TWiN | This Week in Nashville | June 1-3

As Subtropical Storm Alberto seems finally to have passed us by, the weather is looking a bit more pleasant (albeit still with a chance of rain- it is spring, after all) as we head into our last weekend before the craziness of Bonnaroo. June begins with a bang, with show options ranging from modern indie and garage rock favorites, rockabilly legends, classic comedians, buzzworthy new punk and pop, and so much more, with plenty of free and affordable shows to meet any budget. Per usual, we’ve put together our top picks for the weekend’s best happenings, so get to planning in our latest edition of TWiN!

FRIDAY

SMALLPOOLS, GREAT GOOD FINE OK w/ HALF THE ANIMAL
@ Exit/In | 9pm (8pm doors) | $15-18 | 18+

A match made in musical heaven, LA indie pop group Smallpools and likeminded Brooklyn duo Great Good Fine Ok are on the road for a co-headlining run, which brings them to Nashville’s own Exit/In on Friday, along with up and coming LA alt rock act Half the Animal. Both headliners are no strangers to Music City, with Smallpools have passed through last fall and GGFO the year prior, but there’s something about their pairing that’s hard to beat, especially if you love unabashedly poppy, synth-drenched hooks. Both groups seem due for new records too, so expect some fresh tunes! You can still grab tickets, and you can read more about the show in our full preview. [PO]

TIMOTHY EERIE, THE HOLIFIELDS, THE INSCAPE, Z
@ The East Room | 9pm | $7 | 18+

Psych influenced Austin, TX, based performer Timothy Eerie will be topping a very tasty and fairly priced bill at The East Room this weekend that should definitely be on your radar. Timothy’s self described drug pop should blend quit nicely with some very talented Tennessee based bands like The Holifields, plus local scene favorites The Inscape and Z. That’s four different flavors of psychedelic rock for just seven bucks; underground aficionados, and mild manor fans of the genre alike should love that! [JR]

FOSTER THE PEOPLE w/ MR GABRIEL
@ The Cowan | 7pm | Sold Out | All Ages

After stops at The Ryman in recent years, LA indie popsters Foster the People, still buzzing from last year’s cool third album Sacred Hearts Club, are getting a bit more intimate with a return this weekend to play buzzy new Top Golf venue The Cowan. Local alt/pop singer Mr Gabriel kicks things off, and it’s no surprise to see that this show sold out well in advance. If you got tickets, you’re in for a fun night! [PO]

SUMMER PALACE, SAFARI ROOM, ONLY
@ Two Boots | 8:30pm (8pm doors) | FREE | All Ages

To celebrate to release of their new EP, local experimental, psych-tinged group Summer Palace are throwing a free, all ages, Friday night show at Two Boots. Good pizza and good tunes should be more than enough to pique your interest, but if you need any extra convincing, indie rock faves Safari Room and jangly, eclectic rockers Only round out this stacked, under the radar local bill. [PO]

WET EYED LIARS, STEREO SPECTER, SPIRITS REPUBLIC
@ The Crying Wolf | 9pm (8pm doors) | $5 | 21+

Hailing from nearby Bowling Green, Wet Eyed Liars play the kind of melancholy, dreamy indie pop we just can’t get enough of. Joined by sci-fi inspired electropop project Stereo Specter and eclectic, experimental rockers Spirits Republic, this low-key, wallet-friendly show at The Crying Wolf is a solid way to get your weekend going without draining your bank account. [PO]

DAVID RAMIREZ w/ MATT WRIGHT
@ Mercy Lounge | 8:30pm (7:30pm doors) | $15-18 | 18+

Beloved Austin based songwriter David Ramirez is gearing up for his ambitious, “The Bootleg Tour,” with every date being live recorded. It’s likely that you will hear a number of Ramirez’s older rootsy numbers, but there’s also a good chance that you’ll get a taste of some of the sonically expanded sounds from his 2017 release, We’re Not Going Anywhere. Nashville based songwriter Matt Wright will be joining Ramirez on this tour, and is worthy of arriving early to catch tracks from his latest record, Everyone’s Doing Better Than Me. [MH]

MUSICIANS CORNER: BEN SOLLEE, FORLORN STRANGERS, ELISE DAVIS, DEL-AMINA, JOSEPH BRADSHAW
@ Centennial Park | 5pm | FREE | All Ages

The remnants of tropical storm Alberto are expected to clear as the day goes on, and that means we have a pleasant weekend lined up. No better way to get it started than with a happy hour timed, Friday night edition of Musicians Corner. Performers include the uber talented songwriter, composer, and cellist Ben Sollee – whose music ranges from folk to R&B, local Americana outfit Forlorn Strangers, rising rocker Elise Davis – who is gearing up to release her sophomore LP this summer, R&B singer Del-Amina, and singer-songwriter Joseph Bradshaw. [MH]

BARK. w/ JULIE CHRISTENSEN & CHRIS TENCH
@ Fond Object (Riverside) | 7pm | All Ages

Made up of Knoxville’s Tim Lee and Susan Bauer Lee, rootsy, lo-fi, post-grunge duo BARK. are making the trek to Music City this weekend to rock out in the backyard of Fond Object Riverside. There’s no cover posted, so if it costs anything, it won’t be more than a few bucks, and with the weather looking favorable, it’s a nice little Friday hang if you want to keep it in the neighborhood. Julie Christensen and Chris Tench open. [PO]

US & THEM w/ STAYING FOR THE WEEKEND, ELIJAH NEWMAN & THE SIDEEFFECTS
@ The Back Corner | 7:30pm (7pm doors) | $5-8 | 18+

ZOBRODOME, SCROUNGEHOUND, DINGZUI, JOSH MORRIS
@ The Cobra | 8:30pm (8pm doors) | $5 | 21+

WESLEY BRIGHT & THE HONEYTONES w/ CONCURRENCE
@ The High Watt | 9pm (8pm doors) | $10 | 18+

 OLIVER THE CROW, WILD PONIES
@ Radio Cafe | 8pm (7:30pm doors) | $5 | 21+

WILL PAYNE HARRISON, NIKIA & THE STRANGE RIVALS, THE RAYO BROS, HEIDI BUYCK
@ Little Harpeth | 7pm | $7-10

THREE STAR REVIVAL w/ MOCHA
@ The Basement | 9pm (8:30pm doors) | $7-10 | 21+

SATURDAY

MUSICIANS CORNER: WANDA JACKSON, ALANNA ROYALE, THE KERNAL, AIR RALLEY, LAUREN FARRAH, LONELY BENSON, DAPHNE MICHELLE
@ Centennial Park | 1:30pm (12pm gates) | FREE | All Ages

Musician’s Corner’s coolest season yet continues this Saturday with a main event headed up by none other than the “Queen of Rockabilly” herself, Wanda Jackson. Since first finding fame in the ’50s, Jackson has remained a beloved (and perhaps criminally underrated) performer, and has seen a particular resurgence in attention over the last decade. Now 80, it’s a blessing that Wanda continues to perform her staggering 31 albums of classic songs live and in person, and with local soul rock favorites Alanna Royale, along with The Kernal, Lonely Benson, and more rounding out this insanely stacked lineup, we’d suggest spending your whole Saturday afternoon soaking up an incredible, diverse array of free tunes! [PO]

JERRY SEINFELD
@ TPAC | 7pm & 9:30pm | $50-$175 early/late | All Ages

Of course best known for his classic, eponymous sitcom, comedian Jerry Seinfeld‘s background and bread and butter has always been in standup, something he’s continued off and on throughout his career. Ahead of the return of Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, and since a well-received new standup special last fall, Seinfeld’s live appearances have been especially visible, and with both an early and late show slated, his return to TPAC this weekend is a no-brainer for fans of quality comedy- even if the more premium seats feel a bit pricey. [PO]

MICROWAVE MOUNTAIN, LAUREN FARRAH, THE SMOKING FLOWERS, JASMIN KASET
@ The Basement | 8pm (7:30pm doors) | $7-10 | 21+

Deliciously sludgy psych pop outfit Microwave Mountain are headlining a solid local Saturday night lineup at The Basement.  You may remember when we premiered their “Electric Boogie” video earlier this year, but, in case you forgot, you can dig back in below.  They’re joined by local songwriter Lauren Farrah – who is teasing new music these days, Americana duo The Smoking Flowers, and Birdcloud’s Jasmin Kaset performing under her solid (and distinctively different) solo project. [MH]

BLACKFOOT GYPSIES w/ IAN FERGUSON
@ Exit/In | 8pm (7pm doors) | $12-15 | 18+

Already approaching legend status in our local scene, as they continue to rise on the national stage, Blackfoot Gypsies are back in town and they’re ready to show all the hometown fans some of the tricks they’ve learned recently on tour, opening for bands like The Darkness, and our very own Margo Price. Another familiar name, local psych rock guitar slinger Ian Ferguson is slated for the opening spot for one of the best two band bills of the weekend. Help show one of our road-worn local acts that they’re still loved at home too, and get out in support of thriving area scene in process. Win/win. [JR]

BOWLING GREEN, CHUNKS, THE HARAKARIS, NO LOVES
@ The Cobra | 9pm (8pm doors) | $5 | 21+

PAUL MCDONALD w/ AIRPARK, TESLA ROSSA, JAMES ETHAN CLARK & THE RENEGADES
@ Analog | 8:30pm (8pm doors) | $10-12

THE UNOFFICIAL NASHVILLE PRIDE MONTH KICK-OFF SHOW: SHELLY FAIRCHILD, STASNEY MAV, HOUSTON KENDRICK, JAMES DROLL, JOY OLADOKUN, JEFF CARL
@ Mercy Lounge | 8pm (7pm doors) | $10 | 18+

THE BROKEN STRING BAND w/ JON LATHAM, RYAN SOBB, BRE KENNEDY
@ The End | 8pm (7pm doors) | $7 | 18+

SUNDAY

PARQUET COURTS w/ GOAT GIRL
@ The Basement East | 8pm (7pm doors) | $18-20 | 18+

Celebrating their excellent, ambitious, Danger Mouse produced new sixth album Wide Awake!, New York indie/post-punk outfit Parquet Courts return to Nashville for the first time in two years to headline The Basement East, along with buzzy British up and comers Goat Girl, this Sunday. If you’ve been following us since the beginning, you know we’ve been obsessing over Parquet Courts since their (and our) earliest days, and it’s been amazing to watch them grow from a promising DIY band to a critically beloved, mainstream indie rock fixture. Needless to say, this is one of our absolutely most-anticipated shows of the spring, and you can find out more about it in our full preview. [PO]

I DON’T KNOW HOW BUT THEY FOUND ME w/ BRASKO
@ Mercy Lounge | 8pm (7pm doors) | $13-15 | All Ages

Best known for a near-decade tenure in hugely successful group Panic! at the Disco (and for being the last “official” member before it morphed into a Brendan Urie solo vehicle), vocalist/bassist Dallon Weekes formed I Don’t Know How But They Found Me with former Falling In Reverse Drummer and longtime collaborator Ryan Seaman in 2017. Dripping with synth and lush production, the duo’s sound would definitely appeal to Panic fans, but shares the ’80s nostalgia of recent Paramore, flamboyant theatrics of scene icons like My Chemical Romance (and the older artists they were influenced by, like Queen or Bowie), and the eclectic, production-driven, genre-bending approach of immensely popular peers twenty one pilots. They’re not pop punk or emo exactly, but certainly sprung from that background, blended and fused with ambitious and diverse elements that make them one of the buzzy new acts in rock. See what they’re all about Sunday night at Mercy Lounge, along with local opener Brasko. [PO]

ROYAL BLOOD w/ TURBOWOLF
@ Marathon Music Works | 8:30pm (7pm doors) | Sold Out | All Ages

British hard rock duo Royal Blood burst on the scene with their undeniably catchy 2014 self-titled debut, and the effect laden bass turned lead guitar sound that provides the darker, sludgier style that makes them so unique. In the years since that release, they have gone on to become award winners and festival staples, while touring incessantly in support of that debut and their followup, How Did We Get So Dark?, in 2017. Those of you that already snagged tickets to this sold out show are in for a treat, and should plan to make a night of it by getting their early enough to get a taste of catchy British rockers Turbowolf. [MH]

LUCAS, THE MOBROS, THE SPIDERBERRIES, DYLAN LANCASTER
@ The East Room | 8pm | 18+

MARC SCIBILIA w/ MOLLY PARDEN
@ 3rd and Lindsley | 8pm (6pm doors) | $15 | All Ages

WXNA 2ND ANNIVERSARY PARTY
@ The Basement | 3pm | FREE (Donations Accepted) | All Ages

Nashville’s WXNA radio station has been a beacon of hope for the past two years. In a world where we see streaming overtaking all other media sources, and indie defining college radio stations continue to shutter the mics, WXNA created a “people powered” station, which boasts an incredibly eclectic and diverse format, and taps the talents of some truly dedicated volunteers around Nashville. If you haven’t given the station a chance, swing your radio arm over to 101.5 locally, and keep trying if you don’t get it the first time. The low watt station doesn’t travel too far outside of the city limits, but it is worth the effort. If you want to get a firsthand taste and meet some of the on-air personalities, head to The Basement on Sunday for their 2nd birthday party. Dig the change out of your couch cushions (or stop by the ATM) as well, because this event also marks the end of their spring fundraising drive. [MH]

[JR] Jacob Ryan
[MH] Matt Hall
[PO] Philip Obenschain