It’s time to kick off Memphis in May with the Beale Street Music Festival, which means booze, rain and more booze.
BSMF kicks off May 1 and finishes May 3. BSMF consists of performances on the Bud Light Stage, the FedEx Stage, the Rockstar Energy Drink Stage, the Pearl River Resort Blues tent and the MetroPCS Blues shack.
This year’s lineup includes an extremely diverse group of artists, ranging from the hardcore band Of Mice and Men to the classical/dubstep/dancing violinist Lindsey Stirling.
The 2015 featured headliners include Lenny Kravitz, Ed Sheeran, John Fogerty, Hozier, Paramore and many others.
Kravitz is defined as a funk rock, new-psychedelia singer/songwriter. Ed Sheeran, a pop/R&B/acoustic sensation, will make his Memphis in May debut.
Look past the headliners, and you’ll see names such as Slash, Lecrae, Breaking Benjamin and AWOLNATION.
The three main stages will host the headliners and popular acts.
Hard-hitting rockers, such as Slash, In This Moment, Five Finger Death Punch, Rise Against, Prosevere and Breaking Benjamin, share the Rockstar Energy Drink Stage with acts such as Wale, and George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic.
The FedEx Stage will host Paramore, Wilco, Pixies, The Flaming Lips, St. Vincent, AWOLNATION, Bleachers, G-Eazy, Lindsey Stirling, Bela Fleck, Abigail Washburn, Lecrae, Copeland and more.
The Bud Light Stage will host Lenny Kravitz, Ed Sheeran, The Avett Brothers, Hozier, Ryan Adams, Flogging Molly, Kaiser Chiefs, Spin Doctors and a few others.
This is the first full-scale tour Breaking Benjamin has been on since his on hiatus in 2010 after releasing hit singles such as “Diary of Jane,” “So Cold” and more recently, “Failure.”
Frontman Benjamin Burnley is back with an all-new band after a falling out with the former band in 2013.
Former Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash will be at BSMF with his solo act, featuring Myles Kennedy from Alter Bridge, Todd Kerns from Sin City Sinners and touring/session drummer Brent Fitz.
Slash is a Grammy award-winning artist who was the mastermind behind the guitar riffs and solos in songs such as “Sweet Child O’ Mine,” “Welcome to the Jungle” and “Paradise City.”
Everyone who has attended Memphis in May knows it’s going to rain, and that’s OK.
The 2014 lineup included Avenged Sevenfold, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Snoop Dogg, Kid Rock, Seether and many others.
Beale Street Music Festival and the World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest are the two most popular Memphis in May events.
Since the rising popularity and succcess of the Grizzlies, Memphis’ professional basketball team, the Beale Street Music Festival coordinators have had to bring in impressive lineups to keep Memphians and travelers satisfied.
Memphis in May is the best place to be to listen to your favorite bands, eat some world championship barbecue and catch a playoff game in one of the NBA’s loudest arenas.
Tickets for Memphis in May come in three packages. The VIP package is $595 without parking and $695 with parking.
A three-day pass is $95 and a ticket for one day is $40. For more information about Memphis in May, visit memphisinmay.org and for BSMF, specifically, visit memphisinmay.org/bealestreetmusic-festival.