BARS AND CLUBS
ROCK CITY

Historically hailed as the home of the blues,

birthplace of rock (thanks to Sun Studio),

and the capitol of soul, Memphis has also

proven a haven for garage punk, hip-hop,

and a thriving studio scene. It has nurtured

envelope-pushers from B.B. King to Project

Pat. Urban mayhem, low rents, and a deeply

ingrained allegiance to all things eccentric continue to make

this Mid-South metropolis a mecca for American music.

Jay Reatard rocks
the Hi Tone Cafe.

The Hi Tone Cafe
1913 POPLAR AVE., 901-278-8663
Once a karate dojo used by Elvis Presley, this venue has become the city’s
premier midsize club, hosting everything from rockabilly to rap acts. Elvis Costello
staged a series of intimate shows here in 2004 (resulting in his Club Date—Live
in Memphis DVD), while the regular concert calendar is studded with sold-out
appearances from the likes of Daniel Johnston and Neko Case.

LOCAL HEROES

Widely considered the “Father of Color Photography,” William Eggleston is also a longtime stalwart of the Memphis music scene, whose druggy ’70s underbelly he chronicled in the vivid experimental film Stranded in Canton. Eggleston’s arty images have been used to great effect on dozens of album covers by bands such as Big Star, Primal Scream, and Jimmy Eat World.

The View Sports Bar & Grill
at the Executive Inn
3222 AIRWAYS BLVD., 901-332-3800
More than the average big-screen-
and-hot-wings joint, this South
Memphis hotel hangout has become
a haven for the city’s R&B veterans.
Many famous (and infamous) local
figures, including reclusive soul
queen Carla Thomas, often turn up
onstage unannounced.

Buccaneer Lounge
1368 MONROE AVE., 901-278-0909
This wonderfully grungy nautical-
themed bar has been operating
uninterrupted since 1967 on the
edge of Midtown. Fashioned like the
galley of a pirate ship, the Buc boasts a
series of weekly residencies, including
turns from boogaloo band the Grip
and bluegrass ensemble Devil Train.

Originally a garage-punk cassette imprint launched by Eric Friedl (of Oblivians fame) in the early ’90s, Goner Records has grown into a full-scale operation that’s home to up-and-comers like Atlanta’s Carbonas and Chicago’s CoCoComa. The label has also expanded its enterprise to include a retail store in the hip Cooper-Young district and an annual Gonerfest extravaganza that draws dirt-hungry bands and fans from around the globe.

Guitarist/raconteur Jeff Evans and motormouth drummer Ross Johnson are known for their decades of service in the trash-rock trenches. More recently, they’ve formed a kind of absurdist musical-comedy duo that haunts various dives around town. Their marathon shows mix jagged blues with caustic diatribes—if the White Stripes started writing dick jokes, they’d be on the way to ripping off even more Memphians.

CC Blues Club

1427 THOMAS ST., 901-526-5566
An antidote to the rote tourist blues
found on Beale Street, this uptown
Memphis juke joint is where the true
fans go to get their dose of hometown
blues. CC’s is a haven for whiskey
drinkers and seasoned musicians
playing for genre-savvy audiences
of “grown folks.”

Lamplighter Lounge
1702 MADISON AVE., 901-726-1101
A yellowing, smoke-encrusted
beer den, the Lamp radiates ample
Southern charm and first-name
hospitality, courtesy of longtime
bartender Miss Shirley. Cat Power
shot her “Lived in Bars” video here,
and Shirley’s kitchen fries up a
dangerously greasy burger to soak
up all that Pabst.

Veteran rap duo 8Ball & MJG are best known for their pioneering Dirty South skronk, but the pair have also been busy fostering the next generation of local hip-hop stars. Pulling would-be talents from neighborhoods like their native Orange Mound, these mini-moguls record them at their jointly owned studio and release the results on their nationally distributed labels, 8Ways and MJG Muzik.

You’d be hard-pressed to find a true Tennesseean who will utter a bad word about the King—with the exception of Jimmy Denson. Denson grew up with Elvis and supposedly shielded a teenage Presley from neighborhood bullies. These days, he takes any opportunity to spin uproarious tales about Elvis as a demonically possessed mama’s boy whose “eyes looked like two pissholes in the snow.”

^K HI^YN S^OO T^UW O^RRY

Tucked away on an
anonymous stretch of
road in South Memphis
sits Willie Mitchell’s
Royal Studio, an
institution responsible
for a staggering amount
of seminal soul music.
Poppa Willie’s place
continues unabated today
as a working studio (he
recently cut tracks for
John Mayer), and Mitchell
himself still can be found
holding court in the Royal
lobby most days.