The sleeper hit music festival of the year will be happening in a week, and it may just be the most socially-enlightened concert series in town. But if you’re thinking Betor Fest 2022 is only for folks who can’t spell, think again: it’s devoted to a group that’s been quietly helping addicts and others in recovery for years now, A Betor Way.
I tracked down the organizers, Jennifer Dancy and David McNinch, to hear about the production company Dancy started, Music is My Drug of Choice, and how McNinch, best known as the drummer for Mama Honey, got involved in Betor Fest.
Memphis Flyer: How did Music is My Drug of Choice get started?
Jennifer Dancy: My friend Aaron Renfro and I started it back in 2018 doing music events with Shelby County Drug Court. We were both Drug court graduates. Aaron hasn’t be a part of it for several years now but he is performing at Betor Fest (as AR Music).
But actually there was a Betor Fest before we were a part of it. So this will be the third festival but only the second that we’ve produced.
How did Betor Fest come about then?
David McNinch: Really it grows from the work being done by a couple named Ron and Lisa Bobal. They had a son, Ron Bobal, Jr., who was a graffiti artist, and his tag on the street was ‘Betor’. You can still see some of his artwork around the Memphis area. He died of a heroin overdose on Christmas Day of 2016, so they took it upon themselves to start an outreach program, A Betor Way.
For years now, they have been setting up right at Summer Avenue and Sycamore View. There’s a real sketchy area of motels there, and they started taking care of the addicts that were living in that area. And it has really grown since its genesis. Now they have trailers, and they’ve networked throughout the community. They show up with these trailers and they have a triage center, a trailer staffed by volunteer doctors and different recovery agencies, and they administer to the health needs of the addicts.
At this point, people know it’s every Friday. So the clients go through triage, they’re screened for HIV and hepatitis. And they have a full blown buffet — one of the most beautiful buffets you’ve ever seen in your life. And there are organizations that donate meals and snacks. They even give away bags of groceries and clothes. It’s so meticulously organized that you just come right through. And if a person is willing to go into treatment, they’re set up with a rehab center immediately, on the spot. It’s pretty amazing.
I volunteer there, and it’s one of the most life-affirming things I’ve ever seen.
So the idea for this music festival was already there, and no Music is My Drug of Choice is running with it?
David McNinch: We’re both huge fans of Memphis music. So Jenn and I decided to take on a music festival, the second-ever Betor Fest, this time last year at Carolina Watershed. Both of us are very connected to local music. We did the festival last July and it was tremendous — we were able to make five grand to help with various things the organization needs. And it was a beautiful thing, seeing what it meant to local area musicians. So this year we’re doing it on July 2nd and 3rd. We’ve expanded it to two days, and we’re now doing it at Growlers. It’s 26 performers.
Are they all donating their time?
David McNinch: Overwhelmingly so. There are some cases where people need to augment their lineups with paid musicians, so we have sponsors that have donated to cover some of those costs. But a lot of people, like Louise Page, Roben X, and others, have 100 percent donated their time and talent. It’s unbelievable.
And I’d like to add one last thing. When I started playing music again in 2019 with my girls, Tamar Love and Fields Falcone, as Mama Honey, we noticed that it was always the same artists who were getting coverage. So it was really important to Jenn and I to have a sense of diversity. We have canvassed the area, and our festival is bringing in groups from all around town. We wanted to have the most diverse lineup that we possibly could. And it’s almost every genre of music, from bluegrass to death metal to folk to soul. We’re kind of doing a mixtape, so to speak. I’m from the 80s. Back then, if you had a good friend, you’d make them a mixtape. So this is an opportunity to make a mixtape representing what we think is a Renaissance in Memphis music right now. I’ve never seen Memphis music like this, since the mid-80s!
Music is My Drug of Choice Presents: Betor Fest
Saturday, July 2nd and Sunday, July 3rd at Growlers.
Saturday Schedule
1. Delta Ondine 2:00-2:20
2. Steed Carson 2:30-2:50
3. Paul Crum 3:00-3:20
4. Mama Honey 3:35-4:05
5. Chinese Connection Dub Embassy (acoustic) 4:20-4:50
6. Saturday Sunset 5:05-5:35
7. Sunweight 5:50-6:25
8. Murdering Crows 6:40-7:10
9. Grave Lurker 7:25-7:55
10. Whiskey Wells 8:10-8:40
11. Wyly Bigger 8:55-9:25
12. Sarah Spain 9:40-10:05
13. Yubu Kuzungu 10:10-10:35
14. Bailey Bigger 10:55-11:55
Sunday Schedule
1. Rachel Maxann 1:00-1:30
2. Graber Grass 1:45-2:15
3. Danny Cosby 2:30-3:00
4. Life Explicit 3:15-3:45
5. For the Time Being 4:00-4:30
6. Mick Kolassa 4:45-5:15
7. N8 Boog13 5:30-5:45
8. Danny Davenport 5:55-6:10
9. Roben X 6:30-7:00
10. Spacer 7:15-7:45
11. Music by KOTA 8:00-8:45
12. Louise Page 9:00-10:00
13. AR Music 10:15-11:15
Single Day Passes are $12 Advance / $15 Day of Show
Two Day Pass is $20
