Off the ramp, a small cluster of three or four buildings hardly resembles a town. A roadside sign welcomes all comers to Hickman County, home of the 1997 Class AA state basketball champion Lady Bulldogs. Aside from a gas station and a Travel Inn, a few points of interest are not quite as standard: a trout fishing ranch, an adult superstore and a pinball museum.

With only enough time to visit one of these attractions, I pull into the parking lot at Yesterdaze Pinball Museum since it also houses a restaurant called The Snack Shack (even though the sign for the trout fishing ranch tempts me with its cowboy hat-wearing rainbow trout and down-home promise of proximity: “You’re About There!”). The building, off-white stucco trimmed in teal and topped off with a tin roof, reminds me that although I am staring at a stucco building containing a pinball museum, I am still out in the country. I am still in Bucksnort, Tennessee.

I walk in and a mounted deer head stares down at me. It wears a red bandana and is adorned with Mardi Gras beads around its neck and antlers. “WELCOME TO BUCKSNORT TN.” is spray painted in red block letters on a yellow sign beneath the plaque that holds the head. All around the trophy head are wall-mounted pinball backglass displays, the artwork that surrounds the slots where the score rolls up. Most give off a retro/futuristic vibe, like something out of the Jetsons. One depicts a Grand Prix scene, with Indy cars racing down a bright yellow track and a city full of sharp-angled buildings that reflect the cerulean sky in their many windows, all rising up on a hill behind the cars. For 25 bucks, it could be mine to take home.

The museum itself is in the adjoining room, which also serves as The Snack Shack. Brightly colored pieces of paper covered in the signatures and parting messages of visitors are taped to the wall by the cash register. Rock ‘n’ roll from the ‘50s and ‘60s is playing from a jukebox in the far corner and bouncing off the cinderblock walls that are painted with a Tennessee Volunteer orange checkerboard trim and littered with old 45s. And, yes, the jukebox does have The Who’s “Pinball Wizard” in its repertoire.

The whole place smells like home cooking—the plate lunch special is ham with scalloped potatoes and minced vegetables. I sit down on a stool along a wooden bar that seems more appropriate for slinging beers than plate lunches. Vintage board games are on display on the wall behind the bar. Pit and Clue are the only familiar titles.

While I wait for the special I chat with the proprietress, Kathy, and stare at the vintage pinball machines along the opposite wall in all their bleep-bloopy, Technicolor glory. Gottlieb or Williams made them all; I know this because the manufacturer’s name usually prefaces the title of the game—Gottlieb’s Ice-Revue or Williams Lucky Ace, for instance. Kathy and her husband, Doug, decided to start collecting vintage machines after finding a nice deal on one in a thrift store. They eventually came across a seller willing to part with his whole collection for a reasonable price, but they still haggled and got it for less.

My ham is taken up, dripping and steaming, out of one of three Crock-Pots behind the long bar. Instead of a proper kitchen, there is just an assortment of things along the counter that one might find in Mom’s kitchen: the aforementioned Crock-Pots, a George Foreman grill, a deep fryer, and a brick oven. The plate lunch special is brought to me. It tastes like home.

As I eat, Kathy and her mother, who helps tend to the makeshift kitchen, let me in on the legend of Bucksnort, which alleges that the community got its name during prohibition when a local man named Buck started running moonshine. Thirsty travelers and locals would stop in at Buck’s to “have a snort.” Conversation falls back onto the pinball machines and Kathy informs me that all the machines on the wall behind me still function, one of them free of charge. I can have my names written on a card attached to the machine if I achieve the high score. My plate is clean, and I know what must be done.

I pay for my lunch and amble over to the Williams Lucky Ace machine. Beneath the previous player’s score, a luminous Jack and Queen stare at each other with sultry eyes. I press the start button and the machine whirs to life with beeps and buzzes and flashing lights and I feel as if I’m in the middle of a carnival midway. The silver ball drops, and I quickly pull on the plunger and launch it with a clang from the spring. Although I work the flippers valiantly, the ball eventually bests my reflexes and plunks down into the middle one … two … three times. And just like that, it ends. I will not be memorialized as a Bucksnort pinball champion today. Instead, I settle for signing my name to the Yesterdaze Pinball Museum guest sheet that will be taped to the wall, along with the others, once it is full.

“Youth Empowerment thru Arts and Humanities” (or, more familiarly, “YEAH!”) intends to fill the void of all ages music venues in the area.

Sandwiched between “Pastime Barber Shop and Pool Hall” and the law firm of Kidwell, South and Beasley on the square in Murfreesboro, YEAH! is a combination community center and music venue established for the benefit of Boro teens. For $20 per month, teenagers have full run of the facilities, which is split into two halves: 114-A and 114-B, the community center and the venue.

114-A opens into a large lobby with musical instruments scattered around a few chairs and tables. One wall is nearly filled by a mural painted by members. According to publicist Meredith Kotas, the wall gets repainted monthly, with the kids taking control of the process.

Upstairs is a reading/study room, where several members are camped out, working through their homework. The room also acts as a small library, with the shelves offering titles like “Matilda,” “A Raisin in the Sun” and “Punk Marketing: Get Off Your Ass and Join the Revolution,” along with a rack of locally produced zines. Down the hall is a computer lab, where some classes like website design and self-publication may be held.

More than 40 volunteers teach classes, work with kids and help with other tasks in and around YEAH!. The staff is constantly reviewing applications for more volunteers, particularly college students interested in helping out at the venue’s affiliated summer rock camps.

According to director Ryan York, the programming was built on the back of what had already been accomplished with Southern Girls Rock ‘n’ Roll Camp. SGRRC is a summer camp founded in 2003 where girls between the ages of 10 and 17 are able to learn instruments, form bands, write music and eventually perform for an audience.

Between the years of 2003 and 2009, the program continued to grow without a building. YEAH! was officially formed as the umbrella under which SGRRC and programs held during the year, like School of Recording, operated. Without a central location, however, the staff held classes wherever they could secure space—MTSU classrooms, empty properties on the market, anywhere the low-budget effort could pitch their tent in.

“The idea was, ‘we’ve got this art program. Let’s do something a little more permanent,’” York said. In 2009, the staff negotiated a deal to lease the 6000 square-foot building and establish the programs in a single place.

Down a flight of stairs is the second half of YEAH!, the music venue and recording area.

York, a Murfreesboro native and Middle Tennessee State University graduate, has first-hand knowledge of how difficult it is for minors to see live music in the area.

“Even when I was a kid, it was the traditional pedagogy,” York said. “You never really had a place. We’d sneak into the Red Rose for shows sometimes and get kicked out. Even then, that wasn’t your place.”

YEAH! is the only all-ages music venue in Murfreesboro. The other venues like Wall Street, The Boro, Liquid Smoke and Temptation Club have strict age limits for legal and financial reasons. Many of these venues, in reaction to the smoking ban in bars and restaurants passed in 2007, opted to raise the age limit to 21 in order to retain the smoker crowd.

“When you’re looking at businesses built on entertainment, it’s no secret that alcohol is how you make your money,” York admits. “The sales win, the kids lose.”

Keeping with its mission of supporting young people in a safe environment, YEAH! doesn’t offer any alcoholic beverages outside of specific fundraiser shows closed off to the usual younger clientele.
In order to stay competitive and to remain affordable to teens, YEAH! charges only $5 for cover to shows.

“Concert ticket prices are the only thing that haven’t gone up with inflation,” York joked.

Local musicians have enthusiastically embraced the venue. A litany of popular local artists and bands have played in the space including occasional Kings of Leon openers The Features, hip psychedelic punks JEFF the Brotherhood and Murfreesboro alt. country stalwarts Glossary.

“The phrase we always hear is ‘Wow, I wish this was here when I was a kid’,” York said.

Other bands like Shoot the Mountain and Kindergarten Circus are more directly involved, with band members serving as volunteers or, in the case of 18-year-old Kindergarten Circus singer Dillon Watson, board members.

“We sat around and tried to think about what it’s like to be 15, and for some of us that wasn’t too long ago,” York said. “We basically let the kids run it.”

The community center/music venue combination has been championed as a potentially successful alternative to financially risky businesses that only operate as music venues.

Earlier this year, Bon Iver singer Justin Vernon and brother/tour manager Nate Vernon announced intentions to build a music venue called “Union College” in their hometown of Eau Claire, Wis., which would, like YEAH!, marry live music with workshops and classes.

Similarly, Rocketown in Nashville is one of only two all-ages music venues in Nashville that have survived the economy, increased governmental pressure and the constantly shifting attitudes of teenagers. Although the music venue is the focal point of the space, Rocketown also offers a skate park, a coffee bar, pool tables and areas for studying and small community groups.

The venue is a stark contrast to The Muse, an older all-ages venue that has earned a reputation for being unclean and potentially dangerous. The venue, which backs up to a business boasting the title “Nashville’s Biggest Adult Bookstore,” sells beer and was briefly shut down in 2008 after Metro Code Enforcement discovered code violations as well as an illegal business.

“I appreciate the Muse having a positive perspective toward all ages shows,” York said, “but, at the same time, you have to keep it appropriate. The reason why we’re able to accomplish what we do is because the older kids instantly take to mentorship with the younger kids.”

Because YEAH! is now secure in a permanent building, the staff have been able to devote more time to developing the program and engaging in community outreach.

“The thing we all fall victim to is that we just can’t say ‘no’ to kids,” York admits. On top of the workshops and classes running in the Maple St. building, volunteers have also been holding free programs in the community centers built into Murfreesboro’s Section Eight housing.

YEAH! has also expanded the Southern Girls Rock & Roll Camp concept into two sister camps. “Rock Blok,” which started as a series of eight-week courses based on the SGRRC program, has expanded outside of Murfreesboro into four new summer camps in McMinnville, Gainesboro, Smyrna and Woodbury. In Na shville, “Tennessee Teens Rock & Roll Camp,” will hold its inaugural camp at University School of Nashville in June.

Because of the amount of work involved in putting these camps on and keeping costs low for interested teens, York stresses that volunteers are always welcome and needed.

“We definitely rely on our volunteers. The $20 membership barely covers our expenses,” York said.

The festival officially kicked off on Friday afternoon, with performances by soul band Lubriphonic, Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars and indie rock stalwarts Cold War Kids. As French indie pop band Phoenix began to set up their equipment, clouds gathered for an ominous sign of what was to come.

Saturday morning, the National Weather Service issued several advisories for Tennessee, including a “particularly dangerous situation” tornado warning for western counties, early in the morning.

As the storm progressed east, Middle Tennessee fell under the same watch advisory at 1 p.m., causing festival organizers to delay the 3 p.m. opening until the advisory ended at 9 p.m. The delay resulted in many bands having their sets called off.

The Delta Saints, who won the coveted “battle of the bands winner” slot scheduled for Saturday afternoon, was the first band to have its set cancelled as weather conditions deteriorated. The Belmont blues rockers, who were featured in the Best of the Best showcase on campus later that night, won a competition Thursday to secure the slot.

“It was an honor to be selected out of so many talented bands that auditioned, and it was a huge disappointment to have our set canceled,” said bassist David Supica. “The most frustrating thing was that the storm let up during our set time (3:30), so we would not have had any issues with rain or lightning.”

A total of four bands were waylaid by the weather, including New Orleans jazz musician Trombone Shorty and Salvador Santana, son of guitarist Carlos Santana. Another, Two Door Cinema Club, was forced to cancel their performance earlier in the week due to volcanic ash shutting down European air space.

The most disappointment from ticket holders, however, came from the announcement that Passion Pit, a popular electronic act known best for their song “Sleepyhead,” would not play the festival due to illness. Response on Twitter and Facebook reflected significant disappointment, with one user half-jokingly asking for “a doctor’s note confirming [their] ‘illness’.”

“Good lord, I am so glad I didn’t pay for my Rites tickets this year,” wrote junior music business major Emily Harris on Facebook in response to the announcement. “I’m bummed I didn’t get to have a Rites experience at all this year.”

Despite the cancellations, Supica understands the predicament that festival organizers were put in.

“Regardless, I can only imagine how hard coordinating an event like that must be, so there’s obviously no hard feelings,” Supica said.

“We’re looking forward to trying out again next year.”

Ten years later, singer/songwriter James promotes his music through social media, his own producer and manager and a recently released album, “It Took the Fire.”  He also plays as a keyboardist with Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, and will be with them on a tour that includes dates in Australia, as well as at Coachella and Bonnaroo.
“Hopefully I’ll be done with that tour by the end of June and then I’ll be doing my own stuff again,” James said.

It took him four years as a music business major at Belmont, performing at small venues and in the university’s showcases, two or three years working as a banquet server at Opryland Hotel after graduation and months at a time of optimistic touring along the east and west coasts to get to this point of success.

After he was “rejected,” as he called it, by Belmont’s School of Music, he decided he would continue to strive for a career in music and expand his knowledge of the field with a degree in music business.  He played at the Commons Clubhouse several times and performed in the Best of the Best showcase at the Ryman before the Curb Event Center opened.

“I think I produced the first event ever at the [Curb] Event Center, which was the 2003 pop/rock showcase,” James said.

When James came to Belmont, social media was not really popular or necessary for artists to promote their music.  Many students aiming for music careers did not know how to get started, James said.

“I feel like I was the only kid in my class that was actually playing gigs off campus,” he said.  “When I was there all anyone did was do showcase things and then they’d get out of college and have no idea of how to get a gig or even get started in Nashville.”

James knew he had to start early.  He played at venues like The End and Guido’s Pizza. In playing small shows, he discovered that in order to get more of an audience, he should keep his education information to himself.  That way he could avoid the misconception that all Belmont students play music similar to Dave Matthews or Radiohead.

“Belmont kind of gives this vibe in the Nashville scene like people assume that Belmont bands all kind of sound the same and don’t bring people out,” James said.  “In order to make it in Nashville I had to not let people know I was a Belmont kid so that it was easy to get gigs.”

Using his education of music business, he played a show at the Belcourt Theater with his three favorite bands.

“I finagled this thing with a friend where we booked the Belcourt Theater and we made up this company name then we invited my three favorite bands, the three biggest bands in Nashville at the time to play this showcase,” James said.  “Basically we fooled the three biggest bands in town to play a show with me.”

This idea led James to his first manager and producer.

After graduation, he got jobs at a retirement home and at Opryland Hotel to make money he needed to tour.

“I decided I could get a good job, or I could get a crappy job that allowed me make some money and get off when I needed to tour,” James said.

He worked in his secure jobs for a period of time, he then booked shows across the country. Then he’d return to his jobs in Nashville to continue the cycle.  He toured by himself for the most part, which made it easier to get started as a musician. By touring alone, he made more money for himself and did not humiliate the rest of his band if the show was not prosperous.

“If you get the feeling that not a lot of people are going to come and you’ve never played there before, you should do it by yourself,” James said.  “That way if it doesn’t go well you’re only hurting yourself and not five other people.”

Years of balancing working in Nashville and touring got his name out, and now some current Belmont students know his music from his MySpace page.

“You can really feel the emotion through his music,” said sophomore Lisa Bennett.

“His music works for any scenario, whether you’re working out or listening to it in the car or in a coffee restaurant,” said sophomore Michelle Rogers.  “It applies to a wide range audience.”

In 2009, a TV producer making a pilot asked James to be a cast member, which in the end led James to join Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros.

One of the other cast members dated the band’s lead singer. The group needed a keyboardist, and James was chosen to be a replacement.

“They sent me the songs the day before the first show, and they put me up there and the next day I’m playing in front of thousands of people,” said James.

James plans on continuing touring his own music when he’s not busy performing for Edward Sharpe.  In future shows, he might open for the band.

Canadian hip hop artist Drake is noted for his use of the internet to distribute free mixtapes, which has led to high-profile collaborations with Kanye West, Jay-Z, Timbaland and Trey Songz.  Drake’s debut album will be released later this spring.  Prior to starting his music career, Drake became known for his portrayal of the wheelchair-bound high schooler Jimmy on “Degrassi: The Next Generation.”

Ben Harper’s career has spanned the past two decades.  During this time, he has developed his brand of mellow beach-rock.

His bluesier band Relentless7 released its debut album last year.

The French alternative rock band Phoenix remains sustained on the strength of their highly acclaimed fourth release, 2009’s “Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix.”  The Grammy-winning album contains the synth-laden, dancefloor-ready hit singles “Lisztomania” and “1901.”

Boston-based Passion Pit built buzz on the strength on the 2008 EP “Chunk of Change,” followed by the release of debut album “Manners” in 2009.  The electro-pop group is known for synthy singles “The Reeling” and “Sleepyhead.”

Cold War Kids made their full-length debut in 2006 with “Robbers and Cowards,” followed by 2008’s “Loyalty to Loyalty.”  They are known for their piano-driven, minimalist style, supported by sharp percussion and storytelling lyrics.  The Southern California quartet recently released the EP “Behave Yourself.”

Two Door Cinema Club just released their first album, “Tourist History,” on the consistently reliable French electronic label Kitsuné.  The Irish trio serves up aggressively rhythmic, driving, melodic dance-rock.

The headliners are appearing as part of the non-profit organization Reverb’s Campus Consciousness Tour, which aims to spread awareness about environmental issues.
Educational outreach at the festival will include informational presentations, representation from other environmental organizations, carbon offsets, and carpooling.

The festival itself is designed to be ecologically friendly, with green riders, biodiesel fuel, and promotion of waste reduction and recycling efforts.  Reverb hopes to spread awareness about environmental impact within the music industry with this campaign.

Mayer played a concert at the Sommet Center Feb. 10, hours after his controversial Playboy Magazine interview broke in the media.  As song after song started and finished, some wondered if he would address the flap at all.

Regardless, he played a smart set, sticking to the high points of his somewhat disappointing 2009 release “Battle Studies,” and quickly hitting the old favorites, like “No Such Thing” and “Bigger Than My Body.”

Opening with “Heartbreak Warfare,” Mayer segued into the blues heavy “Crossroads,” a Robert Johnson cover featured on “Battle Studies.” This was interesting because the song is not really representative of the pop-tinged tunes that fill most of the album. It was refreshing to hear it so prominently placed in the set because “Crossroads” feels like the direction Mayer should have taken after 2006’s Continuum, instead of backtracking into pop.

Throughout the show, Mayer seemed muted, personality-wise, saying little beyond hammy “thankyouverymuch”’s and one brief shot at relationship advice. Clearly there was something occupying him.

The high point of the evening, was definitely his blazing performance of “Slow Dancing in a Burning Room.”  Flames whipped across the giant background screen, the band glowed in red light, smoke slowly consumed the stage, and Mayer’s intense, skilled, mournful guitar playing truly scorched the Sommet. The performance was undeniably the best of the night.

At the end came “Gravity,” off  “Continuum.” Mayer, encircled by mini spotlights sang “just keep me where the light is” and then with a cracking voice, offered his apologies to the fans and his band, saying that in “the quest to be clever,” he “completely forgot about the people that [he] love[s] and the people that love [him].”

Sincere? Self-serving? Either way the apology itself was classic Mayer, down to the his last line on the subject before launching into more pained guitar playing.

“My name is John Mayer and I’m going to figure that out.”  More introspection and vaguely poetic phrasing? We wouldn’t expect anything else.

At the forefront of the underground movement is the Belmont Underground Music Scene Awareness Project. BUMSAP was started in late November 2009 by sophomore Trent Houghton with the intention of promoting the local music community by exploiting social networks like Facebook and MySpace.

AUDIO: Listen to a streaming mixtape of BUMSAP affiliated bands.

“I would say that you’ve got this aspect of Belmont that promotes the showcase music, they promote you to get into big, major labels and to sell yourself. To me, the showcase is all just an image. There’s great artists that get turned down by the showcase because they don’t have an image,” said Houghton. “I think there’s so many damn kids at Belmont that don’t relate to that.”

Houghton’s goals for BUMSAP are simple: set up shows, promote bands and, ultimately, “bring about a local music community within the bands that no one hears at our music school,” according to the project’s Facebook description. But because these bands often can’t or won’t rely on Belmont for support, they’re forced to get creative.

Diarrhea Planet, a punk band formed by Jordan Smith and Evan P. Donohue, is one band in the scene that can’t perform in the Belmont system.

“They probably wouldn’t even listen to our recording if we turned it in. I don’t think we would be allowed to play in [Curb Café] even,” said Smith. “That’s another problem with Belmont, they have too many conservative limitations on what they accept and allow here. Which is weird, because it’s a music school.”

Despite the barriers preventing the band from performing at Belmont, they have developed a name for themselves by performing in houses and smaller venues like The End and Little Hamilton. Their debut EP, “Aloha,” was released for free and was covered positively in local music blogs Nashville Cream and We Own This Town, who rarely devote space to Belmont artists.

“I think there’s that slight prejudice of Belmont music because of the Belmont music that’s known,” Houghton said. He also said that some bands declined to participate in BUMSAP because of the reference to Belmont in the title, even though the project is unaffiliated with the school, its music program or any faculty or staff. Houghton argues that the entire mindset of underground bands is different from what could be considered Belmont’s mainstream.

“I think the mindset of the kids in the showcase scene, the kids who want to conquer the world, is different from those people that know this is what we do for fun because this is what we love,” Houghton said.

The underground has professed a do-it-yourself ethos that traces back to previous independently minded companies and projects. Dirty Eye was founded by Belmont grads Bo Brannon, Edwin O’Brien and Matt Johanson to promote talented artists like Darla Farmer and Andrew Combs who didn’t necessarily fit the mold of their genres. Although they started booking shows at Douglas Corner, eventually they moved on to booking bigger events in downtown warehouses.

“I would really like to maybe teach one day at Belmont in 10 or 15 years, if I can make [Dirty Eye] work the way I see it, because I didn’t feel like the professors at Belmont really encourage [you to] ‘do it differently, do it creatively, do it yourself’,” said Brannon.

Despite the differences in ideology between Belmont and BUMSAP, most of the participants in the scene understand why Belmont professors teach the way they do and have had positive experiences with some forward-thinking classes. But the ultimate goals of the music business program will always conflict with the goals of the underground, according to Houghton.

“Belmont teaches kids to make money and they teach artists to sell themselves to make money and that turns off so many people, including myself, that we faction off into our own little underground community,” Houghton said.

But while dismissing some of the classes, Houghton and others within the scene expressed pride in the creativity coming from the students. Many of these student-musicians come to Belmont seeking a kind of community that does not inherently exist on campus. Houghton hopes that through the efforts of BUMSAP and other similar projects, they can change that.

“That’s all that BUMSAP is, it’s an effort to build a community,” he said.

The record comes after a summer recording session in Smyrna, Ga. Huff contacted producer Randy Bugg and for the first time left the familiarity and comfort of friends’ porches and small local audiences for the professionalism of the studio.

“It was just a big jump, and it was kind of frightening at first, but exciting at the same time,” Huff said describing the recording experience. He spoke of the sense of accomplishment. “To be doing this thing that I’ve dreamed of all my life, to say this isn’t ‘someday I’ll get to record these songs in a studio– that day was yesterday, and it happened;’ it was just overwhelming, but it was wonderful.”

Though, getting to this point came only after eight years of writing songs and ditching nap time as a child.

“My sister was taking piano lessons while it was my nap time, so I, beginning to connive as a little kid, thought ‘I’m going to finagle this and I’m going to get into piano’.” Luckily, Huff said, piano turned out to be something he enjoyed instead of just a trick to stay awake.

From there, Huff turned to the guitar after learning a few choice chords from his dad – C, G and D.

Initially, he started out writing and playing within the church genre but eventually found what was outside of that, namely Sufjan Stevens’ album, “Seven Swans.”

“[He] was the first artist who ever showed me that he could do whatever he wanted with songs,” Huff explained. “I put it on, and I didn’t get what was happening, but I knew it was beautiful. He kind of blew the doors wide open and from there I found a lot of inspiration.”

These days, Huff plays songs steeped in folk and Americana. Part of his approach lies in not only listening to artists like Fleetwood Mac’s Lindsey Buckingham, Leonard Cohen or, more recently, Hank Williams, but in tracing back the roots of songs and absorbing the rhythm, language and style.

“Style is a weird thing that I’m still trying to figure out,” he explained. “For me, it’s more about writing the song, and the songs sort of dictate the genre.” The result is that Huff’s music seems to flow in a very natural direction, and “natural” is a word well suited to the album and the artist.

“Other Hearts” comes off sincere and earnest, the product of “heart on sleeve” songwriting, informed by “absorbing” influences instead of mimicking, and delivered by a voice, both clear and warm.

Huff writes, in part, about his own experiences. “Little Birdie,” for example, stems from one day when some birds built a nest by his window.

“At first I was kind of annoyed because they would be singing all the time when I was trying to sleep, or in the early mornings, but then I decided ‘OK, this could be kind of cool, I’ll watch it be alive and hatch its eggs’.”

Subject matter like this accounts for an intrinsically hopeful and positive air to the EP, although those vibes are not exclusive.

“Then one day [the nest] was gone,” Huff continued. He never saw the eggs hatch and never found out what happened to them. “Hope and disappointment, and the kind of strain between them– I think that’s the tone that lots of the EP strikes,” he said.

“Other Hearts” seems to say that all is never lost. Perhaps the balance between the good and the bad is exactly what makes up a life. “Blues Man” is an acknowledgment of this dichotomy. While there is cause for sadness, the sadness can manifest itself in something richer and more meaningful.

Huff also leans toward story songs. “Fortune Teller,” is tale whose sentiment is familiar, especially for this age range. Uncertainty for the future, framed with the advice to “stop looking forward and start living.” The song’s imagery works well against the solitary strumming.

“Song writing is something I’m doing all the time,” Huff said, “so I often have songs that I’ve finished all the words and then I’m reworking the melody for a couple months, or there are some that come all together at once.”

Since coming to Belmont, Huff has found community with his friends and fellow songwriters.

“Sometimes, a group of us get together, and just insist on writing a song and say, “OK, by Thursday, you have to bring a song to our house and we have to play them for each other even if they’re terrible, and often times half of them are and half aren’t, and we know it, but we did it– we wrote a song.”

As Huff continues to look beyond the “smaller communities” he has enjoyed, playing house shows or just “huddling around couches,” his post graduation plans revolve around his music.

Though he’s only played in Nashville, Oklahoma City, and a few other cities around his home state, Huff has his sights set on touring.

“I want to tour and take this thing anywhere that has a stage and a microphone,” he said, “anywhere with people who listen.”

Listening in
Other Hearts is available at Grimeys, Cosmic Connections, CDBaby.com, and directly from Huff. Look for a release show in early spring.
For a free download of “Little Birdie,” click here.

Find more at:
Myspace.com/michaelhuff
or
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Michael-Huff/114880901163?v=wall&ref=ts

Even though the band has achieved massive mainstream success—both gold (“All We Know is Falling”) and platinum (“RIOT!”) certified albums, along with the lead single from the Twilight soundtrack are in their recent past—the level of emotion wrapped in the first few lyrics from lead singer Hayley Williams’ voice made audible what playing in the venue meant.

The band opened with a haunting, drum-laden introduction written specifically for the tour, the set began with the band’s latest single “Ignorance.” The crowd was immediately to their feet, where they remained for the rest of the night. A fair mix of newer material from the September release “Brand New Eyes” and “RIOT!” composed the set, although the band also offered early staple hits such as “Emergency “ and “Conspiracy.” Paramore also remained true to the fans garnered from their connection to the Twilight franchise with songs like “Decode and “I Caught Myself.”

After the crowd driven chorus vocals of “Decode” faded out, the band made a quick retreat from the stage and the night was over. Or was it? Fans of the band know all too well that Paramore never leaves things on a light note and sure enough, after thunderous applause and a static stampede of the floor, lead guitarist Josh Farro and Hayley Williams took the stage once more.

Williams took the time to address exactly what the band thought of playing the Ryman and how, when out on the road, listening to country music takes them back home. With only an acoustic guitar, the pair played an unplugged cover of Loretta Lynn’s “You Ain’t Woman Enough (To Take My Man).” Stripped of a microphone, the crowd was drenched in utter silence as we watched a vocalist in her prime rival one of the greats and pay her respects.

The remaining members Taylor York, Zac Farro, and Jeremy Davis later joined Williams and Farro for a campfire-style version of the all-acoustic “Misguided Ghosts.” The ending led into the string introduction of “Misery Business,” the song that took the band’s career into uncharted waters. The energy level of the show was bursting at the seams as the crowd abandoned assigned seats and literally let loose in the aisles. Williams thanked the crowd one last time and announced that “Brick by Boring Brick” would be the last song of the night.

With a final bow, the band left the stage and I, along with other 3,000 fans in attendance was left with an experience I will never forget. Not simply because of the showmanship and raw talent each of the members possess, but because I left hoping only one thing; that there’s more Paramore where that came from.

“Galaxy Star is a non-profit organization that gives everyone the benefit of a doubt no matter how hard they have fallen,” said Belmont junior Jasmine Wiley, one of the hosts of the benefit. “They offer a safe environment for underprivileged youth who are at a disadvantage. ”

Wiley said she heard about the organization through her Junior Cornerstone, Race, Class, and Gender. “At first [the benefit] started out as an assignment that was required, but as we started I think we all became motivated. There were a lot of ups and downs but somehow everything and everyone came together,” said Wiley referring to herself and three of her classmates — Kayln Burke, Elizabeth Wray, Melessa Slobodnyak.

The four students wanted to find a way to bring awareness to the organization due to the limited funding they receive. Wiley said Galaxy Star is losing its current lease at Oasis Center.

The night will start off with a welcome speech from Greenway as well as her story and why she started Galaxy Star. Following the opening, there will be a performance from Future. After that, a couple of Galaxy Star’s teen members who will speak and tell their stories. The night will conclude with DJ Wick-it who has opened for Jennifer Hudson and Robin Thicke.

For more information on Galaxy Star visit their Web site at www.galaxystarda.org.