Photo by The Commercial Appeal files, Lance Murphey/The Commercial Appeal files // Buy this photo
Each year, thousands gather on Beale Street for New Year's Eve festivities. Saturday's events include a “Bury Your Blues” ceremony, free live music in Handy Park, and a countdown to midnight, with a ceremonial guitar drop.
Perhaps the most poignant New Year's Eve tradition in Memphis is the annual "Bury Your Blues" ceremony, where, following a funeral procession down Beale Street to Handy Park, people throw reminders of whatever bad news they may have had in the past year.
An official form is available to print out on the Beale Street official Facebook page for those who don't have keepsakes, and non-attendees can submit their own blues by e-mailing them -- buryyourblues@bealestreet.com -- into a coffin to be buried, hopefully, forever.
Once the bad mojo of the year gone by has been dispelled, participants can turn their attention to having a seriously good time. Following what many agree was a particularly tough 2011, there seem to be more and better
New Year's celebrations this year, more than we could fully detail in these pages. But here is a rundown of some of the highlights of the last party of the year:
The Bar-Kays
The Bo-Keys
Prosevere: Matt Riley (left to right), Eric Ashe, Gary Segars, Rocky Griggs.
Don Perry
Jack Oblivian
Beale Street is to Memphis New Year's celebrations what Times Square is to New York's. Of course, there will be live music inside the clubs, but the real fun is out on the street itself.
Festivities actually begin Friday at 3 p.m., when Beale Street merchants host the Liberty Bowl Parade, featuring bands from around the nation that will march on Beale in a salute to the 53rd Annual AutoZone Liberty Bowl. Following the parade, the Bash on Beale Pep Rally will be held in Handy Park, and will include a Battle of the Bands between the University of Cincinnati and Vanderbilt. The events are free.
On Saturday, besides the "Bury Your Blues" ceremony, the blocks-long party, which is also billed as the official Liberty Bowl after-party, includes free live music in Handy Park, starting at 7 p.m. Performers include Brad Webb, David Hudson, Big Jerry Parnell, Smokin' Joe Sam and the Delta Crush Band; Forever and Never play 9:30 p.m.-10:15 p.m., and Prosevere rounds out the year 10:30 p.m.-11:45 p.m.
At midnight the crowd gathers outside the Hard Rock Cafe at the corner of Beale and Handy Circle for the countdown and the ceremonial guitar drop. The festivities will also be broadcast live on WKNO-TV Channel 10.
For a more elegant fete, head a few blocks north to the Peabody Hotel (149 Union Ave.). The annual party in the hotel's Grand Ballroom will be a decidedly funky affair with music by the retro soul outfit the Bo-Keys and the contemporary hip-hop/rock/soul band FreeSol. DJ Mark Anderson will be spinning tunes between sets.
The party starts at 9 p.m. Tickets are $30 in advance, $40 at the door. Advance tickets available by phone at (901) 529-4000 and online at ticketweb.com. For more information, visit peabodymemphis.com.
Old school funk and soul will also be on tap out east when The Velvet Room (3684 Ridgeway Rd.) hosts Hard Nard Productions 3rd annual New Year's Eve Party featuring the legendary Bar-Kays and former "American Idol" contestant Keia Johnson. The semi-formal event starts at 9 p.m. and also features deejay Jeff Lee, champagne bottle raffles, and a midnight balloon drop.
Advance tickets are $15 and are available by phone at (901) 650-2986.
Outside of the big events on Beale and in the Peabody, several other downtown establishments are having New Year's celebrations. The area's newest bar, The Brass Door (152 Madison), has a great intimate music room in the basement which will feature roots rockers John Paul Keith & The One Four Fives, whose most recent record, The Man That Time Forgot, was named one of the best local releases of the year by The Commercial Appeal. Doors open at 9 p.m. Cover is $10. Call (901) 572-1813.
Over at the Flying Saucer Draught Emporium (130 Peabody Place), the party features complimentary champagne and party favors at midnight and live music by Cover Shot. Cover is $10 for members of the UFO club, $15 for non-members. Call (901) 523-8536.
The Sky Grille (668 Union) has live music by Seventh Sundown. Tickets are $25 per person, $45 per couple and are available in advance online at eventbrite.com. Call (901) 521-9778.
And the under-new-ownership, Kudzu's (603 Monroe Ave.) hosts perhaps the night's most eclectic party -- an "attitude free show" called "The Frequency Bash" featuring reggae band Chinese Connection Dub Embassy, psychobilly trio The Sin City Scoundrels, and rapper Knowledge Nick. Doors open at 9 p.m. Cover is $5. Call (901) 525-4924.
In Midtown, celebrations include a reunion of the original lineup of '90s country-rock favorites The Mudflaps at Huey's (1927 Madison). Music starts at 9 p.m. and admission is free. Call (901) 726-9693. Huey's will also have live music at several of its other locations, including The Ghost Town Blues Band at Cordova (1771 North Germantown Parkway, (901) 754-3885); The Beat Generation at Poplar (4872 Poplar Ave., (901) 682- 7729); and Nite Life at Southwind (7825 Winchester Rd., (901) 624-8911).
Garage rock auteur Jack Oblivian, whose 2011 album Rat City also landed on The CA's best of list, has become something of a New Year's tradition at the Hi-Tone Cafe (1913 Poplar Ave.), having played there five of the past six years in one band or another. This year, he takes the stage with his band the Tearjerkers and special guests The River City Tanlines. Doors open at 8 p.m.. Cover is $7 and includes midnight champagne toast. Call (901) 278-8663 or visit hitonememphis.com.
At the Young Avenue Deli (2119 Young) it'll be a very jammy New Year's with The Minivan Blues Band and Copper Possum teaming up for a show. Cover charge was undetermined at press time. Call (901) 278-0034 or visit youngavenuedeli.com.
Finally, for the hardcore dancers, Newby's (539 S. Highland) will host electronica favorites Zoogma for two full sets on New Year's Eve. Kaleidophonix will also perform. Doors open at 9 p.m. Tickets are $12 in advance, $15 at the door. Advance tickets are available by phone at (800) 594-TIXX and online at newbysmemphis.com. Call (901) 452-8408.
- |
Comments » 0
Be the first to post a comment!
Share your thoughts
Comments are the sole responsibility of the person posting them. You agree not to post comments that are off topic, defamatory, obscene, abusive, threatening or an invasion of privacy. Violators may be banned. Click here for our full user agreement.