The Nashville Scene Podcast

In our 22nd episode — the fourth episode of our fourth season — co-hosts Jerome Moore and D. Patrick Rodgers are joined by local media personality Big Fella to talk about Juneteenth. Expanding on a conversation Big Fella recently had with Scene arts editor Laura Hutson Hunter, we chat about the history of Juneteenth, which is now a federal holiday, as well as the details of this year's Juneteenth celebrations and more.Follow Jerome Moore on Instagram (@jeromelmoore), follow Big Fella on Instagram (@bigfellatv), and follow D. Patrick Rodgers wherever you prefer (@dpatrickrodgers). Give it a listen, and subscribe to hear more! This episode is sponsored by the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee.

In our 21st episode — the third episode of our fourth season — co-hosts Jerome Moore and D. Patrick Rodgers are joined by Nashville Scene associate editor Logan Butts and the Belcourt Theatre's Stephanie Silverman and Allison Inman to talk about the historic arthouse theater's 100th anniversary. As with our recent cover package on the Belcourt, we get into the theater's rich history as well as how Nashville's independent film center is moving into its second century. We also touch on Logan's recent cover story about Nashville's film production industry.Follow Jerome Moore on Instagram (@jeromelmoore), follow the Belcourt on Instagram (@belcourttheatre), follow Logan Butts on Instagram (@logan_butts), and follow D. Patrick Rodgers wherever you prefer (@dpatrickrodgers). Give it a listen, and subscribe to hear more! This episode is sponsored by the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee.

In our 19th episode — the first episode of our fourth season — co-hosts Jerome Moore and D. Patrick Rodgers are joined by Nashville Scene reporter and Williamson Scene managing editor Nicolle S. Praino and state Rep. Harold Love (D-Nashville) to talk about this year's session of the Tennessee General Assembly. Rep. Love speaks with us about which bills did and didn't pass at the Capitol (much of which is outlined in this week's cover story) as well as the latest on Tennessee State University's funding issues, Gov. Bill Lee's school-vouchers plan and much more. Follow Jerome Moore on Instagram (@jeromelmoore), follow Nicolle S. Praino and the Williamson Scene on most platforms (@williamsonscene), and follow D. Patrick Rodgers wherever you prefer (@dpatrickrodgers). Give it a listen, and subscribe to hear more! This episode is sponsored by the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee.

In our 19th episode — the first episode of our fourth season — co-hosts Jerome Moore and D. Patrick Rodgers are joined by longtime Scene contributor Chris Chamberlain, as well as Olivia Britton, executive director of the Music City Food and Wine Festival. In the episode, we talk about our Food & Drink issue, which features 48 classic Nashville dishes, from fish and chips to banana splits. We also talk about the upcoming MCFWF, brought to you by Scene parent company FW Publishing and taking place April 24 through 27. Follow Jerome Moore on Instagram (@jeromelmoore) and follow D. Patrick Rodgers on whatever platform you prefer (@dpatrickrodgers). Give it a listen, and subscribe to hear more! This episode is sponsored by the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee.

In our 18th episode — the sixth and final episode of our third season — co-hosts Jerome Moore and D. Patrick Rodgers are joined by Lorenzo Washington and Karen Coffee of the Jefferson Street Sound Museum to talk about the enduring legacy of their historic North Nashville neighborhood. The museum, which was founded in 2011, will celebrate its Third Annual Lorenzo Washington Gala on Thursday, April 3. Read more about Washington and Coffee's work in our recent feature by contributor Ron Wynn, and visit the Jefferson Street Sound Museum website for gala tickets and more information.Follow Jerome Moore on Instagram (@jeromelmoore), follow the Jefferson Street Sound Museum on Instagram (@jeffersonstreetsound) and follow D. Patrick Rodgers on whatever platform you prefer (@dpatrickrodgers). Give it a listen, and subscribe to hear more! This episode is sponsored by the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee.

In our 17th episode — and the fifth episode of our third season — co-hosts Jerome Moore and D. Patrick Rodgers are joined by comedian and artist Josh Black, whose exhibit No Love Lost is currently on display at Julia Martin Gallery in Wedgewood-Houston. Black talks with us about Nashville's art and comedy scenes, his decision to relocate to Chicago later this year and more.Follow Jerome Moore on Instagram (@jeromelmoore), follow Josh Black on Instagram (@sirjoshuablack), and follow D. Patrick Rodgers on whatever platform you prefer (@dpatrickrodgers). Give it a listen, and subscribe to hear more! This episode is sponsored by the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee.

In our 16th episode — and the fourth episode of our third season — co-host D. Patrick Rodgers is joined by Scene reporter (and Williamson Scene managing editor) Nicolle S. Praino and Scene reporter Eli Motycka to talk about last week's special session of the state legislature. (Sadly, co-host Jerome Moore was under the weather when we recorded this one.) In the rapid-fire session, called by Gov. Bill Lee, the Tennessee General Assembly passed legislation on education, disaster relief and immigration. This episode covers all that, as well as what's to come in the rest of this year's legislative session.Follow Jerome Moore on Instagram (@jeromelmoore), follow Nicolle S. Praino and the Williamson Scene on Twitter/X (@nicolle_praino and @williamsonscene), follow Eli Motycka on Twitter/X (@ejmotycka), and follow D. Patrick Rodgers on whatever platform you prefer (@dpatrickrodgers). Give it a listen, and subscribe to hear more! This episode is sponsored by the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee.

In our 15th episode — and the third episode of our third season — co-hosts Jerome Moore and D. Patrick Rodgers are joined by musician Saaneah, who's featured in this week's issue. In the issue, our annual Country Music Almanac, we also speak with Fancy Hagood and poll our critics on what's happening on the country landscape. With Saaneah, we talk about her contribution to Alice Randall's My Black Country, her recent Grand Ole Opry debut, recognition of country artists of color and a lot more.Follow Jerome Moore on Instagram (@jeromelmoore), follow Saaneah on Instagram (@saaneah) and follow D. Patrick Rodgers on whatever platform you prefer (@dpatrickrodgers). Give it a listen, and subscribe to hear more! This episode is sponsored by the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee.

In our 14th episode — and the second episode of our third season — co-host Jerome Moore and Scene managing editor Alejandro Ramirez are joined by poet and organizer Ciona Rouse. As Alejandro wrote in a recent feature, despite Nashville's thriving poetry scene, Nashville doesn't have a poet laureate. We talk about that, local poetry events, our most active poets and more.Follow Jerome Moore on Instagram (@jeromelmoore) and see how to keep up with Ciona via her website. Give it a listen, and subscribe to hear more! This episode is sponsored by the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee.

In our 13th episode — and the first episode of our third season — co-hosts Jerome Moore and D. Patrick Rodgers are joined by Scene music editor Stephen “Goose” Trageser to talk about our Year in Music issue. We cover our Top Local Albums Critics' Poll (or maybe the “Top Albums From Locally Based Artists Poll”), our chat with cover star Brittany Howard and more.Follow Jerome Moore on Instagram (@jeromelmoore), follow Stephen Trageser on Twitter (@goosetrax) or Bluesky (@stephentrageser615.bsky.social), and follow D. Patrick Rodgers on whatever platform you prefer (@dpatrickrodgers). Give it a listen, and subscribe to hear more! This episode is sponsored by the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee.

In our 12th episode — and the final episode of our second season — co-hosts Jerome Moore and D. Patrick Rodgers are joined by M. Simone Boyd and the Rev. Dr. Margreat Smithson to discuss the new podcast We Are North Nashville. Boyd is a local storyteller, artist, activist and occasional Scene contributor, and Rev. Smithson serves the congregation at Watson Grove Baptist Church. With We Are North Nashville — the subject of the Scene's Sept. 12 cover story — Boyd and her fellow producers Andrea Tudhope and Steve Haruch tell the stories of the elders of North Nashville, a historically Black community that has long been an essential part of our city's cultural fabric. Like and subscribe to We Are North Nashville wherever you get your podcasts.Follow Jerome Moore on Instagram (@jeromelmoore) and follow D. Patrick Rodgers on whatever platform you prefer (@dpatrickrodgers). Give the episode a listen, and subscribe to hear more!

In the fifth episode of our second season — and our 11th episode overall — co-hosts Jerome Moore and D. Patrick Rodgers are joined by Nashville Scene associate editor Cole Villena and Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell to talk about transit. As noted in our Aug. 22 cover package “Your Move, Nashville,” Davidson County voters will vote yes or no on “Choose How You Move” in November. The proposed $3.1 billion transit plan, pitched by longtime transit advocate O'Connell and his administration, could bring huge changes to the city's transportation infrastructure. We discuss the details of the plan — from its funding to its timeline and beyond.Follow Jerome Moore on Instagram (@jeromelmoore), follow Cole on Instagram (@cole.villena), and follow D. Patrick Rodgers on whatever platform you prefer (@dpatrickrodgers). Give it a listen, and subscribe to hear more!

In the fourth episode of our second season — and our 10th episode overall — co-hosts Jerome Moore and D. Patrick Rodgers are joined by Nashville Scene contributor Margaret Littman to discuss this week's cover story, “Venues of Their Own: Meet Music City's Women-Run Venues.” Also joining us are sisters Lauren and Kendall Morales, whose business TomKats Hospitality is behind Acme Feed & Seed and several other local restaurants and venues. In the episode, we break down the challenges and safety issues facing women in the venue-management space, as well as opportunities for young women entering the business, the pros and cons of working on Lower Broad, and much more.Follow Margaret on Instagram (@littmanwrites), follow TomKats on Instagram (@tomkatscatering), follow Jerome Moore on Instagram (@jeromelmoore), and follow D. Patrick Rodgers on whatever platform you prefer (@dpatrickrodgers). Give it a listen, and subscribe to hear more!

In the third episode of our second season — and our ninth episode overall — co-hosts Jerome Moore and D. Patrick Rodgers are joined by author and Nashville Scene contributor Betsy Phillips to discuss her new book, Dynamite Nashville: Unmasking the FBI, the KKK, and the Bombers Beyond Their Control. Betsy discusses the work as a Scene columnist that led her to writing the book, the far-reaching impact of these acts of terrorism, and the Metro Nashville Police Department's newly announced plans to reopen an investigation into the bombings.Follow Betsy on Twitter/X (@AuntB), follow Jerome Moore on Instagram (@jeromelmoore), and follow D. Patrick Rodgers on whatever platform you prefer (@dpatrickrodgers). Give it a listen, and subscribe to hear more!

In the second episode of our second season — and our eighth episode overall — co-hosts Jerome Moore and D. Patrick Rodgers are joined by Nashville Scene reporter Eli Motycka to discuss this week's cover package, which is all about the state, federal and local elections on Aug. 1. Aside from one Metro Nashville Public Schools board seat, the Davidson County general elections are all but decided, so we spend most of the episode discussing the state and federal primaries — including the Democratic primary for a U.S. Senate seat, Metro Councilmember Courtney Johnston challenging incumbent U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles for his seat in the Republican primary, a competitive Democratic primary for state House District 60 and more.Follow Eli on Twitter/X (@ejmotycka), follow Jerome Moore on Instagram (@jeromelmoore), and follow D. Patrick Rodgers on whatever platform you prefer (@dpatrickrodgers). Give it a listen, and subscribe to hear more!

The Nashville Scene Podcast is back for Season 2! In the first episode of our second season — and our seventh episode overall — co-hosts Jerome Moore and D. Patrick Rodgers are joined by Nashville Scene/Nashville Post reporter Hannah Herner and Nashville Scene/The News reporter and photographer Hamilton Matthew Masters to discuss our June 27 cover story, “Turning the Corner: Second Avenue Reckons With History.” In the episode, we discuss the 2020 Christmas Day bombing of Second Avenue and its long-term impact, as well as the rebuilding efforts currently underway in the area. We also get into longtime locals' fond memories of the historic downtown neighborhood.Follow Hannah Herner on Twitter and Instagram (@hannah_herner and @hannah_herner) and Hamilton Matthew Masters on Twitter and Instagram (@formvscontent and @hamiltonmattmasters). Follow Jerome Moore on Instagram (@jeromelmoore), and follow D. Patrick Rodgers on whatever platform you prefer (@dpatrickrodgers). You can stream our latest episode below or via the YouTube embed above, or find it wherever you get your podcasts. Give it a listen, and subscribe to hear more!

In the sixth episode of the Nashville Scene Podcast, co-hosts Jerome Moore and D. Patrick Rodgers speak with contributor Brittney McKenna about the third and final installment in her three-part series, “The Other Nashville.” Over the past year, Brittney has checked in with members of Nashville's unhoused community — as well as outreach workers like The Beat's Darrin Bradbury — to find out what life is like for our neighbors who don't have reliable housing. Look back at the first and second parts of Brittney's series as well. Also in this episode, we talk to Scene arts editor Laura Hutson Hunter about some of Nashville's most exciting visual artists, including Grace Hall and Tara Dugger. Follow Brittney McKenna on Twitter/X (@brittneymckenna), follow Jerome Moore on Instagram (@jeromelmoore), follow D. Patrick Rodgers on whatever platform you prefer (@dpatrickrodgers), and follow Laura Hutson Hunter on Instagram (@laurahutsonhunter).

In the fifth episode of the Nashville Scene Podcast, co-hosts Jerome Moore and D. Patrick Rodgers speak with staff reporters Hannah Herner, Kelsey Beyeler and Hamilton Matthew Masters about this year's session of the Tennessee General Assembly. As the legislative session winds toward its close, we speak about bills that have been filed related to abortion, education, vaccines, culture-war issues, immigration and more. You can follow along with the Scene's ongoing legislative reporting at this link, and stay tuned for much more.Follow Hannah Herner on Twitter and Instagram (@hannah_herner and @hannah_herner), Kelsey Beyeler on Twitter (@kelsey_beyeler) and Hamilton Matthew Masters on Twitter and Instagram (@formvscontent and @hamiltonmattmasters). Follow Jerome Moore on Instagram (@jeromelmoore), and follow D. Patrick Rodgers on whatever platform you prefer (@dpatrickrodgers). Give it a listen, and subscribe to hear more!

In the fourth episode of the Nashville Scene Podcast, co-hosts Jerome Moore and D. Patrick Rodgers speak with staff reporters Kelsey Beyeler and Eli Motycka about ongoing protests at Vanderbilt University. As we've covered heavily in recent weeks, pro-Palestinian activism on campus this semester has been met with bureaucratic opposition. That came to a head in late March, when a sit-in at Kirkland Hall led to student arrests and suspensions, and even the arrest of our own reporter, Eli. (Eli ultimately faced no charges and was released within a matter of hours.) Chancellor Daniel Diermeir continues to face mounting pressure from students, faculty, local lawmakers and members of the community who say the school's response has been “excessive and punitive.”We dive into all that and much more in this week's episode. Follow Jerome Moore on Instagram (@jeromelmoore), and follow D. Patrick Rodgers on whatever platform you prefer (@dpatrickrodgers).

The third episode of the Nashville Scene Podcast is another two-parter. In our opening segment, co-hosts Jerome Moore and D. Patrick Rodgers speak with former Scene reporter — and current Nashville Banner reporter — Steven Hale about his book Death Row Welcomes You: Visiting Hours in the Shadow of the Execution Chamber. Out March 26, Death Row Welcomes You centers on the community of advocates Hale met during his time covering Tennessee's spate of executions from 2018 to 2020. Also in this episode we talk to Scene contributor Brittney McKenna about her cover story on Kacey Musgraves' brand-new fifth record, Deeper Well, out today via Interscope/MCA Nashville. Follow Steven Hale on Twitter/X (@iamstevenhale), follow Brittney McKenna on Twitter/X (@brittneymckenna), follow Jerome Moore on Instagram (@jeromelmoore), and follow D. Patrick Rodgers on whatever platform you prefer (@dpatrickrodgers).Give it a listen, and subscribe to hear more!

How much surveillance power will Nashville give its police? What's a license plate reader? What's Fusus? How much are Nashvillians already being watched?In the second episode of the Nashville Scene Podcast — co-hosted by Scene editor-in-chief D. Patrick Rodgers and Deep Dish Conversations host Jerome Moore — staff reporter Eli Motycka joins us to talk about this week's cover story. In his story — “Technical Difficulties: How Much Surveillance Power Will Nashville Give Its Police?” — Eli explores three forms of technology in particular: Fusus-integrated video, license plate readers and ShotSpotter. It's a great, in-depth read about an increasingly relevant topic. Also in this episode, we talk to associate editor Cole Villena about this week's Scene Critics' Picks. Among our choices for things to do over the next week is the Belcourt's ongoing Best Picture Marathon, featuring all 10 of this year's Best Picture nominees. Follow Cole on Instagram at @cole.villena, follow Eli on Twitter/X at @ejmotycka, and follow Jerome on Instagram at @jeromelmoore. Give it a listen, and subscribe to hear more!

What's a neighborhood association? Why do they form? How do they affect things like housing density and "quality of life"?In the first episode of the Nashville Scene Podcast — co-hosted by Scene editor-in-chief D. Patrick Rodgers and Deep Dish Conversations host Jerome Moore — contributor Nicole Williams joins us to speak about this week's cover story. In her story, "Gatekeeping the Neighborhood," Nicole dives into how neighborhood associations affect development in Nashville — in ways both good and bad. It's a great, informative read. Also in this episode, we discuss Nicole's Scene column, "On First Reading," and the messiness that took place at Nashville's most recent Metro Council meeting. Follow Nicole on X (aka Twitter) at @startleseasily.Give it a listen, and subscribe to hear more!