Good morning, Nashville. So Tim McGraw, Michael W. Smith, and the Jonas Brothers walked into a bar… Sounds like the start of a bad joke, doesn’t it? It’s actually not too far from what happened last night–except instead of a bar, it was the Ryman Auditorium. The Jonas Brothers performed to a sold-out crowd alongside a hodgepodge of “special guests” including Smith, McGraw, Faith Hill, Jordin Sparks, Steven Curtis Chapman, Amy Grant, Vince Gill, Martina McBride, Brad Paisley, and Phil Vassar. We hate to admit this, but we kind of wish we were there.

• TVA could be at fault. New reports have shown that the Tennessee Valley Authority may have refused some pretty major repairs that would have likely prevented the coal ash spill that damaged and destroyed over a dozen homes, spewed mercury and arsenic all over the land, and probably leached into the river.
• TIMMY 4 PREZ!!1 Much to the surprise of pretty much everyone, former US Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist won’t actually be running for governor. With the major competition out of the way, we’re already calling Tim McGraw’s victory in 2010.
• Bits & pieces. The Metro Action Commission is now adopting the first-come-first-serve approach when it comes to doling out energy assistance … Congrats to our friends at NoiseTrade who gave away their 1 millionth download over the weekend … Volkswagen bumps back its groundbreaking date until March … Rain, rain, go away!

Photo by Roger Gordon.