Listen up -  assignment #14 is to see some of the city's best local musicians play special shows with Opus One.

Opus One pairs members of the Memphis Symphony Orchestra with local muscians of all kinds for genre-bending concerts. The Opus One shows never take place in traditional concert halls (like the Cannon Center). Instead, they happen at bars, clubs and venues that like the New Daisy and Hi-Tone Cafe are more used to rock'n'roll shows.

The shows are entirely put together by the Opus One musicians and usually feature a crowd-friendly classical piece before the symphony members play with the guest musician. Past guests have included Harlan T. Bobo, Amy LaVere and Al Kapone.

Here's video of Al Kapone playing "Whoop That Trick" with Opus One at the New Daisy:

Because Opus One shows aren't typical performances, the crowd tends to be a diverse mix of the symphony's traditional crowd and the fans of the guest musician. The tickets are fairly affordable (usually about $20).

The next Opus One show is March 1 and 2 at the Rhumba Room with Marcella Pinilla. On May 3 and 4, Lucero will perform with Opus One at Stop 354.

More info (and tickets):

Opus One