Booker T. Jones
And just like that, out of the blue, we discover the inauguration of a new music festival here in Memphis. Dubbed MEMPHO , it carries the tag line “Music. Food. Nature.” Slated for October 6 & 7 at Shelby Farms Park, it
promises to offer generous portions of all three elements.
First of all, the music: It is a stellar lineup by any standards. Headliners include GRAMMY Award™ winning artists Cage The Elephant and Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, GRAMMY-nominated Anderson .Paak & The Free Nationals, as well as Cold War Kids, Bishop Briggs, Robert Randolph and The Family Band, and Hard Working Americans. On the local tip, Stax artists old and new will be performing as well, with Southern Avenue in the Friday lineup and Saturday featuring a special tribute to the music of Memphis, including Steve Cropper & Friends back to back with Booker T Presents: A Stax Revue and a Journey thru Soul, Blues, and R&B.
Of course, the presence of the city’s thriving food truck scene will be a given. With a name like MEMPHO, we can’t help imagining that some down home “Pho” from the thriving Memphis Vietnamese community will be there; and naturally there will be a healthy representation of BBQ. As for “nature,” we know that Shelby Farms Park has plenty of that. But how will it figure into the festival?
Chuck Leavell, erstwhile keyboardist for the Allman Brothers Band and the Rolling Stones, and founder of the Mother Nature Network (MNN), said; “As a special advisor to MEMPHO, I’m proud to help bring one of the greatest musical cities in the world a new kind of music festival. The setting is spectacular and the talent line-up is top notch with a combination of great new artists and some established fan favorites. As an environmentalist, I’m also very pleased that everyone involved has a high sensitivity to keeping the event clean and green, and in harmony with nature.”
This will be a welcome improvement on the ecologically backward approach of so many music festivals, which often do not even include recycling. Here’s hoping that promoter Big River Presents, founded by Memphis native Diego Winegardner, will take environmental concerns to the next level, especially with MEMPHO set in an area known for its bird and animal habitats.
Very soon, interested parties will be able to buy tickets, with a variety of package options:
Limited “Early Bird” Pre-Sale on Thursday, July 13th at 10 A.M. CST
Friday “Early Bird” General Admission Tickets: $35.00
Saturday “Early Bird” General Admission Tickets: $40.00
Two-day “Early Bird” General Admission Tickets: $69.00
Single Day VIP Package: $150.00
Two-Day VIP Package: $200.00
Early Bird pricing while supplies last, plus applicable ticketing fees
Tickets on-sale Friday, July 14th at 10 A.M. CST
Friday General Admission Tickets: $40.00
Saturday General Admission Tickets: $50.00
Two-day General Admission Tickets: $79.00
Single Day VIP Package: $150.00
Two-Day VIP Package: $200.00
Tier 1 pricing while supplies last, plus applicable ticketing fees
For more information, see: www.memphofest.com
And just to get fired up for October and its lovely autumnal breezes, here’s the latest video from Cage the Elephant, just released today:
MEMPHO: Your New Music Festival
