Satellite Music Hall Opens at Crosstown. a New Room to Memphis’ Music Ecosystem.
Memphis got its first look at the new Satellite Music Hall at Crosstown Wednesday night, with a community preview that brought together local musicians, music fans and people from across the city’s creative community.
The new 1,300-capacity venue officially opens this weekend with two sold-out shows from Memphis-founded The Band CAMINO, but Wednesday’s preview gave the city a chance to experience the room before the regular concert schedule begins.
The night included performances from Stax Music Academy students, Stax alumni musicians, DJ NYCELYFE and DJ Bizzle Bluebland, making the first event in the new venue feel appropriately connected to Memphis music.
BVO’s Kathryn Hicks and Marvin Stockwell at Satellite Music Hall, Crosstown
Satellite Music Hall, Crosstown
A few of our friends from BVO were there and had good things to say about the space.
Kathryn Hicks said the sound in the main room was really good and especially liked the upstairs Vinyl Room, where the DJ was performing. She described it as “super cozy.”
Marvin Stockwell was struck by how many people from the Memphis music and creative community turned out.
“What a great networking room. Everyone and their brother was there. It’s a great sounding room, they did it right and Memphis needs a venue like this.”
That may have been one of the nicest things about the preview: seeing so many people from different parts of Memphis’ music community in the same place.
Satellite Music Hall is operated by Live Nation in partnership with Crosstown Concourse and is intended to bring more mid-sized national touring acts through Memphis. The venue is expected to host roughly 80 to 100 touring artists each year, while also creating opportunities for local artists and music-industry programs.
The venue has also partnered with Stax Music Academy through its Music Employs program, giving students opportunities to learn more about production, audio, venue operations and other behind-the-scenes parts of the live music business.
Even the name has a Memphis connection. Before Stax Records became Stax, the label was known as Satellite Records.
The opening also adds another music room to an already active part of the city. Satellite sits near Crosstown Arts Theater, The Green Room and Hi Tone, creating another reason for people to come to Crosstown for live music.
Memphis music has always grown through places where people can gather, hear something new and run into one another. Wednesday night felt like a simple reminder of that.
A new room opened, Memphis musicians were onstage, the sound was good, people filled the space, and a lot of familiar faces found each other.
For Memphis music, that feels like good news.
