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Georgia photographer Jenn Alexander Fletcher , known for her work as Blondeshot Creative, travels to East Nashville this weekend for the opening of Hang-ups and Pin-downs, her latest solo show at East Nashville’s Octane Gallery. We got the chance to talk to Jenn about her love of Nashville, what makes Octane such a great place to show her work, and why her work isn’t your average pin-up photography.

East Nashville Blog: I noticed on your site that you’ve actually shown at Octane before, though it was in a group environment instead of as a solo show. What is it about Octane that made you want to come back and show again? On a related note, what’s appealing about showing your work in Nashville – and more specifically, in East Nashville?

Jenn Alexander Fletcher:The artists at Octane/ Kustom Thrills are friendly, inviting, creative, and just all around bad-ass artists and people. In addition to the people, I love the look and feel of the shop, and prefer to show my work in alternative spaces. My work, both in aesthetic qualities and subject matter, fits better with a place like Octane over a traditional art gallery.

Nashville is my favorite city in the world. I’ve been trying to make the move there for years, and one of these days (hopefully sooner than later) I’ll be able to call it home. After my book release party in the Atlanta area, I decided to have one show of the images from my book elsewhere. Nashville was an easy choice for me not because it’s the easiest place for me to draw a crowd or to even host the event, but because I figured why not have it in the place I’d like to be the most. East Nashville is a wonderful neighborhood that I’ve had the pleasure of spending time in on multiple trips to the city.

ENB: How did you select the models in the photos? And what inspired the particular settings for each individual model?

JAF: The models in this series are all every day women who played an important role in my life during the time of creation. They were friends; some of those including a co-worker, my sister, and myself. Each model was paired with a setting, props, and/or an overall idea that reveals something about the model, me, and our relationship to one another.

ENB: Your press release says your show “rebels against the pin-up craze.” Having done a show of contemporary pin-ups yourself in the past, what inspired you to rebel against the genre? And what do you think this new series of “pin-downs” shares in common with pin-ups, despite its rebellious spirit?

JAF: After presenting my pin-up series Alexander Girls in 2005, I acquired a reputation as a “pin-up photographer”. While yes, I was doing a lot of that type of work at the time, I was shooting plenty of other subjects as well and didn’t want to be pigeon-holed as that one type of photographer. Also around that time there was a huge boom in that genre of photography work, and although visually similar to what I was doing, very different in terms of vision. I was trying to “say things” with my pin-ups, and felt that the other pin-ups out there were just there to show pretty girls and trendy retro stylings. Thus, when pin-up photography (once again) became mainstream commonplace, I quickly lost interest and decided to move on.

There are a few similarities between the new series and the old which is why I say that it is “part continuation and part rebellion” against the first one. Some images in the new series share characteristics with traditional pin-ups more than other images. A few are quite cheeky, and a few are still pretty sexy. But in all the images, its’ still a young woman that’s on display and playing the part of a model.

ENB: The press release also notes that the photos are being specially installed rather than presented in the standard frames that people expect when they see a photography show. What can viewers expect in terms of the installation?

JAF: The photographs will be hanging, just not in frames or on the wall. I parody one of the main themes of the photography series into an installation that is much more lighthearted and plays on the exact words of the title, Hang ups…. think of it in terms of airing dirty laundry. That’s all I’m going to give away on that, you’ll have to come and check it out opening night!

Hang-ups and Pin-downs by Jenn Alexander Fletcher opens Saturday, February 5 at Octane Gallery in East Nashville. The reception runs from 7pm-9pm and features book signing, a giveaway, popcorn bar, and a special photo op for 30 minutes immediately following the reception where you can have your photo taken by the artist in a similar style to the ones on exhibit. Octane Gallery is located inside Kustom Thrills Tattoo at 1000 Main Street, Suite 107.

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Mercy Lounge is the place for artists this weekend.

One of the toughest things about being an independent artist is getting yourself, and your work, in front of a significant audience. This weekend a big opportunity will present itself to Nashville artists in the form of a visit from the California-based independent arts organization RAW: natural born artists.

Founded in March 2009 by Heidi Luerra, who has worked in the arts and fashion industries for eight years, RAW’s mission is to provide independent artists of all creative genres with the tools, resources and exposure needed to inspire and cultivate creativity. After a year of discovering and showcasing artists in California, the RAW crew is heading out to 17 cities this year to pursue its mission across the country.

“With a changing industry in every way I really see a response to grassroots efforts more than mass media,” says Luerra. “I believe people and artists are really beginning to realize the power they have. Why not just D.I.Y? RAW is here to really incubate and support that individual mission.”

This weekend Luerra and the RAW crew will be bringing their vision to Nashville, and they’re looking for artists who are interested in participating in future monthly RAW showcases here in our city. To that end they’re hosting a meet-and-greet session this Saturday at Mercy Lounge. They hope to attract like-minded individuals here in the city who are interested in supporting creativity of all types. While they’re at Mercy Lounge they’ll also be filming for a documentary they’re producing about independent arts around the country. If you’re involved in the arts in Nashville, RAW hopes you’ll stop by and talk to them about the local arts community, and how social media has influenced and affected independent artists.

The meet-and-greet session will take place this Saturday, January 15, 2011, from 7pm-9pm at Mercy Lounge. Learn more about RAW: natural born artists and stop in to say hello this weekend.

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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!

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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.

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1. Nashville Rock Block Showcase This Saturday
2. Tennessee Teens Rock & Roll Camp
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Imagine one of these Fraser firs in your home this Christmas!

If you’re a late starter, Christmas can be a pretty disappointing season. But late starters have themselves a golden opportunity for a change right now in East Nashville: there’s a bundle of free Christmas trees available to whoever wants to come and get them. The trees are in a lot at Five Points on 11th Street located behind Margot Cafe and across the street from the BP gas station. These Fraser firs were originally being sold by a tree farmer from North Carolina who has already headed back home for the holiday and decided to lighten his load on the way back east. Obviously this is a first-come-first-served kind of deal, so go grab your tree while the supplies last and brighten your Christmas season. Just remember: all those lights you see on your neighbors’ homes were not left behind. You’ll have to buy those for yourself.

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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.

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1. Bobby Bare, Jr.: “It’s more like the Austin, Texas part of Nashville.”
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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.

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At the heart of the new Mad Donna’s menu is a fondness for heat and spice, no big surprise given that owner Rachel Fontenot originally hails from Louisiana. The new habañero mac and cheese ($12.50) has a liberal dose of the hot peppers throughout and a spicy crunch topping that’s offset nicely by the cream sauce. Then there’s the new Spicy Latina burger ($9.50), which is topped generously with hot queso and fresh jalapeños. The epitome of this new spiciness is the “Hades” hot wings ($6.25 for six, larger orders available). Where the “medium” and “hot” versions are made with a chili paste cut by butter and olive oil, the Hades version delivers that chili flavor without an editor and should satisfy even the most hardcore spiceheads. (If you’re not normally one for a mouth full of hellfire but decide to be adventurous and go the Hades route, count on a solid 20 minutes of burn from just one of these wings – they’re really hot.) While you savor the burn, take the time to enjoy the rich chili flavor that lies below all that heat.

If you’re looking for something a little different than burgers and wings, there’s still plenty to like about the new menu. The new mac and cheese roster is of particular note, sporting Pesto Chicken (pesto, spinach and chicken topped with Parmesan, $14.95), White Truffle (four-cheese bechamel sauce with white truffle oil, herb breadcrumbs and Parmesan, $12.95) and Mardi Gras (Cajun spices, Andouille sausage and mixed peppers, $13.25) offerings. Sweet potato fans will love the delicate sweet potato enchiladas ($10.95) and the light and delicious sweet potato fries ($3.95), which are served with a sweet chili sauce. The current seasonal special, a light pumpkin bread topped with cranberry sauce, will delight those who find themselves ruing the end of late fall every year.

The biggest hit of all, though, may be Mad Donna’s brunch offerings. Every Saturday and Sunday from 10am-3pm, six dollars will get you 2-for-1 Mimosas (orange, black raspberry, peach, pineapple or pomegranate) or a visit to the Made-Your-Own Bloody Mary Bar. If you don’t require a strictly liquid diet before noon, you’re in luck: if the Captain’s French Toast (twice-dipped Provence Tuscan bread crusted with Cap’n Crunch cereal, drizzled with maple syrup, with a side of bacon, $8.95) doesn’t satisfy you, the variety of omelets ($7.95-$9.95), grilled turkey melt (turkey, bacon, Swiss cheese, spinach and artichoke on Provence Tuscan bread, $9.50) or vegan MD Black Bean Burger ($7.95) just might.

You can download the lunch, brunch, and dinner menus as PDFs to explore further. Mad Donna’s is located at 1313 Woodland Street in the heart of East Nashville and is open Tuesday to Thursday 11am-10pm, Friday 11am-11pm, Saturday 10am-11pm and Sunday 10am-10pm.

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Nashville Rises is directed by Zac Adams, narrated by Academy Award winner Billy Bob Thornton, and produced by Skydive Films, Lavorsia Pictures and IGBA Productions. Here’s hoping this homegrown documentary about the Nashville flood of 2010 will finally communicate the amazing scope of the disaster to the rest of the country, since the mass national media completely dropped the ball back when the city was underwater.

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