There’s quite a bit going on in Nashville this weekend, as usual. I’m particularly looking forward to the weekend, mostly because it will be our one-year wedding anniversary! HOORAY FOR US. Other than that, a ton of concerts and extra interesting things are going on all around town.
Obviously, I have to plug my event first. Come out on Saturday evening (or the morning, if you want to bring the kids) to see the Nashville Chamber Orchestra perform in the new Schermerhorn Symphony Center. I’ll be playing with the NCO on Beethoven’s 5th Symphony. They’re also performing Arvo Part’s Orient and Occident, a beautiful work for strings, the 3rd and 4th movements of Haydn’s 6th Symphony, and the Concertino for Two Mandolins and Guitar, by Nashville composer Don Hart. The concert will also feature photochoreography from photographer James Westwater. We’ve been rehearsing in the evenings over the last week, and I have to say that the Schermerhorn is probably one of the best halls I’ve ever laid ears on. Definitely the most beautiful-sounding hall I’ve ever had the opportunity to play in. Clear and crisp, with just the right amount of reverberation, I’m able to hear myself and everyone around me with great clarity. It’s gorgeous. And the hall itself is beautiful! Very ornate, clean lines, and a very nice color scheme. I like it. The mix this week includes the first Beethoven’s Fifth (performed by the London Symphony Orchestra), as well as an excerpt from a chamber work by Arvo Part (visualize the umlaut!).
If you’re interested in coming out to see the NCO on Saturday, there’s an 11 AM Kid Pan Alley concert, geared towards families - tickets for that can be purchased here. Tickets for the 8 PM concert can be purchased here.
So, enough self-promotion!
Tonight! Beck is playing in our least favorite Nashville venue, City Hall. Come on, yes, it’s Beck, but would we pay real dollars to hear him play in a venue that makes him sound like he’s yelling into a trash can? Probably not. Sucks, too, because he is an amazing live show. General admission tickets to the show are 45 bucks, too, and the show is sold out, although tickets are available for sale through a myriad of Craigslist advertisements (PS: I wouldn’t trust that dude with “front row seats”).
Tonight, at the Mercy Lounge, The Long Players are getting together to perform the full-length Beatles album, Meet the Beatles. The Long Players are comprised of some of the most talented Nashville musicians around - session players who have toured and performed in recording sessions with various country/rock music greats. The Long Players get together a few times a year to perform their renditions of some of the greatest albums of all time - they’ve done Sgt. Pepper’s, Blonde on Blonde, Revolver, and about a dozen others. The vocals on each song are performed by different people, usually well-known Nashville personalities, but you never know exactly who you’re going to see. Matt’s been to a couple of these and says that it’s one of his most favorite, “only in Nashville” things to do. Tickets are $15, and can be purchased here. The show starts at 9:30.
Also tonight, Improv Nashville and Troupe 93 will be performing improv comedy at the 12th South Arts Venue. Tonight’s show also features a stand-up routine from comedienne Julie Dove, a Second City alum. Tickets for that show are $10, and reservations are essential - the space isn’t huge, and they always sell out. You can make your reservation by emailing Emily at info@improvnashville.org or calling 615-418-0905.
Saturday, if you’re not coming to my concert (I will try not to punch you in the face next time I see you), you can always check out Germantown’s Oktoberfest, going on all day. There’s a concert of sitar and tabla music at the Sri Ganesha Temple, over in West Nashville. The concert begins at 6:30 PM, and tickets are $20, or $10 if you can finagle a student ID.
One of my favorite Bens, Ben Kweller, performs at RCKTWN, Saturday at 7 PM (doors are at 6). Tickets are EIGHTEEN DOLLARS (oh, my wallet), and are purchasable through Ticketmaster, sigh. Sam Roberts Band and Hymns are supporting.
We’ve sung his praises here in the past, but we just have to do it again. The wonderful Josh Kear will be performing with friends/cowriters Mark Irwin, Chris Tompkins and Jameson Clark on Saturday evening at Douglas Corner. The show begins at 6. Kear and Tompkins have written Carrie Underwood’s most recent single (and her best, obviously), “Before He Cheats,” as well as Jimmy Buffett’s newest single, “Bama Breeze,” by Kear, Tompkins and Irwin. Needless to say, these dudes are having a great couple of months.
Another favorite Nashvillian of ours, Don Henry, will be performing on Saturday evening’s In the Round, at the Bluebird Cafe, 9:30 PM. Reservations are obviously essential. Admission to the show is $10.
At the ExitIn, on Saturday, Adrienne Young performs at 7 PM, as a part of the National Land Trust Alliance conference, which is happening in Nashville this weekend. The show is $12 for a general admission spot. We have to say that Adrienne Young doesn’t really tweak our, uh, buttons, but we’d head out to the show anyway - from 7-9, admission to the Exit In also allows you to enjoy the “Good Food for Good People” Festival. Here’s a description from the site:
Come early for an evening celebrating the family farm!
Local chefs will prepare local foods, donated by area farms.
Sponsored by Wild Oats, the Nashville Farmers Markets, the Turnip Truck, Produce Place, and many, many others, this evening will provide a festive atmosphere abundant in opportunites to meet your local growers, support locally grown, sustainable produce, learn about the benefits and preparation of raw food - if you haven’t yet sampled enzyme-rich, ‘living’, aka ‘raw’ cuisine, then you are in for treaty treat as concoctions made by the fabulous Laura Button will be available for your enjoyment, as well as farm fresh goodies, and a chance to sign up and learn about CSA’S in our region, as well as listen to representatives from the TN Land Trust, the American Community Garden Association, Nashville Farmer’s Markets, Hills & Hollers CSA, AND MORE!
Sounds delicious!
Happy weekend - and happy anniversary to my wonderful husband. One year ago today, we were batchelor/ette partying, FREAKING OUT, and throwing up on books about jazz that do not belong to us. I love you.
Weekend mix:
London Symphony: Symphony in C Minor - Allegro Con Brio (Beethoven)
Ulster Orch./Leslie Hatfield/Rebecca Hirsch: Tabula Rasa - Ludus (Arvo Part)
Ben Kweller - In Other Words, from Freak Out, It’s Ben Kweller
The Bens - Wicked Little Town (Tommy Gnosis Version), from Wig in a Box
Don Henry - Where’ve You Been, from Live at the Bluebird
Josh Kear - Mansions on Your Mind
love, celine