Frist Todays Summer Concert Series Launches Today with Al Green & The Hard Times

The Frist Center for the Visual Arts' popular summer concert series Frist Fridays kicks off today, June 26, and will feature musical acts that celebrate personal style in conjunction with the summer exhibition Italian Style: Fashion since 1945.

Now in its thirteenth season, Frist Fridays take place on the final Friday of June, July and August from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. in the Center's Turner Courtyard. Patrons are invited to enjoy an evening of live music, light snacks and beverages as well as the diverse exhibitions on view in the Frist Center's galleries. Frist Fridays take place rain or shine.

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2015 FRIST FRIDAYS LINE UP*:

June 26: Al (Piper) Green & The Hard Times

With his name and Memphis-area upbringing, Al (Piper) Green seemed destined for a life in music. Influenced by the giants of blues, soul and R&B, such as Otis Redding, James Brown, Solomon Burke and B. B. King, Piper & the Hard Times are known for their deep melodies and swinging rhythms. The band features lead singer Al (Piper) Green, Clyde "Memphis Blue" Dotson on guitar, William Scruggs on bass and Gary Shaw on the drums, who together will deliver a healthy serving of Memphis soul to Nashville.

July 31: The Long Players Perform David Bowie's Ziggy Stardust

The Long Players are a group of Nashville-based musicians who, since 2004, have taken classic albums and performed them live in their original sequences. For this Frist Friday appearance, The Long Players will perform David Bowie's 1972 album Ziggy Stardust with a bonus set of the style icon's fashionable hits. Bowie's unique ability to inspire trends in contemporary culture through fashion, music, and film mirrors the far-reaching influence of the Italian fashion designers featured in Italian Style: Fashion since 1945. The Long Players' unique tribute to "the album" as a conceptual work of art sets them apart from other tribute bands that focus on look-a-likes and sound-a-likes. Through this approach and their remarkable ability to pull off a variety of musical styles, they have received national acclaim and have been featured in Billboard and on NPR. The band includes Bill Lloyd (Foster & Lloyd), Steve Allen (20/20), Steve Ebe (Human Radio), and Brad Jones (record producer). The Long Players pull from Nashville's exceptional music community and offer a stellar roster of guest artists to truly bring these albums to life.

August 28: Those Darlins

Those Darlins are edgy and seductive, both in sound and personal style. The fashion- and attitude-forward Nashville trio has released three albums since their formation in 2006, the most recent of which, Blur The Line (2013), received widespread praise and the "Best Live Act of 2014" award from Paste magazine. Members Jessi Zazu, Nikki Kvarnes, and Linwood Regensburg blend rock and roll, alt-country, and garage rock to create a sound that is sensual and often spiked. Those Darlins have toured with rock acts, including Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys, Drive-by Truckers, JEFF the Brotherhood, and have been featured by NPR, SPIN Magazine, and Pitchfork.

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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 feature a special selection of economically priced snack food items in the Frist Center Café. The selections will vary for each event and will include such items as chicken wings, sliders, corn dogs and soft pretzels and will range in price from $2.50 to $4.50.

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 Wednesday.

Pictured: Those Darlins perform Friday, August 28. Photograph by Angelina Castillo.

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