CRITICS’ PICKS W E E K L Y
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[I RECKON]
BOOKS, BARS & GUITARS: RECKONING
THE BROTHERS OSBORNE
Appreciating country music in all its variety might require what I call a focal shift toward the conventional. Since country almost always uses ready-made musical forms, listening to it with an ear tuned to subtle variations in those forms makes sense — especially if you’re a hipster who wants to understand modern country. Being one of those hipsters myself, I occasionally manage to tear myself away from my Fela and Gal Costa albums. When I do, this old country boy gets off on country stars The Brothers Osborne, who don’t include any longform saxophone solos or British Invasion-style guitar licks in their unabashedly commercial tunes. The Maryland-bred duo does boast a bluegrassfusion instrumental, 2020’s “Muskrat Greene,” that takes off where certified hipster country-jazz-boogie band Area Code 615 left the reins back in 1970. Meanwhile, the contrivance of chart-toppers like the duo’s 2015 tune “Stay a Little Longer” seems pretty, uh, organic to me. The Osbornes manage to combine schlock, fancy post-ZZ Top guitar moves and conventional songwriting on the 2020 album Skeletons.
THURSDAY, SEPT. 16 Ascend Amphitheater
The singing half of the duo, T.J. Osborne, came out as gay earlier this year — a brave gesture in a genre often dominated by retrograde attitudes. Meanwhile, the other Osborne sibling, guitarist John Thomas, plays very well indeed. The Osbornes make music that transcends the generic while remaining commercial, which is what highlevel modern country is all about. On the undercard for Thursday’s show at Ascend are country singers Travis Denning, from Georgia, and Tenille Townes, from Canada. 7:30 p.m. at Ascend Amphitheater, 301 First Ave. S. EDD HURT [SAMPLE PLATTER]
HOUSEQUAKE FEAT. AMAVA, ELLERY BONHAM, NATHAN ACHILLES & MORE
With the way contemporary dancekissed pop music is driven by streaming singles, you can probably get a decent survey of a given pop scene by seeking out playlists or making your own. But it’s a whole lot more fun if you can see for yourself what the performers bring to the stage. Enter the Housequake showcase at Mercy Lounge, which brings you a slew of rising local artists every month, along with at least one touring act. The out-of-towner for Thursday’s installment is Columbus, Ohio’s Spirit of the Bear, a group that leans more toward indie rock but incorporates a lot of the funk and ’70s R&B that today’s dance popsters often draw from. You can get a preview of Quarterlife Blur, the
forthcoming album from Music City’s own Ellery Bonham, who you might have heard under her previous moniker EZA, as well as the latest from Amava, Sela Bruce and Julianna Hale. Nathan Achilles’ whip-smart narrative tunes stand out for how much he leans into the most dramatic elements of the music — he hasn’t released a video for his recent single “Secondhand Smoke,” which is broadly about the discomfort of transitioning into adulthood, but the way he plays up the details, it’s hard not to imagine one in your head. 8 p.m. at Mercy Lounge, 1 Cannery Row STEPHEN TRAGESER [DOWNERS]
SEPTEMBER SUNDOWN: ALANNA ROYALE, MOLLY MARTIN, TEDDY AND THE ROUGH RIDERS & MORE
After seeing Alanna Royale at Exit/In in July, I can tell you — with zero hesitation — that this Musicians Corner concert is a must-see. The Exit/In show was a celebration to mark the release of Royale’s newest single “Fall in Love Again,” a slow, sexy groove that recalls other romantic R&B queens like Diana Ross and Donna Summer. Royale debuted a whole heap of captivating new material, some of which will surely make its way onto the set list Thursday night. Also on the bill for the free show in Centennial Park are: indie-rock singer-songwriter Molly Martin; countryrockers Teddy and the Rough Riders; recent Provo, Utah, transplants Desert Noises; and
neo-soul singer Arlana. Musicians Corner’s September Sundown’s fun continues Friday night with performances from Avi Kaplan, Bantug, Steve Stour, Kenny Dewitt and Kenna. Bring picnic supplies and a date — you’re gonna be in the mood for some kissin’ when Royale busts out “Fall in Love Again.” Sept. 16-17 at Musicians Corner in Centennial Park, 2500 West End Ave. MEGAN SELING
FRIDAY / 9.17 COMMUNITY
[TRIP IN THE COUNTRY]
T H E B R OT H E R S O S B O R N E
MUSIC
MUSIC
At the start of the pandemic, we at the Scene adjusted our Critics’ Picks section to suit the times, writing what felt like tomes of bite-size recommendations to keep you busy while sheltering in place. My colleague Megan Seling suggested that you keep a journal to record your experience during that unfathomable time. I did not. For a while, it was hard enough to face a single day, let alone another blank page. But other writers diligently doubled their efforts, writing essays, short stories and poetry bearing witness to 2020 from diverse angles. Local gem The Porch Writers’ Collective has gathered up some of these works from across the state in an anthology. Reckoning: Tennessee Writers on 2020 tells stories “from a front porch in Knoxville to a virtual classroom in Johnson City; from the tornado-ravaged neighborhood of East Nashville to the sidewalks of Memphis,” providing “vivid glimpses of an unforgettable year, one in which we were all challenged to reckon with ourselves, our sense of community and safety, our commitment.” The nonprofit will celebrate the release with a new installment of its popular Books, Bars & Guitars series. Authors will share the stage with powerhouse singer-songwriter Kyshona, as well as Scene faves Langhorne Slim and Andrew Combs. The Porch kindly asks you to sit this one out if you are unvaccinated. Another reason to get jabbed. 7 p.m. at Analog at the Hutton Hotel, 1808 West End Ave. ERICA CICCARONE
MUSIC
BOOKS
THURSDAY / 9.16
[ARMY OF PARKNESS]
PARK(ING) DAY
This event turning parking spots into parks is more than just wordplay — it’s a public participatory art project that makes activism out of design. Led in Nashville by the Civic Design Center, PARK(ing) Day has been transforming metered parking spaces downtown and beyond for one day a year since 2016, offering Golden Cone Awards to the best temporary parks. It’s sort of like a street fair, but instead of selling stuff, the participants just want to show you something new — whether it’s a creative art installation, a place to sit and relax, or a game to play. Visit civicdesigncenter.org for more information and details on how to build your own parklet. All day Friday throughout Nashville LAURA HUTSON HUNTER
nashvillescene.com | SEPTEMBER 16 – SEPTEMBER 22, 2021 | NASHVILLE SCENE
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9/10/21 2:50 PM