Thank YOU, thank YOU, thank YOU and hello again! Welcome to another epic collaboration with East Side Story and The Post. Let me be the first to officially, whole-heartedly welcome you to the recap of the 62nd spectacular edition of East Side Storytellin’! Like the 61 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 East Side Storytellin’ 62. Let us begin, again.
The first featured guest of the night is a wordsmith with a background in music journalism and business. She currently focuses her creative energy writing free verse poetry and haiku. She has several books of poetry: Haiku 2006, Haiku 2007, Sugar and Spice and Nothing That’s Nice, a featured poem in the collection Filtered Through Time, and one of my favorite books of poetry and the most fun book release we’ve had at East Side Story so far for her beloved book titled Bathroom Poems. This southern-born, northern-bred Tennessean likes circular things like CD’s, vinyl records, typewriter keys, good conversations, and tostadas. She always has a smile and bright outlook on life whenever I see her and, you may not know this about her and she will try to deny it every time you bring it up, but she taught the prolific musician Sufjan Stevens everything he knows about poetry and songwriting in general = FACT. Ladies and gentlemen, it was an honor for me to finally introduce this artist to you instead of her being in the crowd all the time. I’m talking about the prolific poet by the name of Amy E. Hall.
Amy brought her smile and a binder up to the podium because she had a plan to enlighten everyone in attendance with her words and stories. Because the rain came down pretty hard for a good spell before we kicked off the show and it drizzled to a lull, Amy was the perfect person to guide us through deep thoughts on life lived and lessons learned. She did a splendid job of setting up and articulating each and every poem she decided to share with us, and everything just had a really nice flow to it all. This was not Amy’s first rodeo and you could tell.
With the room at The Post packed full of friends and good people alike, the ambiance was just right. Because Amy asked the crowd before the first poem to hold any applause until after the final poem, I could tell there were more than one set of hands in the crowd that wanted to give some love to Amy in between several of her poems. I’m not sure what Amy thought of me being in the front row and busy writing on paper through most of her set, but I hope she now knows that I was just taking notes on titles and wonderful lines that I was instantly inspired from as she spoke. I particularly thought the three that ran in a row about her first real kiss then the operation umbrella and then her one wild and precious life almost knocked me out of my chair. She was courteous to end with the courteous flush from Bathroom Poems, but those other three before that were as powerful of literary fireworks as the most recent holiday we just celebrated. I’m looking forward to diving back into her books and listening to the recording below over and over again (as you should too).
And like that, Amy E. Hall, was finished with her set and ready to rejoin the heart-warming audience for the music to follow.
The featured musician of the night is an artist based in Nashville who is hell-bent on connecting people through her music so I felt that it was safe to say that she was in the right place and time this specific night at The Post to play her original music for all new and old-comers. At any given moment, her songs may be sorrowful or uplifting, cryptic or laid out for the world to see, but they’re always wrapped in the sonic bow that is her voice and presence. She has a velvet grace that precedes her: a voice as sweet and smoky as a whiskey barrel (love that phrase and image). I was suggested to contact her by our mutual friend and music man, Gary Branigan from Palaver Records. He has yet to fail me by always introducing me to outstanding Nashville talent that is worthy of the bright lights and billboards. This woman isn’t the cover girl to be The Champion of the Bad Luck Blues, but she did write the album by the same name. It was, yet again, my extreme honor to introduce the likes of someone as talented as much as Lauren Farrah.
Lauren immediately interjected a raunchy note off key to demonstrate just how great a singer she was after my lofty introduction. She was only missing the washed up comb in hand to find the full voice of that bird singing on The Little Mermaid movie in the ocean. The moment and laugh only lasted a second, but that was the tone that Lauren pushed us off shore to take a voyage down her solo tunes down memory lane, a lot of lonely pain, and extremely well-crafted deep thoughts about her life and life in general.
Lauren took time in between her songs to try and explain that she really is a happy person now and just wants to give the lonely Lauren she was when writing her solo songs a hug, but I don’t think the audience was too scared for her and her lyrics. I think that everyone just got it and her. The songs themselves weren’t soaked in despair as much as eloquently introspective about where she was and where she wanted to be in her life. Everything she sang and played was very moving to all to say the least.
Having declared that she never plays without her rock n’ roll band these days, it was just as refreshing to the crowd as it was for Lauren to revisit her rock roots and reexamine how her new sounds have evolved and came to be. And it didn’t hurt one bit that in between these slow and thoughtful original songs that she played that she spent time to crack us all up with her delightful sense of humor that was altogether perfectly random, offbeat, self-deprecating, and all Lauren without many filters (as heard in the title track about Woman of the Water song being about the tadpole that’s not true). Basically, I think everyone had a great time hearing lovely and enlightening music and banter from someone that is going to do some pretty big things sooner than later on the music scene with her band and friends.
As always, we as a show at East Side Storytellin’ felt extremely honored to provide a stage for the combination of Amy E. Hall and Lauren Farrah to share their words, stories, and talents with everyone who came out to the show or clicked on this link and show recording below. I didn’t realize until after the show that the number 7 was mentioned more often than not in poems and a song or two (being that it was 7/7/15 and all). Also, I appreciated hearing about the religious backgrounds and backstories from both artists during the interview portion of the show. I felt like both brought powerful messages about life, laughter, and positive presents and futures for all to witness going forward after the storms of the day. For that, and so many other things not listed above or below from these two ladies featured in this show, I want to say thanks!
Now, for your listening pleasure, here is the edited recording of East Side Storytellin’ 62 that featured Amy E. Hall and Lauren Farrah at The Post on Tuesday, July 7th, 2015. Listen to this link, share this link, and enjoy it over and over. It is that great-
Before I say goodbye for this round of fun, I’d like to give a big round of thanks for Amy E. Hall and Lauren Farrah for sharing the stage with us.
You can read more about Amy’s writing here- lineuponlinepoetry.blogspot.com
You can listen to more of Lauren’s music here- www.laurenfarrah.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’d also like to show much love to Clay Brunton for the beautiful artwork online to promote the show.
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.
The NEXT East Side Storytellin’ event will be …
East Side Storytellin’ 63
Tuesday, July 21st, at 7pm
Reading- Tom Wood (tomwoodauthor.com)
Singing- Ian Johnson (ianjohnsonmusic.com)
That’s all for East Side Storytellin’ 62 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.
much love,
mE
