We just spent a day on Beale st. Had great time. Stayed in a KOA the first night which I will "not" recommend. The second night we stayed in a hotel off Beale st. Not a huge Elvis fan so we didn't do that. If you like music and the blues, Beale is the place to visit. We ate on Beale and the food was good but not fantastic. We also took a horse drawn carriage which wasn't cheap but fun.
We stayed on the main drag and stayed away from back alleys so didn't give anyone any opportunities for problems. Lots of tourists. About 11 to 1130pm we noticed the energy changing with bars closing and people leaving so we left also. That is the same in every big city. The carnivores stay in the shadows and pick out the stragglers from the heard after the heard has moved on.
As far as bars go, we did a few and then just bought our drinks at a street vendor and walked up and down street. You can hear most performers from an open window and there was plenty of action on the street.
But man, the music was "great"!
Good luck and have a great time.