New Daisy Theatre
A historic live-music and events venue on Beale Street in Memphis, Tennessee.
Last updated August 24, 2026
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Overview
New Daisy Theatre is a historic entertainment venue on Beale Street in Memphis, Tennessee. It has served different roles across its history, including movie theater, boxing venue, concert hall, and rental-event space. The venue is associated with the musical culture of Beale Street and has presented both Memphis performers and nationally touring artists across rock, blues, soul, hip-hop, country, alternative, and other genres. The venue is generally identified as having opened in 1936, although accounts of its early history also describe the Zerilla brothers and business partner Joe Maceri opening the New Daisy at 330 Beale Street in 1942. The business was connected to the earlier Daisy Theatre, and the newer building was intended to provide a larger space for popular entertainment. During its first decades, the New Daisy operated primarily as a cinema while occasionally hosting live performances. It remained standing during periods when other buildings on Beale Street were demolished, but by the 1970s it had fallen into poor condition. In the early 1980s, boxing promoter Mike Glenn leased the venue and used it to stage boxing matches. Boxing initially helped support the theater financially, but concerts eventually became the more lucrative part of the operation. Under Glenn's tenure, the New Daisy developed a stronger identity as a rock and live-music venue while continuing to host boxing for a period. Its stage later accommodated artists including Ike & Tina Turner, John Lee Hooker, Jerry Lee Lewis, Al Green, Sam & Dave, Bob Dylan, Prince, Nirvana, Phish, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Tool, Alanis Morissette, Justin Timberlake, Childish Gambino, J. Cole, Machine Gun Kelly, Ty Dolla $ign, and many others. Bob Dylan also used the venue as a setting for a video connected with his Grammy-winning album Time Out of Mind. Steve Adelman and J. W. Gibson acquired the F.G.H. Corporation and the New Daisy Theatre in 2014. A substantial renovation followed in 2015, reportedly costing $500,000 and adding a new floor, VIP areas, bars, and upgraded sound and lighting systems. The refreshed venue announced a broad program of rock, alternative, hip-hop, and roots acts, including Seether, Drive-By Truckers, Joey Bada$$, Public Image Ltd., Everclear, and Steve Earle. The ownership period also produced a legal dispute. In 2019, Adelman was charged in connection with an allegedly fraudulent check involving former owner Mike Glenn. Police later dropped the charges after determining that the allegations were false, according to the cited account. Adelman said he intended to pursue civil action concerning the dispute. The matter did not establish a continuing criminal case against the venue. Spearheaded by Jon Shivers in cooperation with the Downtown Memphis Commission, the New Daisy Theatre reopened in 2023. Its stated role after reopening was to present local and touring musical acts and to accommodate corporate and private events. The venue's positioning therefore combines historic Beale Street identity, Memphis musical heritage, live touring entertainment, and flexible event rental capacity.
History
The New Daisy Theatre is located at 330 Beale Street in Memphis, Tennessee, within one of the city's most historically important entertainment districts. Accounts commonly date the venue's opening to 1936, while historical descriptions of the building's establishment identify 1942 as the year when Paul and Sam Zerilla, together with business partner Joe Maceri, opened the New Daisy. The three were associated with the original Daisy Theatre and sought to create a larger performance space for popular entertainment. Because the available accounts give both dates, the venue's early chronology should be treated with caution. During its first several decades, the New Daisy was principally a movie theater. Live performances took place there at times, but cinema was its main operating identity. The theater survived changes to the surrounding Beale Street streetscape, including the demolition of nearby buildings. By the 1970s, however, the property had deteriorated and required a new commercial direction. In the early 1980s, boxing promoter Mike Glenn began leasing the theater and brought boxing matches to the building. The matches provided important early revenue, but Glenn eventually found that rock concerts generated more money. The New Daisy consequently developed into a concert venue, although boxing continued for some time. During Glenn's long association with the property, the stage hosted a wide range of blues, soul, rock, alternative, country, and popular-music performers. The venue's history includes appearances by Ike & Tina Turner, John Lee Hooker, Gatemouth Brown, Jerry Lee Lewis, Al Green, Sam & Dave, Bob Dylan, the Cramps, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Phish, Prince, Rufus Thomas, Nirvana, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Tool, Alanis Morissette, Oasis, and many others. Later performers included Justin Timberlake, Dierks Bentley, Zac Brown Band, Childish Gambino, All Time Low, J. Cole, Machine Gun Kelly, AJR, and Ty Dolla $ign. The venue also became connected to recorded popular culture. Bob Dylan used the New Daisy as a location for a video associated with a song from Time Out of Mind, the album that received Grammy recognition. This added a film and music-media dimension to the theater's role beyond its regular concert schedule. Glenn sold the New Daisy in November 2014. John Hiatt was described as the last national act presented under his tenure. Steve Adelman and J. W. Gibson then purchased the F.G.H. Corporation and the theater. In 2015, they invested a reported $500,000 in improvements. The work included a new floor, VIP areas, additional bars, and modernized sound and lighting systems. The first announced bookings after the renovation reflected an intentionally broad music strategy, with Seether, Drive-By Truckers, Joey Bada$$, Public Image Ltd., Everclear, and Steve Earle among the scheduled acts. A dispute involving the new ownership became public in 2019. Adelman was charged over an allegedly fraudulent check written to former owner Mike Glenn. Police subsequently dropped the charges after determining that the claims were false. Adelman stated that he intended to bring a civil action to address what he described as wrongful conduct. The available account does not indicate that the criminal matter resulted in a conviction. The New Daisy later returned to operation in 2023. The reopening was spearheaded by Jon Shivers in partnership with the Downtown Memphis Commission. The venue was presented as a place for local and national touring acts, while retaining capacity for corporate and private rentals. Its modern identity consequently rests on three overlapping functions: a historic Beale Street landmark, a Memphis-connected concert room, and a flexible event facility.
- 2023
Venue reopens
[1]The New Daisy reopened under an initiative spearheaded by Jon Shivers and the Downtown Memphis Commission.
- 2019
Criminal charges in ownership dispute are dropped
[1]Charges against Steve Adelman concerning a disputed check involving Mike Glenn were dropped after police determined that the allegations were false.
- 2015
Renovation modernizes the concert facility
[1]A reported $500,000 renovation added a new floor, VIP areas, bars, and upgraded sound and lighting equipment.
- 2014
Ownership changes
[1]Steve Adelman and J. W. Gibson acquired the F.G.H. Corporation and the New Daisy Theatre after Mike Glenn's long tenure.
- 1980
Boxing promoter begins leasing the venue
[1]Mike Glenn began leasing the theater and introduced boxing events, which later gave way to a stronger concert focus.
- 1970
Theater reaches a period of deterioration
[1]By the 1970s, the property had fallen into disrepair, though the New Daisy and the original Daisy building remained standing as nearby structures were removed.
- 1942
Zerilla and Maceri partnership opens the venue
[1]Paul and Sam Zerilla and Joe Maceri opened the New Daisy at 330 Beale Street as a larger entertainment space connected to the original Daisy Theatre.
- 1936
Reported opening of the New Daisy Theatre
[1]The venue is commonly dated to 1936 in descriptions of its history, although other accounts place the opening of the building in 1942.
Products and positioning
A historic Beale Street music venue combining Memphis heritage with touring concerts, local acts, and private-event capabilities.
Entertainment venue programming
Live concerts
The New Daisy's central offering is live music programming. Across its history, the venue has presented Memphis musicians and national touring acts in blues, soul, rock, alternative, country, hip-hop, and pop-related genres. Its program has included both established performers and emerging artists, reflecting the broad musical identity of Beale Street.
Event rentals · 2023
Private and corporate events
The theater also functions as a rental venue for corporate functions, private events, and other non-concert gatherings. This use broadens the facility's revenue model beyond ticketed shows and allows the historic setting, bars, VIP areas, sound, and lighting infrastructure to support customized events.
Combat sports events · 1980
Boxing events
Boxing was an important part of the New Daisy's operating history after Mike Glenn began leasing the property in the early 1980s. Although concerts eventually became more financially significant, boxing helped stabilize the theater during its transition from a deteriorated former cinema into a modern live-entertainment venue.
Cinema · 1936
Movie theater programming
For its first decades, the New Daisy primarily operated as a movie theater. Live acts appeared occasionally, but cinema was the building's principal function before the venue shifted toward boxing and then concerts.
Controversies
2019
Disputed check and dropped fraud charges
Steve Adelman was charged in relation to an allegedly fraudulent check involving former owner Mike Glenn. Police later dropped the charges after finding that the claims were false. Adelman said he intended to pursue a civil case concerning the dispute.
Brand decisions
2023
Reopening as a concert and event venueStrategyBackground
After a period away from regular operation, the New Daisy was brought back as part of an initiative involving Jon Shivers and the Downtown Memphis Commission.
Action taken
The venue reopened to host local and national touring acts as well as corporate and private events.
Aftermath
The reopening restored the New Daisy to Beale Street's live-entertainment ecosystem and retained its flexible event-rental role.
2015
Repositioning through venue renovationStrategyBackground
Following the 2014 acquisition, the new owners sought to reinforce the New Daisy's position as a contemporary concert and entertainment venue.
Action taken
The owners invested a reported $500,000 in a new floor, VIP areas, bars, and upgraded sound and lighting systems, then announced a broad opening concert schedule.
Aftermath
The improvements supported a programming mix spanning rock, alternative, hip-hop, and roots-oriented performers.
Renovation investment. $500,000 (2015)
Sources1 sources
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