Nashville Scene 4-8-21 by FW Publishing

APRIL 8–14, 2021 I VOLUME 40 I NUMBER 10 I NASHVILLESCENE.COM I FREE

INSIDE: CAMP GUIDE

CITY LIMITS: ODESSA KELLY LAUNCHES CONGRESSIONAL PRIMARY BID PAGE 6

MUSIC: REVISITING THE BEST RELEASES OF NASHVILLE’S 2000s UNDERGROUND PAGE 32

It’s kitten season, and Nashville’s trap-neuter-return advocates are up to the task of controlling the population of community cats BY ERICA CICCARONE

cover_4-8-21.indd 1

4/5/21 5:59 PM

NASHVILLE SCENE | APRIL 8 – APRIL 14, 2021 | nashvillescene.com

CONTENTS

APRIL 8, 2021

Odessa Kelly Takes Aim at Cooper ‘Dynasty’ in Congressional Primary Bid ...6

Monday Morning Nudes

CITY LIMITS

The national group behind ‘The Squad’ taps local nonprofit leader, longtime community center director to lead off 2022 efforts BY STEPHEN ELLIOTT

NPL TCB ......................................................7 After a year of adapting, the Nashville Public Library partially resumes in-person services

VODKA YONIC

On getting naked for art and myself BY KIM BALDWIN

BOOKS

The Land of Missing Things

Pith in the Wind .........................................7

In C Pam Zhang’s debut novel, orphaned siblings struggle to survive in the unforgiving American West

This week on the Scene’s news and politics blog

BY SEAN KINCH AND CHAPTER 16

Strays at Large

Through Lines: It’s a New Age ................ 32

BY LENA MAZEL

COVER STORY

MUSIC

It’s kitten season, and Nashville’s trapneuter-return advocates are up to the task of controlling the population of community cats

Considering local releases that marked an explosion of local scenes in the 2000s

BY ERICA CICCARONE

Duffy Jackson, 1953-2021 .................... 33

Looking back at the life of the stellar jazz drummer

The Scene’s live-review column checks out a livestream by The Minks

CAMP GUIDE

CRITICS’ PICKS Go to the Spring Flamingle at the Nashville Zoo, rent 2021’s Oscar-nominated short films via the Belcourt, join at Home: Nashville Murals + Pizza, binge The Real World: Homecoming on Paramount+, check out Lost Nashville from Found Movement and Kindling Arts Fest, watch the 3D martial arts epic Dynasty on Blu-ray, try a virtual escape adventure with The Escape Game Nashville and more

William Edmondson, Lake Providence and Nashville’s Forgotten History Metro Public Health Sets Aside Vaccination Appointments for Hospitality Workers Regal Cinemas Reopens Opry Mills Location ON THE COVER:

Loulou Photo by Eric England

BY RON WYNN

The Spin ................................................... 34 BY CHARLIE ZAILLIAN

35 FILM

Primal Stream 49 ................................... 35 Odenkirk as badass, Eric Andre as chaos agent and more, now available to watch BY JASON SHAWHAN

Tradition!.................................................. 36 Emma Seligman’s Shiva Baby is nerveracking, funny and painful

Bringle All the Way

BY NATHAN SMITH

Pitmaster Carey Bringle’s new book contains everything you need to know for barbecuing season

BY MARGARET LITTMAN

Exit/In Property Under Contract: Business Owners Launch GoFundMe Campaign

COMPILED BY TRACY MOORE

BY CRAIG D. LINDSEY

FOOD AND DRINK

THIS WEEK ON THE WEB:

The Sky Above ......................................... 36 Sky Hopinka’s new documentary depicts indigenous life from a unique perspective

NEW YORK TIMES CROSSWORD

MARKETPLACE

Call for take-out!

Authentic Mexican Cuisine & Bakery...Side by Side!

615-669-8144 PanaderiayPasteleriaLopez

nashvillescene.com

615-865-2646 TacosyMariscosLindoMexico

917A Gallatin Pike S, Madison, TN nashvillescene.com | APRIL 8 – APRIL 14, 2021 | NASHVILLE SCENE

contents_4-8-21.indd 3

4/5/21 5:36 PM

PET OF THE WEEK!

FROM BILL FREEMAN

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

Adopt. Bark. Meow. Microchip. Neuter. Spay.

OPEN FOR BROWSING & CURBSIDE PICKUP @parnassusbooks1 @parnassusbooks @parnassusbooks1

UPCOMING VIRTUAL EVENTS THURSDAY APR 8 6:00PM FACEBOOK LIVE with HANNAH CARMONA & ANNA CUNHA Anita and the Dragons 7:00PM VIRTUAL EVENT with BRANDI CARLILE & DOLLY PARTON Broken Horses

MONDAY APR 12 6:00PM FACEBOOK LIVE with C PAM ZHANG How Much of These Hills Is Gold

TUESDAY APR 13 6:00PM FACEBOOK LIVE with CHRISTOPHER BEHA The Index of Self-Destructive Acts

WEDNESDAY APR 14 6:00PM FACEBOOK LIVE with ANDREW FEILER A Better Life for Their Children

GET TICKETS & LEARN MORE AT PARNASSUSBOOKS.NET/EVENT 3900 Hillsboro Pike Suite 14 | Nashville, TN 37215 (615) 953-2243 Shop online at parnassusbooks.net

PHOTO: VANDERBILT ATHLETICS

HI FRIENDS! My name is Orion. I’m a 2 year old cuddly boy whose favorite thing is to be close to you after a long day at work when you’re relaxing on the couch. I walk great on a leash, am house trained, crate trained, and like making new doggie friends! Sometimes, it can be a bit intimidating when meeting new people -but- my foster mom has found that if I meet people outside and then they come inside with me it’s better compared to meeting them inside first. So I’m learning! But I’m a people pleaser anyway. Like I’ll do ANYTHING for a yummy treat. I listen to commands really well and am very smart/attentive! Can’t wait to meet you and show you how great I am! How pawfect does he sound? If you’re thinking ORION is the puppers for me... Please email it to foster@nashvillehumane.org with the subject line “INTERESTED IN ORION”

VANDERBILT STADIUM

VANDERBILT IS RAISING $300 MILLION FOR ATHLETICS. WILL YEARS OF PROMISES BE FULFILLED? Vanderbilt University has launched a $300 million campaign to fund all things athletic, which will include a new football operations center, a basketball operations center, an indoor football practice facility, expanding the McGugin Center and upgrading the stadium fan experience. This is the most ambitious campaign in Vanderbilt athletics history. The “quiet phase” of the campaign launched in the fall, and Vanderbilt already has $200 million toward its goal. The university committed $100 million, and donors — led by a $10 million gift from John Ingram — have committed another $100 million. There is no doubt in my mind that every Vandy fan out there is excited about this news. Previous chancellors prioritized the need for more classroom and research facilities or student dormitories ahead of athletic facilities or upgrades. Understandable — but I’ve always felt both could be accomplished. Vanderbilt’s new chancellor and vice chancellor seem to agree. Chancellor Daniel Diermeier was hired early in 2020, and in July — before he even arrived on campus — he promoted Candice Storey Lee to athletics director. Both have committed solidly to this campaign, and the results of their determination are already showing up. It appears that construction on the football and basketball operation centers will begin at the conclusion of the 2021 football season. As part of the effort to meet campaign goals, Lee has moved the National Commodore Club — the school’s primary fundraiser for athletics — back to the McGugin Center, placed NCC executive director Mark Carter’s office directly across from her own as a symbol of her personal dedication to fundraising, and added Kristine Kelly and Tommy McClelland as deputy athletic directors, according to The Tennessean. McClelland hails from Louisiana Tech and specializes in fundraising. I’d note that the $100 million already committed says they’re off to an incredible start. Vanderbilt, as the only private school in the Southeastern Conference, must

look outside the SEC to find comparable institutions to gauge itself against — schools like Stanford University in the Pac-12 or Northwestern University in the Big Ten. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Diermeier has worked for both. But this campaign is not necessarily solely about emulating other schools — it is about the commitment of Vanderbilt’s leaders working to provide student-athletes the best facilities possible and the best experience possible. “It must start with addressing the student-athletes’ needs,” Lee told The Tennessean. “We think, obviously, [players’ and fans’ experiences] are both important. But the reality is that building up the infrastructure for our student-athletes, that has to be the priority.” Lee added, however, that fans “deserve this investment” and that the plan is to “improve the fan experience with tangible upgrades starting in Vanderbilt Stadium.” There is talk of premium seating and a new hospitality space; more information and renderings of the first phase of facility projects will be released this summer. After years of former chancellors talking about upgrades for athletics, Diermeier is putting the university’s money to work and, with Lee’s help, making it happen. Longtime promises are finally being fulfilled, and the new chancellor promises this is “just the beginning of a longer journey.” Competing in the SEC is intense, and Lee has said the changes will help give Vanderbilt athletes what they need most in order to be successful. She said Vandy will have made an appropriate investment for who they are, and added: “We’ve got to maximize what we have. It does not mean that we don’t pay attention to what other schools are doing. We’re in a competitive environment, but we can win [by] being our very best.” I agree. This ambitious campaign and its benefits may be what narrows the gap between Vanderbilt and other SEC schools. Vandy fans are waiting to see how it all turns out.

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 Stephen Elliott, Nancy Floyd, Steven Hale, Kara Hartnett, J.R. Lind, 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, Geoffrey Himes, Edd Hurt, Jennifer Justus, Christine Kreyling, Katy Lindenmuth, Craig D. Lindsey, Brittney McKenna, Marissa R. Moss, Noel Murray, Joe Nolan, Chris Parton, Betsy Phillips, John Pitcher, Margaret Renkl, Megan Seling, Jason Shawhan, Michael Sicinski, Ashley Spurgeon, Amy Stumpfl, Kay West, Abby White, Andrea Williams, Cy Winstanley, Ron Wynn, Charlie Zaillian Editorial Intern Diana Leyva 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 Promotions Coordinator Caroline Poole Publisher Mike Smith Senior Advertising Solutions Managers Maggie Bond, Sue Falls, Michael Jezewski, Carla Mathis, Heather Cantrell Mullins, Jennifer Trsinar, Keith Wright Advertising Solutions Manager Jeremy Aparicio, Olivia Bellon, William Shutes, Niki Tyree Sales Operations Manager Chelon Hill Hasty Advertising Solutions Associates Aya Robinson, Price Waltman 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

Copyright©2020, 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.

In memory of Jim Ridley, editor 2009-2016

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 | APRIL 8 – APRIL 14, 2021 | nashvillescene.com

letter_4-8-21.indd 4

4/5/21 4:23 PM

We endure. We share. We persevere. Online exhibition N2020: Community Reﬂections showcases work by local Nashville artists in response to historic events and challenges the city faced throughout 2020. Photographers, choreographers, dancers, musicians, videographers and spoken-word artists establish common ground in creative expression—not just to offer insight, but to support change. See work that reﬂects on 2020 and considers paths forward.

Organized by the Frist Art Museum, with guest curator Woke3

View the online exhibition at FristArtMuseum.org/N2020 Downtown Nashville, 919 Broadway, Nashville, TN 37203 | @FristArtMuseum | #WithN2020

Supported in part by

The Frist Art Museum is supported in part by

Keep3. Gone with the Wind, March 3, 2020. Photograph. Courtesy of the artist. © Keep3 | Twigz (feat. J. Reggaerica). Field Work, 2020. Video. Courtesy of the artist. © Twigz | DaShawn Lewis, 4th Ave. N. and APRIL 8 – APRIL 14,artist. 2021 © | DaShawn Deaderick St., June 4, 5:31 p.m., 2020. Photograph. Courtesy of the artist. © DaShawn Lewis | DaShawn Lewis, In Memory Of, June 15, 6:39 p.m., 2020. Photograph.|Courtesy of the nashvillescene.com NASHVILLELewis SCENE

FC003526_Mrr_N2020_NashvilleScene_10.75x12.5.indd 1

4/1/21 11:49 AM

CITY LIMITS

ODESSA KELLY TAKES AIM AT COOPER ‘DYNASTY’ IN CONGRESSIONAL PRIMARY BID

The national group behind ‘The Squad’ taps local nonprofit leader, longtime community center director to lead off 2022 efforts

dessa Kelly is greeted like a celebrity at the Napier Community Center. The kids playing basketball in the gym call out to “Miss Odessa” and run over to give her fist bumps. Adult supervisors offer hugs. It’s been more than a year since the 39-year-old left her job at this Metro facility to serve as the full-time executive director of Stand Up Nashville, a community engagement and social justice nonprofit organization she co-founded. But “Miss Odessa” is still a familiar face at the community center, and she says the kids who use that nickname are the ones who inspired her to take her next step: running for Congress against longtime U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper (D-Nashville). “We’re going to run a bold campaign,” Kelly says. “This campaign is about Nashville. It’s about telling a story about Nashville that most people don’t get to hear. It’s about telling a story about everyday, hardworking people who have something to say.” Kelly announced her primary bid Monday morning with the backing of Justice Democrats, the national organization that helped elevate “The Squad” — a group of left-wing insurgents including Alexandria OcasioCortez and Ayanna Pressley who won election to the House of Representatives in 2018. Kelly is Justice Democrats’ first endorsed candidate for the 2022 cycle. “There’s a new generation of Democrats who are coming up from the bottom of the party who are younger, more diverse, more progressive and have public service or community leadership experience, and we need more in Congress,” says Waleed Shahid, a spokesperson for Justice Democrats. “She is the exact kind of person we need to see more of in the Democratic Party and in Congress.” Kelly would be the first Black woman to represent Tennessee in Washington. She would also be the first openly gay Black woman to serve in Congress. Shahid says Justice Democrats will provide small-dollar donor and volunteer infrastructure and, perhaps most importantly, “a progressive seal of approval.” All of that, he says, is necessary to help Kelly take on “a dynasty” — Cooper is the son of a former governor of Tennessee and the brother of Nashville’s current mayor, John Cooper. Progressives in Nashville have been organizing on Jim Cooper’s left flank since before his 2020 re-election. Then, allied

organizations supporting initiatives like the Green New Deal and Medicare for All coalesced behind the primary challenge of Keeda Haynes, a former public defender who secured nearly 40 percent of the Democratic primary vote in her unsuccessful quest to unseat Cooper. Many of those groups are still at it. About two dozen people gathered outside Cooper’s downtown Nashville office on Friday to call on the lawmaker to get behind various climate change, policing and health care proposals. “I don’t think he’s done enough,” says Audrey Tesi of Black Lives Matter Nashville. “I’ve seen him provide some statements, but those are empty statements. It’s not enough to say, ‘I hear and see you and I empathize with you.’ That does not provide materially effective change for the Black community.” Cooper has long been known as a moderate Democrat — a budget hawk who made a name for himself in the 1990s fighting against Bill and Hillary Clinton’s plans for universal health care. But in the face of Trump’s presidency, a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic and, yes, pressure from the left, Cooper has softened on some fronts. On the debt incurred for COVID-19 relief and economic stimulus, he says: “These are big bills, but we can pay them down over time, just as we did after World War II. It shouldn’t take a war to get us to believe in ourselves enough to invest in ourselves.” Cooper co-sponsored an early iteration of Medicare for All, but he hasn’t signed on to more recent efforts — though he now says he is open to it. “Medicare for All is one way to get to universal coverage, but it’s not the only way,” a Cooper staff member says. “He’s open to all of them, and will support a solution that can pass.” He also signed on as a co-sponsor of the Green New Deal shortly after luring his first primary challenger in the 2020 cycle. Previously he said he supported the concept of the suite of proposals but wouldn’t sign on because it “wasn’t a legislative proposal” — a hesitancy he reiterated when announcing his support. “I’ve never heard a representative badmouth a resolution or bill that they were co-sponsoring while they were in the midst of co-sponsoring it,” says Rick Herron of the pro-Green New Deal Sunrise Movement. “The urgency that we’re feeling in Nashville after another flood, the urgency

ODESSA KELLY AT THE NAPIER COMMUNITY CENTER that folks on the ground are feeling and the urgency that the Democratic Party is feeling to take serious action on climate, I think that’s all growing and not shrinking. The pressure for him to step up on this issue is only going to grow.” In an interview with the Scene late last year, Cooper acknowledged the influence of progressives but said Democrats in places like Tennessee should focus their ire on Republicans. He also said Democrats should be wary of lurching further left as the GOP-dominated state legislature prepares to divvy up congressional districts following the census. “We need the energy and the idealism of the progressives,” he said. “We need to remember to focus on the real opposition, which is the Republican Party. It’s very easy for us to spend all our time and effort focusing on party purity instead of on winning elections. Tennessee Democrats need much more practice on winning elections.” For her part, Kelly says her two main priorities if she were in Congress today would be Medicare for All and Green New Deal legislation. In addition to Justice Democrats, Kelly launches her primary challenge with the support of prominent local progressives including voting-rights activist Tequila Johnson, Metro Nashville Education Association President Amanda Kail and Metro

PHOTO: ERIC ENGLAND

BY STEPHEN ELLIOTT

Councilmembers Delishia Porterfield and Sean Parker, the latter of whom is working on her campaign. Another name on the list of endorsements is Henderson Kelly, Odessa’s father and a longtime Metro Parks employee himself. Like the kids she mentored at Napier, Odessa grew up spending time across the Cumberland River at community centers in Cleveland and McFerrin parks, where her father worked. Comparing her trajectory working for Metro to his was part of her political awakening. “I had to get a master’s degree just to get to middle management, the same level that my father had gotten to, yet I wasn’t gonna be able to afford the same things he had given us,” says Kelly, the mother of two teenagers. “There was something wrong with that, and it wasn’t my fault.” More influential, though, were the uncertain futures of the children Kelly worked with at Napier. Some were success stories. Others turned to crime to make ends meet. Still more fell through the cracks as their parents fought to afford to live in Nashville. That was the energy behind the founding of Stand Up Nashville. The organization’s best-known accomplishment to date is a community benefits agreement with pro soccer team Nashville SC. As the team was planning to build a new stadium, partially

NASHVILLE SCENE | APRIL 8 – APRIL 14, 2021 | nashvillescene.com

CityLimits_4-8-21.indd 6

4/5/21 5:21 PM

CITY LIMITS funded by Metro tax dollars, Stand Up Nashville negotiated an agreement with Nashville SC requiring the stadium development to include affordable housing, a child care facility and a living wage for construction workers. The thinking at the time, Kelly says, was, “It’s going to happen, so instead of us being

mad about it, how do we make this something great for the city?” “It wasn’t adversarial,” she says. “It was us as a city passing a test of how progressive we are and who we are as a city.” Kelly presents her relatively short tenure as the full-time leader of Stand Up Nashville as a sort of practice run for Congress.

“We have the receipts for the good work we can do,” she says. “Two years in Congress, we’re going to get the exact same energy, the same type of effort.” Kelly knows many of the boys playing basketball in the Napier Community Center gym on this recent afternoon. And she has some game herself. She played at both

Stratford High School and Tennessee State University — she’s listed in the record books at the latter for career rebounds. So when a kid she knows bricks a jump shot, she has some words for him. “I know I taught you better than that,” she says. EMAIL EDITOR@NASHVILLESCENE.COM

NPL TCB

After a year of adapting, the Nashville Public Library partially resumes in-person services BY LENA MAZEL

PHOTOS: DANIEL MEIGS

n the Nashville Public Library downtown, kids sit near short shelves, reaching for books. A few people have staked out spots on every floor, mostly by the windows facing downtown. Families pass through the foyer, and librarians sort through stacks of returns. This may look like an ordinary scene, but for many, it marks the end of a long period of eager anticipation. After more than a year, the library has opened again for in-person services. On March 31, the Nashville Public Library reopened three large locations: the Main Library, the Madison Branch and the Southeast Branch. Inside, masks are required; there are also sanitizing stations, spaced-out furniture and reminders to keep six feet apart. But even so, the library feels familiar: You can go in, browse the shelves, use public computers, and sit and read. The Nashville Public Library officially suspended in-person services on March 16, 2020. But while the buildings remained off-limits to everyone but staff, the library has been anything but inactive. On June 8, NPL launched a curbside pickup system, allowing patrons to reserve books online and collect them outside the library. Curbside pickup was an immediate hit, and continued to grow. Now patrons check out approximately 4,000 pieces of physical media per week, and the time between clicking “reserve” and having an item available for pickup is typically three days, on average. Over the past year, NPL’s work stretched far beyond continuing checkout services. They also offered many educational and community initiatives that grew in popularity as Nashvillians spent more time at home. For kids, the library launched a series of digital programs including Homeschool Friends, a Zoombased group for 3- to 5-year-olds. Children’s librarian Katie Hall led Homeschool Friends, and she says the digital programming has offered kids — and their parents — a break from isolation. “People just were looking for ways to connect,” she says, and Homeschool Friends gave kids “a safe place to talk about their feelings and learn new things.” Leading the popular Story Time on Zoom initially involved “cat appearances” and “a whole lot of bloopers,” says Cassandra Welch, another children’s librarian. But for Welch, keeping in touch with families made the tech issues worth it. “It’s lovely to hear about all the milestones the children are reaching,” she says. “There’s nothing better than seeing a toddler dance on Zoom.” For all ages, NPL continued the Summer Reading Challenge, which used curbside services to distribute prizes. To increase participation, library staff collaborated with Metro Nashville Public Schools to hand out reading logs at meal distribution sites. The Main Library Children’s Department also held its annual LEGO contest online. Beyond keeping the Nashville community

connected, library staff also offered support for essential workers. Studio NPL, the library’s STEM lab and maker space for teens, used 3D printing technology to create 1,500 mask extenders — designed to make face masks fit more comfortably — for Nashville General Hospital at Meharry. They also fabricated cloth masks for library staff, Metro Nashville Parks and Recreation, and volunteers at school lunch distribution sites. Niq Tognoni, Studio NPL’s coordinator, says the transition to digital programming was isolating, but it gave the studio time for new ventures, like creating recorded content. Studio NPL continued many of its programs digitally, and also released a series of online workshops on topics ranging from “Make a Ghost in Photoshop” to college preparedness and mending clothes. Even so, Tognoni says he’s looking forward to reconnecting with former students — and seeing new faces too. He says he’s missed the collaborative atmosphere of the studio, where he regularly saw artists, inventors and other inspiring community members. “[It’s] really invigorating to work with them, and to talk to them and see them grow,” he says. “I know I’m looking forward to that again.” Continuing community programming meant becoming more flexible — and doing some hard work — for many. Ed Brown, NPL’s public information representative, credits library staff for adapting to a challenging and unusual year. “We’re immensely proud of the job our staff have done,” he says. “It’s just been phenomenal.” While Brown doesn’t give specific details, he does say that reopening the Main, Southeast and Madison libraries will serve as a trial run for opening more branches — hopefully in the near future. Hall says that while the past year has been challenging, she has felt inspired by the kids she connected with online, who were “tremendously brave and curious and kind.” “I feel like they are capable of overcoming anything,” she says. “I have little doubt that the Nashville community will come out of this stronger than before.” EMAIL EDITOR@NASHVILLESCENE.COM

THIS WEEK ON OUR NEWS AND POLITICS BLOG:

COVID-19 vaccination continues apace across Davidson County and indeed the rest of the country. Metro officially opened up the jab to everyone 16 and older. What’s more, the health department set aside 500 appointments every day between April 7 and April 13 for hospitality workers, who have stayed on the job during the pandemic and have close contact with a high volume of people, particularly out-of-towners. As of press time, nearly 100,000 Nashvillians have been fully vaccinated. … As vaccination increases, restrictions are likely to begin loosening, and the Tennessee General Assembly is joining the fun! The state House passed a bill, backed by Gov. Bill Lee, ending handgun carry permit requirements. The Senate has already approved the bill. In a statement Monday, Lee, using a verb tense not common in English, said he “will plan to sign” the proposal into law. The legislation went through despite overwhelming opposition from, among others, the law enforcement community. So much for “Back the Blue,” eh?. … Legislative Republicans used their favorite hammer — what legal scholars refer to as Dillon’s Rule — to pre-empt a Metro effort to boost worker safety at construction sites. The bill, which passed both chambers and is headed for the governor’s desk, prohibits local governments from requiring contractors to gather or disclose employee data, to adhere to health and safety standards that exceed existing state and federal regulations, to be responsible for subcontractor actions or to hire temporary laborers full-time after a

certain period of working on a temporary basis. The legislation also prohibits local governments from favoring companies that offer those worker benefits in the procurement process. Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson said lawmakers just want the rules to be the same statewide. Metro Councilmember Sandra Sepulveda, who is leading an effort to implement the sort of policies addressed by the law, isn’t buying Johnson’s claim, saying it is directly aimed at hamstringing Nashville. … Speaking of workers, their rights and bad-faith arguments, Inc. magazine stripped Ramsey Solutions of its “Best Workplace” designation after the company was sued by an employee who claimed she was fired after she became pregnant. In court, Ramsey’s attorneys argue the woman wasn’t fired for being pregnant, per se, but rather because she wasn’t married — and given the way pregnancies almost always occur, they used her pregnancy as evidence that she’d violated Ramsey’s policy barring employees from having premarital sex. Indeed, she was one of at least 13 employees fired for exercising the biological imperative without benefit of clergy. Inc. said the company’s so-called “righteous living policy” is “incompatible with our standards of organizational excellence.” … Contributor Betsy Phillips took us on a tour of the once-thriving community of Lake Providence — home of, among others, famed artist William Edmondson. Why has the village, which was at the corner of Edmondson Pike and Nolensville Road, faded from memory? “The thing that made Lake Providence easy to forget was that it thrived. People had happy lives there. And if the dominant social narrative is that Black people need white people to boss them around or they can’t function, white people don’t really want to see or remember thriving Black villages. But that area of Nashville is still an area where minority populations come together and thrive on their own terms. The old ethos of the community lives on, even if its name has been mostly forgotten.”

NASHVILLESCENE.COM/PITHINTHEWIND • PITH@NASHVILLESCENE.COM • @PITHINTHEWIND

nashvillescene.com | APRIL 8 – APRIL 14, 2021 | NASHVILLE SCENE

CityLimits_4-8-21.indd 7

4/5/21 5:21 PM

It’s kitten season, and Nashville’s trap-neuter-return advocates are up to the task of controlling the population of community cats

KAYLI CRAIG HOLDS KITTEN APRICOT

BY ERICA CICCARONE

coverstory_4-8-21.indd 8

4/5/21 6:00 PM

n the parking lot of the Guitar Center at One Hundred Oaks, Nancy Douglas, a sergeant with the Vanderbilt University Police Department, is peering into a sewer grate. “I told Lewis, I said, ‘Get ready for your close-up. We’re heading to Hollywood.’ ” Lewis is a cat who lives in the shopping center parking lot, and for the past year, Vanderbilt police officers — tasked with patrolling the nearby Vanderbilt Health facility — have been feeding him. Douglas has formed a bond with the feline that seems like love. I lean over the grate, and the golden eyes of an orange tabby stare up at me. “We don’t know where he came from,” says Douglas. “One day, there was Lewis. He just melted our hearts. You can’t help but love that boy. He relaxes you. It’s just a calmness in the world we’re in. When you see Lewis, you can’t help but smile.” At first, the officers called in an animal rescue organization to see if Lewis could be trapped. But the rescue experts noted that Lewis’ left ear was clipped around a quarterinch, which is customary when a free-roaming cat has been neutered and released. We back away from the grate, hopeful Lewis will emerge. “At nighttime,” says Douglas, “we call it a perimeter check. You’ll see Lewis walking down the back alley, head out toward the theater, walk around by Panera and Panda [Express], come back up through the parking lot and right back over here. This is his turf. This is his home.”

“Patrolling, like you guys,” I say. “Exactly. Lewis is keeping us safe from mice and rats.” Douglas’ patrol at One Hundred Oaks includes citizen assists, like jump-starting cars and helping Vanderbilt patients secure transportation if they’re stranded. “Everybody knows the police are out here,” she says. “We keep an eye on everybody. It’s our community, and we take pride in it.” Douglas also takes pride in Lewis — his cleanliness, the way he chases leaves and uses a tree as a scratching post, how he follows her to her patrol car at the end of the night. “He’s chaperoning you,” I suggest. “I know.” “So romantic.” Douglas laughs. We begin to say our goodbyes. Just then, the orange tabby creeps out of the sewer grate. “Hello, baba!” calls Douglas. “Lewis! Look at the baby. Look at that child. That’s precious Lewis. He has attitude. Look at him! Attitude! Lewis!” Lewis is indeed gorgeous. For three minutes, he sits on his haunches as our photographer snaps pictures. Lewis thrusts his white chest out with pride, almost glittering in the late-afternoon sun. Then he nonchalantly strolls to some nearby bushes and lies down. Lewis is one of thousands of stray and feral cats who are at large in Davidson County, and Douglas is a dot in the vast network of Nashvillians who care for these often misunderstood members of our urban ecosystem. Their advocates call them “community cats,” and some Nashvillians want to trap

PHOTOS: ERIC ENGLAND

LEWIS AT ONE HUNDRED OAKS

DIANNE ZAHNLE AND LOULOU and fix them all.

“GOING UPSTREAM OF THE PROBLEM is more appealing to me than putting a Band-Aid on it,” says Dianne Zahnle, an animal lover who volunteers trapping cat colonies and taking them to be spayed, neutered and vaccinated. We’re sitting in her backyard in Antioch, and Loulou — a brown-and-white tabby with a caramel-colored splotch on his nose — is lying across my lap. Zahnle is tough. A Chicagoan who moved to Nashville in 2015 to work in event and concert production, she harbors few illusions about animal rescue. “Life is kind of rough,” she says. “When you’re actually out doing animal rescue, there’s a lot of hard truths.” She knows that despite the best efforts of humans, animals will suffer. “That’s why cats have so many freaking kittens, so there’s a chance that some of them will live, because the majority of them won’t. That’s how the hawks eat and the vultures eat and the friggin’ mushrooms eat.” Zahnle has five of her own indoor-dwelling cats, and she cares for 10 neighborhood cats who, as far as she knows, don’t have owners. All of them have been spayed and neutered, including the charming Loulou. Zahnle has recently started volunteering with East Nashville’s Pet Community Center, a veterinary clinic that offers low-cost spay/neuter surgeries to resident pet owners, as well as vaccinations and treatments for things like fleas and parasites. The clinic’s Community Cat Program caught

Zahnle’s attention. After years spent bottle feeding foster kittens, she decided to get to the root of the issue and volunteer doing TNR, which stands for “trap, neuter, return.” Cities across the country have adopted the practice to control free-roaming cat populations. “The amount of time and resources I see one person using to get one cat into a home — and then there are 30 more down the street,” says Zahnle. “Thirty more people have to have that level of commitment. It seems impossible. Trapping in the beginning feels much more tangible. … You can take all the kittens you want out of the stream of homeless cats. But really the problem is cats like this guy” — she smiles at Loulou — “who would like some attention.” He replies with a sharp meow and nibbles gently on my hand. “If he’s interacting with you this well, maybe I could adopt him out.” Zahnle reaches to pet Loulou. “I’d miss you! But I’d still love you from afar.” Until the past couple of decades, government-run animal shelters had one solution to deal with community cats: euthanasia. An audit conducted by the National Animal Care & Control Association in 1997 found that Nashville’s government-run shelter was euthanizing 97 percent of the animals that entered its Bordeaux facility. Public outcry prompted Metro to close that facility and reopen a new one on Harding Place. Even so, the euthanasia rate remained high — around 80 percent in 2010. There are multiple ways a cat can enter the shelter, says Lauren Bluestone, direc-

nashvillescene.com | APRIL 8 – APRIL 14, 2021 | NASHVILLE SCENE

coverstory_4-8-21.indd 9

4/5/21 5:51 PM

PHOTO: ERIC ENGLAND

NATALIE CORWIN AT THE PET COMMUNITY CENTER

PHOTO: ERIC ENGLAND

tor of Metro Animal Care and Control since 2014. Some cats are confiscated by MACC if they are abused or neglected. Owners also surrender their pets for various reasons, such as financial hardship or cat behavioral issues like not using the litter box. MACC has developed a grant-funded safety-net program to decrease owner surrenders by helping pet owners access resources like food, veterinary care and education about behavioral training. Since that program’s institution, MACC has seen a gradual decrease in owner surrenders. Then there are “strays at large” — cats

without owners who are brought to the facility by well-meaning residents hoping to find them a home, and by those who want the cats off their property for good. As a governmentowned shelter, MACC is required to take in any stray or surrendered animal brought to the facility and hold it for three days. If one of these cats is friendly and healthy, it might be a good candidate for adoption. But it’s not as easy as it sounds. The facility can hold up to 150 animals, but filling it to capacity presents potential dangers, like spreading contagious respiratory infections. Bluestone says an ideal number to

PET COMMUNITY CENTER’S BETH DEMONBREUN AND KATIE TUCKER

keep at the facility is more like 100 to 120. And those cages fill up quickly. In January 2014 alone, MACC took in 564 animals. After their required holding time was up, 330 of those cats, dogs, livestock and wildlife were euthanized. And that’s not even during kitten season — June 2015 intakes numbered 770 animals. Since then, MACC has developed a robust foster program, so adoptable stray cats — that is, free-roaming cats who once had owners and are friendly and can live indoors — can be moved out of the facility and into temporary homes. The organization also works with other rescue agencies who have fostering programs. But many cats are not adoptable. Feral cats have spent little if any time with humans, and are the offspring — sometimes several generations removed — of stray cats who were abandoned or lost by their owners. While still technically domesticated as a species, these felines can’t live indoors, no matter how much we might want to “rescue” them. “One misconception is that all outdoor cats are suffering,” says Natalie Corwin, director of the Pet Community Center. “And we just find that’s really not true. … The vast majority of cats that are outside are living pretty good lives. Especially if they have a caretaker who’s feeding them and looking after them.” Corwin buzzes around the Pet Community Center with a bright smile. She got involved with animal rescue and advocacy after adopting a dog from the Nashville Humane Association in 2002. As she walked her dog around her neighborhood in Inglewood, Corwin was distressed by the dogs she saw chained up outside. Soon, she started learning about clinics in other cities that offered low-cost spay and neuter surgeries to pet owners. Some of these also worked to stem the tide of unmitigated cat and dog reproduction by trapping and fixing strays and ferals. Corwin helped open The Joy Clinic, which is in Lebanon. But she saw a need in Davidson County. Getting a cat or dog fixed at a traditional veterinary hospital can be prohibitively expensive — and pets who are intact are likely to figure out a way to mate and reproduce. “I kept going to everybody saying, ‘Would you start a spay/neuter program?’ ” says Corwin. “I came to the realization that nobody else was going to do it.” She opened the Pet Community Center in 2011 out of her garage. “We were all grassroots, and we just started using private vet clinics,” she says. “We cobbled together a network of clinics that would work with us and give us a discount.” After a few years, Cowin raised enough money for the nonprofit to open a clinic off East Trinity Lane. But spaying and neutering is one piece of the puzzle — another is harder to tackle. A cat can get pregnant at as early as 4 months old. The gestation cycle lasts roughly two months, and queens — unspayed female cats — can get pregnant again while they’re still nursing. This means cats have the potential to produce a dizzying number of kittens, who at 4 months old, also can start producing offspring of their own. Corwin got to work. In 2014, the PCC piloted the Community Cat Program in two ZIP codes — 37138 (Old Hickory) and 37216 (Inglewood) — spaying and neutering more than 500 stray and feral cats and releasing them back to their territory. The efficacy

of TNR can be hard to measure. If you’ve ever tried counting the cats that make up a feral colony — that is, where many cats have congregated because they have a consistent food source, be it a dumpster or human caretaker — you’ll find yourself losing track of the felines pretty quickly. But the data from MACC was encouraging. In 2013, before the pilot, MACC took in 124 cats from Old Hickory and 87 from Inglewood. After a year of the PCC’s Community Cat Program, intake numbers were down 81 percent and 82 percent, respectively. Lisa Robison was one of the PCC’s first volunteers. She collaborated with neighbors to trap and transport hundreds of cats in the pilot — and she’s still at it in other parts of town. She says a big part of her work is also bringing peace to the neighborhood. In her experience, many of the people feeding community cats are elderly, and their younger neighbors don’t exactly appreciate cats lounging around. As a result, the cats’ caretakers are less likely to ask for help. Robison acts as a mediator, educating all parties about managing a cat population through TNR and establishing a feeding routine that is less likely to attract other wildlife, like opossums and raccoons. In 2016, MACC and the PCC officially joined forces to tackle the cat overpopulation problem. MACC established a desk in the facility for a PCC staffer, who assesses cats brought to the shelter to determine if they are eligible for TNR. Cats must be free-roaming and lack identification, and be a healthy weight and injury free. Kittens younger than 8 weeks old do not qualify for the program, and kittens 8 to 12 weeks old may qualify if a caregiver is identified. While cats with treatable illnesses and minor injuries can be treated, those with more serious issues will be humanely euthanized at the shelter. Today, Corwin’s team sees 40 to 50 community cats per week. As of midMarch, the PCC had sterilized 18,266 community cats. The Community Cat Program receives requests for help every day. The program has two prongs. There are the cats brought to MACC, and there are the cats who come in via community members. If a resident alerts the PCC to a community cat via an online form on the website (petcommunitycenter.org), the PCC offers to lend a trap and train them on how to go about using it. If the resident is not willing or able to trap on their own, the PCC has a small pool of trained volunteers who trap around the county. But there’s often a months-long wait. Corwin would love to grow the volunteer program to be more robust. It’s a five-day commitment, because if you don’t trap the whole colony in one go, it’s difficult to trap the cats you want later on.

DIANNE ZAHNLE IS UP TO THE TASK. On a Sunday afternoon in March, she pulls her RAV4 into a driveway in an Antioch neighborhood. It’s dinner time, and the cats are hungry. This backyard gives cats plenty of places to hide — a deck, two sheds, an unused chicken coop and more. We see eight young cats right away. She mixes three cans of sardines and two cans of tuna in a tall plastic container and sets four traps in front of the shed, dribbling the bait inside. A cat will have to step on the plate to get to it. She sets up two more near the deck, under which I can see four sets of eyes. The homeowner and colony caretaker,

NASHVILLE SCENE | APRIL 8 – APRIL 14, 2021 | nashvillescene.com

coverstory_4-8-21.indd 10

4/5/21 5:50 PM

various reproductive diseases. Free from the compulsion to mate, vaccinated community cats tend to live longer, healthier lives.

ZAHNLE RELEASING A CAT Joe — who declines to give his last name — shuffles out of the house. “How you think you’re gonna catch those cats?” “Easily,” Zahnle says. She laughs. In January, Joe’s daughter contacted the PCC for help with the colony, but program manager Beth DeMonbreun had a backlog of cases to get through, and a colony this size — as many as 20 cats — requires a dedicated volunteer to work all week. “Listen,” Joe says. “I’m 80 years old, and I can’t take care of these cats. The one I call Nosey, she done had kittens. And she’s mean. She fights all the other cats. She’s the boss.” “We’ll take care of everybody,” Zahnle says. “What happens is I’ll set the traps. I’m gonna hang out in your driveway for a couple hours, scoop ’em out as we go. As soon as it gets dark, I’m gonna close the traps and leave ’em out so they get used to the smell of them. Then in the morning, when they’re active again, I’m gonna come back out and re-bait them, open them back up. And we kind of rinse and repeat that till we get everybody. I’m gonna find those kittens, too.” Several small cats congregate around the traps, sniffing. A black cat pokes her head into a trap and licks the bait near the trap door, then backs out. Another does the same. It’s like they’re daring each other to be the first to go in. A long gray cat moseys up, her sagging belly swaying beneath her — she’s pregnant. “They go all over the neighborhood,” Joe says, “but I’m the main feeder. They’re not my cats, but I feed ’em ’cause I can’t stand seeing ’em go hungry.” He says he buys one 32-pound sack of cat food each week. He goes inside to fix supper, and we hear our first trap snap shut. It’s a small white cat with black marks on her forehead. She’s still a kitten, but old enough to get pregnant. Zahnle drapes a sheet over the trap to let the cat settle for a few minutes before carrying it to the car. “What should we name her?” Zahnle asks. I suggest Lilly. After that, the cats trip trap after trap. A tortie is dubbed Truffles. I name a distinguished-looking gray gentleman Thelonious, and his look-alike I name Monk. Zahnle goes with a Knights of the Round Table theme. There’s Arthur, Merlin, Lancelot, Guinevere and Percy. As she loads them into her car, she writes down the trap number, the name and a description. A neighbor from across the street shambles over in pajama pants and slippers.

“What are you gonna do with ’em?” he calls. “You’re not gonna bring ’em back, are you?” Zahnle breaks the news that the cats will be back in a few days. The man shakes his head. “I thought you were gonna get rid of ’em for good.” “It’d be like trying to get rid of birds or squirrels,” says Zahnle. “More would just move in.” He turns, and Zahnle whispers, “I don’t do it for him. I do it for the kitty cats.” As the sun goes down, Zahnle counts her cats. She has 14 loaded up in the RAV4, and there’s room for a couple more. Joe’s been entertaining her with stories about his life growing up on a farm, and when I peek into the yard to check the traps, two gray cats are on the garbage can, sniffing at Zahnle’s can of bait. “They’re educated cats, honey!” Joe says, grinning. Zahnle will bring these 14 to the PCC, where she has access to the temperaturecontrolled feral house. Then she’ll be back tomorrow at 5:30 a.m. to trap more — maybe Nosey, maybe Nosey’s kittens, maybe the gray girl with the big pregnant belly. Bluestone says that, five years in, the program has drastically impacted the number of cats MACC must euthanize. When she came on as director, the overall euthanasia rate was 86 percent. In 2020, the rate remained at or below 10 percent. According to Corwin and other advocates of TNR, the practice is more effective than euthanizing all community cats brought to the facility. Says Corwin: “A misconception that people have is, ‘Well, if I pick up this cat and take it to the shelter, then I won’t have to deal with cats anymore. I’ll be done with cats.’ … If you remove an animal from an environment that supports that animal — whether there’s shelter, food or safety — you create a vacuum. It just allows for more animals of that species to move in. With cats in particular, if they’re not spayed and neutered, they will just reproduce and fill up that space again with the number of cats that can be supported by that environment.” TNR practitioners have found that returning sterile cats to their territory actually stabilizes the population. And sterile cats are healthier and safer. Neutered males settle down — they fight less, yowl less and spray less, which also decreases conflict among neighbors. Females, no longer finding themselves responsible for birthing and raising kittens, are also less susceptible to

FOR SOME, TNR IS A CALLING. Kayli Craig says she is “totally the person that will throw their car in park, turn on their hazards, and start running after a dog on the side of the road.” As a foster parent with Nashville Cat Rescue, Craig takes in kitties of all stripes — often those who need special medical attention, as well as kittens who need to be bottle-fed. About a year ago, a member of Craig’s foster network told her that a resident at a nearby Donelson apartment complex had found kittens and needed help. “And boy,” she says. “I thought it was going to be like, ‘Oh, there are two little kittens here. Let me just scoop them up and go on my way.’ … I kept seeing a cat, then another cat, then another. The more time I spent there, the more I became aware of, ‘Hmm, this is an issue.’ ” She eventually managed to trap the kittens. If healthy, they’d be candidates for adoption. But that’s not what happened. “I ended up losing the full litter,” says Craig. “And one of them in particular — oh, my gosh, Stevie, she pulls at my heartstrings. She had HCM. It’s basically an enlarged

heart. And after that point, I was like, ‘I will get every one of these cats fixed,’ because I didn’t want them to have more babies that suffered the way that Stevie suffered.” For the past year, Craig has been working with residents and the apartment complex’s management to get a handle on the cat population. On Instagram (@kittenitwithkiki), she’s documented the trapping of cat after cat after cat. As of press time, she had spayed and neutered 47 of them. She also feeds them daily and keeps an eye on them for any injuries or health concerns. The vast majority of the cats are orange tabbies, and somehow, she keeps them all straight. Some of the apartment residents genuinely care for the cats and help to feed them. But others are not so charmed. “To some extent,” she admits, “I’m sure these kitties are kind of pests to them. They sleep on their cars, and they’re lounging in the walkways, and I’m sure they fight. So I’ve had to kind of be patient with that. … I try really hard to not be seen, not be heard, not be a nuisance, because I realize that they could say, ‘You’re not welcome back. We don’t want you on our property.’ ” Craig has been making TNR how-to videos and posting them on Instagram to demystify the process. In one, she shows

KAYLI CRAIG

NASHVILLE SCENE | APRIL 8 – APRIL 14, 2021 | nashvillescene.com

coverstory_4-8-21.indd 12

4/5/21 5:50 PM

— Gillian Welch On the importance of Boudleaux and Felice Bryant, from the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

Gillian Welch’s songwriting, often spare and haunting, has resonated within country and bluegrass circles for years, and her work as a duo with singer-guitarist David Rawlings can carry great emotional power. Her comment above reveals the reverence for Country Music Hall of Fame members Boudleaux and Felice Bryant from songwriters, not only in Nashville, but around the world. Learn more about the Bryants in the exhibition We Could: The Songwriting Artistry of Boudleaux and Felice Bryant, open now.

EXHIBIT NOW OPEN DOWNTOWN NASHVILLE Visit CountryMusicHallofFame.org to buy tickets. nashvillescene.com | APRIL 8 – APRIL 14, 2021 | NASHVILLE SCENE

DIP INTO ANY DISCUSSION GROUP about freeroaming cats on the web, and you’ll find that felines are a contentious topic. Opinions swing violently in favor of cats and against, with internet users citing statistics and studies — some more legitimate than others. Search the Twitter hashtag #CatWars, and you’ll find pro-euthanasia conservationists,

You can guess the kittens’ age by comparing them to photos that show the progression of kittens online (alleycat.org). If they are 1 to 6 weeks old, the kittens will need intervention within several hours. If they are 7 weeks or older, wait 24 hours, continuing to check for signs of the mother cat. If you have a quiet, warm place that is not accessible to other pets, you can bring them inside. Neonatal kittens require around-the-clock care, special formula and bottle feeding. They must be kept warm and should never be fed cow’s milk. The group Alley Cat Allies offers free webinars about kitten care. In the meantime, call Metro Animal Care and Control (615-862-7928) or the Pet Community Center (615-5125001) for advice.

So You’ve Found Kittens. Now What? See our handy flowchart for what to do when you’ve discovered baby strays

Do you see the mother?

ing a colony of cats that were threatening a sensitive ecological area. Their caretaker was in the process of TNR and says she was not aware of the district’s plans to use lethal force. Proponents of euthanasia — or “trap and kill” — often claim that free-roaming cats spread the parasitic disease toxoplasmosis, which can cause mild flu-like symptoms in some people but severe complications for pregnant women, immunocompromised people and infants. The bag of cat litter in your laundry room probably warns against pregnant women handling cat feces. But toxoplasmosis is so rare that neither the county or state tracks it in our population. In fact, if you were to contract the disease from a cat, you would have to ingest the feces of a cat infected with the parasite. “There are standards,” says Bluestone. “Do not touch it, do not snack on it. Do not do that. If you can maintain those standards, there’s really no risk.” As for other diseases, the PCC vaccinates cats against rabies and common respiratory illnesses. The Humane Society of the United States is supportive of TNR, but advocates for “wildlife-sensitivearea mapping, cat-colony relocation or feeding modification, the establishment of appropriate sanctuaries, and other innovative solutions” to reduce the negative impact that feral cats have on other wildlife. But it seems a wholesale resolution among TNR advocates and euthanasia proponents is unlikely. People who love cats will keep feeding them, even if feeding bans are in place, and people who think cats should be eradicated are unlikely to work with TNR programs. But advocates on all sides can agree on one thing: Spaying and neutering

cute-cat contests and innumerable felines battling Christmas trees. Plenty of studies show that TNR does reduce community cat populations. But just as many studies seem to point to the opposite. Depending on your ethical point of view, you can summon information to back up your claims. There’s no way around the impact these cats have on wildlife. In 2013, the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service released the results of a study conducted in the contiguous United States. Researchers used existing scientific literature about cat predation, omitting studies that were too small or with results too extreme. The report found that the magnitude of wildlife mortality is far greater than expected — 1.3 billion to 4 billion birds and 6.2 billion to 22.3 billion mammals are killed annually by freeroaming cats. Cats without owners cause the majority of the damage — 69 percent and 89 percent, respectively. The study also found that the majority of birds preyed upon were native species. “I love birds,” says Corwin. “I love squirrels. And yes, cats do prey on those animals. Really the argument that we make is that spaying and neutering the cats really is the best way to protect the wildlife and to keep the cat population as low as possible. We’ve seen there have been many eradication efforts around the world, either in island areas or in other wildlife areas, that were wildly unsuccessful or extraordinarily expensive, and they had to do hideous things to eradicate these cats.” In December, the Oakland, Calif., East Bay Regional Parks District admitted to shoot-

Keep your distance. She might be hunting or

hiding from you. Stand 35 feet away or leave the area. Check back periodically. You can sprinkle flour around the kittens to track whether the mother has visited them for feeding.

Q: Does the mother come back?

Cats can get pregnant while they are still nursing, so make sure you get the mother spayed when the kittens are weaned. Contact the PCC for information about how to trap her. Always return the mother to the same area where you trapped her. Kittens can be socialized at around 6 weeks of age, and they might be candidates for adoption.

Y If the litter is in immediate danger, see

Are the kittens in immediate danger? Is the area at risk

of flooding? Are dogs or potential predators loose nearby? Are the kittens located in the path of traffic or construction?

ZAHNLE GOES BACK TO THE ANTIOCH COLONY site three times a day to trap the stragglers — 26 in all. By Thursday afternoon, she arrives with her last car full of spayed, neutered and vaccinated cats. “It’s a good day for freedom,” she says, opening her trunk. These are the last 11. I recognize a few from Sunday’s trapping — Percy, Guinevere and Truffles. Several females were pregnant, and it’s customary for TNR clinics to terminate the pregnancies when the cats are spayed. It will certainly make the females’ lives easier, and it’s fewer mouths for Joe to feed. Zahnle takes one trap out of her car and sets it on the grass. She slowly pulls back the sheet, unlatches the trap door, and opens it. Most of the cats spring out like jack-in-theboxes and take off. A couple huddle in the back of the trap for a few moments before rushing to freedom. One tabby tomcat walks out backward and heads to the woods. I ask Zahnle what her hopes are for these 26 cats. “That they have a relatively humane life, don’t get into trouble and maybe change people’s view about their role in the world.” And how does she feel after five intense days of trapping, transporting and releasing a colony of cats? “I feel tired, but it feels good because you know the colony could be three times this size next week. Even talking to a couple people around here — neighbors, the FedEx guy, even our friend from the first day — just being out here with it feels impactful.” EMAIL EDITOR@NASHVILLESCENE.COM

You can rest assured that kittens are safest with their mother, and the best food for kittens is their mother’s milk. You can offer water and cat food to the mother and leave a box or cat shelter nearby. Let Mom do her job, and don’t interfere unless the kittens are in danger.

pets is vital to population control.

if the mother cat will let you approach and touch her. Be careful.

Q: Can you approach?

If she’s friendly, you can try to move the kittens out of harm’s way. Choose a space indoors or on a covered porch (if the weather is warm), and make sure they are away from other pets. Put a box on its side with a towel in it so the mother cat can lie down to feed. Offer her plenty of water and cat food.

If the mother won’t let you approach and the

litter is in danger, call Metro Animal Care and Control for advice.

ILLUSTRATION: MARY LOUISE MEADORS

her garage setup for cat recovery. She keeps the traps off the floor by putting them on parallel 2-by-2s, so the cats’ waste can drip down onto puppy pads. She also shows how to use a trap fork — which you can insert through the bars to separate the cat from the door — to safely feed the cats, without risking an escape before the cats are ready to be released. “I think that TNR can seem very overwhelming,” she says. “If you start reading about it online, you’re like, ‘There’s this trap, and I do what with it? And I don’t know how to work that, and I don’t know where to take it. And I have to transport this animal. Where do I keep it? What do I feed it?’ It just seems like a lot.” She encourages those who want to get involved to share resources and ask for help. She frequently finds volunteers who will transport the cats to Lebanon’s Joy Clinic, and people in the rescue community often send boxes of food for the colony. “It is kind of a strange passion,” Craig admits. “When I have talked to people about this, their eyes kind of roll in the back of their head. But I think it’s important. It’s so important. And I think that a lot of people think, ‘Not my cats. Not my problem.’ Well, it’s someone’s problem, and you kind of have to solve it.”

NASHVILLE SCENE | APRIL 8 – APRIL 14, 2021 | nashvillescene.com

coverstory_4-8-21.indd 14

4/5/21 5:50 PM

UNITED STATES AIR FORCE ACADEMY BAND

SCENERY

ANNOUNCING IMMEDIATE VACANCIES

Vocalist

Top 40/Commercial/Jazz/Country

Arts and Culture News From the Nashville Scene

Materials Due: April 26, 2021 Live Audition: June 7-11, 2021

Upright/Electric Bass

Top 40/Commercial/Jazz/Country Materials Due: May 10, 2021 Live Audition: June 21-25, 2021

Percussion/Drum Set

Commercial/Jazz/Classical Materials Due: May 31, 2021 Live Audition: July 12-16, 2021

Looking for the latest on art and culture in Nashville? Subscribe to Scenery, our weekly newsletter that covers visual art, theater, comedy, books, film and more. Subscribe at nashvillescene.com/subscribe

Annual starting salary: $57,320 - $59,320 30 days vacation with pay Full medical/dental benefits Post 9-11 GI Bill for college up to $80,000 Four-year minimum enlistment required Maximum age at time of enlistment is 39 For audition information, go to www.music.af.mil/auditions For more infomration, contact auditions coordinator usafabandauditions@gmail.com

nashvillescene.com | APRIL 8 – APRIL 14, 2021 | NASHVILLE SCENE

VISIT WEB OUR S TO V I T E I ALL EW VEND 50+ ORS!

AFE S P SHO ND A ORT P P U S L! LO CA

S C R A F T

O U R S P R I N G FA I R I S

NEXT WEEKEND! Food truck fare | Craft cocktails | Free admission

A P R I L 1 7- 1 8

ONEC1TY / 10 AM - 4 PM SPONSORED BY

our ! t i Vi s b s i t e we

F O O D T R U C K FA R E

SCAN ME

NASHVILLE SCENE | APRIL 8 – APRIL 14, 2021 | nashvillescene.com

Adventure

Learning

Arts & Crafts

Fun!

r e m Sum ide u G p Cam 2021

TEAM

friends Discover SUMMER CAMP GUIDE 2021

APRIL 8 – APRIL 15, 2021 | NASHVILLE SCENE

Barfield School of Dance 2298 Barfield Road Murfreesboro TN 37128 896-3118 • barfieldschoolofdance.com

ADVENTURE DAY CAMPS Adventure Science Center 800 Fort Negley Blvd. Nashville TN 37203 862-5160 • adventuresci.org/summercamps-2021

Bellevue Performing Arts Center 7097 Old Harding Pike, Ste. J Nashville TN 37221 662-8553 • bellepac.com/summersession-camps

Camp Bells Bend Beaman 4187 W. Old Hickory Blvd. Nashville TN 37218 856-4772 • campbellsbendbeaman.com

Centennial Arts Summer Intensives 211 27th Ave N Nashville TN 37203 880-2281 • nashville.gov/Parks-andRecreation/Cultural-Arts/Theater.aspx

Camp Warner Park 7199 Hwy 100 Nashville TN 37221 856-4772 • nashvillenaturecamp.com

Cheekwood 1200 Forrest Park Drive Nashville TN 37205 356-8000 • cheekwood.org/learn/campsand-classes/

Camp Rock Zone- STEM Zone 11902 Lebanon Rd. Mt. Juliet, TN 37122 562-0070 • rockzonemusic.com/camprock-zone

Dance in Bloom 7982 Coley Davis Road NASHVILLE TN 37221 662-4819 • danceinbloom.com/summer

Camp Two Rivers Two Rivers Park Nashville, TN 37214 856-4772 • camptworivers.com

Firstlight Art Academy 1710 General George Patton Dr. Ste. 108 Brentwood TN 37027 678-6745 • firstlightaa.org/blog/ summer-2021

Deer Run Camps 3845 Perkins Road Thompson’s Station TN 37179 794-2918 • deerrun.camp Historic Travellers Rest Summer Camp 636 Farrell Pkwy Nashville TN 37220 832-8197 • travellersrestplantation.org/ summer-camp-and-scout-programs/

Franklin School of Performing Arts 415 Duke Drive, Suite 370 Franklin TN 37067 628-8444 • franklinschoolofperformingarts.com/ camps

Oak Hill Day Camp 4815 Franklin Pike Nashville TN 37220 298-9583 • rec.fpcnashville.org/o-h-daycamp

Hermitage Dance Academy 3441 Lebanon Pike, Suite 130 Hermitage TN 37076 231-7100 • hermitagedance.com

Wilderness Adventure Camp 697 Veterans Parkway Murfreesboro TN 37128 890-5333 • murfreesborotn.gov/1550/ Summer-Camps

Nashville Ballet 3630 Redmon St. Nashville TN 37209 297-2966 ext. 203 • nashvilleballet.com/ summer-programs

Arts Day Camps

Nashville Children’s Theatre Summer Camp 25 Middleton St. Nashville TN 37210 254-9103 • nashvillechildrenstheatre.org/ summer-camps-2021

Act Too Players Boiler Room Theatre 1113 Murfreesboro Road, Ste 119 Franklin TN 37064 294-0667 • acttooplayers.com/summercamps Ann Carroll School of Dance 1121 Harpeth Industrial Court, Suite 500 Franklin TN 37064 790-6468 • anncarrollschoolofdance.com/ summer-camps-2021 Annie Moses Summer Music Festival The Factory at Franklin 230 Franklin Rd Franklin TN 37064 888-839-1055 • anniemosessummermusicfestival.com Art Camps with Little Art House 2106B Acklen Ave. Nashville TN 37215 933-9644 • littlearthousenashville.com/ summer2021 Arts Center of Cannon County—Summer Youth Conservatory 1424 John Bragg Highway Woodbury TN 37190 563-2787 • artscenterofcc.com/ summeryouthconservatory

NASHVILLE SCENE | APRIL 8 – APRIL 15, 2021

Nashville Dance Center 11 Vaughns Gap Rd, Suite 200 Nashville TN 37215 385-7997 • nashvilledancecenter.com Nashville Shakespeare Festival Apprentice Company 161 Rains Ave. Nashville TN 37203 255-2273 • nashvilleshakes.org Rocketown Summer Sessions 601 4th Ave. S. Nashville TN 37210 843-4001 ext. 223 • rocketown.org/yeararound-camps ROOTS Academy Music & Dance Summer Day Camps 216 Seaboard Lane, Suite A Franklin TN 37067 804-1177 • rootsacademy.com/camps Stage Right School of Performing Arts 2001 Campbell Station Parkway, Bldg C Suite 4 Spring Hill TN 37174 302-2881 • stageright615.com/summersession

SUMMER CAMP GUIDE 2021

Time to Learn: Summer Enrichment at Learning Lab 2416 21st Avenue South, Suite 100 Nashville TN 37212 321-7272 5500 Maryland Way, Suite 110 Brentwood TN 37027 377-2929 • mylearnlab.com Travellers Rest Summer Camp 636 Farrell Parkway Nashville TN 37220 832-8197 • travellersrestplantation.org/ summer-camp-and-scout-programs Watkins at Belmont Young Artists Programs 1900 Belmont Blvd. Nashville TN 37212 460-8625 • belmont.edu/watkins/ community-education/youth-education. html Young Performers Summer “Acting” Camp 417 Welshwood Drive, Suite 109 Nashville TN 37211 831-0039 • moorecasting.com/workshops

EQUESTRIAN CAMPS Creekside Riding Academy & Stables Summer Day Camp 2359 Lewisburg Pike Franklin TN 37064 595-7547 • creeksideridingstables.com/ summer-camps Peachtree Farms Horsemanship Camp 4819 Highway 96 E Arrington TN 37014 419-1089 • peachtreefarms.com/horseriding-camps Valley View Ranch Equestrian Camp 606 Valley View Ranch Road Cloudland GA 30731 706-862-2231 • valleyviewranch.com

Faith-based Camps Barefoot Republic Camp 1226 Lakeview Dr. Suite C Franklin TN 37067 599-9683 • barefootrepublic.org Camp NaCoMe 3232 Sulphur Creek Road Pleasantville TN 37033 931-729-9723 • nacome.org/summercamp Camp Smiley Christian Academy’s Summer Camp 528 Vance Lane Lebanon TN 37087 449-5031 • campsmiley.com Deer Run Camps 3845 Perkins Road Thompson’s Station TN 37179 794-2918 • deerrun.camp Doe River Gorge 220 Doe River Gorge Rd. Hampton TN 37658 423-725-4010 • doerivergorge.com/ camps Fuge Life-Changing Camps Multiple Locations 1900 Belmont Boulevard Nashville TN 37212 1-877-CAMP-123 • fugecamps.com

Horton Haven Christian Camp 3711 Reed Harris Road Lewisburg TN 37091 931-364-7656 • hortonhaven.org Indian Creek Camps 150 Cabin Circle Drive Liberty TN 37095 548-4411 • indiancreekcamp.com Short Mountain Bible Camp 650 Bible Camp Road Woodbury TN 37190 563-4168 • shortmountainbiblecamp.com

General Day Camp A New Leaf Summer Camp 6501 Pennywell Dr. Nashville TN 37205 585-9790 • anewleafnashville.org/ summer-camp Camp Bells Bend Beaman 4189 W. Old Hickory Blvd. Nashville TN 37218 856-4772 • campbellsbendbeaman.com Camp Davis at Gordon Jewish Community Center 801 Percy Warner Blvd. Nashville TN 37205 356-7170 • campdavisnashville.com Camp St. Cecilia 4210 Harding Pike Nashville TN 37205 298-4525 • stcecilia.edu/campus-life/ camp-st-cecilia Camp Two Rivers/GROW Enrichment Camp 3150 McGavock Pike Nashville, TN 37214 856-4772 • camptworivers.com Camp Warner Park 7199 Highway 100 Nashville, TN 37221 856-4772 • campwarnerpark.com Cub Scout Day Camps 3414 Hillsboro Pike P.O. Box 150409 Nashville TN 37215 383-9724 • mtcbsa.org/camping Deer Run Camps 3845 Perkins Road Thompson’s Station TN 37179 794-2918 • deerrun.camp St. Bernard Academy Summer Camp 2020 24th Ave. S. Nashville TN 37212 385-0440 • stbernardacademy.org/ academics/summer-program St. Paul Christian Academy — Summer Days 5035 Hillsboro Pike Nashville TN 37215 269-4751 • stpaulchristianacademy.org/ summer Teen Leadership Adventure 7199 Highway 100 Nashville, TN 37221 856-4772 • leadershipacademyllc.com/ teen-leadership-adventure Tiger Camp at Percy Priest Elementary School 1700 Otter Creek Road Nashville TN 37215 390-3167 • percypriest.org/students/ tiger-club

ART & DESIGN SUMMER COURSES FOR KIDS & TEENS May 31–June 26 For more information, visit: belmont.edu/young-artists

nashvillescene.com | APRIL 8 – APRIL 14, 2021 | NASHVILLE SCENE

Girl Scouts of Middle Tennessee Summer Camps 4522 Granny White Pike Nashville TN 37204 383-0490 • gsmidtn.org/camp/ways-tocamp/summer-camp

5500 Maryland Way, Suite 110 Brentwood TN 37027 377-2929 • mylearnlab.com YMCA Day Camp, Sports Camps and Camp Little Y Located at 10 YMCA membership centers in Middle Tennessee 256-4753 • ymcamidtn.org/programs/ children-and-teens

NASHVILLE SCENE | APRIL 8 – APRIL 15, 2021

Belle Meade Plantation Camps 5025 Harding Pike Nashville TN 37205 291-2528 ext. 148 • bellemeadeplantation. com/camps

Camp Invention (800) 968-4332 campinvention.org

Ensworth Summer Camp High School: 7401 Highway 100 Nashville TN 37221 301-8917 • ensworth.com/page/ programs/summer-offerings

Easter Seals Summer Camp Programs Various Locations in Tennessee 750 Old Hickory Blvd. #2-260 Brentwood TN 37027 292-6640 ex 134 • easterseals.com/ tennessee/our-programs/campingrecreation/youth-camps.html

Teen Leadership Adventure 4187 Old Hickory Blvd Nashville TN 37218 856-4772 • leadershipacademyllc.com/ teen-leadership-adventure Time to Learn: Summer Enrichment at Learning Lab 2416 21st Avenue South, Suite 100 Nashville TN 37212 321-7272

Boys & Girls Club Summer Programs 1704 Charlotte Ave., Ste. 200 Nashville TN 37203 833-2368 • bgcmt.org

Deer Run Camps 3845 Perkins Road Thompson’s Station TN 37179 794-2918 • deerrun.camp

Multiple Camps & Locations

Murfreesboro Parks - Summer Camps Murfreesboro TN 37128 890-5333 • murfreesborotn.gov/1550/ Summer-Camps

Battleground Academy Summer Camps 336 Ernest Rice Lane Franklin TN 37069 567-8327 • battlegroundacademy.org/ bga-camps

Bowie Park & Nature Center 7211 Bowie Lake Road Fairview TN 37062 799-5544 • bowiepark.org

YMCA Camp Widjiwagan 3088 Smith Springs Road Antioch TN 37013 360-CAMP (360-2267) • campwidji.org

Mr. Bond Science Guy 1011 Gillock St. Suite 160136 Nashville TN 37216 573-2702 • mrbondscienceguy.com/ science-camps

Multiple Locations

Belmont University Summer Camps 1900 Belmont Blvd. Nashville TN 37212 460-6000 • belmont.edu/summercamps

Whippoorwill Farm Day Camp 7840 Whippoorwill Lane Fairview TN 37062 799-9925 • whippoorwill.com

Leadership Academy PO Box 59074 Nashville TN 37205 856-4772 • leadershipacademyllc.com

Multiple Camps

Elementary and Middle Schools: 211 Ensworth Ave. Nashville TN 37205 250-8999 • ensworth.com/page/ programs/summer-offerings Franklin Road Academy Summer Camps 4700 Franklin Road Nashville TN 37220 369-0769 • franklinroadacademy.com/ camps Harding Academy Summer Programs 170 Windsor Drive Nashville TN 37205 356-5510 • hardingacademy.org/page/ community/summer-programs Harpeth Hall Summer Programs 3801 Hobbs Road Nashville TN 37215 301-9286• harpethhall.org/programs/ summer-camps Historic Travellers Rest Summer Camp 636 Farrell Pkwy Nashville TN 37220 832-8197 • travellersrestplantation.org/ summer-camp-and-scout-programs John Knox Center 591 West Rockwood Ferry Road Ten Mile TN 37880 865-376-2236 • johnknoxcenter.org Montgomery Bell Academy - Summer Camp Programs 4001 Harding Road Nashville TN 37205 369-5368 • montgomerybell.edu/camps Teen Leadership Adventure 4187 Old Hickory Blvd Nashville TN 37218 856-4772 • leadershipacademyllc.com/ teen-leadership-adventure

SUMMER CAMP GUIDE 2021

McNeilly Center for Children 100 Meridian St. Nashville TN 37207 255-2549 • mcneillycenter.org Premier Athletics 412 Golden Bear Court #C Murfreesboro TN 37128 896-7300 • premierathletics.com/ classes/Camps-and-Events 215 Gothic Court, Suite 104 Franklin TN 37067 661-0006 • premierathletics.com/ classes/Camps-and-Events Teen Leadership Adventure 4187 Old Hickory Blvd Nashville TN 37218 856-4772 • leadershipacademyllc.com/ teen-leadership-adventure Williamson County Parks & Recreation Summer Camp 1120 Hillsboro Road Franklin TN 37064 • wcparksandrec. com/activities/summer_activities/index. php Grassland Elementary School 6803 Manley Lane Brentwood TN 37027 • wcparksandrec. com/activities/summer_activities/index. php Nolensville Recreation Complex 7250 Nolensville Rd Nolensville TN 37135 790-5719 ext. 2038 • wcparksandrec. com/activities/summer_activities/index. php YMCA Summer Adventure Located at select schools in Davidson, Rutherford and Sumner Counties 259-3418 • ymcafunco.org/summerprograms/summer-adventure

Sleep Away Camps Baylor Summer Program 171 Baylor School Road Chattanooga TN 37405 423-267-8506 ext. 412 • baylorschool. org/summer

Camp Carolina 1 Lambs Creek Rd Brevard NC 28712 828- 884-2414 • campcarolina.com Camp Carson YMCA 2034 Outer Lake Road Princeton, IN 47670 (812) 385-3597 • campcarson.org Camp Country Lad 204 Union B Road Monterey TN 38574 931-839-2354 (Summer) 931-526-1849 (Winter) • campcountrylad. com Camp DeSoto for Girls 264 Highway Above the Clouds (264 County Rd. 631) Mentone AL 35984 256-634-4394 • campdesoto.com Camp Green Cove for Girls 617 Green Cove Rd Zirconia NC 28790 828-692-6355 • greencove.com Camp Juliette Low 321 Camp Juliette Low Rd. Cloudland, GA 30731 770-428-1062 • cjl.org Camp Laney 916 West River Road Mentone AL 35984 256-634-4066 • camplaney.com Camp Marymount 1318 Fairview Blvd. Fairview TN 37062 799-0410 • campmarymount.com/ summer-camp Camp Merri-Mac for Girls 1123 Montreat Road Black Mountain NC 28711 828-669-8766 • merri-mac.com Camp Mondamin for Boys 413 Mondamin Rd. Zirconia NC 28790 828-693-7446 • mondamin.com Camp Seafarer (girls) 2744 Seafarer Road Arapahoe NC 28510 252-249-1212 • seagull-seafarer.org Camp Sea Gull (boys) 218 Sea Gull Landing Arapahoe NC 28510 252-249-1111 • seagull-seafarer.org Camp Skyline Ranch for Girls 4888 Alabama Highway 117 Mentone AL 35984 800-448-9279 • campskyline.com

Boxwell Reservation Scout Camp 1260 Creighton Lane Lebanon TN 37087 383-9724 ext. 8234 • mtcbsa.org

Camp Timberlake for Boys 1123 Montreat Road, Suite B Black Mountain NC 28711 828-669-8766 • camptimberlake.com

Camp Bear Track 295 Prim Road Drasco AR 72530 501-825-8222 • campbeartrack.com

Camp Vesper Point 3216 Lee Pike Soddy-Daisy TN 37379 423-648-7936 • vesperpoint.org/ summer-registration

Camp Broadstone/Appalachian State University 1431 Broadstone Rd Banner Elk NC 28604 828- 963-4640 • conferences-camps. appstate.edu/youth-camps

Camp Woodmont for Boys & Girls 381 Moonlight Road Cloudland GA 30731 423-472-6070 • campwoodmont.com

ARE YOU

IN? special offer

CAMPS & RETREATS CAMPS & RETREATS PSALM 42:1 PSALM 42:1

Use Code CAMP2021 to SAVE $10 OFF per camper ALL SUMMER CAMPS: Day, Overnight & Family Learn more and register at: DeerRun.camp/events

Offer Expires 6/15/21. Can be combined with multi-session & sibling discounts.

VOTED #1 by PARENTS! Deer Run is a traditional summer camp where kids and youth are ADVENTUROUS, UNPLUG & CONNECT with each other.

DAY CAMP

AGE 5 to completed GRADE 6 Plenty of FUN ACTIVITIES: swimming, water slide, boats, aqua park, and zip line at the lake plus pedal kart races, recreational games, archery & BBs range, crafts, climbing tower, creek wading, interactive Bible study, and more. Ax throwing, giant swing, and canopy zip lines for campers, grades 5-6. Bus Transportation available from 8 area locations.

OVERNIGHT CAMP FAMILY CAMP 1-week camps: completed GRADES 3 to 10

2-week camps: completed GRADES 6 to 10

Preteens & youth love the lake activities, climbing tower, paintball, zip line adventures, archery range, disc golf, rec games, human foosball, giant swing, archery tag, ax throwing, carpetball tournaments, interactive Bible study, and more. Two-week campers also enjoy an off-site Outdoor Adventure Excursion.

CUSTOMIZE YOUR LIFECHANGING VACATION GETAWAY by choosing rec & activities your family enjoys, then plan your schedule. JUNE–JULY CAMPS • Sat a.m. to Mon afternoon • 2-night upscale private accommodations, meals, family devos & more! • also Single Parent Camps AUGUST–MAY CAMPS • No min number of nights • Private lodging. Dinner & breakfast included.

To REGISTER and for info about saving money with our REFERRAL PROGRAM, go to:

DeerRun.camp

615.794.2918 • 150 private, wooded acres located 35 minutes south of Nashville, TN

| APRIL 8 – APRIL 14, nashvillescene.com 15, 2021 | NASHVILLE SCENE SUMMER CAMP GUIDE 2021

YMCA Camp Piomingo 1950 Otter Creek Park Road Brandenburg KY 40108 502-942-2616 • camppiomingo.org

Chippewa Ranch Camp for Girls 8258 Country O Road Eagle River WI 54521 866-209-9322 • chippewaranchcamp. com Cub Creek Science Camp 16795 Hwy E Rolla MO 65401 573-458-2125 • mosciencecamp.com

YMCA Camp Thunderbird 1 Thunderbird Lane Lake Wylie SC 29710-8811 704-716-4100 • ymcacharlotte.org/ camps/camp-thunderbird.aspx

Deer Run Camps 3845 Perkins Road Thompson’s Station TN 37179 794-2918 • deerrun.camp

YMCA Camp Widjiwagan 3088 Smith Springs Road Antioch TN 37013 360-CAMP (360-2267) • CampWidji.org

Emagination Computer Camps Massachusetts, Illinois, Georgia, and Pennsylvania 877-248-0206 • emaginationtechcamps. com Frenchwoods Festival of the Performing Arts Winter Location 1879 University Dr Coral Springs FL 33071 954-346-7455 • frenchwoods.com Summer Location 199 Bouchoux Brook Rd Hancock NY 13783 800-634-1703 • frenchwoods.com Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont 9275 Tremont Road Townsend TN 37882 865-448-6709 • gsmit.org/summeryouth National Flight Academy 1 Fetterman Way NAS Pensacola FL 32508 877-552-3632 • nationalflightacademy. com Riverview Camp for Girls 757 County Road 614 Mentone AL 35984 256-634-4043 • riverviewcamp.org Skyland Camp for Girls 317 Spencer St. Clyde NC 28721 828-627-2470 • skylandcamp.com Southern Prep Academy 174 Ward Cir Camp Hill AL 36850 256-675-6269 • southernprepacademy. org/admissions/summer-programs

Adventure Science Center 800 Fort Negley Blvd. Nashville TN 37203 862-5160 • adventuresci.org/summercamps-2021 Bridges for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing 935 Edgehill Ave Nashville TN 37203 800-2302 • bridgesfordeafandhh.org/ youth-education-services Camp Evergreen through Alive Hospice Camp Site: Hillmont Camp 975 Hillmont Camp Rd White Bluff TN 37187 346-8410 • alivehospice.org/camps David Deaton Karate Studios - Summer Camp Hermitage/Mt. Juliet 1249 N. Mt. Juliet Road Mt. Juliet TN 37122 754-6878 • dojoupdate.com/martialarts-training/summer-karate-camp

Mpact Martial Arts Summer Camps 121 Seaboard Lane, Suite 1 Franklin TN 37067 377-3444 • mpactsports.com/camps Nashville Zoo Summer Camp 3777 Nolensville Pike Nashville TN 37211 833-1534 • nashvillezoo.org/zoo-camps National Flight Academy 1 Fetterman Way NAS Pensacola FL 32508 877-552-3632 • nationalflightacademy. com Owl’s Hill Nature Sanctuary Summer Camp 545 Beech Creek Road Brentwood TN 37027 370-4672 • owlshill.org/camps Thrust Math & Science Summer Camp at FISK Corner of 17th Ave N and Jackson St, Nashville TN 37208 329-8605 • fisk.edu/academics/ summer-programs Time to Learn: Summer Enrichment at Learning Lab 2416 21st Avenue South, Suite 100 Nashville TN 37212 321-7272 5500 Maryland Way, Suite 110 Brentwood TN 37027 377-2929 • mylearnlab.com

Hendersonville 761 W. Main St. Hendersonville TN 37075 824-9111 • dojoupdate.com/martial-artstraining/summer-karate-camp

TPGA Junior Golf Academy 400 Franklin Road Franklin TN 37069 465-6322 • tnjuniorgolf.com/tnjrgolfhome-104.html

Lebanon 1029 W. Main St, Suite F Lebanon, TN 37087 547-1754 • dojoupdate.com/martial-artstraining/summer-karate-camp

Traumatic Brain Injury Program w/ Easter Seals Nashville 425 Fifth Avenue N Nashville TN 37247 292-6640 • easterseals.com/tennessee/ our-programs/camping-recreation/ youth-camps.html

Discovery Center at Murfree Spring 502 S.E. Broad St. Murfreesboro TN 37130 890-2300 • explorethedc.org/camps

Sports Day Camp

Space Camp 1 Tranquility Base Huntsville AL 35805 800-637-7223 • spacecamp.com

ETC Gymnastics 1137 Haley Road Murfreesboro TN 37129 867-6900 • etcgymnastics.com/ camps

Father Ryan Summer Camps 700 Norwood Drive Nashville TN 37204 383-4200 • fatherryan.org/page/ athletics/summer-camps

Valley View Ranch Equestrian Camp 606 Valley View Ranch Road Cloudland GA 30731 706-862-2231 • valleyviewranch.com

Historic Travellers Rest Summer Camp 636 Farrell Pkwy Nashville TN 37220 832.8197 • travellersrestplantation.org/ summer-camp-and-scout-programs

HIYC Sail Camp Harbor Island Yacht Club at Harbor Drive & Saundersville Road Old Hickory TN 37138 859-433-9623 • hiyc.org/sail-camp-2021

iD Tech Camps Located at Vanderbilt University and 60 prestigious universities nationwide 2305 West End Ave. Nashville TN 37203 322-7311 • idtech.com/locations/ tennessee-summer-camps/nashville

Mountain Bike Camp Deep Well Trailhead, Percy Warner Park Nashville TN 37221 856-4772 • campwarnerpark.com/ mountain-bike-camp

Victory Ranch 4330 Mecklinburg Dr. Bolivar TN 38008 731-659-2251 • victoryranch.org/ summer-camp YMCA Camp Ocoee 111 YMCA Drive Ocoee TN 37361 423-338-5588 • campocoee.com

Special Interest Day Camps

Law Camp Lipscomb University Institute for Law, Justice & Society One University Park Drive Nashville TN 37204 966-2500 • lipscomb.edu/ljs/law-camp

NASHVILLE SCENE | APRIL 8 – APRIL 15, 2021

SUMMER CAMP GUIDE 2021

Nashville Rowing Learn to Row 2901 Bell Road Nashville TN 37217 617-901-8165 • nashvillerowing.org/ summer-ltr-camps Tennessee Martial Arts Academy 8010 Safari Way Smyrna TN 37167 220-4211 • tnmaa.com/read-me Williamson County Soccer Association — Indoor Soccer League 3157 Boyd Mill Avenue Franklin TN 37064 791-0590 • williamsoncountysoccer.com YMCA Sports Camp (Ages 6-12) ymcamidtn.org/programs/youth-sports

STEM Camps Adventure Science Center 800 Fort Negley Blvd. Nashville TN 37203 862-5160 • adventuresci.org/summercamps-2021 Camp STEM PO Box 330916 Murfreesboro, TN 37133 415-7963 • campstem.us Camp Rock Zone- STEM Zone 11902 Lebanon Rd. Mt. Juliet, TN 37122 562-0070 • camprockzone.com Center for STEM Education for Girls Harpeth Hall School 3801 Hobbs Rd Nashville TN 37215 346-0110 • stemefg.com National Flight Academy 1 Fetterman Way NAS Pensacola FL 32508 877-552-3632 • nationalflightacademy. com Sylvan Learning Center - EDGE Camp 810 Medical Center Pkwy Ste C Murfreesboro TN 37129 893-3542 • locations.sylvanlearning. com/us/murfreesboro-tn Time to Learn: Summer Enrichment at Learning Lab 2416 21st Avenue South, Suite 100 Nashville TN 37212 321-7272 5500 Maryland Way, Suite 110 Brentwood TN 37027 377-2929 • mylearnlab.com

An unAbAshed,

finger-onthe-pulse, liVe-liKe-You-

CAn’t-get-

enough supporter of the Arts

for 30 YeArs. nAshVillesCene.Com

NASHVILLE’S ORIGINAL SAILING CAMP

HARBOR ISLAND YACHT CLUB ON OLD HICKORY LAKE

HIYC SAIL CAMP

4 WEEKS ONLY BEGINNING JUNE 7 MON-FRI 9am-4pm / $385 per week

Be SEEN in the UPCOMING SPECIAL ISSUES

https://hiyc.org/sail-camp-2021 LIMITED SPACE — REGISTER NOW

Our Annual Style Issue May 6

nashvillescene.com SPEND A WEEK ON THE WATER AND TRY SOMETHING NEW!

Our week long Learn to Row Programs are open to any Middle or High School aged athletes (12-19 years old) that are interested in learning about rowing, and that want to try something new, be on the water, stay fit, and even get a jumpstart before joining us in August for the Fall Season. This is the best way to get to know the team, the coaches, and to learn the basics of rowing all in one place.

For more information head over to www.NashvilleRowing.org

Our Summer Guide Issue May 20 For information on advertising to the Scene’s audience of more than 400,000 people, email Mike Smith at msmsith@nashvillescene.com | APRIL 8 – APRIL 14, nashvillescene.com 15, 2021 | NASHVILLE SCENE SUMMER CAMP GUIDE 2021

MADE WITH WATER ENRICHED BY PACIFIC MINERALS CREATE A SMOOTHER VODKA SODA

TRY SKYY VODKA, NOW IN A NEWLY DESIGNED BOTTLE

CRITICS’ PICKS R O U N D U P

O F

T H I N G S

T O

D O

Ice Creams has offered us another way to celebrate Parton — the two have teamed up to create Strawberry Pretzel Pie, a limited-edition flavor that will be on sale Let’s be honest: After the pandemiconline and in Jeni’s scoop shops starting year-plus we’ve all just had, you’d likely Thursday, April 8. A cream cheese ice jump at pretty much any event cream base is dotted with “salty that features other people and pretzel streusel” and swirled doesn’t take place in your EDITOR’S NOTE: AS A RESPONSE TO THE with “lipstick red strawberry house. But this one also has ONGOING COVID-19 PANDEMIC, sauce” — it’s “a throwback animals and alcohol. The WE’VE CHANGED THE FOCUS OF to the triple-decker pie from Nashville Zoo’s adults-only THE CRITICS’ PICKS SECTION TO the potlucks of our youths,” Spring Flamingle offers an INCLUDE ACTIVITIES YOU CAN PARTAKE IN WHILE YOU’RE says Jeni’s via a press release. evening among the exhibits AT HOME. The catch: With fans of both with a variety of food trucks Jeni’s and Parton vying to try it, and 3-ounce samples from 15 the flavor will be as hard to snag as beer and wine purveyors. Some a vaccination appointment in February, COVID regulations will be in place, so Jeni’s recommends getting to the scoop of course: Face masks will be required shops early. They also warn customers that whenever you’re within six feet of other online sales — which go live at 11 a.m. — will guests and not eating or drinking — but allow only two pints per purchase. Details you’re used to keeping a safe distance from are at jenis.com/dolly. MEGAN SELING things at the zoo anyhow. Did I mention that you will be out of your house, among other human beings? Tickets are $75 for [SALUTE THESE SHORTS] general admission or $95 for so-called RENT 2021’S OSCAR-NOMINATED Conservation Champions, who will get SHORT FILMS VIA THE BELCOURT early entry, free carousel rides and access With the Oscars still a couple weeks off, to the Conservation Lounge with animal you have plenty of time to catch up on this encounters and keepers available to answer year’s nominees — from top-notch Best questions. Designated-driver tickets are Picture contenders like Judas and the Black also available for $35 and come without Messiah and Nomadland to International drink tickets. 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 8, Feature noms like Another Round and The at the Nashville Zoo, 3777 Nolensville Pike Man Who Sold His Skin. Less celebrated but nevertheless intriguing and diverse is STEVEN HALE this year’s lineup of Oscar-nominated short films, which Nashville’s beloved Belcourt [STRAWBERRY MISS DOLLY] Theatre is now streaming in its virtual EAT DOLLY PARTON’S LIMITEDcinema. Split into the three nomination EDITION JENI’S ICE CREAM categories — animation, live action and Earlier this year, as the Tennessee documentary — the shorts can be rented for legislature contemplated approving a three-day window for $12 per category or the bill that proposed installing a Dolly $30 for the whole bunch. Intriguing titles in Parton statue at the state Capitol, the the documentary shorts category include notoriously humble singer — as humble as “Hunger Ward,” which centers on a pair of someone with their own theme park can health care workers feeding impoverished be, anyway — effectively said thanks but citizens in war-torn Yemen, and “A Love no thanks. “Given all that is going on in the Song for Latasha,” a portrait of the 15-yearworld, I don’t think putting me on a pedestal old girl whose shooting death in part is appropriate at this time,” she wrote on sparked the 1992 L.A. riots. Among the livesocial media. Thankfully, Jeni’s Splendid action nominees screening via the Belcourt are Israeli short “White Eye,” about a man who inadvertently sets off a chain of unfortunate events while attempting to retrieve his stolen bicycle, and Palestinian short “The Present,” which follows a man navigating the West Bank with his daughter as he shops for an anniversary present for his wife. Among the animated shorts bunch are “If Anything Happens I Love You,” a school-shooting-related film that the Belcourt describes as “an elegy on grief,” and the seemingly much lighter “Burrow,” which follows a young rabbit digging “the burrow of her dreams.” Of course, that’s just a small sampling of what can be found among this year’s nominees, so visit belcourt.org to learn more about the titles or rent the programming. Once you’re all caught up there, consider purchasing a ticket to this year’s Virtual Red Carpet [BACK IN THE WILD]

GO TO THE SPRING FLAMINGLE AT THE NASHVILLE ZOO

MUSIC

FOOD & DRINK

FILM

DRINKING

W E E K L Y

[FINE TUNING]

STREAM BRANDI CARLILE’S TALK WITH DOLLY PARTON ON THE BROKEN HORSES VIRTUAL TOUR

Brandi Carlile is among the most talented and thoughtful individuals working in music right now. If the point of writing and singing songs, producing other people’s records and performing in public is to process and convey emotional experience and understanding, it’s hard to find anyone doing it better or with more empathy. In her memoir Broken Horses, published April 6, Carlile examines the influence of a huge number of factors on her art, including: growing up in poverty outside Seattle in the 1980s; conflicts between her faith and her queer identity; raising two children with her wife while coping with the stress of being

a professional musician. To celebrate the book’s publication, Carlile is participating in a virtual book tour in partnership with a variety of independent bookstores. All of the conversations and events, streaming via the Veeps platform, are worth your time, but Thursday’s is of special note to Nashvillians. Carlile will speak with none other than Dolly Parton, who’s not only one of the finest country musicians ever to pick up the pen or take the mic but also one of its best businesspeople and most generous philanthropists. Tickets include access to the stream (available to rewatch until April 22) and a signed copy of Broken Horses, and proceeds benefit Parnassus Books. 7 p.m. Thursday, April 8, via Veeps STEPHEN TRAGESER

nashvillescene.com | APRIL 8 – APRIL 14, 2021 | NASHVILLE SCENE

picks_4-8-21.indd 25

4/5/21 5:25 PM

CRITICS’ PICKS

THE REAL WORLD: HOMECOMING

also all undergo COVID tests. Friday, April 9, at various venues around Nashville DIANA LEYVA

[BARELY KNEW ’EM]

STREAM JAMES HATEM’S GUINNESS ATTEMPT

After a year without live shows, Nashville’s music venues have suffered greatly. Some of them have found innovative ways to continue operating at a very limited capacity, while the desire to watch live performances the way we used to lingers on. But as COVID-19 vaccines become more accessible and we start to enjoy some of the freedom we had prepandemic, enjoying a live show is now at least a little more feasible. In order to make up for lost time, Nashville-based bluesschooled singer-songwriter James Hatem will be raising funds for the U.S. Bartenders Guild and Music Venue Alliance Nashville as he attempts to break a Guinness World Record by performing at 80 venues across the city all within a 24-hour timespan. The current record was set in 2012, when Helge Toft and his band performed at 65 venues in Haugesund, Norway. Hatem will be performing at venues large and small all throughout Music City on Friday, April 9. He’ll run the gamut from Springwater, The Groove and The Basement to midsize spots like Exit/In, The Basement East and Mercy Lounge all the way up to Bridgestone Arena — hence the name of the project, “The Basement to Bridgestone Arena.” Hatem hopes to bring awareness to the plight faced not just by Nashville’s music venues, but also by artists and crews. If all goes according to plan, you’ll have at least 80 chances to see Hatem in person. To make a donation, see the full list of venues and more, visit the website he’s set up for the attempt (basementtobridgestonearena.com). There you’ll also see notes on how the project will comply with all CDC guidelines. Audiences at each venue will be limited, and personal protective equipment will be worn by all team members. Hatem and his crew will

WRITING

MUSIC

D. PATRICK RODGERS [WRITE AWAY]

STREAM DEESHA PHILYAW’S WRITING WORKSHOP VIA THE PORCH

This pandemic has brought something out in people — something more than anxiety and stress-eating — although that stuff has been there too. It seems like everyone I’ve talked to recently has moved a back-burnered writing project up on their list of priorities. This long year-plus has given us a lot of time to consider and reconsider our stories and why we want to tell them. Deesha Philyaw’s streaming workshop — Writing Is a Mindset: How Your Success Is Tied to How You Think — is just in time. The two-hour Saturday afternoon class aims to answer the hard questions every writer grapples with: Why do you write? What do you expect from yourself as a writer? What do you expect of the writers in your circle who read your

DEESHA PHILYAW

LAURA HUTSON HUNTER [WALL TO WALL]

JOIN AT HOME: NASHVILLE MURALS + PIZZA

As we traverse the city by foot, car, bike or bus, we’re inundated with information. New buildings seem to spring up overnight, old haunts become new hangs, advertisements compete for our attention, and people still don’t know how to drive — in fact, the pandemic seems to have only made it worse. A colorful piece of public art can punch through the visual static, and Nashville certainly has murals to spare. While certain murals in the Gulch may drum up the most posts on Instagram, the murals in North Nashville are far more important to us culturally — and they’re often better aesthetically.

Artists like Norf Art Collective, Brandon Donahue and Elisheba Israel Mrozik have affected the visual identity of our city in a big way, and many of their murals can be found in historically Black North Nashville. The culture mavens at Urbaanite have joined forces with the concert promoters at LoveNoise for a virtual tour of North Nashville murals. But first, you’ll have to swing by Slim & Husky’s Pizza Beeria on Buchanan Street to get your game-day kit. It includes two cans of Red Bull Yellow Edition and a BYOB cocktail recipe; a Slim & Husky’s take-and-bake artisan pizza; swag from LoveNoise and Urbaanite; and a Nashville guidebook published by Urbaanite. At 6 p.m., tune in to the virtual tour, when artists Woke3 and Omari Booker will take you around the neighborhood to learn the stories behind the artwork. After that, Booker, Slim & Husky’s co-founder Derrick Moore, Urbaanite editor Ashley Currie and LoveNoise co-founder Eric Holt will discuss what event organizers are calling “the new Nashville Renaissance.” Curious? Tune in. The virtual event will be topped off by a live performance by brass band Brassville. Tickets are $35 and include the pizza kit. 6 p.m. Saturday, April 10; register at urbaanite.com ERICA CICCARONE TELEVISION

Evening Oscar-viewing party, which the Belcourt says will feature an auction, a preshow, movie quizzes, a chat room and more.

COMMUNITY

JAMES HATEM

work? Philyaw is an ideal teacher. Her debut short story collection The Secret Lives of Church Ladies was a finalist for the 2020 National Book Award for Fiction, and her writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, McSweeney’s and others. From The Porch’s website: “In this workshop, participants will explore how they think about writing — their motivations, expectations and goals — and discover ways to make sure their mindset about writing is working to their advantage.” Details are at porchtn.org. 2-4 p.m. Saturday, April 10, via The Porch

[52 UP]

BINGE THE REAL WORLD: HOMECOMING ON PARAMOUNT+

Much has changed about New York, television and life in general since MTV’s inaugural The Real World aired in the summer of 1992. The six-episode RW: Homecoming, which reunites the original seven housemates for one week in the very same SoHo loft, shows this. The fact that everyone is still alive is a win in itself, as journalist-activist Kevin Powell notes in the first episode. But after pleasantries are exchanged, long-simmering tensions boil over almost instantly once topics of race and privilege are broached, making it frustratingly apparent that some people evolve while others choose not to. I don’t want to spoil anything, but episodes two and three are essential viewing for liberal do-gooders everywhere. It isn’t all cringe, though. Powell’s passion is an inspiration. Birmingham, Ala.’s own Julie Gentry (badass mom and the lone Southerner of the group) and Heather Gardner (the resident rapper, radio DJ and party-starter who rolls up with a full bar packed into a suitcase) also make middle age seem not-so-scary. The

NASHVILLE SCENE | APRIL 8 – APRIL 14, 2021 | nashvillescene.com

picks_4-8-21.indd 26

4/5/21 5:25 PM

CRITICS’ PICKS SOCIALLY-DISTANCED CAPACITY AND IN LINE WITH NASHVILLE’S GOOD TO GO HOSPITALITY SAFETY PROGRAM

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

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

THIS WEEK THU

4/8

6:00 AN EVENING FOR ! T U O D TRAVIS MEADOWS SOL

6:30

LIVESTREAM AVAILABLE FRI

4/9

ART

CHECK OUT LOST NASHVILLE FROM FOUND MOVEMENT AND KINDLING ARTS FEST

Found Movement Group and Kindling Arts Festival are back this weekend with Lost Nashville, a newly expanded work developed in response to iconic sites throughout the city. Presented in partnership with the Arts & Business Council of Greater Nashville — and building on the success of a workshop production presented back in October — this innovative concept offers something of an elevated scavenger hunt for arts lovers. Participants start by meeting at an assigned launch location for check-in. From there, they unravel a series of clues directing them to a specific venue or landmark, where they’ll take in a brief performance centered on movement, music, art and history. Audience size will be limited for all performances, and masks and social distancing are required. It’s a unique opportunity to get out there and experience Nashville with fresh eyes. Lost Nashville runs every other Saturday (April 10 & 24; May 8 & 22), with performances beginning at 7 p.m. (Check-in from 6:30 until 6:50 p.m.) Tickets start at $15. 7 p.m. Saturday, April 10, via Kindling Arts Festival

FILM

AMY STUMPFL [DYNOMITE]

WATCH THE 3D MARTIAL ARTS EPIC DYNASTY ON BLU-RAY

When I was 5 or 6 years old, the first 3D movie I ever saw was actually on TV. It was a 1977 martial arts film called Dynasty, and it blew me the hell away, with all the arrows and swords and whatever-thehell-else flying out of the screen thanks

to the 3D glasses I was wearing (courtesy of 7-Eleven). I was so entranced by it that when it aired for a second time, I tried to record it onto VHS. Unfortunately, I set it on the wrong channel and all I got was NBC’s Sportsworld and Entertainment Tonight. So imagine my joy when I heard that Kino Lorber Studio Classics will be releasing the chopsocky spectacular I fell in love with on Blu-ray. Like previous 3D movie releases Kino Lorber has dropped, the movie will play on 3D TVs and Blu-ray players. (They still make those?) But if you have neither of those, the disc comes with a pair of good ol’ cardboard, red-and-blue-lensed glasses, so you can watch the film in all its anaglyphic glory. And for people with weak eyes, there is a 2D version. It goes on sale Tuesday, April 13 — buy it via blu-ray.com.

6:00

9:00

8:00

SAT

BACKSTAGE NASHVILLE!

12:30

SCOTT MULVAHILL

8:00

4/10 VIP DAYTIME HIT SONGWRITERS SHOW SURROUNDED E.P. RELEASE SHOW SUN

4/11 MON

4/12

TUE

THE WILD FEATHERS T! OLD OU

8:00

THE TIME JUMPERS

8:00

THE PIANO MEN

8:00 12:30 7:00 9:30

4/13 THE MUSIC OF ELTON JOHN AND BILLY JOEL

7:00

8:00 8:00

WED

FEAT. JEFF MIDDLETON, TOMMY KARLAS, GREG BATES & CASSIDY DANIELS AND SPECIAL GUEST JOEL KAISER

4/14

KEITH ANDERSON WITH SPECIAL GUEST THOMPSON SQUARE WALKING MAN

THU

PAUL THORN SOLD OUT!

FRI

BACKSTAGE NASHVILLE!

SAT

T! THE WILD FEATHERS SOLD OU

SUN

LIVESTREAM AVAILABLE

4/18

THE TIME JUMPERS

MON

4/15

A NIGHT OF THE MUSIC OF JAMES TAYLOR FEATURING GENE MILLER

4/16

4/17 TWO RESURRECTION D OUT! A JOURNEY TRIBUTE SHOWS! SOL VIP DAYTIME HIT SONGWRITERS SHOW

4/19

JUST ANNOUNCED

CRAIG D. LINDSEY

GAMING

[LOST AND FOUND]

T!7:00 SOLD OU

FEATURING JERRY MCPHERSON, STEVE MACKEY & SHANNON FORREST LIVESTREAM AVAILABLE

LOST NASHVILLE editing cleverly contrasts new content with original footage — a time capsule of pre-9/11 NYC — in a way that’s honest about what’s been lost, but also shows the magic the city can still conjure. Mainline the addictive miniseries, which wraps up Thursday, April 8, on Paramount+ — and go even deeper with Truu Stowray, a RW podcast co-hosted by writer and former MTV VJ Dave Holmes and Memphis-residing Soul Coughing main man Mike Doughty. CHARLIE ZAILLIAN

TOM BUKOVAC’S HOMESKOOLIN’

WILDHEART WEDNESDAYS

[A VERY VIRTUAL ADVENTURE]

TRY A VIRTUAL ESCAPE ADVENTURE WITH THE ESCAPE GAME NASHVILLE

You likely already know about escape rooms — they’ve been popular for years, offering a fun, immersive experience that sort of blurs the line between theater and gaming. But what you may not know is that The Escape Game Nashville also offers a variety of remote adventures. As with the traditional in-person format, digital escape rooms keep you and your friends guessing with plenty of puzzles, tasks and creative problem-solving. You simply log into Zoom, where you’re met by a host and “game guide” who is outfitted with a live camera feed to help you navigate the room. You pick up clues through a digital dashboard, and then work with your team to solve puzzles and complete your mission in 60 minutes or less. You can choose from four game options — including everything from a prison break to an art heist to a search for ancient treasure. Tickets start at $30-$32 per person for groups of up to eight players. For complete details, visit theescapegame. com. AMY STUMPFL

4/9 & 4/16

5/9

5/16

AN EVENING WITH TOMMY TOM BUKOVAC HOMESKOOLIN’ LIVESTREAM EMMANUEL & ROB ICKES & TREY HENSLEY:

5/23

TRIGGER HIPPY:

STRUNG LIKE A HORSE:

NASHVILLE SUNDAY NIGHT

COMING SOON 4-21 Wildheart Wednesdays feat. Rafe Van Hoy, Wood Newton, Billy Yates w/ Paige Nichols 4-22 The Rise Above : Benefit For The Family Center Of TN’s “Change The Tune” 4-23 TIM AKERS & THE SMOKING SECTION TWO SHOWS! 4-24 TIM AKERS & THE SMOKING SECTION TWO SHOWS! 4-25 LORE w/ The Untamed : Nashville Sunday Night

4-29 The Last Bandoleros w/ Kree Harrison 4-30 Anderson Council : A Pink Floyd Experience “The Wall Of Animals” 5-1 12 Against Nature : A Steel Dan Experience 5-2 Sam Lewis : Nashville Sunday Night 5-7 Rubiks Groove TWO SHOWS! 5-8 THE EAGLEMANIACS: The Music of Don Henley and The Eagles TWO SHOWS!

LIVESTREAM | VIDEO | AUDIO Live Stream • Video and Recording • Rehearsal Space 6 CAMERAS AVAILABLE • Packages Starting @ $499 • Cinematic Focus Our partners: Nugs.tv

PRIVATE EVENTS

FOR 20-150 GUESTS SHOWCASES • WEDDINGS BIRTHDAYS • CORPORATE EVENTS EVENTSAT3RD@GMAIL.COM • 615-397-5097

nashvillescene.com | APRIL 8 – APRIL 14, 2021 | NASHVILLE SCENE

picks_4-8-21.indd 27

4/5/21 5:25 PM

FOOD AND DRINK

BRINGLE ALL THE WAY Pitmaster Carey Bringle’s new book contains everything you need to know for barbecuing season BY MARGARET LITTMAN

BBQ FOR DUMMIES BY CAREY BRINGLE JOHN WILEY & SONS 288 PAGES, $24.99

PHOTO: ERIC ENGLAND

“A

ny dummy can do it. It is written for dummies.” That’s the onthe-nose way local pitmaster Carey Bringle describes his new book, BBQ for Dummies, which goes on sale April 13. “Barbecue is all about time and temperature,” Bringle tells the Scene. “Anyone can do it. There’s clear science behind the way the meat cooks. But people rush it, they freak out, and they do not use common sense. The patience part gets everybody.” Many of us have learned how to keep sourdough starter alive or how to bake TikTok feta pasta over the past year, but many of us have also ruined a perfectly fine piece of meat by just throwing it over hot coals and hoping for the best. Bringle, who owns Nashville’s Peg Leg Porker, was approached by John Wiley & Sons — publishers of the Dummies series — to write a barbecue book that covers all the basics. The famous series, known for breaking down complicated subjects into bite-size pieces, already had a grilling book, but it hadn’t had an expert tackle the South’s favorite way to make its meats. “Barbecue is about having a good time and fun,” he says. “If it makes you angry or mad, you are doing it wrong.” The fact that barbecue is time-intensive — “low” and “slow” are the watchwords — makes it an ideal activity for spending time with friends and family. That’s exactly why the community of professional pitmasters is so tight, Bringle says. They’ve spent a lot of time together waiting for a smoker to do its thing. It should come as no surprise that Wiley tapped Bringle as the expert in all things smoked and charred meats. He’s been smoking meats for more than 35 years and has been included on Southern Living’s “Great American BBQ Bucket List,” participated in the Food Network’s BBQ Brawl: Flay V. Symon, and placed in the Memphis in May World BBQ Championship many times. In 2013, Bringle opened the doors to Peg Leg Porker in the Gulch. Bringle describes the process of writing and dealing with the effects of the pandemic on the restaurant business as “tedious and long — it was very difficult to focus, and I was trying to work on all our other projects.” Fortunately, he had the help of a ghostwriter to keep the project moving forward. Those other projects include Bringle’s Smoking Oasis, which will open in The Nations by the end of May and will be more focused on Texas-style barbecue than the pulled pork and ribs that are on the menu at Peg Leg. Bringle’s Smoking Oasis will sell brisket by the pound, to be sliced in front of

NASHVILLE SCENE | APRIL 8 – APRIL 14, 2021 | nashvillescene.com

food_4-8-21.indd 28

4/5/21 3:02 PM

FOOD AND DRINK

: Winners’ Reader poll

Support Local. VOTED BEST FOR 15 YEARS! PRESENT THIS COUPON FOR

20% OFF YOUR TO-GO ORDER ONLY MUST BE PRESENT AT SITAR (EXP. 04/30/21)

WE DELIVER WITH: GRUBHUB...POSTMATE DOOR DASH...UBER 116 21st Ave. N. | 321-8889 | SitarNashville.com

We Deliver: Call @ 526-9100

FREE PARKING!

you. He’s also working on a new barbecue location at the Nashville International Airport (meats will be smoked off site) and a separate USDA kitchen for making sauces. A bourbon-tasting facility may be in the works too. As Bringle’s empire expands, though, there will be only one Peg Leg Porker — each new restaurant has its own name and focus, and so the Gulch location will continue to be a destination of its own. But for now, he’s gone back to his roots, describing BBQ for Dummies as a basic reference guide and beginner’s guide. Bringle was born in Nashville but has West Tennessee roots — his family settled there in 1827. “My family instilled in me how much great barbecue there was in West Tennessee and how it brought people together,” he says. When Bringle was in high school, his grandmother would cut articles out of the newspaper about barbecue and send them to him. But he’s the first in his family to make a living cooking barbecue. BBQ for Dummies takes readers through every step of making good barbecue, and does so in a way that allows you to flip to a page and find a nugget of wisdom, or read it in sequential order. The 288-page book, which adheres to the tried-and-true Dummies book formula, includes 120 recipes — 50 of which are for marinades, rubs, injections and sauces — in addition to his advice on barbecuing and smoking. Bringle encourages readers to know where their meat comes from and to buy from butchers who know what they’re talking about. In Nashville, he’s a fan of Porter Road Butcher and Bare Bones Butcher, but concedes that not everyone has a local meat market in walking distance. Building a relationship with the folks behind the meat counter at warehouse stores like Sam’s and Costco is his next pick, because they tend to have larger cuts like brisket, pork shoulder and butts. He likes those cuts because they are “very forgiving.” Recipes in BBQ for Dummies include options for pork shoulder, lamb shank, brisket and beef ribs, as well as appetizers including barbecue nachos and mac-and-

cheese. The mac-and-cheese is not the exact recipe from Peg Leg, but a good one that can be made on the grill at home for a smaller crowd than he cooks for at the restaurant. Desserts including a grilled peach are included too. “The secret sauce” to successful barbecue, Bringle says, is having thick smoke and a spicy rub, and recipes are included for that as well. The pitmaster encourages his readers to start simple. “You do not need to make it more complicated than it is,” he says. “People want to over-season and over-smoke and try to doctor it up too much. After you master making tender and juicy meat with salt, pepper and the right smoke, then you can start mixing it up and trying your own flair.” Other advice includes how to pick out a grill or smoker, what woods to use, what tools you need, and the all-important times and temperatures for the right piece of meat. This may be the outspoken Bringle’s first book, but it likely won’t be his last — he’s thinking about writing a more personal tome. “This is not my life story,” he says. “This is not the Carey Bringle Chronicles. It does not include the many incidents I have had in my life. The next book will focus on Tennessee. It will be my journey through barbecue.” In the back of the book, Bringle lists 10 essential barbecue restaurants. Peg Leg Porker is one, naturally, as are three spots within a three-hour drive of Nashville. So if you get tired of following his advice and want to have someone else make your meat for you, you can plan a barbecue road trip. The book is focused on making your own barbecue at home, of course, but there are also some tips if you are going to opt for takeout instead: Ask for your meat to be pulled or sliced in front of you, for instance, as that makes it less likely to dry out than if it has been pre-sliced. When reheating at home, pick a low temperature and warm it slowly — again, the goal is to keep the meat moist. “As long as we are all eating good barbecue,” adds Bringle, “that is a good thing.” EMAIL ARTS@NASHVILLESCENE.COM

Save the dishwashing for later. Visit nashvillescene.com for our daily takeout picks.

vegan with gluten-free options

East Nashville

Closed on Tuesdays Open 11am-10pm all other days

WE MAKE IT LOOK

BRAND NEW Custom upholstery for residential, commercial, auto, marine, and aviation.

Services We Offer: • Upholstery • Leather Repair • Antique Wood Restoration • Mold Remediation • Deodorization • Complete Auto Restoration • Paintless Dent Repair • Alloy Wheel Repair

FREE

AUTO UPHOLSTERY DISINFECTING Using product approved by the EPA to fight Covid

(615) 557-2968 restore615.com

nashvillescene.com | APRIL 8 – APRIL 14, 2021 | NASHVILLE SCENE

food_4-8-21.indd 29

4/5/21 3:02 PM

VODKA YONIC

MONDAY MORNING NUDES On getting naked for art and myself

Vodka Yonic

C O M E WORK

WITH US LOVE THE SCENE ?

LOVE LOCAL EVENTS?

We’re hiring for our seasonal events staff to help out at our summer and fall fests. Interested in working with us? Email us your resume and a little bit about you to

events@nashvillescene.com 30

BY KIM BALDWIN

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.

decided I would do it on Monday morning after my husband left for work. Not because he hasn’t seen me naked. He has. But because he hasn’t seen me creating content without any clothes on. That’s how I found myself in nothing but three-inch wooden clogs, setting up a tripod in the middle of my office, considering how to re-create a professional portrait of myself in the nude, all while my cat watched from atop his threetier cat tower. Veronica Leto, an artist I know, was participating in a local exhibition called “Radical” Thoughts, and she asked if she could paint me for one of her pieces. She said I wouldn’t have to do anything but give my consent, that she would comb through my social media feed for an image she wanted to paint. It sounded both easy and flattering, a combination that is appealing to me, so I agreed. In the picture she chose, I am in my office, reclining in front of my computer with my feet up on the desk. Except she did add a request — she asked if I would recreate it naked. I have recently recovered from disordered eating and have struggled with body image for most of my life. I’ve been reluctant to let people see me in a healthy, weightrestored body, and that’s with clothes on. My brain said no, but my Venus in Taurus said maybe. I decided to explore the possibility before committing. First things first: How do I take a nude? I called the photographer who took the original photo. A single woman dating in a pandemic, she had some experience with it herself. “I just took a bunch of nudes. I’ll send you some to show what I mean about the lighting.” She sent them, and I got a glimpse not only into how shadows play into photography, but how online dating works in The Year of Our Lord Anthony Fauci 2021. After the call, I felt somewhat confident I could pull this off. I responded to Veronica’s email and said I was game to re-create the picture naked, to which she responded something like, “Well, since you’re already going to go through the trouble of being naked in broad daylight, would you mind trying a couple other poses?” Then, for inspiration, she attached a few stock photos of seminaked women in corporate settings. (Sidebar: Who needs seminude office photos? For whom does the corporate nude bell toll? There can’t be that many brochures that require a pantless woman sitting astride an office chair in an empty conference room. )

I HAVE RECENTLY RECOVERED FROM DISORDERED EATING AND HAVE STRUGGLED WITH BODY IMAGE FOR MOST OF MY LIFE. I’VE BEEN RELUCTANT TO LET PEOPLE SEE ME IN A HEALTHY, WEIGHTRESTORED BODY, AND THAT’S WITH CLOTHES ON. I let my friends hype me up over these photos. They were unequivocally in support of Naked Office Kim™️, and they thought it was hilarious that my photographer sent me her nudes as examples. There’s a reason hype women exist. They’re effective. I knew I was going to do it, but I needed to leave room for any last-minute showing of common sense or future prospects of running for office. I also had a deadline. The pictures were due in three days. If this year has taught me anything, it’s that if you have to do something, do it as soon as you wake up on Monday morning — because the next day may be the first day of a stay-at-home order, a bombing in your city or an attempted coup at the U.S. Capitol. Monday is also the day I deep-condition my hair. While I was in the shower, I realized that I should probably shave my legs, which is funny in hindsight, because I did not wear a stitch of makeup. Totally ignore your roots that haven’t been highlighted since March 2020, I thought, and your under-eye circles that haven’t seen concealer in six months. But yes, let’s worry about that leg hair that no one will see. Shaved, conditioned and moisturized, I was ready. I was in the zone, the naked zone. Why not try more poses? Mind you, these are not meant to be sexy photos, despite the overtly sexy photos my photographer sent me as examples. In one picture, she was sitting back on her heels, arm across her chest and hand covering her pubic area. It was playful, and I do enough yoga that I thought I could pull it off. And for the most part, I did. You can tell by my expression that it was killing my knees. And my posture was all wrong. Because I have more body to cover than my friend, I had to reach farther to cover my parts. All that reaching caused me to twist and lean in ways that weren’t … artful. At this point, my stubborn Taurus kicked in. I had spent too much time on this photo shoot to quit now. I decided to go look for a chair to straddle. Turns out, the sexy pantless secretary was me. The chair picture was the winner. I kept the best two of every shot and then got dressed for the day. Now people can see me naked. In a museum. It’s scary, but it’s also empowering. I worked hard to get here, and goddamn it, you’re going to look at me. EMAIL ARTS@NASHVILLESCENE.COM

NASHVILLE SCENE | APRIL 8 – APRIL 14, 2021 | nashvillescene.com

vodkayonic_4-8-21.indd 30

4/5/21 3:03 PM

BOOKS

THE LAND OF MISSING THINGS In C Pam Zhang’s debut novel, orphaned siblings struggle to survive in the unforgiving American West

he odds are stacked against Lucy and Sam. In C Pam Zhang’s debut novel, How Much of These Hills Is Gold, the siblings — ages 12 and 11 — are orphaned in the barren hills of the AmeriHOW MUCH OF THESE can West in the HILLS IS GOLD aftermath of the gold BY C PAM ZHANG rush. Their Ma died RIVERHEAD BOOKS 336 PAGES, $16 three years earlier, after which their Ba ZHANG WILL DISCUSS HER NOVEL ONLINE 6 P.M. spiraled downward, drinking himself to MONDAY, APRIL 12, VIA PARNASSUS BOOKS death and leaving his children destitute. Penniless and friendless, the siblings face further troubles due to their race. The children of Chinese workers, they are viewed with suspicion, at best, and often with violent hostility. Lucy and Sam learn to “become what others call them: animals, lowdown thieves.” They crawl on their bellies to the schoolhouse and steal the teacher’s horse, thereby severing ties with their last ally, and head out of town. Their immediate goal is to find a place to bury Ba; their long-term plans are as open as the desert landscape. Zhang narrates the novel’s opening sequences in the present tense, focusing on Lucy’s thoughts, a technique that emphasizes the urgency of the siblings’ daily fight for survival. “Theirs is a life of belly and legs, run and feed,” Zhang writes. “Simple life.” They survive by boiling the land’s dirty water and shooting squirrels for dinner, larger game having abandoned the ravaged area. Stumbling into a settlement, the danger becomes greater since they may get killed for sport. Lucy and Sam have only each other to count on, yet their bond is strained by Sam’s gender ambiguity. When Sam falls ill on the trail, Lucy washes her sibling’s body and discovers a “gnarled” carrot in Sam’s pants, “a poor replacement for the parts Ba wanted Sam to have.” Sam looks away, acting as if “she has nothing to do with this body of hers, a child’s body, androgynous still, prized by a father who wanted a son.” Lucy loves her sibling but cannot “explain this pact between Sam and Ba that never made sense to her.” A more concrete division between the siblings arises when Lucy proposes that they move to Sweetwater, the nearest town of any size, where they can rejoin civilization. “It’s a chance to start over,” Lucy says. “We don’t have to be miners.” But Sam wants to stay in the wild. “Three months they’ve traveled in fear and in hiding, and Sam saw it as a game,” Lucy thinks. Lucy has retained the belief, ingrained by Ma, that “family comes first.” But now, with Sam appearing to be “a

PHOTO: GIOIA ZLOCZOWER

BY SEAN KINCH

creature unknown to Lucy,” they may reach a breaking point. The next two sections of How Much of These Hills Is Gold move backward in time as their dead parents narrate chapters, taking in a larger scope of history with each jump. Zhang’s novel helps reconceptualize this era, including the economic incentives that drove thousands to seek fortunes in lands inhabited by indigenous nations. When Ba fails as a prospector, Ma insists that he find steadier work in the coal mines that have sprung up in the region — a frequent, dispiriting pivot for many. Ba’s and Ma’s backstories tie the gold rush to the building of the transcontinental railroad, a project that pushed capitalists to import Chinese labor. Zhang weaves these sociological details into the narrative without detracting from the family’s personal, traumatic stories, beginning with Ba’s decision to become a prospector: Like thousands of others [Ba] thought the yellow grass of this land, its coinbright gleam in the sun, promised even brighter rewards. But none of those who came to dig the West reckoned on the land’s parched thirst, on how it drank their sweat and strength. None of them reckoned on its stinginess. Ba, who first appears as a drunk with a gambling problem, becomes more complex in later chapters. Alternating between optimism and fatalism, Ba expresses a deep connection to the region despite it being “a land of missing things. A land stripped of its gold, its rivers, its buffalo, its Indians, its tigers, its jackals, its birds and its green and its living.” Ma exerts a cultured balance to Ba’s mercurial nature. For as long as she lives, Ma’s ambition for the family keeps Ba in line; after she dies, Ba cannot resist the chaotic forces that subject his children to the winds of fate. How Much of These Hills Is Gold, longlisted for the 2020 Booker Prize in the U.K., simultaneously explodes received myths about the Western gold rush and creates new myths of its own. Zhang’s characters strive mightily and suffer horribly, confronting demons in human and animal form. The novel ennobles the Chinese immigrant experience by creating beauty in an account of hardship, a story that “speaks not in words but in roar and beat and blood.” For more local book coverage, please visit Chapter16.org, an online publication of Humanities Tennessee. EMAIL ARTS@NASHVILLESCENE.COM

Brought to you by

It’s been a challenging year, so we’re teaming up with Nashville Soccer Club to celebrate Music City’s resiliency! How have you seen our city #KeepBuilding despite the adversity we faced in 2020? Share some photos and you’ll be automatically entered to win 4 tickets to a NSC Game & 4 jerseys!

2020 was a year of overcoming adversity. 2021 is a year to reach new heights. 2021 is a year to

Keep Building.

Visit Nashvillescene.com/KeepBuilding to share pix and win tix!

@nashvillescene

@nashvillesc

nashvillescene.com | APRIL 8 – APRIL 14, 2021 | NASHVILLE SCENE

books_4-8-21.indd 31

4/5/21 3:04 PM

MUSIC

THROUGH LINES: IT’S A NEW AGE

Considering local releases that marked an explosion of local scenes in the 2000s COMPILED BY TRACY MOORE Editor’s note: In an occasional series called Through Lines, we’re taking a look back at records that help tell the evolving story of Nashville music, one decade at a time. Our installment on the 2000s comes to us from former Scene music editor Tracy Moore, who called on a variety of contributing writers to discuss a wide range of releases from the decade.

ashville music fans faced an increasingly frustrating problem in the Aughts: deciding which of many exciting local independent acts — often as not, very new ones — to check SEEK OUT THESE RECORDS out on a given night. FROM BANDCAMP OR By mid-decade, the YOUR FAVORITE LOCAL issue grew more RECORD STORE serious, with a slew of top-notch recordings to match those thrilling live shows, and national attention turning our way. Though the era saw many artists wrestle deeply and sometimes publicly with notions of “selling out” — remember when that was still a sick burn, kids? — the crowded scene meant more competition. It produced a high caliber of work that channeled the city’s history and roots, and forged ahead in directions no one expected from a place still primarily known for hawking country. Though it certainly wasn’t the first time the city would prove it had more to offer than steel guitars and sob stories, what it meant to be “a Nashville band” drastically expanded in the 2000s. Silver Jews moved to town. Kings of Leon made Nashville their chosen home. Young Buck emerged from the hip-hop underground. Emo poppunkers Paramore broke the so-called Nashville Curse — that is, the belief that a non-country band couldn’t have a platinumselling record. Jack White ditched Detroit for Music City, and Akron’s The Black Keys were soon to follow. Major labels took an interest in slickening up homegrown sounds from bands like The Pink Spiders. All the while, all corners of the city’s underground pumped out persistent greatness, from the manic jolt of The Privates to the jangle punk of MEEMAW and beyond. In some cases, previous efforts were bearing fruit, like when rock raconteur Dave Cloud and idiosyncratic megaband Lambchop began to build significant audiences overseas. For others, like Those Darlins, the groundwork was being laid for breakthroughs in the 2010s. We at the Scene launched our very own music blog, Nashville Cream, in 2006. It became the place to hash it all out, proving just how much there was to debate. Regardless of which bands you were rooting for, Nashville’s non-country music

scene would never be the same again. So revisit the scrappy hustle of the era in this admittedly imperfect selection of records — not even considering singles! It’s the result of a process more agonizing than deciding whether to hit up The Basement, The 5 Spot or Mercy Lounge on any given night in 2008. We usually did all three, anyway.

LAMBCHOP, NIXON (MERGE, 2000) Lambchop’s three-plus decades of slow evolution aren’t neatly divided, but Nixon remains a landmark. Earlier records like 1997’s Thriller showcased the Nashville institution’s shift toward the format of a big cast of players making mellow, sidelong examinations of American culture and ’70s R&B, disco, countrypolitan and lots more, in an ever-widening orbit around singersongwriter Kurt Wagner. Later releases like 2004’s double LP Awcmon/Noyoucmon or 2016’s electronically enhanced FLOTUS might seem more adventurous. But Nixon still feels like the place to start when giving someone a frame of reference for Lambchop. STEPHEN TRAGESER

COUNT BASS D, DWIGHT SPITZ (DAY BY DAY, 2002) Count Bass D challenged rap’s orthodoxy on his early studio records long before today’s emo rappers warbled over dimestore beats. Yet that risk-taking resulted in Sony dropping him from his record deal in the late ’90s. On Dwight Spitz, the “Fender Rhodes Scholar” returned from exile a selfmade master of contemporary production hardware like the Akai MPC, employing the same clever rhyme couplets and musicality that had record execs drooling years before — only he delivered the sweetness in a more traditional hip-hop format. Contributions from the late MF DOOM put shine on a masterpiece that began a glut of material from the MTSU graduate during the decade. MARK MAYS

FEABLE WEINER, DEAR HOT CHICK (DOGHOUSE RECORDS, 2002) Feable Weiner was a mesmerizingly tight bunch of hammy, bow-tie-wearing showmen. They channeled the pinball energy and slick harmonies of their live show into Dear Hot Chick, a scorching power-pop-punk sugar bomb of super-sized hooks, soaring choruses and amusingly juvenile declarations of teenage lust — all packaged in a CD-size Trapper Keeper. Most of all, they made it all look like an

easy, good-natured goof. It got the attention of not just the industry but musical mastermind Matt Mahaffey, who produced the band’s 2008 followup 2FN HOT. He also encouraged them to change their name, which became Mondo Primo; in a recent email, Mahaffey says he regrets the advice. “A super talented bunch of guys who would be big rockstars right now if they hadn’t met me,” he writes. But we know better: The music biz is a fickle mistress, and we chalk it up to another mystery of the pop universe that the Weiner didn’t, ahem, instantly release its load on arrival. And given today’s nostalgic affection for second-wave pop punk, it still just might. TRACY MOORE

SEAN L. MALONEY

ASSCHAPEL, FIRE AND DESTRUCTION (CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY, 2003)

SILVER JEWS, TANGLEWOOD NUMBERS (DRAG CITY, 2005)

While the hard and heavy side of Music City gained notoriety in the 2010s, that was far from the case in the 2000s. In those days, touring metal and hardcore bands routinely left Nashville off their itineraries. The ace up our sleeve, though, was Asschapel. The name was unforgettable, and so were the shows — a furious melee of limbs, sweat and spit. Fire and Destruction is the definitive document of that time, capturing the Chapel’s crossover thrash at the height of its power. The band broke up three years later, but influential metal label Southern Lord took up the cause, compiling the band’s entire catalog on 2016’s Total Destruction.

At this point, the degree to which David Berman labored over his words is well documented. The execution made it seem effortless, and the ramshackle sound of Silver Jews gave everything an air of spontaneity. That looseness largely disappeared on Tanglewood Numbers. Here, the Jews sound powerful and precise, while Berman is by turns playful, confident, confessional, insightful, hilarious and heartbreaking. It’s a record that’s inseparable from the Tennessee I knew at the time. “Punks in the Beerlight” will always remind me of Springwater. On “Sleeping Is the Only Love,” Berman namedrops my tiny hometown. Sixteen years later, I still quote this album on the regular, and I’ll always love it to the max. MATT

MATT SULLIVAN YOUNG BUCK, STRAIGHT OUTTA CASHVILLE (G-UNIT/INTERSCOPE, 2004) With the production arsenal of 50 Cent’s G-Unit behind him, Young Buck’s Straight Outta Cashville put Nashville’s rap scene on the national stage. The release gave voice to the people of what were then thought to be ungentrifiable areas of the North Side — as in “Dodge City,” where Buck comes from. Beats from Sha Money XL, Lil Jon and Three 6 Mafia backed up Buck’s voice with rattlethe-speakers-in-your-Escalade booming bass, powering the record beyond late-stage crunk mediocrity. We wanted more of a specific Nashville flair and less of a general Dirty South, but the record topped charts upon its release all the same. MARK MAYS

GHOSTFINGER, THESE COLORS RUN (SET INTERNATIONAL, 2005) Ghostfinger’s These Colors Run is a refutation of American jingoism in the early years of The Endless Wars. It is

a celebration of rock music’s silliest motivations and a sweaty proclamation of its potential for salvation. It is the sweaty headband of Nashville Aughts rock. These Colors Run connected Murfreesboro’s house-party circuit to the tobacco-stained wood paneling of Springwater to the nascent East Nashville scene — a feat at the dawn of social networking. The album combines the devil-may-care attitude of the underground with a chops-over-everything ethos that made Music Row famous, walking the genius/goofball line with the genuine swagger that comes from keeping your tongue planted firmly in your cheek.

SULLIVAN

JEFF THE BROTHERHOOD, CASTLE STORM (INFINITY CAT, 2006) Back in the mid-Aughts, brothers Jake and Jamin Orrall’s JEFF the Brotherhood — previously known as The Sex, and briefly just JEFF — were the hottest ticket in town. The duo’s weird, fun amalgam of Sabbath-tone metal and goofball pop punk went off like a goddamn cherry bomb at shows, and perhaps the best they ever did in terms of capturing their lightningin-a-bottle live presence on record was Castle Storm. The songs’ subject matter wasn’t important — sharing a continental breakfast, playing drums, whatever the hell the 22-second “Tasty Breez” is about. But the Orrall brothers’ chemistry and powerful irreverent energy was there in spades, and it was glorious. D. PATRICK RODGERS

NASHVILLE SCENE | APRIL 8 – APRIL 14, 2021 | nashvillescene.com

music_4-8-21.indd 32

4/5/21 5:23 PM

MUSIC their “10-Year Bandiversary” show at Murfreesboro’s The Boro Bar and Grille. I don’t think I’m alone in saying it’s felt like a hand on my shoulder ever since. It’s a smoldering, snarling roots-schooled rock record with smart and poignant songs about the courage it takes to grow up, especially while wrestling with the uneasy legacy of the South. STEPHEN TRAGESER

ALTERED STATESMAN, ALTERED STATESMAN (SELF-RELEASED, 2008)

BE YOUR OWN PET, BE YOUR OWN PET (ECSTATIC PEACE, 2006) Listening to Be Your Own Pet’s self-titled album makes me feel old. But it also made me feel old way back in 2006 when I was only five or so years older than the teenage foursome. This record is a distillation of youth, all staccato energy and sneer. Frontwoman Jemina Pearl got (and deserved) the lion’s share of the attention — though it’s also worth taking a minute to consider some of the other reasons the petite blonde with the primal shriek might have caught the press’s eye. But listening back to the album now, it’s Jamin Orrall’s emphatic drumming that wows. His hefty hits are the backbone of this thrilling debut.

LEE STABERT LONE OFFICIAL, TUCKASSEE TAKE (HONEST JON’S RECORDS, 2006) Thanks to supple, interwoven guitar parts and the clever lyrics of frontman Matt Button, locals Lone Official in their heyday fetched frequent comparisons to indie-rock royalty Pavement. But with 2006’s Tuckassee Take, the five-piece issued something entirely singular — a 14-track collection of songs about horse racing and bar fights and Amelia Earhart, as brainy and unique as they are silly and fun. Fifteen years after

DUFFY JACKSON, 1953-2021

Looking back at the life of the stellar jazz drummer BY RON WYNN

ometimes people become such a vital, valuable force within a community it seems they were always part of it — no matter when they arrived, or where their previous stops might have been. That was clearly the case for the remarkable drummer, scat singer and MEMORIAL TRIBUTE bandleader Duffy JackSTREAMS SATURDAY, APRIL 10, AT 7 P.M. son, who became a corVIA FACEBOOK.COM/ nerstone of Nashville’s NASHVILLEJAZZ jazz community from the day he arrived from Florida in the late 2000s until his death March 3 at age 67. Whether performing or teaching at the Nashville Jazz Workshop, playing residencies at Rudy’s Jazz Room and Acme Feed & Seed, or sharing his robust brand of rhythmic intensity and

Tuckassee’s release, the nimble riff of “Le Coq Sportif” and the genius opening couplet of “Fight Song” (“To win in a bar fight in Tennessee, you must be proficient lefthandedly”) still bounce around frequently in my head. D. PATRICK RODGERS

CORTNEY TIDWELL, DON’T LET STARS KEEP US TANGLED UP (EVER, 2006) Lush and transporting, Cortney Tidwell’s debut long-player sounds as fresh and unencumbered by notions of what music from Nashville should be as it did upon release. With an approach that is at once exacting and experimental, and with contributions from Lambchop’s Kurt Wagner among other familiar Nashville names, Tidwell brings to mind a folk singer beaming messages from the future, her strong plaintive vocals dipping and soaring above moody, pulsing beds of drums, keyboard and guitar. Her follow-up Boys was even more expansive — further proof, if we ever needed it, that growing up in the shadow of the Opry needn’t mean getting stranded there. STEVE HARUCH

GLOSSARY, THE BETTER ANGELS OF OUR NATURE (SELF-RELEASED, 2007) Glossary’s fifth album was released as a free download a few months after

energy during dates with Western-swing heroes The Time Jumpers, Jackson brought vibrant and special qualities to every musical occasion and situation. Saturday, the Nashville Jazz Workshop will remember Jackson with an online memorial tribute. Video

chipper of dreams, this album was released independently in 2008 and by KoL’s Serpents and Snakes imprint the following year. Salvation delivers signature hard-rockin’ hook blitzes of careening guitar-and-organdriven cuts like “The Drawing Board” and “Lions.” But those are tempered with newfound depth and subtlety on patient, addictive slow-burners like the baroque-pop shuffle “Baby’s Hammer” and New Wave-y near-masterpiece “Concrete.” ADAM GOLD

Altered Statesman leader Steve Poulton proved himself a master of the urban picaresque on the band’s self-titled 2008 album. Altered Statesman brilliantly updates 1960s Chicago soul, and Poulton’s voice curls around his songs like smoke rings. Still, the world he describes includes crime, heartbreak and dislocation. In “C Cruise,” Poulton mentions New Orleans rock ’n’ roller Huey “Piano” Smith, while “The Ghost of Charlie Feathers” describes a universe where the anarchic spirit of the famed rockabilly singer lives on forever. Altered Statesman benefits from playing by Nashville notables like Lambchop pianist Tony Crow and bassist David Jacques. Poulton gets to the emotional heart of every song, but Altered Statesman — like the band’s 2019 release Tried as Adults — never loses its cool. EDD HURT

JUSTIN TOWNES EARLE, MIDNIGHT AT THE MOVIES (BLOODSHOT, 2009)

THE FEATURES, SOME KIND OF SALVATION (SELF-RELEASED, 2008)

For better or for worse, Aloha, Diarrhea Planet’s sub-10-minute debut, will always be known as “that record with ‘Ghost With a Boner’ on it.” But it’s also so much more than that. Aloha is the purest distillation of what drew people to DP and a window into what local punk would sound like in the next decade. It’s a ramshackle party, an earnest fist in the air, a cathartic scrum of gang vocals and guitars. Though the outsized noodling guitar solos wouldn’t come until Loose Jewels in 2011, Aloha has all the heart and joy of a DP show in a compact package.

The hard-luck history of Tennessee power pop wouldn’t be shit without The Features. Unfortunately, much of the outside world — save for those who didn’t skip the opener at scores of career-peak Kings of Leon concerts, or Shazam “This Disorder” while taking in a 2013 Ford Mustang commercial — still doesn’t know that. And most who do, don’t know that Exhibit A, the group’s dizzying 2004 major label debut, isn’t really the band’s finest record. That is Some Kind of Salvation. After the band was processed through the majors’ wood

clips from many wonderful concerts will be shown, highlighting among other things the all-star big band that Jackson led. An array of luminaries from Nashville and surrounding areas will also be featured, including Don Aliquo, Christina Watson, Dick Sisto, Andy Reiss, Roy Agee, the George Tidwell Sextet and The Lori Mechem Quartet. Jackson was one of those rare talents who seemed to be destined for stardom from the beginning. His father Chubby Jackson was a bassist and bandleader, known for work with jazz legends like Woody Herman and later for hosting children’s television shows. The young Jackson got the opportunity to meet and play with many of his father’s friends and colleagues, and to showcase his budding talent on TV himself. At age 5, Duffy appeared in DownBeat with his father. The caption with the photo indicated that the youngster had nicknamed himself “Jazz” and his main goal in life was “to run away with Count Basie’s band.” He went on to do that and much more in his extensive, multifaceted career. Basie was just one of the greats whose bands Jackson’s playing fortified and enhanced. He also worked with Lionel Hampton, Ella Fitzgerald, Lena Horne, Sammy Davis Jr., Benny Carter, Sonny Stitt, Illinois Jacquet and Monty Alexander, to cite just a few. Yet when you talked with him during his Nashville gigs, he’d want the conversation focused on

Circa 2010, Justin Townes Earle’s breakthrough Harlem River Blues would make the Music City native a favorite of audiences far and wide. But his transitional 2009 album Midnight at the Movies exudes a relaxed confidence and controlled charisma that are missing from his 2008 debut fulllength The Good Life. With themes of dark nostalgia explored through traditions of prewar folk and blues with goldenera country sheen, Midnight plays like a collection of standards from an alternate timeline that ache effortlessly. On Midnight, you can hear Earle, who was only 38 when he died in 2020, holding tight to his roots even as he’s transcending them. SETH GRAVES

DIARRHEA PLANET, ALOHA (SELF-RELEASED, 2009)

LANCE CONZETT EMAIL MUSIC@NASHVILLESCENE.COM

who and what he was doing that evening or weekend, rather than constantly venturing down Memory Lane. He loved all his Music City gigs and colleagues, relishing the chance to work in different settings, and with aspiring players as well as established stars. “Playing with Duffy felt like a glove,” said pianist Lori Mechem, co-founder of the Nashville Jazz Workshop, speaking recently with WBGO’s Nate Chinen. “His groove was infectious, and his sense of swing was flawless. He truly lived to play and loved everyone to the fullest.” Adam Charney of Rudy’s Jazz Room shares a similar sentiment with the Scene. He has high praise for Jackson’s touch as a player and as a vocalist, calling him “the most capable scat vocalist in town.” But the sense of community he was able to foster was what seemed to matter most to Jackson. “Duffy was a special character, and knew how to work a crowd and connect with his audience and fans more because of his genuine enjoyment of sharing and talking with people than because of any business motive,” says Charney. “Never was there a Duffy show where he did not walk all the way around the room and talk to nearly every person he could, in such a humble and friendly way. Rudy’s was never more welcoming, joyful, energetic and at the highest level of jazz than when Duffy Jackson was onstage.” EMAIL MUSIC@NASHVILLESCENE.COM

nashvillescene.com | APRIL 8 – APRIL 14, 2021 | NASHVILLE SCENE

music_4-8-21.indd 33

4/5/21 5:24 PM

MUSIC

THE SPIN

FOR THE GREATER GOOD BY CHARLIE ZAILLIAN

O FO

&M ORE

A LOC

FINALLY

something you can be excited about when you check your morning email. The Daily — a new newsletter from the Scene delivering the can’t miss stories, our latest news, politics, arts, music, food and ﬁlm coverage to your inbox every weekday.

Be in the know on the go!

n spite of how much brighter the future of live music seems now compared to a year ago, the outlook for house shows as we knew them — roomfuls of sweat-soaked strangers and friends packed shoulder to shoulder — remains hazy. I know I’m missing house shows’ communal spirit. Friday night’s streaming concert hosted by local rock ’n’ roll combo The Minks reminded me how much I also love seeing the insides of people’s places: the decor, furniture and ephemera that offer tiny insights into the houses’ inhabitants. Most of all, I’m missing standing at eye level and feeling one with the band.

Email you’re excited for!

FOUR ON THE FLOOR: THE MINKS

den, both recently covered in this column. Tasjan! Tasjan! Tasjan!, the 34-year-old’s fourth full-length for New West, is his most recent study in songcraft, and it balances a hopeful and compassionate outlook with a keen awareness of the garbage in the world. “Computer of Love,” his opening number on Friday, didn’t add anything deep to the tech-dependence discussion, but lines like the spoonerism “eight ladies from the late ’80s” spotlighted Tasjan’s easy knack for wordplay. His set also involved whistling and beatboxing. His performance ended with trading out his Jazzmaster for a Flying V-like sky-blue electric 12-string made by Gorsuch — a Columbus, Ohio, company chiefly known for double-neck axes that can split in half at their magnetic connection point — for a full-bore rock-out with chorus and delay pedals cranked. The camera then panned hard to the opposite side of the living room, where The Minks stood at attention and launched into a series of scrappy four-chord stompers delivered in quick succession. Director Joshua Shoemaker gave the whole show a vibrant blue-andorange color palette. The way the lighting, the band’s outfits, the artwork

WHISTLE WHILE YOU SHRED: AARON LEE TASJAN

Billed as the first installment of a video series dubbed The Good-Good Show, the pretaped performance served as a stylized simulation of an early-spring house party, minus the guests. West Virginia-born singersongwriter Sierra Ferrell started things off from the front porch, looking like a walking psych album cover in head-to-toe paisley. Ferrell, whose full-length debut on Rounder Records is due sometime this year, echoed vocal jazz from olden times with her haunting, quivering lilt, fingers dancing across the fretboard of her lightly amplified Gretsch hollow-body. After concluding her micro-set, Ferrell set the guitar down and swung open the door of the house to reveal Aaron Lee Tasjan standing across the room, plugged in and ready to go. Tasjan is part of a current class of maturing Nashville pop-rock tunesmiths that also includes Jeremy Ivey and Sadler Va-

on the wall and the stompboxes at the feet of Minks singer-guitarist Nikki Barber played off each other lent a fever-dream-version-of-ahouse-show aesthetic to the stream. The foursome culled much of the 35-minute set from their forthcoming follow-up to 2019’s Light and Sweet LP. The new album doesn’t yet have a title or a release date, but the songs sounded inspired equally by the blues, the Nuggets compilations and the Patti Smith Group. The Minks have been an East Side staple for the past several years, and neither their familial vibe nor their fiery live show has been compromised by the time off. The format of The Good-Good Show did exactly what a good house show will do. It heightened the anticipation not only for the new release, but also for the chance to one day stand in the same room again with a band firing on all cylinders. EMAIL THESPIN@NASHVILLESCENE.COM

NASHVILLE SCENE | APRIL 8 – APRIL 14, 2021 | nashvillescene.com

music_4-8-21.indd 34

4/5/21 5:23 PM

FILM decency of random folks. Like Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, Bad Trip is a case of hidden cameras that aim to build up human solidarity, and it’s reassuring in a way that is very helpful to those in strenuous situations. That’s not to say Bad Trip is all respectable — I imagine it might cause some very heated nationwide discussion. (It was the No. 1 film on Netflix its opening weekend, which is wild considering the film’s ménage à gorille.) But Andre, Howery and the always-reliable Tiffany Haddish have a blast with this cathartic travelogue, and that chaotic joy is infectious. And does anyone know where to find a rearview mirror chandelier like Haddish’s car has?

SAVED BY THE BELL (2021) VIA PEACOCK

NOBODY

PRIMAL STREAM 49 Odenkirk as badass, Eric Andre as chaos agent and more, now available to watch BY JASON SHAWHAN

s far as grand pronouncements about last month’s flood go, I’ve got two. The serious one is that it is criminal how little the mental health and well-being of Tennesseans is valued by the current supermajority running things. Speaking as someone still dealing with trauma from Nashville’s 2010 flood, I think it would be great if there were resources available (counseling/therapy, housing assistance) for regular folks. The other grand pronouncement is that at least there are better movies than 2010’s Nightmare on Elm Street remake in the zeitgeist this time around.

NOBODY IN THEATERS NOW, VIA VIDEO ON DEMAND APRIL 12 Best enjoyed as a Mr. Show sketch that somehow got a few million dollars thrown at it, this Bob Odenkirk vehicle has all the expected beats of the kind of action cinema that has been keeping Liam Neeson and Keanu Reeves at the forefront of contemporary asskicking conversations. The difference this time around is twofold: Odenkirk is a delight, as he is in everything he does. He sells Nobody’s Hutch Mansell as a nebbish, pragmatic dad, auditor (on multiple levels) and merchant of death. But there’s a moment in the script (written by John Wick’s Derek Kolstad) that feels like a wrinkle brought in from David Cronenberg’s The Fly dealing with the real and the constructed that scratches the brainstem in an interest-

ing way. It teases a narrative path promptly put back in the film’s wallet. So it’s retired CIA/FBI assassin/amateur lasagniero Hutch versus the Russian mafia, with impressive fight choreography (the best comparison is 2011’s Haywire, as far as unexpected impact) and a weird sense of humor. (Also, thankfully, the filmmakers don’t try to make Hutch’s former job a heroic avocation, because it isn’t.) Nobody also has a ridiculous amount of cavalier gunplay, for which your personal mileage may vary. It would be an exponentially better world if people’s arsenals remained fake and on screen rather than as instruments of intimidation and slaughter for their fellow human beings, but that’s a decision that every moviegoer has to make for themselves. But as far as a slick little exploitation film (I saw this at the drive-in the night before the flood, and it fit perfectly), this has several great narrative turns and a great supporting cast — any film with Christopher Lloyd, Michael Ironside and RZA gets full marks on that end. The great Connie Nielsen has very little to do, and it would be smart to step up her presence for the inevitable sequel — in both Demonlover and the Wonder Woman films, she’s demonstrated a game physicality for kicking all sorts of butt. But Odenkirk can do anything (see also: his sublime directorial debut Melvin Goes to Dinner, currently streaming on Netflix, and his sorely underrated comic exposé Let’s Go to Prison, on Cinemax and HBO Max), and it’s nice to have him do action movie things —

especially when he basically disassembles an entire busworth of toxic dudes. Then came the flood. Thankfully I found a couch in Hermitage courtesy of some friends (thankfully vaccinated as well), and my pal Phil C. said, “I know what will help.” And it was ...

BAD TRIP ON NETFLIX Eric Andre remains a chaos agent for all that is good and destabilizing. Bad Trip is a brisk effort, a fusion narrative (think Bad Grandpa or Haggard) that sends Andre and best friend Lil Rel Howery from Florida to New York City for love while detouring into first-person prankster scenarios, and it pulls off a really neat achievement. It’s really funny, gross in a way that pushes some interesting envelopes, perfectly paced, and determined to point out the inherent

Similarly, the first season of the new Saved by the Bell series pulls off quite a few interesting objectives. It nails the charm of the ’90s-staple original series, while stepping up the writing to a whole other level. (It makes perfect sense that 30 Rock’s Tracey Wigfield was a guiding force behind this reboot, because this show is where that rapid-fire character-driven jokecraft has landed.) The original Bell was a pleasant trifle devoted to the form of the hacky sitcom, and it is remembered because of the game, enthusiastic cast having rich-kid adventures and learning low-key lessons. Using that as the foundation, the folks involved with this new incarnation have managed to make a smart show about a silly situation, with some incredible performances (Josie Totah has Jane Krakowski-level comic timing) and writing that puts non-Letterkenny sitcoms to shame. Adept at demonstrating the multiple dishonesties that get caught up in using underfunded schools as a tool, the way that racism poisons aspects of interpersonal interaction, and executing a pitch-perfect Euphoria parody, this is a show everyone should be paying attention to. I resisted, even when those whose opinions I trusted completely vouched for it. But in a post-Bad Trip flood-aftermath situation, the time was right. So maybe this’ll help you check out what’s going on at Bayside High. You won’t regret it. You’ll laugh, feel better about the world, and maybe even forge your own secret handshake. EMAIL ARTS@NASHVILLESCENE.COM

BAD TRIP

nashvillescene.com | APRIL 8 – APRIL 14, 2021 | NASHVILLE SCENE

film_4-8-21.indd 35

4/5/21 3:07 PM

FILM

period of traditional mourning for a lost loved one — with her parents (Polly Draper and Fred Melamed). It’s bad enough ol’ girl has trouble remembering who exactly is the person she and her fam are supposed to be mourning. But Danielle is soon greeted at this somber get-together by two distractions: her ex-girlfriend (Molly Gordon) and the man

(Danny Deferrari) Danielle occasionally has sex with for money. Oh, and let’s not forget about the man’s entrepreneur wife (former Glee star Dianna Agron, bringing the savvy shiksa heat), who comes to the shiva with the couple’s baby (whom Danielle also didn’t know about) in tow. Clocking in at an hour and 17 minutes, Shiva Baby is a quick exercise in anxiety and self-loathing. Canadian writer-director Emma Seligman takes an already awkward gathering and throws some juicy, salacious monkey wrenches into the mix (complete with a downright nerve-jangling string score from Ariel Marx). This is actually a full-length adaptation of a seven-and-a-half-minute short Seligman did a couple years back that just scratched the surface of the quiet, claustrophobic hysteria that transpires in this film. Seligman definitely has a silently unraveling muse in Sennott, who also starred in the short and serves as an executive producer. She plays Danielle as a gal who tries to be liberated, but finds herself losing all semblance of self when she’s around her family and friends — many of them constantly urging her to eat something. She secretes panic. At practically every moment, Danielle is lying to others (and herself) about who she is and who she wants to be. She’s mostly trying to rebel against the good-Jewish-girl persona that her mom — Draper, of Thirtysomething fame, is a kvetching delight in this — so wants her to present, despite the fact that Danielle fails miserably at it. She

wants to be a dominant, complicated sexual being, the kind of person who could make both men and women desire her intensely. But ultimately, Danielle is a confused young woman with hopelessly stringy hair who’s in way over her head. If anything, Shiva Baby has Seligman showing us how a situation that could easily be played for laughs can also be downright nightmarish. The movie is funny, mostly thanks to the supporting players who throw passive-aggressive niceties at Danielle and her clan. (Shout-out to the ever-reliable Jackie Hoffman for bringing that hilarious yenta noise.) But it is effective in giving us a portrait of a Jewish girl who is relentlessly on edge when she’s forced (in rather close quarters, mind you) to come to terms with how much she’s basically fucking up her life — and the lives of others. By the time we get to the cringey, chuckleworthy finale, which once again forces our characters to convene in a compact setting, Shiva Baby presents a view of Jewish culture that is both amusing and unnerving. Seligman seems to be saying that when you’re one of the Chosen People, you’re immersed in one big clusterfuck of a community. My takeaway: When it comes right down to it, Jewish families aren’t that different from every other family on the planet. And if there are any Jewish people out there who don’t believe me, go to a cookout with Black folks. You’ll find we’re not that dissimilar after all! EMAIL ARTS@NASHVILLESCENE.COM

next generation, his hair braided long in honor of his ancestors underneath a Portland Blazers cap. Sweetwater Sahme is an expectant mother who regularly goes to a waterfall to cleanse herself and the child in her womb, but also to meditate on what motherhood will mean for her, looking into a reflecting pool both literally and figuratively. Whenever Jordan speaks in Chinuk Wawa, the subtitles are presented in English; whenever Sweetwater speaks in English, the subtitles seamlessly flip to Chinuk Wawa, bringing two traditions and cultures together formally, just as its subjects bring together a storied culture that needs to be preserved amid the struggles of contemporary life. Just as he weaves language together, Hopinka

shifts between extended personal conversations and more abstracted, sensorially stimulating sojourns into the physical landscape that so crucially shaped the cultural practices and personal beliefs of its original inhabitants. Hopinka captures tradition and ritual at every level, from public performances of passed-down song and dance in public halls and on high school football fields, to the most personal and private ways of carrying your ancestors with you — like Jordan’s hair and Sweetwater’s waterfall cleanses. The film’s color palette is sometimes bold and saturated, pulsating in your eye as an entire ecosystem of environmental sound envelops you. Though Maɬni (pronounced “moth-nee”) overflows

with visual beauty and displays a positive embrace of one’s heritage and history, it also reckons with tradition on more complicated terms. Its subjects navigate how to pass down the uplifting parts of their heritage while freeing their children from cycles of trauma, addiction and mental illness — issues so terribly prevalent in often underserved reservations and other Native American communities. As its title suggests, Maɬni — Towards the Ocean, Towards the Shore is at the point where the water meets the sand, on the uniting line of boundaries: Chinuk Wawa and English, avant-garde and documentary, past and present, nature and humankind.

SHIVA BABY NR, 77 MINUTES AVAILABLE FRIDAY, APRIL 9, VIA BELCOURT.ORG

TRADITION!

Emma Seligman’s Shiva Baby is nerve-racking, funny and painful BY CRAIG D. LINDSEY

s someone who is not of the Jewish faith, I don’t know if shivas are usually as nerve-racking, awkward and immensely painful as the one that takes place in the new movie Shiva Baby. Some wild shit goes down when a young woman named Danielle (Rachel Sennott) attends a shiva — that is, a

THE SKY ABOVE

Sky Hopinka’s new documentary depicts indigenous life from a unique perspective BY NATHAN SMITH

t’s easy and perhaps clichéd to compare the frames of a film to a landscape painting. But for all the stunning vistas that have been captured in more than a century of cinema, few films truly exude the authentic feeling of the natural world. Filmmaker Sky Hopinka, mostly known for short avantgarde work but now making his feature-length debut with Maɬni — Towards the Ocean, Towards the Shore, is uniquely concerned with landscapes, and captures them with a rare intensity and fullness. To view his work is to soak in a warm pool of vibrating sounds, steaming vapor and lush foliage. Just as essential to Hopinka’s films as landscapes are the people who fill those landscapes, specifically the Native American and indigenous populations of this continent who have been so often misrepresented, stereotyped and colonized by mainstream cinema. Hopinka is of Pechanga heritage and a member of the Ho-Chunk nation, and an active speaker and teacher of the Chinuk Wawa language native to the Columbia River Basin of the Pacific Northwest. As cinematic language has so often been used as a weapon against indigenous people, Hopinka aims to quite literally create new languages — both in his use of a poetic, mixed-medium form and his seamless blending of Chinuk Wawa and English. Hopinka spends intimate time with two Native Americans born in the Pacific Northwest, both friends of his but unrelated, though each is at a similarly crucial juncture in life. Jordan Mercier is an expectant father wondering how to pass traditions on to the

EMAIL ARTS@NASHVILLESCENE.COM

MAɬNI — TOWARDS THE OCEAN, TOWARDS THE SHORE NR, 82 MINUTES; IN BOTH CHINUK WAWA AND ENGLISH WITH CHINUK WAWA AND ENGLISH SUBTITLES AVAILABLE FRIDAY, APRIL 9, VIA BELCOURT.ORG

NASHVILLE SCENE | APRIL 8 – APRIL 14, 2021 | nashvillescene.com

film_4-8-21.indd 36

4/5/21 3:07 PM

CROSSWORD EDITED BY WILL SHORTZ ACROSS

Taradiddle Russian country house 9 Swiss bread 14 Nail 15 Out and ___ 16 Out now, in a way 17 “___ Crossroads” (Bone Thugs-NHarmony hit that got a Grammy) 18 They’re swaddled and coddled 20 Regain, as affection 22 Like games decided by buzzer beaters 23 Contests 25 City stray 29 One of a pair that often goes missing 30 Run out of Time? 32 Spot for an icicle 33 Birds with S-shaped necks 35 Male actor with the most Primetime Emmys (7) 36 Org. for drivers 38 & 39 Classic sports video game … or a hint to four squares in this puzzle 41 Something to take on a date? 42 Retired pugilist Ali 44 Gave a bit of lip? 46 Folklore fiend 47 14 pounds, in England 49 All alternative 52 Stamp collector? 54 Not forget 56 Devout 57 Some measures championed by the March for Our Lives movement 58 Co-founder of the women’s rights newspaper The Revolution 63 Still making cartoons? 64 Bad way to run 65 Supercharge 66 Divisions of a krone 67 “___ thank me later” 68 Tour of duty 69 Country that uses the krone: Abbr. 1 4

25 31

Lets do it like rabbits.

56 59

22 24

NO. 0304

20% off your entire purchase

PUZZLE BY BLAKE SLONECKER

1 2

3 4 5

6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 19 21 24 26 27 28 31 34

DOWN Mufti’s decrees All-time singleseason hits leader in M.L.B. history (262) Seats that sink Counterpart of “Bitte” Tony Shalhoub’s character on “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” Lower? Where some car logos appear Lagoon encirclers Beliebers or the Beyhive, for instance Some Outback entrees Shapiro of “All Things Considered” Michelle Obama ___ Robinson Stack on a rack, maybe Part Garden item that can be brined, informally Annoying roommate, maybe Eggs Benedict component State Word with paper or limit Actress de Armas of “Knives Out” Subj. in biochemistry

35 36

37 39 40 43 44 45

Qty. When repeated, start of an old antacid slogan Very enthusiastic Georgia senator Ossoff Violinist Leopold Electric guitar pioneer Random criticism Words immediately after Casca cries “Speak, hands, for me!” Any day now

48 50 51 53 55 58 59 60 61 62

Tough pills to swallow, at times Bread Eve of “The Vagina Monologues” Bumper-to-bumper activity? Origin of water clock technology For instance Space oddity Not worth a ___ Nail polish brand “Sister of God”

25 White Bridge Rd., Nashville, TN 37205 615-810-9625 MyPleasureStore.com *Offer Ends 5/15/2021. Cannot be combined with any other offer. Discount Code: HOPONNS20

PRB_NS_QuarterB_030121.indd 1

3/2/21 11:01 AM

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

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE A T T S

T R O U

I M A G E

S A L E S

I F F Y

P A L E

H A N G I N D E N T

O C T A N T

R E E F A S Q U A

S H T E O A R F R E R T I M C O U O R V A E M R A T S R I S U O N E N O R

A X L E

D A L E Y

S P U B R A T R A E B Z U R S A H

E S L T I E A O K S T S A R G E Y R G O U A R D

J U K Y E O U D R O E U B B L U E N D G O E W E N

O V E R

G A G S

I N S E T

O G E E S

E R O S

D A N E

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

$15 $ $$15 FREE FREE FREE FREE FREE FREE $$15 $$$10 $10 $$10 15 15 OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF 10 10 OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF

Online subscriptions: Today’s puzzle and more than 9,000 past puzzles, nytimes.com/ crosswords ($39.95 a year). Read about and comment on each puzzle: nytimes.com/wordplay.

Crosswords for young solvers: nytimes.com/ studentcrosswords.

4/30/2021. 1/4/2021. 1/4/2021. 1/4/2021. 1/4/2021. 1/4/2021. 1/4/2021.

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

nashvillescene.com | APRIL 8 – APRIL 14, 2021 | NASHVILLE SCENE

crossword_4-8-21.indd 37

4/5/21 3:08 PM

Rental Scene

Welcome to East End Village Townhomes

Your Neighborhood Local attractions: · Grand Ole Opry · Belle Meade Historic Site & Winery · Frist Art Museum

Best place near by to see a show: · 3rd & Lindsley · The Listening Room · Grand Ole Opry

Neighborhood dining and drinks: · Mitchell’s Delicatessen · Babo’s Korean Bar · Pharmacy Burger

Favorite local neighborhood bar: · The Village Pub & Beer Garden

Enjoy the outdoors: · Cedar Hill Park · Bicentennial Mall · Shelby Bottoms Nature Center & Greenway

Your new home amenities: · Soaring ceilings and open floorplan living areas · Office, views and loads of sunlight · Energy efficient hvac and appliances

FEATURED APARTMENT LIVING

Call the Rental Scene property you’re interested in and mention this ad to find out about a special promotion for Scene Readers

629.205.9131 | 307 E Village Lane Nashville, TN 37216 | www.eastendvillageapartmentsnashville.com

To advertise your property available for lease, contact Keith Wright at 615-557-4788 or kwright@fwpublishing.com

Chase Cove Apartments 2999 Smith Springs Road, Nashville, TN 37217 1 Bed / 1 Bath 730 sq ft $930 +

2 Bed / 1 Bath 1050 – 1184 sq ft $959+ call for details 5 floor plans

3 Bed / 2 Bath 1225-1315 sq ft $1482 + call for details

chasecoveapartments.com | 615.813.6279 Dupont Avenue Apartments 601 N. Dupont Avenue Madison, TN 37115

1 bed / 1 bath 650 sq ft $872 to $1184 3 floor plans

dupontavenue.com | 615.285.5687

Gazebo Apartments 141 Neese Drive Nashville TN 37211 1 Bed / 1 Bath 756 sq ft $1,119 +

2 Bed / 1.5 Bath - 2 Bath 1,047 – 1,098 sq ft $1,299 +

3 Bed / 2 Bath 1201 sq ft $1,399 +

5 floor plans

gazeboapts.com | 615.551.3832 38

NASHVILLE SCENE | APRIL 8 - APRIL 14, 2021 | nashvillescene.com

East End Village Townhomes 307 E Village Lane Nashville, TN 37216

1700-1820 sq ft plus 400 sq ft attached garage $1950-$2400 4 floor plans IN THE JUVENILE COURT FOR DICKSON COUNTY, TENNESSEE No. 05-20-043-DN

eastendvillageapartmentsnashville.com | 629.205.9131

MICKIE FURLONG SMITH GUARDIAN AD LITEM EVELYN RENOLDS Petitioners. V.

Fairfax Flats 206 Fairfax Ave Nashville, TN 37212

1 bed / 1 bath

JESSICA SPROUSE Whereabouts Unknown Non-Resident Notice Fourth Circuit Docket No. 20D1226 IRASEMA ESPARZA HERNANDEZ vs. JOSE DOMINGO ECHEVARRIA FUENTES

Non-Resident Notice Third Circuit Docket No. 20D1887 TRISA SOSA vs. ORLIN GARMENDIA

InjuRy Auto ACCIdEnts WRongFul dEAth dAngERous And dEFECtIvE dRugs

www.rockylawfirm.com LEGALS Non-Resident Notice Third Circuit Docket No. 20D1887

TRISA SOSA vs. ORLIN GARMENDIA 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 ORLIN GARMENDIA. It is ordered that said Defendant enter his appearance herein with thirty (30) days after April 8, 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

NSC 3/18, 3/25, 4/1 & 4/8/2021 IN THE JUVENILE COURT FOR DICKSON COUNTY, TENNESSEE No. 05-20-043-DN

Richard R. Rooker, Clerk W. North, Deputy Clerk Date: March11, 2021

MICKIE FURLONG SMITH GUARDIAN AD LITEM

Jesse P. Lords Plaintiff

EVELYN RENOLDS Petitioners. V.

NSC 3/18, 3/25, 4/1 & 4/8/2021

Voted Best Attorney in Nashville Call 615-425-2500 for FREE Consultation

Crystal Etue Attorney for Plaintiff

Non-Resident Notice Fourth Circuit Docket No. 20D1226 IRASEMA ESPARZA HERNANDEZ vs. JOSE DOMINGO ECHEVARRIA FUENTES 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 DOMINGO ECHEVARRIA FUENTES. It is ordered that said Defendant enter HIS appearance herein with thirty (30) days after April 8, 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 May 10, 2021. 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 M. De Jesus, Deputy Clerk Date: March 11, 2021 Crystal Etue Attorney for Plaintiff

JESSICA SPROUSE Whereabouts Unknown AND MATTHEW GRAY Whereabouts Unknown Respondents. IN THE MATTER OF: Emily Gray, DOB: 3/9/2017 A Child Under Eighteen (18) Years of Age It appearing to the Court from the sworn allegations of the Pro Se Petition for Dependency and Neglect and Custody that the whereabouts of the Respondent, Matthew Gray, is unknown and cannot be ascertained with reasonable diligence, it is, therefore, ORDERED that Respondent be served by publication of the following notice for four (4) consecutive weeks in the Nashville Scene, a newspaper of general circulation published in Davidson County, Tennessee. It is further ORDERED that if Respondents do not enter an appearance or otherwise answer the petition, further personal service or service by further publication shall be dispensed with and service of any future notices, motions, orders or other legal documents in this matter may be made upon Respondent by filing the same with the Clerk of the Juvenile Court of Dickson County, Tennessee. NOTICE

AND MATTHEW GRAY Whereabouts Unknown

1 floor plan

Respondents. IN THE MATTER OF: Emily Gray, DOB: 3/9/2017 A Child Under Eighteen (18) Years of Age

fairfaxflats.com | 629.702.2840

2100 Acklen Flats 2104 Acklen Avenue, Nashville, TN 37212

It appearing to the Court from the sworn allegations of the Pro Se Petition for Dependency and Neglect and Custody that the whereabouts of the Respondent, Matthew Gray, is unknown and cannot be ascertained with reasonable diligence, it is, therefore, ORDERED that Respondent be served by publication of the following notice for four (4) consecutive weeks in the Nashville Scene, a newspaper of general circulation published in Davidson County, Tennessee. It is further ORDERED that if Respondents do not enter an appearance or otherwise answer the petition, further personal service or service by further publication shall be dispensed with and service of any future notices, motions, orders or other legal documents in this matter may be made upon Respondent by filing the same with the Clerk of the Juvenile Court of Dickson County, Tennessee.

Studio / 1 Bath 517 sq ft $1600 - $1625

1 Bed / 1 Bath 700 sq ft $1825 - $1975

2 Bed / 2 Bath 1036-1215 sq ft $2400 - $2800

12 floor plans

2100acklenflats.com | 615.499.5979

NOTICE MATTHEW GRAY Evelyn Reynolds, has filed a petition seeking custody of Emily Gray. You are hereby ORDERED to appear for trial on that petition on April 20, 2021, at 1:00 PM, at Dickson County Juvenile Court, 500 Spring St., Charlotte, 37036, phone number 615-789-0250, or to otherwise enter an appearance in this matter. If you fail to do so, an order may be entered against you for the relief requested in the petition. You may view and obtain a copy of the petition and any other subsequently filed legal documents in the Juvenile Court Clerk’s Office at the address shown above. ENTER this the 22nd day of October, 2021. Judge: Honorable Michael Meise NSC 3/18, 3/25, 4/1 & 4/8/21

Advertise on the Backpage! It’s like little billboards right in front of you! Contact: classifieds@ fwpublishing .com

SERVICES EARN YOUR HS DIPLOMA TODAY For more info call 1.800.470.4723 Or visit our website: www.diplomaathome.com

REAL ESTATE Alabama – Smith Lake 678’ Waterfront Lot 500 S/Q Min. House Restriction. Off 1-65 Exit 305 $79,900 MLS#106579 Jack Culpepper 256-590-8650 Culpepper Real Estate

BATHROOM RENOVATIONS. EASY, ONE DAY updates! We specialize in safe bathing. Beautiful new walk-in showers with no slip flooring. Also, grab bars and seated showers available. Call for a free inhome consultation:

844-242-1100. (AAN CAN)

Still paying too much for your MEDICATION?

DONATE YOUR CAR TO KIDS.

Save up to 90% on RX refill! Order today and receive free shipping on 1st order - prescription required. Call

Your donation helps fund the search for missing children. Accepting Trucks, Motorcycles & RV’s , too! Fast Free Pickup – Running or Not - 24 Hour Response - Maximum Tax Donation – Call

1-855-750-1612

877-266-0681

(AAN CAN) Do you owe over

$10,000 to the IRS or State in back taxes? Our firm works to reduce the tax bill or zero it out completely FAST. Let us help! Call 855-955-0702. (Hours: Mon-Fri 7am-5pm PST) (AAN CAN)

(AAN CAN)

Attention Active Duty & Military Veterans!

Marketplace

Rocky McElhaney Law Firm

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 ORLIN GARMENDIA. It is ordered that said Defendant enter his appearance herein with thirty (30) days after April 8, 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 May 10, 2021. 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 JOSE DOMINGO ECHEVARRIA FUENTES. It is ordered that said Defendant enter HIS appearance herein with thirty (30) days after April 8, 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 May 10, 2021. 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 M. De Jesus, Deputy Clerk Date: March 11, 2021

$1200 to $1375 634 sq ft

Rental Scene

3 bed 3.5 bath

Begin a new career and earn your Degree at CTI! Online Computer & Medical training available for Veterans & Families! To learn more, call

855-541-6634 (AAN CAN)

4G LTE Home Internet Now Available!

Get GotW3 with lightning fast speeds plus takex your service with you when you travel! As low as $109.99/mo!

HEARING AIDS!! Buy one/get one FREE! High-quality rechargeable Nano hearing aids priced 90% less than competitors. Nearly invisible! 45-day money back guarantee!

1-888-519-0171

1-833-585-1117

(AAN-CAN)

(AAN CAN)

nashvillescene.com | APRIL 8 - APRIL 14, 2021 | NASHVILLE SCENE

S U H P I TC

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.

Read more at our new pitch guide: nashvillescene.com/pitchguide

Legal Legal Legal

CANNABIS CANNABIS CANNABIS BePainFreeGlobal.com madeeasy, easy, safe & & affordable affordable made made easy, safe safe & affordable made easy, safe & affordable

BePainFreeGlobal.com BePainFreeGlobal.com BePainFreeGlobal.com Call (888) 420-3848 Call(888) (888) 420-3848 420-3848 Call

CallAsk (888) to 420-3848 receive Ask how how to receive

BOTH LOCATIONS OPEN DAILY 11-9 FOR TAKE-OUT YOUR FAVORITE MEXICAN FOOD & ‘RITA, TOO! Happy Hour Sunday - Thursday 4-8

2330 8th AVE. SOUTH 615-988-0404

EAST/Five Points: 972 Main St. (615) 434-6000 Nashv il stron le g!

ille Nashv e! Fuer t

MUSIC CITY

PSYCHIC

10% off

A TAROT CARD READING

Ask how to receive Ask how tofirst receive 15% OFF your first order. 15% OFF your order. 15% OFF your first order. 15% OFF your first order.

615-915-0515

284 White Bridge Rd

x 6

BEST LAWYER WWW.ROCKYLAWFIRM.COM

TEXT FROM T HE

SCENE

615.425.2500

WE FIGHT FOR YOU

Text SCENE to 888-111 to receive the latest updates on all things:

Flat.

Studio.

Apartment.

Home.

Whatever you call it, find yours in the Rental Scene. Nashville Scene’s Marketplace on pages 30 - 31.

BREAKING NEWS

FREE DEALS

TICKETS

EVENTS & PROMOTIONS

Msg frequency varies. Reply STOP to cancel, HELP for Help. Msg & data rates may apply. 40

NASHVILLE SCENE | APRIL 8 - APRIL 14, 2021 | nashvillescene.com