Day 13 – Darwin to Nashville

Thursday 4th. July 2013

Paul dropped me off at East Park for the Hot Chicken Festival. On the way we checked out the house were Jesse James hid for months. Caught the Shelby Bottom String Band who were whippin’ up a bluegrass sound to my delight. It was raining mildly but the attendance was good and the lines for hot chicken were long. Said hello to Nell & Michael (my first hosts) then got in the queue for Prince’s Hot Chicken which turned out to be absolutely delicious and plenty hot enough even though I was forewarned and sensibly got the mild version. Washed it down with a yellow lemonade from the pink lemonade tent, watched the next band playing funk jazz (Crusaders etc.) then ambled back home in the drizzle.

Ray had family obs on Thursday and a video shoot for one of his artists on Friday so happily spent the day with my new mahogany travel mate, doing laundry and chatting with Paul & Janet. Decided not to go to the stoner poolside party with “hot bitches in bikinis” and had a great evening with Paul and Janet at Ken’s Sushi & Japanese Restaurant right between Music Row and Chet Atkins Place. We gassed on about music for ages.

Turns out that in his previous incarnation Paul was the guy who signed Morcheeba and more notoriously put together the Tom Jones version of the purple one’s “Kiss”. Apparently he copped a bit of flak for that, but to tell you the truth I quite liked it. Janet filled me in on her life as an A/V logistics person for large music concerts and tours.

The Riverside event was a washout and we scoped the Nashville Symphony and a smattering of people on the way over, but by the time we drove back the weather had improved and there was a strong crowd on the bridge waiting for the fireworks. Paul and I went to the East Nashville library and watched it all from there. Home for a nightcap then zeds.