Located in the historic Printer’s Alley in Nashville, the Bourbon Street Blues and Boogie Bar is probably the best Blues club you’ll find in the city.  Smoky, sometimes dank and claustrophobic, the less than comfortable confines are usually ignored because of what is going on onstage. The house band is Stacy Mitchhart and Blues U Can Use, and they usually tear up the stage.

  

 

Being a Tuesday night, the crowd was rather thin. However, the music was hot as Shantelle and Juke Joint played their butts off for the people. Shantelle sings more contemporary songs, a lot of funk and pop and R&B. Every now and then she will slip into a nice blues tune. But with her rapid fire moves and Tina Turner like legs, she definitely keeps all eyes on the stage.

Talented, beautiful and friendly. Always a nice combination. If you ever come to Nashville and want to hear good blues music or good music overall, make sure you check out Bourbon Street Blues and Boogie Bar. You won’t be disappointed.

The Claire Burns art show was today and I must say it was a rousing success. Considering the fact that the show was advertised for the wrong day, it was amazing how many people came out. Remember that I am an amateur photog, so the pictures are not that great. The sad thing is the best photo is one I did not even take.

 The event took place at a place called Poet’s in Cookeville, Tennessee. That’s about an hour and a quarter outside of Nashville. Poet’s is a coffeehouse slash Bookstore. A lot of the Tennessee Technological University students frequent the place, thus the yellow TTU poster in the front window. The one girl in the front window was looking outside until I pulled out my trusty camera. Can anyone say, “Witness Protection Program”? Walking in, you could feel the small-town quaintness and smell the eye opening scent of fresh brewed coffee.

Here is a picture of Claire and myself.  You can see some of her work there in the background. Some has already sold, but there are still paintings available for purchase. You can see them on her site. If you see anything you like, email her at claire@claireburns.com.  Claire was brimming over with redheaded ebullience and artistic brio. Today was her day and I’m glad things went so well.

Below is a fuzzy picture of Bryan C. Adams, the other artist on display. Further down are examples of some of his work. Bryan is a friendly chap with a talent that equals but does not imitate that of Claire’s.

I forgot to write down the name of these pieces, but this will give you an idea of Bryan’s vision. If you see something you like, you can reach him at bcadams29@comcast.net.

  

 

A long day of driving and mingling, although riding with the right people can make a drive that much more enjoyable (which it did). And mingling with the right crowd can make an event that much more memorable (which it did). 

So I’m thinking I may buy a digital camera and start taking pictures of my weekend excursions and posting them here. Perhaps it would give people who have never been to Nashville a glimpse of what the city is like and when I travel I can share those photos too. I think it may be a good way to turn my focus outward instead of inward. Plus, it will encourage me to try new things so I can share them. It should be therapeutic. I find that lately I tend to focus more on the negative than the positive and it isn’t helping much. I want to change that way of thinking. Evening melancholy should just be a station name not a perpetual state of mind.

I figure I’d start with a photo from last weekend. I went to play paintball with a few of my coworkers. Never played before but it was fun. If you’ve never played, let me give you a little advice. Never shoot someone point blank in the crotch. Apparently, that’s frowned upon. Who knew? Anyway, hopefully this will be a fun hobby.

 Below is a picture of me (left), a guy named Brett and a guy named Mangal. When someone first mentioned paintball I heard it as Paint Ball. Two words. A colorful gala with champagne and dancing and (duh) paint. Thus, the jacket and tie. Silly me. Actually, I got the jacket from Goodwill for 99 cents and I snatched the tie from some six year old on his way to his first communion. Poor tyke. Brett, with his intimidating glare, reeked of intensity and danger. Mangal, with his boyish grin, reeked of cheap bourbon.