Californians, Old Nashville, and the Death of Class :: Ep 38 Circling The Drain Podcast

Johnny B, Jay Harper, and Jim McCarthy dive into how Nashville and Middle Tennessee have changed under the wave of California and out-of-state transplants. From McMansions and roaming dogs to the death of “old” Music Row, they unpack what’s been gained, what’s been lost, and why some newcomers bring their problems with them.  They also hit on the impact of the Telecommunications Act on radio, the shift in the music and movie industries, old money vs new money, the immigrant work ethic, and how social media turned everyone into a political pundit.  If you love Nashville, radio, music history, and a good rant about culture, money, and manners, this one’s for you.  Timed Highlights:   01:17 California and LA “refugees” landing in Tennessee  03:20 From farmland to McMansions: Johnny’s neighborhood transforms  05:13 “The Duttons” move in: roaming dogs, dune buggies, and entitlement  08:05 No-income-tax migration: Texas, Florida, Tennessee and beyond  10:11 Wichita, Montana, Idaho and the new playgrounds for the wealthy  13:13 Voiceover, LA unions, and movie work leaving California  15:27 How unions strangled opportunity in Hollywood  15:53 Remembering “old Nashville” and Music Row’s golden era  17:32 Urban Cowboy, arenas, Predators, Titans and a new city identity  19:02 When Elvis played Murfreesboro and Nashville had no big venue  19:36 The 2010 flood and Nashville’s turning point  21:00 Insurance, healthcare and the real business of Nashville  23:02 “Bringing California food” to Tennessee and why it failed  24:39 Sticker shock: $26 California pizza in Vegas  25:22 Tiny portions, big prices and Southern “meat and three” culture  27:18 Sylvan Park, Monell’s and eating with total strangers  28:55 Nashville gets cosmopolitan – real restaurants arrive  29:18 Bell Meade money, radio paychecks and brutal honesty  32:22 Old money snobbery in New Orleans and Charleston  33:29 Generational wealth: who earns it, who blows it  34:39 Trust fund kids, cash flashes and zero self-awareness  36:58 The Murdoch saga and destroying a family legacy  38:17 Strong men, weak men, good times, bad times  39:19 Immigrant grit, building empires from nothing  40:55 Vietnamese and Cambodian communities thriving in New Orleans  42:02 Cultural distrust and the Vietnamese grocery experience  42:55 California fear in Tennessee vs New York’s evolution  43:33 Johnny’s “John Dutton” neighbor and hoping he’s just unaware  44:05 Dog safety, coyotes and suburban “protection money” jokes  45:00 Southern accents and being stereotyped as dumb  46:25 Facebook community pages, bad spelling and zero punctuation  46:49 Texting culture and the death of proper sentences  47:35 Everyone’s a pundit now: social media, politics and Artemis skeptics  48:04 Wrap-up: Real talk, real idiots, and where to find Circling The Drain  Follow Johnny B:https://www.facebook.com/john.e.bozemanFollow Jay Harper:https://www.facebook.com/harperjeffFollow Jim:www.jmvos.comCircling The Drain is produced by It's Your Show dot Cowww.itsyourshow.co