On Tuesday, December 4th, at 7pm, I was privy to a front seat and Beard’s eye view of the 3rd ever East Side Storytellin’ at Rumours East. I had spent the previous 30 minutes prepping for the show and by prepping I mean I met and held baby Isaac Mead for the first time. I had been quite excited (understatement of the year so far)for some time for this show ever since I first heard back from both David Mead and Bill Friskics-Warren agreeing to be featured guests in this ever-growing idea turned amazing reality.
To put it lightly, Bill Friskics-Warren and David Mead are not only talented in their respected creative fields, I believe (and am not alone in thinking this) that they are brilliant at what they do. They both tell the most wonderful stories with words and craft them in ways that make you feel smarter, feel better, and feel more for life in general than you did before you read or heard them. If that’s not the work of geniuses then I beg to ask what you think it is that geniuses do anyways.
It was about 7pm when I took the stage and introduced Bill and his book. His most recently published book, “I’l Take You There: Pop Music and the Urge for Transcendence,” is a work of art. As I mentioned on December 4th, if the book “High Fidelity” and anything that Chuck Klosterman has written has given me a solid undergraduate foundation of pop culture/music in terms of sociology and my world, I believe Bill and his book would make the ultimate master’s class in philosophy and religion in the same field. Yes, it is that good.
Bill took the stage and began his class while all his students were at full attention. He laid out the points that he had come up with in terms of his book and lesson plan of how pop music and several pop musicians we all know have attempted to give everyone music to take us higher. I’ll let the radio show link below let Bill speak for himself but I can say, as an attentive audience member, that I could have listened to him speak about his thoughts and original ideas all night long. It was like a class you never wanted to hear the bell ring. And just when we all started to get on the same word of the same sentence of the same page in sync with Bill, he was finished for the night … just like that.
Not to be out humbled, David Mead took the stage and kicked off the music like only Mr. Mead can. Soft-spoken, he deflected attention and praise to Bill and his transcendent concepts and book before jumping heart first into one of his original songs. The stories flowed in between the songs, but the songs themselves felt effortless. That’s when you know any athlete, actor, musician, and anyone is truly amazing … when they make something so obviously difficult look so easy, they make it look like they aren’t even trying and at the same time it comes off as something obviously extraordinary. Just as I and everyone in attendance could have easily sat around all night by the Rumours East fireside and listened to Bill Friskics-Warren speak about music and Nashville in general all night long, we could have collectively done the same for David Mead’s live music. If you’ve never heard him perform live, you are missing out. Hopefully the radio link below will give you enough of a clue that you need to see him the next time he plays close by AND also that you should click on the nearest link to visit David’s website at www.davidmead.com and download any and all of his albums. I’m just saying, that boy’s good!
To listen to the edited, hour-long radio show as it appeared on WAMB the following Saturday after the live event at 2pm, click the link below this line:
https://soundcloud.com/eastsidestorytn/sets/east-side-storytellin-3-12-04
I was truly honored to have both Bill and David paired together and to casually talk with both about their time in Nashville and their distinct creative processes as I typically do with the featured guests for East Side Storytellin’. One of my favorite things about these two guests and friends, other than their creative talents of course, is the fact that they always downplay how tremendously good they both are while at the same time deflecting all praise and attention on the other. Both are worthy of immense egos, but they let their art do the talking. Maybe that is why the crowd always wants more of these two. Maybe when they both come out with their next projects, we might be lucky enough to get them back on the show and be the first repeaters in the new year. We would all be so lucky. Stay tuned.
Speaking of lucky, I’d like to write here that I am one lucky guy to have so many great people helping me out with this idea turned fun, live radio show.
Here is a list of friends I’d like to thank this go-round:
First, my wife Emily Harper Beard. I can’t say thank YOU enough!
To David Mead and his music. Wait, not just his music and stories, I’d also like to thank Liz and baby Isaac (I believe he’s already won the 2013 cutest baby boy at a live concert of his daddy award from The Scene, but I’ll keep you all posted as I know) for coming out and making the night that much more special. David, you are a remarkable singer and songwriter and asset to Music City
To the professor, oh teacher my teacher, Bill Friskics-Warren for his words and ideas. At one point in the interview you went on a small tangent about Nashville and the origin of jazz and night music clubs, and I don’t think I was alone in thinking I could have heard the rest of that story you had in mind but didn’t say out loud that possibly could have lasted for another hour or two. You are so knowledgeable and passionate about music. I can’t wait to read your next book and hear what you have to say next. You are a remarkable writer, thinker, speaker, and asset to Music City.
To Adam Binder and the Rumours East family that allow us to host and put together such a fun idea in such a unique way and house that we now call our second home. Y’all are amazing!
To Tom and Dave and the WAMB family that record and help promote the show. Without your help, nobody that misses out on the live event would ever hear what we have done. I thank you so much for helping spread our words and ideas to the masses.
To Alex Smith and Derek Sabiston for creating, printing, and delivering the most awesome limited edition prints of the show for December 4th. There are still a handful of them left and signed at East Side Story and you guys are remarkable artists and assets to both Bowling Green, KY’s budding art scene and Nashville’s world we live in. THANK YOU!
To the people that showed up, the people reading, listening, and sharing the above and below to future fans, AND to the people coming to the next show … I thank you already.
You too can join us for the 4th East Side Storytellin’ at Rumours East on Tuesday, December 18th, at 7pm to listen to national bestselling author JT Ellison read and Melissa Mathes and Bill DeMain of Crackerboots sing and tell their stories. As always, it will be amazing. All you have to do is call Rumours East and be one of the first 30 people to RSVP at 615-262-5346 … it’s FREE!