Time It Was And What A Time It Was...

This is one of my old MySpace blogs from about five years ago. I thought it was worth re-visiting...

As a result of my uncontrollable deja vu I've decided to make a list of the cool things and places in Nashville that are no longer with us. Feel free to give me further suggestions:

Madison Music - Not because it was a great music store but more because I learned to play guitar inside their doors. I also met Colin there, which led to me meeting Ronnie and Bill. Three life long friends and the gift of music, that's truly special.


Sam Goodie’s (Rivergate) - I spend many hours and much money in that store. I also met Rob there years before we became friends. Now it's a Party City. Poor trade.

Karma - Where the Goths and Punks shopped before there was a Hot Topic. It was located on lower Broadway next to what is now Decades. There is a new store by this same name in the Five Points area, but I don't know if it's anything like the store I knew.


Dangerous Threads - Rock n' Roll clothes in a Country Music Town. I never bought anything here but I loved to go look every time I was on 2nd Ave. They got a little too ambitious and opened two other locations that ultimately dragged them all down.

Tower Books - This was a mandatory stop any time we would go to West End. They had the best magazine rack in town. Now it's just a small corner in the music store and Tweeter took its space.

Stone Mountain - The first place I saw someone do cocaine; an employee no less. Located above Papa John's Pizza on West End, it was part clothing store, part head shop and all cool. It suffered the same fate as Dangerous Threads as expansion to Hickory Hollow Mall and Murfreesboro stretched its coolness too thin.

Lucy's Record Shop - THE place to go for all-ages shows back in the day. Now it's just an abandoned store front. The Nashville Scene did a great article about it before it closed. Here is the link: http://www.nashvillescene.com/Stories/News/1998/01/29/A_Dog_s_Life/index.shtml


Ace Of Clubs - Where there was once a cool club now sits Bar Nashville. I won't even begin to express my thoughts on that place. Instead I will only think good thought about Ace of Clubs. If you've been to Bar then you know that you enter on the 2nd Ave. side. The Ace of Clubs had its entrance through the alleyway between 1st and 2nd. Everything was reversed from what it is now as well as a double catwalk and go-go dancers in cages.

Calypso Cafe (Rivergate) - I know that Calypso is still open but now I have to travel all the way downtown to get the best soup ever. Calypso closed less than a year ago but it feels like an eternity. Every time I drive by that location I look in the hope that it was all a bad dream.


Slow Bar - Slow Bar is the reason that the Five Points area is so cool. Mike Grimey bought that bar on a whim and turned it into a scene. Three Crow Bar is alright but it's a pale substitute.

Classic Cat - This was the destination of many an 18 year old male on their birthday. The Classic Cat was the most famous strip club in town due in part to all the bad press it got for its location. Situated on 8th Ave., behind Hume Fogg Magnet School, just down from a church and a few short blocks from Baptist Bookstore (now Lifeway Christian Resources) it irritated every religious and civic leader in the city. I never got to go there due to the fact that when I turned 18 none of my friends were old enough to get in. By the time we were all of age they had shut down. The building isn't even there any longer. I miss that tacky shinny pink exterior.

328 Performance Hall - The coolest live music venue ever. I saw some great shows there. Black Crowes, Tonic, GWAR, Type O Negative, Anthrax, Slash's Snake Pit, Flickerstick, Buckcherry, Everclear and many more. Some big names played there on their way to the top: NIN, Marilyn Manson, Pantera, Weezer, White Zombie, Alanis Morissette, Matchbox 20, Garth Brooks, Tool, Live, Korn, Rage Against The Machine, Third Eye Blind, Hootie and the Blowfish, Counting Crows, Foo Fighters, Jewel and the Dave Matthews Band. One of Nashville's premier weekly events (that is about to shut down as well) started in the side room of 328: Johnny Jackson's Soul Satisfaction. Progress mandated that the building should not stand in the way of a bridge and now there is just a hole in the ground on 4th Ave. where this great venue once stood.

Guido's Pizzeria - Located directly behind Ben & Jerry's on 21st Ave. South, Guido's had a special place in my heart. That was the first stage I ever performed my music on. Waaaay back in 1994 Colin, Justin, Derrick and I hoped up on that small-ass stage and played at eleven until we ran everyone onto the patio except for the few people we brought with us. Ahh, youth. The influx of hot Vanderbilt girls, music and great Chicago pizza kept me coming back for more. There is still a restaurant in that building but it’s just not the same.


Mainstreet - The club to play if you were in a rock band in the early 90's. Located on (where else?) Main Street in Murphreesboro it was Mecca for every Eddie Vedder or Anthony Keidis wannabe. Cool stage, cool lights and cool bartenders who almost never carded. It became a Yuppie bar with ferns and then Bongo Johnny's. I don't know what it is now but I'm sure it's a far cry from its former grunge rock glory.


The Connection - There would never have been an Excess or Tribe if not for The Connection. Located in one of the worst parts of town it was a great place to get your gay on. Or just hang out and look at hot chicks. I had one of the funniest experiences of my life when I was there with my best friend Kim and her girlfriend a few years ago. I ran into a guy I graduated high school with. I, not being one to let anyone off easy, walked up to him and started a conversation. I have never seen anyone look so uncomfortable in my life. After a few pleasantries I told him I needed to get back to my group. As I started to walk away he blurted out, "I'm not gay!" I assured him that it was ok because I too was there as a heterosexual observer. He replied, "That's cool. I just want you to know I'm not gay!" I walked away laughing to myself. I hear they may re-open and if they do I may have to go check it out again for old time’s sake.

The Underground - Commonly referred to as "that place where all the weirdoes hangout", its location on 2nd Ave was odd considering how touristy that strip is. This was the place to go if you weren't up for the regular dance clubs. I never went to the Underground when it was in its heyday but from what I hear Kristy can tell a few stories. If I'm not mistaken Kim was a semi-regular as well. It's been a series of failed clubs since the Underground closed and I believe the building is vacant now. It should probably stay that way.

City Mix Factory - The first multi-club establishment in Nashville. I spent many nights watching barely dressed girls grind on that dance floor. Being one that doesn't dance I drank a lot and absorbed the atmosphere. Those were good times. The Mix Factory was featured on the second season of Road Rules and had the honor of having Vanilla Ice play the night they shut-down (this was in 2000, long after Vanilla Ice was the joke that he is). The Mix Factory was the place to go for several years until they had a string of shootings and assaults that ultimately led to its closing.

Thunder 94 - This was a great radio station. I miss it more than anything else on this list. Except maybe 328. 

That's all I have for now but, as I said before, feel free to write me with your most missed coolness.