The Spin
Surfing with aliens
Nashville got a taste of retail rock Friday night thanks to spaz team JEFF, who played one in a series of farewell shows—this one at heroin-chic hotspot American Apparel downtown. “Welcome to the first rock show on Broadway,” said JONAS STEIN of BYOP, who opened with his side project TURBO FRUITS. Never mind that the Bluegrass Inn used to book punk bands, or that U2 played Tootsie’s once—to these kids, this probably was the first rock show on Broadway. Hell, by the youthful looks of some of them, it might have been their first rock show ever. The Fruits had some memorable moments in their spastic flitter from surf to punk to blues, but not much holds up to the raw power of JEFF, who sounded like gods of thunder in comparison. Even though we couldn’t see the duo over the beastly number of awkward, gangly boys manning the front five rows, JAKE and JAMIN ORRALL occasionally stood on their instruments to bow graciously in between songs, and the preternaturally prolific boys kept the crowd distracted from the visibility probs with a couple of inflatable space aliens they sent soaring through the crowd. Luckily, JEFF’s bendy, dissonant rubber-band rock was the perfect soundtrack to duck and hurl flailing plastic alien bodies, and to take the occasional Martian face pounding in the name of rock. Saturday night offered another dose of JEFF-tastic action at the Radio Café, with another packed house. The spirit of finality and nostalgia was especially poignant considering the recent announcement of the over-a-decade-old venue’s eminent sale, but JEFF still brought the rock, managing to sound like a much larger ensemble—full and tight and dynamic, especially impressive considering Jake plays only three strings. We’ll miss you boys. Come back soon. Oh, and apparently The Spin weren’t the only ones enjoying an evening on the Eastside—JACK WHITE and Co. were spotted later in the evening, enjoying a beer down the street at 3 CROW BAR.
Goof-core
The Spin feel it’s important to stay true to our tween selves, so we checked out COWBOY DYNAMITE at all-ages dirty punk club The Muse Saturday night for our favorite Franklin goof-punks. CD are the sort of band who restore your faith in rock with their dorky, post-pubescent dude humor and their tendency to de-shirt and get real sweaty. And they always bring their friends. A crowd of about 20 kids gathered round to sing along, spaz out and horse around with each other while the Dynamite banged out whoa-ohs and get this—actual melodies—in their hoodlum punk.
Rock to recovery
KARA NICKS—former Springwater booker, staffer for legendary punk label SST and cover model for Black Flag’s 1990 LP Annihilate This Week—has had a hard run of luck. Since a car accident in September 2004, three surgeries have left her with a rod in her neck, several fused vertebrae and mounting medical expenses. Worse still, she won’t be able to continue working as a nurse’s assistant. This Saturday at 9 p.m., friends are throwing a benefit at Springwater, including comedian CRAIG SMITH, the reunited LATCHLIFTERS (featuring MATT BUTTON from THE LONE OFFICIAL), ALTERED STATESMAN and the mighty DAVE CLOUD & THE GOSPEL OF POWER. Make donations at the door or see myspace.com/karanoid for other ways to help.
As the neighborhood turns
RADIO CAFÉ owner MAC HILL is putting his building up for sale. With the rapid rise of property values around Five Points, Hill sees an opportunity to make a change. The café, which opened in April 2005, was something of a torchbearer in East Nashville, booking local bands and providing a low-key atmosphere for drinks and conversation before there was much else around. “It’s been wonderful,” says Hill. “The Radio Café has definitely been an act of love and a work of love because it hasn’t been extremely financially successful toward the end here.... I love it here. It’s a great neighborhood. I’m not leaving the neighborhood, I’m just going to be going somewhere different.”
In other East Nashville club news, Windows on the Cumberland, the downtown venue that was displaced in the fall, has at long last found a home. Windows owner Jackson “Boots” Hill will take over The 5 Spot, re-christening it “Windows East of the Cumberland.”
A new beginning
Singer-songwriter SONIA LEE will celebrate the release of Chance to Start Over Sunday, Jan. 14 at Bluebird Cafe. A 2006 Kerrville New Folk Finalist, Lee has a lovely, ethereal voice reminiscent of Alison Krauss. The CD chronicles a journey of recovery from personal demons, in rootsy, laid-back arrangements featuring mostly acoustic instrumentation. Lee will be backed by Rod Stewart et. al. guitarist TODD SHARP, longtime Jimmy Buffett bassist JIM MAYER and vocalist JENN WILLIAMSON. The show begins at 6:30 p.m. sharp.
Send news of late-night Jack White sightings and info on Nashville’s next best teen sensations to the spin@nashvillescene.com.
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