No. 267: Wearing Forbidden Symbols to the Country Fair
⁂ Nashville's Alt-Daily ⁂ Flags · Starbuck · Tract · Housing · Dream Machine · Budgets · Much More!
Good morning, everyone.
CMA Fest is next week, but it's not the lineup that's made the news recently. It's the festival's decision to ban attendees from displaying Confederate imagery that's adorned the headlines. The policy is explicitly laid out in the "Prohibited Items & Activities" section of the FAQ portion of the website alongside things like bikes, fireworks, outside alcohol, and laser pointers.
Curiously absent is any mention of National Socialist, Communist, or pertinent to today, Russian insignia. Presumably, there's some higher shared moral code that would prevent such symbols from appearing in as civilized a locale as the CMA Fest, right?
That said, none of the above are explicitly prohibited, so you won't be turned away if you show up with a swastika on your hat.
Onward.
Today, we look at Robby Starbuck's second attempt to get back on the GOP primary ballot, assess home prices in Nashville, look at a fresh new album from Dream Machine, and look at who's living paycheck to paycheck.
You can follow us on Twitter (@realpamphleteer), LinkedIn (@realpamphleteer), or Instagram (@realpamphleteer) for additional content.
Also, be sure to check out our podcast. New episodes every Monday. Available wherever you get your podcasts.
Thanks for reading.
♬ WEEKEND PLAYLIST ♬
✱ STARBUCK HAS HIS SECOND DAY IN COURT
Yesterday, Davidson Chancery Court Judge Russell Perkins heard the arguments regarding disqualified 5th district US Congressional Republican candidate Robby Starbuck’s case against the Tennessee Republican Party (TRP) and the TRP State Executive Committee (SEC). The civil lawsuit filed by Starbuck against the party called for a temporary injunction to void the decisions made during an SEC board meeting where three Republican party candidates (Robby Starbuck included) were disqualified from the 2022 August Republican primary ballot.
The backbone of his case relied heavily upon the notion that the TRP violated its own bylaws. When looking at the actual wording within the TRP’s bylaws, it is clear that it didn’t. Even if Judge Perkins finds a problem with the lack of transparency during the SEC meeting and grants a temporary injunction to void their decision, it will come at a cost and create an entirely new precedent that will have implications for Freedom of Association rights. It also doesn't guarantee that the State Election Commission (who prepares the ballots for the primary election) will violate its own protocol and reinstate Robby Starbuck to the ballot in time for the August primary election, regardless of such a ruling. What seems more likely to come from this lawsuit is Tennessee Republican Party infighting regarding protocol, power, and hierarchy within the local ranks.
We lay all out the details of yesterday’s hearing in much greater detail on the website.
⤴ IN THE NEWS: NASHVILLE HOUSING PRICES
Housing prices in Nashville have more than doubled over the past 10 years, partly because of a population boom that has brought nearly 400,000 new residents to the metropolitan area. That has pushed some locals farther away from the city center, adding hours to their weekly commutes. Meager public-transit options mean soaring fuel prices are hitting them especially hard.
Source:
Housing, Child Care, Utilities—Nashville Faces Exceptional Inflation Hit From All Sides
WSJ, 1 June 2022, Read Online
☗ TRACT HOUSING IN DRAG ☗
Our semi-regular segment admiring Nashville's latest architectural achievements (More Info)
HEADLINES
- 🎥 Worrell History: A Look at the Making of a Cult Classic With Nashville Ties (Scene) Ernest Goes to Camp turns 35 this summer. Let’s talk about the people who were there and the continuing love for the man at the center of it.
- Tennessee slapped with suit alleging a failure to give veterans employment preferences (Lookout) A sergeant in the National Guard filed suit against the Tennessee Departments of Safety and Human Resources on Tuesday, alleging that state officials failed to give him — and potentially hundreds of other applicants seeking jobs in state government — veteran preferences in hiring.
- TDOT announces lane closures through June 8 (Homepage) The Tennessee Department of Transportation has announced a variety of road construction projects through June 8 across Williamson County and Middle Tennessee.
- Tennessee Valley Authority whistleblowers sue agency in federal court (Lookout) Three former Tennessee Valley Authority nuclear oversight managers who were removed from their posts after alerting the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission to repeated safety concerns and violations are now suing the utility in federal court.
POLITICS
- Dallas' Law signed into effect by Gov. Bill Lee (Channel 5) Gov. Bill Lee signed into law Wednesday a measure that would require de-escalation training for security guard applicants.
- Lee signs budget appropriations bill that includes $500M for new Tennessee Titans stadium (Center Square) The estimated $2.2 billion stadium is expected to open for the 2026 Titans season. Titans ownership is expected to put $700 million toward the project, including an approximately $200 million loan from the National Football League, while the remaining $1 billion is expected to be paid from taxes headed to an account with the Metro Nashville Sports Authority.
- ‘Which public schools will we be forced to close?’: Cooper asks state high court to review voucher ruling (Main Street) On Tuesday evening, Metro filed a petition with the state’s high court asking it to reconsider its recent 3-2 decision that found the state’s 2019 Education Savings Accounts Act to be constitutional.
- Lee signs bill to expand Tennessee HOPE scholarship by $85M (Center Square) The bill will increase the HOPE scholarship for all eligible students who graduate from a TN high school with a 3.0 GPA or higher and have a 21 on their ACT test or 1060 on their SAT test. The scholarship will increase from $3,500 to $4,500 per year for freshmen and sophomores at a four-year institution and from $4,500 to $5,700 for junior and seniors. It will also go up from $3,000 to $3,200 per year for students at two-year schools.
DEVELOPMENT
- Veteran music industry attorney buys in Chestnut Hill (Post)
- Permits issued for Nashville Yards entertainment segment (Post)
- Nashville’s multifamily sector leads the nation (Post)
- Plans evolve for project eyed for Germantown (Post)
- Meharry chafes at rollout of possible Nashville General move (Post)
⍉ [Album Review] Dream Machine: Living the Dream
In a world where self-censorship has run rampant and many are afraid to speak freely, we have at least one reason to remain hopeful for the future — Dream Machine is back. Their highly anticipated 3rd studio album Living the Dream is out today (June 3, 2022) on Fuzz City Records. You can listen to the album on Bandcamp and Spotify.
Living the Dream is a groovy departure from the slightly heavier, darker sounds of their last album. This time, they offer up an inspiring dream-themed journey punctuated with epic guitar and synth solos. The husband and wife duo Matthew and Doris Melton are joined by Billy Odyssey on drums.
Their penchant for vintage analog instruments and recording is displayed at full force, as well as their shared admiration for the musical stylings of the 70s and 80s. Dream Machine is building on the classics with their most confident and polished work to date.
Matthew and Doris are fostering positive change with their fearless commentary and thought provoking music, invoking many of the greats that came before them. They have gone hard in the paint, as it were, in support of free speech — bringing them notoriety, especially in spaces where music fans still appreciate freedom of expression in the arts.
Not long ago, in 2017, the husband and wife duo were abruptly dropped from their record label and denounced publicly for crimes including suggesting female musicians should be proficient at their instruments or that illegal immigrants with a criminal record should be deported. Instead of cowering they instead fought back, shifting to self-release on Matthew's record label Fuzz City Records and continuing to build upon their adoring fanbase with their excellent YouTube channel.
⬇ GRAPH OF THE DAY: EVEN THE RICH ARE POOR
⚔ MISSIVES ⚔
- 💸 President Biden discussed steps to address high inflation at a White House meeting with Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell as his administration signals growing urgency to ease rapidly rising prices that threaten the U.S. economy.
- ❌ Declaring "Enough, enough!" U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday called on Congress to ban assault weapons, expand background checks and implement other gun control measures to address a string of mass shootings that have struck the United States.
- 🇮🇹 Starting from June 1, travellers from all over the world will be able to enter Italy restriction-free as the latter has decided to drop all of its COVID-19 entry rules.
- 🚼 More than two-thirds of Americans want to uphold Roe v. Wade, and most favor women having access to legal abortion for any reason, according to a new Wall Street Journal poll that shows a four-decade evolution in the country’s viewpoints regarding the procedure.
- 🏛 Michael Avenatti, the former attorney for Stormy Daniels, was sentenced to four years in prison on Thursday for stealing nearly $300,000 in book advance money from the adult film star.
THINGS TO DO
View our full event calendar here.
🍺 The Pamphleteer hosts Bar Hours on the last Thursday of every month at Lucky's 3 Star Bar from 6-8 PM. The first ten guests get drinks on the company tab.
🎪 Check out our favorite driving distance festivals this summer. Chattanooga's Riverbend Festival is June 3-5.
👨🏻🌾 The Pamphleteer farmer's market guide.
👂 Listen to The Pamphleteer's Picks, a playlist of the bands featured in this week's calendar.
TONIGHT
🎻 The Cowpokes @ Acme Feed & Seed, 12p, Free, Info
🎙 Musicians Corner @ Centennial Park, 5p, Free, Info
+ Look out for Karina Daza and Pepper Said
🍀 Live Irish Music @ McNamara’s Irish Pub, 6p, Free, Info
🎸 Kelly’s Heroes @ Robert’s Western World, 6:30p, Free, Info
🐅 Brew at the Zoo @ Nashville Zoo, 7:30p, $95, Info
👁 Beethoven's 9th @ Schermerhorn, 8p, $25+, Info
TOMORROW
🏎 Cars and Coffee @ Nashville Superspeedway, 8a, Free, Info
🎙 Musicians Corner @ Centennial Park, 12p, Free, Info
🏎 Drag Race @ Music City Raceway, 2p, Free, Info
🏅 Sylvan Park Olympiad @ Park Ave, 2p, $125 (to compete), Info
🛋 Live in the Living Room @ The W, 5p, Free, Info
🍀 Live Irish Music @ McNamara’s Irish Pub, 6p, Free, Info
🎸 Kelly’s Heroes @ Robert’s Western World, 6:30p, Free, Info
💃 Big Band Dance @ Centennial Park, 7:30p, Free, Info
+ Live band and a free lesson
👁 Beethoven's 9th @ Schermerhorn, 8p, $25+, Info
SUNDAY
🎻 Bluegrass Brunch @ Von Elrod's, 10a, Info
👁 Beethoven's 9th @ Schermerhorn, 2p, $25+, Info
🎅🏽 Santa's Ice Cold Pickers @ Santa's Pub, 7p, Free, No Info
🍳 Big K.R.I.T. @ Brooklyn Bowl, 8p, $25, Info
⚡️ Lightning 100 Nashville Sunday Night @ 3rd & Lindsley, 8p, $15, Info
ON THE RADAR
🚨 Eprom @ Eastside Bowl, (6/25), $25.50, Info
🏎 Nascar Ally 400 @ Nashville Superspeedway, (6/24-26) $11+, Info
🏜 Hiatus Kaiyote @ Marathon Music Works, (8/14), $35+, Info
🐂 Professional Bull Riding @ Bridgestone, (8/19-21), $20+ Info
🐖 Roger Waters @ Bridgestone, (8/27), $39, Info
🎹 Stereolab @ Marathon Music Works, (9/6), $35, Info
🎸 My Morning Jacket (9/23) @ Ascend Amphitheater, 7p, $22.88, Info
🎸 Smashing Pumpkins (10/10) @ Bridgestone Arena, 6:30p, $133+, Info
FROM THE ARCHIVE
The Pamphleteer
John Arra
Jerod Ra’Del Hollyfield
Davis Hunt
Valerie Malfy
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Words of Wisdom
"Money is never spent to so much advantage as when you have been cheated out of it; for at one stroke you have purchased prudence."
Schopenhauer
Today's newsletter is brought to you by Megan Podsiedlik (Nashville), Edward Landstreet (Local Noise), and Davis Hunt (everything else).