A mile-long line for The Lyric. A packed show at Proud Larry’s. The sweet sound of the Yalobushwhackers during a Thacker Mountain Radio broadcast.
New Oxford residents can easily get overwhelmed with options when deciding what to do on a Saturday night or free weekday in the “Cultural Mecca of the South.”
Although Oxford’s music scene is expansive, The Lyric, Proud Larry’s and Thacker Mountain Radio hour are regarded as long-time staples that both visitors and residents of Oxford have to experience at least once.
THE LYRIC
For those looking for a large concert experience, The Lyric is the place.
Although The Lyric was originally a livery stable owned by William Faulkner’s family and, over the years, has functioned as a movie theater and office space, it is now known as one of the chief music and private event venues in Oxford.
“We just try to bring live music to people,” Lindsay Dillon-Maginnis, a managing partner at The Lyric, said when asked about the mission of The Lyric. “I know this sounds cheesy, but we like to expose people to music they may not have seen or be aware of.”
Over the years, The Lyric has hosted a variety of acts such as Beach House, Tyler Childers, Mac Miller and more.
Dillon-Maginnis said that one of her favorite acts The Lyric hosted was Janelle Monae, whose show displayed the fun things that concert-goers may encounter at The Lyric.
“Janelle Monae opened up for Montreal,” Dillon-Maginnis said. “Their writers said they needed something like 70 rolls of toilet paper, and I do not know why it didn’t click then, but they just papered the whole venue.”
As for what people can expect from this year’s lineup, Dillon-Maginnis said there is something for everyone.
The Lyric’s fall season kicked off with Muscadine Bloodline and The Band CAMINO and will continue in September with acts including Mike and the Moonpies and Scotty McCreery. Dillon-Maginnis also said that patrons can look forward to the return of events like Code Pink and events held by the Latin American Student Organization.
“Our fall lineup is pretty well laid out. There’s a couple shows here and there that are still falling into the mix, but it’s a drastic change from 2021 or 2020 with COVID,” Dillon-Maginnis said. “It’s a mix of country and rock and indie, and there’s a little bit of everything involved, which is wonderful because there are so many bands touring right now. Everybody’s tired of being cooped up and is ready to go.”
PROUD LARRY’S
With a smaller venue, Proud Larry’s is the place for those looking for a more intimate concert environment.
“Proud Larry’s has been a staple since the early ’90s,” said Austin Smith, marketing coordinator at Proud Larry’s. “We see a lot of people from out of town who just feel this nostalgia for what it was when they were in school and especially for the community. You can go see good music and trust that what you’re seeing is going to be good.”
Like The Lyric, Proud Larry’s is excited to return to being that music staple after the pandemic.
“In this industry, that was a huge factor just from the cautionary side of the attendees, as well as the artists themselves,” Smith said. “If somebody’s bassist comes down with COVID, there’s not someone to easily replace them. So it’s taken seriously.”
Smith said that one of Proud Larry’s sweet spots is recruiting artists to come play before they take off, making many concerts at the venue memorable.
“We try to get these artists that are on their way to making it big,” Smith said. “There was one Sturgill Simpson show, and he had just released this album that caught traction and put him on another level. The energy was crazy in there, and it was palpable that that show could have been a lot bigger than it was.”
With acts like Magic City Hippies, Annie Di Russo and Joshua Ray Walker this fall, Proud Larry’s is keeping that tradition going.
THACKER MOUNTAIN RADIO HOUR
Thacker Mountain Radio Hour gives attendees a unique, live music experience that, for the most part, can only be found in Oxford.
“Thacker Mountain is a live weekly radio show that takes place mostly in Oxford,” said Katelyn O’Brien, executive director of Thacker Mountain. “It features our house band, the Yalobushwhackers, our host Jim Dees, two musical guests and a featured author.”
The show is broadcast live on Rebel Radio and broadcast at a later date on Mississippi Public Broadcasting, Alabama Public Radio, Memphis WYXR and WUTC in Chattanooga.
People can also attend Thacker Mountain live for free. Originally, live broadcasts of Thacker Mountain started at Off Square Books, but due to a growth in popularity and COVID guidelines, the show has moved around within the past few years. This year, most of the shows will be hosted at the Powerhouse located just off the Square.
According to O’Brien, the artists that Thacker Mountain recruits for its broadcasts are artists that support the mission while also keeping it fresh and interesting.
“The show’s mission is to celebrate and document the diverse sounds and stories of an evolving American South,” O’Brien said. “We also take the variety part of our show pretty seriously. There’s no genre in music or literature that we won’t have. It highlights the wide swath of talents and disciplines that are happening in Mississippi and the American South.”
This year is a particularly special year for Thacker Mountain, as it is the 25th year. According to O’Brien, Thacker Mountain is in the process of organizing special guests for this upcoming season, which will start on Sept. 1.
“So many folks love to dog on Mississippi and the South in general, but the music, writing and artistic expression that’s coming out of this place is just incredible,” O’Brien said. “Folks do themselves a great disservice to just kind of dismiss it. It hurts artistic people who are working to find connection and commonality and ways that we can love our neighbors, which I think that’s what makes Oxford such a special place.”
