Gonerfest 18 Official Program Guide by Goner Records

WELCOME   Wow, we are here! It’s been a long time coming! THANK YOU for coming to Gonerfest and for coming to Memphis. It is not a decision to take lightly. We have not taken it lightly. Please be patient and realize that we are all here for the same reason- to have a great time listening to some great music from all over the United States. We are all so excited to see our friends, see bands, hang out. Take it easy, and give each other some space. Wear your mask. Use that hand sanitizer. Take a breath and go outside of the festival for a while. Gonerfest fans are the best fans- if anyone can make a festival like this work, it’s our people. As always, Gonerfest is a place to hear new bands, see old bands who might not come through again, and most of all, meet fellow Spits fans. Oh, and get some great Memphis BBQ. We’ve had to make some changes this year, including leaving our beloved Hi Tone and Murphys locations for a new spot, Railgarten. This had to be done. If you have a chance, go see Skinny and Benny. They have been important partners in Gonerfest for years. But for all that, we worked hard to make sure that this feels like a regular Gonerfest, albeit one outside and with an earlyass curfew. It’s okay, that just means you can get to the afterparties sooner. And the afterparties are at least as good as Gonerfest! We’re proud of our festival, we’re proud of Memphis, and we really can’t believe the bands playing this year. WOW. From the first band to the last… amazing. You are in for a treat! Thanks again for being here. Be safe, have a blast, tip your bartenders, and have fun. Spread the Gonerfest word, not COVID. Gonerfest 18 is here! Let’s get Gone!

TICKETS GOLDEN PASS $100: ENTRY TO ALL GONERFEST EVENTS! INCLUDED: A Gonerfest Tote Bag and a Gonerfest 7” record along with your Golden Pass to all four days of Gonerfest 18. You will receive a coupon for these itemsredeem the coupon at Goner Records or at the Goner Merch Table during the festival. DAILY TICKETS: $30 THURSDAY / $40 FRIDAY / $40 SATURDAY We will have a number of tickets available at the door. Get there early!

You also can watch online at

https://goner-records.com/pages/livestream-faq or scan the QR Code

CHECK IN We’ve got A LOT of people to check in this year! PLEASE CHECK IN EARLY IF YOU CAN!

Come by the Goner shop to pick up your Golden Pass and your goodies starting Wednesday, September 22. Don’t forget your vaccination record! You cannot get into the festival without being completely vaccinated. And if you get your wristband early- do not take it off! You need that for access through Sunday. CENTRAL STATION CHECK IN THURSDAY 2PM TIL 5PM

We are getting people set with wristbands at CENTRAL STATION LOBBY on Thursday from 2PM til 5PM. with DJ MATTY and DJ HOT TUB ERIC starting the fest off right with righteous tunes in the Hotel Lobby!

Please try to come by! Avoid long lines at Railgarten and check in early!

GONErFEST 18 THE STREAMING FESTIVAL Besides putting on a safe festival in the middle of a pandemic, we wanted to share our awesome lineup with all the people unable to come to Memphis to do this thing in person. Last year’s all-online Gonerfest 17 was a wild, unexpected success, but running an “IN REAL LIFE” and online festival at the same time presents a whole bunch of new challenges. We’ve planned for months, procured some of the Mid-South’s top talents, and we’re ready to present Gonerfest 18 online in a way that captures the fun without killing the vibe with too much tech. $20 for four days of music is a great deal! See Reigning Sound, Negative Approach, Exbats, Digital Leather, Spits, Quintron, and all your favorites in the comfort of your own couch! In your pajamas, if you want! Drunk off your ass in the middle of the afternoon if you so desire! Chatting with Gonerfesters from around the globe at the same time. Great!

In addition, if you’re at the festival but can’t get out of bed early enough to catch the first act of the day, your Golden Pass includes access to the streaming festival as well. Don’t miss a second of the action! We’re really looking forward to doing the festival online and we really hope you can join us! Go to Gonerfest.com to get your ticket! Streams will remain up for 24 hours so that people in weird time zones can catch up… but the festival will not be archived for people to watch after that. Don’t miss it! Scan that QR Code to go to the Virtual fest or head to https://goner-records.com/pages/livestream-faq !

Free 7 inch We were once again lucky to partner with Third Man Record Pressing in the great city of Detroit to bring you this free 7” Record with unreleased music from Gonerfest bands. A SIDE Reigning Sound “Just Say When” Live at Maria Montessori Amphitheater, Memphis June 5, 2021 c/o Merge Records Aquarian Blood “The Sound” Demo B SIDE Archaeas “Come Out With Me” Demo Silver Synthetic “Happy Ever After” Demo c/o Third Man Records

HOW TO GET YOUR RECORD! You will get a coupon when you get your wristband. Redeem this coupon for a record & Gonerfest tote bag at the merch table or at Goner Records.

GONERFEST BEER Beer and great music. You know it works! We’d like to thank our friends at MEMPHIS MADE for once again providing a special beer for Gonerfest 18!

GONERBRAU  The popular, chuggable ale returns, this time with appropriate can design care of that mutant of the monster JEFF MAHANNAH with layout work from Sara Moseley! It’s pure Gonerfest in a 12 oz can! Dementedly delicious! We can’t thank Memphis Made enough for all they do for us! Go by their spot- right around the corner from Railgarten at 768 S Cooper St Taproom Hours: Mondays: CLOSED Tuesdays: CLOSED Wednesdays: 4-7 p.m. Thursdays: 4-7 p.m. Fridays: 4-10 p.m. Saturdays: 1-10 p.m. Sundays: 1-7 p.m.

DO NOT ATTEND GONERFEST if any of the following is true for you or anyone in your party: - Within 14 days before attending the festival you have tested positive, or been exposed to someone who has tested positive for, COVID-19. - Within 48 hours prior to attending the festival, you have experienced symptoms of COVID-19 (e.g., a fever of 100.4F or higher, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, chills, repeated shaking muscle pain/aches, headache, sore throat, loss of taste or smell, nasal congestion, runny nose, vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue or any other symptoms associated with COVID-19 identified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). - Within 14 days prior to attending the festival, you have travelled to any international territory identified by federal or applicable state or local governments as being subject to travel or quarantine advisories due to COVID-19.

RAILGARTEN We are lucky to have access to a venue who can host as many people as want to come to Gonerfest this year outside, safely, and also can put up with all our nutty ideas. Hats off to you, Railgarten! Please be courteous of all servers and everyone helping out- they are here in difficult times and are in for much longer, harder days than usual. We know Gonerfesters are great but we just wanted to make the point - these people are really busting their butts so we can have a great festival, and we need to recognize it! Tip well!

PARKING We recommend taking UBER, LYFT, or cabs to the venue. There is parking but it is limited... See the semi-confusing map --->.

The venue has arranged for parking at businesses along Central Avenue when those businesses are not open- but not all of them. There is a lot at the railroad tracks on Cox if you want to park and walk. Be safe.

YOU LOOK GREAT WITH GONERFEST 18 STUFF!

T-SHIRTS $20

GONERFEST POSTER 7 COLORS HAND SCREENED $30

TOTE BAG $10

KOOZIE $3

BUTTONS $1

STICKER SETS $5 Each

GONERFEST MASK $7 GONER MASK $7

ROSS JORDAN BILLUPS ALLEN

ALICJA POP

SMIRK

ROCKET photo by Frostine Sh

808 hake

THURSDAY SEPT 23 2-5PM CHECK IN PARTY AT CENTRAL STATION HOTEL GET YOUR GONERFEST WRISTBANDS AND GOODIE BAGS Don’t forget your vaccination card!

5:30 GONERFEST OPENING CEREMONIES with ROSS JOHNSON AND YOUR MC, BILLUPS ALLEN WITH DJ JARED BOYD 5:45 Alicja Pop (Memphis, TN) A great way to start out the festival. Alicja Trout (Lost Sounds, Sweet Knives, Ultracats, River City Tanlines, Mouserocket, Nervous Patterns and many more) makes pop music that’s tough, catchy, and irresistible. 6:30 Rocket 808 (Austin, TX) With a moniker that might induce groggles™️ (combo of giggling & groaning), Rocket 808 is the latest project one-man project of John Schooley III (Meet Your Death, The Revelators, The Hard Feelings), an underground punk-blues-garage VIP whose debut 7” (as The John Schooley & His One-Man Band) was the sixth release by Goner way back in 1996. Prepare for Link Wray meets Suicide madness to end the first night! 7:15 Smirk (San Francisco, CA) Los Angeles’s Smirk - the solo project of Nick Vicario (Public Eye, Crisis Man) - is a treble-hemorrhaging buzzsaw paeon to the ghosts of Killed By Death/Bloodstains past...and one that, as the project’s name suggests, takes nothing too seriously along the way. Another one of Gonerfest 21’s several representative’s of the Feel It! Records roster, Smirk released its vinyl debut (the aptly-titled LP) in March of this year.

8:00 Human Eye (Detroit, MI) Timmy Vulgar’s Human Eye has been injecting a thick dose of heavy urban psych punk into the garage underground for 15+ years now. Be prepared for an amazing Chrome-meets-Guru Guru sonic amalgam with some wildass stage antics...and have some empathy for whoever has to follow this. 9:00 Jack Oblivian & The Sheiks (Memphis, TN) The hardest working band in Memphis returns to its comfort-zone (Gonerfest, duh) armed with a massive arsenal of bulletproof dirtied-up punk-blues and modern pub-rock goodness. Maybe there should be such a thing as a “mindshattering hangover waiver” at the door, but we’re all adults here. Note: Graham Winchester is playing with both Greg AND Jack Oblivian at Gonerfest. What does it all mean? 10:00 Negative Approach (Detroit, MI) What to say here, really? John Brannon & crew are certain to bulldoze over any and all witnesses with a concise set of legendary first-wave hardcore of the American Midwest variety. As the man himself will def say...CHECK IT OUT. 11:00 Quintron & Miss Pussycat (New Orleans, LA) When Quintron made his Memphis live debut in the mid-90s at the now-legendary back-alley venue, Barrister’s (opening for the Oblivians and playing a drum cage made from bottles and scrap metal), it’s doubtful any of the 15 or so people in attendance could foresee him returning shortly thereafter in the chaoticallychaotic organ incarnation then going on to make Memphis his second home (in a live music context) over the next 25+ years. Accompanied of course by Miss Pussycat, Quintron’s set is guaranteed to be a must-see blast full of insane surprises.

MIDNIGHT DJ Plays On!

HUMAN EYE

NEGATIVE APPROACH

JACK OBLIVIAN

QUINTRON & MISS PUSSYCAT

ERIK NERVOUS

OFF PEAK ARSON

TV’S DANIEL

BIG CLOWN

FRIDAY SEPT 24 MC Ryan Hailley DJs Bloody Elle and One-a-Day 1PM Off Peak Arson (Memphis, TN) Ex members of GonerFest alumni Ten High reconvene as Off Peak Arson, applying the intensity of the former to a wider inspirational frame of reference; calling to mind the more nuanced nooks of early/mid-90s AmRep/Touch & Go, NZ VIPs The Chills & The Clean in their respective propulsive modes...and a topical sweet spot somewhere between The Gotobeds and White Lung. 1:45 Erik Nervous (Kalamazoo, MI) Kalamazoo associate of The Spits and Devo-fanatic responsible for a prolific spray of releases in recent times; most if not all themed around anxiety (the band’s full moniker is ‘Erik Nervous & The Beta Blockers’ after all) with a highlight being the full-length Bugs album, co-released by Drunken Sailor/ Computer Human/Violent Pest at the tail-end of last year. 2:30 TV’s Daniel (Austin, TX) Austin TX-based winner of the non-existent therefore unofficial Gonerfest 18 “Battle of the Band Names”, TV’s Daniel is a project spun off of time in VIDEO, Wax Museums, Bad Sports & Mind Spiders...with help from folks who’ve spent time in Rise Against, The Well, OBN III’s, and Drakula, though someone might be having a little fun with that last list. 3:15 Big Clown (Memphis, TN) Memphis’ indescribable Big Clown is now a couple of years into crushing whatever and whoever is in the vicinity of the band’s short but unforgettable live sets (a delight on both a sonic and theatrical level) as well as refining their succinct blasts of clown-violence (get it? ... like power-violence but not...at all... really) into Nerf-bricks of punk gold. Slated for a 15 minute set so don’t blink!

FRIDAY SEPT 24 3:45 Chronophage (Austin, TX) The passionately-detached guitar pop of this Austin TX quartet is bent to hell in all the right ways. Imagining Josef K, The Nightengales, Pavement up through Slanted, early Gun Outfit, and the weirder impulses of Thigh Master will get you part of the way there. Have written a couple of the greatest underground anthems of the past couple of years. 4:30 Model Zero (Memphis, TN) Sheiks-adjacent second-hardest-working band in Memphis, Model Zero is a master class on the sonic landscape equidistant from synth-punk and punked-up pub-rock. 5:15 Total Hell (New Orleans, LA) Self-proclaimed “New Wave of Shitty Heavy Metal” from Drew Owen (if really necessary: Sick Thoughts, Trampoline Team & many others) is punk-metal from the jackbooted (Discharge, Broken Bones, etc) rather than white Reebok high-topped school of such. Raging, catchy and not at all shitty. 6:00 Kings Of The Fucking Sea (Nashville, TN) A band with the F-Bomb in its moniker had better 1. Bring it (blown out garage-psych pummel in this case) and 2. Be a trio. Chet Weisse (The Quadrajets and The Immortal Lee County Killers), Maria “Poni” Silver (The Ettes) and Sara Nelson (The Little Killers) dropped a 7” and full-length debut last year (In Concert on Agitated Records) and couldn’t possibly be anything but massive in a live setting.

CHRONOPHAGE

MODEL ZERO

KINGS OF THE FUCKING SEA

FRIDAY NIGHT JOEL PARSONS photo by KANDI COOK MC Joel Parsons DJ Bazooka Joe 6:45 Nick Allison (Austin, TX) Austin, TX songwriter Nick Allison returns to Gonerfest with a set guaranteed to scratch any itches for early-70s Stones, the folkier side of underground punk-blues-boogie, and just good rock-and-roll with a more personal agenda. None of this would sound good unless it was good and Nick is great!

OPTIC SINK

NICK ALLISON

7:30 Optic Sink (Memphis, TN) Once a NOTS side-project for Natalie Hoffman, Optic Sink (w/ Ben Bauermesiter of Magic Kids & Toxie) has moved into the primary-endeavor category over the last couple of years. Logging a ton of live performances and seeing a self-titled debut album released on Goner last October, Optic Sink brings an engaging sonic love/hate relationship between warm and cold minimalist synth soundscapes.

8:15 Sick Thoughts (New Orleans, LA) Drew Owens’ primary musical outlet arrives at this year’s shenanigans behind a brand new 7” on Goodbye Boozy and a massive discography from which to assemble a sterling set of scuzz-punk earworms you’ll be humming until Gonerfest 19. From Baltimore to Finland to New Orleans, all the worst places in the world, Drew is a force of nature and we’re so glad to have him back at the festival. SICK THOUGHTS

ARCHAEAS 9:00 Archaeas (Louisville, KY) This Louisville trio have permanently handcuffed themselves to our hearts and ears with their wonderful self-titled debut at the end of last year and a live set that has the teeth needed to make a lasting impression. Wondering who might be your favorite drummer during this year’s festivities? Smart wagers will land on Chase!

SWEEPING PROMISES

9:45 Sweeping Promises (Austin, TX) Get with it or get out of the way! Arkansas to Boston and now Austin couple have created some of the gutsiest New Waviest DIY anthems around- like Blondie mixed with the Kleenex / Girls at Our Best axis. Undeniably catchy, and with only a handful of shows under their belt, Sweeping Promises are a can’t miss. 10:45 Reigning Sound (Memphis, TN / Asheville, NC) This year’s excellent A Little More Time With Reigning Sound (Merge Records) marked the first Reigning Sound album since 2014’s Shattered, but more notably it’s the first to feature the original Memphis lineup since 2005’s Home For Orphans. While solo sets, guest DJ’ing, the 2016 reunion of Greg Oblivian & The Tip-Tops, and Oblivians sets have kept Greg Cartwright busy during recent Gonerfest lineups, the Reigning Sound hasn’t ruled a GF stage since 2016. Augmented with a string section and guitarist extraordinaire John Whittemore, this Reigning Sound lineup is untouchable. MIDNIGHT DJs! Music! REIGNING SOUND

A MONTHLY LIVE STREAMING VARIETY SHOW

GONERTV.COM LIVE BANDS! MUSIC VIDEOS!

YOUR HOST BILLUPS ALLEN!

INTERVIEWS WITH THE REAL MOVERS AND SHAKERSARTISTS, MUSICIANS AND DOERS!

EDUCATIONAL VIDEOS- FROM GARDENING TO INNER CITY WILDLIFE TO SKATEBOARDING!

SATURDAY SEPT 25 MC timmy fuck DJs Anthony Bedard & Mitch Cardwell

ZACK STATIC SECT

1:00 Zack Static Sect (Seattle, WA) Zack Hoppenrath of Seattle’s garage-punk stalwarts The Statics brings his own band to Gonerfest fresh on the heels of their fulllength When I Grow Up, which was lovingly recorded by Fastbacks legend, Kurt Bloch. Start Gonerfest Saturday right!

1:45 Snooper (Nashville, TN) FIRST LIVE SHOW EVER! WORLD DEBUT! Snooper is a rather newish project by way of Conner from Nashville’s Spodee Boy and his partner, Blair. With a recent 5-song self-titled 7” EP on Goodbye Boozy Records following last year’s Music For Spies 7” on Australia’s Computer Human Records, Snooper should satisfy anyone’s appetite for lo-fi synth-punk w/ personality. SNOOPER

IBEX CLONE

2:30 Ibex Clone (Memphis, TN) Principles from Hash Redactor and NOTS fully realize some profound inspiration from the isolated if not darker nooks and/or crannies of underground jangle pop noises (Durutti Column, Felt, Cleaners from Venus).

TAIWAN HOUSING PROJECT 3:15 Taiwan Housing Project (Philadelphia, PA) With a collective musical resume punctuated with names like Harry Pussy, Ecstatic Vision, Writhing Squares and Little Claw, THP lay a post-punk foundation over which a visceral order-from-chaos (or chaos-from-order?) bag of surprises is ripped open. Lumbering rhythms carry along all manner of hostility and noise via wah wah, no-wave skronk and flailing vocals for a total package that MEANS IT.

4:00 Silver Synthetic (New Orleans, LA) NOLA’s Silver Synthetic melds classic mid/ late-80s C86/Flying Nun guitar jangle with the lush sonics and golden hooks of 70s divorce-pop. This year’s self-titled Third Man debut could have easily soundtracked after-dinner meltdowns and FiestaWare shattering against the walls alongside the works of Firefall, the Mac or Little River Band. A knowing twist on wood panel den pop. One to watch! SILVER SYNTHETIC

4:45 Exbats (Tucson, AZ) This daughter/father project from the Arizona desert has slapped a great big smile across our chaotic end-days with a slew of loud, fun, funny and cause-friendly releases since 2016. Inez and Kenny McLain (drums/vocals and guitar/vocals respectively)-plus Matt Rendon on 2nd guitar and Bobby Carlson is bass- are no doubt ready to rule the Gonerfest stage, having dropped Kicks, Hits and Fits, the Hercules & Xena 12” EP plus the Coolsville USA flexi-7” in the last year-and-a-half alone. Upcoming Now Where Were We album on Goner in October!

EX BATS

WRECKLESS ERIC

5:45 Wreckless Eric (NY / UK) Sharp-as-a-tack DIY/punk Stiff Records legend Eric Goulden is one of the special handful of artists that has earned the L-word qualifier, and he hits Gonerfest right in the middle of road-dogging a 15-date tour of the Eastern U.S. It couldn’t happen sooner, as his last appearance in April 2018 feels like a disparate long-gone era after the hell that was 2020. Always a pleasure.

SATURDAY NIGHT TOODY COLE

Evening MC Toody Cole Evening DJs Michael Bateman & DJ Useless Eater

7:00 Spread Joy (Chicago, IL) Chicago outfit excels in short and sharp little blasts of post-punk and features members of Amber Alerts, Uh Bones, Negative Scanner and Human Beat. With a debut full-length released by Feel It! Records back in April, Spread Joy is seemingly part of that label’s partial takeover of Gonerfest 18. SPREAD JOY GG KING

7:45 GG King (Atlanta, GA) This year’s Remain Intact album, which landed in our laps courtesy of Total Punk, is arguably Greg King’s tour-de-force after well over a decade into the G.G. King timeline. Aptly titled with some head-spinning variety, the record is loaded with perfect riffs, real power, killer hooks and of course, a strong sense of humor.

DIGITAL LEATHER

8:30 Digital Leather (Omaha, NE) With a long-running discography of some 40-odd releases, Gonerfest vet Shawn Foree brings Digital Leather into its third decade of synth punk madness with some serious love of Cleaners From Venus and Tall Dwarfs in tow for good measure.

9:30 USA / Mexico (Austin, TX) Universe-shaking Texas NoisePunk courtesy of guitarist Craig Clouse (Shit and Shine), bassist Nate Cross (Marriage, Expensive Shit, runs the ruling label Astral Spirits), drummer King Coffey (Butthole Surfers), and vocals from Colby Brinkman (Taverner). A ferociously glorious blast, perfect to push Saturday Night in the the stratosphere.

USA/MEXICO’S KING COFFEY

NOTS photo by ADELE WINN & COURTNEY WHITLOW

9:30 NOTS (Memphis, TN) After a short break (not the one all of us were forced to take) so members could focus on adjacent concerns (Optic Sink, Ibex Clone, Hash Redactor), one of Memphis’ best and proudest exports over the last decade returns to the stage and you know they’re gonna kill it live. 11:00 Spits (Kalamazoo, MI) One of this year’s most anticipated sets. The Spits kick off a national tour in belated support of 2020’s amazing XI album, the SK8-garage-punk legends’ first since 2011’s X. More untouchable, unrelenting mutant punk rock! MIDNIGHT DJs play on!

SPITS

AQUARIAN BLOOD

SUNDAY SEPT 26 2:30 AQUARIAN BLOOD (Memphis, TN) When A. Blood’s third full-length, Bending the Golden Hour, dropped earlier this year, it was immediately followed by a degree of positive attention that was not only long-overdue in a general sense, but showed that the world was finally catching up to and understanding how special the primarily acoustic incarnation of the band really is. A bloody Bloody Mary coming down, bringing us up!

3:15 WILKINS SISTERS (Como, MS) The daughters of the late great Rev John Wilkins bringing the spirit of joy to close out the festival, backed up by some of the players from Rev Wilkins band. A perfect end to the weekend. 4:00 CLOSING CEREMONIES

WILKINS SISTERS with REV WILKINS photo by PETER LEE

THINGS TO DO IN MEMPHIS SUN STUDIO 706 Union Ave. True American original Sam Phillips founded Sun in 1950. A year later, he produced Rocket 88 – the Jackie Brenston jam that, with the help of Ike Turner’s Kings of Rhythm, spawned this whole rock and roll thing. Howlin’ Wolf, Johnny Cash, Elvis, Little Milton, Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison and countless others made their historic contributions thanks to Sun. Current tour guides include “drummer in all bands” Graham Winchester. Soak it up. STAX MUSEUM OF AMERICAN SOUL MUSIC 926 E. McLemore Ave. A great museum created on the location of the original studio. A space where black, white, and female musicians created music during heated times. It’s hard to comprehend the influence these studios had on American music. A trip to the museum sure can help. Otis Redding, Wendy Rene, Booker T. and the MG’s, Johnnie Taylor, Rufus Thomas, and so many more recorded on this site, and their effects on history run deep. Isaac Hayes’ car spinning on a massive Lazy Susan is fun to watch, too. ROYAL STUDIOS 1320 Willie Mitchell Blvd, Memphis, TN 38106 Still an active studio- Bruno Mars & Mark Ronson cut part of “Uptown Funk” here – Royal was where Poppa Willie Mitchell cut Hi Records hits from Al Green, Ann Peebles, Syl Johnson, Otis Clay, and OV Wright, as well as his own killer instrumentals. Not set up for tours like Sun or Stax.

ARDENT STUDIO 2000 Madison Ave, Memphis, TN 38104 Yes, Big Star recorded their magical albums here! And drummer Jody Stephens, one of Memphis’ greatest ambassadors, is the current VP of Production. A legendary place for many, with Alex Chilton’s Like Flies On Sherbert, The Replacements Pleased To Meet Me, and ZZ Top’s Eliminator recorded there. Among many, many others! Not set up for tours. Hopefully in years to come we can again set up some walk-throughs for Gonerfesters!

First timer? Revisiting places you’ve been? Have some time to explore? These are some highlights, landmarks of Memphis Music and Memphis History. Wander around, check out the city. Tell them you’re here for Gonerfest!

GRACELAND 3717 Elvis Presley Blvd. Pushed out of his 1034 Audubon Dr. home due to an increasing need for privacy, Elvis settled down for the rest of his life in Memphis at Graceland; an expansive plot of land where myth, memory, and Elvis himself are interred. Never mind the kitsch and capitalist grip they have on his name-- what can be gleaned from his time on earth can be felt in the walls of Graceland. METAL MUSEUM 374 Metal Museum Dr. On the bluff of the Mississippi just south of Beale St. is the Country’s only museum dedicated to the fine art of decorative and conceptual metalwork. There’s a smithy on site and an excellent view of the river from the gazebo. Native American ceremonial mounds are right across the road. MISSISSIPPI RIVER From the Greenbelt Park in Harbortown to the strange nooks and crannies behind the Church on the River, there are some spectacular places to enjoy a sunset on the Mississippi. Find a place to chill while you’re here, the Air BnB or Motel 6 can only do so much for the soul. This river is the whole reason Memphis is here. CHECK IT OUT! PS The bridge is fixed and open. And lights up at night! FULL GOSPEL TABERNACLE 787 Hale Rd. Provided he’s in town, Reverend Al Green can rectify any wrongdoings that may have occurred while you were here. If you can stomach waking up on Sunday Morning, that is. JAY REATARD’S GRAVE: MEMORIAL PARK CEMETERY 5668 Poplar Ave. Take a trip out east and pay homage to someone very special to the Goner name. Isaac Hayes is buried right next to him, and across the road is the bizarre Crystal Shrine Grotto. Hallowed grounds!

Other THINGS TO DO ELVIS’ FIRST GRAVE: FOREST HILL MIDTOWN 1661 Elvis Presley Blvd. Before Elvis was interred at Graceland, he was alongside his mother at the haunting mausoleum in the back of Forrest Hill Midtown. Take the winding road past decadent monuments and through rolling hills to get to it. It remains an off-thebeaten-path holy space for Elvis fans and another mythic locale for his legendary life. Allegedly people would attempt to break into his grave here. FURRY LEWIS’ GRAVE: HOLLYWOOD CEMETERY 2012 Hernando Rd. Behind Forrest Hill Midtown is the abandoned Hollywood cemetery. Despite its terrors, it is the final resting place for Walter “Furry” Lewis; Memphis Blues legend. His grave is difficult to find, but some online sleuthing and a keen eye can reveal his humble tombstone. CHARLIE FEATHERS’ GRAVE: FORREST HILL SOUTH 2545 E. Holmes Rd. Any rockabillies looking to pay their respects to their king can find him out past the airport in an unassuming branch of the Forrest Hill cemeteries. He’s in the back and on the right- ask the staff!

Should a quest for the more obscure tickle your fancy, here’s a few places to get you started. The following locations give Memphis the glimmer in the diamond of its magic.

BIRTHPLACE OF ARETHA FRANKLIN 406 Lucy Ave. Though her family relocated to Detroit when she was two years old, Aretha Franklin was born here in Memphis; just down the street from what would become Stax Records (and now is the Stax Musuem.) Man, what a neighborhood! The house still stands, barely. See it while you can. SUMMER AVE. Restaurants, antique stores, thrift stores, and etc! Summer is an excellent example of Memphis business at its finest and a wonderful stretch to explore and discover. While Midtown homes flip and renovate, Summer Avenue mostly remains the same, incorporating new immigrants and Memphis natives in a great patchwork of trailer parks, liquor stores, import stores, thrift stores, antique stores, and more. SOUTHLAND GREYHOUND PARK 550 North Ingram Boulevard, West Memphis, AR 72301 If rocking and rolling just doesn’t quite scratch your degenerate itch, take a trip to the dogs! Now a full-fledged casino. Sammy Hagar’s restaurant is there, too. Enticing? Disgusting? Sure! Keep West Memphis West Memphis! It’s in Arkansas! EBBO SPIRITUAL SUPPLY 1331 Madison Avenue. Candles, cards, herbs, and incense. Cleanse yourself, you’ll need it.

MEMPHIS DOWNTOWN MIDTOWN ETC As you’re driving around, try and take notice of what makes Memphis special, outside of the historic location, and its history. There are wide tree-lined avenues and large homes in a variety of styles. In Midtown most of the houses were built from 1920 onward. A lot of times, what’s appealing in Memphis is what isn’t here- modern condos, perfect lawns, correctly spelled signs. As other cities like Austin, Brooklyn, and Nashville get pricier, Memphis looks better and better. But with that lure of quick cash from an influx of people comes a wave of investors creating generic condos and ruining cool old houses to appeal to the “paint it white” crowd. Maybe you’d like to move here- we hope you do. There are a lot of great things about Memphis, and, compared to other places, it’s still cheap. But if you do, please aim to preserve what makes Memphis, Memphis, and not try to make Memphis Nashville, Williamsburg, or some generic suburb. It’s a troubled city with a troubling past and present. But the people have made it great. Prices are going up, and when financial opportunities open up, the wonderful ridiculous things that can operate without generating income, or much income, get squeezed out.

LIQUOR And BEER STORES   BEER/LIQUOR TIPS:  Liquor stores open at 8am! Close at 11:00PM  Liquor & wine is not sold in convenience stores and gas stations.  NEW! Wine is now sold in Memphis supermarkets! Beer is sold til 3am - but not until noon on Sundays. Wine is not sold on Sunday in supermarkets. Liquor stores can open on Sundays after Noon. Open containers are not allowed on the street, unless that street is Beale Street, and you probably don’t need to be on Beale Street unless you really need that Hurricane and another version of “Mustang Sally.” JOE’S 1681 Poplar Ave. Knowledgeable staff, Amazing selection. Great Sign-Carries Gonerbrau!  TIP TOP 1883 Madison Ave. Small Bottle Shop for a grab and go-Half Pints/Pints available on floor.   BUSTER’S 191 S. Highland Large Store with extensive wine/ accessories selection   CASH SAVER 1620 Madison Cheap and extensive local beer selection, across from Murphy’s.

FOOD We’ve limited these recommendations to Midtown / Downtown spots, easy to hit during Gonerfest. There are many, many more great restaurants. All of these – and more – have been hurting during the pandemic and could use your patronage. Please be patient and generous, especially if you are coming in large groups.

Our Favorite BBQ Spots PAYNE’S 1762 Lamar Ave. The Real Deal, Near Goner. Atomic yellow slaw.  Now takes credit cards! What is the world coming to?  Souvenir alert: Get a Payne’s BBQ T-Shirt, coveted worldwide. They will sell their sauce, too! COZY CORNER 735 N. Parkway Get the Cornish Hen! Or ribs! Tip from Tim Prudhomme: Rib tips are the best deal per pound. But gristley… the choice up to you. Note: They also have killer T-shirts. They also sell their sauce!    RENDEZVOUS 52 S. 2nd Street Memphis Institution, In an alleyway, underground. Kinda creepy vibe. Dry rub BBQ. CENTRAL BBQ 2259 Central A few more locations around town but this one is almost directly across from Railgarten! Besides the very tender BBQ, the wings are quite good.    BBQ SHOP 1782 Madison BBQ Spaghetti? BBQ Spaghetti! Plus Texas Toast! Fun to say and quite fun to eat, too! Author Robert Gordon recommends their ribs! TOPS - multiple locations  Fast food BBQ but still good!  Cheeseburger is their secret weapon- grilled to order.

EVERYTHING ELSE MACIEL’S TORTAS & TACOS 820 S Cooper On Cooper, around the corner from Railgarten, down the street from Memphis Made… decent tacos, watch out for the burritos, with fries & egg. ? LOS COMALES 1322 Madison Avenue  Los Comales good for margaritas & decent tacos & sitdown fare. BURRITO EXPRESS 1675 Madison Ave Burrito Express is legit taco truck & cash only. GUS’ FRIED CHICKEN 310 S. Front Street / 730 S. Mendenhall Killer fried Chicken with 40’s to wash it all down   KWIK CHEK 2013 Madison Avenue Sandwich shop frequented by the locals, Korean Noodles next door

FINO’S ITALIAN DELI 1853 Madison Italian sandwiches, pizza, and deli. Barely hanging in there. YOUNG AVENUE DELI 2119 Young Ave Extensive menu and beer selection, close to Goner. Big, greasy burger.  PHO BINH VIETNAMESE 1615 Madison Ave Buffet during weekdays, cheap. ALDO’S 52 S. Cooper Phone (901) 725-7437 Right around the corner on Cooper, next to Memphis Made. LITTLE ITALY 1495 Union Ave Phone (901) 725-0280 Great if they pick up the phone!

SOUL FISH 862 S Cooper Excellent, simple seafood and Soul Food done right.

ARCADE RESTAURANT 540 S Main  Phone (901) 526-5757 Oldest restaurant in Memphis, a classic diner for breakfast / brunch. Across the street from the Central Station hotel & train station. As seen in Jarmusch’ Mystery Train film.

HOT CHICKEN: Now you’re just getting us worked up. If you like hot chicken, it’s hot chicken. That’s a Nashville thing, and we’re kinda wondering what you’re doing in Memphis. Go to Paynes for some BBQ!

MUSIC STORES MARTIN MUSIC 2659 Poplar Ave Guitars, amps, strings, etc! Nice folks! Not GSA’s! Look for the giant guitar outside their store. Next to Joe’s Liquor... one stop shopping? MEMPHIS DRUM SHOP 878 S. Cooper - around the corner from Goner! Biggest drum shop for hundreds of miles!

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THANKS Hey! Thanks again for coming to Gonerfest. In such uncertain times, the faith you have shown us that we are not leading you into another Fyre Island Festival situation is very, very humbling and inspiring. We cannot do this without an audience! Thanks to the bands who decided that Gonerfest was worth travelling for. These are completely bananas times and we love that you want to come to Memphis and play for the Gonerfesters. Thanks to all the MCs and DJs who tied it all together. Thanks to Toody Cole, and (almost) Henry Rollins. Ah well. It takes a lot of people to make this happen: a lot of hours of planning, of scrapping plans, and re-doing plans. Thanks to Brent Shrewsbury, Alec McIntyre, and Natalie Hoffmann for working through all the technical stuff we need to make the fest work online and in real life. Last year, our online-only Gonerfest 17 was a blast, but we were literally learning on our feet, trying things out without knowing what would work. Goner was weirdly on the cutting edge of virtual festivals last year, and this year once again we’re on the edge in doing a hybrid live and virtual event. We don’t want to be on the edge, we just can’t wait for everyone else to catch up! And thanks for bearing with us when we inevitably go right over that edge, too. Thanks to Andrew McCalla for running sound for this monstrosity. Thanks to Jeff Mahannah for the great Gonerfest illustrations- he set the tone for this thing a while back and just nailed it. Thanks to Natalie Hoffmann and Sara Mosely for bringing Jeff’s ideas into real life and creating all the cool stuff at the fest- signs, shirts, posters, koozies, masks, stickers, and more! Sara came into the Goner crew recently and hit the ground running. At Goner, you’ve gotta move fast or you get a whole pile of crap on your head and you’ll never get away. Luckily, Sara’s very nimble and has avoided the Carrie-esque dumping that lurks with every Goner project, especially Gonerfest. Thanks to Drew and Andy at Memphis Made. Drink Gonerbrau and all their other great beers. Go check out their killer tap room. It’s right around the corner from Railgarten. Thanks to Andy Earles for all the band write-ups. Thanks to our Goner crew for working through all the ridiculous logistics Gonerfest creates, especially Cole Wheeler for volunteer wrangling, and the great crew of volunteers that made this all happen. Thanks to Brendan Spengler and Marsh Nabors for animations. Thanks to Tad Pierson for the great Memphis footage, if you have an afternoon in town you need to take Tad’s American Dream Safari tour. He’ll show you the real Memphis. Thanks to Chuck Vicious for the motorcycle cam

footage- go to the Lamplighter! Thanks to Jimmy Enck, Ryan Leach, and Jim Granato for footage. Thanks to John Pickle for your patience as we dragged you into our madness. Thanks to everyone at Railgarten for putting us on, for listening to all our crazy ideas and never blinking, especially Matt, Mason and Jeremy. Thanks to Skinny at the Hi Tone and Benny at Murphys for understanding why we needed to take a different path this year. Thanks to Robbie & Jared at WYXR. Thanks to Anthea, Ben, Ben, Kaiman, and everyone at Third Man Pressing who busted ass to make the Gonerfest bonus 7” happen, as well as the bands who contributed music. Brandon Seavers at Memphis Record Press obviously is insane because no one else could put up with all the stuff Goner puts him through, and he is always helping us out of jams we make for ourselves. Thanks to Fiona Campbell for working on the NZ stage even when it didn’t come through. We shall make it happen soon. Thanks to Jeremy and Helen at Central Station for seeing that Gonerfest actually did bring visitors who slept in hotels and not alleys, the first hotel to partner with us besides a very forward-thinking Holiday Inn out by the freeway who contacted us a few years ago. We could not imagine a cooler partner than the Central Station Hotel. We also very much appreciate the Memphian Hotel right down the street on Cooper- to our eyes, more lodging choices means more people will come visit Memphis. Thanks to Memphis Tourism, Brian Dixon, Memphis Flyer, Tamara & The Cooper Young Business Association, Dan Garber just because, Corkey Sinks once again for the amazing program layout under the gun, Karl Baioni at EM Printing, Miguelito at Five In One Printing for the brain-bending poster printing, Ron & The Paynes at Paynes BBQ, Eric at The BBQ Shop, Tim Sampson at Stax, the Unapologetic crew for endless inspiration (wait til you see what they’ve got coming!), Paul Wiseman for all the t-shirt printing, Karen Carrier & Stevan at DKDC and Beauty Shop always, and all the folks running the afterparties. Thanks to Chris Martel for talking me off of the ledge over and over again. Thanks to all the volunteers, bartenders, food truckers, clean up crews, Lyft & Uber & taxi drivers, booking agents, caterers, publicists, door people, beer sellers, Event Ticketing Shopify app folks, and everyone at our streaming site who helped us make the online event happen. Thanks to our families who haven’t seen us for a few months as we got ready for the festival. Thanks to all the folks we’re forgetting because we always do forget some people because it takes SO MANY PEOPLE to make this thing happen. THANK YOU! WE LOVE YOU! We always say there’s a reason people come back year after year and it’s not just the great music- it’s the great people and the great atmosphere. To pull that off in the middle of a pandemic is just amazing. Seriously, thanks to everyone who made this festival happen, in person, and online. Now please go back safely to where you came from, tell them you had a great time, and that not all people in Tennessee are Covid-breathing cavemen and cavewomen. Hopefully we will see you again next year. Stay safe and take care! -Eric & Zac

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