Words and the things John Mayer does with them have earned him a place in the hearts of countless teenage girls over the past decade or so. They’ve also gotten him into trouble along the way, as introspective, imagery-laden lyrics turn into uncomfortable, sometimes offensive ramblings from a musician...

The historic Ryman Auditorium in the heart of Nashville is accustomed to housing some of the biggest names in country music. Previously the home of the Grand Ole Opry, it serves to let an artist know they have both made it and officially arrived. But on Sunday night, Franklin-based group Paramore brought...

Nashville has a tenuous relationship with free shows and outdoor concert series, especially when the two are combined. Live on the Green is only the latest in a series of events dating back years which has included the good (Uptown Mix), the decent (Dancin in the District) and the ugly (the incredibly...

Less than a week after Next Big Nashville’s grand finale, Nashville played host to another music festival sprawled across a handful of local venues. The Americana Music Festival and Conference kicked off on Wednesday Sept. 17 and ran until Sept. 20 in five venues—Mercy Lounge, Cannery Ballroom, The...

Brooke Waggoner (9:30 p.m., Cannery Ballroom) In last month’s issues of Paste Magazine, an article declared that, along with fellow Nashville singer/songwriter Katie Herzig, Brooke Waggoner was one of 25 artists to watch. Waggoner, a classically trained pianist, has the incredible ability to pull apart...

Cinco de Mayo was originally celebrated in honor of General Ignacio Zaragoza Seguín, who, with his Mexican army, defeated the French in 1862 at the Battle of Puebla. Although the French took Mexico City five years later, the holiday remains in popular culture as a celebration of Mexican culture and...

On November 14, 2007, Regina Spektor collapsed on stage at the Ryman Auditorium during her sound check. The Russian-born anti-folk pianist was rushed to Vanderbilt where she was treated for an ear-infection that caused vertigo, but wasn’t able to perform that night—much to the chagrin of the hundreds...

When Billy Corgan announced that the Smashing Pumpkins would be getting back together after their break up in 2000, I responded with immediate chagrin. I knew from the get-go that James Iha would never return to the band and that D’arcy Wretzky had disappeared into the ‘90s rock ‘n’ roll abyss...

Mute Math is one of those bands that I just have never paid much attention to. I listened to their album a couple of times when it came out earlier this year but quickly tossed it aside for bigger and better things. It’s not that I thought that their self-titled debut was bad, but I didn’t hear anything...

There’s something to be said about having your song featured on one of the omnipresent iPod commercials. Apple has a knack for finding the most infectious songs being ignored by the general public and turning them into money in the bank. Before “1234” by Feist was tossed into the national spotlight...