On Thursday night, Beale Street Caravan hosts its Beale Street Caravan Blowout at A. Schwab on Beale. It’s a fund-raiser for the locally produced radio program, but it’s also a value. For $75, Reverend John Wilkins will perform with the Bluff City Backsliders. Chef Michael Patrick of Rizzo’s Diner will serve victuals. The bar is wide open. And most importantly, there’s a silent auction that will not be surpassed in cool factor:
Reverend John Wilkins
How about a Hi Records Experience, which includes the entire catalog (Al Green, Syl Johnson, Ann Peebles, and more) and a VIP tour of Royal Studios with Boo Mitchell, son of producer Willie Mitchell? Ardent Studios is offering the Big Star Experience, which includes the band’s three albums on vinyl, a tour of the studio, and a listening session with the original master tracks. You can bid on a VIP tour of Stax led by Bar-Kays bassist James Alexander. Here’s the opportunity of a lifetime: a VIP tour of the Civil Rights Museum led by Al Bell. There are other travel and art items that reflect the focus of this great program.
The loss of founding producer Sid Selvidge was a scary time for people who appreciate the history and culture of Memphis music. Selvidge’s background in anthropology, his curiosity, and his wit placed him directly in the mix of our sounds: Whether it was Furry Lewis or Chilton at his most insolent, Sid was in the middle of it. So who better to produce a radio show based on the musical currents that run through Memphis? Sid’s legacy endures in this show. Under Pat Mitchell and Kevin Cubbins, Beale Street Caravan carries the standard around the globe. It keeps the conversation going between us and people around the world who know what we do. The show is syndicated in more than 400 cities around the world.
So … PARTY! I wonder how many people can fit in those overalls.
