Free Memphis concerts: Fall 2021 Orion Concert Series at Levitt Shell commercialappeal.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from commercialappeal.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
As the weather becomes idyllic, and vaccines more common, there's been a dip in live-streamed events. Venues with outdoor stages have been busier than ever.
From COVID-19 to protests, how 2020 impacted Black artists and creatives Bob Mehr, USA TODAY
For Memphis hip-hop producer James Dukes, aka IMAKEMADBEATS, music has been a lifelong passion, bordering on obsession. He could hardly recall a day where he hadn’t been in the studio, tinkering with beats or creating tracks. But in March 2020, that all changed with the COVID-19 pandemic.
“For the first time I’m not thinking about beats or mixing records,” Dukes said. “I was thinking about the health of my family my parents, my son and figuring out how to get groceries without getting COVID. That’s where my mind was. And just the fatigue and exhaustion from dealing with all that … it took me away from any sort of inspiration. I didn’t go into the studio for weeks. Which, if you know me, that’s like an eternity. It’s unthinkable.”