Margo Price, playing Pilgrimage Music and Cultural Festival
From small clubs to amphitheaters to your friendly neighborhood enormodome, the fall is jam-packed with concerts and festivals you’ll want to put on your calendar. Below we’ve picked out the ones that caught our eye, with some extra notes on a handful of them.
Sept. 19-23: AmericanaFest
The expansive music fest that pulls artists whose music might draw on country, folk, blues, rock or other traditions under one big tent is set to spread across Nashville once again. Some highlights among this year’s massive lineup include ace songsmiths Amythyst Kiah and Mya Byrne; also don’t miss country legend Jessi Colter, whose Margo Price-produced Edge of Forever is set for release Oct. 27. Snag a conference pass that gets you into an array of panels or a fest pass that gets you into most shows via the Americana Music Association website.
Sept. 20: Wu-Tang Clan and Nas at Bridgestone Arena, 501 Broadway
Both of these legendary hip-hop acts have played Music City separately in recent years, including Wu-Tang gracing the stage at the Ryman and Nas performing with the Nashville Symphony. If you’ve missed out, the New York State of Mind Tour is your chance to catch up.
Sept. 23-24: Pilgrimage Music and Cultural Festival at The Park at Harlinsdale Farm, 239 Franklin Road, Franklin
Pilgrimage checks a lot of boxes: It’s a multi-genre, multi-day music fest with four stages; you can bring the kids; and you won’t have any trouble getting to work and school on time on Monday. Oh yeah, and there’s a ton of great music as well. Can’t-miss undercard acts include Ivory Coast-born Nashville country-folkster Peter One, rocker and songsmith Margo Price and soulful songsmith Yola; Americana mainstays The Lumineers and rising country star Zach Bryan headline.
Phish, playing Bridgestone Arena
Oct. 6-8: Phish at Bridgestone Arena
The New England jam-band heroes celebrate their 40th anniversary in 2023, and they’re carrying on the traditions fans have come to know and love. That includes playing extended versions of catalog classics as well as songs from their most recent studio release (Get More Down, credited to their alter-ego band Sci-Fi Soldier) and beyond. And they’re playing multiple dates at big venues, with this three-night run at the ’Stone among Phish’s biggest in Middle Tennessee.
Oct. 12-14: Briston Maroney’s Paradise at Brooklyn Bowl, 925 Third Ave. N.
Hot on the heels of his new LP Ultrapure, the Nashville-by-way-of-East Tennessee rocker is set to headline three nights at Brooklyn Bowl in a festival of sorts whose goal is to give back to the community that’s supported him so much. Partner and fellow songsmith Samia is among the undercard acts on Oct. 12, while Austin, Texas’ Hovvdy are among the additional acts on Oct. 13, and Detroit-born Charlie Burg and others join in on Oct. 14.
Oct. 20: Alanna Royale Album Release at The Blue Room at Third Man Records, 623 Seventh Ave. S.
Songsmith and soul singer supreme Alanna Royale and her glove-tight band have been gearing up all year for the release of their third LP. Trouble Is will finally be out on Oct. 6, and their extensive touring schedule will bring them to Third Man’s intimate Blue Room a couple weeks later for what’s sure to be among the soul events of the season.
Screaming Females, playing Drkmttr
Oct. 31: Screaming Females at Drkmttr, 1111 Dickerson Pike
New Brunswick, N.J.’s Screaming Females have been recording and touring with their brand of heavy-ass rock ’n’ roll for almost 20 years. Even though the onset of the pandemic threw a wrench in the making of their eighth LP Desire Pathway, not a drop of emotional immediacy is lost. Their fall tour pulls into Drkmttr on Halloween, with Lip Critic and Rodeo Boys in tow.
More shows for your consideration:
Sept. 15: Voices of Mississippi at Vanderbilt’s Blair School of Music
Sept. 16: Be Your Own Pet at The Blue Room
Sept. 26: Zulu and Soul Glo at Exit/In
Sept. 27: Avey Tare w/Geologist at The End
Sept. 27: C.O.F.F.I.N. at The Blue Room
Sept. 29-30: Musicians Corner season finale at Centennial Park
Oct. 6: Becca Mancari at The Blue Room
Oct. 8: Benefit for Girls Write Nashville at 3rd and Lindsley
Oct. 8-10: You Got Gold: Celebrating the Life and Songs of John Prine at various venues
Oct. 9: Sheer Mag at The Blue Room
Oct. 11: Raphael Saadiq Revisits Tony! Toni! Toné! at the Ryman
Oct. 12: Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit’s eight-night run at the Ryman begins
Oct. 17: Nick Cave at the Ryman
Oct. 19: Depeche Mode at Bridgestone Arena
Oct. 22: The 1975 at Bridgestone Arena
Nov. 2: The Wooten Brothers at Riverside Revival
Nov. 11: Kim Petras at Municipal Auditorium
Nov. 25: William Tyler and the Impossible Truth at The Blue Room
From the Frist’s ‘Multiplicity’ to concerts, theater, films and more, here are the most promising events of the season
