by Jayne Ellen White
Those underground clubs seen in old movies with brick walls, round tables full of friends and couples sipping on something strong while dressed to the nines and watching live music—-they don’t exist much anymore. Has live music become slightly less intent on the music part and a little more focused on the live party vibe? Some may argue so, but Memphis has it’s very own speakeasy, Tailor’s Union and The Pocket, and it checks all the boxes: An entrance that looks like an old fashioned tailor shop concealing two swanky bars, a dress code, a membership program with serious perks, a lively DJ dance party vibe upstairs, killer cocktails, elevated pub fare, and of course a sultry underground live music experience tucked away downstairs.
Jordan Keplinger, General Manager of Tailor’s Union, describes the venue as a boutique lounge for a classy crowd, offering two different experiences. Upstairs, after you pass through the tailor shop “front”, you’ll enter a Miami inspired lounge with a white marble bar that serves colorful cocktails fine tuned to fit the Miami party vibe of the space. Live DJ’s get the crowd up and dancing and interacting with each other on the weekends.
However, once you get to the end of that party, you’ll come to a check in area that eventually leads you down stairs and into what is The Pocket, and that’s where the speakeasy starts to takehold. The Pocket is a moody live music venue, Kelplinger describes it as “a secret hidden gem, no one really knows about. It was designed for [Tailor’s Union] members to have exclusive experiences without the hustle and bustle of a club scene.”
The phrase Members Only, feels synonymous with going to a speakeasy – and there are three tiers at Tailor’s Union to fit whatever level of exclusivity you would like to be privy to. Level one is $1500 annually, and offers perks like free cigars, a members only night, parking, exclusive invites, free guests and a $100 house account per month. Levels two and three include tiered versions of some of those same perks– but it’s that first level that will really keep you content with a private club feel all year long.
According to Keplinger, it really is the intimacy that sets The Pocket’s experience apart from other music venues in town, she says, “our guests are right there with the band– the stage is not so high that the guest feels separate from the entertainment– the band can come out into the crowd and that is the most fun experience for everyone.”
The Pocket hosts live music every Friday and Saturday night, and is debuting new and separate cocktail menus for each experience this weekend. See the lineup for July 2022 below, and be sure to text (901) 233 – 3801 for reservations. Soon reservations will move to their website, where ticket sales for performances at The Pocket will also be available for purchase.
July 15 – Keia Johnson
July 16 – Tonya Dyson
July 22 – Devin Crutcher
July 23 – Doll McCoy
July 29 – Zsa Davis
July 30 – Deonna Pruitt
You might also be interested in: Don Bryant & The Bo-Keys – Something About You – Live @ Wild Bill’s
