Knoxville520.com

Yes, the holidays are over. It’s time to face those credit card bills, revise those slipping New Year’s resolutions and for many of us it’s time to go back to school. Uggghhh….I don’t feel so good.

But hey, what better way to gear up for your impending responsibilities than by taking one last chance to completely ignore them. This weekend the World Grotto is serving up the perfect menu of music and drinks for a back to school celebration; starting with Friday’s triple threat of Jescoe, The Billings Band and Mac Comer and culminating with Saturday night’s “Dirty Thirty Birthday Bash” featuring artvandalay and Strut. To fuel the weekend parties the Grotto is offering a variety of drink specials. For the adventurous there will be a shooters bar filled with exotic concoctions and for the purists you can get a $6 shot o' whiskey and a PBR. (a true Tennessee combo meal)

Come down Friday for a great mix of local talent. The eclectic sounds of Jescoe have been echoing around Knoxville for the last few years, evolving into a huge resonance that is part soul, part funk and part rock. Propelled by dead on vocals, harmonized horn lines and lead guitar; this six-piece group has been working hard and playing harder, steadily making a name for themselves in the Knoxville scene. Come early, as they will be backed by the pop-rock quartet The Billings Band and everyone’s favorite hippie dude Mac Comer.

Saturday’s “Dirty Thirty Birthday Bash” will be in honor of our friend, local photographer, Caleb Wilson. Spurred on by two energetic jam-fusion bands, Knoxville’s artvandalay and Asheville’s Strut, the all night party includes a costume contest in which Caleb will award prizes for the “dirtiest” and the “cleanest” getups. Artvandalay and Strut are two diverse jambands whose sounds definitely compliment each other. Local boys artvandalay pull in elements of funk, latin, jazz, and prog rock to make music punctuated by wide open improvisation while Strut blends ska, hip-hop, rock and reggae into an all out dance party. Both bands are Bonnaroo Music Festival veterans and have shared a stage together in the recent past. So whether you know Caleb, know the bands, or are just looking for an excuse to get out your favorite disguise and dance the night away; the World Grotto is where it’s at this Saturday night.

Both night events will get started at 10 p.m. and go late. So spend your final weekend of freedom on Market Square at the World Grotto. With school closed on Monday you’ll have plenty of time to nurse that hangover. No excuses. I’ll see you there.