Nashville has so many great events and restaurants to check out; it can be hard to choose what to do! For our August installment of Nashville Nights, local culture writer Toby Rose gives her top picks of restaurants and shows for the month. For more options, see our running list of the best new restaurants and bars in town.
The first time I listened to Cameron Knowler’s music, I was on a crosstown drive in a misty spring fog. It was an uncanny introduction to his rural guitar sets. Knowler’s stripped-back albums prioritize elemental, minimally produced sounds over glossy studio arrangements. On Aug. 14, he’ll be playing alongside guitarist-composer Ben Garnett at Random Sample. The small size of the venue lends itself well to the spectral intimacy of Knowler’s songs.
Grab a bite beforehand at Soy Cubano, a fairly new spot in The Nations about a one-minute drive, or a 10-minute walk, from Random Sample. You could go for one of their classic sandwiches, but if you’re on the hungrier side, their Mojo Pork, marinated in sour orange-garlic, takes center stage. Eat on their airy patio, in their dining room under slow spinning ceiling fans, or at the bar where, of course, the mojito is the drink of choice.
We’re lucky to be alive right now, musically speaking, when we can see any nostalgia tour our teenage selves could possibly imagine. Head out to Franklin on Aug. 15 for the “It’s Iconic” tour, featuring TLC, Salt-N-Pepa, and En Vogue. With three of the most legendary R&B and hip-hop acts of the ’90s, this is a TRL lineup IRL.
Culamar in Franklin would be your best bet for pre-show tapas. Executive chef Frank Pullara dishes out small plates with a seaside dining vibe alongside an array of Italian wines and craft cocktails. Treat yourself by catching a sunset on the rooftop and ordering a seafood tower. As a wise trio of women once said, “free your mind and the rest will follow.”
WeHo Bar Hopping + Georganna Greene
Have you been to Wedgewood-Houston lately? The neighborhood feels like a studio backlot version of New York City, every plant and lamppost under total artistic control. It’s the easiest way to live in Manhattan for a night without having to pay Big Apple rent (not yet, at least). For dinner, you could play it safe by putting all your money on Pastis. Or hopscotch around a handful of restaurants: Drinks at Middleman, apps at Aba, mains at Bastion, desserts at Culture Club.
Round out the evening by taking a spin through the Landfill Gallery in The Packing Plant. Then saunter up to Julia Martin Gallery to check out the Georganna Greene exhibition, which runs through Aug. 29th. Inspired by sensory notions of ocean depths, the celebrated local artist creates paintings that are a meditative way to soak up the last days of summer.
