Not Going to Bonnaroo? Your Ultimate Guide to Staying Put Right Here in Nashville

It’s that time of year again, folks. While some of us are heading to the Farm, there are plenty of fellow Nashvillians who aren’t in the mood for food truck tacos, camping and sweat-showers – and it’s a perfectly valid decision to skip the masses and the traffic in favor of staying close to home. But what to do? Well, we’ve provided you with a scheduled escape from the festival scene – from folk favorites to country to Japanese punk. Plus, the delight of sleeping in your own bed.

– Team L/S

Tonight :::

While CMA Fest beings its mayhem to lower Broadway, we suggest drowning your non-Roo woes on our side of town, with two choice shows: the WXNA benefit at the Basement East, featuring folk mystique Stone Jack Jones, Jack Silverman & Stolen Faces, Cortney Tidwell and others, or gritty songwriter Aaron Lee Tasjan‘s full-band gig at the 5 Spot. If you want a taste of what was formerly known as Fan Fare, head over to the BMI Tailgate Party outside of LP Field, where Maren Morris (a dynamite writer who’s song “Loose Change” was one of our favorites of 2014) and hometown hero Will Hoge both play late afternoon sets.

Friday :::

Bonnaroo is not the only place to hear the eclectic styles of today’s most textural music; on Friday night, Quintron and Miss Pussycat bring their NOLA inspired sounds to the Stone Fox. The husband and wife duo create gracefully outlandish tracks, blending electronic backbeats with blues-funk overtones, and exploring synesthesia through drum kits that produce varying light patterns and synthesizers that emulate the sounds of changing weather. Consider it a mini-music festival experience, in our Sylvan Park backyard.

The Heartless Bastards take on Mercy Lounge, showcasing tacks from their fifth studio album, Restless Ones. After over a decade of fine-tuning their transcendent sound, the Austin, Texas band balances ambient sentiment with visceral rock n’ roll through kicking rhythmic sections and Erika Wennerstrom’s colorful vocal command. Craig Finn plays in support.

Saturday :::

Okay, so now it’s Saturday. You’ve beat back the #FOMO of missing out on the first two nights of Bonnaroo, and there’s only two more early afternoons of jealousy-inducing Instagram posts (before the magic hour of each night on The Farm, the time around which everyone’s phones die and they are forced to actually pay attention to what they paid for) for you to have to wade through.

Unfortunately, you’re still in Nashville and CMA Fest is forming an impenetrable border in and out of East Nashville. If, somehow, you’re feeling brave enough to attempt the mission of careening into the belly of the beast then you might be rewarded by a few great counterprogramming efforts.

There’s former Fairport Convention guitarist Richard Thompson, touring off his brand new (and Jeff Tweedy-produced) record Still. Thompson will be playing at City Winery, with local singer-songwriter Robert Ellis opening up the evening.

You could also check out the longtime female Japanese pop punk heroes Shonen Knife playing at Mercy Lounge with former Ramones bassist CJ Ramone as support. Or our favorite Luke Bell at Acme.

Or, you could just stay on the East Side of the river (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED) and participate in the third edition of the East Side Art Stumble, forgoing the bacchanal happening just a few miles away for something more civil and audibly tolerable.

Meanwhile, I’ll be at The Farm debating whether or not I stay for the entire War on Drugs set when there’s the potential for a Young Thug guest appearance at the Jamie xx set, and also trying to find things to do while Coldplay cover band Mumford & Sons takes up the main stage unopposed for nearly two hours.