Kurt Vile’s Been Good to Nashville, Tennessee
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - July 18: Kurt Vile brings his “KV’s Been Good to Me” Tour to Ryman Auditorium. (Photo by Dylan Basden for Pretty Nifty)
Out on the road in support of his new album, Philadelphia’s been good to me, Kurt Vile continues to cement himself as one of the premier musicians this side of the millennium. While best known as an indie rocker, Vile commonly intertwines folk and left-of-center country music into his sound, making his long overdue return to Nashville’s iconic Ryman Auditorium that much sweeter. Known as The Mother Church of Country Music, the Ryman is about the closest you can get to playing a museum (aside from maybe the CMA Theater) that you can get. It is rich in history and Kurt Vile has no problem adding to its tapestry.
It has been over four years since Vile last headlined The Music City and it was clear that his most dedicated fans were ravenous. Kicking off the night with “Red Room Dub,” Vile is quick to tear into his new material. Earmarked by its distinctive opening instrumental and lack of vocals, “Red Room Dub” is Kurt Vile at his finest—intricate guitar work, dynamic percussion, and spacey synthesizers. “Red Room Dub” is a bold opener, sidestepping the microphone altogether and instead trusting solely on his guitarwork and the prowess of The Violators, Vile’s backing band. A renowned lyricist, this felt like the perfect subversion of expectations to get the night rolling.
Sticking to Philadelphia’s been good to me, Vile steps up to the mic on “Zoom 97,” the album’s opening track. It’s a jangly number, with a delicate and bouncy instrumental, a staunch juxtaposition to Vile’s laid-back, slightly raspy vocal approach. Do not get it twisted, Vile’s delivery is expressly welcoming, relying on earnest expression to draw out rich emotion. Vile also lands his non-lexicals flawlessly, seamlessly weaving them into the song as if they were a rhythm instrument. “Zoom 97” plays heavy into Vile’s folkier side, warm, refreshing, and generally just pleasing to the ear.
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - July 18: Kurt Vile brings his “KV’s Been Good to Me” Tour to Ryman Auditorium. (Photo by Dylan Basden for Pretty Nifty)
Rounding out the first three, Kurt launches into “Hey Like a Child,” an album cut from 2022’s (watch my moves). Its groovy, leaning hard into the sounds of soft rock and slacker rock. Vile is extremely mellow here, weaving in and out of various vocal moments with the urgency of a meandering sloth, dipping in and out with ease. Vile’s body language matches this, rarely garnering more than a slight backpedal. Despite this, Vile commands the stage, drawing in the viewer with little competition or commotion. This is a tell of true talent: having an audience tethered by the ear without any of the flash and flair of an energetic production.
Setlist
Red Room Dub
Zoom 97
Hey Like a Child
Rock o’ Stone
99 BPM
Blackberry Song
How Lucky [John Prine cover]
Girl Called Alex
Chance to Bleed
Like Exploding Stones
Mount Airy Hill (Way Gone)
99th song
Pretty Pimpin
Walkin On a Pretty Day
-
Bassackwards
Avalanches of Snow
Every time I look at you
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - July 18: Kurt Vile brings his “KV’s Been Good to Me” Tour to Ryman Auditorium. (Photo by Dylan Basden for Pretty Nifty)
There are still plenty of opportunities to catch Kurt vile on the “KV’s Been Good to Me” tour, both stateside and abroad. After a quick run up the East Coast, Vile ships off to Europe for the better part of month before returning home for another leg of U.S. dates.
You can find all of Kurt Vile’s upcoming tour dates here.
Jul 19 – Asheville, NC – The Orange Peel*
Jul 20 – Saxapahaw, NC – Haw River Ballroom*
Jul 22 – Washington, DC – The Howard Theatre*
Jul 23 – New York, NY – Brooklyn Paramount*
Jul 24 – Boston, MA – Royale*
Jul 25 – Philadelphia, PA – Dell Music Center+~
Aug 13 – Coura, PT – Paredes de Coura
Aug 15 – Paris, FR – La Route de Doura
Aug 17 – Hamburg, DE – Mojo
Aug 18 – Copenhagen, DK – Vega
Aug 21 – Trondheim, NO – Pstereo 2026
Aug 23 – Hasselt, BE – Pukkelpop
Aug 24 – Amsterdam, NL – Paradiso
Aug 25 – Nijmegan, NL – Doornroosje
Aug 27 – La Tour-de-Peliz, SW – Nox Orae 2026
Aug 28 – La Celle-Saint-Cloud, FR – Rock en Seine
Aug 29 – Luxembourg, LU – Den Atelier
Aug 30 – Cologne, DE – Gloria
Sep 1 – Munich, DE – Muffathalle
Sep 2 – Prague, CZ – Archa
Sep 3 – Berlin, DE – Huxleys Neue Welt
Sep 4 – Maastricht, NL – Zero for Three
Sep 6 – Tollard Royal, UK – End Of The Road
Sep 7 – Bristol, UK – The Prospect Building=
Sep 8 – Brighton, UK – Chalk=
Sep 9 – London, UK – Troxy=
Sep 11 – Manchester, UK – The Ritz=
Sep 12 – Birmingham, UK – XOYO=
Sep 13 – Glasgow, UK – SWG3 TV Studio=
Sep 14 – Dublin, IR – Vicar Street=
Sep 15 – Leeds, UK – Project House
Nov 4 – Buffalo, NY – Asbury Hall~
Nov 5 – Columbus, OH – Newport Music Hall~
Nov 6 – Louisville, KY – Headliners Music Hall~
Nov 7 – St. Louis, MO – The Sovereign~
Nov 8 – Milwaukee, WI – Turner Hall~
Nov 10 – Des Moines, IA – Wooly’s~
Nov 11 – Lawrence, KS – Liberty Hall~
Nov 12 – Omaha, NE – The Waiting Room~
Nov 13 – Fort Collins, CO – Washington’s~
Nov 14 – Denver, CO – Summit~
Nov 16 – Fayetteville, AR – George’s Majestic Lounge~
Nov 17 – Memphis, TN – Minglewood Hall~
Nov 18 – New Orleans, LA – Joy Theatre~
Nov 20 – Athens, GA – 40 Watt~
Nov 21 – Charleston, SC – The Music Farm~
Nov 22 – Charlotte, NC – Neighborhood Theatre~
Nov 23 – Richmond, VA – The National~
Nov 24 – Baltimore, MD – Ottobar~
* with Being Dead
+ with They Are Gutting a Body of Water
~ with Twisted Teens
= with Ryan Davis & The Roadhouse Band
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - July 18: Kurt Vile brings his “KV’s Been Good to Me” Tour to Ryman Auditorium. (Photo by Dylan Basden for Pretty Nifty)
Kurt Vile, in my opinion, is a must-see show for any music nerd. Blending elements of indie, folk, slacker rock, and psychedelic, Vile touches on elements from across the guitar-centric musical landscape. Now ten albums deep into his solo career, he has certainly established himself as a legend amongst his peers, with numerous acts owing a lot of their success to a path that Vile paved. Would acts such as MJ Lenderman, Waxahatchee, or even Big Thief have seen their career blossom without Vile’s influence? It is difficult to say. What is not difficult to say is that Kurt Vile is a top-notch musician and truly the cream of the crop in his field, I cannot recommend seeing him live enough.