Inside Nashville's Weird Theater Scene

Inside Nashville's Weird Theater Scene

Did you know Nashville has a thriving experimental theater scene? With the Kindling Arts Festival [https://www.kindlingarts.com/] kicking off tomorrow, co-artistic director Daniel Jones and Emma Supica, creator and director of East Nashville Facebook Page: The Musical [https://www.kindlingarts.com/east-nashville-facebook-page], joins Marie Cecile Anderson to talk about the city's independent artists, the challenges of finding affordable performance spaces, and why audiences are embracing bold, unconventional shows. Plus, they share their favorite local theater companies and give us a preview of this year's Kindling Arts Festival! Learn more about the sponsors of this Wednesday, July 22nd episode: Hoffmann Brothers [https://www.hoffmannbrothers.com/] Greater Birmingham CVB [https://inbirmingham.com/] Early voting in the midterm state and federal primary election and the municipal general election is NOW OPEN through Aug. 1! Here’s everything you need to know to go vote [https://nashville.citycast.fm/explainers/aug-6-federal-state-primary-election-2026]. We’re doing our annual survey to learn more about our listeners. We’d be grateful if you took the survey at https://citycast.fm/survey/citycast.fm/survey [http://citycast.fm/survey] — it’s only 7 minutes long. Plus, anyone who takes the survey will be eligible to win a $250 Visa gift card and City Cast City swag. Get more from City Cast Nashville when you become a City Cast Nashville Neighbor [http://membership.citycast.fm/nashville]. You’ll enjoy perks like ad-free listening, invitations to members only events and more. Join now at membership.citycast.fm/nashville [https://account.citycast.fm/become-a-neighbor/nashville?utm_source=show_notes&utm_medium=pod&utm_campaign=pod_promo] Want some more City Cast Nashville news? Then make sure to sign up for our City Cast Nashville newsletter.  [https://nashville.citycast.fm/subscribe-hey-nashville-newsletter-tennessee] Follow us @citycastnashville [https://www.instagram.com/citycastnashville/] You can also text us or leave a voicemail at: 615-200-6392 Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE [https://citycast.fm/advertise/].

Why This 90s Hobby Is Booming in Nashville?

Trading card games are having a moment in Nashville. From Magic: The Gathering to Pokémon, people are gathering at bars, coffee shops, and game stores to play, collect, and make new friends. But if you've never picked up a deck, where do you even start? Matthew Myers, store manager at The Game Cave [https://www.thegamecave.store/] in Donelson, joins executive producer Whitney Pastorek to explain the basics, why these games are suddenly everywhere, and how they can help you find community.  Learn more about the sponsors of this Tuesday, July 21st episode: Hoffmann Brothers [https://www.hoffmannbrothers.com/] Greater Birmingham CVB [https://inbirmingham.com/] Early voting in the midterm state and federal primary election and the municipal general election is NOW OPEN through Aug. 1! Here’s everything you need to know to go vote [https://nashville.citycast.fm/explainers/aug-6-federal-state-primary-election-2026]. We’re doing our annual survey to learn more about our listeners. We’d be grateful if you took the survey at https://citycast.fm/survey/citycast.fm/survey [http://citycast.fm/survey] — it’s only 7 minutes long. Plus, anyone who takes the survey will be eligible to win a $250 Visa gift card and City Cast City swag. Get more from City Cast Nashville when you become a City Cast Nashville Neighbor [http://membership.citycast.fm/nashville]. You’ll enjoy perks like ad-free listening, invitations to members only events and more. Join now at membership.citycast.fm/nashville [https://account.citycast.fm/become-a-neighbor/nashville?utm_source=show_notes&utm_medium=pod&utm_campaign=pod_promo] Want some more City Cast Nashville news? Then make sure to sign up for our City Cast Nashville newsletter.  [https://nashville.citycast.fm/subscribe-hey-nashville-newsletter-tennessee] Follow us @citycastnashville [https://www.instagram.com/citycastnashville/] You can also text us or leave a voicemail at: 615-200-6392 Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE [https://citycast.fm/advertise/].

How Is Climate Change Impacting Nashville?

From increased flooding to ice storms, Nashville is already seeing the impacts of climate change. But who’s being impacted first? Stephanie Roach, director of collective action at Urban Green Lab [https://urbangreenlab.org/], joins Marie Cecile Anderson to talk about Voices of Resilience [https://urbangreenlab.org/voices-of-resilience/], an oral history archive using storytelling to answer that question — and help us find solutions. PS: VOR’s touring exhibit is on display at Vanderbilt’s Curb Center [https://www.vanderbilt.edu/curbcenter/voices-of-resilience/] through Aug. 4. Learn more about the sponsors of this July 20th episode: Hoffmann Brothers [https://www.hoffmannbrothers.com/] Greater Birmingham CVB [https://inbirmingham.com/] Early voting in the midterm state and federal primary election and the municipal general election is NOW OPEN through Aug. 1! Here’s everything you need to know to go vote [https://nashville.citycast.fm/explainers/aug-6-federal-state-primary-election-2026]. We’re doing our annual survey to learn more about our listeners. We’d be grateful if you took the survey at https://citycast.fm/survey/citycast.fm/survey [http://citycast.fm/survey] — it’s only 7 minutes long. Plus, anyone who takes the survey will be eligible to win a $250 Visa gift card and City Cast City swag. Get more from City Cast Nashville when you become a City Cast Nashville Neighbor [http://membership.citycast.fm/nashville]. You’ll enjoy perks like ad-free listening, invitations to members only events and more. Join now at membership.citycast.fm/nashville [https://account.citycast.fm/become-a-neighbor/nashville?utm_source=show_notes&utm_medium=pod&utm_campaign=pod_promo] Want some more City Cast Nashville news? Then make sure to sign up for our City Cast Nashville newsletter.  [https://nashville.citycast.fm/subscribe-hey-nashville-newsletter-tennessee] Follow us @citycastnashville [https://www.instagram.com/citycastnashville/] You can also text us or leave a voicemail at: 615-200-6392

‘Your City Could Be Better’: Nashville’s Grassroots Ethos Is Alive and Well in Chattanooga

Sometimes it can feel like the Nashville government is two (or more) steps behind the needs of its neighborhoods. Enter the residents of Chattanooga, Tennessee. What Chattanoogans don’t have, they make up for in advocacy, whether by showing up to city council and organizing for change or just doing things themselves. City Cast CEO David Plotz sits down with creator and city lover Hope Henchey about how she and her neighbors are sneakily and secretly fixing up their city. You’ve heard of the Nashville bench builders [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/meet-nashvilles-rogue-bench-builders-plus-living-in/id1875358857?i=1000763382250] — now get ready for the Chattanooga pothole fillers, sidewalk layers, and (literal) trail blazers. Mentioned on the show: * Atlas Obscura feature on the community-built benches in Chattanooga [https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/bench-avenue-chattanooga] * Efforts by Strong Chattanooga to make a path through the woods in a sidewalk-less neighborhood [https://www.instagram.com/p/DZ5C0BsAI5p/] * Review of Hoboken's streak of zero traffic fatalities [https://reasonstobecheerful.world/the-city-where-traffic-fatalities-vanished/]  Is there something your city is doing that we should be talking about? Email David now!  [yourcitycouldbebetter@citycast.fm] We’re also on Instagram: @yourcitycouldbebetter [https://www.instagram.com/yourcitycouldbebetter] Looking to advertise on Your City Could Be Better? Check out our options [https://citycast.fm/advertise].

Does Tennessee Have the Worst Quality of Life? Plus, YASNI Winners and Early Voting Starts Today

The Nashville Scene’s YASNI winners [https://www.nashvillescene.com/news/coverstory/yasni-2026/article_e4b1a1f0-34b4-4b20-8dcc-3b87dbc650f0.html] were revealed yesterday, and here’s our belated submission: You are so Nashville if… you recognized Elliston Place Soda Shop as the place where Mayor Freddie O’Connell kicked off his reelection campaign [https://www.instagram.com/reel/DatCGPkTw5D/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==] by throwing more than a little shade at Sen. Marsha Blackburn’s recent fortune cookie debacle. On today’s Friday News Roundup, contributor Nicole Williams joins creative producer Marie Cecile Anderson and executive producer Whitney Pastorek to talk through Freddie’s reelection chances, Marsha’s just-revealed ethics investigation [https://www.newschannel5.com/news/newschannel-5-investigates/exclusive-marsha-blackburn-faced-senate-ethics-probe-over-use-of-tax-dollars-for-political-campaigns], and CNBC ranking Tennessee dead last in quality of life [https://www.wsmv.com/2026/07/13/tennessee-ranked-worst-state-live-cnbc-study-finds/]. Plus in our bonus segment for City Cast Nashville Neighbors, should daylight saving time be permanent [https://www.wkrn.com/news/tennessee-news/how-permanent-daylight-saving-time-would-impact-tennessee/]? Early voting in the midterm state and federal primary election and the municipal general election is NOW OPEN through Aug. 1! Here’s everything you need to know to go vote [https://nashville.citycast.fm/explainers/aug-6-federal-state-primary-election-2026]. We’re doing our annual survey to learn more about our listeners. We’d be grateful if you took the survey at https://citycast.fm/survey/citycast.fm/survey [http://citycast.fm/survey] — it’s only 7 minutes long. Plus, anyone who takes the survey will be eligible to win a $250 Visa gift card and City Cast City swag. Get more from City Cast Nashville when you become a City Cast Nashville Neighbor [http://membership.citycast.fm/nashville]. You’ll enjoy perks like ad-free listening, invitations to members only events and more. Join now at membership.citycast.fm/nashville [https://account.citycast.fm/become-a-neighbor/nashville?utm_source=show_notes&utm_medium=pod&utm_campaign=pod_promo] Want some more City Cast Nashville news? Then make sure to sign up for our City Cast Nashville newsletter.  [https://nashville.citycast.fm/subscribe-hey-nashville-newsletter-tennessee] Follow us @citycastnashville [https://www.instagram.com/citycastnashville/] You can also text us or leave a voicemail at: 615-200-6392 Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE [https://citycast.fm/advertise/].