The first email we received in this new year was a welcome one from Nell Levin of the Shelby Bottom String Band, who sent us a link to the band’s new video for “East Nashville Rag.” Levin and her bandmates – Michael August, Gene Bush, Bob Mason and Holly Tashian – have crafted themselves a fine tribute to the 37206. With its old-time instrumentation, mellow vibe and lyrics focused on the quirky and friendly nature of our favorite part of Music City, we fell in love with the song immediately. And with a video chock-full of shots from the area – including some of our favorite East Nashville businesses and our favorite park in town, the Shelby Bottoms Greenway and Nature Park – we couldn’t resist sharing it with all of you here on the blog.

If you like what you hear you’ll want to check out the Shelby Bottom String Band at Myspace, where they’ve posted several more songs in the same musical vein. We encourage you to listen to their tracks as many times as possible to give their play counts a big boost, and to share the video for “East Nashville Rag” with all your friends. We’re sure they’ll love it as much as we do!

Related posts:

1. Wrangle Up a Catfish Tomorrow at Shelby Bottoms Park
2. A Weekend Treat: “Nashville” by Dana Immanuel
3. A Weekend Treat: Jacob Jones and Emmylou Harris Videos

East Nashville gets rocking again in January

If you haven’t already heard about it, Nashville Rock Block is a satellite program of Murfreesboro’s Youth Empowerment Through the Arts and Humanities (YEAH) that gives local kids between the ages of 10 and 17 a chance to play in their own rock band under the supervision of professional working musicians from the community. Over the course of the program’s eight weeks kids will form and name their bands, write their own music, learn to play the music of popular artists, and finally play in a Saturday Night Showcase in front of their friends, family and fans. (We got a chance to check out the showcase that ended the first Nashville Rock Block session last month and some of music was better than some “real” bands we’ve seen before!)

As with the last session, this newest installment of Nashville Rock Block will be held at the East Nashville Performing Artist Co-op at Five Points. Headed by musician Tiffany Minton, the program operates with a mission to provide a safe space where kids can explore their creative potential, to support an artistic culture that fosters self-esteem through collaborative learning, and to empower kids to use their talents to create positive social change in their communities. All kids are welcome whether they’ve been shredding for years or are just getting interested in playing a real instrument after wearing out their copies of Guitar Hero.

The next session of this unique program starts on January 8th, 2011 and runs through February 26th. Nashville Rock Block registration is now open and continues through January 5th, with instrument preference going to those who sign up first. The total cost for the eight-week program is $160; if that’s on the high side, you can look into some scholarships. Too old to play but still want to help out? Check out this page to donate or loan your gear to help these kids rock out, or donate cash to YEAH here.

Related posts:

1. Nashville Rock Block Showcase This Saturday
2. Tennessee Teens Rock & Roll Camp
3. Ryan Griffin, Mad Donna’s August Artist-in-Residence

Roaring 2011 at The 5 Spot

Flappers and speakeasies and cocktails, oh my!

Over here in East Nashville, The 5 Spot is firing up its time machine and sending everybody back 90 years to the Boardwalk Empire era with Roaring 2011. Billed as “A Swingin’ New Year’s Eve Celebration,” this one-of-a-kind party will take you back with elaborate 1920s decor, 1920s dance music from Chubby and The Dots, Prohibition-era cocktails, champagne and more. The crew behind the party is none other than Jacob Jones and Reno Bo of Electric Western Productions, the same pair that keep The 5 Spot hopping every week with Keep On Movin’: The Monday Night Dance Party. You can order discounted tickets for $13 beforehand by clicking here, or get them on New Year’s Eve for $15. Doors open at 7:30pm and the party goes until 3am.

Bobby Bare Jr. and Caitlin Rose at The Basement

East Nashville's own Bobby Bare Jr. takes over The Basement with Caitlin Rose. (Photo: Joshua Black Wilkens)

If you’re looking to catch a live performance from some of your musical East Nashville neighbors on New Year’s Eve, you’re in luck. Bobby Bare Jr. & The Young Criminals Starvation League are playing at The Basement with Caitlin Rose . You probably already know a bit about Mr. Bare Jr., who has recorded with the Silver Jews and Will Oldham and toured with Bob Dylan, Dr. Dog, The Walkmen, The Black Crowes, The Decemberists, Aerosmith, My Morning Jacket, The Drive By Truckers and The Old 97′s and whose projects have inspired a post or two here on the blog. You’ve also probably heard about Caitlin Rose, whose new album Own Side Now is already out in the UK has garnered all sorts of praise on that side of the pond ahead of its US release next March. You can get your tickets in advance for $15 online by going here – probably a good idea since The Basement is on the smaller side. Show starts at 9pm.

18 South at Station Inn

18 South bring their southern roots sound (and collective millenium of stage experience) to Station Inn this New Year's Eve.

Also on the other side of the river, East Nashvillian Jimmy Wallace and his southern roots band 18 South will headline New Year’s Eve at Station Inn. We’ve already told you all about Jimmy’s pedigree. Well, the other five members of the band – Jon Randall Stewart (guitar, vocals), Larry Atamanuik (drums), Mike Bub (bass), Guthrie Trapp (guitar) and Jessi Alexander (vocals) - have resumes to match, having played with Emmylou Harris, Sam Bush, Allison Krauss, Patty Loveless, Vince Gill, The Del McCoury Band and co-written Billboard chart-toppers like Brad Paisley‘s “Whiskey Lullaby”. They’ll be joined for the evening by special guests Shawn Camp and Seth Walker. Tickets are $30 and are available on a first come, first served basis, so you’ll want to be there when the doors open at 7pm. Show begins at 9pm.

Related posts:

1. Bobby Bare, Jr.: “It’s more like the Austin, Texas part of Nashville.”
2. Twistable, Turnable Man: Shel Silverstein Tribute Coming This June
3. Keep on Movin’: The Monday Night Dance Party

All Jimmy Wallace is missing is a Sopwith Camel (Photo courtesy of Apple Road)

The friendly confines of The Basement were filled up by the time Jimmy Wallace took to the stage last Thursday night. With a costume befitting Snoopy’s legendary dogfights with the Red Baron and a vocal delivery that’s part Cajun blues singer, part Randy Newman, the man of the hour would have been notable even if his musicianship were simply average. But with a preternatural skill on the keyboard (like Peanuts’ Schroeder he was a child piano prodigy) and a sly lyrical sense of humor, he brought the characters we’ve known all our lives through seasonal TV specials and comic strips to new life. It was clear the entire time that Wallace loves what he does for a living, which made him even more fun to watch.

He might have been billed as a solo act, but the full band behind Jimmy Wallace really made his songs pop. “Not That” Pat Buchanan sizzled on guitar, while the rhythm section of Tim Marks on bass and Nick Buda on drums kept the proceedings anchored firmly. And like David Berman wrote, background singers all come in threes – in this case it was Bonnie Bishop, Lauren Lucas and Rachel Loy punctuating Wallace’s vocals. Together they ventured all across the wide stylistic map charted by the songs from Workin For Peanuts, from Motown to rock to Prince to Vince Guaraldi, and never once sounded it was anywhere they hadn’t been before. (In Nashville, even our backing bands are world-class.)

Our fingers are crossed for Mo (left) and PF (right) to return to East Nashville in 2011 (Photo: Chris Hunt)

On the surface, Paleface’s gig at Foobar last Friday couldn’t have been more different than Jimmy Wallace’s show at The Basement. Foot-stomping indie-folk was the sound of the hour, and instead of a full band there were just PF on guitar and Mo on drums. But don’t let the math fool you: in terms of energy, the two shows were cut from the same cloth. The couple, who make up Paleface, spend more time on the road than they do at their home in North Carolina so there’s no doubting their enthusiasm for what they do. And why shouldn’t they love it? With his goofy confidence and lyrical playfulness and her firecracker drumming style and vocal energy, they’re a dynamic unit on the stage. By the end of the show PF had danced through the crowd while playing his guitar and had them responding to his calls from the stage. It wasn’t the duo’s first trip to Nashville, but it was the first time they’ve ventured over to play East Nashville – and we hope it won’t be their last.

You can catch Jimmy Wallace on New Year’s Eve with his band 18 South as they play the Station Inn here in Nashville. As for Paleface, they won’t be swinging through town again for a while, but you can check here to see if your holiday trip coincides with their winter touring schedule.

No related posts.

Thursday

East Nashville organist extraordinaire Jimmy Wallace has shared the stage with a list of artists that reads like a page from the Encyclopedia of 20th Century Rock and Roll. He’s played with Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, B.B. King, The Eagles, The Black Crowes, Chuck Berry, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Van Halen and Aerosmith, not to mention his tenure with Kenny Wayne Shepherd’s band. Now he’s released his first solo album, Workin’ For Peanuts, a collection of soulful tunes inspired by Charles Schultz’s classic Peanuts characters. Here’s “Don’t Take My Blanket” off Workin’ For Peanuts from Wallace’s last performance at The Basement:

Tonight Wallace returns to The Basement, bringing a full band along with him, as well as his full Peanuts costume. He’ll be joined by Holley Maher, Isaac Hayden and Dylan Taylor (with Schroeder, Linus, Charlie Brown and crew attending in spirit). Doors open at 8pm and tickets are $5.

Friday

North Carolina-based indie-folk duo Paleface may have already played Radio City Music Hall to celebrate their latest Ramseur Records release, One Big Party, but they won’t really hit the big time until tomorrow night, when they go under deep East Nashville cover to play at Foobar. They won’t have The Avett Brothers in tow like they did at RCMH in October, but Allen Thompson, Electric Western’s Jacob Jones, and Chicken Little will all be taking the stage. Check out this video for “You Will Get What You Want” to get a little taste of what you can expect tomorrow night:

Here’s what East Nashville Blog music man M. Lavigne has to say about the album:

From the outset Paleface’s new album, One Big Party (stream it here), makes no amends for the raucous, boot-stomping experience in store. Building with the first sonic blast of distortion leading into Paleface’s signature vocals and Mo’s toms driving the opener into the first break, by the time the accordion comes into play… damn, I’m ready for the party.

A mix of folky guitar riffs and percussion with a smattering of horns and harmonica, organ, and even a little banjo, the album remains varied and sonically interesting through to the end. It seems to be at its best in the rich harmonies created by two voices that have their own strange sort of fusion, like cigarettes and strawberry soda.

These songs are catchy and upbeat, retaining Paleface’s lyrical openness and sly sense of irony. Sure, there’s no eye-opening, life changing verse here, but that’s not what these songs are about. Most of the songs deal with the theme of acceptance, of coming to terms, a theme often anti-climactic by its very nature but one that Paleface tackles with a nod and a grin.

You can pick up One Big Party on CD over palefaceonline.com. And be sure to catch Paleface Friday night at Foobar (18+, tickets $7). Show starts at 9:00 and with the duo’s pervasive sense of energy is sure to be a good time.

Sunday

Finally, this Sunday is the day for WSM 650 AM’s December installment of Americana Carnival at Robert’s Western World in downtown Nashville. This month’s installment of the show features Dave Gleason and former BR-549 frontman Gary Bennett. Gleason will be playing tunes from his latest album, Turn and Fade, while Bennett will showcase songs from his second solo album, My Ol’ Guitar, as well as his 2010 EP You Are Never Nice To Me.

The live taping of Americana Carnival at Robert’s starts at 6pm sharp on Sunday, December 12. Admission is free to everyone 21 and up. If you can’t make it downtown (or if the man’s keeping you down because he won’t yet let you buy a beer) you can stream the video live or listen to the show online.

Related posts:

1. What We Heard: Jimmy Wallace and Paleface
2. East Nashville Music Spotlight: Jupiter Is My Hard Drive
3. Jacob Jones CD Release Party at The Basement

Come see the future of Nashville rock this weekend at Riverside Village

Since that time the folks at YEAH have expanded up here to East Nashville with a new project, Nashville Rock Block. Like the Tennessee Teens Rock and Roll Camp, NRB gives local kids aged 10-17 of all skill levels the chance to form their own bands and write their own original material. Instead of only being a one-week affair, NRB goes on for eight weeks at its home in the East Nashville Performing Artists Co-op. Under the guidance of professional musician and YEAH volunteer Tiffany Minton, the program’s participants get to learn to play their instrument of choice, explore their creative potential and have a great time in a safe environment. It’s exactly the kind of thing that we wish had existed when we were kids writing three-chord punk songs on our knock-off Stratocasters.

Well, the initial run of the eight-week program is nearing completion and that means the first Nashville Rock Block Saturday Night Showcase is coming up this weekend. Appropriately, this four-band showcase is an all-ages affair, so everyone from your infant kids to your grandparents is welcome to come see Nashville’s newest crop of future rock stars. Cover for the show, which takes place from 6pm-8pm at Riverside Village in Inglewood on November 20, is $5.

Related posts:

1. Nashville Rock Block Registration Now Open
2. Tennessee Teens Rock & Roll Camp
3. The ABCs of Rock Release Party At Grimey’s This Saturday

Yellowbirddd brings the DIY to Nashville

Yellowbirddd is the stage name of 26-year-old singer/songwriter Liam McCormack. Though he hails from Boston and is now based in Brooklyn, has McCormack spent most of his time of late as a living, breathing embodiment of the DIY spirit as he plays college towns and small venues from coast to coast. He spent the summer touring America before taking a short break, and now he finds himself on the road once again on a 20-date November tour in support of his self-produced and -distributed album, Hard Feelings. McCormack wears his heart on his sleeve on Hard Feelings’ 12 tracks, telling intensely personal tales of love and relationships over a solo acoustic guitar with a voice that recalls Death Cab For Cutie’s Ben Gibbard and Bright Eyes’ Conor Oberst.

The setting at Bongo Java After Hours, known as “Nashville’s Most Intimate Venue,” should be a perfect fit for the quiet, personal songs of Yellowbirddd. The all-ages show, which features support from local Nashville singer-songwriters Seth Wood and Stephen Gordon, gets going at 7 p.m. tomorrow night, November 16. Cover is $6.

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From Buffalo With Love, a charity show for flood relief here in Nashville, takes place next Monday, November 8, at one of the city’s best live music venues, 12th and Porter. This show is one you won’t want to miss. The lineup features Joseph Wooten, Rick Huckaby, Johnny Neel with Detroit’s Broken Arrow Blues Band, Eyewitness Blues, Bullfrog Review, Seethree, and Buffalo, New York’s own Myron & The ID.

You don't have to live in Nashville to care about flood relief.

Though they may not all live here in Nashville, many of the folks involved in this show have roots in or ties to Tennessee. Tim Tucker of the Broken Arrow Blues Band says, “I’m a Ridge Runner at heart – my dad’s family is from Mount Pleasant, Tennessee.” Chuck Schultz of Malone Entertainment, who organized the show, has lived in Nashville two different times and still has connections here. “Why would someone from Buffalo New York want to host a showcase to benefit flood relief in Nashville, Tennessee? Well, it’s as simple as taking care of your friends,” says Schultz.

Even those who aren’t directly tied to Nashville share the more general connection of living as professional musicians. “When we heard about the flooding in Nashville, and listened to the stories of working musicians who had lost everything, it hit close to home,” says Myron Deputat, frontman for Myron & The ID. “As musicians we are all brothers in arms! Many people don’t realize the daily struggle we go through in order to keep creating, and performing. Most of us have to hold down a ‘regular’ job, or two, and spend what little money we make on equipment, recordings, merchandise, etc. The money made at most gigs doesn’t even begin to cover expenses, yet still we go on.”

“When we heard about the flooding in Nashville, it hit close to home," says Deputat.

“I’ve often asked myself, ‘What person in their right mind would work for below minimum wage?’ Then I pick up my guitar, and play a tune. It all comes back to me – it’s the music,” Deputat explains. “We do it for the music! If we didn’t practice, perform and create, who would? Someone has to keep making music. The world needs it! We need it! We’ve been given a gift as musicians to spread a little love, joy and hope throughout the world, and we have to keep giving. If we can’t be bothered to help one of our own, what would that say about us or the music we make? How could anyone take what we do seriously? By helping our brothers in need, we help everyone keep the music alive!”

“When I saw the photos and video of the epic flooding and the devastation that ensued,  I knew immediately I had to do something for a city I call ‘The home of my soul,’” Schultz writes in the program for From Buffalo With Love. “One of the only ways I know that help healing is in and through music. So I called upon some musicians I knew and some I’ve never met. Knowing that schedules are hard to make a week at a time, let alone 6 months out, was a challenge. But over time everyone was on board and genuinely excited to be part of it. So I put together a very eclectic lineup of musicians which I thought spoke not only to the cause, but also the spirit of Nashville being a true Music City.”

The doors at 12th and Porter open at 7pm next Monday, November 8, and the music starts at 8pm. You can order tickets online for $10 at www.ticketweb.com or www.malone-entertainment.com ahead of time, or you can pay $15 at the door. Proceeds from the show will benefit the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee and MusiCares.

Related posts:

1. Nashville Flood Relief Art Show Next Weekend
2. Reminder: Nashville Flood Relief Art Show on Saturday
3. Fight Back/Move Forward Art Show to Benefit Cancer Charity

For those of you who are interested in more Grace Potter material, you’re in luck. VH1 has named the band its “You Oughta Know” artist for the month of November, so get ready to see the video for “Paris (Ooh La La)” about five trillion times before December rolls around. If you prefer live to studio, click on the link below to download a live version of the song from the band’s recent performance in Asheville, NC:

You can also “like” the band’s page on Facebook to get an exclusive version of “Ragged Company.” I know I’ll be looking forward to catching them next time they’re in town.

Related posts:

1. Buffalo Clover’s Strong Medicine EP
2. A Weekend Treat: Jacob Jones and Emmylou Harris Videos
3. A Weekend Treat: “East Nashville Rag” by Shelby Bottom String Band

I missed Johnny Flynn at 3rd & Lindsley this past Friday, but the folks at his record label sent a link to this video along and the sheer creative energy on display made all of us at EastNashvilleBlog.com HQ smile. Like my friend Dana Immanuel, who we featured in an earlier installment of A Weekend Treat, Johnny hails from across the pond in London. Enjoy!

Related posts:

1. A Weekend Treat: “Nashville” by Dana Immanuel
2. A Weekend Treat: The Eastside Bulldogs “Come On Up and See Me Sometime”
3. A Weekend Treat: Jacob Jones and Emmylou Harris Videos