Bud Light Stage
Amy LaVere 2:30 – 3:40 p.m.
Paul Thorn 4:05 – 5:20 p.m.
Jerry Lee Lewis 5:45 – 6:50 p.m.
Mumford & Sons 7:15 – 8:30 p.m.
Lucinda Williams 8:55 – 10:15 p.m.
John Mellencamp 10:50 p.m. – 12:20 a.m.
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Horseshoe Casino Stage
One Less Reason 2:20 – 3:30 p.m.
Sick Puppies 3:55 – 4:10 p.m.
Hinder 5:35 – 6:50 p.m.
8Ball & MJG 7:15 – 8:25 p.m.
Ludacris 8:50 – 10:10 p.m.
Ke$ha 10:40 p.m. – 12:10 a.m.
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MATCU Stage
Lotus 2:25 – 3:35 p.m.
The Experimental Tropic Blues Band 4:00 – 5:15 p.m.
The New Pornographers 5:40 – 6:55 p.m.
Macy Gray 7:20 – 8:35 p.m.
Kirk Whalum 9:00 – 10:15 p.m.
Charlie Wilson 10:45 p.m. – 12:15 a.m.
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FedEx Blues Tent
Travis Wammack 2:15 – 3:25 p.m.
Jimbo Mathus & the Tri-Stage Coalition 3:50 – 5:05 p.m.
Devon Allman’s Honeytribe 5:30 – 6:45 p.m.
Reba Russell Band 7:10 – 8:30 p.m.
Magic Slim & the Teardrops 8:55 – 10:15 p.m.
Otis Clay 10:45 p.m. – midnight
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SoCo Blues Shack
Blind Mississippi Morris 3:00, 3:45,4:30, & 5:15 p.m.
Brad Webb 6:15, 7:15, 8:00, & 8:45 p.m.
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Amy LaVere
Bud Light Stage • 2:30 p.m.
The bass-slappin’ roots/pop chanteuse Amy LaVere has emerged as the city’s most viable local musical export. Her third album, A Stranger Me, is scheduled for this summer.
Paul Thorn
Bud Light Stage • 4:05 p.m.
A former professional boxer, Mississippi native Paul Thorn’s path to alt-country singer may be a confusing one, but it also may have contributed to his informed perspective as a songwriter.
Jerry Lee Lewis
Bud Light Stage • 5:45 p.m.
“The Killer”: no introduction needed in these parts.
Mumford & Sons
Mumford & Sons
Bud Light Stage • 7:15 p.m.
This English folk-rock quartet deploys traditional instruments on their debut album, Sigh No More, released in the U.S. early last year. Since then, they’ve built a large audience, culminating in Grammy nods for “Best New Artist” and “Best Rock Song” (for their single “Little Lion Man”).
Lucinda Williams
Bud Light Stage • 8:55 p.m.
The alt-country/folk-rock stalwart Lucinda Williams built her reputation on 1988’s Lucinda Williams and 1998’s Car Wheels on a Gravel Road. Since Car Wheels, Williams has become more prolific: five albums, including the new Blessed, showcasing her juke-joint riffs and evocative vocals.
John Mellencamp
John Mellencamp
Bud Light Stage • 10:50 p.m.
Some may snicker at the artist formerly known as Johnny Cougar for his Chevrolet commercials and rigidly blue-collar ethos, but there’s no denying the genius-level accessibility of his music.
One Less Reason
Horseshoe Casino Stage • 2:20 p.m.
Tennessee’s One Less Reason flirted with major labels before settling on a career as independent power-ballad revivalists. They’ve since released a string of successful underground hard-rock records.
Sick Puppies
Horseshoe Casino Stage • 3:55 p.m.
Australia’s Sick Puppies moved to the U.S. to “make it,” and thanks to a video clip for the song “All the Same,” the band pretty much has. Sick Puppies trade in emotional, metal-tinged modern rock.
Hinder
Horseshoe Casino Stage • 5:35 p.m.
Hard rockers Hinder rose to prominence in 2005. Since then, the band has delivered a string of catchy, cocksure albums.
8Ball & MJG
Horseshoe Casino Stage • 7:15 p.m.
This duo is arguably the most well-respected hip-hop artists from Memphis. The smooth-rapping 8Ball and the more gruff-voiced MJG have remained relevant, as demonstrated on their 2010 album Ten Toes Down.
Ludacris
Horseshoe Casino Stage • 8:50 p.m.
Whether lighting up stages or recording studios, Ludacris has evolved into one of contemporary hip-hop’s most reliable stars.
Ke$ha
Horseshoe Casino Stage • 10:40 p.m.
Ke$ha is a high-concept performer situated somewhere between Britney Spears and Lady Gaga. If you’ve been anywhere near a radio over the past couple of years, you’ve heard “Tik Tok” and “We R Who We R.”
Lotus
MATCU Stage • 2:25 p.m.
Equally popular on the jam-rock and electronica scenes, Lotus expertly toe the line between noodle-y guitar experimentation and feel-good dance anthems.
The Experimental Tropic Blues Band
MATCU Stage • 4:00 p.m.
Allegedly influenced by Elvis and the rockabilly-punk band the Cramps, the Experimental Tropic Blues Band should fit in nicely at the Beale Street Music Fest. The band hits town as representatives of this year’s Memphis in May honored country, Belgium.
The New Pornographers
MATCU Stage • 5:40 p.m.
The New Pornographers combine the songwriting talents of Carl Newman and Dan Bejar with the strong vocals of secret weapon Neko Case. The band’s hook-laden power pop has been showcased on standout albums such as Mass Romantic and Electric Version.
Macy Gray
MATCU Stage • 7:20 p.m.
Macy Gray burst on the scene in 2000 with her single “I Try,” which showcased a blend of pop, soul, and jazz styles. Gray was Grammy nominated for “Best New Artist” then and has shown staying power with five studio albums, most recently the well-reviewed 2010 album The Sellout.
Kirk Whalum
MATCU Stage • 9:00 p.m.
Memphian Kirk Whalum has long been one of the go-to guys at the intersection of jazz, pop, and soul. But he’s broken out with the soul-centered Everything Is Everything: The Music of Donny Hathaway and the spiritual The Gospel According to Jazz: Chapter III.
Charlie Wilson
Charlie Wilson
MATCU Stage • 10:45 p.m.
As the lead singer for the Gap Band, Charlie Wilson has a claim to classic R&B jams. But he embarked on a musical second life as the new century began, going solo to connect the Gap Band sound with a new generation.
Travis Wammack
FedEx Blues Tent • 2:15 p.m.
Local guitarist, singer, and session musician Travis Wammack is probably best known for “Scratchy,” the mid-’60s instrumental rock gem that has been covered by many over the years. He currently serves as the musical director for Little Richard’s touring band.
Jimbo Mathus &
the Tri-State Coalition
FedEx Blues Tent • 3:50 p.m.
James “Jimbo” Mathus has never achieved the commercial success as a solo artist that he once enjoyed with the Squirrel Nut Zippers. But the quality of Mathus’ recent solo output far outweighs the impact of the Zippers’ long-forgotten neo-swing artifact Hot.
Devon Allman’s Honeytribe
FedEx Blues Tent • 5:30 p.m.
Drawing on the blues-rock legacy laid down by the Grateful Dead, the Rolling Stones, and the Allman Brothers, Honeytribe is led by the youngest star from one of jam-rock’s first families and combines high-energy Hammond B3 chords, Latin percussion, and straightforward blue-eyed soul.
Reba Russell Band
FedEx Blues Tent • 7:10 p.m.
An internationally regarded blues singer as well as a proud local product, Beale Street diva Reba Russell returns to Music Fest. Joining her will be an excellent collection of local blues players, including the dynamite harpist Robert “Nighthawk” Tooms.
Magic Slim & the Teardrops
FedEx Blues Tent • 8:55 p.m.
Magic Slim & the Teardrops have won “Band of the Year” at the Blues Music Awards multiple times and are up for the honor again this year. The band first emerged in the ’70s but hit their recording stride over the past two decades with a series of highly regarded albums.
Otis Clay
FedEx Blues Tent • 10:45 p.m.
Otis Clay is Mississippi-born and Chicago-bred, but the soul singer hit his peak in Memphis at Hi Records. Clay’s Memphis years are best know for the hit single “Trying To Live My Life Without You,” but he has remained a prolific and popular concert and studio artist.
Blind Mississippi Morris
SoCo Blues Shack • 3:00, 3:45, 4:30, & 5:15 p.m.
This year’s Beale Street Music Fest boasts a strong group of blues harpists, and perhaps the strongest is Blind Mississippi Morris.
Brad Webb
SoCo Blues Shack • 6:15, 7:15, 8:00, & 8:45 p.m.
Local blues guitarist Brad Webb has played with several local luminaries over the years. That said, Webb’s skill with a bottleneck slide is something to behold.
