A few weeks back, we got word that Sports Illustrated had inexplicably chosen Nashville as the location to host their 2015 Swimsuit Fan Festival, an event to celebrate the release of their popular, annual Swimsuit issue (which hits newsstands Feb. 9). And, despite Music City boasting far from swimsuit weather this time of year, the shindig will take place over two days next week, Feb. 11 & 12.
Upon the celebration’s initial announce, we learned that local rockers Kings of Leon and pop singer on the rise Mikky Ekko would be performing at Schermhorn. However, that doesn’t appear open to the public, and, unfortunately, your best bet to catch it seems to be to stream it for free online (complete with “on air personalities” and a red carpet event).
What finally makes this thing more newsworthy, however, is the addition of two days of free music open to the general public, with a lineup that includes site faves like Moon Taxi, The Weeks, Nikki Lane, and Rayland Baxter. Music begins both days at 11:15 a.m., and runs until 5 p.m., with food trucks, model appearances, activities, and showcases also pegged to go down, which will see Lower Broadway (between 4th and 5th Aves) transform into “Swimville.” This all sounds very bizarre, but we felt the lineup, if nothing else, warranted a mention, so take a look at the schedule of free music below.
Wednesday, February 11 | Thursday, February 12 | |
11:15-11:55am | Will Hoge | firekid |
12:15-12:55pm | Nikki Lane | A Thousand Horses |
1:15-1:55pm | Sugar & the Hi-Lows | Rayland Baxter |
2:15-2:55pm | Chris Stapleton | The Ettes |
3:15-3:55pm | Holly Williams | Chris Young |
4:15-5:00pm | Moon Taxi | The Weeks |