Most people know that Nashville is the home of the Grand ol’ Opry as well as the world headquarters of Gibson Guitars, but what you may not know is that a little company called Equation Audio has been quietly revolutionizing the professional audio market with a line of superbly engineered, innovative, and remarkably affordable headphones and microphones. Led by CEO Bruce Forbes, this Nashville company is turning heads internationally with a commitment to excellence in engineering at highly competitive pricing.

While Equation Audio is still a young company, Forbes and the core team at Equation are not newcomers to the game. In the mid-nineties, a small startup known as CAD turned the microphone industry upside down overnight with the introduction of a highly affordable line of microphones that compared favorably to units that were only to be found in professional studios.

The rapid acceleration of computer technology and performance (as well as the advent of the VHS based ADAT 8-track digital audio recorder) during the 90’s led to a parallel revolution in the cost of home recording studios. With affordable processors and hard-drives capable of multi track digital recording, it was no longer necessary to invest in large consoles and tape machines to create quality recordings. Home studios started cropping up in every neighborhood, and the demand for professional quality microphones at amateur prices was strong. Bruce Forbes, then Vice President of product development at CAD was keenly aware of this, and realized that the market volume was present to change the supply demand curve of professional audio forever. Forbes and his colleagues at CAD were responsible for some of the most innovative microphone designs in the past 20 years.

Like nearly every classic rock and roll story, Forbes and CAD parted ways due to “artistic differences,” and after a brief hiatus, he returned to the fray with a newfound commitment to take the rapidly changing beast of global manufacturing by the horns and push it in the innovative design-centric directions that CAD did in her heyday. Like Steve Jobs’ role in Apple Inc., Forbes has a focused vision for nearly aspect of the product design, quality control, material integration, logistics, and marketing. Like his Cupertino analog, he doesn’t hesitate to move in radical directions with the design process, taking a holistic approach to be sure that a synergy exists between conception and consumer. Forbes grew up in his family’s music stores in the south, played music all of his life, and happens to love the intricacies of innovative electronics. Understanding both sides of the sound equation: the musical, psycho acoustical side and the scientific aspects, seems to be a major factor in the spirit of product development.

Before the formation of Equation Audio, Forbes acquired some very special intellectual capital from a close friend, Fred Cameron. Cameron is known in elite circles for producing some of the most sought-after microphones in the recording industry. The consensus is that Fred Cameron was a man who had both impeccable ears and the technological knowhow to take a stock Neumann or Sennheiser, rebuild it, and impart it with a unique and highly musical sonic signature. Fred’s career resulted in many revolutionary innovations in microphone engine design, tube biasing, integration of materials and beyond. That proprietary wisdom is carried on by his son, and now via the Equation Audio label.

Equation Audio has had some surprising success stories already with their initial line of products. Not to be limited to the Microphone industry, their first smash hit was in the headphone market. The RP-20, and now RP-21 headphones have met with astonishing critical praise for design, quality, and a price point that had many pro’s scratching their heads and asking, “why didn’t you price these higher?” In fact, the success of the RP-21 headphones kick started a cult-following (including the legendary Vinnie Colaiuta) that expanded into their line of highly affordable drum microphones.

Originally conceived as a value-line of drum mics for the semi-professional market, the Alpha Series started to crop up on tours with professional acts like Poison, the Moody Blues, Grand Funk Railroad, and many others. Professionals in the field have said that Equation had basically out-engineered themselves and produced a line of value-priced drum mics that sound so damn good, who needs the expensive paperweights?

The next move was into the highly competitive handheld microphone market, previously dominated by the 800 lb gorilla Sure, AKG, and Audix. In 2005, EA launched the Dominion line that began with the DS-V7, and has since expanded to the DS-V9 handheld condenser, and the latest model: DS-V10. In 2007, rumors started circulating that the DS-V9 was going to be nominated for the coveted TEC Awards. Instead, popular demand from engineers led to the selection of the newer handheld dynamic: the DS-V10.

For a young company to already have a TEC nomination is a huge honor, and the accolades are likely not over: the flagship series of studio condensers inspired by Fred Cameron are going to hit the shelves in late 2007.

Anyone who has frequented the venerable Family Wash on the East Side likely noticed the place lurking across the street, with the fancy lettering on the windows that reads “Niko’s.” I first assumed it was a place that was closed down, but then was surprised to periodically see its interesting decor lit up and throngs of people having fun inside. Some friends and I even tried to walk in one evening to discover that it was a “private party.” We left disappointed.

Weeks later while enjoying conversation with some friends at the Red Door east, I meet the bartender, named Niko, who turns out to be the owner of phantasmal club of the same name. (more…)

I’m not sure how I made it through life before I discovered the delicious cuisine of Thailand. Of all international cuisine, Thai food’s interesting blends of curry, coconut milk, or other fresh ingredients is my favorite. When we moved to East Nashville a couple of years ago, we had no convenient Thai restaurant nearby. When Salathai closed downtown, we were desperate! We knew that the progressive community of East Nashville would support a Thai (or Indian) restaurant, and even discussed trying to open such a place ourselves.
While driving down Briley Parkway toward Opry Mills a few months ago, we noticed a sign off to the right. “Did that sign say Sukho Thai?”

“Yes!” (more…)

One evening while stopping by my favorite meeting place in East Nashville, The Family Wash, I overheard an interview being taped for NPR about the East Nashville music scene. There was talk of a new compilation being released that showcased some of the best and brightest from the 37206 zip code. Family Wash owner and music guru Jamie Rubin verified this information, and added that his own project, Circus Dog Serenade had made it onto the upcoming two-disk compilation.

Out of town engagements kept me from attending the packed the CD release parties, but fortunately I was able to get my hands on a copy. The CD is truly impressive, and confirms all the hype about East Nashville being a major epicenter of musical talent. “The Other Side: Music from East Nashville” walks the walk after so much talk from regional and national press about East Nashville’s Music scene.

The compilation was produced and directed by Eric Brace, frontman for one of Nashville’s finest acts, Last Train Home. Eric recently talked with us about his latest brainchild and his Record Label, Red Beet Records: (more…)

Nashville, TN, November 27 - Improv Nashville presents “Priorities: A Christmas Sketch Comedy Show” two nights only, Saturdays, December 9th and December 16th at 8:00pm, at The 12th South Arts Center.

We all admit the holidays are more commercial than ever, and Improv Nashville hopes to shed some light on America’s continuously narrowing preferences during these so-called “happy holidays.” Their original sketch comedy revue show reveals the irreverent choices between family, work, gifts, etc. and how we assign a value to these things.

Improv Nashville has been packing houses across Middle Tennessee this past year with their improv comedy shows and was voted “Best New Improv Group” by The Nashville Scene. “Since several of our troupe members had a prior background in sketch comedy, it seemed like a natural progression to do a Christmas sketch comedy show,” says Scott Field, co-founder of Improv Nashville. “Plus this season of family and social obligations provides us with plenty of fodder to create comedy.” (more…)

By Caroline DuBois (poet) and Jill Block (photographer)

Click here for full version

3621 Gallatin Pike

The aching house stands awkward, hulking,
beside the Piggly Wiggly-or is it an IGA now-
and the barbershop, as if reading over the shoulder
of another era. If the house had shoulders,
they would hunch, embarrassed of its peeling paint
and sagging lines, next to the brick and neon.
This week spare ribs 69¢ a pound, a sign proclaims.
As if hard of hearing, the house refuses to be gone,
to give up its parking spot, to collapse into its own arms.
It’s failed to read the circulars. A weakening offensive
waged against asphalt, against a cheap cut and shave,
against spare ribs, against time. But like a good ghost,
it doesn’t make a scene, just holds its tongue, its stories
tightly like an apology. What a lady! What a gentleman!
While the barbershop pole just can’t shut up.
It just spins and spins its red, white, and blue.

Pilates has made a big splash in the fitness world over the past few years, and Nashville is no exception. Not just for elite models and dancers, Pilates has become what its creator Joseph Pilates had always wanted it to be - exercise for every body. Several studios and well-trained instructors are available throughout Nashville, and we caught up with one of the best.

Owner Erin Weston-Meyers opened Simply Pilates of Nashville on April 1, 2006. The studio has attracted clients from such diverse populations as professional dancers to senior citizens to new mothers, and offers private and class instruction in mat and equipment Pilates exercises. Their motto is “Simply Making Better Bodies,” and the focus is on an anatomically correct approach to Pilates movement. (more…)

Behind and beyond the curtain: Nashville producer Loney Hutchins talks with Ernie Gray about the role of Nashville in modern culture, the collapse of Tower Records, his Cleft Music label, and how bad radio causes school shootings.

EG: You were raised in Middle Tennessee, went to school for film production and subversion in Florida, and were the only one from your graduating class that didn’t head to LA or California. What brought you back to Nashville?

LH: First off, I’ve always found Nashville to be a very friendly city. In my own experience, and in watching others, I’ve found it to be a very welcoming community and, if people seem standoffish, it’s usually because they’re socially awkward… and then they end up being really interesting/creative people.

My motivations were half practical and half creatively inspired. The practical side had to do with my family being so close and also the idea that the film industry seemed like a hellish rat race I wanted no part of. It seemed rather daunting to a freshly graduated film schooler.

EG: Not necessarily a hotbed of the American film industry..

LH:We do have an independent film presence, but I was more inspired by the city’s independent music scene. I didn’t expect there to be such an eclectic community here. I started seeing out of town bands play at the Springwater. I remember seeing a Tallahassee band I knew, Syrup, play there and everyone knew the words. This made me happy.

Around the same time, I caught Lambchop and Yo La Tengo at the Belcourt. I was hit with such a strong sense of community at that show. It’s even become one of those shows where people now say things like, “ohhh you were there, too?” (more…)

Richie Kirkpatrick is pacing back and forth on the concrete floor of the ‘charming’ porch area of The Springwater Supper Club, his thin hand lifting a cigarette to just below his handlebar mustache. Kirkpatrick is dressed in a dapper black suit, dark silk shirt and red tie this evening - appropriately maniacal attire for the foreboding Springwater on a cold and rainy October night.

After months of shows on many stages around the country with Bobby Bare Jr’s Young Criminal’s Starvation League, you would think a performer would be over the jitters, but tonight is not a normal performance for Ghostfinger. I fail to notice at first that no other members of the band are present. Onstage is a guitar, a chair and a kick drum. Tonight it will be Ghostfinger in its rawest form - just the pure unadulterated wit and genius of Mr. Kirkpatrick flying solo. (more…)

Nashville has a bad habit of ignoring her best and brightest children; Nashville culture produces an artistic endeavor that is truly original, even revolutionary, and nobody who “matters” in music city seems to pay any attention.

Luckily, Nashville has a great aunt of sorts named London. She takes our wayfaring children under her wing, invites them in for tea and crumpets, and even offers to let them stay as long as they like, or until they get on their feet and make a few quid. (more…)

Punctuate Your Thanksgiving Holiday with a Collards & Caviar Productions presentation of “Having Our Say” a play by Emily Mann, adapted from the book by Sarah L. Delany and A. Elizabeth Delany with Amy Hill Hearth.

Collards & Caviar, is Nashville’s newest and most unique theater company and they’re off to a terrific start. Their first production, “Shakin’ the Mess Outta Misery”, a collaboration with SistaStyle Productions and part of the First Annual Shades of Black Showcase, garnered favorable reviews from both The City Paper and The Nashville Pride. (more…)

East Nashville has seen a dramatic transformation in the past decade. Historically the east side of the river has always been more progressive than the other parts of Nashville, and today it is a hotbed of what just might be an artistic renaissance… especially if you are involved with music performance and production.

There is something about East Nashville that attracts musicians and artists. That something might just be other musicians and artists, but it also could be the relatively affordable housing, the best coffee shop in Nashville (Bongo Java), the hip music-friendly clubs (Radio Cafe, The Family Wash, The 5-Spot), as well as an overall hometown-within-a-city vibe. You might just forget you’re in Nashville if you stay for a spell. (more…)

What happens when East meets West in the world of dance? Join an exciting opportunity to experience Chinese Traditional Dance presented by TPAC. Panelists will discuss how the arts reflect world cultures, specifically highlighting Chinese and Western dance traditions and their influences on each other. Jen-Jen Lin and additional dancers with the Chinese Arts Alliance of Nashville will perform excerpts illustrating the mutual inspirations.

Founded in 2002, the mission of Chinese Arts Alliance of Nashville is to promote awareness, understanding, appreciation, and enjoyment of the Chinese arts by presenting visual arts, crafts, performing arts, and culture to the public. CAAN activities include seminars, art exhibitions, classroom teaching, educational workshops, and public programs for children and adults. (more…)

Actor’s Bridge of Nashville presents How I Learned to Drive by Paula Vogel, which will be their final and most exciting show of the season at the Darkhorse Theatre in Nashville.

How I learned to Drive has been described by the New York Times as a “Superb comic drama… haunting… a lovely, harrowing guide to the crippling persistence of one woman’s memories.” (more…)

“Heaven’s Coast” is a series of photographic images that capture connections to the ocean and the coast. The show, with the title inspired by a memoir by Mark Doty, tells a story about the unique ways in which we experience our coastal landscapes. Using a photojournalistic style to document different activities and moments, the images are then transferred to large stretched canvases to alter the scale of the work. The transfer process is imperfect, resulting in images that look slightly distressed and aged. (more…)

So the Nashville Scene prints a huge cover story on The Features dramatic drop by 800 lb gorilla, Universal Records: the article chronicles how the poor lads had to choose between covering a Beatles song for a credit card commercial and losing their record deal. They chose to get dropped and keep their credibility. Everyone gasps and pats them on the back, their EP is released, and a month later I see a CityBank commercial with a cover version of “All You Need is Love.”
“Catchy tune…” (remember Val Kilmer’s Jim Morrison when he sees a cheesy Ford commercial using Light My Fire?) (more…)

Nashville-Based The Comfies are lead by former Feeble Weiner bassist Ben Harper. Bringing along some of the infectious pop sensebility of the Murfreesboro / Nashville breakthrough band that had everyone jumping up and down and screaming “Weiner!” over the past few years, The Comfies extend that with a somewhat less campy, yet just as melodically deft pop sensibility. They have been compared to “The Posies or Velvet Crush, with a dash of Bowie and big sprigs of Mersey.” (more…)

If you like the feelgood 70’s philly-esque sound of Josh Rouse, you will undoubtedly dig the latest release by Nashville’s Curt Perkins, titled Get Something Started. Several friends recommend that I check out Curt live, and I have to admit, it was a phenomenal show. The music has a great vibe: Part R&B, part rock, all right. The record is even better, with outstanding production and solid song craft.

This stuff is portable sunshine…

The similarities to Rouse are not a coincidence; Perkins has worked with Rouse for years, as a multi- instrumentalist and co-writer. Their hits have hit the top-30.

(more…)

Art and Invention Gallery located in Five Points, East Nashville presents Urban Frescoes by photographer Bill Brimm. The main focus of this exhibition is images on walls within urban areas and their relationship to society. Graffiti, signage, color, texture and decay are integral parts of the palette that creates these revealing photographs. This body of work was shot over the last three years in Peru, Mexico, Chicago and Nashville. (more…)

The one and only Reeves Gabrels has been appearing every Sunday down at the Family Wash with “Loud Night,” backed by a revolving group of fantastic musicians from East Nashville and beyond. Gabrels is considered one of the most revolutionary guitarists working today, having worked with Bowie, Tin Machine, Public Enemy and many others.

Sets consist of a variety of Gabrel’s original material: mostly straight-up rockers penned by the virtuoso guitarist featuring intelligent arrangements and sharply crafted lyrics. Of course, you can also expect extended improvisations with Gabrel’s experimenting with digital toys, in particular a (Korg?) tone pad that allows him to dramatically bend and modulate his signal using a touchpad. Guitarists and rock fans alike shouldn’t miss this opportunity to see Reeves in such an intimate environment! (more…)