Musicians Corner is celebrating its 15th year bringing free music to the Nashville community, and for those on campus, it’s just a short walk away at Centennial Park. Past headliners include the likes of Chris Stapleton, COIN, and Stephen Sanchez, but it’s always a good idea to get to the show early. Ben Rector opened the day in 2010, and Briston Maroney was a few slots ahead of Soccer Mommy when she headlined previously in 2019. This year, the festival is introducing “Free Fest” in partnership with Lightning 100 from August 29 through August 31 to fill the Live on the Green sized hole in many of our hearts. For those already too bogged down by work to research the 30+ artists playing this fall, here’s a quick guide on some of the ones I’m most excited to catch this season.
Texino – Thursday, August 29
Texino is a local indie rock band featuring lead vocalist Cameron Neal and Gunnar Ebeling that recently formed in 2021. Neal previously toured and wrote with Shakey Graves, leading to Texino being featured on the 2023 Graves track “One in a Million.” Their first single, “Mad Imagination,” is a stripped back jaunt through Neal’s mind with an off-kilter feel provided by the fuzzy visuals and plunky piano throughout. Due to the band’s recent beginnings, it’s hard to know what to expect from their Musicians Corner appearance, but it’s one I’m most looking forward to.
Hovvdy – Thursday, August 29
Hovvdy are an indie rock band from Austin, TX that recently relocated to Nashville. Known for their lofi approach, Hovvdy strikes a nostalgic chord akin to artists like Manchester Orchestra and Novo Amor. On their newest self-titled album, Will Taylor said producer Andrew Sarlo, “encouraged [them] to dive a little deeper and be comfortable being vulnerable and letting the song and its lyrics stand out and not get too big if you don’t need to.” If you’re a fan of atmospheric indie that seems to bleed out like watercolor in the air, you can’t miss them.
The Criticals – Friday, August 30
The Criticals are a local rock group with retro flair. They manage to carry the stumble of early garage rock revival with the polish of more modern indie pop bands and have a reputation for putting on an energizing live show. While the Musicians Corner crowd isn’t one known for getting off their feet, The Criticals would be the group to manage to do it. Fans of Quarters of Change, COIN, The Strokes and everything in between will want to make it down early on Friday night.
Real Estate – Friday, August 30
Indie rock band Real Estate headlines August 30 on the tails of their sixth studio album Daniel. The Brooklyn based group has been known to experiment from album to album. However, on Daniel, lead singer Martin Courtney told PASTE he wanted “the songs to be really welcoming and poppy cut straight to the point.” Courtney has further discussed the influence of producer Daniel Tashian – who famously produced Golden Hour – on the album, saying, “[it] was the first time we had really worked with a producer where I was like ‘We’re working with this guy because I want his input.’” This new, distilled take on Real Estate’s previous sound is sure to make a lovely Friday evening show.
Venus & the Flytraps – Saturday, August 31
Venus and the Flytraps are a local rock duo made up of Ceci Tome and Brenna Kassis. Their songs often feature tongue-and-cheek lyrics sung by a chorus of voices that creates an almost childlike feel that adds to the fun. Also known for their distinctly feminine point-of-view in a largely male music scene, “Boys Are Cuter When They’re Crying” soundtracked my freshman year and is sure to be a hit with anyone that has found themselves involved with their local indie boy. The group recently opened for Samia and Metric, so catch them before everyone else knows who they are.
Michigander – Saturday, August 31
Michigander will be closing out the Free Fest Saturday night with his anthemic alternative sound. Michigander has previously toured with Manchester Orchestra and penned the 2022 single “In My Head” with the group before having to cancel his own headlining tour the same year. If you consider yourself a reformed emo kid or Briston Maroney fan, his honest lyrics paired with incredibly catchy melodies will likely peak your interest. Suffice to say, his set is sure to be a highlight of the season.
Sam Hoffman – Friday, September 6
Local indie rocker Sam Hoffman’s latest release, Books on Tape, was called “‘60s and ‘70s post-Beatles pop as filtered through the lens of, say, The Olivia Tremor Control” by the Nashville Scene. The album was also recorded at The Bomb Shelter – the same studio as Mitski’s This Land is Inhospitable and So Are We. Musicians Corner has a tendency to really make certain genres shine, and Hoffman’s laid back rock tinged with acoustic and steel guitars is the perfect thing to start a September evening at the park.
Julia Cannon – Friday, September 6
Julia Cannon recently debuted at the Newport Folk Festival and is already building a reputation for her soulful ballads met with everything from folk to jazz influences. Raised in Alaska by her Filipino mother, Cannon attributes her humor and playful personality to her upbringing, and it bleeds into her music. Her newest single, “The Hit$,” with Brian Sour is a bit funkier than her solo work but still features her smooth vocals that are sure to shine Friday night.
Abigail Rose – Friday, September 15
Abigail Rose’s new EP Surprise Valley released earlier this year, debuting her soft acoustic pop with a hint of atmosphere. Her silky, yet gravely, voice is reminiscent of Younger Now era Miley Cyrus while more upbeat tracks like “Wake Me Up” draw an influence from Sheryl Crow. Her songs that inspire playlist features everything from Wolf Alice to Dawes to Maggie Rogers, so her show will likely have a little something for everyone.
Soccer Mommy – Friday, September 15
Perhaps the act that’s drawn the most attention from locals and college students alike, Soccer Mommy is set to headline Musicians Corner for the second time on September 15. Sophie Allison has been putting out music under Soccer Mommy since 2016, but it was her 2018 album Clean that put her on the radar of many in the Nashville music scene. Her honest lyrics matched with airy, fazed-out guitars went on to inspire a plethora of other artists (including Abigail Rose). Her new album Evergreen comes out October 25 and has been pitched as a “sonic return to Soccer Mommy’s roots” by Uproxx.
The Dead Tongues – Friday, September 20
Folk artist The Dead Tongues will be one of various artists performing on Musicians Corner’s Americanafest date. Often one of the strongest dates of the season, The Dead Tongues manages to stand out among the rest. His older music carries a more western feel with the occasional harmonica and steel guitar break, but his newest double album Body of Light/I Am a Cloud features a poppier take on his sound. Fans of Bob Dylan with a soft spot for ambient pop aren’t going to want to miss this one.
Kaitlin Butts – Friday, September 20
Kaitlin Butts will be headlining Americanafest weekend and is an absolute must see for fans of old Kacey Musgraves and Bella White. If you love the humor and pageantry of old-school country as much as you love fiddles and lap steel, you’ll love Kaitlin Butts. Her new album Roadrunner! pays homage to the musical Oklahoma! and even includes a cover of Kesha’s “Hunt You Down.” It’s certain to be a fun set.
Parker Millsap – Friday, September 27
Singer-songwriter Parker Millsap will be closing out the season on September 27th. His biggest hit, “Hades Pleads,” is a classic roots rock song chronicling the story of Hades and Persephone as a fiddle imitates the chugging of a train. Further, fans of Justin Townes Earle and Amigo the Devil will love the gothic ballad “Old Time Religion” off his 2014 self titled album. His newest album, Wilderness Within You, manages to be completely different while still honoring the original sound that made him so popular. “So Far Apart” is a straight ahead pop tune with only a hint of guitar that feels like a complete departure from his other material, but it is immediately followed by the acoustic stomp n’ holler jam “Front Porchin’.” It’s hard to know exactly what Millsap’s show will entail, but it is sure to be good.
Sydney Spangler is currently employed by Musicians Corner. However, Musicians Corner and the Centennial Park Conservancy in no way requested, influenced, or oversaw the writing of this article.