Nashvillest

Happy weekend, Nashville. With so much going on today, we unplugged ourselves and played all afternoon instead of blogging. Sorry, guys! We did want to wish you all a happy and safe Fourth from the Nashvillest HQ. If you haven’t already, be sure to check out our Fourth of July post for the scoop on what’s happening tonight, as well as the Tennessean’s guide to dodging the crowds at the Riverfront fireworks (which may be about five explosions short). Also, stay safe out there if you’re driving and don’t forget about the new kids in town, Zingo, if you find yourself stranded. Have fun, live it up, and we’ll see you on Monday!

Photo by crud_bud.

For those that are new to Nashville (or just visiting), it’s a dream come true to have a “locals” guide to dining. Our pride in Where The Locals Eat is twofold. First, they have great dining suggestions that spotlight hidden gems in cities all over the nation. But interestingly enough, they are also based right here in Brentwood, TN. Browse their list of Nashville’s top 100 restaurants with good faith, because they really are where the locals eat.

Good morning, Nashville, and happy Fourth of July. Earlier this year we welcomed a whole new genre into Music City when the Barbershop Harmony Society moved their international headquarters to downtown Nashville. This weekend more than 8,500 barbershop harmony singers are taking over the city for the 70th Annual Quartet and Chorus Convention. The thought of a few thousand barbershop singers wandering the streets of Nashville makes us smile, because in the words of one singer, “I don’t think you’ll find any depressed people in the barbershop.”

• More killer tomatoes. Just when you thought you’d heard the last of the Killer Tomatoes, the latest victim is from right here in Nashville. This makes seven Tennesseans who have been sickened by the salmonella-laced tomatoes, so you may way to think twice before you bring those tomatoes to your July 4th cookouts.
• From the Nashville 911 files. Several people called 911 yesterday when some parents nearly started a brawl at a Little League baseball game. The parents were upset over a bad call by the umpire, but grew violent enough that other parents were afraid someone would pull a gun. After lots and lots of calls to 911, police finally showed up 22 minutes later. Good thing no one was actually armed, right?
• Bits & pieces. Jason Priestley, meet Nashville … They heard you! Metro schools changes up their controversial rezoning plan to make sure kids aren’t being segregated … Former senator John Ford’s trial is finally underway and Gov. Phil Bredesen testified yesterday.

Photo by honkytonk.

• A careless construction crew struck an underground transformer and it exploded this morning. A similar incident happened in 1999 - you’d think that they would have learned the first time. [WSMV]
• From now through 11:59pm on Sunday, be extra careful on the roads. Tennessee Highway Patrol and Metro Nashville Police will be busy with sobriety and license checkpoints. On Saturday, state troopers will be setting up shop every 15 miles on I-40. Don’t drink & drive, wear your seatbelt, and you should be fine. [Department of Safety]
• In addition to the extra law enforcement, the roads this weekend should be smooth sailing. TDOT has shut down all interstate construction for the holiday. [Nashville Business Journal]

Kenny Chesney’s nationwide search for the “Next Big Star” is coming home today. The four local finalists chosen will face off at the Hard Rock Cafe downtown at 9pm. Winner gets to play the opening slot at LP Field this Saturday with Kenny Chesney, LeAnn Rimes, Keith Urban, Sammy Hagar and Gary Allan… Not a shabby prize. For some Fourth of July pre-game, this is easy, free entertainment.

Photo by don.lee.

Nashville photographer Chris Wage captured some great detail with this black and white candid at the RC & Moon Pie Festival in Bell Buckle, TN a few weekends back. We’re pretty sad that we didn’t get to go, but luckily for us there were plenty of pictures.

Photo Of The Day will be a recurring feature for Nashvillest as long you keep giving us stuff to post. Don’t worry- We’ll give you props. Just add them to the pool or tag them with “Nashvillest” if you’re feeling lazy.

Let’s brag on Nashville for just a few minutes. AOL CityGuide’s “Booms with a View” ranked us second in the nation for the best Fourth of July firework shows and events. In 2005, we were also ranked in the top ten fireworks displays by the American Pyrotechnics Association. Basically, our Fourth of July celebrations are awesome.

We rounded up some activities for the Independence Day weekend, so you can spend less time figuring out what to do and more time enjoying the time off work. Win-win.

And a little Nashvillest tip from us to you? Stock up on the hard stuff today, because you won’t be able to run to the liquor store tomorrow. (We promise, we’re not alcoholics. We just like to write about booze.)

Music City July 4th
The no-brainer of the bunch, this is Nashville’s official celebration at Riverfront Park. The Kroger & Coca Cola Family Fun Zone will open at noon on the 4th, and the music will begin at 3 on the NowPlayingNashville.com stage. The main show begins at 7pm, and performers for the evening include Phil Vassar, Michael McDonald and the Nashville Symphony Orchestra. Fireworks are scheduled to begin at 9:25pm sharp, accompanied by an additional symphony performance. Leave your alcohol at home - it will be confiscated at the park if you try to bring it in.

Franklin on the Fourth
If you don’t feel like driving downtown (or dread the idea of trying to park your car), Williamson County’s Franklin on the Fourth celebration is every bit as great. The traditional Franklin street fair starts at 11am on Friday, with childrens’ activities on 4th Ave, live music, and street vendors. The fun even stretches through Saturday this year! Fireworks will begin around 9:30pm on Friday.

Music City Hot Chicken Festival
We’ve written about the upcoming Hot Chicken Festival before, but it’s finally arrived. From 12pm-3pm on Friday in East Park, enjoy free hot chicken samples from a handful of vendors. But be sure to arrive early - free chicken is only guaranteed for the first 500 people. It finishes early enough to give everyone time to recover before heading to their fireworks display of choice, which we definitely appreciate.

Sylvan Park Parade
9am-11am at the intersection of Charlotte Ave & 49th. Kids will parade at 9:30am, so if you’re not taking advantage of the day off to sleep in, take the kids out and let them ride their bikes in the parade.

Red, White and Bluegrass Night
Join Vince Gill and the Ryman TONIGHT (July 3) for their special 4th of July edition of Bluegrass Nights at the Ryman. Tickets are $25 and the show starts at 7:30pm.

Poets & Pirates Tour
Kenny Chesney, Leann Rimes, Keith Urban and more, all at the same show? Too good to be true for Nashville country fans. LP Field on Saturday, July 5 at 3:30pm.

Firecracker 5K
Early birds, head out to the Maryland Farms YMCA for this 7am 4th of July 5K.

Photo of Franklin fireworks by Brent and MariLynn.

Like free music? Noisetrade.com is the brain child of several forward-thinking folks in the Nashville music industry who are seeking to change the way music reaches fans. 

Does anyone remember FreeDerekWebb.com? Local artist Derek Webb gave away over 80,000 copies of his CD “Mockingbird,” and in return fans told a handful of friends about the site. The same concept applies to Noisetrade, with a twist: Fans can opt to tell friends and get the music for free, or they can choose to pay whatever they want. That’s right - whatever they want. 

“Who needs peer-to-peer when you can have artist-to-fan?” Derek concludes, “If artists and fans realized how they could help each other and started making direct connections, without a middleman, the whole industry would change overnight. It would start a revolution.” 

Check out Noisetrade.com over the next few days and weeks as artists join the revolution. Their official launch is tomorrow, but they are already hosting music from locals Sandra McCracken, Matthew Perryman Jones, Katie Herzig, Alli Rogers and of course, co-founder Derek Webb. 

Another sweet bonus, Paste Magazine has partnered with Noisetrade around the same concept - a pay what you want magazine subscription. If this is the way of the future, we’re on board. 

Good morning, Nashville. The presidential debate gods are raining on Belmont’s parade this year, as it’s looking like that town hall debate they’ve been getting everyone all worked up about may not be the only one of its kind. It was originally set to be the third of three debates to take place between the candidates, but now McCain is going all over-achiever on us and challenging Obama to ten town hall-style debates. If that happens, Belmont’s afraid that no one is going to care enough to watch town hall debate #11 when it rolls around in October.

• Conventional questions. Things are getting underway with the new convention center and the city is saying they want our input–they just haven’t figured out how. They’re also not sure how much it’ll set them back to have NES move the downtown substation to accommodate the new structure since estimates have been anywhere from $1M to $50M.
• Empty jackpots. The Tennessee lottery has been peddling lottery tickets for jackpots that have already been won. They say it’s because it takes so long to go around and pick up the extra tickets once the game is over, so they’ve come up with a new system of keeping one jackpot open from every game until all tickets have been collected, then drawing from the losing tickets.
• Bits & pieces. Ronnie McDowell wrote a song about gas prices and everybody loves it … March and candlelight vigil planned tonight for 18-year old gunned down at Nolensville car wash … Nebraska is trying to poison everyone with their beef; Kroger issues a recall … Jon and Jodi Roda and their 5 month-old triplets of steel were hit head-on by a drunk driver in Hermitage and made it out totally unscathed.

Photo by Paul Chenoweth.

Today’s mixed reviews are a little bit depressing, and a little bit disgusting. Tennessee is the 6th fattest state, hanging onto its rank from last year. And we’ve actually gotten fatter than last year, with 30.7% of Tennesseeans qualifying as “obese” in 2007 and up to 31.9% claiming the title this year. [Thanks to Josh H. for the tip.]

That may be fine and well, but we’re now also hoisting high our title of Tennessee’s #2 sweatiest city. Gross, and thank heaven for Memphis and their overall rank of #5 sweatiest city in the nation. At #27, we suddenly feel better about coming in second. Our neighbors in Chattanooga came in #35 overall, and Knoxville landed #41. [From Chattarati]

Photo by morgantepsic.