Valerie June
Organic Moonshine Roots Music

TIP: Enhance your lawn-seating experience with a blanket or folding chairs.  ENJOY!! 

The world premiere of $5 Cover will be held Thursday, April 30th at Malco's Paradiso Theater.  Tickets are available at www.indiememphis.com.

To watch the trailer for $5 Cover, go to Videos.   

Amplified  is a series of documentaries produced by Alan Spearman & his group.  The docs feature musicians from $5 Cover.  They will be shown Tuesday, April 28th at Malco's Studio on the Square.  Tickets are available at the theater after 5 pm.  

Flipside is a series created by Christopher Reyes & Sarah Fleming.  It will also be shown Tuesday, April 28th at Malco's Studio on the Square.   

Howdy Folks!

I must say I have been missing everyone.  I've been designing my new website that you see here.  The winter has been full of hard work and songwriting.  I think the winter has also initiated a love affair between me and Memphis, TN.  I have lived here for eight years, and I am just now falling in love with this city as it is in the present moment.  So if you are asking why that is, I'd have to say I've found that there are no kinder folks than in Memphis, TN, and I am extremely thankful for my friends, family, fans, and neighbors. 

  $5 Cover(www.fivedollarcover.com)  by Craig Brewer is a rough-and-tumble show set in the clubs, all-nite cafes and no-tell motels of present-day Memphis. The series follows a cast of young musicians as they fight for love, inspiration, and money to pay the rent.  All of the characters play themselves and perform their own music. Each episode builds to an exciting performance or recording session captured on location. The dialogue is improvised and the scenes come straight from the lives of artists and bands struggling to make a mark on their scene.  Some of the awesome performers are Two-Way Radio(www.makeshiftmusic.com), Al Kapone(www.alkaponemusic.com), Muck Sticky(www.mucksticky.com),Amy Lavere and Paul Taylor(www.myspace.com/amylavere) (www.myspace.com/paultaylormemphis),Snowglobe(www.makeshiftmusic.com), Alicia Trout of the River City Tanlines(www.rivercitytanlines.com), Lucero(www.luceromusic.com), Harlan T. Bobo(www.myspace.com/harlantbobo), and Cody Dickinson of  Hill Country Revue(www.myspace.com/hillcountryrevue).

 It was such a treat to work with these performers as well as the crew- John Hubbell, Alan Spearman, Erin Hagee, Morgan Jon Fox, Scott Bomar, Tommy Kha, Claude Phillps, Mrs. Doris, Jeff Pope, Saki Manousakis, Brent Shrewsbury, Clare Grant, Jack Oblivian and Chellie Bowman.  These people and many more good folks have helped me fall in love with present day Memphis, TN.

For those who love art and music, this is a MUST SEE festival!!

Watch this video for a taste of the divine gifts this festival offers:

 http://www.riverartsfest.org/2009RAF/Slideshow/2008Highlights.htm

     We "Folkies" in Memphis are so blessed to have the Folk Alliance based downtown on Main Street.  The first year I attended the conference I was so excited that I decided to volunteer as well as play my showcases.  I was a kid in a candy store with all of that good folk music from all over the world being performed all night and day.  I have since learned my lesson:  VOLUNTEER THROUGHOUT THE YEAR!  They always have extra things to do in order to prepare for the conference.  This year the conference began on Thursday with my dear friend Jason Freeman.  We entertained about 100 grade school children with our Traditional Children's Music Show.  They were adorable doing the Hokey Pokey!  I left there and headed for Bragg Elementary in West Memphis, AR where I did a Folk Music Workshop with 200 well behaved 4th-6th graders.  Later that night, I performed at my official showcase in the Memphis Room which was well attended.  The highlight and ultimate delight was on Saturday night when I was joined by musicians, Nathan McMahan-Mandolin and Megan White-Cello, to entertain at the Center for Southern Folklore(www.southernfolklore.com).  I was sandwiched between Andy Cohen(www.andycohenmusic.net) and The Ebony Hillbillies (www.ebonyhillbillies.com).  Mrs. Ella's homecooking topped off the evening!  You can learn more about The International Folk Alliance at www.folk.org.