It’s finally Friday and you’ve made it through another work-a-day week- huzzah! Now is the time to claim your reward and revel in all (or as much as you can) of Nashville’s musical bounty. Let’s start, as we always should, with our rockin’ record emporiums:
Grimey’s New & Pre-Loved Music | Our pals on South 8th Avenue have two major instores on tap. On Saturday (11/17), they welcome Kansas City Bible Company, reprising their triumphant appearance at Grimey’s Record Store Day 2012 celebration. This amazing 11-piece band is from Goshen, IN, so drop by and see if you can work “Land o’ Goshen!” into the conversation at some point. The music starts at 5:00 PM, but get there early because this one should be packed!
Speaking of packed, the store will no doubt be elbow-to-neck tattoo for Tuesday’s (11/20) instore appearance by Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit! He and the band will be celebrating the street date release of their new LP, Live From Alabama. The downbeat is at 6:00 PM, so do what you have to do to get there in time to claim your space. Hey, you were going to leave early on Wednesday for the holiday anyway, so ducking out before 5:00p on Tuesday shouldn’t be big thing, eh? I’ll be happy to provide you with a written excuse for your boss should you need one.
Stay on point for news of opening of Grimey’s, Too and Howlin’ Books coming soon!
The Great Escape/Charlotte Avenue | The Great Escape superstore at 5400 Charlotte Avenue will be holding their first-ever Kids Of All Ages Day event this Saturday, (11/17) from 9 a.m. – 9 p.m. There will be free drawing lessons & workshops by creators Jason Miller and Guy Gilchrist, plus comics grab bags and other goodies. Of course, if comics aren’t your thing, you can still peruse their vast selection collectible vinyl (including some recently-reduced-to-$1 singles from that massive country/roots collection they recently acquired). Check their blog for details and the schedule for Saturday:
The Groove | Co-owner John “Gearhead” Moore says that while they have no special events on tap for this weekend, they are working on something BIG for Black Friday (11/23). Watch this space for more details or better yet, drop by the store at 1103 Calvin Avenue and tell them TVD sent you!
Around town, as usual, there is no shortage of marvelous shows in the city’s venues this weekend. Here are a few I would recommend:
Gretchen Peters & Beth Nielsen Chapman,TV Taping for Jammin’ at Hippie Jack’s, Tennessee State Museum, Friday (11/16) 7:00 PM | See two of Nashville’s top tier singer-songwriters for free in a culturally superior setting. Clashing wondrously with the high brow museum ambiance will be straw-hatted, overall-clad Hippie Jack himself, who runs a loose yet professional show. At previous tapings, they have had free snacks and drinks, so arrive early and bring some spare cash for the tip jars and Museum donation boxes.
Space Capone record release show with Magnolia Sons, Mercy Lounge, Friday (11/16) 9:30 PM | Space Capone’s highly infectious brand of funk has been thrilling dance floor demons across the nation for a while now and they are ready to launch their eponymous audio salvo this Friday on their home turf. As if that weren’t enough, opening the show is one of Nashville’s most promising ensembles, Magnolia Sons. This full-on soul review crew just blew the roof off The 5 Spot last Tuesday and if their slow groove, horn-soaked version of The Yardbirds “For Your Love” doesn’t make your arm hair stand straight up, you are obviously reading the wrong website.
Slumerican Tour featuring DJ Yelawolf, Rittz & DJ Vajra, The Cannery, Friday (11/16) 8:00 PM | For those of you with friends who are prone to whine, “Oh, there’s nothing in Nashville but country music, whah, whah, whah,” wave THIS listing in their faces. This highly anticipated show should be the event of the hip-hop season, so get up to get down at The Cannery this Friday. (Should you want to mix a little comedy with your beats, L.A. stand-up Pete Holmes will be making with the funny at the adjacent venue The High Watt.)
The Martian Denny Orchestra, The Family Wash, Friday (11/16) 9:00 PM | Surf’s up! The Martian Denny Orchestra is a Nashville supa-group (including Eddie Angel from Los Straitjackets and Sundazed Records jefe Bob Irwin) that play the best of surf-inspired instrumental rock. Reams of reverb will wash over you as The MDO plumbs the depths of Dick Dales’ soul and rouses the true rebel in Duane Eddy. Have a shepherd’s pie, a Dos Perros and hang ten on a heapin’ helpin’ of guitars, sax, keyboards, bass ‘n’ drums!
Dr. Dog with Cotton Jones and Richie, Marathon Music Works, Saturday (11/17) 7:00 PM | Dr. Dog is a dynamic live act and Marathon is an unobtrusive warehouse space that will leave you plenty of room to groove as much or as little as you would like. Heads up: they have bathroom attendants (?) who may try to spray you with cologne but who will definitely be looking for a tip.
Rosie Flores and Marti Brom, The Basement, Monday (11/19) 7:00 PM | This should be a good one. While Wanda Jackson still reigns as the Queen of Rockabilly, Rosie is definitely her lady-in-waiting. They have toured and performed together extensively and Rosie has learned her lessons well. Heck, Rosie was rocking alt-country-whatever with the Screamin’ Sirens long before Dwight Yoakam bought his first Nudie jacket. She knows her stuff and in the intimate confines of The Basement, her stuff’s gonna shine.
Derek Hoke’s $2 Tuesday, The 5 Spot, Tuesday (11/20) 8:30 PM | 5 bands playing 5 songs each with (ahem) DJ Tim Hibbs spinning rare 45s, all for $2. It’s like a Dick Clark Caravan starring the hottest indie touring and East Nashville acts. They also feature $2 Yazoo drafts, in keeping with the local spirit. Each week, I’ll pick a different vinyl theme and this week’s episode will be “Can’t Forget the Motor City.” From The Stooges to The Supremes, MC5 to Jackson 5, I’ll be playing the best Detroit music from all genres. I’ll also be shining a special light on “Mr. Jailbait,” Andre Williams, so parental discretion is advised.
