The Cherry Blossoms Fact Sheet

HOME: Nashville, TN, with close ties to Rutherford County and Parkside Lane

SIZE: Varies (usually between 3 & 8)

MEMBERS & INSTRUMENTS (in order of appearance, or alphabetical when simultaneous):

• John Allingham (vocals, acoustic and electric guitar, harmonica, kazoo)
  Used to play in a polka band with the woman who played Chairy on Pee Wee's Playhouse
  


• Peggy Snow (vocals, acoustic guitar, kalimba, spoons, kazoo)
  Paints beautiful falling-down buildings and plays the prettiest kazoo you've ever heard
  


• Laura-Matter Fukushima (bass guitar, maracas, tambourine, tap shoes, kazoo)
  Was once a "scenester," but now lives in Massachusetts with her hubby Crabcakes.
  


• Allen Lowrey (drums, various other percussive instruments, vocals, bass guitar, mandolin, jew's harp, kazoo, poetry)
  Also plays drums for some other band called Lambchop
  


• Chris Davis (drums, vocals, kazoo)
  Took drum lessons from Xavier Cugat's percussionist Eddie Kozak, who called him names like "Tonto," "Tarzan," "Bruce," and "Shecky"
  


• Chuck Hatcher (guitar)
  We know he can rock any Zepplin song in existence (but we haven't tested this theory yet). The man who took the house party torch from Rich and Anne.
  


• Taylor Martin (mandolin, ukulele, vocals, kazoo)
  Hanging at the other UT (the burnt, not big, orange).
  


• Aaron Russell (various guitars, kazoo)
  Makes web pages. Used to be in the Frothy Shakes. Now resides in Austin, TX. Rocks the world with the Weird Weeds.
  


• Beth Matter (washtub bass, kazoo)
  Was the UT Marching Band's best flagperson ever.
  

Erstwhile Blossoms

People will talk

SOUND: Self described as "Middle Tennessee's finest anarchic post neo-skiffle collective specializing in kazoo-exotica." The Nashville Scene has at various times portrayed these masters of the floating rhythm as a "shaggy folk collective"; a "sprawling folk band"; and an "unclassifiable, sprawling folk collective" who play "sublime, freewheeling folk." Off the record, editor Jonathan Marx has called them Nashville's version of the Shaggs. (They take the comparison as a compliment)

SONGS: Mostly original, including favorites "I'm going steady with Jesus," "Mighty Mississippi," The Dolphin Song," "New Wave Irish Love Song," and "Harding Mall." But they frequently do covers too, ranging from "St Louis Blues" to Ravel's "Bolero," Burt Bachrach's "Casino Royale," and "Don't Fear the Reaper" by Blue Oyster Cult.

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