Live Music In Memphis This Month: 10 Shows to See in July

TUESDAY, JULY 7

Wilco at Grind City Amphitheater

Doors 5:30 p.m., Show 7 p.m. / $70+

What else can one say about Wilco at this point? They’re one of the most legendary alternative bands of all time. Yankee Hotel Foxtrot is one of the most important American rock records of the last 25 years. Jeff Tweedy and company have been making great music since I’ve been alive and their live shows are consistently excellent. The fact that they're playing the Grind City Amphitheater is just peak. A rare Tuesday night show worth rearranging your schedule for.

THURSDAY, JULY 16

Little Big Town: Live at the Garden at Radians Amphitheater

Gates 5:30 p.m., Show 8 p.m. / $87+

Little Big Town has stacked up a serious catalog over 25 years, from "Boondocks" and "Pontoon" all the way through "Girl Crush.” Should be a fun night at Radians Amphitheater in one of the better outdoor settings in town live at the garden. Bring something to sit on and some beverages and enjoy the summer night.

FRIDAY, JULY 17

Fresco Trey at Growlers

Doors 7 p.m., Show 8 p.m. / $20+

A hometown Memphis hero on his “Numb Tour.” Fresco Trey grew up in Whitehaven playing AAU basketball against future NBA players before his sister talked him into trying the studio. The rest is Memphis music history in the making. His sound blends melodic R&B and rap in a way that feels like it could pop off commercially big at any time (it’s already popped off on TikTok and Spotify to the tune of 100s of millions of plays). Growlers is exactly the right intimate room to catch him before the rooms keep getting bigger.
 

Cordovas at Hernando's Hide-A-Way

Doors 7 p.m., Show 8 p.m. / $13+

Cordovas (not to be confused with Cordova, TN) are a Nashville Americana band that draws comparisons to The Band, the Grateful Dead, and Crosby, Stills and Nash, and those aren't far off. Their new album Back to Life is excellent and even features a collaboration with Kamasi Washington. They spend part of their year living and writing in Todos Santos, Mexico, which gives their music a looseness and warmth that a lot of American roots bands are missing. Hernando's is exactly the kind of room they were made to play.

Sex Mex at Hi-Tone Cafe (Small Room - Downstairs)

Doors 8 p.m., Show 9 p.m. / $13.50

Sex Mex played the February issue of this blog and I lost my mind over them then, and I'm still losing my mind over them now. Pure, unfiltered punk rock chaos with one of the greatest band names in the game. If you missed them in February, this is your second chance. Do not blow it.
 

Elmiene at Graceland Soundstage

Show 8 p.m. / $54+

This is the pick of the month. Elmiene is a British-Sudanese singer from Oxford (England, not Mississippi) who went viral in 2021 with a D'Angelo cover, got co-signed by Missy Elliott and Questlove, was nominated for the BRIT Rising Star award, and just released his debut album “sounds for someone” on Def Jam. His voice gets compared to D'Angelo, Maxwell, and Marvin Gaye, and he backs it up live. His NPR Tiny Desk performance has over 1.5 million views for a reason. 

SATURDAY, JULY 18

Punk 4 Pups (The Subteens, Recent Future & Ryan Kidd) at Hi-Tone Cafe (Big Room - Upstairs)

Doors 6 p.m., Show 7 p.m. / FREE (donations benefit Alive Rescue Memphis)

A free punk show where your donations go to save animals. I am not sure what more you could possibly want from a Saturday night. Alive Rescue Memphis does incredible work, and this is a genuinely fun way to support them. Three local acts are on the bill and Hi-Tone's Big Room upstairs is a great space for this kind of sweaty, loud, community-driven show. Bring some cash to toss in the bucket and stay for all the sets. 

THURSDAY, JULY 23

High On Fire at Minglewood Hall

Doors 6:30 p.m., Show 7 p.m. / $40+

Grammy-winning heavy metal. That is not a sentence you get to write very often, but High On Fire actually won Best Metal Performance in 2019 for "Electric Messiah," putting them in the same company as Black Sabbath and Metallica (just go with me on this). Frontman Matt Pike is also the guitarist for Sleep, one of the most legendary stoner metal bands ever. Earplugs recommended. 

PJ Morton at Cannon Center for the Performing Arts

Show 8 p.m. / $43+

PJ Morton is back. He played Minglewood back in November and now he's stepping up to the Cannon Center stage for his Saturday Night Sunday Morning tour. If you caught him before, you know his live band is impossibly tight. If you missed him, this is your shot at a bigger, grander version of the same incredible show. Grammy-winning soul music in one of Memphis's best sounding rooms.

FRIDAY, JULY 24

42 Dugg + Babyface Ray at Minglewood Hall

Doors 7 p.m., Show 8 p.m. / $80+

Two of Detroit rap's hardest working names on the same bill. 42 Dugg's signature whistle kick on "We Paid" with Lil Baby is one of the iconic rap sounds of the last 5 years. Expect it to be loud, packed, and exactly what you needed to close out the month.