WITNESS HISTORY
Buddy Miller bought this Wandre Soloist model guitar—designed and manufactured in Italy by Antonio Vandré Pioli and distributed in the U.S. by Don Noble & Company—at a pawnshop for $50. It became a mainstay for Miller’s live performances and studio recordings.
From the exhibit Sing Me Back Home: Folk Roots to the Present
artifact: Courtesy of Buddy Miller artifact photo: Bob Delevante
RESERVE TODAY
RFK Jr. Talks God, Addiction at Nashville Opioid Summit
Trump’s HHS secretary endures heckles in address to split crowd — meanwhile, Metro Nashville brings a lawsuit against Kennedy and HHS BY HANNAH HERNER
Depleted TVA Board to Meet Without Quorum After Trump Firings
Just four of nine seats are filled, leaving Nashville’s powerful energy suppliers constrained by law BY ELI MOTYCKA
Pith in the Wind
This week on the Scene’s news and politics blog
Legislators Adjourn First Regular Session of 114th General Assembly Republicans stay united in passing legislation, blocking Democrats’ efforts BY NICOLLE S. PRAINO
COVER STORY
They Just Seem a Little Weird Nashville parents negotiate music-making and child-rearing BY SEAN L. MALONEY
CRITICS’ PICKS
Pearl Jam, Rhiannon Giddens & The Old Time Revue, Ca.mp3 Showcase and more
Escaping the Darkness
Nick Mullikin’s Erase the Night offers a message of hope at Nashville Ballet BY AMY STUMPFL
MUSIC
In a Blue Moon
Alison Joy Williams dives deep into the blues BY RON WYNN
Festive Occasions
Date Night: San Antonio Taco Company and Sarabhas Creamery
Old Nashville, tacos, queso and Indian ice cream in the Vandy area — with a side of sentimentality BY DANNY BONVISSUTO
News you can use: Check out lineups for Musicians Corner, Nashville Pride, AmericanaFest and Pilgrimage BY STEPHEN TRAGESER
The Spin
The Scene’s live review column checks out Jo Schornikow at Woodland Presbyterian Church BY BAILEY BRANTINGHAM
Crazy From the Heat
The Surfer is a baffling, patriarchy-slamming psychothriller — but it gives good Cage BY CRAIG D. LINDSEY
NEW YORK TIMES CROSSWORD AND THIS MODERN WORLD
MARKETPLACE ON THE COVER:
Buddy Hughen, Tristen Gaspadarek and their family; photo by Angelina Castillo
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The Nashville Scene ’s 2025 Iron Fork competitors, Saturday night at Centennial Park • PHOTO BY ANGELINA CASTILLO
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RFK JR. TALKS GOD, ADDICTION AT NASHVILLE OPIOID SUMMIT
Trump’s HHS secretary endures heckles in address to split crowd — meanwhile, Metro Nashville brings a lawsuit against Kennedy and HHS
BY HANNAH HERNER
IN APRIL, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. made disparaging statements regarding people with autism and started a push to phase out food dyes, claiming they cause chronic diseases and neurological disorders. That’s in addition to signaling that he might roll back COVID-19 vaccine recommendations for children. His plans to discontinue services for LGBTQ youth who call national suicide and crisis hotline 988 recently came to light as well.
But Kennedy kept his comments on topic during the Rx and Illicit Drug Summit at Nashville’s Gaylord Opryland Resort on Thursday. Kennedy was the keynote speaker at the April 24 event, which also featured opening remarks by U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn and two panels led by Tennessee Department of Health Commissioner Ralph Alvarado.
Kennedy’s addition to the event was announced April 22, after the conference had already gotten underway.
During his talk, the HHS secretary focused on his personal experience with addiction, which began when he was 15 years old — in 1969, he shared, in the months following his father Robert Kennedy’s assassination. He said his drug of choice was heroin for 14 years.
“For me, my solution for trauma was I felt like I was born with an empty hole inside myself that I had to fill with things outside of myself, and those are the only things that worked for me,” Kennedy said during his speech. “And every addict feels that way, in one way or another, that they have to fix what’s wrong with them, and the only thing that works is drugs.”
He credits his sobriety to a 12-step program he entered in 1983 following an arrest. He told the audience that he still attends recovery meetings, as he has almost every day for 42 years.
Kennedy’s statements veered at times into something resembling a sermon, as he quoted theologian C.S. Lewis and ended his address with “God bless you.”
“When you get up in the morning, you have to ask one question, you have to say, ‘Reporting for duty, sir,’ and then you have to ask one question and say one prayer,” Kennedy said. “Please make it useful to another human being today.”
He also made jokes, including about his first LSD experience. “I had a deep interest in paleontology,” he said. “I said to the guy, ‘If I take that, will I see dinosaurs?’ And he said, ‘You might.’”
But Kennedy did mention the importance of pragmatic fixes for addiction, including the use of suboxone, methadone and naltrexone — drugs that help curb cravings for opioids — and the overdose-reversal drug naloxone (commonly known by the name brand Narcan).
Under RFK Jr.’s leadership at HHS, more than 10,000 people lost their jobs and $11 billion in grant funding was slashed. In addition, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration is set to merge into a new organization called the Administration for a Healthy America as part of a restructuring of HHS that’s expected to eliminate 20,000 federal employees.
On the same day as Kennedy’s Nashville speaking engagement, Metro Nashville brought a lawsuit against Kennedy and HHS, arguing the funding cuts are unconstitutional in nature. The city joined three other local governments and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees in filing the lawsuit in a Washington, D.C., federal court.
On Thursday, Kennedy said HHS has $4 billion to apply toward addiction treatment.
“I would encourage you all to think broadly about what our mission is,” he said. “It’s not just about making sure every cop and every paramedic has [naloxone] — that’s important. It’s not just a prevention on the border — that’s important. It’s not just making sure that every addict, when they have those moments, when they’re willing to ask for help, that there’s a rehab ready for them to go to — that is critically important.
There are bigger issues. How to restore our families. How do we restore that commitment to the community?”
Absent from his remarks, however, were “healing farms” — a key point of Kennedy’s failed presidential campaign — where people live and work while recovering from addiction. Some factions of both those types of communities (which he covered in his documentary) and 12-step programs do not accept people using suboxone and other opioid-preventative drugs.
There were at least three interruptions during Kennedy’s nearly 40-minute presentation. At times it was difficult to decipher whether the audience was clapping in support of protesters, or in support of them being escorted away. One protester was Alexis Pleus, executive director of Truth Pharm, a Binghamton, N.Y.-based nonprofit that provides naloxone training and fentanyl testing in addition to advocacy work. She and a small group, also representing Moms United to End the War on Drugs, traveled to Nashville and purchased access to the event to protest funding cuts after hearing of Kennedy’s inclusion.
“For him to stand up there and give a speech about recovery when what he’s doing is going to
prevent so many people from entering recovery in the middle of an overdose epidemic is just so wrong,” Pleus told the Scene.
She takes issue with healing farms, saying they are “using people who are addicted and marginalized and struggling in the world for free labor.”
The Gaylord Opryland conference was a contrast from some of Kennedy’s Nashville appearances in the past. Just over a year ago, he visited Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium as a presidential candidate. He told a few jokes in his 10 minutes onstage, hours late for the fundraising “Night of Country and Comedy,” which featured Russell Brand and Rob Schneider. He also made an appearance at last summer’s Bitcoin2024 conference. (Before that, the last time the Scene covered the lawyer-turned-politician was in 2011 for a documentary on mountaintop removal mining.)
Kennedy said last week that God speaks to him through people, even those who may flip him off. At one point, an attendee yelled an aptly timed, “Fuck you,” and Kennedy replied, “Thank you very much.”
Part of the audience stood and applauded. Hamilton Matthew Masters contributed reporting. ▼
PHOTO: HAMILTON MATTHEW MASTERS
DEPLETED TVA BOARD TO MEET WITHOUT QUORUM AFTER TRUMP FIRINGS
Just four of nine seats are filled, leaving Nashville’s powerful energy suppliers constrained by law
BY ELI MOTYCKA
TWO ABRUPT FIRINGS By President Donald Trump have left the Tennessee Valley Authority with just four board members ahead of its May 8 meeting. The federal agency, which provides electricity to more than 10 million people across seven states, must have five board members to make a quorum. Without a quorum, the board’s power is severely constrained by its own bylaws. The scheduled May 8 convening will be the board’s first quarterly meeting under new CEO Don Moul, who succeeded Jeff Lyash in late March.
The TVA was created under President Franklin Delano Roosevelt to electrify areas of the South and Appalachia. The agency used federal authority and eminent domain powers to build a network of hydroelectric dams, transmission lines and power plants throughout Tennessee, which it has maintained for almost a century. Local power companies like the Nashville Electric Service buy electricity from the TVA, which enjoys monopoly-like control of power generation throughout Tennessee and parts of Alabama, Georgia, Virginia, North Carolina, Mississippi and Kentucky.
Trump’s fixation on fossil fuels and hostility toward clean energy initially prompted speculation about how he might reshape the TVA from the top after Senate Democrats abandoned several TVA nominees in the final months of 2024. Former President Joe Biden left three vacancies to Trump, who has instead chosen to take from, rather than add to, the TVA’s powerful governing body.
The White House dismissed board member
Michelle Moore via an SEC filing on March 27. Biden installed Moore, a solar energy proponent and advocate for affordable rural utilities, in 2022, with her term set to end in March 2026. Within days, Trump again cut the board, axing Joe Ritch, a Huntsville attorney and University of Alabama system trustee emeritus. Ritch served one board term under Barack Obama and earned another under Biden, which was set to end in May. The body briefly had a full nine-person roster in 2023.
“Trump is playing dangerous political games by firing another TVA board member and risking the lives of millions of families and workers,” Gaby Sarri-Tobar of the Center for Biological Diversity tells the Scene in a statement. “This leaves our country’s largest federal utility adrift, without key leaders and without the authority to keep the lights on, utility bills low and families safe during the next disaster.”
The Moore and Ritch firings follow an op-ed in Power Magazine by Tennessee’s U.S. Sens. Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty criticizing the current board and demanding that the TVA double down on nuclear energy. Just before Ritch’s firing, the board selected Moul as interim CEO in one of its last actions with a quorum.
Advocates again slammed the GOP for playing politics. Stephen Smith, director of the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, called the Hagerty-Blackburn move a “reckless attempt at micromanaging TVA” that will further destabilize the agency at a critical juncture.
Uncharted territory awaits when the board convenes on May 8. The body has not met with-
Davidson County property owners received new land valuations in April, a process that takes place about once every four years. The reappraisal process — conducted under Davidson County property assessor Vivian Wilhoite — usually leads to new tax bills. Conservative anti-tax activists from the Nashville Tea Party GOP Nashville and Americans for Prosperity have already announced a campaign to fight any proposed tax rate increase from Mayor Freddie O’Connell. While the appraisal showed sharp property value increases across the county, in order to actually increase the city’s tax revenue, the Metro Council must pass a rate increase according to state law.
out a quorum since before it expanded to nine members in 2005. Absent a quorum, bylaws deprive the board of “the authority to direct the Corporation into new areas of activity, to embark on new programs, or to change the Corporation’s existing direction.”
The agency has not yet released an agenda for the meeting, but plans to continue with its regularly scheduled May 7 public input session and May 8 board meeting in Cookeville with remaining TVA directors Beth Geer, Bill Renick, Bobby Klein and Wade White. TVA spokesperson Scott Brooks tells the Scene that the agency’s legal counsel has not furnished any legal analysis or interpretation of the situation.
Turbulence plagued the agency during former CEO Lyash’s six-year stint. Environmentalists and elected officials harangued the TVA for its slow pivot away from coal-powered energy, punctuated by the 2008 Kingston Fossil Plant spill and its disastrous cleanup. Lavish executive salaries and a lack of compensation transparency provoked bipartisan criticism; Lyash’s $10.5 million all-in pay package earned him the distinction of the highest-paid federal employee. TVA’s recent embrace of carbon-heavy gas — and related lucrative pipeline projects — has been dogged by protests and legal action, with environmental attorneys alleging that the agency did not genuinely consider solar and wind alternatives. Winter Storm Elliott in 2022 exposed a grid vulnerable to extreme weather. Extreme cold and overstressed transmission infrastructure forced rolling blackouts and cost TVA $170 million. ▼
A plan to buy new police surveillance technology is likely dead due to concerns about potential abuse by the federal government, according to the mayor. Law enforcement has been clamoring for Fusus, a suite that combines hardware and software tools to give police access to camera feeds across the city when such access might be relevant to criminal activity. About half of the Metro Council had opposed the technology, citing concerns about civil rights and privacy, and defeated the first Fusus contract late last year. Mayor O’Connell worked with members to develop a regulatory framework, which passed in March. Now the mayor says he agrees with the concerns raised by members and does not plan to bring another contract to the chamber. The Trump administration’s apparent disregard for court orders, says O’Connell, changed his mind on the topic.
News hit in April that Nashville’s annual Southern Festival of Books is in existential jeopardy due to the abrupt termination of $1.2 million in federal humanities grant funding. The free festival has long brought readers, writers and publishers together downtown for two days of events and celebration. City boosters are instead supporting “Read With Jenna,” a book festival from the Today show’s Jenna Bush Hager offering admission tickets for $399. The contrast is insulting and tone-deaf to the city’s literary community, writes Scene columnist Betsy Phillips — especially at a time when humanities are in crisis across the state and country.
GALLATIN FOSSIL PLANT
LEGISLATORS
ADJOURN FIRST REGULAR SESSION OF 114TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
Republicans stay united in passing legislation, blocking Democrats’ efforts
BY NICOLLE S. PRAINO
THE TENNESSEE GENERAL ASSEMBLY brought its regular session to an end April 22 after passing bills that the state’s Republican supermajority saw fit to become law.
Lawmakers completed their only constitutional requirement — passing a budget — on April 16, and quickly wrapped up other outstanding legislation the following week.
“I think we have a unique relationship with the governor’s office and the General Assembly,” Gov. Bill Lee said in a press conference following the session’s conclusion. “The branches of government work together for the good of the people. There has been much debate, and there have been bills that passed, bills that didn’t pass. And at the end of the day, we passed a budget that was incredibly important to steward taxpayer dollars in a way that serves Tennesseans.”
regarding the right to bail, victims’ rights and a permanent ban on any future state property tax.
Some of the legislation that gained the most attention this year was passed during a special session in January focusing on education, immigration and disaster relief. Legislators during that session passed the $400 millionplus Education Freedom Act, creating 20,000 scholarships for students’ private school tuition and other educational expenses. But Gov. Lee’s voucher bill was not a landslide victory, with 21 House Republicans and seven Senate Republicans joining Democrats to vote against the bill in late January.
Republican leadership tightened the reins during the regular session, with many prominent bills passing along party lines. One Republican-sponsored bill would have allowed school districts to exclude students based on immigration status, but it ultimately stalled in the committee process in the House. The legislation was met with fierce opposition from Democrats and numerous protests at the Capitol. Some Republicans, including Sen. Ferrell Haile (R-Gallatin), crossed party lines to oppose the bill as it moved through the Senate.
Stay tuned for next week’s issue, which will feature in-depth coverage of this year’s assembly of the state legislature.
Democrats had a hard time moving just about any legislation through committees — even a simple bill by Rep. Antonio Parkinson (D-Memphis) to recognize the song “Tennessee” by Arrested Development was voted down by the Republican majority in the State and Local Government Committee early in the session.
“This session was defined by a few discriminatory pieces of legislation, unfortunately, and a continued attack on public education,” House Democratic Caucus Chair John Ray Clemmons (D-Nashville) told reporters.
Among this session’s passed legislation:
• HB 910 dissolving the Tennessee Human Rights Commission
• HB 749 invalidating out-of-state driver’s licenses for undocumented immigrants
• HB 1096 prohibiting businesses from entering community benefits agreements if they receive state economic development funding
• SB 1079 allowing condominium developers to utilize deposit funds for the costs of building
• SB 1084 prohibiting government departments and public universities from having offices of diversity, equity or inclusion
• SB 799 requiring political parties to nominate candidates via a primary election for state and federal offices
The legislature also passed resolutions that will allow Tennesseans to vote on three constitutional amendments in 2026
“We are here to serve the people,” said Senate Minority Leader Raumesh Akbari (D-Memphis) at the close of the session. “We’re not here to serve political interests. We’re not here to serve corporate interests. We’re here to pass policy that impacts people, that makes them feel safe and makes them feel secure, and unfortunately, I think too many pieces of our legislation missed the mark.”
Originally there was bipartisan support for a bill from Rep. Shaundelle Brooks (D-Nashville) named for her son, Akilah DaSilva, who was shot and killed during the Waffle House mass shooting in Antioch in 2018. Akilah’s Law would hold accountable people who provide a gun to someone who is not allowed to possess one by law. But ultimately, no action was taken the last time the bill was brought in front of the House Judiciary Committee.
A bill that did garner enough bipartisan support to pass, the Fertility Treatment and Contraceptive Protection Act, will codify rights to access fertility treatments and contraceptives, and for health care providers to give such care. A bill that names some instances in which an abortion could be considered legal passed both chambers this year, though it drew ire from Democrats who said it was just a way for the state attorney general to avoid a lawsuit.
Additional reporting by Julianne Akers. ▼
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NASHVILLE PARENTS NEGOTIATE MUSIC-MAKING AND CHILD-REARING • BY SEAN L. MALONEY
They Jus T s eem a Li TTL e Weird
PARENTING AND MUSIC are perceived as cultural opposites. Raising kids and playing music happen on opposite schedules with opposite intentions — the economics of raising a family and creating music for public consumption are at odds. It’s the stuff of Harry Chapin songs and Twisted Sister songs. The party is over once that first poopy diaper hits the bin.
The needs of the music industry are very different from the needs of a family. If pop culture is to be believed, you can’t do both — you can be Mike D and the Beastie Boys, or Mike Love and the Parents Music Resource Center. There’s no middle ground — allegedly. But for this week’s cover story, as I talked to parent-musicians from across Nashville, on a
mission to figure out how we are all figuring it out, it became clear that the two ideas were more complementary than the culture would have you believe.
“I think for so long I felt like, ‘Oh, being a mom, you can’t write a punk song about being a mom,’” says Jemina Pearl, frontwoman for Be Your Own Pet, a reunited punk quartet that built its reputation on teen angst and underage shenanigans. “And then I’m like, ‘Fuck it. Yes you can.’”
Pearl, a mother of two, has just returned from touring behind BYOP’s 2023 album Mommy, a righteous repudiation of the idea that rock ’n’ roll and parental responsibilities don’t mix. Pearl’s writing is intense, personal and relatable to anyone who has ever silently seethed with
PHOTO: ANGELINA CASTILLO
JEMINA PEARL, BEN SWANK AND THEIR FAMILY
rage in the school pickup line. It seems like the primary side effect of making records while raising kids is artistic evolution.
“There’s the sort of internal creative way that it’s changed, and then there’s the practical way,” says Ryan Caudle, singer and guitarist for The Sound & Shape. Caudle, father of one and the son of a heavy metal singer, has carved out a niche for himself in the prog-rock world after years of touring and independent releases.
“I stopped looking at things in such a ‘me’ way and sort of looked at things in a universal way,” says Caudle. “How are things affecting everything around me? Because now it’s not so much about me — it’s about this child that I’ve helped create and what’s going to be his future and what he’s got to deal with and what he’s going to see.
“And then the practical part is just having the time to do it,” he continues.
Parenting and music are both time- and resource-intensive. A gig isn’t just a gig; it’s also rehearsals and travel. A record isn’t just a record; it’s also promotion and videos and gigs (and thus more rehearsals and travel). By the same token, parenting isn’t all hugs and kisses — it’s dentist appointments and hospital visits, the pickup line, crosstown treks and after-school activities.
JERRY PENTECOST AND HIS FAMILY
RYAN CAUDLE AND HIS FAMILY
“Just a bunch of plates spinning and then basically trying to prioritize which plate — if I spin it, is it in line to make sense to be the thing that gets attention?” says Tristen Gaspadarek, longtime independent artist, side player and studio denizen. Her current plates include two kids, a forthcoming album and a collaborative single with Nashville indie-scene materfamilias Cortney Tidwell.
“I’m just the type of person, though, that the minute there’s space, I’ll just add another project,” says Gaspadarek. “I don’t even complain about the chaos. I also do a lot of work at night after the kids are in bed, 8 p.m. to 10 p.m., which we call the ‘golden hour.’ Most of this record that’s coming out was made in those late nights.”
Shared calendars and group texts are the foundation for pretty much any endeavor as a parent in music. Open communication and reasonable expectations factor into the formula as well. Gone are the days of all-night creative benders and unproductive band practices. Planning and routine are essential to making music when you have to do other things that aren’t music.
“Jemina’s dad toured all the time, and my dad was a long-haul truck driver,” says Pearl’s husband, drummer and Third Man Records cofounder Ben Swank. Swank, a former touring musician himself, is currently in the “plays if his friends ask him to” phase of his musical life. “So we both have this perspective of what is healthy and unhealthy for kids while a parent is away — you’re the parent at home. We both have things that are like, ‘Oh yeah, this happened.’ ‘Oh, that fucking sucked.’”
A HEALTHY ATTITUDE about the ups and downs of musical life is essential to making it work. Across all of the interviews for this article, it became clear that making peace with one’s pre-kid musical life is essential for making the post-kid musical life work. Recognizing that what works as a mom or dad is not the same as what works for a freewheeling 20-something is essential.
“When the girls were 6 months old, I was so sleep-deprived then, but I was still DJing on Broadway until 2 in the morning and then coming home,” drummer and father of twins Jerry Pentecost tells the Scene from Minneapolis. He’s preparing for a weekend run with alt-rock legends Soul Asylum before returning for a Sunday DJ gig at Skinny Dennis in East Nashville. “But yeah, let’s just say I don’t do very many gigs that require me to be home past 11 or midnight anymore. I just can’t hang.”
When we speak with Michaela Anne, the folk singer, mom of two and co-host of The Other 22 Hours podcast is about to leave for her first weekend of shows as a family with a 3-monthold. She recognizes and appreciates how childrearing has changed the way she works.
“Logistically, [parenting has] changed my creative practice, because I do not have the time that I had, and I don’t have the brain capacity that I had,” explains Michaela Anne. “So I have longer periods of time between writing, and
Storie S of parent-mu S ician S being dropped by booking agent S , ignored by label S and pu S hed a S ide by publi S her S are plentiful. t he S e move S are often ba S ed on S exi S t pre S umption S about agency, ability and availability, which i S e S pecially bother S ome becau S e anyone who ha S maintained a S teady career a S a working mu S ician ha S already proven they are creative enough to S urvive in a tumultuou S indu S try.
I’ve come to be comfortable with that and be confident that it comes back. Everything is much more scheduled. And when I work, we gotta get down to work.
“So recording is much more done in pockets,” she continues. “It’s an adjustment because you have so much less time, but you can be really productive. And maybe more productive than when you were just fucking off all the time having fun.”
But tight timelines and other distractions aren’t the only things these parents are coming up against: The music industry’s baked-in misogyny is often ready to end careers at the first sign of a fertilized egg. Unsurprisingly, an industry overpopulated with unimaginative
man-babies can’t fathom the idea of balancing motherhood and music.
Stories of parent-musicians being dropped by booking agents, ignored by labels and pushed aside by publishers are plentiful. These moves are often based on sexist presumptions about agency, ability and availability, which is especially bothersome because anyone who has maintained a steady career as a working musician has already proven they are creative enough to survive in a tumultuous industry.
Why not let these folks come up with creative solutions that fit their situations? The entire industry has changed in the past 25 years — why are people still hanging onto Eisenhowerera ideas about parenting and music-making?
Is there an alternative to letting disinterested dudes steer the ship?
“I knew this was possible because I toured with Leyla McCalla when she had a 3-month-old baby,” Michaela Anne explains. “And Leyla told me that the only reason she knew it was possible and had the confidence was because she toured with Rhiannon Giddens. … That network is so incredibly vital that I wouldn’t have been able to do what I’ve done without it. And I know not everybody has that easily accessible, which is why I think I’m passionate about sharing more publicly.”
Making a network of parent-musicians more visible and more viable is the goal of Brittney King Brock, music executive and
MICHAELA ANNE AND HER FAMILY
PHOTO: ERIC ENGLAND
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5.19 BAD MOMZ OF COMEDY
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5.21 SAVED BY THE MUSIC: THE ULTIMATE 90S EXPERIENCE
5.24 HOWARD HEWETT
5.26 TAYLOR’S THREAD: CELEBRATE THE MUSIC OF JAMES TAYLOR
founder of Moms in Music, an Atlanta-based organization that holds events in Nashville and online. Founded in 2023 after Brock’s online searches turned up scant information for musician moms, Moms in Music has seen steady membership growth. Moms from across the country and around the globe connect, sharing stories, resources and support.
Brock, who got her start fresh out of college as a day-to-day manager for R&B superstar Usher, has had a front-row seat for the struggle of parents trying to push through barriers of an uncaring industry. But she also sees incremental progress and changing attitudes across the industry. She’s advocating for changes in the music business that reflect how parentmusicians may need more from the industry than your average van-dwelling young adult.
“A lot of venues — they’re old, [and] they are not conducive to mothers that may need a breastfeeding room,” Brock explains. “No space, right? Or they kind of give you a back closet that has mops and brooms in it. I think the industry as a whole needs a refresh. You don’t have to go overboard, but just [need] mindfulness. If it’s someone that’s a part of the crew that needs to breastfeed — whether it’s the artist or it’s the drummer — just having the mindfulness around it. I think those small things can make the artist just feel like they’re more supported.”
Support comes in all sorts of forms, especially when you aren’t on the tour-bus-and-a-nanny level of financial success. More than anything else, it takes flexible partners, understanding grandparents and sympathetic friends. The old adage that it takes a village to raise a child is no more true anywhere than in the music world. Professional child care is expensive and not exactly available at rock o’clock. Babysitting buddies are a finite resource, and family members have lives beyond caring for someone else’s kid. It all takes an enormous amount of coordination and cooperation.
“Patience, communication and accountability,” says Pentecost. “Those, to me, are the three keys to everything. If it’s not working, be patient, communicate. … I’m trying to take care of myself. I’m trying to take care of my family. I’m trying to make a living to take care of my family. I am trying to keep my mind healthy, so that way I can be mentally available for them.”
“I definitely have to compartmentalize, especially with a kid the age that my son is,” says The Sound & Shape’s Caudle. “He’s a contrarian by nature, and he is 12 — so he’s about to be a teenager, which means he’s in that rebellious stage. He doesn’t love the fact that I leave. But the first show he ever saw us at, actually, was a sold-out show at the Brooklyn Bowl here [opening for art-rock legends King’s X]. And so that was the first time he ever saw me onstage, [playing] to 1,200 people. … He was just like, ‘OK, Dad, I get this.’
“[The last tour ended] with a sold-out show at the Whiskey, and [The Sound & Shape] got to meet some really cool L.A. people and have fun backstage and all this stuff,” he continues. “And then I get home and my son is like, ‘Thank
While Chappell Roan, a 27-yea R-old pop sta R , R e C ently said eve Ry pa R ent she knoWs is mise R able, the R eality is that the R e a R e many pa R ent-musi C ians finding mo R e pe R sonal joy and a R tisti C suCC ess in thei R CR eative lives post-kids.
God you are home.’ I think he hugged me for four minutes when I got home. So yeah, it’s two totally different things, but they’re great in their own ways.”
MAYBE THAT’S THE secret to how all this works, despite the world being stacked so that it doesn’t: The joy outweighs the hassle. While every musician we talked to has a different approach to putting the puzzle together, the end result is always beautiful. While Chappell Roan, a 27-year-old pop star, recently said every parent she knows is miserable, the reality is that there are many parent-musicians finding more personal joy and artistic success in their creative lives post-kids.
Case in point: The new album by onetime Murfreesboro resident Sharon Van Etten is both maternal and mind-blowing. Or the recently passed Mac Gayden, a Nashville OG who played on some of the most important albums in the history of recorded music, but turned down fame and fortune to raise his family. The man wrote “Everlasting Love” and played on Blonde on Blonde, but he was more proud of the music he made with his wife and children than
anything else.
“When you get to play music now, and you have a rehearsal, and you have the babysitter, and you take care of it and you’ve carved out your time, you’re like, ‘This is for me, this is fun,’” says Gaspadarek. “So it’s just healthier — there’s just not as much burnout.”
“Embrace the new version of you, fully embrace it,” says Brock of Moms in Music. “Because I went through a process of really grieving the old me.”
Pearl of Be Your Own Pet notes: “I think there’s so much pressure on parents, but women specifically, to be like, ‘You had a kid and now it’s straight back [to work].’ Same exact output, your body looks the same, everything’s the same. And it’s like, that’s the reality. And to have that expectation is fucking ludicrous. So yeah, just give yourself a minute and you’re going to be OK.”
For people who built their careers in creative fields as young people — with few responsibilities beyond their craft — it can be difficult to reconcile current aspirations with the artistic persona audiences expect. But trusting that your audience has grown with you can help
mitigate the pressure to capture lightning in a bottle again. And that’s where you can find liberation, the confidence that comes with giving the middle finger to a system and culture pitted against you and your family.
While this is only a small sample of parents making music in Nashville, and only a small number of the stories you can hear on the topic, it’s easy to see that all the hard work is worth it. Making music is always an uphill battle, but to share that battle with the people you love, to hear your kids sing your songs, or see them from the stage makes all the group texts and FaceTime calls worth it. Yes, those long drives between shows may be lonelier, and late nights might be more exhausting than they used to be, but the rewards for all that work are richer and more joyful when you don’t have to choose between your art and your family.
“You’re still a rock ’n’ roller,” says Pearl. “No part of you is not there. But just give yourself some time and you’re going to get through this phase. You’re going to find what you want to say again. You’re going to find your voice, and it’s going to be OK.” ▼
PHOTO: ANGELINA CASTILLO
TRISTEN GASPADAREK, BUDDY HUGHEN AND THEIR FAMILY
May 7
May 8
May 31
From platinum-selling chart-toppers to underground icons, household names to undiscovered gems, Chief’s Neon Steeple is committed to bringing the very best national and regional talent back to Broadway. From pla
MAY LINEUP
5.3 Y’ALL FM 90’s Request Line Live! w/ Shelby Lee Lowe
5.4 Livin’ the Write Life
5.7 Eric Paslay’s Songs in a Hat w/ Steve Moakler, Cyndi Thomson
5.8 Natalie Hemby: Truth About A Song
5.11 Pick Pick Pass w/ Kevin Mac, Ronnie Bowman, & Special Surprise Guest
5.13 Chief’s Outsiders Round w/ Skyelor Anderson & Ben Kadlecek w/ Drew Dixon, Michael Leatherman, Caleb Mills, Steve Thomas
5.15 Thomas Csorba, Kiely Connell, Stephanie Lambring
5.16 Aaron Nichols & The Travellers: Chris Stapleton Tribute
5.17 End of the Line: Performing Songs from “Idlewild South” & “Live at the Ludlow Garage”
5.22 James House: “Stronger Than The Dark” Album Release Show
5.24 Doug Stone Farewell Tour
5.26 Buddy’s Place w/ Kayley Bishop, JP Burr, Striking Matches
5.28 Ethan Anderson, Michael James Arnold, Derek James, PJ Repetto
5.29 Andy Griggs
5.31 Craig Campbell: Almost Greatest Hits
NATALIE
CRAIG CAMPBELL
TEQUILA TIME!
6-9 PM ONEC1TY FRIDAY, MAY 30
Margarita Festival is BACK, baby! Sip on a dozen margarita samples from the city’s top marg makers, enjoy a live DJ, salsa dancing, photo booth fun and more - all while helping us crown the winner of Best Margarita in Town!
VIP TICKETS $99
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GA TICKETS $63
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THROUGH JUNE 15
ART [CLOTHES HORSE] TAMARA KOSTIANOVSKY
One of the absolute gems of Nashville’s art scene is Cheekwood’s sculpture trail, an often underexplored trove of contemporary art that includes work by luminaries like Jenny Holzer, James Turrell and Virginia Overton. That’s a facet of Cheekwood that Tamara Kostianovsky, its 2025 Martin Shallenberger Artist-in-Residence, is likely to draw inspiration from. The Argentina-born, New York-based artist is known for making massive textile-based sculptures from discarded clothes. Her 2022 exhibit at SLAG&RX in New York included what appears to be a multicolored fallen tree that’s been divided into several sections, and the bisected tree rings are all made from different types of pastel fabrics. Other works include hanging slabs of meat that might remind you of Francis Bacon or that meat-locker scene in Rocky, depending on your cultural interests. Kostianovsky’s stay at Cheekwood extends through June 15, and although we’ve hopefully seen the end of this spring’s storms, Nashville’s wooded areas are still likely to bring her plenty of creative fodder. LAURA HUTSON HUNTER THROUGH JUNE 15 AT CHEEKWOOD 1200 FORREST PARK DRIVE
ROOTED: AN EVENING WITH MARGARET
RENKL AND MARY
LAURA PHILPOTT PAGE 20
NASHVILLE SYMPHONY’S MAY THE FOURTH: THE MUSIC OF STAR WARS
THURSDAY / 5.1
ART [ART SCHOOL CONFIDENTIAL] THE HARDING ART SHOW 50TH ANNIVERSARY
Fifty years ago, when former head of school Leora McPherson stitched a homespun quilt as part of a fledgling fundraiser, her labor of love prepped the canvas for a premier juried art show and sale that has become a rite of spring. May Day weekend marks the golden anniversary of The Harding Art Show, when more than 100 artists from 19 states will bring paintings, sculptures, ceramics, photography and jewelry to the campus galleries — including work by Richard Greathouse, Ben Caldwell, Amy Crews, James Threalkill and featured artist Laura McCarty out of Florida. The three-day event is free and open to the public, with 21-and-up evening receptions on Thursday and Friday, starting at 6 both nights. Daytime shopping is Friday, noon to 5 p.m., and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with activities for kids and pizza for purchase. Parking is free. For evening parking, a shuttle is available from Immanuel Baptist Church at 222 Belle Meade Blvd. The online show runs the week of May 1 to 7 at thehardingartshow.com. CARRINGTON FOX MAY 1-3 AT HARDING ACADEMY
170 WINDSOR DRIVE
VARIETY
[MARSDEN THE MARTIAN] THE MARS VARIETY SHOW: OFF BROAD
Whether or not you realize it, you know Jason Marsden. Either you recognize his face from his days on ’90s television (he had arcs on Step by Step, Full House, Boy Meets World and The Secret World of Alex Mack, to name just a few), or you know his voice from roles including A Goofy Movie’s Max Goof and Haku in the English dub of Studio Ghibli’s iconic Spirited Away. Or perhaps you know him as a longtime Nashville figure — Mars, as he’s often called, is a frequent fixture at the Belcourt Theatre and a fun-loving local-arts impresario. He’ll be on hand in the latter role as he brings his Mars Variety Show to Eastside Bowl’s The ’58 this week. The event is themed “Off Broad” and is set to feature several folks you can often find performing on Lower Broad. Those include legendary soul singer Charles “Wigg” Walker alongside fellow musicians Corey Mac, Allie Keck and Anthony Billups, plus comedian Cody Marley and more. Stop in for what Mars promises will be a “relentless good time.” D. PATRICK RODGERS
8 P.M. AT THE ’58 AT EASTSIDE BOWL
1508A GALLATIN PIKE S., MADISON
MUSIC
[KIDS THESE DAYS] SHAKEY GRAVES
A cave in rural Tennessee feels like the perfect place to see a Shakey Graves show. The Texas troubadour cut his teeth as a DIY
artist posting to Bandcamp and passing out CD-R copies of music to showgoers. He built a following by singing too-real songs that straddle a blurred line between lo-fi rock ’n’ roll, Texas twang and electric folk world-building. And The Caverns — a cave turned concert hall in Grundy County — may be the coolest place around to hear his collection of unfiltered tunes. This spring, Graves (born Alejandro RoseGarcia) tours in support of a 10-year anniversary edition of his album And the War Came, which features fan-favorite number “Dearly Departed.” Canadian singer-songwriter Ruby Waters opens the show. As with most shows at The Caverns, concertgoers can add to the Grundy County road-trip experience by purchasing a pre-show cave tour pass or post-show camping slot. Find more information on what The Caverns offers by visiting thecaverns.com. MATTHEW LEIMKUEHLER
8 P.M. AT THE CAVERNS
555 CHARLIE ROBERTS ROAD, PELHAM
FRIDAY / 5.2
COMEDY
[SCHOOL’S OUT]
CORTNEY WARNER’S CONFESSIONS OF A
HOMESCHOOLER
Cortney Warner’s parents are not invited to her stand-up show. Confessions of a Homeschooler is a comedy special about growing up Asian in rural Ohio, and it’s so brutally honest that it would make her mom and pop squirm. As a leading producer in the local comedy scene, Warner has been working on this piece
evening includes beer, wine and hors d’oeuvres for everyone. Spring extra for VIP tickets and you’ll get access to the lounge in historic Wade Hall, where Jack Silverman’s jazz trio will play. Elevated bites and specialty cocktails will be available too. Purchase tickets at porchtn.org.
MARGARET LITTMAN
7 P.M. AT JUNIPER GREEN AT THE OLD SCHOOL FARM 5022 OLD HYDES FERRY PIKE
[WAITING ON YOU]
MUSIC
FUTURE ISLANDS
SATURDAY / 5.3
[MOVE
ART
IT SLOW MOTION FOR ME] TAD LAURITZEN WRIGHT: SLOW
MOTION CONTEMPLATIONS
for three years, creating an hour of material that embraces her “white trash, trailer-parkadjacent” past while helping her move through the present. Her jokes are extremely poignant at times, and also relatable to millennials who grew up on American Girl fiction and Big Dog fashion. Through all her bizarre anecdotes, you’ll learn everything from what it was like to be adopted from South Korea as a baby in the ’90s to what it takes to get banned from Bumble in 2025. Atlanta comic Gabbie Watts is opening, and the show will be Warner’s second recorded special. Despite all her jabs at homeschooling, it looks like Cortney’s parents did a pretty good job. TOBY ROSE
7 P.M. AT THE BLUE ROOM AT THIRD MAN RECORDS 623 SEVENTH AVE S.
BOOKS [PORCH TALK]
ROOTED: AN EVENING WITH MARGARET RENKL AND MARY LAURA PHILPOTT
Over the past decade, The Porch has become the place to learn writing, to hone storytelling skills and to get feedback on your work-in-progress. Their classes are available year-round, and that kind of offering to the community doesn’t come cheap. The largest annual fundraiser for The Porch helps fund those programs and has the added benefit of being a good time. Billed as a conversation between two hometown literary luminaries who happen to be friends and bestselling authors, Margaret Renkl and Mary Laura Philpott will take the stage at Juniper Green at the Old School Farm on Friday. The
After witnessing Future Islands dominate during their Brooklyn Bowl show in June, I’m curious to see if the band’s eccentric energy can be contained in a subterranean concert hall. The Baltimore-based four-piece is returning to Middle Tennessee for a second leg of the People Who Aren’t There Anymore Tour — but this time the group is opting out of a traditional concert venue. Instead, the band will make a stop in Pelham to perform a standing-roomonly cave concert for a crowd of around 1,200 in The Caverns. It’s likely that frontman Samuel Herring’s palpable and zany energy will bounce off the walls in the intimate space, ensuring an even more eye-catching and brow-raising show than usual. The group’s most recent slate of synth-pop gems and their radio-worthy classics are a surefire fit for the venue’s confined yet unique ambience, which is often the type of space where Herring’s onstage antics play out best. Catch the group as they make their underground debut with Open Mike Eagle on Friday. BAILEY BRANTINGHAM
8 P.M. AT THE CAVERNS
555 CHARLIE ROBERTS ROAD, PELHAM
Tad Lauritzen Wright’s signature gestural works — entire compositions in unbroken, looping squiggles — are the distillation of his playful expressionism. Wright’s Slow Motion Contemplations at David Lusk Gallery includes the artist’s sculptures and paintings along with variations that land somewhere between, in the multimedia-verse. This show explores the corollaries between sculpture and painting, but it also delivers Wright’s ebullient and unmistakable style. Wright is a Texan who received his MFA from the late, great Memphis College of Art, and his work brings a lot of smart ideas and observations to the table. But Wright is also a Gen X pop artist — post-Warhol, but also post-Haring. Wright’s unbroken compositions offer art about art and about the hand and style of the artist. So these are artworks about an established, mid-career Southern artist with a playful, one-of-a-kind style that also deliver a metanarrative at the metamodern intersection of graffiti, design, formalism and expressionism. The opening, during Wedgewood-Houston’s First Saturday Art Crawl, takes place Saturday from 4 to 7 p.m. JOE NOLAN
THROUGH MAY 31 AT DAVID LUSK GALLERY 516 HAGAN ST
[ASSEMBLE!]
MUSIC
CA.MP3 SHOWCASE FEAT. WHOISJORDAN, TAJ.AI & MORE
Did you, like me, read Scene contributor Bailey
SHAKEY GRAVES
TAD LAURITZEN WRIGHT: SLOW MOTION CONTEMPLATIONS
Friday, May 2
SPECIAL EVENT
The Art of Squindo
3:30 pm · FORD THEATER LIMITED AVAILABILITY
Friday, May 2
SPECIAL EVENT Kirk Hammett/ The Collection: LIVE
6:30 pm · FORD THEATER SOLD OUT
Saturday May 3
SONGWRITER SESSION
Noah Thompson
NOON · FORD THEATER
Sunday May 4
MUSICIAN SPOTLIGHT
Justin Schipper
1:00 pm · FORD THEATER
WITNESS HISTORY
Museum Membership
Receive free admission, access to weekly programming, concert ticket presale opportunities, and more.
Saturday, May 10
HATCH SHOW PRINT Block Party
9:30 am, NOON, and 2:30 pm
HATCH SHOW PRINT SHOP LIMITED AVAILABILITY
Saturday May 10
SONGWRITER SESSION Tim James NOON · FORD THEATER
Saturday, May 10
FILM SCREENING AND CONVERSATION
Brenda Lee: Rockin’ Around
2:30 pm · FORD THEATER
Sunday, May 11
MUSICIAN SPOTLIGHT Luis Espaillat
1:00 pm · FORD THEATER
PET OF THE WEEK!
Name : ARCHIE
Age: 1 yr
Weight: 47 lbs
ARCHIE is a friendly and outgoing dog who loves being the center of attention!
He’s always ready to make new friends, and his charming personality is sure to win you over. Archie is good on a leash, loves going outside, and he’ll happily strut his stuff while soaking up all the love and affection along the way. If you’re looking for a fun-loving companion who is always eager to make your day a little brighter, Archie is the dog for you.
Call 615.352.1010 or visit nashvillehumane.org
Located at 213 Oceola Ave., Nashville, TN 37209
Adopt. Bark. Meow. Microchip. Neuter. Spay.
[STAR SCORES]
MUSIC
NASHVILLE SYMPHONY’S MAY THE FOURTH: THE MUSIC OF STAR WARS
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UPCOMING EVENTS
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6:30PM CHUCK WENDIG
with LAUREN THOMAN at PARNASSUS The Staircase in the Woods
10:30AM
SATURDAY STORYTIME with CARTER HAMRIC at PARNASSUS Big Ole Day at the Zoo
6:30PM
TIA WILLIAMS with JULIAN WINTERS at PARNASSUS Audre & Bash Are Just Friends
6:30PM
SUSAN LIEU
6:30PM
Brantingham’s recent feature on songwriting and production workshop ca.mp3 and think: “Well, that sounds cool as hell. How can I check out some of these collaborations?” Here’s your answer: The inaugural ca.mp3 show, featuring participants from past installments of the recurring camp, is coming to all-ages nonprofit Drkmttr on Saturday. Everyone involved brings an impressive variety of talent to the table, and none of what they’ve released individually fits neatly into any one genre box. WHOISJORDAN has bars, but he’s also a fine singer, and his tracks range from experimental R&B to the gnarliest punk-blasted near-metal beats. Southside Vizzy’s flow trends more old-school while he wraps it around his own fresh production. East Memphis’ ADUBB is a trumpet wiz with jazz chops to spare, but she’s also produced some badass solo music that takes cues from neo-soul but sounds even more futuristic. Taj.ai, meanwhile, has a rich, deep voice that can get hard as diamonds when he wants it to or be super vulnerable when the song calls for it. You can hear that on his January single “Thesedays,” released in three versions at different speeds, which sound ripe for working into a dance track. That’s a whole lot of fascinating possibilities about to get unleashed, and DJ and producer Ben Younts is in charge of managing the beats and bringing it all together.
STEPHEN TRAGESER
8 P.M. AT DRKMTTR
1111 DICKERSON PIKE
SUNDAY / 5.4
THURSDAY, MAY 1
SATURDAY, MAY 3
MONDAY, MAY 5
TUESDAY, MAY 6
with LAUREN KUNG JESSEN at PARNASSUS The Manicurist's Daughter
WEDNESDAY, MAY 7
MATTHEW HUBBARD & KIT ROSEWATER
with JENNA LEVINE at PARNASSUS The Rebel's Guide to Pride & All's Fair in Love and Field Hockey
10:30AM
SATURDAY, MAY 10
SATURDAY STORYTIME with CALLIE ANN THE LIBRARIAN at PARNASSUS
3900 Hillsboro Pike Suite 14 | Nashville, TN 37215 (615) 953-2243
Shop online at parnassusbooks.net
@parnassusbooks @parnassusbooks1 @parnassusbooks @parnassusbooksnashville
CHARITY
[A WISH COME TRUE] GRANTED: CELEBRATING 25 YEARS OF MAKE-A-WISH
MIDDLE TENNESSEE
Under the leadership of artistic director Jason Shelton, Portara Ensemble has built its reputation on innovative choral programming and a uniquely collaborative spirit. But what you may not know is that since 2022, this 32-member chamber choir has committed to giving 100 percent of its concert funds — including both ticket sales and donations at the door — to its community partners. Since its founding in 2010, the ensemble has donated more than $25,000 to organizations such as Holston Habitat for Humanity, Healing in the Margins and Down Syndrome Association of Middle Tennessee. That commitment continues this weekend, as Portara presents Granted: Celebrating 25 Years of Make-A-Wish Middle Tennessee. Highlighting the incredible work of the Make-A-Wish Foundation, this concert will honor six special “wish kids” and their families, with an uplifting evening of stories and songs. It’s a familyfriendly event that is guaranteed to inspire. And best of all, all ticket sales will go to support the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Middle Tennessee.
AMY STUMPFL
4 P.M. AT HARPETH HALL’S FRANCES BOND DAVIS THEATRE
3801 HOBBS ROAD
Even the bad Star Wars movies have killer soundtracks. (Say what you want about The Phantom Menace, but “Duel of the Fates” absolutely slaps.) Every May 4, Star Wars acolytes across the galaxy celebrate their favorite franchise at repertory screenings, fan conventions and more. (Because, of course, “May the fourth be with you.”) But this year, local Hoth-heads are in for a special treat as the Nashville Symphony is set to play some of John Williams and company’s most iconic compositions from the series at Ascend Amphitheater on Sunday night. For an extra helping of May 4 activities, head down to the Franklin Theatre on Saturday for a midnight screening of the best Star Wars movie — and one of the best tentpole movies in Hollywood history — The Empire Strikes Back. May the force be with you. LOGAN BUTTS
8 P.M. AT ASCEND AMPHITHEATER
301 FIRST AVE. S.
MONDAY / 5.5
[WELCOME TO OUR LIVING ROOM]
MUSIC
LUCIUS
Lucius has come full circle with the release of their fifth studio album, titled Lucius, on Friday. “It’s only fitting that this album is selftitled,” reads a post on the band’s social media accounts. “It’s our story. Who we are now and how we got here. Welcome to our living room.”
Led by the captivating vocal duo of Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig — well-known for their prolific number of collaborations with iconic artists such as Roger Waters, Harry Styles, Joni Mitchell and Ringo Starr, to name just a few — the Brooklyn-based indie outfit kept much of the creative process in house. One exception was made for a feature by fellow vocalist and songster Madison Cunningham. On the standout track “Impressions,” the trio’s stunning harmonies aid in intensifying what’s already a deeply existential chorus. “I keep reaching
for that old expression / But it never comes out right / Like how living is just dying slowly / Until it stares you in the eye.” Local radio outlet WNXP is set to present the intimate evening in celebration of five years on the airwaves. The show will take place against the Nashville skyline at The Flat Top Box on The Pinnacle’s rooftop. JASON VERSTEGEN
8 P.M. AT THE FLAT BOX TOP AT THE PINNACLE 910 EXCHANGE LANE
[BETWEEN THE LINES]
FILM
MUSIC CITY MONDAYS: JANIS IAN: BREAKING SILENCE
Finally, a feature film about Janis Ian, one of our favorite former Nashvillian polyhypenates. Ian is a singer, a songwriter, a GOAT-tier guitar shredder, a queer pioneer, a social justice bulwark and sci-fi author. The “Society’s Child” singer was labelmates with The Velvet Underground and The Mothers of Invention when she was in high school. “At Seventeen” will make you cry every time, forever. 2025 feels like it’s ready for Ian’s jazzy, soul-folk take on American pop, like “Stars” could slide right into our Laufey/Clairo playlist. Breaking Silence, directed by Varda Bar-Kar, is finally giving the quick version of this woman’s boundless badassery. Catch it Monday night only as part of the Belcourt’s Music City Mondays series. SEAN L. MALONEY
8 P.M. AT THE BELCOURT 2102 BELCOURT AVE.
TUESDAY / 5.6
MUSIC
[EARLY TIMES] MARTHA WAINWRIGHT
The high-level pop music that singer and songwriter Martha Wainwright came up with for her eponymous 2005 full-length debut sounds prescient 20 years later. Wainwright is part of a distinguished musical family that includes her father, Loudon Wainwright III, and her mother, Kate McGarrigle, along with her brother, Rufus Wainwright, and her aunt, Anna McGarrigle. Martha Wainwright’s early
LUCIUS
recordings are the work of a muso with a disarming knack for lushly eccentric pop that doesn’t stint on self-examination. On the Martha Wainwright tune “G.P.T.,” the total effect was akin to listening to, say, John Cale circa his 1975 album Slow Dazzle, which means Wainwright’s sophistication as a composer went hand in hand with songs that could be as direct as one of her debut album’s highlights, “Bloody Mother Fucking Asshole.” Meanwhile, the pop got even more programmatic and complex on 2008’s I Know You’re Married but I’ve Got Feelings Too, which features Wainwright’s cover of Syd Barrett’s 1967 Pink Floyd hit “See Emily Play.” Tuesday’s show at 3rd and Lindsley is part of Wainwright’s tour marking the 20th anniversary rerelease of Martha Wainwright, so expect some great early tunes — may I request “Laurel & Hardy,” please? — along with the album. Haley Blais opens.
EDD HURT
7:30 P.M. AT 3RD AND LINDSLEY
818 THIRD AVE. S.
[SPIN THE BLACK CIRCLE]
MUSIC
PEARL JAM
Pearl Jam once spent nearly two decades between headlining tour stops in Nashville. Not anymore, y’all. The beloved rock band returns to Music City for the second time in three years to play a two-night run of shows at Bridgestone Arena. The band last stopped at the arena in 2022, when frontman Eddie Vedder took the stage with a wine bottle in hand, saluting the audience before tearing into a set that included a career-spanning collection of staple songs — “Black,” “Better Man,” “Corduroy,” “Alive,” “Given to Fly” … and the list goes on. This year, Pearl Jam tours in support of 2025’s Dark Matter, the band’s 12th studio release. And you better see ’em while they’re here. After all, who knows how long it may be before Pearl Jam comes to town again. Show up early to catch an opening set from Australian rock band Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers. MATTHEW LEIMKUEHLER
MAY 6 & 8 AT BRIDGESTONE ARENA
501 BROADWAY
WEDNESDAY
/ 5.7
MUSIC
[MOUNTAIN BANJO]
RHIANNON GIDDENS & THE OLD TIME REVUE
There’s no limit on the talent of powerhouse instrumentalist, vocalist, bandleader and music historian Rhiannon Giddens. Her initial exposure came as a founding member of the pioneering old-time Black string band the Carolina Chocolate Drops and the women’s banjo supergroup Our Native Daughters. But since Giddens departed those ensembles, her list of achievements has been immense. She’s won two Grammy awards, a Pulitzer and a MacArthur “Genius” Grant. She’s composed music for opera, ballet and film, and has issued a trio of albums as a primary artist and two others in collaboration with Italian multiinstrumentalist Francesco Turrisi. Giddens’ newest album — a collaboration with Justin
Robinson, What Did the Blackbird Say to the Crow — was released April 25. If all that wasn’t enough, Giddens is the current artistic director of the Yo-Yo Ma-founded Silkroad Ensemble, hosts PBS show My Music With Rhiannon Giddens, has written a pair of children’s books and contributed to the soundtrack of bestselling video game Red Dead Redemption 2, as well as Ken Burns’ Country Music series. Giddens has another new venture coming to town this week. Rhiannon Giddens & The Old-Time Revue marks a return to her North Carolina roots and the old-time Black string music tradition. Both the songs on her latest LP and many of the numbers she and the Revue will perform celebrate that historic sound, featuring vintage tunes she and the other members of the Drops originally learned from legendary Piedmont musician Joe Thompson. It’s an opportunity to hear a grand celebration of the past and an extension of that sound into the present.
7:30 P.M. AT THE RYMAN
116 REP. JOHN LEWIS WAY N.
RON WYNN
GARDENING
[SOW YOUR OWN WAY]
NASHVILLE PUBLIC LIBRARY’S SEED EXCHANGE PROGRAM
As the risk of a late frost has gone, and longer, warmer days are here, many minds drift to gardening. Visions of colorful ornamental flowers or our own practical vegetable garden dance in our heads. Truth is, gardening can be an expensive pursuit for both first-timers and experienced gardeners. But it doesn’t have to be. Almost all of the Nashville Public Library locations now have a seed exchange offering, says Greg Hall, program manager of the NPL Seed Exchange. Head to your branch library and you’ll find seeds available for you to check out (some are even housed in old card catalogs with their charming pullout drawers). The libraries get new seeds every year — some are donations from other gardeners, and others are purchased thanks to funds from the NPL Foundation.
While they use the term “check out,” you are not obligated to return any seeds at the end of the season. “Unlike with books, the return is totally optional,” Hall says. “We are trying to encourage new gardeners.” There are protocols for donating disease-free seeds. If you want to learn seed-saving so that you can return some after you grow your zinnias and tomatoes, check the gardening workshops that the libraries offer with the Master Gardener of Davidson County.
MARGARET LITTMAN ONGOING AT MULTIPLE LOCATIONS
Date Night is a multipart road map for everyone who wants a nice evening out, but has no time to plan it. It’s for people who want to do more than just go to one restaurant and call it a night. It’s for overwhelmed parents who don’t get out often; for friends who visit the same three restaurants because they’re too afraid to try someplace new; and for busy folks who keep forgetting all the places they’ve driven past, heard about, seen on social and said, “Let’s remember that place next time we go out.”
OUT-OF-STATE FRIENDS: We’re coming to Nashville for the weekend!
Me: Yes!
Friends: Let’s have dinner Friday night! Me: 100 percent in.
Friends: You pick the place!
Me: [Paralyzed with overwhelm]
These friends are well-traveled people who cook and entertain, and the only parts of town they’d see on their short visit were the Gaylord Opryland Resort and downtown. I not only wanted to show them where real Nashvillians eat, but also tried to shoehorn everything I love about this city — its foods, flavors and people — into one restaurant. I made multiple lists and reservations and settled on a spot I’d never tried, which failed predictably under the weight of my expectations.
The next night they wanted to walk around Lower Broad, so I suggested we meet at Assembly Food Hall, where they happily waited in line too long for Prince’s Hot Chicken. They arrived at the table with two trays of fried fowl, plus a T-shirt and trucker hat. We had deep discussions about the merits of shoestring versus wedge fries and what does and does not make an acceptable ranch dressing while they took photos of each other biting into atomic red sliders. We topped it off with a vodka snow cone and a flight of raw cookie dough, which were both disgusting. They loved it all.
I had balanced out my loss with a win but couldn’t shake my original question: Where could I take visitors to eat if I wanted to show them my Nashville? Where do I feel most at home? What restaurant do I feel so strongly about I’d picket and protest should any corporation try to knock it down and build more condos and coffee shops?
STOP 1: SAN ANTONIO TACO COMPANY
This time last year, my family celebrated my twin niece and nephew’s 21st birthday on the SATCO patio: I stuck a candle in a Styrofoam bowl of queso and lit it, and they made their
SAN ANTONIO TACO COMPANY AND SARABHAS CREAMERY
Old Nashville, tacos, queso and Indian ice cream in the Vandy area — with a side of sentimentality
BY DANNY BONVISSUTO
wishes. Meanwhile, at the table next to us, four people were looking at an order sheet — a clear sign they were first-timers. I took it upon myself to be their personal SATCO concierge.
You don’t sit down with an order sheet at SATCO — you get in line, grab a pencil, write your first name and circle “for here” or “to go.”
Make your selections: food on the front, drinks on the back. All tacos are soft unless it says “crispy.” Circle the toppings you want, otherwise it’ll just be chicken in a tortilla. Hand the order sheet to the cashier when it’s your turn, then get your drink and cross the black-and-white-tiled floor for napkins, utensils and plastic souffle cups of pico and salsa. Wait patiently for the gentlemen making your food behind the line to call your name. When that happens, grab a tray and put all the food on it. If you order different kinds of tacos, they will be wrapped in foil and indistinguishable from each other, so you’ll have to open each one to figure it out. As it has always been, so shall it ever be.
It thrilled me to usher those people, who
were visiting from London, though the process, because it’s been a long time since my first time. Every version of Danny I’ve been for the past quarter-century has walked up the wooden steps from the sidewalk along 21st Avenue to the sounds of Skynyrd and ambulance sirens. I’ve heard “Slow Ride” by Foghat there so many times that, when I hear it in other places, I immediately crave queso.
I started eating at SATCO with co-workers from my first real job (which was working the front desk of the very alternative-weekly newspaper you’re reading). Dom and I went there on one of our first dates with a deck of Uno cards. I plopped my baby boy down between the metal Corona and Pacifico tables in his carrier, and he napped in the shade of the big tree that covers the entire patio. SATCO was the only Nashville food I craved for the 14 years I lived out of state, and the first place I’d go when I came back to visit — one time straight from the airport.
I’ve changed; the food never has. My order is three bean-and-cheese tacos with guacamole,
one order of queso and chips, and a small ranch dressing (into which I dip the tacos). Sometimes I’ll share my queso — which is orange-ish and both thick and thin in the way only processed cheese food can be — sometimes I get my own. Sometimes I add a mixture of pico and salsa; sometimes doing so makes it too cold and watery. Dom has toyed with his order over the years and is currently in his “half-order of wings (wet) and two bean-and-cheese taco” era. Our teen requests a dozen flour tortillas, which are made fresh on a conveyor belt contraption (surely there’s a more technical name for this) behind
San Antonio Taco Company 416 21st Ave. S. thesatco.com
Sarabhas Creamery 400 21st Ave. S. sarabhascreamery.com
PHOTO: ERIC ENGLAND
SAN ANTONIO TACO COMPANY
the line, any time we visit. I heat leftovers in the microwave at home and fling them to him like a Frisbee.
Because I started eating there when I was young and single, SATCO always feels like escape and freedom to me. When I feel heavy with the weight of responsibility, I find a red plastic chair in a sunny spot and watch people walk the wooden runway that separates the right and left sides of the patio — students, medical professionals with their ID cards flapping in the breeze, families, tourists and, on our most recent visit, a guy in a white bunny suit and cowboy boots.
Opened in 1984, SATCO is one of a very few old and beloved Nashville restaurants that’s still standing. It’s not over-branded or heavily merched up. As of this writing, their last social media post was on Facebook a year ago. There are no specials or happy hours. Nothing costs more than it’s worth. It’s never tried to be anything other than basic, solid and consistent, which is ironically what makes it stand out.
STOP 2: SARABHAS CREAMERY
It’d be easy enough to make a left at the bottom of SATCO’s steps and walk 10 paces to Ben & Jerry’s, but the combination of longtime-local tacos and chain ice cream has always felt off to me. I thought our only other option in the area — which is strangely a bit of a dessert desert for being so close to a college campus — was to walk into Hillsboro Village for a Crumbl cookie. But I dug a little deeper and turned up something I hadn’t seen before. So we turned
right, walked past the Panera (formerly Burger King) and Starbucks to the two-story building anchored by Subway (formerly Kinko’s), where there’s an Indian creamery and coffee shop on the top floor.
Opened in 2022, Sarabhas offers flavors I’ve seen before (chocolate, peanut butter and chocolate, butterscotch, strawberry, mango) and those I hadn’t — kesar (saffron), chai spice, Indian coffee, cardamom raisin, rose tutti frutti.
Everything is made in house. We got a lemon chai and a flight of ice cream — $19.99 for 9 scoops — and spent the next 10 minutes deciphering what was what, like a game of Name That Cream
Students came and went, getting a quick cone to go or hanging out with friends and playing Shut the Box. The decor initially struck me as odd: How on earth do a vignette of albums, fake ivy plants and signs including “good vibes only” in neon, a massive red metal “Music City” and two pieces of wall art about harvest and fresh fall pumpkins go together?
But the longer I sat there, the more I appreciated that, like SATCO, Sarabhas isn’t polished, perfect or trendy. Perhaps that’s the key to being timeless.
Maybe a decade or two from now, one of the students there that night — possibly the guy in the Buc-ee’s pajama bottoms — will bring his family to Sarabhas. Maybe he hyped it too much and bored them a bit with stories from his college days, but they’ll indulge him. Then they’ll all eat the same mango waffle cones, but his will taste better and satisfy him in a way they wouldn’t understand. ▼
PHOTO: ANGELINA CASTILLO
SARABHAS CREAMERY
LOCAL INDEPENDENT JOURNALISM
ESCAPING THE DARKNESS
Nick Mullikin’s Erase the Night offers a message of hope at Nashville Ballet
BY AMY STUMPFL
NICK MULLIKIN’S NEW BALLET Erase the Night is ambitious, daring and powerful. It also happens to be deeply personal.
Presented as part of Nashville Ballet’s acclaimed Attitude series — which also features exciting works by renowned choreographers Jennifer Archibald and Penny Saunders — Erase the Night takes on heavy themes of addiction, isolation and despair, while offering a message of hope and human connection.
“Erase the Night was largely inspired by my own personal journey with addiction, as well as the experiences of those around me,” says the Nashville Ballet artistic director, who recently marked 10 years of sobriety. “I had some really tough experiences along the way. And yet, I always felt the need to be quiet about them. But what I’ve found over the last few years is that the more I’m willing to talk about who and what I am, the more others will feel safe in sharing what they’re going through, and maybe realize they’re not alone. That drove my willingness to share this story. I wanted to raise awareness, and to offer a message of hope.”
Mullikin partnered with state and local addiction and mental health organizations — including the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse and the National
Alliance on Mental Illness Tennessee — hosting a series of community events that highlighted educational resources and support. He also worked closely with Vanderbilt medical professionals and addiction specialists in developing the ballet’s narrative.
“Those conversations with Vanderbilt were incredibly valuable in shaping the piece beyond my own experiences, and making it feel more universal,” Mullikin says. “Each one of our partners brought different elements to it. In fact, that’s how the title came about — they were talking about this idea of shadows and light and darkness, of always feeling like you have this dark cloud hanging over you, or chasing after you. And I thought, ‘Wow, I’ve definitely experienced that, but I thought maybe it was just me.’ I realized that so many people are just trying to escape that darkness, and forget all those regrettable decisions after a long night. So that’s where the title Erase the Night comes from.”
It may seem an unlikely topic for a ballet, but Mullikin says Erase the Night is ultimately a story of forgiveness and redemption.
“I wanted to tell a story in which somebody’s life unravels right in front of the audience,” he says. “I wanted to portray that overwhelming sense of panic and struggle. But in the end, it’s
more about hope and overcoming. Our character realizes that despite all the troubles and turmoil, her community is still there. She’s not alone. It’s such a spectacular moment visually, with these amazing projections from Sharon Huizinga. There’s a real sense of optimism and beauty that I think will resonate with audiences.”
Much of that beauty comes from the original music from Jordan Lehning and Courtney Marie Andrews.
“Jordan is so easy to work with,” Mullikin says. “He’s responsive, and he asks a lot of deep questions that I think make the art better. He also suggested Courtney as someone who could accompany the dancers onstage, and I couldn’t be happier with how that’s taken shape. For me, Courtney provides an important element of narration — she sort of serves as the main character’s voice. It’s been a wonderful collaboration, and I feel so fortunate to have them both on board.”
A busy composer, producer and multi-instrumentalist, Lehning is no stranger to Nashville Ballet, having worked on Attitude productions in 2023 and 2024. Still, he says Erase the Night offered some unique challenges.
“It’s a delicate balance because this is Nick’s personal story,” Lehning says. “But it still needed
to feel honest, to sound like us. It was important to me to come from a place of empathy, rather than blame or judgment. The challenge was in conveying the story without being too ‘woe is me’ — keeping that sense of empathy without coddling. It was challenging, but I feel like we struck the right balance.”
One way Lehning achieves this is by featuring a solo violin at both the beginning and end of the piece — reinforcing the idea that, for better or worse, the main character is responsible for her own decisions.
“I think the tone is very consistent throughout, but the way we’ve closed it is pretty powerful,” he adds. “It’s been exciting to see it all come alive, and I’m grateful to be entrusted to tell Nick’s story in this way.”
Singer-songwriter Andrews agrees, calling the project “incredibly rewarding.”
“This is my first time doing something like this, so I’m really thankful for the opportunity to stretch and grow as a writer,” she says. “But I feel like that’s the beauty of being a writer — exploring other people’s stories, trying to get into the mind of a character and telling their story in an authentic way. I hope audiences will be moved and empowered to talk about it.” ▼
MUSIC
THROUGHOUT HER CAREER, explosive vocalist and songwriter Alison Joy Williams has done a bit of everything — from rock and pop to country, Americana and gospel. But the blues remains the genre she most enjoys. While she has appeared in numerous venues and at festivals across the U.S. and around the world, she considers Nashville her second home, even since relocating to the Pacific Northwest. She’ll make her return to Music City on May 7 as the headliner for a big night of blues at 3rd and Lindsley, with one of the highlights being a celebration of her new LP How You Look at Things
“People had been telling me for years that I needed to put ‘How You Look at Things’ on an album, so I finally did,” Williams says of what would become the title track on the new album, speaking with the Scene by phone. “It was really great to record again in Nashville. It’s a place where I not only feel really comfortable, but one where you have both the best musicians and great places for recording.”
Recorded and mastered with Pat Lassiter at Riverfront Recording in Madison, How You Look at Things in many ways qualifies as the signature work contemporary blues fans savor. All 12 numbers are Williams originals, ranging from the enticing sentiments expressed in “Make Love to Me Now” to the edgy confessional tone of “Leave Me to Cry,” “Weakness” and “I Ain’t Easy to Love.” The instrumental accompaniment is strong, but the LP is first and foremost a showcase for Williams’ deep, rich vocal tone and striking delivery. She easily shifts between moods and themes, but is at her best on such tunes as the climatic “Live With the Storm” that let her really stretch out: It’s the album’s longest piece (at more than seven minutes), and its most vocally expansive.
“The thing I’ve learned over the years, from doing all the other types of music, is what really works best in a blues setting,” says Williams. “For storytelling — that’s really what I love in doing the blues, and getting in that good comfort zone with great musicians.”
Her career journey is a testament to the staying power and persistence independent artists must have, in particular those operating in styles deemed noncommercial by major record labels. As the wife of a now-retired member of the armed forces, Williams has performed in Europe and Africa. She’s had songs that made an impact on German and English radio as well as indie charts, and recorded a series of LPs dating back to the Aughts for a variety of labels. She offers high praise to her backing band Indigo Blue, whom she credits with staying sharp and ready to play even when she’s off the road. Williams is also a strong advocate of the value and power of local blues societies.
“No matter where you go and what city you live in, there’s usually a blues society or group
IN A BLUE MOON
Alison Joy Williams dives deep into the blues
BY RON WYNN
of blues lovers who’ll support you,” she says. “All through my years, whenever we’ve had to move, that’s been my support, along with different promoters and festival audiences. [Blues societies] kept me going and always encouraged me to keep singing.”
Williams isn’t the night’s only attraction. Also performing is Nashville’s Gina Sicilia Syracuse, another evocative, stirring artist who’s shared the stage with such blues and pop stars as Shemekia Copeland, Beth Hart, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Joan Osborne. There’s advance buzz for Syracuse’s upcoming 11th LP Bring It on Home: A Tribute to Sam
Cooke, coming later this spring.
Topping things off will be Rodd Bland and the Members Only Band. The son of legendary blues shouter Bobby “Blue” Bland (as well as the godson of B.B. King), Rodd Bland soaked up the blues from childhood, absorbing lessons from a host of greats. But as he evolved and matured, he was careful not to let his own voice be erased by being overly reverential to his idols. If you’ve seen the 2014 documentary Take Me to the River, you’ve seen Bland working with the majestic Hi Rhythm Band, backing more blues and soul royalty like William Bell. Bland and company will be performing some of his father’s classics,
including “Members Only,” the 1985 song that remained his signature tune until his death in 2013.
Wednesday’s show typifies the blues at its best: a blend of old and new, with fresh approaches to a sound that never goes out of style. ▼
Playing 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 7, at 3rd and Lindsley
PHOTO: SIERRA CLARK
FESTIVE OCCASIONS
LATE SPRING THROUGH early fall in Middle Tennessee is prime time for music festivals and outdoor concerts. CMA Fest (June 5 through 8) and Bonnaroo (June 12 through 15) are some of the biggest fests around, and you’ve likely made your plans already if you’re going to go. But now’s the time for a veritable avalanche of lineup information to drop, so here are some notes on a few other events you’ll want to keep an eye on.
Much-loved free concert series Musicians Corner kicks off its 16th year with its spring run, which takes place every Friday and Saturday from May 16 through June 14 in Centennial Park. Alt-country champion and onetime Nashvillian Jonny Fritz kicks off the opening Friday alongside his country collaborator of choice, Joshua Hedley Also playing that day is queer songsmith Autumn Nicholas, who’s making a difference through both music and activism.
Further along in the lineup, stellar country singer-songwriter Brittney Spencer headlines the opening of a Memorial Day Weekend threenighter on May 23, while Karina Daza, who’s carving a path for Latin American musicians in Nashville through her Musicana collective, is set to perform May 25. Among other highlights, see singer-songwriter-rockers Cut Worms and Eric Slick on May 31, while Grammy-nominated R&B artist Valerie June will stop in June 7 amid the tour celebrating her new album Owls, Omens, and Oracles. This lineup is good to the last drop: Locals Sean Thompson’s Weird Ears, on the road behind February’s Head in the Sand, join bluesrock powerhouse Ping Rose and others to close it out on June 14.
Nashville Pride is headed back to Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park this year with an even bigger and better entertainment lineup.
It expands from the traditional Saturday and Sunday schedule to include a kickoff concert Friday night, June 27, headlined by pop star Kim Petras, who’ll be joined by Empress of, Estelle and drag queen supreme Kylie Love. Saturday and Sunday will be packed with performances from ’90s rock legends 4 Non Blondes, hip-hop heroine Big Freedia (performing with inclusive chorus Nashville in Harmony) and Music City’s own pop sensation Jake Wesley Rogers, among many more. The Rainbow Stage spotlighting local talent curated by the RNBW crew will be back, as will the Stonewall Stage hosting a huge array of drag performances.
The Americana Music Festival and Conference, AmericanaFest for short, has been a staple of late summer for more than two decades.
From Sept. 9 to 13, the fest will once again spread its big tent across Music City, and the initial lineup of artists you’ll be able to see at venues all over town is jam-packed. At the top of the bill you’ll find stellar songsmiths like Amanda Shires and Willi Carlisle, alongside gospel steel maestro Robert Randolph, rockabilly queen Rosie Flores and others. Country singer-songwriters like Kashus Culpepper and Kristina Murray will join in, as will blues champ Buffalo Nichols
Palmyra, a standout Virginia trio of songwriters making great headway behind their Oh Boy Records debut Restless, is a group you might expect to see on the lineup, and they’re here. Maybe a little less expected is Pulitzer-winning Irish poet Paul Muldoon, who will perform accompanied by the ensemble Rogue Oliphant. Also a bit unusual: Nick Hexum, best known as a member of alt-rock outfit 311, is playing as he tours amid a string of planned solo EPs. Festival passes are on sale now via the AmericanaFest website. In addition, you’ll find details
there on separately ticketed events like the annual keystone Honors and Awards ceremony, happening at the Ryman on Sept. 10. Also announced are two kickoff events happening at the same time: On Sept. 9, take your pick from rocking country hero Dwight Yoakam at Ascend Amphitheater and The Secret Sisters and Maggie Rose performing with the Nashville Symphony Pilgrimage Music and Cultural Festival is headed back to picturesque Franklin green space The Park at Harlinsdale Sept. 27 and 28 for its 11th annual run. The event’s location, booking and daytime-and-evening hours make it among the most family-friendly fests in our vicinity, and two household names in the contemporary rock world are topping the bill. John Mayer will be coming off the second Dead & Co. Dead Forever residency at The Sphere in Las Vegas, but he’ll be bringing a full band to do his own material at Pilgrimage. Nashville’s own Kings of Leon, also headlining, got back on the road last year in the wake of their latest, Can We Please Have Fun Oklahoma country champs Turnpike Troubadours and California pop ’n’ rockers Young the Giant make up the next tier of the bill. Deeper into the lineup, find various takes on rock, pop and country courtesy of Father John Misty, Grace Potter, Maggie Rose, The Heavy Heavy, Angel White and more. Over in the Americana Music Triangle tent, your options include Sam Grisman Project (led by the son of ’grass wizard David “Dawg” Grisman) featuring Vince Herman and Lindsay Lou, with support from Music City multi-instrumentalist and songsmith Cristina Vane. And if you were, ahem, “Desperately Wanting” your annual chance to catch festival co-founder Kevin Griffin’s band Better Than Ezra, fear not: They’re on the lineup too.
Additional reporting by Bailey Brantingham.
PHOTO: JIMMY FONTAINE,
COMMUNITY ORGAN-IZER
BY BAILEY BRANTINGHAM
LOTS OF MUSICIANS across the wide and varied landscape of Nashville music put new spins on old traditions. Not many — if any — do that in quite the same way as singer-songwriter and keyboardist Jo Schornikow
The Australia-born musician typically plays the kind of portable electronic keyboards you’d expect to see when she’s around town or on the road, performing her own material or with an array of projects. (See: Phosphorescent and William Tyler, among others.) But a keyboard that’s near to her heart is the 108-year-old pipe organ nestled in East Nashville’s Woodland Presbyterian Church, where she serves as music director. The mammoth instrument, described as an “old lady” by the church staff since it requires ample airflow for upkeep, is at the center of Schornikow’s latest record, an EP called Quiet Excerpts. She welcomed family, friends and the organ-curious to the intimate space Friday night for a free candlelit release celebration.
Schornikow’s new record doesn’t resemble the dramatic Phantom of the Opera balladry, geometric Bach pieces or quippy baseball-game jingles that many people associate with the instrument. Instead, the six-song project explores the pipe organ as an intimate ambient instrument — which, when heard live, I can only describe as akin to being transported to some sort of alternative spiritual realm.
Just before sundown, guests filtered in through the church’s open doors. Old acquaintances hugged over the pews and chatted in the aisles. The electric lights flickered on for just a few brief moments before the show, allowing the four seven-armed candelabras holding taper candles to be lit. The last bit of sunlight peered in through the stained-glass windows, leaving LED tea lights in white paper bags to light the way at the end of each pew.
Onetime Nashvillian songsmith Annie Williams and pedal-steel wizard Spencer Cullum sat down to tune up just after 7 p.m. The duo hunched over their instruments in floor-level chairs, a brass cross and the cloth-draped pulpit behind them.
Cullum initiated the first notes of the night with drawn-out strains from his signature instrument. Williams joined in on electric guitar, plucking a gentle melody and adding smooth, diaphanous vocals. The pair’s combined effort created a light, shoegaze-y sound with just a touch of Western twang, which was amplified tenfold as it echoed throughout the church.
Throughout the set, the duo alternated roles. Cullum took the lead on every other song, switching out his steel for an acoustic guitar and scooting up to the mic to sing, complemented by Williams’ layered harmonies.
“This is making my life better,” said someone from the pews in between songs.
“Well, thank you, sir,” Cullum replied, offering two thumbs-up. “We’ve got two more for you.”
After the duo finished, the audience stood once more to mingle before the main show. Schornikow entered promptly at 8 p.m., after the sun had gone down completely. She approached her small stage, which was lit entirely by tiny flickering candles, flanked by Anson Hohne on drums and Jack Lawrence on synthesizer.
Schornikow perched on the bench and leaned down to switch her instrument on. With a few keys, she coaxed a low hum from the organ, a powerful sound that seemed to seep into the bones of the building, traveling through the floor and rattling in the chest of everyone present. She began with “Prelude I & II,” a 10-minute piece that opens with light, drawn-out notes that steadily build to a heavy crescendo. Lawrence worked in airy synth sounds to complement the dominant instrument, while Hohne layered soft crashes and tingling bells with his felt-tipped sticks.
The group transitioned seamlessly into “Upstream,” a lighter piece that incorporates vocals and thicker synth textures. Schornikow kept her back to the crowd, her gaze focused on the sheets and keys in front of her. Her eyes, doused in an orange glow from tea lights spread across the width of the instrument’s great wooden body, were reflected in a small mirror just above her.
During the final pieces, the soft, silvery sounds heavily featured on “Bells” melted into the melody of the closing song, “In Dulci Jubilo.” With a last prolonged note and a few fading twinkles, Schornikow stood from her bench, quickly gave her thanks and made her exit. The crowd jumped to their feet in the narrow pews, rewarding her with a standing ovation. ▼
UP ALL NIGHT: ONE DIRECTION DANCE PARTY FRI, 4/25
BIG SOMETHING PANIC AFTERPARTY FRI, 4/25 & SAT, 4/26
MICHIGAN RATTLERS SAT, 4/26
DEHD W/ SWEAT FM, MERLIN BRANDO TUE, 4/29
INOHA W/ FLIGHT BY NOTHING TUE, 4/29
SIR WOMAN W/ ISAIA HURON WED, 4/30
NICOTINE DOLLS W/ LOSTBOYCROW THU, 5/1
MARCO WITH LOVE W/ LANEY JONES SAT, 5/3
KOLDKRUSH SAT, 5/3
THE BROWNING W/ SWARM, THE DEFECT MON, 5/5
ABE PARKER W/ ZACH PARADIS TUE, 5/6
HOT TO GO: CHAPPELL ROAN PARTY FRI, 5/9
KNOX W/ THE WLDLFE SAT, 5/10
KEN POMEROY W/ DRUMMINGBIRD FRI, 5/16
THE BONES OF J.R. JONES W/ RUEN BROTHERS SAT, 5/17
CRAZY FROM THE HEAT
The Surfer is a ba
patriarchy-slamming psychothriller — but it gives good Cage
BY CRAIG D. LINDSEY
THE SURFER SEEMS like it was made for a sole purpose: to give Nicolas Cage another vehicle in which to continually crash out.
We first catch Cage’s nameless, surfboard-schlepping protagonist as he drives his teenage son (Finn Little) to an Australian beachside car park, where they’ll ride a couple waves and he can show his boy the property he’s about to buy. But even though our hero has hometown roots here, a local gang of bullying surf riders, led by an oh-so-manly svengali (Julian McMahon, looking like Omni-Man from Invincible), make it known that he and his kid aren’t welcome.
With The Surfer, Irish director Lorcan Finnegan (Vivarium) and Irish screenwriter Thomas Martin (Ripper Street) have crafted the sort of brutal, fish-out-of-water, toxic-masculinity takedown that put Australian filmmaking on the map back in the ’70s. It’s basically a sunnier, stranger Wake in Fright. (It’s a shame recently departed Canadian filmmaker Ted Kotcheff, who directed that seminal Australian New Wave thriller, isn’t here for this film’s rollout.)
Surfer is a shiny, sweeping heaping of good ol’ what-the-fuck. Finnegan and cinematographer Radek Ladczuk visually turn that parking lot Cage can’t seem to leave into a scorching purgatory (the sudsy blue waves may start calling you the same way they call Cage’s character), while composer François Tétaz comes up with grand, bombastic musical cues that sound like Ennio Morricone scoring a telenovela.
The Surfer comes out the gate fully acknowl-
edging that there’s some weird shit going on. The movie doesn’t even reach the five-minute mark before we get some frazzling flashbacks of our lead, dirty and grungy as hell, lost in the wilderness alongside stock footage of insects, reptiles and other wild creatures. Cage fans will most likely watch The Surfer just to see how batshit the iconic actor will go in order to play a character who’s … well, clearly batshit. Since Cage spends most of the movie taking abuse from a steady stream of cartoonishly cruel beach bogans, you may become giddy anticipating just how zero-fucks Cage will be when he retaliates. (“These poor, dumb bastards,” I said to myself when the villains hassled a visibly seething Cage.)
Cage goes in on the mental and physical unraveling of his character, especially once the film starts taking some head-scratching turns. It isn’t long before the tormented dad is walking around in sweltering heat with no shoes on, crusty and sun-baked, drinking disgusting bathroom-sink water and fighting with a rat. One possibly improvised scene sees a babbling Cage harass other beach dwellers — some of whom seem like they don’t know they’re being filmed. (Finnegan uses a fish-eye lens to capture this madness, making it look more like a Jackass stunt than a cry for help.)
Cage dips in and out of haze-covered hallucinations that might have you thinking the whole movie is a Lost Highway-style psychotic episode from the main character. You’ll also get some Fight Club vibes with McMahon’s Tyler
Durden-esque cult leader, who spouts nihilistic, supposedly profound affirmations while encouraging his male minions to embrace their inner savage.
As entertaining as it is watching Cage once again assume the role of ticking-time-bomb white guy (he has mastered the art of playing mild-mannered mooks with serious anger issues), The Surfer might leave you more perplexed than anything else. Even with minor characters giving Cage’s backstory via exposition dumps, I still had trouble getting a handle on what the hell this is all about. Is it just a dream? A dissociative fugue state? A commentary on the Manosphere?
As an intentionally baffling, patriarchy-slamming psychothriller, The Surfer comes off more flawed than fiery. But if you enjoy watching one of our most daring American actors act like he ain’t got the good sense his mama gave him, then you should take in this wild, weird ride where the star of the show actually gets — to borrow a David Lee Roth EP title — crazy from the heat. ▼
The Surfer NR, 103 minutes Opening Friday, May 2, at the Belcourt and select Regal and AMC locations
1 The “House of Mouse”
7 Passing remark?
13 If
14 Onetime talk show whose studio audience was known as the “Dog Pound,” familiarly
15 Expressions of contempt
16 More than just flirting
17 Event in a tent
19 Minty Cuban cocktail ... Pass it back
20 Grok
21 Figure for the prosecution, for short
22 First name on the Supreme Court
24 Provide a brief glimpse?
26 Sir Isaac Newton wrote about this ... Pass it on
29 Covers for a rainy day
33 Give credit?
34 Writing without verse
36 “Comin’ Thro’ the ___” (poem misremembered by Holden Caulfield)
37 Gluten-free grain
38 Folded pancake
39 Electronic device from which users take “sips”
40 Smart sort
42 One signing a guestbook ... Pass it back
43 [Can’t talk, eating]
46 Move (over)
48 Sun en Sevilla
49 Migratory fish
52 What some toothpastes do ... Pass it on
53 Not obvious
55 Video game navigation aid
58 Pay-to-play business
ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE
59 “Son of the Dragon,” in a medieval Romanian sobriquet
60 “At the Movies with Ebert and ___”
61 Leave the country?
62 Expressions of contempt DOWN
1 Lumbar supports
2 Result of some cord-cutting, informally
3 Make a point, say
4 Man on wire?
5 Long Island Sound, e.g.
6 Affirmative reply to “Sprechen Sie Englisch?”
7 Test for a future Ed.D.
8 Mac platform renamed in 2016
9 Request made through a downstairs intercom
10 Publication with the 1997 headline “Supreme Court Rules Supreme Court Rules,” with “The”
11 Fabled figure in feudal Japan
12 ___ boots
14 Nincompoop
18 Water source
22 Undo
23 Mythos
24 ___ player
25 Sporty auto roof
26 Hunk of gunk
27 Bottom
28 Prefix with body or matter
30 Some investments, for short
31 One on a sic list?
32 Visionary
34 Not an original
35 Nevada city that’s farther west than Los Angeles
38 Pattern based on nature, informally
39 Pizazz
41 Like a doormat, say
42 Cartoon series about a super robot
44 East Lansing sch.
45 Sign of terrible service
46 “Do you remember the ___, Mr. Frodo?”: Sam Gamgee
47 Comedian Wyatt
49 Tour de France stage
50 Respected figure
51 Creepy looks
52 Disarmament concerns, for short
53 Reflexology setting
54 Drink with a domed lid, perhaps
56 Feature of some outdoor obstacle courses
57 Stout, for one
Online subscriptions: Today’s puzzle and more than 9,000 past puzzles, nytimes.com/crosswords ($39.95 a year).
Read about and comment on each puzzle: nytimes.com/ wordplay. Crosswords for young solvers: nytimes.com/ studentcrosswords.
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