Announcing Lineup for Frist Fridays 2017!

The 15th season of Frist Center for the Visual Arts' outdoor summer concert series Frist Fridays kicks off on Friday, June 30. The all-ages concerts take place on the final Fridays of June, July, and August from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m., rain or shine. Join us for a fun evening of outstanding music in the Center's Turner Courtyard with food specials and a cash bar and participate in artist-led experiences in the galleries.

This year, guests will have the special opportunity to participate in gallery and studio programs led by artists featured in the exhibitions State of the Art: Discovering American Art Now, Extrasensory, Pattern Recognition: Art and Music Videos in Middle Tennessee, and Vadis Turner: Tempest.

For the August 25 performance, the Frist Center is collaborating with the Pilgrimage Music & Cultural Festival to present Nikki Lane who will also perform at the festival in September. The Frist Center is also partnering with ASCAP to present an emerging artist who will open for Lane.

June 30, 2017 - The Long Players Perform Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

Recently hailed as "Nashville's leading masters of tributary prowess" by the Nashville Scene, the Long Players play front-to-back renditions of classic albums as conceptual works of art. For this performance, they will pay tribute to beloved American rock icons Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, celebrating the 40th anniversary year of their debut album. The Long Players are Bill Lloyd (Foster & Lloyd), Steve Allen (20/20), Steve Ebe (Human Radio), and Brad Jones (record producer). The band pulls from Nashville's exceptional music community for their stellar roster of guest artists, truly and tastefully honoring the album art form.

In the galleries, artists Vanessa German (State of the Art), John Powers (State of the Art), and Vadis Turner (Tempest) will lead programs, including an interactive spoken-word performance by German, a soundscape experience created by Powers, and Turner's "Artist's Eye" tour of works on view at the Frist Center.

July 28, 2017 - ELEL

Seductive hooks and layers of sparkly instrumentation have propelled this seven-piece indie pop ensemble from Nashville into the national spotlight in recent years, including an appearance in Mike Birbiglia's 2016 feature film Don't Think Twice. Their debut album, Geode, often exuberantly joyful and danceable, is also distinct for its contemplative moments.

For this Frist Friday performance, artist Beth Reitmeyer, a frequent ELEL collaborator-and also a recent teaching artist for the Frist Center's Extrasensory project-will install her luminous geodes around the stage. Zack Hall, whose video work is featured in Pattern Recognition, will set up a station of found footage and a MIDI keyboard for visitors to experiment with the software he uses to create music videos. John Warren, whose work is also featured in Pattern Recognition, will screen some of his 16 mm films and answer questions.

August 25, 2017 - Nikki Lane

Presented in Partnership with Pilgrimage Music & Cultural Festival

+ Opening ASCAP Artist TBA

With her 2017 LP Highway Queen, Nikki Lane continues to refine her own irresistible brand of audacious country-rock. Over the course of three albums and non-stop touring, Lane and her band have won over fans and critics with barroom band swagger and lyrics that are simultaneously brash and perceptive. Her songs, while vintage and twangy in DNA, are utterly of this moment in spirit and attitude. The evening will begin with an opening set from an emerging ASCAP artist (TBA).

In the galleries, artists McLean Fahnestock (Pattern Recognition) and Massood Taj (Extrasensory) will offer interactive experiences. Using indigenous instruments from around the world, Taj will guide guests in the creation of a layered soundscape inspired by works of art on view. Fahnestock will engage visitors in explanations of memory, family legacies, and the creative process.

Admission to each Frist Fridays concert is free for Frist Center members and to visitors 18 years and younger. General adult admission is $12.00 for not-yet-members, $9.00 for seniors and college students with ID and $7.00 for military. Frist Fridays will feature a special selection of snack food items in the Frist Center Café.

The Frist Center for the Visual Arts is supported in part by the Metro Nashville Arts Commission, the Tennessee Arts Commission and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, the Frist Center for the Visual Arts is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit art exhibition center dedicated to presenting and originating high-quality exhibitions with related educational programs and community outreach activities. Located at 919 Broadway in downtown Nashville, Tenn., the Frist Center offers the finest visual art from local, regional, national, and international sources in a program of changing exhibitions that inspire people through art to look at their world in new ways. The Frist Center's Martin ArtQuest Gallery features interactive stations relating to Frist Center exhibitions. Information on accessibility may be found at fristcenter.org/accessibility.

Gallery admission is free for visitors 18 and younger and to members; $12 for adults; $9 for seniors and college students with ID; and $7 for active military. College students are admitted free Thursday and Friday evenings (with the exception of Frist Fridays), 5:00-9:00 p.m. Discounts are offered for groups of 10 or more with advance reservations by calling 615.744.3247. The galleries, café, and gift shop are open seven days a week: Mondays through Wednesdays, and Saturdays, 10:00 a.m.-5:30 p.m.; Thursdays and Fridays, 10:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m.; and Sundays, 1:00-5:30 p.m., with the café opening at noon. Additional information is available by calling 615.244.3340 or by visiting fristcenter.org.