MEMernet is a weekly roundup of Memphis on the World Wide Web.
Tweet of the Week
I thought for sure it would be a Trump war that would bring us ruin. I would never have guessed it would be a plague.
— John Paul Keith (@johnpaulkeith) July 13, 2020
MEMernet: Trump, COVID-19, and Poplar Potholes
This Guy
MEMernet: Trump, COVID-19, and Poplar Potholes (2)
Too True
MEMernet: Trump, COVID-19, and Poplar Potholes (3)
Doodle for a King
B.B. King was given one of the internet’s highest honors for what would have been his 94th birthday last week. The bluesman got a Google Doodle, the home page images you find at google.com.
A video that accompanied King’s Doodle followed the man’s life from birth to death, highlighting his storied music career.
Viral Reunion
Memphis Animal Services (MAS) went viral last week with a video they warned came with a “tearjerker reunion alert.”
Artist Anthony (no last name given) and his dog, BoBo, live together on the streets of Memphis but were separated. BoBo was brought to MAS where a staff member immediately recognized the dog and reunited BoBo and his friend.
That reunion was captured in a video that got likes and upvotes all over the internet. It also got some digital ink in the New York Post and on the Today show.
Tweet of The Week
John Paul Keith (@johnpaulkeith): I’m absolutely convinced there’d be fewer Republicans if fewer people hit their kids.
Four years ago, the music scene lit up with news of a fresh face in town, hungry to play gigs. Stephen Chopek was clearly a drummer’s drummer, having cut tracks and toured with Charlie Hunter, John Mayer, and Jesse Malin, among others. Any fears that this Jersey City native wouldn’t get the Memphis groove were quickly laid to rest, and he has become a fixture with some of the great performers around town.
Says Chopek, “New York City was going through a lot of changes. So I was ready for the move, and it worked out great. I’ve worked with some great musicians: John Paul Keith, Amy LaVere, David Cousar. It’s been fantastic as a drummer, and also in having the time and space to do my own thing, too.”
That last comment is something you don’t often hear from drummers. But even before his move south, Chopek was exploring his own thing — as a songwriter. Ultimately, it was part of his larger attitude toward personal growth.
Jamie Harmon
Stephen Chopek
“As a gigging drummer, sometimes you’re creating things with people, and other times you’re just learning somebody else’s parts and playing gigs. Which is great fun, but there was something that was missing. Songwriting has helped me not just as a musician, but as an overall creative person, to have that balance of building something from the ground up, something I could direct on my own. As I go on in my career, and I grow as a human being, I’m seeing the importance of those situations that make you uncomfortable at first.”
Now, with his third full-length album dropping Friday, it would seem Chopek has hit his stride. Begin the Glimmer is not a typical do-it-yourself clutch of demos. It sports one perfectly crafted tune after another. They’re all built on a solid foundation of Chopek’s acoustic guitar strumming, which nestles in with his drum parts so perfectly that each song churns forward with aplomb. The songs were painstakingly constructed, as Chopek layered bass, keyboards, and lead guitar over his basic rhythm tracks. With Chopek’s plainspoken lyrics floating over it all, and everything kept in the kind of perfect sync only a drummer can create, the end result is a shimmering folk-pop gem that leaps from the speakers.
Some listeners may be familiar with two of the album’s tracks, released earlier this year as a seven-inch single. While many of Begin the Glimmer‘s tracks are of a personal nature, the single’s two tracks have a more historical bent. “The Ballad of Cash and Dean” is a kind of fantasia about two icons of the 1950s, Johnny and James. But the real period study is the A-side, “Radio Caroline,” an exuberant celebration of American rock-and-roll hitting the United Kingdom.
“Radio Caroline was a pirate station in the early ’60s in the U.K.,” says Chopek. “It was a time when the BBC saw rock-and-roll as this crass fad. So Radio Caroline was this pirate radio station on a boat off the coast that played all the blues and soul that young people of the time were interested in. I first heard about it in interviews and things, and then I did some additional reading. There was something about it that resonated with me. Something romantic about their DIY ethos, championing this new music.”
As a whole, the album’s sparkle is a refreshing break from “the Memphis Sound,” whatever that may be these days. But Chopek considers it part and parcel of his adopted home. “This is my first real Memphis record,” he notes. “I recorded it with Harry at 5 and Dime; I mixed it with Doug Easley; I mastered the vinyl with Jeff Powell at Sam Phillips. And working with Doug, with his contribution to Memphis music, was really something. I’m glad I didn’t know too much about him when I first started working with him, because I think there would have been an intimidation factor. I just got to know him as a person, and then slowly realized all the things that he had his hand in with Easley-McCain Studios: Sonic Youth, Pavement, Cat Power, the White Stripes, Wilco. All these things that were formidable in my development as a musician. So just getting to know Doug and working with Doug was a great Memphis experience.”
Begin the Glimmer‘s record release show is Saturday, November 10th at Otherlands.
“I never cared for the typical; I kind of like being difficult,” sings James Godwin of James and the Ultrasounds on “None of the Above,” the opening track of the new album of the same name. As a statement of ethos, it’s a fitting introduction to an album that won’t sit still long enough to be easily categorized. Still, the song kicks off the record with a flurry of electric guitars; there’s a hint of surf rock in the drums, a little bit of slap-back somewhere in the mix.
Godwin sounds soulful as hell and just shy of coming completely unwound. I can almost see his wide shirt collar and the sheen of sweat plastering hair to his forehead as David Johnson, the band’s gangly bassist, bops around onstage, feeling the bounce in the groove. The song sounds like rock-and-roll should, like it’s blasting out of a glowing jukebox in a crowded, smoky room, even though it’s just my computer and my headphones, played at a reasonable volume. It sounds like the same James and the Ultrasounds I’ve seen in at least half a dozen dives. But the Ultrasounds have done some growing, and as None of the Above keeps playing, it shows.
None of the Above, released by Madjack Records, is the Ultrasounds’ second full-length album, the follow-up to 2014’s excellent Bad to Be Here. Recorded at Electraphonic Recording and produced by Memphis songwriting and guitar-picking heavyweight John Paul Keith (whose Memphis Circa 3 a.m. is a personal favorite), None of the Above spools out a quick succession of tight tracks, seemingly effortlessly. There’s a definite swagger to the songs on the Ultrasounds’ newest release.
But added attitude isn’t the only difference. The band has undergone some lineup changes, with the departure of guitarist and backing vocalist Luke White. “I’m grateful for all of the musicians in my life,” Godwin says. “I’ve learned a lot from all of them.” To help flesh out the sound for the album, Godwin recruited Flyer music editor Alex Greene, a bandmate from a previous combo, to contribute organ and piano and some rhythm guitar. The organ riffs, plaintive and soul-drenched, would be right at home on a soul song cut over at Royal Studios. The instrument adds a layer to the Ultrasounds’ sound, especially on tracks like “Nowhere to Go” and “Drop the Act.”
None of the Above shows off a side of the Ultrasounds that’s sometimes eclipsed by the ferocity of their rock-and-roll cool. And the band is cool, cool as a Ramones movie or sweat on a bottle of beer, but they can be tender, too. At first glance, they’re all suit jackets and sunglasses at night, telecasters and stories of hard-partying Serbian concert promoters, but great performers know when to take off the shades and show a little vulnerability. James and the Ultrasounds’ second album slows down long enough to show off some Southern soul and old-school country that’s always been a part of the band’s musical make-up.
Godwin traces his tastes back to quiet moments in childhood, times when his grandmother would, if only for a little peace and quiet, tell him to sit still and just listen. “My earliest musical memories are sitting in my grandmother’s house when I was four or five. I would get into stuff, and she would tell me to sit there and be quiet and listen to her music,” Godwin remembers. “She was always playing Patsy Cline or Charlie Pride, always sad stuff. Day after day, I would hear it.
“The country influence has always been there,” Godwin says. “Touring with J.P. [Keith], we’d always listen to old country stuff in his van.” A veteran of a slew of Memphis bands, Godwin used to play bass for Keith. Bad to Be Here’s rollicking “Party Dracula” was inspired by a promoter Godwin met while on tour oversees with Keith’s bad. And perhaps some of the cohesion of None of the Above is a result of so many hours already spent together, a shared set of musical references. “John Paul told me one time ‘There’s one band in Memphis, and we’re all in it,’” Godwin laughs.
“I was his go-to bass player for a good handful of years. I’ve still to this day probably played more shows with him on stage than with anyone else,” says Godwin. “We’ve covered a lot of ground together, from Memphis to Serbia and everywhere in between.” Whatever the reason, there’s a confidence on display on None of the Above that hints at an easy connection between everyone involved. These songs are tight enough to make the listener suspect the musicians and producer shared a telepathic connection.
“I’ve got 27 different jobs, but I still don’t like my odds of getting my money back,” Godwin sings on “New Subtraction.” Drummer John Argroves’ tight tom work on and the doubled guitar lines during the song’s instrumental turnaround evoke a frantic energy that feels like being out of luck and out of gas on the baking asphalt of a Memphis street corner. “New Subtraction” is the Ultrasounds at their unrestrained best, but the band somehow manages to turn up the heat still more a little later in the record.
Keith brought in the award-winning Billy Gibson, aka the Mississippi Saxophone, to contribute his much-lauded harmonica skills to “Am I Crazy.” Gibson channels the mood of the song, ripping riffs from his harmonica that sound fearlessly deranged. Gibson’s wailing harmonica sits on a bed of bumping bass and crunchy guitars. There’s plenty on display here for any fans of Bad to Be Here’s reckless rock-and-roll energy. For all the added subtlety of the new record, the Ultrasounds still know how to crank up the amps and wake up the crowd. Now they just know how to do it with harmonica, too.
“Drop the Act” is a soulful, heart-wrenching song, with Godwin pleading for honesty over warbling organs in 6/8 time. A motif runs through the lyrics on None of the Above, and it’s on full display on this track. Lovers leave, lies are told, money is in short supply, and there are sleepless nights to spare. Tires go flat and need to be repaired. But if Godwin sounds like someone who knows how it feels to be locked out, shaken up, and shaken down, he seems to know when to laugh off his bad luck and when to shoot straight with the listener, to admit “I suppose that much of the blame is mine.” As a result, no matter how dark it gets on None of the Above, the problems never appear insurmountable, and Godwin never shades into the maudlin.
If Bad to Be Here is the Ultrasounds’ punk-tinged rock-and-roll record, then None of the Above is the band plunging deep into the country and soul that were rock’s first influences, its grandfathers. For all the instrumental energy on display, the band puts the 11 songs on None of the Above through their paces with cool grace, almost making it look easy. And the addition of organ adds a frequency to the Ultrasounds’ sonic spectrum, opening up new spaces for the band to explore. The result is a matured sound that feels like an evolution for a mainstay of the Memphis music scene.
James and the Ultrasounds play an album release show for None of the Above at Bar DKDC, Friday, August 24th, at 10 p.m.
It’s a dreamy Music Video Monday!
Beale Street Caravan’s I Listen To Memphis series rolls on with the first-ever video from Memphis supergroup Motel Mirrors. John Paul Keith and Amy LaVere first teamed up in 2013 to create a perfect stew of elegant songwriting, countryfied harmonies, and twangy picking. For their long gestating second album, they were joined by LaVere’s husband Will Sexton on guitar and Shawn Zorn on drums. This version of “I Wouldn’t Dream Of It” was recorded live at the Galloway House, the former church in Cooper-Young where Johnny Cash played his very first show. The video series was directed by Christian Walker and produced by Waheed AlQawasmi. Take a look and listen!
Music Video Monday: Motel Mirrors
If you would like to see your music video featured on Music Video Monday, email cmccoy@memphisflyer.com
Jamie Harmon
Motel Mirrors
Today marks the long-awaited release of twin records by both John Paul Keith (Heart Shaped Shadow) and Motel Mirrors (In the Meantime), the latter being Keith’s side project with Amy Lavere and Will Sexton. The latter group’s record features the lovely blend of harmonies between Keith and Lavere, tending toward the country side of life, love and loss, though with dips into rock ‘n’ roll, country/folk rock and the New Orleans groove. Keith’s new record is even more eclectic, venturing into all of the above as well as soul and the Bakersfield sound. More than ever, his voice has matured into a nuanced instrument with rich hints of a young Roy Orbison. It’s been ages since we’ve heard new material from either group, so fans of their shared take on classic roots sounds should turn out in force at their dual record release party tonight at Railgarten. I spoke with John Paul Keith a bit about how these records came together and the way they changed his approach to songwriting.
Memphis Flyer: It seems like you’ve had the songs from your new album in your live set for about a year.
John Paul Keith: Yeah, the record’s been in the can for almost a year. It just takes insane amounts of time to get product released. I don’t have management and it’s just moving a boulder uphill by yourself, all the time. And I paid for it all myself, when I had a little bit of extra money where I could afford to go in the studio. We broke it up into two tracking sessions, and then two or three mix sessions, just whenever I had a little money, you know? On the cheap.
Are these self-released?
No, they’re both coming out on Last Chance Records out of Little Rock.
Is there anything new in your approach, compared to your earlier records?
Well, this is the first one I’ve made without the 145’s, Al Gamble, Mark Stuart and John Argroves. My other three records were with those guys. So this one I wanted to do a little differently. At that point, none of those guys were in my live rotation anymore. Just by circumstance. And at that point, Shawn Zorn was playing in my live band most of the time. He started out as the Mirrors’ drummer, and ended up being my drummer, too. So I thought since I had a bunch of different guys I was playing live with, I would just shake it up and do it differently. And just do different guys for different songs. So it was different that way.
And the Mirrors record was kind of a creative breakthrough with me. I hadn’t had a record in five years, and I didn’t know what I wanted to do. I started making the Mirrors record with Amy & Will, and it’s the first time I’d really worked with Will, or written songs with Will, or been in the studio with him. And that was kind of a creative breakthrough for me, where it broke this creative logjam I had. I had written a batch of songs that weren’t very good, and that had delayed my next record. I just didn’t know where I was going, musically. And then we did the Mirrors record and I felt like I knew what to do next.
So I asked Will to produce my record and we just kinda kept going. We did both in Scott Bomar’s studio, and it’s a very similar group of people. Will is on most of it, Shawn is on most of it, Amy plays bass on a couple songs on my record. One of the songs on my record was going to be on the Mirrors record. We cut it on those sessions, and then ended up shuffling it to my record. So it was kinda like one long session in a way, broken up over a two year period.
I take it that you wrote all the stuff on your record. Is the Mirrors record very collaborative?
Basically, because Amy & Will had a really busy tour schedule, we only had a week to get material together and a week to track it. We’d already booked the time. So when they got off the road we realized we only had a short time to get the material together. So I would just go over to their house every evening, and we’d sit in their kitchen. They had two or three that they had been writing, and I had two or three that I had been writing, but we didn’t have enough. So we wrote a few things together and just pulled it together. I’d say it’s about half separate compositions and then half collaborations of some kind. And then there’s one cover on there, “The Man Who Comes Around,” an old Western Swing tune.
Oh, I wondered about the reference to the Fuller Brush man, who “comes around to sell a brush.”
Yeah, and the ice! The ice delivery is mentioned in that song. Pre-refrigeration, that song!
So one of those nights while we were writing, we got the text that our friend Josh Benton had died. That’s where the song “Funerals in New Orleans” came from. And we ended up dedicating the record to him. He and I were born two days apart. My birthday’s July 1st, his is July 3rd, and we both turned 40 that year. He was having a birthday party on the 1st at Bar DKDC, which happened to be my birthday, and he asked me if I’d play, and that’s where that line, “You’re party spilled into my show” came from. I wasn’t going play on my birthday, but he asked me to, and we said, “Okay, we’ll make it into a double birthday party for us both.” So we did it, and then he was dead about two weeks later. I ended up playing his wake in the same bar, about three weeks after I played our fortieth birthday party.
So it kinda did a number on my psyche.
Matt White
John Paul Keith
It was that whole period…I got divorced in the middle of making my last record, Memphis Circa 3 am, and one of the reasons I haven’t been able to get a record out in all this time is that I was going through a personal crisis during all that time. And with Josh dying right in the middle of making the Mirrors record, that was kind of the lowest point, honestly. And so once we got through the Mirrors record, I knew exactly what I needed to do. I knew what kind of songs I should be writing and how to express things more fearlessly and to trust in the stuff that’s hard to say sometimes. Sometimes the stuff you don’t really wanna reveal is the stuff that, as an artist, you need to be revealing.
Now, time’s have changed in the time it’s taken me to get this record out, you know? From the writing to the release of this record, there have been these big cultural changes. I thought Hillary Clinton was gonna be president when we started these records. Trump won after all of it was written and a lot of it was recorded. The Mirrors was completely in the can. So I have no topical songs or anything. And I don’t really write topical songs either. That’s just not my forte. That’s never something I’ve been successful at. But I’d like to be better at it. I think we’re all gonna have to be better at it if we wanna be artists who create work of worth.
But that vulnerability is timeless. Reaching into yourself more… “Blue on Blue,” from the Motel Mirrors record, for instance.
That was a song Will and I wrote together. And that song was a total surprise. I remember very clearly writing in the van with Amy, years ago. I remember having this conversation about how I try not to use the word “love” in songs. It’s just something I try not to do. I try to say it another way, or veil it in metaphor, or whatever. It’s because I was coming from a place where I was afraid to reveal things. I had been in an unhappy marriage for a long time, and it’s kinda like the John Lennon “Norwegian Wood” thing: you don’t wanna write things that upset your spouse or that cause problems in your personal life. Or I’d try to be clever, and witty, and it’s kinda cynical to do that.
And the thing I got out of the Motel Mirrors record was that Will and Amy put a stop to that. With the songs they were bringing, they were expressing stuff that was very vulnerable. And deeply personal, like the title track, and everything Will writes is that way. So when we were sitting down to write, I’d bring certain things in that I felt strong about, and they were like, “Nah!” And eventually I’d show ’em something I wasn’t very confident about and they’d go, “That’s the best thing you brought!” Like “Let Me be Sweet to You,” where I didn’t even know if that was good enough to be on a record, and now that we’ve done it it’s one of my favorite ones on there. But I was afraid to reveal that. I was afraid to express that and for people to see that side of me. Working with Will and Amy made me understand, that’s what I’m supposed to do as a writer. Like the old tune says, “You’ve Got to Live the Life You Sing About in Your Song.”
So that gave me the clarity and the direction and the confidence I needed for the next record. Making the Mirrors record was what got me through the dark period I was going through, but it also got my writing to where I feel like it needed to be. Now I already have enough material for another record, written from that time. And I’m always writing, and I feel good about the future and how writing songs is what I do, it’s how I get through life.
And now I don’t plan on ever taking that long between records again. I want to put out a record every year, every 18 months, as much as I can. That’s just what I wanna do with my life, period.
To circle back, now I use “love” all the time. I was totally wrong when we had that conversation in the van. Now I’m writing all love songs and not hiding anything, just laying it all out there. I also really took to heart this Ernest Hemingway quote about writing. He said, “Write hard and clear about what hurts.” And I have that on a Post-it above my desk, I see it all the time, and I always keep it in mind when I’m writing now.
John Paul Keith
Knoxville native John Paul Keith is unique on the Memphis scene, a classicist who avoids nostalgia, a roots aficionado who writes his own material, a rock ‘n’ roller with one foot in old school soul. Don Bryant, the local R&B legend staging somewhat of a comeback, recently included “One Ain’t Enough (And Two’s Too Many)”, written by Keith and Scott Bomar, on his latest release. As a songwriter, Keith knows a good tune when he hears one. Here’s his take on a choice cut originally recorded by Warren Smith, “Red Cadillac and a Black Moustache,” the lead track on Red Hot: A Memphis Celebration of Sun Records, to be released nationally June 16th on the Americana Music Society label. All revenues from the release will benefit the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
SONG PREMIERE: John Paul Keith sings ‘Red Cadillac and a Black Moustache’
The album’s house band consists of Luther Dickinson (guitar), Cody Dickinson (drums), Rick Steff (piano), Amy LaVere (bass), and Keith (guitar). This track also has a cameo from Jim Spake on baritone sax. (See the accompanying article below for more on this release). Keith’s voice, familiar to Memphians for a number of years, has taken on a more resonant quality of late, with hints of the young Roy Orbison, a change Keith attributes to one specific change of habit. “You know, I quit smoking a few years ago, and it really did make a difference. I smoked for twenty years and never did get a cool rasp. I just was short winded and couldn’t hit the high notes!”
As for this particular title, Keith notes, “That tune is really melodic. A lot of the Sun stuff is obviously rhythm-oriented and blues based. And I love that, but with ‘Red Cadillac’ it was more of a pop thing: a little lighter, and it had this swinging feel to it. And I love Warren Smith, I think he’s really underrated.”
It’s telling that this was the song Bob Dylan chose to interpret for 2001’s Good Rockin’ Tonight: The Legacy of Sun Records (with cover art by Memphis’ own Lamar Sorrento).
SONG PREMIERE: John Paul Keith sings ‘Red Cadillac and a Black Moustache’ (3)
And finally, here’s the original, performed by Louise, Mississippi’s own Warren Smith. Never released in Sun’s heyday, it surfaced later in retrospectives of the label’s history:
SONG PREMIERE: John Paul Keith sings ‘Red Cadillac and a Black Moustache’ (2)
John Paul Keith will reunite his old backing band The One Four Fives tonight at Lafayette’s Music Room. The band features an all-star Memphis lineup of Mark Edgar Stuart, John Argroves, Al Gamble (of St. Paul and the Broken Bones), and John Paul Keith. The show is free and starts at 8, and according to Keith, this will be the first time the band has reunited in over three years. With Mark Edgar Stuart and John Paul Keith staying busy with their solo careers, this may be one of the only chances to catch The One Four Fives for quite some time. Check out videos of John Paul Keith and The One Four Fives below, then get to Lafayette’s Music Room by 8 p.m. tonight (Monday, July 20th).
One Four Fives Reunion at Lafayette’s Music Room
One Four Fives Reunion at Lafayette’s Music Room (2)
Ben Moon
Modest Mouse plays a sold out show tonight at Minglewood Hall.
There are a ton of shows happening this week in Memphis, here are five great concerts to choose from.
Wednesday, April 22nd.
Modest Mouse, Morning Teleportation, 7:00 p.m. at Minglewood Hall, Sold out!
Mid-Week Music: Modest Mouse, John Paul Keith, The Slackers (3)
[jump]
Odonis Odonis, Ice Balloons, Taylor Loftin, 9:00 p.m. at Murphy’s, $6.00.
Mid-Week Music: Modest Mouse, John Paul Keith, The Slackers (4)
John Paul Keith at Bar DKDC, 9:00 p.m. at Bar DKDC, $5.00.
Mid-Week Music: Modest Mouse, John Paul Keith, The Slackers (5)
Thursday, April 23rd.
OBN III’s, Secret Prostitutes, 9:00 p.m. at Murphy’s, $6.00.
Mid-Week Music: Modest Mouse, John Paul Keith, The Slackers (2)
The Slackers, CCDE, 9:00 p.m. at The Hi-Tone, $13.00.
Mid-Week Music: Modest Mouse, John Paul Keith, The Slackers
This week, the Indie Memphis Film Festival kicks off with a long weekend full of interesting programming. Especially noteworthy is the lineup on Thursday, October 30th — the festival’s opening night — which features two films and a showcase with a focus on Memphis music.
For the past few years, the festival has worked hard to integrate local musicians into the proceedings via a partnership with the Memphis Music Foundation. So far, that partnership has yielded a series of Memphis music sampler CDs that were distributed to festival participants. There have also been appearances by several prominent music supervisors at panel discussions on music in film. But this year, the festival is kicking it up a notch by staging a showcase event at the newly reopened Lafayette’s Music Room for several of the city’s best local acts: the Memphis Dawls, Marcella and Her Lovers, John Paul Keith, Amy LaVere, Mark Edgar Stuart, and the North Mississippi All-Stars.
According to Indie Memphis head honcho Erik Jambor, the selection of Lafayette’s as the venue was obvious. “Lafayette’s is in the middle of our festival footprint, with the Playhouse, Circuit, and Hattiloo on one side, and the Studio on the Square on the other,” he says. “It is the perfect fit for our pedestrian-friendly event, and its return couldn’t have happened at a better time for us.”
The programming of the showcase was initially built around The 78 Project, a movie appearing at the festival that features artists recording live, direct-to-acetate and in one take, to a 1930s-era Presto recorder. The results are spontaneous and engaging, with big time singer-songwriters like Marshall Crenshaw and Loudon Wainwright III mixing it up on screen with prominent locals like Keith, Rev. John Wilkins, and the Bo-Keys featuring Percy Wiggins. (Other Memphis-area acts such LaVere, Valerie June, the All-Stars’ Luther Dickinson, and Sid and Steve Selvidge have participated in the project but do not appear in the film.)
“Of course we were drawn to Memphis because of its incredibly rich musical tradition,” says Lavinia Wright, producer of The 78 Project. “Also, Alex (Steyermark, director) had recently directed a feature film there, and knew some of the fantastic musicians who then participated in the web series and movie.”
Once The 78 Project participants LaVere and Keith were confirmed for the showcase, other up-and-coming local artists were then selected to fill out the bill.
“This year we built around a number of different artists who we felt represented a regionally rooted side of the Memphis music scene and had albums out in the last year or so, or projects on the way,” says showcase organizer John Miller, of the Memphis Music Foundation. “Since The 78 Project film was showing and those folks had already recorded a number of local musicians, it made sense thematically and would help tie into something so that festival attendees would have a frame of reference. I also probably picked some of the artists because, selfishly, I’d love to see and hear them record for The 78 Project in the future too, but none of that has been discussed and only exists in my head.”
The North Mississippi All-Stars, who have a film of their own in the festival entitled World Boogie Is Coming the Movie, will headline the showcase. The concert film — directed by the group’s drummer Cody Dickinson and shot by local production team Piano Man Pictures — was filmed last year at the All-Stars’ annual Thanksgiving reunion show at Minglewood Hall and features guest artists such as Kenny Brown, Alvin Youngblood Hart, and Duwayne Burnside sitting in with the band.
“We’re thrilled that Luther and Cody agreed to do a midnight set. It will certainly be a night to remember,” says Jambor.
Aside from just putting on a dynamite show, both Miller and Jambor have higher goals in mind for putting together this showcase.
“It’s clear through their year-round work that everyone at Indie Memphis has a heart for this city’s creative community,” says Miller. “Since music and film are inextricably linked, it seemed to us like a no-brainer to pair artists and film creatives during the festival for a party with the idea that it could open doors for future joint efforts. If we encourage opportunities for music supervisors and producers to find original, quality stuff here, then hopefully we can add a niche factor to this film festival and provide new collaborative and financially beneficial opportunities for Memphians. It’s also just a good chance to put some of our best local talent on display when we’ve got guests in town.”
“We want to expose visiting filmmakers and industry professionals to the current, living Memphis music scene,” adds Jambor. “Hopefully connections will be made that leads to these artists being featured in film and television. But, at the very least, we get to show off some amazing artists to people who will talk about the show when they get home to Los Angeles or New York or wherever they’re visiting from.”
Moving forward, the hope is that the relationship between Indie Memphis and the Memphis Music Foundation can continue to bear fruit for both filmmakers and musicians alike, as well as help strengthen the brand of Memphis music to a wider audience.
“One of the major goals would be to see Indie Memphis become a film festival that is known by music supervisors as the best opportunity to see films with great music components and also catch shows from the current groups from Memphis that haven’t necessarily been discovered and used already in films by the vast majority of their colleagues,” says Miller. “In the future, I’d love to see us continue the showcase and maybe expand to a few different dates and locations with more acts throughout the weekend. It’d be great to include a music and film panel during the conference portion of the festival and find ways to encourage more dialogue that leads to meaningful work on music documentaries, scoring, licensing, etc.
“We’ll always look for opportunities within the festival weekend that make sense to promote great original Memphis music, augment the festival’s programming and partner with other groups that want to support Memphis artists.”