From our 2006 interview with singer-songwriter Nanci Griffith, about her most recent album, “Ruby’s Torch”: “It’s nothing but torch songs, and I got to do it in such a lush way. It just felt like the right time to do it, so for once I just turned loose of the reins. I brought Peter Collins in as producer, and I didn’t have anything to do with the production. I didn’t play any guitar, and I didn’t sing any backup vocals. It’s just one big lush moment,” she told The Daily Times. “There were moments because it is such a lush production, that I had to be conducted just like any other musician. Because there’s not a clear vocal entry moment, I had moments where I thought, ‘I don’t know if I can do this.’ Because I didn’t have a guitar in my hand, it was hard for me to know when my voice was supposed to come in. But in the end, it was really interesting and freeing and just so much fun.” Griffith performs at 8 p.m. Saturday with Blount County duo Jeff Barbra and Sarah Pirkle at The Bijou Theatre in downtown Knoxville. Tickets are $35.
On the Horizon: Entertainment coming up through May 22
From Staff Reports
New movies, music, books and entertainment over the next two weeks:
Today: New movies opening — “Speed Racer,” “What Happens in Vegas”
Today: Five Star Iris at 5:30 p.m. at “Alive After Five” at the Knoxville Museum of Art in downtown Knoxville. $9.
Tonight: Smoky Mountain Animal Care Center Foundation benefit concert featuring Tres Hombres (a ZZ Top tribute band) with The Bearded at 7 p.m. at “The Shed” at Smoky Mountain Harley-Davidson in Maryville. $10.
Tonight: Bobby Rush Revue at 7 p.m. at Malibu 7 in East Knoxville. $25.
Tonight: Dana Cooper at 8 p.m. at Time Warp Tea Room in Knoxville. $10.
Tonight: The Hot Rods with The Dirty Works at 9 p.m. at Patrick Sullivan’s Saloon in Knoxville’s Old City. $7 (10 for ages 18-20).
Saturday: Studio Arts for Dancers spring concert at 5 p.m. at The Tennessee Theatre in downtown Knoxville. $15 adults/$10 children.
Saturday: Hank Williams Jr. with Lynyrd Skynyrd: “The Rowdy Frynds Tour” at 7 p.m. at Thompson-Boling Arena in downtown Knoxville. $39.50, $59.50 and $69.50.
Saturday: The Knoxville Symphony Orchestra Pops concert featuring Herb Reed and the Platters at 8 p.m. at the Civic Auditorium in downtown Knoxville. $37-$81.
Saturday: Nanci Griffith with Jeff Barbra and Sarah Pirkle at 8 p.m. at The Bijou Theatre in downtown Knoxville. $35.
Saturday: The Kruger Brothers at 8 p.m. at The Palace Theater in downtown Maryville. $23 advance/$25 at the door.
Monday: On TV — “American Gladiators” season premiere (8 p.m. on NBC)
Tuesday: New in hardback — “What Happened,” by Scott McClellan
Tuesday: New on CD — Bryan Adams, “11”; Sarah Bettens, “Shine”; Foxy Brown, “Brooklyn’s Don Diva”; T Bone Burnett, “Tooth of Crime”; Ryan Cabrera, “The Moon Under Water”; Joe Cocker, “Hymn for My Soul”; Death Cab for Cutie, “Narrow Stairs”; Dokken, “Lightning Strikes Again”; Filter, “Anthems for the Damned”; Jason Mraz, “We Sing, We Dance, We Steal Things”; Old 97’s, “Blame It On Gravity”; 10 Years, “Division”; Keith Sweat, “Just Me”; Emmanuel JAL, “WARchild”; Pras, “Experience Magic”
Tuesday: New on DVD — “The Great Debaters,” “Untraceable,” “Youth Without Youth,” “Mad Money”
Tuesday and Wednesday: The Backyardigans Live: “Tale of the Mighty Knights” at 7 p.m. (both nights) at The Tennessee Theatre in downtown Knoxville. $18.50, $28.50 and $38.50.
Wednesday: The John Cowan Band at 8 p.m. at Time Warp Tea Room in Knoxville. $10.
Wednesday: David Wilcox at 8 p.m. at The Bijou Theatre in downtown Knoxville. $21.50.
Wednesday: Righteous Babe recording artist Bitch with Ferron and Brandy Robinson at 8:30 p.m. at Preservation Pub in downtown Knoxville. $10.
Thursday: Sundown in the City presents North Mississippi Allstars feat. Alvin Youngblood Hart with Artvandalay at 7 p.m. on Market Square in downtown Knoxville. Free.
Thursday: Mike Doughty (former Soul Coughing singer) at 10 p.m. at The Pilot Light in Knoxville’s Old City. $14.
16: New movies opening — “The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian”
16: Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys at 8 p.m. at World Grotto in downtown Knoxville. $60.
16: Appetite for Destruction with The American Plague at 9 p.m. at The Valarium in Knoxville’s Warehouse District. $8.
16 and 17: Circle Modern Dance: “InSight” at 8 p.m. (both nights) at The Bijou Theatre in downtown Knoxville. $20.
17: Mark Lowry with LordSong and Stan Whitmire at 6 p.m. at Grace Baptist Church in Knoxville (Oak Ridge Highway). $18.50.
Monday: The Knoxville Wind Symphony: “Cyclonic Cinco” at 8 p.m. at The Tennessee Theatre in downtown Knoxville. $44.
19: On TV — “The Bachelorette” season premiere (9 p.m. on ABC)
20: New in hardback — “Snuff,” by Chuck Palahniuk; “Bryson’s Dictionary for Writers and Editors,” by Bill Bryson
20: New on CD — The Band of Heathens, self-titled; Bun B, “II Trill”; King’s X, “XV”; Scarlett Johansson, “Anywhere I Lay My Head”; Mates of State, “Re-Arrange Us”; Jesse McCartney, “Departure”; Donna Summer, “Crayons”; 3 Doors Down, self-titled; Flobots, “Fight With Tools”; Julianne Hough, self-titled; Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, “Greatest Hits”
20: New on DVD — “What Would Jesus Buy?”, “National Treasure: Book of Secrets”
21: The Punch Brothers featuring Chris Thile at 8 p.m. at The Bijou Theatre in downtown Knoxville. $19.50.
21: The John Cowan Band at 8 p.m. at Time Warp Tea Room in Knoxville. $10.
22: Sundown in the City presents The Presidents of the United States of America with Cutthroat Shamrock at 7 p.m. on Market Square in downtown Knoxville. Free.
22: On TV — “So You Think You Can Dance” season premiere (8 p.m. on Fox); “Last Comic Standing” season premiere (9:30 p.m. on NBC)
22 and 23: Knoxville Symphony Orchestra Masterworks concert: “Virtuoso Paganini” at 8 p.m. (both nights) at The Tennessee Theatre in downtown Knoxville. $19-$78.
TICKETS GOING ON SALE TODAY: Widespread Panic (7:30 p.m. July 14 and 15 at The Tennessee Theatre in downtown Knoxville; $36.50 per night)
Originally published: May 09. 2008 3:01AM
Last modified: May 08. 2008 2:53PM
