JANUARY 2020 (watch for weekly “Sounds Around Town” updates)…
10TH CLARKSDALE FILM & MUSIC FESTIVAL
Clarksdale, MS
Fri.-Sun., 1/24-26, 2020 – 10th annual Clarksdale Film & Music Festival (click for full lineup)!!
FRIDAY & SATURDAY FILMS, 1/24-25 – Grandma’s Sports Bar & Hambone Gallery pop-up theaters: Buy $5 film fest ticket each day, valid for both theater venues, History Bus Tour and Fri/Sat 5pm blues receptions.
SATURDAY ‘HISTORY BUS TOURS’, 1/25 – Meet next to Hambone 15 min. before tour:
Robert Birdsong’s popular History Bus Tour at 12 noon & 1:30pm (included w/Saturday film fest ticket, “first come, first served” seating).
SATURDAY FILM & BLUES ‘WORKSHOPS’, 1/25 – Details on fest website:
FREE… Presented by Coop Cooper, Quinn Thomashow & Clay Motley.
SUNDAY ALL-DAY ‘LIVE’ BLUES MUSIC, 1/26 – various venues; mostly FREE:
– 10am – BLUESBERRY CAFE – Blues Breakfast, FREE!
– 11am – CAT HEAD – Preston Rumbaugh, FREE!
– 12:30pm – BLUESBERRY – Sean “Bad” Apple, FREE!
– 2pm – LEVON’S BAR & GRILL – Bill Abel, FREE!
– 3pm – HOOKER GROCER + EATERY – Preston Rumbaugh, FREE!
– 3:30pm – LEVON’S – Ray Cashman, FREE!
– 4pm – RED’S LOUNGE – Lucious Spiller, FREE!
– 5pm – HOOKER GROCER – Live music TBA, FREE!
– 7pm – RED’S – Live blues TBA (cover charge may apply).
– TBA – HAMBONE – possible music (cover charge may apply).
CLUBS, JUKE JOINTS, RESTAURANTS & MORE:
Cat Head — Mississippi’s Blues Store
Clarksdale, MS
(252 Delta Ave.; 662-624-5992, but no voicemail; email roger@cathead.biz)
Celebrating 17 years at the Crossroads. Your 1st stop for “live” music & visitor info.
OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK: Mon-Sat 10am-5pm AND Sundays 11am-3pm!
Red’s Lounge — blues-only juke joint featured in We Juke Up In Here and M for Mississippi films!
Clarksdale, MS
(395 Sunflower Ave. @ MLK Dr.)
Live blues show EVERY Wednesday, (sometimes Thursday), Friday, Saturday and Sunday night!
Wednesdays – Lucious Spiller, 8pm
Wed., 1/1 – New Year’s Day night w/Lucious Spiller, 8pm (plus see Hooker Grocer for daytime)
Fri., 1/3 – Terry “Harmonica” Bean, 9pm
Sat., 1/4 – Terry “Big T” Williams & Family Blues Band, 9pm
Sun., 1/5 – Mark “Mule Man” Massey, 7pm
Wed., 1/8 – Lucious Spiller, 8pm
Fri., 1/10 – Lucious Spiller Blues Band, 9pm
Sat., 1/11 – Terry “Big” Williams & Family Blues Band, 9pm
Sun., 1/12 – Mark “Mule Man” Massey, 7pm
Wednesdays – Lucious Spiller, 8pm
Fri., 1/17 – Live blues TBA, 9pm
Sat., 1/18 – Live blues TBA, 9pm
Sun., 1/19 – Live blues TBA, 7pm
Wednesdays – Lucious Spiller, 8pm
Fri., 1/24 – CFF Afterparty & CD Release Party w/Lucious Spiller, 9pm
Sat., 1/25 – Live blues TBA, 9pm
Wednesdays – Lucious Spiller, 8pm
Ground Zero Blues Club (co-owned by Morgan Freeman) — in M for Mississippi and Moonshine & Mojo Hands films!
Clarksdale, MS
Live music (mostly blues) weekly, Wed thru Sat — including WEEKLY THURSDAY BLUES JAM NIGHTS!
(8pm showtimes):
1/2,Thur. Bill Abel (Blues Jam), 8pm
1/3, Fri. Lightnin Malcolm, 8pm
1/4, Sat. Johnnie B and Queen Iretta, 8pm
1/8, Wed. Steve Kolbus, 8pm
1/9, Thur. Lala Element 88, 8pm
1/10, Fri. Big A and the Aallstars ft Space Cowboy, 8pm
1/11, Sat. Lucious Spiller, 8pm
1/15, Wed. Bill Abel, 8pm
1/16, Thur. Lucious Spiller, 8pm
1/17 Fri. Tony Holiday Band, 8pm
1/18 Sat. Kent Burnside, 8pm
1/22, Wed. Industry Night (No live music, no cover)
1/23, Thur. Steve Kolbus and the Clarksdale Blues Revue, 8pm
1/24, Fri. Terry Wall and the Wallbangers, 8pm
1/25, Sat. Lala Element 88, 8pm
1/30, Thur. Lucious Spiller, 8pm
1/31, Fri. Deak Harp Blues Band, 8pm
Delta Blues Museum – Celebrating 40 years in 2019!
Clarksdale, MS
Open Mon-Sat, 10am-5pm (spring/summer hours Mon-Sat, 9am-5pm, start 2/29/20).
Nice PBS NewsHour segment on the DBM’s Arts & Ed Program at https://www.facebook.com/groups/newshourarts/
Hooker Grocer & Eatery
(near Delta Blues Museum)
Wed., 1/1 – Recovery party w/DJ4EVAYOUNG; live music w/Seth & Friends, 12 noon
(1/2-1/7/20 – closed for vacation)
Hambone Art & Music
Clarksdale, MS
(111 E 2nd St.) www.stanstreet.com
EVERY TUESDAY NIGHT live blues music plus occasional musics on other days in gallery/bar, 8pm.
Tues., 1/7 – Watermelon Slim, 8pm
(Please note that the 1/10-12 Johnny Rawls dates have been postponed till a later date TBA per Stan.)
Tues., 1/14 – Mississippi Marshall, 8pm
Tuesday January 21- Bill ” Howl N Madd “Perry
Fri.-Sat., 1/24-25 Hambone is new pop-up Clarksdale Film Festival theater venue, Jan. 24-25, 2020!
Saturday January 25- Ray Cashman, 8pm
Tuesday January 28- Rae Gordon and Ben Rice
Wednesday January 29- Rockin’ Johnny
Levon’s Bar & Grill
Clarksdale, MS
(232 Sunflower Ave)
Fri., 1/3 – Jacqueline Nassar, 8pm
Sun., 1/5 – Gramm Phillips, 3:30pm
Wed., 1/8 – Jacqueline Nassar 6pm
Fri., 1/10 – Steve Kolbus & Mark Miller, 8pm
Sun., 1/12 – Bill Abel, 3:30pm
Bluesberry Cafe
Clarksdale, MS
(662-627-7008)
Sat/Sun blues breakfasts, 10am; Mon blues every week, 8pm!
Sat., 1/4 – Blues Breakfast w/David Dunavent, 10am
Sun., 1/5 – Blues Breakfast /wWatermelon Slim, 10am
Mon., 1/6 – Blues Dinner w/Sean “Bad” Apple, 8pm
Sat., 1/11 – Blues Breakfast w/Lala Craig, 10am (no cover)
Sun., 1/12 – Blues Breakfast w/Watermelon Slim, 10am (no cover)
Mon., 1/13 – Blues Dinner w/David Dunavent Band, 8pm
Stone Pony Pizza
Clarksdale, MS
(226 Delta Ave.)
Fridays at 7pm:
January 3 Mississippi Marshall (blues)
January 3 Mississippi Marshall (blues)
January 10 Gramm Phillips
January 17 Jax Nassar
Jan 24 Alanna Mosley
January 31 Seth & Friends
February 7 Mississippi Marshall (blues)
February 14 Alanna Mosley
February 21 TBA
February 28 TBA
Yazoo Pass
Clarksdale, MS
(207 Yazoo Ave.)
“Original music” occasionally, including:
tba
Travelers Hotel (212 3rd St.)
Clarksdale, MS
tba
Clarksdale White House
325 W 2nd St.
www.deltabohemian.com
tba
New Roxy – “Possibly the coolest venue in the South…”
Clarksdale, MS
(363 Issaquena Ave.)
Plan now for 2020 DEEP BLUES FESTIVAL (& BUSKING), deepbluesfest.com.
Crossroads Cultural Arts Center
Clarksdale, MS (332 Delta Ave.)
TBA
Delta Blues Alley Cafe
Clarksdale, MS (352 Delta Ave.)
tba
Grandma’s Sports Bar
Clarksdale, MS
(115 3rd St. – Grandma’s Pancake House/Blues House/Sports Bar)
Great LATE NIGHT spot on weekends; open many evenings with DJ; live blues during Clarksdale Film Festival and Juke Joint festival.
Wed., 1/22/20 – Matt Hill with Nikki Hill & Chuck Cotton, 8pm
Jan. 24-25, 2020: Grandma’s returns as Clarksdale Film Festival theater venue!
Tourism Office
Clarksdale, MS (326 Blues Alley)
visitclarksdale.com
Open Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm PLUS Sat 9am-noon – Visit Clarksdale-Coahoma County Tourism inside the historic downtown train depot for maps, info and hospitality! Bubba O’Keefe, tourism director. (662) 627-6149.
NOTE: Closed New Year’s Day.
Tennessee Williams Rectory Museum
Clarksdale, MS (106 Sharkey Ave.)
Open by appointment, 646-465-1578. Info at tennesseewilliamsrectorymuseum.com
ALSO: Plan now for 2020 festival, https://deltawilliamsfestival.com/
Rock & Blues Museum
Clarksdale, MS
Founders are retired, so their building — with its cool, loft living space in back — AND world-famous collection are for sale; serious inquiries only, please, via museum website email. (Also, ask about their The Den building as well.)
Meraki
Clarksdale, MS
(Sunflower & Third St.)
Thursdays… 2/13 & 4/16/20 – Griot Arts Open Mic Nights at Meraki (open to all), 6:30pm-8pm
Hopson Commissary
Clarksdale, MS
Every Monday night – free appetizers and music by someone playing free live acoustic music every week, 6pm!
MONDAY NIGHT HAPPY HOUR MUSIC – FREE MUSIC & appetizers, 6PM:
January
6 Tony Boyd
13 Tiffany Harmon
20 Graham ?
27 Alana Moseley
PLUS, SOME WEEKENDS (cover applies):
tba
Shack Up Inn (The Gin)
Clarksdale, MS
https://www.shackupinn.com/services3
Sun., 2/2 – Erin McCawley’s Harrison Street Band, 4pm
Mon., 2/3 – Big A & Allstars, 7pm
CUTRER MANSION (109 Clark St.)
Clarksdale, MS
tba
Tennessee Williams Rectory Museum
Clarksdale, MS
https://tennesseewilliamsrectorymuseum.com/
OPEN BY APPOINTMENT
Plus annual festival, www.DeltaWilliamsFestival.com
The Bank
Clarksdale, MS (E 2nd & Yazoo Ave)
tba
The Bad Apple Blues Club – COMING EARLY 2020
Clarksdale, MS
349 Issaquena Ave, downtown
TBA – “Live” blues, workshops and more!
The Junction
Coahoma County, MS
(25960 US Hwy 61N @ Hwy 316; just 10 min north of Clarksdale)
Sat., 3/28 – 2pm-2am – GRAND RE-OPENING w/ribbon cutting, DJ, “live” blues and more! (New multi-purpose event complex available for rental.) Info: 662-519-3818, pjsurdivant@sbcglobal.net
Wonder Light City
near Clarksdale, MS
Here’s a news story on it: https://www.greatbigstory.com/stories/if-you-build-it-they-will-come-a-juke-joint-s-field-of-dreams
Closed. Sadly, 80-year-old bluesman Robert “Bilbo” Walker’s passed away on 11/29/17. RIP.
Isle of Capri
Lula, MS
1/1 – Bill Jones Band (blues/funk/soul) nightly.