Our Critics' Picks

THURSDAY 7/3

MusicSCOTT HYLBERT Self-described as “one of the best youth-soccer-coaching recording artists on the airwaves today,” Scott Hylbert is celebrating the release of his new six-song EP Scott 76 at this in-the-round at the Bluebird. By day a senior account exec at the Scene, Hylbert writes jangly, dreamy pop that’s equal parts Gram Parsons, Wilco, the Stones and—as the EP title suggests—vintage ’70s California country rock. Throughout, trippy power-pop flourishes frame Hylbert’s smooth, ethereal voice, and opener “Lighthouse” is the perfect soundtrack for a summertime convertible ride with your sweetie at your side. Also on the bill: the illustrious George Marinelli (who’s played guitar for Bonnie Raitt, Bruce Hornsby and countless others), redoubtable keyboardist Steve Conn (also a Raitt veteran) and earthy roots rocker (and frequent Marinelli collaborator) Charlie Degenhart, who’s hosting the round. 6 p.m. at Bluebird Café —JACK SILVERMAN

MusicBLUEGRASS NIGHTS AT THE RYMAN: VINCE GILL Bluegrass played a small but important part in Gill’s epic 4-CD Grammy-winning set These Days, and on tour dates supporting the release he not only devoted a segment of his set to the music, but brought the Del McCoury Band along to open. In truth, bluegrass has been a small but important thread since his earliest days as a musician. Abetted by longtime sideman Jeff White (for whom he served himself as sideman on two albums) on guitar, bassist-about-town Mike Bub, banjo whiz Charlie Cushman and fiddler Deanie Richardson, Gill can cruise the Bill Monroe classics and his own compositions (like 1997’s IBMA Song of the Year, “High Lonesome Sound”) with equal assurance and conviction. In short, while his dedication to ’grass’s preservation as an essential part of the country legacy is admirable, his performance of it is purely enjoyable. The Steeldrivers (see Saturday’s Picks) open, offering a complementary style that’s no less grounded in tradition. 7:30 p.m. at Ryman Auditorium —JON WEISBERGER

MusicKENNY CHESNEY’S “NEXT BIG STAR” COMPETITION Are you an aspiring country musician? Did you come to Nashville with only a suitcase and guitar to your name? If so, Kenny Chesney wants you—and your band! Poets and pirates alike are welcome to duke it out in a “battle of the bands” style competition. What’s the grand prize, you ask? How about a chance to open for Kenny Chesney this summer. Fifteen minutes has never felt this long as you and your band must outplay, outwit and outlast rival performers. No pressure, but Chesney has been known to take the stage at such events, so keep a keen eye and camera phone ready. More of a spectator? Help Chesney make his decision by cheering hard for your favorites. 9 p.m. at Hard Rock Café —VINCENT AMOROSO

FRIDAY 7/4

JingoismTHE FOURTH OF JULY The only industrialized nation with a worse infant mortality rate than the U.S. is Latvia—and even if you think Europe is a country, that’s pretty bad. Then there’s the incredible disparity between the richest and poorest Americans (see item No. 1 above), which continues to widen. The president does not believe in evolution. Then there’s Guantánamo Bay. And Adam Carolla. You could be forgiven for not turning to your neighbor and giving ’em the ol’ terrorist fist jab when you think about your country ’tis of thee right now, but hey, nothing says “America rules!” like blowing up a bunch of shit imported from China in front of your house and leaving the wind to blow the trash into your neighbor’s yard. Pass the hot dogs. I feel a rush of patriotism coming on, and I want to gain some weight before it passes. All day and irritatingly late into the night, pretty much everywhere —STEVE HARUCH

The Nightlife AquaticDIVE-IN MOVIES: INDEPENDENCE DAY You can swim and watch a movie? Throw in a rubdown from Isabelle Huppert and an IBC Root Beer, and my requirements for heaven are officially met. Every Friday through July 25, Nashville Shores projects a family blockbuster from summers past on a large inflatable screen at the lip of the park’s Lagoon Pool. In honor of our nation’s founding, tread water or chill in a float as Will Smith saves the world from interstellar squid in Independence Day, as pivotal to any Fourth of July festivities as It’s a Wonderful Life is to Christmas or Groundhog’s Day is to Groundhog’s Day. And while you’re there, check out the Music City Racer, 350 gnarly feet of widow-makin’ water-slide action. The movies begin at dusk, and park admission is $11.95 after 3 p.m. Upcoming films include Shrek the Third (July 11), Transformers (July 18) and Surf’s Up (July 25). Visit nashvilleshores.com for coupon offers. Approximately 8:30 p.m. at Nashville Shores —JIM RIDLEY

Fowl PlayMUSIC CITY HOT CHICKEN FESTIVAL If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the chicken. But if you like your fowl fiery, brace yourself for the second annual amateur hot chicken fry-off, when Poultry in Motion takes the deep-fryer against Compton’s Cluckers, Hermitage Heat and three other wannabes. Hot chicken professionals from 400˚, Bolton’s Spicy Chicken and Fish, Prince’s Hot Chicken Shack and The Chicken Shack will offer their wares for free to the first 500 people. Slow birds can by their own from those vendors and others. The fledgling family-friendly event—destined to become a landmark culinary festival—will include music, inflatables and a beer garden hosted by Yazoo Brewing Company. Noon to 3 p.m. at East Park (700 Woodland St.) —CARRINGTON FOX

Born to RunJULY 4TH ROAD RACES Not to be outdone by Atlanta’s famous Peachtree 10K, Nashville offers a pair of fun and competitive road races this Independence Day. The old standby is the Cadillac Firecracker 5K, which takes off in Brentwood at 7 a.m. There, runners will zip through an easy course at the Maryland Farms office park. For more information, call 376-0007. Now if you’re looking for a more challenging route, try the Fourth of July Music City 10K/5K Run Walk. That race, which offers prize money, starts at 8 a.m. at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center and winds up and down the hilly streets of downtown Nashville past some of the city’s top attractions. You can register for the race Friday morning at the Country Music Hall of Fame. —MATT PULLE

Ride the RailsMUSIC CITY STAR FIREWORKS EXPRESS This Independence Day, celebrate freedom from the hassles of downtown traffic and parking by taking the Music City Star to enjoy the fireworks and festivities. The train leaves Lebanon at 4 p.m.—stopping in Martha, Mt. Juliet, Hermitage and Donelson along the way—and arrives downtown at 5 p.m. The outbound train will depart from Nashville 30 minutes after the fireworks end. Two $5 tickets are required for the round trip, but you still get more bang for your buck: Parking is free at each outlying station and gas is included. For more info, visit musiccitystar.org. —BRENT ROLEN

MusicTURBO FRUITS Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar. Sometimes a volcano is just a volcano. In a Turbo Fruits song, a volcano is never just a volcano, though it is something that belches smoke. Even with rumors swirling about guitarist and lead Fruit Jonas Stein’s “project project” (Be Your Own Pet) breaking up, his freewheeling side project is sure to be its usual frenetic, goofy, all-out self. If it’s subtlety you’re looking for, you might want to keep on walking down Elliston Place. Maybe you’ll run into a poet or an interior designer or something. On the other hand: Where there’s smoke, there’s fire. 9 p.m. at The End —STEVE HARUCH

Film

THE CHILDREN OF HUANG SHI How do you get an insulated American audience to pay attention to an early-20th century atrocity in rural China? Airlift a pair of attractive white people into the mix and point their compasses toward redemption. The Children of Huang Shi dramatizes the remarkable real-life story of George Hogg (Jonathan Rhys Meyers), a headstrong British photojournalist who set off to document the harrowing Japanese occupation of China and wound up playing Moses to the lost children of an abandoned orphanage. Meyers, whose face conveys petulant vanity even while sleeping, struggles to contort it into mature self-sacrifice, and his love interest—Radha Mitchell’s supremely pragmatic aid worker—seems like she has better things to do. Unfortunately, the natives who flank them are vastly more interesting—Chow Yun-Fat’s worldly Communist guerrilla and Michelle Yeoh’s fallen but virtuous aristocratic Madame are mostly left to stand by and admire. The film is as picturesque, noble-minded and conscientious as a Peace Corps brochure. Unfortunately, it’s also about as staid and whitewashed. Opening at Green Hills 16 —CODY DE VOS

SATURDAY 7/6

MusicSTEELDRIVERS Call it bluegrass-soul—frontman Chris Stapleton’s gruff baritone swaggers with a bluesy warble, guiding this quintet of Nashville session vets through peculiarly gritty bluegrass. While Richard Bailey’s banjo and Mike Henderson’s mandolin take the upper register toward the mountains, Stapleton (who co-wrote Kenny Chesney’s hit “Never Wanted Nothing More”) heads in a more rugged direction. That tension between high and low, old and new, fuels their sound, forging something familiar yet surprising. Fiddler Tammy Rogers provides trad country flavor, and her frequent vocal harmonies are among the highlights from January’s self-titled debut. Others include the dusty, alt-country vibe of “Drinkin’ Dark Whiskey” and “To Be With You Again,” a tune that lingers between bluegrass gospel and Joe Cocker. The SteelDrivers also open for Vince Gill, July 3 at The Ryman. 9 p.m. at Station Inn —CHRIS PARKER

Political Debate: BBQ or Hayride?WILLIAMSON COUNTY DEMOCRATS’ SUMMER PICNIC Who says politics ain’t no picnic? Join the Williamson County Democrats as they celebrate Independence Day with liberal portions of BBQ, live music, silent auctions and hayrides. (Hopefully the hay will then be used to create fresh compost heaps.) Sorry, Obama won’t be there (he’s probably at an Arcade Fire show somewhere), but bring your babies for political kisses anyway—pucker up senatorial guest speakers. The price is $20 a head, unless you’re a Republican, in which case all it will cost you is your vote. 5-8 p.m. at Sneed Acres (9207 Old Smyrna Rd., Brentwood) —VINCENT AMOROSO

MusicTEDDY GEIGER Though he’s being aggressively marketed as a teen hearthrob, singer-songwriter Teddy Geiger’s morose streak stands to do him well long into the future. Geiger approached the music biz via a VH1 contest, but the new material from his forthcoming album points to an artist engaging in the serious business of developing his own voice. To his credit, it hasn’t taken him long, and his work shows integrity. At 19, Geiger’s whispery soul croon sounds a little precocious, but the new stuff sheds the more obvious hit-machine stylings of his first album Underage Thinking and reveals a knack for pop hooks. Geiger is especially catchy when he drives his songs with meaty, soul-inspired piano lines. If he’s this soulful and bummed-out now, who knows what he’ll be able to accomplish with more creative independence. 7 p.m. at Rcktwn —SABY REYES-KULKARNI

MusicKENNY CHESNEY, LEANN RIMES, GARY ALLAN, KEITH URBAN & SAMMY HAGAR There’s no bigger country star at this moment than Chesney, who won his fourth consecutive ACM Entertainer of the Year award thanks to last year’s Just Who I Am: Poets & Pirates. He earned his keep onstage before ever hitting the charts, with a lighthearted straightforwardness exemplified both in the album title and its blue collar paean “Shiftwork.” The 25-year-old Rimes has lived a lifetime in the dozen years since Blue made her a star, sampling a variety of genres on her way to pop success. Her latest, Family, is her first album of all originals, highlighted by the swampy hot-blooded groove “Nothin’ Better to Do.” New traditionalist Gary Allan can be spotted “Watching Airplanes” with hard-bitten resilience, drawing his tenor from a deep emotional well. The silver-throated Aussie Urban has a soft country-pop touch. And while Hagar can’t drive 55 or sing well, he is ready to party. 3:30 p.m. at LP Field —CHRIS PARKER

MASSIVE MARKETS: PAMELA JOHNSON AND ANNE KARSTEN Just as blustery spring leaves Nashville, giving way to sweltering summer, two artists from the Windy City blow into town, bringing us all a breath of fresh air. The Showroom Gallery at the Arcade will present Massive Markets, a show of new work by two painters who examine consumer culture from their own unique points of view. Johnson’s bigger-than-life canvases strive to reveal the scale of our must-have desires through her studies of diverse subjects, ranging from dramatic representations of Gummi Bears to iconic images of Girl Scout Cookies. Anne Karsten takes a different tack, attempting to demonstrate how simple, trivial eBay purchases reveal the psychological depths of the purchaser. July 4-31 at The Showroom (75 Arcade); opening reception, 6-9 p.m. —JOE NOLAN

CARRY NATION: THE ORIGINAL AND FAMOUS BARROOM SMASHERS Twist Gallery is sticking with its current show—Quinn Dukes: The Din of Culture—rather than presenting a new face for tonight’s Art Crawl. However, fans of the gallery know to expect the unexpected from this always-challenging art space. To Compliment Dukes’ work, Twist is hosting a performance by a group of women who are sure to bring a cool happening to a hot night in The Arcade. Carry Nation: The Original and Famous Barroom Smashers, a three-woman band featuring Sherry Cothran, freelance Scene writer Jewly Hight and Sarah Masen, take their name from the (in)famous hatchet-wielding, prohibitionist street preacher. Their music draws on that inspiration, blending evangelical elements, protest music and blues-based rock into one. All three multi-instrumentalists share lead vocals. 6-9 p.m. at Twist Gallery —JOE NOLAN

NEW WORKS This month, TAG Art Gallery will feature work from artists Matthew Feyld, Jason Dunda, Rik Catlow and Kelly Williams, all of whom explore various facets of our culture. Catlow and Feyld’s cartoonlike style creates a narrative by employing elements of graffiti and folk art. Dunda uses gouache for his landscapes and figures, while Williams’ oil paintings function as film stills, capturing moments of mundane, everyday life. This show is a good example of the kinds of exciting artists curator Jerry Dale McFadden has brought to Nashville over the last eight years—and unfortunately, this show will be TAG’s last. Thankfully, McFadden does plan to occasionally curate in locations around town and will keep TAG’s website up and running for purchasing and viewing new work. July 5-26 at TAG Art Gallery; opening reception, 6-9 p.m. —AMANDA DILLINGHAM

SUNDAY 7/6

MusicLISA LOEB With her trademark tortoiseshell glasses and sturdy, friendly folk-rock, Lisa Loeb has always seemed a little like the cool summer-camp counselor who has a way with kids and—on her off hours—a rich, adult life. On her new Camp Lisa, Loeb makes a calm, tuneful record that makes going away to camp sound fun, even when it rains and the pancakes are disappointing. “Best Friend” says something about the difficulties of compatibility, which is only natural coming from a performer whose reality show #1 Single portrayed Loeb as she juggled career and dating. Camp Lisa features guests on the order of Steve Martin and Jill Sobule, who add just the right touches. The record ends with “Linger,” which makes the prospect of summer’s end seem less traumatic than it really is. Loeb will also appear at Barnes & Noble in Opry Mills (4:30-5:40 p.m. Monday, July 7) and hold a songwriting clinic at the National Guitars Workshop (Wednesday, June 9; for information, visit guitarworkshop.com) 8 p.m. at 3rd & Lindsley —EDD HURT

MONDAY 7/7

Radio DazeOUT THE OTHER’S SUMMER OF GUEST DJS Say what you will about music bloggers, but leave Out the Other bloggerette Janet Timmons out of it. Compared to the insular, hip-mongering, finger-on-the-pulse obsessed crop of bloggerati today, Timmons, with her unpretentious, no-frills focus on—get this—local and up-and-coming bands, details of their albums and tours and the occasional aerobic-friendly work-out mix, looks positively civic-minded. Timmons also hosts a show on WRVU with a similar mission statement, and her ongoing Summer of Guest DJs brings local folks immersed in music even further into the mix. This week’s co-host Michael Eades—who happens to run his own blog, Yewknee—will be on-air to promote his ongoing playlist, the Summer Mix Series (summermixseries.com), where readers submit their personal summer mixes and Eades hosts them online for download all summer long. It’s the perfect complement to Timmons’ educate-and-advocate strategy: Next time you see her out, you can thank her for providing you with a summer soundtrack. 10 p.m. on WRVU-91 —TRACY MOORE

TUESDAY 7/8

Movie PremierePIZZA MAN Friday and Waiting bump uglies in this Nashville-shot hip-hop comedy about the misadventures of two pizza drivers—one can’t get a tip to save his life, the other falls for a red-hot customer. First-time director Wesley Mitchell III (the power behind Comcast Channel 17’s Elite Business Network TV show and the rap-video show Hip Hop in the Ville) co-wrote the script with Mario Scott, drawing on his own experiences back in the day as a pizza deliveryman, which evidently got a bit spicy. “There was the young lady in a negligee who answered the door one time,” Mitchell says. “But I exaggerated it a little for the movie. She shows her breasts in the movie.” (Mitchell advises that the material is R-rated.) Shot on location at Pizzereal and Tasty Fashions in East Nashville and Mr. P’s Wings on Murfreesboro Road, the movie stars Rod Gathings, Halvilah Warren, Rob Dee, Sharhonda Williams, Charles Whimes, Corey Jones, Midnight and the pride of South 8, Crisis tha Rhyme Don. And where can you get one of those suave “Zulu Pizza” T-shirts? Try cafepress.com/elitebusiness.241124268 ($10.99). 7 p.m. at The Belcourt —JIM RIDLEY

MusicGRETEL The name “Gretel” suggests a fairy tale, but it’s a fairy tale with teeth—after all, the story’s about kids being lured into a gingerbread house that isn’t what it seems. Likewise, Boston’s experimental folk trio Gretel make music that’s both fantastical and rife with insight into weighty things, be they ugly or pretty. Led by singer-songwriter Reva Williams with keyboardist Melissa Meyers and multi-instrumentalist Phil DuPertuis, the group released their Meteorite EP last year. (As a testament to their DIY innovativeness, they sell it as a bare-bones CD or in an elaborate, surprise-filled box.) Standout “Carlotta” slinks in with ominous strains of clarinet and saw, and rolls into a jaunty shuffle with a fetching melodic hook. Gretel’s shows are wonderfully textured affairs. Williams sings with Sam Phillips’ penetrating directness and unfettered range of expression, and—in addition to adding vocal harmonies with DuPertuis—Meyers makes imaginative use of a typewriter and a five-gallon plastic bucket. 9 p.m. at The 5 Spot —JEWLY HIGHT

Chet Squadron3RD ANNUAL CHET ATKINS TRIBUTE SHOW The gentlemanly Certified Guitar Picker is no longer with us, but that doesn’t deter the Chet Atkins Appreciation Society (CAAS) from giving his memory a five-finger salute each year, as it has for more than five decades. A relatively recent development is this kick-off event on the home turf of Franklin’s Artisan Guitars, which invites the master’s friends, devotees and disciples to perform his music. This year’s lineup features flat-top/fingerstyle wizards such as John Knowles, Pete Huttlinger, Muriel Anderson, Darrell Toney, Shane Adkins, Ben Owens and Ron Thompson. Tickets are $20 at the door and include a commemorative Hatch Show Print poster. If you like what you hear, stick around for the convention July 9-12 at the Music City Sheraton. For more information, call 595-2544. 7 p.m. at The Factory at Franklin —JIM RIDLEY

Creatures of the NightSUMMER NIGHTS ON THE HILL With this summer heat, maybe we should just all go nocturnal. In lieu of the night-loving creatures you can spot around town—college students, dudes in bands—Owl’s Hill is offering the chance for city-dwellers to scope out owls, bats or even the occasional fox or bobcat while listening to the hum of frogs and crickets. Fuel your mind for the walk ahead with a simple dinner and short nature talk in Russell Gathering Pavilion. Maybe with global warming, this alternative lifestyle will finally get its due. Reservations required; Call 370-4672 or visit owlshill.org. Families welcome; ages 5 and older. 6-8:30 p.m. at Owl’s Hill Nature Sancturary (545 Beech Creek Road, Brentwood) —LEE STABERT

WEDNESDAY 7/9

MusicTHE ELMS The tonic for those weary of wading through the layers of irony and snark affixed to modern rock like coats of rust is a band like The Elms. The Elms come roaring out of Indiana—a fact that they proudly announce on their MySpace page—and are an especially tight four-man guitar-drums-bass outfit. They started life identified as a Christian act but by 2006’s Chess Hotel were working a light roots rock vibe. In whatever incarnation, The Elms make music that will have you singing, shouting and dancing at the club, and then likely forgetting it the next morning. 9 p.m. at 12th & Porter —WERNER TRIESCHMANN

MusicBACKYARD AT THE BELCOURT: WHO’S BAD? & APPETITE FOR DESTRUCTION It’s too bad Guns ’N Roses and Michael Jackson never shared a bill—that would have been one fucked-up backstage party. Well, here is a chance for fans of both acts to mix and mingle: The Belcourt is hosting a double bill featuring Who’s Bad? and Appetite for Destruction, two cover acts known for loyalty to their source material. This is the first show of the Backyard at the Belcourt Outdoor Concert Series; stay tuned throughout the summer for performances by Will Hoge, Zach Brown Band with Billy Joe Shaver, and Paul Thorn. For a complete schedule, visit belcourt.org. Rain or shine. 7 p.m. at The Belcourt —LEE STABERT