Celebrating their first album in 24 years, after something of a surprise reunion, short-lived rockers Bash & Pop, the post-Replacements, pre-Guns N’ Roses project of prolific punk icon Tommy Stinson, are out for a short run of shows, bringing them to Nashville tonight, May 24 at The High Watt for what might be the first Music City show ever. With a sound that fuses later Replacements sensibilities with Tommy’s more raw, almost twangy knack for off the cuff, straightforward solo material, the new incarnation of the pop rock band are an impressive force, and catching them at a space so intimate will be an unforgettable experience. Holly Marilyn Solem opens, and tickets are still available right here; read on for more about the lineup!
BASH & POP
Following the 1991 disbandment of punk greats the Replacements (who briefly returned a few years back, before fizzling out once more in 2015), and several years before his near two-decade tenure in Guns ‘N Roses (which only came to an end when the group’s classic lineup mounted a reunion last year), the great Tommy Stinson briefly fronted a pop rock project called Bash & Pop, whose debut album, 1993’s Friday Night Is Killing Me, came in the middle of their all too short two-year run. Stinson, better known as a bassist in his bigger bands, though an adept vocalist and guitarist in his own right, would go on to form similar and also short-lived project Perfect right after, before the GnR gig and some intermittent solo albums.
With newfound time on his hands, Tommy’s been touring and writing more over the last couple of years, and, after he was bitten by the reunion bug with the Replacements, and following in the footsteps of the first ‘Mats breakup, made the surprising and welcome decision to bring back Bash & Pop, albeit with a new lineup, nearly 25 years later (we were clued in on this when he spilled the beans and played some new B&P songs last summer at Fond Object). Following the recent release of their aptly-titled sophomore effort Anything Could Happen, the new Bash & Pop, who we can’t get enough of, make what is likely their first formal appearance in Nashville ever tonight, and whether you’re a long-time fan of the under-appreciated group, or you simply found them through Stinson’s musical pedigree (it’s pretty surreal to see a true legend return to his scrappy punk roots), you’re in for one hell of a show!
HOLLY MARILYN SOLEM
Based in Los Angeles and Nashville, singer-songwriter turned actress Holly Marilyn Solem is best known for her involvement in acclaimed Amazon original series Hand of God. Not only does she compose the bulk of the evocative, sweeping original songs that accent the series, but, as of season two, also has a role on the show- appropriately, a choir director. Her eclectic and hypnotizing style is complimentary, though different from Bash & Pop, but should nonetheless serve as an excellent warmup- show up early!
Bash & Pop and Holly Marilyn Solem will perform tonight, May 24 at The High Watt. The show is 18+, begins at 9 p.m. (doors at 8 p.m.), and tickets are available for $18.
