O&AN | May 2020

MAY

Shake it up.

Stir it up.

SINCE 1888 FourRosesBourbon.com

Be mellow. Be responsible.

Contents FAX 615-246-2787 | PHONE 615-596-6210 OUTANDABOUTNASHVILLE.COM STAFF

Publisher: Jerry Jones jjones@outandaboutnashville.com Managing Editor: James Grady jgrady@outandaboutnashville.com Sales & Marketing: Cody Stallings cstallings@outandaboutnashville.com Design, Layout and Production: Saul Santos fsdemianhades3@gmail.com

CONTRIBUTORS

Writers: Kehan Bao,James Grady, Sara Schuster, Jason Shawhan, Chris Spear, Joe Woolley Photographers: Cover: Kacey Edenfield/Troy Ryan, with Jessie Montgomery, photos courtesy of Helix Studios National Advertising Representative: Rivendell Media 1248 Route 22 West | Mountainside, NJ 07092 (908) 232-2021 ext. 200

CORRECTIONS

&

We regret that the February LGBTQ Business Directory and Travelers’ Guide listed an incorrect phone number for Karuna Therapeutic Solutions. Their correct phone number is 615-669-6621. We apologize for the confusion.

OPPORTUNITIES

Out & About Nashville welcomes volunteer writers, photographers and videographers throughout the year. If you’re interested in contributing to our publication, send an email to editor@outandaboutnashville.com with a resume, contact information and samples of your work if available. Our volunteer staff is unpaid, but contributors do receive credit for their work in our print publication and online.

Those seeking an internship in journalism or mass communications are strongly encouraged to apply.

LEGAL

Out & About Nashville strives to be a credible community news organization by engaging and educating our

readers. All content of Out & About Nashville is copyrighted 2017 by Out & About Nashville, Inc. and is

protected by federal copyright law and shall not be reproduced without the written consent of the publisher.

06

Album Review Chris Spear

10 11 12

representations does not necessarily indicate the sexual orientation of the person or persons. Out & About

18

opinions are those of writers and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Out & About Nashville or its

staff. Letters to the editor are encouraged but may be edited for clarity and length. There is no guarantee that letters will be published. Out & About Nashville only accepts adult advertising within set guidelines and on a case-by-case basis.

Telling a Story in Boots Scott Emmerich’s Designs Paint a Picture

From the Diamond to Helix and Back

An Interview with Kacey Edenfield / Troy Ryan James Grady

and cartoonists published herein is neither inferred nor implied. The appearance of names or pictorial

Out & About Nashville are expressed in editorials and in the editor’s notes as determined by the editor. Other

14 Tips for Staying Mentally Healthy in a Crowded House Kehan Bao

and may not be reproduced without permission. The sexual orientation of advertisers, photographers, writers

to accept, reject or edit submissions. All rights revert to authors upon publication. The editorial positions of

Basic Instinct Jason Shawhan

08 Oddyssey by Amtrac

All photography is licensed stock imagery or has been supplied unless otherwise credited to a photographer

Nashville accepts unsolicited material but cannot take responsibility for its return. The editor reserves the right

The Special Shelf

20

Herbal Vinegars Sara Schuster

Nashville LGBT Chamber of Commerce Membership Spotlight Joe Woolley

4

May 2020

o u t a n d a b o u t n a s hv i l l e .c o m

For 15 years and running,

has partnered with Out & About Nashville to focus on the issues and opportunities that matter to the LGBT community.

OUT

ABOUT

T O D A Y Watch anytime.

Fridays @ 10pm. o u t a n d a b o u t n a s hv i l l e . c o m

May 2020

5

May Issue

The Special Shelf

BasicJ aInstinct son Shawhan There was a time when the wrath of the LGBTQIA+ community could make or break a film’s legacy (though sadly not in the way that we expected/hoped for). When we talked about Cruising, it was through the strange legacy of changing times that saw a film initially protested for indulging in queer stereotypes (meaning established stereotypes of queer people, not unusual stereotypes) somehow becoming, not respected, but embraced for its sketchy behavior. With Basic Instinct, the end result is the same, and it only took about five years (whereas Cruising took twenty-five to become respectable).

After a retired rock star gets sex-murdered with an ice pick, a cop on the edge (Michael Douglas) has to walk the fine line between the responsibility of investigative justice and the slip-n-slide of cocaine-fueled sexventures with the primary suspect, an omnivorously bisexual bestselling suspense novelist (Sharon Stone) with a taste for all the sex, all the drugs, and Chicago House (LaTour’s “Blue”) and Belgian rave (Channel X’s “Rave The Rhythm”) equally.

Basic Instinct is one of the cinematic events of 1992, a trashy mystery suffused with sexual menace and a coked-up and vodka-ed down, horny atmosphere. It’s violent, depraved, and ultimately kind of stupid, but also endearing. Lit with a sleek glow (by cinematographer Jan De Bont, the director of Speed and Twister) that suggests the impulse of acquisition somehow became luminescent, Basic Instinct is a tawdry, shameless romp through every cliché in the book, and it is magnificent.

Thankfully, Director Paul Verhoeven (Starship Troopers, RoboCop, Elle, Black Book) gives great trash. This is like if Alfred Hitchcock could have continued along from the path after he made Frenzy, exorcising his penchant for dangerous blondes and baroque murder.

This film may very well be the most ‘90s artifact ever for those who weren’t there at the time (the DVD and blu-ray releases feature a Camille Paglia commentary track), the last hurrah of the erotic thriller at the American box office before the Internet made every conceivable sex thought imaginable instantaneously accessible with the click of a button.

Basic Instinct also made Stone into a star responsible for the most iconic film still since Marilyn Monroe and a steam grate had a date with destiny. It made every studio greenlight mystery scripts that aimed to push the limits of onscreen sexuality (they didn’t) and blow the country’s mind with mindboggling twists and turns (they didn’t do that either). No matter how hard they tried, nobody could get the right mix of cliché and trash to work with whatever visual style was available at the time.

Joe Eszterhas’ script is a collision between film noir trappings and Penthouse Forum, while Verhoeven’s camera is Hitchcock nimble and he’s getting flawless performances out of most of the leads.

Their next collaboration was 1995’s Showgirls, and if you don’t 6

May 2020

o u t a n d a b o u t n a s hv i l l e .c o m

know that epic, you’ve got a project for yourself. Soak in its superior sleaze, and also see Hollywood legend Dorothy Malone in her final film and the peerless Leilani Sarelle (Neon Maniacs) as Roxy, a gratuitous stereotype of an angry lesbian who nonetheless is having heaps of fun at making Michael Douglas feel inadequate.

What’s wild about watching this film now is that Stone’s Catherine Trammell is obviously the heroine, and that Douglas’ Nick Curran is a fascist who embodies everything that’s bad about the patriarchy and the police force. What read in the early ‘90s as yet another homo-cidal sexual other now seems like an empowered queer character disassembling everything that is considered good and wholesome about straight society.

On Blu-ray and DVD, the film is presented in its unrated director’s cut, which is filled with all sorts of gore and naughtiness. I mean, the R-rated version is naughty, but it’s really not the same. Basic Instinct is also streaming (in its R-Rated version) on Showtime and DirecTV.

Coming January 2021: The Second Annual Out & About Nashville LGBTQ Business Directory and Travelers Guide!

Find your copy of the 2020 Guide wherever Out & About Nashville is distributed.

Interested in advertising with O&AN? Email Sales@outandaboutnashville.com or phone (615) 596-6210 for more information. o u t a n d a b o u t n a s hv i l l e . c o m

May 2020

7

May Issue On April 3rd Cody “Amtrac” Cornett released his second full length album, Oddyssey.

The first time I ever listened to Amtrac was in 2015, when I heard his song “Lover.”

I was instantly a fan and have always enjoyed his releases. Not only is his music fun to listen to, but it is always enjoyable playing out. Whether it’s earlier in the night and it’s a bit deeper or when things start getting more high energy, his music always gets people dancing. I can’t tell you what a big deal that is for a dj. For me, when you play music people don’t know, and they still dance, it tells you a lot more than how well an album sells. The first time I listened to Oddyssey I knew I was going to fall in love with it. Odyssey is cohesive and has some insanely good progressive house tracks, while offering a nice variety as you flow from song to song.

Oddyssey

by Amtrac

Album Review Chris Spear

The album kicks off with an almost magical flutter with the track “Ethel”—reverse piano chords and synths surround while properly introducing you to the album.

I always appreciate when an artist takes the time to craft an album. It’s not a bunch of songs that are released together: rather each song is a continuation of the same idea.

It goes from an introduction to a driving track leading into the second track of the album “Accountable”. This is one of my favorite tracks on the album. It has more of a traditional song structure, with an 80’s feel. The first time I listened to this, my husband yelled out “I want to make music like this!” That was when I knew I would be listening to this album on repeat.

“Between the Lines” is another fantastic tune that picks up pace and has a great bassline. If there were clubs open right now, this would be a great track to play as the night is heating up. “Replica” gets a bit deeper to bring you into a fun, funky groove. The arpeggiated synths and fat pads remind me of a lot of synthwave that is popular today.

After we chill out a bit, Amtrac brings us back up with a solid progressive house track “Madness To Mayhem”. In this song chock full of soft bouncing bass, piano, and guitar, the vocals make me imagine the scene he is creating. It has simple but really well designed buildups and breakdowns throughout, creating space and movement in a less-is-more approach. At the end there are some full lush pads that make you feel warm and fuzzy.

8

May 2020

o u t a n d a b o u t n a s hv i l l e .c o m

Oddyssey by Amtrac

“Odyssey is cohesive and has some insanely good progressive house tracks, while offering a nice variety as you flow from song to song”

May Issue

The next—and possibly best—track on the album is “So Afraid,” featuring Alex Metric. I’ve caught myself singing the vocals even when I’m not listening to the song. It has all the elements a great dance track should have to keep you dancing from beginning to end.

“Teenage Love,” featuring Saint Kenaire, is a chillout track, with a nice warm bass and echoing plucks reminiscent of French house from the 2000s. Another exceptional track on this album “Radical,” featuring Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, is quintessential Amtrac. The bass, pads, and beats remind you of some of his older material in all the right ways. TEEDs vocals are light and airy, as always, and compliment the music fantastically.

“Wish I Could” is a track that always piques my interest, in the sense that I listen for all the different sounding percussion. The unique sounds and textures, accompanied by echoing plucks, harps, and almost sci fi sounding synths, combine to make a fun deep track.

Another more traditional track, “Stratego,” is a fun indie pop dance song. Amtrac has a fantastic songwriting ability, and it’s showcased by playing all the instruments and singing on top. I’m reminded of older Phoenix songs every time this comes on.

“Oddyssey” is another progressive house track that is really quite elegant. The bouncing bass and echoing chords melt beautifully into the arpeggios and other echoing synths. Things slow down in “My Bad Your Fault,” with a broken beat and retro synths that lull you into an almost daydreaming state.

“No Place,” featuring Lali Puna, has some fun chords that slowly creep into feedback. It’s another track with a lot of the same elements as the rest of the album. The album ends with “Too Many Visions”. It is a slow methodical track that properly says goodbye to the listener.

The more I listen to the album as a whole, the more I realize how many similar elements there are throughout. It’s well-crafted, so at a time when we could all use some fun dance music, do yourself a favor and listen to Oddyssey a few times.

You can listen to the album at https://smarturl.it/Oddysseyx.

IT IS MORE THAN JUST A HOUSE.

Receive a FREE $200 gift card of your choice at closing.

SHEILA D. BARNARD REALTOR®

m (615) 424-6924 o (615) 385-9010 barnard@realtracs.com

SheilaBarnard.RealtyAssociation.com 1305 Murfreesboro Pike Nashville, TN 37217

April 2020

o u t a n d a b o u t n a s hv i l l e . c o m

9

May Issue

14 Tips

for Staying Mentally Healthy in a Crowded House Kehan Bao

PHOTO CREDIT: Daria Shevtsova from Pexels

Before the coronavirus outbreak, many parents worked and children attended schools during the day. The evening was the precious family time when everybody enjoyed the warmth of each other and shared their joys.

8. Assign and share household chores. Every chore is a “mission” to complete every day.

9. Be creative in the ways you have fun together. Who says a dining room table can’t be a ping-pong table?

However, when people are practicing social distancing and staying at home almost 24/7, excessive family time can trigger boredom and conflicts. Here are some tips for managing family relationships during this time:

10. Every talk doesn’t have to be a group talk. One-on-one chats strengthen individual relationships. Even talking for five minutes helps.

1. Give each other space. When possible, try to stay in separate rooms, and give people freedom to do what they want.

11. Be open about feelings. Families can support each other in managing anxiety during this particular time. Moreover, feelings toward each other should be explicit as well.

2. Be explicit about how each family member wants to spend time together and how much time they want to spend.

12. Show appreciation, love, and encouragement through words and affection. This can be as simple as saying, “I love you.”

3. Norms matter. Have a conversation to create family rules that state clearly how your family wants to look after and treat its members.

13. Include children in decisions about things like going to supermarkets and food choices.

4. Have a personal schedule. Each person writes down a personal agenda. Follow the plan to keep yourself mentally engaged. If it’s not working, make a new personal plan.

14. hare family stories and memories. These can help members appreciate things that aren’t obvious, or that they’ve forgotten.

5. Schedule family time. Agree on the times and activities everyone should show up for. Maybe that’s dinner, maybe it’s game time, maybe it’s watching a favorite show. Again, give everyone in the house a voice in deciding what qualifies.

6. Have hobbies. People can entertain themselves even though they are not around each other.

7. Take an interest in others’ hobbies. If someone puts time into drawing the house across the street, give them some praise.

10

May 2020

o u t a n d a b o u t n a s hv i l l e .c o m

This story was written by Penn GSE Counseling and Mental Health Services M.S.Ed. student Kehan Bao (Anna) for Penn GSE’s Consortium for Mental Health and Optimal Development, and was originally published at www.gse.upenn.edu/news/14-tipsstaying-mentally-healthy-crowded-house.

May Issue

Telling a Story in Boots

Scott Emmerich’s Designs Paint a Picture

Back in January, when we at Out & About were producing our first business directory and travel guide for our February issue, we spent a lot of time brainstorming about our cover. We needed something that spoke to both Nashville’s reputation, as well as to symbolizing the LGBTQ community.

Nashville may not be a cowboy town, but with its country music roots and smaller-town history, cowboy boots are something many visitors especially associate with the city. And you see them on tourists, who pick them up in town, as well as on the red carpets. And, of course, the rainbow is the emblem of the LGBTQ community. So, rainbow cowboy boots.

At NPS Pharmacy, we don’t look or act like any other pharmacy that you have ever seen, and that is by design.

Since our beginning, we have been committed to providing outstanding service to our customers and to changing what is expected from a pharmacy.

100 OAKS PLAZA Suite 57100 719 Thompson Lane Nashville, TN 37204 615.371.1210

SKYLINE MEDICAL Suite 57116 719 Thompson Lane Nashville, TN 37204 615.724.0066

METROPLEX AT MY HOUSE Suite 400 442 Metroplex Drive Nashville, TN 37211 615.942.8404

npspharmacy.com Your independent hometown pharmacy since 2001.

The search for that perfect pair of boots took us FAR from the promise of the ‘Buy One, Get Two Free’ special hawked to tourists from billboards. In fact, it took us all the way to Cody, Wyoming, to master bootmaker Scott Emmerich, and his Falconhead Boots, Belts, & Buckles / Tres Outlaws brand—where a custom pair of handmade boots can run into the tens of thousands of dollars.

In fact, the boots on our cover were a custom pair he made for a personal friend: made of vegetable tanned Kangaroo leather, these boots would have a retail value of $8,000.

Emmerich started his career as a bootmaker with a small shop in the Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles in 1981. “In the beginning,” he told one interviewer, “it was basically just custom handmade boots and matching belts, then came buckles.” As his business grew, he moved to progressively larger stores. “I went from less than 50 handmade pairs of boots … to thousands.”

Over time, his name became synonymous with the best-made, flashy cowboy boot, and he drew the attention of many in the entertainment and music industries. While his boots have graced many Nashville artists, Emmerich maintains a confidentiality code with his customers. And that makes sense as his custom boots are very personally tuned to specific clients.

When Emmerich makes a custom pair of boots, he sends out a bio-foam kit to get impressions of the client’s feet. Then he designs the boots based on the customer’s physiology. The real creativity comes in conveying the personality of the client through a story-boarded creative process. “The design tells the story of each customer in a master designed boot.”

o u t a n d a b o u t n a s hv i l l e . c o m

May 2020

11

May Issue

An Interview with Kacey Edenfield / Troy Ryan James Grady

12

May 2020

o u t a n d a b o u t n a s hv i l l e .c o m

From the Diamond to Helix & Back

May Issue

Kacey Edenfield is the quintessential all-American boy from Tennessee. The star pitcher of his high school’s varsity baseball team and the son of a former professional baseball player, Kacey had it all: the status of a sports star in a southern school, a strong team, a supportive family, and, of course, good looks. But he also in the closet. Once he came out, his life took a number of twists, one of which was a tangent almost no one probably imagined for him: his years as Helix Studios’ exclusive Troy Ryan.

Kacey Edenfield was gay and, like so many of us when we were in school, was hiding that fact about himself. He had a lot to lose, after all. The locker room can be a cruel place for gay teens. And his own father, Ken, had come from that very culture, playing for Western Kentucky before being drafted by the California Angels, where he worked his way up through the minors to play two years of major league ball.

What was life like for Kacey? He was proud of his dad and seemed to be following in his footsteps in baseball, and otherwise led a normal life. “I played high school baseball pretty much all the way up to my senior year. I did a lot of skiing, a lot of whitewater kayaking. just tried to stay active and outdoors as much as I could,” he said.

Ultimately, as is so often the case, it was a boy who drew Kacey out of the closet and led him to put it all on the line.

“So, he was the first guy that I’d met my town that I thought was relationship material, I guess, and I tried to move in on it,” Kacey recalled. “And he was like, ‘I don’t talk to closeted guys, I don’t want the drama...’”

The boy must really have been something because, “I was like, ‘Well, okay...’ So, two weeks later, I was like, ‘Hey, you know what?

Now’s as good a time as any let’s... Let’s just do it!’”

The fallout was predictable, as his decision impacted his relationship with both his father and his team. Luckily, Ken Edenfield proved himself to be a true star of a dad. “It took a month or two. At first, it was really really hard,” Kacey said. “We went to counseling together, and everything kind of worked itself out after that. He started to understand. He actually ... now he’s probably one of my biggest supporters.”

When asked what helped his dad get over his initial disapproval, Kacey laughed. “You know, for some people, it just takes a ‘click,’ and I think it was the same thing for him. In the counseling, you know, his biggest thing was, ‘If he’s never done anything with a girl, how come he knows he doesn’t like it?’” he said. “The counselor kind of countered that with, ‘Well, Ken, have you ever done anything with a guy? How come you know you don’t like it?’ Ever since then, he’s like, ‘Alright, we’re done. I get it!’”

Things with his team didn’t go so well, however. “Actually, my best friend kind of alienated me,” he recalled. “And the rest of my teammates took a step back. It was pretty rough. But I don’t regret it. I mean, everything happens for a reason.”

“My senior year, I ended up quitting [baseball],” he added. “I had gotten a lot of playing time sophomore and junior year, and my senior year I wasn’t getting any... That was kind of my tell tale of, ‘Alright, there’s something behind this.’ And then, of course, it got affirmed a couple days later, after a practice. One of my teammates came to me and told me what was said, and it kind of bothered me...

o u t a n d a b o u t n a s hv i l l e . c o m

May 2020

13

May Issue

From the Diamond to Helix & Back When Kacey finished high school, he had decided to move to Colorado, when he had a life-changing interaction online. “I got recruited, supposedly, [by Helix Studios],” he said with a realist’s skepticism. “I don’t know ... who knows if he was affiliated with the company or not? But long story short, I ended up putting in an application [with Helix]. Two weeks later, I got a call back, and they were like, ‘Yeah, let’s fly you out!’”

“I told them to give me a couple weeks, because I was already planning on moving to Denver,” he added. “Then I could kind of hide it from everybody else. So as soon as I got [to Colorado], I said, ‘Yeah, I’m good.’ I flew out there a week after I moved in...”

Helix must have liked what they saw of Kacey, whose porn name was Troy Ryan. “I shot four scenes before I became exclusive my first time around. It was after my second trip out. My first trip out was in August, and my second trip wasn’t until like November or December. So it was kind of spaced out a little bit…”

Being exclusive with a company like Helix restricts the options for working with other studios, but provides the benefit of a guaranteed income level. “You have a guarantee on how many scenes you’re gonna get, and you have a guarantee on what rate you’re gonna get per scene. For them, it was a six-month term. And then, afterwards, you had the option to renew or whatever. So I was guaranteed a certain rate, for a certain amount of scenes, through six months.

They had to shoot me, and I had to be committed to just them.

I couldn’t go to another studio and shoot at the same time.”

Email marketing that works for you.

While he was working in porn, Kacey’s relationship with his father would again be turned on its head. “I had an ex who was pretty vindictive. And, as soon as he found out, he told my family, but...

Again, it kind of took my dad the same mindset of, ‘I just have to process this, realize that it’s his thing, he’s an adult now...’ And he got around to it. We just kind of all didn’t talk about it as a family.

It was just one of those understood things.” So it definitely seems like dad gets the MVP again.

In the end, Helix would produce all of his professional porn.

“I didn’t do anything with any other studio. That was the only professional studio that I worked with. The only things I ever did was homemade stuff like Chaturbate and OnlyFans.”

I asked Kacey if he had any people he particularly enjoyed working with, but he was very matter-of-fact about his career.

“You know, there were never really any ‘favorites.’ I’ve really enjoyed working with Tyler Hill and Elliott Gray. Those are two fun scenes, but I never ... it was always a job, so I just kind of walked in and went to work.”

During his time with Helix, circumstances would necessitate Kacey moving back to Tennessee, but he kept shooting even after returning home—for a time. Just as it had been a boy who prompted his coming out, it was a boy who prompted his decision to leave porn behind.

myemma.com

14

May 2020

o u t a n d a b o u t n a s hv i l l e .c o m

“I got into a serious relationship with somebody who understood the business,” he said. “He understood that it was there before he was. He never really asked me to stop, but I could just kind of tell the look of dejection on his face whenever he had to drop me off to the airport to fly out and... I could tell it was taking a toll.”

From the Diamond to Helix & Back

May Issue

“So after my last contract was up, I was like, ‘I’m gonna reevaluate.’

And I did. For a solid five or six months, things were going really good with me and him. Actually a lot better. We were getting very serious. So I decided that that was more important.”

Ultimately, the relationship didn’t last, but the decision to leave porn seems to have stuck. “I’ve had thoughts about it, but I kind of pushed them out of my head,” he admitted. “I’ve still got an OnlyFans. I haven’t updated it in a minute. Sorry for that. But eventually, yeah, I’ll put some more content up there.”

Life back in Tennessee took on a much more normal trajectory.

“I did some college. I kind of realized school wasn’t really for me.

I hated high school. So I eventually got out and went into sales and kind of found a niche. I found out I was pretty decent at it, so I could make a good living, and kind of rolled with that.

Still an avid sports fan, Kacey has also found a new creative avenue in his podcast, Balls and Brews. “It’s me my best friend Johnse. We drink a little bit, crack open a few beers... We sit here, we debate sports, talk about hot topics in sports, and just banter a little bit--you know, whatever comes to our mind. It’s basically our daily conversations, we just started recording it.”

The program has been a little uneven, due to cancellations of seasons and disruptions of life due to COVID-19, but Kacey and Johnse are still putting out episodes. Their discussions range far beyond baseball. “Oh, it’s everything. Football, baseball, basketball, golf. We get to NASCAR. I mean, there’s a sport... MLS. I try to hit the Premier League when I can. We cover it all.”

<May 2020

outandaboutnashville.

15

May Issue

From the Diamond to Helix & Back For every sport, too, Kacey has his favorites: “I’m a diehard Braves fan, baseball wise... Diehard Tennessee fan, anything college. Diehard Steelers fan. And I’m a Cavs fan. I stayed loyal to Cleveland as a basketball fan before LeBron left, and after he left. And I’m a Manchester United fan soccer wise, that’s probably my squad. That’s probably kind of everything that I get alerts for on my phone, at least.”

What do they want to see come of the podcast? “If it expanded, that would be fantastic, but it’s definitely just me and him having a good time and having our conversations out. We really appreciate the listens, but we don’t kind of follow it. We don’t do it for the listens, we kind of do it just to have a good time with each other.

But if we grew, absolutely. Sports journalism was what I was going to school for before I stopped and that would be the ideal location to land in, for sure.”

So, really, what’s it like being back to the ‘normal life’ in Tennessee?

Kacey, again, showed himself to be very down-to-earth. “You know, it’s a good place to be,” he said. “Knoxville is the smallest big city in America, I like to call it, because everybody kind of knows everybody. But there’s a ton of things to do. Obviously not right now with everything shut down. It can get kind of redundant at times, but it’s never boring. It’s a good place to raise a family.”

You can see a LOT more of Kacey as Troy Ryan at Helix Studios, or visit his Twitter @TroyRyanXXX—though these days you’ll see a lot more about sports than you’ll see nudes. And, for you sports fans, you can listen to Balls & Brews at anchor.fm/johnse-hatfield.

KATE NELSON, REALTOR® 615 / 268-0319 615 / 383-6964 kjcnelson@gmail.com DIRECT

OFFICE

realestatewithkate.com

16

May 2020

o u t a n d a b o u t n a s hv i l l e .c o m

Shake it up.

Stir it up.

SINCE 1888 o u t a n d a b o u t n a s hv i l l e . c o m

FourRosesBourbon.com

May 2020

17 Be mellow. Be responsible.

May Issue

Herbal Vinegars Sara Schuster

Once you’re back inside with your plants, you’ll want to cut them up and place them into your pint jar. You can either cut them directly into the jar using your scissors, or roughly chop them with a knife and cutting board. We’re looking to break them down a little bit and increase the surface area of the plant matter but we don’t need to finely dice them either.

Cutting everything into half inch or inch long pieces will work well.

Your jar should now be at least half full with the cut plants. You can go past half full, but you don’t want to overfill the jar or pack it too tightly – make sure there’s room for the vinegar to get in there and do its work. Now go ahead and pour your apple cider vinegar over the herbs. Fill almost to the top, leaving a half inch of head room in the jar. Use your scissors or a spoon to make sure all of the plant matter is fully submerged.

That’s it! You’ve made your first herbal vinegar. Now you need to cap the jar. Just a note here: vinegar can rust metal, so if you are closing your jar with a metal ring and lid you’ll want to put a square of parchment paper under the lid. If you’re using a plastic lid, you can omit the parchment paper. Also go ahead and label your jar. I’ve found painter’s tape to be great for this, because it peels off easily without leaving a sticky residue. Write the date as well as each plant you included.

Making your own herbal vinegars is a quick and easy way to harness some of the plant magic right outside your door. Vinegars are a great herbal option for those who choose to avoid alcohol, as well as being kid-friendly. Even making them can be a fun activity to do with any children in your life!

Using vinegar as the base for these herbal preparations lets you receive the benefit of all the amazing minerals in these spring plants. Alcohol-based tinctures are widely used in herbalism and are wonderful for extracting certain constituents and properties, but when we’re looking for the minerals that plants offer, we want to turn to water-based methods, such as vinegars and teas.

The vinegar we’re discussing today will incorporate three herbs often viewed as “weeds” - cleavers, chickweed, and dandelion.

With the dandelion, we’ll be harvesting both the leaves and the flowers. All three of these plants are very common in Tennessee.

If you can only find one or two in your yard, though, that’s okay!

You can make an herbal vinegar with a single type of plant, and it will still be great. As always, make 100% sure of proper plant identification and that your yard hasn’t been sprayed with any chemicals.

Using a pair of scissors, you can give the plants a little “haircut” to harvest what you need for this project. To make a pint jar of vinegar, I would gather about three cups of loosely-packed plant material. The herbs will reduce in volume once we cut them up.

So if you are able to find cleavers, chickweed, and dandelion in your yard, harvest approximately a cup of each. If you end up with a little more than you needed, you can always make a second pint and gift it to someone!

18

May 2020

o u t a n d a b o u t n a s hv i l l e .c o m

Store your vinegar out of direct sunlight but somewhere where you’ll see it regularly and not forget about it. Give it a shake about once a day whenever you walk by and notice it. After 2-3 weeks, you can go ahead and strain the plant matter out of your vinegar and it’s ready to use! I’ll often start my day with a spoonful of an herbal vinegar in a little water just as a general tonic. You can also incorporate this vinegar into your cooking wherever a recipe normally calls for vinegar. Herbal vinegars make delicious, bright additions to homemade oil and vinegar salad dressings. You can also dress your greens with a new added flavor for some variety.

I think you’ll discover herbal vinegars are a simple investment with a flavorful pay off. And they also make wonderfully unique gifts for any adventurous home cooks in your life!

Sara Schuster is a queer herbalist, homesteader, and medicinal herb farmer. She offers herbal products, educational workshops, and herbal consultations through her business, Fox and Elder. She is also the host of the Tending Seeds podcast. Sara can be reached at FoxandElder.com, as well as on Instagram and Facebook.

Secret Level by No Mana

From the Diamond to Helix & Back

Out & About Nashville's readers are more educated, aďŹ&#x201E;uent, and engaged than just about any other market segment.

If you want to reach them, you should advertise with us.

Interested?

Email sales@outandaboutnashville.com for details!

o u t a n d a b o u t n a s hv i l l e . c o m

May 2020

19

May Issue

Nashville LGBT Chamber of Commerce Membership Spotlight

Joe Woolley

We usually use this space that Out and About so generously gives us each issue to spotlight one of our incredible members and what they are doing with their business. This month we are using it to spotlight membership in the Chamber itself and the new reality that we face with the coronavirus pandemic. During the COVID-19 pandemic, it would have been hard to talk to a member business about what they do, because everyone is uncertain about their old business model and what their new one will be, or whether they will even have a business going forward.

The Chamber created a COVID-19 resources page where we shared all the news and information we felt our members need to know about. We put all that information on our social media as well. A webinar section was created to connect our members to the countless webinars our community partners were putting out. We reached out to all our members and asked them if to share their information with us to help specifically reach the LGBT population, and our news section quickly filled up with important information.

Businesses, from our corporate members down to our small businesses and gig-workers, are affected in major ways. To be sure, COVID-19 will be a factor to consider for every business, going forward. Businesses will talk about how they responded, and how it changed what they do and who they employ. We at the Chamber are no different: every program we have has had to adapt and deal with a COVID-19 world.

Directories were created that highlighted members that were offering takeout, or members that had changed their business to sell their product in a new way. Our Hot Deals section was promoted and soon filled up with specials to other members and the community, on a number of items.

When the outbreak started and the city went into quarantine, we went back to our core principles of advocacy, education, and connection. We had just done this with reference to the tornado response and recovery but even that refocus was nothing compared with the challenges we would face with COVID-19 and continuing forward.

We needed to take care of our members before anything else. A Chamber is nothing without the members it represents, so we set forth to work for them in any way that we could. The Chamber has adapted to make sure we are serving our members and the community and will continue to do so when we get through this (and we will get through this).

20

May 2020

o u t a n d a b o u t n a s hv i l l e .c o m

We know these are tough times for everyone, with the financial impact of the tornado, followed by the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic. Businesses and people across Nashville are looking for ways to lower expenses. We want to do our part to help.

The Nashville LGBT Chamber decided to suspend all membership billing until this crisis is over. No member will need to pay any dues or fees. We will also be extending all memberships for our networking members, adding additional time to their membership for all months that we have had to cancel our networking events.

After the announcement of the pause in membership, we heard the thanks from members that really appreciated it, but we also saw continued and increased support from other members that could continue to give.

Pets From the Diamond toThe Helix & Issue Back

Secret Level by No Mana

GAY GUIDE PRInt EDITION HEALTH Dental Services East Side Smiles 7 North 10th Street Nashville, TN 37206 615-227-2400 eastsidesmile.net

Healthcare Providers Cool Springs Internal Medicine & Pediatrics MD 1607 Westgate Circle, Ste 200 Brentwood, TN 37027 615-376-8195 coolspringsinternalmedicine.com

Pharmacy Nashville Pharmacy Services 100 Oaks Plaza, Skyline Medical 615-371-1210 / 615-724-0066 npspharmcay.com

Optometry Look East 1011 Gallatin Avenue Nashville, TN 37206 615-928-2281 lookeastnashville.com

COUNSELING & PSYCHIATRIC HEALTH Individual & Couples Therapy Barbara Sanders, LCSW/John Waide, PhD, LCSW 2016- 21St Ave South/2323- 21st Ave South, Ste.401 Nashville, TN 37212 615-414-2553 / 615-400-5911 dignitytherapynashville.com Brandon Teeftaller, APN 220 Athens Way, Plaza 1, Suite 104 Nashville, TN. 37228 615-320-1155

REAL ESTATE

LEGAL SERVICES

Sheila Barnard, Realtor, The Realty Association 1305 Murfressboro Road Nashville, TN 37217 615-385-9010 cell 615-424-6924 sheilabarnard.realtyassociation.com Emily Benedict, Realtor, Village Real Estate 2206 21st Ave South, Ste. 200 Nashville, TN 37212 615-585-1258 BSLNashville.com Kate Nelson, Realtor, Village Real Estate 2206 21st Ave South, Ste. 200 Nashville, TN 37212 615-383-6964 realestatewithkate.com

Lawyer Bart Durham Injury Law Office 404 James Robertson Parkway Nashville, TN 37219 615-338-6177 bartdurham.com Sunny Eaton, Esq. 731 Porter Road Nashville, TN 37206 615-861-9960

ARTS Performing Arts Nashville Symphony Schermerhorn Symphony Center One Symphony Place Nashville, TN 37201 615-687-6400 nashvillesymphony.org

ORGANIZATIONS Nashville Humane Association 213 Oceola Avenue Nashville, TN 37209 615-352-1010 nashvillehumane.org

SPIRITUALITY

Nashville LGBT Chamber of Commerce P.O. Box 330971 Nashville, TN 37203 615-507-5185 nashvillelgbtchamber.org

Holy Trinity Community Church 6727 Charlotte Pike Nashville, TN 37209 615-352-3838 www.htccnashville.com

BARS & NIGHTCLUBS PLAY Dance Bar 1519 Church Street Nashville, TN 37203 615-322-9627 playdancebar.com Tribe 1517 Church Street Nashville, TN 37203 615-329-2912 tribenashville.com

Karuna Therapy Solutions 210 25th Ave. North, Suite 1220 Nashville, TN 37203 615-669-6621

Nashville – 636 Old Hickory Boulevard Chattanooga – 7734 Lee Highway Knoxville – 230 Papermill Place Way

Buy • Sell • Trade www.mckaybooks.com

Find Something You Want Now posting great McKay finds on Facebook & Twitter!

May 2020

o u t a n d a b o u t n a s hv i l l e . c o m

21

May Issue

Nashville LGBT Chamber of Commerce

The Nashville LGBT Chamber was pleased to announce that Rod Bragg Music City PrEP Clinic bolstered its investment in the Nashville LGBT Chamber, becoming the first-ever Titanium-level member. Previously a Gold member, Music City PrEP ’s Titanium Membership highlights the tremendous growth of the Nashville LGBT Chamber, which currently represents over 500 Nashville area small businesses, corporations, nonprofits and entrepreneurs committed to promoting equity and diversity in business and society.

With the tremendous feedback from members after our first virtual event, we are excited to announce our expanded Connection Programming, a series which includes webinars, networking events, and other educational meetings to help our members and community stay connected and informed while we navigate the “new normal”.

Virtual connection is what we have at the moment, and we will continue it even after we are able to meet in-person again. We will meet in-person again, but we expect it to look different than what we used to do and the virtual connection will go hand in hand with the in-person.

To complement our traditional Brewing Up Business, which is held on the third Thursday of every month from 5:30 - 6:30 pm, we will now offer additional morning networking opportunities, AM Brewing Up Business. These events will include a short program of announcements from our Chamber’s staff and then small group networking. We will break the larger group into small rooms to exchange information and let peers know1you are doing at this time.

ESS15_EN_HalfPageH_August.indd We are proud to kick-off our new program, Member Connections.

This event will give an in-depth highlight of one of our corporate members and one of our small business members. We will have a Q&A session and have other attendees speak to the group to check-in with other members. You will have the opportunity to talk about what you are working on, questions or issues you need help with, or anything else you want to address.

Classroom Connections is another new program designed to assist our members and community. Each session will highlight a new topic (LGBTBE certification, navigating PPP and CARES Act, Marketing, HR, etc.).

So that is what we have done and will continue to do. This is in additions to the things that will start back up when the outbreak and crisis subsides, things like advocating against discrimination at the state capitol, rainbow ribbon-cuttings, events like the Business Awards and TASTE, and spotlighting the work of our members in these pages.

We look forward to spotlighting a member very soon and talking to them about how they survived this will be a part of that highlight. If you need assistance or are interested in learning more about what we do, we would love to hear from you.

FAMILY, COSMETIC AND SEDATION DENTISTRY IN EAST NASHVILLE

THOMAS F. HADLEY, DDS

8/17/15 10:20 AM

7 North Tenth Street 37206

(615) 227-2400 eastsidesmiles.net

Make Every Connection Count ESS15_EN_HalfPageH_August.indd 1

ADVO C ATE . EDU C ATE . CO NNEC T.

Visit our website for more details on these programs: nashvillelgbtchamber.org.

We’re now 500 members strong with deep connections. Join now before membership prices increase on January 1, 2020.

To learn about our membership benefits (business or individual), visit nashvillelgbtchamber.org today.

Take the first step and start making connections at our Annual Meeting and Holiday Party on Thursday, December 12that the Nashville Children’s Theatre.

Details and RSVP at nashvillelgbtchamber.org.

22

May 2020

o u t a n d a b o u t n a s hv i l l e .c o m

o u t a n d a b o u t n a s hv i l l e . c o m

May 2020

23

YOU DESERVE TO BE PAID.

Fre e Con s u l t ation â&#x20AC;¢ Call U s 24/7 www.ba rtdur h a m . c o m | 615-242-9000 4 0 4 James Roberts on Pa r k w a y, Su ite 1712, Na sh ville , T N 37219