Memphis<\/a>. It\u2019s there in the feedback-soaked strangeness of Big Star\u2019s \u2018Third\/Sister Lovers\u2019, and in the subtle lo-fi experimentation of Goner Records\u2019 more outr\u00e9 acts. Beyond blues, beyond early rock and roll, the city\u2019s proven itself fertile ground for the more experimental end of music-making, and the arrival of Crosstown Concourse has provided a most welcome space for avant sonic rebels to call home – The Green Room, a small but already-treasured venue run by the good folks at Crosstown Arts.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wearememphis.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/9I6A8529done-800x533.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
As Music Department Manager, Jenny Davis is responsible for booking both the Green Room and the larger Crosstown Theater and is herself a flautist for local chamber music collective The Blueshift Ensemble. When it comes to describing the Green Room, she uses terms like \u201ccozy\u201d, \u201cwarm\u201d, and \u201cintimate\u2019. \u201cIt\u2019s full of good vibes for audiences and musicians alike. One thing that was important from the beginning was that the bar was right next to the space, where it could function as a listening room, but also separate. The Green Room is quiet, and you can really listen. That\u2019s not always the case. It\u2019s a different vibe than shows in bars.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Green Room is intended as a friendly platform open to booking as many diverse genres of music as possible, to encourage intersections between artists that might not have been aware of each others\u2019 work. \u201cThat\u2019s the ultimate goal,\u201d Davis says, \u201cto mix it up, to serve all audiences as well as all musicians, so that you never know what you might find at The Green Room. Our goal is that whatever you walk into, it\u2019s going to be something really cool and a unique experience.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Green Room provides a PA and a full backline to its artists, aiming to make the occasion of performing there as enjoyable and stress-free as possible. A sound engineer is also provided to musicians, adding further ease to the room\u2019s laid-back but carefully curated atmosphere, somewhere between arts school lounge and hipster DIY house show. \u201cBringing people together is always a good thing for a community,\u201d says Davis, \u201cas is discovering new things, being open to trying and hearing new things, for people to be curious. We have a room where, if you\u2019re curious, we\u2019ll have something for you to perhaps experience for the first time.\u201d<\/p>\n
But Davis does see The Green Room as part of a wider Memphis musical tradition, a necessary element in the context of the city\u2019s cultural wellspring. \u201cMemphis has such a rich musical history. Having things that people are familiar with, alongside those they might not be familiar with, makes people feel more comfortable and open to trying new things. Musicians tend to live in our own little world; we know everything about our specific scene and genre, but there\u2019s all this other stuff too. It\u2019s really great to attend a<\/p>\n
concert that might be something you\u2019d ordinarily not seek out. Through this job, I\u2019ve met so many more musicians who\u2019ve been in Memphis their whole lives, and that\u2019s amazing. It keeps things exciting.\u201d<\/p>\n
In its brief lifespan, The Green Room has gained a reputation for its aura of surprise and discovery, a compelling alternative for those looking beyond cover bands and sports bars. \u201cThe environment is different than a lot of places around town,\u201d Davis admits. \u201cIt\u2019s in-between a bar venue and a performing arts center, really somewhere in the middle. It can go either direction. It can be more formal or more casual. That\u2019s something unique about the Green Room. It suits such a wide variety of performances.\u201d<\/p>\n
Davis is quick to note how the Concourse itself plays a crucial role in all of this, through fostering a thriving community investment in trailblazing and pushing envelopes. \u201cWith the Concourse, hopefully there\u2019s something here for everybody, an open public place where you can come, take photos, do work. The building is massive, and there\u2019s so much going on here. It can be overwhelmingly confusing. But The Green Room is a little gem tucked back in the corner.\u201d<\/p>\n
Beyond The Green Room, the nearby Crosstown Theater offers a more expansive experience with its own diverse array of programming. The Theater is a lovingly-appointed black box style space with a capacity of four hundred, transformable to a standing space of seven hundred as needed. On September 27th, the Theater will play host to an innovative collaboration between The Blueshift Ensemble and acclaimed composer\/curator Evan Williams, who recently relocated to Memphis to teach music composition and theory at Rhodes College. Performances will include pieces by Williams himself, as well as selections by Jennifer Jolley, Caroline Shaw, and Michael Fiday. Meanwhile, in The Green Room, treat your ears to duet works for theremin and lap steel on the evening of September 17th, with a special appearance by Memphis experimental guitar wunderkind Malcolm Wright and his project, Dinosauria.<\/p>\n
And don\u2019t expect COVID-19 to keep Davis and her crew from swinging open such doors for the city\u2019s more adventurous music lovers. \u201cIt\u2019s kind of one day at a time,\u201d Davis says when asked about the impact of the pandemic on such a mission. \u201cWe\u2019re requiring masks in all the spaces, and even when the mandate ends, we\u2019ll either continue to require masks or strongly encourage them. If any artist requests that we require proof of vaccination to attend shows, we\u2019re happy to do that.\u201d<\/p>\n
If you wish to keep up with all the exciting work Davis and her compatriots are up to over at the Concourse, its\u2019 easy to do so. \u201cWe encourage people to follow us on social media\u201d, Davis says, \u201cso if you want to be sure you\u2019re not missing events, follow us. I promise that everything going on in the Green Room is super great and worth checking out.\u201d<\/p>\n
A little gem tucked back in the corner, much like Memphis herself.<\/p>\n
You might also be interested in Memphis Music: Famous Memphis Musicians | Memphis Singers<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"By: Zachary Corsa The mythology and folklore of music in the Bluff City lingers through generations, conjuring visions of mournful acoustic blues plucked on the porches of sharecroppers\u2019 shacks, the neon bustle of Beale in its prime, and the smooth soul grooves of Stax Records. But beneath such raging cultural tempests, more mysterious currents have…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":9018,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[38],"tags":[5103,117,5491],"class_list":["post-9017","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-music","tag-live","tag-memphis-music","tag-memphis-music-venues"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
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