Aretha tells a joke. A friend of hers was staying in a hotel on Beale Street. “I woke up in the middle of the night and there was a man in my room,” says the friend.

“Girl, what did you do?” asks Aretha.

“I called the front desk and told them to call the police tomorrow.”

Halfway through Aretha’s excellent set, playing to what must be half of the day’s attendance, organizers must be breathing a sigh of relief. Franklin has been known to be difficult, and the conditions presented at an outdoor festival are ideal for complaints. Friday there was rain. Saturday there was cold. Tonight is just right. Perfect sunset. Ideal temperature. And the audience is seriously enthralled. From front to back, hands are in the air.

A few sound glitches have irked the Queen of Soul.  Otherwise she’s putting on a great show. Mayor Herenton’s hand off of the Key to the City went off well. He plowed through the boos of his detractors and put the focus quickly on Ms. Franklin. 

She stops mid “Freeway” to introduce her band and tells the crowd she had a good time in Memphis. (Yes!) “I’m going to eat some good barbecue,” she says before taking her leave. No encore…