TWiN | This Weekend in Nashville | August 23 – 25

Who’s excited that it is Friday?  This weekend features some of our favorite local and touring bands.  And, while the weather is finally behaving like August, the music scene this weekend is just as hot.  Things get started with Lightning 100’s band of the week at Soulshine, and they end with the 30th anniversary of Sports!  Click through to check out all of the live music that is happening around Nashville this weekend!

FRIDAY

FRANCES & THE FOUNDATION
@ Soulshine Pizza | 7PM (5-7PM happy hour) | Free | All Ages

Once again, I’ve flipped the week over to find another local favorite, Frances & The Foundation as the Lightning 100 Artist Of The Week.  It comes at a perfect time for F&tF, since they just released a four track EP titled The Voice Among Many, and they were just invited to perform as a Red Bull Sound Select artist in New York City.  My recommendation… get down to Soulshine to see these guys before it is too late.  My favorite cut from the new EP is below.   [MH]

AMANDA SHIRES W/ MORELAND
@ The High Watt | 9PM  | $10 | 21+

Fans of Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit may recognize Amanda Shires as the recent Mrs. Jason Isbell – but she’s that and a whole lot more. An accomplished musician in her own right, she strums and plucks and whistles and causes quite a little commotion with her startlingly spare (and often slightly macabre) compositions. If you’re charmed by Sarah Jarosz, you’ll no doubt enjoy Amanda’s live show and The High Watt is a perfectly sized space to hear her plucking the night away. Get acquainted with her sound via this Tiny Desk concert below where she adorably asks her small (and no doubt captive) audience if they’d prefer a little ditty about love or suicide. [JM]

ALCOHOL STUNTBAND (RECORD RELEASE) W/ ROAD BLOCK & OCELOTS
@ The 5 Spot | 9PM  | $cheap | 21+

While the physical release of the new Alcohol Stuntband’s newest record is temporarily missing limbs, the show apparently will go on over at The 5 Spot.  I have no idea if this will happen or not, but it is worth missing out on lots of other Nashville action to see if in fact it does.  The Nashville famed comedian/actor/punk musician is primed for another release, and, honestly, I hope those records are released from pressing prison soon… because, let’s face it, we all need some more intelligent punk rock in our lives.  If stigma holds true, this one will go late, if it goes at all.  [MH]

ANGEL OLSEN W/ HONEY LOCUST & LYLAS
@ The Stone Fox | 9PM (8pm doors) | $8 | 18+

Angel Olsen‘s voice is outta control stunning. Chan Marshall, Joni Mitchell, and yes – Mary Travers all come to mind when I hear her croon. If you have a heart and want to feel something special, get to The Stone Fox and allow her to pierce your tough veneer. She’s working in a strong folk tradition and if you just activated your eye roll, knock that shit off because trust me, it’s cool. Give her a listen right here and try to tell me you’re not chilled. With Honey Locust and Lylas also on the bill, it’s gonna’ be a good one for sure. [JM]

THAO & THE GET DOWN STAY DOWN W/ LADY LAMB THE BEEKEEPER
@ Exit/In | 9PM (8pm doors) | $15 | 18+

OK.  Thao and The Get Down Stay Down is one of my favorite bands of all-time.  I told myself that I was going to avoid music all weekend to cleanse the palette.  Hey, don’t judge me, I guarantee I see 5 to ∞ times more live music than you do, but then I realized that I called my sabbatical on Thao weekend.  Fuck.  Oh well, turns out that Cage The Elephant is playing a private performance this weekend too, so it looks like it is business as normal around No Country.  Wanna see the poppy happiness that made me fall in love with this woman?  See below.  Want to understand why I would beg her to have all of my babies? Go to the show.  You also get the incredible Lady Lamb The Beekeeper, who we saw open for Kaki King last spring (poet), so listen, decide, and be brave, but trust me, this is one of the most fun live shows I have ever seen in my life. [MH]

LETTUCE W/ EARPHUNK
@ The Cannery Ballroom | 9PM | $15/$20 | 18+

Lettuce are probably best known for their cover of the Curtis Mayfield classic “Move on Up” — which, at this point, is probably best known as the song that Kanye sampled in “Touch the Sky.” Take a moment to listen to their original material, however and you’ll realize that Lettuce are equally funktastic in their own right. On songs like “Fly,” and “Blast Off,” these guys really sound like the closest thing to modern, mostly-instrumental P-funk. Lettuce are joined by Earphunk, a group very much in the same vein except for more of an emphasis on vocals and sub dub-like tendencies. If extended instrumental jam-seshs turn your eyelids to cement, you might want to skip on this show, but if that sort of thing is your bag, there’s really no better place to be on Saturday. Well, except for the next one on the list. [AC]

UMPHREES MCGEE W/ SOUND TRIBE SECTOR NINE
@ Riverfront Park | 7PM (6PM doors) | $35/40  | All Ages

Guess I’m in a jam band state of mind this weekend. Being a Notre Dame alum, I feel more than a little obligated to give one of my picks to Umphrees — and not just because their success is incredible given their beginnings in the musically devoid wasteland of South Bend, IN. They are a truly talented band in their own right, and Rolling Stone even called them, “odds-on favorites in the next-Phish sweepstakes.” It’s true — their spaced-out Phish/Dream Theater blend of jam-etry has helped them garner legions of devoted stone….err, followers, and has helped them become a mainstay at music festivals. I can’t think of a better venue for these guys than Riverfront Park, so get on over and check these guys out. [AC]

[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/playlists/5328663″ params=”” width=” 100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /]

THE PLANET ROCKERS W/ THE SLOBEATS
@ The Basement | 9PM (8PM doors) | $5 | 18+

HAUNTED DEVICE W/ JOHN & JACOB, COMMITMENT BELLS
@ Mercy Lounge | 9PM (8PM doors) | $10 (at the door) | 21+

_

SATURDAY

PARACHUTE W/ MATT HIRES
@ Rocketown | 6PM – 11PM | $15 | All Ages

Pop rockers Parachute just dropped their latest album, Overnight, a couple of weeks ago, and it’s already their best received release yet. At least some of the VA-based band have become Nashville transplants in recent years, and their Music City shows always pack a ton of energy and extra punch. Singer-songwriter Matt Hires will support. [PO]

TESLA ROSSA (7″ RELEASE) W/ THE ROUGE, RICHIE, QUINTRON PARKER AND CHRISTIAN LUTHI
@ The High Watt | 9PM (8PM doors) | $8 | 18+ 

We already gave you the rundown on this show earlier in the week. Tesla Rossa are celebrating the release of their awesome new 7″ (listen to the A-side below), and bringing a whole slew of talented friends along with them. If it’s half as good as their last release show, you don’t want to miss out! [PO]

AU REVOIR, SONSETT, ANALOG APOLOGIES
@ The Owl Farm | 9PM (8PM doors) | All Ages

New Jersey instrumental rockers Au Revoir are hitting our favorite DIY venue, The Owl Farm, along with a couple of great locals. They’re a little bit different than the normal punk and hardcore shows we plug at this venue- give ’em a listen below! [PO]

FAREWELL FIGHTER, LAZERSNAKE, KINK ADOR, OAKLYNN
@ Mercy Lounge | 9PM | Free | 18+

Farewell Fighter have played several hometown shows lately, including their recent record release show, but, in case you’ve been living under a rock, you have yet another chance to see them this weekend- and this one’s free! They’re one of pop punk’s most promising up and comers, and their new record, Challenges, packs some of the biggest hooks and catchiest tunes we’ve heard all year. [PO]

AMERICAN AQUARIUM W/ LILLY HIATT
@ Exit/In | 9PM | $10/$12 | 18+

JORDAN DEAN W/ THE GET TOGETHERS, BRIAN WRIGHT, & FEMKA
@ The Basement | 9PM | $5 (at the door) | 21+

_

SUNDAY

HUEY LEWIS & THE NEWS
@ Schermerhorn Symphony Hall | 7:30PM | $59-119 | All Ages

Guys, Huey Lewis & the News!!!! And they’re celebrating the 30th anniversary of Sports!!! Need we say more? [PO]

HELLO RAMONA
@ The Owl Farm | 8PM (7PM doors) | $5 | All Ages

Details for this show are a bit scant, but if post-rock, post-hardcore, electro-poppy tunes caked with melody and full of breakdowns is your bag, you might want to head to The Owl Farm and see what’s up with Hello Ramona! [PO]

STEEP CANYON RANGERS W/ SHANNON WHITWORTH
@ 3rd & Lindsley | 8PM (6PM doors) | $17.50 | All Ages

[AC] Adam Cowden
[JM] Jessika Malone
[LS] Lauren Strange
[MH] Matt Hall
[PO] Philip Obenschain