Nashville for Free

Pints + Pistons is a motorcycle rally presented by Imogene + Willie. Being based out of an old gas station, and being totally rad, it seems to make perfect sense that they would have an appreciation for the most bad ass, greasy mode of transportation.

Those with motorcycles should meet at the shop at 1pm for a ride across Middle Tennessee. It’s extensive. It’s awesome. You might want to fill up before you head out.

Just be sure to be back by 5pm. That’s also when you’ll want to head over to i+w if you just want to check out all the awesome bikes (because you don’t have one of your own but really wish you did.) That’s because 5pm is when the free beer happens.

Enjoy, and rev-on.

-Emily

Supper + Song at Imogene + Willie is always a good time, and I couldn’t be happier to have it back. It’s always an incredibly friendly event with good music, food, and some awesome jeans (purchase not required).

Tonight brings the return of Supper + Song with a special guest – Karen Elson of Third Man Records. Kate Tucker will also be performing, so get there early. You might recall it being on Thursdays in years past, now it seems to be on Wednesdays, at least this week.

Mas Tacos will very likely be there, dishing out their ever-amazing tacos, and Bang Candy Company has been known to appear. It’s BYOB, as always, so bring some brews and come on down!

Things get started tonight at 6pm at Imogene + Willie in 12 South.

-Emily

After years of various bands Jack White is finally releasing a solo album. It’s called Blunderbuss, and everything I’ve heard from it is really good. But duh, it’s Jack White. Like him or not, you have to admit the guy is talented.

The record isn’t out yet, but tonight at 6pm you can swing by Grimey’s and listen to the whole thing! It’s free, there will be free beer, and one lucky fan will win a test pressing of the album. And you thought those 45s tied to balloons were hard to get!

Just to be clear, if you’re expecting Jack White to actually be there you’re probably going to be disappointed. He will not be performing.

-Emily

According to their bio, Umbrella Tree‘s first show at The Basement’s New Faces Nite is “the stuff of legend.” I wasn’t there, so I can’t confirm this, but Grimey’s sure does invite them back a lot. I remember a few years ago stopping by Grimey’s when they debuted their 16 video DVD for The Letter C (there was free cake)!

They didn’t actually perform that day, but they’ll be performing tonight at 6pm at Grimey’s to celebrate the release of their new Kickstarter-funded LP To the Memory of a Once Great Man is out now. Apparently it’s about the life and death of Napolean Bonaparte. It’s vinyl-only with mp3 download.

-Emily

People don’t seem to like tax day. Well, I take that back, procrastinators don’t like tax day. Yeah, it’s kind of a pain, but a bunch of businesses like to treat their customers to a free treat on tax day. Here are the sweet deals I could find for tax day:

Chili’s
Free appetizer or dessert with the purchase of an entree on April 16, 17, and 18.

PF Chang’s

Get 15% off your total order when you preorder your meal.

MaggieMoo’s
Free scoop of their new frozen yogurt. This deal applies to Marble Slab as well.

Cinnabon
Two free “Tax Day” Bites from 6-8pm.

Bruegger’s
13 bagels and two tubs of cream cheese for $10.40.

Whole Foods
This is for Tennessee and Alabama only, but Whole Foods will pay the sales tax on your entire order on April 16th! Buy big.

Arby’s
If you Like them on Facebook you’ll get a coupon for a free value size curly fries.

White Castle
Like them on Facebook to get a 15% off coupon on April 16th. Also, you can get Buy One Get One sliders until April 28th.

Panda Express
Get a free single serving of Shanghai Angus steak with a coupon on 4/17 only.

Seattle’s Best Coffee
Free house coffee on tax day.

Boston Market
Buy one get one free on entries on 4/17.

Sonic Drive-In
Happy hour drinks all day!

Schlotzky’s
Free chips and 20oz drink with a sandwich.

Hooters
20 boneless wings for $9.99.

Office Depot
They’ll shred up to five pounds of paper and make 25 single-sided b&w copies for free.

The Vespers have quickly become one of my favorite local bands, and not just because they’re incredibly nice people with ties to Dairy King, one of the best home-cooked meat-n-three restaurants in Nashville.

They consist of two groups of siblings (Callie and Phoebe Cryar, Taylor and Bruno Jones) and offer some great Americana music. They even got a sweet write-up in the Huffington Post and just got back from a tour of the Northeast.

They’re the real deal and they’re playing their biggest show ever today – as their record release party. It’s completely free, even parking, so you have no excuse to not find yourself there tonight. So come on out and celebrate the release of The Fourth Wall with them.

It starts at 8pm at the Boone Center at Trevecca University. It’ll be live-streamed by Music City Roots and Live It Now Entertainment.

-Emily

Monday

Presidential Lectures in Art and Art History: Nick Cave at Lipscomb’s Ezell Center – 7pm
Nick Cave the visual artist, not the musician. Still cool.

8 off 8th at the High Watt – 9pm, 21+
Yep, you read that right, 8 off 8th will be at the High Watt, the new venue attached to Mercy Lounge, this week. Performers will include Hot Mess, The Joy of Painting, Dogs of OZ, Echo Group, The Gills, Phantom Farmer, Robert Chisolm, and Josh Foster.

Signature Series: Blair Brass Quintet at Blair’s Ingram Hall – 8pm
The Blair Brass Quintet, founded in 1995, has concertized throughout the Southeast, and is very involved in exposing young people to their music through school concerts. Their repertoire ranges from traditional to contemporary. For this concert, the Quintet will perform works by Samuel Scheidt, John Cheetham, Malcolm Arnold and Charles-Marie Widor, among others.

Tuba Fools’ Day at Austin Peay’s Concert Hall – 7:30pm
Come on, how could I NOT shout-out this event. Tubas!

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Cherry blossoms make spring a reality for me. I know that winter is over when I see those beautiful blooms all over Nashville. Sure, Spring gives me insane allergy fits, but damn, it’s beautiful, thanks in no small part to those trees.

Apparently cherry blossoms, or sakura, have been a symbol of U.S.-Japan friendship since the Mayor of Tokyo donated 3,000 cherry trees to Washington, D.C., in 1912.

That’s why Sister Cities of Nashville and Japan America Society of Tennessee host the Cherry Blossom Festival every year. It’s a celebration of Japanese Culture and American friendship that features a musical showcase, tea ceremony, origami, a CosPlay contest, Japanese food booths and more.

A 2.5 mile walk with the Mayor will take place at 9am in Public Square Park, and the festival will get started at 10am, also at Public Square Park.

-Emily

I have to admit, I’ve fallen out a bit with reality TV, even genuinely awesome programs like Project Runway. One thing that truly ruled about that show was Tim Gunn. Come on, everyone knows who the real star of that show is. No one ever quotes the contestants or Heidi. Nope, you just hear people say “make it work, make it work, make it work.”

This Saturday from 1-3pm Tim Gunn will be at the Green Hills Mall for Fashion Week to debut the Juicy Couture, kate spade new york and Lucky Brand Spring 2012 Collections in a live runway show.

That’s the free part. If you want to meet him and get your picture taken with him without paying a dime, then you’re out of luck. You see, there will be a professional photographer there who will take a picture of you and Mr. Gunn…but you have to spend something like $150 at one of the featured stores. It’s not exactly hard to do so at any of those stores, but that’s why I don’t shop there.

But whatever you do, if you end up meeting Tim Gunn, please don’t be that person who goes up to him and yells “MAKE IT WORK!!!”

-Emily

12 Monkeys is a weird movie. Most futuristic sci-fi movies are though. However, it has pretty high reviews and a kind of ridiculously awesome twist at the end. Brad Pitt is in it for a minute. Here’s the synopsis:

A stunning adaptation of Chris Marker’s La Jetée, this sci-fi mystery thriller is set in the year 2035, where a lethal virus has wiped out most of the population. A criminal volunteers to go back in time to 1995 to gather information about the origin of the virus and is mistakenly sent back six years earlier than expected.

It’s showing at Vanderbilt’s Sarratt Cinema at 7:30pm as part of the International Lens Series.

-Emily