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 2, 2023.

The day-long music celebration will happen inside and around the Crosstown Concourse in Memphis. The festival honors Memphis music, new and old, across multiple genres and features WYXR’s unique group of volunteer DJs. Free live music will be in the Central Atrium, the courtyard between the Central Atrium and the Crosstown Theater (the latter is an outdoor venue). It culminates inside the Crosstown Theater for Cat Power Sings Dylan: The 1966 Royal Albert Hall Concert.

Which events are free and which events are ticketed?

From 1 - 6:10 p.m. during the day, entry to our daytime concert stages is free.

Central Atrium stage:

• MadameFraankie - 2 pm
• Rod Smoth - 3:30 pm
• AJ Haynes - 4:20 pm

Courtyard stage:

• Blue Tom Revue - 1 pm
• Rosey - 2:40 pm
• Bass Drum of Death - 5:10 pm

Ticketed fundraising events include Cat Power Sings Dylan: The 1966 Royal Albert Hall Concert in the Crosstown Theater with the option to add on a ticket to the DJ After-Party in the Crosstown Arts Green Room.

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 2.

Open in Google Maps

How will day-of 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.

What does a VIP ticket get me?

You’ll get premier seating to the big show, free drinks at designated areas, swag designed by Kong Wee Pang and day-long access to the VIP Lounge, located in the Church Health Community Room.

VIP Lounge Perks

• Premier seating at the show (first come, first served)
• Free drinks at the “under the stairs” bar in the central atrium
• Beer from Crosstown Brewing Co.
• Wine from Bernardus
• WYXR DJs spinning all day long
• Custom, keepsake pieces from local artists
• French Truck coffee and pastries
• A full spread of delicious eats from Las Delicias, Sri Mu, Ryu and The Mad Grocer
• A chill, cozy space to kick back with fellow WYXR supporters, staff and DJs between shows
• More to come!

Where do I check in for my VIP lanyard?

Bring your ticket 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 Church Health Center community room in the hallway west of the station down the hallway that leads to the retail corridor. You can also get complimentary beer and wine from the Central Atrium Bar.

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 2 to 8 pm.

DJ After-party

Cap off Raised By Sound Fest at the DJ After-Party featuring Alix Brown in the Crosstown Arts Green Room from 9-11 pm on Saturday, December 2! The event includes free food and drinks, tarot readings and a whole lot more. Complimentary specialty cocktails.

• Beer by Crosstown Brewing Company
• Wine by Bernardus Wine
• Signature cocktails by Alma del Jaguar tequila
• Delectable eats by Feast and Graze and Bar Ware
• More to come!

You can purchase your ticket here.

Where do I check in for the Cat Power show?

First off, you do not need a ticket to attend any of the free shows in the Central Atrium or in the courtyard between the Central Atrium and the Crosstown Theater.

For Cat Power Sings Dylan: The 1966 Royal Albert Hall Concert - bring your ticket 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 to get you into the appropriate areas.

How does seating work at Cat Power Sings Dylan: The 1966 Royal Albert Hall Concert? 

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 DJ After-Party? 

You can purchase tickets to the after-party here.

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 or an add-on pass to the after-party here.

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, Kong Wee Pang-designed Raised By Sound t-shirts, posters and totes. 

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.

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.