TWiN | This Weekend In Nashville | 1.18.13-1.20.13

I don’t even know why we are bothering to write this.  Justin Bieber is in town, folks.  I know that everyone who reads this little rag will be crammed into Bridgestone Arena on Friday night surrounded by shrieking teenage fans.  This is one of the hardest tickets this town has ever tried to get.  As a good friend told me, “Unless you’re Tim McGraw and call Bieber directly, you’re getting raped on Stub Hub for this one.”  So, unless you are one of the lucky 20,000 or so sweepstakes winners, you should take a look at our run down of quite a few shows for the slightly more value conscious.  It’s another No Country TWiN rundown, so make your pick, and get out to see some live music this weekend!

Friday

Matt: Mayhem @ Mercy Lounge
Philip: Bloc Party w/ Io Echo @ The Cannery Ballroom
Jessika: Music City Improv @ The Building

MAYHEM is taking over Mercy Lounge with the love and support of our friends over at Lightning 100 to perform Cyndi Lauper’s seminal new wave record She’s So Unusual.  This record catapulted Lauper into stardom with her Best New Artist grammy award and Album Of The Year grammy nomination back in 1985 (when most of you were still sperm and egg).  The album includes the smash hits that even you young ‘ens have heard including “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun”, “Time After Time”, “She Bop”, “All Through The Night”, & “Money Changes Everything”.  MAYHEM is comprised of members of such bands as Deer Tick, The Lonely H, Guilty Pleasures, sELf, My So-Called Band, & Ponychase, so you know this thing is going to be a freaking blast.  Things get started around 9pm, and tickets are a mere $5.  Matt is in the spirit, and you will be too when you check out the video for “She Bop” below (which watching again at this age is clearly referencing masturbation).

[vimeo 57528836]

If you’re not going to Bridgestone Arena to watch Carly Rae Jepsen play Philip’s #1 Guilty Pleasure Song of 2012 (and some kid named Bieber, too), he thinks you should head over to The Cannery Ballroom for Bloc Party and Io Echo. We already wrote about the show earlier this week, so check out that post for info on both of the great bands! The show starts at 8:30PM. You can snag tickets here and check out Bloc Party’s brand new video for their single “Truth” below.

http://youtu.be/p1CSMdDIRGg

Should you be looking for something fun and funny to do, you can cross the bridge and drop into The Building for another night of merriment with the folks over at Music City Improv. They’re often accompanied on keys by Martin Brady and you can get a sense of their live action sketch comedy and improv shenanigans below. The 8pm. $10 advance here, $12 at the door.

http://youtu.be/ytGumCfnUbI

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Saturday

Matt: Deep Machine, The Barry Mondo Project, and Uberphonics @ The 5 Spot
Philip: Hot Water Music w/ La Dispute and The Menzingers @ The Masquerade (Atlanta)
Andrew: Tom Pappas (of Superdrag) w/ The Future, Kat Smo, Jagged South Pole Dancers, Heavy Sole, and The Gills @ Exit/In
Jessika: Luella and the Sun w/ Sturgill Simpson and Josh Farrow @ High Watt

We get a lot of submissions from local artists, and one that stood out to Matt lately was the relatively new Nashville instrumental rock outfit Deep Machine.  They also have caught the attention of east Nashville artists The Golden Spurs.  And, we think they will be on your radar pretty soon too.  They will be performing at The 5 Spot in East Nashville on Saturday, along with The Barry Mando Project and Uberphonics.  Things get started around 9pm, and the tickets surely won’t cost you more than 5 bones.  You can check out Deep Machine’s Riverside Drive EP below.

[bandcamp album=2929058506  bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=venti]

Saturday night, Philip thinks you should make the trek to Atlanta for a quality dose of punk rock: Hot Water Music with La Dispute and The Menzingers at The Masquerade. We know it’s a haul, but it’s the closest this tour will be coming to Nashville, and the top-notch bill is worth slipping out of town for. Last year seminal Florida punks Hot Water Music released their first album since taking a few years’ hiatus, and they’re truly back with a vengeance. Their influence on the current punk and post-hardcore scene is indisputable and their show is energetic and unparalleled. La Dispute waver more on the post-hardcore side of the spectrum. Their progressive take on the genre and intense performance style makes for an epic pairing. Finally, we named The Menzingers’ On the Impossible Past one of our Best Records of 2012; they’re hands down one of the freshest and most innovate young bands in punk rock. Check out Hot Water Music’s new video for “Drag My Body” below, and get your tickets here. The show starts at 7PM (eastern), so plan your drive accordingly!

Andrew thinks you should spend your Saturday night at Exit/In, checking out the incredibly stacked bill of Tom Pappas (of Superdrag), The Future, Kat Smo, Jagged South Pole Dancers, Heavy Sole, and The Gills. Though his claim to fame is playing bass in once-gigantic alt rock/power pop group Superdrag, Tom Pappas is a really talented and compelling singer/songwriter in his own right. Acoustic and solo, with his main gig, or performing in other side projects like Whip!, Pappas is always top-notch and entertaining. The show is rounded out by a ton of great locals: indie pop rockers The Future, the ever-amazing Kat Smo, power indie duo Heavy Sole, harmony-laden alt rockers The Gills, and, apparently, a company of pole dancers. Check out a Superdrag video below, because all of the solo videos of Tom Pappas we could find were pretty rough, get to the show around 7PM for a pre-show art exhibition, and snag your tickets here!

Jessika’s recently developed a new band crush on Luella and the Sun. Can this rival her Alanna Royale and Ponychase fascinations? She’ll be heading over to High Watt to find out and would be happy to see you there. Get a load of Melissa Mathes’s righteous wail below. 8:30 show/7:30 doors. $10 tix here.

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Sunday
Philip: The Smoking Flowers w/ Escondido @ 3rd and Lindsley
Andrew: Memorial for Brad “Porque” Baker, featuring Tons of Fun, Krooked Jester, Sara Zacek, and an open mic jam @ Exit/In

If you’re itching for a bit of a change of pace Sunday night, Philip encourages you to check out bluesy, rock-tinged husband and wife Americana duo The Smoking Flowers at 3rd and Lindsley. They’ll certainly draw comparisons to The Civil Wars, Shovels & Rope, and honeyhoney, but The Smoking Flowers have definitely carved out their own distinct take on their guy/girl folky sound. They simultaneously demonstrate their willingness to venture into more agressive rock and roll territory, and a deeper understanding of the folk and country influences that shape their sound than any of the other aforementioned bands. Not only are they a great band, but they’re based in Nashville and definitely a dup to keep your eye on. Openers Escondido are another Nashville-based, guy/girl duo, but their sound is markedly more more upbeat, poppy, and amazingly infectious. Definitely a great match! The show begins at 8PM and you can still get tickets here. You can check out a live video of The Smoking Flowers below.

http://youtu.be/r-eCIetPnMI

Andrew’s Sunday night pick is a memorial show at Exit/In, to celebrate the life of Nashville sound man Brad Baker, who we lost late last year. Soulful singer/songwriter Sara Zacek will kick off the show, followed by classic rock party band Krooked Jester. High-energy, horn-driven retro rockers Tons of Fun will close out the night, followed by an open mic jam. The show starts at 7PM and you can grab your tickets here. Donations for MusiCares will also be accepted at the door, and donated in Brad’s honor. You can check out a video of Tons of Fun performing “Make Me Smile” below.

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Whatever show(s) you choose, we hope you have a good weekend in Nashville! And if you didn’t score those golden Bieber tickets, we’ll leave you with a little parting video. Just imagine yourself chillin’ by the fire while you’re eating fondue. Swag.