The Week of Rock and Sounds

I swear I'm not planning on providing you weekly with a play-by-play of my time in Nashville, but in particular- the first weeks seem important. They seem pivotal. They seem to be the experiences which I hope will repeat themselves week-in and week-out. I'm also not going to go into too much about the shows I saw, as I'll save that for the other blog, you know the one about music- www.musicismemory.com

Wait, did I just give my own other blog a shout out?

So, Friday of last week, Tim and I were to see our first real rock show since venturing to Nashville. We had tickets to see Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band at Mercy Lounge. Besides this, we also planned to stop by his in-store performance at Grimey's. The in-store was a bust, the rock show was incredible, including the moment I drunkenly stumbled my way up to the front of the stage for the encore. Sometimes, it is nice to be drunk and irresponsible.

Surprise, surprise, Saturday was a day I did not feel in tip-top shape. That being said, we had already planned a visit to East Nashville's Tomato Art Festival. We pulled ourselves together around 4pm and made a trip over. The festival was fun, except there wasn't as much to do as I hoped. We drank slushies, watched some of a fashion show, and walked up and down the blocks. Apparently, when you go to the Tomato Art Fest, you should be prepared to drink. I was not.

So, instead, we left and decided to attend Game One of a Nashville Sounds doubleheader. I was so excited to see my new local team. I already knew they were coming in last place, but hey, I love the underdog. Upon walking in, I discovered just how old this stadium is- but don't get me wrong, it isn't old in like a cool, antique, historical way....it is old in the way that they built the shit and never touched it again. We walked along creaky boards to find our seats. Some of the seats were cracked. Some were bolted in, some weren't. Essentially, if you were sitting in the aisle seat (which our lovely booking agent at the window sold us on), you have to completely get up and out of your seat to let the other folks in. This is not enjoyable if you are trying to drink your expensive ballpark beer. Don't get me wrong- I loved it. I loved every minute of it...and yes, with that one ballpark beer, I felt the Conor-Oberst-hangover quickly dissipate.

Sunday entailed rest, though with quick trips to Grimey's and the Farmer's Market.













On Monday, Tim and I were to attend our second rock show of the week. We had tickets to see AA Bondy and Bon Iver at The Exit/In. Before we made it to the show, we met up some friends at a nearby bar. We were meeting up with our new pals, Colin and Sarah...but also a couple of folks that are already in/graduated from the program at school. As you can imagine, the evening was mostly spent thinking/worrying/becoming anxious and freaked out about our first day of orientation on Saturday. Afterwards, Tim and I made our way across the street- just in time to see Bon Iver take stage. Excellent show. Beautiful.

On Tuesday, Tim and I were to attend our third rock show of the week. Are we getting exhausted? You bet. I never knew I'd feel exhausted by going to rock shows. I never thought I'd complain that I need a night at home. When I woke up on Wednesday, I knew there was absolutely no way my body was able to leave the house. Regardless, on Tuesday, we were scheduled to see Prabir and the Substitutes open for The Silver Beats. If I was collecting my top ten memories in Nashville during the 3-5 years when I finish with school, there is no doubt- this night will always find a place secured in the list. Since it was primarily a musical evening...I'm saving it for the other blog.

I've been resting since then. Week 3 is all about school. Orientation after orientation after orientation. Given the fact that most of these events start in the morning, I think our week will be far less exciting and far more anxiety producing.