As Mempho Music Festival 2024 came to a close, a group of standout artists sent attendees home ready for another edition of the festival.
The University of Memphis Blue Tom Records Revue started the day with a very unique set. Blue Tom Records is a student-run record label made up exclusively of students from the University of Memphis. The label put forth three separate artists during their short 30-minute set and packed every minute with music. Meaghan Christina and Ozioma blew the crowd away in the first two sets with amazing vocal work, including a duet on Al Green’s “Let’s Stay Together.” Set three saw rockers Degenerate Breakfast showcase their extremely varied musical tastes. One song was straight from the Ramones’ handbook but followed by a Texas blues number. They even threw in a saxophone solo to keep everyone on their toes. You can learn more about Blue Tom Records on all social media platforms.
Singer-songwriter Darren Kiely battled audio issues but powered through with a great performance on the Bud Light stage. Kiely’s use of context when introducing songs really helped the crowd understand what they were listening to, and the circumstances that brought the song into existence. He said there was only one happy song in the setlist (“Ocean”) but despite the subject matter covered, the music had an uplifting quality to it. The newly released “Late Texts” just sounds like it should be a massive song, with a soaring chorus you can’t help but get stuck in your head. You can see Darren Kiely touring the U.S. through the end of November. The Jubilee Hummingbirds graced the Shell on Wheels stage for two sets of amazing gospel music. Memphis staples for more than 85 years, The Jubilee Hummingbirds were part of the vanguard that brought real showmanship to gospel music. Reverend Redd Watson (guitar) has been part of the group for more than 40 years, an amazing tenure for any relationship, especially a musical group. “Heavy” is the best way to describe the sound of All Them Witches. The Nashville four-piece channels your favorite blues-rock of old but with their own distinct flavor. Guitarist Ben McLeod carries a lot of the musical weight, whether it’s adding texture to Charles Michael Parks Jr.’s bass, or taking over the stage on a solo. Multi-instrumentalist Allan Van Cleave even managed to break out the violin for one song, which you wouldn’t expect hearing the rest of the set, but they somehow made it all work. When Parks announced the last song, the crowd audibly booed as they didn’t want this set to end. Drew Holcomb & The Neighbors, hailing from Memphis and Nashville, drew a full crowd filled with new and old fans alike to the Bud Light stage. The crowd assisted in singing quite a few songs from the set but fully took over on “All The Money In The World” from 2023’s Strangers No More. “Tennessee” also proved to be a real standout from the performance, with a huge portion of the crowd recording the chorus with their phones. Holcomb highlighted the band’s first radio success after 27 years, “Find Your People,” which drew a great reaction from the crowd. As things started to wind down Holcomb described seeing Tom Petty at a festival a long time ago and he pledged then he would never play a festival without playing a Tom Petty song. The band then started into a great rendition of “Runnin’ Down a Dream.” Drew Holcomb & The Neighbors’ latest release, Strangers No More, Vol. 2, is out now. From the opening guitar drone of “Kissy Kissy” to the last beat of “Sour Cherry” The Kills put together one of the best sets of Mempho Fest 2024. Alison Mosshart was a ball of fire on stage, singing, screaming, or stalking in a circle between songs. The setlist ranged from 2023’s God Games all the way back to the band’s 2003 debut, Keep on Your Mean Side. Jamie Hince lo-fi guitar sound is such an integral part of the band’s sound. As they’ve moved to more electronic-influenced music over the last few years it has still remained the main tenet of the band’s music. Set highlights included “Doing It To Death” and “Future Starts Slow.” Whatever you’re doing, go see The Kills. Right now. Sublime with Rome took the stage to the police scanner intro to “April 29, 1992” and the crowd was fully ready to sing some classic Sublime. Through a set that mixed in classic Sublime covers, Rome Ramirez solo cuts, and Sublime with Rome originals, the band did a great job keeping the energy up in preparation for the night’s headliner. A real surprise standout was a cover of Lee Fields’ “Forever” that showcased Rome’s vocal skills outside of what you normally hear him sing. On the Sublime side of things, fans got their sing-alongs with “Summertime,” “Wrong Way,” and the night’s closer, “Santeria.” You can catch the Sublime with Rome Farewell Tour through December. There is little wonder why Jack White is one of the most in-demand live acts out there. From the time he stepped onto the stage, he was encouraging the crowd, feeding off the energy they were putting off toward him. Things got underway with “Old Scratch Blues” from the recently (and somewhat secretly) released No Name. With over 20 years of material to pull from across multiple bands, there was no shortage of fan favorites to be played. Songs from the White Stripes’ catalog and No Name made up a majority of the setlist, but there was also time for cuts from both The Raconteurs and The Dead Weather. Many in the crowd were hoping for a reunion of The Dead Weather, with Alison Mosshart noticeably watching the show from stage right. Unfortunately, that would have to wait for another day.It takes a great band to keep up with Jack White, and this group was more than up to the task. A real standout was the drumming of Patrick Keeler, formerly of The Raconteurs. White spent a good amount of time on the drum riser, completely locked in with Keeler. For the occasion, the band dropped in a quick cover of “Goin’ Back To Memphis” from the Soledad Brothers, drawing noticeable cheers from the crowd. As the night came to an end, White picked up his Kay archtop and blew through an insanely fast slide guitar solo on his way to the opening riff of what everybody knew was coming… “Seven Nation Army.”
As Mempho Music Festival 2024 came to a close, Jack White accomplished the goal of any headliner, to send every attendee home with a concert experience they will never forget.
