From Pitbull's pelvic thrusts to Black Lips puking onstage without missing a beat, this was the best of Saturday, May 5, at Memphis' Beale St. Music Fest.
10. Childish Gambino Protects Himself From the Sun
"Community" sitcom star Donald Glover played to a predominantly young crowd as Childish Gambino, his hip hop alter ego who is beginning to surpass Glover the TV actor in fame. But even alter egos need protection from the hot Tennessee sun.
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9. Dr. Dog Forget Their Album's Name
After playing their T. Rex-esque "Vampire": "That's from our record called, um... holy sh*t. My head almost exploded. It's called... 'Be the Void.'" Hmm. Makes you wonder if these guys really have PhDs at all....
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8. Yo Gotti's American Pride
Capitalism represent! Before ripping through "Flexin'" the Memphis rapper demanded, "Throw your hands in the air if you're makin' money!" I had just found a dollar, so I felt obligated to.
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7. Anthony Hamilton: Synchronized Grooving
Following the set of his soul music comrade Al Green (he popped up on the Rev's last album), Anthony Hamilton is a textbook example of what it means to have stage presence. The best sight was Hamilton, his two guitarists and three backup singers grooving in precise synchronization during "Cool." Which is exactly the word it.
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6. Jane's Addiction Talk Supermoon, Reference Kids' Story
Speaking on the "Supermoon" that joined us on Day 2 of Beale St., Perry Farrell had this to say: "Have you heard about the moon? They say it's going to drop on us, like Chicken Little. I'd like to see that." (In case you forgot your childhood, Chicken Little ran around yelling "the sky is falling!" until someone turned her into chicken tenders.)
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5. Valerie June: Our Favorite Find
Valerie Jackson may dress like Dolly Parton, Wanda Jackson and a rhinestone mermaid, but she hardly sounds like anyone else out there. Her subdued, yearning blend of folk, blues, rockabilly and Appalachian country made her Fuse's favorite discovery at Beale St. Music Fest.
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4. Pitbull's Pelvic Thrusts
It happened numerous times during his expertly timed and executed set, but the best Pitbull Pelvic Thrusts at Beale 2012 had to be when he started grooving to a quick sample from LMFAO's "Sexy and I Know It."
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3. Buddy Guy Moseys Through the Crowd
After disappearing for a moment, Guy popped up in the general admission standing area, where he walked through the crowd playing red-hot licks from Albert King and firmly hushing fans when their picture-taking iFrenzy threatened to derail his performance.
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2. Black Lips Barf
Black Lips guitarist Cole Alexander puked early in their set (he actually has a gag reflex condition he takes meds for). But these guys are so rock n' roll, he just took a swig of beer and charged harder into the most pure, exuberant set of the fest so far. In that vein, lots of toilet paper rolls were thrown around after this.
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1. Al Green Covers Everyone
He hit up Bee Gees' "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart?" and Roy Orbison's "Pretty Woman" during his set, both of which he originally covered on his classic 1970s albums. He also covered The Temptations' "My Girl," The Four Tops' "I Can't Help Myself," Sam Cooke's "Wonderful World" and Cooke's "Bring It On Home." That was in addition to a heaping helping of his own libidinous soul hits, including a 10-minute version of "Love and Happiness." Thanks, Rev!
