Jack Oblivian returns with the Tearjerkers (Photo courtesy Jack Oblivian)
Of special note this week is what those in the know call “The Financin’ Branson Wiffle Tournament and Rock Show” at B-Side Memphis, also known as the “Will Branson Benefit,” to help the legendary bartender and music scene-maker with some daunting medical expenses. And the lineup for the day is stellar, featuring some of the most eclectic and imaginative bands of the last 25 years. Topping it off will be Jack Oblivian’s bygone lineup, the Tearjerkers. Tune in and help Will out virtually if you can’t make it.
ALL TIMES CDT
Thursday, April 28 7 p.m. Will Sexton Trio — at Hernando’s Hide-A-Way Website
Friday, April 29 6:30 p.m. The Pine Hill Haints — at Hernando’s Hide-A-Way Website
9:30 p.m. Alicja Pop, Faux Killas and Adam & the Figurines — at B-Side Memphis YouTubeTwitch TV
Saturday, April 30 4 p.m. Will Branson Benefit — at B-Side Memphis Noisy Cats Are We, Devil Train, Gringos, Gun Down Mary, 19 Stone, the Subteens, and the Tearjerkers. YouTubeTwitch TV
7 p.m. Anthony Taylor, Jr. — at Hernando’s Hide-A-Way Website
Sunday, May 1 No live-streamed events scheduled
Monday, May 2 9 p.m. Aubrey McCrady & Friends — at B-Side Memphis YouTubeTwitch TV
Tuesday, May 3 8 p.m. Memphis Hang Suite — at Hernando’s Hide-A-Way Website
Wednesday, May 4 5:30 p.m. Richard Wilson Facebook
DA candidate Steve Mulroy at press conference. (Photo by Jackson Baker).
At a press conference held on Wednesday, D.A. candidate Steve Mulroy coupled two of his current concerns: his support for the striking “Starbucks Seven,” whose unionizing efforts led to their firing, and his campaign for District Attorney General.
Backed by the Starbucks workers and Jeremy Tallent of the Carpenter’s Local Union 345, Mulroy, a Democrat, promised to use his office to defend workers’ rights if elected D.A.
“Not enough attention is being paid to worker exploitation,” Mulroy said. “If you look at the studies, wage theft is rampant. Job misclassification when employers falsely say people are independent contractors when they’re really employees in order to avoid paying benefits, paying into the unemployment compensation fund, paying taxes: [all] that is rampant.”
And, he contended, “retaliation by employers for either unionizing, or protesting wage and hour violations, or protesting any kind of job mistreatment is also rampant, and there are real gaps in enforcement [against] retaliation by employers for either unionizing or protesting. Wage and hour violations or protesting any kind of job mistreatment is also rampant, and there are real gaps in enforcement.”
The Department of Labor was ill-equipped to deal with these violations, Mulroy said. “The number of people that they’re responsible for inspecting has tripled over the years. They’re overworked.”
Besides, he continued, “more and more workers are being forced to sign arbitration clauses, which preclude civil remedies. And even when you do get civil remedies, usually the most you can get is restitution. So there’s really no incentive for the employer not to violate the law, because basically, they’re getting a zero interest free loan.”
Mulroy warmed to his point: “in the last decade or so, progressive prosecutors have been using ordinary theft and fraud laws, both criminal and civil,” in order to combat these violations. “And that’s one of the things that I would do, if I were to be so fortunate enough to become District Attorney.”
Michael Donahue and Grammy-winner Lawrence "Boo" MItchell were at the Wildsam party.
Well, if my head could get any bigger with all this hair, my inclusion in the Wildsam Field Guide titled Memphis and all the compliments I’ve gotten because of it is sure to make that happen.
So, I made sure I announced to guests at the “Wildsam at Stax” party, held April 21st at Stax Museum of American Soul Music, to look for me in the book.
“We had the party to showcase who was inside the Wildsam Memphis guide, and also celebrate the launch of that book,” says the book’s editor, Hannah Hayes.
From left: Robert Gordon, Hannah Hayes, and Jesse Davis at the Wildsam party. (Credit: Michael Donahue)
“The company is Wildsam Field Guides. And we have over 50 guides to American cities, regions, and national parks. Memphis is our newest one in the series. Our field guides try to give our readers a deeper sense of places, is what we say.”
And, she adds, the book is all about “understanding a place as well as enjoying it.”
Tara Stringfellow and Jesse Davis at Wildsam party. (Credit: Michael Donahue)Lauren and Marshall Newman with baby in tow and Chancey and Tread Thompson were at the Wildsam party. (Credit: Michael Donahue)
I asked what city will be next. “Oxford, Mississippi, is our first small town guide we are doing,” Hayes says. “The Southern California coast is one I’m working on.”
I also asked why they chose Stax as the party location. “Well, I mean, Michael Donahue, why wouldn’t we?”
One, reason, she says, “We wanted to have it in a place that means a lot to Memphis history and to the city’s future.”
Memphis Flyer editor Jesse Davis interviewed me for the book. I gave him enough information for a 30-volume encyclopedia.
Filmmaker Robert Gordon and novelist Tara Stringfellow, who recently released her debut novel, Memphis, contributed essays to the book.
And I love the illustration Maggie Russell did of me. Hair and all.
Wildsam party. (Credit: Michael Donahue)Wildsam party (Credit: Michael Donahue)
They’ve Got the Power
From left: Jon W. Sparks, Debbi and Richard Ross, Linn Sitler, and Denice Perkins at the Power Players reception. (Credit: Michael Donahue)
I hopped back from the “Wildsam at Stax” party to catch the rest of Inside Memphis Business magazine’s “Power Players 2022” reception, held April 21st, at Folk’s Folly Prime Steak House because I didn’t want to miss any of the guests. I did miss Pat Kerr Tigrett. When I arrived, guests were still talking about her red-feathered gown.
But there were still a lot of powerful Memphis people in that room. With apologies to Snap, they’ve “got the power.”
From left: Amit Kanda, Dan Weddle, Sridhar Sunkara, Ashly Ray-Fournier, Anna Traverse Fogle, and Samuel X. Cicci at Power Players reception. (Credit: Michael Donahue)Ruby Bright and Jeffrey Goldberg at the Power Players reception. (Credit: Michael Donahue)Ross Meyers (left) and Steve Ehrhart at the Power Players reception (Credit: Michael Donahue)
At one point, I was told there was a power failure at the restaurant. Without skipping a beat, Dr. Isaac Rodriguez, co-founder and chief science officer of SweetBio, suggested a reason: “Too much power in one room.” Rodriguez was one of the powerful guests.
Dr. Isaac Rodriguez and Aarthi Kalyan at Power Players reception. (Credit: Michael Donahue)
IMB editor Samuel X. Cicci said that the April issue of Memphis magazine, which featured this year’s Power Players, listed “the folks who make things happen in Memphis, from top executives to specialists in a wide range of areas that keep this city and its economy alive.”
More than 500 Power Players were included this year.
From left: Randy Hutchinson, Kelli de Witt, Brandon Ingram, and Darrell Cobbins at the Power Players reception. (Credit: Michael Donahue)Mark Goodfellow at the Power Players reception. (Credit: Michael Donahue)Buddy Chapman (left) and Michael Detroit at the Power Players reception (Credit: Michael Donahue)From left: Helen Bird, John Monaghan, and Chris Bird at the Power Players reception. (Credit: Michael Donahue) We Saw You
Ja Morant takes flight against Malik Beasley.
Credit: Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images
The Memphis Grizzlies returned to FedExForum Tuesday night to face off against the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 5 of their playoff series. The Grizzlies’ 111-109 victory puts them 3-2 in the series, with an opportunity to advance to the next round with a Game 6 win.
Let’s get into it.
First and foremost, let’s just get this part out of the way — the Grizzlies started out strong in the first quarter and then stunk up the court until the fourth quarter. Obviously, they were able to grind out a win, but there were some troubling moments in which this Memphis team looked nothing like the team we have seen all season long.
Ja Morant came up big in the fourth quarter, but Brandon Clarke was a true hero throughout the game, and throughout the series. Shoutout, Canada!
However …
We need to talk about free-throw shooting, more specifically the lack of accurate free-throw shooting. YGTMYFT. Scoring with the clock stopped is invaluable, especially during games as closely officiated as this series has been. They literally cost nothing; it is right there in the name. Free throws. Free throws.
Missed free throws have been a thorn in the Grizzlies’ side most of the series, and missed free throws were a big factor in their Game 4 loss. Had the Grizzlies not managed to eke out a victory, they would have been a contributing factor in Game 5 as well. Thirteen missed free throws in a game y’all won by two? Can we please not?
By the Numbers:
Ja Morant led all scorers with 30 points, 13 rebounds, and 9 assists. And gave us the best in-game dunk of the series. It seems only fitting that the best in-game dunk of the series came during the quarter in which Morant went Super Sayan and put up 18 points.
Desmond Bane dropped 25 points, 4 rebounds, 2 steals, and 3 blocks. Bane has been an offensive force during this series and one of the most consistent players on the court.
Brandon Clarke put up 21 points and 15 rebounds off the bench and once again proved he is an underrated and invaluable member of this squad.
Things the Grizzlies need to advance to the semifinals:
Twelve gotta be 12 — Ja Morant has come up huge in clutch moments but that does not negate the fact that he has struggled noticeably throughout the series.
And 13 has to stop fouling — Jaren Jackson Jr. fouled out in the fourth last night. It was the second game in the series where he has fouled out, and he has spent nearly all of the series in foul trouble. With Steven Adams being sidelined due to a poor matchup against Karl Anthony Towns, Jackson must step up and assume the mantle of the best big man on the court.
Dillon Brooks, please stop jacking up so many threes. Your shot has not been falling, but your defense has been on point. Please just drive to the basket more.
Of all the subgenres of rock-and-roll, “songs about playing music” is in my top three. I love the demystification of it all, the lyrics about jet lag and long bus rides and hoping to scrape a few dollars together. And maybe, when it comes down to it, I just love self-referential art.
When Big Star’s Alex Chilton sings, “I can’t get a license/To drive in my car/But I won’t really need it/If I’m a big star,” on “O My Soul,” casually dropping the band’s name into the lyrics, what can I say? I eat that up.
So, against my natural inclinations, I’ve done my best not to talk too much about the inner workings of the Flyer in these weekly columns. Partly to preserve an aura of mystery, which, I hope, our readers will find alluring. Partly because I’ve realized that the minutiae of what I think is interesting might not always make for the most entertaining or enlightening column. (And no, I don’t want to talk about my all-Batman column from a few weeks back. If you didn’t like it, I’m forced to believe that, ideologically speaking, you fall on the side of anarchy, violence, and mayhem — one of the Joker’s cronies for sure.)
When the news is big enough, though, it warrants spilling a little ink. And speaking of big, if you’re reading this issue of the Memphis Flyer in print, you might have noticed we’ve gone back to our previous larger tabloid size.
It took a lot to get here. Some of our readers might not remember that in the dismal days of 2020 we actually, briefly, went to a biweekly printing schedule. Not only that, but due to our longtime printer in Jackson, Tennessee, shutting down in early 2021, we’ve switched printers twice since the beginning of the pandemic, moves that then necessitated the change in layout size.
So, while our stalwart staff adapted to all the other changes the last two years have brought, they were also forced to adapt to different word counts and deadlines and image restrictions. The folks in our art department weren’t only shifting to work with far fewer opportunities for photos from the field, they had to redo (and redo again) our paper’s templates. Of course, each major change kickstarts a cascade of smaller ones, and that’s before we even begin to consider the rising costs of paper and freight, the dozens of other behind-the-scenes adjustments that would bore all but the most avid aficionados of alt-weekly newspaper production.
My point, though, is not only that it’s been an interesting two or three years. Everyone, the world over, has had to make changes, to adjust their expectations and long-held habits. No, my hope is to lay the groundwork for a well-earned celebration of where we are right now, at this precise moment, as you scan these words on your phone or laptop screen or hold the paper in your hands. I’m proud of and thankful for such a hardworking, creative, and unflappable team — the reporters, writers, editors, copy editors, designers, sales staff, and others who make this paper possible.
Thanks are also due to the businesses who choose to advertise with the Flyer, who recognize the worth of the investment and who keep this paper free and the website without a paywall. I offer my most sincere and heartfelt appreciation of you all, and I hope that our readers will patronize these local businesses (I know I do).
It’s fitting, too, that this return to our pre-pandemic paper size falls on the week of our much-beloved and highly anticipated annual “Music Issue,” absent for two years, in which we celebrate the triumphant return of another Memphis institution, Memphis in May’s Beale Street Music Festival. And that this year’s BSMF boasts the most Memphis bands on the bill in the past 20 years? Well, if that’s not a reason to celebrate, I really don’t know what is.
So let this be a reminder that none of the things we love in Memphis should be taken for granted. I know without asking them that the bands playing Music Fest this weekend worked and dreamed and defied the odds to be on those stages. They kept a candle burning, so to speak, through the long night of uncertainty, when no one could predict when we might come together for something as magical and, at one time anyway, commonplace as a concert. And I, for one, am thankful that they did.
When you think about it, it all seems like nothing short of a minor Memphis miracle. Doesn’t it?
Tops Bar-B-Q will open two new locations this year during its 70th anniversary.
“The first one we’ll launch this year will be in East Memphis,” says Tops Operations LLC vice president Hunter Brown.
They’re not ready to give the exact addresses, but the first one will be “the farthest east location we’ll be,” Brown says. The second location, which also will launch this year, will be in Cordova.
That will add two more locations to their 16 Tops locations.
Tops plans to expand as Memphis expands. They’re checking out neighborhoods “in terms of where we would be next,” says Tops CEO Randy Hough.
Tops has plans for “at least two more” locations in 2023.
They like to tell people, “If we’re not close by, I’d be on the lookout.”
As for opening Downtown, their store at 1286 Union Avenue is “as far west as we’ve gone outside of Marion, Arkansas,” Hough says.
“The pandemic changed the way Downtown exists today. Just in terms of foot traffic.” But, he adds, “We’re looking pretty heavy at just how the footprint would expand.”
As for existing Tops locations, Brown says, “We’re not looking to close any that are still here. We’re simply adding more restaurants to neighborhoods we’re currently not in.”
They’re using a drawing of the Tops Summer Avenue/National Street location to promote their 70th anniversary. “That’s what Tops is all about,” Hough says. “That’s the way a lot of our guests remember Tops — some of the nostalgia. It takes you back to that feeling of driving up. You’ve got the neon. That’s the sixth store that was built. It’s just a special one in terms of nostalgia.”
The Tops brand is ingrained in the memory of so many Memphians. “Our colors are red, white, and yellow. Those are the kinds of colors you’ll see on Tops.”
The new Bartlett store was the first to shift colors. “Some of that is because of city ordinances and what’s allowed. It’s got more red, white, and gray.”
Some of the old locations feature a logo of a pig standing on a spinning top, Hough says, and “neon is used on some of the buildings where it says ‘Memphis Best Bar-B-Q Since 1952.’”
Neon is “not on all of our Tops, but that’s another thing that you’ll notice that’s kind of unique.”
Tops founder J.W. Lawson came up with the name Tops. Their slogan is “Tops in barbecue. Tops in Memphis, too.”
The first store, which was on Macon Road near National Street, “closed many years ago,” Brown says.
The second location, which opened in 1954 at Rhodes Avenue and Getwell Road near the University of Memphis, is “still going strong today,” he says. “It was an old house. And it was the last house in the neighborhood on Rhodes at Getwell. And you certainly can tell if you look at it. It kind of blends in the neighborhood. That’s a special one to us. It has a lot of memories. There are a lot of people who lived and grew up in that area who talk about it all the time. It has an emotional connection.”
The taste of the barbecue — which is cooked in an open pit — and the hamburgers hasn’t changed since the 1950s, Hough says. The recipes may have been tweaked back in the ’50s, but they’re “the same ones we know of that would be back in the ’50s. I just don’t know if it’s ’52.”
They want people to experience the same taste people did in the 1950s. “That’s really important to us. When you taste the sauce, the beans, the pork — those are the same.
“We tried to stay true for that long.”
New food items at Tops are rare. Tops Bar-B-Q recently added the Smoked BBQ Bologna sandwich — the first new item in 10 years.
Many of you have no doubt watched a video of Michigan state Senator Mallory McMorrow’s forthright response to a far-right colleague’s attempt to paint her as a “groomer” for the LGBTQ community and a supporter of pedophilia.
The larger import of McMorrow’s courageous pushback should not be lost: Democrats need to respond, with controlled anger and potent language, to the deliberate lies and bullying the far right is using these days to win power.
Democrats seem to think facts speak for themselves. Any intelligent person can surely see through the baseless far-right charges. But polls suggest that most conservatives want to believe them, must believe them if their candidate is to succeed.
In this new era of social media-generated “alternative facts,” where the loudest voices are instantly magnified and often win out, we can make no assumptions about the intelligent voter.
Liberals and progressives need to go beyond polite dismissals of the big lies. The liberal media need to stop making it appear that there are two legitimate sides to every debate.
And the president of the United States needs to stop ignoring the far right’s hateful attacks.
It is time to take the gloves off — to call things for what they are. Donald Trump is a traitor; he is responsible for an attempted coup on January 6, 2021. (His financial chicanery also makes him a common white-collar criminal.)
The far-right House team of Marjorie Taylor Greene, Matt Gaetz, Mike Lee, et al. are treasonous co-conspirators who should be barred from office. The Trump inner circle of Michael Flynn, John Eastman, Roger Stone, Mark Meadows, and the rest are cowards and seditionists. Kevin McCarthy is an ambitious liar. Ron DeSantis and Greg Abbott are bullies and bigots. Sean Hannity and the rest of the Fox “news” team are repulsive serial liars.
Get the picture? We no longer treat these people as being sadly wrong or merely narrow-minded. They are, as a group, anti-American — determined to remake our country into an authoritarian state founded on white Christian nationalism. They should be either voted out of office or jailed for criminal behavior.
We cannot continue to be merely “shocked and saddened” by every deceit, every racist act, every homophobic comment the far right comes up with. As Mallory McMorrow said, “Hate wins when people like me stand by and let it happen.”
We, people like her, need to fight back, with a passionate defense of human rights, social equity, and environmental justice — “liberty and justice for all,” remember?
And we should mount a vigorous campaign to pressure the justice department to start bringing federal charges against all these outliers.
Mel Gurtov, syndicated by PeaceVoice, is professor emeritus of political science at Portland State University and blogs at In the Human Interest.
If ABBA can come back after a 40-year hiatus, so can the Metal Museum’s Whet Thursdays. Admittedly, Whet Thursdays return every summer, but that doesn’t make this comeback any less special. After all, like ABBA, the museum is ready to embrace your inner ’70s-dream-self with a themed night of Soul ’70s and dressing in your best garb from the disco era.
For this free event, attendees can enjoy an outdoor performance by the five-piece band Soul & Parliament, which blends Motown, funk, and modern R&B. Plus, Opera Memphis will perform during the band’s intermission. Food from Pok Cha’s Egg Rolls and MemPops as well as refreshments from Tipsy Tumbler, which will include a signature ’70s-themed cocktail, will be available to purchase. Guests can also expect lawn games, metalsmithing demonstrations, hands-on activities, and, of course, free admission to the museum and its grounds.
Current exhibitions include “RINGS! 1968-2021” and “Evaluating Essentials.” “RINGS!” features more than 160 rings made of a variety of materials from wood and metals to Keurig cups and found objects. In terms of jewelry, Brook Garcia, collections and exhibitions manager, says, “Rings especially have such deep meanings: engagement rings, wedding rings, graduation rings.” And Garcia points out how rings are also more intimately placed on the body than, say, an earring or a necklace, since we use our hands so frequently to feel and touch, to write and cook, to clap and shake hands.
Meanwhile, “Evaluating Essentials” features work by Becky McDonah, whose metal reliquaries enshrine the simplest of objects like hand sanitizer, shower curtains, and pill bottles. “I would like the viewers to take the time to stop and think about little things that have an impact on their lives or the lives of others around them,” the artist says.
Whet Thursdays will occur on the last Thursday of every month until September, with the last one being members-only. Each event will introduce a new theme.
Whet Thursday, Metal Museum, Thursday, April 28, 6-8 p.m., free.
Quentin Robinson and Cameron Murphy (Photo: UW Madison)
In Franz Kafka’s Metamorphosis, for reasons outside of his control, Gregor Samsa wakes up one day as a giant creepy-crawling critter — some say a cockroach — so Gregor has to navigate the world as a giant bug, which as you can imagine is quite an isolating experience. This isolation, in turn, leads to a bleak ending with neglect, hatred, and ultimately death. After going through a year of isolation ourselves, much like Gregor, it’s likely that some of us have a pretty bleak, Kafkaesque outlook on life. But for others, isolation brought new values and a refreshed will to create, learn, and collaborate. This latter case was true for the Grammy-winning percussion quartet Third Coast Percussion and Movement Art Is, founded by dancers and choreographers Jon Boogz and Memphis’ Lil Buck.
When in-person interactions could not take place with the two groups based in Chicago and Los Angeles respectively, they worked together over many Zoom meetings to create their own Metamorphosis, a much more hopeful performance that explores the experiential lens of young Black men growing up in America today. “It’s about the dancers as the main characters — them growing and discovering who they are through their experiences through their life,” says Jenny Davis, music department manager at Crosstown Arts, where the show will be performed on May 3rd.
In this performance, the street-style, popping and Memphis jookin’ choreography by Lil Buck and John Boogz is transferred onto different bodies — dancers Cameron Murphy and Quentin Robinson — so that the dancing itself represents how one artist’s energy becomes absorbed and translated by another. Meanwhile, the dance will be set to Third Coast’s interpretation and reimagination of music by contemporary composers, electronic artists Jlin and Tyondai Braxton as well as Philip Glass. Such modern classical music, Davis points out, “is really fascinating because it’s influenced by all these other genres, too.”
With this blending of different styles and interpretations of music and dance, Davis says, “I think that’s inspiring to see how things that kind of exist separately can work together.”
Metamorphosis, Crosstown Theater, Tuesday, May 3, 7:30-9:30 p.m., $25-$40.
“We’re back!” There ought to be a banner with those words draped over the Hernando DeSoto Bridge this weekend, marking the grand return of the Beale Street Music Festival. After being shuttered for the last two years, making it three years since the last edition, the perennial gathering of music lovers is roaring back to life with more momentum than ever.
The typical BSMF experience always runs the spectrum from your favorite blockbuster artist to that new unheard-of band that blows your mind. And as for the former, concert-goers need little additional information on why Megan Thee Stallion, Weezer, or Van Morrison are phenomenal. But for the typical out-of-town fan, too many artists based in Memphis fall in the latter category. Naturally, given that Memphis still rules the airwaves and charts as in days of yore, plenty of our local artists need no introduction, either. But chances are good that everyone will discover something new about the Bluff City after this weekend.
Randy Blevins, vice president of marketing and programming at the Memphis in May International Festival, thinks this makes BSMF especially valuable to the city. “People talk about going to other places and exploring to learn about new music,” he says. “Most of our ticket-holders come from over 200 miles away. They’re coming from all 50 states and five or six different countries. So most of the people there are not Memphians. There are a lot of people coming here from out of town; exposing them to these Memphis acts that Memphians know and love is part and parcel of helping promote Memphis. You might show up because you bought tickets to see Counting Crows, and out of nowhere you learn about Don Bryant. The average person may or may not know about him. That’s Memphis pumping through the blood. We’re helping to spread the word.”
Sure, we all love songs by Smashing Pumpkins or DaBaby or Sarah McLachlan. Of course the Indigo Girls and Shaggy and Lindsey Buckingham are phenomenal. Toad the Wet Sprocket, Soccer Mommy, and Robert Randolph are worth a special trip. But given that it’s such a point of pride for the festival, and in light of the fact that this year’s BSMF boasts the most local acts ever — “at least over the past two decades for sure,” Blevins says — today we celebrate the native talent that makes Memphis ground zero for so much musical innovation and style. Here, by the day of their appearance, are the hometown heroes that make this music festival a little different from most.
Al Kapone (Photo: SP Stylistic Photography)
FRIDAY
Three 6 Mafia Bud Light Stage, 10:35 p.m. No group represents the staying power of Memphis hip-hop like Three 6 Mafia, who’ve parlayed their relatively obscure, ’90s cult status into global celebrity through the staying power of their game-changing beats and attitude. Now their horror-movie soundtrack to life on the Memphis streets, which won them an Oscar, has morphed into the crunk and trap genres. See where it all began.
Al Kapone Bud Light Stage, 6:15 p.m. Kapone came up alongside Three 6 Mafia back in the day, and also contributed to the award-winning Hustle & Flow soundtrack. His “Whoop That Trick” from the film lives on as an anthem for the Memphis Grizzlies. Lately, he’s become more eclectic but always grounded, telling the Memphis Flyer’s Michael Donahue: “At some point I’m still just a songwriter, a guy from the projects and the hood.”
Amy LaVere (Photo: Todd V Wolfson)
Amy LaVere Zyn Stage, 5:45 p.m. This singer, songwriter, and bassist extraordinaire is such a fixture on the local scene that it’s easy to forget that she’s a Louisiana native. It was in Memphis that she really found her voice, and she even lured her husband Will Sexton here from his native Texas. We dubbed LaVere’s most recent album, 2020’s Painting Blue, “dark and beautiful.”
Kenny Brown Coca-Cola Blues Tent, 9:05 p.m. Hailing from North Mississippi, Michael Donahue calls Brown a “Hill Country Hero.” Given the way the blues ebbs and flows, only to be reinvented by stalwart artists like Brown, that’s not an exaggeration. He learned well from the likes of R.L. Burnside and Junior Kimbrough. No wonder his latest album, with The Black Keys and Eric Deaton, snagged a 2022 Grammy nomination.
Earl the Pearl Coca-Cola Blues Tent, 6 p.m. Born in 1936, Earl Banks is a living link to the blues in its rawest, earliest expression. Having first played with Joe Hill Louis, he went on to define the Memphis blues style for decades and can still be seen on Beale Street nearly every week. From Jimmy Reed to Howlin’ Wolf and B.B. King, Earl the Pearl makes every blues his own, with a guitar tone like quicksilver.
NLE Choppa (Photo: @damnjohnnie)
SATURDAY
NLE Choppa Zyn Stage, 7:30 p.m. With “one of the greatest flows in current hip-hop,” as M.T. Richards wrote in 2020, NLE Choppa brings a unique angle to trap music. This “creature of Memphis’ strobe-lit skating rinks” honors his Jamaican heritage by “sprinkling patois in rap’s everyday vocabulary.” He’s created a unique sound and credits his hometown: “So many good artists are in Memphis,” he says.
Project Pat Zyn Stage, 6:15 p.m. Few artists are as close to the Three 6 Mafia orbit as Project Pat, self-described brother of Juicy J, whose biggest hits were on the Hypnotize Minds label owned by J and DJ Paul. Yet Project Pat has crafted his own identity with Dirty South classics like “Chickenhead,” “Ballers,” “Don’t Save Her,” and the ever-relevant “Ghetty Green.”
Duke Deuce Zyn Stage, 4:50 p.m. With his hit single “Crunk Ain’t Dead,” Duke Deuce has let it be known where he’s coming from. Son of Duke Nitty, a producer for Gangsta Blac and Nasty Nardo, the rapper’s name-checked his hometown in debut tracks, “Memphis Massacre” and “Memphis Massacre 2.” Last year, his debut album Duke Nukem debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard Heatseekers Albums chart.
Lil Wyte Zyn Stage, 3:25 p.m. It’s no accident that Lil Wyte is a natural ally of rapper Frayser Boy. Growing up in Frayser helped Lil Wyte transcend any racial barriers, as he proved himself in the world of Three 6 Mafia enough to release his debut on the Hypnotize Minds label, with hits like “Oxy Cotton” and “My Smokin’ Song.”
White $osa Zyn Stage, 3:25 p.m. Kicking off the Zyn Stage string of Memphis rappers, White $osa is unique in that his name inspired his rapping, rather than vice versa. Originally gaining fame through an Instagram account that’s now up to 129,000 followers, it turned out he had a flair for flowing rhymes as well. Since turning to music, his collaboration with NLE Choppa has garnered 21 million streams on Spotify.
Blvck Hippie Bud Light Stage, 2 p.m. As Jesse Davis wrote in the Memphis Flyer, this group’s 2019 track “Hotel Lobby” is “one of the catchiest Memphis-made songs in recent memory.” With indie-pop songs marked by “excellent arrangements” and group founder Josh Shaw’s “open and honest lyrics,” and fresh off a series of concerts at South by Southwest, Treefort Music Fest, and Audiotree promoting their new LP, If You Feel Alone at Parties, Blvck Hippie is one gem to keep an eye on at this year’s festival.
Tora Tora Terminix Stage, 2:15 p.m. If you thought that Memphis was all about blues, soul, and hip-hop, think again. These metal masters have been honing a distinctly Mid-South variant of their chosen genre since the ’80s, when a trio of hits like “Walkin’ Shoes,” “Guilty,” and “Dancing with a Gypsy” (the latter featured in the film Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure) powered a career that includes 2019’s Bastards of Beale.
Don Bryant & the Bo-Keys Coca-Cola Blues Tent, 9:25 p.m. Don Bryant has lost none of the power of his voice since he began performing over half a century ago. Indeed, his delivery has matured as if aged in an oak barrel, and now that he has ace neo-soul group the Bo-Keys backing him up, we dubbed his latest LP, YouMake Me Feel, an “instant classic” of pure, down-home soul.
Ghost Town Blues Band Coca-Cola Blues Tent, 7:55 p.m. This group is proof positive that the blues still offers plenty of room for innovation. Not your typical bar combo, Ghost Town Blues Band blends traditional blues with Stax-era soul and even includes novel instruments like cigar box guitars and electric push brooms in their arrangements. Expect the unexpected.
Barbara Blue Coca-Cola Blues Tent, 2:10 p.m. Blue is a queen of Beale Street, a regular performer at Silky O’Sullivan’s who has worked with some serious contenders in the past (including three albums with Taj Mahal’s Phantom Blues Band in the 1990s). Her latest album even features the legendary Bernard “Pretty” Purdie on drums. World-class blues, soul, and jazz live on with Barbara Blue.
Moneybagg Yo
SUNDAY
Moneybagg Yo Bud Light Stage, 7:40 p.m. It was only five years ago that Zandria Robinson reported on Moneybagg Yo’s album release party for his debut, Federal 3X, and now he’s a leading star in the trap music universe. His 2020 album, A Gangsta’s Pain, debuted at No. 1 on the charts. Yet he continues to appreciate his hometown, gifting Covid-related supplies to local schools after that album conquered the charts.
Jucee Froot Bud Light Stage, 2:10 p.m. If Memphis hip-hop is dominated by male stars, Jucee Froot is bucking that trend with her meteoric climb to fame. Since 2020, when she released her debut Black Sheep on Atlantic, she’s had tracks featured in soundtracks for the film Birds of Prey and the series P-Valley and Insecure.
Cory Branan
Cory Branan Zyn Stage, 2 p.m. Rolling Stone got it right when they dubbed this consummate singer/songwriter “a country boy with a punk-rock heart.” Since the late ’90s, when he found his voice in the Memphis indie scene, he’s been perfecting the combination of those elements in his music and lyrics. He’s also a phenomenal guitarist. Watch for a new album later this year.
Blind Mississippi Morris Coca-Cola Blues Tent, 3:25 p.m. Blind Mississippi Morris is Beale Street royalty, and no festival named for the famed blues district would be complete without his uniquely powerful harmonica playing and singing. The recipient of the Mississippi Music Foundation’s Lifetime Achievement Award and a two-time winner of the Premier Player Grammy Award for Harmonica Player of the Year, Morris combines the grit and grind of the blues like no other.
Melvia “Chick” Rodgers Coca-Cola Blues Tent, 3:25 p.m. A vocal powerhouse, Melvia “Chick” Rodgers-Williams grew up in the historic Black neighborhood of Orange Mound, singing in her father’s church. Being steeped in the passions of gospel music stuck with her, as she followed her musical star on USO tours and a successful career in Chicago. With BSMF, she’s bringing it all back home.
BSMF 2022: Liberty Park Logistics
The Beale Street Music Festival is such an institution in Memphis, and so closely associated with Tom Lee Park, that any change to the winning formula is hard to fathom. Yet fathom it we must, as the BSMF situates itself on new grounds this year so that work may continue apace on the riverfront space where it typically lives. And if Tom Lee Park, once given its remake, promises to be better than ever, the 2022 iteration of the festival will have a glory all its own, nestled in the shadow of the Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium. To get a sense of what has changed and what has remained, Memphis Flyer asked BSMF’s Randy Blevins to give us the lay of the land.
Memphis Flyer:It must have caused quite a shake-up to relocate away from your usual home. How will the experience be different for festival-goers? Randy Blevins: We’re going to be at the fairgrounds at Liberty Park just for this year while Tom Lee Park is under construction. As far as the festival is concerned, the layout is a different shape. Where everything at Tom Lee Park is kind of lined up north to south, the fairgrounds at Liberty Park are in a big rectangle. It’s still a big site. Two of the main stages will have the Liberty Bowl in the background, and the other main stage will have East Parkway in the background. There’ll be two main entrances on the north and on the south. And in the middle is Tiger Lane.
It actually surprises people who may have only driven on Tiger Lane or to the Coliseum. Once you’re there, you realize that’s a really big space. The fairgrounds had the Mid-South Fair for such a long time, and there’s plenty of room for the experience. So it’ll include all the things you’re used to seeing, just placed a little differently. All three stages will be triangulated with plenty of space between them. From the fountain at Tiger Lane, you’ll be able to see one stage to the south and another to the north. So it’ll create a really electric atmosphere.
How will parking be handled this year? We’re trying the best we can to make things easy and nice for everybody. There is on-site parking, and that area is accustomed to holding big events. And there are all these other locations, like CBU and other places that turn their surface lots into parking. We’ve also arranged with MATA to have a free rapid shuttle coming from Downtown. Most of our fans are coming from 100, 200 miles away, spending on average two to three nights at a hotel in Memphis. And most of our hotels are Downtown. That’s why Tom Lee Park works so well. So this year we’ll have a rapid shuttle, which will pick up at two locations: B.B. King and Union, and on Second Street by the [Renasant] Convention Center. Ticket-holders will be able to hop on the rapid shuttle and get dropped off at two locations, then take the shuttle back Downtown to continue to hang out on Beale Street and enjoy all the nightlife down there. If you’ve ever been Downtown after the festival, it’s packed. So we want that to continue. And if people want to use that, it’s free, but they have to register online first. They just show their ticket and they can hop the shuttle and ride about every 10 minutes or so, depending on traffic.
We’re also coordinating to set up a couple hundred spaces at the University of Memphis, and you’ll be able to buy access to a parking spot next to the Holiday Inn there, and then ride a shuttle from the U of M to the site and back. That’s just for Memphians who might not want to go Downtown and don’t want to deal with congestion around Liberty Park. It might be a nice option if you’re coming in from Cordova or Germantown.
The festival’s been delayed for years because of the pandemic. What procedures are in place to address Covid? We have a disclaimer on everything and we have a plan ready to go if anything happens, as we did last year when we had a half festival with the barbecue cooking contest at limited capacity. Whatever comes down from the Shelby County Health Department, we’ll comply and do what needs to be done. The world’s used to this now.
Have artists made different requests as far as vaccinations and the like? There have been different requirements from artists, but that’s become less and less part of the conversation as the months and weeks have come along. Currently we’re not asking for proof of vaccination from the public. But currently, anything is possible. Some of the artists have different requirements for ground transportation that’s picking them up or in the backstage areas. They might request masks. The vendors and backstage crews will meet each specific artist’s requirements.
After the 2020 festival was canceled, did many ticket holders opt to just redeem their tickets when the festival resumed? We have a decent number of deferrals. We did not get a lot of refund requests. Many folks just decided, “Whenever you come back, we’re in.” It shows the staying power of the story. It’s a great deal of trust, if you’ve paid hundreds of dollars for tickets, in some cases, and you’re flying blind because you don’t know who we’re going to book. So we felt pretty good that 90 percent of the people weren’t just saying, “Give me my money back.” It could have happened. We were prepared for whatever.
Has it been difficult to gear up for this after such a long hiatus? Just a short time ago, we were at a skeleton staff of only five people and the future of everything was a giant question mark. A festival depends on bringing people together in big groups. We don’t receive money from the city or the state or anything to cover overhead. And we had a reserve saved up for a rainy day, but a rainy day is a bad year, not a year with literally nothing. Who would have ever predicted that, right? So it was really tough. To be in the situation we’re in now, back to doing a big, full-on festival, is really good. There were no guarantees just a short time ago, when everything was shut down and there were just five of us, basically, living month to month. We just started hiring people and getting back up to full staff this fall. And we’re glad to be back, and glad that we’re getting such a good reception to this.
Beale Street Music Festival Schedule 2022
Friday, April 29, 2022 Gates at 5 p.m.
Bud Light Stage Three 6 Mafia 10:35-11:50 p.m. DaBaby 9:15-10:05 p.m. Waka Flocka Flame 7:45-8:45 p.m. Al Kapone (Memphis) 6:15-7:15 p.m.
Zyn Stage Sarah McLachlan 10:15-11:45 p.m. Van Morrison 8:15-9:45 p.m. Kurt Vile & The Violators 6:35-7:40 p.m. Amy LaVere (Memphis) 5:45-6:20 p.m.
Terminix Stage Sammy Hagar & The Circle 10:30-midnight Dirty Honey 9-10 p.m. Glorious Sons 7:30-8:30 p.m. Black Pistol Fire 6-6:55 p.m.
Blues Tent JJ Grey & Mofro 10:45-12:15 p.m. Kenny Brown (Memphis) 9:05-10:15 p.m. Janiva Magness 7:30-8:35 p.m. Earl the Pearl (Memphis) 6-7 p.m.
Saturday, April 30, 2022 Gates at 1 p.m.
Bud Light Stage Death Cab for Cutie 9:35-11:05 p.m. Spoon 7:55-9:05 p.m. Grouplove 6:20-7:25 p.m. Toad the Wet Sprocket 4:45-5:50 p.m. Soccer Mommy 3:15-4:15 p.m. Blvck Hippie (Memphis) 2-2:50 p.m.
Zyn Stage Megan Thee Stallion 10:45-11:35 p.m. Sarkodie (Ghana) 9-10:15 p.m. NLE Choppa (Memphis) 7:30-8:30 p.m. Project Pat (Memphis) 6:15-7:05 p.m. Duke Deuce (Memphis) 4:50-5:45 p.m. Lil Wyte (Memphis) 3:25-4:25 p.m. White $osa (Memphis) 2:15-3 p.m.
Terminix Stage Smashing Pumpkins 10:15-11:45 p.m. Stone Temple Pilots 8:30-9:45 p.m. Chevelle 6:50-8 p.m. Rival Sons 5:15-6:20 p.m. Ayron Jones 3:45-4:45 p.m. Tora Tora (Memphis) 2:15-3:15 p.m.
Blues Tent Robert Randolph & the Family Band 11-12:15 p.m. Don Bryant & the Bo-Keys (Memphis) 9:25-10:30 p.m. Ghost Town Blues Band (Memphis) 7:55-9 p.m. Hurricane Ruth 6:25-7:30 p.m. Mitch Woods & His Rocket 88’s 5-6 p.m. Brandon Santini 3:35-4:35 p.m. Barbara Blue (Memphis) 2:10-3:10 p.m.
Sunday, May 1, 2022 Gates at 1 p.m.
Bud Light Stage Lil Wayne 9-9:50 p.m. MoneyBagg Yo (Memphis) 7:40-8:30 p.m. Shaggy 6:10-7:10 p.m. Stonebwoy (Ghana) 4:45-5:45 p.m. Third World 3:20-4:20 p.m. Jucee Froot (Memphis) 2:10-2:50 p.m.
