Adam Dread: Man of Leisure, Now at Large

The first thing you notice when you meet Adam Dread is his charisma. He is all smiles, and he is energetic; he is, all around, very friendly. And it is easy to see how he was recently elected to the vacant Metro Councilman-at-Large seat. If this is the way he treats everyone, then he is a natural to win any election.

Being a former stand-up comic and radio DJ doesn't hurt his charismatic style. But, now that he is in a full-on position of responsibility, can Adam Dread step up to the challenge?

Dread graduated from Vanderbilt in 1986 and has remained very close to the university. He was a DJ on WRVU, he was the chair of Vanderbilt Concerts in 1986, and he hosted Rites of Spring even four years after he had graduated. Now Adam Dread describes himself as a "Man of Leisure," even printing that on his old business cards. But now his cards read "Adam Dread: Council-at-Large."

We met at Fido's, in Hillsboro Village, his "turf" as he calls it, and with good reason. Within five minutes of arriving, he had seen no fewer than five people who recognized him and wanted to speak with him, most of them congratulating him yet again for his win over a month ago. He is a large guy, tall and with a lot of mass, and he seemed uncomfortable in his suit. He would, no doubt, be more comfortable in his shorts and beach sandals, as on one of his many trips per year to Nantucket.

Dread became heavily involved in Hillsboro Village as a student at Vanderbilt, when, at 19 years old, he became the general manager of Faison's, which he described as "the only hip restaurant" in the Village before the days of Fido's or Sam's.

But to hear him tell it, his life's work, what there is of it, is really all owed to Vanderbilt and Rites of Spring, as both started him on his way to a stand-up career. And, he says that it is because of his stand-up that he is now a full-fledged politician.

"In politics, it's kind of taking what I've done in stand-up where I get in front of 500 strangers who may have had a hard day, and just make them forget their problems and make them get a little more out of life. In politics it's kind of the same thing. You get out in front of an entire community and make them feel better."

But Dread is not just a councilman. He is also in his third year at the Nashville School of Law, and he serves on three non-profit boards. One would think that being a full-time law student would be enough to occupy anyone's time twice over, but Dread is confident that he is giving his chosen charities enough of his time.

"That's one thing I have learned is how to budget time." But, he adds, "I don't know if I could have done it before computers and cell phones." And these charities, too, aid him in his quest to do well on the council. "Something more on the sidelines is my charity work. And that really ties into what I'm doing in terms of the council. Take what you're doing for the smaller charities, and do it for the entire community."

Dread apparently has a big heart, to serve on three non-profit boards, several other committees, and to "emcee countless events for other charities." But those, of course, all give him recognition. He was not so generous to a homeless man approaching him for food outside of the Pancake Pantry. "You know better than to panhandle around here," he says to the man, who walks away dejectedly.

"I'm a big public safety buff. You know the problems we've had right here in Hillsboro Village. I think those problems can be easily fixed."

The problems he refers to are some muggings and robberies that have taken place in the back alley ways of the Village. Some believe these were committed by our resident homeless who never leave the Village. But, having second hand experience with one of these incidents, I can confidently say that the area homeless have had little to do with the crime in Hillsboro Village.

And Dread's commitment to West Nashville -- specifically Hillsboro Village -- raises an interesting question. As Councilman-at-Large, Dread represents all of Nashville: West, East, North, and South. He briefly addresses this question.

"Even though I'm a Councilman-at-Large, Hillsboro Village is my neighborhood, and I look at it as a microcosm for Nashville, what I'd like to see it like."

However, in his talks of making the streets safer, he never once mentions crime plagued areas of East Nashville, quickly rising to become a hip, artsy, rich-white-people neighborhood. Nor does he mention the heavily gang-populated parts of Nolensville Road. All of this makes one wonder if someone so concerned with his "home" of West Nashville can successfully represent the other million Nashvillians who may not be affluent enough to live in the West side of town or to visit Nantucket as many times a year as he does.

But, Dread is a very likeable guy once he knows you. He is very casual and very approachable. He remembers everyone he has ever met and speaks to them when he sees them.

Another thing one notices about Dread in a short time of talking to him is his unapologetic honesty. He curses without thinking and makes mention of his late night antics. Hell, on the back of his book, "You've Obviously Spent Time on Nantucket If...," his bio reads "One summer, he traded his Jeepster for a bar credit," and continues, "A professional rake and raconteur, Dread plays a little golf, seduces women, and drinks to excess." And, even during the course of our interview, he said of his years at Vanderbilt and of his service on the Beer Board, "We all used to work at the Pub in exchange for free beer. Beer had a lot to do with my life, apparently. I owe all my success to Vanderbilt and beer."

But his honesty is one of his personality traits that works best for him. He is obviously no stuffed-shirt politician. He is 39 years old and still a partier at heart. Watching him at Tailgate at the Belcourt, an event he organized in which the Titans' away games are shown on the big screen, Dread will down as many beers as any of you frat guys out there. But it never affects his sense of politicking. He is still the big friendly guy with a constant smile on his face. He may make a tasteless joke or even one at another person's expense, but he never stops being the life of the party.

By Joe Bass, http://media.www.versusmag.org/media/storage/paper584/news/2003/01/23/EditorsPicks/Adam-Dread-346499.shtml