"Nashville is so Cool"

The words in the title were uttered by my oldest son Will on the way home from a show at 3rd & Lindsley the other night. The band was Random Play. The idea behind the title is that listening to them is like hitting "random play" on your iPod or CD player. You never know what will come out of the speakers. It was also described as a "plugged" writers night. For those outside of Nashville, that means each band member takes turns singing a song they wrote or enjoy singing. They played about an hour and a half. The talent on the stage was great and the cello added some nice touches on a couple of songs.

Oh, did I memention who was in this band? It reads like a who's who of Nashville talent. The members of Random Play:

Jaime Kyle - A songwriter and singer in the Nashville music scene for sometime. Jaime wrote Wild One (Faith Hill), Stranded (Heart) just to name a couple. She had some commercial success herself in the 1980's with a solo CD and success in Europe. I have been a JK fan for years and the Clayton family considers her a friend. She has helped us with diabetes fundraising as well.

Jonell Mosser - Nashville's own soulful songtress. Long considered the best "unsigned" singer in Nashville, she pours so much energy into her songs and performances. Highlight of the nigh was her cover of Al Wilson's Show & Tell. You can't consider yourself a true Nashvillian if you haven't seen Jonell play live.

Bill Lloyd - half of the 80's group Foster & Lloyd, Bill is considered a great guitar player and he proved it on stage. While a great guitar player, his songs were witty and touching. With a shout-out to the Three Stooges (step by step, inch by inch), Niagara Falls was a sing-a-long with the crowd. However, Bill's highlight was "Tryin' to Love You."

Dave Jenkins - While the name may not be easily recognizable, his bands from the past are - the upbeat country band Southern Pacific who charted with Midnight Highway and the late 70's and early '80's band Pablo Cruise. We were treated to Love Wil Find a Way and Whatcha Gonna Do (when she says good-bye) by Dave. I can honestly say that I would have bet the ranch that I wouldn't ever hear those songs live. Glad I didn't bet.

The backing guys were Todd Cerney on keyboards who wrote (I'll Stil be Lovin You by Restless Heart), Lance Hoppin on bass, Charlie Morgan on drums (toured with Elton for years), and Gary Tussing on cello. I must say that Untangled by Jaime is not coplete without a cello. All of these guys are "A list" writers and session players.

I guess the cool part of the night was watching these musicians on stage having fun. Most of these guys could easily fill a set by themselves, but they were actually playing as a band and having fun - the way music should be played.

I guess Will did sum up by saying "Nashville is so cool". Where else can you go and see a band like this doing what they love to do on a Tuesday night @ 7:00? Nashville is a cool city.

Zach, A Tennessee Squire