THURSDAY 9/13

MusicDAMIEN RICE This Irish songwriter hit a home run with his beautiful, lovelorn paean “The Blower’s Daughter,” but has run into trouble crafting music that walks the line between sad and miserable. Rice’s sophomore slump is heightened by the acclaim that greeted his 2003 debut, O. What was fragile, honest and evocative feels overwrought, precious and broodingly earnest on last year’s follow-up, 9. The debut nicely balanced strings, his thin aching croon and strong melodies abetted by the counterpoint vocals of Lisa Hannigan. Her presence is missed on much of the new album, and while Rice still demonstrates his charms, it lacks the light, easy touch of say, Jens Lekman, coming off more as a sexless marriage of David Gray and Coldplay (with the exception of the raucous rock throwdown, “Me, My Yoke & I”). The piano-driven tunes seem the most ponderous, and Rice might benefit from returning more to the folksy, acoustic approach of O’s “Cannonball” and “I Remember.” 7:30 p.m. at the Ryman —CHRIS PARKER

Classical MusicGIANCARLO GUERRERO W/NSO The buzz around the Schermerhorn Symphony Center this week is all about Guerrero, who has just been appointed the Nashville Symphony Orchestra’s new music director. A 38-year-old Costa Rican maestro, Guerrero made a huge impression in Nashville last May, conducting the music of Sibelius, Daugherty and Respighi with unbridled power and emotion. This weekend, he makes his first appearance as the NSO’s music director, and he’ll bring with him a program full of color and romance starting with American composer Claude Baker’s tribute to Robert Schumann entitled “Aus Schwanengesang (From Swan Song)”. He will also conduct Ravel’s Suites No. 1 and 2 from Daphnis and Chloé and Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto in D Major (with violinist Midori). 7 p.m. Sept. 13 and 8 p.m. Sept. 14-15 at Schermerhorn Symphony Center —JOHN PITCHER

MusicPNUMA TRIO Catch Pnumamania tonight—you don’t even have to know what pnuma means. These Memphis-bred electronica musicians—a keyboardist, bassist and drummer—don’t just noodle around. Their jazz chops are solid and they sport real instruments rather than laptops. Though admittedly, their newer tracks sound more robotic and electronically produced than their organic debut Live From Out There, which could have been a ’70s Miles Davis record without the Miles. It’s an obvious appeal to the more commercialized dance-floor crowd, and they may have to break out the laptop for those, but here’s hoping that they give Nashville a taste of their inceptive acid jazz. 9 p.m. at Exit/In —MAKKADA B. SELAH

MusicBEATS BEYOND BORDERS This concert and dance party to benefit the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition features a fast-growing Nashville sound—Latin roots music. Danny Salazar will be crooning breathless melodies over the insanely catchy, cumbia and Mexican-influenced rhythms of his band Trova Urbana. Also on hand will be Trio Ginga, a swinging Brazilian outfit fronted by a blond alto beauty named Kenya. The Trio is tight, spare and very danceable while avoiding the same old samba clichés. Rounding out the evening’s Caribbean influence will be reggae/dancehall purveyors Seed & Soil. Get ready to bailar till the roof comes off. 7 p.m. at the Rutledge —P.J. TOBIA

 FRIDAY 9/14

Trans-Musical Theater

HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH The protagonist in this musical is quick to sing about his biggest—ahem, we mean smallest—problem: “My sex change operation got botched / My guardian angel fell asleep on the watch / Now all I’ve got is a Barbie Doll crotch / I’ve got an angry inch....” A musical about a transgendered singer may not seem all that adventurous these days. (Surely we’re all jaded enough.) Still, this 1998 off-Broadway hit (and 2001 feature film) should definitely challenge the creative powers of People’s Branch Theatre, which begins its first full season under artistic director Ross Brooks with a punk-rock bang. Hedwig’s story is variously based on librettist John Cameron Mitchell’s life growing up as an army brat with sexual identity issues. The influences in Stephen Trask’s songs can be traced to Lou Reed (“The Origin of Love”), Iggy Pop (“The Angry Inch”), New York Dolls (“Hedwig’s Lament”) and post-Beatles John Lennon (“Wicked Little Town”), while the score is chock-full of clangorous electric guitar. If it all sounds somewhat Rocky Horror, PBT’s scheduling of a Sept. 14 midnight showing confirms the connection. So Hedheads get ready. Brooks directs, Tim Fudge mounts the music and versatile funnyman Eric Tichenor takes on the title role, with an assist from Brooke Bryant as Yitzhak, Hedwig’s backup singer. The production is a Nashville premiere. Sept. 13-22 at the Belcourt Theatre —MARTIN BRADY

MusicRICK SPRINGFIELD If anyone had taken Rick Springfield seriously in the ’80s, they might have urged him to seek psychological help. Listen again to his string of superbly crafted pop hits from that decade—“Jessie’s Girl,” “Don’t Talk to Strangers,” “Affair of the Heart,” “Souls,” and especially the lacerating “Alyson”—and you’ll hear a gifted singer and songwriter brooding on the topic of doomed, obsessive love to a borderline masochistic degree. Springfield’s chiseled good looks and status as a soap-opera star allowed him to slip such dark thoughts into Top 40 playlists, while those same attributes sentenced him to purgatory playing ’80s nostalgia shows. But age has added to his gravitas, and 2005’s respectful Written in Rock: Rick Springfield Anthology restored the true arc of his artistic output—which actually began long before that cursed decade, and continues today. 8 p.m. at Wildhorse Saloon —CHRIS NEAL

Community Theater Adventure

TREASURE ISLAND Over the past two years, Circle Players has been producing fewer shows, but Nashville’s oldest community theater (since 1949) continues on undeterred, and after a recent string of big-cast musicals throws itself into Ara Watson’s stage adaptation of this Robert Louis Stevenson adventure classic. Jim Manning directs another large ensemble (18 players), with gender-bending 24-year-old Amber Boyer playing young Jim Hawkins. There’s an original incidental score composed and arranged by Jeff Hall. Sept. 14-29 at Looby Theatre —MARTIN BRADY

MusicDON RIGSBY & MIDNIGHT CALL Just a few years ago, Don Rigsby seemed inescapable in the bluegrass world. But when he took up the directorship of the Kentucky Center for Traditional Music at Morehead State, his touring schedule took an inevitable hit. Not so his interest in performing, his soaring, mountain-style vocals or savvy production skills—most recently put to use on Larry Sparks’ IBMA-nominated The Last Suit You Wear. Last year’s Hillbilly Heartache was a smart, incisive collection that showcased his band Midnight Call (including banjo groovemeister Dale Vanderpool) and a slight predilection for songs that tackle not just the assurances, but the trials of faith. That he’s spending less time on the circuit these days is all the more reason to catch him tonight. 9 p.m. at Station Inn —JON WEISBERGER

Music with a MessageGLOBAL STRETCH BENEFIT With proceeds going to IDAAC (Integrated Development and AIDS Concern), a community-based NGO in eastern Uganda, The Global Stretch Benefit aims to raise both funds and awareness for AIDS relief and education efforts there. The stated goal of IDAAC is “to help those people affected by HIV/AIDS to cope under extreme socio-economic challenges.” This work includes testing, counseling and educational programs aimed at both prevention and positive living. Friday is actually the second night of the benefit; the two-day event kicks off on Thursday with sets from Julie Lee and Sarah Siskind, The Charles Treadway Organ Trio and The Jack Silverman Ordeal. In addition to the music on Thursday, Vanderbilt University ethnomusicologist Greg Barz will speak on the current situation in Uganda. Friday’s lineup includes former Bowie sideman Reeves Gabrels and the New Contrarians, Funkwrench, featuring the guitar heroics of Kenny Vaughan, and rockers Stone Jack Jones. There is a $5 minimum donation. 8 p.m. at The Basement —STEVE HARUCH

SATURDAY 9/15

Music

GRETCHEN PETERS As one of Nashville’s most important contemporary songwriters, Peters has led several singers, and some adult rockers, into fresh territory exploring how people struggle for peace and meaning within the world and within themselves. On her latest album, Burnt Toast & Offerings, she also elevates her recorded work, as producer Doug Lancio adds a musical depth as sensitive and inspired as her lyrics. The songs are often about renewal, with many of them dealing with the aftermath of divorce. But there’s also the beautifully observant “Sunday Morning (Up and Down My Street)”—the opposite side of the coin from Kris Kristofferson’s “Sunday Morning Coming Down,” where two lovers wake up happy and in love, basking in all the simple beauty that surrounds them. Peters’ strength is that she can make bliss sound just as emotionally moving as a broken heart. She’ll join a strong in-the-round with Craig Carothers, Don Henry and John Lester. 9:30 p.m. at the Bluebird Cafe —MICHAEL MCCALL

ScreeningTHE WAR Ken Burns’ latest undertaking is a monumental—what else would it be?—account of the Second World War, as experienced by residents of four American cities. Scenes move between the front lines (with some graphic images and testimony) and the home front in the seven-part, 15-hour series, which airs on WNPT later this month. In the meantime, NPT and Nashville Public Library’s Veterans History Project present a community screening featuring six clips from the film, interspersed with material from the library’s collection that is specifically related to Nashville. Footage about the bloody war in the Pacific will be followed by an interview with T. Grady Gallant, a Nashvillian who saw action in that theater. A presentation on 1940s Nashville will follow a segment highlighting the four towns. 10 a.m.–1 p.m. at the Downtown Public Library —MICHELLE JONES

ArtSNAP: PINCUSHION Nashville’s other nickname could be “City of Artists’ Co-ops.” Whether it’s to make up for a small gallery world, or because, gosh darn it, people like each other, these groups make up a big part of the visual arts scene here. SNAP—the Society of Nashville’s Artistic Photographers—has been active for at least a couple of years, and, as the name suggests, it consists of photographers who organize exhibits of their work and meet monthly for portfolio critiques, show planning and discussion. The group’s members have a wide range of styles, and they include both serious amateurs and professional photographers exploring subjects and techniques outside of their “day jobs.” For this show, 20 participants will each get a patch of wall space in East Nashville’s Plowhaus Gallery to display unmounted works. Opening reception, 7-10 p.m.; the show runs through Sept. 23. —DAVID MADDOX

MusicBOBBY BRADDOCK A superbly detailed account of an artist’s accidental education, Bobby Braddock’s new Down in Orburndale: A Songwriter’s Youth in Old Florida reveals the great country tunesmith as a first-rate memoirist. The author of such emblematic songs as “He Stopped Loving Her Today” and “D-I-V-O-R-C-E,” Braddock grew up in Auburndale, Fla., in “rural and small-town Central Florida before Disney World,” as he writes in Down in Orburndale. Moving to Nashville in 1964, Braddock penned hits for George Jones and John Anderson. “Her Name Is,” a 1976 Jones hit, features a cheating narrator too sly to ever mention his paramour by name. More recently, he has produced three fine Blake Shelton collections. Braddock says he’s working on a forthcoming memoir detailing his years in Nashville. This program, part of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s Poets and Prophets series, will include a Q-and-A session along with audio and video clips. 2 p.m. at Ford Theater, County Music Hall of Fame and Museum —EDD HURT

Get ZenNASHVILLE BUDDHIST FESTIVAL It’d probably be fair to say that not all that many folks own a Nashville Buddhist Festival T-shirt. It would pretty well set you apart from all the other hipsters at Mercy Lounge, so it may be worth a tutorial in the Buddhist Theravada tradition to get one. Especially if it’s a ringer T. And maybe you’re righteously indignant about the state of world affairs—or about the fact that, in this overscheduled life of yours, you can never find your friggin’ keys. Either way, a history lesson in the ancient Indian religion is like broccoli for your soul. And a little Zen never hurt anybody. Speakers will include Atlanta Soto Zen Center founder Taiun Michael Elliston. Participants include the Nashville Zen Center and the Nashville Mindfulness Center, among many others. The event is free, 11 a.m.- 5 p.m. at First Church Unity, 5125 Franklin Road (rain or shine)—LIZ GARRIGAN

MusicTHE CARTER ADMNISTRATION CD RELEASE SHOW FEAT. THE CLUTTERS The Clutters’ cocksure garage-rock strut gets a workout on their second album, Don’t Believe a Word, as their brash rumble veers from jagged slashing Pixies-ish post-punk (“On Repeat”) to furious Farfisa-fueled rave-ups (“Fire”) and even finds time for some folksy jangle (“Surrender”). Frontman Doug Lehmann’s off-kilter vocals suggest the B-52’s Fred Schneider putting Frank Black in a headlock, but we’re going to miss recently departed Farfisa player Ali Tonn playing the Kate Pierson role on pop paeans such as “Radio” and “Aww, Cmon.” The trade-off is a leaner, louder live attack for the now-trio. But if it’s pop smarts you want, make sure to check out The Carter Administration, who are celebrating the release of their second LP, Here Comes the Copout. It features a dozen songs of catchy, bright-eyed power pop reminiscent of Detroit bands The Fags and The Romantics, replete with ringing guitars and hummable melodies. 8 p.m. at 3 Crow Bar —CHRIS PARKER

Sip and See

WINE ON THE RIVER Want to know the difference between champagne and sparkling wine? What’s the best Chilean cabernet to go with spicy foods? Or maybe you just want a nice weekend wine buzz over the water? Ditch the Dixie cups and—if you fancy yourself a sommelier in the making—pack your set of Riedels and head downtown for the fifth year of cultured imbibing overlooking the Cumberland River. Vineyards from across the country and around the world will showcase their vintages and answer questions from wine enthusiasts at this event. As a bonus, the Nashville Symphony Quartet will perform live jazz, and food will also be on sale to clear that light head of yours. Part of Wine on the River’s proceeds will benefit The District, a nonprofit group working to revitalize various downtown areas. Tickets are $45 in advance and $55 the day of the event. The price of admission includes all wine samples and a souvenir glass. For more information, call 664-2484 or visit wineontheriver.com. 3-7 p.m. on the Shelby Street Pedestrian Bridge (21-and-up only) —LIZ GARRIGAN

SUNDAY 9/16

Music

ANNE McCUE A recent Nashville arrival, this Australian wrote most of her current album, Koala Motel, in Los Angeles. Like many notable artists before her, she was inspired by Tinseltown’s tawdry underbelly, and sings of vice, temptation and trying to remain real in a town that traffics in artificiality. And, like it did everyone from Raymond Chandler to John Doe (one of the album’s guest contributors), the city toughens McCue up in the best kind of way. Wielding a wicked blues guitar, and writing songs that blend melodic rock and concise country songwriting, McCue balances a swaggering snarl with a tender heart, just as her bold, observational lyrics sound all the nervier when delivered in her sweet-toned voice. 8 p.m. at 3rd & Lindsley —MICHAEL MCCALL

Dance PartyAFRICAN STREET FESTIVAL Coucou, a celebration dance from the Sousou people of Guinea, was often performed when men of this coastal community would go fishing and bring back plenty of fish. The African American Cultural Alliance of Nashville will celebrate their own harvest—and 25 years of existence—at TSU with a street festival featuring live music, food and a procession of dancers and drummers in traditional African attire. The troupe, led by noted local dancer Marquette Dupree, will likely perform Coucou as well as other traditional West African dances like Mandiani, Sorsonet, Lamban, Yankadi, Guinea Fare and Doundounba to the rhythms of djembes and drummer Mustafa. But that’s just the beginning: dance artists are showcasing jazz, modern, liturgical, hip-hop, step and ballet throughout the day. And of course there’ll be vendors hocking jewelry, African fabric and clothing, further contributing to the African marketplace feel. During the procession, if you are asked to go into the circle for a solo, you must go. No being shy or any of that—it’s considered disrespectful not to dance and give homage to the drums when asked. The street festival runs Sept. 14-16 at TSU’s Gentry Center. For a complete schedule of events, visit africanamericanculturalalliance.com —MAKKADA B. SELAH

MONDAY 9/17

Coffee and Classical MusicBLAIR NIGHTCAP SERIES: MARK WAIT AND CAROLYN HUEBL Wait is probably best known in Nashville as the venerable dean of Vanderbilt University’s Blair School of Music, but he’s also an important pianist and highly regarded interpreter of modern and contemporary music. On Monday, he joins forces with Vandy violinist Carolyn Huebl to perform two staples of the repertoire: Debussy’s Sonata for Violin and Piano (a modern piece that nonetheless brims with romantic harmonies and melodies) and Bartók’s Sonata for Violin and Piano (a harmonically jagged and driving work). The performance is part of Blair’s Nightcap Series, which features complimentary coffee and dessert in addition to the performance. 8 p.m. at Turner Recital Hall, Blair School of Music —JOHN PITCHER

Kingly TributeAIN’T GOT LONG TO STAY HERE This tribute to the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is noted Nashville actor Barry Scott’s most enduring contribution to the stage. Also a producer, director, TV spokesperson and oft-heard voiceover talent, Scott continues to tour this one-man show nationally, only occasionally showcasing his fine oratory locally. 7 p.m. at the Tennessee State University Performing Arts Center —MARTIN BRADY

MusicBORO BLUES FEST While heaps of attention are paid to Middle Tennessee’s entrenched country music industry and burgeoning rock scene, the region’s blues acts soldier on. This weekend’s blues festival in Murfreesboro will shine a light on many of the area’s unheralded blues stalwarts, some of whom have been making music for several decades. Among the highlights: James “Nick” Nixon (who’s been keeping the blues alive since debuting on Chess Records in the 1970s) playing with Delicious Blues Stew; the unassuming Jack Pearson, an Allman Brothers alum who’s regarded by many of his six-string peers as one of the greatest guitar players alive; blues singer Miranda Louise; and prewar roots revivalists the Jake Leg Stompers, who do a mean “St. James Infirmary Blues,” featuring some of the best saw-playing you’ll see in these here parts. For a schedule, visit borobluesfest.com. 5-10 p.m. Friday, 3-10 p.m. Saturday at Patterson Park, Murfreesboro —JACK SILVERMAN

TUESDAY 9/18

BooksWILLY VLAUTIN “Hope is the key. You can make shit up, there’s no law against that,” says a character in Willy Vlautin’s novel Motel Life. Set in Reno, it’s the story of what happens to brothers Jerry Lee and Frank Flannigan after a deadly hit-and-run accident. Marked by the triple desperations of no money, no education and little family, they cling to such advice. In his debut novel, Vlautin, a member of the acclaimed alt-country band Richmond Fontaine, writes with direct, deceptive simplicity and a faint sense of humor. He cares for those living on the margins, and he doesn’t abandon his characters to despair. As one of them says, “When things get rough, [you] go there….a place that’s good, that gives you strength, that no one can take away.” 6 p.m. at Davis-Kidd Booksellers —LACEY GALBRAITH

MusicJOE RATHBONE This melodic rocker loves a good turn of phrase almost as much as he loves an infectious hook. A recent transplant to Nashville from Atlanta, Rathbone still works in the occasional Cheap Trick-style rave-up, but these days he concentrating on a more textured, bittersweet romanticism, reminiscent of Ben Gibbard and Alejandro Escovedo. His new Under the Scorpio Moon deepens his pub rock with modern atmospherics executed with help from co-producer David Henry and Nashville rock vets Brad Jones, Tony Miracle and Craig Wright. Rathbone has been lying low since arriving in town, but his album, which came out July 24, suggests it’s time for his profile to rise in his new hometown. He returns home after a trip to Michigan, where’s he’s playing a Dylan festival and making an appearance on writer Mitch Albom’s syndicated radio show. 9 p.m at the Rutledge —MICHAEL MCCALL

WEDESDAY 9/19

Where Art Meets Science“THE STAR CHAMBER”/CHRIS DRURY RECEPTION In an age when most folks are seldom far from their laptops, cell phones, digital cameras and PDAs, Chris Drury’s “The Star Chamber” provides a refreshingly byte-free way of viewing nature and perceiving the passage of time. A renowned British land artist, Drury constructed the piece on the site of Vanderbilt’s Dyer Observatory nearly a year ago out of roughly 150 tons of native limestone. At night, a large opening at the top allows for a unique view of the night sky, but the real magic happens in the daytime, when the structure becomes a camera obscura: a small opening at the top acts as an aperture, projecting ghostly images of the surrounding outdoor vista on the chamber’s interior walls. The work also acts as a sundial: over the period of a year, the noonday sun will cast an image on the wall charting a figure-8 pattern known as an analemma. Drury is in town this week for a wine reception and talk. Arrive early to best enjoy the camera obscura phenomenon—it’s most visible during the brighter daylight hours. 4-7 p.m. at Dyer Observatory, 1000 Oman Drive —JACK SILVERMAN

Music

JIM LAUDERDALE CD RELEASE PARTY Lauderdale may have gotten a bluegrass Grammy for his collaboration with mountain music stalwart Ralph Stanley, but his own work has plowed less predictable ground. The Bluegrass Diaries (Yep Roc) is his strongest effort in the genre to date, perfectly balancing his off-center lyrical and melodic tendencies with a confident sense of the range that characterizes contemporary bluegrass. Abetted by a crack team of players, including quadruple threat Randy Kohrs (producer, engineer, dobro player and harmony singer), Steeldrivers banjo man Richard Bailey, the Infamous Stringdusters’ Jesse Cobb and underappreciated freelance fiddler Aaron Till, Lauderdale romps through a set of originals mostly penned with collaborators like Shawn Camp, Melba Montgomery and Candace Randolph. Most of those guys typically turn up on the bandstand with him, so tonight’s show should be both joyous and polished. 9 p.m. at Station Inn —JON WEISBERGER

MusicEVERY TIME I DIE It isn’t their only attribute by any means, but Every Time I Die’s sense of humor—a mix of wry, abstract wit and tailgate-party fervor—makes for a nice breather from the overwrought moods favored by many of their post-hardcore/emo/whatever-metal peers. Delving into the band’s lyrics, a playful side emerges out of what can seem like a chilling sense of detachment—though the chill lingers long enough to give the music an edge and hang in your thoughts. With this balance, the band pulls off backhanded conscientiousness. In concert—and, for example, in the video for “The New Black”—it’s also obvious as hell that these guys are having fun. ETID have an undeniably distinct sound, capturing the gnashing thrust of metal and marrying it to a potent melodic sensibility. They even manage to recall the Deftones without too much imitation. And though their songs have a tendency to blur together, their demeanor makes it all worthwhile. 7 p.m. at Rcktwn —SABY REYES-KULKARNI

MusicAMOS LEE It’s no surprise that neo-folkster Amos Lee was discovered by Norah Jones. His music carries the same lyrical intimacy and poetic markings as the neo-jazz-turned-Americana chanteuse. The tenderness of Lee’s first two full-lengths, Amos Lee and Supply and Demand, has made him a hit with the VH1 crowd. Soul is another thing Lee shares with Jones—his voice and grooves are anchored in Southern R&B and old-school Motown, but his folk lyrics and soaring melodies set him apart from the rollicking boogies of tour headliner Bob Dylan’s latest album Modern Times. Strangely, the decades-younger Lee should offer a mellower counterpoint to Dylan’s freewheeling blues set.