Banner & Company

Working as a fact-checker is great training for any writer. But especially so when one's subject is a notorious teller of tall tales. This was the case for Jonathan Bernstein, who was tasked with writing a biography of the late Justin Townes Earle. Known for his soul-searching songs and keen delivery of them, Earle also lived his short life negotiating the shadow of his father Steve's legend, as well as that of his middle namesake Townes Van Zandt.

In the new book What Do You Do When You're Lonesome, written with the blessing of widow Jenn Marie Earle, Jonathan tracks the life of this talented musician — from rough and tumble beginnings in the notorious "Chicken Shack" in a Green Hills backyard, to acclaim in New York City and beyond, to unraveling sobriety and a tragic end. Along the way, he also paints a picture of Nashville and other up-and-coming contemporaries of Earle's who helped shape the city, and Americana music, indelibly.

Guest: Jonathan Bernstein, author, What Do You Do When You're Lonesome: The Authorized Biography of Justin Townes Earle

Host: Demetria Kalodimos

Producer: Steve Haruch

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The Banner’s Steven Hale and Stephen Elliott talk about the first Metro Council meeting of the year. It was a late and action-packed night for our Metro reporter. The council discussed how to use a $15 million state grant for downtown safety, and deferred legislation to add a commercial compatibility overlay along Buchanan Street in North Nashville — a proposal that triggered ferocious debate at a planning commission meeting last week. All that, and the Steph/vens reveal how much they love talking about Nashville's mayoral races as far out from an election as possible. And with Joy Styles entering the race, now they get to!

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Before Nashville Hidden Gems was a hit Instagram page, it began as a food tour, taking a small group of guests through a series of creator Anas Saba's favorite local spots. The audience is much larger now — more than 130,000 followers as of this writing — and many of those beloved eateries less "hidden" than they once were.

One thing that's remained constant through it all is his dedication to local businesses, especially those run and frequented by immigrants. But regardless of who's working the kitchen or front of house, what matters to Anas is an experience with passion and intention behind it. That same idea is pushing him to think beyond being "the food guy" in town and using his storytelling skills in new ways.

Guest: Anas Saba, creator, Nashville Hidden Gems

Host: Demetria Kalodimos

Producer: Steve Haruch

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The Banner’s Steven Hale and Sarah Grace Taylor talk about the return of the Tennessee legislature, what they've done so far and what to expect in the coming months. Sarah Grace discusses bills related to immigration policy, some newly proposed and others carried over from last year. She also highlights a likely debate over expanding vouchers and proposals targeting LGBTQ+ rights. Steven wonders what this year’s “chemtrails bill" will be.

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Craig Havighurst's new book Musicality for Modern Humans: How to Listen Like an Artist aims to talk about music theory in a non-theoretical way — to get at how and why music affects us, and to help foster a deeper appreciation for its many forms. That includes experimental, instrumental and orchestral works, which move beyond the familiar verses and choruses that make up the vast majority of streamed music.

As a journalist, Craig has written extensively about music, and as editorial director for WMOT Roots Radio 89.5 FM, he hosts the a weekly show on culture and American music. He was also senior producer and co-host of Music City Roots from 2009-2018.

Guest: Craig Havighurst

Host: Demetria Kalodimos

Producer: Steve Haruch

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Although Nashville is known as Music City, some of the most important history — songwriting sessions, recordings, rehearsals — took place in either nondescript houses you'd never think were remarkable in any way, or in buildings that were demolished long ago. That can make piecing together the many stories a bit of a detective game.

Enter Brian Mansfield and his page, Nashville Musical History Tour, connecting the dots between ordinary-looking places and extraordinary moments in Nashville's musical history. A longtime journalist and collector, Brian takes his audience along for the ride as he bridges lore and location, turning up legends at every turn.

Guest: Brian Mansfield, journalist and Nashville music history aficionado

Host: Demetria Kalodimos

Producer: Steve Haruch

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At the end of every Banner & Company episode — the very end, after the credits have rolled and the theme music fades out — there's a little hidden feature that regular listeners are likely familiar with. We call it "the final question," and it's when we ask our guest to pull a slip of paper from a fish bowl (fish not included) and read what it says. On that paper is a question, left by a previous guest on the show. It's a little bit random, but also an intentional way to connect all of our guests to each other.

So just for fun, for the last episode of the year we present a few of these "final questions" in sequence, from asker to answerer, in a way you can't usually hear them.

Guests (in order of appearance):

Plus, Kelley Sirko of the Nashville Public Library tells us about what it's like fielding semi-random questions as part of your job.

Host: Demetria Kalodimos

Producer: Steve Haruch

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Growing up, Stephen Bargatze got into plenty of trouble. He wasn't a very good student. His home life was rocky at best, and he had a terrible relationship with his mother. But with some help from family, he got a chance to turn his life around. And when he found he had some skill at magic tricks, his world brightened a bit. Then he discovered that with clown make-up on, "talking funny" was actually an asset.

These days, Stephen is still dazzling audiences with his sleight-of-hand and enjoying the outsize fame of his son, comedian Nate Bargatze. (His parents still think of him as Nathaniel.) He'll soon be recording his first special with his family's production company — one of the many doors that Nate's success has opened for the family.

This episode was originally broadcast in October.

Guest: Stephen Bargatze, magician and comedian

Host: Demetria Kalodimos

Producer: Steve Haruch

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This bonus content was created in partnership with the podcast Niche to meet you.

Shedrich Webster is Middle Tennessee’s premiere Black Santa. For three years in a row, he has done the annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony at the National Museum of African American Music. But he also travels all around the country. And along the way he’s learned that there’s great need for Santas like him, for kids and adults alike. It’s for that reason he helped found the Santas of Color Coalition, a first-of-its-kind organization centered around training and supporting Black Mr. and Mrs. Clauses.

Produced by Leslie Thompson

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What started as an ordinary ride home from a track meet changed Cathy Carillo's life. When Metro Police stopped her father for a broken taillight in 2009, they arrested him, and he was later deported. Cathy, who was 14 years old at the time, was left stranded on the side of the road and wondering: “Is this really home?”

That night set Cathy on a 15-year path that recently led to helping found The ReMIX Tennessee, a grassroots Latino community organization. As more families are torn apart by separation due to ICE arrests like those that took place during May's joint-federal state immigration sweep through Nashville’s Latino neighborhoods, Cathy spoke to Banner & Company about starting the anonymous hotline Music City Migra Watch for people to report ICE sightings and The ReMIX Tennessee’s urgent and evolving work.

This episode was originally broadcast in August.

Guest: Cathy Carillo, co-founder, The ReMIX TN

Host: Demetria Kalodimos

Producers: Lilly Sabella and Steve Haruch

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