Election Day's Eve

Good afternoon, everyone.

More than anything, I think this election will be a referendum on legacy media's hold on the public consciousness. Trump's 2016 campaign gave voice to the generalized mistrust people felt towards mainstream media and that distrust has only increased since then.

As the Left clings more tightly to supposedly hallowed and holy institutions like the New York Times, the Right has bifurcated into a million different platforms, personalities, and mediums. If John Oliver tearfully begging his audience to vote for Kamala Harris is any indication, we're set for a meltdown that could potentially be more epic than 2016's. Locally, the transit referendum will be decided.

There will be plenty to talk about in the coming days and where better to experience this historical election than at our Election Night party tomorrow. More info here. Bring a friend.

And of course, tomorrow is your last chance to hit the ballot box. Information on locations, times, etc. can be found here.

Onward.

🗳️ Early Voting Across The State Tomorrow is election day, and nearly 46 percent of Tennessee voters have already cast their ballot. Compared to 2020, the early vote total (2,214,870) is up 3 percent across the state despite absentee ballots having decreased by 61 percent. Early voter participation was highest in Williamson, Wilson, and Loudon counties and lowest in Bledsoe, Montgomery, and Union. Voter enthusiasm seems to be a negligible factor given that all six counties favored Donald Trump in 2020 and 2016.

When looking at the state’s previous presidential election turnouts, almost 67 percent of 2016’s total votes were cast early. In 2020, early votes made up nearly 75 percent of the final count. Tomorrow, Tennessee is likely to see around one million more votes cast. 

If you haven’t already made it to the polls, check out our Davidson County quick guide, Mayor O’Connell’s transit referendum, and our articles and interviews featuring alternative perspectives regarding Choose How You Move.

🤳 Council Makes Its Social Media Debut On Friday, the Metro Council Office sent out a press release announcing the launch of its official social media accounts. “These platforms will serve as key communication and outreach tools, allowing the Metro Council Office to connect with residents quickly and reach the broadest possible audience,” said Margaret Darby, Metro Council Office Director and Special Counsel.

Similar to Metro’s YouTube account, the comment sections are disabled on X, Instagram, and Facebook, but liking, sharing, or quote-sharing posts is permitted. When considering the countless controversies stirred up by legislation and council members over the years, it’s hard to blame them. 

Please note that this week, Metro’s regularly scheduled council meeting will take place on Thursday instead of Tuesday due to the election.

X: Nashville Metropolitan Council Office (@NashvilleMCO)
Instagram: Nashville Metropolitan Council Office (@NashMCO)
Facebook: Nashville Metropolitan Council Office 

💸 Vandy Sues Over Unionization Process In the beginning of October, 2,200 Vanderbilt graduate students filed a request for a union election with the National Labor Relations Board. Part of a collective bargaining saga that started with a thousand-signature petition in September, the Vanderbilt employees are seeking higher wages and better benefits. 

Last week, the university filed its own suit against the NLRB, arguing that releasing the personal information requested by the board would violate federal privacy law. "Vanderbilt is committed to protecting the private and personal information of our students, as we are required to do by federal law,” a university spokesperson told the Scene. “We are pleased the federal court has granted the temporary restraining order as we have many students who feel their privacy rights are not being respected by the National Labor Relations Board or the United Auto Workers, and who feel the NLRB is ignoring their rights in favor of its own processes.”

DEVELOPMENT

• Plans revealed for Germantown townhome development (NBJ)
• Red Door Saloon to open third Music City location (NBJ)
• Vanderbilt eyes May 2025 start on residential buildings (Post)

✹ OSCAR BAIT DISPATCH: MY OLD ASS

“I dream about being bored. And it never happens,” Aubrey Plaza said, while reflecting on what she misses most from her childhood. Sitting alongside writer/director Megan Park and actress Maisy Stella, the Parks & Recreation actress was kicking off the first round of awards season press conferences on Monday for the trio’s film, My Old Ass.

Plaza may only have about 20 minutes of screentime in the coming-of-age comedy that earned raves out of Sundance earlier this year, but it’s one of the best performances of her career. It’s also one of the most rewarding for her personally. “I was having a moment with Megan and Maisy where it felt real. You just don't always have people that want to really try to find truthful moments. Most of the time when you're on set, it's like, ‘We gotta go, we gotta go, we gotta go, we gotta rush!’”

THINGS TO DO

View our calendar for the week here and our weekly film rundown here.

📅 Visit our On The Radar list to find upcoming events around Nashville.

🎧 On Spotify: Pamphleteer's Picks, a playlist of our favorite bands in town this week.

👨🏻‍🌾 Check out our Nashville farmer's market guide and yearly festival guide.

TONIGHT

🎸 Cavetown with Frankie Cosmos @ Brooklyn Bowl Nashville, 8p, $36, Info

🪕 Bluegrass Mondays - Bronwyn Keith-Hynes @ Dee's Lounge, 6p, $10, Info

🎸 Clairo @ Ryman Auditorium, 7:30p, $50.50+, Info

🎸 Timbo & Lonesome Country @ Jane's Hideaway, 8p, Info
+ modern take on classic country, bluegrass & hillbilly Jazz

🪕 Val Storey, Carl Jackson, Larry Cordle & New Monday @ Station Inn, 8p, $20, Info

💀 Grateful Monday @ Acme Feed & Seed, 8p, Free, Info

🕺 Motown Monday @ The 5 Spot, 9p, $5, Info

📰 Check out the full newsletter archive here.