EastNashvilleBlog.com

Next Food Network Star Season 7 Open Casting Call in Nashville

Jason Kirk — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 15:41:30 +0000

Your shot at the big time is right around the corner, foodie.

Are you the one all your friends ask to do the cooking when there’s a big neighborhood get-together? Has your spouse stopped cooking altogether because you’re so good in the kitchen? Or, maybe, are you a diva restaurateur who thinks that the world will stop spinning if it doesn’t get a taste of your latest lowbrow-to-highbrow gastro-concoction? If any of these questions apply to you, you’re going to want to clear some room on your calendar - Next Food Network Star is having an open casting call right here in Nashville.

The producers of cable’s #1 food show are coming to Music City for the first time, and they want you to show them what they’ve been missing for the last six seasons. All you need to get a shot at the big time are two recent photos, a copy of your resume and a completed copy of this Next Food Network Star application. (And it might be a good idea to read the eligibility requirements beforehand, too.)

There have already been open casting calls in Atlanta, Los Angeles, New Orleans, Denver, New York and Philadelphia, so there will be plenty of competition for the 10 spots on the show. But if you have strong culinary skills, personality that pops, passion for cooking, food knowledge and lots of energy and enthusiasm, there’s a strong chance you’ll catch the producers’ eye – and take another step forward in putting Nashville on America’s culinary map.

Next Food Network Star Open Casting Call

Monday, September 13, 2010, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Hutton Hotel

1808 West End Avenue

Nashville, TN 37203

Holly Street Rocks! Benefit Featuring Roman Candle

Jason Kirk — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 20:25:56 +0000

Holly Street Daycare is hosting its 7th Annual Holly Street Rocks! fundraiser in October. All proceeds from the benefit go directly to the Holly Street Tuition Subsidy Program, which helps families in need afford quality child care for their children. The fundraiser will include 50 fabulous wines to taste, provided by Midtown Wine & Spirits; entertainment from popular indie rock band Roman Candle; and hundreds of silent auction items up for bid, from great artwork to weekend getaways.

Holly Street Daycare is a non-profit that provides affordable, quality childcare for parents. The Tuition Subsidy Program bridges the gap between assistance a family might be receiving and the rising cost of quality childcare. At Holly Street, children experience personalized attention and progressive learning in an intimate, low teacher/child ratio environment. Additionally, the center offers specialized programs such as dance, music and educational field trips. Holly Street strives to create an overall setting to further develop each child’s values, attitudes, and social skills.

Musical guest Roman Candle owes its edgy rock sound to years of focusing on the craft of songwriting and melody. In 2006 Pitchfork’s Grayson Currin said, “Roman Candle is one of the best, most complete American rock bands to surface in a decade.” PASTE magazine called their current album, Oh Tall Tree in the Ear, a “Modern Rock Masterpiece” and the band has toured with artists such as Rufus Wainwright, Aimee Mann, and the Indigo Girls. Roman Candle at the Limelight is a show not to be missed!

Holly Street Rocks!

7th Annual Silent Auction/Wine Tasting

Featuring musical guest Roman Candle

A benefit for Holly Street Daycare’s tuition subsidy program

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!

Have You Lost Your Dog in East Nashville?

Jason Kirk — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 16:59:06 +0000

Has anyone recently lost a dog near the Maxwell Heights/Greenwood Neighbors area? Last night in that area an East Nashville neighbor came across a little guy who wants to go home, and she is trying to make that happen. He’s a small, black-and-white, shorthaired dog and we’d like to help him to get back where he belongs. If you think this might be your dog, send a description or picture to us at comments@eastnashvilleblog.com or message us on Twitter.

On a related note, we highly recommend that anyone who has lost or found a pet check out the East C.A.N. website for more information on what to do in such a situation. There are a lot of common-sense tips there that can save you a lot of time and hassle and give you the best chance of helping your animal get back home safely. You can read more about East C.A.N., an organization started and run by concerned East Nashville neighbors, in the August/September issue of The East Nashvillian magazine.

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.

East Nashville Community Acupuncture

Ginger Burden — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 12:59:57 +0000

If you have always wanted to try acupuncture but could never afford it, I strongly advise that you check out East Nashville Community Acupuncture, located next to Pad Thai Kitchen in the 2-story brick building at 604 Gallatin Ave. I’m not sure how long this place has been there, but I went for the first time recently and had an extremely satisfying experience.

First of all, acupuncture is usually pretty expensive – $60 or more for a single visit – but at ENCA they do a sliding scale for payment, so you only pay between $15 and $35 depending on how much you happen to feel like paying that day. It’s worth that price and way more. The staff is friendly and helpful and Alexa Hulsey, the owner/acupuncturist, was very professional and really took the time to talk to me about the issues I was there to treat.

The acupuncture room at ENCA is calm and soothing

The acupuncture itself takes place in a quiet, dimly lit room with about 10 or so super-comfy reclining chairs where Alexa can treat many clients at once, but never once did I feel bothered by people coming and going, even when the room was almost entirely filled. Calm, soothing music plays softly in the background so you can zone out to while resting, or you can bring headphones and listen to your own music. Alexa also gives each person a comfy blanket, eye pillow, and a bell to ring if you need to get her attention.

The East Nashville Community Acupuncture website has lots of useful information for new patients, including paperwork that you can fill out and bring with you to save time. Payment is by cash or check only, and be aware that there is a one-time $10 application fee in addition to your visit fee the first time you go.

Follow East Nashville Community Acupuncture on Facebook, or contact them by phone at (615) 457-1979.

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.

Izzie’s Ice Open Now on Riverside Drive

Jason Kirk — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 23:26:03 +0000

Izzie's Ice

East Nashville has a new way to beat the summer heat. Located at 1000 Riverside Drive, Izzie’s Ice is owned by Eastside sisters Alice Carpenter and Elizabeth Gammans and serves up all-natural Italian Ice made fresh daily.

Izzie’s Ice offers classic Lemon Italian Ice plus a variety of fresh fruit flavors, including orange, strawberry, kiwi, pineapple, watermelon and lime, with no artificial flavors or preservatives. The lineup changes daily, based on the availability of local ingredients. And best of all, the prices are only $3 for an adult cup and $2 for a kid cup.

“When we were growing up in New York, we had this wonderful Italian Ice stand on our street,” says Gammans. “Real Italian ice has such a unique flavor and consistency—it’s like the ultimate taste of summer—and we wanted to create that here in East Nashville.”

Izzie’s is open Tuesday through Saturday, from noon to 6:30 p.m. You can learn more on their Facebook page, by following them on Twitter, or by checking out the Izzie’s Ice website.

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.