Even with windy conditions and overcast skies, Music Fest 2022 ramped up at 1 p.m. Saturday, April 30 when the gates officially opened.

The festival was going according to schedule until around 10 p.m. when severe weather moved into the Memphis area and forced festival goers to seek shelter.

After approximately a 90-minute delay, the festival resumed and The Smashing Pumpkins took the stage. 

Close to 1 a.m., festival attendees that returned from the weather delay were rewarded when Megan Thee Stallion took the stage.

After a two-year hiatus, BSMF is officially back

The Beale Street Music Fest blues tent offered shelter from the inclement weather while providing some of the hottest blues acts from all over the country. 

Survival Guide: Saturday at Beale Street Music Fest

Joe Whitmer is the stage manager of the Beale Street Music Fest blues tent. Ducked behind the stage going over the day’s blues acts with a pen and paper, Whitmer feels the blues tent is one of the festival’s best music spots.

“Rock, pop, hip-hop and soul, all the acts on the other stages around here really came from the base of blues,” Whitmer said. “Blues has that same energy but in a more stripped-down version.”

Whitmer says the tent will be packed full tonight when festival regular and Memphis in May favorite blues act Robert Randolph hits the stage.

“The blues is the father of all western music as we know it,” Whitmer said. “We’re going to have some great acts this weekend.”

Memphian Sylvia Greene stood at the blues tent entrance as Barbara Blue rocked out her opening set with powerful vocals and a flashy stage presence.

“Barbara Blue is always great. I’ve seen her down on Beale Street at Silky’s,” Greene said. “I miss Tom Lee Park for the festival though. I like the river, plus the organization was better.”

Other blues tent acts for Saturday include Don Bryant & the Bo-Keys, Hurricane Ruth and local favorite Ghost Town Blues Band.

Maryland natives Tina and Glenn Whims flew down from Frederick, Maryland for Music Fest and are staying Downtown.

“We’re going to spend a lot of time in the blues tent,” Tina said. “It seems there is a lot of old, well-entrenched Memphis blues performers this year, so we want to take advantage of that.”

Back over at the Bud Light stage at 1:45 p.m. Blvck Hippie, whose given name is Joshua Shaw, began setting up for his upcoming set.

From ‘Alone at Parties’ to on the road, Memphis’ Blvck Hippie breaks out

And it turns out not just mere fans came to see him.

Charlotte Burns, 63, sat on a curb in front of the Bud Light stage as the indie artist reached for his distinctive aqua-colored electric guitar onstage and began warming up.

“I have a confession to make,” Burns said. “I’m actually his aunt.” 

Burns says Shaw sees Beale Street Music Fest as a chance to come back and reconnect with his home-grown fan base even as his career continues to soar.

“He really does have a wonderful personality. Everyone that meets him loves him,” Burns said. “He loves coming back to play in Memphis because it’s home and he loves his fans here. I’m excited to see him play today.”

While the day’s first musical acts were preparing on stage there was a flutter of activity for festival merchants, including Florida-based jewelry vendor and owner of “The Genesis,” Lauralie Bradford.

Bradford has worked Beale Street Music Fest since 2014.

As festival goers surveyed her booth’s jewelry selection and trinkets, Bradford explained her feelings on the switch from Tom Lee Park to the former Memphis Fairgrounds.

“One good thing about this location is that it’s an opportunity for the festival to grow,” Bradford said. “It’s beautiful at Tom Lee Park and feels like a really unique event because it’s one big line of all of Downtown. But the Memphis in Mud is definitely exhausting.”

When it comes to business Bradford feels vendors get the better end of the deal at Liberty Park. 

“One year we had a mini tornado come through at music fest on the river,” Bradford said. “It ripped my booth in half.”

As overcast skies began to take over the sun and wind gusts fluttered signs and tree-tops, festival goers were clearly befuddled as they went in and out of merchandise booths. Some shopping, some looking for shelter from the wind.

“This is definitely a lot better for us. But I’m not sure about this wind,” Bradford said. “Last night it was so strong it flipped a tent just behind my booth.”

As Music Fest commemorates its first and potentially only year being held at Liberty Park, it is important festival goers make another commemoration.

George Hunt, the artist who designed the Memphis Beale Street Music Festival Posters since 1992, died in 2020.

George Hunt’s final Beale Street Music Festival art unveiled

The planned poster for Music Fest 2020 was his last, as he passed away that year. Hunt’s last artistic contribution to Music Fest was this year’s 2022 festival poster.

Mary Donald volunteered to work the George Hunt art booth. The booth includes framed sales of previous and current Beale Street Music Festival posters for $35, unsigned.

“We usually get quite a bit of good sales,” Donald said as potential customers looked over the artwork. “Our most popular selling poster today is the 2022 poster, because it’s his (George Hunt) last one.”

Noting a touch of misty rain blowing into the George Hunt tent, Donald continued.

“Having to come back from being gone the last two years because of COVID, I think this was a good idea having it here,” Donald said. “There is no mud. But some people look forward to tracing around in all the mud. It’s a part of the atmosphere for some, you know.”

While some in the tent began to speak of potential oncoming rain and how they would handle it, Donald smirked and glanced across the park at the Bud Light stage.

Blvck Hippie, just finishing his set, set off a thunderous reaction from spirited onlookers as he closed his act.

“Knowing music lovers, they’ll be out in rain, snow or sleet- they’ll be here,” Donald said. “They always are.”

Rain or shine, check out our Beale Street Music Festival Survival Guide for tips on how to best enjoy your time at the fest. You can also download the Beale Street Music Fest app for quick scheduling.

For more information, click here.