{"id":19536,"date":"2025-04-11T11:13:59","date_gmt":"2025-04-11T16:13:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp0.vanderbilt.edu\/nashvillereview\/?p=19536"},"modified":"2025-04-11T11:56:08","modified_gmt":"2025-04-11T16:56:08","slug":"19536","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp0.vanderbilt.edu\/nashvillereview\/archives\/19536","title":{"rendered":"Cosmic Notes on Reclaiming the Corsage: An Interview with Nordista Freeze"},"content":{"rendered":"

Interview by Carson Colenbaugh<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

<\/b>My dad was an undergraduate student at Vanderbilt in the 80s. In October of 1983, he went to a concert at Municipal Auditorium. The act was Talking Heads, and they were on the tour that would later be enshrined in the 1984 film <\/span>Stop Making Sense<\/span><\/i>.<\/span><\/p>\n

I grew up with that soundtrack. I\u2019ve seen the film several times. And for a while, I was convinced that I would never in my lifetime witness anything of that magnitude. It just seemed to be an endangered species of event, like The Band\u2019s farewell shows that ended-up in Martin Scorsese\u2019s <\/span>The Last Waltz. <\/span><\/i>I mean something constrained but completely unhinged, something ecstatic yet intimate. T<\/span>hen I went to Nordista Freeze\u2019s annual Space Prom: once in 2024, and again this year.<\/span><\/p>\n

Space Prom is a night of pop & new wave & glam hits, mostly from the 80s, recreated by Freeze, plus a house band, plus a guest artist for every single song. It\u2019s the concept of the cover group\u2014the kind your dad and his buddies might form under a name like \u201cThe Back Doors\u201d or \u201cThe Ungrateful Dead\u201d\u2014elevated to the max and paired with a mostly Millennial\/Gen-Z crowd dressed in either space attire or prom attire or some one-night-only mix of each. (On both occasions, I showed-up as Matthew McConaughey\u2019s character from <\/span>Interstellar<\/span><\/i> because it only required me to wear jeans and a Carhartt jacket but, I think, totally counted.)<\/span><\/p>\n

My cousin Drew Elliott recommended the event to me. We can pretend Drew said something like \u201cFreezie\u2019s the best,\u201d which I already thought, since I\u2019d been following Freeze\u2019s music since I saw him perform at the Georgia Theatre in Athens alongside Hotel Fiction a few years prior. Even then, I knew his stage presence was unmatched. Hollywood couldn\u2019t produce a fictional music act that even comes close to Freeze\u2019s simultaneous sincerity & pomp. And everyone on-stage at Space Prom rose to his high bar without exception.<\/span><\/p>\n

In all likelihood, this is recency bias at work, but I am positive Space Prom is going to be considered a legendary event one day. Someone, maybe not that far in the future, is going to compile a list that includes <\/span>The Last Waltz<\/span><\/i>, <\/span>Stop Making Sense<\/span><\/i>, and whatever documentary feature someone makes about Space Prom: hopefully because they saw this very interview and Nordista Freeze\u2019s genius.<\/span><\/p>\n

Well, not genius. Something more important than that.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\/\/\/<\/p>\n

I know you\u2019re probably used to telling the story of how Space Prom evolved from a concert at a Chinese restaurant in Nashville into a multi-city spectacular, but I fear you\u2019ve never been able to <\/b>really<\/i><\/b> tell it, down to the strangest details. Please feel free to elaborate and embellish the legend of Space Prom here for as long as you think is necessary to truly convey the narrative.<\/b><\/p>\n

Despite being a born-and-raised Nashvillian, I don\u2019t come from music business. I guess I come from music, if you count my dad singing songs during his puppet show. He can really work the crowd.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I joined the live music scene in 2012, performing with my folk band anywhere that would answer. We played 200 shows across town before I graduated high school. We played street corners, parks, frozen yogurt shops, trunk-or-treats, pet clinics. You get it.\u00a0 It didn\u2019t matter where. I just love performing music.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In 2015, I threw my first Freezefest. By 2017, this grew into a five-night spectacular with 120 bands. Of course the proper venues in town had no interest in hosting such an event. But I found somewhere that believed in me: Phat Bites in Donelson. You see, earlier that year I had left the stage during my set and accidentally crashed through the glass door of the restaurant. Julie, the owner, was very displeased but I assured her I would make it up to her, and indeed I returned the next day with $200 in cash. This won her trust.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Nashville is the most competitive city in the US. To this day I\u2019d rather play anywhere, even LA or NYC. I have always known the secret to a successful show here is to add as many bells, whistles, and sparkles as possible. No, it doesn\u2019t matter that this is my hometown. I have to create truly artistic, immersive experiences if I\u2019m going to get people out.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I dreamt up all sorts of events like The Big Scary, Summer Camp, and of course Space Prom. The original idea for Prom was that I would have bands cover each decade of dance music or \u201cprom music\u201d. Once again, I knew the venues in town would have no interest, so I walked into Lucky Bamboo Chinese Bistro and asked the owner for a night in the dance hall. He wrote me down on a spiral notebook. I began to spread the word, hoping we could have 100 in attendance. We had 534 tickets sold. This was the biggest show I had ever performed. Nothing in my life has ever surpassed my expectations like that one night did. I sat there, dressed in my Elton John costume with my mom and dad. The three of us were speechless as an endless stream of sparkly attendees rolled in. The older couple who owned the restaurant began scrambling around, creating a makeshift buffet. I told my dad I was dropping out of school.<\/span><\/p>\n

Now, this year we sold out Brooklyn Bowl with over 1400 in attendance.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

What was it like to put together this year\u2019s Space Prom roster, both its artists and its track list? Can you briefly walk us through that process?<\/b><\/p>\n

The setlist is collaborative, but predominantly determined by Sma and then Bryce. They work tirelessly to create a set with lyrical theme and musical exploration. Three weeks after Space Prom, I met with Sma and he already had a stack of songs for me to chew on for next year.\u00a0 We rarely repeat a song, which keeps each set fresh. People often ask if that model is sustainable, but there are so many good songs that we are not even close to running out.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It should be noted that I am not an 80s head. I like ELO, but mostly I\u2019m obsessed with the early 60s. So in the Freeze world, we would be doing a sock hop. My first set at Prom could be best understood as novelty. We did songs like \u201cTake On Me\u201d, \u201cCome On Eileen\u201d and \u201cAfrica\u201d. However, through this process I have learned so much about what we loosely call the \u201cdisco-era,\u201d and as a band we continue to push ourselves to different historic and cultural points. This year we studied artists like CHIC, Grateful Dead, and The Sugarhill Gang.<\/span><\/p>\n

The special guests are curated by me, and it\u2019s my most important role. I have a list of everyone I know, and I comb through it for months. I\u2019m looking for the best performers. I\u2019m looking for community members who buy into Prom, believing in the greater good. I want people with a big following, and I want people who are just starting out. Diversity in every way. Like an award show, I want to celebrate people who have worked hard in the last year. I want my friends and I want people I\u2019ve never met. Last year, I watched a young country star and a punk do their makeup in the green room together. That\u2019s what it\u2019s all about.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

I won\u2019t ask you to pick favorites, but did you have any stand-out performances this year? Any numbers you were really excited to add to the line-up? I must admit I got a little giddy when everyone started doing all the right moves for \u201cLife During Wartime.\u201d<\/b><\/p>\n

Every year I\u2019m offered immunity for one pick. This year, I chose \u201cTight Connection To My Heart\u201d by Bob Dylan. The crowd went absolutely mild. However, last year\u2019s \u201cTemporary Secretary\u201d by Paul McCartney was a hit!<\/span><\/p>\n

Learning a song is harder than you think. And the best performers of the night can never be predicted. I spend a long time studying each artist\u2019s vocal range and style, trying to line them up with the best possible song on the setlist. So it\u2019s hard to pick a stand-out, but it makes me really happy to see someone up there thriving!<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Maybe it was the Space Prom performance of ABBA\u2019s \u201cMoney, Money, Money,\u201d but while I was enjoying myself, I kept thinking about the musical <\/b>Cabaret<\/i><\/b>, about being in a sort of entertainment bunker that protects us from dealing with upheavals occurring in the outside world. Do you see Space Prom as an escapist event? Or do you think the nostalgia factor works toward ends that aren\u2019t obvious to us? Maybe your ideas about Space Prom\u2019s effects have changed over time.<\/b><\/p>\n

The traditional prom that so many of us experienced in high school often ranged from lackluster to traumatic. Yet culturally, prom remains deeply romanticized.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Space Prom is a reclaiming of that culture. We return to form, dressing up and dancing to popular music. But this time it\u2019s as adults, more comfortable in our skin and with our friends. Perhaps even with a special someone you actually like (I\u2019ve rarely been so lucky).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

We use the retro-futurism of the 80s, as it\u2019s the most iconic era of pop music and the most exciting aesthetic to chase.<\/span><\/p>\n

You ask if it is escapism. We are dedicated to making prom a safe-space for those who don\u2019t always have the privilege of feeling safe. I believe many people are, without a doubt, scared, and I do believe we offer them an escape. But like any great event or artistic piece, my hope is that we also can plant a seed deep in the hearts of our community. That seed has the power to transform someone\u2019s life or even perhaps the greater culture.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I also believe this event gives deep purpose to us, the crew. It allows us to pour ourselves into something, showcasing our creative identity. It makes me happy to think something I created could give so much joy to my bandmates and collaborators. Think about how many special guests there were in Nashville and then multiply that times four. Then you add the rest of the crew. That\u2019s around 150 people pouring their artistry into Prom! Then you add the attendees! That\u2019s why I do it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Every year, Space Prom gets a little bigger. I almost bought the wrong tickets this time because I assumed \u2018Space Prom\u2019 was still a Nashville exclusive. But I see that over the years you\u2019ve expanded it to other regional cities like Savannah. Has it gotten any easier over the years, a smoother process? Or do you keep finding new challenges that shape the show?<\/b><\/p>\n

Things are smoother every year because we are learning more about ourselves and how to work together as a team. We have the best band, a music director, creative director, show manager, and many more from the community working together.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

So yes, it\u2019s smoother, but each year we challenge ourselves radically, so I can\u2019t say things are easier. It\u2019s much more difficult. We want Nashville\u2019s Space Prom to be the best show possible, and I say that without hyperbole. We are a group of friends who have deep artistic integrity and the desire to impact culture. We\u2019ve all been recording and performing for 10+ years, and this event is a magnum opus.<\/span><\/p>\n

On top of that, we are trying all sorts of new avenues for what Space Prom can be.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

We want to take it to other communities. Not big cities for now. Instead, we want other places that have shown us love over the years. We team up with local special guests to make an earnest community moment for those towns. We\u2019re the infrastructure for other communities to celebrate themselves, and it\u2019s a touching thing to be a part of.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Then there\u2019s the festival idea. We performed our set for a sold out crowd in Gainesville at Flipturn\u2019s Playground Festival, sharing the stage with each of the bands on the lineup. This was a fun experiment that we were told transformed the vibe of the festival. Our plan is for this to lead us to hosting the Bonnaroo super jam.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

When I see your persona at its peak, I can\u2019t help but think about a shirtless Jim Morrison, or Eddie Vedder when he climbed on all his stage equipment. Do you have any influences that are the complete opposite of that? What influence would an audience member of a Nordista Freeze show least expect? Of Space Prom?<\/b><\/p>\n

I will give you seven live music influences.<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. \u00a0James Brown, specifically on the TAMI show. It is nothing short of the greatest 15-minute set of all time.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. The sweaty precison of David Bryne in Stop Making Sense<\/em> (as you have referenced).\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. NRBQ is the greatest bar band of all time. They\u2019re headstrong conviction to play whatever they want on stage makes them a musical martyr. Terry\u2019s energy on stage is playful, off-beat and always earnest.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  4. Of Montreal\u2019s set design changed my whole perspective on visuals.<\/span><\/li>\n
  5. Family Force 5 was my first ever concert, and I will forever hold Soul Glow Activatur and the band as my one true musical idol.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  6. Bob Dylan\u2019s album at Budokan shows me the relationship that can exist between recorded and live music.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  7. The loose, inviting charm of Jonathan Richman. When people compare me to Mac Demarco (whom I dig), I believe they are actually picking up on our mutual admiration. Richman tore it all down and rebuilt it. He showed us that we don\u2019t have to take it so seriously.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

     <\/p>\n

    As a literary institution, I always like to ask about books and authors that have been important to musical artists over the years. Could you give our readers a couple recommendations for books that have been central to your artistry?<\/b><\/p>\n

    Culture Care<\/em> by Makoto Fujimura really shaped the way I view my role as an artist, cultivating the garden instead of fighting for territory.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    The Art of Possibility<\/em> by Rosamund & Benjamin Zander has empowered myself and many of my close friends.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Jack Kerouac is a massive influence on my endless touring and deep passion for the great American night\u2014DIG baby!<\/span><\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    ***<\/p>\n

    Nordista Freeze\u00a0<\/strong>is a Nashvillian experimental pop artist and the creator of Space Prom, which toured through Gainesville, FL; Athens and Savannah, GA; and Nashville, TN earlier this year. His most recent albums are On the Banks of Disappearing, daydream,\u00a0<\/em>and\u00a0Big Sky Pipe Dream.<\/em> His singles are too plentiful to tally. As I write this, he has played 846 shows across the world. He can be found on Instagram<\/a>, Spotify<\/a>, and elsewhere.<\/p>\n

    Carson Colenbaugh<\/strong>\u00a0is a writer from Kennesaw, Georgia. His poetry appears or is forthcoming in\u00a0The Southern Review,\u00a0<\/em>North American Review, Birmingham Poetry Review,\u00a0<\/em>and elsewhere. He is currently an MFA Candidate in Poetry at Vanderbilt University, where he teaches creative writing and serves as the music editor at Nashville Review.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Interview by Carson Colenbaugh   My dad was an undergraduate student at Vanderbilt in the 80s. In October of 1983, he went to a concert at Municipal Auditorium. The act was Talking Heads, and they were on the tour that would later be enshrined in the 1984 film Stop Making Sense. I grew up with […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2292,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false},"categories":[83,1],"tags":[31],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/s6Jypy-19536","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp0.vanderbilt.edu\/nashvillereview\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19536"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp0.vanderbilt.edu\/nashvillereview\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp0.vanderbilt.edu\/nashvillereview\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp0.vanderbilt.edu\/nashvillereview\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2292"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp0.vanderbilt.edu\/nashvillereview\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19536"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/wp0.vanderbilt.edu\/nashvillereview\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19536\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19539,"href":"https:\/\/wp0.vanderbilt.edu\/nashvillereview\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19536\/revisions\/19539"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp0.vanderbilt.edu\/nashvillereview\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19536"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp0.vanderbilt.edu\/nashvillereview\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19536"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp0.vanderbilt.edu\/nashvillereview\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19536"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}