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Perhaps best known for writing Tim McGraw’s sobering hit “Red Ragtop,” White has proved he can polish off anything from New Wave rock to feathery pop to singer-songwriter balladry without losing his sardonic poise or cool—the kind of thing that gets a should-be star accidentally branded as (shudder) “smart.” Let that serve as a coded message to any Todd Snider/Dan Bern/Fountains of Wayne fan to check him out. Playing his first full-band show in Nashville in at least two years, featuring Scene layabout Jack Silverman on guitar, White will showcase songs from an upcoming album with producer Roger Moutenot that boasts a softer, more keyboard-heavy sound—it’s as sonically inviting as Billy Joel’s early records, only with lyrics that nip your hand. As for Swan Dive, the duo of Bill DeMain and Molly Felder made it as big as Cheap Trick in Japan with some of the most sublime pop ever to come out of Music City—including a terrific bossa nova record that’s practically an audio caipirinha. Their latest, Mayfair, just came out overseas, and it better come out here.
Fri., May 29, 10 p.m., 2009
Fri., May 29, 10 p.m., 2009
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