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A SPLIT PARTY In District 9, Lamar and Pearson clash. Across the country, progressive Democrats are taking on establishment candidates.

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OUR 1953RD ISSUE 07.30.26

A SPLIT PARTY

In District 9, Lamar and Pearson clash.

Across the country, progressive Democrats are taking on establishment candidates.

PHOTO: (LEFT) KEVIN WURM; (RIGHT) BRAD VEST

SHARA CLARK Editor-in-Chief ALEX GREENE Managing Editor, Music Editor BRUCE VANWYNGARDEN Senior Editor TOBY SELLS Associate Editor KAILYNN JOHNSON News Reporter CHRIS MCCOY Film and TV Editor MICHAEL DONAHUE, JON W. SPARKS Staff Writers KIMBERLY HAM Calendar Editor, Copy Editor MICHAEL ADAMS, JESSE DAVIS, EMILY GUENTHER, BUDDY JONES, COCO JUNE, PATRICIA LOCKHART, FRANK MURTAUGH, LINDSEY D. RHEA Contributing Columnists SHARON BROWN, AIMEE STIEGEMEYER Grizzlies Reporters GRACIE DRIVER, NANDINI KONDISETTI, ALLIE MAURY Editorial Interns

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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 CONTEMPORARY MEDIA, INC. ANNA TRAVERSE Chief Executive Officer LYNN SPARAGOWSKI Controller/Circulation Manager JEFFREY GOLDBERG Chief Revenue Officer MARGIE NEAL Chief Operating Officer KRISTIN PAWLOWSKI Digital Services Director

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MEMernet MEMernet Memphis on the internet.

Edited by Toby Sells

{ {Task Force, Violent Crime, & Execution W E E K T H AT WA S

By Flyer staff W E E K T H AT WA S

By Flyer staff

A family urges shooting review, a 15-year low, and attorneys want lethal injection study.

Task Force, Violent Crime, & Execution

PIZZA PARTY

A family urges shooting review, a 15-year low, and attorneys want lethal injection study.

TASK FORCE

Does it get more anti-Task Force than Hunter Demster with a huge stack of pizzas from Tamboli’s Pasta & Pizza?

Does get more anti-Task Force than It doesitnot.

Hunter Demster with a huge stack of pizzas from Tamboli’s Pasta & Pizza?

TOOTHY It does not. Nikki Memphian

Harder’s art meTOOTHY dium is lighters, Memphian Bics, by the Nikki look Harder’s art meof them. Some dium is lighters, are bejeweled, Bics, by look some arethe Ouija of them. Some board-themed, are bejeweled, some (like the some are Ouija one pictured) POSTED TO FACEBOOK board-themed,

BY NIKKI HARDER have human some (like the teeth on them for some reason. If one pictured) this is your thing, check her out on have human Facebook Marketplace. teeth on them for some reason. If this is your thing, check her out on GUESS WHO? Facebook Marketplace.

Extreme heat took its sweet time this

July 30-August 5, 2026

Edited by Toby Sells

PIZZA PARTY Memphis on the internet.

POSTED TO FACEBOOK BY HUNTER DEMSTER

4

Questions, Answers + Attitude Questions, Answers + Attitude

year. But we all knew it would arrive GUESS WHO? eventually. The National Weather Extreme heat took itssaid sweet Service of Memphis on time X thisthis year. But we all knew it would arrive Monday that the heat index early this eventually. The National Weather week would reach around 114 degrees Service of Memphis said on X this and “creates dangerous conditions.”

Monday thatSquare the heat index early Overton restaurant Pet-this week would reach around 114 degrees als of a Peony took responsibility and “creates dangerous conditions.” for the rising temps last week. In a Overton Square restaurant PetFacebook post, it said, “Authentic als of a Peony took responsibility Sichuan cuisine for the rising temps last week. In a has been heating Facebook post, it said, “Authentic up Memphis all Sichuan cuisine summer. And has been heating according to up Memphis all our new policy, summer.

And Petals won’t let according to the summer end. our new policy, POSTED TO X BY Hot people eat NATIONAL WEATHER Petals won’t let SERVICE OF MEMPHIS hot food.” the summer end.

Hot people eat hot food.”

KIL LING The family of a man TASK FORCE killed by an officer with KIL LING the Memphis Safe Task The family of a man Force called for a swift killed by an officer with and public accounting of the Memphis Safe Task the May 13th shooting.

Force called for a swift Darrin Pigram, 41, and public accounting of was working the breakthe May 13th shooting. fast shift at a Burger Darrin Pigram, 41, King when he was shot was working the breakand killed at about 9:30 fast shift at a Burger a.m. by a Drug EnforceKing when he was shot ment Administration and killed at about 9:30 officer serving a warrant, a.m. by a Drug Enforceaccording to a brief dement Administration scription of the incident officer serving a warrant, by the Tennessee Bureau according to a brief deof Investigation. Pigram scription of the incident was shot eight times by the Tennessee Bureau inside the restaurant of Investigation. Pigram as horrified coworkers was shot eight times looked on, according inside the restaurant to Andre Wharton, the as horrified coworkers family’s attorney, citing looked on, according communications with the Shelby County district attorney. to Andre Wharton, the A TBI statement said the officer fired after Pigram family’s attorney, citing “reached for a gun in his waistband.” His family called for communications with the Shelby County district attorney. the release of the videos to clarify this action.

A TBI statement said the officer fired after Pigram Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy released “reached for a gun in his waistband.” His family called for three videos of the shooting to some local media. A Memthe release of the videos to clarify this action. phis Flyer request for them was ignored.

Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy released three videos of the shooting to some local media. A MemEXECUTION REVIEW REQUESTED phis Flyer request for them was ignored.

Attorneys for the next man scheduled to be executed by the state asked the Tennessee Supreme Court to temporarily EXECUTION REVIEW REQUESTED halt his August execution if the state refuses to use a new Attorneys for the next man scheduled to be executed by the doctor and to review his case. state asked the Tennessee Supreme Court to temporarily Darell Hines is slated for execution on August 13th. halt his August execution if the state refuses to use a new It comes after the Tennessee Department of Correction doctor and to review his case.

(TDOC) botched the execution of Tony Carruthers in May. Darell Hines is slated for execution on August 13th.

A Nashville court ruled recently that the state must disIt comes after the Tennessee Department of Correction close whether or not it intends to use Dr. Mark Fowler during (TDOC) botched the execution of Tony Carruthers in May. the execution of Hines. But that court delayed further action A Nashville court ruled recently that the state must dison the matter until it could be reviewed by a higher court. close whether or not it intends to use Dr. Mark Fowler during Hines’ attorneys want a legal review of the matter and a the execution of Hines. But that court delayed further action stay of execution if TDOC refuses to replace Fowler with on the matter until it could be reviewed by a higher court. another doctor for the procedure.

Hines’ attorneys want a legal review of the matter and a stay of execution if TDOC refuses to replace Fowler with FLYER JOINS NOISY CREEK another doctor for the procedure.

Memphis Flyer, along with our sister publication, Memphis Magazine, announced last week it will join Noisy Creek, a FLYER JOINS NOISY CREEK Seattle media company. Its network includes Seattle’s The Memphis Flyer, along with our sister publication, Memphis Stranger, Portland Mercury, Chicago Reader, and Anchorage Magazine, announced last week it will join Noisy Creek, a Seattle media company. Its network includes Seattle’s The Stranger, Portland Mercury, Chicago Reader, and Anchorage

PHOTO: JASON ROJAS | UNSPLASH

Press, with more members onboarding soon. The EverOut interactive event guide is also part of the network.

PHOTO: JASON ROJAS | UNSPLASH

Press, with more members onboarding soon. The EverOut CYCLOSPORA CASES interactive event guide is also part of the network.

Health officials investigated 11 cases of cyclosporiasis confirmed in Shelby County last week.

CYCLOSPORA CASES The Shelby County Health Department (SCHD) said four Health officials investigated 11 cases of cyclosporiasis conof the cases were contracted after international travel. Six firmed in Shelby County last week. were contracted after traveling outside of Shelby County.

The Shelby County Health Department (SCHD) said four One case was still under investigation. of the cases were contracted after international travel. Six were contracted after traveling outside of Shelby County.

VIOLENT CRIME AT 15-YEAR LOW One case was still under investigation.

Violent crime in Memphis has reached a 15-year low, according to data released last week from the Memphis VIOLENT CRIME AT 15-YEAR LOW Shelby Crime Commission.

Violent crime in Memphis has reached a 15-year low, Violent crime in the city — including murder, rape, and according to data released last week from the Memphis robbery — was 5.2 percent lower than it was in 2011, the reShelby Crime Commission. port said. The countywide violent crime rate was 8.7 percent Violent crime in the city — including murder, rape, and lower than in 2011, the year with the lowest violent crime robbery — was 5.2 percent lower than it was in 2011, the rerate in recent years. port said. The countywide violent crime rate was 8.7 percent Violent crime peaked in Memphis in 2023. Compared lower than in 2011, the year with the lowest violent crime to the first half of that year, the violent crime rate is down rate in recent years. by 45 percent in Memphis and 44 percent in all of Shelby Violent crime peaked in Memphis in 2023. Compared County. From January to June 2026, violent crime in Memto the first half of that year, the violent crime rate is down phis was 31.5 percent lower than the same period last year, by 45 percent in Memphis and 44 percent in all of Shelby and 30.4 percent lower across the county.

County. From January to June 2026, violent crime in MemTennessee Lookout contributed to this report. phis was 31.5 percent lower than the same period last year, Visit the News Blog at memphisflyer.com for fuller versions and 30.4 percent lower across the county. of these stories and more local news.

Tennessee Lookout contributed to this report.

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

6 nominations. One grateful team.

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CITY REPORTER

By Kailynn Johnson

Spending xAI Money

Cleanups, blight removal, environmental testing, and home repairs are top targets for the city’s $3.2 million fund.

T

he city of Memphis plans would be able to receive up to $30,000 to spend $3.2 million on for critical repairs like roofs, HVACs, home repairs, a paid comaccessibility modifications like ramps munity cleanup workforce and grab bars, and weatherization.” program, environmental testing, and The second largest allocation will more for residents around xAI’s South be $500,000 for a paid community Memphis data center. cleanup workforce program. Residents The funds come from the Comwill have paid opportunities to remove munity Benefits Fund, which uses a litter and participate in beautification portion of the tax revenue from AI efforts in the area. properties in the city to help residents While the city plans to invest the within a five-mile radius of the site. majority of the funds in cleanup efforts, Mayor Paul Young said the passage home repairs, and community-based of the Community Benefits Ordinance initiatives, Councilwoman Jerri Green could serve as a model for how other raised concern over investment in cities use the financial impact of data community health needs. centers in local communities.

“We have $1.5 million for things I Under this ordinance, 25 percent of feel like we’re already supposed to be the tax revenue from this year will be doing, but nothing going towards a used for residents within a five-mile ra- very specific ask and concern of this dius of the xAI facility located at 3231 community,” Green said.

Paul R. Lowry Road. The plans for next year include xAI’s Whitehaven location on Tulane Road.

Renee Sekander, deputy chief of staff and LGBTQ+ liaison to the mayor’s office, presented the city’s ideas to a Memphis City Council committee last week.

The funds are meant to be spent on public purPHOTO: COURTESY SPACEX | SEC FILING poses like public buildings, facilities, and general welfare projects.

Young said their efforts in blight reThe ordinance requires a minimum of mediation amplify the city’s work there 1 percent of the funds to be used for and said many residents have requested environmental education. Sekander it. Other incentives, like a communitysaid her office is recommending three based workforce program, would be times that amount after speaking to exclusive to residents in 38109, those community members. around the xAI site.

City leaders conducted surveys Councilwoman Yolanda Cooperover the last 12 months from residents Sutton, who served on the Advisory around the site to gauge how the monBoard Related to Public Use Funds ey should be spent. Their top priorities from AI Properties, said addressing included home repair and weatherizaresidents’ health concerns should be a tion, public safety and crime prevenpriority, and that the city is exploring tion, road repairs and infrastructure, “legal boundaries.” and blight remediation.

Sekander said healthcare is factored The funds are divided into two into several of the proposals and may not categories dealing with neighborappear as individually labeled line items. hood cleanup and community needs.

“Home repairs is one of the things Cleanup efforts include activities like that is a big contributor to indoor air illegal dumping and debris removal, quality,” Sekander said. “When we are while community needs include home able to dedicate $1.4 million to our repairs and public safety initiatives. home repair programs, that also inMore than $3.3 million was colcludes fixing the underlying issue for a lected for the fund in last year’s budget. lot of folks who do suffer from asthma.

The fund’s largest investment is a $1.4 “One of our goals is to make sure million home repair program. we’re making long-term investments so “This is the single largest investment that we can see this money grow and because it does the most for families,” have tangible impacts long-term on Sekander said. “Eligible homeowners community members.”

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NEWS & OPINION

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

A T L A R G E B y B r u c e Va n W y n g a r d e n

The Ministry of Truth Where the past is perfect and the future is tense.

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y now, we’re all familiar Ingsoc’s version of events. The “truth” is with the way in which social what the party says it is. media algorithms herd us One day Smith has an insight: “Who into information silos. If, for controls the past,” he thinks, “controls the example, as I did last week, you search for future.” And, “who controls the present, “natural sleep aids,” your media feeds will controls the past.” He comes to realize that soon be infested with plugs for products past events have no objective existence. to help you snooze, including reels, testiWhat is seen as true history is only what monials, and 1,500-word “stories” from survives in written records, and since “people” who, after trying everything, the party is in full control of the records, managed to “finally find something that history — the past — is whatever Ingsoc works.” chooses to make it. By controlling the past And it’s not just marketers of prodand the present, the party controls the ucts that will come after you. At various future. Information is revealed to be the times, I’ve unleashed upon myself floods ultimate source of power. It’s no surprise of fly-fishing videos, guitar tutorials, that Orwell’s novel, which was published chess problems, insect identification in 1949, was inspired by actions taken in sites, French language lessons, Jacques Germany by Hitler’s Nazi Party.

Pépin cooking videos, blue sneakers, and I was reminded of all this after I read god knows what else. In each of these last week about President Trump’s execuinstances, all it took was a minute of my tive order mandating that the Smithsonattention on a web-post to swing the ian Museum of American History erect algorithms into action. “warning signs” at its entrances in order The latest algorithmic dump I unwitto alert visitors that the museum does not tingly instigated began when I clicked “accurately reflect American history.” That, on a clip from a “clinical of course, is simply Trump’s therapist with a doctorate opinion made into law, and in my field,” who posts daily notably, an attempt to control takes on Donald Trump’s the past. I wonder where he mental and physical health. got that idea.

I watched a few of them, The executive order foltaking some solace in his lows the release of a quickly humorous approach to the cobbled-together “report” terrifying subject matter. from the White House’s Then came the deluge. Who Domestic Policy Council.

PHOTO: BRANCH OF THE knew how many people See if you can guess who’s NATIONAL UNION OF were out there posting daily the head of that esteemed JOURNALISTS | PUBLIC DOMAIN | WIKIMEDIA analyses on Trump’s health? council. Hint: It rhymes with COMMONS I didn’t. It’s a booming field, “chump.” Bearing the snappy George Orwell apparently. I finally managed title, “Saving America’s Story: to stem the tide, but it took a How Ideological Capture at couple of days of clicking “not interested.” the Smithsonian Institution’s National These sites are designed to feed Museum of American History Erases you more of what they think you like Our Heritage,” the report concludes because if they can keep your attention, that the Smithsonian “has not met its they can possibly monetize you in some obligations to the American people,” and way. There are also those sites that want accuses the museum of “anti-white bias.” your attention so they can shape your What a surprise. opinions. Sure, they’ll take your money It’s all in line with this administraif they can get it, but what they’re really tion’s reshaping of government agenafter is power, and that power comes cies. Nearly 300,000 employees, many from controlling the opinions you read, with irreplaceable expertise, have been which in turn shapes how you think. You forced out of the federal workforce. are the product.

Billions of dollars in scientific research It brought to mind George Orwell’s and programs devoted to weather, public novel, 1984, in which the dystopian safety, the environment, education, and uber-state of Oceania is run by a political healthcare have been cut. Thousands of party called Ingsoc, led by a mysteriremaining federal employees now work ous being known as “Big Brother.” The under a hiring and promotion system protagonist of the book, Winston Smith, that rewards loyalty to Trump and erases is an editor in the Records Department at the line between political appointees and a governmental office called the Ministry career professionals. How long before the of Truth. His job is to revise historical United States creates its own Ministry of records to make the past conform to Truth? Or has it already?

Summer spending adds up. Check in on your budget.

S

unscreen? Check. Budget?

Check. From lake days to vacations, summer spending adds up. Check in on your budget to stay on track.

Not something that came to mind when planning summer fun? We get it. But look at it this way: Taking an afternoon to review your budget and financial goals can help you see how far you’ve come and what still needs attention. More importantly, it gives you confidence to stay on the planning path and in greater control of your money.

1. Stop, in the name of your budget.

Diana Ross and The Supremes had it right. Summer is the perfect time to stop, but in this case, not for love.

Instead, in the name of your budget. A quick financial check-in now can pay off for the rest of the year.

If you’ve set out to save $5,000 by year-end to pay off a credit card and are at $2,500, excellent. Stay on track; continue saving and look forward to that accomplished feeling of wiping out debt — a great way to start the new year. Have $1,000 saved? No need for defeat. Sort through your budget for ways to cut back for the next six months, like online subscriptions, dining out, last-minute getaways. They’re small, temporary sacrifices for impressive financial gains.

Feeling weak in the knees about being able to stick to your budget? One idea we like: Continually define your why. Be honest about why you want to take control of your money. That’s your “why.” When things get tough, or even a little boring, remember what inspired you to start.

2. Recommit to tackling debt.

Not all debt was created equal. Some is “good.” Some is “bad.” Good debt is seen as a tool for building your financial future and, in the case of mortgages, attaining a piece of the American dream. Good debt consists of home and auto expenses. Bad debt is debt used to finance purchases that won’t increase your net worth or future income. Examples include credit cards and other high-interest loans (or those that have an interest rate or APR of 6 percent or higher).

While most of us have some amount of good debt, it’s the bad debt that weighs us down, often contributing to a lower credit score, making it challenging to qualify for other lower-interest loan opportunities.

(See the snowball effect here?) Focus on managing and eliminating the bad debt to help stay more financially secure.

3. Conduct a tax evaluation.

Have you ever owed more than you expected at tax time? This summer, get ahead of the situation — April 15th of next year will be here all too soon.

Together with your financial planner, evaluate and implement tax-saving strategies. You can even create a mock tax return to visualize withholding options and tax-saving opportunities.

4. Create “fun” boundaries.

Before your next getaway, set a budget for the occasion. Stick to it as best you can. If you fall off the bandwagon, avoid berating yourself for it. Enjoy the memories of the good time but resolve to find other small ways to make up the difference, like foregoing an expensive dinner for something more budgetfriendly in the locale you’re exploring.

5. Review online subscriptions.

It’s hard to stay strong against subscription marketing tactics, like “just $5 more gets you uninterrupted streaming.” While $5 on its face isn’t much, multiply that five or 10 times over, based on how many online subscriptions you have, and it adds up.

It will take only an hour or two to find the subscription services on your bank statements that you rarely or never use. Then unsubscribe from them fast, before thinking twice.

6. Plan for holiday happiness.

This summer, start putting aside money just for special holiday activities or other expenses. If you start saving now, $50 a month for six months adds up to $300. Budgeting now makes the holidays less stressful and more joyful.

7. Eliminate paperwork piles.

Take some time to toss or file your bills and other financial information that’s piled up, like receipts and credit card statements. Organize it by topic in a folder in easy-to-locate storage.

Tip: While you are likely already doing this for some recurring bills, look for ways to make managing finances easier by enrolling in auto-pay services.

A midyear money checkup doesn’t have to feel like a chore. Think of it as a chance to pause, celebrate your progress, make a few adjustments, and feel more confident about where you’re headed. A little attention now can make a big difference for your financial goals later.

Lindsey D. Rhea, CFP, is owner and wealth strategist at Alia Wealth Partners, connect@ aliawealth.com.

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NEWS & OPINION

FINANCE By Lindsey D. Rhea

9

COVER STO RY B y Kat herine B ur gess and Alli e M a u r y

A SPLIT PARTY In District 9, Lamar and Pearson clash.

Across the country, progressive Democrats are taking on establishment candidates.

Candidates State Sen. London Lamar and State Rep. Justin J. Pearson are seen praying during the New Sardis Baptist Church District 9 Candidate Forum on June 30, 2026, in Memphis.

PHOTO: KEVIN WURM | MLK50 | CATCHLIGHT LOCAL | REPORT FOR AMERICA

O

July 30-August 5, 2026

n the first day of early voting, two candidates for the newly redrawn Congressional District 9 held parallel press conferences that showed competing visions of what Democratic leadership could look like in Tennessee. One candidate promised to seek radical change, while the other promised to follow in the footsteps of outgoing U.S. congressman Steve Cohen.

State Rep. Justin J. Pearson was joined by Boxtown residents alongside Democratic congresswomen Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ayanna Pressley at the Colossus 1 data center in Southwest Memphis, where he called for action against “environmental racism.”

Across town, State Sen. London Lamar joined Cohen in his Midtown living room, where she described Pearson as someone who gives “performative good speeches and can’t pass one single bill” and herself as someone who can “actually get things done.”

Progressive Democrats have won primaries over their more establishment opponents across the country, reflecting an electorate that has grown frustrated with a worsening affordability crisis and how lawmakers have responded. It’s unclear if that anti-establishment wave will sweep through Tennessee, however, where traditional Democrats have historically performed better than their more progressive counterparts.

Lamar and Pearson are widely viewed as the frontrunners in District 9’s Democratic primary. The two have much in common: They’re both young, Black Memphians who have focused on affordability to appeal to the sprawling district.

They both want data center moratoriums, an increase to the minimum wage, universal healthcare, and universal child care.

But the two have taken different approaches to getting things done: Lamar touts her record of working within a Republican-controlled system to pass legislation that impacts her community. Pearson, who hasn’t passed his own bills in the Republican-controlled statehouse, has instead used his growing national platform and local organizing to push for change.

Who voters choose will signal if Tennessee Democrats are more willing to support 10 anti-establishment figures who directly challenge those in power, experts say.

Pearson has been backed by some of the party’s leading progressive figures

and groups, including Ocasio-Cortez and Pressley, both of whom joined him for a large rally July 17th. He’s also been endorsed by the Working Families Party and U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, alongside many of his Tennessee Senate and House colleagues and the Shelby County Young Democrats.

Lamar’s endorsements have included Cohen, Memphis Mayor Paul Young, Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris, former U.S. congressman Harold Ford Sr., former Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr., and State Sen. Raumesh Akbari.

Lamar, who says she has a “big tent Democratic agenda,” is running on her record in the Tennessee House and Senate, where she’s passed 23 pieces of legislation. Pearson, who calls himself “a practical, principled progressive,” is running on his record of organizing against people in power and refusing to take corporate donations.

The new district spans from the reliably blue Memphis into rural parts of Tennessee and the outskirts of Nashville. It is whiter and more Republican than the current district represented by Cohen, posing an additional challenge for the two Memphians.

“The Democratic Party is not a monolith,” said Willie Simon, chairman of the Shelby County Democratic Party. “London has learned to be a chameleon and navigate through [Republican control]. Justin chooses not to become a chameleon.

He wants them to notice that there is a change coming and to acknowledge that change needs to happen.”

CANDIDATES CLASH ON LAW ENFORCEMENT, TACTICS As elected officials, Lamar and Pearson take diverging approaches to their public comments. Pearson is blunt in his critiques of Republicans, law enforcement, and even his own party. He’s also willing to violate statehouse norms as he did when he participated in a gun violence protest that led to his expulsion.

Lamar is more conciliatory in her approach to disagreement and avoids harshly criticizing the Democratic Party. Lamar is also a vocal supporter of law enforcement, which she highlighted during a candidate forum hosted by the

(left) State Sen. London Lamar held a press conference with U.S. congressman Steve Cohen from his living room on July 18, 2026, in Memphis.

PHOTO (TOP RIGHT): KEVIN WURM | MLK50 | CATCHLIGHT LOCAL | REPORT FOR AMERICA (right) MCAP Executive Director KeShaun Pearson speaks while leading Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rep. Ayanna Pressley, and Rep. Summer Lee on a toxic tour through Southwest Memphis on July 17, 2026.

PHOTO (TOP LEFT): ANDREA MORALES | MLK50

(left) Candidate State Sen. London Lamar is seen speaking with Memphis Police officers during a town hall at the Orange Mound Library on July 8, 2026, in Memphis.

PHOTO (ABOVE RIGHT): ANDREA MORALES | MLK50 (right) State Rep. Justin J. Pearson hugs his brother KeShaun as he and two other people are taken into custody.

They refused to clear the house chamber gallery when Speaker Sexton ordered it on May 7, 2026, in Nashville.

Shelby County Democratic Party in late June.

“There are a lot of good veterans who are now serving our police forces, and … I show them respect because they do protect our community,” Lamar said.

“But unfortunately, my opponents on the other side have shown them nothing but disrespect, calling them boys, belittling them, getting in [their] faces, talking smack about them.”

Lamar was referring to an incident that occurred in Nashville during the redistricting fight. State troopers, while forcing viewers out of the House balcony, had grabbed Pearson’s brother, KeShaun Pearson, and began to physically remove him.

“Get the fuck back,” Pearson yelled at one of the troopers. “Boy, what the fuck is wrong with you?”

KeShaun Pearson was taken to jail, but released without charges.

The Rev. Earle Fisher, founder of #UPTheVote901 and an expert in rhetoric and communication, said some voters view candidates like Pearson “as authentic and they appreciate the authenticity even if they disagree with their stance and their posture.

“I have seen London maneuver in a way that I believe she thinks appeals to white voters in ways that I don’t think actually are persuasive,” said Fisher, who hasn’t endorsed a candidate in the race. “I think the way [Pearson] maneuvers is with the level of confidence that someone has when they know they have done the research and the facts, and the data and the truth is on their side.”

Dai Williams, an Orange Mound resident, said Lamar’s comments altered their view of the state senator. “[Lamar] is too smart for me to believe she does not understand the racial dynamics [of that moment],” Williams said. “She is choosing the wrong side of history … I want the candidate that called that trooper a boy. I want a candidate

that can go in there with all those racists and hold to the fact that he is a man and he is going to be respected. … Anything less is doing nothing for us here.”

The two candidates’ outlooks and strategies could play differently across the district. Meryl Rice, a Hardeman County resident who hosted a breakfast and a dinner for Lamar, said she anticipates that Lamar’s approach will resonate with the more conservative rural areas outside Memphis. “[Pearson] just comes across as being loud and in some cases offensive. … I want somebody that treats the other side with respect also,” Rice said. “I don’t think that he would be able to win some of the more conservative rural areas. I think that London would. We need somebody that’s more — that’s not just out there left, way out there left. We need that activism, yes, but it’s not going to play well in the more conservative areas of this district, which stretches all the way to Williamson County.”

At an NAACP meeting in Collierville in mid-July, Lamar and Pearson were asked to explain their biggest disagreements with their parties. Pearson said his main concern was the number of Democrats that take corporate PAC donations.

He said because many established members of the Democratic Party take donations from the same sources that Republicans take donations from, they won’t be as motivated to make change.

Lamar said Democrats need to connect more with average voters to get them reinvested in the party’s message. She said the party talks too much about “divisive issues” that these voters don’t care about. Focusing on issues like affordability, jobs, healthcare, and education will help the Democratic Party start winning again, she said. continued on page 12

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

PHOTO (ABOVE LEFT): KEVIN WURM | MLK50 | CATCHLIGHT LOCAL | REPORT FOR AMERICA

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continued from page 11

CANDIDATES USE PERSONAL STORIES TO TACKLE MATERNAL HEALTHCARE, ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION

July 30-August 5, 2026

Both candidates’ personal experiences have informed their approaches to getting things done.

Pearson grew up in Southwest Memphis, an area deeply troubled by industrial pollution. He lost both of his grandmothers to cancer he believes was related to that pollution. Air pollution in Southwest Memphis was “similar to or even higher than the 90th or 95th percentile” when compared to the country’s most polluted cities, according to a 2013 study.

In 2019, Valero and Plains All American Pipeline announced plans to build a 49-mile-long oil pipeline through multiple majority-Black neighborhoods in Memphis. Pearson and others fought back with political pressure, public campaigns, and legal arguments, leading to the cancellation of the project.

Later, he fought against Sterilization Services of Tennessee, which pumped toxic ethylene oxide into South Memphis. The plant was closed in 2023 after facing pressure from residents and advocates.

“We know folks are running, are breathing better, and will live longer, because that facility is being closed and no longer pumping ethylene oxide into our neighborhoods, into our communities,” Pearson said in an interview with MLK50: Justice Through Journalism.

He was elected to the statehouse that same year, then expelled from his seat when he participated in a gun violence protest after a mass school shooting in Nashville. The expulsion and his subsequent return to the statehouse gave him national recognition.

He hasn’t passed his own bills into law while in the statehouse, although he’s cosponsored several. Pearson said he’s been blocked by Republican leadership from passing bills due to his protest for gun control legislation and his willingness to speak out against powerful groups like the National Rifle Association.

“When you stand up to white supremacy, against misogyny, against transphobia, and all these things, you’re not typically rewarded for that,” Pearson said. “When you stand up to the NRA within the first couple of months of being in

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elected office, you don’t get rewarded for that.”

But Pearson said he’s brought change in other ways. “Our movement pushing and pressuring the governor” led Gov. Bill Lee to sign an executive order requiring background checks for firearm purchases, he said.

Lamar was elected to the statehouse in 2018, then appointed to the state senate in 2022. She has chaired the Tennessee Senate Democratic Caucus and held roles on multiple committees.

She has had more success getting new laws on Tennessee’s books. She’s passed 23 bills in the state legislature, including legislation requiring the state health department to include maternal mental health disorders in continuing education programs and creating a study on certified nurse midwives. Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee put money toward a pilot “When you program for TennCare doula payments in the 2023-2024 budget. stand up to Those projects stem from her own white supremacy, experiences. She lost a pregnancy at eight months, and saw a cousin die due against misogyny, to complications during childbirth. She often points to a statistic: Tennessee has against transphobia, the highest maternal mortality rate in you’re not rewarded the country.

Lamar said bills like these show for that.” her ability to “legislate on strong Democratic principles” while reaching across the aisle. In 2022, she was named legislator of the year by the Rural Health Association of Tennessee.

“If you care about being pro-life, then you should align with my agenda around maternal health to ensure women and babies are not dying through the pregnancy process,” she said in an interview. “Then, to put some money behind that, that to me was one of my most proud accomplishments.”

She’s also criticized Pearson for not passing any bills.

“I think the difference between he and I is that instead of fighting the system, I want to use the system in order to benefit the people that I serve, and I know how to take a problem, come up with a strategic plan to solve their problem, and

PHOTO (LEFT): MADISON THORN Senator London Lamar listens to an attendee during the Bedford County candidate Meet & Greet event in the town of Shelbyville in Bedford County, Tennessee, on July 11, 2026.

PHOTO (RIGHT): MADISON THORN Representative Justin J. Pearson speaks with Amber Evans, 49, as her granddaughter Lola A., 6, touches Rep. Pearson’s U.S. flag lapel pin during the Bedford County candidate Meet & Greet in Shelbyville in Bedford County, Tennessee, on July 11, 2026.

actually get their problem solved,” she said.

Both of their stories and messages have resonated with constituents across District 9.

In Lawrence County, residents are “under a very real threat of having a data center built right now,” and Pearson has a track record of standing against data centers, said Cassie Gant, a Pearson supporter from nearby Giles County.

Rutherford County residents Angela Bingham and Angela Ponder, who drove to Bedford County to hear from candidates, said they appreciated how Lamar’s experience drove her to pass legislation around maternal healthcare, “Because then you can demonstrate that you can get the job done.” The two women hadn’t decided who to vote for yet.

As rain poured down around the Shelbyville park pavilion, 49-year-old Amber Evans and Lola, her 6-year-old granddaughter, posed for a picture with Pearson.

Later, Lola ran up to speak to Lamar.

A disabled grandmother raising Lola on a fixed income of just $2,400 per month, Evans and about 70 others braved the humidity to listen to Democratic candidates as they discussed how residents from Memphis to Bedford County are struggling to pay for basic needs.

“I believe the issues of Memphis, Tennessee, [are] also the issues of Bedford County because all of us are dealing with the issues of affordability, high gas prices, high grocery prices, unaffordable rent, all the issues that make it hard for us to provide for our family and have a decent quality of life,” Lamar told the crowd.

Across the country, Democrats have decided the winning strategy against Republicans is hammering the affordability crisis. That’s especially important in this new district, which the Cook Political Report describes as a “solid” Republican district, but the most competitive in the state.

Nearly half of American families cannot afford the cost of living, according to research from the Urban Institute. Average earnings have grown about 43 percent nationwide since 2017. Home sale prices, rents, healthcare, and child care costs have dramatically outpaced that growth.

At a Pearson rally in Pulaski, Giles County, in early July, residents told the state representative how many have to travel outside the county for work, Gant said. Others described fearing they’d have to leave because they couldn’t find affordable housing.

“Those are really some big things that people loved from Rep. Pearson was his focus on affordable living,” Gant said. “Affordable housing, groceries, healthcare, those are all things that really spoke to everybody that was in the room at least when he came to listen to us.”

Back in Bedford County, Evans said the messages about affordability resonated with her, even if she’s not sure yet which of the candidates will get her vote.

“I think it’s a very hard decision,” she said. “Miss Lamar’s personal story resonates with me. Mr. Pearson’s youth and his vibrance … resonate with me also.

So I don’t know. I don’t know who I would vote for if Election Day were today.”

CALENDAR

THURSDAY JULY 30 CROSSTOWN ARTS FILM SERIES

ENEMY

directed by DENIS VILLENEUVE | 2013 | R | 91 MINUTES

7:00PM | CROSSTOWN THEATER | $5

SATURDAY AUGUST 1

FOUR ON THE FLOOR

feat CYRENA WAGES, GRANVILLE AUTOMATIC, ERIN WEBB, and CALEB ELIOTT 7:30PM | THE GREEN ROOM | $25-$35

SUNDAY AUGUST 2

SEAN MURPHY MEDITATION

6:00-8:00PM | THE GREEN ROOM | $18

FRIDAY AUGUST 7

SUNNY SIDE JAZZ BAND

7:30PM | THE GREEN ROOM | $22

THURSDAY AUGUST 13 CROSSTOWN ARTS FILM SERIES

THE FALL

directed by TARSEM SINGH | 2006 | R | 117 MINUTES

7:00PM | CROSSTOWN THEATER | $5

CROSSTOWN ARTS 13 5 0 C O N C O U R S E AV E | C R O S S T O W N A R T S .ORG

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

AFFORDABILITY AT THE BEDROCK OF BOTH CAMPAIGNS

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steppin’ out

We Recommend: Culture, News + Reviews

Films That Linger

July 30-August 5, 2026

Mended Therapy

Combining mental health with a love of fashion, creativity, and sustainability, Mended Therapy was born.

Ashley wants to show that although things may seem like they cannot get better, there is hope. Just like a mended piece of clothing is brought new life, the same can be said of us.

She is here to walk with you through this journey with laughter, creativity, and challenging your beliefs about yourself. She is MENDED (and constantly mending). She hopes you will let her join you as you MEND. Ashley specializes in working with LGBTQ+ populations and mood disorders.

For more information or to book an appointment, visit mendedtherapypllc.com.

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

By Kimberly Ham

PHOTO: COURTESY CROSSTOWN ARTS

Jake Gyllenhaal stars in Enemy.

Some films entertain. Others linger long after the credits roll, inviting audiences to unpack every frame, symbol, and unanswered question. That’s exactly the kind of experience Crosstown Arts hopes to create with its weekly Film Series, which presents Denis Villeneuve’s Enemy on Thursday, July 30th.

Hosted every Thursday evening at the Crosstown Theater, the Crosstown Arts Film Series offers an eclectic lineup of independent, international, documentary, cult, experimental, and historically significant films. Project Manager Tori Nute says variety is central to the programming, balancing arthouse selections with more recognizable titles and collaborations that welcome a broad audience.

“We select films that represent a wide range of genres, directors, and themes,” Nute says.

“We also feel strongly about incorporating collaborative screenings and some more widely popular films to ensure that no audience gets isolated.”

Accessibility is another cornerstone of the series. Most screenings are just $5, reflecting Crosstown Arts’ mission of making creative experiences available to everyone. “Film is such a dynamic, rich art,” Nute says, “and we feel that no one should be denied that engagement because of a lack of resources or funds.”

That mission extends beyond simply showing movies. Throughout the year, select screenings feature panel discussions, filmmaker Q&As, live musical scores, and partnerships with local organizations, giving audiences opportunities to engage with films long after they’ve ended.

This week’s featured film, Enemy, exemplifies the type of thought-provoking cinema the series embraces. Starring Jake Gyllenhaal in a mesmerizing dual performance, Denis Villeneuve’s 2013 psychological thriller follows a man whose discovery of his exact double unravels his sense of reality, identity, and control.

“Enemy is exactly the kind of film we like to include because it rewards an engaged audience,” Nute says. “It’s visually striking, thought-provoking, and the kind of movie people want to talk about after the credits roll.”

First-time viewers shouldn’t worry about solving every mystery. Instead, Nute encourages audiences to embrace the film’s dreamlike atmosphere, paying close attention to its cinematography, sound design, and mounting psychological tension. Whether you’re a longtime Villeneuve fan or discovering his work for the first time, Enemy offers a cinematic experience designed to spark conversation long after the theater lights come up.

CROSSTOWN ARTS FILM SERIES PRESENTS: ENEMY, CROSSTOWN THEATER, 1350 CONCOURSE AVE., THURSDAY, JULY 30, 7-9 P.M

VARIOUS DAYS & TIMES July 30th - August 5th Hattiloo Theatre Block Party Overton Square, Saturday, August 1, 2-6 p.m.

Celebrate the start of Hattiloo Theatre’s 20th season at this free community block party. Enjoy an afternoon of live entertainment, food, giveaways, and special performances while honoring two decades of Black theater in Memphis. Families can also cheer on young local performers during the Youth Talent Show, where participants ages 6 to 16 will compete for a chance to win a $100 cash prize.

Feast on the Farm Agricenter ShowPlace Arena, Saturday, August 1, 6-10:30 p.m.

Feast on the Farm returns for an elegant evening of food, entertainment, and giving back. Guests will enjoy exceptional cuisine from local chefs, live music, and exciting live

and silent auctions, all while supporting Agricenter International’s mission to inspire and educate future leaders in agriculture. Tickets range from $125 to $1,750, with proceeds helping cultivate the next generation of innovators.

Ruby Bridges Reading Festival National Civil Rights Museum, Saturday, August 1, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

This festival returns to the National Civil Rights Museum with a free day of storytelling, hands-on activities, and family fun celebrating literacy, diversity, and community. Children can enjoy live readings and book signings with civil rights icon Ruby Bridges and acclaimed authors Bellen Woodard and Nikkolas Smith, along with puppet and magic shows, balloon art, a DJ dance party, free books, and complimentary dental and vision screenings. The festival

encourages young readers to explore the values of inclusion, kindness, and courage through engaging stories and interactive experiences.

Gorilla Golf Tournament Ridgeway Country Club, Monday, August 3, 7:30 a.m.

Tee off for a day of gorillas, golf, and great times. This exclusive 2-person scramble tournament combines friendly competition, premium hospitality, on-course contests, and special Zoo experiences while supporting the Memphis Zoo’s gorilla conservation efforts and partnerships with Gorilla SAFE and the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund. Players can enjoy 18 holes of golf, breakfast, lunch, a post-tournament reception, tournament swag, silent auction access, and surprise animal ambassador appearances — all while helping protect gorillas around the world.

MUSIC By Alex Greene

Porretta’s Got Soul The Italian mountain town has put Memphis music at the heart of its culture.

Hayes, Booker T. & the MGs, and many others.

This year’s festival, which concluded Sunday night, offered a cornucopia of Memphis sounds mingled with European artists who favor the same genres. The Özdemirs, from Germany, played the first set, led by singer/guitarist Kenan Özdemir presenting as a very bluesy Kenny Loggins. They also backed the haunting U.S. bluesman Tad Robinson and were followed by Bay Area boogie woogie piano phenom Mitch Woods.

Then it was time for the Mid-South to take the stage, as Sandy Carroll fronted the Memphis Music Hall of Fame (MMHOF) band, led by Kurt

the crack team is perhaps the bestrehearsed and most versatile band in Memphis today. With a core group of two keyboardists, two guitarists, bass, drums, and three horns, they can recreate any recording from the history of soul, funk, and the blues, and that power’s only multiplied by the group’s three vocalists (whose faces graced the festival’s official poster), Shunta Mosby, Dani McGhee, and Candy Fox, aka The Jewels, who can blend classic harmony arrangements à la the Sweet Inspirations or step out as solo singers when the songs demand it.

aplomb; and Big Robb of Cincinnati, who channeled both Rufus Thomas (in shorts and glitter suits) and his own mentor, Zapp’s Roger Troutman, all to a frenzied audience response.

Rufus Thomas was omnipresent.

Jerry Phillips, who has been enjoying a higher profile lately with his 2024 album, For the Universe, and as the first subject of Memphis Record Pressing’s Legends film series, received the festival’s Sweet Soul Music award Friday night, and Thomas was foremost on his mind. “My dad’s first hit record on Sun Records was Rufus Thomas’ ‘Bear Cat,’ so it’s a real honor for me to accept this award in a park named after Rufus,” said Phillips, adding, “I’ve been to a lot of festivals before, but I’ve never seen enthusiasm like I see here with you people.”

Guitar virtuoso Eric Gales, who mostly remained seated onstage due to injuries from a recent car accident, nonetheless delivered emotional, incendiary sets on both Saturday and Sunday, backed by the MMHOF band, with highlights including “Too Close to the Fire,” a song calling out racism, and his sublime, Jeff Beck-inspired cover of Stevie Wonder’s “Cause We’ve Ended as Lovers.” Most of all, he was channeling memories of his late brother, who once played Porretta. “I feel the same energy that I believe my brother had here over 25 years ago,” Gales announced.

“Will y’all please give it up for my big brother, Little Jimmy King?” Yet there was much joy present as well when he called his wife LaDonna to the stage and announced that “at the strike of midnight, me and her will have been married 14 years.” Amid the roaring applause, Gales launched into a version of “Purple Rain” so impassioned, so searing, that the concrete amphitheater in Rufus Thomas Park seemed to levitate a few meters.

This reporting was made possible through the generous support of Memphis Record Pressing and the 15 Porretta Soul Festival.

“KC” Clayton. While Carroll may have been more familiar to Memphians as a sultry-voiced solo pianist on Beale Street back in the ’80s, she positively flourished on Thursday with the large ensemble enhancing her blues, gospel, and pop-inflected originals.

That was the crowd’s first taste of the superlative combo, which has backed stars from every genre while performing at induction ceremonies since MMHOF’s founding in 2012.

Having served as the festival’s house band of sorts for three years now, they backed nearly all the Americans on the 2026 bill.

Led by Kurt “KC” Clayton, who once played with the SRO band and then Come in Berlin before becoming the musical director first for the Bar-Kays, then for Con Funk Shun,

PHOTOS: ALEX GREENE

The Porretta Soul Festival’s grand finale on Sunday night When each of The Jewels took the spotlight during the MMHOF band’s mix of classic soul covers and originals, the audience was ecstatic, as they were when Memphis singer Dot Moore stepped up to the mic, belting out Carla Thomas’ “Sugar” and other gems. The band could also pivot to down-home blues, as with sublime Arkansas belter Karen Wolfe.

Impervious to fatigue, the MMHOF band elevated the crowd of well over 2,000 to new heights each night, hosting star turns by Lenny Williams, the former singer for Tower of Power who evoked both his old hits and the likes of Curtis Mayfield with suave

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

The superlative combo has backed stars from every genre at the MMHOF.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

T

he Porretta Soul Festival in Porretta Terme, Italy, one of the world’s most unlikely celebrations of soul music — and of Memphis soul music in particular — kicked off last Thursday night in Rufus Thomas Park.

Since 1988, when founder Graziano Uliani staged the festival’s first show, the gathering has drawn steadily larger crowds. Now the town, recognized since Roman times for its hot springs (the “Terme” in its name), is arguably best known for the soul music it showcases every summer.

Indeed, the area surrounding Porretta has been unofficially dubbed “The Valley of Soul.” At the town’s center, Solomon Burke Bridge stretches over the Reno River, while Otis Redding Street winds through the small town’s homes and shops. And the newly established Soul Museum documents the festival’s history, especially the serendipity that connected Uliani, a soul music fan since his teens, with the Memphis Horns (Wayne Jackson and Andrew Love) back in the ’80s. Soul music, he says, “was only my hobby, my passion.” He worked in advertising at the time, but knew how to make things happen.

“An Italian soul singer named Zucchero — ‘Sugar’ — wanted to record an R&B album in Italian,” Uliani recalls. “I suggested he use the Memphis Horns, so they came in February ’87 and recorded with Zucchero, and the album sold 1,000,500 copies. Later, Zucchero went to Memphis with me, and we recorded at Ardent Studios an album, Oro Incenso & Birra. ‘Gold, Incense, and Beer.’ And the album has sold 8 million. We recorded it with Rufus Thomas, a gospel choir, J. Blackfoot, William Brown, and many other soul singers who had performed at Stax.”

The Zucchero connection led to Rufus Thomas and the Memphis Horns headlining the first “Sweet Soul Music” festival in Porretta, as it was known at the time. Since then, the festival has often featured Memphis or Mid-South artists, such as Carla, Vaneese, and Marvell Thomas, Sam Moore, Isaac

AFTER DARK: Live Music Schedule July 30 - August 5 Friday, July 31, 10:30 p.m. | Saturday, Aug. 1, 10:30 p.m.

Minion Rave

Dress as your favorite minion and get dancin’. Saturday, Aug. 1, 9 p.m.

TIN ROOF

Ashton Riker & The Memphis Royals Thursday, July 30, 8 p.m.

B.B. KING’S BLUES CLUB MEMPHIS

Baunie and Soul

Bringing soulful rhythms of music to life. Sunday, Aug. 2, 7 p.m.

RUM BOOGIE CAFE

The B.B. King’s Blues Club Allstar Band

Friday, July 31, 8 p.m. | Saturday, Aug. 1, 8 p.m. | Monday, Aug. 3, 7 p.m.

Eric Hughes

Here the renowned bassist of the Hi Rhythm Section and his band. Saturday, Aug. 1, 4 p.m. | Sunday, Aug. 2, 2 p.m.

Sean Murphy: “Sound Meditation Journey”

FreeWorld

Friday, July 31, 8 p.m. | Saturday, Aug. 1, 8 p.m.

Weaving sonic tapestries with didgeridoos, tuba, gongs, flutes, kalimbas, drums, bells, bowls, and more, Sean Murphy’s sound meditation journeys are more than concerts, but wellness practices for relaxation and self-care.

Sunday, Aug. 2, 6 p.m.

RUM BOOGIE CAFE

FreeWorld

Jad Tariq

BLUES CITY CAFE

Thursday, July 30, 7 p.m. | Friday, July 31, 8 p.m. | Saturday, Aug. 1, 8 p.m.

Hear the soulful guitarist who recently joined Bob Dylan’s band. Tuesday, Aug. 4, 3 p.m.

Brad Birkedahl

Jason Foree Band

THE GREEN ROOM

Shame Finger

TIN ROOF

Wednesday, Aug. 5, 7 p.m.

Friday, July 31, 12 p.m.

Buddy Albert Nemenz

Memphis Jones

With EZPZ and Blunt Force.

Thursday, July 30, 8 p.m.

THE HI-TONE CAFE

B.B. KING’S BLUES CLUB MEMPHIS

Playing tunes on guitar. Monday, Aug. 3, 7 p.m.

Friday, July 31, 4 p.m.

Computermane

Monday, Aug. 3, 7 p.m.

Slumberland

With Storage Only, Mesifus, and AZ*AR*XY. Friday, July 31, 8 p.m.

B.B. KING’S BLUES CLUB MEMPHIS

Red Thomas

Thursday, July 30, 9 p.m. | Friday, July 31, 8 p.m. | Saturday, Aug. 1, 8 p.m.

RUM BOOGIE CAFE

Cowboy

TIN ROOF

TIN ROOF

THE GREEN ROOM

B.B. KING’S BLUES CLUB MEMPHIS

Blind Mississippi Morris

SILKY O’SULLIVAN’S

Through music, story, silence, and dialogue, this is an event that will strengthen your attachment to hopes and dreams.

Tuesday, Aug. 4, 6 p.m.

Flic’s Pic’s Band

Sunday, Aug. 2, 7 p.m.

BLUES CITY CAFE

The Mystic

RUM BOOGIE CAFE

B.B. KING’S BLUES CLUB MEMPHIS

BLUES CITY CAFE

GROWLERS

Thursday, July 30, 7 p.m.

THE HI-TONE CAFE

The Soul Ingredient Album Release

These young musical mavericks are the latest stars to emerge from the Memphis Jazz Workshop. Sunday, Aug. 2, 6 p.m.

Rodell McCord

Sunday, Aug. 2, 7 p.m. | Wednesday, Aug. 5, 7 p.m.

B-SIDE

Friday, July 31, 4 p.m.

RUM BOOGIE CAFE

David Ingle

One man piano show. Sunday, Aug. 2, 6 p.m.

SILKY O’SULLIVAN’S

Deep Roots

Friday, July 31, 7 p.m. | Saturday, Aug. 1, 7 p.m.

TIN ROOF

Basketcase and DJ A.D. Basketcase is an alternative rock band delivering an electrifying blend of alternative rock, hip-hop, and pop. 21+.

Thursday, July 30, 6 p.m.

THE PEABODY ROOFTOP

Denver Massey

Drink, dance, repeat. Friday, July 31, 10:30 p.m. | Saturday, Aug. 1, 10:30 p.m.

TIN ROOF

DJ Bori

Keepin’ the dance floor movin’.

PHOTO: JACKSON HENDRIX

July 30-August 5, 2026

Joybomb & Friends

John Williams & the A440 Band Thursday, July 30, 8 p.m.

NEIL’S MUSIC ROOM

Landslide (Fleetwood Mac Tribute)

Tuesday, Aug. 4, 6 p.m.

NEIL’S MUSIC ROOM

Elmo & the Shades

Featuring Eddie Harrison.

Wednesday, Aug. 5, 7 p.m.

NEIL’S MUSIC ROOM

B-SIDE

Dustin Dollin

Four on the Floor with Cyrean Wages and friends

With Miranda & The Beat, Musclegoose, and others.

Friday, July 31, 9 p.m.

Jazz Jam with the Cove Quartet

LAMPLIGHTER LOUGE

THE COVE

Eastern Dreamers

Joybomb & Friends

Wendell Wells

GROWLERS

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, Aug. 2, 9 p.m. | Monday, Aug. 3, 9 p.m.

NEIL’S MUSIC ROOM

Anxious Arms

With No One Left and Banales. Sunday, Aug. 2, 8 p.m.

GROWLERS

Brian Hatley

Thursday, July 30, 8 p.m.

B-SIDE

Cell Qtet

Monday, Aug. 3, 9:30 p.m.

B-SIDE

The Contradictions

With After the Rain and Serg.

Friday, July 31, 8 p.m.

GROWLERS

Deborah Swiney Duo Thursday, July 30, 6 p.m.

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Bluegrass, roots, country, Delta, and skiffle. Thursday, July 30, 9 p.m.

PHOTO: COURTESY CROSSTOWN ARTS

Experience a powerful live music show featuring the songs of Fleetwood Mac and Stevie Nicks performed by some of Memphis’ finest musicians. Saturday, Aug. 1, 8 p.m.

NEIL’S MUSIC ROOM

The Debbie Jamison Band

Devil Train

THE COVE

With Mary Hatley. Thursday, July 30, 7 p.m.

Friday, July 31, 8 p.m.

BAR DKDC

Keelyn Ellis

Sunday, Aug. 2, 12 p.m.

LAFAYETTE’S MUSIC ROOM

Lampy Fest

Fearless Dave

With the Tsunamis, Tom Foolery, and Phases. Saturday, Aug. 1, 9 p.m.

LAFAYETTE’S MUSIC ROOM

With Dr. Brown, Frank & the Extra Eyes, Runi Salem, Samantha Henson, Laundry Bats. Saturday, Aug. 1, 6 p.m.

B-SIDE

LAMPLIGHTER LOUNGE

Four on the Floor

Legends Live: A Tribute to Rock Royalty

Memphis’ take on the classic Bluebird Cafe format: a stripped-back evening of songs and storytelling featuring four artists in the round — both hometown favorites and visiting voices. Hosted

by Cyrena Wages with special guest appearances. Saturday, Aug. 1, 7:30 p.m.

THE GREEN ROOM

Heels

With Deaf Revival, Uncl Aunti, and DJ Zirk. Friday, July 31, 8 p.m.

THE HI-TONE CAFE

Hot & Loud

With Cody Crazee, White Sosa, and Memphis Red. Friday, July 31, 9 p.m.

B-SIDE

Friday, July 31, 9:30 p.m.

LAFAYETTE’S MUSIC ROOM

Underoath: The Van Tour To Vans Warped Tour Sunday, Aug. 2, 8 p.m.

1884 LOUNGE

Sunday, Aug. 2, 6 p.m.

Facelift

Friday, July 31, 6 p.m.

Twin Soul

Sensational covers that pay tribute to legendary artists. Let the Mid-South’s most talented young stars dazzle you with their fresh spins on timeless classics. Thursday, July 30, 6 p.m.

LAFAYETTE’S MUSIC ROOM

Lord Buffalo

Lord Buffalo is heavy in the way that ghosts are heavy, in the way that billowing dust is heavy. Saturday, Aug. 1, 9 p.m.

The Mauldin Brothers Band

This Nashville-based duo is known for their soaring harmonies, exceptional musicianship, and energetic live performances. Thursday, July 30, 8 p.m.

HERNANDO’S HIDE-A-WAY

Sad Daddy

Formed in 2010, Sad Daddy has carved out a sound all its own, blending early blues, jazz, jug band, country, old-time, and bluegrass into something timeless, soulful, and impossible to pin down.

Friday, July 31, 8 p.m.

HERNANDO’S HIDE-A-WAY

Webb Wilder Band

Americana rock and roll in the purest sense. Saturday, Aug. 1, 7 p.m.

HERNANDO’S HIDE-A-WAY

THE HI-TONE CAFE

Maribeth Fest 7

WIth Pan De Muerto, Wicker, Eathen, Thundergun, and many others. Saturday, Aug. 1, 5 p.m.

THE HI-TONE CAFE

Happy Friday in the Grove

Lina Beach joins Josh Threlkeld to make sure you and your family have a blast.

Friday, July 31, 5 p.m.

THE GROVE AT GPAC

WIN A SHARE OF

$400,000 FREE PLAY AND A 1956 BEL AIR

FRIDAYS & SATURDAYS IN AUGUST & SEPTEMBER 4-6 GRAND FINALE: SEPTEMBER 7

SCAN TO LEARN MORE Must be 21 years or older. Play responsibly; for help quitting call 800-522-4700. Image is for illustrative purposes.

DN-10332_GSCH_MemphisFlyer_LegacyOfLuck_HP_9.35x6.1_July26_v1.indd 1

presented by

7/21/26 1:37 PM

AUGUST 6

DEEP PURPLE KANSAS

at

On Sale

NOW

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

TICKETS

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

WITH SPECIAL GUEST

17

CALENDAR of EVENTS: July 30 - Aug. 5, 2026

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.

AR TS AND S P ECIAL E X H IBITS

BOOK EVEN TS

Club de lectura (Spanish Book Club)

“The Art of Community: 90 Years of Service”

Este club les invita a compartir sus experiencias de lectura en español a través del título seleccionado del mes. Tuesday, Aug. 4, 6 p.m.

Through an array of archival milestones and stories of service, this show honors the Collierville Contemporary Club’s 90-year commitment to ensuring that the town remains a vibrant, supportive place for every neighbor to call home. Through Sept. 5.

DIXON GALLERY AND GARDENS

COM M U N I T Y

Hattiloo Theatre Block Party

Hattiloo Theatre is celebrating 20 incredible seasons with this Season 20 Kickoff Block Party. Join in and welcome this milestone season with an afternoon filled with music, food, giveaways, performances, and more. Free. Saturday, Aug. 1, 2 p.m.

TOWN OF COLLIERVILLE MORTON MUSEUM

“Between Two Kingdoms”

The work of Kate Roberts explores the liminal space between earth, sky, and all that is in between. Through Aug. 15.

SHAPESHIFTER ART SCHOOL & GALLERY

OVERTON SQUARE

Memphis Advanced Toastmasters

“Black Joy, In Spite Of ... ”

Join the Memphis Advanced Toastmasters and learn the ins and outs of public speaking.

Monday, Aug. 3, 6 p.m.

This exhibition of 25 historical photographs and contemporary artworks exploring how Black Tennesseans have created lives of joy, connection, and purpose across generations of adversity. Through Aug. 14.

NATIONAL CIVIL RIGHTS MUSEUM

“Café Society: Art and Sociability in Paris, 1855 – 1914”

This show examines the development of the French café, a crucial and accessible site for artistic discussion, and, ultimately, how cafés became the subject of works of art themselves. Through Sept. 6.

DIXON GALLERY AND GARDENS

David Uzochukwu: “Bodies of Water”

July 30-August 5, 2026

In this show, 22 photographs present hybrid beings, part human and part animal, who inhabit surreal, dreamlike landscapes. Adorned with fins, scales, and other features, these figures are equipped to survive and thrive in challenging waters. Through Sept. 27.

18

MEMPHIS BROOKS MUSEUM

Deanna Mullins Art Exhibit

Deanna Mullins is a native Memphian working primarily in acrylic, water-color, and mixed media. She is known for her bright colors, bold use of shapes and patterns, and often whimsical paintings.

Free. Through Aug. 31.

“Illuminate”

While stained glass is often associated with sunlight and windows, Suzy Hendrix’s work demonstrates how glass transforms under changing light conditions, creating rich reflections, color shifts, and visual depth. Through Aug. 20.

ANF ARCHITECTS

Incognito Art Auction & Party 2026

The Incognito Art Auction returns with over 100 original, unsigned works by Mid-South artists. Explore a one-of-akind collection where mystery meets creativity; the artist behind each piece remains a secret until after the auction closes. Through July 31.

MEMPHIS BOTANIC GARDEN

Jennifer Stanford: “Piecework”

Stanford creates her own pieces for collage using a variety of printmaking techniques, while simultaneously amassing a (too) large collection of curated papers and books which frequently find their way into her work. Through Sept. 19.

MEMPHIS BOTANIC GARDEN

TOWN OF COLLIERVILLE MORTON MUSEUM

Don Estes: “Bluff Walk”

Kim Jorgensen Art Exhibit

Using layered pigments, textured surfaces, and subtle horizon lines, Estes transforms the landscape of Memphis bluffs into contemplative works that evoke memory, movement, and the changing light along the Mississippi River. Through Aug. 22.

DAVID LUSK GALLERY

Kim Jorgensen has been painting for more than 10 years, working primarily in acrylic and mixed media. Largely selftaught, she is drawn to color, texture, and the ways visual art can communicate ideas and stories. Free. Through Sept. 30.

MEMPHIS BOTANIC GARDEN

PHOTO: COURTESY DAVID LUSK GALLERY

Don Estes’ Storm Brewing, a mixed media on panel artwork in his show “Bluff Walk”

Summer Art Garden: “Wax Print Wonderland”

Samilia Pelshak presents an enchanting installation of her vibrant African wax print designs. Through Sept. 27.

MEMPHIS BROOKS MUSEUM

Made in Dixon | Hecho en Dixon

Celebrating a half-century of growth and learning, this year’s exhibition offers an intimate look at the programs that have inspired the Dixon’s onsite visitors and reached deep into the heart of the Memphis community. Through Sept. 6.

DIXON GALLERY AND GARDENS

“Memphis College of Art, 1936-2020: An Enduring Legacy”

Through this exhibition of 90 faculty, administrators, and graduates, this show reflects on the school’s historical impact and celebrates its continued legacy regionally and beyond. Through Sept. 30.

MEMPHIS BROOKS MUSEUM

“Nurses and Doctors”

Margaret Coleman made these drawings of Memphis healthcare workers in the late 1990’s.

Coleman is a self-taught artist whose drawings and paintings are inspired by her life experience and surroundings.

Through Sept. 2.

TOPS GALLERY

“Our Wild Kin”

New paintings and monoprints by Angi Cooper exploring ecosystems around us and within. Free. Through Aug. 1.

PLAYHOUSE ON THE SQUARE

Summer Exhibition

Three summer exhibitions at Crosstown Arts, featuring works by Barbara Penn, George Edward Walker, and Romain Collin in collaboration with filmmaker Matthew Palmer. Through Sept. 6.

CROSSTOWN ARTS GALLERIES

Tennessee Craft Southwest’s Fine Craft Showcase

This exhibition encompasses a wide range of media including weaving, wood turning, clay, glass work, jewelry, quilting, painting, sculptures, and much more. Some of the artists collaborated with each other to create something truly unique. Free. Through July 31.

WKNO DIGITAL MEDIA CENTER

“What We Surround Ourselves With”

Serves as a love letter to the evolution of the craft, work, and stories shared through the Metal Museum’s community.

Through July 31.

METAL MUSEUM

Works by Linda Clark

Linda Clark developed an interest in painting when a friend asked her to help with an art class she was teaching, Now she has been painting in oils for over a decade. Free.

Through Aug. 27.

WKNO DIGITAL MEDIA CENTER

Cyanotype for Good

During this 90-minute workshop, you will learn the cyanotype process, and how to use sunlight and fresh botanicals to create a protest sign or tote bag. Saturday, Aug. 1, 2 p.m.

MIDTOWN BRAMBLE & BLOOM

So You Want to Be a Content Creator

This two-part workshop series is designed to introduce aspiring content creators to the fundamentals of digital media and help determine their readiness to pursue content creation as a personal brand or professional path. Thursday, July 30, 6:30 p.m.

COSSITT LIBRARY FISHBOWL

Super Saturday Collage Like Romare Bearden

In this creative drop-in workshop, you’ll use newspapers, construction paper, scissors, and glue to craft your own masterpiece, just like Romare Bearden’s iconic work In the Garden.

Saturday, Aug. 1, 10 a.m.

BARTLETT LIBRARY

MEMPHIS BROOKS MUSEUM

Pop Up Shop

Studio Courses with Creative Aging: Fabric Collage with Cari

Vendors, content creators, and huge crowds = major exposure. Shop, eat, network, and enjoy family fun. Saturday, Aug. 1, 12 p.m.

MEMPHIS POP UP SHOP

Red Sand Project

In honor of National Trafficking in Persons Day, the community pours red sand to symbolize those who are often overlooked and left vulnerable. Thursday, July 30, 9 a.m.

MATA AIRWAYS TRANSIT CENTER

Teachers’ Night Out

Refresh your classroom at the Dixon’s Teachers’ Night Out Art Educator Supply Swap.

Bring gently used or surplus materials you no longer need to trade with fellow teachers.

Stock up for the upcoming school year without spending a dime. Friday, July 31, 5 p.m.

DIXON GALLERY AND GARDENS

C LASS/ WOR KSH OP

The Art of Calligraphy: Chancery Cursive with Anne Creekmore

Calligraphy is the art of stylized, elegant handwriting or lettering and is a beautiful skill to learn in an increasingly digital world. Students will be provided with pens and worksheets with letter components shown in order. Thursday, July 30, 1 p.m.

TOWN OF COLLIERVILLE MORTON MUSEUM

Country Swing Dance Lessons

It’s never too late to start and a partner is not required to join the class. Friday, July 31, 7:30 p.m.

WHISKEY JILL’S

Participants explore personal memories through fabric in this hands-on textile art course. 65+. Tuesday, Aug. 4, 1 p.m.

DIXON GALLERY AND GARDENS

COM EDY

The 4th Annual Liars Ball

The Liars Ball returns to TheatreWorks at Overton Square for another weekend of improv comedy accompanied and inspired by live music from local bands. Friday, July 31, 8 p.m. | Saturday, Aug. 1, 8 p.m.

THEATREWORKS AT THE SQUARE

Comedy Open Mic

A free weekly stand-up comedy open mic hosted by Malcolm Castle and Charlie Vergos. Some comedians will be funny. Some will objectively terrible. That’s why it’s free.

Wednesday, Aug. 5, 8 p.m.

HAVENHAUS

Open Mic Comedy Night

Come for the laughs, stay for the laughs. Tuesday, Aug. 4, 8 p.m.

THE HI-TONE CAFE

FAM I LY

Brick Brigade

Do you have what it takes to be a Master Builder? Join this event to build, create, and imagine with Lego. For ages 5 to 7. Wednesday, Aug. 5, 5 p.m.

GERMANTOWN COMMUNITY LIBRARY

Free Community and Gear Up Day

Come celebrate community, fitness, and education as we prepare our youth for a suc-

C A L E N DA R : M O N T H J U LY 3 0 - AU G U S T 5 , 2 0 2 6 cessful school year. Included in the event will be a book fair, food, face painting, balloon art, and more. Free. Saturday, Aug. 1, 8 a.m.

ORANGE MOUND COMMUNITY SERVICES CENTER

Kaleidoscope Club

Each week, kids ages 5 to 9 will enjoy an art or horticulture project that sparks creativity and critical thinking. Wednesday, Aug. 5, 4 p.m.

DIXON GALLERY AND GARDENS

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse

Get ready for a magical adventure as the Children’s Museum of Memphis brings the beloved characters and inspiring stories from Disney Jr.’s iconic Mickey Mouse Clubhouse to life. $20.

Thursday, July 30-Wednesday, Aug. 5, 9 a.m.

THE CHILDREN’S MUSEUM OF MEMPHIS

Mudpie Mondays

Come to the Guest House Patio in My Big Backyard for a mud-tastic time this summer. Children can dig in and craft their own mudpie using natural materials. Free. Monday, Aug. 3, 10 a.m.

MEMPHIS BOTANIC GARDEN

Novels After Naps

Have your kids, from babies to 5-year-olds, enjoy a calm and cozy story session that fuels imaginations and encourages active time together. Saturday, Aug. 1, 4 p.m.

John Lilly & The Earth Coincidence Control Office The daring experimenter Dr. John C. Lilly dedicated his life to radical self-investigation and unlocking the mysteries of consciousness and communication. Wednesday, Aug. 5, 7 p.m.

MALCO’S STUDIO ON THE SQUARE

Mandalorian Din Djarin, a lone bounty hunter, and his apprentice Grogu embark on an exciting new Star Wars adventure. Thursday, July 30, 3 p.m. | Friday, July 31, 3 p.m.

CTI 3D GIANT THEATER

Reel Friends

Join fellow cinephiles to discuss and explore different movie genres, directors, actors, and more. Tuesday, Aug. 4, 1 p.m.

GERMANTOWN COMMUNITY LIBRARY

When Bonnie receives a tablet device named Lilypad that distracts her from playtime, Jessie leads the toys on a mission to save Bonnie from digital isolation and remind her of the joy of imaginative play. Saturday, Aug. 1, 3 p.m. | Tuesday, Aug. 4, 3 p.m. | Wednesday, Aug. 5, 3 p.m.

Project Pop-up

Participants explore a new location of the Dixon with an inspiring project. Saturday, Aug. 1, 1 p.m.

Come enjoy a two-hour cruise on Ol’ Man River featuring live entertainment (blues & jazz) and a meal. Thursday, July 30, 7 p.m. | Friday, July 31, 7 p.m. | Saturday, Aug. 1, 7 p.m. | Sunday, Aug. 2, 7 p.m.

SHELBY FARMS PARK

Mindfulness Walk

Slow down during this gentle walk led

by Coach Alex Carpenter. This calming forest stroll invites you to pause from daily life and reconnect with the natural world around you.

No experience necessary — just bring yourself.

Saturday, August 1, 10 a.m.

“Papa Bear Trivia” with Shawn

Bring your brainpower and your crew for a night of free trivia. Thursday, July 30, 7 p.m.

DRU’S BAR

OVERTON PARK CONSERVANCY

Sunday Trivia

Gather your team and put your collective knowledge to the test in downtown’s most engaging battle of wits. Sunday, Aug, 2, 5 p.m.

Open Water Swim

Build confidence and improve your open water skills at Shelby Farms Park’s Open Water Swim Program, held in Hyde Lake. Sunday, Aug. 2, 7 a.m.

MFS BREWING

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

Toy Story 5

GERMANTOWN COMMUNITY LIBRARY

Meditation Mondays is a safe space for anyone seeking self-regulation and a peaceful pause from the demands of daily life. Free. Monday, Aug. 3, 6:30 p.m.

Dinner & Music Cruise

MEMPHIS RIVERBOATS

The Mandalorian & Grogu

CTI 3D GIANT SCREEN

Get Outside Fitness: Meditation

F OOD A N D D R I N K

SHELBY FARMS PARK

Tai Chi-Qi Gong for Beginners

2026 Sunset Skate

Join instructor Marjean Liggett for free tai chi lessons featuring gentle moves that will strengthen and calm body, mind, and soul. No experience or pre-registration is necessary. Free. Thursday, July 30, 7 a.m. | Tuesday, August 4, 7 a.m.

Let’s roll, Memphis! The award-winning Sunset Skate returns to the riverfront for another unforgettable season of community fun.

Thursday, July 30, 6 p.m.

TYRE NICHOLS SUNSET CANOPY

OVERTON PARK CONSERVANCY

Get Outside Fitness: Mat Pilates

Taijiquan Pilates will lengthen and strengthen your core Led by Milan Vigil, this Chinese martial art muscles, build body awareness and balance, The NewandYork Syndication promotes relaxation, improves balance, and createTimes space for mental clarity. Sales Free. Corporation JulyAvenue, 31, 4:30 p.m.

620Friday, Eighth New York, N.Y. 10018

continued on page 20

SHELBY FARMS PARK For Information Call: 1-800-972-3550 For Release Friday, August 9, 2019

DIXON GALLERY AND GARDENS

Rhythm & Roots

Special Story Time

Recommended for children up to 5 years, Story Time at Novel includes songs and stories, featuring brand-new books in addition to wellloved favorites. Saturday, Aug. 1, 10:30 a.m.

NOVEL

Story Time

Kids can enjoy stories, songs, art activities, and creative play that connect with Collierville history. Friday, July 31, 10:30 a.m.

TOWN OF COLLIERVILLE MORTON MUSEUM

Storytime and Sign

For babies through 5 years old, sing a song, learn a sign, dance a little jig, and sit for a story during this interactive, weekly story time for little ones and their caregivers. Tuesday, Aug. 4, 10:30 a.m. | Wednesday, Aug. 5, 10:30 a.m.

GERMANTOWN COMMUNITY LIBRARY

Toddler Time

Bring your toddlers ages 1 to 3 to read and do crafts. Thursday, July 30, 1 p.m. | Wednesday, Aug. 5, 10 a.m.

BARTLETT LIBRARY

FESTIVAL

Ruby Bridges Reading Festival

Perfect for children from pre-K through elementary school, the festival offers something for everyone, from inspiring storytelling to activities that make learning come alive.

Saturday, Aug. 1, 10 a.m.

NATIONAL CIVIL RIGHTS MUSEUM

FI L M

Enemy

Denis Villeneuve’s hypnotic psychological thriller follows a man who discovers his exact double, triggering a descent into paranoia and fractured identity. Thursday, July 30, 7 p.m.

CROSSTOWN THEATER

Friday Flick: Wicked For Good

Come to the Center Green for a free movie night. Come early for popcorn, music and more fun. Free. Friday, July 31, 7:30 p.m.

CARRIAGE CROSSING

ACROSS

26 First American

film in which a 1 Gum-producing toilet in heard plant being flushed (1960) 5 Addition to a compost pile 28 Equally distant 9 Rush home?

31 Cry at a surprise 13 Store discount birthday party come-on 33 Shut (up) 15 ___-Turkish War 34 Pull a fast one (post-W.W. I on conflict) 35 Chill 16 “Doesn’t concern me” 36 Where a stud might go 17 Take two 37 Big name in 18 “Not true!”

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47 Word with

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56 Good earth 57 Stay with a friend, say 58 Concerning 59 What areology is the study of 60 Synthetic fiber, for short

DOWN 1 Sources of

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PUZZLE BY FREDDIE CHENG

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30 Cause of typos,

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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.

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

MEMPHIS YOUTH ARTS INITIATIVE CENTER

Crossword

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Students explore drumming, dance, teamwork, and creative expression in a safe and inspiring environment led by experienced instructors and mentors. Wednesday, Aug. 5, 6 p.m.

19

C A L E N DA R : M O N T H J U LY 3 0 - AU G U S T 5 , 2 0 2 6

continued from page 19

PHOTO: COURTESY DIXON GALLERY AND GARDENS

provides no-impact aerobic benefits. Saturday, August 1, 10:30 a.m.

In the Cafe by Fernand Lungren, oil on canvas, on display at the Dixon

L EC T UR E

Mah Jongg Monday Hosted by BamBirdSociety

DIXON GALLERY AND GARDENS

Munch and Learn From the Forest to Your Floor

Bill Courtney is the founder and CEO of Classic American Hardwoods, Inc., a hardwood lumber manufacturing company with a 55-acre facility in Memphis. He is a soughtafter, nationally recognized speaker keynoting at venues across the country. Wednesday, Aug. 5, 12 p.m.

DIXON GALLERY AND GARDENS

BEN’S FRIENDS IS...

A FOOD AND BEVERAGE INDUSTRY SUPPORT GROUP OFFERING COMMUNITY, HOPE, AND A PATH FORWARD TO THOSE WHO STRUGGLE WITH SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND ADDICTION.

S P EC I A L E V E N TS

Ducks Unlimited Expo

This three-day expo features more than 300 vendors, top outdoor brands, expert insight, new products, giveaways, and opportunities to connect with others who share a passion for hunting and conservation. Friday, July 31, 12 p.m. | Saturday, Aug. 1, 9 a.m. | Sunday, Aug. 2, 9 a.m.

RENASANT CONVENTION CENTER

July 30-August 5, 2026

BEN’S FRIENDS MEMPHIS MEETING

MONDAYS AT 10 AM

GLOBAL CAFE 1350 CONCOURSE AVE, SUITE 157 FREE PARKING 2ND LEVEL & ABOVE

Feast on the Farm

Enjoy exceptional local cuisine, live music and entertainment, exciting live and silent auctions, and unique fundraising experiences and interactive moments throughout the evening. Saturday, Aug. 1, 6 p.m.

AGRICENTER SHOWPLACE ARENA

From Sunrise Sips to Sunset Beats

JO IN US! JOIN U S! BEN’S FRIENDS IS A COALITION OF SOBER F&B PEOPLE COMMITTED TO THEIR SOBRIETY IN AN INDUSTRY FILLED WITH DRUGS, ALCOHOL, AND STRESS. OUR ONLY PURPOSE IS TO HELP EACH OTHER FIND FREEDOM FROM THE BONDAGE OF OUR ADDICTION.

A full-day, OUTMemphis fundraiser with morning matcha and coffee, community vibes, and a sunset DJ party lasting until midnight.

Saturday, Aug. 1, 9:30 a.m.

NO. 2 VANCE

Hollywood Feed Silent Auction for Rescues 2026 ANY QUESTIONS CAN BE DIRECTED TO:

bensfriendshope@gmail.com

20

@BENSFRIENDSHOPE @

@BENSFRIENDSHOPE

BENSFRIENDSHOPE.COM

Join our daily national meetings at bensfriendshope.com/meetings

Bid on incredible items while helping pets in need during Hollywood Feed’s annual Silent Auction for Rescues.

Every winning bid supports four rescue organizations in communities served by Hollywood Feed. $50-$500.

Thursday, July 30, all day.

ONLINE

Open-play mah jongg hosted

by BamBirdSociety. Setup includes: tiles, tables, light refreshments. Bring your current National Mah Jongg League card if you have one, or get one at this event. Monday, Aug. 3, 6:30 p.m.

PIKE & WEST

Tomb Talks

Step inside Elmwood Cemetery after hours for Tomb Talks, a three-evening series exploring the stories, symbolism, and secrets of one of Memphis’ most historic landscapes. Friday, July 31, 6 p.m.

ELMWOOD CEMETERY

SPOR TS

901 Wrestling Meltdown

Come watch the MELTDOWN after the #WildCardRumble. Sunday, Aug. 2, 5 p.m.

MINGLEWOOD HALL

Gorilla Golf Tournament

Whether you’re playing for bragging rights or just enjoying a day with friends and clients, Gorilla Golf delivers a memorable tournament experience while supporting the Memphis Zoo’s Conservation and gorilla conservation efforts around the world.

Monday, Aug. 3, 7:30 a.m.

RIDGEWAY COUNTRY CLUB

Memphis Classic

Professional women’s tennis is back in Memphis with this new WTA 250 tournament, bringing world-class athletes and global attention back to our city. Thursday, July 30, 8 a.m. | Friday, July 31, 8 a.m. | Saturday, Aug. 1, 8 a.m. | Sunday, Aug. 2, 8 a.m.

LEFTWICH TENNIS CENTER

Memphis Redibirds vs.

Nashville Sounds

Tuesday, Aug. 4, 6:45 p.m. | Wednesday, Aug. 5, 6:45 p.m.

AUTOZONE PARK

T H EAT ER

Chicago: Teen Edition

Set in the dazzling world of the Roaring Twenties, Chicago: Teen Edition follows ambitious performers Roxie Hart and Velma Kelly as they chase fame amid jazz, scandal, and sensational headlines. Thursday, July 30, 7 p.m. | Friday, July 31, 7 p.m. | Saturday, Aug. 1, 2 p.m. | Saturday, Aug. 1, 7 p.m. | Sunday, Aug. 2, 2 p.m.

THE HARRELL PERFORMING ARTS THEATRE

Once Upon A Mattress: Youth Edition

In this one-hour adaptation of the beloved musical, Winnifred the Woebegone is just a simple swamp princess looking to win the heart of Prince Dauntless. But can she pass the impossible test Queen Aggravain has in store for her? Thursday, July 30-Saturday, Aug. 1, 7:30 p.m. | Sunday, Aug. 2, 2:30 p.m.

GERMANTOWN COMMUNITY THEATRE

Suffs

Direct from Broadway comes the acclaimed Tony Awardwinning musical Suffs, about the brilliant, passionate, and funny American women who fought tirelessly for the right to vote, such as Ida B. Wells, Mary Church Terrell, Alice Paul, and many others. This “thrilling, inspiring and dazzlingly entertaining” (Variety) new musical boldly explores the triumphs and failures of a struggle for equality that’s far from over. Thursday, July 30, 7:30 p.m. | Friday, July 31, 7:30 p.m. | Saturday, Aug. 1, 2:00 p.m. | Saturday, Aug. 1, 7:30 p.m. | Sunday, Aug. 2, 1:00 p.m. | Sunday, Aug. 2, 6:30 p.m.

THE ORPHEUM THEATRE

White Rabbit Red Rabbit

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We Saw You. with michael donahue

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July 30-August 5, 2026

he North Mississippi Allstars’ show, held July 18th at Germantown Performing Arts Center, also included an unofficial backstage family party with band members and members of Luther and Cody Dickinson’s families attending.

Performers could put Central Bar-B-Q sandwiches together in the Green Room before they put their songs together on the GPAC stage.

Judging by recognizable audience members that turned out for the show, Germantown Performing Arts Center looked more like the Midtown Performing Arts Center.

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PHOTOS: MICHAEL DONAHUE

above: Parks and Kelly O’Neil, Karin Adams, Dick Huffman, Hugh Crafton, Charlie Adams, Todd Adams below: (left to right) Martha and David Wilcox and Leon and June Goff; Lee and Jay Sheffield; Maury Glass, Janet Martin bottom row: (left to right) Lucia Dickinson, Island Dickinson, Necha Dickinson, Luther Dickinson, Sharisse Norman, Jazz Norman, Nova Norman, Michelle Dickinson, Mavis Dickinson, Cody Dickinson, Ozzy Dickinson; Stewart Holmes, Patty Cooper

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above: Peyton Woodson, Rebecca Thompson right row: (top and below) Gail Branch, Kathy Simonetti, Lee Gattas, Margaret Dean; Dwanyen and Brunette Takpor circle: Parke Kennedy below: (left to right) Russell Casey and Shelby Glass; Jeff Box and June Hurt; Justin Cayle McCullar, Aiden McCullar bottom left: Carol DeForest and Dr. Barron Boyd

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FOOD By Michael Donahue

Huey’s Is on a (Brioche) Roll Iconic eatery adds two new menu items.

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July 30-August 5, 2026

or the first time in three years, Huey’s has introduced two new items: the Crispy Chicken Sandwich and the Crispy Chicken BLTA. The Crispy Chicken Sandwich is “a very standard chicken sandwich,” says Alex Boggs, 38, Huey’s marketing director/area director. But it has roasted garlic aioli on it and pickle chips. The BLTA comes with the same aioli as well as bacon, lettuce, tomato, and fresh avocado.

Both sandwiches are on a brioche bun, which is a first for a Huey’s sandwich (but not for a couple of their burgers).

The new sandwiches are included in Huey’s “table tent,” the book of specials and featured items at every table. But, Boggs says, “The numbers show that these very well might stick around for a while.”

They’re the first new menu items to be introduced “since we rolled out our smash burger,” says Boggs. “We’ve also brought out our steak sandwich, but that was something we took off and then put back on the menu. So I don’t know if it would technically qualify as new. The steak sandwich came back last summer.”

They introduced the Crispy Chicken Sandwich and the Crispy Chicken BLTA on June 30th. “We used to test out about one burger a year, and we would either come up with something fun or we would let our employees pass on suggestions,” says Boggs. “And we picked what the winner was.” They’d feature the winner as a seasonal item. “Sometimes we might share it with a seasonal dessert or seasonal appetizers. We’ve done a sweet potato French fries à la mode before. We’ve done fried jalitos, which are like jalapeño and cream cheese poppers. We’ve kind of gotten away from doing this as frequently as we used to.

But we’re always looking at what’s the big miss on our menu. Is there a hole in the category? Is there something that’s trending that we should be doing that we’re not?”

They’ve begun adding things “at a slower pace,” but only items they’re “a lot more sure of,” says Boggs. “We’ll put more research into it. More testing into it. Because the goal for us at this point is to get it out for a summer or half a year and put it on permanently if it sells good.”

This isn’t the first time Huey’s has offered chicken. “We’ve always had our deluxe grilled chicken sandwich. And that’s been on the menu for about as long as we’ve been around. And then 24 probably about 15 years ago we brought out our ‘Southern Chicken Miners.’

We call them our miners to kind of go along with our prospector theme.” That would be the guy in a beard and hat pictured on the menus flipping a coin.

“But they’re little individual sliders. And so it’s three small versions of it. And we serve them with pickle, ranch, and shredded lettuce. Deep fried. They’re nice and crispy. It’s just not the same as the full Crispy Chicken Sandwich.”

People wanted this sandwich, Boggs says. “Our employees have been asking for it. It’s in our suggestions every so often: ‘We should add a crispy chicken sandwich.’ The guests have mentioned it to us.”

So they went to work creating it.

“When we come up with a concept or an idea, we really start with the main protein of it. So we said, ‘We know we want a crispy chicken sandwich,’ and just started testing all sorts of options,” Boggs explains. “What cut of chicken are we going to do? What kind of breading do we want? We knew we wanted it to be a whole muscle product as opposed to just pieces. So, we started looking at what options are out there.”

They went with the breast. “When we ended up settling on the piece of chicken we would use, it was just head and shoulders above most of the other options.”

Then came the next question: “What kind of a bun are we going to put it on?

And ended up going with a brioche bun, which is just a wonderful product.

It holds up really nicely and it’s a beautiful bun,” says Boggs.

When they were coming up with sandwich ideas, his sister, Ashley Boggs

PHOTO: MICHAEL DONAHUE

Alex Boggs with the Crispy Chicken BLTA and Crispy Chicken Sandwich

Robilio, suggested avocado as one of the toppings, and it worked perfectly on the Crispy Chicken BLTA. They put the avocado slices on the bottom bun on purpose. When the cold avocado hits the warm chicken it “just turns into the perfect texture and flavor.”

Customers have been “putting their different little spins” on the new chicken sandwiches, Boggs says, like adding buffalo sauce.

Huey’s, which began with the 1927 Madison Avenue location in 1970, now has 10 locations, including the newest, which opened in 2022, at 8170 McGregor Crossing, Suite 200, in Olive Branch, Mississippi. They’re hoping to open an 11th location, but they don’t yet know where, says Boggs.

Huey’s does everything “slowly but surely,” he says. “We don’t make decisions very fast. We put a lot of time, thought, and energy into them.”

Thus, they’ve been “pretty inconsistent” with their store openings, having opened four restaurants in a six- or seven-year period in the ’90s.

Then they opened two Huey’s restaurants in 2003: 7825 Winchester Road and 4872 Poplar Avenue at Erin Drive. “We will never open two stores the same year again,” Boggs says. There were “too many moving parts,” including finding people to work at two stores instead of just one.

Huey’s, which was co-owned by Jay Sheffield and the late Thomas Boggs, Alex Boggs’ dad, has always been a part of Boggs’ life. He remembers when he and his brother and sisters went

to Huey’s in their pajamas at night because their dad “had to fix a problem” at the restaurant. When he was 10, Boggs was already helping prep in the kitchen. But, he says, “We weren’t allowed to touch a knife or go anywhere the heat was.”

Building a career at Huey’s was something he wanted to do, Boggs says.

“It was something I gravitated to naturally. I really looked up to my dad as a kid and watched him in his element, working the floor of the restaurant, listening to the employees. It was something I thought was really special and it still seems very cool to me.”

And Huey’s is still a family affair.

Ashley Boggs Robilio is president, Samantha Boggs Dean is director of community engagement, and Lauren McHugh Robinson is CEO. The family also co-owns Folk’s Folly restaurant.

Another part of the Huey’s legacy is volunteering at events, which range from Zoo Rendezvous, which their dad co-founded, to A Taste of CBHS, which is held at Alex Boggs’ alma mater, Christian Brothers High School.

Then there’s the greatest bonus feature of being affiliated with Huey’s: being around food every day. Boggs, like his customers, has his favorite go-to item. “I get the ‘Fiesta Chicken Wrap.’

Fresh, grilled chicken wrapped up in pita with lettuce, cheese, and tomato.

Very easy. Very light.” And, he adds, it’s still good if you get interrupted and have to eat the rest of it “30 minutes or an hour later. As anyone in a restaurant knows, you often get interrupted.”

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2026 NEWS OF THE WEIRD By the editors at Andrews McMeel Syndication

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In the Heights A pair of Russian climbers have been charged with burglary, reckless endangerment, criminal mischief, criminal tampering, criminal trespass, and disorderly conduct after climbing to the very top of the Empire State Building spire, some 1,454 feet (443 meters) above the ground. Reuters reported that around 12:30 p.m. on July 1st, daredevils Angela Nikolau, 33, and Vanya Beerkus (also known as Ivan Kuznetsov), 32, raised a black banner with white lettering that read, “When the power of love beats the love of power the world knows peace.”

Their daring feat concluded with Beerkus appearing to propose to Nikolau and the couple embracing. NYPD closed the streets below the building, and the couple was taken into custody. The building has an observation deck on the 102nd floor, and official policy is that visitors are not allowed to go higher than that. How the pair gained access beyond that remains a mystery. An Empire State Building spokesperson called it an “unauthorized incident.” Meanwhile, Nikolau’s father, an acrobat himself, had a more relaxed take on the climb. “I think it is normal to climb up a roof in any country, including the United States, according to any constitution,” he said. “Why should I be worried? I climb up roofs myself.”

[Reuters, 7/1/26] Criminals • On July 2nd, Jalen Godard, 29, of Odenton, Maryland, robbed a Verizon store ... and then promptly called police to report his vehicle stolen. The two robberies were called in separately but within minutes of each other. When officers arrived, they observed blood on Godard’s glasses, hands, and shirt, as well as blood on the store’s window, and put two and two together. “That’s some karma right there, dude,” one officer said in the body cam footage. Godard denied being at the store, but the store’s cameras show him robbing it. No word yet on a suspect in the vehicle theft. [Fox 5, 7/2/26] • A South Korean bank manager stole an unspecified but large amount of money from his bank’s vault by replacing the stolen cash with play money printed with cartoon animals, Oddity Central reported on July 2nd. As manager, the man ensured he was the only one depositing bills in the vault, pocketing the real money for himself and replacing it with the cartoon copies. A bank employee

eventually reported his odd behavior to the credit union, and the matter was handled internally. The man returned all the money and was fired from the bank, and the theft was never reported to the authorities. [Oddity Central, 7/2/26] Spooky A company in China is ready to take the next step in robotics: humanoid robots powered by AI. On July 2nd, Oddity Central reported that UBTECH plans to mass-produce the robots, complete with synthetic skin and humanlike facial expressions. The machines are about 5 feet, 6 inches to 6 feet tall, but weigh half as much as the average human adult.

The company says it has received 10,000 orders and that each robot retails for up to $145,000, depending on its features.

The humanoids will be delivered in September and are “designed to support a wide range of consumer and commercial applications, including daily companionship, emotional support, lifestyle enhancement, and social assistance, as well as reception and hospitality services, elder care, psychological support, tourism and exhibitions, research and education, and premium domestic service applications,” a UBTECH press release said. [Oddity Central, 7/2/26] News You Can Use Two teens in San Mateo were detained by police after their Waymo vehicle reported their unruly behavior, KLTV reported on July 8th. The robotaxis are equipped with interior cameras that allow Waymo personnel to observe passengers. A Waymo representative contacted police when they saw a live feed of the 15-yearolds drinking and firing a gun that shot Orbeez gel pellets. “We got a call from a Waymo rep saying there were two people in their vehicle, and they saw them shooting out of the vehicle,” Jeanine Luna of the San Mateo Police Department said.

“And then they also described the passengers maybe being intoxicated as well.”

A Waymo rep told the passengers that the car was having trouble and disabled the vehicle until police arrived. The teens cooperated with law enforcement, and no one was hurt. They await charges from the district attorney. [KLTV, 7/8/26] NEWS OF THE WEIRD © 2026 Andrews McMeel Syndication.

Reprinted with permission.

All rights reserved.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): I invite you to clear out every fixed idea your mind carries about where you are “supposed” to be. Once you have made that inner space wide and uncluttered, begin a fresh inquiry into the nature of your real home. Use questions like these to navigate: 1. What’s the first place you think of when you come across the word “sanctuary”? 2. Which environments reliably bring out your brightest, truest qualities? 3. Do you have what you would call power spots? If so, how do they make you feel in your body and psyche? 4. Which locations on Earth fascinate you, even if you have never visited them? 5. Could there be a future dwelling that offers a more peak-level experience of home than the familiar place where tradition now soothes you?

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): The brain doesn’t literally multitask. It rapidly shifts attention between tasks, creating the illusion of simultaneity. For many people, each interchange costs mental energy and reduces efficiency.

But some brains can switch faster with a lower energy cost, making them better at sustained task-switching. I’m sure you can guess the identity of the zodiac’s number one task-switcher: you, of course! And the good news is that in the coming weeks, you will be even more adept than usual in wielding your superpower. One implication is that you will know when not to overdo it and when not to use it trivially. You will be a master of seamless, effective, and meaningful transitions.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Astronomers know that many stars don’t travel alone. Binary stars orbit each other for eons, their mutual gravity shaping each partner’s destiny. I propose we make this your featured metaphor in the coming months. It will be a favorable time to de-emphasize the notion that strength and creative power require complete autonomy. I suspect that flexible, spirited interdependence will generate far better results than lonely self-sufficiency.

Which alliances and relationships will expand your orbit rather than shrink it?

Invest in them.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Your assignment: Compose a vigorous prayer in which you ask life for something you fear you don’t deserve or are not supposed to want. What is the blessing, healing, or freedom that feels “too much,” “too selfish,” “too late,” or “too impossible” for you to yearn for? Name this prize and how you imagine it might allow you to give more, love more, or live more honestly. You could begin your appeal with these words: “Dear Great Mystery, I’m nervous about asking for this, but I will ask anyway,” and then let your heart speak without editing. Do this at least once every day for ten days.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): In 1848, a Libra-born carpenter named James Marshall discovered a few glittering flakes of gold floating on the American River in California. His find ignited the Gold Rush, drawing hundreds of thousands of people westward. Alas, Marshall himself never became rich from the discovery, though many other people did. I’m hoping and predicting a different outcome when you locate treasure in the coming weeks, Libra. In this instance, you will share in the spoils.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): The lyrebird can imitate almost any sound, including chainsaws, car alarms, camera shutters, and other birds’ songs. But they don’t just mimic sounds randomly. They compose elaborate performances, weaving a variety of imitations into complex acoustic tapestries. In a sense, they are remix artists. During the coming weeks, Scorpio, I hope you give yourself permission to resemble a lyrebird. Sample freely from everything you’ve absorbed.

Weave your influences into new configurations. Express your imaginative concoctions of repurposed ideas and enchantments. The voice isn’t less yours because it borrows from other voices.

Originality is in part about arrangement, not just source material.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Astronauts who have orbited Earth describe the “overview effect.” Viewing the entire globe from high above triggers rich epiphanies and cognitive shifts, providing a visceral sense of the planet’s fragility and unity. Borders dissolve.

Conflicts seem absurd. I surmise you are ripe for a similar blessing, Sagittarius.

You’ll be able to see your current dramas from expansive vantage points that make their true scale and significance obvious. Armed with these perspectives, you will naturally clarify your priorities and allow petty concerns to fade away.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): You are the result of an ancestral crowd: two parents, four grandparents, and eight great-grandparents. Without these 14

lives weaving together in the precise ways they did, your unique destiny would never have taken shape. Their choices and challenges helped sculpt your gifts and your rough edges, your cravings and your turn-offs. The coming weeks will be a ripe astrological moment to get more intimate with this lineage. As you delve into your family’s stories, you may uncover vital clues for refreshing your views on dilemmas that have dragged on for a while. Are you daring enough to let your sense of “where I come from” evolve — and, with it, your sense of what kind of future you want to create?

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): According to my investigations, there’s a place you need to go, but fear or timidity is holding you back. Where is it? Is it a physical location, a creative risk, a complicated conversation, or a spiritual threshold? Visualize it. Who would you be if you appeared there in your full glory? What do you worry might happen if you do? What interesting future might never bloom if you don’t? I hope you formulate a feisty plan. To begin, write these words: “If I decide to go there anyway, acknowledging my fear but not being controlled by it, what first step will I take and what help will I seek?”

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Professional athletes sometimes talk about “winning ugly.” That’s when they achieve a victory even though they haven’t played their very best. I foresee you using that phrase for yourself soon, after you notch a lessthan-pretty but undeniably real success.

There’s another expression you might also exemplify, too: “ugly ripe.” Officially, it’s the name of luscious heirloom tomatoes whose lumpy, offbeat forms contrast with the smooth, bland specimens stacked in most supermarket bins. In the coming weeks, it will describe the nonstandard yet succulent flavor of your life.

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ARIES (March 21-April 19): Aries artist Vincent van Gogh lived in Arles, France, for 15 months in 1888 and 1889. It was the most prolific time of his career. His buoyant genius overflowed, pouring out over 200 paintings, including the lavish Sunflowers series. I suspect you will enjoy your own surge of splashy productivity in the coming months. It may not be as manically generative as van Gogh, though. I think your creativity will be rather relaxed and deeply healing. Start planning now for how you want to channel all this imaginative exuberance.

LEO (July 23Aug. 22): Neurologists say that when you vividly imagine performing an action like shooting a basketball or playing piano, your brain activates many of the same networks it uses in real practice. In other words, mental rehearsal can measurably improve your actual performance. Many athletes use this trick. But here’s an interesting twist: Such visualizations work for emotional and social skills too. We can enhance our resilience and better regulate our moods if we practice doing so in the privacy of our imaginations. I bring this to your attention, Leo, because you’re in a period when your fantasy life has extra-robust practical power. I invite you to rehearse being who you want to be in the theater of your mind.

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FREE WILL ASTROLOGY By Rob Brezsny

27

FILM By Kailynn Johnson

I Want Your Sex Olivia Wilde and Charli XCX get kinky in this colorful erotic thriller.

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July 30-August 5, 2026

t’s a crazy movie. I Want Your Sex is a spectacle you can’t quite pry your eyes from. I’d bet that even the most refined prudes would still be drawn to the fast-paced, kinky film just by the vibrancy alone.

The good news is I Want Your Sex brings color back to the cinema.

Hopefully, it serves as a reminder that bright colors aren’t only for Barbie or Netflix originals. The bad news is … well I’m not sure there is any bad news, per se. The film is on the verge of soft camp, with an admirable awareness of sexual nuance between Gen Zers and Millennials, without being too on-thenose.

Directed by Gregg Araki (The Doom Generation, Totally F***ed Up, and Mysterious Skin) and written by Karley Sciortino, the film opens with a disoriented and bleeding Elliot (Cooper Hoffman) wearing a pink silk bra. As he stumbles around the home of his boss, Erika Tracy (Olivia Wilde), he finds her unconscious, face-down in the pool.

We flash back nine and a half weeks ago, where Elliot, Zap (Mason Gooding), and others are chewing gum to be added to one of Erika’s art pieces. Elliot, who’s hired as one of Erika’s assistants, admits he thought the job would be “more intellectually stimulating.” He took the job fresh out of college and was in desperate need for cash.

He’s then called into Erika’s office where she throws all HR protocol out the window and proposes a sexual relationship to go with their professional relationship.

Later, Elliot is sitting in an interrogation room with detectives in the aftermath of finding Erika unconscious and trying to make sense of their relationship. The interrogators seem taken aback by the fact that Erika initiated the relationship and reiterate how important it is for Elliot to tell the full story.

He reflects on preparing for his job interview, where we learn how important sex is to Erika’s ethos as an artist, through a video Elliot watches in an apartment he shares with his best friend Apple (Chase Sui Wonders).

During his interview, Erika tells Elliot that “contemporary art is a scam” and displays aversion to the “woke police” with invasive questioning.

Elliot lands the job on the spot 28 and later shares his excitement with his girlfriend Minerva (Charli XCX).

Minerva, who is studying to become a doctor, is comedically uninterested in Elliot as he gushes over Erika and asks for celebration sex.

Later on at work, Erika asks Elliot for help moving an art piece into her home. She gives Elliot a book that was pivotal toward her attitudes on sex, which she says contradicts Elliot’s generational view of sexuality.

Elliot grapples with being sexually attracted to Erika, while being in a relationship with Minerva. He decides to take Erika up on her offer, leading to a BDSM relationship — much of which is recorded by Erika, the dom.

Elliot admits the relationship was intense, but it allowed for his sexual fantasies to emerge. His infatuation with her intensifies, as Erika is all he thinks about, even when he’s being intimate with Minerva. He eventually breaks up with her, leading him to dive all in with Erika. Elliot’s fixation with Erika leads to him wanting something more, and this makes him eager to indulge in all of her requests, including a threesome with Apple.

The threesome exposes Elliot’s one-sided obsession with Erika and contributes to his downfall. His friendship with Apple is ruined, leading him to move in temporarily with Zap. Erika’s true intentions with Elliot are revealed at her exhibition, which culminates in Elliot being thrown out.

Later, he is surprised to get an invitation to Erika’s house after being unceremoniously fired, where he learns her latest show was a flop. And then we’re back to the beginning.

The use of color in the film is exceptional. Not only is it visually appealing, but it adds to the hedonism of the sex. Araki’s aesthetic here reminds me of Ken Russell’s adaptation of The Who’s rock opera Tommy — something you can’t turn away from, regardless of whether you can follow what’s going on.

Araki’s decision to create a vibrant world from the moment the film starts works in his favor, notably in scenes

PHOTOS: COURTESY MAGNOLIA PICTURES

I Want Your Sex cast (top) Charli XCX and Cooper Hoffman; (middle) Olivia Wilde and Cooper Hoffman; and (above) Margaret Cho and Johnny Knoxville with Minerva. Elliot and Apple’s apartment, along with Erika’s gallery, are characterized by neon and bright hues, which instantly clash when we’re taken to Minerva’s gray-toned room and dour demeanor.

Speaking of, Charli XCX is such a standout in the film. She’s an unapologetically bad girlfriend, but you don’t care for Elliot enough to dislike her for it. In fact, I wanted more of her!

Olivia Wilde is both visually striking and compelling to watch. Erika has an entrancing confidence, and Wilde plays it naturally, without falling into tropey territory. It lends to you commending

her for not being afraid to ask for what she wants. Though her bravado is a strength initially, it turns sour when she starts to abuse the power dynamic between her as a boss and Elliot as an employee.

If you go into I Want Your Sex expecting a serious, real-world drama like I did the first time I saw it, you will likely come away confused. If you embrace the camp, like I did the second time around, you’ll enjoy it.

I Want Your Sex Opens Friday, July 31st Malco Collierville, Cordova, DeSoto, Ridgeway, and Studio on the Square

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The Odyssey Newlyweds Tom Holland as Telemachus and Zendaya as Athena are part of one of the greatest casts assembled this decade in Christopher Nolan’s runaway hit. Matt Damon gets classical as Odysseus, the king of Ithaca who struggles to get home to Penelope (Anne Hathaway) after winning the Trojan War with a big ol’ horse. He gets trapped in a cave with the Cyclops Polyphemus (Bill Irwin), shacks up with the sea nymph Calypso (Charlize Theron), almost gets ensorceled by the witch Circe (Samantha Morton), navigates the Aegean waves with his rebellious first mate Eurylochus (Himesh Patel), visits Sinon (Elliot Page) in Hades, and fights wouldbe usurper Antinous (Robert Pattinson).

Spider-Man: Brand New Day Newlyweds Tom Holland and Zendaya continue their blockbuster honeymoon with the fourth installment of Marvel’s Spider-Man series. After the multiverse shenanigans of No Way Home, Doctor Strange’s spell has made everyone forget that Peter Parker is Spider-Man. It’s working out pretty well for Peter, as he can now pursue costumed vigilantism without fear of reprisals. But then an unusual new mutation emerges in Spider-Man, putting his life, and New York, in danger. Sadie Sink co-stars as a new villain whom the bright lights at Marvel have been keeping a secret.

Jon Bernthal, another alumnus of The Odyssey, appears as the gun-toting Punisher, alongside Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner.

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THE LAST WORD By Michael Adams

Silver Ball Chaos

THE LAST WORD

When we were kids, the little league coach would line us up after every game. The other team would line up in opposition, and we’d pass them, our hands extended to greet theirs. “Good game,” we were forced to say, but if we said what was really on our minds, it would’ve been more like, “Haha, loser,” or “[expletive] you; we’ll beat y’all next time.” It was supposed to be a lesson in sportsmanship, but our well-intended coaches never explained why that line-up was important after every game, so those unsportsmanlike thoughts persisted, took root.

Thirty-some-odd years later, my shoulders sank as the ball drained, and I watched the pinball machine count up PHOTOS: COURTESY MICHAEL ADAMS my score: base bonus, bonus multiplier, bonus held, total Playing pinball offers community and bonus. Is it enough? I wondered. I could see other games friendship, one game at a time. alive with strobes and life. I could hear the other games at the arcade — alive with the clack of flippers, the balls caught in an array of bumpers, the high thwang of slingshots, modes and multi-balls, the scratch of pinball machine legs across concrete, bells, whistles, the electromechanical score reels clicking over by the thousands. My game, finished. No more balls to play; my score fixed wherever it stopped. Was it enough? I was in fourth place going into that ball, and I needed to move mountains to come in first. If I had first place, I would qualify for finals and top the cutline. All four of us were in the same boat. ‘It’s not enough,’ I thought. ‘No way is it enough.’ I turned around before the scores flashed. I didn’t think I’d made it, but I was greeted by the other three players — all of them with a hand ready to shake, a fist ready to bump; all of them with big smiles and congratulatory words. I took first.

I qualified. I was still alive in the tournament, and the three people I bested were just as happy for me as I was for myself, even if I had just stopped them from qualifying. That’s a far cry from those mandatory little league lines and empty “good games.”

This was not an isolated incident. I’ve been playing competitive pinball for two years, and I have seen this scenario play out dozens of times. I have been on both sides of it — the congratulator and the one receiving congratulations. The pinball community embraces these moments of victory because we all recognize that one good ball can change the trajectory of a game, and it can happen for any of us. A lot of times, it’s a new player “leveling up” and figuring out something about the game, about their play. A lot of times, it’s hours and hours (and quarters and quarters) invested in practice, but sometimes it’s the No. 1 player in the state hitting shots and starting modes some of us wouldn’t dream of achieving. We’re all playing the same game; we’re all getting the same opportunity. The machine doesn’t care if I am a 12-year-old on summer break and out late with my parents, or if I’m a retired ombudsman for the VA. The machine never asks if I’m qualified, if I teach English, if I’m a diesel mechanic, a recovering addict, or if I invested early in crypto. It never asks my religion, my politics, or my gender. The machine does care if I have coined up, or (in the game) how hard I nudge, shake, or scoot it across the floor — don’t do that, though. When we revel in the success of others, then, it’s sincere. It’s not forced like those little league lines without explanation.

And while we’re playing, all the other chaos we bring to the table fades away; we’re forced into controlling the silver-ball chaos in front of us. We control it as long as we can because pinball suspends all the other things: the bills, the politics, the news reels, the work and family stress … not gone, certainly not solved, but irrelevant to the game.

It forces a change in focus, and we’re reminded to control the controllables. On tournament nights, a lot of the things that usually divide us get suspended, too, and we’re all on common ground. We’re all on an even playing field, and we all get the same opportunities to run up the score and control the chaos. Each ball is an opportunity.

Of course, we would all love to win every tournament, but that isn’t the way life goes. It’s unfair and messy and scary and stress-filled, but pinball offers a break from that and gives us a community that reminds us we’re not alone in it. Competitive pinball offers the chance for conversations with people we otherwise wouldn’t greet on the street. It is an opportunity to cheer for someone when they have a good ball, a good game, or a good night. It’s an opportunity to shake hands and bump fists.

Michael Adams teaches English at a local college and plays pinball every chance he gets. He and his family live in Fayette County, but he has considered himself a Memphian since he learned to drive.

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

In the game, each ball is an opportunity.

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