The Spin
Boogie Down on Cannery Row
“Blastmaster” KRS-One unleashed a full-on lyrical assault on Nashville Saturday night at the Cannery Ballroom. In true-school style, he wouldn’t come out to a passive crowd, so for a couple of hours DJ Klever spun an assortment of hip-hop classics that the surprisingly knowledgeable crowd of youthful rap fans reacted to vigorously. Still, the process of getting the crowd sufficiently hyped took till nearly midnight. KRS-One took the stage and immediately reminded us why he’s still No. 1, showing his appreciation to fans of real hip-hop culture. The breakdancers who had been uprocking and pop-locking on the floor all night were invited onstage to perform during “Step Into a World,” his tribute to b-boys and b-girls. When he noticed fans holding cell phones aloft, he grabbed them from audience members and started freestyling into them. Later, he took audience requests, which yielded fiery performances of classics like “The Bridge Is Over” and “My Philosophy.” KRS was cordial enough to meet with fans after the encore—and after one of the best rap performances The Spin has ever witnessed.
Memphis in Manhattan in Nashville
Plastic eggshells with raffle tickets buried inside were the Easter-themed currency at last Sunday’s Billy Burnette show at 3rd & Lindsley. While rockabilly stylist Burnette provided a fascinating character study in rock star poise, the real clucker was watching Music Row moguls juggle the plastic goodies in one hand while pecking away on their Blackberries with the other. Burnette, a onetime member of Fleetwood Mac who also toured as a backing guitarist with Bob Dylan for 2001’s Love and Theft, packed enough biz veterans in the club to warrant the repositioning of Music Row, if only for one night. Pitchfork darling and opening act Nicolai Dunger was missing in action, but wattage from Burnette’s frequent songwriting collaborators Shawn Camp and Bekka Bramlett more than made up for the Swedish rocker’s absence. Bramlett accompanied her former Fleetwood Mac bandmate for much of his set, flailing away with her tambourine like a madwoman possessed. But it was Burnette himself, playing in support of his live album Memphis in Manhattan, who really made the show tick. Flanked by guitarist Jedd Hughes, Burnette’s end-of-show barnburner “Tear It Up” produced a rousing standing ovation. Elvis may have been king, but as audience reaction showed, Burnette can certainly hold his own.
Snide remark(able)
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We couldn’t think of a better way to spend the fourth night of Passover than with Israeli-born Eef Barzelay of Clem Snide and his acoustic guitar. The scene Saturday night at the Basement was intimate, almost spiritual: Barzelay sang about servitude (a life spent gyrating in Ludacris videos), deliverance (the highs and lows of hooking up with drunk girls), even about faith (“Now that I’m found, I miss being lost.... Now that I’m saved, I wish I was damned”). With his easy demeanor and distinct, delicate voice, Barzelay was more convincing than Moses, except he was inspiring people to stay, not go. Playing a heap of songs off his recently released solo record, including the aforementioned title track “Ballad of Bitter Honey”—in which this skinny, indie white boy inhabits the character of a music video booty-shaker (“all those other hoochie skanks ain’t got shit on me / And one of Nelly’s bodyguards, he totally agrees”) and actually makes it work—Barzelay accomplished what only the best songwriters are capable of: the creation of genuine suspense. The crowd was dead quiet, anticipating his every phrase—waiting for him to undermine a cliché, raise eyebrows with an unexpected image, or offer, in his exquisite, quivering delivery, a simple nugget of truth.
Girls’ night in the ’Boro
Stick-to-itiveness Velcro Stars. Photos: Steve Cross
Founded by Kelly Anderson in 2003, Murfreesboro’s Southern Girls Rock & Roll Camp has gained a lot of popularity in a few short years, and to keep the wheels in motion, SGRRC held a benefit show Saturday night at The Boro Bar & Grill. Biff’s Deville kicked things off with a set that combined rockabilly swagger with a touch of punk. The lead singer made a bold fashion statement, donning big sunglasses, a bright-red leather jacket and a wallet chain, and the guitarist played a baby blue, crescent moon-shaped guitar. Next up, The Turncoats (featuring members of The Bang Up, How I Became the Bomb and The Katies) played some simple, raw rock ’n’ roll that made us want to get out our old Clash records. The crowd was fairly thick by the time Velcro Stars (who have just completed their first full-length, to be released later this fall) took the stage and threw some bouncy indie-pop in our faces. Finally, The Clutters fed us a healthy dose of rock at its purest; we particularly enjoyed guitarist Doug Lehmann’s stage banter about flatulence. Several of the evening’s musicians will preach what they practice—they’ll be participating in the camp as instructors this summer.
(Inter)stellar songwriting workshop
Nashville hit songwriter Beth Nielsen Chapman (Faith Hill’s “This Kiss,” Martina McBride’s “Happy Girl”) will hold her second annual BNC Creativity Stargaze workshop at the Vanderbilt Dyer Observatory, April 28-30. Chapman got the idea for for the workshop while participating in “Music on the Mountain,” a series the Bluebird Café holds at Dyer every summer. “I had been teaching workshops on creativity for a few years,” she says, “and I thought it would be a great idea to combine the worlds of creative expression and space exploration. The realm of space and infinity and the wonder and magic of opening to creative flow all work together so beautifully. Each of us holds the one and only point in the universe that is our individual perspective. This workshop is about stepping all the way into our shoes as the sole owner of that spot and creating from the center.”
Guests will include resident astronomer Rocky Alvey, Grammy-winning artist Kathy Mattea (who will teach a master class) and “drive-by” appearances by hit songwriter Annie Roboff (co-writer of “This Kiss”), producer/songwriter Darrell Brown and Amy Kurland (owner of the Bluebird Café). Dyer Observatory is at 1000 Oman Drive in Brentwood. For information and registration, visit www.bethnielsenchapman.com or call Kris at 474-4013.
The Wright stuff
It’s been too long since someone staged an original rock opera—wait, did we really say that? Here to fill the void is former Milkshake ingredient Jon Wright, whose musical Happily Ever After: A Rock Opera can perhaps be described as Tommy meets Monster-in-Law. Katie Cook and Carey Kotsionis play the women locked in battle over Wright’s sad-sack hero; the pit band includes Jonathan Trebing from Rascal Flatts, Marc Pisapia and Hags Haggerty from Joe, Marc’s Brother, Max Abrams, Steve King, Vinnie Ciesieski, Roy Agee, Jason Gray and David Wilson. Bring wedding bouquets and boxing gloves to City Hall 9 p.m. Saturday.
Bring the Family Dept.
John Hiatt plays songs from his three-decade repertoire and discusses the craft of songwriting 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 19, at MTSU’s Business and Aerospace Building in Murfreesboro. The event is free and open to the public.
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