Memphis Case

Music is important because it is a universal expression everyone on earth can understand. Memphis is best known for Beale Street and Graceland, bot intimately associated with music. Our artists are what make this city so vibrant. Here in my 1920's midtown apartment living room, I meet with my neighbor and his up and coming band mates of 'star and Micey'. "If you can make it in Memphis, you can make it anywhere."

Star and Micey consist of four members: Joshua Cosby (my neighbor across the hall) on acoustic guitar, Geoff Smith on bass guitar, Nick Redmond on electric guitar, and Jeremy Stanfield on drums. All four members harmonize to create the vocals of the band. Joshua takes credit for the band's name symbolizing a "homeless love tragedy". Three years ago walking home from his job at a local Starbucks with guitar in hand, a homeless man stopped him. Instead of asking for money like josh assumed he would, he asked for josh to play him a song. Josh agreed and sang him a song right there on the sidewalk of Madison Avenue. The homeless man then told him his street name was star, and the story of his torn love affair with Micey who resides at 201 Poplar. This touched josh and he asked the homeless man's permission to name his band star and Micey, after their homeless love tragedy. The man agrees and feels entitled to compensation for inspiring the band's name this day.

The band describes their sound as" po-folk", which stands for positive poor people folk music. In unison they all agree they are "poor as dirt". At times the band is reminiscent of Elliott Smith, Of Montreal, and Rubber Soul-era Beatles. They are a melting pot of many genres which collaborates into a feel-good vibe. For those who haven't yet seen the band perform live, the stage is really a cross between a raucous live jam and a hand-clapping gospel church. If you give them a hour and attend a show, I'll show you a new fan! With their music, they express that you should "be nice and should not be an asshole. They send the message that it's ok to disagree, and it's ok to get along but no matter what peace and positivity is golden.

When reflecting on what first inspired him to be a musician, electric guitar player Nick Raymond tells me he first realized his life choice when he was fifteen. "Sitting in my grandparent's living room, I wrote my first song. The song