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 154th epic edition of East Side Storytellin’! Like the 153, I repeat … 153, 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’ 154. Let us begin, again.
The first featured artist of the night is an emcee who has been sewing through the Tennessee’s poetic scene for the past 3 years. Prior to Nashville, he started off at a local hometown show dubbed One Mic, while honing his talents at local events throughout entire state with the Kansas scene. He eventually worked on what would become Kansas’ first Nationally-registered poetry slam called Slambonanza. Arriving to Nashville in late 2016, he stepped into the scene with a goal of establishing and managing a platform to help artists liberate their hearts on stage. He joined forces with Black Atticus and Po’Boys and Poets to do just that twice a month. Already behind me on stage during the intro, it was almost like I was the gate for the bull at the rodeo to open and let the loose the dynamic energy that is Mo Christo (AKA Morgan Christopher Allred).
Right before the introduction, Mo asked Bill to accompany his poetry with whatever Bill was inspired to play on his guitar. They had briefly spoken, barely met, and yet they both hit the ground running as soon as the first word was spoken. We had had a few collaborative songs in past shows with writer and musician, but this was the first East Side Storytellin’ with the featured guests experimenting through an entire set. It was as great as the initial spark of the idea sounded. Bill literally took a comfortable backseat that grounded the tempo and allowed for Mo to shoot off into the outer space he needed to simply do what he does. It was amazing to see and even more impressive to hear.
Mo said that he was going to go through about 3-4 3 minute poems that came to mind when he was in front of the crowd. He did just that. You could see the wheels turning in his head, as well as his mind exploding with words and messages as he surveyed the people who were intently listening to every syllable. Mo’s energy takes up a space like a long wick that is lit and sizzling on the floor that is attached to dynamite on the side of the wall. You sit and watch all of the loops and turns that the wick burns, tracking the sound and wondering how it will positively affect everyone in close proximity, and then the perfect lines go off and your mind is forever blown. For me, the absolute perfect line was midway through the set, after Mo took a request from the audience to do a poem inspired by a love story, and Mo dropped a line about his love that said, “her light shined like the first time God talked about it.” Referring to her light, it instantly connected with me and my own love in mind and at home at that moment. But the rest of the set was similar in a lot of ways. You could see the brilliant synapses flashing constantly in the room and in the air all around Mo. He has something extra than ordinary, and he shares it with others as easy as he breathes.
Our featured music of the night is someone who makes music for kids of all ages, kinda like how I write my own stories. We have featured his music at a special event a few years ago for kids at Cheekwood, but this given night we were together to celebrate his newest music. He grew up in the suburbs of Rochester, New York, around the time of the original Woodstock Festival. Naturally, his first band played all songs by the band Chicago, horns and all. He went to college in rural Ohio, and spent a lot of time playing trombone, jazz guitar, and tenor sax, all while in a leisure suit – that fact may or may not be true. Point being, this guy is and always has been a friend with a good soul with a funky sound. Anyone who has seen this guy perform is also someone who has heard good music and left with a smile. Originally from New York, an Ohio transplant, and now pretty much a new Nashville native, and playing alongside a talented friend by the name of Daniel Seymour who has played with other friends on East Side Storytellin’ before, it was not hard for those in the building to lend their ears and time and smiles and positivity for my good friend, the one and only Bill Crosby.
Bill got up from the couch and took centerstage beside his friend, something he does on the regular around East Nashville. He also started his set with a song that I have heard and enjoyed on numerous occasions and can’t help but sing every day. He sang about the joy of a beautiful day. On this specific day, like pretty much every day, this song is a great way to enjoy life. That is what Bill’s gift with music is all about. He writes songs for the innocence within us all, simplifying life and words like a poet does when compared to a novelist, and plays melodic messages for all people to understand and see that life isn’t that complicated to love. And with a solid, stand-up bassline with Daniel, Bill pulled out some old and new classics for the crowd on hand.
Bill sang another one of my favorites about a snail (which I later learned was inspired by Drew Carey and his mutual time in Cleveland), and then he pulled out a new song, based on an actual news report Bill watched and is certain to never leave my head any time soon (and I LOVE it!), with a chorus line that states that bears love cupcakes. It’s as fun listening to it and singing along as it is reading those words aloud to yourself. He followed those gems up with a few songs that were meant for bigger kids, honoring friends who had recently passed and honoring his true, deep feelings and thoughts about making and sharing art with those you love, chosen family and family family included. Point being, you can enjoy quite the rollercoaster of emotions, lyrics, melodies, and life in Bill’s set recorded in the link below … and I love Bill and rollercoasters! I’m quite sure you will too.
Before Bill could take a proper bow, Mo had already traded places with Daniel on stage to join me in talking about their art and lives in general. Mo didn’t stop his poetic momentum while poignantly describing art and life in Kansas and the fact that Nashville leaves him feeling like he’s not in Kansas anymore (in the best of ways). Mo described his love of artists in Nashville, but he also went on to challenge the artist community to continue to do more and strive for more expansion of words and ideas. Bill, on the flipside, told the tale of past trips and past teachers who made him into the man and artist he is today. Mo was high-energy and all up in the moment of the present and Bill was reflective on the past while contemplating the future, but they both came together in a beautiful way that allowed me to love my spot on the side and in the middle of it all. Basically, it was a special event that felt like magic on a Tuesday, for me and everyone who was there to witness.
So here it is, the edited recording of East Side Storytellin’ 154. This outstanding show was created from the art of Mo Christo and Bill Crosby (with Daniel Seymour) at The Post East on Tuesday, June 4, 2019. You can listen to it and share it as many times as you wish. I hope you listen carefully to this show and do just that and more. Thanks for taking the time to experience this trip with us.
Before I say goodbye for this round of fun, I’d like to give a big round of thanks for Mo and Bill (and Daniel) for sharing their stories, talents, and time with us.
You can read more of Mo’s writing here- Click THIS
You can listen to more of Bill’s music here- www.billcrosbymusic.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’ 155
Tuesday, June 18, 2019
at The Post (1701 Fatherland Street) at 7pm
reading- Trapper Haskins
singing- Jack Silverman
That said, that’s all for East Side Storytellin’ 154 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