Shadows, whether cast in real life or internally cloaking the soul, can obscure even the brightest lights. They magnify the mystery of the unknown and twist the shape of the familiar. In many ways the shadows blanketing Rose of the West’s recent set at Nashville’s High Watt served as a fitting metaphor for the band…
An event like no other, a festival within a festival, the SuperJam! is one of the most sacred traditions of the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival. While there have been minor changes over the years, its foundation remains constant: packing in as many of the festival’s best artists to sing songs that everyone knows, while…
The 2019 Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival started off a little different for East of 8th. Having eased into Bonnaroo 2019 by spending Thursday night taking in the Americana and country music sounds of the Grand Ole Opry for East of 8th’s sister publication, Mother Church Pew, we had forgone many of the no-sleep, first…
Some of the strongest bonds can be formed in an instant—this is the backstory of Shpresa Lleshaj and Cole Randall–otherwise known as alt-pop band Flora Cash. It’s such a palpable bond that even the most vodka-infused audience member could feel it during the duo’s recent stop at Nashville’s Cannery Ballroom. Watching the pair share knowing…
There are some principles that we know to be true. Space is curved. Every action in nature has an equal and opposite reaction. We get to eat pie each year on March 14th. However, one of the great unsolved mysteries is how rock duos manage to consistently outplay and outperform prototypical, stage sprawling bands. Seeking…
One of the unexpected challenges of writing concert reviews when the artist is the offspring of an iconic musician is determining whether the rising artist is trying to embrace the legend of the parent or hoping to bury any familial comparisons. Ironically, most musicians seem to be internally struggling with the same thing. Fortunately, The Devon…
A short time ago, a friend sent me a Spotify link and told me to check out an artist named Lennon Stella. The link came with almost no details except that Stella’s background included being a cast member on the TV show Nashville. It was around this same time that I discovered I may be…
Haw River Ballroom was recently treated to a double-billed funk invasion featuring Turkuaz and Lettuce—these vastly talented groups bring the promise of hard-hitting basslines, sizzling horns, and jazzy guitar riffs. The mixed crowd spanning a few decades in age came ready to dance in the venue tucked away in small Saxapahaw, North Carolina. Turkuaz opened…
It’s no longer a secret that Nashville’s music scene is more than a love-hate relationship with its country music stereotype. With indie and alternative rock now a dominating force, the music floods out of concert venues, clubs, and bars nightly. While there are numerous faces in the crowd of the city’s emerging rock acts, there…
“In the beginning, the land was pure”….a spoken word excerpt borrowed from The Jacksons’ 1980 tune “Can You Feel It” opened the show at the High Watt this week for Keuning, the solo project of Dave Keuning, lead guitarist and co-founder of world-famous rock band The Killers. As words turned into funky beats, Keuning took…