SPEP Guide to Memphis

Pictured: Chic Jones, legendary Beale Street singer

The Society for Phenomenology and Existential Philosophy (SPEP) will be holding its annual meeting in Memphis this year on October 19-21. As a native Memphian, I’m excited to share my city (the 901) with all of you who will be attending. There are so many hidden gems in this city, and so many false gems, so I thought I’d offer up a little expert advice. What follows is your go-to guide for where to stay, what to eat, where to hear great music, what to see, how to take care of your kids/pets, and a miscellaneous list of pro-tips from yours truly.

Feel free to use the comments section to ask any specific questions you may have. There’s a 99% chance I can answer them.

Pictured: The Hernando de Soto bridge, spanning the Mississippi River and connecting Memphis, Tennessee with West Memphis, Arkansas

First, a little 901 geography: Memphis sits in the southwesternmost corner of Tennessee.  It is bordered on the west by the Mississippi River, on the south by the state of Mississippi, and it sprawls out more than 20 miles to the east into a vast, soulless suburbia. “Downtown Memphis” sits on the river and runs roughly 1.5 miles north to south. (The SPEP conference hotel, Sheraton Memphis, is on the north end of downtown.) About 5 miles to the east is “Midtown.” Unless you have a fetish for box stores, bad traffic, and/or Ikea meatballs, there is no reason to go further east than Midtown while you are here.

Memphis, like many cities, is very neighborhood-y. The map below primarily covers Downtown and Midtown and is really helpful for navigating the many neighborhoods in those areas. (Starting at the top of the map, the line that runs under “SHELBY FOREST” all the way down marks what is basically considered “Downtown.” The area between that line and the line that runs under the “H” in “MEMPHIS” on this map is basically “Midtown.” Do not go further east than the “H” in “MEMPHIS.”.) You can walk most places within Midtown or within Downtown, and you can go between between Midtown and Downtown for roughly $5-9 by Lyft.

If you go past “Overton Park” on this map, you’ve gone too far east.

If you’re looking for places to stay other than the conference hotel, there are tons of great AirBnB’s in Midtown. My good friend (and UofMemphis Philosophy alum) Dana Gabrion owns The Talbot Heirs guesthouse, which is a really cool boutique hotel just a short walk from the conference hotel. (I spoke with Dana last week and she agreed to give a discount to anyone who mentions SPEP when they book their stay!) Another one of my good friends, Kate Hackett, owns the Memphis Music Mansion and you can book an unbelievably affordable room in it through AirBnB here. (NOTE: I would really love it if we could fill the Memphis Music Mansion with SPEP people, so we can party there at night!)

If you want to stay Downtown (within walking distance of the SPEP hotel), it’s going to be a bit pricy. I recommend The Madison, which has an amazing rooftop bar, or The Hampton Inn & Suites, which basically sits right on historic Beale Street. More affordable hotels can be found in the neighborhoods known as The Edge and the Medical District. Whatever you choose, make sure that your accommodations are (to use the local lingo) “inside the Parkways.”

Please feel free to use the comment section on this post to look for roommates if you need one. You can also email me at [email protected] and I’m more than happy to connect people.

Pictured: Main Street trolley line (Downtown)

As I mentioned above, it is easy to walk most places within Downtown and within Midtown. The Main Street Trolley runs the length of Downtown north to south from roughly 8am to midnight, and it only costs $1 to ride, so you can get to most eating and entertaining places from the conference hotel easily, cheaply, and quickly.  If you’re feeling romantic, you can also take a horse-drawn carriage anywhere in Downtown. You don’t even have to arrange it in advance! You can literally “hail” a carriage easier than you can hail a taxi in downtown Memphis.

Speaking of taxis, DO NOT call a cab while you are in Memphis. They are notoriously slow, unreliable, and expensive. If you don’t already have it, make sure to download the Lyft app before coming to Memphis. (Please, please, PLEASE DO NOT use Uber, which is an evil, union-busting company.) I’ve never waited more than 4 minutes for a Lyft in Memphis and they very rarely employ “surge” pricing.

Public transit in Memphis is a bus system. I would only recommend using it if you plan to go out to the suburbs or (maybe) if you want to go to Graceland. The Memphis Area Transit Authority (MATA) bus schedule and fees are here, but again, in most cases a Lyft would be cheaper than MATA.

Pictured: Barbecue (pork) ribs plate

Memphis is most famous for its BBQ and soul food, but it’s become quite the “foodie” town over the last decade or so. We also have a great food-truck scene here, so don’t pass up the chance to eat street grub if you happen by one of the trucks. I feel like “where to eat” is probably something that you should investigate in advance according to your specific requirements and tastes, but here are a few of my faves.

Barbeque: First thing to know: BBQ in Memphis is made from pork, not beef. Second thing to know: BBQ is like a religion in Memphis. (Correction: BBQ is a religion in Memphis.) People are just as deeply-committed and just as evangelical about their favorite BBQ places as they are about how to best tend to the custody of eternal souls. So, tread carefully when you ask locals about barbeque, unless you literally have nothing else to do for the next several hours.

Third thing to know: the main “schism” among enthusiasts is between “wet” BBQ and “dry” BBQ. Basically, the difference is between BBQ with sauce, on the one hand, or the far superior dry-rubbed BBQ, on the other..(I’m #TeamDry, obvs.) My generic recommendation for everyone is Central BBQ, which is really good, which has a location in both Midtown and Downtown, and which serves BBQ both wet and dry. If you already know that you’re on #TeamDry, you should def treat yourself to a slab of ribs at The Bar-B-Q Shop (Midtown) or Charles Vergos’ Rendezvous (Downtown). If you’re #TeamWet, you must go to Payne’s, Cozy Corner, or Jim Neely’s Interstate BBQ.

Fine Dining: There are plenty of fancypants restaurants Downtown. My favorites are Flight, Felicia Suzanne’s, Catherine & Mary’s, and Itta Bena (the latter of which has the added bonus of being upstairs from B.B. Kings Blues Club). If you want to eat fancy in Midtown, I recommend checking out local celeb-chef Kelly English’s Restaurant Iris (or his slightly less-pricy, NOLA-themed restaurant next door, The Second Line), or Fuel Cafe (which is also vegan- and vegetarian-friendly), or Tsunami, or the not-very-expensive but super-cool tapas place Mollie Fontaine’s.

Vegetarian/Vegan: Contrary to popular belief, most places in Memphis can and do offer vegetarian/vegan options. (And I don’t mean slimy zucchini and squash only.)  There are a lot of restaurants in Memphis that Southerners refer to as “meat-and-3’s”, which means they specialize in Southern soul-food plates consisting of a meat and three vegetables. All of those places will serve you a fourth vegetable in place of your meat, and they are heaven-blessed experts in preparing fresh, seasonal vegetables in the most delicious form imaginable.

Downtown veg-friendly places that I would recommend are LYFE Kitchen (also great for weekend brunch), Itta Bena, The Trolley Stop, and (black-owned) Alcenia’s. In Midtown, you should check out Fuel Cafe, Casablanca and, of course, the famous #buttholegate locale Imagine Vegan Cafe.

It’s a bit out of the way, but if you feel like making the trip, the very best vegan (and black-owned) restaurant in Memphis is Two Vegan Sistas. Definitely worth the Lyft fare to get there!

Soul Food: First, see above about the meat-and-3’s. I’d pretty much recommend any place in Memphis that has a meat-and-3 option on their menu. The absolute best of these places– seriously, one of the best places to eat in the Universe– is The Four Way, which also just so happens to be in the Soulsville neighborhood, so you should definitely visit Stax while you’re there! If you go to The Four Way and you’re not already diabetic, order the “VIP” to drink. It’s a tongue-curlingly sweet mix of sweet iced-tea and lemonade. You’ll almost certainly have diabetes when you leave. Plan ahead for your post-Four-Way food coma.

My other favorites among soul-food establishments are Alcenia’s, Deja-Vu, Miss Polly’s (omg the country-fried steak here is everything), Soul Fish Cafe (best catfish ever), Mot & Ed’s, Peggy’s Heavenly Home Cooking, and the 99 Cents Soul Food Express. All of these places are in Downtown, Midtown, or “The Edge” neighborhood in between.

Asian: There are a few blocks on Cleveland Avenue (northwest edge of Midtown) that have some of the most amazing little restaurants tucked away in otherwise nondescript strip mall spaces. My favorite among them is Phuong Long (Chinese and Vietnamese), which has delicious pho and which you must check out. Not far away is Pho Binh (Vietnamese), which is a Memphis staple and has a great (inexpensive) lunch buffet.

If you’re looking for Korean food, check out DWJ #2 in Midtown, which has great Korean BBQ, or Crazy Noodle (also in Midtown) for more traditional Korean fare. Not to be missed, and right next door to Crazy Noodle, is the Kwik Chek, which looks like a regular corner store but serves some of the best bi bim bop in town.

My favorite sushi place is Sekisui (Midtown)– sit on the patio if you can!– but if you want to stay downtown, I’d recommend Bluefin on Main Street. The former is a real Japanese restaurant, the latter is closer to “Asian fusion.”

My Chinese food rec is Mulan in the Cooper-Young neighborhood (Midtown) or Yao’s on Main Street (Downtown). Nothing to write home about but solidly good food at both places.

For Thai food, go straight to Bhan Thai (Midtown), also a great place to sit outside, where they often have live music on the weekends. Jasmine Thai & Vegetarian (Midtown) is a tiny little place, but very good for those who like their Thai food spicy.  Bangkok Alley (Downtown) is a bit more expensive, but also very good.

Mexican: Unfortunately, the very best Mexican restaurants in Memphis are further east that you want to travel while you’re here. Lucky for you, though, the very best tacos in Memphis are right downtown at Maciel’s on Main Street, just a short walk from the SPEP hotel. Get you some.

Ethiopian:  Check out Blue Nile (Midtown) or Abyssinia (just a hair east of Midtown). Both delicious and both with plenty of veg options.

Bar food:  Don’t think for a second that all “bar food” is the same. There are dozens of hidden culinary gems being served up from otherwise humble kitchens throughout this city every day– and, more often, every late, late night. DO NOT LEAVE MEMPHIS without eating a “soul burger” at Earnestine & Hazel’s on South Main in Downtown. DO NOT LEAVE MEMPHIS without eating a plateful of wings at Wild Bill’s. You can thank me later.

The “Silky dog” at Silky O’Sullivan’s on Beale Street is craaaazy good. Don’t pass up the chance to grab a dozen oysters at (pirate-themed!) The Cove in Midtown. Literally everything is delicious at the super-cool, tapas lounge Mollie Fontaine’s, located in the “Victorian Village” neighborhood.  Side Street Grill in Midtown not only has amazing food, but also one of the best martini menus in town. Almost every place on Beale Street serves fried pickles, which are sinfully delicious, so get you some. And if you find yourself in Midtown, definitely check out The Slider Inn, which not only has a to-die-for patio but also serves every variety of tastiness between two tiny buns.

Pictured: View from the stage at Blues Hall Juke Joint on historic Beale Street

Memphis is, of course, the birthplace of the blues and rock n’ roll. It’s the home of Stax, Sun, and Hi/Royal. It has deep roots-y roots in the music of The Poor & Hungry: gospel, folk, fife & drum ensembles. It shares a geographical and familial connection with Nashville country (before Nashville became NashVegas and “country” became overproduced, vapid, and soulless “crossover pop”). It has a longstanding and storied indie/punk scene (see: Gonerfest), and an exciting and burgeoning hip-hop/rap scene. When you think of the cities in this country that have truly legendary musical histories– Los Angeles, NYC, Detroit, New Orleans, Seattle– none of them rival Memphis in sheer number of years or the reach of influence of their history.

I’m a blues/soul/R&B devotee, so my advice (below) is going to be most useful for those of you who like the same. Never fear, though, I’ve thrown in some helpful pointers for the rest of you, too. Before I get to the recommendations, I want to take a moment to say something VERY IMPORTANT that you should know about going to see Memphis musicians perform:


ALMOST ALL MEMPHIS MUSICIANS ARE WORKING FOR THE BUCKET. 

By that I mean, most Memphis musicians are working for tips. Your tips, specifically. Even if you pay a cover charge at the door, the musicians who are entertaining you are likely not getting paid (or getting paid next-to-nothing) for their performance. This is especially true for Beale Street musicians. Please, I beg of you, wherever you go to see musicians play in Memphis, DO NOT ASSUME THAT THEY’RE BEING PAID. Bring cash with you to tip the band(s), and tip frequently and generously throughout the night.

You’re smart, you can do the math. Think about this: if you’re being entertained by a standard 5-piece band (singer, drummer, bass, guitar, horn), and if they’re playing a 5-hour gig (which is normal on Beale Street), and if they’re working for the bucket (which they almost certainly are), then they need to be tipped $40/hour just to make the Tennessee equivalent of minimum wage. If you consider their load-in and load-out work time, they need to be tipped $52 per hour. Maybe you think that it’s the venue owner’s responsibility to pay bands responsibly. I’m here to tell you that you can think that all day and your moral righteousness still won’t pay the performers’ utility bill.

But your tips will.

If you’re interested in hearing from the musicians themselves, please watch my 2014 documentary film Working in Memphis, which chronicles the behind-the-scenes stories of working Beale Street performers. I’m not even going to make you click a link. You can watch the documentary right here:

Working in Memphis: A Documentary from Leigh Johnson on Vimeo.

Ok, got it? TIP THE BAND. That PSA aside, here are my music recommendations for your time in Memphis:

Blues/R&B (Beale Street): Obviously, you must catch some live music on world-famous Beale Street while you are in Memphis. The music you will hear on Beale Street tends to fall into one of three genres: (1) straight-up delta blues, (2) what I call “Memphis-flavored” R&B soul music, and (3) what I call “tourist” music. The first is for serious, dedicated blues fans. The second is really for anyone and everyone who likes to drink, cut loose, have fun, and dance. The third, imho, is mostly for white people who have above-par musical taste but are slightly (or very) afraid of Beale Street. I’ll cover these in order.

If you’re interested in (1), my first and best advice to you is to go to Beale Street during off-hours, by which I mean mid-day or happy-hour-ish. Thankfully, there are still plenty of still-living, bona fide delta bluesmen and -women in Memphis, but they tend not to get the primo gigs. So please do go visit Handy Park on Beale Street during the day and check out whomever might be playing the outside stage there. (It will almost certainly be a veteran.) My dear friend Vince Johnson, veteran bluesman and world-famous harmonica player, often plays the late-afternoon/early-evening gigs on Beale Street. (Here’s a video I shot of Vince performing.)  DO NOT MISS THE CHANCE TO SEE HIM. During regular nightttime hours on Beale Street, you’ll still be able to catch some real delta blues, but it will be mixed in with a lot of soul music and touristy music, so if you’re a fan of (1), I recommend that you pay attention to the advice in (2) below and ignore everything in (3).

If you’re interested in (2), let me be the first to welcome you to the 901. You should 100%  hang out with me while you’re here. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, will be to avoid the tourists as much as possible on Beale Street. I’m sending you to the following places, all of which are more or less homes-away-from-home for me: Blues Hall Juke Joint, Rum Boogie Cafe, Lew’s Blue Note, The Tap Room, and/or King’s Palace Cafe (the patio, not the inside!). These are all places where you can smoke (yes, inside!) , drink, party, and dance. You should, you must, you will dance. These are also the regular performance places of my dearest friends and some the greatest living musicians in the country, including but not limited to: Chris McDaniel, Clyde Roulette, Lanier Smith, Marcus Phillips, Don Valentine, Joyce Henderson, Vince Johnson, Alan Johnson, Ralo Brown, Queen Ann Hines, The Ghost Town Blues Band (Matt Isbell, Preston McEwen, Suavo Jones), Jeremy Powell,  Earl “the Pear” Hines, Herman Green, Johnny Webb, “Blind Mississippi” Morris, Verlinda Zeno, Shioban Ashford, and sooooo many others. Be sure to grab a copy of our alternative weekly The Memphis Flyer when you get in town and go to any show that includes any of the above people. What you’ll hear in these places and from these people is a good mix of blues and “Memphis-flavored” soul music. (If you don’t know what I mean by “Memphis-flavored,” I recommend you check out my post on the “Memphis” version of “Mustang Sally” here.) Most importantly, you will more than likely see me at one of these places, so go ahead and buy me a drink. I’ll dance with ya.

[In the name of all that is decent and holy, PLEASE TIP THE BANDS ON BEALE STREET.]

If you’re interested in (3), I recommend you head straight to the tourist-y places on Beale Street: Hard Rock Cafe, B.B. King’s Blues Club, Jerry Lee Lewis’ Honky Tonk, Blues City Cafe,  or Coyote Ugly. Those places tend to be non-smoking, non-crowded, and non-rowdy. You can “sit and listen” to music in those places without any pressure to get up and shake your tailfeather (though, should the spirit move you, tailfeathers can be shaken it all those places, too). For the record, you will definitely hear amazing music in the tourist-y places. It will be a mix of the “Stax” and “Hi/Royal” (soul music) sounds and the “Sun Records” (rockabilly) sound, with a healthy serving of Elvis/Johnny Cash/Jerry Lee Lewis thrown in for good measure. Chances are that you’ll see more white performers than black performers in these clubs, especially on the weekends. Also, these are the “good-paying” clubs on Beale Street, by which I mean the performers you’ll be seeing are among the few that are being semi-decently paid by the clubs. (You should still tip the bands generously, though.)

Blues/R&B (not on Beale Street): I have one and only one piece of advice for those of you who want to experience “real” Memphis music in a non-“touristy” location: Wild Bills. Here’s what you need to know about Wild Bill’s: (1) nothing starts until 11pm, (2) it goes until 3am, (3) it’s a cash-only venue and the cover charge is $10, (4) they only serve 40’s and chicken wings and, most importantly, (5) you will never, EVER, in all of your living days, have a greater night than your night at Wild Bill’s.

Jazz: There is, of course, a close familial connection between blues and jazz, so discerning jazz fans will find much to like in the Memphis blues clubs. However, if you’re looking for straight jazz, there are great places to hear it in Memphis: the Dizzy Bird Music Lounge (Midtown), Itta Bena (Downtown), Earnestine & Hazel’s (Downtown, always on Sunday nights, frequently on other nights), and Felicia Suzanne’s patio (Downtown, most weekend nights). Of course, on any given night, there will be jazz bands at other Downtown and Midtown venues, but you’ll need to check The Memphis Flyer‘s music listings to find them.

Unfortunately for SPEPpers, the very best night to see jazz in Memphis is on Monday nights. If for some reason you happen to be staying a day longer than the conference, check out The Word.

Indie/Punk/Rock: Fair warning to indie/punk./rock fans staying at the SPEP hotel: you’re going to have to travel to Midtown (roughly $6 Lyft ride) to hear your music. Good news, though, is that you will have no problem whatsoever finding a spot to party once you get to Midtown. Your best bet is to go to the Hi-Tone in the Crosstown neighborhood first, which is an epic spot with a very long history of cool and an always-excellent line-up of performers. If you don’t find what you’re looking for there, try the Cooper-Young neighborhood next, where you can always catch good bands at Bar DKDC, Young Avenue Deli, or Railgarten (all of which are within walking distance of one another). Closeby is the other “hot” Midtown neighborhood, Overton Square, where you can catch musc at a number of places, including Blue Monkey, Lafayette’s, Local on the Square, and the Lamplighter. Memphis is a really great place for “house” parties, too, so check in with your fave interwebz site to see who’s in town.


Hip-Hop/R&B: If you just want to “hear” (or dance to) rap/hip-hop, you can head down to Club 152 on Beale Street, which is always LIT, or Purple Haze (just one block off of Beale Street), which is also always lit. These are not places to hear “live” artists.

Memphis has a insanely creative, unique, vibrant, and turnt hip-hop and rap scene. What Memphis doesn’t have, unfortunately, is a “regular” place to catch all of our up-and-coming local artists in action. (That’s not unusual, fwiw.) If you’re interested in hearing live shows by local artists like (my friends) Marco Pave or Al Kapone, you’re going to have to get lucky. (I haven’t checked but they may have shows, or “show up” in others’ shows during SPEP.) Catching other well-known Memphis hip-hop/rap artists like Criminal Manne, Frayser Boy, or any of the members of Prophet Posse can be kind of hit or miss in Memphis. In fact, it’s more likely that you will literally run into one of them at the gas station than it is that you get a chance to see one of their shows.

Still, there are almost always live hip-hop/rap shows that you can see in Memphis on any given weekend. You’ll have to check out the events calendar in The Memphis Flyer closer to SPEP time, but pay particular attention to whatever is going on at Mot & Ed’s.

Latin/Mariachi/Rumba/Salsa: I’m going to tell you what everyone else in Memphis will tell you: Go directly to the Rumba Room. Do not pass go. Do not collect $100. It’s within walking distance of the SPEP hotel and it is amaaaaaaazing.


Whatevs I Don’t Care What’s Playing I Just Want to Dance: For those of you who just need to shake it and aren’t particular about what you’re shaking it to, your place is Paula Raiford’s Disco. It’s an actual, bona fide, real-life disco bar, transported straight from 1971 to 2017.  It’s very close to the SPEP hotel– which, trust me, you will appreciate later– and it is a Memphis landmark. There really aren’t words to describe Raiford’s. Just look at the pictures.

Classical: Sorry, can’t help you. I think you prob have a tv channel that plays your music in the hotel room. Also check out the elevators.

Pictured: One of the exhibits in the National Civil Rights Museum

It’s always hard to “visit” a city during an academic conference, but if you’re willing to dip out of SPEP sessions for an afternoon, here are some of the things that you really should see:

National Civil Rights Museum: The NCRM is housed in what was formerly the Lorraine Motel, where Martin Luther King, Jr. stayed on his last night before he was assassinated on a balcony the following day. Fair warning, you will need an entire afternoon to properly visit the NCRM. It is an extremely text-heavy museum that traces the history of African-American civil rights from the transatlantic slave trade to the present. If you can’t make time for a full visit, though, you can still walk to the NCRM from the SPEP hotel (easily) and pay homage to Martin Luther King, Jr. in front of the famous balcony where he was assassinated. I strongly recommend that you also take the time to speak with Jacqueline Smith, who has stood vigil outside the NCRM for 29 years and remains there today. Listen to her story.
DISTANCE FROM SPEP HOTEL: easy (1.5 walk) or $1 Main Street Trolley ride


Stan Museum of American Soul Music: The Stax Museum stands on the ground of the former Stax Studios, the birthplace of what became known as “the Memphis sound.” Stax studios was the home of Otis Redding, Booker T & the MG’s, Isaac Hayes, Sam & Dave, Rufus and Carla Thomas, the Staples Singers, Wilson Pickett, Albert King, and countless other artists that came to define the sound of “soul music” in America. Halfway through the Stax Museum is a “Soul Train” dance break, and the museum tour ends with a 360-degree view of Isaac Hayes Cadillac. If those two details don’t convince you to go, I don’t know what will.
DISTANCE FROM SPEP HOTEL: $6 Lyft ride

Sun Studios: Sun Studios is the “birthplace of rock n’ roll,” which for anyone familiar with the history of American music means that Sun Studios is the place that took great music from black artists, put it in the hands and mouths of white artists (like Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis) and made it profitable. That description is not to take away from the inimitable talents of Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis, but only to redouble the significance of Sun Studio in American musical history. (Fwiw, Sun Studios was also the recording home of Johnny Cash, Charlie Rich, Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison, Charlie Feathers and, much later,  U2 (for their Rattle and Hum album).
DISTANCE FROM SPEP HOTEL: long walk (roughly 2 miles), or $3-4 Lyft

Elvis Presley’s Graceland:  As a devotee and amateur historian of American roots music, I hold Elvis Presley in space of respectful reverence. However, as a native Memphian, I have cultivated a lifelong recognition of “Elvis Presley” not as a person, but an industry. (It doesn’t help that, for most of my life, my birthday week has been more or less co-opted by Elvis’ “death week.”) So, now, I’m much more of an apostate when it comes to Elvis than I would been if the Fates had dispensed my soul differently. All that notwithstanding, if you are a diehard Elvis fan, you should not pass up the opportunity to walk through that gaudy monstrosity that is Graceland. If you’re just a sort-of Elvis fan, I recommend that you save the $40+ dollars it will cost you to see all of his tres gauche kitsch, and instead just catch a ride to Graceland, sign your name on the wall in front, and call it a day.
DISTANCE FROM SPEP HOTEL: $8-10 Lyft, or $3 MATA bus ride

Big River Crossing:  On the south end of downtown is what Memphians call the “other” bridge, which also happens to host the longest public pedestrian/bike bridge across the Mississippi River. If you’re looking to take a beautiful jog, bike, or walk with some amazing views of downtown Memphis, definitely head down to Big River Crossing. It’s free, it’s healthy, it’s open from 6am to 10pm every day, and the weather in October will almost certainly be perfect.
DISTANCE FROM SPEP HOTEL: roughly 2 mile walk to get to the bridge, plus the 2 miles to get across it and back

You SPEPpers are only going to be here for 3-4 days, so definitely go see one of the above if you find time to do something tourist-y. If you’re down for skipping out on even more sessions than you should, I’d also recommend the Metal Museum and the Gibson Guitar Factory. Beyond that, I’d say stop doing tourist things and go see some music or eat good food.

Pictured: Pride flag being carried down Beale Street during Memphis Pride parade

Whether you want to dance, have a drink, or just hang out, Memphis has a queer-friendly space for you. OutMemphis (formerly the Memphis Gay and Lesbian Community Center) has a slate of regular programming available on their website ranging from comedy shows to volunteer opportunities to discussion groups. OutMemphis is located in the Cooper-Young neighborhood in Midtown but hosts events all over the city.

For dancing, Club Spectrum in Midtown is the place to go. You’ll hear pretty standard “club” music there– hip hop, trance, techno, EDM, etc– from live DJ’s on two separate dance floors. Go early on the weekends and catch a drag King or drag Queen show.

If you’re looking for something slightly more chill, Memphis’ go-to LGBTQ bars are Dru’s Place and (the brilliantly named) The Pumping Station. Both are located in Midtown. Also, Mollie Fontaine’s Lounge is a super queer-friendly place, though not “explicitly” a gay bar (whatever that means).

Club Memphis (in the Orange Mound) neighborhood is also great and is populated by a predominantly black LGBT crowd. One hitch, though, is that Club Memphis is open “by request only,” so be sure to call in advance.

Most places in Midtown are queer-friendly, but especially the bars and restaurants in the Copper-Young neighborhood, so also check out The Beauty Shop, Bar DKDC, and The Slider Inn.

I don’t have kids, but I am a college professor so I have access to a list of highly-recommended and trustworthy babysitters. If you need one during SPEP, please feel free to email me at [email protected]. I promise you that I know the kids that these babysitters have tended and they all seem to have turned out ok.

Memphis is super dog-friendly, especially Midtown, where there are many places where you can take your dog with you into most places (including many restaurants!). Wherever you’re staying, you should check out this list of dog parks, where you can take your dog to play or poop or whatever.

Some of these have been covered above, but here’s a consolidated list of miscellaneous info and pro-tips from your favorite local Memphian:

• Unlike the rest of America, people can smoke “inside” in Memphis. If you are allergic or otherwise averse to cigarette smoke, make sure you check in advance whether or not the place you’re going allows smoking. The general rule in Memphis is that places that are always 21-and-up locations (i.e., a lot of bars) allow smoking inside. Any place that does not allow people under-21 at any point during the hours that they are open cannot allow smoking inside (i.e., a lot of restaurants). As is the case with most laws in Memphis, in my experience, this is a vague and flexible law. So, for example, some of the bars in Overton Square (in Midtown) allow smoking after 9pm, but not before. 
• Unlike the rest of America, you can carry your drinks outside in Memphis. This does not apply everywhere, but it applies most places Downtown. On Beale Street, you can buy a drink in a bar and carry it outside to drink on the street or carry it with you while you’re walking to another bar with no question whatsoever. (This liberty is somewhat curtailed by the fact that most bars will not allow you to bring in “outside drinks,” which means you’ll have to finish the drink you have or throw it away to get into another bar.)  Things are different in Midtown, where most bars will stop you from carrying a drink outside, except sometimes in Overton Square. This should go without saying, but you absolutely CANNOT have an open container in any vehicle that you are driving.
• Speaking of open carry, Tennessee is an “open carry” state. And I don’t mean drinks. I mean GUNS. Oh, but wait, it’s even crazier than you think, because in Tennessee you can legally carry a gun into a bar. So, if you are one of those people who is dispositionally inclined to pick a fight in a bar, don’t.
• Tennessee’s “blue laws” make no sense. Officially, you can only buy beer/liquor between 10am and 3am Monday through Saturday. (On Sundays, you can’t buy beer or liquor until 11am, that is, after church ends lol.) So, by law, bars in Memphis stop serving at 3am. (In most bars, on weekends, that means that “last call” happens at 2:59am. which means that many bars don’t actually kick you out until 3:30-4ish.) But here’s where things get sketchy: in bars that want to stay open after 3am or in “after-hours” bars, like Alex’s Tavern, what actually happens is that at 3am the bartender will pour whatever beer you’re drinking into a red Solo cup and then voila! you’re good for the rest of the night. I’ve literally been going to bars in Memphis for my whole adult life and I cannot explain how (or if) Tennessee’s blue laws are enforced in Memphis. What I do know is that, if you really wanted to do so, you could literally drink 24hrs a day on every day but Sunday, when you would be forced to take a break between 9am and 11am. Now you know. Please use this pro-tip responsibly.
• Don’t call a cab in Memphis. I said this above, but I just want to reinforce here that taxis in Memphis are THE WORST. There is like a 75% chance that if you call a cab you will never see it. Download Lyft (*not* Uber) to get around in Memphis while you are here.
• Don’t be afraid to get out of Downtown. I know, I know, it’s soooo easy to stay close to the SPEP hotel, but I’m telling you that Midtown Memphis is super close and easy to get to and you should go there.  Do not, however, go anywhere east of Midtown.
• TIP THE F**KING BANDS. I’m not even kidding. If you are one of those people who comes into Memphis and do not bother to appreciate the exploitative working conditions of our musicians, I don’t even want to know you. (Watch the Working in Memphis documentary. It only takes 35 minutes of your life.) These are real people, and my real friends, we’re talking about. Don’t go anywhere in Memphis without cash. Budget tips into your night. Tip frequently and generously.
• A lot of bars in Memphis are BYOB(ottle). Not all bars, of course. Don’t bring a bottle into a bar that serves liquor or wine without checking first. But if you go to any bar in Memphis that only serves beer (like Earnestine & Hazel’s or Wild Bill’s), they will certainly allow you to bring a bottle of your favorite drink with you. (If you’re staying at the SPEP hotel, or anywhere else in Downtown, there is great liquor/wine store on Main Street called Quench.) Most BYOB bars will charge you for what are called “set-ups” (a cup, ice, and whatever mixer you want), but those usually cost $3 or less.
• Expect to encounter “panhandlers.” Give to them, or at least be decent if you choose not to help. Memphis is one of the most populous cities in America with one of the highest poverty rates. You should expect that you will encounter panhandlers, especially Downtown, where there is almost constant tourist traffic. My personal approach to panhandlers is to give whenever I am able and not to worry how they spend what I give, but I get it that not everyone is so inclined. Please be a minimally decent moral agent and treat those who might be in need and approach you for help like you would treat anyone else. If you feel uncomfortable or “threatened,” just walk away. Realize that’s probably more about you than it is about them. Under no circumstances should you report them to the police. 
• Definitely visit one of the “rooftop” bars while you’re here. Memphis sits on the mighty Mississippi river, which is a beautiful thing to behold. There are plenty of rooftop bars that are super-cool and have great views and are worth paying a little more for your drinks to hang out there. Do it. And speaking of rooftop bars…
• Yes, that thing by your hotel is a Pyramid. And, yes, it hosts a Bass Pro Shop inside.  The Memphis Pyramid used to be the main sports/music/events arena in town. Then, years passed, it got old, Memphis got an NBA team and the fancy new FedEx Forum (aka “The Grindhouse”), and the Pyramid sat empty and sad for many years. Recently, it was purchased and renovated by Bass Pro Shop, and now it hosts a half-million square-feet fantasy world for enthusiasts of “outdoor sports” (camping, hunting, fishing, etc), a 103-room wilderness hotel, an archery and pistol range, a bowling alley, an aquarium, and an alligator feeding exhibit. Go see it if you’re into those sorts of things, I guess. If you’re not into those sorts of things, it’s worth paying the $10 to go up the 28-story freestanding glass elevator to The Lookout bar/restaurant/observation deck at the top of the Pyramid, which has one of the most picturesque views of Memphis in town. 
• If you are black or a POC, be very wary of Memphis Police. It pains me to say this, I wish it weren’t so, but it is nevertheless the case that the Memphis Police Department (MPD) is racist af. Memphis is a city with a 70% black population, but an almost 80% white governing structure, and a total patsy (Mike Rallings) currently serving as Police Director. In the last month alone, tensions between MPD and anti-racist protesters in Memphis have heightened because of the Mayor and the MPD’s continued protection of two confederate statues in Memphis. There’s a better than average chance that things will be even more antagonistic by the time SPEP rolls around. 
• Be aware that Beale Street is a highly-policed area on Saturday nights. Sometime around 6pm on Saturday nights, MPD sets up barricades around all entrances to Beale Street. To get on the street, you must go through a security check, where you will be “wanded” for firearms, you will be patted down, you will have your purse or bag checked, and you will have to produce a valid ID.  You will also be charged a $10 “street fee” for this VIP treatment. This is, of course, a straight-up racist pogrom instituted by our new Mayor Jim Strickland in the last six months (against considerable protest) aimed at keeping poor people and black people off Beale Street. I don’t want to discourage you from going to Beale Street on a Saturday night, but I would suggest that (if you are able) you pay the $10 for anyone in line with you who cannot pay it or wasn’t aware of it. And if you agree that this is some seriously problematic racist/classist nonsense, I recommend you tell our Mayor so by tweeting at him (@MayorMemphis) or writing him an email ([email protected]) to say that even tourists can see through his bs.
• According to legend, it’s good luck to spit in the Mississippi River. It’s way harder than you might think to do so, but hey, why not try? I recommend walking over to Harbortown and spitting from there, where you can literally stand on the banks of the Bug Muddy, unless you’ve got some kind of really impressive, superhuman spit-distance capabilities.