Thank YOU, thank YOU, thank YOU. Hello Again! Welcome to the recap and review and recording of another wonderful collaboration between East Side Story and The Post. Let me be the first to officially, whole-heartedly welcome you to the 72nd epic edition of East Side Storytellin’! Like the 71 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 recount of East Side Storytellin’ 72. Let us begin, again.
The first featured guest of the particular night is an author, performance artist, and social worker who earned her M.S.S.W from the University of Tennessee. As a grassroots activist and community organizer, she has worked in the areas of domestic violence, finance, mental health, youth development, eldercare and voter education to enact social justice and create community change. She has self-published three books of poetry, Brown Girl Blues, Writings Under Bush and Other Crimes Against Humanity, and The Muse’s Reckoning. She is currently working on a docu-poem about the resilience in brown girls. She is a survivor, lover, friend, book lover, and a person who enjoys running, yoga, having a pen in hand, simple things that are sacred, laughing, the mountains, counting pennies in water, smiling until her cheeks hurt, seeing something new, witnessing kids ascending, and being the best her she can be at all times. An artist who is spiritual and political and who always dreams big, even when it appears she is idle, it was a HUGE honor to welcome Melissa Gordon as East Side Storytellin’ family’s newest featured author!
Like I’ve seen Melissa speak at several other Southern Word and poetry events, she totally stole the show. She has a presence that is calm yet powerful, captivating yet chill, and she knows how to work any crowd. She laid down the gauntlet of her words and imagery while at the same time getting the crowd involved by asking them to repeat encouraging and optimistic phrases that reinforced her positivity shining from the stage. Melissa knows what she is doing with her words and crowds more than most can ever dream.
She started her set with a few poems that were deeper than the Grand Canyon and we all took a trip down her memory lane. She spoke poignantly about brain trauma from a personal accident to breaking points from working in prisons and another poem that highlighted four letter words from experiences that changed her life and love forever. She reminded us all that it’s okay to be who you are, regardless of circumstances, and that the most important thing we can do as humans on the daily is to embrace grace (a phrase she reminds herself of every day amidst the societal climate that surrounds every person these days and our need –not just want- to reach some sort of harmony). To say that Melissa and her poetry and performance are moving would be a HUGE understatement. You must listen to the recording below and see her read for yourself the next chance you can.
So after the call was made to embrace grace, the music was ready to begin.
The featured musician this night is someone who really wants to sing a few songs for you and we are happy to make that happen right now. Originally hailing from the scenic Upper Peninsula of Michigan, this man arrived to Nashville via Los Angeles as a multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter, and recording artists of the highest caliber. Drawing from personal experiences, this guy digs deep to create raw and relatable music every time out of the gate. You’ll soon find that his songs are often hopeful, silly, sarcastic, catchy, and bittersweet all-in-one. His 5-song EP titled Electric Baby offers listeners a glimpse into the mind and heart of this up-and-coming All-American Artist. The musician of the night wants you to know that you can purchase his EP tonight and that it’s like hitching a ride with an urban cowboy as he rides his steel horse on a one-way trip through time, back to the golden age of Pop Music, when melodies mattered and mustaches were required by law. That’s right, I’m talking about the one and only Glen Martin!
Glen looked and reminded me of a young David Crosby when he initially took to the stage with his trusty guitar and spirits in hand, but that comparison got even better in my world as he strummed out some of his old and new hits. He openly declared that he was more of a musician than a storyteller, but I reminded him before and after the show that each artist brings their own style and presence to make each and every East Side Storytellin’ event unique and one-of-a-kind. He seemed to take that to heart and gave his all the only way Glen Martin does … by “dropping” us into Glen Martin country that is.
Glen’s songs were indeed a long road trip through our great country and sprinkled with personal gems from experiences and memories and lessons learned through the good times and bad. He reminded us not to take the good for granted, to think about what life would be like if we were wearing the homeless person’s shoes for a change despite being so similar in many other ways to them, to always promise to do better (whether it is for Sally for now or later), and other life notes in between. It was so refreshing to listen to his take on the LA scene in the awesome Waltzing with Wolves and then end on an homage and response to an old Loretta Lynn song about a man coming home drunk and wanting love from his wife but his song was told via the narrative of the drunk.
Glen is truly one local musician to take special note of now and going forward. I mentioned the comparison to David Crosby but the more and more I enjoyed his style, sound, and lyrics he reminded me of a young Shannon Hoon from Blind Melon. Don’t believe me? Go listen to the album Nico after you check out the recording below and see if you don’t hear the same insight and tone and whistling and howls and wondrous melodies that bypass your years and go straight to your soul.
So, as usual, I was able to get both of the artists together before the end of the show and it was a treat to hear their takes on their own adventures and creative journeys so far to this point. They both have big plans moving forward to bring people together in positive ways and to expand on the extensive creative groundwork they have put down in the past few years. I’m excited to know more about them both and what makes them tick and how I can take some of the notes I scratched during their performances to help make me a more thoughtful and empathetic artist in my own right. I hope you can do the same after you check out the recording below.
Here it is, the edited recording of East Side Storytellin’ 72 that featured Melissa Gordon and Glen Martin on Tuesday, December 1st at The Post. Enjoy and share over and over, por favor:
https://soundcloud.com/eastsidestorytn/sets/east-side-storytellin-72
Before I say goodbye for this round of fun, I’d like to give a big round of thanks for Melissa Gordon and Glen Martin for sharing their stories, talents, and time with us.
You can check out a visual performance of spoken word from Melissa Gordon here- www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwWQgv05ft8
You can listen to more of Glen Martin’s music here- http://glenmartinmusic.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.
I’d also like to show much love to Clay Brunton for the beautiful artwork online to promote the show.
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’ 73
Tuesday, December 15th
at The Post (1701 Fatherland Street) at 7pm
reading- Kathleen Cosgrove (www.katcoz.com)
singing- Austin Manuel (www.austinmanuel.com)
That said- that’s all for East Side Storytellin’ 72 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
