Sometimes We Leave the East Side

We’ve been busy bees here at the blog lately, and we won’t be slowing down for the next few days because we’ve got a bit of live music on our schedule. Here’s a look at what we’ll be checking out.

Thursday

East Nashville organist extraordinaire Jimmy Wallace has shared the stage with a list of artists that reads like a page from the Encyclopedia of 20th Century Rock and Roll. He’s played with Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, B.B. King, The Eagles, The Black Crowes, Chuck Berry, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Van Halen and Aerosmith, not to mention his tenure with Kenny Wayne Shepherd’s band. Now he’s released his first solo album, Workin’ For Peanuts, a collection of soulful tunes inspired by Charles Schultz’s classic Peanuts characters. Here’s “Don’t Take My Blanket” off Workin’ For Peanuts from Wallace’s last performance at The Basement:

Tonight Wallace returns to The Basement, bringing a full band along with him, as well as his full Peanuts costume. He’ll be joined by Holley Maher, Isaac Hayden and Dylan Taylor (with Schroeder, Linus, Charlie Brown and crew attending in spirit). Doors open at 8pm and tickets are $5.

Friday

North Carolina-based indie-folk duo Paleface may have already played Radio City Music Hall to celebrate their latest Ramseur Records release, One Big Party, but they won’t really hit the big time until tomorrow night, when they go under deep East Nashville cover to play at Foobar. They won’t have The Avett Brothers in tow like they did at RCMH in October, but Allen Thompson, Electric Western’s Jacob Jones, and Chicken Little will all be taking the stage. Check out this video for “You Will Get What You Want” to get a little taste of what you can expect tomorrow night:

Here’s what East Nashville Blog music man M. Lavigne has to say about the album:

From the outset Paleface’s new album, One Big Party (stream it here), makes no amends for the raucous, boot-stomping experience in store. Building with the first sonic blast of distortion leading into Paleface’s signature vocals and Mo’s toms driving the opener into the first break, by the time the accordion comes into play… damn, I’m ready for the party.

A mix of folky guitar riffs and percussion with a smattering of horns and harmonica, organ, and even a little banjo, the album remains varied and sonically interesting through to the end. It seems to be at its best in the rich harmonies created by two voices that have their own strange sort of fusion, like cigarettes and strawberry soda.

These songs are catchy and upbeat, retaining Paleface’s lyrical openness and sly sense of irony. Sure, there’s no eye-opening, life changing verse here, but that’s not what these songs are about. Most of the songs deal with the theme of acceptance, of coming to terms, a theme often anti-climactic by its very nature but one that Paleface tackles with a nod and a grin.

You can pick up One Big Party on CD over palefaceonline.com. And be sure to catch Paleface Friday night at Foobar (18+, tickets $7). Show starts at 9:00 and with the duo’s pervasive sense of energy is sure to be a good time.

Sunday

Finally, this Sunday is the day for WSM 650 AM’s December installment of Americana Carnival at Robert’s Western World in downtown Nashville. This month’s installment of the show features Dave Gleason and former BR-549 frontman Gary Bennett. Gleason will be playing tunes from his latest album, Turn and Fade, while Bennett will showcase songs from his second solo album, My Ol’ Guitar, as well as his 2010 EP You Are Never Nice To Me.

The live taping of Americana Carnival at Robert’s starts at 6pm sharp on Sunday, December 12. Admission is free to everyone 21 and up. If you can’t make it downtown (or if the man’s keeping you down because he won’t yet let you buy a beer) you can stream the video live or listen to the show online.