Mega-platinum country star and four-time CMA Female Vocalist of the Year, Martina McBride brought her christmas cheer to the GEC for The Joy of Christmas.

Martina dazzled fans with 18 seasonal classics! There were elaborate sets, special effects, and a cast of actors that took the audience through every aspect of the christmas season!

Martina even shared her christmas home video with the audience and granted a few christmas wishes by getting up close and personal with fans!

Nashville is one of 16 cities the tour stopped in! Check back for highlights on my video player!

The legendary New York Dolls are playing a gig at City Hall, proof that Nashville isn’t just a country town! I’m talking the “punkist of the punk!” The New York Dolls started the genre in the early 70’s, before the term even existed. Their influence of style and sound would be felt for generations to come.

The reborn glam/punk band is whittled down to only two of five members from the infamous ‘72-’73 lineup, singer David Johansen (AKA Buster Poindexter) and guitarist Sylvain Sylvain. The rest have passed away.

In the 70’s the New York Dolls scared record companies with their cross-dressing, excessive drug use and wild shows, but today the band’s two albums remain among the most popular cult records in rock & roll history. More than 35 years later, through break-ups, solo careers and deaths the New York Dolls rock on!

The Supersuckers are one of several opening bands for the New York Dolls Thursday night at City Hall. Former Reverend Horton Heat drummer, Scott Churilla is now part of the group.

Tonight at Lipscomb University’s second annual Lighting of the Green ceremony, about 300 young voices will have the privilege of singing backup with recording star Amy Grant. The concert will feature Lipscomb University’s chorus and jazz ensembles along with separate and combined performances from David Lipscomb Campus School’s high school, middle school and elementary school choruses.

You are invited to the free community concert tonight at 5:30 on the Burton Building lawn. You are encouraged to bring a can of food for the Second Harvest Food Bank! I hear Santa will be there!

Did you deal with the mayhem at the mall this weekend? I had to go out to Cool Springs to cover a story at Best Buy. Apparently several angry shoppers camped out overnight and got cut in line.
While I was there I spotted Kimberly Roads of Little Big Town! I guess she wasn’t afraid of braving the crowd for some electronic discounts! It then took me thirty minutes to make it across the street to the Cool Springs Galleria…unbelievable!

Over a dozen of Nashville’s local rockers are paying tribute to one of my favorite musicians tonight! Get Behind A Mule: An evening of Tom Waits Music will get started at nine O’clock at The Basement.

Tom Waits has a trademark growl, a distinctive writing style and the ability to meld pre-rock styles of music. His music can be classified as folk, blues, jazz, Vaudeville and sometimes industrial!

Despite having little radio play as a performer, Tom Waits has built a cult following and influenced many of today’s performers. His most famous songs are best recognized by other artists, like Bruce Springsteen who does Jersey Girl and Rod Stewart who performs Downtown Train . Tom waits has also worked as a composer for movies and musical plays and as a supporting actor in films!

Tom Waits doesn’t tour often, but he did make a special stop at the Ryman Auditorium earlier this year and the Nashville show sold out within minutes! I had the honor of scoring a ticket last minute! If you haven’t had a chance to see the man himself perform, you can at least check out others impersonate the living legend. The best part of all…proceeds benefit Toys for Tots!

Did you ever wonder what folks do after stuffing their bellies with all that turkey? How about tossing it? No… not as in up-chuck, but throwing it! Over a dozen folks took turns tossing a frozen turkey up-hill on Demonbreun Street Thursday night. Some guys stretched to get warmed up for the turkey toss, while others shared their secret concrete slide move. The guy who threw it the furthest took home $200!

I know timing is important in this blog world, so I’m posting this entry minus two of my family pictures. I am fortunate enough to have not one, but five Thanksgiving dinners this year! That’s right five and yes, I ate at each one of them! It is so wonderful to be home spending this Thanksgiving with my family and friends. I love all of you!

Stop 1 My Stepfamily

Stop 2 My Mom’s House

Stop 3 My Man’s Mother’s House

Stop 4 My Stepmother’s Family (I have no idea why this is so blurry!)

My Man’s Father’s House
(no picture yet!)

I am blessed to have so many wonderful people in my life.

The Reverend Horton Heat played a packed house at the Mercy Lounge Tuesday night. An amped up young audience sang along and “moshed” up front. Some concertgoers got too rowdy; causing a fight that landed one guy in the hospital.

Former Shack*Shakers drummer Paul Simmons is a great edition to The Rev. His heavy drumming ability stepped the band up more than a notch!

My interview with The Rev can be seen on the video player!

Imogen Heap reminds me of a porcelain doll with her pale skin and painted on rosy cheeks. Her show Monday night at City Hall pulled in almost as big of a crowd as The Raconteurs. While most of her music is doctored by today’s technology, she has amazing talent. Her voice gives me chills and there wasn’t a dull moment in her show. Here are some pictures that I took!

The corset lights, known as Tramp Lamps, were made by a fan in Nashville.
Her keyboard sat on a grand piano model filled with roses and lined with lights.

Click the link for more pictures!
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I met Charlie Daniels for my first time Monday night at his museum on 2nd Avenue. I couldn’t help but notice how much the fiddle master looks like Santa Claus! Not only that, but his personality reminds me of Santa (not that Santa and I have ever met…you get my point). He was perhaps the nicest legend I’ve ever met!

Charlie signed dozens of autographs after being awarded the 7 Seals Award for all of his support of the troops. Afterward, he headed to The Ryman where he played a nearly sold out show to benefit Christmas for Kids.

Five performers took the stage, including Joe Nichols…who seemed pretty intoxicated! He cut-up with the audience way too long and chose to sing songs with cuss words. The girls loved it, the parents and kids not so much.

I do think it’s great that all the artists came out and donated their time for such a worthy cause. You can see highlights from the night on my video player!