So usually when shots come around, fate sets Memphis up with a limited option of live sound excursions. Well holy crap Memphis, this Friday/Saturday has opted for the opposite and is stocked with more music to offer than Lil B’s discography… or at least pretty close.
This weekend we’ve got you training with the devil, throwing down with some local yokels, and jumping headfirst into an evening of folk and gangsta rap. (Err, what?) I totally hope you’re of age because it’s time for some weekend shots!
Friday (1/11) starts off with a bump, and then another bump in succession, and then a snare hat, and then some crescendo sounds, and then most likely a drop that’ll hit you in the face with more sub bass than in James Earl Jones vocal chords… or the way they EQ Howard Stern’s voice on the radio. Voodoo Village staple Strooly has made his way west from Nashville and is bringing along a grab bag of tastes that might reference anything from trap hats to island rhythms to hype electro drops at Brinson’s.
Last year he released an EP acting as half of the dart “post-trap” act GRIM, slang quite a few originals on Soundcloud, and even released a snazzy remix or two, traversing the work of artists like TNGHT and Kendrick Lamar. If your thing is dance parties for dance parties’ sake, this has your evening set up.
Across town, Memphis favorite bluegrass band Devil Train will be playing over at The Hi-Tone. The sound spot of old isn’t far from closing it’s doors in February and seems to be making up for it by giving the public a truckload or two of rad shows. (Hint, hint.) Fellow Memphis music longstanding act The Sheiks come equipped with rock ‘n’ roll party music in farewell to a great venue.
At the Buc(caneer), Special Shoes will be playing “faster and harder than your band” (their slogan), with some hardcore shit to get your aggressions out. Equally loud and just as Noisy No Comply bring their own post-punk, post-hardcore, all-metal sound to the bill.
If you’re a little younger than the Special Shoes crowd but you still like the idea of rocking your face off, there’s still something just for you.
The New Daisy will be hosting the Hometown Throwdown. An event of monumental importance to local hard rock buffs, the TWO-day event kicks off on Friday with headliners This Tragic Day, Surrender the Fall, and Swoon. Also billed for the day are Looking for Alaska, Tom Foolery, Seed, and Artifas.
Saturday (1/12) keeps the Hometown Throwdown up and running. This time the big names boasted are So She Sang, The Fairwell, Prosevere, and Shinedown. Past the fold acts include Lights as Lenses, Augustine, A Moment Shy, Aurora, Skyline Divide, and Arvada. If you’re looking for a place to OD on overdriven guitar and hate lyrics about ex-girlfriends and old band mates, this is the place for you.
Alright, so nu metal isn’t your thing, cause it’s not old and cultured enough? Well Saturday thinks you shouldn’t be so quick to complain and is providing you with blues champ Butch Mudbone . The long-standing Southern Gruff will be playing at The Edge Coffeeshop on Madison, bringing with him the hope that Memphis might have an up-and-coming competitive venue on its hands.
If you want something a little softer and kinder at heart, waltz across the street to Otherlands to check out the Michael Cooper Band. The Colliervillian, has been playing around town and has a lengthy catalog of cowboy chord sad songs that build the framework for his airy yet sharp vocal stylings. Young buck and six-string lolita Molly Ray is also billed.
All the other events mentioned thus far were only done so considering you might have a penchant for any of the previously mentioned artists or genres, but really, if you’re looking for something to do Saturday, there’s only one place to go. The Hi-Tone, in yet another phoenix-like fire-from-the-ashes move, is bringing Memphis one hell of a show by having raunchy blues(est) Jason Freeman, folk crooners The Memphis Dawls, and hip hop big boss Al Kapone all in the same place on the same night.
With what seems to be an all-star sound caravan of Memphis elite, there’s really no reason you shouldn’t be there and instagram your view from the back of the crowd.
