A Memphis of Many Moods

Above, Beale Street in Memphis. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Memphis, Tennessee is an interesting place to visit. I've been there twice and have enjoyed both visits.

It has plenty to see. From the giant pyramid next to the Mississippi River that houses Bass Pro Shops to Beale Street, there's plenty of things to see and do.

New Zealand's Stuff has an article on the places visitors can see.

It begins with:

The cotton ginners​ were in town the night I visited BB King's Blues Club in the heart of Beale Street. The original Beale Street Blues Boy plied the street for nickels and dimes in the late 1940s, likely never dreaming his name would one day adorn a neon sign advertising his own club. 

Inside, middle-aged farmers dance to the house band's rendition of Lynyrd Skynyrd's Sweet Home Alabama and stuff dollar bills into the white plastic tips bucket at the front of the stage. It's as crowded as a student pub in there, sparky and electric. The cotton ginners get into it, tossing back Buds chased with Jack. Ribs and buffalo wings are on the menu while a man in the toilets passes out clean white hand towels for a $1 tip. If it weren't for the music, the ringing tills would be deafening. 

Across town, there's a place where music lovers who visit Memphis pay homage to the birthplace of recorded rock'n'roll. Sun Studios is the place where Elvis Presley cut his first single and it's hallowed ground for some. Taking a tour of the studios is a religious experience for many - the music culture equivalent of genuflecting in St Peter's. Get past the gift shop and the solid gold is Sun Studios' inner sanctum. This is the recording studio and it's completely original down to the handmade sound baffles in the wavy ceiling. Dotted about the room are recording artifacts like Martin guitars, Elvis's microphone and a drum kit U2 left behind when they recorded Rattle and Hum at Sun in 1987.  

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