Every fall, The Americana Music Association gathers members, artists and music fans together in Nashville for its annual conference. Starting with the Americana Music Awards at the legendary Ryman Auditorium and continuing through four days of showcases and panel discussions, it is a tremendous celebration of Americana music.
The conference expanded its reach this year in multiple ways. Undoubtedly to the dismay of some longtime residents, East Nashville has become quite the trendy neighborhood for artists and others. The conference took full advantage, reaching deeper into the neighborhood for both unofficial parties and official showcases.
A neighborhood called the Gulch, located between Downtown and famed Music Row, also saw an increased presence. Although there were few official events, the area hosted a number of day parties and performances.
If you’re seeing a trend, there is also an apparent need to name every individual neighborhood. Apparently those responsible for naming the area South of Broadway are bro-country afficionados.
The number of official venues also grew. Longtime stalwarts like the Cannery Ballroom, the Mercy Lounge and Third Man Records were joined by the newly opened Basement East and the Listening Room. While this enables the conference to invite more showcasing artists, the geographical dispersion forced attendees to make some tough choices. Life is rough, I know.
We visited this East Nashville locale last year for a couple of day parties. The combination record store, boutique and petting zoo became an immediate favorite. This year only strengthened that opinion.
Little Rock Arkansas indie label Last Chance Records threw one heck of a day party on Saturday with performers ranging from John Moreland to Austin Lucas. We were back on Sunday for the second (annual?) JP Harris party featuring Andrew Combs, Steelism and, of course, Harris’s home-cooked gumbo. We need more parties like that.
Visit Fond Object online here.
No conference coverage would be complete without discussion of the Americana Awards show, now in its 14th year. I’ll tease you now by saying it was an incredible evening with performers that ranged from Los Lobos to Shaky Graves to Lucinda Williams. Stay tuned for full coverage of this amazing event.
When in Nashville, eat hot chicken. We stood in line at Hattie B’s for thirty minutes on Saturday but it was so, so worth it.
About the author: Mild-mannered corporate executive by day, excitable Twangville denizen by night.