Lindsey’s solo debut, Famous Anonymous Wilderness, features the rush of images and mind-bending phrases that arrive when a young songwriter taps a muse so furious that mere musical stanzas can barely contain the energy flowing through them. Lindsey makes the words work for him too, using a young rocker’s abandon to crash through acoustic stereotypes and stake out an intense, hard-charging persona reliant on reverence for nature and irreverence for nearly everything else. Once a member of the kid-punk band Old Skull (with whom he became an MTV favorite at age 14), the Wisconsin native survived early stardom to embrace a vagabond’s education. He’s alternated between flophouses in New Orleans and New York and farmhouses in Nebraska and upstate Wisconsin, where he now resides when not doing solo shows armed with his acoustic guitar, harmonica, a heart full of passion and a mouthful of opinions. Radio Cafe

—Michael McCall

Music

Thursday, 8th

Guided By Voices Along with Pavement, GBV’s Bob Pollard is credited with ushering in the lo-fi revolution that predated the affordable home-recording boom. Releasing scratchy, basement-tape-quality recordings made with technology originally designed for sketch purposes only, Pollard essentially made imperfection and thrift the focus—and appeal—of his art. Even as he added considerable refinement and polish, many of his songs continued to sound like works in transit toward completion, as if he were documenting an ongoing effort to achieve a state of compositional perfection where economy, accessibility, hooks and crashing, Who-inspired bombast all balanced together. With a more powerful, edgy and consistent sound, Pollard and his sidemen get much closer to striking that elusive balance when they take the stage. Remarkably, their insatiable lust for beer never seems to throw them off. Exit/In

—Saby Reyes-Kulkarni

Saturday, 10th

Annihilation Time There are those rare individuals who seemingly without effort change the course of a movement, and for American hardcore, that rare individual was Black Flag’s Greg Ginn, who tempered hardcore’s raw foundation with his fuzzed-out riffs and Sabbath-inspired solos. Annihilation Time are perhaps the most vivid example of Black Flag’s enduring influence. At the band’s center is guitarist Graham Clise, a sort of Greg Ginn reincarnate, right down to his outsider persona and transparent guitar (the same model Ginn owned). About as close as any band can come to hero worship without being a cover band, Annihilation Time even employ LP cover art by Raymond Pettibon, the artist behind countless Black Flag record jackets and fliers. More than mere imitation, though, AT bring an inspired ferociousness to their recordings, which, thanks to maniacal new vocalist Jimmy Rose, transfers wonderfully to their off-the-wall live performances. Guido’s Pizzeria

—James Wilson

Andy Friedman The founder of the City Salvage record label and a cartoonist for the New Yorker, Friedman is also an accomplished folk interpreter in the style of Dave Van Ronk and Ry Cooder, albeit with a twist. His latest book, Future Blues, is a collection of off-the-cuff musings and Polaroids in which he reshapes lyrics from well-known American folk songs to serve as captions for the photographs. Live, Friedman offers eccentric commentary in front of projections of his visuals, and his “visual take on the blues” is garnering a good deal of critical acclaim. Springwater

—William Tyler

Freak Magnet F.U.C.T. (Forever Ungratical Coronaric Technicilation) were one of the cornerstones of Nashville’s rock-metal club scene from the mid-’80s to the early ’90s. After the group disbanded, members Brooks Philips and Paul Kelvington continued to play and write music together in Buzzkill, a group that featured Shelton “Hank III” Williams on drums. Buzzkill were a firebrand live act, warming local stages for Public Enemy and Helmet and achieving modest radio success with their anti-police brutality anthem “Cop Car.” But Buzzkill didn’t last long either, as Kelvington moved to Chicago in the mid-’90s to make a fresh musical start. This week, he returns to Nashville with his latest creative project, Freak Magnet, a band who recall early grunge more than they resemble their leader’s previous efforts. Fans of F.U.C.T. are encouraged to bring Kelvington recordings of F.U.C.T. live shows for an upcoming reissue project. The End

—Chris Davis

Tuesday, 13th

Robyn Hitchcock In his ’80s heyday, Hitchcock wrote songs like a biology professor on acid—and he still does, only now he comes across like a clever, lovable uncle. Despite comparisons to Syd Barrett, Hitchcock’s lyrical whimsy is a conscious decision, not an uncorrected personality trait. His ability to crisscross melodic rock, musical theater and old folk tunes makes him a peer of Paul McCartney and Ray Davies and a predecessor to modern-day explorers like the Flaming Lips’ Wayne Coyne and the Elephant 6 collective. Hitchcock’s recent album, Luxor, is a low-key, acoustic affair reminiscent of previous cult favorites like 1984’s I Dream of Trains and 1990’s Eye. That may explain why he picked such an unlikely destination for this rare solo performance. Or maybe the idea just fit his skewed sense of humor. For whatever reason, Hitchcock’s appearance at such an intimate venue will make for a one-of-a-kind experience. He’ll be joined by his friend and fellow Brit Tim Keegan, whom many Nashvillians will remember from his recent time here with the band Departure Lounge. Bluebird Cafe

—Michael McCall

Andrew Bird Bird’s recent EP, Weather Systems, opens with a human whistle that twists and sustains like a yodel against a bowed violin and the gently rising strumming of an acoustic guitar. After about 30 seconds of anticipation, the arrangement dips into a vast expanse that remains mostly unoccupied by sound for the rest of the way, lending new definition to the term “letting the listener down easy.” The instrumental sparseness of the EP creates the feeling that Bird’s voice is close at hand, but as crisp as it is, he manages to ride that voice to the horizon and back on an ear-pleasing trail of sounds that hang almost imperceptibly low in the mix. Overcast without being maudlin, Weather Systems achieves fullness and grace by reaching to silence to give its music sparkle, weight and, ultimately, life. 12th & Porter

—Saby Reyes-Kulkarni

Wednesday, 14th

Jim Lauderdale Bluegrass Band A mainstream hit country writer and an Americana favorite, Lauderdale has so firmly established himself as a country renaissance man that it’s easy to forget that his first (and so far only) Grammy award was for 2002’s Lost in the Lonesome Pines, a bluegrass album he made with Ralph Stanley. It’s even easier to forget that his interest in the genre predates and extends beyond his collaboration with the good Doctor. When Lauderdale first came to Nashville, hanging out with mandolin master Roland White was at the top of his “to do” list. His first album—the master tapes MIA for almost a quarter-century now—was mostly bluegrass, and he’s made use of the talents of other genre giants like Sam Bush and Tony Rice on recent recordings. In short, Lauderdale was bluegrass when bluegrass wasn’t cool, and that makes the Jim Lauderdale Bluegrass Band, kicking off a half-year’s worth of monthly appearances at the Station Inn tonight, a project less quixotic or opportunistic than it otherwise might appear. As an evanescent venture, the group’s lineup is likely to get juggled some from month to month, but past appearances have featured the likes of Dobro phenom Randy Kohrs, multi-instrumentalist Ollie O’Shea, mandolinist Jesse Cobb, banjo players Jason Stewart and Candace Randolph, bassist Jay Weaver and fiddler Casey Driessen. And this list by no means exhausts the pool of talent available and happy to take the stage, whether as band members or featured guests, with a guy who can do so many things right. Station Inn

—Jon Weisberger

Theater

Birds in Church A bi-coastal playwright with a strong affiliation as the author of gay-themed dramas, Joe Pintauro has successfully examined the full range of human and familial experience. He’s not exactly a household name, but Pintauro has been produced for years, especially in artsy urban settings, and film/TV personalities such as Olympia Dukakis, Jude Law, William Hurt and Calista Flockhart have recently starred in his dramas. The Nashville premiere of Birds in Church serves up 15 of Pintauro’s edgy and/or bitingly comic mini-plays, which in some cases explore gay identity, but also take on such diverse topics as sibling rivalry, death, priestly interrelationships, widowhood, Chilean politics and extreme vegetarianism. The characters span from clergy and hairdressers to prostitutes and lesbians. The newly formed Rhubarb Theatre Company, under the co-direction of Julie Alexander and John Devine, will mount the play Jan. 8-11 and 15-17 at the Darkhorse Theater with an interesting cast of gifted locals, including Stacey Shaffer-Bishop, Hank Gibson, Matthew Gerbig, Ann Tonelson, Ree Mitchell, Tony Correro, Jason Lewis and Kellye Bumpus. For further information and to reserve tickets, call 386-3551.

—Martin Brady

Weekend Comedy This first official new theatrical production of 2004, which opened Jan. 6 at Chaffin’s Barn Dinner Theatre, is marked by the directorial presence of Denice Hicks, one of Nashville’s most well known actors and for many years the guiding light for the Nashville Shakespeare Festival. Here, two couples—one middle-aged, the other young—butt heads when they mistakenly rent the same cabin for a getaway weekend. Hicks’ cast of four features Ken Dale Thompson, Linda Speir, Elise Lael Kieffer and Chad Daniel. Shows on Feb. 13 and 14 feature Valentine’s Day celebrations. For details and reservations, phone 646-9977.

—Martin Brady

Art

“THREE CANADIANS AND ONE AMERICAN”/TAG ART GALLERY The art of Casey McGlynn, Jennifer Harrison, Phil Taylor and Martin McMurray could easily be taken for works from Jean Dubuffet’s Art Brut Collection, as these four painters create in styles similar to outsider art. But unlike those early 20th century artists identified by Dubuffet, who were primarily confined to insane asylums or who lived on the margins of culture and society, these three Canadians and one American are educated people very much a part of the mainstream. All four members of this group identify with an increasingly popular style defined by rawness and intensity. McGlynn’s heavily worked surfaces constitute a poetic series of all-over compositions consisting of animals, birds and silhouetted human figures. Hundreds of colorful rooftops from the Toronto cityscape obsessively fill Harrison’s canvases, while McMurray’s work reflects the gray of Detroit winters in his sparse narrative paintings, and Taylor paints explosive portraits. A vibrant, high-energy exhibit, “Three Canadians and One American” is on display through Jan. 31; there will be an opening reception 6-9 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 10. —Nicole Pietrantoni

Rusty Wolfe/Finer Things Gallery A Nashville resident for more than 35 years, self-taught artist Wolfe is well known for using lacquer in his works. This latest show of new work at the gallery he co-owns with wife Kim Brooks features wall sculptures and paintings incorporating the fast-drying, glossy coating, applied in multiple layers to Wolfe’s brightly colored, carefully hand-fabricated pieces. Recently featured in Architectural Digest and Metropolitan Home, the artist should be in attendance at the opening, 6-8 p.m. Jan. 10. The show runs through March 4 at the gallery, located across the Tennessee State Fairgrounds at 1898 Nolensville Rd.

—Jonathan Marx

Wayne White/The Barn Gallery MTSU’s campus gallery, site of some interesting and often overlooked shows, hosts an especially promising one with this career overview of MTSU alum Wayne White, a set designer, animator, art director, painter and comic book designer who worked on Pee Wee’s Playhouse. It’s a perfectly timed lead-in to White’s show at Cheekwood’s Temporary Contemporary Gallery—and in fact will offer a much broader range of work this smart, slyly funny artist has made. Running Jan. 12-30, with an artist reception 6:30-8:30 p.m. Jan. 29; artist presentation and gallery walk-through, 1 p.m. Jan. 30.

—Jonathan Marx

“Finding Soul—Finding Sense”/ Sarratt Gallery Vanderbilt University’s student center hosts a show of mixed-media works by Donald T. Earley and Mary Britten Lynch, Jan. 13-Feb. 1. Earley’s drypoint, oil and pastel pieces, which draw on both fashion illustration and fine art, constitute the “Finding Soul” portion of the exhibit. Lynch’s works on paper and canvas are informed by her experiences working at St. Paul’s chapel in Lower Manhattan after the terrorist attacks of 9/11; they represent her attempts at finding sense in the wake of immense, senseless tragedy. The artists will give a gallery talk 4-5 p.m. Jan. 16, with a reception following.

—Jonathan Marx

Choctaw Crafts/Tennessee Arts Commission Curated by folklorist Jennifer C. Core, “Chahta Okla Talaia: Chuka Ikbi (Choctaw Crafts: Making Tennessee Home)” features traditional clothing, baskets, pottery, jewelry and hunting tools produced by 21 contemporary Choctaw artists, among them Minnie Bell, Andrea Thompson, Pamela Frazier and Sally Wells. The work was originally commissioned by the Tennessee Arts Commission Folklore Program for donation to the Tennessee State Museum, with the help of anthropologist Deborah J. Halstead, who has spent several years studying and documenting the Choctaw. Family plays a central role in Choctaw society, Halstead explains. “It was truly a special experience watching a young girl construct a beaded craft,” she states, “knowing she has several generations of elders to instruct her.” Robert Cogswell, the Folklore Program director, notes that because Tennessee has no official Indian reservations, the move of the Choctaw community from Mississippi to Lauderdale County in the 1950s has helped the state establish a richer cultural diversity. The show, he says, offers “a good sampling of their cultural identity and creative heritage.” The gallery is located at Fourth Avenue North and Charlotte, and the show runs through Jan. 30, with a special reception for the artists 4-6 p.m. Friday, Jan. 16.

—Julie Roberts

“Pin-Ups: Treasures From the Trove”/Cumberland Gallery The Green Hills gallery hosts a show of drawings, prints, collages and photographs—all pinned to the wall without the benefit of framing—by Tom Pfannerstill, John Baeder, Kit Reuther, Ron Porter, Sean Dudley, John Fraser, Susan Bryant, Billy Renkl & others, Jan. 10-Feb. 7. Opening reception, 6-8 p.m. Jan. 10.

Film

Critics’ Picks Series w/School of Rock That anvil chorus of thumps and thuds you hear is the sound of countless moviegoers kicking themselves in the ass for missing some of 2003’s best movies. Not to worry: For the month of January, the Belcourt offers a second chance at movies that turned up on the Scene’s Top 10 lists of the year’s best films, including American Splendor, OT: Our Town and Kill Bill Vol. 1. The series kicks off Friday with School of Rock, selected by Scene critic Joshua Rothkopf. “Why School of Rock, you ask?” Rothkopf writes. “Why rock at all, one might ask. Why allow yourself to believe that Hollywood could produce a terrific mainstream comedy about Sticking It to The Man—a comedy about rock history, followed by rock appreciation, then rock theory? Why take the rampaging motormouth Jack Black seriously? Why take Ozzy seriously? Important questions, all. Discuss. I’ll see you in class, or your ass is grass.” For more information, see www.belcourt.org.

—Jim Ridley

Big Fish A frustrated son (Billy Crudup) sorts through his dying father’s legacy of tall tales and myth-making in Tim Burton’s seriocomic fantasy, adapted by John August from the Daniel Wallace novel. Albert Finney plays the present-day dad, and Ewan McGregor is the father in flashbacks; Jessica Lange, Helena Bonham Carter and Danny DeVito make a strong impression in supporting roles. Opening Friday.

—Jim Ridley

Die Mommie Die! Camp commander Charles Busch (of Vampire Lesbians of Sodom infamy) does a Joan Crawford diva trip in this goggle-eyed parody of high-gloss 1950s melodrama, in which a ruthless mankiller uses every means at her disposal to claw her way to the top—including (ahem) a poisoned suppository. The good sports in this farce include Philip Baker Hall, Natasha Lyonne and a scene-stealing Jason Priestley; the comedy continues this week at the Belcourt, along with Gus Van Sant’s controversial Cannes prize-winner Elephant.

—Jim Ridley

Demon Sight Larry Underwood, a.k.a. Channel 19 horror host Dr. Gangrene, rises from his crypt to terrorize the living in this indie shocker from Murfreesboro-based Ghost Ship Films and horror filmmaker George Demick (Asylum of Terror). Underwood plays a demon lord bent on destroying the one person (Olivia Lovell) who can defy his power. Demick hosts the movie’s premiere, 7:30 p.m. Friday at the Belcourt; tickets are $7.25 at the door.

—Jim Ridley

Anji Billed as the first Indian film to feature 3-D animated characters, this effects-laden fantasy concerns a mysterious regional phenomenon that attracts a research student as well as unscrupulous villains. Just released last week overseas, the three-hour film will be shown next Wednesday, Jan. 14, at the Belcourt in unsubtitled Telugu. Tickets are $10; for more information, contact indiainnashville@hotmail.com.

—Jim Ridley

My Baby’s Daddy Anthony Anderson, Michael Imperioli and Eddie Griffin (who also scripted) star as buddies who find themselves facing fatherhood at the same time. Cheryl Dunye (Stranger Inside) delivered this prenatal comedy, which opens Friday along with the hard-hitting Mandy Moore political exposé Chasing Liberty.

—Jim Ridley