A longtime site favorite, breakout Mexo-Americana duo David Wax Museum have managed to make it to Nashville at a semi-regular clip as their presence has grown in recent years, but, if you didn’t make it to their City Winery show back in the spring, or you’re just eager for another helping, the group are set to return tonight, Dec. 10 to headline 12th & Porter with likeminded outfit Violet and the Undercurrents. An eclectic, genre-bending, and well-honed lineup, this show promises to be a December standout as the year winds down and we look toward the holidays. Tickets are still available right here, so grab yours now and read on for details below!
DAVID WAX MUSEUM
Helmed by the core duo of David Wax and Suz Slezak (and rounded out live by a rotating cast of backing players), David Wax Museum got their start in Boston, where Wax was studying at Harvard, while also traveling to Mexico and immersing himself in a new culture, forming the genesis of the group’s unique sound. At first, Slezak was just a friend and bandmate, but as the band blossomed so did their relationship, which turned into a marriage and, now, a family. Rooted in Americana and folk music, David Wax Museum have always harbored a deep traditional Mexican folk flair, for a sound they call “Mexo-Americana,” but, over five albums, most recently last year’s Guesthouse, they’ve embraced more and more indie rock influence, fusing contemporary and electronic instrumentation with traditional folk, acoustics. Now based in Charlottesville, Virginia, the fiercely DIY act gained national recognition for a breakout set at the 2010 Newport Folk Festival, and, in the ensuing years, have shared the stage with acts like The Avett Brothers, The Carolina Chocolate Drops, Buena Vista Social Club, and more. One of the most interesting bands in the folk/Americana scene (even if that label doesn’t quite fit), David Wax Museum are a diverse and impressive live force, and with their latest tunes, their familial bond, and their constant musical evolution, now’s the best time yet to see them live.
VIOLET AND THE UNDERCURRENTS
Hailing from Columbia, Missouri, Violet and the Undercurrents incorporate elements of indie, pop, and jazz into their folk-tinged sound, which, since the release of their debut, Hour After Hour, in 2013, has helped garner the group a ton of positive praise. Helmed by talented frontwoman Violet Vonder Haar, the eclectic band are certainly an exciting up and coming act to watch, and their genre-bending sound feels perfectly suited to compliment David Wax Museum.
David Wax Museum and Violet and the Undercurrents will perform tonight, Dec. 10 at 12th & Porter. The show is 18+, begins at 9 p.m. (doors at 8 p.m.), and tickets are available to purchase for $10.