Couch, air conditioning, glass of wine, laptop and an internet connection. Done.

The Nashville Symphony’s community concert series gets started tonight at East Park, the first of four* free outdoor performances scheduled for this month (three are this week). It’s perfect weather to sit outside, plus if you tweet about being at the symphony every night while everyone else is at Bonnaroo, all of your internet friends will think you’re super classy! Win-win. We recommend bringing a chair or a blanket and a water bottle**, but do whatever moves you.

Nashville Symphony Community Concerts 2012

June 7 at 8 p.m.: East Park (Program: Celebrating the Film Music of John Williams)
June 8 at 8 p.m.: Bicentennial Mall State Park (Program: Celebrating the Film Music of John Williams)
June 10 at 7 p.m.: Crockett Park, Brentwood (Program: Celebrating the Film Music of John Williams)
June 19 at 7:30 p.m.: Centennial Park (Program: Shakespeare at the Symphony)

*There are actually six community concerts this year, but two of them cost $5 and are far away and one of them has already happened, so four it is.

**Or you know, juice or soda or… whatever.

Photo by Stephen Drake. 

• Metro Schools is pushing for a $46.4 million increase in budget for the next fiscal year, which would cover increased salaries for teachers, among other things.
• Nashville-based Griffin Technology has opened their first retail store smack dab across the street from the London Olympic Stadium.
• The CMT Music Awards were last night, and here is a list of winners, if you’re into that sort of thing.
• Do you have unpaid court fines? Better pay up before you lose your license!
• Do not send money to people on Craigslist before they hand over the goods. Seriously, people.
• We are pretty dang excited that Brentwood creperie and coffee shop The Perch is planning to open a second location in Green Hills, conveniently within walking distance of the Nashvillest HQ.
• Safe travels to all of our friends heading to Bonnaroo! If you’re staying in town this weekend, be sure to check out the list of road closures so you can spend more time drinking and playing bingo, and less time stuck in traffic.
• Bits & pieces: Murfreesboro’s City Cafe has reopened … Belmont University will offer a degree in motion pictures beginning fall 2013 … This guy has 70 chickens and 3 dozen roosters in his backyard … Nice weather we’ve been having this week, eh? … CJ2K says he is working hard for the money … Tennesseans would like to telecommute, please and thank you … Is stealing from funeral homes A Thing?

Photo by Haider Nakkash.

Our dear friend Ben Morton is headed to Chicago for the weekend to run his first half marathon (goooo Ben!) and he’s bravely decided to entrust his transportation to Megabus, the express bus service that touts fares as low as $1. Because Megabus is relatively new to the Nashville area, we thought a lot of people might be interested in hearing how Ben’s trip goes. So here are the facts: Ben purchased his ticket back in mid-March for $18.50, taxes included ($13 to Chicago, $5 back to Nashville). His bus departs at noon today and is expected to arrive in Chicago around 9:15pm. Follow along below or by tracking the Twitter hashtag #ChicagoOrMegaBust (or just follow Ben, he is great).

Take luck, Ben!

(more…)

Roads are closed this week. We can tell you which ones.

Closed already:

• First Avenue South, east-most lane
• First Avenue North, east-most lane (re-opens June 13)
• Broadway from First to Second Avenues
• First Avenue from Demonbreun to Church Streets
• Broadway from Second to Fourth Avenues
• Commerce Street from Fifth to Sixth Avenues

Closures beginning Thursday June 7:

• 12am: Fifth Avenue from Demonbreun Street to Broadway
• 7am: Broadway, north-most lane from Fifth to Sixth Avenues
• 7am: Fourth Avenue South, east-most lane from Demonbreun Street to Broadway
• 7am: Second Avenue, east-most lane from Demonbreun Street to Broadway and from Church to Union Streets
• 7am: Fifth Avenue, east-most lane from Franklin to Demonbreun Streets
• 7am: Fifth Avenue, west-most lane from Broadway to Commerce Street

All above roads will be closed through the weekend and are expected to reopen “in the early morning hours” on Monday, June 11. Enjoy!

Photo by Jonathan Jones. 

We hope you’re ready for your road trip to Movies In The Park tonight! Ha ha, just kidding, Percy Warner Park isn’t that far. Yes, as you’ve probably heard by now, the Nashville Scene‘s Movies In The Park is relocating after 16 years in Centennial Park. This year’s Movies In The Park series will take place at Percy Warner Park’s Cross Country Fields off Hwy 100, kicking off tonight with a screening of last year’s blockbuster The Help. As in previous years, movies will start at sundown, but the festivities will begin each week at 4pm with food trucks and… food trucks (Nashville, we are easily entertained).

Movies In The Park 2012 lineup

June 6: The Help
June 13: Shrek
June 20: Twilight: Breaking Dawn
June 27: Captain America (edited, bummer!)

Food vendors include Moe’s, Ben & Jerry’s, Stonehouse Q, Kona Ice, The Grilled Cheeserie and Moose Head kettle corn.

So there you have it! Tell us, because we’re ever-so-curious: Will you be making the trek to Percy Warner Park for Movies In The Park this year, or does the move take it off the table for you?

UPDATE: Here is a map that may or may not help you find the mythical “Cross Country Fields”! 

Photo by nashvillest.

• John Mayer got his feelings hurt by Taylor Swift’s song “Dear John” and is telling Rolling Stone all about it this month. Words cannot describe how awkward reading this made us feel.
• Speaking of T Swizzle, an entire exhibit of costumes, instruments and props from her “Speak Now” tour opens today at the Country Music Hall of Fame. Just in time for uh, some big country music festival or something.
• The gates are opening for Bonnaroo a day early this year in attempts to make funneling 80,000 people into a field go as smoothly as possible. Other allowances have been made for the heavy traffic that typically accompanies the festival as well.
• Filed under Things We Never Ever Wanted To Know, No Really, Please Don’t Tell Us Nashville Business Journal: “How many types of bacteria are in offices?” (We’ll spoil the surprise, the answer is 500+ and the article includes the words “intestinal cavities,” so.)
• TDOT is working on a smartphone app for our favorite online tool ever, the TDOT SmartWay Map. This is good news, y’all.
• Some people aren’t happy about the new apartments being constructed in 12 South.
• We just learned so many interesting things about Nashville from this article. Hustler Hollywood sells gray ties, and 407 people are on the waiting list for the single copy of 50 Shades of Gray at the Nashville Public Library. The book is also helping, ahem, stimulate sales at our local adult businesses.
• Bits & pieces: You can get actual whiskey samples at the Jack Daniel’s Distillery now … “Thieves Snatch Purse, Attempt to BBQ Evidence” … “Johnson City TV Weatherman Shot By Crossbow” … A false-alarm bomb threat forced an evacuation of the federal courthouse downtown yesterday morning … The Preds would like to unload Alexander Radulov and have picked up Swedish player Patrick Cehlin … Metro officials have filed a civil suit against the Kurdish Pride gang, calling them a public nuisance … Gov. Haslam has signed a bill reducing grocery tax to 5.25% from 5.5%.

Photo by Jonathan Belcher. 

Running a little late this year due to an unfortunate hard drive crash at Nashvillest HQ, but we’re back up and running and have your 2012 CMApocalypse Bingo board, just in time for the kickoff parade festivities! A big thanks to our Twitter (and real life) friends @txmere, @freakyweasel, @thesarcastro, @loveandnachos, @blakeboldt, @tabbulous, @lesleyest, @iamaledelgado, @aduthie, @missbethd, @ceeelcee, @lesleyrebecca, @megmo, @lucastypes, @dannylondon and @alisongroves for help with this year’s bingo board. We couldn’t do it without you!

(This year’s bingo too easy? Let’s see you take on past year’s boards: 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008)

Giant sized CMApocalypse Bingo 2012 board
Pocket sized CMApocalypse Bingo 2012 board
Mobile CMApocalypse Bingo 2012 board (thanks, Thomas!)