Thank YOU, thank YOU, thank YOU. Hello Again! Welcome to another wonderful collaboration between East Side Story and The Post. Let me be the first to officially, whole-heartedly welcome you to the recap and recording of the 133rd epic edition of East Side Storytellin’! Like the 132, I repeat … 132, 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 the recap and recording of East Side Storytellin’ 133. Let us begin, again.
The first featured artist of the night is someone who was born in Florence, Alabama (Roll Tide!), and has been performing pretty much since birth as a singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist musician, bandleader, comedian, impressionist, actor, motivational keynote speaker, master of ceremonies (emcee), and everything else but the kitchen sink. He is featured tonight because he is also a published author. He has performed at The Ryman, LA’s Comedy Store, Las Vegas Hilton, Disney Cruise Lines, alongside stars like Kenny Loggins, Huey Lewis, Jay Leno, and Kevin Hart. Tonight, he is spending time with me at The Post East. I know he’s just as excited and honored as we are. Please join me in giving a big round of applause for the very talented, Gary Jenkins!
Gary, being the constant self-deprecating comedian that he is, gave off the impression that he hasn’t done anything with his art up to this point in his life other than stuff that made others laugh and him some money to pay his bills, but the truth is that he has paid several lifetimes worth of dues to date and has worked alongside some great artists and has created some great art and memories along his own way. His energy is often frantic to overcome his fears and insecurities (the same fears and insecurities we all have all the time), but once he hits his groove and locks into his audience, there is not a finer rollercoaster to experience. This specific night and set wasn’t going to be anything other than great. I really do think that once Gary started his first original piece, a poignant metaphor for a night drive beside a night train, he found his tracks. Then he caught himself, urging the audience to follow along his own ode to love and being present in the moment. You can see that moment in the picture below. All you need to know as a reader of this blog is that the audience did indeed follow along and jump on his bandwagon for the rest of the set.
Gary was sharing some fictional writing based on real life experiences. I told him after the set that a few of his first pieces resembled speeches that I’ve heard from the great Ram Dass spiritual guru. Gary ask powerful questions to himself like Can I love myself? and Does anything matter more than love? … to name a few. After he got off his love train, Gary dove into the psychoanalysis of momeries (like memories, but a closer examination of his stories of growing up with a mother who dealt with the mental illness cards the best way she could). Gary even mentioned Elvis Christmas songs while singing some classics from The Platters. Not only did he mention the Christmas songs, he then finished his set with the most epic creative resume I’ve ever heard. I could’ve listened to Gary go down his list of jobs for days as he appropriately titled his list Elvis, Sherpa, and a Mounty. And when I say it is the most epic resume I’ve ever heard from anyone, I mean it. And the beautiful thing is is that Gary feels like he’s just getting started. He should be as proud of his journey so far as we are entertained by it and him. And to that, Gary bid us a humble ado with peace and love and everything nice.
Our featured music of the night is someone who I was connected with because of our mutual friend, the great human and talented singer songwriter by the name of Jesse Correll. Jesse said this guy is on par if not better in both cases. Being that he is the featured musician of this show, you may have already guessed it that he writes songs. You may not know that some of his songs have been recorded by the likes of Guy Clark and Nanci Griffith, among others. A native of the Chicago area, now calls Nashville home. In his musical career to date, he has collaborated with such greats as Art Garfunkel, Peter, Paul, and Mary, and Garth Brooks too. Like our featured author of the night, this guy has been there and done pretty much everything one could dream of. Alongside his dear and very talented friend Melissa Greener, it was time for the one and only Buddy Mondlock!
Buddy might be one of the nicest and most humble musicians with a huge resume and track record (pun intended) who I’ve ever met. Even his soft voice, singing and speaking, invites any listener within earshot to really feel comfortable with whatever Buddy is saying/singing. He opened his set telling us backstories about the tracks he would play, similar to a fun house show but also taking us to other islands and countries he had visited and had written most of these gems with other friends, some of them you know very well. His soft voice allowed his lyrics to float in the air to wherever you wanted to go with them. Melissa, a solid harmony in her own right, seemed to carefully jump in and out of the songs where she thought her gifts were best needed and useful to the overall message, jumping in and out with expert coordination and feel for the moment like a young girl getting herself safely in and out of a double dutch jump rope competition without shoes on a street corner in a busy city. Seriously, the way these two artists moved around Buddy’s songs was like watching a beautiful dance that you feel like you’ve heard and seen before.
After Buddy brought us back from a story and song from Rome, I was entranced by his story about life leaving us with crooked scars. After the chaotic week or two that I know I endured, as well as reflecting on the past month many of my friends had had with various forms of crises, it was beyond refreshing to hear someone reflect in music my exact feelings. Just like Buddy, I’m not as mad at the fact of getting scars at all, because I know they leave reminders of big experiences with life that are each my own and also reminders of strength to endure such moments, but it was really nice to hear someone else tell you that most scars aren’t clean. Nobody gets out of this life with clean scars. That said, we are better for feeling the pain and sharing it with others to help them along their own stories. And speaking of beautiful stories and life meaning, the song Poetic Justice damn near made me cry, thinking of my roles and emotions in said recent times as a King and what happened around my castle. Not saying this show or Buddy’s songs were about me, I’m just trying to say that each of these shows seem to hit me with exactly what I need to hear and learn from in my life at just the right times and this Tuesday night show and set was remarkably on point. But trust me, I was not alone in thinking this. Just ask Chance Chambers the next time you see him how good this show was and relevant to his life.
But, in the end, Buddy kept the entire crowd and atmosphere in the clouds in the best of ways. His songs, following up the zen-like adventures that Gary shared in the opening, reminded everyone that we shouldn’t get stuck in the mundane or the pain of living this incarnation, these struggles, and all the while trying to find the purpose to our long and winding roads. Sometimes it’s just nice to take a deep breath, exhale calmly and slowly, and tell yourself how lucky each of us are to be able to have the chance to even be alive, feel everything we can, have the ability to reflect and experience, and basically do this crazy thing side by side with one another. None of us are alone in this gig.
If you take the time to listen to the recording of the show below, it won’t take you long to listen to the honesty and absolute gems of advice that both Gary and Buddy lay down for any aspiring or experienced artist to learn from and apply to their lives. Not only will you find these little treasures to add to your growing collection, but you’ll also see a deeper insight and appreciation to the process of the fears and insecurities and strength behind any artist doing their best with the great unknown they have been presented with at a young age. This is the life that chose them as much as they chose it. There’s a beautiful element beyond words that is in that concept and way of life. Point being, I’m very honored to know these artists and now call them friends. Do yourself a favor and listen to their words and songs below. You’ll thank me soon enough.
So here it is, the edited recording of East Side Storytellin’ 133, the night that Gary Jenkins and Buddy Monlock (with Melissa Greener) brought out nothing but the truth, love, and light that they’ve collected and experienced to date on their amazing creative adventures in this life. They have both come so far and yet are both only at the beginning of their stories with so much more to learn, live, and give. This recording was made at The Post East on Tuesday, July 3, 2018. Please enjoy it and share with everyone you know, over and over again. Thank you for your time.
Before I say goodbye for this round of fun, I’d like to give a big round of thanks for Gary & Buddy and Melissa for sharing their stories, talents, and time with us.
You can read more about Gary’s work here- www.garyjenkins.net
You can listen to more of Buddy’s music here – buddymondlock.com
You can find Melissa Greener’s music here – melissagreener.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.
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.
Our next show will be
East Side Storytellin’ 134
Tuesday, July 17th
at The Post (1701 Fatherland Street) at 7pm
reading- Christy Lynch
singing- Madeleine Besson
That said, that’s all for East Side Storytellin’ 133 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. I repeat, please remember to be nice to one another out there. Thank you and goodnight.
Much love,
mE