It may only be a four-hour bus ride from Nashville, but the music of Memphis could hardly be more different than its country-and-bluegrass neighbor. Memphis is the cradle of the Blues, the place where musicians like W.C. Handy and B.B. King would graduate to after playing the juke joints of the Mississippi Delta. It's a very different scene on Beale Street these days, with most bars featuring tourist-ready bands playing old covers - though I did manage to find a solid cat named Vincent Johnson at the Beale St. Tap Room before turning in for the night. (If I'd had a car, I would have ventured out to the clubs in Midtown, looked to be more the real deal.)
Of course, Memphis is also the birthplace of Rock and Roll, home to Elvis, Carl Perkins, Sun and Stax Records. From what I could tell, there isn't much of a rock scene here anymore - though I did read in the Memphis Flyer that some local bands joined together to host a SXSW showcase just last year. Wish I had another night to explore it further, but it's time to head south. (More pics below.)
