Tony Holiday with Laura Chavez – 12/4 – SOLD OUT!

THIS SHOW IS SOLD OUT. Follow the ticket link to join the waitlist on Eventbrite.

There’s something about Tony Holiday that draws people together. In fact, community has been at the core of Holiday’s young career from the beginning.

Since relocating from Salt Lake City to Memphis in 2017, Holiday has been at the center of a soul blues revival in Memphis, anchored by a contingent of young, savvy, well-schooled musicians with a “family-like” attitude and a strong belief in one another. Mentored by past legends, Holiday and this loose Memphis collective are building on the city’s rich traditions and carrying them forward.

Motel Mississippi, Holiday’s second solo album, was recorded about an hour outside Memphis in Coldwater, Mississippi, at Zebra Ranch, the studio of the late Memphis legend Jim Dickinson (The Rolling Stones, Big Star). Combining the sounds of North Mississippi Hill Country, Delta Blues, and Memphis soul, Motel Mississippi is equal parts hypnotic blues, driving soul, and juke joint stomper. The album consists of six originals and two covers: “Rob & Steal” by Paul Wine Jones and “Nobody But You” by Asie Payton.

Like previous projects, Motel Mississippi began as a collaborative effort, this time between Holiday, guitarist/songwriter A. J. Fullerton, and guitarist/producer Dave Gross, who shared production duties with Fullerton. Rich sonic layers lend these productions a forward-thinking quality, conjuring a vibe that’s modern and retro at the same time.

The drone and drive of songs like “Rob & Steal” and “Get By” contrast with juke joint grooves like “Just As Gone,” while “Yazoo River,” a Cajun-infused double-harmonica instrumental, explores new territory. The album was recorded by Kevin Houston (Southern Avenue, North Mississippi Allstars, G. Love). Other musicians on the album include Lee Williams Jr. on drums, Terrance Grayson on bass, Aubrey McCrady on guitar, Jake Friel on harmonica, and Mikey Junior on backup vocals.

Motel Mississippi follows 2020’s Soul Service, produced by another regular collaborator, Southern Avenue’s Ori Naftaly. Before that came two volumes of Tony Holiday’s Porch Sessions, for which Holiday traveled across the United States and Europe, recording blues musicians on their front porches, in front of juke joints, in the countryside, and on the front stoops of night spots in bustling cities. The resulting albums were critically acclaimed. Guests included older legends Grammy winners Charlie Musselwhite and Bobby Rush, former Muddy Waters guitarist John Primer, and Lurie Bell, alongside Holiday’s peers Southern Avenue, Victor Wainwright, and John Németh. Wainwright and Németh have served as important mentors for Holiday since his move to Memphis.

There’s something in the water in Memphis, and Tony Holiday has tapped into it to contribute to an exciting new chapter unfolding in this storied region.

Tony will be joined on this tour by award-winning blues guitarist Laura Chavez.

Doors: 5:30 PM
Showtime: 7 PM

Ticket information:
- The 443 is an intimate listening room with table service and seating for 75 people.
- Green squares and circles on the floor plan are bar-height tables; orange squares are regular-height tables.
- Most seats are sold as “Tables for Two,” meaning the ticket admits two people.
- A limited number of single seats are available. Single attendees may share a table with other single attendees.
- Multiple tickets purchased under the same name will automatically be seated together, up to six people.
- Requests for a specific table are a perk reserved for VIP Patron members.
- For special seating arrangements, including a walker, cane, service animal, wheelchair, low table, or seating with another party, email the venue after placing your order.
- All tickets are will call. Give your name at the door; no need to print anything.