MURFREESBORO – From 4th Ave., across the street from Middle Tennessee State University’s southside entrance, to 1809 Middle Tennessee Blvd., a street over, and during a time the south bound lanes and median were being constructed (basically a bulldozer’d-off, yet-to-be-yellow line’d, empty construction road/parking lot for residence [and bulldozers]), then to the El Patron Taquiera on Martin Luther King Blvd. (formerly the Pizza Hut on Mercury Blvd.), the night AJ Nua became a Murfreesboroan was at the top of that Middle TN Blvd. and Mercury Hardee’s, where a couple of local musicians from an 1809 Middle Tennessee Blvd. recording studio snuck up one night with a twelve pack.
Nua, one of the better musicians on top of Hardee’s, that evening, sat for a minute listening to a friend / Pizza Hut co-worker ramble arrogancies and silly jokes, when his phone rang.
Brent Hutchinson, a boyfriend of a roommate living with AJ’s best friend, Jesse Williams, on 4th, where AJ was staying, was calling to say AJ’s white car, a white, Buick LeSabre, into which AJ had recently used to solely move himself to Murfreesboro from Chattanooga, had just been side-swiped by a non-insured driver heading north on 4th Ave., leaving AJ floating in this universe he had chosen to move at such a young age, to the effect of twenty years ago.
That swath of locality had been infamous hosting late night runs to Walgreen’s, changing their marquee sign letters to “serial killers inside, 4.99/each,” on the way to the corner Shell station, after turning 21, and, of course, employ at the Pizza Hut, making and delivering pizzas.
In hindsight, it’s now mostly famous for giving Murfeesboro the best soul and learn-by-ear bassists it will know at the turn of the millennium.
Opening for Nashville acts, Jones and The Bones and HBO Ben, Murfreesboro power trio, Turbo Slut, comprised of passion project frontman, Benny —–, with AJ Nua on bass, and Matt Dixon on drums, Turbo Sluts debuted, live, at Nashville venue, The Underdog, July 26, 2026
“Hello. Pardon me,” middle band of the lineup that night’s lead singer, Jones said, taking the stage for introduction.
“Check one, two. Check.”
“Can we kill the house music, too? I have a very important announcement. I think the feedbacking should stop,” Jones continued.
“Ladies and gentlemen, I want to thank you for coming to The Underdog, tonight. It is a very important night for all of us. And you should agree. My name is Jones. But that’s not important, right now. But what is important is the fact that every generation, there’s a band that comes along that sort-of defines the music of the era (crowd laughs), and uplifts the hearts and minds of everyone so blessed to see them -dare I say it changes lives.”
“Nothing other than pure, musical artistic expression, genius, and love…”
“A band like that’s not gonna play tonight (crowd laughs).”
“Instead, please welcome to the stage, tonight for the first time ever, Turbo Slut” (crowd cheers)!
Now, Silky Johson is an internet persona and comedian processing life through his music and Instagram reel edits, post-forced sobriety, brought on by a —- charge, received –/–/–, and as the Turbo Slut crew sat outside The Underdog for a smoke break after the set, F&P wanted to corroborate the Hardee’s story with AJ in front of them, regardless, but the night of July 26, 2026 belonged to Turbo Slut’s passion-project frontman, Benny, a.k.a Silky Johnson, as it was birthday.
As the night delved on, the crowd would find Silky pissed his probation officer didn’t drug test him that after noon, so he couldn’t get drunk on his birthday, but after Silky Johnson spontaneously dyed his hair Rick Flair blonde, Turbo Slut dressed as wrestlers Flair, Macho Man Randy Savage, and The Undertaker (urn at feet).
But still bucky and ready, as ever.
“What was the Agri-Park [Nashville] get-together a few nights ago?” asked Folk & Proper News at Turbo Slut’s debut at The Underdog, July 26, 2026.
To the effect of, “That was a quartet that got together to play jazz that night,” said Nua.
AJ Nua has also recently manned passion projects of avant-gard, noise projects such as Kwijibo Trio, Murfreesboro saxophonist Chris Watts’ passion project, earlier this year, with their debut at Honey Tree Meadery, March 12, 2026, as well.
Music | Kwyjibo Trio
“Be on the lookout for my other project that should be coming out probably around end of June, beginning of July,” AJ continued.
“It’s called Slime Merchant.” (members of MACOS with new music that has improv interpretations of structured pieces).
“What was the Agri-Park [Nashville] get-together a few nights ago?” asked Folk & Proper News at Turbo Slut’s debut at The Underdog, July 26, 2026.
To the effect of, “That was a quartet that got together to play jazz that night,” said Nua.
[time warp/travel] “I gotta go. Brent just said my car was totaled by some [belligerent] kid over at Jesse and Jacinthe’s,” Nua said that peaceful summer evening atop the Middle Tennessee Blvd. Hardee’s, back in [2005].
Turbo Slut’s full debut at Nashiville venue, The Underdog, can be found at the B.E.Harmon Youtube channel, at https://www.youtube.com/@b.e.harmon, under the playlist Turbo Slut, The Underdog debut, Nashville, TN, July 26, 2026 – YouTube
Silky (@turboslut6669) • Instagram photos and videos
AJ Nua (@badforthefuture_pt.3) • Instagram photos and videos
Matthew Peyton Dixon (@matthewpeytondixon) • Instagram photos and videos
[1809 stuff] Through naked bass-offs on Bilbro to Jenny and the Dodge getting pulled over, Mike telling his first fight story, Penguin recording/playing party, and the studio. The Grogge shop sign and jazz nights at Liquid Smoke coming over to call us the Jackass house, at the time, we were accepting and inclusive to the point the girls we talked to come over, somehow, someway; Baker’s studio, and Dean, AJ, and I playing when could play acceptably, and AJ just an all around sweet heart through it all, I’ve said some stupid shit in front of that man where he should’ve broken my face, deservedly, but he didn’t because that’s not the man that he is.
And through those acts of youth and his patience and grace, what’s left of those moments, today, are the regrets of an arrogant friend and coworker that promisedly used to be.
Any future recordings from Turbo Slut can be found at Silky’s instagram, Silky (@turboslut6669) • Instagram photos and videos.
Turbo Slut’s next show will be at The Basement East, August 6th, 2026, with King Lazy Eye w/ Violent Moons, and Hayden Hattengale.
More information and tickets for that date can be found here.
Turbo Slut’s linktr.ee (linktr.ee/silkyj4000) can be found here.
Leave a Reply