The air in Memphis is so saturated with music that you literally breathe in the sounds. It has been observed that the Mississippi Delta begins in the Lobby of The Peabody Hotel. In the fountain at the centre of the Lobby at The Peabody, the world-renowned Peabody Ducks sing and play. Across the street, a very hip cat wails the blues and rocks - all afternoon long - in front of Auto Zone Park.
The grace, ease and warmth of the south play through in the embrace of instant new friends with the rhythm of shared laughter and great stories told.
The Copa Memphis Festival - a worldwide soccer tournament - was celebrating with a Music Festival at the conclusion of its schedule. A variety of Memphis and international talent was set to perform.
Rockalicious - the infinitely multi-talented acoustic duo of husband and wife Rick Reil and Ivy Vale - opened the night, performing a lively, family-oriented set that delighted parents, children and all of the growing audience. The couple more than fulfilled their motto - "Never Too Young To Rock" - with Beatles songs, and tunes from such other classic rockers as Led Zeppelin, The Who and The Rolling Stones, along with the music of folk - rock icon Bob Dylan and their own original compositions.
12 year old tigress Brittany Russell prowled the stage as late afternoon turned toward evening. A seasoned professional from Memphis, Brittany has received numerous awards for talent, composition and vocals. She tore through a dynamic, soulful set, backed by an eager young "tween" band. Brittany's singing and moves were complimented with shades, white frills and long blonde hair that evoked French film legend Brigitte Bardot. Brittany is a hot young star with a very bright future ahead.
Next up were The Young Guns - 4 teens, also out of Memphis. The hungry young band covered an astonishingly wide range of music, from Delta Blues, through straight-on rock and roll and on to classic heavy metal. The Young Guns displayed a level of stage presence, musicianship and confidence that is the goal of all performing artists of any age.
The Grip Weeds came down from the New York area, with much time spent in the Adirondacks and the Berkshires. Named as a tribute to the character portrayed by John Lennon in the 1967 film "How I Won The War", Grip Weeds blended hard rock with excellent versions of songs from such '60's icons as The Beatles, The Byrds and The Monkees.
London Egg, essentially a Beatles Tribute band, were a group whose wit and devotion added an interesting tone to the night.
Alfepado - Latin Rockers - were passionate and meticulous in their performance. The group moved easily through a range of musical modalities, and were most touching in playing a beautiful inspirational song of their own composition. The band appeals to the rising Hispanic audience in addition to those of all ages and backgrounds with an appreciation of skilled, soulful rock.
The big blast of the night was provided by The 253 Boys, an internationally acclaimed group. The band is known - worldwide, with an audience of over a billion people - for "The Beautiful Game", which is played as the theme song on Fox Soccer International satellite channel. Their name is derived from a bus route that ran through their neighbourhood in East London.
Fresh off of a performance before a crowd of 10,000 at Auto Zone Park the previous night, The 253 boys exceeded the highest standards and expectations. Rocking, screaming riffs and powerful percussion were complimented by vocals from lead singer Jason Grant, who also manages the group and was organiser of The Copa Memphis Festival. The group performed "The Beautiful Game", "Oh, Sweet England", "The George Best Rhapsody" (a tribute to the legendary British soccer star), and "New Day,No War", from their recently released award-winning rock opera of the same title and theme.
A lifetime memory - : The 253 boys dedicated a smashing rendition of The Beatles "Tomorrow Never Knows" (from "Revolver") to me.
It was also an honour and a pleasure to deliver a message of love, hope, congratulations and inspiration to the Festival on behalf of music icon and dear friend Sid Bernstein, the man who brought the Beatles to America.
Immense credit to Woody Degan, who is a legend in the south and beloved throughout the music industry for his skills and excellent faith. Woody was hands on at the sound board throughout the Festival, and he's known as a performer as well as a powerhouse producer through his Memphis Sound Productions.
It is said (in the Tao) that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. This journey of a thousand miles (and back) was filled with love, laughter, great sounds, fabulous people and lifetime memories.