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River Stages on the River Front In Nashville | Poem

 

River Stages on the River Front in Nashville

Musical Review

by David Michael Jackson

 

Usually only for large sums of money will I turn into the fan facsimile in the crowd of waving arms.. It was River Stages on the River Front in Nashville. Five stages with three days of music. I was there for Steve Earle.

I went alone which is okay for me. After finding my way to a ten dollar parking spot I followed the people to the far end of the shows. I’d traverse the stages to get to Steve’s show. I entered the area and quickly found the portajohns lined up. I could hear loud music, but first things first. First the protocol became apparent as there were lots of people waiting. First you weasel your way to the front and wait for a door to open then move quickly!

Getting to the Stage where Steve would be playing required passing through outdoor areas beside the Cumberland River where other well known bands were
playing. Suddenly I was passing through the area where the band Train was
performing. Passing through this area became almost impossible a people moving in both directions ended up jammed close together.

Suddenly trapped in close quarters, with strangers, shoulder to shoulder, a step here, a push there, wall to wall people going almost nowhere in both directions. Excuse me! Coming through! I became part of a flow of a single body procession trapped in crowded movement shoulder to shoulder. Many people struggling and motionless with small streams of movement of three to six strangers.

A voice in front, “I’m gonna kick the guy’s ass behind me if he doesn’t stop
pushing.”

Then a glimpse ahead shows Eddie from the past. Not the same guy but yes the
same guy. Short, thin, pencil mustache, nineteen, gotta prove something  to himself. That guy. You’ve known him too. I knew him in high school. Best to just give Eddie his ground. My real Eddie of the past turned out okay, got over it in fine fashion. I’m sure this one would too so I caught the next train, of the sideways people wiggling through the crowd.

Finally through this malaise of  crowd, I was then in position to move freely again. I listened to a good performance by Jason White at a stage dedicated to acoustic. He waa accompanied by upright bass and  a downright uptown lead guitarist.

My first night of the River Stages ended appropriately with Steve Earle. I saw Steve at a cold and rainy River Stages concert of the past. I remember that he thanked the small crowd for braving the weather that night. This time however the end stage of the River Stages was packed. This reflects not only the good weather but the increase in popularity of Steve’s music. I had arrived early and was soon “sardined” again in a crowd yet alone.

Steve’s lyrics and his here’s a mandolin and let’s rock style of  blending acoustic blues rock into important statements was noticed at first in other places like Portland, Oregon or Seattle before his hometown of Nashville. Not so anymore. Steve, your fans in Nashville love you too. His Randall Knife “I cut that boy and I never did look back” is worth the rain or the crowd. Thanks again

This time I’ll remember that you said “I’m a union man, just like my dad”. It reminds me of what Woody said. “I’m stickin’ to the union, I’m stickin’ to the union” A lot alike these two, not in sound but in spirit and certainly statement.


to David  ~  to Moongate