I have yet to tour the museum to look at the exhibits, but I do plan to return and explore when I have some time. I visited after somewhat accidentally discovering Habib Koite was playing a few days later. Several years ago I used to work at Barnes & Noble's music department in Atlanta and I discover Habib's music and enjoyed his mastery of the guitar. The web site was easy to navigate and I found I could get seats in the front row for $37.50. I quickly booked two.
The most challenging and stressful aspect was getting there. Not due to the museum itself, but more me and my GPS. I typed in the address of 4725 Mayo and it told me that didn't exist and changed it to 4800. I thought it would be close, but then decided to search by business and did find it showed MIM, but it said unknown road. 10 people "Liked" it so I assumed it was accurate. As I turned off onto Shea my girlfriend who did visit once on a school field trip for her daughter said she didn't think it was right. I was lost with 10 minutes prior to the show. I did something men do not usually do - I called for directions. The representative gave me clear directions and I managed to pull into the parking lot at 7:02. Picking up tickets at guest services was quick and painless. Thankfully, the director was making announcements when we took our seats and we didn't miss any of the show.
The atmosphere in the concert hall was amazing. It was small and comfortable. Although we were in the first row I don't think there was a bad seat in the house. The thing that amazed me the most was the sound. The stage has the perfect acoustics. I was amazed and enjoyed the performance. While I was familiar with Habib Koite I was not familiar with his partner Eric Bibb. Eric is a Memphis-blues guy and Habib is from Mali. Blues has its roots in African music and the two blended together perfectly. Both guys were very friendly, were excellent story tellers which made the songs even more enjoyable. After the show they signed autographs in the hallway and we toured the MIM gift shop at the end of the night. I wanted to buy the Gangster Rap Coloring book but passed - next time!
I will definitely return to see other shows and I would like to actually see the exhibits. I definitely recommend this museum.