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Stone Soul
The WLOK picnic celebrates 50 years of music, food, and community. PHOTO: COURTESY WLOK p12
Lantern Parade to Shine for Tom Lee on 901 Day The Mississippi River Gumption Revival Lantern Parade asks community members to participate. p16
PHOTO: COURTESY MRPP
Taking Care of Business at 90
Years Old
Evalina Edwards is still cooking at Mortimer’s. p25
PHOTO: CHRISTOPHER JAMIESON
THE fly-by
MEM ernet
Memphis on the internet.
MISTAKE LOOP
We had fun on Instagram last week satirizing the completely made up River City Mistake Loop. Elon Musk was to drill the tunnel from the airport to the old Better an Retail building in CooperYoung. e move was to have made no sense but was an example of how “shit runs in Memphis.”
{WEEK THAT WAS
By Flyer staff
Questions, Answers + Attitude
Edited by Toby Sells
ICE, Pollution, & ‘Kings’ Crossing’
ACLU challenges Mason vote, plastic in the Mississippi, and the I-55 bridge gets a new name.
MASON VOTE CHALLENGED
Last week, the American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee (ACLU-TN) challenged the outcome of a vote in Mason that would enter the city into a detention facility contract with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
e organization sent a letter to town o cials demanding they halt the contract’s execution.
NEWSOM ON MEMPHIS
Memphis surfaced in the national conversation about where Trump could send National Guard troops next. California Governor Gavin Newsom’s press o ce posted the infographic above.
COMMENT OF THE WEEK
Memphis Reddit user loodog said they wrote state Representative John Gillespie (R-Memphis) to oppose National Guard deployment in D.C. Gillespie allegedly responded with “You are pro crime. I am ghting for safer streets.”
To this, LimberGravy posted a picture of a ctional Halloween costume: “Conservative Guy Scared of Cities.” e description includes “saw that thing on the news” and more.
e group claimed the decisions to re-open the West Tennessee Detention Facility as an immigration detention center for ICE did not have enough votes to pass, according to the town’s charter.
e Mississippi River contributes nearly 40 percent of the total plastic waste-load
“We do not believe that this contract passed, and therefore any action taken by the mayor and board of the town of Mason to further the execution of this contract is illegal and it’s invalid,” said Bryan Davidson, policy director at ACLU of Tennessee.
PLASTIC POLLUTION IN THE RIVER
When world leaders tried but failed to harmonize on a global treaty on plastic pollution recently, mayors from along the Mississippi River added their voices and o ered at least one solution.
e United Nations Environment Programme’s Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee met in Geneva recently to form an international, legally binding agreement on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment.
e Geneva negotiations included mayors from the Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative (MRCTI) and the group’s clean water expert. Bob Gallagher, mayor of Bettendorf, Iowa, suggested making those who make plastic products responsible for cleaning up plastics, instead of taxpayers.
“Right now, taxpayers are being burdened with managing the cost of recycling and disposal of plastics,” Gallagher said in a statement that suggested an extended producer responsibility (EPR) model as a solution.
EPR policies have been around for years. In 23 states, manufacturers now pay for the costs of recycling e-waste such as televisions, laptops, and tablets, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL). In 10 states and the District of Columbia, manufacturers pay for the cost
of paint disposal, according to the NCSL.
e Mississippi River drains nearly half of the U.S. and about one third of the North American continent. It contributes nearly 40 percent of the total plastic waste-load to the Gulf of Mexico, which eventually makes its way to the oceans, according to the MRCTI.
BRIDGE NAMED “KINGS’ CROSSING”
Tennessee and Arkansas o cials unveiled the new name for the new bridge to span the Mississippi River for I-55: “Kings’ Crossing.” Transportation o cials in both states said the name honors Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., B.B. King, and Elvis Presley.
BLACK PHILANTHROPY
e Community Foundation of Greater Memphis (CFGM) hosted its rst Black Philanthropy Month Symposium at Bridges last week as a precursor to Give 8/28, a national day this ursday focused on giving to “Black-led and Blackbene ting nonpro ts.”
Funding disparities disproportionately a ect Black nonpro ts compared to white-led ones, according to CFGM. Data from e Bridgespan Group found that Black-led organizations operate with “revenues 24 percent lower than white-led ones.”
Tennessee Lookout contributed to this report. Visit the News Blog at memphis yer.com for fuller versions of these stories and more local news.
POSTED TO INSTAGRAM BY MEMPHIS FLYER POSTED TO REDDIT
POSTED TO X BY GOVERNOR NEWSOM PRESS OFFICE
PHOTO: MISSISSIPPI RIVER CITIES AND TOWNS INITIATIVE
to the Gulf of Mexico, according to the MRCTI.
Environmental Justice {
CITY REPORTER
By Kailynn Johnson
Groups gather voices to ensure communities are heard in big decisions.
Advocacy groups continue to stress the importance of community-centered voices and input as they continue ghting for environmental justice.
e Equity Alliance hosted a mass canvassing event in Whitehaven last week in collaboration with Tigers Against Pollution (TAP) and the Tennessee Immigrant & Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC). e event was an extension of e Equity Alliance’s statewide campaign for environmental justice. e group said they had already knocked on nearly 17,000 doors across the state.
Organizers said they are working to amplify the voices of residents as they “push back against Elon Musk and xAI’s impact on their neighborhood.”
Rachael Spriggs, statewide director of power-building for the Equity Alliance, said that although the majority of Memphis’ population is Black, the community still nds itself as an a erthought in conversations — especially those regarding environmental justice.
“We’re fighting for the bare minimum at this point.”
“Memphis is its own state in many ways,” Spriggs said. “We’re an a erthought, and we feel the brunt and impact of a lot of the legislation that is being passed.”
e Alliance has a statewide lens, which Spriggs said adds to holistic storytelling; however, she noted that their goal is to empower the voices of groups doing work in cities like Memphis.
“We have leaders that have taken the center on these issues,” Spriggs said. “We work really closely with them to ll
de cits. We pride ourselves on being boots on the ground, building equity from the trap house to the White House.”
In the ght against environmental racism, Spriggs said the Alliance has positioned themselves to make sure their demands are not coming from “the top down” but rather from the community. She noted that several groups are already doing this work in the city, and that aligning themselves with other advocacy groups helps to center citizen input.
TAP said that canvassing is an extension of amplifying the voices of the working class and marginalized people. ey said for their work to be e ective, they must be familiar with all parts of the city.
“TAP has been canvassing [in Whitehaven] all summer long,” C. Yeargan, TAP organizer and member, said. “ e neighborhood is at the intersection of industrial and commercial mistreatment and abandonment.
Despite this, it’s o en overlooked by activists — simply because it doesn’t have the same robust organizational infrastructure and history as similarly wonderful neighborhoods like Boxtown. Whitehaven deserves to be as integral a piece of our organizing work as any other neighborhood.”
TIRCC emphasized the absence of working-class voices in policymaking, and said that all voices must work together to ensure equality in communities and the economy.
“ is is why we are grateful to support e Equity Alliance’s Powering Economic Justice Campaign by reaching out to our neighbors to demand that all of us, regardless of our immigration status or race, deserve economic policies that value our voices with dignity and respect,” Sandra Pita, organizer with TIRRC Votes, said.
Spriggs said in Black leadership there is o en an emphasis on bringing more
businesses into Memphis. While this is important, she said, these projects can come at a cost to marginalized communities.
“We deserve the bene ts — the jobs, the green infrastructure, clean neighborhoods,” Spriggs said. “We understand that canvassing is not just about saying no to harmful projects, but it’s about putting forth another vision about what it means to have sustainable and equitable development in Memphis.”
Spriggs said by taking a stand, she realizes she is directly impacting Memphis’ current and future generations. In hopes of securing a better future for the city, she said the only choice is to “be strategic and continue to ght.”
“We’re ghting for the bare minimum at this point,” Spriggs said. “We’re watching democracy literally disappear in front of us. We cannot a ord to be stagnant and double-think the work we’re putting forward.”
PHOTO: EQUITY ALLIANCE
e group has knocked on 17,000 doors across the state.
LABOR DAY WEEKEND
FRIDAY, AUGUST 29 | 11AM – 10PM SATURDAY, AUGUST 30 | 11AM – 10PM SUNDAY, AUGUST 31 | 11AM – 8PM MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 1 | 11AM – 8PM
POLITICS By Jackson Baker
Cracks in the Barrel
Memphis’ far-right radio has lots of issues to lament.
HOUR
W-F
It is a truism these days that social media, for better or for worse, plays a signi cant role in the dissemination of political messaging.
e Elon Musk-owned X platform continues to carry a lot of contributors’ political weight online, much of it MAGAin ected, though other points of view are still to be found there.
Many centrists and le -leaning posters, meanwhile, have gone over to a rival platform, the edgling Bluesky, which aspires to be something like the MSNBC of online commentary and, at this point, is still struggling to establish itself.
And there is talk radio, which is still pretty much the province of the political right. Mike Fleming, yesteryear’s voice of conservative discontent, has gone to his reward, but radio station KWAM (“the Mighty 990,” alternately billed as “the MidSouth’s conservative blowtorch”) still keeps the sound of it alive.
Monday morning was a case in point. Station proprietor Todd Starnes (who, famously, can boast a recent call-in from Donald Trump, no less, followed by a sit-down interview with the president in Washington) turned the prime drive-time hour of 7 to 8 a.m. over to Memphis Police Association director John Covington, now a declared contestant for the District 1 (outer Shelby) position on the county commission.
A er lamenting some troubling recent crime incidents (e.g., a gun ght at the Wa e House in Arlington), Covington devoted most of his time to what archconservatives see as the takeover of the venerable Cracker Barrel dining franchise by creeping Woke-ism. Covington went beyond the right’s complaints about the purge of an actual cracker-barrel and an adjacent country gent from the establishment’s logo.
His chief complaint seemed to be that patrons failing to successfully complete a table puzzle involving proper location of golf tees on a grid are no longer greeted with a folksy message calling them “Ignoramus” but a gone-so one merely urging them gently to try again.
Covington then introduced Shelby County Republican chair Worth Morgan, who reported on the state GOP’s annual Statesman’s Dinner, held last weekend in Nashville. e keynoter this year was Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, and Morgan spent some time rhapsodizing on Johnson’s inspirational value.
Next up was state Senator Brent Taylor (introduced by Covington as “the hardest working man in show business”), who had his usual harsh words for “restorative justice schemers” and, in particular, condemned the fact of a credit course being o ered at Rhodes College under the auspices of Just City head Josh Spickler. e noon hour featured Starnes himself, from Washington (“broadcasting live from the White House,” he boasted), giving his enthusiastic approval of the ongoing federal takeover of police functions there and chatting it up with second-tier administration o cials. He, too, fulminated against the Cracker Barrel “rebrand”which he characterized as “trying to make Cracker Barrel cool for the Gen Z intellectuals.”
He and a conservative interlocutor agreed that the availability of beer at various Cracker Barrel franchises was a no-no. Beer doesn’t go with biscuits and gravy, they agreed, but they entertained — presumably facetiously —the idea of the establishment’s o ering some authentic country moonshine instead.
Another well-known institution, the National Football League, came in for dispraise — in the NFL’s case, for the increasing tendency of various teams to employ male cheerleaders, wondering aloud if this move presaged an e ort to make the sport itself “a little less masculine.”
Like it or not, Starnes’ blowtorch is extending its reach — to some 169 radio stations, he claims, and one of his on-air guests on Monday, Environmental Protection Agency administrator Lee Zeldin, made a point of congratulating him for “going national.”
In the proverb of the day, it is what it is.
PHOTO: TODD STARNES | FACEBOOK Todd Starnes and friend
Katie Stephenson
Get Organized
Midyear is an opportune time to take stock of your finances and consider whether some reorganization is needed. Consider the helpful tips below.
1. Check in on your financial plan. It’s important to ensure your financial plan continues to meet your life’s needs. Review and update, making necessary adjustments to stay on course toward your goals. Your wealth manager will help you understand how changes in life may impact your financial and investment strategies and can help you update accordingly.
2. Recommit to paying off debt. If you have high-interest debt hanging over your head, now’s a great time to rededicate yourself to eliminating it. Try to pay a little extra each month on any outstanding consumer debt. Start with the lowest balance item, and once the smallest debt is paid, roll the funds previously used for that payment over to the next smallest debt (and so on) until all debts are paid.
3. Organize your finances.
Taking time throughout the year to organize your finances can make it easier to file taxes and keep tabs on your financial progress. Consider storing hard copy documents in a locked filing cabinet. Electronic documents can be stored in the online vault of your financial planning software (if you have one), in the cloud, or on an external storage drive in a secure location. Once you’ve established a system to organize your information, be sure to back up your files on a regular basis.
4. Increase retirement contributions. Even small increases in the amount you save can make a big difference in your retirement savings over time, thanks to the power of compounding interest. Consider upping contributions to your employersponsored retirement plan by 1 percent to 2 percent each year. We’d encourage you to set this up automatically through your plan provider. It’s unlikely you’ll even feel a difference in your take-home pay, but your future self will thank you.
5. Monitor your spending habits. If you aren’t currently tracking your household income and expenses, now’s an excellent time to start. Take a look at the last few months’ spending to identify spending patterns. Are there any unnecessary expenses? For example, maybe you (like most of us) are paying for subscriptions you forgot you had and never use.
Taking time to locate and eliminate excess spending can give you more flexibility to pay off debt or increase savings.
6. Review your credit reports. Each of the major credit bureaus, Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion, allows consumers to access one free report each year. Take advantage of this opportunity to double-check your credit score and identify any unexpected errors.
7. Review beneficiary designations. Remember that beneficiary designations supersede trust and will directives, which is why it’s essential to ensure your designated beneficiaries are still correct. Doing so is especially important if you’ve recently experienced a major life event, such as a marriage, a divorce, or the birth of a child.
8. Plan for large upcoming purchases. If you’re planning to make a large purchase in the next year or so, now’s a great time to plan for how you’ll either finance that purchase or pay for it out of pocket. Your wealth manager can help you establish a plan to achieve your purchase goal.
9. Reduce your tax exposure. Tax planning strategies are most effective when applied consistently throughout the year. Work with your wealth manager to identify opportunities to reduce your tax liabilities through strategies such as taxloss harvesting, asset location strategies, charitable giving, and more.
10. Check estate planning documents. If you haven’t already implemented estate planning documents, it’s important to do so as soon as possible, regardless of your age. Proper planning plays an essential role in protecting your loved ones, both af ter you die and throughout your lifetime. If you have estate planning documents in place but it’s been a while since you reviewed them, be sure to schedule a call with your estate planning attorney to review your strategies and make sure your wishes continue to be reflected in your existing documents.
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Home Sweet Home
AT LARGE By Bruce VanWyngarden
Sweet Emotion
Chess, chukkas, and rock-and-roll.
It was a touching picture: Mick Jagger and Steven Tyler, two of rock’s most iconic faces, crooning a song to an ailing Phil Collins, who was lying in a hospital bed. ose rockin’ geezers looked like they were having a ball. What a moment!
I came across the image and story in my Facebook feed, in between persistent shopping opportunities for chukkas because I’d clicked on an ad for some, and interactive chess boards — White to mate in two! — because I’d tried to solve a chess puzzle. Given that vital input from me, Facebook’s algorithm had decided that I was a chukkas and chess kind of guy and was determined to seduce me into clicking again.
I’m also a fan of Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Wonder, Cat Stevens, and lots of other classic musicians from my youth, and sometimes click on content related to them, which explains, I assume, why I started getting these heartwarming images and stories about old rock-and-rollers.
A er two or three more such posts showed up, I caught on. I was being played like a vintage Les Paul. e clincher was a post from a site called Rock Music World that featured a picture of Dylan in the arms of Springsteen, tears welling in his anguished face. Here’s the text: “ ere’s nothing braver than a man who stands still and sings the truth. at’s what Bruce Springsteen did at the Kennedy Center Honors — no lights, no production, just his voice, his guitar, and Bob Dylan’s ‘ e Times ey Are A-Changin’.’ His gravelrich tone carried decades of heartbreak, de ance, and hope. e crowd didn’t move. ey wept. Because this wasn’t a tribute — it was a truth bomb wrapped in melody. And backstage, when Dylan whispered, ‘If I can ever return the favor … .’ Bruce, eyes shining, replied: ‘You already did — with this song.’ And now, it’s being called one of the most soul-shaking performances in modern music history.”
Rock Memes Fooling Anyone?”
From the article: “ ey’re the intimate, private moments that fans of classic rockers never get to see. Steven Tyler, hammer and nails in hand, building a doghouse for rescued animals. Mick Jagger, Elton John, and Rod Stewart harmonizing at Ozzy Osbourne’s memorial service. Jagger and Tyler cheering up a bedridden Phil Collins in a hospital. … Personal and heartwarming, yes, but also, to put it mildly, completely bogus.”
When manipulated images and imaginary stories fool us, it’s irritating, but fake articles about aging rock stars are one thing; fake news stories about politicians, vaccines, war, immigration, and climate change are quite another. It’s dangerous disinformation. Take a look at your favorite Trumper’s Facebook page or any of the far-right “news” sites they devour. And to be fair, there are also lots of clickbait websites claiming to be progressive. Everybody wants your engagement, no matter your politics.
All this writer wanted were some chukkas.
Schools need to be adding courses to their curriculum that educate young people about how to tell real news and real photography from the AIgenerated garbage they are constantly exposed to via TikTok, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and other social media.
Since most of you reading this are well past school age, here’s a condensed version of the News Literacy Project’s guide to vetting news sources: 1) Google the source website. “World News Digest” may sound impressive, but it means nothing unless it has a credible record for accuracy. 2) Look for a byline. If an article doesn’t have an author, be suspicious. If it does, google the name. 3) Unnamed sources (or no sources) in a story are a sure indicator of phoniness. 4) Can you nd the story anywhere else? If not, it’s probably bogus. 5) Typos, misspellings, and grammatical errors are signs of an unprofessional (and unreliable) source.
Well, that, or it’s being called total clickbait garbage, and I’m going with the latter. AI-generated images, manufactured quotes, imaginary reporting — it’s the very de nition of “fake news,” and it’s ooding social media. Curious, I googled and found an August 11th Rolling Stone article titled: “Are ese AI-Generated Classic
Finally, I’d add this: If a story lines up perfectly with your beliefs and political leanings, check it carefully before reposting. Getting people to amplify a story is the entire goal of these sites’ creators. If a feel-good lie works, they’ll use it. Oh, and keep an eye out for crying Bob Dylan photos. e times they are a-changin’, and not always for the better.
PHOTO: LIZA SYAHPUTRA | DREAMSTIME.COM
‘You
Can’t Fake Influence’ in Memphis
Trey Draper’s journey shows how one man’s purpose can help shape a city.
On a bright a ernoon last March in Whitehaven, hundreds of kids lled tote bags with free books while music pulsed from a DJ booth and laughter echoed from basketball arcade games. At the center of it all stood Trey Draper, former Memphis Tiger, coach, ESPN analyst, author, and now community builder.
e event was Draper’s rst HomeT3am Book Fair, a partnership with Champions for Literacy, designed to spark a love for reading and celebrate academic achievement in the very community where his journey began.
But Draper wasn’t on the sidelines. He was in the crowd — hugging kids and signing books. Children who had worked hard in school were rewarded with more than just encouragement.
ose who earned straight As received $100 from Draper and a community partner. “You can’t fake in uence,” he said. “You can fake a lot of things, but the impact you have on people’s lives — that’s real.”
“ is all started,” Draper told the Flyer, “because a kid messaged me on Instagram saying he couldn’t a ord my book. If one child feels that way, how many more do? I never want money to be the reason kids don’t read.”
Growing Up in South Memphis Draper’s story begins in South Memphis, where he learned early that basketball could be a pathway forward. He honed his skills at Mitchell High School, under the guidance of coach Jerry Johnson, before earning his spot as a point guard for the University of Memphis Tigers in 2010. “Being at the University of Memphis was lifechanging,” he re ected. “Not a lot of people get that opportunity.”
It was during those college years that then-assistant coach Damon Stoudamire challenged him to think about life beyond playing. “He told me I should look into coaching. at changed my whole perspective,” Draper said.
A er graduating in 2013, he began his coaching journey at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, later returning to Mitchell High School as an assistant coach at just 22 years old. at year, he helped lead the school to its rst-ever state championship. From there, opportunities carried him to IMG Academy and beyond, cementing his reputation as a coach, mentor, and leader.
“As a mother, seeing him use what he loves to uplift others, it fills my heart. This is what parenting is about, seeing your child give back.”
Basketball as Purpose
Basketball was never just about wins or losses for Draper; it was about purpose. “He’s the reason I picked up a basketball,” Draper said of his father, Leonard Jr. “From there, I’ve been blessed to make a living o the game.”
At the book fair, Draper’s parents, Leonard and Wanda Draper, were watching closely. “We are just so proud of him,” Leonard said. “He’s doing great things in the community, and as time goes on and he continues to do more things like this, his impact will only grow.”
Wanda added, “As a mother, seeing him use what he loves to upli others, it lls my heart. is is what parenting is about, seeing your child give back.”
His grandfather, Leonard Sr., put it simply: “Trey is using the game not just to succeed for himself, but to give back, and that’s what makes us proud.”
Giving Memphis Its Flowers
e book fair drew a wide circle of support. Former Memphis Grizzlies guard Tony Allen, aka “ e Grindfather,” came out, recognizing that Draper’s e orts mirrored his own journey out of Chicago’s South Side. Marie Feagins, former superintendent of MemphisShelby County Schools (MSCS), also attended, alongside the ever-spirited Grizz Grannies and Grandpas and a performance by L.Y.E. Academy.
Phil Morant, uncle of NBA star
- Wanda Draper
Ja Morant, summed up what many felt: “Trey is our brother in this city. He’s always representing Memphis, always doing big things here. When somebody shows this kind of love for his hometown, you have to support it.”
Trainer Mo Wells, a longtime friend, echoed the importance of Draper’s presence. “Too many times people just throw money at things. What kids really want is your time. ey want to see you care. And Trey shows up; he’s the example they need.”
Speaking Up for Memphis at loyalty to Memphis runs deep. When a national sports personality criticized the city earlier in the summer, Draper didn’t stay silent. “If you ain’t been to Memphis, you ain’t pulled up on Memphis, you ain’t worked in the city or lived here, bro, you can’t talk about the city,” he said.
While he acknowledges the reality of crime, he believes the narrative is incomplete. “As somebody that is from here, and for people that actually visit and play here, they love it. ey want to come back.” His call was simple: “ e way we rally together on Twitter and Instagram, we need to rally together in the city like that.”
Beyond Borders Draper’s impact is no longer con ned to Memphis. From late July through
early August, he traveled as part of Ja Morant’s Nike “Make em Watch” Tour, a whirlwind journey covering 22 days, four countries, 45,000 miles, and ve time zones. For Draper, it was another chance to carry Memphis pride onto a global stage.
“Moved with purpose. Collected moments. Le impact,” he re ected a er the tour. His focus wasn’t on the miles traveled but on the faces he saw — kids overseas who reminded him of his younger self, families who saw in him the possibility of something greater. “Grace. Gratitude. God,” he added. “ ose values keep me grounded no matter how far I go.”
Coming Full Circle
e consistency of his work, whether in Whitehaven or across the globe, has made Draper a trusted voice, mentor, and symbol of what’s possible. His book, Winning Language: e Power of Relationships, Loyalty, and Integrity, doubles down on those principles, o ering lessons in mindset and communication.
Looking around at the sea of families at his book fair, Draper felt it all come full circle. “You cannot fake in uence,” he said again, as if reminding himself. “What you can’t fake is the impact you have on people’s lives. And I’ll do everything in my power to help and inspire others.”
PHOTOS: COURTESY OF TREY DRAPER
(le ) Trey Draper at the HomeT3am Book Fair held at e Gallery on March 11, 2025; (right) Tony Allen speaking at the HomeT3am Book Fair
Stone Soul
COVER STORY By Jon W. Sparks
The WLOK picnic celebrates 50 years of music, food, and community.
It’s a thoroughly Memphis thing when you get an institution and a legend together to celebrate with music, food, and a lot of hosannas. For free.
And that’s how it is with the WLOK Stone Soul Picnic, which celebrates its
50th anniversary on Saturday, August 30th, at the Coronet on Shelby Oaks Drive. at picnic is the institution, a popular gathering that predates the Memphis in May International Festival and has followed the same formula since: honoring listeners with free food,
ongoing music, and a celebration of the community.
As for the legend, that would be the Bar-Kays, the storied R&B group that is even older than the Stone Soul Picnic. ey began as a Stax Records studio session group in 1966 and got
PHOTOS: COURTESY WLOK
Having made innumerable appearances at the annual picnic, the Bar-Kays will headline this year.
global recognition with “Soul Finger” the next year. Tragedy happened that same year when four members of the band and Stax star Otis Redding were killed in a plane crash. But through the grief, surviving members reformed the group and they’ve been churning out and charting Memphis funk and soul ever since.
So it makes all the sense in the world that the Bar-Kays with James Alexander will be the headliners for the Stone Soul Picnic this weekend. And it won’t be the rst time the institution and the legend have created Memphis magic together — the group has appeared at the picnic enough times in the past that nobody can quite remember how many times they have taken the stage.
When it comes to origin stories, this one is something of a classic. Art Gilliam, president and CEO of the station, said, “ ree guys who were associated with WLOK were sitting around and just trying to think of a way to do a promotion for the radio station. ey came up with the idea of going to what
was then Riverside Park, spinning a few records, and getting local companies to provide food and sodas.”
So they promoted the picnic, not even sure it would be an inaugural event, but maybe a fun one-o where a couple hundred people might come by. “It turned out that thousands of people showed up and they were overwhelmed,” Gilliam said. Before some other notable big events got fully started — Memphis in May International Festival comes to mind — they’d check out the Stone Soul Picnic to see what success looked like.
e trio who were just knocking around some ideas for a radio promotion were WLOK sta ers David Acey (who went on to found the Africa in April Cultural Awareness Festival), Garland “Wild Child” Markham, and Sherman Austin. Acey and Austin are still living and plan to attend, where they and “Wild Child” will be honored. And what about that name? It was originally called the WLOK Stoned Soul Picnic, named for the song written by Laura Nyro and made into an album and huge hit by the 5th Dimension in 1968. e name was a big part of the Sixties lexicon with all the inferences you could imagine. But as WLOK became more of a gospel music station, it was deemed prudent to drop the “d” and just make it Stone Soul Picnic. As Gilliam dryly noted, “‘Stoned’ had some connotations in that era that were di erent than what we were intending.”
“That’s My Radio Station” Gilliam has been the driving force at WLOK since he formed Gilliam Communications, Inc., and acquired it in 1977, making it the rst Black-owned radio station in Memphis. While he wasn’t there at the inception of the Stone Soul Picnic, he saw how much it mattered to the community, and he has always been an advocate of the connection of radio to the community, so it was an easy call for him to continue the event. He’s said, “You’ll nd that people will say ‘ at’s my radio station,’ but you won’t nd them saying ‘ at’s my TV station.’ It’s the whole sense of community that people attach to their favorite radio station. Younger people today are more social-media oriented, but for the most part, radio is a unifying element for our community.”
He bought the station from Starr Broadcasting Group, a conservative outt that had dropped the Jesse Jacksoninspired Rainbow PUSH show from the lineup. One of the rst things Gilliam did was to bring it back because it was what the community wanted, and the show is still broadcast on Sundays.
Most of the station’s programming is music, and it was primarily R&B until the mid-1980s when it went gospel,
e event was once outdoors. is year, 11 performing acts will appear on August 30th.
12:25 p.m.–12:40 p.m. — Memphis Baptist Ministerial Association Chorus
12:50 p.m.–1:20 p.m. — Mighty Men of Brown
1:30 p.m.–1:45 p.m. — Essie & the Melodic Truth
1:55 p.m.–2:25 p.m. — Vincent Tharpe & Kenosis
2:35 p.m.-3:05 p.m. — New Friendship Baptist Church Choir
3:15 p.m.-3:45 p.m. — Roney Strong & the Strong Family
3:55 p.m.-4:25 p.m. — Josh Bracy & Power Anointed
4:35 p.m.-5:05 p.m. — The Echoaires
5:15 p.m.-5:45 p.m. — Chick Rodgers
5:55 p.m.-6:55 p.m. — Bar-Kays
Bring the kids! The first 30 children 12 and under will receive a free goodie bag. Two lucky winners will also be selected to win a family pack of four movie passes each, donated by Malco Theatres. continued on page 14
as it continues today. “We made the switch to gospel in a way that put us even closer to the community,” Gilliam says, “because it put us closer to the church part of the community.”
e Stone Soul Picnic re ects that gospel orientation with most of this weekend’s 11 performing acts. Among them are e Echoaires, Josh Bracy & Power Anointed, and Memphis Music Hall of Fame singer Chick Rodgers.
But there’s a lot of love for R&B as well as re ected in headliner group the Bar-Kays. James Alexander, bassist and one of the original members of the group, leads it today.
“WLOK is an inspirational station now,” he said, “and mostly gospel, but they’ve always wanted to have some R&B. I always thought that doing that gives a cross-section of audience that they can have. Although WLOK is a gospel station, people listen to secular music, too. Art has always kept that connection.”
“We Should Carry On”
And the Bar-Kays in particular, with their de nitive Memphis sound, as well as their history of tragedy and triumph, is a soulful t with the picnic and the people who go there. Alexander said, “I’m one of the original founders of the Bar-Kays, and we date back to 1964. I was the last member to come into the group, and as you well know, four of the members perished with Otis Redding in 1967 in a plane crash.”
ey were guitarist Jimmy King, organist Ronnie Caldwell, saxophonist Phalon Jones, and drummer Carl Cunningham. Trumpeter Ben Cauley survived the crash. Alexander had missed the trip due to illness.
As devastating as it was, Alexander felt a deep sense that the band’s legacy should continue. “Early on when we were very young and formed the group, we had always said that if something was to happen to any one of us, whoever was le , we should carry on, keep the group going. We stuck by that and I was the guy that reformed the group,” he said. ey were already with Stax, which helped the e ort to keep the band going. “ en in 1975, Stax went under, but we still kept the group together. In 1976, we signed with Mercury Records and we went on to have a string of gold and platinum albums with Mercury, and it’s just been one thing a er another.”
And throughout it all, the band was making appearances at the Stone Soul Picnic with Alexander, Cauley, and new members. “We started out as an instrumental group, and then in the 1970s we added singer Larry Dodson, who stayed with us for a very long time, retiring in 2017. We’ve been able to maintain that whole sound the whole
time, and we like to keep a lot of young people around us. at’s one of the things that keeps us going, and fortunately we have a lot of devoted fans.”
And a er 60-plus years, the hits just keep on coming. “We’ve got a live album coming out pretty soon,” Alexander said. “We recorded last year at the Overton Park Shell as part of its concert series, and we hope to release it for the Christmas holidays this year.”
But right now, it’s all about being at the Coronet this weekend. And that’s a fairly recent venue for the long-running picnic.
Gilliam said that the rst picnic was at Martin Luther King Riverside Park, but it was just called Riverside at the time. “We kept it there for many years, and then moved over to Tom Lee Park because more events of that type were going there — and it had lighting. Later we went to the Overton Park Shell because of the ambiance and the trees and an atmosphere that was di erent than what Tom Lee Park had at the time.”
But weather issues caused Gilliam to reconsider having the picnic outdoors, so WLOK moved inside at the Coronet. He acknowledges the space is limiting, but the weather isn’t an issue, and people come and go throughout the day as it runs from noon to 7 p.m. And, as it has been for 50 years, the food and music are free.
“It’s absolutely been a successful event,” he said. “And you don’t have very many events here that are 50 years old — or even businesses that are 50 years old. In the community, and in the Black community in particular, you’ll have churches that are very, very old, some a hundred and more, but you don’t have many entities that have had that kind of success. I think people do take some pride in it, and at WLOK, we take pride in the fact of what we represent in the community.”
UP NEXT
WLOK is hosting another cultural event a couple of weeks down the road. Its Black Film Festival is a ve-day event that has been presented by the radio station for almost a decade and aims to bring a range of cinematic productions that represent Black culture, from classic lms to new work by budding lmmakers.
e rst event features short works by new lmmakers and has a $1,000 prize for the top auteur. e next night is a screening of e Fire Inside (2024), the story of Claressa Shields, the rst American woman to win an Olympic boxing gold medal. It’s a red-carpet event with a bu et dinner from several restaurants — all for $10.
e Friday screening at Crosstown Concourse is 2002’s Drumline and will feature drumlines from schools in Memphis. On Saturday, a screening of 2008’s Cadillac Records will be at Studio on the Square. And the Sunday showing, also at Studio on the Square, will be 2024’s e Forge, featuring Memphis actor Aspen Kennedy.
September 17th at Stax: New Filmmakers’ Production
September 18th at Pink Palace: e Fire Inside
September 19th at Crosstown eater: Drumline
September 20th at Studio on the Square: Cadillac Records
September 21st at Studio on the Square: e Forge
PHOTOS: COURTESY WLOK
e Stone Soul Picnic has moved its venue over the years, this year taking place at the Coronet.
mifa.org/donatenow
steppin’ out
We Recommend: Culture, News + Reviews
Shine On!
By Abigail Morici
One hundred years ago, Tom Lee steered his tiny boat back and forth along the Mississippi to rescue 32 people from a capsized steam boat. He did not know how to swim, yet he continued through nightfall, hanging a lantern on his ski . He became a hero, local and national. “Shine on, Tom Lee, shine on!” the African Methodist Church hailed at the time.
And now, a century later, Memphis River Parks Partnership (MRPP) wishes to raise (at least) 100 lanterns in honor of Lee’s heroism on 901 Day. As Jasmine Coleman, director of programming and engagement at MRPP, says, Tom Lee’s Mississippi River Gumption Revival Lantern Parade is “really focusing on his gumption and guring a way to revive our own courage and just have that at top of mind.”
For the parade, MRPP enlisted the help of Chantelle Rytter, a parade artist known for founding the Atlanta Beltline Lantern Parade. With Rytter, MRPP conceptualized three types of lanterns that community members could make in workshops and later parade with: a kerosene lantern, a cat sh lantern, and an illuminated parasol, each with their own symbolism. e kerosene lantern, Coleman says, represents Lee’s own that he hung from his boat, while the cat sh symbolize Mississippi River life and the parasols are reminders of the survivors who used their parasols to stay a oat by popping them open and trapping the air beneath.
As the lantern-making workshops conclude on August 30th, Coleman re ects, “Instead of just being a spectator, we really didn’t want to shy away from being able to get the community involved and help further the legacy of Tom Lee.”
For those who couldn’t make a workshop, Coleman says, people of all ages can bring their own. Instructions to make the ones from the workshops are available at tinyurl.com/msbsbxnx. “But it’s up to their own creativity. It doesn’t have to be the ones that we’re teaching people how to make,” Coleman says. “Even if they have a [store-bought] lantern, they could de nitely march in the parade.” (A limited number of lanterns will be available for purchase.)
e Lucky Seven Brass Band will lead the parade in a second line, and some of Rytter’s larger lantern puppets from previous parades will join in the fun. e artist is also creating a 7-foot cat sh speci cally for the Gumption Revival.
Before the parade steps o at 7:45 p.m. into Tom Lee Park, where it will be viewable, MRPP will host a 901 Day celebration under the Sunset Canopy from 6 to 9 p.m., with bounce houses, food, games, music, and more.
“I’m really excited to see it come to life,” Coleman says. “I think it’s hard to picture what it will look like since it’s something that hasn’t happened before [in Memphis]. … And hopefully this is going to be a lasting tradition. People are always looking for fun things to do on 901 Day, and I’d love to bring this back.”
Volunteers are needed for the Mississippi River Gumption Revival Lantern Parade. Sign up at tinyurl.com/4vc9ann5.
Music Export Memphis’ AmericanaFest Preview Party
Memphis Made Brewing at the Ravine, 16 South Lauderdale, ursday, August 28, 6 p.m.
Music Export Memphis (MEM) is headed back to Nashville for their 9th Annual Pure Memphis Happy Hour, the o cial Memphis party at AmericanaFest, but rst, they’re kicking things o right here at home with a Preview Party you won’t want to miss.
Join MEM to get a taste of the music, food, and Memphis spirit they’re bringing to Nashville. e Preview Party will feature performances from some of the lineup: Cyrena Wages, John Nemeth, Black Cream, and e Stupid Reasons.
More of the Memphis originals who are heading to Nashville will also be there, plus the Amurica photo trailer and the Mobile Listening Lounge.
Healthier 901 Fest
Shelby Farms Park, 6903 Great View Drive, Saturday, August 30, 10 a.m.2 p.m.
e 3rd Annual Healthier 901 Fest presents a day full of tness, food, music, and big giveaways. Whether you walk, run, dance, or just come to connect, there’s something for everyone. Expect group workouts, cooking demos, health screenings, a nd-your- t zone, and more.
Alice Cooper Graceland Soundstage, 3717 Elvis Presley Boulevard, Saturday, August 30, 8 p.m., $65
Grammy-nominated Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member Alice Cooper pioneered a grandly theatrical brand of hard rock that was designed to shock. Now he brings his tour to Memphis.
901 Day on Beale
Beale Street, Monday, September 1, 11 a.m.-7 p.m.
Beale Street will turn into a vibrant block party full of the best the city has to o er for 901 Day. With live music and dance, fashion pop-ups, art displays and interactive exhibits, a family fun zone with games, in atables, and kid-friendly activities, it’s the ultimate celebration of Memphis culture — and everyone is invited.
Family Day at Opera Memphis Opera Memphis, 216 Cooper Street, Monday, September 1, 1-4 p.m.
Join Opera Memphis for a free Family Day to kick o 30 Days of Opera’s 14th year. ere will be live performances, cra s, costumes, a photo booth, and chances to learn about other family-friendly o erings in the city.
TOM LEE’S MISSISSIPPI RIVER GUMPTION REVIVAL LANTERN PARADE, TOM LEE PARK, MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 6 P.M.
PHOTO: COURTESY MRPP
Make your own lantern in honor of Tom Lee.
MUSIC By Alex Greene
Keeping Up with Khari
e bassist and guitarist, aka James Equinox, backs dozens of groups but also composes.
hari Wynn is a busy man. He may be the mostheard/least-recognized musician in Memphis right now, rarely stepping into the spotlight but backing artists as diverse as Hope Clayburn’s Soul Scrimmage, Frog Squad, Level 3, Will Lang, Miz Stefani, Circle Birds, Julia Magness & Her Mane Men, Deepstaria Enigmatica, and the locals who play with drummer Steve Hirsh when he’s in town (full disclosure: I join him in those last two combos). And, as many saw at this year’s RiverBeat Music Festival, he still sometimes plays with a little group called Public Enemy (PE).
at was a highlight of the festival, as Wynn kicked o PE’s set with a solo guitar rendition, Jimi Hendrix-style, of the Black National Anthem, “Li Every Voice and Sing.” It was a scorcher that le the crowd screaming for more. Yet few realized that his rendition of that very song years earlier had helped land Wynn a job as PE’s guitarist for over a decade. “I recorded that before I got into Public Enemy,” says Wynn. “Professor Gri , one of the founders [of Public Enemy], had a rap/rock band called 7th Octave, and we recorded two records. One came out in 2004 and is called Se7enth Degree, and the last track on that is me doing a version of the Black National Anthem.” at in turn led to more opportunities. “At that time, Public Enemy was looking to add live musicians to their live show. So Gri was like, ‘Well, I’m working with this guitar player …’”
Wynn went on to play with Public Enemy for many years, eventually becoming their musical director on tour, before settling back in Memphis again. And, as we saw this spring, that association is ongoing, if not as frequent as before. But even while he was actively touring with the rap supergroup, he had his own irons in the re back here in Memphis.
Most of the bands noted above notwithstanding, Wynn’s personal projects are of a more experimental, instrumental nature. at’s clear enough from the group names and pseudonyms he’s used over the years: Misterioso Africano, the New Saturn Collective, Solstice, James Equinox, the Energy Disciples, or, most recently, the Equinox Frequency Wavelength Consortium — words that speak of transcending earthly concerns, evoking the hidden forces that shape us. ere are echoes of Sun Ra in Wynn’s love of music that breaks with conventions in
favor of sheer sonic impact, but also other in uences. His tastes are a curious mixture of jazz, rock, and the avant garde that one doesn’t o en hear in Memphis, or anywhere.
e jazz part is easy to understand, as Wynn’s father, Ron Wynn, is an astute music critic and author who wrote for e Commercial Appeal for many years. “I had a very deep interest in jazz because my dad was a jazz writer,” says Wynn. “But I never went to U of M jazz school or anything like that. I could read chord charts, but I don’t read music notation. So in terms of jazz, I’m not able to hold up the tradition all the way. But I still like instrumental stu . And, you know, it doesn’t necessarily have to be called jazz. ere’s the free, avant garde stu , and the kind of spiritual stu that Pharoah Sanders and Alice Coltrane were doing that didn’t necessarily have all those changes. And then I got into some of the late ’60s/early ’70s jazz-rock that John McLaughlin and Santana did, so I gured I could do my own version of those things that came o of the jazz tree but weren’t necessarily straightahead jazz.”
ere’s also plenty of metal-adjacent music in Wynn’s background, as be tting someone who rst took to guitar in the ’90s. “I wanted to be a bass player,” he says of his younger days, “but the strings were so thick! I was about 12 or 13, and I was like, ‘Man, there’s no way I’m gonna be able to even get a sound. Let me just try guitar.’ And at rst, I was very much into rock. Obviously, I was a big Hendrix fan.” Other groups that inspired him included Nirvana, Rage Against the Machine, and Led Zeppelin.
But his tastes and abilities soon took another turn. “ en, when I was about 16 or 17, I started playing at the Saint Andrew A.M.E. Church in Memphis. And they were just like, ‘Yeah, we don’t really need any of the rock, actually. We need you to play some chords and learn about progressions.’ So that’s what got me going down that path.”
All of the above in uences are apparent in Wynn’s current project, the Energy Frequency Wavelength Consor-
tium, who’ve released one single this year, “Serenity’s Lullaby,” penned by Wynn, and who sell a new full-length CD at their shows, Live at the B-Side, recorded at a 2021 bene t for the nowdefunct P&H Cafe.
While the single is a jazz-rock odyssey that o ers horn and guitar solos over some amorphous chords, other tracks on the album make Wynn’s disparate in uences even more stark. Take the medley of two elonious Monk tunes, “Epistrophy” and “Bemsha Swing,” which begins with a guitar and drum freak out, becomes a punchy rock re-casting of Monk’s melodies, then veers o into full metal/hardcore ri age, complete with double-kick drum ferocity, even as vestiges of Monk still scream over it all.
For Wynn, it’s all part of a continuum of music that constantly aims to break new ground. at even goes for his work with Chuck D, Flavor Flav, et al. “Public Enemy actually is, in its own way, very avant garde,” says Wynn. “ ey would take avant garde stu and organize it the best way they heard it. So they would have, like, a James Brown groove, and then they would sample an Albert Ayler horn thing, only they would make it rhythmically t the James Brown sample. It took me a long time to gure that out. It was a completely unorthodox approach to hip-hop tracks. And when I was on the road with PE, I was always listening to Albert Ayler, Pharoah Sanders, and they were like, ‘Man, how do you know about old-ass stu from the ’60s that we sample?’”
e overlap was most fully realized when Chuck D contributed vocals to an Energy Disciples track, “Eternity’s Promise,” which Wynn plans to remix for a new project in the works, Galactic Cosmonauts, slated for release early next year. Meanwhile, he’ll be around town, playing with the many bands that rely on him, as when Hope Clayburn plays Beale Street on 901 Day, or with Level 3’s Wednesday night residence at Louis Connelly’s Bar for Fun Times & Friendship, or, most tellingly, when the Equinox Frequency Wavelength Consortium plays on — you guessed it — the eve of the autumnal equinox, September 21st, at B-Side. It’s all part of Wynn’s drive to stay active, and to stay creative. And good luck keeping up with him. As Wynn puts it, “When you’re one of those musicians that they call ‘lifers,’ you’ve just got to keep going. ere’s always a project, whether it’s your own or someone else’s. ere’s always stu to do.”
PHOTO: ALEX GREENE Khari Wynn
AFTER DARK: Live Music Schedule August 28 - September 3
Music Export Memphis AmericanaFest Preview
Party
With Cyrena Wages, John Nemeth, Black Cream, and e Stupid Reasons — all bound for AmericanaFest next month.
Also featuring the Mobile Listening Lounge, out tted with Egglestonworks speakers.
ursday, Aug. 28, 6-9 p.m.
MEMPHIS MADE BREWING (DOWNTOWN THE RAVINE)
“Open Genre” 901 Day
Celebration
More than 10 DJs will spin 10 to 15 minute sets paying homage to Memphis music.
Monday, Sept. 1, 6 p.m.
600 MARSHALL AVE.
River City Jazz Fest
With Peabo Bryson, Leelah James, Angela Winbush, Major, Daniel Parker, Joe Johnston. Sunday, Aug. 31, 6:30 p.m.
CANNON CENTER
Shinedown: Dance, Kid, Dance Tour
Bush and Morgan Wade are featured as special guests.
Saturday, Aug. 30, 7 p.m.
FEDEXFORUM
Yobreezye & Friends
Live Sunday, Aug. 31, 4-9 p.m.
600 MARSHALL AVE.
Laser Live: Mak Ro
Laser Live features live bands with a laser light show. Saturday, Aug. 30, 6-8 p.m.
AUTOZONE DOME PLANETARIUM
Woofstock - Benefit Concert for Dog Rescue
Featuring Alvin Youngblood Hart’s Duo Sonik, the Sonny Wilsons, and San Salida. Saturday, Aug. 30, 5-11 p.m.
ROOSTER’S BLUES HOUSE
Bluff City Bars: Memphis’ Best Rappers & Performers
With Kaang, Esmod, Iso, Few & Far Between, 24k Goldface, Madd Keys, Ladarryl, Amenwavey, Amadeus 2000, Meaghan. $10, $15/VIP.
Friday, Aug. 29, 6 p.m.
HI TONE
Bobby Rush, Rodd Bland, & the Members Only Band (Orion Free Concert Series)
Friday, Aug. 29, 7 p.m.
OVERTON PARK SHELL
Bodywerk Presents: RMZI & Friends
Friday, Aug. 29, 9 p.m.
BAR DKDC
Boof
With ree vs. e Turnpike, the Stupid Reasons, Missed Dunks at Summer League.
Friday, Aug. 29, 8 p.m.
HI TONE
CHKLZ
With Zach Musics. ursday, Aug. 28, 8 p.m.
HI TONE
James Godwin
With Lorette Velvette, Mario Monterosso, Dough Rollers. Friday, Aug. 29, 9 p.m.
B-SIDE
Lo-Fi in Hi Fi: Shawty Pimp’s ..Still Comin’ Real
ursday, Aug. 28, 7 p.m.
B-SIDE
PHOTO: COURTESY CROSSTOWN ARTS
Simon Joyner and e Nervous Stars
Los Psychosis
Friday, Aug. 29, 9 p.m.
LAMPLIGHTER LOUNGE
Louder Than Bombs (Tribute to The Smiths/ Morrissey)
Sunday, Aug. 31, 8 p.m.
HI TONE
Pokey LaFarge (Orion Free Concert Series)
Saturday, Aug. 30, 7 p.m.
OVERTON PARK SHELL
Rod Norwood’s Righteous Indignation
Saturday, Aug. 30, 5 p.m.
BAR DKDC
Rose Funeral With Dissonation, East Ov Eden, Ruined God. Sunday,
Aug. 31, 7 p.m.
GROWLERS
Simon Joyner and The Nervous Stars + Leah
Senior
Joyner, a celebrated singersongwriter from Omaha, will be joined by Melbourne-based artists Leah Senior and Jesse Williams. With Aquarian Blood. $18/GA advance (plus fees), $22/GA door. Friday, Aug. 29, 7:30-10 p.m.
THE GREEN ROOM AT CROSSTOWN ARTS
Slumdog Record Release Show
With Chora, Jadewick, Cherry Smoke. Saturday, Aug. 30, 7 p.m.
HI TONE
Sunday Dog Days Tea Dance
With Alive Rescue Memphis.
Sunday, Aug. 31, 8 p.m.
BAR DKDC
The Bailey-Zastoupil Disaster
With the Logan HannaSchae er Mallory Duo.
Saturday, Aug. 30, 9 p.m.
LAMPLIGHTER LOUNGE
The Eastwoods Record Release Show
With Deaf Revival, Owlbear. Saturday, Aug. 30, 9 p.m.
B-SIDE
Thundergun With Degenerate Breakfast, Direwolf, Blunt Force. Friday, Aug. 29, 7 p.m. GROWLERS
Walt Phelan Band
Friday, Aug. 29, 5 p.m.
BAR DKDC
Alice Cooper e shock-rocker’s Too Close For Comfort Tour. $65/reserved seating. Saturday, Aug. 30, 8-10:30 p.m.
GRACELAND SOUNDSTAGE
Greg Koch & The Koch Marshall Trio
$25/advance, $30/day of show. ursday, Aug. 28, 8 p.m.
HERNANDO’S HIDE-A-WAY
Mark Sinnis Singer
Songwriter Night
Friday, Aug. 29, 8 p.m.
HERNANDO’S HIDE-A-WAY
Happy Friday at the Grove With the Acoustic Soul Rhythm Section. Friday, Aug. 29, 5 p.m.
THE GROVE AT GPAC
Masterpiece Concert Series: World Premieres Premieres of new works for cello, clarinet, and piano written by Dawson Hull. ursday, Aug. 28, 7-8:30 p.m.
GERMANTOWN BAPTIST CHURCH
Hours of Operation: Mon-Wed 12pm-3am • Thurs 12pm-4am • Friday 12pm-5am Sat 4pm-5am • Sun 4pm-3am
CALENDAR of EVENTS: Aug. 28 - Sept. 3
ART AND SPECIAL EXHIBITS
“100 Years in the Making: Collierville’s 1970 Centennial Celebration” rough photographs, artifacts, and stories, this exhibition highlights the grand festivities that marked 100 years of Collierville’s history. rough Sept. 6.
MORTON MUSEUM OF COLLIERVILLE HISTORY
“2024 Accessions to the Permanent Collection” is series honors the new additions to the museum’s permanent collection each calendar year. rough Nov. 2.
METAL MUSEUM
Arnold Thompson Exhibition
ompson is a multimedia artist whose vision de es genre classi cation. He dubs his work “Synthesism,” to indicate hybrid expressions of diverse experiences he has lived and observed. Free. Monday, Sept. 1-Sept. 30.
MEMPHIS BOTANIC GARDEN
“Artiful Adventure”Works by Phyllis Boger, Suzanne Evans, and Barrie Skoda Foster Gallery Ten Ninety-One is pleased to present original paintings by Phyllis Boger, Suzanne Evans, and Barrie Skoda Foster. Free. Tuesday, Sept. 2-Sept. 26.
WKNO DIGITAL MEDIA CENTER
“B.B. King in Memphis” Exhibit
1982, B.B. King performed at the Mud Island Amphitheater. Photographer Alan Copeland documented the moment in these stunning black and white photographs. rough Oct. 19.
STAX MUSEUM OF AMERICAN SOUL MUSIC
“Bleeding Together – A Correspondence” A collaboration between Andres Arauz, who specializes in photo collage, design, and photography, and Abby Meyers, a visual artist, poet, and award-winning lmmaker. rough Sept. 14.
CROSSTOWN ARTS AT THE CONCOURSE
Cat Lencke: “Wild Light, Urban Lines: A Watercolor Journey Through the City & Forest”
e exhibition encourages viewers to nd connection in contrast, revealing how both natural and urban environments stir the human spirit and shape our sense of place.
rough Sept. 5.
ANF ARCHITECTS
“CREATE | CREA”
A dynamic space designed to spark creativity, curiosity, and hands-on exploration. is
vibrant environment invites guests of all ages to dive into the creative process. rough Sept. 21.
THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS
Dezmond Gipson:
“Generally Digital”
As a self-professed “digital generalist,” Gipson explores multiple modes of expression through digital media, blurring the line between personal and commercial output. rough Oct. 10.
BEVERLY + SAM ROSS GALLERY
Ernest Withers: “I AM A MAN”
Ernest Withers’s famous photographs of the 1968 Memphis Sanitation Workers Strike illustrate the dignity of workers’ activism, which still feels inspirational decades later. rough Oct. 12.
PINK PALACE MUSEUM & MANSION
“[Fe]ATURED
AR[Ti]STS”
Works created and curated by sta members of the Metal Museum. Just as elements are the building blocks of artists’ materials, the museum is built on creativity, collaboration, and tradition. rough Sept. 14.
CROSSTOWN ARTS AT THE CONCOURSE
“Horizon Lines”:
Anthony Lee, Matthew Lee, and Sowgand Sheikholeslami
Working independently west of Memphis in Arkansas, along the corridor of US Highway 61, these artists have each created bodies of work showcasing the unique characteristics of the region. rough Sept. 21. THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS
Kristi Duckworth
Exhibition
Duckworth majored in graphic design at the University of Memphis but gravitated towards the more hands-on mediums of pottery and mosaics a er technology took over in graphic art. Free. Monday, Sept. 1-Sept. 30.
MEMPHIS BOTANIC GARDEN
“Landshaping: The Origins of the Black Belt Prairie”
Learn about the geologic event known as the Mississippi Embayment and its e ect on this region. Fossils and farm tools will be displayed alongside photographs by Houston Co eld. rough Oct. 12.
PINK PALACE MUSEUM & MANSION
“Last Whistle: Steamboat Stories of Memphis”
With detailed model boats and original steamboat artifacts, this exhibit rekindles the romance of the steamboat era. rough June 26.
PINK PALACE MUSEUM & MANSION
PHOTO:
Send the date, time, place, cost, info, phone number, a brief description, and photos — two weeks in advance — to calendar@memphisflyer.com.
DUE TO SPACE LIMITATIONS, ONGOING WEEKLY EVENTS WILL APPEAR IN THE FLYER’S ONLINE CALENDAR ONLY. FOR COMPREHENSIVE EVENT LISTINGS, SCAN THE QR CODE OR VISIT EVENTS.MEMPHISFLYER.COM/CAL.
COURTESY MEMPHIS BOTANIC GARDEN
Steve Nelson studied painting with Marilyn Wannamaker and Judy Nocifora, developing his own loose and impressionistic style.
“Layers”: New Works by
Carolyn Cates
See Carolyn Cates’ uniquely layered views of nature at the Buckman Arts Center’s Levy Gallery. rough Sept. 22.
BUCKMAN ARTS CENTER AT ST.
MARY’S SCHOOL
Libby Anderson Exhibit
Anderson has traveled from California to New York to learn from oil artists that she admires such as Carol Marine, Dreama Perry, and Karen O’Neill. rough Aug. 31.
MEMPHIS BOTANIC GARDEN
“Light as Air” Explore the beauty in tension: a balance of forms, the contrast between heavy and light, and the signi cance of negative space. rough Sept. 7.
METAL MUSEUM
“Navigating Knowledge” is exhibition explores vessels and navigation as metaphors for the containment and transmission of knowledge. rough Oct. 31.
MEMPHIS BROOKS MUSEUM OF ART
“Overcoming Hateful Things”
e exhibition contains over 150 items from the late 19th
century to the present, including items from popular culture and images of violence against African-American activists. rough Oct. 19.
PINK PALACE MUSEUM & MANSION
Poonam Kumar
Exhibition e artist notes: “Watercolor is my preferred medium; however, I indulge in other mediums such as pencil, ink, pastel, and acrylic.” Free. Monday, Sept. 1-Sept. 30.
MEMPHIS BOTANIC GARDEN
Robert Rector: “Poetic Reconstructions”
Rector explores the relationship between the natural environment and human experience through experimentation with surface treatments. rough Aug. 30.
DAVID LUSK GALLERY
Rural Route Artists
Works by artists of the annual Rural Route art tour: Butch Boehm, Jimmy Crosthwait, Agnes Stark, Lizi Beard Ward, and the late Deborah Fagan Carpenter. Free. rough Aug. 29.
GALLERY 1091
Summer Art Garden: “A Flash of Sun”
Immerse yourself in the radiant spirit of summer with these geometric sculptures that cast vibrant hues in the shi ing sunlight. rough Oct. 20.
MEMPHIS BROOKS MUSEUM OF ART
“Summer Vibes” Art Gallery Exhibit
Local artists Carol Adamec, Phyllis Boger, Dana DeLarme, Nancy Jehl, David Rawlinson, and Michael Somers have a combined exhibit. rough Sept. 24.
ST. GEORGE’S ART GALLERY AT ST. GEORGE’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH
“Susan Watkins and Women Artists of the Progressive Era”
Centered on the career of Susan Watkins (1875–1913), the exhibition explores the environment in which Watkins and other female artists of the time forged their professional identities. rough Sept. 28.
THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS
Tad Lauritzen Wright: “Zen on the Installment Plan”
Contemplating humanity, nature, and repeated histories through photo abstractions and sculptural works constructed from salvaged wood. rough Sept. 14.
CROSSTOWN ARTS AT THE CONCOURSE
Tributaries: Leah Gerrard’s “Longline”
Sean Nash: “Cosmic Produce”
Nash’s sculptural paintings from this series are hybrids that take their shaped forms from marine organisms, painted in vivid splashy and dappled colors, orders of magnitude larger than reality. rough Sept. 14.
TOPS AT MADISON AVENUE PARK
“Speaking Truth to Power: The Life of Bayard Rustin”
Exhibition
“Speaking Truth to Power” explores Rustin’s innovative use of the “medium” to communicate powerful messages of nonviolence, activism, and authenticity. $20/adult, $18/ senior, college student, $17/ children 5-17. rough Dec. 31.
NATIONAL CIVIL RIGHTS MUSEUM
Steve Nelson Exhibition
Nelson has studied acrylic painting with Marilyn Wannamaker and Judy Nocifora at the Memphis Botanic Garden. His style is loose and impressionistic. Free. Monday, Sept. 1-Sept. 30.
MEMPHIS BOTANIC GARDEN
Seattle-based fabrication artist Leah Gerrard, the museum’s newest Tributaries artist, shapes ethereal steel forms, blending basketry, jewelry, and large-scale pieces. Free. rough Sept. 14.
METAL MUSEUM
“Tyré Nichols: A Photographic Legacy”
A rare and intimate view of Nichols’ passion for capturing nature, urban landscapes, and quiet moments of everyday life. His images speak to his keen artistic eye and humanity. rough Aug. 31.
JAY ETKIN GALLERY
ART HAPPENINGS
Art & Aperitifs: Artist
Talk with Joel Parsons
Following his rst solo exhibition, “Club Rapture and the Ecstasy A ers” at Sheet Cake Gallery, join Memphis-based artist and Pride Collective member Joel Parsons for a special artist talk. $20. ursday, Aug. 28, 6-8 p.m.
MEMPHIS BROOKS MUSEUM OF ART
Super Saturday - Textile Art
Dive into the vibrant universe of yarn artistry. Explore textile techniques and unleash your creativity at the weekly
continued on page 20
continued from page 19
Saturday sessions. All ages welcome! Saturday, Aug. 30, 10 a.m.-noon.
MEMPHIS BROOKS MUSEUM OF ART
Whet Thursdays: Beats on the Bluff
Art, history, and music converge in a thrilling DJ battle featuring DJ A.D., DJ South Memphis Jeff, and DJ Rhinestone. It’s a unique twist on the traditional dance party. Thursday, Aug. 28, 5 p.m.
METAL MUSEUM
BOOK EVENTS
Brian Kwoba: Hubert Harrison: Forbidden Genius of Black Radicalism
The author will discuss his new book about Hubert Henry Harrison, the journalist, activist, and educator, with Charles W. Mckinney Jr.
Wednesday, Sept. 3, 6 p.m.
NOVEL
Club de lectura
(Spanish Book Club)
Este club de lectura les invita a compartir sus experiencias de lectura en español a través del título seleccionado del mes. Este mes: El invencible verano de Liliana de Cristina Rivera Garza. Tuesday, Sept. 2, 6-7 p.m.
THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS
Dixon Book Club
This month’s selection: Courtney Miller Santo’s The Roots of the Olive Tree. Tuesday, Sept. 2, 6-7 p.m.
THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS
Silent Book Club
A cozy, no-pressure way to enjoy reading and connect with others. Thursday, Aug. 28, 5:30-7:30 p.m.
COSSITT LIBRARY
Susan Gregg Gilmore: The Curious Case of Leonard Bush
The author discusses her new book about how young Leonard Bush buries his lost leg and saves his whole East Tennessee town, with Belinda Smith and Elllie Norris. Tuesday, Sept. 2, 6 p.m.
NOVEL
CLASS / WORKSHOP
Art Expression Classes/ Clases de Espresión
Artistica
Children aged 6 to 16 learn about the performing arts in a bilingual and inclusive environment. In partnership with Ballet Memphis, the program features weekly workshops over eight weeks. Saturday, Aug. 30, noon.
CAZATEATRO OFFICE
August Whet Thursday: Enameled Pendant
Glass enameling is the ancient art of melting fine powdered glass to metal. You will create a flower design on a copper disk that can be worn as a necklace or hung as an ornament. Thursday, Aug. 28, 5:30 p.m.
METAL MUSEUM
CALENDAR: AUGUST 28 - SEPTEMBER 3
Fiber Arts Open Studio
Bring your fabric, yarn, and tools to work on your pieces and gain inspiration and encouragement from other fiber artists and crafters.
16+. Free. Thursday, Aug. 28, 5:30-7:30 p.m.
THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS
Lunchtime Meditations
Visit the Dixon for free meditation sessions every Friday. Friday, Aug. 29, noon-12:30 p.m.
THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS
Memphis Jazz Workshop Fall Camp
The MJW is accepting applications for its 12-week fall camp. This intensive program provides students with professional-level jazz education through experienced faculty. Saturday, Aug. 30, 8:30 a.m.-2 p.m.
SOUTHWEST TENNESSEE COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Oil Painting for Adults: Masterpiece Series
An eight-week class offering step-by-step guidance, time to experiment, and plenty of encouragement. All materials provided. $375. Thursday, Aug. 28, 1:30-3:30 p.m.
MEMPHIS BROOKS MUSEUM OF ART
Songwriting Master
Class ft. Felly the Voice
Get ready to unlock your songwriting potential with Felly the Voice in an exclusive free master class experience. Open to all sixth to 12th graders. Free. Friday, Aug. 29, 5:30-7 p.m.
STAX MUSIC ACADEMY
COMEDY
Comedy Night with Ben Pierce
Hilarity on the open mic. Thursday, Aug. 28, 7 p.m. BAR DKDC
Open Mic Comedy Night
A hilarious Midtown tradition! Hosted by John Miller. Tuesday, Sept. 2, 8 p.m. HI TONE
At the Metal Museum’s Whet Thursday workshop, create an enamel design on a copper disk that can be worn as a necklace.
COMMUNITY
901 Day on Beale
A free block party with live music and dance, fashion pop-ups, art displays and interactive exhibits, a family fun zone with games, inflatables, and kid-friendly activities. Monday, Sept. 1, 11 a.m.-7 p.m.
BEALE STREET
901 Day Summit
At noon, a lunch and learn on politics ($20); 2-5 p.m.: 901 Day party (Free); 5-6 p.m.: VIP awards; 6-8:30 p.m.: Royal Roast Comedy Show ($50); 9:01 p.m.: official toast to Memphis. Monday, Sept. 1, 9 a.m.
CADRE BUILDING
901 Day Denim & White Party
With DJs DNice.The. Heavyweight, Rich Kidd, B. Ballentine, and Andy Woods. Comp admission until 5 p.m.; happy hour specials from 4-6 p.m. Monday, Sept. 1, 4 p.m.
CAROLINA WATERSHED
Project 901: A Cultural Celebration in the Edge District
With multiple DJ stages, 20-plus local vendors, food
Adam
trucks, and businesses, art installations, interactive writing walls, and live storytelling. Free. Monday, Sept. 1, noon-8 p.m.
MEMPHIS MADE BREWING (DOWNTOWN - THE RAVINE)
Teachers’ Lounge Collaboration, not competition. A casual and safe space to converse with other pre-K to 12 teachers from around the city to discuss pressing topics in today’s education landscape and grow together. Tuesday, Sept. 2, 5:30-7 p.m.
ROCK’N DOUGH PIZZA & BREWERY - ORLEANS STATION ON MADISON AVENUE
Unplugged: The Olive Social Kickback
An Olive Social mixer that sparks conversation, followed by classic and nostalgic games including Spades, UNO, and a few favorites you might have forgotten about. 21+. Thursday, Aug. 28, 7-10 p.m.
TOP TIER VENUE
DANCE
Country Swing Dance Lessons
It’s never too late to start and a partner is not required to join the class. Friday, Aug. 29, 7:30 p.m.
WHISKEY JILL’S
Dance Lessons
Swing lessons with Matt and Lara, 7:30 p.m., and line dance lessons with Dancing with Boss Lady, 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 28, 7:30 p.m.
WHISKEY JILL’S
Get Outside Fitness:
Line Dancing
Learn a variety of dance routines while enjoying the outdoors. This class is beginner-friendly, focusing on basic steps and choreography for popular songs, and can improve coordination and balance. Monday, Sept. 1, 5:30-6:30 p.m.
SHELBY FARMS PARK
Line Dancing with “Q”
Whether you’re a seasoned dancer or just learning the steps, “Q” will guide you through the moves and make it a night to remember. Tuesday, Sept. 2, 6 p.m.
DRU’S BAR
FESTIVALS
Delta Fair
A classic fair and music festival, with competitions for awards in livestock, crafts, and cooking, plus theme days, and education expo, a circus, beauty pageants, and, of course, a chainsaw juggler. Visit deltafest.com for details. Friday, August 29-Sept. 7.
AGRICENTER INTERNATIONAL
Healthier 901 Fest
The third annual Healthier 901 Fest returns to Shelby Farms Park. This year’s event includes a 1/2 mile walk, group exercises, the Le Bonheur Family Zone, and more! Saturday, Aug. 30, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
SHELBY FARMS PARK
FILM
FAMILY
Family Game Night: Giant Edition
Play some GIANT games, such as Giant Connect Four, Giant Jenga, Giant Scrabble, and more. Bring the kids, bring the grandkids, and bring your A game. Wednesday, Sept. 3, 5:30-7:30 p.m.
RALEIGH LIBRARY
Get Outside Fitness:
KidoKinetics
Through age-appropriate games and activities, young children build confidence, coordination, and a love for active play through a variety of sports in an encouraging, noncompetitive environment. Thursday, Aug. 28, 5 p.m.
SHELBY FARMS PARK
Get Outside Fitness:
Kids Yoga
Kids yoga is designed to be fun and engaging, teaching basic yoga poses with playful names that build strength, flexibility, balance, and mindfulness. Parents are welcome to join, too. Wednesday, Sept. 3, 5-6 p.m.
SHELBY FARMS PARK
Opera Memphis Free Family Day
Opera Memphis kicks off its 30 Days of Opera with live performances, costumes, crafts, a photo booth, and information on other familyfriendly events in the city. Monday, Sept. 1, 1-4 p.m.
OPERA MEMPHIS
Pre-School Story Time:
Stars
Enjoy stories, songs, art activities, and creative play. Friday, Aug. 29, 10:30-11:30 a.m.
MORTON MUSEUM OF COLLIERVILLE HISTORY
Story Time at Novel
Recommended for children up to 5 years. Saturday, Aug. 30, 10:30 a.m. | Wednesday, Sept. 3, 10:30 a.m.
NOVEL
Summerween Sip & Solve
For all Halloween enthusiasts and cozy vibe seekers aged 6 and up, beat the heat by celebrating Summerween every Thursday. Thursday, Aug. 28, 5-8 p.m.
COSSITT LIBRARY
Black Holes
This planetarium show gives an overview of what black holes are, how they form, and what would happen if you fell inside one. Thursday, Aug. 28-Aug. 31, 2 p.m.
PINK PALACE MUSEUM & MANSION
Forward to the Moon
A planetarium show about the Artemis program, NASA’s project to return to the moon, from landing humans on the surface, to building a space station in lunar orbit, to establishing a human lunar base. Through Aug. 31.
PINK PALACE MUSEUM & MANSION
Memphis Skies: What’s That in Our Night Sky? Hop through constellations, learn cool star names, and groove to planetarium space music in this full dome audiovisual experience. Through Aug. 31.
PINK PALACE MUSEUM & MANSION
Midweek Movie at Carriage Crossing: Moana 2
Free. Wednesday, Sept. 3, 7:30 p.m.
CARRIAGE CROSSING
Oceans: Our Blue Planet
Embark on a global odyssey to discover the largest and least explored habitat on earth. New ocean science and technology has allowed us to go further into the unknown than we ever thought possible. Thursday, Aug. 28-Aug. 31, 1 p.m.
PINK PALACE MUSEUM & MANSION
Superman From DC Studios and Warner Bros. Pictures comes Superman, the first feature film in the newly imagined DC universe. Written and directed by James Gunn, the film stars David Corenswet as Superman. Thursday, Aug. 28-Sept. 3, 3 p.m.
PINK PALACE MUSEUM & MANSION
T. Rex: Greatest of All Tyrants
The most dazzling and ac-
PHOTO: COURTESY METAL MUSEUM
PHOTO: COURTESY DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS
Queen, Dixon’s cutting garden and greenhouse manager, speaks on cut flower cultivation.
curate giant screen documentary ever made on this legendary predator — and its carnivorous Cretaceous cousins. Thursday, Aug. 28-Aug. 31, 2 p.m.
PINK PALACE MUSEUM & MANSION
FOOD AND DRINK
Canoes + Cocktails
A guided sunset paddle on the lake followed by specialty cocktails provided by Old Dominick, snacks from Cheffie’s, yard games, and music. A “cocktails only” ticket omits the paddling part.
$35-$80. Friday, Aug. 29, 6 p.m.
SHELBY FARMS PARK
Cooper-Young Community Farmers Market
A weekly outdoor market featuring local farmers (no resellers), artisans, and live music. Saturday, Aug. 30, 8 a.m.-1 p.m.
FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH
Dinner and Music Cruise
Come enjoy a two-hour cruise on Ol’ Man River featuring live entertainment (blues and jazz) and a meal. $50/general admission. Thursday, Aug. 28-Aug. 31, 7-9:30 p.m.
MEMPHIS RIVERBOATS
Memphis Farmers Market
A weekly outdoor market featuring local farmers and artisans, live music, and fun activities. Saturday, Aug. 30, 8 a.m.-1 p.m.
MEMPHIS FARMERS MARKET
“Papa Bear Trivia” with Shawn
Bring your brainpower and your crew for a night of free trivia, testing your knowledge across a variety of topics and competing for bragging rights. Thursday, Aug. 28, 7 p.m.
DRU’S BAR
Sightseeing Cruise
The sightseeing cruise is a 90-minute tour that takes you down the Mighty Mississippi with a live historical commentary. $29.13/general admission. Friday, Aug. 1-Sept. 30
MEMPHIS RIVERBOATS
Slider Sunday Sessions
Delay your Sunday scaries for a few more hours with curated DJ sets and drinks. Sunday, Aug. 31, 6-9 p.m.
SLIDER INN - DOWNTOWN
Sunday Supper at JEM
One of JEM’s most beloved traditions — Sunday Supper. Sunday, Aug. 31, 5-10 p.m.
JEM
HEALTH AND FITNESS
Get Outside Fitness: Mat Pilates
A full-body, low-impact workout that emphasizes dynamic core work to enhance strength, balance, and flexibility. The session is designed inclusively for everybody. Friday, Aug. 29, 4:30 p.m. | Saturday, Aug. 30, 8 a.m.
SHELBY FARMS PARK
Get Outside Fitness: Mental Fitness
Learn to relax your mind and prepare it to enter a meditative state by balancing the right and left hemispheres of the brain. Please bring a yoga mat and water. Saturday, Aug. 30, 10:30 a.m.
SHELBY FARMS PARK
Memphis Parks 5K & Family Day
A mixture of fitness, wellness, and family fun! Everyone is welcome, from the most seasoned runner to the leisurely walker to parents with strollers. Also, info from local wellness organizations. Saturday, Aug. 30, 8-11 a.m.
OVERTON PARK
Taijiquan with Milan Vigil
This Chinese martial art promotes relaxation, improves balance, and provides no-impact aerobic benefits. Ages 16 and older. Free. Saturday, Aug. 30, 10:30-11:30 a.m.
THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS
Wednesday Walks
Take a casual stroll around the Old Forest paved road! Wednesday, Sept. 3, 4-5 p.m.
OVERTON PARK
LECTURE
Drink A Beer, Save A River: A
Discussion with Dale Sanders
The Wolf River Conservancy presents a talk with river guide extraordinaire Jim Gafford, river guide and former WRC board president Tom Roehm, and the legendary Dale Sanders. Friday, Aug. 29, 5:30-7 p.m.
GRIND CITY BREWING CO.
Munch and Learn | Bloom and Grow: The Science Behind Growing Cut
Flowers
Lunch and hear Adam Queen, cutting garden and greenhouse manager for Dixon Gallery and Gardens, speak on the finer points of cut flower cultivation. Wednesday, Sept. 3, noon-1 p.m.
THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS
Science Cafe
Enjoy drinks and discussion with guest speakers who share fresh perspectives from the world of science. No background knowledge needed — just curiosity. Tuesday, Sept. 2, 5:30-6:30 p.m.
ABE GOODMAN GOLF CLUBHOUSE
PERFORMING ARTS
QCG Big Top Tease: Neon Noir Circus, drag, burlesque and spectacle like you’ve never seen before — glowing, sultry, and electric. Saturday, Aug. 30, 10 p.m.
DRU’S BAR
Drag Queen Bingo ft. Brenda Newport
If you’re not at Moxy Memphis Downtown for Drag Queen Bingo, then where you aaaaaaattt? Free. Friday, Aug. 29, 7-9 p.m.
MOXY MEMPHIS DOWNTOWN
SPORTS
Unite Memphis 5K and 1 Mile Run
Unite Memphis is more than just a 5K and 1-mile walk/run — it’s a movement designed to bring healing from the past, honor in the present, and hope for the future. Monday, Sept. 1, 9 a.m.
NATIONAL CIVIL RIGHTS MUSEUM
THEATER
8th Annual 10 Minute Play Festival: Monday’s Child
Seven brand-new original plays from across the U.S. and New Zealand, each one inspired by the classic children’s poem, “Monday’s Child,” with playwrights exploring the poem’s character traits. Friday, Aug. 29, 8-10 p.m. | Saturday, Aug. 30, 8 p.m. | Sunday, Aug. 31, 2 p.m. | Sunday, Aug. 31, 8 p.m.
THEATREWORKS @ THE SQUARE
Come From Away
Regional premiere of an incredible true story of the 7,000 stranded passengers forced to land in a small town in Newfoundland. Thursday, Aug.
28, 8 p.m. | Friday, Aug. 29, 8 p.m. | Saturday, Aug. 30, 8 p.m. | Sunday, Aug. 31, 2 p.m.
PLAYHOUSE ON THE SQUARE
Something Rotten!
When a soothsayer foretells that the future of theater involves singing, dancing and acting at the same time, Nick and Nigel set out to write the world’s very first musical. $35/adults; $15/ students (with valid ID); seniors* $5 off adult ticket price (62 and over); military* $5 off adult ticket price (with valid ID). Thursday, Aug. 28, 7:30-10 p.m. | Friday, Aug. 29, 7:30-10 p.m. | Saturday, Aug. 30, 7:30-10 p.m. | Sunday, Aug. 31, 2-4:30 p.m. THEATRE MEMPHIS
TOURS
Backbeat Tours: Memphis Mojo Tour
The Home of the Blues comes alive on this city tour aboard the nation’s only music bus. $35/adults, $33/ seniors, $20/children 5-12. Through Oct. 31. BACKBEAT TOURS
Blues Tuesdays Backstage Experience Tour
Go behind the scenes of the historical site that’s not only played host to hundreds of legendary blues acts, but launched the infamous Memphis Country Blues Festival of the late 1960s. $16. Tuesday, Sept. 2, 11 a.m. | Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2 p.m. | Tuesday, Sept. 2, 4 p.m.
OVERTON PARK SHELL
by Will Shortz No.
ACROSS
1 Great Texas hold ’em hand, informally
6 Average
10 It has spinoffs set in New Orleans and Los Angeles
14 Title character in a 2006 mockumentary
15 Menace following Captain Hook around, for short
16 Grave matter
17 Car owner’s manual?
19 Broadway character who sings “Shall We Dance?” while she dances
20 One might get stuck in an office
21 Emergency contact form abbreviation
22 Field of study for TV physicist Sheldon Cooper
25 Something enjoyed during elevenses
28 Abstract unit of exchange
29 Review the highlights of
30 Like a wide load
34 Revealed
36 Artist given the 1958 Guggenheim International Award
37 Neighbor of 5-Down
39 Noncommittal response
40 Glitzy embellishment
42 Rough finish
44 Gal in a superhero movie
46 ___ qué
47 Walker, briefly
48 Unlucky phrase to end on
52 “Star Wars” nickname
53 Stuffed shirts?
57 Not get some Z’s, say?
59 “Hmm ...”
60 Instrument broken over Hortensio’s head in “The Taming of the Shrew”
61 Status quo ___
62 Parts of pelvises
63 Italian pronoun
64 Quinoa, e.g.
65 Soak
DOWN
1 Rx dose: Abbr.
2 Picture section in old newspapers
3 Greek goddess of the rainbow
4 Bargains
5 Neighbor of 37-Across
6 Veal dish
7 Constellation that includes Bellatrix
8 Giraffe’s sound?
9 Sets of black or white pawns, e.g.
10 Court org.
11 Twodimensional rendering of threedimensional terrain
Ataraxia
Brand for the rest of the people?
Variation
Likely spot for a layover
Message on a tablet, say
Setting for the very end of “Aida”
Enemy who’s difficult to outsmart
Some swingers
Repetitive movement in a sonata
32 Children’s author Ibbotson
33 Went in all different directions
35 Not natural
38 Jeweler’s cache
41 URL ending 43 Set of steps
45 Sights at charging stations
48 Berry featured in cosmetics ads
49 Conspicuous thing to make
50 Lacking luster
PUZZLE BY ROBYN WEINTRAUB
Edited
We Saw You.
with MICHAEL DONAHUE
James Dukes is justi ably proud of UNAPOLOGETIC.10, which was held August 15th inside and outside Memphis Made Brewing Co. and outside in e Ravine. Music, food, booths, and activities were included in the event, which celebrated the 10th anniversary of UNAPOLOGETIC, the music, media, and apparel collective.
“I think the event went amazing,” says Dukes, who is the founder of UNAPOLOGETIC. “I was really proud of the event. I was really proud of the attendance, the performers, the way people showed up as themselves, the way everybody had fun.”
He adds, “How would I summarize the past 10 years in one word? I don’t know if this counts as one word, but ‘li o .’ When a rocket leaves Earth, it takes a lot of power to get it o the ground. And then once you get it o the ground it still has to escape the Earth’s atmosphere. And there’s a lot of debris. ere’s a lot of friction just escaping the Earth’s atmosphere. And so getting a rocket into space is hard, so now it’s time to explore.”
PHOTOS: MICHAEL DONAHUE above: Kristine Fister, CmaJor, Jake Fister, and Nick Pita circle: Cameron Bethany below: (le to right) PreauXX; Kemba Ford; James Dukes bottom row: (le to right) Meka Calvin and ISpeakWithAGi ; Lawrence Matthews
above: Ezra Wheeler and Luke Parker circle: Ross Turner
below: (le to right) Kenneth Alexander; Eric Friedl; A Weirdo From Memphis; Scott Fifer
right row: (top and below) Matt Mages and Gerald Leek; Rachel Knox
bottom le : Rushton Cox and Jordan Lashley
Come From Away
e musical examines what everyday people do in times of tragedy.
hen I decided to attend Playhouse on the Square’s opening night performance of Come From Away, I had to look up the show —I had never heard of it. Upon a search, I was skeptical — I had never heard of the event it was retelling. e whole thing seemed like a bizarre concept for a musical. I had no idea what to expect. Within the rst 15 minutes, I got it. is might be a bizarre concept, but it’s also a perfect one.
I was 10 years old on September 11th, 2001, and had only the vaguest notion of what all the adults were freaking out about. My father had worked at Memphis International Airport my entire life at that point, so you would think it might have occurred to me to wonder about what all the other airborne planes in the world had done that day, but I can honestly say it never crossed my mind until I watched this musical. (Like I said, I was only 10.) I’m guessing most people are a bit more informed than I was and will therefore be at least somewhat familiar with the small town of Gander, Newfoundland, and how more than 7,000 displaced air travel passengers were forced to land there in the immediate a ermath of 9/11. is musical follows a wide array of characters from the local townsfolk to one of the plane’s captains and tells the story of those few days from multiple cultural perspectives.
Watching this play is like watching the inside of a working clock. ere are dozens of intricate moving parts in almost continuous interwoven movement. Most actors played multiple parts throughout the performance, and the musicians even joined the ensemble at certain points. e staging and choreography are masterful, with many cast members seamlessly changing from character to character with the simple addition of a hat or removal of a jacket. It feels like at least half the cast was always onstage, something that could have been chaotic but was instead like a well-oiled machine working at prime e ciency.
interviewed local residents as part of their research for developing the script, and the authenticity certainly comes through. Many musicals are otherworldly, but this one lives solidly in our own, and thankfully, is so much richer for it. ese characters feel like real-life people, which makes it all the more special when they rise to what seem like superhuman feats of kindness.
One of my favorite things about Come From Away is that it doesn’t shy away from darker themes by any means. Perhaps because it was written by Canadians, it lacks the almost ethnocentric lore that some Americans attach to the events of 9/11. is story shows us the raw reaction to the tragedy as well as the Islamophobia that followed. It shows us the fortitude and resilience of hope as well as the kneejerk bitterness of fear. e characters of Gander are not portrayed as some sort of unrealistic angelic hosts, which lends their work and kindness and strength so much more gravitas. ey are scared and irritated and exhausted, but they show up for their fellow humans anyway.
As soon as the show begins, we understand that these are everyday people. ey’re dressed casually and simply; this is just another day for them until suddenly everything changes. e playwrights of Come From Away, Irene Sanko and David Hein, traveled to Gander and
While I ended up loving the concept of turning this particular historical event into a musical, really the core message of the show could have been delivered in any number of other circumstances where, through community and kindness, everyday people became true heroes. e message can be summed up in one of the play’s lines, when one of the stranded passengers attempts to give payment to the local who took him in and is simply but resolutely refused with, “You’d a done the same.” is show manages to gently ask its audience “would you do the same?” while simultaneously reminding us that anyone can help a stranger in need.
Come From Away runs at Playhouse on the Square through September 14th.
PHOTO: HALO e musical is based on the a ermath of 9/11 in Newfoundland.
FOOD By Michael Donahue
Taking Care of Business at 90 Years Old
Evalina Edwards is still cooking at Mortimer’s.
A
sign in front of Mortimer’s reads, “Happy Birthday Miss Evalina.”
Inside, Evalina Edwards celebrates her 90th birthday with presents and a strawberry cake with cream cheese icing. But, unlike other people who mark their birthday at the restaurant, Edwards moves from the dining room to the kitchen and goes back to work when the party is over.
For almost 75 years, Edwards has worked at restaurants owned by the Bell family. She began working for the late Vernon Bell at e Little Tea Shop in 1953 and then moved to Mortimer’s, one of Bell’s other restaurants, in 1981. She also worked at Bell’s legendary Memphis restaurant e Knickerbocker.
And work, apparently, is what Edwards loves to do. She works from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday at Mortimer’s at 590 North Perkins Road.
“She’s one of a kind,” says Mortimer’s owner Christopher Jamieson. “ ey don’t make them like that anymore.”
He adds, “She never wants to sit down.”
I get the feeling Edwards doesn’t want to sit down when I ask if I can interview her. I feel like she’d rather stay in the kitchen and keep busy.
When I worked at e Commercial Appeal, I interviewed Edwards for a story as she was turning 80 years old. at article hangs in a frame by the restaurant’s front door.
Edwards looks exactly like she did when I interviewed her 10 years ago. She’s slim, wears glasses and a cap. And when I ask her a question she’s still as direct as she was back then. Like when I ask where she was born.
“I ain’t got to tell you all that,” she shoots back. “Everybody wants to know where I was born.” at information isn’t in my rst story about Edwards, so she must not have wanted to tell me then, either. But she did tell me about her career and what she does at Mortimer’s.
She was 21 when she began cooking, Edwards says. “I didn’t start cooking until I started to work,” she says.
Edwards “went to the employment ofce” and got the job. “I rst started out as a bus girl at e Little Tea Shop.”
She worked her way up to become a cook. A er e Little Tea Shop was sold, Edwards moved to Mortimer’s.
Each day, Edwards cooks lunch, which includes “chicken and dumplings, meatloaf, and beef.”
And, she tells me, “I made just about all kinds of vegetables. Broccoli casserole, green bean casserole, sweet potato cas-
Memphis Press-Scimitar
A er they stopped serving it at e Little Tea Shop, I asked for the recipe from one of the long-time servers. She wrote it out for me. But when I tried to make it, I ended up with a big mess.
Edwards told me how she makes the frozen fruit. “Eggs, three cups of sugar, pineapple juice, and two packages of marshmallows, a teaspoon of vanilla avor. And you put it in a double boiler and let it cook. en let it set overnight. And next day you make your whipping cream and put it in there. Put it in the freezer.”
When it’s time to serve it, Edwards scoops out individual portions and adds the pink topping, which, I was once told, is made of cream cheese and maraschino cherry juice. A cherry is put on top. Edwards doesn’t make the topping or the chicken salad.
serole, cabbage casserole.”
I asked where she got the recipes. “I got it out of the recipe book.”
But that was then. “I don’t have to use recipes now. I don’t need any recipe to look at ’cause I already know what goes in it.”
Edwards also makes the most delicious rolls in town. e rolls, which are only served at lunch, look and taste like rolls served long ago at legendary Memphis restaurants. ey remind me of the ones served at the old Anderton’s restaurant. As I recall, they also took their stale rolls, put them in the oven, lightly toasted them, and then served them at dinner. I’d love for somebody to do that again.
I asked Edwards what makes her rolls di erent from those found in stores. “I don’t know how they make them in the stores, but I use the yeast, warm water, and eggs. And margarine. And selfrising our.”
Apparently, she doesn’t let the rolls go through the rising process that can take four hours. “You can just put them in the oven, and they go ahead and rise. Just cook them and they rise in the stove.”
Edwards uses three or four packets of yeast, 16 cups of our, and four eggs when she makes them at Mortimer’s.
She doesn’t know how many rolls she makes a day. “I don’t know how many rolls. I’ve never counted them. But it makes three pans.”
And if you don’t get to Mortimer’s early at lunchtime, you’re not going to get any of her rolls.
Edwards also makes my all-time favorite “frozen fruit,” which goes with the chicken salad at lunchtime. I rst discovered this combo in the late ’60s or early ’70s at e Little Tea Shop when Edwards still worked there. Later, I learned it was a favorite of the late sports reporter George Lapides, who was my colleague at the old
I asked Jamieson how Edwards gets to work every day. “She does not drive,” he says. “When she worked at the Tea Shop, I believe she lived in Hurt Village and walked to work. “
She used to take the bus to Mortimer’s. But now, he says, “One of the employees picks her up every day and her son, typically, brings her home.”
Edwards, to his knowledge, has never taken a vacation, but he gives her vacation pay each year, Jamieson says. “Around the holidays she will take a day here and there. She will take the day a er anksgiving.”
Jamieson relies on Edwards for kitchen information. He’ll call her at home if he needs to know something about inventory. She can tell him — even if she’s at home — if they have a third of a box le of this or that at the restaurant. “She remembers everything in her head.”
e Mortimer’s sta celebrates her birthday every year, but this year they wanted to do something on a larger scale for Edwards. “ e girls put a big gi basket together for her.”
ey also “made her a big card for everyone to sign.”
And they gave her “a bunch of cash,” Jamieson says. “She was tickled.”
Jamieson checks the date of her birthday each year. It’s written on a piece of paper that dates to when Edwards began working at Mortimer’s. “ e paper is all yellow. It looks like it was written on a typewriter.”
Like probably everyone who knows her, I had to ask Edwards to tell me the secret to her longevity.
“I don’t have any secret,” she says. “It’s the good Lord’s will.”
PHOTO: (ABOVE) MICHAEL DONAHUE; (INSET, BELOW) CHRISTOPHER JAMIESON
Evalina Edwards, who recently celebrated a milestone birthday, makes the “most delicious rolls in town,” according to this author.
LIVE MUSIC +FOOD & DRINK
By the editors at Andrews McMeel Syndication
Truth Is Stranger Than Netflix
On July 19, 36-year-old Stephen Blasetti allegedly stole a boat and took it for a joyride on the Hudson River in New York, WABC-TV reported. Blasetti, notably, wasn’t wearing any clothes when he committed the theft, for which he was charged with grand larceny, criminal possession of stolen property, and reckless endangerment. He was admitted to New York-Presbyterian Hospital/ Columbia in New York for a psychiatric evaluation, but early on July 23, Blasetti slipped out of his handcuffs as the police officer guarding him slept, borrowed a doctor’s lab coat, and left the hospital. He was last seen on surveillance video walking down a sidewalk, barefooted. [WABC, 7/23/2025]
Ewwwww!
Leanna Coy, a flight attendant based in Connecticut, couldn’t help but share the yuck factor after she made a discovery on the floor of a plane, the New York Post reported on July 24. “Those are toenails,” she captioned a TikTok post. “The passenger clipped their toenails mid-flight and left them.” Commenters had no empathy for the long-in-the-toenail flyer: “No-fly list!” said one. “What dirtbag did this?” asked another. [NY Post, 7/24/2025]
Great Art
handcuffed and escorted out the front door in front of patrons young and old. Officers found the stolen credit card in his possession. [Tallahassee Democrat, 7/24/2025]
Fine Points of the Law
When a certain intern started her summer job at Sidley Austin in New York City, she made her mark by biting another employee — for which she was not immediately fired, Inc. magazine reported on July 28. Nope, the law firm tolerated the behavior through five victims, presumably because the biter was “otherwise personable and there was some reluctance to elevate the matter.” However, employment attorney Dan Schwartz said that even if she has a disability that compels her to bite other people, “The ADA does not protect an employee at the expense of another employee.” Vampire lawyers, indeed. [Inc., 7/28/2025]
Wait, What?
People magazine reported on July 24 that 33-year-old Jane Labowitch of Maryland is making a living, and a name for herself, with her Etch-aSketch art. Labowitch’s subjects include Russia’s St. Basil’s Cathedral and Grant Wood’s American Gothic. She said when she was little, her grandmother wouldn’t let her watch TV as much as she wanted, so with her Etch-a-Sketch, she just “started from staircases.” She hopes the classic toy “isn’t going anywhere. I think that it’s got a lot left to give the world.” [People, 7/24/2025]
Suspicions Confirmed
On July 23 in Tallahassee, Florida, police took a famous mouse into custody: Chuck E. Cheese. The Tallahassee Democrat reported that Mr. Cheese, aka Jermell Jones, had been fingered as the person who stole a patron’s credit card in June and made fraudulent purchases with it. When police arrived at the famous restaurant, Jones, wearing his giant costume mouse head, was
As Albert Cutler was driving home from church on July 27, he noticed a bald eagle flying over the highway in Okauchee Lake, Wisconsin. The eagle was carrying a fish — until it wasn’t, and as Cutler watched the fish fall, he wondered if he had hit it with his car, Fox6-TV reported. Upon arriving home, Cutler’s daughter located the fish, stuck in the grill of his truck. The largemouth bass went into the family’s fridge, and Cutler said it’s the “biggest bass” he’s ever caught. [Fox6, 7/27/2025]
ARIES (March 21-April 19): In some Buddhist mandalas, the outer circle depicts a wall of fire. It marks the boundary between the chaotic external world and the sacred space within. For seekers and devotees, it’s a symbol of the transformation they must undergo to commune with deeper truths. I think you’re ready to create or bolster your own flame wall, Aries. What is nonnegotiable for your peace, your creativity, your worth? Who or what belongs in your inner circle? And what must stay outside? Be clear about the boundaries you need to be your authentic self.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Centuries ago, builders in Venice, Italy, drove countless wooden pilings deep into the waterlogged mud of the lagoon to create a stable base for future structures. These timber foundations were essential because the soil was too weak to support stone buildings directly. Eventually, the wood absorbed minerals from the surrounding muddy water and became exceptionally hard and durable: capable of supporting heavy buildings. Taurus, you may soon glimpse how something you’ve built your life upon — a value, a relationship, or a daily ritual — is more enduring than you imagined. Its power is in its rootedness, its long conversation with the invisible. My advice: Trust what once seemed soft but has become solid. Thank life for blessing you with its secret alchemy.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): In Inuit myth, Sedna is the goddess who lives at the bottom of the sea and oversees all marine life. If humans harm nature or neglect spiritual truths, Sedna may stop allowing them to catch sea creatures for food, leading to starvation. Then shamans from the world above must swim down to sing her songs and comb her long black hair. If they win her favor, she restores balance. I propose that you take direction from this myth, Gemini. Some neglected beauty and wisdom in your emotional depths is asking for your attention. What part of you needs reverence, tenderness, and ceremonial care?
CANCER (June 21-July 22): In ancient Rome, the lararium was a home altar. It wasn’t used for momentous appeals to the heavyweight deities like Jupiter, Venus, Apollo, Juno, and Mars. Instead, it was there that people performed daily rituals, seeking prosperity, protection, and health from their ancestors and minor household gods. I think now is a fine time to create your own version of a lararium, Cancerian. How could you fortify your home base to make it more nurturing and uplifting? What rituals and playful ceremonies might you do to generate everyday blessings?
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): In Persian minia-
By Rob Brezsny
ture painting, entire epics are compressed into exquisite images the size of a hand. Each creation contains worlds within worlds, myths tucked into detail. I suggest you draw inspiration from this approach, Leo. Rather than imagining your life as a grand performance, play with the theme of sacred compression. Be alert for seemingly transitory moments that carry enormous weight. Proceed on the assumption that a brief phrase or lucky accident may spark sweet changes. What might it look like to condense your full glory into small gifts that people can readily use?
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): In the ancient Greek myth of Psyche, one of her trials is to gather golden wool from violent rams. She succeeds by waiting until the torrid heat of midday passes, and the rams are resting in the cool shade. She safely collects the wool from bushes and branches without confronting the rams directly. Let this be a lesson, Libra. To succeed at your challenges, rely on strategy rather than confrontation. It’s true that what you want may feel blocked by difficult energies, like chaotic schedules, reactive people, or tangled decisions. But don’t act impulsively. Wait. Listen. Watch. Openings will happen when the noise settles and others tire themselves out. You don’t need to overpower. You just need to time your grace. Golden wool is waiting, but it can’t be taken by force.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): In 1911, two teams tried to become the first humans to reach the South Pole. Roald Amundsen’s group succeeded, but Robert Falcon Scott’s did not. Why? Amundsen had studied with Indigenous people who were familiar with frigid environments. He adopted their clothing choices (fur and layering), their travel techniques (dogsledding), and their measured, deliberate pacing, including lots of rest. Scott exhausted himself and his people with inconsistent bursts of intense effort and stubbornly inept British strategies. Take your cues from Amundsen, dear Scorpio. Get advice from real experts. Pace yourself; don’t sprint. Be consistent rather than melodramatic. Opt for discipline instead of heroics.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): A lighthouse isn’t concerned with whether ships are watching it from a distance. It simply shines forth its strong beams, no questions asked. It rotates, pulses, and moves through its cycles because that’s its natural task. Its purpose is steady illumination, not recognition. In the coming weeks, Sagittarius, I ask you and encourage you to be like a lighthouse. Be loyal to your own gleam. Do what you do best because it pleases you. The ones who need your signal will find you. You don’t have to chase them across the waves.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): In
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): In Andean cosmology, the condor and the hummingbird are both sacred messengers. One soars majestically at high altitudes, a symbolic bridge between the earth and heaven. The other moves with supple efficiency and detailed precision, an icon of resilience and high energy. Let’s make these birds your spirit creatures for the coming months. Your challenging but feasible assignment is to both see the big picture and attend skillfully to the intimate details.
1885, Sarah E. Goode became the fourth African-American woman to be granted a U.S. patent. Her invention was ingenious: a folding cabinet bed that could be transformed into a roll-top desk. It appealed to people who lived in small apartments and needed to save space. I believe you’re primed and ready for a similar advance in practical resourcefulness, Capricorn. You may be able to combine two seemingly unrelated needs into one brilliant solution — turning space, time, or resources into something more graceful and useful. Let your mind play with hybrid inventions and unlikely pairings.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): I expect you will be knowledgeable and smart during the coming weeks, Aquarius. But I hope you will also be wise and savvy. I hope you will wrestle vigorously with the truth so you can express it in practical and timely ways. You must be ingenious as you figure out the precise ways to translate your intelligence into specifically right actions. So for example: You may feel compelled to be authentic in a situation where you have been reticent, or to share a vision that has been growing quietly. Don’t stay silent, but also: Don’t blurt. Articulate your reality checks with elegance and discernment. The right message delivered at the wrong moment could make a mess, whereas that same message will be a blessing if offered at the exact turning point.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Liubai is a Chinese term that means “to leave blank.” In traditional ink painting, it referred to the portions of the canvas the artist chose not to fill in. Those unpainted areas were not considered empty. They carried emotional weight, inviting the eye to rest and the mind to wander. I believe your near future could benefit from this idea, Pisces. Don’t feel you have to spell everything out or tie up each thread. It may be important not to explain and reveal some things. What’s left unsaid, incomplete, or open-ended may bring you more gifts than constant effort. Let a little stillness accompany whatever you’re creating.
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FILM By Chris McCoy
Music Docs Rock the ’80s
Documentaries about Billy Joel and Devo dominate streaming, while a lost Prince concert lm returns to the big screen.
We are living in a golden age of music documentaries. anks to the proliferation of streaming services, there is more opportunity than ever to get the inside skinny on the creation of your favorite songs. Whether that journey is worth it depends as much on the lmmaker as it does the subject.
Take for example the recent HBO documentary Billy Joel: And So It Goes Joel was one of the biggest hitmakers of the ’70s and ’80s, and you probably know at least a couple of his songs (“Piano Man”, “We Didn’t Start the Fire”) whether you like it or not. Directors Susan Lacy and Jessica Levin go super deep into Joel’s decades-long career over the course of ve hours, split up into two featurelength episodes. e results are almost too revealing. Like Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones in this year’s Becoming Led Zeppelin, this portrait of Joel strips away the record industry mythmaking and reveals him to be essentially a band geek. (I say this as someone who self-identi es as a band geek.)
Joel started playing piano in garage bands in the late ’60s, when he was a teenager in Long Island, New York. A er one regional hit, he and his drummer split o to go solo with a pseudo heavy metal band called Attila. But while the band got signed to a major label during the post-Zeppelin hard rock gold rush of the early ’70s, they were never popular. When Joel professed his love for his bandmate’s girlfriend Elizabeth Weber, Attila died quietly. Joel wrote several of the songs on his debut solo album Cold Spring Harbor about Weber; when she heard them, she came back and married him. e biggest revelation from And So It Goes is that Weber was the brains of the operation. When she took over as his manager, his career skyrocketed; when she divorced him over his penchant for combining alcoholism and motorcycles, he mostly coasted through the rest of the ’80s. ere’s plenty of great performance footage in the documentary, but also lots of padding. Joel’s depression, imposter syndrome, and self-sabotage are relatable, but did we really need to talk to all four of his ex-wives? (Supermodel ex Christie Brinkley is, surprisingly, the only one who still seems sad about the breakup.)
e bloat of And So It Goes is exposed by American Movie director Chris Smith’s ruthlessly e cient Devo. In the early ’70s, while Billy Joel was desperate to break into the music industry, Devo’s Mark Mothersbaugh, Bob Lewis, and Gerald Casale were doing their best to destroy it.
As art students at Kent State University in 1970, they were swept up in the anti-war protests which erupted a er Richard Nixon expanded the Vietnam War to Cambodia. Casale was in the crowd on May 4, 1970, when National Guardsmen opened re on protesters, killing four Kent State students and wounding nine. He and Mothersbaugh cited the massacre as the moment they stopped believing that America was progressing towards a more sane and just society. Watching the media demonize their dead friends, they decided that humans were devolving under the onslaught of advertising and propaganda. In the beginning, Devo wasn’t primarily a band. ey were a lmmaking and visual art collective
who lived to terrorize Ohio with their Dada-inspired antics. is means that there was plenty of amazing footage in the Devo archives for director Smith to use, including a priceless sequence where the entire audience walks out on an early performance, while Casale shouts, “Come on! We’re not THAT bad!”
eir rst big break was when their lm e Truth About De-Evolution won the big prize at the 1976 Ann Arbor Film Festival, opening up new gigs and attracting the attention of David Bowie. eir third album Freedom of Choice spawned the smash hit “Whip It,” which propelled Devo to fame as the ultimate New Wave weirdos. When the music video revolution hit, other acts scrambled to catch
up, but Devo already had an impressive video catalog which dominated MTV’s early days. e infamous “Whip It” video became a hit by feeding everything Devo was against back to the masses, who ate it up. Casale and Mothersbaugh say that they took every opportunity to appear on any TV talk show, no matter how embarrassing, in order to inject their message of resistance into mainstream culture. You might know the band as a one-hit wonder, but a er watching Devo, you will understand that they were prophets.
Around the same time Devo were deconstructing popular culture, a young Minneapolis musician named Prince was making his rst recordings. A er conquering the world with Purple Rain (which, in true Devo fashion, included an album, a feature lm, and music videos), he entered the most proli c period of his recording career. e 1987 album Sign o’ the Times is a sprawling double album consisting of fragments from three di erent half- nished projects, mostly recorded in his home’s basement studio. Burned out from three straight years of touring the states, Prince decided to concentrate on Europe. He lmed concerts in the Netherlands and Belgium for a movie release. Later, he decided the footage was unusable and restaged the shows in Minneapolis’ Paisley Park. Sign o’ the Times sank at the box o ce on anksgiving weekend in 1987 (probably because people had been burned by the awful Under the Cherry Moon), but it earned a cult following on VHS. A er being unavailable for decades, it nally got a proper Blu-ray release from the Criterion Collection in 2019. is weekend, it will return to theaters in IMAX. e lm shows Prince at the top of his game musically, backed by one of the best bands he ever assembled, led by the legendary Sheila E. It begins with a stark take on the title track, backed by a masked drum line, before exploding into the classic rave up “Play in the Sunshine.” Prince freely blends the sacred and profane, like when he combines the heartrending love song “Forever in My Life” with the ode to sexy times, “It.” Prince’s lmmaking instincts were always dodgy, as some of the between song interludes attest, but musically he was unbeatable. In December 1989, e Cure’s Robert Smith was asked by NME what the best part of the ’80s was. He unhesitatingly answered “Sign o’ the Times.”
Billy Joel: And So It Goes is streaming on HBO Max; Devo is streaming on Net ix; Sign o’ the Times premieres Friday, August 29th, at the Malco Paradiso IMAX eater.
Legendary artists Billy Joel (top), Devo (center), and Prince (bottom) are all the subjects of newly released lms.
Our critic picks the best films in theaters.
Caught Stealing
Austin Butler stars as Hank Thompson, a former baseball player who gets caught up in a ring of revenge by his friend Russ (Matt Smith), an aging punk rocker sitting on a storage locker full of stolen goods. Darren Aronofsky directs this adaptation of crime novelist Charlie Huston’s book, with an all-star cast including Regina King, Zoë Kravitz, Liev Schreiber, Vincent D’Onofrio, and the great Carol Kane. Plus, a score by post-punk giants Idles!
Jaws
It’s the 50th anniversary of Steven Spielberg’s first masterpiece. Amity is a quiet resort town in New England, preparing for big 4th of July crowds. Then, a swimmer
is found dead and mutilated on the beach. The culprit is a great white shark, a rarity in northern waters. Police Chief Martin Brody (Roy Scheider) wants to close the beaches, but the mayor (Murray Hamilton) refuses because the town needs the money. As the body count mounts, Matt Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss), a dilettante marine biologist, joins a crusty old fisherman (Robert Shaw) to hunt the shark.
The Toxic Avenger
Peter Dinklage stars as Winston Gooze, a grumpy janitor who is exposed to toxic waste and mutates into a monster. Determined to use his new powers for good, the Toxic Avenger takes on the corrupt CEO responsible for poisoning the town. Also starring Elijah Wood, Kevin Bacon, and David Yow of the Jesus Lizard.
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COVORO MINING SOLUTIONS, LLC seeks Purchasing Manager in Memphis, TN. Oversee and direct the activities of the purchasing department. Oversee the daily workflow and schedules of the department. May telecommute up to 3 days per week. Qualified applicants, email resume to Chris de Waal, Head of Human Resources, at hr.communication@draslovka.com. Must reference job title (Purchasing Manager) and job code (PMGT).
THE LAST WORD By Stephanie Painter
‘Have You Ever Climbed a Tree?’
Don’t forget to protect and care for your slice of urban forest.
We were never good yard people, learning about tree diseases and insect infestations only when it was too late and the county extension agent explained that the magnolia tree was dying. Even as the somber young man spoke what amounted to last rites, the tree continued its pattern of producing oxygen and protecting the birds. Magnolia trees symbolize good fortune and stability, but ours had run out of luck, and not long a er the agent’s visit, we had to cut it down. In the tree’s seasons of health, we had admired its glossy leaves and star-shaped owers, and we hid Easter eggs under the boughs for our daughters to collect.
It was not a balanced relationship, and though the tree deserved better, I did not notice when tiny magnolia scale pests began crawling across the bark, a time when intervening with chemical sprays, insecticidal soaps, or horticultural oils could have made a di erence. is unlucky tree was not the only one growing in our yard that we took for granted. Early on, there were excuses for our inattentiveness. While busy raising little humans, our outdoor experiences centered on setting up a trampoline and playhouse. ough my husband and I had more free time as the children grew up, we never worried over the plants, instead appreciating nature’s independence when birdseed spilling from the feeder grew into a lovely patch of amber-colored grasses. Wild and beautiful, they made a ne show and needed no pruning. For years, our half-acre lot, carpeted with Bermuda and sprinkled with trees, was mostly a place for cookouts and conversation around the re pit.
Many backyard gatherings later, the 2025 Tennessee Tree Survey was delivered to our mailbox, addressed to our 23-year-old daughter, who was willing to help with data collection concerning her parents’ tiny portion of urban forest. Its questions connected her with happy memories, and one inquired, “Have you ever climbed a tree?” Yes, she had giddily scrambled at least halfway — maybe even three-quarters — up a tree. “When you were a child, did you ever play under or amongst trees?” Indeed, she had played with her dolls in the trees’ shade. “Did you ever collect leaves, acorns, or pinecones for a school project — or just for fun?” She fondly remembered many of those projects. e survey also posed more global questions, including, “How do you think Tennessee has done on conservation in the past year?” Our daughter picked “not sure.” “On a scale of 1-10, how important do you think it is to replenish the trees in America’s forests?” It’s of high importance, she answered.
Finding the survey on the kitchen counter, I faced memories of trees lost, and admitting to the small number of living trees struck me as a form of confession. Twenty years earlier, our suburban house came with ve trees in the front yard and a giant oak growing in the corner of the backyard. e rst year, a storm blew in and ravaged one of the three Bradford pears in the front yard. Lovely and fragile, with white owers in spring and attractive fall foliage, it was planted by a home builder for instant landscaping. Other storms followed, eliminating the remaining Bradford pears. To make up for the losses, my daughters surprised me with a Japanese maple tree for Mother’s Day, and we enjoyed planting it together in the backyard.
Now as I looked over the survey, I recalled the intrusive roar of the trains when we rst moved into the neighborhood. e blasts came day and night, and as I learned to push the noise to the background, the sound did not disturb me at all. In a similar way, the trees stayed on the distant perimeter of my life. I paid scant attention to their health, assuming that they would always exist and thrive. Like the magnolia, the massive oak tree near the back fence was assumed to be strong and permanent, though oak wilt disease was attacking its roots. We did not notice the signs of discolored leaves and a thinning crown. en, one night as our family slept, the tree succumbed to its disease, toppling over chairs near the re pit.
To the end, the tree was altruistic, dropping in the night and protecting family members who o en gathered around the re pit during the day. In a touching nal act, the oak did not even damage the house’s roof, resting its crown on the gutter because its frame perfectly corresponded with the yard’s length. Confused squirrels sought out their favorite hiding places as they scampered across the downed trunk. e ve dead trees had been a generous cornucopia, providing oxygen, removing carbon dioxide to slow climate change, and o ering habitat for birds and animals, and each deserved a celebration of life service honoring their bene cence.
By now, we know the county extension agent well, his young face again sorrowful as he makes another house call. He gives the single tulip poplar tree le in the front yard a poor prognosis, but we hang onto it because to slice it down would leave a stark, terribly bare space, and it continues to generously cool the house. For now, bluebirds can y east from this tulip poplar to a majestic oak planted before the Civil War that stands on a local elementary school’s campus. ere, young children have a chance to play games beneath a tree that has endured. Parents who may one day buy our house will need to plant new trees if they want their children to play games in a shady spot, though the Arbor Day Foundation is providing us with a starter pack. In return for completing the survey, and in exchange for a small donation to the foundation, my daughter will receive 10 owering trees specially selected to thrive in the Memphis area. My husband and I will help with planting the 6- to 12-inch trees, driven by something more than enthusiasm for gardening or need for approval from the neighbors. No longer can the trees in our sliver of urban forest be overlooked. Every few months, I will circle the yard, take notes, and monitor their health. e ght is on to restore what was lost.
Stephanie Painter works as a freelance writer and is the author of a children’s picture book. She lives in Germantown and writes for regional magazines.
