The Last Day In Nashville (A redeemer)
Dear constant reader,
Tuesday debunked my theory that the weather would be consistently beautiful in Nashville! I woke up rather late, although the futon I'm sleeping on is not comfortable in the least, I find It hard to get out of it! Maybe it is because I'm trying to replace quality sleep with quantity, I don't know. Around ten thirty after much tossing and turning Alexa poked me up and asked if I wanted to the Tennessee state museum with her, and mentioned it was raining, I suggested groggily that she go ahead without me and I would meet up with her, since I didn't want to hold her back while I got ready, and I wasn't overly eager to get out into the rainy day! I woke up and stepped outside and it seems abysmal and freezing cold so I took my time getting up, had my two apples with peanut butter for breakfast and showered.
I got a text from Alexa saying the museum was a bust, overrun with obnoxious children (that I probably have more of a tolerance and appreciation for than her, oddly) and relatively bland presentation. That was all the motivation I needed to spend the day indoors catching up with people on the phone, on writing the songs I've been working on, transcribing my works into my notebook and reading these Nick Adams stories. First I thought "maybe this is absurd, but it is my last day in Nashville... I really ought to get Bolton's for late lunch after I earn it with some work). So I did. It was every bit as spicy and juicy and delicious as the 3 times before it! Certifiable addict.
I talked to Heather and to my Dad, which was encouraging and fun, so nice to hear the voices of those you love when you are away for so long! I freestyled on my walk to and from Bolton's as a means of gathering thoughts for my tentatively titled "The Story In And Of A Notebook [small-world-view]" and am making progress! Spent the afternoon reading writing ehich pleased me thoroughly!
Alexa came back to Steve's and we hopped on a bus to go to Cafe Coco's open mic, where Steve also organized a couch surfing meet up! Cafe Coco (poorly pictured from the outside below) seems to be inside a house, which was restructured as a cafe/bar/music venue/restaurant... Very charming place with all sorts of quirky rooms decor and small rooms for studying and such! We met several couch surfing hosts and travelers, all of whom were respectful and interesting, John, Sebastian a bassist from Argentina, his girlfriend Dana from Europe and several others that I had nice conversations with! I got a cookie that was the size of my face and a caramel/creamy vanilla coffee called "The Adrenaline Rush" that had four shots of espresso in it! Dangerously delicious! (Insert "Rapid Enrapture" quote For those dedicated AllOne & The Room fans!)
The open mic started up so we got in line and immediately the character in the room was different and more varies than the previous two nights! As the charitable and professional host and sound man Cody, who I later befriended read off a list of abot a dozen open mic rules and stipulations, my excitement shrunk. One rule, two songs or less, another rule, no tracks, and a third rule... NO POETRY. Alexa and Steve fought my discouragement like true friends and I agreed to split a slot with Steve (picture below) as we decided he would do some improv back ups on guitar as I decided my beatbox-Harmonica fable "It Always Pays" would take the stage!
Many of the performers were very good and original and nice people! Most notably, Aarodynamics, a very tight funky multi instrumentalist loop pedal song builder! Jennifer, with nice song writing and a beautiful voice and fun crowd interaction! Alexa played two songs from her forthcoming album, one I had never heard her perform called "Two Tusks" A song about salt in mammoths!
Steve did a risky song about a town he used to live in called "Everyone here plays acoustic electric guitar" back when John Mayer was hugely influential and he went to open mics over saturated with that, it was relevant and edgy and joked on a lot of the culture that we were surrounded by the past two nights and it was hilarious! That got increasingly awkward for him socially as more acoustic electric performers took the stage! My performance was odd and off kilter but on point (which in my best days describes my entire musical journey I suppose!) Steve backed me up interestingly and successfully by the end of it and people seemed to really dig it! Luckily Cody the host enjoyed my work and didn't find it too against the rules or disagreeable!
There was a rapper/poet who performed over a guitar player who called himself "Aspartame Kills" who was enjoyable and also a singer who really entranced me Shannon who sang a ghastly story with a haunting voice and performed guitar very intensely!
We met a lot if really supportive friends in the audience, both the couch-surfers and other musicians and spectators as well! People who had advice of where to go if we come back, while encouraging us to do so! Our performances were recorded so expect an odd video of my performance soon as I get that in my email! I met a really nice guy named Ross who tours and records with a group called Last Of The Horsemen, making what he calls "doom rap". We did a CD exchange and swapped info to help each other out on future trips!
Since Steve rode his bike from home, and we had stayed later than the buses ran, we ended up getting a ride from a really enthusiastic and jovial physicians assistant named Shaun! It was very kind of him to offer the ride and be was really supportive about our musical journey! We said goodnight and felt good and that this was what we came to Nashville Hopi g to see, the last night being a great success, we exchange stories and laughs and CDs with Steve, said good night and thanked him profusely, another great friend made! Went to sleep!
All in all, despite what might seem like some harsh critiques or opinions of my experience in Nashville I am definitely glad I came and got to experience the culture. It is always a learning experience to be in a place unfamiliar to you... and the struggle to adapt is just the necessary process of evolution as a person , thank you for challenging me Nashville!
Today we are hopping on an right hour bus ride to Indianapolis! Built largely by the Vonnegut family!
And so it goes,
-AllOne
Tuesday debunked my theory that the weather would be consistently beautiful in Nashville! I woke up rather late, although the futon I'm sleeping on is not comfortable in the least, I find It hard to get out of it! Maybe it is because I'm trying to replace quality sleep with quantity, I don't know. Around ten thirty after much tossing and turning Alexa poked me up and asked if I wanted to the Tennessee state museum with her, and mentioned it was raining, I suggested groggily that she go ahead without me and I would meet up with her, since I didn't want to hold her back while I got ready, and I wasn't overly eager to get out into the rainy day! I woke up and stepped outside and it seems abysmal and freezing cold so I took my time getting up, had my two apples with peanut butter for breakfast and showered.
I got a text from Alexa saying the museum was a bust, overrun with obnoxious children (that I probably have more of a tolerance and appreciation for than her, oddly) and relatively bland presentation. That was all the motivation I needed to spend the day indoors catching up with people on the phone, on writing the songs I've been working on, transcribing my works into my notebook and reading these Nick Adams stories. First I thought "maybe this is absurd, but it is my last day in Nashville... I really ought to get Bolton's for late lunch after I earn it with some work). So I did. It was every bit as spicy and juicy and delicious as the 3 times before it! Certifiable addict.
I talked to Heather and to my Dad, which was encouraging and fun, so nice to hear the voices of those you love when you are away for so long! I freestyled on my walk to and from Bolton's as a means of gathering thoughts for my tentatively titled "The Story In And Of A Notebook [small-world-view]" and am making progress! Spent the afternoon reading writing ehich pleased me thoroughly!
Alexa came back to Steve's and we hopped on a bus to go to Cafe Coco's open mic, where Steve also organized a couch surfing meet up! Cafe Coco (poorly pictured from the outside below) seems to be inside a house, which was restructured as a cafe/bar/music venue/restaurant... Very charming place with all sorts of quirky rooms decor and small rooms for studying and such! We met several couch surfing hosts and travelers, all of whom were respectful and interesting, John, Sebastian a bassist from Argentina, his girlfriend Dana from Europe and several others that I had nice conversations with! I got a cookie that was the size of my face and a caramel/creamy vanilla coffee called "The Adrenaline Rush" that had four shots of espresso in it! Dangerously delicious! (Insert "Rapid Enrapture" quote For those dedicated AllOne & The Room fans!)
The open mic started up so we got in line and immediately the character in the room was different and more varies than the previous two nights! As the charitable and professional host and sound man Cody, who I later befriended read off a list of abot a dozen open mic rules and stipulations, my excitement shrunk. One rule, two songs or less, another rule, no tracks, and a third rule... NO POETRY. Alexa and Steve fought my discouragement like true friends and I agreed to split a slot with Steve (picture below) as we decided he would do some improv back ups on guitar as I decided my beatbox-Harmonica fable "It Always Pays" would take the stage!
Many of the performers were very good and original and nice people! Most notably, Aarodynamics, a very tight funky multi instrumentalist loop pedal song builder! Jennifer, with nice song writing and a beautiful voice and fun crowd interaction! Alexa played two songs from her forthcoming album, one I had never heard her perform called "Two Tusks" A song about salt in mammoths!
Steve did a risky song about a town he used to live in called "Everyone here plays acoustic electric guitar" back when John Mayer was hugely influential and he went to open mics over saturated with that, it was relevant and edgy and joked on a lot of the culture that we were surrounded by the past two nights and it was hilarious! That got increasingly awkward for him socially as more acoustic electric performers took the stage! My performance was odd and off kilter but on point (which in my best days describes my entire musical journey I suppose!) Steve backed me up interestingly and successfully by the end of it and people seemed to really dig it! Luckily Cody the host enjoyed my work and didn't find it too against the rules or disagreeable!
There was a rapper/poet who performed over a guitar player who called himself "Aspartame Kills" who was enjoyable and also a singer who really entranced me Shannon who sang a ghastly story with a haunting voice and performed guitar very intensely!
We met a lot if really supportive friends in the audience, both the couch-surfers and other musicians and spectators as well! People who had advice of where to go if we come back, while encouraging us to do so! Our performances were recorded so expect an odd video of my performance soon as I get that in my email! I met a really nice guy named Ross who tours and records with a group called Last Of The Horsemen, making what he calls "doom rap". We did a CD exchange and swapped info to help each other out on future trips!
Since Steve rode his bike from home, and we had stayed later than the buses ran, we ended up getting a ride from a really enthusiastic and jovial physicians assistant named Shaun! It was very kind of him to offer the ride and be was really supportive about our musical journey! We said goodnight and felt good and that this was what we came to Nashville Hopi g to see, the last night being a great success, we exchange stories and laughs and CDs with Steve, said good night and thanked him profusely, another great friend made! Went to sleep!
All in all, despite what might seem like some harsh critiques or opinions of my experience in Nashville I am definitely glad I came and got to experience the culture. It is always a learning experience to be in a place unfamiliar to you... and the struggle to adapt is just the necessary process of evolution as a person , thank you for challenging me Nashville!
Today we are hopping on an right hour bus ride to Indianapolis! Built largely by the Vonnegut family!
And so it goes,
-AllOne
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