Latest news with #BillyStrings
San Francisco Chronicle
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
400 Grateful Dead banners to fly across San Francisco as 60th anniversary celebrations begin
With more than 400 Grateful Dead -themed banners displayed across San Francisco, the city is diving headfirst into a multi-week celebration of the legendary band's 60th anniversary. City leaders hope the effort will bolster local businesses and tourism during a crucial phase of economic recovery. The concerts are expected to draw 60,000 fans nightly, with special guests including Billy Strings, Sturgill Simpson (as Johnny Blue Skies) and the Trey Anastasio Band. 'San Francisco is coming alive to celebrate 60 years of the Grateful Dead,' Mayor Daniel Lurie said in a statement marking the official kickoff Tuesday, July 22. 'Our bars and restaurants will be packed, our hotels will be booked, our neighborhoods will come alive, and there will be more revenue to fund the services that benefit all San Franciscans.' Hotel demand between July 31 and Aug. 3 has surged by more than 50%, according to city officials — a spike that has them optimistic about exceeding nearly $31 million in economic impact generated by Dead & Company's 2023 visit to Oracle Park. To ease the flow of concertgoers, Muni will provide expanded service on the 5 Fulton and N Judah lines, and offer free rides to ticket holders through the 'Your Ticket, Your Fare' program. Shakedown Street, the unofficial open-air market synonymous with Dead tours, returns as a fully sanctioned event along JFK Promenade during the three-day concert. Nearly 100 vendors are expected. 'It's a vibrant, colorful bazaar of modern-day hippies selling their wares,' said organizer Molly Henderson. Other c itywide events will stretch into the fall, including art exhibitions, after-parties, tribute concerts, panel discussions and special performances — from Jerry Day in McLaren Park to the San Francisco Giants' Grateful Dead tribute night at Oracle Park on Aug. 12. 'This three-day festival is more than just an anniversary — it's a homecoming,' said Phil Ginsburg, general manager of San Francisco Recreation and Parks, in a statement. 'It promises the kind of energy, joy, and soulful creativity that only Deadheads can bring.' Meanwhile, the Grateful Dead announced Tuesday that a 50th anniversary deluxe edition of its album 'Blues for Allah' will be released Sept. 12, featuring a newly remastered album and nearly two hours of unreleased live and rehearsal recordings. The set captures the band's groundbreaking 1975 comeback with rare performances and restored audio from original analog tapes.
Yahoo
17-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Connie Francis, ‘Who's Sorry Now' Singer, Dies at 87
Connie Francis, the beloved pop star of the 1950s and 1960s, who in 1960 became the first woman to score a No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with her signature hit 'Everybody's Somebody's Fool,' has died at 87. The new was confirmed by her publicist, Ron Roberts, in a Facebook post on Thursday morning (July 17), in which he wrote, 'it is with a heavy heart and extreme sadness that i inform you of the passing of my dear friend Connie Francis last night. I know that Connie would approve that her fans are among the first to learn of this sad news.' More from Billboard Gone But Not Forgotten: Musicians We Lost in 2025 Iconic Los Angeles Venue the Mayan Theater Announces Closure Billy Strings Goes Death Metal With Cryptopsy Collaboration At press time, Roberts had not revealed where Francis died or the cause of her death, which came two weeks after the singer told fans that she'd been rushed to the intensive care unit at a hospital in Florida suffering from what she described as 'extreme pain.' In March of this year Francis told fans that she was in a wheelchair due to a 'troublesome, painful' hip and was undergoing stem cell therapy to deal with the issue. Francis retired from the music industry in 2018 after a career that included a chart hot streak in the late 1950s and early 1960s with such frothy pop tunes as 'Pretty Little Baby' and 'Stupid Cupid,' as well as weepy ballads including 'Where the Boys Are,' 'Who's Sorry Now' and 'Don't Break the Heart That Loves You.' After topping the charts with 'Everybody's Somebody's Fool,' Francis scored another No. 1 with her follow-up 'My Mind Has a Heart Of Its Own' and one more chart-topper in 1962 with 'Don't Break the Heart That Loves You.' With a versatile, easy listening voice and confident style, Francis' hot streak also included a number of top five hits, including 1958's 'My Happiness' and 'Lipstick on Your Collar' and 1961's 'Where the Boys Are.' Her chart dominance began to wane, however, by the mid-1960s as popular taste shifted to more uptempo rock from the likes of The Beatles and other British invasion acts. Before that, the singer born Concetta Franconero on Dec. 12, 1937, in Newark, N.J. sold more than 40 million records and was one of the most popular female singers in the U.S., scoring 35 top 40 hits, including 16 top 10s and three No. 1s. Though long retired from singing and acting, Francis expressed surprise earlier this year when her previously obscure 1962 song 'Pretty Little Baby' went viral thanks to a TikTok trend cued to the track that she admitted she hardly remembered. 'I had to listen to it to identify it,' she told Billboard of the song that has spawned more than three million TikTok videos to date. 'Then, of course, I recognized the fact that I had done it in seven languages.' After getting her start in pageants and a series of variety shows such as Ted Mack's Original Amateur Hour and Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts in the mid-1950s — where she often played the accordion — Francis embarked on a bid to break into the music business that was initially met with indifference after signing with MGM Records in 1955 and releasing a string of 10 flop singles. She was saved from obscurity when, on the verge of giving up on her showbiz dreams and preparing to attend college, her father convinced her to record a cover of the 1923 ballad 'Who's Sorry Now,' a song she initially rejected as sounding too fusty for her. Though it seemed to be yet another chart fail at first, six months after Dick Clark spun the track on his American Bandstand show in January 1958, the song sold one million copies and Francis was launched into a career that included hit singles in a number of languages — including Yiddish, Italian and Irish — as well as a sideline acting career. After initially pooh-poohing it, 'Who's Sorry Now' became such a crucial part of her identity that Francis tapped it as the title of her 1984 memoir. 'I had 18 bomb records,' Francis said in an interview with UPI in 1996. 'He wanted me to record a song written in 1923. I said 'Forget about it — the kids on American Bandstand would laugh me right off the show.' He said, 'If you don't record this song, dummy, the only way you'll get on American Bandstand is to sit on the TV.' Initially providing the off-screen singing voice only for stars including Tuesday Weld in 1956's Rock, Rock, Rock! and Freda Holloway in 1957's Jamboree, Francis became a star in her own right by 1960 with her role in the comedy Where the Boys Are and a series of other lighthearted sequel comedies and musicals including Follow the Boys, Looking for Love and 1965's When the Boys Meet the Girls. Like other stars of the era, Francis expanded her mostly teen audience by recording sweeping ballads that secured her gigs in Las Vegas showrooms and New York nightclubs. The hits dried up after her final top 40 charting song, 1964's 'Be Anything (But Be Mine),' though she continued to be a popular live draw for older audiences. After fading from the charts, Francis' life was touched a series of tragic incidents, including the strangulation death of one of her best friends at her home in 1967 and a cosmetic procedure to narrow her nose that same year that impaired her ability to sing, especially in Vegas' air-conditioned showrooms, where audiences had to sit in stifling rooms when cooling units were turned off so she could perform. She later underwent a series of three corrective surgeries to regain her voice. In 1974, the singer was beaten and raped at knifepoint at a motel after performing at a music festival in Westbury, N.Y. She later sued the Howard Johnson's motel chain for failing to provide adequate security and was awarded a $2.5 million judgement. According to The New York Times, the brutal assault threw Francis into an 'emotional tailspin' that included a descent into a 'nightmare of paranoia, suicidal depression and drug abuse.' The struggles continued, including the singer being committed to a mental hospital by her father in the early 1980s, where she was diagnosed with manic depression. Francis later said she'd been misdiagnosed and that she had actually been suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder after the 'horrendous string of events' in her life, in reference to the sexual assault, the cosmetic surgery effects on her voice and her younger brother George's murder in 1981. Best of Billboard Chart Rewind: In 1989, New Kids on the Block Were 'Hangin' Tough' at No. 1 Janet Jackson's Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Hits H.E.R. & Chris Brown 'Come Through' to No. 1 on Adult R&B Airplay Chart Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
17-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Billy Strings Goes Death Metal With Cryptopsy Collaboration
Michigan bluegrass aficionado Billy Strings has showcased his diverse tastes and genre-shifting proficiency as part of a new collaboration with Canadian death metal outfit Cryptopsy. 32-year-old Strings – who scored his third No. 1 on the Bluesgrass Albums chart in 2024 with Highway Prayers – has long been a noted fan of some of the biggest names in the world of bluegrass and rock, though he's frequently indicated that his tastes skew a bit heavier as well. More from Billboard Tomorrowland 2025 Mainstage Destroyed by Fire Ahead of Festival Alison Krauss & Union Station, Billy Strings Lead 2025 IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards Nominees Ariana Grande Teases 'A Plan to Sing for You All Next Year': See What She Said That heaviness extends to Cryptopsy, the Montreal outfit who have been an active presence in the death metal scene since their formation in 1988. Six years after their founding, the future Juno Award-winners released their debut album, Blasphemy Made Flesh, with the record this year receiving the reissue treatment. As part of said reissue (which arrives on July 18), the album also includes live cuts and a special eight-and-a-half minute medley dubbed 'Blasphemy Made Fresh,' which includes guest vocalists such as Shadow of Intent's Ben Duerr, Stabbing's Bridget Lynch, Emasculator's Mallika Sundaramurthy, and others, while Strings adds his own guitar solo. 'We are super stoked at how excited each guest was to be part of this unique homage to Cryptopsy's first classic,' vocalist Matt McGachy said in a statement. 'We are beyond proud of this medley and are so happy that we can now share it with our new and old fans.' Per a press release, the medley 'sharpens and steels the album's many surgical hooks and pathological rhythms,' with Strings also sharing his rabid excitement at being involved in the process. 'Cryptopsy is my all-time favorite death metal band,' he explained, before recalling a night in 2023 when both acts performed in Boise, ID. Feeling 'bummed' at the unfortunate schedule clash, Strings leaned on the Blasphemy Made Flesh track 'Open Face Surgery' and gifted the group a cake that said 'Open Cake Surgery.'' A video of the group devouring the cake later made its way onto social media – much to Strings' delight. 'It blew my mind!' he explained. 'I was just so happy I could at least pay my respects in the form of frosting and that they didn't think I was a total weirdo.' 'It was such a huge honor for me to add this guitar solo to this insane medley by my favorite death metal band,' he added in a post shared to social media. 'This is like a dream come true for me and I want to thank the band for having me on it.' The release of the Cryptopsy medley is the latest addition to a month of ups and downs for Strings, who on Wednesday (July 16) received multiple nominations for the 2025 IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards – including entertainer and album of the year. In late June, the musician revealed during a performance in Lexington, KY, that his mother had passed away just hours earlier. 'It was my decision to carry on with tonight's show because that's what my mom would have wanted me to do,' he told the crowd. 'The reason I decided not to go home and be with my family right now is because I already am.' Listen to Cryptopsy's 'Blasphemy Made Fresh' below. Best of Billboard Chart Rewind: In 1989, New Kids on the Block Were 'Hangin' Tough' at No. 1 Janet Jackson's Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Hits H.E.R. & Chris Brown 'Come Through' to No. 1 on Adult R&B Airplay Chart
Yahoo
17-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Alison Krauss & Union Station, Billy Strings Lead 2025 IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards Nominees
Alison Krauss & Union Station, Billy Strings and the Alison Brown/Steve Martin/Tim O'Brien collaboration '5 Days Out, 2 Days Back' lead the slate of nominees for the 2025 IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards, presented by Get It Played. The 2025 IBMA Awards will be held Sept. 18 at the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Auditorium in Chattanooga, Tenn., during the annual IBMA World of Bluegrass, which runs Sept. 16-20. This marks the awards ceremony's first to be held at the venue in Chattanooga, following a long stint in Raleigh, N.C. The nominees and honorees announcement was made during a live event held at the SiriusXM Studios in Nashville. More from Billboard Morgan Wallen's 'I'm the Problem,' Kendrick Lamar & SZA's 'Luther' Lead Luminate's 2025 Midyear Charts GWAR's Blöthar Urges Americans to 'Rise Up!' Against Trump Effort to Defund Public Media: 'This Could Very Well Silence the Music' Premios Juventud 2025 Will Take Place in Panama: Here's Everything We Know Alison Krauss & Union Station, Strings, Appalachian Road Show, East Nash Grass and The Del McCoury Band are competing for the entertainer of the year honor. Alison Krauss & Union Station, who released their first project in over a decade earlier this year, were previously named entertainer of the year in 1991 and 1995. Strings took home the entertainer of the year honors in 2021, 2022 and 2023. Del McCoury Band's 2024 win in the category marked their 10th overall entertainer of the year win. Meanwhile, the Appalachian Road Show celebrate their second nomination in the category, while East Nash Grass earn their first nomination in the category. (They earned the IBMA's new artist of the year accolade last year.) Also announced were this year's Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame inductees, which are pioneering Black guitarist Arnold Shultz, who influenced musicians including Bill Monroe; bluegrass band Hot Rize (which included musicians such as Tim O'Brien, Pete Wernick, Nick Forster, Charles Sawtelle and Bryan Sutton over the years) and group The Bluegrass Cardinals, who toured from 1974 to 1997. 'IBMA is excited to bring the biggest night in bluegrass to our new host city, Chattanooga,'Ken White, executive director of IBMA, said in a statement. 'Our mission is to inspire innovation by recognizing the great work done by artists this past year and to honor tradition by inducting new members into the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame. The early influence of Arnold Shultz on Bill Monroe continues to shine through in the playing of even the youngest member of Kids on Bluegrass. You will undoubtedly see once in a lifetime performances. Don't miss it.' This year's IBMA distinguished achievement award goes to five recipients: Alan Arthur Knoth, Penny Parsons, Ron Thomason, Sidley Austin LLP and Missy Raines. Knoth, also known as 'Cuzin' Al,' a pioneering bluegrass radio host who influenced the bluegrass music community in Northern California. His career launched at KTAO in Los Gatos, Calif., in 1970 and continued at KFAT in Gilroy and at KPIG in Freedom. His show, 'Cuzin Al's Bluegrass Show,' highlighted traditional bluegrass music along with Hawaiian songs and comedic recordings. He also helped inspired the creation of the Santa Cruz Bluegrass Society and served on the California Bluegrass Association board. Parsons spent more than 45 years advocating for bluegrass music as a writer, publicist, producer, manager and booking agent, launching her career in 1979. Her work has included time at Sugar Hill Records, Record Depot Distribution and MerleFest, as well as leading her publicity and promotions firm the Penny Parsons Company. Parsons has contributed to Bluegrass Unlimited since 1981 and worked with bluegrass artist Curly Seckler, working as his manager, producer and biographer from 2004 to 2017. Her accolades include the 2016 IBMA print media person of the year award and her biography, Foggy Mountain Troubadour earning the Association of Recorded Sound Collections certificate of merit. Thomason, leader of the Dry Branch Fire Squad, began hosting the Grey Fox Festival in 1984. He started with Ralph Stanley & The Clinch Mountain Boys in 1969, then joined the Dry Branch Fire Squad and promoting traditional bluegrass music. The law firm Sidley Austin LLP has contributed to the IBMA through pro bono legal services since 2015, when Sidley Austin partner and co-head of the company's global corporate governance practice Holly Gregory initiated the partnership. The firm provided support in transitioning the IBMA to 501c3 nonprofit status, protecting the IBMA's intellectual property and assisting with travel visa processes for international bands, among other support. Trailblazing bassist Raines has won the IBMA's bass player of the year honor 10 times and is the first woman to achieve the honor. She is known for work as a duo with Jim Hurst, but also for leading Missy Raines & the New Hip, co-founding the Helen Highwater Stringband and issuing the Grammy-nominated project Royal Traveller. More nominations are set to be revealed, including nominees for the 2025 IBMA Momentum Awards, which highlight artist and industry professionals in the early stages of their bluegrass music careers, as well as the 2025 IBMA Industry Awards. The nominations will be announced the week of July 20. See the full list of this year's nominees below: Entertainer of the year: Alison Krauss & Union StationAppalachian Road ShowBilly StringsEast Nash GrassThe Del McCoury Band Song of the year: '5 Days Out, 2 Days Back' – Alison Brown, Steve Martin, Featuring Tim O'BrienSongwriters: Steve Martin/Alison BrownProducers: Alison Brown/Garry WestLabel: Compass Records 'Big Wheels' – Authentic UnlimitedSongwriter: Jerry ColeProducer: Authentic UnlimitedLabel: Billy Blue Records 'Coal Dust Kisses' – The GrascalsSongwriters: Susanne Mumpower/Jerry SalleyProducer: The GrascalsLabel: Mountain Home Music Company 'My Favorite Picture of You' – Darin & Brooke AldridgeSongwriters: Darin Aldridge/Brooke Aldridge/Dennis DuffProducers: Darin Aldridge/Mark FainLabel: Billy Blue Records 'Outrun the Rain' – Jason Carter & Michael ClevelandSongwriters: Terry Herd/Jimmy YearyProducers: Jason Carter/Michael ClevelandLabel: Fiddle Man Records Album of the year: Arcadia – Alison Krauss & Union StationProducer: Alison Krauss & Union StationLabel: Down the Road RecordsCarter & Cleveland – Jason Carter & Michael ClevelandProducers: Jason Carter/Michael ClevelandLabel: Fiddle Man Records Earl Jam – Tony TrischkaProducers: Tony Trischka/Lawson WhiteLabel: Down the Road RecordsHighway Prayers – Billy StringsProducers: Billy Strings/Jon BrionLabel: Reprise Records I Built a World – Bronwyn Keith-HynesProducers: Brent Truitt/Bronwyn Keith-HynesLabel: Sugar Petunia Records Vocal group of the year: Alison Krauss & Union StationAuthentic UnlimitedBlue HighwaySister SadieThe Del McCoury Band Instrumental Group of the year: Billy StringsEast Nash GrassMichael Cleveland & FlamekeeperMolly Tuttle & Golden HighwayThe Travelin' McCourys Gospel recording of the year: 'Blue Collar Gospel' – Jerry Salley Featuring The Oak Ridge BoysSongwriters: Rick Lang/Bill Whyte/Jerry SalleyProducer: Jerry SalleyLabel: Billy Blue Records 'Dear Lord' – Darin & Brooke AldridgeSongwriter: Daniel DavisProducers: Darin Aldridge/Mark FainLabel: Billy Blue Records 'Even Better When You Listen' – Joe Mullins & The Radio RamblersSongwriters: Rick Lang/Mark BonDurantProducer: Joe Mullins & The Radio RamblersLabel: Billy Blue Records 'He's Gone' – Jaelee RobertsSongwriter: Kelsi HarrigillProducer: Byron HouseLabel: Mountain Home Music Company 'Wings of Love' – Authentic UnlimitedSongwriters: Jesse Brock/Stephen Burwell/Jerry Cole/Eli Johnston/John MeadorProducer: Authentic UnlimitedLabel: Billy Blue Records Instrumental recording of the year: 'Bluegrass in the Backwoods' – Jason Carter & Michael ClevelandSongwriter: Kenny BakerProducers: Jason Carter/Michael ClevelandLabel: Fiddle Man Records 'The Drifter' – Danny RobertsSongwriter: Danny RobertsProducers: Danny Roberts/Andrea RobertsLabel: Mountain Home Music Company 'A Drive at Dusk' – Authentic UnlimitedSongwriter: Jesse BrockProducer: Authentic UnlimitedLabel: Billy Blue Records 'Kern County Breakdown' – Jason Carter & Michael ClevelandSongwriter: Buck Owens/Don RichProducers: Jason Carter/Michael ClevelandLabel: Fiddle Man Records 'Ralph's Banjo Special' – Kristin Scott Benson, Gena Britt & Alison BrownSongwriter: Ralph StanleyProducer: Alison BrownLabel: Compass Records New artist of the year: AJ Lee & Blue SummitBronwyn Keith-HynesJason CarterRed Camel CollectiveWyatt Ellis Collaborative recording of the year: '5 Days Out, 2 Days Back' – Alison Brown & Steve Martin Featuring Tim O'BrienSongwriters: Steve Martin/Alison BrownProducer: Alison Brown/Garry WestLabel: Compass Records 'A Million Memories (A Song for Byron)' – Darin & Brooke Aldridge Featuring Vince GillSongwriter: Vince GillProducers: Darin Aldridge/Mark FainLabel: Billy Blue Records 'Cora Is Gone' – Bobby Osborne & C.J. Lewandowski Featuring Rob McCoury & Billy StringsSongwriter: Mac OdellProducer: C.J. LewandowskiLabel: Turnberry Records 'Outrun the Rain' – Jason Carter, Michael Cleveland, Jaelee Roberts & Vince GillSongwriters: Terry Herd/Jimmy YearyProducers: Jason Carter/Michael ClevelandLabel: Fiddle Man Records 'Ralph's Banjo Special' – Kristin Scott Benson, Gena Britt & Alison BrownSongwriter: Ralph StanleyProducer: Alison BrownLabel: Compass Records Male vocalist of the year: Billy StringsDan TyminskiDel McCouryGreg BlakeRussell Moore Female vocalist of the year: AJ LeeAlison KraussBrooke AldridgeJaelee RobertsSierra Hull Banjo player of the year: Alison BrownGena BrittKristin Scott BensonRon BlockTony Trischka Bass player of the year: Barry BalesMike BubMissy RainesTodd PhillipsVickie Vaughn Fiddle player of the year: Bronwyn Keith-HynesJason CarterMaddie DentonMichael ClevelandStuart Duncan Resophonic guitar player of the year: Andy HallJerry DouglasJustin MosesMatt LeadbetterRob Ickes Guitar player of the year: Billy StringsBryan SuttonCody KilbyMolly TuttleTrey Hensley Mandolin player of the year: Alan BibeyJesse BrockRonnie McCourySam BushSierra Hull Music video of the year: '5 Days Out, 2 Days Back' – Alison Brown & Steve Martin Featuring Tim O'BrienSongwriters: Steve Martin/Alison BrownProducer: Alison Brown/Garry WestVideographer: Joseph SpenceLabel: Compass Records 'A Million Memories (A Song for Byron)' – Darin & Brooke Aldridge Featuring Vince GillSongwriter: Vince GillProducer: Jenny GillVideographer: Travis FlynnLabel: Billy Blue Records 'Big Wheels' – Authentic UnlimitedSongwriter: Jerry ColeProducers: Bryce Free/Kyle JohnsonVideographer: Bryce FreeLabel: Billy Blue Records 'Gallows Pole' – Appalachian Road ShowSongwriter: Traditional arr. Barry Abernathy/Jim VanCleve/Darrell WebbProducer: Steve KinneyVideographer: Steve KinneyLabel: Billy Blue Records 'Tennessee Hound Dog' – The GrascalsSongwriter: Felice Bryant/Boudleaux BryantProducer: Ty GilpinVideographer: Nate ShuppertLabel: Mountain Home Music Company 'The Auctioneer' – The Kody Norris ShowSongwriters: Leroy Van Dyke/Buddy BlackProducer: James GilleyVideographer: Nate WilesLabel: Rebel RecordsBest of Billboard Chart Rewind: In 1989, New Kids on the Block Were 'Hangin' Tough' at No. 1 Janet Jackson's Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Hits H.E.R. & Chris Brown 'Come Through' to No. 1 on Adult R&B Airplay Chart Solve the daily Crossword
Associated Press
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Associated Press
Veterans and civilians bond over beers and bluegrass at Nashville's American Legion Post 82
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Matthew 'Moose' Musquiz was working as a diesel mechanic in the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, when his physical therapist told him about a bar in Nashville, Tennessee, that he might like. Musquiz loves the Texas dance hall style of venues popular there, but he hadn't really found a good one in Nashville, which is about an hour south of the U.S. Army installation. 'He told me, 'Tuesday night at the American Legion Post 82 is kind of like a dance hall,'' said Musquiz. In a dimly lit cinderblock building tucked away off a busy street in the Inglewood neighborhood, locals learn to two-step to country, and veterans from different wars trade insults and advice. Over beers and bluegrass, the American Legion Post 82 breaks down barriers between veterans and civilians and provides a sense of community for those who served. Post 82 has gained a reputation for hosting big-name acts on its tiny stage, which puts a spotlight on the veterans' service organization. 'It's really unique because it's such a blend of everybody: veterans, community members and even travelers passing through that just heard a good word about this place,' said Musquiz, a post member. Big names on a small stage Grammy-winning producer and rocker Jack White played the tiny stage to raise money for a new sound system for the post. Bluegrass artist Billy Strings, who can sell out arenas, recorded a live album at Post 82 with acclaimed bluegrass musician Bryan Sutton. It was at Post 82 where Americana artist Sierra Ferrell, now a four-time Grammy winner, was playing with the house band when she got discovered and later signed by a record label. 'We really lean into the music as a mechanism to draw people here,' said Shannon Rasmussen, the post adjutant. At the same time, the volunteer veterans who run the post ensure the true mission hasn't gotten lost in the attention on the celebrities who spend time there. The post's nonmusical activities in the community range from various veterans services, sponsoring kids' sports leagues, and a youth program that teaches kids about government. Wreath laying at veterans' cemeteries and serving as the color guard for sporting events are also among the activities. Nonveterans can attend shows and have drinks at the American Legion, although membership is for veterans only. 'It has this cool second and third order effect where people out in the community get to learn more about military service and what it's all about,' said Rasmussen. Helmets, patches and flags fill the walls Where so much of 'new' Nashville caters to tourists, Post 82 feels like a step back in time. The classic country and bluegrass music emanating from the venue isn't the kind normally found among the artist-themed bars along Broadway in downtown Nashville. Military mementos decorate the post, including helmets, framed folded American flags, dozens of patches from military units pinned on a wall and framed photos of members in their uniforms. The stage's background is a string of lights in the shape of an American flag. Tuesdays are one of the more popular nights at the Legion. One recent Tuesday afternoon, the color guard practiced its formation on the dance floor, stepping together with ceremonial rifles to present the flag for upcoming events they had booked. An hour later, dance instructors taught couples the basics of two-step dancing, as they twirled each other around in circles. The night continued with country and rockabilly music from Matt McMurry, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, and the band the Tennessee Roundups. August Wagner, a former Army scout and a member of the color guard, has watched the post's leadership and membership adapt with the growing attention and said younger veterans are getting more involved. And they carry on the military tradition of playfully hazing each other's branch or service. 'I call it the island of misfit toys for a reason,' said Wagner. 'It's just everybody and anybody. It could be Navy, Army, whatever, but we all give each other equal crap. You gain family members every day.' Volunteer veterans reach out to others Only the bar staff gets paid to work at Post 82, and everyone else volunteers their time, whether it's on a day they might be having a turkey shoot, a clothes drive or a potluck dinner to watch the Army versus Navy football game. So when a country star rents the building to shoot a music video or hold an album release party, the proceeds help them pay the bartenders and fund the veterans and community service projects, said Rasmussen. 'Every bit of it, after we've covered our overhead, leaves the building again,' she said. A sign sets the tone for patrons: 'Please, no politics at the bar!' For Wagner, that means everyone is treated equally at Post 82, regardless of their final rank or whether they are a famous musician. Jenny Kuhl, a 27-year-old artist manager in Nashville, visited Post 82 with some of her friends in the music industry on Tuesday nights and found it to be a more authentic scene compared to other venues in town. 'I've gotten to meet some really wonderful people who I probably never would have met otherwise, and I really like that part about this place,' said Kuhl, who spent a recent Tuesday at the Legion dancing to the Tennessee Roundups. Rasmussen wants the American Legion to be a place for veterans, like a church or a barbershop, where someone would notice if they didn't show up regularly. 'If there's a member that hasn't been in for a week or two and we haven't seen them, we start asking around to ask if anybody else has seen them,' said Rasmussen. 'And if nobody has seen him, then we reach out.' Jason Williams retired from the Army at the beginning of the year after 28 years and is the first vice commander at the post. Regardless of how Post 82 gets veterans to come through the doors, whether it's the music or the services, Williams said they'd find a supportive space. 'Transition to the civilian side is difficult,' said Williams. 'The one thing I can say is that this place has been pretty much a soft place to land.'
