Each week, the team at We Are Memphis Music chooses the best upcoming concerts for the coming week. Here are our selections for the week beginning May 29!
Evan Dando
7PM, Thursday June 1st
Growler’s
$25
Hey, Evan Dando’s still around! Yes, as improbable as it seems from the vantage point of 2023, the one-time’ 90s heartthrob is still a going concern. No amount of substance abuse or personal setbacks have ever waylaid the Boston-bred Lemonhead for very long, and he’s become a bit of an Alternative Nation survival story in the process. Preserved as if in amber is Dando’s affecting keen of a voice and insightful songwriting, which is good news if you’ve a mind to head down to Growler’s to check in with the dude on the first evening of June. Still too skilled to become a museum piece and more than just a nostalgia itch to scratch, you’ll discover a stubbornly-enduring grunge-era touchstone if you do.
The Evergreen Sessions Vol. II
7:30pm, Friday June 2
The Green Room at Crosstown Arts
$10 – $25
When we profiled Memphis hip-hop duo Idi x Teco, one of the main aspects we highlighted was how incredible their live show is. Full of energy and excitement, the pair effortlessly feed off each other to create an unstoppable performance. This Friday they’ll be headlining the second show in the Evergreen Sessions series. The Evergreen Sessions is a platform curated and presented by Memphis-based hip-hop artist Brandon Blvd that aims to celebrate a wide range of talented Memphis musicians. Joining Idi x Teco for this second installment will be Saturday Sunset, Camm, Kiva Richardson, Austyn Michael, and D’vonna Taylor.
River Series: Aquarian Blood with The Turnstyles
4pm, Saturday June 3
Harbor Town Amphitheater
$10
The River Series’ spring session’s line-up so far hasn’t disappointed and this weekend is no different. On Saturday they’ll feature a double-header of The Turnstyles and Aquarian Blood. The Turnstyles is a duo that consists of Seth Moody on guitar and Graham Winchester on the drums. If those names sound familiar, it’s because the twosome also play together in about 19 other Memphis bands like Reigning Sound, Jack Oblivian Band, and Cassette Set, just to name a few. They’ll kick things off first at 5pm and then at 6pm Aquarian Blood will take the stage. The lo-fi punk band was founded by husband and wife J.B. Horrell and Laurel Horrell (who used to play with the excellent garage-punk band NOTS). With this line-up, it’s guaranteed to be a night full of dancing and fantastic music.
Loose Opinions + Jeff Hulett & The Hand Me Downs
7PM, Saturday, June 3rd
Bar DKDC
$12
To watch Graham Burks perform is to witness how confidently this Memphian keeps multiple plates spinning at once with grace. His band, Loose Opinions, is a fan favorite in the Bluff City for good reason, drawing on the finest elements of post-punk, power-pop, and synth-pop and making all of it look both effortless and helplessly fun. Performers like Burks shine brightest In intimate settings, and DKDC is nothing if not intimate. Joining the bill is Jeff Hulett, who of course knows a thing or two when it comes to the Memphis DIY scene, and about the intriguing noise that results at the intersection of indie-rock, Memphis-bred garage rock, and plaintive singer-songwriting. Go see ‘em.
