Day 1
I got into Nashville yesterday and met up with Marc-Allen Barnette (MAB) in the evening. We started off at a packed little pub and had a couple of beers and chatted about the music biz, so we were on the same page. Then we went to a club called The Limelight that is across from the TN Titan’s football stadium. The headlining band was The Road Hammers out of Canada. They are pretty much a roadhouse band. GAC TV was doing a taping of their performance for their TV show that starts next week. I think the opening band name was King Willy. I was surprised to find out they were calling themselves a country band as they were pretty heavy rock in my opinion.
I personally thought the stage shows of both bands were cheesy. They did a lot of choreographed moves and wankerie.
MAB introduced me to a handful of writers there. Then we sat with the owners and watched the show and the painful 30 minute sound check in between. It was interesting to hear what the club owners had to say about what they were looking for in writer's nights and bands.
Like if you come to play a writer's night you should bring people and stick around for more than your song. It really irks them when writers show up and have a glass of water, play a song, and leave. They are in the bar biz. They make their money from selling drinks. Bring people with to listen to you play and have the courtesy to stay and listen to the other writers.
Day 2,
Okay, Time to do some Name Dropping.
I met the following people at the Limelight on Wednesday night. Joe and Joy the club owners.
Doak Turner he’s the best networker in town and knows everyone. He is a writer and editor of the Nashville Muse, internet newsletter and he hosts a pickin’ party at his house that is very popular.
Scotty, He’s a writer and very funny guy. He has a YouTube site that has some very funny cooking videos on it.
Lisa Carver. She has written songs for the Dixie Chicks, Julie Roberts, Carrie Underwood, and Miranda Lambert.
I met up with MAB a little after 10am at his house and we went over some songs I had recorded and I played one live for him. He pointed out that I was too wordy in my lyrics and pitchy in my singing. He suggest that I capo up a half step and try singing there to even out my pitch and pointed out how I could rephrase some of my lyrics be less syllables and that would also help out with the singing.
Then we headed downtown to the 10th annual Hotdog party put on by Sun Trust Bank and EMI publishing. That is for the writers and publishers in town. I got to say hi to Doak and Scotty again. Dave Berg was playing when we got there. I got to hear him play 3 of his #1 songs “These are My People”, “Stupid Boy”, and “If You're Going Through Hell Keep on Going”, and One new one called "That's Good, that's Bad". He was walking by me when he got off the stage, so I introduced myself, said good show, and shook his hand.
Karie Jennings, a new artist out of North Carolina that MAB has been working with. She was very nice and I chatted with her quite a bit.
Fred Vail was serving hot dogs. He owns one of the top studios in town, Treasure Island.
Sherril Blackman is the top song plugger in town.
Preshias Harris, She is a magazine writer, syndicated, in several national magazines.
Jay Verne, Of Jay's Place, The studio MAB works out of.
Jeff? A lawyer from BMI.
There are some very lucky young unmarried men in this town, with all the beautiful women at all these things. A lot more women around than I see when I go to songwriter conventions in L.A.
After the Hotdog party we went back to MAB’s house to write a song. We wrote a song called “Heat Stroke” inspired by the 100 degree heat and hot women at the Hotdog Party.
All in all, I got caught up in the moment and didn’t even think to take notes of what people’s names were and MAB emailed them to me. Thanks MAB.
Next time I would like to focus a little more on the actual songwriting part. But, it was hard to pass up the opportunity to meet all these people.
I could have done more stuff with MAB and other people in town, but my wife’s friend that was showing her around had a family emergency and she demanded that we go home immediately. So home we went.
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