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THURSDAY 12/27

Music
CHICAGO AFROBEAT The most obvious question with this Fela Kuti-inspired ensemble is: How are they different from fellow Afrobeat torchbearers Antibalas? Chicago Afrobeat proves Antibalas’ claim that Afrobeat is a genre unto itself that can be approached in myriad ways. Chicago Afrobeat distinguish themselves on a number of levels—seeing them on the same bill as Antibalas would even work—and highlight different (less arty) aspects of Kuti’s sound. They strip the music down to its essential components while retaining a grittiness that eludes Antibalas. The rhythms are snakier, the grooves funkier and the horn work edgier, creating a hypnotic space in which to get carried away—you might even get lost in dance, as well you should. 9 p.m. at Mercy Lounge; Saturday, 29^th at Wall Street —SABY REYES-KULKARNI

Bye Bye Ray
I CAN’T STOP LOVING YOU: RAY CHARLES AND COUNTRY MUSIC As the Country Music Hall of Fame gears up for its hotly anticipated Hank Williams exhibit, you have through New Year’s Eve to catch its exhaustive overview of Ray Charles’ longtime affiliation with honky-tonk music. Included are such totems as his piano and alto saxophone (the one pictured on 1958’s Ray Charles at Newport), Don Gibson’s handwritten lyrics for the song that gives the exhibit its title and the Braille slate Charles used early on for correspondence—not to mention Brother Ray’s trademark sunglasses. After the 31^st, it’s hello emptiness—but thankfully not for long: As Hank would say, “Move it on over!” Through Dec. 31 at the Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum —JIM RIDLEY

FRIDAY 12/28

Music
BE YOUR OWN PET Last year, a rag-tag group of local teenagers landed themselves on more than a few prominent best-of-2006 lists. Be Your Own Pet’s self-titled full-length debut for Thurston Moore’s Ecstatic Peace Records is a sonic snapshot of the punk quartet’s manic, yet playful live set. Frontwoman Jemina Pearl commands the stage, while the reckless energy of guitarist Jonas Stein and bassist Nathan Vasquez threatens to trump their responsibilities to their instruments. While the band’s side-projects have remained hyperactive, local BYOP gigs have grown sparse. On the bill are The Beta Macks (also playing Saturday at Exit/In), who combine the melodicism of The Smiths with the dark backdrop of Depeche Mode. Opening is one-woman wrecking crew Unicorn Hard-On, whose synth-heavy noise, while obtuse and irregular, still maintains a distinct danceability. 9 p.m. at The End —MATT SULLIVAN

Music
GRAND PALACE CHRISTMAS BASH Keeping the Yule Log burning just a few days longer, Murfreesboro’s homegrown bohemians and indie rock do-it-yourselfers Grand Palace are filling out the limbo-esque weekend between Christmas and New Year’s with an official Christmas Bash at Exit/In. The line up features underage power trio Kindergarten Circus, who belt out the kind of savage angst only teenagers can muster; Turncoats will provide their razor sharp vintage pop ’n’ roll in the form of sweet, simple punk jams; and, rounding out the evening, Hands Down Eugene, who keep it on the down low with their dreamy psychedelic pop. Of course, no Grand Palace event would be proper without DJ Bawston Sean behind the turntables, no doubt spinning classic soul favorites and forgotten funk even your parents don’t remember. 9 p.m. at Exit/In —SETH GRAVES

Cover Music
IS SHE WEIRD, IS SHE WHITE? W/THE TEENAGE FBI Think you’re the world’s biggest Pixies fan? Bobby Bare Jr. might have you beat. His critically acclaimed 2006 album The Longest Meow embraced a more Southern incarnation of the Pixies’ signature loud-quiet-loud dynamic, and featured a unique cover of Surfa Rosa standout “Where Is My Mind.” He managed to make it his own, boding well for Bare and the armada of Nashville musicians—culled from both Forget Cassettes and his band, the Young Criminal Starvation League—who make up the aptly titled Pixies cover band Is She Weird, Is She White? Joined by The Teenage FBI, a Guided By Voices tribute featuring members of local favorite Lone Official, Bare and company will undoubtedly be “slicing up eyeballs.” 9:30 p.m. at Mercy Lounge —MURRAY SHARP

Two Nights of Music
CASEY DRIESSEN 2007 has been a good year for fiddle phenom Casey Driessen, starting off with a Grammy nomination for his tour de force deconstruction of bluegrass standard “Jerusalem Ridge” and moving through appearances solo, with the Sparrow Quartet (Bela Fleck, Ben Sollee, Abigail Washburn) and with his band Colorfools. Driessen’s not the only artist who’s meshed post-modern moves with an old-time sensibility—or is it the other way around?—but he’s one of the most consistently engaging. This pair of shows starts off quietly, with Driessen joined in an acoustic duo by former Wisechild bandmate Luke Bulla, a scarily virtuosic multi-instrumentalist and soulful singer who, like Driessen, has pursued his own eclectic path between high-profile sideman stints. The second night opens up broader horizons, offering Colorfools (drummer Tom Giampetro plus fill-in bassist Jason Oettel), a free-wheeling outfit that Driessen describes as a “power trio with fiddle and an old-time backbeat.” Those who like to sort their music into neat categories should take a pass, but anyone with adventurous ears will find a lot to like—including Kentucky jamgrass openers Bawn In The Mash—in both shows. 9 p.m. Friday & Saturday at Station Inn —JON WEISBERGER

Here Comes the Bride
BRIDESEDGE.COM BRIDAL SHOW Still have some spending power left in those little fingers? Getting married anytime soon? Well then come on down to beautiful Municipal Auditorium for some post-holiday browsing. Bridesedge.com is hosting a bridal show featuring over 100 vendors, transportation to and from parking areas (useful for those feeling a bit like a non-blue Violet Beauregard after all the festive gorging) and a grooms’ room complete with refreshments and sports (dudes love sports, not planning weddings—I learned that little tidbit from the beer commercials). The show is also a fundraiser for Second Harvest Food Bank, and a non-perishable item gets you $3 off admission ($8). 11 a.m.-5 p.m. at Municipal Auditorium —LEE STABERT

SATURDAY 12/29

Film
KUROSAWA COLOR CLASSICS: RAN This week you can compare the vastly different work of two of Japan’s greatest directors as the Belcourt alternates weekend showings of Akira Kurosawa’s late-period color spectacles with its remarkable traveling retrospective of the late Shohei Imamura—a comparison as jarring as weighing John Ford against Russ Meyer. The analogy is inexact, but it’ll be instructive to watch Kurosawa’s classical propriety alongside Imamura’s raw, raunchy immediacy. Kurosawa’s 1985 version of King Lear may be his final masterwork, with the great Tatsuya Nakadai as the feudal lord who plunges his domain into chaos by pitting his sons against each other for his favor. Don’t miss it—the theater notes that the distributor’s U.S. rights expire Dec. 31, making this your last chance to see the film on the big screen for some time. Next up: Kagemusha on Jan. 5, the same weekend the theater opens the restored director’s version of Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner. Noon Dec. 29-30 at the Belcourt —JIM RIDLEY

Music
ON COMMAND Mike Raber, the guy who pours the drinks and books the shows at Springwater, is turning 30 years old this week. As a birthday gift to himself, Raber has re-reunited his old band for one last time—the final time he claims, seriously this time. With the birthday boy on vocals, On Command’s 2005 self-titled debut was rewardingly chaotic and punishing—camaro punk pumped on steroids. A few months after its release, the band disappeared, only to resurface early this year for a single Springwater show. The lineup this Saturday will likely mirror the original reunion show—some permutation of members from Lambchop, Apollo Up! and Asschapel, and will most certainly rip just as hard. 9 p.m. at The End —MATT SULLIVAN

Creole Christmas
GIRLFRIENDS & GUMBO HOLIDAY BRUNCH It’s the time of year for family, friends, reflection, merriment and, of course, gumbo. Chappy’s on Church is hosting this ladies-only luncheon—“a holiday brunch for a woman’s soul”—featuring roundtable discussions on women’s issues, door prizes, champagne, live music and networking. Presented by Empowerment Spa, this event promises a chance to shake off holiday stress and enjoy time with like-minded women. To reserve a spot, visit empowermentspa.com. 11:30-2 p.m. at Chappy’s on Church —LEE STABERT

SUNDAY 12/30

Movie Premiere
SEVEN SIGNS If anyone can explore the South’s twisted, tangled heritage of roadside prophecy, weird Americana and swampy folklore—without gawking like an outsider art dealer hunting his next installation—it’s Col. J.D. Wilkes of Th’ Legendary Shack*Shakers. Wandering the South from sideshows to churches, stalking the Bell Witch and the two-headed boy, Wilkes’ documentary examines the portents and wonders of his homeland. The striking excerpts that have turned up on the Internet support his vow that the movie is “not an exploitational slam-job on the South.” Wilkes hosts the movie’s premiere with live performances by the Alabama Jug Band and The Pine Hill Haints. 7 p.m. at the Belcourt —JIM RIDLEY

Music
TRANS SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA Apparently baby boomers never tire of laser light shows, or Pink Floyd. While most of them would be better served using lasers to correct their failing eyesight, they line up—in droves—for the bombastic rock spectacle of Trans Siberian Orchestra. Instead of the anti-establishment rock of Floyd, TSO presents titanic Christmas epics loaded with guitar and strings—not to mention the fire and lasers. And you never need to worry about getting a contact high at a TSO show, though you may need to get your blood checked for high sugar levels. 7:30 p.m. at Sommet Center —WERNER TRIESCHMANN

MONDAY 12/31

New Year’s Eve
THE FEATURES W/HOW I BECAME THE BOMB Two of Nashville most consistent party-time bands pair up for this Mercy Lounge bill. One might be on the wane (The Features remain in label-limbo), while the other is on the rise (HIBTB have scored a U.K. management deal), but both bands will bring enough poptastic beats and sing-along tunes to keep the throng throbbing till well into the night. One downside: Parking promises to be a death sport on Cannery Row—the Guilty Pleasures show downstairs will almost definitely sell out. 9 p.m. at Mercy Lounge —LEE STABERT

New Year’s Eve
JEFF W/MEEMAW & RAIN Let’s ring in the new year much the same way we spent the old one—going to JEFF shows. Excellent garage-rockers Meemaw will open in what is likely their first non-house show gig. Also playing are Rain, easily confused for Deluxin’ because they share all the same personnel—two members of Be Your Own Pet and two members of Turbo Fruits crammed into three people. 9 p.m. at The End —MATT SULLIVAN

New Year’s Eve
LEFT CAN DANCE For the second year in a row, dance party institution Left Can Dance will drop the ball in style with a New Year’s Eve bash. While still featuring their resident DJs and usual mix of indie electro, post punk and new wave, LCD is abandoning its home at Elliston Place rock ’n’ roll hovel The End and migrating across the river to inhabit the equally humble digs at East Nashville’s FooBar. Promising no cover charge and cheap drinks all night, this seems to be one of the best options for those light on cash and heavy on the desire to dance. 9 p.m. at FooBar —SETH GRAVES

New Year’s Eve
CHRIS YOUNG How startling it must be to win a talent competition like Nashville Star, be seen by millions of fans, get your record contract and find out that you’re maybe half a step ahead of your competition in the country game. Bless his heart: Chris Young, a hat-wearing crooner who hasn’t exactly burned up the charts since his Nashville Star triumph, is still out there plugging. He has a lovely little heartbroken ballad, “Drinking Me Lonely,” that should give all the single people in the room something to sing along with as the clock ticks down to midnight. 8 p.m. at Nashville Palace —WERNER TRIESCHMANN

New Year’s Eve
JEDD HUGHES’ crisp, easy tenor and nimble fingers have put this Aussie import on the fast track. Discovered by Terry McBride while enrolled in the bluegrass program at South Plains College, Hughes dropped out and moved to Nashville. He was Patty Loveless’ lead guitarist for a couple years and displayed keen economy and rootsy bite on his 2004 solo debut, Transcontinental. His reedy delivery can recall Tom Petty, particularly on tracks like “She’s My Girl,” which works a dark rock twang. Hughes recently joined countryman Keith Urban on Capitol Nashville and has a sophomore full-length due next—oops, this year. 9 p.m. at the Basement —CHRIS PARKER

New Year’s Eve
2007 YEAR-IN-REVIEW TRIVIA The video for what song depicted Britney Spears watching a dark-haired doppelganger slink on a stripper poll? What animated program’s guerilla marketing stunt caused a bomb scare in Boston? Who took over for Bob Barker on The Price is Right? Master Chief returned in what video game title? Who played whistleblower on the Patriots, resulting in “Spygate”? If you know the answer to all those questions, head to Corner Bar for some early evening team trivia—have some drinks, share your extensive Lohan knowledge and, if you’re lucky, win yourself a bar tab. For information, visit myspace.com/triviatime. 7-9 p.m. at Corner Bar —LEE STABERT

See & Don’t Be Seen
WATCHING TV AT HOME If you’ve outgrown—or better yet, never got into—wearing funny hats, having kazoos blown in your face, maladroitly attempting to kiss strangers at midnight and singing Scots folk songs with a roomful of people who also have no idea what the fuck they’re saying, why not marathon instead? You’ll be a twice-baked couch potato by the time you get through America’s Next Top Model Cycle 1 (VH1), or episode after episode of Mythbusters (Discovery), The Twilight Zone (Sci Fi) or Country Fried Home Videos (CMT). Hell, Repo Man’s on, too (Encore). Don’t have good cable (or cable at all)? Dick Clark literally never gets old. 9-ish, in the living room, or wherever your best TV happens to be. —STEVE HARUCH

New Year’s Eve
OLD UNION For every band that cringes at the “j” term—jam band—there’s another that wears it as a badge of brotherhood with acts from the Allman Brothers to Funkadelic. If you’ve got something against the kind of breadbasket rock ’n’ roll that barnstormed state fairs and raceways between the Beatles and the launch of MTV, stay away from Nashville die-hards Old Union. Led by keyboardist Chuck Foster’s gruff rock-tumbler of a voice, they’re the next best thing to hopping in the Way-Back Machine and catching Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band at Municipal circa Stranger in Town. And if that sounds like an insult—well, enjoy those Candlebox records, pencilneck. The band returns for their fourth annual Midnight Special at the Belcourt with Ballhog opening up. 10 p.m. at the Belcourt —JIM RIDLEY

New Year’s Eve
DJ RON A mere shadow of his former self, thanks to a rigorous new health regimen, DJ Ron is flexing his muscle on the dance floor—especially at Tribe, where his annual New Year’s Eve gig is pretty much Guy Lombardo for festive hardbodies. After jetting to Europe earlier this year for some overseas dates, the 91/Radio Free Nashville host and mixmaster is home for the holidays, and he’ll be beat-mixing videos from a laptop leading up to the balloon drop at midnight. Call 329-2914 for dinner reservations at Red beforehand. 10 p.m. at Tribe —JIM RIDLEY

New Year’s Eve
WALK THE WEST More than 20 years have buzzed by since Walk The West merged tight song craft and fierce roots rock—think Tom Petty’s Heartbreakers, with cowboy boots—to become one of the first Nashville rock bands to earn a major-label deal. Led by Paul Kirby’s carnal burr of a voice, the band brought a sexual swagger to concise tunes that merged good-time rave-ups and moody introspection. For the first time in far too long, the original quartet—Kirby, guitarist Will Golemon, bassist John Golemon, drummer Richard Ice—reunite to stick a spur in the year’s end. “Auld Lang Syne,” indeed. 8 p.m. at 527 in Murfreesboro —MICHAEL MCCALL

TUESDAY 1/1

Live Long and Prosper
BLACK EYED PEAS & COLLARD GREENS Legend has it that despite Sherman’s best efforts to barbecue the South, our hardy breed was saved in part by the humble field pea, considered too worthless by Yankees to steal or raze. Little did they know that Southerners will eat anything—and with God as mah witness, we nevah went hungry again. Hence the New Year’s tradition of black-eyed peas and greens, a meal of ingredients too stubborn to kill—and hence a safeguard of good fortune in the year ahead. (True believers eat a bean for each day of the year or each dollar they hope to earn.) Considering some of the luck I’ve had following the script in recent years, I’ve thought about switching to a salad of nettles. But the meal is really a reward in itself. The rangy peas and peppery greens, accompanied by goodies such as vinegar, Louisiana Gold hot sauce and a pan of iron-skillet cornbread, remind you that you lived to see another year—and that, my friend, is all the luck you need. —JIM RIDLEY

Resolution
GIVE BLOOD Donating blood may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you wake up on New Year’s Day, but there’s definitely a need—due to traveling and the general mayhem of the holiday season, donations slow considerably in late December. The Nashville American Red Cross Chapter is open on New Year’s Day until 2 p.m., which means all you hungover partygoers with throbbing headaches not only have time to recover, but the opportunity to ease a little of that leftover materialistic holiday guilt. According to communications coordinator Joette Phillips, throwing down the night before isn’t a reason not to donate. “Being hungover isn’t a reason to defer someone from donating blood, as long as you feel OK that day and your health history checks out, it should be fine,” says Phillips. “We always tell every donor, no matter what, to eat well the day before, be well-hydrated and make sure you feel good before you come in—those are the only qualifications.” 7 a.m.–2 p.m. at Nashville American Red Cross (2201 Charlotte Avenue) —TRACY MOORE

WEDNESDAY 1/2

Cooking the Books
NASHVILLE PUBLIC LIBRARY’S FOOD FOR FINES Giving new meaning to the term “fine dining,” next week Nashville Public Library’s Food for Fines program allows library cardholders to have their current overdue fines waived at the rate of $1 for each can or package of food donated to Second Harvest Food Bank. Donations can be made at the Main Library and all neighborhood branches. Items in particularly high demand include peanut butter, canned meats (tuna, beef stew), canned vegetables and fruits, mac & cheese and rice and beans. Last year’s drive brought in 13 tons—that ain’t peanuts. (Well, some of it may have been.) Think of it as scrambled eggsoneration, or honey-baked hamnesty, or maybe debt-releafy greens. (For each 100 pounds of food donated, the Scene will delete one bad pun from each upcoming issue.) Jan. 2-9 at the Main Library and all branches —JACK SILVERMAN