American Booty: I Come from the Land Down Under

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Dirty. Stinky. Hungry. The first three things that came to mind when I woke up. Remember, I hadn’t even had a chance to shower since I left LA so I was in urgent need of some serious bathing! Once I got rid of the first two thoughts, I had food on my mind. I was telling Lara about the terrible hot dog, when Rebecca ran in from another room

“Are you guys talking about food?”
“Damn hell yeah we are!”

Steph and Torie are rounded up and the four of us receive a hot tip about Rotier’s, a family owned restaurant west of Downtown. I wasn’t sure of what to expect but a big brekkie would do just fine.

Readers, I’m getting hungry recounting this to you. The eggs were fried just right. The yolk wasn’t too runny at all. The bacon was so crisp, not burnt and not too hard to take a bite. Can I say, this is the BEST.BREAKFAST.EVERR so far, on this trip! The waitress was so friendly - “What can I get you honey? Want more sugar, love? Come on sweety, eat some more!”, in a welcoming, southern accent. It was like being at your friend’s house and she is your friend’s mom.

After the big brekkie, Rebecca dropped us back to the hostel. She was studying animal biology in Alabama, observing turtles in wetlands. I showed her my Lonely Planet, as she was a tad curious as to what it had to say about NYC. I had to flick through and look up more things to do here in Nashville. I was supposed to be on the way to the Kentucky Bourbon Festival, but that bus left about 4 hours ago. I decided a trip to Australia would do just fine.

This year was the 10th anniversary of the Australian Festival in Nashville. It was set up by an expat who moved here ten years ago to help out other homesick Aussies with a reminder of back home. Now its an expo, showcasing opportunities for everyone who wants to take a trip down under, and then there were some of Australia’s finest exports such as Arnott’s biscuits, Butter Menthols, Vegemite and Solo Soft Drink ($5 for a 1.25L bottle, just like back home at the 7-11!!!). The music was mainly country singers who had either made the trip over just for this festival or were like Christine, looking to settle here and make it big. There was a notable indigenous showcase as well with a didgeridoo player and some traditional dancers. And what would an Australian Festival be without a bar? Of course, they were serving Fosters’ here and I suppose this was a nice day to drink beer.

At the makeshift pub, I met some of the performers here. Paul Killingly was one such performer from the Whitsundays and I asked him what brought him here. What I noticed was that him, as well as some of the other performers had already developed their southern accents. I have to say that none of these performers I had ever heard of, except for Colin Hay who was coming here tomorrow to perform.

I also got to have a meat pie, which was good considering it was almost two weeks away from home. A beer and a meat pie, how could I get even more Aussie? Of course, every musician here had to play Waltzing Matilda followed by a rendition of the Australian anthem, followed by the obligatory mention of Steve Irwin. Maybe they knew him.

Of course, one other thing that I was told to do in Kentucky (apart from going to a bourbon festival) was to visit a zoo called Kentucky Down Under. One of their main selling points is that “You can travel 9,500 miles to Australia, or just come and see us at Kentucky Down Under”. It is an Australian themed animal park that contains kangaroos, sheep and didgeridoo lessons. In between the games of girls’ rugby, KDU hosted a series of herding demonstrations with a lone cattle dog that seemed as much at home as he did here in Nashville, TN. So too were the indigenous troupe who were performing a few dances on another stage. They captivated the crowd with their didgeridoo playing and their tribal dances. I didn’t know whether to take any photos or not, but it was a sight I probably wouldn’t see for a very long time, unless I came back here (some Aboriginal people don’t like photos being taken of them, they believe the camera steals their soul).

I quickly sneak in another Fosters before riding the bus back to the Baptist hospital, a block away from the hostel. Mind you, I did walk here today and it was a good three kilometres and I don’t think I can be bothered in this dry heat (its about 32 degrees C, which works out to be 89 or so degrees F).

Back at the hostel and Robert has awoken. He’s the Finnish guy sleeping in the bunk below mine who was out of it when I got in last night, this morning when I woke up, and he didn’t look too good right now. He got in from New York on the bus yesterday but along the way he seems to have had a dodgy meal and currently has a stomach bug. I’m not sure if it has affected his speech, but it’s really cool listening to his drawn out English in his Finnish accent. He tells me that he was supposed to be going to “Auuuurstin, Texus” to visit a friend he met in NYC. The friend told him he was no longer able to accommodate poor Robert, so he’s now stuck in Nashville for now. He’s been there before and I learn through chatting to him to pass the afternoon, he’s a wealth of information about Auuuuurstin. Since Hurricane Katrina, Robert tells me that all the musicians have moved to Austin, TX but the hostels there suck since they have a daytime lockout. Thankfully, there’s no such thing here because I feel like a nap and it isn’t even 5pm yet.

Torie brings out his guitar and starts stringing along and taking the odd request. His playlist seems to be old Johnny Cash songs and anything else that is old and country. Suddenly, he informs everyone that two of his favourite bands are playing tonight at the Mercy Lounge, and asks if anyone wants to tag along. I’m half asleep but I still agree to go downtown to see the North Mississippi All Stars with support from Old Union. After all, I am in Music City!

Later on we set off with Stephanie in tow and two other fellas named Robert who have joined us, although they are heading in to buy hats and boots. We discover that we need to go past the bus station to get to where we are instead of heading downtown, so we farewell the two Roberts, on our way to the Mercy Lounge.

We walk past the Greyhound bus centre and this doesn’t look like a place you’d want to be at night. Homeless people are teeming around the bus terminal and there are some dodgy characters loitering around as well, standing on either side of the footpath as we walk through their menacing gauntlet of glare. Steph and Torie continue down the street, still talking about the two great bands tonight while I’m feeling slightly uncomfortable.

A man hollers out to us from across the street. We keep on walking
He hollers out again and this time he has caught both Steph and Torie’s attention.

Oh shit, we’re going to be mugged.

“Yo, where you guys headed to?”
I’m just about ready for a beating.
“We’re looking for the Mercy Lounge. We hear it’s along this street somewhere”
“Well fuck man, it’s on my side of the street. You lookin’ for trouble, you just keep on walking the way you headed now”
“Oh okay, well thanks for your help!”

We cross the street and I can sense the presence of the man escorting us from behind. I’m still unsure whether to turn behind or look out ahead just in case it’s a trap of some kind. But a few blocks down, on the hollering man’s side of the street is the Mercy Lounge. It’s tucked away behind workshops and closed up caryards and there’s a few people here already getting into Old Union.

Tonight’s event is sponsored by Miller Lite. Their signage is everywhere and I ask Torie whether he’s comfortable with this, but he says it’s a payoff for seeing great bands for so cheap. Old Union play the first two hours and then the North Mississippi All Stars play for the next three hours, right up til the stroke of midnight. Yes, a band that played for three hours straight without any major break or interlude. The lead singer kinda looked like Napoleon Dynamite but he was sure dynamite on stage. At one point, the drummer stepped from behind the drums to play a cigarette box with strings across it (its called a lowebow). It was something different to hear and see.

The three of us walked a different way home and we were all so beat after dancing for so long. My back was playing up but at least I knew I was going to sleep well. We had a chat outside with Christine who had just about closed a deal with one of her record executives and had a few drinks toasted for her. I was well and truly toasted by then…

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Photos

Welcome to the Australian Expo
They ran out of Aussie flags and had to settle for some NZ flags?!!!

Meat Pie Stand
A game of cricket on the field, a schooner of Fosters and a Meat Pie! Just like being back at home!!!!

Sheep Dog
This Sheep Dog herds em up on the field, all animals residing at Kentucky Down Under

All worked out
The dog was probably craving an Aussie beer itself!

Parthenon Stage
10th Annual Australia Festival at Centennial Park, in Nashville TN

Goats @ The Australian Festival
Petting Zoo

Don't mess with this girl!
taken @ 10th Australian Festival, Nashville TN

Kaz and Meat Pie...mmm!
We couldnt help ourselves!