A Few Good Shows: 10/12/12
October 12, 2012
It’s yet another busy weekend in Nashville for indie/local/rock shows. I’m a little bummed that I can’t make it to the Nobility/Non-Comms show tonight, since I’ll be in ATL playing a show. Haven’t seen those dudes play in far too long…
FRIDAY:
The Nobility, The Non-Commissioned Officers, and The Kernal @ The High Watt. 9pm $7
The Queers, Blooddrunk Shenanigans, Random Conflict, and Commonwealth of American Natives @ The End. 9pm $12
Godspeed! You Black Emperor and Kurt Wagner @ The Cannery Ballroom. 8pm $20
KDSML Review Ft. Protohype @ Exit/In. 9pm FREE for 21+, under 21 $5
SATURDAY:
Cry Baby EP release show w/ Snakeyez, Ghost Light and Vacation Bible School @ Owl Farm. 8pm $5???
D. Watusi in-store show at Grimey’s. FREE Postponed, according to Grimey’s website
Horror Hootenanny ft. The Creeping Cruds, Forbidden Dimension, & Alucard @ The End. 9pm $6
Scale Model, Creature Comfort, and Girls & Money @ The Labyrinth in Murfreesboro (529 Crossway Ave., near Ewing)
SUNDAY:
Skeleton Witch, Black Tusk, Havok, and Early Graves @ The End. 8pm $14
That’s it for now. Have a great weekend!
A combination of technical problems and gusty winds caused Feliz Baumgartner’s record-breaking 23-mile supersonic skydive attempt to be aborted just as the balloon was being inflated today. They had a good window of calm winds to work with, but weren’t able to get the balloon off before a gust of wind came along and blew parts of the partially inflated balloon onto the ground. This is a dicey situation, because the balloon material is so delicate and folded so meticulously that once it’s been unfolded, it cannot be deflated and used again. As far as I can gather from what was said during live webcast, they only have one backup balloon. Since this is the largest balloon of its type ever made or used, it’s REALLY expensive, so they really have to get it right on the next attempt.
The air at the surface, and for roughly the first 1,000 feet off the ground, must be absolutely still for the launch to happen safely. Even a little bit of crosswind can take the balloon off course, dragging the capsule across the ground or smashing it into anything nearby, just as NASA learned first-hand a few years ago during this failed balloon launch in Australia.
Just a quick roundup of some news and updates in the science world:
- Felix Baumgartner’s supersonic, record-setting skydive attempt was delayed until Tuesday morning due to weather concerns. The balloon launch is scheduled for around dawn, so I’ll try to tune into the interwebs tomorrow morning to see how it goes. More at Discovery News.
- Space X successfully launched its first official, non-demonstration mission to the ISS last night. The launch was successful despite the Falcon 9 rocket losing one of its 9 main engines about 90 seconds into the launch. The faulty engine was immediately shut down and the onboard computer recalculated the flight trajectory, adding the necessary burn time to get its Dragon capsule to the correct orbit to rendezvous with the ISS. Phil Plait at Bad Astronomy has the full deets.
- The Mars Rover Curiosity successfully scooped up a sample of soil and agitated it in a bin this past weekend. Instruments on board will soon run a series of tests to determine if the soil could have supported microbial life in the past. Check out this video created from a couple hundred photos taken of the sample as it was being agitated.
A Few Good Shows: 10/5/12
October 5, 2012
Before we get to the show listings, please enjoy this video from CITIZENS! for their single “True Romance.” It involves lots of people making out in bizarre places and situations. A perfect way to start the day if you ask me.
Now that you’re in the proper mindset, let’s see what’s in store this weekend in Nashville show-wise. Brace yourself, Saturday is utterly insane.
FRIDAY:
R. Stevie Moore, Dave Cloud & The Gospel of Power, and Action! @ Springwater. 10pm $5?? 21+
HUSTLE! the biggest dance party of the year, sponsored by Soundland, ft. the DJs of Y2K, Recognize, Keep On Movin’, the Boom Bap, and Whiskey Disco @ Cannery Ballroom. 8pm, first 199 get FREE admission via Grooveshark, otherwise $10 adv/$12 DoS.
First Aid Kit and Dylan LeBlanc @ 3rd & Lindsley. 9pm $15
SATURDAY:
The Shins w/ Low Cut Connie @ Third Man Records reopening celebration. 7pm $20
Soundland Presents: JD McPherson, Johnny (Corndawg) Fritz, and Nikki Lane @ Mercy Lounge. 9pm $15 (includes admission to The High Watt) | $10 (Mercy Lounge only)
Soundland Presents: Generationals, The Tontons, and Devin @ The High Watt. 9pm $15 (includes admission to Mercy Lounge) | $10 (High Watt only)
The Stone Fox official Grand Opening ft. DJ Jonathan Toubin’s Soul Clap Dance-Off. 10pm $5
SUNDAY:
Bombay Bicycle Club w/ Vacationer @ Exit/In. 9pm $15
That’s all I got- have a great weekend!
Those Darlins are back w/ a new song, Spilt 7″ w/ Heavy Cream
October 2, 2012
Those Darlins are returning to the spotlight with their first new song since founding member Kelley Anderson left the group. Jessi Darlin sings lead on the new track, which has a strong, driving backbeat with tons of hand claps a gang vocals. The single is available digitally now on iTunes, and the split 7″ with Heavy Cream will only be available on vinyl at their upcoming tour dates:
10-06 Dallas, TX – Bryan Street Tavern’s Anniversary %
10-07 Austin, TX – The Mohawk:Indoors^ *Summer’s Dead Tour begins*
10-25 Washington, DC – DC9*
10-26 Brooklyn, NY – Glasslands Gallery*
10-27 Philadelphia, PA – Johnny Brenda’s*#
10-28 Allston, MA – Great Scott*
10-30 Toronto, ON – The Garrison*
10-31 Cleveland, OH – Beachland Tavern*@
11-01 Chicago, IL – Schuba’s Tavern*
11-02 Grinnell, IA – Grinnell College: Gardner Lounge*
11-03 Minneapolis, MN – 7th St. Entry*
11-06 Seattle, WA – Sunset*
11-07 Portland, OR – Mississippi Studios*
11-09 San Francisco, CA – Rickshaw Shop*+
11-10 West Hollywood, CA – Troubador*+
11-11 San Diego, CA – Soda Shop*
11-13 Denver, CO – Larimer Lounge*
* w/ Heavy Cream
^ w/Bobby Jealousy
# w/Slutever
@ w/The Very Knees
+ w/Pangea
% w/Turbo Fruits, White Mystery, and Royal Bangs
Check out the new track “Summer’s Dead” below:
A Few Good Shows: 9/28/12
September 28, 2012
Yet another show-filled weekend is in store for Nashville. We have a very good mix of touring acts and local shows to choose from, so choose wisely. Here’s what I recommend:
FRIDAY:
Wild Nothing, DIIV, and Ponychase @ Exit/In. 9pm $10
Polica and Canon Blue @ the High Watt. 9pm $12 adv/$14 DoS
QDP @ the 5 Spot. 9pm $1
Celebrate the City ft. Cherub, Rubblebucket, and Reptar @ War Memorial Auditorium. 7pm $15
The Blind Shake, Fancytramp, and Prince Coyote & the Dogmen @ The End. 9pm $7
SATURDAY:
Stars, Diamond Rings, and California Wives @ Mercy Lounge. 9pm $18 adv/$20 DoS
Circuit Bender’s Ball @ Brick Factory ft. Roth Mobot, Blight Side of Life, Brain Lesion, Elegant Bassterds, Pineapple Explode & more. $15 (This is part of a very cool all-day workshop/educational experience/performance event. For full details check out the Brick Factory Facebook.)
PseudoMoto Rally @ Zombie Shop ft. daytime rally ride & bike contests, music at 6pm ft. Ranch Ghost, Ben Spinks Supermelt, Acorn Bcorn, Ri¢hie, and Lantern.
SUNDAY:
Sunday School Presents: NUDITY, The Maloneys, and Be My Doppleganger @ The End. 9pm FREE
Nick Waterhouse w/ The Allah-Las and DJ Jacob Jones of Keep on Movin’ @ the High Watt. 8pm $10
Daredevil Felix Baumgartner gets go-ahead for supersonic skydive
September 27, 2012
Image via Discovery News
From the department of “Is This Guy Totally Insane or Totally Badass or Both?” daredevil Felix Baumgartner is finally ready to attempt the world-record breaking skydive for which he’s been training and planning for many years. The Red Bull sponsored event is scheduled to take place Oct. 8th in New Mexico, weather permitting. Statistically early fall is the best time of year for balloon launches and other such experiments and atmospheric shenanigans. If successful, Baumgartner will become the first human to freefall faster than the speed of sound. He will also set the record for the highest skydive, jumping from an altitude of 120,000 feet. This is high enough that his capsule must be enclosed and pressurized, and his suit must be pressurized as well, all while being able to withstand the stresses of supersonic freefall. Just sit back and let that sink in for a while. The guy is jumping out of a balloon capsule at 120,000 feet and will freefall at roughly 700 mph or even faster.
On the surface the whole thing seems like a really expensive adrenaline rush, but it’s really much more. The technological advances required to build his dive suit, and the medical knowledge gained by the close monitoring if his body and vital signs during the freefall, all will contribute to future spacesuit designs and other areas of space exploration and human spaceflight. I’m really looking forward to October 8th, and hope the weather is good for them. (Via Discovery News)
Forget Cassettes returns to the spotlight with “O Cursa”
September 27, 2012
The name Forget Cassettes may not be as meaningful for those not familiar with the Nashville indie rock scene of the mid-aughts, but if you are one of those unfamiliar, you’d be doing yourself a favor to change that. I was a big fan of most of the Nashville bands on the Theory 8 Records roster back in those days, and Forget Cassettes was one of them. Their debut Instruments of Action from 2003 is still a fave of mine. In 2006 Salt featured a new 3-piece lineup and was also a fantastic record. Beth Cameron, the force behind FC, started work on this new album roughly 3 years ago, if memory serves. There were plans to release it under a couple of different names but ultimately she has come full-circle and arrived back at Forget Cassettes. I know she’s put countless hours and poured her heart and soul into this album, as is the case with everything she does, so I really look forward to hearing it.
The album as a whole won’t be officially released until January 2013, but leading up to it are three digital-only EPs consisting of songs from the album. Full details can be seen at her new website. Welcome back, Beth!
A Few Good Shows: 9/21/12
September 21, 2012
First of all, I want to wish Ben Todd & his crew at Nashville’s Dead a happy third birthday. They celebrated last night at Zombie Shop with Ty Segall, The Oh Sees, and a top-notch list of local support. I wish I could go to big shows like that on weeknights but my job schedule prohibits it most of the time. But if you didn’t party yourself silly with Nashville’s Dead last night, here’s a rundown of what looks interesting to me this weekend.
FRIDAY:
Mystery Twins, Grand Strand (ft. Kelley Anderson formerly of Those Darlins), Dirty Dreams @ The 5 Spot. 9pm/$5/21+
Maps & Atlases w/ Cory Brannan @ Mercy Lounge. 9pm/$12
SATURDAY:
Nick Lowe and Eleni Mandell @ Mercy Lounge. 8pm/$20
Majestico Love is God 7″ release party w/ Ranch Ghost, Promised Land, and Western Medicine @ The Groove Record Store. 4pm/FREE
SUNDAY:
Sunday School presents: Cry Baby, Tower Defense, Meadownoise, and NORM @ Exit/In. 7pm/FREE
That’s it. Have a great weekend!
Oh Shit: Soundland postponed till 2013
September 21, 2012
From the department of OH SHIT: Soundland is postponed until 2013. Straight from the horse’s mouth:
We’ve been so excited to bring you an all-new outdoor SoundLand experience in 2012 and have been working for months on creating a one-day extravaganza Oct. 6th at The Lawn at Riverfront Park. Unfortunately, issues out of everyone’s control have caused us to put this vision on hold until 2013.
Ticket buyers: check your email for details.
Well that sucks. I think the idea behind Next Big Nashville and Soundland is a great one, and I think their mission is not over. So don’t fear- I have no doubt they’ll be back next year with a bigger and better festival. Also, there are still plenty of good events happening on that weekend:
PS – we will still have some great shows happening over the original SoundLand weekend with JD McPherson, Jonny Corndawg, Generationals, The Tontons, HUSTLE: The Biggest Dance Party of the Year, and others. Stay tuned here in the coming days for details.
Personally, I’m a fan of Generationals and will make an effort to see them wherever they end up playing. And that HUSTLE dance party will be off the chain- it’s all of this town’s finest dance party producers all in one night/event. That’s an OH SHIT in the good way.
steve cross loves music and science 