The Crosstown Arts Film Series presents MADE IN ENGLAND
2024-08-29 19:00 - 21:00 (America/Chicago) | Crosstown Theater
Crosstown Arts presents a screening of Made in England: The Films of Powell and Pressburger in Crosstown Theater.
Crosstown Theater
Thursday, August 29, 2024
Tickets: $5 at the door
Doors at 6:30 pm | Films begin at 7:00 pm (sharp!)
David Hinton / 2024 / 131 minutes / Not Rated

Martin Scorsese first encountered the films of Powell and Pressburger when he was a child, sitting in front of the family TV. When their famous logo came up on screen, Scorsese says, “You knew you were in for fantasy, wonder, magic – real film magic.” Now, in this documentary, he tells the story of his lifelong love-affair with their movies, including The Life and Death Of Colonel Blimp, Black Narcissus, The Red Shoes and The Tales of Hoffmann.
“Certain films you simply run all the time and you live with them.” Scorsese says. “As you grow older they grow deeper. I’m not sure how it happens, but it does. For me, that body of work is a wondrous presence, a constant source of energy, and a reminder of what life and art are all about.” Drawing on a rich array of archive material, Scorsese explores in full the collaboration between the Englishman Powell and the Hungarian Pressburger – two romantics and idealists, who thrived in the face of adversity during World War II but were eventually brought low by the film industry of the 1950s. Scorsese celebrates their ability to create “subversive commercial movies” and describes how deeply their films have influenced his own work.”
The Crosstown Arts Film Series showcases a diverse collection of independent, international, historically significant, artistic, experimental, cult, underground, and documentary features.

Crosstown Arts presents the Reba Russell Band with Special Guest Brittany Russell in The Green Room
2024-08-30 19:30 - 21:00 (America/Chicago) | The Green Room
Crosstown Arts presents the Reba Russell Band with Special Guest Brittany Russell in The Green Room
The Green Room at Crosstown Arts
Friday, August 30, 2024
Doors open at 7 pm | Show begins at 7:30 pm
Tickets: $15
PURCHASE TICKETS HERE
Reba Russell is a name synonymous with the Memphis Music scene. Beginning in the early 1980s (with bands Visions, Portrait, and Reba and the Portables) and now currently fronting the Reba Russell Band, Reba has covered most bases in the music industry including touring throughout the United States and Europe and releasing 8 albums independently.

Reba has lent her talents on stage and/or on recordings to U2 (When Love Comes To Town), Class of 55 Homecoming (featuring Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins), Huey Lewis and the News (Soulsville album), Tracy Nelson, Jim Dickinson, Sid Selvidge, Lucero, and Jimmy Thackery, and host of other artists.

In 2011, Reba was nominated for the Koko Taylor Vocal Award by the Blues Foundation, and more recently in November 2018 her band was honored with a Beale Street Brass Note. In 2023 Reba, along with 30 others was honored with a Brass Star on Memphis’ Orpheum Halloran Center’s sidewalk of Stars.

Band Members:

Reba Russell – Vocals

Wayne Russell – Bass

Robert Tooms – Keys – Harp

Jeff Jensen – Guitar

James Cunningham – Drums

Special Guest – Brittany Russell – Vocals

Marcus Scott
2024-08-31 19:30 - 21:00 (America/Chicago) | The Green Room
Crosstown Arts presents Marcus Scott in The Green Room.
The Green Room at Crosstown Arts
Saturday, August 31, 2024
Doors open at 7 pm | Show begins at 7:30 pm
Tickets: $25
PURCHASE TICKETS HERE

ELECTRIFYING. SOULFUL. COMPELLING.

These three words exemplify the sound of “Memphis Soul Man” Marcus Scott. Born and raised in Memphis, TN. A city that is well known for world class soul music, Marcus Scott is a world class Soul Singer. As a young boy, he would sit with his ears glued to the radio, mimicking every sound he heard. This fascination evolved into an insatiable desire to entertain and capture the hearts of audiences everywhere.

His musical journey started in 2005 as a hit in local Memphis talent shows and he quickly became known as the “go to” singer for all of the major gigs in Memphis. Larry Dodson of the legendary Barkays gave him a call to collaborate on the Album “House Party”.

Marcus Scott was also the lead vocalist for one of the most incredible legendary soul bands of all times called Tower Of Power. Mr. Scott was their front man for four years, from 2016 to 2020. As their leading man, Marcus recorded on two of the bands most recent albums the 1st one titled “Soul Side of town” and the other titled “Step Up”.

If you close your eyes and listen to his voice you‘ll realize that Marcus is on the trajectory of becoming a truly elite soul singer in the vein of Marvin Gaye, Aretha Franklin, James Brown, Sam Cooke, and Otis Redding. Ladies and gentlemen prepare to be thrilled and entertained! This is truly a sound that will up hold his most infectious words as proclaimed proudly to the world -#keepthesoulalive

WYXR presents the Raised By Sound Fest Announce Party at Crosstown Brewing Co.
2024-09-04 16:00 - 18:00 (America/Chicago) | Crosstown Brewing Co., 1264 Concourse Avenue, memphis, TN, 38104, United States
Join WYXR at Crosstown Brewing Co. for a special event announcing the daytime lineup of this year’s Raised By Sound Fest. Discover a diverse mix of local and regional talent that will be taking the stage at the festival. Enjoy delicious craft brews and live music as we celebrate the vibrant music scene of our community.

WYXR and The Orpheum Theatre present 'A Freewheelin' Conversation on Bob Dylan at the Memphis Listening Lab
2024-09-05 18:00 - 20:00 (America/Chicago) | Memphis Listening Lab, 1350 Concourse Ave, Suite 269, memphis, TN, 38104, United States
Join WYXR and The Orpheum Theatre for ‘A Freewheelin’ Conversation on Bob Dylan,’ on September 5th, from 6:00-8:00 pm in the Memphis Listening Lab. WYXR DJ David Swider, a self-described Dylanologist, will discuss Dylan’s life, his movies, and the upcoming musical ‘Girl From The North Country’ showing at The Orpheum. We’ll be giving away 5 pairs of tickets to Girl From The North Country and other rare Dylan items, and Crosstown Brewing will be providing beverages.
Memphis Listening Lab
Thursday, September 5, 2024
6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
FREE

The Crosstown Arts Film Series presents THE RED SHOES
2024-09-05 19:00 - 21:00 (America/Chicago) | Crosstown Theater
Crosstown Arts presents a screening of The Red Shoes in Crosstown Theater.
Crosstown Theater
Thursday, September 5, 2024
Tickets: $5 at the door
Doors at 6:30 pm | Film begins at 7:00 pm (sharp!)
Michael Powell & Emeric Pressburger / 1948 / 135 minutes / Not Rated

This Powell And Pressburger classic is widely considered to be one of the greatest films ever made and winner of two Oscars. It focuses on Vicky, a young ballerina starring in a ballet The Red Shoes. Like her character in the ballet, she is irresistibly drawn to dancing. Her life becomes split between her simple human passion and artistic devotion to her profession. The film contains ballet sequences of stylistic mastery, and is visually one of the most innovative and beautiful works of cinema ever created.
The Crosstown Arts Film Series showcases a diverse collection of independent, international, historically significant, artistic, experimental, cult, underground, and documentary features.

Folk All Y’all: Daniel Champagne
2024-09-07 07:30 - 21:00 (America/Chicago) | The Green Room
Crosstown Arts and Folk All Y’all present Daniel Champagne in The Green Room.
The Green Room at Crosstown Arts
Saturday, September 7, 2024
Doors open at 7 pm | Show begins at 7:30 pm
Tickets: $30
PURCHASE TICKETS HERE
One reviewer recently wrote – ‘Daniel Champagne exudes a natural ease on stage, as he sings poignant lyrics and beautifully crafted melodies that invariably whisk the heart up with grand romanticism. Coupled with an exhilarating guitar talent that transcends mere acoustic playing to replicate a whole band, Champagne is just magical’ (themusic.com.au)
The story goes that the young Australian singer, songwriter and one-of-a-kind guitar virtuoso first picked up his instrument of choice as a five-year-old following in the footsteps of a musical father. He began writing songs at 12, training classically throughout his teens and performing solo wherever he could, honing his craft and developing what would become the dynamite live show that he is renowned for today. At 18 he left school, turned professional and hit the road.
The following decade saw him release 5 studio albums, tour relentlessly around the globe with upwards of 300 shows per year, play some of the biggest festivals under the sun and share stages with the likes of Tommy Emmanuel, INXS, John Butler, Lucinda Williams, Ani DiFranco, Judy Collins and Rodrigo y Gabriela.
In early 2020 as the COVID pandemic ground all touring to a halt, Daniel returned to Australia writing music and further honing his craft and will return to international audiences with a swag of new songs and a complete new live show. For fans of guitar, songs or just artistic expression at it’s finest this show is a must see!

Kafé Kirk: Kirk Whalum and Mindi Abair
2024-09-08 18:00 - 20:00 (America/Chicago) | Crosstown Theater
Crosstown Arts presents Kafé Kirk with Kirk Whalum and special guest Mindi Abair in Crosstown Theater.
Sunday, September 8, 2024
Crosstown Theater
Doors open at 5:30 pm | Show begins at 6 pm
Tickets: General Admission $59 (plus fees)
PURCHASE TICKETS HERE

Join Grammy-winning saxophonist Kirk Whalum for Kafé Kirk, an ongoing jazz series in Crosstown Theater featuring musical and spiritual collaborations with special guest artists. This very special performance will feature saxophonist Mindi Abair.

MINDI ABAIR
Two-time GRAMMY nominee Mindi Abair is a saxophonist, vocalist, and author of “How To Play Madison Square Garden.” You might know her as the featured saxophonist on American Idol, or from touring and/or recording with Aerosmith, Duran Duran, Gregg Allman, Smokey Robinson, and more. As a solo artist, she has consistently topped the Contemporary Jazz and Blues charts, earning her 1 st GRAMMY nomination in 2014 for Summer Horns and her 2 nd nomination in 2015 for her solo album Wild Heart. In 2019 she launched www.wineandjazz.com bringing together the worlds of wine and music through her wine club and worldwide adventures.

KIRK WHALUM
Soulful, passionate, stirring…these are the words most often used to describe Kirk’s music. Forged from his Memphis, Tennessee, gospel roots and his 1980s initiation into the thriving Houston, TX nightclub scene, Kirk’s big, rich tenor sound is unmistakably his. The ’80s were highlighted by Kirk’s stepping out of his blossoming sideman role and forming his own band. It was there that Kirk ultimately developed both his “voice” and songwriting in the crucible of the local club scene—especially at a rooftop club called Cody’s. It was also in Houston where jazz pianist Bob James “discovered” him and brought him on tour, which led to five successful albums with Columbia Records, including Cache, Kirk’s first #1 album.

As well, Kirk and Bob received a Grammy nomination for their collaboration album, Joined at the Hip. After moving to Los Angeles, Kirk became an in demand session player for top artists like, Barbara Streisand, Al Jarreau, Luther Vandross, Larry Carlton, Quincy Jones and most notably, Whitney Houston, amongst many others. It’s his sax heard on the mega-hit, “I Will Always Love You.” Kirk soon followed that career high point with his phenomenal hit album released on Warner Bros. Records, For You, perhaps the most successful of over 25 solo recordings to date; others include his eclectic, and much lauded, Gospel According to Jazz series, (Chapters 1, 2, 3 and 4). In addition to his many solo projects, Kirk was also a member of the popular soul/jazz group, BWB, which features Kirk as the “W” of the group with Rick Braun (trumpet) and Norman Brown (guitar).
Kirk is the recipient of numerous awards and acknowledgements for his musical excellence including three Dove Award nominations, an NAACP Image Award nomination and has won two Stellar Awards- Gospel music’s highest honor. A twelve time Grammy nominee, Kirk won his first Grammy award (2011)for Best Gospel Song (“It’s What I Do”—featuring Lalah Hathaway) alongside life-long friend and gifted songwriter, Jerry Peters.

WYXR presents Stereo Sessions #6: Sid Selvidge, "Portrait"
2024-09-11 18:00 - 20:00 (America/Chicago) | Memphis Listening Lab, 1350 Concourse Ave, Suite 269, memphis, TN, 38104, United States
WYXR 91.7 FM’s “Stereo Sessions” , presented by MEMPHO, offers hi-fi album listening parties at the Memphis Listening Lab.
Sid Selvidge’s debut album, “Portrait,” released in 1969 on Enterprise Records (a subsidiary of Stax), stands as a timeless masterpiece within the realm of country blues and folk. A native of the Mississippi Delta and a figure deeply rooted in the Memphis music scene, Selvidge approached his music with a genial yet uncompromising attitude. Unlike many of his contemporaries, Selvidge did not aspire to the grandeur of coliseum crowds or commercial success. Instead, he found solace in intimate venues and a sound that beautifully straddled the folk-blues line, embracing the influences of 1960s coffeehouse anthems, plaintive Anglo folk balladry, and raw African-American musical traditions.
“Portrait” showcases Selvidge’s lilting falsetto, conveying both humility and authority, and his approach to music was characterized by a genuine custodianship for the rich musical heritage of the Southern United States. The album includes the anti-war tune “The Ballad Of Otis B. Watson,” which, despite initial success, faced adversity with commercial radio due to advertiser pressure. The hauntingly beautiful nature of the album, underscored by tracks like “Hush-A-Bye,” has garnered admiration from fans who consider it a hidden gem. Sid Selvidge’s commitment to his artistry over commercial pursuits, as well as his unique blend of folk and blues, leaves an indelible mark on the musical landscape, making “Portrait” a cherished and haunting piece of musical history.
LEARN MORE ABOUT WYXR STEREO SESSIONS
Memphis Listening Lab
Wednesday, September 11, 2024
6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
FREE

Modern Masters Jazz Series: John Hébert and The Ted Ludwig Trio
2024-09-11 19:30 - 21:00 (America/Chicago) | The Green Room
Crosstown Arts presents the Modern Masters Jazz Series: John Hébert and The Ted Ludwig Trio in The Green Room.
The Green Room at Crosstown Arts
Wednesday, September 11, 2024
Doors open at 7 pm | Show begins at 7:30 pm
Tickets: $20 in advance | $25 at the door | $10 student tickets
PURCHASE TICKETS HERE

John Hébert, bassist, was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, where he first began to study double bass with Bill Huntington. He has worked alongside world-famous artists such as Andrew Hill, Lee Konitz, Paul Bley, John Abercrombie, Kenny Wheeler, Paul Motian, Joe Maneri, Mary Havorson, Tomasz Stanko, David Liebman, Uri Caine, Greg Osby, Bill Stewart, Marc Copland, Fred Hersch, Toots Thielemans, Maria Schneider, and many others.

In recent years, he has taken on the role of bandleader of various projects. His group Byzantine Monkey, released their first CD on the Firehouse 12 label. It was reviewed in Downbeat and received 4 stars. “On his first album as a leader he displays a sonic vision that’s all his own,” says Peter Margarsak. In 2010, John Hébert Trio released Spiritual Lover to positive reviews. According to Stuart Broomer, “it’s a trio of genuinely equal parts and plays music of great melodic strength.”

He is also named in Downbeat’s 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010 Critics Poll as a “Rising Star Acoustic Bassist.” Most recently in 2011, John won the poll as “Rising Star Acoustic Bassist.” John is also featured on Andrew Hill’s last Blue Note release, “Time Lines” which was awarded “Record of the Year” by Downbeat’s Jazz Critics Poll in 2006. John has also performed around the world at festivals such as the North Sea Jazz Festival, Tampere Jazz Festival, Montreal Jazz Festival, Moers Jazz Festival, Ear Shot Jazz Festival and San Francisco Jazz Festival.

The Crosstown Arts Film Series presents MAMA'S SUNDRY
2024-09-12 19:00 - 21:00 (America/Chicago) | Crosstown Theater
In collaboration with the filmmakers Brody Kuhar and Joshua Cannon, Crosstown Arts presents a special screening of the new documentary Mama’s Sundry in Crosstown Theater. Panel discussion moderated by Tom Shadyac.
Crosstown Theater
Thursday, September 12, 2024
Tickets: $5 at the door
Doors at 6:30 pm | Film begins at 7:00 pm (sharp!)
Brody Kuhar & Joshua Cannon / 2024 / 15 minutes / Not Rated
In South Memphis, married artists Bertram Williams and Talibah Safiya transform their creative practices into vehicles for a higher purpose. Enter Mama’s Sundry, a collaborative movement fostering wellness and sustainability through education, service initiatives and a neighborhood garden that produces fresh fruit and vegetables within a community that’s long been designated a food desert. Followed by a panel discussion.

Mama's Sundry – Official Trailer from Brody Kuhar on Vimeo.

The Crosstown Arts Film Series showcases a diverse collection of independent, international, historically significant, artistic, experimental, cult, underground, and documentary features.

Mid-Autumn Festival 2024 at Crosstown Concourse
2024-09-14 18:00 - 21:00 (America/Chicago) | Central Atrium
Join us for a magical evening celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival at Crosstown Concourse! Enjoy live music, traditional lion dance performances, and fun for the whole family with face painting and a fashion show.
Savor the sweet taste of tradition with free mooncakes and explore the rich heritage of four local temples. Don’t miss this opportunity to experience the beauty of Asian culture!
Presented by Crosstown Arts and Crosstown Concourse
Central Atrium at Crosstown Concourse
Saturday, September 14, 2024
6:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Free

Jazz Jam Session: Hosted by Alex Upton Quartet
2024-09-17 19:30 - 21:00 (America/Chicago) | The Green Room
Crosstown Art presents the Jazz Jam Session: Hosted by Alex Upton Quartet in The Green Room.
The Green Room at Crosstown Arts
Tuesday, September 17, 2024
Doors open at 7 pm | Show begins at 7:30 pm
Tickets: $7 | Free for performing musicians
PURCHASE TICKETS HERE

For both the house band performance and jam portion, the set/jam tunes will be announced from the stage.

Alex Upton is a saxophonist and composer with a deep-rooted passion for all music both old and new. As a jazz artist, Alex has performed and recorded with nationally recognized artists including Rachel Therrien, Rahsaan Barber, Stephen Anderson, Jim Ketch, and more. In 2022, Alex was awarded first prize at the prestigious North American Saxophone Alliance’s National Jazz Artist Competition. They have performed as a soloist at esteemed events such as the JEN Conference, North American Saxophone Alliance, and the John Coltrane Jazz Festival, and have recorded on the Summit Records label as a member of the 360 Jazz Initiative Ensemble. Their work as a performer and composer can be heard most recently on their debut album release “Portraits of a Silent Moment”.

Memphis Listening Lab presents Candice Ivory: Album Listening Event
2024-09-19 18:00 - 20:00 (America/Chicago) | Memphis Listening Lab, 1350 Concourse Ave, Suite 269, memphis, TN, 38104, United States
Candice Ivory will be sharing her latest release: “When The Levee Breaks: The Music Of Memphis Minnie”with us in the SoundRoom along with a discussion led by Jon Hornyak.
After releasing three acclaimed albums of jazz-driven original songs, vocalist Candice Ivory reveals a whole new sound on When the Levee Breaks: The Music of Memphis Minnie. Raised in Memphis and based in St. Louis, Ivory hails from an illustrious musical family that shaped Memphis’s secular and sacred sounds. Her great-uncle was the singer and guitarist Will Roy Sanders of the Fieldstones, one of the premier Memphis blues bands from the 1970s to the 1990s. Ivory grew up in the church, and by the age of eleven, she was singing in a choir that featured the soon-to-be-famous R&B artist D’Angelo. When the Levee Breaks brings together all of her formative musical experiences in a tribute to Memphis Minnie (1897-1973), whose powerhouse vocals and compositional creativity served as inspiration for Ivory’s own innovations as the Queen of Avant Soul. Produced by singular guitarist/bassist Charlie Hunter, a onetime D’Angelo collaborator, Ivory’s When the Levee Breaks is a midnight run to the crossroads, where jazz, blues, gospel, and R&B all converge.
Memphis Listening Lab
Thursday, September 19, 2024
6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
FREE

The Crosstown Arts Film Series presents BEING THERE
2024-09-19 19:00 - 21:00 (America/Chicago) | Crosstown Theater
Crosstown Arts presents Being There in Crosstown Theater.
Crosstown Theater
Thursday, September 19, 2024
Tickets: $5 at the door
Doors at 6:30 pm | Film begins at 7:00 pm (sharp!)
Hal Ashby / 1979 / 130 minutes / Rated PG
In one of his most finely tuned performances, Peter Sellers plays the pure-hearted, childlike Chance, a gardener who is forced into the wilds of Washington, D.C., when his wealthy guardian dies. Shocked to discover that the real world doesn’t respond to the click of a remote, Chance stumbles into celebrity after being taken under the wing of a tycoon (Melvyn Douglas, in an Oscar-winning performance), who mistakes his protégé’s horticultural mumblings for sagacious pronouncements on life and politics, and whose wife (Shirley MacLaine) targets Chance as the object of her desire. Adapted from a novel by Jerzy Kosinski, this satire, both deeply melancholy and hilarious, is the culmination of Hal Ashby’s remarkable string of films in the 1970s, and a carefully modulated examination of the ideals, anxieties, and media-fueled delusions that shaped American culture during that decade.

The Crosstown Arts Film Series showcases a diverse collection of independent, international, historically significant, artistic, experimental, cult, underground, and documentary features.

Joslyn & the Sweet Compression
2024-09-19 19:30 - 21:00 (America/Chicago) | The Green Room
Crosstown Arts presents Joslyn & the Sweet Compression in The Green Room.
The Green Room at Crosstown Arts
Thursday, September 19, 2024
Doors open at 7 pm | Show begins at 7:30 pm
Tickets: $20 in advance | $25 at the door
PURCHASE TICKETS HERE
Joslyn & The Sweet Compression are bona fide, and they want the world to know it.
A rising force out of Lexington, Kentucky, the band led by Joslyn Hampton come out swinging on their sophomore album, ready to uplift and inspire through their singular and stirring soul-funk sound. 2019’s critically acclaimed debut album made them a favorite headliner at regional clubs and music festivals. After a grueling and relentless tour schedule – one that saw them supporting Tower of Power at New York’s Sony Hall and Tyler Childers at Colorado’s legendary Red Rocks Amphitheatre – the band are back with Bona Fide, a sonically and emotionally charged record that captures their breathtaking live energy as well as their humanity.

TAE & the Neighborly
2024-09-21 19:30 - 21:00 (America/Chicago) | The Green Room
Crosstown Arts presents TAE & the Neighborly in The Green Room.
The Green Room at Crosstown Arts
Saturday, September 21, 2024
Doors open at 7 pm | Show begins at 7:30 pm
Tickets: $20 in advance | $25 at the door
PURCHASE TICKETS HERE

Tae & The Neighborly, a Wisconsin-based soul-pop, R&B group, found themselves playing music together in a very unconventional way. They were all neighbors, each one living alone on one floor of a five-story flat.

Cake-baking is a shared passion of the five-member group, but in the sugar shortages early in the 2020 pandemic, they found themselves so continually knocking on each other’s doors asking for a single cup of sugar that a group decision was made to all move in together and share cake-baking resources. Since everyone knows all good rhythms begin in the kitchen, it wasn’t before long that the group began to write and perform together across the nation.

Critics hail the group as “having more kick than a bagged-up mule” (Rotary Times) and their live show “… going down smoother than a can of [beans] warmed on the campfire” (Cowboy Gazette).

Dan & Peggy Reeder with Greg Cartwright Krista Wroten
2024-09-24 19:30 - 21:00 (America/Chicago) | TN
Crosstown Arts presents a special performance from indie-folk legend Dan Reeder and his daughter Peggy with an opening performance from Memphis-based musos Greg Cartwright and Krista Wroten in The Green Room
The Green Room at Crosstown Arts
Tuesday, September 24, 2024
Doors open at 7 pm | Show begins at 7:30 pm
Tickets: $25 in advance | $30 at the door
PURCHASE TICKETS HERE

Dan Reeder, Oh Boy Records’ longest signed artist besides John Prine, is a self-sufficient artist in every aspect of his work. The cover of each one of his albums bears artwork he created himself. He’s built a majority of the instruments you hear. From guitar pickups to microphones, preamps and mixers. He’s built steel string guitars, electric guitars, banjos, drums, basses, cellos, violins, clarinets, and even a saxophone (note from Dan: “I’ll never do that again”).

The bluntness of Reeder’s lyrics are softened by his crooning; yet, even with multi-layered harmonies, his voice maintains its iconic “wisp”. Reeder’s musical intelligence is as present as ever. You’re hearing every piece of a self-made artist and his multifaceted skill set — from the soulful, smoky vocal overlay to a singular, meticulous guitar sound, but best of all, you’re hearing the ingenuity that is Dan Reeder.

The Crosstown Arts Film Series presents WESTERMANN: MEMORIAL TO THE IDEA OF MAN IF HE WAS AN IDEA
2024-09-26 19:00 - 21:00 (America/Chicago) | Crosstown Theater
In collaboration with Rhodes College, Crosstown Arts presents a special screening of Westermann: Memorial to the Idea of Man If He Was an Idea in Crosstown Theater.
Crosstown Theater
Thursday, September 26, 2024
Tickets: $5 at the door
Doors at 6:30 pm | Film begins at 7:00 pm (sharp!)
Leslie Buchbinder / 2023 / 86 minutes / Not Rated

A 3-D documentary film about the life and work of artist and marine H.C. (“Cliff”) Westermann, voice-acted by four-time Academy-Award nominee Ed Harris, conceived and directed by Leslie Buchbinder, and featuring interviews with Ed Ruscha, Frank Gehry, and many others. As a veteran of World War II and the Korean War who struggled with the ramifications of modern warfare, Westermann’s dramatic personal history can be traced through his beguiling, surreal artworks. The film is executive produced by the international art icon KAWS, and award-winning documentary producer Caryn Capotosto, whose prior projects include “Little Richard: I Am Everything” and “The Thief Collector.” Westermann features music by legendary artists Laurie Anderson, the Kronos Quartet, and Terry Allen, with an original score by MacArthur “Genius Grant” winner Tomeka Reid.
The Crosstown Arts Film Series showcases a diverse collection of independent, international, historically significant, artistic, experimental, cult, underground, and documentary features.

Crosstown Art presents the No Tears Project in The Green Room
2024-09-26 19:30 - 21:00 (America/Chicago) | The Green Room
Crosstown Art presents the No Tears Project in The Green Room.
The Green Room at Crosstown Arts
Thursday, September 26, 2024
Doors open at 7 pm | Show begins at 7:30 pm
Tickets: $20 in advance | $25 at the door
PURCHASE TICKETS HERE

The No Tears Project is a jazz-inflected collective formed in 2017 and led by Arkansan-based vocalist Kelley Hurt, and pianist Christopher Parker. The group’s repertoire is inspired by explorations into social equality and strives to create recognition as a precursor to reconciliation. Born from a musical composition (“No Tears Suite”) written by Hurt and Parker and commissioned by the nonprofit Oxford American magazine to honor the civil rights heroes the Little Rock Nine, No Tears has evolved into a touring group. The ensemble’s second album, Humanitics is forthcoming in early 2025.

Musicians:

Kelley Hurt (voice / artistic director); Christopher Parker (piano / artistic director); Rodney Jordan (bass); Darrian Douglas (drums); Robert “Bobby LaVell” Garner, Jr. (tenor sax); Marc Franklin (trumpet); Chad Fowler (alto sax)

This concert is made possible in part by Jazz Road, a program of SouthArts.

Crosstown Arts presents an Opening Reception for “Ana Log”, “Size Matters,” and “Still” in the Galleries at Crosstown Arts.
2024-09-27 18:00 - 20:00 (America/Chicago) | Crosstown Arts
Crosstown Arts presents an Opening Reception for “Ana Log”, “Size Matters,” and “Still” in the Galleries at Crosstown Arts.
Join us for an unforgettable night of art, music, and community! Crosstown Arts is excited to present the opening of three new exhibitions: ANA•LOG by Lester Merriweather, Size Matters by Alex Paulus, and Still by Michelle Fair.
Enjoy live music by DJ Janet Wilson, a special menu curated by Chef Leah Getchel of Good Groceries Market & Café, and sip on complimentary cocktails from Art Bar 🍹
Meet the Artists:
Lester Merriweather explores Black visualization in American pop culture with work inspired by Basquiat-Warhol collaborations and the experimental techniques of Jack Whitten.
Alex Paulus examines the relationship between scale, proportion, and human significance through large portraits and tiny figures in vast landscapes.
Michelle Fair embraces the artistic process, creating meditative pieces focused on color, shape, and texture, emphasizing exploration over control.
This event is FREE and open to the public! 🙌 Don’t miss the chance to see their incredible work.
The Galleries at Crosstown Arts
Friday, September 27, 2024
Time: 6-8 pm
Tickets: Free and open to the public

Crosstown Arts presents Overly Sensitive Orchestra Presents Punisher ft. Marcella Simien in The Green Room
2024-09-27 19:30 - 21:00 (America/Chicago) | The Green Room
Crosstown Arts presents Overly Sensitive Orchestra Presents Punisher ft. Marcella Simien in The Green Room.
The Green Room at Crosstown Arts
Friday, September 27, 2024
Doors open at 7 pm | Show begins at 7:30 pm
Tickets: $20 in advance | $25 at the door
PURCHASE TICKETS HERE
The Overly Sensitive Orchestra covers beloved full albums with original arrangements for classical chamber ensemble, pairing with local Memphis singers. The 2024-25 season will include Punisher by Phoebe Bridgers, Pink Moon by Nick Drake, and Carrie and Lowell by Sufjan Stevens. The richness and variety of orchestral timbres both enhances and reimagines the original music of these great artists, giving the songs new perspective and a timeless quality.

Strictly Jazz: The Music of Miles Davis
2024-09-28 19:30 - 21:00 UTC | The Green Room
Crosstown Arts presents Strictly Jazz: The Music of Miles Davis in The Green Room.
The Green Room at Crosstown Arts
Saturday, September 28, 2024
Doors open at 7 pm | Show begins at 7:30 pm
Tickets: $20 in advance | $25 at the door
PURCHASE TICKETS HERE

The Crosstown Strictly Jazz Series, presented by Crosstown Arts in collaboration with Strictly Jazz Entertainment, is designed to salute classic jazz music as contemporary musicians perform the work of the legends. This special Jazz Month presentation of the series features the Muneer Nasser Quintet paying tribute to the music legend Miles Davis.

Muneer Nasser Quintet’s distinct brand of jazz is part Memphis blues, part New York fire, and a healthy dose of DC flavor. Born in 1967 to the late, great jazz bassist Jamil Nasser, Muneer’s exposure to jazz was early and powerful.Muneer says that in 1976 “my dad took me to see Dizzy Gillespie at the Village Gate and Dizzy blew the place apart. I had to get a trumpet and weeks later I did.”
After graduating from high school, he attended Shaw University in Raleigh, North Carolina, where he played with Paul Jeffrey and gigged at churches and cultural venues around town. He transferred to Howard University and graduated with a BBA in International Business. While in Washington, DC, he performed at the Lincoln Theater, Bohemian Caverns, Westminster Church, Takoma Station, Cafe Nema, The Kennedy Center, and Twins Jazz.

Musicians:

Muneer Nasser- Trumpet/ Flugelhorn

Keenan Shotwell- Acoustic Piano

Carl Caspersen- Upright Bass

Mike Assad- Drums

Charles Pender II- Tenor Sax

Crosstown Art presents the Brennen Leigh Trio in The Green Room
2024-09-29 07:30 - 21:00 (America/Chicago) | The Green Room
Crosstown Art presents the Brennen Leigh Trio in The Green Room.
The Green Room at Crosstown Arts
Sunday, September 29, 2024
Doors open at 7 pm | Show begins at 7:30 pm
Tickets: $20 in advance | $25 at the door
PURCHASE TICKETS HERE

Brennen Leigh is an American songwriter, guitar player, mandolin player, and singer whose to-the-point storytelling style has elevated her to cult icon status in Europe, Scandinavia, across the United States, South America, and the United Kingdom.

Her songs have been recorded by Lee Ann Womack, Rodney Crowell, Sunny Sweeney, Charley Crockett, and many others. As renowned for her musicianship as for her writing, it’s easy to see how Leigh caught the ear of greats like Guy Clark, who colorfully endorsed her flatpicking: “Brennen Leigh plays guitar like a motherfucker,” and David Olney, who described her writing as “tender, violent, sentimental, foolish and wise, she is always Brennen. Confident and at ease with herself, without being a jerk about it.”

Radio City Big Star 50th Anniversary
2024-10-01 19:00 - 21:00 (America/Chicago) | Crosstown Theater
Crosstown Arts presents a very special 50th Anniversary performance of Radio City Big Star in Crosstown Theater.
Crosstown Theater at Crosstown Arts
Tuesday, October 1, 2024
Doors open at 6 pm | Show begins at 7 pm
Tickets: $59 + fees
PURCHASE TICKETS HERE
The legendary Jody Stephens (original Big Star member) will be joined by musical heavyweights Mike Mills (R.E.M.), Jon Auer (The Posies), Chris Stamey (The dB’s), and Pat Sansone (Wilco) for a limited-engagement performance of the cult classic album Radio City in its entirety.
“A half-century later, the Memphis band’s sophomore album remains a bright, beautiful portrait of young, big emotions and the way they intersected with the joy of music … After Radio City, those feelings have been rarely articulated so perfectly since.” — Paste Magazine (2024)

The Crosstown Arts Film Series presents YOU’RE THE LIFE OF ME
2024-10-03 19:00 (America/Chicago) | TN
Crosstown Arts presents a special screening of You’re the Life of Me in Crosstown Theater.
Crosstown Theater
Thursday, October 3, 2024
Tickets: $5 at the door
Doors at 6:30 pm | Film begins at 7:00 pm (sharp!)
Shevan Bastian / 2024

First time filmmaker Shevan Bastian sets out in Jackson Tennessee with these questions in mind, as he interviews and works with a group of musicians, while examining the roots of Black music in a small Southern city on the edge of the Mississippi Delta.
The documentary film You’re the Life of Me loosely follows the pursuit of creative renewal that Howard Rambsy and Barbara Jean Mercer experience as they engage with music making in their later years. Rambsy has written and arranged an obscure 1977 soul song recorded by a band consisting of his friends and family called Cold-Blooded Express. The song, You’re the Life of Me, is being recreated with the original members of Cold Blooded as well as Los Yesterdays, a younger duo consisting of Chicano members of LA’s burgeoning modern soul scene. Mercer dreams of recapturing some of the freedom of her youth by performing from her catalog for a large community of British Northern Soul fans at a reunion in Detroit.
Re-accessing their best creative selves, the two stories bookend interviews and discussions with noted local Jackson Black musical excellence about local musical pedagogy, the role of the Church in popular music and the former power and glory of juke joints and their contribution to musicianship.
Throughout the film, Howard and Barbara set the tempo, voicing ideas around belonging, love and freedom, foregrounded by a dreamlike accompaniment of the Jacksonian landscape of kudzu and cotton fields. You’re the Life of Me is a love letter to Jackson, a gentle reminder of the intrinsic connections between community and the art it creates, and a response to the tension between America’s love for Black culture but not Black people.

The Crosstown Arts Film Series showcases a diverse collection of independent, international, historically significant, artistic, experimental, cult, underground, and documentary features.

Alice Hasen Dream of Rain EP Release Show w/Savannah Brister
2024-10-04 19:30 - 21:00 (America/Chicago) | The Green Room
Crosstown Art presents Alice Hasen Dream of Rain EP Release Show w/Savannah Brister in The Green Room.
The Green Room at Crosstown Arts
Friday, October 4, 2024
Doors open at 7 pm | Show begins at 7:30 pm
Tickets: $15 in advance | $20 at the door
PURCHASE TICKETS HERE

Alice Hasen releases her new EP, Dream of Rain, with a concert at Crosstown Arts.

Memphis violinist and songwriter Alice Hasen releases her second major project, Dream of Rain, with Savannah Brister opening on piano. Exploring themes of climate change and mental health, this EP explores darker, deeper and yet more delicate sides of Alice’s voice. The orchestral arrangements from the album will be performed live by a string quartet and guest flutist.

Fright-Tober Halloween film series at Crosstown Theater: The Addams Family
2024-10-05 14:30 - 16:30 (America/Chicago) | Crosstown Theater
The 1991 film “The Addams Family,” directed by Barry Sonnenfeld, is a dark comedy that brings Charles Addams’ iconic characters to life. The story centers on the Addams family, a quirky and macabre clan led by Gomez and Morticia Addams. Their unsettlingly peculiar lives are disrupted when a con artist named Abigail Craven and her son, Gordon, scheme to steal the Addams’ fortune by introducing a deceitful “long-lost” relative, who turns out to be an imposter. As the Addams family uncovers the plot, they must deal with the complications of a scheming fraud and the disruption to their unusual yet happy family life. The film blends humor with gothic charm, showcasing the family’s love for each other despite their eccentricities.

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Fright-Tober Halloween film series at Crosstown Theater: Nightmare on Elm Street
2024-10-05 18:30 - 20:30 (America/Chicago) | Crosstown Theater
“A Nightmare on Elm Street,” released in 1984 and directed by Wes Craven, is a classic horror film that introduced the iconic character Freddy Krueger. The story revolves around a group of teenagers in the small town of Springwood who are haunted in their dreams by Freddy, a disfigured killer with a glove of razor-sharp blades. As Freddy begins to kill the teens in their sleep, their friend Nancy Thompson discovers that the murders are connected to a series of events involving Freddy’s past. To stop Freddy and save her friends, Nancy must confront her own fears and find a way to bring the vengeful spirit to justice. The film is known for its blend of supernatural elements and psychological terror, making it a landmark in the horror genre.

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Stephen Lee Trio ft. Talibah Safiya and South Memphis Jeff
2024-10-05 19:30 - 21:00 (America/Chicago) | TN
Crosstown Art presents the Stephen Lee Trio ft. Talibah Safiya and South Memphis Jeff in The Green Room.
The Green Room at Crosstown Arts
Saturday, October 5, 2024
Doors open at 7 pm | Show begins at 7:30 pm
Tickets: $20 in advance | $25 at the door
PURCHASE TICKETS HERE

Stephen Lee is an accomplished jazz musician whose talent, passion, and leadership have made a transformative contribution to the vibrancy of the Memphis community’s cultural center.

Through his multi-city journey, from the soulful sounds of Memphis to the academic training in Knoxville, a stopover in Las Vegas to the artistic immersion in New York’s jazz scene — Stephen M. Lee established himself as a respected musician and composer forging a unique sound rooted in his myriad influences and experiences.

Musicians:
Stephen Lee – Keyboards
Kurtis Gray – Drums
Kem Gray Jr. – Bass
Talibah Safiya – Vocals
South Memphis Jeff – DJ
