Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Memphis Life: The Lumineers and Some Downtown Adventures

So I am, very firmly, a Midtowner.

I've lived in the Overton Square area since I moved to Memphis in 2009, and I don't plan to leave it until I leave the city itself.

But every time I go Downtown, I'm struck by a few things.

It's a really neat looking city.
The trolley is fantastic.
I love how close everything is.
And the people who live there just look so...hip.

I will never be that kind of cool.

I'll be the grungy, kind of weird, Midtown cool forever, but the sleek high-rise, perfect hair, minimalist Downtown kind just isn't happening.

But it's still fun to visit.

After Battledish on Saturday, I figured I was already Downtown, and some walking wouldn't hurt me after all those calories (going back to the gym today was death, btw), so I walked and drove around to parts of Memphis I rarely go to.

*Main Street, one of my favorite streets Downtown. 

*This awesome bridge on Riverside Drive.

And, of course, Tom Lee Park, which I had never actually been to. 

*Had no idea that was even there. 

*Great view of the Hernando Desoto Bridge


*Large obelisk...and some super swank houses on the bluff. 

 *Panorama of the north side of the park. 


*I finally figured out how to use the panorama feature on my phone! This is from the "Old Bridge" up to the "New Bridge" standing in Tom Lee Park.

*Looking south.


*The AWESOME Tom Lee statue.


*And an accidental selfie!





A great story, and a really well done memorial. Also the park is a nice place to go walk - there's a nice breeze and it's beautiful. It was nice to walk around after eating my way through downtown. :)

After I left the park, I headed back towards home. But first I drove by Front Street Deli, which has great food, and was featured in "The Firm" in 1993. 


*Remember when Tom Cruise was cute and lovable? Aw.

And then back up Madison for the trip to Midtown. 


A couple of days later, my best friends Courtney, Kirby, and I went back Downtown to Mud Island Amphitheater to see The Lumineers.

Mud Island is one of my favorite venues to see concerts in the city. Of course the Forum is great, and all the concerts I've seen there have been really good (I saw Eric Clapton a couple of years ago, and, despite the fact that he seems kind of hateful, it was a great show. And Roger Daltrey opened for him, which basically made my life). And Minglewood is a cool venue - seeing Old Crow Medicine Show there was really fun. But I like Mud Island because it's assigned seating but nothing is as far away as it is in the Forum, and it's got a great view of the city, and that river breeze is pretty awesome. 


To get to Mud Island, you can take the monorail or walk across the skybridge. We took the monorail over (it's free with your concert ticket), and walked back. 


The monorail was also, of course, featured in "The Firm."


*I'm not sure that you could outrun the monorail honestly. But yum, 1993 Tom Cruise.



*The best song about monorails ever made. Maybe the only song about monorails. Because it's the only one you need.

Anyway.

So The Lumineers put on a great show:

*Of course, before them we had opening acts, which were really good (Nathaniel Rateliff and Dr. Dog) but The Lumineers didn't actually come on until almost 10, so we had a ton of time to hang out. Luckily the weather was good. 

*Here's Dr. Dog.

*Their show was really good. Definitely going to check them out.

*And between sets we had plenty of time for pics. 

*FINALLY! This was seriously one of the best live shows I've ever seen. Very energetic, and just genuinely good musicians. 

*And a super cool stage setup. 


*One of my favorite songs of theirs.


*Just awesome - and one of the most energetic/actually sounds good live bands I've ever seen.

They also did this song: 


So basically, my reaction was this:

*Yes Please.

I actually don't have a ton of pics from the show because the lead singer said something that I think was really profound and that I want to take to heart a little more. He asked everyone in about the third song to put down their phones and just "be present." Of course not everyone did, but what a great idea - I take a ton of photos, but I've decided from now on that whenever that means I'm not "being present," I'll stop and just live the moment. 

I loved hearing all of my favorite songs ("Stubborn Love" just kills me), and they played some stuff off their new album which all sounded awesome. 




After the concert we went home and crashed. We're old ladies. 

Before though, we went to Kooky Canuck, which was awesome, and which I'll have a recap of tomorrow. 

Is it nap time yet? 





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