Memphis Flyer 7/6/2023

SHARA CLARK

Editor

SAMUEL X. CICCI

Managing Editor

JACKSON BAKER, BRUCE VANWYNGARDEN

Senior Editors

TOBY SELLS

Associate Editor

KAILYNN JOHNSON

News Reporter

CHRIS MCCOY

Film and TV Editor

ALEX GREENE

Music Editor

MICHAEL DONAHUE, JON W. SPARKS

Staff Writers

ABIGAIL MORICI

Arts and Culture Editor

GENE GARD, EMILY GUENTHER, COCO JUNE, FRANK MURTAUGH

Contributing Columnists

SHARON BROWN, AIMEE STIEGEMEYER

Grizzlies Reporters

ANDREA FENISE

Fashion Editor

KENNETH NEILL

Founding Publisher

CARRIE BEASLEY

Senior Art Director

CHRISTOPHER MYERS

Advertising Art Director

NEIL WILLIAMS

Graphic Designer

JERRY D. SWIFT

Advertising Director Emeritus

KELLI DEWITT, CHIP GOOGE

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Account Executive

CHET HASTINGS

Warehouse and Delivery Manager

JANICE GRISSOM ELLISON, KAREN MILAM, DON MYNATT, TAMMY NASH, RANDY ROTZ, LEWIS TAYLOR, WILLIAM WIDEMAN

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OUR 1793RD ISSUE 07.06.23

Last Friday, in a 6-3 vote, the Supreme Court shot down President Biden’s student debt forgiveness plan, which would have reduced or canceled federal student loan debt for millions of borrowers. Payments and interest have been paused since March 2020 as part of Covid-19 emergency relief. According to studentaid.gov, after the hiatus, interest will start accruing again this September, with payments becoming due the following month. Some people are very upset about this ruling. Others were very upset about the possibility of folks having their loans forgiven.

A few years ago, I proudly exited college with a hard-earned journalism degree and a shiny new debt of nearly $26,000. Welcome to adulthood, you’re starting off in the negative, good luck! I worked service and retail jobs until I landed an internship here at the Flyer my senior year, and even then, held two jobs for a while just to be able to pay bills and buy groceries. There wasn’t much left over for savings. When the loan came due, I applied for a brief deferment, and later income-driven repayment. The interest really got me. I was getting nowhere for a long time. I bemoaned how dumb it was to have taken the max loans each semester. But at the time, I was stoked to receive a “refund” check after tuition was covered. Silly me didn’t ask questions, didn’t speak to financial aid counselors to fully understand what I was getting into — which wound up covering college expenses and additional money to help me get by, but with a good $7,000 in interest piled on over time.

No one is to blame but me, but what does society expect of 18-year-olds, fresh out of their parents’ homes, who have no clue what they’re doing? Making a laughable income with mounting new responsibilities at every turn. Taking out loans and cashing the refunds and having a big ol’ time until graduation when reality hits.

Of course I understand that when you’ve agreed to take out a loan, you commit to repaying it. You can’t have your mortgage or car note forgiven. But — hear me out — student loans are a sham. Furthering education should be affordable. Walking out with $25k+ in debt — because you must have a degree to pursue just about any career — is total horse shit. I can’t imagine how much it must sting for those with six-figure loans. Bless you, and I’m sorry, and I hope your income reflects that value.

The goal of the debt relief program was to assist low- to middle-income debtors — $10,000 in federal student loan debt would be canceled for borrowers making below $125,000 or households with below $250,000 income per year. An additional $10,000 would be forgiven for Pell Grant recipients, who historically have a greater need.

Thankfully, I’ve paid most of my student loan debt. Would I like to have the rest dismissed? Absolutely. Would I be upset that this happened after I’ve doled out over $30,000? I mean, it sucks, but I’d still be supportive of offering relief to those who need it. College tuition and textbook costs increase year over year. The cost of living continues to increase, too. Why not give people attempting to better themselves a little break?

Are we as upset about bank bailouts? Three banks failed earlier this year, and the United States Federal Reserve loaned more than $300 billion to the “cash-short” institutions through its emergency Bank Term Funding Program (BTFP) in March. Forbes reported in March that “many experts note the Treasury Department’s plan to save depositors doesn’t constitute a bailout because it draws from insurance funds paid by banks — and not taxpayer dollars — others worry the implications could ultimately fall to consumers through economic consequences like inflation.” Last week, Cointelegraph reported that the reserve’s “bailouts” reached a new weekly high of $103 billion for the week ending June 28th, according to data from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. What about the more than $200 billion in pandemic business loans that appear to have been fraudulent? The U.S. Small Business Administration, in its “COVID-19 Pandemic EIDL and PPP Loan Fraud Landscape” report, said of the $1.2 trillion given in COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) and Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) funds, at least 17 percent went to “potentially fraudulent actors” in the “rush to swiftly disburse” funds. New studies show this could have been a driver in inflation, particularly in the housing market. About $742 billion in PPP loans were forgiven.

NEWS & OPINION

THE FLY-BY - 4

POLITICS - 6

VIEWPOINT - 7

COVER STORY “BEER BOOM”

BY TOBY SELLS - 8

WE RECOMMEND - 12

MUSIC - 13

AFTER DARK - 14

CALENDAR - 15

NY TIMES CROSSWORD - 15

NEWS OF THE WEIRD - 16

ASTROLOGY - 17

FOOD - 19

FILM - 20

CLASSIFIEDS - 22

LAST WORD - 23

So we’ve got corporations, big banks, scammers, and regular people seeking financial relief and assistance. Are we mad at the kids who took out loans to attend college because the world told them they had to? The big banks whose expertise is finance but can’t seem to manage their own accounts? The scammers who got billions in free government money?

There’s mismanagement, fraud, or forgiveness. And a whole lot of moolah tangled up between. It’s pretty clear who could use the help. It’s the average hard-working American. The “consumer” struggling to live amid inflation. Maybe one day, someone will vote and act in our favor.

Shara Clark shara@memphisflyer.com

THE fly-by

{WEEK THAT WAS

By Flyer staff

Memphis on the internet.

TWEET OF THE WEEK

“I don’t know about y’all but my number one election issue is going to be that everyone loses power if there’s a sti breeze in Memphis,” Allie Mounce said on Twitter.

ousands here were le in the dark last week a er a storm pushed through the county. Mounce’s tweet brought a discussion on the issue of power, what Memphis Light, Gas & Water (MLGW) could and should do when bad weather hits, and what political candidate could best solve the issue.

For the problem, some pointed to MLGW’s outsourcing of cutting trees and such. For a solution, some suggested burying power lines. As for politics, one suggested asking the current mayoral and Memphis City Council candidates how they’d handle the situation and who they’d put on the MLGW board.

THIRST TRAP

Hot, bored, and powerless MLGW customers might have paused a bit on the utility’s Facebook post last week for the truest object of their desire: a row of electric repair trucks.

POWER IS BACK, BUT …

Lots of frustration and hilarity about the outages on the Memphis subreddit, including the meme below. A video over there shows just how strong the storm’s winds were. Another shows what happens when He-Man turns the power back on.

Questions, Answers + Attitude

Edited by Toby Sells

Trans, Pollution, & MATA

Two lawsuits dismissed, state AG sides with business, and projects on a roll.

TRANS GENDER MARKERS

A federal lawsuit that sought to allow transgender individuals in the state of Tennessee to change the gender markers on their birth certi cates has been dismissed.

Lambda Legal, a national organization, argued that denying transgender people the ability to “obtain accurate birth certi cates violates the Equal Protection and Due Process clauses of the U.S. Constitution.”

ey also argued that this is a violation of the First Amendment, as trans individuals are being forced to “identify with a sex that is not who they are.” e plainti s also argued that disclosing that they are transgender opens them up to discrimination and harassment.

AG FINE WITH ETO EMISSIONS

Tennessee’s attorney general pushed back against federal rules to reduce emissions of ethylene oxide (EtO), even though the gas is suspected of increasing cancer risks in South Memphis. EtO emissions from Sterilization Services of Tennessee in South Memphis could pose a cancer risk to those living in the neighborhood around it, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

New rules from the agency would force companies to curb EtO emissions. Tennessee AG Jonathan Skrmetti said last week he’s against the new rules because they would harm the medical device industry.

TWO BIG GRANTS FOR MATA

Two federal grants were awarded to Memphis Area Transit Authority (MATA) and Shelby County last week.

MATA will get a $25 million

Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grant for its Crosstown Corridor Safety and Multi-Modal Enhancement Program, while Shelby County will be receiving $13.2 million for its Eliminating Barriers on North Watkins (Project ELBOW).

MEMPHIS INNOVATION CORRIDOR

Construction of the Memphis Innovation Corridor, the rst

bus rapid transit (BRT) service in Memphis, is tentatively scheduled to begin in fall 2023, with service beginning in the spring of 2027, according to Memphis Area Transit Authority (MATA).

The Memphis Innovation Corridor will connect Downtown to the University of Memphis with 31 stops along the way.

JUDGE BLOCKS TRANS LAW

In a partial victory for transgender Tennesseans, a federal judge issued a preliminary injunction last week on portions of the new law prohibiting trans minors from obtaining gender-a rming care, ruling the law likely violates the First and 14th Amendments of the U.S. Constitution.

SCHOOL BOARD MOVES ON SEARCH

Interim superintendent Toni Williams won’t become the permanent leader of Memphis-Shelby County Schools, and the school board announced it would reboot the superintendent search.

Williams gave up her quest to be superintendent on a permanent basis last week. The board also said last week it plans to solicit fresh community input, invite new candidates, and hire a permanent leader in early 2024.

Tennessee Lookout and Chalkbeat Tennessee contributed to this report.

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

POSTED TO TWITTER BY ALLIE MOUNCE POSTED

POSTED TO FACEBOOK BY MLGW

PHOTOS: (ABOVE) MATA; (BELOW) MEMPHIS SHELBY COUNTY SCHOOLS

MATA received a $25 million RAISE grant for safety improvements. Construction is also planned for the Memphis Innovation Corridor, the rst BRT service in Memphis.

Gun Crisis { CITY REPORTER

By Kailynn Johnson

Organizations in Memphis, Nashville, Knoxville, and Chattanooga have partnered with the African American Clergy Collective of Tennessee (ACCT) to address gun violence as a public health crisis.

“We know our worth — and when we join together as Tennesseans, we can demand that during the special session on safe communities and in the years ahead, the supermajority legislature and other decision-makers listen to what our families, from Knoxville to Bolivar, are calling for: common-sense policy solutions that recognize gun violence as a public health crisis and implore an evidence-based public health approach to reduce gun violence,” the ACCT said in a statement.

e ACCT said they will utilize the “public health approach outlined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and World Health Organization to reduce gun violence.”

Shirley Bondon, executive director of ACCT and the Black Clergy Collaborative of Memphis, said they are not just concerned with school shootings,

but all shootings.

“While school shootings are devastating, we have more children in our communities dying from suicides, drive-bys, accidental deaths, than all the school shootings put together,” said Bondon. “We want people to understand that’s why it needs to be comprehensive — to address all those issues.”

e Flyer spoke with Bondon about their speci c approach, purpose, and plans to engage stakeholders.

— Kailynn Johnson

look at the opioid crisis, anything like that, with broad impact on people, that it takes a comprehensive approach to a pressing issue.

e root cause of gun violence can be trauma related to seeing violence in your community. It can impact children and their mental health. It can impact the elderly, when there is fear around crime and other problems within the community.

We want it to be [approached as] a public health crisis because then you can provide resources and help [the youth] deal with their anger or to deal with disagreements in a way that doesn’t involve violence — doesn’t involve guns or ghting — it helps to prevent gun violence.

Memphis Flyer: What are some of the key factors you believe contribute to gun violence, and how can a public health approach help address these?

Shirley Bondon: e public health approach brings resources, state, federal, and local, to an issue that impacts the entire community. We see this when we

It can also be an intervention. Gun violence can impact you economically. If you have to go to the hospital, the medical debt is huge. If you’re saddled with medical debt, it can bankrupt the whole family.

It’s harmful to the community at large. When there’s gun violence in the community, it will drive away business and economic development.

We’re looking for a comprehensive approach to address gun violence.

How do you plan to engage with community organizations, advocacy groups, and other stakeholders to address this?

ere are intervention programs. ere are organizations that go out in the community and work with the residents to help them to address the crime and violence in their communities, and to improve those communities. ey can help them with their mental health issues, provide social services — anything that will address the poverty and the trauma when it comes with the cycle of violence.

What are some of the potential challenges or barriers you anticipate in implementing a public health approach to address gun violence, and how do you plan to overcome them?

e greatest barrier is getting the decision-makers to see that it is a public health crisis and allocating the resources necessary to have a signi cant impact. Many of the things currently being proposed are really addressing the symptoms of gun violence, rather than the root cause.

Black clergy members join across the state to address gun violence as a public health crisis.

“It’s harmful to the community at large.”

PHOTO: MAX KLEINEN | UNSPLASH

Gun violence is a public health crisis.

POLITICS By Jackson Baker

Vive La Difference!

ere are eight candidates recognized as viable in the city’s race for mayor this year. Some are wellknown to the public, with records of achievement in governmental and other public spheres. Others, not so well-known, have money to pour into their races to rectify that problem.

e eld ranges across metrics of gender, race, and political party. Individually and collectively, the candidates exude a sense of optimism about the city and its future, though their evident pride at its impressive recent successes is balanced by a concern about maintaining various kinds of equilibrium, including scal, going forward.

ese candidates are nothing if not transparent. Most of them have been appearing regularly at a series of televised and in-person events, and …

At this point it may have become obvious to sentient readers that the city whose mayoral race we are describing is not Memphis. It is Nashville, the sister city and state capital a three-hour drive from here up I-40.

Pride? Optimism? Transparency?

Not so much in the 2023 Memphis mayor’s race, where the modest number of public forums has been spottily attended, both by candidates and by audiences, and focused on the doldrums of public life — poverty, economic stagnation, educational failure, inequities and fallings-short of various kinds, and crime, crime, crime.

Nashville has its problems, also, including aspects of those just mentioned, which rage in the Blu City like out-of-control dumpster res. But, with their August 3rd city election looming, the essential problem that Nashville’s mayoral candidates are vexed by can

be summed up in such conundrum as: “What else can we a ord to pay for out of our tourist bounty?”

Dig it: e Nashville City Council has already agreed to spring for the city’s share of a fancy new enclosed $2.1 billion football stadium to house the NFL’s Titans. Now, the city is also meditating on developing an in-city state-of-the-art driving track suitable for prime events on the NASCAR circuit.

To be sure, there are Nashvillians (and mayoral candidates) who wonder if the city is overextending itself. An ad hoc group called CARE (Citizens Against Racetrack Expansion) says via a public petition — “We respectfully ask: How does spending millions of dollars to bring in bigger, louder NASCAR races solve the most pressing concerns of Nashville? Doubling down on turning Nashville into a Las Vegas-style destination for tourists ignores the desires and needs of a vast majority of our city residents.”

CARE goes so far as to say that “pressing issues like increasing a ordable housing, xing decaying infrastructure and public transit, and approaching the problems of homelessness and crime need our attention and funding urgently.”

Now we’re talking. So, in some ways Nashville, for all its plethora of building cranes and new skyscrapers and ongoing city projects and point-oforigin TV spectaculars, may still have some major issues in common with the struggling city to the west on the banks of the Mississippi?

We know that it does. Both cities inhabit home-rule counties and, as such, have another concern in common: that of maintaining local options in education, health, social policy, what-haveyou in the face of an ever-encroaching state government. More on this anon.

THE GUITAR AND A CHANGING NATION

THE TOURING EXHIBITION

A Touring Exhibition of The National GUITAR Museum

MEMPHIS MUSEUM OF SCIENCE & HISTORY

In partnership with

Photo courtesy Steve Roberts

PHOTO: ROD GIMENEZ | DREAMSTIME Nashville versus Memphis?

But maybe the us-versus-them distinctions are more illusory than we think.

Go Outside

ere are bene ts to ecotherapy.

We’re experiencing disastrous climatic events because we treat the land — metaphorically speaking — like dirt.

Nature’s ecosystems regulate climate. In turn, the well-being of all nature, ourselves included, is dependent upon the health of the climate. e current level of global climate change is so extreme that climate scientists have issued what they call the nal warning.

Work with the sliver of hope. We can combat global climate change by reestablishing our love for and connection to the only home we’ve ever known, Earth. We can start by simply going outside. Being in nature has health bene ts for you, and the closer you are to nature, the more inclined you’ll be to protect it.

Please: Try it now. You’ll likely be surprised by the invigorating bene ts, both for you and the planet. Improving one’s health by simply being in nature is called ecotherapy, and there is a growing eld of practitioners. e science behind ecotherapy is new, but there is evidence that being outdoors has signi cant health bene ts, both mental and physical.

Just being around plants and trees has been shown to lower blood pressure and pulse rate, reduce levels of stress hormones, increase levels of immuneboosting white blood cells, and improve sleep. Some therapists believe that in order to get the full bene t of ecotherapy, you need to give something back, such as plant a tree, start a garden, and so on. e beauty of this is that giving back to nature — even a little — will help combat global climate change.

e best way to experience the health bene ts of ecotherapy is to nd a nice quiet spot in a natural setting where you can be alone with your thoughts. e only hard part will be muting your smartphone, but you can do it. Pay attention to the sights, sounds, and smells of nature.

Acknowledge what you’re sensing. If it’s sunny, appreciate the warmth the sun is giving you. Appreciate the support of the rock or stump or ground you’re sitting on. You might try repeating to yourself over and over, “I have arrived, I am home,” and pay attention to the tension draining from your body. You won’t reach nirvana, but you might

very well sense a connection to the Earth, and that’s a spiritual feeling.

You don’t have to go for a wilderness outing; simply spending time in a city park or backyard can achieve health bene ts. And if you don’t have an opportunity to nd solitude in a natural setting, you can also get some bene ts of ecotherapy inside.

Look around your home. You’ve likely brought nature into your household in one form or another — perhaps a houseplant, pet, scenic painting, natu-

ral wood furniture, calendar with nature pictures, re in the form of candles or replace, and so on. If you have brought such natural objects into your house, pause and notice them for a moment.

It may even inspire you to join a local environmental group, buy a bicycle for some of your transportation needs, start using only reusable bags when you shop, donate to a climate defense organization, testify at local public hearings on behalf of carbon reduction policies, or add insulation to your home, as examples of what we can all do once we see how much we care for nature.

We know what needs to be done to combat climate change, but too many of us lack the motivation to make lifestyle adjustments for the good of humanity and the planet.

If you are willing and able to take the above simple and healing steps, you will come to a deeper understanding of your connection to everything in the world around you. en giving something back to nature will suddenly seem important. What could be better than taking steps to combat climate change? If enough of us contribute a little, the e ect will be large, and together we can make the world a better place for everyone.

We need to do it now, while we still can.

thursdays • 6pM-10pM

april 20 - august 10

2023 party line up

7.06 DJ Epic

7.13 Bluff City Bandits

7.20 Lucky 7 Brass Band

7.27 Southbound

8.03 DJ Epic

8.10 Party Planet

Paul Hellweg is a freelance writer and poet. His writing can be seen at PaulHellweg.com and VietnamWarPoetry.com.

PHOTO: JAN HUBER | UNSPLASH Just being in nature has bene ts.

VIEWPOINT By Paul Hellweg

#PeabodyRooftop • peabodymemphis.com

Cra beer changed here in 2013 — and it changed Memphis.

Drinking local a decade ago gave Memphis beer fans two choices: a trip to Boscos or picking up a sixer of Ghost River Golden.

However, that year, 2013, promised to be a watershed, owing rivers of local beers and new styles to the Memphis market. at promise was delivered.

“Within the next year,” the Flyer’s Hannah Sayle wrote in April 2013, “Memphis will have three new cra breweries.”

And it did. By year’s end, Wiseacre, Memphis Made, and High Cotton began production, raising the total local beer sources to ve. is changed the cra beer game in Memphis. is rst rush of local breweries opened a gate — but not a oodgate, exactly — to more brands and breweries here. It all led the way to triple the total local beer sources to 15 in 2023.

e 2013 beer boom was good news for the curious cra qua er. But local beer’s rising tide raised many other boats. It has brought new opportunities for business and development, new tourist experiences, new ways to build community, and new ways to celebrate the city.

“When Wiseacre, High Cotton, and Memphis Made opened that year, that really launched a new era of cra beer in Memphis and paved the way for the vibrant scene that we have now,” Mike Erskine, founder and author of the Memphis Beer Blog, told the Flyer earlier this year. “Prior to 2013 for fans of cra beer, what you could buy in Memphis was really limited. Back then you might head to Walgreens in West Memphis to get beers that are not sold in Memphis. You might travel to Nashville and bring home beers from breweries that didn’t distribute in Memphis.

“So when those three breweries opened in 2013, there was a shi , and all of a sudden you had options for a good, local beer.”

Ghost River and Boscos were wellestablished in 2013. e Flying Saucer had poured cra styles from other markets since 1997. And other entrepreneurs had stabbed at (and missed) bringing local cra here before. Here’s how Sayle explained it in her 2013 Flyer story:

“Cra brewing entered the Memphis scene in the mid-1990s, when the rst Boscos brewery and some other, less successful brewpubs opened around town. Chuck Skypeck [then] of Boscos and Ghost River Brewing Co. recalls a brewery in the old Greyhound station on Union Avenue, a chain brewpub on Winchester called Hops, and the Breckenridge Brewery above what is now e Majestic Grille, which still [at the time housed] all the old brewing equipment. Aside from Boscos, none of these brewpubs lasted more than a few years.

“In the mid-’90s, homebrewing hobbyists and beer nerds, whom Skypeck refers to as ‘old guys with beards,’ were determined to create an alternative to the big brewing industry: Anheuser-Busch and MillerCoors. e enterprising ones among them opened brewpubs, assuming the quality product would drive demand and a market for cra beers would build up around them.

“‘ e younger consumer was drawn to Smirno Ice and avored malt beverages and froufrou cocktails,’ Skypeck says. ‘I told people that cra beer has to attract the 21-to-25-year-old, or it’s not going to go anywhere. e sea change that’s made cra beer grow now is that the younger consumer is now on board.’”

Millennials and Memphis Pride

ey were and still are. You can tell that by having a look around a local taproom. Much credit is heaped on millennials for cra beer’s rise. For proof, look at a market research paper from the National Bureau of Economic Research, “Millennials and the TakeO of Cra Brands.”

“Millennials buy more cra beer than earlier generations,” reads the paper. “ is shi in preference could overturn a nearly century-old structure dominated by a small number of national brands.”

In 2018, the Brewers Association said the huge millennial generation accounted for more than half (55 percent) of cra beer drinkers. ey were willing to try new things, polls found, but they were also attracted to the authenticity of locally made beers over the mass-produced stu still largely favored by baby boomers.

Young people also loved where they lived and — as the urbanist adage goes — they wanted to “live where they lived.” In the early 2010s, a swell of civic pride gripped cities all over the U.S. Memphis was no di erent; just look to the Choose901 T-shirt catalog for proof.

Holly Whit eld fueled the I Love Memphis Blog for nearly a decade before helming the digital team at e Daily Memphian in February. e rst story she worked on for the Memphis Tourism blog was about the opening of Wiseacre’s Broad Avenue taproom in September 2013. So while she had a front-row seat to beer and city pride for a long time, the movement was “about more than beer.”

“Breweries started serving as community gathering places, venues that can host other kinds of events like comedy shows, markets with Memphis artists, concerts with Memphis music, fundraisers — so, a gathering place for other aspects of culture,” Whit eld said. “ ey’re family-friendly, and casual, too.

“[Cra beer is] a local product with a local air. e branding for a lot of breweries is locally avored.

“Also, cra beer had been thriving in other places for a while so for

PHOTO (TOP): GRIND CITY BREWING CO. Grind City beers and a seltzer

PHOTO (BOTTOM): WISEACRE BREWING CO. Cans of Wiseacre’s Tiny Bomb

PHOTO: JUSTIN FOX BURKS Crosstown’s Tra c IPA

How a decade of craft changed the city.

Memphis to sort of nally have arrived and have our own scene, I think people were proud and happy about that.”

Younger drinkers and their love for the city helped push Memphis cra beer’s success forward. In turn, local beer helped forge a new Memphis identity and breathed new life into some dormant and sometimes “spooky” urban spaces.

Building with Beer

Urban planners might not have predicted that local beers and places to drink them could become building blocks to transform the city. But they did. e New York Times wrapped this idea up in a 2018 story headlined, “From Blight to Bright Lights in Memphis.”

“In a city long known for its crime problem, increased local e orts have transformed blighted areas into buzzy social hot spots, attracting tourists along the way,” reads the subheading. e story referenced Lo in Yard, Railgarten, Broad Avenue, the Tennessee Brewery, Rec Room, and more. All of them — in one way or another — were reactivated spaces because creative planners and developers gave Memphians a reason to go there, and many times that reason was to drink a local beer.

One sultry summer a ernoon in 2014, the late Tommy Pacello looked around the packed courtyard of the once-crumbling, then-vibrant Tennessee Brewery and said, “It’s amazing what some string lights and a few kegs of beer can do.” e Tennessee Brewery Untapped event, which centered on a beer garden with local cra beer, drew thousands to the old building that spring and summer. For many, it was the rst time they’d seen the building in years. For some, it was the rst time ever.

We know now the brewery was saved from the wrecking ball, underwent a multi-million-dollar renovation, and is now the home of upscale apartments. Did Memphis cra beer save the building? Not on its own, of course. But it did draw people to the spot in a way that, say, local ice cream probably might not have.

It’s the same story with Lo in Yard and the south end of South Main. Overgrown and abandoned (save for carriage horses and their stables), the former safe and lock shop was an unlikely destination for anyone, local or tourist. But that changed in 2016 when visionaries reimagined the yard, its barn, and o ce as a hangout magnet with a laid-back yard, live music, and, of course, local cra beer.

“When I was in high school, I never would’ve thought in a million years that Florida and Carolina and Georgia would be a residential area,” Josh Whitehead, former director of the Memphis and Shelby County O ce of Planning and Development, told the Flyer in 2016. “It was one-story, kind-of-cool brick warehouses. But at

night, it was, you know, spooky. e street lights were always out, and it was all these dark brick warehouses from a thousand years ago.”

Lo in Yard gave people a new place to go. Local cra beer gave them something to do there. Again, beer didn’t do it alone. But it’s an important ingredient in the special sauce.

Pacello agreed. In 2013, he was part of the Mayor’s Innovation Delivery Team. He later led the Memphis Medical District Collaborative. Pacello passed away in 2020. But he’s well remembered as one of the brightest, happiest advocates of Memphis, always nding ways to make it better through urban planning and development.

“ ere are lots of examples of cra breweries being urban pioneers and becoming an anchor for neighborhoods, especially if they have restaurants or taprooms associated with them,” Pacello told Sayle for her 2013 story. “ ey help activate the streets and become gathering spots for the neighborhood. Like how Boscos was a pioneer in Overton Square.

“All three of them [Memphis Made, High Cotton, and Wiseacre] have these common patterns. ey’ve chosen core city neighborhoods, the key being neighborhoods. ey’re not choosing to be buried in an industrial park. It’s a key part of revitalization. Is it a silver bullet? Probably not. But it’s de nitely a key part.”

Memphis cra breweries are still creating destinations. ey’ve opened their taps in di erent parts of town, giving even more people even more places to go, and something to do when they get there.

Eric Bourgeois is the marketing director for Packed House Productions, the local-cra -beer-friendly parent company for Slider Inn, Momma’s, and Aldo’s Pizza Pies. His company is a presenting sponsor of Memphis Brewfest, set for September at the Memphis Sports & Events Center.

On a recent call, Bourgeois referenced a Memphis beer map in his brain to point to Ghost River on South Main, High Cotton in e Edge, Grind City in the Snu District, Soul & Spirits in Uptown, Wiseacre’s OG Broad Avenue location, and Memphis Made in Midtown.

“ ey’re creating all these di erent nodes and attractions for people to get out and experience local beer and, maybe, see a part of the city they hadn’t explored before,” he said. “From there, it branches out to the nearby retail and restaurant spots, a lot of which are partnered with those breweries. It’s a good synergy for everyone involved.”

All of this has helped to shape Memphis’ modern identity. e new places to go and new things to do gave a sense of moving forward. It helped give Memphis a new, positive narrative, and that helped push civic pride.

continued on page 10

2013

• Memphis Made opens.

• High Cotton opens.

• Wiseacre opens.

• The Growler opens.

• Growler Shop in Cash Saver opens.

• First Memphis Beer Week held.

2014

• The Memphis Flyer does its first Spring Beer Guide.

• Joe’s Growler Station opens.

2015

• Pop-up beer garden event called Station 3: The Memphis Fire Haus seeks to activate the old fire house at Third and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

2016

• Thrillist ranked Memphis in 10 Untapped Beer Cities Poised to Blow Up.

• Playboy calls Tiny Bomb one of the 10 best beers in the Deep South.

• Ghost River announces it would build a taproom at its South Main headquarters.

• Wiseacre Brewing cofounder Frank Smith pitches an idea to transform the Mid-South Coliseum into a mixed-use development anchored by the Memphis- based brewery.

2017

• Meddlesome Brewing opens.

• New state law allows local brewers to make beers up to 10.1 percent, up from 6.2 percent.

• Pop-up beer garden helps activate Fourth Blu .

• Crosstown Concourse files permit to build brewery and taproom.

• PizzaRev restaurant lets customer pour their own beers.

2018

• Grind City announces intention to open.

2019

• Soul & Spirits announces plans to build in Uptown.

• Hampline Brewing announces it would open.

• Beale Street Brewing Company announces its first lineup of beers.

2020

• Grind City hits the shelves and opens its taproom.

• Wiseacre opens its Downtown headquarters.

2021

• Hampline Brewing opens.

• Hook Point Brewing opens in Collierville.

• Soul & Spirits opens.

• Ghost River announces Beale Street taproom.

2022

• BeerAdvocate ranks Wiseacre’s Astronaut Status as the best beer in Tennessee.

• Inaugural Grind City Fest held.

2023

• Cooper House Project opens.

• Urban Consequence Brewing Company opens.

continued

Beercation?

It’s a thing. Google it. Nielsen Media Data said an average American had visited 2.1 local breweries while traveling in the last year.

e Memphis Tourism website has a dedicated cra beer page that brags “our artesian wells produce the crisp water that has been ltered for 2,000 years to help create some of the best cra beer in the world.” at famous Memphis water is so , and brewers say that’s great to create just about any style of beer they want.

Memphis probably does not rank high on beer tourists’ bucket lists, but many tourists make pints a point once they get here. Memphis Tourism even o ers tourists a special Hop Stops program with directions to and descriptions of local breweries.

But Stephen Guenther’s company removes that step and takes beercationers directly to the breweries on the Memphis Brew Bus. It’s an example of at least one new business that began around the city’s cra scene. Every Saturday, tourists load up on the bus for a three-and-a-half-hour-long tour of three Memphis breweries.

“It just really t a certain class of traveler, like epicurean people who travel for food,” Guenther said of the tourists who board the Brew Bus looking for local cra beer. “[Cra beer] expanded our overall attractiveness to folks coming in. ere’s just one more thing to do, especially when it’s hot here. When you can spend a Saturday a ernoon with a cold beer on an airconditioned bus; that’s a pretty good day.”

Where to?

Memphis cra beer has come a long way in the last 10 years. But there is room to go further, some say.

A few years ago, Kyle Johnson, an avid cra fan, moved to Memphis from Atlanta, a city with “an incredible brewery scene and overall beer scene” jammed with brewpubs and beer bars. He’s come across many beers here that are just “forgettable,” he said, and beer bars do too little marketing to make the scene seem fresh and exciting.

Breweries here, Johnson said, either have all the same stu to appease many tastes, or they brew to the tastes of the brewers with little regard for the market. Either way, Johnson hopes Memphis breweries will take more chances down the road.

“More people are coming through this city either via tourism or just moving here in general, and a lot of them have experienced other cities,” Johnson said. “If you take a chance and try something new or possibly ‘out of the norm’ for Memphis, you might be surprised that it’s what the crowds are craving.”

ere’s another national cra beer trend that vexes industry insiders and

makes outsiders roll their eyes at cra as a “white person thing:” racial diversity. It’s a nationwide issue but is easily seen in Memphis. Just have a look around many local taprooms.

e latest study (in 2018) by the Brewers Association, the industry group for small and independent brewers, showed that more than 85 percent of cra drinkers were white. Minority groups made up the rest, and while that was an increase, it wasn’t enough.

“Given that only 68.7 percent of the 21+ U.S. population is non-Hispanic white, that’s not progress,” the study said. “Minority cra drinkers are growing, but only because the total population of cra drinkers is growing, not because cra drinkers are getting more diverse along racial lines.”

What’s Ahead?

In our 2013 beer story, Sayle called Skypeck “the godfather of cra brewing in Memphis.” He le Memphis that year for a job with the National Brewers Association group.

While he’s not current on the Memphis beer scene, he said he’s seeing the cra beer industry leveling o . Brewers, like many other businesses, are facing the headwinds of in ation. For example, the costs of malt and cans rose by 40 percent recently, he said. is could mean Memphis might not see many new breweries soon.

But Skypeck said the leveling o could just be a market cycle as cra beer competes with other products like hard seltzers, avored malt beverages, and, now, ready-to-drink cocktails. But, Skypeck said, “ ose things come and go, and cra beer always stays.”

In his 30 years in the cra beer business, Skypeck said he’s heard many ring the death knell for his industry, especially when a high-pro le brewery closes.

“How many times do you see a high-pro le restaurant close and people say it’s the end of dining out?” he asked.

PHOTO: MEMPHIS BREWFEST Sips ahoy at Memphis Brewfest

We Recommend: Culture, News + Reviews

Vibing

By Abigail Morici

“ is is my assistant Ivy,” Matt Petty tells me as he massages the leaves of his pothos plant. Ivy is connected to a Bluetooth speaker that hums an ethereal tune, producing an otherworldly atmosphere, ripe for Petty’s practice of sound therapy. “ e Bluetooth transmitter turns the energy of the plant into sound,” Petty explains. “It works with the electricity that’s moving through the water in the plant.”

Ivy is just one of the instruments in the room with us, along with quartz crystal singing bowls, a rain stick, gongs, and chimes. “All of these instruments are very resonant,” Petty says. “So when you play them, it sort of ampli es what’s already in the atmosphere. ese are all sound healing instruments.”

Before learning these instruments, Petty was classically trained on the trombone. “When I was in college, one thing that I would do that would help my musicianship as a trombone player was yoga. Maybe that was kind of how I started deepening into that kind of [meditative] practice.” A er his schooling, he taught music theory and ear training, where musicians learn to identify pitches, chords, and melodies solely by hearing.

“I really had to nd a way to teach people how to listen,” he adds. “ ere was a TED Talk video I saw from this deaf percussionist, Evelyn Glennie. And she just talks about being a deaf musician, and how everybody thinks music just goes in through your ears. And that’s sort of how we are trained to be musicians, but actually, the way that she learned how to be the musician that she is, is through how to feel the instrument through using your body. I always felt really inspired by that. It helped me understand how people were thinking about sound and how they were psychologically processing it.”

But it wouldn’t be until a er the pandemic when he would nd sound therapy. “When the pandemic started, it was sort of like all of the gigs just kind of ended,” he says. “It really felt like my music career, like, ended at that point, at least for a long time. And so, one day I found out about this New Year’s Eve meditation, and I ended up going. And it was the rst time I’d ever experienced a sound healing kind of meditation. It shi ed everything for me. My life changed a er that.” At last, Petty knew how transformative listening to music with one’s whole body in a meditative state could be, and the relief it could o er.

Now, Petty leads weekly sound baths at e Broom Closet, so others can feel that kind of peace that very rst sound bath offered him. “It’s like a group meditation that’s guided by sound,” he says. “ e way I usually do them is I just play the instruments, and I sort of guide people in a meditation. … Your mind may go into a dreamlike state, but the music is sort of nudging you along. And the body just innately knows what to do and can move into these really deep places of healing and transformation.”

In addition to the weekly sound baths, Petty also o ers a monthly “Vibes from the Vines: e Sentient Sound of Plants in Memphis,” where attendees can try their own hand at playing the various instruments in a unique sound therapy session. Space is limited for each session, so keep up with Petty’s o erings on e Broom Closet’s Facebook.

Tanabata: An Evening in the Japanese Garden Memphis Botanic Garden, Friday, July 7, 7-9 p.m., $35-$45, 21+ Celebrate the Japanese festival, Tanabata, or Star Festival, at Memphis Botanic Garden. Learn the story of the star-crossed lovers behind this celebration and take part in traditional activities such as writing wishes on tanzaku (colored strips of paper), creating origami, touring the Japanese Garden, trying on samurai armor, and enjoying small bites and Japanese cocktails under the stars.

Each ticket includes admission to the event, three alcoholic beverages, and small bites.

Earlier in the day, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., families can visit the garden and write their wishes on tanzaku.

e Break-Up Show Black Lodge, Friday-Saturday, July 7-July 8, 8-10 p.m., $25 e hellish reality that is dating (and existing) in the modern virtual world doesn’t give us much to smile about. at’s why the Break-Up Show is coming to the Black Lodge for two glorious evenings featuring the best of the worst bulls**t that blasts through our phones, hearts, and lives every day — from passiveaggressive texts and unhinged dating app interactions, to local news comment sections and insu erable Facebook “friends.”

Get ready for brand-new tales of love, loss, and “what the actual f**k,” all veri ed by screenshots and dramatized for your enjoyment.

Proceeds bene t Friends of George’s. Please note: this event is *very* NSFW and contains drag queens! You’ve been warned.

Author Panel: Malfunction Junction Vol. 2

Novel, Saturday, July 8, 2 p.m. Novel presents a panel with the authors of Malfunction Junction Vol. 2: Close Encounters of the ird Street Kind, a collaborative work by K.D. Barnes, Rikki Boyce, Michael Chewning, Will Hagan, Rae Harding, Daniel Reece, Justin Siebert, and Imogean Webb.

Bert Kreischer’s Fully Loaded Comedy Festival

AutoZone Park, Saturday, July 8, 7 p.m., $35-$129.50

Comedian Bert Kreischer (“ e Machine”) is bringing his Fully Loaded Comedy Festival to Memphis. On the lineup are Kreischer, Mark Normand, Ti any Haddish, Big Jay Oakerson, Chad Daniels, Ralph Barbosa, Rosebud Baker, Cipha Sounds, and Carter Cruise.

CELESTIAL SOUND BATH, THE BROOM CLOSET, MONDAYS, 6:30 P.M., $20.

VIBES FROM THE VINES: THE SENTIENT SOUND OF PLANTS IN MEMPHIS, THE BROOM CLOSET, MONDAY, JULY 31, 7 P.M., $20.

PHOTO: ABIGAIL MORICI Matt Petty alongside his plant assistant.

MUSIC By Alex Greene

Keeping It Creamy

Black Cream stay true to their diverse in uences.

It’s an old, old story here in Memphis — in this case, told three times over. e friends in

the band Black Cream all grew up surrounded by the music of Black churches, then matured and applied that experience to creating more worldly music with a distinctly pop-rock appeal. As a result, it’s hard to describe Black Cream with the usual labels of the music industry (though of course that’s another hallmark of Memphis groups). But there’s no denying they’re a “power trio,” for this three piece combo of bass, guitar, and drums can pack a wallop.

Should you walk in on their set at the right moment, you might think you’ve found a Jimi Hendrix tribute band — until the vocals kick in. e rich, soulful singing, sometimes breaking out into three part harmonies, sounds more like vintage Cream or perhaps latter-day Isley Brothers. But then you’d realize: is band was playing original music, and even their cover versions were approached from le eld. at’s when you’ve found the real Black Cream.

ose soulful vocals are no accident. Chris Barnes, the group’s drummer and principal singer, is one half of

e Sensational Barnes Brothers, an old-school gospel project he pursues with his sibling Courtney. But that’s just one iteration of the very musical Barnes family. Duke and Deborah Barnes were a sought-a er gospel duo around Memphis in the ’70s and ’80s. By the 1990s, they had so encouraged

their four children to sing that the kids formed their own performing group, Joy. Over time, they’ve become the go-to background vocalists on many local records, especially Chris, who also sings with the Bar-Kays.

Meanwhile, bassist and singer Derek Brassel says, “I come from a semi-musical family. My family roots don’t run as deep as the Barnes’, but my father is a great vocalist who sang with O’Landa Draper and other gospel groups. A lot of Memphis musicians start on drums, and I got my rst drum set when I was 3 or 4. In seventh grade, I bought my rst guitar. And I grew up watching, in Mississippi Boulevard church, omas Brown, the guitar player there. He’s legendary.”

at’s when Barnes chimes in more directly about Brassel’s current work: “And now Derek is Everlast’s touring bass and guitar player!”

ough guitarist and vocalist omas O. Crivens, better known as T.O., doesn’t tour with a Grammy-winning singer, he comes to the band with his own bona des. As the executive director and producer of Beale Street Caravan, he certainly knows his music, but it’s more the way he throws himself into the guitar that’s distinctive. e group’s one release to date, “All I Need Is You,” reveals his crunchy electric tone from the opening notes, and his edgy rock ri ng and soloing elevate the song beyond its more pop charms.

T.O. was also rst exposed to music through church. “My dad was a pastor and my mom was a teacher, but she

also played organ for dad in church.” He didn’t catch the music bug until later, though. “I started playing guitar in college, where a friend had a guitar and a Carlos Santana songbook. I wanted to play drums all my life but the guitar represented something musical that I could a ord and do myself. en my dad burned me some Wes Montgomery CDs. One of the rst melodies I learned was Wes’ version of Eleanor Rigby.”

He’s pursued that eclectic approach ever since those early days and now, at 42 years old, can navigate anything from Santana to jazz, soul, funk, and beyond with aplomb. Indeed, it’s the breadth of these players’ shared interests that sets Black Cream apart from most power trios. Of course, it helps that they have the talent to execute all those stylistic le turns. But to hear them describe it, they’re not using a road map.

As Barnes notes, “Organic — that’s our guiding word. How we came together was organic. We didn’t say, ‘Hey, let’s try this one thing!’ It kind of just happened.”

Brassel adds, “And our covers come together as organically as the originals do. And I think this sets us apart as well. People have said our sound, for it to be just the three of us, is a very full sound.”

And beyond that full-throated, eclectic, rocking sound, Barnes adds one last guiding principle of the band: “Keep it creamy,” he smiles. “And stay true to who we really are.”

WYLI E HU B BARD

RAY

PHOTO: JAMIE HARMON Black Cream

Denver Massey

ursday, July 6, 8 p.m.

TIN ROOF

DJ Epic

Friday, July 7, 10 p.m.; Saturday, July 8, 10 p.m.

TIN ROOF

DJ Stringbean

ursday, July 6, 10 p.m.

TIN ROOF

Jarred Kingrey

Friday, July 7, 10:30 p.m.; Saturday, July 8, 3:45 p.m.; Wednesday, July 12, 8 p.m.

TIN ROOF

Peabody Rooftop Party: DJ Epic

$15. ursday, July 6, 6 p.m.

THE PEABODY HOTEL Richard Wilson Album Release Show

Join Richard Wilson for the release of Promised Land. Friday, July 7, 7 p.m.

SOUTH MAIN SOUNDS

Rodell McCord

Saturday, July 8, 10:30 p.m.; Sunday, July 9, 8 p.m.

TIN ROOF

Sunset Jazz featuring Deborah Swiney

Experience the magic of a stunning sunset while listening to soulful jazz tunes. Free. Sunday, July 9, 6-8 p.m.

COURT SQUARE PARK

The Lizzard Kings Live!

$7. Tuesday, July 11, 7-9:30 p.m.

CAROLINA WATERSHED

The Stax Music Academy

Alumni Band, 926 Free. Tuesday, July 11, 2-4 p.m.

STAX MUSEUM OF AMERICAN SOUL

MUSIC

Wyly Bigger & The Coyotes

Friday, July 7, 9 p.m.

EARNESTINE & HAZEL’S

Brian Johnson Band July 7

$10. Friday, July 7, 8 p.m.

NEIL’S MUSIC ROOM

Chest Fever Tribute Show ft. Jackie Flora and Brad Webb

Tuesday, July 11, 8 p.m.

MEMPHIS MUSIC ROOM

Deb Jam Band & Erek

Stone

Tuesday, July 11, 6-10 p.m.

NEIL’S MUSIC ROOM

Elmo & the Shades

A night of R&B classics and Memphis soul. Wednesday, July 12, 7-11 p.m.

NEIL’S MUSIC ROOM

Jaeti Is Keepin It Memphis

Keepin It Memphis is an awardwinning weekly concert series that promotes the Memphis culture and highlights the works of the Memphis underground arts scene.

18+. Wednesday, July 12, 7:3010:45 p.m.

MEMPHIS MUSIC ROOM

Rock Ya Live

Saturday, July 8, 8 p.m.

T.J. MULLIGAN’S

The Way They Play

“ e Way ey Play” spotlights special guest musicians in discussions and demonstrations of iconic styles, tricks, techniques, and quirks. is session will feature Albert King Jr. $18/General Admission, $17/Senior , $13/Youth.

Saturday, July 8, 1:30 p.m.

MUSEUM OF SCIENCE & HISTORY

Alice Hasen & Josh Threlkeld

Alice Hasen and Josh relkeld combine instrumental virtuosity, creative songwriting, and a rainbow of tonal colors in Memphis’ newest duo act. 21+. $10. Saturday, July 8, 8 p.m.

BAR DKDC

Almost Elton John & the Rocketmen

Friday, July 7, 10 p.m.

LAFAYETTE’S MUSIC ROOM

Anthony Q

With a bright future ahead, Anthony Q represents the present and future of R&B and hip-hop. $15$20. Saturday, July 8, 7:30 p.m.

THE GREEN ROOM AT CROSSTOWN ARTS

Aquanet

Saturday, July 8, 10 p.m.

LAFAYETTE’S MUSIC ROOM

Area 51

Wednesday, July 12, 6 p.m.

LAFAYETTE’S MUSIC ROOM

Bluff City Bandits

Saturday, July 8, 6 p.m.

LAFAYETTE’S MUSIC ROOM

Chora, Vermin Fate, Mammoth Caravan, Seeing Hell

Wednesday, July 12, 7 p.m.

HI TONE

Dead Reckoning with Burn The Witch, The Red Mountain and more

Friday, July 7, 7 p.m.

GROWLERS

Destroy Boys, Die Spitz, Blvck Hippie

Sunday, July 9, 7 p.m.

HI TONE

Digital Rituals

Hosted by Gri Gri. Featuring B. Lakeitha, Loco Zoe, R.E. Double, M4RS, Trees Tarantino, Jay DaSkreet, and Outside Source. $10. ursday, July 6, 8 p.m.

HI TONE

Drew Holcomb & The Neighbors

ere are no strangers at a Drew Holcomb show. For the better part of two decades, the award-winning songwriter has brought his audience together night a er night, turning his shows into celebrations of community, collaboration, and contemporary American roots music. $35.

Saturday, July 8, 7:30 p.m.

OVERTON PARK SHELL

Flesh Rot, Grotesqueries, Sarcoughagus, Ritual Fog $10. Monday, July 10, 8 p.m.

HI TONE

Gable Price and Friends with Goldpark

Tuesday, July 11, 7 p.m.

GROWLERS

General Labor

Saturday, July 8, 9 p.m.

BAR DKDC

Graham Winchester Song Swap

Join Graham Winchester and friends in swapping songs and having fun! Friday, July 7, 8 p.m.

BAR DKDC

In the Round with Mark

Edgar Stuart, Keith Sykes, and Jimmy Davis

Join Mark Edgar Stuart, Keith Sykes, and Jimmy Davis for an old-fashioned song swap! $20.

Friday, July 7, 7:30 p.m.

THE GREEN ROOM AT CROSSTOWN ARTS

Joe Restivo

Saturday, July 8, 11 a.m.; Sunday, July 9, 11 a.m.

LAFAYETTE’S MUSIC ROOM

John Williams and the A440 Band

$10. ursday, July 6, 8 p.m.

NEIL’S MUSIC ROOM

Kill Order, Heat, Sustenance, 2 Live and Die

$10. Friday, July 7, 8 p.m.

HI TONE

Lance & Madison

Saturday, July 8, 2 p.m.

LAFAYETTE’S MUSIC ROOM

Landslide Memphis’

Fleetwood Mac Tribute

Friday, July 7, 6 p.m.

LAFAYETTE’S MUSIC ROOM

Left Unsung with Bailey

Bigger

Saturday, July 8, 8:30 p.m.

B-SIDE

Mary Gauthier with Special Guest Jaimee Harris

Presented by Folk All Y’all + Crosstown Arts

For decades, acclaimed singersongwriter Mary Gauthier, hailed by the Associated Press as “one of the best songwriters of her generation,” has enticed audiences from all over the world and continues to sell out venues across America on each leg of her tour. $25. Wednesday, July 12, 7:30 p.m.

THE GREEN ROOM AT CROSSTOWN ARTS

Memphis Knights Big Band

Monday, July 10, 7:30 p.m.

LAFAYETTE’S MUSIC ROOM

Memphis May Fire with Norma Jean, Secrets, and Saul

Wednesday, July 12, 6 p.m.

GROWLERS

Modern Masters Jazz Series: Pat Bianchi

Pat Bianchi has established himself as one of the premier organists on

the international scene today. $20$25. Tuesday, July 11, 7:30 p.m.

THE GREEN ROOM AT CROSSTOWN ARTS

Royal Blues Band Jam

Tuesday, July 11, 6 p.m.

LAFAYETTE’S MUSIC ROOM

Steve Earle

Sunday, July 9, 7 p.m.

LAFAYETTE’S MUSIC ROOM

The Heavy Pour, Deaf Revival, FWS

$10. Friday, July 7, 9 p.m.

B-SIDE

The ShotGunBillys

Country blues from Arkansas and Memphis-inspired Southern rock. ursday, July 6, 7 p.m.

LAFAYETTE’S MUSIC ROOM

TN Screamers

Friday, July 7, 10 p.m.

BAR DKDC

Tula Vera, Chloe P. and the Scouts, The Smokin’ Jays, Mike Hewlett and the Racket

$10. Saturday, July 8, 8:30 p.m.

HI TONE

Whores, Pressed, TV Yellow

$10-$15. Friday, July 7, 9 p.m.

HI TONE

Ziggy Daddy, Wobble Squad

Friday, July 7, 11 p.m.-2 a.m.

CANVAS

Delta Project

Friday, July 7, 10 p.m.

HERNANDO’S HIDEAWAY

The Deltaz, Rachel Maxann

ursday, July 6, 8 p.m.

HERNANDO’S HIDE-A-WAY

Bluegrass on the Collierville Square

Bring a chair and have a picnic. Free family fun open to all spectators. Musicians welcome. Acoustic only. Friday, July 7, 7-10 p.m.

COLLIERVILLE TOWN SQUARE

Concerts in the Grove:

Cyrena Wages

Catch Cyrena’s GPAC debut. Enjoy music, food trucks, and corn hole, all in the beautiful, park-like setting of the TruGreen Lawn. Bring your lawn chairs and blankets. Outside food and drinks are permitted. $5-$15. ursday, July 6, 6-8 p.m.

GERMANTOWN PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

Happy Hour in the Grove

An evening of fun with a master mixologist: Enjoy drink specials, deals on local beer, and $5 wine. With live music by Josh relkeld.

Friday, July 7, 5-8 p.m.

GERMANTOWN PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

Memphis Jazz Workshop

Summer Jam

is special concert will feature the area’s most talented young jazz musicians in a variety of combos, ensembles, and even a big band.

Saturday, July 8, 7:30-9:30 p.m.

GERMANTOWN PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

TiLt

Saturday, July 8, 9 p.m.

ROCKHOUSE LIVE

PHOTO: CHAD COCHRAN Mary Gauthier

CALENDAR of EVENTS: July 6 - 12

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

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

ART HAPPENINGS

Art Club with Joi Purvy

Join Joi Purvy for an evening of creating and crafting at Art Club! $35. Monday, July 10, 5-7 p.m.

ARROW CREATIVE

First Fridays on Broad

The shops of Broad Ave. will be celebrating Christmas in July with specialty themed products, treats, and discounts. Friday, July 7, 5-8 p.m.

BROAD AVENUE ARTS DISTRICT

“TN Fine Craft Showcase” Opening Reception

This exhibition encompasses a wide range of media including weaving, wood-turning, clay, jewelry, drawings, linocuts, fused glass, and more. Sunday, July 9, 2-4 p.m.

GALLERY 1091

BOOK EVENTS

Author Panel: Malfunction Junction

Vol. 2

Novel presents an author panel with the authors of Malfunction Junction Vol. 2: Close Encounters of the Third Street Kind. Saturday, July 8, 2 p.m.

NOVEL

COMEDY

Bert Kreischer’s Fully Loaded Comedy Festival

Featuring comedy by Bert Kreischer, Mark Normand, Tiffany Haddish, Big Jay Oakerson, Chad Daniels, Ralph Barbosa, Rosebud Baker, Cipha Sounds, and Carter Cruise. $35$129.50. Saturday, July 8, 7 p.m.

AUTOZONE PARK

F.M.K.: An Intelligent Discussion

Hosted by the incomparable, award-winning Katrina Coleman and the incompetent Skinny of Dukes Mayo fame, this show intends to enlighten, empower, and possibly enrage its attendees. $10. Saturday, July 8, 10 p.m.

HI TONE

Head Shot Comedy Show

Get ready to laugh your head off with Tylon Monger, Tommy Oler, Keeley Allison, Jowa Horn, and Topher Shaw. Hosted by Ross Turner. $15. Friday, July 7, 8-9:30 p.m.

THEATRESOUTH

Liars Matinee - Bluff City JULYars

The Liars bring another afternoon of improv comedy! $10. Sunday, July 9, 3 p.m.

BLACK LODGE

Red Grant Red Grant is an American comedian, actor,

writer, and producer, known for his infectious laugh and his unrelenting work ethic. Friday, July 7-July 9.

CHUCKLES COMEDY HOUSE

The Break-Up Show

The Break-Up Show returns with brand-new tales of love, loss, and internet drama — all verified by screenshots and dramatized for your enjoyment. Friday, July 7-July 8, 8-10 p.m.

BLACK LODGE

FAMILY

Drop-In Tanabata Family Activity

In celebration of Tanabata, or Star Festival, which traditionally happens on the seventh day of the seventh month of the year, families can write their wishes on tanzaku, or colored strips of paper. Friday, July 7, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

MEMPHIS BOTANIC GARDEN

Free Family Day

Free admission, plus food trucks, games and activities, arts and crafts for children, and more. Saturday, July 8, 1-5 p.m.

STAX MUSEUM OF AMERICAN SOUL MUSIC

FILM

Four Weddings and a Funeral Starring Hugh Grant and Andie MacDowell. Free. Saturday, July 8, 3 p.m.

BLACK LODGE

LECTURE

1

From the Beyond: Ghosts, Spiritualism, and Cemeteries

Kim Bearden, a cemetarian with 25 years of experience, will share the fascinating history of spiritualism in the young United States. $20. Sunday, July 9, 6:30-8 p.m.

ELMWOOD CEMETERY

Knowing Your Brand

The Society of Entrepreneurs and Epicenter Memphis are joining forces to bring you a panel on harnessing your skills to bring the best product to your cus tomer. $15. Tuesday, July 11, 8-9:30 a.m.

CAFE ECLECTIC

PERFORMING ARTS

“Dazzle Saturdays” with JR Stone JR Stone brings you “Dazzle Saturdays” … “the best view in Memphis.” Saturday, July 8, 10 p.m.

DRU’S PLACE

SPECIAL EVENTS

Neon Demons Rave

It’s time again for Black Lodge to unleash another of their neon-drenched, candy-colored psychedelic dance parties. 18+. $5. Saturday, July 8, 11 p.m.

Tanabata

Celebrate this Japanese festival. Learn the story of the starcrossed lovers behind this celebration and take part in traditional activities. 21+. $35, $45. Friday, July 7, 7-9 p.m.

MEMPHIS BOTANIC GARDEN

SPORTS

Memphis 901 FC vs. San Antonio FC Friday, July 7, 7:30 p.m.

AUTOZONE PARK

THEATER

Don’t Hydroplane

Don’t Hydroplane follows a family as they navigate the difficult task of finding a final resting place for their loved one. Friday, July 7-July 23.

THEATREWORKS

Jersey Boys

This Broadway smash hit chronicles the legendary doo-wop group Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons. $30. Through July 16.

The New York Times Syndication Sales Corporation 620 Eighth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10018 For Information Call: 1-800-972-3550 For Release Saturday, February 2, 2019

PLAYHOUSE ON THE SQUARE

BLACK LODGE

Crossword

Edited by Will Shortz No. 1229

Rebecca Ziemer’s Cavityis on display at WKNO’s Gallery 1091 as part of its “TN Fine Craft Showcase,” through July 28th. ACROSS

123456789101112

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE

LEADEROFTHEPACK ALFAROMEOSPIDER GOINGBACKTOCALI CLEORUYCAPES LUISNOTHTSP ITSPLEDGECOTY BETARAYANGORA LIREMAUL GODEEPECSTASY NOLODORSETIMO ORDCOPAGREW MISDOPUPDUMA ALAINRENELESAGE ALLOVERCREATION MATRYOSHKADOLLS

2

21 Pair that clicked in film

31 This, for one

32 Held

47 Counterpart of the Roman god Sol

and Delta Queen, for two

12 Subject of the 2018 biography “The Shadow President” 14 Brace 16

22 “I could use some help” 24 ___-eared 25 Statement no. 26 California’s ___ Woods National Monument 27 Fake 28 Constrained, with “in” 30 Dwindles

37 Spec for some bargain tix

41 Direction of a ship

42 Ford acquisition of 1999 and sale of 2010

43 Ark unit

44 Main dinosaur in Pixar’s “The Good Dinosaur”

48 “Triptych Bleu I, II, III,” e.g.

49 Bad thing to find in your refrigerator

50 One gets shared a lot

52 Plays at work?

53 Meas. for a steno

Online subscriptions: Today’s puzzle and more than 7,000 past puzzles, nytimes.com/crosswords ($39.95 a year).

Read about and comment on each puzzle: nytimes.com/wordplay.

PUZZLE BY ROBYN WEINTRAUB

JULY 14 JUULLY Y 1 14 4

Get your tickets now for the season's hottest Cocktail Party! Your ticket to this boozy festival includes a dozen fun-size signature summer cocktails, plus enjoy fresh local food, fun photo opps and more

NEWS OF THE WEIRD

By the editors at Andrews McMeel Syndication

Awesome!

Ethan Brown, 16, a junior at Jericho High School on Long Island, New York, is a hero among his classmates, the New York Post reported. Brown argued before the school board in March that his highly ranked school had 186 days in session — six more than the state’s required 180 — and that summer vacation ought to begin on Friday, May 26. “I was nervous, especially at first,” Brown said. “I almost sat back down before speaking but I’m glad I didn’t.” He noted that on a stormy day in February, the school did not close, and not a single snow day was used during the year. Superintendent Hank Grisham said Brown “did an absolutely incredible job. There is no requirement to give … snow days back to staff or the kids.” But the board was moved, and a day off was granted — dubbed the Ethan Brown Snow Day. “I’m getting a lot of thank-yous,” Brown said. In his upcoming senior year, he’s in line to take over the editor-in-chief position at the school newspaper. [NY Post, 5/25/2023]

Thong and Cheek

Protesters at the Massachusetts Statehouse bared more than their souls as they demonstrated against climate change on June 15, according to an NBC-10 Boston report. Shouts began to rain down from the public gallery just after 1 p.m. from eight members of Extinction Rebellion, an international environmental movement, followed by a warning: “We are going to be mooning you. … You can look away if you wish.” At that point, the octet turned their backs on the senators and dropped trou, revealing pink thongs and bare buttocks emblazoned with the words “stop passing gas.” The protesters continued with chants of “You’re a senator, not an ass, why are you still passing gas,” and “Butts out for climate” for about an hour before they were arrested and escorted out of the chamber.

[NBC 10 Boston, 6/15/2023]

Reunited and It Feels So Good

• A first edition of George Orwell’s 1984 has been returned to the library … 65 years late. UPI reported that the Multnomah County Library in Portland recently received the return from an 86-year-old patron. The patron attached a note to the book, explain-

ing that they meant to return it in 1958 after checking it out as a Portland State University student — they just “never got around to it.” But talk about excellent timing: The library just went fine-free. [UPI, 6/14/2023]

• Sheriff’s detectives in Kanawha County, West Virginia, made an odd discovery while executing a search warrant on an impounded vehicle in February: a 1965 class ring from Needham B. Broughton High School in Raleigh, North Carolina, bearing the initials “M.P.” Their investigation determined the owner was one Michael Pedneau, who told the Charleston (West Virginia) Gazette-Mail that he only vaguely recalls losing the bling some 50 years ago, perhaps on a trip to Princeton, West Virginia. “There’s probably 40 or 50 of us [classmates] who get together monthly for lunch,” Pedneau said. “We’re all old, so we enjoy swapping stories, and this is one I’ll share with them. I’ll show them the ring and we’ll have some fun around it.” [Charleston Gazette-Mail, 6/13/2023]

Up in Smoke

A dispensary in Baltimore faces fines for blowing smoke … literally. WMAR2 in Baltimore reported that the Cookies dispensary opened May 27, only to be shut down less than a week later after a surprise inspection revealed a laundry list of violations, including “large plumes of medical cannabis smoke being blown from a large gun apparatus into the mouths of persons outside the dispensary,” according to the suspension notice. Cookies is part of a franchise, and Cookies San Francisco was the first to utilize a “Flame Thrower” smoke blower, created by Jeff Dick of Colorado. The blower has since become part of the Cookies brand. [WMAR-2, 6/15/2023]

Send your weird news items with subject line WEIRD NEWS to WeirdNewsTips@amuniversal.com. News of the Weird is now a podcast on all major platforms! To find out more, visit newsoftheweirdpodcast.com.

NEWS OF THE WEIRD

© 2023 Andrews McMeel Syndication. Reprinted with permission. All rights reserved.

SHELBY FARMS EVENT CENTER | 6:30-9:30

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Genius physicist Albert Einstein said, “The formulation of a problem is often more essential than its solution, which may be merely a matter of mathematical or experimental skill. To raise new questions, new possibilities, to regard old questions from new angles, requires creative imagination and makes real advances.” What he said here applies to our personal dilemmas, too. When we figure out the right questions to ask, we are more than halfway toward a clear resolution. This is always true, of course, but it will be an especially crucial principle for you in the coming weeks.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): “Every great advance in natural knowledge has involved the absolute rejection of authority.” So said Taurus biologist and anthropologist Thomas Huxley (1825-1895). I don’t think you will have to be quite so forceful as that in the coming weeks. But I hope you’re willing to further your education by rebelling against what you already know. And I hope you will be boisterously skeptical about conventional wisdom and trendy ideas. Have fun cultivating a feisty approach to learning! The more time you spend exploring beyond the borders of your familiar world, the better.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Hooray and hallelujah! You’ve been experimenting with the perks of being pragmatic and well-grounded. You have been extra intent on translating your ideals into effective actions. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen you so dedicated to enjoying the simple pleasures. I love that you’re investigating the wonders of being as down-to-earth as you dare. Congratulations! Keep doing this honorable work.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Maybe you wished you cared more deeply about a certain situation. Your lack of empathy and passion may feel like a hole in your soul. If so, I have good news. The coming weeks will be a favorable time to find the missing power; to tap into the warm, wet feelings that could motivate your quest for greater connection. Here’s a good way to begin the process: Forget everything you think you know about the situation with which you want more engagement. Arrive at an empty, still point that enables you to observe the situation as if you were seeing it for the first time.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): You are in an astrological phase when you’ll be wise to wrangle with puzzles and enigmas. Whether or not you come up with crisp solutions isn’t as crucial as your earnest efforts to limber up your mind. For best results, don’t worry and sweat about it; have fun! Now I’ll provide a sample riddle to get you in the mood. It’s adapted from a text by David Wallechinsky and Irving Wallace. You are standing before two iden-

tical closed doors, one leading to grime and confusion, the other to revelation and joy. Before the doors stand two figures: an angel who always tells the truth and a demon who always lies. But they look alike, and you may ask only one question to help you choose what door to take. What do you do? (Possible answer: Ask either character what the other would say if you asked which door to take, then open the opposite door.)

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): I found a study that concluded just 6.1. percent of online horoscopes provide legitimate predictions about the future. Furthermore, the research indicated, 62.3 percent of them consist of bland, generic pabulum of no value to the recipient. I disagree with these assessments. Chani Nicholas, Michael Lutin, Susan Miller, and Jessica Shepherd are a few of many regular horoscope writers whose work I find interesting. My own astrological oracles are useful, too. And by the way, how can anyone have the hubris to decide which horoscopes are helpful and which are not? This thing we do is a highly subjective art, not an objective science. In the spirit of my comments here, Libra, and in accordance with astrological omens, I urge you to declare your independence from so-called experts and authorities who tell you they know what’s valid and worthwhile for you. Here’s your motto: “I’m the authoritative boss of my own truth.”

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Is it a fact that our bodies are made of stardust? Absolutely true, says planetary scientist Dr. Ashley King. Nearly all the elements comprising our flesh, nerves, bones, and blood were originally forged in at least one star, maybe more. Some of the stuff we are made of lived a very long time in a star that eventually exploded: a supernova. Here’s another amazing revelation about you: You are composed of atoms that have existed for almost 14 billion years. I bring these startling realities to your attention, Scorpio, in honor of the most expansive phase of your astrological cycle. You have a mandate to deepen and broaden and enlarge your understanding of who you are and where you came from.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): I foresee that August will be a time of experiments and explorations. Life will be in a generous mood toward you, tempting and teasing you with opportunities from beyond your circle of expectations. But let’s not get carried away until it makes cosmic sense to get carried away. I don’t want to urge you to embrace wild hope prematurely. Between now and the end of July, I advise you to enjoy sensible gambles and measured adventures. It’s okay to go deep and be rigorous, but save the full intensity for later.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): I wrote my horoscope column for over 10 years before it began to get widely syndicated. What changed? I became a better writer and oracle, for one thing. My tenacity was inexhaustible. I was always striving to improve my craft, even when the rewards were meager. Another important factor in my eventual success was my persistence in marketing. I did a lot of hard work to ensure the right publications knew about me. I suspect, fellow Cancerian, that 2024 is likely to bring you a comparable breakthrough in a labor of love you have been cultivating for a long time. And the coming months of 2023 will be key in setting the stage for that breakthrough.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Is there a crucial half-conscious question lurking in the underside of your mind? A smoldering doubt or muffled perplexity that’s important for you to address? I suspect there is. Now it’s time to coax it up to the surface of your awareness so you may deal with it forthrightly. You must not let it smolder there in its hiding place. Here’s the good news, Capricorn: If you bring the dilemma or confusion or worry into the full light of your consciousness, it will ultimately lead you to unexpected treasure. Be brave!

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): In Larry McMurtry’s novel Duane’s Depressed, the life of the main character has come to a standstill. He no longer enjoys his job. The fates of his kids are too complicated for him to know how to respond. He has a lot of feelings but has little skill in expressing them. At a loss about how to change his circumstances, he takes a small and basic step: He stops driving his pickup truck and instead walks everywhere he needs to go. Your current stasis is nowhere near as dire as Duane’s, Aquarius. But I do recommend you consider his approach to initiating transformation: Start small and basic.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Author K. V. Patel writes, “As children, we laugh fully with the whole body. We laugh with everything we have.” In the coming weeks, Pisces, I would love for you to regularly indulge in just that: total delight and release. Furthermore, I predict you will be more able than usual to summon uproarious life-affirming amusement from the depths of your enchanted soul. Further furthermore, I believe you will have more reasons than ever before to throw your head back and unleash your entire self in rippling bursts of healing hysterical hilarity. To get started, practice chuckling, giggling, and chortling for one minute right now.

PHOTO: JUSTIN FOX BURKS

New Season Premiere Sun, July 9

Stream Season 1-7 NOW

Binge Season 8 after broadcast premiere

WITH SPECIAL GUEST INGRID ANDRESS

FOOD By Michael Donahue

Tequila With Soul

McCauley Williams’ Alma del Jaguar is now being served.

Memphian McCauley Williams put his heart and soul into creating Alma del Jaguar tequila.

Alma del Jaguar means “soul or spirit of the jaguar,” says Williams, 34.

And Williams, founder of Morningside Brands, has a big heart. “Our goal is to donate 10 percent of our pro ts to support wild jaguar conservation in Mexico,” he says.

His tequila is now available in ve states. “With another 15 states to come on line in the next 16 months.

“We’ve seen amazing sales from right out of the gate. We were pro table as a business in our rst month of sales, which is remarkable.”

And, Williams says, “We won platinum medals at both of the ASCOT [American Spirits Council of Tasters] Awards and SIP Awards, which are two of the leading spirit competitions in the country.”

Esquire listed Alma del Jaguar as one of “ e 28 Best Tequila Brands to Drink in 2023.”

In 2022, Williams le Blue Note Bourbon, which he co-founded, to explore other opportunities. “I’d always wanted to do something with my uncle, Rick Williams, since I was a child because of his amazing commitment to wild jaguar conservation in Mexico.

“About 25 years ago Rick moved to Mexico as a wildlife photographer to study wild jaguars with a team of biologists. He then co-founded the Northern Jaguar Project, which is a binational e ort between biologists and conservationists in the United States and Mexico to study and protect the northernmost population of wild jaguars in the world.

“He also founded the Northern Jaguar Reserve, a 60,000-acre wildlife refuge in Mexico, where the wild jaguars actually live and breathe.”

McCauley wanted to “create a spirit brand” that raised awareness about wild jaguar conservation. “ e reason it is important is this reserve and the cats they are studying are in the U.S.-Mexico borderlands. And they cross the border. Jaguars come into our country and are native to our country.”

Environmental conservation of our borderlands is “a hot political topic when it comes to drugs, immigration, tra cking of any illegal goods.”

“So, by talking about jaguar conservation, we are literally talking about saving these big cats but also raising awareness about environmental conservation.”

McCauley got the ball rolling in 2022.

“I bought a plane ticket to Guadalajara, Mexico, and rented a car and drove all around Mexico meeting with every tequila distillery that would see me.”

He chose a “ h-generation tequilamaking family — the Vivanco family.

ey’re in the Los Altos region of Jalisco, Mexico, a small farming community.

ey make some of the best tequila in the world. It’s a small operation. And they produce it all sustainably without chemicals.”

“We knew we needed the right partner for this brand. ey shared our passion for protecting the land.”

McCauley spent “about nine months designing a recipe — a unique avor pro le for our tequila.”

His rst batch was imported last March. “I have two di erent expressions right now. And we’re working on a third. Our Blanco tequila is unaged. And then our Reposado is rested in French oak wine casks that I bought in Santa Barbara, California, and then shipped to New Mexico.”

e new one is his Anejo. “ at one we age for over a year in those French oak wine barrels. at will be released next spring.”

For the Blanco, McCauley says, “I hired one of the legendary master distillers, Sergio Cruz, to help me design a avor pro le that really embodied the elements of terroir,” a French word for the tastes and smells present in a drink based on the natural ecosystem in which it was made.

He wanted the Blanco to “taste the way the Vivanco family ranch smelled. It’s clean, pure. ere’s elements of mineralogy, citrus, and spice. And we achieved that through using really old techniques of fermentation. Meaning most tequilas and distilled spirits use a cultivated yeast from a lab. We let the tanks sit open to let Mother Nature naturally ferment due to wild yeast that naturally occurs in the air.”

McCauley, who currently is “building an entire portfolio of spirit brands,” says his products are about sharing “good times and experiences together in camaraderie and fellowship.”

Alma del Jaguar is “the manifestation of those good times.”

PHOTO: MICHAEL DONAHUE McCauley Williams

FILM By Chris McCoy

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny

Harrison Ford kicks Nazi ass in Indy’s satisfying nale.

The lm that has had the most lasting in uence on action cinema is Buster Keaton’s 1926 masterpiece

e General. Inspired by an actual Civil War train chase across Tennessee and Georgia, e General contains some of the most incredible stunts ever performed for lm — all of them done by Keaton himself.

ere’s a straight line between e General and Raiders of the Lost Ark, the 1981 Steven Spielberg/George Lucas collaboration that perfected the kinetic lmmaking style the two friends had been groping towards with Star Wars, Jaws, and 1941. eir not-so-secret weapon was Harrison Ford, who didn’t quite do all of his own stunts like Keaton, but who still did a lot more stu than Lucas lm’s insurers were comfortable with.

When Disney bought Lucas lm in 2012, the rights to Indiana Jones came with it, and soon a er the House of Mouse pointed out that Spielberg, Lucas, and Ford had signed a ve- lm deal in 1979. at meant that even a er

the classic ’80s run of Raiders, Temple of Doom, and e Last Crusade, and 2008’s much-maligned Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, they were owed one more. us was born Indiana Jones and the Contractual Obligation, aka Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny

Spielberg and Lucas ful lled their contractual obligations by executive producing this go-round, handing o directorial duties to James Mangold, and a script cobbled together from years of false starts.

But without Ford, there’s no Indy. Any doubts that the 80-year-old Ford could still wear the fedora are quickly dispelled in Dial of Destiny. When the action opens, Ford gets ILM’s patented de-aging treatment. It’s 1945, and the ird Reich is falling. Indy and his Oxford archeologist colleague Basil Shaw (Toby Jones) try to sneak into a German castle where Nazis are hoarding looted treasures. ey’re looking for the Lance of Longinus, the Roman spear that pierced Christ’s side, but in the ensuing fracas, Indy half-acciden-

tally comes into possession of the Antikythera, half of a mysterious clockwork artifact from ancient Greece allegedly created by Archimedes.

Mangold’s assignment is to imitate the master, and the opening chase sequence, which pays homage to e General, is prime Spielbergian thrillride cinema. en we ash forward to 1969, where a depressed, aging Indy is just trying to get some peace and quiet in his Brooklyn apartment. e script gets the old man jokes out of the way early, when Indy takes a baseball bat to hush up the hippies downstairs,

who were blasting “Magical Mystery Tour” way too loud. e hippies are in a celebratory mood because it’s the day of the ticker tape parade for the Apollo 11 astronauts. It’s also retirement day for Indy, who has fallen from Princeton to a tiny liberal arts college. I guess it’s hard to get tenure when you’re a globe-trotting adventurer. His son with Marion, Mutt, has died in Vietnam, and the couple have split, leaving Indy with memories and whiskey.

Ford, who has phoned in performances in his time, comes alive in a scene where Indy tries to teach his class

Harrison Ford runs it back as Indiana Jones to kick Nazi butt in one last adventure.

of bored, stoned co-eds about Archimedes. One student who is listening is Helena Shaw (Phoebe Waller-Bridge), who reveals herself to Indy as the daughter of Basil, and his goddaughter. Helena is in the family business, but her brand of archeology is closer to Indy’s mercenary Temple of Doom approach than the guy who exclaimed, “It belongs in a museum!”

Helena wants to know what happened to the Antikythera all those years ago. Also interested in the subject is Jürgen Voller (Mads Mikkelsen), a former Nazi-turned-NASA-rocketscientist, who believes the Antikythera holds the key to time travel. Indy’s retirement is upended by a three-way chase through the streets and subways of New York, as the ticker tape parade

is in progress.

Mangold takes a lot of big swings, and most of them connect. WallerBridge proves a much better foil for Ford than Shia LaBeouf in Crystal Skull. There are some great sentimental cameos, but they’re handled deftly enough that it doesn’t become a nonstop nostalgia party.

Best of all is Ford, who doesn’t treat this as a victory lap. His joints are stiffer, but when he says he’s been shot nine times, you believe him. It’s a great joy to see anti-fascist icon Indiana Jones still out there punching Nazis. We need him now more than ever.

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Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny

FILM By Chris McCoy

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THE LAST WORD By

Rob Okun

Fathers Wanted

We need more fathers on the front lines of social change.

Women’s activism, including mothers in leadership roles, is legendary. Moms have long employed their moral authority as a parent to advance the social good.

Where are the fathers and grandfathers?

We care about our children and grandchildren, too. As parents, we have plenty of moral authority, right? Yes … but too o en, we squander our identity as male role models, failing to leverage our unique perspective as men to advance issues of social justice.

Why are so many fathers and father gures standing mute on the sidelines of change?

MomsRising, Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, and Mothers Out Front are among the most well-known groups, but there are countless other mother-led organizations across the country. Where are DadsRising, Dads Demand Action, Dads Out Front? I don’t care where Waldo is; I want to know “Where’s Dad-o?”

In part, the answer can be found by looking at the decades of women-led e orts to challenge gender inequality. In the modern era, it began to take shape following the publication of Betty Friedan’s groundbreaking book, e Feminine Mystique, 60 years ago. Nothing like a mountain of laundry, diapers to change, and supper to cook to raise your consciousness about gender injustice.

From the start of the women’s movement, women intrinsically understood the connection between nurturing and activism. A er all, it was that very liberation movement that gave us the iconic phrase, “ e personal is political.” (Carol Hanisch coined the expression in 1968.)

Meanwhile, activist men in the antiwar and civil rights movements of the 1960s rarely, if ever, considered gender. Of course, we were fervently committed to those struggles, but o en more in our heads than our hearts. at disconnect may explain our dilemma today — why males have been unsuccessful organizing ourselves as fathers and men. Women in those movements understood the connections, integrating questions of sexual politics, motherhood, and marriage into a wide-ranging intersectional examination of identity that included equality, nancial independence, and gender equity. Not us guys. If the term mansplaining had existed back then, we would have been called out for it regularly.

It was men’s intransigence — and our obtuseness — failing to recognize how badly we were treating our activist sisters that hastened the birth of the women’s movement. For men, especially fathers and father gures, to fully join women as activist parents will require a lot of self-re ection on our part. I’m hardly exempt.

So how do we get men to leverage our gender identity to advance social justice goals? Mothers and other parenting partners are healthier and happier when fathers are highly engaged with their kids. at’s according to research conducted by Kevin Shafer, associate professor of sociology at Brigham Young University, and Scott Easton, a sociologist and associate professor in the mental health department at Boston College.

ey say that men who care for their kids bene t, too; they have improved self-image, sense of purpose, and healthy relationships. And communities gain increased trust and safety from the relationships built when fathers positively participate in their kids’ activities, schooling, and social networks. ese are all essential if men and fathers are to integrate nurturing at home and social justice activism in the community.

To ensure that emotional openness and respect for women is widespread among future generations of men and fathers, researchers Shafer and Easton say we must value loving, supportive, engaged fathering. at means more support for fathers in public policy, workplaces, and institutions. Paid family leave, exible work schedules, and including dads in both pre- and postnatal care are all essential to encourage more father involvement. is will aid men in gaining con dence to use our gender identity as a foundation for activism.

ere are many routes to transformative fathering, all lead to men nding a way for activist dads to join moms on the front lines of social change. All fathers and father gures, not only biological ones.

All men who actively care for children have a critical role to play in instilling positive social values across generations — including addressing pressing social issues. Like mothers, they can parlay caring for their children into caring for the future, from gun violence to the climate crisis.

When that happens, we’ll begin hearing about groups like Dads Demand Action for Gun Sense and Fathers Out Front. en it will only be a matter of time before we see intersectional dads organizing a Father’s Day march in the morning and ring up the grill in the a ernoon. Rob Okun (rob@voicemalemagazine.org), syndicated by PeaceVoice, writes about politics and culture. He is editor-publisher of Voice Male magazine, chronicling the antisexist men’s movement for more than three decades.

PHOTO: JOSE M | UNSPLASH

Why are so many father gures standing mute on the sidelines of change?