Tag: South Main Arts District

South Main Sounds Ramps Up Its Live Shows

Post author By Alex Greene
Post date April 22, 2022

South Main Sounds (Credit: Mark Parsell)

In a landscape crowded with so many engaging watering holes featuring live music, one space devoted wholeheartedly to the art of song is sometimes neglected. Yet South Main Sounds, a self-described “haven for songwriters,” just may be a sleeper success in the ongoing Downtown revival. This spring, the little listening room nestled near the train station is turning things up a notch.

Mark Parsell, who’s been managing and booking the space since its inception in 2015, took a moment to speak about the upcoming season, past luminaries, and what makes South Main Sounds unique.

Memphis Flyer: South Main Sounds has always cultivated a real listening experience. There’s not much chatter and no televisions playing sports.

Mark Parsell: I feel for people that have to play in an environment with televisions showing ball games and things like that. It’s really tough. We do try to make a listening experience in here. It’s not so much about the party and the sports, it’s about listening to what these people have to say. They’re doing it for their soul, to make a statement, and when people don’t pay attention, it’s kind of frustrating. So I’ve got a Quiet Please sign from a golf tournament. [laughs]

You’ve hosted plenty of group songwriter nights, but now you’re scheduling ticketed shows by out of town artists more, no?

What’s different now is, in addition to our regular songwriter shows, we’re mixing it up a lot more. So tonight we’ve got Lauren Moscato with nine of her music students playing. Then we’ve got Kevin Galloway from Uncle Lucius coming on the 13th of May. And I think that’s what people want. They’re willing to pay for something they want. The live performance scene is becoming more robust than it has been for a couple years.

How new is it for South Main Sounds to host out of town artists?

Well, our kind of space has always been needed by a certain level of artist who are passing through. They’ve always contacted us. But what’s different is the level of artists. It started years ago with Ashley McBryde, but that was before she made it big. And now we get people like Shannon McNally, who played here last April before she recorded her album of Waylon Jennings covers. And we had Erin Enderlin come in last month, who’s written hits for just about everybody in Nashville. It’s interesting that these folks will come and play a 45-person capacity room. It’s excellent for everybody.

Tell me about Sunday’s show, featuring songwriters from Austin.

Yeah, the “Glass Half Full Tour” with Paige Renee Berry, Creekbed Carter Hogan, and McKain Lakey. They’re friends of Will Sexton and Amy LaVere, and they’re going to do a yard show at Will and Amy’s on Monday. Like a lot of folks, they’re looking for a place to play on an odd day. Sunday’s are not typical for us, but these folks are really good. Paige, the headliner, is in a band called Half Dream. It’s all Americana-driven music, with a little alt tinge to it.

Meanwhile, you’ll still be a haven for local songwriters?

Yeah! A lot of the folks that we’ve had play in here have gone on to be quite successful. I like to have out-of-towners play here and meet our people, because we’ve fostered a lot of co-writing and collaboration that way. It’s neat to see what comes out of that.

South Main Sounds (Photo courtesy South Main Sounds)

Upcoming Shows at South Main Sounds:
Friday, April 22. Moscato Music Productions and nine students will perform two songs each. 6 p.m.

Sunday, April 24. South Main Sounds and Will Sexton present the “Glass Half Full Tour” with Austin’s Paige Renee Berry of “Half-Dream,” Creekbed Carter Hogan and McKain Lakey. 6 p.m. $15 donation at door or online.

Friday, April 29. the Trolley Night Show: Shara Layne Matlock, Chandler Smithers, Alice Hasen, Walt Busby, Denver Massey, and Chris York. 7 p.m.

Friday, May 6. Lydia Warren, Terry Bell, Travis Roberson, and Memphis Songwriters Association Top 8 finalist Bri Marie Krueger. 7 p.m.

Friday, May 13. Kevin Galloway from Uncle Lucius (“Keep The Wolves Away”). Ticketed.

Tickets are available at southmainsounds.com/shows

Tags Memphis Music, Memphis Songwriters, South Main Arts District, South Main Sounds

Letter From The Editor Opinion

Same City, New Eyes

Post author By Jesse Davis
Post date April 13, 2022

Back in the days of lockdown (Photo: Jamie Harmon)

To anyone who may have been driving around Memphis last weekend, please accept my sincere apology. I was playing tour guide to my aunt and uncle, who were visiting from North Carolina, and, being somewhat distracted, I made what my sister called some “interesting” driving decisions. So if you saw someone still stopped at a green light, pointing out a particular piece of architecture or a local landmark, that was probably me. I hope I didn’t make you late for an appointment.

Besides being absolutely roasted for my inability to be a somewhat competent distracted driver, the day was a delight. My aunt is from Memphis and my uncle was stationed here when he was in the Army many years ago, so they’re not totally new to the city, but it still felt like a chance to see my hometown with new eyes.

Before I delve into our itinerary, know that I know we barely scratched the surface of any meaningful Memphis to-do list. But I tried to cater to everyone’s personal interests as much as possible.

First, we went to Crosstown Concourse, which my aunt pointed out has been much transformed since its time as a Sears building. Indeed.

We took in the last day of photographer Jamie Harmon’s “Quarantine Portrait” exhibition, and I was struck again by the power of so many faces seen through so many windows and screen doors. Though I had seen many of the portraits before — even written about Harmon’s work while it was still in progress — seeing them all collected was another experience entirely. Though I don’t truly believe we’re fully out of the Covid woods just yet, it brought home how much has changed in the past two years. Often, perhaps as a side effect of my profession, I tend to focus on the seemingly negative changes — the loss of trust, the fragmentation of communities — but I was forced to confront the many ways things are better than they were in April 2020. It was a catharsis to revisit that time from the safety of an art gallery, and with loved ones in the same room. That is a blessing I must endeavor not to take for granted.

While at Crosstown, we stopped at the little reading area, where my nephew enjoyed finding books about dinosaurs. It’s a place I’ve walked past many times but hadn’t taken the time to appreciate. How many such spots must there be in town?

Next, we made our way to Broad Avenue, to give the out-of-towners a chance to peruse some arty knick-knacks and to reward my nephew with some ice cream after his patience with the exhibition. He’s 4 years old, so his tolerance for the gravity of any situation is tenuous at best. My fiancée, who is passionate about the built environment, enjoyed being able to talk about the work done in both locations. My nephew enjoyed a cup of chocolate ice cream and the faux-flower-wearing skeletons at Sugar Ghost Ice Cream and Bubble Tea.

We spent a little bit of time talking about and looking at Summer Avenue, then we hopped back on North Parkway to hustle down to Greenbelt Park by the Mississippi River. It was a sunny, breezy spring day, and there were picnickers, joggers, dog-walkers, pot-smokers, cyclists, and everyone in between enjoying it. There’s something special about being close to the river, and we all felt it. Until I accidentally knocked my nephew off a tree while we were playing some game in which we were both (I think?) territorial spiders locked in bitter combat. Oops. Everyone was okay, though it was decided that perhaps it was time to move on.

We drove through the South Main Arts District, where my uncle used to pick up his contacts. We talked about the trolleys, the changes, the things that had stayed the same. We drove past a busy FedExForum and saw young people popping wheelies on ATVs. We waved as we passed both business and entertainment districts Downtown, and I pointed out a billboard of Ja Morant in the Vitruvian Man pose.

Eventually we made it back to my house to make dinner and play board games, not unlike how we used to spend so much time at my Grannie’s house when I was a child. It was modest, but not without its own magic.

I guess, in many ways, that’s true of Memphis, too.

Tags Broad Avenue Arts District, Crosstown Arts, Crosstown Concourse, Jamie Harmon, Memphis, Mississippi River, South Main Arts District, Summer Avenue, tourism

News The Fly-By

Murals Planned for South Main Underpasses

Post author By Alaina Getzenberg
Post date July 9, 2015

CREDIT: DOWNTOWN MEMPHIS COMMISSION

Most Memphians likely drive under downtown’s old railroad underpasses without giving the structures a second thought.

But the Downtown Memphis Commission (DMC) has been giving those century-old underpasses a lot of thought lately. The DMC and the Henry Turley Company are working together to revitalize the dark and dreary spaces under a couple of old bridges in the South Main Arts District.

Art for the project was discussed and approved at a meeting of the DMC’s Design Review Board last week. The project is being funded by the DMC’s Center City Development Corporation.

The goal is to introduce art under the bridges to promote pedestrian traffic and add vibrancy to the South Main area. While there are a number of underpasses in and around the South Main area, two were identified as being in need of the most work. Those underpasses are along Florida Street and South Main Street, both near Carolina Avenue. In the report for the project, they are described as “dark, dirty, unpleasant, and [they] discourage walking and biking in the area.”

The project began in April with a clean-up of the area around the bridges. The city chipped in and helped to clean the dirt and remove debris in the walkways. Another part of the process involved removing a section of unused road bed.

The DMC installed lights under the bridges so they would seem less threatening to pedestrians and bikers. The decision was made to use standard lights that were not flashy or colorful. Currently, the lights are installed, but they haven’t been turned on yet. For the Florida Street underpass, a section of steel on the top was removed, allowing more natural light and air to come in.

The DMC is now ready for the more aesthetic phase of the project. Artist Anthony Lee has designed two mural mock-ups for the underpasses per the DMC’s specifications. The Florida Street underpass will have vignettes, 12 feet by 12 feet, of South Main people and Memphis places, such as Piggly Wiggly and the Orpheum.

The South Main Street underpass will have a more abstract vibe. Using the square recesses in the concrete as the “canvas,” artists will paint each side of the tunnel differently to create a parallax effect as you go through it. It will look different depending on which side of the tunnel you are going though, and bright colors and shapes will add some pop.

Lee has agreed to use only up to six colors per underpass, so upkeep will be less complicated. Special paint will be used that’s supposed to stand up to direct sunlight for 20 years. Measures will also be taken to protect the works from graffiti and other damages, such as moisture.

With new apartment and condo complexes going in around South Main and increased foot traffic due to the ever-growing number of attractions and restaurants in the area, the DMC expects the project to make an impact.

“[Memphis] is where I’m from,” Lee said. “This isn’t my first time doing stuff downtown and with the Turley company. I’m just eager to get to work.”

Tags Anthony Lee, Downtown Memphis Commission, South Main Arts District

News News Blog

College of Art Gets New Parking Lot

Post author By Louis Goggans
Post date January 5, 2012

Downtown parking will soon be a little easier … for art students.

Parking lot construction is underway for Memphis College of Art’s (MCA) downtown Nesin Graduate School on S. Main. Since the school opened in the fall of 2010, parking has been scarce for students.

There are a handful of parking spots available to the side of the building on Butler, but the majority of students have to parallel park wherever they can.

“They’re in the same predicament as most downtown businesses. It’s first come, first serve,” said Jonathan Welden, director of MCA’s physical plant.

Welden said lack of parking is a common complaint among students at the grad school, which boasts more than 100 enrollees.

“The plan is for MCA to have a permanent presence in the South Main Arts District,” Welden said. “[We want to] utilize that presence to foster the continued development of it as an arts district, and in that process, continue to educate the community in and through the visual arts.”

Although the school has 24-hour in-house security and cameras operating in the area, Welden said there have been multiple car break-ins since MCA moved into the building in 2010.

“The security for our building and our area, specifically, is not a concern, but it just goes with the general rule that in any area where there are so many automobiles in one spot, break-ins are going to occur,” Welden said.

The new parking lot will be patrolled and fenced-in to help lower the chances of students getting their vehicles burglarized.

The lot will be designated only for MCA staff, faculty, and students, and drivers must have a parking pass hanging from their rearview mirror.

“I think it’s going to serve the greater community as a whole, because it will relieve those additional cars from the street. Other businesses and residences in the area should have an easier time finding parking,” Weldon said.

The lot has been in the works since September and is slated to be completed by January 15th.

Tags Memphis College of Art, Nesin Graduate School, South Main Arts District