THE YEAR THAT WAS P4 • TOP 10 ALBUMS OF ’23 P14 • BEST AND WORST IN FILM P20 OUR 1818TH ISSUE • 12.28.23 • FREE
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On the Horizon A look ahead at news, politics, music, film, and sports.
December 28, 2023-January 3, 2024
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CONTENTS
SHARA CLARK Editor SAMUEL X. CICCI Managing Editor JACKSON BAKER, BRUCE VANWYNGARDEN Senior Editors TOBY SELLS Associate Editor KAILYNN JOHNSON News Reporter CHRIS MCCOY Film and TV Editor ALEX GREENE Music Editor MICHAEL DONAHUE, JON W. SPARKS Staff Writers ABIGAIL MORICI Arts and Culture Editor GENE GARD, EMILY GUENTHER, COCO JUNE, FRANK MURTAUGH Contributing Columnists SHARON BROWN, AIMEE STIEGEMEYER Grizzlies Reporters ANDREA FENISE Fashion Editor KENNETH NEILL Founding Publisher
OUR 1818TH ISSUE 12.28.23 This year has flown by at the speed of light. Maybe it’s the unending carousel of deadlines that come with producing a weekly print publication and managing daily web posts and always planning content for the months to come. Or maybe we’re traveling through some sort of time portal hurtling through space. Whatever the case may be, I’ve taken a look back at my evolving thoughts throughout 2023, which began, in this editorial space apparently, with eggs. Last January, everyone was bok-bok-ba-gawking at soaring egg prices — upwards of $7 a dozen — and I took a crack at investigating why it was happening. A more complicated answer than inflation, involving “the ongoing conversion to cage-free egg production systems” and a shortage of laying hens after an influx of avian flu. Within the first 23 days of 2023, though, Memphis suffered much greater pains. The city — and world — was outraged following the brutal beating and death of Tyre Nichols at the hands of MPD officers. In that first month, we also mourned the loss of Memphis icons Gangsta Boo, Lisa Marie Presley, Vincent Astor, and Dr. Charles A. Champion. In February, the Flyer team lost a member of our work family when longtime sales rep and forever bright light Hailey Thomas passed away. A rough start here, to say the least. By March, after weeks of processing and writing and reading about the weight of it all, I took a brief hiatus, “seeking serenity,” and relocated a while to work from my grandparents’ former residence — a mobile home at the edge of the county line in rural Greenwood, Mississippi. They’d both passed away in 2022, and the land was unoccupied aside from me and an alligator friend who lived in a pond within eyeshot of the front porch. I say friend because it turned out to be quite docile, poking its head up from the water to sun its scutes and offer me daily salutations. Google told me it was in brumation, a form of hibernation, essentially — resting and preparing for the higher activity of the warmer months to come. I decided I, too, was brumating. In April, beer went woke when Bud Light partnered with trans activist and TikTok sensation Dylan Mulvaney. The nation was astir with boycotts, unknowingly replacing their favorite beer brand with others that — oops — also supported LGBTQ and equality-focused programs. In the midst of it all, Kid Rock shot up a bunch of cans with a semi-automatic. What a time to be alive! By May, gun violence was top of mind in the aftermath of the controversial expulsion of two Tennessee lawmakers — Justin Pearson and Justin Jones — from the legislature after protesting the issue from the floor of the chamber. And I pondered the negative impression a video that surfaced of Ja Morant flaunting a gun might have on youth. June was arguably the best month of 2023 for me (and, like January, held much focus on eggs), as I had the opportunity to spend a month house sitting in Midtown and tend to a small flock of hens. Not only was the change in perspective nice, but caring for those lovely, peculiar ladies was a joy. The first week, I mustered the courage to pick up a broody hen and move her from her nesting box, and by month’s end, I petted and picked them up simply because I wanted to. A beautiful bond was built, and I managed to break my own broody mood. Also in June, a handful of billionaires imploded in a tin can steered by a game controller on a failed Titanic excursion. Again, what a time! In July, the Supreme Court voted to squash President Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan (bummer), but I was happily writing my third column about chickens as I offered a wrap-up of my Midtown “staycation” and tribute to the five feathered beauties who made my summer (especially, Pancake: I love you, darling!). In August, a former U.S. intelligence officer testified before Congress that aliens are real. As it turned out, we didn’t really care. I also received my first hate mail, blaming me and the Flyer for all of the city’s crime and “leftist bullshit.” That was fun. September in Flyer land is all about Best of Memphis — the annual issue in which we celebrate the winners of our NEWS & OPINION all-things-Memphis readers’ poll. In OcTHE FLY-BY - 4 tober, I suffered a bout of writer’s block POLITICS - 6 and reflected on the desire to eat berries AT LARGE - 8 in the forest rather than fold clothes. FINANCE - 9 November was the one-year mileCOVER STORY “ON THE HORIZON” stone for my editor role — thankful BY FLYER STAFF - 10 you’ve all tolerated me (and that I haven’t WE RECOMMEND - 13 yet received any further hate mail). MUSIC - 14 December has been a blur as we AFTER DARK - 15 worked weeks into the future on stagCALENDAR - 16 gered holiday deadlines, and now, my NY TIMES CROSSWORD - 16 ASTROLOGY - 17 friends, we’re at the finish line. NEWS OF THE WEIRD - 18 I hope this year has been kind to each FOOD - 19 of you. And a greater hope still is that FILM - 20 2024 is our collective best yet. CL ASSIFIEDS - 22 Take care of yourselves. LAST WORD - 23 Shara Clark shara@memphisflyer.com
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THE
fly-by
MEMernet
Y E A R T H AT WA S By Flyer staff
Tyre Nichols, Tennessee Three, & Memphis In May
THE WINNER
A beating death by police rattles the city, a gun violence protest backfires, and a slump for the festival.
Reddit user u/notanotheraibot wins the MEMernet this year with a highquality meme featuring Hitler finding out his favorite Memphis pizza place was not treated well in a Reddit poll. RUNNER UP
POSTED TO FACEBOOK BY RICHIE ESQUIVEL
December 28, 2023-January 3, 2024
Edited by Toby Sells
Memphis on the internet.
POSTED TO REDDIT BY U/NOTANOTHERAIBOT
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{
Questions, Answers + Attitude
Richie Esquivel posted a sad/hilarious photo of a dead raccoon painted over by a road crew laying new traffic stripes on Getwell. The Facebook post went around the world, picked up by The Guardian, the New York Post, and more. “#notmyjob,” he wrote. “Memphis, Tennessee, baby. But Getwell Road looked real nice, tho.” TYRE’S MEMPHIS
POSTED TO TWITTER BY TYRE NICHOLS
Hundreds of thousands found the photography website for Tyre Nichols. “My name is Tyre D. Nichols. I am an aspiring photographer,” he wrote. “Well, I mostly do this stuff for fun but I enjoy it very much. Photography helps me look at the world in a more creative way. It expresses me in ways I cannot write down for people.”
The Memphis economy bounced fully back after Covid-19. U-Haul said Tennessee was a top growth state. Tennessee tied Indiana for the most conservative legislature. A new report found that hate crimes grew in Tennessee in 2021. Nonconsenual pelvic exams remained legal in Tennessee with no legislation to change it. Five Memphis Police Department (MPD) officers were fired after the violent beating death of Tyre Nichols. Memphis experienced a turbulent week in the national spotlight in the aftermath of Nichols’ killing at the hands of the MPD. Many predicted violence after body cam footage of the event was released. However, protests were nonviolent and only closed traffic on the Memphis-Arkansas Bridge. The Memphis Fire Department fired three employees for failure to adequately assess the medical needs of Nichols. LeLe, one of the Memphis Zoo’s giant pandas, passed away. Sterilization Services of Tennessee (SST) was well within its rights to emit cancer-causing ethylene oxide into the air, according to the Shelby County Health Department. A Tennessee bill could (and ultimately did) ban genderaffirming care for minors in the state. A state lawmaker wanted to add firing squads as an option for death row inmates. A new bill would (but didn’t) decriminalize cannabis across the state. Memphis was found to have the highest STD rates of any city in the country. Juneteenth cleared a hurdle to become, ultimately, a state holiday. A shooting at Nashville’s Covenant School left three children and three teachers dead. The event began a statewide debate on gun violence. A new project was announced to revive Downtown’s Sterick Building. No cancer clusters were found around SST’s South Memphis facility. Three Tennessee legislators — Rep. Justin Pearson (D-Memphis), Rep. Gloria Johnson (D-Knoxville), and Rep.
PHOTOS: (TOP LEFT) POSTED TO FACEBOOK BY DAKARAI TURNER; (TOP RIGHT) POSTED TO FACEBOOK BY BLOUNT COUNTY DEMOCRATIC PARTY; (ABOVE) MEMPHIS IN MAY
Tyre Nichols; the Tennessee Three’s Gloria Johnson, Justin Pearson, and Justin Jones; Memphis in May Justin Jones (D-Nashville) led a gun-violence protest on the floor of the Tennessee House. The GOP-dominated legislative body later voted to expel Pearson and Jones, both Black, and to keep Johnson, who is white. The Hollywood Community Association was formed. Gov. Bill Lee promised a special session on gun violence after GOP leaders failed to sponsor any of his bills on the matter. Nichols’ family sued the city of Memphis for $550 million. Details emerged about Ducks Unlimited Park, a 1,500acre park on the Arkansas side of the Mississippi River. State officials worked on a plan that could possibly bring a statewide passenger rail line. A project was underway to bring a grocery store to North Memphis. Organizations and families challenged (but ultimately lost) a legal dispute against the state’s ban on genderaffirming care for minors. A movement was underway to investigate or expel House Speaker Cameron Sexton (R-Crossville) for living outside of
Viva
closed their Midtown locations. MPD reported that more than 70 percent of violent crime here involved guns. FBI data found most hate crimes in Tennessee targeted Black people. A report from Just City suggested Memphis judges needed more empathy toward victims and the accused. The $63 million renovations to Tom Lee Park were unveiled to the public as the new park officially opened. Downtown Memphis Commission president and CEO Paul Young was elected mayor. MIM reported a record-low loss of nearly $3.5 million for its 2023 events and record-low attendance for Beale Street Music Festival. Shelby County ranked high as an area most vulnerable to climate change, according to a new study. The Memphis Area Transit Authority (MATA) proposed winter changes to some routes and to stop running buses after 7 p.m. Irked transit users said MATA “needs a complete do-over.” A new study at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center aimed to unlock the links between genetics and the effects of cannabis. Tourism in Shelby County topped $4 billion in 2022, a new record. A project got underway to end Greensward parking and open up new areas of Overton Park for recreation. A national study found the South’s “business-friendly” economic development policies are rooted in racism and failed most who live in the area. State officials began drafting Tennessee’s first climate action plan. Memphis held its first Trans Fest. MIM announced it would not host Beale Street Music Festival in 2024 and would hold the Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest at Liberty Park. Forward Momentum (the group that organizes Mempho Music Festival) and the Memphis River Parks Partnership announced a new, three-day music festival and barbecue competition at Tom Lee Park for 2024. The Tennessee Innocence Project opened an office in Memphis. Passenger rail planning moved ahead with a $500,000 federal grant. Some of TVA’s salary information was disclosed following a lawsuit filed by the Institute for Public Service Reporting at the University of Memphis. Jim Holt retired as president and CEO of MIM. A man caused alarm and locked down a school as he walked through Midtown hoisting a gun.
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his district. A new law allowed private schools to regulate trans athletes. A man allegedly fired a single shot into FOX13’s station on Highland and hid in the Ubee’s bathroom. He livestreamed most of it. The University of Memphis got more than $5 million for campus safety upgrades. Tennessee tourism spending broke another record in 2022. Lawmakers called for Lee to abandon his special session, calling it a “publicity stunt.“ Sexton gave mosque-fighting, antiBlack Lives Matter, anti-CRT, 9/11 Truther, Jan. 6 insurrectionist Laurie Cardoza-Moore a seat on a committee to review social studies books for public schools. Lawmakers grappled with ways to regulate AI. Data proved Tennesseans drank more after the pandemic. Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti required a Nashville hospital to turn over personal medical records in a trans care case. Thefts of guns from cars hit a record high in 2022. Testing times for rape kits with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation were cut nearly in half. A new U.S. Department of Justice unit opened in Memphis to focus on hate crimes, civil rights violations, and domestic terrorism. A state panel of experts recommended building a statewide railway system. Federal legislation would have (but still hasn’t) made public some of the biggest salaries at the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). The Memphis Zoo parking lot was redone, part of a larger project to end parking on the Overton Park Greensward. State and local health officials warned of a new drug called xylazine, also called “tranq dope.” Tennessee Republicans flexed their supermajority during a special session on gun violence. They shut down protesters, kicked the public out of public spaces, and did very little legislating. Tennessee recorded 13 mass shootings in 2022, a new record. Residents filed a lawsuit against SST for damages caused by toxic emissions. The company announced later it would close its Memphis facility in April 2024. Damages to Tom Lee Park by Memphis in May (MIM) events topped $1.4 million. Memphis mourned the passing of food writer Jennifer Biggs. Outdoors Inc. and Belly Acres
NEWS & OPINION
{
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POLITICS By Jackson Baker
Year of the C-Word Crime was a major preoccupation in 2023.
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Memphians had local prosecutorial authorities were, in his been flummoxed estimation, being lax about getting crimiin late 2022 by nals off the streets and keeping them off. two heinous But, in the course of several year-end crimes — the farewell appearances as mayor, Strickland brazen kidnapping found a silver lining or two. from her jogging In prepared remarks, Strickland cited trail and murder “city recruitment and retention programs of schoolteacher Liza Fletcher and a and incentives to grow our [police] maniacal killing spree by one Ezekiel department” closer to a distant goal of Kelly, who videoed the shootings of his 2,500. (Currently, the MPD is about random victims on social media as he 1,900 strong.) Altogether, 1,136 officers rambled around town that evening in a had been added to the force, and 1,301 series of stolen cars. had been promoted during his tenure, These were horrific events, and they Strickland noted. earned widespread national attention Other matters mentioned by Strickas well. land in a wide sweep of claimed acBut the dazed citizens of Memphis complishments included a variety of had, as they say, seen nothing yet. Nor had development projects, youth programs, the world. In the first weeks of the new and initiatives for the homeless, along year, a young amateur photographer and with extensive re-paving, new LED street skateboard enthusiast named Tyre Nichols lighting, and more of the “basics” canwas stopped while drivdidate Strickland had ing home and mauled promised to be “briland killed by members of liant” at when he first an out-of-control police ran in 2015. unit called, ominously, In the course of his re“SCORPION.” marks during an unveilUnderstandably, such ing of his official portrait circumstances, coupled in City Hall, the mayor with a dismaying rise was openly emotional to in shootings, car thefts, the point of tears as he break-ins, and youth vioexpressed gratitude for PHOTO: JACKSON BAKER lence in general, ensured the opportunity to have Jim Strickland gets a hug that public safety and served eight years in “the from the Rotary Club’s crime control — on both best job I ever had.” Edwina Thomas at one sides of the law — would And now that job is of the outgoing mayor’s loom large in the year’s Paul Young’s for the havseveral farewell addresses. ing. One of the bases of city elections. Temporarily intercandidate Young’s appeal rupted by legal confusion over possible had been his assertion that he didn’t care residency issues, the mayoral race eventuabout the politics of things, that, rather, “I ally saw an original field of 11 winnowed just want to do the work.” down to four main contenders: Sheriff That modest declaration was reasFloyd Bonner, former Mayor Willie suring in the same way that Strickland’s Herenton, NAACP head Van Turner, and expressed determination to see to the Downtown Memphis Commission CEO basics had been. Paul Young. Young, too, will have to concern An early favorite, Bonner would see his himself with the everyday and the comprospects marred, fairly or not, by publicmonplace of governing — and no doubt ity regarding an apparent rash of inmate will do well at it. deaths in the county jail. The ultimate vicBut to return to our main theme, tor was Young, a veteran of several more he will have to wrestle — and wrestle or less technocratic city and county jobs, hard — with the overarching theme of who had begun the race as a virtual unpublic safety. known but caught fire, thanks to influenOne reminder is that 2024 will see the tial backing, formidable fundraising, and trial of a second defendant in the 2018 nonstop on-the-clock campaigning. murder on Front Street of then Chamber The outgoing Mayor Jim Strickland, a of Commerce president Phil Trenary, a veteran of two terms, had been vexed by random victim who was walking home to the issue in his turn. He had expended his condo after watching the conclusion of considerable time in recent months laa 5K race Downtown. menting what he called a “revolving door,” An uncommon event but a basic whereby members of the judiciary and one nevertheless.
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A T L A R G E B y B r u c e Va n W y n g a r d e n
Twelve Months At Large Looking back at a very different kind of year.
December 28, 2023-January 3, 2024
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n my first column of 2023, I wrote about the most traumatic Christmas I’ve ever experienced, one in which I was gifted with a cancer diagnosis and the daunting prospect of back surgery and chemotherapy to try and get rid of it. Merry effing Christmas, indeed. It all seems kind of like a bad dream now. And I suppose it was. Anyway, I was determined to keep writing, to maintain some semblance of normalcy, even as I lost 30 pounds, my hair, and my ability to walk without assistance. But typing wasn’t hard, so on things went. In January, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis had not yet become a highheeled boot-wearing, tongue-twitching laughingstock, but you could see it coming. The dude was pushing “don’t say gay” bills, banning school books, bashing drag queens, prohibiting AP classes from teaching African-American history, and finally and most ludicrously, fighting against a mythical liberal ban on gas stoves. All this shit was “woke,” y’all, and Ronnie wasn’t having any of it because he was fronting a run for president and being against woke was his entire platform. Oops. January was also the month Memphis got pushed into the national spotlight when the brutal beating death of Tyre Nichols was revealed. Video from a nearby pole-mounted police camera showed five officers mercilessly beating Nichols with batons, face-kicks, and brutal punches to his head for more than three minutes. Nichols was then left on the ground for nearly a half-hour as his assailants stood around discussing possible alibis, ignoring him. Three days later, Nichols died from his injuries at St. Francis Hospital. A nation was outraged. Memphis responded with the dignity requested by Nichols’ family, but the scar still lingers, and the trials are ongoing. We needed a break, and February provided one. Remember “Balloon-gate,” when a nefarious Chinese balloon slowly crossed the country, serving as a high-altitude Rorschach test for the body politic. Republicans and Tucker Carlson and Sean Hannity were all clamoring for President Biden to shoot it down immediately. The thing was probably “woke.” Biden listened to his military experts and held fire until it was over the Atlantic, and plop it went into the ocean, and out of our memories. After that fiasco, Memphis was ready for a fight, so I provoked one by writing about the ongoing struggle between Memphis in May (MIM) and Memphis River Parks Partnership (MRPP). Traffic on the Flyer website blew up and com-
ments on social media got nasty. You were either on the side of the evil mastermind of MRPP, Carol Coletta, or you were in the pocket of those lying weasels at MIM, led by the nefarious Jim Holt. Memphis in May happened despite the brouhaha. The park got trashed. MRPP charged MIM lots of money for damages. MIM pulled next year’s events from the park, another music fest announced it was coming in, and people are still arguing. Meh. In April, Tennessee Republicans decided to humiliate themselves on a national stage by kicking out state representatives Justin Pearson, Justin Jones, and Gloria Johnson for protesting the GOP’s inaction on gun reform. The three instantly became household names, appearing on television networks, here and abroad, meeting with Vice President Kamala Harris, and being invited to the White House to meet the president. To those Republicans responsible, I’d just like to take a moment to say: Nice job, you racist, gun-sucking assholes.
PHOTO: JOHN PARTIPILO | TENNESSEE LOOKOUT
The Tennessee Three — Gloria Johnson, Justin Pearson, and Justin Jones In late June, my cancer went into remission and I set about regrowing hair. Also, homophobic nut job Pat Robertson died and Donald Trump kept getting indicted. WTG, June! The rest of the summer was relatively uneventful and I wrote amusingly and poignantly about golf, dogs, weather, my vacation, and fireworks. In the fall, I penned a couple of sage and insightful columns about the race for Memphis mayor. Soon thereafter, I voted for the guy who came in fourth, so my stellar record as a political prognosticator remains intact. And then, just because I needed to divert attention from politics, I tossed off another column about Memphis in May, with predictable results. Half of the city thinks I’m an idiot and half thinks I’m a pretty smart guy. Which pretty much sums my year — and my career, for that matter. At any rate, I’m just happy to be here as we begin another spin around the sun. Happy New Year!
FINANCE By Gene Gard
Corporate Transparency Business owners will have a new reporting requirement beginning January 1, 2024.
PHOTO: TOWFIQU BARBHUIYA| UNSPLASH
More work for business owners What’s reported? Information regarding each beneficial owner of the business is required to be filed with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). A beneficial owner is an individual who, directly or indirectly, either exercises “substantial control” over a business or owns or controls at least 25 percent of the ownership interests of a business. An individual exercises “substantial control” if they satisfy any of the following conditions: • They serve as a senior officer of the business. • They have authority over the senior officers or a majority of the board of directors of the business. • They have the ability to direct the business’ financial transactions.
For each beneficial owner, the following information will be required: • Full name • Date of birth • Current address • Unique ID number, such as a driver’s license or passport ID, as well as a photo of that document When is the report due? If the business is established before the CTA goes into effect in 2024, the first report will be due within a year. If a business is formed once the act is in place, the first report will be required within 30 days. After the initial report, there’s no annual reporting requirement. However, any changes to the beneficial ownership of a business will require the filing of an updated report with FinCEN within 30 days. That includes a change of address of any owner. If no report is filed, the CTA establishes criminal and civil penalties. The failure to file penalty is currently set at $500 a day (up to $10,000). These costly penalties make this an item not to ignore! The CTA will have an impact on many businesses. Being aware of the required reporting will help your business comply with the law while avoiding costly penalties. You also still have time before the end of the year to clean up and close any existing unused LLCs that may have been formed for a potential business endeavor, thereby removing any filing requirement and preventing an unexpected penalty. Gene Gard, CFA, CFP, CFT-I, is a Partner and Private Wealth Manager with Creative Planning. Creative Planning is one of the nation’s largest Registered Investment Advisory firms providing comprehensive wealth management services to ensure all elements of a client’s financial life are working together, including investments, taxes, estate planning, and risk management. For more information or to request a free, no-obligation consultation, visit CreativePlanning.com.
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NEWS & OPINION
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ecause business owners don’t have enough on their plates already, the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) will add another reporting requirement to keep you all busy. The CTA, which goes into effect on January 1, 2024, will require a wide range of businesses to file a report providing information on their beneficial owners. The requirement is intended to improve transparency in entities and combat money laundering, tax fraud, and other illicit activities.
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PHOTO: NARAWIT
On the Horizon
A look ahead at news, politics, music, film, and sports. COVER STORY By Flyer staff
December 28, 2023-January 3, 2024
W
hat do you mean it’s almost January? If you’re anything like us, the encroaching new year has really seemed to have come out of left field. The churning news cycle means that we’ve had our heads down covering the arts, a mayoral race, the Tennessee legislature, and everything in between. But despite a packed 2023, there are plenty more stories on the horizon. With 2024 just around the corner, our writers take a look at what we can expect in Memphis news next year.
BREAKING NEWS
Paul Young Paul Young taking the mayor’s seat will be the Memphis news story to watch in 2024. Memphis hasn’t had a new mayor for eight years; hasn’t done things differently for eight years — for good or bad. So, Memphians can expect new ideas, fresh faces, and new approaches 10 to the city’s same-old problems (but maybe some new opportunities, too).
Some could argue too much emphasis is put on the mayor’s office, much like the president’s office. But that office is where the city’s business is done daily, from police and fire to trash collection and paving. Yes, these ideas are later shaped by the Memphis City Council and, yes, the mayor is expected to carry out rules formed entirely by
the council. But all of that is executed (executive branch, get it?) by the mayor and his team. Young has already named a few key staffers. Tannera Gibson will be his city attorney and Penelope Huston will be PHOTO: PAUL YOUNG FOR MEMPHIS
Paul Young
head of communications, according to The Daily Memphian. Young told the Memphian, too, that he’ll keep the controversial Cerelyn Davis as chief of the Memphis Police Department. Memphis in May This next year could be make or break for the Memphis in May International Festival (MIM). It ended 2023 with a whimper. The nonprofit organization posted a record loss of $3.4 million and record-low attendance for Beale Street Music Festival. Also, its longtime leader Jim Holt announced his retirement. MIM leaders put Music Fest on hiatus for 2024. It also moved the Championship Barbecue Cooking Competition to Liberty Park. Meanwhile Forward Momentum and the Memphis River Parks Partnership (MRPP) announced a new three-day music festival at Tom Lee Park (called River Beat) and a new barbecue contest, both in May. It’s unknown if these new events could supplant MIM. Speculation,
Tennessee General Assembly State lawmakers are hard to predict. Last year, for example, one GOP member spent countless hours persuading his colleagues to add firing squads to the list of options for the state’s death row inmates. Another wanted to add “hanging by a tree” to that list. However, one can easily predict Republicans will seek to make life harder for the LGBTQ community. One bill paused last year, for example, would allow county clerks to deny marriage rites to anyone they choose (wink, wink). The little-known but hard-working Tennessee Medical Marijuana Commission may approach lawmakers next year with a plan to get a state system off the ground. Dead medical cannabis bills have become too many to count over the years. But the hope is that the group’s expertise after years of study may help tip the scales. Easy bets are also on bills that mention “abortion” or “trans.” — Toby Sells
POLITICS Oddly enough, the city’s incoming chief executive, Paul Young, remains something of an unknown despite his extensive exposure (and his consistently adept campaigning) during the long and trying mayoral race that concluded in October. Nor will the aggressive ballyhoo of his preliminary activities — parade, concert, and inaugural ball, no less! — have shed much light on his intentions in office, though his inaugural address will be highly anticipated in that regard. Major changes may be in the offing, though so far the shape of them is not obvious. Young’s announced reappointment of police director C.J. PHOTO: MEMPHIS POLICE DEPARTMENT
C.J. Davis
Davis at year’s end may be an indication that, in the personnel sense, anyhow, there may well be a continuum of sorts with the administration of outgoing Mayor Strickland. The newly elected council, meanwhile, is expected to be measurably more progressive-minded on various issues as a result of the election than was its predecessor. A city task force already launched — GVIP (Group Violence Intervention Program), which involves an active interchange of sorts between governmental players and gang members (“intervenors,” as they are designated) in an effort to curb violence on the streets. It will be picking up steam as the year begins. And follow-up readings will still be required in 2024 on an initiative sponsored by outgoing Councilman Martavius Jones and passed by the council conferring lifelong healthcare benefits on council members elected since 2015, upon their having completed two terms. (News of that move prompted an astounded Facebook post from former Councilman Shea Flinn, who served back when first responders’ benefits had to be cut and a controversial pension for city employees with 12 years’ or more service was rescinded. Said Flinn: “Do I have this correct? Because I don’t want to be gassing up a flamethrower for nothing!”) The Shelby County Commission, having worked in tandem with Mayor Lee Harris in the past year to secure serious funding for a new Regional One Health hospital, continues to be ambitious, hoping to acquire subpoena power from the state for the county’s recently created Civilian Law Enforcement Review Committee and to proceed with the construction of a long-contemplated Mental Health, Safety, and Justice Center. The commission is also seeking guidance from the DA’s office on the long-festering matter of removing County Clerk Wanda Halbert from office. At the state level, almost all attention during the early legislative session will be fixed on Republican Governor Bill Lee’s decision to push for statewide application of the school-voucher program that barely squeaked through the General Assembly in 2019 as a “pilot” program for Shelby and Davidson counties. (Hamilton County was later added.) The program was finally allowed by the state Supreme Court after being nixed at lower levels on constitutional grounds. Democrats are universally opposed to its expansion, as, for the record, are the school boards in Shelby County’s seven school districts. Prospects for passage may depend on how many GOP legislators (a seriously divided group in
PHOTO: JAMIE HARMON
Susan Marshall 2019) are inclined this time to let the governor have his way. Also on tap will be a series of bills aimed at stiffening crime/control procedures, some of which may also try to roll back recent changes in Shelby County’s bail/bond practices. Oh, and there will be both a presidential primary vote and an election for General Sessions Court clerk in March. — Jackson Baker
MUSIC No sooner does yuletide appear than it’s gone again in a wink, as we turn to face a new notch on life’s yardstick. Yet even before 2024 dawns, Memphis has great music brewing on this year’s penultimate day, December 30th, from the solo seasoned jug Anya Taylor-Joy in Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
band repertoire of David Evans (Lamplighter Lounge) to the revvedup R&B-surf-crime jazz-rock of Impala (Bar DKDC) to Louder Than Bombs’ take on The Smiths (B-Side). Ironically, DJ Devin Steele’s Kickback show at the Hi-Tone is keeping live music on the menu with a six-piece band alongside the wheels of Steele. Down on Beale Street, bass giant Leroy “Flic” Hodges and band will be at B.B. King’s, and the Blues City Café will feature solid blues from Earl “The Pearl” Banks and Blind Mississippi Morris. While New Year’s Eve seems particularly DJ-heavy this December 31st, there are still some places to ring in the new year with a live band. Perhaps the most remarkable will be when three of the city’s most moving women in music — Susan Marshall, Cyrena Wages, and Marcella Simien ringing in midnight — converge at the freshly re-energized Mollie Fontaine Lounge. A more up-close, swinging time will be found at the Beauty Shop’s meal extravaganza set to the music of Joyce Cobb. Orion Hill’s Mardi Gras Masquerade will feature Cooper Union (with Brennan Villines and Alexis Grace), and Blind Mississippi Morris will hold court again at Blues City as a gigantic disco ball rises up a 50foot tower outside on Beale. For that Midtown live vibe, Lafayette’s Music Room’s elaborate festivities will feature the band Aquanet. For many Memphians, the new year will begin with a look backward as a smorgasbord of bands — from Nancy Apple to Michael Graber to Oakwalker and beyond — gather at B-Side to honor the late Townes van Zandt on January 1st. The revival of the 1970 musical Company, opening at the Orpheum the next day, also honors an earlier era’s muse, but its five Tony Awards suggest that even today it “strikes like a lightning bolt” (Variety). And the historical appreciations continue: On January 14th, Crosstown Arts’ MLK Freedom Celebration will feature the Mahogany continued on page 12 COVER STORY m e m p h i s f l y e r. c o m
though, has the future of the nonprofit in question. It’ll be worth watching.
11
Monsters will collide in Godzilla x Kong Kong. continued from page 11 Chamber Music Series, curated by Dr. Artina McCain and spotlighting Black and other underrepresented composers and performers; and on January 20th GPAC will host jazz trumpeter, vocalist, and composer Jumaane Smith’s Louis! Louis! Louis!, blending his own compositions with those of Louis Armstrong, Louis Prima, and Louis Jordan — three giants of the last century. Who knows, maybe reflecting on all this past greatness will teach 2024 a thing or two? — Alex Greene
COMING ATTRACTIONS IN 2024
December 28, 2023-January 3, 2024
2023’s dual WGA and SAG strikes disrupted production, so 2024 should be an unpredictable year at the multiplex. Studios are currently engaged in a high-stakes game of chicken with the release calendar, so don’t take any of these dates as gospel. In January, an all-star apostle team led by LaKeith Stanfield and David Oyelowo tries to horn in on the messiah game in The Book of Clarence. February has the endlessly promoted spy caper Argylle, a Charlie Kaufman-penned animated film Orion and the Dark, the intriguing-looking Lisa Frankenstein, and Bob Marley: One Love left over from 2023, as well as Ethan Coen’s lesbian road comedy Drive-Away Dolls. March is stacked with Denis Villeneuve’s return to Arrakis, Dune: Part Two; Jack Black voicing Kung Fu Panda 4; Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire; and Focus Features’ satire The American Society of Magical Negroes. April starts with Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire and Alex Garland’s social sci-fi epic Civil War. May features Ryan Gosling as The 12 Fall Guy and Marisa Abela as Amy
Winehouse in Back to Black. On April 24th, we have a three-flick pile-up with Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, The Garfield Movie (animated, thank God), and Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. ALL HAIL IMPERATOR FURIOSA! June brings us Inside Out 2, which adds Maya Hawke as Anxiety to the Pixar classic’s cast of emotions. There’s another Bad Boys film on the schedule that nobody has bothered to title yet. Meanwhile, Kevin Costner goes too hard with punctuation with Horizon: An American Saga — Chapter One. (Chapter Two drops in August.) In July, there’s the horror of Despicable Me 4 and Twisters, a sequel to the ’90s tornado thriller that lacked the guts to call itself Twister$. Ryan Reynolds returns as the Merc with a Mouth in Deadpool 3, the first Marvel offering of the year. In August, Eli Roth adapts the hit game Borderlands, which, if you think about it, could actually work. James McAvoy stars in the Blumhouse screamer Speak No Evil. Don’t Breathe director Fede Álvarez directs Priscilla’s Cailee Spaeny in Alien: Romulus. September is looking spare, but Tim Burton, Michael Keaton, and Winona Ryder are getting the band back together for Beetlejuice 2, so that could be fun. PHOTO: LARRY KUZNIEWSKI
Seth Henigan
PHOTO: COURTESY USL/LOUISVILLE CITY FC
Oscar Jimenez will suit up for 901 FC next season. October looks a tad more promising with Joker: Folie à Deux, a psychosexual (emphasis on the “psycho”) thriller with Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga. There’s also the cheerful Smile 2, evil clown porn Terrifier 3, and a Blumhouse production of Wolf Man. November sees a remake of The Amateur, Barry Levinson’s mob thriller Alto Knights, Ridley Scott’s Gladiator 2 with Denzel Washington, and Wicked: Part One, led by Tony Award-winner Cynthia Erivo. Then, the year goes out strong with Lord of the Rings: War of the Rohirrim, an anime Tolkien adaptation from Kenji Kamiyama. This time next year, we’ll be gushing over Barry Jenkins’ Mufasa: The Lion King, Robert Eggers’ boundary-pushing Nosferatu remake, and an ultra-secret Jordan Peele joint. — Chris McCoy
MEMPHIS SPORTS Here’s a one-item wish list for Memphis sports in 2024: Ja Morant videos that are exclusively basketball highlights. The city’s preeminent athlete stole headlines this year with off-the-court drama that ultimately cost him the first 25 games of the Grizzlies’ 2023-24 season. Morant’s absence was more than the roster could take, particularly with center Steven Adams sidelined for the season with a knee injury. More than 10 games under .500 in midDecember, the Grizzlies must hope the star’s return can simply get them back to break-even basketball. If that happens — and with the rim-rattling displays that have made Ja a superstar — the new year will have brought new life to the Bluff City’s flagship sports franchise. And how about a first regularseason American Athletic Conference championship for Penny Hardaway’s Memphis Tigers? The AAC is a watered-down version of the league we
knew a year ago (no more Houston, no more Cincinnati), with Florida Atlantic now the Tigers’ primary obstacle for a league crown. A controversial loss to FAU in the opening round of the NCAA tournament last March created an instant rivalry, one that will take the floor at FedExForum on February 25th. David Jones is an early candidate for AAC Player of the Year and sidekick Jahvon Quinerly gives Hardaway the best collection of new-blood talent since “transfer portal” became a thing. With Seth Henigan returning to quarterback the Tigers for a fourth season, Memphis football should also compete for an AAC title and an 11th consecutive bowl campaign. AutoZone Park will hum with Redbirds baseball and 901 FC soccer throughout the warm-weather months, and the PGA Tour will make Memphis home when the FedEx St. Jude Championship tees off on August 15th. But let’s hope 2024, somehow, becomes the Year of Ja in this town. The heart of Memphis sports echoes the sound of a basketball dribble. And one player speeds that heartbeat like no other. — Frank Murtaugh Meanwhile, 901 FC can look forward to welcoming some unfamiliar opponents to the confines of AutoZone Park next season. A restructured United Soccer League means Memphis will bid adieu to the Eastern Conference and kick off its 2024 season as part of the Western Conference. That means that 22 of 901 FC’s 34-match schedule will be against Western Conference opponents, starting with a March 9th home season opener against Las Vegas Lights FC. There’s a new COO in Jay Mims, while we can expect plenty of new players to suit up before Stephen Glass leads the team out for its first game. One thing that soccer fans will not be looking forward to, however, is a new stadium, with plans for a soccerspecific Liberty Park arena scuppered after $350 million in state dollars earmarked for sporting renovations did not include any provisions for 901 FC. — Samuel X. Cicci
steppin’ out
We Recommend: Culture, News + Reviews PHOTO: COURTESY DREAM FACTORY OF MEMPHIS
It started as a dare, some 47 years ago, when members of the River City Ski Club decided to take to the cold, cold waters of Kilowatt Lake in North Memphis on the first of the year in 1977. Water-skiers, barefooters, and wake-boarders did their thing and decided this crazy, antic-heavy event would become a tradition and a tradition it has stayed, though now in the Wolf River. Today, the Ski Freeze, as it is called, also raises funds for the nonprofit Dream Factory of Memphis, which grants wishes for critically and chronically ill children ages 3 through 18 in the Mid-South. Brian Juengling, president of the Dream Factory of Memphis, didn’t participate in that first ski, but he did ski in the first one in 1988 that raised money for the volunteer-run nonprofit he now heads. And while he’s hung up his skis after 20 years of skiing in the Ski Freeze, Juengling has been volunteering with the Dream Factory since 1988. “Granting dreams is food for your soul,” he says. “I can promise you that I get way more out of it than I give.” Last year the group granted 11 dreams. “They’re an average of about $5,000 per child,” he says. “Our most popular dream is Disney without a doubt because a lot of the kids we do dreams for are younger, but then they jump all over the place.” Nine-year-old Branson, who is diagnosed with Fabry disease, a rare inherited disorder, is the nonprofit’s most recent dream recipient. He likes to ride his bike, listen to Jelly Roll, watch football, and cheer on the Memphis Grizzlies. “He wants a backyard cabin that he can go hang out in,” Juengling says, “so that’s what we’re going to do.” The proceeds from Ski Freeze will be used to grant Branson’s Dream. Ski Freeze is open to the public, and free to attend. For those who want to brave the waters, it costs $30 to participate. “The water temperature is usually in the 40s, mid-40s,” Juengling says. “And the ambient temperature can be anywhere from 70 to 20 depending on what the weather brings.” NHRA Top Fuel Driver Clay Millican will make a special appearance. “We also have a number of motorcycle clubs that do what they call their polar ride on New Year’s Day,” Juengling adds. “We usually have someone cooking hamburgers, hot dogs, coffee, and hot chocolate. We have either a raffle or a lot a live auction. All those funds raise money for the Dream Factory.” Register for Ski Freeze at skifreeze.com/#register. Find more information about the nonprofit to donate or volunteer at dreamfactorymemphis.org. SKI FREEZE, MUD ISLAND RIVER PARK, 125 N. FRONT ST., MONDAY, JANUARY 1, 10:30 A.M.
New Horror Movie Marathon: Best of 2023: Night 2 Black Lodge, 405 N. Cleveland, Thursday, December 28, 5 p.m., free, 18+ Get caught up on some of the best new horror movies of the year. Five great terror tales back-to-back on the big screen. Check out one or do the whole marathon! The films are as follows: Totally Killer (5-6:45 p.m.), Sick (6:45-8:15 p.m.), Thanksgiving (8:15-10 p.m.), Infinity Pool (10 p.m.-midnight), and Skinamarink (midnight-2 a.m.). 65th AutoZone Liberty Bowl Liberty Bowl Stadium, 940 Early Maxwell, Friday, December 29, 2:30 p.m. Watch the Iowa State Cyclones take on Memphis’ very own Tigers. This year, the legendary Bar-Kays will perform at halftime.
MEMPHIS MUSEUM
OF SCIENCE & HISTORY
•Enchanted Forest •Holiday Movies •Laser Shows •Winter Camp
OPENS JAN 20TH
Laser Holidays FRIDAY NIGHTS
THRU DEC 29
VARIOUS DAYS & TIMES December 28th - January 3rd “Black Artists in America: From Civil Rights to the Bicentennial” Dixon Gallery & Gardens, 4339 Park, on display through January 14 “Black Artists in America: From Civil Rights to the Bicentennial” focuses on the pivotal period from the 1950s to the early 1970s, a time of significant social change and artistic transformation. Explore how Black artists, deeply influenced by the Civil Rights Movement, expressed their identity and advocated for equality through their artwork. View exceptional works by celebrated artists such as Romare Bearden, Elizabeth Catlett, and Norman Lewis, alongside the lesserknown yet equally impactful talents of Marie Johnson Calloway, Merton Simpson, and Jack Whitten. Gain insight into the cultural, political, and social dimensions of African-American art during this significant era.
at
Raise funds with some freezin’ skis.
New Year’s at Noon: Superhero Edition Children’s Museum of Memphis, 2525 Central, Saturday, December 30, 10:30 a.m., $21 Dress as your favorite superhero and ring in the New Year at CMOM. Bigger than ever with two balloon drops, music, candy, face painters, themed activities, and more. New Year’s Eve on Beale Street Beale, between Second and Fourth, Sunday, December 31, 5 p.m. Beale Street is lively year-round, but especially on New Year’s Eve. There isn’t another New Year’s Eve experience quite like it, as tens of thousands of people gather in the iconic street’s haunts to rock in the new year. Be sure to keep track of the giant disco ball while it ascends its 50-foot tower as it gets closer to midnight.
TAP INTO
GOOD TIMES
m e m p h i s f l y e r. c o m
By Abigail Morici
JAN 12, 2024
3050 Central Memphis,TN 38111 901.636.2362 moshmemphis.com
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Ski Freeze
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Fear of Memphis ’23 speaking keeps many people from being heard. MUSIC By Alex Greene
Ten great albums from every genre.
boygenius – the record (Interscope Records) Memphian Julien Baker first teamed up with Phoebe Bridgers and Lucy Dacus back in 2018, but the 2023 version finds the trio mapping grander horizons. With a sound big enough and produced enough to conquer the world, it still retains much of Baker’s intimacy, as all three artists offer confessions of love and transgression. The new album encapsulates a Gen Z zeitgeist: “You were born in July, ’95, in a deadly heat …”
If you stutter or know someone who does, visit us online or call toll-free for help and information.
THE
STUTTERING FOUNDATION
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December 28, 2023-January 3, 2024
A Nonprofit Organization Since 1947—Helping Those Who Stutter
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A Very Tasteful Food Blog 14
Dishing it out at .com.
Cloudland Canyon – Cloudland Canyon (Medical Records) This latest from Memphis’ best kept synth secret is becoming a sleeper hit of sorts, especially the bubbling, burbling “Two Point Zero,” pairing pounding beats with wistful melodies like classic New Order. Chris McCoy called one track “a bouncy castle of ’80s synth pop,” saying another “drips with the narcotized seduction of Warhol-era Velvet Underground.” Extra points for Elyssa Worley’s guest vocals on “LV MCHNS” and others. Chad Fowler, George Cartwright, Kelley Hurt, Christopher Parker, Luke Stewart, Steve Hirsh, Zoh Amba – Miserere (Mahakala Music) Chad Fowler’s unique Mahakala imprint, focusing on sonically unrestrained music, is both composed and freely improvised, and here he’s joined by onetime Memphian Cartwright and others, including Tennessee’s rising “free jazz star” Zoh Amba. The dynamics and emotional arcs that develop, with Hurt’s haunting vocalizations matched by piano, saxes, flutes, guitar, and rhythms, are deeply moving for deep listeners. Candice Ivory – When the Levee Breaks: The Music of Memphis Minnie (Little Village Foundation) Ivory’s found the perfect producer
in guitarist/bassist Charlie Hunter. Both regularly push back against jazz orthodoxies, and this ostensible roots album is really a work of alchemy, conjuring Afro-Caribbean rhythms, virtuoso blues guitar, and gospel pedal steel in a seance with Memphis Minnie. Some are stripped-down acoustic blues, some are stomping jams, but all are dominated by Ivory’s powerful and nuanced voice. Tyler Keith – Hell to Pay (Black and Wyatt) Keith has a way with a phrase: The words of the title song roll off the tongue like fallen fruit. That’s just what these big, pile-driving rock songs need. And pairing steamy Southern tones with the primitivism of the Ramones allows the words’ meanings to breathe. Most importantly, you get plenty of chant-worthy choruses over ace guitar riffs. MEM_MODS – MEM_MODS Vol. 1 (Peabody Recording Co.) Sounding like a lost ’70s soundtrack, this album ranges from Augustus Pablo-like dub to funk bangers to smoldering Isaac Hayes-like ballads. Ear-catching synth sounds abound. Naturally, a trio of veterans like childhood friends Luther Dickinson, Steve Selvidge, and Paul Taylor are adept at “studio painting,” but this also finds these players pushing themselves, especially Dickinson, who focuses on bass and keyboards. Peabody’s first release in decades. Moneybagg Yo – Hard To Love (CMG/N-Less/Interscope Records) This Memphis icon continues to pull apart at the seams of his own myth. While the hit “Ocean Spray” celebrates the joys of being out of it in a world of botheration, he checks himself with tracks like “No Show” with the words “I fill my body up with drugs ’fore I even eat/Percocets, Xans, codeine, you don’t wanna see what I see.” Optic Sink – Glass Blocks (Feel It Records) Unlike many synth artists who construct tracks “in the box” of a computer screen, Optic Sink composes and performs on actual hardware in the moment, as three post-punk humans
recording their basic tracks live. This sophomore album adds bass to drum machine beats from Ben Bauermeister, as Natalie Hoffmann’s dry, disaffected vocals, old-school synth lines, and guitar flourishes add richer soundscapes than the group’s debut.
Rising Stars Fife and Drum Band – Evolution of Fife and Drum Music (Rising Stars Records) Sharde Thomas (playing, singing, and co-producing with Chris Mallory) takes her grandfather Otha Turner’s music to new heights with this rhythmic tour de force. Mixing tuneful choruses, heavy beats, deep funk, and even touches of Afrobeat’s cascading guitars with their fundamental “drum corps in the yard” sound, this group is forging a whole new genre right in our backyard. Elder Jack Ward – The Storm (Bible & Tire Recording Co.) When Memphis’ longtime pastor passed away this April, he had just left this masterpiece in his wake. In true Bible & Tire style, the gritty, swinging “Sacred Soul Sound Section” backs his original songs, but the most captivating sounds come from Ward’s own family, especially when Johnny Ward steps out with “Payday After While” — the track suggesting that his kin will carry his message on.
AFTER DARK: Live Music Schedule December 28 - January 3 FreeWorld’s NYE Countdown Party @ Rum Boogie Cafe
JERRY LEE LEWIS’ CAFE & HONKY TONK
Baunie & Soul
Sunday, Dec. 31, 7 p.m. RUM BOOGIE CAFE
Blind Mississippi Morris Friday, Dec. 29, 8:30 p.m.; Saturday, Dec. 30, 8:30 p.m.; Sunday, Dec. 31, 9 p.m.
Ghost Town Blues Band Thursday, Dec. 28, 4:30 p.m.
Thursday, Dec. 28, 6 p.m. TIN ROOF
Computermane
Thursday, Dec. 28, 5 p.m.; Friday, Dec. 29, 10 p.m.; Sunday, Dec. 31, 6 p.m. TIN ROOF
David Ingle One Man Piano Show Sunday, Dec. 31, 6 p.m. SILKY O’SULLIVAN’S
Denver Massey
Saturday, Dec. 30, 10:30 p.m.; Sunday, Dec. 31, 6:30 p.m. TIN ROOF
DJ Alpha Whiskey
DJ Alpha Whiskey is an international female DJ and aviator whose passion for mixing music and making people fall in love with music started at a young age. Thursday, Dec. 28, 8 p.m. CENTRAL STATION HOTEL
DJ Marcjayy
Sunday, Dec. 31, 9:30 p.m.; Tuesday, Jan. 2, 8 p.m. TIN ROOF
DJ Nico
Saturday, Dec. 30, 9 p.m. CENTRAL STATION HOTEL
DJ Ooouuuweeee
Friday, Dec. 29, 5 p.m.; Saturday, Dec. 30, 10:30 p.m.; Sunday, Dec. 31, 1:30 a.m. TIN ROOF
DJ Stringbean
Thursday, Dec. 28, 10 p.m.; Saturday, Dec. 30, 8 p.m.
MOLLIE FONTAINE LOUNGE
Mule Man
Saturday, Dec. 30, 12:30-3:30 p.m.; Sunday, Dec. 31, noon-3 p.m. RUM BOOGIE CAFE
New Year’s Eve Party with Shotgun Shima
A record collector (funk, disco, neo-soul, hip-hop, jazz, souldies, house, and everything in between) and DJ, Shotgun Shima hails from Sacramento, California. Sunday, Dec. 31, 9 p.m. CENTRAL STATION HOTEL
Red Thomas
Friday, Dec. 29, 12:30-3:30 p.m.
Drivin’ Sideways, Snappy’s Taste of the South Food Truck
Saturday, Dec. 30, 6-9 p.m. DELTA BLUES WINERY
Laser Live Jombi
Enjoy a special Laser Live performance in MoSH’s planetarium by Jombi, celebrating their new album release, Out to Pasture. Friday, Dec. 29, 6:30 p.m. MUSEUM OF SCIENCE & HISTORY
NYE Party with Landslide: Fleetwood Mac Tribute
Ring in 2024 with the songs of Stevie Nicks, Christine McVie, and Lindsey Buckingham performed by the powerful band: Landslide: A Memphis Tribute To Fleetwood Mac. Sunday, Dec. 31, 8 p.m. NEIL’S MUSIC ROOM
Rodell McCord
Wednesday, Jan. 3, 8 p.m. TIN ROOF
Rowdy
Friday, Dec. 29, 6 p.m. TIN ROOF
Shelley Brown and Lee Holliday
Saturday, Dec. 30, 6-8:45 p.m. CENTRAL BBQ
Skyelor Anderson
Sunday, Dec. 31, 11 p.m. TIN ROOF
Smoke Stack Lightnin’ Presents Mollie Fontaine’s
Ring in 2024 at Mollie Fontaine Lounge with a stacked lineup of Marcella Simien, Susan Marshall, and Cyrena Wages. $35. Sunday, Dec. 31, 8 p.m.-1 a.m.
Thursday, Dec. 28, 7 p.m.; Friday, Dec. 29, 7 p.m.; Saturday, Dec. 30, 7 p.m.
Thursday, Dec. 28, 9 p.m.; Sunday, Dec. 31, 4:30 p.m.
SILKY O’SULLIVAN’S
Vince Johnson
BLUES CITY CAFE
Monday, Jan. 1, 7 p.m. RUM BOOGIE CAFE
Basketcase
Friday, Dec. 29, 6 p.m. LAFAYETTE’S MUSIC ROOM
Black Button, Cicada, Decoration Policy
$12. Wednesday, Jan. 3, 8 p.m. HI TONE
Black Lodge Annual New Year’s Evil Bash
Featuring special live performance by Joybomb. DJ sets across the night by Freewill, Selector Jack, Test Kit, Justin Hand (EXILEdjs), Brian Hamilton, Evonech, and Justin Baker. $20. Sunday, Dec. 31, 7 p.m. BLACK LODGE
B.L.A.S.T./Stay Fashionable, Disapproving Father, DJ Amy Dee $15. Sunday, Dec. 31, 9 p.m. HI TONE
Brad Birkedahl (Duo) Saturday, Dec. 30, 2 p.m. LAFAYETTE’S MUSIC ROOM
Cedric Burnside
Saturday, Dec. 30, 8 p.m.
BLUES CITY CAFE
RUM BOOGIE CAFE
HERNANDO’S HIDEAWAY
RUM BOOGIE CAFE
Dueling Pianos
Friday, Dec. 29, 8 p.m.; Saturday, Dec. 30, 8 p.m.
$15. Saturday, Dec. 30, 8 p.m.
$20. Friday, Dec. 29, 8 p.m.-1 a.m.
The Rockin’ 88s
FreeWorld
Dirty Streets with Arc of Quasar
Thursday, Dec. 28, 10:30 p.m.; Friday, Dec. 29, 10:30 p.m.
MOLLIE FONTAINE LOUNGE
Friday, Dec. 29, 4:30 p.m.; Saturday, Dec. 30, 4:30 p.m.; Tuesday, Jan. 2, 7 p.m.
HERNANDO’S HIDEAWAY
JT McCaffrey
TIN ROOF
Earl “The Pearl” Banks
$10. Friday, Dec. 29, 8 p.m.
ONE11MADISON
Mollie Fontaine Pop Up ft. DJ AD
Cody Clark
Devil Train, Gia Welch
A sultry night of smooth jazz with a live band featuring Karen Brown. Saturday, Dec. 30, 7 p.m.
Chris Gales
RUM BOOGIE CAFE
DELTA BLUES WINERY
Jazz Night
TIN ROOF
Elmo & the Shades, Eddie Harrison
Friday, Dec. 29, 7 p.m.; Wednesday, Jan. 3, 7-11 p.m. NEIL’S MUSIC ROOM
9 Pound Hammer, The Hickory Chip Food Truck Friday, Dec. 29, 6-9 p.m.
BLUES CITY CAFE
BLUES CITY CAFE
Friday, Dec. 29, 4-7 p.m.; Saturday, Dec. 30, 4-7 p.m.; Sunday, Dec. 31, 3:30-6:30 p.m.
Cedric Burnside
RUM BOOGIE CAFE
Economy NYE - THE Thrift Shop Rave Experience
Be prepared to experience a full production with top-notch club sound, lights, lasers, DJs, and projector visuals to takeover and fully transform Hi-Tone’s entire downstairs. Saturday, Dec. 30, 10 p.m.-2 a.m. HI TONE
Elmo & the Shades, Eddie Harrison
Wednesday, Jan. 3, 7 p.m. NEIL’S MUSIC ROOM
Gimme Gimme Disco: The NYE 2024 Disco Ball
Calling all Dancing Queens! Here we go again! If you can’t get enough ABBA then this is the dance party for you. $15$30. Sunday, Dec. 31, 9 p.m.
B-SIDE
$20, $25. Friday, Dec. 29, 8 p.m.
Purgatory Pressings Presents
Window, Mothcat, Suroor, Avbil. $10. Thursday, Dec. 28, 8 p.m. HI TONE
Rowdy & the Strays
Thursday, Dec. 28, 6 p.m. LAFAYETTE’S MUSIC ROOM
Screamer EP Release with Deanna Dixon Saturday, Dec. 30, 8 p.m.
$10. Saturday, Dec. 30, 7 p.m.
$5. Friday, Dec. 29, 8 p.m.
MEMPHIS CURRENT
HI TONE
Steve Hopper
Impala
Monday, Jan. 1, 6 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 30, 9 p.m.
LAFAYETTE’S MUSIC ROOM
BAR DKDC
The Current Situation with Anna Rose Baker & Macy Pearson
Joe Restivo 4
Sunday, Dec. 31, 11 a.m. LAFAYETTE’S MUSIC ROOM
$10. Saturday, Dec. 30, 8 p.m.
Joe Restivo Trio
GROWLERS
LAFAYETTE’S MUSIC ROOM
The quarterly tribute to classic hip-hop, R&B, funk, and go-go from the ’80s and ’90s is back! Hosted by Devin Steel, Hou Hefner, and Big Sue’s turntable and seven-piece live band. Saturday, Dec. 30, 10 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 30, 11 a.m.
Memphis Mojo
Saturday, Dec. 30, 6 p.m. LAFAYETTE’S MUSIC ROOM
New Year’s Eve Celebration ft. Memphis Soul Remedy and Aquanet Ring in the New Year at historic Lafayette’s Music Room. $100/VIP for 1, $175/ VIP for 2. Sunday, Dec. 31, 5 p.m.-1 a.m.
A soul celebration featuring Marcus Scott, with a champagne toast at midnight and a balloon drop to follow. $60, $75. Sunday, Dec. 31, 8 p.m. RAILGARTEN
Risky Whiskey Boys Band Sunday, Dec. 31, 9 p.m. DAN MCGUINNESS PUB
Scott Stapp
Friday, Dec. 29, 8 p.m. GOLD STRIKE CASINO
TiLt
Saturday, Dec. 30, 8 p.m. THE CROSSING BAR & GRILL
GROWLERS
Spacer: With Pledge Dribe & Hewer of Caves
New Year’s Eve Soul Celebration
Thursday, Dec. 28, 9:30 p.m.
Nolan Taylor
Handsome Girl Pretty Boy, Your Mom, Stay Fashionable
David Evans Devil Train
B-SIDE
ZEBRA LOUNGE
LAFAYETTE’S MUSIC ROOM
LAMPLIGHTER LOUNGE
Louder Than Bombs performs The Smiths and Morrissey New Year’s Eve. Sunday, Dec. 31, 10 p.m.
GROWLERS
RAILGARTEN
Saturday, Dec. 30, 7 p.m.
New Year’s with Louder Than Bombs
The Kickback
HI TONE
Twin Soul
Friday, Dec. 29, 10 p.m. LAFAYETTE’S MUSIC ROOM
Vinyl Happy Hour
With special guest DJs. Friday, Dec. 29, 3-5 p.m. MEMPHIS LISTENING LAB
Weezer vs. Green Day Holiday Showdown
Members of Spacer, The Stupid Reasons, SGK. Friday, Dec. 29, 9 p.m.
All-Inclusive New Years Eve Mardi Gras Masquerade
A night of unforgettable entertainment with a live band (Cooper Union featuring Brennan Villines and Alexis Grace). $175. Sunday, Dec. 31, 7:30 p.m. ORION HILL WEDDINGS & EVENTS
New Year’s Eve Weekend Party with Hairspray Nation
Saturday, Dec. 30, 10 p.m.; Sunday, Dec. 31, 10 p.m. ROCKHOUSE LIVE COLLIERVILLE
Not Your Dad’s NYE Party with Your Moms New Boyfriend
With Angela Burton and DJ Benny T. $20. Sunday, Dec. 31, 7:30 p.m. HADLEY’S PUB
Richard Wilson
Soulful blues and Southern cooking. Friday, Dec. 29, 12:30 p.m.; Sunday, Dec. 31, 12:30 p.m. JACKIE MAE’S PLACE
Risky Whiskey Boys Band Friday, Dec. 29, 8 p.m. SHAKERAG
Rockin’ New Year’s Eve Bash Featuring Loozin It Sunday, Dec. 31, 5 p.m. THE HAYSTACK CAFE
m e m p h i s f l y e r. c o m
NYCELYFE and friends will be hitting you with your favorite music all night long. Sunday, Dec. 31, 9 p.m.-4 a.m.
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
After Hours Sundays
PHOTO: SHORE FIRE MEDIA
Sunday, Dec. 31, 8 p.m.
B-SIDE
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CALENDAR of EVENTS: Dec. 28 - Jan. 3
A R T A N D S P E C IA L E X H I B ITS
H O LI DAY EVE NTS
“Black Artists in America: From Civil Rights to the Bicentennial”
Black Lodge Annual New Year’s Evil Bash
Explore how Black artists, deeply influenced by the Civil Rights Movement, expressed their identity, and advocated for equality through their artwork. Through Jan. 14.
Featuring special live performance by Joybomb! DJ sets across the night. $20. Sunday, Dec. 31, 7 p.m. BLACK LODGE
THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS
Send the date, time, place, cost, info, phone number, a brief description, and photos — two weeks in advance — to calendar@memphisflyer.com. DUE TO SPACE LIMITATIONS, ONGOING WEEKLY EVENTS WILL APPEAR IN THE FLYER’S ONLINE CALENDAR ONLY. FOR COMPREHENSIVE EVENT LISTINGS, SCAN OUR QR CODE BELOW OR VISIT EVENTS.MEMPHISFLYER.COM/CAL.
Deck the Diamond Holiday Spectacular
“But Then, Suddenly, I Was Looking From the Inside Out” Through a resistance to the tenants of modernism, Coe Lapossy centers erased histories and marginalized labor. Through Jan. 21.
PHOTO: MATTHEW MURPHY FOR MURPHYMADE
The musical comedy Company runs at the Orpheum Theatre from January 2-7.
CROSSTOWN ARTS AT THE CONCOURSE
“China Blues: The World of Blue and White Ceramics”
The collection includes a range of objects from the Ming and Qing dynasties in a wide array of materials, including beautifully carved jades, paintings, textiles, and ceramics. Through May 31.
serves as an anthology of stories based off of Ahmad George’s life and experiences with people they’ve encountered here and not. Through Jan. 21.
MEMPHIS BROOKS MUSEUM OF ART
CROSSTOWN ARTS AT THE CONCOURSE
“Commune (verb)”
Meet the Author: Ernest Strickland
Novel welcomes Ernest Strickland to celebrate his new book The Parent’s Playbook: How to Help Your Child Succeed in the Music Industry. Friday, Dec. 29, noon.
THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS
“The Molasses Man & Other Delta
AUTOZONE PARK
Gimme Gimme Disco: The NYE 2024 Disco Ball
Calling all Dancing Queens! Here we go again! If you can’t get enough ABBA then this is the dance party for you. $15-$30. Sunday, Dec. 31, 9 p.m. GROWLERS
B O O K E V E N TS
Memphis artist Kaylyn Webster’s paintings feel at once familiar and otherworldly; traditional and completely of the moment. Through Jan. 7.
While walking through a larger-than-life lighting display, guests can enjoy festive food and drinks, holiday activities, musical entertainment, scheduled appearances by Santa and Mrs. Claus, and more. Thursday, Dec. 28, 4:30-10:30 p.m.; Friday, Dec. 29, 4:30-10:30 p.m.; Saturday, Dec. 30, 4:30-10:30 p.m.
NOVEL The New Tales” York Times Syndication Sales Corporation “The Molasses ManNew & Other DeltaN.Y. Tales”10018 620 Eighth Avenue, York, For Information Call: 1-800-972-3550 For Release Monday, March 4, 2019
New Queer’s Eve
Hope 2024 is your queerest year yet, so what better way to manifest than being surrounded by sapphics at New Queer’s Eve? $15. Sunday, Dec. 31, 9:30 p.m. ZEBRA LOUNGE
New Year’s Eve on Beale Street
Party with tens of thousands of people, spilling in and out of bars and restaurants onto the wide street. You’ll dance under the stars to live performers, including DJ Tree. Sunday, Dec. 31, 5 p.m.-1 a.m. BEALE STREET
Crossword
December 28, 2023-January 3, 2024
ACROSS
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29 The Supremes’
“___! In the 1 Joint that a Name of Love” sock covers 30 Extra job in the 6 Small recess gig economy 33 Gin’s partner in 11 Karl Marx’s a classic drink “___ Kapital” 35 Look at, in the 14 Country star Bible Tucker 15 Theater worker 36 Put in more ammunition 16 Month with 39 Greeting in Tel Columbus Day: Aviv Abbr. 42 Lessens, as 17 Giving away pain unwanted items 44 Alternatives to rather than Nikes trashing them 46 Dramatically 19 Second letter end a speech, after epsilon in a way 20 Rage 51 Result of a traffic ticket 21 Luau dance 52 Many, many, 22 Absorbs, as many, many, gravy on a plate many moons 24 Broccoli ___ 53 Hanker (for) 26 Clark of the 54 Ex-senator Daily Planet Bayh 28 Obsessive to a 55 “Hold your fault horses”
ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE W O R L D B E A T E R S G E N I E O F T H E L A M P A L A B A M A S L A M M E R S S C R I P S L O S T I T T O A S T S U P S H A M E O M N I T A P I R O N U P N E T M O N S T E R M A S H B U N D T C A K E I T S A M E M A R I O B I D M E I N R A G E R B E N E A A N D P N E W B A S A L P R U N E S B E R T H A C E S A R E A N S E C T I O N D E M O C R A T I C A L L Y S E T S T H E T A B L E
58 Tear to bits 60 Mind’s I? 61 Reaction to an
overshare 62 Crowdfunding site … or a hint to the beginnings of 17-, 30- and 46-Across 65 Goal 66 Inventor Howe 67 Prefix between tri- and penta68 Martial arts master Bruce 69 What a star on the American flag represents 70 Slightly off
Edited by Will Shortz
No. 0128
Groovy, glittery boogie night under the disco ball. $125. Sunday, Dec. 31, 8 p.m. LONGSHOT
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NYE on South Main
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Ring in the New Year South Main-style with incredible live performances and celebratory cocktails as you journey from one eclectic bar to another all night long. $40. Sunday, Dec. 31, 6 p.m.
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New Year’s Eve for Kids
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Caulfield, for “The Catcher in PUZZLE BY THOMAS VAN GEEL the Rye” 3 Patella 23 Previous 50 Coin with 40 Classic incarnation Lincoln on it typewriter 4 Chemical brand compound with 25 Disorder the formula 56 Barely makes, resulting in 41 Bosses NaOH with “out” seizures 43 Look smugly 5 Made for ___ 27 Bagful carried upon 57 Pinball fail other by a caddie 45 Madrid 6 Centers of 31 When repeated, matrons 59 Facts and atoms a sneaky laugh 46 Insurance figures 7 Components of 32 Mil. branch with type that often archipelagoes B-52s accompanies 63 Spying org. 8 Second letter medical 34 Paint layer after upsilon 47 Dormmate, e.g. 64 Band with 37 Wood for a the 1993 hit 9 Roosters’ mates baseball bat 48 Punctual “Everybody 10 Therefore Hurts” 38 Profound 49 Existing: Lat. 11 “Crime ___ pay” Online subscriptions: Today’s puzzle and more than 7,000 past 12 Real 13 Alternative to a puzzles, nytimes.com/crosswords ($39.95 a year). paper clip Read about and comment on each puzzle: nytimes.com/wordplay. 18 Hardy-har-hars
Starry Nights
Experience the magic of the holidays at Shelby Farms Park’s largest event! Starry Nights brings the spirit of the season to life with dazzling displays featuring millions of lights. Through Dec. 31. SHELBY FARMS PARK
Zoo Lights
Immerse yourself in the enchanting world of the holiday season. Select nights. $14/ members, $19/nonmembers. Through Jan. 6. MEMPHIS ZOO
S PO R TS
65th AutoZone Liberty Bowl
Watch the Iowa State Cyclones take on Memphis’ very own Tigers. This year, the legendary Bar-Kays will perform at halftime. Friday, Dec. 29, 2:30 p.m. LIBERTY BOWL STADIUM
T H EAT E R
Company
This revelatory new production of Stephen Sondheim and George Furth’s groundbreaking musical comedy, at once boldly sophisticated, is deeply insightful and downright hilarious. $29-$125. Tuesday, Jan. 2-7. ORPHEUM THEATRE
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): According to tradition in ancient Israel, a Jubilee year happened every half-century. It was a “trumpet blast of liberty,” in the words of the Old Testament book Leviticus. During this grace period, enslaved people were supposed to be freed. Debts were forgiven, taxes canceled, and prisoners released. People were encouraged to work less and engage in more revelry. I boldly proclaim that 2024 should be a Jubilee Year for you Bulls. To launch the fun, make a list of the alleviations and emancipations you will claim in the months ahead. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): “Make peace with their devils, and you will do the same with yours.” The magazine Dark’s Art Parlour provides us with this essential wisdom about how to conduct vibrant relationships. I invite you to make liberal use of it in 2024. Why? Because I suspect you will come to deeply appreciate how all your worthwhile bonds inevitably require you to engage with each other’s wounds, shadows, and unripeness. To say it another way, healthy alliances require you to deal respectfully and compassionately with each other’s darkness. The disagreements and misunderstandings the two of you face are not flaws that discolor perfect intimacy. They are often rich opportunities to enrich togetherness. CANCER (June 21-July 22): Cancerian author Franz Kafka wrote over 500 letters to his love interest Felice Bauer. Her outpouring of affection wasn’t as voluminous, but was still very warm. At one point, Kafka wryly communicated to her, “Please suggest a remedy to stop me trembling with joy like a lunatic when I receive and read your letters.” He added, “You have given me a gift such as I never even dreamt of finding in this life.” I will be outrageous here and predict that 2024 will bring you, too, a gift such as you never dreamt of finding in this life. It may or may not involve romantic love, but it will feel like an ultimate blessing. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Renowned inventor Nikola Tesla (1856–1943) felt an extraordinary closeness with sparrows, finches, pigeons, and other wild birds. He loved feeding them, conversing with them, and inviting them into his home through
open windows. He even fell in love with a special pigeon he called White Dove. He said, “I loved her as a man loves a woman, and she loved me. As long as I had her, there was a purpose to my life.” I bring this to your attention because I suspect 2024 will be an excellent time to upgrade your relationship with birds, Leo. Your power to employ and enjoy the metaphorical power of flight will be at a maximum. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): “All the world’s a stage,” wrote Shakespeare. He was comparing life to a theatrical drama, suggesting we are all performers attached to playing roles. In response, a band called the Kingpins released the song “All the World’s a Cage.” The lyrics include these lines: “You promised that the world was mine / You chained me to the borderline / Now I’m just sitting here doing time / All the world’s a cage.” These thoughts are the prelude to my advice for you. I believe that in 2024, you are poised to live your life in a world that is neither like a stage nor a cage. You will have unusually ample freedom from expectations, artificial constraints, and the inertia of the past. It will be an excellent time to break free from outdated self-images and your habitual persona. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): At age 10, an American girl named Becky Schroeder launched her career as an inventor. Two years later, she got her first of many patents for a product that enables people to read and write in the dark. I propose we make her one of your role models for 2024. No matter how old you are, I suspect you will be doing precocious things. You will understand life like a person at least ten years older than you. You will master abilities that a casual observer might think you learned improbably fast. You may even have seemingly supernatural conversations with the Future You. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Here are excellent questions for you to meditate on throughout 2024. 1. Who and what do you love? Who and what makes you spill over with adoration, caring, and longing? 2. How often do you feel deep waves of love? Would you like to feel more of them? If so, how could you? 3. What are the most practical and beautiful ways you express love for whom and what you love? Would you like to enhance the ways you express love, and if so, how? 4. Is there anything you can or should do to intensify your love for yourself? SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Like the rest of the planet, Scotland used to be a wild land. It had vast swaths of virgin forests and undomesticated animals. Then humans came. They cut the trees, dug up charcoal, and brought agriculture. Many native species died, and most forests disappeared. In recent years, though, a rewilding movement has arisen. Now
Scotland is on the way to restoring the ancient health of the land. Native flora and fauna are returning. In accordance with astrological omens, I propose that you launch your own personal rewilding project in 2024. What would that look like? How might you accomplish it? AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): I propose we make the shark your soul creature in 2024. Not because some shark species are apex predators at the top of the food chain. Rather, I propose you embrace the shark as an inspirational role model because it is a stalwart, steadfast champion with spectacular endurance. Its lineage goes back 400 million years. Sharks were on Earth before there were dinosaurs, mammals, and grass. Saturn’s rings didn’t exist yet when the first sharks swam in the oceans. Here are the adjectives I expect you to specialize in during the coming months: resolute, staunch, indomitable, sturdy, resilient. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): In the 19th century, many scientists believed in the bogus theory of eugenics, which proposed that we could upgrade the genetic quality of the human race through selective breeding. Here’s a further example of experts’ ignorance: Until the 1800s, most scientists dismissed the notion that stones fell from the sky, even though meteorites had been seen by countless people since ancient times. Scientists also rejected the idea that large reptiles once roamed the Earth, at least until the 19th century, when it became clear that dinosaurs had existed and had become extinct. The moral of the story is that even the smartest among us can be addicted to delusional beliefs and theories. I hope this inspires you to engage in a purge of your own outmoded dogmas in 2024. A beginner’s mind can be your superpower! Discover a slew of new ways to think and see.
m e m p h i s f l y e r. c o m
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Among couples who share their finances, 39 percent lie to their partners about money. If you have been among that 39 percent, please don’t be in 2024. In fact, I hope you will be as candid as possible about most matters with every key ally in your life. It will be a time when the more honest and forthcoming you are, the more resources you will have at your disposal. Your commitment to telling the truth as kindly but completely as possible will earn you interesting rewards.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Capricornborn Lebron James is one of the greatest players in basketball history. Even more interesting from my perspective is that he is an exuberant activist and philanthropist. His list of magnificent contributions is too long to detail here. Here are a few examples: his bountiful support for charities like After-School AllStars, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, the Children’s Defense Fund, and his own Family Foundation. I suggest you make Lebron one of your role models in 2024. It will be a time when you can have more potent and far-reaching effects than ever before through the power of your compassion, generosity, and beneficence.
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
FREE WILL ASTROLOGY By Rob Brezsny
17
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NEWS OF THE WEIRD By the editors at Andrews McMeel Syndication Inexplicable Two unsuspecting visitors to Wortham Park in Houston, Texas, on Oct. 26 were the victims of a teenager’s scream for attention, KHOU-TV reported. Alford Lasean Lewis, 19, and 18-year-old Kingston Miker cooked up a scheme wherein Lewis first tried to rob a man, and then sucker-punched another man in the back of the head, as Miker filmed the actions. “They did this for fun and posted it on social media, which is simply unacceptable,” said Ashlea Sheridan, a prosecutor in the Harris County District Attorney’s office. Lewis was contrite: “You know, I just made a mistake, and everybody makes mistakes,” he told KHOU. “What people don’t see is that I shook his hand after and gave the man a hug.” Oh well, then. Case closed. [KHOU, 10/30/2023]
• Well, this escalated quickly. A man in Malaga, Spain, called a plumber on Nov. 4 to fix a broken pipe in his home, Oddity Central reported. After assessing the project, the plumber gave the homeowner an estimate, which sent the homeowner into a rage. He produced a firearm and threatened to kill the plumber; neighbors heard the disturbance and called police, but when they arrived, the homeowner would not release his hostage. Police got a glimpse of him and the plumber/hostage through a window and began negotiations; they asked the man to slightly open the front door so they could see that the plumber was all right. That’s when special forces stormed in and rescued the hostage. The homeowner is in police custody. [Oddity Central, 11/8/2023]
Buried the Lede Joshua Dillon, 37, went on a drug-fueled rampage early on Oct. 29, forcing his way into two homes in Rush Township, Pennsylvania, WTAJ-TV reported. Dillon told homeowners he had been shot and was in danger. After barging in at the last house, he threw a television to the ground, dumped a CD rack, threw a lamp, BROKE THE HANDLE OFF A CAST IRON SKILLET (our emphasis), and rubbed frozen meat on his chest. Dillon had allegedly consumed a quarter-ounce of hallucinogenic mushrooms and now faces felony charges of burglary and criminal trespassing. But let’s talk about that skillet handle! [WTAJ, 11/1/2023]
It Doesn’t Work That Way On Nov. 1, at Canberra Airport in Australia, a woman who seemingly missed her flight ran past security and onto the tarmac, trying to attract the attention of the pilot, 9News reported. The QantasLink flight was headed to Adelaide. Witness Dennis Bilic said it was “weird” that no one stopped her: “People were a bit flat-footed … that was the weird part.” Another witness said the pilot was “warned or spotted her and killed the engine.” Flights were delayed for about 10 minutes after the incident. [9News, 11/2/2023]
Recent Alarming Headlines • On Nov. 7, David Lassiter, 74, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, left his wallet behind when he voted, PennLive.com reported. Lassiter returned to the polling place and found his wallet, but $100 was missing. Police said he “made a scene inside … [and] made threats to come back with a firearm.” At home, he called police to report the alleged theft, but then said he would get a gun and handle it on his own. Officers arrived at the polling station before Lassiter arrived; in his car, they found seven firearms with ammunition. “Mr. Lassiter became aggressive and hostile toward the officers on scene,” police said. “He was detained for his safety as well as that of everyone on the scene.” [PennLive.com, 11/8/2023]
Bright Idea Workers at Arlington Auto Wrecking in Akron, Ohio, had had enough of 26-year-old Alexander Funk, who had broken into the facility three times, Fox News reported on Nov. 5. In the most recent incident in October, Funk broke into an SUV on the lot, but before he could drive away, a forklift driver hoisted the car about 20 feet off the ground with Funk inside. When they explained the situation to the 911 operator, they said, “Wonderful, that is the greatest thing I’ve ever heard.” Officers arrived and Funk was lowered to the ground and handcuffed. He was charged with criminal trespassing and possessing criminal tools. [Fox News, 11/5/2023] NEWS OF THE WEIRD © 2023 Andrews McMeel Syndication. Reprinted with permission. All rights reserved.
The time is right for Reuben Skahill’s catering business.
I
f Clockwork Catering Company served duck a l’orange, it could be nicknamed “Clockwork Orange Catering Company.” But Reuben Skahill’s catering business has nothing to do with the Anthony Burgess book. “The reasoning behind the name is I wanted to provide catering that’s on time and in the right place,” says Skahill, 31. “Just kind of like clockwork. Very ‘time is right.’” The time also was right for Skahill to start his own catering business. “I have been working with the local food community in different positions and different voices. And everywhere I’ve gone I’ve been asked to help out people and businesses. And it’s been a really awesome experience.” Born in Boston, Skahill moved to Memphis when he was a teenager. He was co-founder of — but no longer affiliated with — Memphis Sandwich Clique. He also was founder of the old Clique HQ, an “underground sandwich speakeasy.”
PHOTO: MICHAEL DONAHUE
Reuben Skahill (and son) Now, Skahill wants to put everything he’s learned into one business. “I’ve catered before, but I’ve never owned a catering business. I’ve done every part of this in different parts of my jobs. From the kitchen to delivery to behind-the-scenes, doing the business and paperwork stuff. I’ve done every one of these aspects at different parts of my life. And, hopefully, now I can put them all together and, hopefully, make something happen.” Clockwork Catering Company is “catering for large events or for your lunches at your office parties.” It’s also “available for anything,” including “last minute Christmas parties, holiday parties, divorce parties.” As for the food, Skahill says, “This
menu I have is more practical and less fantastical.” His sandwiches include turkey and cheese, a classic club sandwich, and an Italian sub. Skahill’s entrees include his mom’s “famous Everything Sesame Salmon. It’s salmon with toasted sesame seed oil, a little soy sauce, and Everything seasoning from Everything Bagels. This is one of the things I’m most excited to bring to the world because I get to eat it and now other people will.” Skahill is also prepared to do “lasagna, taco bars, a baked potato bar, and barbecued pulled pork.” His desserts include New York-style cheesecake and chocolate strawberries. “I’ve got all these things available in trays.” Jennifer Alexander, who owns Corporate Cuisine, lets Skahill work out of her kitchen. Skahill also helps Alexander with her catering jobs. The shared work space is ideal. “It’s a nice little place where I can create all this food and deliver it.” Skahill also physically helps out at events. “Take care of the service part of the events as well. “Essentially, I can bring the food and then serve it to people and make sure the trays are full.” Skahill’s first food-related job was when he was in his late teens working at the old Holy Cow kosher restaurant at Memphis Jewish Community Center. “I worked on a poolside grill for two and a half years doing burgers and hot dogs and simple stuff. Chicken pitas.” Skahill learned the delivery aspect of catering by working as a delivery driver for Amerigo Italian Restaurant and Jimmy John’s. “I know I’ve been doing things for a reason,” Skahill says. Now, he adds, “It’s all coming together.” He’s not trying to be a “celebrity chef,” Skahill says. “I’m not trained to be a three-star Michelin chef. I’m not trying to be recognized by the community for my prowess in the kitchen. But I’m going to make quality food, locally made, delivered on time, in the right place.” By the way, Reuben Skahill also makes Reuben sandwiches. “Corn beef on marbled rye with melted Swiss, Thousand Island dressing, and some sauerkraut. I have been eating Reuben sandwiches since I’ve had teeth. And I feel like I’m going out on a limb here when I say I feel like I have a good grip on what Reuben sandwiches should taste like.” To reach Clockwork Catering Company, call 901-289-2493 or go to clockworkcateringcompany.com.
Wedding University
PLAN YOUR WEDDING IN 1 DAY! Sunday, January 14, 2024 • Noon to 4 pm HILTON MEMPHIS Register at: www.WeHelpBrides.com
sponsored by:
m e m p h i s f l y e r. c o m
Like Clockwork
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
FOOD By Michael Donahue
19
FILM By Chris McCoy
The Year in Film 2023 The best and worst of an eventful year at the cinema.
T
he movie business was in chaos in 2023, but the art of cinema was triumphant. Audiences rejected expensive corporate blandness in favor of films that took chances and spoke from the heart. But before we get to the best of the year, let’s talk about the other end of the spectrum.
Worst Picture: The Flash 2023 was the year the superhero bubble finally burst. Warner Bros. scrapped Batgirl to bet the farm on walking PR disaster Ezra Miller. They lost $200 million on what is easily the worst film of the decade so far.
December 28, 2023-January 3, 2024
Best Performance by a Nonhuman: Godzilla It was looking like Cocaine Bear’s year until the King of Monsters dropped an all-timer. The big guy dazzled in Godzilla Minus One by getting back to his roots — punishing mankind’s hubris with cleansing atomic fire. Best Original Screenplay/Best Ensemble: (double tie) May December, Past Lives Todd Haynes and Celine Song both constructed delicate hothouse dramedies around a core of three fantastic actors. In Haynes’ May December, Natalie Portman is an actor researching a juicy role who discovers her subjects, played by Julianne Moore and Charles Melton, can’t be reduced to two dimensions. In Song’s Past Lives, Greta Lee and Teo Yoo are childhood sweethearts in China separated when one family immigrates to America, and John Magaro is the husband caught in the middle when they reunite 24 years later. Both stories are told with remarkable economy, and
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perfect performances. Best Comedy: Bottoms College friends Emma Seligman, Rachel Sennott, and Ayo Edebiri teamed up for this wicked high school satire about a pair of loser lesbians who start an after-school fight club to get laid. The young cast is razor sharp, and it features the year’s most unexpected comedic performance by NFL legend Marshawn Lynch. Biggest Bomb: Oppenheimer We’re not talking box office — Christopher Nolan’s three-hour experimental film about a nuclear physicist who loves Hindu literature made $954,000,000 — we’re talking actual explosive devices. The Barbenheimer phenomenon proved that audiences are hungry for something different and are smarter than studio execs give them credit for. MVP: Nicolas Cage Cage has frequently been the best part of uneven films. In 2023, he was an uncanny Dracula in the otherwise forgettable Renfield and a reluctant psychic celebrity in Dream Scenario. The man’s a national treasure. Best Animated Film: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse An astonishing visual achievement requiring a record 1,000 animators,
From Barbie to Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse to Killers of the Flower Moon, the art of cinema in 2023 was triumphant. the film escaped the superhero doldrums with a witty script and the best cliffhanger in recent memory. Best Performance: Emma Stone, Poor Things The Best Actress category at the
Academy Awards is going to be awfully competitive. My favorite was Emma Stone as a creature with the body of a grown-up and the brain of an infant. Her progression from peeing on the floor to discussing philosophy in the salons of Europe is as technically
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FILM By Chris McCoy
Best Picture: Killers of the Flower Moon In an extraordinarily good year for cinema, Martin Scorsese’s epic of love and betrayal among the Osage stood above the rest. What started as a story
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Best Director: Greta Gerwig, Barbie Directors wear many hats, and none wore them better than Gerwig, the first woman to ever helm a billion-dollar picture. Balancing the satirical edge of Barbie with pathos and empathy while also staging sweeping musical numbers and recreating the opening scene of 2001: A Space Odyssey is a rare feat. How did she get all that stuff past the studio?
about the birth of the FBI opened into an examination of the soul of America. At the center of this maelstrom of greed and exploitation is an unlikely love story between Leonardo DiCaprio’s thick-headed bushwhacker and the extraordinarily coy Lily Gladstone as the wealthy Native American woman his Machiavellian uncle, played by Robert DeNiro, has marked for death. Scorsese switches genres at will, going from romance to Western to howcatchem to courtroom drama, and nailing every beat. Along the way there are several deeply committed performances by Native American actors, and stunning cinematography which shows the 81-year-old Scorsese is still eager to experiment.
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T H E L A S T WO R D B y Fr a n k M u r t a u g h
End of Regulation Memphis sports in 2023 offered plenty of narratives, from AAC titles to NBA suspensions.
PHOTO: (LEFT) MEMPHIS REDBIRDS; (ABOVE) LARRY KUZNIEWSKI
m e m p h i s f l y e r. c o m
Redbirds shortstop Masyn Winn (left); Kendric Davis led the AAC in scoring and assists.
THE LAST WORD
How will 2023 be remembered by Memphis sports buffs in, say, 2033? What will stick on the ever-growing timeline of games we play and cheer in the Bluff City? Let’s start with the good stuff. The Memphis Grizzlies posted an impressive 51-31 record on their way to a second consecutive Southwest Division championship. (How about a banner or two at FedExForum? Let’s get this done.) Forward Jaren Jackson Jr. led the NBA in blocks for a second straight season and earned Defensive Player of the Year honors, only the second Memphis player to take home that prestigious piece of hardware. On the college level, Penny Hardaway’s Tigers reached the NCAA tournament a second straight year and made some history on the way. In beating Houston to win the American Athletic Conference tournament, the Tigers earned their first victory over a team ranked number-one in the country. Guard Kendric Davis should stick on that timeline of memories having led the AAC in both scoring and assists in his lone season as a Tiger. Those who follow Memphis Redbirds baseball will remember 2023 for one of the top prospects in the sport, shortstop Masyn Winn. The speed demon with a cannon on his right shoulder set a franchise record with 99 runs scored before a late-season promotion to the St. Louis Cardinals. Then there was slugger Luken Baker. The big first baseman slammed 33 home runs and drove in 98 runs in only 84 games, figures so eyepopping that Baker was named International League MVP at season’s end, the first Redbird in franchise history to receive a league’s top honor. Alas, none of those news items stole the national spotlight in the way Ja Morant managed … and it wasn’t the All-Star’s heroics on the hardwood. After a Grizzlies loss to the Nuggets in early March, Morant flashed a handgun on social media from a Denver nightclub. The images were disturbing enough to cost Morant the next nine games on the Memphis schedule. Morant returned to action and put up 45 points in a playoff loss to the Lakers, a reminder of just how high his ceiling could be, but he fell back to Earth, and dramatically, when another gun-toting video surfaced shortly after the Grizzlies’ season ended in Los Angeles. After weeks of deliberation, NBA commissioner Adam Silver handed Morant a 25-game suspension, punishment that would delay the start of Morant’s fifth professional season until late December. Minus Morant and injured center Steven Adams, the Grizzlies went 6-19 over the course of the suspension. For Mid-South NBA fans, 2024 can’t get here soon enough. Sports are unique in the way our favorite teams and athletes so directly impact a day’s mood. There are football fans in Memphis who gained from the return (after 38 years!) of the USFL’s Memphis Showboats. Affordable tickets to pro football — even in the heat of June — are mood-lifters, to say the least. Our soccer outfit, 901 FC, put together another playoff season in the USL Championship, even as attendance at AutoZone Park sagged from the heights of the club’s 2019 debut season. But a mood-lifter on game night for soccer buffs? Check. All of this makes Morant’s off-court troubles the kind a fan base suffers most, because Morant the basketball player takes us places no other man in Grizzlies history has taken us. (Recall that Morant made second-team All-NBA before his 23rd birthday.) When poor decisions weigh down Morant the human being, it shifts the fan/ athlete perspective into one centered more on compassion than any form of adrenaline-fueled elation. Let’s remember 2023 for the victories we had, and we had a few. And let’s hope we remember 2023 for the year this town’s most famous athlete became a new kind of hero. Frank Murtaugh is the managing editor of Memphis Magazine. He writes the columns “From My Seat” and “Tiger Blue” for the Flyer.
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