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The 5 Spot feat. Nicole Boggs and the Reel, Nehoda, Zhaklina

Nicole Boggs & The Reel are questioning everything. Rooted in three-part harmony and existential blues, they inject rock ‘n’ roll riffs and vindicated vocals into social commentary, holding a mirror to the absurdity of modern life.

Nicole Boggs (bass, lead vox), Alex Kramer (guitars, vox), and Sam Gyllenhaal (guitars, vox) bring drastically different personalities, philosophies and influences to the table. The songwriting team has crafted their sound by zeroing in on each other’s strengths and never shying away from hard conversations. They build common ground through the tension and release of creating together; they don’t settle until everyone is satisfied.

Growing up in musical families, they each walked solo musical paths before coming together for their first official band release, Scenes From Last Year in 2019. Dripping with razor-edged sarcasm, their hard-hitting follow-up EP None of Your Business dropped in the summer of 2020, in the depths of the first wave of Covid-19. Since then,  the group has been honing their collective sound behind the scenes, quietly and diligently working on their upcoming release, Dystopian Book Club.

This group of unusual suspects share a love for The Beatles, books, and cultural criticism. They delight in debating the meaning of words and hold the belief that the personal is political. They are always evolving, challenging each other and reflecting the world as they see it in hope that transparency will one day shift the digital tides.

Zhaklina, originally from New York and of Albanian, Irish and Greek descent, is an Independent, Alternative Pop artist. She moved to Nashville in January, 2018 where she explored her career options and blossomed into the creative artist and performer she is today. Her love of music started as a child and grew as she poured her heart into choirs, musical theatre, and a cappella groups throughout her life. She found her passion for writing in middle school when she was asked to write a short fiction story about romance and adventure. She was specifically fond of dramatic literature, poetry, and story-telling. This soon turned into songwriting as she began to express herself through music and writing in her teenage years. After graduating college, Zhaklina tied for first place in the 2015 "The Audition" singing competition with Hudson Valley, NY radio station K104.7. She went on to perform at KFEST that year, meeting several record executives and gaining the confidence to pursue her dream of making music her career. After several years of development and feeling as though her genre was difficult to put into one category, she decided to label her music as Alternative Pop. Soulful power with an edgy approach, her music insists on authentic connection and meaningful experiences. She is notorious for her captivating vocals, poetically emotive lyricism, and inspiring messages of mental well being. Her faith is her driving force and she continues to encourage others to live from a place of knowing they are deeply loved. In 2019, Zhaklina began releasing a series of EP’s called “17 Reasons Why” dedicated to mental health awareness. With “Gossip Queen” being her most popular song yet and “Tattooed Roses” not too far behind, she is developing a space for her audience to feel seen. Published and interviewed, “Medium”, “BuzzMusic” and K104.7 are just a few of the platforms she has had the honor of sharing her music on. She has contributed to various mental health organizations including (but not limited to) “To Write Love On Her Arms”, “NoStigmas” and “Project Semicolon” with portions of her music revenue. Her convictions for suicide prevention lead her to continued involvement in events and volunteer efforts that are fighting to make a difference and help those who need it. Her motivation stems from the love she has for family and friends that battle mental illness, people she has lost to mental illness, and her own battle with self worth. She believes in the beauty of sharing our stories and the strength it has to reach people who need to be reminded they are not alone. A rose, a symbol of classic beauty and strength, is her visual expression of her message. Music is how she shares it.

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Puckett's Murfreesboro

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October 13

Caroline Dare Live to Vinyl (Instagram Live)