The Tennessee Sentiments of Song Sung Blue
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Jerod reviews the sleeper hit, Song Sung Blue... Oracle runs into recruiting problems... House GOP leader announces retirement... Governor Lee proclaims "Dolly Parton Day"... and much more!
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With his new movie, Memphis’s Craig Brewer proves himself Hollywood’s foremost chronicler of the American majority
From Jerod Hollyfield
Two weeks after Song Sung Blue became a sleeper hit at the holiday box office, industry trade Variety ran an article on the film’s success. Much of the piece detailed writer/director Craig Brewer’s struggle to get the project greenlit because of its focus on a working class couple in the Flyover States.
“Even places that I had made a lot of money for were like, ‘We don’t think audiences are going to like these people. Just look at the way they’re living.’ Brewer told the magazine. “And I’d say, ‘What do you mean, “the way they’re living”?’ They’d say, ‘Well their house is cluttered and dirty.’ I was like, ‘Well, wait a minute. Hold on. These are some magical people. These are the type of people that I’m related to. This is like my grandmother’s house.’”
Starring Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson as a real-life Milwaukee couple who formed a Neil Diamond tribute act and chased their dreams despite a tragic accident, Song Sung Blue could have easily fallen victim to Hollywood’s working man cliches that dominate the rare times the industry focuses on those in the Rust Belt or South.
HEADLINES
- 💻 Oracle is aggressively recruiting cloud infrastructure workers for its new Nashville “global headquarters,” offering relocation incentives and listing more open roles here than in any other U.S. city as it builds a major riverfront campus. However, the company is finding it challenging to attract employees to the city due to Nashville’s weaker local tech job market and having to transition from remote work to in-office work. (Bloomberg)
- 🗣 House Republican Caucus Chair Representative Jeremy Faison (R-Cosby) to retire. After 16 years serving as a state lawmaker representing East Tennessee, Faison will step down at the end of his term. (TN Journal)
- 🔥 Lower levels in the Downtown Library Parking Garage to reopen…soon? Eight months since a fire caused severe damage to the library garage, NDOT hopes to restore access to its bottom floors. The main library remains closed, with no opening date set. (Post)
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“Dolly Parton’s life and career is woven into Tennessee’s music, culture, and rich history. Her talent and generosity have made a lasting impact on the world, and it is fitting that we honor her 80th birthday by celebrating her remarkable legacy and dedication to the Volunteer State.”
Governor Bill Lee
DEVELOPMENT
- Beloved Calypso Cafe to fully reopen West Nashville location (NBJ)
- Building home to high-end dog service business sells for $9.3M (Post)
- Green Hills commercial building sells for $1.75M (Post)
THINGS TO DO
View our calendar for the week 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.
TONIGHT
🎷 Tribute to John Coltrane w/ Nashville Symphony @ Schermerhorn Symphony Center, 7p, $36+, Info
🎸 Neptune Flowers @ The Eighth Room, 8p, $12.43, Info
🎸 Spafford @ The Basement East, 8p, $27.27, Info
🪕 Fireball Mail @ Station Inn, 9p, Info
🪕 The Cowpokes @ Acme Feed & Seed, 12p, Free, Info
🎸 Kelley’s Heroes @ Robert’s Western World, 6:30p, Free, Info
SATURDAY
🎸 Fred Eaglesmith @ Riverside Revival, 8p, $38+, Info
🎸 Ruston Kelly @ Ryman Auditorium, 8p, $39+, Info
🪕 Michael Cleveland & Cody Looper @ Station Inn, 9p, Info
🎸 Kelley’s Heroes @ Robert’s Western World, 6:30p, Free, Info
SUNDAY
🎸 Dan Penn + Spooner Oldham @ City Winery, 7:30p, $42, Info
🪕 Bluegrass Jam @ Station Inn, 7p, Free, Info
+ a night for musicians and singers from all over the world to gather and enjoy making music together
🪕 Sundays Between with Easy Green @ Tennessee Brew Works, 1p, Info
+ a bluegrass celebration of the music of the Grateful Dead
📰 Check out the full newsletter archive here.
Today's newsletter is brought to you by Davis Hunt, Megan Podsiedlik, and Camelia Brennan.