Some nights, places and things tap on all 5 senses, and Derek’s Hoke’s $2 Tuesday’s at the 5 Spot is one of them (including a sixth element – common sense – if you drink too much Yazoo and cheap whiskey. But that’s in your hands.). The scent of cigarette smoke on your hair; those familiar sips of amber beer; the handshakes and hugs from everyone you know and everyone you think you know; the muted light of the stage and, of course, the music. In New York, I was searching for my $2 Tuesday before I even knew it existed (it did, in the 60’s) — a place where you could go regardless of the lineup and see amazing bands (jotting the names down on the back of your hand with a broken pen or borrowed lipstick) without even bothering to check the lineup first; where I’d see my friends and catch up between sets on swivel stools and Bourbon neat; where the host himself is a talented artist as well. $2 is all these things.
As I live in East Nashville, and this blog is named for my specific neighborhood of Lockeland Springs, it’s only appropriate for us to bring you a rundown of the $2 Tuesday lineup each week. It’s unnecessary really – you could just go unawares – but for those of you who like to know what you’re getting into (or just those of you who can’t make it and want to keep abreast of Derek Hoke’s weekly curations), here’s where to look.
5.12.13 at the 5 Spot :::
– Josh Buckley: Lead singer of Austin’s Gilded Splinters, now playing his own solo shows. A singer songwriter with a bent for the Stones and Hank Williams.
– Caleb Caudle: A singer songwriter with a country bent and brokenhearted warble. I like the subtle fuse of bluegrass undertones and a near-poppy chorus of his song “Hesitate,” properly muddled by the raspy breaks in his voice.
– Derek Hoke: The MC himself — I wrote about Hoke’s most recent release, Waiting All Night, and described the recording as tapping into “’50s rockabilly, bluegrass and blues, a unique amalgam of rootsy, swinging crooning and steel guitar-twanged love tunes.” Hoke’s weekly set is more than a residency, it’s an institution.
– Cale Tyson: A Nashville based, Texas native who breathes the ghost of Townes Van Zandt. As Emily said on this very blog, “Tyson’s music is raw and emotional, and completely without pretense…The reason you should listen to Cale Tyson is because in no way does he try to appear as anything more than he is. He loves whiskey and wild women. He sings the praises of the outlaw country movement; the combination of a pedal steel guitar and wailing voice stands as a quality tribute to Waylon and Merle. His sense of humor is part self-deprecating and part-narcissistic; in other words, he is relatable.”
– Ned Van Go (CD release): “Ned Van Go’s members are a ragged crew made up of small town boys who are influenced by beer, desperation, good love, bad love and down home rock and roll,” is how they describe themselves on their website; usually I’d never pull verbiage verbatim like that, but that seems to do them some exact justice. You can talk about the influences – folk, bluegrass, whatnot – but I prefer to call this music what it is: rock and roll. Straight, no-adjective-chaser rock and roll, served only with riffs, guitars and the proper amount of not worrying about tomorrow.
Lockeland Springsteen 