JUST ANNOUNCED: Z$ at Lafayette's Music Room

RRE artist Zigadoo Moneyclips will make their debut at Lafayette's Music Room on March 8, 2015! Click here to RSVP to the event and stay updated on all the info, and let's get out there and support our Memphis music!

JUST ANNOUNCED: Agori Tribe w/The Wave Function (Moon Taxi Afterparty)

We are very excited to announce that RRE artist Agori Tribe will be performing at Murphy's Pub on January 30, 2015 for a Moon Taxi afterparty! Moon Taxi plays at Minglewood Hall that night, and Murphy's is just across the street (0.1 miles according to Google Maps). The Tribe will be joined by The Wave Function who played a successful Widespread Panic afterparty in October 2014. RSVP to the event here, and pay close attention for announcements about ticket prices and special discounts for Moon Taxi ticket holders.

JUST ANNOUNCED: Dank w/Zigadoo Moneyclips at Hi-Tone

Yesterday, Dank (formerly known as Dank Sinatra) announced a brand new album release, along with a Southeast tour! RRE artist Zigadoo Moneyclips will be joining Dank at the Hi-Tone Cafe on their stop in Memphis. The last time Dank came through Memphis, RRE artist Agori Tribe supported them, so come on out and rage on with Dank and Zigadoo Moneyclips on February 6! Check out the full list of tour dates below.

Preview: Greensky Bluegrass at 1884 Lounge, Memphis, TN 10/01/14

Greensky Bluegrass has relentlessly worked their way up to the top of the live music scene. Touring practically nonstop and improving every step of the way, the band has carved itself a niche in the jamgrass scene. Greensky's unique take on improvisation leads audiences down a hypnotic path and leaves them mesmerized. Fresh off of the release of their brand new album, If Sorrows Swim, and still riding the wave of their successful opening set for Railroad Earth at Red Rocks Amphitheater, Greensky Bluegrass hits the 1884 Lounge at Minglewood Plaza tonight in Memphis, Tennessee. This show is a must-see for all live music lovers.

Check out If Sorrows Swim below, as well as my review of the album on Grateful Music.

Upcoming Ragin' Randy Schedule

Good afternoon fellow music lovers! I have had a wonderful month off from shows to spend time with my wife, but I am ready to get back out their and catch some live music. I've got some big ones coming up in October and early November! Here's what I've got so far:

Oct 01     Greensky Bluegrass - 1884 Lounge, Memphis, TN

Oct 02     Dead Winter Carpenters - Lafayette's Music Room (Grand Re-Opening), Memphis, TN

Oct 17     Lettuce - Minglewood Hall, Memphis, TN

Oct 18     Widespread Panic - Orpheum Theatre, Memphis, TN

Oct 19     Widespread Panic - Orpheum Theatre, Memphis, TN

Nov 02    STS9 - The Lyric Theatre, Oxford, MS

Ragin' Randy At M.E.M.Fest

I am very excited to announce that I will be playing a DJ set for the silent disco at M.E.M.Fest! Here is the full lineup, featuring lots of local Memphis acts, as well as some big names from around the country. I can't wait to see you all out on the dancefloor! Get ready for the true Ragin' Randy experience! Also, check out the playlist of M.E.M.Fest artists below, compiled by one of the festival's founders, Nolan Leake (aka Gutta Kick)

Photo Gallery: The Groove Orient w/The Chinese Connection Dub Embassy & Agori Tribe

So, I tried out my new camera on Agori Tribe, and I still have some work to do before I can get this concert photography thing down. However, a few turned out pretty cool, plus I got some pre-show footage, as well as an interview with The Groove Orient! All of the photos of The Chinese Connection Dub Embassy and The Groove Orient were taken with my phone. Also, make sure to scroll all the way down and check out my video of The Groove Orient's cover of Frank Zappa's "I'm The Slime"!

Agori Tribe - Hi-Tone (07-31-14) Setting Up

Pre-Show Merch Table Shenanigans

Agori Tribe - Hi-Tone (07-31-14) Soundcheck

Sean Naughton, Dave Hash & Jeffrey Naylor of Agori Tribe - Soundcheck

David Collins of Agori Tribe - Soundcheck

Jeffrey Naylor of Agori Tribe - Pre-Show Shenanigans

Sean Naughton of Agori Tribe

Sean Naughton of Agori Tribe

Agori Tribe - Hi-Tone (07-31-14)

Will Nicholls & Jeffrey Naylor of Agori Tribe - Hi-Tone (07-31-14)

Will Nicholls & Jeffrey Naylor of Agori Tribe - Hi-Tone (07-31-14)

David Collins, Will Nicholls & Sean Naughton of Agori Tribe

Agori Tribe - H-Tone (07-31-14)

Will Nicholls of Agori Tribe - Hi-Tone (07-31-14)

The Chinese Connection Dub Embassy - Hi-Tone 7/31/14

The Chinese Connection Dub Embassy - Hi-Tone 7/31/14

The Groove Orient - Hi-Tone 7/31/14

The Groove Orient - Hi-Tone 7/31/14

Chuck Magid, Harry Ong and David "Drillbit" Incorvaia of The Groove Orient

Chuck Magid, Harry Ong and David "Drillbit" Incorvaia of The Groove Orient

Tommy Shugart of The Groove Orient on the Hammond B3

Tommy Shugart of The Groove Orient on the Hammond B3

Paul Terry & David Vanegas of The Groove Orient

Preview: The Groove Orient w/The Chinese Connection Dub Embassy & Agori Tribe

Tonight, The Groove Orient will be playing the Hi-Tone in Memphis, Tennessee, with local support from reggae fusion band The Chinese Connection Dub Embassy and instrumental, psychedelic rock band Agori Tribe. Let's take a few minutes to look at this awesome cast and get pumped for a great show tonight!

Agori Tribe was founded in Memphis in 2008 and has played venues and house parties all over the city, and even all around the Southeast region. The band has released one full-length album, The Hard Mountain Tradition, and has shared the stage with artists such as Perpetual Groove, Zoogma, Arpetrio, Moon Taxi, Particle, The Original Wailers and more. Their unique blend of rock, jazz, reggae and electronica yields an incredible, psychedelic live music experience.

The Chinese Connection Dub Embassy was also formed in Memphis in 2008, and their wide range of influences (everything from hip hop to reggae to jazz) and heavy focus on moving together as a unit combine to entertain audiences of all ages. The band has multiple releases and has relentlessly played around Memphis and other areas of the United States over the past few years.

The Groove Orient, while fairly new to me, is a six-piece band whose primary focus is to "orient the groove" to find that point where the subconscious takes over and sends audiences off on a musical journey. Formed in Winter Park, Florida, the band brings the groove to Memphis tonight, so you better check out their tracks below and get oriented!

Remembering Sam Phillips (January 5, 1923 - July 30, 2003)

They call Elvis Presley "The King of Rock & Roll," but what many people don't know is that without Sam Phillips, there would be no Elvis Presley. Originally from Alabama, Mr. Phillips fell in love with Beale Street in the late 1930s and moved to Memphis in the mid-1940s to work at a radio station. On January 3, 1950, Mr. Phillips opened the Memphis Recording Service at 706 Union Avenue in Memphis, Tennessee. That building still stands today as Sun Studios. 

Mr. Phillips recorded "Rocket 88" by Jackie Brenston and his Delta Cats in 1951, which is considered by many to be the first ever rock & roll record. He also discovered and recorded some of Memphis' most legendary blues artists, such as Rufus Thomas, Howlin' Wolf, B.B. King and more. Mr. Phillips also provided the opportunity for many other future superstars to make their first records, including, but not limited to, Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison and many, many more. Mr. Phillips was a part of the first group to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986, and he was the first ever non-performer inducted into the Rockabilly Hall of Fame.

Sam Phillips lived to 80 years old, passing away of respiratory failure in his beloved Memphis, Tennessee on July 30, 2003. Elvis may still be the King, but Sam Phillips is without a doubt the Godfather of Rock & Roll. Rest in peace Sam!

Sam Phillips - Founder of the Memphis Recording Service (Sun Studios/Sun Records)

Photo Gallery: The McLovins - Newby's, Memphis, TN (July 15, 2014)

Check out these photos from The McLovins at Newby's! There's also a bonus video at the bottom of the band covering the Grateful Dead's "Scarlet Begonias."

Concert Preview: The McLovins at Newby's, Memphis, TN (Tues. July 15, 2014)

Getting geared up for my first of three shows this week, let's take a look at tonight's band, The McLovins. Hot off of the release of their new album Beautiful Lights, released January 21, 2014, the band has already crossed the Northeast and Midwest regions this summer, and has just completed four nights in Colorado. Describing themselves as Improv Rock, the band covers a wide variety of moods and timbres on their latest project. From bass heavy dance tunes like the opening track, "Flavor of the Week," to funky, laid back tunes such as "Man in a Blue Coat" and slow tracks like "Yankee Rose," there is definitely something for everyone on the album. The McLovins have been slowly working their way up the live music totem pole ever since the band's inception in 2008. The band now has three full length albums under their belt, along with a couple of EPs and many miles of touring. Look for my review of the show on Live Music Daily and check out Beautiful Lights by The McLovins below!

Photo Gallery: The Black Cadillacs - Levitt Shell, Memphis, TN (07/06/14)

The Black Cadillacs returned to Memphis on Sunday July 6 as part of the Levitt Shell's Free Concert Series, and what a show it was! All Tennessee natives, these guys just keep getting better. Below is my full set of photos from the evening.