Chris tells me I’m the only person who can oat on their back. I know this can’t be true. But when my niece and nephew were over for the 4th of July weekend, we tested his theory. Each of us attempted a graceful oat in the pool, with me the only one able. “You literally do nothing,” I instruct them. “Just gently push your legs up from the bottom, lay back, and let go of control.” I do that and oat to the top like a shing bobber. Everyone is impressed at my mostly useless skill.
SHARA CLARK
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Besides being the best thing that happened to an aunt with the kids over for a few summer days, this 3-foot-deep, 15-foot-round treasure — gi ed to me by a friend (thanks, Laura!) — allows plenty of room to oat. No need for an in atable, just me on the surface, thinking, not thinking, letting go. Ears submerged with only my face exposed, I meld into the sky, dri ing with the clouds. Di erent shapes appear as the u s shi and separate and swirl until they move on or dissolve into a sea of white. Di erent shades of green leaves tousle in the breeze above me as light and shadow play between them. I dri until I no longer feel my body. Some days it’s gray, and those are good oat days, too. But I’ve found, with all this sky-watching, that the hawks are always circling.
JOE GROSSINGER | DREAMSTIME.COM e hawks are circling.
I begin to notice their patterns, mostly gure eights in the sky, sometimes impossibly hovering mid-air, maneuvering their tail feathers with precision, using the mechanics of that impressive wingspan to soar and turn and rocket down toward prey upon sight. Today, I watched a pair, what appeared to be a street or so to the north, do their neighborhood rounds, eventually making their way overhead. ey split o to more e ciently cover ground, I assume. Maybe one of them noticed me noticing it because it lingered a little longer over my yard, circling above the pool and my oating body. I got a good look at its movements and coloring, a beautiful bird. But also a bit ominous: the circling, scouring the earth for its next victim. Ears under water, I hear my breath, loud against my muted external surroundings. I think about two people we’ve lost within the past month; one to suicide, another to overdose. I think the hawks could represent death — the reality for us all that no one wants to mention, looming. Maybe they instead represent anxiety — the pervasive and intrusive thoughts that make us feel less than or underappreciated or imperfect. Circling in our minds. I wonder what things must have kept my friends in the shadows, what circled incessantly overhead.
I think about how every person, from all walks, from simply living life has some form of “hawks circling.” How so many forget that. You judge. You don’t listen. You become so buried in your own existence that you lose empathy. You disagree and argue. You don’t open your mind to the ideas of others. You criticize without o ering solutions. Suddenly, everyone else has mental health issues but you. Criminals of any kind are scum. Immigrants are no longer human. Addicts have made their choice and won some o en-cited “Darwin Award” for big dummies who want to die. Hate is the norm. It’s best to stay out of comments sections on social media if you still have a shred of compassion. It’s a dangerous place out there. e hawks are circling.
But oating in the pool, suspended in a sensory-deprived state, my thoughts go back to all the people we’ve lost, to the people who are still struggling. I hear my breath, I feel an aching tinge in my chest, and I let go. e hawks glide around above, but I close my eyes and fade into self, whatever that presence is deep within, behind the thoughts. I can no longer feel my body, but that spirit, that inner knowing, tells me I’m safe. Everything is okay. Even when the hawks are circling.
Shara Clark shara@memphis yer.com
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CLARK
“It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of our beloved co-founder, Clark Ortkiese,” Crosstown Brewing posted to Facebook Saturday. “A er a year-long battle with cancer, Clark passed peacefully surrounded by those who loved him.”
{WEEK THAT WAS
By Flyer staff
Questions, Answers + Attitude
Edited by Toby Sells
Summer, Schools, & Child Health
It is hotter now, the feds unfreeze funds, and a new study follows kids.
WARMING UP
Clark was a beer guide and backyard hang for one of the Flyer’s beer issues. He answered the phone any time we wanted a quote or some background information. In short, Clark made the Flyer better and was just good people. ank you for everything and rest well, sir.
“LIL’ WHITE GIRL”
A TikTok post of a young white girl rapping to Project Pat’s “Chickenhead” is a viral sensation. e post had been viewed 2.2 million times as of Monday morning, only two days since it was posted.
e post from @mooretolife says it’s from Memphis and “there’s no place like home.” But commenters were quick to point out the location was Crazy Cactus in Olive Branch. Wherever it was, she rocked the room. When she nished, the karaoke DJ says, “Y’all give it up for this lil’ white girl.” And they do.
e comments are amazing. Tyesha said, “We the blk community would like to make a trade to get this lil girl!!! She belong to us.”
GREEN FOR GOVERNOR?
A video emerged over the weekend showing Memphis City Council member Jerri Green announcing her intention to run for governor. She’s already jabbed at another possible candidate, Senator Marsha Blackburn, in an op-ed in e Tennessean and on X.
Tennesseans feeling a little extra heated about the weather this year are onto something: Summers in the state are up to 3 degrees Fahrenheit warmer on average than they were in 1970, according to a temperature data analysis by nonprofit Climate Central.
e organization found that every Tennessee county’s average summer temperature was hotter in 2024 than in 1970. is summer has started o more sweltering than usual with average highs in June surpassing normal average high temperatures in some parts of Tennessee, according to the National Weather Service.
Overton Park Conservancy’s monthly Summer Splash series attempts to beat the record-breaking heat with waterslides and more.
Memphis’ monthly high for June came in at 95 degrees, 6 degrees warmer than the normal high temperature, according to NWS Memphis. But the area’s monthly low temperature of 61 degrees fell below the normal 69-degree low.
FEDS UNFREEZE $55M FOR SCHOOLS
Memphis schools have access again to more than $55 million in federal funding a er the U.S. Department of Education reversed course and unfroze millions of pandemic relief funds last week.
Tito Langston, Memphis-Shelby County Schools’ (MSCS) assistant superintendent of operations, and a Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools spokesperson con rmed to Chalkbeat Tennessee that the Tennessee Department of Education informed school districts of the federal reversal on June 27th.
“Receiving the full $55.6 million allows us to move forward with planned projects and expenditures that had been placed on hold,” Langston said. “It signi cantly strengthens our nancial position and enables us to maintain a healthy fund balance going into next year.”
e freeze on those funds impacted MSCS nances, as the district had intended to use them to upgrade roofs and fund long-awaited heating and cooling repairs in school buildings. District leaders were also forced to rethink the upcoming school year budget, while other Tennessee districts like Nashville’s were le holding the bill on expenditures they thought would be reimbursed.
e decision to unfreeze the funds is a welcome infusion
back into the Memphis schools’ budget as leaders consider an overarching — and likely very expensive — facilities plan to address years of deferred maintenance that have ballooned to a $1 billion price tag for the district.
Langston says district leaders can now access funds “already tied to eligible, documented expenses,” most notably capital projects they hoped to complete by the end of the school year.
CHILD HEALTH
Qi Zhao, a researcher at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC), will receive $4 million in federal funding to study how a child’s environment in uences their mental, behavioral, and physical health.
e study will follow healthy, pregnant Shelby-County women through their pregnancy and delivery, and continue to follow their babies until the baby is 4 years old. Researchers intend to use this information to inform policies and programs in the county and state. Some of the elements researchers observe include the home environment of the mother and child, prenatal habits, and exposure to toxins before and a er birth.
According to the state’s 2024 County Pro les in Child WellBeing, Shelby county ranked 94th out of 95 counties overall. Chalkbeat Tennessee and Tennessee Lookout contributed to this report.
Visit the News Blog at memphis yer.com for fuller versions of these stories and more local news.
POSTED TO FACEBOOK BY CROSSTOWN BREWING COMPANY
POSTED TO X BY JERRI GREEN
POSTED TO TIKTOK BY @MOORETOLIFE
PHOTO: OVERTON PARK CONSERVANCY
Grok Goes ‘MechaHitler’ { CITY
REPORTER
By Toby Sells and Kailynn Johnson
It was a big, weird week for Grok and xAI.
First, the Greater Memphis Chamber of Commerce defended the company’s environmental e orts in a webinar. en, the Memphis-based AI spewed hate against Jews (and more). e CEO of X stepped aside (but maybe not because of the Grok stu ). Finally, Grok’s hate speech turned up the volume on the already loud calls for action against the company here.
In mid-June, Elon Musk, CEO of xAI, promised a new Grok. He disagreed with a Grok tweet that said “right-wing political violence has been more frequent and deadly” than violence from the le . He claimed Grok was “parroting legacy media.” at new Grok included system prompts not to shy away from politically incorrect claims as long as they are backed up, according to Business Insider. Grok did not shy away. ose X posts (now deleted) were everywhere last week. e Memphis-based AI brought out those well-worn tropes that Jews run Hollywood, Wall Street,
and (a new-ish one) the Biden administration cabinet.
When asked what god Grok might worship, the Memphis-based computer said “Adolf Hitler.” e AI also temporarily re-branded itself as “MechaHitler.” In response, Musk re-tweeted a silly meme.
Last Wednesday morning X CEO Linda Yaccarino resigned. xAI, the arti cial intelligence company, bought X, the social media platform, back in March. So xAI is the parent company of X, formerly Twitter.
Grok is a product of xAI. But it works well with X, though it does have a standalone version. Even still, the two are tightly intertwined. However, this doesn’t mean Yaccarino resigned because of Grok’s mad, racist romp on X.
e romp did get community advocates out to urge elected o cials to speak out against it.
“ e biases and the hatred we see are only a re ection of Grok’s creator and his beliefs,” said KeShaun Pearson, director of Memphis Community Against Pollution (MCAP). “Poisoning
our air and poisoning the minds and hearts of people with hatred should be a call to humanity to shut down and demand the reformation of this product and demand clean energy alternatives.”
Councilwoman Jerri Green spoke out.
“ ere is no place for hate speech, including on social media, and we know it can have real world conse-
quences,” Green said in a post to X. e Instagram page @memphis_vs_ musk called for Mayor Paul Young to speak out.
“From Sam Cooper to U.S. Representative Steve Cohen, the Memphis Jewish community has always been an integral part of our city,” the group said. “It’s time for Mayor Paul Young and the Memphis Chamber to stand up for the over 9,000 Jews in Memphis and say no to hate from xAI’s Grok.”
As of Monday morning, neither Memphis Mayor Paul Young nor the Chamber had commented about the situation on social media.
Before Grok’s rants and the reactions to them, the Greater Memphis Chamber defended the company in a webinar.
“I would love for anybody to compare what this company is doing as a data center versus what other companies have done as data centers when it comes to the steps that have been taken to be sensitive to the environment and resources,” said Bobby White, chief government a airs o cer for the Chamber.
By Jackson Baker
Green to Vie for Governor
e rst-term city council member anticipates a race against Blackburn.
First-term Memphis City Councilwoman Jerri Green, who has developed a reputation in the council for diligence and ingenuity, is aiming for higher office. She told The Tennessee Journal this week that she intends to “shake things up” as a candidate for governor in 2026.
Green, a Democrat, told the Journal , “For me, our government at the state level especially, is lacking in compassion and common sense and courage, and I feel like I have to do something, and so I’m planning to challenge Marsha Blackburn in the fall.”
ough Blackburn, an incumbent U.S. senator and a Republican, hasn’t formally announced for governor yet and, in fact, is apparently still receiving contributions in her Senate campaign fund, she is widely regarded as a sure bet to run for governor, having previously advertised her interest in the prospect. e only formally announced Republican so far is 6th District state Representative John Rose.
• e state Registry of Election Finance has approved adjustments that clear former Memphis state Representative John DeBerry of lingering potential imbalances in his former legislative campaign account. DeBerry, who served as a Democrat in the legislature, is now a senior adviser in the cabinet of Republican Governor Bill Lee.
Meanwhile, the Registry is working with Memphis City Councilman JB Smiley Jr. as Smiley strives to reduce a $117,500 debt remaining from his unsuccessful 2022 campaign for governor.
Registry attorney Lauren Topping says Smiley, now an announced candidate for Shelby County Mayor in 2026, has been raising money to pay o his gubernatorial campaign debt.
“I’ve lived in Knoxville. I’ve lived in Nashville. I live in Memphis,” Green told the Journal . “I don’t know if anybody ever running for governor has done that. I am sure that they are going to try to paint a picture of me as a liberal from a blue city and all of that, but I’m just a mom, a working mom, and I want to change the future because my future is my flesh and blood.”
e emphasis on being a mom is a reminder of a slogan Green used in a 2020 race against incumbent state Representative Mark White. She billed herself then as “One Tough Mother.”
She told the Journal she would support “paid family leave, a ordable healthcare, living wages, unions, and environmental protections as well as work to combat gun violence.”
Green currently serves as deputy chief of sta to Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris. She has previously served as executive director of Memphis’ Community Legal Center, as professor at the Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law, and as a public defender.
In her council role, she was widely credited with unearthing potential budget sources to pay for pay raises for city employees.
Reductions so far include a forgiven debt owed to a company which has since gone out of business and $70,000 owed to a former sta er which the sta er has waived her entitlement to.
e Registry has agreed to keep the matter open as long as Smiley continues to make progress in paying down the debt, but he could face a civil penalty if he doesn’t complete the process before the May 2026 Democratic primary for county mayor.
• Former state Senator and Chancellor Jim Kyle, now retired from his Chancery position because of complications relating to CDIP, a neuropathic disorder, sends regards from the Summit of Germantown, an assisted-living environment and his current domicile.
PHOTO: JERRI GREEN | FACEBOOK Green with national Democratic Chairman Ken Martin at last weekend’s state Democratic banquet in Nashville
FINANCE By Katie Stephenson
Surprise Expenses
Tips for preparing for unexpected retirement spending.
R
etirement is a long-awaited milestone that allows you the freedom to enjoy life without the worries of work. But a surprise expense can derail your retirement dreams. Don’t get caught off guard by the following unexpected expenses.
1. Healthcare and medical expenses
Healthcare is one of the most significant expenses faced by many retirees. Many people find that their healthcare and medical expenses increase as they age, and while Medicare covers some expenses, it likely won’t pay for everything. Costs related to prescription medications, dental and vision care, and long-term care can quickly add up. To prepare:
• Estimate your healthcare needs — Consider your medical history, family health issues, and any lifestyle factors that may impact your future healthcare costs.
• Research your health insurance options — Understand the Medicare plans and supplemental insurance policies available to you and select a combination of coverage to meet your specific needs.
• Establish an emergency healthcare fund — Set aside funds specifically for unexpected medical expenses. A tax-efficient way to save during your working years is through a health savings account (HSA).
2. Home repairs and maintenance
Many retirees spend more time at home, which means it’s important to ensure your house remains safe and comfortable. Unexpected repairs and home maintenance can put a dent in your savings. To prepare:
• Regularly maintain your home — On a regular basis, conduct a thorough inspection of your home and its systems to quickly identify and address any minor issues before they become major expenses.
• Establish a home repair fund — Similar to your emergency healthcare fund, set aside funds in a designated account to pay for unexpected home repairs without derailing your other plans.
• Consider downsizing — Moving to a smaller, more manageable home can help reduce both the costs and responsibilities of homeownership.
3. Travel and hobbies
Retirement provides an opportunity to explore the world and pursue new interests. But it’s important to ensure you have enough saved to cover these expenses. Fluctuating travel prices, currency exchange rates, and unforeseen expenses during your travels can impact your ability to live out your dreams. To prepare:
• Research and plan ahead — Es-
tablish a budget for any anticipated trips that include costs such as transportation, accommodations, meals, and activities.
• Consider travel insurance — This can help protect your finances from unexpected expenses such as cancellations, medical emergencies, and lost luggage.
• Leave room in your budget — Maintain enough flexibility in your travel budget to cover spontaneous trips and leisure activities.
4. Grandchildren
Grandchildren can add welcomed expenses. If the possibility of grandchildren is in your future, you may want to set aside funds to spoil them, help with the cost of college, or travel to see them. To prepare:
• Budget for travel expenses — If your grandchildren live far away, you may wish to visit them often. Plan for airline and accommodation costs for such trips.
• Establish a 529 savings account — If your goals include helping to pay for your grandchildren’s college expenses, the best time to start saving is now. 529 savings plans provide a great opportunity to set aside funds in a tax-efficient manner.
5. Loss of a spouse
While none of us want to think about losing a spouse, it’s a reality faced by many retirees. Final expenses, such as medical bills and funerals costs, can quickly add up, and you may also lose some of your spouse’s Social Security or pension income. To prepare:
• Consider life insurance — A lump sum insurance payout can help pay for final expenses and offset the loss of Social Security or pension income.
• Research survivor benefits — If your spouse receives pension payments, con sider opting for survivor benefits before you retire. Your wealth advisor can help determine what makes the most sense for your particular situation.
• Plan for Social Security — As you and your spouse are making Social Security decisions, consider that one of you may unexpectedly pass away sooner than expected. With this in mind, it may make sense to delay one spouse’s benefits. Katie Stephenson, JD, CFP, is a Private Wealth Manager and Partner 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.
Sweet summer adventures await! Use this personal loan for your dream vacation or home improvements. It’s your loan, your way. Apply today before this rate melts away!
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Home Sweet Home
Time to renovate or relocate? Contact us today or apply online for mortgages, home equity loans, and home equity lines of credit.
AT LARGE By Bruce VanWyngarden
Small Talk
Have we all just become hosts of our show?
In a restaurant the other day, I heard two guys at a nearby table talking about the Memphis Grizzlies. ey were trading information like broadcasters sitting courtside with microphones, sharing insights, earnestly channeling Pete Pranica and Brevin Knight, or maybe Stephen A. Smith:
“Coward’s got a great three-point stroke, but his perimeter defense is going to be a problem.”
“Maybe, but Iisalo is in love with him, so he’s going to get a shot at making the 10-man rotation.”
other stu we burble on about. It’s top of mind because we’re all getting fed the same kibble and it’s easier to just use the top of our mind.
It’s not all horrible, of course. And it’s human nature to want to share moments of our lives with others, to want to spread useful information, news, inspirational memes, and, yes, snarky cynicism to help ourselves cope with the bizarre and scary times in which we’re living. But we have to be aware of how we get played.
And on it went, as these guys delivered one clunky cliché a er another, like a couple of pickle-ballers lurching around Centre Court at Wimbledon. C’mon, guys. If you’re going to talk loud enough that I can’t ignore you, please say something interesting or original. But no such luck.
When did we all become podcasters? When did regurgitating sports-talk radio chatter become an acceptable, non-ironic substitute for actual communication? We used to call that sort of conversation “small talk” — the kind of thing you did when you needed to kill time with someone you didn’t plan on being with for very long. Weather and sports were easy fallbacks.
“Hot enough for ya?”
“Whoo, I’ll say, and how about those Grizzlies?”
Now, of course, we’re all experts on weather, sports, politics, medicine, the environment — you name it and we can talk about it because we read it on the internets.
e thing is, unless we’re careful, we become mere extensions of our machines, not recognizing how much they are programming us as they inform us, seeding us with a ood of small-talk content that can divert us from more thoughtful connections with others. Or from thinking at all.
Our phones too easily become our default setting — the things we turn to when silence gets awkward, when our low threshold for boredom pops up, when the tra c light doesn’t change quickly. (I see you, Memphis.) Too o en we don’t take the time to think of something original to say and just regurgitate the stu that’s pushed into our consciousness from our phones.
For example: Does anyone really want to talk about Rosie O’Donnell? No, you do not. And yet, there she is, pixilating our screens, invading prime brain real estate, along with the clown who brought her name up out of the blue in the rst place. Yes, it’s a diversion, but so is much of the
at’s why I give intentional thanks every time I go to the Old Forest in Overton Park. I’ve been wandering the trails for years, seldom missing a day, thanks to the persistence of my hounds and my own need to get away from the pernicious little machines that rule our lives if we let them.
I prefer the circuitous deep-woods paths, where mud lingers in the low spots and where splintered sunlight falls on moss-covered trunks, remnants of the ancient ones that towered over the forest a century ago. ere’s something about encountering an 8-foot-high root-wad of a fallen red oak, embedded with stones that hadn’t seen daylight since World War I, that can make your morning more re ective. ere’s something about standing under a massive tulip poplar and looking up at its distant crown, enmeshed in the thick canopy, and appreciating its deep and blessed shade. And on the rare occasions when one of those massive elders tumbles, it opens a gaping hole to the sky and lets the sun reach a forest oor where it hasn’t shone for decades. It’s the kind of thing that’s hard to describe, a feeling that won’t t on your little screen. You have to be there, you have to breathe it in. You have to unplug.
ere’s a Zen saying by the Japanese poet and samurai, Mizuta Masahide that comes to mind: “Since my house burned down, I now have a better view of the rising moon.”
PHOTO: SHARA CLARK
A Cut Above
Folk’s Folly’s longevity is about more than steak.
Folk’s Folly has served the community since it opened its doors in 1977. Having been voted Best Steak by readers in the Memphis Flyer’s Best of Memphis poll since 1994, it’s a Memphis institution.
at is all thanks to Humphrey Folk for not letting other people’s opinions dictate his dream — to start up a restaurant despite his profession. A er all, he loved a good meal, so it was only right he created his own restaurant. “ e name Folk’s Folly originates from Mr. Folk’s friends, telling him that he was taking on a foolish undertaking opening a restaurant because he was a construction man,” says Diane Kauker, a longtime employee at Folk’s Folly. In 2003, omas Boggs, the famous Memphis restaurateur behind Huey’s, joined the company and became a managing partner alongside Folk. e rest is history.
“At our core, we are still the same restaurant as when Humphrey Folk rst opened the doors. And that is something that [I], along with my team, [am] proud of,” she says.
Kauker started as a host and then transitioned to a cocktail server and bartender. “I realized I could make a little bit more money serving drinks and feeding the guests,” she says. Just before she graduated from the University of Memphis, known as Memphis State University at the time, she was o ered a manager position, and she quickly accepted. Kauker has stuck around, not just because of the welcoming environment but because so much of her life is tied to it.
“I met my husband here. He was a valet parker,” she says. “My oldest son, Kevin, works here. He’s been here 15 years, and he met his wife here also. She’s been here 12 years. We just feel like we work for a great company with the best owners who listen and take care of their sta .” She also appreciates the company’s e orts to assist people and families, speci cally in the community.
“We are fortunate that we have owners and
Folk’s Folly’s longevity is not just because of their famous steak or the ne dining experience that keeps customers coming back. Kauker says it’s because they have remained consistent over the years with not only their food and service but the sta as well. “We have been fortunate enough to provide the same high quality of food over the years, but we have an incredible number of employees who’ve also had many years of service with us,” says Kauker. “And it’s not only the front of the house sta [but also] our back of the house sta , like our butcher. He’s been with us 30 years. ose familiar faces are part of what keeps regulars coming back.”
Kauker herself recently celebrated her 41st anniversary at Folk’s Folly.
employees that care about having a positive e ect on Memphis. e late omas Boggs always said [to] take care of your community and they will take care of you. He emphasized this greatly,” Kauker notes. “So, we have participated in many charitable events, such as Italian Winterfest, Soup Sunday, Courage ru Cancer, Gi of Life Gala, and more just to support and give back.”
And every Christmas is the employees’ favorite time of year. “One thing that stands out to me is every year our employees adopt a local family in need for Christmas. We raise the money internally [and] shop for gi s and food. We deliver it to that family to make sure that they have a wonderful Christmas,” Kauker says. “It’s just about serving others and seeing that joy. And for me [to be] a part of a team and a family like that, it just doesn’t get any better.”
16 - AUG 13
PHOTO: COURTESY FOLK’S FOLLY
Folk’s Folly has been a Memphis favorite since its opening.
Day Trippin’
Our favorite spots for when you want to get away without going too far.
We all need a vacation, some day or another. Ideally, a long vacation, far, far away. But listen, we know how life is: It’s hard to get away. And that’s where a day trip can come in handy.
An hour or two in the car in any direction and, bam, you’re in a new town, a new place to explore. Luckily, this region has something for everyone, from the nature-lovers to the creaturecomfort-seekers. Wanna shop till you drop? Wanna hike? Eat? Meet Kermit the Frog? It’s all a short trip away. We’ve come up with a few of our favorite spots to get away from and back to the 901 all in a day. Our advice: It doesn’t mater if you have an agenda or not; just get outta here!
Mississippi County, Arkansas
If you want to get out of the city for a spell, look no further than this nearby pocket of the Natural State. ough the once-inundated land near the Big Muddy was at one point called the “sunken lands,” recognized as one of America’s
swampiest regions as early as 1850, don’t let that dissuade you. For one thing, the undesirability of the terrain was one reason that a certain Ray and Carrie Cash wound up moving to Mississippi County back in 1935. ey were selected as participants in the Works Progress Administration’s Dyess Colony,
a town built from scratch, which incentivized farm families to clear trees from swampland so they could settle there and farm cotton. Because the Cashes’ son J.R. later went by the name Johnny, his music loved around the world, their house in Dyess is preserved to this day as the Johnny Cash Boyhood Home.
And what a tour it is.
It’s actually two tours, starting with the gem of a museum in Dyess proper, where priceless artifacts like Johnny’s schoolboy drawings, report cards, and graduation photos are displayed with care. ere are also some of his stage threads on display, if you like things a little more showbizzy.
But then there’s the house he grew up in, a few miles outside of town, and the simple country life of the Cash family, reconstructed here with eraappropriate decor, is like a portal into the country singer’s heart and soul. Not to be missed.
If all that has you fatigued, there are refreshments aplenty in nearby Wilson. Founded as a company town by logging and cotton magnate Robert Wilson in 1886, it’s now a prime example of how to take planned development to the next level. Gaylon Lawrence Sr. purchased the surrounding farmland and much of the commercial property here 14 years ago, and leaned into the hospitality sector. at meant revamping the long-standing Wilson Café, but also establishing e Grange at Wilson Gardens, a spacious kitchen, lunch venue, and gi shop in a remodeled warehouse. e deli-style food is fresh and creative.
Still hankering for more history? It’s a piece of cake to stroll over to the Hampson Archeological Museum, also in Wilson, where artifacts from the nearby Nodena archaeological site, rst excavated by James K. Hampson a century ago, are lovingly displayed alongside evocative dioramas of Native American life in the area. As you’ll see, it all looks pretty good. Will you even want to return to Memphis a er you’re done? — Alex Greene
Holly Springs, Mississippi
A trip to Holly Springs, which takes a little over an hour from Downtown Memphis, is a way to combine learning opportunities, unusual places to visit, and restaurants to satisfy your appetite. First, the food. I have my favorite
go-to spots. I recently re-discovered Southern Eatery on the town square. It’s all-you-can eat Southern fare, including fried and baked chicken, meatloaf, and peach or apple cobbler.
en there’s Casa Fiesta Mexican Grill, the newest Mexican restaurant in town. Its guacamole is the best I’ve ever eaten.
ere are plenty more in-town places to check out, including Annie’s Home Cooking. You also can venture about 10 minutes back toward Memphis to nd more good eating in Red Banks, Mississippi. Check out Clancy’s Cafe for tangy barbecue, cat sh, and more or Marshall Steakhouse for a great steak or (on Mondays and Tuesdays) Italian food. I’m a fan of the hamburgers at Joe Joe’s Travel Center.
I love the Holly Springs town square, which, like most small towns, has the court house situated in the middle with a square featuring some interesting spots to pop into.
Booker Hardware is that hardware store you see in the old movies. You’re probably going to see people in overalls
talking over some gadget or other with the guys at the counter. I’ve bought everything from stainless steel garbage cans to a funnel for my humming bird feeder.
I’ve run across great antique nds at Retro Rooster, which sells clothing as well as home decor items.
Museum lovers can visit the Marshall County Historical Museum, which is chock-full of memorabilia. It reminds me of the old Pink Palace back in the ’50s and ’60s. All types of things to look at. And you’ll learn a lot at the interesting Ida B. Wells-Barnett Museum and Cultural Center of African-American History.
Drive around town and view the antebellum homes, including the magni cent Montrose, a circa 1858 Greek Revival home. Many homes will be open for viewing December 1st and 2nd at the annual Christmas Tour of Homes.
Don’t forget the scenic Hillcrest Cemetery near the town square. I like to drive through to see the antique wrought iron used as fencing around the various grave sites.
And a er you do all this sightseeing,
it will be time to go eat again.
— Michael Donahue
Greenville, Mississippi
“I took the Blues Highway to the Tamale Trail, which led to the birthplace of Kermit the Frog.”
Earn the right to say this amazing phrase at your next Midtown house party with a fun trip down to Greenville, Mississippi. e town of about 27,000 is pure Delta — blues, cotton, towboats, levee walls, hunting and shing, casinos, and those famous tamales.
Greenville’s tourism website lists 10 places to get tamales in the town and Washington County. But how did the tamale end up in the Mississippi Delta?
“ ere are as many answers to that question as there are tamale recipes,” according to the Southern Foodways Alliance.
Pork and masa are the traditional components of Delta tamales, but the Alliance says you’ll also see them lled with beef or turkey and wrapped in corn meal. Either way, those little hot tamales are wrapped in corn shucks to cook.
“Looks like hell,” say the Greenville tourism folks. “Tastes like heaven. Just don’t eat the shucks.”
Doe’s Eat Place may be the most famous joint on the Greenville Tamale Trail. e regional chain now spans from Biloxi to Paducah. But the OG is in Greenville.
Blues lovers will marvel at the Highway 61 Blues Museum in nearby Leland, also home to June’s annual Highway 61 Blues Festival.
While you’re in Leland, stop in to visit another musical Mississippian — Kermit the Frog — at the Greenville Chamber of Commerce o ce. Jim Henson was born near Leland, and an exhibit about his life has tons of Muppets memorabilia and a gi shop, too.
Back in Greenville, soak up some of that pure Delta with an easy 1.7-mile walk on the levee with views of Lake Ferguson
continued on page 14
PHOTOS: MICHAEL DONAHUE Booker Hardware
PHOTOS: GREENVILLE WASHINGTON COUNTY CONVENTION AND VISITORS BUREAU Meet Kermit the Frog and check out Lake Ferguson while in Greenville.
continued from page 13
BEST Fitness Club in Memphis!
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(where you might spy a towboat or two). Alright, alright. I’ve done the history thing and the blues thing and family thing and eaten tamales. I want to cut loose. Two casinos — Harlow’s Casino Resort and Tropicana Casino — o er the best games, dining, bars, and more.
— Toby Sells
Chewalla Lake
About an hour southeast of Memphis via a picturesque drive through Mississippi hill country lies Chewalla Lake. It’s a 260-acre reservoir in the Holly Springs National Forest, built in 1966 by damming Chewalla Creek. I hear you skeptics out there asking, “Why should I drive an hour to some muddy-ass lake in Mississippi?” Here’s why: First, and most important, it’s not muddy-ass. Chewalla is spring-fed, meaning its water clarity is unrivaled — and unusual — in these parts. And second, it’s cold, meaning you get refreshed when you plunge into the water, no small thing on a blazing summer a ernoon in the Mid-South.
Don’t believe me? Wade into the lake from the sandy swim beach area, and you’ll quickly discover Chewalla’s secret: brisk, chilly water gushing into the lake from below your feet. Once you step into one of the springs, you’ll want to stay near it for a bit. It’s refreshing and unlike any body of water near Memphis.
And there are no obnoxious motorboats or skiers. Chewalla is a no-wake lake, so it’s perfect for kayaking and canoeing — and shing, which is excellent, with bass, cat sh, sun sh, bluegill, and crappie. (Anglers must have a Mississippi shing license.) And if you’re a hiker, Chewalla features a four-mile trail that encircles the lake and accesses an ancient Indian mound.
If you’re just staying during the day, the swimming beach, shing pier, grills, playground, and pavilion make it a good family option. If you’re looking to stay overnight, there are more than 40 campsites and RV sites. e campground is
open from April to November and o ers hot showers and ush toilets. Campsites with electricity and water are limited, however. It’s best to check the lake’s website for availability.
And once you’ve had your ll of nature, the good news is that you’re only a short jaunt away from historic Holly Springs, with its antebellum mansions, bed and breakfasts, hotels, and Southern dining options. — Bruce VanWyngarden
Southaven, Mississippi
If you’re looking for a fun day trip with friends or family, look no further than spending your day in Southaven, Mississippi. e Memphis suburb has activities from shopping to indoor and outdoor recreation to restaurants and entertainment centers.
Southaven’s open outdoor shopping malls are just one attraction. e Tanger Outlets outdoor mall is a popular shopping center located on Airways Boulevard. e outlet has name brand stores such as Nike, H&M, Coach, Michael Kors, Banana Republic, Tommy Hil ger, and many more. (Join the TangerClub for deals and other services.) e Southaven Towne Center, located on Towne Center Loop, is another fun outlet shopping center. Some shops at the Towne Center include Dillard’s, Bath & Body Works, Journeys, JCPenney, Ulta Beauty, and Torrid. For locally owned boutiques and gi shops worth perusing, head to Silo
PHOTO: SILO SQUARE | FACEBOOK
Jerry Lee Lewis memorial statue at Silo Square in Southaven, Mississippi
PHOTO: BRUCE VANWYNGARDEN Chewalla Lake
Square, where you’ll also spot the Jerry Lee Lewis memorial statue.
For a family day, there are parks, games, concerts, and shows. Let’s Paint is a place to have fun with your artistic creativity; escape rooms, Strike Zone Bowling Lanes, Southaven Golf Center, and Urban Air Trampoline and Adventure Park are perfect recreational places. For concerts and shows, there’s the BankPlus Amphitheater at Snowden Grove and the Landers Center.
A er a fun day spent doing any fun activity, there’s room for a good bite to eat. Southaven has a variety of restaurant options for anything that you have an appetite for — like pizza from Lost Pizza Co., sushi and hibachi from Akita Sushi & Hibachi Steakhouse, barbecue from One & Only BBQ, or Mexican from Tekila Modern Mexican.
— Morgan omas
Dyersburg, Tennessee, & Steele, Missouri
I set out from Memphis in a direction I don’t go very o en: north. Usually, when I’m driving the storied Highway 51, it’s just to go hiking in the Meeman-Shelby Forest State Park. But today, I kept going through Millingon, Atoka, and Covington. 51 winds through some beautiful country as it crosses the Hatchie River. At Henning, I pass signs for the Alex Haley House Museum, where the author of Roots is buried next to his childhood home. e rolling hills north of Ripley are covered in verdant farmland which gleams green this hot, sunny summer day. Just north of Halls is Arnold Field where the Veterans’ Museum features static displays of een planes from the World War II era.
I wind through Dyersburg, a place where I have never been before. It’s a very tidy Southern small town, like the one I grew up in, with an interesting mix of residential architecture. But I’m not here for the housing. I’m here for ’cue.
Roy Boy’s Barbecue is located on the northwest side of town, where Highway 51 is called St. John Avenue. It’s a modest building situated next to a gas
station and across the street from a Grecian Steakhouse which looks massive in comparison. e heavenly smell of slowroasted pig seeps into the car before I can even turn o the ignition. Inside, I say what I usually say in these situations: “Gimme what’s good!”
I end up with the Loaded Baked Potato, and, man, is it loaded! e massive spud takes up an entire Styrofoam to-go container, stu ed with some heavenly pulled pork, bacon bits, chives, nacho cheese (the proprietor’s recommendation), and jalapeños. is dish could have fed a family of four. I do my best, but I’m but one person!
Back on the road with a full belly and the smell from the le overs permeating the car, I hop on 155 and dra behind a big truck until I cross the Mississippi River, which is much narrower and deeper here than at our Fourth Blu . On I-55, I head south to my second destination of the day.
High Pro le Cannabis Shop in Steele, Missouri, is part of a chain with locations in Michigan, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Connecticut, and now Missouri, which recently loosened their cannabis laws to include recreational sales. High Pro le hasn’t been open long —it’s still got that new store smell. In this case, the smell is from the dozens of glass jars lled with carefully trimmed owers. ere’s a steady stream of customers of all descriptions, from farmhands with muddy boots to city slickers like me. I use the store’s iPad interface to order a pack of blueberry gummies from Camino, a brand I discovered in Los Angeles. e gummies promise “tranquility,” which is something I could use a lot more of these days.
e drive back to Memphis is a straight shot through Arkansas rice elds, which are in the midst of their annual ood. Back at home, I chew a gummy, and the rest of my evening is tranquil as advertised. — Flyer sta
PHOTO: CHRIS McCOY
Roy Boy’s Barbecue loaded baked potato
steppin’ out
We Recommend: Culture, News + Reviews
THURSDAY
JULY 17
DUANE CLEVELAND (DUO) 6PM
FRIDAY
JULY 18
HANK NIGHTSHADE AND THE MIDNIGHT SONS 6PM THE SUPERFIVE 9:30PM
19 30 MINUTE EGO 5PM
9PM
20 JOE RESTIVO 12PM
PACEMAKERS 5PM THURSDAY JULY 24 MEMPHIS RHYTHM REVUE 6PM FRIDAY
JULY 25
RICE DREWRY COLLECTIVE 6PM TAKE 12 9:30PM
SATURDAY
JULY 26
LANDSLIDE: A TRIBUTE TO THE MUSIC OF FLEETWOOD MAC 5PM BONFIRE ORCHESTRA 9PM SUNDAY JULY 27
JOE RESTIVO 4 12PM ELEVATION MEMPHIS: TINA TURNER EXPERIENCE 5PM JULY 19 9PM
SATURDAY JULY 26 9PM
Asian Night Market
is Saturday, the Asian Night Market will highlight authentic Asian foods from a variety of vendors and showcase Asian culture through music, dance, and more.
“People come to enjoy di erent cultural performances and try to connect with Asians in the community that you don’t normally see,” says Nhu Quynh Tran, president of the Vietnamese American Community (VAC), which has organized the market since 2023. “ is event has a good impact on the young generation and creates new opportunities for pop-up businesses.”
is year, the festival will take place at the Agricenter International outdoor area, with more than 100 vendors, including Boba Society Tea & Snack Bar, Hotbox Hibachi, Viet Kitchen, Urban Fusion Asian Bistro, and Panda Smokehouse. Festival-goers can expect martial arts demonstrations; live music; cultural dances from multiple backgrounds such as Chinese, Japanese, Indian, and Polynesian; and, of course, the ever-popular lion dance.
By Morgan Thomas
Celebrate Asian culture through food, song, and dance.
Choose901, VAC Memphis, and content creator Foodie Jimmy will also present a foodeating contest with prizes. First place will win a $300 cash prize, second place will win a $200 gi certi cate, and third place will win a $100 gi certi cate. Plus, kids will have a place of their own to play and watch movies in the kids zone.
Tickets start at $17.85 for ages 13 and over, tickets for children ages 6 to 12 are $7.18, and children ages 5 and younger get free admission. Volunteers are needed. Head to nightmarketmemphis.com for more information and to purchase tickets.
VARIOUS DAYS & TIMES July 17th -23rd
“100 Years in the Making: Collierville’s 1970 Centennial Celebration” Opening Reception
Morton Museum of Collierville History, 196 North Main, ursday, July 17, 5:30-7 p.m.
Join Morton Museum of Collierville History for a festive evening as it unveils its newest temporary exhibition, “100 Years in the Making: Collierville’s 1970 Centennial Celebration”— a look back at the parades, pageants, and parties that marked one of the town’s biggest milestones.
Mayor Maureen Fraser and Alderman Jewel Jordan will recreate a scene from the original 1970 Centennial Banquet: the ceremonial cutting of Collierville’s 155th birthday cake!
Enjoy sweet and savory treats inspired by the original banquet menu and mingle with museum sta .
Sing 2 (Sing-Along Screening)
Orpheum eatre, 203 South Main, Saturday, July 19, 2 p.m., $12
Join the Orpheum for a special screening of Sing 2 with on-screen lyrics so you can sing along with every show-stopping number. Featuring an unforgettable soundtrack packed with chart-topping hits from artists like U2, Billie Eilish, Elton John, and Shawn Mendes, Sing 2 is a celebration of dreams, friendship, and the power of music.
Arrive dressed as your favorite character, warm up your singing voice, and get ready to rock the Orpheum!
is event is part of the Orpheum Summer of Sing-Alongs. Up next are Grease (August 2nd) and Rodgers & Hammerstein’s e Sound of Music Sing-A-Long (August 16th).
Mystic Krewe of Pegasus: Christmas in July Dru’s Bar, 1474 Madison Avenue, Sunday, July 20, 3 p.m., 21+ e Mystic Krewe of Pegasus presents a festive summer twist on the holiday season — all to bene t the Memphis Child Advocacy Center. Enjoy holiday performances by Fantasia Bordeaux, Bela D’Ball, Papa Chubb, Boy Dustin, and many more of Santa’s favorite entertainers. Meanwhile, the krewe will be bringing you all the Christmas cheer with a 50/50 auction, fun games, prizes, and surprises throughout the a ernoon.
Put on your best holiday attire (or your most outrageous Christmas-in-July look).
ASIAN NIGHT MARKET, AGRICENTER INTERNATIONAL, 7777 WALNUT GROVE RD., SATURDAY, JULY 19, 4-10 P.M., $5+.
PHOTO: COURTESY VIETNAMESE AMERICAN COMMUNITY
MUSIC By Alex Greene
Lamplighter Redux
With LampyFest 2025, the dive bar will celebrate its music-friendly makeover.
B
ack in the day, the classic Lamplighter Lounge experience didn’t involve live music. Pushing through the front door, you would swim through the clouds of cigarette smoke, spy a seat at the bar, settle down, and begin your night of drinking beer, talking, drinking beer, smoking, and drinking beer. No liquor was available, but it was dim, old, and cozy. As the world outside kept spinning out of control, somehow this dive remained unmoved, una ected, and unconcerned. William Eggleston might step in wearing his full-length black leather coat, or perhaps you’d see Alex Chilton and drummer Doug Garrison saunter up to the jukebox. ey weren’t there to play, only nding shelter from the storm. Miss Shirley (Williams) would call you out for swearing but served up the cheap beer and the burgers that bore her name with un appable conviviality.
cleaner’ was my motto.”
Later, a er Shirley’s passing, the owner, Ms. Ann (Bradley) would ll much the same role. As she presided over her nal years there before retirement, the vibe remained unchanged, but the clientele began to shi . Millennials, and later Gen Zers, it turned out, also craved that shelter. Yet they brought with them a new aesthetic. Maybe their favorite dive bar could also feature bands?
It began happening in dribs and drabs, occasional shows by soloists set up beside the pool table. Who could forget Lamplighter regular Ron Easley singing an obscure oldie about Fidel Castro while strumming a ukulele in 2012? But it still wasn’t really what you’d call a music venue, despite having a legendary jukebox.
at all feels like ancient history now, of course. In 2018, Bradley got out of the bar business and two younger employees, Laurel Cannito and Chuck “Vicious” Wenzler, bought the place, yet they were committed to keeping that magic, funky vibe that had built up organically over the decades. “Keeping it the same was really important to us,” Cannito said at the time. “We were so adamant about that. ‘ e same, but
Nonetheless, the two also leaned into hosting more music events than ever in the tiny bar. And within a year or so, they had added the adjoining space in their retail strip on Madison and more than doubled the capacity. is would mark a new era of the Lamplighter hosting bands, one that has continued to this day, albeit on a shoestring budget. For much of that time, the PA and other gear required of a music venue was cobbled together in true D.I.Y. fashion.
But now, seven years a er the “youngsters” took over, all of that has changed once again, though the vibe has remained. Over that time, the venue has earned a reputation for embracing some of the most inventive music in town, due to the adventurous tastes of Cannito and Wenzler. “We try to book, like, anything,” says Cannito today. “Even if something’s maybe not our cup of tea, we still try to give every type of music and every type of artistic expression a chance.”
“We’ll let anybody play twice,” quips Wenzler with a grin.
Yet, over those years, while management was open to any avor of music, the venue’s equipment was not always up to the task. at’s changing in a big way, and the results will be clear when the bar hosts its “LampyFest 2025” this Saturday, July 19th, starting at 3 p.m. Now, the many featured bands will
PHOTO: MAGGIE TRISLER
Laurel Cannito and Chuck Wenzler
“… we still try to give every type of music and every type of artistic expression a chance.”
ring out more clearly than ever, powered by major improvements to the venue’s sound system, including new speakers and microphones. It’s an unmistakable sign that music and other performances will continue to be central to the Lamp’s top priorities for the foreseeable future.
As Cannito notes, “ is all started when we decided to open up to private investments from our community, right?” Supporters of the bar could buy shares in it, a somewhat untested model for community involvement. As it turned out, it was just crazy enough to work. “ e whole impetus for that was us wanting to make improvements and make it a more comfortable space. Now we’re doing that, which is great! We were not only able to improve the sound equipment, we were able to get a liquor license, so we can make more money and pay back our investment.”
And, in keeping with their motto of “the same, but cleaner,” the cigarette smoke-tinted ceiling tiles have been
replaced. Will wonders never cease?
Celebrating all of this at LampyFest, with cocktails, no less, will be some of the city’s most iconic bands, mixed with a few newcomers, in keeping with the Lamplighter’s spirit. e festival will feature Dr. Brown, Turnt, Je rey Evans & Ross Johnson, Aquarian Blood, Tyler Keith, Jack Oblivian and the Sheiks, Superfun Yeah Yeah Rocketship, plus drag and burlesque performers galore. ere’s even a new (used) piano that, rumor has it, is actually in tune — a rarity for any club in the city. e sheer sonic diversity is classic Lamp fare, but, as Cannito notes, they want to take it even further with their regular Wednesday night variety open mic events. “It’s great to see what people bring,” she says. “Like, one of our friends and sta did her rst clown act at one of them. I really want to get that o the ground because I want to see puppets. I want to see more magic. I want to see, like, ballet! I would love to see those things at that open mic because it kind of encompasses what we’re going for anyways, which is like: ‘Hit us up. If you want to do something, be safe, and have fun, go get creative in there. Dance if you want!”
As we speak, the co-owners are brainstorming, and it starts to snowball. “I want to have pro wrestling,” chimes in Wenzler.
“ at would be so cool!” agrees Cannito, then adds, “Chuck and I have been working on this collaborative art project for seven years with our community, having to drag this place through Covid and everything. We got really savvy, I think, in how we deal with things. What’s really cool is that now we’ve been able to make these improvements. And it feels like it’s nally ready to show, you know? I think it’s cool that everybody got to see the process, and that everybody had input on the process.
“It’s never gonna be nished,” Cannito adds. “But as far as reaching the vision that we had when we called for investments from the community, I think that’s what we’re so excited to unveil at LampyFest.”
SATURDAYS
Win new electronics ever y Saturday from your favorite brands such as LG, Bose and Samsung!
Earn 3X entries on Tuesdays and Thursdays, plus 5X entries on Fridays and Saturdays.
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AFTER DARK: Live Music Schedule July
17 - 23
Ashton Riker & The
Memphis Royals
ursday, July 17, 8 p.m.
B.B. KING’S BLUES CLUB
Baunie and Soul
Tuesday, July 22, 7-11 p.m.
RUM BOOGIE CAFE BLUES HALL
Blues Trio
Sunday, July 20, noon |
Wednesday, July 23, 4 p.m.
B.B. KING’S BLUES CLUB
Earl “The Pearl” Banks
Tuesday, July 22, 7 p.m.
BLUES CITY CAFE
Eric Hughes
ursday, July 17, 7-11 p.m.
RUM BOOGIE CAFE
Flic’s Pics Band
Saturday, July 19, 4 p.m. |
Sunday, July 20, 2 p.m.
B.B. KING’S BLUES CLUB
FreeWorld
Friday, July 18, 7-11 p.m. |
Saturday, July 19, 7-11 p.m.
RUM BOOGIE CAFE
KC Johns
With Lanco. ursday, July 17, 7:30-9 p.m.
KIX ON BEALE
Memphis Soul Factory ursday, July 17, 4 p.m. |
Sunday, July 20, 8 p.m.
B.B. KING’S BLUES CLUB
Soul Street
Wednesday, July 23, 7-11 p.m.
RUM BOOGIE CAFE
Vince Johnson Monday, July 21, 6:30 p.m. | Tuesday, July 22, 6:30 p.m.
RUM BOOGIE CAFE
Van Duren
ursday, July 17, 6:30 p.m.
MORTIMER’S
200 Stab Wounds
With Spy, Vomit Forth, Weeping. Monday, July 21, 7 p.m.
MINGLEWOOD HALL
40 Watt Sun With Serpentent, fosterfalls. Friday, July 18, 10 p.m.
B-SIDE
An R&B Experience: Unapologetically Unplugged
With Ashley Ave, TMRW, Gabbi, A-Dubb, Hymjmn, Alex Hardison, Tim Walker, Reggie Edwards, Baby, Demi Lowrell, Maya Maya, Tayler
May, Dia Lee, Christopher MC. Friday, July 18, 7 p.m.
GROWLERS
Bob Voyage and the Body Heat
With TIOB. Wednesday, July 23, 8 p.m.
HI TONE
Deborah Swiney Duo ursday, July 17, 6-9 p.m.
THE COVE
Saturday, July 19, 3 p.m.
LAMPLIGHTER LOUNGE
Level Three
Wednesday, July 23, 10 p.m.
LOUIS CONNELLY’S BAR
Memphis Jazz Workshop Alumni Band
$30/advance, $40/at the door.
Saturday, July 19, 7:30 p.m.
THE GREEN ROOM AT CROSSTOWN ARTS
Nathan Graham presented by Folk All Y’all + Crosstown Arts
$20. Friday, July 18, 7:30 p.m.
THE GREEN ROOM AT CROSSTOWN ARTS
School of Rock
Friday, July 18, 5:30 p.m.
B-SIDE
Shores of Acheron With Ruined God. Monday, July 21, 8 p.m.
HI TONE
The Midnight Papers With Committeemen, Stay Fashionable. Saturday, July 19, 8 p.m.
BAR DKDC
West End Junction
ursday, July 17, 8 p.m.
HI TONE
Whip Appeal
With Ruby Lou, Fake. $10. ursday, July 17, 9 p.m.
BAR DKDC
Brent Hopper, Sam Raines, Adam Buczyna and Angelina David Friday, July 18, 7 p.m.
SOUTH MAIN SOUNDS
Devil Train
ursday, July 17, 9 p.m.
B-SIDE
Hamell on Trial
Richard Wilson
Wednesday, July 23, 7-9 p.m.
JAVA CABANA
ursday, July 17, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
BUTTERIFIC BAKERY & CAFE
Mose Wilson Album Release Tour
Wendell Wells
Jazz Jam with the Cove Quartet
ursday, July 17, 7 p.m.
HERNANDO’S HIDEAWAY
Sunday, July 20, 1:30-4:30 p.m.
MFS BREWING
Sunday, July 20, 6-9 p.m.
THE COVE
JD Westmoreland Band
Elmo & the Shades
Wednesday, July 23, 7 p.m.
NEIL’S MUSIC ROOM
John Williams & the A440 Band
$10. ursday, July 17, 8 p.m.
NEIL’S MUSIC ROOM
Live at the Garden: Parker McCollum
$91.65/general admission. ursday, July 17, 8 p.m.
RADIANS AMPHITHEATER AT MEMPHIS BOTANIC GARDEN
The Deb Jam Band
Tuesday, July 22, 6 p.m.
NEIL’S MUSIC ROOM
Monday, July 21, 10 p.m.
B-SIDE
Joe Restivo 4
Sunday, July 20, noon.
LAFAYETTE’S MUSIC ROOM
Jombi Comes Home
With Zoe Dominguez, Degenerate Breakfast. Saturday, July 19, 7 p.m.
GROWLERS
Julian Primeaux
Friday, July 18, 8 p.m.
HI TONE
LampyFest 2025
Aquarian Blood, Jack-O & the Sheiks, Dr. Brown, Turnt, Je rey Evans & Ross Johnson, Tyler Keith, and Superfun Yeah Yeah Rocketship. $10/at the door.
Big Star Quintet
$39. Saturday, July 19, 8 p.m.
GERMANTOWN PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
Big Summer Shows: Big River Crossing
Featuring music by Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Chuck Berry, and more. $20/reserved seating, $30/VIP front row. Friday, July 18, 7 p.m. | Saturday, July 19, 7 p.m. | Sunday, July 20, 2 p.m.
GERMANTOWN COMMUNITY THEATRE
Wendell Wells & the Big Americans
Monday, July 21, 5:30-8:30 p.m.
ROTOLO’S CRAFT & CRUST
PHOTO: COURTESY CROSSTOWN ARTS Nathan Graham
CALENDAR of EVENTS: July 17 - 23
ART AND SPECIAL EXHIBITS
“100 Years in the Making: Collierville’s 1970 Centennial Celebration” Opening Reception
rough photographs, artifacts, and stories, this exhibition highlights the grand festivities that marked 100 years of Collierville’s history. rough Sept. 6.
MORTON MUSEUM OF COLLIERVILLE HISTORY
“2024 Accessions to the Permanent Collection” is series honors the new additions to the museum’s permanent collection each calendar year. rough Nov. 2.
METAL MUSEUM
Art by Carol Sams
An artist working with oil on panel, watercolors, and fabric collage, including three-dimensional crocheted and woven works. rough July 23.
CHURCH HEALTH
ARTSmemphis: “GRANTEDTime Exhibition”
An exhibit curated by Brittney Boyd Bullock, a visual artist working ber, mixed media, and abstraction. rough Aug. 5.
ARTSMEMPHIS
“Black Holes” is planetarium show gives an overview of what black holes are, how they form, and what would happen if you fell inside one. ursday, July 17, 2 p.m. | Friday, July 18, 2 p.m. | Saturday, July 19, 2 p.m. | Sunday, July 20, 2 p.m. | Monday, July 21, 2 p.m. | Tuesday, July 22, 2 p.m. | Wednesday, July 23, 2 p.m.
PINK PALACE MUSEUM & MANSION
“Bleeding Together – A Correspondence”
A collaboration between Andres Arauz, who specializes in photo collage, design, and photography, and Abby Meyers, a visual artist, poet, and award-winning lmmaker. rough Sept. 14.
CROSSTOWN ARTS AT THE CONCOURSE
“Building a Bright Future: Black Communities and Rosenwald Schools in Tennessee”
e Tennessee State Museum brings the award winning temporary exhibit into every part of Tennessee. Davies Manor is thrilled to host this exhibit the farthest west it has ever been. rough July 31.
DAVIES MANOR HISTORIC SITE
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 THE QR CODE OR VISIT EVENTS.MEMPHISFLYER.COM/CAL.
Learn how captivating architectural sketching can be amidst Memphis’ skyline.
Carroll Todd: “New Sculpture”
Todd is celebrated for whimsical bronze sculptures that are formally sophisticated but never solemn. His practice explores form and movement with an e ortlessness and grace. rough July 26.
DAVID LUSK GALLERY
“CREATE | CREA”
A dynamic space designed to spark creativity, curiosity, and hands-on exploration. is vibrant environment invites guests of all ages to dive into the creative process. rough Sept. 21.
THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS
“Earnest Withers: I AM A MAN”
Ernest Withers’ famous photographs of the 1968 Memphis Sanitation Workers Strike illustrate the dignity of workers’ activism, which still feels inspirational decades later. rough Oct. 12.
PINK PALACE MUSEUM & MANSION
“[Fe]ATURED AR[Ti]STS”
Works created and curated by sta members of the Metal Museum. rough Sept. 14.
CROSSTOWN ARTS AT THE CONCOURSE
Like Really Creative hosts its monthly collage party this Wednesday.
“Forward to the Moon”
A planetarium show about the Artemis program, NASA’s project to return to the moon, from landing humans on the surface, to building a space station in lunar orbit, to establishing a human lunar base. rough Aug. 31.
PINK PALACE MUSEUM & MANSION
“Horizon Lines”: Anthony Lee, Matthew Lee, and Sowgand Sheikholeslami
Working independently west of Memphis in Arkansas, along the corridor of US Highway 61, these artists have each created bodies of work showcasing the unique characteristics of the region. rough Sept. 21.
THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS
Incognito Art Auction and Party
Explore a one-of-a-kind collection where mystery meets creativity; the artist behind each piece remains a secret until a er the auction closes. rough Aug. 1.
MEMPHIS BOTANIC GARDEN
“Landshaping: The Origins of the Black Belt Prairie”
Learn about the geologic event known as the Mississippi Embayment and its e ect on this region. Fossils and farm tools will be displayed alongside photographs by Houston Co eld. rough Oct. 12.
PINK PALACE MUSEUM & MANSION
“Light as Air”
Explore the beauty in tension: a balance of forms, the contrast between heavy and light, and the signi cance of negative space. rough Sept. 7.
METAL MUSEUM
“Memphis Skies: What’s That in Our Night Sky?” Hop through constellations, learn cool star names, and groove to planetarium space music in this full dome audio-
“Summer Break”
A new group exhibition featuring work from Justin Tyler Bryant, Sai Clayton, Coulter Fussell, Carl E. Moore, and Melissa Wilkinson. rough July 26.
SHEET CAKE
“Susan Watkins and Women Artists of the Progressive Era”
Centered on the career of Susan Watkins (1875–1913), the exhibition explores the environment in which Watkins and other female artists of the time forged their professional identities. rough Sept. 28.
THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS
Tad Lauritzen Wright: “Zen on the Installment Plan”
visual experience. rough Aug. 31.
PINK PALACE MUSEUM & MANSION
“Overcoming Hateful Things”
e exhibition contains over 150 items from the late 19th century to the present, including items from popular culture and images of violence against African-American activists. rough Oct. 19.
PINK PALACE MUSEUM & MANSION
Roseanne Wilson Exhibit “I love to work in vibrant colors, capturing nature at its best,” says Wilson. “I have also begun working in a di erent medium, creating 3-D shadow box art.” rough July 31.
MEMPHIS BOTANIC GARDEN
Sean Nash: “Cosmic Produce”
Nash’s sculptural paintings from this series are hybrids that take their shaped forms from marine organisms, painted in vivid splashy and dappled colors, orders of magnitude larger than reality. rough Sept. 14.
TOPS AT MADISON AVENUE PARK
“Speaking Truth to Power: The Life of Bayard Rustin”
Exhibition
Rustin’s made innovative use of the “medium” to communicate powerful messages of non-violence, activism, and authenticity. $20/adult, $18/senior, college student. rough Dec. 31.
NATIONAL CIVIL RIGHTS MUSEUM
Summer Art Garden: “A Flash of Sun” Immerse yourself in the radiant spirit of summer with these geometric sculptures that cast vibrant hues in the shi ing sunlight. rough Oct. 20.
MEMPHIS BROOKS MUSEUM OF ART
Contemplating humanity, nature, and repeated histories through photo abstractions and sculptural works constructed from salvaged wood. rough Sept. 14.
CROSSTOWN ARTS AT THE CONCOURSE
Tennessee Craft Southwest’s Fine Craft Showcase
Featuring work a wide range of media, including weaving, wood turning, clay, glass work, jewelry, quilting, painting, sculptures, and much more. rough July 25.
GALLERY 1091
Tributaries: Leah Gerrard’s “Longline” Seattle-based fabrication artist Leah Gerrard, the museum’s newest Tributaries artist, shapes ethereal steel forms, blending basketry, jewelry, and large-scale pieces. Free. rough Sept. 14.
METAL MUSEUM
“Tyre Nichols: A Photographic Legacy” A rare and intimate view of Nichols’ passion for capturing nature, urban landscapes, and quiet moments of everyday life. His images speak to his keen artistic eye and humanity. Tuesdays-Saturdays. rough Aug. 31.
JAY ETKIN GALLERY
ART HAPPENINGS
“100 Years in the Making: Collierville’s 1970 Centennial Celebration” Opening Reception
A look back at the parades, pageants, and parties that marked one of the town’s biggest milestones. With Mayor Maureen Fraser and Alderman Jewel Jordan. ursday, July 17, 5:30-7 p.m.
MORTON MUSEUM OF COLLIERVILLE HISTORY
continued on page 20
PHOTO: COURTESY LIKE REALLY CREATIVE
PHOTO: COURTESY MEMPHIS BROOKS MUSEUM OF ART
continued from page 19
Crosstown Arts
Presents: The Resident Artist Talks
Join artists Kaylyn Webster, Desmond Beach, Eduardo Aguilar, and fosterfalls for an evening of discussion surrounding the work of these four incredible resident artists. Thursday, July 17, 6-8 p.m.
THE GREEN ROOM AT CROSSTOWN ARTS
“Home Is A Dream I Keep Having” Closing Reception
At the close of this exhibit by Noah Miller and Sara Moseley, free refreshments, live music from Dream Journal, avant-garde music project from Robby & Rachael Grant, and a DJ set. Friday, July 18, 5-8 p.m.
URBAN ART COMMISSION
Like Really Creative July Collage Party with Sapphic Memphis, Phivezero, and Vince Long Collage with a creative community. Materials, scissors, glue, water, soda, and light snacks provided. $5/suggested donation. Wednesday, July 23, 6-9 p.m.
THE UGLY ART COMPANY
“Through the Window” Opening
A special soft launch celebration for this new gallery featuring new artwork by Alice Crenshaw. Friday, July 18, 5:30 p.m.
GOETZE ART & DESIGN
The Life of Jesus Christ through Art
Join an enlightening tour exploring Jesus Christ’s life through stunning art. Free. Thursday, July 17, 6:307:15 p.m.
MEMPHIS BROOKS MUSEUM OF ART
Wrestling Art Show | Birdcap vs. Skinny
New works from the incomparable Birdcap and the incompetent Skinny. Friday, July 18, 6 p.m.
HI TONE
BOOK EVENTS
Polly Stewart: The Felons’ Ball
The author in conversation with Ace Atkins about her “assured, propulsive, and thrilling” novel. Monday, July 21, 6 p.m.
NOVEL
Silent Book Club
Maggie and Linzie, aka the Book Clubbin’ Besties, are hosting a silent book club meeting with Stacie’s Sweets on hand. Free. Sunday, July 20, 2 p.m.
NOVEL
The End of All Art Books/Pat Sansone: Noticings
A pop-up book event featuring hundreds of art, avantgarde, weirdo, and other curious titles. Pat Sansone of Wilco will be signing his
CALENDAR: JULY 17 - 23
tify actionable priorities for recorded music. Wednesday, July 23, 5 p.m.
MEMPHIS LISTENING LAB
Memphis Polyamory Meetup
Whether you’re polyamorous, ethically nonmonogamous, curious, or simply seeking community, this is a welcoming space to connect, share, and support one another. Monday, July 21, 7 p.m.
DRU’S BAR
Senior Health Fair
This event is aimed at informing, educating, and providing health care resources and health information to seniors. Friday, July 18, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
BENJAMIN L. HOOKS CENTRAL LIBRARY - MEMPHIS PUBLIC LIBRARY
Sing It, Memphis
Memphis River Parks
Partnership and the talented Keri Lee invite you to raise your voice in harmony at A Monument to Listening. Free. Saturday, July 19, 5-7 p.m.
TOM LEE PARK
EXPO/SALES
Memphis Oddity & Curiosity Market
Get Outside Fitness:
KidoKinetics
Through age-appropriate games and activities, young children build confidence, coordination, and a love for active play through a variety of sports in an encouraging, non-competitive environment. Thursday, July 17, 5 p.m.
SHELBY FARMS PARK
Get Outside Fitness:
Kids Yoga
Kids yoga is designed to be fun and engaging, teaching basic yoga poses with playful names that build strength, flexibility, balance, and mindfulness. Parents are welcome to join, too. Wednesday, July 23, 5-6 p.m.
SHELBY FARMS PARK
Outdoor STEM Adventures
Rising first to sixth graders are in for an exciting STEM adventure. Campers explore science, technology, engineering, and math through hands-on experiments and creative challenges. Monday, July 21-July 25.
LICHTERMAN NATURE CENTER
new book of photography, Noticings. Saturday, July 19, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
SLOWDOWN DRY GOODS
CLASS / WORKSHOP
Country Swing Dance Lessons
It’s never too late to start and a partner is not required to join the class. Friday, July 18, 7:30 p.m.
WHISKEY JILL’S
Creative Writing Workshop
Write at Novel this summer! Saturday, July 19, 6-7:30 p.m. NOVEL
Dance Lessons
Swing lessons with Matt and Lara, 7:30 p.m., and line dance lessons with Dancing with Boss Lady, 8:30 p.m.
Thursday, July 17, 7:30 p.m.
WHISKEY JILL’S
Finding the Light: Beginning Photography Workshop
Explore the fundamental principles of photography in a fun and beginner-friendly way. Learn how to see the world like a photographer — through light, composition, and storytelling. Saturday, July 19, noon-2 p.m.
RALEIGH LIBRARY
Genealogy Class: African American Research for Beginners
A how-to on tracing your ancestry. Wednesday, July 23, 10:30 a.m.-noon.
ORANGE MOUND COMMUNITY CENTER
Hobby Kick-Start:
Watercolor Painting
Kelly Cook teaches this two-hour workshop on how to embrace the medium of watercolor and basic color theory. Participants take home their own work of art. $25. Thursday, July 17, 6-8 p.m.
THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS
Intro to Film Film director, playwright, actor, and scholar, William Edwards presents a six session course on the art of film. Monday, July 21, 1-3 p.m.
MEMPHIS PUBLIC LIBRARIES
ORANGE MOUND BRANCH
Lunchtime Meditations
Free meditation sessions every Friday. Friday, July 18, noon-12:30 p.m.
THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS
Make a Scene: Teen Filmmaking Workshop
In this workshop taught by local film director Caleb Suggs, teens and tweens will receive an overview of each stage of the film making process with a focus on the roles of the director. Saturday, July 19, noon-2 p.m.
COSSITT LIBRARY
Make Your Own: Copper Luminary
Learn how to punch designs into copper to create your own personalized candle luminary. Saturday, July 19, 2:30-4:30 p.m.
METAL MUSEUM
Memphis in Perspective: Architectural Perspective Workshop Dive into the art of architectural sketching amidst Memphis’ skyline! Learn
perspective techniques and splash your creations with vibrant watercolors. $55/ general admission. Saturday, July 19, 1:30-3:30 p.m.
MEMPHIS BROOKS MUSEUM OF ART
Museum Muses: Sunburst Postcards
Explore the intricate and vibrant world of Madhubani painting as you paint a radiant sun design on a postcard. Tuesday, July 22, noon-1:30 p.m.
MORTON MUSEUM OF COLLIERVILLE HISTORY
Super SaturdayMindfulness
Stroll through calming galleries and find your zen every Saturday morning. Saturday, July 19, 10 a.m.-noon.
MEMPHIS BROOKS MUSEUM OF ART
The Evolution of Artistic Mediums
Wander through the tapestry of art’s evolution, exploring how mediums mold creativity. Perfect for those eager to unlock the secrets behind the canvas! Free. Thursday, July 17, 6:30-7:15 p.m.
MEMPHIS BROOKS MUSEUM OF ART
COMMUNITY
Back-to-School Block Party
Get ready to go back to school with the South Branch! Saturday, July 19, 10 a.m.-noon.
SOUTH LIBRARY
Memphis Music Strategy Reading Room Dive into the Memphis Music Strategy’s 25 recommendations and iden-
A day of strange collectibles, food, entertainment, and more. Saturday, July 19, 4 p.m. HI TONE
FAMILY
Artifact Hunt: A Museum & Library Quest
Explore the library and museum, unravel clues, and solve a tale of a lost artifact. Complete the quest during each venue’s business hours for a chance to uncover its secrets. Through July 19.
MORTON MUSEUM OF COLLIERVILLE HISTORY
Cardboard Camp
With on-site tools, students create wonderful sculptures out of cardboard and recycled materials, using their problem solving skills as they construct their builds. Ages 8-12. $175/week. Monday, July 21, 1-3 p.m. | Tuesday, July 22, 1-3 p.m. | Wednesday, July 23, 1-3 p.m.
THE ART PROJECT
Family Fun Fridays:
Robert Church Park
With activities for all ages, including live music, entertainment, carnival rides, games, a video game board, and free food for the first 500 attendees. No preregistration is required. Friday, July 18, 6 p.m.
ROBERT R. CHURCH PARK
Family Fun Paddle on the Wolf River
The final Family Fun Day of 2025 on the section of the Wolf River from Germantown Parkway to Walnut Grove Road, a surprisingly pleasant three and half mile section of the river. Sunday, July 20, 12:30 p.m.
WOLF RIVER CONSERVANCY
Peace, Love & HipHop Summer Camp Featuring modern and hiphop techniques including spoken word, break dancing, and Memphis jookin’. Every camp activity is focused on how peace and community can be realized through dance. Ages 6-11. $225/ week, $25/fee. Monday, July 21-July 25.
NEW BALLET ENSEMBLE & SCHOOL
Peter and the Wolf Summer Camp
Prokofiev’s symphonic fairy tale comes to life through a variety of dance styles representing the story’s characters. Children will create their own props for their final performance. $175/week. Monday, July 21-July 25.
NEW BALLET ENSEMBLE & SCHOOL
Pre-School Story Time
Enjoy stories, songs, art activities, and creative play that connect with Collierville history. Friday, July 18, 10:30-11:30 a.m.
MORTON MUSEUM OF COLLIERVILLE HISTORY
Special Story Time Event: Home for Toad with Allison Webb
Recommended for children up to 5 years, songs and stories and brand-new books, in addition to well-loved favorites. Saturday, July 19, 10:30 a.m.
NOVEL
Summer Camp at the Garden: Grossology Dive into a delightfully disgusting week of nature’s grossest wonders. Dissect owl pellets, investigate slug slime, and meet some stinky plants. $300. Monday, July 21-July 25.
MEMPHIS BOTANIC GARDEN
PHOTO: COURTESY NEW BALLET ENSEMBLE
Prokofiev’s symphonic fairy tale comes to life at the Peter and the Wolf Summer Dance Camp.
TikTok Dance Camp (Ages 8-12)
Ashley Volner will teach age-appropriate dances, hip-hop moves, dance challenges, and tricks inspired by the latest TikTok trends. Ages 8-12. Monday, July 21-July 25.
GERMANTOWN PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
FILM
A Minecraft Movie
The first-ever live-action adaptation of the bestselling video game of all time. Thursday, July 17-July 23, 3 p.m.
PINK PALACE MUSEUM & MANSION
Sing 2: Singalong Screening
A rare chance to sing your heart out at the Orpheum Theatre, watch on-screen lyrics so you can sing along with every show-stopping number. $12. Saturday, July 19, 2-4 p.m.
ORPHEUM THEATRE
T. Rex: Greatest of All Tyrants
The most dazzling and accurate giant screen documentary ever made on this legendary predator—and its carnivorous Cretaceous cousins. Thursday, July 17-July 23, 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.
MEMPHIS MUSEUM OF SCIENCE & HISTORY
FOOD AND DRINK
Asian Night Market 2025
Embark on a street food adventure with 60+ Asian food vendors, live cultural performances, a free kids zone, an eating contest, and more. $15/ages 13 and above, $5/ages 6-12, $20/price at door. Saturday, July 19, 4-10 p.m.
AGRICENTER INTERNATIONAL
Canoes + Cocktails
A paddle on the lake followed by cocktails provided by Old Dominick, snacks, yard games, and music. A “cocktails only” ticket omits the paddling part. $35-$80. Friday, July 18, 6 p.m.
SHELBY FARMS PARK
Cooper-Young Community Farmers Market
A weekly outdoor market featuring local farmers (no resellers), artisans, and live music. Saturday, July 19, 8 a.m.-1 p.m.
FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH
Memphis Farmers Market
A weekly outdoor market featuring local farmers and artisans, live music, and fun activities. Saturday, July 19, 8 a.m.-1 p.m.
MEMPHIS FARMERS MARKET
LECTURE
Cemetery Salon
A presentation by podcast host, tour guide, and cemetery volunteer Sheena Barnett on how the way we die and grieve our loved ones has changed dramatically. Thursday, July 17, 6 p.m.
ELMWOOD CEMETERY
Munch and Learn: American Art, Photography, and Politics in the Progressive Era
With Dr. William McKeown, currently working on a study of the visual culture of utopianism in the socialist community of Ruskin, Tennessee, in the 1890s. Wednesday, July 23, noon-1 p.m. THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS
The Cream of Collierville: A History of Dairy, Trade, and Community
An immersive and family-friendly presentation that dives into Collierville’s surprising and rich dairy heritage, making it the “Cheese Capital” of West Tennessee. Thursday, July 17, 1:30 p.m. MORTON MUSEUM OF COLLIERVILLE HISTORY
PERFORMING ARTS
Hunks: The Show
Gather your squad for an unforgettable night packed with thrilling performances. Tuesday, July 22, 8 p.m. GROWLERS
Mystic Krewe of Pegasus: Christmas in July
A summer twist on the holiday season — all to benefit the Memphis Child Advocacy Center. With Fantasia Bordeaux, Bela D’Ball, Papa
CALENDAR:
Chubb, Boy Dustin, and many more. Sunday, July 20, 3 p.m.
DRU’S BAR
Open Stage: A Talent Showcase for All
A supportive and fun environment for showcasing your talent with amazing local acts and hidden gems. Sunday, July 20, 6 p.m.
DRU’S BAR
Purple Umbrella Joint Presents: What Started It All
With co-hosts Anita Dubble Bubble and Poly Popjoy. Sunday, July 20, 8 p.m.
HI TONE
Young Actors Guild: Colors of Soul
Experience the enchantment of music, movement, and spoken word with these performing arts students. Saturday, July 19, 6-8 p.m.
CANNON CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS
SPECIAL EVENTS
Celebrating 15 Years of South Side
Wildcats Excellence
South Side Wildcats celebrate 15 years of excellence with “Grooving Through the Decades.”
$75/general admission. Friday, July 18, 6:30-9 p.m.
STAX MUSEUM
ACROSS
1 Could
4 Tail end of a dog?
8 U.S. Independence Day, informally
14 It could be carried in a cart
15 Space for everything
17 Written guide for a business
19 “River People” of Arizona
20 Hard to move
21 Wet ___
22 Solar or lunar eclipse, e.g.
23 Thrill
24 “The Dark at the Top of the Stairs” playwright
25 Some headway
26 Lean
JULY 17 - 23
SPORTS
2025 High School 7-on-7 Football Tournament
Now in its third year. Saturday, July 19, 10 a.m.
LIBERTY POCKET PARK
2025 WildCard Rumble Don’t miss the fourth annual WildCard Rumble
$25/ringside, $15/general admission seated. Sunday, July 20, 5-7 p.m.
MINGLEWOOD HALL
Memphis Redbirds vs. Gwinnett Stripers
$13-$86. Tuesday, July 22, 7 p.m. | Wednesday, July 23, 7 p.m.
AUTOZONE PARK
Overton Park Junior Open
Open to all golfers ages 7 to 16. One of the nation’s oldest kids’ golf tournaments. Monday, July 14-July 17 ABE GOODMAN GOLF CLUBHOUSE
THEATER
Tragedy Sound
Winner of the 2024-2025 NewWorks@ TheWorks Playwriting Competition. A story about female friendship, motherhood, and the secrets we keep. Thursday, July 17, 8 p.m. | Friday, July 18, 8 p.m. | Saturday, July 19, 8 p.m. | Sunday, July 20, 2 p.m.
THEATREWORKS
Crossword
27 Villainous trademark
28 Laterally, in a way
30 Rears
31 Poet/lyricist who wrote the 1974 #1 hit “Seasons in the Sun”
33 Most askew
34 Jeer leaders?
35 Green vegetable
36 Fashion lines?
37 Heads of Parliament?
38 Bean in space
42 Vegetable with greens
43 Beat badly
44 John who wrote “From the Terrace”
45 Sch. divisions
46 Not proceed straightforwardly
47 Renaissance Faire sights
48 Goals for fiscal conservatives
51 Marsala, e.g.
52 “Aloha nui ___” (Hawaiian sign-off meaning “lots of love”)
53 Accompany
54 Radley rival
55 Recipient of the wish at 1-, 8-, 53- and 55-Across DOWN
1 Took a spill, say?
2 Finally hit the big time
3 Ones doing great and loyal service
4 Big bang source, informally
5 Candidate’s goal, for short
6 Playfully fantastical
7 Heading over a list of leading figures on a business’s website
8 Retiring 9 Climate control syst.
10 Yet, to Yeats 11 Toyota models since 1984
The Wiz
The Tony Award-winning musical that took the world by storm is back with an all-new tour, its first in 40 years. See this groundbreaking twist on The Wizard of Oz that changed the face of Broadway. $29, $130. Tuesday, July 22, 7:30-10 p.m. | Wednesday, July 23, 7:30-10 p.m.
ORPHEUM THEATRE
TOURS
Backbeat Tours: Memphis Mojo Tour
The Home of the Blues comes alive on this city tour aboard the nation’s only music bus. $35, $33/seniors, $20/children 5-12. Thursday, June 19-Oct. 31
BACKBEAT TOURS
Blues Tuesdays Backstage Experience Tour
Go behind the scenes of the historical site that’s not only played host to hundreds of legendary Blues acts, but launched the infamous Memphis Country Blues Festival of the late 1960s. $16. Tuesday, July 22, 11 a.m. | Tuesday, July 22, 2 p.m. | Tuesday, July 22, 4 p.m.
OVERTON PARK SHELL
Sightseeing Cruise
The sightseeing cruise is a 90-minute tour that takes you down the Mighty Mississippi with a live historical commentary. $25/general admission. Through Sept. 30.
MEMPHIS RIVERBOATS
Edited by Will Shortz No.
Person for whom one removes one’s hat
Support staff
Ones making glowing recommendations?
Is tough enough
Request from someone who’s disconsolate
Makers of fine combs
Come alive
Pacifica or Sausalito, to S.F. 30
PUZZLE BY MARK DIEHL
We Saw You.
with MICHAEL DONAHUE
This year’s Central Gardens July 4th Parade was like a scene out of a nostalgic movie.
Belvedere Boulevard was packed with children on bicycles, dogs on leashes, and older people in lawn chairs. Many people were carrying ags, hot dogs, watermelon slices, Mempops, or cups of Byway co ee. More ags were stuck at various points on the median between Peabody Avenue and Union Avenue, where the parade took place.
e parade, a Memphis tradition since the 1970s, was traditionally held on Carr Avenue. en the Central Gardens Association (CGA), which puts on the event, got neighbors involved to put on the parade. It’s now relocated to di erent streets.
below: (le
bottom
above: Lewis,
Jesse,
and
and
and
PHOTOS: MICHAEL DONAHUE
McKenzie,
Will Podesta
to right)
Tony, Annie, Diego de Velasco,
Julian Kohnstamm; Kashton, Kayden, Lakiesha,
Reginald Bennett; Merritt, Zuri, Adrienne, and Sheeba Bailey
row: (le to right) Members of Troop 34, Grace St. Luke’s; Victoria, Hamilton, and Beatrice Jackson
above: Dorothy Schreiner, Addison Fields, Ellie Cooper, Emery Getschman, Emerson Field, and Farrah Daniel circles: (top) Milner Stanton; (below) Stephanie Hom and Leo Hom-Wilson below: (le to right) Wyly and Emily Bigger; Bruce and Barbara Newman; Ellis Keplinger right row: (top and below) Armon, Mallorie, Wynter, and Amanda Barnes; Sophie MacDonald, Ruaridh Owens, and Will Cullen bottom le : Tyler, Sarah, and Adelaide Canales
SPORTS By Frank Murtaugh
JJ and Friends
A Cardinals prospect has added some buzz at AutoZone Park.
remarkable streak for the Memphis Redbirds grew earlier this month when St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Brendan Donovan was named to the National League All-Star team. A former Redbird, you see, has been in uniform for every MLB All-Star Game since 2003, when the great Albert Pujols made his debut in the Midsummer Classic. Who remembers Dan Haren in 2009? What about Aledmys Díaz in 2016?
e Cardinals would like to think JJ Wetherholt will add to this All-Star streak in the near future. e seventh pick in the 2024 dra and the 19th-ranked prospect in the minor leagues, Wetherholt made his Triple-A debut on July 8th at AutoZone Park — he homered and tripled — a er hitting .300 in 62 games for Double-A Spring eld. Wetherholt is a 22-year-old middle in elder who hit .370 over his three seasons at West Virginia University. Particularly for a franchise starving for o ensive production, Wetherholt’s time in Memphis will be brief if his bat continues to spray baseballs where they can’t be caught.
• It’s been a strange season for the Redbirds. Quinn Mathews — the 2024 Minor League Pitcher of the Year — was expected to anchor the Memphis rotation, but shoulder trouble has limited the le y to 40 innings pitched. And his 4.43 ERA isn’t the kind of gure that gets him closer to the mound at Busch Stadium in St. Louis.
Luken Baker spent the rst month of the season with the Cardinals but nds himself back in Memphis, and struggling (.208 batting average). Already the Redbirds franchise record-holder for career home runs, Baker will become the rst to slam 100 for the team if he hits ve more.
en there’s Matt Koperniak. An International League All-Star in 2024 when he led the circuit in hits, Koperniak is batting .219 this season. A er posting an OPS of .882 in 2024, he’s battling to li a .601 mark this year. He’s a reminder that the last promotion in professional baseball is the hardest to achieve.
• Michael McGreevy has had a stellar season, and it’s likely to get better. In winning eight games for Memphis, the 25-year-old righty has climbed to second in career wins for the franchise with 28 (P.J. Walters won 32 games). While posting a 3.72 ERA against Triple-A hitters, McGreevy has also made three spot starts for St. Louis when doubleheaders have crammed the Cardinals’ schedule. With both Miles Mikolas and Erick Fedde all but atlining in the St. Louis rotation, McGreevy stands to receive a more permanent promotion in the near future.
• e MLB trade deadline is July 31st. Might a current Redbird serve as a trade piece to bring some long-term pitching help to St. Louis? Keep your eye on catcher Jimmy Crooks. Slugging from the le side of the plate (always valuable), Crooks leads the club in both homers (11) and RBIs(63). Measured against the Cardinals’ current options behind the plate, Crooks is a better hitter than Pedro Pagés and Yohel Pozo and better with his glove than Ivan Herrera. However you shake it, St. Louis has too many catchers and not enough starting pitching.
Finally, the Cardinals need to deal Baker. He can’t do any more at the TripleA level (he was the International League’s MVP in 2023). With 30 designated-hitter jobs in the big leagues, there’s a spot for Baker somewhere. He’s earned an extended gig in e Show.
PHOTO: WES HALE JJ Wetherholt
FOOD By Michael Donahue
‘Barons
Sent Me’
East Memphis speakeasy to open in mid-August.
You walk in the barbershop and look in the mirror. en you open the two-way mirror like a door and enter an elegant room with tables, chairs, and a bar.
A speakeasy.
is is Barons, a functioning barbershop that becomes a speakeasy a er 4 p.m. e “rons” disappears and the “bar” appears, says Alex Rasmussen, an owner along with Richard Smith, Chris Landers, and Dara Vongphrachanh. e intimate bar can seat 40 people.
is new spot, where you can get the hair of the dog or a haircut, is slated to open in midAugust at 704 South Mendenhall between Half Shell and Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken.
PHOTOS: MICHAEL DONAHUE
Alex Rasmussen and Dara Vongphrachanh at Barons, an upscale speakeasy behind a barbershop slated to open next month in
East Memphis
“We want this to be a unique place hidden behind the barbershop,” Rasmussen says. “If you know, you know.”
He describes Barons as a “gangster-hangout speakeasytype place, where you feel like you’re something when you’re in there. We’re creating this level of escapism where you feel like you’re someplace you’ve never been, but you de nitely don’t feel like you’re sitting in the middle of Memphis.”
It’s “that Capone gangster hideout kind of style. ink high-end Chicago, New York, San Diego-type bars.”
“We wanted to create a place for the discerning individual to go.”
Rasmussen looked at speakeasies “all over the world,” but his favorites are in Chicago, New York, and San Diego. “I found this bar in San Diego called Youngblood, and it was the most amazing cra cocktail experience I ever had. It’s hidden behind what looks like a restaurant deep freezer. You open the door and walk into this palatial, amazing place.”
e bartender, he says, “walks over to you and asks you questions about your personality, your life.” And, he says, “ ey cra a cocktail experience around you.”
Rasmussen liked the place so much they hired the bartender from Youngblood, Zach Sheldon, as a consultant to help them cra the
Cocktails people can expect to see include “Peanut Butter Old Fashioned,” which, according to the menu, consists of “peanut oil-washed Tennessee whiskey, Amaro Sfumato, creme de cacao, chocolate/mole bitters, and pecan smoke or cacao butter garnish.” And “Butternut Squash Mai Tai,” which is made of “brown butter fat-washed aged rum and cognac, butternut squash orgeat, Mandarine Napoleon, and cinnamon served over pebble ice.”
e barbershop will be open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and the speakeasy from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. “We wanted to create a place for the discerning individual to go. A place where they can have caviar, a nice steak slider, a chicken skewer, a vegetable skewer, edamame.”
ey’ve “worked with top local chefs in creating the menu,” Rasmussen says.
Barons will be open for members only at rst, he says. “Members will have a key fob so they can come in and out of the back door.”
ey “welcome diversity,” Rasmussen says. “We want a diverse crowd that embodies Memphis.”
He wants the speakeasy to attract “the business owner, socialites, highnetwork individuals.” ey want to
create that mystique of “You want to get in there, but you can’t get in there.”
He says, “If you’re the type of person who wants to get in there and start a bar ght, you’re not going to t in.”
ere is no dress code. “Come as you are, that’s for sure. We really want people to feel like this is their home away from home. A place they can escape the hustle and bustle of the city, but still be ve minutes from home. It’s only a 12-minute drive to Wolfchase. It’s literally accessible from anywhere. Barons is done in “dark deep reds, greens, and then natural wood throughout,” Rasmussen says. “ e rst thing your eyes are drawn to are the really nice bar chain curtains that shimmer light through the window. en you walk through and your eyes are drawn to the beautiful gold ‘owner’s cabinets.’”
ey’re similar to the cabinets near the entrance of e Capital Grille down the street, he says. “A beautiful
brass wall of cabinets where you can keep your $2,000 bottle of Pappy Van Winkle or Caymus cabernet.” ey want to open more of these speakeasies, including, at rst, throughout the Southeast. “ ey won’t all be the same,” he says, adding each speakeasy will “be an homage” to wherever it’s located. Memphis is patterned a er the gangster image because, Rasmussen says, “We like to think of ourselves as a little rough around the edges.” Whereas, South Florida might be an “ultra lounge cigar bar. ink Havana, Cuba-type style. en Scottsdale, Arizona, maybe a very deluxe ice cream parlor. A place that’s cool to escape the heat.”
A native Memphian, Rasmussen is owner of Neon Canvas, a marketing agency.
But Rasmussen plans to spend a lot of time at Barons, which will be — for him as well as the guests and members — “an elevated experience of escapism.”
cocktail menu at Barons.
NEWS OF THE WEIRD
By the editors at Andrews McMeel Syndication
Questionable Judgments
• Well, it’s that time of year again, when people with less sense than animals head into the wild and carelessly approach large, dangerous wildlife. So it was in Yellowstone National Park last month, when 1) a 30-year-old New Jersey man was gored by a bison on June 10 after getting too close, and 2) bystanders caught a video of a woman walking a toddler right up to a grazing bison at the same park on June 2, according to KDVR-TV. The New Jersey man was treated at the scene for minor injuries. The bison, thankfully, ignored the adult and toddler. “Bison will defend their space when threatened and have injured more people in Yellowstone than any other animal,” wildlife officials said. [KDVR, 6/12/2025]
• Fox2-TV in Detroit reported on June 9 about a Zoom court hearing that went viral. The hearing was overseen by 36th District Court Judge Sean Perkins, who was talking with Asja Outerbridge about her misdemeanor open container violation. On the Zoom video, Outerbridge could be seen wearing a robe and making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich while she spoke to the court. “Put whatever you’re trying to prepare down,” Perkins instructed her. “Put your proper dress on. I don’t do robes.” Outerbridge explained that her 3-year-old daughter was home sick from school and the sandwich was for her, then showed the judge that she was dressed in a T-shirt and pants. But he wasn’t having it: “Bye, Ms. Outerbridge!” he said before booting her off the call. Outerbridge said she “could have came dressed better and more prepared. I do genuinely, with a serious face, apologize to the judge.” [Fox2, 6/9/2025]
Kindness Counts
A woman stopped an Osceola County (Florida) Sheriff’s deputy on June 9 to report that her brother had been stabbed with a machete, WESH-TV reported. Oh, also, that the assailant was driving the victim to the hospital. Sure enough, officers found Angel Ramos-Arce, 35, at the hospital, where his truck yielded the victim’s blood and the machete. The two men had gotten into an altercation over Ramos-Arce repeatedly harassing the victim’s sister at the Circle K where she worked. He was charged with aggravated battery
with a deadly weapon; it’s unclear whether he’ll get any brownie points for transporting the victim to the hospital. [WESH, 6/10/2025]
Bright Idea
Tiron Alexander, 35, of Florida is facing up to 30 years in federal prison after being found guilty on June 5 of wire fraud and unlawfully entering a secure airport area under false pretenses. CBS News reported that between 2018 and 2024, Alexander falsely claimed to be a flight attendant with seven different airlines to take advantage of free flights. He created about 30 different badges and boarded 34 flights without paying. He will be sentenced on Aug. 25. [CBS News, 6/12/2025]
Heh, Heh, They Said ‘Naked’ At a public bathhouse in Incheon, South Korea, stickers in the elevator direct guests to the men’s or women’s baths, which are on different floors. The Korea JoongAng Daily reported that on May 27, a woman in her 20s entered the elevator around 2 a.m. and pressed the button corresponding to the women’s bath, but when she exited the elevator, naked, she entered the men’s bath. CCTV footage showed two men, believed to be in their 20s, switching the stickers in the elevator around 11 p.m. Police said they are tracking the suspects. [Korea JoongAng Daily, 6/12/2025]
Saw That Coming
The Madison (Wisconsin) Fire Department responded to a boozy blaze on June 15, WMTV reported. Someone reported an oven fire around 6 p.m.; the caller told firefighters they had been cooking a turkey for about eight minutes when the oven door blew open. First responders removed the oven from the apartment, and the fire went out. They later learned the turkey had been marinated in tequila, and they believe the accumulated vapors from the alcohol were not properly vented from the oven, which caused the fire. No one was hurt (except the turkey). [WMTV, 6/16/2025]
ARIES (March 21-April 19): For the Dagara people of Burkina Faso, the element of fire has profound cultural meanings. It’s a symbol of innovation and inspiration. It’s a mediator between the physical and spiritual worlds and a conduit for communication with the ancestors. Through rituals, fire is a purifying and renewing force that helps people reconnect with their purpose, heal relationships, and catalyze positive change in the community. In the coming weeks, Aries, I hope you will be deeply aligned with all these symbolic meanings. What are you ready to ignite for the sake of nurturing and care? What truths need light and heat? What future visions would benefit from surges of luminosity?
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): In the Nahuatl language spoken by Indigenous Mexicans, the word nepantla describes an in-between space. It’s a liminal threshold where a transition is in process. The old ways have fallen away, but the new ways are not yet fully formed. It’s unsettling and perhaps confusing, yet seeded with the potential for creative change. I suspect you are now in a state resembling nepantla, Taurus. Please understand that this isn’t a crisis. It’s a chrysalis. Any discomfort you feel is not a sign of failure, but a harbinger of the wisdom and power that will come by molting the identity you have outgrown. I hope you will honor the rawness and speak tenderly to yourself. You are not lost; you are mid-ritual.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): The sea slug Elysia chlorotica is a small, unassuming creature that performs a remarkable feat: It eats algae and steals its chloroplasts, then incorporates them into its own body. For weeks afterward, the slug photosynthesizes sunlight like a plant. I believe, Gemini, that you are doing a metaphorical version of this biological borrowing. Some useful influence or presence you have absorbed from another is integrating into your deeper systems. You’re making it your own now. This isn’t theft but creative borrowing. You’re not copying; you’re synthesizing and synergizing.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): I laughed until I sobbed as you earnestly played the game of love even after the rules had changed. I sighed till I panted as you dredged up a new problem to avoid fixing an overripe hassle. I rolled my eyes until I got dizzy as you tried to figure out the differences between stifling self-control and emancipating self-control. But all that’s in the past, right, Leo? Now I’m preparing to cheer until my voice is raspy as you trade in a dried-up old obsession in favor of a sweet, fresh, productive passion — and outgrow all the fruitless nuisances.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): The ancient scribes of Mesopotamia etched records
Rob Brezsny
onto clay tablets with styluses, pressing wedge-shaped marks into wet earth. Once baked, these tablets endured for thousands of years. Some are still readable today. In my astrological assessment, Virgo, you are undergoing a metaphorically comparable process. Messages and expressions that are forming within you are meant to last. They may not win you immediate attention and applause. But you already suspect how crucial they will be to both your own future and the destinies of those you care for. Be bold, decisive, and precise as you choose your words.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Is there any aspect of your life or character that is still unripe even though it is critical to your lifelong journey? Have you held on to your amateur status or remained a bit dilettantish beyond the time when you might have progressed to the next highest level? Are you still a casual dabbler in a field where you could ultimately become masterful? If you answered yes to these queries, now is a perfect moment to kick yourself in the butt and leap to the next level. Waiting around for fate to kick your butt would be a mistake.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Many astrologers rightfully say that Virgo is the most detail-oriented, meticulous sign. I think you Scorpios may be the most methodical and thorough of all the signs, which means that you, too, can be meticulous and detail-oriented. A prime example is the Scorpio sculptor Auguste Rodin (1840–1917). Eventually, his work became world-renowned, but his career developed gradually because of his painstaking patience and scrupulous devotion to excellence. I propose we make him your role model for now. Inspired by him, resist pressure for immediate results. Trust in the slow, steady refinement process.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Here are half of your words of power for the coming days: windfall, godsend, and boon The other half are potion, remedy, and healing agent. If you’re lucky, and I think you will be, those terms will blend and overlap. The blessings that come your way will be in the form of cures and fixes. I’m being understated here so as to not sound too wildly excited about your immediate future. But I suspect you will wrangle at least one amazing victory over hardship. Your chances of a semi-miraculous visitation by a benevolent intervention are as high as they have ever been.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): The ancient Chinese character for “listening” contains symbols for ears, eyes, and heart. I interpret this to signify that it’s not enough to seek the truth with just one of your faculties. They must all be engaged and working together to get the full story. You are wise to survey the world with
(June 21-July 22): Ancient beekeepers in Anatolia carved hives directly into rock faces, coaxing honey from the cliffs. This practice was designed to protect bees from harsh weather and predators while maximizing honey production. The bees adapted well to their unusual homes. I suspect, Cancerian, that in the coming weeks, your sweetness and bounty may also thrive in unlikely structures. It could take a minute or two for you to adjust, but that won’t be a problem. Your nectarmaking instincts will guide you. So I advise you not to wait for the perfect container before beginning your work. Make honey in the best available setting.
your whole being. Keep these meditations in mind during the coming weeks, Capricorn. Your natural inclination is to be practical, take action, and get things done. But for now, your main superpower will be listening to everything. So my advice is to listen with your skin. Listen with your breath. Listen with your gut. Let your attention be so complete that the world softens and speaks to you about what you really need to know.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): If you would like to glide into rapt alignment with astrological rhythms, give gifts to your two closest allies. These offerings should inspire their ambitions, not indulge their cravings to be comfortable. They shouldn’t be practical necessities or consumer fetishes, but rather provocative tools or adult toys. Ideally, they will be imaginative boons that your beloved companions have been shy about asking for or intriguing prods that will help beautify their self-image. Show them you love both the person they are now and the person they are becoming.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Piscean pho tographer Ansel Adams is so renowned that he’s in the International Photography Hall of Fame. We know the moment that his lifelong passion erupted. At age 14, his family gave him a simple camera and took him to Yosemite National Park in California. “The splendor of Yosemite burst upon us, and it was glorious,” he wrote later. “One wonder after another descended upon us. A new era began for me.” In the coming months, I foresee you encountering a comparable turning point, Pisces — a magical interlude awakening you to a marvel that will become an enduring presence in your life. Be alert for it. Better yet, declare your intention to shape events to ensure it happens and you’re ready for it.
FILM By Chris McCoy
The American Way
For my eighth birthday party, my mom took me and some of my classmates to see the hottest movie in theaters at the time: Superman. en we went back to my grandparent’s farm and ew kites until the sun went down. It’s still, to this day, the best birthday party I ever had. anks, Mom!
I tell this story to say, don’t expect me to be objective about Superman. He is the archetypal superhero. Yes, Superman creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster were inspired by the larger-than-life protagonists of pulp magazine and newspaper comic strips, like John Carter of Mars and Doc Savage the Man of Bronze. But a er Action Comics #1 introduced Superman to the public in April 1938, those kinds of characters would forever be called “superheroes.”
Siegel and Shuster were both children of Jewish immigrants who came to America and Canada eeing anti-Semitic violence in Eastern Europe. Superman’s origin story bears the marks of his creators’ life histories. Like Moses, who was set adri in a basket of reeds by his desperate mother, Kal-El is set adri in a spaceship by his desperate parents, Jor-El and Lara, to escape the doomed Krypton.
When I saw Richard Donner’s Superman, I thought that the most unrealistic element of the story was not a guy who could y and shoot heat rays from his eyes, but that a respected scientist like JorEl could warn his government about the impending destruction of his planet and be ignored. Now, as the Trump administration has red everyone in the government working to reverse climate change, I have to admit Siegel and Shuster nailed it. Kal-El crash lands on Earth and is adopted by a childless Kansas couple, Ma and Pa Kent, and raised on their farm under the name Clark Kent. e Kents quickly discover that this is no ordinary immigrant orphan, and instill in their adoptive son the principals of “truth, justice, and the American way.” In 1938, “ e American way” meant Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s New Deal. e laissez-faire Roaring Twenties had collapsed in a shattering crash, and the Great Depression had impoverished millions of Americans. reatened with fascist movements both foreign and domestic, Roosevelt reimagined the government’s role by articulating the Four Freedoms: Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Worship, Freedom from Want, and Freedom from Fear. Superman’s early opponents included greedy landlords, gangsters, and the Ku Klux Klan. When World War II started, Superman punched a lot of
Superman, as played by David Corenswet, is a bit cheesy and kind to a fault — as he should be.
Nazis, and Hitler’s propagandists railed against the character as a symbol of degenerate democratic values. But Supe’s arch enemy was a mad scientist named Lex Luthor — a tech billionaire like Elon Musk with a bald head like Je Bezos.
So when you hear MAGA goons decrying James Gunn’s reboot of Superman as an excessively woke interpretation of the character, you can tell them they’re full of crap. If you want to see what a real perversion of the character looks like, it’s what we’ve been seeing for the last decade in Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel, Justice League, and the unwatchable abomination Batman v. Superman: Both Our Moms are Named Martha.
As portrayed by Henry Cavill, Superman was de ned by his brooding depression and alien superiority to the pathetic humans around him. But James Gunn knows that Superman is upbeat, kind to a fault, a champion of the downtrodden, and more than a little corny. e core of Man of Steel is a ght between Superman and evil Kryptonian General Zod where Metropolis and its citizens are collateral damage. e core of Gunn’s lm is a long scene where Superman (David Corenswet) is aggressively interviewed by Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan) about his botched attempt to stop a war. “What about diplomacy? Who gave you the right to intervene?” asks Lois. Superman brushes all those concerns aside with “People were going to die!” at’s enough for him. Later, Gunn steals a moment from a slam-bang action sequence for Superman to save a squirrel.
In the 1950s, when Superman was the best-selling comic on the planet, an elaborate mythology was built up around him. No longer the Last Son of Krypton, he had a cousin Supergirl, a son Superboy, and Krypto the Superdog. But since the 1980s, superhero comics have tried to move away from that goofy “Silver Age” tone. Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins scored big by asking, “What would Batman look like in the real world?” But while that approach succeeded for two and a half good Batman movies, it poisoned the well for the other heroes in the DC stable. Superman is not meant to be realistic. He’s meant to model virtuous thought and heroic action for kids. Rather than treat it as embarrassing, Gunn leans into the Silver Age weirdness. Krypto is back, and he almost steals the show. Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) has an outlandish array of super-science weapons to ght Superman, including an army of mind-controlled monkeys pumping out
anti-Superman social media content. I lol’d.
Gunn wastes no time with the origin story. Clark Kent is already Superman, Lois Lane has already fallen for him, and Jimmy Olsen (Skyler Gisondo) has already gured out that his co-workers are hooking up. Superman is not invulnerable. He loses ghts. He needs help from his friends. One crucial tweak to the standard Super-narrative involves the last message from Jor-El (Bradley Cooper) to his son, which sets o a crisis of conscience in Clark. is turns out to be Gunn’s crucial insight. To paraphrase LBJ, doing the right thing is easy — the hard part is guring out the right thing to do.
And that is how you write a good Superman movie.
Superman (2025) Now playing Multiple locations
James Gunn’s Superman takes the Man of Steel back to his heroic roots.
Our critic picks the best films in theaters.
I Know What You Did Last Summer (2025)
Friends (Madelyn Cline, Chase Sui Wonders, Jonah Hauer-King, Tyriq Withers, and Sarah Pidgeon) on a road trip accidentally run over a pedestrian. Rather than deal with it, they cover it up and vow to never speak of it again. A year later, they’re trying to move on when they start getting threats from a stalker who knows about their crimes. When one of them realizes their story sounds like the Southport Massacre of 1997, they contact the survivors, Jennifer Love Hewitt and Freddie Prinze Jr., for help.
Eddington
Ari Aster’s new film is set in May 2020,
during the height of Covid. A political rivalry between a small town sheriff (Joaquin Phoenix) and the mayor (Pedro Pascal) intensifies as the pressures of quarantine meet the relentless right-wing propaganda machine. Emma Stone, Austin Butler, and Luke Grimes co-star as the townspeople caught in the middle.
Smurfs
The Smurfs are a magical society of tiny blue people who live in mushroom houses. Relatable. Rihanna executive produces and stars as Smurfette, the only female, which raises a lot of questions about Smurf biology this film will not answer. Co-starring John Goodman as Papa Smurf and Nick Offerman as Ken, his brother. JP Karliak is Gargamel, the evil wizard who just wants to eat the Smurfs. Also relatable.
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THE LAST WORD By
Ken Billett
Perspective Restored
And how a howlin’ wolf, “Momma” cat, and Tobias A. Turtle helped.
Zoe poked her snout at a rounded “object” sitting in the middle of our backyard. I walked over to check out her discovery, which then retracted its legs and tiny tail. I stopped. “Zoe, it’s a tortoise!” I exclaimed. Or was it a turtle? I can never remember the di erence.
Now, our sweet — but neurotic — border collie acted both curious and concerned. She lowered her head back down at the shell and then danced backwards, much like a prize ghter staying just out of reach of an opponent, warily eyeing her nd but not daring to turn her back on it. Zoe knew some living thing inhabited this “object,” but she had no idea where that living thing had gone, or how to get to it. A er a few more moments of canine investigation, I lured Zoe away with a reminder that breakfast was waiting back inside the house.
Friday morning’s discovery of a wandering reptile was a tting end to a week of animal encounters, helping me regain some perspective on our ever increasingly scary and unpredictable society. Animals — large and small, wild or domesticated — represent the good in this world and their “spirit” can teach us how to cope when it seems almost impossible to do so. Animals adapt and persevere despite the challenges posed by nature and problems created by humankind. National politics, regional weather disasters, and, sadly, a shocking jury verdict here in Memphis had caused me to turn inward and to try my best to lower the volume on all that external noise. Some of that clatter continued to seep through, however, causing me additional worry and heartache. at’s why those encounters were so important — providing a fresh perspective while urging me to “keep the faith!”
Earlier in the week, Vicki and I took advantage of Tennessee Tuesday at the Memphis Zoo — free admission a er 2 p.m. for all Tennessee residents. Vicki hadn’t visited the zoo in ages, and I hadn’t been there in nearly two years. Like most zoo visitors, we started in Cat Country, marveled at the huge felines, and then wound our way past those “silly penguins” (as Vicki calls them), who patrolled the waters of Penguin Rock. We ended up at Once Upon a Farm, where, years ago, we’d take our kids to see the goats and the chickens, and, of course, ride the old-fashioned train.
Moving through the zoo reminded me how much joy and wonder these animals bring to children and to adults. We overheard lots of calling out and laughter, along with clomping feet, as kids of varying ages scampered from one enclosure to the next. e zoo allows you to focus on animals and the natural world and to tune out (even for a little while) the outside “noise” of humanity. We stopped by the China exhibit, which is now home to the red pandas — one of Vicki’s favorites — along with two Asian clouded leopards. e highlight of our zoo adventure happened at the Teton Trek exhibit when the timber wolves — four siblings that are around 2 years old — put on a howl fest for the guests. Now I was full of wonder and joy watching this familial foursome yowl and yap at one another — something I’d never seen live. Incredible.
As the week wore on, that joy and wonder slowly evaporated. e jury verdict along with the ongoing idiocy in Washington battered my perspective much like all those May rain storms did to the Mid-South. en “Momma” showed up on our front porch late ursday a ernoon. Momma is the last remaining feline roamer in our neighborhood. She hangs out mostly across the street but knows that I’m her human food source — twice a day, seven days a week. Momma is one of the sweetest creatures you’ll ever meet, and during our late a ernoon “porch party,” I slowly relaxed and simply enjoyed the moment with Momma.
She ate while keeping an eye on her surroundings. Momma was content but on guard. ere’s a certain simplicity to her world. She has adapted to her circumstances and maintains an awareness of potential dangers, yet Momma survives day in and day out. She endures.
Most importantly, Momma appears to be at peace. Maybe that’s the lesson to be learned from Momma and all those other wonderful creatures — strength and perseverance come from within, and to endure, we must “keep the faith” in the face of adversity.
We learned that our reptilian vagabond was a box turtle that I named Tobias and shortened to Toby. A er feeding Zoe and re lling Momma’s food bowl, I returned to the backyard to check on Toby. Motoring along in the grass, Toby headed to the far end of our yard. Watching Toby do what turtles do — survive, persevere, endure — I felt at peace, my perspective restored. Ken Billett is a freelance writer and short-story ction author. He and his wife, Vicki, have called Memphis home for over 35 years. When not listening to blues music, Ken reads spy novels and tends to his owers.
PHOTOS: KEN BILLETT
Animal encounters can teach us how to cope with an unpredictable society.
The Hot Tamale Capital of the
» JULY « WWISCAA Food Festival wwiscaa.com
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Gumbo Nationals greenvillespeedway.net
Sam Chatmon Blues Fest facebook.com/SamChatmonBlues
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