Nashville Bits and Pieces

[Guest]

In an attempt to stay on topic - the federal grant for the proposed Nashville Greenway project- and show the absurdity in thinking our National debt is under control and not a worry, I will simply post that in 2015 interest payments on our outstanding debt (and this is at almost zero inflation) were $223 billion or 6% of the entire budget. This is 2x the amount that the government spends annually on ALL transportation projects (highways, mass-transit, airports, greenways, rails-trails ect...). If we can get our spending under control and not only erase our structural accounts deficit, but also start paying down our debt we will be able to repurpose those funds.

[UTgrad09]

I'm just going to put this out there, but a few of you have some ideological differences that I don't think can be bridged with thoughtful discussion. The same sorts of subjects keep coming up over and over, and page after page of arguing  (even if it is civil) occur. 

The purpose of this thread is bits and pieces news about NASHVILLE. I'm tired of wading through a different form of the same argument over and over. If you could convince the other party that you are right, you would have done that already.

[Guest]

I am really not trying to be argumentative, but since I am the only post since the original {slap} what in the world is wrong with what I posted? I simply demonstrated that almost every topic that this board discusses with regards to Nashville - highways, mass transit, GREENWAYS, ...- relates to the feds budget and thus the gripe is always about lack of funds.... 
On this board we have discussed transportation taxes, income taxes, sales taxes, tolls, and the special YTBD (yet to be determined) tax that the mayor will propose to help fund our nascent mass-transit system....it all comes down to economics and politics.

I will cut off my posting on this topic, but I honestly was not trolling.

Edited June 10, 2016 by Guest

[grilled_cheese]

Rumors have been flying that Bonnaroo has only sold 40-50k tickets vs their usual ~80k.  We'll see if they turn out true and if so what those repercussions are.

Rake those leaves.....

[markhollin]

It's official: CMT will, indeed, pick up production and airing of "Nashville" TV series for fifth season.

http://www.tennessean.com/story/entertainment/music/cma-music-festival/2016/06/09/cmt-picks-up-nashville-fifth-season/85643912/
 

[Andrew_3289]

11 hours ago, grilled_cheese said:

Rumors have been flying that Bonnaroo has only sold 40-50k tickets vs their usual ~80k.  We'll see if they turn out true and if so what those repercussions are.

Rake those leaves.....

Article about Bonaroo in the NBJ today... 

http://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/news/2016/06/10/bonnaroo-officials-eyeing-growth-look-to-negotiate.html 

[bigeasy]

11 hours ago, grilled_cheese said:

Rumors have been flying that Bonnaroo has only sold 40-50k tickets vs their usual ~80k.  We'll see if they turn out true and if so what those repercussions are.

Rake those leaves.....

Any thoughts on why this would be true? I could never attend anything like that, so I don't really keep up with it much. Was the list of musicians lacking this year, or has there been big issues over the past few years to cause concern? I was thinking someone told me they have done tons of stuff to make it nicer (bathrooms,showers,etc)

[Vrtigo]

8 minutes ago, bigeasy said:

Any thoughts on why this would be true? I could never attend anything like that, so I don't really keep up with it much. Was the list of musicians lacking this year, or has there been big issues over the past few years to cause concern? I was thinking someone told me they have done tons of stuff to make it nicer (bathrooms,showers,etc)

Maybe the masses didn't want it to be nice...

"Wait...the toilets flush now? Count me out!"

[ariesjow]

The underwhelming lineup was the main reason I didn't attend Bonnaroo this year. I've never found the bathroom and shower situation to be very problematic and I'm not even outdoorsy. There has to be at least 5 acts I would pay to see live on their own for me to personally justify a festival. That didn't happen for me this year. 

Edited June 10, 2016 by ariesjow

[UTgrad09]

1 minute ago, ariesjow said:

The underwhelming lineup was the main reason I didn't attend Bonnaroo this year. I've never found the bathroom and shower situation to be very problematic and I'm not even outdoorsy. There has to be at least 5 acts I would pay to see live on their own for me to personally justify a festival. 

That's what I was thinking. 

There are several bands I wouldn't mind seeing....but not nearly to justify that ticket price (and the dadgum heat there's going to be this year!!).

[nashvillwill]

I'll weigh in here as an occasional festival goer.

If it is true that Bonnaroo is having a difficult time selling out, it's by no fault of their own. Year over year, they provide a good product with a diverse lineup. They are constantly improving the facilities and making the fan experience more enjoyable. 

The problem is competition. Bonnaroo was one of the first major festivals in North America, when "festivals" we're kind of a new concept. Nowadays, there is a new festival around every corner. There are so many, in fact, that it is really diluting the "festival" experience. To make matters worse, it seems like every festival out there is trying too hard to be diverse. They all follow the same protocol; 1 world wide known band, 1 hip hop act, 1 "legacy" preformer, 1 "touring" band. Most festivals have gotten away from being "themed" (hard rock, blues, jam bands). Bonnaroo began as a jam band festival and quickly moved away from that model. Sure, it's fun to see diversity at shows, but for most music fans, it greatly reduces the number of acts on a lineup that they will get excited about. 

Festivals are getting such similar lineups these days, that the defining feature tends to be location. Camping vs. no camping. Farm, city, beach. City park vs. town square. Small stages and quick sets vs. large stages and full sets. Pick your favorite flavor.

 

The "festival" scene is really in a bubble right now. And I speculate it's at the top of that bubble. When it burst, there will be losers and winners, but I suspect Bonnaroo will survive and remain as one of the premier events. That bubble bursting would probably be a good thing all around. 

[Titans10]

As a former festival goer I can't agree more, back when I went to festivals a decade ago bonnaroo was one of the very few, and its location for me being 45 minutes away made it a no brainer to go to.  Now ticket prices are over $100 dollars more and the line up this year falls way short to years past. That said bonnaroo will survive, it was one of the firsts and really the only must attended for any festival goer, though ticket prices are high it's still cheaper to camp all week then it is to go to Hangout or another festival where you have to pay for lodging at ridiculous pricing too, plus the camp ground scene is half the fun, you can have way more fun in a field with 80,000 others than you can in a hotel!! I really want to go back but the lineup has to be killer, and someone will have to watch my kids all weekend while I relive my youth!!

[UTgrad09]

I agree that there is a "festival bubble"...at some point, there just aren't enough (quality) artists or fans to make them all successful...so people -- and artists -- will pick and choose which ones they go to.

 

I also think Bonnaroo, being one of the longest running annual festivals, will probably be safe -- especially with the big money commitments behind it. I just hope they don't think it needs "fixing" or "rebranding"....just need a quality lineup at a price that people are willing to pay.

[grilled_cheese]

I went to Bonnaroo from 2003-2010.  I paid $130 for a ticket that first year............a ticket these days costs you $395 and now you have to buy a $60 camping pass if you're staying onsite.  That should tell you a whole lot, right there.

Add that to the fact that the quality of the lineup from the old days, I like jambands not EDM, has gone way down.  And from everything I have read Bonnaroo mgmt is cracking down on late night shows.  Late night shows were one of the biggest advantages they had over other festivals, some bands would play for 3, 4, or even 5 hours going into dawn.  It was truly amazing if you were there and in the party mood.

It's great that they have finally added real bathrooms but they have been promising those for nearly a decade.  They have also been promising other fests there since about 2010 when they purchased the land and they're only now are they getting around doing anything about it.  Too little too late for this fan.

 

 

[Flatrock]

I was at Bonnaroo yesterday.  Will be there again today. Didn't love yesterday's lineup, but still saw great shows. Pearl Jam tonight. 'Nuff said.

Live Nations' ownership bodes I'll for 'roo. For starters, the grounds' 'improvements' were not super impactful for us y'day. There were major snafus with our N'ville shuttle bus in the wee hours this morning.  People (Bonaroo staff) seemed poorly trained, disorganized and in some cases poorly engaged. Would have rarely seen that in Bonnaroo staff of yore. And, as stated by other posters - this lineup was weak-ish.

As an aside, saw more police/sheriff/mounted patrol presence than ever before.

I've been last 6 years...crowds this year appear about 30-40 % smaller.

I agree that there are too many festivals. ....and Bonnaroo isn't cheap nor is it an easy experience ....especially in this weekend's heat. :).  However,  the one thing that hasn't changed noticeably is the crowd vibe of peace and love. Pretty hard to beat that Bonnaroo vibe. 

Hope it can re-set, curate lineups with just a little less hip hop, rap and techno ...and go back somewhat closer to its roots. 

 

 

[titanhog]

Forgot about Live Nation now running that show.  Seems as if they may have come in and made some change that have kept some people at home.  Hope they get it figured out and don't "over-produce" something that's been a cool festival.

[MLBrumby]

That may be a case where Live Nation has so many venues that Bonnaroo is not really such a special event for them.  In fact, any super-big event might cannibalize their numbers somewhere else, especially at a site nearby or around the same time.  It's perhaps quite possible that Live Nation figures, "hey, we're gonna get these people anyway... doesn't really matter if it's at Bonnaroo or Birmingham... or Atlanta... or New Orleans... etc. 

[MLBrumby]

This is a bit of a strange one to post here, but there is a lot of negotiating between two companies that could result in Nashville becoming home to another Fortune 500 company.  The companies are AmSurg and Envision Healthcare as they explore a merger.  Proposed terms are not widely known, but AmSurg appears to be the acquiring entity, although Envision's revenues and market cap are greater. 

http://www.nashvillepost.com/business/area-stocks/article/20782366/taking-stock-amsurgs-ceiling-for-envision-bid

[fieldmarshaldj]

15 hours ago, MLBrumby said:

This is a bit of a strange one to post here, but there is a lot of negotiating between two companies that could result in Nashville becoming home to another Fortune 500 company.  The companies are AmSurg and Envision Healthcare as they explore a merger.  Proposed terms are not widely known, but AmSurg appears to be the acquiring entity, although Envision's revenues and market cap are greater. 

http://www.nashvillepost.com/business/area-stocks/article/20782366/taking-stock-amsurgs-ceiling-for-envision-bid

Just as long as it gets us a 75-story, 1,300-foot skyscraper corporate HQ, it's all good.

[Will]

Amsurg moved into a new 230K building in Burton Hills last year.

http://emcnashville.com/portfolio_page/amsurg-corporate-headquarters/

[wmaddbb2018]

New craft beer bar from owner of McDougal's. 

 

http://www.nashvillepost.com/business/food-business/article/20782391/craft-beer-bar-to-open-in-the-nations

[BnaBreaker]

This is a minor bit (or piece, if you prefer haha) but I am a big fan of Anthony Bourdain's programs and as I was looking at the Wikipedia page for his current CNN show Parts Unknown, it lists Nashville as one of the episodes for next year's season 8, and apparently the episode has already been filmed.  I'm excited.  He's never filmed a show here before.  

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_Bourdain:_Parts_Unknown

[CenterHill]

39 minutes ago, BnaBreaker said:

This is a minor bit (or piece, if you prefer haha) but I am a big fan of Anthony Bourdain's programs and as I was looking at the Wikipedia page for his current CNN show Parts Unknown, it lists Nashville as one of the episodes for next year's season 8, and apparently the episode has already been filmed.  I'm excited.  He's never filmed a show here before.  

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_Bourdain:_Parts_Unknown

Yes, he was here a few months ago filming.    I think the episode will involve a fair amount of Sean Brock, Tandy Wilson, etc, and, of course, hot chicken joints like Prince's.    Also an AB fan and can't wait!   

[BnaBreaker]

26 minutes ago, CenterHill said:

Yes, he was here a few months ago filming.    I think the episode will involve a fair amount of Sean Brock, Tandy Wilson, etc, and, of course, hot chicken joints like Prince's.    Also an AB fan and can't wait!   

Sounds like a fair amount of dive bars as well...not that that's really any surprise. haha I've seen Duke's, Dino's, and Edgefield mentioned thus far

[markhollin]

Affordable apartments developer seeks more Nashville projects.

http://www.tennessean.com/story/money/real-estate/2016/06/15/affordable-apartments-developer-pursues-more-nashville-projects/85902914/