Hip-hop doesn’t always mean rhyming about fast cars, loose women and thugs—at least not for New York’s Gym Class Heroes, who spin through everyday tales with a far more universal appeal. The band draws Roots comparisons for mixing rap with live instrumentation, but they’re also uniquely aligned with the emo/pop-punk set, thanks to frequent collaborations with groups like Fall Out Boy. (Pete Wentz signed the band to his Fueled by Ramen imprint, Decaydence, and the band’s single “Cupid’s Chokehold,” which features Fall Out Boy’s Patrick Stump, is currently enjoying Billboard Hot 100 status.) Gym Class cleverly exploit the fluidity of hip-hop, incorporating emo-sensitive lyrics and a subtle rock aesthetic into singer Travis McCoy’s fast-talking lines about girls and love. Canadian rapper k-os joins them on the bill with a hybrid hip-hop sensibility that eschews slick production in favor of a raw edge that highlights  k-os’ vocal skills, which shift from spitting rhymes to soaring melodies. Up-and-coming rapper P.O.S. and never-gonna-quit, jam-fueled punk band RX Bandits add a dynamic diversity to the lineup. Gym Class Heroes play an in-store at 4 p.m. at f.y.e.; 6 p.m. at Rcktwn —EMILY ZEMLER

MUSIC

THURSDAY, 1ST

DONNA HUGHES Donna Hughes’ Rounder debut, Gaining Wisdom, has just been released, and the North Carolina singer-songwriter is celebrating by bringing a specially assembled band and her piano to Nashville’s bluegrass mecca. Wisdom, her third album, was produced by guitar legend Tony Rice, who serendipitously heard her second at a friend’s home and followed up. The result is a well-crafted and wide-ranging set that teases out the strengths in Hughes’ melancholy voice and songs with a thoughtful selection of singers and players, including tonight’s bassist Mike Bub and mandolinist Wayne Benson (John Cowan Band). Rounding out the cast are up-and-comers Rebecca Hoggan Frazier (guitar, Hit & Run Bluegrass) and Thomas Wywrot (banjo, Alecia Nugent Band). This blend of energy and experience should serve Hughes at least as well as her own sensitive touch on the keyboards. Station Inn —JON WEISBERGER

DUB TRIO W/CLUTCH It may seem like a crude gimmick on paper—and perhaps even on record—but Dub Trio’s signature style of alternating dub reggae and guitar-heavy rock gels into a seamless whole in concert. But mixing styles alone isn’t what cements Dub Trio as one of the more distinctive voices in music today: it’s the adventure and progressive sensibility the band brings to its source material that suggests a highly sophisticated, visionary group mind at work. Onstage, bassist Stu Brooks, guitarist DP Holmes and drummer Joe Tomino display such mastery of their gear that tone becomes a virtual sixth instrument in their live arsenal, which also includes samples and loads of effects that act as separate “instruments” unto themselves. As Mike Patton’s backing band, Dub Trio demonstrated versatility in a more extroverted manner, but on its own that versatility functions perfectly within the music—a quality that Patton’s work often lacks. Though headliners Clutch might seem light years away in terms of innovation, they’ve become legends partially because of a willingness to take risks and bring outside influences to the stoner-rock mix. If anything, the contrast between the two bands should enliven the show and highlight each, especially since, in their own way, Clutch certainly groove as wickedly as Dub Trio rock. Exit/In —SABY REYES-KULKARNI

THURSDAY, 1ST—SATURDAY, 3RD

NEIL NIGHT/BEATINBEATLE MANIA Hey, hey, my, my—rock ’n’ roll will never die. Well, certainly not this weekend, anyway, as East Nashville’s Family Wash is awash in classics from yesteryear. This Thursday and Friday, a group billing themselves as the Sons of Zevon (a reference to a previous Warren Zevon tribute show) will dig deep into the catalog of Neil Young, fronted by local heroes such as Tommy Womack, Bob Delevante, Chuck Mead, Tim Carroll, Bill Lloyd, Dave Coleman and Brian Waldschlager. The Sons are no slouches themselves: guitarists Reeves Gabrels (David Bowie), Audley Freed (Dixie Chicks, Black Crowes), Pete Finney (Dixie Chicks) and Wash co-owner Jamie Rubin, bassist Jared Reynolds (Ben Folds), keyboardist Jen Gunderman (The Jayhawks) and drummer Marco Giovino. From 7 to 9 both nights, it will be “quiet Neil,” after which time the horse will get crazy, so to speak. Then on Saturday night, Beatinpath, who brought their roots rock to Nashville from New Orleans in the wake of Katrina, will follow up a set of their original music with a set of Beatles classics—“BeatinBeatles,” they’re calling it. Rumor has it period-appropriate attire will be in effect. Family Wash —JACK SILVERMAN

FRIDAY, 2ND

PNUMA TRIO Transcending the square demi-funk that bedevils many jam bands, Pnuma Trio make their crisp, jazzy dislocations signify. Keyboardist Ben Hazlegrove favors simple, engaging riffs that repeat under the pressure of Lane Shaw’s drumming and Alex Botwin’s bass, making their best performances a fusion of house music and your favorite blaxploitation soundtrack. These guys are masters of subtle dismemberment, so that a song like “Indugrisi” gets stretched out without losing elasticity. And while there’s plenty of melody, the band’s themes bring to mind the rigorous yet expansive soundscapes of Autechre or Amon Tobin. Based in Memphis for several years, they plan to move to Boulder, Colo., where they’ve been working on a new studio record. They’re a disciplined group whose improvisations are grounded in solid musicianship, and you can dance to them. (myspace.com/pnumatrio) Exit/In —EDD HURT

SATURDAY, 3RD

JACK INGRAM In Todd Snider’s song “Nashville,” Ingram gets a shout out as one of the songwriter’s favorite performers—and as one who deserves a better shot from Music City. But Snider may need a rewrite now that Ingram has had a No. 1 country hit and is touring with Brad Paisley and Brooks & Dunn. The pointedly named This Is It, Ingram’s second album for Nashville’s Big Machine Records, comes out March 27. After 12 years and two failed major-label tries, the famous-in-Texas roots rocker is finally establishing the national profile he’s long deserved. His new collection smooths his edges and opens with a misstep, a too-close cover of Hinder’s Top 40 power ballad “Lips of an Angel.” But Ingram’s live shows still flex all the old strengths: a rowdy, engaging personality delivering playful, sometimes biting, sometimes poignant songs that balance good-time attitude, down-home reality and Stones-derived guitar chords. Ingram’s songs may liven up radio and CMT, but it’s onstage in a packed club where he’s still at his best. Exit/In —MICHAEL MCCALL

SUNDAY, 4TH

MEDESKI MARTIN & WOOD At their December 2005 Cannery show, Medeski, Martin & Wood kicked off their first set with about 20 minutes of dissonant, apocalyptic chaos that likely had newbies desperately searching for the slightest thread of accessibility to grab a hold of—“the musical equivalent of Andy Kaufman,” as one concertgoer put it. But when they finally hit a big, fat beat so deep you got the bends, it was like manna from heaven. That’s the beauty of MMW: like hot apple pie à la mode, they’re all about contrast—between hot and cold, fast and slow, dense and spare. One minute they’re orbiting the planet Zneep, the next minute it’s Funk Grooves for Dummies. An MMW show is more of a journey than a concert, which explains their popularity with the jam-band kids, but they also count among their fans a number of jazzbos, trip-hoppers, DJs—anyone looking for a little adventure beyond the norm. City Hall —JACK SILVERMAN

MONDAY, 5TH

JOE FIRSTMAN Sometimes Joe Firstman is so earnest, you’re kind of embarrassed for him. The piano-playing singer-songwriter, whose current day job is as the house band on NBC’s Last Call With Carson Daly, is disarmingly vintage—writing unabashedly pretty songs full of feeling, in the vein of old-school troubadours like Billy Joel. But that earnestness, lack of pretension and absolute vacuum of irony can be invigorating, mostly because Firstman is clever, fearless and owns a subtly soulful voice. Musically, he oscillates between Seger-style schmaltz, bombastic ballads and layered, acoustic sultriness—all the while being incomprehensibly likable. Maybe it’s his dirty mouth: his debut, The War of Women, was slapped with a parental warning sticker—how’s that for edgy? On “After Los Angeles,” the album’s closer, Firstman is at his best as all the ornamentation falls away, leaving only a man, a piano and a broken heart, wailing and cursing up a storm. (joefirstman.com) 3rd& Lindsley —LEE STABERT

BRUCE ROBISON w/ELANA JAMES A double dose of Americana heroes from Austin, Texas, this bill underlines the eclectic nature of the Lone Star music capital. Robison writes elegant, carefully crafted miniatures that compel (Dixie Chicks’ “Travelin’ Soldier,” Tim McGraw’s “Angry All the Time”) or probe familiar emotions (George Strait’s “Wrapped” and “Desperately”). He has an ear for syntax and melodies that tug a listener‘s heartstrings with less obviousness than most. James, formerly of the Hot Club of Cowtown, goes the old-time gypsy-swing route. Her fiddle work is accessible yet inventive, which is why Bob Dylan lured her to tour with his band and why she linked with Texas legend Johnny Gimble to provide twin fiddles on a recent Willie Nelson album. Her vocals lack the character and range of great jazz and swing vocalists, but as heard on her just-released self-titled solo album, she’s an engaging performer who overcomes her limitations with a breezy lack of pretension. Douglas Corner —MICHAEL MCCALLWEDNESDAY, 7TH

THE EXPLORERS CLUB The Explorers Club will be famous, one way or another. Remember the Squirrel Nut Zippers, exactly a decade ago, swinging their album Hot down to “Hell” and peaking at No. 27 on the Billboard 200? That band (which had one hit) recently launched a sold-out Southeastern tour of large rock clubs. That’s right, people are ready for Novelty: Part Next. Whether that comes in the form of insular Brian Wilson disciples or another wave of Zeppelin bombast addicts depends on popular whim alone. Just rest assured that The Explorers Club is adequately prepared for any level of success, as their best work—the shimmering “Forever,” or the piano-driven “Don’t Forget the Sound”—aims for Pet Sounds and lands surprisingly close. Forget thinking, let’s shag. With Imagine Asians. Exit/In (myspace.com/explorersclub ) —GRAYSON CURRIN

ALIAS CHAMBER MUSIC When Zeneba Bowers, a violinist with the Nashville Symphony Orchestra and artistic director of Alias, first heard about the NSO’s plans to play a contemporary American piece at every concert, she did a double take. “A light bulb turned on over my head, since I realized Alias could perform music by the same contemporary composer,” says Bowers. “And I thought it would be great to call it ‘Double Take’.” Next week, Bowers and her group will lavish attention on Gabriela Lena Frank, an American composer of Peruvian-Jewish-Chinese descent whose orchestral music topped a NSO concert in January. Alias will perform her string quartet, called Leyendas: An Andean Walkabout. The concert will also feature music of Bernstein and Brahms. Turner Recital Hall, Blair School of Music —JOHN PITCHER

DANCE

ECLIPSE: VISIONS OF THE CRESCENT AND THE CROSS The Tennessee Performing Arts Center presents the Forces of Nature Dance Theatre in a provocative, compelling interpretation of key events in the development of Christianity and Islam, with further exploration of the two faiths’ long-standing conflicts and similarities. Company founder Abdel Salaam’s vision of reconciliation is generally expressed through West African and modern dance modes, though this dance also calls on Gregorian chant and Celtic dance. “I don’t work in fear of an opinion,” says Salaam. “I try to thematically push to the visual forefront ideas and images and visceral intellectual perspectives. I’m trying to entertain while I stimulate thought, dialogue and controversy.” Chronology and culture, from early Christian to medieval to modern eras, are reenacted by an ensemble of 21, with intense focus on the Crusades, Nostradamus’ prophecies about the anti-Christ, the messages of Martin Luther King Jr. versus Malcolm X and the prospect of tolerance in the wake of 9/11. (Little-known fact: This program was originally developed in Nashville in 2004, when Salaam performed an early version as a part of Nashville Ballet’s “Emergence” series.) The one public performance is March 3 in the Polk Theater at 7:30 p.m. Phone 255-ARTS (2787). —MARTIN BRADY

THEATER

ARMS AND THE MAN ACT I provides Nashville some relatively rare exposure to George Bernard Shaw with this production of one of the master’s great successes, a sharp satire on the horrors of war and the folly of love. The play takes place in 1885, during the four-month-long Serbian-Bulgarian War. Hank Hildebrand directs a cast that includes Jacob Truax, Andrea Brooks and Rachel Sorteberg. Performed March 2-17 at the Darkhorse Theater. For tickets, phone 726-2281. —MARTIN BRADY

THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE Ever since an exuberant home-schooled 13-year-old named Rebecca Sealfon won the 1997 Scripps National Spelling Bee—taking the crown, she hollered out every letter of E-U-O-N-Y-M with entertaining, but somewhat frightening, intensity—that distinctively American competition has gained increased media attention. ESPN started covering the final rounds more than 10 years ago, and recent movies like Akeelah and the Bee have helped to maintain focus on the uniquely dramatic event. No surprise, then, that the Broadway stage has gotten in on the act. This Tony Award-winning musical by William Finn and Rebecca Sheinkin opened in New York about two years ago and continues to play there to enthusiastic crowds. One of the show’s four North American touring companies enters Nashville this week for eight performances, March 6-11, at TPAC’s Jackson Hall. Adult actors play the roles of the adolescent bee competitors, and there’s also some improvised audience participation, which promises to add enormously to the tuneful and humorous take on those unforgettable moments of youth. Phone 255-ARTS (2787). —MARTIN BRADY

COMEDY

RALPHIE MAY The Tennessee-born May was a finalist in the first season of Last Comic Standing (the stand-up version of American Idol). Since then he’s gained increased popularity by way of the late-night talk show circuit, the release of two CD/DVDs (the most recent, Girth of a Nation, recorded in Knoxville), and film roles. May mixes hip-hop jargon with bawdy, topical and Southern-styled humor, and he gets unflinching comical mileage out of his considerable size. He appears March 2 at 8 p.m. at the Ryman Auditorium, along with locals Billy Wayne Davis and Chad Riden. For tickets, phone 255-9600. —MARTIN BRADY

ART

D.I.G. THROUGH ART LENTEN ART SHOW This time of year marks the beginning of Lent, but to Nashville art lovers it also means it’s time once again for this exhibit hosted by Downtown Presbyterian Church. This year, artists will be addressing the theme of human sacrifice and the show will feature the work of 10 artists who are currently serving—or have served—time on Death Row. Local artists will also participate. The show will open on Sunday, March 4 at 12 p.m. The purchase award will be presented at 1 p.m., and author David Dark will moderate a panel discussion at 1:30 p.m. The Church gallery will also be open for a preview on Saturday, March 3 at 5:30 p.m. Art lovers headed downtown for the First Saturday Art Crawl are encouraged to bring a dish to pass to the Church and enjoy a potluck dinner before gallery-going this Saturday. —JOE NOLAN

MATISSE, PICASSO AND THE SCHOOL OF PARIS They were the dominant figures of early 20th century art: Henri Matisse, the renowned French artist known for his vivid colors and soothing, lyrical designs; and Pablo Picasso, the great Spanish painter and sculptor famed for his angular and abrasive style. This week, 27 remarkable Matisse and Picasso works will be coming to Nashville, courtesy of the Baltimore Museum of Art. They’re part of the Cone Collection, a substantial holding that will bring 37 other extraordinary works to the city, featuring the art of such Matisse and Picasso predecessors as Claude Monet, Paul Gauguin, Vincent Van Gogh, Edgar Degas and Paul Cézanne, along with such contemporaries as André Masson, Joan Miró and Max Ernst. The exhibit runs March 2-June 3, with a preview for gallery members on March 1 from 7 to 9 p.m. Frist Center for the Visual Arts. —JOHN PITCHER

FILM

FLOCK OF DODOS Evolutionists beware, Randy Olson argues in his humorous, Morgan Spurlock-esque doc: you may have the edge on your intelligent-design adversaries in terms of scientific argument, but in the court of public appeal you’re headed the way of the Pacer, Cop Rock and the Apatosaurus. Olson, a Kansas homeboy turned Harvard-trained evolutionary biologist, returns to his native state to examine the high-pitched Kansas School Board battle between hardliners on both sides. What he finds is that the folks on the right (whom he thinks are wrong) are far more engaging and down-to-earth than the shrill firebrands across the aisle—which, under the Darwinism of contemporary punditry, makes the evolutionists as likely to survive as a mammoth in the tropics. The doc gets its first Nashville screening 7:30 p.m. March 7 at the Watkins College of Art & Design in MetroCenter, with a panel discussion to follow; admission is free, but donations will be accepted to support the film. —JIM RIDLEY