TWiN | This Weekend In Nashville | 4/5 – 4/7

It has been one of those weeks that you want to break up with because of its caustic personality. We can’t believe it is already Friday.  No one is complaining, of course, but it felt like the weekend would never arrive, and now you can’t believe it is already here.  Well, buckle in kids, because this is going to be a fun one for sure.  You can be the first to know the East Nashville Underground lineup for May, check out a new Nashville band, chill out at a fun house party, sift through the smoke to jam out with some of our faves, singers, songwriters, rockers and so much more.  Our full rundown of this weekend’s action is right after the jump.  Get out to see some live music!

Friday

Good news guys, we’ve made it past the halfway point until the next installment of East Nashville Underground! The fest has outgrown its current location, so this’ll be your last chance to party at The East Room. ENU’s still 5 weeks away, but if you’re getting anxious like we are, Philip suggests you head to The Stone Fox tonight for the official lineup announcement party, sponsored by our pals DCXV. It’ll include performances from El El (ex-Heypenny), Ravello, and DJ Jazzy Jazz. It’ll cost you just $5 and the music starts at 10PM, but the announcement is going down first, so get there early and enjoy some ENU headliner-themed signature cocktails!

If you missed our party on March 2nd at Mercy Lounge, you can essentially relive some of the fun of that night’s High Watt Stage tonight at The 5 Spot with performances by Alanna Royale and Jacob Jones.  Both are backed by The Nashville Horns, and this is a sure fire way to get your asses moving.  If you haven’t seen Alanna yet, you may not know that those shows tend to sell out, so I would make sure that you get there in plenty of time to make sure you can squeeze into the smoky east-side establishment.   Things get started around 9pm with Billy Swayze, and it’ll only cost you a few bucks.  You can check out Alanna’s debut EP below, and we’ve thrown up a video of Jacob Jones’ “Play It Loud, Ray” from their recent Music City Roots performance to get you in the spirit.

If you happen to be down in the Brentwood area (or are just in the mood for a house party), we would recommend checking out the latest installment of the Cause A Scene house parties.  Tonight’s acts include singer-songwriter Amber Rubarth w/ Gabriel Kelley, the lovely Sam Pinkerton, and the genre defying Jordan Hull.  Tickets for this one are $8, and you can usually park in the church across the street.  The Cause A Scene guys are up to some really cool stuff, so, if you haven’t checked out one of their parties yet, tonight might be a good night to start.  This party is at 5007 Longstreet Drive in Brentwood.

We first told you about Caveman when they rolled through the Basement in 2011 in support of their debut record Coco Beware, and we are thrilled that they are stopping back in to town tonight for a show at The High Watt.  They have since released their self-titled sophomore LP which is more mature, but still carries that same atmospheric “I probably didn’t need that last hit” music full of reverbed keys and woozy guitar work.  You can check out their Backyard Session with “Vampirer” and “Old Friend” below.  Things get started with Pure Bathing Culture, and you can grab your $10 tickets right here.

If you dig Fly Golden Eagle as much as we do, you won’t want to miss the BlackTooth Records Blackout that they’re curating at Mercy Lounge. In addition to FGE, you can catch performances from dance soul rockers Chrome Pony (celebrating their new record Lazy Bones) and many more! The first 100 people get in free, and it’ll only cost you 5 bones after that! Check out Fly Golden Eagle below:

Dream pop, indie, new wave, post-punk- whatever you want to call ’em, there’s one thing we know for sure about Nashville’s Ponychase: we just can’t get enough of them! They’re joined by perfect stylistic compliments Photo Ops (ex-Oblio) and Pale Houses (Aaron Robinson). If a dreamy, dancey, mesmerizing show is more your speed, this one’s going down at 9PM and it’ll set set you back a mere $5.

Finally, legendary piano man Elton John will be at our very own Bridgestone Arena this evening. This marks Elton’s first Nashville headlining appearance in 7 years. Expect hit after hit and and plenty of showmanship. It looks like the hardcore and casual fans alike have already snagged most of the tickets, unfortunately. The only seats left will cost you a pretty penny. Those of you attending are certainly in for an unforgettable night!

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Saturday

Back in March, Jessika said the only reason she’d forgive you for showing up late to our big SXSW Send-Off show was if you had first stopped in to catch Forget Cassettes when they played Exit/In with Bows & Arrows, Cortney Tidwell, & Couplerat. If you missed Ms. Cameron & Co. then because you wanted to be sure you made it into the Send-Off before it reached capacity and there were still tiny delicious donuts to be had, you have another chance to see Forget Cassettes do their thing – this time with sudden critical darling, TORRES, and the always enchanting (and newly Kickstarter Funded) Tristen. This bill is so insanely good that Jessika is plugging this show from her vacation cabin in peaceful paradise despite her best intentions of giving technology a break for at least a good 12 hours. Go to this show. Seriously. TORRES is going to be a huge star (more on her from our coverage of her recent instore at Grimey’s), Tristen is consistently excellent local music royalty, and Forget Cassettes are simply rock solid. Show heats up the Mercy Lounge Saturday night and starts at 10pm, doors open at 9. It’s $10 even and you can grab tickets in advance here. Check out what’s in store below…

Forget Cassettes

TORRES (for Pitchfork)

Tristen (at Grimey’s)

Across the hall from the Tristen show, you’ve got another great option at The High Watt: Commitment Bells, Colorfeels, and Drew Michael Blake. Fronted by Charlie (Hardin) Murphy, Nashville rockers Commitment Bells are releasing their brand new album! We also recommend psych-indie-pop rockers Colorfeels any chance we can, because they’re one of the best live bands around! Soulful singer-songwriter Drew Michael Blake rounds this one out, it’s kicking off at 9PM, and you can grab tickets right here.

If you want the most rock and roll bang for your buck, The Basement has a pretty stellar bill for just $5! Ranging from garage rock to punk to hard rock to more ambient and psychedelic, the price of a beer will get you Walking Man, Good Buddy, Chrome Pony, and All Them Witches. We’ve got a little preview of Walking Man below, but every single one of these bands is fantastic and well-worth the price of admission. Get there at 9PM and catch them all!

Earnest British singer-songwriter Marcus Foster is headlining the Exit/In and he’s an incredible talent. Fans of The Frames will dig his sound. What has us even more excited for this one is support act The Lone Bellow, however. The soulful Brooklyn trio are one of the most exciting and compelling groups in modern, revivalist country. You can preview both acts below. Rounding this one out is Ruston Kelly, it starts at 8PM, and tickets are available here.

The Exit/In show is nearly sold out, but if you don’t snag tickets in time, or you just want some extra Lone Bellow in your life, you’ve got a second chance to catch them for FREE in-store at Grimey’s at 5PM! Details here.

Looking for something a little more punk/indie/underground? We’ve got two great options for you: The Sundresses, Hotel War, Mystery Twins, and Justin & the Cosmics at The End and Vignettes, Oblectum, Fancy Tramp, and The OCD Wipers at Springwater Supper Club. The former leans a little more garage and indie, kicks off at 9PM, and you can grab your tickets for just $6 here. The latter is more in the punk and rock spectrum, doors open at 9PM, and it’ll cost you a few bucks. Both are great shows and great deals! Check out a few band previews below:

If you’re in the mood for punk, but like it just a bit heavier, Rocketown has just the show for you. Post-hardcore midwest rockers Cloud Gavin and Nashville melodic/agressive indie punk group Feather Oars are joined by Khamsin and Saros. The show’s in the White Building, starts at 7PM, and costs just $8. Tickets are available here.

We named Matthew Perryman Jones‘ Land of the Living one of the Best Nashville Records of 2012. The pop rock singer-songwriter is playing an early show tonight at The Rutledge, along with Adam Agin (of Neulore), Jessica Campbell, and Matt Giraud. The show’s part of the Tin Pan South songwriter’s festival, but if you don’t already have a pass, you can still grab tickets at the door. Things kick off at 6PM and you can preview Matthew Perryman Jones below:

If something more mellow and rootsy is your scene, you won’t be disappointed with Bobby Long at 12th & Porter. The British singer-songwriter just released his great new album, Wishbone, and continues to grow in critical and commercial appeal and he further hones his bluesy, folky sound. Joining Long are Michael Bernard Fitzgerald and Shannon LaBrie . The show starts at 9PM and tickets are available right here. Check out an acoustic performance from Bobby Long below:

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Sunday

Now in its sixth year, The Revival Tour is the brainchild of Hot Water Music’s Chuck Ragan. The tour, which typically consists of a revolving panel of other punk rockers, is focused around the rich and communal tradition of folk and Americana music. Though the artists don’t step completely outside of the wheelhouse of their regular sound, don’t expect a punk show- you’ll hear intimate, folk, acoustic, revivalist tunes. The lineup tends to change, everyone on the bill collaborates, and no two nights are ever quite the same. Philip recommends catching Nashville’s stop of the tour, which hits Mercy Lounge, and features Ragan in addition to Dave Hause (of The Loved Ones), Tim McIlrath (of Rise Against), Rocky Votolato, and Jenny Owen Youngs. The show starts at 9PM and you can grab tickets and find more info right here. Check out a collaborative video from last year’s lineup below:

I was out with a friend the other night who (after explaining the rules of Curling) was telling me about her love for Tyrone Wells.  These feeling were expounded upon for seemingly hours.  I’m pretty sure I feel asleep on my barstool at one point during the conversation, and when I woke up, she was still going with 6 empty Crispin Cider bottles around her.  Needless to say, her enthusiasm forced me to spend some time with Tyrone Wells, and, while I’m going to keep this sell down to one paragraph, I find myself telling you about the same man now.  It’s a contagious pop sound filled with some island rhythms that make it nearly impossible not to bob your head and tap your foot.  It might just be the perfect way to end your weekend.  You can check Tyrone out along with Brendan James and Brett Young at 3rd & Lindsley starting at 7pm.  Tickets for that one are $10, and you can grab them right here.