Viewing: Memphis - View all posts

Can't believe it's been over three months since my last blog attempt.  It's been very busy and I've been scatter-brained working on a quasi-festival that commenced last weekend.   For the first time around it was fine.  South Main garnered quite a bit of press including multiple newspaper articles, TV segments and a concerted marketing effort from Downtown Memphis Commission and others.  Thank you for you support!

Coming up for air can be fleeting but it's time to prepare for Shannon McNally who plays here tomorrow night (June 20) at 7PM.  for more info on this amazing American Artist go to shannonmcnally.com.  You can purchase tickets by going to “shows” on this site.  There we are, getting sidetracked in the name of promotion, but that is truly my passion.  Whether it's for one of the 32 shows we have booked at various places in June or with our Music Menu promoting others, that's the sweet spot for me.  Almost daily I feel the need to reinvent myself when the future lies in what we've already done and continue to do.  

It won't hurt to slow it down a little bit and South Main Sounds often feels like an unnecessary expense. That is until you have a spirited discussion with visitors about The Arcade(Breakfast), Blues City Cafe(Ribs), The Peabody Ducks, STAX and even the Cattle Drive and Hotel Drover in Ft. Worth.  It's not much past 11AM and I've already shed tears talking to the Aunt of a St. Jude Patient who's prognosis doesn't appear to be good.  I found an extra Pocket Jesus that I donated to the cause and have hopes that the Young Lady in question pulls thru.  Though unnamed to me, she was described as a “spicy one” which had the two young kids in tow repeating that description over and over on their way out.

I've not decided on what the future holds but for now, we'll stay the course and do what we do best…promote things, consistently without being obnoxious.  If it ever becomes too much, I won't take offense to someone pointing that out.  I may not change anything, but at least I'll know.  That's it for now, I've gotta go get an enchirito at Taco Bell and Beer for our show tomorrow.

3 Chords and The Truth,

-MP

When I first moved to Memphis 25+ years ago, I asked somebody how I could figure out what was going on Downtown.  “ Just sit in the lobby bar at The Peabody, have a drink and read the Memphis Flyer, you'll figure it out.” I can almost hear Bernhard Lansky saying “Come on in Young Man" even now.

Amazingly that advice served me well.  What I didn't count on is this historic hotel becoming such a huge part of my life.  Early on, I did sit at that bar, drank gimlets and got to know the people around me.  There was a friend from the Michigan Golf industry who was sales manager at the time and he set us up with VIP passes for the weekly rooftop series on Thursday nights.  Those were amazing nights and several of the folks who worked at the hotel, in radio or other walks of life are still friends today.

There was a lot of good music over the years, some bands and solo acts went on to have success on a regional or national level and it was always a good time overlooking the river and hanging out with the ducks.  Oh, the ducks…I tell people that the two attractions they must see in Memphis are Sun Studios and the duck march at 11AM or 5PM.  Even today, as I get my printing done at FedEx Office a couple times a week, I enjoy the gathering of folks or all ages, awaiting the time-honored tradition.

In my time at WMC, we often gathered at The Peabody and my friends from Michigan still prefer staying there.  I experienced the aftermath of the Tyson Vs. Lewis fight in that lobby and may or may not have found love from time-to time.  One thing is for certain, The Peabody Hotel is the center of Memphis and it is like a 12 story reset button for me whenever I walk in.  Yesterday was one such time as I will explain.

Of late, my exercise regimen is augmented by the 2 mile round trip to pick up my weekly print materials.  The world had been getting to me that morning, partly because I took the previous night off and was facing my first-world problems with a clear head.  The walk did me good and as always, the hotel was therapeutic to my cause.  While there, I received a text about a friend's birthday later in the day at The Peabody, no less.  I returned several hours later to find a group of my South Main friends gathered and I took my first gimlet in 5 years over there to join them.  After soaking it all in, I realized something and it had to do with whether Little Feat were describing this place in the song “Dixie Chicken.”

What I realized is that I've been chasing something elusive since leaving my sales gig 11 years earlier.  Re-invention always seemed what I strived for.  Creating that one thing that everyone would want and perhaps pay money for.  The “struggle for the legal tender” as Jackson Browne eloquently spoke of, always stressed me out, even when I wasn't short of cash.  Bare with me, I'm getting to my point.

Organically, it dawned on me that everything you've done over the last 11 years has been enough.   The hundreds of shows at South Main Sounds and other venues.  The TV and radio segments.  The trips to Nashville to scout talent.  The social media posts highlighting local restaurants and promoting live music.  The friendships and connections that have been made.  My involvement in the Memphis Songwriters Association and the South Main Community.  

In my case, it's time to focus on what we already have and make it better.  To be proud of what we've attained and utilize it to sustain what we've built.  This can be your mission as well.  Just go have a drink at The Peabody, or wherever your Eden may reside.  You'll figure it out just like I did.