Nine things to do for your 901 Spring Break

Stuck in Memphis for Spring Break? Don’t worry. The Bluff City actually has plenty to offer. Whether you want music, comedy or just a chance to get out of the house, there’s always a cure for the Memphis blues. Here’s a list of Spring Break goings-on happening from March 4 through 12.

 

Go see twenty one pilots

Grammy award-winners twenty one pilots play at FedEx Forum March 4. The Ohio-based duo will perform at the Forum before heading to Louisville on their “Emotional Roadshow World Tour.â€

With hit singles like “Heathens†and “Stressed Out,†it’s a surprise the show is not sold out, but (keep your pants on) tickets are still available.

Judah and the Lion, a folk-pop trio from Nashville, and hip-hop singer/songwriter Jon Bellion will open for twenty one pilots.

 

Have a laugh at the Memphis Comedy Festival

Need some humor in your life? The fifth Memphis Comedy Festival will be held from March 9 through 12. Headliners Baron Vaughn and Dominic Dierkes lead a group of stand-up comedians at four different locations: Theatreworks, Growlers, Hi Tone, P & H Café and Studio on the Square.

Memphian comedian Katrina Coleman, the founder of the festival and self-proclaimed “goof,†said comedy is “like the blues, but with a punch line instead of a bass line.â€

“The mission statement has and always will be ‘to create a stage for comedy in Memphis,’†Coleman said. “The talent is already here. We needed a stage and (needed to) bring outside comics in.â€

 

See Stevie Nicks at the FedEx Forum

Music icon Stevie Nicks, the powerful voice behind Fleetwood Mac, will play the FedEx Forum March 8 with The Pretenders during her “24 Karat Gold Tour.â€

Nicks has been nominated for eight Grammy awards as a solo artist. With Fleetwood Mac, she won Album of the Year in 1978 and a Grammy Hall of Fame award in 2003.

Dress code: flowery skirts and flowered headbands.

 

Attend a play at Playhouse on the Square

The regional premiere of “Lord of the Flies†is set for March 3 at Playhouse on the Square.

The play, based on the best-selling novel of the same name by William Golding, follows a group of schoolboys after their plane crashes on a deserted island.

Student-tickets are $20 and the play runs until March 26. Heads up: Playhouse on the Square issued a “playhouse advisory†for “adult situations,†so everyone in attendance needs to at least be semi-mature.

Listen to ukulele music at Lafayette’s 

Couldn’t make it to Hawaii this Spring Break? Still want to groove to some beachy music? Memphis Ukulele Band will perform at Lafayette’s Music Room March 4 from 3 to 6 p.m.

The band comprises five ukulele players, including U of M Tiger Kyndle McMahan, and plays cover tunes as well as original songs.

 

Stop by the Bass Pro Shop at the Pyramid

Even if the whole outdoorsy thing isn’t for you, it’s still fun to run around the massive Memphis Bass Pro Shop at the Pyramid. Plus, the fudge is amazing. If you have $10 to spare, you can also take a ride up to the top of the pyramid, visit the bar and watch a glorious sunset over Bluff City.

 

Hear a Grammy winner at the Hi Tone Café

Memphians who are fans of Kendrick Lamar’s collaborations “Real,†“B**** Don’t Kill My Vibe,†“Money Trees†or “These Walls†can see the woman behind the music March 8. Grammy award-winner Anna Wise is partnering with local artists for a night of “feminine empowerment†at the Hi Tone as the date coincides with the national protest “Day Without a Woman.â€

The artists involved hope to show “just how awesome women make the world every day,†according to curator Havier Green.

The concert starts at 8 p.m., and tickets are $10.

 

Visit the Zoo

If the weather is nice, you might want to go see the animals at the Memphis Zoo (just don’t park on the Greensward).

Summer hours start March 1, so instead of leaving the zoo at 4 p.m., you can actually stay until 5 p.m. Pack a picnic to save money on the overpriced zoo food and be sure to visit “Once Upon a Farm†to pet some furry friends.

 

Have a drink at the airport

So you couldn’t find anything to do in Memphis and just decided to leave town? Fine. Go hop on a plane at the Memphis International Airport, but before you do, remember that you can now get a drink in more places than in the past.

Airport officials have now secured beer and liquor licenses, so people can drink adult beverages in concourses and at gates after they have passed through security checkpoints, according to The Commercial Appeal.

After going through security, that wait might be a little more bearable with a beer or two. Just don’t share with any underage freshmen.