Memphis Music: Where to See Live Music

Audubon Sessions March 29, 2022

By Sidney Sensing, Photo by Daily Memphian

Note: Due to the pandemic and businesses some of these locations and projects might be currently unavailable, canceled or changed. Please contact each business/ venue for more information.

Four years ago I moved to Memphis to attend Rhodes College, I had no clue what to major in or simply how I was going to be a college student. However, I did know I would be able to find an abundance of live music in Memphis. Despite a pandemic and the economic trials and tribulations of live music venues and events, Memphis continues to have an abundance of live music. In a senior year spirit, I decided to compile a bucket list of live music events and venues throughout Memphis. I want this list to be a resource to those wanting to hear more live Memphis music and inspiration to those in a live music rut (but believe me post pandemic musicians are ready to play). In order to highlight the vast music scene we have in Memphis, I have separated venues by area of town, festivals, and the future of live music in Memphis.

Note: If you do not see your favorite live music venue/ music festival below please reach out to me @ sensg-22@rhodes.edu, I want to hear about it!

Yearly Music Festivals

River City Jazz and Music Festival April 2, 2022 at The Cannon Center

To see the line up and purchase tickets click here!

Mempho Fest September 30-October 2 2022 Radians Amphitheater, Memphis Botanic Gardens

Existing in Society

Audubon Sessions March 7, 2022

By Molly O’Neill, Photo by @societymemphis

If you’re a Rhodes student trying to get to know Memphis, Society is the place to go. Mark Horrocks and his partner Matthew Wrage have built the perfect spot to hang out for all ages. Since my freshman year I have loved getting away from campus and just existing in this vibrant place. As no simple explanation of Society could suffice, I will let Mr. Horrocks speak for himself.

What is your background that you decided to build this hybrid space for skaters and coffee lovers and artists? Are you familiar with skate culture or were you just recognizing the need for this space in Memphis?

I have a non-profit background; I’ve been in nonprofits for years and became a community builder through that. I skateboarded when I was younger and still mess around every once in a while. This venture happened when my current business partner bought the building to move his workshop in, but that didn’t work out and he needed to figure out what to do with the building. I heard about a skatepark for sale in Atlanta Georgia and it was being sold under the requirement that the park would find new life. So, I called him up and two days later we were on our way to Atlanta to chop up this skate park and pack it up on 6 semis to bring back to Memphis. We spent the next 16-18 months building up the park, the commercial space, and the coffee shop. Both of us having a construction background we rolled up our sleeves and got to work. All the coffee tables in the shop today are made by Wrage. This wasn’t something I had dreamed of, I’m a serial entrepreneur I ran my own nonprofit for 14 years. This to me was about doing what I love and building communities. I wanted to help the Memphis community embrace all the city has to offer. I knew there was a thriving skate culture in Memphis so I could build upon that. Adding a coffee shop component is a subculture in itself. The mixed use of this space has helped with revenue and keeping us open. We’ve been here for 3 years, 2 years of that have been a pandemic so that’s been interesting. We built a loyal community of people who love coffee, music, skateboarding, and art it’s everything we wanted it to become.

How did the pandemic impact the community you were trying to create?

We had to fall in line with the gyms because of the skating. The gyms got shut down and we got shut down for about 2 months. During that time, we pivoted, if you couldn’t come to the skate park, we would bring the park to you. So, we built about 16 ramps and started renting them out to people for a few days or weeks at a time. Families worried about how long quarantine would last just ended up buying them. That allowed us to stay connected with the community and make enough revenue to keep the lights on. We all experience the pandemic in our own ways and when we opened back up, we saw our regulars, but still others we didn’t see for another year. It was hard with everyone’s comfort zones; we had a family come after the start of the pandemic and they shared that they hadn’t been out in 18 months.

One of the things I love about society is how intergenerational you are. You cater to parents, children, and young people all with ease. Is there any age group that you’re still hoping to reach out to?

When we first opened, we thought we would get a lot of teenagers and young adults, but what we found after we opened was that young kids wanted to be introduced to this sport. We had skate camps for younger kids and that really went well. Being a coffee shop, we have a ton of people come in during the day that are older who enjoy our space. A lot of people are still hearing about us we get people coming in all the time saying, “Oh I never knew you were here”. Since we are so off the beaten path, we are working on marketing to make sure people in Memphis know that we are here.

You guys are reentering the music game with your concerts and Jazz nights. How did you first get started with that?

Prior to Society through my non-profit and other ventures I used to put on concerts and blue grass festivals like LUVMUD—a 5k mud run and 2-day festival at Shelby park. I’ve always been a live music junkie; I live for live music. One of the heartbeats of Society that we always wanted to incorporate was art and music. It plays such a large role in skate culture as it is but providing this space for local bands and traveling bands has been really great. The pandemic threw us off, but we are getting back on track with concerts. We’ve got shows booked every weekend in March and are starting to fill up April and June. I basically want to have live shows every weekend. We also have the UofM Jazz program come twice a month. Our range goes from jazz, hip hop, rap, grunge indie rock, even Memphis Underground which is a pretty hardcore band. I’m also excited about bringing out of town music, Memphis has some great bands but reaching out to bands in Nashville has been really rewarding.

Was there any backlash about setting up this space? What was the reception of the community when you first put this idea out there?

It was well received. We had a number of advocates and a friend of mine started Tobey Park which is another public skate park, the first one in Memphis. There was a great excitement and energy about that which was great to see. The community was really behind him. Having this indoor space filled a great need. Skate culture is interesting, there are people who skate everyday, people who skate for fun and kids who are finding this new passion. On rainy days they need a place to go so Society fills that need. Parents especially can be uncomfortable leaving their kids in public outdoor spaces. I remember one mom early on who was thrilled at the idea of an airconditioned coffee shop where she could stay while her kids were skating. One of the challenges we faced early on and still face is our location. Memphis has gone through different transitions over the years, we are in a part of Memphis that used to be somewhere you wouldn’t go after dark. Over the past five- or six-years Memphis has gone through this reformation with places like Crosstown, Cooper Young, South Main, and now the Broad Avenue arts district which are now becoming these great hangout spots. We still get calls asking about the safety of our space, but we’ve had no issues since the day we’ve opened. Usually a parent or someone new comes here and are excited to have this safe place to go day or night.

Why Society?

We call it Society because it’s a place to belong, you could care less about skateboarding and just enjoy the coffee shop or vice versa, we strive to provide an inclusive welcoming culture here. A lot like skate culture, it’s very welcoming to outsiders, we don’t care about talent we just want you to come and hangout. We have some kids who come here every day it’s like a second home. There’s something about Memphis that just draws you in. There are so many people trying to create a better culture here and strengthen the community. To do that today with Society is great.

It’s clear you have a dedication to Memphis, I know there is often a fear of gentrification and erasure, but Society doesn’t seem to do that.

We are building on what’s already here. The skate culture, the music scene, and the artists we work with all just needed a space for them to express themselves and we provided. We want to highlight what we love about Memphis. The future of Memphis are the people investing in our city and doing their part to make the city better.

Horrocks also cites Zac Roberts who runs the skate shop as being crucial to their success. Roberts has been involved since day one. He’s a lifelong skater who has played a huge part in making Society what it is today. His dedication to growing the skate community in Memphis just shows off his heart. Horrocks is not originally from Memphis but claims it as his own. Coming to Memphis, he started off with nonprofits helping families like his who were dealing with having a child with terminal illness. To this day he has continued to build up the Memphis community. It’s clear that Horrocks, his partner Roberts and their entire team love the environment they have created and love building up the Memphis community. As a college student I’ve been going to Society since freshman year. I have no background in skating but watching from their upstairs viewing room and sipping on delicious coffee has been just as fun. It’s such a short drive from Rhodes and is a perfect way to get out of our little bubble and become more familiar with what this city has to offer.

A Love Letter To Music

Audubon Sessions February 24, 2022

By Priscilla Foreman

It's the week after Valentine's Day, a day filled with love and appreciation. There is this person I have been a little nervous about confessing my feeling too. Here is the love letter I wrote.

French Exit Tour

Audubon Sessions January 18, 2022

By Molly O’Neill

I cannot recommend anything more than going to a concert in your hometown when you’re home from break over the holidays. Memphis is a great city for music but the indie rock crowd there is smaller than one would hope. Which is why I started off this break with a TV Girl concert at the Fremont Theatre in San Luis Obispo. The band originated in San Diego in 2010 and is made up of three core members; Brad Petering, Jason Wyman, and Wyatt Harmon. Despite being a fan of TV girl for almost 4 years I was surprised that there was no actual “TV Girl” involved. Like many music lovers, I’m one of those people who ties songs to memories which is why I can tell you the first time I heard “TV Girl” was writing a philosophy paper in the basement of Robertson. I heard “Lovers Rock” from their most popular album French Exit and immediately loved the playful beat, the relatable yet quirky lyrics, and the softness of Petering’s voice.

As French Exit came out in 2014, I had little hope of seeing this album performed in its entirety until recently. The band is on tour with the 6 1/2-year anniversary of the album’s release which had been postponed due to Covid- 19. I caught them in the last leg of their tour in the US on the coast of California before they head to the UK. The line to get into the venue was a long one, we missed the opening act. No one was complaining though— except about the cold— because it was the fault of the bouncer checking vaccine cards and ID’s. This is not something you often have to deal with in Memphis, but in California you can’t walk two feet without someone asking to see your vaccine card. The crowd in the line was well behaved and a surprisingly wide variety of people. Couples in their 60s, moms and daughters, girlfriend and boyfriends, and friends all about to share this experience after giving up so much of our normalcy during these unprecedented times. Masks inside the venue were optional, but most stayed on. Despite being 22 years of age, the bouncer was wary of my Alabama ID after seeing my twins California one, so I was marked as underage. A laughable moment and certainly not a damper on my evening. When we entered the theatre a number of people were gathered at the pit, but a good amount stayed sitting. TV Girl is the kind of band that requires creativity when dancing, in other words hypnagogic pop. We spoke to some acquaintances who shared this acquired taste and waited excitedly for the band to start.

Beginning with “Pantyhose” it was clear they had no intentions of varying from the album. The vibes were hazy and lazy and sweet, someone behind me sang every word. The girl next to me kept bumping into me in tandem with the beat. Then the crowd began to glow as their second most popular song “Birds Don’t Sing” started to play. Petering and the rest of the band didn’t have a crazy dance number or a light show, it wasn’t necessary. This is the music that you dance to in your bedroom or while you’re washing the dishes. It makes you think of old conversations and relationships you’ve almost erased from memory.

Of course, there were songs I didn’t know very well, but that gave me an excuse to head to the washroom, my second favorite place during concerts. The community you find in a women’s restroom at a show is unparalleled. Beautiful girls with torn tights and thick eyeliner laughing and lifting each other up enjoying the space and the soft vibration of the music as it seeps under the door.

The rest of the concert went on swimmingly, people twirling and bopping as Petering and his crew messed about on stage. It was like watching teenagers play in their parents’ garage in a nostalgic and light-hearted way. There were a few cringe moments where Petering shouted out his fans from tiktok, “Lovers Rock” has been going viral on the app and he assumed that the younger crowd was there because of it. The band ended with a couple songs from their latest album Death of a Party Girl, staying true to their lo-fi beats and nonsensical lyrics. The crowd was content, and we exited the warmth of the theatre into the cold December night, still high on the shared experience of a beloved band. Whether studying, dancing, or taking a night-time drive TV Girl has had a spot in every playlist since I first discovered them. In his final moments on stage Petering shared his happiness that he could still relate to the sad teenagers feeling a little lost and confused. Which— to be honest— we all are.

A Note on Notes as Art

Audubon Sessions December 9, 2021

By Izzy Brewer

For a student in any discipline, writing notes is nothing short of an instinct. Whether it is the definition of a new rhetorical technique, a physics formula, or a so-simply-geometric-yet-never-perfect diagram of a chemical structure, what needs to be remembered for the final exam winds up on a line in a notebook one way or another. It isn’t an obvious connection, but this is art. When thinking about the intersection of academia and art, our first thought would be of the art students we watch through the window as they create their drawings, paintings, and sculptures in the studio instead of a lecture hall. We all secretly envy them – of course they are the creatives of campus with all the freedom of thought and expression, and the rest of us are left with never-ending lectures of too much information dumped into our laps and transcribed onto paper.

But what if we are all these artists at heart? I argue that regardless of discipline, any method of recording our thoughts onto paper by hand or screen via keyboard is a form of art in itself. The learning process requires a level of agency in our education, as we decide how to translate the lecturer’s words into our own to then write down and perhaps reformat later. We may write drafts and reword notes as if they are the first version of our piece, and then save them as a finished product fit for studying. We each handle that process in our way, and our notes end up looking completely different from the students’ sitting next to us. At its most basic level, we are “creating” something, and just because its content is not abstract or even extra colorful doesn’t diminish its value as a piece of art that makes our thoughts tangible and shareable.

Though seemingly contradictory to my last point, our writing, whether physical or digital, is partially subconscious. When frantically trying to keep up with the professor’s lecture, we write or type automatically with little thought as to what it looks like or how its organized. Abstract Expressionist Jackson Pollock, active through the 1930s to the 50s, claimed that his painting technique was completely controlled by the ideas that arose from the deepest unconscious layer of his mind, inspired by the theories of psychiatrist Carl Jung. He splattered, dripped, poured, and flung in his signature style known as “action painting,” which emphasized the flow of creative energy from the brain to the hand and ultimately to the canvas. The art we create through our notes results from a combination of our conscious and unconscious choices, just as the loops and dots and crosses in our handwriting developed over our lifetimes are purely second nature rather than a specific compositional decision.

Each member of the Dredge team embraced this idea of handicraft and its individual expression to bring you Dredge Volume 4, now available on the website and in print. Along with the featured music, art, and poetry, our handwriting and mindless doodles grace the pages as a physical record of our part in its creation preserved in the digital realm. Vol. 4 is unique in that it transports Dredge back to the do-it-yourself roots of zine culture. The concept of a small-scale magazine emerged in the 1930s and 40s with hand-illustrated science fiction comics, and the punk subculture of the 70s brought zines to the forefront of regional music journalism as an accessible means of exploring local bands and genres. We bring Dredge to you for the same purpose – to present Memphis art and music directly to the public and bring visibility to the city we love so much.

The next time you find yourself daydreaming in class and drawing in the paper margins, I hope you remember that you are creating art (and maybe think of Dredge too, we would appreciate it). The only requirement for being a “creative” is to be a human who is creative, and expressing yourself through your writing and doodling in your notes is being just that.

Everyone Needs a Break: How We Can Learn From Some of Music's Biggest Breaks

Audubon Sessions December 8, 2021

By Priscilla Foreman

Welcome back! We have just come back from a much-needed fall break, and somehow we're over halfway through the semester.

Before you start fretting about finals or classes for the next semester, let's sit back and set goals and visions for the future. It can be hard to believe it, but after this break, this is a time of growth or time to correct some, let's just say early mistakes (assignments).

So let's take notes from five of music's biggest acts who needed a break and time to grow in their craft and artistry.

Fall Out Boy

My literal secret music group obsession is Fall Out Boy consisting of Patrick Stump, Pete Wentz, Joe Trohman, and Andy Hurley. They were known for their early hit "Thnks fr th Mmrs" in 2007. The group took a hiatus to "decompress", as the band stated. This break also gave them time to work on some personal projects. The group came back together in 2013 and released the "Save Rock and Roll" album filled with multiple charts hits such as, My Songs know what you did in the Dark.

As a fan, check out this youtube video of the Group narrating their history with the help of Brendon Urie: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjmXSJ_onTk

One Direction

This British boy band had a presence of 50% of my playlist in Middle School. One Direction (1D) consisted of Nail Horan, Liam Payne, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, and Zayn Malik. The group started in 2010 with multiple hits such as That's What makes you Beautiful and History. In just six years, the group became one of the top-selling boy bands and history. In 2015 the band announced their separation due to each member wanting to pursue personal projects, but each member has had a successful career as an individual artist since the split, also pursuing other interests such as acting.

Destiny’s Child

Can you pay my bills? Destiny Child was an early 90's girl group mostly known for the iconic members of Beyoncé Knowles, Kelly Rowland, and Michelle Williams. Except for Michelle (who I love), the group members have been performing together since they were 8. The group broke up in 2005. Each member went on to have successful careers of their own. They ventured back together for a legendary 2018 Coachella performance, so maybe we can look for a Destiny Child reunion in the future.

Selena Gomez

You never know the quiet battles that people are facing. Behind a star-studded success, Selena Gomez was suffering both mentally and physically, adding to the fact that she started off as a child star made the difficulties even harder for a young Selena.

Battling these battles in secret, Selena finally made her hardship public to bring awareness to her issues. Now with a tv cooking show and a feature on Hulu's, Only Murders in the Building, Selena is finding more ways to grow and succeed. While also serving as an advocate for mental health.

Lady Gaga

Very few artists can say that they had the rapid-fire success of Lady Gaga. Her iconic album Fame gave way to pop hits such as Poker Face and Just Dance. Lady Gaga took a break from music after her 2013 album to focus on her mental health. Which she said she much needed considering she was thinking about quitting music. After this hiatus, Lady Gaga has realized multiple hit albums and won an Academy Award for her performance of Shallows in the hit movie A Star is Born.

So what have we learned? Well, breaks are needed. No matter the troublesome difficulties in the past, we can all bounce back and improve. These groups and artists did it, and so can you. Go out and achieve them! Set your goals and dreams for the rest of the semester and make them happen.

Interview With Vinny Martone

Audubon Sessions December 8, 2021

By Khulan Erdenechimeg

As part of our exploration of Memphis and its cultural influences, Dredge Magazine had the great pleasure of sitting down with Vinny Martone, a young blues musician on Beale Street.

It’s weird to see someone in person for the first time after months of texts and emails. Especially if you’re an overthinker like me who likes to take any opportunity to second-guess people’s vibes, personalities, and looks. But Vinny Martone was almost what I imagined him to be, a young blues guitarist with sharp looks, dressed in button-up and jeans. He’s got distinct American goodness that reminded me of the old-time charmers in the music scene – this balance of seriousness and carelessness that makes anyone believe in their art. There’s a thing I did mis-imagine, though. He’s friendlier than I expected him to be. As someone who grew up watching interviews of rock stars wearing sunglasses-indoors and chain-smoking during the whole 15 minutes program just to mutter 5 sentences, I expected him to be “too cool” for me to handle. But no, he’s too genuine for that rock-n-roll pretension. A few minutes into our conversation, I find out that’s what the blues is about.

Vinny Martone grew up in the southern suburbs of Chicago. His earliest musical memories include him listening to the 70s and 80s Cool jazz with his dad. The love story between him and his guitar started pretty early on, around the time when his little brother started taking music classes. Vinny spent hours on Youtube learning his favorite tunes– that of Charley Patton, Muddy Waters, and other blues legends. He then went to college in Indianapolis, got a degree in civil engineering, worked for four months, quit, and came to Memphis to play the blues. Now he regularly plays at the Blues Hall with Vince Johnson & the Plantation All-Stars. (He also posts blues covers on his Instagram page @vinny_martone here and there if you want to check them out!)

But what is it about the blues that made him ditch his engineering career, I wonder. He says it was its honesty and simplicity. It’s hard to hide your mediocre skills with acts when playing the blues – it’s too stripped-down for that. It’s genuine - A trait I would use to describe him after our 45 minutes of conversation. There’s something so universal yet regional about the blues that brought many people around the world, including this writer from Mongolia, to the American South to learn more about it. It’s very much disciplined like Classical music, but it’s also unpretentious enough to survive social classes and layers. I ask if he thinks that the pain in the blues makes it so universal and authentic. He replies that blues isn’t just about pain. “There are many types of blues music, some are seductive and sexually charged, some are suitable for the dance floor. Its roots perhaps are bound to withstand the struggles of life, but it evolved into a genre just as diverse and versatile just as any other style of music is”. So there’s that as well. The thing is, though, he just really likes the blues.

Let’s be clear here. Whatever he’s doing is not something you would expect a 23-year-old guy from Chicago to do. My parents would agree with me. My friends would too. The music industry is not like what it used to be, you’ll probably make more money making videos on Tik Tok than playing in clubs during the weekend. Perhaps there was an unexplainable push, a “calling” of some sorts, to justify/realize this decision.

He agrees with me. “Even when I was making the move to come down here, I was like, ‘This just feels right’. I had only played with Vince a handful of times on Beale Street before I actually moved down here, but that was enough for me. Doing it a handful of times was just like, ‘That's it, I'm set’. I'm sure that everyone [coming here] else feels the same way.”

Speaking of genuineness as well as the mystical magical “callings” we music nerds like to go on and on about, I decide it’s time to ask my favorite question – what is his definition of an “artist”? Is he one?

He laughs and shakes his head. I ask if it’s because the title of “artist” is too heavy. He nods: “[Being an] ‘artist’ to me is like making a whole song from scratch. I mean, I write my own songs every now and then, but they're still kind of taken from something else, which everyone, I think, is guilty of, right?.. Everything comes from another idea, but most of my musical career has been playing guitar or harmonica with bands. I've written a bunch of songs, but a lot of them are kind of copied ideas twisted around into an original thing.”

Interesting. I ask if he feels the need to create something “new” and be the artist or if he’s just comfortable with being a musician. But to him, it’s a little more complicated than that. “I know a lot of really great artists that have really creative and fun songs. And I know some really talented musicians that know their instrument. The ideal is to be both -- is to know your instrument inside and out, and then also have a creative mind about it. I mean, that's the ultimate goal for me… If I had to pick, I'd rather be a musician.”

Vinny is the type of musician who loves to really dig deep into the world of music – his Instagram stories are all about Smithsonian Folkways, Dust-To-Digital, companies dedicated to preserving and documenting American music history. He says having music knowledge is important - both historical and theoretical. I wondered if music theory was something he was always drawn to or did he pick it up afterward? “The theory for me was like, ‘I have to work on this'. If I will be playing in bands, and if I'm gonna be called up on stage randomly to pick a song out of nowhere, I have to know that. That happens all the time on Beale Street. Say, there'll be a different piano player that we haven't played with, and he'll start a song I don't know. He'll say the key and that's it. Figure it out. And it's a little stressful, but you just got to pick up on it. You gotta get out and get it real quick. Which is part of the adventure.”

Speaking of Beale Street, I ask him about his experience performing there. Things change, and big musical and art hubs disappear over time. I wondered if he felt what I felt after my trip to the nearly closed-down and abandoned Chelsea Hotel in NYC. He says the change “bums me out a little bit”, but it’s not enough to stop him. “As easy as it would be to ‘sell my soul’ and play covers and make way more money, I just don't think I want to do that right now. I'm here to play traditional blues.”

How does he see himself in the ever-changing music industry, though? What are his plans for the future? He replies, “I'm constantly trying to play with new people and learn new things… It's not my priority to ‘make it’. If it were completely up to me, I would go around touring the country with one guitar, acoustic guitar, and playing folk songs. That'd be one of my goals in life… I like keeping the tradition of the music alive. Like I said, traditional blues and country, and jazz are the core of American music. I like to honor those people that really made strides for it.”

That’s such a great answer, I replied. Music is about evolution and transformations, but we also need some people who can keep history alive for us to base our new creations on. Vinny Martone is one of those musicians. A pretty cool one, too. We shake hands, talk a little more about music, the fascinating behaviors of middle-aged women in Beale Street clubs, and Rhodes College’s weird campus placements. He then heads back to the parking lot to find his Grand Marquis (which has a song dedicated to it, because, why not?), as I hurry to my room to start writing this article.

Memphis: A Space for Creatives

Audubon Sessions October 25, 2021

By Cate Cunningham

Blues. Soul. Rock ‘N’ Roll. It is no secret that the city of Memphis has a rich musical and creative history. Before I moved here, essentially all I could tell you about the city was that it had some connection to Elvis Presley, B.B. King, and the mystical idea of “the blues.” As a wannabe musician myself, I looked forward to being in a city that was so famous for its music– but commercially, what I found was perhaps closer to a broken record than a blossoming city of creatives. On the surface, it can be hard to escape the street-corner covers of Al Green’s “Let’s Stay Together.” This city has grit and character, full of genuine hearts, yet something about Beale Street seems to construct a facade. The longer I have been here, the more I question whether this facade is beneficial to the genuine hearts I have come to know. So, I asked one.

Bailey Bigger, a folk artist from Marion, Arkansas, was raised in a household that valued Memphis music. Just a couple miles across the Mississippi, Bailey mentions Otis Redding and Aretha Franklin as beloved childhood soundtracks and even has a pretty incredible anecdote about a dance competition on stage with B. B. King. Although she looked outward for folk inspirations, citing Joni Mitchell and John Denver, it is clear that the Memphis music scene influenced Bailey’s person, and consequently, her music.

Bailey talks about Memphis as an “underdog” city. Relatively cheap to live, less-than-developed, genuine (and maybe even weird). This, according to her, is the appeal: authenticity. She watched cities like Nashville become commercialized and sold as an attraction, conglomerating individuals into one big idea of “country music.” We talked a bit about our fears for Memphis– is Beale Street becoming a little too “Disneyland”? Why is Memphis marketing itself as a glimpse into the past instead of a step into the future? It is certainly a balance: being proud of our rich history while upholding current, genuine individuals and groups. These individuals, from Bailey’s perspective, have made her journey as a musician so much more intimate. Although this came as a bit of a surprise to me, Bailey affirms that Memphis has a very small, close-knit community that loves singers/songwriters. With a city the size of ours, I was not expecting to hear that the music community felt “small,” yet, Bailey mentioned numerous bands, individuals, and venues of all genres that she has not only worked with but befriended. Small venues like South Main Sounds, Otherlands Coffee, and Railgarten have given her the opportunity to meet other musicians and perform in multi-genre concerts, which in turn established a wide fan base. Bailey is also on the Artist Advisory Counsel for Music Export Memphis, a group that affirms Memphis’s “rich musical heritage” and works to provide opportunities for upcoming artists, not only for the artists themselves, but to benefit and build up the city as a whole.

So, I would like to think that Memphis is stepping in the “right” direction. We have nonprofits like Music Export Memphis, schools like Soulsville Charter School, and museums like Stax. I truly believe that there is a feasible way to maintain our authenticity and grow as a city. And so, it seems, does Bailey, who ended our conversation by telling me that if her music career takes off, she hopes to settle in Memphis again. “When you’re on the road all the time,” she tells me, “the number one thing you want to do after is be home.” And for us, Memphis is home.

You can catch Bailey Bigger perform at 6:00pm on November 4th at Spring Creek Ranch and at 4:00pm, November 7th, at Railgarten.

Cover Photo by Harris Beauchamp

Have You Ever Questioned Your Gender Identity?

Audubon Sessions October 21, 2021

By Molly O’Neill

Regardless of your answer to this question, take a trip to the Brooks Museum this week to view the exhibition “On Christopher Street” by photographer Mark Seigler. This series focuses on the lives and history of transgender and queer people who found a home on Christopher Street in New York. The street is a beacon for members of the LGTBQIA2+ community as it was home to Stonewall Inn which is where the Stonewall riots of 1969 took place. Mark Seigler’s Transgender portrait’s capture the significance of this place, the photos are all in black and white and paired with a video from various LGTBQIA2+ persons who were able to share their story of transition. The Brook’s website puts it best in saying that, ”[t]hese portraits remind us that Christopher Street is more than just a physical place – it is a feeling, an idea, that redefines notions of home and community. It encourages us to experience it and bring it with us. At a time when trans and queer rights are again at the political forefront, it is increasingly important to create and foster our own Christopher Streets.” This sentiment of creating our own Christopher Street is especially needed in the Southern United States where the question of gender identity is not so easily brought up in daily conversation.

Looking at the political aspects of this work one can’t help but acknowledge the struggle for proper medical care which many transgender patients are often denied. There is a major disconnect in the medical field between doctors and transgender patients with many legal, economic, and social barriers prohibiting transgender patients, and more specifically youth, from receiving proper treatment. Healthcare providers are unwilling to cover fees and many parents refuse to support their children with the transition process which, in places like Georgia and about 20 other states in the US, renders these youth powerless until they reach a mature age.

The regulation of our bodies as a form of oppression is nothing new to women, but transgender and non-binary bodies are often left out of this conversation. Especially with the new legislation in Texas this month, tensions are high, and it is very easy to lump blame and hatred onto men. One doctor even mentions altering their vocabulary to use gender neutral terms for reproductive organs and stresses the importance of transgender representation within medical settings. What we must note is that women are not the only people with uteruses or ovaries. We are all fighting for these rights together.

So, whether reading this as a member of the LGTBQIA2+ community or as an ally I urge you to consider how to make the spaces you are in a reflection of the sanctuary many people found at Christopher Street. Should you wish to know more about this exhibit, there will be a guided tour held by Joel Parsons, a Professor of Art and Chair of the Gender and Sexualities program at Rhodes. The tour will take place October 20th at 6:30 pm and the link to register is below. There will also be a Trans Visibility event held this weekend, October 2nd, from 10am to 5pm.

Visibility event:

https://www.facebook.com/events/376667560491154/?acontext=%7B%22ref%22%3A%2252%22%2C%22action_history%22%3A%22[%7B%5C%22surface%5C%22%3A%5C%22share_link%5C%22%2C%5C%22mechanism%5C%22%3A%5C%22share_link%5C%22%2C%5C%22extra_data%5C%22%3A%7B%5C%22invite_link_id%5C%22%3A223700256370490%7D%7D]%22%7D

Guided Tour:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/guided-tour-of-on-christopher-street-with-joel-parsons-tickets-167635842317

NYT article:

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/28/health/transgender-health-care.html

Brooks Website:

https://www.brooksmuseum.org/christopherstreet

Digital illustration by Clarissa Bird. 2021.

The Breakup Playlist

Audubon Sessions June 30, 2021

So you’re finally ready to come to terms with the fact that you broke up. Maybe it was a romantic break up or a friendship break up or an imaginary break up with someone you never even dated. Dredge is here to help. Sometimes the pain, elation, or frustration of heartbreak can’t be articulated through simple words but only through the masterful work of songwriters and artists. Music can capture feelings sometimes we can’t or sometimes aren’t even aware that we need to feel. If any of this rings true for you, then we hope you will enjoy this Breakup Playlist and find joy in the memories you shared, grief in the mourning of a relationship coming to an end, and healing as you move on to the next.

Song Breakdown

Best Friends: I wanted The Breakup Playlist to follow the trajectory of a true friendship or romantic relationship’s demise. For me, that often starts with realizing the high I’m experiencing from a relationship which inevitably leads to realizing how far I’ll fall if things end poorly

Rocky: For me, this song chronicles the overthinking stage of a breakup when the thought has passed the mind that this relationship might be coming to an end, but one still has not fully acknowledged the reality of the situation

We Used to Be Friends: I do not know if this song needs any further explanation, but it captures the preliminary reaction and flood of emotions for my realization that my friendship was coming to an end and that urgent desperation to cling on to the dying relationship.

When You Were Mine: Similarly self-explanatory by the title, this Tegan and Sara song is a classic. It captures similar emotions to that of We Used to Be Friends in that you can feel the relationship slipping through your fingers and a sense of being completely out of control.

Did Ya Think: Consider this the guilt-free Should’ve Said No by Taylor Swift which still has not been re-released and therefore is still benefitting S******* B**** (Google this or see our Enneagram Playlist post for more info). Rage is part of the process and this is your moment for that. Write down all your mean thoughts, form revenge plans with your besties, basically go full burn book mode from Mean Girls because you deserve it.

good 4 u: Olivia Rodrigo really knew what she was doing when she wrote her album SOUR which is all about breakups, make-ups, and everything in between. I felt it was necessary to include this particular song for those people who might be experiencing intense jealousy and anger following a breakup or at the person who has left their life. If screaming this in the car doesn’t help, I don’t know what will.

ARE WE STILL FRIENDS?: This song captures the mixed emotions I felt following my friend break-up and what I imagine others might feel too. On the one hand, I was angry, heartbroken, upset and on the other, I still missed the friend I had lost and cherished the memories we had made together. This song is the first step in realizing that healing doesn’t have to be black and white, hatred and love but can be felt at the same time.

Hello My Old Heart: Another crucial step in the healing process, sadness. As an enneagram type 4 and romantic I constantly wallow in whatever perceived slight I have experienced, but if wallowing doesn’t come as naturally to you then I can guarantee this song will put you in that headspace. Listen with tissues, chocolate, and pajamas on.

Macee: I did try not to make this playlist ALL sad songs, but hey sometimes feeling all the crummy emotions is necessary to heal and get through the heartbreak. This song is about longing, missing someone, and feeling lonely.

Strawberry Shortcake: For me, this song is all about leaning into the difficult and maybe uncomfortable emotions like sadness, loneliness, and abandonment and realizing that we’re not always able to change the way we feel, sometimes we just need to ride the wave.

Love is a Losing Game: If you’re heartbroken, chances are that you have already listened to Amy Winehouse and probably this song. Don’t let the melancholy drag you down too far though, because if you hadn’t gone through that breakup you wouldn’t be who you are!

Bummer Days: Keep leaning into those emotions! More than that though, this song is about understanding when it’s time to move on or at least to start thinking about moving on. Don’t rush the process, but also understand you won’t feel like this forever, promise.

Pull It Together: This song captures the transition from externalized frustration aimed at the person or people you’re going through a breakup with to internalized frustration aimed at yourself. Another necessary part of healing, but if you take anything away from this song let it be to not beat yourself up too much.

About: Another Michael sings about the reminiscent phase of a breakup when you’re remembering all the good and bad times from your relationship. Let this song be your space for remembering that person, but when the song ends make sure you’re continuing to stay in the present and not romanticizing the past.

Stop Making This Hurt: For those of you going through a breakup where the other person just won’t leave you alone, this anthem is for you. Although you may want to keep some sort of a relationship up with the person in the breakup with you, a clean break is also helpful for re-establishing boundaries and focusing your attention on your individual healing rather than that of the other person.

Davy Crochet: I LOVE this song. A big part of my breakup healing process was going through my memories with my old friends and mulling them over and over again to see what I could or should have changed to prevent the fallout. Ultimately, overthinking did not lead to anything but a cycle of frustration, sadness, and feeling abandoned but it IS an important part for some people and after this song, you can check that off your healing checklist.

Don’t Swerve: “The very thought of you / it follows me around” YES. Again with the overthinking and anxiety of what do I do if I run into this person out in public? Here’s my solution: wait for a global pandemic to stop everything and then you won’t have to go in public and run into someone. But seriously, if you have actual tips for this leave it in a comment.

Want Me Back: You don’t need to feel guilty about wanting to get back with your ex and hey if that’s the path for you then get out of here and go do it! But, if you’re thinking about getting back with them or trying to be friends again and you know it won’t lead to anything productive, then play this song on repeat.

I Listen to Your Radio Show at Night: It’s natural to compare ourselves to others especially to whomever your ex inevitably moves on to and it’s also natural to check up on an ex every now and then. This is another aspect of mourning and remembering your ex-friend or lover but make sure to balance it with a healthy amount of distance and realistic perspective.

Slow Dances: If you do deal with romanticizing the past, let this song be your moment for checking in with yourself or remembering how horrible the person you broke up with actually was (assuming they’re the one at fault).

Rollin’ Around: I think this song speaks to the situation of dating someone in your friend group or having a fallout with one person from your friend group and how awkward it can be to navigate those dynamics. Additionally, when serious relationships or codependent relationships come to an end it can sometimes send us into an identity crisis tailspin and this song spells out that uncertainty beautifully.

Jaded: If you’re hung up on the Love is a Losing Game stage and in a deep pit of pessimism, understand that just because this relationship has come to an end doesn’t mean all your relationships are destined to the same fate. Go out to coffee with a friend, facetime someone you haven’t in a while, or write a letter to a family member. You’ve got this!

Pressure to Party: This song is about the pressure to feel you have to move on from your last relationship or especially move on faster than your ex. The truth is this is not a race and if you’re hurting that person probably is too (unless they’re a sociopath who knows). Give yourself the space to heal and try to understand the journey isn’t always linear and there’s no right or wrong way to mourn the end of a relationship.

White Flag: Clairo said it not me! “I hope you find solace in this" ESPECIALLY in this playlist. If you didn’t, then try giving it a few more streams, settle in with your comfort movie, and eat that pint of ice cream.

If you read this far, thanks for sticking around for my ramblings. My last piece of advice is to try and not force healing if you’re not ready and to understand that people don’t really ever fully move on or heal. Sometimes memories will always be bittersweet to think on but that’s okay, it just part of this thing we call life.

Finals Study Playlist

Audubon Sessions May 17, 2021

We hope you enjoy this collaborative playlist created by Will, the Dredge team, and our followers comprised of some of our favorite tunes and lo-fi beats to study to. Happy finals!

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Krista's Playlist

Audubon Sessions April 24, 2021

Taylor Swift Songs for Each Enneagram Number

Audubon Sessions April 6, 2021

Hello fellow Swifties and fans of the Enneagram personality test! If you’re new to the Enneagram it is a system of personality typing consisting of nine numbers and personality types based on various core motivations rather than characteristics or behaviors as in other personality tests. If you’re looking to learn more about the Enneagram in general, how the types differ, or just about your own number then this may be a good place to start! You can also read about the various personality types here and take a brief introductory test here, although it is ultimately a self-selecting personality test.

I started this project to combine two of my favorite things, but also to celebrate the release of Taylor’s first rereleased album coming out this Friday. I decided to make it my mission to compile a playlist for each type comprised of only TS songs (to be swapped out as each of her albums is re-released to ensure we are actually supporting the artist behind the music) and had a lot of fun in the process. Each playlist includes songs that capture some aspect of the different numbers based on my interpretations of the lyrics and melodies as well as other previously typed songs from Ms. Taylor.

When it comes down to the enneagram and really any personality test, it is all about learning how to empathize and better understand those around us. What better way to foster community through music than by learning more about how our loved ones perceive the world through the lens of Taylor Swift! As a Tennessee native, Swift incorporates folklore, immersive storytelling, and aspects of Southern-style music into all of her work. I hope you enjoy these playlists and get to see these songs in a new way as I have through this project!

You can check out the cover art for each playlist and collage mood boards by clicking here and find my Pinterest boards for each type by following me @clarissabird17

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