The original guitarist and co-founder of seminal (and criminally under appreciated) New York proto-punk outfit Television, Richard Lloyd has been fostering a fantastic solo career for nearly just as long. Though he left the reunited Television a decade ago, Richard still possesses much of the band’s original spirit and musical knack, and continues to tour solo, his stops in Tennessee becoming more frequent since moving to the state a few years back. Tonight, June 17, Lloyd will return to The Basement, with local support from Chrome Pony and Spodee Boy, and tickets to catch a rock legend up close and personal are still available right here. Read on for more about the lineup!
RICHARD LLOYD
It’s been more than three years since we saw art punk legends Television play Exit/In, and, while their show was amazing, the lack of a major presence- original guitarist and co-founder Richard Lloyd– was certainly felt. Newly a resident of Tennessee (the Chattanooga area, best we can tell), Lloyd, despite departing Television in 2007, is still going strong, continuing to stoke the solo career he began all the way back in 1979, with first post-Televeion effort Alchemy. An institution of the New York scene, Lloyd spent his formative years rubbing elbows with the likes of Blondie, the Ramones, Talking Heads, and even Jimi Hendrix, and his artsy, avant garde approach to crafting music with Television helped influence countless other acts and cement the art rock and proto-punk sound of the late ’70s. A multi-instrumentalist and versatile songwriter, Lloyd has managed to retain much of the spirit of his early work, while dabbling with more contemporary sensibilities on more recent efforts, and his latest, The Jamie Neverts Story, dropped in 2009, meaning he likely has plenty of new stuff kicking around. A true living legend, the fact that Lloyd is playing in such a cool, intimate space makes this show all the more essential.
CHROME PONY
A longtime site favorite, locals Chrome Pony are a staple in the Nashville scene, and have been frequent performers at our Acme showcase series, as well as the go-to opener for exciting show like this one. Founded by Indiana-bred brothers Tyler and Kyle Davis, the group pull influences from psychedelic, punk, garage, and good old fashioned rock and roll, culminating in a fantastic, fuzzy, and fiercely original voice of their own. Chrome Pony’s latest EP, Past Lives, dropped last year, and we should be due for some new jams soon.
SPODEE BOY
A DIY, underground affair, Spodee Boy is the lo-fi garage punk alias of local artist Connor Cummins, who also plays with Chainshot and Soft Option. The most conventionally punk performer on the lineup, and a frequent pick for supporting great DIY shows, Spodee Boy should provide an interesting opening set and add some range to this bill; don’t be late!
Richard Lloyd, Chrome Pony, and Spodee Boy will perform tonight, June 17 at The Basement. The show is 21+, begins at 8 p.m. (doors at 7:30 p.m.), and tickets are available to purchase for $12-15.
