Nashville Bites

gary allan

2009-11-13T13:27:00.000-08:00

Here's the thing. I didn't used to like country music. When I think about the albums I listened to in high school, I realize that lots has changed. I loved R.E.M., the B-52s, The Cure, The Smiths. I still like those bands, but now I find myself listening to a much wider range of music, and I like that.

I got into country music in grad school. I was struggling to find something I liked on the radio, and I discovered the Dixie Chicks. Maybe it was a liberal's intuition, but I felt like they were my kind of people. It was a while before I branched out from them.

Now, I count Sugarland, Jason Aldean, Keith Urban and Gary Allan among my favorite artists period. They shuffle well with my personal collection of blues, rock, soul, rap, opera, etc.

Last night, I had the opportunity to see Gary Allan live at the Ryman Auditorium. I've wanted to see him in concert for a long time. There's something about his voice that sticks with me. It's a certain rasp/twang/sad combo he has. And being from California, he seems to have a different attitude than a lot of other country artists -- more rock.

One highlight of the show was when his daughter Dallas came on stage to accompany him on The Band's "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down." She played piano; he sang. Good times.

all for the hall

2009-10-15T07:26:00.001-07:00

Keith Urban headlined a fantastic show at the Sommet Center this week with all ticket sales going to support the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville.

The idea stemmed from an earlier challenge by Vince Gill to every country artist, asking them to donate the profits from one night of performing to the Hall.

One thing that made the show amazing for fans, besides the great music, was the ticket price -- $25 -- even for fifth row center floor. To recognize the economic pressures a lot of families are experiencing right now is admirable. I'm pretty sure they could have charged $100 a ticket and still sold out, but keeping the price low was a genuinely nice thing to do.

The lineup was impressive. Guests included some of the top country artists out there -- Brad Paisley, Vince Gill, Taylor Swift, Jason Aldean, Lady Antebellum, Faith Hill, Dierks Bentley and Little Big Town.

Keith Urban kicked off the night playing a dozen songs. He also paid tribute to the country music that inspired him growing up by playing Dolly Parton's "Coat of Many Colors." Urban said he was proud to open for the other guests, many of whom had opened for him during the U.S. leg of his current Escape Together tour.

After his set, there was a lengthy intermission as Vince Gill's band set up on stage. Gill performed two songs, and the band -- plus Gill and Urban -- backed all the other artists during their performances.

It was a great night and a great show. Urban also announced plans to host another All for the Hall concert in October 2010.

3rd and Lindsley

2009-07-26T21:04:00.000-07:00

Maia Sharp was at 3rd and Lindsley tonight performing for Lighting 100's Nashville Sunday Night show. Every time we've seen her, she's been amazing, and tonight was no exception. I can't believe we've gotten to see her twice this summer, and we didn't even have to travel!

Nashville-based Lauren Lucas opened the show with a 40-minute set that included "Riverstone" and "You Still Ain't Out of Arkansas."

Maia focused on songs from her latest album, Echo, including "John Q. Lonely," "Polite Society" and "Unbreakable." Go buy it, or any of her other equally good albums, for real.

wynonna day

2009-07-07T07:08:00.000-07:00

Before it rained so hard that I was temporarily blinded and terrified, July 4th in downtown Nashville was a festive occasion. On Broadway down near the Cumberland River, there was a bounce house, a climbing wall and meat-on-a-stick.

But besides that, July 4th in Nashville was a day to celebrate Wynonna. Not only did she sign autographs at the Country Music Hall of Fame but also she was the headliner for the 4th of July concert with the Nashville Symphony.

I have really liked Wynonna for a long time. I find her to be so different from the other country music stars. Her life has been filled with a lot of confusion and struggle, from never meeting her birth father to clashes with her mother Naomi to weight gain and loss and two failed marriages. I like her because I love her voice. No one else sings like her, and when performing, she is completely emotionally available. How many other artists have you seen cry on stage? She also exudes and discusses a spirituality I find truthful and comforting, not fake or pushy.

Wynonna's set with the symphony was cut short by the impending thunderstorm. She only got to sing three songs, and she wasn't happy about it.

"But it took me three hours to get ready," she said, and then encouraged the audience to come see her on the road.

Because of the weather, the fireworks started about an hour early, but I doubt most people stuck around to see the finale. The rain went from steady to blinding. I couldn't get it out of my eyes. Everything was distorted.

Luckily, we had been standing in the back and didn't have to get through a mass of people to get to the streets, which were filled with water. We were so wet when we finally got to the apartment, we took our clothes off in the hallway and immediately threw them in the washer.

cmt awards - pickler style

2009-06-20T06:35:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday night we moseyed down to Broadway to get a beer and a bite to eat and decided to check out the before-and-after CMT Awards festivities.

Sugarland posing with a young fan as they head into the Sommet Center.

Kellie Pickler signed autographs and took pictures with fans after the show. Make fun all you want, but she is extremely likable. Did you see her on Ellen? Hilarious.

crawfish boil

2009-05-23T20:52:00.001-07:00

Yum. Yum. Yum. Nicely seasoned.

Some debris in the firepit.

Washboard, anyone? Anyone?

When all is said and done ... lots of shells.

The backdrop ... a sleepy part of the Cumberland River.

Sassy guitar player / crawfish broiler.

We have company in town this weekend, and decided to check out a place near the water called Norm's River Road House. They had a crawfish boil today with music by various New Orleans artists.

Good food, good beer, good company, good music. It was a good time, AND (probably most exciting to me) I found out about (and tasted) a brand of andouille that is definitely on my shopping list next time I make gumbo. Super spicy and yum!

martina @ tribe

2009-05-20T22:56:00.001-07:00

Martina McBride showed up at the Nashville bar Tribe tonight to promote her new album, "Shine."

Not only did she make an appearance, she stayed a couple hours, hanging out in a booth with her husband, talking to friends and fans.

shout out

2009-05-20T07:01:00.000-07:00

Get that can!

Power-washing the filth off.

Behind the Dumpster is the worst spot.

I'd like to give a shout out to the Nashville Downtown Partnership for cleaning up the alley behind our apartment building -- and downtown in general. It's hard, dirty work, and they do an excellent job.

maia at the bluebird

2009-05-18T07:58:00.001-07:00

Maia Sharp performing at the Bluebird Cafe.

Our table -- #7 -- about a foot away from the musicians.

One of Maia's turns during the round.

Bluebird neon sign on one of the walls in the venue.

One of the most famous spots in Nashville is the Bluebird Cafe, known for its extremely intimate, casual atmosphere and ability to showcase the most talented singer-songwriters around.

Maia Sharp performed on May 8 with Craig Carothers, Lisa Carver and Jonathan Kingham. The show was amazing. We got to know her music when she started opening for Bonnie Raitt.

Not only did Maia write several songs on Bonnie's last album, "Souls Alike," she also wrote "Home" on the Dixie Chicks album of that name. She is set to release her next album, "Echo," later this summer. Check her out!

big muddy

2009-05-04T21:34:00.000-07:00

The Hernando DeSoto Bridge ... ah, Memphis. I do miss you when I'm gone.

Mud, mud everywhere. And this was taken early in the day. It turned from mud to slop.

Note the backs of their pants. Later in the day, the mud was so deep and wet, someone took a step in my vicinity, and I wound up with mud on my hand. It splashed that high!

So serious. ... Doesn't he know what his hat looks like?

Amos Lee performing on the Sam's Town stage. He was amazing, as usual.

This past weekend, we went to Memphis for the last day of the 2009 Beale Street Music Festival. It was solid rain all day, but we were happy. Bonnie Raitt, Snoop Dogg, Amos Lee, James Taylor and more, all on one day. And it didn't hurt that I was able to score free tickets and spots in the Memphis Flyer VIP tent. Free beer!! Free barbecue!! Clean port-o-potties!!

The mud and rain were so intense, we lined the car seats with plastic bags and made a pit stop at my parents' house before heading home so we could shower and wash our clothes. The mud in my shoes alone was about two millimeters thick. Whatever, though. We had a great time. I had never been, and I feel like a better Memphian for having experienced it.

kidnapper or guardian angel ... you decide

2009-04-19T09:43:00.000-07:00

The pre-story is a long story, so I won't even get into it, but at 10:30 p.m. on Wednesday the 15th -- a.k.a tax day -- I was at home, realizing that I still needed to file my Tennessee taxes.

California ones were long gone. We'd even gotten our refunds. My federal one was taken care of via e-file earlier in the day. But Tennessee -- being a little behind the curve sometimes -- doesn't allow for e-filing, so I needed to find a post office that was open late -- and fast.

I rang up the U.S. Postal Service to get a list of such locations. Her answer -- none. But she did suggest heading to the Acklen station near Vanderbilt, since they offer automated 24-hour self-service. I grabbed a manila envelope, quickly addressed it and ran out the door.

Arriving at Acklen, I had to wait on a lady who told me she had never used one of the machines before. I was a little impatient but polite, even showing her where the bin was to put her taxes once she got the label on, etc. When it was my turn, I went through the prompts, got my stamp and then took a good look at it. It said that I had purchased the stamp on April 15 but nothing about actually postmarking that date. I started to worry. I looked at the bin -- last pickup at 5. Hmm. I started the system over, looking for anything that mentioned postmark date. At that moment, a stranger walked in.

"Are you trying to mail your taxes?" he said. "The only place in town still open is off of Donelson Pike. I just got back from there. Do you know how to get there?"

"No," I began. "I just moved here from California last July. I didn't know I couldn't e-file until today."

He continued to make small talk while he wrote out directions.

"Thanks a lot," I said.

"Do you want me to show you?" he replied.

"No. I'm pretty good with the interstates. Thanks."

"You sure?"

"Yeah, thanks though."

It was only after I had left the Vanderbilt area and gotten on 40 East that I started to think back to the details of the conversation.

So, let's think about this. He had come from the post office off Donelson Pike. So, what was he doing at another post office? He said his wife was working a double shift at St. Thomas hospital, so he had nothing to do for a while. Um, what about go home instead of cruising post offices?

He also said he was waiting on AAA because his car had broken down. Um, what? ... And the kicker -- since he allegedly didn't have an operating car -- when he said he would "show" me how to get to the Donelson Pike post office, did he actually think I would invite a total stranger to ride in my car with me? None of this added up. I instinctively hit the door lock.

"Was he trying to kidnap me?" I said out loud. "Holy shit! What the hell just happened?"

Half-convinced I was going to arrive at an empty, dark post office parking lot with this guy hiding in the bushes with handcuffs and a knife, I was beyond relieved to see a cop car out front. The scene was exactly as he had described. A couple cops directed traffic. I handed my stamped envelope to a postal worker who said, "We'll get it inside for you," and I was on my way.

Regardless of what he was -- Good Samaritan? Creep? Guardian angel? Kidnapper? -- he did save the day!

serious rain

2009-04-02T20:29:00.000-07:00

I know I'm still a Southern Californian at heart -- accustomed to sunny skies and balmy temperatures -- but I think even the Nashville natives have been surprised by the weather lately.

This afternoon, we had some serious storms -- flooding, tornadoes, sirens and wind. Massive trees crashed to the ground. Streets were closed. Traffic was jammed. The windows were blown out of a Popeyes. And lots of cars were damaged by rocks and other debris.

These pictures are from my cell phone camera, so they don't really give the storm justice, but it was some crazy-ass weather. I was in Williamson County when I took these, and a brief run to the grocery store left me drenched like I just got out of the shower.

I heard we're supposed to get snow flurries on Sunday and Monday. What the hell?

The truth is, though, that as much as I'm ready to move back to California in a moment's notice, I will miss this insane, ever-changing weather. I'm a storm fan, and thunder and lightning make me happy. Go figure.

icestorm ... missouri

2009-03-18T22:42:00.001-07:00

Even though it didn't get much press, Southeast Missouri was hit hard by the ice storm that swept through several states in January. People in rural areas suffered without power for a week or more, relying on generators and the kindness of strangers to get by. My father-in-law, who lives on a farm in the Missouri Bootheel, took some amazing pictures, so this is a guest photo posting.

l.a. ... revisited

2009-03-13T06:35:00.001-07:00

I feel like I post about L.A. just about as much as I post about Nashville, so I guess I need to get out more when I'm home. It's strange being torn between two areas of the country that are 2,000 miles apart. It's mentally and financially difficult.

That said, on Monday I was back in the City of Angels for an interview. Overall, I'd say it went well, but it's hard to tell when you interview with a "panel" instead of just one person.

There's the moderator who gets the basics and takes notes. Then, there is the encouraging one, who asks leading questions. And, finally, the tough one who never seems satisfied. The interview was only 20 minutes, but I felt completely wiped out afterwards and ready to come home. I left L.A. at 1 a.m. Tuesday morning, connecting in Houston, arriving in Nashville at 7:30 a.m. The price was right, but red eyes can be brutal.

So, now I wait. With competition being as fierce as it is right now, and given the 10 percent unemployment rate in the city of L.A., I can't get too optimistic. A friend told me that a recent job posting for a court clerk position yielded 2,000 applicants. It's insane. This country is going to hell in a fiscal hand basket. Credit card companies receive a lot of my wrath -- raising rates on people who are struggling to buy groceries and pay their utilities. It's got to change.

false alarm

2009-02-09T13:43:00.001-08:00

There was a little misunderstanding this afternoon at this downtown apartment building. I guess someone triggered a fire alarm on the third floor, but there was no actual fire.

The Nashville Fire Department came full force to check it out, but it was a false alarm. Sure made a lot of noise and closed down 4th Avenue between Commerce and Church, though!

GO-TIGERS-GO

2009-01-25T17:30:00.000-08:00

Photo: Mark Weber/The Commercial Appeal

Memphis beat the Vols in Knoxville on Saturday 54-52.

friday night

2009-01-25T15:57:00.000-08:00

To say we are broke is an understatement right now so going out to dinner or to the movies or to a concert is pretty much out until I rob that bank I've been eyeing -- or, you know, get a full-time, well-paying, benefits-provided job.

But everyone needs a tiny break, right? So, on Friday night we met up with a friend and checked out a one-man show at Bongo Java called "Sex, Dreams & Self Control!"

Tickets were only $10, so we could rationalize that -- and somehow we also rationalized beer and snacks down the street at PM after the show. ... Hey, we got thirsty from all that paying attention!

But seriously, the show was great. To say it's a coming-out/coming-of-age story would be accurate but also not do it justice. Kevin Thornton's experiences, told through a combination of songs and storytelling, is not typical and not cliched -- and it is extremely funny.

There is talk about more dates being scheduled for Nashville, but currently the schedule is the following:

Louisville: Alley Theatre, March 6-7

Bloomington: Bloomington Playwrights Project, March 13-14

Milwaukee: Milwaukee Gay Arts Center, March 27-28

Los Angeles: Cavern Club Theatre, April 3-4, 10-11

Chicago: BOHO Theatre, April 23-25, 30 and May 1-2, 7-9

Check out the show's Web site for more info and clips: www.sexdreamsandselfcontrol.net

los angeles ... briefly

2009-01-14T16:30:00.000-08:00

What would L.A. be without amazing graffiti?

Downtown L.A. -- our former home -- at twilight.

Tater, our cactus, who is now being lovingly cared for by a friend.

Storefront on Santa Monica Boulevard.

Joshua tree in Llano.

La Cienega Boulevard, looking up to the hills.

This past weekend, I went to L.A. for 48 hours for a job interview to be a public relations specialist for the city of L.A. Well, actually, it was a test to weed out candidates. Roughly 50 people took the two-part exam at Fairfax High. I'm not going to lie. It was challenging, and I'm not sure how I did. I've got a lot of people hoping and praying for me, though.

That said, the most memorable part of the trip wasn't the three-plus hours I spent in that classroom. It was driving in L.A. Walking downtown. Sitting on porches at friends' houses. Catching up over a beer or two. Seeing new graffiti. Absorbing the sun.

I felt free for the first time in a long time. There's something about living someplace so large. There's so little judgment. No one stares at you if your hair is messed up. Or you don't speak English. Or you have 20 tattoos. Or you limp. There are too many different people for the minor shit to matter. I drove nearly 300 miles this weekend. Ontario. Pasadena. Downtown L.A. West Hollywood. Palmdale. Inglewood. My window was down, the camera at my side.

It was in the upper 50s, lower 60s in the mornings. The wild succulents, squirrels and birds soaked up the morning rays as I drank my coffee. There's a reason people who move to California never move back. And there's a reason people who leave California never stop yearning for it.

rant of the day

2008-12-13T18:25:00.000-08:00

I am SO going to steal that little whirly-thing on the "O" for my next marketing campaign.

That bacon is not even lean. The sausages look OK though.

Picture of a random shelf ... because I wanted to and was feeling ornery.

Backstory ... We have an amazing friend back in L.A. who happens to be hella thin and tall and loves giraffes. ... This fact will come into play later in this entry.

Most weekends for us include a shopping trip to Whole Foods. We like to eat organic when possible and appreciate its fine selection of olives, cheeses, produce, specialty products and humanely raised meats. We first experienced Whole Foods by shopping at the store in Pasadena and were happy to hear that a Whole Foods was opening in the Green Hills area of Nashville.

Whole Foods has a great selection, but it can also be really expensive, sometimes stupidly so when the same item (organic) at Harris Teeter costs $1 or $2 less. This irritates me, but I've learned what to buy where, so it's OK.

What's not OK is that the Whole Foods here has evidently gotten a big head. I don't know if it's the prices or the location or what, but some of its employees have decided that anyone actually shopping at the store is a bother, in their way and should be treated accordingly.

Just in the past few visits I've experienced the following: eye-rolling, sighing, blatant ignoring of customers, pushiness and sarcasm. It's starting to piss me off. ... Then, today happened.

Last weekend, we noticed a massive stuffed giraffe near the front door of the store. Our first thought? Our friend would love it!! So, today, we decided to snap a quick picture with our phones to send to her, just to make her laugh.

Within moments a bagger descended on us and told us "no photography in our stores without permission of our marketing department."

We said, "Are you serious? We aren't taking pictures of the marketing. We just want to take a picture of the stuffed giraffe for our friend who loves giraffes."

The guy obviously had zero sense of humor and responded with something repetitive like, "It's against the rules."

He then watched to make sure we put our phones back in our pockets. Um ... ridiculous. What is the marketing department trying to protect? Its marketing? And isn't that something visible to anyone who goes to the store? Not really sure what they are trying to hide.

Needless to say, I took the guy's obnoxiousness as a last straw/challenge and snapped a few pictures of random stuff in the store. Enjoy.

tragedy and the media

2008-12-12T10:06:00.000-08:00

Rain and sleet may have contributed to the fatal I-65 crash.

Yesterday, there was a nasty wreck on I-65 southbound involving a tractor-trailer and an SUV. The passenger of the SUV was killed. The crash happened at dawn, but it took seven hours to clear the wreckage from the interstate, meaning tons of people -- myself included -- were late to their jobs.

A cook I work with was in traffic for two hours. One customer, who was visibly shaken, said it had taken him two and a half hours to get to the restaurant from his house. His wife told him to turn around and come home, but an hour in, he felt he was on a quest and refused.

In trying to figure out what had happened -- and why it was taking so long to fix -- I hopped on the Tennessean's Web site at work. The newspaper had posted a video, showing the smashed-up SUV, the front of the tractor-trailer, emergency workers and, finally, an empty stretcher. Then, the video cut off. The body was not shown.

A glance through the online comments section re-raised the age-old media ethics question -- how much is too much? The majority of the comments slammed the newspaper for showing the footage. One person called the newspaper money-hungry "savages" and claimed the video would give the "relatives of the victim ... nightmares for the next 20 years." Another called the video "gruesome voyeurism."

In my view, a poster named "JoeMarma" was the "voice of reason" in all the hubbub. Here is an excerpt of his comment:

"Get a grip people. The Tennessean is doing its job. I-65 being shut down for 6 hrs is big news here in Nashville. Thousands of people were likely affected and want to know what happened. The Tennessean has a video of the cause. They reported it."

Whew ... thank you, "Joe." ... Look, I know I'm biased. I have a master's degree in journalism. I was a reporter on-and-off for 10 years, including three years at a wire service where our focus was on breaking news, including car crashes, fires, train derailments and traffic jams. I firmly believe that once you are a reporter, you will always be a reporter even if you're no longer working in the field, and I am proud to be one for life.

But that aside, basically what we're talking about here is the media being bashed for making the viewer uncomfortable. Isn't that one of the most powerful and vital roles of the press? Think of the images captured in the Civil Rights Movement and the Vietnam War. Or, more recently, Hurricane Katrina. It is this logging of history and the ability to inform the general public that heightens journalism to the noble profession that it is. Will this wreck go down in history as significant? No. But the basic principle is the same.

A friend of mine in L.A. is the famed Associated Press photographer Nick Ut. You may not have heard of him, but you'd recognize his work. He took the famous June 1972 photo of Kim Phuc, better known as the naked girl screaming in pain after being burned by a napalm attack in her Vietnamese village. Nick followed the girl to the hospital and pleaded with doctors to care for her. Only when she was on the operating table did he leave and return to the AP headquarters in Saigon to turn in his film. The girl survived and they remain extremely close today.

That photo is powerful, frightening, emotional, scary and very uncomfortable to view. The AP almost didn't run it because of the frontal nudity. An exception was made because of the news value of the photo. Nick won the Pulitzer for it. Thank God it was in the papers for all of the world to see.

Check out Nick's amazing career and work (including the picture of Kim Phuc) at this AP site: asap.ap.org/data/interactives/_news/nick_ut/index.html

I'd like to close this episode of my blog with my favorite snarky comment from the Tennessean yesterday. This one was posted by "jaded."

"I hate a free, independent press. ... I want my news from the government. Then I will know it will be accurate, safe, sanitized, and acceptable to the lowest common denominator like my 3 year old toddler. What's next? I bet the lousy press would like to show coffins coming back from Iraq. Wait -- they're not allowed to do that. And a good thing that it, lest everyone see firsthand the cost of war. ... I'm so glad the government's looking out for me and making my life morally simple. I sleep much better at night that way."

i dug my key ...

2008-12-08T10:40:00.001-08:00

Carrie Underwood at the Sommet Center, Dec. 7.

Black leggings and gold sparkles.

Little Big Town skillfully opened the show.

I have become somewhat obsessed with concert photography lately. So much so, sometimes I forget to enjoy the show. I'm happy to say that last night was the perfect combination of photos and fun. Honestly, we just had a damn good time, and that's important. Really important.

vacaciones

2008-12-08T06:03:00.000-08:00

Secrets Silversands Rivera Cancun.

Ole! ... One of the many shows at the resort.

Not me, but maybe next time ...

Pancho, mi amigo.

Lots of seaweed, but really, who's complaining?

It's no secret that it's been a tough adjustment for us -- moving from L.A. to Nashville. The fact that it appears to be about 30 degrees outside at all times these days has just been salt in the wound.

The first time we visited L.A. before we decided to move there, it was December. We tooled around town in a Jeep with the windows rolled down. ... If we attempted that here, now, our hands and noses might fall off.

So, imagine our glee that our broke asses had the foresight to pre-pay (back when we weren't broke) for an all-inclusive trip to Mexico for our belated honeymoon.

The resort is a new one in the environs of Cancun -- Secrets Silversands -- hence, we got a great opening-special rate. We left Thanksgiving morning and had five amazing days and four amazing nights -- relaxing and soaking up the warm sun.

christmas at opryland

2008-11-21T06:40:00.000-08:00

Last night, we got the first snow flurries of the season. I honestly was confused when I saw them. ... It's been that long since I've seen snow. I could tell it wasn't rain, so I assumed it was some sort of dusty matter falling from a tree!

The night before, we went to Opryland to check out the Christmas decorations and see ICE!, which is based on the Dr. Seuss story "How the Grinch Stole Christmas!"

This is the show's last year in Nashville. Next year, it will move to Texas, so if you want to check it out, check it out now. Tickets are $20-22 for adults and $12-14 for children, depending on what day you go. ICE! runs through Jan. 4.

To put the show together, dozens of Chinese ice sculptors come to the U.S. to carve enormous blocks of colored ice shipped down from Kentucky. To keep the ice frozen, the theatre is kept around 9 or 10 degrees. As you enter the show, staff provides heavy blue parkas that were amazingly warm.

I liked the characters just fine, but I've never been wild about the illustrations in Dr. Seuss books. My favorites were the igloos and the 20-foot ice slide. Very impressive, and lots of fun.

election 2008

2008-11-20T11:43:00.001-08:00

(Pictures taken at Nashville's Rally for Equality against California's Proposition 8, held on Sat., Nov. 15 .)

On Nov. 4, Americans voted for sweeping change -- an African-American presidential candidate from the Democratic party who holds a dramatically different outlook on domestic priorities and foreign relations than soon-to-be former-President Bush.

Included in President-elect Obama's policy plan is the promise that all Americans, regardless of socioeconomic status, age, race or gender will be represented. The not-so-lucky among us will not be swept aside any longer.

For this vote, I am thankful, optimistic and proud to have voted for Barack Obama.

The victory was sweet, but with the sweet came the bitter.

As millions of Americans voted to usher in change, Californians concurrently were deciding the outcome of Proposition 8 -- a "constitutional amendment" that strips away the right of same-sex couples to marry. This right had been granted to the state's residents just a few months earlier when the California Supreme Court found that prohibiting gay couples from marrying violated the state constitution.

Some 18,000 same-sex couples married between June 17 and Nov. 4. I am half of one of those couples.

It took until the afternoon of Nov. 5 to determine that Proposition 8 had passed by a slim margin -- 52 percent. The validity of the amendment has been challenged, and yesterday, the California Supreme Court ordered the parties to brief the Court on the following issues:

1. Is Proposition 8 invalid because it constitutes a revision of, rather than an amendment to, the California Constitution?

2. Does Proposition 8 violate the separation of powers doctrine under the California Constitution?

3. If Proposition 8 is not unconstitutional, what is its effect, if any, on the marriages of same-sex couples performed before the adoption of Proposition 8?

The road before us is long before this all shakes out -- months and months of waiting. Proposition 8 is getting the most press because of California's size and high-profile nature and because the outcome was the most surprising, given the state's tendency toward liberal views on social issues -- but its voters were not the only ones who simultaneously voted for change while contributing to what I've deemed "the backlash." Similar measures limiting marriage to straight couples passed in Florida and Arizona. Arkansas voters also passed a statute that bans unmarried couples from fostering or adopting children. The referendum was written specifically to keep same-sex couples from being foster or adoptive parents.

The election was more than two weeks ago, but it has taken me this long to write about it because learning the outcome of Proposition 8 was emotionally painful. It took time for the sting to mellow. Now, it simmers in the back of my head instead of encompassing it, but it takes very little to bring back strong feelings of disappointment and confusion.

Being in Tennessee since July, I was not in California to witness the scare tactics, to see the bright yellow "Yes on Prop. 8" signs, to feel the friction and tension. You see, I wasn't worried. When we moved in July, no one thought Proposition 8 would actually pass. Never before had Californians voted to take away rights. Even in the days leading up to the vote, when I started reading news stories that indicated the vote was closer than expected, the vast majority of friends said, "Don't worry." Only one said, "This doesn't look good."

A friend of mine who has two small children with her partner said she felt hated for the first time in her life. Her neighborhood was awash in yellow signs. I imagine she felt -- and may still feel -- like a prisoner in her own home.

Now, we wait. We wait, and we hope. We hope fervently that "change" will not pass us by.

memphis, sweet memphis

2008-10-28T10:04:00.001-07:00

A couple of the little boys on Beale Street who

do backflips and cartwheels for tips.

Getting in the zone for his next run.

One of my favorite pictures at the Rendezvous.

A Botero sculpture at Brooks Museum.

Halloween decor at the Lamplighter Lounge.

Ray LaMontagne

2008-10-21T11:32:00.000-07:00

Sunday night, we saw Ray LaMontagne at The Ryman. Wow. First, let's talk acoustics. Amazing. Every "s" was like a whisper directly into my ear from an inch away. And we had cheap seats -- Row X to be exact. The theater really is amazing and lives up to the hype.

So, what about this guy? For us, he's typically dinner music -- in the background, kind of low. I mean, to describe his style as "gentle" is an understatement, right?

In concert, that was still the case -- to a point. The only times he talked, he was soft-spoken, polite, brief, hard-to-hear. Of course, it would have helped if certain members of the audience didn't start screaming every time he DID actually talk. He doesn't seem like the kind of guy who gives a shit about some girl screaming from the back: "I love you, Ray!" In fact, I think it probably frightens him. It's always frustrating when an audience doesn't understand the performer. ... But back to the original point.

While quiet and gentle, on certain songs his raspy voice just became beyond enormous. My better half described it as a bear rearing up on his hind legs, throwing his head back farther and farther and opening his mouth wider and wider as this ever-increasing roar lets loose. ... I think she's 100 percent right on in this evaluation. Even if she does admit his huge, bushy, brown beard probably contributed highly to her bear analogy.

ASCAP

2008-10-14T09:31:00.000-07:00

Martina McBride poses with a fan.

Kix Brooks oddly bathed in orange light.

Last night, we wandered down to the Ryman Auditorium to check out the scene at the ASCAP Country Music Awards. The show was just wrapping up, so we hung around the red carpet and valet area to see who was in attendance (and who was hitting the after-party across the street).

I don't know if it's just the nature of Nashville, or the genre, or that it was the ASCAP Awards, as opposed to the Grammys, but the atmosphere was remarkably casual. No limousine line. No metal barricades. Just a few valets and LOTS of SUVs with tinted windows.

(I'd like to break for a moment here and suggest that you don't have to be in California to be environmentally conscious. Just saying -- I'd like to have seen ONE Prius.)

As the stars waited for their cars in the Ryman parking lot, they took pictures with fans and signed autographs.

Some observations:

1. Ninety-nine percent of the women at the show wore black dresses and extremely tall high heels. ... Kellie Pickler bucked this trend and wore bright red. She also hit the after-party.

2. Dierks Bentley wins the "down-home" award for driving his old, white Chevy truck.

3. Martina McBride has excellent hearing. While posing for a picture, a fan who was 5 feet away said quietly to her friend, "I just saw her in Virginia." Martina turned and called out, "You were at the Virginia Beach show? That show was a lot of fun."

rain and earthquakes

2008-10-07T08:07:00.001-07:00

It's raining really hard right now.

When we first moved to Nashville, I realized how much I had missed rain. The sound of it, the white skies and how, afterward, everything looks and smells so much cleaner. In L.A., when it rains, it rains a week at a time, and it feels confusing after day two because you are accustomed to ever-present sun. In the south, it's not so scripted. It catches you off guard, a big, dark cloud rolls in, a quick burst of hard rain and then blue skies and lower temperatures.

I thought I felt an earthquake this morning, when I was still in bed. I must have imagined it. When we were still in L.A., I felt a couple of the smaller earthquakes. It felt like the floor was rolling. This one didn't feel like that. It just felt like I was being shaken. Strange.

We moved about two weeks before the last "kinda big" earthquake in Los Angeles. Initially, the report was that a 6.0 earthquake had hit L.A. When I got that news via Twitter, I burst into tears. I knew that my old office building could not seismically withstand a large quake. I thought my co-workers could be trapped or crushed.

Cell phone service was down, but texting worked. All my friends were OK. The earthquake was later downgraded to a 5.4, and damage was minimal. Still, it was hard to be 2,000 miles away. I wanted to be there. The reporter in me wanted to see and feel it for myself. The friend in me wanted to hug all the people I missed.

good morning

2008-10-06T09:43:00.000-07:00

It's mid-morning in downtown Nashville, and I'm doing laundry. It's really quite a glamorous life. I thought I should launch this blog with a picture of the AT&T Building, aka The Batman Building. This picture was taken from my window about 15 minutes ago.