We asked seasoned AmericanaFest attendee Cary Baker for a handful of performances he was looking forward to during the packed conference and performance schedule.

Baker admits his list includes primarily established artists – “I’m not really the go-to for rookie talent, although I am hoping to serendipitously trip upon one or two good ones once I get there,” he says – but it’s as a good a place as any to start making one’s flight plan for the week.

2. Fall matchup set between 'Tennessee Three' Democrat Gloria Johnson and GOP US Sen. Marsha Blackburn - Friday, August 2, 2024

NASHVILLE (AP) — U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, a top Republican ally of former President Donald Trump, will square off this fall in Tennessee against Democratic state Rep. Gloria Johnson, whose progressive profile rose nationally when her GOP colleagues tried to boot her from office over a gun control protest on the chamber floor.

3. A crime spree is headed to Nashville - Friday, May 17, 2024

For bookworms – especially those with an appetite for mystery, thriller and suspense novels – the summer of 2024 will be a crime-time special unlike anything Nashville has seen.

Between the end of May and Labor Day weekend, three unique conventions with similar but very different target audiences will draw some 7,000 authors, readers and true-crime aficionados to Nashville, followed by Music City’s godfather of literary events, the Oct. 26-27 Southern Festival of Books, which annually attracts more than 150 authors and 25,000 passionate book lovers.

4. Nvidia shares surge, set off a rally on Wall Street - Friday, February 23, 2024

NEW YORK (AP) — Nvidia's stock price surged Thursday after delivering another blowout quarter, setting off a rally in other technology companies that carried Wall Street to another record high.

5. O’Connell wants transit plan on Nov. ballot - Friday, February 23, 2024

Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell has announced he will move forward with a process to place dedicated funding for transportation and infrastructure projects on the November ballot.

After getting the green light on both legal and financial aspects of the process, the administration is putting a referendum in front of the voters Nov. 5.

6. Fresh ideas for skipping Amazon, malls this season - Friday, November 10, 2023

Wouldn’t you rather gift a little closer to home? As a matter of fact, we would…

Even in these days of “purchase today, receive later today” gift acquisition, you still have to think long and hard about certain types of gift recipients, zeroing in on holiday gifts that will speak to them way beyond the moment of unboxing.

7. AI is on the world's mind. Is the UN the place to figure out what to do about it? - Friday, September 22, 2023

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Just a few years ago, artificial intelligence got barely a mention at the U.N. General Assembly's convocation of world leaders.

But after the release of ChatGPT last fall turbocharged both excitement and anxieties about AI, it's been a sizzling topic this year at diplomacy's biggest yearly gathering.

8. Events - Friday, June 2, 2023

Maury County - Breakfast with the Mayor. Join Maury Alliance for breakfast and Q&A with Maury County Mayor Sheila Butt. Puckett’s Grocery & Restaurant, Guitar & Cadillac Hall (upstairs), 15 Public Square, Columbia. Wednesday, 8-9 a.m. Fee: $20 for members, $25 for non-members. Registration required. Information

9. Events - Friday, May 12, 2023

122nd Spring Outing at The Hermitage. Spring Outing is a century-old Nashville tradition that began in the early days of the Ladies’ Hermitage Association as a picnic on the mansion’s lawn. Since then, the event has evolved into a major fundraiser held to benefit The Andrew Jackson Foundation’s many education programs and preservation projects. Featured speaker for this year’s event is Jonathan W. Pliska, a renowned Landscape historian and author of A Garden for the President: A History of the White House Grounds. The Hermitage, 4580 Rachel’s Lane, Nashville. Wednesday, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Fee: $150+. Information

10. Liquor before beer: Spirits beat brews in new market data - Friday, February 10, 2023

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Producers of spirits have new bragging rights in the age-old whiskey vs. beer barroom debate.

New figures show that spirits surpassed beer for U.S. market-share supremacy, based on supplier revenues, a spirit industry group announced Thursday.

11. Retail sales drop at start of key holiday shopping season - Friday, December 16, 2022

WASHINGTON (AP) — Americans cut back sharply on retail spending last month as the holiday shopping season began amid high prices and rising interest rates that are forcing some families, particularly lower income households, to cut back on what they buy.

12. State unemployment rate holds steady - Friday, October 28, 2022

Unemployment in Tennessee remained unchanged between August and September, the Department of Labor and Workforce Development reports.

The state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for September came in at 3.4% and is just 0.2 of a percentage point away from Tennessee’s all-time low rate of 3.2%.

13. New wave of bars creates buzz without the booze - Friday, March 12, 2021

There's something missing from a new wave of bars opening around the world: Alcohol.

Aimed at the growing number of people exploring sobriety, the bars pour adult drinks like craft cocktails without the booze. At 0% Non-Alcohol Experience, a futuristic bar in Tokyo, patrons can sip a mix of non-alcoholic white wine, sake and cranberries from a sugar-rimmed glass. On a recent evening at Sans Bar in Austin, Texas, customers gathered at outdoor tables, enjoying live music, bottles of alcohol-free IPA and drinks like the watermelon mockarita, which is made with a tequila alternative.

14. U.S. whiskey bolstered by liquor store sales in 2020 - Friday, January 29, 2021

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — American whiskey absorbed some setbacks but showed resilience in the face of pandemic-related clampdowns on bars and restaurants as liquor sales benefited from enduring demand for a good stiff drink.

15. Nashville songwriters spread outside country at Grammys - Friday, January 17, 2020

NASHVILLE (AP) — Nashville songwriters are showing up at the Grammys this year, but not just in the country music categories. The city's writing talent has been increasingly tapped to help craft nominated soundtracks, pop songs and R&B albums over the last couple of years.

16. Fiery disagreements as Trump impeachment hearing opens - Friday, November 29, 2019

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House Judiciary Committee's first impeachment hearing quickly burst into partisan infighting Wednesday as Democrats charged that President Donald Trump must be removed from office for enlisting foreign interference in U.S. elections and Republicans angrily retorted there were no grounds for such drastic action.

17. China's Alibaba, JD report booming Singles Day sales - Friday, November 8, 2019

BEIJING (AP) — Chinese e-commerce giants Alibaba and JD.com reported more than $60 billion in sales Monday on Singles Day, an annual marketing event that is the world's busiest online shopping day.

18. Events - Friday, September 6, 2019

The Tennessee State Fair is open through Sept. 15. Agricultural fairs are a tradition in Tennessee. Among the state fair highlights are entertainment and music, pageants, livestock and equine competitions, food, arts and crafts, midway rides and games. 500 Wedgewood Avenue, Nashville. Information: http://tnstatefair.org

19. Events - Friday, August 30, 2019

State Fairs: Agricultural fairs are a tradition in Tennessee, and the annual Tennessee State Fair will open Friday.

The Fair Association promotes the education of agriculture, horticulture, the creative arts, performing arts, industry, commerce, recreation, economic development, natural resources, and related areas to the public, through the planning, promotion, conduct, and operation of an annual fair. Among the state fair highlights are entertainment and music, pageants, livestock and equine competitions, food, arts and crafts, midway rides and games.

20. Events - Friday, August 2, 2019

County Fairs Agricultural fairs are a tradition in Tennessee, and Middle Tennessee has plenty to choose from. Middle Tennessee fairs and dates include:

Aug. 2-10: Williamson County, Long Lane, Franklin. www.williamsoncountyfair.org

21. Events - Friday, July 26, 2019

First Friday: Your Small Business Resource: Topic: Leverage Partnerships to Grow your Business. First Friday offers individuals the opportunity to expand their knowledge on best business practices from some of the most successful business leaders in the county. E|Spaces, 1550 W. McEwen Drive, Suite 300. 7:30-9 a.m. Free. Information

22. As craft beer market grows, so do wild flavors - Friday, May 24, 2019

Anyone for steak and onion Kolsch? Or a macaroni and cheese pale ale? Those were among the flavors at the Strange Brew Festival in Reno, Nevada, this month, where competition for attention has intensified as craft beers have boomed.

23. US stocks give up an early rally, ending winning streak - Friday, March 15, 2019

U.S. stock indexes closed mostly lower Tuesday after a late-afternoon splash of selling erased early gains, ending a weeklong rally.

Banks accounted for much of the decline, along with utilities and industrial companies. Those losses offset gains in health care, technology and consumer products stocks.

24. Top Middle Tennessee residential sales for January 2019 - Friday, February 15, 2019

Top residential real estate sales, January 2019, for Davidson, Williamson, Rutherford, Wilson and Sumner counties, as compiled by Chandler Reports.

25. Old favorites still deliver - Friday, February 8, 2019

These Nashville restaurants aren’t new for this Valentine’s Day but offer a taste of what the foodie scene here is all about: Variety, fresh takes and unforgettable decor:

Bastion

434 Houston St., 615 490-8434

26. AP FACT CHECK: Trump's claims in his State of Union address - Friday, February 1, 2019

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump laced his State of the Union speech with puffed-up numbers and partial truths Tuesday as he hailed an "economic miracle," warned of human traffickers flooding across the border and appeared to place Afghanistan in the Middle East instead of where it is, Asia.

27. Nike's marketing strikes a chord without hurting business - Friday, September 21, 2018

NEW YORK (AP) — Nike caused an uproar earlier this month with its ad featuring former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick that debuted just as the football season was about to begin. But the shoe maker's stock is up and sales have been steady.

28. US firms to Trump: Don't raise tariffs on more Chinese goods - Friday, August 17, 2018

WASHINGTON (AP) — Fishermen off the Alaskan coast. A Florida maker of boat trailers. A building materials distributor in Tennessee.

Those and hundreds of other American businesses are delivering the same plea to President Donald Trump as he considers imposing tariffs on nearly 40 percent of imported Chinese goods:

29. Nashville's most romantic restaurants for 2018 - Friday, February 9, 2018

Nashville has a restaurant for every mood. If you're looking for romance on Valentine’s Day or any night of the week, you can’t miss with these.

Restaurants new to the list are designated with an *.

30. Nashville region 8th on Milken Index - Friday, January 19, 2018

The Nashville-Davidson-Murfreesboro-Franklin area is the eighth-best-performing city in the U.S., according to the Milken Institute’s Best-Performing Cities 2017 Index.

In the large city/metro area category, Provo-Orem, Utah, came in first followed by Raleigh, North Carolina, Dallas-Plano-Irving, Texas, and the San Francisco-Redwood City-South San Francisco area.

31. Top Middle Tennessee commercial transactions for October 2017 - Friday, November 24, 2017

Top residential real estate sales, September 2017, for Williamson, Rutherford, Wilson and Sumner counties, as compiled by Chandler Reports. Due to technical issues, Davidson County sales are unavailable for September.

32. Top Middle Tennessee residential transactions for June 2017 - Friday, July 21, 2017

Top residential real estate sales, June 2017, for Davidson, Williamson, Rutherford, Wilson and Sumner counties, as compiled by Chandler Reports.

33. Neighbors on both sides sure they have right answer - Friday, June 30, 2017

The final decision over the reconfiguration of Eighth Avenue South will likely not be made until sometime in 2018.

Meanwhile, passions continue to run high on both sides of the debate. A genuine community brouhaha has developed.

34. Road rage - Friday, June 30, 2017

A possible reconfiguration of a 3-mile portion of Eighth Avenue South between Gale Lane in the Berry Hill/Melrose area and the roundabout at Music City Center (Korean Veterans Boulevard) has sparked heated debate among neighbors.

35. AP sources: Trump tells senators House health bill 'mean' - Friday, June 9, 2017

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump told Republican senators Tuesday that the House-passed health care bill is "mean" and urged them to craft a version that is "more generous," congressional sources said.

36. Events - Friday, June 9, 2017

Gallatin 3rd Thursday on Main. Free concerts on the third Thursday of each month from June through September. 6:30-9 p.m. Downtown merchants, restaurants and bars will be open late and will be selling merchandise, food, and beverages, so bring your lawn chairs, and plan to spend the evening on the downtown Gallatin Square. June concert will feature The Parks. Information: Donna Belote, 452-5692.

37. 23 million more uninsured with GOP health bill, analysts say - Friday, May 19, 2017

WASHINGTON (AP) — The health care bill Republicans recently pushed through the House would leave 23 million more Americans without insurance and confront others who have costly medical conditions with coverage that could prove unaffordable, Congress' official budget analysts said Wednesday.

38. $1 million-plus Middle Tennessee residential transactions for 2016 - Friday, January 13, 2017

Residential real estate sales of $1 million or more for for Davidson (308 total), Williamson (241), Rutherford (4), Wilson (5) and Sumner (3) counties in 2016, as compiled by Chandler Reports.

39. Analysis: GOP vexed by factions on replacing health law - Friday, December 23, 2016

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republicans are united on repealing President Barack Obama's health care law, but ideologically and practically speaking, they're in different camps over replacing it. Getting the factions together won't be easy.

40. US stocks hardly budge as hiring grows, oil skids - Friday, July 1, 2016

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks are little changed Thursday as chemical companies trade higher, but investors sell utility and phone company stocks, safe assets they've favored in the wake of Britain's vote to leave the European Union. A payroll survey showed that employers hired more workers in June after a slowdown in the months before.

41. Nashville's most romantic restaurants for 2016 - Friday, February 5, 2016

Romance can be found all around, in quiet, 50-seat rooms and bustling of-the-moment hot spots. It’s all about the food, the ambiance, the service and, most importantly, your companion for the evening.

42. Habitat for Humanity announces 2016 leadership - Friday, January 1, 2016

Lucia Folk of Country Music Television will serves as the 2016 chair for Habitat for Humanity of Greater Nashville.

Additional executive committee members are: Karen Springer, vice chair, Saint Thomas Health; Kim Neible, secretary, retired, Caterpillar Financial Services Corporation; Larry Morton, treasurer, retired, Crowe Horwath; Ward Wilson, past chair, US Bank; Paul Kleine-Kracht, at-large, c3 Consulting Group; Dan Hogan, at-large, CapStar Bank; Mendy Mazzo, at-large, Skanska; and Ridley Wills, at-large, The Wills Company.

43. Top Middle Tennessee residential real estate transactions for October 2015 - Friday, November 20, 2015

Top residential real estate sales, October 2015, for Davidson, Williamson, Rutherford, Wilson and Sumner counties, as compiled by Chandler Reports.

44. Beer merger will not bring Budweiser, Miller under same roof - Friday, November 6, 2015

LONDON (AP) — The world's two biggest beer makers will join forces to create a company that produces almost a third of the world's beer. But in the U.S., the deal will not bring arch rivals Budweiser and Miller under the same roof.

45. Mega beer merger bets on the rise of African drinkers - Friday, October 23, 2015

LONDON (AP) — Charles Kwara and his friends sit around an earthenware pot, sipping a frothy gray drink through long straws as laughter fills the Charismatic Club in the slums of Kampala, Uganda's capital.

46. Top beer makers to join forces to face industry challenges - Friday, October 9, 2015

BRUSSELS (AP) — The world's biggest beer maker clinched a deal Tuesday to take over its nearest rival in a bid to stave off the megabrewers' most serious problems: the surge in popularity of craft brews and weakening sales in the rich markets of the U.S. and Europe.

47. King of Beers: Makers of Budweiser, Miller eye global merger - Friday, September 11, 2015

LONDON (AP) — The makers of Budweiser aren't satisfied with being the kings of beer. They want an empire.

Anheuser-Busch InBev, the world's biggest brewing company and the owner of Budweiser, announced Wednesday it wants to buy SABMiller, the second-largest brewer — and the maker of long-time rival brand Miller Genuine Draft.

48. Top Middle Tennessee residential real estate transactions for August 2015 - Friday, September 18, 2015

Top residential real estate transactions, August 2015, for Davidson, Williamson, Rutherford, Wilson and Sumner counties, as compiled by Chandler Reports.

49. Events - Friday, September 4, 2015

Moving Forward: Why World-Class Public Transportation is Key to a Competitive Economy. As part of the Moving Forward initiative, the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce will be bringing nationally recognized transportation experts to town. These interactive events are free and open to the public. Speakers: James Corless, director, Transportation for America; Stephanie Lotshaw, program officer, TransitCenter. Wednesday, 2:30-4:30 p.m., Adventure Science Center, 800 Fort Negley Boulevard, Nashville. Information: Nashvillechamber.com, 615-743-3153

50. Ashley Monroe's old soul captivates country legends - Friday, August 7, 2015

NASHVILLE (AP) - As a child, Ashley Monroe says she'd often start crying as she was listening to the radio because she was overwhelmed by the emotion coming from country singers like Vince Gill and Dolly Parton.

51. It’s gonna be a long, hot, delicious summer - Friday, June 26, 2015

Summertime brings us wedges of juicy watermelon and drippy ice cream cones. It yields pies piled with blackberries and peaches so fresh they can fill a room with their aroma.

It offers jewel-toned tomatoes for slicing and piling onto BLTs.

52. Hops growers rush to meet rising demand from craft brewers - Friday, June 12, 2015

MOXEE, Wash. (AP) — These are good times for growers like Ben St. Mary. He stood at his family's farm in Washington state recently and watched as employees built trellises where a new field of hops, the key ingredient in the flavoring of beer, will grow.

53. Festive drinks and fun venues - Friday, December 5, 2014

A number of new places opened in Nashville this year, bringing a bevy of new bourbons, crafted brews and incredible places to sit, relax and sip. If you are looking for more than a meal and want that genuine, trendy Nashville experience, here are a few hot spots.

54. Bourbon production reaches high point since '70s - Friday, August 15, 2014

LOUISVILLE, Kentucky (AP) — Kentucky bourbon makers are making a big bet by stashing away their largest stockpiles in more than a generation.

To put it in bartenders' lingo: Distillers are putting up the tab for millions of rounds of bourbon years before they are even ordered. The production poses an inherent risk, but hitting the moment right — a big supply meshing with big demand — could mean a serious payday for companies big and small.

55. Top Midstate residential real estate transactions for April 2014 - Friday, May 16, 2014

Top April 2014 residential real estate transactions for Davidson, Williamson, Rutherford, Wilson and Sumner counties, as compiled by Chandler Reports.

56. Let area’s best chefs create holiday memories - Friday, December 6, 2013

If you expect a flock of foodies among your visitors this holiday season, don’t waste too much money buying them gifts – simply take them to eat at one (or more) of these 10 signature Nashville restaurants.

57. Small Business Saturday unites indie retailers - Friday, November 29, 2013

Black Friday is now a weeklong sales event for most national retail chains, and Cyber Monday continues to gain steam for those who wish to do their holiday shopping online.

Good news for the big guys, but not so much for the smaller businesses, even those with a web presence, that often get lost in the shuffle since they can’t compete with the large-scale advertising campaigns and the deep discounts.

58. With tradition below, construction above 8th Avenue finds its footing - Friday, August 2, 2013

My, what a difference a decade makes. A little more than 10 years ago, Metro police vice officers were shutting down massage parlors up and down 8th Avenue South.

Those alleged fronts for prostitution had flourished around cool, hipster places like Grimey’s record store, Zanies’ comedy club and a few antique stores, years before anyone used the word “hipster.”

59. Boom with a view - Friday, April 26, 2013

Motorists on Interstate 440 are sharing a disorienting experience. A glance at the city’s skyline confirms they are in Nashville, but the startling appearance of a dozen sleek, ultra-modern homes on the hillside above may convince them they are in L.A.

60. 28th Ave. Connector shifts attention to Charlotte Ave. revitalization - Friday, September 7, 2012

Nashville’s newest and most significant road, the plainly named 28th Avenue Connector, is just three-tenths of a mile long but stretches far into the city’s past and future.

After decades of separation, the white business and entertainment district along West End Avenue and the historically black neighborhoods north of Charlotte Pike will have a direct connection. When it opens in October, the Connector will replace a road that requires motorists to take a circuitous route skirting Centennial Park.

61. Top residential sales for May 2012 - Friday, June 15, 2012

Top residential sales for Davidson, Williamson, Rutherford and Wilson counties, as compiled by Chandler Reports.

Chandler Reports has been publishing Real Estate Market Data since 1968. That year, Chandler began collecting residential sales information for the Chandler Residential Report, considered the authoritative source for residential real estate sales information. Over the next three decades, the publications have been continually refined, enhanced and expanded, growing to include lot sales data, new residential construction and absorption information, and commercial sales. In 1987, Chandler Reports began one of the first on–line real estate market data services in the country, and is a nationally recognized leader in the industry. In 2004, Chandler Reports was purchased by The Daily News Publishing Co. In 2007, Chandler introduced RegionPlus, including property research for Nashville and Middle Tennessee. Visit online at chandlerreports.com.

62. What would the Beatles do? Sell it, by George - Friday, December 23, 2011

In all things music, there is always a Nashville connection. And in all things anything, there is always a Beatle connection, especially as it pertains to the selling of residential real estate.

In order to understand the similarities, one must first have a working knowledge of the Beatles. The Beatles were led by a young man named John Lennon who, in July 1957, teamed with Paul McCartney. They were joined the following February by George Harrison. They called themselves the Quarrymen, and were as raw and unpopular as bands went. They found it virtually impossible to find work, just as some houses are never shown.

63. Events - Friday, September 23, 2011

Baker Donelson presents its Labor & Employment Fall Focus seminar today in its office at 211 Commerce. At this day-long event, Baker Donelson L&E attorneys will present on topics including the legislative year in review, EEOC update, non-competes and trade secrets, developments in labor law and more. Registration ($100) includes breakfast, lunch and course materials. Information and registration: [email protected], 726-5714.