Our Critics' Picks

THURSDAY 4/24

MusicBON JOVI W/DAUGHTRY There are only a handful of contemporary rock acts that have managed to have decades of success without the help of a younger act’s lionization or a VH1 reality show. Jon Bon Jovi has maintained his massive fame by constantly fine-tuning his bombastic, sing-along song formula, most recently by recording in Nashville, adding a twang and conquering the county music charts. Oh, and those classics still sound straight-up awesome—it’s quite possible that “Living on a Prayer” will never die. Opening up is American Idol success story Chris Daughtry (whose band gets the reverse Madonna treatment and drops the first name). Daughtry has tapped into the seemingly insatiable American appetite for grunge-tinged MOR rock. Somewhere, David Cook is smiling. 7:30 p.m. at the Sommet Center —LEE STABERT

MusicALEX SNIDERMAN & THE NU-SONICS Produced by MC5 guitarist Wayne Kramer, Alex Sniderman’s 2000 self-titled debut goosed avant-pop with garage-band abandon. Not exactly a singer-songwriter—his music was far too scruffy and energetic for that—the Murfreesboro native wrote confessional songs that didn’t take themselves too seriously. Kramer’s lead guitar added grit, and tunes such as “Barry White” and “She’s Emotion” combined hooks and humor in the manner of Tommy Womack or Paul Westerberg. Since moving to Brooklyn, Sniderman has completed a new collection, The “Eureka” EP, with his latest group, The Nu-Sonics. It sounds like he’s been absorbing Memphis power-pop and 1972’s Lou Reed, with “Nice Guys” illustrating his melodic flair. Tonight’s show leaves the other two Nu-Sonics at home and brings on board a band comprising keyboardist Tyson Rogers, drummer Keith Brogdon, bassist and guitarist (and Scene arts editor) Jack Silverman, who should light a fire under Sniderman’s compact, sardonic songs. And the Family Wash finally got their beer license, which is timely—this is definitely PBR music. 8 p.m. at Family Wash —EDD HURT

MusicFILM SCHOOL Let’s hope that San Francisco new gaze/shoe wave is the next big thing, because we’ve got both terms trademarked. Prattling screamo brats have held court for far too long. If you’re gonna mope, you may as well do so artfully, with echoing melodies and tidal waves of reverb. Greg Bertens returns in support of Film School’s fantastic third album Hideout, along with keyboardist Jason Ruck and three new players: guitarist Dave Dupuis, drummer James Smith and bassist/vocalist Lorelei Plotczyk. You could compare the latest batch of tunes to the seminal works of Bauhaus, Joy Division or Curve, but then you’d be a dick for trying to pigeonhole the group—does everything have to have a label, falling neatly into some preconceived format, restricted by its very definition? Also, they kinda sound like The Cure, before The Cure started sucking. 9 p.m. at Mercy Lounge —GEOFF JOHNSTON

BooksBRENDA RICKMAN VANTREASE When St. Martin’s brought out Brenda Rickman Vantrease’s first book in 2005, much of the media coverage focused on Vantrease’s own fairy-tale ending. How a retired Metro librarian had finally, at age 60, achieved a lifelong goal of becoming a writer herself was a story that very nearly eclipsed the whole point: Vantrease had written an excellent novel. The Illuminator is nuanced, smart and historically accurate—in short, a work of historical fiction that transcends the genre. No wonder it became a best seller and garnered a heap of glowing reviews. Last year’s sequel, The Mercy Seller, proved Vantrease was no one-book wonder. Reviewing it for the Scene, Lacey Galbraith called it “bigger, broader and even better than its predecessor.” Vantrease will read from the newly released paperback version of The Mercy Seller at 6 p.m. The event is free but reservations are requested; reply to eveningwithanauthor@yahoo.com. Tinney+Cannon Contemporary (237 Fifth Ave. N.) —MARGARET RENKL

 

FRIDAY 4/25

TheaterBABY WITH THE BATHWATER The community theater folks at Old Hickory’s Encore Theatre Company present Christopher Durang’s wicked and wild 1983 comedy as part of a new “second stage” program. Durang is noted for extracting nervous humor out of eccentric human situations. Here, clueless new parents are baffled about the essentials of child-rearing, and the job gets botched even further when an outrageous nanny gets into the act. The youngster, Daisy Dingleberry, grows into a confused man who strives to confront his unconventional childhood and to establish his identity. The ever-busy Jeffrey K. Williams (Bat Boy, Souvenir, The Full Monty) stars as Daisy, with ’Boro theater vet William Keathley on board as his substance-abusing dad and New Yorker Jessica Morris making her Middle Tennessee stage debut as his bipolar mom. The versatile Lauren Atkins takes on four different roles. Recommended for older children and up. April 25-May 10 at 14905-A Lebanon Road —MARTIN BRADY