A thin crowd multiplied at Hop Springs Beer Park as the sun went down this Saturday. Patrons gathered at the bar, ordering craft beer and cocktails and listening to Karate Chad warm up on guitar. Two sleazy used car salesmen, Cleatus Black and Johnny Combs, pestered patient audience members, 

Munkn are a Murfreesboro-based band, composed of Jackson Buckner, Slade Moore Buckner and Tim Wollmer. Buckner and Moore are both MTSU graduates.  On Feb. 22, Munkn took over Hop Springs, promising an electric album release party backed by Bleached Out and Karate Chad. And, as they were contractually obligated, also promoting the 1999 Honda CRV.

“We love that car [the 1999 Honda CRV],” vocalist Jackson Buckner said. “It’s a versatile vehicle. We’ve been given a series of, like, fact sheets about it … selling points, important dates.”

Munkn performed at Hop Springs to celebrate the recent release of their second album, “Songs About Cars.” The aptly named album celebrates the 1999 Honda CRV, but also touches on personal stories from the band. “Racoons” tackles the critters living in the attic of the Munkn members’ house. “Wash Your Keys” laments on the tragedy of a day where everything goes wrong, and procrastination makes that day just a bit better, or worse.

In order to rile up the audience and support the narrative behind the album, Munkn employed friends Julian Sanchez (Johnny Combs) and Gavin Trent (Cleatus Black) to act as predatory salesmen who forced Munkn into a contract to promote the 1999 Honda CRVs on their car lot.

Though the night was comedic in tone, there was real admiration from Munkn’s supporting acts. 

“‘Songs For Cars’ is the only record you need to listen to,” Chad James, known as Karate Chad, said. The audience erupted into applause.

Munkn performed their new album in full while a loop of old car crashes played on an LED screen behind them.  They also included a groovy cover of Outkast’s “Hey Ya!,” changing a lyric to “Don’t want to meet your mama, I want you in my Honda.” —. In front of the stage, audience members started a mosh pit, jumped up and down for stuffed animal raccoons dangling from dental floss during “Racoons” and crowd surfed. The crowd surfing eventually devolved into crowd carrying, where the audience carried one excited Munkn fan back and forth throughout the venue

Karate Chad rocked out to Munkn in the audience, and so did the members of Bleached Out, each clad in a different leopard print pattern.

After the show, Munkn posted about its gratitude on Instagram: “Thanks to all the Murfreesboro community that came out, you gave us the chance to find ourselves.”