Mayday Parade play Memphis, love Beale Street

Photos by Mark Schreck

 It’s been nearly a decade since Mayday Parade released their debut full-length album “A Lesson In Romantics,” but members of the Floridian alt-rock outfit say that romance is only one of many subjects they’ve had to study over the years.

The group toured through Memphis with The Maine on March 11 at the New Daisy Theatre on Beale Street in support of their fifth installment “Black Lines,” which debuted at No. 1 on Billboard's rock albums chart and No. 1 on the alternative albums chart in October 2015.

Bassist and co-songwriter Jeremy Lenzo said he has fond memories of Beale Street from playing at The New Daisy in the past.

“We always go down and walk around the street at night,” Lenzo said. “There’s tons of bars there so we go hoppin’ around at different bars. There’s a nice barbecue place up the road. We all liked listening to jam bands, so if there’s a good band playing we’ll pop in and watch whatever band is playing.”

However, Lenzo said this doesn’t mean fans should get their hopes up for a blues album from the pop-punk quintet just yet.  

“It’d be fun to do that,” Lenzo said. “I don’t think we’d be able get away with it, but it’d be fun to try and write one.” 
Though Parade doesn’t literally play “the blues,” the band has definitely earned a reputation for writing songs about sad subjects.

“We have learned from our mistakes,” Lenzo said. “It’s human nature. We definitely have always written about romantic type stuff,  the loss of romance, but that’s because it’s a universal thing. Everyone has been in love or felt betrayed so it just comes natural.”

One of about 850 people who saw Mayday perform at the New Daisy, 19-year-old Ashley Stafford, said that the group has been her favorite band since high school and that almost every song speaks to her on an emotional level.

“I went through a bad relationship and it definitely left some scars,” Stafford said.

Her current boyfriend, Birmingham resident Kyle Cavender, was also in attendance. “He’s here to see me happy.”   

Cavender, also 19, said that he’s more so a fan of EDM but didn’t mind accompanying Stafford to see pop-punkers Mayday Parade perform.

“I like Mayday Parade,” Cavender said. “I like that it helped her.”

Alli Carlile, a 21-year-old University of Memphis psychology student, said seeing Mayday Parade perform was her “middle school dream.”

“I was kind of a ‘scenie-weenie’ or whatever,” Carlile said. That’s what my husband calls it- an ‘emo’ type kid where I liked to listen to the music and wear the skinny jeans and all that. It just kind of fit my image in middle school.”  

However, Carlile was at The New Daisy mostly to witness The Maine’s performance.

“I feel like Mayday Parade kind of drifted from what they were,” Carlile said. “But I feel like The Maine has been the same since they started.”

Lenzo admitted that on Black Lines the band attempted to write about relationships in a less “upfront” or “noticeable” way.

“We’ve definitely been on a big 90’s rock kick,” Lenzo said. “I think we tried to add a little bit of a 90’s rock vibe on our last record. We might do it again. Who knows what’s going to be on our mind when we’re writing the next record.”

The bassist said that even recently, during the two and a half week period between Mayday Parade’s European tour and the start of the American tour, he was working on new material in his his home studio and recording one new demo every day.   

“I would just sit down in the morning and whatever I came up with I would just record it and just make an idea out of it,” Lenzo said. “Verse, pre-chorus, chorus, outro - just kinda come up with a rough idea. I’m always trying to keep the brain fresh. I think the more you write, whether it’s writing for your band or not, the better writer you’ll become.”

Lenzo said that although most fans assume new Mayday Parade songs are written about romantic relationships, often times they are surprised to learn that other topics inspire the group as well.

“Most of the heartbreak stuff doesn’t necessarily have to be heartbreak about a girl,” Lenzo said. “It could be heartbreak with just relationships in general- friends or family that you fall away from. A lot of the songs are definitely about relationships with a significant other, but there are some we have that are just about when you lose a friend through fighting.”

Friends the band are certainly not fighting with are their tour-mates, The Maine.

“I feel like we’re a very down to earth band,” Lenzo said. “Very rarely do we meet other bands that we feel as comfortable around as we do The Maine. They just feel like if we had a brother-band The Maine would be our brothers.”

As Parade pushes almost 10 years since the release of their first full-length album, Lenzo said the band doesn’t get nearly as nervous as they used to before a performance.

“We still try to rock out even though we’re getting older,” Lenzo said. “We still try to do guitar swings and run around and just have a good time. I feel like it just comes naturally now. I don’t have to try and do a move or do something with the audience. I just feel comfortable on stage and it portrays itself through being on stage.”

About Jeremy Lenzo of Mayday Parade

Instrument: Bass, currently learning Banjo

Favorite music to listen to on the road: Bluegrass & 90’s hip-hop

Favorite 90’s hip-hop artist: Nas

Reading material: Image Comics, particularly Saga and East of West, “a good post-apocalyptic series.”  

Avengers Civil War: Team Iron Man or Captain America?

“Iron man. I’m not a really big Captain America fan ... but probably Deadpool over either of those.”

Video Games:

“Derek (vocals) has a PS4 that we brought on the bus and we bring it in the venue and play it in the green rooms. We just downloaded the Tom Clancy: The division, but we haven’t played it yet so.. Apparently it’s only online. It didn’t say that when we bought it.”

Did someone in the band actually “dream about Las Vegas?” Have you all “gone back to Georgia?” ...And are you still “by the ocean just waiting for sunsets and silhouette dreams?”

Actually did dream about las vegas. We have gone back to Georgia, numerous times so I guess we cheated that one. We weren’t supposed to go back but we did. [The band even visits Georgia regularly and records at Earthsound studios in Valdosta, Georgia to record their cover songs for Fearless Records’ Punk Goes Pop series.]

And y’know we’re all from Florida so we’re beach people so we’ve definitely spent a lot of sunsets at the beach ….but we’re not waiting around forever on the beach.

BSMF abandons butt-rock for the age of singer-songwriters

2013- A pack of delinquents and myself are stomping our way through Beale Street Music Festival from the Bud Lite stage, where Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros pulled off an inspiring performance, to the Fedex stage, where Alice in Chains would remind us that the 90’s were over.

Chains began their performance by slyly stating “I guess we made it to the stage THIS year,” flailing around like Target catalogue rock stars, and for the rest of their set, completely acting like self-obsessed cheeseballs. The quality of their performance did not match the attitude they presented the crowd. My friends and I, already stuck in the masses, turned and looked at each other as if to say “We should have stayed at Bassnectar.”

The Black Keys at Music Fest '13

Though the Alice in Chains incident didn’t stop us from completely enjoying the rest of the ‘13 lineup (The Black Keys, Public Enemy, The Flaming Lips, and Gary Clark Jr. all delivered) I personally haven’t returned to music fest since 2013. Headliners in 2014 like Avenged Sevenfold, who dropped their California-metalcore sound to become a Metallica cover band for kids with Tapout shirts, and Kid Rock (‘nuff said) just didn’t interest me. As for 2015, Five Finger Death Punch threw a hissy fit and broke up onstage ...or so I’m told.  

I haven’t been to Beale Street Music Festival in three years because most of the rock groups that were billed fall under the “butt-rock” umbrella, if you ask me. Webster’s Dictionary does not contain a definition for “butt-rock,” but Urban dictionary says it is “comprised of raspy vocals, similar to Pearl Jam, Creed, or Nirvana, backed with radio-friendly guitar riffs, drum beats, and basic bass lines.” Comparisons to Pearl Jam and Nirvana are generous, but words like “raspy” and “Creed” hit the nail on the head.

Courtesy of Music Fest

So what about the lineup for Music Fest ‘16? Well, I’m walking to class and receive about five consecutive texts from a friend about the fact that hometown hero Julien Baker (YES) is playing musicfest along with Modest Mouse, Beck, Cold War Kids, and The Front Bottoms. The Front Bottoms?

The Front Bottoms! TFB may utilize some “radio-friendly guitar riffs,” but they swap those nasty “raspy vocals” for the endearing self-realizing poetics of frontman Brian Sella. These guys are anti-”butt-rock.” These guys are the opposite of “butt-rock.” I’d venture to say that while all the butt-rock bands were ripping off the raspy sound of Kurt Cobain’s voice, Brian Sella was busy studying how Cobain lyrically captivated a listener with lyrics. The Front Bottoms crushed the Hi Tone with their inviting folk-punk sound in July of ‘14 and I’ll never forget it.

It’s safe to say I’m looking forward toward seeing them in Memphis again, but even the rest of the BSMF ‘16 lineup also seems to represent a shift from “raspy, Creed vocals,” to sophisticated, singer-songwriter-driven bands. Instead of Kid Rock we have Beck. Instead of Five Finger Death Punch we have Modest Mouse. We have Young The Giant. If you still enjoy a healthy amount of distortion, we’ll have Weezer looking like the nerds they are instead of Alice in Chains pretending they can still amaze us with their “coolness.”

Something happened in the recruiting process of the Beale Street Music Festival and I’m glad it did. With all these singer-songwriter acts Music Fest is gonna get lyrical. Music Fest is gonna get deep. What’s the cherry on top of this singer-songwriter sundae you ask? I’d like to think it’s Paul Simon. Of Simon & Garfunkel. That Paul Simon. So here’s to you Mrs.Memphis in May.   

Courtesy of Music Fest

...If he plays "Kodachrome" I'm gonna lose my shit.

“Uptown” Grammys put “Boo” Mitchell and Royal Studios to work

Photo by Charles Nardi 

The Memphis-recorded “Uptown Funk” won big at the Grammy Awards Feb. 16 and producer Lawrence “Boo” Mitchell said that business for his Royal Studios has already picked up since the recognition.

The Mark Ronson/Bruno Mars track won three Grammys: Best remixed recording, Best Pop Duo/Group Performance and even the Record of the Year Award, marking the first time in history that a record made in Memphis has won that title.

Mitchell, who facilitated the recording process of “Uptown” at 1320 Willie Mitchell Blvd. in South Memphis, said that he was proud to return to the Bluff City and that the city itself deserved some credit for the award as well.

“I just hope to energize and revitalize the music community here,” Mitchell said.

Memphis has always had a rich musical history and I just want to be able to expand on that and be able to be part of that process that helps get the new generation of Memphis music and talent out to the world.”

Mitchell, the son of well-known soul producer Willie Mitchell, said that post-Grammys “Uptown” has definitely increased the visibility of Royal Studios. He recently completed producing an album by British soul artist Beverley Knight and will be working on projects will fellow Grammy-winner Matt Ross, who engineered what won Best Americana Album - Jason Isbell’s Something More Than Free album.

“It’s just a wonderful experience,” Mitchell said.  “It feels good to bring a Grammy home to the city I love.”

Mitchell is also in talks with his sister to form a new record label and continues to produce his son Uriah Mitchell’s upcoming rap project. Another Memphis talent that Boo Mitchell has been working closely with is local pop-rock group, AIRSIDE (formerly known as The Passport.)  

Drummer of the band, Kirk Teachout, 25, said the “Uptown” producer has a better ear for music than anyone else.

“All the sudden he’ll hear something,” Teachout said. “He’ll even be on his phone, he’ll be working on his laptop, and he’ll hear something that we can’t even hear.  He’ll change one thing and it’ll sound incredible. For me that’s huge - just to have someone who can hear the little things that make the big things happen.”

Teachout, who interned for Mitchell as an engineer and assistant for a year, knew that big things would soon happen with Mitchell’s work. The drummer said that AIRSIDE began tracking with “Boo” during a fortuitous time - right before the producer would become Grammy nominated for “Uptown Funk.”

“We knew that he was on that level but had never been recognized on that level,” Teachout said. “When he was nominated we were like ‘Holy crap this is awesome. He’s finally getting the recognition that he deserves.”   

Mitchell grew up surrounded by popular recording artists like KC & The Sunshine Band, The Jacksons, and the Doobie Brothers working with his father and Hi Records, often at Royal Studios. At  17 “Boo” stepped up and laid down keyboards for Al Green’s Grammy winning gospel album As Long as We’re Together. In the early 90’s the producer even tried his hand in the industry as an artist- performing with the brotherly hip-hop duo M-team.   

During the recording process of “Uptown Funk,” Mitchell immediately recognized that Bruno Mars had borrowed a particular lyric from the hip-hop world, a world Mitchell very much considers himself a part of.  

“”Don’t believe me just watch’- It comes from Trinidad James and I recognized that immediately,” Mitchell said. “I just thought it was hilarious that they took what may be considered a real ‘dirty south’ rap song and incorporated that into the lyrics. That got my attention the most when I first heard the demo.”

Mitchell said that the atmosphere of Royal studios gave Ronson and Mars the inspiration to finish writing “Uptown Funk,” turning that demo into a single.

“I think a studio is definitely impactful to the community because it’s where the music becomes a reality,” Mitchell said. “Most people write songs- have them in their head, or play them on their instruments. It’s great while it’s in your head, but getting it recorded is the first important step toward getting it out to the world.”

As a single “Uptown Funk” held the No.1 slot of the Billboard Hot 100 for 14 straight weeks, coming very close to breaking the all-time record of 16 weeks. With three Grammys now awarded to the song, Mitchell reflected on the role that making music plays in the Memphis community.  

“It’s everything to us,” Mitchell said. “(Memphis’) contributions have been so great to the music of the world. There would be no British invasion if it wasn’t for the music of the Mississippi delta. It’s extremely, hugely important.”

About Lawrence, “Boo” Mitchell

Career/work: Musician, songwriter, audio engineer, record producer, and current owner of Royal Studios.

Portfolio: In 2006 Mitchell was credited with the horn arrangements for Track 12 of John Mayer's Continuum. Since 2010, Mitchell has produced or engineered a wide range of acts including Barbra Blue, Jay Gaunt, Axelle Red, Brandon O. Bailey, Solomon Burke, Cody Chesnutt, Snoop Dogg, Bobby Rush, William Bell, Keb Mo, Terrance Howard and Boz Scaggs

Father’s legacy: Willie Mitchell, who passed away in 2010, was the vice president of Hi Records and ran Royal Studios recording artists like Al Green, the Jacksons, KC & the Sunshine Band, Michael McDonald, and the Doobie Brothers among others.

The Hi Tone Cafe: Memphis' "Black Sheep" find greener pastures

 

Two men take a seat at the black bar of the Hi Tone Cafe’ located on 412-414 North Cleveland. On a typical Tuesday the Memphis sun creeps through the glass windows and is the only source of light in the bar besides a flat screen above the list of drinks.

Armed with colorful tattoos and a fierce, burly beard, head bartender/general manager Patrick McIntyre grabs the television remote and turns the volume down. His accomplice, Joel Gradinger, the ponytailed sound engineer, lights up a few cigarettes as the two reminisce about what each of them miss about the old location of the Hi Tone Cafe’.  

“I miss breaking bottles for sport at the end of the night,” Gradinger said. “We only have cans now.”

Gradinger admits North Cleveland has been a much better fit.

“We were the black sheep,” Gradinger said. “Everybody around there didn’t care for us too much. There’s a lot of businesses and neighborhoods that didn’t support us, but over here we’re surrounded by like minded people.”

Like minded people include Memphians rooting for the Crosstown Concourse, a development project overseen by Kemmons Wilson Companies and designed by Architecture firms Looney Ricks Kiss and Dialog (Vancouver). Overseers of the future Landmark aim to create 800 jobs for Memphis and generate $37 million in new wages annually with 265 loft-style apartments, restaurants, a small grocery, a fitness center, health clinics, a charter high school, commercial offices, and a contemporary art center. The Concourse is scheduled to open in the Spring of 2017.

“Everyday those guys are in there working on that place and they're not stopping,” McIntyre said. “It’s gonna be great for the area in general. There’s gonna be more businesses opening up and this whole area is gonna be completely different in a year and a half. I think we’re all looking forward to that.”

McIntyre, a seasoned Memphis bartender, has spent several years serving drinks at different Bluff City locations. It took him 13 years to find his Hi Tone home.

“I’ve worked at Murphy’s, the Buccaneer, and then the Deli,” McIntyre said. “I’ve worked at all the ones that are kinda known for all the craziness that can kinda go on, but we don’t really have that many problems here.”

The man admits however, that one incident in the new location of the Hi-Tone sticks out in his mind.

“This guy literally only had two bloody mary's from me,” McIntyre said. “Everybody’s standing there looking at him. He’s peeing. He’s just peeing on the bar.”  

McIntyre maintained that after contacting authorities the situation was peacefully handled. Months later McIntyre even shared a laugh with the officers who specifically apprehended who he still calls “the urinator”. The bartender shared that instances like these, as well as the tight-knit “Hi Tone family” make the venue an extremely unique place to work.

“It’s not your typical bar job,” Mcintyre said. “You're expected to do your job, do it right, and do it well. It’s honestly hard to find people like that. ”

One of these people is undoubtedly sound engineer Joel Gradinger. Gradinger, who began working at the old Hi-Tone location in the Spring of 2002, led the actual sound renovations when the bar planted itself at 412-414 North Cleveland in August of 2013.  

“I had a lot more to do with designing and installing the sound system in a much more ideal way than there was at the old spot,” Gradinger said. “I think the best thing you can do is to help the bands be comfortable and confident. If you blow that part of the job; there’s not enough buttons, knobs, and faders to get that back.”

One of the most visible changes for the new Hi-Tone is that it contains not only a big stage with a second bar, but another smaller room with a more relaxed aesthetic. Most of the bands that perform in the small room stand eye-level to the audience, with the drummer as the only musician on an elevated platform. According to Gradinger there were many reasons for building a second, smaller room into the North Cleveland Hi Tone.

“When I designed this stage I had at the front of my mind that I wanted it to feel natural to play on- the same way you’d jam in your living room or something,” Gradinger said. “It can be intimidating stepping up from a rehearsal space or a house show to something with a full sound installation.”

Gradinger stepped up his own musical career in Memphis as a local guitarist and a student in recording technology at the University of Memphis, but gravitated toward doing live sound after working as a studio partner for Brian Powers. Powers came into ownership of the Hi Tone in 2002 and enlisted Gradinger to the sound engineer position.  

“I liked the pressure of having one shot to do it,” Gradinger said. “My background was in studio recording where you can obsess over every little detail

and live sound is the total opposite. I enjoyed the challenge.”

More recent challenges have followed the Hi Tone family during and after the venue’s move from Poplar to North Cleveland. Renovation required new bathrooms, electrical, and plumbing as well as building new walls, painting them, and building the bar itself.  

“It was a bitch,” McIntyre said. “This place was just one big empty shell of nothing. It was just torn to bits; piles of trash everywhere, but we’ve come along way in 2 ½ years.”

Another persisting challenge has been getting virtual databases just to recognize the Hi Tone’s shift to North Cleveland.

“Not even that long ago a cab driver took some people from out of town to the old venue thinking we were still over there,” McIntyre said. “It was really hard to get Google Maps to change our location on there. I think Apple maps still has us listed at the other location.”  

Beyond finding the venue, Mcintyre stressed that there are still some Memphians with other reasons for not visiting Hi Tone 2.0. He believes these reasons aren’t legitimate.   

“I still hear that there’s people that either don’t know we’re open again

or know where we are,” Mcintyre said. “There’s other people that I hear possibly are too scared to come down here, they think it’s a bad area. It’s Memphis and I know years ago this used to be, but honestly we haven't had any problems with crime down here.”

Gradinger also shares the opinion that crime is a lot less prevalent in the newer location of the venue.   

“I would guess we used to eject an average of three or four people a week at the old spot and I think we throw out like maybe once a month,” Gradinger said. “Since we’re not right on Poplar we don’t have issues with homeless people, crackheads, whores, and transients.”

Still, most of Memphis hasn’t caught up with the safer, newer Hi Tone quite yet.

“We knew it would be a struggle,” Gradinger said. “We came in on the front end of the redevelopment of this neighborhood so it’s not an instant transition.”

Even after lengthy renovation, public misconceptions of the neighborhood, and the occasional customer lacking bladder control, the “Hi Tone family” has stuck together since the move. Gradinger even sees the “family” as something that’s bigger than the bar itself.

“I’d say the Hi Tone family even extends beyond the people who work here,” Gradinger said. “The core group of musicians who have been playing around Memphis professionally- even when they don’t have a gig they end up here. It’s a tight nit group of employees but it’s a broad spectrum of creative people in Memphis who I think constitute the family.”

One of the newer, although more helpful additions to the Hi Tone family has been ex-Newby’s owner Brian “Skinny” McCabe, who in Dec. 10 of 2014 jumped at the opportunity to run the new Hi Tone. According to McIntyre, McCabe’s 10 years at Newby’s has brought entirely new crowds to the venue.

“That’s a whole new circle of bands we hadn’t worked with before,” McIntyre said. “As well as customers, events that he’s always hosted, and annual parties. That growth is great. I just can’t emphasize how amazing it’s been to work with him and his wife. They are the first ones here the last one's gone they're very hands on that’s really helped the growth of the new spot.”

With newer management, newer stages, and a newer sense of 901 pride North Cleveland has already proven to pave greener pastures for Poplar’s “Black Sheep;” The Hi Tone Family. With the addition of the Crosstown Concourse, as well as what McIntyre hints as the next wave of musicians and entertainers to grace the Hi Tone stage(s), the grass may only get greener.

“These days there’s a lot of these local kids that are playing up here that are 20,21, 22, and they’re already just amazing artists,” McIntyre said. “They are already talented as hell. It’s just great to see this younger generation that’s now coming along.”

Both McIntyre and Gradinger cited that a few of their favorite local bands to work with include MOVIENIGHT and Dawn Patrol. Gradinger further emphasized that his reasoning for adding the Hi Tone small stage was to assist this new wave of musicians.

“Having a smaller venue on the side allows us to bring in bands that might not be able to get a gig otherwise,” Gradinger said. “It’s easier for us to take a chance on a new band and see how it flies. I mean it basically doubles our booking opportunities.”

With double the room to book, and the increased musical network of the new Hi Tone, McIntyre remains positive that the growth around North Cleveland is representative of a growing Bluff City in general.

“For years it seemed like the city was stagnant,” McIntyre said. “The last couple years it’s just been growing like crazy. All the new restaurants; the food trucks, the bike lanes, I couldn’t be happier about the way it is. It’s really put itself on the map a lot more than it ever was during the last couple years.”

Speaking of maps, it may be a good time for Google and Apple maps to update their databases to include Hi Tone’s new location.