A decision made with no community input leads to mounting environmental concerns — and what grassroots groups are doing about it.
Poppin’ Ollies at Society Memphis At the combination skatepark/ co ee shop, all kinds of creativity can thrive. p8
PHOTO: JULIUS PRATCHER PHOTOGRAPHY | COURTESY SOCIETY MEMPHIS
Alabama Shakes Return!
e storied band will preside over Grind City Amp’s rst show. p14
PHOTO: BOBBI RICH
PHOTO: SARA JUSTIS
THE fly-by
MEM ernet
Memphis on the internet.
USEFUL
Junt. Mane. Flodging. Finesse. e folks at the Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library got that Memphis slang, mane, and it shows.
Reddit user Frog_Taser posted the posters posted there with explainers like “Junt. Rhymes with stunt. Used in a sentence: I’m on my junt, ready to stunt.”
POETRY
Litter at a carwash inspired this very Memphis poem by u/oic38122.
“You a Nasty Lazy MFer
Six freaking feet to an actual trash can and ya couldn’t manage it
I hope all your ice melts too quickly May your tea be forever unsweetened
Hope your ex steals all your Kroger fuel points, even a er being broke up for over a year”
COMMENT OF THE WEEK
When Reddit user ishred5 asked “What’s going on north of town?” RollingStoner2 replied, “It means they have failed to elect a new Holy Mane.”
Questions, Answers + Attitude
Edited by Toby Sells
{By Flyer staff
xAI, Heat Watch, & Schools
Musk wins pollution permit, summer is dangerous, expensive, and leaders blame Feagins again.
X AI PERMITS
Environmental groups o cially appealed air permits granted to MZX Tech — xAI’s a liate company.
e Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) led the appeal on behalf of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), Young, Gi ed & Green, and the Safe and Sound Coalition last week.
e appeal challenges the decision made by the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality’s (MDEQ) to issue MZX Tech a permit to operate 41 methane gas turbines at a Southaven facility.
SELC said the turbines would be a large source of smog-forming pollution in the area, and would contribute to health concerns in the region.
MDEQ’s decision has been criticized by local and national groups as they said it ignored citizen concerns. e permit hearing was held on Election Day, ve days a er the meeting was announced.
SUMMER IS COMING
PHOTO: (ABOVE) JOSHUA J. COTTEN | UNSPLASH; (BELOW) MARIE FEAGINS | FACEBOOK (above) e city’s summer heat can be dangerous for disadvantaged communities and place an outsized nancial burden on those in poverty; (below) Marie Feagins
To prepare for summer 2026, we broke out last year’s Heat Watch report. A big team of scientists and community members mapped that famous Memphis heat one day last year and wrapped it up in a report. It found the city’s hottest temperature that day, its hottest places, coolest places, and the temperature di erences between them.
e day was July 23rd. On that day, 78 community data collectors fanned out across the city with sensors on their cars and collected more than 131,000 unique measurements of air temperature and relative humidity.
e maximum temperature was 102.2 degrees. e di erence between the hottest and coolest places at the time was 14.4 degrees. It was predictably coolest in the morning (high of 86 degrees), hottest in the a ernoon (high of 102 degrees), and returned to around 86 degrees that evening.
Where? Here’s what the report says:
“ e maps indicate that throughout the day, heat concentrates in highly developed areas of Downtown Memphis, near the airport, and along major corridors such as Poplar Avenue, Jackson Avenue, Summer Avenue, Lamar Avenue, and East Shelby Drive, while cooler air is found at more heavily tree-canopied areas such as Overton Park as well as in the southwestern and eastern portions of the study area.”
SCHOOL LEADERS BLAME FEAGINS
Memphis-Shelby County Schools (MSCS) leaders attributed a number of key issues raised by the state’s recent forensic audit to previous superintendents, including the controversially ousted Marie Feagins.
A new website launched last week says MSCS has made signi cant progress in the past year to correct missteps made during the tenures of four superintendents in the past ve years.
e district referenced Feagins as contributing to the loss of institutional knowledge and weaknesses in internal audit systems, two key ndings from the state forensic report, and failing to report educator misconduct to the state board of education in a timely manner.
“ e district underwent a massive layo during the prior superintendent’s tenure — more than 1,000 positions were eliminated,” the MSCS website says.
“We have aggressively worked to rebuild the internal structure and historical knowledge, including the redevelopment of structures and processes proven e ective.”
Republican lawmakers are using results from the early audit to push forward more aggressive plans for a state takeover of Memphis schools.
Chalkbeat Tennessee contributed to this report.
Visit the News Blog at memphis yer.com for fuller versions of these stories and more local news.
By Toby Sells
Loose Buggies, Big Government
State GOP claims domain over abandoned shopping carts.
Abandoned shopping carts (and what to do about them) “are the domain of the Tennessee General Assembly.”
at’s the opinion of state Sen. Ed Jackson (R-Jackson), chairman of the legislature’s powerful Government Operations Committee. at’s also the engine driving his bill that would stop local governments from making any rules about the carts.
Tennessee Republicans do not want Tennessee cities to impose any nes (or anything else) on any business if its grocery carts are stolen and le on the streets.
For the bill’s House sponsor, Rep. Jake McCalmon (R-Franklin), stolen carts are “not the retailer’s fault that the cart was, indeed, taken o their property” and, thus, he does not want locals taking “punitive action against them.” at’s how he described the bill before a House committee, which moved the bill forward amid constant laughter.
“ e carts are the property of the retailer. Members of the public sometimes appropriate shopping carts — private property owned by retailers — for their own purposes, taking them o the store property, sometimes abandoning them away from the store.
“Some municipalities around the country have passed ordinances or adopted rules that ne retailers when their shopping carts are found abandoned on public property.
“Likewise, some municipalities around the country have adopted ordinances or rules placing restrictions or requirements on the use of shopping carts, requiring geo-fencing and wheel locks.
“No Tennessee municipality so far has adopted such ordinances or rules, but several in neighboring states have. is bill strictly establishes regulation of shopping carts as the domain of the Tennessee General Assembly.
No Tennessee municipality has any law like this on the books. Republicans, it seems, just want to squash any notion they may have if they are even thinking about it.
City leaders in Hendersonville (near Nashville) discussed the idea last year. at discussion was aimed at discouraging the activities of homeless people. But the idea was ultimately tabled more than a year ago.
However, cities across the country are starting to impose nes on businesses for their errant carts. Hawaii lawmakers are trying to establish a state law on the issue. Republican legislators in Arizona are ghting a similar measure.
Here’s how Jackson defended his bill before a Senate committee:
“Shopping carts are a convenience that grocery stores and other retailers provide customers.
“In doing so, it prohibits local governments from adopting laws, ordinances, or rules that assess nes or fees on shopping carts found on public property or that impose regulations on the use of the shopping carts.” Abandoned shopping carts have become an increasing problem for cities, enough to merit a long USA Today feature on the topic in February. at story described hundreds of carts found in places such as parks, waterways, roads, and elsewhere.
Fort Worth, Texas, responded to the subject of abandoned shopping carts in 2023, well before the issue emerged nationally. e purpose, the city said then, was “to help create a clean, safe community and to support our businesses that provide shopping carts to their customers.” at rule allows businesses to retrieve their missing carts within 24 hours. en, the city steps in to help them nd the carts and retrieve them. If they don’t and the city rounds them up, businesses can get their carts back for $50 a pop.
Clovis, California, leaders established nes of $100 per cart for every 24 hours they were abandoned. A proposed law in Hawaii would ne $500 per cart.
In Phoenix, businesses have to register their carts and t them with GPS and locking wheels. Republican lawmakers in Arizona are pushing legislation — just as in Tennessee — to override the local ordinance.
SATURDAYS IN APRIL
PHOTO: TOBY SELLS
Some cities are ning stores that don’t collect errant carts like these. { STATE WATCH
AT LARGE By Bruce VanWyngarden
Data’s All, Folks!
One battle a er another.
There is an important issue that’s getting overlooked, possibly because we’re all overwhelmed by the torrent of lunacy coming out of Washington, D.C. But it’s a real problem that’s happening all over the country: Massive AI data centers are being approved and built at a prodigious rate, and they are overloading power grids, consuming massive amounts of water, and polluting the air we breathe.
In Nevada, for example, the state’s largest utility says it will need to generate three times the electricity it uses to power Las Vegas just to handle the state’s new data centers. e utility added that it would be forced to increase its use of fossil fuels, including coal. Nevada is one of the fastest-growing data center markets in the U.S. thanks to its cheap land and tax breaks for the centers.
average citizens in modest neighborhoods dealing with poisonous air and unrelenting noise and massive, soulless buildings. On the other side, you have the world’s richest man, aligned with city leaders who for the most part seem to have put “economic growth” over the well-being of many who live here.
e kicker, of course, was the report in the Daily Memphian last week that xAI had put the wastewater plant that Musk had promised to build in order to get permission to move xAI here, “on pause.” Meaning, his Colossus data centers would continue to use billions of gallons of pure Memphis aquifer drinking water to cool its infernal machines, instead of the recycled “gray water” that would come from an xAI-built facility.
In North Carolina, another state that has passed economic incentives to lure data centers, lawmakers are debating how to balance clean energy goals with the possible economic bene ts of AI facilities. And in Arizona, legislators have already abandoned the state’s cleanemission goals because utilities are unable to meet data center power demands under current standards.
ose are just three examples, but as they say, “all news is local.”
Residents of this corner of the Mid-South regularly read and hear about how Elon Musk’s sprawling xAI computer farms are eating up acreage on both sides of the Mississippi-Tennessee state line. Musk claims his Colossus 1 is the world’s largest computer — but it’s apparently not big enough. Colossus 2 is under construction and a proposed Colossus 3 is in the works, both in North Mississippi.
Residents there are ghting to stop xAI from using (and adding more) methanepowered turbines to keep the data centers running. e turbines create noise and air pollution around the clock, 24-7.
ose living near the facilities complain of breathing problems, inability to sleep, and loss of property values. Lawsuits have been led. Over in South Memphis, residents are battling the same issues.
As Musk’s data centers encroach on the landscape and foul the atmosphere, battle lines have been drawn. On one side are
ankfully, there was a urry of protestation from various local o cials and environmentalists and Musk issued a statement that the company was “still committed” to the wastewater facility, but he did not “commit” to a date for resumption of construction of the plant, or for its completion. Which is a big problem.
Musk has broken promises to local and state governments everywhere he’s set up business. He’s on record as opposing environmental regulations, and his companies routinely ignore them: Musk’s Tesla polluted in Florida; the Boring Company polluted in Las Vegas; SpaceX polluted on the Texas coast; and here in Memphis, xAI’s turbines are outing EPA air standards as you read this. Memphis leaders need to nail down a completion date for that water plant, and put rm (and enforceable) penalties in place for non-compliance.
But what’s most concerning to me is that no one can de ne what the end goal is in this mad race for AI supremacy. Will AI just continue to incrementally improve on what it is — a semi-reliable research tool that can’t accurately reproduce an image of a hand? Or will it become a master-genius-brainiac intelligence machine that will cure disease and end war and eliminate poverty?
Or is it all just a Ponzi scheme being played with public money and public utilities that enables billionaire oligarchs to make more billions while the rest of us battle it out for breathable air and clean water?
PHOTO: GAGE SKIDMORE, CREATIVE COMMONS, VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS Elon Musk
COMMUNITY
By
Poppin’
Gracie Driver
Ollies at Society Memphis
At the combination skatepark/co ee shop, all kinds of creativity can thrive.
ociety Memphis began in the spirit of generosity. It started in 2018 when key supporters of the Georgia skateboarding community hauled their ramps up to Memphis. e Hazard County Skatepark near Atlanta had just closed, and skaters there wanted to put its equipment to good use in the Blu City. Society Memphis went on to cultivate a skating community here for ve years, withstanding the seasons in their unique indoor facility just o Broad Avenue. At the end of 2023, even as the original owner stepped down and Society Memphis closed, the new owners, Will and Christina Murray, had fallen in love with the business and wanted to bring it back to life. Now, with the help of manager Daniel Wallace and sta , Society has reopened in the same space, with an additional focus on supporting local artists. As Wallace says, “You don’t actually see many indoor skate parks” — and one focused on diverse forms of creativity is even more rare.
e shop is made up of four main parts: the skate park, the lobby, an educational space upstairs, and a garage. e park, open to the public until 10 p.m. most days, o ers skating (and yoga and knitting) lessons. It also hosted a competition in March that has the owners already planning for another in the fall, hoping it will give the skating community a boost during the colder months. In warmer times, they host a skate summer camp.
e lobby has a shop loaded with all the gear you’ll need for skateboarding, as well as a lounge area to study, chat with friends, and enjoy the brews provided by Society’s own co ee shop. Christina specializes in the baked goods, and their co ee is sourced from Dr. Beans. e baristas here can do more than pour a good latte, though.
Upstairs, you’ll nd barista Isaiah Williams working on his shirt printing. He stocks racks of original hoodies, T-shirts, and more with his own handmade designs. He also teaches classes monthly. “I love drawing, and I always wondered how I should transfer my art into things that I can share with others,” Williams says. “Shirts became that.” His dream is to save up and grow his skills toward becoming a published comic book author. For Williams and others, having so much space in which to create is a boon. When artists graduate from high school, they don’t always have the clearest path forward. Society recognizes this weak link in the community and aims to be a hub for all young creatives. And they are always open to more classes if passionate people are willing to teach.
PHOTOS (BELOW AND INSET): JOSHUA SAPIEN | SAPIENPHOTOS.COM
People of all backgrounds have fun dancing, skating, and presenting their art.
e garage area is located on the side of the co ee shop, behind the skate park. ere they host jookin nights where people practice that O.G. ’80s Memphis dance genre — with a positive spin that bene ts the youth of the community. If you’re intrigued by the street dance style, they also provide classes. e park has been used for music and dance videos, and is repurposed into a farmers market every Sunday, with ve to 10 vendors sell-
Society Memphis, a space to express your creative side and skate.
ing produce, baked goods, art, and more.
Parent Samira Alniswan emphasizes the diverse community of skaters at Society Memphis. “It doesn’t matter the type of job you have, and it doesn’t matter how old you are. Just come, and we’ll cheer you on.” Anyone is welcome to try something new. Alniswan recommends that younger kids go in the morning to get acclimated; the more experienced crowd tends to arrive in the a ernoon and evening.
Skate team producer Jake Morrow started as a regular skater here, then worked as a morning barista, and is now
involved with all things Society Memphis. e team of eight skaters, ranging from 12- to 25-years-old, is involved in tournaments and also produces videos to improve their skills and promote the park brand.
If you’re looking to get involved with a new community, stay active, and learn new skills, this might just be the place for you.
Society Memphis Skatepark and Co ee, 583 Scott St., Sundays, 1-9 p.m., MondaysSaturdays, 8 a.m.-10 p.m. For more info, visit societymemphis.com.
PHOTOS (ABOVE AND LEFT): JULIUS PRATCHER PHOTOGRAPHY | COURTESY SOCIETY MEMPHIS Skaters, dancers, and creatives alike come together at
2026 party line up
Kailynn Johnson
A People’s History of the Fight Against xAI
A decision made with no community input leads to mounting environmental concerns — and what grassroots groups are doing about it.
Aclear tension has hung over Memphis since xAI announced the city would be home to its Grok AI.
Proponents of the data center may write this as a win for corporations and big tech, but advocates and organizers tell a di erent story.
Neither xAI nor the Greater Memphis Chamber, the organization that invited them here, responded to our questions about any of this. (See endnote.) So, we present this, a short history of how the decision has a ected the people of Memphis over the last two years.
In the summer of 2024, the Greater Memphis Chamber announced the “largest capital investment by a new-to-market company” in the city’s history — we would soon be home to xAI’s Colossus 1 Data Center, located at the former Electrolux facility in South Memphis.
As the public became aware that Elon Musk’s arti cial intelligence company had set its eyes on Memphis, local leaders and o cials praised the project, claiming it would not only change the trajectory of how data centers operate, but also make Memphis an epicenter for technological development.
e chamber said xAI would bring “500 quality, high-paying jobs to Memphis in its initial phase” while also attracting other AI and technology companies.
While this marked a positive shi for top decision-makers, a di erent reality surfaced for advocacy groups and community members. e decision was immediately condemned by environmental groups for its potential negative environmental impact and the lack of transparency regarding the facility.
Groups such as Memphis Community Against Pollution (MCAP), Protect Our Aquifer (POA), and Young, Gi ed & Green (YGG) urged city leaders to have open dialogue with the community. eir voices were consistently ignored. ese requests became louder as many took to
social media and national news outlets to amplify their dissent and advocate on behalf of Memphis residents.
e ght further shed light on systemic inequities that have plagued the city for decades, and ignited a charge to take a stand against environmental racism. As town halls and protests multiplied, residents made it known they would not be casualties in the story of tech expansion.
While local leaders and executives may seek to control the narrative, community members are writing their own stories of collective action and sheer doggedness.
THE ANNOUNCEMENT
MCAP was integral in the ght against the Byhalia Pipeline, an initiative that would have placed a “high-pressure crude oil pipeline” through Memphis’ water supply. KeShaun Pearson, executive director of MCAP, attributes this success to persistent people power and a devout opposition to environmental racism.
“ e Byhalia Connection Pipeline folks said, ‘We chose y’all because y’all are the path of least resistance,’” Pearson said. “For someone to label your community the least anything is ridiculous. To think we wouldn’t oppose environmental racism
and injustice is ridiculous.”
Pearson and MCAP’s advocacy didn’t stop at the ght against the pipeline.
is meant having conversations with local elected leaders and o cials about mitigating the e ects of climate change on overburdened communities, and implementing environmental justice plans.
It was during one of these conversations that Pearson learned about a thenpending announcement of the xAI facility. At the close of their meeting the o cial told him Musk had plans to bring a data center to Memphis — South Memphis, speci cally.
is set o alarm bells for Pearson — who was too close to the recent ght against the Byhalia Pipeline to not think what was coming would have a negative impact on the area.
Pearson said these decisions re ect the way companies feel about neighborhoods like South Memphis — they don’t matter as much as those in places like Collierville or Lakeland.
“For me and my community, it’s always being in ght mode,” Pearson said. “You’re always having to protect yourself against the invader. You’re always a target for environmentally racist projects. Always having
to respond to being a target is tiring.”
When he was noti ed of Musk’s plan, Pearson launched into action, contacting coalition partners Young, Gi ed & Green and Protect Our Aquifer to immediately release a statement of opposition.
“We can’t just let them do some big announcement and make it seem as though this is some big, pro table, beautiful thing that’s going to bene t everyone, because it’s not,” Pearson said.
LaTricea Adams, CEO and founder of Young, Gi ed & Green, said they were blindsided by the announcement, and it exempli ed the “robbery of democracy.”
“I recall city council members [and] county commissioners being very upset that they weren’t even briefed in the slightest about this big announcement,” Adams said. “It creates this really slippery slope around who truly runs this city. Is it Ted Townsend with the Chamber of Commerce? Or is it the constituents and the power of the vote?”
NATIONAL AWARENESS
Residents and advocates fervently objected to the decision, which prompted attention from national groups.
Abre’ Conner, director of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People’s (NAACP) Center for Environmental and Climate Justice, said they received notice of the project through their local branch partners and community members. Conner said local NAACP chapters and environmental groups helped magnify the issue on a national level.
e NAACP, which has historically intervened against industrial polluters, sought to ask questions on behalf of the community who felt their voices weren’t being heard.
“I realized there were a number of issues,” Conner said. “Transparency being one, but they were also operating these methane gas turbines with no permit,
PHOTO (TOP): DAVID MASON Free901 march PHOTOS (ABOVE): SARA JUSTIS Anti-xAI protest and march
which is required under the federal Clean Air Act.”
e turbines proved to be a long source of controversy for the facility. is prompted the NAACP to make an accountability framework for data centers, and ultimately led to the agency aiming to le a lawsuit against xAI.
Patrick Anderson, senior attorney with the Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC), said Memphis was always a priority in the SELC’s e orts to monitor ongoing air quality problems in the South.
Anderson was tasked with looking at new and existing sources of air pollution in the city and ways to reduce emissions. About six months into that work, he found out about xAI, which took him and others by surprise.
“When we heard xAI was going to build the world’s largest supercomputer in Memphis, I think the rst question we had was ‘how are they going to power it?’” Anderson said.
He knew data centers required a large amount of energy, which local municipalities didn’t have the bandwidth to provide.
e SELC became concerned with the prospect of xAI using on-site power generation. e law center was noti ed by community members that the facility was using gas turbines as power sources.
Moreover, the facility was operating those turbines without a permit, and Anderson noted this as one of the main organizing points for the community. e attorney said the Shelby County Health Department (SCHD) got back to them, saying, “ ey had nothing in writing regarding the gas turbines.”
“At that point we knew they had 14 or 18 of them out there running,” Anderson said. “ at’s when we knew there was a problem, because there should’ve been something in writing — there should’ve been a permit, and there wasn’t.”
A er this discovery, the SELC sent a letter to the SCHD to investigate the turbine operations. Anderson said the health department asked the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to weigh in. is was the beginning of a back-andforth between SELC and the health department. During their communication, xAI applied for an air permit, which meant a public hearing would be conducted by the SCHD as to whether or not xAI would be granted an air permit for their gas turbines.
During the permit consideration process, SELC was able to obtain aerial
TIMELINE
June 2024: Greater Memphis Chamber announces Elon Musk’s plans to build the world’s largest supercomputer in Memphis
PHOTOS: DAVID MASON (above) xAI Funeral; xAI Crosstown
images of the xAI data center that revealed 35 methane gas turbines in use. e law center said this was “far more than previously known and more than the company submitted applications for.”
“xAI’s decision to install and operate dozens of polluting gas turbines without any permits or public oversight is a clear violation of the Clean Air Act,” Anderson said at the time.
e health department initially said xAI’s temporary turbines didn’t need a permit.
While community organizations were able to garner support from national groups to push against xAI, Pearson said this didn’t re ect the foundational tenets of MCAP and others. His group, for example, was founded as a way to educate the public and advocate — not to go up against corporate giants.
“To police industries is not the goal of our organization,” Pearson said. “ e role
November 2024: Tennessee Valley Authority approves power for xAI project
March 2025: xAI buys one-millionsquare-foot facility in Whitehaven
April 2025: Shelby County Health Department announces and holds public hearing for xAI air permits
May 2025: Chamber announces temporary xAI turbines to be removed
notifying the company of their intent to sue over the data center’s permitless gas turbines. e letter was sent on behalf of the NAACP.
is was shortly a er the NAACP sent a letter to SCHD and Memphis Light, Gas and Water (MLGW) requesting they cease operations on the facility. SELC also sent a letter to the health department stating they had obtained aerial images that showed xAI had 35 gas turbines.
THE LAWSUIT
SELC o cials sent a 60-day notice of intent to sue to xAI, stating the gas turbines violated federal guidelines, and the project is required to “obtain appropriate air permits before operating its polluting gas turbines.”
xAI’s air permit was granted by the health department in July 2025 to run 15 gas turbines at its data center in South Memphis. Prior to the approval of the air permit, SCHD responded to the SELC’s concerns, claiming the temporary turbines were not pertinent to xAI’s application process for the 15 permanent turbines. Anderson said during the 60-day notice period, xAI removed all of the unpermitted turbines.
of government is to police the industry and make sure that industry isn’t harmful to communities and the elected o cial’s constituents.”
Pearson and other advocates haven’t seen that, though. Instead, he said he saw a continued pattern of o cials and institutions aligning themselves with “corporatism,” to the community’s detriment.
Conner said the decision to greenlight a project without the public’s consideration and proper education goes against the core responsibilities of elected o cials. “At the end of the day, [when making] the decision for xAI to operate and to come into a community, there has to be some communication with elected o cials, government agencies, [and] individuals who will basically grant them permission to do so.”
Advocates and organizers felt the weight of the community’s burdens and took it upon themselves to take action. In June 2025, the SELC sent a letter to xAI
June 2025: NAACP urges local o cials to stop xAI operations “completely”
June 2025: SELC threatens lawsuit against xAI data center
An appeal was formally led to challenge xAI’s air permit with the Memphis and Shelby County Air Pollution Control Board on behalf of the NAACP and Young, Gi ed & Green. SELC’s appeal claims SCHD’s decision violates the Clean Air Act and ignores “hundreds of comments opposing the dra permit.”
e appeal speci cally asked the Memphis and Shelby County Air Pollution Control Board to exclude large gas turbines from the nonroad engine emissions standards exemption. e Shelby County Air Pollution Control Board heard arguments on the case in December.
While the board heard public comment from those who opposed xAI’s operations, residents of Boxtown spoke about the harm of having the facility near a historically disenfranchised and burdened community. is was juxtaposed with comments praising the “positive community impact” of xAI’s investment in the city and local workforce development.
In re ecting on the six-hour hearing, Pearson called the board’s dismissal of the appeal “frustrating.” He saw it as a way for xAI to get away with “poisoning” residents
continued on page 12
July 2025: Health Department grants air permit for xAI turbines
July 2025: Appeal led to challenge xAI air permit
December 2025: xAI permit appeal dismissed
April 2026: xAI halts wastewater recycling project
and “breaking the law,” and blamed the board for perpetuating an idea that corporations are above the law.
Because some turbines were removed, Anderson said the board ruled it a “moot issue.” The board said if the turbines returned, the SELC could come back for an answer.
“We think they should have said, ‘If this is wrong we can say so now,’ but they basically kicked the can down the road,” Anderson said. “One thing they’re right about is, if turbines come back to Shelby County like that, unpermitted, they’re not wrong that they’ll be hearing from us again.”
WHAT’S NEXT?
Months later, Adams still considers the board’s dismissal “egregious,” saying the board’s decision set a troubling precedent for how xAI and other companies proceed in the future.
“[The decision] gives a playbook for other industries to do the same thing,” Adams said. “At what point is our leadership going to prioritize people over profit?”
Tigers Against Pollution (TAP), a grassroots student-led group that has organized anti-xAI protests, said the city’s actions have shown they are unable to hold xAI accountable. The group has consistently called out city leadership for seeing the company’s expansion as “investment, not infiltration.”
“For me and my community, it’s always being in fight mode, You’re always having to protect yourself against the invader.”
“What xAI produces, stands for, and represents on a national level is dangerous for humanity, and our Memphis neighbors are simply just one slice of the larger pie,” TAP said. “A pie that doesn’t just ignore ethical environmental standards, but fuels a hate-filled, disinformational, pornproducing, eye-candy machine. We hope our elected leaders see the danger in this company existing here.”
When the Memphis City Council passed an ordinance that would allow for property tax revenues from AI facilities in Memphis to be used as public funds for projects and financial aid for communities within a five-mile radius of the facility, it was an attempt to ensure that Memphis residents — specifically those in South Memphis — saw benefits from the facility.
The Advisory Board Related to Public Use Funds from AI Properties held their first meeting in March. Pearson, who was elected chairman of the board, said such incentives should be non-negotiable, especially at the price of clean air and water.
He recognized that the financial gain will help put programs in place for residents in the vicinity, but stressed that “money doesn’t matter more than people.”
“This board, this money, isn’t a substitute for the lives of our people — for the harm that has been done and is being done,” Pearson said. “We cannot let dollar signs or ‘economic growth’ dominate our quality of life. We don’t want money in exchange for our lives.”
The fight against xAI has taken a toll on the community, and other cities are watching Memphis as data centers continue to pop up in communities around the country. But Pearson said fighting the fight as a collective “makes change happen.”
This collective mindset has extended across state lines as MCAP and other organizations advocate for Mississippi residents, with xAI’s Southaven facility prompting noise pollution complaints and environmental concerns in recent months.
Organizers stood in firm opposition against the expansion, asking governing bodies to deny the facility an air permit — which was eventually granted anyway by the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) in March.
Though the battle is far from over, Pearson is confident that the community will prevail. “We’ve taken down the Byhalia Pipeline, Sterilization Services of Tennessee,” he said. “Taking down billion-dollar corporations who live in an extracted ecosystem that feeds off our community — killing us — we’ve seen how we can win. We will win this. I can’t tell you when, but we will.”
Editor’s note: The Greater Memphis Chamber responded to the Flyer’s interview request with the following:
“Thank you for reaching out to the Greater Memphis Chamber regarding your story on the xAI project.
For questions specifically about xAI’s operations and the project itself, I’d like to direct you to their media contact for the most accurate and comprehensive information:
Additionally, you may find helpful background information in our press releases related to the project, which are available at: https://memphischamber.com/releases/
We appreciate your commitment to providing fair and balanced coverage of this important development for our region.”
xAI did not respond to the Flyer’s interview request.
As we neared press deadline, it was announced that xAI’s wastewater recycling plant project had been put on hold indefinitely, adding to concerns.
While Colossus Water Recycling engineer Mark Carroll told the Daily Memphian in an April 8th interview that a timeline for the project was “just unknown,” xAIMemphis posted the following on X the morning of April 9th:
“xAI is committed to building a state-ofthe-art water recycling plant in Memphis. This plant will protect billions of gallons of water each year.
The team is currently prioritizing other more immediate projects at the site but our plans to build the water plant have not changed.”
steppin’ out
We Recommend: Culture, News + Reviews
Where Books, Music, and Community Collide
By Kimberly Ham
Memphis has never lacked for creative collisions, but “Books on Tap” at Lamplighter Lounge o ers a particularly charming one. On April 21st, the Midtown staple hosts St. Rita’s Traveling Bookstore and Textual Apothecary, a oneof-a-kind mobile bookshop bringing stories — and story lovers — together in an unexpected setting.
For Lamplighter co-owner Laurel Cannito, the spark was immediate. When bookstore owner Rita Collins reached out about parking her literary caravan outside the bar, Cannito saw more than a pop-up — she saw a kindred spirit. Inspired by John Steinbeck’s Travels with Charley, Cannito connected with Collins’ wanderlust and her mission to carry the written word across the country. “It feels magical,” Cannito says, likening the bookstore to a traveling carnival — unusual, a little romantic, and deeply rooted in human connection. at sense of connection shapes the evening. Collins’ collection spans genres and price points — biographies, poetry, cookbooks, children’s titles, and books in multiple languages — inviting curious browsers and serious readers alike. But “Books on Tap” goes beyond browsing.
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Enter the ZINE GIRLS, a Memphis-based book club and zine collective that will be releasing a new issue and o ering readings from their latest work. eir presence, Cannito notes, challenges the stereotype of the “stu y” book club. “ ey’re just friends who love getting together to create,” she says — exactly the kind of energy she hopes will inspire others to start their own literary circles.
Music comes courtesy of Sweet Darlin’, a local favorite known for lyric-driven rock and a history of book-centered performances. It’s a natural t, especially with band members who share a love of libraries and language.
Inside, the Lamplighter will match the vibe with food and drink specials, plus non-alcoholic options like house-brewed teas and cold brew. e event also doubles as a so launch for the venue’s forthcoming “Lampy Library,” a cozy, in-house book nook Cannito and co-owner Chuck Wenzler have been building from their personal collections.
Ultimately, “Books on Tap” is about blending worlds — daytime and nightlife, music and literature, strangers and soon-to-be friends. Or, as Cannito puts it, creating a space where books aren’t a novelty, but part of everyday life.
BOOKS ON TAP, LAMPLIGHTER LOUNGE, 1702 MADISON AVE., TUESDAY, APRIL 21, 6-9 P.M.
VARIOUS DAYS & TIMES April 16th - 22nd
e Gayer Disney Show Dru’s Bar, Saturday, April 18, 9:30 p.m.
is show brings a high-energy drag twist to your favorite Disney songs, characters, and moments — served with glitter, sass, and plenty of queer magic. Featuring performances by Camelot Valentino, Wednesday Moss, Aubrey “Boom Boom” Ombre, Juicey Massacre, and James Alias. Costumes encouraged.
Party for the Planet Memphis Zoo, Saturday, April 18, 10 a.m-2 p.m.
is family-friendly event highlights Earth Day, World Ocean’s Day, and Endangered Species Day with activities focused on protecting wildlife and natural resources. Enjoy an endangered species scavenger hunt, prize giveaways, local vendors, and more while learning how to
help preserve our oceans and the animals that call them home. Free with Zoo admission. All ages.
Ahsley B. Collins: ,but God Novel, ursday, April 16, 6 p.m.
Author Ashley B. Collins celebrates the release of her new devotional, ,but God: Stories of Hope and Grace from an Alabama Jail. Drawing from years of jail ministry, Collins shares powerful stories of transformation that highlight “but-God moments” — grace- lled turning points when faith replaces fear, hope overcomes despair, and brokenness gives way to redemption. Rooted in Scripture, each entry offers re ection, prayer, and space for personal response, inviting readers to encounter God’s faithfulness and discover their own story of grace.
33rd Annual Rajun Cajun Crawsh Festival
Downtown Memphis on Riverside Drive, Sunday, April 19, 11 a.m.-7 p.m.
A longtime Mid-South favorite, the festival serves up thousands of pounds of fresh Louisiana craw sh alongside o erings from more than 25 food trucks, plus live music from Dikki Du and the Zydeco Krewe and FreeWorld. Crowd-pleasing contests — including craw sh eating, racing, and bobbing — add to the day’s lively atmosphere, while the kids area in River Garden Park keeps younger attendees entertained. Admission is free, and proceeds bene t Porter-Leath programs supporting local children and families.
Whether you can help in the form of a few dollars a month or a larger one-time contribution, you’ll be making a di erence. ink of this as an investment in our shared future.
If you are not in a position to give nancially, there are other ways you can support the Flyer — such as by patronizing and supporting our advertisers, by reading and sharing our work, and by passing along this message to others.
Above all, thank you for being part of our community. We’re in this together.
PHOTO: COURTESY MAGGIE TRISSLER
Hannah Cole from ZINE GIRLS and Laurel Cannito from Lamplighter Lounge share a love for books.
PHIL COLLINS EXPERIENCE
MUSIC By Alex Greene
Alabama Shakes Return!
e storied band will preside over Grind City Amp’s rst show.
APRIL 18 – 2:00PM / 7:30 PM
AFrontman Terry Adams, Jr. captures the look, sound, & stage presence of the one & only Phil Collins! You’ll experience the magnetic music from Phil Collins’s solo career - & as Genesis’ frontman. Enjoy hits like: IN THE AIR TONIGHT – AGAINST ALL ODDS – SUSSUDIO – YOU’LL BE IN MY HEART –ANOTHER DAY IN PARADISE. Like Phil Collins, Terry Adams, Jr. is a native of England, a skilled drummer & remarkable vocalist. Backed by a 12-piece band, this is one concert you won’t want to miss!
901.385.5588 — Box O ce Hours — 10a.m. to 2p.m. Michael Bollinger — Artistic Director TICKETS @ BPACC.org
Great Hall 1900 S. Germantown Rd May 19, 2026 11:30 a.m.- 1:00 p.m.
Join us May 19 for a luncheon featuring keynote Bonnie Carroll After the 1992 loss of her husband, Brig Gen Tom Carroll, Bonnie founded TAPS to ensure no military survivor grieves alone Join us to hear how she turned a tragic Army plane crash into a global mission of hope
curious phenomenon arose from Athens, Alabama, 17 odd years ago: Wearing innovation and eclecticism on their sleeves, a band emerged from the little town that would go on to rattle the world. Known rst as “ e Shakes,” they plied the scene around northern Alabama, playing covers by groups as disparate as Led Zeppelin, James Brown, Otis Redding, and AC/ DC, until self-funding their rst recordings in 2011 — and blowing up. Some pegged them as a garage-soul revival act, but there was something more there. AC/DC and Zeppelin were never far away, even on songs that had classic funk in their DNA. And the Alabama Shakes kept surprising fans with a steady diet of stellar tracks — until they didn’t, beginning a “hiatus” in 2018 while singer-guitarist Howard pursued a Grammy-studded solo career.
Despite her successes, Howard and original Alabama Shakes Heath Fogg (guitar) and Zac Cockrell (bass) were missing the old chemistry, and last year saw them touring again for the rst time in seven years. Now, they’ll return to Memphis for something equally momentous: the opening of the long-planned Grind City Amphitheater, aka Grind City Amp, a collaboration between Grind City Brewing and veteran concert promoter Nick Barbian. e Shakes’ April 22nd show there, with opener Mon Rovia, will be but a prelude to the venue’s free, all-ages grand opening on Saturday, April 25th, starring MonoNeon, Eric Gales, Cedric Burnside, and others.
continues to be in uenced by everything we experienced at home and learned growing up. It was very important for us to do our rst [reunion] show back in Alabama.
While the group’s core is Brittany, Zac, and Heath, the larger live band clearly has chemistry for miles. Who are your current go-to players?
We have Ben Tanner and Paul Horton on keys, Noah Bond on drums and Lloyd Buchanan, Shanay Johnson, and Karita Law on backing vocals. Ben has been touring with us since Boys & Girls Everyone else except Noah has been in the band since Sound & Color. is is Noah’s rst album cycle. Ben, Paul, Noah and Lloyd all played on the new album. I really think we have really gelled as a band as of late. I am excited to take the songs from the upcoming album on the road and see where they go.
Bringing Alabama Shakes to Memphis was the perfect move for the 4,500-seat venue. On the twin occasions of Alabama Shakes’ newest incarnation playing Memphis’ newest outdoor stage, Howard took a moment to reply to some questions from the Flyer
Memphis Flyer: How important is a sense of place to Alabama Shakes’ continued collaboration? Has living elsewhere a ected the band’s musical identity?
Brittany Howard: We still have so much of our roots in Alabama even though Zac and I moved to Tennessee. Heath still lives in Alabama and both Zac and I spend a lot of time with family in Athens. We will always be an Alabama band. Our musical foundation was built there and
e band obviously has diverse in uences. What are the band’s three core members listening to now, new or old, that may be a ecting the feel of the upcoming album? I think that is what makes this band so special. e three of us have so many di erent in uences. Right now, I am listening to a lot of ambient instrumental music. But on the new record, you will hear a lot of the in uences and the same risk-taking you have come to hear from the Shakes over the last two records.
What role has Memphis played in the band’s evolution?
We love Memphis. I remember a great show we had in 2016 at Mud Island. We love the food in Memphis. We also love Booker T. Jones. He is a real hero of ours and we got to jam with him in our early days. Talk about the history of music in just one city: Memphis Minnie, Carla omas, Al Green, and so many others. We are excited to be back and play at the new venue in town. We hope we do it justice.
PHOTO: BOBBI RICH Alabama Shakes
AFTER DARK: Live Music Schedule April 16 - 22
Van Duren With Sophie Chertow. Saturday, April 18, 7 p.m. SOUTH MAIN SOUNDS
Alabama Shakes with Mon Rovia
e inaugural concert of the Grind City Amphitheater. Wednesday, April 22, 7 p.m. GRIND CITY AMPHITHEATER
CeCe Winans: More Than This Tour
Featuring a comprehensive look at Winans’ entire career. Friday, April 17, 7 p.m. THE ORPHEUM
Madaline Collins
With Burning Bridges. Sunday, April 19, 5 p.m.
SOUTH MAIN SOUNDS
Music Share: Listen & Learn Series
An artist-led exploration of Memphis’ instruments and musical traditions. Free. Saturday, April 18, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
COSSITT LIBRARY - DOWNTOWN MEMPHIS
Reed Brake
Bluegrass, folk, country, and psychedelic rock. Friday, April 17, 7-10 p.m.
FLYWAY BREWING COMPANY
Sophie Seng Duo
With Hank Nightshade. Friday, April 17, 7 p.m.
SOUTH MAIN SOUNDS
The Charlotte Taylor Band Sunday, April 19, 3 p.m.
HUEY’S DOWNTOWN
John Williams & the A440 Band
ursday, April 16, 8 p.m.
NEIL’S MUSIC ROOM
Pawz for the Cause
Animal rescue bene t with e Delta Project, Superthumb Revival. Sunday, April 19, 2-8 p.m.
NEIL’S MUSIC ROOM
Van Duren
A pioneer of indie pop. ursday, April 16, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
MORTIMER’S
Aberrant
With Delyrium, El Chupazebras. Sunday, April 19, 9 p.m. B-SIDE
Adam Larson Quartet e saxophonist’s quartet features Kortland Whalum.
Friday, April 17, 7:30 p.m.
THE GREEN ROOM AT CROSSTOWN ARTS
Angela Burton Acoustic ursday, April 16, 6 p.m.
LAFAYETTE’S MUSIC ROOM
Ash Leon
With Uncl Aunti, Lord Wayra, and Sunhiro. Sunday, April 19, 8 p.m.
HI TONE
Cancer Can KISS My Ass KISS tribute for the family of omas Halfacre. Monday, April 20, 6 p.m.
LAFAYETTE’S MUSIC ROOM
Candlelight: Coldplay & Imagine Dragons
Beale Street Quartet’s interpretations in a candlelit room. Saturday, April 18, 8:45-10 p.m.
MEMPHIS BROOKS MUSEUM OF ART
Candlelight: Tribute to Fleetwood Mac
With the Listeso String Quartet. $37.86. Saturday, April 18, 6:30-7:45 p.m.
MEMPHIS BROOKS MUSEUM OF ART
Cody Clark
Friday, April 17, 9:30 p.m.
LAFAYETTE’S MUSIC ROOM
Cosmic Charlie
Playing high energy Grateful Dead. Saturday, April 18, 9 p.m.
MINGLEWOOD HALL
Deborah Swiney Duo Jazz and bossa nova. ursday, April 16, 6-9 p.m.
THE COVE
DJ Funn Sunday, April 19, 6 p.m.
CELTIC CROSSING
Greensky Afterparty With Found Harmonium. Saturday, April 18, 10:30 p.m. B-SIDE
Howard Jones ursday, April 16, 8 p.m.
MINGLEWOOD HALL
Jazz Jam Session
Hosted by U of M Combo 1. Tuesday, April 21, 7:30 p.m. THE GREEN ROOM AT CROSSTOWN ARTS
Jocelyn Gould
Her joyful jazz guitar and singing are infectious. Wednesday, April 22, 7:30 p.m.
THE GREEN ROOM AT CROSSTOWN ARTS
Landslide - Fleetwood Mac Tribute Saturday, April 18, 9 p.m.
LAFAYETTE’S MUSIC ROOM
OmenBringer
With Go Hang. 21+. $10. Saturday, April 18, 7 p.m.
LAMPLIGHTER LOUNGE
Reba Russell Trio Sunday, April 19, 3 p.m.
HUEY’S MIDTOWN
Rice Drewry Collective Friday, April 17, 6 p.m.
LAFAYETTE’S MUSIC ROOM
Ruined God With Sibyl and Liminus. Sunday, April 19, 7 p.m.
GROWLERS
Shell Daze Music
Festival
With Old Crow Medicine Show, Molly Tuttle, e Last Revel, Friday, April 17, 4-10 p.m. With Greensky Bluegrass, Sam Grisman, Bailey Bigger, Saturday, April 18, 4-10 p.m..
LEVITT SHELL
SSX
With undergun. ursday, April 16, 8 p.m.
GROWLERS
The Chronicles of Shlump Tour
Michael Petzel aka Shlump embodies the energy of metal and punk. Saturday, April 18, 8 p.m.
GROWLERS
The Crane Wives - Act I
With Lilith Max. Friday, April 17, 8 p.m.
MINGLEWOOD HALL
2 Quarts Low Sunday, April 19, 6 p.m.
HUEY’S SOUTHAVEN
Cowboy Mouth Alternative and roots rock, with jam-band vibes. Saturday, April 18, 7 p.m.
HERNANDO’S HIDE-A-WAY
Jontavious Willis
Tuesday, April 21, 8 p.m.
HERNANDO’S HIDE-A-WAY
KC Jones
Friday, April 17, 8 p.m.
HERNANDO’S HIDE-A-WAY
Reed Turchi e musician, poet, and producer brings a rare depth to the stage. ursday, April 16, 8 p.m.
HERNANDO’S HIDE-A-WAY
Riley Green: Cowboy As It Gets Tour With Justin Moore, Drake White, and Mackenzie Carpenter. ursday, April 16, 7 p.m. LANDERS CENTER
Travis Tritt is Southern rock-in uenced artist endures. ursday, April 16, 7:30-10 p.m.
GRACELAND SOUNDSTAGE
The Phil Collins Experience
With frontman Terry Adams Jr. Saturday, April 18, 2 p.m. BARTLETT PERFORMING ARTS AND CONFERENCE CENTER
PHOTO: COURTESY SOUTH MAIN SOUNDS Van Duren
CALENDAR of EVENTS: April
16 - 22
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.
ART AND SPECIAL EXHIBITS
“Where the Veil is Thin”
With art by John Roberts. rough May 30. DAVID LUSK GALLERY
ART HAPPENINGS
Meet the Artist
An evening with Dorothy Gunther Pugh. Tuesday, April 21, 5:30-7 p.m.
THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS
Silver Roadshow
Step into the world of antique silver with this roadshow. $30. ursday, April 16, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
THE MEMPHIS BROOKS MUSEUM OF ART
BOOK EVENTS
Ashley B. Collins: ,but God
But-God moments are grace- lled turning points when God steps into our circumstances and changes everything. ursday, April 16, 6 p.m.
NOVEL
CLASS / WORKSHOP
Flower Happy Hour
Learn new design techniques and special tricks from local experts as participants build an arrangement to take home. 21+. ursday, April 16, 6 p.m.
MEMPHIS BOTANIC GARDEN
PHOTO: COURTESY CROSSTOWN ARTS
What It Means to be Free by Wiley Henry on view in the “Spring Exhibition” hosted by Crosstown Arts.
COMEDY
Good Vibes Comedy Festival
The New York Times Syndication Sales Corporation 620 Eighth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10018 For Information Call: 1-800-972-3550 For Release Tuesday, July 23, 2019
Get ready to laugh for three days straight, with Jordan Rock, Malik B, Steven Briggs, Dante
Crossword
30 Mates for does
Birthstone for some Scorpios
Typesetter’s choice 39 Attach, as a button
Languish
English class assignment
Old Italian capital
Autobiography of a “Star Trek” doctor? 19 Mental flash
Afternoon affair
Rib 22 Audre Lorde or Lord Byron
23 Kill off a major “Back to the Future” character? 27 Neighbor of Borneo
Zero 29 Pal for Pierre
Part of a baker’s dozen
It might sit on a sill to cool
Brand of cooking spray
Lament about one’s sorry appearance
Film star Danny hurriedly leaving the set? 56 Mayberry sot
Bemoan
Medit. country 59 Something to watch on the telly, with “the”
Edited by Will Shortz No. 0618
60 Help film star Steve recover from an action sequence?
65 Marine menace
66 Man in a cast
67 After-Christmas event
68 Bleacher feature 69 Impetuous 70 Give off
1 Justin Trudeau’s party: Abbr.
2 End of a sweet drink?
3 Niacin and riboflavin 4 Five Nations tribe
5 Lunch meat 6 Org. associated with the Westminster show
7 “___ and the Flash” (2015 Meryl Streep movie)
8 Stone-faced
9 New York’s ___ Planetarium
10 Bygone street sound
11 No longer plagued by
Spinning 13 Like some fertilizer
18 Singer Brooks
Jumbo combatants
24 Some “traditional” investments, for short
Got along
Chang. Details at www.hitonecafe.com. ursday, April 16-April 18. HI TONE
COMMUNITY
Books on Tap
A traveling bookstore visits with music by Sweet Darlin’ and readings by ZINE GIRLS. Tuesday, April 21, 6 p.m.
LAMPLIGHTER LOUNGE
Mineral Fossil & Jewelry Show
Discover dazzling exhibits, shop unique treasures, dive into educational talks, and enjoy exciting games for all ages. $6/adults, $2/kids - 12 & under. 9-6 Sat & 10-5 Sun
AGRICENTER INTERNATIONAL
FAMILY
Gabby’s Dollhouse Fairylandia Tour
A program evoking the wonder of the Fairylandia setting featured in the hit Dreamworks series. Saturday, April 18-April 19.
MEMPHIS BOTANIC GARDEN
FESTIVAL
33rd Annual Rajun Cajun Crawfish Festival
Fun for all Mid-South families, including fresh Louisiana craw sh, food trucks, live music, contests, and a kids area. Sunday, April 19, 11 a.m.-7 p.m.
DOWNTOWN MEMPHIS ON RIVERSIDE DRIVE, BETWEEN JEFFERSON AND UNION
Spring Fest
Enjoy a a morning of fun with cra s, treats, and a bounce house for kids ages 2-5 years old. Saturday, April 18, 9-11 a.m.
ST. AGNES ACADEMY-ST. DOMINIC SCHOOL
FILM
Watch What You Eat: The Menu Margot joins Tyler on a trip to a secluded island restaurant, where a renowned chef’s elaborate tasting menu reveals disturbing intentions beneath a awless exterior. ursday, April 16, 6-9 p.m.
PINK PALACE MUSEUM & MANSION
FOOD AND DRINK
Science of Wine
Fundraiser supporting STEAM Education outreach while sampling Memphis’ best wine and food, with a side of science. Friday, April 17, 6-9:30 p.m.
PINK PALACE MUSEUM & MANSION
Trivia with Cerrito Entertainment
Enjoy all the trivia fun with Cerrito Entertainment, along with prizes, drinks, and food. Wednesday, April 22, 7 p.m.
CELTIC CROSSING
PERFORMING ARTS
An Evening with David Sedaris
Experience the sheer hilarity of this bestselling humorist and author as he reads his stories. $64/general admission. Wednesday, April 22, 7:30-9 p.m.
GERMANTOWN PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
THEATER
Julius Caesar
A true classic of political intrigue from the mind of William Shakespeare, with a new twist and an all-female cast. Friday, April 17, 7:30 p.m. | Saturday, April 18, 7:30 p.m. | Sunday, April 19, 2:30 p.m.
GERMANTOWN COMMUNITY THEATRE
SIX
From Tudor Queens to Pop Icons, the SIX wives of Henry VIII take the microphone to remix ve hundred years of historical heartbreak into a euphoric celebration of 21st century girl power. $46.70, $151.60. Tuesday, April 21, 7:30-9 p.m. | Wednesday, April 22, 7:30-9 p.m.
ORPHEUM THEATRE
FOOD By Michael Donahue
Hotel Napoleon’s Archives
Two food veterans reimagine the hotel restaurant/bar.
One of Napoleon Bonaparte’s famous lines is, “An army marches on its stomach.” e same applies to foodies, who also need to be well-fed. Now, two members of the “top brass” in the Memphis food corps have joined forces to make sure everyone is happily marching along at Hotel Napoleon.
Hugh Balthrop, founder of Sweet Magnolia Gelato, and chef David Lorrison, founder of the legendary Rumble Fish restaurant, are now at Archives, the restaurant/bar in the Hotel Napoleon at 179 Madison Avenue. It’s housed in the basement of the circa 1902 building that once housed the old Memphis Press-Scimitar newspaper. Balthrop is chef manager and Lorrison is bar manager.
Archives is open for breakfast and dinner seven days a week. “We do special events here,” Balthrop says. “Like birthday parties and other little functions. We’re just trying to build it up.”
Breakfast items include eggs, breakfast potatoes, sausage (pork and chicken), avocado toast, and “Elvis overnight oats,” which is made with chia seeds, almond milk, peanut butter, bananas, and yogurt.
Dinner includes steaks, salmon, burgers, jerk wings, deviled eggs, hot chicken and wa es, and charcuterie. “We’re trying to build up breakfast and dinner,” Balthrop says.
ere, he began creating Southern avors, including banana pudding and watermelon.
His new job at Hotel Napoleon is “a pretty cool deal,” Balthrop says, noting that he does some of the cooking when needed. “I’m learning and I’m growing and having fun. And of course, I have a new healthy respect for chefs.”
Many people know Lorrison from his old Midtown French bistro restaurant, Rumble Fish. at short-lived eatery closed more than 25 years ago. Recently, Lorrison has done pop-ups featuring some of Rumble Fish’s favorites at Erling Jensen: e Restaurant, and he plans to continue o ering his pop-ups at Hotel Napoleon.
Sweet Magnolia gelato also is available at Hotel Napoleon. “We haven’t pulled the trigger [on an independent location] yet,” Balthrop says. He closed Sweet Magnolia’s Crosstown Concourse location when his lease ran out, and he’s not ready to open another shop, not wanting to get “locked into a long-term lease” in the wrong location.
“I closed down my Sweet Magnolia shops in Oxford and Memphis, so I’m just focused on the restaurant right now,” he says.
Balthrop has worn many hats. He originally opened First World Gallery in 1995 in Washington, D.C. e gallery featured art from the African diaspora. He later married, moved to Chicago, and became a stay-at-home dad while his wife nished her residency.
In 2011, he studied the science of ice cream at the Penn State Ice Cream Short Course. He also studied under a gelato master at e French Pastry School in Chicago, nally opening his rst gelato business in Clarksdale, Mississippi.
A native of Lexington, Kentucky, Lorrison moved to Memphis in the early ’90s, working rst with chef Jose Gutierrez at Chez Philippe, then at Automatic Slim’s, Cafe Samovar, and under Jensen at the old La Tourelle.
A er working in real estate for many years, he’s now getting back into cooking. Archives was a perfect place for him “to plant” himself, he says.
Lorrison wants the bar’s o erings to be a departure from most bar menus. “We’re going to do very classic stu . Like croque monsieur, or tenderloin sliders with sage derby and horseradish aioli, or lump crab cakes with crème fraîche. ings inspired by Balthazar in New York.”
And, he says, “I want to have a really independent wine list. Four or ve choice wines. I’m also doing some Japanese whiskeys and vodkas.”
He recently donned a ship’s captain uniform for “Ship of Fools,” the rst of what he hopes are more special events in the bar at Archives. And in the near future, Lorrison wants to get “some jazzy combos in there.”
PHOTO: COURTESY DAVID LORRISON
Hugh Balthrop and David Lorrison
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): New beginnings and final chapters will be overlapping in the coming weeks, and they’ll push you in the direction of robust growth. It won’t always be obvious which is which, though, so you’ll need to sharpen your discernment to read the signs. Here are two contemplations to steer you: 1. Which long-running sagas in your life have finally played themselves out? 2. Which struggling, half-forgotten dreams are yearning to rise again and blossom as if they were brand new? Once you’ve listened deeply enough to answer those questions, move boldly: Feed and protect whatever is being born, and actively assist in the graceful dismantling of whatever is ready to end.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): One of your go-to tools or assets is still functioning, but now is exactly the time to repair or refurbish it — before it breaks. Furthermore: A power outage of sorts may be looming unless you move to head off an impending overload. Wait, there’s even more! The monster in your closet is still deeply asleep, which is why now is the perfect moment to summon an exorcist or exterminator, before it stirs. Are you getting the picture, Gemini? The very fact that you’re reading this horoscope gives you all the advance warning you need to sidestep potential glitches and diversions.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): According to my reading of the astrological omens, asking the BIG questions is highly advisable right now. Why? Because you are unusually likely to get really good answers to those BIG questions. Want a nudge to get started in this noble enterprise? Here are three recommended queries: 1. “What is the wild meaning of my precious life?” 2. “Who the #@$%&!* am I, anyway?”
3. “Where is this so-called ‘God’ I hear so much about?” Dear Cancerian, I will also urge you to formulate humorous, satirical BIG questions that inspire life to be playfully revelatory with you. Here are three: 1. “How can I fine-tune my friends and loved ones to perfection?” 2. “Are there shortcuts to getting absolutely everything I want?” 3. “How do I sign up for a life of nonstop pleasure, free from all discomfort?”
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): When people finally grasped just how radical Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity was, a journalist asked him how he had arrived at such a breakthrough. Einstein said it was simple: He had utterly ignored supposedly fundamental truths. Dear Leo, please notice what that might imply for you in the coming weeks. Einstein didn’t dismiss a mere opinion or fashionable theory; he set aside theories so deeply accepted that everyone treated them as obviously factual. He didn’t waste energy fighting them, but simply proceeded as if they
By Rob Brezsny
didn’t exist. Consider doing the same: Set aside at least one seemingly incontestable assumption and be alert for the new realities that then become possible.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): The International Space Station orbits Earth every 90 minutes, so astronauts see 16 sunrises and sunsets every 24 hours. It’s a challenge to maintain their circadian rhythms. They must be disciplined as they stick to a sleep cycle that human bodies are accustomed to. But there’s a wonderful trade-off: the rare privilege of witnessing the rapid cycling of total darkness and brilliant light, which provides a visceral sense of life’s deep cadences at work. Your routine may seem similarly unsettled these days, Virgo. Transitions are coming faster than feels natural. But I suspect this disruptive blessing is giving you access to patterns that aren’t intelligible when you’re moving more slowly. You’re beholding the way things change as well as the changes themselves. This is a valuable gift. The insights will be worth the disorientation.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): You Libras sometimes get accused of indecision, as if your careful weighing of possibilities were a weakness. But I see a different truth: You aspire to be fair-minded as you honor all the legitimate claims on your attention. So the problem isn’t your capacity for considering multiple sides of each story. Rather, I find fault with the culture you live in, which is obsessed with one-dimensional certainty. If I were your coach or therapist, I would give you permission to take your time and resist the rush to resolution. The most honest thing you can say may be, “I’m still deciding,” or “Both of these feel true.”
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): You’re not a flaming expert at turning tension into treasure, but you have modest skills at that art. And now I’m predicting you will grow these skills. Before you jump to conclusions, though, please know that I’m not implying you will be immersed in stressful melodrama. I’m suggesting you will handle differences of perspective with increasing aplomb and curiosity. Instead of treating conflict as a debilitating hassle, you’ll try to find value in it. Some debates may even feel stimulating and fun rather than tiring. To take maximum advantage, enjoy the controversies as exploratory missions rather than as showdowns you must win at all costs.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): I hope and predict that you will be wildly resourceful as you wisely experiment with love in the coming weeks. I hope and predict that you will research the art of tender, inspiring intimacy in new frontiers. Reinvent passion, you subtle intensity freak! Be a bold explorer who breaks the boring old rules! Dare to break
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Anthropologist and author Clifford Geertz loved to use “thick description.” He wrote detailed reports that captured not just the surface level of what happened but the deeper levels of meaning. Here’s an example of thin description: “He winked.” Thick description: “He quickly closed and opened his right eyelid in a culturally specific gesture of playfully conspiratorial communication.” In the coming weeks, Aries, I invite you to enjoy the sumptuous pleasures of thick description. Unleash your wild curiosity as you dig down into the rich, complex truths about everything. Gleefully explore how the cultural, personal, and historical contexts give each moment its specific, nuanced significance. (PS: This approach will enhance your options for responding.)
open new varieties of sweetness and companionship that require you to innovate and improvise!
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): If you were on a walk and spied a dime on the ground, would you bend down to grab it? Probably not. Would you feel differently about a quarter? Maybe you have decided that nothing under a dollar is worth your effort. But in the coming weeks, you will be wise to break such rules. Symbolically speaking, the act of stooping down to pick up a dime will set off a chain reaction that ends with you acquiring a hundred-dollar bill. By saying yes to small, unexpected blessings, you’ll position yourself to receive larger ones down the line.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): The coming weeks will be an excellent time to begin a building project on the scale of Egypt’s Great Pyramid or India’s Taj Mahal. You should at least initiate work toward some magnificent masterpiece or creation, Aquarius. According to my analysis, there’s a chance you could coax an armada of helpers to work on your behalf. And as you set out to accomplish your labor of love, I bless your quest.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Artists who specialize in origami can create structures far stronger than the flat paper they’re folded from. The weakness of being made from thin, fragile material is overcome through strategic creasing. Engineers now use origami principles to design everything from solar panels to artificial blood vessels. Let’s extrapolate these facts into a lesson for you in the coming weeks, Pisces. We’ll assume that your flexibility is a strength, not a liability. You will wield your pliability to produce a high degree of structural integrity.
FILM By Kailynn Johnson
Monsters Among Us
Zendaya’s dark secret derails her wedding to Robert Pattison in e Drama
About a week ago, my sorority sister texted to tell me she was on her way to see e Drama I asked her what Zendaya’s secret was, as the mystery had been a major marketing point for the lm. Hours later, she replied, “It’s pretty bad.” Fast-forward a few days and I’m sitting in the theater, my face hot from anticipation waiting for the “big reveal.” e lm knows what you’re there for. When a drunken Zendaya reveals “the worst thing she’s ever done,” the excitement is quickly overshadowed by shame — “ is is what I was so excited to hear?”
Directed by Kristo er Borgli, A24’s latest conversation-starter, follows Emma (Zendaya) and Charlie (Robert Pattinson) through the week leading up to their wedding, with frequent ashbacks to show you how they got there. As Charlie is writing his wedding speech with his best man Mike (Mamoudou Athie), we see their perfect rom-com meet-cute. Charlie saw Emma
As an audience member, you keep your distance, knowing something bad is about to happen.
reading in a co ee shop and quickly researches the book she’s reading in an attempt to spark conservation with her. Emma seems to ignore him, but
it’s revealed that she’s deaf in one ear, prompting her to tell Charlie to start over. On the surface, they’re a cute and likable couple. But, as an audience member, you
keep your distance, knowing something bad is about to happen.
e infamous conversation happens during a pre-wedding wine tasting with Mike and his wife Rachel (Alana Haim), Emma’s maid of honor. A er Emma and Charlie think they see their wedding DJ doing drugs, they toy with the idea of ring her. Emma and Mike wonder if they should judge a person based on their worst day, which leads Rachel to reveal that, before they got married, she and Mike played a game of “What’s the worst thing you’ve ever done?”
Powered by liquid courage, the four friends share their darkest secrets. But Emma’s clandestine confession stops the game in its tracks. It’s not the juicy bombshell I was hoping for. It’s something much worse.
Emma’s secret threatens to derail all of her relationships. Rachel, who claims a dubious personal connection to Emma’s secret, is the most judgmental. Charlie, on the other hand, is grappling with the idea that he may not truly know the woman he’s about to marry and looking
PHOTO: COURTESY A24
Zendaya and Robert Pattinson are getting married in e Drama.
Kailynn Johnson
for a reason to justify Emma’s behavior. Was it the result of some kind of trauma?
On one level, the movie is a commentary on cancel culture. Thanks to Borgli’s canny script and a savvy dose of Zendaya’s star power, you grow to like Emma. Then, Borgli forces you through a series of mental gymnastics as you, like Charlie, wonder if what she did was that bad or unforgivable — or if she even did anything at all. It’s the difference between seeing a celebrity get canceled and seeing the same behavior from someone close to you. While it may be easy to click the unfollow button and remove an artist from your streaming library, there’s a lot more nuance involved in removing someone from your life. It’s as though our brains are itching to find the reason this person
ruined our expectations.
The Drama bristles with irreverent humor that brings a little guilt after each laugh. Pattinson does a great job bringing you along through his stressful pre-nuptial reckoning, while Haim shines as the perfect sneaky villain. Zendaya’s acting is phenomenal. Her natural likability makes it harder as an audience member to definitively write Emma off as “bad” or “cancelable,” but she peppers her portrayal with subtle flashes of anger and sneaky pettiness which make you wonder, deep down, is she really a monster? Or is it that are we all a little monstrous?
The Drama
Now playing Multiple locations
NOTICE TO ALL PROPERTY OWNERS
As required by Tennessee Code Annotated § 67-5-508, the property assessment records of Shelby County will be available for public inspection at 1075 Mullins Station Road. These records may be inspected Monday through Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Any person desiring to inspect these records may do so at the above times and places. Property assessment records may also be reviewed through the Assessor’s website at www.assessormelvinburgess.com
THE SHELBY COUNTY BOARD OF EQUALIZATION WILL BEGIN ITS ANNUAL SESSION TO EXAMINE AND EQUALIZE COUNTY ASSESSMENTS ON MAY 1, 2026. THE COUNTY BOARD WILL ACCEPT APPEALS FOR THE 2026 TAX YEAR UNTIL 4:30 P.M., JUNE 30, 2026, THE LAST DAY OF ITS REGULAR SESSION.
The Shelby County Board of Equalization (SCBoE) is open weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at 1075 Mullins Station Road, Suite C-142. Any property owner who wishes to appeal to the County Board of Equalization may file in person, online or by mail. Appeals may be filed online by 11:59 p.m. on June 30th. Mailed in appeals must be postmarked on or before June 30th. Failure to appeal may result in the assessment becoming final without further right of appeal. Please contact the SCBoE at 901-222-7300 for additional information or you may visit their website at boe.shelbycountytn.gov.
THEATRE MEMPHIS presents “NOISES OFF”
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THESE ABANDONED VEHICLES WILL BE SOLD ON 4/16/2026. Null’s Towing, 992
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COURT of Shelby County, Tennessee No. CH-25-0871
SOUTHEAST REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION
Plaintiff(s) V.
JIMMY L. WARREN, AND KNOWN AND UNKNOWN OWNERS
Defendant(s)
It appearing from the complaint in this cause which is sworn to that:
There are parties known and unknown and as prayed for in the Petition to Quiet Title filed on June 13, 2025, as to all previous owners of 0 Williams Avenue, Memphis, TN 38126.
It is therefore ordered that they make themselves appearance herein at the court House of Shelby County, in the city of Memphis, Shelby County, TN on May 25, 2026 and answer plaintiffs complaint for Petition to Quiet Title or the same will be taken for confessed as to defendant(s), and set for hearing ex parte, and that a copy of this order be published once a week for four successive weeks in the Memphis Flyer. This 26th day of March, 2026
A True Copy – Attest:
W. Aaron Hall, Clerk & Master By Jocelyn V. Henderson
Jocelyn V. Henderson
Attorney for Petitioner Apr. 2, 9, 16, 23, 2026
THE LAST WORD By Jesse Davis
Who’s Paying for Uncle Sam’s War?
Taxes should actually be spent to advance the well-being of a country’s citizens.
A few weeks ago, the United States Department of Defense informed Congress that the rst six days of the war in Iran cost $11.3 billion. On the rst of those six days, the U.S. destroyed the Shajareh Tayyebeh girls’ school in Minab. It was a horrible act, an actual atrocity, and it underlines the utter lack of a moral justi cation for the con ict. I would like to think that most Americans would willingly plant a victory garden, ration gas, or make other cuts necessary to put a stop to the kind of aggressive country that would perpetrate such an act. e sad truth is that it was us. We did it, and we will pay for it, as well as the rest of the con ict, if President Donald Trump’s 2027 budget comes to pass.
“It’s not possible for us to take care of day care, Medicaid, Medicare, all of these individual things. ey can do it on a state basis; we can’t do it on a federal basis. We have to take care of one thing: military protection,” Trump said in a video, some days before he sent his 2027 budget to Congress. “We have to take care of one thing: military protection. We have to guard the country.” He stuck to that course when he directed Congress to cut $73 billion in the 2027 budget.
Anyway, for no reason whatsoever, this feels like the right time to repeat that it took less than a week to spend $11.3 billion in Iran.
We are, in fact, allowed to invest in ourselves and our futures.
Trump wants to cut the Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). He wants to cut WIC, which serves between 40 and 50 percent of all infants born in the United States. It’s like he’s e Simpsons’ Mr. Burns, but even more evil. Usually this sort of tirade would end with a sentence along the lines of, “What’s next, you literally take candy from a baby?” Except that he’s starting by taking food from kids.
Of course, saying that Trump wants to cut funds for vital programs is a little like assuming Mickey Mouse has a say in what goes on at Disney. I presume that the deranged mascot of an evil organization wants the same thing the company wants, but all that really matters is this: people with power want to stop spending our tax dollars on food for babies and children so they can spend it on war, and an unjust and unlawful one at that.
All this comes just days a er Isabel Brown, a speaker at the Conservative Political Action Conference, made news by saying that parents should encourage their children to get married and, “have kids, have more kids than they can a ord, before they think they’re ready.” e messaging is cruel and contradictory: “It is your patriotic duty to ‘marry and procreate,’ but we can’t a ord to help feed or house or educate them.”
Now might be a good time to note that the funding for all of this, whether Tomahawk missiles or school lunches, comes from us. It’s ours, the money for war — or for grants for preschools, K-12 funding, Section 8 housing, the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control, and the Small Business Administration, if that’s what you’re into. We are, in fact, allowed to invest in ourselves and our futures, no matter what John Wayne’s ghost whispers about big guns and good ol’ American values.
In his famous 1995 essay “Ur-Fascism,” Umberto Eco says that fascism is a breed of totalitarianism, “a collage of di erent philosophical and political ideas, a beehive of contradictions.” e doublespeak, the mental gymnastics, the simultaneous holding of contradictory ideas — I understand those are features, not bugs, in the ideology of fascism. Even so, who can believe that a nation is on the right side of history when it refuses to take care of its children and its sick, targets elementary schools, and threatens, as Trump did, the imminent death of an entire civilization?
Way back in 2018, Trump referred to Haiti, El Salvador, and countries on the African continent as “shithole” countries. What exactly would you call a country that chooses not to prioritize the wellbeing of its citizens? What are we if our leaders admit we cannot even a ord to tackle such basic problems as healthcare and education?
Jesse Davis is a former Flyer sta er; he writes a monthly Books feature for Memphis Magazine. His opinions, such as they are, include the previously normal belief that feeding and educating children is good, actually, if you don’t want a nation composed primarily of malnourished, traumatized imbeciles.
