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 146th epic edition of East Side Storytellin’! Like the 145, I repeat … 145, 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’ 146. Let us begin, again.
The first featured artistof the night is first learned the language of poems the way a lot of people learn a foreign language … he fell in love with someone who spoke the foreign language. The relationship is no more, but his love for and proficiency for putting out poetry is still strong and here. After this guy came to his first poetry reading ever at The Post East to hear his fellow songwriting friend read at East Side Storytellin’ by the name of Marla Faith, he became inspired to write, read, and perform his own. After he secured a reoccurring songwriter show at Belcourt Taps, named “Love, Loss, and Liberation,” it made sense for that to be the title of his first poetry collection. A lifelong Buddhist and a hopeless romantic, I’m talking about the down-to-Earth, always calm and grounded, Paul Felton.
Paul was, as always, calm and collected as he approached the live mic. He followed my introduction to the show with his own introduction of his poetry and discovering East Side Storytellin’. He, point blank, said, “I don’t know how I got here.” That was the first of many connected phrases that pulled the audience right in. Do any of us really know how we got to the present moment? Regardless, Paul recapped his own progress of attending one of our shows a few months ago, introducing himself to me after it, asking if he could possibly share his poetry at some point, and then immediately receiving an email from me asking about this particular date. He mentioned that I didn’t know his material so it must have been a booking by his demeanor. After hearing this, and then hearing him read his amazing work about love and life in such a voice that was calm and grounded and comforting, I leaned over and told Tom that I had booked him because of his aura and that the world needs more art and people speaking how and about the things that Paul writes and shares, online and in person. So good on you, Paul, for stepping out of your comfort zone and pushing the personal boundaries for your and the community’s growth.
Paul then dove into poem after poem in a chronological order of when he wrote them and how they are published in his wonderful book that each of you should go buy on Amazon or in person when Paul reads again. The way Paul writes is a dreamscape of personal vignettes that is both pleasant and productive to digest. For me, each vignette was a beautiful kaleidoscope of colors, bodies, energy, souls colliding and then bouncing in different directions at a slow motion speed, and so many other things. I would describe the reading and the material as if I was watching a brilliant independent movie that takes place in older times along a river in Paris, France in English subtitles.
And then there is the actual plot and story arc of this great book. I’ve recently had several friends go through break-ups that are devastating to them but also opportunities for great personal growth and positivity all around. This book, and show recording, will be shared with those friends soon. There is more hope than failure relayed in Paul’s words, “We have gone as far as we can go.” The book is an arc of a relationship that started with a big bang of a beginning, cultivated new creations and ideas in the middle, revealed innocence and raw heartache in the end, but also gave glimpses of a beautiful future. What more can you ask of anything, really?
Our featured music of the night was also introduced to me at an East Side Storytellin’ via our talented mutual friend Jesse Correll. She, not Jesse, is a native of Louisiana who now calls Nashville home. She is an Americana indie rock musician with a story to tell that often leaves listeners wanting more … more connection, more home, more desire, and more of everything good in life really. Her most recent full-length album titled Loose Hand returned this songstress back to more of the raw and honest sound that she has been known for for years. Influenced by dance halls, street jazz, and sticky Summer bluegrass sounds of Cajun country, if you also like themes that speak to falling in love, reclaiming old truths, and the pain of letting go, this is your artist for now. Her music has been featured in movies such as “The Shelter” and “We Made This Movie,” and she is the lead singer for the piano and electric guitar driven band by the name Fawn Larson & the Fringe, spoiler alert … we are featuring Fawn Larson!
Fawn told the crowd that this was the first time she’s played in quite awhile. You could sense it was like an athlete who was testing the waters after not swimming for some time. She didn’t need training wheels, but she needed to make sure the bike was still her bike. Before Fawn his the first chorus, she was on a roll and in her groove. She kicked her set off with a song about her home state of Louisiana, also addressing the big question of how she got to the present moment and wondering where she is exactly, but she was amazing and never looked back.
Fawn has a voice as rich as Tennessee farm soil and as deep as the Cumberland River with flashes of angelic neon lights resembling Broadway. She sang songs about living holograms, when people are there but not really there, fantastic answers to fantastical writing prompts involving arsonists (another shout out to Jesse), and showing flashes of times when she woke up in the middle of the night in the dark and in full-on life panic mode. Point being, she writes about things we all relate to, but she sings it in ways that is all her own. Some of the sad songs sound happy while some of the happy songs sound melancholy and sad. Basically, she has a lot of substance to every storyline that has a brilliant surface to hear. She finished her set with a beautiful tale about the sea. It is a happy song, and it was a happy ending to her wonderful come back of sorts set. 2019 is gonna be a good one for Fawn.
After the music faded, I once again had the chance to talk real talk with both Fawn and Paul. Their conversations and tone were the same as their art. It was calm, steady, inviting, glowing, and encouraging to all listening. They are who you think they are. They are good people. And on top of learning about Paul and his meditational Buddhism groups, I found out that Fawn is an expert at making and catering some of the most delicious cheesecakes you’ll find in the tri-state area. Don’t believe me? See this link, and order yours today! Here is the link for her Sweet Cheeses Bakery – www.sweetcheesesbakery.com
It really doesn’t get much sweeter than that and the duo of Paul and Fawn performing and sharing the stage together on a Winter night that feels like Miami in the early spring. It was, like Fawn’s cheesecakes, perfect, and I feel better for experiencing this show with them.
So here is the full set and then some, edited recording of East Side Storytellin’ 146. It took place at The Post East on Tuesday, February 5, 2019, and featured the amazing talented Tom duo of Paul Felton and Fawn Larson. Do yourself a favor and listen to it and share it over and over again, and then go and order a few of the cheesecakes from Fawn’s Sweet Cheeses!
Before I say goodbye for this round of fun, I’d like to give a big round of thanks for Paul and Fawn for sharing their stories, talents, and time with us.
You can listen to more of Fawn’s music here – www.fawnlarson.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’ 147
Tuesday, Febrary 19
at The Post (1701 Fatherland Street) at 7pm
reading- Randy Fox
singing- LadyCouch
That said, that’s all for East Side Storytellin’ 146 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