Memphis-Beale Street. Did I go at the wrong time?
Went to Memphis for a little get away. Wanted to spend some time in the bars and clubs on Beale St. and take in some real blues music. What a disappointment. Karaoke? What the he11 is that? I went there to do the blues. There was no one with a name there. Seen a couple of locals that were OK, but their groupies were just walking around pushing CDs for $20 a pop. Then, all the beggars and pan handlers there. To say the least, 2 days and I’d seen enough. So my big question is-Is Beale St. and Memphis really any good for the blues, or is this just a big ugly rumor? I enjoyed the Martin Luther King museum more than Beale St. Probably won’t be doing Memphis again anytime soon.
You might consider revisiting Memphis-Beale Street January 20-23 for the 26th annual International Blues Challenge.
The amount of talent that will gather will be staggering. Over 100 bands and 60 solo/duo acts. And the mojo will be working overtime!
Walking In Memphis (Marc Cohn) karaoke
