Our Critics' Picks

THURSDAY 4/3

MusicTHE NOBILITY W/ KYLE ANDREWS Thursday night’s bill at Exit/In features two local acts that know a thing or two about the basics of a good pop song. Nashville indie poppers The Nobility put their stamp on a well-tread sound, yet somehow come off as intelligent and unpretentious. Their latest album The Mezzanine leans heavily on The Kinks and Ram-era McCartney, mixing catchy melodies and upbeat harmonies with an ambitious dose of horns and strings. Opening act and DIY extraordinaire Kyle Andrews traffics in a unique, kaleidoscopic brand of bedroom electro-pop. Whether playing a stripped down acoustic folk song or hiding behind a myriad of keyboards and drum machines, his songs always resonate. 9 p.m. at Exit/In —MURRAY SHARP

MusicAN EVENING WITH MARVIN HAMLISCH Sometimes I feel like I’m not doing enough with my life—then I hear about someone who has managed to win an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, a Tony and a Pulitzer Prize. This weekend, composer Marvin Hamlisch comes to the Schermerhorn for three shows with the Nashville Symphony. (I bet he leaves all those statues at home.) In addition to countless movie scores and myriad theater credits, Hamlisch now serves as the principal pops conductor for the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra and the National Symphony Orchestra. What can I say, the guy’s no schlub. Thursday-Saturday at Schermerhorn Symphony Center —LEE STABERT

MusicTHE FELICE BROTHERS Most bands that use Bob Dylan as a reference point are egotistical hacks with shitty voices and an inflated sense of self-importance. Most bands that bill themselves as the “Something Brothers” are full of shit and totally unrelated. The Brooklyn-by-way-of-The Catskills quartet The Felice Brothers fall into neither category. These two siblings from upstate New York and a couple of their friends sound a hell of lot like the records Bobby himself made while he was living upstate—except these guys can sing, making them sound more like The Band sharing a spliff with John Prine. Their self-titled Team Love Records debut is an early contender for official summer ’08 BBQ soundtrack—warm and smoky. It’s the perfect complement to cold beer on a sunny day. 9 p.m. at Mercy Lounge —SEAN L. MALONEY

FRIDAY 4/4ArtTIDE OF EMOTIONS: TONI DRANES HOOPER & TARA THOMPSON Hanging Around has always been known for its fun-filled art events, and now, with the opening of their brand new space on Eighth Avenue South, they have even more reason to celebrate. Tide of Emotions, the gallery’s inaugural exhibit in their new digs, features the work of mixed-media artist Toni Dranes Hooper and photographer Tara Thompson. Hooper, who has just returned from an exhibit in Florence, Italy, will be showcasing her newest paintings on Plexiglass and canvas. Thompson uses a variety of techniques to create her soft-focus, dreamlike images. April 4-30 at HA Gallery at Hanging Around (1506 Eighth Ave. S.); opening reception, 5-8 p.m. —JOE NOLAN

TheaterHIGH SOCIETY Philip Barry’s play The Philadelphia Story spawned a famous movie of the same name and also a subsequent movie musical, High Society, which in turn inspired this stage adaptation, that ran for five months on Broadway in 1998. The familiar tale traces the comic high jinks surrounding an impending Main Line marriage (think Belle Meade, Philly style). The Cole Porter score is excellent, including “True Love,” “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” “You’re Sensational” and “Well, Did You Evah!” Through April 5 at Murfreesboro Little Theater —MARTIN BRADY

TV Worth WatchingMUSIC CITY ARTS TV9 BENEFIT Those of you with cable TV have likely peeked in on the Music City Arts station, MCA-tv9, quite likely during a broadcast of Classic Arts Showcase, which features everything from opera to ballet to still shots of paintings accompanied by classical music. But since Brittany Conner arrived at the station, things are getting a helluva lot more local (and interesting). This Saturday at 8 p.m., the station premieres its live taping of Yo La Tengo’s January show at the Belcourt, and there’s more exciting programming in the works: Nashville’s New Sound and Vision will pair local visual artists with music acts—confirmed collaborations include Lesley Patterson-Marx/Cortney Tidwell, Julia Martin/Jennifer Niceley and Lain York/Hands Off Cuba—while Grimey’s Indie Hour will showcase three bands per episode, performing at Grimey’s record store and other local venues. (The inaugural episode, which airs in June, features The Selmanaires, The Whigs and The Spinto Band.) Come out and support the cause at this fundraiser, featuring plentiful door prizes and performances by Stone Jack Jones, Hands Off Cuba, Lambchop’s Kurt Wagner and poet Derrick Brown. $7 suggested donation. 9:30 p.m. at The Basement —JACK SILVERMAN

MusicFIDDLE & PICK GRAND OPENING Nashville’s far west side gets a musical boost with the opening of the Fiddle & Pick, a multipurpose music center that will offer education and performances geared toward traditional music. The project is the brainchild of fiddler Gretchen Priest-May and her guitar picking husband, Tim May, and to celebrate the occasion, they’ve put together two days’ worth of entertainment and activities, most notably performances by members of the Nashville Bluegrass Band, Radiola (the string-swing-and-more unit put together by mandolin master David Harvey) and the Mays’ own Plaidgrass, who fuse bluegrass and Celtic stylings. The schedule is rounded out by an array of demonstrations, from Irish step-dancing to bouzouki playing. A no-brainer for area residents, it’s also worth a trip for city folk. For information, visit musicheritagetn.org. Musical Heritage Center of Middle Tennessee (456 Highway 70 South, Pegram) —JON WEISBERGER