Nashville couples sing together at 'Love is Deaf'
Amy and Vince. Faith and Tim. Garth and Trisha.
Nashville might be the capital of music power couples: partners who are both supreme talents and stars in their own right. But they're the exception, not the rule.
You'll also find couples such as Anna and Michael Webb. She's a visual artist, he's a musician. But once a year, they team up on stage for an annual Valentine's Day concert they've hosted since 2009.
At "Love is Deaf," professional musicians and songwriters perform one song with their significant other — who's typically far less musically inclined. Their harmonies might be a little off-key, but the sweetness rivals that of any classic duet.
Anna Webb says the night isn't about performance excellence. It's an opportunity to "get outside your comfort zone." She has a line for those who might be hesitant to get on stage: "The more musically challenged you are, the louder the audience is likely to cheer you on."
She has tons of great memories and favorite moments from the past seven years. There's the time acclaimed songsmith Marshall Chapman performed Buddy Holly's "Everyday" with her husband, Chris Fletcher. The performance even got the duo a random gig in Mexico. Often, the less-musical halves are the stars of the evening: Webb recalls when local rocker Tommy Womack performed "Wild Thing," and his wife, Beth, played the flute solo.
The duos sometimes include singer's parents, like the time legendary songwriter Bobby Braddock accompanied his daughter, Lauren Braddock Havey, on Captain and Tennille's "Love Will Keep Us Together." (Dad even wore the captain's hat.) Singer and performance artist JJ Jones and artist Sabine Schlunk were annual staples at the event before moving to Germany, and now Jones hosts his own concert inspired by "Love is Deaf" in Munich.
Thankfully, the original "Love is Deaf" is still right here in Nashville, and this year it takes place Saturday at Douglas Corner Cafe. The show starts at 8 p.m., and admission is free.
More Nashville Valentine's Day shows
"Love is Deaf" isn't Music City's only Valentine's Day tradition. For the ninth year in a row, rocker and TV star Rick Springfield is spending Valentine's Day weekend at Nashville's Wildhorse Saloon. We'll always associate him with his smash 1981 hit "Jessie's Girl" and his run on "General Hospital," but Springfield has had a lot going on in recent years. He had a memorable role in the second season of HBO's "True Detective," and also jammed with Foo Fighters in Dave Grohl's documentary "Sound City." Up next is a new album, "Rocket Science," hitting stores Feb. 19. Springfield performs at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and tickets are $47.50-$190
The Nashville Love Jam at Municipal Auditorium sees former "American Idol" champ Fantasia sharing the stage with Maze (featuring Frankie Beverly) and Joe for a night of romantic R&B. The show starts at 8 p.m., and tickets are $49.50-$89.50.
We'd be surprised if Barry Manilow specially tailored his Friday night show at Bridgestone Arena for Valentine's Day — but the thing is, he doesn't need to. Expect plenty of bittersweet ballads, including "Mandy," "Looks Like We Made It" and "Can't Smile Without You." The show starts at 7:30 p.m., and tickets are $19.75-$149.75.
At press time, a handful of tickets remained for Sheryl Crow's concert with the Nashville Symphony on Sunday. The show starts at 7:30 p.m., and tickets are $55-$155.
Sadly sold out: City Winery's "Crush Night" on Saturday and Valentine's with Sam Bush on Sunday. You can have your name added to the wait list at www.citywinery.com/nashville.
