Back in the mid-90s, there was a little record shop nestled on Church Ave called Lucy’s Record Shop that hosted all-ages shows, DIY events and sold plenty of under-the-radar releases from bands far and wide. If you’re following our Lucy’s Record Shop Podcast or have heard the Nashville Demystified episode about the space, you already know. What you might not know, is that one attendee of that beloved space was Stacy Goldate, a budding filmmaker at the time that realized the community around them was a special moment in time to be captured. That inspiration eventually became the documentary Lucy Barks!
The official synopsis for the 45-minute film provides quality insight into the importance of capturing this era of Nashville:
In the mid-90s, Nashville’s music scene sustained under the weight of country, singer-songwriter, and Christian contemporary music with very few options for anyone under 21 who preferred punk, grunge, and indie rock. That was, until a little record shop with the mantra “no racist, sexist, or homophobic shit tolerated” appeared on the scene. Lucy Barks! chronicles the heyday of Lucy’s Record Shop, the all-ages music venue that put Nashville on the touring map for bands like Bikini Kill, Cat Power, and Brainiac and became a flashpoint for a growing alternative music and art scene of its own.
Beyond that, Lucy’s founder Mary Mancini points out that there are very few documents that capture the physical space of the shop and even fewer still that capture the attendees and the bands that played there. It is, in short, an enlightening slice of an influence time in Nashville that existed before smart phones, digital cameras and certainly before social media.
The documentary has never been available digitally in high resolution until now. Goldate has sourced the original footage and made it available to purchase or rent, with all proceeds going to Oasis Center and Nashville Launch Pad; both orgs who function within the mantra of Lucy’s Record Shop; “No racist, sexist or homophobic shit tolerated.”
Treat yourself to a historical document of Nashville that set the groundwork for the culture and music scene that we’re still seeing the effects of today. Bonus, watching the film also contributes to some incredible organizations. Win Win.