Nashville for Free

There is a special place in my heart for Parachute Musical. Their NBN show in 2007 was one of the first shows I saw upon moving to Nashville and I found it throughly enjoyable. Piano-pop a la Ben Folds doesn’t usually move me, but Parachute Musical is the exception to the rule.

Sometimes it really pays to read the paper, because that’s where I first learned that tonight Parachute Musical is playing a free showcase at the Basement (21+). It starts at 6pm but it’s only an hour long or so, so it won’t mess up your dinner schedule (hey, these things are important to some people).

In case you’ve never had the pleasure of seeing a Parachute Musical show here are some things you should expect: a dude in a bear suit, lots and lots and lots of color, copious amounts of energy. Yep, bear suit, color, energy. Oh, and awesome music, but that kind of goes without saying.

If you want you can even stick around after Parachute Musical for the Sara Beck CD release show. She’s the poppy singer/songwriter type.

Check behind the cut for their official music video for “Drop Me a Line.”

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I have to admit that I don’t know a lot about Goodbuy Girls. I know that they sell cute vintage clothes and I know that they are located on 16th st in East Nashville. I also know that they’re celebrating their first anniversary with a party at the Basement tonight and made an awesome poster to prove it.

The party will be part rock show, part trunk show (which I imagine means they’ll be selling clothes). The performers will include GG Owner, Tanya Coe -GG’s Brianne, Darla, Meghan D’Amico and more. Also, everyone who attends will get a free grab bag that will include, among other things, a free pair of earrings and a chance to win the big raffle with prizes that all together are worth $200.

If you look closely at the bottom of the poster on the right you might notice that it says the show costs $5. If you look even more closely you’ll see that Yelp users can get out out of paying the cover by simply checking into The Basement on Yelp on your phone. You’ll not only get in for free if you do so, you’ll also get a tote bag full of Yelp goodies, 16th St shopping coupons, a NashVintage Map and pair of earrings from Goodbuy Girls. Sounds totally worth joining Yelp if you ask me.

If a free party with free goodie bags aren’t enough to get you out to the Basement tonight then nothing will. Again, everything will get started tonight at 8pm at the Basement. Don’t forget to bring your phone!

In my mind there is nothing better than finding a great band for the first time. It’s the reason my mouth waters at the sight of a Bloodshot Records sampler and it’s why I get excited when I hear something I’ve never heard before on the radio. Most people don’t like going out to shows featuring bands they’ve never heard of, and I think that’s a damn shame

Well, I’ve just had one of those moments of wonderous joy. While I was perusing The Basement’s event calendar I noticed a free show with a band called Hymn for Her. I’d never heard of them before, but I was interested just from reading their bio, a rare event for me.

Here are some of the details for their bio that struck my eye: Hymn for Her is a duo consisting of Lucy Tight & Wayne Waxing (if Wayne Waxing is his real name then WOW). They recorded their most recent album in campgrounds, garages, trailers, and driveways while touring across the country. Lucy plays a three-stringed broom handle/cigar box among other things while Wayne rocks a drum kit with only a bass drum and a high-hat while playing a banjo or whatever he can hold.

When I stopped reading the bio I thought to myself “there’s no way this can’t be awesome,” and let me tell you something, my instincts were right.

Their sound is pretty much what you’d expect with that arsenal of instruments. It sounds like some dirty, rocking, punky, bad-ass, garage country/bluegrass. Basically, it sounds like a band that would fit perfectly onto one of those Bloodshot Records samplers I’m so crazy about. If you like your country music best when it hasn’t been anywhere near a major label (or Music Row for that matter) then you will not want to miss this show. Best part about it? It’s free.

Hymn for Her will be playing at the Basement at 9pm this Tuesday, January 11th. The show will also feature Lauren Adelle, Quiet Entertainer, Red River, and possibly more.

Oh yeah, and if you show up at 7pm you can catch Screeching Eels, a band made up of Bryn Davies and Gibb Droll. Think bluesy Americana.

-Emily

I’ll be honest with you guys, up until yesterday evening I had absolutely no idea what I was going to do on the Halloween party night. I considered Ra Ra Riot or the Greenhornes, but I didn’t really feel like I could part with double digits of dollars.

So at the suggestion of a friend I decided to hit up The Basement’s Next Annual Halloween Soireefest 2010. I didn’t know much about it except that the first 50 people were going to get in free, costumes would be welcome, and some band called Hard Rock Zombies was going to play.

I ended up arriving at 10pm, a full hour after doors opened, but I was still lucky enough to be one of the first 50 in attendance. I met my friends inside and was told that the first band playing would be We Rock, a Dio cover band. I had my doubts about them but dang, they were a really good cover band. I mean, I typically will enjoy a half-decent cover band, but those guys were legit. That guitarist…holy crap. On top of that I got to watch Grimey himself (in a highway patrolman outfit) get his metal on. He even made the band come back after their last song to fill one of his requests. It was great.

Next up was Davey Ukulele and the Gag Time Gang, a children’s band started by David Mead and Bill Demain. Their outfits were hilarious and the songs were great. They’ve obviously put a lot of love into that project. I remember seeing David Mead play with Matt Ryan and Brian Richey at the Rutledge a year and a half ago and hearing him play some of the songs he played last night. It was great to finally see the finished product.

By the time that set was over it was 12:30 and I was completely exhausted. Hey, I wake up early every day. I felt pretty confident that I wouldn’t be able to make it through Hard Rock Zombies, but I feel like I’d already seen the best part (the costumes). According to my friend, who ended up staying, it was “pretty hard rocking and hilarious,” which is exactly what I expected. I wish I could have stayed out longer, but I’ve come to terms with the fact that late nights don’t sit well with me.

It might not have been the Halloween I thought I would have, with my recycled costume and last minute concert, but in the end it met my two main criteria for a good night: it was cheap/free and I had fun. Success!

How about you guys? What did you do this weekend?

-Emily

I’ll be honest with you guys, up until yesterday evening I had absolutely no idea what I was going to do on the Halloween party night. I considered Ra Ra Riot or the Greenhornes, but I didn’t really feel like I could part with double digits of dollars.

So at the suggestion of a friend I decided to hit up The Basement’s Next Annual Halloween Soireefest 2010. I didn’t know much about it except that the first 50 people were going to get in free, costumes would be welcome, and some band called Hard Rock Zombies was going to play.

I ended up arriving at 10pm, a full hour after doors opened, but I was still lucky enough to be one of the first 50 in attendance. I met my friends inside and was told that the first band playing would be We Rock, a Dio cover band. I had my doubts about them but dang, they were a really good cover band. I mean, I typically will enjoy a half-decent cover band, but those guys were legit. That guitarist…holy crap. On top of that I got to watch Grimey himself (in a highway patrolman outfit) get his metal on. He even made the band come back after their last song to fill one of his requests. It was great.

Next up was Davey Ukulele and the Gag Time Gang, a children’s band started by David Mead and Bill Demain. Their outfits were hilarious and the songs were great. They’ve obviously put a lot of love into that project. I remember seeing David Mead play with Matt Ryan and Brian Richey at the Rutledge a year and a half ago and hearing him play some of the songs he played last night. It was great to finally see the finished product.

By the time that set was over it was 12:30 and I was completely exhausted. Hey, I wake up early every day. I felt pretty confident that I wouldn’t be able to make it through Hard Rock Zombies, but I feel like I’d already seen the best part (the costumes). According to my friend, who ended up staying, it was “pretty hard rocking and hilarious,” which is exactly what I expected. I wish I could have stayed out longer, but I’ve come to terms with the fact that late nights don’t sit well with me.

It might not have been the Halloween I thought I would have, with my recycled costume and last minute concert, but in the end it met my two main criteria for a good night: it was cheap/free and I had fun. Success!

How about you guys? What did you do this weekend?

-Emily

Yes. That’s right. The time has once again come for Grimey’s and the Basement to hold their fall parking lot sale. That means wonderful things for broke folk like us. There will be dollar CDs and Vinyl (cheaper if you buy a ton of stuff), a sale inside the store, and a free concert rocking you all day.

Also, WRVU will be there with petitions to save their broadcast signal, Radio Free Nashville will have a booth, you’ll be able to enjoy the wonders of Yazoo Brew and Mitchell’s Deli, Bluegrass Underground, Next Big Nashville, I can’t even list it all, just know that there’s going to be a lot of stuff going on.

Oh yeah, and there will be contests. You can win prize packs for and tickets to see shows by both Yo Gabba Gabba at TPAC and Kim Richey, a personal hometown hero at the Belcourt.

What was that? You want a schedule? Well here you go then:

10:00–store opens and sale begins!
12:00–djb (DJ set)
1:00–DAVEY UKULELE & GAG TIME GANG (David Mead Kids Project)
1:30–DJ SRC (DJ set)
2:00–MAJESTICO
2:30–Brother Dylan (DJ set)
3:00–CY BARKLEY
3:30–Molly (Karaoke Blackout)
4:00–APACHE RELAY
4:30–D-Funk (DJ set)
5:00–TONY JOE WHITE
5:30–Pimpdaddy Supreme (DJ set)
6:00–SLEEPY KITTY
6:30-8:00–store sale continues

Sounds like a pretty killer way to spend a Saturday. My mom seems to think so, she’s coming down this weekend and we’re going to rock that sale together. Watch out now, we’re going to steal your deals! Hope to see some of you there!

-Emily

Yes. That’s right. The time has once again come for Grimey’s and the Basement to hold their fall parking lot sale. That means wonderful things for broke folk like us. There will be dollar CDs and Vinyl (cheaper if you buy a ton of stuff), a sale inside the store, and a free concert rocking you all day.

Also, WRVU will be there with petitions to save their broadcast signal, Radio Free Nashville will have a booth, you’ll be able to enjoy the wonders of Yazoo Brew and Mitchell’s Deli, Bluegrass Underground, Next Big Nashville, I can’t even list it all, just know that there’s going to be a lot of stuff going on.

Oh yeah, and there will be contests. You can win prize packs for and tickets to see shows by both Yo Gabba Gabba at TPAC and Kim Richey, a personal hometown hero at the Belcourt.

What was that? You want a schedule? Well here you go then:

10:00–store opens and sale begins!
12:00–djb (DJ set)
1:00–DAVEY UKULELE & GAG TIME GANG (David Mead Kids Project)
1:30–DJ SRC (DJ set)
2:00–MAJESTICO
2:30–Brother Dylan (DJ set)
3:00–CY BARKLEY
3:30–Molly (Karaoke Blackout)
4:00–APACHE RELAY
4:30–D-Funk (DJ set)
5:00–TONY JOE WHITE
5:30–Pimpdaddy Supreme (DJ set)
6:00–SLEEPY KITTY
6:30-8:00–store sale continues

Sounds like a pretty killer way to spend a Saturday. My mom seems to think so, she’s coming down this weekend and we’re going to rock that sale together. Watch out now, we’re going to steal your deals! Hope to see some of you there!

-Emily

Put on your fancy hat, it's party time!

It hasn’t been long since the Mercy Lounge rocked our faces off with a straight week of free shows to celebrate its birthday, and already the city of Nashville is lucking out with some more free shows to celebrate the birthday of another one of Nashville’s favorite venues: The Basement.

The Basement turns 5 this weekend, and though we may not be getting a whole week of free shows we are getting two nights, which is pretty rad.

TONIGHT, which is Friday, you get to enjoy the likes of with Greg Cartwright (from the Reigning Sounds, a band I was recently told about and let me tell you, they’re freaking awesome), Branded Sons, Ben Cashatt, Kat Brock, and more!

TOMORROW is when the real action is happening. It’s gonna be a P-A-R-T-A-Y and features Coolin System, My So Called Band, Weekend Jimmy and the Easy Party, WARTHOG (Ramones Tribute), and comedy from Hugh Mundy.

So thank you, The Basement, for the free awesome shows. We here at Nashville for Free appreciate your dedication to the cause. Rock on, and may you have many more birthdays to come.

-Emily

Things are still a little slow going into the new year, but here’s what I found.

Monday

8 off 8th at the Mercy Lounge – 9pm
Even though it’s Sunday the Mercy Lounge still hasn’t posted all 8 acts, but so far they have The Armed Forces, Natural Child, Majestico, The Billy Goats, and Powerbrrrd  listed. The rest will just be a jolly old surprise then. Quick question: do The Billy Goats ever play shows that aren’t free?

Kristen Cothron with Lilly Hiatt and The Grayces at 12th and Porter – 7pm
Kristen Cothron with Lilly Hiatt and The Grayces live at 12th and Porter! Yeah, it’s pretty self-explanatory.

Grimey’s Birthday Celebration at The Basement – 8pm
In case you haven’t heard, Grimey’s is 10 years old this month. You might have already attended the Birthday/Christmas party, but that was from Grimey’s The Store. What about Grimey, the man? Mike Grimes, co-owner/founder of our favorite record store, is celebrating a birthday of his own at The Basement, the lower level of that rock & roll complex on 8th Avenue. We don’t know who’s playing, but perhaps Guilty Pleasures (a band headed up by Grimes) needs a little practice before their New Years Bash at Cannery? In any case,  it’s probably worth attending even if you don’t know who’s taking the stage. Happy birthday, Grimey!

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The first in-store I ever saw at Grimey’s was in the Fall of 2007. The band was the Everybodyfields. I arrived during their last song, which was, I believe, a Smashing Pumpkins cover. I was completely blown away by the band. I never got another chance to see them before they broke up (my only real opportunity was the same night as a Silver Jews show, and I though, “hey, the Silver Jews never tour, the Everybodyfields will be around for a long time”). That was not the case, and I was heartbroken to learn about their fairly recent break-up.

However, bands breaking up is no reason to abandon all hope! Jill Andrews is playing shows, recording music (she currently has an EP available), and she sounds great even without Mr. Quinn at her side. Her songs are beautiful, her voice is fantastic, and I don’t know why anyone wouldn’t be up to seeing a her perform a free short set this Wednesday at ASCAP Rocks The Basement (8pm).

Anyway, I haven’t yet convinced you to go see her free set then I recommend you check out her website and listen to some of her tunes. I think you’ll like it.

The show is 21 and up, and also features former The Kopecky Family Band, who we’ve written about before, Keegan Dewitt (who has been featured on Paste Magazine’s website), Michael Ford Jr and The Apache Relay, and Alyssa Bonagura. So that’s two artists who have been featured in Paste or on the Paste website, one band that we’ve already told you is good, and two other artists who sound pretty legit if you take the time to check them out on MySpace. So, yeah, I think it’s gonna be a pretty solid show. Freal.

-Emily