For Day 0: click here
We arrive in Nashville around 5 pm, and the twang of good ‘ol country music is in the air. Or is it the Taylor Swift greatest hits record blasting from our tC’s speakers? I’mma let you finish after the jump.
After a quick drive down Music Row – a street lined with houses holding offices for much of the country and gospel music industry and RCA’s famed Studio B – it’s painstakingly obvious why Nashville has the nickname “Music City USA.” A mecca for musicians, songwriters, publishers, and record labels, the city’s history in the formative years of rock and country is still with it today.
Every great city for music has at least one go-to record store, and in Nashville, Grimey’s is king. Also, they use the word “preloved” when describing “used” records – we hope it catches on!
We walk in just after 6 pm to a packed room -Foster & Lloyd who penned the #4 Billboard hit “Crazy Over You,” among others) are playing a quick in-store to promote their first new record in over two decades (See above). The crowd is full of people from all age ranges, and everyone claims a spot throughout Grimey’s tightly packed stacks of vinyl and CDs. Even though the acoustics of a retail location are iffy, the duo (with an extra guitarist) sound great, singing multi-part vocal harmonies with the calm of not knowing the freaky cover of Embryonic is staring at the back of your head.
Grimey’s has all of the charm one would expect from the top-tier record store in a city as down-home as Nashville. Records are piled up everywhere (see above), and the owners of the shop seem to know a decent portion of its customers. We ask one of them to direct us to our next live music stop, and he points down. Nope, no trap door.
He was really talking about The Basement, a venue in – guess – the basement of the multi-story building in which Grimey’s is located. The Basement books both local and national bands, and tonight was the free “Fresh Faces” showcase for new locals and touring bands who are looking to gain a following. The venue really packed them in, putting over seven bands on the bill (see above). You can’t argue with “free,” so we strolled right in.
The Basement really owned it’s title – low ceilings, tight spacing, and meandering layout all made the venue feel like a safe place to be fore a tornado. But, the sound quality was top notch, and there was a bar peeking out from a back corner. If only the basement under Eleven HQ was outfitted in a similar way!
First up was New York due Sirsy (above). Singer Melanie Krahmer has the tough duty of singing and playing drums while standing up, but handles the pressure well.
After a short set, Kacey Musgraves and her band takes the stage. The young country singer-songwriter captivates us throughout her performance, and the setting seems like a perfect fit for being “discovered” in Nashville by some big studio exec. A pretty, and talkative performer, she controls the audience with delicate numbers and an occasional, more upbeat song. Country may not be our cup of tea, but everyone in that room could tell that they would be seeing her name on a marquee of a much larger venue in the coming years.
Time to grab a bite to eat. We are told to check out Cafe Coco (see above), a 24 hour restaurant/coffee shop nestled in a large, old house. The spot is host to a mixture of Nashville hipsters, session musician types, and a few people just trying to not let the commotion break their concentration on their laptops. A strange sounding melody pulls us into a back room, where we stumble upon yet another stage with live music (third time in three hours!). An open mic night is underway at Cafe Coco, and we are greeted with a guy playing – no joke – a twelve string bass guitar (see below).
What the hell is that? (see above) One could imagine that all of that low end would make for a crummy solo show, but the guy somehow played chords and finger tapped with both hands, creating a cool groove. We wonder if Guitar Center will start carrying these instruments.
After hanging out at Cafe Coco for awhile, we get wind of a dance party – formally known as DJ Jonathan Toubin’s Soul Clap and Dance-Off – at Foobar across the river in East Nashville at Foobar (above). With the streets leading to club devoid of any signs of life, finding the place seemed unlikely. However, it suddenly materialized, and we found a parking spot among a growing number of cars next to the bar.
Jonathan Toubin’s traveling DJ show is great – in fact, it’s an official dance-off, with contestants wearing numbers on their backs so the “judges” can keep track of their moves throughout the night. Toubin plays only classic, rare soul 45s, which keeps us all moving – whether we were competing for the grand, $100 prize or just sipping a PBR. Foobar has an awesome, dilapidated feel – one that makes you worry what the place looks like with the lights on. But, the lights are dim, the PBR is flowing, and the funk keeps coming. Lay it on, it’s gonna be a late night.
[...] For Day 1: click here [...]