Move over Elvis…

Thank you, Ms. Ryzik, of the New York Times, for including us in your excellent piece on “indie” Memphis.  Read it here.

Cosmic Disasters

Please stop by Odessa this Friday, January 15 for Cosmic Disasters: Artworks by Esther Ruiz and Maggie Exner.

 

     

The art show runs from 6-9 pm, and features sculptures, drawings, collage, and books by these two emerging multimedia artists, both students at Rhodes College.  Wine and cheese reception, free and open to the public. 

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Directly following the show will be a performance by local bands Pop Guns, The Burning Sands (led by former Reigning Sound bassist Jeremy Scott), and Richard James.  $5 cover, includes beer.

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Odessa
2613 Broad Ave
odessamemphis(at)gmail.com

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rsvp on Facebook

Big Film Week in Memphis

There’s lots of film stuff going on this week in Memphis!  Here’s an overview…

ODESSA  |  2613 Broad Ave

Wednesday 12/16 | 7 pm
“Movies to Masticate to” presents:
Wizard People, Dear Reader
This unauthorized remix of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, written by Brad Neely, a comic book artist from Fort Smith, first appeared at the New York Underground Film Festival in 2004, and has gained a cult following since then.  Come at 6pm for Hogwarts-inspired snacks!  ($2 suggested donation.)

BROOKS MUSEUM  |  1934 Poplar Ave

Thursday, December 17 | 7 pm
The Conversation
Starring Gene Hackman in one of his most introspective performances, this film by Francis Ford Coppola ranks as one of greatest paranoid thrillers in the history of cinema, and deals with issues of privacy and technology that still resonate today.  (Tickets: $5 for Brooks members; $7 for non-members. Available here.)

Saturday, December 19 | 2 pm
Li’l Film Fest 12: “Free Footage”
Live From Memphis brings you Li’l Film Fest, a quarterly, theme-based film festival. The goal is to encourage and inspire Memphis filmmakers while engaging a local audience in order to strengthen our artistic community. The theme of Film Fest 12 is “free footage.” Filmmakers were provided with 3 clips of less than a minute in length and required to use a minimum of 10 seconds of each clip.  (Tickets: $5, available at the door the day of the event.) 
 
Sunday, December 20 | 3 pm
Tetro and Q&A with Francis Ford Coppola
Coppola’s latest film (based on his original screenplay) will be followed live Q&A via satellite with Director Francis Ford Coppola himself!  Presented with Indie Memphis; sponsored by Memphis & Shelby Co. Film and Television Commission.  (Tickets: $10 for Brooks members; $15 for non-members.  More information available here.)

December calendar of events

12/11  |  6 – 8 pm
Art show by Ashle Bailey
See her work here.

12/12  |  9 pm
Drug Wars and Chinamen
Spend your Virgin of Guadalupe Day at Odessa.  It will be miraculous.  Check out Drug Wars, the new band from Cole and Bill (Girls of the Gravitron), and Chinamen.
$5 cover (free beer, tequila, and sightings of the Virgin)

12/16  |  6 pm (dinner) 7 pm (movie)
Movies to Masticate to: Wizard People, Dear Reader
This unauthorized remix of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, written by Brad Neely, a comic book artist from Fort Smith, first appeared at the New York Underground Film Festival in 2004, and has gained a cult following since then.  Hogwarts-inspired snacks will precede the film.
$2 suggested donation

 12/19  |  8 pm
Bryan Hartley with art by Hayley Fladeboe
Bryan was the singer and songwriter for the Memphis-based country/punk band, Halfacre Gunroom.  He’s been singing and writing songs since his early teenage years.  Brian put in some time in Nash Vegas and Music Row, but is once again a Memphis regular. Sample his music here.  Some of Hayley’s work can be seen here.

 12/23 |  8 pm
Soapbox
An open mic night like no other.  Odessa’s monthly event features poetry, comedy, music, magic, and ranting. No matter what your form of expression, Soapbox gives you the floor.
No cover, BYO.

For more information on any of these events, email us at odessamemphis(at)gmail.com.

Holiday Cheer

Come check out Odessa’s holiday artist market this Friday, Dec. 4 from 6 – 9pm.  There will be lots of great things to choose from to cover everyone on your gift-buying list.  And cookies and hot chocolate, what?  I’m just saying.  Stay afterwards for music by locals Sultana and a return visit from out-of-towners Icarus Himself.  In between things, drop by our friends at Vini to check out Drive by Press.

Giggle Party. They came, they sang, they cupcaked?

Friday we had Giggle Party in town from Dallas.  It was a great show.  Super high energy, lots of great music, and some ridiculous antics.  Like a cupcake fight, silly string war, and a confetti cannon to close out the set.

If you missed them this time around, don’t worry, they will be back through Memphis in February!  In the meantime, for your giggle fix, check them out here or on Myspace.

Get Gigglefied

Giggle Party w/Original Cyndi
Friday, Nov. 13  |  8 pm

Black cloaks, silver masks, silly string, confetti, malt liquor and cupcakes?  Just an average show for We Are Giggle Party, the four–piece party punk rock band from Dallas, Texas.

“Ever wonder what Girl Talk would be like if it was a 4 piece band, and not some guy standing at a card table with a lap top? Well, that is kind what a Giggle Party live show is like, the Dallas foursome pepper contemporary tracks into their hyper kinetic live show, making their party pop sound flow seamlessly above a crowd of manically laughing, dancing fans.” -Day Bow Bow

Giggle Party bring the atmosphere of a dance party to any show they play.  They mix electronic dance beats with catchy group vocals, sharing the playfulness of Matt and Kim, the spazzyness of the Deathset, and the honesty of Daniel Johnston.

Here’s their video “Jason Bought a Hatchet”, which Pete Freedman from the Dallas Observer thinks might be the best music video of the year…

And opening for Giggle Party is local band Original Cyndi, a garage/glam hybrid based around a saturated organ sound and dirty production with the intentions of bringing some real, spastic energy back to rock and roll.

You won’t want to miss this one.
$5 / BYO
Link to the event on:  

And thanks to Kerry a.k.a. I Love Memphis for naming us one of her top picks for this weekend!

CJ Boyd || Davy Ray Bennett || Nov 15

Sunday, November 15  | 8pm
$5  (BYO)

From the Commercial Appeal:

BASS IN YOUR FACE
An evening of solo electric bass guitar is granted, a tough sell. but the music of bass man CJ Boyd, who performs Sunday at the art/performance space Oedssa with acoustic guitarist Davy Ray, can be, at its best, transformative experience for the musicians and the audience. With use of some limited vocals and harmonica, Boyd combines jazz, classical and ambient music styles to create something altogether unique as can be heard on his new CD Aerial Roots.

*Come from 6 – 8pm for a Picket Painting Party! We’ll provide general supplies, just bring your creativity (and any special materials you’d like to use). We’re going to paint pickets to add the the fence in the backyard, so you can leave your mark on Odessa for generations to come. Free & open to all.

THE SCIENCE || THANKSGIVING NIGHT || 9PM

Odessa presents…

THE SCIENCE
Memphis Talent dropping the EDM science every other month.

with

University Acid Squad
University Records [memphis]

Defective Agency
[memphis]

Dirty
LFO Radio || Blackout Brigade [memphis]

Funke
Odessa [memphis]

THANKSGIVING NIGHT
9PM

$5 w/o non-perishable goods
$3 w/ 3 cans perishable goods.
BYO

Can goods and non perishable items will be donated to The Mid-South Food Bank.

MID-SOUTH FOOD BANK
http://midsouthfoodbank.org

sponsored by:
SNEAK PEEK
http://sneakpeek-memphis.blogspot.com/

STAY TUNED FOR THE NEW PODCAST JANUARY 2010:
THE ODESSA FILES
http://www.podomatic.com/profile/theodessafiles

MtMt#Fourteen

Movies to Masticate to #14 served up its most recent movie hosted by Black Lodge Video, screening the punk rock zombie classic Return of the Living Dead.

As we snacked on Little  Caesar’s and took in the cool night air preceding the film, the guys from Black Lodge let some Odessa staff know what’s in store for the 21st: a 4 hour TRANSMISSION chocked full of horror trailers, short films, and the newly released, soon-to-be Halloween classic, Trick ‘r Treat.

To introduce Return, Matt from Black Lodge stepped forward to share a brief history of the film, reciting some trivia of the cult classic and its connection to Night of the Living Dead. And as the movie began, there were plenty of laughs and fun in the audience at naked punk girls and the incessant cry for brains, but the 21st may be a different picture altogether. Be sure to show next time, as a 4 hour block of terror will take over the walls of Odessa, and we’ll be kicking off Halloween but right.