El El

That's El El, an eclectic (I'm sure they hear that a lot, actually) gathering of amazing musicians that form a swaying, bouncing, joyful band that prove that Nashville is churning out some of the best indie bands in the nation. And we got to see them for free.

East Side Hootnanny

All photos in this post courtesy of my brilliant wife, Sarah Scott. For more photos like this, check out her awesome blog at frothandaperture.blogspot.com

Possibly the greatest thing that we've discovered about Nashville is the plethora of free, music-themed events that happen seemingly every weekend, and occasionally on those typically slow midweek nights. And, luckily for anyone with less and less disposable money lying around (like us), some of those events are free. Probably the one that we have enjoyed the most, though, is the East Side Hootnanny. With free music, food trucks, a photo booth, several local vendor tents, and the best scenery in the area, this just seems to epitomize Nashville.

Musician's Corner at Centennial Park

All images in this post courtesy of my lovely wife, Sarah Scott. Check out her blog (along with more pictures of Musician's Corner) at frothandaperture.blogspot.com

Last Saturday (the 14th), Sarah and I had the chance to enjoy two sets of live, outdoor music in two different locations around Nashville. The first, Musician's Corner at Centennial Park, was nearer to the city's center and had a much more polished, "official" feel to it. The area was bigger, the food trucks were more plentiful, and there was even a "beer garden" where participants could exchange tokens for craft beer (among the normal, commercial brews, but no one's going to talk about Budweiser when they go to one of these things) and sit at picnic tables with their food, or just their slightly inebriated friends. We sat in said garden -- minus the inebriation and friends -- and enjoyed some time together, with the addition of our dog, Kashmir, who was warmly welcomed when we arrived.

3rd and Lindsley

This Sunday, Sarah and I went to our first official venue-specific, paid show in Nashville. (I say "paid" very loosely though, because the show was only $10 a person. We didn't stretch ourselves much, and it was worth way more than that measly cover price.) The venue was 3rd and Lindsley, and the act we paid to see was Valerie June, a semi-local artist who is seemingly at the precipice of making it "big" and who just came into town from Bonnaroo. The opening act was great, too (Laura Reed, but I'll get to that), but Valerie was the true star, a musician you can't help but remember.

Review: Valerie June @ 3rd and Lindsley

(Valerie June played on Sunday, June 15th at 3rd and Lindsley. To view my take on the venue, click here.)

Valerie June. Sarah knew her music, I did not; so, when she came out on stage, the contradictions were fresh to my ears and eyes. Physically, she's thin as a rail, but her body is topped with weaving dreads that appear to weigh more than her slim neck could support. Like snakes on Medusa or knotty roots of an upturned tree, they flowed up and around to the right of her head, rigid but alive. She wore a white, lace dress with long strands stretching from her hip to the floor, like a lampshade. These she played with occasionally, letting them run out of her hands like streams of water. Sarah said the dress made her look like an angel, and I agreed.