Go Memphis Stories: Memphis music reviews, previews and commentary

Pine Ridge Boys bring old time country blues to Folklore Center

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 17:32:00 -0000

When one thinks of Mississippi music, the blues inevitably come to mind first. But the Magnolia State has a rich tradition in a variety of genres, including country music. “People think of the blues, but you know Jimmie Rodgers was from Mississippi,” says Lisa Lambert, a country musician and blues fan who discovered how closely related the two were when she joined up with the Pine Ridge Boys three years ago. The band plays Saturday at the Center For Southern Folklore in Memphis.

Swoon time: Teen pop star Justin Bieber coming to Memphis

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 21:25:00 -0000

Canadian pop heartthrob Justin Bieber is bringing his "My World" tour to the FedExForum July 31. The 16-year-old singer, who rose to fame as a YouTube phenomenon, recently released his second album My World 2.0, the followup to "My World," which went platinum in less than two months. Reggae-rapper Sean Kingston is special guest on the program. Tickets go on sale Mar. 27.

Listen Up: Josh Leggett of Foresight

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 05:00:00 -0000

Josh Leggett told it like it was when he advertised for musicians for his band, which eventually became Foresight. “I got tired of being kicked out of bands in Memphis ’cause I didn’t want to play thrash metal or just insane punk,” said Leggett, 28, Foresight lead and rhythm guitarist and singer. Leggett, who learned to play guitar while in prison, and his band play Sham-Rock Fest in Hernando on Wednesday.

Rapper Mr. Modest is 'oldest rookie' in game

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 06:00:00 -0000

At 36, Quincy Ross, who raps under the name Mr. Modest, is at the age when most artists matriculate out of the hip-hop scene, segueing into artist development or producing instead of haunting the clubs to hone their craft. But this latecomer is just hitting his stride, and his experience and maturity are quickly earning him attention on the local underground rap scene.

The Unbeheld releases its psychedelic torrent in new CD

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 19:00:00 -0000

Hunched over plates of fried rice and Vietnamese soup in a Midtown restaurant, the members of Memphis stoner metal band the Unbeheld seem far removed from the world they sing about, an adolescent suburban boy’s fantasy land of monsters and demons and epic battles of good against evil surrounded in a mist of rumbling drum and epic guitars. The band will throw a CD release party for their full-length debut "In the Arms of Mother Chaos" Saturday at the Hi-Tone.

Kirk Whalum embraces spiritual roots with new album

mehr@commercialappeal.com (Bob Mehr) — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 22:46:00 -0000

There is a thread in Kirk Whalum’s life and career. It’s a line that began as a youth playing in his father’s church choir, and that he followed to the biggest stages in the world. “The first song I ever played as a kid was ‘Amazing Grace,’ ” says Whalum. “Many years later, I found myself playing that song alongside Whitney Houston in South Africa for over 7 million people live on HBO. That song, that experience and that influence was the genesis of my career.”

Now Hear This! Eric Hughes

mehr@commercialappeal.com (Bob Mehr) — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 12:00:00 -0000

Memphis bluesman Eric Hughes likes to say that his music appeals to everyone “from the purist to the tourist.” It’s fair enough description for Hughes himself, a much beloved presence on the local scene — he helped found the Memphis Blues Society back in 2005 — who performs regularly on Beale with his band, as part of a duo and solo. Though the wintertime is typically the slow season on Beale Street, Hughes has been busy recently writing songs for an album he hopes to release this year.

Michael Jackson fan channels the pop king in dance tribute

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 20:48:00 -0000

Memphian Charlynn Struckhoff, a huge fan of Michael Jackson, never got to meet the gloved one. But on Friday, Struckhoff will conjure his spirit, as well as, in a way, his body, when she presents her all-dance tribute to Jackson at Nocturnal at 1588 Madison. The one-woman show, which starts at 10:30 p.m., will feature Struckhoff reinterpreting some of Jackson’s signature dance moves accompanied by video of the iconic performer.

Yo Gotti, Drumma Boy big winners at Southern Entertainment Awards

mehr@commercialappeal.com (Bob Mehr) — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 23:05:00 -0000

The seventh annual Southern Entertainment Awards, celebrating the best in regional rap, hip-hop and urban music, were handed out this past weekend in Memphis at the Cannon Center for the Performing Arts. Among the big local winners were rapper Yo Gotti, who took home a trio of trophies for Song of the Year, Beat of the Year and Indie Album of the Year. Also, Memphis-bred, Atlanta-based hitmaker Drumma Boy, aka Christopher Gholson, earned his second consecutive win as Indie Producer of the Year,

Concert review: Clapton sedates, Daltrey invigorates Forum crowd

mehr@commercialappeal.com (Bob Mehr) — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 00:38:00 -0000

Friday night's Eric Clapton/Roger Daltrey concert at FedExForum was touted as a teaming of rock legends. When all was said and done, however, only one man came off as legendary, while the other simply seemed lethargic. It was an expectant, near-capacity crowd that packed the Downtown arena to watch the two British icons run through musical catalogs that have come to define classic rock.

'Elvis,' again: Hit made-for-TV biopic now out on eagerly awaited DVD

beifuss@commercialappeal.com (John Beifuss) — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 06:00:00 -0000

Long-sought by fans, "Elvis", the first movie about the king of rock, made its overdue DVD debut Tuesday, on the Shout! Factory label. The sympathetic ABC made-for-TV movie became one of the highest-rated films ever when it aired on Feb. 11, 1979, less than 18 months after the singer's shocking death at the age of 42. The disc (list-priced at $19.98) offers the full 148-minute "theatrical" version, and includes a commentary track.

Concert Review: Strait from the heart country

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 22:23:00 -0000

The all-star teaming of George Strait, the Academy of Country Music’s recently crowned Artist of the Decade, with fellow Nashville superstars Reba McEntire and Lee Ann Womack did not disappoint Thursday night as the trio delivered in a marathon, four-hour-plus concert before a crowd of 15,000 at the FedEx Forum. The pairing of Strait with two female openers offered a fascinating contrast, with the women providing a softer, more emotional counterpoint to Strait’s stoic honky-tonk.

T-Model Ford: A 'bad man with a guitar'

mehr@commercialappeal.com (Bob Mehr) — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 06:00:00 -0000

Mississippi bluesman T-Model Ford is in the mood for making pronouncements. Calling from somewhere in the middle of Virginia, where he's in the midst of a tour that will bring him to the Hi-Tone Café tonight, the nearly 90-year-old guitarist and singer is touting his bona fides. "You see, I'm a man now," says Ford, with a rumbling laugh. "I done been all over the world. Sure enough, I'm a maaaaan now."

Go Out! Fun events this week

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 06:00:00 -0000

Guitar god Eric Clapton and The Who's Roger Daltrey team up for a double bill of classic rock legends at FedExForum. Daltrey will open the show with a set backed by a band that includes Pete Townshend's brother Simon. Clapton will follow with a performance of songs from across his career as a solo artist and band member with Cream and Derek and the Dominos.

Gordon Lightfoot is loving life on the road

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 06:00:00 -0000

Late last month, the Internet bubbled over with rumors that Gordon Lightfoot, the award-winning Canadian singer-songwriter behind hits such as "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald," had himself been spirited away at age 71 by "the witch of November." In his hometown of Toronto, Lightfoot was on the way home from the dentist when he heard the radio reports of his death.

Friends, family pay tribute to late jazz musician Jamil Nasser

mehr@commercialappeal.com (Bob Mehr) — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 23:10:00 -0000

A local tribute will be held Friday for renowned Memphis-born jazz bassist Jamil Nasser. Nasser, born George Joyner, died after suffering a stroke and massive cardiac arrest at hospital in Englewood, N.J., on Feb. 13. He was 77. A longtime East Coast resident, Nasser will be remembered by his Memphis family and friends on Friday at 6:30 p.m. at the Mt. Nebo Baptist Church, located at 555 Vance Ave.

Widespread Panic, Michael McDonald, 3 Doors Down join Beale fest lineup

mehr@commercialappeal.com (Bob Mehr) — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 20:01:00 -0000

Southern jam band giants Widespread Panic, blue-eyed soul crooner Michael McDonald, multiplatinum rockers 3 Doors Down, and chart pop hitmakers the Goo Goo Dolls are among the performers slated for the 34th Beale Street Music Festival. The complete lineup for the festival was announced today at a news conference at the Hard Rock Cafe. Organizers confirmed nearly 60-acts for the event, set for April 30 to May 2 at Tom Lee Park.

Tenth Avenue North joins roster of Christian rockers rolling into Memphis

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 18:42:00 -0000

Tenth Avenue North and fellow headliners Third Day, Newsboys, Firelight and Newsong, the veteran Christian rock group that started the Winter Jam Tour Spectacular in 1995, take over FedExForum on Sunday. Also on the bill, performing as part of the concert's "pre-party," are Robert Pierre, Revive and Sidewalk Prophets. This is the first time Tenth Avenue North has played the Winter Jam, which has become something of an ordination for young bands into the elite of contemporary Christian music.

Southern Entertainment Awards fete rising stars of rap scene

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 03:43:00 -0000

Going into their seventh year, the Southern Entertainment Awards have become the premier event for recognizing achievement in Southern hip-hop. This year the show makes the leap to Memphis and the largest venue in its history. Underground artists like Memphis rapper Yo Gotti (left) have used the awards show as a stepping stone to broader success.

Booker T. & the MGs, Alice in Chains, Jeff Beck confirmed for Beale fest

mehr@commercialappeal.com (Bob Mehr) — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 20:42:00 -0000

Guitar hero Jeff Beck, Stax legends Booker T. & the MGs and reunited grunge act Alice in Chains are among the big names that have already confirmed they will be part of the 2010 Beale Street Music Festival at Tom Lee Park. The 34th annual edition of the concert event — part of the Memphis in May International Festival — will run from April 30 to May 2. The full lineup, including additional headliners, will be announced Thursday during an event at downtown’s Hard Rock Café.