Thank YOU, thank YOU, thank YOU. Hello Again! Welcome to another epic collaboration with East Side Story and The Post. Let me be the first to officially, whole-heartedly welcome you to the recap and recording of the 63rd spectacular edition of East Side Storytellin’! Like the 62 previous shows East Side Story has put together, we all decided to take a break from our busy schedules all over town in order to sit back and relax and get everyone 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, fulfilling the entertainment portion of your day, this is everything we did for East Side Storytellin’ 63. Let us begin, again.
The first featured guest of the night is a long-standing and well-respected Nashville journalist turned into successful novelist. A veteran sports writer and copy editor who covered a wide variety of events ranging from Nashville universities to boxing, from Iroquois Memorial Steeplechase to the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, he also wrote a number of entertainment features for The Tennessean as well. After retiring from the newspaper, he has continued to contribute freelance articles for several news outlets. He had a fiction short story published in the 2012 Civil War anthology “Filtered Through Time”- alongside East Side Storytellin’ 62 alumnus Amy E. Hall, and he also contributed an interview to the 1989 collection “Feast of Fear: Conversations With Stephen King.” The native North Carolinian and MTSU graduate has called Nashville home for quite some time now and he’s even doing his part to help keep the hit ABC series Nashville stick around with his repeat performances as a background character or extra. That said, his first novel is called Vendetta Stone and is sold at East Side Story. It was a privilege to introduce the likes of Mr. Tom Wood.
Tom was dressed to impress and ready as ever to reveal stories behind his wonderful tale about his fictional protagonist Jackson Stone. I loved how Tom weaved the true backstory from his reporting days and the fateful job he did at the 1996 Olympics just after the bomb exploded and sent the entire ordeal into security overdrive with that of how Vendetta Stone originated. It was refreshing to hear such honesty and an open-minded vision that took place in order to first launch the first ideas and lines that would eventually find its way into novel form for Tom. Beyond describing his writing process, it was nice to hear someone connect history that we could all relate to and think about where we were when that happened and how that affected our own lives and then see and hear what Tom had created from his experience.
Tom jumped into several portions of the book at a casual speed. He started with the beginnings of story to set up the main character and plot of the novel, and then he ventured into a section of the book that delved into the East Nashville community where Tom used to call home. Overall, it was a superb telling of his novel and a great appetizer for those who want to finish the entire book later. Job well done, Tom!
And then it was time for the music. The featured musician of the night is an artist based in Nashville but originated in California. Yet again, I was suggested to contact another wonderful artist by our mutual friend and music man, Gary Branigan from Palaver Records. He has yet to fail me by always introducing me to outstanding Nashville talent that is worthy of the bright lights and billboards. Fresh off of the release of his first full length album by the title “Lord Have Mercy,” I was honored to introduce yet another Nashville destined for great things ahead in the man Ian Johnson.
Ian, much like Lauren Farrah from the previous show, dove right into the sadder songs of his catalogue and warned us so before the first note. Again, the honesty and sincerity in the words, notes, and performance from someone as talented as Ian was exactly what I and all of the rest of the people in the crowd needed on this particular Tuesday night to make a good week even better. Ian proclaimed some pretty deep, rad thoughts such as “Give my heart back to me” and “the truth” in his original tunes that moved us all to our core. He finished his set with something called “Be Home Again” and it took us home for the night just right.
Before we called it quits for this show, I had Tom and Ian join me for a candid conversation about their personal journeys with creativity and Nashville in general. They were both as open and honest as their art had preceded them up to that point of the night. Everything was just so chill, from the crowd to the artists to the weather outside, that it felt very dream-like all around.
It’s funny to me that because we have done so many of these shows with so many good-hearted people on stage and in the crowd that I tend to forget that not every show is like East Side Story. Ian took a moment during his set to thank the crowd for being so attentive because he wasn’t used to people actually not talking over his music, but it goes beyond that too. I always feel as though I’m getting the very best show in Nashville or anywhere for that matter when these talented folks showcase their material on East Side Storytellin’. It’s like they cut themselves after their introductions and then they open up to the crowd with their amazing stories more than they have before or since they first created the work and we as a supportive crowd get to appreciate all of the love shared. I could be sappy here and ramble on for days, but I just want to make note that I am so very thankful for everyone involved with these shows.
So, here it is … the recording (edited) of East Side Storytellin’ 63 featuring Tom Wood and Ian Johnson at The Post on Tuesday, July 21st, 2015. Feel free to enjoy and share with everyone you know over and over until the cows come home and then one more to grow on:
Before I say goodbye for this round of fun, I’d like to give a big round of thanks for Tom Wood and Ian Johnson for sharing their stories, talents, and time with us.
You can read more about Tom’s writing here- http://tomwoodauthor.com
You can listen to more of Ian’s music here- http://ianjohnsonmusic.com
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 – www.eastsidestorytn.com/in-our-own-words
I’d also like to show much love to Clay Brunton for the beautiful artwork online to promote the show.
I’ll keep the gratitude going for Tom Eizonas, 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.
Last, but certainly not least, I’d like to give one last shout out to Tonya and Chris for making The Post so welcoming and positively life-changing for the East Nashville community at large.
The NEXT East Side Storytellin’ event will be …
East Side Storytellin’ 64
Tuesday, August 4
7pm at The Post (1701 Fatherland Street)
Reading- Amanda Gayle Oliver (www.anythingbutsilent.wordpress.com)
Singing- Caroline Spence (www.carolinespencemusic.com)
That said- that’s all for East Side Storytellin’ 63 and another fabulous event at The Post with East Side Story at the helm. Thanks for coming out and sharing the good word and giving some love to all of these great Nashville artists and our creative ideas. Please remember to be nice to one another out there.
much love,
mE
One reply on “East Side Storytellin’ 63: the night the Lord Had mercy with Vendetta Stone”
How very neat. I wish I’d gone. I liked seeing Tom Woods up there. Read his book. I dropped by one day on a lunch break from work and loved the little shop. I bought a J.T. Ellison book (I’d already had read Tom Wood’s thriller). I noticed as I was leaving that Nashville tourists were starting to come in.