Today was the grand opening of a new restaurant called Cafe 581 in the Uptown neighborhood of Memphis, and so I drove down to check it out. The restaurant is in a pair of old houses in the Greenlaw neighborhood that have been joined together by a new structure where there is a bar. There’s also an outdoor patio with trees, and a stage for live bands. The current menu is relatively small, but the bacon cheeseburger I had was quite good. I was told that there will be events like “Hip Hop For Adults” and live music performances.
Memphis Tennessee
Ecko Records has been a bedrock label of Memphis blues and southern soul for years, but in the wake of the Pop Tunes/Cat’s Music collapse, Ecko decided to become a retail store too. Located on Elvis Presley (Bellevue) just south of Kerr, the Ecko Records shop sells blues, soul, rap and gospel, as well as used CDs, vinyl albums and 45 RPM singles. They’re open until 7 PM every day except Sunday (they close at 5 PM on Sundays), and are worth a visit.
Ecko Records has been a bedrock label of Memphis blues and southern soul for years, but in the wake of the Pop Tunes/Cat’s Music collapse, Ecko decided to become a retail store too. Located on Elvis Presley (Bellevue) just south of Kerr, the Ecko Records shop sells blues, soul, rap and gospel, as well as used CDs, vinyl albums and 45 RPM singles. They’re open until 7 PM every day except Sunday (they close at 5 PM on Sundays), and are worth a visit.
Fairley vs. Hamilton at the Whitehaven Classic, 2011
The second game of the Whitehaven Classic was between Fairley High School and Hamilton High School. Fairley is a rather large school that usually has a band comparable to colleges in size and quality, and this year was no exception. Particularly first-rate is their drumline. Hamilton, on the other hand, is a sad shadow of its former self. For most of my youth, they were the high school band we most wanted to see at a parade or an event. In Christmas parades, they would march down the street a hundred strong, to a hard funk cadence provided by the drummers. Nowadays, they have only one tuba, only one or two bass drummers, one or two snares. Economic realities, crime and drugs have devastated the South Memphis area where the school draws its students from, and open enrollment has made it much easier for students to transfer out of district. It is all very sad to watch.
The end of the third quarter of Fairley and Hamilton was 10 PM, and I didn’t wait around for Whitehaven and Hillcrest.
Westwood vs. Mitchell at Whitehaven 2011
Memphis’ high-school football (and band) season got underway in earnest this weekend, with Saturday’s Whitehaven Classic offering a marathon three high-school games at Whitehaven Stadium. The first game, between Westwood and Mitchell, was delayed somewhat due to the heat, but as the day progressed and temperatures cooled, the crowds increased. Both Westwood and Mitchell have truly tiny bands this year compared to what I recall from the 1980’s and 1990’s. I suppose their enrollments are down as people have relocated to Hickory Hill, Cordova, Southaven and Olive Branch.
Austin hip-hop crew The League of Extraordinary G’z is on tour with Dead Prez, and stopped off in Memphis as they were driving from a show in Lexington, KY to one in Houston, TX.
Austin hip-hop crew The League of Extraordinary G’z is on tour with Dead Prez, and stopped off in Memphis as they were driving from a show in Lexington, KY to one in Houston, TX.
With Jill Scott performing at the Fed Ex Forum in Downtown Memphis, some friends of mine scheduled a Pre-Concert Mixer at the Westin Hotel lobby across the street from the arena. They got a good crowd, including a lot of my friends from college, and a lot of people I know from the Law and Order weekends. It was a lot of fun.
With Jill Scott performing at the Fed Ex Forum in Downtown Memphis, some friends of mine scheduled a Pre-Concert Mixer at the Westin Hotel lobby across the street from the arena. They got a good crowd, including a lot of my friends from college, and a lot of people I know from the Law and Order weekends. It was a lot of fun.
Kevin “A & R” Shine of The Firm came to Memphis and sponsored a Tastemakers Music Networking event at Zodiac Monday August 15, 2011. Lots of local industry people were there, including DJ 007, Wes Phillips and DJ Bay of Select-O-Hits, Miscellaneous, Trap House Studios, and probably some I forgot. Ultimately, it was a very informative event, and a great way for Memphis artists to build their network.