East Side Storytellin’ 152 – The night when two writers/musicians in Doug and Roto brought everything together just right

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 152^nd epic edition of East Side Storytellin’! Like the 151, I repeat … 151, 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’ 152. Let us begin, again.

The first featured artistof the night was/is a good man. Born and bred in Chicago, educated at DePaul and Belmont, this Nashville-based writer has had his fiction, essays, and poems published numerous times, but his first book of short stories titled Bothering the Coffee Drinkers earned an Independent Publisher Award for Best Short Fiction. Unopened, released this year, is his 3^rd book and first collection of poetry. On top of being an amazing writer, he is a talented singer-songwriter who has written, recorded, and released 8 CDs of original material on labels on both sides of the pond. On this given night, we were honored to help him celebrate his new written word. Joined by a room filled with friends and new fans alike, it wasn’t hard to encourage everyone to come together and give a big round of applause for my friend, the very talented, Doug Hoekstra.

Doug jumped right into a conversation with the crowd. He brought up the questions of the day in his head. What is writing? What is poetry? What is art? What is anything? Without giving any definitions to hold onto, Doug threw those thoughts into the air and let others float around their own feelings and take on life in the moment. It was quite an exercise that I know I want to do more often. Doug then prefaced his reading by laying out the choose your own adventure format of the sections of his new book. There are parts meant to be on the page, another off the canvas, and the final one being stuff between the notes (between the lines of reality, if you will). He let the audience voice which section to read from. They went in reverse, starting from the between the notes section.

Doug opened with a tribute to the Japanese Zen monk-poet Ryokan, and then went on to speak of original art inspired by Charles Bukowski. I instantly noted to myself that I need to read more from both of those guys, on top of more from Doug. After the first one, he let loose a sonnet based on a radiator and then jumped off the canvas into an homage to interstate 65. But the moment that stopped me in my thoughts for the second time in the set was the piece inspired by a moment we all have personal stories of seeing and experiencing, and I’m talking about the major eclipse. Whether you were at the Adventure Science Museum (under the clouds), in your backyard, napping like my son, or standing in a beautiful courtyard beside an even more beautiful wife, we were all forever changed, inside and out, from that one event more than we know. The sunlight and sun energy is different now, so it makes all the sense in the world to find yourself in awe of any creative piece inspired from said event. And then, just as he started, Doug finished strong with some pieces that included such gems (and notes that I wrote on the spot as reminders for myself) like: “Honor the moment, don’t capture it.” and “I’m never like the childhood me, except when I am.” Point being, Doug did a wonderful job of relaying his art and the stories surrounding those memories. He invokes a strong sense of family, friendship, life lessons, and togetherness that is contagious to share and go forth and live your own life like a work of art too.

Our featured music of the night is also a good man who also wears many hats. Some of those hats include being an actor, critic, journalist, but tonight he is featured as a musician. He’s the former Editor-in-Chief of Future Music Magazine, and his interviews have appeared in Spin, Rolling Stone, Guitar Player, Mojo, and The Boston Phoenix, among others. Musically, I’m recently discovering that this man is as diverse and awesome as his interview resume. He has played with Mike Patton of Faith No More in the band Mr. Bungle, and he spends a lot of time touring with John Cusimano in their New York rock band called The Cringe, among everything else he has going on all day, every day. And those two gems are just drops in the bucket for this man creatively and who he is as a person. Known around the world as a guitar ace with the nickname Roto, also joined by a lot of family and new fans, the crowd was more than ready to give a lot of love and respect by putting their hands together to enjoy the music of another one of my friends, the one, the only, James Rotondi.

James has a unique talent of performing and making a coffee shop feel as big as an arena but retain the personality and intimacy of a neighborhood home that serves coffee in the day time. That said, James was in his element and comfort zone. He thanked Doug for sharing his art, and he pledged to do his best to share his own version of awareness of art and living. James spoke about what inspires his writing, specifically diving into stories about and meanings for metaphors in some of his songs. He started with a fantastical tale about a circus clown, then switched things up with hearts in flight (with the help of writing in word clusters), and then he thanked the stars for love’s sake with a ditty called Into the Unknown. All of them were beautiful.

And speaking of beautiful, this is when one of my all-time favorite moments of the show to date happened. Playing the first song he ever wrote in his life at the age of 15, a song he used to play for his dad, James’ young son and wife sat down on the floor while James played the same song to entertain and love on his family. He actually noted that this set was probably the first public performance he had done so far for his son to date … making this entire show even more special all around. And beyond the sentimental heart strings being played, honestly and filling the entire room and show with the most love imaginable (in my head and heart), that first song ever written by James was just like his others = AMAZING! The sounds, the stories, the heart, the masterful guitar play, the voice that could top any TPAC performance, James Roto Rotondi has it all, and you know after the first second of him talking that all of that talent is in perfect hands with the best of intentions.

Per usual, when the music stopped, the talking began. Not as much in the crowd, until after the show ended, but between the artists and myself. Instead of doing one question per person, this talk ended up feeling like one continuous flow of creative and honest tips of the trade from two artists who are doing what they want and how they want to do those things to feel fulfilled while making the world a kinder and more inspired place. If you can’t get along with that kind of message and movement, I’m not sure what else to say. What I will say is that you should definitely listen to the entire recording of the show in the link below. It will give you hope for a better today and tomorrow, I promise.

Here is the edited version of the recording of East Side Storytellin’ 152, the night when Doug Hoekstra and James Rotondi showcased their art at The Post East on Tuesday, May 7, 2019 for a packed house of family, friends, and new fans. Please listen to the entire show, and then share the link and this recap with any and all of your friends. I’m sure they will thank you afterwards. I know I will.

Before I say goodbye for this round of fun, I’d like to give a big round of thanks for Doug and James for sharing their stories, talents, and time with us.

You can read more of Doug’s writing here- https://doughoekstra.wordpress.com

You can listen to more of James’ music here- www.facebook.com/rotosongs

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’ 153

Tuesday, May 21, 2019

at The Post (1701 Fatherland Street) at 7pm

reading- Kirk Walker Graves

singing- The Rally Club

That said, that’s all for East Side Storytellin’ 152 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