This week on the615 show, DJ Casey is switching it up and making the artists playing Musician’s Corner the Local Artist of the Week! We’ll be playing them all week ahead of the festival this weekend. Check out each artist below!
Friday
Musician’s Corner will kick off on Friday with a lineup featuring Catalina, Josh Okeefe, Glass Dove, Jason Eskridge, and Allison Russell.
Chilean artist, Catalina, is inspiring many with her recent single, “Control.” Catalina’s hope with her new music is to give her audience “healing and empowerment during tumultuous times.” She is no stranger to Lightning 100 and has been a successful contender of Music City Mayhem. With a rich cultural background and influence, Catalina embraces her own sound with diverse inspiration from artists like Aretha Franklin, Adele, Haley Williams and Maggie Rogers. Listeners can find Catalina’s connection with her Latin heritage in her most recent album, Multifacética, which includes both English and Spanish lyrics. She will kick things off at 5pm on Friday night.
The modern Donovan is now in Nashville. Bona fide Irishman, Josh Okeefe, is a folk musician who has been compared to Bob Dylan. He’ll take the stage at 5:40pm. His acoustic melodies and the varying inflection of his vocals are true to the origins of the traditional folk sound. His most popular single, “Keeping Me Goin’,” could easily be mistaken as a 1940s Woody Guthrie vinyl with an Irish twist. Armed with his harmonica and saddled with his guitar, Okeefe continues the legacies of his music inspirations in his latest album Bloomin’.
Glass Dove, a Nashville-based indie band started by Josh Benus, will play next at 6:20pm. The band self-describes their music as “alternative pop anthems D.I.Y. from shards of live guitar, MIDI, and synths.” They recently collaborated with Desert Noises and Liz Cooper & the Stampede on the single “Patterns of My Mind.” Glass Dove’s newest single “Just a Conversation” is the perfect equation of rock and indie pop, evocative of alternative bands such as Weezer and Phoenix. Glass Dove has been busy working with producer Owen Biddle (The Roots, John Legend) on their upcoming debut album.
Next up will be Jason Eskridge at 7:15pm. In 1999, Eskridge left his job as a mechanical engineer at NASA to pursue his true passion. Digging up the roots of his church-choir childhood, Eskridge was determined to bring soul back to the Nashville. As a prominent figure of the R&B and urban Nashville scene, Eskridge created a community of diversity by partnering with The Five Spot to start Sunday Night Soul. His music has been featured on hit series For Life, Greenleaf and The Blacklist. Over the years Eskridge has opened for Jonny Lang and Aaron Neville. He has also sung backup to Randy Travis, the Zac Brown Band, Lyle Lovett and Marc Broussard. His latest single “Fight for My Life” is an empowering message of perseverance and strength.
Finally, Allison Russell will wrap up the Friday night at 8:15pm. Canadian born, singer-songwriter Russell infuses her peaceful, acoustic melodies with the memories of past trauma and the resilience of a woman who took the path less travelled. The now local’s bluesy, soul-inspired compositions of her latest album, Outside Child, disclose personal, raw pain and depth, but also hope found through love and music. An advocate for humanity and a symbol of strength, Russell’s profound artistry will grace the stage of Friday night’s Musicians Corner.
Saturday
The festival will continue on Saturday, featuring Dakota Ryley, Larysa Jaye, Nite Tides, Nordista Freeze, Jillette Johnson, Vacation Manor, and The New Respects.
First, Music City Mayhem contestant Dakota Ryley will start off the day at 12pm with her R&B-inspired pop sound. The New York native’s smooth, silky vocals and fun beats will be sure to have you up and dancing. We recommend listening to her new single “Good For You” to get a preview of her set.
Next, with her soulful vocals and moody guitars, Larysa Jaye will be sure to impress. She’ll help kick off the event next at 12:40pm. Check out her new single “Forbidden Heart Club Blues” to get a good idea of what her set will sound like, and be sure to get there early to hear it in person.
Surf-rock band Nite Tides, fronted by Nashville local Ryan Poole, will take the stage next at 1:20pm on Saturday. With feel-good guitar riffs and backing vocals that bring The Beach Boys to mind, this set will be perfectly aligned with the summertime sunshine. Check out their song “Forever Baby” for a taste of what’s to come.
Music City Mayhem’s 2021 champ Nordista Freeze will play at 2:15pm in what will probably be the most energized set of the whole weekend. If there’s one thing Freeze can do, it’s put on a great show. In the Nashville Scene’s 2019 Rock’n’Roll Poll, Freeze was nominated for Best Show of the Year by a reader for his set at BobFest, which they said included “multiple stage dives, jumping into a river mid-set, puking off the stage and continuing.” With that in mind, be sure to check out his set on Saturday.
Pop artist Jillette Johnson will take the stage next at 3:15pm on Saturday with her resonant vocals and open-hearted lyrics. Her new album It’s a Beautiful Day and I Love You came out in February, which we selected the single “Annie” from in April as Jayson’s DJ Pick of the Week. Born in New York and now blossoming in Nashville, Johnson’s set will be sure to be a highlight.
Next, indie rockers Nathan Towles and Cole Young make up Vacation Manor, who will come on at 4:15pm. With their bright melodies and happy guitar riffs, they’ll be sure to get the crowd up on their feet. Fans of The Band CAMINO, Colony House, and COIN will be sure to love this band. Check out their song “Move On,” which we’ve featured often on the615 with Casey.
Finally, local family four-piece The New Respects will headline Saturday night. They’ll finish the night with a bang using their pop, soul, and rock infused sound. Check out what we had to say about their songs “Freedom” and “We Ain’t Going Nowhere,” two songs that will give you a great idea of what to look forward to. With influences like Aretha Franklin, The Beatles, and Led Zeppelin, it’ll be a set you don’t want to miss out on.
Sunday
Sunday wraps up Musician’s Corner with a strong lineup featuring Adia Victoria, Smooth Hound Smith, Josh Gilligan, Preston James, Philip-Michael Scales, Gustavo Moradel, and Elisa Sun.
First up will be Elisa Sun at 12:00 p.m. Hailing from Oakland, California, and now a Nashvillian, audiences can look forward to listening to Sun’s smooth and soulful songs. Her sound resembles that of Norah Jones and Amy Winehouse, with open-heart lyrics similar to Mitski. Both vulnerable and powerful, Sun captivates her listeners by recalling past memories of love and heartbreak.
Next, Gustavo Moradel follows Sun with his set at 12:40 p.m. Moradel is a Latin American singer and songwriter who released his latest single “Fragilidad” back in April. We can all anticipate both a dynamic and passionate performance from Moradel with his impressive guitar playing skills. Fans are guaranteed to be on their feet and swaying their heads along with Moradel.
With a mixture of soul, indie pop, and blues, Singer Philip-Michael Scales will grace the Musician’s Corner stage at 1:20 p.m. All the way from Chicago, Scales immersed himself into the world of music at a young age. The nephew of B.B. King, soul and blues played a heavy emphasis on Scale’s musical upbringing. His singles, “O, Hallelujah” and “Feels Like Home,” however, brings out beats and rhythms similar to the Black Keys, giving his soulful side some edge.
Then, local Nashvillian Preston James will take the stage at 2:15 p.m. and share his passion for music with all of us. At the young age of 19, the maturity in James’s voice mirrors that of Waylen Jennings and Merle Haggard. As a country and soul singer, James respects and admires the way music can tell stories and connect with audiences. We look forward to connecting with Preston James on Sunday, as well as supporting his growth as a powerful upcoming artist.
Next, Nashville native Josh Gilligan will play at 3:15 p.m. A songwriter and filmmaker, Gilligan has an eye and ear for musical beauty. His songs transport listeners to happy and memorable moments, as well as embrace self-change and growth. Lyrically and musically similar to Maddison Cunnigham and Adam Melchor, Gilligan is sure to relate to audiences and capture their attention on Sunday. He sure has caught ours!
No stranger to Lightning 100, Smooth Hound Smith will be performing for Musician’s Corner at 4:15 p.m. A folk and rhythm-blues husband and wife duo, Zack Smith and Caitlin Doyle performed many shows in East Nashville, as well as performing at Live on the Green in 2015 and for The Chicks. With three albums out, Smooth Hound Smith connects to listeners with their smooth harmonies and foot-stomping beats. We are all stoked to see the duo perform for another time in Nashville.
Finally, the final act of Musician’s Corner is the one and only Adia Victoria! Known for her songs “South Gotta Change” and “Stuck in the South,” Victoria recounts growing up in South Carolina and the hardships that are associated with living in the South. She is not afraid to call to action for change and reform by using her music. A blues and afro punk singer, her songs and their chilling lyrics provoke listeners to stop and think. As an enticing and talented performer, we cannot wait to see her in action on stage. Catch her set at 5:15 p.m. in Centennial Park and make sure to stop by our tent and see us!
We’ll be spinning these Musician’s Corner artists all week as our Local Artist of the Week. Catch it live on-air at 100.1FM on your dial or streaming live at lightning100.com.
