Now in its third year, Mempho Fest represents Beale Street Music Festival’s more chill and well-behaved little cousin. The festival takes place right in the heart of Shelby Farms Park, in a hilly region surrounded by trees. If you didn’t know better, you’d think you were in a remote part of the woods somewhere closer to East Tennessee.
The Raconteurs headlined Saturday night, and I was ready. I have experienced most of Jack White’s projects live in the form of The White Stripes, The Dead Weather, and a solo tour. Yet this was my first time seeing The Raconteurs, and I felt like it was the last checkbox on my Jack White concert list that I needed to check off.
All of Jack White’s projects come to life a bit differently when they hit the stage, and I was excited to see what The Raconteurs would do. In this band, Jack White is lead vocals and guitar, but he’s just one member of a full band.
The Raconteurs rushed onto the stage in the midst of dramatic red lighting and fog. They all wailed on their own instruments solo-style, as though they were tuning up and doing a soundcheck at full volume, all at once. If they didn’t have your attention before, they certainly had it then. Jack White appeared on stage in a yellow and black checkered jacket with a matching guitar, very on-brand for this indie rock Nashvillian.
The crowd rushed to the stage as The Raconteurs kicked off the set with Born and Razed from their new album Help Us Stranger and then immediately followed with crowd-favorite Level from their 2006 album Broken Boy Soldiers. The jumbo screen reflected the performance happening live on stage, except it was in black and white and had a grunge music video vibe. This was going to be a true rock show.
As he continued with fancy finger work on his guitar, Jack White starts to tell a story. A story of how he traveled far and wide to find Memphis, Egypt, and he arrived here to realized it was the wrong Memphis. Then, he said, he saw a pyramid so he knew he must have been in the right place. Until he saw a big Bass Pro Shop sign on the side, so he didn’t know what to do with that information.
After three songs, Jack White switched from guitar to keyboard to play You Don’t Understand Me and two more songs. Then he played Top Yourself both on guitar and keyboard at the same time, playing the keyboard from the opposite side and hitting every note perfectly, then ending the song with an epic guitar solo.
About halfway through the concert, the band slowed down the rock vibe to give everyone a breather, kicking off the smooth melodies with Only Child. After a few songs, the pace picks up again, and Jack White starts singing in one of the drum mics, because why not? This show is all about experimenting and having fun.
He got the crowd going again with Broken Boy Solider, folding in a cover of Van Morrison’s Gloria which had everyone singing along. The crowd really danced when he played Sunday Driver. Then, he gave a shout-out to Memphis’s Ardent Records, where the Raconteurs recorded their first album, and they left the stage.
Headlining the Sunday show was Brandi Carlile, who has been in the music scene for over 25 years with records in pop, rock, folk, Americana and country music. While I wasn’t as familiar with Brandi Carlile, I knew her work and knew I enjoyed it. She has a loyal following, and I was looking forward to seeing what kind of show brings all those people together.
Brandi and her seven-piece band entered the stage in a rush full of energy. Donning an orange, shimmery suit with a guitar in hand, I could tell she was ready to party and wanted the crowd to be too. She led with Hold Out Your Hand, and after a couple of rock-n-roll songs, she switched to country hits, and then into more folk. Her dynamic 16-song set covered all the crowd-pleasers and hit several genres of music.
What made this show stand out the most was the storytelling. Brandi ensured the crowd knew the story behind may of the songs, chatted with members of the crowd, and made everyone present feel like her friend.
After a few songs, she paused, took in the scenery and said, “What a vibe. Now this is something I want to be a part of. This place is really cool.” She continues about Memphis, “How iconic is this town? This town is a dream come true.”
Brandi’s reminisces about her first show played in Memphis at Newby’s. The crowd cheers after the mention of the beloved college bar. She grins from ear to ear and continues, “Is that place still around? Is it still open to 4:00 AM? It is still covered in crawfish tails one night per week?” She reminisces about the gig with audience, mentioning that half the PA system went out during an hour-long set turned two-hours. She then quipped, “Did we just become best friends? Also, did we just write a song together?”
A song about Newby’s from Brandi Carlile would be a hit locally. Memphis already has more songs written about it compared to any other city in the world. Let’s add one more to the list.
-by Shannon Little