The Crosstown Arts Film Series presents: THE ELEPHANT 6 RECORDING CO.
2023-08-31 14:00 - 16:00 (America/Chicago) | Crosstown Theater, 1350 Concourse Ave., Memphis, TN, 38104, United States
The Crosstown Arts Film Series presents The Elephant 6 Recording Co. at Crosstown Theater.
Crosstown Theater
Thursday, August 31, 2023
Tickets: $5 at the door
Doors at 6:30 p.m. | Films begin at 7:00 p.m. (sharp!) at Crosstown Theater
Chad Stockfleth / 2022 / 93 minutes / Not Rated
An inside look at The Elephant 6 Recording Co., the ’90s rock collective that launched Neutral Milk Hotel, The Olivia Terror Control, The Apples in Stereo, and other bands. Around 1985, a group of Louisiana high schoolers began experimenting with whatever random instruments and gear they could find. Influenced by psychedelia, and with little to distract them, they birthed a musical revolution.
The Crosstown Arts Film Series showcases a diverse collection of independent, international, historically significant, artistic, experimental, cult, underground, and documentary features.

The Crosstown Arts Film Series presents: FEAR OF A BLACK HAT
2023-09-07 14:00 - 16:00 | Crosstown Theater, 1350 Concourse Ave., Memphis, TN, 38104, United States
The Crosstown Arts Film Series presents Fear of a Black Hat at Crosstown Theater.
Crosstown Theater
Thursday, September 7, 2023
Tickets: $5 at the door
Doors at 6:30 p.m. | Films begin at 7:00 p.m. (sharp!) at Crosstown Theater
Rusty Cundieff / 1993 / 83 minutes / Rated R
An off-the-wall comedy documentary about the greatest rap band that never was. Documentary filmmaker Nina Blackburn (Kasi Lemmons) infiltrates the behind-the-scenes world of rap’s most controversial band. Meet the fast-talking philosophical Ice Cold (Rusty Cundieff), the short-tempered militant Tasty-Taste (Larry B. Scott), and their spiritual center, D.J. Tone Def (Mark Christopher Lawrence). See them in the recording studios, jam with them on stage, hang with them and hear their philosophies on music and life. Featuring hilarious videos of all their biggest hits, plus the “gangstas”, the girls and the guns. A wonderfully funny spoof.
The Crosstown Arts Film Series showcases a diverse collection of independent, international, historically significant, artistic, experimental, cult, underground, and documentary features.

The Crosstown Arts Film Series presents: MEDUSA DELUXE
2023-09-14 14:00 - 16:00 | Crosstown Theater, 1350 Concourse Ave., Memphis, TN, 38104, United States
The Crosstown Arts Film Series presents Medusa Deluxe at Crosstown Theater.
Crosstown Theater
Thursday, September 14, 2023
Tickets: $5 at the door
Doors at 6:30 p.m. | Films begin at 7:00 p.m. (sharp!) at Crosstown Theater
Thomas Hardiman / 2022 / 101 minutes / Rated R
Talented, ambitious, and backstabbing hairstylists gather for a competition in England, only to find one of their own murdered before judging can begin. Winding through neon-lit halls and backstage dressing rooms, competitors unspool long-simmering resentments and secrets as they search for the killer among them, in this devilishly funny whodunit from debut filmmaker Thomas Hardiman.
The Crosstown Arts Film Series showcases a diverse collection of independent, international, historically significant, artistic, experimental, cult, underground, and documentary features.

The Crosstown Arts Film Series presents: SQUARING THE CIRCLE (THE STORY OF HIPGNOSIS)
2023-09-21 14:00 - 16:00 | Crosstown Theater, 1350 Concourse Ave., Memphis, TN, 38104, United States
The Crosstown Arts Film Series presents Squaring the Circle (The Story of Hipgnosis) at Crosstown Theater.
Crosstown Theater
Thursday, September 21, 2023
Tickets: $5 at the door
Doors at 6:30 p.m. | Films begin at 7:00 p.m. (sharp!) at Crosstown Theater
Anton Corbijn / 2022 / 101 minutes / Not Rated
The story of the album art design studio, Hipgnosis, who created some of the most iconic album covers of all time. Whether you’re a fan of Pink Floyd or not, chances are you know exactly what the album covers of The Dark Side of the Moon and Wish You Were Here look like. But you might not be familiar with the creative duo behind those iconic images: Storm Thorgerson and Aubrey “Po” Powell, aka the innovative design studio Hipgnosis.
Hipgnosis went from making covers for their mates (the likes of David Gilmour and Syd Barrett) to establishing themselves as the driving force behind visual identities of some of the most popular artists of the 1970s (think Led Zeppelin and Paul McCartney). Their methods were unconventional, their budgets often unreasonable, but they were fearless visionaries who artfully manipulated photographic images long before computer graphics became ubiquitous.
The Crosstown Arts Film Series showcases a diverse collection of independent, international, historically significant, artistic, experimental, cult, underground, and documentary features.

The Love Light Orchestra featuring John Németh
2023-09-30 14:30 - 16:30 | Crosstown Theater, 1350 Concourse Ave., Memphis, TN, 38104, United States
Crosstown Arts presents The Love Light Orchestra featuring John Németh at Crosstown Theater.
Crosstown Theater
Saturday, September 30, 2023
Doors open at 6:30 pm | Show begins at 7:30 pm
$25 in advance | $30 at the door
PURCHASE TICKETS HERE
Though born from the desire to rekindle enthusiasm for the grand, orchestral sound of mid-20th century blues, The Love Light Orchestra is much more than a nostalgia act. Formed in 2016 as a nod to the sound and visual flair prevalent early in careers of beloved Memphis stalwarts B.B. King and Bobby Bland, the Love Light Orchestra is as much a manifestation of the current moment as it is a throwback to a bygone era of nightclubs packed to the brim with partygoerseager to take in an evening of down-home musicality with a touch of class.
The collective vision of trumpeter Marc Franklin, guitarist Joe Restivo, and vocalist John Németh has earned the ensemble favorable responses from the public and press alike. The Memphis Commercial Appeal noted the band’s immersive qualities, transporting listeners to a pivotal scene in which jazz and blues maintained influence over Memphis’ soul burgeoning sound. Writer Bob Mehr lauded the band for “re-conjuring a sound and style that was dominant in Memphis, and that would have a formative influence on the young artists who would come to stock the rosters of Stax Records and Hi Records in the decades to come.”
Completion of Leave the Light On, the group’s studio debut, reflects three-years of sheer determination to coordinate schedules of a group consisting of Memphis’ most in-demand artists, in addition to navigating the unforeseen impact of a global health crisis on the entire music industry. Though the maturity and dexterity of the orchestra members shone loud and clear on the group’s first release, the sophomore effort refines and elevates the group’s presentation, employing a clarity and quality complementary to the veteran musicianship within Love Light’s ranks. Tossing the songbook aside in favor of mostly original tunes, Love Light proves their staying power and reinforces an outlook pointed toward the future while honoring the context of their collective musical past.

Kafé Kirk with Kirk Whalum & Keiko Matsui
2023-10-01 13:00 - 15:00 | Crosstown Theater, 1350 Concourse Ave., Memphis, TN, 38104, United States
Crosstown Arts presents Kafé Kirk with Kirk Whalum and special guest Keiko Matsui in Crosstown Theater.
Sunday, October 1, 2023
Crosstown Theater
Box office opens at 5PM | Doors open at 5:30PM
Show begins at 6PM
Tickets: General Admission $59 (plus fees)
PURCHASE TICKETS HERE
Join Grammy-winning saxophonist Kirk Whalum for Kafé Kirk, an ongoing jazz series in Crosstown Theater featuring musical and spiritual collaborations with special guest artists. This iteration’s performance will feature jazz pianist Keiko Matsui.
KEIKO MATSUI
Keiko who masters the delicate balance between career and motherhood (she has two daughters) feels an urgency to leave the world a better place for future generations. “I want to make a positive impact for children in this generation and the future. Through prayer and my music, I hope to be able to increase more harmony on this planet.” Keiko succeeds in conjuring a harmonious affair on Euphoria.
“Through prayer and my music, I hope to be able to increase harmony on this planet.”- Keiko Matsui
KIRK WHALUM
Soulful, passionate, stirring…these are the words most often used to describe Kirk’s music. Forged from his Memphis, Tennessee, gospel roots and his 1980s initiation into the thriving Houston, TX nightclub scene, Kirk’s big, rich tenor sound is unmistakably his. The ’80s 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).
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.

Sierra Hull
2023-10-05 14:30 - 16:30 | Crosstown Theater, 1350 Concourse Ave., Memphis, TN, 38104, United States
Crosstown Arts presents Sierra Hull on the Kemmons Wilson Family Stage at Crosstown Theater.
Crosstown Theater
Thursday, October 5, 2023
Doors open at 6:30 pm | Show begins at 7:30 pm
Tickets: $30-$40
PURCHASE TICKETS HERE
Sierra Hull’s positively stellar career started early. That is, if you consider a Grand Ole Opry debut at age 10, called back to the famed stage a year later to perform with her hero and mentor Alison Krauss to be early. She played Carnegie Hall at 12; at 13 signed with Rounder Records and issued her debut, Secrets, and garnered the first of many nominations for Mandolin Player of the Year. She played the Kennedy Center at 16 and the next year became the first bluegrass musician to receive a Presidential Scholarship at the Berklee College of Music. As a 20-year-old, Hull played the White House.
It’s only a two-hour drive to Nashville from her tiny hometown hamlet of Byrdstown, Tennessee. Hull credits her family for paving the first few miles to Music Row. Her mother, holding her as a toddler, taught her to sing. She ran next door to hear Uncle Junior pick mandolin, and listened intently to the church choir on Sundays. Her Christmas gift- a full-sized fiddle- proved too daunting. While waiting for a smaller replacement, her father showed her some notes on the mandolin. Hull was hooked, soon known as the eight-year-old wowing the locals at bluegrass jams.
She found inspiration in Krauss, Ricky Skaggs, and Sam Bush. And, just as importantly, affirmed her own sense of identity in the album covers of Rhonda Vincent, the queen of bluegrass. She heard the words of her parents, prepping her for life’s big moments yet to come, repeatedly instilling the mantra: Hard work, more than anything, will get you somewhere. It certainly did.
In 2010, Hull captured her first IBMA award for Recorded Event of the Year. She was shedding the prodigy tag, turning virtuoso, and releasing her second album, Daybreak, with seven of her own original compositions. In Byrdstown, she hosted an eponymous annual bluegrass festival.
“There’s a voice in the back of my head telling me to keep working, to keep moving forward,” Hull says. “You have to keep progressing and introducing new things.”
By 2016, Hull had reached a more mature place in her life and in her art. She tapped legendary bluegrass musician Bela Fleck to produce her third album, Weighted Mind. A departure from her opening pair of records that blended progressive elements with traditional structure, Hull let go of whatever preconceptions existed- both hers and those of her audience- and birthed a Grammy-nominated masterpiece.
“I created from a more vulnerable, honest place by asking myself what kind of music will I make if I’m not at all concerned with genre,” says Hull. “What do I want to say with my music? What do I want to feel when I stand onstage and sing these songs? I needed to have a deeper connection.”
Enlisting bassist Ethan Jodziewicz (and Fleck on two cuts), and harnessing vocal contributions from Krauss, Abigail Washburn, and Rhiannon Giddens, Hull trusted her foundation of influences to support this artistic leap. Months later she was taking home the Mandolin Player of the Year. After a near-decade of consecutive noms, Hull broke that last glass ceiling, becoming the first woman to win the prestigious title. Of all the numerous awards and achievements Sierra Hull has earned, that one occupies a special place on the mantle. Then she took home a pair to join it, winning again in 2017 and 2018.
Hull has maintained a rigorous touring schedule, as well. Even when off the road, she is frequently guesting with friends and legends, joining such icons as the Indigo Girls, Garth Brooks, and Gillian Welch, and performing at the Country Music Awards with Skaggs, Brad Paisley, and Marty Stuart.
She says she’s ready, now, for something new. Currently in the midst of work for the follow-up to Weighted Mind, her next album will consist of all original songs. Beyond that, there are tantalizing ideas she won’t divulge for collaborations and, perhaps, an all-instrumental record. There is a plan, but not a timetable, which is just fine.
“I love playing music. It’s all I ever wanted to do. I don’t see it, necessarily, as a bad thing that I’m slow to make albums. I want my albums to be something I can be proud of.”

Fright-tober: Frankenweenie (2012)
2023-10-07 09:30 - 11:30 | Crosstown Theater, 1350 Concourse Ave., Memphis, TN, 38104, United States
Crosstown Theater
Saturday, October 7, 2023
Tickets: Free with registration
Film begins at 2:30 p.m. at Crosstown Theater
REGISTER HERE
Throughout the month of October, Crosstown Concourse presents Fright-tober at Crosstown Theater! Join us every Saturday in October for spooky, kid-friendly matinees (2:30 pm) and even spookier adult-themed horror films in the evenings (6:30 pm). Films programmed by Crosstown Arts. Tickets are free, but capacity is limited so registration is required.

When a car hits young Victor’s pet dog Sparky, Victor decides to bring him back to life the only way he knows how. But when the bolt-necked “monster” wreaks havoc and terror in the hearts of Victor’s neighbors, he has to convince them that Sparky’s still the good, loyal friend he was. Directed by Tim Burton.

Tim Burton / 2012 / Rated PG

Fright-tober: Carrie (1976)
2023-10-07 13:30 - 15:30 | Crosstown Theater, 1350 Concourse Ave., Memphis, TN, 38104, United States
Crosstown Theater
Saturday, October 7, 2023
Tickets: Free with registration
Film begins at 6:30 p.m. at Crosstown Theater
REGISTER HERE
Throughout the month of October, Crosstown Concourse presents Fright-tober at Crosstown Theater! Join us every Saturday in October for spooky, kid-friendly matinees (2:30 pm) and even spookier adult-themed horror films in the evenings (6:30 pm). Films programmed by Crosstown Arts. Tickets are free, but capacity is limited so registration is required.

In this chilling adaptation of Stephen King’s horror novel, withdrawn and sensitive teen Carrie White (Sissy Spacek) faces taunting from classmates at school and abuse from her pious mother (Piper Laurie) at home. When strange occurrences start happening around Carrie, she begins to suspect that she has supernatural powers. Invited to the prom by the empathetic Tommy Ross (William Katt), Carrie tries to let her guard down, but things eventually take a dark and violent turn. Directed by Brian DePalma.
Brian DePalma / 1976 / Rated R

The Crosstown Arts Film Series presents: PICNIC AT HANGING ROCK
2023-10-12 14:00 - 16:00 | Crosstown Theater, 1350 Concourse Ave., Memphis, TN, 38104, United States
The Crosstown Arts Film Series presents Picnic at Hanging Rock at Crosstown Theater.
Crosstown Theater
Thursday, October 12, 2023
Tickets: $5 at the door
Doors at 6:30 p.m. | Films begin at 7:00 p.m. (sharp!) at Crosstown Theater
Peter Weir / 1975 / 115 minutes / Rated PG
This sensual and striking chronicle of a disappearance and its aftermath put director Peter Weir on the map and helped usher in a new era of Australian cinema. Based on an acclaimed 1967 novel by Joan Lindsay, Picnic at Hanging Rock is set at the turn of the twentieth century and concerns a small group of students from an all- female college who vanish, along with a chaperone, while on a St. Valentine’s Day outing. Less a mystery than a journey into the mystic, as well as an inquiry into issues of class and sexual repression in Australian society, Weir’s gorgeous, disquieting film is a work of poetic horror whose secrets haunt viewers to this day (Criterion).
The Crosstown Arts Film Series showcases a diverse collection of independent, international, historically significant, artistic, experimental, cult, underground, and documentary features.

Moody Conducts BEETHOVEN 5
2023-10-13 13:30 - 15:30 | Crosstown Theater, 1350 Concourse Ave., Memphis, TN, 38104, United States
Crosstown Theater
Friday, October 13, 2023
Doors open at 6 pm | Show begins at 6:30 pm
Tickets: $35
PURCHASE TICKETS HERE
Robert Moody, conductor
Caroline Kinsey, horn
MONTGOMERY Banner
LAZARESCOU Impressions from the Black Sea
BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 5
The most famous four notes in musical history – don’t miss this performance of Beethoven’s revolutionary work in an intimate setting. MSO Principal Horn Caroline Kinsey is the featured soloist for Romanian American composer Dan Lazarescou’s evocative musical exploration.

Fright-tober: Ghostbusters (1984)
2023-10-14 09:30 - 11:30 | Crosstown Theater, 1350 Concourse Ave., Memphis, TN, 38104, United States
Crosstown Theater
Saturday, October 14, 2023
Tickets: Free with registration
Film begins at 2:30 p.m. at Crosstown Theater
REGISTER HERE
Throughout the month of October, Crosstown Concourse presents Fright-tober at Crosstown Theater! Join us every Saturday in October for spooky, kid-friendly matinees (2:30 pm) and even spookier adult-themed horror films in the evenings (6:30 pm). Films programmed by Crosstown Arts. Tickets are free, but capacity is limited so registration is required.

A group of unemployed parapsychologists go into business as professional ghost neutralizers. But when New York City comes under stack from a host of supernatural demons, the self-proclaimed Ghostbusters must step up and save the world from the sinister “Zuul.” Directed by Ivan Reitman.
Ivan Reitman / 1984 / Rated PG

Fright-tober: The Wicker Man (1973)
2023-10-14 13:30 - 15:30 | Crosstown Theater, 1350 Concourse Ave., Memphis, TN, 38104, United States
Crosstown Theater
Saturday, October 14, 2023
Tickets: Free with registration
Film begins at 6:30 p.m. at Crosstown Theater

REGISTER HERE
Throughout the month of October, Crosstown Concourse presents Fright-tober at Crosstown Theater! Join us every Saturday in October for spooky, kid-friendly matinees (2:30 pm) and even spookier adult-themed horror films in the evenings (6:30 pm). Films programmed by Crosstown Arts. Tickets are free, but capacity is limited so registration is required.

After receiving an anonymous letter about a missing 12-year-old girl, devoutly Christian Police Sergeant Neil Howie (Edward Woodward) travels by seaplane to a remote Scottish island to investigate. But the islanders welcome neither his badge nor religious devotion, for Lord Summerisle (Christopher Lee) and his devoted followers worship only the pagan gods of old — and those gods demand a sacrifice. Howie fears for the missing girl’s life and follows every possible lead to find her — despite the islanders’ interference — before she becomes a human sacrificial lamb. Directed by Robin Hardy.
Robin Hardy / 1973 / Rated R

The Crosstown Arts Film Series presents: SUSPIRIA
2023-10-19 14:00 - 16:00 | Crosstown Theater, 1350 Concourse Ave., Memphis, TN, 38104, United States
The Crosstown Arts Film Series presents Suspiria at Crosstown Theater.
Crosstown Theater
Thursday, October 19, 2023
Tickets: $5 at the door
Doors at 6:30 p.m. | Films begin at 7:00 p.m. (sharp!) at Crosstown Theater
Dario Argento / 1977 / 100 minutes / Rated R
Suspiria is a 1977 Italian supernatural horror film directed by Dario Argento, who co-wrote the screenplay with Daria Nicolodi, partially based on Thomas De Quincey’s 1845 essay Suspiria de Profundis. The film stars Jessica Harper as an American ballet student who transfers to a prestigious dance academy but realizes, after a series of brutal murders, that the academy is a front for a supernatural conspiracy.
The Crosstown Arts Film Series showcases a diverse collection of independent, international, historically significant, artistic, experimental, cult, underground, and documentary features.

Fright-tober: Monster House (2006)
2023-10-21 09:30 - 11:30 | Crosstown Theater, 1350 Concourse Ave., Memphis, TN, 38104, United States
Crosstown Theater
Saturday, October 21, 2023
Tickets: Free with registration
Film begins at 2:30 p.m. at Crosstown Theater
REGISTER HERE
Throughout the month of October, Crosstown Concourse presents Fright-tober at Crosstown Theater! Join us every Saturday in October for spooky, kid-friendly matinees (2:30 pm) and even spookier adult-themed horror films in the evenings (6:30 pm). Films programmed by Crosstown Arts. Tickets are free, but capacity is limited so registration is required.

This animated tale follows the misadventures of three teens who believe that an old ramshackle dwelling in their neighborhood houses a man-eating entity that is feasting on the locals. Directed by Gil Kenan.
Gil Kenan / 2006 / Rated PG

Fright-tober: Get Out (2017)
2023-10-21 13:30 - 15:30 | Crosstown Theater, 1350 Concourse Ave., Memphis, TN, 38104, United States
Crosstown Theater
Saturday, October 21, 2023
Tickets: Free with registration
Film begins at 6:30 p.m. at Crosstown Theater
REGISTER HERE
Throughout the month of October, Crosstown Concourse presents Fright-tober at Crosstown Theater! Join us every Saturday in October for spooky, kid-friendly matinees (2:30 pm) and even spookier adult-themed horror films in the evenings (6:30 pm). Films programmed by Crosstown Arts. Tickets are free, but capacity is limited so registration is required.
From Universal Pictures’ Get Out, a speculative thriller from Blumhouse (producers of The Visit, Insidious series, and The Gift) and the mind of Jordan Peele, when a young African-American man visits his white girlfriend’s family estate, he becomes ensnared in a more sinister real reason for the invitation. Directed by Jordan Peele.
Jordan Peele / 2017 / Rated R

The Crosstown Arts Film Series presents: THE INVADERS
2023-10-26 14:00 - 15:30 | Crosstown Theater, 1350 Concourse Ave., Memphis, TN, 38104, United States
Crosstown Arts and the Stax Museum of American Soul Music present The Invaders at Crosstown Theater.
Crosstown Theater
Thursday, October 26, 2023
Tickets: Free
Doors at 6:30 p.m. | Films begin at 7:00 p.m. (sharp!) at Crosstown Theater
Prichard Smith / 2022 / 76 minutes / Not Rated
Inspired by militant leaders like Malcom X and Stokely Carmichael, a new radicalized generation of civil rights activists made up of young college students, Vietnam vets, musicians, and intellectuals emerged in Memphis in 1967. The Invaders uncovers the history and significance of the often-overlooked group, detailing their direct involvement with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in the pivotal hours leading up to his assassination. The Invaders touches on themes of race, government surveillance and economic injustice. The film offers a unique perspective on the 1968 Memphis Sanitation Strike by emphasizing the role of resident youth in the movement, as well as focusing on the function of poverty and economic disparity in Memphis.

Presented in collaboration with the Stax Museum of American Soul Music. Q&A following the screening!
The Crosstown Arts Film Series showcases a diverse collection of independent, international, historically significant, artistic, experimental, cult, underground, and documentary features.

Fright-tober: The Bride of Frankenstein (1935)
2023-10-28 09:30 - 11:30 | Crosstown Theater, 1350 Concourse Ave., Memphis, TN, 38104, United States
Crosstown Theater
Saturday, October 28, 2023
Tickets: Free with registration
Film begins at 2:30 p.m. at Crosstown Theater
REGISTER HERE
Throughout the month of October, Crosstown Concourse presents Fright-tober at Crosstown Theater! Join us every Saturday in October for spooky, kid-friendly matinees (2:30 pm) and even spookier adult-themed horror films in the evenings (6:30 pm). Films programmed by Crosstown Arts. Tickets are free, but capacity is limited so registration is required.

In the masterful sequel to the 1931 classic, the mad scientist is persuaded by a creepy doctor to create a mate for his creature to help fabricate a new race, but all doesn’t go as planned. Elsa Lanchester has dual roles as novelist Mary Shelley and the frightful wig-wearing bride. Directed by James Whale.
James Whale / 1935 / Not Rated

Fright-tober: The Thing (1982)
2023-10-28 13:30 - 15:30 | Crosstown Theater, 1350 Concourse Ave., Memphis, TN, 38104, United States
Crosstown Theater
Saturday, October 28, 2023
Tickets: Free with registration
Film begins at 6:30 p.m. at Crosstown Theater
REGISTER HERE
Throughout the month of October, Crosstown Concourse presents Fright-tober at Crosstown Theater! Join us every Saturday in October for spooky, kid-friendly matinees (2:30 pm) and even spookier adult-themed horror films in the evenings (6:30 pm). Films programmed by Crosstown Arts. Tickets are free, but capacity is limited so registration is required.
A research team in Antarctica is hunted by a shape-shifting alien that assumes the appearance of its victims. Directed by John Carpenter.
John Carpenter / 1982 / Rated R

Mahogany Chamber Music Series: Chamber Music … 1, 2, 3, 4!
2023-10-29 13:00 - 14:30 | Crosstown Theater, 1350 Concourse Ave., Memphis, TN, 38104, United States
Crosstown Arts presents the Mahogany Chamber Music Series: Chamber Music … 1, 2, 3, 4! in Crosstown Theater.
Crosstown Theater at Crosstown Arts
Sunday, October 29, 2023
Doors open at 5:30 pm | Show begins at 6 pm
Tickets: $20 | $5 student tickets available
PURCHASE TICKETS HERE
With the unique concept of gradually introducing performers to the stage, artists Ross Salvosa, Artina McCain, and the Joshua David trio will take the audience on a journey from classical solo piano, to the amused tenderness of Samuel Barber’s Souvenirs, and end the night with a riveting set of jazz featuring world-renowned jazz trombonist Mike Dease.

The Mahogany Chamber Performances is a series of three chamber music concerts curated by Dr. Artina McCain and presented by Crosstown Arts, spotlighting Black and other underrepresented composers and performers.
MICHAEL DEASE

Michael Dease is one of the world’s eminent trombonists, lending his versatile sound and signature improvisations to over 200 recordings and groups as diverse as Grammy-winning artists David Sanborn, Christian McBride, Kanye West, Michel Camilo, and Alicia Keys. Born in Augusta, Georgia, he played the saxophone and trumpet before choosing the trombone at age 17. In 2001, Dease moved to New York City to become part of the historic first class of jazz students at The Juilliard School, earning both Bachelors and Masters degrees, and quickly established a reputation as a brilliant soloist, side-person, and bandleader.
Give It All You Got (Posi-Tone, 2021), Dease’s newest release, has received positive acclaim from JazzTimes Magazine and a coveted 4-star review from Downbeat Magazine. The music centers on themes of devotion to the past and future of the jazz lineage, realized at the Jazz Institute at Brevard where he serves as director. As a bandleader, this is Dease’s eighth album for Posi-Tone, fourteenth of his career, and features Gregory Tardy, Ulysses Owens, as well as his wife Gwen Dease and eldest daughter Brooklyn Dease on percussion.
Dease is the winner of Downbeat Magazine’s Critics Poll for 2021 Trombonist of the Year, the 2016 Rising Star Jazz Trombonist, and is a three-time Grammy award winner with Christian McBride and Alicia Keys. He is also a sought-after lead, section and bass trombonist with today’s leading jazz orchestras. His experiences include bands led by Christian McBride, Roy Hargrove, Nicholas Payton, Charles Tolliver, Rufus Reid, Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, and the Dizzy Gillespie All-Star Big Band. However, it is on the frontline of small groups led by master musicians like The Heath Brothers, Winard Harper, Renee Rosnes, Bill Charlap, Claudio Roditi, and Lewis Nash, where Dease has revitalized the trombone’s image. Not content to simply improvise, Dease arranges and composes for many different bands, constantly adjusting his tone and timbre to add just the right flavor to the music.
Dease’s unique blend of curiosity, hard work and optimism has helped him earn worldwide recognition, including awards from ASCAP, The International Trombone Association, Yamaha, Eastern Trombone Workshop, New York Youth Symphony, Hot House Magazine, and Michigan State University, among others. Dease is profiled in Cicily Janus’ book, The New Face of Jazz: An Intimate Look at Today’s Living Legends (Random House). His experience in the studio has led him to produce several recording sessions for emerging artists, often composing and writing liner notes for the releases.
Dease’s singular talent has made him an effective and prolific teacher, resulting in invitations, master classes and residencies at University of North Texas, Scranton University, University of Iowa, Florida State College, Broward College, and many institutions abroad. He serves as tenured full professor of jazz trombone at the renowned Michigan State University jazz program, where he received the 2019 Michigan Distinguished Professor of the Year Award and the 2018 MSU Teacher/Scholar Award. Prior to MSU, he was on faculty at Queens College – CUNY, The New School and Northeastern University. In 2015, Dease founded the Jazz Institute at Brevard at the Brevard Music Center, and he continues to direct the Institute along with the Seiko Summer Jazz Camp (Japan) while also serving as the trombone faculty at the Skidmore Summer Jazz Institute (New York). Many of Dease’s current and former students are enjoying successful careers in the music world.
Always an informed but forward-thinking musician, Dease has taken many lessons from master musicians while primarily studying with trombone legends Wycliffe Gordon and Joseph Alessi. His associations have run the entire spectrum of musical experience: Alicia Keys, Paul Simon, Paul Schaffer and the CBS Orchestra, Elton John, Neil Diamond, Illinois Jacquet, Slide Hampton & The World Of Trombones, Fred Wesley, Maceo Parker, WDR Big Band, George Gruntz, Billy Harper, and numerous others.
Michael Dease is an enthusiastic endorser and Performing Artist for Yamaha Trombones, Trumpets and Saxophones, Pickett-Blackburn brass mouthpieces, and the custom repair services of expert craftsman Scott Sweeney of Sweeney Brass in Raleigh, North Carolina. Most importantly, he enjoys spending time with his extraordinary wife and Professor of Percussion at MSU, Gwendolyn Dease, and their daughters Brooklyn and Charly.
ROSS SALVOSA
Ross Salvosa is a Lecturer of Piano/Piano Pedagogy at Central Washington University and an active member of the Music Teachers National Association and is currently serving as 2023 Poster Session Chair as well as a member of the conference planning committee and the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Task Force of the Washington State Music Teachers Association. He has served in the juries of the Seattle International Piano Competition, Oregon Music Teachers Association Young Artist Competition, Steinway Canada Young Artist Competition, Vancouver International Festival of Russian Music, Philippine National Music Competition for Young Artists, and the Piano Teachers Guild of the Philippines Festival and Competition. He has given piano pedagogy lectures and masterclasses for the Steinway Young Artist in Canada (Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver), BC Registered Music Teachers Association (Richmond, Langley and South Fraser), Kenosha Music Teachers Association, Piano League, Cultural Center of the Philippines, University of the Philippines, University of Santo Tomas, Philippine Suzuki Association and the Manila Piano Series.
Ross is on the advisory board of the Seattle International Piano Festival and Competition where he also served as outreach coordinator. He was the chairman and artistic director of Music Without Borders Society in Vancouver-BC from 2013 to 2018. He received his Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of British Columbia, where he was a recipient of the Mildred Johnson scholarship award, and his Masters and Bachelors of Music Degrees from the Conservatory of Music at Lynn University under full scholarship. He studied with Sara Davis Buechner, Corey Hamm, Roberta Rust, Kenneth Broadway, Ralph Markham, Emilio Del Rosario, Reynaldo Reyes, Mauricia Borromeo, Ruby Pilante-Salvosa, Abelardo Galang II, and Jose Artemio Panganiban.
JOSHUA DAVID
Joshua David is a 24-year-old composer, pianist and bandleader from Birmingham, Alabama. He began taking piano lessons at age four, and at age five, began studying classical piano at Birmingham-Southern College Conservatory initially under Adam Horowitz and then Dr. Adam Bowles. At ten years old, he began studying percussion in the school band with teacher Aaron Paul Brown and won many awards for musical excellence in both piano and percussion. At age 16, Joshua released his first album, Joshua David, a collection of original jazz compositions which has received radio airplay across the U.S. and the U.K. Joshua participated in the Ruben Studdard Music Camp from age 12 to 17 and received a scholarship from the Ruben Studdard Foundation his freshman year of college.
Joshua graduated cum laude from Samford University in May of 2021 with a Bachelor of Music Degree. While at Samford, he majored in music composition under the instruction of Dr. Mark Lackey. While in college, he continued to study classical piano with Dr. Jason Terry. He also was a member of the jazz ensemble, commercial music ensemble and gospel choir.
Currently, Joshua is doing what he loves: composing, performing and producing music. He was recently commissioned to compose four contemporary classical works for a social justice project which is being performed at venues around the country including the Peabody Institute and Carnegie Hall. Joshua has composed music for independent films and has collaborated with other artists and bands on jazz and gospel projects.
On September 19th, Joshua released his second project, Stay Cool, a hip-hop and R&B inspired jazz EP. He has a third album in the works, paying homage to significant jazz influences in his life such as Thelonious Monk, John Coltraine, Chick Corea, and others. He plans to release it in 2023. Joshua has been the worship leader at Restored Sight Christian Church for nine years and gives all glory and honor to God for the gift of music and every opportunity he has been given.
Joshua David’s music is available for purchase on his website, iTunes and Amazon. You may stream Joshua’s music on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, TIDAL and all other streaming platforms.
ARTINA MCCAIN
Hailed by the New York Times as a “virtuoso pianist” Artina McCain, has built a formidable career as a performer, educator and speaker. As a recitalist, her credits include performances at Wigmore Hall and Barbican Centre in London, Weill Hall at Carnegie and Merkin Hall in New York City and more. Other highlights include guest appearances with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Memphis Symphony Orchestra and Fox Valley Symphony Orchestra. In 2022, she was the mistress of ceremony for the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition.

Dedicated to promoting the works of Black and other underrepresented composers, McCain curates Underrepresented Composers Concerts for multiple arts organizations. She is an American Prize winner for her solo piano recordings of these works and won a Gold Global Music Award for her recent album project Heritage. In 2021, Hal Leonard published her transcriptions of Twenty-Four Traditional African American Folk Songs.
McCain was a featured inspirational leader in the award-winning PBS documentary series Roadtrip Nation: Degree of Impact in an episode exploring the real-world impact of professionals with doctoral degrees in and outside of academia.
McCain’s performances have been heard on the Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK), Germany’s WDR and television appearances including features on CSPAN for the MLK 50 Commemoration. McCain is a three-time Global Music Awards winner including collaborative projects I, Too (Naxos), with soprano Icy Monroe, focused on African American Spirituals and Art Songs and Shades, a collaboration with her husband and duo partner Martin McCain.
After not performing for 6 years while battling a performance injury, she now enjoys a prolific concert career with more than 10 years of full injury recovery. She uses her recovery to serve as an advocate of musicians’ wellness–curating articles, lectures, and forums to educate teachers and students. Most recently the BBC featured her on the podcast Sideways telling her miraculous story of injury to recovery. McCain has written and presented on wellness and other topics in the Piano Magazine and at multiple universities, Music Teachers National Association Conference and the National Conference of Keyboard Pedagogy.
McCain graduated cum laude from Southern Methodist University. She received her Master of Music from Cleveland Institute of Music and holds a doctoral degree from the University of Texas at Austin. Currently, she is Associate Professor of Piano and Coordinator of the Keyboard Area at the Rudi E. Scheidt School of Music at the University of Memphis and Co-Founder/Director of the Memphis International Piano Festival and Competition.
In her spare time, Artina enjoys boutique shopping, traveling internationally and is an avid tea aficionado.
Artina McCain is a Yamaha Artist.

The Crosstown Arts Film Series presents: STOP MAKING SENSE
2023-11-02 14:00 - 15:30 | Crosstown Theater, 1350 Concourse Ave., Memphis, TN, 38104, United States
Crosstown Arts and the Memphis Listening Lab present Stop Making Sense at Crosstown Theater.
Crosstown Theater
Thursday, November 2, 2023
Tickets: $5 at the door
Doors at 6:30 p.m. | Films begin at 7:00 p.m. (sharp!) at Crosstown Theater
Jonathan Demme / 1984 / 88 minutes / Rated PG
Newly restored in 4K to coincide with its 40th anniversary, the 1984 film was directed by renowned filmmaker Jonathan Demme and is considered by critics as the greatest concert film of all time. Stop Making Sense stars core band members David Byrne, Tina Weymouth, Chris Frantz, and Jerry Harrison along with Bernie Worrell, Alex Weir, Steve Scales, Lynn Mabry, and Edna Holt. The live performance was shot over the course of three nights at Hollywood’s Pantages Theater in December of 1983 and features Talking Heads’ most memorable songs.
Presented in collaboration with Memphis Listening Lab.
The Crosstown Arts Film Series showcases a diverse collection of independent, international, historically significant, artistic, experimental, cult, underground, and documentary features.

The Crosstown Arts Film Series presents: WILD STYLE
2023-11-09 13:00 - 14:30 | Crosstown Theater, 1350 Concourse Ave., Memphis, TN, 38104, United States
The Crosstown Arts Film Series presents Wild Style at Crosstown Theater.
Crosstown Theater
Thursday, November 9, 2023
Tickets: $5 at the door
Doors at 6:30 p.m. | Films begin at 7:00 p.m. (sharp!) at Crosstown Theater
Charlie Ahearn / 1983 / 82 minutes / Rated R
The original hip-hop movie, Wild Style was the first feature film to document the scene’s music, break dancing, and street art at its inception. Through the eyes of a subway tagger named Zoro (played by graffiti legend Lee Quinones) and his encounters with assorted B-boys and g-girs, rappers, and fellow artists, we see the vibrant street culture of the Bronx in the early 1980s. Filmed with vivid, semi-documentary authenticity, this extraordinary time capsule boasts appearances by groundbreaking artists like Grandmaster Flash, the Cold Crush Brothers, Lady Pink, Fab 5 Freddy, Busy Bee, and others.
The Crosstown Arts Film Series showcases a diverse collection of independent, international, historically significant, artistic, experimental, cult, underground, and documentary features.

The Crosstown Arts Film Series presents: PHASE IV
2023-11-16 13:00 - 14:30 | Crosstown Theater, 1350 Concourse Ave., Memphis, TN, 38104, United States
The Crosstown Arts Film Series presents Phase IV at Crosstown Theater.
Crosstown Theater
Thursday, November 16, 2023
Tickets: $5 at the door
Doors at 6:30 p.m. | Films begin at 7:00 p.m. (sharp!) at Crosstown Theater
Saul Bass / 1974 / 87 minutes / Rated PG
Desert ants suddenly form a collective intelligence and begin to wage war on the inhabitants. It is up to two scientists and a stray girl they rescue from the ants to destroy them. Acclaimed graphic designer Saul Bass’s only feature film is a visually striking curiosity that, originally a box office flop, garnered cult status a year after its release. Interpreted by some as an ecological commentary, by others as political, and by others as a runoff of the anxieties of the time, Phase IV is as spellbinding as the movie posters and title sequences for which its director is known. Featuring an otherworldly score by composer Brian Gascoigne and starring Michael Murphy and Nigel Davenport as the scientists.
The Crosstown Arts Film Series showcases a diverse collection of independent, international, historically significant, artistic, experimental, cult, underground, and documentary features.

The Crosstown Arts Film Series presents: WHERE IS THE FRIEND’S HOUSE?
2023-11-30 13:00 - 14:30 | Crosstown Theater, 1350 Concourse Ave., Memphis, TN, 38104, United States
The Crosstown Arts Film Series presents Where Is the Friend’s House? at Crosstown Theater.
Crosstown Theater
Thursday, November 30, 2023
Tickets: $5 at the door
Doors at 6:30 p.m. | Films begin at 7:00 p.m. (sharp!) at Crosstown Theater
Abbas Kiarostami / 1974 / 83 minutes / Not Rated
The first film in Abbas Kiarostami’s sublime, interlacing trilogy of films set in the northern Iranian village of Koker takes a premise of fable-like simplicity — a boy searches for the home of his classmate whose school notebook he has accidentally taken — and transforms it into a miraculous, child’s-eye adventure of the everyday.
As our young hero zigzags determinedly across two towns aided (and sometimes misdirected) by those he encounters, his quest becomes both a revealing portrait of Iranian society in all its richness and complexity and a touching parable about the meaning of personal responsibility. Shot through with all the wonder, beauty, tension, and mystery one day can contain, Where Is the Friend’s House? established Kiarostami’s reputation as one cinema’s most sensitive and profound humanists.
The Crosstown Arts Film Series showcases a diverse collection of independent, international, historically significant, artistic, experimental, cult, underground, and documentary features.

Season of Delight
2023-12-01 11:00 - 13:00 | Crosstown Concourse, 1350 Concourse Ave., Memphis, TN, 38104
Crosstown Arts and Crosstown Concourse present the free holiday event series Season of Delight on the first three Fridays in December.
Central Atrium
Friday, December 1, 2023
Time: 5-7 pm
Tickets: Free and open to the public
On the first Friday in December, from 5 to 7 pm, Crosstown Concourse will host a festive event in the Central Atrium! The holiday atrium lights in the Central Atrium will turn on at 6 pm.
As part of the first night of Season of Delight, Crosstown Arts and Crosstown Concourse will collaborate to screen a holiday double feature in Crosstown Theater. The short film Mickey’s Christmas Carol and the feature-length Christmas Vacation will be screened for free. Theater doors open at 6 pm, and the films begin at 6:30 pm. There will also be free hot cocoa, caricature portraits, ornament-making, card-making, and more!
Season of Delight will continue on Friday, December 8, and Friday, December 15.

Shoot & Splice: Movie Trivia Party
2023-12-05 13:00 - 15:00 | Crosstown Theater, 1350 Concourse Ave., Memphis, TN, 38104, United States
Indie Memphis and Crosstown Arts present Shoot & Splice: Movie Trivia Party at Crosstown Theater.
Crosstown Theater
Tuesday, December 5, 2023
Tickets: Free
Time: 7-9 pm

Throughout the year, Indie Memphis & Crosstown Arts bring cinematographers, directors, editors, writers, actors, and technicians to Shoot & Splice, our monthly filmmaking forum. Come help us celebrate the end of another fun year with the return of our annual Shoot & Splice Movie Trivia! Test your film knowledge against returning Trivia Masters — John Beifuss of The Commercial Appeal and Chris McCoy of the Memphis Flyer. The trivia masters will take full advantage of the theater so be prepared for some fun video rounds!
Complimentary drinks will be provided by Crosstown Arts.
RULES
– No more than 4 people per team
– 5 rounds with 10 questions per round
– Bonus giveaway ticket opportunities between rounds for our prize-pot-o-suprises!
– The top 3 teams will win prizes
PRIZES
1st Place: Each team member will receive a 2024 Indie Memphis Film Festival pass ($130 value)
2nd Place: Each team member receives 4 free individual tickets to the film(s) of their choice at the 2024 Indie Memphis Film Festival!
3rd Place: Each team member receives 2 free individual tickets to the film(s) of their choice at the 2024 Indie Memphis Film Festival!
FREE Giveaway Tickets: Listen in between rounds to see if your number is called to pick a prize from our prize pot featuring Indie Memphis swag, blurays, surprises, and more!

Crosstown Theater
1350 Concourse Ave
Memphis, TN 38104
December 5, 2023, 7:00 – 9:00 PM CST
Get directions · More events at venue

Season of Delight
2023-12-08 11:00 - 13:00 | Crosstown Concourse, 1350 Concourse Ave., Memphis, TN, 38104
Crosstown Arts and Crosstown Concourse present the free holiday event series Season of Delight on the first three Fridays in December.
Central Atrium
Friday, December 8, 2023
Time: 5-7 pm
Tickets: Free and open to the public
On the second Friday in December, from 5 to 7 pm, Crosstown Concourse will host a festive event in the Central Atrium!
As part of the second night of Season of Delight, Crosstown Arts and Crosstown Concourse will collaborate to screen a holiday feature in Crosstown Theater. The feature-length Home Alone will be screened for free. Theater doors open at 6 pm, and the films begin at 6:30 pm. There will also be the Resident Artists Open Studio event, and more! Artists in residence will have their studios open on Friday, December 8, from 5 to 6:30 pm; and musical artists OutPastMidnight and danieljmorrow will perform in The Green Room from 6:30 to 7:30 pm.
Season of Delight will continue on Friday, December 15.

MicroCinema: When The Apocalypse is Over (New Generations of Philippine Cinema)
2023-12-13 13:00 - 15:00 | Crosstown Theater, 1350 Concourse Ave., Memphis, TN, 38104, United States
Indie Memphis and Crosstown Arts present MicroCinema: When the Apocalypse is Over at Crosstown Theater.
Crosstown Theater
Wednesday, December 13, 2023
Tickets: Free
Time: 7-9 pm

Indie Memphis and Crosstown Arts are excited to present When The Apocalypse is Over, a block of aspect ratio-, post-production-, or VFX-heavy shorts from the latest generations of filmmakers in the Philippines.
Through heavy manipulation of the frame, these films evoke longing — for different bodies, for other ways of life, for a non-dystopian world — and through that longing push cinematic language to new, absurd, and exciting places. The short films begin abstract and end explicitly political. Some of them engage with and subvert the stories of Philippine mythological creatures. For instance, Dikit, queers and twists the tradition of the manananggal, a vampire-like creature that is able to separate its torso from its lower body, through an innovative use of split screen. Together they cry out for someone, something, and somewhere different.
Content Warning: This program includes depictions of violence and references to state and domestic violence and their long-lasting effects.

Season of Delight
2023-12-15 11:00 - 13:00 | Crosstown Concourse, 1350 Concourse Ave., Memphis, TN, 38104
Crosstown Arts and Crosstown Concourse present the free holiday event series Season of Delight on the first three Fridays in December.
Central Atrium
Friday, December 15, 2023
Time: 5-7 pm
Tickets: Free and open to the public
On the third Friday in December, from 5 to 7 pm, Crosstown Concourse will host a festive event in the Central Atrium!
As part of the final night of Season of Delight, Crosstown Arts and Crosstown Concourse will collaborate to screen a holiday feature in Crosstown Theater. The feature-length Die Hard will be screened for free. Theater doors open at 6 pm, and the films begin at 6:30 pm.

Mahogany Chamber Music Series: MLK Freedom Celebration
2024-01-14 08:30 - 10:00 | Crosstown Theater, 1350 Concourse Ave., Memphis, TN, 38104, United States
Crosstown Arts presents the Mahogany Chamber Music Series: MLK Freedom Celebration in Crosstown Theater.
Crosstown Theater at Crosstown Arts
Sunday, January 14, 2024
Doors open at 2 pm | Show begins at 2:30 pm
Tickets: $20 | $5 student tickets available
PURCHASE TICKETS HERE
The Crosstown Arts Mahogany Chamber Music Series presents a MLK Freedom concert celebrating unity in diversity. The program is inspired by concerts curated by Coretta Scott King in the 1960s illustrating the struggle and triumph of Black people in this country. Over two dozen musicians will join together to explore diverse choral repertoire while highlighting works from the Black vocal tradition: gospel, spirituals, and anthems.

Hailed by The New York Times as a “virtuoso pianist” and “steeped in Black Classical,” the program is curated by series director Dr. Artina McCain, a professor of piano at the University of Memphis. The concert will be led by two-time Grammy-nominated educator and University of Memphis director of choral activities, Dr. Francis Cathlina, and Grammy-nominated conductor-baritone and director of the New York Philharmonic Chorus, Malcolm J. Merriweather. Collaborating artists include pianist, David Cordoba, the W. Crimm Singers of Nashville, and local professional choral artists.

The Mahogany Chamber Music Series is a series of three chamber music concerts curated by Dr. Artina McCain and presented by Crosstown Arts, spotlighting Black and other underrepresented composers and performers.
