BONNAROO 2007

THURSDAY, 14TH-SUNDAY, 17TH

It’s the best organized festival this side of Jazzfest, and has matured from its jam band focus to embrace an eclectic range of styles without losing its uncommonly friendly, hippy atmosphere. Getting your bearings can be tricky, though, with stage names out of an Abbott & Costello skit (Which, What, This, That, Other), but with this much great music, wandering is encouraged. The sprawling campgrounds are a catalyst for a lively, rave-like attitude, abetted by all-night food trailers and the idea that at any hour somebody is up, and everyone’s pretty hospitable. With more than 75 performers a day (going until 4 a.m. Friday and Saturday) and a dozen stages or tents, come energized. There’s a preshow kickoff Thursday night highlighted by grooving hard rockers Clutch and wide-screen pop sophisticates The National, but things really get going Friday around noon.

Tool, a reunited Police and Widespread Panic each headline a night, with sets running at least two-and-a-half hours. Only the headliners play unopposed, so there are many difficult decisions, complicated by travel time through the throngs. Friday’s best bets early include Americana artist Gillian Welch, quirky Brooklyn indie dance-pop act Brazilian Girls and British folk guitarist Richard Thompson’s band. The evening’s audience is split between rappers The Roots, chunky blues-driven duo The Black Keys, and saucy British pop sensation Lily Allen. The late-night shows include hot-blooded indie rappers Aesop Rock and EL-P, sound-strumentalist DJ Shadow, and a jam between the Roots’ ?uestlove, Ben Harper and Led Zeppelin’s John Paul Jones.

Saturday afternoon’s can’t-miss performances feature the nutty, gypsy-punk spectacle of Gogol Bordello, Old Crow Medicine Show’s high-throttle mountain music and power poppers Fountains of Wayne playing against the alcoholic, Springsteen-loving hipsters The Hold Steady. That evening it’s a battle between indie rockers Franz Ferdinand and Spoon. The weekend’s highlight could be the midnight performance by inspired psych-pop magicians The Flaming Lips, who excel outdoors. Nearby Galactic lay down thick grooves for a roster of rappers—Mr. Lif, The Coup’s Boots Riley, Lyrics Born, among others—to freestyle over.

Traditionally, Sundays are (necessarily) more low-key, but not this year. Legendary gospel singer Mavis Staples kicks things off, followed by hard-rocking Deep Purple-aficionados Wolfmother, bluegrass legend Ralph Stanley, and the lavish chamber pop of The Decemberists. There’s no getting away early either, with evening shows by Wilco and The White Stripes, as well as free jazz sax player Ornette Coleman and stirring Canadian songstress Feist. It’s arguably the finest music festival in Americ—add comics such as Lewis Black and David Cross, movies and the fun-loving environment, and it’s well worth a couple Ben Franklins. Manchester, Tenn. —CHRIS PARKER

MUSIC

THURSDAY, 14TH

NANCI GRIFFITH Embarking on a cabaret tour earlier this year, this singer-songwriter laid down her guitar and transformed into a jazz-pop diva, performing lushly orchestrated tunes from last year’s Ruby Torch album. Now Griffith returns to her familiar Texas roots style amid a series of warm-up shows before heading off for a two-month tour of Canada, the U.K. and Europe. A Lone Star firebrand whose cultured style and twangy voice don’t disguise a fiercely independent and humane worldview, Griffith will celebrate her 30th anniversary as a recording artist next year. In concert, she’ll show that time hasn’t dimmed her passion or compassion. City Hall —MICHAEL McCALL

CLAIRE SMALL’S LEAVING TOWN EXTRAVAGANZA Next month, Nashville’s Claire Small moves to Houston, where she says she’ll continue to write and play her subtly Latin-tinged songs. A charming singer with a knack for simple, effective hooks, Small was part of the mid-’90s Lower Broadway scene that produced Greg Garing and BR549. Her winsome alto embellishes tough lyrics that address big themes without sounding pretentious, while her full-length debut, Ledger, avoided folkie clichés by keeping everything light and swinging. Tonight’s show will feature Small along with Kevin Gordon, another East Nashville sport, and members of Last Train Home, a fine roots-rocking band with whom Small has often worked. Nashville’s loss is Houston’s gain, but Small says she’ll be coming back home to play and record. Family Wash —EDD HURT

ALEXA RAY JOEL One of the most fun things about listening to Alexa Ray Joel’s slick pop is imagining her old man threatening to kick your ass if you start to snicker at it. Yes, the once faceless child immortalized in Billy Joel’s “The Downeaster Alexa” has now emerged in the flesh for her rightful shot at creative expression. Of course, listeners will hold Alexa accountable by measuring her integrity against dad’s staggering body of work, but while her music initially seems limited by her adolescent vocal tone, it starts to take on a precocious charm after repeated listens, particularly when she conveys an adult wisdom. It simulates the experience of receiving a humbling lecture from a child, and feels surprisingly fun, which suggests that Alexa’s assurance might be harboring a true artistic voice. More edge would certainly help it along, though. Still, for all her polish, Joel’s at least showing more spirit out of the gate than most young pop singers who are manufactured for stardom by record execs. 3rd & Lindsley —SABY REYES-KULKARNI

FRIDAY, 15TH

LARRY SPARKS & THE LONESOME RAMBLERS Southeast Indiana’s Larry Sparks toiled for years on the meat-and-potatoes bluegrass festival circuit before breaking through to greater acclaim and a wider audience with an album that celebrated his 40th anniversary as a professional musician. Now the quietly imposing singer/guitarist is back with a new album that both satisfies expectations—his singing’s as mournful and his flatpicking as original as ever—and confounds them, bringing piano legend Hargus “Pig” Robbins aboard for a couple of country ballads. The country vibe on The Last Suit You Wear is as heavy as Sparks has had since his late-’70s tribute to Hank Williams, but it doesn’t really matter; his stature is such that what he does helps to define bluegrass, rather than the other way around. To top it off, he’s an elegant, entertaining performer who’s perfectly suited to a club stage, where his penetrating stare simultaneously challenges and disarms an audience. The Station Inn —JON WEISBERGER

THE LONG PLAYERS: THE RISE AND FALL OF ZIGGY STARDUST AND THE SPIDERS FROM MARS “Time takes a cigarette and puts it in your mouth,” indeed—but David Bowie’s 1972 quintessence-of-glam masterpiece has dodged the executioner’s bullet of oblivion now for 35 years. A cynic might say that fads come and go while rock-star self-pity remains a constant, but the space-age sweep and grandeur of Bowie’s ballads and the gender-bending theatrics of his rockers have spoken to, and for, generations of teenage aliens peering into mirrors through streaks of shakily applied mascara. Ziggy comes back from the dead one night only with the aid of Nashville’s Long Players, the ace revivalists who could probably play you the copyright info circling the spindle holes. With Bill Lloyd leading a crack house band of Steve Allen, John Deaderick, Steve Ebe, Jim Hoke and Brad Jones, the group will perform the record in sequence, leaving the singing to an all-star roster of leper messiahs: guitar hero (and veteran Bowie sideman) Adrian Belew on “Starman,” De Novo Dahl’s Joel J. Dahl on “Moonage Daydream,” the Raconteurs’ Brendan Benson on “It Ain’t Easy,” Will Kimbrough on “Suffragette City”—and why ruin the surprises? As the man says, let all the children boogie. Mercy Lounge —JIM RIDLEY

SATURDAY, 16TH

CHICK WILLIS AND ROY ROBERTS In 1972, Georgia native Robert “Chick” Willis cut a quasi-blues called “Stoop Down Baby…Let Your Daddy See” for a tiny Michigan label. Too dirty for radio, the song was a sizable underground hit played mainly on jukeboxes. Cousin to ’50s rocker Chuck Willis, Chick worked briefly as a sideman for blues great Elmore James, and while “Stoop Down” has defined his career, the guitarist has never stopped exploring blues’ outer limits—his oeuvre includes songs such as “Footprints in My Bed” and “Twistin’ in the Hospital Ward.” From Livingston, Tenn., Roy Roberts has toured as a guitarist for soul singer Eddie Floyd, and continues to perform his brand of Memphis-style blues. He’s not as risqué as Willis, but Roberts does a pretty convincing number called “Dirty Old Man.” In short, this double bill ought to be a riot. The Place —EDD HURT

SUNDAY, 17TH

MISERY SIGNALS, THE CHARIOT, I HATE SALLY, I AM GHOST All four acts boast a different flavor: the Madison, Wis., quintet Misery Signals play math-y metalcore replete with intricate, interlacing guitar parts and changing time signatures over a Cookie Monster growl. Considering the majesty of the sonics, they might have considered going instrumental à la Red Sparowes or Pelican after singer Jesse Zaraska departed in ’04, but instead recruited Karl Schubach via MySpace to scream for them. Meanwhile, The Chariot are cut from a Christian hardcore cloth similar to frontman Josh Scogin’s former band Norma Jean. Their second album, The Fiancée, takes time from the plodding/thundering rhythms to explore some experimental side alleys (“And Shot Each Other”), and everything emanates a gritty, steely flavor. Proving that hardcore vocalists are the new drummers, I Hate Sally is also onto its second vocalist (but fourth stick-handler). Their second LP, Don’t Worry Lady, is a punishing, pulsing dose of metalcore split evenly between workmanlike hardcore throb, with the occasional Melvins-like plod. SoCal kids I Am Ghost do very little screaming, preferring to express their emotional distress with mascara, boy/girl harmonies and dark subject matter. Their emo-goth sometimes flies where Misfits dare (“Our Friend Lazarus Sleeps”), but mostly, its punchy, synth-driven sound recalls Panic at the Disco! if they’d grown up in a graveyard. Rcktwn —CHRIS PARKER

ROY AYERS Had some of Ayers’ records from the ’70s been released today, they’d be classified as “smooth jazz,” or worse, called trite: many of his songs contain the laid-back melodies and disco grooves we often hear providing the soundtrack for chaste sex scenes aired on late-night cable. Yet, his legacy to popular music isn’t Muzak—it’s the integration of the greasy funk of Parliament and world beat percussion into freewheeling “hard bop” jazz. The mixture produced grooves and riffs that proved irresistible to the diligent crate-digging DJs and hip-hop samplers. Perhaps thanks to urban artists rediscovering his music, critics now recognize that Ayers isn’t simply a jazz cat who made a few crossover hits—he is an innovative songwriter with an impeccable sense of groove, mood and tone. Since Ayers commercial success depended in part on the consumer’s interest in disco and funk, when that glam world shattered in the late ’70s, Ayers found an audience across the pond. There he influenced the beat-driven, ethereal acid jazz, and likely informed the “trip-hop” sound out of Bristol. In recent years, most of the new work heard from Ayers comes in the form of remixes by the DJs and musicians who owe him a great debt. Though that debt is often repaid in the form of phat royalty checks, Ayers doesn’t see his connection to today’s music as only a commercial venture evinced by his many collaborations with urban artists. The show also serves as a fundraiser for the Nothing But Love Foundation college scholarship fund. Belcourt Theatre —MARK MAYS

TIM O’BRIEN A low-key, amiable hero among modern acoustic musicians and bluegrassers, O’Brien keeps his followers guessing, shooting off in one unpredictable direction after another as he follows his merry muse wherever it may lead. At this point, it’s leading him into a yearlong sabbatical. The former member of Hot Rize has, in the last decade or so, recorded Celtic, old-time Appalachian, Western swing, Dylanesque folk-pop, acoustic jazz and cowboy songs, among other things, and he’s been an active collaborator with scores of other artists. Before lying low for a spell, he’s invited his sister Mollie O’Brien, a longtime collaborator and duet partner, and his road band to take a lap. Arrive early if you want a seat. Station Inn —MICHAEL McCALL

MONDAY, 18TH

WE VERSUS THE SHARK Perhaps the following observation hinges too heavily on We Versus the Shark’s competition-based name, but: of all the current math-rock bands worth their salt or consideration, the music of the two-guitar Athens, Ga., quartet seems uniquely drawn from several hot summer days spent indoors playing video games. “You Don’t Have to Kick It,” the extreme anthem from their Ruin Everything! debut, opens with tense exclamation, as though our hero—the mythical “We,” of course—stumbles into a menacing setting for the first time, nervous but resilient. He extends his weapon with a second guitar—raw, distorted, threatening—and battles up to the next level, or the one where our guide finally begins to narrate the quest: “Eyeballs scrape the floor / Eyeballs roll over, brother / Eyeballs roll over / Watch it.” Epic, for sure. But like their arithmetic predecessors in Don Caballero, We Versus the Shark have the smarts to introduce humor into music that’s challenging on multiple levels. Again (and luckily), that’s likely a debt they owe to Japanese engineers. The Boro —GRAYSON CURRIN

GOLDEN BEAR They call it “galactic-forest rock,” which might not say much about Golden Bear’s sound, but gives you at least a hint of the endearingly goofy nature of this five-man band from Austin. Their second CD, To the Farthest Star, mixes old-fashioned power chords, cheesy synths, horns and piano with lead singer Chris Gregory’s cracked voice. In the true spirit of makeshift indie rock, the CD was recorded in a bedroom—and it sounds like it. But the drummer has big time chops, and the songs have their hooks. You might wish the lyrics to “Galaxy Queen” were more space opera than soap opera, but Golden Bear make music that’s all their own and have an energetic live show that lives up to the band’s big aspirations. Grimey’s at 6 p.m.; Mercy Lounge —WERNER TRIESCHMANN

TUESDAY, 19TH

ADRIAN BELEW POWER TRIO If you’ve already been a guitarist with four legendary rock acts (Frank Zappa, Talking Heads, King Crimson, David Bowie), not to mention enjoyed a prolific 25-year solo career, how do you stay excited about music? Adrian Belew’s answer: strip down to a trio and put some fresh gas in the engine—20-year-old Julie Slick on bass and her 19-year-old brother Eric on drums. Belew, undeniably one of the most singular guitarists in the annals of rock, met the sibling rhythm section when he was a guest professor at Philadelphia’s School of Rock. “They’re as good as some of the really great players I’ve worked with,” Belew says, “like Bill Bruford, Danny Carey, Les Claypool and Tony Levin. They’re unbelievable.” In addition to a generous helping of Adrian’s solo material, this show—a warm-up for upcoming East Coast and Japan tours—will feature some half-dozen Crimson tunes, the mere mention of which will surely bring the schizoids out of the woodwork. (A recent live recording of the current trio doing Crimson’s “Dinosaur,” during which Belew unleashes some outrageous prehistoric howls from his guitar, backs up his hefty claims about his new band.) Mercy Lounge —JACK SILVERMAN

THEATER

OTTO This play, based on the 2001 nonfiction book Otto: The Boy at the Window, recounts the life of Peter Abeles, whose Austrian family endured the hardships of the German Anschluss before escaping to America. The play provides as much insights into the difficulties of family life as it does the Abeles clan’s fortuitous escape from the Nazis. Under the co-direction of William Dorian and Victoria Lamberth, Otto receives its world premiere this weekend at the Gordon Jewish Community Center in Bellevue. The ensemble cast of 13 includes Rodney Pickel, Becky Panknin, Sara Dhom and 9-year-old Thomas Kohann as the young Abeles. Performances are June 16-17 and 23-24. There will be a reception and book signing with Peter Abeles after the June 17 performance. For more information, visit nashvillejcc.org or call 356-7170. —MARTIN BRADY

STONECUTTER Brian Hull’s Wishing Chair Productions is the Nashville Public Library’s resident puppet theater, and its charming entertainments are responsible for attracting some 4,000 patrons a month to the library’s downtown venue. The company’s current production, drawn from its rotating archive of fables for children, is an adaptation of a traditional Asian folktale, enacted with the ancient hand-and-rod Bunraku puppetry familiar to many from the stage production of The Lion King. Stonecutter’s salient message for youngsters is be happy with who you are and wish carefully. It’s performed for the public on Fridays and Saturdays through July 14 in the Children’s Theater at the Main Library, 615 Church St. (Performances are 9:30, 10:30 and 11:30 a.m.) The June 23 performances will take place in the Main Library Conference Center, with the 11:30 a.m. program featuring a special Asian-themed reception and spoken-word performance by Chinese poet Huang Xiang, interpreted by actress/puppeteer Mary Tanner Bailey. For more information, call 862-5800. —MARTIN BRADY

FILM

GREASE SING-ALONG With the help of onscreen lyrics and a bouncing ball, the Belcourt gives all of Nashville’s shy Sandra Dees the chance to unleash their inner slut. Who needs karaoke when you can sing “Greased Lightning” along with John Travolta’s pomaded punk Danny Zuko, or duet with Olivia Newton-John on “You’re the One That I Want.” (Me, I’ll just sit quietly in the back and drool unobtrusively over Stockard Channing.) The print the Belcourt’s showing, starting Friday night for one week only, is specially tailored to audience singing; it’s been a hit in other cities without half of Nashville’s vocal talent. Fair warning: I’ve been known to do a mean “Beauty School Dropout.” —JIM RIDLEY

HITCHCOCK IN THE ’50S: TO CATCH A THIEF Says retired jewel thief Cary Grant, in a rendezvous lit by fireworks on the Riviera, “This necklace is imitation.” Purrs seductress Grace Kelly, in retort: “Well, I’m not.” A feather-light mystery with snappy repartee, a picture-book locale and a tantalizingly kinky Grant-Kelly romance, Alfred Hitchcock’s 1955 caper movie amounts to a summer vacation at matinee prices. Book your reservations Saturday and Sunday afternoon at the Belcourt. —JIM RIDLEY

MOVIES @ MAIN: START THE REVOLUTION WITHOUT ME Fans of The Princess Bride and Mel Brooks’ genre parodies should check out this 1970 burlesque of swashbuckling epics, made by the team of Bud Yorkin and Norman Lear just before the smash success of All in the Family. In director Yorkin’s slapstick goof on The Corsican Brothers, Gene Wilder and Donald Sutherland play two sets of mismatched identical twins, one peasant, one aristocrat, swept up in the French Revolution’s dustbin. The movie screens 6:15 p.m. Thursday, June 14, at the downtown Nashville Public Library, free and open to the public. For more information, call 862-5800. —JIM RIDLEY

MOVIES IN THE PARK Sponsored by the Scene, the city’s summer spectacular of family-friendly cinema draws thousands of families, dog owners and picnickers to the Centennial Park bandshell every Wednesday at dusk through June. Sorry, we can’t list the movies shown free on the outdoor screen—but word has it the awesome Hollywood musical playing next week rhymes with Bringin’ in the Pain. Food and drinks are available; call the MIP hotline at 244-7989, ext. 341, for more information, including weather status. —JIM RIDLEY

BOOK

PATTI CALLAHAN HENRY In Between the Tides, Patti Callahan Henry’s new novel, Catherine Leary makes a trip on her 30th birthday that she has been dreading since her father’s death nine months before: returning to her hometown to scatter his ashes in the Seaboro River, the site of a childhood tragedy that forced her family to move away. Catherine’s life is infused with guilt. As an only child, she believes, “I understood that I must live up to my own potential, but also the potential of all the children I had deprived Mother of having: I must make up for them too.” This trip home brings more pain, but also forgiveness and healing. Readers will probably guess the end of the journey long before the last few chapters, but Henry’s lyrical style will make that journey an enjoyable one. Henry appears at Davis-Kidd Booksellers on June 14 at 6 p.m. ­­—FAYE JONES