Friends of Pleaser Take Over Nashville’s Alt-Scene This Weekend

Photos by Allyson Clayton, show posters by the artists.

PLEASER faves Book NOT Brooke and Willa Mae to play two separate shows at The Blue Room on March 13th and 14th, 2026, respectively.

In a time where creating community is as crucial as ever, Nashville-based alternative artists Willa Mae and Book NOT Brooke are natural trailblazers in cultivating a thriving space for authenticity within the music scene. This weekend, both Mae and Book are performing at The Blue Room in Nashville, and Pleaser is stoked for such a powerful lineup of women-led shows. 

Book NOT Brooke is on a mission to resurface an early 2000s Kesha-esque dance scene, and she’s doing so through an unwavering commitment to movement. Her debut album Dancer First releases on March 13th, and the alt-pop queen is hosting what will be nothing short of a rager at The Blue Room to celebrate a record that’s redefining what it means to be a pop star. 

As an artist who takes great experimental leaps not only through her production style, but also through fashion choices and artistic style, Book truly lets her own intuitive decisions lead her artistry. Her unique sound and style choices are infatuating, and her self-made production is wildly admirable. It’s difficult not to listen to the record in motion, as these were songs that are intended to be danced to– whether that be alone in your bedroom getting ready for a night out with the girls or in a live setting (like Friday’s show at The Blue Room). 

It’s advised to rummage through your closet to find the freakiest, most vibrant outfit you own to wear to the Book not Brooke show– this is your chance to have fun with your look. Accessories are a must. Dancer First is best enjoyed while feeling like your best, most confident self. 

Through Book’s modern take on nostalgic club music and upbeat lo-fi, Book NOT Brooke’s rhythmic chaos and party-focused energy make for the perfect sonic setting to step out of your mind and into your body, losing yourself in the music, even for just a moment. With opening acts Henry J Star and Iven, as well as DJ sets from Sarah Goldstein and Spuddy, dare we say this might be the most perfect lineup for a night of letting go and surrendering to yourself through dance. 

Following Book’s show on Friday, Willa Mae takes the stage at The Blue Room on Saturday, March 14th, alongside artists Lily Seabird and hemlock for an evening of perpetual gothic girlhood. Mae’s steady alt-rock anthems cradle weighted themes that poetically dip into societal pressures for young women, with words like “Are you finally in your final form? It’s not sexy, baby, it’s American porn,” opening a conversation about the overwhelming archetypes bestowed upon girls from a horrifyingly young age.  

Mae’s lyricism is narratively complex and emotionally intense in ways that are all too relatable for anyone who grew up understanding the weight of progressiveness in southern culture. 

Dripping in visual lyricism that alludes to riding dirt bikes until death, guns in glove boxes, and cutoff shorts, the Knoxville-reared artist paws at overarching gender stereotypes in songs like “Flirt with the Idea.” Her discography leans into her experiences growing up in southern culture, a place where people would give you the shirt off their backs but vote against your rights. 

Her light, airy vocals deliver weighted words to the ears of those who listen, resulting in music that’s haunting, reverent and undeniably beautiful. She laces her lyricism in between a bubblegrunge rock sound that uplifts her words, saving room for movement at her live performances. 

Safe to say that Pleaser will be spending a good chunk of time at The Blue Room in Nashville this weekend, cheering on two of our favorite artists. Book NOT Brooke’s show will be Friday, March 13th at 7:00 PM, and Willa Mae plays the following day, March 14th, at 7:00 PM.