After helping host a preview party this week that served as the unveiling of the full lineup of this year’s Indie Memphis Film Festival, festival executive director Ryan Watt was confident enough about what’s coming to declare the organization has taken things to a new level this year.

2. Rainn Wilson to Attend Indie Memphis Festival - Saturday, September 9, 2017

TV and film star Rainn Wilson will host the premiere of his new movie “Thom Pain” as part of the 20th anniversary of the Indie Memphis Film Festival in November.

The film, directed by Oliver Butler and adapted from Will Eno’s 2004 play, will be the Opening Night Gala selection for the festival. As part of the anniversary celebration, Indie Memphis will also for the first time host a block party from Nov. 3-5, closing off traffic along Cooper Street between Union and Monroe avenues in Midtown.

3. Rainn Wilson to Attend Indie Memphis Festival - Monday, September 4, 2017

TV and film star Rainn Wilson will host the premiere of his new movie “Thom Pain” as part of the 20th anniversary of the Indie Memphis Film Festival in November.

The film, directed by Oliver Butler and adapted from Will Eno’s 2004 play, will be the Opening Night Gala selection for the festival. As part of the anniversary celebration, Indie Memphis will also for the first time host a block party from Nov. 3-5, closing off traffic along Cooper Street between Union and Monroe avenues in Midtown.

4. The Week Ahead: February 13-19 - Monday, February 13, 2017

Music is a common theme this week, which is nice to know, isn’t it, Memphis? And the sounds of other balls – not the dribbling kind – will take the stage again as the Memphis Open gets into swing and the University of Memphis throws its first real pitch of the 2017 season. Check out this week's list of need-to-know happenings...

5. Launch Party At Brooks To Celebrate Big Star Book - Wednesday, October 19, 2016

So much has changed since the images were taken, when the camera captured the long-haired Memphis power pop band Big Star in its short-lived prime and the road ahead seemed long and full of musical promise.

6. The Week Ahead: October 17-23 - Monday, October 17, 2016

This will be a historic week for Memphis, so mark your calendar for Saturday, Oct. 22, when a boardwalk across the Harahan Bridge opens to the public that will give Memphians and visitors alike an intimate experience with the Mighty Mississippi. The Big River Crossing also will link Memphis to West Memphis, Arkansas, and provide bicycle enthusiasts miles of trails along the river levee that will be unique in the world. There’s only one Mississippi River, the world’s second-largest inland waterway, and there’s only one Memphis! This crossing will be an unmatched amenity for the city for years to come.   

7. The Daily News Claims 3 First Place TAPME Awards - Tuesday, April 12, 2016

The Daily News took top honors in business reporting and editorials in the 2016 Tennessee Associated Press Broadcasters and Media Editors Awards.

The awards for reporting in 2015 were announced Saturday, April 9, during a ceremony in Nashville.

8. Beale Street Music Festival Marks 40th Year With 64 Acts - Thursday, February 25, 2016

The last time Neil Young played Memphis, it was at the Mid-South Coliseum with a rockabilly band called the Shocking Pinks and Ronald Reagan was president.

9. Neil Young, Paul Simon, Modest Mouse Top Beale Street Music Fest Lineup - Wednesday, February 24, 2016

Neil Young, Beck, Paul Simon, Train and Modest Mouse are among the headliners for the 2016 Beale Street Music Festival, April 29-May 1, in Tom Lee Park.

10. New Daisy VIP Experience Named in Honor of Big Star - Saturday, October 10, 2015

The New Daisy Theatre is unveiling a new VIP experience next week, named in honor of one of Memphis’ most iconic homegrown music acts.

The Big Star Room opens Oct.16 on the venue’s second and third floors, and in it guests will be able to enjoy multiple lounges: the 1970s-inspired Projection room, the Library Lounge and the 75-seat Mezzanine, designed for prime viewing.

11. New Daisy VIP Experience Named in Honor of Big Star - Thursday, October 8, 2015

The New Daisy Theatre is unveiling a new VIP experience next week, named in honor of one of Memphis’ most iconic homegrown music acts.

The Big Star Room opens Oct.16 on the venue’s second and third floors, and in it guests will be able to enjoy multiple lounges: the 1970s-inspired Projection room, the Library Lounge and the 75-seat Mezzanine, designed for prime viewing.

12. Musical Space - Wednesday, August 19, 2015

It took a while – four years, in fact – for the Memphis Music Hall of Fame to finally get a space of its own. But it’s preparing to celebrate that physical space at 126 Beale St., adjacent to the Hard Rock Café, with a grand opening ceremony Friday, Aug. 21.

13. Keeping the Beat - Saturday, June 20, 2015

Jody Stephens may best be known as a rock 'n' roll timekeeper, the guy whose drum kit kept the beat and provided the rhythmic foundation for the pioneering power pop group Big Star.

14. Events - Wednesday, April 22, 2015

JETS Memphis (Jet & Engine Trading Society) will host its second annual evening reception Wednesday, April 22, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Memphis Rock ‘n’ Soul Museum, 191 Beale St. The commercial aviation business and networking event will include heavy hors d’oeuveres, drinks, and rock and soul music. Visit team.aero/jetsmemphis to RSVP.

15. Events - Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Who’s Hiring Memphis Career Fair will be held Tuesday, April 21, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Memphis Botanic Garden, 750 Cherry Road. Memphis-area employers in a variety of sectors will be conducting on-site interviews. Admission is free; attendees should dress professionally and bring copies of their resume. Visit whoshiringmemphis.com.

16. Music Hall of Fame Expands Nominating Committee - Saturday, April 18, 2015

Heading into its fourth year of honoring some of the country’s greatest music icons, the Memphis Music Hall of Fame has added some big names to its nominating committee – stacking it with both local and national music executives who will help pick this year’s inductees.

17. Events - Saturday, April 18, 2015

Ardent Studios will present “Press/Play: A Celebration of John Fry & John Hampton” Wednesday, April 22, at 6:30 p.m. at the Levitt Shell, 1928 Poplar Ave. The show will feature Jon Auer, Ken Stringfellow, Jody Stephens and guests performing Big Star songs, as well as performances by Gin Blossoms and Tora Tora. Cost is free. Visit ardentstudios.com.

18. Memphis Music Hall of Fame Expands Nominating Committee - Friday, April 17, 2015

Heading into its fourth year of honoring some of the country’s greatest music icons, the Memphis Music Hall of Fame has added some big names to its nominating committee – stacking it with both local and national music executives who will help pick this year’s inductees.

19. Memphis Music Hall of Fame Prepares to Induct Nine - Friday, October 10, 2014

The Memphis Music Hall of Fame, administered by the Memphis Rock ‘n’ Soul Museum, next month will induct its new batch of honorees, a collection of music legends that each in their way left big marks on the industry’s landscape.

20. Events - Saturday, February 1, 2014

The University of Memphis will host its Black History Month opening ceremony and presentation of the Authur S. Holmon Lifetime Achievement Award to Dr. James L. Netters Friday, Jan. 31, at 7 p.m. in the Michael D. Rose Theatre, 470 University St. Visit memphis.edu for a schedule of other Black History Month activities.

21. Events - Friday, January 31, 2014

Network of Memphis will meet Monday, Feb. 3, at 5:30 p.m. at Dixie Cafe, 4699 Poplar Ave. The women’s networking organization will host Mark Dean, executive director and CEO of Volunteer Mid-South. RSVP at networkmemphis.org by Friday, Jan. 31, at noon.

22. Events - Thursday, January 30, 2014

Christian Brothers University will host a panel discussion titled “Let’s Talk About Race” Thursday, Jan. 30, at 1 p.m. in Spain Auditorium at CBU, 650 East Parkway S. A diverse panel of CBU students will discuss their lives and dispel myths. Cost is free. Visit cbu.edu.

23. Rockin’ Summer - Friday, July 12, 2013

Just shy of 40 years after the band Big Star last played at the Overton Park Shell, the short-lived Memphis band is about to have a bigger summer locally than it could have envisioned in 1974.

A long-awaited documentary about what has become the city’s most famous unknown band opens Friday, July 12, in a movie theater at the epicenter of the 1970s Memphis environment the band lived its short life in.

24. Midtown Gears Up for Largest Rock for Love Benefit - Friday, August 31, 2012

From Overton Square to the Hi-Tone Cafe to the Levitt Shell, Midtown Memphis is gearing up to “Rock for Love.”

Now in its sixth year, the annual music-based fundraiser for Memphis’ Church Health Center – the nation’s largest faith-based health care ministry for working, uninsured people and their families – will take place over a four-day period from Thursday, Sept. 6, through Sunday, Sept. 9.

25. Ardent Studios Adds New Film Department - Thursday, June 9, 2011

Ardent Studios will celebrate the opening of its new film department with a reception Thursday night, June 9, at the legendary recording studio.

The new venture represents a tie to Ardent’s past. L.A. film veteran Jonathan Pekar will head the department. His father, Ron Pekar, was the graphic designer for Ardent in the early days, designing the original studio logo ad the iconic neon logo for Big Star’s “#1 Record.”

26. Levitt Shell Preps for Spring Season, Big Star Tribute - Monday, May 10, 2010

The Levitt Shell in Overton Park took Memphis by storm in its inaugural season by offering free music on themed-genre nights. This season, the schedule is being thrown out the window.

From May 20 to June 20, the Levitt Shell will offer five free weekly concerts featuring local and out-of-town artists in Latin, soul and R&B, Americana, children’s music, and Memphis.

27. The British Are Coming ... And Going - Tuesday, November 21, 2006

Kevin Bourke, a British journalist who covers film, music and theater for the Manchester Evening News, began a story he wrote in 2005 for the paper with the following question: Is Memphis the most significant music city in the world?