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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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What Do We Do With All This Safety?
The Demon Barber
Summer Fun (Part
PHOTO: @ITSJUSTHALO
3) What I’ve been doing this season — and what I wish I could do.
PHOTO: COURTESY PATRICIA LOCKHART
THE fly-by
MEM ernet
Memphis on the internet.
PORK BEEF
We didn’t have time to completely investigate the social media/food beef between e Apizza Guy and Ballhoggerz BBQ. We’re only here for the Ballhoggerz’s response.
TO
It was menacing, but like in a friendly way, if that makes sense. Perfect Memphis chest thumping.
“Hey, yo, Pizza Man, I heard you was looking for me,” Ballhoggerz owner Merritt Bailey says into the camera, laughing and biting into some good-looking-ass barbecue. “You know where to nd me, baby. Rib Tip King doing his thing. 1401 Airways Boulevard.”
WHO TO FOLLOW
Lil Shirleys Boy hilariously checks in with white people (and others) a lot on Instagram.
WEEK THAT WAS
By Flyer staff
Questions, Answers + Attitude
Edited by Toby Sells
Execution, MATA, & Memphis Public Market
A risk for “another gruesome spectacle,” riders say progress is a “fairytale,” and a new food market.
EXECUTION
PLEA
An inmate’s legal team asked Gov. Bill Lee to delay his execution until the Tennessee Department of Correction can carry out the plan “in accordance with the Constitution, state law, and its own protocol.”
e request comes on behalf of Darrell Hines, who is scheduled to be executed on August 13th for the 1986 murder of Katherine Jenkins.
e Memphis Public Market is planned for two buildings at the corner of Madison and B.B. King in what organizers are calling the “HiFi District.”
POSTED TO INSTAGRAM BY LIL_ SHIRLEYS_BOY_
He’ll ask what they’re doing, cooking, eating, and more. en he’ll cut to some ridiculous social media video. His reactions — especially to “Caucasian situations” — are mixed but usually end with “just stop it, white people. I’m done.”
WEATHER PEE PEES
T0
Over on Facebook, e Damn Weather of Memphis was seeing, ahem, “weather pee pees” on maps. “We ride in marginal,” he said. “Expect random popups daily through September.”
e letter from the Federal Public Defender for the Middle District of Tennessee, Dumaka Shabazz, asked Lee for a reprieve due to Hines’ medical condition, which they said creates a risk for “another gruesome spectacle.” ey said Hines su ered a series of strokes, is unable to walk, and cannot move his le arm, hand, or leg.
Hines also requires assistance when moving. Attorneys argued that Hines’ condition could result in a “prolonged” and unconstitutional execution.
“He has major neurological and cognitive impairments,” Shabazz said. “He is in constant pain. e prospect of executing such a profoundly disabled individual is horrifying.”
Attorneys referenced the recent failed lethal injection of Tony Von Carruthers in May. Lee granted Carruthers a temporary reprieve from execution for a year, a er experts failed to locate “another suitable vein” for injection protocol.
MEMPHIS PUBLIC MARKET
A new food market is planned for two buildings Downtown, and the team behind it hopes to give the area around it a new name.
e Memphis Public Market is planned for the northwest corner of Madison and B.B. King. e two now-vacant buildings are Leader Federal Building at 158 Madison and the adjacent Hill Building at 164 Madison.
Transactions for both were recently completed by a new nonpro t organization, HiFi Memphis, a group established by the development team behind the restoration of the historic Sterick Building.
e plan will ll the buildings with vendor spaces for farmers, grocers, butchers, bakers, prepared food operators, artisans, and specialty retailers. It will also have business in-
cubation programs, workforce development initiatives, and shared infrastructure designed to help local food businesses launch and grow.
e HiFi Memphis team hopes to brand the area around the Sterick and the Memphis Public Market as the HiFi District. at plan “centers on vibrant streets and alleys, thriving local businesses, and strong civic infrastructure, both in the built environment and in the resources available to residents.”
MATA’S “FAIRYTALE”
Bus riders are saying a recent report from the Memphis Area Transit Authority (MATA) reads like a “fairytale,” as it fails to re ect the reality of public transit users and workers. e comments come in the a ermath of the release of the agency’s report “MATA Rebuilding Transit For Memphis.”
e four-page fact sheet touts “meaningful progress” they’ve made in restructuring and nalizing plans for the agency. Highlights include the procurement of $30 million in federal grants, 12 new xed-route buses for the summer, and a reported 71 percent peak on-time performance.
MATA said since implementing the trusteeship of Rodrick Holmes, they have paid more than $12 million in maintenance, insurance, and technology.
“ e work is not nished,” the report said. “ e agency continues to face signi cant challenges, including an aging eet, reliability concerns, and years of deferred investment.” Visit the News Blog at memphis yer.com for fuller versions of these stories and more local news.
POSTED
FACEBOOK BY BALLHOGGERZ BBQ POSTED
FACEBOOK BY THE DAMN WEATHER OF MEMPHIS
PHOTO: HIFI MEMPHIS
{CITY REPORTER
By Kailynn Johnson
xAI Action Demanded
e company recommits to building a wastewater facility, but Memphians want that promise in writing.
Community members asked city leaders to apply pressure on SpaceX by demanding a written agreement to resume building their wastewater treatment facility.
e demands come a er Memphis Mayor Paul Young took to social media to announce that SpaceXAI president Michael Nicolls said they were “committed to resuming construction” on the facility “no later than Q1 2027.” Young called this “an important step forward for Memphis, our aquifer, and the long-term sustainability of our city.”
is announcement was a response to an “inde nite pause” on xAI’s wastewater reuse facility. In April, xAIMemphis posted the following on X:
“xAI is committed to building a state-of-the-art water recycling plant in Memphis. is plant will protect billions of gallons of water each year. e team is currently prioritizing other more immediate projects at the site but our plans to build the water plant have not changed.”
During a Memphis City Council committee meeting last Tuesday, Memphis Light, Gas and Water CEO Doug McGowan said they learned about the pause in construction at the same time as the public. McGowan said he and Young then reached out to SpaceX leadership to discuss the future of the project, asking for a commitment to restart construction, to which SpaceX o cials verbally a rmed their commitment.
“ e reason it’s not restarted today and why it takes until 2027 is because they have to get an entirely new engineering team on the ground,” McGowan said. “ e engineers here are no longer here.” SpaceX’s CEO has promised to provide a “written timeline in the weeks to come.”
ese comments came shortly a er Young made the announcement on Tuesday. While McGowan and Young said they heard from the company, community members and advocates pressed leadership for a more substantial con rmation. “ is needs to be done [in] writing,” a Facebook user named Alanna Spears Cameron said. “ is company has proven time and time again they do not keep their word. SpaceX destroyed every single community they have invaded. Are you really gonna allow Memphis to be next?”
Sarah Houston, executive director of Protect our Aquifer (POA), asked the Memphis City Council to leverage their
power to hold the mayor accountable for a concrete con rmation from the company. Houston pointed out that Anthropic is currently using the Memphis aquifer, and Google will soon use it.
She also referenced a letter sent to Young and Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris asking for a public meeting on xAI’s water impacts. According to Houston, the mayor declined, saying “the city will not be hosting a public meeting on this matter.”
Houston said she didn’t expect the mayors to “have all the answers” but asked the city council to use their power to hold leadership and the company accountable. “We need some contractually, legally binding information so the community knows what is and what isn’t occurring,” Houston said. “We need SpaceX at a public hearing to provide a timeline on the facility.”
A wastewater treatment facility would save our aquifer water.
Councilman Je Warren asked if the city could make the company build the facility. Tannera Gibson, chief legal o cer for the city of Memphis, said they could not but have “protections in place” if it is not built.
“We can claw the land back, and we’ll negotiate what happens with any improvements,” Gibson said. “However the implications of clawing the land back with improvements is something that has to be discussed at a higher level. It’s quite easy to say what we would do if there’s a half-built facility, but what could we do? We don’t think about the funding or the nancing or all the things that kind of come into play in that instance. at part would have to be negotiated, but, in the instance, if the greywater facility is not built or if xAI decides to stop using the land for greywater, we can claw the land back.”
PHOTO: JOHN KASAWA | DREAMSTIME.COM
CALENDAR
THURSDAY JULY 9
CROSSTOWN ARTS FILM SERIES AS GOES THE SOUTH directed by BRIAN “B+” CROSS + ERIC COLEMAN 2025 | N/R | 45 min
7:00 PM | CROSSTOWN THEATER | $5
THURSDAY JULY 9
CROSSTOWN ARTS SUMMER RESIDENT ARTIST TALK
6:00 PM | THE GREEN ROOM | FREE
THURSDAY JULY 16
CROSSTOWN ARTS FILM SERIES CRIES & WHISPERS directed by INGMAR BERGMAN | 1972 | R | 92 min
7:00 PM | CROSSTOWN THEATER | $5
SATURDAY JULY 18
THE REVIVAL
7:30 PM | THE GREEN ROOM | $20 / $30
CROSSTOWN ARTS
By Bruce VanWyngarden
On The Fourth of July
All around us, a voice was sounding …
This week marks the 250th birthday of the United States. My country. Your country. A country that was once seen as a beacon of freedom around the world; a country that walked so ly and carried a big stick, that prided itself on straight talk over empty bluster and boastfulness. A country with a big heart, one that shared its wealth with the world through USAID, the Peace Corps, the Voice of America, through free medical aid and direly needed vaccinations. A country with open arms, one that was proud to welcome the world’s “huddled masses yearning to breathe free,” that even erected a statue to that ideal.
But this year it feels to me like we’ve never seemed more in danger of losing our soul, our heart, our democracy. Woody Guthrie’s 1940s lyrics never seemed less appropriate. is land is your land, this land is my land, From California to the New York island, From the redwood forest to the Gulf Stream waters, is land was made for you and me.
A Gallup poll released this week said only 20 percent of those surveyed were “extremely proud” to be Americans. at’s down from 70 percent in 2004. at’s quite a stunning drop, but if you start adding up the reasons, you can see why.
Jewish Americans are facing open antisemitism and threats to their places of worship. e president of the United States routinely labels Black Americans, including a former president and his wife, as “low IQ.” e Supreme Court is methodically dismantling civil rights and voting rights, and has overturned a woman’s right to choose. e hardworking immigrants who build our houses and harvest our food and do our dirty work for minimum wage are being summarily arrested and imprisoned, leaving shattered families and broken lives behind. Our military routinely assassinates people in small boats in international waters. Liars and racists and soulless sycophants work at the highest levels of the White House and Congress.
I’ve roamed and rambled and followed my footsteps
To the sparkling sands of her diamond deserts
All around me a voice was sounding is land was made for you and me.
Was it made for you and me? Our national parks are seen as corporate pro t opportunities — places where our history is censored and government propaganda
distributed. Our school systems are being defunded, our children treated as commodities, sold to private academies using public tax dollars as payo s. Our prisons have become a multibillion-dollar business, serviced by rogue federal agencies and an immigration policy designed to give them hundreds of new customers each week. Our free press is being taken over by vapid billionaires with no understanding of the First Amendment. When the sun came shining, and I was strolling
And the wheat elds waving and dust clouds rolling
As the fog was li ing, a voice was chanting is land was made for you and me.
Guthrie’s lyrics celebrate the American ideal, not the current reality. But this land was founded on the principle that the people rule, not kings. is land was made for you and me. Not for Donald Trump or Stephen Miller or Elon Musk. Not for Bibi Netanyahu. Not for Vladimir Putin. Not for oligarchs and billionaires and quick-buck preachers or come-lately media kingpins. You and me.
Our democracy is all we have. We should be outraged that obeyance to party and power are enabling one man to desecrate the hallowed symbols of our nation’s capital and build new ones dedicated to his own image.
We have fallen into a dark place, where the rhetoric of fear, hatred, division, and boldfaced lies have become normalized. We are better than this. I believe it in my heart, just as I believe this ugly fog of ignorance and greed will li someday. is land is our land. We just have to take it back. Maybe seeing one of the verses that was cut from Guthrie’s original version of the song will help: Well, as I was walking, I saw a sign there And on the sign it said “No Trespassing” But on the other side it didn’t say nothing at side was made for you and me.
PHOTO: CDONOFRIO | DREAMSTIME.COM
FINANCE By Lindsey D. Rhea
The Good, Bad, and Ugly
Don’t let the debt you take on today hurt you tomorrow.
Iwas reminded recently about a book by Brittany M. Powell on real Americans and the types of debts they face, which led me to think about all the people we see every day. What are their stories? Are they worried about their finances, their debt? If I could say one thing to them: They are not alone.
The average personal debt per person in the U.S. grew 5 percent year-over-year from 2024 to 2025 according to Intuit Credit Karma. Bright spots exist, however. They begin here, with a simple primer on good debt versus bad debt, and how to best manage both so they don’t spiral out of control. Let’s get started.
Good debt builds wealth. You responsibly manage it and pay it off.
Good debt is debt that you’re able to repay responsibly based on the loan agreement and is used to finance something that will offer a return on the investment.
The tried-and-true example of a good debt is your home mortgage. Many of us can’t buy a home with all cash, so we go into debt to carry a mortgage with a monthly payment. The mortgage debt, in turn, helps build wealth via a growing real estate asset, your home.
Another example is student loans. More education (past high school) raises your potential for a future higher income.
Bad debt harms your financial health. It’s usually put toward depreciating assets.
Bad debt finances purchases that will quickly depreciate or are used solely for consumption, like dining out on credit cards or borrowing at a high interest rate for a top-of-the-line car.
It’s also “bad” when it negatively impacts your credit score.
Well-known examples of bad debt are credit cards that carry a high interest on balances. Other examples: department store credit cards (which are well-known for high interest rates), auto loans, and vacation loans.
Like a home loan, many of us carry an auto loan … or two … or three. The good news is that cars purchased with a large down payment and shorter-term loan are classified as good debt. That’s because large down payments usually mean lower interest rates, and a shorter loan term means you’ll pay less interest over the life of the loan.
Think it through before taking on any type of debt. Use these guidelines to steer your thoughts — and curb your “gottahave-it-now!” urge, so that the debt you take on today doesn’t hurt you tomorrow.
• Potential return on investment: Consider the potential long-term gain in wealth building for taking on a shortterm debt. For example, when you buy real estate or take out an affordable mortgage on a home, the chances of the return being higher than what you pay is most likely in your favor.
• Affordability: Can you afford to make more than the required minimum payment so that you’re paying off the debt instead of making only interest payments?
• Personal need: This is perhaps the toughest one. But ask yourself this to distill the real source of want versus need: Do you need what you are purchasing to put yourself in a better financial position?
• Time to payoff: Know how long it’ll take to pay off a debt before taking it on.
Key to managing any debt — and a high credit score — is paying on time and having a credit mix.
The amount of your outstanding debt doesn’t always have a direct impact on your credit score, as in lowering it, but your ability to pay it off does.
Pay every bill on time, every month, and you’ll enjoy a healthy credit score.
A “good” credit mix also is key.
An ideal credit mix includes both revolving accounts, like credit cards, and installment accounts, like loans.
Commonly used FICO Scores count your credit mix as 10 percent of your overall score. Through this mix, lenders gain proof that you can manage repayment on various types of debts.
When it comes to managing debt like credit cards, a low balance keeps your credit utilization rate, or how much credit you use, at a reasonable level as well. This also assures lenders that you don’t spend beyond your means.
Today’s Takeaways
• Good debt builds wealth. You responsibly manage it and pay it off.
• Bad debt harms your financial health. It’s usually put toward depreciating assets.
• Having a lot of debt won’t necessarily hurt your credit score. Not making payments on time will.
• A “good” mix of credit can boost your credit score.
• A low credit card balance assures lenders you don’t spend beyond your means.
Talking about debt as part of a larger financial-planning goal should never be stressful or shameful. There’s always a way forward, and a financial advisor can make that possibility a reality.
Lindsey D. Rhea, CFP, is owner and wealth strategist at Alia Wealth Partners, connect@aliawealth.com.
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WHAT DO WE DO WITH ALL THIS SAFETY?
WHistoric low crime rates have come at a cost. Will we capitalize on the moment? Or will we let it pass on by?
hat do we do with all this safety?
Memphis is in the beginning of a historic moment. Crime — one of its greatest foes — has retreated for now, whether or not Memphians like the battle method.
e moment is here.
What do we do with it?
“We better take it,” said Duncan Williams, interim president and CEO of the Greater Memphis Chamber. “ at’s my plan — to help push and take advantage of it as much as we can.
“ is is a reset, and when you have resets, everybody needs to get in line and work toward the same common goal, which is the safety of our citizens.” e rst thing to know about Memphis capitalizing on this moment of historically low crime is that no coalition has been formed to do so. No group called anything like “Our Next Chapter” or “Memphis Next” or “Safer, Better Memphis” exists to organize energy around it.
Williams talked about everyone getting in line for a common goal. So far, there is no line, formally.
No alliance of varied government agencies, nonpro ts, businesses, or individuals has banded together to gure out exactly what we do — collectively — with all this safety. When asked, few speak of any new project being
launched speci cally for cashing in on this safety-centered moment. at doesn’t mean these organizations aren’t thinking about it. Most said lower crime simply gives them more breathing room to push work that’s already underway.
“Every major challenge Memphis is trying to solve becomes easier when people feel safe,” said Memphis Mayor Paul Young. “Businesses are more likely to invest. Families are more likely to buy homes. Visitors are more likely to attend events. Employers are more likely to recruit talent. Residents are more likely to stay and build their future here. Lower crime creates the conditions for growth.”
While the conditions have arrived, Memphis just hasn’t lived long enough in this calmer weather to understand it — or, especially, to trust it.
“What we’re in right now is a point where people have to actually feel it and realize it,” said Jen Prudhome Booker, interim president and chief marketing o cer at Memphis Brand. “You can tell everyone, ‘Crime is down 40 percent,’ but if I’m still seeing and experiencing crime in my neighborhood, my perception is going to be different from what the data is telling me.”
THE TENSION
Before we bask in the rainbow, let’s talk
about the storm.
Crime was already going down before Donald Trump ordered dozens of agencies — his Memphis Safe Task Force — here to ght crime. Major violent crime was down 40 percent in 2024 compared to 2023, according to the Memphis-Shelby County Crime Commission (MSCC).
However, crime continued to fall in the months that followed the MSTF’s arrival. Crime dropped 41 percent from January to March, according to the Memphis Police Department (MPD). Murder, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault — major violent crime — was down 30 percent in that same time, according to the MSCC.
Young gets all this.
“At the same time, it would be dicult to argue that the additional federal and state resources were not impactful,” he said.
Bill Gibbons, president of the MSCC, said certain aspects of the MSTF have been a help.
“Speci cally, I feel the surge in state troopers into the community, the increase in federal and state investigative resources, and the assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service and others in serving a backlog of outstanding felony arrest warrants have helped,” Gibbons said.
Has it worked? (Worked well enough to make machine guns and ak
jackets normal things at Starbucks?) Memphians likely won’t ever know, o cially. Reporters ask questions and don’t hear anything. (A Flyer query to U.S. Marshals on the number of ICE arrests carried out by the Task Force has been ignored for months.)
Memphis is being asked to trust that the intervention is working, but there has been relatively little public accounting of how it’s working. e Memphis press does irregularly get news releases from Dave Oney, in the O ce of Public A airs with the U.S. Marshals Service. Here’s the crux of one issued June 10th:
“Since the launch of the Memphis Safe Task Force initiative, o cers have made 10,017 arrests, including 92 for homicide, 1,012 for controlled substances, 962 for rearms violations, and 105 for sex o enses,” reads the news release. “Of those arrested, 293 were juveniles and 1,062 were known gang members. e Task Force has seized 1,708 illegal rearms.”
So, some of it seems to be working. However, there is one aspect of the Task Force that Gibbons — a former Commissioner of Tennessee’s Department of Safety and Homeland Security in a Republican administration — said he does not think is working.
“I don’t think the crackdown on undocumented immigrants has had an impact on violent crime, except maybe
to the extent they have been victims,” Gibbons said. “While there are some exceptions, they are not perpetrators of violent crime in our community.”
All of this tension is months old by now. Old but not stale, because Memphis still reels each day from an intervention some have called a “federal occupation.” And that’s even without talking about National Guard troops patrolling Cooper-Young Fest.
e Task Force debate will live on any time two Memphians ever talk about Memphis for the next decade.
In this story, we’ve just asked: What do we win? How do we make the most of the moment? And how does Memphis reorganize its civic life around an absence of chronic violent crime?
In short, what do we do with all this safety?
WHAT DO WE WIN? — MONEY
Oxygen, rstly. Breathing room. As Young said above and as many others said later, safety allows everything else to breathe. A lot of that symbolic oxygen is green with pictures of American presidents on it.
“It makes it much easier for outside money to come in,” said Williams of the Chamber. “When you look across the street and think about projects like e Walk, those become much easier conversations. Discussions about new hotels or additional development become much easier conversations. People are willing to invest money in cities they believe are investable. at’s the opportunity.”
For Tim O’Hare, a Memphis real estate broker and president of the Memphis Area Association of Realtors, people buy homes for lots of reasons that have nothing to do with crime.
“But anytime there are positive trends in the community, it helps reinforce con dence in Memphis as a place to live, work, and invest,” O’Hare said. “If Memphis sustains positive momentum over several years, that will likely encourage additional investment and strengthen con dence in the market. at’s good for the overall health of our community.”
Crime and economic opportunity are deeply linked. e Brookings Insti-
continued on page 12
PHOTO (ABOVE): STEPHEN POORE | UNSPLASH
PHOTO
CHARTS: CITY OF MEMPHIS
(top) Crime rates per year on average have decreased; (above) Overall crime has reduced and is trending down.
tution said it was loss of opportunities that likely led to the rise of homicides during Covid. Following this logic, more money into Memphis could fuel more opportunities in a cycle that could could — help keep crime rates low.
WHAT DO WE WIN? — IMAGE
Never mind the countless gifts Memphis has bestowed upon the world, when Memphians leave town they have to talk about crime.
Once, too, did New Yorkers. But Prudhome Booker of Memphis Brand said cities can choose what story they tell about themselves. For example, “New York” now conjures the backdrops of countless movies, not crime scenes (unless it’s Law & Order). Memphis can win here, too, she said.
“New York had challenges with crime and other issues, but they didn’t put those problems at the center of their narrative,” Booker said. “They put people at the center of it by saying, ‘I Love New York.’
“That’s a psychological approach. Instead of focusing on crime — a negative word — you focus on people, community, love, soul, and the things everyone can rally around. Those kinds of messages perform well because they’re rooted in collective identity.”
She admitted defeating crime in people’s hearts and minds — especially Memphians’ hearts and minds — will take time, and said “I Love New York” was a 50-year effort.
A new image of Memphis will pay real dividends, especially Downtown, according to Chandell Ryan, president and CEO of the Downtown Memphis Commission (DMC).
“The real measure of success is when Downtown becomes the place people naturally choose to gather, celebrate, invest, and connect,” Ryan said. “When that happens, the narrative takes care of itself.
“One of the clearest signs of success will be when the conversation shifts from ‘Is Downtown safe?’ to ‘What’s new Downtown?’ and ‘What should we do Downtown this weekend?’”
WHAT DO WE WIN? — NORMALITY
Maybe the biggest thing Memphis wins is not money, not prestige, but peace. Kids riding bikes. Neighbors talking on porches. Full parks. Community. Things violent crime has stolen from us that Memphians have not even thought about yet.
“For the first time in five years, my kids have been able to play in the backyard comfortably,” DeeDee Manning said in a consequential TikTok in October. “I haven’t heard a gunshot in two weeks.”
The video was consequential because
Manning said, “I feel safe. Thank you, [Donald] Trump” for bringing the Task Force to her neighborhood. The TikTok raised eyebrows, apparently lost her a gig with the Tri-State Defender, and later landed her on stage when Trump came to town for a Task Force victory lap at the airport in March.
But it evoked that feeling of neighborhood safety Prudhome Booker talked about.
“Everyone wants to feel safe in their homes and neighborhoods,” said Susan Deason, executive director of Memphis Allies, a Youth Villages initiative aimed at lowering gun violence. “This is especially true for people in the communities most frequently affected by gun violence — the neighborhoods where Memphis Allies is most needed.”
Allies has already served more than 1,600 people, of which 90 percent have not received any more gun charges. When crime rates fall, she said, Allies can identify even more people who make be at high risk and intervene “before it’s too late.”
“Gun violence exposure has lasting impacts on the physical and mental health and well-being of individuals and their communities,” according to a study from Johns Hopkins. “When
and reforms under a federal consent decree.
The lesson for Memphis is that lower crime can become a foundation for broader civic renewal. Newark used the moment to invest in Downtown businesses, housing, arts, and public spaces. Mayor Ras Baraka now describes the city as “transformed.”
• Richmond, Va.
Richmond was once known as America’s murder capital. Three decades later, its homicide numbers are a fraction of what they were in the 1990s.
The city combined tougher enforcement with community policing and a sustained focus on the people most likely to commit violence. As crime declined, Richmond reinvented itself around its riverfront, restaurants, and outdoor recreation, becoming one of the South’s most celebrated food destinations.
But success came with tradeoffs. Rising property values displaced thousands of longtime Black residents, reminding Memphis that redevelopment without affordability can create new problems.
• Baltimore, Md.
Baltimore’s homicide total fell to a 50-year low in 2025 after years of treating gun violence as both a public safety
GETTING THERE
Again, there’s not yet a Memphis coalition with a cool name that looks good on a 5K T-shirt. But collaboration is already top of mind for Memphis leaders looking at the city’s next chapter.
Young said the city’s work on capitalizing on this low-crime moment is already underway. The city is investing in neighborhood revitalization, blight removal, housing strategy, parks, youth employment and workforce development, and the creative economy “because we believe opportunity and public safety are connected.”
“The goal is not simply to reduce crime,” Young said. “The goal is to create a city where more people see opportunity.”
Collaboration efforts are already apparent for Dr. Joann Massey, president and CEO of the Memphis Shelby County Economic Development Growth Engine (EDGE).
“We are seeing organizations, government leaders, educational institutions, neighborhood stakeholders, and the business community working together around a shared vision for growth,” she said. “That alignment matters because sustainable progress happens when communities move forward together.”
Safety creates opportunity, but it doesn’t automatically produce prosperity.
individuals feel isolated, afraid to leave their homes, interact with neighbors, and participate in community functions, the health of the overall community is adversely impacted.”
Breathing new oxygen into neighborhoods where gun violence dominated could build back stronger neighbors, stronger neighborhoods and communities. Without the fear of gun violence looming over them, who knows what those neighbors may dream up and achieve?
COMPARISONS
Other cities have faced horrific violent crime and found ways to reduce it — without a federal task force like the one Memphis has today. We looked at four cities that found different paths forward. The lessons aren’t identical. Some turned lower crime into redevelopment. Some reinvented their image. Others learned that reducing crime alone doesn’t solve a city’s deeper problems.
• Newark, N.J.
Newark’s reputation for violent crime lingered long after crime began falling. But by the end of 2025, the city recorded its lowest homicide total since 1953.
City leaders have argued the turnaround came from more than arrests. Newark paired policing with community engagement, violence prevention,
and public health issue.
City leaders paired policing with investments in housing, employment, transportation, and neighborhood engagement. “Peace is also contagious,” said Stefanie Mavronis, director of the Baltimore Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement.
Baltimore also shows how long reputations linger. Even after dramatic crime reductions, many people still think first of The Wire. Changing perception takes longer than changing statistics.
• New Orleans, La.
New Orleans feels familiar to Memphis. It has long struggled with violent crime while remaining one of America’s great cultural destinations.
After recording its lowest murder total in decades, city leaders stressed that arrests alone weren’t responsible. Collaboration among law enforcement, prosecutors, violence intervention groups, and community organizations helped drive the decline.
But New Orleans also offers a caution. Lower crime has not solved population loss, poverty, housing affordability, or an economy heavily dependent on tourism. Safety creates opportunity, but it doesn’t automatically produce prosperity.
Ryan said Downtown safety will get an extra boost with a $74 million investment from the state for lighting, streetscape, traffic flow, and pedestrian improvements in the Beale Street Historic District.
“That level of investment will define the district for generations and send a clear signal to investors, developers, and businesses that Downtown Memphis is a place worth betting on,” she said.
As for the city’s image, Booker said Memphis Brand’s “We Are Memphis” will continue to build a collective identity for the city, even if it takes years.
“We’re still turning the ship,” she said, especially with Memphians who, according to feedback she’s heard, “are the last people to believe in Memphis.”
For Williams and the Chamber, the story of the city’s low-crime moment needs telling, retelling, and telling again, at high volume.
“The numbers are unbelievable, and we should be thankful that our city has received help addressing crime,” he said. “How that happened and who made those decisions is a different debate. The point is that our city is safer now than it has been in a long, long time.
“We should be screaming it from the mountaintops, and we are. Every chance we get.”
The Hot Tamale Capital of the World invites you to enjoy an eclectic
» MAY « Mississippi Wildlife Heritage Festival, including Frog Fest and Leland Craw sh Festival LelandChamber.com
Future Tour Golf Championship
» JUNE « Delta Soul & Celebrity Golf Event facebook.com/DeltaSoulGolf
Lake Washington’s “Straight O The Lake” Music Festival
» AUGUST « MS Delta Duck Boat Races at Lake Washington
» SEPTEMBER « Delta Blues & Heritage Festival deltabluesms.org
Gumbo Nationals greenvillespeedway.net Sam Chatmon Blues Fest facebook.com/SamChatmonBlues
Stephone Hughes Old Time Gospel Fest
» OCTOBER « Delta Hot Tamale Fest mainstreetgreenville.com/ delta-hot-tamale-festival
Highway 61 Blues Festival highway61blues.com
Monuments on Main Street Historic Greenville Cemetery Tour deltacenterstage.org/events
YMCA Cotton Classic 10K/5K Run racesonline.com/ymca-cotton-classic
» NOVEMBER « Roll’n on the River Car Show facebook.com/redwinecarshow
» DECEMBER « Christmas on Deer Creek LelandChamber.com
Mended Therapy
Combining mental health with a love of fashion, creativity, and sustainability, Mended Therapy was born. Ashley wants to show that although things may seem like they cannot get better, there is hope. Just like a mended piece of clothing is brought new life, the same can be said of us. She is here to walk with you through this journey with laughter, creativity, and challenging your beliefs about yourself. She is MENDED (and constantly mending). She hopes you will let her join you as you MEND.
Ashley specializes in working with LGBTQ+ populations and mood disorders.
For more information or to book an appointment, visit mendedtherapypllc.com.
She currently accepts most insurance plans. Self-pay is $125 for individual sessions
steppin’ out
We Recommend: Culture, News + Reviews
Fireworks, Minus the Sweat
By Kimberly Ham
For families looking to celebrate Independence Day without battling the summer heat, 4th Fest o ers a unique way to enjoy the holiday. Returning to the Renasant Convention Center on Saturday, July 4th, the free community event combines indoor family entertainment with a prime view of Downtown Memphis’ annual reworks display.
Now in its second year, 4th Fest was created as a way for the convention center to connect with the local community while showcasing its Downtown space. “We love when the Memphis community comes together,” says Alyssa Sandvig, director of marketing and in-house promotional events. “We’re really trying to utilize our building for Memphis and Memphians whenever possible.”
From 5 to 10 p.m., guests can enjoy an array of family-friendly activities, all included with free admission. e event will feature eight bounce houses, yard games, face painting, balloon animals, and a photo booth. Sandvig says the in atable attractions are consistently among the biggest crowd-pleasers, including a towering 24-foot slide that delighted her own son at last year’s event.
“It’s all free and open to the public,” she says. “You’ll see kids making friends, parents connecting with each other, and families creating memories together.”
e indoor setting o ers several conveniences that set 4th Fest apart from many outdoor July Fourth celebrations. Families will have access to air conditioning, on-site restrooms with changing stations, a nursing room for mothers, and a connected parking garage. With all activities located in one large space, parents can keep an eye on children while enjoying the festivities.
Food and drinks will be available for purchase from RK Blu City Catering, with a menu featuring classic Fourth of July favorites including hamburgers, hot dogs, barbecue nachos, and fresh watermelon. Adult beverages and kid-friendly drinks will also be available, with all menu items priced at $10 or less.
As evening falls, attendees can settle in for one of the event’s biggest attractions: indoor and outdoor views of the Downtown Memphis reworks display. Whether guests stay for the entire celebration or simply stop by for the show, 4th Fest promises a comfortable, family-focused way to celebrate the holiday.
4TH FEST, RENASANT CONVENTION CENTER, 255 N. MAIN ST., SATURDAY, JULY 4, 5-10 P.M.
VARIOUS DAYS & TIMES July 2nd - 8th
Sip and Stroll
Memphis Botanic Garden, ursday, July 2, 6-8 p.m.
Enjoy an adults-only evening at Sip and Stroll, a monthly a er-hours experience featuring guided walking tours through di erent areas of the garden paired with themed cocktails or mocktails. e event explores a unique seasonal topic, from the Radians Amphitheater and woodland trails to the Tropical Plant House and a trek through the Herb Garden. Tickets include two specialty drinks and the tour, with additional snacks and beverages available for purchase. Ages 21+.
Recreating the First Public Reading of the Declaration of Independence Canon Center for the Performing Arts, Wednesday, July 8, noon-12:30 p.m. Memphis will join communities in all 50 states for a live recreation
of the rst public reading of the Declaration of Independence on Wednesday, July 8th. Participants are invited to step onstage, take part in the historic reading, and sign a full-scale replica of the Declaration. is free, family-friendly event is open to the public.
Blue Heron
Malco’s Studio on the Square, Wednesday, July 8, 7-9 p.m., $12
A family’s fresh start on Vancouver Island unravels in Blue Heron, an intimate drama that explores childhood, family dynamics, and the hidden tensions beneath the surface. Told through the eyes of the youngest child, Sasha, the story follows a family whose hopes for a new beginning are threatened by the increasingly troubling behavior of the oldest sibling.
Red, White, and ZOO
Memphis Zoo, Saturday, July 4, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Celebrate Independence Day with a patriotic party at the Memphis Zoo during Red, White, and ZOO. Enjoy live entertainment from the Memphis Grizzline, a DJ spinning tunes on the Great Lawn, bounce houses, and festive activities for the whole family. Kids can grab red, white, and blue sunglasses and free Bomb Pops while supplies last, and visitors can watch the animals enjoy special holiday-themed enrichment with colorful frozen treats. Specialty food items will also be available for purchase from a food truck.
There aren’t many examples of Wilco’s experimental bent on their rst album, A.M., recorded at Memphis’ Easley-McCain Studios in the summer of 1994, though their particular brand of country rock was arguably an innovation itself, laced with touches of power pop — partly thanks to e Bottle Rockets’ Brian Henneman guesting on lead guitar — and spacier sonic landscapes, like the semi-calamitous breakdown and feedback outro of “Blue Eyed Soul.” Such sporadic ourishes set Wilco apart from contemporaries like e Jayhawks, though paled before other bands’ sonic innovations going on (e.g., the Gri ers) at the same studio, known for its “pro gonzo” approach.
Even then, Je Tweedy, the band’s singer-songwriter, had freakier sounds in mind. As he told Marc Maron in a 2018 interview for Maron’s WTF podcast, “my older brother had a collection of records that was really advanced.” When Tweedy was around 10 years old, he devoured his brother’s “space rock records like Hawkwind and Amon Düül and Kra werk and Aphrodite’s Child and all this really mind-expanding stu .” While many construe Wilco as a band starting with purely country-folk-rock origins, the synth- and feedback-laden sounds the band later embraced are the real sound of Tweedy getting back to his roots.
His spirit of adventure has in turn been wholeheartedly embraced by the eventual lineup of the band that stuck, lending their celebrated live shows a spark of spontaneity. at will surely be the case when they appear under the stars at Grind City Amp on Tuesday, July 7th, drawing on their three-decade catalog over two full sets (with no opening act).
Beyond that, the drive to experiment with sound has made each successive Wilco album a little exercise in world-
building. For the group’s Grammy-winning h album, A Ghost Is Born (recently re-released by Nonesuch as a comprehensive box set, with vivid liner notes by Bob Mehr), Tweedy leaned into this, taking on more lead guitar work and giving greater rein to his adventurous side. And thus was born not only a ghost, but a new version of Wilco — a er the album was done.
at’s where Nels Cline comes in, and the exploratory music he’d already made under his own name, as the Nels Cline Singers, or in various collaborations, reveals just how open to sonic adventure Tweedy had become. In fact, Tweedy’s playing on Ghost had already gotten Cline’s attention. “ at’s when Je really came to the fore, with tracks like ‘Spiders (Kidsmoke),’ on the guitar. So when he asked me to consider joining the band, I said, ‘You’re doing all this cool guitar stu now, what do you want me to do?’ And all he said was, ‘We’ll gure it out.’ en Patrick Sansone and I joined, and we ended up touring for A Ghost Is Born, and playing all the other stu , and now it’s 22 years — the same six guys.”
Cline was perhaps an unforeseen choice at the time, but he slotted into the role with considerable aplomb for someone who’d already, as a bandleader, released nine albums blending musique concrète and free sonic jams with meticulously composed jazz outings using stopstart leaps of rhythm and harmony. Even as he continues to get his non-pop music ya-yas out via ongoing solo and collaborative releases (like the series of trio albums he and pianistic experimentalist ollem created with guests like William Parker, Michael Wimberly, Pauline Oliveros, and Terry Riley), he remains an indispensable part of the Wilco sound.
“I wasn’t looking to join a prominent rock band, that wasn’t on my agenda,” Cline recalls. “I’d had a couple of touring
o ers, like journeyman kind of guitar work, that I had turned down. But in the case of Wilco, I knew it was going to be about unpredictability, exibility, versatility, and, you know, no formula. And that was very, very attractive.”
All those qualities neatly sum up the vibe of what is now a Wilco tradition since 2010, the Solid Sound Festival at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art, which blends the band’s folksier tendencies (Billy Bragg is attending the current iteration as of this writing, reviving the 1998 Mermaid Avenue material he recorded with Wilco) with music that’s a bit more adventurous (as when the Memphis-based Mellotron Variations played there in 2019, or when Cline’s own Consentrik Quartet plays the festival this year).
All experimentalism aside, Cline, like Wilco bandmates John Stirratt, Glenn Kotche, Mikael Jorgensen, and Sansone, always plays to the song, and the band’s decidedly non-formulaic arrangements
may be the ultimate expression of their chemistry. at’s abundantly clear in their 2023 album Cousin, which, under the helm of producer Cate Le Bon, takes the band in a newly ethereal direction. As Cline says, “the chorus pedals started coming out!”
Whatever the era or album they’re drawing on, Wilco embraces the tension between freedom and form. “ ere’s certainly a lot of give and take in terms of how we spontaneously arrange music and how we carefully arrange the music,” Cline adds. “It’s 99.9 percent Je Tweedy’s music, and it just seems to work. It’s very structured in some areas, and less structured in others. e set list does change slightly, sometimes dramatically, but I basically have parts that I play, and the wildest we get is usually playing ‘Spiders (Kidsmoke),’ that’s when Je really goes for it. It’s a droner with a groove, so it’s not totally free, but it’s really fun just to take it where it goes.”
ALBUM ARTWORK: AZUMA MAKOTO; BAND: PETER CROSBY
Wilco stretches out; (inset) Cousin
AFTER DARK: Live Music Schedule July 2 - 8
FreeWorld
Sunday, July 5, 7 p.m.
BLUES CITY CAFE
Ghost Town Blues Band
Ashton Riker & The Memphis Royals
ursday, July 2, 8 p.m.
B.B. KING’S BLUES CLUB
Baunie and Soul
Bringing soulful rhythms of music to life. Tuesday, July 7, 7 p.m.
RUM BOOGIE CAFE
The B.B. King’s Blues Club Allstar Band
Friday, July 3, 8 p.m.
B.B. KING’S BLUES CLUB
Brad Birkedahl
Wednesday, July 8, 7 p.m.
BLUES CITY CAFE
Brimstone Jones
Friday, July 3, 7 p.m.
BLUES CITY CAFE
Buddy Albert Nemenz
Playing tunes on guitar.
Monday, July 6, 7 p.m.
SILKY O’SULLIVAN’S
Computermane
ursday, July 2, 9 p.m.
TIN ROOF
David Ingle
One-man piano show. Sunday, July 5, 6 p.m.
SILKY O’SULLIVAN’S
DJ Bori
Keepin’ the dance oor movin’.
Friday, July 3, 10:30 p.m.
TIN ROOF
Eric Hughes
ursday, July 2, 7 p.m.
RUM BOOGIE CAFE
Flic’s Pics Band
Saturday, July 4, 4 p.m.
B.B. KING’S BLUES CLUB
Critically acclaimed American blues and blues-rock band.
ursday, July 2, 7 p.m.
BLUES CITY CAFE
Ghost Town Blues Band
Not your grandpa’s blues band, their live show has been captivating audiences across North America with a secondline horn entrance, cigar box guitars, and electric push brooms to Allman Brothersstyle jams. Friday, July 3, 6 p.m.
SILKY O’SULLIVAN’S
Jad Tariq
Tuesday, July 7, 7 p.m.
TIN ROOF
Jon Hay
Saturday, July 4, 3 p.m.
TIN ROOF
Keer
Saturday, July 4, 7 p.m.
TIN ROOF
Red Thomas
Sunday, July 5, 7 p.m.
RUM BOOGIE CAFE
Rockin 88’s
Monday, July 6, 7 p.m.
BLUES CITY CAFE
Rodell McCord
Friday, July 3, 10:30 p.m.
TIN ROOF
The Super 5 Friday, July 3, 7 p.m.
TIN ROOF
COURTESY HERNANDO’S HIDE-A-WAY
e Juke Joint All Stars
Devil Train
Avid Violin
Saturday, July 4, 9 a.m.
MEMPHIS FARMERS MARKET
DJ A.D.
Start your weekend at e Peabody with the best roo op party in the city. is Memphis-native DJ turns up the beats with house and dance music. ursday, July 2, 6 p.m.
THE PEABODY ROOFTOP
For 30 years, Wilco has been a pioneering force in independent music. Tuesday, July 7, 5:30 p.m.
GRIND CITY AMP
The Debbie Jamison Band
Tuesday, July 7, 6 p.m.
NEIL’S MUSIC ROOM
Elmo & the Shades
Featuring Eddie Harrison. Wednesday, July 8, 7 p.m.
NEIL’S MUSIC ROOM
John Williams & the A440 Band ursday, July 2, 8 p.m.
NEIL’S MUSIC ROOM
Wendell Wells Live Music
Discover the stories behind songs that made Memphis famous as Wendell Wells sings and plays hits, plus his own brand of honky tonk, cow jazz, and barnyard blues. Sunday, July 5, 9 p.m.
NEIL’S MUSIC ROOM
Zazerak Soul Jazz Trio Saturday, July 4, 8:30 p.m.
BOG & BARLEY
Asper
With Lyelack, B2B, Delyrius, and more. Saturday, July 4, 9 p.m.
GROWLERS
Civil Serpents
With Liminus and Torn Apart. Monday, July 6, 8 p.m.
GROWLERS
Deborah Swiney Duo ursday, July 2, 6 p.m.
THE COVE
Playing bluegrass, roots, country, Delta, and ski e. ursday, July 2, 9 p.m.
B-SIDE
Jazz Jam with the Cove Quartet Sunday, July 5, 6 p.m.
THE COVE
Mala Leche
With Kid Mestizo. Friday, July 3, 9 p.m.
BAR DKDC
Mason’s Children
With Michael Graber. Saturday, July 4, 12 p.m.
CENTRAL BBQ
Moriah
Celebrate indie artists on Independence Day. Saturday, July 4, 8 p.m.
THE HI-TONE CAFE
The Mystic e Mystic is a catalyst: through music and story, this night encourages all to strengthen attachments to their hopes and dreams. Tuesday, July 7, 6 p.m.
THE GREEN ROOM
The Pause
With ree vs. e Turnpike, A er the Rain. ursday, July 2, 8 p.m.
GROWLERS
Rnbey
With Billie, DJ Lunaci, and DJ
Shai. Friday, July 3, 9 p.m.
GROWLERS
Stay Fashionable
With Bea666, ought, and Social Capital. Friday, July 3, 8 p.m.
LAMPLIGHTER LOUNGE volition
With Slip to Dust. Sunday, July 5, 8 p.m.
THE HI-TONE CAFE
Yotuma
Monday, July 6, 7 p.m.
THE HI-TONE CAFE
The Dreamboats
A high-energy quartet known for bringing the sounds of the 1950s and 1960s back to life through live performances takes the stage for a night that will have you on your feet from the rst note. Friday, July 3, 7 p.m.
GRACELAND
Earnest Pugh
A powerful night of worship, hit songs, and unforgettable moments along with special guests. Friday, July 3, 7 p.m.
CHRIST MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH
Lil Wild Bill & The Juke Joint All Stars
A Memphis DJ and cultural instigator, Wild Bill is known for ipping any crowd into controlled chaos. Friday, July 3, 7 p.m.
HERNANDO’S HIDE-A-WAY
Live In Studio A Summer Series: Featuring Memphis Talent
From soul and R&B to contemporary sounds, this series o ers a unique opportunity to discover the artists carrying Memphis music forward. Tuesday, July 7, 2 p.m.
STAX MUSEUM OF AMERICAN SOUL MUSIC
Richard Wilson
Smooth and relaxing soulful jazz, blues, and bossanova. Saturday, July 4, 9 a.m.
CARRINGTON OAKS COFFEEHOUSELAKELAND TOWN SQUARE
Wilco
PHOTO:
PHOTO: COURTESY AMURICA Avid Violin
FRIDAY, OCT 9TH
FedEx Event Center at Shelby Farms
Join us for a fantastic evening of great tastes and great fun, bringing together bourbon and whiskey distillers from around the region PLUS great bites from some of your favorite local restaurants! VIP Admission starts at 5pm, GA at 6pm.
TICKETS AND MORE
CALENDAR of EVENTS: July 2 - 8
Send the date, time, place, cost, info, phone number, a brief description, and photos — two weeks in advance — to calendar@memphisflyer.com.
DUE TO SPACE LIMITATIONS, ONGOING WEEKLY EVENTS WILL APPEAR IN THE FLYER’S ONLINE CALENDAR ONLY. FOR COMPREHENSIVE EVENTS LISTING, VISIT EVENTS.MEMPHISFLYER.COM/CAL.
ARTS AND SPECIAL EXHIBITS
“Black Joy, In Spite Of ... ”
Bringing together 25 historical photographs and contemporary artworks exploring how Black Tennesseans have created lives of joy, connection, and purpose. rough Aug. 14.
NATIONAL CIVIL RIGHTS MUSEUM
“Land and Sky”
Susan Maakestad utilizes her decades-long fascination with highway webcams alongside a passion for vast landscapes to create compelling abstract paintings. rough Aug. 15.
SHAPESHIFTER ART SCHOOL & GALLERY
BOOK EVENTS
Club de lectura (Spanish Book Club)
Este club de lectura del Dixon les invita a compartir sus experiencias de lectura en español a través del título seleccionado del mes. Tuesday, July 7, 6 p.m.
DIXON GALLERY AND GARDENS
COMMUNITY
Sip and Stroll
Join an a er-hours walking tour of a highlighted specialty garden featuring themed cocktails and mocktails. 21+. $35. ursday, July 2, 6 p.m.
MEMPHIS BOTANIC GARDEN
CLASS/WORKSHOP
Kokedama Moss Ball Workshop
Learn the art and science of houseplants, kokedama style! Turn your favorite houseplant into living art. $67. Sunday, July 5, 2 p.m.
URBAN EARTH
COMEDY
Friday Night Laughs Hosted by Wild Beale
See some of the best comics in Memphis work their sets alongside some of the best national traveling comics. Friday, July 3, 8:30 p.m.
SMOOTH LIVING
FAMILY
Orange Mound Maker Space
Kids of all ages can utilize the incredible Maker Space and use STEM equipment including, a 3D printer, Bee-Bots, Makey Makey’s, and Sphero. ursday, July 2, 10:30 a.m.
ORANGE MOUND LIBRARY
Experimental Photography
Camp is course is all about lm photography and the many ways kids can manipulate it. Monday, July 6-Wednesday, July 8, 8:30 a.m.
MEMPHIS BROOKS MUSEUM
FILM
Blue Heron
In the late 1990s, a family of six settles into their new home on Vancouver Island, as internal dynamics are slowly revealed through the experiences of the youngest child. Wednesday, July 8, 7 p.m.
MALCO’S STUDIO ON THE SQUARE
HOLIDAY EVENTS
4th Fest
PHOTO: COURTESY SHAPESHIFTER ART SCHOOL & GALLERY
Experience an unforgettable evening lled with music, food, face painting, bounce houses, yard games, photo booths, and reworks. Free.
Saturday, July 4, 5 p.m.
RENASANT CONVENTION CENTER
Blue Star Memorial Marker Tour
Along with Germantown Garden Club, celebrate America’s 250th birthday with a garden full of patriotic color. Free. Wednesday, July 8, 10 a.m.
MEMPHIS BOTANIC GARDEN
ACROSS
1 Many flat screens
6 “Red, white and blue” land, for short
11 Zero, in soccer scores
14 Quintet followed by “… and sometimes Y”
15 Absolute minimum
16 Rocks sent to a refinery
17 Devil-may-care
19 Piece of lawn
20 Actor Guinness of “Star Wars”
21 Fashion line?
22 Summer romance, perhaps
24 Town crier’s cry
28 Diamond great Ripken
In her “Land and Sky” show, Susan Maakestad depicts vast landscapes in Hollows.
Fireworks Extravaganza
Celebrate Independence Day with live entertainment, cra s, refreshments, and a spectacular reworks display. Saturday, July 4, 5 p.m.
MUNICIPAL PARK
Independence Day on the River Celebrate the Fourth in Downtown Memphis
Crossword
31 Gives a red card, in short
32 Lerner’s partner on Broadway
33 Carne ___ (burrito filler)
35 Broadband letters
36 Touch
39 Bar request … or hint to the letters in the circles
43 German auto sold mainly in Europe
44 Reaction to a body blow
45 Latches (onto) 46 Élan
48 Offering from Hertz or National
50 Messagespewing program
51 Rock drummer whose last name is the same as his band
55 Gift recipient
56 Eggs for fertilization
57 Petri dish medium
61 Hour after midnight
62 Accessing, as a passwordrestricted website
66 Race, as an engine
67 Pick up the tab for
68 Be of use
69 Slice of time
70 Dark wood
71 Midler of “Beaches” DOWN
1 ___ funny (genuinely humorous)
2 “You’re on!”
3 Goodyear product
4 Give personal assurance (for)
5 Total 6 Belly aches?
7 Run-down
8 Crew blade
9 The Seminoles of the A.C.C.
Charge to get cash from a bank, say
“Absolutely, positively not!”
with a
with reworks, live music, and unforgettable views. Saturday, July 4, 6 p.m.
TOM LEE PARK
Red, White, and ZOO
Family-friendly Independence Day celebration with food and activities for all. Saturday, July 4, 10 a.m.
MEMPHIS ZOO
LECTURE
Munch and Learn:
The World of Boxwood Confused identi cation of boxwood has been a serious problem with e cient marketing and choice of specimens. e results of Lynn Batdorf’s work are informative publications on Buxus cultivation and accurate identication. Free. Wednesday, July 8, noon.
DIXON GALLERY AND GARDENS
THEATER
Sweeney Todd
An unjustly exiled barber, who returns to 19thcentury London seeking revenge, partnering with a pie-maker, Mrs. Lovett, to dispose of his victims in her pies, leading to a gruesome and darkly comedic tale. ursday, July 2-Friday, July 3, 7 p.m. | Sunday, July 5, 2 p.m.
PLAYHOUSE ON THE SQUARE
Edited by Will Shortz No. 0701
G.I. garb,
PUZZLE
We Saw You.
with MICHAEL DONAHUE
Another We Saw You edition of “People Around Town.”
My roving cell phone snapped people at Pete & Sam’s, the courtyard next to Earnestine & Hazel’s, Huey’s, Carlisle’s Cash Saver in Holly Springs, Mississippi, Tops Bar-B-Q & Burgers on Rhodes Avenue, and at Otis Sanford’s signing of his new book, Newsman: e Road from Route 2 Box 9, at Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library.
MICHAEL DONAHUE above: Laura Lazar, omas Smith circle: Carol Bragg, Frances omas below: (le to right) Ashley, John, and John Yacoubian; Otis and Elaine Sanford; Allie Neuman, Rayford Haaga, Mattie Berger; Nick Buchholz, Mike Buziak
bottom row: (le to right) Will Johns, Lizzie Pierotti, Lauren Lewis, Hannah Roberts, Maddie Gonzales, Jackson Swoap, Jordan Shermer, Macy Shermer, Sophie Stockstill, Anna Catron Roberts, Gabe Roberts; Jason and Courtney Polley
PHOTOS:
above: Dr. Kenneth Whalum, Larry Rice, Sheila Whalum circle: Amanda Adair
right row: (top and below) Carey McCarter, Sandra Fox, Carol and Tom Krueger, John Fox Jr.; John May, Stuart Webb, John Webb, Kathy May, Dana Webb, Claire Berry, Jake Webb below: (le to right) Mattie, Charlie, Camp, Meredith, and Andy Irwin; Ingrid Busby, John and Debbie Monroe; Carter Wenger, Alexis Jade bottom le : James McKenna, Kevin Nickolas, Chris Yard, Drew Killebrew, Alex Nanez
FOOD By Michael Donahue
Go Fetch — This Healthy Dog Food
e Good Dog Dish is made locally.
Stella and Buddy were the inspirations for e Good Dog Dish, a locally made whole, fresh, human-grade dog food company.
It’s no surprise that Stella and Buddy fall in the four-legged category.
“We make people food for dogs,” says founder/owner Michael Parsons. “It’s real food: chicken, ground turkey, fresh veggies, sweet potatoes, carrots, green beans, rice,” he says. “ en we have a supplement blend we add that provides the micronutrients.”
at’s to make their dog food complete and balanced.
It comes frozen. “So our customers thaw it in the refrigerator overnight. It has the consistency of a chicken salad.”
People are surprised to discover it’s “edible for people,” Parsons says. Some of their friends recently tried it during an outing at a lake. One of them said it tasted like chicken salad without the mayonnaise and grapes.
eir dog food-making saga began with Buddy, a dog owned by Parsons, the band director at Briarcrest Christian School, and his wife, Liz, who is the choir director at the school and a retired longtime pianist in the Memphis Symphony Chorus. “Buddy developed kidney disease and he passed away during the height of Covid in 2021,” he says. “It was so devastating. It was like losing a child.” ey realized Buddy’s diet was to blame. “We had no idea what we were feeding him [or] what was the healthier option.”
Enter Stella, a rescue dog. “We were super lonely,” Parsons says. “We decided to adopt her and feed her the best quality food possible.”
“If all you did was eat processed food all the time, you wouldn’t be very healthy,” he adds. “ e more you can eat real, nutritious food, the healthier you tend to be. e same thing with dogs.”
Parsons remembers a slogan about canines: “ ey’re not just dogs. ey’re not just pets. ey’re family.”
“ ey have unconditional love,” he says. “Whether you’re in a good mood or a bad mood, they’re going to love you the same.”
Parsons began making dog food at home in their kitchen and freezing it. He would roast a whole chicken and break it down. He doesn’t season
PHOTOS:
MICHAEL DONAHUE (right) Liz, Stella, and Michael Parsons; (below) Stella Parsons
about once every two weeks and they produce 500 pounds of fresh, humangrade dog food,” he says.
All the ingredients come from Sysco and Restaurant Depot.
ey’ve also provided dog food recipes “for certain customers who have dogs with physical ailments.”
Dr. Susan Lauton, a vet nutritionist at University of Tennessee at Knoxville, was able to design recipes especially for a dog with cancer and another with kidney disease. “ ey’ve been on this food for nine, almost 10 months, and they’re doing great,” Parsons says.
“The more you can eat real, nutritious food, the healthier you tend to be. The same with dogs.”
anything because so many things are toxic to dogs. He made the food “100 percent natural as possible.”
“ at was my routine for a few years,” he says. “Every Monday night, make a large batch for the week for Stella. I was doing this for about four or ve years.
“I’ve always loved cooking, and I love experimenting in the kitchen,” Parsons continues. “It was a fun thing for me to do: Create recipes for our dog. For a little while, I didn’t tell a lot of people about it. It seemed a little strange. Making homemade dog food.”
en someone asked Parsons to make some of his healthy dog food for their dog. at led to the idea two years ago of putting the dog food on the market. But it was a matter of nding the time to do it. So, when summer break came last year, the Parsons family “hit the ground running.”
“We hired a board-certi ed canine nutritionist to develop our recipes,” Parsons says. “We got it about 90 percent of the way, but the
vet nutritionist added some of the supplements we were lacking. She made it complete and balanced.
“Part of the reason I wanted to lock arms with some industry professionals is there are foods that aren’t healthy for dogs. Onions are a no-go. Obviously, chocolate. What I think our product does is take the guesswork out for the customers, so they aren’t having to do their own research and take the risk of adding something bad.”
Like nutmeg. He heard of someone who was feeding their pet homemade dog biscuits made with nutmeg, “which is poisonous to dogs,” he says. “Everything in our product is safe and nutritious.”
ey currently have four recipes in e Good Dog Dish line. ey o er chicken, turkey, beef, and, “We just rolled out our wild salmon recipe,” Parsons says.
Stella is their logo.
Everything is now made at Memphis Kitchen Co-Op. “We have a team of seven chefs that go in
As for the price: “You can get my dog food for as cheap as $5 a pound,” he says. “For a small dog, that goes a very long way.”
Parsons’ goal is to o er his dog food for “at least 20 percent, if not 40 percent less than the national brands. I wanted customers all over the city of Memphis to be able to a ord this food.”
ey’re also charitable. “We try to donate 10 percent of our proceeds to the local animal shelters,” Parsons says. “We support Tails of Hope, Memphis Humane Society, and we’ve also supported the Memphis Animal Shelter. I see it almost as our tithe back to the community.”
e Good Dog Dish is currently in three retail spaces: Memphis Kitchen Co-Op, High Point Grocery, and Collierville’s Oh, Grate!, where “it has been selling out like crazy.”
ey also provide a subscription service for customers “who prefer having the dog food delivered straight to their door.”
Parsons is working on a line of whole-food ingredient dog treats. And he’s been asked to come up with a healthy cat food. “Memphis is a big cat town,” Parsons says.
“Right now we’re locked in to what we do best.”
ARTS By Gracie Driver
‘Bodies of Water’
e photography exhibit at Brooks Museum explores universal connection.
Does water connect us or divide us? AustrianNigerian photographer and lmmaker David Uzochukwu explores his answer in the 22-piece collection “Bodies of Water” at the Brooks Museum.
Uzochukwu began this exhibition in 2015 a er looking through photos captured during the European refugee crisis. Uzochukwu says, “ ere was a lot of violence in those images, and I thought a lot about the relationship between water and our bodies and the ways in which water is political.” Uzochukwu draws inspiration from both history and mythology.
e heart of his collection, Styx (2021), captures the reality of the crisis by depicting a group of people on a rock in the middle of water, mimicking the many photos of overcrowded boats striving for shore. e body of water that inspired the piece’s title, Styx, is a main river that leads to the underworld in Greek mythology. Uzochukwu says, “I wanted to counter that [photos from the crisis] with images where I rethought this relationship and tried to instill it with a sense of autonomy and community while monitoring the urgency that these people felt.”
Curator of “Bodies of Water,” Efeoghene Igor Coleman, discussed the universal quality each piece holds, in that we all share a connection with the sea. Coleman is an independent curator and scholar specializing in African diasporic art. She holds a Ph.D. in history from Yale University and has served at the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, as well as the
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York City.
Coleman has followed along and remained in conversation with Uzochukwu since 2016, when he was just 18 years old. Her passion for his art was evident during the tour she led through the installation. “Bodies of Water” is a personal and precious milestone for Coleman and Uzochukwu, as this is the rst solo formal museum exhibition for both of them.
Uzochukwu got started in self-portraiture as a way of exploring his identity and
developing his skill with the camera. His seasoned experience in traveling all over the world is re ected in the far reaches of his imprint on the artistic world. Journals from London, New York, Shanghai, and Mexico City have all showcased his work, as well as public collections in Switzerland, Senegal, and Canada.
Each photograph begins with an idea sorted out by sketching the design. Hiring the model(s) and choosing the location solidi es his vision, and a erward he’ll begin editing to morph quite fantastically
the bridge between human, animal, plant life, water, and other inanimate objects. Some ideas, however, don’t always go as expected. In Broken From e Colony (2022) Uzochukwu explains that resources won’t always be available, depending on where they’re shooting. His selected location didn’t have the coral he was looking for, so he had to adapt. He started photographing the banana plants, and that created an even deeper meaning to his work. e two human subjects hug onto one another as their bodies intertwine and become the banana plants. His process is o en uid, like the water that inspires him.
Coral (2019) is particularly unique from the group because the piece doesn’t use a model in its entirety, but rather a cast of one that is transformed into a sculpture. e so expression of the subject and warm red hue of the median are illuminated by the silhouette of her face, and are surrounded by a pure black background that makes the piece pop. e curation of the exhibit is thoughtfully cra ed for your viewing. Coleman says, “ ere’s an invitation for a lot of these works by playing with the scale.” ey want you to step in and back away in an interactive style to get a full understanding of each piece. Uzochukwu was particularly excited to see his work textualized, rather than being digitally represented.
e exhibit will be on display until Sept. 27th, when the Brooks Museum temporarily closes for its long-anticipated move to its Downtown location.
is collaborative performance is delightfully disturbing.
The stormy weather that Saturday lent an appropriate pall of gloom over Playhouse on the Square and Opera Memphis’ collaborative performance of Sweeney Todd: e Demon Barber of Fleet Street, but the rain didn’t dampen the spirits of the sold-out show, a blend of operatic style and Broadway camp. e combination was delectable.
ingly to his razors, calling them his “friends,” would be a step too far if Todd didn’t subsequently take his “relationship” with his knives even farther, giving more attention and credence to the instruments of his retribution than to the actual people around him. In this, Sweeney is blind, and as we ultimately nd out, his complete failure to see what lies plainly in front of him becomes a central theme and driving force of the musical.
e history of the demon barber of Fleet Street stretches back to Victorian England, with the character of Sweeney Todd rst appearing in an 1846 penny dreadful titled e String of Pearls, as noted in the production’s program. e people of the Victorian age were insatiable in their appetite for the macabre, a fascination that has carried through to the modern age, if this musical’s lingering following is anything to judge by. e story was adapted to a stage play in 1970 with a musical version following soon a er in 1979, with music written by the legendary Stephen Sondheim. I distinctly remember seeing Tim Burton’s lm version on my birthday in 2007. is musical stands the test of time, for good reason. Its dark and horri c themes are tempered by black humor and the aforementioned camp. ere is nothing too outrageous or gaudy for a production of Sweeney Todd. Bright red lights, gaunt makeup, and buckets of “blood” only serve to balance the gravity of the story. Sweeney Todd, a barber formerly known as Benjamin Barker, has been falsely accused and exiled from England by a corrupt judge. Serving his unjust sentence for 15 years, he manages to escape and returns to London under a new name to seek vengeance. is is a plot that has been explored before, and while it may bring to mind Les Miserables or e Count of Monte Cristo, the story soon diverges from familiar paths. Todd becomes obsessed, consumed by his need for revenge to a degree that wildly accelerates his downfall.
is particular production included a cast of both actors in the traditional sense and also those trained and seasoned in opera. Seeing this collaborative performance was an experience, and the inherent gravitas of the operatic vocal style served to enhance the elements of the show that could so easily cross a line from outrageous to ridiculous. e genius of Sondheim’s music is in this juxtaposition, something the cast and crew clearly understood. Sweeney Todd singing lov-
I was hesitant to judge Matthew Burns’ performance in the title role, but it became clear by the end of act one that as Todd the character embraced a path beyond all redemption, Burns’ performance changed from that of an utterly broken shell of a man to one energized and enthusiastic. at the character’s verve comes from his plan to commit multiple murders without discrimination makes the performance even more delightfully disturbing. Burns’ proverbial droop of Todd’s shoulders is perfectly set against the vivacious comedic delight that is Amy P. Nabors’ depiction of Mrs. Lovett, who de es the cultural denial of a woman’s agency to a degree that rivals any male character’s villainy.
PHOTOS: @ITSJUSTHALO
Murder never sounded better, as actors sing in Sweeney Todd.
e collective whole of this production is one that came together in such a way as to excuse any opening weekend mishaps. e red motifs in the characters’ costumes, the musical themes of dissonance, and the almost distressing wall of sound conjured up by competing vocalizations all carry the viewer to a cli ’s edge, or perhaps an oven door, and one can’t help but yearn to see what lies on the other side, if only to satisfy our own deeply human morbid fascination.
Sweeney Todd: e Demon Barber of Fleet Street runs at Playhouse on the Square through July 12th.
NEWS OF THE WEIRD
By the editors at Andrews McMeel Syndication
Years in the Making
After decades of playing the same numbers, Stephen Huesgen, 56, of Fraser, Michigan, finally struck it rich. UPI reported on May 13th that Huesgen won the $1 million prize in the April 22nd drawing using numbers he received from, of all places, a Zoltar fortune-telling machine. “About 30 years ago, I was in Las Vegas and got a fortune from a Zoltar machine,” Huesgen said. “On my fortune, there was a set of lucky numbers, so I have been playing those numbers on lottery games ever since.” Huesgen plans to use the money to pay off loans, travel, and save for retirement. “The morning after the Powerball drawing, I saw an email from the lottery, which is when I found out I’d won a $1 million Powerball prize,” he said. “I yelled to my wife: ‘Is this real?’ I don’t think this is going to fully hit me until I cash the check!”
[UPI, 5/13/26]
Well, Well, Well, How the Turntables ... Motorists in France are driving more carefully after a warning from police: Watch out for inebriated wildlife. UPI reported on May 13th that a social media post from the police in the Saône-et-Loire region of north-central France showed deer running around erratically after consuming fermented fruit. “Not all road users are sober,” the post said. “If Bambi overindulges on the forest aperitif, it might not be the time to drive like you own the road.” Drivers were urged to keep an eye out for “sudden crossing, inconsistent trajectory, immobilization on the road, [and] disorderly escape” from local wildlife. [UPI, 5/13/26]
Art Exhibition(ism)(ish)
Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan, who headed up the project, was inspired by artist Paul Cézanne’s paintings of people bathing. “You can feel from Cézanne’s paintings that he wants to be inspired by nature and expose that organic experience of the nature, of the people,” Ana Lopes, a 34-year-old architect, said. “Dressing in swimwear is close to that, because you are almost naked.” [Yahoo! News, 5/1/26]
Unclear on the Concept
• Antone Gilonna, 25, of New York, was arrested for driving while intoxicated when he drove to a local police station to pick up a friend who had been arrested for ... wait for it ... driving while intoxicated. Fox 8 Cleveland reported on May 20th that when Gilonna arrived at the police station, he drove into a restricted area. An officer came to check on him and quickly issued a field sobriety test before placing him under arrest. Gilonna’s license was revoked, and he is expected to appear in court at a later date.
[Fox 8 Cleveland, 5/20/26]
• Vernus Mayhew, 45, of Dixton, Maine, was arrested after calling 911 four times to request a beer delivery, WGME reported on May 7th. “I was drunk, and I was trying to be funny,” Mayhew said. The Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office was not amused. “This was a serious matter that negatively impacted public safety resources including the regional communications center and deputies,” Sheriff Troy Morton said. Mayhew is also charged with assault, but says that part didn’t happen. Video recorded by Mayhew’s daughter shows a physical altercation with police, but a few seconds are out of frame, with differing accounts of what transpired. Police say Mayhew attempted to put one of them in a headlock; Mayhew denies it. He was released from the Penobscot County Jail after paying a $750 bail.
[WGME, 5/7/26]
Visitors at the Fondation Beyeler, an art museum in Switzerland, recently had the option to peruse the art while wearing only bathing suits, Yahoo! News reported on May 1st. “It’s a rather unusual experience,” said one visitor in a colorful sequined bikini, noting that “You’re always looking” to see if other visitors are wearing swimwear. Visitors could change into their bathing suits in changing rooms at the museum, or they could show up in their one-piece, bikini, or trunks and have the entry fee waived. Some roamed around barefoot, while others donned swimming caps. A few could be found sunbathing in the museum’s garden.
Send your weird news items with subject line WEIRD NEWS to WeirdNewsTips@amuniversal.com. NEWS OF THE
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Archaeologists studying ancient wells have discovered that some weren’t finished in a single effort. Communities might dig to the current water table, use the well for years, then probe further down when water levels dropped or needs increased. This is a useful metaphor for you, Aries. As of yet, you don’t have the ability or tools to reach the deepest layers you aspire to reach. My counsel is to go as far as you can now and gather what you find there. Later, when you’re readier, you will build on what has come before.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): The doom-and-gloom wing of astrology is exhausting. The superstition that Mercury retrograde causes scrambled messages and dire mix-ups is dull and misguided. The planet’s apparent backward motion, which is happening right now, shows up about three times every year like clockwork. It’s perfectly normal! In my view, Mercury retrograde isn’t threatening unless you obsess on the idea that it is, in which case, yes, your payment might go astray, and a friend may misunderstand you. But if cultivating relaxed clarity is more fun and productive for you than coping with fearful tension, treat the time between now and July 23 as a rich opportunity to refine, deepen, and upgrade how you communicate.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): You Gemini readers have decreed that I must halt all musings about maddening, riddledrenched ambiguity. You’ve delivered the message to me that you’re tired of wrestling with enigmas wrapped in paradoxes. Straightforward, plainspoken factualness is what you want. Well, OK. (Please remember that I don’t make this stuff up; I simply channel cosmic omens.) Maybe I’ll start obeying your orders next time. But first, I will advise you: 1. Unexpected gifts are coming from people and situations in transition. 2. Tough but friendly interventions will nudge you toward healthy course corrections. 3. Mysterious assistance is on its way.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Most fields of human endeavor work like this: A few people are truly brilliant, a handful are actively harmful, and the majority fall somewhere between “not great” and “pretty good.” That’s true whether you’re talking about engineers, doctors, poets, or astrologers. So it’s inadvisable to assume a physician is wise about your well-being just because they’ve logged 15 years on the job, or to trust your life direction to the first astrologer whose promotion catches your eye. In the coming weeks, dear Leo, discernment like this matters even more than usual. Let your natural hopefulness be balanced by sharp, thoughtful judgment. Don’t just challenge obvious authority. Put every socalled fact, spin, assumption, and official
Rob Brezsny
line under your own clear-eyed review.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Architects designing spaces for collective use try to balance two human needs: to see expansively and also have safe places to retreat. Too much exposure creates anxiety; too much enclosure brings claustrophobia. The ideal is to provide both shelter and spaciousness. Let’s use this theme as a metaphor for your life during the coming months. You’ll be wise to create an equilibrium between engagement and privacy, between vastness and protection. Make it easy for yourself to observe the larger scene and also withdraw when needed.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Self-proclaimed “skeptics” love to sneer at astrologers, as if pondering what lies ahead were a violation of scientific purity. And yet economists, sports analysts, trend watchers, and political commentators churn out shaky predictions every day. Honestly, those professionals of probability often create more confusion than those of us who read the heavens. Take weather forecasters, for instance: From Europe to Japan, their models routinely miss sudden floods and twisters and trigger more than a few false alarms. But do the debunkers brand them as charlatans? Of course not. Forgive the outburst, but I’m building to a key foresight: Every forecast, projection, or vision that crosses your path over the next month will miss the mark — except for this one. So free yourself of their meddling.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Ethnobotanists describe how certain Indigenous traditions work with “teacher plants.” These are flora that offer not only physical benefits but spiritual instruction. They include psychoactive substances, but also ordinary plants approached with extraordinary attention. In the spirit of reinventing your education, Scorpio, I invite you to expand your understanding of who and what your teachers are. What ordinary elements of your daily life might offer wisdom if you engage them with deep respect? What situations at the edges of your awareness could bring lessons that enrich your perspectives? Now is an excellent time to seek new apprenticeships.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Western science and Western religions may disagree about how the universe began, but both place its birth in the distant past. Tantra and other spiritual paths, by contrast, propose that the universe is born afresh in every instant through the sacred, erotic interplay of God and Goddess. When humans approach love-making as an experimental sacrament, these traditions suggest, we can tune in to the union of those primordial forces and, in a sense, take part in the continual creation of existence. So, are you ready for a bit of
CANCER (June 21-July 22):
There are phases when the cosmic energies and I urge you to put others first — even tend to their pain before you tend to your own. But this isn’t one of those times. Right now, sacrificing yourself for the sake of others would obstruct the flow of righteous grace into your life. So then what is the most soul-honoring path available? Here’s what I think: Summon your inventive brilliance and use it to imagine generous ways to care for yourself. Shower yourself with gifts, treats, and blessings that delight you. Take the loving care you so deftly pour into other people and lavish it wholeheartedly on yourself.
world-making erotic play? The current astrological indicators say yes, you are.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): A common obstacle to healthy intimacy is the belief that a beloved ally should automatically know what you need, without you saying a word. I used to suffer from this delusion myself and worked hard to dissolve it. I no longer unconsciously assume that my companions are so attuned to me that they can always intuit my desires. But I know this bad idea feels romantic to many people, even though it can sabotage even the most promising bond. In the weeks ahead, Capricorn, I invite you to starve this fantasy. Your intimate world is ripe for a fresh infusion of lucid, straightforward honesty.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Your next few weeks will be sponsored by CoffeeBeer, the paradoxical elixir that both pumps up your energy and decompresses your defenses. You will be an exemplary role model for this innovative product because you will epitomize what occurs when a sensitive soul gets excited and mellows out at the same time. I also expect you will soon be exploring intriguing opportunities that become available to you because of your supercharged calm. Fortunately, you don’t need to drink actual coffee and beer together to make this happen. The cosmic forces will be conspiring to help you.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Finish this sentence, Pisces: “The one thing that really keeps me from being myself is _______.” Is it someone’s opinion, an old story about who you are, a fear of loss, a habit of overpleasing, a secret shame, or a belief that you’re “too much” or “not enough”? Whatever first pops into your mind is probably closest to the truth. Here’s your next step: Loosen the grip of this stressor by even just 20 percent. I bet your real self will feel relaxed enough to bloom more fully.
FILM By Gracie Driver
Not So Super
Milly Alcock’s charisma in the new Supergirl is not enough to save the day.
R
emaking classics seems to be a trend lately. Supergirl, aka Kara Zor-El, Superman’s sister, is a character that’s been around since the ’50s, and whether we’re clinging to the past for comfort or just running out of ideas, the DC Universe has decided to crack open the planet Krypton’s other iconic superhero this summer. Yet with the latest lm version, as with the multiple attempts preceding it, audiences (including me) are le confused. is new Supergirl is an adaptation of Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, a 2022 DC comic in which Supergirl tags along on a revenge quest led by a girl named Ruthye, whose father was murdered by Krem of the Yellow Hills.
Although the plot structure of the original story is present, I noticed from the beginning that the lm holds a much darker tone. Krem (Matthias Schoenaerts) arrives at Ruthye’s (Eve Ridley) home to take her father’s (Ferdinand Kingsley) prized sword collection. He comes looking for trouble, and nds it, violently murdering Ruthye’s father, mother, and brother in front of her eyes. e house erupts in ames, and she’s le to bury her dead. Impressively, and somewhat unrealistically, she soon bounces back and begins searching for a warrior to help her in her ght. at’s when Supergirl (Milly Alcock) shows up. She respects Ruthye’s mission, but has no intention of joining until Krem steals her ship and, shockingly, poisons her dog Krypto in the process.
Fourteen-year-old Ridley is celebrating her rst feature lm, while Alcock is a more seasoned star, widely recognized for her superb work as Rhaenyra Targaryen in the Game of rones prequel House of the Dragon (2022-2024) and in the Net ix series Sirens (2025). She stumbled into the DC world last year in James Gunn’s Superman, drunk and pumped to see Krypto, whom she had le in Superman’s care. e theme of alcohol abuse is woven into this lm’s opening scenes, as when Supergirl is shown drowning her sorrows, grieving her planet’s death. Alcock e ectively channels Kara ZorEl’s emotional agony. I learned from this lm that Superman and Supergirl’s contrasting dispositions are the result of their histories. While Superman was an infant when he landed on Earth, and remembers only the kindness of the Kent family, Supergirl’s youth in Argo City, the last surviving outpost of the doomed planet Krypton, was pain-
The stronger Supergirl grows, the harder she falls. Meanwhile, Ruthye’s consistency makes her a rock.
fully tainted by memories of her dying people.
Supergirl is a character of extreme highs and lows. While she is superpowerful under yellow suns, green Kryptonite renders her weaker than the average human. But the stronger she grows, the harder she falls. Meanwhile, Ruthye’s consistency makes her a rock and a determined gure in the story — a surprising and underestimated character who makes the odd pair’s sweet relationship worth following.
Humor is sprinkled throughout, giving the audience a breather between intense themes. e lm production traveled to England, Scotland, and Iceland, and the beautiful, alien-like scenery grounds the lm amid its otherwise CGI-heavy visuals. e creative, fun soundtrack underlines Supergirl’s con dence and sarcasm, and the wild, wavy hair, retro headphones, giant sunglasses, and comfy attire screams cool.
Schoenaerts plays a truly hateworthy antagonist as Krem. He makes you disgusted at the sight of him. He’s needlessly violent, empty of mercy, and
enjoys what he does. Although these tropes have succeeded before, I was craving more complexity from Krem. We have so little backstory and not an ounce of vulnerability from this character. It’s far more interesting to have a villain that lives in the gray rather than pitch blackness. Teetering between the hazy realms of good and bad with each action is messy and more authentically human. e audience does not want to be spoon-fed how we should feel. Like good journalists, we want the facts to speak for themselves, and how we interpret these o en-complex series of events should be up to us. Having a debatable topic or character gives fans something to discuss a er the movie ends.
And yet this one-dimensional Krem does not seem to be very good at villainy. e whole plot depends on Ruthye being le alive when he kills her whole family. Krem pays little to no attention to her, despite the fact that kidnapping girls is a crucial aspect of Krem’s hustle. He abducts women to be used as “brides” who are nothing more
than machines for producing babies. e lm doesn’t go into too much depth on the subject, but even so, I’m hesitant to recommend this lm to young girls.
Lobo (Jason Momoa), an alien bounty hunter and mercenary, was the most underdeveloped character in this story. He sticks out like a sore thumb. His random appearance in the plot lacked background and purpose. He did add some much-needed comic relief and fan-girl energy to the movie, but that isn’t enough to justify his presence.
It’s hard to come up with something new with a character that’s been written and rewritten for 67 years. And DC’s shi s in management over the years haven’t helped to make this vision of Supergirl any clearer. e actors involved are talented, but everything about the movie’s premise was stacked against them from the start.
Supergirl
Now playing
Multiple locations
Supergirl, starring Milly Alcock as Supergirl and Matthias Schoenaerts as Krem
Our critic picks the best films in theaters.
Minions & Monsters
You know what the Minions franchise, itself a prequel franchise to the Despicable Me franchise, needs? Another prequel! This time, it’s 1920s Hollywood, and they are big comedy stars in silent film. But when the industry makes the transition to talkies, the Minions are out of a job, on account of their incomprehensible language, so they have to come up with a new schtick. It’s just like The Sound of Music, only with less music, and more Minions!
Backrooms: Everything Must Go Edition
Struggling furniture store owner Clark (Chiwetel Ejiofor) finds a portal to a seemingly endless dimension of twisting corridors and empty conference rooms. His
therapist Mary (Renate Reinsve) doesn’t believe him, until he vanishes and she must go looking for him in the labyrinth. Kane Parsons’ breakout horror hit takes a theatrical victory lap, now with more angst-inducing shots of sinister home furnishings.
Disclosure Day
Steven Spielberg returns to his favorite subject, aliens, in this summer blockbuster. Daniel (Josh O’Connor) is a man with a backpack full of secrets on the run from a quasi-governmental organization dedicated to keeping those secrets, led by Noah Scanlon (Colin Firth). TV meteorologist Margaret Fairchild (Emily Blunt) has psychic powers of alien origin. Can this unlikely pair introduce the world to the extraterrestrials before it’s too late?
LEGAL NOTICE
2010 HONDA ACCORD EX-L VIN: 5KBCP3F80AB017893.
Anyone holding interest in this vehicle, call 901-576-3165 within 10 business days of the date of publication.
EMPLOYMENT
ALSAC/ST. JUDE CHILDREN’S RESEARCH HOSPITAL
the fund-raising organization of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital - is currently looking for a Sr Analyst Market Research as follows. As a key member of the BCOE, the Senior Analyst of Market Research plays a crucial role in shaping our understanding of market dynamics and consumer behavior. Position reports to ALSAC’s office in Memphis, TN, but may work fully remote from anywhere in U.S. Requires MS degree in Marketing Research, Marketing Analytics, Business Analytics, Applied Statistics, Data Science, or a related quantitative field and 3 yrs of experience in marketing research, advanced analytics, and business intelligence OR - a BS degree in Marketing Research, Marketing Analytics, Business Analytics, Applied Statistics,
Data Science, or a related quantitative field followed by 5 yrs of experience in marketing research, advanced analytics, and business intelligence. To review the full job description and apply, go to https://www.stjude.org/jobs/alsac.html (Job ID R0010818).
ALSAC/ST. JUDE CHILDREN’S RESEARCH HOSPITAL
the fund-raising organization of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital - is currently looking for a Software Engineer III as follows. Responsible for providing technical leadership while actively engaging in the design, development, implementation, and support of multilayered enterprise applications. Position reports to ALSAC’s office in Memphis, TN, but may work fully remote from anywhere in U.S. Requires MS degree in Computer Science, Data Science, Information Systems, or a related field and 3 yrs of technical, analytical, systems, and programming experience - OR - a BS degree in Computer Science, Data Science, Information Systems, or a related field followed by 5 yrs of technical, analytical, systems, and programming experience. To review the full job description and apply, go to https:// www.stjude.org/jobs/alsac.html (Job ID R0010889)
SHARED HOUSING
SOUTH MEMPHIS
1 furnished room for a mature lady in a Christian home. Near the expressway and on the bus line. Non-smoker. $600 per month includes utilities and cooking/
BUY, SELL, TRADE
Lockhart
Summer Fun (Part 3)
What I’ve been doing this season — and what I wish I could do.
is summer is heating up, and I’m not talking about the weather. I’ve been hopping around the city (and went on a little international trip, too)! Even though this summer has been a blast, there are still a few things missing to really make it hit a perfect 10 on my Fun-o-Meter. And while I have four amazing teenagers, this summer has been just for me and my friends. For ease of reading purposes, let’s divide this article into two sections: What I’ve Been Doing and What I Wish I Could Do.
What I’ve Been Doing
Co ee Shop Hoppers
I love co ee. at’s no secret. I love to drink co ee, pull shots, and taste co ee. Slinging lattes on a Sunday morning is my favorite way to serve God. So when they announced the Co ee Shop Hoppers released their co ee hop list for the summer, I was pumped. I noti ed my family that I would not be available on May 29th because I needed to attend the launch party at Jojo’s cafe. And I did! I bought a banana chocolate chip mu n and received a free co ee from Jojo’s (because I was one of the rst 50 co ee industry workers) and I bought the cutest co ee mug. I told my friend Stacey about the co ee hop, too. She was pumped, until she found out that in ve years I have never fully completed the hops. en she got focused. (Stacey is one of those friends who is great at gently holding you accountable for your goals.) She created an achievable timeline for me to be able to visit all of the co ee spots. What a friend! And I’m happy to report that I’m on track.
Downtown Beer Hop
Another hop that I did fully complete was the Downtown Beer Hop. My bestie Kim and I completed the entire hop in two nights. Beer Beast Mode! Here’s what I drank: South Point Grocery — Urban Artifact Capy Snacks Fruit Ale; Ghost River Brewing — Grind & Shine Co ee Cream Ale; Wiseacre — Sky Dog Chelada; MFS — BBA Chanclas De Abuela - Hot Mexican Chocolate; Flyway — Honeybird Blonde Ale; Old Dominick — Honeycombed Old Fashion; Soul and Spirits — Hopper Bolic; and Grind City — Krispy Treat. I had never tried Wiseacre’s Sky Dog Chelada before, but that junt was bangin’! e touch of sea salt made that brew sit real nice on the palate. I’d de nitely drink that relaxing in a kiddie pool while my arms and legs dangle over. Now because we did this hop in two days, I stayed away from full 12-16 oz. pours and treated myself to one or two 4 oz. pours. But beware! at 4 oz. pour from Memphis Filling Station’s Hot Mexican Chocolate nearly had me staring out to space, contemplating words I didn’t even know existed. Just staring into foolishness. e best part wasn’t just the beer. It was getting two evenings to laugh, catch up, and wander around Downtown pretending we were brewery in uencers.
What I Wish I Could Do
is is going to sound weird, but hear me out. Sometimes I love being in the company of people, engaging in a shared activity. But sometimes, I don’t want to talk to anyone, I don’t want anyone talking to me, and I don’t want to hear other people talking around me. I wish that there was a Silent Book Club that hopped around the city. One month, we could walk in Overton Park while listening to audiobooks, and the next we could meet at a brewery or cafe while we sip and read. We could allot no more than 10 minutes for people to exchange pleasantries. And then we would read quietly. e best group to execute something like this would be the Book Clubbin’ Besties (@book.clubbin.besties). ey’re an amazing reading duo who host a number of book clubs within various genres. ey already hop around the city and even have reading retreats. I’m gonna go ahead and slide in their DMs and see what they think.
I would also love a more regular Beer Hop Club. Just a group of ladies, meeting monthly around the city at various breweries. Nothing major, just community. I could create something like this uno cially with my friends (if you’re wondering, I have ve of them), but why not invite the whole city? Do you know who would be great at executing this? Memphis Moms! Bring back the Moms Beer Club! I promise to be at 75 percent of the hangouts. I’ll even lead it if it means getting a free beer once a month. So that’s the update. I’ve spent my summer hopping from co ee shops to breweries, collecting stamps, good conversations, and a few new favorite drinks along the way. Now comes the real challenge: convincing Book Clubbin’ Besties and Memphis Moms to turn my wish list into reality. If you see me in their comments, mind your business or help me apply a little pressure.
Patricia Lockhart is a native Memphian who loves to read, write, cook, and eat. By day, she’s a librarian and writer, but by night … she’s asleep.
Co ee and beer hops, sweet beginnings, and brewing memories
