The third day of the 2022 Beale Street Music Festival unfolded under crisp, clear skies after the rainstorms from the night before cleared away. The beautiful conditions encouraged music fans to arrive early for the final day. The musical lineup featured the most diverse of this year's gatherings. The Bud Light stage was again the focus of African roots music, but unlike the days before, the focus was not solely on the rap genre.
Jamaican reggae band Third World performed on stage with a roots reggae sound influenced by soul, funk, and disco music. The large band was led by Stephen "Cat" Coore and Richard Daley, original members since the band formed in 1973. The rhythmic music was a great way to start a sunny Sunday afternoon. Continuing the guest country theme of the year, Ghanaian singer Stonebwoy performed next with his big African band blending Afropop, dance hall, and reggae music. Next, Jamaican singer Shaggy brought his brand of fiery dancehall reggae to the stage with his larger-than-life persona. Memphis rapper Moneybagg Yo followed, bringing the music back to American Hip Hop. As evening fell, he extended his set to perform a few extra songs for the massive crowd, as the original headliner Lil Wayne was forced to cancel his set at the last minute. Plane trouble kept him from making it to the festival. But there was still plenty of music at the other stages to keep the crowd content.
The Zynn stage started the day behind schedule due to technical difficulties, but by the time Grace Potter danced in a hypnotic trance onto the stage in the late afternoon, everything was back on schedule. It is hard to believe that the prolific singer, songwriter, and musician is only 38, considering she has been a veteran performer in the blues-rock genre for more than 20 years. Along with her band of veteran musicians, the Nocturnals, the charismatic Potter put on one of the finest performances of the day. The singer pranced about the stage bouncing off other musicians, and moved back and forth between her electric guitars and keyboards to perform some fierce blues-rock numbers from her extensive catalog.
San Francisco Alt-rock veterans Third Eye Blind took the stage next. They replaced the iconic Lindsey Buckingham, who was the second act to have to drop out of the festival due to testing positive for Covid. Original lead singer Stephan Douglas Jenkins led Third Eye Blind through a crowd-pleasing set of their older material mixed with some new numbers.
Finally, San Francisco rockers Counting Crows closed the stage with a fantastic performance full of their biggest hit songs. Charismatic singer Adam Duritz led the tremendous band of mostly original members through a 16-song set, opening with the Grammy-winning classic “Round Here.” Duritz has an uncanny ability to make eye contact with vast numbers of people in a large audience. His performance antics include standing on speakers and bouncing off his bandmates, much to the crowd's delight. The set included a three-song encore, which was the highlight of the day for many mainstream rock fans.
Over on the Terminix stage, the performances were also varied and eclectic. In mid-afternoon, the Indigo Girls took the stage for a folk-rock performance. The Atlanta-based duo consisting of Amy Ray and Emily Saliers is a festival staple playing Beale Street multiple times in the past. The pair have been playing their folksy songs with heartfelt meaning and underlying messages since 1985; they are reminiscent of the 1960s protest folk heroes like Joan Baez. With many fans enjoying the sunny weather lounging on blankets, it was an excellent early set.
Connecticut jam band Goose played next, creating an entirely different mood on the stage. Devout fans excitedly surged towards the front for the energetic performance. Goose has fast become one of the most popular bands in the jam genre. The group's psychedelic rock sound mixes funky beats and jazz-like rhythms to create a unique and vibrant sound. Like most bands in the genre, the group has an expansive catalog and tries to play a unique set at each performance. Their Memphis set included nine songs, seven originals, and two covers. The band is well known for mixing a wide range of covers into their sets. “Green River: by Creedence Clearwater Revival and Eddy Grant’s Electric Avenue made it into their Memphis show.
Veteran Indy rockers Modest Mouse brought their version of jam-infused music to the stage next. The band had initially canceled due to a Covid scare, but all members ended up with a clean bill of health just in time to reschedule their performance. Singer and guitarist Isaac Brock led the band through a 15-song set culled from the band's seven albums released over the last 25 years. While many of the bands on the Terminix stage had a large fanbase following, there was no doubt who most music fans crowding the stage were waiting to see.
Many eager young fans donning Weezer t-shirts made up the hardcore crew in the very front of the stage. Finally, the Los Angeles veteran Indy band closed the stage with an explosive multimedia extravaganza featuring many of the band's rock anthems. Following the cancellation of Lil Wayne, the crowd at the Terminix stage swelled to one of the largest of the entire festival, with fans singing along and dancing to the well-known tunes. The 19-song setlist included two distinctly different covers, “Enter The Sandman” by Metallica and “Africa” by Toto. It was a fitting finale for the 2022 Beale Street Music Festival.
Weezer wasn’t the last band to play the festival, however. That honor went to the iconic Blues rocker Elvin Bishop who played the final set with his band in the Blues tent. Bishop was the sixth impressive act to perform in the tent on Sunday and closed the festivities in the prime Blues form. The 79-year-old Rock and Roll Hall of Fame double inductee served up almost 60 years of material. He performed songs dating as far back as his stint with the Paul Butterfield Blues Band beginning in 1963. But he also included recent, more relevant, and often amusing material. The Beale Street Music Festival saw its share of difficulties in its first year since the epidemic, but overall, the event was a huge success. One of the country's oldest and most eclectic music festivals, it also has to be one of the best bangs for the buck of any festival. Organizers hope to return the festivities to Tom Lee Park on the Mississippi River next year.
Check out more photos from day 3 of Beale Street Music Festival 2022.
