Catch Trampled By Turtles, Rainbow Kitten Surprise, Parquet Courts, & Alanna Royale | Thurdsay, Aug. 23 @ Live On The Green

Live on the Green is in full swing as the third week of the 10th season of the annual, free outdoor fest goes down this Thursday, Aug. 23 at Public Square Park. Per the format adopted a few years back, Live on the Green runs four consecutive Thursdays, and culminates with an epic three-day, two-stage finale. Once again boasting an exciting and stacked lineup, this season will feature performances from the likes of Jimmy Eat World, Matt & Kim, Cold War Kids, Dr. Dog, Car Seat Headrest, X Ambassadors, ZZ Ward, Parquet Courts, and more! After a great first night which included Dispatch, The Wood Brothers, Mt. Joy, and Roscoe & Etta, the event tried to best itself with a stellar week two featuring Cold War Kids, Car Seat Headrest, Colony House, and *repeat repeat. While you would think that would be hard to top, it returns this Thursday with another solid lineup featuring beloved local neo-soul rockers Alanna Royale, garage punk outfit Parquet Courts, indie rock sensations Rainbow Kitten Surprise, and bluegrass folk rock studs Trampled By Turtles. With a predicted high temperature in the mid ’80s with low humidity on Thursday, this is one event where weather whiners and true music fans will all rejoice.

Per usual, LOTG is free and all ages, and music will run from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. Gates open at 5 p.m., and there will be plenty of food and alcohol vendors on site to meet your needs. Parking is $10 at the Public Square Park Garage below the festival site and $5 at Nissan E and F lots across the Woodland St Bridge, and various other garages and street parking options are available on the surrounding blocks (also, ride share is relatively simple with designated drop off and pick up spots). If you’re looking to up the ante on your LOTG experience, VIP tickets and backstage passes are typically available for purchase, however they generally sell out in advance. And finally, the tradition of an official LOTG after party is back this year, beginning each week at 11 p.m. at The Valentine on Broadway. Find out more about this week’s installment below, and find out more about the entire season on Live on the Green’s site.

TRAMPLED BY TURTLES

Long-time festival mainstays Trampled By Turtles reunited earlier this year to release their eighth studio album, Life Is Good On The Open Road, their first in four years. Reportedly recorded in a Minnesota cabin and artistically inspired by the feelings of loss following the death of Tom Petty, the record sees the band exploring more of their signature bluegrass influenced take on indie folk, but with a slightly more poppy sensibility, which you can pick up on the single “The Middle” below. TBT are arguably best known for their enthralling live show, which highlights the incredibly accomplished musicians and their soaring vocal harmonies. You can also expect a few awe-inspiring covers sprinkled throughout their set, and, if you haven’t heard their version of the Pixies classic “Where Is My Mind?,” you need to get up to speed on that now.

RAINBOW KITTEN SURPRISE

Watching the trajectory of Boone, NC based rockers Rainbow Kitten Surprise over the past few years can only be described as an indie rock success story. They first burst onto the scene with their 2013 self-released debut Seven + Mary, which sent them spiraling through playlists, particularly with the uber-catchy single “Devil Like Me.” Their followup RKS didn’t take the proverbial foot off the pedal either, as another slew of catchy, earnest, politically-tinged songs only beefed up their catalogue, and made them a not to miss set at the growing number of festivals that they were booked for. Now, in support of the Atlantic Records debut, How To: Friend, Love, Freefall, the band appear truly poised to breakout, and, if you haven’t heard this band with a funny name yet, let us assure you that the power of their live set is not to be missed.

PARQUET COURTS

Blending punk rock attitude and jangly garage rock influences, Texas bred, New York based Parquet Courts formed in 2010, and first started gaining traction with their 2012 sophomore release Light Up Gold, which was lauded by both underground and mainstream press. With an art punk, DIY approach, yet broader indie accessibility, it wasn’t long before the band outgrew the underground scene (a time during which we saw them at now-defunct DIY space The Owl Farm in 2013) and attracted a cult following, appearing at festivals and subject to continued, widespread praise. 2014 saw the release of two new full-lengths, proper followup Sunbathing Animal, and the more experimental Content Nausea (released under their homonym Parkay Quarts), and 2016’s excellent Human Performance, a more reflective, artsy, ballad-geared effort. The latter even earned them a Grammy nomination (albeit for Best Recording Package). The band’s latest effort, Wide Awake!, sees them teaming with super producer Danger Mouse, for what is their most earnest, focused, and thought-provoking release yet, simultaneously their most punk effort in years, while also finding the band explore a wide and unexpected range of influences, including the funk laced party jam title track which you can check out below. In the past six years, Parquet Courts have played a number of venues in town, including Third Man’s Blue Room, Exit/In, Mercy Lounge, and The Basement East, but their set at Live On The Green will undoubtedly mark their largest Nashville crowd. A well-deserved accomplishment for a truly talented and unique band.

ALANNA ROYALE

We’ve written about breakout local act Alanna Royale more times than we can count at this point (since literally their first show), and for good reason- they’re one of the absolute best bands to emerge from Music City in recent years. After moving from Boston in the summer of 2012, frontwoman Alanna Quinn-Broadus and guitarist Jared Colby quickly and organically formed what would become a soulful horn-infused funk/r&b outfit, exploding onto the scene mere months later with no recorded music but one hell of a turbocharged live show. They quickly became the buzziest new act in Nashville, and went on to release their Bless Your Heart EP in early 2013, shortly before nabbing a spot at Bonnaroo and beginning to tour, then dropping their debut LP, Achilles, in 2014. After spending the last four years continuing to hone their sound, explore their emotions, and refine that unbelievable live show with countless dates on the road, Alanna Royale returned this summer to drop a true gem with their sophomore LP, So Bad You Can Taste It, which is sure to find it’s way to a number of year end, best-of lists. Whether it has been a minute since you’ve seen Alanna Royale, or maybe you just haven’t seen them post release, you will not want to be late for their return to LOTG, because, if their 2016 set was any indication, this is one performance you won’t want to miss.