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Record Store Day Nashville Style: Dan Auerbach, Richard Lloyd and Former Mayor Megan Barry Among Performers
Glenn Peoples – Record Store Day
Steel guitar players Lloyd Green and Jaydee Maness perform instrumental versions of The Byrds’ “Sweetheart of the Rodeo” at Grimey’s Used and Preloved Music for Record Store Day, April 21. The Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach is on acoustic guitar.
Saturday in Nashville was a warm, sunny, and humidity-free day, a perfect setting for a celebration of record stores, live music, and limited and exclusive vinyl releases.
Music fans could have enjoyed three fantastic events practically in the same neighborhood. It’s 1.2 miles from Grimey’s Used and Preloved Music to Third Man Records; from Third Man, one need travel just half a mile to Fond Object’s download location.
Americana music fans had extra reason to show up at Grimey’s as two legendary steel guitar players were backed by a legitimate rock star on acoustic guitar and two Music City legends lending their voices.
Lloyd Green and Jay Dee Maness played on the sessions for The Byrd’s 1968 classic Sweetheart of the Rodeo. The pair were also celebrating the release of Journey to the Beginning: A Steel Guitar Tribute to the Byrds on Hand Drawn Records; the album has the same track-by-track listing as Sweetheart.
On Record Store Day The Live Album Is Nowhere Near Dead
For their rendition of “You Ain’t Goin Nowhere,” the Bob Dylan-penned song that opens Sweetheart, Green and Maness were backed by The Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach on acoustic guitar and two guest vocalists, singer-songwriter Jim Lauderdale and Bill Lloyd of
The rest of the day’s bill was impressive. Lloyd and Maness followed a DJ set by Richard Lloyd from the famed New York band Television and preceded a DJ set by former Nashville mayor Megan Barry – her third straight Record Store Day appearance. Other performers included country artist Ashley Monroe, recent Nashville transplant Bebe Buell, Nashville’s own Ornament and Nectar, hailing from Champaign-Urbana, Ill. Rain or shine – it was a warm, sunny day – people show up to Grimey’s for the exclusive vinyl and performances.
Grimey’s quickly sold out of a handful of titles. Shoppers exhausted the stock of five-LP 50th-anniversary edition of Johnny Cash’s Live at Folsom Prison priced at $70. The four-LP Jeff Buckley Live at Sin-e disappeared quickly while priced at $70. Other sellouts included the mono version of Pink Floyd’s Piper At The Gates of Dawn, the Led Zeppelin 7” single with Sunset Sound Mix of “Rock And Roll” and the Olympic Studio Mix of “Friends” (the asking price is currently $79.99 on eBay). and the blue-and-red tie-dye edition of Dylan and the Dead. “We’ve never really had a bad Record Store Day in spite of the weather,” said Josh Walker of Grimey’s as he guided shoppers to their desired titles.
Glenn Peoples –
indie rocker Soccer Mommy performs at Third Man Records on Record Store Day, April 21, 2018.
At Third Man Records an hour earlier, indie rock newcomer Soccer Mommy performed to a packed house at Third Man’s music venue. The Nashville native played songs from her Fat Possum debut album, Clean, with a tight, four-piece band and treated the crowd to a subdued, solo version of Bruce Springsteen’s “I’m on Fire.” Teddy & the Rough Riders and Dancers also performed.
Third Man’s hot sellers that afternoon were a mix of Record Store Day releases and Third Man titles not part of the special day, according to an employee named Yanira. Joshua Hedley had two top sellers, his new Mr. Jukebox album, and his Record Store Day-exclusive, a 7” single with two unreleased songs from the Mr. Jukebox sessions, “Broken Man” and “Singin A New Song.”
Third Man’s Frank Wilson 7” with “Do I Love You (Indeed I Do)” and “Sweeter As The Days Go By” was also selling briskly. Wilson was an aspiring artist becoming a Motown producer. Third Man founder Jack White revived these songs when he bought a third pressing of the single. Third Man’s Pure Beauty by Queens, N.Y., rapper Shirt was another hot seller. A new album by stoner rock band Sleep, The Sciences, its first new album in 20 years, and a split 12” single by Los Lobos and The Shins were also selling well.
Over at Fond Object’s downtown location, live bands started at noon and stretched to 9 p.m. In the afternoon, local group Ttotals was bringing the (loud) noise with their self-described “dynamic psychedelia” to a crowd of roughly 40 shoppers. The solid bill also included Billy Bennett and Third Man Records artist Olivia Jean. Black Venus, Fond Object’s flagship store in East Nashville, hosted Brooklyn’s Ornament and a slew of Nashville groups including, Cherry Blossoms, Idle Bloom, Steelism, and more.