steve cross loves music and science

It’s hard to believe it was over 10 years ago when I was at a college party in Murfreesboro, TN and my roommate Blake had introduced me to Cal Dykes, this synthesizer-obsessed dude who lived with his friends Lance McDonald and Andy Stella- all of them were in the recording industry major at MTSU. At that party he showed us a couple of new vintage Moog synths he had either just bought or was working on… and also excitedly told us about this new band he was starting called The Protomen, and that they were gonna make epic rock-opera-esque music based on the backstory of the videogame Mega Man. I then attended their debut live show on April 26th, 2003 (or it might’ve been Fri. the 25th…) at The Boro and had my mind blown. Little did I know what an amazing ten years lay ahead for these dudes. This Saturday The Protomen celebrate their 10-year anniversary at Mercy Lounge, with another ally who’s been there from the beginning- the inimitable Makeup And Vanity Set. And rounding out the bill is Hanzelle, another synth-heavy troupe that originally hailed from Murfreesboro.

Now that I’ve gotten my little trip down memory lane out of the way, here are my picks for shows to see this weekend in Nashville!

FRIDAY:

The Sword, Kyng, and Laser Flames on the Great Big News @ Exit/In. 9pm $17

Magnolia Sons, Star and Micey, and Strung Like A Horse @ The 5 Spot. 9pm $5

The Weeks album release w/ Junior Astronomers @ Mercy Lounge. 9pm $12

SATURDAY:

The Protomen 10-year anniversary show w/ Makeup And Vanity Set and Hanzelle @ Mercy Lounge. 9pm $12 adv/$14 DOS

Ri¢hie, Cannomen, and Fragments of God @ The Stone Fox. 9pm

That’s it- have a great weekend!