Story and photos by Wes McIntyre / Contributing Writer and Photographer
Local restaurant and music venue The Block hosted its final show on Saturday night before closing its doors due to slow business. Owned by chef Manny Santana and operated by Quinten Thornten, The Block was a relatively new venue that focused on gourmet, grassroots eating, music, art and charitable ideas. Their final show was a blues-rock showcase featuring local acts from Murfreesboro and Nashville.
The Block closed out on a high, bluesy note with a rousing lineup of high-energy blues-rock bands. Rob Seiben’s Sidecar Sazerac opened with a classic blues, rock ‘n’ roll vibe and Seiben’s husky, guttural voice giving them a genuine tone.
Fluid Notion got the crowd up and moving with their danceable rock ‘n’ roll sound and high-energy performance. Their bassist, Taylor Goyette (pictured right), was very conversational and spoke out on the importance of coming out to support The Block and local businesses.
Casey Jo & The Friday Night Dads’ female vocalist diversified the night with an eclectic mix of blues, country and pop.
The Hollows (pictured below), with a notable influence of ’70s hard rock, further fueled the energetic and authentic tone that resonated throughout the night.
Hailing from Clarksville, TN, metal and alternative rock band From Worlds Alike put a diverse spin on the set that kept the music fresh and interesting.
Sets like these at The Block may now be a thing of the past, but Thornten wants to stay involved in the local music scene.
He plans to continue to help booking bands who come through town and help point them in the right direction. He also wants to help plan Boro Fondo, the annual bike, music and arts festival held in April, and continue playing drums for local favorite band, The Acorn People.
His future is full of plans, but Thornten’s experience working at The Block has been a good one.
“(It was a) pleasure working with (Santana),” Thornten said. “He’s a great boss. You know, he was a super motivated, no-nonsense type of guy in some aspects, and total nonsense in other aspects.”
Santana has received job offers for executive chef positions at Legacy Farms and Harpeth Hall and is eager to continue working in the food industry.
The Block officially brought business to a close the next morning as they held their final Sunday Brunch buffet.
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