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 158th epic edition of East Side Storytellin’! Like the 157, I repeat … 157, 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’ 158. Let us begin, again.
The first featured artist of the night is someone who I first met at daycare and then read together at a local bookstore. I should clarify, his daughter went to the same daycare as my son, and we both recently had the honor of reading excerpts of our favorite stories involving family at the local treasure called The Bookshop. By day, this scribe is a history professor at Middle Tennessee State University (Go Blue Raiders). He teaches courses in Irish, British, and World History. He is the author of 3 books, including a forthcoming book on the the band The Kinks (Shout out reunion). He is also the editor of a two-volume encyclopedia of the British Empire, just in case you thought writing normal books was hard enough. A native of Oklahoma City, he has called Nashville home for a decade (most of that time he says he has spent waiting for the lights to change at the intersection of Eastland and Gallatin. We didn’t wait long to introduce this guy or to give a proper warm round of applause for the one and only Mark Doyle.
Mark gave a wonderful preface to his original historical fiction piece to the crowd. He laid out the facts about his teaching, his teaching set-up and research style that inspired him to discover and dig deeper into an untold story of a particular Fisk Jubilee singer, and that we should be fully aware of his awful attempt at an Irish accent during the reading ahead. The people were ready to learn, laugh, and to love every word of this reading. Mark, like pretty much all of the readers on this show, did not disappoint one bit.
Like an instant classic Nashville song, this epic personal adventure story involved a train. Specifically, this was the imagined dialogue and insight inspired from fact-based letters already in the Fisk record books between one America W. Robinson (the first woman to graduate from Fisk University in the first graduating class of Fisk University who also sang as a contralto with the Fisk Jubilee Singers around Europe) and a wannabe fiancé and ultimate fanboy from Ireland called Mr. Wilson. Mark’s story dives deeper below the surface of the success of the Jubilee Singers tours around Europe and the immense fame and fundraising efforts that followed them around because of alternative motives other than just being around fame by more than a few rich white men … does anything ever change in this world? More than just a remarkable human story, I was not alone in being completely mesmerized by Mark’s angle of telling how the Fisk Jubilee Singers affected Irish and European culture as a whole at that time. This was a story that hasn’t been told much or at all yet, but Mark beautifully sheds light and life into an account that deserves to be told and looked at with a thousand other filters to fully appreciate everything about America, the Fisk Jubilee Singers, and the impact of true art and the artists over any facet of fame or money or false narratives with hidden agendas. You can listen to the reading below and read it as soon as he finishes it and publishes it, but I just want to say that it was a real treat and delight to listen to the work of Mark Doyle again. He is a great writer who truly cares about the words behind the words and sharing good stories that inspire all of us in our own lives and stories.
Our featured music of the night is a mutual friend with a mutual band leader who goes by the name Dave Coleman (shout out The Coalmen). This guy, not Dave, is a Nashville-based Americana artist who has an uncanny knack for composing narratives that detail a 2-edged razor, both tackling and celebrating life’s angels and devils in one swoop. He and tonight’s group have released several albums to date, so we have plenty of great music to hear tonight. With a smaller crew than normal, playing acoustic guitar, fiddle, and upright bass, the packed house all put their hands together as natural as breathing to make some big noise for the extreme talented Lynn Taylor & The Barflies.
Lynn, accompanied by Jennifer Halenar and Randy Hunt, was phenomenal. I instantly connected with the lyrics and the creative lull of Lynn’s voice matched with Jennifer’s voice and fiddle. Actually, the sounds of the fiddle kinda threw my head back into the Ireland setting of Mark’s story for a minute so it was fun to transition into the music and the world that Lynn was painting with his words and own stories. It also didn’t hurt things that the first song was heavily influenced by a love game of rock, paper, and scissors that followed Mark’s tale of a failed international engagement chase too.
With a heavy thumb, Lynn tore through some guitar strings as he laid his heart on the floor from his sleeve. The visual of the song written about a neighbor’s piano was as fascinating a song as I can recall in quite some time. It made me relate, think, and kinda want to put my piano in our front yard soon too. Maybe we can put a wildflower garden in the piano to inspire our fellow neighbors too. All that said, Lynn and his crew were phenomenal. They had songs about love, dreams, and everything in between. Their sound was simple but every note and message was layered in a way that was thoughtful and giving leagues more than most anything on the popular radio. I enjoyed the set from start to finish, and, like always, I was not alone. The crowd was attentive and appreciated a few short breaks in the songs for some makeshift amateur stand-up comedy from the band as they kept things moving along at a comfortable speed. It was a really fun time had by all.
And speaking of a fun time had by all, I was fortunate to talk a little more with Mark and Lynn about what makes them tick. They both have outside of the box journeys into Nashville and the arts, and it was really cool to picture each of them doing what they’ve done on the Nashville streets for the sake of art and life in general. That’s what we call a teaser for you to listen to the show and hear what they’ve done. I promise none of it was illegal, but they are both as entertaining with their thoughts and actions as much as their art. Between that fact and their positive attitudes and willingness to being open to a crowd full of friends and new fans, this combo is just flat out good for your soul. So take some time to listen to the recording of the show already. You’re welcome.
So here it is, the edited recording of East Side Storytellin’ 158. We featured Mark Doyle and Lynn Taylor & The Barflies (Jennifer Halenar and Randy Hunt this round) at The Post East on Tuesday, August 6, 2019. We had a ton of fun and managed to finish the show just before the first downpour of flash flooding in the area. It was quite fitting to the overall day and show. You will love this recording. You should enjoy it and share it with others as much as you possibly can. They will thank you too. So thank you.
Before I say goodbye for this round of fun, I’d like to give a big round of thanks for Mark and Lynn (and the rest of The Barflies) for sharing their stories, talents, and time with us.
You can read more of Mark’s writing here- https://mtsu.edu/faculty/mark-doyle
You can listen to more of Lynn’s music here- www.lynntaylormusic.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’ 159
Tuesday, August 20, 2019
at The Post (1701 Fatherland Street) at 7pm
reading- Claire Gibson
singing- Meghan Hayes
That said, that’s all for East Side Storytellin’ 158 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
