MemphisFlyer 05/15/2025 by Contemporary Media

SHARA CLARK Editor-in-Chief

ABIGAIL MORICI Managing Editor

JACKSON BAKER, BRUCE VANWYNGARDEN Senior Editors

TOBY SELLS Associate Editor

KAILYNN JOHNSON News Reporter

CHRIS MCCOY Film and TV Editor

ALEX GREENE Music Editor

MICHAEL DONAHUE, JON W. SPARKS Staff Writers

JESSE DAVIS, EMILY GUENTHER, COCO JUNE, PATRICIA LOCKHART, FRANK MURTAUGH, WILLIAM SMYTHE, KATIE STEPHENSON Contributing Columnists

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Warehouse and Delivery Manager

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KENNETH NEILL Founding Publisher

THE MEMPHIS FLYER is published weekly by Contemporary Media, Inc., P.O. Box 1738, Memphis, TN 38101 Phone: (901) 521-9000 Fax: (901) 521-0129 memphisflyer.com

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ANNA TRAVERSE FOGLE Chief Executive O cer

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Controller/Circulation Manager

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Chief Operating Officer

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Talkin’ ’Cue

From

PHOTO: SMOKESLAM | SAGE CREATIVE

Lucchesi’s

Pain

Why

PHOTO: MICHAEL DONAHUE

PHOTO: COURTESY FRANK MURTAUGH

fly-by

MEM ernet

Memphis on the internet.

COHEN GOIN’ VIRAL

Brief but blistering remarks from U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN) last week were viewed nearly 1.7 million times on social media as of press time.

He said President Donald Trump’s misunderstanding of the Constitution is “unfathomable.” He also ripped Trump’s request for a $90 million military-style parade for this birthday, saying the parade was only to “appease a man’s ego to let him think for awhile that he’s Ghengis Khan or Napoleon.”

SLAP YO MAMA

“We, the undersigned, respectfully urge Kroger to partner with awardwinning baker Audrey Anderson to bring her iconic and irresistibly delicious ‘Slap Yo Mama’ Pie to freezer aisles nationwide,” reads a digital petition launched this month.

Anderson’s bakery, e Pie Folks, closed last year but she hinted something new was in the works. It’s not clear if this is it or if Anderson has anything to do with the petition. It, honestly, just sounds like people want Slap Yo Mama pies back in their pie holes.

WHO TO FOLLOW

Erintrovert took viewers behind the scenes at her market table at Memphis Crawsh Festival. She talked about her customers, how much of her crochet plushies sold (and made — more than $1,000 pro t), and about her anxiety with it all. Her channel is a fun, gentle, slice of Memphis life.

{WEEK THAT WAS

By Flyer staff

Questions, Answers + Attitude

Edited by Toby Sells

Tyre Verdict, xAI, &

Climate Change

ree police o cers not guilty, Grok plant fully operational, report links oods to global warming.

TRANS ID

In Tennessee, where state o cials in 2023 denied trans people the right to make gender changes on driver’s licenses, President Donald Trump’s executive order stating gender was only male and female has jeopardized the only available form of governmentissued ID available that accurately re ects the gender of transgender and nonbinary Tennesseans.

OWNERSHIP CHANGE

Contemporary Media, Inc. (CMI), the publisher of Memphis Magazine, the Memphis Flyer, Memphis Parent, and assorted specialty publications, announced changes within its ownership group last week.

Shares of the company owned by Jack Belz and the late Ira Lipman were purchased by CMI. Gayle Rose joined the ownership group.

She is well known for her work on the original drive to recruit the Memphis Grizzlies, cra ing a future for the Memphis Symphony Orchestra with the University of Memphis, and more.

THERMOSTAT PLAN

Memphis Light, Gas & Water (MLGW) and the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) announced a new program last week that would allow a third party to control residential thermostats to conserve energy at peak-demand times. e Smart ermostat Rewards program will pay residential customers $65 to enroll in the program. If they participate in at least 65 percent of the energy savings events, they’ll get $65 annually.

x AI TO REMOVE SOME TURBINES

As the xAI project prepares to enter its second phase, some of the temporary gas turbines will be removed over the next two months.

An announcement from the Greater Memphis Chamber last week said the project reached “full operational capacity” on May 1st, and is now receiving 150 megawatts of grid power from TVA and MLGW.

e Chamber said an additional 150 megawatts of Megapack Batteries have been added and will be used in case of

an outage or “peak grid demand.”

Prior to connecting to the grid, the company used natural gas turbines as a source of power, which the Chamber said are now being demobilized. As the project prepares for Phase II, half of the turbines will remain until a second substation is ready to connect to the electric grid.

TYRE REACTIONS

Locals reacted to the “devastating” not guilty verdicts in a state trial for three former Memphis Police Department ofcers last week charged in the death of Tyre Nichols.

“Tyre’s life was stolen, and his family was denied the justice they so deeply deserve,” said civil rights attorneys Ben Crump and Antonio Romanucci. “We are outraged, and we know we are not alone.”

CLIMATE CHANGE FLOODING

e e ects of climate change made severe ooding that inundated West Tennessee and parts of the Central Mississippi River Valley in early April about 9 percent more intense, according to an analysis published last week by an international team of environmental researchers.

Four days of rainfall last month were the heaviest recorded for the region in spring since 1950, according to the report published by World Weather Attribution, an international collaboration that analyzes the potential in uence of climate change on extreme weather events.

Tennessee Lookout contributed to this report.

Visit the News Blog at memphis yer.com for fuller versions of these stories and more local news.

PHOTO: JOHN PARTIPILO | TENNESSEE LOOKOUT

Molly Quinn, executive director of OUTMemphis, said, “a lot of transgender people here used passports as their primary gender marker.”

Back On Track {

CITY REPORTER

By Toby Sells

Democratic bill would ensure passenger rail planning could continue as Donald Trump slashes the federal government.

Tennessee’s plans for passenger rail — and similar plans around the country — are likely on hold during the Trump Administration, but a group of Congressional Democrats are trying to get them back on track.

The Biden-era Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), a $1.2 trillion bipartisan law, provided $1.5 billion in 2021 to encourage intercity passenger rail projects, through planning grants and more. However, the portion of the law funding these projects is set to expire next year.

Hope seems dim for passenger rail planning as President Donald Trump slashes government funding for agencies across the federal government. For rail projects specifically, Trump pulled a $64 million planning grant in April for a Texas high-speed rail project that would connect Dallas and Houston. On Tuesday, Trump told reporters he pulled $4 billion from a California rail project, citing cost overruns.

However, U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen (D-9th District) and a two other trans-

portation leaders in Congress filed a bill Wednesday to extend passenger rail funding to 2031.

The bill would reauthorize rail planning programs with $7.5 billion between Fiscal Years 2027 and 2031. It has the support of the Rail Passengers Association, SMART Transportation Division, Southern Rail Commission, and Transportation for America, Cohen said.

“As a longtime advocate of passenger rail service, I urge my colleagues to support the federal-state partnership that is preparing the United States for a surge in rail travel,” Cohen said in a statement.

“I am looking forward to one day taking Amtrak along the recently identified Memphis-Nashville-Chattanooga-Atlanta corridor that is being funded by a Corridor ID grant and, eventually, along a route linking Memphis to Little Rock and beyond. Passenger rail is the future, and this bill ensures its ongoing support.”

Cohen is a senior member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. He is joined in filing the legislation by U.S. Rep. Dina Titus (Nevada1st District), a ranking member of the

Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials; and House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee member U.S. Rep. Hillary Scholten (Michigan-3rd District).

While it may seem implausible in Tennessee that any issue has support from both sides of the aisle, passenger rail does. In a 2022 bipartisan effort, Tennessee lawmakers asked a group of government experts to study the potential of linking Tennessee’s biggest cities via passenger rail.

In March 2023, Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly submitted an application for federal funds in partnership with the mayors of Atlanta, Nashville, and Memphis to begin planning for a new Amtrak route through those cities.

In 2023, that group of state government experts — the Tennessee Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations (TACIR) — reported that passenger rail lines here would increase connectivity and tourism here. In December 2023, the Atlanta-Chattanooga-Nashville-Memphis group of mayors announced they’d won a $500,000 planning grant from the feds to study possible routes here.

The 2023 TACIR report said the top priority for rail service in Tennessee should be a line that connects Nashville and Atlanta through Chattanooga. The line would connect the largest amount of people and create the biggest economic impact.

The report said the second priority for rail service here would be a route to connect Memphis and Nashville on population size.

“The route would connect Tennessee’s two largest cities, and connecting areas with large populations is often a key to success for passenger rail projects, although neither of these cities has as many people as Atlanta,” reads the report.

But the route would give Nashville (and other cities along the route) a connection to Memphis’ Amtrak service, which runs from Chicago to New Orleans, the report said. Freight volumes on existing lines from Memphis to Nashville are lower than other cities. Also, the route lacks the “geographic barriers” of other proposed lines, apparently meaning the lack of hills and mountains would make it easier to build.

Saturday, May 31st, 2025

3-6pm at Overton Square

Sample from the city’s best margarita-makers, vote on your favorite, and we’ll crown an audience winner at the end of this best ‘rita fest!

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CROSSTOWN CONCOURSE 10a-5p

Crosstown Concourse Plaza and Atrium on June 7th! Shop 100+ of the most talented local makers and artists, enjoy delicious craft tastes at our Crafts & Drafts Beer Garden, and partake in all of the fun of Crosstown Concourse!

Driving While Brown

What happened in Nashville is coming our way.

In Nashville last week, Tennessee State Highway Patrol troopers conducted around 500 tra c stops in a sweep coordinated with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in order to nd undocumented immigrants. e troopers made 12 arrests and detained more than 100 people for “reasons related to immigration.”

How do you conduct 500 tra c stops designed to detain undocumented immigrants? One can only assume the troopers looked for brown people and pulled them over. at’s 500 contrived stops conducted via racial pro ling. e operation was performed under the auspices of a law

Governor Bill Lee proudly signed during a recent special legislative session.

e new law creates a Centralized Immigration Enforcement division (“CIE,” get it? It’s like ICE, only different) at the state level, to be led by a Chief Immigration Enforcement O cer (CIEO) appointed by the governor.

e CIEO (who should be named Old McDonald) will coordinate directly with the Trump Administration on federal immigration policies.

e law also establishes a new driver’s license that distinguishes U.S. citizens from legal permanent residents; makes it a felony for local o cials to adopt sanctuary city policies; encourages local governments to participate in enforcing federal immigration policies; and establishes penalties for local o cials who do not comply with enforcement mandates.

e ICE and THP operation caused considerable anxiety in Nashville, and residents raised questions about whether local o cials knew about it in advance.

e short answer is “no.”

“I want to be clear. We did not request this approach to safety. We do not support it,” said Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell. “It’s important for us to get this right and it’s very frustrating to see a failure in the process.” O’Connell then issued an executive order aimed at tracking and reporting any future interactions with federal immigration authorities.

If they’ve not done so already, it would be a good idea for Memphis’ elected o cials to get ahead of this kind of operation before it happens here. And it will happen here.

Republicans have

control of the legislative trifecta in Tennessee and they love nothing better than sticking it to the two blue voting areas in the state.

It’s been nearly a month now since the Supreme Court ordered the Trump administration to return Kilmar Abrego Garcia — who was deported to El Salvador’s CECOT mega-prison with no due process — to the United States. If he is ever returned, he would presumably be given a chance to argue his case in court. But the administration has thus far managed to just ignore the Supreme Court, a clear violation of the Constitution.

Here’s the thing: We tend to focus on the individual cases that make the news, like Garcia’s and that of Rumeysa Ozturk, the Tu s University doctoral student and Turkish national who was seized on the street by ICE agents in March and sent to a detention facility (read, prison) in Louisiana. She was released from custody last week, upon the order of a federal judge, but the horrifying fact remains that she was abducted on a street in Boston and spent six weeks in prison with no due process for the “crime” of writing an editorial the Trump administration didn’t like.

But what about the “more than 100 people” who were detained in Nashville? Who are they? Where are they? Who’s going to track their cases? And what about the thousands more who are being picked up and held in for-pro t detention centers around the country? What about those who fall through the cracks, like the twoyear-old girl born in the U.S. and detained in foster care here a er her mother and father were deported?

PHOTO: FIBOBJECTS | DREAMSTIME.COM

ere is no way the media can keep up with everyone who’s being picked up or report on what happens to them. And that’s part of the administration’s plan: overwhelm the system with mass detentions. It’s why Trump aide Stephen Miller is now calling for the suspension of the writ of Habeas Corpus, which constitutionally shields people from unlawful imprisonment and ensures them a day in court.

Joint operations like the one in Nashville are happening all over the country now, and Memphis is unlikely to be le out. What are we going to do when it happens to the people who work and live in our city, our friends and neighbors? Who will tell their stories?

THURSDAY MAY 15

By Stephen Cooper

Pentobarbital Is Torture

And Tennessee plans to resume executions with the drug.

ROSS RICE and FRIENDS

T7:30 PM | THE GREEN ROOM

SATURDAY MAY 17

JAMES SEXTON: THE OTIS MISSION

humbing its nose at my argument in The Tennessean, in 2019, that, “There are many facts that clearly show the death penalty should be obsolete,” Tennessee is set to execute folks again.

a professor at the University of Richmond School of Law, minces no words in her scholarly work, which anyone who wants to know the truth about lethal injection must read. She concludes that “pentobarbital executions are torturous in their own right.”

7:30 PM | THE GREEN ROOM

THURSDAY MAY 22

SHADOWLANDS feat

S. CAREY and JOHN RAYMOND

7:30 PM | THE GREEN ROOM

CROSSTOWN ARTS

1350 CONCOURSE AVE | CROSSTOWNARTS ORG

As The Tennessean reported recently, the state “has announced plans to resume capital punishment with a new, more vague protocol for lethal injection — [one even vaguer than the previous protocol the state had a track record for botching. Now it will use] one drug called pentobarbital.”

This will satisfy only the animalistic desire for violently fatal retribution which civilized societies around the world long ago outlawed; they hoped the U.S. someday would follow suit, or, at least, that individual states like Tennessee would start to shutter their barbaric death penalty regimes; that’s why in that 2019 essay I insisted: “We must be honest about the death penalty’s repugnance.”

I advanced then — and resubmit — that, “In these times, we must embolden noble, courageous people who exist in America, people with integrity, to call lethal injection the vile torture it is.”

Tennessee has plenty of prison space to incarcerate the “worst of the worst,” saving Tennesseans a whole heap of money in lawyers’ fees and other costs of maintaining Tennessee’s barbaric machinery of death (think of the officials who get paid to be involved, the lethal drugs, etcetera). And as The Tennessean astutely reported, there is a real “lack of transparency over how the state is securing” the pentobarbital it will use, and therefore questions about whether it could be of shoddy quality. This should be especially alarming as witnesses of pentobarbital executions have described condemned prisoners “gasping for air before they died and autopsies showing their lungs were filled with fluid akin to drowning” (and the horrific torture known as waterboarding).

The Tennessean rightly observed that despite Trump’s Justice Department’s gung-ho approach to the death penalty, “former U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland halted the use of pentobarbital for federal death row inmates after it was unable to determine whether the drug causes ‘unnecessary pain and suffering.’” However, it’s critical Tennesseans understand that legal experts who study executions have come to much starker conclusions about pentobarbital.

In a new book called Secrets of the Killing State—about “the untold story of lethal injection” — Corinna Barrett Lain,

About Lain’s book, Bryan Stevenson, author of Just Mercy and executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative, wrote: “A compelling, thoroughly researched, brilliantly written investigation of how governments kill prisoners whose very lives may depend on the moral outrage of a nation that dares to look more closely at lethal injection and the death penalty. Disturbing, devastating, an urgent must-read.”

As I’ve argued before to Tennesseans: “Abolishing the death penalty requires morality, but it also requires people of conscience to speak honestly — and ask tough questions — in support of an unshakeable belief that should be uncontroversial in a civilized, principled society. The death penalty is racist, barbaric, and immoral.” And: “There exists too much mental illness, and far too much death and suffering in America already,” so all Americans, including Tennesseans, need to insist the state stop throwing scarce resources away on the death penalty in an immoral pursuit of “justice.”

Pardon my reliance on my past publications in The Tennessean on this subject of great importance — to Tennesseans who care about human rights — but it needs repetition: “The constitutional prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment bears no asterisk for crimes committed by society’s most despised.”

Scheduling a flurry of lethal injections using pentobarbital is the wrong decision for Tennessee. It has already led to a flurry of litigation — with much more expected — and the amount of taxpayer money that is being used by the state to defend this torture will only mount.

It is important for Tennesseans to let the politicians who represent you know that this is not what you want. And it is not what you will vote for going forward. Tell them you want a government that focuses on improving the quality of life for its citizens — not one focused on secretive protocols for torturous killings.

Stephen Cooper is a former D.C. public defender who worked as an assistant federal public defender in Alabama between 2012 and 2015. He has contributed to numerous magazines and newspapers in the United States and overseas. He writes full-time and lives in Woodland Hills, California.

ETALKIN´ ´CUE

From hidden gems to hidden menu items — plus the rundown on Memphis’ two barbecue fests.

COVER STORY

By Flyer staff

very May as our barbecue issue rolls around, we the writers at the Flyer think to ourselves, what is le to cover about barbecue that we haven’t already covered? e answer is a lot — when you live in Memphis. ere are so many places doing barbecue — those little outdoor barbecue spots around the corner with the single smoker and hand-painted sign or the well-established restaurant with ribs on the menu that you never thought to order because you never thought to look for ribs there. So we went out in the world, looking for those spots that get le o our radar. Maybe you already know and love them, but we gured it’s time for even more love.

Alex’s Tavern Ribs

Rocky Kasa es says he put his ribs on the menu at Alex’s about 15 years ago. He cooks them in a smoker just outside the tavern door.

“When I rst started cooking, guys would stop by the grill on their way inside and give me advice because everybody thinks he’s a barbecue expert,” Kasa es says. “I listened, but I just told them I’d gure it out. And I did.”

Kasa es got con rmation that his ribs are top-notch in an unusual way.

“ e late Jennifer Biggs [food writer for the Commercial Appeal] was taking some out-of-town barbecue judges around town to the big-name places,” Kasa es recalls. “ en she told them she was going to take them to one more place, but it wasn’t really a

barbecue joint.

“She’d told me she was coming and to hold a couple of slabs for her, but these guys came in with note cards and started judging. I was like, ‘What the heck?’ But they really liked the

ribs. ey told me that judges look for a good ‘bark’ and a little tug when you take a bite. If the meat falls o the bone, they say it’s overcooked, even though lots of people like them that way. Anyway, they liked my ribs.”

Rocky sets a plate of those ribs in front of me, and, let me tell you, there’s a lot to like. I’ve never seen ribs with

this much meat on them. ey are thick, perfectly done. Yes, there’s that subtle tug when you take a bite, but the pork is tender and moist and full of smoky avor — some of the best ribs I’ve had in Memphis.

“I cook them for six to eight hours, keeping the heat around 200 degrees,” Kasa es says. “I use a mixture of Lea & Perrin’s, Wicker’s, and Greek seasoning, and I put some sauce on the side so you can eat them dry or wet.”

ey are, in a word, delicious. As I leave, I feel another subtle tug, and it’s calling me back to eat these ribs again next week. — Bruce VanWyngarden 1445 Jackson Avenue

Smoky City BBQ

Smoky City is the perfect name for a barbecue joint, and you’d think there would be many Smoky City BBQ’s across the South. What purveyor of pork wouldn’t want to entice customers with a promise of the ultimate smokey avor, the holy grail of barbecue a cionados? Yet search engines reveal there’s only one Smoky City BBQ, and it’s right here in Memphis. And it wasn’t named only for the avor of its ne pork shoulder and ribs, but for the neighborhood in which it’s situated. e area was a haven for Black property owners a er the Civil War. “Klondike and Smokey City are two of the oldest and most historic neighborhoods in North Memphis. Numerous civil rights leaders have called the area home,” notes High Ground News. “It’s been said that Smokey City got its name from the active smokestacks of blacksmiths in the area.” ese days, since smokestacks and blacksmiths have become things of the past, another kind of smoke rises over the roofs of

PHOTO: BRUCE VANWYNGARDEN Alex’s Tavern

City BBQ

(ABOVE): KAILYNN JOHNSON Malia’s Wings

PHOTO (RIGHT): SAGE CREATIVE SmokeSlam

the neighborhood, and it smells like lunch.

at’s why I make a detour for Smoky City BBQ [no “e”], and it does not disappoint. Started in 2016 by Nathan Strong Sr., it’s his son, Nathan Strong Jr., who is running things when I show up. He’s a no-BS kind of guy and apologizes for the lack of ribs that day, but my chopped shoulder sandwich with fries does not disappoint.

e tenderness of the meat is complemented by its savory smokiness. It’s easily one of the best barbecue sandwiches I’ve had in the city, and that’s saying something. Topped with coleslaw and a generous helping of not-too-sweet, tangy

Answering Your ’Ques About the Fests

Oh, yeah, you’re probably wondering why in the world we do a barbecue issue every May. Ummm … because it’s like barbecue bonanza this weekend. Just like last year, Memphis will have two barbecue fests because that’s the way the smoke rolled. Of course, you’ve got Memphis in May’s World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest (WBCC) on May 14th to 17th at Liberty Park, and then SmokeSlam is taking over Tom Lee Park on May 15th to May 17th.

Now, if you like to know what’s what and who’s who, we’re here to tell you, so you can make an informed decision on which to attend — or maybe you’ll want to attend both (or neither); we don’t care.

Now at WBCC, unless you have secured a team invite or spend a bit extra, you really aren’t going to be sampling barbecue from the teams. ( ey aren’t allowed to sell it because it’s a competition.) But you can stop by the Barbecue Marketplace to purchase rubs and sauces produced by teams and pitmasters, or purchase an add-on experience like the BBQ Alley to sample from pitmasters and restaurants, or take the Kingsford Tour of Champions to judge and sample barbecue from the teams.

Highlights at the WBCC include the Lighting of the Grill Ceremony, hourly food demonstrations by celebrity grill masters, sauce wrestling, Miss Piggy Idol, free personalized bobbleheads, guided tours of the WBCC, and more. Single-day general admission tickets are $22, four-day general admission will cost you $65. Add-ons can run you anywhere between $30 and $95; VIP is $595. Find out more at memphisinmay.org.

At SmokeSlam, festival-goers will be able to sample straight from the pits at the live- re extravaganza, where barbecue professionals will demo their skills every day. Major League Eating will host a worldrecord attempt for pulled pork slider consumption at 4:15 p.m. on Saturday. e days will have carnival games and Ferris wheel rides, reworks, SmokeSlam BBQ Bazaar, and live music with headliners Shane Smith and the Saints, e Revivalists, Big & Rich, and more.

General admission tickets are $31.89 for single-day passes and $68.34 for three-day passes. VIP is $81.09 for a single-day pass and $226.88 for a three-day pass. Find out more at smokeslam.com. — Abigail Morici

PHOTO (TOP): ALEX GREENE Smoky

PHOTO

continued from page 13

sauce (not at all hot), it’s perfection. And gloriously messy. But that’s okay — all the best barbecue is. e fries are expertly seasoned as well, with perhaps a touch of garlic salt to make them stand out in a city full of fries.

As one woman picks up her to-go order, another customer asks her, “First time here?”

“It’s my third time!” she exclaims, rushing out the door with her order to get home and dig in. e smoke foretells what all of us already know: We’ll be returning again and again.

— Alex Greene

1023 Jackson Avenue

[It was] gloriously messy. But that’s okay — all the best barbecue is.

Malia’s Wings

As my dad and I pulled up to Malia’s Wings, the rst thing we saw was a man cooking outside on a barbecue smoker. is was all we needed to see to know we were in for a treat. Being from Clarksdale, Mississippi, originally, my earliest introductions to barbecue were centered around smokers like this, either at family gatherings or at local barbecue spots around town. As time passed, I’ve fancied a barbecue sandwich or two from a chain or fast food restaurant, but there’s nothing like eating something straight from the pit.

When we approached the truck, we saw Gregory Graham, the owner of Malia’s, ring up a number of meats from smoked sausages to bologna, further feeding my nostalgia. e menu

SELLS

displayed what was hidden under the hood with items such as turkey legs, wings, and slabs of ribs, making my decision harder. I opted for a pulled shoulder sandwich with coleslaw, and within minutes I was handed a bag with a foil-wrapped item. is simple transaction let me know I had made the right choice.

I like my barbecue on the sweeter side but not too sweet. It seems like Malia’s has mastered the perfect combination of sweet and smoky, with the cole slaw adding the creaminess and crunch that makes an optimal barbecue sandwich. e sandwich also didn’t get soggy on the way home, nor did it fall apart in my hands, which is always a bonus. — Kailynn Johnson

3262 Park Avenue

Belmont Grill Ribs

Ask a friend next time if they’ve ever tried Belmont Grill’s barbecued ribs. ey will probably say, “I didn’t know Belmont sold ribs.”

Well, they do. And they have been since the ’80s, says manager/owner Je Anderson.

Back in the ’80s, I used to indulge by ordering the ribs at Belmont. ey were more expensive than other items on the menu, so it was a luxury to get them.

In my opinion, they don’t taste like ribs you get anywhere else in town. ey have their own distinctive avor. Belmont ribs are cooked in an Alto-Shaam, a commercial oven that makes the meat tender, Anderson told me. ey’re slathered with a sweetishtasting barbecue sauce.

ese may have been the rst wet ribs I ever had. I remember how juicy and messy they were the rst time I tried them. I like dry ribs, too, but Belmont’s are my go-to wet ribs.

“ ey’re not really the traditional ‘how people do ribs in the smokers,’” Anderson says. e ribs are “in a moisturizing kind of oven [that] kind of breaks them down. ey’re just not as tough.”

You can order half or a full order of the ribs. Half is ve bones and full is eight bones. ey come with slaw and a side item.

I told Anderson about telling a couple of people the other day about Belmont ribs and they, again, said they didn’t know Belmont sold ribs.

“A lot of people don’t look at the menu. ey always get the same thing every time. ey don’t know that they’re on there. But the regular customers who know they’re on there get them quite o en.”

— Michael Donahue

4970 Poplar Avenue

Big Bill’s Bar-Be-Que

If you’ve ever been to the Nike Outlet Store on Elvis Presley, you’ve been right behind Big Bill’s Bar-Be-Que. ere’s another location, way out east. But that’s a 385-to-Kirby situation. So, just go to Whitehaven.

e original is a no-frills, fast-casual a air. You order at a counter (from a well-loved paper printout), sit, and wait for your order number to be called.

As I waited on a recent visit, a hugescreen television blasted Katt Williams’

raunchiest genital jokes from his World War III tour. So, if you decide to dine in, maybe bring headphones for the kids.

I ordered the pulled pork sandwich and there’s a beer-related reason. I know what an IPA tastes like. So do breweries. So, I’ll judge a brewery on that. Same goes for pulled pork and barbecue restaurants. My amateur taste buds know what to expect.

e pork may have indeed been good at Big Bill’s, but I messed up. I should have ordered the sauce on the side. Drenched as it was in a sweet sauce, I couldn’t taste smoke nor feel the texture of the meat. Still a good and satisfying sandwich, but hard to judge the cook quality.

So, I took a second run at it and ordered barbecue turkey nachos to-go, sauce on the side. What arrived were basic, round tortilla chips, smattered in stadium nacho sauce, and some chopped turkey. e turkey was not smoked (nor did it claim to be on the menu) but I could deduce it was fresh. I heard someone chopping it in the back. I was not wowed at Big Bill’s. But maybe it’s not supposed to wow anyone. It seemed like, maybe, just solid barbecue for workaday Memphians who don’t need some Midtown reporter from an alternative newsweekly to tell them what’s good. — Toby Sells 4101 Elvis Presley Boulevard

PHOTO (ABOVE) : MICHAEL DONAHUE Belmont Grill

PHOTO (RIGHT): TOBY

Big Bill’s Bar-Be-Que

steppin’ out

We Recommend: Culture, News + Reviews

Green Thumbs Up

By Abigail Morici

Peek into the backyards of your neighbors this month at Experience Memphis Gardens, the citywide garden tour that takes you through more than 260 of Memphis’ private and public green spaces in more than 35 neighborhoods. Featured are gardens of all sizes and styles, from beginner vegetable plots to cut ower farms.

ough the monthlong event kicked o on May 1st, its capstone event, which started it all — the Cooper-Young Garden Walk — is this weekend.

e Cooper-Young Garden Walk will have 70 gardens on tour, with a shuttle running through the neighborhood for people to get to and from the gardens and local shops and restaurants. Urban Bike Food Ministry will also provide guided bike tours and will watch your bikes as you get o at secret gardens. Some gardens might have vendors, music, educational programming, and other fun surprises.

“[ e Cooper-Young Garden Walk] only started 10 years ago. We only had 23 gardens,” says Kim Halyak, co-chair of Experience Memphis Gardens with Sharron Johnson. “ en three years ago, we decided to go citywide and invited all these other neighborhoods to participate. People who didn’t live in our neighborhood were asking us to be on the tour, and it has always been our dream to go citywide.”

Stop and smell the roses while touring some of Memphis’ gardens.

So far, in Cooper-Young Garden Walk and Experience Memphis Gardens’ 10 years, the club has showcased about 630 gardens total. And this year, for the rst time, Halyak says, “We have 70 garden communicators from all over the U.S. and the world coming in June for ve days to look at special gardens in Memphis to write about gardening in Memphis. It’s their 16th year of going to a di erent city, and they’ve never been to Memphis before, and it would never have happened if our garden walk didn’t exist. It’s like we’re starting to reap the rewards.

And there have been other rewards to the garden walk to be sure, Halyak says. “We complain about litter, we complain about blight, and I don’t know how to x those problems. ose problems are too much for my pay grade, but I do know that when you invite people to show you their spaces, they want to keep making it better and better every year. And if you start turning some neighborhoods around, what does that do to our city? … It builds neighborhood pride. It brings people together.”

In other words, it makes Memphis beautiful. In fact, each year donations from the walk go toward the CY Beautify Grant, for which any participating neighborhood can apply. Usually ticket fees account for that, but this year tickets are free thanks to the Dr. Rudy Campbell Foundation. To reserve a lanyard, which will serve as your admission pass, go to experiencememphisgardens.org. A list of pick-up locations for lanyards and a schedule of neighborhood walks can be also be found there.

EXPERIENCE MEMPHIS GARDENS, VARIOUS LOCATIONS, THROUGH JUNE 15. COOPER-YOUNG GARDEN WALK, COOPER-YOUNG HISTORIC DISTRICT, SATURDAY-SUNDAY, MAY 17-18, 9 A.M.-3 P.M.

VARIOUS DAYS & TIMES May 15th - 21st

Meet the Artists: Colleen Couch and Dolph Smith

Dixon Gallery & Gardens, 4339 Park Avenue, ursday, May 15, 6 p.m.

Meet the artists featured in “Walk in the Light,” on view through June 29th: Colleen Couch and Dolph Smith.

“Walk in the Light” showcases the arc of Smith’s oeuvre through drawings, paintings, and artist’s books; includes new works by Couch inspired by Smith; and features two recent collaborations by Couch and Smith working together as papermakers, family, and friends.

Music and Murder: A Beethoven Club Concert

Elmwood Cemetery, 824 South Dudley Street, Friday, May 16, 2-3 p.m., $12.51

Join Elmwood Cemetery for an a ernoon lled with thrilling music

and mystery as the Beethoven Club performs a selection of Beethoven’s most haunting compositions amid the beautiful backdrop of the cemetery.

Performed by pianist Jim Cornfoot and baritone Patrick Jones, this concert will explore the haunting and yet magnetic subject matter of murder and its place in music.

Family Fun Day

Metal Museum, 374 Metal Museum Drive, Saturday, May 17, 11 a.m.3 p.m., free

Twice a year, the Metal Museum hosts a day of hands-on activities, demonstrations, and kid-friendly games on the museum grounds. Visitors can observe metalsmiths honing their cra , take part in educational programming, and enjoy free admission to the museum.

Uptown Arts Festival

Grind City Brewing Company, 76 Waterworks Avenue, Saturday, May 17, noon-7 p.m.

Grind City’s yard will transform into Uptown’s very own art festival. Local artists and businesses from and near the neighborhood will be selling food, goods, and high-quality art. Expect demos, freebies, beer, and live music.

Strangewaze Wednesdaze

Medical District Park, Madison Avenue & South Dunlap Street, Wednesday, May 21, 5-9 p.m., free Join the Memphis Medical District Collaborative for food, cocktails, axe throwing, yoga, a photo booth, shopping and vendors, and live music. Food and drinks are rst come, rst served. RSVP at tinyurl.com/4j9dt7yx to enter the giveaway and secure a limited edition color-changing Strangewaze cup.

PHOTO: COURTESY KIM HALYAK

MUSIC By Alex Greene

Southern Avenue Comes Home

e well-traveled local heroes embrace the soulful sounds of their past with Family

This year’s SmokeSlam barbecue competition will bring some ne music to Memphis, including headliners Shane Smith & the Saint, e Revivalists, and Big & Rich, but it will be especially meaningful to some hometown favorites who’ve gone from success to success, yet never quite felt they’d nailed down their sound until their 2025 release.

e story behind Southern Avenue’s fourth album, Family, is one of the prodigal daughter — lead singer Tierinii Jackson — who had to leave her past behind before returning to it to nd herself. And now, this band and this singer have crossed a threshold. But it’s taken a while. Jackson was still chasing a er her ideal sound — the sound of this album — almost a decade into a career that was already charmed.

Eight years ago, Southern Avenue came bursting out of nowhere with talent and promise — seemingly fully formed. In fact, blues guitarist Ori Na aly had previously made his way from Israel to Tennessee, only meeting Memphis native Jackson and her sister, drummer and singer Tikyra, aka TK, a er souring on his rst band. eir chemistry, melding Na aly’s guitar chops with TK’s powergroove beat and Tierinii’s soul-steeped voice, was electric; soon they’d added keyboardist Jeremy Powell and a roster of bassists, and were the toast of Memphis. ree albums and a Grammy nomination followed, but, as Nafatly con des now, “We were always looking for our sound. We got signed to Stax seven months a er we rst met, and we were still getting to know each other as people.” Having merely cobbled their debut together, Na aly says, “the second record had a lot of record label involvement: ‘You should be the new Alabama Shakes.’ And then for the third we had Steve Berlin, and he had a particular vision for us.” But a er that, a new band member joined and something clicked.

“In 2021,” Na aly recalls, “Ava — Tierinii’s and TK’s younger sister, who’d only sung with us o and on — graduated from Belmont University in classical violin, and we asked her to join us fulltime. When that happened, we started to change.” By then, Na aly and Tierinii had also fallen for each other in a big way, married, and brought a daughter into the world. Seismic events all around.

Musically, it wasn’t Ava’s violin that was the game-changer (though you’ll hear some of that), but her singing: She exponentially ampli ed the power of Tierinii’s and TK’s blood harmony. eir e ortless blend was a revelation: ough they’d all

PHOTO: RORY DOYLE

Southern Avenue

grown up attending the church founded by their grandfather, their age di erences meant they’d never quite sung together. Not like this.

Meanwhile, the ever-evolving Mississippi blues rolled on, and Tierinii was taking notice. “I got inspired listening to Cedric Burnside’s album, I Be Trying,” she remembers. “It felt like home to me. at kicked me o into listening to all the Hill Country blues, and something magical happened. When we were growing up, we were only singing church music, but I was familiar with just about every song on that Hill Country blues playlist. I’d been hearing it my whole life! e melodies were the same as what we grew up singing in church. Only the lyrics were a little bit di erent.”

For the soul singer-songwriter, embracing both her guitar-playing father’s roots in Senatobia, Mississippi, and the church she grew up in “felt like I found my place in the blues.” But that required a bit of reckoning with her past.

“In my early adulthood, I ran from the church because I had bad experiences. So it was a real moment of healing when I started listening to this Hill Country blues. It reminded me of the love that I grew up with. I’d forgotten about the

music side of the church. But then I reconnected with myself and embraced everything that I shunned for so many years. It was a homecoming, a rebirth back into my inner child.”

Her exuberance was infectious, as the band dug in to write their story in a urry of inspiration. “When I had this epiphany,” says Tierinii, “it was like, ‘Duh, of course, this is what we’re supposed to be doing!’ It was no longer about making the label happy or appealing to a younger generation. It was strictly about honoring our roots and our ancestors, and that’s what the blues is. I think the contemporary aspect will come with the stories that we tell and the freshness of our voices.”

Meanwhile, Na aly worked with North Mississippi Allstar Luther Dickinson to perfect his bottleneck guitar technique, and the band dove deeper into the rawest roots of the blues, making the most personal music of their lives. Singing what they know has given their sound full ower, even approaching the majesty and power of the Staple Singers, as Na aly’s grinding ri s gel with TK’s beat and the pulse of either Dickinson or the dearly departed Blake Rhea on bass, laying down a gritty, gravel road for the sisters’ harmonies to

“It was a real moment of healing when I started listening to Hill Country blues.”

roll over like a Cadillac. e nal piece of this puzzle was cutting it. Yet Na aly wasn’t overly cowed by recording at Royal Studios. ose magical walls, acoustically perfected by the late producer Willie Mitchell, bore witness to countless Hi Records classics. Yet what mattered most to the band was the man working within those walls: Willie’s son Boo. Having produced Cedric Burnside’s Grammy-winning album, Boo knew. “It’s really not about Royal,” says Na aly. “It’s just about working with Boo and being able to nally have him in the room. e focus was on being able to write the most important songs we’ve ever written and then bring them to a person who would actually get it.”

Producer John Burk, who executiveproduced their rst two albums, also got it, allowing the band to breathe. And as they drink in the air of the Jackson sisters’ homeland more deeply than ever, their personal odyssey becomes a journey into the very building blocks of the blues themselves, to be pulled apart and reassembled just as Southern Avenue sees t, as they’ve never been heard before. See Southern Avenue play SmokeSlam on Friday, May 16th. For details, visit smokeslam.com.

CALENDAR of EVENTS: May 15 - 21

ART AND SPECIAL EXHIBITS

“2024 Accessions to the Permanent Collection” is Accessions series honors the new additions to the museum’s permanent collection throughout each calendar year. rough Nov. 2.

METAL MUSEUM

“Artists’ Link Exhibition”: Spring 2025

Featuring works in oil, acrylic, watercolor, mixed media, woodcut, ber, weaving, ceramic materials, stained glass, and metals. rough May 30.

MEMPHIS BOTANIC GARDEN

ARTSmemphis:

“GRANTEDTime Exhibition”

An exhibit curated by Brittney Boyd Bullock, a visual artist working ber, mixed media, and abstraction. rough Aug. 5.

ARTSMEMPHIS

“Art Speaks: Visual Poetry Exhibition & Art Inspired by Words” is dynamic showcase explores the powerful intersection of language and visual expression, bringing together artists who draw inspiration from literature, poetry, music, and spoken word. rough May 31.

MEMPHIS ART SALON AT MINGLEWOOD HALL

“CBU Spring 2025 BFA Exhibition”

Christian Brothers University is proud to present the 2025 Spring BFA Exhibition, featuring works by graduating seniors in the Department of Visual Arts. Free. rough July 11.

BEVERLY + SAM ROSS GALLERY

“Celebrate AAPI Stories, Traditions, and Identity”

A student art exhibition celebrating Asian American & Paci c Islander Heritage Month! is exhibit showcases the creativity of K-12 students from Memphis and Shelby County. rough May 16.

COSSITT LIBRARY

“Celebrate Spring”: Exhibition by Connie Lampen

“Painting is truly my passion. My quest is to place peace in each stroke of my brush. Blending abstract with reality, I strive to place movement plus a message of tranquility & comfort within the colors of each painting.” — Connie Lampen. rough May 29.

MEMPHIS BOTANIC GARDEN

Colleen Couch and Dolph Smith: “Walk in the Light”

“Walk in the Light” traces the arc of Smith’s work, presents new pieces by Couch inspired by Smith, and highlights

recent collaborations between the two. rough June 29.

THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS

“Earth Matters: Rethink the Future”

In this stunning exhibit, see the inner workings of a tree, learn about endangered species, and experience largescale visualizations of changes in our natural world. Learn more about biodiversity and climate change. $18. rough May 18.

MUSEUM OF SCIENCE AND HISTORY

AT THE PINK PALACE

“Faster Than Light: The Dream of Interstellar Flight”

Visit the planetarium to take virtual rides aboard spacecra of the future, based on whole new technologies, designed to achieve ultra-high speeds, using exotic next generation rocket fuels. rough May 23.

MUSEUM OF SCIENCE AND HISTORY AT THE PINK PALACE

“Fur and Feathers, The Art of Gari Parisi”

Gary Parisi works in a variety of mediums such as graphite, watercolor, acrylics, ballpoint pen, and oils. His primary focus is creating animal portraiture, achieved with extraordinary detail. Free. rough May 29.

WKNO DIGITAL MEDIA CENTER

Jin Powell and John Powell: “Fusion”

A dynamic joint exhibition featuring the work of artists Jin Powell and John Powell, whose twenty new mixedmedia pieces blend wood and metal in compelling and unexpected ways. rough June 6.

ANF ARCHITECTS

“Landshaping: The Origins of the Black Belt Prairie”

Learn about the geologic event known as the Mississippi Embayment and its e ect on this region. Fossils and farm tools will be displayed alongside photographs by Houston Co eld. rough Oct. 12.

MUSEUM OF SCIENCE AND HISTORY AT THE PINK PALACE

Leslie Holt: “The Sound of Your Own Wheels” Abstract impressionism blends with intriguing text and wordplay in this artist’s work. rough June 21.

DAVID LUSK GALLERY

“Light as Air” Explore the beauty in tension: a balance of forms, the contrast between heavy and light, and the signi cance of negative space. rough Sept. 7.

METAL MUSEUM

“Memphis Skies: What’s That in Our Night Sky?” Hop through constellations, learn cool star names, and groove to planetarium space music in this full dome audiovisual experience. rough

Send the date, time, place, cost, info, phone number, a brief description, and photos — two weeks in advance — to calendar@memphisﬂyer.com.

DUE TO SPACE LIMITATIONS, ONGOING WEEKLY EVENTS WILL APPEAR IN THE FLYER’S ONLINE CALENDAR ONLY. FOR COMPREHENSIVE EVENT LISTINGS, SCAN THE QR CODE OR VISIT EVENTS.MEMPHISFLYER.COM/CAL.

is among the works featured in a pop-up exhibition accompanying the F.I.R.E. conference.

Kevin Wilson: Run for the Hills

An unexpected road trip across America brings a family together, in this raucous and moving new novel from the bestselling author of Nothing to See Here. Friday, May 16, 6 p.m. NOVEL

CLASS / WORKSHOP

Acrylic Painting with Gay Rhodes

An essential painting class. $185. Wednesday, May 21, 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

MEMPHIS BOTANIC GARDEN

Cemetery Salons

An idea can be a vine, the mind a garden, in this space for nurturing freedom of thought, gentle curiosity, and sensitization to wonder. All who love to learn and discuss ideas are welcome to join.

Free. ursday, May 15, 6-7 p.m.

ELMWOOD CEMETERY

Digital Photography “101” Workshop

Learn photography from a professional photographer in this hands-on workshop. Free. Saturday, May 17, 8:30 a.m.-noon.

COLLIERVILLE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

May 23.

MUSEUM OF SCIENCE AND HISTORY AT THE PINK PALACE

“Opposites Abstract”: A Mo Willems Exhibit

An exhibit that gives children the opportunity to “make some silliness and take art seriously at the same time.” — Mo Willems Free. rough May 18.

CHILDREN’S MUSEUM OF MEMPHIS

Owen Westberg: “Thicket”

On ve-by-seven slices of aluminum ashing, and larger slabs of sanded birch, Westberg paints still lifes, views through a window, and landscapes captured in and around Pittsburgh. rough May 17.

TOPS GALLERY

“Speaking Truth to Power: The Life of Bayard Rustin” Exhibition

“Speaking Truth to Power” explores Bayard Rustin’s innovative use of the “medium” to communicate powerful messages of non-violence, activism, and authenticity.

$20/adult, $18/senior, college student, $17/children 5-17. rough Dec. 31.

NATIONAL CIVIL RIGHTS MUSEUM

“The Golden Age of Paper Dolls”

A private collection of paper dolls displayed throughout the historic house, including an area to try out paper dolls and make your own. rough

May 28.

DAVIES MANOR HISTORIC SITE

Thomas Dambo’s “Trolls: Save the Humans”

International Paper presents this larger-than-life fairytale, in which art and nature intertwine. rough May 21.

MEMPHIS BOTANIC GARDEN

“Three Man Show” ree local artists, Joe Umphress, Marc Wheetley and E.D. Bynum Jr., provide a very special expanded exhibit of their works. rough June 1.

ST. GEORGE’S ART GALLERY AT ST. GEORGE’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH

“Wanda Winsett Exhibition”

An exploration of light and color. rough May 30.

MEMPHIS BOTANIC GARDEN

ART HAPPENINGS

9th Annual Foundry

Invitational and River Exhibition Conference

A conference for foundry and casting artists including foundry workshops, a slide lecture, a pop-up exhibition, and an opportunity to participate in an iron pour. Wednesday, May 14-May 18.

METAL MUSEUM

9th Annual Foundry

Invitational and River Exhibition Pop-Up

F.I.R.E. conference participants will showcase personal work during this exclusive two-day pop-up exhibition. Friday, May

16, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. | Saturday, May 17, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

METAL MUSEUM

Artist Reception: Memphis Germantown Art League

Shining the spotlight on emerging and professional artists. Free. Sunday, May 18, 2-4 p.m.

GERMANTOWN PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

Meet the Artists: Colleen Couch and Dolph Smith

Meet the artists currently featured in the Mallory/Wurtzburger Galleries. Smith has inspired Couch’s own practice as a sculptural papermaker.

ursday, May 15, 6-8 p.m.

THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS

Troll Stroll Saturdays

Drop-in activities centered on omas Dambo’s remarkable creations. Saturday, May 17, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

MEMPHIS BOTANIC GARDEN

BOOK EVENTS

Juanita Tolliver: A More Perfect Party: The Night Shirley Chisholm And Diahann Carroll Reshaped Politics

In dialogue with Diana Townsend, the MSNBC political analyst discusses her new book about New York Representative Shirley Chisholm’s unique coalition-building. ursday, May 15, 6 p.m.

NOVEL

Figure Drawing (Clothed Model)

Figure drawing is back by popular demand! Artists of all levels can practice and increase their skills drawing the human form at Memphis’ art museum. $18/general admission. Saturday, May 17, 10 a.m.-noon.

MEMPHIS BROOKS MUSEUM OF ART

Grace St. Lukes Parish Hall Forum

Grace St. Lukes welcomes various community guests this winter and spring on select Sundays. Sunday, May 18, 9:30-10:15 a.m.

GRACE-ST. LUKE’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH

Hobby Kick-Start: Flowers in Containers and in the Garden

Educator and garden enthusiast Nadine Haire explains selecting and potting beautiful owers, and what might work well on your grounds. 16+.

$25. ursday, May 15, 6-8 p.m. THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS

Lightroom Classic Processing Made Easy

Learn how to edit your images like a professional. Free. Saturday, May 17, 1-4:30 p.m.

COLLIERVILLE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

continued on page 20

PHOTO: COURTESY METAL MUSEUM

by ompson Durant,

continued from page 19

Lunch & Learn: Bloom & Bow

A relaxed and engaging conversation with John Mark Sharpe, who will share his expertise on working with orals and ribbons. Free. ursday, May 15, noon-1:30 p.m.

MORTON MUSEUM OF COLLIERVILLE HISTORY

Lunchtime Meditations

Visit the Dixon for free meditation sessions every Friday. Friday, May 16, noon12:30 p.m.

THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS

Oil Painting with Judy Nocifora

An oil painting class appropriate for beginners and intermediate artists. Bring in your own reference photos or ideas to paint, follow her individualized instruction, and leave the series with your own completed piece.

$250. ursday, May 15, 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

MEMPHIS BOTANIC GARDEN

Peak of Spring: Floral Arranging Workshop with Midtown Bramble & Bloom

Join us for an enchanting oral arranging workshop celebrating peak spring owers like roses, lilacs, and snapdragons . $60/General Admission. Sunday, May 18, 2-4 p.m.

MEMPHIS BROOKS MUSEUM OF ART

Six Week Beginners

Watercolor Painting Course and Critique with Fred Rawlinson

Join award-winning artist Rawlinson and explore the world of technique, brushstrokes, color, and layering. Gentle critiques will be offered at the end of the class. is class is aimed at new students who have little to no experience with watercolor.

$350. Monday, May 19, 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. | Tuesday, May 20, 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

MEMPHIS BOTANIC GARDEN

Super Saturday: Art in the Park

A delightful a ernoon immersed in the vibrant spirit of AAPI Heritage Month.

Cra intricate origami owers, celebrating the national symbols of various Asian nations. Free. Saturday, May 17, 10 a.m.-noon

MEMPHIS BROOKS MUSEUM OF ART

TGYF Yoga

TGYF Yoga is designed for beginner to intermediate yoga practitioners. Variations are o ered to accommodate each individual’s level with an emphasis on correct alignment. $5/Suggested Price. ursday, May 15, 10-11 a.m. | Tuesday, May 20, 10-11 a.m.

UNITY CHURCH OF PRACTICAL CHRISTIANITY

Theatre Movement: Beginning Viewpoints

A perfect way for creatives

of all levels to explore their bodies in motion. Tuesday, May 20, 6:30-8:30 p.m.

THE EVERGREEN THEATRE

Zentangle: Pattern Art and Mindfulness Workshop

Inspired by art on view at Memphis’ art museum, art therapist and certi ed Zentangle teacher Paige Scheinberg will guide you through this meditative technique, helping you create intricate tangle pat $50. Sunday, May 18, 1:30-3:30 p.m.

MEMPHIS BROOKS MUSEUM OF ART

COMEDY

Comedy Night with Ben Pierce

Freewheeling hilarity on the open mic. ursday, May 15, 7 p.m.

BAR DKDC

Girls, Gays, and Theys

For fem and queer comedians. Everyone else is welcome to come and enjoy the stories and comedy Wednesday, May 21, 7:30 p.m.

LAMPLIGHTER LOUNGE

Open Mic Comedy Night

A hilarious Midtown tradition. Tuesday, May 20, 8 p.m. HI TONE

Rob Schneider

Rob Schneider brings his You Can Doooo It! Tour, featuring not only his legendary comedy stand-up show, but a very special musical guest from Las Vegas. $39.50/reserved seating. Saturday, May 17, 7:30-10 p.m.

GRACELAND SOUNDSTAGE

COMMUNITY

Grand Opening: The Beauty Vault Institute of Cosmetology powered by The Pink Salon

As the institute’s founder notes: “ is space isn’t just about hair—it’s about healing, hustling, and heritage. We’re giving our people, our city, the tools to win.” Free. Saturday, May 17, 1-4 p.m.

THE PINK SALON

Like Really Creative

May Collage Party

With curated tunes by Luvrs & Friends and dried owers by Floraline. Wednesday, May 21, 6-9 p.m.

THE UGLY ART COMPANY

Lupus Bowl-a-thon Fundraiser

is fun event aims to raise critical funds to support those living with lupus here in the Mid-South. Saturday, May 17, noon-2 p.m.

BILLY HARDWICK LANES

Paws & Pints

Cold beer, live music, and adorable adoptable pups — Paws & Pints is the ulti-mutt day out out. Saturday, May 17, noon.

CROSSTOWN BREWING COMPANY

CALENDAR: MAY 15 - 21

Colleen Couch & Dolph Smith will discuss their work, including Smith’s in uence on Couch’s own practice.

DANCE

Star Power

Competition with Star Dance Alliance

Star Dance Alliance is an alliance of the top international dance competitions, committed to bringing the greatest dance competition experience of each competitors life. Friday, May 16-May 18.

RENASANT CONVENTION CENTER

EXPO/SALES

2025 Spring Vesta Home Show

e 41st Annual Vesta Home Show. $20/Adult (Weekday), $25/Adult (Weekend) , $12/ Youth (Weekday), $15/Youth (Weekend) , $15/Military / Fire / Police (Weekday), $20/Military / Fire / Police (Weekend). 10 a.m.-6 p.m. rough May 25.

WILDER AT FOREST HILL

Life in Full Bloom

Senior Expo

Find information about retirement homes, Medicare and insurance, hospices, transportation, creative aging, hospitals, home care, assisted living, senior centers, and nancial services. Free.

ursday, May 15, 8:30 a.m.12:30 p.m.

AGRICENTER INTERNATIONAL

FAMILY

8th Annual Ruby Bridges Reading Festival

Children from pre-K through elementary school, along with their families and educators, are invited to this free celebration of reading, diversity, and community. Free. Saturday, May 17, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

NATIONAL CIVIL RIGHTS MUSEUM

Brandall Laughlin: Do Butterﬂies Make Butter?

e author will read her latest children’s book at this special story time event. Saturday, May 17, 10:30 a.m.

NOVEL

totally sustainable. Renewable energy is our primary power source, and spacebased solar power provides energy. rough May 23.

CTI 3D GIANT THEATER

Films at the BrooksJapanese Avant-Garde Pioneers

Amidst the profound social change and political upheaval of post-war Japan, a bold generation of avant-garde artists emerged in the 1960s. Learn more in this lm directed by Amelie Ravalec. $5. Sunday, May 18, 2-4 p.m.

MEMPHIS BROOKS MUSEUM OF ART

Met Opera 2025:

Salome

Music Director Yannick Nezet-Seguin conducts his rst

Met performance of Strauss’s white-hot one-act tragedy, which receives its rst new production at the company in 20 years. Saturday, May 17, noon | Wednesday, May 21, 6:30 p.m.

Family Fun Day!

Join the Metal Museum for a day of hands-on activities, demos, kid-friendly games, and fun educational programs—plus free Museum admission. Saturday, May 17, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

METAL MUSEUM

Pre-School Story Time

Enjoy stories, songs, art activities, and creative play that connect with Collierville history. Friday, May 16, 10:30-11:30 a.m.

MORTON MUSEUM OF COLLIERVILLE HISTORY

Story Time at Novel

Recommended for children up to 5 years, Story Time at Novel includes songs and stories, featuring brand-new books in addition to wellloved favorites. Saturday, May 17, 10:30 a.m. | Wednesday, May 21, 10:30 a.m. NOVEL

Wild! Community Day (All Ages)

Join us for a day at the Dixon lled with fresh air, the sounds of rustling leaves and chirping birds, eco-friendly activities, and much more. Live music in partnership with Women in Memphis Music includes Hope Clayburn on sax, ute, and vocals; and Shara & Sky. Free. Saturday, May 17, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS

FESTIVAL

The Cosmic Carnival: Community Art Festival

Touch down on Planet Luminarus for a day of art, music, and family fun at the Cosmic Carnival, a free community art festival at O the Walls Arts. Saturday, May 17, noon-4 p.m.

OFF THE WALLS ARTS

FILM

Cities of the Future 3D

Imagine stepping 50 years into the future and nding smart cities designed to be

Drag Queen Bingo featuring Brinka Honeydew

Friday night’s alright for drag queen bingo. Friday, May 16, 7-9 p.m.

MOXY MEMPHIS DOWNTOWN

Drink a Beer, Save a River

A portion of the proceeds from this event will be donated to support e Wolf River Conservancy. Saturday, May 17, noon-3 p.m. HAMMER & ALE

Food Truck Fridays at Dixon Gallery & Gardens

Admission to Dixon is free for good. Friday, May 16, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS

Hump Day Hangout

Celebrate patio season the Moxy way. Wednesday, May 21, 6-9 p.m.

MOXY MEMPHIS DOWNTOWN

Strangewaze

MALCO PARADISO

Oceans: Our Blue Planet 3D

A global odyssey to discover the largest and least explored habitat on earth. New ocean science and technology has allowed us to go further into the unknown than we ever thought possible. rough May 23.

CTI 3D GIANT THEATER

Secret Mall Apartment

When eight Rhode Island artists created a secret apartment inside the busy Providence Place Mall and lived there for four years, they lmed everything along the way. $5. ursday, May 15, 7 p.m.

CROSSTOWN THEATER

Space: The New Frontier 2D

From self-assembling habitats, commercial space stations, and rockets without fuel to the Lunar Gateway to deep space. rough May 23.

MEMPHIS MUSEUM OF SCIENCE & HISTORY

Wonka

Overton Square Movie Night in the Chimes Square courtyard on Trimble Place. Blankets and folding chairs welcome. Free. ursday, May 15, 7 p.m.

OVERTON SQUARE

FOOD AND DRINK

Canoes + Cocktails

A guided sunset paddle on the lake followed by specialty cocktails provided by Old Dominick, snacks from Che e’s, yard games, and music. A “cocktails only” ticket omits the paddling part. $35, $80. Friday, May 16, 6 p.m.

SHELBY FARMS PARK

Dinner & Music Cruise

Come enjoy a two-hour cruise on Ol’ Man River featuring live entertainment (blues & jazz) and a meal.

$50/General Admission.

ursday, May 15, 7-9:30 p.m.

MEMPHIS RIVERBOATS

Wednesdaze

Strangewaze Wednesdaze is o cially back for one night only. Enjoy food, cocktails, and axe throwing. DJ BizzleBlueBland, Cat Daddy, and Iron Mic will be providing the tunes. Free. Wednesday, May 21, 5-9 p.m.

HEALTH SCIENCES PARK

HEALTH AND FITNESS

Taijiquan with Milan Vigil is Chinese martial art promotes relaxation, improves balance, and provides noimpact aerobic bene ts. Ages 16 and older. Free. Saturday, May 17, 10:30-11:30 a.m.

THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS

Wednesday Walks

Take a casual stroll around the Old Forest paved road! Wednesday, May 21, 4-5 p.m. OVERTON PARK Yoga

Strengthen your yoga practice and enjoy the health bene ts of light exercise with yoga instructor Laura Gray McCann. All levels welcome. Free. ursday, May 15, 6 p.m.

THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS

LECTURE

Munch and Learn: A Self Portrait in Bushes and Clouds

Mary Jo Karimnia, artist and owner of Studio House on Malvern, addresses identitybuilding, including her own as an older female-identifying artist. Wednesday, May 21, noon-1 p.m.

THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS

Third Thursday Treks is month’s topic: galls — fascinating plant structures that serve as homes and food for a variety of organisms. Discover the intricate relationships between plants and the organisms that induce

PHOTO: COURTESY DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS

galls. Thursday, May 15, 4 p.m.

OVERTON PARK

PERFORMING ARTS

Bingo Loco

This group flips the traditional game of bingo on its head and turns it into a three-hour-long interactive stage show complete with dance-offs, rave rounds, lip sync battles, anthems, and confetti. 18+. $33.55/general admission. Saturday, May 17, 7-9 p.m.

MINGLEWOOD HALL

La Calisto

Opera Memphis presents Francesco Cavalli’s jewel from the golden age of Venetian opera, which mashes up multiple Roman myths, bending both gender and genre in a rollicking exploration of the human condition. Wednesday, May 21, 7:30 p.m.

PLAYHOUSE ON THE SQUARE

Memphis Magic Night starring Joe M. Turner, with Ben Pierce

The Bluff City’s favorite evening of magic, mentalism, and comedy. Enjoy laughter, legerdemain, and your choice of libations as you are amazed and amused. $20/general admission. Monday, May 19, 7:30-9 p.m.

BAR DKDC

Memphis Muppet Mayhem

Featuring host Fay Ludes, Purple Umbrella

Joint presents Muppet-inspired burlesque, drag, circus, comedy, and all. This is your chance to be part of a wild, felt-fueled, Henson-inspired spectacle. Sunday, May 18, 8 p.m.

HI TONE

Open Poetry Mic

Hear wordsmiths at their most creative. Monday, May 19, 7 p.m.

HI TONE

Open Stage

A talent showcase for all performers. Sunday, May 18, 6 p.m.

DRU’S BAR

Secrets in the Garden: Til Death Do Us Part

Witness the union of delight and deception at the Dixon’s first mystery event. Immerse yourself in a night of suspense where every guest is a detective. 18+. Free. Wednesday, May 21, 6-8:30 p.m.

THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS

The Live Breathe Fight Tour

Award-winning power couple Tamela and David Mann bring faith, family, and phenomenal music together in this must-see gospel event. $54.50. Friday, May 16, 8 p.m.

LANDERS CENTER

SPECIAL EVENTS

Drink-N-Draw Gameshow

Join for a fun night of drinking, drawing, and competing in hilarious gameshow challenges at our Drink-N-Draw Gameshow event. $10/suggested donation. Tuesday, May 20, 6-8 p.m.

WISEACRE HQ

Urban Trivia

Urban Trivia gaming. $33.35/general admission. Friday, May 16, 8-9:30 p.m.

MINGLEWOOD HALL

SPORTS

Meddlesome Mayhem

Get ready, Memphis wrestling fans! It’s time to rumble as live pro wrestling slams its way back to Meddlesome Brewing Company for a night of high-flying, action-packed, body-slamming excitement! Saturday, May 17, 6 p.m.

MEDDLESOME BREWING COMPANY

Morrighan’s Bluff, Amtgard of Memphis

A medieval/fantasy live action roleplay game. Come join the adventure. Saturday, May 17, noon.

W. J. FREEMAN PARK

Memphis Redbirds vs. Nashville

Sounds

$13, $86. Thursday, May 15, 11 a.m. | Friday, May 16, 7 p.m. | Saturday, May 17, 6:30 p.m. | Sunday, May 18, 1 p.m.

AUTOZONE PARK

THEATER

Cabaret

Cabaret is a fierce, meaty musical that pushes the boundaries of the form and literally holds “the mirror up to nature.” With a distinctly Brechtian dose of provocation and a Kander & Ebb score featuring songs that have become classics of the American Musical Theater. $26/ adult, $21/senior 60+, $16/student/teacher, $16/ military, $16/wheelchair space, $10/sensory friendly performance, $50/VIP immersive seating. Friday, May 16, 7:30-10 p.m. | Saturday, May 17, 7:30-10 p.m. | Sunday, May 18, 2:30-5 p.m.

GERMANTOWN COMMUNITY THEATRE

Caroline, or Change

In 1963, amid the civil rights movement, Caroline Thibodeaux, a Black maid for a Jewish family, is trying to take care of her own family as

the world around her is taking steps towards progress and equality. But change doesn’t come easy. Thursday, May 15, 8 p.m. | Friday, May 16, 8 p.m. | Saturday, May 17, 8 p.m. | Sunday, May 18, 2 p.m.

PLAYHOUSE ON THE SQUARE

Chicken & Biscuits

Can Baneatta and Beverly, two sisters at odds, set aside their differences to honor their father’s memory? It’s a challenging task when Beverly arrives at the chapel flaunting her ostentatious blessings. Thursday, May 15, 8 p.m. | Saturday, May 17, 8 p.m. | Sunday, May 18, 2 p.m.

CIRCUIT PLAYHOUSE

The Boy Who Kissed the Sky Inspired by the early life and influences of musical icon Jimi Hendrix, we see a young Black boy conjure his creativity as a budding guitarist. Told with vibrant music and daring imagination. Friday, May 16, 7:30 p.m. | Saturday, May 17, 2 .p.m. | Saturday, May 17, 7:30 p.m. | Sunday, May 18, 2 p.m.

HATTILOO THEATRE

TOURS

Memphis Music History Tour with Willy Bearden

A walking tour led by musician, historian, filmmaker, and author Willy Bearden. Hear about the musicians buried in Elmwood Cemetery: a Big Band legend, blues singers, horn players,

producers, music writers, and many more individuals who captivated the world with the Memphis sound. They’ll play their music at the gravesites and talk about their incredible journeys and legacies. $20/general admission. Friday, May 16, 5:30-7 pm.

ELMWOOD CEMETERY

Scandals and Scoundrels: A Tour of Elmwood Cemetery

Passion, crime, and the stories of the fall-out. Elmwood Cemetery is the final resting place of governors, senators, teachers, veterans, poets, holy men and women — all of whom have interesting stories. But some of the deep history found at Elmwood comes with a questionable ending. That’s where this tour begins. $20/general admission. Sunday, May 18, 3-4:30 p.m.

ELMWOOD CEMETERY

Tombs: A Mausoleum Tour

Let’s visit the mausoleums of Elmwood. What is a mausoleum? It’s an above-ground burial chamber for the deceased, a house for the dead. There are nine on Elmwood’s grounds, each with a unique story. Join to learn about the art, architecture, and history of the mausoleums found at historic Elmwood Cemetery. This is a 90-minute walking tour of the cemetery led by Elmwood Cemetery Development Associate Amanda Zorn. Good walking shoes are recommended. $20/general admission. Saturday, May 17, 10:30 a.m.-noon.

ELMWOOD CEMETERY

ACROSS

1 Make known to customs officials

8 Makes a decision on Tinder

14 Sending out a memo, say

16 Mother ___

17 *1956 sci-fi movie with Robby the Robot

19 Big name in classic video games

20 Undergo a chemical change

21 Self-referential

22 *2006 rom-com starring Amanda Bynes and Channing Tatum

27 Curvy letter

28 “Bien sûr!”

29 Obama ___

30 Put 10,000 hours into, it’s said

33 Forgets to include

35 *1961 musical for which Rita Moreno won an Oscar

38 “Wouldn’t that be nice!”

39 Word often repeated with a different pronunciation

40 ___-Manuel Miranda, creator of “Hamilton”

41 Texter’s qualifier

42 British P.M. beginning in 2016

45 *1953 musical with songs by Cole Porter

51 Tucker out

52 Fabulous writer?

53 Parts of the spine

54 What the film answering each starred clue was inspired by

59 Gay of the New Journalism movement

60 Rush of Black Friday shoppers, e.g.

61 Wearable by anyone

62 “I’m laughing so much it hurts!”

DOWN

1 Slander

2 Hams it up on stage

3 Ring figures 4 Large scale of the universe?

5 Et ___ (citation words)

6 Relieved (of) 7 Finish 8 Legendary snake exterminator, for short 9 Actress Raquel

Mad as hell

Write down 12 Linguistic suffix 13 Took a load off

Actor Richard 18 Classic game console, for short

Figure (out)

“Play that beat!”

Only female Israeli prime minister

Like many modern blackand-white films

Lil ___ X, rapper with the 2019 #1 hit “Old Town Road”

Bit of salty language

Some advanced degs.

above: Reuben Skahill, Emma Cool, Lee Olswanger circle: Annie Gaia

below: (le to right) Chloe Stanley, Kyndel Henager, and Joseph Baker; Mitch and Holly James; Eric Boyd and Hilary Romero; Shelby and Will Tucker

right row: (top and below) Connor Booth and Christina Rick; Shuler Tidwell and Andrew Mayo

bottom le : Mary McCown, Mckenzie Woodall, omas Boone

By Emily Guenther

Nines in Minor Arcana

e nines in the four tarot suits are connected to e Hermit.

It’s 2025 and our tarot for this year is card number nine — e Hermit. is card invites introspection. Instead of pushing forward, it advocates for a strategic withdrawal, a pause for self-re ection and understanding.

e Hermit is about assessing our past choices, nding wisdom, learning more, and sometimes being more reclusive or protective of our energy.

Each suit re ects the meaning of e Hermit card back to us in some way. If we can study and understand the meaning of each of the minor arcana nine cards, we will be able to see the whole picture behind e Hermit. And since study is part of e Hermit card meaning, it feels rather appropriate to do a deep dive.

the earlier numbers of this suit. You have struggled to nd purpose and joy a er loss, you have tasted the di erent things that life o ers, and you have le comfort in order to nd greater heights. Here, you have found them, and you are indulging yourself as you celebrate this new stage of your life.

e nine of swords signi es a state of anxiety, fear, despair, and overwhelming negative emotions. is card o en represents feelings of being consumed by worry, guilt, or past trauma. e suit of swords is concerned with the mind, logic, intelligence, and communication. But somehow the nine of swords was caught on the destructive end of the spectrum, the one which turns inward on itself, and then multiplies and festers. Questions are plaguing you, and you nd yourself reciting all the possibilities — all the things that can happen to you. You are haunted by what could be. e nine of swords must begin to understand the process of unresolved issues that has led them to this breaking point.

In tarot, the nine of wands signi es perseverance, resilience, and the determination to push through challenges even when feeling weary or battered by obstacles. e nine of wands is o en interpreted as a message to “keep going” and not give up, drawing on inner strength to overcome adversity. A er all, you’re at the nine card — you are almost there! e nine of cups is o en called the “wish card,” signifying the ful llment of desires, achieving goals, and the manifestation of dreams. A er a long journey, the nine of cups symbolizes the nding of self-satisfaction. e emotional journey of the cups is starting to come to a close a er the volatile ups and downs you faced in

Café

VOLUNTEER OR DONATE!

Don't Throw it Out, Fix it! We are excited to announce that Memphis Public Library will be hosting regular Repair Days in 2025 in partnership with the international Repair Café organization! We will invite you to bring in your broken items, clothes, toasters, books, whatever and have them repaired for FREE by our team of community volunteers and experts. If they can't ﬁx it, maybe they can point you in the right direction! Learn more at Repaircafe.org/en!

e nine of pentacles signi es a state of achieved success, nancial independence, self-su ciency, and the ability to enjoy the fruits of your hard work. is card indicates that you have reached a stage in your life where you are con dent, independent, and self-su cient. rough hard work, you are now ready to enjoy money, leisure, and material comfort.

MPL Repair Café MPL Repair Café

Don’t Throw it Out, Fix it!

MPL Repair Café MPL Repair Café

We're looking for volunteer menders, small electronics ﬁxers, bike repairers, and anyone else with a knack for making things whole! If you want to help and share your skills or donate supplies, please follow the QR code to our survey or email Anthony.Lucatelli@memphistn.gov for more information.

VOLUNTEER OR DONATE!

Our ﬁrst Repair Café will be Sunday June 1st from 1:30-4:30pm.

VOLUNTEER OR DONATE!

We are excited to announce that Memphis Public Library will be hosting regular Repair Days in 2025 in partnership with the international Repair Café organization! We will invite you to bring in your broken items, clothes, toasters, books, whatever and have them repaired for FREE by our team of community volunteers and experts. If they can’t fix it, maybe they can point you in the right direction! Learn more at repaircafe.org/en!

VOLUNTEER OR DONATE!

FIND US ONLINE!

We’re looking for volunteer menders, small electronics fixers, bike repairers, and anyone else with a knack for making things whole! If you want to help and share your skills or donate supplies, please follow the QR code to our survey or email Anthony.Lucatelli@memphistn.gov for more information.

Don't Throw it Out, Fix it! We are excited to announce that Memphis Public hosting regular Repair Days in 2025 in partnership with the international organization! We will invite you to bring in your broken items, clothes, toasters, and have them repaired for FREE by our team of community volunteers can't ﬁx it, maybe they can point you in the right direction! Learn more

We're looking for volunteer menders, small electronics ﬁxers, bike repairers, with a knack for making things whole! If you want to help and share your supplies, please follow the QR code to our survey or email Anthony.Lucatelli@memphistn.gov for more information.

Our first Repair Café will be Sunday June 1st from 1:30-4:30pm.

Our ﬁrst Repair Café will be Sunday June 1st from 1:30-4:30pm.

BENJAMIN L. HOOKS

BENJAMIN L. HOOKS CENTRAL LIBRARY 3030 POPLAR AVE. | MEMPHIS, TN 38111 | 901.415.2700

LIBRARY

POPLAR AVE. | MEMPHIS, TN 38111 | 901.415.2700

In the major arcana, the four nines correspond with e Hermit. e Hermit’s solitary presence and long grey beard suggest his maturity and understanding. e nines of the minor arcana suits all ask the same questions of themselves. What was it all about? Who am I? Where have I come from? Where am I now? Where do I want to go next and why? e Hermit has seen many cycles come and go. He even resembles Father Time, and his knowledge and wisdom are in nite. What he has learned has not come easy. He advises the four suits that if they have not found the answers they were looking for in their current cycle, they just might in the next. e idea is not to give up, even if what they look back on does not, in their estimation, amount to much. ere is no such thing as failure or mistakes, for all is knowledge and experience under e Hermit. Emily Guenther is a co-owner of e Broom Closet metaphysical shop. She is a Memphis native, professional tarot reader, ordained Pagan clergy, and dog mom.

FIND US ONLINE!

@memphislibrary memphislibraries.org

@memphislibrary memphislibraries.org FIND US ONLINE!

Don't hosting organization! and can't We're with supplies, for Our

BENJAMIN

PHOTO: SHARA CLARK

e minor arcana nine cards of tarot shed light on e Hermit.

NEWS OF THE WEIRD

By the editors at Andrews McMeel Syndication

Irony

Daniel Murillo, 44, was arrested on March 16 in Kissimmee, Florida, accused of repeatedly punching a 24-year-old female acquaintance as they sat in a car, The Smoking Gun reported. Things had gotten tense between the two after they traveled from Tampa but ran out of money; a verbal argument, the victim told police, led to the battery. Strangely, though, in Murillo’s mugshot, he is wearing a black shirt with bold white letters reading: “I NEVER ARGUE.” He was charged with misdemeanor battery.

Oh, By the Way ...

and continuing through March, the so-called “glory hole” has been busy draining excess water from the lake into Putah Creek. When lake levels exceed 440 feet, the water spills into a vortex that looks like a giant sink drain from above. The water falls 200 feet before rushing into the creek. Large amounts of rainfall have contributed to the higher lake levels.

It’s a Dirty Job

Passengers aboard the Cunard Line’s cruiser Queen Anne received an alarming message from the ship’s captain on March 13, the Independent reported. “This area is known for piracy threats,” the announcement said as the ship traveled between Australia and Manila. It went on to say that the external promenade deck would be closed overnight and “deck lights will be on to reduce the ship’s external lighting.” Passengers were also asked to turn off stateroom lights and keep their window shades down. A representative for Cunard said there was “no specific threat to the ship or its guests, and our onboard experience remained uninterrupted.”

Maybe Deon De Groot, 26, is the Easter Bunny’s little helper. The Guardian reported that De Groot was seen stuffing about $283 worth of Cadbury Creme Eggs into a duffel bag at a Tesco Express in Peterborough, England, on March 22. He also concealed some in his jacket. After store staff flagged down officers, PC Guy Cunningham asked De Groot, “What have you got in there?” to which De Groot replied, “Creme Eggs.” De Groot was sentenced to 12 weeks in prison, suspended for a year, and was banned from Cambridgeshire for the next three months.

Americans Abroad

Most Precious Criminal

Ukrainian American national Mykhailo Viktorovych Polyakov, 24, was arrested on March 30 after he made a visit to a remote island in the Indian Ocean, the New York Post reported. North Sentinel Island is home to a hostile, isolated tribe called the Sentinelese, and traveling there is banned. Polyakov was seen taking off in a small boat around midnight on March 29, with his only cargo a coconut and a can of Coke, which he intended to present as “offerings for the Sentinelese.”

Thomas Talbert, 18, was charged with felony robbery, theft, reckless endangerment, and possession of an instrument of crime on March 24 in Duncansville Borough, Pennsylvania, WJAC-TV reported. Talbert allegedly entered the Smokers Express Store brandishing a gun, with a face covering and gloves on, and demanded a carton of cigarettes and cash from the register. But Talbert’s “gun” was an airsoft gun, and he fled the scene on an e-bike, having only collected about $200. When authorities caught up with him, he initially denied the robbery, then admitted, “I did it.” He was held in the Blair County Prison on $50,000 bail.

Weird in the Wild Napa County, California’s Morning Glory Spillway, a passive spillway in Lake Berryessa, hadn’t been used since 2019, IFLScience.com reported on March 25. But starting in February

H.S. Dhaliwal, the director general of police on the Andaman Islands, said officials were trying to find out more about Polyakov. He did make it to the island but appeared to be ignored by the natives. He left his offerings on the beach and collected sand samples, then returned to South Andaman. Police say in January, Polyakov filmed another remote tribe, the Jarawa, while visiting the Baratang Islands. An American missionary, John Allen Chau, was killed with an arrow by the Sentinelese in 2018.

FILM By Chris McCoy

Local Hero

“Shine On! e Story of Tom Lee” dives into the life of the Memphis legend.

W

e’ve all been to Tom Lee Park, either before or a er its $60 million reimagining transformed Memphis’ relationship to the riverfront. Maybe you’ve seen the statue of a young Black man reaching out from a rowboat to rescue a person in the water. But do you know who Tom Lee was?

On May 8, 1925, the steamship M.E. Norman was sailing upstream on the Mississippi River, returning to Memphis a er a day trip to Pickney Landing. For some reason later investigations were unable to determine, as it approached Cow Island Bend, the boat suddenly capsized, throwing 75 people into the rushing waters of the Mississippi. Tom Lee was the boatman on a ski named Zev, making his living ferrying people and cargo from one shore to the other. He witnessed the accident and raced to the scene, where he started pulling people out of the water. He made ve trips to and from the accident site, ultimately saving 32 people — despite the fact that he could not swim. Lee became a nationally celebrated hero, even getting an invitation to the White House to be honored by President Calvin Coolidge. e Memphis Engineers Club bought a house for Lee and his wife, and the city gave him a job in the sanitation department. A er he died in 1952, the grassy stretch by the river was named in his honor.

and we just got excited with that possibility and kind of ran from there.”

Having just nished a conventional documentary, director Matteo Servente says they wanted to try something di erent.

that the public couldn’t possibly know … I wanted to really ground him in his humanity, and what he would’ve thought about the situation.”

In November 2020, the crew of Last Bite Films was commissioned to make a documentary about the Memphis River Parks Partnership’s Tom Lee Park renovations. “As we were in the process of that, we started to get to know the family of Tom Lee’s descendants,” says producer Joseph Carr. “We just kind of slowly started to realize that there really had not been any documentary or anything, beyond a few articles here and there, that made an in-depth attempt at telling Tom Lee’s story. So we decided during that time that we were going to try to tackle the subject. Initially, we had talked about doing a more traditional documentary, and it sort of just evolved from there based on what we thought we could do, how creative we wanted to be, talking to the family, how open they were to us, doing this in a di erent manner,

“We kind of thought about how exciting it would be to make a piece that was not just following those traditional patterns of the talking-head documentary because of the story, because of budget limitations, and also because of our creative need to try something different. We started talking about adding elements that are non-traditional in a narrative or even in a documentary, blending in elements like dance and sound design to a degree that was going to become almost like a prominent part of the piece.”

Amazi Arnett composed the music and wrote the screenplay for what would become “Shine On!” “Coming from Tom Lee’s point of view was sort of the product of all of our conversation and what Matteo wanted, and that made sense to me. We don’t hear from him. ere’s all this lore about who he is, but no idea about who he was as a person. It was important to me to capture that. Once we talked with the descendants, I started noticing all these little bits of information

In the lm, Tom Lee is played by Kenon Walker. “I think he just was somebody who was in the right place at the right time and decided to do something right,” says Walker, familiar to Memphians as the current Duckmaster at the Peabody Hotel. “I don’t think he set out to be a hero. I think he was in a position where he saw something that needed to be done, and he was in a position to do it … A lot of people today would’ve just sat on the sideline and watched that ship sink. ey might not have stepped up and done anything but recorded it, or put it on Facebook Live.”

e lm combines voiceover, reecting on the rescue from Tom Lee’s perspective, with some stunning images of the Zev on the river at sunset, and dance sequences by choreographer Steven Prince Tate lmed in the park. “We shot on the river, and so we had a lot of moving pieces that were not easy to pull o ,” says Servente. “We did our homework, but the crew really just brought it home … [Editor] Edward Valibus helped us nd the place and the amount of dance that was needed for everything.”

Producers Molly Wexler and Anton Mack raised funds for the lm and did the necessary archival research. “It

was a fascinating project,” says Mack. “We had such deep and rich conversations as we tried to work through this creative process with Arnett’s writing and Matteo’s leadership.”

“ e nice thing is that we’re such a good team,” says Wexler. “Anton and I did a lot of the archival stu , going through all the records at the library and so on, just trying to make sure we had the story correct. We also brought on Ryan Jones from the National Civil Rights Museum, who helped contextualize the story to make sure we got it right for that era, which was incredibly helpful.”

“Shine On! e Tome Lee Story” aired on WKNO-TV on the 100th anniversary of Tom Lee’s heroics. You can catch it on the PBS streaming app for the next week or so. “ is story is really evergreen because as kids go and visit the park, they’ll watch this lm ahead of time to give them some context of who Tom Lee was,” says Wexler. “It’s going to be incorporated in some Jim Crow curricula. It doesn’t have to just be isolated to Tom Lee. ere’s so much more to it that connects it to the history of the country.”

“Shine On! e Tom Lee Story” is streaming on the PBS app.

PHOTO (ABOVE): DARIEN JONES PHOTOGRAPHY Kenon Walker takes to the river while lming Tom Lee’s story.

Our critic picks the best films in theaters.

Final Destination: Bloodlines

The film series that traumatized the Millennial generation returns with more and stranger random deaths. But are they really so random? Kaitlyn Santa Juana stars as Stephani Reyes, a college student haunted by dreams of a catastrophe she didn’t witness. Does Death have it out for her family? Probably. But the truth is, Death has it out for everybody.

Hurry Up Tomorrow

Abel Tesfaye says Hurry Up Tomorrow, which debuted at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 Album chart in January, will be his final record under the moniker The Weeknd. This companion film is a musical incorporating songs from the album, and

co-starring heavy hitters Jenna Ortega and Barry Keoghan. The semi-autobiographical picture depicts The Weeknd as an insomniac musician losing his grip on reality in a series of increasingly psychedelic sequences. Sign me up!

Sinners

What are you waiting for? An engraved invitation to watch the best film of the year? Michael B. Jordan stars as both halves of The Smokestack Twins, mob enforcers who rob their boss Al Capone and flee to Clarksdale, Mississippi, where they intend to open the juke joint of their dreams. But a bluesman who can rend the veil of reality and a pack of ancient Irish vampires complicate their plans. Ryan Coogler’s masterpiece is now the highest-grossing original, non-sequel film of the last decade.

LEGAL NOTICES

2007 CHEVROLET SILVERADO

VIN: 3GCEC13C87G551081. Interested parties should call 901-2373720 within 10 days of this notice.

AUTO

AUTO AUCTION

2004 Nissan Frontier

VIN# 1N6ED276T04C446222

will be sold on 05/19/25 at D & R Auto Service, 2707 Lowell Ave., Memphis, TN 38114. Interested parties should call (901)801-8360 within 10 days of this notice.

AUTO AUCTION

Culp and Son’s Towing, 3614 Jackson St., Memphis, TN 38108, on Friday, May 16, at 2pm.

2006 Ford Explorer VIN 1FMFU73E062ZA19965

AUTO AUCTION

Auction at Wanda C’s Towing, 3614 Jackson Avenue, Memphis, TN 38108 onMay 16, 2025, at 2pm.

2024 Jet 2 Classic Moped VIN l5YTCKPJ6R1134624

2007 Kawasaki Ninja VIN JKAEXEA137A025995

BUY, SELL, TRADE

THE

LAST WORD By Frank Murtaugh

Preferred Pain

Why do we devote ourselves to a team when most seasons end in defeat?

Allow me to describe a level of emotional agony akin to organ removal without anesthesia. But rst, some background.

I’m a devoted fan of the NHL’s St. Louis Blues. is dates back more than four decades, to my family’s move from Southern California to Vermont. If you don’t have a hockey team in New England as a 13-year-old boy, you are excluded from 60 percent of lunchtime or a erschool conversations. Instead of adopting the Boston Bruins or Montreal Canadiens — proud “Original Six” franchises with regional draw — I chose the Blues, a team that plays in the same city as my beloved St. Louis Cardinals (a devotion that goes back three generations). While most of my pals celebrated the likes of Ray Bourque and Guy La eur, I found new heroes in Bernie Federko, Brian Sutter, and upon his arrival in 1988, Brett Hull.

Lots (lots) of springtime disappointment came with my hockey fandom. St. Louis made the playo s 25 consecutive years (1980-2004) without so much as reaching the Stanley Cup Final. A year a er parting ways with Hull (the greatest player in franchise history), the Blues lost to Hull’s Dallas Stars in the 1999 tournament. ey put up the best record in the NHL in 2000, only to lose to San Jose in the rst round.

But then there’s 2019. My St. Louis Blues started the calendar year with the worst record in hockey, only to discover themselves in front of a rookie goaltender (Jordan Binnington) and somehow beat the Boston Bruins in seven games to win the Stanley Cup for the rst time in the franchise’s 52-year history. It’s as close to pure bliss as I’ve felt — in the realm of sports — as an adult man.

All of which leads me to May 4th of this year. A er a late-season rally that included a franchise-record 12-game winning streak, the Blues quali ed for the playo s. at was the good news. In the opening round, though, they would face the Winnipeg Jets, this season’s winner of the Presidents’ Trophy (for the league’s best record). Each of the rst six games went to the home team, so the Blues took to the ice in Manitoba for Game 7 with a chance to shock a league and two countries. St. Louis held a 3-1 lead(!) with two minutes to play in the game … and lost. e Jets scored the game-tying goal with two seconds le on the clock, then scored the series-winner in the second overtime period.

I’ve actually had an organ (appendix) removed. Let me tell you: ere was less hangover a er that procedure than the one I’ve su ered since the Blues’ Manitoba Meltdown. And it has me wondering: Why do we do this to ourselves? Why do we allow professional teams to steer our emotional ship with such volatility?

In pondering this dilemma of fandom, I think of two now-cliched truths. First, as Jerry Seinfeld emphasized, we’re rooting for laundry. No Memphis Tiger fan who saw Mario Chalmers in the 2008 NCAA championship would become a fan of that player … until he wore the uniform of the Memphis Grizzlies. Secondly, as my wife o en notes (echoing many other spouses), “ ose players don’t even know you.” is soon a er the Blues’ collapse, I don’t have an easy answer, though I know it has layers. Had Winnipeg dominated St. Louis in that Game 7 and won a blowout, I would have moved on to baseball season the next day. And without agonizing. But two seconds from victory? Who are these “hockey gods”? If the players don’t know me, those evil ice spirits sure seem to.

We attach ourselves to teams for the same reason those strangers wear the laundry: We want to be part of something memorable, and with others. You remember the dreadful days and months of the pandemic. With no team sports, it wasn’t the standings or scores we missed, but the community. And the communal e ort. Now and then, miraculously, the communal e ort reaches the proverbial mountain peak, and you see your team — your strangers in familiar garb — skate under the greatest trophy in sports. More o en, you see your team’s season spoiled by another, and other fans celebrate your personal agony. We’ll get ’em next year! e older we get, the fewer “next years” we can count on. And this is a factor in my current hockey hangover. e corollary: I’m more grateful, with every passing spring, for the time (now six years ago) when the St. Louis Blues were the best hockey team in the world.

My hope is that you experience the bliss of a championship for your team(s) of choice. One will do. If you’ve stood on that peak already, save some rooting interest for the likes of the Winnipeg Jets (damn them), never champions, never nalists. If it’s about the journey, as they tell us, it’s also about forgetting the pain of defeat, leaving it behind like the discomfort of an appendectomy. e scars may not heal entirely. But somehow, in the land of professional team sports, they’re worth it. Frank Murtaugh is the managing editor of Memphis Magazine. He writes the columns “From My Seat” and “Tiger Blue” for the Flyer.

PHOTO: COURTESY FRANK MURTAUGH e author in happier times