Local Shopping Guide for Music Lovers

Local sources for gifts for family, friends

The holidays are well upon us, which means that it’s crunch time for shoppers. But you can relax and breathe a bit easier because we have some gift ideas for you that are guaranteed to be a hit with any music-loving recipient. Best of all: These options will help support some local musicians and businesses, and all of them will keep you from having to even think about stepping foot in a crowded mall.

Concert Tickets

There are plenty of concerts already announced for 2018 that would make for excellent stocking stuffers. Acts like Neko Case, Nikki Lane, Sawyer, Moon Taxi, Todd Snider, Big K.R.I.T., Brad Paisley and Shovels & Rope – just to name a few – all will appear in town at some point between January and April. Plus, you can go ahead and pick up some passes to Knoxville’s two biggest festivals, Rhythm N’ Blooms and Big Ears. And if you really want to win some brownie points, VIP passes are available for both.

If you’re looking to give tickets to something more seasonally appropriate, there are a few good options with a holiday-themed vibe. The Open Chord will host its “Christmas Rock-Tacular” on December 23 if you want to rock around the ol’ Christmas tree. Or, that same night, you could treat your friend or significant other to a night out on the town and a choice between a pair of Christmas shows in Market Square. You can’t go wrong with either Soulfinger’s “Funky X-mas” at Scruffy City Hall or “A Christmas Fable” with The Young Fables a couple of doors down at Preservation Pub.

Music

Nearly every local band you know and love has music available for purchase on its website or Bandcamp page, and many of them have physical copies of their albums available for purchase if you’re looking for something tangible to leave under the tree. Among the local acts that have put out new albums or EPs this year are Peak Physique, Adeem the Artist, Jubal, Sweet Years, Mic Harrison & The High Score and The Pinklets. Also, Andy Wood’s “Live at the Bijou” was released last month not only as an album, but as a full-concert DVD, as well.

For those who are into vinyl, Knoxville is fortunate to have so many awesome record stores like Raven, Magnolia, Lost & Found and Wild Honey. Vinyl records make great gifts, and Striped Light, a North Knoxville record company and letterpress studio, offers a stout selection of albums by local and regional acts such as Shriek Operator, Bark, White Gregg and Daddy Don’t, as well as some really cool show poster prints.

Local Artist Merch

Buying artist merchandise is an excellent way to support your favorite local and independent musicians, and most of the various forms of tchotchke featuring logos of your favorite bands make for good gifts. Shirts always are a solid option, and bands like Cereus Bright, William Wild, Bark and Shimmy & the Burns all have some awesome shirts available on their respective websites. Obviously, shirts aren’t the only option. Barstool Romeos have shot glasses and koozies; Erick Baker has hats; and Adeem the Artist has buttons. There’s a plethora of cool stuff from which to pick that reps Knoxville music.

Not all local bands have their merch available for purchase online, so you may have to hit up some shows and peruse some plastic bins and/or vintage luggage to find that perfect gift. There’s the added bonus of, you know, actually getting to enjoy a live band. As a shopping method, it beats the heck out of fighting West Knoxville traffic to get to a retail chain during the holiday season.

Not everything bought from bands is tangible. Sometimes musicians will offer shared experiences with their fans, usually as an incentive for contributing to a crowdfunding campaign for a new album. The Black Lillies are presenting a great example of this with a New Year’s package called “The Hangover Bowl.” For the biggest Lillies fans, there’s even a bundle in which you can get tickets to both shows of their two-night run at the Bijou on December 30 and 31 and then bowl with them at Maple Hall on the first day of 2018.

Happy hunting, shoppers!