TOOTS & THE MAYTALSTUESDAY, 13THAt age 61, reggae hero Toots Hibbert remains a singular vocalist, his mix of sweetness and rasp still floating above the rock-steady beat like smooth smoke. Hibbert made yet another comeback with his Grammy-winning 2004 album True Love, in which he got the legend treatment on a collection of duets with Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, Willie Nelson, Bonnie Raitt, Keith Richards and The Roots. The only original Maytal since 1981, Hibbert is credited with creating the term reggae with his 1968 hit, “Do the Reggay,” and he’s responsible for several of the genre’s best-loved songs, including “Pressure Drop,” “Funky Kingston,” “Time Tough,” “Reggae Got Soul” and “True Love Is Hard to Find.” His buoyant spirit uplifts everything he does: even when singing about his 18-month prison stint in 1966 for marijuana possession, he can’t help but come out testifying about perseverance. His rare Nashville appearance follows a spotlight performance at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and shouldn’t be missed. Mercy Lounge —MICHAEL McCALL
MUSIC
THURSDAY, 8TH
TAYLOR HICKS Oh, Taylor Hicks—the unlikely hero, the gray-haired warrior, the man who brought Ray LaMontagne’s soulful love tune “Trouble” to the masses (albeit in watered-down form)—I’ve decided to love you, goofy dance moves and all. Because in a strange way, there’s nothing more American than this Alabama boy’s journey from the barren barroom to the American Idol stage to the historic Ryman Auditorium. He wasn’t the best singer in the field—not even close—but up against porcelain prima donna Katherine McPhee, you couldn’t help but root for him. Hicks’ self-titled debut is a sprawling, big-budget, easy-listening interpretation of soul, but it doesn’t matter, because just like he did every Tuesday night in front of millions, Hicks is singing his guts out with a refreshing and entertaining lack of self-awareness. (taylorhicks.com) Ryman Auditorium —LEE STABERT
FRIDAY, 9TH
THE AUTUMN DEFENSE Comprised of current Wilco members John Stirratt and Pat Sansone, The Autumn Defense’s music is ironically more like the ornate and meticulous pop of notoriously ousted Wilco member Jay Bennett than that of alt-country-icon-turned-indie-godhead Jeff Tweedy. That fact is primarily due to the pop predilection of the duo’s driving force, Sansone. Before Wilco, Sansone was once part of the Mississippi music scene that produced pop-rockers Neilson Hubbard and Garrison Starr, and he later lived in Nashville, briefly playing with acts such as Swan Dive and Josh Rouse. While here, he became a favorite of studio whiz Brad Jones, whose influence on the new self-titled Autumn Defense album is felt far beyond his bass contributions. Utilizing key Nashville cats such as Chris Carmichael (strings) and Jim Hoke (horns), Sansone pushes the band away from the lean, indie sound of their earlier records toward an intricate and warm amalgam of ’70s AM radio influences. (myspace.com/theautumndefense) The Basement —JASON MOON WILKINS
THE SHINS Say what you will about The Shins, but this Sub Pop quartet have created something unusual: a distinct sound. Play a snippet of a Shins song and most anyone even peripherally familiar with the Garden State darlings will be able to recognize instantly that quick-paced jangle and those bright harmonies. The band’s third album, Wincing the Night Away, dropped in January—with great fanfare at No. 2 on the Billboard chart—and offers a darker, more dynamic twist on their signature sound. Despite some new tricks, The Shins cling faithfully to their buoyant pop sensibility, as on the tranquil jaunt “Australia” or the darkly catchy lead single “Phantom Limb.” On the hushed, pensive closer “A Comet Appears”—the sonic equivalent of a melancholy smile—birds chirp in the background and frontman James Mercer’s carefully chosen words roll out with a restraint and maturity notably absent from all the new next-big-things we’re pummeled with on a daily basis. (theshins.com) Ryman Auditorium —LEE STABERT
SATURDAY, 10TH
PELICAN It’s tempting to call this all-instrumental Chicago band a metal act for people who don’t like metal. The group increased their profile when the 2005 sophomore release on Hydra Head, The Fire in Our Throats Will Beckon the Thaw, saw generally glowing reviews in more mainstream publications. The reason was simple: Pelican were making more accessible music as they left behind the heavy, sludgy sound of their debut EP. The Fire and City of Echoes, Pelican’s new full-length out in May, is built on long songs driven by electric guitars that don’t pummel your ears, but instead work with the occasional acoustic sweetening to construct hard-won melodies. Rabid metal fans may feel betrayed, but the rest of us have found an intriguing new act to embrace. Exit/In (pelicansong.com) —WERNER TRIESCHMANN
THE FEATURES W/THE SPINTO BAND & THE WHIGS Middle Tennessee’s finest continue to regain momentum in 2007, after the past year saw them being dropped by Universal and splitting with keyboardist and founding member Parrish Yaw. Former De Novo Dahl member Mark Bond stepped in quickly and assuredly, replacing Yaw’s dizzy, Wurlitzer-heavy sounds with the endearingly understated synths of 2006’s Contrast EP. Between live engagements, the band is recording steadily for an as-yet-unspecified future release on an as-yet-unknown label. Expect a set built on standouts from debut Exhibit A, with old standbys (yes, “Thursday”) and new material peppered in. Unlike The Features, Delaware’s Spinto Band said yes to fistfuls of corporate dollars, allowing “Oh Mandy” to be used by Sears, and using the money to fund a European tour. Their 2005 record, Nice and Nicely Done, revealed that, while they’ve not quite outstripped their influences, they are gaining an ever-tighter grip on pop dynamics. Athens’ The Whigs (see the story on p. 34) set the stage for a sure thing, as any of these three bands could easily be the headliner on any other night. (thefeatures.com) Mercy Lounge —ANDREW J. SMITHSON
SUNDAY, 11TH
MONOTONIX Israeli trio Monotonix play heavy, distorted fuzz-rock that manages to stretch the limits of the fabled wall of sound using only drums and guitar. The band is well established in Tel Aviv for their high-energy live show and lineup, which features a standing drummer, a guitarist who favors a down-tuned ’77 Fender Jaguar with bass strings added, and a mustachioed daredevil of a frontman, who stares, yelps and hangs from rafters. The band plays Nashville on invitation from tour mates the Silver Jews, who opened for Montonix in Israel. (myspace.com/monotonix) The End —JOSEPH JAMES
PAOLO NUTINI This 20-year-old Scottish lad with an Italian name is 2007’s version of KT Tunstall, a fellow Scottish export who made her splash in America last year. Nutini is already a sensation in England, thanks to his Atlantic debut These Streets, and his sound is translating quite well here. On his current tour of the States, he’s had to shift to larger venues to accommodate the growing crowds, and his show at 3rd & Lindsley is already sold out. Nutini, who works the more mellow-acoustic rock side of the street, has an unerring sense of melody—songs such as “New Shoes” don’t have to beg for your attention. Though the young man sings about his romantic travails, he doesn’t wallow in depressive details, and he has a voice that’s truly special—rough and soulful but somehow sweet. 3rd & Lindsley (sold out; the show will be broadcast on Lightning 100). Nutini will do a 3 p.m. in-store at Grimey’s. (paolonutini.com) —WERNER TRIESCHMANN
TUESDAY, 13TH
HARRY CONNICK JR. After years of leading a creative double life marked by abrupt lane changes from big band to stripped-down funk and back, connick has found a way to merge his passion for both formats. Connick’s oft-overlooked work with small, groove-oriented ensembles, which he first presented on his landmark album she, has essentially generated a separate fan base from the swing loyalists who took to him in spite of—or perhaps because of—his initial resemblance to sinatra. It’s a good thing for them that connick puts a good amount of soul in the recipe on his latest, the big band-heavy oh my nola. It’s difficult to see how his funky side was ever dismissed as a dalliance or career side note, when connick is at his most innovative and daring—not to mention irresistibly soulful—in that arena. On nola, connick actually takes that daring a few steps further by branching out into several different band configurations. He also scripts a recurring katrina subtext, a vehicle that draws passion and compassion out of his otherwise smooth, sometimes distant crooner persona. Tpac’s andrew jackson hall —SABY REYES-KULKARNI
WEDNESDAY, 14TH
SUNBURNED People are always trying to define the sound of Sunburned (née Hand of The Man). But it’s hard to put concrete descriptors around that which is what it wants to be when it needs to be that thing. Doesn’t make a lot of sense, right? New England’s Sunburned, then, arose from the ashes of a Boston punk band, and that flame for individuality is probably their only guiding light: expect pockets of groove to build and break down courtesy of ace drummer John Moloney, and expect sheets of free-forming aural mess—vocals, keyboards, horns, bells, whistles—to float off any of the amorphous group’s three to nine members. Or, hell, expect none of that from these vagabonds of sonic enthusiasm, especially on their last tour stop before razing SXSW. Expect whatever, and you’ll be satisfied. Gown—the stage name of guitarist Andrew MacGregor, frequent collaborator with Thurston Moore and Christina Carter—opens. Ruby Green (ecstaticpeace.com/artist.php?id=10) —GRAYSON CURRIN
THEATER
THE SLIP This Montreal/Boston trio routinely overhaul their sound, which results in a catalog that’s as puzzling as it is a testament to the group’s efforts to stay interesting. Though this ethic defies convention and points to a stubborn determination, the band doesn’t hit you over the head with it. The Slip’s musical choices feel organic, and each album hovers enough in one general area, which gives the music an approachable quality that some of the band’s more contrived, overtly iconoclastic peers lack. With previous efforts veering closer to post-jazz experimentalism—and poising The Slip perfectly for acceptance by the legion of fans who appreciate where modern jazz and jam-band blur together—the new album Eisenhower sails straight into the deeper waters of pop. Under producer Matthew Ellard’s guidance, the band lays down unrepentantly catchy songs that recall Gomez’s recent forays into similar territory, but retain The Slip’s quirky edge. Hopefully, the band will draw on its considerable range in person. (theslip.com) Exit/In; the band also play Grimey’s at 6 p.m. March 13th. —SABY REYES-KULKARNI
BERLIN TO BROADWAY Since 2004, the Birmingham-based Politically Incorrect Cabaret has been performing satirical musical revues in late-Weimar style, in part because “the times we live in are rather similar,” says cabaret director Diane McNaron. In general terms, the company’s anti-fascist spiritual thrust rides on a mix of German cabaret and contemporary content, a style similar to the Capitol Steps. The lighthearted approach to the American sociopolitical scene features the pop music of Kurt Weill, Leonard Bernstein and Marvin Hamlisch. We also get treated to the music of Alban Berg, Philip Glass and Thelonious Monk. PIC’s mélange of dance, song, poetry and outrageous costumes includes one segment titled “Jack Abramoff and the Beanstalk” as well as lampoons based on numbers from Broadway hits such as West Side Story and A Chorus Line. The show’s principal writer, Andrew Duxbury, serves as emcee. There’s one show only at 9 p.m. Saturday, March 10, at Bongo After Hours Theatre. Phone 385-1188. —MARTIN BRADY
JAZZ RHAPSODY In a Nashville premiere co-produced by Theater Craft Inc. and Sweetbud Productions, actress-singer Connye Florance presents this one-woman celebration of jazz, focusing on the songs of Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn, Frank Loesser and others. Florance, who appeared several years back in Tennessee Rep’s memorable production of Ain’t Misbehavin’, also will debut a new musical work based on the Langston Hughes poem “Weary Blues.” Florance is backed up by an ensemble led by Cumberland University’s Joe Murphy and including pianist Kevin Madill and special guest artist, trumpeter Rod McGaha. In expanding the boundaries of a mere concert date, Florance has written an original script that ties together her unique fusion of music, spoken word and intimately staged theater. Performed 8 p.m. Saturday, March 10, at TPAC’s War Memorial Auditorium. For tickets, visit ticketmaster.com. —MARTIN BRADY
FILM
JOHN SCHNEIDER/COLLIER & CO. HOT PURSUIT! Distancing himself from his Dukes of Hazzard days, Schneider shows his range by playing a hot-roddin’ good-ol’-boy who outraces his foes and raises kids. Schneider, who also wrote, produced, directed, edited and maybe even restocked the craft-service table for this indie family comedy, will appear 5:30 p.m. Friday at the Carmike Rivergate 8 and 5:30 p.m. Saturday at the Carmike Thoroughbred 20 to sign autographs. Glossies will be available for $10 and die-cast General Lees for $20, so hit the ATM. —JIM RIDLEY
MRS. WORTHINGTON’S PARTY Why is a religious-themed comedy-drama set on wintry Cape Cod getting an exclusive preview engagement in Nashville? For one thing, the writer-director-star, David Wall, is a former Nashvillian; for another, the movie has reportedly attracted the attention of a successful faith-based distribution company with local ties. No wonder: this gentle, meandering tale about a bean-counting priest (Wall) who gets sidetracked from his mission to close down a cash-poor Catholic church made more than $26,000 at one Cape Cod theater, and it played just as warmly to festival audiences in Florida. As with Wall’s previous film, Joe and Joe, its many flaws, including uneven acting and fits-and-starts storytelling, are inextricably bound to its disarming good nature and off-kilter shoot-the-breeze tone. It’s also a sign of the movie’s open heart that this pro-life, pro-church story reserves most of its charity for an unmarried woman considering an abortion and a pair of failing priests. Co-starring Wall’s wife Kerry and Joe and Joe’s Sean Patrick Brennan, the movie opens Friday at Green Hills for a week’s run; see mrsworthingtonsparty.com for more information. —JIM RIDLEY
TELEVISION
NPT ROCKS! Nashville Public Television atones for all those pledge-drive airings of Yanni with a triple dose of high-octane rockabilly that’ll make your sacroiliac begin to shiver and a-move. The birth of ’billy forms the basis for Rockabilly Legends: They Called It Rockabilly Long Before They Called It Rock and Roll (7 p.m. March 8), as hosts Red Robinson and Jerry Naylor prowl the churches, cotton fields and honky-tonks that spawned the Sun Records sound. Then, on the Great Performances special Jerry Lee Lewis: Last Man Standing (7 p.m. March 13), the Killer toasts his new all-star duets album with help from Norah Jones, Tom Jones, John Fogerty, Willie Nelson, Kid Rock and more. The TCB Band brings it all back home for Elvis Lives: The 25th Anniversary Concert (8:30 p.m. March 15), for which the King’s legendary sidemen reunite at the Memphis Pyramid with Elvis having fun on stage via the miracle of video. Take that, John Tesh. —JIM RIDLEY
EVENTS
VANDERBILT CREATIVE WRITING SYMPOSIUM Acclaimed Jamaican poet, critic and playwright Kwame Dawes will be among the participants at a symposium titled “Dancing Between Two (or More) Cultures: Writers of the Caribbean, Central America and the United States.” Dawes’ books include Lyrical Genius, a critical analysis of the music of Bob Marley; and Wisteria: Twilight Songs from the Swamp Country, a collection of poems drawn from the black experience in South Carolina. His work is accessible and sensual as it explores various facets of Afro-Caribbean and African American culture, as in his Marley-inspired poem “Some Tentative Definitions I”: Everything get like water now / the way steady hands / curve round a sweatsmooth waistline, / guiding the rub, the dub, so ready. Dawes’ fellow Jamaican poet and short story writer Lorna Goodison brings a more austere style to similar themes in poems such as “To Become Green Again and Young”: Arctic, Antarctic, Atlantic, Indian, Pacific / Caribbean Sea Atlantic Ocean / where our ancestors drowned. / There is a spirit nation / under the ocean. Comparative literature scholar J. Edward Chamberlin will join Dawes and Goodison for a panel discussion on Caribbean poetry at 3 p.m. March 14 in the auditorium of the Bishop Joseph Johnson Black Cultural Center. A reception for all symposium recipients will be held at 4:30 in the Robert Penn Warren Center for the Humanities. Dawes and Goodison will read from their work at 6 p.m. in Room 101, Buttrick Hall. All events are free and open to the public. –MARIA BROWNING
