About a year ago, the stellar
I Love Memphis blog published a really-cool
article about the hidden world of Memphis juke joints, and the article mentioned a place called BJ’s Secret on Southern Avenue in the obscure neighborhood near the Liberty Bowl known as the Beltline. The article described the place as having a live blues band on Sunday night, but when I rolled past it the next Sunday night, there were few cars, and though the place was open, nothing seemed to be happening. This past Sunday night, something told me to drive over there again, and this time the place was off the chain. There were no parking places left, so I had to park up the block, and I could hear the band from the parking lot. The cover was $7, and inside on stage was a band called Nate Dogg and the Fellaz, but the music was feel-good downhome blues and soul. Most of the patrons were neighborhood people who seemed to know each other, and the people on stage, but the atmosphere was friendly and joyful and the surroundings and music far more authentic than what passes for “Memphis music” on most nights on Beale Street. While I’m sure the regulars would like for BJ’s to remain a secret, it’s a great slice of Memphis culture that few local residents or tourists have gotten to experience.
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