Bud Light Stage
Drowning Pool 2:20 – 3:25 p.m.
The Experimental Tropic Blues Band 3:50 – 4:55 p.m.
Saving Abel 5:20 – 6:35 p.m.
Buckcherry 7:00 – 8:20 p.m.
Godsmack 8:50 – 10:20 p.m.
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Horseshoe Casino Stage
Amos Lee 2:05 – 3:10 p.m.
Lucero 3:35 – 4:45 p.m.
Gregg Allman 5:10 – 6:30 p.m.
The Avett Brothers 6:55 – 8:10 p.m.
Wilco 8:40 – 10:10 p.m.
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MATCU Stage
JJ Grey & Mofro 2:15 – 3:25 p.m.
Ziggy Marley 3:50 – 5:00 p.m.
Al Kapone 5:25 – 6:30 p.m.
Cee Lo Green 6:55 – 8:00 p.m.
Sublime with Rome 8:30 – 10:00 p.m.
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FedEx Blues Tent
The Lee Boys 2:05 – 3:15 p.m.
Hubert Sumlin 3:40 – 4:50 p.m.
John Hammond 5:15 – 6:35 p.m.
Preston Shannon 7:00 – 8:20 p.m.
Bettye LaVette 8:50 – 10:15 p.m.
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SoCo Blues Shack
Robert “Wolfman” Belfour 2:30, 3:15, & 4:00 p.m.
Eric Hughes 5:00, 5:45, & 6:30 p.m.
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Drowning Pool
Bud Light Stage • 2:20 p.m.
Nü-metal group Drowning Pool have had an unfortunate history with lead singers — until (knock on wood) the addition of frontman Ryan McCombs, whose personal angst drives the band’s 2010 dark, yet inspired, eponymous LP.
The Experimental Tropic Blues Band
Bud Light Stage • 3:50 p.m.
Allegedly influenced by Elvis and the Memphis-connected 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.
Saving Abel
Bud Light Stage • 5:20 p.m.
Saving Abel combine a mix of aggro-metal and Southern rock influences to produce a unique brand of modern rock music. The group’s self-titled 2008 debut album was certified gold.
Buckcherry
Bud Light Stage • 7:00 p.m.
Buckcherry burst onto the scene in 1999 with an eponymous album that yielded no less than three hit singles, including the infectious anthem “Lit Up.” The quintessential party band, Buckcherry’s most recent album, 2010’s All Night Long, was hailed by critics as a return to form.
Godsmack
Godsmack
Bud Light Stage • 8:50 p.m.
Arguably the best of the nü-metal Alice in Chains acolytes that emerged in the late ’90s, Godsmack continues to be a force to be reckoned with thanks to a stream of mega-hits.
Amos Lee
Horseshoe Casino Stage • 2:05 p.m.
With his soulful singer-songwriter sound, Amos Lee followed Norah Jones’ path to crossover success. He’s an A-list artist in his own right now. His fourth album, Mission Bell, features guest turns from Willie Nelson and Lucinda Williams.
Lucero
Horseshoe Casino Stage • 3:35 p.m.
If there is one band that defines the current era of Memphis music, it is local alt-country favorites Lucero. Heartfelt and hardworking, Lucero has attracted a national following.
Gregg Allman
Horseshoe Casino Stage • 5:10 p.m.
One of the godfathers of the Southern rock and jam-band genres, Gregg Allman, alongside brother Duane, led the Allman Brothers Band, which peaked in the early ’70s. The singer/songwriter/organ player has been a sporadic solo artist but comes to the Beale Street Music Festival on a big upswing, with his first solo album in 14 years, Low Country Blues.
The Avett Brothers
Horseshoe Casino Stage • 6:55 p.m.
The Avett Brothers have brought traditional bluegrass and folk sounds to the indie-rock masses over the past decade with a spirited live show and an increasingly polished series of albums. The band’s most recent album, I and Love and You, was recorded with producer Rick Rubin, who gives the band a stronger sound. This step led to a performance on this year’s Grammy telecast, where they joined Mumford & Sons to back Bob Dylan.
Wilco
Horseshoe Casino Stage • 8:40 p.m.
Once a sidekick in ’90s alt-country faves Uncle Tupelo, Jeff Tweedy emerged as a bandleader supreme in Wilco, arguably the most revered American band of the past decade. The group took folk-rock into experimental territory with their 2002 critical/commercial peak, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. But lately Tweedy has been focusing more on his songwriting than sonics. Onstage, the band’s blend of Tom Petty-style classic rock and Radiohead-style art rock tends to work even better.
JJ Grey & Mofro
MATCU Stage • 2:15 p.m.
The Florida-based JJ Grey & Mofro are purveyors of a brand of Southern rock that includes plenty of country and soul, heard most recently on their 2010 album Georgia Warhorse for the blues/roots label Alligator Records.
Ziggy Marley
MATCU Stage • 3:50 p.m.
The oldest son of late reggae legend Bob Marley, Ziggy Marley went pop for a brief moment in the late ’80s. In more recent years, Marley has continued to release new music but geared toward reggae fans, the latest for his family’s Tuff Gong label.
Al Kapone
MATCU Stage • 5:25 p.m.
Al Kapone possesses one of the most original voices on Memphis’ rap scene, and he began to get his share of the local spotlight via his collaborations with filmmaker Craig Brewer (Hustle & Flow, $5 Cover). Live, Kapone has built a reputation as the city’s best onstage hip-hop performer whether playing with a DJ or, occasionally, a full band.
Cee Lo Green
MATCU Stage • 6:55 p.m.
For years, Cee Lo Green was the raspy-voiced secret weapon on the Atlanta rap scene, stealing the show on Outkast’s first albums and becoming the centerpiece for the group Goodie Mob. When he began to transition from rapper to singer, Green morphed into a major star, lending his voice and personality to two of the definite hits of the past decade: “Crazy” (as a member of the duo Gnarls Barkley) and the current solo smash “F— You.”
Sublime with Rome
MATCU Stage • 8:30 p.m.
Original band members Eric Wilson (bass) and Bud Gaugh (drums, vocals) have recently taken up the Sublime mantle once more, despite protests from the estate of deceased original member Brad Nowell (guitar/vocals). Nevertheless, the new version of Sublime is a faithful tribute to Nowell’s memory, with frontman Rome Ramirez filling in capably.
The Lee Boys
FedEx Blues Tent • 2:05 p.m.
Arguably the leading lights on the sacred-steel guitar scene, the Miami-based Lee Boys whip up crowds into a fervor with their scalding, spirited funk/gospel jams. They’ve become a festival favorite — recently delivering an ecstatic set at the local Folk Alliance Conference — and should be a highlight of this year’s festival.
Hubert Sumlin
FedEx Blues Tent • 3:40 p.m.
Greenwood, Mississippi-born Hubert Sumlin got his start on radio station SWEM in West Memphis, playing with Pat Hare and James Cotton in the 1950s. Howlin’ Wolf took Sumlin north to Chicago, and blues guitar hasn’t been the same since. Sumlin’s unpredictable, twisting riffs and solos — check out “Killing Floor,” “Mr. Airplane Man,” and “Wang Dang Doodle” for starters — led him to be crowned “King of the Outer Space Guitar.” Now approaching 80, Sumlin never ceases to astonish.
John Hammond
FedEx Blues Tent • 5:15 p.m.
A product of the mid-’60s blues/folk revival scene, John Hammond has stayed committed to vintage/classic styles over the decades and is now one of the standard-bearers of traditional blues. Hammond was nominated for “Acoustic Artist of the Year” at the 2011 Blues Music Awards.
Preston Shannon
FedEx Blues Tent • 7:00 p.m.
Gritty local soul-blues singer Preston Shannon returns to the Beale Street Music Fest after a three-year absence. His most recent album, Be With Me Tonight, is a Dixie-fried slice of R&B heaven.
Bettye LaVette
Bettye LaVette
FedEx Blues Tent • 8:50 p.m.
Bettye LaVette was a cult-fave soul singer in the ’60s but never broke through. An active live performer into the ’90s, LaVette found her way back into a studio this decade and recently recorded with the rock band the Drive-By Truckers for her deep-soul testament The Scene of the Crime and followed that up with Interpretations: The British Rock Songbook.
Robert “Wolfman” Belfour
SoCo Blues Shack • 2:30, 3:15, & 4:00 p.m.
Robert “Wolfman” Belfour may not be as well known as some of his fellow north Mississippi blues-scene contemporaries, but he delivers every bit as much straight-to-the-gut wallop. And even now, at over 70 years of age, he’s probably still the best pure singer of the lot.
Eric Hughes
SoCo Blues Shack • 5:00, 5:45, & 6:30 p.m.
Memphis’ Eric Hughes is a talented blues harpist and vocalist known for jumping on tables and directly engaging his audience. It remains to be seen what he’ll cook up for this year’s Beale Street Music Festival.
