found at the Nashville Community Fridge’s Instagram account — @nashvillecommunityfridge.)

The fridge would be nothing without the people who donate to it — from farmers who regularly drop off fresh produce to chefs who supply it with delicious meals, and those who share when they have a little extra to give. People can also donate via Venmo (@nashvillecommunityfridge) or volunteer to clean it.

—Kelsey Beyeler Education Reporter, Nashville Scene ILLUSTRATIONS BY KYLIE TAYLOR (@HANDTAYLOREDTYPE)

A Wedgewood-Houston software company’s app helps you see when traffic is blocked by trains

NASHVILLE SCENE • NOVEMBER 23 – NOVEMBER 29, 2023 • nashvillescene.com

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NASHVILLE SCENE • NOVEMBER 23 – NOVEMBER 29, 2023 • nashvillescene.com

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To the folks who helped me recover almost-lost memories when I needed them most

Like a lot of moms, mine never liked having her picture taken. If she’s smiling in a photo, it’s almost certainly a candid shot.

When she reached the end of her life this summer after a long illness — despite her incredible determination and my dad’s round-the-clock care — there were lots of things we wanted and needed as a family. Dad asked if I could find a certain photo he took, enlarge it and get it framed to stand by her ashes at her funeral. The set this picture came from eventually turned up, but most of the prints disappeared decades ago. The negatives, at least, were all there.

Scene staff photographer Angelina Castillo suggested I take them over to Third Man Photo Studio to be scanned. I was expecting murky negative images that’d still have to be printed for me to have any idea about which one to blow up. I’m grateful to Angelina and the staff at Third Man for what I got back, and quickly too: a set of high-resolution positive images, as well as helpful information on where to print them, since Third Man couldn’t do it anytime soon. We ended up with exactly what we needed to help celebrate Mom’s life.

In the picture, it’s early 1985, and my mom and my sister (who died in 2021) are standing on the stairs behind our house, their dark hair and tan coats playing off the sandy brick wall. My sister, my mom’s first child, is 17 and will graduate high school soon.

It’s a few months before I’ll be born, and for whatever reason, our brother (14 at the time) wasn’t around that day.

It’s a time of excitement and possibility. And in spite of the unseasonable cold — and the fact that Dad’s making her pose — Mom has a brilliant smile.

Images like this help us transmute grief into memory, and I’m glad I’ve got this one.

—Stephen Trageser

Hey Thanks, School Staff Hey Thanks, Bookstore Events

From Parnassus to The Bookshop and Novelette, Nashville is flush with great bookstores that host great events On a September night in 2013, I made my way downtown and found a seat in the Nashville Public Library auditorium. Ann Patchett came out to introduce the evening’s guest, and then Donna Motherfucking Tartt took the stage.

I’ll never forget it. With her signature black bob, Tartt was wearing a long, Asian-inspired jacket over jeans with high lace-up black combat boots.

I probably gasped. Donna Tartt was in Nashville to launch the release of The Goldfinch, which went on to win the 2014 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. From that night on, I kept a close eye on which authors were coming to Nashville, and I made a point to see as many of them as I could. Back then Parnassus was the only game in town, and the store, owned by Patchett — herself a widely celebrated author — brought in big names like Roxane Gay, David Sedaris, Zadie Smith, Colson Whitehead, Andy Cohen, Jacqueline Woodson, Tegan and Sara, and Tom Hanks, just to name a few.

That continues. I saw Matthew Desmond at Parnassus this year. Matthew Desmond! And it’s not just Parnassus anymore. We also have writers’ collective The Porch, which brought us writers and visiting instructors like Kiese Laymon and Ada Limón. We have The Bookshop, which hosts a monthly silent book club, poetry nights, author events, storytime for grownups and so much more.

Most recently, we have Novelette, which is hosting author events, book clubs and writers’ rounds. If bookstore events are your thing, you’re in the right city.

Music Editor, Nashville Scene

—Kim Baldwin Digital Editor, Nashville Scene

16

To the teachers, paraprofessionals, office staff and others who do important work to support Nashville’s students Educators deserve perpetual gratitude for the immensely important and difficult work they do.

From teachers and paraprofessionals to office staff, nutrition workers and maintenance specialists, it takes a village to run a school and support the students who fill it. Each staff member has a significant role to play, and the stakes are high — education can set the trajectory of a student’s life, after all.

The job is often complicated by external factors that make their way into the classroom, such as poverty, politics and even violence. After losing several students and educators to gun violence this year, school employees have had to brace for the possibility that their school could be next.

They’ve had to consider how far they’d go to protect their students during an active threat. That’s not something education professionals should have to consider when entering the field.

Even as these difficult realities surround the job, thousands of people still show up to school every morning to do the work that needs to be done. They go beyond their job descriptions to mentor and inspire students, pushing them to be their best selves — even as those same students push and challenge them. It’s not a glamorous and certainly not a high-paying job, but it sure is crucial. Thank you to everyone who helps our schools run.

—Kelsey Beyeler Education Reporter, Nashville Scene

Hey Thanks, Abortion Care Tennessee

In a post-Roe Tennessee, the nonprofit continues to support ‘abortion forever no matter what’ Under Tennessee law, an abortion is allowed only if a pregnant person is experiencing an ectopic pregnancy or a molar pregnancy, if the fetus is dead, or if the mother will die if the pregnancy is not terminated. There is no exception if the pregnancy is only a few weeks along, if it is the result of rape or incest, if there is a complication that will not allow the fetus to live outside the womb, if the mother cannot afford it, or if they simply don’t want a child at the time.

As someone in the middle of their reproductive years, I have found reporting on abortion in Tennessee anxiety-inducing. While a lawsuit is pending to clarify which conditions would qualify under the exception to save the life of the pregnant person, Abortion Care Tennessee is one of the few organizations that has my back, loudly and without hand-wringing. The nonprofit pays for and schedules procedures out of state and has hosted self-managed abortion trainings. A wave of post-Roe activism has died down, and fundraising events have thinned. Next, the organization will name an executive director, and pivot to more traditional fundraising with expensive dinners and deep-pocket donors.

As we wait for things to change on a legislative level, there has to be someone who says “abortion forever no matter what.” Thanks for being that, Abortion Care Tennessee.

—Hannah Herner Health Care Reporter, Nashville Post and Nashville Scene

ILLUSTRATIONS BY KYLIE TAYLOR (@HANDTAYLOREDTYPE)

Hey Thanks, Third Man Photo Studio

NASHVILLE SCENE • NOVEMBER 23 – NOVEMBER 29, 2023 • nashvillescene.com

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NASHVILLE SCENE • NOVEMBER 23 – NOVEMBER 29, 2023 • nashvillescene.com

17

Hey Thanks, Therapists

The North Nashville nonprofit makes me feel lucky to live in our city

It doesn’t happen as often as it used to, but every once in a while I feel really lucky to live in Nashville.

It’s not always clear what causes these occasional bursts of gratitude, but a few weeks ago I was able to pinpoint it exactly: I was watching my daughter make a clay bowl in a Saturday afternoon art class at Buchanan Arts.

Lots of cities have lots of art classes, but I’d like to think that Buchanan Arts has something special.

There are around a dozen professional pottery wheels in the North Nashville nonprofit, which is the kind of thing you really only find in a city with a sizable community of artists. It’s unusual to see so many quality tools outside of a university — seeing them untethered from that environment almost makes you instantly feel like experimenting or being subversive. I tied an apron around my daughter’s waist and pulled her hair back with a piece of string I’d scavenged from my car, and it felt like I was watching her gear up for a big event. Her feet barely reached the pedal of this massive pottery wheel — the kind real artists use, I told her — and when she slapped the lump of clay down onto the plate, she grinned as if she was simultaneously proud and disgusted. After lots of instruction from the brilliant Virginia Griswold, she scratched her name into the bottom of the soft clay, and looked more than ready for whatever came next.

Hey Thanks, People of the Music City Bikeway

You’ve completely changed the way I view my commute This year I resolved to bike to work whenever possible, and I never would have stuck to my goal if not for the Music City Bikeway. The trail provides a convenient ride between my house in Inglewood and the Scene’s office in the Gulch, but what’s kept me coming back is the delightfully random assortment of people there at all times of day.

On the bikeway you’ll of course see people on bikes, from serious cyclists on ultralight carbon-fiber racers to tourists trying out the newfangled BCycle e-bikes.

Then there are the people keeping up their pandemic hobbies by carving around on longboards, roller skates or electric Onewheel skateboards. I always smile when I see parents pushing strollers and older folks taking midday walks, and I’m touched when I see massive families — seriously, sometimes you’ll see more than a dozen people walking together as a group — taking time for a family stroll. Sometimes I’m inspired to pull over and watch kids playing baseball in the park or chat with other people on the paths, which is a much easier prospect when I’m on my bike instead of in my 3,500-pound car.

Seeing so many different faces all the time has completely changed the way I view my commute. It’s easy to see other cars on the road just as obstacles standing between me and my destination, but when I see other folks on a bikeway, it makes me feel like we’re all sharing a moment in the great outdoors. I’ll choose that over sitting in a car any day.

—Laura Hutson Hunter Arts Editor, Nashville Scene

—Cole Villena Associate Editor, Nashville Scene

Hey Thanks, Beauty Industry Professionals We depend on you to help the person in the mirror better match the way we see ourselves

Talk to most beauty industry employees and they’ll likely tell you they drive home from work in complete silence. Taking care of people all day requires a moment to decompress. As a child of the salon industry, I’ve always marveled at hair stylists’ ability to make conversation with the range of people who sit in their chairs. They smile through as people share conspiracy theories, family drama and their deepest pains.

Colorists pull off a complex science experiment when helping you change shades. Nail technicians hunch over our digits to create tiny, beautiful art.

Makeup artists work magic to make us look like the most glamorous yet still recognizable version of ourselves. Massage therapists stave off touch starvation and allow us to go back to work refreshed.

We trust wax technicians to look at our vaginas and, in turn, not burn them.

They work evenings and weekends and spend a lot of time on their feet — not to mention the gross factor that can often come with dealing with the human body. In the best circumstances, it’s a friendship and symbiotic relationship. At its worst, artists are dumped on, harshly criticized for not being a magician or replicating an AI-generated Pinterest photo.

It’s no small thing to help another person feel confident. We depend on you, beauty industry professionals, to help the person in the mirror better match the way we see ourselves. We quite simply could not do it without you.

—Hannah Herner Health Care Reporter, Nashville Post and Nashville Scene

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“Hey, first of all, I’m OK. There was an active school shooting in Green Hills, and I was unfortunately driving through Green Hills when it happened.

I’m OK. I didn’t see anything. I just saw and heard the emergency response and then could see the school from my parking spot at the mall. Got super disregulated, but I’m home and feeling better.”

This was the text I sent my therapist on the morning of March 27. I sent this text because I have PTSD, and I have an agreement with my therapist that when a big, bad thing happens, I will check in. I’m lucky in that I have a therapist to text. The pandemic was hard on mental health specialists.

I’ve seen enough videos on #therapytok to know that many therapists left their jobs due to stress.

Fortunately, my therapist continued seeing clients during the pandemic, despite the aforementioned stress, plus an added bonus of going into treatment for cancer. Slowly, my therapist helped me learn how to navigate a seemingly never-ending pandemic, and we even found time to talk about tried-andtrue favorites like my childhood and maladaptive perfectionism.

I thought the worst was over, and then March 27 happened. A lot of us are brought up under the conventional wisdom that we should put our oxygen masks on first before helping others. I don’t know how therapists continue to do this day after day, year after year, especially over the past three years. But I am in awe of their ability to do so, and I hope the ones who (understandably!) bowed out have found peace and rest.

—Kim Baldwin Digital Editor, Nashville Scene

ILLUSTRATIONS BY KYLIE TAYLOR (@HANDTAYLOREDTYPE)

Hey Thanks, Buchanan Arts

Therapists continue to do their important, difficult work day after day, year after year

NASHVILLE SCENE • NOVEMBER 23 – NOVEMBER 29, 2023 • nashvillescene.com

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11/17/23 5:09 PM

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1

HANDMADE GIFTS BY LOCAL ARTISTS

THE CLAY LADY’S CAMPUS | 1416 Lebanon Pike, Nashville TN 37210 | theclcgallery.com | theclaylady.com @clayladycampus

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COMMITTED TO FEEDING SOULS

STUDIO MAMA | heartsinthemix.com studiomamasupperclub.com | @heartsinthemix @studiomamasupperclub | 404.202.0797 This cookbook is a collection of cherished southern recipes, real-life stories, and star-studded menus from the Music City.

Add "All The Swag" to make it a bundle!

ICON TATTOO & BODY PIERCING | 1925 Church St. Nashville, TN 37203 |contattoo.com @Tattooicon | 615.329.4066

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5

BOOKS BY LOCAL AUTHORS

PARNASSUS BOOKSELLERS | 3900 Hillsboro Pike parnassusbooks.net | @parnassusbooks 615.953.2243 Local authors were on a roll this year! Grab a signed copy for the reader in your life - can be personalized upon request!

EXQUISITE LINE OF CUTLERY AND PEELING PRODUCTS

KUHN RIKON | Tanger Outlet Mall; 4060 Cane Ridge Parkway, Antioch, TN 37013 | kuhnrikon/usa.com 615.639.1022

Solid 14kt Yellow Gold with White Cubic Zirconia from BVLA.

The CLC Gallery on The Clay Lady’s Campus is the perfect place to find a unique, handmade gift by local artists!

4

TESSERACT CLICKER

Elevate your culinary experience with Kuhn Rikon's exquisite line of cutlery and peeling products. Together, this collection from Kuhn Rikon is the epitome of Swiss innovation, bringing both color and function to your kitchen repertoire. Featured here are various sizes of Colori+ knives, Pull Chop, Knife Block, and Cutting Boards.

6

PRAYER CANDLES

SERENDIPITY | 2814 12th Ave. | Southserendipity12th.com @serendipity12th | 615.279.5570 These star studded prayer candles make the perfect gift for any pop culture fanatic, and we have over 40 different faces to choose from.

ADVERTORIAL | INTERESTED IN ADVERTISING IN THE SCENE SHOP LOCAL GIFT GUIDES? EMAIL MIKE AT MSMITH@NASHVILLESCENE.COM

BE SWEET! This cookbook is a collection of cherished southern recipes, real-life stories, and star-studded menus from the Music City.

Add “All The Swag” to make it a bundle!

~SHOP small WITH US THIS HOLIDAY SEASON~ GIFT IDEAS FOR EVERYONE ON YOUR LIST!

Rebecca Wood, Studio Mama heartsinthemix.com studiomamasupperclub.com @heartsinthemix @studiomamasupperclub

nashvilleboards.com • 615.589.6224 109 S. 11th Street • FIVE POINTS WE SHIP!

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Find the best LOCAL gifts for your loved ones!

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FROM SWITZERLAND TO YOUR HOME: an independent bookstore

Unveil Unique Holiday Treasures at Kuhn Rikon

for independent people

UPCOMING EVENTS

Gifts handpicked by our booksellers!

PARNASSUSBOOKS.NET/EVENT FOR TICKETS & UPDATES

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 25

SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY AUTHOR SIGNINGS

11:30AM - 12:30PM with K. M. HIGGINBOTHAM & ASHLYN E. INMAN 1:00PM-2:00PM with ANN PATCHETT & LINDSAY LYNCH 6:30PM

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 27

VIRTUAL HOLIDAY SPECIAL with ANN PATCHETT & PARNASSUS STAFF on ZOOM Get gift recommendations for everyone on your list!

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 1

5:00PM - 7:00PM

BOOK'EM HOLIDAY SHOPPING NIGHT at PARNASSUS A portion of proceeds will be donated to Book’Em 6:30PM

Shop Now!

MONDAY, DECEMBER 4

BARBARA KINGSOLVER & LILY KINGSOLVER VIRTUAL EVENT with ELIOT SCHREFER on ZOOM Coyote’s Wild Home Kuhn Rikon Outlet Nashville Tanger Outlets Nashville 4060 Cane Ridge Pkwy Building 3, Suite 312 • 615-639-1022

6:30PM

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 5

ARIEL LAWHON

parnassusbooks.net/holidays23

with ERIN COX at PARNASSUS The Frozen River 6:30PM

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 8

HOLIDAY SPECIAL kuhnrikon.com/us

with ANN PATCHETT & PARNASSUS STAFF at PARNASSUS Get gift recommendations for everyone on your list!

3900 Hillsboro Pike Suite 14 | Nashville, TN 37215 (615) 953-2243 Shop online at parnassusbooks.net @parnassusbooks1 @parnassusbooks1

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@parnassusbooks Parnassus Books

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7

CONGO VASE

DAPHNE QUIRKY | PRETTY | HOME | L&L Market; 3820 Charlotte Ave. | daphnehome.com @daphne_quirkyprettyhome | 615.942.5583 Each hand made piece is perfect for fresh or dried flowers or as stand alone sculpture. Sales benefit the Elephant Conservation Center in northern Thailand.

ATHENA 10 TINY ICON TATTOO & BODY PIERCING | 1925 Church St.

Nashville, TN 37203 | contattoo.com | @Tattooicon 615.329.4066 Solid 14kt Yellow Gold with Tanzanite & Amethyst from BVLA.

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SUBSCRIPTION BOXES

PARNASSUS BOOKSELLERS | 3900 Hillsboro Pike parnassusbooks.net | @parnassusbooks 615.953.2243 For the person who has read everything, we have four monthly subscription boxes! A brand new, first edition book each month for every age group.

11 KALIMBA SERENDIPITY | 2814 12th Ave. | Southserendipity12th.com @serendipity12th | 615.279.5570

This unique instrument known as the “finger piano” is only $32.95 and is a great gift for anyone wanting a taste of Music City.

9

JADE

ICON TATTOO & BODY PIERCING | 1925 Church St. Nashville, TN 37203 | contattoo.com | @Tattooicon 615.329.4066 Solid 14kt White Gold with White Cubic Zirconia from Junipurr.

& COMPACT FRY PAN/POT SETS 12 SMART KUHN RIKON | Tanger Outlet Mall; 4060 Cane Ridge Parkway, Antioch, TN 37013 | kuhnrikon/usa.com 615.639.1022

Kuhn Rikon’s Smart & Compact Fry Pan / Pot Sets, Epicurean Garlic Press / Ratchet Grinder, and Swiss-Made-Peeler is a sleek addition to any modern kitchen. This collection is a harmonious symphony of kitchen tools that will inspire both the aspiring home chef and the seasoned culinary artist alike.

ADVERTORIAL | INTERESTED IN ADVERTISING IN THE SCENE SHOP LOCAL GIFT GUIDES? EMAIL MIKE AT MSMITH@NASHVILLESCENE.COM

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BAGS & CLUTCHES 13 PURSES, THIS IS THE FINALE | L&L Market; 3820 Charlotte Ave. thisisthefinale.com | @thisisthefinale | 629.702.6188

Stadium Studded Clear Bags, Mushroom Crossbodies, Lacquer Lip Clutches, and Rhinestone Fanny Packs – This is the Finale has all your unique PURSEonalities in one place!

ANTIQUES 16 GORGEOUS GASLAMP ANTIQUES & GASLAMP TOO |

GasLamp Antiques | 615.297.2224 GasLamp Too | 615.292.2250 | GasLampAntiques.com @gaslampantiques | @gaslamptoo

Make your holiday shopping fun with GasLamp Antiques & GasLamp Too! Discover exceptional merchandise from 250+ dealers including gorgeous antiques and budget-friendly finds. Open daily!

BOOK BUNDLES 14 CUSTOM PARNASSUS BOOKSELLERS | 3900 Hillsboro Pike

parnassusbooks.net | @parnassusbooks | 615.953.2243

Don't know what the reader in your life will like? Let the experts decide! We'll curate $50 or $100 bundles for any age and interest.

17 JELLYCATS

SERENDIPITY | 2814 12th Ave. | Southserendipity12th.com @serendipity12th | 615.279.5570 We have one of the largest selection of Jellycats in Nashville! These amusable stuffed animals are loved by customers of all ages.

KIDS COOKING TOOLS 15 KINDERKITCHEN | KUHN RIKON Tanger Outlet Mall; 4060 Cane Ridge Parkway, Antioch, TN 37013 | kuhnrikon/usa.com 615.639.1022

Delight in the joy of cooking with Kuhn Rikon's Kinderkitchen Kids Cooking Tools. This line of child-friendly kitchen gadgets makes cooking accessible and fun for aspiring young chefs, with each utensil designed with little hands in mind. Kinderkitchen and Cookie Press are your companions for memorable, delicious experiences shared across generations.

18 HEARTBREAK ICON TATTOO & BODY PIERCING | 1925 Church St. Nashville, TN 37203 | contattoo.com | @Tattooicon 615.329.4066 Solid 14kt Yellow Gold with White Cubic Zirconia from Junipurr.

ADVERTORIAL | INTERESTED IN ADVERTISING IN THE SCENE SHOP LOCAL GIFT GUIDES? EMAIL MIKE AT MSMITH@NASHVILLESCENE.COM

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19 SIGNED BOOKS

PARNASSUS BOOKSELLERS | 3900 Hillsboro Pike parnassusbooks.net | @parnassusbooks 615.953.2243 Signed books make great gifts! Browse online or in-store.

Limited quantities available, so act fast!

22 PREMIUM CIGARS AND ACCESSORIES

BELLE MEADE PREMIUM CIGARS | Belle Meade Plaza 4518 Harding Rd, Nashville TN 37205 bellemeadecigars.com | 615.297.7963 Belle Meade Premium Cigars and Gifts is a locally owned store. For more than 18 years, Belle Meade Premium Cigars has supplied people with great smokes, both pipes and cigars, as well as a great lounge where you can relax and smoke and have some great conversations with the great clientele that comes into this fantastic shop. Join us here this holiday season.

20

TINY AFGHAN PEAR

ICON TATTOO & BODY PIERCING | 1925 Church St. Nashville, TN 37203 | contattoo.com | @Tattooicon 615.329.4066 Solid 14kt Yellow Gold with Peridot from BVLA.

23 LOCALLY SOURCED KITCHEN PRODUCTS NASH BOARDS | nashvilleboards.com @nashvilleboards| 615.589.6224

Spice up the kitchen with our Vintage Darling Apron ($44), VOLS Charcuterie Board ($95), and Guitar Salad Server Set ($34)! Custom engraving available.

FONDUE SET 21 RIKON KUHN RIKON | Tanger Outlet Mall; 4060 Cane Ridge Parkway, Antioch, TN 37013 | kuhnrikon/usa.com 615.639.1022

Warm up your dining experience with the Kuhn Rikon Fondue Set, a centerpiece that promises to turn any gathering into a gourmet celebration. Swiss-made and elegantly designed, this fondue set brings the tradition of a communal feast right to your table, perfect for dipping and savoring with friends and family.

24 NEST CANDLES

GREEN PEA SALON | 4 City Blvd- One City and 1113 12th Ave South | Nashville TN | greenpeasalon.com These beloved and beautifully fragranced candles have a cult-like following. Shop our best-selling holiday collections or perennial faves such as wild mint & eucalyptus, Moroccan amber & more.

ADVERTORIAL | INTERESTED IN ADVERTISING IN THE SCENE SHOP LOCAL GIFT GUIDES? EMAIL MIKE AT MSMITH@NASHVILLESCENE.COM

INCLUSIVE SIZING 0-3X

L&L Market 3820 Charlotte Ave thisisthefi fin nale.com

L&L Market 3 8 2 0 C h a r l o t t e Av e n u e 615-942-5583 daphnehome.com

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Memberships

Gift an experience & support local Find the perfect gifts for everyone on your list at the Frist Gift Shop.

Choose from handcrafted jewelry, ceramics, unique stocking stuffers, art books, children’s items, Frist memberships, and more!

919 Broadway, Downtown Nashville FristArtMuseum.org/Shop 615.744.3990

Good for the environment, good for the community!

Justice Industries is a local non-profit organization that creates social enterprises to put people to work.

We employ people with barriers to employment such as previous incarceration, homelessness, addiction recovery, mental health, generational poverty, and more.

Just.Glass, a curbside glass recycling service, is our largest social enterprise keeping over 250 tons of glass out of area landfills and providing almost 11,000 hours of work for our team last year.

Email jackie.cavnar@justiceindustries.org for details.

Give an annual glass recycling subscription for $234.

Shop local

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11/13/23 10:37 AM

Wow moments

Early access to extraordinary experiences.

Become a member today.

Makers

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The Joy of Giving

Gifts at 12SOUTH 1113 12th Ave S. | 615.297.6878 WEST NASHVILLE 4 City Blvd. | 615.292.8648

greenpeasalon.com

Cigars From A. FUENTE • ASHTON • CAO • COHIBA DAVIDOFF • MONTECRISTO • PADRON TATUAJE • ZINO & MANY MORE

SHOP LOCAL & SUPPORT YOUR ARTIST COMMUNITY

BELLE MEADE

PREMIUM CIGARS & GIFTS Belle Meade Plaza 4518 Harding Road, Nashville, TN

615-297-7963

1416 LEBANON PIKE, NASHVILLE

CELEBRATE THE HOLIDAYS at the SCHERMERHORN

NOV 28, 2023 | 7:30 PM CALL FOR AVAILABILITY

DEC 8, 2023 | 7:30 PM

A Very Dave Barnes Christmas

JOHN DENVER: A ROCKY MOUNTAIN HIGH CONCERT CELEBRATION with the Nashville Symphony

Presented without the Nashville Symphony.

NOV 29, 2023 | 7:30 PM

DEC 15 & 16, 2023 | 7:30 PM DEC 17, 2023 | 2 PM

“MERRY CHRISTMAS, LOVE” FEATURING JOSS STONE with the Nashville Symphony

Handel’s Messiah with the Nashville Symphony & Chorus

DEC 1 & 2, 2023 | 7:30 PM DEC 3, 2023 | 2 PM LOW TICKET ALERT Amazon Movie Series

DEC 18, 2023 | 7:30 PM HCA Healthcare and Tristar Health Music Legends

The Jacksons

Home Alone In concert with the Nashville Symphony

Presented without the Nashville Symphony.

DEC 19, 2023 | 7:30 PM

DEC 4, 2023 | 7:30 PM

Jim Brickman: A Joyful Christmas with special guest Chrissy Metz

Samara Joy: A Joyful Holiday! with the Mclendon Family Presented without the Nashville Symphony.

Presented without the Nashville Symphony.

DEC 5 & 6, 2023 | 7:30 PM

DEC 21, 2023 | 7:30 PM CALL FOR AVAILABILITY

HCA Healthcare and Tristar Health Music Legends

Drew & Ellie Holcomb’s Neighborly Christmas

The holidays with Boyz II Men and the Nashville Symphony

THANK YOU TO OUR CONCERT PARTNERS

Presented without the Nashville Symphony.

The Ann & Monroe Carell Family Trust MOVIE SERIES PARTNER

FAMILY SERIES PARTNER

POPS SERIES PARTNER

BUY TICKETS: 615.687.6400

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Giancarlo SCENE Guerrero, music director NASHVILLE • NOVEMBER 23 – NOVEMBER 29, 2023 • nashvillescene.com

NashvilleSymphony.org/Holidays

MUSIC LEGENDS PARTNER

WITH SUPPORT FROM

CRITICS’ PICKS: WEEKLY ROUNDUP OF THINGS TO DO

ZOOLUMINATION IN 2022

FESTIVAL

[LIGHT ’EM UP]

ZOOLUMINATION: CHINESE FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS

Did you know Nashville currently has the country’s largest Chinese lantern festival?

Returning this year, Zoolumination features some breathtaking all-new light displays of real and mythical animals (including an enormous dragon!), colorful scenes and beautiful glass flowers. While you sip hot chocolate, you can wander around the zoo and gaze at more than 1,000 custom-made silk Chinese lanterns, which took nearly three months to assemble.

There’s also a nightly Chinese acrobatics show, and limited zoo exhibits will be open. If you go between Nov. 24 and Dec. 24, you’ll also be able to see the North Pole Village. (I hear Santa hangs out there.) This year, the zoo is also offering “platinum passes,” allowing you to return to see the lights as many times as you please — visit nashvillezoo.org/zoolumination for hours. ELIZABETH JONES THROUGH FEB. 4 AT NASHVILLE ZOO AT GRASSMERE 3777 NOLENSVILLE PIKE

NASHVILLE BEATLES BRUNCH FEAT. FOREVER ABBEY ROAD PAGE 30

COUCHVILLE LAKE TRAIL FULL MOON HIKE PAGE 32

MERIBAH KNIGHT IN CONVERSATION WITH MADELEINE BARAN PAGE 34

[SAIL AWAY]

NASHVILLE SINGS NEWMAN FEAT. ANNE McCUE, JIM HOKE, DON HENRY

What sets the music of composer, singer and pianist Randy Newman apart from the standard run of singer-songwriterdom has everything to do with the intertwined concepts of rock ’n’ roll, vulgarity and good old American banality.

You wouldn’t catch Joni Mitchell or James Taylor writing an irresistible — and completely inaccurate — song of praise to the Electric Light Orchestra or penning a tune titled “My Old Kentucky Home” that turns Stephen Foster on his head. The New Orleans-meets-Los Angeles rock ’n’ roll that Newman and collaborators like Ry Cooder, Clarence White and jazz bassist Al McKibbon achieved on 1970’s 12 Songs is as suggestive and deceptively simple as Newman’s lyrics. That album’s “Have You Seen My Baby?” and “Let’s Burn Down the Cornfield” have become much-recorded classics, and you might remember Three Dog Night’s hit version of one of Newman’s funniest tales of countercultural confusion, “Mama Told Me Not to Come.” Like

Bob Dylan, Newman has written many songs that live in versions by far more accomplished singers, and Dusty Springfield’s immaculately turned readings of two of his finest tunes are highlights of her 1969 album Dusty in Memphis.

Meanwhile, his 1979 release Born Again is an account of a sea change in American culture that includes a song about the love of money and the aforementioned “The Story of a Rock and Roll Band,” which I bet made ELO founders Roy Wood and Jeff Lynne burp up their breakfasts. Newman, who turns 80 on Nov. 28, will get his due in Nashville from a crew of local rockers and popsters. On hand will be guitarist and singer Anne McCue, multi-instrumentalist Jim Hoke and songwriter Don Henry, among other interpreters of one of the world’s greatest tunesmiths. Don’t forget to leave your hat on.

EDD HURT

7 P.M. AT THE BASEMENT 1604 EIGHTH AVE. S.

FILM

THURSDAY / 11.23

THROUGH FEB. 4

MUSIC

PHOTO: NASHVILLE ZOO

Visit calendar.nashvillescene.com for more event listings

[KNOWING IS HALF THE BATTLE]

RESTORATION ROUNDUP: THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH

Here’s a true story: When I was in Los Angeles last year, I tried to attend a screening (in

NASHVILLE SCENE • NOVEMBER 23 – NOVEMBER 29, 2023 • nashvillescene.com

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FILM

FRIDAY / 11.24 [REVVED AND READY]

MIDNIGHT MOVIE: THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE

This classic 1974 horror movie is back for a onenight showing at midnight at the Belcourt. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre follows a group of five young people road tripping through rural Texas. When they run low on gas and stumble upon a house running on gas generators, they try to make a deal for gas but run into more than they bargained for — the owners of the house turn out to be a family of cannibals. TCM is a pioneering film in the slasher genre with a brisk 83-minute runtime. That makes it a perfect

30

[A THANKSGIVING PICKIN’ PARTY]

BOY NAMED BANJO

Put down the turkey — or tofu, mac-andcheese, pumpkin pie … whichever leftover dish continues to live rent-free in your head hours after the holiday ends — and head to Germantown for a hometown show from Boy Named Banjo, a Nashville-bred five-piece band with a head-turning name and sound to match. Signed to Mercury Nashville, Boy Named Banjo sounds far removed from the major label country ecosystem promoting the band’s music. The group bridges alt-rock sensibilities with touches of Americana, country and — yes — a few banjo licks to create a sound wholly unlike anything else coming out of today’s Music Row. Need proof? Listen to the harmony-layered “Lonely in This Town” or the on-the-nose “Goodbyes Are Sad.” This year, the band continues to build on a tradition of playing hometown gigs around Thanksgiving, returning to Brooklyn Bowl — the same venue Boy Named Banjo sold out at this time last year. The show comes in support of a new album, Dusk. Brother Elsey opens the show. MATTHEW LEIMKUEHLER 8 P.M. AT BROOKLYN BOWL NASHVILLE 925 THIRD AVE. N.

SATURDAY / 11.25 FILM

midnight movie for those who crave genredefining horror but want to get home before 2 a.m. Even though it’s now nearly 50 years old, the film has maintained relevance through remakes, sequels and even a multiplayer video game adaptation released this year. Whether you’ve seen it a million times or it’s your first time meeting Leatherface, there is nowhere better to experience this one than on the big screen with a rowdy midnight crowd. KEN ARNOLD MIDNIGHT AT THE BELCOURT 2102 BELCOURT AVE.

[VACATION HOME INVASION]

MIDNIGHT MOVIE: THE STRANGERS

I’ve always found November to be prime horror-watching time. Yes, the onslaught of spooky happenings from late September through all of October can leave you sick of ghouls, goblins and the like, but I usually find myself with several movies left unseen on my yearly Halloween-season watch list once November rolls around. Despite the everencroaching Christmas horde, November is still fall! There are leaves on the ground and a chill in the air; it’s a great time for atmospheric chillers.

Few films from the 21st century fit this eerie vibe better than 2008’s The Strangers, a truly darkhearted home-invasion movie that will scare even the biggest horror heads. Mariah Carey can wait a few more weeks. LOGAN BUTTS MIDNIGHT AT THE BELCOURT 2102 BELCOURT AVE.

SUNDAY / 11.26 FOOD & DRINK

glorious 35 mm!) at the Academy Museum.

Unfortunately, they had a strict policy on allowing in only people who were vaccinated, and I had left my vaccine card in my bedroom in another damn state. With no evidence of me getting vaxxed three times at that point, I was denied entry and got a refund on my ticket.

On that day, I didn’t know enough to see The Man Who Knew Too Much, Alfred Hitchcock’s 1956 suspense-fest featuring Jimmy Stewart and Doris Day as a couple who take their son on a family vacation in Morocco and end up getting tangled in a good ol’ web of murder, danger and intrigue. While I’m sure the Belcourt’s health and safety precautions have become more relaxed lately, it can’t hurt to have some documentation handy when a new 4K restoration of this flick screens there this weekend as part of the theater’s Restoration Roundup series. CRAIG D. LINDSEY NOV. 23-26 AT THE BELCOURT 2102 BELCOURT AVE.

[TRÈS BIEN ENSEMBLE]

NASHVILLE BEATLES BRUNCH FEAT. FOREVER ABBEY ROAD

It’s almost comforting to know that, no matter how much time goes by, pop-culture fans seem to love debating a long-standing question: Are The Beatles really the greatest rock band in history? (Short answer: yes.)

Anyhow, any Beatles fans looking for a fun postThanksgiving outing this weekend should look no further than City Winery, where Forever Abbey Road, led by prolific Nashville musician John Salaway, will offer another installment in

[THE ELF IS UNSHELVED]

ELF

The Franklin Theatre is celebrating the 20th anniversary of Elf, which has already become something of a Christmas classic. Will Ferrell stars as Buddy, a human who snuck into Santa’s bag one year and is taken back to the North Pole and raised by the elves in Santa’s workshop.

After several decades, Buddy is all grown up and travels to the mystical far-off city of New York.

The film isn’t quite on par with heavy hitters like It’s a Wonderful Life or Home Alone, but it’s earned a place amid the annual Christmas movie catalog for a lot of people. It won’t make you rethink your life, but it is a delightful fishout-of-water comedy meant to put you and your kids in the holiday spirit. Watching it three days after Thanksgiving is a good way for the super-festive among us to shift gears into the Christmas season with a silly movie that doesn’t take itself too seriously. KEN ARNOLD NOV. 26, DEC. 18 & DEC. 20 AT THE FRANKLIN THEATRE 419 MAIN ST., FRANKLIN

MONDAY / 11.27 MUSIC

BOY NAMED BANJO

MUSIC

PHOTO: DAVID McCLISTER

FILM

their monthly Nashville Beatles Brunch series.

Recent selections from Forever Abbey Road set lists include tunes from all over the Fab Four’s catalog, from early-days singles like “I Saw Her Standing There” and “Can’t Buy Me Love” to beloved album cuts like “I’ve Just Seen a Face” and undeniably iconic songs like “I Am the Walrus,” “Come Together,” “Get Back” and an epically rendered “While My Guitar Gently Weeps.” Beatles-adjacent numbers like Paul McCartney’s “Maybe I’m Amazed” have also been known to work their way into sets — it doesn’t hurt that youngster bassist Miles Frizzell is a southpaw with a spot-on Macca impression.

These guys have chops for days, and City Winery has a solid brunch menu with a full bar and — obviously — an extensive wine list. Tuck in, and to paraphrase the Liverpool lads themselves, get yourself a belly full of wine. D. PATRICK RODGERS 10 A.M. DOORS, NOON SHOW AT CITY WINERY 609 LAFAYETTE ST.

[LIT ON THE HITS]

JON SPENCER W/NICOLE ATKINS

In any of his many incarnations, prolific rock ’n’ roll percolator Jon Spencer lets his freak flag fly with fuzzy abandon. Spencer’s vast discography plays like a cut-up collage of dollar-bin record binges. From the strippeddown primal sounds of Pussy Galore to the altrockabilly rumble of Heavy Trash and the soulful funky-punk of The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, the garage-rock godfather has traversed the back alleys of American roots music for just shy of 40 years. Spencer shows no sign of slowing down with his latest offering, titled Spencer Gets It Lit, released in 2022 under the moniker Jon Spencer & the HITmakers. Lit may be one of Spencer’s most danceable outings to date.

Nashville’s own songstress extraordinaire Nicole Atkins joins the evening. Along with colleague Jim Sclavunos, Atkins released a haunting cover

NASHVILLE SCENE • NOVEMBER 23 – NOVEMBER 29, 2023 • nashvillescene.com

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11/17/23 10:57 AM

A N A L O G AT

HUTTON

HOTEL

PRESENTS

SHANNON MCNALLY HARVEST WEEKEND

NOV

09

NOV

29

HARVEST WEEKEND

NOV

26

HARVEST WEEKEND

ANALOG SOUL

NOV

24 25

ARKANSAUCE & FIRESIDE COLLECTIVE

DEC

24-25

NEFESH MOUNTAIN

NOV

McNally is a Zen-like, post-Beat song poet. For those who have followed McNally’s nearly twenty-year career the thing that most sticks with the listener about her, is the timeless effortlessness that she brings to all she does. With a long catalog and a longer list of peers with whom she has written, recorded, and toured, McNally continues to turn out great music that defies blatant genre fiction.

DOORS: 7 PM SHOW: 8 PM GA: $20 RESERVED: $35

WITH SHANNON MCNALLY & BRIAN WRIGHT

WITH SHANNON MCNALLY & BRIAN WRIGHT

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DECEMBER 8

DEC

DEC

DEC

DEC

DEC

10 ANALOG SOUL 12 ELLA VOS 17 ANALOG SOUL HOROWITZ 19 JOE & FRIENDS NEW YEAR’S EVE SCOTT MULVAHILL & FRIENDS

PRESENTS

A McCRARY KIND OF CHRISTMAS

UPCOMING

14TH ANNUAL LIVE CELEBRATION

THE McCRARY SISTERS, BUDDY MILLER, EMMYLOU HARRIS, MARGO PRICE, ETTA & BOB BRITT, TRAVIS LOGAN UNITY CHOIR, DANNY & MABLE FLOWERS, BIZZ AND MANY MORE!

DECEMBER 10

SUNDAY SERVICE DRAG BRUNCH • 1-4 PM

AGES 21+ ONLY

DECEMBER 14

TOYS FOR TOTS BENEFIT

31

DEC

THE SOULSHINE FAMILY BAND’S CHRISTMAS JAM

DOORS: 8 PM SHOW: 9 PM GA ADV: $40 GA DOS: $45 RESERVED SEATING: $75

WITH SPECIAL GUESTS BETH NIELSEN CHAPMAN, BAKHITI KUMALO, JEFF TAYLOR, AND MORE TBA!

ALL SHOWS AT ANALOG ARE 21+ 1808 WEST END AVENUE, NASHVILLE,

TN

NASHVILLE SCENE • NOVEMBER 23 – NOVEMBER 29, 2023 • nashvillescene.com

31

HIKING

MARK BISH.

Jazz, Rock, Blues, Country, Fusion, Funk, Flamenco, etc. Technique, theory, songwriting. Programs available. 40 years exp.

512-619-3209

markbishmusic@gmail.com

Est. 1896

[HARVEST MOON]

COUCHVILLE LAKE TRAIL FULL MOON HIKE

We could all use a hike right about now. It might feel weird to carry on while reckoning with a terrible humanitarian crisis. There’s the duality of joining a nature extravaganza on a beautiful fall evening, when the vibrancy of life is fully onstage, versus the fog of guilt that coexists with gratitude. But you have permission to surrender the feeling of powerlessness in a debilitating news cycle to the power of a full moon. Join Park Ranger Aaron Parkey (yes, that’s his name!) in wearing weather-appropriate clothing and closed-toe shoes. Flashlights are not necessary as the moon will light the way. It’s the daily joy of nature that lights the avenue of hope. Also, it’s free. The Couchville Lake Picnic Shelter is located within Long Hunter State Park, so follow signs to the Couchville Lake Area once you turn off Hobson Pike. TOBY ROSE 4:30 P.M. AT COUCHVILLE LAKE PICNIC SHELTER AT LONG HUNTER STATE PARK 2910 HOBSON PIKE, HERMITAGE

11.23 9PM LOOMS, EVER AFTERS, 11.24 DANNY CORBO & SALT WATER BABY 4PM MAC MACDONALD & DEAD 11.25 HORSE RIDERS FREE 9PM JOHNNY LAWHORN(OF PENTAGRAM STRING BAND)

& MARTY BUSH 4PM SPRINGWATER SIT-IN JAM FREE 11.26 9PM THE WHISKEY CHARMERS, DANI-RAE CLARK, TAYLOR GLASHEEN 5PM WRITERS @ THE WATER OPEN MIC FREE 11.29 9PM FRIEND OR FOE, NERO VATRA, & MARCUS BROWN

[HOWLIN’ WITH EMMYLOU]

WOOFSTOCK

This week, Emmylou Harris reprises one of the most underrated shows in town: Woofstock.

Launched by Harris more than a decade ago, this occasionally recurring concert raises funds for her four-pawed nonprofit program, Bonaparte’s Retreat, a local dog adoption initiative named after her longtime touring canine companion. It returns Monday to City Winery, with billed guests including country singer-songwriter Shawn Camp and Oklahomaraised troubadour Verlon Thompson. But let’s not gloss over this: Emmylou freaking Harris.

The 13-time Grammy Award winner. The Country Music Hall of Famer. The singer and songwriter who gave the world “Boulder to Birmingham,” “Red Dirt Girl” and “In My Hour of Darkness.” The woman who once helped save the Ryman Auditorium with a rowdy round of performances. And she’s just playing a Monday night gig — the Monday after a holiday, no less — at the local venue-slash-winery, because she wants to raise some money for shelter dogs. Let’s not take this town for granted, folks.

MATTHEW LEIMKUEHLER

7:30 P.M. AT CITY WINERY 609 LAFAYETTE ST.

TUESDAY / 11.28 MUSIC

with former Musicians Institute and Austin Guitar School instructor

of Tom Waits’ “Strange Weather,” coupled with the duo’s own thrilling B-side, “A Man Like Me,” in May. JASON VERSTEGEN 8 P.M. AT EASTSIDE BOWL 1508 GALLATIN PIKE S.

MUSIC

GUITAR LESSONS

[ALL COUNTRY]

KEITH GATTIS TRIBUTE W/ GEORGE STRAIT, SHERYL CROW, WADE BOWEN

The death of guitarist, singer, producer and songwriter Keith Gattis on April 23 in Nashville deprived the world of one of country music’s most advanced practitioners. Gattis, who was 52, made his mark as a brilliant Telecaster player and a songwriter who wrote a modern country standard, “El Cerrito Place.” Kenny Chesney’s 2012 hit version of the song is a landmark of mainstream country, and the likes of George Strait, Gary Allan and George Jones have cut his tunes. The Georgetown, Texas, native learned the ropes playing in bands in nearby Johnson City, Texas, where he grew up, and Gattis first came to Nashville in 1992. His 1996 self-titled debut sounded a bit like the California-ized country of Dwight Yoakam — it sounds both out of time and ahead of its time today. Gattis joined Yoakam’s band in 2003, appearing on the singer’s 2005 release Blame the Vain. Gattis’ Telecaster licks on that album fit perfectly with Yoakam’s vision, making it a go-to record for students of the art of country-rock guitar. In fact, Gattis’ career as a true Renaissance man of country — he left Nashville for Los Angeles in 2001, having achieved little success as a solo artist in Music City — stands as a great example of Nashville-California synergy. Gattis returned to town in 2006 after cutting the underrated solo album Big City Blues, which introduced “El Cerrito Place.” Tuesday’s tribute show sports a group of friends and collaborators including George Strait, Sheryl Crow and guitarist Audley Freed, who will lead the band. Also on board is Texas singer Wade Bowen, whose 2022 album Somewhere Between the Secret and the Truth mixes post-John Mellencamp country rock and power ballads. The show benefits Gattis’ family.

EDD HURT

8 P.M. AT BROOKLYN BOWL 925 THIRD AVE. N.

FILM

115 27TH AVE N. OPEN WED - SUN 11AM - LATE NIGHT

SUN 11.26 MILES CONNER • MATTIE LYN AND THE MOCKING DOVES • SWEET LEONA TUE 11.28 ULTIMATE COMEDY • FREE LOCAL STAND UP WED 11.29 SUGAR SK*-*LLS (YK RECORDS ALBUM RELEASE) • GARDENING, NOT ARCHITECTURE • ZOOK THU 11.30 STELLA PRINCE • GLORIA ANDERSON • LAURYN MARIE FRI 12.1

GLITCH GUM SINGLE RELEASE SHOW • RYAN HALL • ATLAS IN MOTION/ HAN IRL • SOPHIE SHREDZ

SAT 12.2

EVAN P. DONOHUE • FETCHING PAILS • EARDRUMMER

SUN 12.3

FAME & FICTION • LIPS SPEAK LOUDER • MELODY WALKER

2412 GALLATIN AVE

32

@THEEASTROOM

EMMYLOU HARRIS, WOOFSTOCK

[MEXICO CITY NIGHTS]

RESTORATION ROUNDUP: VICTIMS OF SIN

Get ready for some heavy-duty melodrama with Victims of Sin (Víctimas del Pecado), a musical noir tearjerker (yeah, you heard me) that came outta Mexico in 1951 — and has now received a brand-spanking-new 4K restoration courtesy of Janus Films. This balls-to-the-wall kitchen-sinker stars Cuban-Mexican sensation Ninón Sevilla as Violeta, an aspiring singer/dancer whose career gets derailed when she literally rescues a newborn baby boy from the trash. Since his daddy (Rodolfo Acosta) is a piece-of-shit pimp who wants nothing to do with the tyke, she raises the kid as her own. This is one hell of a black-and-white emotional roller coaster courtesy of director Emilio Fernández (María Candelaria, The Pearl). As Violeta struggles to survive on the mean alleyways of Mexico City’s red-light district, Fernández peppers the film with sequences in which Sevilla, Rita Montaner,

NASHVILLE SCENE • NOVEMBER 23 – NOVEMBER 29, 2023 • nashvillescene.com

criticspicks_11-23-23.indd 32

11/17/23 10:57 AM

November in...

11/30 THURSDAY

DISCOVERY NITE with JARREN BLAIR, PRESSURE HEAVEN, + MORE

with CROW BILLIKEN

AN EVENING WITH

KANDACE SPRINGS

AN EVENING WITH

THEBLUEROOMBAR.COM

@THEBLUEROOMNASHVILLE

12.06

12.09

TODD BARRY

623 7TH AVE S NASHVILLE, TENN.

“JOY IS HERE” TOUR WITH ANTHONY HALL

AND HORSEPOWER 307

OF DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS

Rent out

BLUEROOMBAR@THIRDMANRECORDS.COM

JJ HAIRSTON

SKIP EWING

PATTERSON HOOD

More info for each event online & on our instagram! See you soon!

The Blue Room for your upcoming event!

12.01

12.04

12/2 SATURDAY

11/21 TUESDAY

“ COME FOR ME!” COMEDY SHOW

BUFFALO NICHOLS

FRIDAY

CATHERINE COHEN

with CHIKAH

11.29

FRIDAY

with EVE MARET

TO-GO RECORDS PRESENTS

12/1

& THE IMPOSSIBLE TRUTH

JACK KAYS

11/25 SATURDAY

WILLIAM TYLER

with WORK WIFE

1960s RARE & ELECTRIFYING RECORDS

11/18 SATURDAY

HUSBANDS

11/17

with WNXP NASHVILLE

11/16 THURSDAY

MUSIC TRIVIA

LIVE MUSIC | URBAN WINERY RESTAURANT | BAR | PRIVATE EVENTS

THE HALF JOKING TOUR

11.24 MUSIQ SOULCHILD 11.25 SOLD OUT - JOIN WAITLIST NASHVILLE IMPROV COMEDY 11.25 PRESENTS: T. HANKS GIVING NASHVILLE BEATLES BRUNCH 11.26 FEATURING THE YOUNG FABLES, FOREVER ABBEY ROAD AND MORE 11.26 YUSSEF DAYES 11.27 WOMEN IN INDIE MUSIC WOOFSTOCK AT THE WINERY: INTIMATE EVENING WITH 11.27 AN EMMYLOU HARRIS WITH SHAWN CAMP & VERLON THOMPSON LIV CAWLEY 11.28 WITH RIAHANNA ESTRADA WOOFSTOCK AT THE WINERY: HARRIS FEATURING 11.28 EMMYLOU MARGO PRICE + MARY GAUTHIER SOLD OUT - JOIN WAITLIST

11.29 CALEB HEARN WITH MICHAEL GEROW 11.30 TANIA ELIZABETH

12.10 JODY NARDONE TRIO

8TH ANNUAL “A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS” A TRIBUTE TO VINCE GUARALDI

MUSIC FIRST PRODUCTIONS INC. 11.30 PRESENTS: ACM NOMINATED GROUP 4RUNNER 12.2 ABBAFABULOUS HOLIDAY BRUNCH 12.3 CINDY ALTER 12.3 WINTER WONDERLAND DRAG BRUNCH 12.3 NATHAN THOMAS CHRISTMAS SHOW 12.4 JOHN MAILANDER’S FORECAST 12.5 SONS OF SERENDIP AND RAIN 12.6 THUNDER WITH ASHLEY CAUDILL GOLDPINE ALBUM RELEASE SHOW 12.10 WITH ALAINA STACEY 12.11 ALANNA ROYALE - A ROYALE HOLIDAY! 12.11 JESUS IN A BAR 12.12 AN EVENING WITH MIKE PHILLIPS 12.16 DAVID COOK 12.16 ERIC BOLANDER BEATLES BRUNCH 12.17 NASHVILLE FT: JOHN SALAWAY & FRIENDS

EVE with NEW YEAR’S

DEC

31

CHRIS KIRKPATRICK of *NSYNC • O-TOWN • LFO SATURDAY & SUNDAY 10:30AM-2:30PM

MIMOSAS, BLOODY MARYS & ROSÉ • PACKAGE AVAILABLE WITH PURCHASE OF ENTRÉE FROM OUR BRUNCH MENU

Taste • Learn • Discover | 12 PM to 5 PM • Wednesday - Saturday 609 L AFAYET TE ST. NASHVILLE , TN 37203, NASHVILLE , TN 37203 @CIT Y WINERYNSH / CIT Y WINERY.COM / 615. 324.1033

NASHVILLE SCENE • NOVEMBER 23 – NOVEMBER 29, 2023 • nashvillescene.com

33

Sunday, December 3

HATCH SHOW PRINT

POETS AND PROPHETS

Block Party

Mike Stoller

10:00 am, 1:00 pm, and 3:30 pm

2:30 pm · FORD THEATER

LIMITED AVAILABILITY Saturday, November 25 FAMILY PROGRAM

Songwriting 101 Workshop Featuring Alex Hall

2:00 pm TAYLOR SWIFT EDUCATION CENTER Saturday, December 2 FAMILY PROGRAM

String City Nashville’s Tradition of Music and Puppetry

Thursday, December 7 EXHIBIT OPENING RECEPTION

Everywhere is Beauty 2023 Print Invitational

Saturday, December 9 SONGWRITER SESSION

Ashley Cooke NOON · FORD THEATER Sunday, December 10 MUSICIAN SPOTLIGHT

Jim “Moose” Brown

Sunday, December 3

1:00 pm · FORD THEATER

MUSICIAN SPOTLIGHT

Seth Taylor NOON · FORD THEATER

WITNESS HISTORY

Museum Membership Receive free admission, access to weekly programming, concert ticket presale opportunities, and more.

34

WEDNESDAY / 11.29

6:00 pm · HALEY GALLERY

FREE

10:00 am and 11:30 am · FORD THEATER

Perez Prado and others perform toe-tapping, sexually suggestive songs. Think of these as quick hits of joy that briefly warm your heart — before this gotdamn movie breaks it! CRAIG D. LINDSEY NOV. 28 & DEC. 2 AT THE BELCOURT 2102 BELCOURT AVE.

FULL CALENDAR

MUSIC

HATCH SHOW PRINT SHOP

JOSS STONE

[MERRY CHRISTMAS, LOVE!]

JOSS STONE

Joss Stone burst onto the music scene in 2003 with her multiplatinum debut The Soul Sessions and went on to rack up a slew of hits including “Super Duper Love (Are You Diggin’ on Me),” “Fell in Love with a Boy,” “Free Me” and “Right to Be Wrong.” More recently, the Grammy-winning artist teamed up with Dave Stewart (of Eurythmics fame) to write the music and lyrics for the musical adaptation of The Time Traveller’s Wife, which recently premiered at the Apollo Theatre in London’s West End. Next up, fans can look forward to checking out Joss Stone: 20 Years of Soul Live in Concert, an album of tracks performed live in 2023 as part of her 20 Years of Soul Tour. But first, the Nashville Symphony welcomes this dynamic performer — who recently relocated to Nashville with her family — to the Schermerhorn for Merry Christmas, Love, “a holiday-themed concert filled with Christmas favorites and soulful hits.”

PODCAST

Saturday, November 25

[THE POWER OF THE PODCAST]

MERIBAH KNIGHT IN CONVERSATION WITH MADELEINE BARAN

You may know WPLN podcast host Meribah Knight from her Peabody Award-winning series The Promise, which looked at race and inequality in Nashville’s public housing. Or perhaps you’ve encountered her work on NPR or The PBS NewsHour, or maybe her writing in The New York Times or The New Yorker. But with Knight’s latest podcast series, The Kids of Rutherford County, she takes on a local story that has garnered national attention. Based on an in-depth joint investigation between WPLN and ProPublica that was named a Pulitzer finalist, the four-part series digs into Rutherford County’s juvenile court system, revealing more than a decade of arrests and the illegal jailing of countless children. It’s a disturbing story that shines a much-needed light on a system that is often shrouded in secrecy. You can join Knight along with Madeleine Baran, the awardwinning host of the investigative true crime podcast In the Dark, for what promises to be a riveting conversation about the importance of investigative journalism in exposing systemic injustice. AMY STUMPFL 7 P.M. AT THE BELCOURT 2102 BELCOURT AVE.

AMY STUMPFL

7:30 P.M. AT THE SCHERMERHORN 1 SYMPHONY PLACE

NASHVILLE SCENE • NOVEMBER 23 – NOVEMBER 29, 2023 • nashvillescene.com

criticspicks_11-23-23.indd 34

11/17/23 10:58 AM

818 3RD AVE SOUTH • SOBRO DOWNTOWN NASHVILLE SHOWS NIGHTLY • FULL RESTAURANT FREE PARKING • SMOKE FREE VENUE AND SHOW INFORMATION

917 Woodland Street Nashville, TN 37206 | thebasementnashville.com basementeast thebasementeast thebasementeast

3RDANDLINDSLEY.COM GREAT MUSIC • GREAT FOOD • GOOD FRIENDS • SINCE 1991

THIS WEEK 11/30

12/1

caitlin rose

w/ andrew combs & the kernal

FRI

11/24

12/2

the aquaducks

w/Friday Night Funk Band, Juke of June & Girls Night

free throw w/ Prince Daddy & The Hyena, Charmer, Saturdays at Your Place & Blvck Hippie

12:00 WMOT Roots Radio Finally Fridays featuring LOOMS, CHARLIE MARS & AL BACKSTROM

FAB: A BEATLES REVUE + THE CONSOULERS

7:30

Backstage Nashville Hit 11/25 Songwriters Show Presents TONY LANE, ANTHONY SMITH, RAY STEPHENSON & TWINNIE + ERIC LANDES SAT

12/3 joe hertler & the rainbow seekers w/ Post Sex Nachos & BEAN

12/4 a tribute to pearl jam benefitting notes for notes & The basement east staff

12/7

happy landing w/ certainly so

Upcoming shows nov 24 gimme gimme disco nov 25 Guilty Pleasures 7th Annual Post Thanksgiving day bash nov 27 angel saint queen w/ Meg Elsier, Caroline Culver & Hana Eid

nov 28 Noise pollution (Ac/DC tribute) + music city stones (rolling stones tribute) nov 29 PUSSY RIOT: RIOT DAYS an activist multimedia experience w/ pinkshift caitlin rose w/ The Kernal and Andrew Combs The Aquaducks w/ friday night funk band, juke of june & girls night free throw w/ Prince Daddy & The Hyena, Charmer & blvck hippie joe hertler & the rainbow seekers w/ Post Sex Nachos & BEAN

nov 30 dec 1 dec 2 dec 3

dec 4 a tribute to pearl jam dec 5 rare hare dec 6 bea miller dec 7 happy landing w/ CERTAINLY SO dec 8 the emo band: live band pop/punk karaoke dec 9 sicard hollow & tophouse

dec 11 Charlie worsham's every damn monday dec 13 ben chapman w/ Grace Bowers, Colby Acuff, Nate dec 14 dec 15 dec 16 dec 17 dec 22 dec 29 dec 30 dec 31 jan 5 jan 6 jan 7 jan 11 jan 12 jan 14 jan 17 jan 18 jan 19 jan 20

Fredrick & The Wholesome Boys, & Brittney Spencer

nashville is dead: grateful dead tribute the lone bellow the lone bellow jd mcpherson w/ Joel Paterson alexandra kay w/ Haley Mae Campbell sold out! sparkle city disco w/ W. Andrew Raposo

12:30

6:30

8:00

7:30

7:30

GARY NICHOLSON & THE CHANGE 7:30 with RICK VITO & COLIN LINDEN + JOHNNY NEEL & CRIMINAL ELEMENT

7:30

JD SIMO & FRIENDS with THE WEIRD SISTERS + JACOB PERLEONI

SUN

THE TIME JUMPERS

MON

DILLON CARMICHAEL with KELLER COX Benefitting CREATIVETS

TUE

11/26

11/27 11/28

TAJ FARRANT with NATHAN BRYCE & LOADED with JAZEL FARRANT PONY BRADSHAW with RACHEL BAIMAN

WED

11/29

THU

11/30

FEATURED

(Midnight Magic)

sapphic factory: queer joy party my so-called band: 90s new years eve be our guest: the disney dj night motion city soundtrack w/ gully boys welcome to the nu-year: Nu metal tribute allison russell sold out! allison russell put it on tape: nashville comedy show mickey darling anees dylan leblanc the emo night tour

12/3

12/15

EMILY KINNEY WITH ALICIA BLUE

12/28 EAST NASH GRASS

PAT MCLAUGHLIN BAND

1/11

1/9, 1/16, 1/23, 1/30, 2/6, 2/13

WILLIAM LEE GOLDEN & THE GOLDENS

ANDREA ZONN & JOHN COWAN ARE THE HERCULEONS

12/1 STAIRWAY TO ZEPPELIN A SALUTE TO LED ZEPPELING 12/2 WORLD TURNING BAND “THE LIVE FLEETWOOD MAC EXPERIENCE” 12/3 A SONGWRITERS CHRISTMAS 12/3 EMILY KINNEY WITH ALICIA BLUE 12/5 JONELL MOSSER + MAURA O’CONNELL 12/6 A VERY TIMMY BROWN CHRISTMAS 12/7 THE LATE LATE SHOW WITH CARLY BANNISTER 12/8 & 12/9 MIKE FARRIS SINGS THE SOUL OF CHRISTMAS

12/10 WHY? BECAUSE IT’S CHRISTMAS 12/10 JOHN PAUL WHITE WITH ALEXA ROSE 12/12 A SLEIGH RIDE WITH GALE MAYES AS MS. PUDDIN’ 12/13 COLE RITTER CHRISTMAS SPECIAL 12/14 SIXWIRE & FRIENDS 12/15 PAT MCLAUGHLIN BAND 12/16 & 12/17 PAUL THORN 12/18 BLUEBIRD ON 3RD 12/18 ANNIE & THE BIG BAND CHRISTMAS 12/19 THE FRENCH CONNEXION

2/24 & 2/25 JAMES MCMURTRY WITH BETTY SOO

COMING SOON oct

1604 8th Ave S Nashville, TN 37203 | thebasementnashville.com thebasementnash thebasementnash thebasementnash

11/27

the wonderlands Upcoming shows nov 24 the josephines nov 25 nashville sings newman nov 27 the wonderlands (7pm) nov 27 jack shields w/ joey beesley & derek luttrell (9pm) nov 28 upset boy & the queens nov 29 richard lloyd (of television) (7pm) nov 29 willy tea taylor, joe kaplow, turkey buzzards (9pm) dec 2 girlhouse dec 3 zach russell dec 4 meredith lane & Ac sapphire (7pm) dec 4 Zoe Cummins, Madeleine, Olivia Rudeen (9pm) dec 6 black venus

11/29

richard lloyd (of television) dec 7 kashena sampson & lilly hiatt (7pm) dec 7 Taxiway w/ shlomo franklin & lb beistad (9pm) dec 9 ron artis iii w/ Kapali Long (7pm) dec 9 gloom girl mfg w/ girl tones & iguanahead (9pm) dec 10 jake kohn w/ zac townsend dec 11 Sally Hill, LINNEA, Willa Mae, and Hannah Flora dec 13 meryl rudy w/ vinje dec 14 Jake Hoot and Jamie Floyd (7pm) dec 14 electric python w/ maanta raay (9pm) dec 15 creature comfort w/ julia cannon &gil costello dec 17 wild the coyote & Devora dec 20 dallas ugly w/ angela autumn

12/20 THE SOUNDS OF SINATRA: A RAT PACKIN’ HOLIDAY CELEBRATION 12/21 CHELEY TACKETT’S HOLIDAY BASH FEAT. ERIN ENDERLIN, NICOLE WITT & EMMA ZINCK 12/22 12 AGAINST NATURE + MAKE ME SMILE 12/23 RUBIKS GROOVE CHRISTMAS SHOW 12/27 JIMMY HALL & THE PRISONERS OF LOVE 12/29 RESURRECTION: A JOURNEY TRIBUTE 12/30 THE LONG PLAYERS 12/31 GUILTY PLEASURES NEW YEARS EVE!

LIVESTREAM | VIDEO | AUDIO Live Stream • Video and Recording • Rehearsal Space 6 CAMERAS AVAILABLE • Packages Starting @ $499 Our partner: volume.com

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FOR 20-150 GUESTS SHOWCASES • WEDDINGS BIRTHDAYS • CORPORATE EVENTS EVENTSAT3RD@GMAIL.COM

NASHVILLE SCENE • NOVEMBER 23 – NOVEMBER 29, 2023 • nashvillescene.com

35

VIXEN!

Question: Want to know the quickest way to win over Vixen’s heart?

Answer: Chin and Belly scratches!

More about Vixen...

She is a very gentle and sweet girl with a smile and face that will light up a room (or dog park) whenever she enters. She’s a friendly 2-year-old girl that loves going for calm, leisurely walks with her many NHA Volunteer and NHA Staff besties. She truly is a terrific dog who can’t wait for you to visit her at NHA. Maybe fall in love and adopt too?

We all hope so!

Call 615.352.1010 or visit nashvillehumane.org Located at 213 Oceola Ave., Nashville, TN 37209

Adopt. Bark. Meow.

Microchip. Neuter. Spay.

Morton Plumbing HEATING & COOLING

(615) 255-2527 · mortonplumbing.net

Thanks for voting us Best Plumber in Nashville!

PRESENTED BY

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Shop the Scene!

36

YES, NEW MOMS CAN STILL MAKE ART Step 1: Lower your standards

BY MALAKA GHARIB Vodka Yonic features a rotating cast of women and nonbinary writers from around the world sharing stories that are alternately humorous, sobering, intellectual, erotic, religious or painfully personal. You never know what you’ll find in this column, but we hope this potent mix of stories encourages conversation.

BEFORE I BECAME a mom, I produced so much art. I made daily doodles and zines that I posted to Instagram. I drew comics and paper dolls and fantastical storybook scenes using oil pastels. I even fashioned a tiny restaurant out of a takeout menu and a plastic box of greeting cards.

Doing these things brought me so much joy.

But when I gave birth to my son earlier this year, that creativity ceased. I was too sleep-deprived to dream up any good ideas, and if I did, I felt guilty that I had used that brain space on something other than my baby.

As I slowly got into the groove of being a mom, that old hankering to make art started tugging at me again. To answer that call, I realized I’d need to make a few adjustments to my artistic process. I now had less free time and less energy. And although studies have shown that motherhood can be a boon to imaginative thinking — women, for example, get a surge of oxytocin, a hormone that is linked to creativity, during labor and while they breastfeed — it felt like my brain had turned to mush.

Determined not to let my maternity leave end without making a few drawings and crafts, I decided to think of these constraints as a kind of creative brief. What could I do within these parameters? Here’s what I learned.

LOWER YOUR STANDARDS — YOU HAVE AN INFANT! Those early days of motherhood were rough.

I felt like a zombie during the day because I was waking up every couple of hours throughout the night to feed the baby. So if I had an opportunity to do something creative, I wasn’t giving it 100 percent. I was giving it maybe 10 percent.

I’d make drawings of figures that didn’t have completed hands or proportional bodies. I neglected to color my illustrations. If I made a mistake, I didn’t bother to correct it. And I was OK with that. Sometimes it just feels nice to get an idea down on paper — so don’t be afraid to do a subpar job. It’s the kindest thing you can do for yourself given your situation, and who knows? It might turn out great. But you won’t know if you don’t try.

REFINE A CREATIVE IDEA WHILE FEEDING THE BABY So much of early motherhood consists of doing things that don’t allow you to multitask.

Walking outside with your baby in a stroller, for example, requires both hands on the handlebar

“I TRY TO DO SIMPLE, ONE-PANEL COMICS THAT ARE EASY TO EXECUTE RATHER THAN MORE LABORIOUS PROJECTS LIKE MULTI-PANEL COMICS AND ZINES”

and your eyes on the road. You also need both hands to hold your baby while rocking them to sleep (unless you’ve got amazing upper body strength, which I don’t!).

These are perfect moments to work through an art concept or revise an existing one in your head. While feeding your baby, for example, use that time to plan out your next creative project. Say you want to make a comic: Think about what you want the illustration to be, the text, the colors, and refine those ideas until you can see the final draft in your mind. Now all you need is the time to draw it.

PUT ART SUPPLIES AT YOUR PUMPING STATION Leave art supplies in a place where you normally spend time — maybe it’s by the coffee maker or the kitchen island where you sort your mail. For me, it’s at the dining room table where I pump breast milk. I have several types of good drawing pens, a stack of plain white paper and

ILLUSTRATION: MALAKA GHARIB

PET OF THE WEEK!

VODKA YONIC

my best fine-tipped markers. I’ve been surprised by how much I’ve been able to create while sitting there: a tiny zine about a vacation in Paris, some diary comics and lots of little doodles of my baby.

GIVE UP SOME OF YOUR INSTAGRAM TIME FOR ART After I had a baby, I was shocked to discover that I was spending almost two hours a day on Instagram, sometimes more. I had no idea where I had the time to spare, but I guess I was looking at the app while the baby was sleeping — or worse, while I was supposed to be sleeping.

If you have time to scroll through Instagram, then you have time to make art. Set aside five or 10 minutes of your phone time. Work on a piece that is manageable enough to complete within that time constraint, like a haiku, a short poem, a tiny zine or a simple illustration. The point is to get into the habit of being creative again and lose yourself in the act of making. ▼

NASHVILLE SCENE • NOVEMBER 23 – NOVEMBER 29, 2023 • nashvillescene.com

vodkayonic_11-23-23.indd 36

11/17/23 10:59 AM

BACK!

Celebrate the season of gratitude by volunteering to help feed Middle TN families at hon.org!

THIS YEAR WE’RE

for PA R T I C I PAT I N G R E S TA U R A N T S

SALSA YOUR WAY INTO TACO WEEK AT THE OFFICIAL

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ADVICE KING East Nashville

Antiques

Vintage

Don’t Miss

WHY DO REPUBLICANS WANT TO TURN DOWN FEDERAL EDUCATION MONEY? Public schools are an essential part of a functional, humane society

BY CHRIS CROFTON

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In 2014, comedian, musician, podcaster and Nashvillian Chris Crofton asked the Scene for an advice column, so we gave him one. Crowning himself the “Advice King,” Crofton shares his hardwon wisdom with whoever seeks it. Follow Crofton on Twitter and Instagram (@thecroftonshow), and check out his The Advice King Anthology and Cold Brew Got Me Like podcast. To submit a question for the Advice King, email bestofbread@gmail.com.

Dear Advice King, Why are Tennessee Republicans trying to reject more than $1 billion in federal funding for public schools? That’s our tax money! Why did Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis say he would like to get rid of the Department of Education? What is going on? It seems like Republicans are intentionally trying to create chaos in the U.S. public school system. It’s ironic, since they’re always saying how much they care about kids. I’m a single mom, and I can’t afford to pay for private school. How can I protect my children’s future?

—Meg in Knoxville

REMEMBER WHEN Louis DeJoy was put in charge of the U.S. Postal Service? He seemed like an odd choice, right? The first thing he did was throw out a bunch of functional mail-sorting machines. And then announced that the mail was going to be late. Strange way to start out at your new job: “Good morning! Throw away all the equipment.”

He was also very obviously angry about something. Call me crazy, but I got the sense,

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uhh, that he was angry at the Postal Service. And (surprise!) he’s in the process of bankrupting it.

The Post Office lost $6.5 billion this year using DeJoy’s decidedly unusual “cut services and relentlessly raise prices” business model, implemented in 2021.

I was going to use former FCC Chairman Ajit Pai as my next example of someone who was put in charge of something that they have a personal or financial incentive to destroy/render impotent, but his myriad conflicts of interest are too byzantine to relate here. I’ll just mention that before he ran the FCC, he was a lawyer for Verizon. He works in private equity now. I found out something about him that I didn’t know, though: Pai clerked for a federal judge. Is it just me, or is everyone who ever clerked for a judge an absolute menace? Almost all the people who helped Trump try to overthrow the government were law clerks. I thought clerks were harmless!

They’re clerks, for God’s sake.

How about the former CEO of Exxon becoming the United States secretary of state? That sounds fake. It sounds like something out of a sci-fi/horror novel. But Rex Tillerson is real — and that’s really his name! And don’t think I’m just picking on Trump. Ajit Pai was first hired

by Barack Obama. Louis DeJoy is still employed under Biden. Bill Clinton really did give the pen he used to repeal Glass-Steagall to the CEO of Citigroup as a souvenir.

My point? We are being governed by people who are trying to destroy the government. We are being governed by corporate henchmen who are on a mission to privatize everything.

Tennessee’s Republican Speaker of the House Cameron Sexton is one of those people. Gov. Bill

Lee is one of those people. Their kids don’t go to public school. They hold public office at the pleasure of big money. Money from multinational corporations. Money from wealthy folks who don’t use public schools, and don’t want their tax money going toward them. People who view human existence as a game to be won.

People — often people who consider themselves Christians — who have the hubris to call themselves “self-made.”

Their campaign to demonize and defund public schools is brutal. It’s basically, “If we can’t have them, then nobody will.” They literally want to leave poor children behind. And in a mind-blowingly antisocial final act, they want to use public money — poor people’s money, communal money, the very money they are trying to deny public schools — to subsidize their exit (vouchers).

Public schools are an essential part of a functional, humane society. They are an essential part of the U.S. as we have known it — as American as apple pie. But these people are exiting society. They want to get up from the “poker table” (taxes, shared responsibility) in the middle of the game, because they are WAY UP. Try that in a real game of poker and see how it goes for you. It’s not going to go very well for them either, in the end. But we’re in the awkward, barbaric, in-between period of late — but not yet final-hour — capitalism.

Meg, I’m heartbroken that this question even has to be asked. I’m heartbroken that you are having to deal with this craziness. We’re all heartbroken out here — everyone with a heart, at least.

Vote. Run for office. Be kind. ▼

NASHVILLE SCENE • NOVEMBER 23 – NOVEMBER 29, 2023 • nashvillescene.com

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11/17/23 12:53 PM

BOOKS

BUILDING ON REALITY

Talking with Nashville native V.E. Schwab about her new fantasy series and whether she’s a Southern writer

PHOTO: JENNA MAURICE

BY SARA BETH WEST

NASHVILLE NATIVE V.E. Schwab continues the story begun in her Shades of Magic series with The Fragile Threads of Power, the first in a new trilogy that returns readers to the Four Londons seven years after the events of the first series. Fans will be thrilled to learn what happened to Kell and Lila and all the other fascinating characters, but this book introduces new characters and complications.

The Four Londons (Red, White, Black and Grey) still operate distinctly from one another, with only a few powerful magicians (Antari) able to move between them. The new Antari queen in White London will do anything to preserve the safety and well-being of her people, and the king of Red London is facing an uprising that threatens to destroy his people’s peace and prosperity. The Fragile Threads of Power is a compelling, fast-paced and sturdily built fantasy, and whether they’re returning fans or first-time discoverers of the brilliantly designed Four Londons, readers will enjoy every twist of this sharp novel.

Schwab answered questions by phone. The conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

I had not read the Shades of Magic series before diving into The Fragile Threads of Power, so I know you can read this one as a stand-alone. What do you think would be added to the experience for those readers who have already been in this world and fallen in love with these characters? My goal is that one day, when both trilogies are on the shelves, you’ll genuinely be able to choose which one you want to start with. Either Shades of Magic will feel like a prequel series or Fragile Threads will feel like a sequel series. Currently the only

people who are absolutely adamant that you need to read Shades of Magic first are, of course, those who have read Shades of Magic first.

There are lots of authors who put a book to bed and find that the characters keep knocking at the door and saying, “Nope, we’ve got more to do.” Is that what happened here? I was about halfway through writing book three of Shades of Magic, and I realized I had a small plot thread I could either rapidly resolve, which felt like a disservice to the plot thread, or I could use it as a little doorstop — to prop the door to the world open just in case I ever wanted to return to it.

By the end of that series, I knew I wanted to return. I spent the next three years analyzing that desire and beginning to build the foundation of the new trilogy and stress-testing it every which way to make sure it was necessary. To make sure this was something that had actual meat on its bones.

Deception is a common thread in this novel. Do you think deception is at the heart of every power struggle? That’s one of the great questions of the book. It’s something that everyone is struggling with: from the king of Red London, Rhy; to the young queen of White London; to a 15-year-old runaway, to Kell, who has had a vast amount of power his entire life and suddenly doesn’t.

It’s less about whether there’s something like honest power, and more about how people with power use it.

Why do you think names are so important in the world of this novel, and would you say they are equally important to you as an author? Names have power, and the giving of names also has a huge

amount of power, just as it does in our world. I think it was Holly Black who said, “If you want to write fantasy, what you actually have to nail is reality.” Fantasy is built on realism, so I try to make sure that when I’m asking questions about this magical world, I’m applying the same logic I would use in my real world. And I think our relationship to names is one of those things where I hug very close to how they operate in reality.

Because you write primarily fantasy, your work is not usually considered Southern literature. What parts of your work can you point to as having roots in this part of the world? My first novel was called The Near Witch, and it was about a tiny village and their relationship with strangers. Growing up in the South, there is that sense of the small town where, when something goes wrong, you don’t look to the people within your community for blame. You look for whoever doesn’t belong.

Whether I’m writing about a small town in England or writing four interconnected worlds, I think about insider and outsider culture, and it all comes down to small-town mentalities.

BUY TICKETS

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

The Fragile Threads of Power

By V.E. Schwab Tor Books 656 pages, $29.99

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NASHVILLE SCENE • NOVEMBER 23 – NOVEMBER 29, 2023 • nashvillescene.com

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11/17/23 10:58 AM

MUSIC

FELL ON BLACK FRIDAYS

Your quick-reference guide to Record Store Day Black Friday 2023

BY HANNAH CRON

EVEN IF YOU TRY to avoid retail hell on Black Friday, Record Store Day Black Friday might just be enough to pull you out of ye olde food coma.

As ever, a slew of annual exclusive titles — about 170 this year — are headed directly to your favorite local mom-and-pop stores on Friday, Nov. 24.

The most notable local-flavored releases are not one but two live LPs recorded at Grimey’s; both are RSD First offerings that’ll go into wider circulation later. The late Justin Townes Earle’s Live at Grimey’s was recorded at the old Eighth Avenue South location during a release party for his 2014 LP Single Mothers; it’s a reissue, originally released on RSD 2015. Meanwhile, Margo Price’s Strays (Live At Grimey’s) was captured during her January 2023 in-store performance celebrating Strays’ release. The Noise for Now: Vol. 1 compilation, whose proceeds support abortion access, also has several Nashville contributions, including Amanda Shires and Jason Isbell’s “The Problem,” Bully’s “Labor of Love” and the dream team of Caroline Spence, Erin Rae, Michaela Anne and Tristen on Kate Bush’s “This Woman’s Work.”

Fans of the Disney Channel-to-pop-star pipeline will want to check out releases from Olivia Rodrigo (GUTS: the secret tracks EP, a 12-inch RSDBF exclusive with an etching on the flip side)

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and the Jonas Brothers (an RSD First two-LP set called The Family Business). Hip-hop legends De La Soul’s catalog finally came to streaming this year, and you can celebrate in a physical way with their revered 3 Feet High and Rising reissued as a box set of a dozen 7-inches. If I decide to brave the Black Friday crowds, I’ll probably try to snag Joni Mitchell’s Court and Spark Demos LP, the New Heart Designs 12-inch featuring BADBADNOTGOOD’s remixes of three songs from Turnstile’s Glow On, and The Beach Boys’ Christmas Album — reissued on green vinyl, the 1964 LP includes “Blue Christmas” and “White Christmas” amid a mix of covers and originals.

If you’re looking to snag some of those sweet RSD exclusives, or just get some great deals on this year’s best records, you have plenty of options around town. The aforementioned Grimey’s (1060 E. Trinity Lane) is opening an hour early at 10 a.m. to offer RSD releases; guests hoping to snag some rare vinyl are invited to line up at the back door. If you’re just interested in that day’s regular releases or general browsing, you can go in the front entrance and get a head start on holiday shopping for all your audiophile friends.

Just down the road, The Groove (1103 Calvin Ave.) will also have exclusives. They’ll also have

an array of Black Friday sales of their own, with discounts around the store including 20 percent off select records and vinyl mystery bags — the perfect gift for a Dirty Santa or White Elephant exchange.

Vinyl Tap (2038 Greenwood Ave.) is having a mega celebration on Black Friday. Not only are they observing RSD, they are also honoring the store’s seventh anniversary and owner Todd Hedrick’s birthday. In addition to sales and specials on most of their inventory, Vinyl Tap is opening up their record vault for the occasion, offering out-of-print and signed albums. DJs from community radio station WXNA will be on hand from 1 to 6 p.m. Friday to soundtrack your shopping, and drink specials will be offered all weekend.

All locations of The Great Escape — in our vicinity, that’s the Nashville flagship (5400 Charlotte Ave.) and stores in Madison (105 Gallatin Pike N.) and Murfreesboro (810 NW Broad St., No. 202) — will open four hours early at 8 a.m. to offer the RSD exclusive releases to eager shoppers.

All standard inventory will also be discounted 20 percent for Black Friday, so be sure to stick around and browse after you grab your new releases and rarities.

If you aren’t dead set on browsing all the

special titles, Alison’s Record Shop (994A Davidson Drive), Phonoluxe (2609 Nolensville Pike) and Third Man Records’ storefront (623 Seventh Ave. S.) will have Black Friday offers as well.

Everything at Alison’s will be 15 percent off all weekend, and Phonoluxe will be putting out some as-yet-unbrowsed stock. Meanwhile, Third Man will have two new releases — a four-LP set of Bo Diddley’s I’m a Man: Chess Masters, 19551958 and a two-LP compilation of New Zealand rockers Electric Blood’s work called Transfusion — the only RSD Black Friday records they will have in store.

Check out the full list of RSD Black Friday exclusives on the official Record Store Day website.

Not every store had details available at press time, and happenings can always change, so be sure to watch social media or check in with your favorite local shop for the latest. And keep up with them when it’s not Record Store Day — after all, they’re there for you 365 days a year. ▼

Record Store Day Black Friday at indie record stores across Nashville on Nov. 24

NASHVILLE SCENE • NOVEMBER 23 – NOVEMBER 29, 2023 • nashvillescene.com

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11/17/23 3:37 PM

NOTHING FEEDS A HUNGER LIKE A THIRST Liz Phair’s Exile in Guyville still feels powerful 30 years later

BY BRITTNEY McKENNA EVEN LOOKING BACK after three decades, 1993 was a hell of a year for music. Nirvana released their final album In Utero. Björk hit the world stage with her appropriately titled Debut.

The record-breaking soundtrack to 1992’s The Bodyguard, featuring some of Whitney Houston’s finest work, dominated the charts. And Liz Phair, a then-little-known singer-songwriter based in Chicago, burst onto the scene with Exile in Guyville, a groundbreaking record that remains an all-time alt-rock classic.

On Monday, Phair and a full band will stop by the Ryman to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Guyville, performing the record in its entirety.

The show is part of a bigger tour celebrating the album, with L.A. indie popper Blondshell opening on the Nashville date.

Exile in Guyville is the kind of indie success story that’s grown rarer in the streaming era.

In the early ’90s, Phair wrote, performed and released DIY cassettes under the name GirlySound, a nom de plume that hinted at the woman-centric ethos of her future work. Hoping to find a record label that would allow her creative freedom, Phair reached out to Matador Records and sent them a handful of Girly-Sound songs.

Label president Gerard Cosloy liked what he heard and offered Phair an advance on a proper full-length debut, which would become Exile in Guyville.

Phair recorded and co-produced the record with Brad Wood, who went on to work with acts like Veruca Salt, Sunny Day Real Estate, Smashing Pumpkins and Lisa Loeb, among others. He’d continue to collaborate with Phair up through her 1998 third album Whitechocolatespaceegg, then reuniting with her to produce 2021’s Soberish. The pair made Guyville at Wood’s Wicker Park studio, Idful Music Corporation, working from demos Phair had recorded herself.

The resulting album is steeped in Phair’s vision of life and womanhood, with blunt, often confrontational lyrics and jangly, rough-hewn production. Styled loosely as a response to The Rolling Stones’ 1972 album Exile on Main St., the record is threaded through with themes including love, lust and living among — to borrow a term from another ’90s cult favorite, David Foster Wallace — hideous men. Even the cover was designed to provoke, as Phair poses nearly topless in a photo booth. Appropriately, the album

has become a touchstone for women entering young adulthood, even three decades after its release.

Exile in Guyville was an instant critical success and made Phair a media darling. It landed on a number of year-end best-of lists in 1993, including Village Voice’s sadly now-defunct Pazz & Jop poll.

Certified gold by the RIAA, the album sits at No. 56 on Rolling Stone’s most recent list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time (published in 2020). Its legacy lives on today, as newer artists like Soccer Mommy and Snail Mail consider it an influence.

Following the release of her second album Whip-Smart, Phair’s star continued to rise, as she made appearances on MTV and nabbed a coveted Rolling Stone cover. She’d release one more album in the ’90s — the more intimate and introspective Whitechocolatespaceegg — before experimenting with Top 40 pop on 2003’s surprising self-titled LP. Critics panned that record brutally and unfairly, including a rare 0.0 review from Pitchfork that reeked of condescending misogyny. Liz Phair has seen a critical reappraisal in recent years, with Pitchfork admitting in 2021 they would rescore it a 6.0.

The three albums Phair has released since then — 2005’s Somebody’s Miracle, 2010’s Funstyle and 2021’s Soberish — could have been correctives to that sudden fall from grace. But in typical fashion, Phair continued to experiment with and expand her sound, making a body of work that could be no one else’s.

Thirty years on from her debut, Phair remains one of the indie world’s most influential iconoclasts. This anniversary tour is more than a mere trip down memory lane: It’s a well-deserved celebration of a milestone for an artist who continues to trust her own vision and inspires others to do the same. ▼

Playing 7:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 27, at the Ryman

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11/17/23 3:37 PM

FILM

NAPOLEON’S COMPLEX

Ridley Scott’s Napoleon is interesting, strange and commanding

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AS FAR AS FILMS about driven and kinky weirdos who reshaped vast swaths of the world, you can comfortably fit Ridley Scott’s Napoleon alongside Oliver Stone’s wrongly maligned Alexander and David Cronenberg’s Freud/Jung twofer A Dangerous Method. As far as the conventions of the modern biopic, you could call Napoleon accessible, and it presents its material in a straightforward fashion that should ease in the unfamiliar as well as keep historians laser-focused on the proceedings. But even still — and until we get the Wachowskis doing a Baron Von Steuben film or Alice Maio Mackay tackling the story of Joan of Arc — Napoleon is doing something different enough to demand a viewer’s attention.

As our titular Corsican, Joaquin Phoenix is interesting, with his equal parts Al Pacino-in-Scarface and Malcolm McDowell-in-Caligula hair, because he portrays Bonaparte subject to the enervating process of trying to balance a demanding job with a fulfilling relationship. For so long, his military triumphs come from an unflappable sense of destiny and insight — which is continuously tossed into chaos by his deep emotional insecurities. Every time he picks up a newspaper, it’s like he’s logged on to 18th-century social media, and the whole world is dunking on him.

His love for Josephine (Vanessa Kirby, at points evoking Deborah Kara Unger in Crash with her moments of icy burn) is true, but also tied into all manner of kinks and quirks. Scott does a great job of deconstructing history — there are moments when without saying a word we get the slow, dawning realization of how much of the modern era is built on the foundations of sexual insecurity, and how the tiniest of choices and situations topple empires. (Real talk: Matrilineal succession makes sense.)

This is a film that understands the gory nature of life in the late-18th and early-19th centu-

ries, and it serves up moments that gather some degree of momentum and strength as they proceed. But the proceedings are best served by Kirby’s Josephine, who owns the film fully, complicating and enlivening every scene she’s in, the film she’s in and, honestly, European history itself. Far too often when a film wants to ascribe agency to a woman, she is made a schemer, or a naïf who blunders into influence and power. But this Josephine is a pragmatist; observant and capable — she never falls into the tragic behaviors strong-willed women are often saddled with in historical narratives, and every time she’s on screen (or reading correspondence with Napoleon) the film jump-starts to a whole other level.

We’re thankful as viewers that Scott has a gift for depicting spectacle through different perspectives. It is to his credit — as well as that of his usual collaborators cinematographer Dariusz Wolski, production designer Arthur Max and costumer Janty Yates (this movie’s hat game is peerless) — that each of these rightfully legendary historical battles unfolds in distinctive fashion. As he does in period pieces (both past and future), Scott finds healthy tonal variety, adept in grandeur and leavening undercutting.

The centerpiece of the film is Austerlitz, and it’s as exciting and visceral as any battle ever put on

film, which is really saying something — there was a moment when the thought popped up that maybe Napoleon developed the Blazing Saddles Rock Ridge Decoy Defense, only to be immediately subsumed by the bone-chilling terror of ice shelves at their most precarious. It is a marvel of tension, shifting planes of action and gracefully artful depictions of deep horror. And that’s not even getting into how the unspoken objective of this film seems to be demonstrating exactly what cannonball-based warfare entails.

You will not forget this particular lesson.

I’m not trying to play armchair psychologist, but the 2012 death of his brother Tony (also a treasure of modern cinema) lit a fire in Ridley Scott to put everything on screen, and he’s continuing to cover genres and styles with an energy and verve that directors 50 years younger than him can’t seem to muster. It may be consigned to be the dad-movie option this holiday season, but Napoleon is something interesting and strange, a portrait of a tremulous world painted in shades of horny anxiety. ▼

Napoleon R, 157 minutes Now playing wide

NASHVILLE SCENE • NOVEMBER 23 – NOVEMBER 29, 2023 • nashvillescene.com

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11/17/23 3:37 PM

WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING Dream Scenario is ambitious but unwieldy

BY CRAIG D. LINDSEY

NEAL JOHNSTON

STEVE AUSTIN

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BIRDIECONSTRUCTION.COM IT’S BEEN A hot minute since I reviewed a crazy-ass Nicolas Cage movie around these parts, so when I heard about him getting surreal in the new A24 movie Dream Scenario, I just had to dip my toe back into the Cage chaos.

In this one, Cage rocks a bald head, a potbelly and a George Carlin beard to play doughy college professor Paul Matthews. Schlubby and pedantic, he lives a forgettably average life with his wife (Julianne Nicholson) and two daughters (Lily Bird, Jessica Clement), who all look like they suffer from some sort of bad-skin disorder. (Don’t be surprised if you feel the urge to buy some Cetaphil after seeing this.) Things get a little odd when people from all over begin having dreams in which Paul drops in and wanders around amiably — not doing much, just letting whatever insane activity (apocalyptic disaster, alligators cornering a gal) take place.

At first, Paul enjoys his newfound celebrity as a special guest in people’s subconscious. He even gets with a branding company (led by a fast-talking, hypebeasty Michael Cera) who wants him to promote Sprite on social media.

Paul’s 15 minutes are cut short when, after failing to fully realize one dreamer’s intense fantasy, he becomes Freddy Krueger, terrorizing people in their sleep and turning their dreams into nightmares. It gets to the point where people stop fucking with this dude in real life, citing the trauma he has somehow inflicted on them.

By the time Cage’s character makes a blubbering, insincere apology online for the pain he’s caused, it is clear that Dream is a heady, elaborate take on cancel culture. Norwegian writer-director Kristoffer Borgli (Sick of Myself) apparently became so fascinated with how disgraced celebs are vilified for inadvertently offending people that he made a movie about a guy who is literally considered a menace in people’s minds. Dream is aimed at many targets, from regular folks who ride out fame that’s been thrust upon them (represented by Cage’s attention-seeking scholar) to the audience who embraces them, then immediately discards

them when they screw up. Borgli even manages to roast Gen-Z influencers in the third act, as Netflix heartthrob Noah Centineo, Prey heroine Amber Midthunder and Succession cousin Nicholas Braun briefly show up as young hipsters endorsing a new thought-intruding product.

The film is also obviously Borgli crafting his own surreal, Charlie Kaufman-esque satire, even getting Cage (who memorably played a fictionalized version of Kaufman and his “twin brother” in the Kaufman-written Adaptation) to star and produce. Cage is predictably kooky as the awkward, milquetoast, parka-wearing family man who longs to take action — whether it’s saving his family from a deranged intruder or writing a book he has yet to start — but often fails to take the leap. It appears the more he quietly seethes over decisions he regrets, the more it negatively plays out in other people’s dreams.

While this may sound intriguing and ambitious on paper, it doesn’t unfold that way on the big screen. With Borgli throwing a lot of things at ya (and usually doing it in scenes where the camera slowly, almost uncomfortably zooms in), the movie seems unfocused and unwieldy.

You know a movie loses steam when it pivots its narrative near the end.

It almost seems like A24 is aware that it has a big ball of whatever-the-hell on its hands and is slipping it into theaters with little to no fanfare.

I had to go to the far end of town to attend the only press screening they scheduled for my market, almost as though they didn’t want me to see it. Dream Scenario is proof that even Nicolas Cage doing some oddball Nicolas Cage stuff is not enough to make you forget how all-over-theplace a movie is. ▼

Dream Scenario R, 101 minutes Opening Thursday, Nov. 23, at the Belcourt and AMC Thoroughbred 20

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NASHVILLE SCENE • NOVEMBER 23 – NOVEMBER 29, 2023 • nashvillescene.com

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11/17/23 3:37 PM

BACK OF THE BOOK ACROSS 1 4

___ no good

66

Equally quickly

30

Flamenco dancer’s cry

67

What’s found in the center of a

31

Internal review, for short?

prune?

33

“Sorry, my schedule’s packed”

Shelfmate of Chips Ahoy! and Oreo

68

Prefix with -scopy

35

Opens, as some doors

9

Actor Abe

69

High-end fashion house

36

Ditch assistance

14

Give quite a shock

70

End notes?

37

You might provide the “last four”

15

Bolt at great speed?

71

Like a quilt

16

Notify

17

Group in a roundup

18

Knowledgeable, with “in”

1

Makes things more interesting

19

Hit film whose narrator

2

Was visibly embarrassed

humorously remarks “Thanks to

3

Taken into account?

44

Top-floor spaces

4

Cellular centers

48

Univ. staffers

5

Tropical resort locale, maybe

50

Greek god of the winds

6

Praise

51

Finger-wagging accompaniment

7

Risky thing to do in an affidavit

52

Basketball great Thomas

8

“What happened next?”

53

Mentally slow

9

Musicians that play with mallets

54

Risk it all

10

___ the kill

57

Gamble boldly, in a way … or

11

Risk it all

12

Partner of cut

13

Religious agreements?

21

___ Lingus

22

100 yrs.

solved” 20

Did some metalworking on

22

French automaker Tent with smoke flaps, in an anglicized spelling

24

Derbies, e.g.

26

Longtime sneakers brand

27 29 31

Column style Hasn’t been hoodwinked by ___ Claus

32

Food regimens

34

Counterfeit coins

38

Senate majority leader during most of Obama’s presidency

40

Pyramid ___

42

Space chimp of 1961

43

One hanging around a kennel?

45

Britain’s historic Lady ___

46

Broadway’s ___-Manuel Miranda

47

Egyptian temple site

49

Bother

52

“___ a fool not to!”

55

Insurance or tax figures

56

California o Nueva York

58

Certain volleyball players

60

It has reading assignments

62

“Yoo-hoo! This way!”

63

Modern-day sort of provocateur

65

Golfer’s target

24

Make things more interesting

25

Hearst mag

28

Round items in square cases

Territory divided into two states: Abbr.

DOWN

and equal rights have been

23

of this, in brief 39

[her], all problems of feminism

NO. 1019

41

How English poets wrote previously?

a hint to the answers to this puzzle’s italicized clues 59

Language akin to Manx

60

Get tight (with)

61

Apparel competitor of Playtex

63

Special attention, in brief

64

Critter that grows by leaps and

PUZZLE BY COLIN ERNST

bounds?

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE

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NASHVILLE SCENE • NOVEMBER 23 – NOVEMBER 29, 2023 • nashvillescene.com

crossword_11-23-23.indd 44

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ABS ABS ABS ABS ABS ABS EXPERTS EXPERTS EXPERTS EXPERTS EXPERTS EXPERTS

100

99 99 99 9999 $$$89 $89 $89 $ 89 89 $$$59 $ $ $ 99 99 99 99 9999 59 59 59 59

$15 $ $$15 FREE FREE FREE FREE FREE FREE $$15 $$$10 $10 $$10 15 15 OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF 10 10 OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF 11/30/2023.

1/4/2021.

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Columbia 1006 Carmack Blvd Columbia, TN 931-398-3350

NASHVILLE SCENE • NOVEMBER 23 – NOVEMBER 29, 2023 • nashvillescene.com

45

Marketplace

other matters of record; and WHEREAS by that Master Deed Establishing a Horizontal Property Regime “Peppertree”, Creekside Meadows Condominiums dated July 15, 1974, of record in Book 4834, Page 257, Register's Office of Davidson County, Tennessee, as subsequently amended, including at Book 6874, Page 354 (collectively referred to as the “Master Deed”) and those Bylaws for the Administration of Creekside Meadows Association, Inc., of record in Book 4834, Page 297, Register’s Office of Davidson County, Tennessee (collectively the “Declarations”), James H. Brewer, as Trustee for Developer, submitted and subjected all of the land described therein to all the provisions, covenants, conditions and restrictions set forth in said Master Deed and Declarations; and

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WHEREAS, Creekside Meadows Association, Inc. (“Creekside”) is the duly created governing body for the owners of all the units subjected to said Master Deed and amendments to the Master Deed; and

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WHEREAS, the Master Deed and Declarations create a lien in favor of Creekside for assessments for common charges and expenses, attorney's fees and costs incurred for collection duly levied against the lots subject to said Master Deed and Declarations; and

LEGALS NOTICE OF SUCCESSOR TRUSTEE'S SALE WHEREAS, Audrey Price acquired improved property located at 810 Bellevue Rd, Unit 120, Building # 6, Nashville, Tennessee 37221, by that Special Warranty Deed of record at Instrument No. 20100831-0069040, Register’s Office of Davidson County, Tennessee, as well as that Warranty Deed at Instrument No. 200706150071628, said Register’s Office, which conveyance was expressly subject to easements, restrictive covenants and conditions, and

WHEREAS, there has been a default with respect to the obligation to pay assessments for common expenses with regard to a certain lot, subject to the Master Deed and Declarations, and described more specifically herein, and Creekside has asserted a lien on such lot by that Notice of Lien of record at Instrument No. 20190904-0088857, Register's Office for Davidson County, Tennessee, and by that Agreed Order Resolving Plaintiff’s Motion for Partial and Final Summary Judgment of record at Instrument No. 20230719-0055714, said Register’s Office, as well as a lien under the Master Deed and Declarations for other and later amounts due to Creekside; and

WHEREAS, Creekside, the owner and holder of the lien created by the Master Deed and Declarations, has demanded payment of the delinquent assessments as to the said lot, and payment has not been made (as well as subsequent amounts coming due), and Creekside has directed that said property be sold, with such sale to be conducted as ordered by the Davidson County Chancery Court in an Order Directing Judicial Sale of Real Property Pursuant to HOA Documents (the “Sale Order”), as well as pursuant to the provisions of the Master Deed and Declarations and applicable Tennessee law (including Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-27-415); and WHEREAS, for the limited purpose of enforcement of said lien, all of the property subjected to the said Master Deed was transferred and conveyed unto James H. Brewer, Trustee, his successors and assigns, reserving an authorization and empowerment to name and appoint a successor in trust to execute this trust exercisable by the owner and holder of the above described lien, all as set forth in the Master Deed; and David M. Anthony was duly appointed Successor Trustee in an instrument of record in Instrument No. 201910901-0103592 (as well as later instrument filings), Register's Office for Davidson County, Tennessee; and NOW, THEREFORE, Notice is hereby given that David M. Anthony, Successor Trustee, by virtue of the power, duty and authority vested in and imposed upon him, will on Tuesday, December 19, 2023, at 11:00 a.m. on the steps of the historic Davidson County Courthouse, Public Square, Nashville, Davidson County, Tennessee, offer for sale the property hereinafter described, to the highest bidder for cash, at public outcry, free from the statutory right of redemption, homestead, dower, and all other exemptions of every kind, all of which have been expressly waived in the Master Deed. Said

property is more particularly described as follows: Building Number 6, Unit Number 120, and Garage Number(s) 3, on the Plan of “Peppertree”, Creekside Meadows Condominiums of record in Book 4675, Page 128 through 130, Register's Office for Davidson County, Tennessee together with all fixtures, appliances, wallcoverings, carpets or other improvements therein and the undivided interest in the common elements appurtenant thereto, all being more particularly described in the Master Deed and By-Laws of record in Book 4834, Pages 257 through 312, as amended in Book 4984, Page 174, Book 5045, Page 800, Book 5086, Page 80, and Book 5259, Page 5, Register's Office of Davidson County, Tennessee, and the Charter of Creekside Meadows Association, Inc., of record in Book 4836, Page 610, Register's Office of Davidson County, Tennessee, to which plat reference is hereby made for a more particular description of said property.

Being the same property conveyed to Audrey Price a/k/a Aubrey Price by Special Warranty Deed of record at Instrument No. 20100831-0069040, Register’s Office of Davidson County, Tennessee, as well as that Warranty Deed at Instrument No. 20070615-0071628, said Register’s Office.

Map & Parcel No.: 142-06-O-A120.00 CO Street Address: The street address of the property is believed to be 810 Bellevue Road, Unit 120, Building # 6, Nashville, TN 37221, but such address is not part of the legal description of the property. In the event of any discrepancy, the legal description herein shall control.

CURRENT OWNER(S): Audrey Price OTHER INTERESTED PARTIES: Nashville Electric Service; FV-1,

Inc. in Trust for Morgan Stanley Mortgage Capital Holdings LLC; Joshua J. Phillips, Esq.; Ray McClain THIS PROPERTY IS SOLD AS IS, WHERE IS AND WITH ALL FAULTS AND WITHOUT ANY REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND WHATSOEVER, WHETHER EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, AND SUBJECT TO ANY PRIOR LIENS OR ENCUMBRANCES, IF ANY. WITHOUT LIMITING THE GENERALITY OF THE FOREGOING, THE PROPERTY IS SOLD WITHOUT ANY REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES, EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, RELATING TO TITLE, MARKETABILITY OF TITLE, POSSESSION, QUIET ENJOINMENT OR THE LIKE AND WITHOUT ANY EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, CONDITION, QUALITY OR FITNESS FOR A GENERAL OR PARTICULAR USE OR PURPOSE. TERMS OF SALE (as stated in Sale Order): Cash, Certified Check, or Receipt on Judgment from Plaintiff. Pursuant to Sale Order: high bidder will be required to execute a written sale agreement at conclusion of bidding; Creekside is allowed to credit bid; redemption rights and equity of redemption are waived, pursuant to Master Deed and Declarations; the sale shall be approved and confirmed by the Davidson County Chancery Court, the Court which issued the Sale Order; and Substitute Trustee shall provide a deed after entry of the order of confirmation of the sale and after confirmation of payment to Substitute Trustee.

As to all or any part of the Property, the right is reserved to (i) delay, continue or adjourn the sale to another time certain or to another day and time certain, without further publication and in accordance with law, upon announcement of said delay, continuance or adjournment on the day and time and place of sale set forth above or any subsequent delayed, continued or adjourned day and time and place of sale; (ii) sell at the time fixed by this

THAT PURPOSE.

Notice or the date and time of the last delay, continuance or adjournment or to give new notice of sale; (iii) sell in such lots, parcels, segments, or separate estates as Substitute Trustee may choose; (iv) sell any part and delay, continue, adjourn, cancel, or postpone the sale of any part of the Property; (v) sell in whole and then sell in parts and consummate the sale in whichever manner produces the highest sale price; (vi) and/or to sell to the next highest bidder in the event any high bidder does not comply with the terms of the sale.

Subject to validity and enforceability, this sale may be subject to a Deed of Trust recorded in Instrument No. 200706150071629, Register’s Office of Davidson County, Tennessee, and that lien at 20071101-0128605, said Register’s Office. The sale is further subject to all matters shown on any applicable recorded Plat or Plan; any unpaid taxes and assessments (plus penalties, interest, and costs) which exist as a lien against said property; any restrictive covenants, easements or setback lines that may be applicable; any rights of redemption, equity, statutory or otherwise, not otherwise waived in the relevant documents, including rights of redemption of any governmental agency, state or federal; and any and all prior deeds of trust, liens, dues, assessments, encumbrances, defects, adverse claims and other matters that may take priority over the instruments upon which this foreclosure sale is conducted or are not extinguished by this Sale. This sale is also subject to any matter that an inspection and accurate survey of the property might disclose.

David M. Anthony, Substitute Trustee EXO LEGAL PLLC PO Box 121616 Nashville, Tennessee 37212 david@exolegal.com Telephone: (615) 869-0634 NSC: 11/23, 11/30, 12/7, 12/14/23

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The sale will be conducted subject (1) to confirmation that the sale is not prohibited under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code and (2) to final confirmation and audit of the status of the debt pursuant to the said Master Deed.

THIS IS AN ATTEMPT TO COLLECT A DEBT, AND ANY INFORMATION OBTAINED WILL BE USED FOR

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46

NASHVILLE SCENE • NOVEMBER 23 – NOVEMBER 29, 2023 • nashvillescene.com

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NASHVILLE SCENE • NOVEMBER 23 – NOVEMBER 29, 2023 • nashvillescene.com