Live Music In Memphis This Month: September 2022
Here are Wesley's top picks for live music events, concerts, and shows in Memphis this month.
Got a show to promote? Add it here.
Here are Wesley's top picks for live music events, concerts, and shows in Memphis this month.
Got a show to promote? Add it here.
IMPORTANT
- Get vaccinated, get boosted, don't go out if you're sick, and wear a mask if you do go out, a KN95 or N95, please.
- If you’re requiring a negative test or proof of vaccination for your show, let us know because we’d love to promote it. f
- This is just a sampling of shows in Memphis this month. For more, check out: I Love Memphis Music Calendar and the Memphis Flyer Music Listings.
- Submit your show to the blog's calendar HERE.
Finishing up august
FRIDAY, AUGUST 26
The Musical History of Royal Studios Narrated by Boo Mitchell at The Halloran Centre
7:30 p.m. / $37.50
I might be bending the rules of the column a bit here, but what’s cooler than a musical history lesson? I would listen to Boo Mitchell read just about anything though, so I may be biased. He’ll be taking you through the history of Royal Studios, the iconic Memphis recording studio founded by his father Willie Mitchell, punctuating the experience with live performances of Royal Studios work—classic and modern.
FRIDAY, AUGUST 26 - Saturday August 27
Grind City Fest at Grind City Brewing Co.
2 days / $65 for a two-day pass
Grind City Fest is a new, two-day music festival celebrating Blues, Brews, and Bluegrass featuring Greensky Bluegrass, The Infamous Stringdusters, and mnay more. The event will be held on Friday, August 26 and Saturday, August 27 at Grind City Brewing Company with the backdrop of downtown Memphis and the Pyramid. Tickets are on sale now.
ALL SEPTEMBER
The Orion Free Concert Series at the Overton Park Shell
Various times and dates, almost all free!
You gotta love free live music! Check the calendar here for show details, but the ones I’m particularly excited about are the Occupy the Shell festival on the 4th, Don Lifted on the 16th, and Dottie on the 30th.
SEPTEMBER 1-4
THE ORION FREE CONCERT SERIES AT THE OVERTON PARK SHELL
Various times and dates
It’s festival season in Memphis, which means you have your pick of multi-day musical showcases for any vibe you’re looking for. 901 Fest at Railgarten is a who’s who of Memphis rock, blues, folk, and whatever you consider Lord T & Eloise. (Ed. Note: Technically, they are “atristocrunk”)
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 2
The Devil Wears Prada at Growlers
6:30 p.m. doors, 7:30 show / $20 advance, $25 day of show
Metalcore fans of a certain age rejoice—The Devil Wears Prada will be performing their critically-acclaimed 2010 EP Zombie along with its 2021 sequel ZII. They will also include some greatest hits.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 3
Live at the Garden: The Doobie Brothers at the Radians Amphitheater
8:00 p.m. / $104+
Every time I think of the Super Doobio Bros. (which isn’t often), I think about this clip from What’s Happening!! that my dad will sometimes quote to this day and laugh himself silly. Anyway, if I had 104 uncommitted dollars, I’d definitely go see The Doobie Brothers.
Tonya Dyson & the Aintitmanes at Crosstown Arts
7:00 p.m. doors, 7:30 show / $15 advance, $20 day of show
First off, The Aintitmanes is an excellent name for a backing band. I’m sure they’re as good as their name if they’re playing with Tonya Dyson, the Executive Director of the Memphis Slim Collaboratory and a very hard working artist.
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 8
VEAUX with Massey Lane at Growlers
7:00 p.m. doors / $10 advance, $12 day of show
VEAUX is a power pop trio from Nashville and, as far as I can tell, this will be their second-ever show in Memphis. They remind me a lot of Arctic Monkeys and Foals. Whoever makes the playlists in Target needs to hear this.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 16
Fula Brothers at Crosstown Arts
7:00 p.m. doors, 7:30 show / $20 advance, $25 day of show
The Fula Brothers are Mamadou Sidibe and Walter Strauss—hailing from the Wassoulou Region in Mali and California respectively—and their music has been described as magical. The instrument that Sidibe plays is called a kamale ngoni, a smaller variation of the West African ngoni instrument. The instrument Strauss plays is called a guitar, an instrument the origins of which are largely unknown but is believed to be somewhere around 13th century Europe.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 17
Built to Spill at Growlers
7:00 p.m. doors / $25 advance, $30 day of show
Built to Spill is one of the greatest 90s rock bands, we all know that, so instead I’m gonna talk to you about something else, which requires some setup.
One of my favorite things to do on YouTube is read the comments. I know, I know, it’s terrible for my mental health and general feelings towards humanity. But sometimes, there’s some real gold in there. Take this comment from user Lucas Lima on an upload of Built to Spill’s 1999 single “Carry the Zero”:
“can y'all believe I'm listening to this song for the very first time in my life? it's unbelievable. what an amazing day to be alive. thank you!”
Lucas is right. Hearing a perfect song for the first time is one of the things that makes life worth living. This is the segue into that something else I wanted to talk to you about—Joe Pera Talks With You. There’s an episode about Joe hearing The Who’s “Baba O’Riley” for the first time and it’s probably the best quarter-hour of television I’ve ever seen. Watch a little bit of it here. The show got canceled this year because none of you have any taste, but please stream it on HBO Max before they take that off, too.
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 18
The Veldt / Seize and Desist / Catholic School at Hi Tone
7:00 p.m. doors, 8:00 show / $10
The Veldt deserved more. Their story is an all-too-familiar one from the music industry of yesteryear, a story of white record executives and A&Rs not knowing how to market Black music that didn’t fit neatly into a genre. They were way, way ahead of their time. Go listen to Afrodisiac!
On this bill are the Memphis-based Catholic School and Seize and Desist, the punk band formerly known as Negro Terror who recently suffered a name change due to some messy legal shenanigans initiated by their late frontman’s brother.
SEPTEMBER 22-25
Gonerfest 19 at Railgarten
Various times and dates
The folks at Goner Records have once again put together a stellar lineup for their annual music festival. The highlight here is undoubtedly Shannon & The Clams, the California-based rock band that mixes garage rock and doo-wop. Their second album Sleep Talk was on heavy rotation for me when it dropped in 2011.
Check the link above for the full lineup and schedule.
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22
LightSkinKeisha at Growlers
7:00 p.m. doors, 8:00 show / $30+ / 21+
Singer, rapper, social media personality, and former Love & Hip Hop star LightSkinKeisha is bringing her Big Bank Beisha tour to Memphis. If you’ve never heard any of her music (although you probably have, this one was very popular), you should know this is a bonafide grown folks’ show. If you’re under 21, go somewhere else.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23
Louie Ray at Growlers
7:00 p.m. doors / $25 advance, $30 day of show
A couple years ago, Michigan’s rap scene was blowing up across the country, and I was very happy about that. I love that signature off-beat flow of Detroit rap, but Michigan rap in general is just so varied and great. Louie Ray is a rapper from Flint, MI, and if you like this style, this is the show for you.
The Evergreen Sessions: Hosted by Brandon Blvd at Crosstown Arts
7:00 p.m. doors, 7:30 show / $15 advance, $20 day of show
Memphis-based rapper Brandon Blvd is hosting a showcase of independent and underground hip-hop and R&B artists both locally and beyond. The inaugural Evergreen Sessions will include special guests Mai Ty, Idaly Maceano, Cadillac Jack, and Virghost and the Saturday Sunset band.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 24
The War on Drugs at Graceland
7 p.m. / $7
Since their debut over a decade ago, The War on Drugs has been consistently excellent across five albums, the latest of which was released last year. Their album Slave Ambient was also on repeat for me when it dropped in 2011, and now I’m just thinking about how gotdam STACKED that year was for music. I’m having trouble thinking of another indie rock band from that era that’s just all hits and no misses to this day.
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 26
Beach House at Graceland
7:00 p.m. doors, 8:00 show / $41 advance, $46 day of show
Speaking of early-to-mid-aughts indie music, Beach House is following The War on Drugs on the Soundstage. I’m sure many people will be attending both shows. I probably will, even though I kinda fell off after Depression Cherry. Maybe it’s time to fix that!
SEPTEMBER 30 - OCTOBER 2
Mempho Music Festival at the Radians Amphitheater
This year’s lineup at Mempho Fest includes Widespread Panic, The Black Keys, Wilco, and Jason Isbell as headliners (WP is playing Saturday and Sunday) along with 13 others, but personally I’m most excited about Tank and the Bangas. Single day passes start at $90 while three-day passes start at $195.
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