Summary
Amanda Miles joins us for a spirited chat about the magic of music and the venues that bring it to life. We're diving deep into the heart of what makes places like the Tabernacle in Atlanta and the Ryman in Nashville such special spots for music lovers. It's not just about the shows; it’s about the stories, the experiences, and that electric feeling when your favorite artist hits the stage. As Amanda shares her journey from a music writer to a passionate fan, we explore how music connects us on a human level, whether it’s the tunes that get us through tough times or the ones that make us rage. So, grab your drink of choice, kick back, and let’s indulge in some good music talk that’ll make you want to dig through your playlists for that perfect jam.
Amands Miles
Former entertainment writer/blogger, Currently serve as a nonprofit executive, leading development strategy at New Disabled South and is a self-described music nerd.
Chapters
indie music podcast, music nerd podcast, underground music podcast, music roundtable podcast, best new indie bands, independent music podcast, music discovery podcast, alternative music podcast, podcast for music lovers, dive bar music podcast, low key music podcast, deep cut music discussion, music tastemakers podcast, music festival discoveries, music zine culture, DIY music scene, touring musician stories, hidden gem bands, vinyl collector podcast, music conversations podcast,
, Dive Bar Music Club, Amanda Miles podcast, 90s alt rock, music fan community, concert experiences, Atlanta music scene, music writing, favorite music venues, Tabernacle Atlanta, Ryman Auditorium, Red Rocks Amphitheatre, indie music recommendations, music playlists, music discussions, sharing music passion, listening to new music, music nerd culture, attending live shows, music fan connections, upcoming novel about musicTranscript
Speaker A
00:00:00.320 - 00:00:03.680
This is Amanda Miles, and you're listening to Dive Bar Music Club.
Speaker B
00:00:04.960 - 00:00:47.720
Welcome to the Dive Bar Music Club podcast, where the guest hosts drop in and out, but the opinions are always passionate and the playlists loud. It's like cheers if everyone at the bar had a strong take on 90s alt rock or a suspicious number of burned CDs.
We're all just here to share what we're currently obsessed with and maybe convince someone that, yes, that weird Icelandic synth folk band is worth a listen. Okay, that last one's probably me. Sloan Spencer. It's Dive Bar Music Club. Low key, high taste. Happy hour for music nerds.
Amanda Miles, we are so glad to have you be part of Dive Bar Music Club. What are you doing in the world of music these days?
Speaker A
00:00:48.120 - 00:01:07.010
Well, I'm a former entertainment writer. I would say I'm retired music writer, and I am just now a music fan. Now I'm attending concerts and listening to as many albums as I can.
But I formerly wrote for Atlanta Music Guide, Inside Atlanta, and just love attending shows now.
Speaker B
00:01:07.730 - 00:01:12.530
Ah. So what's kind of the longer version? How did you end up in music writing?
Speaker A
00:01:13.890 - 00:01:40.600
So I am a huge music fan. I've always been a writer all of my life. I've wrote poems and some songs and now working on the novel.
But when it comes to music, I don't have any instrumentation abilities. So I loved, like, taking my writing skills and going out into the world and like, using them for good.
My passion was sharing music that I loved with, you know, with the world, with the Internet. And now I'm here to share on this podcast.
Speaker B
00:01:41.800 - 00:01:50.840
This is fun. I can't wait to hear more as we all get to know each other down the road about the novel that you're working on.
I don't want to steal that now, but that's an exciting thing that I did not even know about.
Speaker A
00:01:52.200 - 00:01:58.840
Oh, thank you. Yeah, definitely, definitely going to have some appellation, music kind of influence.
Speaker B
00:02:00.280 - 00:02:20.600
Ooh. We have a couple of people that are part of this group with Dive Bar Music Club that will be super into that. Ah. Even more intriguing. Very exciting.
Well, so as you have been a fan of music for a really long time and kind of that person that turned other people on to new music. What sort of venues or places that you like to go hear music?
Speaker A
00:02:21.800 - 00:03:22.100
So my favorite venue is absolutely the Tabernacle in Atlanta, a former church that has been turned into a music venue. And there's just something special about the sound in that room.
You know, I've seen a lot of My favorite acts there, like BlackBerry Smoke, the Black Crows. My favorite artist of all time, Jason Isbell. And there's just something magical that happens in that room on those hardwoods.
And when it comes to Nashville, some other favorite venues. I love hearing folks at the Ryman. Same sort of thing, of course, like the mother church of country music.
And there is just something beautiful that happens in those hollowed in that room. You can't talk about favorite music venues without talking about Red Rocks. I've only been to the one show.
We're actually going back during May to listen to another one. But that venue is just incredible. The sound, but just the space, like the open space.
Seeing the stars above you while you're listening to the music is just something incredible.
Speaker B
00:03:22.820 - 00:03:44.740
Agreed. Definitely on the bucket list. Fun that you mentioned the Tabernacle. I love that place.
For y' all who have never had a chance to go to Atlanta and see a show at the Tabernacle. So I like to sit in the balconies, which is also sort of taking your life in your own hands. They shake if the show is wild enough.
It's a little scary. Oh, my gosh.
Speaker A
00:03:44.980 - 00:03:56.300
That is. We always do. We always do the balcony.
And yes, like, depending on how I the sound is turned up, you can absolutely feel it, like reverberating through the balcony on the floor beneath you.
Speaker B
00:03:57.100 - 00:04:06.620
When I was growing up in Atlanta, it was a church. And so the backstage area and the green rooms are also extremely entertaining because they're basically old Sunday school classrooms.
Speaker A
00:04:07.180 - 00:04:14.140
Oh, my goodness. That is incredible. I didn't know that. I didn't know that. That would be like, so fun to see.
Speaker B
00:04:15.580 - 00:04:23.990
Yeah, like, when you go back there, you're like, it's just really hard to reconcile the two because typically it's not a gospel related act. When you're seeing the show at the Tabernacle.
Speaker A
00:04:26.150 - 00:04:32.870
That's exactly what I'm picturing. I'm like the black crows and like the puffs of smoke that are probably happening just like filling up the Sunday school room.
Speaker B
00:04:32.950 - 00:04:45.910
That's pretty much exactly the experience. If people are wanting to know more about what you're doing creatively today or find some of your past work or connect with your upcoming novel.
How would folks find you online?
Speaker A
00:04:46.700 - 00:05:03.340
Yeah, they can find me on Instagram. It's Alabama Pines ATL and just give me a follow there.
And I share all about my work and any music I'm listening to and talk about the upcoming novel and would love to connect with fellow music fans there.
Speaker B
00:05:03.900 - 00:05:15.020
Fantastic. Alabama Pines atl That's easy enough to find on Instagram, y'. All. Very cool.
Well, Amanda Miles, we are super excited that you're going to be part of what we're doing here at Dive Bar Music Club.
Speaker A
00:05:15.590 - 00:05:40.230
I'm so excited to jump in and take apart. I was sharing a little bit earlier.
I love talking to fellow music fans, and there's just something so special when you come together and share, like, what, you know, what makes your heart sing, what music touches you or what music helps you get through. Or sometimes, like, what music do you rage to? Sometimes that's just like that.
Having that human connection with each other through music is so special.
Speaker B
00:05:41.120 - 00:05:45.360
I agree with that, and I hadn't thought about it, but, yeah, rage. Music is an important part of life as well.
Speaker A
00:05:45.760 - 00:05:46.240
Yeah.
Speaker B
00:05:46.240 - 00:05:49.760
That might be an interesting, like, specific episode someday.
Speaker A
00:05:50.560 - 00:05:51.120
Yes.
Speaker B
00:05:51.680 - 00:05:52.320
I'm like.
Speaker A
00:05:52.320 - 00:05:54.320
I'm like, we need it. We need it in these times.
Speaker B
00:05:55.840 - 00:06:13.280
That's last call at Dive Bar Music Club. If you like the hang, follow the show, leave a review, and tell your algorithm, gosh darn it, we're worth it.
Better yet, share your favorite episode with a friend who actually stayed for the whole set. See y' all next time for the low key, high taste happy hour for music nerds.
This is Amanda Miles, and you're listening to Dive Bar Music Club.
Speaker B:Welcome to the Dive Bar Music Club podcast, where the guest hosts drop in and out, but the opinions are always passionate and the playlists loud.
Speaker B:It's like cheers if everyone at the bar had a strong take on 90s alt rock or a suspicious number of burned CDs.
Speaker B:We're all just here to share what we're currently obsessed with and maybe convince someone that, yes, that weird Icelandic synth folk band is worth a listen.
Speaker B:Okay, that last one's probably me.
Speaker B:Sloan Spencer.
Speaker B:It's Dive Bar Music Club.
Speaker B:Low key, high taste.
Speaker B:Happy hour for music nerds.
Speaker B:Amanda Miles, we are so glad to have you be part of Dive Bar Music Club.
Speaker B:What are you doing in the world of music these days?
Speaker A:Well, I'm a former entertainment writer.
Speaker A:I would say I'm retired music writer, and I am just now a music fan.
Speaker A:Now I'm attending concerts and listening to as many albums as I can.
Speaker A:But I formerly wrote for Atlanta Music Guide, Inside Atlanta, and just love attending shows now.
Speaker B:Ah.
Speaker B:So what's kind of the longer version?
Speaker B:How did you end up in music writing?
Speaker A:So I am a huge music fan.
Speaker A:I've always been a writer all of my life.
Speaker A:I've wrote poems and some songs and now working on the novel.
Speaker A:But when it comes to music, I don't have any instrumentation abilities.
Speaker A:So I loved, like, taking my writing skills and going out into the world and like, using them for good.
Speaker A:My passion was sharing music that I loved with, you know, with the world, with the Internet.
Speaker A:And now I'm here to share on this podcast.
Speaker B:This is fun.
Speaker B:I can't wait to hear more as we all get to know each other down the road about the novel that you're working on.
Speaker B:I don't want to steal that now, but that's an exciting thing that I did not even know about.
Speaker A:Oh, thank you.
Speaker A:Yeah, definitely, definitely going to have some appellation, music kind of influence.
Speaker B:Ooh.
Speaker B:We have a couple of people that are part of this group with Dive Bar Music Club that will be super into that.
Speaker B:Ah.
Speaker B:Even more intriguing.
Speaker B:Very exciting.
Speaker B:Well, so as you have been a fan of music for a really long time and kind of that person that turned other people on to new music.
Speaker B:What sort of venues or places that you like to go hear music?
Speaker A:So my favorite venue is absolutely the Tabernacle in Atlanta, a former church that has been turned into a music venue.
Speaker A:And there's just something special about the sound in that room.
Speaker A:You know, I've seen a lot of My favorite acts there, like BlackBerry Smoke, the Black Crows.
Speaker A:My favorite artist of all time, Jason Isbell.
Speaker A:And there's just something magical that happens in that room on those hardwoods.
Speaker A:And when it comes to Nashville, some other favorite venues.
Speaker A:I love hearing folks at the Ryman.
Speaker A:Same sort of thing, of course, like the mother church of country music.
Speaker A:And there is just something beautiful that happens in those hollowed in that room.
Speaker A:You can't talk about favorite music venues without talking about Red Rocks.
Speaker A:I've only been to the one show.
Speaker A:We're actually going back during May to listen to another one.
Speaker A:But that venue is just incredible.
Speaker A:The sound, but just the space, like the open space.
Speaker A:Seeing the stars above you while you're listening to the music is just something incredible.
Speaker B:Agreed.
Speaker B:Definitely on the bucket list.
Speaker B:Fun that you mentioned the Tabernacle.
Speaker B:I love that place.
Speaker B:For y' all who have never had a chance to go to Atlanta and see a show at the Tabernacle.
Speaker B:So I like to sit in the balconies, which is also sort of taking your life in your own hands.
Speaker B:They shake if the show is wild enough.
Speaker B:It's a little scary.
Speaker B:Oh, my gosh.
Speaker A:That is.
Speaker A:We always do.
Speaker A:We always do the balcony.
Speaker A:And yes, like, depending on how I the sound is turned up, you can absolutely feel it, like reverberating through the balcony on the floor beneath you.
Speaker B:When I was growing up in Atlanta, it was a church.
Speaker B:And so the backstage area and the green rooms are also extremely entertaining because they're basically old Sunday school classrooms.
Speaker A:Oh, my goodness.
Speaker A:That is incredible.
Speaker A:I didn't know that.
Speaker A:I didn't know that.
Speaker A:That would be like, so fun to see.
Speaker B:Yeah, like, when you go back there, you're like, it's just really hard to reconcile the two because typically it's not a gospel related act.
Speaker B:When you're seeing the show at the Tabernacle.
Speaker A:That's exactly what I'm picturing.
Speaker A:I'm like the black crows and like the puffs of smoke that are probably happening just like filling up the Sunday school room.
Speaker B:That's pretty much exactly the experience.
Speaker B:If people are wanting to know more about what you're doing creatively today or find some of your past work or connect with your upcoming novel.
Speaker B:How would folks find you online?
Speaker A:Yeah, they can find me on Instagram.
Speaker A:It's Alabama Pines ATL and just give me a follow there.
Speaker A:And I share all about my work and any music I'm listening to and talk about the upcoming novel and would love to connect with fellow music fans there.
Speaker B:Fantastic.
Speaker B:Alabama Pines atl That's easy enough to find on Instagram, y'.
Speaker B:All.
Speaker B:Very cool.
Speaker B:Well, Amanda Miles, we are super excited that you're going to be part of what we're doing here at Dive Bar Music Club.
Speaker A:I'm so excited to jump in and take apart.
Speaker A:I was sharing a little bit earlier.
Speaker A:I love talking to fellow music fans, and there's just something so special when you come together and share, like, what, you know, what makes your heart sing, what music touches you or what music helps you get through.
Speaker A:Or sometimes, like, what music do you rage to?
Speaker A:Sometimes that's just like that.
Speaker A:Having that human connection with each other through music is so special.
Speaker B:I agree with that, and I hadn't thought about it, but, yeah, rage.
Speaker B:Music is an important part of life as well.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:That might be an interesting, like, specific episode someday.
Speaker A:Yes.
Speaker B:I'm like.
Speaker A:I'm like, we need it.
Speaker A:We need it in these times.
Speaker B:That's last call at Dive Bar Music Club.
Speaker B:If you like the hang, follow the show, leave a review, and tell your algorithm, gosh darn it, we're worth it.
Speaker B:Better yet, share your favorite episode with a friend who actually stayed for the whole set.
Speaker B:See y' all next time for the low key, high taste happy hour for music nerds.