Mempho Presents WYXR Raised by Sound Fest / 91.7 FM The Station With the City's Soul.

Spaceman & John Coxon of Spiritualized performing a live score to William Eggleston's 'Stranded in Canton' - After Party Performances by: The Black Keys (DJ set), Tommy Wright III, Lil Noid. - Free Day Performances by: Hurray for the Riff Raff (solo), Cut Worms, Heartbreak Hill Trio, Fosterfalls, Blue Tom Revue. - 12/07/24, 1-11 PM - Crosstown Concourse.

Free Music in the Central Atrium

Blue Tom Revue 1 pm

Comprised of U of M students, Blue Tom Revue showcases burgeoning new talent who write and perform original tunes of varying genres.

fosterfalls 2:15 pm

Memphis dream folk artist who weaves together open-tuned guitar, ethereal harmonies, and meditative, nature-inspired lyrics.

Heartbreak Hill Trio 3:15 pm

Blues rock power trio from Memphis known for their high-octane live performances.

Cut Worms 4:20 pm

Genre-bending Brooklynite, but best described as Americana/Pop/Rock. His 2020 album “Nobody Lives Here Anymore” made Paste’s Best 100 albums of the 2020s (so far).

Hurray for the Riff Raff (solo) 5:30 pm

Indie roots rocker whose latest album “The Past Is Still Alive” has garnered critical acclaim and features on NPR, Rolling Stone, The New York Times and was also in Paste’s Best 100 albums of the 2020s (so far).

Fundraising Events

J. Spaceman & John Coxon of Spiritualized Live Score to William Eggleston’s “Stranded in Canton”

This fundraising headline show is sold out. Tickets are still available to the after-party and daytime shows are free to the public.

Stranded In Canton bio

In 2015, at the Barbican Gallery in London, J Spaceman, John Coxon, and friends performed a live soundtrack to the photographer William Eggleston’s film “Stranded in Canton”.

They’d been invited to put the soundtrack/happening together by the artist Doug Aitken as part of his Station To Station festival. He saw the parallels in Spaceman and Eggleston’s work; highs and lows; darkness and light; sin and sorrow. The simple details of life elevated into powerful reflections on the wildness of existence where the mundane becomes sublime.

The movie was made in 1974 and shows Eggleston’s friends carousing, playing music and firing pistols into the night sky. It is raw, greasy, Quaalude-y and hot. Memphis in the 70s seems like a lot of fun if you had the stomach and access to bail money.

Shot on the first commercially available video camera, the Sony Portapak, Eggleston put a 16mm Leica lens on the front and an infrared picture tube on the back of it to allow him to shoot in low lighting. The chaotic, wobbly filming style expertly framed by a master. “Hogarth on Beale Street” as writer Richard Williams describes it on the album’s liner notes.

"With Memphis, I grew up with and I fell in love with that whole part of the world and the music that came from there,” explains Spaceman. “Memphis is infused with this magic, then this dreadful poverty as well. There’s a strangeness to it. It’s a place where I never felt comfortable.

"When I was making Ladies and Gentlemen, I went out and did some work with Jim Dickinson because, much as I wanted to have him help me with my record, I just wanted to go and meet the man. He was always a bit like Dr. John, a walking encyclopedia with knowledge of all the music of that area, all the blues musicians, and all the stuff that doesn't get written about.

"So, the Eggleston film is a spying hole into that world. Jim Dickinson even plays in the movie, Furry Lewis plays in the movie too, but there’s also an unhinged craziness. It feels dangerous.”

Spaceman wrote the music with his friend John Coxon, who has worked on every Spiritualized record since the mid ‘90s. Guitarist Tony Doggen Foster, also of Spiritualized, and percussionist Rupert Clervaux helped out too.

Coxon says: “It was quite a difficult thing to do because it’s an American film. Obviously, we're fascinated with American music, but you don't want sort of cod Americana from England, but I think we got the balance right.

“We came up with themes for different parts of the film, based around basic sort of rock and roll riffs. And we expanded them by maybe adding a little soft counter melody to it.

“We didn’t want to just do a freeform thing. Jason always wants the best of all worlds, so you want the best of all the energy of improvising things and then the beauty of great compositions. You want everything. It was just a question of getting the balance right.”

Spaceman continues: “There was a fashion at the time where people were putting on gigs with movies without the sound, for bands to jam over and I hate the idea of jamming. We wanted to do something that was more structured, songs that sat alongside the film but loose enough to allow for improvisation. It kind of worked straight away. And the spoken word parts of the film almost became like vocals to the music.”

The tone they came up with mirrors the ragged nature of the film perfectly. Riffs written under flickering light bulbs, hypnotic tremolo, boozy romances, some bar room boogie, the blues, and hoping the bottle won’t let you down tonight.

The characters of “Stranded in Canton” dance around the music, living their best Memphis lives by any means necessary.

"With the film, and the culture of music and art of Memphis, there’s a sense of escape and release,” says Coxon. “There's a history of interesting things coming out of places which are kind of apparently cultural deserts because there’s a human instinct to make something cultural to stick people together. It's very strong, isn't it? And I think the less there is, the more you must make your own. I think that's why punk came out of the kind of suburban London in the ‘70s. Because there was f*** all.

“Eggleston came from a wealthy background, but he was also escaping the pre-ordained destiny of his life and then you have people escaping the segregation that was there and all coming together. You feel it in this film.”

After sitting on the shelf for almost 10 years, Fat Possum will release the recordings of the Barbican show on October 18. There will also be shows in the UK and the US. Eggleston’s son Winston personally invited them to come play it in Memphis.

“I suggested releasing this back when we did the show,” says Spaceman, “but it just didn’t bite. I hadn't thought about the recordings for years but, quite by accident, I heard one of the tracks again and thought that people should hear it. This time around people seem to catch it and go, ‘Yeah this is really something else’.”

ANDY CAPPER JUNE 2024

After Party

The after party to end all after parties. DJ set by The Black Keys and performances by Lil Noid and Tommy Wright III. Your pass includes free local eats from Across the Board, beer from Crosstown Brewing Co., Old Dominick and Alma del Jaguar and immersive art experiences. It promises to be a festival highlight where diverse musical worlds collide. The after party is in the East Atrium of Crosstown Concourse. Doors at 8:30. Party starts at 9.

The Black Keys (DJ Set)

Rock duo Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney will be bringing their vinyl record hang to the East Atrium. They’ll be spinning an eclectic mix of party music that reflects their influences from Memphis and North Mississippi.

Tommy Wright III

A rare, intimate performance from this Memphis rap innovator who represents the city’s influential underground hip-hop scene.

Lil Noid

This Memphis rap pioneer will feel right at home in the mix, since he contributed to The Black Keys’ track “Candy and Her Friends” off their latest album.

Get After Party Tix

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FAQs

GENERAL

What is Raised by Sound Fest Presented by MEMPHO?

WYXR's Raised By Sound Music Festival presented by MEMPHO is a concert event to be held on Saturday, December 7, 2024.

Raised By Sound Fest is designed to bring Memphians closer to seminal artists who have had a lasting impact on local music culture, while also introducing rising stars and showcasing artists from outside the city who have been influenced by Memphis' rich musical history. Free live music will be in the Central Atrium all day. It culminates inside the Crosstown Theater for J. Spaceman & John Coxon of Spiritualized Live Score to William Eggleston's "Stranded in Canton" and the after party featuring a DJ set by The Black Keys and performances by Tommy Wright III and Lil Noid.

Which Events are Free and Which Events are Ticketed?

There'll be free live music from 1 - 6:30 p.m. in the Central Atrium.

Central Atrium stage:

Blue Tom Revue 1 pm
fosterfalls 2:15 pm
Heartbreak Hill Trio 3:15 pm
Cut Worms 4:20 pm
Hurray for the Riff Raff (solo) 5:30 pm

Ticketed fundraising events include J. Spaceman & John Coxon of Spiritualized Live Score to William Eggleston's "Stranded in Canton" in the Crosstown Theater and the DJ after party in the East Atrium. A VIP pass to "Stranded in Canton" also gets you into the after party.

GETTING HERE & PARKING

Where is Crosstown Concourse?

Crosstown Concourse, the vertical village WYXR calls home, is located at 1350 Concourse Avenue, Memphis, TN, 38104, in the heart of the city's Midtown neighborhood. Be mindful of possible road closures due to large-scale events in the area on December 7.

How will Memphis Marathon street closures affect traffic to and from Crosstown Concourse?

While most of the marathon traffic will be cleared up by 1pm, we recommend avoiding North Parkway until later in the afternoon. You can get to Crosstown Concourse from Cleveland.

Map (blue lines note marathon course and should be avoided):

There's also handy tips from St. Jude here.

Where Can I Park at Crosstown Concourse?

Crosstown Concourse offers a variety of paid and free parking throughout the perimeter of its campus. For minimal hassle, we recommend parking your vehicle in the garage located directly near the front entrance of the Crosstown Concourse Central Atrium. Secondary options include side street and lot parking adjacent to the Crosstown Brewing Co.

FUNDRAISING EVENTS

What does a VIP ticket get me?

You'll get premium seating at the big show, free drinks in designated areas, swag designed by St Francis Elevator Ride, day-long access to the VIP Lounge and access to the after-party.

VIP Perks

Premium seating at the show (first come, first served)
Swag bag with a t-shirt, tote, commemorative poster, koozie and sticker designed by St Francis Elevator Ride
Free drinks at the "under the stairs" bar in the central atrium
Day-long access to the VIP lounge in the Memphis listening lab, which includes:
WYXR DJs spinning all day long
Immersive art experiences
A full spread of delicious eats
A chill, cozy space to kick back with fellow WYXR supporters, staff and DJs between shows
Free wine from Bernardus, beer from Crosstown Brewing Co., and cocktails by Old Dominick
More to come!
After party from 9 - 11pm in the East Atrium
DJ set by The Black Keys
Performances by Tommy Wright III and Lil Noid
Delicious eats
Complimentary drinks, including wine, beer and cocktails
More to come!

Where do I check in for my VIP wristband?

Go to the table at the south entrance of the Central Atrium and you'll receive your VIP wristband. The VIP lounge is located in the Memphis Listening Lab on the second floor off the central atrium. You can also get complimentary beer and wine from the Central Atrium Bar (under the stairs).

Central Atrium Bar

There will be a bar located behind the staircase in the central atrium. With your VIP wristband, you can get complimentary beer and wine. Open from 1 to 8 pm.

DJ AFTER-PARTY

Cap off Raised By Sound Fest at the after party featuring a DJ set by The Black Keys and performances by Tommy Wright III and Lil Noid from 9-11 pm in the East Atrium. The event includes free food and drinks, art experiences and so much more. Complimentary specialty cocktails, wine and beer.

Beer by Crosstown Brewing Company
Wine by Bernardus Wine
Signature cocktails by Old Dominick
Delectable eats
More to come!

You can purchase your ticket here.

TICKET CHECK-IN & SEATING

Where do I check in for the "Stranded in Canton" Live Score show?

Come to the table near the south entrance of the Central Atrium at Crosstown Concourse starting at 1pm on Saturday. You will be given a wristband that gives you access to the appropriate areas.

How does seating work at "Stranded in Canton" Live Score

There are two sections - VIP and GA. It is first come, first served for both sections. You will get a wristband when you check in that defines which section you'll be seated in. Doors open at 6:30.
If you need special accommodations for seating, please email liv@wyxr.org.

What if I just want to go to the After Party?

You can purchase tickets to the after-party here.

FOOD AND BEVERAGE

Crosstown Concourse houses an array of options to eat and drink. You can view them here. But if you'd like complimentary food and drinks during the day and at the after party, you can purchase a VIP pass here that gets you premium seat at J. Spaceman & John Coxon of Spiritualized Live Score to William Eggleston's "Stranded in Canton" AND the after party with a DJ set by The Black Keys and performances by Tommy Wright III and Lil Noid.

MERCH

Will there be merch available?

The WYXR merch shop will be open during the festival, right outside the window of our studio in the Central Atrium in Crosstown Concourse. Items including t-shirts, caps, sweatshirts, stickers, magnets, and more. Plus limited-edition fest swag designed by St Francis Elevator Ride.

VOLUNTEERING

How do I volunteer at the fest?

Volunteers are the heart of WYXR and it's no different during our festival. If you'd like to check out our volunteer opportunities the day of the fest, go here.

SUPPORTING WYXR

How can I support WYXR's mission and programming before the festival and after?

As a nonprofit organization engaging the public, WYXR requires donated funds to sustain our mission on-air, operating costs off-air, and programming in the community. Your support of Raised By Sound Fest helps us evolve and grow, but you can support us further by donating and becoming a member. Visit our donate page here to offer a gift that helps evolve community radio in Memphis.