I put on my blue converse shoes and got
into my Toyota Yaris. Hmmm, not quite as lyrical as suede shoes, but
you get my drift. Yes folks, I touched down in the land of the Delta
Blues, starting with Memphis, Tennessee. The wonderful Spring weather
has continued, and I've scored myself a room in a funky 1960s
apartment in Midtown, a great area which incorporates the Overton
Square and Cooper-Young districts. It's all very
Stokey/Newtown-esque, a fine balance between contemporary
sophistication and shabby chic, replete with bars, arthouse cinemas,
indie theatres and late-night blues-playing coffee shops. My host is
a fabulously camp Memphian producer with ridiculously good taste in
furniture and 'business class' internet, with whom I've enjoyed
several late-night conversations about art, politics, history,
culture and other lighthearted bullshit.
Still harbouring the dregs of my virus
I spent the first couple of days in the city relaxing and trying to
shake the illness for good. No late-night whiskeys in Memphis blues
bars for me, sadly, but I thoroughly enjoyed the city's parks and
sunset walks along the mighty Mississippi river.
Chillin' in the park
Theatre in Overton Square
YoLo FroYo
Memphis College of Art
Blues City streets
Hanging by Ole Miss
Sunset walkers
Steamboat on the Mississippi
River history
Boat on the Mississippi
Sunset over the Mississippi
Memphis sure has its pockets of menace
and squalor, more than other cities I've visited so far. The funky
parts of town feel very up and coming and the areas steeped in
ancient blues history have a faded glamour about them. Not without
their charm but they've almost turned into a parody of themselves in
order to maintain the tourist appeal. I visited Graceland which had
me riveted, despite myself. I'm not that much of an Elvis fan but I
suppose I couldn't help but be exposed to his music and image growing
up. I came to the conclusion that he was a man in the right place at
the right time. Sure, he had talent, but he also captured the
zeitgeist while also starting something fresh and new. He emerged on
the cusp of mass media and his star ascended far quicker and more
enduringly than if he had been born earlier. It surprised me how
nervous and fearful he came across. He also had fab kitsch taste,
judging by the way his house was decorated, which of course I loved.
One room was completely decorated with brightly coloured fabric
adorning the walls and ceiling. Another had green shag-pile carpet
all over the walls. My favourite was the TV den which was blue and
yellow, with his signature logo, TCB (Taking Care of Business) and
the lightning bolt. So kitsch-tastic.
Elvis' living room
Elvis' living room
Amazing light fitting
Love his wallpaper
The dining room
Kitchen
Mirror-ceilinged TV den
Fabric-covered pool room
The jungle room
Graceland from the garden
Gig poster with the Louvin Brothers and Carter Family
Elvis' grave
Elvis' pink Cadillac
Onesie
Vegas onesies
Bathroom on Elvis' plane, the Lisa Marie
Taking Care of Business
I continued my music pilgrimage by
visiting the Rock 'n' Soul museum, a thoroughly comprehensive
exploration of the roots of rock and soul music, filled with
fascinating memorabilia. Again, I loved the blurring of the genres
and the way each different type of music influenced each other. The
impact of the civil rights movement in the US was also hugely
significant.
Early radio
Original Heartbreak Hotel lyrics
Ike Turner's first piano
Isaac Hayes: Black Moses
Original lyric scribbles for Suspicious Minds
I spent about 4 hours in the CivilRights Museum which was located in the building where Dr Martin
Luther King Jr was tragically shot in the 60s. The museum was a
brilliantly-curated exploration of the history of slavery and the
civil rights movement in the US, and was incredibly moving. It had
lots of information about early segregation, black voter
registration, diner sit-ins, Rosa Parks, protest marches and of
course MLK's involvement across the States. I feel as though I
understand so much more about this country the more I learn about its
history of racism and segregation. I also realise how hugely
significant Obama's election has been to the course of civil rights
in the US. My brain is a bit on overload now, but I'm so glad I had
the chance to spend time in this museum.
Balcony where MLK was shot
Bus from Rosa Parks' era
Multiracial protest group who travelled the buses to fight segregation
The South becomes Republican
Early use of the black panther in art
Gay protest echoing race protests
Near the Civil Rights Museum I enjoyed
the best barbecued pulled pork I've had (outside of Kim's dining room
in Sydney of course) at Central BBQ. Seriously, I think this is a strong
contender for my 'final meal' request. Other notable meals I had in
Memphis were a Louisiana style gumbo at The Second Line in Overton
Square and a delicious fish dinner at Sweet Grass on Cooper St.
At the Gibson Guitar Factory I had a
guided tour around the factory floor, to see how the famous guitars
were made. We weren't allowed to take photographs (trade secrets!)
but we got to see the whole process from carving the wood to
assembling the guitar to painting and varnishing the finished
product. It was incredible to see that each guitar is made by hand
and takes around three weeks. And rockstars smash them onstage with
such abandon! Outrageous. The Stax Museum was my favourite museum in
this city, dedicated to one of my favourite genres, soul music, on
the site of Stax Records. The Sun Studio tour was also fab –
singing in Elvis' microphone made me feel like a star!
Isaac Hayes memorabilia
Another kitsch event in Memphis is the
daily duck parade at the Peabody Hotel. Every morning at 11am a
family of ducks parade from their home on the roof to the fountain in
the middle of the foyer, and they return at 5pm each day. It's
adorably cute, and I got the chance to explore some of the beautiful
hotel's history while I was there.
Original hotel bar till
There will be no dead ducks at The Peabody!
I left Memphis to begin the Mississippi
Blues Trail in earnest, which I'll blog about next. Although it was
incredible to walk down Beale Street, visit Schwab's dry goods store,
tread the hallowed grounds of recording studios and Elvis' house, I
couldn't help but feel that so much of this city harks back to a
hallowed era which is long gone. My favourite moments were more about
the 'now' – seeing an unknown suburban band in a late-night coffee
shop was more interesting to me than checking out a blues band parody
on Beale Street. But so much of one's appreciation of a city is down
to chance, the timing of your trip and the uncontrollable external
influences which govern chance encounters and spontaneous diversions.
Something I'm learning increasingly as my road trip progresses. One
has to simply relax and go with the flow.
"Muriel played piano, every Friday at the Hollywood..."
Memphis street art
Cooper-Young district
