EastNashvilleBlog.com » Arts

Win an All-Access Pass to the 2010 Americana Music Festival

Jason Kirk — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 22:14:13 +0000

The 2010 Americana Music Festival starts later this week, featuring four days of live music at five venues around Nashville. If you’ve been thinking about making some time to go check out Exene Cervenka, American Aquarium, John Carter Cash or any of the other dozens of acts on the festival schedule, you should go check out the Americana Music Festival’s Twitter account.

The AMA is giving their Twitter followers a few chances to score an all-access pass without dropping a dollar before things get going this Wednesday. The pass is good for all the live performances as well as the conference, so you can learn about Social Media Strategies That Build Your Fan Base and Establishing Your Act in Scandinavia during the day before heading out to catch the Americana Honors and Awards at the legendary Ryman Auditorium.

If you don’t win you can still get a wristband good for the entire festival schedule for $50, or tickets for the awards show or conference by clicking here or calling the Americana Music Association office at 615-386-6936. The music starts this Wednesday evening and goes through Saturday night – check out the full schedule for the 2010 Americana Music Festival.

A Quick Fix For East Nashville Vinyl Lovers

Jason Kirk — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 00:23:47 +0000

As much of a fan of digital music as I am, there’s still something cool about old vinyl records. Sadly, though, East Nashville is without much in the way of a true, old-school record store these days. The recent exchange of The Groove for a new and improved Eastside Cycles was great for cycling on this side of town, but it also means there’s really nowhere left on this side of town where you can flip through dust jackets instead of scrolling through a list of MP3s, other than in private collections – and we all know that there are a lot of excellent record collections on this side of the river.

Ben Blackwell, Third Man's main man of vinyl

The owners of the largest of those collections and folks who have worked in the record business here in Nashville for decades are the two groups of people I can think of who might know as much about vinyl as Ben Blackwell, the head of vinyl production at Jack White’s Third Man Records in the shadow of downtown Nashville. But if anyone else has his kind of knowledge, especially at the age of 28, I’d be surprised.

Ever find yourself wondering, “What’s the entire process of making a record look like from beginning to end?” Or maybe, “Why are 180-gram vinyl pressings superior to lighter pressings?” Ever wake up in the middle of the night thinking, “What’s the value of small, independent, vinyl-producing record labels in the digital age?” Lucky for you, Ben Blackwell shares the answers to all these questions and more in a pretty fascinating interview about all things vinyl with Dean Schaffer over at Collectors Weekly. Go check it out and get your fix while we wait for another record store to open up here on the east side.

Reading all this material about vinyl makes me wonder – who has the biggest record collection of all our readers? Let me know in the comments. Oh, and photos or it’s not real!

Ryan Griffin, Mad Donna’s August Artist-in-Residence

Jason Kirk — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 16:29:27 +0000

Local restaurant and lounge Mad Donna’s has announced that singer/songwriter Ryan Griffin is its August 2010 artist-in-residence.

“Music is about so much more than fame and stardom,” says Griffin. “It’s about having a voice and being able to use it to make a difference. For a brief moment I can help others escape and find happiness, strength, peace and love.

Singer-songwriter Ryan Griffin will play Mad Donna's throughout August

The Mad Donna’s artist-in-residence program will allow Griffin to play to audiences at the Woodland Street mainstay four times in August. The first show is tomorrow, August 4th, where Griffin will be joined by fellow singer/songwriters Lisa Carver and Bonnie Baker. Carver has had her songs recorded by classic country artists like Willie Nelson and Tanya Tucker, while Baker, who founded the Mad Donna’s artist-in-residence program, has won three ASCAP awards since arriving in Nashville in 1992.

The rest of the month will see Ryan Griffin play three more Wednesday night shows, on August 11th, 18th and 25th. There’s no cover charge, and draft beers are 2-for-1. And those of you who work in the service industry can catch an even bigger break – show a valid ABC card or check stub and you’ll get 30% off drinks and food.

Mad Donna’s is located at 1313 Woodland Street here in East Nashville. You can preview the music you’ll hear every Wednesday this month by checking out Ryan Griffin on Myspace.

The Art Show Strikes Back! at Octane Gallery

Jason Kirk — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 17:27:47 +0000

When I was a kid, I loved the Star Wars films. The crazy aliens, the big space battles, and most of all the interesting characters grabbed my attention like little else could. Seeing Return of the Jedi in the theater was the highlight of second grade. I got my picture taken with Yoda at the mall that year, and I spent many a quarter in video arcades during the early 1980s playing the original Star Wars arcade game. The intervening years have seen my love for the franchise fall off a bit as it’s been watered down by over-marketing and the dull prequel trilogy that George Lucas forced on us all, but I still hang on to those fond memories of Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Chewbacca and the Millenium Falcon.

Jeff Bertrand's Darth Vader will be on display at Octane Gallery next month

It’s those childhood recollections (and my support for local artists) that will draw me out to Octane Gallery at Kustom Thrills Tattoo next month for The Art Show Strikes Back!, a two-man show featuring Star Wars-themed artwork by Jeff Bertrand and Charles Bennett. Solo pieces (pun intended) and a few collaborations between the two artists will be on display, illuminating the secret lives of major Star Wars characters and the bit-players who never got the full screen time they deserved.

“Priced to sell this artwork is,” says Bertrand from behind his classic 1980s Yoda mask. “So come prepared you must.”

The Art Show Strikes Back! opens on September 5th as part of ArtEast, and the show runs until October 17th. Octane Gallery is located inside Kustom Thrills Tattoo at 1000 Main Street, Suite 107.

Thirth of July Street Party Recap

Lindsey Boise — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 16:07:45 +0000

Seeing that we just moved to the neighborhood about six months ago, we didn’t know what to expect when we received a neighborly letter informing/reminding/warning us about the annual Thirth of July Street Party that was to go down right across the street from our place on Ordway and North 12th Street.

All I can say is it was really fun. There were Jolly Rogue Sneaux Balls, people twirling sparkly sticks, and live music. Though we didn’t indulge (meat is murder, duh), they even had BBQ from Oinker’s/Crazy Calvin’s for the carnivores out there.

Thee Phanton 5ive and The Minor Keys played, but we missed them and only caught the last two bands, Heypenny and the Eastside Bulldogs. I captured a short video clip of Heypenny playing “CopCar” and you can watch it below.

The proceeds ($10 at the plastic fence) went to East Nashville Flood Relief. And in the morning, it was like nobody had even been there. Magic. I recommend everyone and anyone to come down next year and enjoy the festival.

A Weekend Treat: The Eastside Bulldogs “Come On Up and See Me Sometime”

Jason Kirk — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 06:52:17 +0000

Friend of EastNashvilleBlog.com Miranda Herrick shared this perfect-for-the-weekend stomper from Todd Snider and the Eastside Bulldogs on Facebook earlier and we couldn’t figure out exactly how it was we hadn’t already heard of it. The single is on sale at ToddSniderStore.com, with all the proceeds benefiting Hands On Nashville.

Big June in Store at Mad Donna’s

Jason Kirk — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 19:56:23 +0000

If you love music and fashion, Mad Donna’s is the place for you all throughout the month of June. First there’s the June Artist Residency:

Singer/songwriters, Josh Osborne, Shane McAnally and Trevor Rosen will be Mad Donna’s June 2010 artists-in-residence. Mad Donna’s Artist Residency features local talent that makes Mad Donna’s Loft home for a weekly month-long showcase. Performances will take place every Wednesday beginning June 2nd. Josh Osborne, Shane McAnally and Trevor Rosen will also perform June 9th, 16th, 23rd and 30th, when the residency ends. Doors open at 7PM, music starts at 8PM. There is not a cover charge. Drink special are 2 for 1 drafts. Wednesday is Service Industry Night – 30% off with a valid ABC card or check stub.

Josh Osborne, Shane McAnally and Trevor Rosen

Then, this Thursday, there’s Music Row East featuring Mason Douglas:

Mad Donna’s Music Row East, a showcase of up and coming artists and writers by Music Row publishers, labels and managers will feature singer/songwriter, Mason Douglas on Thursday, June 3rd. Doors open at 7PM, music starts at 8PM. There is not a cover charge. Drink specials are $2 off wine by the glass and $5 off wine by the bottle.

Mason Douglas possesses a distinguished diversity, sounding like Chris Isaak with his signature sexy falsettos, Garth Brooks with his honesty and range, others even say he’s ‘country music’s Rob Thomas. Mason has been showcased at the Ryman Auditorium as well as opened for Trace Adkins, James Otto & Jewel. He has had continued radio airplay with the song “Home Free” released on his 2010 debut CD with Rural Rhythm Records. Mason says, “I am so excited to get this music out to the world and all audiences to let everyone have the opportunity to enjoy it as well. Thank you for these few minutes and for taking a listen.”

Mason Douglas

This Friday will see Heidi Burson take to the stage:

Mad Donna’s is proud to announce that multi-talented singer/songwriter Heidi Burson will perform on Friday, June 4th at 8PM. Drink specials are $5 Smirnoff and specialty martinis until 10PM. Co-owner Rachel Fontenot is excited about bringing this innovative vocalist to Mad Donna’s.

Heidi Burson knows true happiness when she is surrounded by friends with a microphone in one hand and a wine glass in the other. While her voice brings joy to many, it also invokes an insight and depth of the soul that few professionals can touch, yet alone master. Heidi’s vocal stylings lean to blues, soul, and R&B, however, much like her personality, she thrives on variety. Heidi has performed at a multitude of venues in the Nashville area since she moved from her hometown in Ohio five years ago.

Woodland Street’s Lipstick Lounge calls Heidi “an unbelievable talent with range, style, presence and grace. Her voice is fluid and her style draws comparisons to Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston and Aretha Franklin.” At 25 years old, Heidi has played the piano for 22 years. A passionate songwriter, Heidi often turns into her own dark corners to find untapped sorrow, rage, strength, and hope to weave into melodies and lyrics that support her powerhouse voice. Heidi throws not only her whole self, but all of her surroundings into her music, with the hopes that one day it will be able to support her in return.

Heidi Burson

And finally, there’s Splash! A Pride Pool Party Fashion Show:

On Friday, June 11th Mad Donna’s will host Splash! A Pride Pool Party Fashion Show. The fashion show will be produced by Milton White of The Fashion Office and will feature swimwear from Hue in East Nashville. Donations from this event will go to support Nashville Pride. Suggested donations for general admission is $5.00 and $10.00 for VIP which includes a seat on the runway and swag bags. Doors open at 8PM. The fashion show starts at 9PM. Drink specials are $5 Smirnoff and specialty martinis until 10PM.

Splash! will feature several well known runway models, a selection of male models from RAMP Ripped, a locally based model management company that represents some of the hottest fitness and physique models as well as a few local personalities. The models will be wearing swimwear from Hue. The show will include looks from Salinas, INsight and Sundeck in addition to several vintage pieces. A cool music mix by DJ Jane Dupree will accompany the show.

The event is open to the public and donations will be taken at the door supporting Nashville Pride. The purpose of the Nashville Pride is to maintain a sense of community and awareness of, about and for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people and culture throughout Middle Tennessee.

Mad Donna’s is located at 1313 Woodland Street here in East Nashville. For more info on all these events, check out the Mad Donna’s website.

East Nashville Belly Dancing Workshop

Jason Kirk — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 18:37:30 +0000

Learn to belly dance with Sidonia next weekend in East Nashville

Belly dancing is an old art form, having been around for centuries. The first recorded Western encounter with it came in 1798 when Napoleon and his troops invaded Egypt. But you don’t have to have an army of your own, or even travel around the world, to learn about belly dancing – you can get involved with it right here in East Nashville thanks to Sidonia, a local practitioner of American- and Egyptian-style belly dancing. In fact, she’s putting on a workshop right here in our neighborhood at BlossOMing Yoga next weekend. Here are the details straight from the source:

Belly Dance Veil Workshop with Sidonia
Saturday, June 12th, 3pm-5pm
$30 before June 4th, $35 after June 5th
BlossOMing Yoga – 604 Gallatin Avenue (East Nashville)

The focus of this workshop is the use of a single veil in the mysterious and elegant art form of belly dance. We will learn tips, tricks, and techniques as well as a short choreography to pull it all together. Working with a veil will not only strengthen and tone your arms but will also elevate the level of grace and fluidity in your dance. All skill levels are welcome. Veils will be provided, but you may bring your own if you wish.

For more information, check out the BlossOMing Yoga website.

East Nashville Arts Fest Recap

Rachel Hall Kirk — Tue, 25 May 2010 18:48:31 +0000

Humans and four-legged companions were equally welcome at the East Nashville Arts Fest. Several booths had water bowls and treats for the pups.

This entire collection of intricate collages and cards came from Chattanooga's Made By One Girl.

All right, I know some of you didn’t leave the house this past weekend because you were brushing up on six years of Lost in anticipation of the long-awaited final episode. (Why do you think we’re posting this on Tuesday instead of bright and early Monday morning?) Plus it was hot – oh, so hot – outside. But those of you who were brave and ventured out to Five Points on Saturday or Sunday probably noticed that the 1100 block of Woodland was closed for the first annual East Nashville Arts Fest.

Both sides of the street were lined with tents, and selected artists were able to hawk their wares from 11am-7pm Saturday and Sunday. Festival planner Maria Mariottini, a Chicagoan, put the event together at the request of some local artists who know her from their participation in other festivals. I think it’s safe to say that Maria’s hard work was well worth the effort, and I’m already looking forward to next year’s event (same approximate time, same approximate place).

Maria Mariottini, East Nashville Arts Fest planner.

Yee-Haw Industrial Letterpress from Knoxville - what a variety of cool stuff! If you didn't buy that t-shirt or poster you wanted, no worries... they have a store on Etsy.com.

There are so many successful art festivals around town that I didn’t think this one would be any different, but the vibe of the East Nashville Arts Fest was fresh and exciting. It differed from the recent and well-established TACA Craft Fair and our beloved local Tomato Art Fest in that it was smaller (I have a hunch that once it’s established it will grow significantly) and the merchandise was eclectic and well rounded without a particular theme or heaviness on one artform.

Tiffany Ownbey has figured out a way to elevate papier mache to a new level. Her background in ceramic sculpture is evident in the surface textures and intricate forms - this ain't your typical coat-a-balloon mache.

We at East Nashville Blog are animal lovers and were drawn to the cute faces and trippy colors of Michelle Mardis' dog paintings.

No matter which art festival I go to, I enjoy seeing the same artist in the same tent location year after year; familiarity is comforting. And while there were some local artists with recognizable artwork in the East Nashville Arts Fest, many participants were from other states, which provided festival-goers an unexpectedly new and fresh supply of artwork to see and purchase. Of course we like to support our local artists, but I think we can all smile at the fact that our side of the city is happenin’ enough to attract artists from far and away, and our reputation as a city that celebrates the visual arts is growing ever stronger.

How about a stained glass window for that salvaged antique door you've been meaning to install? Artist: Alexander Roskowski, LX&R Studios.

Another exciting aspect of this festival was that it was made up of equal parts fine art and fine craft – which pleases me, because East Nashville Blog celebrates all things creative with no regard for the high-art/low-art dichotomy. The art/craft distinction was made even fuzzier with this festival because everything on display was of the highest possible quality, no chintz. There were beautiful things to wear, to hang on the wall, to put in your lawn… all made with care and great creativity.

Hella-cool pillows made from hand-dyed fabric brought to you by Hooey Batiks.

For a complete list of artists who participated, including contact information and website addresses, visit the East Nashville Arts Fest Facebook page.

Keep on Movin’: The Monday Night Dance Party

Aaron A. Coleman — Mon, 24 May 2010 20:04:55 +0000

With the beautiful weekends of spring now in full effect, Mondays have become more difficult to endure. Rising temperatures and heavy pollen counts make me think one thing: I have to go out. Thankfully Keep on Movin’: The Monday Night Dance Party has buoyed my spirits on my least favorite day. I recently made the six-block jaunt to The 5 Spot to check up on this East Side tradition.

Monday night is dancing night!

The 5 Spot, with its plethora of local players and East Side staples, makes you feel like you’re in a music town; it can feel like musicians outnumber everyone else. After paying the $3 cover, I was greeted by long wooden bar tables that serve as convenient locations to centralize groups. I headed to the bar where I was pleased to see both Boddingtons and Pabst in the same beer cooler; I always like to have at least one good beer before I travel down Pabst Alley.

Music gear dominates everything at The 5 Spot. The muted light of a drum set chandelier illuminates an old sturdy pool table. Broken cymbals are reborn as curtains. The bar’s many local show posters proudly proclaim, “Yes, this is a music venue. Please do not request Freebird.” This all sets the scene for a velvet lined stage that supports the most rockin’ DJ rig this side of the Cumberland.

The weekly event is hosted by Electric Western Records co-founder/artist Jacob Jones, who splits DJ duties between himself and other troubadours. He throws down the dance party gauntlet by playing old school favorites like The Four Tops and Sam Cooke. I dare you to be a wallflower after hearing the grooving tunes at the spot. Electric Western has redefined the Monday night barscape by creating a friendly environment that is free of pretense and full of dancing.

Keep on movin'!

I know what you’re saying. “I can’t dance, and I don’t want people to make fun of me.” Stop it! You’re not in high school. When you mix alcohol, good music, and fun-loving people in one space you get magic: a room full of sweaty adults moving around without a care in the world. The floor at The 5 Spot is full of kids trying and failing in their attempts to recreate the twist, all of them having a good time. If that’s not enough, there’s always safety in numbers: the dance floor is empty and intimidating at 10pm, but by 11:30 the whole floor is grooving. Good things come to those who wait.

Keep On Movin’: The Monday Night Dance Party has become more popular as of late, so don’t be surprised if you only have enough room to shuffle around during the most busy moments. This influx of our friends from across the river has made it more difficult to get a drink, but it’s all worth it to share some East Side love from our favorite dance party host. Overall, Electric Western Records has given the East Side a great cure for the Mondays.