Throughout its eclectic fifteen-year run, the majority of VH1 Storytellersepisodes have been shot in sound stages in either New York City or Los Angeles. While we certainly are adept at capturing your favorite star-songwriters and musicians in their purest creative form, it’s almost unheard of that we do so on the artist’s home turf. That, my friends, is yet another reason why this season’s Storytellers premiere is SO exciting; taped in Nashville where the band actually lives, Kings Of Leon were able deliver a performance tailored for their adoring local fans. But rest assured: you don’t have to LIVE in Nashville to get a piece of the pie action. During our journey down South to cover KOL’s regal Storytellers taping last month, we sat down with the band and decided to do a little recon of our own, all in hopes of serving up a few enticing slivers of information for all you KOL fans to sink your teeth into.
Curious as to why we’re using so much food-related imagery?! Well, we’ve already given you a behind the scenes glimpse at the band’s Storytellers shoot, and all week we’ve been releasing clips from the show that airs TONIGHT at 11 p.m. ET/PT. But what we haven’t sent your way yet is Kings Of Leon’s personal list of restaurants and bars that they themselves frequent in Music City. That’s right, we’re psyched to present to you Fare Fit For A King: The Ultimate Nashville City Guide.
Follow along for pictures and descriptions of the places where the Followill brothers —Caleb, Nathan, Jared and Matthew— like to get their grub on when they’re not on the road.
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The perfect man does not exist in reality, but if he did, he’d probably be a little sumthin’ sumthin’ like Maxwell. Harnessing the perfect concoction of modesty, confidence and unapologetic vulnerability (and did we mention the voice of an angel?), it’s no surprise that the soulful singer/songwriter maintains a fan base that is notorious for teeter-tottering into obsession. Last night, in a warm, packed room full of cooing and swooning in East Harlem, Maxwell brought the house down during a performance that, according to him, was literally “fifteen years in the making.”
“We share a birthday,” announced VH1 Storytellers Executive Producer and show creator Bill Flanagan to the room of sweat-glistened super-fans during the taping’s introduction. And we do! Just as VH1 celebrates fifteen years of Storytellers, Maxwell celebrates the same milestone of time for surviving in the music industry- an achievement that started off when he was only a teenager. Making disclaimers about being nervous, scared, and reluctant to comfortably discuss his craft, the charismatic singer joked that he wished Oprah was there to help him verbalize his thoughts, openly confessing “this is not my forte” at the onset. But as he began knocking out a set list that was heavy with double-platinum, debut album Maxwell’s Urban Hang Suite tracks, “Max… from Brooklyn, New York” loosened up quickly, comparing the experience to being on Twitter (but with real avatars), and began to discuss the moments in his career that birthed the baby-making music he’s heralded for.
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Our cup runneth over with Kings of Leon VH1 Storytellers clips! The band apparently played such a long set in their home city of Franklin, TN that this rocking performance of “Crawl,” the fifth single from their monster 2008 album Only by the Night, unfortunately won’t be a part of the episode when it premieres Friday, May 13 at 11 p.m. ET/PT. But we’re such fans of that album, and this barnburner of a song in particular, that we couldn’t let the footage just sit around gathering dust!
Sadly, we’re disqualified from entering the Road to Slane Castle contest, but for all you fans who don’t work here, go enter! You could win a trip to Ireland to meet the band and see them play at Slane Castle, or a signed instrument from one of the band members plus free admission to Kings of Leon shows this year.
RELATED:
Kings of Leon Take The Stage In Nashville For Storytellers
Kings of Leon, “Slow Night, So Long (Live on VH1 Storytellers)”
Kings of Leon, “Radioactive (Live on VH1 Storytellers)”
“Our background was the church,” Caleb Followill of Kings of Leon explains in this clip from their episode of VH1 Storytellers. So, if any of the lyrics of “Radioactive” sound familiar, it’s because the band borrowed them from gospel hymns they’ve known forever. Hear the whole story, and their performance, in the clip above, or tune in Friday, May 13 at 11 p.m. ET/PT for the VH1 Storytellers: Kings of Leon premiere.
If you’re a particularly devoted Kings of Leon fan, enter to win a trip to Slane Castle in Ireland (airfare included) to meet the band, or instruments signed by the band, or tickets to any Kings of Leon show in the United States. But be warned—you’ll have to prove your love in the face of your fellow fans. Good luck!
VH1 Storytellers is celebrating its 15th anniversary this year, and we’re kicking off the franchise’s season with a narrated performance by Kings of Leon on Friday, May 13. Back in April, we had the opportunity to attend the taping of the show in Nashville, the rockers’ hometown, and between production rehearsals and backstage access, we couldn’t help but snoop around the security-filled set.
“The show was amazing from top to bottom,” boasts coordinating producer Lara Fried, who watched the Storytellers taping from the production truck. “The band was charming, and you could tell that doing the show in Nashville made it extra special.”
Indeed, it was. And it wouldn’t be right if we didn’t share the spoils with our loyal VH1 Blog readers. Feast your eyes on the behind-the-scenes pics below, and don’t forget to check back for more exclusive KOL content before the premiere. Trust us, we’ll share ALL the juicy details. In the meantime, let us know what question you want us to ask the band in our Decision poll, presented by Bing. — Lacey Seidman
Hot off the proverbial presses! We’ve got a whole bunch of new information about the return of some of your favorite series (Celeb Rehab 5, VH1 Tough Love: Miami, Basketball Wives 3, etc.) and a whole slew of new shows that will soon become fan faves (Single Ladies, Famous Food). Read on for all the deets…
SUMMER NIGHTS JUST GOT HOTTER WITH VH1’S ALL-NEW SERIES AND RETURNING FAVORITES
Single Ladies, Famous Food, La La’s Full Court Life, VH1 Tough Love: Miami, Celebrity Rehab Season 5, Basketball Wives Season 3 and More
Catch Sneak Peeks and Exclusive Clips at VH1.com
NEW YORK, NY – April 28, 2011 – VH1 is turning up the heat this summer with all-new series, returning favorites and unforgettable musical performances. With the network’s first hour-long scripted series Single Ladies, never-before-seen performances on VH1 Storytellers and Unplugged as well as thrilling new programming including Famous Food, Basketball Wives Season Three and LaLa’s Full Court Life, this summer is sure to be muy fuego on VH1.
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Tags: Celebreality, La La's Full Court Life, Television, VH1 Tough Love Miami, La La's Full Court Life, Famous Food, Celebrity Rehab 5, Basketball Wives 3, Single Ladies, Do Something Awards 2010, The T.O. Show 2, Basketball Wives, Unplugged, The T.O. Show, Tough Love, Storytellers, Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew
After being together for almost fifteen years, indie rockers Death Cab For Cutie have seen their fair share of shows, festivals and venues. But until last night, frontman Ben Gibbard never felt it “appropriate” to talk about their songs’ inspiration, or more specifically, his intricate writing process. “I’m still figuring it out for myself,” admitted the lead singer, figuratively scratching his head as he explained the varied characters and scenarios that have occupied Death Cab’s lyrics over the years. However, in front of our VH1 Storytellers production crew and a slew of psyched-up fans in a Los Angeles studio last night, Ben opened up and finally shared the band’s story in his own way, painting pictures with words, allowing us all to be transported back in time to shake hands with his vision.
Hailing from Bellingham, Washington, we learned that Death Cab For Cutie’s Ben, Nick, Chris and (then-drummer) Nathan moved to Seattle early in their career, and were initially frustrated by the hungry artist lifestyle. According to the stories he shared with us, eating humble pie was a ongoing fixture in Ben’s creative process: Being laughed at by a car full of girls on the highway for driving his 1992 “couch on wheels” Buick Regal was part of Gibbard’s impetus for writing “Title and Registration,” and the modesty the band faced in the Seattle transition — what they then considered to be “the big city” — he found to be specifically trying. “There are few things more demoralizing than groveling for a job that you don’t even want,” Ben stated plainly when articulating the origins for “The Employment Pages,” a track off their second LP, We Have The Facts and We’re Voting Yes.
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If you’re a fan of music, you know very well that the music industry can sometimes serve up one-dimensional talent. Vocalists. Songwriters. Producers. Entertainers. The “flavor-of-the-week.” They excel at one thing very well, and God bless ‘em, they make an exceptional living doing so. However, as Cee Lo Green soared through his body of musical work during last night’s VH1 Storytellers taping at Sony Pictures Studios in Los Angeles, it became clear to us (as well as a room full of diehard fans) that his talents are much more multi-faceted than your run-of-the-mill chart-topper. Donning a white shirt covered in sparkles, and surrounded by a kick-ass, all-female band, the man of the hour actively did what he does best: connect with his audience.
Visibly excited, Cee Lo’s carefully-planned set allowed him to present his stories with true richness and delicate authenticity. And it makes sense; since the inception of his career, Green’s song-writing has been deeply rooted in his personal life, reflecting everything from his spiritual beliefs to whimsical sexual quips to torturous anguish. Starting his narrative somewhat chronologically, Cee Lo journeyed back to his Dungeon Family roots, bringing out Big Gipp, Khujo and T-Mo — fellow members of his early career group, Goodie Mob — to perform. Together, they disclosed detailed and passionate song inspirations, nodded at their career’s humble beginnings, and (ZOMG!) announced the group’s forthcoming reunion.
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