Nashville Scene 12-2-21 by FW Publishing

CITY LIMITS: SARA BETH MYERS WANTS TO UNSEAT DISTRICT ATTORNEY GLENN FUNK

DECEMBER 2–8, 2021 I VOLUME 40 I NUMBER 43 I NASHVILLESCENE.COM I FREE

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MUSIC: EAST NASHVILLE’S THE GROOVE IS DETERMINED TO STAY IN PLACE PAGE 52

After a long and remarkable career, the Meharry Medical College president is at the forefront of Nashville’s battle against the pandemic BY STEVEN HALE

2021

NASHVILLIAN OF THE YEAR Dr. James Hildreth cover_12-2-21.indd 1

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NASHVILLE SCENE | DECEMBER 2 – DECEMBER 8, 2021 | nashvillescene.com

CONTENTS

DECEMBER 2, 2021

Sara Beth Myers Wants to Unseat District Attorney Glenn Funk

Digging In

CITY LIMITS

The career prosecutor says there’s a ‘fundamental disconnect’ between Funk’s rhetoric and Nashville’s reality BY STEVEN HALE

Tarra the Elephant Relocates to Georgia After Long Custody Battle The longtime inhabitant of Hohenwald’s The Elephant Sanctuary has headed south BY LENA MAZEL

CULTURE Titans cornerback Kristian Fulton invests in North Nashville with retail shop BY ELI MOTYCKA

Communion

Steal Away explores struggle, hope and renewal through African American spirituals BY AMY STUMPFL

VODKA YONIC

Girl Meets Cat

On surviving depression with my cat by my side

COVER STORY

2021 Nashvillian of the Year: Dr. James Hildreth

After a long and remarkable career, the Meharry Medical College president is at the forefront of Nashville’s battle against the pandemic

BY SHARON SHEN

BOOKS

The Things That Come for Us All

Ann Patchett’s essays consider the gifts of life and the inevitability of death

BY STEVEN HALE

BY TINA CHAMBERS AND CHAPTER 16

CRITICS’ PICKS

Holiday Markets, Bill Anderson: As Far as I Can See opening, A Very Merry Bari Christmas feat. the Ryan Middagh Orchestra, Weekend Classics: Deep Red, Woven Theatre Presents The Loom, Jeff Rosenstock, Yautja & Inter Arma and more

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THIS WEEK ON THE WEB: JEFF the Brotherhood Rides On at Exit/In Tennessee Department of Education Updates Critical Race Theory Guidelines The Continental to Roll Out New Martini Bar Experience on New Year’s Eve Amerigo Celebrates 30 Years With a Throwback Special ON THE COVER:

Dr. James Hildreth Photo by Daniel Meigs

MUSIC

Another Look ........................................... 51 The Scene’s music writers recommend recent releases from Daisha McBride, Hayes Carll, Hammock and more

The Groove Is in the Heart ..................... 52 East Nashville record store The Groove remains determined to stay in place

GIFT GUIDE

BY BRONTE LEBO

The Spin ................................................... 53

The Scene’s live-review column checks out Caitlin Rose and Loney Hutchins at The 5 Spot

FOOD AND DRINK

‘Sin Maiz, No Hay Paiz’ ........................... 39 With Maiz de la Vida, Julio Hernandez shares tortillas — and culture BY KELSEY BEYELER

Coffee for a Cause ................................. 40 Activist Xtiana Roberson helps fund social justice organizations, one cold brew at a time BY ERICA CICCARONE

BY SETH GRAVES

54 FILM

International Skyline .............................. 54 Thematic diversity remains a key element for this year’s virtual International Black Film Festival

BY RON WYNN

Crawl Space: December 2021

Primal Stream 72 ................................... 54

Nun the Wiser ......................................... 54 Verhoeven’s latest is all fiery suffering

ART

The art crawl closes out the year with an anniversary, a new gallery and artsy gifting galore BY JOE NOLAN

BY NADINE SMITH

Political propaganda, a horror-cinema survey and legacy laughs, now available to stream — and see in theaters BY JASON SHAWHAN

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GOV. LEE CONTINUES TO DILUTE AND NULLIFY SAFETY PRECAUTIONS FOR COVID-19 Unfortunately, it is no surprise that only about 50 percent of Tennessee residents are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Our state’s political “leadership” seems to spend more time undermining protections for our citizens than it does looking out for us. WKRN recently reported that Tennessee is back on “COVID-19 watch,” with the positivity rate climbing to 14 percent of people tested in the week prior to Thanksgiving. In the face of rising concerns, Gov. Bill Lee chose not to extend Tennessee’s state-ofemergency status when it expired on Nov. 19, a day that also saw 1,749 new cases and seven more deaths according to the Tennessee Department of Health. (The state’s total death toll is now roughly 17,000.) Dr. William Schaffner, professor of infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, told WKRN that we should be concerned: “COVID has not gone away, it’s still being transmitted.” Yet here we are, watching another game of political ping-pong as our governor works to override the laws and policies of the federal government. On Nov. 12, Lee signed into law a legislative package curtailing the power local agencies have to impose restrictions to combat COVID-19. Senate Bill 9014 limits vaccine and mask mandate requirements by local governments and businesses, and prevents public schools from issuing mask mandates for staff and students. Like Lee’s executive order to override the mandates, the new law was almost immediately blocked by U.S. Middle District Court Judge Waverly D. Crenshaw Jr. due to the “confusion” it would likely cause. Crenshaw wrote: “Given the alleged conflict and the possible confusion this creates for schools in Tennessee, pending an expedited hearing, the parties shall maintain the STATUS QUO as it pertains to students with disabilities and their federally guaranteed rights as of Thursday, November 11, 2021, prior to the effective date of Tennessee Code Annotated § 14-2-104.” That “status quo” was good through Thanksgiving. As of this writing, there were no updates as to the status and whether or not the law could take effect due to repercussions from federal laws. The legislation had the governor’s legal adviser Liz Alvey concerned. As reported by the Associated Press, Alvey sent an email to Senate leadership pointing out that the new law violates the Americans with Disabilities Act, which puts the state at risk of losing federal funds.

In addition to pulling authority from schools and local governments, the new legislation also prevents governments and businesses from requiring proof of COVID-19 vaccinations. The only exemptions would be if an entity could show they’d lose federal funding by complying with a state law requiring them to ignore White House policies, which is something the Ford Motor Co. negotiated. President Joe Biden announced that companies with more than 100 employees must require vaccinations. (The Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced details of the requirement Nov. 4.) Adding insult to this injurious behavior, Republican Rep. John Ragan issued a letter to the state medical board demanding they delete a statement from their website that informs physicians of potential disciplinary action if they spread misinformation regarding COVID-19 vaccines. I don’t know about you, but I think the state medical board should be allowed to deter doctors from spreading lies and misinformation when it comes to the health and safety of Tennesseans in the midst of a pandemic. Why does our governor spend such tremendous effort to dilute and nullify safety precautions for COVID-19? The governor is vaccinated, and most of our Republican legislators likely are too. Yet the governor continues to ignore science and the data. Why is legislation like this even necessary? Gov. Lee already had an executive order that allowed parents to opt out of mask requirements in county school districts. We are all tired of wearing masks, social distancing and COVID-19 restrictions, but we cannot simply give up on safety precautions. We have to continue to be careful and keep each other safe. And especially at this time of year, when we are spending more time indoors and anxious to get together with family and friends. Let’s ignore the governor’s attempts to defy common sense and undermine safety protocols. We should, as individuals, work to take care of our friends, family and neighbors, remembering that COVID-19 has not gone away. As Dr. Schaffner pointed out: “Careful, cautious and vaccinated is the way to get through this holiday season.”

Editor-in-Chief D. Patrick Rodgers Senior Editor Dana Kopp Franklin Associate Editor Alejandro Ramirez Arts Editor Laura Hutson Hunter Culture Editor Erica Ciccarone Music and Listings Editor Stephen Trageser Contributing Editor Jack Silverman Staff Writers Kelsey Beyeler, Stephen Elliott, Nancy Floyd, Steven Hale, Kara Hartnett, J.R. Lind, Kathryn Rickmeyer, William Williams Contributing Writers Sadaf Ahsan, Radley Balko, Ashley Brantley, Maria Browning, Steve Cavendish, Chris Chamberlain, Lance Conzett, Marcus K. Dowling, Steve Erickson, Randy Fox, Adam Gold, Seth Graves, Kim Green, Steve Haruch, Edd Hurt, Jennifer Justus, Christine Kreyling, Katy Lindenmuth, Craig D. Lindsey, Brittney McKenna, Marissa R. Moss, Noel Murray, Joe Nolan, Betsy Phillips, John Pitcher, Margaret Renkl, Daryl Sanders, Megan Seling, Jason Shawhan, Michael Sicinski, Nadine Smith, Ashley Spurgeon, Amy Stumpfl, Kay West, Abby White, Andrea Williams, Ron Wynn, Charlie Zaillian Art Director Elizabeth Jones Photographers Eric England, Matt Masters, Daniel Meigs Graphic Designers Mary Louise Meadors, Tracey Starck Production Coordinator Christie Passarello Events and Marketing Director Olivia Britton Marketing and Promotions Manager Robin Fomusa Publisher Mike Smith Senior Advertising Solutions Managers Maggie Bond, Sue Falls, Michael Jezewski, Carla Mathis, Heather Cantrell Mullins, Jennifer Trsinar, Keith Wright Advertising Solutions Managers William Shutes, Niki Tyree Sales Operations Manager Chelon Hill Hasty Advertising Solutions Associates Jada Goggins, Caroline Poole, Alissa Wetzel Special Projects Coordinator Susan Torregrossa President Frank Daniels III Chief Financial Officer Todd Patton Corporate Production Director Elizabeth Jones Vice President of Marketing Mike Smith IT Director John Schaeffer Circulation and Distribution Director Gary Minnis For advertising information please contact: Mike Smith, msmith@nashvillescene.com or 615-844-9238 FW PUBLISHING LLC Owner Bill Freeman VOICE MEDIA GROUP National Advertising 1-888-278-9866 vmgadvertising.com

©2021, Nashville Scene. 210 12th Ave. S., Ste. 100, Nashville, TN 37203. Phone: 615-244-7989. The Nashville Scene is published weekly by FW Publishing LLC. The publication is free, one per reader. Removal of more than one paper from any distribution point constitutes theft, and violators are subject to prosecution. Back issues are available at our office. Email: All email addresses consist of the employee’s first initial and last name (no space between) followed by @nashvillescene.com; to reach contributing writers, email editor@nashvillescene.com. Editorial Policy: The Nashville Scene covers news, art and entertainment. In our pages appear divergent views from across the community. Those views do not necessarily represent those of the publishers. Subscriptions: Subscriptions are available at $150 per year for 52 issues. Subscriptions will be posted every Thursday and delivered by third-class mail in usually five to seven days. Please note: Due to the nature of third-class mail and postal regulations, any issue(s) could be delayed by as much as two or three weeks. There will be no refunds issued. Please allow four to six weeks for processing new subscriptions and address changes. Send your check or Visa/MC/AmEx number with expiration date to the above address.

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Bill Freeman Bill Freeman is the owner of FW Publishing, the publishing company that produces the Nashville Scene, Nfocus, the Nashville Post and Home Page Media Group in Williamson County.

NASHVILLE SCENE | DECEMBER 2 – DECEMBER 8, 2021 | nashvillescene.com

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CITY LIMITS

SARA BETH MYERS WANTS TO UNSEAT DISTRICT ATTORNEY GLENN FUNK

The career prosecutor says there’s a ‘fundamental disconnect’ between Funk’s rhetoric and Nashville’s reality BY STEVEN HALE

ara Beth Myers left her job as an assistant United States attorney on Nov. 19 to prepare to run for a new position. The career prosecutor is looking to unseat incumbent Davidson County District Attorney Glenn Funk, who is running for reelection as he nears the end of his first eight-year term in 2022. “I’m completely dedicated to this,” Myers tells the Scene over coffee at Thistle Farms, the nonprofit organization where she was a board member for seven years. “And I know what needs to be done. I’ve been a local, state and federal prosecutor. I’ve seen where the gaps are in the system. And I have a track record for policy change. So I am the best-qualified person in this moment for the city.” Funk told the Scene back in August that he was preparing for a contested race, and now he’s got one. In October, Danielle Nellis, a former prosecutor and judicial clerk, confirmed her candidacy for the office, and Myers is kicking off her campaign this week. Her name had been bandied about for the U.S. attorney job, but now she’s turned her focus toward being Nashville’s top prosecutor. Myers says she was inspired to go into the law by her father, himself an attorney, and she was the first woman in her family to graduate from college. What changed her professional trajectory, she says, was working with domestic violence survivors through an internship at the DA’s office during law school at Vanderbilt University. “Working with these survivors and seeing how the criminal justice system in many ways had failed them and their families was an inspiration to me,” Myers says. She spent almost four years as an as-

sistant district attorney in Nashville under then-DA Torry Johnson, then two years as an assistant prosecutor in the state attorney general’s office before moving on to the U.S. attorney’s office. She worked there for nearly five years, focusing mainly on human trafficking and civil rights cases. Her campaign against Funk looks to be one portraying him as someone focused on “making headlines instead of change.” Speaking to the Scene, Myers says she would put more energy into strategies aimed at preventing crime rather than just reforming how the office reacts to it. Right now, she says, there’s a “fundamental disconnect” between the rhetoric coming from Funk’s office and the reality in the city, where the homicide rate has increased. Myers says she would break up the DA’s office into precincts, much like the police department, and hold listening sessions throughout the community so prosecutors can hear what issues people in various communities are facing and allocate resources accordingly. It’s an approach she says would be “more like surgery as opposed to triage.” Perhaps her largest critique of Funk is a matter of tactics. She takes issue with Funk’s decision to “make headlines” by, for instance, publicly declaring his intention to stop prosecuting simple possession of marijuana. Funk also announced that he would not enforce new laws aimed at abortion rights, transgender people or COVID restrictions. While those stands helped burnish Funk’s progressive bona fides, Myers says the manner in which they were taken was irresponsible. “Now, whether or not you agree with those broad sentiments is completely beside the point,” she says. “Should you stand up as the number one enforcer of laws in your county

TARRA THE ELEPHANT RELOCATES TO GEORGIA AFTER LONG CUSTODY BATTLE

ight feet tall and 47 years old, Tarra the elephant is beloved by many Tennesseans. She’s known for her famous friendship with a dog named Bella (the bestselling book Tarra & Bella: The Elephant and Dog Who Became Best Friends was featured in Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library), and was the first inhabitant of The Elephant Sanctuary in Hohenwald, Tenn. — the largest wildlife habitat for retired elephants in the United States. She is also the subject of a legal saga that has sparked serious debate among wildlife experts. The 10-year battle for Tarra’s custody came to a close on Nov. 18, when she moved to Georgia to live with her original owner, Carol Buckley. Tarra and Buckley met in September 1974; Buckley was 19 and Tarra was just 1 year old. At the time, Tarra was being used to advertise a chain of tire shops in California. Buckley and Tarra lived and traveled together for two decades, with Tarra performing in the circus and on TV, and briefly living at the Nashville Zoo. Then, in

The longtime inhabitant of Hohenwald’s The Elephant Sanctuary has headed south BY LENA MAZEL

and say you’re just generally not going to prosecute things? No, because that’s dangerous, because it will draw the ire of the General Assembly, which is exactly what it did.” In October, the legislature passed a law giving the state attorney general a new way to circumvent local prosecutors who won’t prosecute certain cases. Myers does draw a distinction, though, between publicly refusing to enforce certain laws and making her stance on certain sentences clear. Funk has not sought the death penalty as a DA, and Myers says she wouldn’t either. She cites its failure to bring real closure to victims’ families as well as its cost to taxpayers and evidence that it does not act as a deterrent to violent crime. She also emphasizes a willingness to hold law enforcement officers accountable. She cites the case against former Cheatham County corrections officer Mark Bryant, who repeatedly tased an 18-year-old detainee in a restraint chair. Myers took the case to trial and a jury convicted Bryant. “As far as I know, I’m the only candidate who has prosecuted, successfully, a law enforcement officer,” Myers says. “And I’ve done it multiple times. And that is because nobody is above the law, and I am not afraid of a jury trial.” It’s a thinly veiled reference to one of Funk’s most controversial decisions as DA, and one that brought protesters literally to his lawn — the plea deal he struck with former Metro Police Officer Andrew Delke. Rather than going to trial over Delke’s fatal 2018 shooting of Daniel Hambrick, Funk signed off on an agreement whereby Delke pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and is expected to serve no more than a yearand-a-half of a three-year sentence. Funk’s office defended the deal as a success, arguing it guaranteed a conviction and served as a warning to other officers. But the Hambrick family and activists were enraged, criticizing the DA for losing his nerve. It seems inevitable that Myers will face skepticism from people who doubt that a career prosecutor will bring real change to the DA’s office. But she says her experience at the local, state and federal levels has given her a view of “every aspect” of the system and allowed her to see “that there are holes in the system that can absolutely be repaired.” EMAIL EDITOR@NASHVILLESCENE.COM

1995, Buckley founded The Elephant Sanctuary to give Tarra space for a fuller, more natural life. But in 2010, after a series of bitter management disputes, the board of The Elephant Sanctuary dismissed Buckley. Buckley says that initially, she “fully intended” for Tarra to remain at the sanctuary. “At that time I didn’t see the sanctuary changing their philosophy or their management,” Buckley says. “I knew that sanctuary was designed by me for Tarra. So it was perfect for her.” But when she was unable to visit Tarra or have input on her care, Buckley sued TES for custody and began a legal battle that would last for years. Buckley won custody of Tarra in September of this year. Two months later, she drove Tarra from Hohenwald to Elephant Refuge North America, Buckley’s establishment in Attapulgus, Ga.

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PHOTO: DANIEL MEIGS

CITY LIMITS

THE ELEPHANT SANCTUARY

social and curious animals — “evolved,” as Buckley describes them. They walk between 30 and 50 miles each day, spend much of their time foraging for food, and have complex and rich social lives. They need to walk on a variety of natural surfaces to wear down their nails and foot pads, and are happiest when they can live out natural behaviors like bathing, exploring, dusting and interacting with other elephants. To facilitate these needs, both The Elephant Sanctuary and Elephant Refuge North America include miles of grassland, natural streams, hills and forests. Beyond their physical needs, every elephant who “retires” to a sanctuary or refuge comes with its own complex psychological history. Janice Zeitlin, vice president and CEO of The Elephant Sanctuary, shares the example of Nosey, a retired circus elephant who performed for 29 years before animal abuse allegations sent her to TES. Zeitlin says for most elephants who retire to the sanctuary, the first goal is to teach “natural elephant behaviors,” and to help elephants adapt to “a newfound level of choice.” To meet this goal, TES introduced Nosey to small tree limbs and positioned hay in wire cages high in trees to “entice her to reach, strengthening her neck and trunk muscles” Soon, she was “taking the initiative to push on trees in the habitat and knocking them down, like an elephant would do in the wild.” Zeitlin says freedom of choice is a new experience for most elephants who come to the sanctuary. “It is always a much-celebrated moment when staff see an elephant recognize that they have autonomy, that they can make a choice,” she says. Some of the debate over Tarra’s relocation centered on her ability to develop relationships with other elephants — and her relationship with Buckley. The Elephant Sanctuary has a protected contact model, which uses targeting, positive reinforcement and often a barrier to help elephants receive routine care. Crucially, Zeitlin says, “In the P.C. system, caregivers function outside the elephant social hierarchy and do not attempt to establish a position of social dominance.” Elephant Refuge North America also uses an approach based on freedom of choice and nondominance, and actively supports elephants in “developing the confidence and skills required to bond with other elephants.” However, its philosophy includes the option for more extensive human contact. According to the ERNA website: “Because some captive-held elephants were separated from their mother and family at a very young age, they never learned how to develop close bonds with other elephants. We will support these elephants in developing loving relationships with whomever they trust and feel compatible with, most often their caregivers. For these elephants, building and maintaining strong trusting relationships with their caregivers is key to their wellbeing.” Buckley is recognized for her work with elephants, and founded the organization Elephant Aid Interna-

tional. She’s developed several innovative training models for elephant care, and works internationally with mahouts (elephant trainers) and Asian governments to improve elephant welfare. She says those who suggest Tarra would be better off with only other elephants don’t know her. “The idea that some would say that she’s an elephant and she can get all of her emotional needs met from other elephants — well, tell that to Tarra. The animals at the refuge are here in captivity. It’s our responsibility to come to them as they are, and design management programs that fit them — and not all elephants are the same.” (It’s worth noting that ERNA recently welcomed Bo, a 34-year-old Asian elephant. Buckley says she’s been approached about four more elephants, but since she feels Bo and Tarra have good potential to become close, she wants to give them a chance to bond first.) The Elephant Sanctuary did not directly comment on Tarra’s move to Georgia, but did point the Scene to a post on its site titled “Celebrating Tarra,” which includes this statement from Zeitlin: “The Sanctuary is honored to have provided care for Tarra for 26 years, and we express gratitude for all the things she has taught us. She will be truly missed here, but will always be a part of our family and our herd.” Buckley says that after 12 years apart from Tarra, she “actually, in all honesty, did not know how [Tarra] was going to be when she arrived.” On the drive to Georgia, she was preparing for “whatever it was going to be.” “You know what?” says Buckley. “I should’ve known better.” Buckley says that Tarra stepped out of the trailer, saw Buckley, and “her eyes just went, ‘Bing!’ And then she just started into her Tarra chatter. And I went, ‘There you are. This is my girl.’ And that was it. No transition needed.” “It was like not one minute had passed, between the time I last saw her and right then,” says Buckley. “I stacked the deck in my favor for her,” she adds, “because I had a dog who likes elephants, and Tarra loves dogs.” The day of Tarra’s departure, The Elephant Sanctuary wrote on social media that staff members were “deeply disappointed in the decision to relocate Tarra from her home of 26 years and her companions, Sissy and Nosey. It has been a difficult day, and our goodbyes have been tearful.” Both The Elephant Sanctuary and Buckley have won international acclaim for their work with elephants. The Elephant Sanctuary has cared for 28 elephants since 1995, and is accredited by both the Global Foundation of Animal Sanctuaries and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Buckley says The Elephant Sanctuary and Elephant Refuge North America are two of just three refuges for captive elephants in the country. (The third is PAWS, a celebrated wildlife sanctuary in California.) All three organizations continue to fight for the well-being of elephants around the world. EMAIL EDITOR@NASHVILLESCENE.COM

NASHVILLE SCENE | DECEMBER 2 – DECEMBER 8, 2021 | nashvillescene.com

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2021

NASHVILLIAN OF THE YEAR Dr. James Hildreth After a long and remarkable career, the Meharry Medical College president is at the forefront of Nashville’s battle against the pandemic BY STEVEN HALE

PHOTO: DANIEL MEIGS

On Feb. 26, 2020 — less than a month after the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in the United States — Dr. James Hildreth, president of Nashville’s Meharry Medical College, tweeted an update on the global case count and death toll, along with a warning: “This is in fact a global epidemic, a pandemic and we need to prepare for its consequences.” Two weeks later, the World Health Organization made it official, and now, going on two years later, the pandemic is still with us. So is Hildreth. The doctor has long been working for the public good, whether as a leading HIV researcher or as leader of Meharry, and the latter role made him a prominent Nashvillian. But the pandemic thrust him into a new role as one of a few spokespeople for the science that was — or was supposed to be — underpinning our

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response to the virus’s horrible march across the globe. The fact that we know his name at all is remarkable. Spurred by the untimely death of his father, who succumbed to renal cancer after receiving little if any medical care, Hildreth has amassed a list of accomplishments that are as significant as they were unlikely. As he told the Scene during an interview in late November, he decided as a young boy to become something he’d never seen before — a Black doctor — and went on to attend Harvard University and become the first Black Rhodes scholar from Arkansas. At some point, he fell unplanned into the study of immunology, unwittingly preparing himself for the public health crisis of a lifetime. In 2020, Hildreth was a regular presence at Mayor John Cooper’s COVID-19 briefings, trying to put science into layman’s terms and urge Nashvillians to heed its wisdom. Meharry set up drive-thru sites, offering COVID-19 testing to anyone in the community for free. Soon they were running three locations for Metro. As vaccines became more widely available in early 2021, Hildreth became one of their biggest boosters, urgently spreading the message that high vaccination rates were the best way out of the pandemic. In February, the White House announced that Hildreth would serve on the Biden administration’s Health Equity Task Force, a group aimed at reaching traditionally marginalized populations and addressing health disparities amid the pandemic. He is also part of a 20-person U.S. Food and Drug Administration committee assessing the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines, including

nashvillescene.com | DECEMBER 2 – DECEMBER 8, 2021 | NASHVILLE SCENE

11/29/21 5:12 PM

those recently approved for children ages 5 to 11. Throughout the year, his Twitter feed has been a constant source of scientific updates, analysis of the pandemic’s current state and earnest cheerleading for Nashvillians to persevere and look out for each other by getting their shots. But he hasn’t just been a leader when it comes to medical interventions. Earlier this month, Hildreth surprised Meharry medical students by announcing that the school would be using its CARES Act funds to give them each $10,000 each, no strings attached. It’s a potentially life-changing gift for students, many of whom had been volunteering at Meharry’s testing sites throughout the worst of the pandemic. Public health officials have been frontand-center since COVID’s arrival and have caught more than their fair share of criticism as a result. But without them, without people like Hildreth, who have devoted their lives to become experts in their field, we’d be flying blind in a hellish storm. We’re not out of it yet, but we can see the way through. For shining a light and blazing a trail where there wasn’t one before, Dr. James Hildreth is our Nashvillian of the Year. Read our recent interview with Hildreth below.

Can you tell me a little bit about how you grew up and how you got into all this?

I’m from a small town in Arkansas — Camden. Camden is about two hours’ drive south of Little Rock. About 45 minutes north of Louisiana. So I’m the youngest of seven children. I had four sisters and two brothers. There are five of us left now. Anyway, when I was 10 years old, my dad got really sick. He worked at the paper mill. And when I was 11 years old, he passed away in January of that year, 1968. And as an 11-year-old, I didn’t really understand why — there are hospitals and doctors — my dad didn’t really get much medical attention. So that was January. Then, April of 1968, on April 4 at 6:01 p.m., in Memphis, Tenn., a shot rang out that changed the world and certainly changed my world. That’s when MLK was assassinated. And he had kind of become my superhero. I had an uncle who was a minister, who would come to the house on weekends and play his recordings. He loved him. … To me, he was a superhero. Between my father passing and MLK being assassinated, I was just a really angry young boy. As a matter of fact, my mother says I didn’t say a word to another human being for a couple of months. It’s hard to describe being locked up in so much rage. And I think I’m fortunate that I was living in a small town in Arkansas and not Chicago or Los Angeles or D.C., because I would have been caught up in the response. But my mother is the one who challenged me to channel my anger to something. She always asked me, “What are you gonna do about it?” And what I decided to do about it was to become a physician myself — try to make sure that no other 11-year-old went through what I went through. The problem is that I had never seen a Black doctor, didn’t know you could be a doctor if you were Black. So there was all this. And then when I was 13 years old, I started doing research on medicine, doctors, how you become a doctor. And I

“What I decided to do about it was to become a physician myself — try to make sure that no other 11-year-old went through what I went through. The problem is that I had never seen a Black doctor, didn’t know you could be a doctor if you were Black.” don’t think this happens anymore, but back then, some of the major magazines were ranking universities as to your chances of becoming a doctor if you’re a pre-med student at those universities. So there was one university that was head-and-shoulders above all the rest, that if you’re a pre-med at this institution your chances of getting into medical school were going to be very good. And since I thought my chances were remote, I figured I’d give myself the best chance if I went to this university. It was Harvard. So at age 13, my life’s work became doing everything I could do to get into Harvard University, without ever knowing that anyone who looked like me from where I was from had ever done that. So I had a teacher and my mother who wouldn’t let me let it go. Although there were a lot of times when I would tell people of my ambition and they would laugh at me or tell me that I should rein in my expectations and go to trade school or something like that. But my mother and Mrs. Washington wouldn’t let me change my mind. So long story short, I got into Harvard, and all the Ivy League schools — Stanford, lots of other places. But since my research had said Harvard, that’s where I went. And given my ambitions, two of my roommates — there were seven of us who

went to Harvard together from various parts of the country, Ohio, California, etc. — they convinced me that getting a Rhodes scholarship would be a great way to open some doors and do the things I wanted to do. So at the last minute, I applied for the Rhodes. And back then you could either apply from the state you were from or the state that you went to school in. I decided to apply from Arkansas, and I became the first Black Rhodes scholar from Arkansas. I really think the basis for the award was my ambition to go into medicine or medical research and try to change the plight of folks who look like me in terms of having access to health care. Because back then, I think there are 75 counties in Arkansas, and 90 percent of all the positions were found in two of them. Pulaski and [Garland], those were the two. That was it. I met a professor who convinced me that immunology was the best thing in the world. I was a chemistry major, but Dr. Williams was the only person I knew of who was also from Arkansas. I got a job at the medical school, and he is the one who turned me on to immunology. So I decided to do a Ph.D. in immunology as a Rhodes scholar and came back to Johns Hopkins Medical School. And you know the rest of the story.

Did you ever imagine that going into immunology would become as relevant as it is now?

I tell people that I could have scarcely imagined that I would have to deal with two pandemics in my career, because keep in mind there’s an ongoing thing that we haven’t completely solved — that is HIV/ AIDS. And there’s still 30-plus million people living with HIV. But no, the research I’ve done in immunology and how the body responds to virus infections, you’re right, I could not have imagined that it was preparation for something like this. And I’ve been witness, though, to how remarkable it is that all the things that have happened over the last three decades positioned us to get vaccines done so quickly.

These past two years have been a blur in some ways. But do you remember when it became clear to you that we were going to have a global situation here?

Yes, I remember that when the WHO declared this a — I don’t know, an epidemic of global concern. I remember tweeting that they should have called it a pandemic back then. They declared a pandemic on March 11. It should have been declared pandemic at least a month prior to that, because we already had evidence that it was making people really sick in lots of countries. It was caused by a virus, a new coronavirus. Then I remember when they finally did declare it a pandemic, in March of 2020, I think I sent a tweet out to say that life is about to change for Nashvillians in ways they could scarcely imagine. Because the only way to deal with a virus for which you have no treatment or vaccine is to do what was being done, which is to have people stay in place to limit the spread and do other things that were gonna do damage to the economy and all this. So it was pretty clear from even some of the research that I was privy to in February, March of 2020 that this was gonna be a serious problem. And I started reading about SARS, which happened in 2003, and I got even more concerned. … But you know, the good news is, the fight against HIV prepared us in ways people can’t even imagine to respond to this as quickly as we have done. And I think the research on HIV in terms of vaccines really did play a key role in getting us the vaccines in 10 to 12 months, because we had this infrastructure that had been in place. It’s a global infrastructure. Scientists, facilities, protocols. And probably in February, March of last year, there was a pivot. All that infrastructure that had been focused on HIV turned its attention to COVID-19 to great effect. I think that we owe a lot to all those individuals who devoted decades of their lives to HIV. I mean, I’ve played a small role in it. But I’ve been studying HIV since 1987. So I kind of have a perspective on this to say wow, really, it was impactful. Even though we don’t have an HIV vaccine, wow, didn’t it make a difference.

Did it surprise you how quickly this became a sort of polarized political issue?

Well, I do think that the political polarization was an important part of this. And I also think that when you have the biggest megaphone in the country and you are espousing misinformation, in fact, that’s antithetical to the science — that’s a

NASHVILLE SCENE | DECEMBER 2 – DECEMBER 8, 2021 | nashvillescene.com

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“We’ve got to get to a much higher percentage of folks vaccinated locally, nationally and globally, actually.” problem. And I think that created lots of problems downstream for us, that we had a president who was doing that. What people may not know and remember, is that there’s another parallel to HIV. HIV was discovered in 1981. In fact, the first cases were reported in 1980. Ronald Reagan did not mention it publicly for six or seven years because the social construct at the time was, this is a problem limited to gay white men. And since being homosexual back then was thought to be a sin, more or less, the elected officials thought that they could just ignore this because it wasn’t really an important problem, because it’s limited to these people. So, we lost at least five or six years of research and a focus on this because we had a leader who thought it not important because it affected a certain group of people. Another parallel from my perspective is that here is a problem, COVID-19, that at one point seemed to be disproportionately, and still is, affecting brown and Black people. And I honestly believe that if the impact were different, if it were flipped, the sense of urgency would have been different. So there’s these parallels between HIV and COVID-19 that are really striking in terms of the political contexts, as well as some of the science.

And we’ve seen that in Nashville — some of that disparate impact, especially early on. How do you think we’ve done in Nashville? We’re almost two years into this.

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Well, I think we’ve done pretty well. I think that one of the things that made a difference for Nashville is having a mayor who at least was willing to use science as he made decisions about mitigation steps. We also, I think, did a good job of communicating to the community about what’s going on. My role, of course, was to talk about the science, to try to make the science accessible, with a thought that if people understood the science behind these things we’re doing, that will make it more acceptable to them. That is not a political thing, or that we’re just trying to wing it. There was a sense that, “Here’s what the science says, and here’s why we’re asking you to do what you’re doing.” So that was kind of my role. I think that Nashville did a really good job, to compare it to some other cities our size. But my biggest concern now, though, is we seem to have come to a point where vaccinations are slowing or plateauing. That’s the last thing we need. We’ve got to get to a much higher percentage of folks vaccinated locally, nationally and globally, actually.

It seems like one of the most universal experiences of this pandemic has been people trying to convince people they know about this. Have you had that experience in your life? What do you think works to get people over that hump? My experience has been, you’ve got to have a trusted messenger. You’ve got to have someone speaking to those who are hesitant or reluctant that they will listen [to]. First of all, they’ve got to listen. A lot of people are only seeking sources of information that reinforce their misgivings or the information they’ve gotten that’s not scientifically based. So if you’re just going to those places that will reinforce what you were thinking, whether it’s true or not, then of course that’s a problem. And social media, oh my God, how do you combat the incessant messages by people who have lots of eyeballs and ears every day, that are speaking things that are just totally false, right? I mean, it’s one thing to have some misgivings. But it’s another thing to just say things that are patently false, based on the science that we know. But I think the one thing that seems to work is engaging community members with the right information. So they can engage their fellow community members to give them the information that’s correct about COVID-19 and the vaccine. I think that has worked. And that’s one of the main recommendations from the Health Equity Task Force that I was a part of that the president put together. One of our strongest recommendations: You’ve got to empower communities to solve the problems that they face.

Looking forward, how do you feel about where we’re headed?

What it really comes down to is that we’re in a race. We’re in a race with a virus that, when given the opportunity, it’s going to mutate and become a different version of itself. Some of those versions we’ve already dealt with. Delta is a great example. Delta is a result of mutations that cause the virus to replicate more efficiently, and to bind less well to antibodies. If we don’t get enough of the global population vaccinated quickly enough, opportunity will be there for the variant to arise that these vaccines don’t cover, and that’s the last thing we want. So we’ve got to win this race. We’ve got to get as many people vaccinated as quickly as possible, or there’ll be another variant that will set us all back to square one. EMAIL EDITOR@NASHVILLESCENE.COM

NASHVILLE SCENE | DECEMBER 2 – DECEMBER 8, 2021 | nashvillescene.com

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The 25th Medallion Ceremony Produced and Presented by

THE COUNTRY MUSIC HALL OF FAME® AND MUSEUM

We congratulate Dean Dillon, Marty Stuart, and Hank Williams Jr., and express our deepest gratitude to the many people who gave their time and talent to produce this very special 2021 Medallion Ceremony.

Dean Dillon

Marty Stuart

Hank Williams Jr.

Shooter Jennings

Kenny Chesney

Emmylou Harris and Charlie Worsham Pastor Evelyn Hubbard

Brittney Spencer

Alan Jackson

Connie Smith Eric Church George Strait

Ashley McBryde

Medallion All-Star Band Photos by: Jason Kempin and Terry Wyatt / Getty Images for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, and Donn Jones

SPECIAL THANKS TO THE MEDALLION ALL-STAR BAND

Biff Watson, Bandleader & Acoustic Guitar Eddie Bayers, Jr., Drums Rusty Danmyer, Steel Guitar

Tania Hancheroff, Vocals Brent Mason, Electric Guitar Carmella Ramsey, Vocals & Fiddle Deanie Richardson, Fiddle & Mandolin

Michael Rojas, Keyboard Jeff White, Acoustic Guitar Glenn Worf, Bass CountryMusicHallofFame.org

NASHVILLE SCENE | DECEMBER 2 – DECEMBER 8, 2021 | nashvillescene.com

CRITICS’ PICKS O F

T H I N G S

T O

D O

[GET FESTIVE]

HOLIDAY MARKETS

Thanksgiving has come and gone, and it is officially socially acceptable to don your jingle bells and display your enormous inflatable yard Santa. Revelers will have two opportunities to get festive and do some Christmas shopping this weekend. At the EAST NASH HOLIDAY BASH — Thursday through Saturday at the Idea Hatchery (1106 Woodland St.) — you can sit around the fire pit, roast s’mores and join the community tree lighting. Kids can dash off their letters to Santa and make some ornaments — plus, they can enjoy story time and pose with Old Saint Nick on Saturday. For crafty grown-ups, there are three opportunities to make wreaths, a charcuterie board workshop and a Friday evening cocktail bash. Find all the details at eastnashholidaybash. com. DONELSON WINTER FEST (noon to 5 p.m. Saturday at 2710 Old Lebanon Road) will cater to pups with a DIY photo studio where your dog (and kids) can sit on Santa’s lap. Need a new friend to snuggle this season? Rescue organization Saving Stevie will be on the scene with adoptable kitties. Get your shopping done with 30-plus local vendors and stay satiated with a bevy of food trucks.

A CHRISTMAS STORY DEC. 2-19

TPAC’s Andrew Johnson Theater

BOOKS

ERICA CICCARONE [MAPMAKERS AND TRAVELERS]

BRENÉ BROWN VIRTUAL BOOK LAUNCH

of Human Experience, is a guide through 87 emotions and experiences that she says define what it means to be human. “If we want to find the way back to ourselves and one another,” she writes, “we need language and the grounded confidence to both tell our stories and to be stewards of the stories that we hear. This is the framework for meaningful connection.” Advance registration and book purchase is required to attend the virtual event. Details are at parnassusbooks.net. 7 p.m. via Parnassus Books LAURA HUTSON HUNTER THEATER

To read a Brené Brown book — or to listen to her TEDx Talk “The Power of Vulnerability,” or watch her Netflix special The Call to Courage — is to explore the language of self-help without having to deal with the more superficial elements of the self-help world. Brown, a research professor at the University of Texas, explores ideas that are thoughtful, compassionate and personal, more akin to Mary Karr than Tony Robbins. Her latest book, Atlas of the Heart: Mapping Meaningful Connection and the Language

[YOU’LL SHOOT YOUR EYE OUT!]

A CHRISTMAS STORY

Music City is home to plenty of beloved holiday traditions — from light displays and parades to festivals and concerts. But with the much-anticipated return of A Christmas Story, Nashville Repertory Theatre is bringing back a true fan favorite. The Rep staged its charming adaptation of Jean Shepherd’s timeless tale — which follows 9-year-old Ralphie and his tireless quest for a Red Ryder BB Gun — for 10 consecutive years, from 2009 until 2018. It remains the most attended show in the company’s 37-year history with a whopping 222 performances. This year’s installment is directed by Lauren Shouse, and features a

great mix of new and familiar faces. Samuel Whited III anchors the piece as Ralph, the role he originated for the Rep and played for six years, and Brent Cantrell also is back as Ralphie’s loyal pal Schwartz. The rest of the cast is making its A Christmas Story debut, including Tamiko Robinson Steele as Mother, Sam Ashdown as the Old Man, Meggan Utech as Randy, Andrew Johnson as Scut Farkas and Mike Sallee Jr. as Flick. Dec. 2-19 at TPAC’s Andrew Johnson Theater, 505 Deaderick St. AMY STUMPFL

FRIDAY / 12.03 MUSIC HISTORY

SHOPPING

THURSDAY / 12.02

[WALK IN BACKWARDS]

BILL ANDERSON: AS FAR AS I CAN SEE OPENING

If you’re looking for an example of the complete country artist, you could do worse than to consider the career of singer, songwriter, actor and businessman Bill Anderson. The great country auteur gets his due with a new exhibit at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, Bill Anderson: As Far as I Can See, which opens Friday. After spending his early years in Columbia, S.C., where he was born in 1937, Anderson made his way to Decatur, Ga., and moved to Nashville in

January 1960. By then he had already made his mark as a songwriter with “City Lights,” which singer Ray Price had taken into the charts in 1958. In a decade that saw a lot of innovative songwriting from artists like Bob Dylan, Jimmy Webb and Joni Mitchell, Anderson wrote narratives that helped define country songwriting as it existed before Dylan, John Hartford and Kris Kristofferson turned it into a more literary — and capacious — form. Anderson’s songs for Lefty Frizzell and Connie Smith — not to mention his 1960s and ’70s duet partner, Jan Howard — are classics. He also penned two songs for one of the greatest honky-tonk concept albums of the era, Freddie Hart’s 1967 The Neon and the Rain. The album is the aural equivalent of thumbing through a motel Bible on a hungover morning and finding the story wanting — Hart’s reading of Anderson’s “If You Ever Want to Kill Me” is grim, funny and all too convincing. In later years he delved into disco with songs like 1979’s “Double S,” and Anderson — who turned 84 just last month — has continued writing and performing. Songs like his co-write with Roger Miller, “When Two Worlds Collide,” have been rendered by many performers — Anderson’s concepts are universal. The comprehensive exhibit opens Friday, and you can hear Anderson talk about his career on Saturday, when he’ll perform and the museum’s Peter Cooper will interview him. Through March 19, 2023, at Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, 222 Rep. John Lewis Way S. EDD HURT MUSIC

R O U N D U P

[MERRY TONES]

A VERY MERRY BARI CHRISTMAS FEAT. THE RYAN MIDDAGH ORCHESTRA

Though jazz isn’t the genre most associated with Christmas, there’s a decent amount of holiday music that’s been done with an improvisational edge. There’s no better group to demonstrate that fact than the Ryan Middagh Orchestra, led by the versatile bandleader, educator and topflight baritone saxophonist. Since 2018, Middagh & Co. have backed such major artists as Keb’ Mo’ and Wycliffe Gordon, while the Orchestra has also polished and perfected several Middagh compositions and arrangements — the 2019 LP Live From Nashville earned two 2020 Nashville Music Industry Awards. Now, the Ryan Middagh Orchestra turns its attention on seasonal fare. A Very Merry Bari Christmas will feature Middagh and his band providing holiday cheer, as some of Music City’s best soloists perform Christmas carols and popular favorites. 7:30 p.m. at the Nashville Jazz Workshop, 1012 Buchanan St. RON WYNN FILM

W E E K L Y

[SIMPLY RED]

WEEKEND CLASSICS: DEEP RED

Just when we’d gotten the argument about whether Die Hard is a Christmas movie out of our system, the Belcourt poses a follow-up question: Is Deep Red a

nashvillescene.com | DECEMBER 2 – DECEMBER 8, 2021 | NASHVILLE SCENE

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CRITICS’ PICKS

WITH SWEET LIZZY PROJECT (12/3) AND HECTOR TELLEZ JR. (12/4) DECEMBER 7

HOME FREE DECEMBER 8

A VERY SHE & HIM CHRISTMAS

LAURA HUTSON HUNTER [ARMADILLO ACRES]

THE GREAT AMERICAN TRAILER PARK CHRISTMAS MUSICAL

If you’re already maxed out on Hallmark movies and other sentimental holiday shows, Street Theatre Company has you covered with its production of The Great American Trailer Park Christmas Musical. Featuring music and lyrics by David Nehls and book by Betsy Kelso, this follow-up to the original Great American Trailer Park Musical takes us back to Armadillo Acres (“North Florida’s premier mobile-living

compilation. There’s the headphone-friendly folk-pop of opener “New Horse,” the buoyant “At It Again” and its irresistible ’90s-throwback hook, plus curiosities like the piano instrumental “Whispers (In the Outfield).” Outside of the crisp, catchy companion tracks “Idaho” and “Montana,” it’s a hard band to parse from this record alone — but it’s good. Sharing the stage is Philly indie combo Strange Ranger. 8 p.m. at The High Watt, 1 Cannery Row CHARLIE ZAILLIAN

MUSIC

THE MAVERICKS

THEATER

DECEMBER 3 & 4

Christmas movie? To this I say: Why the hell not? The 1975 giallo masterpiece is set at Christmastime after all, and — most importantly — it’s extremely rewatchable, which makes viewing it a much better holiday tradition than, say, revisiting The Santa Clause. It follows musician Marcus Daly (David Hemmings) as he investigates a series of murders performed by a mysterious figure wearing black leather gloves. Director Dario Argento might be most beloved for Suspiria, but Deep Red is my favorite of his films — it’s quintessential giallo, and the Goblin soundtrack is a creepy prog-rock revelation. Who needs “Deck the Halls” when you could have “Profondo Rosso”? Also of note: This is a new 4K restoration — just think of all the spooky details you’ll be able to pick up on now. Dec. 3-5 at the Belcourt, 2102 Belcourt Ave.

[BEYOND GENRE]

THE MAVERICKS

One of the abiding myths of Nashville includes the narrative of country music as a monolithic, unyielding genre. That story doesn’t ring true, though it’s worth noting that country has always absorbed the sounds of such seemingly discordant styles as rockabilly, soul, hip-hop and ’70s rock within a framework that usually doesn’t exploit them beyond a certain point. The career of The Mavericks might make sense only within the framework of a somewhat elastic conception of country. From their 1990s albums through their most recent release, 2020’s En Español, the band has dipped into a variety of styles without relinquishing its hold on what makes country country: a feel for outreach and the sheer commerciality that can result from a desire to please an audience that may not find the concept of avant-garde music appealing. Led by superb

DECEMBER 9

TAB BENOIT’S SWAMPLAND JAM AND SAMANTHA FISH APRIL 9

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WAXAHATCHEE

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RUPI KAUR

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THE MAVERICKS community”), where a Scrooge-like resident threatens to put a damper on everyone’s seasonal fun. With songs like “12 Days of Amnesia” and “Christmas Leather Love,” it’s definitely not your traditional holiday fare. But audiences can expect plenty of tinsel, cat fights and maybe even a little “Keg Nog.” Sawyer Wallace directs a terrific cast, including Kay Ayers, Katie Bruno, Janey Elliott, Natalie Rankin, Alan Smith and Elijah Wallace. Dec. 3-18 at the Darkhorse Theater, 4610 Charlotte Ave.

MUSIC

AMY STUMPFL [MADISONGS]

SLOW PULP W/STRANGE RANGER

vocalist Raúl Malo, whose solo albums are somewhat more experimental than anything he attempts with The Mavericks, they can play it all: Tex-Mex, country, rock and pop. In their live shows, they’ve covered Ernest Tubb, Jimmy Webb, Chuck Berry and The Bee Gees. Their albums aren’t deep, but Malo’s voice soars, and their genre-crossing comes across as the sincere effusions of first-rate entertainers who are also canny musicians. They play two shows at the Ryman this week, and you’ll be entertained. Sweet Lizzy Project opens on Friday night, with Hector Tellez Jr. filling the slot on Saturday. 8 p.m. Dec. 3-4 at the Ryman, 116 Rep. John Lewis Way N. EDD HURT

The pandemic-screwed 2020 LP Moveys from Madison, Wis., band Slow Pulp is so eclectic it could easily pass for a

NASHVILLE SCENE | DECEMBER 2 – DECEMBER 8, 2021 | nashvillescene.com

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SYMPHONY BALL CELEBRATES 75 YEARS OF HARMONY

coming soon Family Concert

SYMPHONY IN SPACE!

January 15 at 11 am

BRIAN MCKNIGHT January 17*

THIS WEEKEND

December 3 to 5

December 11

TCHAIKOVSKY'S ‘PATHÉTIQUE’ January 20 to 22

BALLET FOLKLÓRICO DE MÉXICO

TITUSS BURGESS IN

January 23*

MUSIC CITY

FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE ORCHESTRA WORLD TOUR

Christmas

January 28

with the Nashville Symphony

DISCO FEVER: GET DOWN TONIGHT

Presented without the Nashville Symphony SERIES PARTNER

December 16 to 19

February 3 to 5

December 20

Family Concert

CARNIVAL OF THE ANIMALS

February 5 at 11 am

DVOŘÁK & MOZART

PAT METHENY SIDE-EYE W/ JAMES FRANCIES & JOE DYSON February 7*

FULL ORCHESTRA REUNITED

BRAHMS, BIRDS & ‘BLUE CATHEDRAL’ February 11 & 12

SERIES PARTNER

January 7 to 9

SERIES PARTNER

January 13 to 15

*Presented without the Nashville Symphony.

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WITH SUPPORT FROM

NashvilleSymphony.org/Tickets | 615.687.6400

nashvillescene.com | DECEMBER 2 – DECEMBER 8, 2021 | NASHVILLE SCENE

WOVEN THEATRE PRESENTS THE LOOM

Woven Theatre is back this weekend with its new-works festival The Loom, featuring staged readings of six new plays. This year, the company received more than 170 scripts from playwrights across the country. Selected works take on everything from the death of the working class to the choices that make us who we are, with the lineup featuring Ryan Stevens’ The Last Living Gun, Scott Mullen’s Carl Flunt Would Protect You From Trucks, Caridad Svich’s Life Jacket, Samantha Marchant’s And the Four Last Things, Kyle J. McCloskey’s Edge of Town, and Rita Anderson’s Lightning Girl! The Loom actually kicks off what Woven Theatre is calling its December of Development, showcasing 10 plays/playwrights/directors, plus more than 40 actors. On Dec. 11, Woven is introducing a brand-new initiative called The Cutting Room — which will provide more intensive development for a new play called Ground Effect, by Jonathan Alexandratos. And as a bonus, you can check out developmental readings of two new scripts from the Woven team that same weekend — Genesis Project by Erica Jo Lloyd and burnout by River Timms. Visit woventheatre.org for a complete schedule. Dec. 3-5 at The Barbershop Theater, 4003 Indiana Ave. AMY STUMPFL

Friday, December 17

LIVE IN CONCERT

Carly Pearce

Mike Farris Sings!

7:30 pm • CMA THEATER SOLD OUT

The Soul of Christmas 7:30 pm • CMA THEATER

Saturday, December 4

Friday, January 21

SONGWRITER SESSION

Bill Anderson’s Co-Writers

Erin Enderlin, Buddy Cannon, and Bobby Tomberlin 11:00 am • FORD THEATER

Saturday, December 4 INTERVIEW AND PERFORMANCE

Bill Anderson 2:00 pm

•

FORD THEATER

Thursday and Saturday, December 9 and 11 LIVE IN CONCERT

Keb’ Mo’ 7:30 pm

•

CMA THEATER

Saturday, December 11 SONGWRITER SESSION

Steve Dean and Bill Whyte NOON – 12:45 pm

•

LIVE IN CONCERT

Big Band of Brothers

A Jazz Celebration of the Allman Brothers Band 8:O0 pm • CMA THEATER

Thursday and Friday, March 10 and 11 LIVE IN CONCERT

Willie Nelson & Family 8:O0 pm • CMA THEATER LIMITED AVAILABILITY

Saturday, March 12 LIVE IN CONCERT

Steve Vai

Inviolate Tour 8:O0 pm • CMA THEATER

FORD THEATER

Check our calendar for a full schedule of upcoming programs and events.

CountryMusicHallofFame.org/Calendar

Museum Membership Museum members receive unlimited Museum admission, ticket pre-sale opportunities, and much more. JOIN TODAY: CountryMusicHallofFame.org/Membership

[SIC BALLS]

STAND BY ME

The folks at Full Moon Cineplex must be in a nostalgic mood these days. A couple of weekends ago, they screened Francis Ford Coppola’s all-star adaptation of S.E. Hinton’s novel The Outsiders, and on Friday they’ll play Rob Reiner’s coming-of-age 1986 dramedy Stand by Me. Just like Outsiders, Stand by Me is based on a literary work: Stephen King’s more-introspective-thanhorrifying novella The Body. (Reiner would go on to adapt a terrifying work of King’s — the novel Misery — a few years later.) Also like Outsiders, this one stars a bunch of young actors who would later become well-known adult actors. Wil Wheaton, Corey Feldman, Jerry O’Connell and the late River Phoenix play a quartet of smalltown friends who go on a hike to look for a missing boy’s dead body. Kiefer Sutherland is also lurking around as a switchbladewielding bully. 7 p.m. at Full Moon Cineplex, 3455 Lebanon Pike CRAIG D. LINDSEY

MONDAY / 12.06 [DINOSAUR ACT]

YAUTJA & INTER ARMA

At this point I’m running out of superlatives for how crucial Yautja’s The Lurch is. If you’re reading this and heavy music matters to you, this record should be in your collection. Monday’s show is that album’s better-late-than-never release show. I’ll wait to pass judgment on Richmond, Va., sextet Inter Arma until after seeing them live, but their 2020 cover of Neil Young’s “Southern Man” is loyal, intense and I’m sure meaningful to the players, but also kind of over-the-top. I’d like to hear their originals in the live setting, and here’s a great chance to do so. Philadelphians Eye Flys and Floridians Yashira round out this four-band bill. 7 p.m. at Drkmttr, 1111 Dickerson Pike CHARLIE ZAILLIAN

TUESDAY / 12.07 [SOLO SPACE]

JEFF PARKER & STEVE GUNN

The release of Steve Gunn’s 2014 album Way Out Weather was a breakthrough moment for the singer, songwriter and guitarist. Way Out Weather is a guitar album, but it’s also a record of songs that draw from the rock-folk tradition that starts with The Byrds and continues with the Grateful Dead and — for that matter — Television. Gunn’s post-Duane Allman licks on the album’s signature song, “Milly’s Garden,” provide context in a tune whose meaning remains elusive. Gunn had progressed from

SUNDAY / 12.05 MUSIC

Thursday, December 2

FILM

DOWNTOWN

exhausting when you just want to see the headliner and it’s dark at 5 p.m., but do not give in to that pre-show nap! Arrive at The Basement East promptly at 8 p.m. to see Oceanator, a buzzy and rich power-pop outfit led by songwriter Elise Okusami. The album Things I Never Said was one of my favorite releases of 2020, and there is special comfort to be found in the song “A Crack in the World,” an important reminder to take pleasure in small things even on — especially on — bad days. It’s a must-hear for our current times. 8 p.m. at The Basement East, 917 Woodland St. MEGAN SELING

MUSIC

[DREAM WEAVERS]

MUSIC

THEATER

CRITICS’ PICKS

[HUGE OPENING]

JEFF ROSENSTOCK W/SLAUGHTER BEACH, DOG & OCEANATOR

Between Jeff Rosenstock’s solo career and his time fronting DIY punk band Bomb the Music Industry!, I’ve been to at least a dozen Jeff Rosenstock shows, and each one has been just as life-affirming as the last. Rosenstock’s music is a cathartic explosion of punk rock spirit, power-pop hooks and relatable lyrics about the day-to-day struggle to find meaning and positive purpose in a world that seems to get angrier and more divided by the hour. Just as recommendable is Rosenstock’s slate of openers: Slaughter Beach, Dog and Oceanator. I know, I know, getting to the show on time can sound

STEVE GUNN

NASHVILLE SCENE | DECEMBER 2 – DECEMBER 8, 2021 | nashvillescene.com

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being a slightly experimental guitarist in the typical blues-folk mode exemplified by artists like John Fahey and Bert Jansch to, well, a kind of pop musician who uses structure and lush chord changes to make his points. His latest release, this year’s Other You, is filled with dreamy songs that use sophisticated harmonic schemes, and it’s often beautiful. On Tuesday at Third Man, Gunn shares the bill with the superbly versatile guitarist Jeff Parker, whose work exemplifies the approach of musicians who operate in a post-jazz era. Parker, who’s worked with a slew of great bands and singers that includes Tortoise and Matana Roberts, can play straight jazz guitar with style, and his more experimental recordings are often gnomic. He’s got a new album, Forfolks, set for release on Dec. 10. Parker essays a Thelonious Monk tune and his own “La Jetée,” a composition that appeared on Tortoise’s 1998 full-length TNT. They’ll play solo sets — smart guitarists know when they don’t need a band to get their ideas across. 8 p.m. at The Blue Room at Third Man Records, 623 Seventh Ave. S. EDD HURT MUSIC

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

[BLUES CHAMPION]

MIKE ZITO W/HURRICANE RUTH

Mike Zito has been a stalwart guitarist and vocalist dedicated to helping expand

FEATURED

Johnny Cash acted as a kind of catalyst for a lot of changes in the world of music in and around Music City, not the least of which was the blossoming of a singer-songwriter scene here in the 1970s. Clubs like Exit/ In that could function as listening rooms became vital platforms for young musicians like John Hiatt and Dianne Davidson as they honed their chops. As years went by, their paths diverged. Hiatt built up his catalog and after a few years began touring the world on the strength of albums like 1987’s Bring the Family. His most recent release is a collaboration with The Jerry Douglas Band called Leftover Feelings, which celebrates the legacy of the historic RCA Studio B. Davidson, however, struggled to survive in an industry that didn’t do much to support LGBTQ artists, something she and others discuss at length in OutHaus Films’ documentary Invisible. She eventually left Nashville and the business altogether, though her work was still revered by people who paid attention. Davidson returned to Middle Tennessee in 2016, and last year she released an album made here in 1974 and then shelved (titled 1974) as well as a new record called Perigon: Full Circle. As the celebration of Exit/In’s 50th anniversary year rolls on, Hiatt and Davidson are set to share the bill Wednesday — expect a bunch of old friends to come through to help them sing some outstanding songs. 7 p.m. at Exit/ In, 2208 Elliston Place STEPHEN TRAGESER

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WEDNESDAY / 12.08 MUSIC

12/22

and extend the audience for blues since he began playing in St. Louis as a teen. He began enjoying national impact when his single “Pearl River” was chosen as Song of the Year at the 2009 Blues Music Awards. Zito’s popularity and acclaim have steadily increased, and last year was a particularly strong one: He won two Blues Music Awards, one for Blues Rock Artist of the Year, and the other for Blues Rock Album of the Year for the dynamic Rock ’n’ Roll: A Tribute to Chuck Berry. He’s also aiding other blues artists as co-owner of Gulf Coast Records in Texas, which has released albums by Albert Castiglia, Tony Campanella, Billy Price, Diana Rein and others. But Zito isn’t neglecting his own music — he’s recently released the full-length Hillside Global Resurrection. He’s heralded as one of contemporary blues’ most energetic and powerful stylists, and Nashville blues fans can hear both old and new tunes from the Zito catalog on Tuesday. Also playing will be fellow St. Louis musician Hurricane Ruth. 7:30 p.m. at 3rd & Lindsley, 818 Third Ave. RON WYNN

[STATECRAFT]

SEE BEST OF TENNESSEE CRAFT 2021 BIENNIAL

Between Gatlinburg’s Arrowmont Center for Arts and Crafts, Tennessee Tech’s Appalachian Center for Craft, and smaller schools and workshops from Memphis to Johnson City, the Volunteer State is pretty crafty. Some of these artists are showing their stuff at the Tennessee State Museum’s Best of Tennessee Craft 2021 Biennial, presented with the nonprofit Tennessee Craft. Multimedia by nature and featuring only contemporary artists, the exhibition displays the diverse craft traditions currently practiced in our state. A favorite is Nashvillian Beizar Aradini, whose embroidered portraits that portray personal experiences with the Kurdish diaspora were named the biennial’s Best in Show. Nashvillians will also recognize John Donovan’s signature clay masks and Lesley Patterson-Marx’s silk organza apron. But most of the artists were new discoveries for me, like Monya Nikahd of Watertown, whose woven tapestry’s pattern resembles computer code, and Carrie Anne Parks of Chattanooga, whose playful teapot shows legendary artist Yayoi Kusama hugging one of her signature pumpkins. It’s a fantastic opportunity to tour the practices of our state’s best artists dedicated to engaging with contemporary craft. Through Feb. 22 at the Tennessee State Museum, 1000 Rosa L. Parks Blvd. ERICA CICCARONE

[TRUE BELIEVERS]

JOHN HIATT W/DIANNE DAVIDSON AND FRIENDS

The friendship between Bob Dylan and

NASHVILLE SCENE | DECEMBER 2 – DECEMBER 8, 2021 | nashvillescene.com

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Top notes of camphor, eucalyptus, and redcurrant create a heartwarming aroma. Festive and flirty, this candle will have you longing to meet under the mistletoe on a romantic winter night.

14K ROSE GOLD “AFGHAN PEAR” FROM BVLA WITH MORGANITE ICON TATTOO & BODY PIERCING | 1925 Church St. Nashville, TN 37203 | www.icontattoo.com 14K rose gold “Afghan Pear” from BVLA with morganite

Dream has been formulated to create deep relaxation, without the use of melatonin, to help you get to sleep – and stay asleep. Price: $45.00. 15% Off at check out with code BON21 and FREE SHIPPING.

NEST CANDLES AND FRAGRANCES

GREEN PEA SALON | 2900 12th Ave South, Nashville, TN 37204 | www.greenpeasalon.com With a cult-like following, these beloved and beautifully fragranced candles crafted with a premium wax that burns cleanly and evenly. Shop our best-selling holiday collections or perennial faves such as wild mint & eucalyptus, Moroccan amber & more.

EGGNOG

CHOPPER | 1100 Stratton Ave B | choppertiki.com Chopper’s eggnog is rich, frothy, and served chilled. Brandy and rum is whipped with whole eggs, milk, cream, and sugar for a classic holiday treat. $35 for 750ml.

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HEMP FACTORY OUTLET 6165 CLARKSVILLE PIKE, JOELTON, TN 37080 | WWW.HEMPFACTORYOUTLET.COM | @hempfactoryoutlet @xtractsllc

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EGGNOG

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THE DAILY DOSE COLLECTION

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ANTIQUES, ESTATE JEWELRY, SILVER, SPORTS MEMORABILIA, BOOKS, ARTWORK AND COLLECTIBLES

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THE ROOTS BAR SOAP

THE ROOTS BARN | 514 Madison Station Blvd. therootsbarn.com The barn is so authentic, it needed its own scent based off of the 100-year-old barn wood of The Barn. My Cluck Hut is an artisan soap company based out of East Nashville, TN. Palm Free. Vegan. Recycled Packaging.

Shop for unique holiday gifts and festive home décor from GasLamp Antiques and GasLamp Too. Voted Nashville’s BEST antique store – and so much more -- open daily!!

MADISON POSTER

THE ROOTS BARN | 514 Madison Station Blvd. therootsbarn.com Designed by Benjamin Rumble, we wanted to pay homage to the great, Madison, TN based off of the John Hartford song, ‘Madison Tennessee”

HANDMADE CERAMICS BY PAPER & CLAY TENNESSEE STATE MUSEUM | 1000 Rosa L. Parks Blvd. http://tnmuseum.org

Memphis-based Paper & Clay makes small batches of handmade functional ceramics, like these mugs, vases, and ring holders.

BOOKS FOR GIFTING

PARNASSUS BOOKS | 3900 Hillsboro Road, Ste 14 Nashville, TN 37215 www.parnassusbooks.net There’s something for everyone! From cooks to art lovers, bibliophiles to nature enthusiasts, we have gift books for everybody on your list.

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BIGGEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR

PARNASSUS BOOKS | 3900 Hillsboro Road, Ste 14 Nashville, TN 37215 www.parnassusbooks.net From your longtime favorite authors to talented up-and-comers, there is no shortage of incredible titles from this year. Need recommendations? Come chat with us. Our knowledgeable staff would love to help!

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COFFEE LIQUEUR

CHOPPER | 1100 Stratton Ave B | choppertiki.com A Barista Parlor x Chopper Collab-- enjoy a creamy coffee liqueur, a blend Belsnickel coffee, coconut cream, Demerara rum, vanilla bean, and amaro. $35 for 750ml.

PAMPER WITH POTIONS

GREEN PEA SALON | 2900 12th Ave South, Nashville, TN 37204 | www.greenpeasalon.com Gift the gift of sustainable beauty with gift sets from Davines. A perfect indulgence that nourishes and enhances lovely locks, packaged in a beautiful and artistic box-- no gift wrap needed!

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WILDFLOWER™ CARAMELS (DELTA-8 THC) BY CONSIDER IT FLOWERS

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This sweet, salty and psychotropic treat is a slightly naughty stocking stuffer! These are highly potent Delta-8 THC infused caramels made with all organic ingredients. $50 for a pack of 6.

TURMERIC+ FORMULA

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PICTURE BOOKS FOR YOUNG READERS PARNASSUS BOOKS | 3900 Hillsboro Road, Ste 14 Nashville, TN 37215 www.parnassusbooks.net

FIRST EDITIONS CLUBS

PARNASSUS BOOKS | 3900 Hillsboro Road, Ste 14 Nashville, TN 37215 www.parnassusbooks.net The perfect gift for readers of all ages! Get a hand-picked book delivered to your door every month. Choose from the First Editions Club (literary fiction), ParnassusNext (teens), and Spark (middle grade). Memberships are available in 3-, 6-, and 12-month increments.

YUYO BOTANICS | 6165 Clarksville Pike, Joelton, Tn 37080 www.yuyobotanics.com We packaged our best-selling Turmeric Salve with our new Plain Jane into one stylish gift set perfect for any occasion. A $120 value available for $90.00. USE CODE SCENE10 FOR 10% OFF.

Fun for family read-alouds and beginning readers, our children’s section is full of modern classics in the making!

THE ESSENTIALS COLLECTION

PEDAL STEEL NOT TAVERNS HAT

THE ROOTS BARN | 514 Madison Station Blvd. therootsbarn.com The infamous black foam trucker hat with gold rope and detailing. Adjustable snapback closure.

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at PARNASSUS Our best recommendations for your holiday gift giving!

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Top notes of camphor, eucalyptus, and redcurrant create a heartwarming aroma. Festive and flirty, this candle will have you longing to meet under the mistletoe on a romantic winter night.

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NEST CANDLES AND FRAGRANCES

GREEN PEA SALON | 2900 12th Ave South, Nashville, TN 37204 | www.greenpeasalon.com

EGGNOG

CHOPPER | 1100 Stratton Ave B | choppertiki.com

Chopper’s eggnog is rich, frothy, and served chilled. Brandy and rum is whipped with whole eggs, milk, cream, and sugar for a classic With a cult-like following, these beloved and beautifully fragranced holiday treat. $35 for 750ml. candles crafted with a premium wax that burns cleanly and evenly. Shop our best-selling holiday collections or perennial faves such as We’rewild hiring foreucalyptus, our seasonal event staff to help out at our Fall 2021/ Spring 2022 events! mint & Moroccan amber & more.

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Shake things up with an island style eggnog. A Puerto Rican specialty made of coconut cream, eggs, evaporated milk, rum, island spices. $35 for 750ml.

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18k white gold “Miro Star” from Anatometal with Swarovski cubic zirconias

3000MG MAX STRENGTH

HEMP FACTORY OUTLET 6165 CLARKSVILLE PIKE, JOELTON, TN 37080 | WWW.HEMPFACTORYOUTLET.COM | @hempfactoryoutlet @xtractsllc This highly refined Full Spectrum is powerful tincture that allows more flexibility in adjusting your daily dose to find what works best for you. And it’s a value-added bargain for the price. Price: $40.00. 15% Off at check out with code BON21 and FREE SHIPPING.

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14K YELLOW GOLD “MARILYN” FROM BVLA WITH GENUINE AAA WHITE OPALS AND MERCURY MIST TOPAZ ICON TATTOO & BODY PIERCING | 1925 Church St. Nashville, TN 37203 | www.icontattoo.com

14k yellow gold “Marilyn” from BVLA with genuine AAA white opals and mercury mist topaz

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GIFT GUIDE NASHVILLESCENE.COM/GIFT_GUIDE

NOVELTY DRINK TUMBLERS

VIVA NASHVILLE! BOUTIQUE 2808 Bransford Ave. | @vivanashvilleboutique

Customize your holiday spirits with these cute 12 oz. insulated mugs. Real Housewives of Nashville cups are available or create your own! $28 each / 2 for $50

NASHVILLE SYMPHONY GIFT CERTIFICATE NASHVILLE SYMPHONY | One Symphony Place nashvillesymphony.org/GiftGuide

Give the gift of music, and treat someone special to a spectacular evening with the Nashville Symphony. With a $200 gift certificate, they can choose from a wide range of concerts, from classical to jazz to pops.

THE TURMERIC SALVE

YUYO BOTANICS | 6165 Clarksville Pike, Joelton, Tn 37080 www.yuyobotanics.com

BELLE MEADE PREMIUM CIGARS AND GIFTS | Beale Meade Plaza | 4518 Harding Rd, Nashville TN 37205 | www. bellemeadecigars

We like to use our Turmeric Salve as our own version of ‘tiger balm’ applied directly to the skin. This formulation works best with tackling inflammation, sore muscles, aching joints and helps with muscle recovery post-workout. USE CODE SCENE10 FOR 10% OFF.

FLICKER – GIFT BOXED CANDLE FLIGHT

CLIFTON + LEOPOLD | Nashville | cliftonandleopold.com Our boxed candle flight includes one of each of our four scent profiles, One, Deux, Tres, and Tessera, along with a glass vile of matches. This discovery collection is ideal for travel or gift-giving.

PREMIUM CIGARS AND GIFTS FOR THOSE WITH THE FINEST TASTE

Belle Meade Premium Cigars and Gifts is a locally owned store that sells the finest cigars, gifts, pipes, and tobacco-related products. Stop by today to purchase the finest tobacco in town ... you don’t even have to leave the store to sample your purchase! Complete with a smoking lounge where cigar connoisseurs relax, smoke and enjoy themselves. Join us here this holiday season.

FUNCTIONAL ALCOHOL-INK ARTWORK BY NATALIE CORWIN

TENNESSEE STATE MUSEUM | 1000 Rosa L. Parks Blvd. http://tnmuseum.org The Museum gift shop features gorgeous alcohol-ink coasters, trinket trays, and artworks by Natalie Corwin, like these 8” x 8” landscapes on mahogany or maple.

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

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GIFT GUIDE NASHVILLESCENE.COM/GIFT_GUIDE

LIMITED EDITION VINTAGE STYLE HOODIE FROTHY MONKEY | 201 Hill Blanton Ave. Nashville, TN 37210 | frothymonkey.com

EXIT/IN: 50 YEARS

EXIT/IN | 2208 Elliston Place | exitin.com Book available in limited and standard editions, This commemorative book tells the history of one of Nashville’s most important cultural institutions through a well-researched narrative text and never-before-seen photographs of the shows and people who made Exit/In legendary.

GREEN PEA SALON | 2900 12th Ave South, Nashville, TN 37204 | www.greenpeasalon.com

This Frothy Monkey limited edition vintage style hoodie is a crowdpleaser. It has a roomy fit that’s perfect for lounging in or layering on a chilly day.

MALIN + GOETZ EXCLUSIVELY AT GREEN PEA SALON

HOLIDAY COOKIES FOR DOGS

MISS KITTY’S DOG RESORT | 4308 Kenilwood Drive Nashville, TN 37204 | misskittysnashville.com Indulge your pup this holiday season with some decadent holiday cookies baked just for them. Makes for the perfect stocking stuffer!

CLIFTON + LEOPOLD | Nashville | cliftonandleopold.com This formal western tie is quintessentially dapper. The banded collar makes looking brilliant easier than ever. One caution - be ready to turn heads and start conversations when you walk into the room.

A collection of eau de parfume, perfume oils, and candles inspired by traditional apothecary ingredients + favorite memories, each dynamic scent is formulated for everyday wear and becomes a favorite in anyone’s home with gender-neutral appeal.

FORMAL WESTERN TIE

NASHVILLE SYMPHONY GIFT CERTIFICATE NASHVILLE SYMPHONY | One Symphony Place nashvillesymphony.org/GiftGuide

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

Shop local

GIFT GUIDE

Gift cards AVAILABLE online!

NASHVILLESCENE.COM/GIFT_GUIDE

MissKittys.com

snuggly season al sweaters

holiday gifts MADE exclusively for your year-round friend. 2

4308 Kenilwood Dr. Nashville 37204 ies mouth-watering holiday cook

(615) 292-1900 www.MissKittys.com

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MOXIE & GRACE | www.moxieandgrace.co @moxiegraceco

6 DREAM 1200MG FULL SPECTRUM TINCTURE

HEMP FACTORY OUTLET 6165 CLARKSVILLE PIKE, JOELTON, TN 37080 | WWW.HEMPFACTORYOUTLET.COM | @hempfactoryoutlet @xtractsllc

Top notes of camphor, eucalyptus, and redcurrant create a heartwarming aroma. Festive and flirty, this candle will have you longing to meet under the mistletoe on a romantic winter night.

Dream has been formulated to create deep relaxation, without the use of melatonin, to help you get to sleep – and stay asleep. Price: $45.00. 15% Off at check out with code BON21 and FREE SHIPPING.

NEST CANDLES AND FRAGRANCES

GREEN PEA SALON | 2900 12th Ave South, Nashville, TN 37204 | www.greenpeasalon.com

EGGNOG

CHOPPER | 1100 Stratton Ave B | choppertiki.com Chopper’s eggnog is rich, frothy, and served chilled. Brandy and rum

is whippedTN. with whole eggs, milk, cream, and sugar for a classic A campus for music based in the historic heart Madison,

With a cult-like following, these beloved and beautifully fragranced candles crafted with a premium wax that burns cleanly and evenly. Shop our best-selling holiday collections or perennial faves such as wild mint & eucalyptus, Moroccan amber & more.

holiday treat. $35 for 750ml.

The Barn serves as a platform to emotionally connect performers with the audience, music and events venue.

OPENING 2022

EXTRA JOLLY PEPPERMINT BARK (DELTA-9 THC CHOCOLATE BAR) BY CONSIDER IT FLOWERS

CONSIDER IT FLOWERS Order at ConsiderItFlowers.com | Same Day Delivery

Visit our website hempfactoryoutlet.com

A festive cannabis infused treat for a jolly-good time! It’s made with layers of artisan chocolate, 50mg of Delta-9 THC, and a dusting of peppermints. $40.

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

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GIFT GUIDE NASHVILLESCENE.COM/GIFT_GUIDE

BOW TIE FOR DAPPER HUMANS

CLIFTON + LEOPOLD | Nashville | cliftonandleopold.com

This bow tie, designed specifically for the dapper humans on the younger side of life is made from the same exquisite fabric and with the same quality and care as our full-sized bows. The pre-knotted design guarantees the perfect look every time.

SEASONAL DOG SWEATERS

MISS KITTY’S DOG RESORT | 4308 Kenilwood Drive Nashville, TN 37204 | misskittysnashville.com Keep your stylish pup warm and snug in our new handmade apparel line made exclusively for Miss Kitty’s by Boss Lady Threads.

FESTIVUS BLEND

FROTHY MONKEY | 201 Hill Blanton Ave. Nashville, TN 37210 | frothymonkey.com

MISS KITTY’S DOG RESORT GIFT CERTIFICATES

MISS KITTY’S DOG RESORT | 4308 Kenilwood Drive Nashville, TN 37204 | misskittysnashville.com

EXIT/IN | 2208 Elliston Place | exitin.com

Stay warm this winter while celebrating 50 years of Nashville’s Music Forum. A soft & comfortable classic hoodie with the Exit/In 50th logo.

Festivus Blend is here! A holiday coffee with notes of dried fruits, vanilla, and baking spices roasted right here in Nashville, TN.

NEW! EXIT/IN 50TH ANNIVERSARY HOODIE

NASHVILLE SCENE BASEBALL CAP

NASHVILLE SCENE SHOP | nashvillesceneshop.com Show your Nashville Scene spirit with this district clothing baseball cap with an adjustable width strap. $13

For the pup parent in your life, purchase a Miss Kitty’s gift certificate, redeemable for any service or merchandise in our store.

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

Shop local

Please come to our Their Moment Had Arrived GIFT GUIDE Christmas OpenNASHVILLESCENE.COM/GIFT_GUIDE House on Dec. 10th & 11th!

Get in the Holiday Spirit with Shopping, Discounts, Appetizers & Prizes! From 11am-5pm

2808 BRANSFORD AVE. IN BERRY HILL @VIVANASHVILLEBOUTIQUE

Now It Was Their Time To Shine 1

Created in Nashville | Made in the USA cliftonandleopold.com

4 1

5 MISTLETOE

Cigars From

MOXIE & GRACE | www.moxieandgrace.co @moxiegraceco

Top notes of camphor, eucalyptus, and redcurrant create a

NEST CANDLES AND FRAGRANCES

BELLE MEADE

PREMIUM CIGARS & GIFTS

DREAM 1200MG FULL SPECTRUM TINCTURE

HEMP FACTORY OUTLET 6165 CLARKSVILLE PIKE, JOELTON, TN 37080 | WWW.HEMPFACTORYOUTLET.COM | @hempfactoryoutlet @xtractsllc

heartwarming aroma. •Festive flirty, this candle will have you A. FUENTE • ASHTON CAO and • COHIBA longing to meet under the mistletoe on a romantic winter night. DAVIDOFFMONTECRISTO • PADRON TATUAJE • ZINO & MANY MORE

6 14K ROSE GOLD “AFGHAN PEAR” FROM BVLA WITH MORGANITE ICON TATTOO & BODY PIERCING | 1925 Church St. Nashville, TN 37203 | www.icontattoo.com 14K rose gold “Afghan Pear” from BVLA with morganite

Dream has been formulated to create deep relaxation, without the use of melatonin, to help you get to sleep – and stay asleep. Price: $45.00. 15% Off at check out with code BON21 and FREE SHIPPING.

EGGNOG

EXTRA JOLLY PEPPERMINT BARK (DELTA-9 THC CHOCOLATE BAR) BY CONSIDER IT FLOWERS

Belle Meade Plaza 4518 Harding Road, Nashville, TN

615-297-7963

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

Shop local

GIFT GUIDE NASHVILLESCENE.COM/GIFT_GUIDE

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NEW! EXIT/IN BEANIES

EXIT/IN | 2208 Elliston Place | exitin.com Stay warm and look cool with the new Exit/In 50th Anniversary beanies, available in black and orange decorated with an Exit/In 50th-anniversary patch.

Shop local

GIFT GUIDE

51 NOURISH NASHVILLE COOKBOOK NASHVILLE SCENE | nourishnashville.com

It’s no secret, Nashville is delicious. Now you can make some of Music City’s best dishes from the comfort of your own home! The Scene’s new cookbook, Nourish Nashville, is available now. Inspired in part by the time we’ve all had to spend at home during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic — experimenting and honing our home-cooking skills while social distancing — this cookbook features 40-plus of the city’s most celebrated chefs sharing their most beloved recipes.

EXIT/IN 50TH ANNIVERSARY MUG EXIT/IN | 2208 Elliston Place | exitin.com

Everyone loves some warm hot chocolate or cider in the cold weather! Take a sip out of your new favorite mug, representing 50 years of Exit/In.

GIRL WITH A PEARL

NANCYBGOODS / MARIGOLD

GIRLWITHAPEARL.COM • 615.767.1972

NANCYBGOODS.COM

A fresh reimagining of the classic strand of pearls. Custom Jewelry Designs for Your Holiday & Wedding Events.

Vintage Spoon Jewelry & Leather Cuffs by REDNAG Creations

Titanium Turkish Choker with Wild Pearl Drop. $272

REDNAG Creations under $30

NASHVILLESCENE.COM/GIFT_GUIDE

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Makers SHOP GOODS MADE LOCALLY

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GIFT GUIDE NASHVILLESCENE.COM/GIFT_GUIDE

>>>GIFT ANMemberships >>> EXPERIENCE & SUPPORT LOCAL NASHVILLE ZOO

NASHVILLEZOO.ORG/GIFT This holiday season, send your family and friends on a year-long safari. Nashville Zoo offers a host of exotic animals in beautiful habitats as well as educational programs and events. Save 15% on membership gift certificates by visiting nashvillezoo.org/gift.

Give the gift of music with a gift certificate to your Nashville Symphony EXPLORE OUR GIFT GUIDE AND BUY TICKETS

NashvilleSymphony.org/GiftGuide | 615.687.6400 | Tickets@NashvilleSymphony.org

share your love of exit/in this holiday season FRIST ART MUSEUM

FRISTARTMUSEUM.ORG/ MEMBERSHIP A gift of membership to the Frist Art Museum is a passport to see the world’s greatest art! Members enjoy unlimited admission for a year, free guest passes, gift shop discounts, and more! Remember, memberships help sustain the Frist’s mission.

Happy Holiday's from

EXIT/IN

EXIT/IN: 50 YEARS BOOK

BELCOURT THEATRE

WWW.BELCOURT.ORG/SHOP Perfect for everyone you know who loves the movies! A Belcourt membership provides discounted tickets and other benefits — and helps support Nashville’s nonprofit film center.

Happy ! s y a d i l o H

This commemorative book tells the history of one of Nashville’s most important cultural institutions through a well-researched Available in Standard and Limited narrative text and never-before-seen Collector's Edition copies! photographs of the shows and people who made Exit/In legendary.

store.exitin.com

nashvillescene.com | DECEMBER 2 – DECEMBER 8, 2021 | NASHVILLE SCENE PROMOTIONAL | INTERESTED IN ADVERTISING IN THE SCENE SHOP LOCAL GIFT GUIDES? EMAIL MIKE AT MSMITH@NASHVILLESCENE.COM

Winner: Readers’ poll

vegan with gluten-free options

VOTED BEST FOR 15 YEARS!

10% Off Dine In TOTAL BILL

$5 Off To Go Orders

Mask Appreciated

ON PURCHASE OF $25 OR MORE MUST BE PRESENT AT SITAR (EXP 12/23/21)

WE DELIVER WITH: GRUBHUB...POSTMATE DOOR DASH...UBER 116 21st Ave. N. | 321-8889 | SitarNashville.com East Nashville | Wed-Mon (closed Tues) 615.262.2717 | thewildcow.com Follow us on F or Ï to see daily specials + hours!

To Order Call 615-321-8889

FREE PARKING!

Visit us for

Taco Week

True Flavors of Mexico 905 51st Ave N. • Tues. - Sat. 4 pm-9 pm • @elpaseoNashville

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Decembpemr 11 11am - 10 s at The Nation

Contest with r te a e w S ly g U ther prizes o d n a s d r a c gifts d cock tails n a d o fo e v ti s e F e beers Special releas giveaways d n a ic s u m e iv L

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NASHVILLE SCENE | DECEMBER 2 – DECEMBER 8, 2021 | nashvillescene.com

the nations (615) 383-99rt96h 1105 51st Avenue No

FOOD AND DRINK

‘SIN MAIZ, NO HAY PAIZ’ With Maiz de la Vida, Julio Hernandez shares tortillas — and culture BY KELSEY BEYELER

MAIZ DE LA VIDA TUESDAY-SUNDAY AT CHOPPER, 1100B STRATTON AVE. INSTAGRAM.COM/MAIZ_DLV SOAKING THE MAIZ be more of a manufacturer, but I started to notice that it was gonna be hard because you need to raise a culture about it. So then we pulled the trigger and used every penny we had to pull off half a school bus, and made a food truck out of it.” Hernandez parked that mini school bus outside East Nashville tiki bar Chopper, serving tacos there every weekend, and making his way to places like the Richland Park and East Nashville farmers markets on other days. In October, Maiz de la Vida started a residency with Chopper. Now, six days a week, the food truck serves a variety of delicious offerings that split the difference between traditional and innovative. The changing menu features items like quesabirria, tacos, quesadillas, elote and churros. A growing team of chefs at Maiz also experiments with new flavors while trying to reduce food waste. One taco on the menu features what’s known as maizo, made from leftover fermented masa, and Hernandez says the team also uses leftover limes from Chopper’s tiki-themed drinks for brine. On Tuesdays, he features a hard-shell cheeseburger taco. Building on its increasing momentum, Maiz de la Vida recently announced a brick-and-mortar location set to open in the spring. Hernandez is partnering with Andy Mumma of Chopper and Barista Parlor to open a 3,000-square-foot location in the Gulch area. The restaurant will be called Maiz DLV and will feature brunch, lunch and dinner, along with a full bar specializing in tequila and mezcal. And if all of this progress isn’t cool enough, Hernandez also shot with Philip Rosenthal for the next season of Netflix’s Somebody Feed Phil, representing both Mexico and Nashville with his tortillas. For Hernandez, making tortillas is about more than just corn. It’s about culture. “I have had tortillas made with corn from Kentucky, from who knows where, and it’s just not there,” he says. “The same magic doesn’t exist.” EMAIL ARTS@NASHVILLESCENE.COM

ROLLING OUT TORTILLAS

PHOTOS: ERIC ENGLAND

ulio Hernandez likes corn. A lot. But more than that, corn — or maiz in Spanish — is a part of his family history and his Mexican culture. It’s not uncommon to hear him say, “Sin maiz, no hay paiz” — “Without corn, there is no country.” “Where I grew up, we always depended on the corn,” Hernandez tells the Scene. His early memories of Tlaxcala, Mexico, include playing among the heaps of corn that his family harvested. Hernandez researched and practiced the process of making tortillas for years. After the COVID-19 pandemic hit, he took a leap of faith and poured his savings into buying a five-horsepower, 600-pound molino, or mill, along with 3,000 pounds of dried heirloom corn from Mexico. Heirloom corn is an organic kind of corn in which the seeds have been preserved and passed down through generations, unlike most of the corn you’ll find in U.S. markets, which has been genetically modified. And Hernandez’s tortillas definitely aren’t your typical store-bought tortillas. They’re made using a traditional process called nixtamalization, wherein dried corn is soaked in a mixture of water and calcium hydroxide, set to rest and then processed through a mill to make masa, or dough. The masa is then shaped and pressed into tortillas and cooked. Hernandez orders corn from Mexico in a variety of colors, including yellow, blue and red. Though the process is the same no matter which type of corn is used, different varieties require different cooking times and temperatures. “[Making tortillas] looks super easy, but it’s not,” says Hernandez. “It definitely has its own art and technique to it.” Throughout 2020, Hernandez shared his tortillas at pop-ups across town under the moniker Maiz de la Vida, and has since collaborated with myriad local food legends old and new at places like Arnold’s Country Kitchen, Bastion, Hathorne, Redheaded Stranger and Bar Sovereign, as well as with Sean Brock’s Embers Only pop-up team. He also shared a recipe for the Scene’s cookbook, Nourish. Eventually, the pop-ups began taking up more and more of Hernandez’s time, so in September he amicably resigned from his role as executive chef at Donelson’s Nectar Urban Cantina. He then started selling his tortillas at farmers markets. He stuck with tradition in the process of making the tortillas, but utilized modern marketing to grow his business via Instagram. By October, he secured a food truck from his brother, who owns the Colombian restaurant La Cucharita. “The main thing that got me going with the truck was that I had such an amazing product,” says Hernandez. “[In] my belief, people didn’t appreciate it or know how to use it. ... At first I did not think [Maiz de la Vida] would go into the cooking side — I wanted to

nashvillescene.com | DECEMBER 2 – DECEMBER 8, 2021 | NASHVILLE SCENE

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FOOD AND DRINK

COFFEE FOR A CAUSE

Activist Xtiana Roberson helps fund social justice organizations, one cold brew at a time BY ERICA CICCARONE

PHOTO: DANIEL MEIGS

tiana Roberson remembers the moment when she was radicalized. She was living in her hometown, St. Louis, in 2014 when 18-year-old Mike Brown was shot and killed by Darren Wilson, a RADICALIZED BREW white poRADICALIZED-BREW.MYSHOPIFY.COM lice officer. “It drastically shifted my worldview, and all of a sudden there was a new goal in life,” Roberson tells the Scene. “It alters you.” Four years later, following the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, Roberson was one of dozens of activists who occupied Nashville’s Legislative Plaza for 62 days. Calling the space the People’s Plaza, the activists sought a meeting with Gov. Bill Lee to discuss racial injustice and the removal of the bust of the slave trader, Confederate general and early Ku Klux Klan leader Nathan Bedford Forrest from its place in the state Capitol building outside the Senate chamber. “I was going through it mentally, especially as a Black woman during this time,” says Roberson. “I felt like the weight of the world was on me.” She was managing a Starbucks, a job she had previously enjoyed, but she found it difficult to make coffee all day and act like everything was right in the world. She decided to take some longoverdue vacation time so she could show up at the plaza daily. At a rally on July 4, Roberson was arrested along with 54 other protesters. She and other activists described crowded and unsanitary conditions at the Davidson County Downtown Detention Center, where they were held for 12 hours. After her release, Roberson says she tested positive for COVID-19 and was also diagnosed with pneumonia and strep throat. She’s a COVID longhauler, still experiencing virus-related symptoms 16 months later. The plaza occupation was taking an emotional toll on Roberson as well. After meeting with a therapist who volunteered her services for the activists, Roberson was able to assess her situation and make a plan. “It was not sustainable for me to be out in the streets all the time,” she says. “It will ruin your mental health. I can’t do that, so why not do something I’m good at in order to get the money to the people who are doing the work?” Roberson founded Radicalized Brew a year ago with a mission. She would donate 10 percent of her coffee profits to a different social justice organization every month. She started with the Nashville Community Bail Fund, which assisted the plaza activists frequently during their occupation. Her brew is excellent — rich and mellow, but not acidic. It’s perfect for a hot day or — if you, like me, can’t deal with the acidity of hot-brewed coffee — warmed up on cold mornings. Customers know that their money

is supporting a good cause. Roberson takes orders via her website (radicalized-brew.myshopify.com) and delivers her brew in 32-ounce mason jars twice a week. As for the donations, she asks her customers to nominate organizations and vote for them on Instagram, and she’s sent money to 11 groups, including Brooklyn Heights Community Garden, Elmahaba Center and Open Table Nashville. The recipient of donations in December will be Shower the People, an organization that pro-

vides mobile showers and hygiene items to unhoused Nashvillians. “We have so many resources in Nashville,” says Roberson. “It’s just a matter of getting people rallied up behind them and making sure they have the funds to do it.” The bust of Nathan Bedford Forrest was removed from the state Capitol on July 23, 2021. And as for Roberson, she hopes her business will be a catalyst for others to take action for social reform. EMAIL ARTS@NASHVILLESCENE.COM

NASHVILLE SCENE | DECEMBER 2 – DECEMBER 8, 2021 | nashvillescene.com

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EXHIBIT OPENS DECEMBER 3 OPENING WEEKEND EVENTS SATURDAY, DECEMBER 4 SONGWRITERS ROUND 11:00 am

FEATURING BUDDY CANNON, ERIN ENDERLIN, AND BOBBY TOMBERLIN

INTERVIEW & PERFORMANCE WITH BILL ANDERSON 2:00 pm

nashvillescene.com | DECEMBER 2 – DECEMBER 8, 2021 | NASHVILLE SCENE

IT’S THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR

DECEMBER 6-12 Visit your favorite taco spots all week long for $5 taco deals that will guac your world. Trust us, these are nacho mama’s tacos either! Carne asada, barbacoa, al pastor, shrimp? Nothing is off limits! S P O N S O R E D BY

TAG @ N A S H V I L L E S C E N E I N YO U R TAC O P I C S A N D U S E # S C E N E TAC O W E E K 2 1 F O R YO U R C H A N C E TO W I N P R I Z E S F R O M M O D E LO + I N S Ó L I TO 42

NASHVILLE SCENE | DECEMBER 2 – DECEMBER 8, 2021 | nashvillescene.com

START PLANNING YOUR #SCENETACOWEEK21 ROUTE SCAN TO VIEW OUR 2021 MAP Bakersfield 201 3rd Ave. S., Nashville, TN 37201 “Bistec” Chicken Taco Diced marinated chicken in a crowd-pleasing, sweet and tangy bistec glaze, topped with crunchy chipotle slaw and finished with a pinch of cilantro.

Mestizo’s 699 Old Hickory Blvd., Nashville, TN 37209 Mestizo Taco Homemade blue corn tortilla with carnitas en salsa roja, pepitas, baby arugula and queso fresco.

Chago’s Cantina 2015 Belmont Blvd., Nashville, TN 37212 Smoked Brisket Taco Smoked brisket taco topped with street corn salsa served on a handmade flour tortilla.

Miranda Lambert’s Casa Rosa 308 Broadway, Nashville, TN 37201 Hot Chicken Taco Tender chicken, secretly seasoned and marinated in buttermilk, fried crisp and tossed in signature Casa Rosa hot sauce. Topped with crunchy lettuce, pickled red onion and cotija cheese.

Cheap Charlie’s Taco Shop 1101 Woodland St., Nashville, TN 37206 The Trio Special Choose any meats for each of your three tacos including asada, chicken, pastor, carnitas, barbacoa or chorizo. Topped with diced onions and cilantro with grilled onions and lime on the side. Condado Tacos Multiple locations Blue Dream Flour soft and kewl ranch shells with queso blanco, ground beef, lettuce, tomatoes and avocado ranch sauce. El Paseo 905 51st Ave N., Nashville, TN 37209 Stuffed Poblano Pepper & Shrimp Wrapped Bacon Taco Fire roasted poblano peppers stuffed with large shrimp and wrapped in bacon on warm flour tortilla and topped with house made chipotle mayo. Served with side of chef’s poblano rice. Esquina Cantina 710 Old Hickory Blvd. Suite 302, Brentwood, TN 37027 Tacos al Pastor Chile marinated pork with fresh pinapple, red onion and cilantro with spicy avocado salsa on the side. Fable Lounge 114 28th Ave N, Nashville, TN 37203 Fable Street Tacos Slow braised beef short rib street style tacos with house made salsa along with onions and cilantro, embraced by the majesty of a corn tortilla. HauteWheels Rolling Sandwich Co. 3407 Gallatin Pike, Nashville, TN 37216 Double Decker Carnitas Citrus braised pork shoulder topped with an avocado pico/slaw salad, cerveza queso blanco and shredded jack cheese encased in a grilled soft tortilla along with a hard shell taco. Las Palmas Mexican Restaurante Multiple locations NashPalmas Tacos Two tender char-grilled chicken tacos covered in homemade tinga salsa made with peppers, tomatoes and onions. Topped with pico de gallo and cotija cheese and served with your choice of rice or refried beans.

Moe’s Southwest Grill 4326 Harding Pike, Nashville, TN 37205 Taco Your Way One completely customizable taco with more than 25 fresh ingredients to choose from (only guacamole and bacon are extra) along with the Official Queso of the Nashville Predators on your taco or on the side. Plus, free chips and salsa! No upcharge for premium proteins. Mojo’s Tacos 230 Franklin Road Suite 11Y, Franklin, TN 37064 Adovada Pork Taco An adovada pork taco topped with cilantro, onions and poblano sauce. Otto’s Bar 4210 Charlotte Ave., Nashville, TN 37209 1980s Taco Two “totally tubular” hard-shelled tacos that even Marty McFly would come back to the future for. Your choice of beef, chicken or a vegan/meat free option. Pancho & Lefty’s 4501 Murphy Rd., Nashville, TN 37209 Steak Alambre Guajillo rubbed, mesquite-grilled flank steak, smoky peppers and onions, chihuahua cheese, crema and cilantro on a house-made flour tortilla. Peachtree Drive-In 329 Peachtree St., Nashville, TN 37210 Lamb & Gouda Tacos Two tacos with roasted lamb leg, smoked gouda, creamed spinach, pico de gallo and lime sour cream. Phat Bites 2730 Lebanon Pike B, Nashville, TN 37214 Phat Phish Tacos Crispy wild caught pollock with jalapeño slaw and chimichurri sauce. Photo coming soon. Check our website for more details.

Scoreboard Bar & Grill 2412 Music Valley Dr., Nashville, TN 37214 Brisket, Pulled Pork, Hot Chicken or Fish Three soft shell tacos served with chips and salsa. Brisket tacos are topped with coleslaw and BBQ sauce and the pulled pork tacos are topped with lettuce, cheese and BBQ sauce. Hot Chicken tacos feature coleslaw, pickles and ranch or blue cheese and the fish tacos feature pico de gallo, lettuce and cheese. Smokin Thighs Multiple locations Applewood Smoked Chicken Tacos Soft flour tacos filled with BBQ applewood smoked chicken, topped with roasted corn, kickin’ slaw, lettuce and drizzled with a ranch sauce. Sopapilla’s 1109 Davenport Blvd., Franklin, TN 37069 Blue Corn Chicken Taco Hard shell blue corn tortilla, shredded chicken, black bean corn relish, caramelized onions and Baja sauce. Served with chips and salsa! Taco Chela 3820 Charlotte Ave. Unit 140-B, Nashville, TN 37209 BangBang Shrimp Two jumbo shrimps seasoned and sautéed, not fried, and topped with house made mango pico mixed with red and green cabbage. Taco Mama 1612 21st Ave. S, Nashville, TN 37212 The Mayor Your choice of hard or soft corn tortilla or soft flour tortilla with marinated chicken, lettuce, tomatoes, creamy cilantro pesto and queso fresco. Served with chips and fresh salsa ranchera. Tacos 1989 600 9th Ave S #100, Nashville, TN 37203 Baja Style Quesabirria A baja style quesabirria with slow cooked beef brisket seasoned and boiled with spices and peppers and finished grilled and covered in cheese. Wilco Fusion Grill 9040 Carothers Pkwy B105, Franklin, TN 37067 Birria Fusion Tacos Slow-braised beef reduced in coconut milk, pickled red cabbage, carrots, smoked avocado crema and topped with white chopped onions and cilantro on a blue corn tortilla. Served with birria broth for dipping.

Visit nashvilletacoweek.com for more spicy details!

nashvillescene.com | DECEMBER 2 – DECEMBER 8, 2021 | NASHVILLE SCENE

SYMPHONY BALL CELEBRATES 75 YEARS OF HARMONY

Enrico Lopez -Yañez, conductor

DECEMBER 11 AT 8 PM Complimentary Beverages | Cocktail Attire Dessert Reception to Follow Celebrate the Nashville Symphony’s 75thAnniversary with this fundraising concert featuring world-renowned violinist Itzhak Perlman, a longtime collaborator with the Symphony. A portion of each ticket will benefit the Symphony’s fundraising efforts in support of education and community engagement.

615.687.6400

NASHVILLE SCENE | DECEMBER 2 – DECEMBER 8, 2021 | nashvillescene.com

NashvilleSymphony.org/SymphonyBall

ART

CRAWL SPACE: DECEMBER 2021

The art crawl closes out the year with an anniversary, a new gallery and artsy gifting galore BY JOE NOLAN State Gallery and Studios. The gallery features

sensibility. These works feature fractured faces and shattered semblances. Some are a bit disturbing. Some inspire quiet contemplation. The show is a good match with Fort Houston’s mission, and you’ll want to see the new space and these new works on Saturday night. The gallery will hold a reception from 6 until 9 p.m., and an afterparty from 9 p.m. until midnight. Painter Brady Haston continues his excavation of local psychogeography with Path at Zeitgeist Gallery on Saturday. Haston is an avid outdoorsman, and his work is informed by his explorations in natural spaces as well as in his deep research of Southern history. Zeitgeist will be open from noon until 6 p.m. on Saturday.

“MOTHER TONGUE,” JULIA MARTIN

floating white walls, but the exposed metal and honey-colored hardwood floor bring a rough-hewn warmth to the space, dodging the cold clichés of white-cube syndrome. The rest of the space includes six private studio spaces, which will host annual artistsin-residence at no cost to the artists. This new studio scholarship initiative is one of the highlights of the new expansion, and it’s a great example of how development and entrepreneurship can make more room for artists in this boomtown, instead of continually driving them out of the spaces that they make interesting — and lucrative — in the first place. Local painter Dylan Lynch will open State’s inaugural exhibition on Saturday night. Lynch is known for large, boldly colored abstract paintings, but this new series features abstracted portraits that speak to the subjective nature of reality. Some of these are almost a little bit cubist, and some show more of a street-art

“I’M NOT THE WAY THAT YOU FOUND ME,” DYLAN LYNCH

ollowing the height of pandemic restrictions a year ago, Nashville’s gallery scene made some adjustments, added some precautions and mostly bounced back to lots of in-person gallerygoing in 2021. As I’ve noted in past columns, Nashville’s art gallery community has proven to be exceedingly resilient throughout the challenges of the past year, and the debut of a new gallery and an eight-year anniversary celebration during December’s First Saturday happenings bode very well for the city’s visual art community as we head into 2022. When Julia Martin Gallery opened its Wedgewood-Houston outpost eight years ago, it served as a studio space for its namesake painter, as well as a retail spot where Martin could sell her works off of her own walls. The spirit of the place emanated that spunky DIY spirit that we love to see from artists of all kinds, but Martin always seems to have had bigger plans in mind. Over the years, her retail vision has widened to include lots of creative products from other local artists and craftspeople who make a good match with Martin’s own aesthetic — her colorful portraits and scenes are informed by subtle, mysterious narratives, and she seems drawn to the same mix of the vibrant and the slightly strange when curating others’ wares on her walls. Nowadays, Martin and curator Daniel Lonow find the gallery’s exhibitions written up in national publications, and they host rock-star artists like Wayne White while maintaining a front-porch music stage that’s one of the only spots for musical events in the area, now that the Infinity Cat record label headquarters has shuttered. This Saturday, the gallery will host a show of Martin’s new abstract portraits, which admirably continue to evolve as the artist experiments with more abstract and expressive gestures and mark-making. The show will also include plenty of holidaygifting goodies in the form of collaborations with Grand Palace, Bang Candy Company and Alisa Martin. Fort Houston’s maker studios and gallery are staples of the Wedgewood-Houston creative community — the space incubates creative microbusinesses and curates must-see shows in Nashville’s best art gallery district. Over the years, the space has also evolved into a design and fabrication company as well as a nonprofit arts organization. For December’s events, Fort Houston will debut its newly erected

Bill Killebrew’s new show at David Lusk Gallery opened last month, and the gallery will be open from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. on Saturday, hosting a formal open house for the exhibition from noon until 3 p.m. After the Big Tree Fell features Killebrew’s impressionistic narratives of everyday neighborhood life, and was likely inspired by a year at home during 2020. Johanna Winters’ toy-like puppet designs are a good fit for a holiday season show at Coop. Winters’ puppets are central to a creative practice that includes video and performance as well as straightforward sculpture displays. Ringurr includes video, audio and sculpture in a multimedia narrative that centers on a heroine who is torn between lonely self-pity and the indulgences of privacy. It’s a poignant theme in these times of lockdowns and social isolation. I expect many gallerygoers can relate to feelings of cabin fever, as well as to the luxuries of peace and quiet. Ringurr promises a bit of both, plus — puppets! Coop

will hold an opening reception for the show from 4 until 7 p.m. on Saturday. Last but not least, you should get your holiday shopping off to a great start on Saturday afternoon by supporting local creatives and giving one-of-a-kind gifts to friends and family this season. This month’s Show & Sell Open Air Maker’s Bazaar will take place between 1 and 5 p.m., to make the most of the warm afternoon sunlight outside of the Free Nashville Poetry Library’s digs at The Packing Plant. This month’s epic roster includes painting, printing, sculpture, zines and more from: April Gloaming Press, Waxing & Waning Journal, Maxwell Sebastian, Stevie Miller, Culture Trash Printing, Risology Club, Aaron Zvi Felder, Children of Compost, SALT Weekly, Nota Bene Zine, LCG Poetry, Espy Noble, Bec E. Bien, Sarah Collins, Gabriela Herrera, Stone, Harold Scot Clark and Dylan Simon. There will be interactive live poetry writing with Typebox, and FNPL will be selling books from poets at their Books by Nashville Poets table. EMAIL ARTS@NASHVILLESCENE.COM

nashvillescene.com | DECEMBER 2 – DECEMBER 8, 2021 | NASHVILLE SCENE

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DIGGING IN Titans cornerback Kristian Fulton invests in North Nashville with retail shop BY ELI MOTYCKA

n the NFL, you take a lot of hits. Big ups might be followed by big downs. Breakout Titans cornerback Kristian Fulton and his brother Keith decided that whatever happened, they’d go through it together. Fulton’s rookie THE TRENCHES contract ($5.3 mil906 BUCHANAN ST. lion over four years) THETRENCHESSHOP.COM gave him a commitment to Nashville and the resources to invest in it. The brothers set up shop — an actual shop — on Nashville’s North Side in the spring. The Trenches features apparel, shoes and art from Black designers, the kind of store the native New Orleanians looked for in Nashville but couldn’t find. “We love clothes, we love fashion, we love shoes,” says Keith, sitting on a couch in The Trenches’ showroom in early November. “In New Orleans, there’s a bunch of stores like that. We wanted to create that space. We’re invested in this community, [in] this city, in being a part of the change and the wave and bringing it up to a new level.” Sometime in college, it became clear that Kristian, younger by two years, had a good shot at the league. In 2020, he finished a dream season at Louisiana State University and emerged as a top prospect. Meanwhile, Keith stepped back from his own playing days — he was a wide receiver at LSU — and learned about the business side of the NFL. Keith became his brother’s manager, an uncommon — but not unheard of — arrangement, and laid the groundwork for draft day. In the second round, Kristian got a call from Nashville. NFL careers can be short and precarious. Football players typically have less than a decade in their prime, even in the best cases. A career’s worth of hits takes a physical toll on many players, most notably traumatic brain injuries, and a good or bad season could change a player’s expected earnings by millions of dollars. A wrong step could mean a

season-ending injury with career implications. Together, the Fultons are navigating a quickly accelerating career in an ever-changing line of work — Kristian on the field, Keith off the field. The Trenches is part of a larger vision, a chance to parlay Kristian’s platform and career into opportunities for entrepreneurship for themselves and their family. Situated on the corner of Buchanan Street and Ninth Avenue North, The Trenches is part of a growing commercial district in North Nashville where Black-owned businesses have historically been the rule, not the exception. Until a few years ago, the area operated below capacity. Storefronts had shuttered under compounding crises in the past few decades: high rates of policing and incarceration, deficient support from city and state governments, the legacy of I-40’s construction in the neighborhood. But as investments and people come to Nashville, Buchanan is buzzing again, bringing up questions about how growth can strengthen a neighborhood or replace it. Simone Boyd lives around the corner from The Trenches and has written about North Nashville for the Scene. Boyd has grown aware of the potential impact on the neighborhood when property changes hands. “I absolutely hold my breath,” she says. “There’s anxiety about who’s coming and how they will engage.” She remembers the first time she saw The Trenches coming to life. “I was driving down Buchanan,” says Boyd. “I had just picked up my son from school, and I saw doughjoe out there painting [the building].” Joseph Love, who goes by doughjoe, is a local artist who works extensively in North Nashville. “I just had this sense of relief, because if doughjoe is painting the building, whoever is going in there is thinking about the community.” Boyd draws a careful distinction between community-focused and community-controlled. Black-owned businesses sometimes pay rent to landowners who live across town, particularly as the area faces speculative investment in a red-hot market. Since moving in, The Trenches has considered community part of its bottom line, sponsoring a team in the Nashville Pro-Am Basketball League and partnering with nearby Tennessee State University to showcase student talent. More broadly, the Fultons hope to be an example of

Black entrepreneurship. Clint Gray, a co-founder of Slim & Husky’s Pizza Beeria, emphasizes the importance of that last point. Regarded as the block’s anchor business, Slim & Husky’s opened in 2017 and established itself as a destination for pizza, beer and, later, cinnamon rolls. “It’s a very intricate time right now in Nashville,” Gray tells the Scene. “North Nashville has to continue to be a Black mecca — to continue to represent Black excellence because we were educated here and we’ve grown to love this place.” Gray sees an economic center as a way to defend the neighborhood from residential turnover, driven by a demand-heavy real estate market, a tax burden that hits gentrifying areas more heavily, and housing insecurity following the March 2020 tornado. “It’s very important that we work very hard [to ensure] that the commercial businesses continue to circulate Black dollars,” says Gray. “As long as we can do that, we can have a presence here. Eventually it will continue to evolve in the residential side, where more young Black people want to come move here because there are concepts, entertainment and food that appeal to them.” Successful businesses allow some sovereignty in a city growing more expensive and more crowded. For the Fultons, the shop is a piece of a larger puzzle to gain that sovereignty. They named their store The Trenches as a callback to a rough childhood in New Orleans. As Kristian breaks out, things are looking up. During our interview, Keith is visibly excited to talk about his brother’s return to practice after being sidelined for a few games with a hamstring injury. Buchanan is coming off the sidelines too. New Buchanan businesses like Minerva Avenue, Willie B’s and The Southern V complement longtime culinary institutions like Ed’s Fish & Pizza House. “It worked out even better than I expected it to,” says Keith, reflecting on his time since moving to Nashville a little more than a year ago. “More businesses, more Black businesses, a lot going on. They’re just trying to make the whole street the newest attraction of Nashville. We came at the right time.” EMAIL ARTS@NASHVILLESCENE.COM

PHOTOS: DANIEL MEIGS

CULTURE

COMMUNION

Steal Away explores struggle, hope and renewal through African American spirituals BY AMY STUMPFL

e often talk about the ways in which art can impact a community, whether by educating, entertaining or simply bringing people together. But in the case STEAL AWAY of Steal Away — premierDEC. 2-5 AT OZ ARTS ing this weekend at OZ Arts — the art not only shines a light on the importance of community, it also reflects the people within it. Created by Emmy-nominated composer Dave Ragland and acclaimed choreographer Shabaz Ujima, Steal Away is described as a “contemporary music-dance-opera hybrid inspired by traditional spirituals and art songs.” The new work explores universal themes of struggle, hope and renewal through the lens of African American spirituals. The intriguing project — which has been in the works since 2019 — showcases the talents of more than

NASHVILLE SCENE | DECEMBER 2 – DECEMBER 8, 2021 | nashvillescene.com

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CULTURE

LIVE MUSIC | URBAN WINERY | RESTAURANT | BAR | PRIVATE EVENTS LOW T I C K E T A L E RT

12.05

12.04

Jefferson Starship

30 local artists, representing companies and organizations such as Inversion Vocal Ensemble, Diaspora Orchestra, shackled feet DANCE, Friends Life Community and Rejoice School of Ballet. “I wanted to create a modern-day oratorio that not only celebrates the Black American spiritual, but also contemporizes it through movement and spoken word,” says Ragland, founder and artistic director of Inversion Vocal Ensemble. He’s a respected composer, conductor and vocalist whose work has been featured as part of the Frist Art Museum’s Nick Cave: Feat. Nashville, Nashville Opera, Nashville Ballet and the Memphis Symphony Orchestra, among others. With a blend of new arrangements, orchestrations and original music in hand, Ragland approached Ujima, whose striking choreography has appeared with Nashville Ballet, Nashville Opera, Shades of Black Festival and Kindling Arts Festival, along with his own company, shackled feet DANCE. “As we began to look at how we could expand the work, it was important to me that the movement embraced and honored everyone, with an amalgam of diverse movers onstage,” Ujima says. “When you look at African culture, everyone takes part in the dance and art together. Elders and children are all involved. We don’t usually see that here. But for Steal Away, we wanted to create something special that represented who we are as a community. Our oldest artist is 73 years old, and the youngest is 11. And it’s been wonderful to see how they connect and inspire one another.” Beyond this multigenerational casting, Ujima also wanted to feature those with different abilities, including members of Friends Life Community — an organization dedicated to creating opportunities for teenagers and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. “Our Friends artists are some of the most beautiful dancers around,” he says. “They’re so natural in their response to the music. It’s an honor to create space to reflect our community in this way.” Ragland agrees, noting that Ujima’s open approach emphasizes the value of art at all ages and stages of life. “Working in music and entertainment, it’s easy to get caught up in the now — what’s hot, who’s the fresh young talent,” Ragland says. “We tend to give older artists awards, but not opportunities. Shabaz has inspired me to be a catalyst for change in that respect.” Such give-and-take is typical of the pair’s collaboration. And while Ragland and Ujima have worked together on several projects in the past, Steal Away

may well be the most ambitious. “I feel like Dave and I balance one another, in terms of style and perspective,” Ujima says. “We’re like the yin and yang. But I’m so thankful to have this brotherhood of artists, and to have this space to come together as creators. It’s been amazing.” Steal Away was originally slated to premiere at OZ in April 2020, but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. And while the delay presented plenty of challenges, Ragland says it ultimately allowed the piece to progress and strengthen. “As I always tell my students, you have to allow your work to sit in the crockpot for a bit,” he says. “And as serious as the situation has been with the pandemic, it gave us time to let the ideas marinate. I feel like everything has really come together now.” Ujima says the delay also brought the work’s themes of human connection into sharper focus. “It’s very spiritual — not just in terms of the music itself, but also in the overall feeling and tone. “I feel like it’s so deeply rooted in the human spirit and experience. You don’t have to be Black, or even necessarily Christian, to recognize these themes. We’re looking at the struggles we all go through — the hardships, hope and, finally, ascension. We’ve all been so separate, so isolated these last couple of years — I think this gathering of artists reminds us of just how powerful our community really is, and what we can achieve together.” When asked what moment they’re most looking forward to seeing onstage, both artists point to “Wade in the Water” — the iconic spiritual often associated with Alvin Ailey’s masterwork Revelations. “Whenever I hear that music, my mind immediately goes to Alvin Ailey,” Ujima says. “So to be able to create my own version of that with a live orchestra onstage, with elders and children performing together — it’s going to be divine. I can’t wait for people to see it.” And for Ragland, it’s this infusion of music, movement and spoken word that is most exciting. “The synergy of all these elements working together is so unique that if you come back a second night, you’re likely to have a whole new experience,” he says. “Of course, that’s the beauty of live performance, but I do think that you could pick up on something different every night. “I hope audiences will approach the work with an open mind and an open heart,” he adds. “It’s been such a rewarding experience for us, and I hope this work opens people up to what art in Nashville is and can be.”

Jody Nardone Trio

6th Annual “A Charlie Brown Christmas” A Tribue to Vince Guaraldi

12.06

12.07

Street Corner Symphony Christmas Show

Mike Phillips in the Lounge

12.08

12.12

Griffin House

Jon McLaughlin 12.19

A SONGWRITERS CHRISTMAS FEATURING JAY BRAGG AND SPECIAL GUESTS IN THE LOUNGE

12.20

HOW DOES CHRISTMAS SOUND? WITH KIRK WHALUM

12.21

MORGAN JAMES: A VERY MAGNETIC CHRISTMAS TOUR

12.26

AVERY*SUNSHINE

RON POPE PRESENTS: THE CHRISTMAS MUSICAL

12.27

NASHVILLE JAZZ ORCHESTRA BOXING DAY CONCERT FEATURING SPECIAL GUEST VOCALIST SANDRA DUDLEY

12.18

MAC MCANALLY

12.28

12.19

SQUIRREL NUT ZIPPERS HOLIDAY CARAVAN TOUR 2021

AN EVENING WITH SHAWN MULLINS

12.29

12.19

NASHVILLE BEATLES BRUNCH FT. FOREVER ABBEY ROAD

PETER MAYER - RING OUT THE BELLS

12.30

MARC BROUSSARD FULL BAND WITH HORNS

12.13

JONATHA BROOKE

12.14

GABE DIXON

12.15

NEFESH MOUNTAIN IN THE LOUNGE

12.15

CLARE BOWEN & BRANDON ROBERT YOUNG

12.16

A ROYALE HOLIDAY!

12.17

Holiday Crafts, Cookies, and Wine IN

the lounge

dec 8

609 LAFAYETTE ST. NASHVILLE, TN 37203, NASHVILLE, TN 37203 @CITYWINERYNSH / CITYWINERY.COM / 615.324.1033

EMAIL ARTS@NASHVILLESCENE.COM

nashvillescene.com | DECEMBER 2 – DECEMBER 8, 2021 | NASHVILLE SCENE

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VODKA YONIC

GIRL MEETS CAT

On surviving depression with my cat by my side

Vodka Yonic

BY SHARON SHEN

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.

ike most decisions I made during the height of my 14year struggle with depression and chronic suicidal ideation, the choice to adopt my cat Bootsie was made on a whim. Foreshadowing the imminent rise of online dating, my heart was captivated by Bootsie’s profile picture on the Humane Society’s website — his luminous eyes and long whiskers were irresistible — before I learned anything else about him. Aside from being described as having an “electric personality,” Bootsie had feline leukemia. Admittedly, I adopted Bootsie for selfish reasons. I’d never been around cats and knew nothing about caring for them. I simply hoped taking responsibility for something other than myself would provide a lifeline in the midst of a time when I dreamed daily of dying. Fortunately, cats are rather self-sufficient, and the worst thing that happened initially was mistaking his purring for a respiratory infection, which cats with leukemia are prone to. The little joys from his presence punctuated my depression, but despite three years of antidepressants and therapy, I was still ensnared by hopelessness. A month after I adopted Bootsie, I made my second suicide attempt. After sucking down, and immediately vomiting, as much activated charcoal as I could take in the ER, I was transferred to an observation floor. Before I was admitted to the locked psychiatric unit, I begged the social worker to allow Bootsie to stay with me. She acquiesced. For two days, Bootsie was content with rolling around the sink, pestering the ’round-the-clock sitters, and curling up in my lap after he’d exhausted himself. A week later, I cradled Bootsie in my arms and vowed to never leave him again. From the outside, strangers could mistake my smile and all the success I had obtained on paper for happiness. Only I knew the devastating truth of the deeply rooted beliefs I held about myself — of being inadequate and unlovable. When we moved from Ann Arbor, Mich., to Nashville for my first nursing job after graduation, it took Bootsie months to adapt from having my three college roommates to having only me. His mournful meows filled the night. I Googled whether cats could get depressed too and purchased a webcam so I could talk to him when I worked the night shift at the hospital. He was always waiting at the door when I came home. In my loneliness, Bootsie became my

FROM THE OUTSIDE, STRANGERS COULD MISTAKE MY SMILE AND ALL THE SUCCESS I HAD OBTAINED ON PAPER FOR HAPPINESS. wingman. On dating apps, my bio advertised, “I love my cat and cuddling.” I prefaced all conversations with the question, “Do you like cats?” The only prerequisite for the men I dated was that they met and loved Bootsie as much as I did. Meanwhile, I sought validation for my entire existence from men who saw me as only a sexual vessel. Because I believed I was unworthy of real love, I settled for scraps and self-harmed when I longed for more. I persuaded myself this was as good as it got. Yet after my heart had been shattered and I’d sobbed myself into a listless heap on my mattress, Bootsie would come sniff the tears plastered to my cheeks and arrange himself in a neat little loaf on top of me. Other times, he’d paw at the covers until I let him snuggle underneath. Sometimes I squeezed him so tightly to my chest that he’d start to whine and wiggle out of my grasp. Still, his unconditional love comforted me in the depths of my sorrow. I learned to live life one day at a time. I bought a light-therapy lamp when winter descended. I cried reading sad novels while Bootsie lapped water from my “Crazy Cat Lady” mug. I took him on 6 a.m. excursions to Kroger and on walks at Shelby Park. Over time, I discovered we’re both picky eaters, flighty and temperamental. We established a life together worth living for. Memories of my life up until a year ago are clouded by a hazy film. At 26, I’m wrestling with overwhelming regret for the time I’ve lost to the insatiable void of my depression, and the impaired choices I’ve made because of it. Though I’m hard on myself, Bootsie has never demanded I be someone I’m not. He gave me freedom and confidence to just be me, with all my messy emotions. He was my strength when I had none. Bootsie is now 10 years old, fighting dental and kidney disease. He doesn’t heal as quickly as other cats would, and he has to see the vet more often. Just as he’s been by my side through it all, I’m determined to cherish each moment I have left with him. Come January, we’ll be celebrating our fiveyear anniversary. Bootsie couldn’t care less, because … well, he’s a cat. But ours is by the far the best relationship I’ve ever had. EMAIL ARTS@NASHVILLESCENE.COM

NASHVILLE SCENE | DECEMBER 2 – DECEMBER 8, 2021 | nashvillescene.com

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books_1

BOOKS

THE THINGS THAT COME FOR US ALL Ann Patchett’s essays consider the gifts of life and the inevitability of death BY TINA CHAMBERS

ashville writer Ann Patchett’s second volume of essays, These Precious Days, is a grab bag of personable pieces drawn from Patchett’s life, infused with a perspective that is both down-to-earth and utterly singular. The unique sensibility Patchett brings to her essays is suggested by an exchange in the title piece: A friend, upon being told Patchett has been invited to interview Tom Hanks onstage in Washington, D.C., asks, “Do you even realize your life isn’t normal?” Normal or not, Patchett is a sharp-eyed observer of the world and a superb writer who is always good THESE PRECIOUS DAYS company on the BY ANN PATCHETT page. Those who HARPER pick up the book to 336 PAGES, $26.99 learn about her apPATCHETT WILL DISCUSS proach to her craft HER BOOK ONLINE or her love of books 6:30 P.M. TUESDAY, DEC. 7, VIA PARNASSUS will not be disapBOOKS. TICKETS AT pointed. Those who PARNASSUSBOOKS.NET. read to enjoy stories of deep friendship, complicated family ties and personal heroes will be touched and inspired. But everyone who opens These Precious Days will also be confronted by serious, universal themes, made even more resonant in this time of COVID-19: the abundant gifts of life and the tragedy of its inevitable end. For Patchett, the only rational response to both is grief in its time, certainly, followed close behind by gratitude and joy. The essays are sprinkled with surprising glimpses into her artistic process. Patchett does not begin to write until she knows how her story will end. She doesn’t work from outlines or notes, but plots out an entire novel in her head. “Remembering things is how I work,” she says in the book’s introduction. Once the writing begins, she doesn’t print successive drafts. When the Library of Congress requests her papers, she looks back over her body of work and admits, “I worked on one chapter, one page, one paragraph, a single sentence, over and over again until it was right, then I moved ahead. I made no record of any of that. I had nothing to collect.” In “Three Fathers,” Patchett writes lovingly about her birth father and two stepfathers — “My problems were never ones of scarcity,” she quips — and calls their appearance en masse at her sister’s wedding “the family equivalent of a total solar eclipse.” As Patchett manages to document the occasion with a photograph, her first stepfather informs the other two, “You know what she’s doing, don’t you? She’s going to wait until the three of us are dead and then she’s going to write about us. This is the picture that will run with the piece.” And it did

NASHVILLE JEWISH BOOK SERIES

DECEMBER - MAY 2021/2022

Alan Zweibel & Wayne Federman December 16 | 7pm

Francine Prose January 4 | 7pm

Melissa Gould & Zibby Owens February 4 | 7pm

Alyssa Rosenheck February 16 | 5:30pm

VIRTUAL

Qian Julie Wang March 3 | 7pm VIRTUAL Heather Cabot March 14 | 7pm VIRTUAL

Louie Kemp April 7 — in The New Yorker in 2020 and in this collection. Patchett goes on to say, “From each of the fathers I took the things I needed, and then I turned them into stories.” In other essays she considers stories of her childhood (“I was an uncomfortable child, a small adult biding my time”); friendships old and new; her deep love for her husband, Karl; and her heroes in literature and in life, including a lovely reminiscence of John Updike. The poignant “There Are No Children Here” focuses on her decision early in life to remain childless and the many ways she finds herself challenged for it over the years. “How I came not to care about other people’s opinions is something of a mystery even to me,” she states. “I was born with a compass. … This compass has been incalculably beneficial for writing — for everything really — and for that reason I take very good care of it.” One gets the impression that Ann Patchett is not a person easily blown off course. But Patchett is at her most eloquent when considering mortality, her own and others’ — most movingly the death from pancreatic cancer of her friend Sooki, who is immortalized in the title essay. In “Flight Plan,” when Patchett and her husband narrowly avoid a serious accident in the small plane he is piloting, she writes: “What I understood was that there was no keeping anyone safe — one person remembers to tip the nose up for the landing while the other person forgets to latch the door — and, in the end, it probably won’t be the nose tip or the door. It will be something infinitely more mundane. It will be life and time, the things that come for us all.” For more local book coverage, please visit Chapter16.org, an online publication of Humanities Tennessee. EMAIL ARTS@NASHVILLESCENE.COM

Jake Cohen May 15

TICKETS: NASHVILLEJCC.ORG/BOOK

Jewish Book Council

OPEN TO EVERYONE & Jewish Foundation OF NASHVILLE AND MIDDLE TENNESSEE

nashvillescene.com | DECEMBER 2 – DECEMBER 8, 2021 | NASHVILLE SCENE

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NASHVILLE SCENE | DECEMBER 2 – DECEMBER 8, 2021 | nashvillescene.com

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MUSIC

ANOTHER LOOK

The Scene’s music writers recommend recent releases from Daisha McBride, Hayes Carll, Hammock and more BY SETH GRAVES, EDD HURT, P.J. KINZER, LORIE LIEBIG, MEGAN SELING, STEPHEN TRAGESER, RON WYNN AND CHARLIE ZAILLIAN

s we roll into the final weeks of this unusual year, the array of outstanding releases from Nashville musicians continues. The holiday season is a great time to support your favorite musicians FIND LINKS TO STREAM AND by buying merch BUY THESE RECORDS AT or records. Our NASHVILLESCENE.COM/MUSIC writers have nine new releases to recommend, so add ’em to your streaming queue or get a physical copy from your favorite record store. Or put them on your wish list for #BandcampFriday, the promotion in which the platform waives its cut of artist fees on the first Friday of the month — the next installment of which is Dec. 3.

can Siren. Robinson explores the human complexities that are often hidden behind closed doors or forced smiles, from secret affairs born out of a discontented marriage (“If Trouble Comes a Lookin’ ”), the itch to attain supersized dreams (“Cheap Seats”) or the staggering loss of a loved one to suicide (“Hometown Hero”). American Siren elevates Robinson as one of Americana’s best storytellers, earning acclaim that is both well-deserved and long overdue. LORIE LIEBIG

TREVOR NIKRANT, TALL LADDERS (DEAR LIFE)

DAISHA McBRIDE, LET ME GET THIS OFF MY CHEST (THE RAP GIRL) Daisha McBride has consistently written from the heart, but the MC’s second full-length, Let Me Get This Off My Chest, reaches a new level of personal vulnerability. This record features her rhymes only — no guest appearances — and she swears for the first time on tape as she examines the hard-won lessons that come from romantic relationships that don’t work out. She looks at how difficult it can be to let someone go when it’s over (“Ur Free”), how important it is to feel like you can trust your partner (“Loyal”) and how gratifying it is to look inside yourself and see things you can feel good about once you’re on the other side of heartbreak (“Bounce Back”). STEPHEN

TRAGESER

EMILY SCOTT ROBINSON, AMERICAN SIREN (OH BOY) With two stellar full-length records already behind her, Emily Scott Robinson signed with John Prine’s Oh Boy Records to release her stunning, multifaceted Ameri-

HAYES CARLL, YOU GET IT ALL (DUALTONE) The quality of the readymade melodies that Hayes Carll favors on You Get It All suggests that Texas-to-Tennessee singersongwriterdom has always been about living large in a familiar space. Carll writes about moral relativism in “Any Other Way,” but you know he isn’t going to cross the line into true immorality or forget where he came from. Similarly, “To Keep From Being Found” finds him on the run in a universe where his transgressions are comic, not tragic. “To Keep” features my favorite bit of song poetry on You Get It All: Carll describes his motel telephone as “the one on which I’m not expecting any calls from home.” You Get It All also sports two beautiful pieces of music, “Help Me Remember” and “Leave It All Behind,” both of which get sentimental in ways that any good cowboy could endorse. EDD HURT

Styrofoam Winos songsmith Trevor Nikrant’s solo outing Tall Ladders is an eminently likable, sitting-on-the-stoop, watching-the-passing-scene affair. “Slow Notion,” a highlight of the nine-song set, is practically onomatopoeic, thanks to how perfectly its title matches its sound and feel. Even as Nikrant’s low, Lou Reed-meets-Calvin Johnson lilt invites the listener to meander into sonic wilderness, the music stays loosely organized in a quietly psychedelic fashion.

CHARLIE ZAILLIAN

KRISTEN FORD, WAR IN THE LIVING ROOM (WAXSIMILE PRODUCTIONS) On the Bandcamp page for her fifth studio album War in the Living Room, Kristen Ford describes the record as simply “indie rock.” But the 10-track album is so much more than that. It’s a journey through a whole heap of rock-adjacent genres and building blocks of rock, like R&B (“Lock Up My Heart”), contemporary alt-rock (“Grey Sky Blue”), folk (“Best Friends”), power pop (“Eastside”) and, yes, upbeat indie rock (“Condo,” made all the more interesting with distorted, textural swagger). Ford’s latest is even more notable for being co-produced by Brett Bullion and the one and only June Millington. Millington is a co-founder of the legendary ’70s rock band Fanny, which inspired The Go-Go’s and The Runaways and is also the namesake of East Nashville’s beloved music store Fanny’s House of Music. MEGAN SELING

PRIMEVAL WELL, TALKIN’ IN TONGUES WITH MOUNTAIN SPIRITS (MOONLIGHT CYPRESS ARCHETYPES) Dubbing Primeval Well a black metal band is too reductive — there’s a lot going on here. The band’s second offering, a follow-up to their self-titled 2019 cassette, opens with a hypnotic collage of chants and sounds that form a loose raga to guide sonic wanderers into the bleak Appalachian atmosphere. You descend into the record for several minutes before the first hint of screaming or blast beats. Primeval Well takes massive creative risks, entwining their black metal with melodies drawn from mountain music and blues to create a mystical Southern Gothic sound — a unique sound that’s as intriguing as it is ferocious.

P.J. KINZER HAMMOCK, ELSEWHERE (HAMMOCK MUSIC) For the past 15 years or so, the duo of Marc Byrd and Andrew Thompson, aka Hammock, has been well-loved around the world for its inventive and atmospheric compositions, some of which you heard in Nashville director Kogonada’s well-received 2017 film Columbus. The group’s latest, Elsewhere, like many COVID-era projects, was a remote collaboration using minimal equipment at each member’s home studio. Its soundscapes shimmer with throbbing swells of nebulous synth and sparse guitar

drones, simultaneously sounding expansive while taking up as little space as possible. These beat-bereft, lyric-less tracks wash over you with themes of isolation, escapism and solidarity. SETH GRAVES

PAT COIL TRIO, HOW DEEP IS THE OCEAN (BURTON AVENUE) Longtime studio pianist Pat Coil brings flair and elegance to his performances on his latest album, backed by bassist Jacob Jezioro and drummer Danny Gottlieb (who happens to be a founding member of Pat Metheny Group) . The trio executes these renditions of jazz standards and show tunes nicely, with Coil’s crisp melodic statements and engaging solos particularly noteworthy on the longer selections like “You Don’t Know What Love Is,” the intense “Prelude in E Minor,” and the delightful “Chelsea’s Dream.” The smoothness of the performance doesn’t take away from the technical acumen. The trio is a highly capable unit, and both Jezioro and Gottlieb prove nuanced soloists when given the spotlight. RON WYNN

HALFNOISE, MOTIF (CONGRATS) Zac Farro’s work for and with others has garnered a lot of attention: He’s a co-founder of Paramore, and in his role as a producer he helped Becca Mancari make her excellent 2020 album The Greatest Part. But his solo work, under the name HalfNoise, also stands out. The band’s debut album Motif is steeped in lush ’70s post-Beatles pop. While it’s not breaking new ground, it’s executed beautifully and in service of heartfelt songs about being in love and how you have to learn how that works by doing it — hear the closing number “Last Day on Earth,” which includes the refrain: “The young disbelievers / They’re young in love and everything else / They didn’t believe us / But then again I wouldn’t.” STEPHEN TRAGESER EMAIL MUSIC@NASHVILLESCENE.COM

nashvillescene.com | DECEMBER 2 – DECEMBER 8, 2021 | NASHVILLE SCENE

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MUSIC

THE GROOVE IS IN THE HEART

East Nashville record store The Groove remains determined to stay in place BY BRONTE LEBO

erty, they plan on immediately putting it on the market,” Combs tells the Scene. “And once a new buyer purchases it, we would then either have to vacate or try and rent it back from them, but we don’t think that would be an option.” The Groove could potentially relocate if they find a new property to rent, but Combs says that even though they’re actively searching, this option seems unlikely to pan out. He points to the current rental market in Nashville and the difference between updated rental comps and the rates they currently pay. Even with the limitations on space and parking at the current location, Combs and Cartwright host an array of events there every year, like Record Store Day concerts, benefit shows, signing events with artists and horror-movie nights around Halloween. They announced the news of the potential sale on Nov. 15, sharing the details of their situation on social media and launching a GoFundMe with a $500,000 goal. At press time, the total was above $16,000. “We didn’t want handouts, we just need help,” says Combs. “This whole thing is moving very fast. There’s a fast timeline, and the GoFundMe is only one part of that, because we are pursuing all available options to us, but we couldn’t wait till the last minute to start a GoFundMe.” At the same time, Combs and Cartwright are working with a broker, a real estate agent and a lawyer to explore other possible solutions that might allow the shop to stay open if they are unable to purchase the building.

PHOTO: BRANDON DE LA CRUZ

ven as they work to raise enough funds to purchase the property The Groove resides on, co-owners Michael Combs and Jesse Cartwright want their supporters to know they are “pursuing all options available” in their efforts to save the record store. The shop’s owners, who took over the longtime East Nashville staple from founders John Moore and Louis Charette in 2017, found out at the end of October that their landlord will be selling the Calvin Avenue building that has been The Groove’s home since 2010. Combs and Cartwright are certainly not the first to experience VISIT LINKTR.EE/THEGROOVENASHVILLE this challenge FOR LINKS TO THE CAMPAIGN AND — especially MORE in Nashville, where real estate prices have been skyrocketing for an extended period of time. Just this year, the property home to Exit/In changed hands, and the proprietors of the Mercy Lounge complex announced they would be looking for a new place to open up shop after their lease expires in 2022, making the future of those venues less certain. One key difference for The Groove, however, is that Combs and Cartwright have received the right of first refusal, giving them the opportunity to purchase the building before it goes up for sale. But this requires them to raise enough funds by the end of January, and the price is far beyond what they could afford on their own. “If we can’t and don’t purchase the prop-

“We’re not ready to say everything yet, but there are different scenarios for how this could work out,” Combs says. “Ultimately we’d love to be the sole owners of the building so this couldn’t happen to us again down the road, but there are other options as well.” Combs and Cartwright are committed to finding a way to keep The Groove open. The shop is one of a relatively small number of LGBTQowned record stores. As they said in their initial Instagram post: “We love that our customers can walk through the door and feel comfortable and welcome and appreciated. No judgment here, just music for all.” Since launching the GoFundMe and asking their community for help, Combs and Cartwright have received an outpouring of support, encouragement and donations that has only strengthened their resolve. “The response has been overwhelming in a great way,” says Combs. “We’ve had so many messages and comments and emails of support and love, and people determined that us buying the building is the only [acceptable outcome]. It makes saving The Groove even more important, because it’s an important piece of Nashville and East Nashville and the community.” As people continue to donate and spread the word, Combs also encourages supporters of the store to keep checking their social media for updates, as multiple fundraising events are currently in the works. “A lot of our friends are putting on benefit shows and pop-up shows and Twitch shows and things like that,” says Combs. “And as the dates start getting firmed up, we’ll start announcing them on our social media so people know.” EMAIL MUSIC@NASHVILLESCENE.COM

THE SPIN ONE FOR THE RABBITS BY SETH GRAVES

nce upon a time, it was a running joke for whoever was reviewing a show under our collective byline The Spin to arrive a bit late. I was a little early to The 5 Spot on Saturday evening, and found the place was already filled with an array of faces I don’t think I’ve seen in the same room since about 2011. That was when Own Side Now, the buzz-building debut full-length from Nashville’s widely loved cosmic-country diva Caitlin Rose, hit stores in the U.S. — close to a year after it was released overseas. A special 10th anniversary edition came out Oct. 1, and Rose and a band of ringers gathered us and a film crew at the longtime East Side watering hole to mark the occasion. Joining in was local-music stalwart Loney John Hutchins, who came onstage to introduce the opening act: his father, Loney Hutchins. On Dec. 10, choice cuts from a trove of demo recordings that the elder Hutchins sang on during his tenure on the staff of Johnny Cash’s House of Cash label will be released as a two-LP set called Buried Loot. With some encouragement and assistance from his son, Hutchins Sr. assembled a crack band and came out to play tunes from the album, some of which he said he hasn’t performed in public in 40 years. Dubbed The Nashville Suite, the band included Loney John on backing vocals, Luke Schneider on dobro, lap steel and banjo, Josh Halper on guitar, multifaceted keyboardist Micah Hulscher and drummer Nick Swafford, whom you’ll know from Teddy and the Rough Riders — plus other guests. Together, they belted raw, melodic tunes full of “outlaw era” hallmarks with slight psychedelic touches here and there. There were songs Hutchins Sr. wrote, others that he’d demoed for The Man in Black, and some favorite country classics like Hank Williams’ “Long Gone Lonesome Blues.” The elder Hutchins explained that some of the numbers were very autobiographical, regaling the packed house with stories of an older, less prosperous Nashville. He talked about his early days at Cash’s label and his roots in the far reaches of East Tennessee, near the holler where the Carter Family lived. There’s a lot to learn from people who came to Music City to build a life decades before the “It City” boom. Own Side Now marked a coming-of-age transformation for Rose — whose work under the name Save Macaulay the Band had a plucky folk-punk slant — and many of the musicians she had been working with for years around town. Rose’s nuanced songcraft and easygoing presence helped her quickly become something of a critical darling before the album even landed stateside. The praise kept coming after her 2013 follow-up The Stand-In, but she’s mostly kept out of the spotlight since. The main event on Saturday was one of Rose’s first full-band gigs in town in years, and it earned

NASHVILLE SCENE | DECEMBER 2 – DECEMBER 8, 2021 | nashvillescene.com

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MUSIC

HAPPY RETURNS: CAITLIN ROSE her a hero’s welcome. Rose kicked off the set with album opener “Learning to Ride,” accompanied by guitarist Jeremy Fetzer and keyboardist Skylar Wilson (who both played on the album), along with steel master Spencer Cullum, bassist Taylor Zachry and drummer Dom Billett. They proceeded to work their way through the whole ONLY THE LONEY: LONEY HUTCHINS album, touching on highlights like the Tristen co-write “New York,” the stirring “Sinful Rose — whose songs and co-writes you’ve Wishing Well” and the wistful titular tune probably heard many of, including Taylor “Own Side Now.” There was a little rust to Swift’s recently viral “All Too Well” — to the work out — false starts, misplaced capos, stage for a little assistance. It was tech help occasional forgotten lyrics — but Rose & Co. the younger Rose needed; after Liz helped handled it all like pros, in front of a threeher Google the lyrics to “T-Shirt,” Caitlin camera crew, no less. sent her back to the audience. Rose cracked wise about what was apNostalgia perhaps played some role in parently a questionable choice to don an allmaking this an enjoyable night. What I came polyester wardrobe, while Cullum brought away with was a reminder of the vibrant out his finest knee-slapping dad jokes to creative spirit that makes Music City work cover one extended spate of technical difat its best. In the wake of all that’s changed ficulties. It takes a fine-tuned performer to in the past decade, it feels sometimes like make stage banter as engaging, funny and it’s a little harder to find. Though you might vulnerable as their songs. have to look in some new places or look a Before closing out the show, Rose hinted little differently than you did before, it’s still at a finished album of new material. She also here and strong as ever. brought her mom, renowned songwriter Liz EMAIL THESPIN@NASHVILLESCENE.COM

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KELSEY WALDON & FRIENDS // DEC 6

DELTA RAE // DEC 7

JASON BOLAND & THE STRAGGLERS // DEC 8

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SHE'S A REBEL CHRISTMAS SHOW // DEC 11

JULIAN LAGE // DEC 12

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dec 10 Dec 11 Dec 12 Dec 14 Dec 16 dec 18 Dec 19 dec 20 dec 28 dec 29 dec 30

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FILM

PRIMAL STREAM 72

INTERNATIONAL SKYLINE

Political propaganda, a horrorcinema survey and legacy laughs, now available to stream — and see in theaters

Thematic diversity remains a key element for this year’s virtual International Black Film Festival BY RON WYNN

hroughout its history, the International Black Film Festival of Nashville has emphasized thematic diversity, with productions spotlighting multiple aspects of the Black experience, both naINTERNATIONAL BLACK tionally and abroad. FILM FESTIVAL ONLINE, It has also provided DEC. 2-5 an opportunity for inIBFFEVENTS.COM dependent filmmakers to showcase their offerings. The annual festival presents seminars and workshops, gives audiences access to top productions that aren’t always on the radar of mainstream media, and offers advice, counsel and information about the process and business of filmmaking to newcomers. This year marks IBFF’s 16th anniversary, and a couple of things are different. Due to the lingering impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s festival has moved from its traditional September launch date. It begins Dec. 2 and continues through Dec. 5, and will be held virtually. Each day IBFF will provide a playlist of not only films, but also live and prerecorded panels. There will also be daily intimate conversations, Q&As after shorts, and expanded interviews following features with directors conducted by festival hosts Andre Minkins, Bryan Kent Wallace and Christie Taylor. The lineup includes a strong mix of titles,

NUN THE WISER

Verhoeven’s latest is all fiery suffering BY NADINE SMITH

he films of Paul Verhoeven are almost entirely synonymous with controversy — the hyperviolence of RoboCop, the erotic intrigue of Basic Instinct, the entire existence of Showgirls. Since he returned to filmmaking with 2016’s Elle, Verhoeven has continued to embrace deliberately complicated themes, and the subject matter of Benedetta, his latest, is particularly thorny. Emphasis on thorn, because Benedetta — based loosely on a true story and set during the 17th century, while the second plague pandemic and the Roman Catholic faith were at their most unsparing — is all about the violence that can often be bound up in faith, embodied in the image of the crucifixion. At an early age, the unusually gifted Benedetta is given by her wealthy parents to a convent. But unlike places of worship so often depicted in film, the nunnery is hardly a refuge, BENEDETTA but rather a place of R, 131 MINUTES; IN commerce. As nuns are FRENCH AND LATIN WITH considered “brides of ENGLISH SUBTITLES Christ,” they are quite OPENING WEDNESDAY, literally expected to pay a DEC. 8, AT THE BELCOURT

BY JASON SHAWHAN

UPROOTED: THE JOURNEY OF JAZZ DANCE with eight hours of documentaries, including long and short films, and another eight hours of narrative films, also both long and short offerings. “One thing that we wanted to emphasize this year was content diversity as opposed to necessarily picking out a specific theme for the festival,” says IBFF media representative Tana McDonald. “But some areas that are covered by individual films include social justice themes, coming of age, political activism, health, careers, relationships and family.” Among the many notable films being presented are three extraordinary documentaries. Tarabu Betserai Kirkland’s 100 Years From Mississippi documents the return of her mother Mamie Lynn Kirkland to Ellisville, Miss., a century after she and her family were forced to flee due to racist violence that claimed the life of a close family friend. The memories of the 111-year-old matriarch about that night and other experiences living in the early-20th-century Jim Crow South resonate through this 60-minute work. Mr. Emancipation: The Walter Perry Story is Preston Chase’s cinematic look at Canadian Walter Perry, who spearheaded

dowry, and as the abbess (Charlotte Rampling) makes clear, God has room for only the highest bidders. Eighteen years pass as the now-adult Benedetta (Virginie Efira) has devoted her life to worship and service. When Bartolomea (Daphne Patakia) arrives at the doors of the convent, looking for a way out from a deeply abusive household, she finds them firmly shut — until Benedetta insists on paying her way. The two are clearly beguiled by one another, the sexual tension growing like only a sin kept in sworn secrecy can. During a passion play, Benedetta sees the image of Christ, a strapping young man guiding over a flock of sheep, beckoning her to join him and give herself fully to him. Soon, she is beset by even more visions, but they grow progressively twisted, what some might call blasphemous, as her fantasies of Christ grow not just more sexual but more violent. In one manifestation, she is attacked by a gang of marauders, only for Jesus to appear on a horse, dispatching her attackers with a sword in an almost Monty Python-level display of cartoon blood and loss of limb. The absurdity of the vision quickly falls away as Benedetta’s savior reveals himself not to be Christ, but a false idol, who assaults Benedetta and tortures her. After several nights of agony and inexplicable illness, Benedetta develops the signs of the stigmata: the wounds of the crucifixion, viewed as a miracle and sign of instant sainthood by the people of the time. While some fully believe the miracle and are desperate to anoint Benedetta the new abbess — in part because having a saint in your town is good for business — others have doubts, and the convent

celebrations of the holiday Juneteenth in Canada decades before it became a federal holiday in America. June 19, 1865, is the date the Emancipation Proclamation finally took effect in Texas thanks to the presence of federal troops, marking the official end of slavery across the nation — even though Lincoln had officially issued the proclamation in January of 1863. Khadifa Wong’s Uprooted: The Journey of Jazz Dance explores the titular art form’s history, combining vintage footage with recollections from experts in New York, Los Angeles, Paris, London and across Canada. Along with the films, there will be two panels per day — one beginning at 11 and running past noon, and a second from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Some subjects discussed will include dispelling myths about the viability of Black creative projects, new frontiers for independent film distribution and creative possibilities in films for costume design. Passes may be purchased for single films, panels or the entire festival. Visit ibffevents.com for a complete schedule and more. EMAIL ARTS@NASHVILLESCENE.COM

and town around it quickly tear themselves asunder. The intimacy Benedetta and Bartolomea share soon blackens like a festering wound, as Benedetta grows convinced of her holy powers and begins to coerce Bartolomea. When their secret is revealed and persecution begins, they are driven apart not just by the tortures of the inquisition, but by Benedetta’s genuine love of God — for her, there is no separating carnal sexuality from worship. Bartolomea wants to lose herself in Benedetta, while Benedetta is devoted to martyrdom, and wants to lose herself in her belief. While some might come to Benedetta expecting a forbidden queer romance along the lines of Portrait of a Lady on Fire, the truth of the film is much gnarlier. Verhoeven is considerably more interested in the rotting reality of 17th-century life and Christian faith at the time, in mixing the sacred and the profane, than he is in exploring human tenderness or connection. This is a world where love is little, and pus and bile and shit are plenty. For Verhoeven, who is actually a published author on the life and times of the historical Jesus Christ, the symbols of faith are not just the cross or the steeple, but self-flagellation of plagueinflicted monks and sickening torture devices. Verhoeven is interested in historical fidelity more than most filmmakers, but his surreal and often demented visions, riddled with plague and pestilence, feel more like the Book of Revelation than a period piece. In fact, you might say that Benedetta is a film made through Old Testament eyes: All flesh is fallen, all the world is filth, and the only way out is fiery suffering. EMAIL ARTS@NASHVILLESCENE.COM

elow are my thoughts on a couple of titles now available to stream — along with one you’ll have to trek out to theaters to catch. As always, look back at past issues of the Scene for more recommendations.

MAYOR PETE ON AMAZON PRIME VIDEO Watching Mayor Pete is a journey. It’s a typical political propaganda piece (we get documentaries/fundraising motivators like this all the time) enlivened by the fact that its subject is one of the highestprofile LGBTQ people in American politics — as opposed to Kyrsten Sinema, who is the highest-profile LGBTQ stunt queen in terms of selling out, betraying everything she once stood for and embodying all the worst stereotypes about bisexuals on a national scale. What sticks in your head from this Pete Buttigieg doc is the portrait of a gay man who lived a

Melissa Manchester song from a very early age, keeping it inside, learning how to hide his feelings and becoming a model American son. (For a great exploration of this mentality in a fictional context, Michael Fassbender’s David/Walter in Prometheus and Alien: Covenant are essential.) My initial rage at this film — both for how America makes its queer children conceal themselves and for how filmmaker Jesse Moss doesn’t delve into some of the more difficult questions of Buttigieg (his work at consultancy firm McKinsey never comes up) — has receded over the intervening couple of weeks, leaving a numbness. It’s like everything else these days, where the fire of the initial response becomes the faint scar of whatever. The film does depict the stranglehold the donor class has over domestic legislation, and you could make a drinking game for every time someone begs Buttigieg to be more passionate. But it’s hard to feel strongly one way or the other, especially when its depictions of the run-up to the 2020 election ultimately just don’t matter. We’ve still got the filibusters, the treading water, the maddening stasis and ongoing congressional stalemate. But you do get to see something normally kept hidden from the eyes of straight people, and that’s two gay men having carbs. Also, drag potatoes are something that needs to happen regularly.

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FILM IN SEARCH OF DARKNESS II ON SHUDDER In the followup to the 2019 documentary In Search of Darkness, this ramshackle survey of ’80s horror cinema smooths the operation. In Search of Darkness II broadens the panel of contributors and includes some genuinely weird titles — and that one guy from the first one is nowhere to be found — serving up 263 minutes of horror history. It’s still a weird concept, but one that sustains itself decently enough (and Part III is surely on its way). There’s no thesis at all, nor is there any sort of objective other than to point out the breadth and expansive possibilities of horror films in the 1980s. There’s a certain paradoxical vibe animating it all: This could be a great Whitman’s Sampler of the myriad terrors operating during that decade for anyone looking to get a cursory introduction to the genre and its era, but it so freely utilizes iconic scenes, plot points and kills that it spoils the experience for anyone who doesn’t already know these works and the magic they wield. Also, it’s almost fourand-a-half hours long, and there are many adjectives one can use in reference to that, but “cursory” is not one of them. It’s pleasant and diverting enough for anyone who loves and appreciates the genre, but it’s not the overview it probably was initially meant to be.

GHOSTBUSTERS: AFTERLIFE IN THEATERS This was always going to be interesting — I’ve read the entire continuum of responses to Ghostbusters: Afterlife, from “this is a big hug that provides temporary reassurance to nerves frazzled by the past 40 years” to “this is a panoply of necrophilia,” and that is truly a wide expanse of opinion. I like the 1984 original and the 2016 reworking just fine, and I recall having a good time watching

And while there are a few laughs strewn throughout this new installment, the tone skews far more toward strained awe than the comic anarchy of its progenitor. The vibe is very much nostalgia for a memory rather than an evocation for anything concrete. When the youths watch a YouTube video of the old Ghostbusters ad from 1984, even digitized for streaming, its filmic grain shines through, feeling more real than the entire film around it. It’s the anchor for all that which is Ghostbuster, and it occupies tenuous space in the narrative. For a significant amount of its runtime, Afterlife is about confronting the legacy of absent dads. In this case, the absent dad is Ghostbuster and scientist Egon Spengler (the late Harold Ramis), whose silent death at the beginning compels his estranged daughter (Carrie Coon, because why not) and her two kids (a son played by Stranger Things’ Finn Wolfhard, who makes very little impression, and an amateur-scientist daughter displaying some autistic tendencies played by McKenna Grace, who should absolutely play young Madonna in the artist’s forthcoming biopic). The family decamps to a conception of rural Oklahoma (played by Alberta, Canada) to reclaim Egon’s ramshackle home and farmhouse. Yes, the film is also a reckoning with the influence of the original film, though the effort that gets made — because this is a Hollywood film, despite the Canadian creatives in the driver’s seat of the first one — is to open up the clubhouse to girls rather than to find a way to address the toxic possessive disorder that started all that shit about the reboot on the internet back in 2016. Paul Rudd is around, as a seismologist with quality amounts of curiosity and low-

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GHOSTBUSTERS: AFTERLIFE the 1989 sequel the first time around with family and then at some point in the Aughts with friends, though that one just isn’t a perennial rewatch. Afterlife is a legacy sequel, which means there’s a semi-spoken reverence to the original film as a sacred text — even more so the assorted devices and Elmer Bernstein music cues, which are afforded a solemnity like a leather enthusiast donning their very first harness. Say what you will about the politics and ideology of the inciting film (the Ghostbusters exploit Janine and Winston financially, and you can draw a through line from the movie’s raucous Reaganomics to today’s shredded and ineffectual EPA, which makes the final post-credits scene all the more staggering). But the overarching ethos was that everything is a foundation for a laugh.

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level horny charm. He delivers exposition in a way that seems both enthusiastic and unobtrusive, and he’s doing his best — he also delivers one moment that completely short-circuits the film’s spell with an unexpected sprawl. Grace makes the best impression, finding the character moments in a role equal parts star and cipher. But honestly, as exhaustingly pleasant and inessential and loud and ultimately constrained as the film ultimately shakes out, I wondered why it all felt so empty. And why the whole thing only came alive during the polymorphous horrors of the mini Stay Puft Marshmallow folk. (The original was truly an enby icon, and this film delights in the little ones’ destruction.) And where was the iconic Slavitza Jovan? EMAIL ARTS@NASHVILLESCENE.COM

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www.rockylawfirm.com LEGALS Non-Resident Notice Fourth Circuit Docket No. 21A61

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JACQUELINE TERESA CURCIO vs. NANCY ANN BIRD In this cause it appearing to the satisfaction of the Court that the defendant is a non-resident of the State of Tennessee, therefore the ordinary process of law cannot be served upon NANCY ANN BIRD. It is ordered that said Defendant enter HER appearance herein with thirty (30) days after December 2, 2021 same being the date of the last publication of this notice to be held at the Metropolitan Circuit Court located at 1 Public Square, Room 302, Nashville, Tennessee, and defend or default will be taken on January 3, 2022. It is therefore ordered that a copy of this Order be published for four (4) weeks succession in the Nashville Scene, a newspaper published in Nashville.

In this cause it appearing to the satisfaction of the Court that the defendant is a non-resident of the State of Tennessee, therefore the ordinary process of law cannot be served upon NANCY ANN BIRD. It is ordered that said Defendant enter HER appearance herein with thirty (30) days after December 2, 2021 same being the date of the last publication of this notice to be held at the Metropolitan Circuit Court located at 1 Public Square, Room 302, Nashville, Tennessee, and defend or default will be taken on January 3, 2022. It is therefore ordered that a copy of this Order be published for four (4) weeks succession in the Nashville Scene, a newspaper published in Nashville. Richard R. Rooker, Clerk L. Chappell, Deputy Clerk Date: November 4, 2021 Jennifer L.E. Williams Attorney for Plaintiff NSC 11/11,11/18,11/25, 12/2/21 Non-Resident Notice Third Circuit Docket No. 21D1139 JESSE LEE WALL vs. OSCAR FERNANDEZ ERQUICIA In this cause it appearing to the satisfaction of the Court that the defendant is a non-resident of the State of Tennessee, therefore the ordinary process of law cannot be served upon OSCAR FERNANDEZ ERQUICIA. It is ordered that said Defendant enter HIS appearance herein with thirty (30) days after December 2, 2021 same being the date of the last publication of this notice to be held at the Metropolitan Circuit Court located at 1 Public Square, Room 302, Nashville, Tennessee, and defend or default will be taken on January 3, 2022. It is therefore ordered that a copy of this Order be published for four (4) weeks succession in the Nashville Scene, a newspaper published in Nashville. Richard R. Rooker, Clerk L. Chappell, Deputy Clerk Date: November 4, 2021 L.R. DEMARCO Attorney for Plaintiff

Scene, a newspaper published in Nashville.

vs. NICOLAS GARCIA PEREZ

Richard R. Rooker, Clerk L. Chappell, Deputy Clerk Date: November 4, 2021

L.R. DEMARCO Attorney for Plaintiff NSC 11/11,11/18,11/25, 12/2/21 Non-Resident Notice Fourth Circuit Docket No. 21A61 JACQUELINE TERESA CURCIO vs. JAMES LEWIS TRACEY, SR In this cause it appearing to the satisfaction of the Court that the defendant is a non-resident of the State of Tennessee, therefore the ordinary process of law cannot be served upon JAMES LEWIS TRACEY, SR. It is ordered that said Defendant enter HIS appearance herein with thirty (30) days after December 2, 2021 same being the date of the last publication of this notice to be held at the Metropolitan Circuit Court located at 1 Public Square, Room 302, Nashville, Tennessee, and defend or default will be taken on January 3, 2022. It is therefore ordered that a copy of this Order be published for four (4) weeks succession in the Nashville Scene, a newspaper published in Nashville. Richard R. Rooker, Clerk L. Chappell, Deputy Clerk Date: November 4, 2021 Jennifer L.E. Williams Attorney for Plaintiff NSC 11/11,11/18,11/25, 12/2/21

Non-Resident Notice Fourth Circuit Docket No. 21D1177 KARLA YESENIA GARCIA vs. NICOLAS GARCIA PEREZ In this cause it appearing to the satisfaction of the Court that the defendant is a non-resident of the State of Tennessee, therefore the ordinary process of law cannot be served upon NICOLAS GARCIA PEREZ. It is ordered that said Defendant enter HIS appearance herein with thirty (30) days after December 16, 2021 same being the date of the last publication of this notice to be held at the Metropolitan Circuit Court located at 1 Public Square, Room 302, Nashville, Tennessee, and defend or default will be taken on January 17th, 2022. It is therefore ordered that a copy of this Order be published for four (4) weeks succession in the Nashville Scene, a newspaper published in Nashville.

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Richard R. Rooker, Clerk L. Chappell, Deputy Clerk Date: November 4, 2021 Jennifer L.E. Williams Attorney for Plaintiff

Richard R. Rooker, Clerk L. Chappell Deputy Clerk Date: November 18, 2021 Morgan E. Smith Attorney for Plaintiff

be taken on January 17th, 2022. It is therefore ordered that a copy of this Order be published for four (4) weeks succession in the Nashville Scene, a newspaper published in Nashville. Richard R. Rooker, Clerk L. Chappell Deputy Clerk Date: November 18, 2021 D. Scott Parsley Attorney for Plaintiff NSC 11/25,12/2,12/9,12/16/2021

EMPLOYMENT Software Integration Engineer (#R23082) & Analytics Product Owner (#R23483) in Nashville, TN. Can work remotely. Mail resume: Change Healthcare Technologies, LLC, Attn: Dale Lineberry, REQ #R23082 or #R23483, 5995 Windward Pkwy, Alpharetta, GA 30005.

NSC 11/25,12/2,12/9,12/16/2021 Non-Resident Notice Fifth Circuit Docket No. 20D1696 TANESHA TUCKER vs. JOSE ANTONIO PAGEN JR. In this cause it appearing to the satisfaction of the Court that the defendant is a non-resident of the State of Tennessee, therefore the ordinary process of law cannot be served upon JOSE ANTONIO PAGEN, JR.. It is ordered that said Defendant enter HIS appearance herein with thirty (30) days after December 16, 2021 same being the date of the last publication of this notice to be held at the Metropolitan Circuit Court located at 1 Public Square, Room 302, Nashville, Tennessee, and defend or default will be taken on January 17th, 2022. It is therefore ordered that a copy of this Order be published for four (4) weeks succession in the Nashville Scene, a newspaper published in Nashville.

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Nashville is a diverse city, and we want a pool of freelance contributors who reflect that diversity. We’re looking for new freelancers, and we particularly want to encourage writers of color & LGBTQ writers to pitch us.

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