Crosstown Arthouse Film Series presents BREATHLESS
2022-03-24 14:30 - 16:00 (America/Chicago) | Crosstown Theater, 1350 Concourse Ave., Memphis, TN, 38104, United States
The Crosstown Arthouse Film Series presents BREATHLESS at Crosstown Theater.

Jean-Luc Godard / 1960 / 90 minutes / Rated M
Tickets: $5 at the door
Films begin at 7:30 pm (sharp!) at Crosstown Theater
Small-time crook Michel (Jean-Paul Belmondo) steals a car and murders a policeman. While on the run, he reconnects with Patricia (Jean Seberg), a journalism student living in Paris, and tries to convince her to go on the lam with him.

The Crosstown Arthouse Film Series showcases a diverse collection of independent, international, historically significant, artistic, experimental, cult, underground and documentary features.
Crosstown Arts is requesting proof of vaccination or a negative Covid test for this event. Please be prepared to present your vaccination card or a negative Covid test taken within 72 hours at check-in.

Craig Brewer’s Secret Screening with special guests Lucky 7 Brass Band
2022-03-25 15:00 - 17:30
Crosstown Arts presents CRAIG BREWER’S SECRET SCREENING
with special guests LUCKY 7 BRASS BAND at Crosstown Theater.
Doors open at 7:30 PM | Screening begins at 8:00 PM
$5 DOLLAR TICKETS AT THE DOOR
Join Crosstown Arts and filmmaker and Memphian Craig Brewer in the Crosstown Theater on Friday March 25th for a special, mystery screening of one of Craig’s most favorite films! What is the film? You will have to come and find out as Craig will be on hand to introduce the film himself! GUARANTEED TO BE A GOOD TIME!! With music by LUCKY 7 BRASS BAND. $5 DOLLAR TICKETS, CHEAP!

Soul Kids (Memphis Premiere + Performance)
2022-03-26 14:00 - 16:30
Featuring in-person Q&A with Director Hugo Sobelman and subjects of the film + performance from 926, the Stax Music Academy Alumni Band
Event presented by Indie Memphis, Stax Music Academy, and Crosstown Arts
Doors open at 6:30pm | Event begins at 7:00pm
Tickets: $15

PURCHASE TICKETS HERE

*In accordance with Crosstown Arts’ COVID-19 policies, any Indie Memphis event hosted at Crosstown Arts will now require that attendees show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test in order to attend.

In Memphis, one of the USA’s most distressed city, the Stax Music Academy is an oasis. Founded in 2000, the academy continues the legacy of Stax Records, the legendary 60s soul label which was a refuge and an active space for dialog during the Civil Rights movement. By learning and understanding soul music in after school programs, teenagers embark into Black Americans legacy and open themselves to new future prospects. Soul Kids is a musical odyssey through history and the concerns of a new generation.

Arooj Aftab with Ouri at Crosstown Arts
2022-03-27 14:30 - 16:30
Crosstown Arts presents Arooj Aftab at Crosstown Theater with an opening performance by Ouri. This concert is presented in part by Sonosphere, Inc.

Tickets: $25
Doors at 6:30 pm | Show at 7:30 pm
Crosstown Arts is requesting proof of vaccination or a negative Covid test for this event. Please be prepared to present your vaccination card or a negative Covid test taken within 72 hours at check-in. Masks are required.

Arooj Aftab
Born and raised in Lahore, Pakistan, Arooj Aftab came to prominence in Pakistan in the early 2000s when she developed a style that combines Sufi-mystical poetry with the spirit of independent rock. This sound catapulted her to stardom from a then-fledgling underground and online music community in Pakistan. She eventually moved to the U.S., earned a degree at the Berklee School of Music, and now lives in New York City.

Her music is inspired by the poetry and musicality of Rumi, Abida Parveen, and other Sufi poets, as well as the reworking of classical Pakistani and North Indian forms like khayal and kafi. She says Sufi words have impacted her writing: “It is very much about the feeling that (Sufi poetry) leaves you with: calmness, peace, patience, simplicity. And then sadness, longing, wandering, searching, openness, oneness. I try to take all these qualities and weave them into my music.” She is adamant that her music not be defined as retro; instead, she’d prefer that her music be understood as a new approach to an old form. She says her music is, “something new that’s both musically and politically resonant for the contemporary moment.”

In 2011, NPR listed Arooj as one of the Top 100 Young Composers of today, alongside names such as Grammy Award-winning Esperanza Spalding and Fusion Jazz piano virtuoso Vijay Iyer. The New York Times included Arooj in their list of Best Concerts of 2012. TimeOut Magazine rated one of her collaborative projects in the Top 10 Classical Albums of 2013. Most recently, Curious Animal Magazine has listed Bird Under Water among the 10 best albums including Bjork, Sufjan Stevens, and Kendrick Lamar.

Arooj has collaborated with world-renowned artists such as Meshell Ndegeocello, Esperanza Spalding, DJ /rupture, and Abida Parveen to name a few. She has performed her music at major venues such as the Lincoln Center, Highline Ballroom, Le Poisson Rouge, and the Museum of Modern Art in New York. She has also been invited to perform at festivals such as The Big Ears Festival, The Ecstatic Music Festival, and the SF Jazz Festival to name a few.

OURI

Ouri is both a producer and a performing artist, a DJ, a cello & harp player, a vocalist, songwriter and composer. Heralded in the electronic music space for a breadth of sound that reaches into the variety of her abilities, Ouri grows beyond its confines for the next phase of her career as a solo artist.
Ourielle Auvé, known professionally as Ouri, grew up in France in a family of afro-carribean descent before arriving in Montreal at the age of 16 to pursue a degree in composition. Here her artistry and vision were able to flourish, establishing herself in the city’s music community as a producer, collaborating with peers like Helena Deland and Mind Bath, and circulating Montreal’s rich, underground rave culture with wizardry late-night DJ sets.
Tapped for Red Bull Music Academy’s 2017 Montréal Bass Camp, it was a quick ascent for the producer turned songstress. Opportunities quickly followed suit. She was invited to headline Boiler Room’s Montreal show, signed to Ghosty (international) & Make it Rain Records (Canada) for the release of her EP ‘Superficial’ — dubbed a “startling, exploratory piece of digital soul” by Clash Magazine — and was asked to make official remixes for the likes of Tokimonsta, Selah Sue, Busty and the Bass and others.
Invited to support Jacques Greene, Yves Tumour & Kllo live in concert, Ouri toured the world through 2019, popping up in America, Europe, the UK and Mexico across a busy year supporting the release of her EP and growing notoriety, as affirmed by millions of streams and praise from Fader, Line of Best Fit, Clash, Jamz Supernova, Red Bull and Majestic Casual.
It was in the many collaborations through Ouri’s journey as a producer that the itch to explore her own abilities as a vocalist and songwriter took shape. Arriving in Montreal Ouri dreamed of being a composer, hiding her identity and womanhood in an enigma behind the laptop, staying hidden and ambiguous as a means of survival. Yet, with a burning sense of limitation, masked in compromise between herself as a producer and the accompanying vocalist, swirled with the catalyst of a breakup spinning ideas of new beginnings, Ouri embraced the inevitable. What comes next is the first manifestation of said change, an initial offering of a project fully imaged and executed by Ouri, the producer, the song-writer and the voice.
Recent times have seen Ouri embrace a period of realignment, finding solace in her artistic practice while staying close to home to work on a new project poised for release next year. On it, she stretches beyond the boundaries of electronica for a deliberate synthesis of moods and sounds that allow for a purity that no longer lives inside her computer.
Ouri’s multi-instrumental talents and classical training steer her approach to melody and bass in entrancingly emotive, bold and playful ways. Pairing traditional song structure with abstract spatial dynamics she creates unparalleled tension between aggressive rhythmic progression and soothing harmonic fluidity. At the centre of it all lies Ouri’s ethereal voice; her words and melodies lay ground for a soulful emotional honesty that swirl around deftly produced arrangements of harp, cello, steel guitar, synthesizer and a mélange of percussion.
Ouri is both fierce and delicate in its most evocative balance as expands her sonic spectrum in her next offering. With single ‘Shape of It’ — a song composed exclusively of her performance on cello and harp — Ouri exposes her bare vocals to find space for vulnerability. She sings of fear in a manner in which to look past it, to build a safe place after abuse, to desire hope as a means of generating hope, to celebrate sex, to celebrate creation, all while in these times of crisis.

Bang on a Can All-Stars
2022-03-29 14:30 - 16:00
Crosstown Arts presents the Bang on a Can All-Stars, an ensemble that crosses the boundaries between genres, at Crosstown Theater.
TICKETS: $25 first-level seating | $20 second-level seating
$10 students (with student ID at the door)
Doors open at 7:00pm / Performance at 7:30pm
Crosstown Arts is requesting proof of vaccination or a negative Covid test for this event. Please be prepared to present your vaccination card or a negative Covid test taken within 72 hours at check-in. Masks are required.
“A fiercely aggressive group, combining the power and punch of a rock band with the precision and clarity of a chamber ensemble.” – The New York Times
Formed in 1992, the Bang on a Can All-Stars are recognized worldwide for their ultra-dynamic live performances and recordings of today’s most innovative music. Freely crossing the boundaries between classical, jazz, rock, world and experimental music, this six-member amplified ensemble has consistently forged a distinct category-defying identity, taking music into uncharted territories. Performing each year throughout the U.S. and internationally, the All-Stars have shattered the definition of what concert music is today.
Together, the All-Stars have worked in unprecedented close collaboration with some of the most important and inspiring musicians of our time, including Steve Reich, Ornette Coleman, Burmese circle drum master Kyaw Kyaw Naing, Tan Dun, DJ Spooky, and many more. The group’s celebrated projects include their landmark recordings of Brian Eno’s ambient classic Music for Airports and Terry Riley’s In C, as well as live performances with Philip Glass, Meredith Monk, Don Byron, Iva Bittova, Thurston Moore, Owen Pallett and others. The All-Stars were awarded Musical America’s Ensemble of the Year and have been heralded as “the country’s most important vehicle for contemporary music” by the San Francisco Chronicle.
Current and recent project highlights include “In C”, a new dance collaboration with Sasha Waltz & Guests based on Terry Riley’s minimalist classic; Dance Party, a brand new multi-media concert pairing composers and choreographers; a new recording of legendary composer/performer Meredith Monk’s MEMORY GAME; Julia Wolfe’s Flower Power for Bang on a Can All-Stars and orchestra, a multi media concert exploring the sonic landscape of the late 1960s; Road Trip, an immersive and visually stunning concert collaboratively-composed by Michael Gordon, David Lang, and Julia Wolfe to commemorate the 30+ year journey of Bang on a Can; the touring performances and recording of Julia Wolfe’s Pulitzer Prize winning Anthracite Fields for the All-Stars and guest choir; Julia Wolfe’s acclaimed Steel Hammer, plus a moving theatrically staged collaboration with SITI Company and director Anne Bogart; Field Recordings, a major multi-media project and CD/DVD now featuring 30 commissioned works by Tyondai Braxton, Mira Calix, Anna Clyne, Bryce Dessner, Florent Ghys, Michael Gordon, Jóhann Jóhannsson, David Lang, Christian Marclay, Steve Reich, Todd Reynolds, Julia Wolfe, and more; the Lincoln Center Festival 2017 world premiere of Cloud River Mountain, a collaboration featuring Chinese superstar singer Gong Linna; the world premiere performance and recording of Steve Reich’s 2×5 including a sold-out performance at Carnegie Hall, and much more. With a massive repertoire of works written specifically for the group’s distinctive instrumentation and style of performance, the All-Stars have become a genre in their own right. The All-Stars record on Cantaloupe Music and have released past recordings on Sony, Universal and Nonesuch.

Crosstown Arthouse Film Series presents THRILLING BLOODY SWORD
2022-03-31 14:30 - 16:00
The Crosstown Arthouse Film Series presents THRILLING BLOODY SWORD at Crosstown Theater.

Hsin-Yi Chang / 1981 / 89 minutes / Rated R
Tickets: $5 at the door
Films begin at 7:30 pm (sharp!) at Crosstown Theater
If He-Man and the Masters of the Universe dropped acid with the Shaw Brothers while knocking out a martial arts horror-fantasy movie, that movie would be THRILLING BLOODY SWORD. This head-spinning slice of Taiwanese psychotronic cinema builds a movie out of SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS, impossible fight scenes, and wild monsters that include a cyclops, a pterodactyl, and Satan himself! A comet impregnates a queen. She gives birth to a fleshy egg. In disgust, the king tosses the egg in the river. Seven little people stumble onto the egg. They stab it with a knife and find a cute baby inside —one who grows up to be a beautiful princess. One day, she runs into a prince, who is fighting a multi-headed dragon. Of course, the two royals fall in love. Unfortunately, a group of dastardly wizards want to keep them apart, and they’ll use every creature at their disposal to do it! Previously only available via VHS bootlegs, Gold Ninja Video is proud to present this hallucinogenic fantasia in a new 2K preservation from the only known 35mm print in existence.

The Crosstown Arthouse Film Series showcases a diverse collection of independent, international, historically significant, artistic, experimental, cult, underground and documentary features.
Crosstown Arts is requesting proof of vaccination or a negative Covid test for this event. Please be prepared to present your vaccination card or a negative Covid test taken within 72 hours at check-in.

Kafé Kirk with Kirk Whalum and Avery*Sunshine
2022-04-03 13:00 - 15:00
Crosstown Arts presents Kafé Kirk with Kirk Whalum and Avery*Sunshine at Crosstown Theater.

Doors open at 5pm | Show begins at 6pm
Tickets: General Admission $45 (plus fees)

PURCHASE TICKETS HERE

Crosstown Arts is requesting proof of vaccination or a negative Covid test for this event. Please be prepared to present your vaccination card or a negative Covid test taken within 72 hours at check-in. At-home and rapid tests are accepted. Masks encouraged.
KIRK WHALUM
Soulful, passionate, stirring…these are the words most often used to describe Kirk’s music. Forged from his Memphis, (TN) gospel roots and his 1980‘s initiation into the thriving Houston, TX nightclub scene, Kirk’s big, rich tenor sound is unmistakably his. The 80’s were highlighted by Kirk’s stepping out of his blossoming sideman role and forming his own band. It was there that Kirk ultimately developed both his “voice” and songwriting in the crucible of the local club scene––especially at a rooftop club called Cody’s. It was also in Houston where jazz pianist Bob James “discovered” him and brought him on tour, which led to five successful albums with Columbia Records, including Cache, Kirk’s first #1 album. As well, Kirk and Bob received a Grammy nomination for their collaboration album, Joined at the Hip. After moving to Los Angeles, Kirk became an in demand session player for top artists like, Barbara Streisand, Al Jarreau, Luther Vandross, Larry Carlton, Quincy Jones and most notably, Whitney Houston, amongst many others. It’s his sax heard on the mega-hit, “I Will Always Love You.” Kirk soon followed that career high point with his phenomenal hit album released on Warner Bros. Records, For You, perhaps the most successful of over 25 solo recordings to date; others include his eclectic, and much lauded, Gospel According to Jazz series, (Chapters 1, 2, 3 and 4). In addition to his many solo projects, Kirk was also a member of the popular soul/jazz group, BWB, which features Kirk as the “W” of the group with Rick Braun (trumpet) and Norman Brown (guitar).
An ordained minister, Kirk has earned a Masters of Art in Religion. It’s in this spirit that he serves his community in various ways when his touring schedule allows. There is also his daily fifteen minute podcast, Bible In Your Ear (BIYE), in which he invites you to listen along as he reads through the Bible in a year. In addition to music and ministry, Kirk has a passion to educate young, aspiring musicians and is currently engaged as a music professor at Visible Music College in his hometown of Memphis.
Kirk is the recipient of numerous awards and acknowledgements for his musical excellence including three Dove Award nominations, an NAACP Image Award nomination and has won two Stellar Awards- Gospel music’s highest honor. A twelve time Grammy nominee, Kirk won his first Grammy award (2011)for Best Gospel Song (“It’s What I Do”––featuring Lalah Hathaway) alongside life-long friend and gifted songwriter, Jerry Peters.
In a career spanning decades, Kirk has a sound that is uniquely his; it is a sound that leaves an indelible imprint on the listener.
AVERY*SUNSHINE
Avery*Sunshine is a singer-songwriter whose music can be described as “the epitome of soul.” A native of Chester, Pennsylvania, her foundation, like many of the great soul singers, is rooted in her experience growing up in the Black church. She honed her craft as a vocal performance student at Spelman College where she earned a Bachelor of Arts. In 2010, Sunshine released her debut album, Avery*Sunshine, a work co-produced by her then musical partner, and future husband, Dana Johnson. The single, “Ugly Part of Me”, hit the airwaves and introduced Sunshine to the world. Her second album, The SunRoom (2014) spawned her first No. 1 single on a Billboard chart with “Call My Name”. She continued to grow her discography with the release of Twenty Sixty Four (2017) and the single “How Will You Remember Me?” (2020).
In 2020, Avery expanded her artistry to the world of beauty, launching Lou*Mack Beauty — a cosmetic company created to encourage women of color to discover, connect to, and celebrate the beauty of our lineage. She also created the Hey Sunshine Show, her own performance platform producing monthly live shows to share with her fans from the comfort of her own home.
Avery*Sunshine’s sound is uplifting, vibrant, and exactly as her namesake suggests, full of sunshine. She brings people together through her riveting stage performances, candid and often humorous stage banter, and optimistic anthems about love and life. She prays that the small space that she occupies in this world reminds everyone to shine as brightly as they can – no matter what. For more visit AverySunshine.com.

Shoot & Splice: Hair & Makeup with Faizah Husniyah
2022-04-05 14:00 - 16:30
Doors open at 6:30pm | Event begins at 7:00pm
Crosstown Theater
Free to attend
Complimentary drinks provided by Crosstown Arts

Please join Indie Memphis & Crosstown Arts in a conversation and live demonstration with film & television hair and makeup artist, Faizah Husniyah. Faizah will discuss her flourishing career as well as how filmmaking fundamentals — such as lighting, camera angles, scene-to-scene continuity, and more — all play an important role when strategizing and implementing a style plan for every character on screen. She will also provide a live, on stage demonstration of her work while giving guided insight into her creative process.

Known for her incredible transformations outside of TV & Film, Faizah Husniyah has been a professional hair and makeup artist since 2010, beginning in Memphis, TN. Faizah’s love for production started at the age of 12, where she would help backstage at local theatres’ where her mother was a stage actress. She found herself drawn to the hair and makeup artists who would eventually take Faizah under their wing and mentor her which has contributed to her successes today.
Determined to pursue her career as a professional hair and makeup artist after dropping out of high school, Faizah attended both the Beauty Institute and Paul Mitchell. Faizah ventured into fashion where she became a recognized participant at the notable New York Fashion Week, and later became a sought after artist and is now faithfully invited to work alongside the biggest names in Hollywood.
Faizah has never been afraid to expand to new territories. She set her sights on the film world and landed opportunities that afforded her to work with major production companies such as: CMT, HBO, WETV, NBC, HULU, NETFLIX, DISNEY, GAP KIDS, ABC, SONY & ADIDAS to name a few.
In 2020, Faizah was the winner of an unprecedented award that she received by Emmy and Oscar winning stylists Camille Friend (Dept. Head of hair for Black Panther, Captain Marvel & Guardians of The Galaxy) and Vito Trotta (Grey’s Anatomy) as “The best up and coming artists in tv & film” in which she was paired and mentored by Oscar winning hairstylist Kathrine Gordan.

Shoot & Splice is a FREE filmmaker forum presented by Crosstown Arts and Indie Memphis, featuring a wide variety of technical, educational, and unique topics of interest to the Memphis filmmaking community.

Crosstown Arthouse presents THE FILMS OF MAYA DEREN with live score by Optic Sink
2022-04-07 14:30 - 16:00
The Crosstown Arthouse Film Series presents THE FILMS OF MAYA DEREN with live score by Optic Sink at Crosstown Theater.

Maya Deren / Multiple Years / 60 minutes / Rated M
Tickets: $5 at the door
Films begin at 7:30 pm (sharp!) at Crosstown Theater
Maya Deren is one of the most important American experimental filmmakers of all time. Along with being a filmmaker, Deren was a choreographer, dancer, film theorist, poet, lecturer, and photographer, and she brings all of these disciplines together in her dreamlike and ecstatic films. The history of avant-garde film is unthinkable without her. For this presentation Deren’s films will be curated and performed with a live score by Memphis no-wave and Goner Records recording artist OPTIC SINK.

The Crosstown Arthouse Film Series showcases a diverse collection of independent, international, historically significant, artistic, experimental, cult, underground and documentary features.
Crosstown Arts is requesting proof of vaccination or a negative Covid test for this event. Please be prepared to present your vaccination card or a negative Covid test taken within 72 hours at check-in.

Crosstown High Theatre Presents: You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown
2022-04-08 14:00 - 16:30, 2022-04-09 09:00 - 11:30, 2022-04-09 14:00 - 16:30, 2022-04-10 09:00 - 11:30
Crosstown High Theatre Presents: You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown at Crosstown Theater, April 8th-10th!⁠
Friday, April 8th at 7pm⁠
Saturday, April 9th at 2pm & 7pm⁠
Sunday, April 10th at 2pm⁠
⁠
Adult Tickets $15
Student tickets $10
Child tickets $5⁠
PURCHASE TICKETS HERE
Tickets can be purchased at the door or at the link above.
⁠
Crosstown High Theatre is proud to present their rendition of You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown by Clark Gesner. They will be performing at the Crosstown Theater located directly behind the main atrium and next to Farm Burger. Bring out the whole family, your friends, and your friends’ kids to this heartwarming and funny musical! House will open 45 minutes before showtime and concessions will be available. Tickets will be available online as well as at the door. We hope to see you there!⁠

TANGO! Jason Vieaux & Julien Labro with Pablo Aslan and the Ceruti String Quartet
2022-04-12 14:30 - 16:00
Concerts International presents TANGO! Jason Vieaux & Julien Labro with Pablo Aslan and the Ceruti String Quartet at Crosstown Theater.
GRAMMY-Winning Classical Guitarist Jason Vieaux & Bandoneónist Virtuoso Julien Labro perform an all Piazzolla Concert.
Doors open at 7pm | Concert begins at 7:30pm
Tickets: $55 ($10 student tickets available at the door with student ID)
PURCHASE TICKETS HERE
From the dance halls of Buenos Aires to the heat of Cuba, classical guitarist Jason Vieaux and bandoneón virtuoso Julien Labro will take you on a Latin-inspired journey. The bandoneón is the signature instrument of the tango. Bassist Pablo Aslan, an internationally recognized leader in traditional and contemporary tango, joins Jason and Julien for this fiery evening of musical delights. Memphis’ own Ceruti String Quartet completes this perfect combination for a “don’t miss this one” evening.

Jason Vieaux & Julien Labro’s Collaboration:
After meeting at a post-gig hangout in 2007, Labro and Grammy-winning classical guitarist, Jason Vieaux, decided that the only thing better than playing classical music on their “not-so-typically classical” instruments – would be to do it together. The duo has since toured throughout North America with their chamber program – taking audience members on Latin-inspired journeys through original arrangements of music by Piazzolla, Gnattali, Brouwer, etc. from their albums Piazzolla and Infusion. The duo have also collaborated with numerous orchestras, such as the Orchestra of St. Luke, A Far Cry and many more to perform the works of Astor Piazzolla, including his Double Concerto & Labro’s arrangement of Piazzolla’s Four Seasons of Buenos Aires.

Concerts International is in its 49th and a half season of bringing world-class chamber music concerts to Memphis area audiences. It’s as if, for each of our five concerts a season, Carnegie Hall were magically transported to Memphis — with affordable ticket prices. We are also committed to introducing chamber music to new audiences, through outreach activities at schools, colleges, retirement communities, museums, and many other places throughout the greater Memphis community.
​Concerts International is a non-profit 501 (3)(c) organization run by a volunteer Board of Directors, with only one administrative employee, so we rely heavily on the active participation of our board members. You’ll see them welcoming you at our concerts, giving out programs, and taking tickets, but they also select and hire the musical ensembles, arrange publicity, market our subscriptions and ticket sales, handle the accounting, and act as host families for the visiting musicians.
The concerts depend on the continuing generosity of our donors, subscribers, concert sponsors, and ArtsMemphis, with its support from the Tennessee Arts Council and from First Tennessee Bank, AutoZone, and individuals.

Crosstown Arthouse presents FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT
2022-04-14 14:30 - 16:00
The Crosstown Arthouse Film Series presents FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT at Crosstown Theater.

Alfred Hitchcock / 1940 / 120 minutes / Rated M
Tickets: $5 at the door
Films begin at 7:30 pm (sharp!) at Crosstown Theater
When Hitchcock’s REBECCA won Best Picture in ’41, he also had another film in contention: FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT. Expertly paced, it finds Hitchcock honing the formula of a breathless chase across multiple locations, even sketching out ideas later to appear in NORTH BY NORTHWEST. The impulsive slugging of a cop by reporter John Jones (Joel McCrea) gets the attention of his editor, who seeks a scribe to cover Europe’s unstable situation without the biased tone of a foreign correspondent. Things get sinister when Jones’ first interview subject, a Dutch diplomat, is assassinated in a spectacularly Hitchcockian sequence involving a gazillion umbrellas. From there, Jones is embroiled in a deadly plot to undermine the stability of the Western world. A flawless example of a classic Hollywood thriller with perfect balance between comedy, tension, and visual ingenuity. The film is also a harbinger of things to come from the director, who also dabbled in war-themed shorts and chronicled WWII’s evolution in SABOTEUR and LIFEBOAT, followed by a perverse look at its aftermath in NOTORIOUS.

The Crosstown Arthouse Film Series showcases a diverse collection of independent, international, historically significant, artistic, experimental, cult, underground and documentary features.
Crosstown Arts is requesting proof of vaccination or a negative Covid test for this event. Please be prepared to present your vaccination card or a negative Covid test taken within 72 hours at check-in.

MonoNeon at Crosstown Theater
2022-04-15 14:30 - 16:30
Crosstown Arts presents MonoNeon at Crosstown Theater.

Doors open at 6:30pm | Show at 7:30pm
TICKETS:
Orchestra Pit seats $40 | General Admission $30 (seated balcony & GA standing) plus fees

PURCHASE TICKETS HERE

Crosstown Arts is requesting proof of vaccination or a negative Covid test for this event. Please be prepared to present your vaccination card or a negative Covid test taken within 72 hours at check-in.
Dywane Thomas, Jr., also known as MonoNeon, is an American bassist and experimental musician from Memphis, Tennessee. He is known for his presence on YouTube playing bass guitar and being one of the last people to work with Prince. Thomas is a GRAMMY Award-winning artist, for his participation on the 2020 Nas album King’s Disease.
Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers has referred to Mono as “the greatest fucking electric bass player”.
MonoNeon has collaborated with artists such as Ne-Yo, Mac Miller, Georgia Anne Muldrow, Pete Rock, Ghost-Note, and more.
“MonoNeon is a musician who plays bass and is unbelievable. He’s Jimi Hendrix and Basquiat and Skittles, all combined” – Eddie Murphy, The New York Times, 2020.

Waxahatchee with Madi Diaz at Crosstown Theater
2022-04-16 15:00 - 17:30
Saturday, April 16, 2022
Doors open at 7pm | Show begins at 8pm
Tickets: $25 General Admission Advance | $45 Balcony Seated (plus fees)
* All tickets previously purchased for Growlers 4/16 will be honored.
Presented by Reaction Presents & MFG Promotions
PURCHASE TICKETS HERE
All guests must provide proof of full vaccination or negative Covid-19 test within 72 hours of event. Masks encouraged.
What do we hold on to from our past? What must we let go of to truly move forward?
Waxahatchee’s Katie Crutchfield, a lyricist who has always let her listeners know exactly where she is at a given moment, spent much of 2018 reckoning with these questions and revisiting her roots to look for answers. The result is Saint Cloud, an intimate journey through the places she’s been, filled with the people she’s loved.
Written immediately in the period following her decision to get sober, the album is an unflinching self-examination. From a moment of reckoning in Barcelona to a tourist trap in Tennessee to a painful confrontation on Arkadelphia Road, from a nostalgic jaunt down 7th Street in New York City to the Mississippi Gulf, Crutchfield creates a sense of place for her soul-baring tales, a longtime staple of her storytelling.
This raw, exposed narrative terrain is aided by a shift in sonic arrangements as well. While her last two records featured the kind of big guitars, well-honed noise, and battering sounds that characterized her Philadelphia scene and strongly influenced a burgeoning new class of singer-songwriters, Saint Cloud strips back those layers to create space for Crutchfield’s voice and lyrics. The result is a classic Americana sound with modern touches befitting an artist who has emerged as one of the signature storytellers of her time.
From the origins of her band name—the beloved creek behind her childhood home—to scene-setting classics like “Noccalula” and “Sparks Fly,” listening to Waxahatchee has always felt like being invited along on a journey with a steely-eyed navigator. On Saint Cloud, Crutchfield adds a new sense of perspective to her travels. Reflecting on this, she says, “I think all of my records are turbulent and emotional, but this one feels like it has a little dose of enlightenment. It feels a little more calm and less reckless.”
Many of the narratives on Saint Cloud concern addiction and the havoc it wreaks on ourselves and our loved ones, as Crutchfield comes to a deeper understanding of love not only for those around her but for herself. This coalesces most clearly on “Fire,” which she says was literally written in transit, during a drive over the Mississippi River into West Memphis, and serves as a love song to herself, a paean to moving past shame into a place of unconditional self-acceptance. Coming from a songwriter long accustomed to looking in other directions for love, it’s a stirring moment when Crutchfield sings, “I take it for granted/If I could love you unconditionally/I could iron out the edges of the darkest sky.”
Which is not to say that Saint Cloud lacks Crutchfield’s signature poetry on matters of romantic love. Still, her personal evolution in this area is evident too, as this time around, Crutchfield examines what it really means to be with someone and how it feels to see our own patterns more clearly. On “Hell,” she sings: “I hover above like a deity/But you don’t worship me, you don’t worship me/You strip the illusion, you did it well/I’ll put you through hell.”
Crutchfield also looks at what it’s like to be romantically involved with another artist, someone in search of their own truth, on “The Eye”: “Our feet don’t ever touch the ground/Run ourselves ragged town to town/Chasing uncertainty around, a siren sound” and “We leave love behind without a tear or a long goodbye/as we wait for lightning to strike/We are enthralled by the calling of the eye.”
And of course, even when Crutchfield is taking a more nuanced approach to love, her ease with all-encompassing sentiments is still clear, with lines like “I give it to you all on a dime/I love you till the day I die” which sound culled from a classic torch song.
Over the course of Saint Cloud’s 11 songs, which were recorded in the summer of 2019 at Sonic Ranch in Tornillo, TX, and Long Pond in Stuyvesant, NY, and produced by Brad Cook (Bon Iver, Big Red Machine), Crutchfield peels back the distortion of electric guitars to create a wider sonic palette than on any previous Waxahatchee album. It is a record filled with nods to classic country (like the honky tonk ease of “Can’t Do Much”), folk-inspired tones (heard in the confessional lilt of “St. Cloud”), and distinctly modern touches (like the pulsating minimalism of “Fire”).
To bolster her vision, Crutchfield enlisted Bobby Colombo and Bill Lennox, both of the Detroit-based band Bonny Doon, to serve as her backing band on the record, along with Josh Kaufman (Hiss Golden Messenger, Bonny Light Horseman) on guitar and keyboards and Nick Kinsey (Kevin Morby, Elvis Perkins) on drums and percussion. Bonny Doon will also perform as Crutchfield’s live band during her extensive tours planned for 2020, which include the US and Europe.
Saint Cloud marks the beginning of a journey for Crutchfield, one that sees her leaving behind past vices and the comfortable environs of her Philadelphia scene to head south in search of something new. If on her previous work Crutchfield was out in the storm, she’s now firmly in the eye of it, taking stock of her past with a clear perspective and gathering the strength to carry onward.

Ballet Memphis: SOUL
2022-04-22 14:30 - 16:00, 2022-04-23 14:30 - 16:00
Ballet Memphis closes out Season 35 at Crosstown Theater with a show that celebrates the unique Memphis sound. The river, heat, and humidity make the perfect environment to create our music with the right amount of SOUL. You can’t help but dance.
Ballet Memphis will premiere three works from women choreographers, including a new piece from Chanel DaSilva. Performed with music from a live house band, this show will get you moving in your seats.
Friday, April 22, 7:30pm
Saturday, April 23, 7:30pm
CROSSTOWN THEATER
TICKETS: $35-55
PURCHASE TICKETS HERE
JULIE NIEKRASZ “IN SEARCH OF”
Current rehearsal director and former company artist, Julie Niekrasz, will present In Search Of. The work is inspired by the 2021 documentary Summer of Soul which chronicles the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival. For a period historically marked by civil and political unrest, a profound celebration of culture and music unified hundreds of thousands of people in a public park in Harlem. She aims to show feelings of the joy, hope, and struggle in search of human connection through art.
In Search Of contains songs from Ruby Johnson and Leela James, women from two different eras of soul music. Niekrasz says “There is a rawness and power that is tangible in both of their voices. They are singing from an unapologetically human place – an imperceptible beauty that is revealed from their authentic selves. They sing because they simply have to. What if we all approached our life and our work living that same truth?”
Niekrasz wants the audience to join in the exploration of beauty, trust, uncertainty, and the fierceness to love wholeheartedly.
EMILIA SANDOVAL “IN MIND’S EYE”
Company Artist Emilia Sandoval choreographs her first major piece for Ballet Memphis, In Mind’s Eye. This work considers the perspective of the viewers and explores the concept of how experiences and preferences influence the way something affects them as individuals. In this case, Sandoval chooses the soulful music from KIRBY and Valerie June to inspire movement from the overactive imaginations of different characters.
Sandoval says, “A mind’s eye can go in different directions depending on who the listener is, so I want to play with the idea of entering a few of the character’s visions.”
As with many art forms, much in music is left to interpretation, and the characters have various reactions to what they are hearing and how it moves them. Consider what is happening in the music to how it corresponds with the action on stage, and how it makes you feel as part of the audience. Music notoriously can intensify emotions, but how much of that is dependent on the listener?

CHANEL DASILVA “HEATHEN HEARTS”
Award-winning choreographer Chanel DaSilva has joined Ballet Memphis from NYC for the world premiere of her new piece. A multi-faceted artist, she wanted songs that were of equal weight to the choreography to tell a uniquely Memphis story. DaSilva researched Memphis music to find what she thought synthesized all of the best parts of Memphis music – Blues, R&B, Funk, Pop & Gospel – to land on the group Southern Avenue. “I felt the inspiration to move, and choreographic movement bubbled up in my spirit right away,” she said. “I knew that being able to craft this work with the music of Southern Avenue as the soundtrack was the only way forward with this project.”
In addition to being captivated by Southern Avenue’s soulful sound, DaSilva also visited the Stax Museum and formed a cosmic bond with the late Estelle Axton (one of the founding members who put the “Ax” in Stax). A visionary at the time, Axton was not only a woman in the male-dominated field of record producing, she also backed black musicians and built her studio in a black neighborhood to foster trust and respect with her artists. She took an active role in talent selection and undoubtedly influenced the paths of Otis Redding, Rufus Thomas, Isaac Hayes, and others. DaSilva recognized the love, ambition, resiliency, and sacrifice that Estelle poured into Stax Records, and channeled that into her own work for SOUL.

MicroCinema: Expressions of Language
2022-04-26 14:00 - 16:00
This encore of shorts from the 2021 Indie Memphis Film Festival features films that in their distinct visual languages survey the possibilities of connection through expressions of language. These expressions come through in varying manners: playful exploration of what it means to know but also be distant from your mother tongue, films centered outside of the English language, and how we embody deeper communication outside of our abilities with the spoken word. These highlights of the festival beautifully examine the expansive and the limiting experiences of sharing with another and one’s self.
Pay-What-You-Can screening of short films presented Indie Memphis and Crosstown Arts at Crosstown Theater.
Doors open at 6:30PM // Screening begins at 7:00PM
NOTE: *COVID-19 vaccination or negative covid-19 test is required to attend. Masks are encouraged.

Crosstown Arthouse Film Series Presents LOVE JONES
2022-04-28 14:30 - 16:30
The Crosstown Arthouse Film Series presents LOVE JONES at Crosstown Theater.
Theodore Witcher / 1997 / 108 minutes / Rated R
Tickets: $5 at the door
Films begin at 7:30 pm (sharp!) at Crosstown Theater
LOVE JONES is an unconventional love story between a young poet and a photographer. Larenz Tate and Nia Long play these passionate young artists who both definitely feel the pull of love but are too afraid to commit to it. With Nia Long (BOYZ N THE HOOD! BIG MOMMA’S HOUSE 1 AND 2!!!! ARE WE THERE YET!!!), Larenz Tate (MENACE II SOCIETY! DEAD PRESIDENTS!!)
The Crosstown Arthouse Film Series showcases a diverse collection of independent, international, historically significant, artistic, experimental, cult, underground and documentary features.
Crosstown Arts is requesting proof of vaccination or a negative Covid test for this event. Please be prepared to present your vaccination card or a negative Covid test taken within 72 hours at check-in.

The Memphis Symphony Orchestra: Kalena Bovell Conducts Beethoven
2022-04-29 13:30 - 15:30
The Memphis Symphony Orchestra presents Kalena Bovell Conducts Beethoven, with works by Clarice Assad, Ludwig van Beethoven, and Johann Nepomuk Hummel. Featuring Scott Moore, the Principal Trumpeter of the Memphis Symphony Orchestra.
Crosstown Theater | 6:30pm (doors open at 6:00pm)
Tickets: $35
Kalena Bovell, conductor
Scott Moore, trumpet
ASSAD Impressions
HUMMEL Trumpet Concerto
BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 2
Assistant Conductor Kalena Bovell returns to the podium to lead the MSO. The light and vitality of Beethoven’s Second Symphony masked some of his darkest days as he came to grips with his impending hearing loss. Clarice Assad’s Impressions was written “to showcase the orchestra’s performers’ diversity and uniqueness”. Written as a showpiece for a virtuoso, the MSO’s Scott Moore performs Hummel’s brilliant Trumpet Concerto.
Classic Accents Series Sponsored by Paul and Linnea Bert.

Metamorphosis: Third Coast Percussion + choreography by Movement Art Is, interpreted and performed by Cameron Murphy & Quentin Robinson
2022-05-03 14:30 - 16:00
Crosstown Arts presents Metamorphosis featuring Third Coast Percussion and choreography by Movement Art Is, interpreted and performed by Cameron Murphy & Quentin Robinson.

TICKETS: $25-$40
** student tickets are available for $10 at the door with student ID
Doors at 7:00 pm | Performance at 7:30 pm
Crosstown Arts is requests that guests are fully vaccinated or have taken a negative Covid test before attending this event. Masks are suggested.
Third Coast Percussion joins forces with the groundbreaking choreography of Movement Art Is, interpreted by Cameron Murphy & Quintet Robinson, for an intimate, evening-length program that explores the duality of human nature. At once intensely personal and fiercely virtuosic, two disparate styles of street dance blend seamlessly with new music by Jlin and Tyondai Braxton, as well as Third Coast Percussion’s critically-acclaimed arrangements of Philip Glass’s Aguas da Amazonia.
This performance is made possible in part by an Arts Build Communities grant from Arts Memphis and the Tennessee Arts Commission with additional support from Concerts International.
About Third Coast Percussion:
Third Coast Percussion is a Grammy Award-winning Chicago-based percussion quartet. For over fifteen years, the ensemble has created exciting and unexpected performances that constantly redefine the classical music experience. The ensemble has been praised for “commandingly elegant” (New York Times) performances, the “rare power” (Washington Post) of their recordings, and “an inspirational sense of fun and curiosity” (Minnesota Star-Tribune). Third Coast Percussion maintains a busy tour schedule, with past performances in 38 of the 50 states and Washington, D.C., plus international tour dates in Canada, Colombia, Hong Kong, Germany, Italy, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Taiwan, and the United Kingdom.
A direct connection with the audience is at the core of all of Third Coast Percussion’s work, whether the musicians are speaking from the stage about a new piece of music, inviting the audience to play along in a concert or educational performance, or inviting their fans around the world to create new music using one of their free mobile apps. The four members of Third Coast are also accomplished teachers, and make active participation by all students the cornerstone of all their educational offerings. The quartet’s curiosity and eclectic taste have led to a series of unlikely collaborations that have produced exciting new art. The ensemble has worked with engineers at the University of Notre Dame, architects at the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, dancers at Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, and musicians from traditions ranging from the mbira music of Zimbabwe’s Shona people, to indie rockers and footwork producers, to some of the world’s leading concert musicians. Third Coast Percussion served as ensemble-in-residence at the University of Notre Dame’s DeBartolo Performing Arts Center from 2013-2018, and currently serves as ensemble-in-residence at Denison University.
The four members of Third Coast Percussion (Sean Connors, Robert Dillon, Peter Martin, and David Skidmore) met while studying percussion music at Northwestern University with Michael Burritt and James Ross. Members of Third Coast also hold degrees from the Eastman School of Music, Rutgers University, the New England Conservatory, and the Yale School of Music.
About Movement Art Is:
Cofounded by Jon Boogz and Lil Buck, MAI (Movement Art Is) is an organization that uses movement artistry to inspire and change the world, while elevating the artistic, educational, and social impact of dance. Through movement art films, workshops, performances, and exhibitions, MAI is resetting the spectrum of what dance is.

Indie Memphis Screening presented with Crosstown Arts - MISSISSIPPI MASALA
2022-05-04 14:00 - 17:00
Indie Memphis Screening presented with Crosstown Arts – MISSISSIPPI MASALA

ABOUT THE FILM: Years after her Indian family was forced to flee their home in Uganda by the dictatorship of Idi Amin, twentysomething Mina (Sarita Choudhury) finds herself helping to run a motel in the faraway land of Mississippi. It’s there that a passionate romance with a charming carpet cleaner Demetrius (Denzel Washington) challenges the prejudices of their conservative families and exposes the rifts between the region’s Indian and African American communities.

Tickets: $12 (Indie Memphis Members – $10 or FREE with Member Credit)
https://bit.ly/3EpkT0e

**Proof of COVID-19 Vaccination or Negative COVID-19 Test Required to attend. Masks are encouraged.

Crosstown Arthouse presents THE CHANT OF JIMMIE BLACKSMITH
2022-05-05 14:30 - 17:00
The Crosstown Arthouse Film Series presents THE CHANT OF JIMMIE BLACKSMITH at Crosstown Theater.
Fred Schepisi / 1978 / 120 minutes / Rated R
Tickets: $5 at the door
Films begin at 7:30 pm (sharp!) at Crosstown Theater
Fred Schepisi’s internationally-acclaimed 1978 period masterpiece is Australia’s canonical equivalent of 12 YEARS A SLAVE. Visually enthralling and emotionally resonant filmmaking, with a central violent eruption that still shakes audiences to their core. THE CHANT OF JIMMIE BLACKSMITH is the shocking tale of an Aboriginal man driven to madness and revenge. Jimmie (Tommy Lewis) is a young half-caste raised in the early 20th century countryside — a boy initiated by his tribe but educated by a stern minister. Jimmy finds a white bride while performing back-breaking farm work, but cannot escape racist oppression. Fired without pay and discovering that he may not be the true father of his child, Jimmy cuts a bloody path of retribution through the society which forsook him.
The Crosstown Arthouse Film Series showcases a diverse collection of independent, international, historically significant, artistic, experimental, cult, underground and documentary features.
Crosstown Arts is requesting proof of vaccination or a negative Covid test for this event. Please be prepared to present your vaccination card or a negative Covid test taken within 72 hours at check-in.

Nate Smith + KINFOLK + strings at Crosstown Theater
2022-05-07 14:30 - 16:00
Crosstown Arts presents Nate Smith + KINFOLK + strings at Crosstown Theater, featuring members of the Memphis Symphony Orchestra.

This very special performance will be recorded and filmed for Jazz Night in America, a public radio program and video concert documentary series from NPR Music, WBGO, and Jazz at Lincoln Center.

Doors open at 6:30pm | Show begins at 7:30pm
Tickets: $35 advance | $40 day of show
PURCHASE TICKETS HERE
This special performance features Nate Smith (drums), Jon Cowherd (piano), Fima Ephron (bass), Jaleel Shaw (alto & soprano saxophones), Amma Whatt (vocals), Brad Allen Williams (guitar) with musicians of the Memphis Symphony Orchestra.
“On drums, Nate Smith is in the business of inspiring. Far from flashy, he’s an ebullient technician who keys into the subtleties of his bandmates’ playing and laces joie de vivre into his own.” – New York Times
2x GRAMMY® Award-nominated drummer/composer/producer Nate Smith has announced the release of his inspired new album, Kinfolk 2: See The Birds. The highly anticipated follow up to 2017’s GRAMMY® Award-nominated Kinfolk: Postcards From Everywhere arrives via Edition Records on Friday, September 17.
To herald the release of Kinfolk 2: See The Birds, Smith is sharing the album’s first single, the hip-hop centric “Square Wheel,” which finds Smith juggling odd-meter beats in unison with rapper Kokayi’s intrepid rhythmic cadence along side singer Michael Mayo’s impassioned vocals as well as Brad Allen on guitar, bassist Fima Ephron, saxophonist Jaleel Shaw and Jon Cowherd on keys. A companion music video filmed in the recording studio is streaming on YouTube now.
Kinfolk 2: See the Birds affirms Nate Smith as one of the most dynamic drummers, insightful composers, and engaging bandleaders of his generation, adept across infinite genres and multiple styles. The album sees Smith joined by an array of diverse fellow artists, including singers Brittany Howard, Amma Whatt, legendary guitarist Vernon Reid, violinist Regina Carter, vibraphonist Joel Ross, rapper Kokayi, and, Michael Mayo, and Stokley Williams (of the pioneering R&B band Mint Condition).
Kinfolk 2: See the Birds marks the second installment in a remarkable trilogy charting Smith’s continuing evolution as a musician and composer. While Kinfolk: Postcards From Everywhere touched upon Smith’s childhood in Chesapeake, VA, and the sounds that he absorbed in his family home, the new album offers an impressionistic portrait of the artist as a young man considering his future in music. Those years saw Smith inspired by the diverse and eclectic riches of Prince and Michael Jackson, hip-hop and the emerging neo-soul movement, as well as music associated with the groundbreaking Black Rock Coalition such as Living Colour (whose trailblazing founder, Vernon Reid, appears on the new album’s menacing “Rambo”).
However, Kinfolk 2 is no throwback – Smith reconciles his teenaged influences with the modern jazz sensibilities that he’s demonstrated with not just his solo material but as a sideman with such jazz titans as guitarist Pat Metheny, bassist Dave Holland, and saxophonists Ravi Coltrane and Chris Potter. Recorded mostly in two band sessions – June 2019 at Sear Sound in New York City and February 2020 at the Bunker Studio in Brooklyn – the album projects a dreamy, cinematic sensibility as the music ebbs and flows from wistful downtempo excursions to rugged hip-hop beats, hypnotic alt-rock leaning tunes to amorous laments. Kinfolk 2 boasts a slightly different lineup for its core ensemble than its predecessor. Saxophonist Jaleel Shaw and bassist Fima Ephron return, while Smith welcomes guitarist Brad Allen Williams and keyboardist Jon Cowherd to the combo.

Crosstown Arthouse presents FOXES
2022-05-12 14:30 - 17:00
The Crosstown Arthouse Film Series presents FOXES at Crosstown Theater.
Adrian Lyne/1980/106 minutes/Rated R
Tickets: $5 at the door
Films begin at 7:30 pm (sharp!) at Crosstown Theater
The story of four teenage girls living in LA in 1980, mostly doing what they hell they want, anytime they want, with hardly any supervision or input by any sensible adult. FOXES takes place in a world and a time when being a teenager was fun, free and DANGEROUS. Directed by Adrian Lyne (Fatal Attraction, Flashdance)!!With a cameo concert by Kiss proteges and fellow Casablanca Records artist Angel (Punky Meadows!!!). Also with Jodie Foster (Taxi Driver, Bugsy Malone, The Little Girl Who Lives Down The Lane, Freaky Friday – and that was JUST WHAT SHE WAS IN THAT WAS RELEASED IN 1976!!!!!), Cherie Currie (THE RUNAWAYS LEAD SINGER YA’LL!!!), Randy Quaid (Midnight Express, The Long Riders, Independence Day) in an early, super creepy role and HOT LIPS Sally Kellerman (MASH, A Little Romance), as Jodie Foster’s uptight but distant mother!!
The Crosstown Arthouse Film Series showcases a diverse collection of independent, international, historically significant, artistic, experimental, cult, underground and documentary features.
Crosstown Arts is requesting proof of vaccination or a negative Covid test for this event. Please be prepared to present your vaccination card or a negative Covid test taken within 72 hours at check-in.

Makaya McCraven at Crosstown Theater
2022-05-14 14:30 - 16:30
Crosstown Arts presents drummer, producer, and sonic collagist Makaya McCraven at Crosstown Theater on May 14, 2022.

Doors open at 6:30pm | Performance begins at 7:30pm
Tickets: $30 in advance | $35 day of the show

PURCHASE TICKETS HERE

Crosstown Arts is currently requiring proof of vaccination or a negative Covid-19 test taken within 72 hours of the event. At-home and rapid tests are accepted. Masks encouraged.

Makaya McCraven is a beat scientist. The bleeding edge drummer, producer, and sonic collagist is one of Chicago’s savviest cultural players and a multi-talented force whose inventive process & intuitive, cinematic style defy categorization.

Called “a sound visionary” (jazzinchicago.org) who is “not your everyday jazz drummer”(thewordisbond.com), McCraven brilliantly moves between genres and pushes the boundaries of jazz and rhythm to create forms of his own.

French-born but raised in the Pioneer Valley of Massachusetts by expatriate musician parents, McCraven studied Jazz at the University of Massachusetts Amherst under the mentorship of jazz luminaries Archie Shepp, Marion Brown, and Yusef Lateef, and eventually went on to develop his chops in Chicago’s burgeoning scene.

His breakthrough album In the Moment was released with International Anthem RecordingCo. (IARC) in 2015 and subsequently hailed by Turntable Lab as “one of the most important recordings to date in the modern Jazz world.” In The Moment was a dramatic statement byMcCraven, where he debuted a unique brand of “organic beat music” that quickly launched him into the vanguard of not only Internationally-known jazz artists, but also a niche genre of next-wave composer-producers blurring the boundaries of jazz & electronic music.

His recent album releases, the DJ-style mixtape Highly Rare (IARC, 2017) as well as an internationally recorded Where We Come From (CHICAGOxLONDON Mixtape) (IARC, 2018)have been well received by music affectionados all over the world.“ Makaya McCraven is a Chicago staple, owing some of his rise to the city’s fervent jazz community, but with Where We Come From, McCraven and his band have transcended locale. Jazz belongs to the world, it exists wherever we come from.” (Will Schube, Passion of the Weiss)

McCraven has shared stages with artists such as Corey Wilkes, Bobby (Baabe) Irving (MilesDavis), Ari Brown, and Bernie Worrell and played in some of the world’s best clubs, festivals and arenas. Yet despite the accolades and fervent touring, McCraven’s focus remains on both creating music and moving the culture forward.

“As a person of mixed race, nationality, and ethnicity I want my identity and contributions to paint a world not bound by genre, race or national boundaries but unified through a love of music culture and community. Tethered by legacies of the past but looking towards a new, more universal future.”

Makaya McCraven continues the development of his “organic beat music” as well as the work of (what Schube described as) “transcending locale” on his most recent releaseUniversal Beings. A 2xLP album that was recorded at 4 sessions in New York, Chicago,London & Los Angeles, Universal Beings features an A-list of “new” jazz players from those hotbed cities: Brandee Younger, Tomeka Reid, Dezron Douglas, Joel Ross, Shabaka Hutchings, Junius Paul, Nubya Garcia, Daniel Casimir, Ashley Henry, Josh Johnson, Jeff Parker, Anna Butters, Carlos Niño and Miguel-Atwood Ferguson.

www.MakayaMcCraven.com

Mahogany Chamber Performances: Dazzling Duos!
2022-05-15 14:30 - 16:00
Crosstown Arts presents the Mahogany Chamber Performances series, curated by Dr. Artina McCain at Crosstown Theater.

Doors open at 7pm | Concert begins at 7:30pm
Tickets: $15 advance | $20 at the door ($5 student tickets available at the door)

PURCHASE TICKETS HERE

Crosstown Arts presents the Mahogany Chamber Performances series finale, featuring dazzling duo repertoire by Latin and Black composers at Crosstown Theater. Come hear the musical prowess of Memphis’ very own Adam Sadberry (flute), Frances Cobb (harp), and a rare chance to hear repertoire for two pianos featuring Artina McCain and Adrienne Park. Featuring works by Astor Piazzola, Aldo Lopez Gavilan, Valerie Coleman, Carlos Salzedo, Samuel Coleridge Taylor, and more!
The Mahogany Chamber Performances is a series of three chamber music concerts curated by Dr. Artina McCain, spotlighting Black and other underrepresented composers and performers.
Artina McCain, piano
Described as a pianist with “power and finesse” (Dallas Arts Society), “beautiful and fiery” (KMFA Austin) and having a “sense of color, balance and texture” (Austin Chamber Music Center) Artina McCain, has a built a three-fold career as a performer, educator and speaker. Recent performance highlights include guest appearances with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Oregon East Symphony, and the Memphis Symphony Orchestra. As a recitalist, her credits include performances at the Mahidol University in Bangkok, Hatch Recital Hall in Rochester and in 2022 her debut at Wigmore Hall in London.
Dedicated to promoting the works of Black and other underrepresented composers, McCain curates Black Composers Concerts for multiple arts organizations and is an American Prize winner for her solo piano recordings of these works. Recently, she won a Gold Global Music Award for her recent solo album project Heritage. Currently, she is Coordinator of Keyboard Studies at the University of Memphis. Artina McCain is a Yamaha Artist.

Frances Cobb, harp
Frances Grace Cobb, harpist extraordinaire, recently moved back home to Arkansas to become the Director & General Manager at the Conway Institute of Music. In addition to running the business side of things, Frances performs regularly with many groups in Arkansas, Tennessee, and Mississippi. Before moving home to Arkansas, she relocated to Northern Colorado in 2014 after accepting the position for Principal Harp with the Greeley Philharmonic Orchestra. In addition to playing in various orchestras, she served on Faculty at the University of Northern Colorado, and as the Director of the Loveland Academy of Music, and performed regularly with her chamber group, Synesthesia. She achieved her Masters of Music from the Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music where she received a full scholarship and graduate assistantship for the harp department and assisted her teacher Gillian Benet Sella. While living in Cincinnati, Frances played principal harp with the Kentucky Symphony, Columbus Symphony, Queen City Chamber Opera, Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra and also had the opportunity to perform as principal harpist with the Cincinnati Symphony on several occasions. Prior to Cincinnati, Frances attended Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee where she graduated from the Blair School of Music with a Bachelor of Music in harp performance and minor in piano primarily studying with Marian Shaffer. Frances spent 15 summers at the Sewanee Summer Music Festival where she played and taught alongside Mrs. Shaffer. She began playing the harp at age six with members of her own family at her home in Little Rock, Arkansas. The love of the harp has been passed down through three generations of the Cobb family beginning with her grandmother, Ruth Moore Cobb, who studied and toured with Carlos Salzedo.

Adam Sadberry, flute
Memphis Symphony Orchestra acting principal flutist Adam Sadberry is known for his radiant, lyrical playing, and he’s committed to expanding the Black diaspora in the classical music world through promoting equity, representation, music education, and commissioning music that tells stories of the Black diaspora – in other words, creating musical journalism. Adam is motivated to continue the legacy of his late grandfather L. Alex Wilson, an important journalist and unsung hero of the Civil Rights Movement.
Adam has performed with orchestras around the country including the St. Louis Symphony, Minnesota Orchestra, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Des Moines Metro Opera Orchestra, Albany Symphony Orchestra, Omaha Symphony, Sphinx Symphony Orchestra, and the New World Symphony. As a concerto soloist, he has performed with the Clear Lake Symphony, Conroe Symphony Orchestra, Cordancia Chamber Orchestra, and the Detroit Chamber Orchestra, and he has also made guest appearances at Oakland University, University of Memphis, University of South Florida, National Flute Association, and the New York Flute Club to give recitals, masterclasses, and presentations. Adam’s presentation Using Your Identity to Create a Relevant Voice in Music lays a foundation for using one’s experiences and perspectives as a catalyst for generating change through music.
Along with maintaining a private flute studio, Adam teaches and mentors through non-profit organizations that provide free private lessons and resources to underserved communities including The Key Change and Raise the Bar. He is also proud to formerly teach through the Memphis Music Initiative, an organization that “invest[s] in youth through transformative music engagement, creating equitable opportunities for black and brown youth in Memphis”. Adam is on the boards of the Umoja Flute Institute and the International Society of Black Musicians, organizations that provide resources to musicians of African descent.
Adam’s education includes receiving a Bachelor of Music in Flute Performance and a Performer’s Certificate from the Eastman School of Music and being a fellow with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. He is indebted to all of his former teachers and mentors including Bonita Boyd, Anne Harrow, Jennifer Keeney, Amanda Blaikie, Sharon Sparrow, and Jeff Zook. He currently receives coachings from Keith Underwood. In his spare time, Adam enjoys roller skating, being in nature, and eating as much food as his body can handle.
Adam can be heard playing on the soundtrack of Disney’s The Lion King (2019).

Adrienne Park, piano
Adrienne Park has a wide breadth of experience performing as a pianist in chamber music and symphonic settings. She has been Principal Piano with the Memphis Symphony Orchestra since 2004. She was the faculty collaborative pianist for six years at the Banff Centre for the Arts and has performed with the Memphis Chamber Music Society for fifteen seasons. She has appeared with many renowned artists in recital, including violinists Joshua Bell and Andrew Dawes, cellists Shauna Rolston and Tsuyoshi Tsutsumi, bassist Edgar Meyer, flutists Paul Edmund Davies, Timothy Hutchins and Tara Helen O’Connor, bassoonist Frank Morelli, saxophonist Nikita Zimin, horn player Frøydis Ree Wekre, and the percussion group NEXUS.
Adrienne is Assistant Professor of Collaborative Piano and the Curriculum Coordinator of Keyboard Musicianship at the University of Mississippi. She is also the Artistic Director of the Sonic Explorations Chamber Series at UM and enjoys playing a wide range of chamber music and contemporary music on the piano, celeste, harpsichord, and toy piano.
She studied with Abbey Simon and Ruth Tomfohrde at the University of Houston and with Robert Silverman at the University of British Columbia. While at the Banff Centre, she had the privilege of working closely with Isobel Moore Rolston and Tom Rolston.

Indie Memphis Screening presented with Memphis in May and Crosstown Arts - SANKOFA
2022-05-18 14:00 - 16:00
Indie Memphis Screening presented with Memphis in May and Crosstown Arts – SANKOFA
WEDNESDAY MAY 18, 2022 AT 7 PM IN THE CROSSTOWN THEATER
ABOUT THE SANKOFA: On a photo shoot in Ghana, an American model slips back in time, becomes enslaved on a plantation and bears witness to the agony of her ancestral past.
Tickets: $12 (Indie Memphis Members – $10 or FREE with Member Credit)
https://bit.ly/3Ma6g3K
