Here is a video clip and some photos from Christopher Blank of Friday’s exquisitely colorful crowd — colorful even when in black. Music is from Charlie Musselwhite’s set.

Robert ‘Wolfman’ Belfour was at the Shack but not much was going on. The rain had depleted the crowd and there was some technical thing holding up the entertainment. Except that his drummer just got the urge and pounded the skins for a while to the delight of the quite small audience. Here’s what it looked like.

Well that was pretty cool, just looking over and seeing Charlie Musselwhite backstage shooting the breeze with Keb ‘Mo’ before they went on. Lil Ed who has just finished his set came around and the three joked around and got some picture taking done. It was just minutes later when the downpour began — well, one of many during the day — and suddenly the Blues Tent was the most popular place around. Maybe some of the crowd who wouldn’t have thought to go in had their minds changed when Musselwhite started his set with some no-nonsense blues. Here’s how it played out.

It was party time on stage — dozens of revelers jamming the Budweiser stage as Project Pat with Computer and Lil Wyte and Yung D kept the audience in perpetual motion. Here’s the action, with some commentary by Computer, including an unsolicited exhortation to subscribe to The Commercial Appeal. No kidding!

So, not only did we send Mr. Donahue out for your aural pleasure, but we also wanted him to provide some visual stimulation for you, our devoted blog readers.

With that in mind, we have a fun little feature called “Where’s Donahue.” We’re going to start easy tonight, as you’re probably tired from either the festivities at Music Fest or from reading our exciting coverage of the party at Tom Lee. Click the image below to get started. Or if you want more audio fun, click here

I was too late to catch any of the set featuring Memphis rapper Project Pat and a cast of thousands, but I did hear Pat say that if you want to party with him tonight, he’ll be up there at Senses nightclub. No doubt sippin’ on some of that good sizzurp.

In other news, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts ripped through a crowd-pleasing set on the Sam’s Town Stage, throwing in classic tunes like “Crimson and Clover” and “Everyday People” along with well-known hits like “I Hate Myself for Loving You.” Ms. Jett hasn’t lost a thing up there, and her band is a well-oiled machine. There is simply no substitute for experience in the rock and roll business, kids. 

The opening acts were delayed about a half-hour and their set times truncated due to a wind advisory, according to a stage manager I just spoke to. Now the trains are all running on time, and the sky is clearing. As the stage manager pointed out, rain they can deal with, but you can’t mess with wind and lightning.

Amy LaVere and her bandmates, Steve Selvidge and Paul Taylor were called for a sound check at 2 p.m. By 5:30, they were still waiting thanks to the weather. Just before their set, they went into c’est la vie mode: Amy before the set

Right toward the end of the first round of acts, a nice shower has started here at the park, so I figured it was time for the first post.

Super Chikan & the Fighting Cocks opened up the blues tent, with lead man James Johnson’s tasty guitar licks riding high over the shuffling groove of his three-woman band. The Clarksdale native and New Orleans habitue lives up to his name with an unorthodox “chicken-pickin’” technique that uses his thumb and forefinger to make the strings pop and the notes crackle. He ranged from clean, Albert King-style lines to overdriven and wah-pedal-flavored passages in the Jimi Hendrix vein as his guitar kept a constant dialogue with a rollicking barrelhouse piano over the driving beat (provided by Super Chikan’s drummer daughter). “Somebody shoot that thang” indeed! Super Chikan’s appearance hadn’t been announced in listings I had seen, so he might have been a fill-in, perhaps for the scheduled Lurrie Bell.

As the Tennessee Lottery Blues Tent filled up, I headed to the Sam’s Town Stage for a few songs by red-hot rootsy singer-songwriter Amy LaVere, and her crack sidemen Paul Taylor and Steve Selvidge. I confess I hadn’t caught her most recent act until this evening, but I was impressed. Her songs carry enough melodic and lyrical weight that Taylor and Selvidge can subtly fill in the the framework of the composition, with the music sounding as complete on a huge festival stage as in a coffeehouse.

After that, I was off to catch “aristo-crunk” superstars-in-waiting Lord T. & Eloise, who are looking forward to their slot at next month’s Bonnaroo festival. They’re also gearing up for the release of their new album at the end of June. I’m about to try to catch up with the boys for a backstage interview. Check back in a few!

Michael Donahue continues to find the interesting people around the Beale Street Music Festival. Donahue’s audio journey continues here (mp3) and here (second mp3)