“I’m just a super fan,” says Cat Evans, and she has indeed attended hundreds, if not thousands, of local live performances over the past decade. But unlike many of us, she’s a fan who was determined to give her favorite artists more exposure — to both a wider audience and to one another. “I noticed that the music scene is so segregated,” she reflects. “I would see poets and acoustic singers Downtown; then I’d see backpack rappers off the highway, near the University of Memphis. Then I’d see trap rappers off of Summer Avenue. And I would bring up the names of my favorites to the other circles, so if I met a trap rapper and then went down to the poetry scene, I’d say, ‘Have you ever met such and such?’ I realized they were all in their own individual silos.”
That realization planted the seed of DreamFest, a music festival that’s now beginning its second decade. Next week, anyone attending DreamFest Weekend 11 at the Overton Park Shell will take part in Evans’ vision of mixing up the divided scenes of the city into one big melting pot. “It’s intentionally diverse,” Evans says. “So this year we have everything from a string quartet to a gospel rapper.”
While the Shell often brings in heavyweights for their Orion Free Concert Series and Shell Yeah! events, don’t expect any household names on the roster for DreamFest — that would be missing the point. “We don’t really consider anyone to be a headliner,” Evans continues. “We make sure that the lineup for DreamFest has folks that you may have not seen before and who have probably not met each other before. And we try to give everybody the same spotlight.”
Shahidah Jones, Evans’ partner in staging DreamFest, agrees. “We don’t bring big names to draw a crowd,” she says. “Memphis has a prolific music scene. You’ll see a variety of artists that you won’t see in other places. And even if you have seen the performer before, this is a new way to see them. We give the performer complete artistic freedom. They’re using this time to do their own music in a new way.”
Indeed, DreamFest may be the first time some of the artists have had a chance to perform with a live, world-class band backing them. “It’s a three-day weekend, and each night has a house band and a DJ, and then the performers,” Evans says. “As far as the house band is concerned, we normally reach out to someone who we consider the musical director, and then they put together the band.” This year’s musical directors are Antonio Motley, Friday and Saturday, and Calvin Barnes, Sunday. “The house band then learns the artists’ music, so the artists can perform their originals with the band.”
This can be especially invaluable to rappers. Evans points out that “some of the rappers are used to just performing with their [pre-recorded] tracks. So we provide a band.” Jones concurs, adding that simply showcasing these rap acts in a large venue is a big step for many of them.
“One reason we push hip-hop is because, in Memphis, there are not a lot of venues for it,” says Jones. “You may see performers of color doing covers, but you will not see many independent music folks and definitely not much hip-hop that falls outside of street trap rap. And even street trap rappers are relegated to only certain venues. Some people think if you have these folks in your lineup, you’re inviting crime or violence. Each year, we have proven that that’s not the case. If you treat folks with honesty, give them a safe space, and provide an environment that’s open and welcoming, folks return the favor.”
DreamFest Weekend 11 is sponsored by Official Black Lives Matter Memphis Chapter, Memphis Artists For Change, SisterReach, and Memphis United for Fairness and Justice, and takes place at the Overton Park Shell, with each day organized around a theme: “DreamFest: The Concert” takes place Friday, July 22nd; “Girl Power” is on Saturday, July 23rd; and “Loungin’ in the Park” is on Sunday, July 24th. Live music begins at 5 p.m. each day. Free. Visit dreamfestweekend.com for details.
