The Coffee Chronicles

Mar 9, 2013 

After teaching guitar lessons today I made a swing into Nashville's newest independent coffee shop, 8th & Roast, just across from Zanies on...yea you guessed it, 8th avenue. I used to live one block away from here. Where were you when I needed you?
It's a really cool spot with a great atmosphere and very friendly, coffee geek baristas who are anxious to share their knowledge and help you brew your own coffee by the cup if you so desire. The beans are roasted here and they source their own product too.
Another winning factor for me is the great selection of independent rock music playing on the sound system. It's pretty hard to be relevant in Nashville without good music taste. Black coffee with The Black Keys is fine with me.
As with any coffee house, besides the coffee and food needing to be good, to win me over I have to feel comfortable enough to want to return. I'm sure I'll be back to this inviting coffee geek headquarters.
Good going 8th & Roast.

Mar 9, 2013

Mar 9, 2013

Mar 9, 2013

Mar 9, 2013

Mar 9, 2013 

After teaching guitar lessons today I made a swing into Nashville's newest independent coffee shop, 8th & Roast, just across from Zanies on...yea you guessed it, 8th avenue. I used to live one block away from here. Where were you when I needed you?
It's a really cool spot with a great atmosphere and very friendly, coffee geek baristas who are anxious to share their knowledge and help you brew your own coffee by the cup if you so desire. The beans are roasted here and they source their own product too.
Another winning factor for me is the great selection of independent rock music playing on the sound system. It's pretty hard to be relevant in Nashville without good music taste. Black coffee with The Black Keys is fine with me.
As with any coffee house, besides the coffee and food needing to be good, to win me over I have to feel comfortable enough to want to return. I'm sure I'll be back to this inviting coffee geek headquarters.
Good going 8th & Roast.

Mar 9, 2013

Mar 9, 2013

Mar 9, 2013

Mar 9, 2013

City Limits Bakery and Cafe 

I live on the western outskirts of Nashville in the Bellevue community. Though I spend most of my time teaching music lessons and gigging downtown and south of town in Brentwood or Franklin where I frequent various coffee shops, it is nice to have somewhere to get a good cup of coffee and have a nice place to hang on a day I'm home that isn't a Starbucks.
City Limits Cafe is that place. They've got great pastries that are baked in house and egg dishes that rock. For lunch they have unique and tasty sandwiches on freshly baked breads and soups. Most of all they have an excellent selection of gourmet coffees and a nice big patio with outdoor tables. A great atmosphere to hang out for awhile, get my caffeine fix and get some paper work done or meet with potential clients or friends.
It might not be quite as hip and happening on the west edge of town but there are a few cool places to be found. Like all of Nashville it just seems to get cooler all the time. This is a hip city that is really coming onto it's own. I'm happy to be a part of this music centered community.
Next time you're out in Bellevue and need a cup of Joe or something to eat skip the thought of going to a Panera or Bread and Company and stop into City Limits Cafe and Bakery.

City Limits Bakery and Cafe

City Limits Bakery and Cafe

City Limits Bakery and Cafe

City Limits Bakery and Cafe

New Art Display At Bongo Java 

Friday morning after labor day. Bongo Java on the Belmont campus. Political discussion abounds. Laptops click. Newspapers get scanned. Fresh faced students, ragged hipsters, aging boomers, aspiring divas, hustling entrepreneurs and indie rock scenesters all fueling up for the day ahead.
Right away I notice a new display of art by J. Goodwin brightens the shop. Coffee culture and local art is a good buzz. This art is bright and big with a certain primitive symbolism that lands somewhere between Warholian pop art and Howard Finster style folk art.
After looking over the new display I realize this must be art by the J. Goodwin I know. I've met John Goodwin and chatted with him several times over the last few years at area coffee shops in Nashville. John always cracks me up with his satirical view of Music Row and the songwriter's life in Nashville. John co-wrote some of the music to the film Crazy Heart and Jeff Bridges has recorded three of his songs. I knew John was also an artist but I didn't realize the scope of his talent until this morning. This clever, poignant art reflects the humor and social conscience of one of Nashville's unique talents.
To top it off he just walked in! I'll get him to stand by one of his pieces and take a photo for y'all.
If you live in the Nashville area or are passing through be sure to stop into Bongo Java for some great brew and check out Goodwin's art.
Have a great day fellow coffee, art and music lovers!

New Art Display At Bongo Java

New Art Display At Bongo Java

New Art Display At Bongo Java

New Art Display At Bongo Java

New Art Display At Bongo Java

Coffee, A Cool Breeze and Faulkner 

It's the perfect summer morning for coffee sipping and Bongo Java has one of the best porches in the south. Along with the strong coffee, the porch is rife with political conversation and indie rocker war stories. I think there is a liveliness today that directly correlates with the cool breeze and low humidity accented by caffeine.
Before heading off into the bustling day of networking, booking and teaching I'm going to spend a little time expanding my knowledge of the south and it's artists. Right now I'm reading One Matchless Time - A Life Of William Faulkner by Jay Parini. As a northern transplant living in Nashville now for nine years I have learned a lot about the south, it's people and the weight of history. Faulkner is a fascinating character whose stories are not an easy read, but the pay off is well worth the effort. If you live in the south and really want to be a part of it you need to face the ghosts of it's past and Faulkner has written some of their best stories.
Come join me on a great southern porch for some coffee, conversation and good reading if you've got a little time.

Coffee, A Cool Breeze and Faulkner

Coffee, A Cool Breeze and Faulkner

Coffee, A Cool Breeze and Faulkner

Music And The Coffee House 

Along with the coffee, one of the main reasons I will frequent a certain coffee house is because they play great music. I've discovered some great artists and records sitting in good coffee shops. I've also had nostalgic flashbacks and reawakenings.
I remember hearing the instrumental music of Friends Of Dean Martinez for the first time at my old Minneapolis hangout Moose And Sadie's. That listening experience inspired me to explore a whole new area of composition in my own music. Moose was a place where I could sit and write while the music of indie artists, jazz, blues or classical might be played. Always something to encourage the creative mind's activity. The playlist could range from Galaxy 500 and The Replacements to Natalie Merchant singing folk to an exploration of Miles Davis and John Coltrane.
After landing in Nashville I first found myself at Fido where a wonderfully quirky playlist could range from local rockers to classic hipster songwriters like Tom Waits and Leonard Cohen to country or just about anything...and somehow it just about always works.
For awhile I got my early education in the local Americana scene at Portland Brew where a certain barista regularly played the likes of Nashville alt country queens like Those Darlin's, Caitlyn Rose, Courtney Tidwell and classics like Loretta Lynn alongside some Jack White, Paul Burch, Waco Brothers and Lambchop. That's what a local coffee shop music experience is all about.
Today Bongo Java in Nashville is feeling retro and playing some great tunes from my pre-teen and teenage years. Some of the summertime pop and rock gems from The Loving Spoonful, The Monkeys, The Beach Boys, Jim Croce and some rocking Elton John. It might be some light fair but it's entirely appropriate during these beastly hot days and challenging times.
I'm a supporter of local independent coffee shops but I have to admit that Starbucks has always been a supporter of good music and when I'm out of town and all I can find is a Starbucks I'm always thankful for their music as well as the great brew.
The coffee you drink and the music you hear in the morning can set the tone for your entire day so be sure you're going to a cool place getting the right mix.
Happy listening and drinking!
Jer

Music And The Coffee House

Moose And Sadie's Revisited 

Moose And Sadie's has changed in many ways over the years but it has also stayed the same. It seems when they switched from just coffees, baked goods and a few pre made sandwiches to a full breakfast and lunch menu that something was lost in the remodel. Now it seems that something has been gained. And the one thing that hasn't changed at all is the outside patio. I used to hold court at my little sidewalk table during music school days and later teaching days and morning meetings. Today it was wide open and the rest of the place was filled. Just like it was reserved for me.
It's cool to be able to chill here with a quality double espresso just like they've always made. I've always loved the warehouse district of Minneapolis. In the early 90's I went to night school at the original location of what is now known as the Mcnally Smith School Of Music and started wandering over to Moose And Sadie's between classes and after school to grab coffee and study. Meeting other musicians and students at Moose continued for a decade before moving to Nashville, Tennessee where I am bias to what I think is the coolest coffee house scene anywhere when it comes to independent eclectic coffee houses. But Moose And Sadie's is special and continues to be. It is still a magnet for the musicians, artists, entrepreneurs and artisans that work in the area in recording studios, art galleries, antique shops and media companies. The diversity this brings to the area is what I enjoy. The soothing sidewalk chatter is often in a language I don't know, several cultures are represented in the area and during the months you can be outside there isn't a better urban sidewalk table that is better.

Moose And Sadie's Revisited

Moose And Sadie's Revisited

Moose And Sadie's Revisited

Moose And Sadie's Revisited

French Meadow Bliss 

I can't even begin to tell you how cool it is to be sitting outside on the patio having breakfast at The French Meadow Bakery and Cafe in Minneapolis. Unlike a few of my favorite spots that have declined or disappeared since moving to Nashville several years ago, The French Meadow has only gotten better. Their modo is farm to table. They use fair trade, organic and sustainable foods. The Organic Peace coffee is killer and my classic breakfast of over easy eggs, hash browns, honey cured bacon and sourdough toast with homemade strawberry jam was spot on. When you're trying to live a healthier lifestyle of trying to exercise and eat clean, more whole foods and less processed crap, it can be a real challenge when your on the road and getting back to The French Meadow is great. Groovy tunes playing on house system and plenty of small tables and corners both inside and out to find a place to hang and sip and write, read and people watch.

French Meadow Bliss

French Meadow Bliss

French Meadow Bliss

French Meadow Bliss

A Cool Homecoming Vibe At The Anodyne (Minneapolis) 

The beauty of The Anodyne Coffee House in Minneapolis is its diversity and it's consistency. I love it. Even when I can't get here for years, when I finally do get here I can count on the fact that I can STILL get the same wonderful homemade meatloaf sandwich on homemade bread that I was getting over a decade ago. And it's the best sandwich in town. Today I get to order two of them to go so I can enjoy it with my 89 year old father. But for now I am going to enjoy this killer looking latte'. Nothing like a deep warm swallow and the cool Minnesota breeze on a spring morning. All this augmented by Al Green jamming on the coffee house speakers and the sound of Minneapolis squad cars and unmarked vans racing down Nicollet Ave. Ahh....home sweet home.
The Anodyne chalkboard menu has always offered vegan dishes and baked items alongside its classic Turkey, BLT,
Tuna and other meat sandwiches as well as breakfasts to please a wide range of arty hipster types along side stay at home moms and kids, LGT folks, writer/bloggers and more.
The music selections are always so great. It was one of the reasons I would stop in here to write when I lived here. I always believed the music taste was tied to the awesome record store across the street, at least spiritually. My wife and I played here with Pushin' Daisies a decade ago and have always loved the welcoming neighborhood vibe and aesthetic.
Alright Minneapolis/St. Paul folks, be sure to tweet me the coffee spots I'm missing out on and should be checking out. I haven't lived here for eight years! There must be something new for a bean head exploring the Twin Cities caffeine scene to discover.

A Cool Homecoming Vibe At The Anodyne (Minneapolis)

A Cool Homecoming Vibe At The Anodyne (Minneapolis)

A Cool Homecoming Vibe At The Anodyne (Minneapolis)

A Cool Homecoming Vibe At The Anodyne (Minneapolis)

The Art Of The Coffee Vibe 

As a singer/songwriter preparing to play some live shows on the road I can drive everybody around me crazy if everything isn't just right. Everything goes toward that hour you're on the stage. If you really want to touch people and deliver excellence you can't let anything distract your complete and total focus. So don't even think about depriving me of my morning coffee time. It is my zen moment that can set the tone for the entire day.
Some people start the day off listening to or watching the news or reading the papers. I much prefer a book or poetry that might infuse something of a spiritual nature into my being rather than news that might make my blood boil. JJ's in Nashville is the perfect atmosphere for my kind of coffee time.
We hit the road tomorrow so today requires a full rehearsal, equipment check and some final publicity work besides normal packing. It sounds daunting at this early hour, but after my ritual with the magic bean and some time to read inspiring words, write in my journal and sit in JJ's, my friend Sam's wonderful Nashville coffee house, listening to classical music that soothes and heals jangled nerves while drinking his mountain blend coffee, I will be ready to rock all day.
Be sure to check back often this weekend and next week as I give coffee reports from the road and up in Minnesota.
May you have many happy refills.

The Art Of The Coffee Vibe

The Art Of The Coffee Vibe

The Art Of The Coffee Vibe