Days Four/Five (March 31st/April 1st): Memphis

1) Food
The BBQ place that had been recommended two me by two people (albeit under different names), George Voros' Rendez-Vous, does not open on Sundays and Mondays, so I was out of luck for that. On Sunday, I did eat a half-rack of ribs at the Blues City Cafe, on Beale Street, which were quite good.

On Monday, I had my best meal of the trip so far at Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken, a small Tennessee chain, from what I can gather. I had no idea that fried chicken could be so good. It was crispy and spicy on the outside; the meat was juicy, but not overwhelmingly so. It was well worth the week's loss in life expectancy.

2) Music

Beale Street is the centre of the downtown night life. It feels less touristy than Broadway Street in Nashville, possibly because I was there on a Sunday night, with more locals came out, and on a Monday with a post-Memphis Grizzly game. The music, as one might expect, is a mix of straight blues and funky blues.

On both nights, the best bands I heard were playing at the Blues City Cafe (Blues City is three establishments in one: a restaurant, bar and music club). On Sunday, Darren Jay and the Delta Sounds, for what evidently was their regular Sunday night gig, played Memphis-style blues/funk, thanks to a three-man horn section. On Monday, there was a three-man rockabilly group, complete with stand-up bass. (Drink!)

3) Beer

Green River is a local craft brewery. I tried both their lager, which was very drinkable, but not overly memorable, and their pale ale, which was too sweet and not hoppy enough for my tastes.

4) Touristy Stuff

Monday was a music history day:- The requisite tour of Graceland. - Visit of the venerable Sun Studios. - Memphis Rock and Soul Museum, which gives an interesting overview of the history of music in Memphis, centering on the city's role in the creation of rock 'n roll and the evolution of blues and soul music. Very well laid out and linked the development of the music with social changes (rural migration to the city, social change and pre-eminently, race relations).


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