We Own This Town Wrapup 2020

Not that anyone needs the slightest reminding but 2020 was a wretched year. We won’t bore you with the litany of specifics but a heartbreakingly devastating tornado followed by a novel coronavirus and all of the financial implications that threatened our favorite venues, restaurants, bars, publications and even record labels was unbelievably depressing. That doesn’t even begin to touch on the emotional weight of losing so many members of the community as well but, like I said, I won’t bore you with the specifics. You know all this. You’re living through it.

It’s hard to celebrate wins in an environment where so much of what you adore is struggling. There’s no silver lining to the situation but it is heartening to know that our community came together with massive efforts to help with the tornado cleanup, banded together to help support organizations like The Scene and Cold Lunch Recordings to continue to see the other side and favored spots like DRKMTTR and The 5 Spot pivoted into Nashville Free Store and live performance studios, respectively. For all of the woes it brought, 2020 did manage to show the triumph of good will and perseverance on a number of occasions. It’s important to remember that for all the hard and daunting times, we overcame more often than not.

As the year winds down, we face another difficult trial with TN having rising COVID numbers, flippant politicians and a steep emotional fatigue about the whole thing. Two vaccines have been approved but there’s still a stretch of road ahead to see this through. We can’t go back to 2019 but we can come out the other side confident that when we work together, we are stronger.

Without sounding too corny, that mentality is the ethos behind the name We Own This Town. It isn’t about the publishers of this site or the bands and projects that get featured, it’s about everyone. All of us. We own this town and make it what it is. Throughout 2020, we proved that Nashville continously overcomes when we come together.

New Shows

We continued to publish shows from our established pocasts but also strove to add more voices and content to our lineup. Our goal is to not only to shine a light on the greatness of Nashville but to support unique stories and insights from those that live here.

DRKMTTR Radio – Our favorite DIY-inspired music venue had a tough year. The lockdown meant no shows, which meant no income and no community building. We launched DRKMTTR Radio alongside the DRKMTTR Patreon to help augment both of those issues. It’s not the same as seeing a band in a cozy space but it’s a great way to stay connected. Be sure to check out the interview episodes with the likes of Bliss Cortez or Kelton Young for more ways to support the community.

If You Don’t Know, Now You Know – launched in collaboration with the Tennessee Democractic Party (TNDP), the idea here is to speak with politicians at the capitol about the issues that have meaningful impact on our daily lives. With the lockdown, these plans did not pan out exactly as planned but host Mary Mancini still managed to bring some enlightening insights on Women’s Reproductive Rights, Tennessee Education and Permit-less Gun Carry. These conversations were timely but the issues continuously persist; education is our best tool for securing the proper rights and safety for all.

Into the Wormhole with Larissa and Lauren – good science fiction serves as reflection and prediction on current social issues. There may be phasers and teleporters but Star Trek, in all its forms, is an excellent example of this. Hosts Larissa and Lauren are self-professed Star Trek fans that discuss these reflections with episodes on maternity, race depictions and colonization (aka gentrification). Their excitement for the world building and characters within is entertaining but their enthusiasm for how to build a better world is downright infectious.

Memento Stori – dealing with loss is an unfortunate theme of 2020 but an inescapable fact of life. Host Rebecca Delius speaks with guests about heirlooms and cherished items left behind by family, friends and coworkers that carry a special relationship to their bearer. These connections can be complicated but dissecting their stories is always a fascinating reveal.

Let’s Face the Music – host Ryan Breegle previously brought us the delightfully macabre My Fantasy Funeral and the electrically insightful Vidalotry. Now he turns his gaze to the stories of the Great American Songbook; the influential songs that crafted the landscape for modern music. These songs may have been recorded more than five decades ago but their creation has every bit of drama you’d expect from a modern Behind the Music.

The Hills are Alive – Nashville is an overtly musical town. Everyone knows at least five musicians within a short stones throw but there isn’t much focus on actual musicals; their storytelling, their exuberance or their pitfalls. Hosts Alex Caress and Kelsey Jayne explore these themes through movie musicals; keeping it entertaining from start to finish.