It’s hard to believe that 2026 is already half over with, but here we are in mid-July starting to put together our preliminary lists of potential awards contenders. On this month’s episode of The Vick’s Flicks Podcast, Brandon, Brett, and I got together to mull over the state of the cinema in 2026 and list our five favorite films of the year so far.
Keep up with all of our work covering the world of movies on Nashville Movie Dispatch. Listen to The Vick’s Flicks Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you take in your podcasts! Just search for ‘Drinking With…’ and you’ll find us. Or, just smash the play button on the embed below!
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network, second on Football & Other F Words, analyst for Stacking The Inbox, and a Dogs Playing Poker on velvet connoisseur. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD, #BeBetter, and ‘Minds right, asses tight.’ “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, the NFL Draft, Nashville, Yankee Candle, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley.
Elsewhere on the SoBros Network: Check out Stacking The Inbox for premium coverage of the Tennessee Titans and NFL Draft. Subscribe to Nashville Movie Dispatch for all of our movie content. We get weird on Phone It In, the history podcast that explores legendary tales, important historical figures, and events.
On Saturday, July 11th, Pro Wrestling Symphony held their Free For All show at 6th and Peabody. I enjoy all the unique venues Symphony has run at, and this was my first time going to Yeehaw Brewing. It was absolutely sweltering, even by July standards. The kind of heat where if you didn’t drink your beer quick enough, it started to boil. However, the weather didn’t prevent a large crowd of wrestling fans, bachelorette parties, and Lafayette Street’s finest from enjoying a stacked seven-match card.
Our first match saw Bobbi Thunder return to take on KJ Grace. Bobbi picked up the win with a pedigree and then called for post-match drinks. However, Bobbi pulled a play straight out of ole Stone Cold’s book and dropped Grace with a pair of stunners. A win for Bobbi should strengthen her case for a future women’s title match.
The second match saw a feud that’s been going on for the past few shows as Jake Painter took on Alejandro, this time in a falls count anywhere match. The fight spilled out amongst the crowd, as chairs, bats, and beers were slung around. Painter pulled off a submission victory as he wrapped a chain around The Chicano Kid’s throat and applied a choke.
After having a martial arts demonstration at the prior PWS show, Dragon Kai, consisting of Sensei Erron Wade and his student Cullen, had an opportunity for a tag title match against Royal Prestige. Te’Von and Majestic retained their titles after a spinebuster, making this three successful defenses for the champions.
“The Crocodile” Adrian Thomas made his way to the ring to inform the crowd that Hunter Drake was actively ducking him and wouldn’t be at the show today, but that he was still ready for a fight, holding an open challenge. The challenge was answered by both Brian Hitt and Sean Login. Login was both an absolute hoot and a holler, as for the majority of the match he was more concerned with his TikTok livestream than actively being in the match. AT would pull off the win with his signature frog splash.
As Bruss Hamilton made his way out to the ring, a hush fell over the crowd. This massive musclestache of a man came out, no kneepads, ready to absolutely dominate whoever was ready to step up. His opponent was Kody Lane, who wore a pink and black pair of overalls equipped with tassels. This match was absolutely no joke, and easily the hardest hitting one of the day. Bruss would pull off the win after Jake Painter ran interference on Kody Lane.
Unfortunately, due to an injury, Freya the Slaya had to vacate the women’s championship, which is truly unfortunate because her title run was something to behold, and I hope for her a speedy recovery. However, the vacated title would find a new home in our semi-main event, as Sigrid faced Kaia McKenna and Anya Rune in a triple threat. Kaia pulled off the big title win with a spear. Big congratulations to the new champion, but you know it won’t be long until Freya returns to reclaim what she never lost.
Our main event of the evening saw “The Code” Colby Carter defend the men’s championship once again, this time against “The Big Bad Kaiju” O’Shay Edwards. O’Shay had my favorite gear of the show, with a lovely set of bikers adorned in cherry blossoms. O’Shay was quick to make a mockery of Carter, sarcastically singing “Happy Birthday” to the birthday champion. However, after two stomps, with the last one coming off the ropes, Colby would retain his title again. He took his post-match time to call out Jeremiah Plunkett, who showed up fighting his way through security. Colby demanded that Plunkett’s suspension be lifted, and a rematch between the two was made for the main event of the Symphony’s next show.
Pro Wrestling Symphony’s next show will be on August 8th and will be held at the Eastside Bowl. I want to thank anyone who took the time to read this, and as always, get out of the damn house and go watch and support your local rasslin show!
Most of the SoBros Network team is born and raised in the greater Nashville area. Back in…like….2017…I think….we made a concerted effort to get out in the community and start writing about the things we did, the restaurants we ate at, and some of the weird stuff we encountered. You can check out some of our restaurant reviews by scrolling through the Nashville section of the site. Here, I’ll keep a running doc of some of the things we’ve gone out to do in the Music City. This is our running list of our favorite things to do in Nashville.
AmericanaFest – 2021 write-up – “AmericanaFest prides itself on “raw, intimate showcases” in addition to the myriad of panels and seminars that take place each year as apart of the festival. That spirit shines through with each artist that takes the stage. It’s what I love most about this festival – the heart and the soul that are on display no matter where you take in a show.” Stay in the know about when AmericanaFest takes place every year and who’s playing by checking out their website.
The Arcade – full write-up – “I work from home now, and haven’t worked downtown since January of 2018 – but nothing hit like a quick walk to The Arcade to catch your breath and re-center yourself. I can remember stressed-out mornings at EOQ (end of quarter), when the early mornings meant loading up with a breakfast burrito from DeliDave’s, or biscuits from Maggie’s Cafe. I think every work function we held in that building had Manny’s pizza. You can keep all of your trendy pizza spots around town – not saying they aren’t worth a damn, but Manny’s is the gold standard in this city.”
Arrington Vineyards – full write-up – “If you’re in the Nashville area, it’s the perfect way to kill a summer afternoon, and I can’t imagine a better setting to take in a beautiful golden hour.”
The Belcourt Theatre – full write-up – “It felt like traveling back in time – not because the Belcourt was decorated as such, but because what was permeating in the air there was over a hundred years old: a pure love of the game. The filmmaking game, I mean. How something so simple – seeing a favorite film at midnight – could connect so many people blew me away. In taking it in, it made the Belcourt feel like more of a community than a theatre.”
Bell Buckle – full write-up – “Bell Buckle offers a ton of small town charm that makes it the perfect place to drive out for a day. You can visit several antique stores. There’s an art gallery, a couple of little cafes/restaurants, and an ice cream shop. Most of all, it’s just a damn beautiful drive. In my opinion, it is on the Mount Rushmore of leisurely Middle Tennessee drives.”
Canoe and kayak spots – full write-up – “But when the hustle and bustle becomes too much, especially as we approach the southern summer heat, where can you go for a refreshing break and reconnect with nature? Simple: try floating one of the many, beautiful rivers this region has to offer.”
Casa de Montecristo – full write-up – “With a smooth drink and a delicious cigar (Montecristo No. 2 for me and I can still smell it in my hair), I could’ve stayed all night. This place was all about discovery and I’m glad we found you, Casa de Montecristo.” -Brandon Vick.
Cheekwood – full write-up – “It was an absolutely breathtaking way to spend an afternoon in Nashville. There’s so much to take in that it feels impossible to see it all in one evening. But, that’s the beauty of it – it feels like the type of place you could visit over and over again and discover something new every time.” -Stoney | 2021 UPDATE: Steven McCash wrote a kickass piece on Cheekwood and its Lego exhibit here.
CMA Fest – full write-up – “If you think Nashville is already a city that has music percolating out of every corner, just wait ’til you see what happens Thursday. And, for those of you still stuck working office jobs later this week, well…there’s still time to get your PTO request in.”
Corsair Distillery – full write-up – “Honestly, the atmosphere at this business & building is somewhere I’d return to in a heartbeat. This appears to be a very quiet, chill spot to hang out after work downtown. And the products Corsair provide are top notch, trust me, they have the medals to prove it.” -Cadbury
Danger Zone Video – full write-up – “In a sense, the nostalgia that Danger Zone Video stirs within me is akin to time travel. It’s a place where I can disappear from the real world for a few minutes, explore the annals of film history, have a good conversation, and add to my ever growing movie collection. I hope you’ll visit them some time too. Physical media forever.”
East Nashville Beer Works – full write-up – I guess this technically should be a food review, but I didn’t do any ratings or anything like that…but I still want to get this spot into our Nashville catalog somewhere. This feels as good a spot as any, though I admit I’m conflicted about it. Do I have OCD? Anyway, here’s my preview of the full piece: “In total, we spent a couple of hours at that spot, taking in the fresh air and letting the sunshine wash over us, forgetting the worries of the world if only just for a moment. I switched over to the mead from Honeytree Meadery because I’ve never had it, and our friend E always told me that I need to try it. When I’d get a better opportunity, I didn’t know. So, I dove in, and I ended up drinking three of them. Yes, I found out that day that I’m a mead guy. All in all, this place is laid back, easy-going, and serves damn good beer.“
Full Moon Cineplex – full write-up – “…a unique place, but still homey and welcoming for the local lovers of the macabre. I am always checking the website to find out what Full Moon is playing for the upcoming weekend. There is nothing better than sitting down to Fulci’s Zombie with a bag of popcorn after a grueling day at work.” -Brittany Fernandez
The Game Terminal – full write-up – Classic arcade games, lawn games, board games, and cold beer – what more could you ask for? “All in all, a great way to kill time in the company of good friends.”
Ghost Tours at The Hermitage – full write-up – “For a history nerd like me who is also catastrophic when faced with jump scares, it was perfect to get me in the Halloween spirit. I quite enjoyed it, and could easily see myself doing it regularly this time of year.”
Immersive Van Gogh Exhibit – full write-up – “The visuals were indeed immersive. Too many people were standing back away from the screens. I shooketh my head. Talk about missing the assignment. I walked my happy ass up to the screen, so close that the exhibit took up my entire periphery. THAT is some immersive ass shit. THAT is what it was all about to me. And, THAT is when I started to feel the stress of everyday life melt away. It was so cool to see Van Gogh’s life’s work presented in such a unique way, and it gave me a new appreciation for his art. It wasn’t just bright colors and special effects – it felt like a moving picture of a man’s life. Very cool.”
Lebanon Town Square – full write-up – “My memories of the Lebanon town square from when I was a kid growing up in Gladeville in the 1990s would induce a groan. I used to hate it when my parents mentioned going – it was nothing but old antique stores! As soon as I was old enough to stay home alone, I wouldn’t think twice about skipping out on those trips. But, it’s funny how things have changed since those days. Now, whenever we have the rare free Saturday or Sunday, heading out to the square for a leisurely morning is how I choose to unwind.”
Music Valley – full write-up – “I like New Nashville. It’s fun to live in a town that friends and family want to come visit and sightsee in. I’m always happy to play tour guide, and I’ve planted roots here as strong as any roots in existence. I love the convenience…the entertainment options…the food scene…it’s all well and good. But, sometimes….fuck, I just miss Old Nashville. Music Valley seems like the one area around town where the gentrification hasn’t touched just yet. In Music Valley, I feel like I can still connect to Old Nashville, and that’s a valuable experience to me…one that I’d recommend everyone try at some point this summer. Music Valley just feels like the good old days.”
Paddywax Candle Bar – full write-up – “Between the fun, bonding experience of a good date night and the quality of the candle itself, I couldn’t recommend Paddywax enough. And, no – it certainly doesn’t hurt that it’s right up the road from the Black Abbey brewery, so you can get yourself a brew or 15 on your way out of town.”
Pilgrimage Music and Culture Festival – 2021 Day 1 and 2021 Day 2 write-ups – “Let’s face it – it’s the music that everyone comes to Pilgrimage for and boy did they deliver. The line-up was stocked full of headlining talent as well as newcomers that are poised to be headlining festivals in the years to come.”
Pins Mechanical Company – full write-up – “Rows of pinball machines and an arcade were available for more gaming activity, but we didn’t hang in that part of the place. It looked like a hell of a place to chill out and watch some football, too. When we were letting our food digest and finishing our last round of drinks, we ventured upstairs and sat in front of about nine screens showing all of the NFL action. It was a blast – the most fun I’ve had trying out a new spot in Nashville in a long time.”
The Pool Club (at Virgin Hotels Nashville) – full write-up – “At times, I took my hat off and just let the wind caress my sweaty-ass hair. As the sun began to set, the true splendor of nature took over. We were having great conversations. The mood was happy and relaxed. The drinks were good. And, the beautiful sunset resonated within all of us – the sky was bursting with a gradient of orange, gold, pink, purple, blue, and white. With our fair city being cast in such a light, it was a breathtaking way to spend an evening. The Pool Club instantly became one of my favorite spots to take in a good golden hour – that and the hilltop at Arrington Vineyards. The stars came out as the night sky took over, and we started to make our way home, as I became too drunk to taste this chicken.”
Pro Wrestling Symphony – “Nashville has been a hotbed of pro wrestling for as long as I can remember in my nearly 39 years on this Earth. I can remember heading to shows at the Municipal Auditorium and at the fabled Nashville Fairgrounds as a kid back in the 90s. Promotions have come and gone throughout the years, offering a wide variety of styles in the Music City. Pro Wrestling Symphony is the latest to pick up the torch and run with it. ” Follow on Twitter for updates on shows.
RC Cola and Moon Pie Festival (Bell Buckle in June) – full write-up – From the parade to the craft fair to the overall charm of Bell Buckle and of course, the Moon Pie pitching contest, this festival checked all the boxes for a wonderful day in small town Tennessee. “All in all, we spent over four hours moseying around the festival. It’s about half the size of the craft fair in October, but it’s much less crowded, which was a fair tradeoff in my opinion. I liked the smaller crowd and the much more manageable navigation. Bell Buckle has a real knack for putting on events like this. I can’t recommend slowing down at one enough.“
Tennessee Performing Arts Center – full write-up – “To me, you can take in Nashville’s excess all you want, but to really appreciate the history of Old Nashville and to take in the arts in a setting that generations of Nashvillians have treasured, you have to get out to TPAC to catch a show while you’re in town.”
Tennessee Renaissance Festival – full write-up – “The Tennessee Renaissance Festival is a Tennessee tradition as old as time itself. As fabled as the great legends of yesteryear. Heroes, knights, lords, and ladies converge upon Arrington, between Franklin and Murfreesboro, for a month-long celebration of mythical proportions.”
Totally Rad Toyhouse – full write-up – “The cool thing about Totally Rad Toyhouse is that while catering to the nostalgia, they literally have something for everyone. Some newer figures as well as a plethora of vintage figures.” -RighteousJesse
Union Hill Trading Post – full write-up – “Located near the Music City Raceway, a drag-racing strip established in 1958, the building now inhabited by Union Hill Trading Post was home to a variety of markets, filling stations, and convenience stores over the decades, but had been vacant in recent years. Under new ownership, the Trading Post has revitalized the old bones of the community-staple while keeping petrol-head vibes. The rejuvenated soul of the area was easily felt during opening weekend, as locals poured in to share their stories and knowledge of the area.” -Ryan
That’s what we have so far! Keep in mind that this list is always growing and changing as we continue to get out and document our experiences in the Music City.
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network, second on Football & Other F Words, analyst for Stacking The Inbox, and a Dogs Playing Poker on velvet connoisseur. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD, #BeBetter, and ‘Minds right, asses tight.’ “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, the NFL Draft, Nashville, Yankee Candle, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley.
Elsewhere on the SoBros Network: Check out Stacking The Inbox for premium coverage of the Tennessee Titans and NFL Draft. Subscribe to Nashville Movie Dispatch for all of our movie content. We get weird on Phone It In, the history podcast that explores legendary tales, important historical figures, and events.
The following is an excerpt from our new book, Refinement Optional: The Best of the SoBros Network, which you can now purchase on Amazon.
I have stared at this incessant blinking cursor for some time now as I try to put the first sentence together to tell my journey with the SoBros Network and most importantly explain how much the experience has meant to me. I first met the SoBros gang through my time in independent wrestling. Stoney, Brandon and some other former members of the crew would pop up at some of various indie shows supporting some of the up-and-coming stars of professional wrestling sponsoring some of the shows and selling some of their own merch. I had no idea what the hell SoBros Network was. It could have been some sort of microbrewery, apparel company, hell it could have even been some sort of right-wing cult for all I knew. Thank my lord Prince Rogers Nelson it was not the latter.
I really came to know some of the guys through our love of professional wrestling and most importantly through our shared admiration for Southern Underground Pro, an independent wrestling promotion in Nashville that I did commentary for and that the SoBros often sponsored.
After my short trip of ignorance I learned exactly what the SoBros Network was, stood for, and wanted to grow in to. After nearly two years since the start of S.U.P. my relationship with Stoney and the rest of the gang had grown to the point where I was comfortable asking if I could submit a piece for the site. Stoney excitedly accepted my offer and I was off to the races. Sobros had plenty of wrestling, football, and movie coverage.
I do love all of those topics as well and believed I could add to them as well but I felt where I would fit in best was to write about my first true real love, music. I have never pretended to be some sort of pretentious music snob as I have openly and lovingly confessed my ongoing love for pop music and boybands in particular for decades so it only made sense that my first story for the SoBros Network would be a review of a New Kids On The Block concert. That story in May of 2019 started a long line of writing about music, movies, wrestling and even buttholes that I will always treasure.
The SoBros Network welcomed me in and gave me a place to share my voice with the world and I will forever be grateful for that. I never in a million years could envision that story about my five favorite Bostonians would have allowed me to cover numerous film and music festivals, interview the director of one of my favorite horror films of all-time as well as cover the Senior Bowl where I was famously hit in the face by an entire box of Moon Pies. SoBros did that and so much more.
It gave me a community that I am so proud to be a part of. My byline doesn’t grace the pages of the site like it used to. Life changes have led my away from Nashville and taken away a lot of the free time I used to have to devout to writing. That sad story is for another day. It’s been 7 crazy years as a part of the SoBros Network and the effect it has had on me isn’t necessarily visible to the naked eye but rather something I can see and feel everyday.
Between the time with SoBros and the work I did in wrestling I found my voice and a confidence that I feel I hadn’t felt since my time in theater and radio. In the last seven years I got to create a short lived show putting professional wrestlers in excruciating pain with my ode to Hot Ones, Ten Count. From there I would pop-up on a variety of podcasts on the website and eventually co-hosted the College Football Roundup with our fearless leader, Stoney Keeley.
The thing I have loved creating with the SoBros the most is hands down Drinking With…, the podcast about movies turning the legal drinking age that is shockingly in its 6th year and quickly approaching its 100th episode. Getting to spend a random Saturday with Stoney and Brandon reminiscing on some of our favorite and not-so-favorite films from 21 years ago is something I truly look forward to every time we meet up.
The SoBros Network has afforded me a place to be unapologetically me and oddly embraced it as well and I will forever be grateful for it. To steal from the greatest wrestling stable of all-time, ‘When you’re SoBros Network, you’re SoBros Network for life.”
Steven McCash is the Lead Music Writer and Utility Man for SoBros Network. Steven is the host of the ‘Drinking With…’ podcast, and the pioneer of New Music Friday, highlighting each week’s new releases in the world of music in addition to the occasional live show review. He also pitches in as a Nashville lifestyle writer and football analyst (hence the ‘Utility Man’ title). Follow on Twitter: @MC_Cash75
Elsewhere on the SoBros Network: Check out Stacking The Inbox for premium coverage of the Tennessee Titans and NFL Draft. Subscribe to Nashville Movie Dispatch for all of our movie content. We get weird on Phone It In, the history podcast that explores legendary tales, important historical figures, and events.
Have you ever wondered where the phrase “how the sausage has made” has come from? I know I certainly have. In fact, it keeps me up at night. I’ve lost sleep over it. So, I decided to do the logical thing…I fired up my camcorder and recorded my thoughts on the matter for this month’s episode of the SoBros Hot Minute. Subscribe to SoBros Network on YouTube so that you never miss a single episode of the SoBros Hot Minute or any of the other regular videos that I’m posting over there.
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network, second on Football & Other F Words, analyst for Stacking The Inbox, and a Dogs Playing Poker on velvet connoisseur. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD, #BeBetter, and ‘Minds right, asses tight.’ “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, the NFL Draft, Nashville, Yankee Candle, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley.
Elsewhere on the SoBros Network: Check out Stacking The Inbox for premium coverage of the Tennessee Titans and NFL Draft. Subscribe to Nashville Movie Dispatch for all of our movie content. We get weird on Phone It In, the history podcast that explores legendary tales, important historical figures, and events.
