by Bob Bayne
Florence of Florence + the Machine in her fabulous caftan!
The Memphis in May Beale Street Music Festival is a musical event that has garnered much deserved positive national attention, but I still like to think of it as a great little "festival family reunion" — everybody plans for this weekend months in advance just to boogie together on the Mississippi River.
The music always rocks, but another highlight is hanging with old friends in the Memphis Flyer and Memphis magazine Client Appreciation Tent. Always front and center of the headlining stage, the tent is worth its weight in gold because of its location, and also because it means free beer, cleanish bathrooms, and freezing cold bottled water.
This year we had a full-on summer weekend with temps close to the 90s and that ice-cold water was what got me through the three-day weekend. That, and planning my outfits and those of my friends, of course!
The crowd always provides a fashion emporium that only a music festival as varied as ours can provide. Fans of the North Mississippi Allstars, Florence + The Machine, Megadeth, The Cult, Jane's Addiction, Pitbull, Herbie Hancock, and more all flocked together to create some of the most interesting looks in this tri-state area. In the tent, it was refreshing to see women liberated from their standard-issued rain boots.
The days were hot and sunny and really cute style emerged this year because of it. Not that I don't truly love my Givenchy rain boots — I do and even had outfits planned around them. It was just a nice change to wear a maxi dress and kick off my flip-flops to dance on the dry grass for a change.
Check out our old and new friends in the tent this year and special snaps go to them for representin' their home town so well — looking good at Music Fest has never been this much fun in the sun.
Oh, and "Best Dressed" for the weekend goes to Florence!
Florence + The Machine photo by Bob Bayne, bobbayne.com. Festival-goer shots all by Don Perry, bullyrook.com
1 of 10
2 of 10
David Herbers, Lee Googe, Kellie Clements, Billy Cochran, Michael Marshall, Tommy Prest in front
3 of 10
Kayla Wolfe & Bekah McDuffie
4 of 10
Briana Pompei, Diane Jalfon, Jenny Munn
5 of 10
Kelsey Clarkson
6 of 10
Ronald Kent and Bridgette Rawls
7 of 10
Justine Hall
8 of 10
Donna Byford and Nicky Lydanne
9 of 10
Emily Marshall, Megan and Jace Barger
10 of 10
Brittany Jones
