Memphis: June 18. "Sit down baby, you're home"

We stopped off to sleep (per usual, in the welcoming arms of a Walmart parking lot) in Arkansas between St. Louis and Memphis - the home state of the documentary films Paradise Lost (and most recently West Memphis... deeply disturbing but highly recommended).

The morning of the 18th we rolled up to Sun Records with a half an hour until the next tour. We took the opportunity to snap these... and this gentlemen tried so hard to get out of the frame after he walked into the first, but only accomplished a dance-y stance:

See?
Now he'll live on in our memories and photographs for the rest of our days.. which is fine.

The tour had an exuberant Tennessee gal as a guide and was certainly worth $8 each (hooray for our "student ID"s....shh). The studio was closed for years but was opened up again (in the early 90s, I think?) and now have a long waiting list of musicians to record there once more. They also still have Elvis's microphone. You can even pretend to croon into it while your mate snaps a shot:

Other snapped shots from the tour:

 After our tour, we decided to try one of our touristy book's lunch recommendations... and boy oh boy, are we glad we did. It was the best meal of the trip.... a soul food restaurant called "Alcenia's" where the hostess walks briskly over to you as soon as you enter, hugs you, kisses your cheek and says: "Sit down baby, you're home. I'll be right with you."

The food took a while, but it mattered not at all. Bottomless sweet tea and the most delicious fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, corn bread and cabbage.... and what a welcome.

We'll see if that lunch can be topped. It was a winner. From there we did the necessary Memphis wandering... outside of the tourist-ed areas, it reminded us a bit of Detroit. So... we mostly just stuck to the touristy areas. Beale St, etc:

coolest of all toilet seats

creepsters.

Before jetting towards Texas, we decided to take one more tour - Stax Museum. Some great tunes came out of there, and although the studio no longer exists the museum is built in the same spot. There is a bit of Motown scoffing on some of the plaques, but other than that it was great. Wonderful music has come out of there, yes sir eee.

 They had a band playing at the end of the tour, new graduates from their music school. When they were playing the classics, all was well and they sounded great... but between each song there was clear dissension in the ranks which made for fascinatingly awkward breaks.

We only spend one day, but one busy and lovely day filled with wonderful music and great food.
Here's to you, Memphis. You've got somethin'.