Memphis Entertainment

Citing its famous singing sensation as the only draw card in Memphis, fails to do this go-getter city in southwest Tennessee justice. But music makes Memphis special, not only rock 'n roll but also the fact that the city spawned the modern musical forms of blues and soul as well. The oldest part of the city and the part nearest the river is Beale Street, which is always busy with its shops, lively clubs and restaurants and the famous Peabody Hotel.

Nightlife

Memphis nightlife is world-renowned. The bars and clubs of Memphis are so lively that some people come here for the nightlife alone. There is little differentiation between bars and clubs, as practically every venue has live music at least a couple of nights a week. Beale Street is the hub of activity and is lined with clubs that stay open until the early hours. While drinks in Beale Street clubs might be a bit more expensive than at other outlets, they are not outrageously so.

Clubs charge a small admission fee, but on Friday and Saturday nights, you can buy a US$10 wristband that will get you entry to all the clubs along the street. Dress can be as casual as you wish, although you might want to make a bit of an effort, seeing as the Memphis crowd loves to dress to impress. The minimum legal drinking age is 21, and you might be asked for proof of age. Some bars on Beale Street are open till 05:00. Nightlife is not restricted to Beale Street, however. The Pinch Historic District in Downtown has several popular restaurants and bars, and the area around Overton Square in Midtown is also worth a look.

Theatre and music

The Memphis Symphony Orchestra (phone: +1 901 324 3627; website: www.memphissymphony.org) is well established and performs both classical and pop concerts from September to early May. Their permanent home is the Cannon Center for the Performing Arts. The Germantown Performing Arts Center (phone: +1 901 757 7500; website: www.gpacweb.com) hosts a variety of professional world-class performers and is home to the IRIS Chamber Orchestra. Opera Memphis (phone: +1 901 257 3100; website: www.operamemphis.org) is the states largest professional opera company, and stages four productions each year.

Memphis has a lively theatre scene. For professional productions, there is the Playhouse on the Square, (phone: +1 901 726 4656; website: www.playhouseonthesquare.org), which stages a large number of Broadway musicals. Its sister theatre, Circuit Playhouse, (phone: +1 901 726 5523), offers still more plays and the occasional premiere. For highly respected community theatre, check out Theater Memphis, (phone: +1 901 682 8601; website: www.theatrememphis.org), which presents everything from Broadway plays, to alternative works.

Festivals

It seems as though theres a festival somewhere in Memphis every weekend of the year. And that is not too far from the truth.

• The Italian Festival in June highlights the heritage of an important element of Memphis population with spaghetti gravy contests and a boules court.
• The Pink Palace Crafts Fair brings craftsmen and artists from all over the country to ply their wares under big tents on the grounds of Audubon Park.
• Arts in the Park celebrates every aspect of art and culture with ballet troops from Russia, prizes for painting, sculpture and photography and craft tables for interactive activities for children. However, some of the major annual events include:
• Memphis in May. How many cities can boast a festival that lasts for a full month? The Memphis in May celebration comprises 31 days of music, dance and theatre, as well as the lesser arts of barbecue and wine carrying. Every year, one country is chosen as the focus for events around the city. Past years have honored France, the Ivory Coast, Portugal and Australia. As part of the celebration, recurring events include the Beale Street Music Festival, the World Championship Barbecue Contest, the Great Southern Food Festival and the Sunset Symphony concert performed by the Memphis Symphony on the banks of the river. Other sanctioned events include a canoe and kayak race and the wine carrying race where local waiters compete in the Olympics of table service. Phone: +1 901 525 4611; website: www.memphisinmay.org.
• Beale Street Music Festival Every year in May, thousands of people travel from all over to take part in the rapidly growing Beale Street Music Festival. This three-day event includes six different stages, each dedicated to a different kind of music. Whether you enjoy rock, blues, country or jazz, this festival has it all. In recent years, artists such as Bob Dylan, Percy Sledge, Joan Jett and Bryan Adams, plus groups such as Creed, Dave Matthews Band, the Allman Brothers, Los Lobos and the Foo Fighters have played here.
• Elvis Week; Memphis boasts the most famous and most visited tourist attraction in the United States, Graceland, former home of rock n roll legend, Elvis Presley. Each year on the anniversary of Presleys death, hundreds of thousands of avid fans flock to Graceland for a week of scheduled events, most of them having become traditional, such as the Candlelight Vigil, a 1950s style dance party, and a fun run in aid of charity. Live music and singing is provided all week. Website: www.elvis.com.