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Lawsuits, Takeover, & the Pipkin Memphis City Council sued, state takes over MSCS, and a plea for the Pipkin Building.

POSTED TO FACEBOOK BY CROSSTOWN BREWING CO.

October 22-28, 2026

CROSSTOWN BREWING Crosstown Brewing Company closed its doors after nearly nine years. Fans shared memories and tributes on social media as the news spread. Employee Justin T. Johnson expressed how much he’d miss working there and encouraged everyone to come by last Saturday because “We close forever at 10.”

“MA’AM!” Rachael O’Neil, a content creator and former newscaster known for ordering fast food with her news POSTED TO TIKTOK voice, brought BY RACHAEL O’NEIL her talents to a Memphis drive-thru. O’Neil began her order with “22 pickles add a tickle” and continued with a nonsensical list of items. The social media star was cut off by an employee telling her to “get away from here” or “things gon’ get ugly.” NLE CHOPPA A video shoot featuring rapper NLE Choppa and a group of Memphis residents was presumably shut down by police. A video posted on Facebook shows people on the roof of a house and more in the yard and driveway dancing and chanting for the cameras before police appear on the scene blaring sirens. POSTED TO FACEBOOK BY HUNTER DEMSTER

CITY COUNCIL LAWSUIT State representative and Democratic nominee for Tennessee’s 9th Congressional District Justin J. Pearson announced a lawsuit against the Memphis City Council last week. Pearson and other residents took legal action against the body after receiving letters saying they were banned from the two upcoming council meetings. Memphis City Council Chairwoman Jana Swearengen-Washington is also being sued in her “official capacity.” The announcement came a week after a Memphis City Council meeting went into recess after atPHOTO: PHILLIP VAN ZANDT PHOTOGRAPHY tendees protested against The Memphis Roller Derby league is one of many groups that use the Pipkin Building. an action to postpone the final vote on a proposed data center moratorium. “The council Bluff City Pickleball. Fairgrounds For All said they don’t conclaimed Pearson and others violated its ‘Speech Restricdemn pickleball, but fear the exclusivity of a private business tion Policy,’” a statement from Pearson’s office said. Plaintiffs taking the space. “The Pipkin was built to serve the public,” a requested that the United States District Court for the Western petition from the group read. “It should remain a shared civic District of Tennessee, Memphis Division permit them to atasset, not become a private amenity with a paywall.” Kristend the October 20th meeting. tin Kuehner, an organizer with the group, said the Pipkin is “critical” to the vitality of community groups like the MemMSCS STATE TAKEOVER phis Roller Derby league, which consistently hosts bouts and Last week, after three months of delays, the state-appointed practices at the space. board charged with overseeing Memphis-Shelby County Schools was granted permission to step in. Federal Judge OUTMEMPHIS Waverly Crenshaw removed a block placed on the takeover in A new OUTMemphis headquarters is slated to open in 2027. late June. Board Chair Billy Orgel said the group was ready “to The LGBTQ advocacy group recently marked the groundresume its work.” Appointments to the board rolled in shortly breaking of their new community center located at the corner after Gov. Bill Lee signed the takeover legislation in May. The of Peach and Cleveland in Midtown. The new headquarters state-appointed body could “override and direct” decisions will serve as a centralized hub for OUTMemphis, as they’re such as budgetary items and school closings. “The Education currently spread out “across multiple small buildings.” Officials Oversight Board is ready to begin our work to improve the said this has limited the work they can provide. Molly Quinn, educational outcomes for all the students of Shelby County,” CEO of OUTMemphis, said they’ve seen “rapid growth” in the Orgel said in a statement last Thursday. last five years as they’ve worked to meet the demands of those This Monday, minutes before the board’s scheduled meetin the South. She said people not only need a place to connect, ing, a local judge once again temporarily paused the takeover. but also support systems like social services and safety nets. The organization provides HIV prevention and sexual FAIRGROUNDS FOR ALL health support as well as financial assistance and aid for LGA grassroots organization called Fairgrounds For All is asking BTQ adults and young people. Chalkbeat Tennessee contributed to this report. the Memphis City Council to preserve the Pipkin Building Visit the News Blog at memphisflyer.com for fuller versions of as a community space. This ask comes as the city considers a proposal to turn the Pipkin into a pickleball facility helmed by these stories and more local news.

A proposed data center moratorium for unincorporated parts of Shelby County passed its first reading in front of the commission.

espite pushback and questions regarding the need for a proposed data center moratorium in unincorporated areas outside of city limits, the Shelby County Board of Commissioners voted to advance the ordinance for a second reading. The vote came after several commissioners expressed concerns and challenges over permitting a moratorium when there are no current plans to use the unincorporated areas for data centers. The commission voted 5-4, with four commissioners abstaining. Supporters of the moratorium explained how data centers were negatively affecting the health and well-being of Memphians in surrounding neighborhoods, as well as how the depletion of natural resources would eventually hurt Memphis as a whole. Advocates spoke for their loved ones and members of the community who were unable to make their voices heard at last Monday’s meeting. Hayden Wakefield spoke on behalf of her grandmother and others living in Whitehaven and Boxtown who are impacted by data centers. “The low-income area of Memphis is already at a devastating image,” Wakefield said. “Data centers emit nitrogen oxides, which are harmful air pollutants and add to the existing cancer risks in the area.” She asked commissioners to pass the temporary moratorium to improve the health and safety of residents in an already undervalued part of the city. Jasmine Bernard, a high school senior, spoke on behalf of the Youth Action Network 901, emphasizing the importance of protecting citizens’ health, air, water, and zoning. “You can establish guardrails,” Bernard said. “Over the last 800 days, we’ve heard the stories from our friends, our families, and our neighbors about worsening asthma, more hospital visits, and more days missed [from] school. That’s

just with two data centers.” Bernard urged the commission to be on the “right side of history” with their decision. Although some commissioners understood the concerns of Shelby County residents, there was pushback on whether a moratorium would be necessary, especially considering potential economic growth. Commissioners also questioned whether data centers were solely to blame for pollution in neighborhoods. Commissioner Amber Huett-Garcia proposed an alternative ordinance for the October 21st committee meeting, which would focus on establishing regulations, rather than having a temporary moratorium. “I think we have to create strong policy, protect people,” she said. “I think the moratorium alone is not getting at what the public is telling us, but we have to root it in reality. When we talk about data centers, they’re not [in the] top 25 polluters.” Commissioner Henri E. Brooks recommended zoning and strict regulations regarding data centers. “We must establish uniform, strict regulations before the concrete is poured, not after it’s dried,” she said. Brooks championed community input, so families living in unincorporated areas could have a “transparent democratic process.” The vice-chair also asked for “independent expert advice.” Several commissioners didn’t understand the need for a moratorium in an unincorporated area. Commissioner Erika Sugarmon interjected and said the county needed to act proactively and put regulations in place. Commissioner Mark Billingsley described wanting to protect Memphians, but also touted the economic boom data centers could potentially bring. “Putting a prohibition and a moratorium on this before we have all the facts is incredibly premature,” Billingsley said. “We’re telling this industry — which is incredibly new — to stop.”

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y, how time flies. It was only a month ago that the United States Congress and Senate passed a sanctions package that drastically restricted Russian and Iranian resources fueling the war against Ukraine. It was called the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act, to honor the South Carolina senator who died in July, just after returning from meeting President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to assure him of U.S. support for Ukraine in its battle against Vladimir Putin’s Russian invasion. Graham had been putting the bill together for nearly a year, and after his death, it easily breezed through Congress and the Senate (by a bipartisan vote of 86 to 11). Large majorities of both parties were in agreement: Putin’s lawless assault had to be stopped. Ukraine deserved our support. The act sanctioned Russian officials, Russian banks, and a fleet of tankers that surreptitiously moves Russian oil to markets around the globe. It directed President Trump to impose 100 percent tariffs on the countries that were the five largest importers of Russian oil and natural gas. Trump signed the act on September 18th, and it appeared to be a real breakthrough at the time. Oh, how naive we were. Less than three weeks later, Trump disregarded his own GOP-led Congress and Senate — and his own signature — and made a “deal” with Russia that not only waived all sanctions against that country, it committed the U.S. to buy Russian oil. Thanks to Trump, the United States went from punishing nations that imported Russian fuel to becoming one of those nations. We went from trying to stop Russia’s murderous attacks on Ukrainian civilians to helping to pay for them. The U.S. is now aligned with a war criminal, which makes us war criminals. Us. With one authoritarian move, Trump made Graham’s signature accomplishment as meaningless as the dozens of “ceasefires” and “complete victories” and “we control the Strait of Hormuz” announcements that Trump has spewed out over the past eight months, and about as real as the “$1.99 gas” sign he claimed to see from the window of his limo the other day. Americans need to face it: The word of the president of the United States is about as reliable as a piece of wet Charmin. Opposition to Trump’s deal was vociferous from both sides of the aisle. North Carolina GOP Senator Thom Tillis said, “What part of enforcing a law passed 86-11 by the Senate do the presi-

PHOTO: CYNTHIA HANEVY | DREAMSTIME.COM

Lindsey Graham dent and his advisors not understand? It’s unconscionable that this administration is capitulating to a Russian dictator.” Florida GOP Senator Rick Scott said, “I think it’s clear Russia is the aggressor, and we’ve got to do everything we can to put economic pressure on Russia.” Several other Republican senators, including Texas’ John Cornyn, Susan Collins of Maine, and the spectral remains of Kentucky’s Mitch McConnell also found the courage to castigate Trump. Tennessee Senator Marsha Blackburn was one of three no-shows for the sanctions package vote. If you were wondering what she had to say about the president aligning our country with Putin … well, as I write this, the answer would be zip. Nada. Bupkis. However, she did release an AI video of herself dancing to a Kendrick Lamar song and attended a UT game with Pete Hegseth, so it’s not like she’s just, you know, lying low and trying not to offend her dwindling MAGA base. She’s also made sure we know she’s not going to eat Chinese fortune cookies or allow schools to perform trans surgery at lunchtime and send Jimmy home as Tammy. As easy as it is to make fun of Blackburn’s tone-deaf campaign, the truth is that electing her puts a Trump toady at the head of Tennessee’s state government for four more years. She is the president writ small: a side-stepping lightweight who can be counted on to align with corporate interests, the NRA, and the billionaires who build the data centers now polluting our air, water, and peace and quiet — and driving up our utility bills. Trump’s approval rating has fallen to 33 percent nationally. Democrats are leading in the polls in red states all over the country. Two-thirds of Americans appear to have finally caught on to the fact that Donald Trump is a lying con-man. There’s never been a better opportunity to turn Tennessee blue. Don’t let it pass. Vote.

FINANCE By Lindsey D. Rhea

How You See Money Our money habits tell a story.

Millennials Born between 1981 and 1996, millennials are more value-oriented than previous generations and view money to further social issues, like sustainability and human rights. They’re also motivated to achieve financial stability, having witnessed their parents struggle financially, but are more distrustful of financial institutions, with many starting their first jobs during the Great Recession. • Saving: You started saving earlier than other generations. While over half are saving, you’ll dip into it for travel. • Investing: While you’re steadily paying off “the past,” including hefty college loans, you’re also saving for the future. About 64 percent of you are invested, favoring cryptocurrency (38 percent) and stocks (37 percent).

Gen X Born between 1965 and 1980, this generation was among the first to use debit cards, ATMs, and cell phones, and the first to largely “self-manage” retirement through 401(k) plans. Increasingly, Gen X is supporting both aging parents and children. Thus, they tend to view money and future security with a degree of stress. Only about 14 percent of Gen Xers felt they had saved enough for retirement. • Saving: Careful savers in favor of long-term financial security, including retirement planning. • Investing: You tend to favor lowrisk investments, such as real estate and more conservative portfolios. • Spending: Doesn’t like to hold debt and strives to repay through aggressive strategies, like higher payments. Formative experiences: Watergate, the energy crisis, fall of the Berlin Wall, rise of the personal computer Baby Boomers Between 61 and 79 years old, boomers are increasingly holding on to their money to compensate for increased living costs and to plan for healthcare and care needs. High net worth boomers say they would prefer to use their money on themselves rather than share it with their children now or leave behind an inheritance when they die. • Saving: Make savings a priority and invest conservatively. Many of you have a “pay-with-cash” mentality. • Investing: The largest portion of your wealth lies in stocks and bonds. The next is from owning real estate. • Spending: You favor healthconscious spending on products and services that keep you feeling well and moving. While known for hard work and ability to save, you’ll spend on nonessentials that enhance your lifestyle, like travel. Formative experiences: Kennedy assassination, the Civil Rights Movement, Vietnam War, Beatles, Elvis Lindsey D. Rhea, CFP, is owner and wealth strategist at Alia Wealth Partners, connect@ aliawealth.com.

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Gen Z Born between 1997 and 2012, Gen Z believes financial health directly impacts mental and physical health. They’re even willing to work “side hustles” to diversify revenue sources to improve financial wellbeing, the first generation influenced by peer recommendations and social media when making financial decisions. • Saving: You value responsible spending habits that reflect your lifestyle and values, prioritizing affordability with some allowance for spending on experiences and self-care. • Investing: You’re investing at a younger age compared to previous generations, with many starting in the late teens or early 20s. You embrace new investment avenues and technologies but also prioritize ethical and sustainable investments. • Spending: While more practical than older generations, you, too, value spending on experiences but do so with a value-driven mindset (making more mindful cost-conscious purchases to offset a splurge). In what’s called “loud budgeting,” you’re not embarrassed to share spending budgets with friends to help stay within your means. Formative experiences: COVID, Great Recession, gun/school violence, smartphones

• Spending: You want to enrich life now versus waiting until you’ve built an adequate nest egg. You also value experiences and flexibility, and are less focused on traditional wealth accumulation and more on designing a life that feels rich in every way. Formative experiences: 9/11, computers/ tech, rise of social media, school violence

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NEWS & OPINION

he generation we’re born into shapes more than our habits. It influences how we think about money, what we value, and even what we consider worth saving. If a generation is a group of people who grew up around the same time and were shaped by many of the same historical and social experiences, here are trends in how different generations handle money.

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COVER STORY By Katherine Burgess, MLK50: Justice Through Journalism

Rebuild C

striking distance of his Republican opponent, state Sen. Brent Taylor. It’s unclear whether common ground on these issues will translate to victory for Pearson in a district that is now heavily Republican and predominantly white. But regardless of the outcome, Pearson and his supporters say the coalitions they’re creating across District 9 are the first steps to rebuilding progressive power in Tennessee. The new District 9 voted for Donald Trump by more than 20 points in 2024. The Cook Political Report, a nonpartisan election-rating organization, called the redistricting intended to strip Tennessee of its last Democratic congressperson “a really effective gerrymander.” But Pearson supporters think there’s a chance. In September, Pearson trailed Taylor 44% to 48% in a Hart Research poll commissioned by TN Rise PAC and Three Star PAC (both groups that support Pearson). “The most powerful thing that’s going to come out of this campaign — a win, lose or draw — (is) that people are realizing their own power,” Pearson

ST FOR MLK5

to rst policies fi le p o e p s e sh son leverag trict and pu is d Justin Pear d e r e d n erryma e. win over a g in Tennesse e g n a h c e progressiv

herie Marceaux lives in Lawrence County, about three hours from Memphis. She and her husband run an animal rescue with horses, goats, pigs, dogs, ferrets, and more. She’s not a Democrat or a Republican, Marceaux said, but knows who she wants to vote for in the newly redrawn U.S. Congressional District 9: Memphis Democrat and state Rep. Justin J. Pearson. “He doesn’t just have guts, and he doesn’t just call out what’s happening, but he’s got hope in his eyes. I can see it in his smile. I can see it in his face,” Marceaux said. “I don’t believe in the party system. I believe in people, and he’s a people person. And he’s for the environment. How can I not love him?” When Tennessee Republicans redrew congressional district lines in May, they intended to make District 9 a safe Republican seat. In response, Pearson has focused on nonpartisan issues that appeal to voters across the district and the political spectrum: opposition to data 8 centers, gun safety, and affordability issues. And a recent poll has him within

October 22-28, 2026

r e w o P e v i s s e r g o r ing P VE): BRAD VE PHOTO (ABO

s for a photo Pearson stand J. in st Ju . ep R th campaign State me to a Sep. 19 ca o h ivar, w s lk fo with Church in Bol . .B M el ap h C ell hnny rally at Campb e state Rep. Jo ar d ow cr e th o in Zulfat Suara. Tennessee. Als councilwoman le il hv as N d Shaw an

Data centers, environmental pollution at core of Pearson campaign

PHOTO: COURTESY CHERIE MARCEAUX

Cherie Marceaux told MLK50: Justice Through Journalism, in an interview. “It’s been an overwhelming amount of support, overwhelming amount of just love and power building that I think can change the trajectory of Tennessee politics,” Pearson said. “I think that’s what we’re going to see not just after we win, but over the next several years as we continue to build power in these communities. We’re going to be on some county commissions, some school boards, some mayors. This momentum isn’t stopping.”

Marceaux’s home county of Lawrence is very different from Memphis. The county of about 46,000 people is 94 percent white and largely rural, while Memphis is a majority Black city of more than 609,000 residents. But both places are grappling with the rapid growth of data centers and concerns that they’ll worsen water, air, and noise pollution. Opposition to data centers is a unifying position across the 15 counties that form District 9. Voters oppose them by a 36-point margin, according to the Hart Research poll. The Pearson campaign has leveraged that opposition to expand his base of support, stressing that Pearson’s record shows he’s on the side of the people, not corporations. Marceaux said Pearson’s longstanding opposition to data centers and other industrial polluters gives him credibility as he challenges Taylor, who

“People are either worried about the data center that’s currently in their backyard if you’re in Whitehaven, or they’re worried about what could be coming to them if you’re in Lawrenceburg,” Pearson said in an interview. Bolivar resident Wanda Robinson said she’s hopeful that focusing on data centers will help Pearson overcome the challenges of running in a whiter, more Republican district. “If we don’t speak out against [data centers], they’re liable to do anything,” Robinson said. “Next thing you know, it may be at our back door. So we have to stand, speak truth to power.” Pearson has launched two advertisements in the greater Nashville area. Both mention data centers: “Now I’m running for Congress to stop data centers from invading our state,” he says in one about how his parents taught him “The Golden Rule.” In the second, Pearson says, “career politicians and the billionaires who control them want to convince us that the problem is each other: white folk or Black folk, city folk or country folk. Because as long as we’re questioning our neighbors, we’re not asking the questions that matter. “… Why can’t working families afford healthcare or groceries?” he asks. “And why … are data centers being built in our backyards?” Taylor’s first campaign advertise-

ment focuses on how he’s “tired of violent criminals running around Tennessee like squirrels in a bait shop.” Back in Lawrence County, Marceaux worries about a data center planned for a property near her home. She is concerned about the creek that runs near the data center’s planned location, the well water everyone in the area drinks, and the swimming hole her grandchildren use. She also worries about the potential impact on the bald eagles and a protected species of heron found in the county. Previously, industries stripped a nearby property of pine trees, she says, leading to a loss of woodpeckers. “My hope [is] that [Pearson] can get up there and, on a higher level, he can get us some protection, since our local governments don’t want to protect us,” she said.

Gun control, affordability cut across partisan divisions On a sunny Saturday in the town of Savannah, a group of six gathered underneath the town gazebo before heading out to knock on doors across Hardin County. Kristina Richardson, volunteer lead for the county, said she first became aware of Pearson when he was temporarily expelled from the state legislature during the Covenant School protest. A disabled

PHOTO (TOP LEFT): KATHERINE BURGESS | MLK50

Allie Stokes talks with Matt McGinley while canvassing in Savannah, Tennessee, on Sept. 26th. PHOTO (TOP RIGHT): BRAD VEST FOR MLK50

Representative Justin J. Pearson listens as Nashville councilwoman Zulfat Suara speaks during his campaign rally at the Campbell Chapel M.B. Church in Bolivar, Tennessee. PHOTO (LEFT): ANDREA MORALES | MLK50 ARCHIVE

State Sen. Brent Taylor walks out of the Fairley High School auditorium following a Shelby County Health Department meeting in Apr. 2025. PHOTO (RIGHT): MADISON THORN FOR MLK50

A protest sign hangs on a guardrail near the site of a proposed data center on Flatwoods Road in Lawrenceburg, Tennessee.

veteran, she said she and her husband “are very pro-Second Amendment” but want “commonsense gun laws.” Pearson’s protest impressed her, she said. Most Tennesseans — including Democrats, Republicans, and a majority of self-described “MAGA Republicans” — support tougher background checks for firearm owners, according to a 2023 Vanderbilt poll. Pearson supporters across District 9 say his focus on gun control and affordability has helped him broaden his appeal to more conservative voters. Jenna Gammill, who grew up in Savannah and now lives in the adjacent Wayne County, said the area is “bleeding red.” “Slowly but surely, there’s people getting fed up, but they don’t want to crush their own ego and admit that they messed up,” she said. “I’m hoping that they’ll maybe start to vote for things that will help them and not harm them.” Major issues include the lack of access to healthcare and the high cost of diesel fuel for farmers, she said. She thinks more people will vote Democrat in this election — even if they won’t say so publicly. Allie Stokes, who joined Richardson and Gammill to canvass, said when Pearson visited Savannah in June, she heard him answer questions about continued on page 10

COVER STORY m e m p h i s f l y e r. c o m

was an early supporter of Colossus 1 and received $10,000 in campaign funding from a political action committee associated with SpaceXAI. After a 2025 public hearing regarding the data center’s gas turbine permits, Taylor posted, “I believe our community will unite to embrace this transformative opportunity,” on X. In 2025, Taylor passed a bill barring municipalities and utility companies from paying for new electrical infrastructure built to serve a data center. He argued that the bill would force data centers to pay for their own energy infrastructure, but critics say the law contains a loophole that allows the construction of unregulated gas-fired power plants. Taylor’s campaign did not respond to multiple requests for an interview. Just 45 days before the election, Pearson spoke in a small church in the town of Bolivar, just over an hour outside Memphis. The town has just 5,000 residents, about 64 percent of whom are Black. “We know we need to stop these toxic data centers from being built in our communities,” he told the room, adding that 67 percent of future data centers are planned in rural America “in order to replace our jobs.” Pearson told the room that this fight is personal: He lives three miles from Colossus 1, the first data center built by Elon Musk’s SpaceXAI in the Memphis area.

continued from page 9

October 22-28, 2026

environmental concerns related to the Tennessee River, which flows through the town of fewer than 8,000 people. “We can’t even eat the fish out of the river here safely anymore on a regular basis, because there are signs at the river that say it gives you cancer,” Stokes said. When someone brought that concern up to Pearson, he promised to look into it, she said. He also seemed in touch with people struggling with the cost of living, she said.

“I feel like he’s going to be a representative that doesn’t forget the people that put him there when he gets in office,” she said. As the group knocked on doors around Hardin County, Stokes voiced surprise at how many Democrat-voting households she saw. “I’m really passionate about Justin’s campaign,” Stokes said. “I’ve seen him speak, and it really seems like he cares about each part of the district that he wants to represent, not just one demographic or one side of it.”

that we do have the power, even though they tried to take it by gerrymandering the district,” she said. “It’s backfired on them, and it’s brought us closer together. It’s got me talking to people two, three Now, Richardson is not only volunhours away from me and working with teering for Pearson’s campaign, but them on this campaign, for instance, but also joining a coalition of people from also on other things like the data center across the new District 9 who plan in Lawrenceburg.” to support their neighbors in times Pearson said in an interview that of need and advocate for progressive as he’s traveled the district, he’s found causes even after the election. more commonality than differences, Richardson sees some irony in it: including among people who vote IndeRepublicans meant to divide up Demo- pendent or Republican. crats in creating the new District 9, but “It was a concern of mine that folks instead people are organizing across may not be as receptive to us: that the the 15 counties. “And we’re willing to racism that the state house was banking drive,” she said. on, quite frankly, by rigging the district this way would disadvantage us to the Regardless of the outcome of this election, “I think [Pearson has] shown us point where it’d be impossible. But that’s not what we’re seeing,” Pearson said. “I think our message is reaching PHOTO: KEVIN WURM | MLK50 | CATCHLIGHT LOCAL | REPORT FOR AMERICA Republicans and conservaBoxtown resident Sarah Gladney speaks tive people because it is about her experience living near a people-first policies, and for SpaceXAI data center during a press anybody with a good conconference organized by Pearson (center science or goodwill, I think back row) outside the Colossus 1 data that resonates.” center in July. U.S. congresswomen (left Katherine Burgess is the to right) Ayanna Pressley, Alexandria government accountabilOcasio-Cortez, and Summer Lee ity reporter for MLK50: supported Pearson during his primary run Justice Through Journalism. for the District 9 congressional seat. Contact her at katherine. burgess@mlk50.com

Pearson supporters say coalition building will outlast the election

COVER STORY m e m p h i s f l y e r. c o m

steppin’ out

We Recommend: Culture, News + Reviews

A Family Coffee Legacy By Kimberly Ham

October 22-28, 2026

Mended Therapy

Combining mental health with a love of fashion, creativity, and sustainability, Mended Therapy was born. Ashley wants to show that although things may seem like they cannot get better, there is hope. Just like a mended piece of clothing is brought new life, the same can be said of us. She is here to walk with you through this journey with laughter, creativity, and challenging your beliefs about yourself. She is MENDED (and constantly mending). She hopes you will let her join you as you MEND. Ashley specializes in working with LGBTQ+ populations and mood disorders. For more information or to book an appointment, visit mendedtherapypllc.com. Now taking clients for Mended Therapy Group. Please go to the website for more details.

She currently accepts most insurance plans. Self-pay is $125 for individual sessions

PHOTO: COURTESY OMAR YUSUF

Omar Yusuf

For Omar Yusuf, coffee is more than a morning ritual. It’s a family legacy three generations in the making. Yusuf, owner of Baaloo Coffee Roasters at 2821 Bartlett Road, will celebrate the specialty coffeehouse’s official ribbon cutting on Thursday, October 22nd, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Hosted by the Bartlett Area Chamber of Commerce, the ceremony invites the community to discover a neighborhood gathering place built around Ethiopian coffee traditions and carefully roasted beans. Yusuf ’s family farm is in Harar, a remote region of eastern Ethiopia where coffee cherries are harvested by hand and the beans are naturally sun-dried. His family eventually expanded from selling coffee to exporters to exporting their own beans through a company based in Dire Dawa, Ethiopia. About 15 years ago, the family began exporting coffee to North America, and Yusuf became involved in the business. Now, that legacy comes directly to Bartlett through Baaloo, a name drawn from a local Harar word for coffee leaf. In the region, farmers traditionally gather the vibrant leaves of coffee trees and steep them in hot water to make a tea-like drink. The leaves’ appearance is believed to offer a glimpse of the coming harvest. The name reflects the connection between the land, its farmers, and the coffee they produce — a connection Yusuf hopes customers experience with every cup. “We provide an experience of coffee where the source is known,” Yusuf says. “When we use that term ‘farm to cup,’ we really mean that.” Baaloo roasts its beans in-house, carefully testing small batches and adjusting roasting profiles to bring out the desired flavors. Alongside coffee from his family’s farm, Yusuf sources beans from other Ethiopian growing regions and countries including Nicaragua, Colombia, Guatemala, and Indonesia. Since its soft opening in August, Baaloo has received an enthusiastic response from Bartlett residents. Yusuf chose the location because he envisions the area developing into a lively town center, with restaurants, boutiques, and places for neighbors to gather. Ultimately, he wants Baaloo to be more than a coffeehouse. Whether customers come to study, meet friends, or spend time with family, he hopes they find a welcoming community hub. BAALOO COFFEE ROASTERS RIBBON CUTTING, BAALOO COFFEE ROASTERS, 2821 BARTLETT ROAD, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 11:30 A.M.-12:30 P.M.

VARIOUS DAYS & TIMES October 22nd - 28th 2026 Overton Square Oktoberfest Overton Square, Saturday, October 24, noon-5 p.m. Celebrate the season at the fourth annual Overton Square Oktoberfest in the Chimes Square courtyard. This free, family-friendly festival features craft beer, traditional German food, live polka music by Polkawagen, German folk dancers, fun games, a stein-holding contest, and a local makers market. Guests are encouraged to don their dirndls and lederhosen and enjoy an afternoon of German-inspired food, music, and festivities in the heart of Overton Square. Monster Market Medicine Factory, through Sunday, October 25, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Celebrate the spooky season at Monster Market, a Halloweeninspired pop-up shop organized

by local designer Holtermonster. Returning to the Medicine Factory for its 10th year, the market features a curated collection of weird art, alternative creations, unique novelties, and one-of-a-kind finds from local makers and artists. Browse all the eclectic offerings. Art on Fire Dixon Gallery & Gardens, Saturday, October 24, 7-11 p.m. Enjoy Art on Fire, the Dixon Gallery & Gardens’ annual fall celebration, featuring an evening of incredible art, local food and drinks, live entertainment, and fiery surprises. Guests can explore the gardens, soak up the festive atmosphere, and enjoy a lively night celebrating the arts while supporting the Dixon’s art and horticulture programs. General admission includes beer, wine, food, and entertainment, making it a fun

night out for art lovers and supporters of the Memphis community. This event is for guests ages 21 and older. “Origins” – Fall Season Performances Playhouse on the Square, Friday, October 23, 7:30 p.m., SaturdaySunday, October 24-25, 2:30 p.m. Collage Dance presents “Origins,” a fall performance program featuring four works that have helped shape the company’s artistic identity. The program includes Darrell Grand Moultrie’s Frankly Speaking, Joshua Manculich’s Wash, Kevin Iega Jeff ’s Flack, and Crystal Pite’s Four Solitudes, exploring themes of joy, resilience, connection, and renewal. Performances take place October 23rd to 25th at Playhouse on the Square.

MUSIC By Alex Greene

Deborah’s Song On her new album, Deborah Swiney weaves jazz magic under the guidance of Donald Brown.

Deborah Swiney All of which is worth reviewing in light of the remarkable new album by singer Deborah Swiney, You Taught My Heart to Sing. While Swiney is used to working with some of the best jazz players in Memphis, including the late Ed Finney, she did not have recording with Donald Brown on her bingo card. “I had been wanting to work with Donald for a long time,” says Swiney, “but I never thought it would happen. However, he was a good friend of my late brother, Alvin Swiney, who was younger than him, but they were in high school band together. Alvin was a bassoonist for the Memphis Symphony Orchestra and a woodwind artisan who passed one week after the release of my previous album in 2017. The last time I saw him alive was at the album release party held at Lafayette’s. I dedicated my current album to Alvin, which was released the day after his birthday. And it was touching that some of my brother’s other close musician friends played on the album:

SUPER SCIENTIFIC CIRCUS OCTOBER 31 @ 2P.M.

m e m p h i s f l y e r. c o m

PHOTO: STEVE ROBERTS

Gary Topper, Sylvester Sample, Charlton Johnson, and Lannie McMillan. Just having them on the album made me feel my brother was spiritually present.” For his part, Brown, though based in Knoxville, has continued to work in Memphis from time to time. “Donald had been at the studio where I work,” says Swiney, “doing some recording with the Maguire twins and others, and I had always admired his piano playing and producing. So I decided, ‘I’m going to ask him to produce a single.’ But the more Donald and I talked, the more I was like, ‘Okay, I think I could do an album.’” Brown felt the same way, and agreed to produce a full-length for Swiney. “He was excited to do it,” she says. “Just the fact that he was willing to work with me meant a lot. I kept wanting to pinch myself. He gave me so much confidence, just by believing in me. Besides the three songs that I started off with, he picked the rest of the tunes. And then he was able to bring in musicians he hadn’t played with in a long time or hadn’t seen in a long time, choosing tailor-made musicians that he thought would be perfect for each particular song.” Indeed, the credits read like a veritable who’s who of A-list jazz players either from or based in Memphis, including Donald Hayes, Steve Potts, Ra Kalam Bob Moses, Barry Campbell, Marc Franklin, Alvie Givhan, and Tony Thomas, to name a few. But perhaps the most surprising — and accomplished — player on the sessions was Brown himself. Though arthritis has kept Brown from performing on piano in recent years, he did play synthesizer on some of Swiney’s tracks. Sailing elegantly over Brown’s arrangements are Swiney’s vocals, even more assured than on her debut album from nine years ago. With an eclectic repertoire echoing Brown’s own diverse interests, she navigates old chestnuts like “Angel Eyes,” fusion-flavored funk like “Tell Me Something Good,” and Gerard Harris’ Brazilian/Cuban-flavored original, “Someday Um Dia,” with equal aplomb, contributing both layered background vocals and virtuosic lead singing, not to mention one song, “Oh Where Can My Man Be?” that she penned herself. “He picks some difficult songs!” says Swiney. “At the Green Room the other night, Joyce Cobb said, ‘You know, he really picks some really hard songs to sing.’ And she was complimenting me on being able to do that, which I appreciated a lot, coming from Joyce.”

The Super Scientific Circus explores the fundamentals of how the world works with boomerangs, bubbles, beach balls, bull whips, and magic as their scientific tools. Watch as Mr. Fish and Trent the Mime use their incredible circus skills and comedic antics to teach important concepts like friction and inertia in a fun and engaging way. With lots of audience participation, this show promises to entertain and educate.

TICKETS @ BPACC.org

901.385.5588 — Box Office Hours — 10a.m. to 2p.m. Michael Bollinger — Artistic Director

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

ianist Donald Brown has been a hero to jazz musicians for decades now, dating back to his time at then-Memphis State in the mid’70s, then on a wider basis when he joined Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers in the early ’80s. Local jazz trumpet veteran Johnny Yancey has said that even when he and Brown were both attending South Side High School, “he was genius-level,” and Brown’s long discography as a bandleader, ranging from classic straight-ahead jazz piano to more funk-influenced recordings over the course of 18 studio albums, further attests to that. Two years ago, the city came together to celebrate his legacy as both a musician and an educator at Berklee College of Music and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

AFTER DARK: Live Music Schedule October 22 - 28

* t E K R A M *HOLIDAY Thursday, Oct. 22, 7 p.m. MEMPHIS LISTENING LAB

Garrison Starr First Sunday Gospel and Jazz Jam Munch Sunday, Oct. 25, 2 p.m.

CENTER FOR SOUTHERN FOLKLORE

Cash Money & No Limit Tour

Featuring Master P, Birdman, Juvenile, Silkk the Shocker, Mannie Fresh, B.G., Mia X, Choppa Style, Mac, Mercedes, Fiend and Mr. ServOn, and special guest Boosie. Saturday, Oct. 24, 8 p.m. FEDEXFORUM

Morris Day & the Time and The S.O.S. Band Two iconic groups of funk and soul. Sunday, Oct. 25, 7 p.m. THE ORPHEUM THEATRE

Ole 60

Not your father’s country. Saturday, Oct. 24, 7 p.m.

With Kristy Lee. Saturday, Oct. 24, 7:30 p.m.

THE GREEN ROOM AT CROSSTOWN ARTS

Iron & Wine

Tuesday, Oct. 27, 6 p.m. SATELLITE MUSIC HALL

Journey to Jersey

Thursday, Oct. 22, 8 p.m. GROWLERS

KEER

With Teri Quinn & the Coyotes. Friday, Oct. 23, 7 p.m.

Sunday, Oct. 25, 5 p.m. LAFAYETTE’S MUSIC ROOM

Memphis Jazz Orchestra feat. Terell Stafford Friday, Oct. 23, 7:30 p.m.

October 22-28, 2026

Wyly Bigger

Sunday, Oct. 25, 12 p.m. LAFAYETTE’S MUSIC ROOM

Cedric Davis Brownlee & The C.D.B Band Thursday, Oct. 22, 8 p.m. HERNANDO’S HIDE-A-WAY

Dru Hill

Saturday, Oct. 24, 7 p.m.

B-SIDE

HERNANDO’S HIDE-A-WAY

Alice Hasen Halloween Show Saturday, Oct. 24, 8 p.m. B-SIDE

Almost Famous

Saturday, Oct. 24, 9 p.m. LAFAYETTE’S MUSIC ROOM

San Salida, Misti Rae, and The Cattle Collective

All-ages. Sunday, Oct. 25, 2 p.m. LAMPLIGHTER LOUNGE

With Toby Vest. Friday, Oct. 23, 9 p.m.

Collective Dust

With Pretty Much Over. Friday, Oct. 23, 6 p.m. GROWLERS

FOR MORE INFO: MEMPHISCRAFTSANDDRAFTS.COM

GROWLERS

Joshua Ray Walker

B-SIDE

With Livid Noise, Saw it Coming. Monday, Oct. 26, 7 p.m.

Exodus

Bryan Hartley Industries

FEATURING

winterforever

Wyly Bigger Vinyl Release Show

Sunday, Oct. 25, 7:30 p.m.

GROWLERS

PRESENTED BY

SATELLITE MUSIC HALL

Landslide (Fleetwood Mac Tribute)

Sunday, Oct. 25, 6 p.m.

Crosstown Concourse

Friday, Oct. 23, 5 p.m.

LAMPLIGHTER LOUNGE

The Convalescence and Knifeback

10am-4pm

We Came As Romans

THE GREEN ROOM AT CROSSTOWN ARTS

EARNESTINE & HAZEL’S

Saturday, November 7th

The Convalescence

GRIND CITY AMP

Friday, Oct. 23, 6:30 p.m.

It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year! Discover one-of-a-kind gifts from a curated collection of the very best local artists & makers, sip craft brews, and soak up the holiday spirit in the heart of Midtown.

PHOTO: COURTESY THE CONVALESCENCE

Echoes in the Room

Rare recordings and stories.

Notez&Flow

Sunday, Oct. 25, 6 p.m.

THE GREEN ROOM AT CROSSTOWN ARTS

Optic Sink

BANKPLUS AMPHITHEATER AT SNOWDEN GROVE

Saturday, Oct. 24, 7 p.m.

Shell on Wheels: The Four Way Restaurant Legacy Concert Friday, Oct. 23, 5:30 p.m. THE FOUR WAY RESTAURANT

Willis Alan Ramsey

Ramsey returns to the stage. Friday, Oct. 23, 6 p.m. HERNANDO’S HIDE-A-WAY

With Choir Boy, Decoration Policy. Friday, Oct. 23, 7 p.m. HI TONE

The Parallax

Tuesday, Oct. 27, 9 p.m.

Rev & Marcia

Concerts in The Grove: Memphis Wind Symphony

B-SIDE

Sunday, Oct. 25, 8 p.m.

Thursday, Oct. 22, 6:30 p.m.

HI TONE

THE GROVE AT GPAC

Southern Grind Sessions

Hourglass (James Taylor Tribute)

LAFAYETTE’S MUSIC ROOM

BARTLETT PERFORMING ARTS & CONFERENCE CENTER

Superstition: Vampire Masquerade Ball 2026

Robert Cray Band

Thursday, Oct. 22, 6 p.m.

Masks encouraged. Friday, Oct. 23, 10 p.m. HI TONE

Saturday, Oct. 24, 7:30 p.m.

Blues icon. Soul man. Rock and roller. Saturday, Oct. 24, 8 p.m. GPAC

CALENDAR of EVENTS: Oct. 22 - 28 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 EVENTS LISTING, VISIT EVENTS.MEMPHISFLYER.COM/CAL.

dance through powerful storytelling rooted in the experiences of Black women and the African diaspora. Friday, Oct. 23, 7 p.m.

HE A LT H A N D F I T N E SS

PHOTO: COURTESY HILLARY HUDSON

16th Annual Kick It 5K

Charlotte Donlon

The Kosten Foundation’s largest annual fundraiser, bringing together pancreatic cancer survivors, patients, families, caregivers, and supporters. Sunday, Oct. 25, 1 p.m.

BUCKMAN PERFORMING AND FINE ARTS CENTER AT ST. MARY’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL

FE ST IVA L

Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead) Parade & Festival 2026

The annual Día de Muertos celebration is back, bringing colors, music, and tradition straight to the heart of Downtown along Main Street. Free. Saturday, Oct. 24, 11 a.m.

tling favorites in an actionpacked afternoon of sports entertainment. Saturday, Oct. 24, 2:30 p.m. GROWLERS

SHELBY FARMS PARK

T H EAT ER

P E R F OR M I N G A R TS

Million Dollar Quartet

CANNON CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS

Step inside Memphis’ Sun Records and celebrate 70 years since the icons Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Carl Perkins united for the first and only time. Thursday, Oct. 22-Saturday, Oct. 24, 7:30 p.m. | Sunday, Oct. 25, 2:00 p.m.

S P EC I A L E V E N TS

Monty Python’s Spamalot

Rigoletto

COURT SQUARE PARK

The music erupts in vivid color as the MSO and Opera Memphis cast bring Rigoletto’s passion, heartbreak, and high drama to life. Saturday, Oct. 24, 7:30 p.m.

FILM

Fright-Tober: Halloween

Fifteen years after murdering his sister on Halloween night, Michael Myers escapes from a psychiatric hospital and returns to his hometown of Haddonfield, Illinois. Tuesday, Oct. 27, 6:30 p.m.

THEATRE MEMPHIS

Spamalot features songs that will leave you humming, including “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life,” “Find Your Grail,” and others that have become beloved classics. Tuesday, Oct. 27, 7:30 p.m. | Wednesday, Oct. 28, 7:30 p.m.

Art on Fire

Turn up the heat at Art on Fire, the Dixon’s annual fall celebration featuring local food and drinks, live entertainment, incredible art, and plenty of fiery surprises. Saturday, Oct. 24, 7 p.m.

CROSSTOWN THEATER

FO O D A N D D R I N K

Zootoberfest

Stroll the Zoo with a commemorative stein in hand and enjoy seasonal brews from local breweries every Saturday and Sunday throughout October. Saturday, Oct. 24, 10:30 a.m. | Sunday, Oct. 25, 10:30 a.m.

THE ORPHEUM THEATRE

DIXON GALLERY AND GARDENS

Thom Pain (based on nothing)

S P OR TS

A one-man show starring Tony Isbell, recipient of the Eugart W. Yerian Lifetime Achievement Award. Friday, Oct. 23, 8 p.m. | Saturday, Oct. Catch 901 Wrestling’s live taping, featur24, 8 p.m. | Sunday, Oct. 25, 2 p.m. The New Times Syndication Sales Corporation ing York high-energy matches and local wres-

MEMPHIS ZOO

901 Wrestling Live Taping

EVERGREEN THEATER 620 Eighth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10018 For Information Call: 1-800-972-3550 For Release Friday, August 23, 2019

A RTS AND S PEC IAL E X H IB ITS

Maternity Housing Initiative Art Fundraiser and Show

A RT H APPE NING S

“Ain’t I Clean”: Lansky Brothers Exhibit Opening Reception

Enjoy the opening reception of this show that explores how the Lansky Brothers shaped the look of Memphis music, welcoming Black customers during segregation and outfitting legendary Stax Records musicians. Free. Thursday, Oct. 22, 6 p.m. STAX MUSEUM OF AMERICAN SOUL MUSIC

B OO K E VE NTS

Book Release Event: Bradley Sides and Charlotte Donlon

Celebrate the release of both of their new books: The Volcano Keeper and Spiritual Direction for Writers. Thursday, Oct. 22, 6 p.m. NOVEL

CO MMU NITY

Floating Pumpkin Harvest Festival

Attendees can choose a pumpkin from the pool for a decorating contest. Plus, visit the haunted house! Proper swim attire is required for water activities and games. Friday, Oct. 23, 6 p.m. HICKORY HILL COMMUNITY CENTER

C LASS /WORKS HO P

Aromatherapy Incense Workshop by BlackMajesTEA

In this hands-on workshop, learn about locally foraged and sourced herbs and how their different aromas work together to create custom incense blends. Sunday, Oct. 25, 1 p.m. MEMPHIS BOTANIC GARDEN

DANCE

Origins - Fall Season Performances

Origins brings together works that have helped shape the artistic identity of Collage Dance. Friday, Oct. 23, 7:30 p.m. | Saturday, Oct. 24, 2:30 p.m. | Sunday, Oct. 25, 2:30 p.m. PLAYHOUSE ON THE SQUARE

Urban Bush Women

For more than 40 years, the Urban Bush Women have challenged audiences and expanded the boundaries of contemporary

ACROSS 1 Like sauvignon

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PUZZLE BY PETER WENTZ

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m e m p h i s f l y e r. c o m

Crossword

GRAHAM’S LIGHTING

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Enjoy this fundraiser and art show featuring local artists and benefiting the Maternity Housing Initiative. Through Oct. 24.

We Saw You. with michael donahue

October 22-28, 2026

f you looked around at the Indie Memphis Film Festival Preview Party, you saw somebody who made a movie, starred in a movie, or was thinking about making or starring in a movie. This year’s event was held September 30th at the new Metal Museum in Overton Park, and featured trailers from films to be screened in this year’s upcoming festival. And there was an open bar. This year’s Indie Memphis Film Festival will be held November 5th through 8th with encore screenings November 9th through 10th.

PHOTOS: MICHAEL DONAHUE

above: (left to right) Geoffrey Brent Shrewsbury, Marcus Griffin; Kendal Foster circle: Zack Wheeler below: (left to right) Pat Mitchell Worley, Chris Reyes, Jake Cline; Bennett Netschi, Berlin Howell, Brandon Melgar, Elian Gonzalez; Kacky Walton, Al Kapone bottom row: (left to right) Jeffrey Stablein, Amanda Willoughby-Stablein, Aisha Raison; Jessiah Burnett, Ethan Sanders; Ethan Thompson, Chris Vance, Em Joyce Coates, Laura Olive

T H E AT E R B y C o c o J u n e

Based on Nothing

PHOTO: QUARK THEATRE

Tony Isbell could be “talking about every human who’s ever lived.”

specific room at that specific time. This feeling of intimacy isn’t so easy to accomplish with a script that doesn’t allow improvisational wiggle room, but Isbell pulls it off. The show plays with the elements of live performance intentionally. You’re wondering, “Was a line just dropped?” or “Did he just repeat himself?” By the end, this has become an expected layer of the performance, and one that works. When the accoutrements of theater get pared down, it can be easier to see the different aspects of stagecraft more clearly. The lighting changes are more noticeable when there’s not really a set to speak of. The intentionality of costuming choices is thrown into sharp relief when only one costume on one performer is at play. Thom Pain wears a tie pin, but his tie is loosened. This communicates something, though it might strike a different chord with each audience member. My partner remarked afterward that it seemed to be about regret. This took me aback, but after thinking about it, I can see that analysis working. This is a production that could be up for inter-

pretation, which is part of what makes it interesting. Isbell says something similar about Quark. “We want to produce work that will not only reach people on an emotional level, but also will leave them with ideas to think about, to ponder in the days or even weeks after they’ve seen the show. I have been approached by people after many of our shows who told me that they continue to think about them for days or weeks after they’ve seen it. And that’s very rewarding. That’s exactly what we’re hoping to do.” This show is, to me, about what it feels like to be living the human experience. It’s non-linear and, at times, jaded, even bleak. But it’s not without humor. According to Isbell, “This show is funnier than you might expect. Sometimes in absurd ways, sometimes in silly, jokey kinds of ways. But it’s also serious and poignant and thoughtful and optimistic, ultimately.” Comedic relief is another element that is singularly difficult to land,

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especially performing solo. Manipulating the tone of a room to a deeply emotional place and then bringing it back up again with a laugh is not easily done, but this play, and Isbell as its lone performer, does it over and over. A one-person performance might not have the glitz and glamour of a musical or farce, but this form of theater cannot be described as lacking, despite all that. Thom Pain (based on nothing) runs at the Evergreen Theatre through October 25th.

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uark Theatre prides itself on producing thought-provoking, even challenging theater, for both actors and audiences. Thom Pain (based on nothing) fits that bill, but, as is often the case with art, this only serves to make the experience more worthwhile. Thom Pain is a one-man show, in this case performed, produced, and directed by Tony Isbell — “a show that’s challenging to describe in a single sentence or two,” Isbell says. In modern lingo, the show feels like your friend leaving a stream-ofconsciousness crisis on a 75-minute voice memo. Isbell describes it as “a man alone on stage telling some stories, getting distracted, apparently talking about his own life … Or is he? Maybe he’s talking about somebody else. Maybe he’s talking about you, the audience. Or maybe he’s talking about every human who’s ever lived.” Thom Pain breaks the fourth wall immediately, which isn’t so unique. But it does feel, and I credit this to Isbell’s performance, as though Thom is talking directly to this audience, our audience, in that

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Quark Theatre’s one-man show challenges audiences.

FOOD By Michael Donahue

Dinner Is On at Justine’s Auctioned meal raises big bucks.

October 22-28, 2026

es, you can go home again — if your home away from home was the old Justine’s restaurant. Dinner will be served again — to an undisclosed party, for one night only — at a private dinner in the historic home that once housed the legendary Justine’s. The dinner was an auction item at the Church Health Wine Experience Auction, held October 8th. “Robin and I and Scott and Jill Notowich gave it to Church Health,” says Tower Ventures president/CEO Billy Orgel, who now maintains the old home that housed the restaurant. Justine’s, which closed in 1996, still evokes fond memories for the many, including me, who dined on pompano, escargot, and Baked Alaska in the circa 1834 Italianate structure known as the “Anderson-Coward House” at 919 Coward Place. I covered my first official party there in 1980 when I was with the old Memphis Press-Scimitar. Guests included Luciano Pavarotti and other Metropolitan Opera stars who’d appeared earlier that night in a Met production at the old Auditorium. As an item offered in the Wine Experience Auction, Church Health’s dinner for 20 people at Justine’s went for $28,000. The dinner will be held in the spring, Orgel says, “when the people want to do it.” The chef “to be named” will prepare food from Justine’s Memories & Recipes by Janet Stuart Smith, daughter of Justine’s owners, the late Justine and Dayton Smith. I would expect Crabmeat Justine, the restaurant’s iconic appetizer, to be one of the items served. People still use that recipe and others from Smith’s cookbook. Orgel’s memory of Justine’s is why he bought the place, which had fallen into disrepair after the restaurant closed and the property was sold. “Robin and I got engaged here in June of 1990,” Orgel says. “And we came here for dinner.” He proposed in the car, Orgel says. “I asked her outside.” The couple, who’ve been married 36 years, decided to reenact their engagement 25 years later, but the old Justine’s was literally a shell of what it once was. “I drove by and the place was filthy. This side was pretty much collapsed. Disrepair. There were homeless people living in it. I called a friend of mine with the county. It was on a tax sale. I bought it for $50,000, $53,000. I think it’s almost two acres.” Orgel has been keeping the place up

PHOTO: MICHAEL DONAHUE

Sammy Rosenberg and Billy Orgel at the old Justine’s since he bought it in 2015. “We just keep doing routine maintenance. Like we fixed the tuckpoint on the bricks. We painted it. We tried to match the brick up. “It was all brick. There may have been a porch here at some time. I don’t remember. It all got demolished. We put it back. There was a garage and we just hauled it off. It was all rotten. There was a cooler.” Orgel, who used to “hear stories about it,” just wanted to save Justine’s. “We’ve been a good patron of it.” Licensed contractor Sammy Rosenberg has been maintaining the property. “He’s been invaluable in preserving it.” Inside, exposed beams, old wallpaper, and faded paint share space with still-beautiful plaster crown molding along the ceiling. Indoor wooden shutters grace the downstairs windows, and within the brick walls of the old wine cellar, shelves stand ready to be stocked with bottles. Orgel walks in the bathroom and says, “It’s a usable bathroom. We just have to put in a toilet and a sink. It’s got water.” They’re considering using both upstairs dining rooms, which are missing their fireplace mantels, and the wine cellar. “I think we’re just going to clean it up. Do as little as possible.” He does plan on adding chandeliers — “temporary ones” — for the dinner. “If this is successful, I would envision doing more dinners there,” Orgel says. But he doesn’t see the space once again becoming a restaurant. “I wish that someone could buy it as a singlefamily residence.” It certainly appears safe, being next door to the Memphis Police Department’s Crump Station. “You’ve got a large contingent of police officers next door, driving by,” observes Orgel.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): A greenhouse can coax flowers to open ahead of their natural timetable. I recommend applying a similar approach to the fears taking root in you. Rather than letting them spread gradually and feed you a stream of low-grade dread, push them toward an immediate peak. Let every concern become enormous and fully formed as quickly as possible. Invite the anxieties to arrive all at once. Then meet them in a decisive confrontation, exhaust their drama, and clear space for adventures that will give you deep, sweet pleasure. Set a date for your worrygasm, the grand finale of your fretting, for no later than 48 hours from now. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Gemini-born physicist Richard Feynman was famous not only for his brilliance but for his refusal to pretend he understood things he didn’t. He routinely asked childishly simple questions in rooms full of experts. “But why does that happen?” was one of his favorites. Those naïve inquiries often cracked open problems the specialists had stopped seeing. He distrusted jargon and prized the ability to explain a complex idea in plain words. If you can’t explicate it simply, he suggested, you don’t really understand it. I invite you to adopt this as your strategy in the coming weeks, Gemini. Your superpowers will be to pose obvious questions everyone else is too proud or numb to ask, and to insist on answers you can actually understand. CANCER (June 21-July 22): Cancerian dancer and choreographer Anna Halprin lived to 100 and danced to the end. She taught the idea that movement could heal. Our bodies, given permission to move freely and expressively, know how to release grief, summon joy, and restore wholeness. She once danced through her own cancer diagnosis as a form of medicine and lived for decades longer. Her lesson for you: Your body has its own intelligence, and you can enhance your ability to access it. In the coming weeks, let it lead. Dance, stretch, walk, sway. Trust what your flesh knows that your mind hasn’t figured out yet.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): In at least one way, Leo, you’ll be coming home during the coming weeks. Perhaps you will discover a sanctuary that brings out your best: a power spot where you feel unguarded and authentic. Or you may gather (or stumble into) the community you’ve always imagined, or link up with a web of allies and resources that once felt out of reach. You might dream of journeying to the land where your ancestors loved and labored for generations, or consider a pilgrimage to a storied place that holds the key to a mystery you’re hungry to resolve. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Renaissance astronomer and astrologer Tycho Brahe spent decades collecting precise measurements of planetary motion. He never developed a final theory to explain the data, and he harbored mistaken theories about how the solar system worked, but his observations enabled his assistant Johannes Kepler to discover the laws of planetary orbits. You could play a similar role, Virgo. Your careful attention to details can lay the groundwork for important realizations, whether by you or someone working in collaboration with you. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): I admire your ability to stay outside the conflict and offer detached, incisive commentary. I respect your preference for avoiding small-minded camps and partisan skirmishes. But in the coming days, I hope you’ll step directly into the muck and bring the passionate contributions of a devotee who’s invested in the outcome. Put the grand ideas aside and stir up good trouble in service of practical justice. Clever sidestepping won’t do; what’s needed are honest tests of what actually works. Be a pragmatist who makes soulful things happen through tender focus on the concrete tasks. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): The Supreme Ministry of Astrological Myth has agreed to my request to temporarily give you a new designation. For the next four weeks, you are authorized to refer to yourself as the Contemplative Adventurer or the Meditative Rambler or the Pensive Pathfinder — or all three, if you like. In bestowing these titles, I’m encouraging you to free up heroic energy for use in your inner realms. One good way to capitalize on this blessing will be to relax in a comfy chair and negotiate truces with your demons. Another recommended activity: Ask the spirits of nature and the songs of birds to heighten your intuition about your future as you take long walks. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): In 2029, I predict you’ll get nanotech implants to fight the aging of your body, ensuring that you’ll live well past 100. In 2032, you’ll begin downloading your nightly

dreams into a digital medium, allowing you to study them at length and bolster your ability to learn from their coded messages. In 2037, you and a loved one will be able to take advantage of technology that allows you to merge telepathically. In 2043, you’ll take a vacation on the moon, where you’ll dance exuberantly in low lunar gravity. But in 2027, your task will be simpler. You’ll learn to love yourself better and treat yourself with more tender kindness than ever before. Now’s a great time to get started! AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Many celebrated chefs insist that acidity is an underestimated element that transforms good food into memorable food. A squeeze of lemon or a splash of vinegar awakens other flavors already present. Consider what the equivalent might be in your own life, Aquarius. What’s the seemingly simple ingredient that could enliven everything else? More playfulness or more walking? More music, more honesty, or more sleep? The astrological omens are clear that now isn’t the time to overhaul your entire existence. Instead, identify one or two subtle additions that make your existing gifts brighter. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Nothing is the same as what it appears to be, but neither is it the opposite of what it seems to be. Life isn’t fair, yet we’d be wrong to say it’s unfair. You should be on the lookout for the words that are NOT being said. Assume that every question has a hidden complication. Be skeptical if anyone tells you the current mysteries are unsolvable and be eager to discover the deeper riddle buried inside each superficial riddle. But now here’s the good news. The maddening complexities will ultimately prove to be fun and helpful if you’re diligent in untangling them. The key to success: Be tender as you explore uncomfortable thoughts and frustrating feelings.

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ARIES (March 21-April 19): The 18thcentury Aries watchmaker John Harrison solved one of the great scientific problems of his time: how to determine longitude at sea. Many learned astronomers failed to crack the puzzle, yet Harrison, largely selftaught, persisted for decades to refine the method. His breakthrough transformed navigation and enhanced the safety of sea journeys. I nominate Harrison to be your inspirational role model in the coming weeks, Aries. Persistence combined with ingenuity and a trust in your hunches will be more important to your success than your mastery of the way things have always been done.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Are there parts of the past you’re in bondage to? Maybe some shackles are even beloved to you, like a comfortable old belief, a protective habit, or a story about who you are that once helped you but now confines you. If you’re like most of us (me included!), you have fond memories that unfortunately impose limits on your future. Whatever they may be, dear Scorpio, now is an excellent time to disengage from their hold on you. To begin, make one small but potent gesture of liberation. As you do, say this aloud: “I am no longer chained to outdated versions of myself.” Alternate version, if you’re feeling extra fiery: “I am no longer &^%$@# chained to any *%#@&+ outdated versions of myself.”

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FREE WILL ASTROLOGY By Rob Brezsny

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FILM By Chris McCoy

Committed to the Bit

PHOTO: COURTESY A24

Elizabeth Holmes in You Can See Everything

Truth and fiction blur in the brilliant documentary You Can See Everything.

October 22-28, 2026

ast weekend, filmgoers had the choice of two documentaries about the feral convergence of high-tech Silicon Valley business culture and oldfashioned con artistry that has brought our world to the brink of disaster. One is Musk, Alex Gibney’s four-hour deep dive into the life of Elon Musk, the world’s first trillionaire whose data centers are currently polluting Memphis’ air and depleting our drinking water. The other is You Can See Everything, Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim’s intimate portrait of Elizabeth Holmes, the biotech inventor who was convicted of fraud after it turned out her invention didn’t work. Both films involved a significant time commitment, so I could see only one. Ultimately, I couldn’t bring myself to commit to Musk. I love you, Alex Gibney, but I’m afraid spending four hours staring into the howling void that is Elon Musk would inflict more psychic damage than I’m currently prepared to absorb. Plus, Oppenheim’s recent foray into fiction, Primetime, absolutely ripped, and the trailer, which showed Fielder confronting Holmes about her honesty in extreme close-up, was certainly intriguing. But if the main reason I chose You Can See Everything was to protect the remains of what I laughably call my sanity, then I chose unwisely. There is nothing simple or sane about this film. I was passingly familiar with Fielder’s schtick of transforming transient autistic obsessions into engaging comedy-doc hybrids. But I don’t think that, when he decided to make this documentary, he was prepared to run headlong into his neurodivergent evil twin. Elizabeth Holmes agreed to give the production unfettered access to her life for the last month before she went to prison to serve an 11-year sentence for defrauding investors out of hundreds of millions of dollars. The title, You Can See Everything, comes from a text Holmes sent Fielder. The first question that pops to mind is, why would anyone do that? Fielder himself asks the question early in the film, and decides to see how far he can push it. When will they tell him to stop shooting? How close is too close? The very first shot in the film is not of Elizabeth Holmes, but of her partner Billy Evans, who is telling someone on the other end of a phone call about the documentary. Soon, we are seeing him naked in the shower. Most films want you to become so 20 absorbed in the experience that you

forget you’re watching a film. Fielder and Oppenheim’s goals are exactly the opposite. They are constantly reminding you that you are watching a film. Holmes and Evans might have originally thought they would be starring in a fly-on-the-wall-type doc like Grey Gardens, and for a little while, it seems like that’s what’s going on here. Even after everything that has happened — up to and including an award-winning Hulu limited series, The Dropout, casting her as the biggest liar on the planet — Holmes is still trying to convince people to invest in her blood-testing technology. Only now, she’s working the phones while trying to keep a fussy baby asleep. Her trademark black turtlenecks, chosen to emulate Steve Jobs, have been replaced by frumpier new-mom clothing. But soon Fielder is stepping out in front of the camera, and before you know it, he’s calling his subject “Liz.” Seemingly disarmed by his subject’s apparent candor, he starts to wonder if she knew she was lying, or if she truly believed that her Theranos machine could diagnose any disease known to medical science by only examining a single drop of blood. But every time he tries to pin her down, she slips away from him. Probing her sense of objective truth, Fielder shows her Abbott and Costello’s “Who’s on First?” routine, and asks if she understands why

it’s funny. She says she does not. But is she telling the truth, or is she just that committed to the bit? Once Holmes goes to prison and filming wraps, Fielder still can’t understand what he saw while in her little California beach cottage. So he brings in Amanda Seyfried, who portrayed Holmes in The Dropout. Who better to help him get inside his subject’s head than the actor who won an Emmy for pretending to be her? But despite the elaborate lengths they go to, the truth always seems tantalizingly beyond their reach. I think one key to understanding late-stage capitalist phenomena like Holmes and Musk and AI is philosopher Harry G. Frankfurt’s book On Bullshit. What’s the difference between a lie and bullshit? When the liar tries to deceive you, he recognizes that truth exists, even if it must be concealed. But the bullshitter does not care either way. If the bullshitter can get you to do what he wants by telling you the truth, that’s what he will do. If the bullshitter thinks he can get you to do what he wants by telling you a lie, he’ll do that. Words are weapons to the bullshitter. Elizabeth Holmes, Elon Musk, and Donald Trump are bullshitters. They’ll say anything to get what they want, and in the moment, they will even believe it is “true.” When that lie no longer serves them, they will move on to another “truth,” which they will believe as long

as they need to. AI chatbots are bullshit machines incapable of perceiving truth. Their only “goal” is to spit out a series of words which will elicit a thumbs up from the user. Fielder and Oppenheim twist the medium of documentary film into impossible shapes as they probe the line between truth and fiction. When he tries to show Holmes Seyfried’s portrayal of her in The Dropout, I thought of the Maysles brothers filming Mick Jagger while they showed him footage of the murder in the crowd at the Rolling Stones’ infamous Altamont concert. When Fielder pulls out his laptop to show Seyfried a cut of the film that we’ve seen up until her introduction, I thought of the Soviet documentary masterpiece Man with a Movie Camera, where director Dziga Vertov spliced footage of the film being edited into the film itself. But most of all, I thought of Orson Welles’ F for Fake. The great director began his 1973 swan song by assuring us everything we heard for the next hour was the truth. But the film was 88 minutes long, and ended with Welles gleefully admitting that everything after the hour mark was pure fiction. To paraphrase Picasso, art is the lie that tells the truth. You Can See Everything Now playing at Malco Paradiso and Malco Ridgeway

N O W P L AY I N G B y C h r i s M c C o y

Clayface Mike Flanagan, whose Carrie adaptation has been turning heads, pens this origin story of one of Batman’s most intriguing

Wicker Olivia Colman stars in the year’s weirdest romance as a medieval fisherwoman rejected by society due to her independence and persistent fish smell. She commissions a master weaver (Peter Dinklage) to fashion her a husband out of wicker. When he comes to life, he looks like Alexander Skarsgård (only, you know, wicker) and devotes himself (itself?) to her happiness.

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Wildwood Prue McKeel (voiced by Peyton Elizabeth Lee) is a Portland teen who awakens one day to find her infant brother Mac (Arthur Knight) has been kidnapped by crows sent by the witch Alexandra (Carey Mulligan). She enlists her friend Curtis (Jacob Tremblay) to venture into the woods and rescue him while righting an ancient injustice. Based on a YA novel by The Decemberists’ frontman Colin Meloy, it’s the longest (2 hours and 11 minutes), most expensive stop-motion feature film ever produced.

villains. Tom Rhys Harries stars as Matt Hagen, a movie star who runs afoul of a mob boss and pays the price. Trying to recover his matinee idol looks, he hooks up with Dr. Corr (Naomi Ackie), whose ideas about cosmetic surgery are far from the mainstream. Instead of getting his face back, Hagen becomes a man of living clay who can take on any human form.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Our critic picks the best films in theaters.

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We’re Voting for Our Children’s Future

THE LAST WORD

Polls show that the biggest issues for U.S. voters in 2026 are the economy and cost of living. We need to reconsider. As a working father, I understand the need for affordable food, housing, and medical care, but I also understand those concerns become meaningless if my family and I have been reduced to charred cinders. The midterms this year will either increase or decrease our children’s chance of having a future. Humanity is currently facing three existential threats, all of which are being exacerbated by the current White House administration. Those are the folks who deny that global climate change is real, even as the world either burns or is pounded by catastrophic storms. Contrary to Trump’s claims, there is scientific consensus that the Earth is warming as a result of human activity, that this warming has already significantly impacted the environment in disastrous ways, and that more warming will result in worsening impacts. Then there’s the threat of nuclear war. Some historians think World War III has already started, but even if we’re just on the verge, the risk of nuclear annihilation is all too real. The Doomsday Clock is currently set at a sobering 85 seconds to midnight, the closest it’s ever been to midnight in its history. And we don’t need a world war to bring about Armageddon. As Annie Jacobsen makes clear in her bestselling book, Nuclear War, irrational action by a rogue state could trigger an extinction-level nuclear exchange. President Trump’s war on Iran has probably convinced such countries they need nuclear weapons to discourage potential attackers. There’s worse. Nobel laureate Geoffrey Hinton (the “godfather” of AI) began warning us years ago that AI posed a threat to humanity’s survival, but it wasn’t until last month that people started paying attention (after a whistleblower warned that AI could result in the extermination of humanity by 2030). There is evidence that PHOTO: © RITAANISIMOVA | DREAMSTIME.COM attempts have already been made to use AI to create biological weapons. A hand-made sign protesting the rise of AI The real problem isn’t bad actors misusing AI. The end will come when a selfimproving superintelligence perceives humans as a threat to its existence. Science fiction? No. As you read this, AI companies are racing against each other to be the first to create that very same self-improving superintelligence despite their leaders sounding the alarm. Taking into account the current wars and political instability in the Middle East, the risk of nuclear annihilation appears to be the immediate threat. But in the long run, the dangers inherent in AI are more alarming than those of either climate change or nuclear weapons, partially because nuclear holocaust is an option AI could use to get rid of us. Clearly regulation is needed. No other threat poses this level of danger, but what is the current administration doing? Nothing. That’s despite the fact that 81 percent of Americans think the government should regulate AI. There are even some people (I’m one) who believe all AI should be banned. Yes, all. I believe there is still hope. But any chance of a sustainable future depends on electing politicians who place more value on the public good than on personal wealth and power. On November 3rd, you’ll have the opportunity to help elect people who will support not only renewable energy, but also the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons and the regulation or banning of AI. All of us — not just the politicians — need to commit ourselves to the saving of humanity. To paraphrase Plato, the ideal society is one in which everyone is best off doing what they best do. You know yourself. What do you do best? Write? Send letters to the editor of your local newspaper. Chat? Get on social media and urge friends to help. Socialize? Join an action group or protest march. Sit in your house doing nothing? At minimum, get out on November 3rd to vote for folks who care about our future. If you do absolutely nothing, you will have no right to feel like an innocent victim when the horizon lights up with nuclear detonations. Do something to help. I have a 9-year-old daughter, and my sanity depends upon believing it’s still possible to build a sustainable future for all our children. I believe we can if we all pitch in, but we have to do it now. The alternative is species suicide. Paul Hellweg is a freelance writer and poet. Samples of his writing can be seen at PaulHellweg.com and VietnamWarPoetry.com

m e m p h i s f l y e r. c o m

The dangers inherent in AI are alarming; vote for those who stand for humanity.