Off the Couch: Big names in music, lots of theater on horizon

Cast members of Ensemble Theatre's "Honk" at Barking Legs Theater are, from left, Noah Phillips, Violet McClendon and Bec Fitzsimmons, from left.
Cast members of Ensemble Theatre's "Honk" at Barking Legs Theater are, from left, Noah Phillips, Violet McClendon and Bec Fitzsimmons, from left.

BARRY COURTER: Lisa, it's another big week for fans of live music. The calendar is dotted with some big-name artists and some quality local acts, and the shows are spread all over downtown.

LISA DENTON: Maybe we should get roller skates to get us from one show to another. We'd better make sure our health insurance is paid up.

BARRY: As always, you're thinking two steps, or rolls, or whatever, ahead.

Rev. Peyton's Big Damn Band is the Nightfall headliner on Friday night, and Kurt Vile is at The Signal on Saturday. Like everybody else, I became a fan of his thanks to his hit "Pretty Pimpin'," but longtime fans will know he was the lead guitarist for The War on Drugs, and last year he collaborated with Australian singer/songwriter Courtney Barnett. I like her a lot too.

LISA: And it's time for Riverfront Nights, the free summer concert series at Ross's Landing. Muscadine Bloodline - the duo of Gary Stanton and Charlie Muncaster - leads off on Saturday night. They're both from Mobile, Alabama, and one of their hits is "Shut Your Mouth." As in: Well, if you ain't 'bout the South, shut your mouth / You ain't got nothing to say." I'm down with that.

BARRY: You know, a good song is about the truth. I wasn't born here, but I like to think I've been here long enough to have adopted many things about the South, and they aren't far from the truth.

LISA: I think the old saying "I wasn't born in the South, but I got here as fast as I could" would apply to you and the rest of the Courter clan.

I'm not sure about the duo's name though. Do you think Muscadine Bloodline refers to genetics or a wine IV?

BARRY: I reckon either works.

LISA: As long as you keep saying "reckon," I reckon you'll be allowed to stay in the South.

With all those shows, we've got a pretty good zigzag through downtown so far - M.L. King at Market, the 1800 block of Chestnut Street and Ross's Landing. Don't worry about me, though. I played badminton on the Fourth of July - looked like a windmill out there swatting at the birdie - so I think I've used enough muscle groups to be ready for all this roller-skating.

BARRY: On the local front, Randy Steele is at Songbirds on Thursday, Over Easy brings their jazzy funk there on Friday, and Lenox Hills is there on Saturday.

LISA: Locals may remember Steele as the longtime frontman and banjo picker of Slim Pickins Bluegrass. In 2016, he released a solo project, "Songs From the Suck," which had drums and slide guitars in the instrumentation, something you can't really do in traditional bluegrass.

BARRY: Our friend Cindy Pinion would say, "That ain't 'grass," but Steele's CD is one of my favorite new records. I listen to it all the time. Maybe I should show her the picture of me and Del McCoury taken at Bonnaroo. Actually, now that I think about it, she probably has a whole album of photos of her with McCoury. Pinion is a treasure.

LISA: There's also a whole spate of theatrical performances coming up, including a Free Shakespeare Festival by area home-school students at Chattanooga State Community College, Ensemble Theatre's "Honk" at Barking Legs Theater, East Brainerd Community Theater's "Guys and Dolls" and "Hello Dolly" at Chattanooga Theatre Centre.

All doable on eight wheels.

Makes me thankful that I didn't start this roller-skating adventure last week when "Shrek the Musical" opened at Signal Mountain Playhouse.

Get event details every Thursday in ChattanoogaNow or online anytime at www.chattanooganow.com.

Contact Barry Courter at bcourter@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6354. Contact Lisa Denton at ldenton@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6281.

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