Mempho Music Festival 2018: Year 2 of concert event promises to be bigger and better

Music returns to Shelby Farms Park this weekend as Grammy-winner Beck, hip-hop supernova Post Malone, French pop group Phoenix, acclaimed soul singer Janelle Monáe and rap great Nas play the second annual Mempho Music Fest.

Presented by Big River Productions, the lineup includes more than 25 acts performing on a pair of stages in the park. Beck and Phoenix will headline the first night of the fest Saturday, with Post Malone — who topped a sold-out Beale Street Music Festival finale in May — and Nas closing out Sunday. Other notable names set to appear include Monáe, Mac DeMarco, George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic, Rich the Kid, Larkin Poe and Milky Chance. 

Now in its sophomore year, Mempho is the brainchild of Big River head and Memphis native Diego Winegardner. The East Coast-based entrepreneur launched Mempho in October 2017, bringing live music back to Shelby Farms on a major scale for the first time in well over a decade — and launching a fall concert event to rival the Beale Street Music Festival. 

The inaugural Mempho fest was a creative and logistical success. Shelby Farms proved a viable setting for a multi-day concert event, and the performances — by Americana superstar Jason Isbell, hip-hop artist Anderson .Paak and a reunited Booker T. and the MGs, among others — were well received. Winegardner and his team were so sufficiently encouraged by the results that they immediately began planning for a more ambitious follow-up.

“Last year was more of a proof-of-concept year,” Winegardner says. “Based on our metrics, we achieved success. We had a safe, fun event. We had a good turnout for a year one festival. The fans were very happy.

“We always had a longer-term vision on this. We felt it was going take a couple years to develop. Based on last year’s results it made sense to keep moving forward and expanding. Everything is bigger this year, from the lineup to the production elements. Our overall artist budget increased quite a bit this year — as evidenced by the programming and the names on the bill.

"But also, we learned — especially about things like ingress and egress and making sure we have shuttle services from our parking to the main entrance to make it easier for fans. We learned a lot about the fan experience overall and how to improve that.” 

Among the noticeable changes for 2018 is Mempho’s expanded second stage.

“The Hard Rock Stage is going to be almost as large as the main stage, the First Tennessee stage,” Winegardner says. “Obviously when you have the types of artists we have at the top of the bill, their productions' requirements go up.”

Musically speaking, Mempho 2018 also boosts a more prominent contingent of hip-hop and rap acts, with everyone from East Coast legend Nas to Bluff City kingpins Project Pat and Juicy J filling the bill.  

“One thing we wanted to make sure and increase was our exposure to hip-hop. It’s the biggest and most important genre in music today,"  Winegardner says. "It brings with it the energy of the youth market — which, given the location of Memphis and where we are in proximity to so many schools and universities in the region, we really wanted to tap into.” 

Winegardner also notes the opportunity to bring white-hot artist Post Malone to Memphis — just a few months removed from his last local appearance at the Beale Street Music Festival — represents a coup. “He’s bigger now than he was five months ago, he’s breaking Michael Jackson’s records. Post Malone is arguably the hottest artist in America today. We were pleased we were able to get him back to town. We think there were a lot of people who were shut out of that Sunday Beale Street music fest show. So, this will be another opportunity for them to see him.” 

As it did during its inaugural year, Mempho will also present a wide array of noted local and regional acts. This year’s lineup will include performances by Mid-South favorites Juicy J, Project Pat, Lucero, Eric Gales, The Bar-Kays, Don Bryant & The Bo-Keys, Big Ass Truck, Love Light Orchestra, Talibah Safiya, The Como Mamas and Cory Branan. Royal studios head Boo Mitchell will lead a special performance saluting the legacy of Royal and Hi Records that will feature William Bell, Bobby Rush, Frayser Boy, members of Hi Rhythm and more.

Among the other special festival sets will be a “Stones Throw” performance led by Chuck Leavell, music director for the Rolling Stones, and will feature noted several current and former members of the Stones’ touring company including bassist Darryl Jones, vocalist Bernard Fowler and saxophonist Tim Ries. Noted musicians Karl Denson and Robert Randolph will also host/headline special late-night jam sessions following the main stage headliners. 

“The programming really hangs together quite nicely,” Winegardner says. “As we put the lineup together almost like making a really smooth flowing mix tape. We are still honoring the great local talent here and paying tribute to the legacy of Memphis music, but at the same time we really wanted to bring in more hip-hop — and alt rock is still a cornerstone, just like last year. We didn’t deviate too much from the first year, but it’s a little more rounded and balanced.” 

This year also finds Mempho offering on-site camping at Shelby Farms Park.

“That’s a new component to the festival," Winegardner says. "So many people live within a half-day drive from Memphis and many have heard of Shelby Farms Park or simply enjoy camping. For them to be able to come camp at Shelby Farms, but to do it in a middle of a music festival and in an urban setting … we’ve got the best of all possible worlds here. We’ve got people from all over the country coming in. Not sure how much camping is driving that. But we are seeing more demand for tickets not just locally but nationally.” 

After planning for the last 12 months, Winegardner is ready for the weekend and the music to get started.

“It’s never easy putting on a festival, but everything gets easier in year two,” he says. “When you launch something like this, you have an unknown brand that people aren’t familiar with. We really feel like the success of year one is manifesting itself in year two. More people are aware of our brand, and the event and what a perfect setting Shelby Farms Park is. We’re all expecting it to be a great weekend.” 

Mempho Music Fest 2018 

When and where: Saturday and Sunday at Shelby Farms Park, 6903 Great View Drive North. Gates open at 10 a.m. 
Tickets: Single-day general admission tickets are $109; two-day passes are $199. VIP and Super VIP tickets and packages are also available. 
Details: Go to memphofest.com. 

SATURDAY

First Tennessee Stage 
12:30 p.m. Boo Mitchell & The Kings 
2:30 p.m. Lucero 
4 p.m. Milky Chance 
6 p.m. Janelle Monáe 
8 p.m. Phoenix 
10:30 p.m. Beck 

Hard Rock Stage 
11 a.m. Overton High School Band 
Noon Talibah Safiya 
1:30 p.m. Cory Branan 
3 p.m. Eric Gales 
5 p.m. Big Ass Truck 
6:45 p.m. Royal Studios Tribute 
9:15 p.m. Juicy J & Project Pat 

Late Night Show 
Midnight Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe Presents: “Eat a Bunch of Peaches” 

Orion Dome
7 p.m. DJ Logic 
10:30 p.m. Rob Garza (Thievery Corporation) 

AutoZone Silent Disco 
7 p.m. DJ Alora 
10:30 p.m.  DJ Desire 

SUNDAY 

First Tennessee Stage 
Noon Don Bryant & The Bo-Keys 
2:15 p.m. Larkin Poe 
4:15 p.m. Rich the Kid 
6:30 p.m. Mac DeMarco 
8:15 p.m. Nas 
11 p.m. Post Malone 

Hard Rock Stage 
11 a.m. The Como Mamas
12:15 p.m. Sam Lewis 
1:30 p.m. Danny Barnes’ Space Program 
3:15 p.m. John Németh & The Love Light Orchestra
5:15 p.m. The Bo-Keys 
7:30 p.m. Stones Throw: Chuck Leavell & Friends 
9:30 p.m. George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic 

Late Night Show 
Midnight Robert Randolph’s Mempho All-Stars 

Orion Dome
7 p.m. DJ Logic 
10:30 p.m. Rob Garza (Thievery Corporation) 

AutoZone Silent Disco 
7 p.m. DJ AD 
10 p.m.  DJ Jordan Rogers  
11 p.m. DJ Tree