Frist Fridays Concert Series Kicks Off with Malemen Tonight

The Frist Center for the Visual Arts' popular summer concert series Frist Fridays kicks off tonight, June 28 with a performance by the Chattanooga-based band The MaleMen. Now in its eleventh 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. Visitors are encouraged to bring lawn chairs to the events. Frist Fridays take place rain or shine.

"Frist Fridays have become one of Nashville's most popular summer traditions, attracting visitors of all ages from Middle Tennessee and beyond," said Susan H. Edwards, Ph. D., executive director of the Frist Center. "It is pleasure to bring music and art together in such a dynamic way within our creative community. This year's series is heavily influenced by Sensuous Steel: Art Deco Automobiles, our major summer exhibition. We are so pleased to have these wonderful entertainers jump into the spirit of the exhibition!" Dr. Edwards concluded.

2013 FRIST FRIDAYS LINE UP:

June 28, 2013 The MaleMen Show Band

A versatile musical ensemble based out of Chattanooga, Tenn.,The MaleMen Show Band features three female vocalists and a seven-member rhythmic horn section. Their music selection ranges from the 1960s to contemporary hit songs; whether it's rhythm and blues, Top 40 hits, reggae or rock and roll, this live band can do it all. On this evening, The MaleMen will perform Motown sounds of Detroit, bringing Motor City to Music City!

July 26, 2013 The Long Players

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. 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 notoriety and have been featured in Billboard and on NPR. The band includes Bill Lloyd (Foster & Lloyd), Steve Allen (20/20), Steve Ebe (Human Radio), Brad Jones (record producer) and Jen Gunderman (Jayhawks). Dipping into Nashville's exceptional musical community, The Long Players always offer a stellar roster of guest artists to help them bring these classic albums to life.

For their Frist Friday appearance, The Long Players will perform The Cars' platinum debut album in concurrence with Sensuous Steel.

August 30, 2013 DRIVIN' 'N CRYIN'

DRIVIN' 'N CRYIN' is an American southern rock band based out of Atlanta. This musical group mediates between heavy metal and country music as they keep to southern lyrics with a hard rock tempo. Their songs "Scarred but Smarter" (1986) and "Whisper Tames the Lion" (2007) were rated as top college radio songs after their release. Their massive rock radio hit "Fly Me Courageous" was based on a true story of Navy pilots who listened to music in their cockpits as they bombed Baghdad during Operation Desert Storm. DRIVIN' 'N CRYIN' was featured in a documentary film directed by Eric Von Haessler entitled "Scarred but Smarter: (life n times of drivin n cryin)" tracing the ups and downs of the band's 28-year career and narrating the life of a rock band in a 20th century setting.

Admission

Admission to each Frist Fridays concert is free for Frist Center members and to visitors 18 years and younger. General adult admission for non-members is $10.00 and $7.00 for seniors, military and college students with ID.

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.

Event Sponsors

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.

Supporting Sponsor: Land Rover Nashville Contributing Sponsor: Southwest Airlines

Media Sponsors: Lightning 100, the Nashville Scene/Country Life Blog and NowPlayingNashville.com

About the Frist Center

Accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, the Frist Center for the Visual Arts, located at 919 Broadway in downtown Nashville, Tenn., is an art exhibition center dedicated to presenting the finest visual art from local, regional, U.S. and international sources in a program of changing exhibitions. The Frist Center's Martin ArtQuest Gallery features interactive stations relating to Frist Center exhibitions. Gallery admission to the Frist Center is free for visitors 18 and younger and to Frist Center members. With possible exception for some specially-ticketed exhibitions, Frist Center admission is $10.00 for adults and $7.00 for seniors, military and college students with ID. College students are admitted free Thursday and Friday evenings), 5-9 p.m. Discounts are offered for groups of 10 or more with advance reservation by calling (615) 744-3247.The Frist Center is open seven days a week: Mondays through Wednesdays, and Saturdays, 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m.; Thursdays and Fridays, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. and Sundays, 1-5:30 p.m., with the Frist Center Café opening at noon. Additional information is available by calling (615) 244-3340 or by visiting our website at www.fristcenter.org.