Nashville Scene’s Best of Nashville Readers’ Poll Winner: Best Place to See Shaq

World-renowned tall person, NBA legend and Kazaam star Shaquille O’Neal kept showing up around Nashville in August. In town filming for an episode of his Facebook Watch show Big Chicken Shaq (of course), the Lakers great was spotted at numerous hot chicken joints, as one might expect. But he also made a stop at Hail, Dark Aesthetics, the East Side purveyor of taxidermy, magick items and also, for some reason, a confessional booth. Why was Diesel clomping his 22-wides near the tarot decks and 19th-century dental equipment? Is his mansion missing a stuffed musk ox? Is his fetal pig collection desperately close to empty? Is there some kind of free-throw-making amulet? Will he be casting spells on Charles Barkley, his frequent foil on TNT? Like many things inside the store, it’s a mystery.

— J.R. LIND, Nashville Scene