Thank YOU for visiting this page, hello, and welcome to another fun edition of East Side Storytellin’. You have found yourself smack dab in a reflection of a big celebration for quite the milestone. This is our 50th show. I repeat. This is our 50th show! Just 50 more until 100 and possible syndication, and 49 more than our first show, if my math is right, right? Either way you look at it, welcome to the 50th episode. Like the 49 previous shows we’ve put together from East Side Story, we’ve all arrived at this spot, here and now, to get y’all cultured up just right in the form of a Nashville writer reading from original prose, followed by an amazing local musician performing and talking about their original music, and then a round-up creative conversation with all featured guests of this event to talk about their individual journeys and personal ties to Nashville. Without further ado, this is the recap and recording for East Side Storytellin’ 50. Let us begin, again.
The first featured guest of this evening was someone who has written about popular music for more than a dozen outlets- including American Songwriter, Relix, Nashville Public Radio, the Nashville Scene, Paste, No Depression, and more than six others. In a town flooded by talented songwriters, this lady is someone that bridges the stories of the singers and the people they are when not performing behind the microphone to the fans and everyone listening to appreciate the entire picture surrounding the music industry and why it is still so special for this town and in general. Born in North Carolina and raised in Florida, she earned a master’s degree from Vanderbilt Divinity School. So, basically, you would be correct in thinking that this lady puts a lot of soul and southern goodness into all of her prose when she’s writing about music, the meaning of things, and pretty much anything she sets her heart on penning. Author of her debut book, “Right by Her Roots: Americana Women and Their Songs” (of which you can purchase over at East Side Story whenever you fancy) I was thrilled to finally get this writer on the show and to introduce the always awesome Miss Jewly Hight.
Jewly took to the stage in some killer pink boots and a copy of her book and other writings. She thanked the crowd and dove right into reading from the ending of her first book. She read from a portion that wonderfully explained the core of the stories hat made up the “Roots” project. The next excerpt, with her book aside, came from a story that Jewly wrote and was featured in an issue of Oxford American last year. Oddly enough, and coincidentally without probably know about the events at Mad Donna’s after the conclusion of our show, it was about Drag Queens and music and parties. I know that Tom and I weren’t the only ones in the crowd who took delight in the theme amidst our surroundings. Needless to say, it was perfect and fitting beyond words.
Jewly finished her reading by sharing bits and pieces from an interview that she did with the featured musician of the night in a prior gig. It was a perfect introduction to the musical portion of the show and surreal, at the same time, for me knowing that we would have an interview sandwich of sorts for the evening for a fun change to the usual format. Either way, Jewly was as thoughtful and insightful delivering her exquisite prose as her writing itself. I’m a big fan of her writing and you should too. Come to the store and buy her book, for starters … like NOW!
Now, back to the show, the featured music of the night kept the blue streak alive. The second featured artist in a row who was born in my own bluegrass state of Kentucky, this girl made her grand debut in a place called Beauty, Kentucky (I had to look it up on a map too). She’d like for you to know that she is a direct descendent of the original feuding McCoys, a graduate of both the school of hard knocks and college, a former cashier at both Wal-Mart and Winn-Dixie, and is also known from time to time as a member of the Platinum-selling group Pistol Annies (alongside Miranda Lambert and Ashley Monroe). Hot off her recent release of her much-anticipated debut album, called “American Middle Class,” everyone erupted in applause for the one, the only, Angaleena Presley.
Angaleena jumped right into the role she says is what she was born to do, singer-songwriter extraordinaire. She also went on to say that she feels she was born to write songs and perform them because she isn’t good at anything else, but nobody believed her on that note. That said, it was quite refreshing for everyone to here Angaleena go into great introspective depth for each song and really share the details, the personal backstory details at that, for every song she sang.
When she talked about her lovely hometown of Beauty, not to be confused with the lovely town of Lovely, KY, I was totally blown away with the description details and wordsmithing she angled for some of the unique lyrics of “Dry County Blues.” It was the first time in my life that I had ever heard the term “pillbilly,” but I understood exactly what she was relaying. That’s one of the best things, one best thing of many, about Angaleena and how she performed (as she always does, how Jewly later told me too). She paints a perfect picture of where she came from and how she grew up (not only detailing the location, setting, and specific characters, but also how she perceived everything as it happened), but the way she sings from her heart with immense skill and heart is easily felt by anyone listening with a heartbeat (even the drunk sailor in the background, aka Captain Morgan, of whom you can hear in the recording a time or two showing his love and Angaleena giving some right back). I’m telling you, it was an all-around, storytelling’ session like few others. My words can’t fully justify what everyone there witnessed. It was that special.
After Angaleena sang her fair share of songs, including one from the days of the Pistol Annies, I was fortunate yet again to have the featured guests join me on stage for a quick Q & A. As you can listen below in the link of the show, it turned into quite the contest to see who could answer each question with the most entertainment value and honesty (or two shades of to the left of honesty in some cases to make the story just that much better of an answer in an attempt to win that round). Basically, Mark Twain would have been proud and thoroughly enjoyed the charisma and character and content that both of our featured guests of East Side Storytellin’ 50 provided to everyone for a very special night.
With all of these words above us, I’d now like to present to you the golden opportunity to listen to the edited version of East Side Storytellin’ 50. You can listen to it countless times by just re-clicking it, over and over, and you can share it with as many people on and off-line as humanly possible. In fact, why don’t you share it with as many people as you can and let me know how many humanly possible is. There might be a prize for the winner. Either way, enjoy this prized link right here and now:
Before I say goodbye for this round of fun, I’d like to give a big round of thanks for Jewly Hight and Angaleena Presley for sharing their stories, talents, and time with us.
You can read more from Jewly Hight here – www.twitter.com/rightbyherroots
You can listen to more from Angaleena Presley here – http://www.angaleenapresley.com
I’d also like to show much love to Clay Brunton for the beautiful artwork for the prints made by Kevin Anthuis at 5 Points Digital Imaging (http://5pdi.com) to celebrate tonight’s show.
I’ll keep the gratitude going for Tom Eizonas, Otis James for my wicked cool hat, my lovely wife and most talented artist in Emily Harper Beard (efharper), and everyone that came out live to support the show … and to everyone who has helped continue to spread the word and support the show online afterwards.
You can listen to this show, edited, soon, alongside the previous shows too, on our website, www.eastsidestorytn.com, at our In Our Own Words Tab – see here –http://eastsidestorytn.com/in-our-own-words/
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But we are not finished.
The NEXT East Side Storytellin’ event will be …
EAST SIDE STORYTELLIN’ 51
TUESDAY, December 16th, 2014
Time- 7 pm sharp (Central)
Location- Mad Donna’s (1313 Woodland Street)-http://maddonnas.com
Need information or details about Mad Donna’s, call 615-226-1617. Otherwise, it is first come, first available seats.
Who will be featured- poet Tiana Clark (www.tianaclark.com) and music by Deli (www.facebook.com/
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That’s all for the East Side Storytellin’ 50 show. I repeat. That’s it for East Side Storytellin’ 50! Thanks for coming out and sharing the good word. Remember to be nice to one another out there. Thanks and good day your way.
Much love,
mE