SATURDAY MAY 2nd
Bud Light Stage (South) …
The Vespers 2:15 P.M.
Soul Asylum 3:45 P.M.
Big Head Todd & the Monsters 5:25 P.M.
Flogging Molly 7:05 P.M.
Band of Horses 8:45 P.M.
The Avett Brothers 10:30 P.M.
FedEx Stage (Middle) …
Copeland 2:10 P.M.
Devon Baldwin 3:30 P.M.
LeCrae 4:15 P.M.
G-Eazy 5:45 P.M.
Lindsey Stirling 7:20 P.M.
Bleachers 9:00 P.M.
Paramore 10:40 P.M.
Rockstar Energy Drink Stage (North) …
Dead Soldiers 2:10 P.M.
Diarrhea Planet 3:35 P.M.
George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic 5:10 P.M.
Wale 6:55 P.M.
Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band 8:30 P.M.
John Fogerty 10:15 P.M.
Pearl River Resort Blues Tent …
Ghost Town Blues Band 2:00 P.M.
Kelley Hunt 3:20 P.M.
Kenny Brown Band 4:45 P.M.
Lurrie Bell 6:10 P.M.
Matthew Curry 7:40 P.M.
Ana Popovic 9:05 P.M.
Kim Simmonds & Savoy Brown 10:45 P.M.
MetroPCS Blues Shack …
Terry “Big T” Williams Times Vary
Leo Bud Welch Times Vary
THE BANDS:
Leo Bud Welch
MetroPCS Blues Shack (Times Vary)
Age is nothing but a number – just ask 82-year-old guitarist Leo Bud Welch. Welch apparently once missed an audition to join B.B. King’s band because he didn’t have the bus fare, but he’s done all right since then, touring the States and Europe many times over with his sparkle-covered guitar.
Terry “Big T“ Williams
MetroPCS Blues Shack (Times Vary)
Another Mississippi bluesman that should not be missed this weekend. Williams grew up hearing stories about the blues from his grandmother, who saw legends like Muddy Waters and John Lee Hooker.
Ghost Town Blues Band
Pearl River Resort Blues Tent • 2:00 p.m.
We already gave you the lowdown on Ghost Town Blues Band as part of our cover feature (p. 14), so make sure you get to the Blues Tent early to hear songs off the band’s latest album, Hard Road to Hoe.
Dead Soldiers
Rockstar Energy Drink Stage • 2:10 p.m.
Another band of Memphis boys, Dead Soldiers should definitely be shown some local love when they play on Saturday. Made up of members of old Memphis metal bands, Dead Soldiers put on an entertaining live show fueled by Tennessee whiskey and good times, both of which should be on hand all weekend long.
Copeland
FedEx Stage • 2:10 p.m.
This Lakeland rock band (that’s Lakeland, Florida, not Lakeland, Tennessee) has been around since 2001 and has made it clear that they are not a “Christian band” despite being associated with the Christian rock label Tooth and Nail. Their latest album, Ixora, was released last year and was the band’s first new album in six years.
The Vespers
Bud Light Stage • 2:15 p.m.
The Vespers reside just 200 miles east of Memphis in Nashville, but we won’t hold that against them. This Americana act is a family affair, with two brothers (Taylor and Bruno Jones) and two sisters (Callie and Phoebe Cryar) rounding out the lineup.
Kelley Hunt
Pearl River Resort Blues Tent • 3:20 p.m.
This Lawrence, Kansas-based piano player has been at it for a while, releasing influential albums since 1995.
Devon Baldwin
FedEx Stage • 3:30 p.m.
This former American Idol contestant and Bay Area native crafts modern pop songs that R&B fans would also find appealing. Baldwin has collaborated with G-Eazy (also playing Music Fest) on multiple occasions, including the YouTube hit “Let’s Get Lost.”
Diarrhea Planet
Rockstar Energy Drink Stage • 3:35 p.m.
Diarrhea Planet (DP) pack a punch with their live show that includes four electric guitarists. Hailing from Nashville, DP had a monster 2014, which included being named the best live act of the year by Paste Magazine. Musically, they fall somewhere in between pop-punk and indie rock, with enough on-stage energy to get the crowd moving no matter when they are billed.
Soul Asylum
Bud Light Stage • 3:45 p.m.
Remember that Soul Asylum video where Claire Danes has the freaky-looking shoulder blades, and all the kids at the school dance point and laugh at her, and then mid-dance, she grows angel wings? And then she’s all “take that, bullies!” as she flies away. Yea, that was awesome.
Lecrae
FedEx Stage • 4:15 p.m.
More like cray cray. Okay, sorry. This Christian rapper has been around since 2004 and is the co-founder of Reach Records. While there probably won’t be an offering plate passed around, LeCrae should provide a spiritual experience when he takes the stage on Saturday.
Kenny Brown Band
Pearl River Resort Blues Tent • 4:45 p.m.
Mentored by R. L. Burnside, Kenny Brown is an amazing guitarist from Nesbit, Mississippi. Brown’s guitar work was used in Black Snake Moan, and his Memphis ties run deep.
George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic
Rockstar Energy Drink Stage • 5:10 p.m.
We want the funk! And these guys are sure to bring it. Fronted by George Clinton, who revolutionized R&B in the ’70s by morphing psychedelic rock, soul, and funk into a unique sound — dubbed P-Funk — this group knows how to throw down. If you’ve yet to see them in action, picture this: a big crew partying on stage, lots of dancing, wailing guitars, funky bass lines, and a little jazz horn. And did I mention a party on stage? They might just tear the roof off the sucker.
Big Head Todd & the Monsters
Bud Light Stage • 5:25 p.m.
Okay, so we already gave out the best name award, but Big Head Todd & the Monsters are putting up a serious fight for second place. Since forming in 1986, the band has released a plethora of albums, including the classic Midnight Radio album released in 1980, which featured artwork by Chris Mars, formerly of the Replacements.
G-Eazy
FedEx Stage • 5:45 p.m.
Formerly of the “Bay Boyz,” G-Eazy is a Northern California hip-hop artist who was chosen to open for Drake after going viral on sites like MySpace and YouTube. G-Eazy has also played Warped Tour and released the critically acclaimed album, These Things Happen, last summer. Don’t miss the “James Dean of Rap” on Saturday evening.
Lurrie Bell
Pearl River Resort Blues Tent • 6:10 p.m.
Lurrie Bell has been playing since the ’70s, cranking out more than 10 solo records and almost twice as many collaboration albums with his father Carey Bell and other acts like the Doobie Twisters.
Wale
Rockstar Energy Drink Stage • 6:55 p.m.
Wale is one of the only hip-hop artists performing this year, but that shouldn’t deter you from checking out his performance on Saturday night. The Washington, D.C., native has solid hits like “Pretty Girl” and “Chillin” under his belt, in addition to songs on video games like Saints Row.
Flogging Molly
Bud Light Stage • 7:05 p.m.
In the early ’90s, some of the early members of this seven-piece Irish punk band played an L.A. bar called Molly Malone’s every week. Irish-born lead singer Dave King has said that they felt like they were “flogging it to death” at Molly Malone’s, and hence the band’s name was born. They’re best known for 2002’s Drunken Lullabies, which was filled with fast-paced Irish ditties (“Swagger,” “What’s Left of the Flag”) that make you want to dance a jig and slam-dance at the same time.
Lindsey Stirling
FedEx Stage • 7:20 p.m.
What do you get when you combine classical violin with dubstep? Lindsey Stirling, that’s what. Dubbed the hip-hop violinist, Stirling has forged her own path and basically created a genre that combines a soothing and sophisticated string sound with dirty dubstep bass drops. Stirling’s expert delivery somehow softens EDM’s often-jarring edge, resulting in music that would be equally appealing to a bro at a Skrillex show and your grandmother.
Matthew Curry
Pearl River Resort Blues Tent • 7:40 p.m.
Hailing from Normal, Illinois, there’s nothing that’s ordinary about Curry’s music. He’s only been around since last year, but his live show already has the approval of Steve Miller.
Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band
Rockstar Energy Drink Stage • 8:30 p.m.
A self-taught guitarist, Kenny Wayne Shepherd achieved success in the ’90s behind the hit “Blue on Black,” sung by Noah Hunt. Shepherd has been nominated for five Grammy Awards and has released seven studio albums.
Band of Horses
Bud Light Stage • 8:45 p.m.
Briefly known as Horses, Band of Horses formed in 2004. The Seattle, Washington, band features Ben Birdwell, formerly of Carissa’s Weird. Band of Horses have worked with some of the biggest labels in indie rock, including Sub Pop and Fat Possum Records.
Bleachers
FedEx Stage • 9:00 p.m.
This New York City band features Jack Antonoff of Steel Train and Fun. Relatively new in comparison to some of the other bands on the Music Fest lineup, Bleachers started out as a secret side project of Antonoff’s, until he debuted the critically acclaimed single “I Wanna Get Better” in February of last year.
Ana Popovic
Pearl River Resort Blues Tent • 9:05 p.m.
Shout out to all the Memphis, Tennessee-based Serbians who will be at Music Fest this weekend, including Ana Popovic. With six albums under her belt and no signs of slowing down, Popovic is a great example of the diverse talent the Memphis music scene has to offer.
John Fogerty
Rockstar Energy Drink Stage • 10:15 p.m.
The legendary king of the bayou should never be missed. Even the most casual fans will immediately recognize Fogerty as the voice behind the legendary classic rock band Creedence Clearwater Revival, but the California native has also had an impressive solo career including the Grammy-nominated song “Change in the Weather,” among other songs that convey his classic sound. This will be Fogerty’s first Memphis concert in 20 years.
The Avett Brothers
Bud Light Stage • 10:30 p.m.
If you’ve detected a trend of alt-country punk bands playing this year’s Beale Street Music Fest, you might be on to something. The Avett Brothers represent the genre well and have had studio time with Rick Rubin to prove it.
Paramore
FedEx Stage • 10:40 p.m. 
The original members of this emo-pop band hail from just down the road in Franklin, Tennessee. And though some of those members have left, the band is still fronted by the spunky Hayley Williams, whose fiery orange (or sometimes teal blue) locks and tiny stature give her an elfin appearance. Paramore are best known for their works from emo’s mid-oughts heyday — “Misery Business,” “That’s What You Get,” “Crushcrushcrush.” And although the band clearly falls into the emo genre, there’s something about their delivery that feels less obnoxious than that of their emo-pop contemporaries (like Avril Lavigne or Panic at the Disco!).
Kim Simmonds and Savoy Brown
Pearl River Resort Blues Tent • 10:45 p.m.
In case you didn’t know, Kim Simmonds is widely considered to be one of the fathers of British blues. That means he and Savoy Brown are a pretty big deal. You don’t want to disrespect British blues while you’re in the home of the blues this weekend, do you? Didn’t think so.
