Thank YOU, thank YOU, thank YOU and hello again! Welcome to another wonderful collaboration between East Side Story and The Post. Let me be the first to officially and whole-heartedly welcome you to the 80th epic edition of East Side Storytellin’! Like the 79, I repeat … 79, 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. Unlike the other 79 shows before, this was a night when I was able to plan my all-time favorite birthday show to date. That’s right, back in 1980 (see the perfect symbolism of show #80 with 1980?), I was born on this day. So without further ado, fulfilling the entertainment portion of your day, this is the recap and recording of East Side Storytellin’ 80. Let us begin, again.
Our first featured artist of the evening is truly one-of-a-kind. She was born and raised in the last bit of the Appalachian foothills in North Alabama in a town called Guntersville – which is eyeball deep in beauty and surrounded in tragic history, Roll Tide. Never a slacker, she was a double major in education and fine arts at the University of Alabama, Roll Tide, where she walked on for the tennis team. After graduating, she worked as a cave guide, suicide crisis phone counselor, photo assistant to a world famous photographer, became a professional photographer herself, turned into a respected art director, and then became a successful independent production designer for music videos, TV, and independent films. She was asked to be the featured author this particular night because she has spent a lot of her time focusing on her creative writing as of late. She writes in her tiny storefront called C. Williams Writing Studio, located within the heart of the busy shoppEEs on Fatherland. Her fiction has appeared in The Louisville Review, Motif, Appalachian Heritage, Revolution John, and Still: The Journal. She is a 3-time Pushcart Prize nominee for her short stories and she’s currently knee deep in great screenplay adapted from one of those short stories. Ladies and gentlemen, I’m talking about the one and only C. Williams!
C was a little shy before going to the podium. Although she’d been to her fair share of East Side Storytellin’ shows in the past, I agreed with her that it would be a little different to be the focus of this show compared to others. That said, I told her she was going to kill and she didn’t disappoint. She opted to share three excerpts from three different short stories within one awesome collection she is in the process of putting together. She prefaced the reading by telling the audience that the entire collection takes place around a lake, a lake with a narcissistic personality disorder nonetheless. The focus of each story is heavily character-driven and C has a unique gift of creating some of the coolest characters and worlds you’ve ever read.
C’s stories, so you can keep tabs and make notes to research them later, after you listen to the excerpts in the recording below, were titled “My Green Liquid Sky,” “Chicken Shit Pistol,” and “Wolf Boy of Alabama.” The “Chicken Shit Pistol” tale was actually already published in 2014 Appalachian Heritage, in case you can’t wait for the finished collection to seek that one out and appreciate it for all its worth. But yeah, C not only helped set the mood and knowledge behind the things she was reading so that everyone could follow her magical journey without feeling lost, she did it all in such a great way that everyone could fully enjoy the stories and her creative fiction skills as equally as C’s comfortable command as a narrator of her work off the page as well. Like I said, C has a gift. She is highly intellectual and worldly experienced and one heck of a writer, and that is a combination that we need more of in this world.
As usual, I’ll leave it to the recording below to reveal the excellent fiction that was gifted to us during the show. I find that I’d rather let you discover these stories through the author’s voice instead of my words. That said, if you are inspired by C’s stories on the page and off after reading this or listening to the recording, you should definitely give her a visit at her studio as soon as you can. It, like this show, is well worth your time and trip.
Our featured musical group of the night is a classic story about a man from Knoxville who married a woman from Nashville. I was first introduced to this amazing and loving couple by our mutual friends and East Side Storytellin’ alumnus in Carolina Story (who just so happened to be in the crowd on this special occasion). I can honestly say that this booking had been a long time coming and I couldn’t ask for better music on a birthday than this. You’re all welcome. Seriously, these guys are, in my opinion, in the running for the top acts in Nashville and the tied for the two most authentic and talented married couples in the business. This is not an act. This is their life. You may have first seen them on the inaugural season of NBC’s The Voice or from another live performance near or far. If this is your first time to hear them, you are in for a treat like the cupcakes that we had on the table for the taking during this show (and although the cupcakes were sweet, these guys were even sweeter). They always find a way to beautifully blend tender melodies, lyrical motifs, and incandescent acoustic sounds to near perfection. Again, as of the things that I take the greatest pride and joy in with these shows, I was honored beyond words to introduce the likes of Josh and Nicole Johnson. Together they are called great parents, but, more relevant to this show, they go by the name Elenowen!
Josh and Nicole didn’t waste any time, and that had nothing to do with their child and babysitter being at home. They did what they do and they are who they are … they are artists who live and breathe their songs to life in a way that wow you, inspire you, relax you, and put your entire day and life into perfect perspective with every tune they drop on you. Their words and messages and melodies are woven together in such a way that make them appear simple to digest and feel, but that is where their magic is- on top of being extremely vocally talented like few others around. They don’t try to complicate their music with their style (two beautiful souls who wear their flaws on their sleeves = on this evening, it was a denim jacket button hitting a guitar throughout a song that Nicole called Josh out on after taking care of the situation with her own two hands) or be something bigger than what they naturally are together. As their child would agree, they are perfectly paired to create and deliver the kind of messages and music and life that any parent would be proud of sharing with their children.
Can you tell I’m a big fan of these guys? Take one listen to any of the tracks below in the recording and I’m fairly certain you will be equally as impressed. They not only blew everyone in the crowd away with their harmonies and passion, but they also have a balance of wit and humor and companionship and a realness that comes off effortlessly before and during and after they play their music. Like Carolina Story, these guys need to be heard by more than Music City at the moment. I know they’ll get there, and we are proud to do our part, but I suggest that you take a good listen to their music below. Then go to their website and buy a record for yourself. Then share the link and the records with your friends to help spread the love. This is the best way to ensure that the world is a better place.
Now, before I get off my positivity pedestal for the moment because you can obviously tell that I’ve been drunk off of all of the birthday love I received surrounding this wonderful show, I would like to thank all of the guests, from the featured artists to family and friends who packed the house for this show – for the art and artists involved, for our East Side Storytellin’ tradition, or for my birthday party, you guys and gals are the best. I was so appreciative of my wife for stealing the microphone from me and having other people sing “Happy Birthday” to me before we got started. It was my favorite intro to any show we’ve done yet and I am forever grateful for the love and support and relationships involved behind and in front of the scenes this round.
But before I leave you with the recording, I’ll say one more time how great it was to have the featured guests join me in the end to casually talk about their creative processes and creative journeys with their art. Josh and Nicole shared their very personal and sometimes rocky road (speaking of settings and dungeons and reality show tv hiccups and not gossipy relationship stuff, of course) that has gotten them to where they are today and primed for a positive future going forward. And C, Cyndi in my book, I think she nailed it when she spoke about the importance of creativity in the world we live in today and how it can too often be underappreciated and undervalued towards our society and progress for humanity going forward. I paraphrased a bit, but take a listen for yourself and let me know if you agree half as much as I do with her. Point being, these guys are some of the best.
So, before I let you go, know that all of the birthday cupcakes you will hear me talk about over and over again throughout the recording have been eaten at this point. As always, you should’ve been there. Sure, this show was standing room only. But, you still should’ve been there. I hope to see you at the next one(s). Because you missed this one in person, or if you were there and just want to hear it again and share with all your friends, here is the recording of East Side Storytellin’ #80 that featured the likes of C. Williams and Elenowen at The Post on Tuesday, April 5th, 2016:
Before I say goodbye for this round of fun, I’d like to give a big round of thanks for Cyndi and Nicole and Josh for sharing their stories, talents, and time with us.
You can read more about C. Williams’ writing here- www.facebook.com/c.williamswriterstudio
You can listen to more of Elenowen’s music here – www.elenowen.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’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.
I’d also like to show much love to Clay Brunton for the beautiful artwork online to promote the show.
Also, I’d like to give a shout out to Tonya and Chris for making The Post so welcoming and positively life-changing for the East Nashville community at large.
Also, also, I want to give one giant e-hug to my parents, Roy and Mary Anne Beard, for making me happen. I could not have asked for two better human beings to call my parents.
Last, but certainly not least, I want to thank my wife again for being her but also for bringing my new best friend, Avett Otis Beard, to this world and special occasion. He has my eyes, but he has your heart. And, as you can see from the picture below, he has great taste in the people he smiles with and the music he grooves too.
Our next show will be
East Side Storytellin’ 81
Tuesday, April 19th
at The Post (1701 Fatherland Street) at 7pm
reading- James C. Floyd (http://beaboutchange.org/forgive)
singing- Jadea Kelly (www.darthjadea.com)
That said- that’s all for East Side Storytellin’ 80 and another fabulous event at The Post with East Side Story at the helm. This birthday party was so amazing and totally made up for any other planned birthday party that may or may not have been cancelled when Chuck E. Cheese’s left Bowling Green before one of my birthday parties as a child or any of the others when everyone was on spring break and not at my party (I know … woe is me, right?). 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