Running Down A Dream: Momma's Country Burned Down

Monday, March 23, 2009

Momma's Country Burned Down

It is so good to be home. We had a BEAUTIFUL drive back to Nashville today. James and I took our time :) The guys went back with Jenn last night, so it was just James and me today. I am almost in disbelief at this weather. I keep going outside with too many layers on. It's very strange to spend so much time in the Northeast and then BAM! Come back to Nashville and it is full blown spring here!!!! The Dogwood Trees are GORGEOUS. Right now they are making me reconsider the Ginkgo as my favorite tree :) (Not really, but pretty close!)

I found out last night from a friend that "Momma's Country" formerly known as "Big Jim Country" burned to the ground a couple of months ago. That is so crazy. Big Jim Country was my very first gig!

I had been singing backgrounds and playing fiddle for lots of other people's bands at Berklee, and James said "Why don't you have your own band?" And so it began :) I called my parents and said, "Hey. Ummm.... What do you think about having my band live with us this summer so we can tour around Nashville?" And WITHOUT hesitation, they said "Sure!" The first summer it was 4 guys and the second summer it was 5. We all have such good memories from those summers. And Big Jim's was a BIG part of that.

Big Jim owned the bar, but his ex-wife, Momma, ended up taking over the bar a few years ago. "Momma" had been a bar-tender there since the place began. She used to cook us dinner when we'd play there. She was so good to us. And they were not only our very first gig, but a source of a LOT of gigs (and stories) those 2 summers. If you ever want to hear "Big Jim's" stories - we've ALLLL got a BUNCH. That place toughened me up a bit... and taught me that I should NOT be the person that deals with money when talking to club owners. (That was back BEFORE Momma owned it).

So in memory of Big Jim Country in Lewisburg, TN... here's a picture of my VERY FIRST gig.... with my very first band at Big Jim's.

Me, James Bavendam, Dave Madden, Nate Telow, Adam Countryman

And the lesson here, folks:
Do NOT use a blow torch to thaw out frozen pipes. NOT a good idea.

Labels: Adam Countryman, Big Jim Country, Dave Madden, Dogwood, Ft. Stovall, gig, Ginkgo, Green Line South, James Bavendam, Johnny Cash, Lewisburg, Momma's Country, Nate Telow, tn

1 Comments:

Natalie's Favorite Farm Boy Fan : ) said...: This comment may lead you forward and backward like me, and then it leads to you and Momma : )

We have a lot of tornado's come through Shady Grove, which is part of Sango that has been mentioned on the weather channel several times.

During my cancer surgeries we had a night where numerous doppler indicated tornados were supposedly right near our house, but there had been so many warnings through the day I decided to lay on the floor in front of the large picture window and enjoy the huge lightning storm and the wild wind blowing in the all the large oak trees. My medical was so unstable I thought I didn't have much to lose and I really really love the beauty and excitement of lightning. I was trying to experience as much as I could in case it was the last time.

When lightning hits real close it sounds like it's cracking the sky. Still I reckon laying on the floor in front of a huge window while radar showed a dopler indictated tornado right over our house was a wild unwise country boy thing to do. Deja Vu Vu and Vu : )

The next morning, when the TV helicopters and Governor were landing in a field 400 yards down the road, and my aunt's yard was covered in trees , I learned I could have been like Dorothy and Toto; this ain't Shady grove anymore is it Toto : ) Ooh look at the neat little munchkins : )

I promise this leads to you and Momma, but first we go way back to my sophomore year in high school, when we had another tornado hit up the road.

I went and got pieces of a tree and gave my friends "Tornado wood", and we had great fun creating fun with that : )

That leads forward to now, and in reality or in your mind ( which I'm sure you know is where a lot of fun and really meaningful things happen ) I hope you will get something from Momma's as a rememberance. Ashes in an urn, a piece of Momma wood, or something. I know you're busy so you could just have that on a shelf in your mind, which I have learned is a very beautiful place.

It's amazing and encouraging how many things that thrive today are built on the foundation of the ashes of things that thrived or just existed in the past. A lot of the democracy things I feel very compelled to be involved in now seem to have little or no results in the present, but hopefully they may make a difference in the future.

I'm thankful that Momma's Place was there to get you off to a great start, and when you win your first Grammy us country boys would love it if you had some kind of Momma Memoribilia with you when you accept the award. How about a necklace with some Momma burnt wood, or something fashioned from a burnt spoon : )

I know I'm way too country, I'll work on that : ) ( and become more country : )

Happy Vacashine : ); March 23, 2009 at 11:47 AM

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Running Down A Dream

Monday, March 23, 2009

Momma's Country Burned Down

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Running Down A Dream

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