Where Do All the Shadow People Go? Nashville.

Just took a weekend trip to Nashville, the proclaimed "Music Capital of the World," and it lived up to the hype.  The history is unprecedented as legends, heroes, and ghosts await around every corner.  Because of its country music heritage and it's location in the foothills of the Smokey Mountains, Nashville has the feel of an Old West town. On the first night, we hit up the bars on Broadway (Tootsie's, Second Fiddle, Paradise Park, etc.) and it was a great way to start the trip.  This is the strip where everyone from out of town goes (if I lived there, I would probably end up avoiding it, much like locals in Chicago know to avoid Wrigleyville at certain times). Drinks were stiff, short, and prices were what I expected. I had heard the live music really is incredible on that row, and it was. Every bar featured a different live country, rock, and/or rockabilly band that was top notch. Great times up and down that strip.

Saturday was the real history lesson though. We took a tour of the Ryman Auditorium that was one of the highlights of the trip. Originally a church, it was converted to a music hall with the Grand Old Opry in 1943, and since has been referred to as the "Mother Church of Country Music." I have seen footage of Wilco, Neil Young, Johnny Cash (the Johnny Cash television show was filmed here), and more at the Ryman, and the tour brought it all home. We went with the upgrade to get the backstage guided tour and it was well worth it. You definitely get a better sense of the history back there. From Ryman building it in the 1800's (a story in of itself), to the Opry taking it over from 1943-1974.  Standing in the dressing rooms (each room is named after a country legend), where everyone from Hank Williams to Neil Young to Arcade Fire have stood, adds a lot of weight to the experience, even for the casual country fan. Here's the view from backstage, where countless stars have waited in the wings to rock the Ryman (every seat in the house are the original church pews from the building's inception):

My only regret was not being able to see a show at the Ryman.  I will be making a trip back soon.  Already this year's lineup boasts the likes of: Bright Eyes, Social Distortion, Fleet Foxes, and Interpol.  It's one of the few places where music and musicians are given the reverence they deserve, a true holy land for musicians.

Later that day, we hit up Jack White's Third Man Records HQ and did a quick tour of the Country Music Hall of Fame. Third Man rests in a small warehouse in a dingy part of town.  It's a tiny shop, but worth the stop just to see all of the White Stripes memorabilia (R.I.P.).  At the Hall of Fame, the "Family Tradition: The Williams Family" exhibit, which chronicles the history of the famous country family of Hank Williams and beyond (badass Hank Jr. a.k.a. Bocephus, Hank III, Jett Williams) was of particular interest. I grew up on Bocephus, and have always had a tender appreciation for the original country artists like Hank Sr., so this exhibit was incredible to see.

The plaques of the members of the Country Music Hall of Fame were also a great part of the experience, although I was a bit shocked to find that Vince Gill IS a HOF'er and Garth Brooks and Reba McIntyre are NOT.  Really CMHOF?  Eh...what do I know...back to rock and roll...

We closed out the trip Saturday night with an epic Dr. Dog show at the Cannery Ballroom. Openers "The Head and the Heart" were incredible (thanks for the tip Corey), and Dog was in classic form, rocking hard with tighter harmonies than ever. Also, for the first time in about Dog 7 shows, I got to see them play their cover version of Architecture in Helsinki's "Heart it Races," which really set the night off (not that "Shadow People" didn't).





Dr. Dog-Heart it Races



It seems the more produced Dog's albums become, the less I really cling to them. I like their new ones a lot, but the just don't resonate the way earlier, more raw, albums still do. Their live show, however, just keeps getting better. There are a lot of bands that are twice as good live as they are in the studio, but Dr. Dog is 100 times better LIVE. I'm not sure I've moved more at a concert in the last year. I simply wish they captured more of this live, raw energy in the studio. My Morning Jacket, in preparing their new album, have proclaimed a more live approach in the studio recording than they used on their previous, somewhat disappointing effort, Evil Urges, which gets me real excited. Hopefully Dr. Dog follows suit. Unpolished, noisy, and rocking is when the Dog are at their best.  Here's an excellent video from Dr. Dog from their latest release, Shame Shame, titled "Shadow People."  I was checking out the vinyl the other day and just realized that Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys is given a co-writing credit for this song.  Makes sense.  The video reminds me of the Big Lebowski, but in a roller rink (a great one to run to, by the way):




We'll get back to running this week. Blizzards and vacations thwarted my efforts last week. Lots of new music to test drive though. Hit that follow button up at the top left. Already following? Tell a friend. It won't hurt one bit. It's cold out there, but as Olympic great Jessie Owens said:

"I always loved running...it was something you could do by yourself, and under your own power. You could go in any direction, fast or slow as you wanted, fighting the wind if you felt like it, seeking out new sights just on the strength of your feet and the courage of your lungs."

Go Do.