Beale Street Music Festival 2011 announced
Memphis’ 35th annual multi-stage festival takes place April 29 through May 1 at the 25-acre Tom Lee Park overlooking the Mississippi River.
Three-day passes are on sale now through April 18 for 69 dollars plus applicable fees. After April 18 fans will have to purchase three individual single-day tickets in order to attend all three days of the festival.
Single-day tickets are on sale now through April 28 for 30 dollars each plus applicable fees.
A VIP experience pack is available for 550 dollars with perks including complimentary snacks, water and soft drinks; five free alcoholic beverages per day; private restrooms at outdoor stages; and access to raised and covered viewing platforms at the three outdoor stages.
The festival is part of Memphis In May, which also includes a world championship barbecue contest (May 12-14) and a performance from the Sunset Symphony (May 28).
- Beale Street Music Festival.
Music aficionados, ethnomusicologists and even just camera-toting tourists all know that Beale Street in Memphis, Tenn. is a historic breeding ground for American blues. It’s where an entire subsection of the genre has been born and raised. But the Beale Street Music Festival has been making the street famous for a broader selection of American music forms in recent years, having hosted everyone from Alice In Chains to Widespread Panic.
This year’s Beale Street Music Festival continues to broaden its horizons, with headlining sets by Stone Temple Pilots, MGMT, Flaming Lips and Wilco. But also – John Mellencamp, Ke$ha, Jason Mraz, Cee Lo Green, Avett Brothers and Mumford & Sons. Also on the bill are hip-hop artists (Ludacris), reggae royalty (Ziggy Marley), metal titans (Godsmack) and legends of rock ‘n’ roll (Jerry Lee Lewis). And that’s just the beginning – a complete lineup can be viewed at the official website, where you can also peep all the deets.
For those who like irony served with their Memphis BBQ, chew on this – Beale Street Music Festival actually takes place in Tom Lee Park in downtown Memphis and not on Beale Street itself. The event is produced by Memphis In May, which presents several other key events in the city during May. This particular event actually begins on April 29 and runs through May 1. Not a bad way to kick off the month of May.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOcqUZ8vnhM
So what is the Memphis in May lineup? According to the official Web site, the 2011 lineup includes the following artists:
John Mellencamp, Ke$ha, Jason Mraz, Stone Temple Pilots, MGMT, Godsmack, The Flaming Lips, Wilco, Cee Lo Green, Buckcherry, Jerry Lee Lewis, The Avett Brothers, B.o.B.,Mumford & Sons, Charlie Wilson, Sublime with Rome, Cake, Ludacris, Slightly Stoopid, Lucinda Williams, Kirk Whalum, Tommy Castro, Ziggy Marley, Bettye LaVette, Gregg Allman, Jimmie Vaughan, Macy Gray, Everclear, Saving Abel, Otis Clay, Cage the Elephant, Al Kapone, Amos Lee, The New Pornographers, John Hammond, J.J. Grey and Mofro, 8Ball & MJG, Hinder, Experimental Tropic Blues Band, Sick Puppies, Manchester Orchestra, Magic Slim & The Teardrops, Lucero, Drowning Pool, Hubert Sumlin, Lotus, Big Bill Morganfield, FreeSol, The Lee Boys, Devon Allman’s Honeytribe, Egypt Central, Jimbo Mathus & The Tri-State Coalition, Travis Wammack, Paul Thorn, Reba Russell Band, Preston Shannon, Amy LaVere, One Less Reason, Will Tucker Band, Blind Mississippi Morris, Kenny Brown, Grady Champion, Robert ‘Wolfman’ Belfour, Brad Webb, Eric Hughes Band.
Memphis has such a rich musical history. While participating at the events near the Tom Lee Park overlooking the banks of the Mighty Mississippi River, take a stroll down Beale Street and visit B.B King’s bar, as well as a variety of other historical musical places.
Don’t forget – Memphis is the home of not only Elvis, but also other notable musicians. Jerry Lee Lewis, Three Six Mafia, and Justin Timberlake all call Memphis home.