Listen Up: 10 Bands to See in Memphis This June

Listen Up: 10 Bands to See in Memphis This June

Ed. Note: The nice thing about living in a music city is that we get a ton of great live shows every single month. The tough thing, however, is deciding which bands to see. With that in mind, here are 10 recommendations for shows you won't want to miss in the coming month.

These are by no means the only great bands playing in Memphis this month. For more complete listings, check the blog's calendar.

1. Gogol Bordello, Minglewood Hall, June 5, 8 p.m., $25 advance / $27 door, all ages

Gogol Bordello at Minglewood Hall

Head to Minglewood on Wednesday, June 5 for a night of gypsy-punk cabaret rock'n'roll with Gogol Bordello. I can't tell if lead singer Eugene Hütz is faking his accent, but I don't really care because the music is a lot of fun. Bombino will open.

2. Yo Gotti and Friends, Orpheum Theatre, June 6, 8 p.m., $27.50, 18+

North Memphis rapper Yo Gotti is bringing the dirty south to Orpheum Theatre stage on Thursday, June 6. The listing says that he's bringing friends, but as of press time, there's no official word as to who those friends might be.

3. Marcella and Her Lovers, Bar DKDC, June 8, 10 p.m., free, 21+

There are few people in Memphis as mesmerizing as Marcella Simien. She sort of reminds me of a Creole snake charmer, only with an accordion instead of a flute. She's playing DKDC on June 8 with her band, the Lovers. The venue is tiny, so if you're planning to go, get there a little early.

4. Local Natives, Minglewood Hall, June 12, 8 p.m., $20, all ages

If dreamy, 1960s-inspired indie pop is your thing, Local Natives can provide. They'll be at Minglewood Hall on June 12, with Ex-Cops opening.

5. Crowlord, the Buccaneer Lounge, June 14, 10 p.m. free, 21+

Celebrate the release of Memphis metal band Crowlord's new record, "Naked Chicks, Goats and Wolves" at the Buccaneer on June 14th. The Devil's Right Hand will open.

6. Sid Selvidge Memorial Concert, Levitt Shell, June 25, 6:30 p.m., Price TBA, All ages

Normally, I wouldn't add a show to this list that didn't have complete information, but I'm making an exception for this one. There's going to be a tribute show for the late, great Sid Selvidge at the Levitt Shell on June 25th. The show isn't part of the free concert series, so there may be an admission cost, and it's not clear who's playing yet, but it's going to be an excellent way to celebrate the life of a Memphis music legend.

7. Mikal Cronin w/ Shannon and the Clams, Hi-Tone Cafe, June 25, $10, 18+

mikal

I appreciate any press release that describes an artist as a "punk Harry Nilsson". It's accurate, too - Mikal Cronin sound is equal parts west coast sunshine and fuzzy guitars. Shannon and the Clams, Destruction Unit and Milk Music will open.

8. Son Volt, Levitt Shell, June 27, 6:30 p.m., free, all ages

This is why I love the Levitt Shell free concert series: for every few bands that you've never heard of, there's one that's kind of a big deal. Son Volt, Jay Farrar's post-Uncle Tupelo band, is bringing their reimagined country music to the Shell late this month for a free, all-ages show.

9. The Memphis Dawls, Levitt Shell, June 29, 6:30 p.m., free, all ages

The Memphis Dawls are a romantic, folkly all-girl trio fronted by Holly Cole. Don't let the sweetness fool you: there's a lot of depth under those pretty harmonies.

10. Stax Music Academy, Levitt Shell, June 30, 6:30 p.m., free, all ages

I know I'm including a lot of shows from the Levitt Shell series on the list this month, but it's only because there are so many great ones to choose from. If you've never seen the super talented students from the Stax Music Academy perform, you'll want to on June 30th, when they play a show tracing the blues' transition into rock'n'roll.

What bands are you excited about seeing this month?

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Zach
The Departed @Minglewood June 6th!
June 3, 2013 3:51pm
Kate
The Black Cadillacs @ 1884 Louge at Minglewood June 21. They're a Knoxville band with several of their founding members from Memphis. Come out and support this up-and-coming "local" band!
June 3, 2013 4:24pm
Anita Jackson
Go to levittshell.org for the rest of the shows you can go to for FREE.  Excellent artists coming our way and y'all can come to the Shell and still be out in time to catch some of the other shows.  Some of the ones I'm really looking forward to are Big Sam's Funky Nation, The Slide Brothers, Eden Brent, George Porter Jr. Todd Snider's What the Folk Festival, Ray Wylie Hubbard, John Nemeth and the Bo Keys, Rosco Bandana...This is an excellent line-up with more to come in July!
June 3, 2013 5:33pm