There’s Still Time to Get Your Ad in The East Nashvillian!
A quick reminder that The East Nashvillian’s March-April issue is coming up and you can still get your ad in our pages. This edition will feature guitar master (and East Nashvillian) Robben Ford, a look behind the scenes of the forthcoming documentary Invisible: Gay Women in Southern Music, An East Nashvillian on the high seas, and more! Contact sales@theeasnashvillian.com now to place your ad!
A Big Score for Cooper – Soccer Stadium Deal Announced
In a press release issued Thursday, Mayor Cooper announced an agreement with Nashville Soccer Holdings owner John Ingram on the stalled soccer stadium deal. The agreement removes the rent guarantee on the stadium intended for the new, Major League Soccer team Nashville SC, a move that Cooper says will save taxpayers up to $35 million over the next decade, along with Nashville Soccer Holdings agreeing to pay for infrastructure work around the stadium estimated to cost at least $19 million.
“This agreement allows for a better site plan, providing great civic space that connects the stadium, historic speedway, state fair and exhibition halls, and it will bring up to $650 million of investment to the Fairgrounds,” Cooper said in the statement. He also noted that work on the project should begin “in a matter of days.”
The previous stadium plan had been approved by the Metro Fair Board, Metro Council, and previous Mayor David Briley, with the demolition of the old fairgrounds buildings scheduled to begin on Oct. 1, 2019. When Mayor Cooper took office in Sept. 2019, construction plans were placed on hold over financing and site infrastructure concerns.
Nashville SC is scheduled to play its first game on Feb. 29 at Nissan Stadium. Plans call for the team to relocate to their new facility in the 2022 season.
New Traffic Light on the Way for Gallatin and Stratford
Plans for a new stoplight at the intersection of Gallatin Pike and Stratford Avenue were approved by the Metro Traffic and Parking Commission at their Feb. 10 meeting. The stoplight has been the subject of a campaign by concerned citizens and Metro District 7 Councilperson Emily Benedict for several months. The intersection has been noted as a dangerous area for pedestrians for some time, and two serious pedestrian accidents, including one death, have occurred at the intersection in the past year.
The next steps will involve a traffic study to determine the exact layout and details for the stoplight. In an interview with WRKN Channel 2 News, Councilperson Benedict expressed hope for a stoplight and designated crosswalk. The project could cost as much as $250,000 and is expected to take six months to a year to complete.
Hill Center Plans Unveiled for West Gallatin
The Hill Center Greenwood development at 1111 Gallatin Ave. which will include a new Publix grocery store and extend to the other side of Gallatin Avenue. In plans filed with Metro codes this week, an additional building, at 1110 Gallatin Ave., was announced. Located on the currently vacant lot at the corner of Gallatin and West Greenwood Avenue, the planned 6,000-square-foot commercial building will feature three retail spaces, with one designated as a possible restaurant space.
Construction on the Hill Center Greenwood began in November 2019. The 72,830-square-foot mixed-use development will be home to a Publix grocery store, Starbucks coffee shop, Chase Bank branch, and 14 new townhomes. The business and residential space is expected to open in spring 2021.
BOYS Alive! Comes to Nashville
Janet Allison, author and founder of BOYS Alive! and the ON BOYS podcast, will lead a discussion on understanding and recognizing the brilliance of boys while offering tips to parents on handling the challenges unique to boys.
Hosted by Linden Waldorf School and the LWS Parent Association, BOYS Alive! believes that better outcomes for boys mean better outcomes for girls and those who identify outside the gender binary.
The event is Thursday, Feb. 20, from 6:30-8 p.m. at 3201 Hillsboro Pike. Admission is $10, and free child care is available (for ages 4 and up) with ticket purchase. More info and tickets are available at Eventbrite.
Other Voices Debuts This Weekend
Taking inspiration from National Geographic’s The Gender Issue, Nashville Ballet Artistic Director Paul Vasterling created Other Voices by presenting choreographers with a set of four questions: What does it mean to be a man; what does it mean to be a woman; what does it mean to be both; and what does it mean to be neither? Each choreographer was encouraged to interpret the questions and expand upon them as they liked.
Indicative of the organization’s commitment to elevating new perspectives and creating new work, Nashville Ballet has also selected local musical duo (and our current cover feature artist) Louis York and composer Cristina Spinei (profiled in our 2017 Women in Music Issue) to create original compositions for Other Voices. Vasterling provided the musicians with the same set of thought-provoking questions to inform their compositions, as well as subsequent personal conversations with the choreographers. Louis York’s music will be paired with Archibald’s, Kouwe’s, and Pons Guerra’s pieces, while Neenan’s ballet will be danced to a score by Spinei.
Other Voices will premiere at TPAC’s Polk Theater Friday, Feb. 14 through Sunday, Feb. 16. For more information on tickets and schedules, please visit nashvilleballet.com/attitude-2020.
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Valentine’s Live Music Round-Up
No matter what your musical tastes, there’s a great show this weekend for you and your Valentine!
Start the evening with an early performance by the East Side’s own Queens of Noise as they celebrate the release of their new single at Third Man Records. The free, all-ages show starts at 6:30 p.m. at 623 7th Ave. S. For more info, visit the Facebook event page.
On the topic of female rockers, the sixth annual She’s A Rebel: A Girl Group Tribute Show will be bringing a full evening of songs of romance, heartbreak, and female empowerment to the Basement East tonight. As always, the show will feature some of Nashville’s best and brightest talents, and yes, you can cry if you want to. Check out the Facebook event page for all the details.
Looking for a little less raucous but still just as exciting musical evening? The Wood Brothers’ transcendent fusions of American roots music are not only some of the finest Americana music recorded today, but it’s some of the finest music, period. They’ll be rolling into the Ryman for a hometown performance that is sure to be a special evening. Visit the Ryman website for more info and tickets, and be sure to check out our feature on the Wood Brothers in the current issue.
Still need more rock for you and your honey? Check out ’90s punkers The New Bomb Turks at the Exit/In. With opening acts Nine Pound Hammer and Kings of the Fucking Sea it’s going to be a show sure to warm the punkest heart. More info on the Facebook event page.
Looking for a gift for music-loving Valentine? If your darling digs psych-rock you can’t go wrong with Ian Ferguson’s new EP JUNK, out in stores now. And while you’re at it, direct them to our feature on Ferguson from last year’s Music Issue.
Need smoother, sweeter, and more swingin’ tunes for your Valentine? Then consider Miss Tess’s new album, The Moon Is an Ashtray. And then follow it up with the official record release party at The 5 Spot on Wednesday, Feb. 19. For more info, check out the Facebook event page.
Quick Bits
- Design firm 1767 Design is moving its offices to East Nashville according to a recent story in Nashville Post. The company’s new offices will be at 2611 Gallatin Pike, in the former home of Pocket Money Recycling. Lockeland Leatherworks will share the building with 1767 Design.
- With an increasing number of new sidewalk projects on Metro’s agenda, it’s nice to know what’s currently under construction on what’s on tap for the near future. For the latest updates, check out WalknBike Nashville interactive map and for more WalknBike’s plans check out their webpage at Nashville.gov.
