Nashville for Free

Monday

8 off 8th at the Mercy Lounge, -8pm, 21+
8 bands, 15 minute sets, a night of local music and drink specials.

Tuesday

Pat Bergeson, Charles Treadway, and Charles Walker at 12 South Taproom – 9:30pm
One of the best B3 organists, one of the best soul singers,  and one of the best guitarists in Nashville in one room? You better believe it. It’s going to be a great set of music.

LookIn: Superior Donuts at Tennessee Rep’s Rehearsal Hall – 5:30-6:30pm
Come “look in” at what happens before the curtain goes. The LookIn will include tasty treats themed from the show, performance excerpts, and insights from the director and set designer. This event takes place in Tennessee Rep’s Rehearsal Hall, 161 Rains Avenue.

New Faces Nite at the Basement – 8pm, 21+
Tonight’s New Faces Nite will feature performances by Zombie Song (Beast Make Bomb), Cherubim Tree, Brand New Life, Sharaya Mikael, Megan Jean and KFB, Elle Maze, Dillon Hodges, and Phoebe Sharp.

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Monday

8 off 8th at the Mercy Lounge – 9pm, 21+
This week’s 8 off 8th will feature performances by Brandon Jazz and His Armed Forces, By Lightning!, Colorfeels, The Hollywood Kills, Laura Reed ft. Shannon Sanders, Quichenight, Sam & Tre, and Toy.

Kenny Vaughan and Friends at 12 South Taproom – 9:30pm
Kenny has played with such artists as Lucinda Williams, Rodney Crowell and others and is currently a full-time member of Marty Stuart’s band. He was also named instrumentalist of the year by the Americana Music Association in 2006.

Author Event with Taylor Polites at Parnassus Books – 6pm
Taylor Polites will be at Parnassus Books reading from his debut novel, THE REBEL WIFE. O Magazine in their February 2012 issue picks The Rebel Wife as one of “Ten Titles to Pick Up Now.” They say, “This engrossing novel about a resilient heroine in the post-Civil War South has all the drama of the era and none of the clichés.”

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Monday

8 off 8th at the Mercy Lounge, -8pm, 21+
Tonight’s 8 off 8th will feature performances by Andrea Davidson, Skyler, Ashley Lee, Ryan Kinder, Holly Winter, The Co, Schools, and Tesla Rossa.

Kenny Vaughan and Friends at 12 South Taproom – 9:30pm
Kenny has played with such artists as Lucinda Williams, Rodney Crowell and others and is currently a full-time member of Marty Stuart’s band. He was also named instrumentalist of the year by the Americana Music Association in 2006.

Elio and the Hank Sinatras at Two Old Hippies – 5pm
Kind of a jazzy Texas swing sound.

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Monday

Apocalyptic Love 8 off 8th at the Mercy Lounge – 9pm, 21+
This special 8 off 8th features not only a stellar lineup of The Electric Hearts, Night Beds, Sol Cat, Buffalo Clover, Henry Wagons (from Australia!), The Greater Good, Little Bandit, and The Delta Saints, it will also feature a photobooth and all other kinds of rockish goodness.

Tin Roof 10th Anniversary Bash – 7pm, 21+
The Tin Roof is turning 10 and they want to celebrate with you. In their own words, they’ll be “bringing back some old friends, looking into the future, and partying like rock stars.”

Umbrella: a Love Story with Songs at the Looby Theatre at the Looby Library – 7:30pm
Umbrella is a new musical written by Nashville songwriters Steve Leslie and Len Cohen. Umbrella has been selected for a staged reading by the Nashville Metro Parks New Play Reading Series.

Igor Stravinsky’s The Soldier’s Tale at Austin Peay State University’s Concert Hall – 7:30pm
Join APSU Music, Theatre and Dance faculty for a fully staged production of Igor Stravinsky’s milestone “L’Histoire du Soldat.” Adapted, directed and choreographed by Marcus Hayes, with music performed by members of the Gateway Chamber Orchestra conducted by Gregory Wolynec. Free and open to the public.

Art: Up Close & Personal with Alf Sharp at the Williamson County Public Library – 6pm
Alf Sharp’s impressive commissions include dining chairs, mantle pieces, carved Venetian blinds, faux-grained exterior doors, “Jackson” presses, and a replica of President George Washington’s swiveling mahogany office chair at the Hermitage. He has captured numerous awards including the 2008 Cartouche Award of the Society of American Period Furniture Makers, Williamsburg, Va. and being named a Fellow of the Emma Collaborative 2010, Saskatoon & Ness Creek, Saskatchewan, Canada.

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Monday

8 off 8th at the Mercy Lounge, -8pm, 21+
8 bands, 15 minute sets, a night of local music and drink specials.

Abigail Bobo at Two Old Hippies – 5pm
Check this out if you’re a fan of strong rhythm, soaring melodies, literature-inspired lyrics, and the harp.

Tuesday

Moon Taxi In-Store at Grimey’s -6pm
Their new album Cabaret comes out today, and they’re celebrating by playing a stripped-down acoustic set at Grimey’s.

New Faces Nite at the Basement – 8pm, 21+
This week’s New Faces Nite will feature performances by Vitamin Overdose, Abbott Martin, Brian Buckley, Rickolus, Henry Wagons, Melody Kills and more.

Film Screening: The Blues Feels Like Going Home at Vanderbilt’s Sarratt Cinema – 7:30pm
This homage to the Delta Blues travels through Mississippi and on to West Africa, exploring the roots of the music. It includes vivid original performances by Willie King, Otha Turner, and Ali Farka Toure among others and rare archival footage of Son House, Muddy Waters, Jonny Shines, and John Lee Hooker. English. Not rated. 83 mins.

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Thursday

NAAD Presents Art After Hours – 5-8pm
Be you downtown, in Hillsboro Village, in Clarksville, or elsewhere, there is probably an art crawl happening near you. There will be music, wine, finger foods (maybe), cool art, and awesome people. Don’t miss this, it only happens once a month.

Nashville Music Guide Acoustic Performance Night at Douglas Corner Cafe – 8pm
It will feature performances by Herrick, Stephanie Quayle, Joe Matthews,  Jamie Saylor, Ben Gallaher, Carli & Julie Kennedy, -Brenda Best, and Jon Dakota.

Jody Lee Petty Showcase at 12th and Porter – 6pm
From the artist bio: Who does he sound like? To answer simply, he is authentically Jody Lee Petty, a humble man of southern charm and amazing energy. Petty has appeared live with Colt Ford, Justin Moore, Molly Hachet, Rascal Flatts, Sugarland, Jason Aldean, Toby Keith, Montgomery Gentry, Blackfoot, and Josh Thompson among others in an active touring schedule.

Friday

Curator’s Perspective: Duncan Phillips: Champion of American Art at the Frist Center – 12pm
In this talk, Susan Behrends Frank, Ph.D., associate curator for research for The Phillips Collection and curator of To See as Artists See, will speak about the extraordinary vision of Duncan Phillips, who made an institutional commitment at the end of World War I to champion American art and encourage American artists of independent vision who looked beyond the strictures of the academy at a time when other institutions were unwilling to do so.

Collectors Art Night at The Arts Company – 5:30pm
Prominent Nashville art collectors will discuss what draws them to photography, what criteria they use to discern something collectible, and other insights into the acquisition of photographic art.   Free Admission. Refreshments. By Reservation Only. RSVP to arts@theartcompany.com

Meet ‘ 3 at the Farmer’s Market – 6pm
Meet n’ 3 is the delicious blend of 4 of Nashville’s favorites— Local Artists, Local Food Trucks, Local Music, & Nashville Farmers’ Market. All 4 will converge on Friday, Feb. 3rd from 6-9pm at Nashville Farmers’ Market. This free to attend event will feature 10 of Nashville’s favorite Food Trucks, over 30 local artists, local band Striking Matches, and beer + wine sales. Sponsored by Metro Arts Commission, Nashville Food Trucks, & Lightning 100.

Saturday

Free day at the Country Music Hall of Fame 
Big thanks to Ford for making it possible. I now will buy one of your cars. Just kidding, I already have one! There will also be a musical petting zoo from 11am-3pm and a songwriting session with Erin Enderlin and Jim “Moose” Brown at 11:30am.

Atlanta Braves Autograph Signing at Academy Sports + Outdoors – 1:30-3pm
Yay, baseball! I’m a Reds fan myself, which means I am often filled with sorrow, but I still love them. The Braves, I guess they’re okay. They’ll be signing stuff!

First Saturday Art Crawl in the Arcade – 6-9pm
Look at some art, drink some wine, mingle, and repeat. Oh, and there will also be an architectural tour of the Frist at 4:30pm.

Connection Cultures Celebrates China at the Green Hills Library – 10:30
The Frist Center for the Visual Arts will facilitate an art-making activity at the Green Hills Area Library highlighting the artwork and story of the Chinese Arts Alliance of Nashville in conjunction with the Frist Center’s Connecting Cultures: Children’s Stories from Across the World exhibition. In the Chinese tradition, the dragon traditionally symbolizes power, strength, and good luck. Participants will make their own Chinese dragon puppets based on the artwork, Chinese Legends.

Seed Starting Class at Mt. Juliet Community Center – 10am
This class will be on seed starting and will be taught by MariAnne Pelletier, President of the Wilson County Master Gardeners. All classes will be free for the public. For more information please call Jan at the Mt. Juliet Community Center at (615) 758-6522. Look for more classes to be available in the near future.

Reflections in the Freestyle Gallery at the East Library Branch – 2pm
In Black History House’s Freestyle Gallery, some of the city’s top freestyle artists including Rashad “thaPoet” Rayford, Aphropik, and Poet will take prompts from the audience and weave them into powerful messages about the past and future. Younger poets and emcees will join these leading artists to create a dynamic, improvised performance. Freestyle is the art of creating poetry and rap on the spot in response to prompts or in response to lines by other poets and rappers.

It’s been an incredibly busy weekend, so this week I’m going to post the Weekly Highlights in two parts. I should have the rest posted tomorrow night.

Monday

8 off 8th at the Mercy Lounge – 9pm, 21+
This week’s 8 off 8th is hosted by Steve Cross and will feature performances by Scale Model, I Believe in Hotpants, Bows and Arrows, King Arthur, Bravo Max, Magnolia Sons, Honey Locust, and Sugar Sk*_*lls.

Kenny Vaughan and Friends at 12 South Taproom – 9:30pm
Kenny has played with such artists as Lucinda Williams, Rodney Crowell and others and is currently a full-time member of Marty Stuart’s band. He was also named instrumentalist of the year by the Americana Music Association in 2006.

Free Monthly Meal for Hendersonville Residents at Community Church of Hendersonville – 1:30-5:30pm
Bring your ID (to prove you live in Hendersonville) and bring your family for a monthly free community meal presented by Share Our Food Kitchen.

Tuesday

3rd Annual Keep the Music Playing at the Schermerhorn- 6:30pm
Hosted by RCA recording artist and two-time CMA Award nominee Chris Young, CMA’s Keep the Music Playing All Stars Concert will honor several of the brightest music groups from Metro Nashville Public Schools that have benefited from CMA’s Keep the Music Playing program.

A Twisted Mind is a Terrible Thing to Waste at the Main Public Library – 6:15pm
Spend the evening on a comic adventure inside the ridiculously twisted mind of Rubes® cartoonist Leigh Rubin. Rubin’s cartoons are syndicated in more than 400 publications worldwide. Books and other goodies will be on sale in front of the art gallery.

Film Screening: If These Halls Could Talk at Vanderbilt’s Sarratt Cinema – 7:30pm
Over a weekend in Ukiah, California, a group of eleven students from around the country gathered to talk about the state of diversity on their college campuses. The students’ stories are starkly emotional, and highlight the complex issues that underlie the demographics of higher education.

Rock’n’Roll Trivia at the Mercy Lounge back bar– 6:30pm
What, you think you know more rock minutia than I do? Well, you’re probably right, but if you really want a challenge then you should hit up this event. It consists of three rounds of questions, two rounds of “name that tune,” and the rock and roll-est of final wagers where you can bet (and possibly lose) it all. The prizes are $50, $25 or $10 to be spent at Mercy Lounge. Plus, everyone gets free parking and beer specials all night. It’s about teams, so grab some friends. Oh, and there’s free parking and drink specials.

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Monday

8 off 8th at the Mercy Lounge – 9pm, 21+
This week’s 8 off 8th will feature performances by The Cadillac Black, Leroy Powell and the Messengers, The Tendoor, Fly Golden Eagle, Kyle Andrews, Wilder Embry, Cashatt, and Heypenny.

Kenny Vaughan and Friends at 12 South Taproom – 9:30pm
Kenny has played with such artists as Lucinda Williams, Rodney Crowell and others and is currently a full-time member of Marty Stuart’s band. He was also named instrumentalist of the year by the Americana Music Association in 2006.

Motown Monday at Two Old Hippies –  5pm
This week Paris Delane and his seven octave vocal range will be performing for Motown Monday at Two Old Hippies.

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Monday

Free day at the Frist Center
In celebration of MLK Jr. Day the Frist will be free today.

8 off 8th at the Mercy Lounge – 8:30pm, 21+
This week’s 8 off 8th will be hosted by Yellowberri & Starry Nights Music Festival and will feature performances by Buffalo Rodeo, Rainbow KK, Lost River Cavemen, Schools, Billy Swayze, Black Shades, Plastic Friends, Fat Box, and Instant People.

Jessie Baylin In-Store at Grimey’s – 6pm
Jessie Baylin’s new (and third) album doesn’t come out until Tuesday, but she’s celebrating its launch the day before (today!)  with a performance at Grimey’s. The new record is produced, arranged, and mixed by Richard Swift and Kevin Augunas, features some legendary LA session musicians, has songwriting contributions from Thad Cockrell, and the first video is directed by ScarJo.

MLK Day Celebration at Discovery Center at Murfree Spring – 11am-4pm
Today the Discovery Center will offer free admission. There will also be a scavenger hunt, crafts, live performances, and free cake.

Bruce Dudley Double Quartet: Mostly Monk at the Blair School of Music – 8pm
This event is part of the Blair Nightcap Series and will be filmed for a later live broadcast on WNPT-2 TV and VUcast. It’ll feature arrangements of Thelonious Monk, Billy Strayhorn, and Bill Evans along with some originals.

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Monday

8 off 8th at the Mercy Lounge – 9pm, 21+
This week’s 8 off 8th will feature performances by The Cadillac Black, Leroy Powell and the Messengers, The Tendoor, Fly Golden Eagle, Kyle Andrews, Wilder Embry, and Cashatt.

Kenny Vaughan and Friends at 12 South Taproom – 9:30pm
Kenny has played with such artists as Lucinda Williams, Rodney Crowell and others and is currently a full-time member of Marty Stuart’s band. He was also named instrumentalist of the year by the Americana Music Association in 2006.

Keep on Movin’ at the 5 Spot $3 – 9pm, 21+
It’s a dance party with some of the sweetest dance tunes from way back. From 50s and 60s rock, soul, do-wop, girl groups, and garage rock. Dance!

Ball & Chain Party Band: Sounds of Motown at Two Old Hippies – 6pm
BCPB plays a lot of styles of music, but tonight they’ll be grooving to some of the sweet sounds of Motown.

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