Live, outdoor music hits Midtown in a big way this weekend. Meanwhile, smoke ’em if ya got ’em at Handy Park, find some laughs in Cordova, go record-shopping in Crosstown or hit the midway. 

Lord T. & Eloise performed at a show during 2014. (The Daily Memphian file)

901 Fest at Railgarten, through Sunday:

This first multi-day music festival at the indoor/outdoor Midtown restaurant/bar/venue is all outside. It started on Wednesday night with funkateer MonoNeon. It continues through the weekend with Lucero on Thursday night, party rappers Lord T. & Eloise on Friday night, a four-band bill headlined by roots-rockers Dead Soldiers on Saturday and then an earlier multi-band bill on Sunday. There will also be cocktails from co-sponsor Old Dominick Distillery and, on the weekend, local art on sale via Arrow Creative. See here for full schedule and ticketing info. 

Delta Fair & Music Festival at Agricenter International, starting Friday:

This annual 10-day event has all your fair staples: Carnival rides, Pronto Pups and funnel cakes (fine, this is an assumption), livestock shows, monkeys riding dogs (there’s a photo on the web site and everything), beauty pageants, live music and even something called a “redneck yacht race.” It sounds like the St. Francis County Fair I grew up going to in East Arkansas, so I assume there’s also some game of skill on the midway in which you can win a Van Halen mirror. (How do I not still have this treasure?) See here for daily hours, ticketing and more info.

Beale Street Cigar Festival at Handy Park, Friday-Sunday:

I’ll confess, cigars are very much not my thing. DJ Spinderella, who worked the wheels of steel behind Salt-N-Pepa? Totally my thing. If they’re both your thing, then the Beale Street Cigar Festival is most definitely your thing. Spinderella and jazz guitarist Norman Brown are the headliners of this three-day festival, showcasing stogies from “some of the largest and best brands in the industry.” $50 for a one-day pass, $125 for a three-day pass. See here for more info.

Royce Wells (middle) along with his children Beatrice, 3, (left) and Oliver, 18-months, (right) enjoy the Patriotic Pops with the Memphis Wind Symphony performance at the Levitt Shell Thursday, June 27, 2019. (Mark Weber/Daily Memphian)

The Levitt Shell Fall Concert Series in Overton Park, Friday-Saturday:

It’s been a long time we could show up at the Levitt Shell on a weekend night, pitch a blanket and just lay around listening to music. This weekend, for the first time since COVID hit, the Levitt Shell is kicking off one of its free concert series, which will run Friday and Saturday nights for the next eight weeks. This first weekend, local pop/soul artist Nick Black plays Friday night (7 p.m.). On Saturday, a special “Occupy the Shell” showcase of local hip-hop and soul artists gets an earlier start, at 4 p.m. Free. See here for more on the Shell series’ return and the whole fall schedule. See levittshell.org for more.  

Mo’Nique at Chuckles Comedy House, Friday-Sunday:

There was nothing funny about Mo’Nique in the 2009 film “Precious,” an unsettling dramatic performance for which she won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. But this Oscar winner is also a Grammy nominee, for Best Comedy Album. So Mo’Nique has range but will be in funny form when hitting town this weekend for a three-night engagement at Chuckles Comedy house in Cordova. Mo’Nique will do two sets on Friday and Saturday and three sets on Sunday. Tickets $40-$60. See here for more info. 

Memphis Listening Lab and WYXR are hosting a “record swap,” with records, CDs and cassettes for sale. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian)

Record Swap and Zine Fest at Crosstown Concourse, Saturday and Sunday:

Arts organizations inside Crosstown are joining forces this weekend. In the main atrium, on the ground floor, the Memphis Listening Lab and WYXR are hosting a “record swap,” with records, CDs and cassettes for sale. Meanwhile, on the second floor, Crosstown Arts is hosting a “zine fest,” showcasing local DIY (maga)zines. 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Sunday. Free. See here for more info.  

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