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sults it and exar, from nts. Our te a bit ogramy about making ur parkasier for experiat.” 2018 is o be almost as large as the main stage, the First Tennessee stage,” Winegardner says. “Obviously when you have the types of artists we have at the top of the bill, their productions’ requirements go up.”
Musically speaking, Mempho 2018 also boosts a more prominent contingent of hip-hop and rap acts, with everyone from East Coast legend Nas to Bluff City kingpins Project Pat and Juicy J filling the bill.
“One thing we wanted to make sure and increase was our exposure to hip-hop. It’s the biggest and most important genre in music today,” Winegardner says. “It brings with it the energy of the youth market — which, given the location of Memphis and where we are in proximity to so many schools and universities in the region, we really wanted to tap into.”
Winegardner also notes the opportunity to bring white-hot artist Post Malone to Memphis — just a few months removed from his last local appearance at the Beale Street Music Festival — represents a coup. “He’s bigger now than he was five months ago, he’s breaking Michael Jackson’s records. Post Malone is arguably the hottest artist in America today. We were pleased we were able to get him back to town. We think there were a lot of people who were shut out of that Sunday Beale Street music fest show. So, this will be another opportunity for them to see him.”
As it did during its inaugural year, Mempho will also present a wide array of noted local and regional acts. This year’s lineup will include performances by MidSouth favorites Juicy J, Project Pat, Lucero, Eric Gales, The Bar-Kays, Don Bryant & The Bo-Keys, Big Ass Truck, Love Light Orchestra, Talibah Safiya, The Como Mamas and Cory Branan. Royal studios head Boo Mitchell will lead a special performance saluting the legacy of Royal and Hi Records that will feature William Bell, Bobby Rush, Frayser Boy, members of Hi Rhythm and more.
Among the other special festival sets will be a “Stones Throw” performance led by Chuck Leavell, music director for the Rolling Stones, and will feature noted several current and former members of the Stones’ touring company including bassist Darryl Jones, vocalist Bernard Fowler and saxophonist Tim Ries. Noted musicians Karl Denson and Robert Randolph will also host/headline special late-night jam sessions following the main stage headliners.
“The programming really hangs together quite nicely,” Winegardner says. “As we put the lineup together almost like making a really smooth flowing mix tape. We are still honoring the great local talent here and paying tribute to the legacy of Memphis music, but at the same time we really wanted to bring in more hip-hop — and alt rock is still a cornerstone, just like last year. We didn’t deviate too much from the first year, but it’s a little more rounded and balanced.”
This year also finds Mempho offering on-site camping at Shelby Farms Park.
“That’s a new component to the festival,” Winegardner says. “So many people live within a half-day drive from Memphis and many have heard of Shelby Farms Park or simply enjoy camping. For them to be able to come camp at Shelby Farms, but to do it in a middle of a music festival and in an urban setting … we’ve got the best of all possible worlds here. We’ve got people from all over the country coming in. Not sure how much camping is driving that. But we are seeing more demand for tickets not just locally but nationally.”
After planning for the last 12 months, Winegardner is ready for the weekend and the music to get started.
“It’s never easy putting on a festival, but everything gets easier in year two,” he says. “When you launch something like this, you have an unknown brand that people aren’t familiar with. We really feel like the success of year one is manifesting itself in year two. More people are aware of our brand, and the event and what a perfect setting Shelby Farms Park is. We’re all expecting it to be a great weekend.”