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…)

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…)

“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…)

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.

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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…)