Do you know why Nashville is called Music City? Hint: It’s not because of the mainstream country music industry. Larry “Prof” Jenkins is a GRAMMY Award-winning musician, producer, historian, and associate director of Tennessee State University’s THE Aristocrat of Bands. He also wrote our podcast’s theme music, and we’re revisiting his conversation with host Grace Fuisz about the important role of Black artists in Nashville's rich music legacy — past, present, and future. Thanks to Tecovas , our ...
Jul 22, 2024•23 min
On today’s Friday News Roundup, host Grace Fuisz, producer Marie Cecile Anderson, and executive producer Whitney Pastorek are coming down off a chaotic week that saw a local business owner in hot water over his comments about the Trump assassination attempt, a Metro Council member storming out of Tuesday’s meeting, a Nashville artist going viral for her apparently drunken rendition of the National Anthem, and, of course, the ongoing presence of neo-Nazis. We’ll get into all of that, and then we’...
Jul 19, 2024•22 min
Host Grace Fuisz catches up with Music City Uke Fest founder Melanie Ching to talk all things ukulele — including how to properly pronounce the name of the tiny four-stringed instrument that’s captured the heart of millions. We’ve got your guide to this year’s debut festival — set for August 1-4 in Franklin — and a look into why growing Hawaiian and AAPI communities are calling Nashville home. Music City Uke Fest is supporting the Maui Food Bank to help those impacted by the severe wildfires in ...
Jul 18, 2024•17 min
After two consecutive weekends of hate groups showing up in downtown Nashville, host Grace Fuisz sits down with State Senator Heidi Campbell to understand why it feels like we are being targeted. What makes our city such an attractive place for neo-Nazis, white supremacists, and Christian nationalists to demonstrate? What is Christian nationalism , and who is fueling that movement? And if these far-right groups consider Nashville to be “the tip of the spear” for their ideologies, what are the po...
Jul 17, 2024•21 min
We’ve got Nashville Scene columnist and Metro Council expert Nicole Williams in the house on this Metro Council Tuesday with a preview of things to watch at tonight’s meeting , including a big age discrimination settlement and some important food truck news. She also joins host Grace Fuisz and producer Marie Cecile Anderson for our wrap up of Burger Week 2024 (until next year, Burger Queen), and the debut of our new game show segment, “Real or Fake Tennessee Headlines?” Early voting for the Augu...
Jul 16, 2024•24 min
Local historian Betsy Phillips — author of “Dynamite Nashville: Unmasking the FBI, the KKK, and the Bombers Beyond their Control” , out tomorrow from Third Man Books — joins host Grace Fuisz to discuss the three still-unsolved bombings that shook our town at the dawn of the Civil Rights Movement. She explains how those shocking events continue to reverberate through Nashville today, impacting our perspectives on intersectionality, law enforcement, and the white nationalists who marched through d...
Jul 15, 2024•22 min
Early voting for the August 1 election starts TODAY! Host Grace Fuisz, producer Marie Cecile Anderson, and executive producer Whitney Pastorek are on the mic with a speed run through the ballot: the candidates, the contested races, and the context you need to know. Plus: The revelation that nonpartisan gun reform organization Voices for a Safer Tennessee made significant donations to top Republican state legislators (and insignificant donations to Democratic ones) has a lot of Nashville resident...
Jul 12, 2024•24 min
Early voting for the August 1 primary election starts tomorrow, y’all! State Senator and Equity Alliance co-founder Charlane Oliver joins host Grace Fuisz to give us the scoop on voting in Nashville: Where to go, what to bring, and more importantly, why it matters. Here is a sample ballot for the Aug. 1 election with early voting locations and hours. Here is a non-partisan voter guide for the Aug. 1 election. Request an absentee ballot here . The deadline for the Aug. 1 election is July 25th. Th...
Jul 11, 2024•21 min
It’s National Kitten Day, y’all! And it’s definitely kitten season in Nashville. Today on City Cats — oops, City CAST — Nashville Cat Rescue director Eva McCallister joins host Grace Fuisz to talk about what to do when you find an adorable ball of fur under your porch, or when a fully grown feral feline adopts you as their own. Learn more about caring for stray kittens, fostering cats in need, and how to adopt your next furry overlord from NCR. Thanks to Tecovas , our Western wear faves, for bei...
Jul 10, 2024•19 min
After a celebratory Fourth of July weekend in Nashville was marred by yet another white nationalist march downtown , host Grace Fuisz, producer Marie Cecile Anderson, and newsletter editor Margaret Kingsbury talk about what to do with the hate in our midst — and how to care for each other despite it. Plus: The best things we ate over the holiday, from hot chicken to outstanding bagels. Thanks to Tecovas , our Western wear faves, for being our exclusive launch sponsor! Here is more info on donati...
Jul 09, 2024•20 min
Nashville Scene food writer Chris Chamberlain joins host (and self-appointed “Burger Queen”) Grace Fuisz for a mouthwatering rundown of the Scene’s annual Burger Week , happening today through July 14th. As restaurants all over the city put their most creative spin on a burger, we’ve got the trends to watch for (fruit flavors abound), the under-the-radar joints you gotta check out, and strategies for how anyone could possibly sample each of the more than 60 burgers in this year’s competition in ...
Jul 08, 2024•19 min
The heroes behind Nashville Severe Weather — David Drobny, Will Minkoff, and Andrew Leeper — are in the studio with host Grace Fuisz to talk about how to get prepared for summer storm season, what to keep in your safe space, and how they really feel about weather. Thanks to Tecovas , our Western wear faves, for being our exclusive launch sponsor! **This episode originally published June 13, 2024 Want some more City Cast Nashville news? Then make sure to sign up for our Hey Nashville newsletter. ...
Jul 05, 2024•23 min
City Cast CEO David Plotz sits down with hosts from all 13 City Cast daily local podcast hubs to talk about what stories they’re watching in their hometowns that are likely to impact ours, too. Listen in for how our very own Grace Fuisz’s story stacks up against the rest. Thanks to Tecovas , our Western wear faves, for being our exclusive launch sponsor! Want some more City Cast Nashville news? Then make sure to sign up for our Hey Nashville newsletter. Follow us @citycastnashville You can also ...
Jul 03, 2024•49 min
Nashville Scene columnist and Metro Council expert Nicole Williams joins host Grace Fuisz and executive producer Whitney Pastorek to give us the rundown of what’s on the Council agenda for tonight’s meeting. Plus: We give you the scoop on the Catalyst Fund — an exciting new loan program designed to incentivize the building and protection of affordable housing — and allow ourselves to imagine what we would do if we found a million dollars under our name at ClaimItTN.gov , the website where the st...
Jul 02, 2024•21 min
Summertime in Nashville, and the livin’ is entirely too hot — but we’ve still got a whole city to enjoy. Host Grace Fuisz, producer Marie Cecile Anderson, and Hey Nashville newsletter editor Margaret Kingsbury have your guide to July, including our tips for enjoying the Fourth of July, great activities for bored kiddos, and the best food festivals of the month. Plus ways to stay cool — or hot, if that’s your jam. ICYMI: Check out our recent episode on how to paddle the Cumberland ! For even more...
Jul 01, 2024•18 min
Chris Crofton — the comedian and Nashville Scene “Advice King” columnist who recently ran to be an At-Large Council member — joins Grace Fuisz and producer Marie Anderson for a quick Friday news roundup. They discuss the new Tennessee state laws going into effect on Monday (including the “abortion trafficking” bill ) and what Crofton learned while running for office. PS: He thinks you should run, too. Don’t forget that the voter registration deadline for the Aug. 1 election is on Tuesday — regis...
Jun 28, 2024•14 min
A great way to stay cool this summer is to spend time on the water, and the Cumberland River runs right through downtown — but why is it so hard to access? Annie Klaver, aka the River Queen of Nashville , joins host Grace Fuisz to talk about the beauty of kayaking our city’s most prominent waterway, and the challenges of paddling — not to mention running a small business — between two chaotic urban riverbanks. Thanks to Tecovas , our Western wear faves, for being our exclusive launch sponsor! Wa...
Jun 27, 2024•16 min
We’re talking about some of Nashville’s oldest and most beloved restaurants with acclaimed local food and travel writer Margaret Littman . She joins host Grace Fuisz to explain how the owners of institutions like Brown’s Diner and International Market are keeping their historic legacies strong, while also making vital upgrades to survive and thrive today. Can these oldies-but-goodies evolve their menus and ambiance without losing the reasons why we loved them in the first place? Plus: her curren...
Jun 26, 2024•16 min
Nashville tourism leaders just released a new plan to move big events like the Fourth of July and New Year’s Eve across the river to the East Bank in years to come, which does nothing to reassure folks that “Nashville’s Next Great Neighborhood” won’t simply be a back forty for Lower Broadway’s debauched tourism culture. After another weekend of drunken violence downtown — and with stadium construction already making a mess in East Nashville — host Grace Fuisz, producer Marie Cecile Anderson, and...
Jun 25, 2024•16 min
Do you know why Nashville is called Music City? Hint: It’s not because of the mainstream country music industry. Larry “Prof” Jenkins is a GRAMMY Award-winning musician, producer, actual professor, and assistant director of Tennessee State University’s THE Aristocrat of Bands. He also wrote and recorded our podcast’s theme music, and he joins host Grace Fuisz today to share the important role of Black artists in Nashville's rich music legacy — past, present, and future. Thanks to Tecovas , our W...
Jun 24, 2024•22 min
This week on the Friday News Roundup, host Grace Fuisz, producer Marie Cecile Anderson, and executive producer Whitney Pastorek discuss the awesome substitute budget passed at Tuesday’s Metro Council meeting, discuss their plans for Pride this weekend, and address their burgeoning Chappell Roan obsession. Plus: remembering Tennessee Crossroads host Joe Elmore . Thanks to Tecovas , our Western wear faves, for being our exclusive launch sponsor! Want some more City Cast Nashville news? Then make s...
Jun 21, 2024•21 min
It’s Pride weekend in Nashville, y’all! Nashville Pride president Nicholas Gulick joins host Grace Fuisz to preview this year’s festival in Bicentennial Park, headlined by Tinashe and Billy Porter. Plus: the history of Pride in Nashville, what our festival means to LGBTQIA+ folks across the Southeast, some quick tips on how to be a good ally, and ways to keep Pride going year-round. Thanks to Tecovas , our Western wear faves, for being our exclusive launch sponsor! Want some more City Cast Nashv...
Jun 20, 2024•17 min
Nicole Williams is Nashville’s foremost expert on all things Metro Council — you may know her as @startleseasily on Twitter — and she joins host Grace Fuisz to cover the basics. What does Metro Council do? When are the meetings? How can ordinary folks get involved? Plus: a preview of the issues on the floor tonight, including this year’s budget and a vote of no confidence in the directors of both Metro Legal and Metro Finance. And who knew that “taser” was a brand name? You can read the agenda f...
Jun 18, 2024•17 min
Host Grace Fuisz talks to Nashville Community Review Board chair Alisha Haddock about the recent allegations by a former Metro Nashville police lieutenant that high ranking MNPD officials worked with Republican state lawmakers to pass a 2023 law abolishing our Community Oversight board — an institution created by Davidson County voters in 2018 to hold the police accountable for violence and misconduct. On June 12, the NAACP and a coalition of other advocates joined the Community Review Board at ...
Jun 17, 2024•22 min
Episode Description It’s our first Friday News Roundup, y’all! Today we’ve got comedian Eddie Ortiz joining host Grace Fuisz, producer Marie Cecile Anderson, and executive producer Whitney Pastorek to talk Bonnaroo memories, horse girls, reasons to vote, and what we’ll be celebrating on 615 Day this year. Thanks to Tecovas , our Western wear faves, for being our exclusive launch sponsor! Want some more City Cast Nashville news? Then make sure to sign up for our Hey Nashville newsletter. Follow u...
Jun 14, 2024•15 min
It’s the first rule of life in Nashville, y’all: Follow Nashville Severe Weather. For over a decade, they’ve been this town’s online go-to in the event of tornadoes, flash floods, derechos, snowpocalypses, and everything in between. Thanks to a constant presence on Twitter and their no-nonsense YouTube livestreams during severe warnings, they keep us informed and help us plan ahead. During the 2020 tornado, they literally saved lives. The guys describe their weather information as “serious, nerd...
Jun 13, 2024•23 min
It’s Bonnaroo time, y’all! Over 80,000 fans will flock to a farm outside Manchester, TN this weekend to catch massive acts like Megan Thee Stallion and buzzy newcomers like Chappell Roan at one of the nation’s biggest music festivals. Host Grace Fuisz is joined by WNXP’s Events and Promotions Director Emily Young — the biggest Bonnaroo enthusiast we know — to get the scoop on this year’s can’t-miss artists, as well as tips and tricks for newbies (hydrate!) and how, after two decades, the festiva...
Jun 12, 2024•22 min
It's our debut, y'all! To kick things off, host Grace Fuisz chats with Mayor Freddie O’Connell, the former district councilmember who’s in his first year at the helm of Metro Nashville. With a transit referendum on the November ballot and concerns swirling around Metro Arts and MNPD, it’s a crucial time for our city — but he still found time to go on the record discussing his essential under-the-radar spots, the Nashville critter that scares him most, and the surprising truth about his favorite ...
Jun 11, 2024•19 min
City Cast Nashville is your daily guide to Nashville's news, culture, food, and more. Our host Marie Cecile Anderson and the City Cast Nashville team let you in on what Nashville's talking about with smart, curious conversations that help YOU feel more connected. It’s like a backyard barbecue and the whole town’s invited, so whether you’ve lived here for a blink or a lifetime, we hope you’ll pull up a lawn chair and sit a while. Subscribe today so you never miss an episode. Looking for more Nash...
Jun 05, 2024•2 min
