Our Critics' Picks

THURSDAY 5/22

Harm’s Way2 x HARMONY KORINE: GUMMO/JULIEN DONKEY-BOY The movies that put Nashville on the cinephile’s map are not, shall we say, the ones the Chamber of Commerce would greet with a fruit basket. If any movie provokes more polarized feelings among locals than Robert Altman’s Nashville, it’s Harmony Korine’s confrontational first feature Gummo, shot 12 years ago in East Nashville and off Charlotte—which some residents affectionately call “the Gummo neighborhood”—with a mix of cult favorites (such as Days of Heaven star Linda Manz) and nonprofessional actors (some of whom, like scene-stealing Bryant Crenshaw, still hang out here on street corners). But if you want to see how Nashville’s underbelly looks through the eyes of the city’s most acclaimed provocateur—not to mention one of the world’s great cinematographers, the late Jean-Yves Escoffier (Les Amants du Pont-Neuf)—you shouldn’t miss it. The only theater that would show it then is the only one showing it now: The Belcourt, where Korine’s Mister Lonely continues its smash run. The filmmaker will attend screenings of both it and his second film, julien donkey-boy, schedule permitting. Double feature, 7 p.m. May 22; Gummo, midnight May 23; julien, midnight May 24 at The Belcourt —JIM RIDLEY

MusicGWAR Twenty years after Gwar’s thrash farce was thrust into the scummy underbelly of grind metal, one wonders whether their ’80s-bred audience—those late subscribers to Fangoria who stashed a cassette single of Green Jelly’s “Three Little Pigs” in their pin-striped GT—have remained faithful Gwarlords over the years. More than likely, they’ve all taken 9-to-5’s as webmasters and poured out their buckets of red-dyed corn syrup. But recent nostalgia for slasher pulp à la Rob Zombie flicks and the growing nationwide Warcraft addiction might help Beefcake the Mighty and a latex-clad Sexecutioner rile up a fresh crowd. For these former university art students and drama burnouts, there has never been much ado about the music itself anyway. For those who do show up, be sure to bring your gnarliest pair of devil horns, and—just a suggestion—a hefty rain coat. 7 p.m. at City Hall —DUSTIN ALLEN

MusicOCELOTS It’s taken three years, and several iterations, but Nashville’s Ocelots will finally release their third album, The Cellar and the Ghost Have Let Us Down, on Grand Palace Records this summer. Formed in 2001, the trio delivers a jittery sound keyed by serpentine guitar lines and punchy rhythms that suggests a more sedate Q and Not U getting their French Kicks. The new album—which was originally conceived as a six-song EP two years ago—has grown to 11 songs that are among the most assured and tuneful the band has ever recorded. The jagged tangle of guitar jangle doesn’t obscure the hooks, and the rubbery rhythms propel the album without forcing the moodier moments to heel. Tracks like “Fight a Tiger” veer between a herky-jerky They Might Be Giants shouted chorus and mellifluous melodies recalling Modest Mouse. 9 p.m. at Springwater —CHRIS PARKER

MusicRED STICK RAMBLERS George Jones recorded his loose-limbed hillbilly moonshine boogie “White Lightning” nearly half a century ago, and it’s high time somebody followed suit with another raucous ode to brewing. The Louisiana-based Red Stick Ramblers nailed it last year with their similarly driving “Made in the Shade,” the title track of their fourth album and their first for Sugar Hill. The song’s sepia-toned new video drives home exactly what it is the Ramblers (vocalist and fiddler Linzay Young, fiddler Kevin Wimmer, guitarist Chas Justus, bassist Eric Frey and drummer Glenn Fields) do—bring youthful energy to dance music. And all kinds of it: Cajun and Creole party music, Western swing and an amalgamation of other roots jazz and blues flavors. Even when they take on a topic like Katrina (in the banjo and twin fiddle romp of the same name), they’re channeling a party spirit from their home state that refuses to be quelled. 8 p.m. at 3rd & Lindsley —JEWLY HIGHT

Music

GREAT AMERICAN COWBOY IN CONCERT If Riders in the Sky’s Opry appearances aren’t enough to slake your thirst for authentic faux cowboy music, get yourself on over to TPAC for this show. Veteran Johnny Western, a 2001 inductee into the Western Music Hall of Fame, and Rex Allen Jr., inducted last year, are both on the bill, together with the long-lived Diamond W Wranglers, formerly known as The Prairie Rose Wranglers. The group backs Allen on his most recent recording New West, and works a startling 200-plus shows a year, virtually all of them under Nashville’s hometown-centric radar. Like their illustrious predecessors in the field—think Sons of the Pioneers—the Wranglers cover a lot of musical ground under the “Western” umbrella. Their lastest disc, Rolling Kansas Plains, includes everything from “Shenandoah” to “They Call the Wind Maria.” 8 p.m. in TPAC’s Polk Theater - —JON WEISBERGER

FRIDAY 5/23

Music

SEA WOLF Primarily the brainchild of frontman Alex Church, Sea Wolf perfectly encapsulate the breed of melancholy rainy-day pop rock that has both its masters (Death Cab for Cutie) and its fakers (take your pick: Coldplay or that band you heard last week on Grey’s Anatomy). Forunately, Church & Co. fall squarely in column A due in no small part to crisp, evocative songwriting and an expert grasp of atmospherics. It is appropriate that the band’s debut full-length Leaves in the River opens with the gentle, slightly distorted sound of rainfall—it’s the perfect aural introduction to an album of wistful, pretty, folk-inflected pop accented by perfectly placed strings and just enough indie quirk. 9 p.m. at Exit/In —LEE STABERT

Greece Is the Word

ROMANCING THE ACROPOLIS: PRINTS FROM THE BENAKI MUSEUM, ATHENS, GREECE With summer fast approaching, many Nashvillians are contemplating exotic adventures to strange locales: Europe, Asia, Percy Priest Dam. If your trip to Athens this summer involves a plate of spanakopita on Franklin Pike, never fear: The Parthenon’s got your back. Thanks to a partnership with the Benaki—the oldest private museum in Greece—the Parthenon is hosting an exhibit of 40 prints from the 18th and 19th centuries that focus on the Parthenon and the Acropolis. Dating from as early as 1762, the prints range from finely detailed engravings to lush colored lithographs. The centerpiece of the show is a 10-foot-long scroll, a time machine of sorts, revealing a panorama of the entire city of Athens, circa 1874. Through July 26 at The Parthenon —JOE NOLAN

ComedyJOSH BLUE His MySpace page’s list of upcoming gigs makes no mention of Beijing in early September, indicating that Josh Blue probably won’t be competing in the Paralympic Games this time around. That’s bad news for the U.S. Paralympic soccer team—with whom he played in 2004—but a very good thing for the dedicated fans he’s amassed since his third-season win of NBC’s Last Comic Standing. His outlook is as befuddled as it is bemused, with material concerning his experiences with cerebral palsy and society’s reaction to perceived “differences” in every form. In terms of deriving comedic insight from a uniquely personal—yet wholly relatable—perspective, few in the industry do it better. May 23-25 at Zanies —JULIE SEABAUGH

Hemp HeavenJAMMIN’ AT HIPPY JACK’S Summer festival season is upon us, and one of the first regional entries is Jammin’ at Hippy Jack’s in Crawford, Tenn. The weekend’s festivities feature a musical lineup that straddles Americana, bluegrass, blues and folk—the perfect accompaniment to the rustic vibe at this 200-acre riverside family farm. Headliners include The SteelDrivers, The John Cowan Band, David Olney & Sergio Webb, Johnny Neel & Criminal Element and excellent, road-weary troubadour Malcolm Holcombe. This year, in order to be more family-friendly, the campgrounds will be divided into two discrete categories: “Quiet Camping” and “Late Night Jam Camping”—so get ready for some Hacky Sack high jinks, and maybe a drum circle if you’re really lucky. Weekend passes and single day tickets are both available at jamminathippiejacks.com. Friday-Sunday at 642 Shiloh Road, Crawford —LEE STABERT

SATURDAY 5/24

Won’t You Be My Neighbor?HANDS TOGETHER IN FLATROCK MUSIC & ARTS FESTIVAL Flatrock, like many Nashville neighborhoods, is in flux, and the community has decided to embrace the change. This family-oriented festival looks to foster interaction between the neighborhood’s old guard and the rapidly growing immigrant community. Local musicians will perform, including Tommy Womack, Irene Kelley, Trova Urbana, Austin Cunningham, Boomerang, The Nashville School of the Arts Bluegrass Ensemble, Baba Musa, Nature’s Drummers, Huseyin Arslan, Orchid Sicye and more. There will also be art by local school children and activities presented by the Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum and the Nashville Zoo (which is in the midst of celebrating “Frog Month”), as well as masks by the Lost Boys of Sudan and work by local artists. Area restaurants will be serving up tacos, kabobs, hot dogs, paletas and more. 11 a.m.-8 p.m. at Coleman Park —LEE STABERT

Soul SurvivorsFRANK HOWARD & THE VALENTINES Attention all lovers of straight-up R&B: If you have a sliver of rhythm and a bone of blues in your body, there is nowhere else in the city you need to be on Saturday—especially if you’re (ahem) romantically inclined. Of the many revelatory 1960s Music City soul singles on the Grammy-winning Night Train to Nashville CD, one belonged to honeydripper vocalist Frank Howard—backed by the Commanders on the magnificently tormented “Just Like Him”—and another to found vocal group The Valentines, lending bittersweet summer harmonies to “Gotta Get Yourself Together” with casual mastery, as if to cut all four Tops’ heads in one swoop. Now Howard (whose sidemen once included the young Jimi Hendrix) and The Valentines are gigging together backed by a group called White Chocolate, and Howard says their rehearsals sound even better than he’d imagined. This is Nashville musical history, folks, and their show should be a history lesson that’ll unhinge even the rustiest hips. 6-10 p.m. at The Place (217 Second Ave. N.) —JIM RIDLEY

Local GrowersFRANKLIN FARMERS’ MARKET For anyone counting food miles—the distance food travels from where it is produced to where it is eaten—the nonprofit Franklin Farmers’ Market is an opportunity to dine from your relative backyard. Every Saturday through November, local growers will gather behind the Factory at Franklin with their bounty of the season, including produce, plants, herbs, soaps, pottery, flowers, candles…even beefalo. Stroll and snack in the shade of the market shed, perusing fresh picked produce while The Franklin Square Pickers pluck out homegrown bluegrass. Demonstrations, exhibits, performances and children’s activities vary throughout the season. For information, visit franklinfarmersmarket.com. 8 a.m.-1 p.m Saturdays at 230 Franklin Road —CARRINGTON FOX

Men Under the InfluenceHUSBANDS Is it cynical to say that more people praise John Cassavetes as the godfather of American independent cinema than have ever looked at his films? There isn’t a filmmaker whose work more stubbornly resists a varnish coat of canonization than Cassavetes’ maddening, meandering, uncompromising films. If you’ve never actually seen one, this skin-peeling 1970 drama about three boozy buddies (Cassavetes, Peter Falk and Ben Gazzara) on a grief-fueled weekend bender is a tough but telling introduction—a raw tumult of searching, discomfort and macho bluster, stocked with all the moments of honest, purposeful confusion that movies typically omit. Part of the “Directions” program of films selected by Harmony Korine. Noon May 24-25 at The Belcourt —JIM RIDLEY

Phone It InMUSIC CITY ARTS TV9 TELETHON We’ve spent plenty of space in these here pages over the past few months letting you know about the sweet changes over at MCA TV9—locally produced documentaries, music videos and collaborations between different arenas of our arts community. Well here is your chance to support the change—the station is raising funds for acquisition of improved satellite feeds, diversified programming and the ability to send their signal to other channels, beaming the Music City gospel far and wide. Locals of every stripe will appear on this good old-fashioned telethon to help the cause, including the Actors Bridge Theatre Group, Alias Chamber Ensemble, the Tennnessee Women’s Theatre Project, The Beta Macks, The Coal Men, Bobby Bare Jr., Caitlin Rose, The Clutters and more. Watch, pledge, be awesome. Noon-midnight on Music City Arts TV9 —LEE STABERT

BuriedHALLOWED GROUND: STONES RIVER NATIONAL CEMETERY LANTERN TOURS Cemeteries hold a special place in the American imagination—just ask any Buffy the Vampire Slayer fan. Peaceful, spooky, moving or melancholy, they evoke innumerable questions about life, death and the space in between. Stones River is a burial site for Union soldiers, many of whom were exhumed from smaller plots in the surrounding area and then moved to this final resting place. In a modern era where soldiers are once again dying and young people are being put into the ground, these tours offers a moment for education and reflection. By lantern light, groups of up to 35 people will hear the stories of the soldiers buried under their feet. Reservations are required (893-9501). 7:30 p.m. May 24, June 7 & 21, July 5 & 19, Aug. 2, 16 & 30 at Stones River National Cemetery —LEE STABERT

Happy TrailsRADNOR LAKE VOLUNTEER DAY Roll up your sleeves for weeding, mulching and planting along the pristine trails of Radnor Lake. Join the ranger staff every fourth Saturday of the month for a morning of maintenance, including exotic plant removal and planting of native vegetation throughout the park’s 1,200 acres. If you would like to organize a group of volunteers outside the scheduled dates (June 28, July 26 and Aug. 23 are the next three), contact park manager Steve Ward at steve.ward@state.tn.us. Bottled water, bug repellent, gloves and tools will be supplied—along with stunning and serene views of flora and fauna. 8 a.m.-noon at Radnor Lake —CARRINGTON FOX

MusicWESS FLOYD & THE DAISYCUTTERS Boasting a mix of bar band bluster and Southern rock swagger, this Nashville sextet swallow some soul on their latest, Blood Sworn Enemies. Following up their 2006 four-song EP Daisycutters, this release is heavy on the organ, giving their rootsy rock a bit of Memphis soul, particularly on the title track. They never stray far from the rugged twang that underscores their three-guitar (!!) attack, but dial it up a bit on the anthemic “St. Paul,” which sounds like pre-success Soul Asylum, and work a slow-burn blues vibe on “Rescuer.” There’s a timeless familiarity to the music, like they escaped from an AOR station 30 years ago, but that’s hardly disparagement. The playing is tight and Floyd’s appealing vocal twang recalls Chris Robinson, a kindred musical spirit. 9 p.m. at The 5 Spot —CHRIS PARKER

Skateboards & ScreamoJOURNEYS BACKYARD BARBEQUE TOUR For the teen with nothing to do and a penchant for organized mayhem, this event offers a break from the early summer doldrums—boo exams, boo pressure to do something productive with your summer, boo impending mind-numbing temperatures. This touring sideshow will feature performances by X Games superstar Dave Mirra and Rob Dyrdek of MTV’s Rob & Big (wonder how that mini-horse is doing?) on a 60,000-square-foot course of ramps and jumps. There will also be a battle of the bands and a performance by headliner Angels and Airwaves, the new project of Blink-182 singer/guitarist Tom DeLonge. Besides skateboards and emo, the event has two more things that teens like—it’s free, and it’s at the mall. Noon-6:30 p.m. at Cool Springs Galleria —LEE STABERT

SUNDAY 5/25

MusicÜBERPHONICS Somewhere at the intersection of jam band and nu jazz you’ll find Überphonics. On their MySpace page, the young local trio—guitarist Matt Jagger, bassist Kyle Greene and drummer Carl Roberts III—explore quirky, angular jazz à la John Scofield (“Moe’s Thing”), engage in a down-and-dirty, Primus-tinged stompfest (“Ugly Funkling”) and merge Kind of Blue-era Miles Davis with the ghosts of Jaco Pastorius and Jerry Garcia (“Simple Harmonic Motion”). 8:30 p.m. at Café Coco —JACK SILVERMAN

MONDAY 5/26

ArtJOHN DONOVAN In his current show at The Renaissance Center, MTSU professor John Donovan explores the role clay has played in recording and creating human culture. Donovan uses a medium typically reserved for craft in a contemporary, playful manner to examine society’s contradictions. Pieces such as ceramic bears and bunny rabbits invoke references to childhood toys. While their humorous appearance pulls the viewer in, the tension between the lighthearted objects and dark subject matter creates metaphors for complex adult concerns. Donovan’s work has been exhibited internationally in juried and invitational shows and is definitely worth the drive to Dickson. Through June 7 in The Renaissance Center’s East Wing Gallery —AMANDA DILLINGHAM

TUESDAY 5/27

MusicERYKAH BADU As we all know, Miss Eryka is the badass earth mama of progressive urban music, the shamanistic orator of contemporary street philosophy. Her latest album, New Amerykah Part One (4th World War), is one of the most intensely political R&B records to hit the airwaves since Norman Whitfield was cranking out swirling, side-length anti-war screeds for Motown in the late ’60s, tackling societal ills and ill sounds with equal aplomb. The vinyl version of Badu’s paleo-futurist funk masterpeice also deserves praise for the intensely detailed cover art and thoroughly engaging liner notes that take on greater relevance when consumed via a gorgeous double-gatefold cover rather than say, the ID3 tags on your dinky little iPod. With The Roots (see story on p. 52). 7:30 p.m. in TPAC’s Andrew Jackson Hall —SEAN L. MALONEY

Boy Meets GirlMAUVAIS SANG (BAD BLOOD) Pure movie madness from writer-director Leos Carax, who combines slapstick, magic tricks, sci-fi, thug-movie pastiche, all-or-nothing romance and a street-dance number worthy of Footloose (to David Bowie’s “Modern Love” no less) into one intoxicating 1986 whirlwind of a movie. Hired to steal the antidote to an AIDS-like virus that punishes loveless sex, ventriloquist (!) Denis Lavant falls for his boss’s mistress (a ravishing Juliette Binoche) and plots an escape, while around him Carax mounts his own one-man Nouvelle Vague. This may be the only time it ever screens in Nashville, one show only, so plan accordingly. Part of the “Directions” program of films selected by Harmony Korine: both Carax and Lavant appear in Korine’s current film Mister Lonely, and cinematographer Jean-Yves Escoffier (who also lensed Carax’s Les Amants du Pont-Neuf) shot Korine’s Gummo in Nashville. 7:30 p.m. at The Belcourt —JIM RIDLEY

MusicAUGUSTANA Though they may unabashedly gun for mainstream acceptance, (un)fortunately this San Diego fivesome are just too darn individualistic ever to reach Coldplay-esque heights of mundaneness. Smash 2006 hit “Boston” proved that enlightened wanderlust still exists outside the pages of a Kerouac novel, while new effort Can’t Love, Can’t Hurt’s highlights include both sullen loss-of-faith laments and a shout-out to Lucinda Williams. True, they’ve smoothed their endearing rough edges and traded guitar-driven angst for a few too many soaring piano ballads, but Augustana still convey an introspective depth that more bands should actively strive for, or at least pretend to mimic. On second thought, perhaps it’s just as well they don’t. 7 p.m. at City Hall —JULIE SEABAUGH

WEDNESDAY 5/28

MusicTHE BISCUIT BURNERS “Fiery Mountain Music” is what the Biscuit Burners call their stuff, but much of their best work is more languid than fiery—at least in the vocal department, now staffed by founding member Mary Lucey (bass) and newcomer Odessa Jorgenson (fiddle). But flatpicker Dan Bletz and resonator guitarist Billy Cardine do offer plenty of fireworks on the instrumental side, and, as their third album Take Me Home shows, they’re increasingly put in service of a distinctive blend of Appalachianisms, spacey jams and delicate acoustic funk. From the opening bit of the latter, “The Real You,” to the lush closing waltz, “You’re Who I Want,” the disc is tasty proof that the combination of persistence and talent can eventually yield thoroughly satisfying results. 9 p.m. at Station Inn —JON WEISBERGER

MusicADRIAN BELEW It all started here in 1977, when Frank Zappa discovered Adrian Belew playing Fanny’s with his cover band Sweetheart and invited him to audition. Though he’d never explored jazz skronk or even odd time signatures, Belew would become an influential experimental guitarist, due in part to time spent alongside Robert Fripp in King Crimson. Though Belew played on great albums by David Bowie (Lodger), the Talking Heads (Remain in Light), Zappa (Baby Snakes, Sheik Yerbouti) and Paul Simon (Graceland), it’s his midi guitar and the unusual sounds he wrung from it that most remember. Belew remains a dedicated and prolific musician—his recent projects include Nine Inch Nails’ new (free) album Ghosts I-IV, several releases featuring a superstar rhythm section (Tool’s Danny Carey and Primus’ Les Claypool) and live shows in a power trio with jaw-dropping School of Rock grads Erik and Julie Slick. 9 p.m. at Mercy Lounge —CHRIS PARKER

MusicFRED EAGLESMITH is Bruce Springsteen with his Woody showing, throwing back shots of Texas country. His voice is varnished with whiskey, the raw scratch as primordial as his earthy tales of desperate, often farm-bound folk. He has a gift for narrative—winding tense tales around bustling Bakersfield-tinged roots rock and bluegrass. After three decades of playing, he’s earned a rabid following of Dead-icated “Fredheads,” a testament to his entertaining performances as well as his songwriting prowess. Eaglesmith’s droll, self-deprecating between-song banter amplifies the easygoing intimacy of his shows. In the wake of longtime sideman Willie P. Bennett’s death, he’s released Tinderbox, a stark, Southern gospel-tinged, fire-and-brimstone survey of America’s woes and wrongs. 9 p.m. at The Bluebird Café —CHRIS PARKER