Pinch District

The Pinch District was Memphis' first neighborhood, sitting just north of Downtown. Its live-music footprint is anchored by a single major venue: the Cannon Center for the Performing Arts. The Cannon Center is a 2,051-seat multi-purpose hall and the permanent home of the Memphis Symphony Orchestra, opened in 2003. Beyond the Symphony, it programs ballet, opera, pop and jazz concerts, touring theatrical productions, and children's theater. The hall is praised for its sound quality and unobstructed sightlines. The center received a full cosmetic update in 2018. It draws a wide range of genres, having hosted acts such as Brit Floyd, Bohemian Queen, and Brincos Dieras. The Pinch's live-music scene is therefore formal and ticketed rather than bar-driven, oriented around the Cannon Center's calendar of classical, jazz, and touring concert programming.