The Memphis opinion machine cranked up Tuesday with some blaming Memphis in May’s record losses on the Tom Lee Park redesign and others calling the Beale Street Music Festival lineup “garbage,” “out of touch,” and “ass as fuck.”
News dropped late Tuesday (well, after Flyer working hours, anyway) of a 30-year-record-low crowd at Memphis in May (MIM) this year resulting in a record-low financial loss of $3.48 million.
In its annual report, MIM blamed much of this on the redesigned Tom Lee Park. The $63 million renovation was mostly complete by the time the festival geared back up for a return to the park this year.
Credit: Memphis in MayCredit: Memphis in May
That design was tailor-made for MIM, created under a mediation agreement ordered by Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland. That means MIM’s instructions drove many of the details of the redesign.
This still did not stop festival organizers from saying the “the return to Tom Lee Park was marred by difficulties including: obtaining a lease with the Memphis River Parks Partnership (MRPP), problems with access to the park, restrictive use of essential park features, designs not meeting agreed-upon specifications, and a park with 40 percent less useable space.”
Jerred Price, a candidate for Memphis City Council this year and moderator of a Facebook page called Save the River Parks & the Festivals, laid the blame on MRPP, and especially its CEO Carol Coletta.
“The Tom Lee Park excessive redesign is hurting our festivals which create hundreds of millions in tourism dollars, business for our local small businesses, and our economy,” Price said in a post Tuesday. “MRPP violated the terms of their mediation agreement terms.
“Something must be done. Memphis River Parks Partnership needs to be held accountable. Lose the festivals, lose hundreds of millions in economic impact.”
Among the post’s 10 comments, many urged a lawsuit against MRPP.
“Time to sue the shizzle out of MRPP and Coletta,” said Ann Bridgman. “Every vendor, every employee, and every single business that took a hit Downtown this year and for years to come.
Bridgman said she walks in the park nearly every day and is underwhelmed with the money spent on the new design. She said it had no water features and wondered where were the “lasers and dancing lights.”
But MIM shared the blame when it came to low attendance at Beale Street Music Festival. There, it also listed “astronomically elevated talent costs, plus ticket sales competition from big-name artists’ concerts in the Memphis area during late first and early second quarters of this year.”
Here, Memphis Reddit users stepped in with unfiltered opinions on a post by u/mothman26, which linked to a WMCTV story on the MIM news.
“Lineup was overall subpar,” wrote u/AcanthopterygiiNo603. “Headliners were weak.
“Also, I am a lifelong hip hop fan, but acts like Finesse2tymes clearly promoting violence should be passed over. The whole scene was uncomfortable and with the crime epidemic, promoters need to be more aware of who they are choosing.”
u/Sacrolargo agreed with MIM officials that other shows in other markets likely drew attendance from Music Fest. u/Sacrolargo said Shaky Knees Music Festival was in Atlanta that weekend. U/mothman26 pointed out that Taylor Swift also played Nashville that weekend.
Some, though, said MIM officials were “out of touch” when planning its music lineup and suggested getting outside help to plan its next year.
Others, however, were happy to offer unvarnished criticism.
“Lineup was garbage, not sure it needs to be any more complicated than that,” wrote u/Typical_Control_1175.
“The line up was ass as fuck,” wrote u/Black_n_Neon.
Photo: Jarvis Boyland, Expectations, 2019, Collection of a Friend of the Brooks. Jarvis Boyland.
As the temperatures are cooling down, the Memphis arts scene is heating up — with exhibitions, performances, and unique experiences. See for yourself in our Fall Arts Guide.
Calida Rawles, United States, b. 1976, Thy Name We Praise, 2023. (Photo: Courtesy Terra Foundation for American Art and Spelman College Museum of Fine Art)
“Black American Portraits” at the Brooks
In the wake of the killing of George Floyd, the general public was flooded with images of Black pain and suffering. From news stations to social media feeds, these images, proliferated by modern technology, were and are instantaneous with nothing, really, to prevent them from surfacing on our screens.
To counteract this, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) curated the “Black American Portraits” exhibition, filled with portraits celebrating and depicting Black joy, power, and love. And now the exhibit has made its way to the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art.
As a majority-Black city, Memphis needs this, says Brooks executive director Zoe Kahr. “It’s so important to see every Memphian reflected back in the museum.”
Though this exhibition originated in Los Angeles, the Brooks has included additional pieces to lend the experience a Memphis touch. An Augusta Savage sculpture is on loan from the Dixon Gallery & Gardens, and works by Jarvis Boyland, Derek Fordjour, Catherine Elizabeth Patton, Jared Small, Ernest Withers, and the Hooks Brothers Photography Studio punctuate the gallery walls. “We wanted to highlight talent in Memphis and show it in a national context,” Kahr says.
With 129 pieces of art in total, the sheer number of works, encompassing a variety of media and spanning over 200 years in history, is in itself a feat. “One of the things that struck me about this show and taking it here is just this idea of abundance,” says Patricia Daigle, the Brooks’ curator of modern and contemporary art. “So there’s this idea about being prolific, and the impact of what it means to see this many portraits of Black people in one space.”
“Black American Portraits” is on display through January 7th. For more information about the exhibition and its related programming, visit brooksmuseum.org.
In his artist statement, Theaster Gates writes, “This is my small contribution to the possibility of healing.” (Photo: Patrick Coleman)
Tom Lee Park Activates the Community Through Creativity
In 1925, Tom Lee rescued 32 passengers from the numbing waters of the Mississippi River. The steamer they were on had capsized, and the Black river worker, passing by in his small wooden skiff, soon became their hero, even though he couldn’t swim. Today, his bravery is largely forgotten, but with the recently completed renovation of Tom Lee Park, named in his honor in 1954, the folks with Memphis River Parks Partnership (MRPP) are hoping to change that and to inspire Memphis to channel his spirit of community, heroism, and selflessness.
For the renovation, MRPP commissioned Chicago-based and world-renowned artist Theaster Gates to create an art installation, complementing David Alan Clark’s Tom Lee Memorial, which depicts Lee in a moment of heroism. Gates’ A Monument to Listening overlooks this original sculpture and features 33 “thrones,” representing those Lee saved in 1925 and Lee himself.
All the thrones are made out of the same basalt stone, are the same height, and are marked with imperfections — all except for one that’s taller and “is perfect in a sense. That’s the one that represents Tom Lee,” says Michalyn Easter-Thomas, MRPP director of education initiatives and strategic partnerships. The idea is that all who sit upon the thrones are made equal and are (almost literally) given an equal platform from which to listen and to be listened to.
To enrich visitors’ experience with the sculpture, MRPP has enlisted three organizations to curate activations: UrbanArt Commission, the Orpheum Theatre, and The Big We Foundation, a collective of local Black artists, creatives, and entrepreneurs. These activations are expected to be unique experiences that will evoke emotions, challenge perceptions, celebrate creativity, and foster dialogue.
So far, activations have included an American sign language class with UrbanArts Commission and an open meeting with The Big We Foundation. More activations will be held through the end of the year, and next year, a new cohort of curators — this time creative individuals — will build upon the work of the current group. “And ‘creative’ doesn’t necessarily have to be the arts,” adds Easter-Thomas. “We’ve searched out folks in the food scene, in architecture, in philanthropy. It’s really about how you envision connecting Memphis to the Tom Lee story — how can we ensure that everybody knows this story?”
Keep up with the activations surrounding A Monument to Listening at Tom Lee Park on MRPP’s social media and at tomleepark.org.
Cremaine Booker (Photo: Courtesy Iris Collective)
Iris Collective Introduces Its Small Business Series
When Iris Collective rebranded from being the Iris Orchestra in 2022, the group began to think of itself not as a concertizing organization, but as a “community music organization that does concerts,” says Iris’ executive director Rebecca Arendt. “The idea is that everything we’re doing is with community rather than for community.”
Over the years, Iris has mentored hundreds of high school and middle school students in Memphis and Shelby County, regularly visited patients at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and worked with memory care and nursing home patients at retirement homes — just to name a few examples of the collective’s commitment to community.
For the 2023-2024 season, Iris will be debuting its new Small Business Series, through which they will partner with three small businesses to highlight the intersection of entrepreneurship and the arts. “It’s a fun and nontraditional way for people to engage in music and dialogue around things that are important to them,” Arendt says.
The first performance of this series will take place in December at the soon-to-be-opened Cafe Noir, Jasmine Settles’ bookstore that specializes in highlighting BIPOC and LGBTQ authors. Cremaine Booker, aka ThatCelloGuy, principal cello for Nashville Philharmonic Orchestra and Jackson Symphony Orchestra, will perform and will work “with an author of Cafe Noir’s choosing to put together a program that talks about being an artist from an underrepresented community.”
The following performances in this series will take place at Music Box in January and ARCHd in March. “As you know, these are all very small environment venues,” Arendt says, “and so you can get up close and personal. Not only will you get to hear great music, but you’ll be able to talk back and forth, express ideas, and use it as a chance to see how arts can make our community better. … The Small Business Series speaks to where we want to be, where we want to have that shared artistic experience, and we feel that one of the best ways to do that are small environments where people can come together with a shared interest.”
Cremaine Booker performs on Friday, December 8, 5:30 p.m., at Cafe Noir. Tickets are $20. For more information on Iris Collective and its upcoming season, visit iriscollective.org.
Chiffon Thomas, A mother who had no mother, 2018, is on display at Clough-Hanson Gallery. (Photo: Clifton Thomas)
ON DISPLAY
“Hued” Rachelle Thiewes’ jewelry empowers its wearer through rhythmic repetition, architectural forms, and vibrant auto paint. Metal Museum, through January 28
“Overstuffed” This exhibition features mixed media fiber artists Sharon Havelka and Paula Kovarik. Gallery talk on October 14, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. ARTSmemphis, through December
“The Molasses Man & Other Delta Tales” The show serves as an anthology of stories based on Ahmad George’s life and experiences with people they’ve encountered here and not. Crosstown Arts, through January 21
“Young, Gifted and Black” This show champions an emerging generation of artists of African descent. One of the artists, Sadie Barnette, will give an artist talk on November 2 at 6 p.m. An artist panel will take place on November 14. Clough-Hanson Gallery at Rhodes College, through December 9
“Lens Language” Explore the depths of love from behind the lens of MadameFraankie and Kai Ross. Opening reception on October 7, 4-7 p.m. TONE, October 7-December 12
“Woven Arts of Africa” This comprehensive visual exhibition defines the major woven artistic styles and traditions derived from cultural/regional groups from all over Africa. Opening reception on October 7, 3-5 p.m. Art Museum University of Memphis, October 7-January 20
Kaylyn Webster, Light Showin July, 2023; Oil on canvas; Courtesy of the artist.
“Commune” Memphis artist Kaylyn Webster’s paintings capture, with quiet honesty, the divine aspects of communing with those we love. Artist’s reception on October 26, 2-3 p.m. Dixon Gallery & Gardens, October 8-January 7
Zaire Love Zaire Love’s films and photography honor, amplify, and immortalize the stories and voices of the Black South. Artist’s reception on October 27, 5-8 p.m. Beverly + Sam Ross Gallery at Christian Brothers University, October 16-December 10
“Black Artists in America: From Civil Rights to the Bicentennial” This exhibition considers the various ways in which Black American artists responded to and challenged the cultural, environmental, political, racial, and social issues of the era from the Civil Rights Movement to the Bicentennial. Dixon Gallery & Gardens, October 22-January 14
Beetlejuice, pictured (l-r) Britney Coleman (Barbara), Will Burton (Adam), Isabella Esler (Lydia) and Justin Collette (Beetlejuice). (Photo: Matthew Murphy)
ON STAGE
Shout-Out Shakespeare Series: The Tempest Tennessee Shakespeare Company performs the Bard’s final romance for this free outdoor series. The final two performances will be ticketed. Various locations, through October 29
Father Comes Homes From the Wars An explosively powerful drama about the mess of war, the cost of freedom, and the heartbreak of love. Hattiloo Theatre, through October 22
Variations on a Theme Opera Memphis presents a new series of intimate, curated evenings of vocal music in all its forms. Opera Memphis, October 7, November 11
Funny Girl The indomitable Fanny Brice becomes one of the most beloved performers in history. Orpheum Theatre, October 10-15
A Midsummer Night’s Dream Ballet Memphis reimagines the iconic Shakespearean play. Playhouse on the Square, October 13-15
Blithe Spirit A spiritualist, a crime writer, an ex-wife back from the dead — what more could you want from this farcical and outrageous play? Lohrey Theatre at Theatre Memphis, October 13-29
Moody Conducts Beethoven 5 The Memphis Symphony Orchestra performs this revolutionary work. Crosstown Theater, Friday, October 13, 6:30 p.m. Scheidt Family Performing Arts Center, October 15, 2:30 p.m.
Underwater Bubble Show This show incorporates drama, pantomime, dance, puppetry, juggling, aerial arts, acrobatics, contortion, sand art, and imagery with the beauty of soap bubbles. Participants of all ages will delight in this colorful, magical utopia that merges science, light, and imagination. Buckman Arts Center at St. Mary’s Episcopal School, October 26, 5 p.m. & 7 p.m.
Carmina Burana Opera Memphis and the Memphis Symphony Orchestra present a Halloween-inspired concert. Cannon Center for the Performing Arts, October 28, 7:30 p.m.
Sons of Mystro Brothers Malcolm and Umoja interpret reggae classics, American pop songs, and their own creations, accompanied by a DJ and a drummer. Buckman Arts Center at St. Mary’s Episcopal School, November 2, 7 p.m.
Silent Sky The true story of 19th-century astronomer Henrietta Leavitt, who changed the public’s understanding of the heavens and Earth. Next Stage at Theatre Memphis, November 3-18
Schoolhouse Rock, Live! This show is based on the cherished animated series that taught generations of youth. The Circuit Playhouse, November 11-December 22
NutRemix New Ballet Ensemble presents an electrifying and innovative production set on Beale Street. Cannon Center for the Performing Arts, November 17-19
Take the Soul Train to Christmas This holiday spectacle is a time machine through the evolution of the African-American Christmas experience. Hattiloo Theatre, November 17-December 17
The Wizard of Oz Dorothy Gale is whisked away by a powerful twister and finds herself in the mystical land of Oz. Playhouse on the Square, November 17-December 22
The North American Tour Boleyn Company of SIX. (Photo: Joan Marcus)
SIX This new original musical about Henry VIII’s six wives is the global sensation that everyone is losing their head over. Orpheum Theatre, November 21-26
Who’s Holiday See a whole new side of Cindy Lou Who. The Circuit Playhouse, November 24-December 22
Michael Flatley’sLord of the Dance A unique combination of high-energy Irish dancing, original music, storytelling, and sensuality. Orpheum Theatre, November 29
The Importance of Being Earnest Tennessee Shakespeare Company presents Oscar Wilde’s trivial comedy for serious people. Tabor Stage, November 30-December 17
A Christmas Carol Ebenezer Scrooge returns to the stage for this holiday tradition. Lohrey Theatre at Theatre Memphis, December 1-23
Magic of Memphis The Memphis Symphony Orchestra offers a beloved holiday tradition, complete with a collage of Memphis performing groups. Cannon Center for the Performing Arts, December 2, 6:30 p.m.
The Nutcracker Ballet Memphis’ production promises to delight in both familiar and unexpected ways. Orpheum Theatre, December 9-17
Clara & the Nutcracker Tennessee Ballet Theater presents a charming rendition of the classic tale. Cannon Center for the Performing Arts, December 10, 2 p.m.
The Nutcracker Ballet This production of Tchaikovsky’s famous ballet features dancers from Center’s Esprit de Corps Dance Company. Bartlett Performing Arts & Conference Center, December 15-17
Christmas Fiesta at the Dixon returns for a third year. (Photo: Angel Ortez)
AROUND TOWN
First Wednesdays at the Brooks Every first Wednesday the Brooks will have incredible live music. Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, first Wednesdays of the month, 5:30-7:30 p.m.
Jazz in the Galleries: Saturday Series Every third Saturday of the month enjoy good jazz and great times in the galleries at the Brooks. Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, third Saturdays of the month, noon-2 p.m.
Munch and Learn Every Wednesday during lunchtime, join the Dixon for presentations by local artists, scholars, and Dixon staff sharing on a variety of topics. Dixon Gallery & Gardens, Wednesdays, noon-1 p.m.
Super Saturdays at the Brooks The first Saturday of every month, the Brooks will have free admission from 10 a.m.-noon and art-making. (PS: Every Saturday, admission is free from 10 a.m.-noon.) Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, first Saturdays of the month, 10 a.m.-noon
Free Family Day On the second Saturday of each month, the Stax Museum offers free admission for everyone. There will also be food trucks, games and activities, arts and crafts for children, bouncy houses, face painting, balloon artists, and live music. Stax Museum of American Soul Music, second Saturdays of the month, 1-5 p.m.
Art History Lecture The Brooks’ art history lectures series covers virtually every aspect of human history and experience, with new topics each week. Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, Fridays through October 27, 12:30-3 p.m.
Artwalk More than 40 local artists will be on hand selling a variety of handcrafted items at this year’s Artwalk. V&E Greenline, October 7, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
Teen Arts Fest Young artists (ages 13-19) are invited to an informal social and networking event. Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library, October 14, 2-5 p.m.
Repair Days Bring your metal items to the Metal Museum to have them restored to their former glory. Metal Museum, October 19-22
Family Fun Day The Metal Museum hosts a day of free hands-on activities, demonstrations, and kid-friendly games, plus free admission to the museum. Metal Museum, October 21, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
RiverArtsFest This two-day festival is a celebration of fine arts and fine local music with live artist demonstrations and hands-on art activities for all ages. Riverside Drive, October 21-22, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Art on Fire Enjoy live music, tastings from local restaurants, drinks, an art sale, and a roaring bonfire. Dixon Gallery & Gardens, October 21, 7 p.m.
Indie Memphis Film Festival This festival presents a range of independent features, documentaries, and short films from all corners of the world. Various locations, October 24-29
Night at the Museum AMUM will have several interactive, kid-friendly programs inspired by the visual arts in the collections that will bring the museum to life. Art Museum University of Memphis, October 27, 5-8 p.m.
Día de los Muertos Festival & Parade The Brooks, along with the Cazateatro Bilingual Theatre Group, invites you and your family to honor your ancestors and celebrate the cycle of life and death. Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, October 28, 11:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
Collage’s Annual Gala This brunch is an enriching affair with performances by Collage’s world-class professional company and students from the Collage Dance Conservatory. FedEx Event Center at Shelby Farms Park, October 29, 2 p.m.
ARTSmemphis Anniversary Celebration ARTSmemphis celebrates its 60th anniversary with a dynamic, lively, interactive, immersive, and spirited evening. The Kent, Thursday, November 9, 6:30 p.m.
Raised by Sound Fest This free event showcases local and regional talent, honoring Memphis music, new and old, across genres. Crosstown Concourse, December 12, 1-11 p.m.
¡Christmas Fiesta! Learn about the Christmas traditions of Latin America and the Caribbean with Cazateatro Bilingual Theatre Group, Opera Memphis, and the Dixon. Dixon Gallery & Gardens, December 9, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
Little Amal visits Folkestone, England. (Credit: The Walk Productions/Igor Emerich)
This Wednesday, Memphis is welcoming a very special 10-year-old Syrian refugee as she makes her way across the United States. Little Amal, as she is called, is a 12-foot-tall puppet, who has traveled over 6,000 miles to 15 countries since July 2021, searching for family and friends, as part of one of the world’s largest free public art engagements. And now, Amal is coming to Memphis for a parade around Downtown, stopping at the historic Clayborn Temple, the Orpheum Theatre, and Tom Lee Park, with Memphis youth joining along the way and carrying puppets made in their own image.
The goal of Amal’s journey is to spark conversations about who we are and where we come from, says Anasa Troutman, executive director of Historic Clayborn Temple, who organized Amal’s stint in Memphis. And to make her stay even more poignant, Troutman adds, “We brought in Jeghetto, a United States-based puppeteer, who also makes oversized puppets, and he is making a second puppet, so there’ll be the Syrian girl and a large-scale puppet of a little Black girl.”
Memphis Girl stands at eight feet tall and will join Amal in the parade, which kicks off at Clayborn Temple, where attendees will learn about the history of Clayborn Temple and walk around the I Am A Man Plaza. “Then they’ll proceed together with a whole bunch of kids from all over Memphis,” Troutman says. After Clayborn Temple, the parade will proceed to the Orpheum Theatre, chosen for its connection to storytelling, and students from the Refugee Empowerment Program will welcome her with personal messages.
Little Amal towers over the crowd in Manchester, England. (Credit: The Walk Productions)
For the final stop, the group will take the walking celebration to Tom Lee Park. “I would never have Amal come here and not take her to the river,” Troutman says. “The city is built on the river, the history of the city begins on that river. … Also because of all the work that’s been done there, it is the premier location of the city to be able to take people to experience that part of our culture and our infrastructure.”
At Tom Lee Park, Amal will receive a “Culture of Love” quilt as a parting gift. “Culture of Love,” Troutman says, has been the guiding theme for Amal’s stay in Memphis. In preparation for the big day, Clayborn Temple collaborated with a number of organizations — from BRIDGES USA, to Shelby County Schools, to Memphis Youth Arts Initiative — to facilitate workshops for kids to create the puppets that’ll be used in the parade.
“Our goal was to be able to reach 1,000 children,” Troutman says. “Instead of trying to go and recruit all these young people to our organization, it felt really juicy and exciting to go to places where children already were because we want to support organizations that are already supporting young people, and we want to become part of their community and have them become part of our community. So the message of our local work has amounted to building a culture of love. This project has really brought us closer to the Memphis community and I love that.”
Little Amal takes part in the Luminato Festival in Toronto. (Credit: The Walk Productions/Taku Kumabe)
In addition to love shared among community members, Troutman hopes to instill self-love into the individual youths participating. “We talk all the time about the future,” she says. “The young people of this city deserve an opportunity to become the possibility of the future. The story of Amal is that refugee children bring possibilities, not problems. We’re saying the same thing. In a time when there’s a lot of conversation about crime, about poverty, these children in Memphis bring possibilities, not problems. If they’re engaged in the creative process, it allows them to open their minds and imagine what their future could be, what the future of the city could be.”
She continues, “There’ll be 1,000 children from all over Memphis who are getting to make puppets in their own image to be able to say things like, ‘I am beautiful, I am worthy, I am the future, and I am going to show that by creating this puppet, that’s going to show everybody what who I am.’ That is a powerful exercise to be able to create something in your own image, to be able to then put it on display in such a public way is very empowering and very healing.”
Walk with Amal begins at 4 p.m., and all — those young and young at heart — are welcome to join in at any of the three stops. You can support this project by donating here.
Memphis River Parks Partnership president/CEO Carol Coletta was on hand at Tom Lee Day One (Credit: Michael Donahue)
Caleb White sat on a railing overlooking the Mississippi River and ate a cornbread waffle from Paper Plate Pavilion as his dog, Marley, rested nearby. They were among the visitors at Tom Lee Day One on September 2nd at Tom Lee Park.
Asked what he thought about the 31-acre riverfront park, White says, “Freaking amazing. It’s exactly what this city needed. We just moved to Memphis a month and a half ago.”
White, who says they have “a bunch of kids,” added, “It’s a good place for kids to congregate and hang out. We’re a pretty sporty family.”
Facing him as they rested on some steps were White’s boyfriend, Dr. Dodgen Swanson, and White’s ex-wife, Brittany Vickery; White’s and Vickery’s children: Emma, Mary Katherine, Madeline, and Easton; and Vickery’s boyfriend, Brandon Conley, and his children Colt and Delilah.
Caleb White and Marley at Tom Lee Day One (Credit: Michael Donahue)Dr. Dodgen Swanson, Emma White, Colt Conley, Mary Katherine White, Madeline White, Easton White, Brittany Vickery, Brandon Conley, Delilah Conley at Tom Lee Day One (Credit: Michael Donahue)
White told me me a few days later, “I left there with a sunburn on my forehead. I had such a great time. We went back on Sunday and hung out a couple of hours.”
After five years of design and construction, the transformed Tom Lee Park opened. Visitors registered to attend that day, but there was no admittance charge.
There was so much going on, including basketball and volleyball games. There are still open spaces with a great view of the river, and the occasional riverboat.
Tom Lee Day One (Credit: Michael Donahue)Alex Vandenbergh, Jaden Taylor, Jean Lefleur at Tom Lee Day One (Credit: Michael Donahue)Sai Mummareddy, Luis Gorostieta, Kwaku Frimpong, Victoria Lwamba, Mark Gonzales, Satashi Koike at Tom Lee Day One (Credit: Michael Donahue)
According to a press release, Tom Lee Day One included a people’s procession, a ribbon cutting and interfaith blessing by the Tennessee Mass Choir, as well as attractions, including a volleyball tournament, yoga, and live music.
Tom Lee Park was developed and is managed by Memphis River Parks Partnership (MRPP), a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that, according to the press release, “stewards the riverfront on behalf of the people of Memphis.” The Partnership manages five connected riverfront park districts of 250 acres of parkland as well as multiple rental and performance facilities. Carol Coletta is president and CEO of MRPP.
“We have some software that we’re able to capture on cellphones that 4,000 adults were there,” says Candace Gray, MRRP publicist. “That does not include children and people who did not have cell phones. We would probably say 6,000.”
She said that public reaction was positive. “It was so great to finally see people in the park and how they used it. We kind of had an idea how they’d use it, but it’s different when you get people in the park and see how they actually use the space.”
Denico, Aiden, and Candace Gray at Tom Lee Day One (Credit: Michael Donahue)Stoney, Big Stoney, and Droopy World at Tom Lee Day One (Credit: Michael Donahue)Travis Hughes, Rachel Grant, and Lenny Hughes at Tom Lee Day One (Credit: Michael Donahue)Kim Rix and Dame Mufasa at Tom Lee Day One (Credit: Michael Donahue)Rylee Reynolds, Dawson Hardesty, Daniel Hardesty, Sarah Hardesty, Clair Mulvihill at Tom Lee Day One (Credit: Michael Donahue)
Gray says, “Now the park is officially opened, even though the city has not reopened Riverside Drive yet.” She says MRPP doesn’t know when the reopening is scheduled, but, “the biggest thing is we felt the spirit of community that day with people of all ages, all races, different abilities. Everybody was in there and it was so harmonious and just beautiful.”
Rocky and Mira Freeman at Tom Lee Day One (Credit: Michael Donahue)Mallory De Boom and John Zarshenas at Tom Lee Day One (Credit: Michael Donahue)Marion Caradine and Jason Blount at Tom Lee Day One (Credit: Michael Donahue)Jessica and Jonathan Mosley with Eli and Sunny at Tom Lee Day One (Credit: Michael Donahue)Nathalie Molina, Dennis Molina, Chawan Rasheed, Ali Hamade, Quy Van, Charlie Hughes, Layla Norbash at Tom Lee Day One (Credit: Michael Donahue)We Saw You
My 30-somethingth time seeing 311 live;
thanks, BSMF! (Photo: Shara Clark)
There was something in the air last weekend in Downtown Memphis, and it wasn’t just the smell of funnel cakes frying or Pronto Pups roasting under heat lamps. It was the magic of Beale Street Music Festival — and its long-awaited return to Tom Lee Park. The weather was about as nice as could be for the fest’s three-day stretch — sun shining, a warm breeze, and, to the surprise of literally everyone, no rain. This was not Memphis in Mud. (And the new park was pretty cool, too.) Welcome back, everyone.
My earliest Beale Street Music Fest memory is of crowd-surfing for the first time at the 1998 Green Day show. I was a teenager, and, appropriate for the time — but not so much for a festival — was sporting a pair of clunky Doc Martens. My friends hyped me up, and some friendly fest-goers agreed to hoist little ol’ me into the crowd. I distinctly recall clocking an unsuspecting fan upside the head with a flailing boot (oops) and having a few creeps grope my nethers as I floated across strangers’ outstretched arms (eek). I also vaguely remember frontman Billie Joe Armstrong stripping down to leopard print skivvies and hollering profanities (punk rock!) — and supposedly getting banned from the fest forevermore.
Every year since, I’ve attended BSMF religiously. I’ve always lived for concerts, chasing my most-loved bands across the country from the time I had a car and a job. And festivals arguably offer the best of that world, a chance to fully immerse yourself in live music, from familiar favorites to new-to-you acts. The endurance test of it all just adds to the experience.
While the memories are somewhat beer-soaked, there are standout BSMF moments that have stuck with me. In 2000, our crew stood through the entirety of a Bryan Adams set to get close to the stage for Foo Fighters, only for me to be overheating — and stepping not on the ground but on other peoples’ feet, crammed in like canned sardines — once they started playing. As I scoured the area for an escape route through the crowd, the only way out, it seemed, was up and over, and a few fine audience members once again hurled me into strange hands that shuffled me over the security railing to safety. In 2002, Stone Temple Pilots opened with a beautiful rendition of Pink Floyd’s “Shine on You Crazy Diamond” — epic. In 2006, I saw James Brown shimmy across the stage in an electric performance, just months before his passing — iconic. There have been some stellar acts through the years, too many to name. And if you’ve ever been, you surely have your own BSMF stories to tell.
After a two-year Covid hiatus and a temporary move to Liberty Park in 2022, it was a welcome return home for those of us who’ve loved the festival all these years. Were crowds smaller? Sure. Could the lineup have been better? Depends on who you ask. All in all, though, things appeared to have gone off without a hitch. The revamped Tom Lee Park was fun to navigate, with its winding walkways, hilly areas, and fenced-off newly planted landscaping. We still got that majestic river view, the notes wafting on the wind, and the energy of thousands of fest fanatics living in the moment.
I passed crowd-surfing age long ago, but I’ll never outgrow the magic of live music, the emotive nature of it. Did I dance like no one was watching? Absolutely. Did I jump around and scream-sing along until I lost my voice? You bet. (If you saw me, I apologize for nothing.) Am I still physically recovering on Tuesday? Yep, I’m definitely not a teenager anymore. Would I do it all again next weekend if I could? No doubt.
There’s something undeniably special about Beale Street Music Festival, made more so by its home along the Mississippi River. We’re incredibly lucky to have had this event here, at our back door, for so long, bringing not just our city but people from all over the world together for a big, beautiful time.
Hope to see you there next year. I’ll be somewhere up front living my best life.
Last year, it struck many as odd that the great Memphis in May tradition of celebrating the best music of our time by the banks of the Mississippi had suddenly been uprooted. Everyone presumably understood the reasoning, with Tom Lee Park still being reconstructed at the time, yet having the festival relocated in its 45th year induced a kind of transplant shock in some. Now, this May 5th through 7th, none of that applies, as the Beale Street Music Festival once again roots down by the river. In fact, having begun in 1977 at the corner of Beale and Third, it’s closer to its roots than ever. Let 2023 be known as the year the festival returned to Beale Street.
That’s because, while the main festival stages will be spread across Tom Lee Park as in the past, what was formerly known as the “Blues Tent” will now be the Memphis Tourism “Blues Stage on Beale.” Best of all, this area of the festival is free. As Kevin Kane, president & CEO of Memphis Tourism, noted in a statement, “The blues will be exactly where they were born during Memphis in May, at Handy Park on Beale Street. This extends the entertainment footprint of the Beale Street Music Festival beyond Tom Lee Park, making great use of a public venue and stage, free and open to all.”
For any music lovers who’ve struggled to hear some wistful Delta bottleneck guitar over the pounding kick drum of a headliner on the main stage, this is a positive boon. And not only will the blues get the proper respect of plenteous peace and quiet, the festival’s programmers have invested in the Blues Stage lineup in a big way. Headliners Los Lobos, Keb’ Mo’, and the North Mississippi Allstars will be complemented by the likes of Cedric Burnside, Blind Mississippi Morris, the Ghost Town Blues Band, Mr. Sipp, the Reba Russell Band, and more.
Beyond Beale, this year’s festival is rooting down in another, subtler sense. It’s not in the usual sense of tipping its hat to local artists, though with everyone from hometown hip-hop queen GloRilla to The Bar-Kays, Jason D. Williams, Dirty Streets, Tyke T, Sleep Theory, The Sensational Barnes Brothers, and Mille Manny appearing, that cohort is well-represented. It’s more in the unseen threads of Memphis influence that run through the work of three of the festival’s headliners in particular: Earth, Wind & Fire; The Roots; and Robert Plant & Alison Krauss. Though it’s hard to say how that influence will manifest during their respective sets, the invisible strings tying these artists to Memphis are powerful and profound. As you watch, listen, and dance to the music, be on the lookout for those connections to reveal themselves.
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Earth, Wind & Fire
The threads binding Earth, Wind & Fire to Memphis are the most obvious of the bunch, for this is where group founder Maurice White grew up. In his memoir, Time is Tight: My Life, Note by Note, Booker T. Jones takes us back to that time: “I was a sixth-grader practicing in the band room one day when Maurice, an eighth-grader, walked in and said, ‘Hello, I’m Maurice White.’ We discovered we lived not far away from one another and started hanging out at his small LeMoyne Gardens apartment or in the den at my house, usually listening to music.”
Both were destined to become legendary musicians, and they wasted no time in getting started. “Maurice was the first person of my age group I’d met who was really committed to making music and had the skill to become a virtuoso,” Jones writes. “We ended up playing live or practicing together nearly every day for what seemed like years. He was usually on drums, and I was on piano or some other instrument. As a result, we became like soul brothers, neither of us having a natural brother our own age.” The day White left for Chicago was burned into Jones’ memory. “It was 1961, an early introduction to emptiness.”
Of course, Jones’ loss was the world’s gain, as White began to thrive in the Chicago music scene, working for the Ramsey Lewis Trio and playing on sessions for Chess Records. Eventually, he enlisted his half-brother Verdine White on bass for his new 10-piece band. As he later wrote in his autobiography, “Earth, Wind & Fire would have never become Earth, Wind & Fire without Verdine. A huge part of what built EWF was our live shows. Verdine, the ultimate Leo, had the energy to sustain us.”
The band, of course, had enough mega-hits in the ’70s to release The Best of Earth, Wind & Fire, Vol. 1 in 1978, while the compilation’s new single, “September,” became one of their biggest hits ever, propelling the album into quintuple-platinum sales. Moreover, the staying power of the band’s golden-era tracks has been undeniable; in 2018, “September” was added to the Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry as a “culturally, historically, or aesthetically important” work.
While White seemingly never identified with Memphis much after leaving (excepting the band’s one release on Stax), those years of hits made their impact right here in the Bluff City. That’s especially clear in the recent work of a self-confessed superfan and Memphis native, historian Trenton Bailey. His book Do You Remember? Celebrating Fifty Years of Earth, Wind & Fire (Univ. Press of Mississippi), just published this year, is a formidable compendium of the band’s every move. Reading it helps shed light on how the band can carry on despite White’s death in 2016.
As it turns out, the group has been touring without him for 30 years, for tragic reasons. Even as early as the late 1980s, White was dealing with the sporadic effects of Parkinson’s disease. By 1993, shortly after a galvanizing performance on The Arsenio Hall Show, he announced that he was retiring from touring. Before long, his longtime partner and co-singer in the band, Philip Bailey, along with brother Verdine, secured the rights to tour under the band name without White. As the disease inexorably took its toll on White’s health, the band carried on White’s legacy. To this day, Verdine still holds down the bass and Bailey still fronts the band, making for live sets that continue to stun.
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The Roots
Though it may not be obvious now that The Roots seemingly appear everywhere as the house band for The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, their ties to Memphis run deep, mainly thanks to the same man who was Maurice White’s childhood friend: Booker T. Jones. As Roots co-producer, keyboardist, and arranger Ray Angry puts it, “I did some shows with Booker T. and The Roots. He’s awesome!” And clearly it made an impression on the former head of the M.G.’s as well.
As Jones writes in his memoir, “Jimmy Fallon’s a great music supporter and a great guy. I just had to have his drummer is all.” That would be Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, of course, who, like Angry, has distinguished himself independent of The Roots, but continues to thrive on playing with the band. Not only was he a co-producer with Jones on The Road from Memphis, Jones’ Grammy-winning album from 2011, he supplied all the beats while his then-bandmates Owen Biddle and Kirk Douglas laid down the bass and guitar, respectively. “Questlove’s steady drumming is inimitable and unmistakable,” writes Jones, and the proof is in the pudding of that masterpiece of an album.
The Roots’ Black Thought and Questlove (Photo: Courtesy of BSMF)
That steady drumming jumped out from The Roots’ major label debut, Do You Want More?!!!??!, in 1995, and still forms the backbone of the group today, while Tariq Trotter, aka Black Thought, continues to make the rhymes flow. From the start, they brought a jazz sensibility to hip-hop, first and foremost because they were a group of real players, making the music in real time, rather than relying on samples. Even as they embraced sampling more deeply, as in 2004’s The Tipping Point, that commitment to live playing has been a through line in the band’s long history.
Even as long ago as 2008, joining the group was a dream come true for Ray Angry. They were already legends. “One of the first sessions I did, with Joss Stone, was a gig I got through The Roots’ manager,” Angry recalls. “I was a classical pianist playing jazz, with so many different musical styles under my belt, and during this time The Roots were playing with people like Sting and George Clinton. Eventually I started co-producing songs, starting with the album How I Got Over. So on every Roots record from that point on, I was a producer, arranging strings and writing interludes. And one interlude I wrote, ‘A Peace of Light,’ Kendrick Lamar ended up sampling. So working with The Roots is pretty cool!”
Angry, best known for his 2021 single “Toyland” and with a solo piano album coming out in June, embodies the same eclecticism as The Roots generally, and he often augments his group work with individual Roots cameos. “I did just do a trio record with myself, Questlove, and David Murray. I’m really excited about that. I also work on film stuff with Questlove, and one year he and I did the music for the Oscars.” Meanwhile, he’s a secret weapon of sorts for the band’s residency on national network television. “When I first worked with them on The Tonight Show, they would have me write a bunch of cues; they call them sandwiches, because they’re short bits of music for commercial breaks.”
And speaking of sandwiches, Angry treasures his encounter with one Memphis barbecue expert in particular. “I worked on a record with Joss Stone that included Memphis legend Steve Cropper. He was telling me about his barbecue restaurant. People are really serious about their barbecue in Memphis!”
And The Roots are really serious about Memphis. Is it too much to hope for a reprise of their scintillating cover of Booker T. & the M.G.’s “Melting Pot”? Show up Saturday and find out.
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Robert Plant & Alison Krauss
While bluegrass star Alison Krauss is typically associated with Nashville, it’s her erstwhile collaborator, Robert Plant, who really embodies the invisible strings of Memphis. Naturally, with his supergroup Led Zeppelin having emerged from the British blues revival of the ’60s, he’s steeped in the music and lore of the Bluff City and Mississippi. That’s apparent in a story told on the band’s official online forum by former Atlantic Records promotional man Phillip Rauls about when Led Zeppelin’s tour came to Memphis in November of 1969.
“The lobby of the Holiday Inn was clearing as a parade of newscasters and camera crews packed up their equipment,” Rauls writes, “after the presentation ceremony awarding Led Zeppelin The Key to The City of Memphis. Standing at the elevator and waiting for a lift was Jimmy Page and Robert Plant when I casually approached the twosome.” And what did the celebrity rockers want most out of a visit to the Bluff City? “A few seconds passed when [Page] turned back to me and timidly asked, ‘Do you know anything about Sun Recording Studio?’”
Robert Plant & Alison Krauss (Photo: David McClister
The group’s ties to the city were even more pronounced a year later, when Page settled on Ardent Studios as the place to complete overdubs and mixes for the album Led Zeppelin III. But Plant’s connection to the city went beyond musical obsessions or work. It was personal, as was revealed last year when Priscilla Presley was inducted into the Memphis Music Hall of Fame. Who should appear to present the award to her but Plant himself, who called her “a lifelong friend.”
He used the opportunity to wax enthusiastic about the music of our region. “I’m British, and we have a fascination with the music of this specific city and its environs and farther down in the Mississippi Delta. … Here in Memphis, excitement and unparalleled expression rose above the constraints and the infamy of the times. Here in Memphis, the sounds of Clarksdale, Jackson, Tunica, and the Delta collided with unholy abandon, with the hillbilly two-step. Here in Memphis, where trailblazing Blacks and whites worked under cover of night at Sam Phillips to forge the beat that created a new world of music.”
As he wrapped up his introduction, Plant emphasized his personal connection to the place. “Like so many people from all walks of life, tonight I feel like a part of one big extended family. We’re bound together by the energy of the beat from long ago that was driven with stunning conviction and abandon by the man that you, Priscilla, knew so well.” And, for just a moment, as he looked out at the Memphis audience warmly that night, you could see those invisible strings plain as day.
Memphis Tourism Blues Stage on Beale Azmyl & the Truly Asia 4:30 Blind Mississippi Morris 6:00 Ana Popovic 7:35 Keb’ Mo’ 9:15 Ghost Town Blues Band 11:00
Saturday, May 6, 2023 Gates at 1 p.m.
Zyn Stage Myron Elkins 2:25 Jason D. Williams 3:55 Gov’t Mule 5:30 Mike. 7:10 Halestorm 8:40 Hardy 10:20
Bud Light Stage Tyke T 2:00 Phony PPL 3:20 Big Boogie 4:50 Cameo 6:00 Finesse2Tymes 7:30 GloRilla 8:45 The Roots 10:00
Volkswagen Stage Sleep Theory 2:45 Mac Saturn 4:15 Living Colour 5:50 White Reaper 7:30 The Struts 9:10 Greta Van Fleet 10:45
Memphis Tourism Blues Stage on Beale Mark Muleman Massey 1:30 Will Tucker Band 3:00 Azmyl & the Truly Asia 4:35 Mr. Sipp 6:15 Cedric Burnside 8:00 Bernard Allison 9:45 North Mississippi Allstars 11:30
Sunday, May 7, 2023 Gates at 1 p.m.
Zyn Stage Beach Weather 2:20 Moon Taxi 3:55 Andy Grammer 5:30 Young the Giant 7:00 AJR 8:40
Bud Light Stage Mille Manny 2:15 Eric Benet 3:45 Yola 5:15 Dru Hill 6:45 Jazmine Sullivan 8:25
Volkswagen Stage Dirty Streets 2:15 Shovels & Rope 3:45 Lucinda Williams 5:20 Gary Clark Jr. 7:00 Robert Plant & Alison Krauss 8:40
Memphis Tourism Blues Stage on Beale Ollie Moore 1:30 Reba Russell Band 3:00 Selwyn Birchwood 4:35 Colin James 6:15 Los Lobos 8:00 Rod Bland Members Only Band 10:00
There is about to come a true reckoning for Memphis, and for the two organizations — the Memphis River Parks Partnership (MRPP) and Memphis in May (MIM) — who’ve been wrangling for years over the fate of the 30 acres of land along Memphis’ Mississippi waterfront that comprise Tom Lee Park.
MIM, the ever-whinging predictors of doom for their annual events because of the new park’s facilities and landscaping, and MRPP, the ever-optimistic promoters of a “world-class reimagined riverfront,” will soon see their competing visions encounter a real-world test.
From May 5th through May 7th, the Beale Street Music Festival will return to the still-uncompleted but thoroughly reconfigured terrain along the river. Tens of thousands of music fans will stream into the park searching for music, which for the first time ever will not involve merely wandering around in a big field and stopping when you see a band on a stage.
According to MRPP, the new Tom Lee Park is 80-percent completed. There are new trees, sodding, bushes, and grasses, plus landscaped ridges, moguls, and walkways and partly completed shelters and playgrounds, plus natural spaces and trails, including a “riffle area.” In other words, music fans are going to have to walk around the plantings and landscaping and new construction — or on it and over it.
In the past, after Music Fest, with its seemingly inevitable rainy day or two, the park was almost always a disaster area — a muddy, gross morass littered with discarded tennis shoes, boots, clothing, food and drink detritus, and dozens of ever-aromatic porta-potties. How will it go this year?
I don’t know, but I’m trying to imagine, say, Keith and Travis, two young music fans from Jonesboro, a little stoned, a lot drunk, meandering through the park. Then let’s say they hear the raucous sounds of Low Cut Connie in the distance and head in the direction of the music. It’s dark, and Keith stumbles in some monkey grass, drops his beer cup, falls to his knees, then climbs up on a mogul of earth to get a better view. Travis, who is a more sensitive type, says, “Dude, you probably shouldn’t be up there. You’re trampling the liriope.”
Multiply this action over three days and 30,000 people, plus a probable rainy day or two, and you’re reimagining some serious damage repair. Or at least, one would think so.
Then two weeks later, the World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest settles in for four days of nonstop partying and carousing, including the building of often-massive ramshackle temporary shelters for teams to boogie the days and nights away while tending their world-class smokers. Lumber gets hauled in; muddy pathways form between team shelters and sites. Booze gets drunk, trash gets thrown, pigs get smoked, and a good time is had by all. Except the clean-up crews.
Memphis in May has complained that it hasn’t been given enough acreage to carry out its events in the new park. MRPP responded with a document clearly showing that it has in fact provided more space than MIM asked for. Even so, MIM has disinvited 35 barbecue teams to this year’s contest, claiming a lack of space. In addition, the Blues Tent is being moved to Beale Street, also because MIM says the new park configuration isn’t big enough for it. So it goes. If you get what you ask for, it’s difficult to justify the complaints.
But enough theory, enough predicting, enough sniping. Events are in the saddle now, and we’ll soon know for sure whether MIM can succeed — financially and otherwise — in the new park.
And we’ll also soon know how much MIM events will damage the area and its new landscaping. One assumes that both sides will learn a lot from 2023, and that both sides may have to make adjustments for future Memphis in Mays.
The good news is that, after much wrangling, the contract between MRPP and MIM has been signed, with the city agreeing to pay for any repair damages above $500,000. That’s an open checkbook for taxpayers, with the amount to be determined, one would assume, after the last barbecue smoker trailer leaves the grounds. It’s also another reality check, literally, and another learning opportunity.
Call me Pollyanna, but I think that after all the smoke clears this May, both organizations, and the city, will know more about how to create a win-win for Memphis: namely, a great annual festival held in a world-class river park that also serves the populace year-round. That’s the reality we should all be hoping for.
Music lovers at the 2018 Beale Street Music Festival (Photo courtesy Memphis in May)
Memphis In May will officially return to Tom Lee Park this year.
Memphis in May International Festival (MIM) signed a contract with Memphis River Parks Partnership (MRPP) on Friday, according to an image posted to MIM’s Facebook page Tuesday.
The two agencies have tangled publicly since MRPP’s plan to renovate the riverside park was unveiled in 2019. That $62 million plan includes adding contours, built amenities, trees, and landscaping to what was a flat, open plain.
The plain was an empty canvas for MIM’s big festivals, the Beale Street Music Festival and the World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest. MIM has been vocal for years now that the new park amenities would shrink the size of the festivals and their crowds. However, MRPP contends it will not.
(Credit: MRPP)
However, Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland entered the two groups into mediation to hammer out a plan. The plan ensured the park could be renovated and have spaces big enough for MIM’s festivals.
Both signed the agreement, though MIM president and CEO Jim Holt has continued to complain about the park plan, as recently as last month when he told Memphis City Council members the plan put his festivals “in jeopardy.” At the time, the MRPP and MIM contract was snagged on insurance provisions and council members asked the groups to work together for a resolution.
MIM president and CEO Jim Holt
On Tuesday, the council approved a resolution to use up to $500,000 in taxpayer money to pay for damages done to the park. Anything above that amount will be paid by MIM.
(Credit: MIM/Facebook)
“Signed, sealed, and delivered!” MIM posted (above) on Facebook Tuesday. “Memphis in May has a signed lease for Tom Lee Park. There was never a doubt we’d be back home on the river in 2023.”
However, Facebook commenter Eric Groff said, …“except for all the doubts you folks expressed in the media…”
In a statement on Facebook, MRPP said park construction is now more than 80 percent complete.
“Memphians can now look forward to the opening of a great park at the edge of our nation’s most storied river,” read the statement. “An unforgettable civic celebration will mark the opening this Labor Day weekend.”
Music lovers at the 2018 Beale Street Music Festival (Photo courtesy Memphis in May)
City’s longest-running music festival will be back in Tom Lee Park this year, May 5th to 7th, and as of today we know what artists will be performing. As usual, the diversity and quality of artists represented is staggering.
For starters, the headliners will include The Lumineers, Greta Van Fleet, Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, Earth Wind & Fire, HARDY, Jazmine Sullivan, The Roots, AJR and 311. For Memphians, Earth Wind & Fire’s appearance will be especially meaningful, given that the band’s late founder, Maurice White, was born and raised here.
“This year’s lineup reflects the broad musical tastes of our festival goers with a diverse lineup of some of today’s hottest artists as well past festival favorites and stars of tomorrow,” said James L. Holt, President & CEO of Memphis in May. “At the Beale Street Music Festival, we endeavor to offer something for almost every musical taste, and we have a few more surprise additions to come.”
To that end, many other delights are in store, such as chart-topping hometown hip hop queen GloRilla, blues guitarist extraordinaire Gary Clark Jr., reggae icon Ziggy Marley, and others such as Young the Giant, Live, PJ Morton, The Struts, Gov’t Mule, mike., Andy Grammer, Yola, Dru Hill, Toadies, Lucinda Williams, Living Colour, Cameo, White Reaper, Shovels & Rope, Marcy Playground, Phony Ppl, Low Cut Connie, Beach Weather, Myron Elkins, Mac Saturn and more.
As always, Memphis area talent is well represented at the festival with hip-hop stars Finesse2Tymes and Big Boogie making their BSMF debuts. Legendary soul stars The Bar-Kays will be returning to the BSMF stage. and other featured Memphis area talent includes Jason D. Williams, Dirty Streets, Tyke T, Sleep Theory, The Sensational Barnes Brothers, and breakout Mille Manny.
Best of all, the Blues Tent, a mainstay of the Beale Street Music Festival, will be presented in Handy Park in the Beale Street Historic District as the Memphis Tourism “Blues Stage on Beale,” featuring major headliners such as Los Lobos, Keb Mo, and the North Mississippi Allstars.
Ana Popavic, Bernard Allison, Colin James, Cedric Burnside, Selwyn Birchwood, Blind Mississippi Morris, Ghost Town Blues Band, Mr. Sipp, Reba Russell Band, Will Tucker, Rodd Bland Members Only Band, Mark Muleman Massey,and Ollie Moore will also be featured in the Blues Tent, which will be offered free of charge to local Memphians so they can “experience the festival and the musical genre born in our city,” according to organizers.
“Music just sounds better in Memphis, and there’s nothing like experiencing the Beale Street Music Festival in its home in Tom Lee Park next to the Mississippi River with the Memphis skyline and lighted bridges as the backdrop,” said Memphis in May 2023 Board Chairwoman Leigh Shockey in a statement today. “We are so pleased to return the festival to its long-term home downtown on the riverfront at the foot of historic Beale Street.”
The memory of Tyre Nichols will forever be honored in Tom Lee Park.
The Hyde Foundation, a major donor to the park’s $60 million renovation, announced Friday it will name the canopy in the park for him. “Sunset Canopy” will honor “his family’s example of leadership, healing, and love.”
Nichols was a photographer who loved watching sunsets over Shelby Farms Park, his mother has said.
A ceremony in Tom Lee Park Friday will mark the honor.
