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CONTENTS
August 2015
62 FEATURES 23
25 SOUTHERN MUSICIANS From down-home blues to glitzy rock ’n’ roll, these 25 musicians have a style all their own
OUT & ABOUT 37 | FEAST ON THE FARM 40 | SUNSET ON THE SQUARE:
52 | BLUES BALL SPRING AUCTION AND CRAWFISH BOIL
42 | 4TH ANNUAL THROUGH
SEEING RED
62
The perfect blend of glitz and grunge for a hot night on the town
43 | ZOO BREW
BOHO & BLUES
71
JUKE JOINTS & DIVE BARS Venerable venues of the South
THE ROOF PEDIATRIC THERAPY FASHION SHOW & SILENT AUCTION
44 | BROOKS MUSEUM GRAND
AUCTION
54 | SUNSET ON THE SQUARE:
SAY IT AIN’T SO
55 | LITERATINI 56 | TUNICA ARTS COUNCIL’S
ARTS IN THE ALLEY
57 | ZETA PHI BETA 5TH
ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
46 | VINE TO WINE
AT THE GARDEN
47 | BRUSSELS BONZAI
RENDEZVOUS
48 | CROWN & SCEPTRE
CORONATION BALL
50 | THE PRINCESS BALL 51 | SIZZLIN’ SUMMER KICKOFF PARTY Photo by Pam Fields Click magazine | AUGUST 2015 5
CONTENTS August 2015
•
Volume 9
No. 8
DEPARTMENTS 13 | INTERVIEW Buryin’ Ground Juke joint legend and Delta storyteller Bill Abel shares a personal history
16 | ARTS The United States of Mississippi
13
Roger Stolle’s journey from corporate America to Cathead, Inc., Clarksdale’s treasure trove of Delta blues history
24 | BOOKS Malice in Memphis For members of a local mystery writers group, one man’s tourist destination is another man’s crime scene
75 | ON THE MONEY A Penny Saved Citizens National Bank says “Yes” to assisting its customers in being financially successful
IN EVERY ISSUE Editor’s Letter 8 Contributors 10 Calendar 58 See & Do 80
16
23 6 AUGUST 2015 | Click magazine
Click magazine | AUGUST 2015 7
CASEY HILDER
editor’s letter
Songs of the South Music makes the world go round, or so they say. While I personally don’t have a musical bone in my body, even I can enjoy a good tune every now and then. This month, Click’s celebration of sound highlights the music that made the MidSouth. And despite what locals may hear, there’s way more to it than Elvis and Americana. It’s about the music that fills the air at local concerts, fairs and festivals. It’s about the living blues and the decades of history that writhe in every plucked guitar string. In short, it’s about stuff you can’t just get on the radio. And the radio is exactly where you won’t find many of the local performers on display in this month’s big feature, “25 Southern Musicians,” (page 23) a veritable smorgasbord of sound from artists that run the gamut from country music to blues to punk rock. In addition, we’ve got the lowdown on three high-profile music venues in the region where you can see our featured artists in “Juke Joints and Dive Bars” (page 71). Speaking of venues, special thanks go out to Bill Luckett and our friends at Ground Zero Blues Club for allowing us to shoot this month’s fashion feature, “Boho & Blues,” (page 62) on the premises. So whether you’re a seasoned picker or a festival fanatic, I advise you to get out there and enjoy the spectacle of Southern sound, live and in person. Take it in and let it wash the day-to-day troubles away. For a moment, anyway. Read on,
Casey Hilder Editor
Write To Us:
Email editor@myclickmag.com or send us a letter at Click Magazine P.O. Box 100, Hernando, MS 38632. 8 AUGUST 2015 | Click magazine
CLICK
People | Parties | Places Co-Presidents Jonathan Pittman & Angie Pittman Publisher Dick Mathauer Editor Casey Hilder editor@myclickmag.com
COPY + FEATURES Events Maggie Vinzant events@myclickmag.com Contributing Writers Tess Catlett, Casey Hilder, Tonya Thompson
ART & PHOTOGRAPHY Art Director Jennifer Leonard Corbin Graphic Design Jennifer Rorie Contributing Photographers Brian Anderson, Frank Chin, Pam Fields, Matt Floyd, Casey Hilder, Kandi Tippit
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Click magazine | AUGUST 2015 9
contributors
August 2015
Brian Anderson
Jennifer Corbin
Various events and concert photography in this issue were shot by local photographer Brian Anderson, a Memphis-based artist that started shooting professionally about six years ago and has been featured in Southern Living Magazine, Oxford American, MBQ and the St. Jude Gallery Collection, to name a few. He primarily focuses on the concerts, with a focus on blues and old-fashioned Southern music, as well as the Mississippi delta and cityscapes .
Click Magazine’s art director, Jennifer Corbin, a recent transplant from Birmingham, Alabama now hails from Lambert, Mississippi. She brings with her a wealth of design talent. A graduate of Auburn University, Corbin’s portfolio packs a wide variety of experience for publications like Southern Lady, TeaTime and Bassmaster Magazine. In her spare time, she enjoys helping her husband on the farm and all things water — from white water rafting to a day by the pool.
Tess Catlett Click’s headline feature for this month, "25 Southern Musicians," was produced by Tess Catlett. A Southaven native who attends school at the University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri, Catlett is a former intern for Click Magazine. An avid and tenacious writer, Catlett has been featured in various publications including Vox Magazine, The Columbia Missourian and The DeSoto TimesTribune. When not writing, Catlett enjoys binge watching underrated TV dramas.
Pam Fields
Marcie Kay Seccombe
Pam Fields is a Memphis area photographer who grew up in the Mississippi Delta. Having always had an eye for photography, she found her love for portrait and fashion work while living in Indianapolis. She has been published in several independent magazines and is featured on Vogue Italia’s website. When she is not honing her camera skills, she enjoys a good cup of coffee, road trips, concerts, and relaxing with her husband and two teenagers.
Hairstyling for this month’s fashion spread, “Boho & Blues” (page 62), was done by Mississippi native Marcie Kay Seccombe. In Memphis, Seccombe works her hair magic in a downtown studio four days a week. When out of the studio, Marcie travels as a National Educator for John Paul Mitchell Systems teaching across the country. Her experience includes styling hair on Fifth Avenue in New York, as well as Cosmopolitan magazine.
Alexandra Nicole This month’s style feature was coordinated by Memphis native Alexandra Nicole, who owns and operates three local boutiques, a makeup line and her very own fashion brand. From styling clients and working behind the scenes as a MUA and Stylist for fashion shows and shoots, to attending LA and New York market trips and runway shows, Alexandra lives for the fashion and trends of the modern woman’s lifestyle.
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Click magazine | AUGUST 2015 11
12 AUGUST 2015 | Click magazine
UP FRONT ARTS, CULTURE AND PERSONALITIES
Buryin’ Ground Juke joint legend and Delta storyteller Bill Abel shares a personal history Interview by CASEY HILDER | Photos by RORY DOYLE
Click magazine | AUGUST 2015 13
up front
people
L
IKE MANY DENIZENS OF THE MISSISSIPPI Delta, the blues comes naturally for Bill Abel. A juke joint staple since his youth, the 52-yearold Abel has spent the past 15 years refining his solo act and branching out to bring the history of the region to a wider audience, all while maintaining the traditions taught to him by legendary local pickers.
Click Magazine: How’d you learn to play music?
student at Delta State. When I moved back, I started playing
Bill Abel: I met a man named Paul Jones, a local welder, when
more and with new people — people like Cadillac John Nolden
I was 10 years old and growing up in Belzoni, Mississippi. He
and T-Model Ford. Probably the highlight of those years was
was a part-time musician and I just started playing with him
recording with Hubert Sumlin for an album in 2005. I got to
and a few other guys in Humphreys County. I picked up a lot
play with a lot of people down here in the Delta before they
from him and his, but he died in 2005. This was right after I
died and, strangely enough, they were always looking for new
first started playing solo shows in 2000, before that I always
people to play with.
played alongside him. I played a lot with other people — guitar and bass, mostly.
CM: What do the blues mean in 2015? Is it still being passed down like it was in your day?
CM: Your most recent album, 2008’s One-Man Band, showcases
BA: Well, you’ve got two sides in that corner — you’ve got the
your work on a number of instruments including electric
old-school, authentic, old blues — parts of that can’t be carried
guitar, dobro, hi-hat, snare, bass drum and all manner of
on. They sang about the times. You can’t sing about cotton
percussions — not to mention a few homemade deals like
if you’ve never picked cotton and even something like the
cigar box guitars. What led you to branch out from your
pronunciation of the words — the cultural aspect of the blues
initial learnings?
— that part’s been dying off real fast. You can’t carry that on,
BA: Well, I don’t play like that much anymore — I’m old. It’s
but you can carry on the style. The new blues is different, you
tricky to keep up with and kinda hard on the body playing
know? Playing-wise and the format, it’s just different. When
drums with your feet. Most people sound better with a real
the electric guitar came out in the 1940s, the guys who stayed
drummer anyway, you know?
here in the Delta instead of going to Memphis or Chicago or anywhere else weren’t playing the same style. The Delta guys
CM: What have you been up to recently?
learned how to play the electric guitar for a better sound to
BA: I lived in Jackson for a while, but the whole time I would
get people dancing in the juke houses, and they played it
find myself coming back to Belzoni to play music. I came back
like acoustic with their fingers. But when Muddy Waters and
to study painting and sculpture at 52 years old as an older art
Howlin’ Wolf took it to Chicago, that’s when they started to
14 AUGUST 2015 | Click magazine
spread the sound out across multiple
last year. No big festivals or anything,
bandmates. It really evolved the music.
just a few clubs. A few years before
But here in the Delta, it stayed raw. The
that, I was in Sweden at the Åmål’s
guys who played electric down here
Blues Festival. I don’t have a booking
play loud, fast and full of information.
agent and I don’t get to play all the
Kind of like what Paul Jones played.
time. Being a local guy, when somebody hears you play and they want to hear
CM: You’ve performed alongside some
more, it’s special. I’m not that famous,
real legends — Henry Townsend, Hubert
you know, so it means a lot when I get
Sumlin, Big George Brock, Sam Carr
to travel to play.
and Kenny Kimbrough, to name a few. Who was a big inspiration for you that
CM: What do you think gives this
you never got a chance to play with?
particular brand of Delta music such a
BA: That’s one to think about. Probably
universal appeal?
all the guys who are long dead and
BA: People ask that all the time and the
gone, the guys from the 1920s. I’ve been
answer I’ve come up with is that a lot
inspired by a lot of their music. Robert
of people were listening to those old
Johnson, Skip James, Charlie Patton. I
pre-war recordings — some done down
really like Skip’s stuff.
here, some in Wisconsin, New York, and Texas — and those guys were singing
CM: You’ve performed around the
how they felt, which was pretty doggone
world, from Clarksdale and Chicago to
bad sometimes. And that stuff — that
Italy and the UK. What are some acts
emotion and pain — that went on
you really remember?
record. People can feel that worldwide.
BA: In June, I played at a festival in
So many people come around these
Switzerland called “Blues Rules.” That
days, Europeans who are into the old
was really nice. I also played in Norway
blues — that really interests me.
Click magazine | AUGUST 2015 15
up front
arts
The United States of Mississippi Roger Stolle’s journey from corporate America to Cathead, Inc., Clarksdale’s treasure trove of Delta blues history Story & Photos by CASEY HILDER
T
HE UNAIRCONDITIONED INTERIOR OF CATHEAD, INC. BOASTS wall-to-wall folk art and the faint, musty smell that only a plethora of old records can produce. Presiding over the organized
clutter is Roger Stolle, a hardcore blues fan and native of Dayton, Ohio. While Ohio isn’t the best place to develop an appreciation of the blues, the music struck a chord with Stolle, who took a fateful trip in the midnineties to discover the roots of its uniquely Mississippi sound. “As a longtime blues fan, it suddenly occurred to me ‘Well, I should go see where it came from’,” he says. “So I was really on kind of a dead man blues tour. I had planned to see grave sites and that was it. There was one museum back then and it was small.” Stolle’s 1995 road trip took place more than a decade before the Blues Trail existed, and very little information existed on acts like Big Walter
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Horton, Furry Lewis and Skip James. Moreover, Stolle would soon discover that many of the headstones and graves that held some of the older bluesmen were unmarked or eroded. With a patchwork history of the Delta in mind and several years from the advent of widespread Internet, he decided to look below the surface at a juke joint in the hill country of Chulahoma, Mississippi. It was at Jr.’s Place, a juke joint owned by bluesman Junior Kimbrough, where Stolle would have his first up-close encounter with the living blues. Surrounded by glossy folk art murals and juke joint décor of Christmas lights and scratched wood, this event was what Stolle describes as his “Alan Lomax moment.” “It was the beginning of being conscious of the fact that this was the place I wanted to spend a lot more time,” he says. “Junior sold the beers and performed, R.L. Burnside was there that night, along with all their kids and grandkids.” Junior died in 1997 and his place burned to the ground soon after, but that chance encounter had changed the then-30year-old marketing consultant’s outlook on life. He eventually honed in on Clarksdale as a base of operations, a place he decided had all the right ingredients for a blues lover to settle
obscurity. “Jeff Konkel is a friend of mine and we both have
down: the infrastructure, the players and the history. “There
little record labels that we’ve recorded blues guys on,” he says.
was just something about Clarksdale,” he says.
“We started collaborating on film projects like M for Mississippi,
Stolle soon left his job in St. Louis with a rough goal in mind.
which is probably our best-known documentary.”
“When I moved down here it, was not to open a retail store
Following their initial mission to engage people in the
— which is what I did – it was to organize and promote from
Delta, Stolle and Konkel produced a road-trip style narrative,
within,” he says. Stolle’s mission — which he would also
presenting an approachable concept for visitors packed with
accomplish over the years — was to celebrate and document
interviews and live performances. Showings of the film have
the Delta blues through film, writing, radio shows, recordings,
been held as far as Geneva and Norway.
booking and discovering new talent. He produced several
And with so much history, Stolle and company eventually
documentary-style films about life in the Delta, including
needed a place to house the recordings that had piled up over
the recent We Juke Up in Here, which explores Mississippi’s
the years, as well generate some much-needed income. “I
surviving juke joint scene and heavily features local bluesman
needed a way to bring in cash flow,” he says. “But I also wanted
Big George Brock. Stolle had previously worked alongside Brock
to pull people in, get the public interested. That’s the kind of
with his record label, Cathead Presents, which Stolle says was
thing that can turn a two-hour visitor to Clarksdale into an
initially geared toward raising the aging bluesman out of
overnight visitor.”
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up front
books
Malice in Memphis For members of a local mystery writers group, one man’s tourist destination is another man’s crime scene Story by KATHRYN JUSTICE LEACHE
“M
YSTERY WRITERS WALK INTO A ROOM FOR
by Patricia Potter might have you taking the stairs to your
the first
time and consider where we
room and skipping the elevator. And “The Queen of Hearts”
could most efficiently kill somebody in
by Barbara Christopher will make you think twice about
an interesting way. We discuss untraceable poisons in
wearing your red spiked heels on the cobblestones at Beale
restaurants — and terrify the poor people who wait on us.
Street Landing — in case you really needed another reason
We wonder whether that beam that runs across the ceiling
not to.
in church would hold up a hanging corpse, and how long a
Half the fun of this collection is seeing where these mystery writers will off their characters next. From the horse-drawn
dagger would have to be to puncture a heart.” Thusly does Carolyn McSparren, editor of Malice in Memphis:
carriages of Downtown to St. Patrick’s Catholic Church to
restaurant
Voodoo Village to Mud Island, the fictional Memphis, past
employees in the volume’s “Disclaimer and Introduction.”
and present, of Bluff City Mysteries is filled with revenge-
Members of Malice in Memphis, a local mystery writers
seekers, guilty consciences, and other wreakers of Memphis-
group, contributed to the collection of stories featuring
style havoc.
Bluff
City
Mysteries,
caution
Memphis-area
murder and mayhem against the backdrop of well-known Memphis landmarks, events and neighborhoods.
Stories range in tone from the borderline zany, cozy-style “Elmwood Blues” by Phyllis Appleby — which is heavy on
Does pub trivia night bring out your ruthless side? “Trivial
local color and light on plot — to “Murder in Midtown” by
Pursuit” by Melissa Royer will make you view your fellow
Kristi Bradley, a solid short with plenty of red herrings and
competitors with new suspicion — and wonder what really
emotional intrigue, featuring the residential environs of
goes on at the Pink Palace after hours. In the mood for barbe-
Midtown as merely an incidental setting. The settings of
cue? Read McSparren’s “Long Pig,” which takes place during
some stories are sort of characters in their own right, like
Barbecue Fest, and you just might order the vegetarian
the James Lee House (former home of Memphis College of
option instead. Staying downtown? “Murder at the Peabody”
Art) in “An Artful Death” by Elizabeth Smith.
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“Night Fishing” by Angelyn Sherrod takes place at the Burkle Estate, which now operates as the Slavehaven
Underground
Railroad
Museum
in Memphis. In antebellum days, the land was owned by Jacob Burkle, a German immigrant who was widely believed to be a secret abolitionist and whose home served as a stop on the Underground Railroad. In a way, this historical footnote is instrumental to Sherrod’s murder mystery, for Burkle’s extraordinarily respectful relationship with the servants on his plantation ultimately leads to a timely discovery of who the murderer really is. Like “Night Fishing,” many of the stories have history lessons embedded in them, and thanks to each story’s being introduced by a historical blurb about its setting, you’ll finish the collection a little wiser about weird Memphis than when you started it. Many of Malice in Memphis’s authors are
published
novelists,
including
James Paavola, author of the Murder in Memphis series featuring Memphis Police Department Lieutenant Julia Todd. Contributors Barbara Christopher, Carolyn McSparren, Patricia Potter, Angelyn Sherrod and Elizabeth Smith have published novels in a variety of genres. For others — Kristi Bradley, Juanita Dunn Houston, Cheryl Noland, and Melissa Royer — stories published in Malice in Memphis are among their first pieces of published fiction. Phyllis Appleby writes interactive mystery plays and writes, directs, produces, and stars in Death Du Jour Mystery Theater, which headlines Spaghetti Warehouse in Downtown Memphis, among other venues. Lest you draw the wrong conclusions about the creative and morbidminded MidSoutherners who make up the Malice in Memphis writers group, McSparren assures us in her “Disclaimer and Introduction” that they “are essentially peaceful. We can always bump off unpleasant people in our writing. No reason to do it in actuality. So don’t blame the blameless landmarks we’ve used. Remember, it’s all fiction.” Click magazine | AUGUST 2015 21
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25 Southern
MUSICIANS BY TESS CATLETT
From down-home blues to glitzy rock ’n’ roll, these
25 MUSICIANS have a style all their own. Click Magazine rounds up
THE BEST THE
MIDSOUTH has to offer as the summer concert season comes to a close
Click magazine | AUGUST 2015 23
SIDE STREET STEPPERS
Self-described as “vintage and vaudeville,” The Side Street Steppers aim to please. The four-piece act plays everything from Western swing to folk, adding its own twist to classic tracks. 2013’s sophomore effort, The Sweetest Peaches Don’t Grow On Trees, features tunes by Bessie Smith, Hank Williams Sr. and Mae West. Caravan Gypsy Swing band leader Chris Ruppenthal pops in as a guest artist to bring his jazz-influenced guitar styling to the record.
SOUNDS LIKE — Dixieland jazz; Vaudeville blues CHECK OUT — “Mississippi Heavy Water Blues”
PILLOW TALK
Rooted in pop-punk, Pillow Talk offers a fresh take on songs
PENGEA
about heartache and the one that got away. Originally a side
Female-fronted rock band PENGEA is back at it with the
project between vocalist Josh Cannon and guitarist Calvin Lau-
spring release of Tales from the No-Tell Motel. After months of
ber, the duo soon added guitarist Kevin Gibson, bassist Hunter
heavy promotion, the six-song EP is making the rounds in the
Davidson and drummer Sam Leathers to the mix. Although de-
Memphis music scene. It isn’t hard to see why. Vocalist Bob-
but EP Recreational Feelings is ambitious in its own right, March’s
bie Parker is one wicked songstress, blending grit with glam
What We Should Have Said sets a new standard. Hazy sound-
as she purrs over twangin’ guitar riffs. Jimmy Rodgers slams
scapes blur into plush melodies, proving that shoegazing alt-
on drums, with bassist John Davis and guitarists Kevin Green-
rock has a softer side.
burg and Robert Parker rounding out the line-up.
SOUNDS LIKE — Dream pop CHECK OUT — “Make You Real”
SOUNDS LIKE — Hard rock CHECK OUT — “Dreamland”
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BAILEY AND WYLY BIGGER
Wyly Bigger picked up the piano at age 4, and by the time he was 8 years old, he was already performing for diverse audiences. Now in his late teens, Wyly has swapped the keys for the blues. With two of Clarksdale’s Pinetop Perks Homecoming Festivals under his belt and a song on iTunes (“South Side of Southern”), Wyly has laid the groundwork for his younger sister, Bailey. She took up the guitar at age 9 and has been writing her own music ever since. Still in her tweens, Bailey has had her song “Best Small Town” featured on the City of Marion, Arkansas’, website and has placed in a number of local talent completions.
SOUNDS LIKE — Acoustic; Blues CHECK OUT — “Somewhere”
CHINESE CONNECTION DUB EMBASSY
With roots as close as Memphis and as far as New York, the members of Chinese Connection Dub Embassy have one goal in mind: unity. Determined to bring light and positivity to the world at large, the new-age group offers original tracks and fanciful takes on reggae standards. 2013’s Farmers Market Chronicles EP features covers of “Take On Me” and “Love TKO.” The group also released its first full-length, The Firm Foundation, that spring.
SOUNDS LIKE — Reggae CHECK OUT — “Get Ready”
DEAD SOLDIERS
In line with the likes of Willie Nelson and Johnny Cash, Dead Soldiers isn’t here to romanticize the South. Instead, the group fields its own ideas of life below the Mason-Dixon line. Poverty, mental illness and institutionalized racism are at the heart of Dead Soldiers’ discography. Compared to 2013’s full-length debut, last year’s High Anxiety offers a welcome change of pace. A mix of acoustic and electric, the four-song EP solidifies the group’s folk-rock sound with swaying rhythms backing rollicking refrains.
SOUNDS LIKE — Progressive bluegrass CHECK OUT — “Nobody’s Son”
Click magazine | AUGUST 2015 25
DEERING AND DOWN
When budding musician Lahna Deering met established bandleader Rev. Neil Down in Skagway, Alaska, in 1998, Down knew he had found his musical match. It wasn’t long before the pair released its debut Coupe de Villa — a foot-tapping, rock ‘n’ roll number — and began touring the U.S. By 2007, the indie duo decided to make its way to Memphis one last time. Lead single “You’re the One” paves the way for more after 2009’s Out There Somewhere, a breathtaking tribute to the sounds of the city.
SOUNDS LIKE — Sultry folk CHECK OUT — “You’re the One”
DEVIL TRAIN
Dive-bar staple Devil Train has been a fixture at the Buccaneer Lounge on Monroe Avenue since 2005. The five-piece plays Memphis soul and gypsy jazz and is heavy on the strings. Clint Wagner favors the fiddle, whereas Jonathan Ciaramitaro prefers the mandolin. The two also take the lead on vocals and guitar, with James Ray also coming in on his acoustic. National Bluegrass Banjo Champion Randal Morton is at the top of his game, and JD Westmoreland bumps the upright bass. Graham Winchester smooths it out with slick percussion.
SOUNDS LIKE — Bluegrass CHECK OUT — “Little Black Cloud”
HI ELECTRIC
Relatively quiet since 2012’s eponymous debut, Hi Electric remains one to watch. Championing unadulterated vocals and loud guitars, the group began as a backing band for Neil Bartlett. Dave Shouse of Grifters and Steve Selvidge of The Hold Steady were the original musketeers, later giving way to Alan Yee on bass and Henry Talbot on drums. High Electric’s first release garnered local critical acclaim and thrust the group into the indie-rock spotlight.
SOUNDS LIKE — Pop rock CHECK OUT — “Talking to Yourself ”
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THE ELLIE BADGE
A blistering mix of electro-infused pop punk, The Ellie Badge is reminiscent of early 2000s-era emo pop. The alter ego of twentysomething Jeremiah Matthews, The Ellie Badge tackles adolescence and adulthood, lousy friends and lost lovers. And after a handful of EPs, 2014’s full-length Vs. All Your Problems offers a highly-anticipated dose of a angst and despair.
SOUNDS LIKE — Indie punk CHECK OUT — “Friends With New Haircuts”
Click magazine | AUGUST 2015 27
YOUNG BUFFALO
Drawing comparisons to Vampire Weekend and Local Natives, Young Buffalo spins an effervescent blend of synth-influenced pop. The Oxford-based quintet made its full-length debut with March’s House, a deceptively upbeat record about broken relationships and self-discovery. Infectious melodies give way to lyrical distress, all coated with a haze of summertime sheen. Released on Votiv Records, House was a threeyear process ripe with musical awakening. Upheaval within the band temporarily called the album into question, but the Young Buffalo boys are back in the game.
SOUNDS LIKE — Indie pop rock CHECK OUT — “No Idea”
THE BAND AVON DALE
When frontman Conrad Polz and guitarist Matt McCarter first met their freshman year at the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana, they didn’t plan on starting a band. Both members of the university’s wrestling team, Polz and McCarter spent their free time jamming at Polz’s house on Avondale Avenue. But when the duo caught the attention of drummer Alec Heist, they decided to get serious. They began playing gigs, and after graduation, the group made the move to Memphis. After adding bassist Andrew Allen to the line-up, the fourpiece recorded it’s 2014 debut, Dress It Up, at Ardent Studios.
SOUNDS LIKE — Southern Rock CHECK OUT — “Worst Case”
TIGER HIGH
Vocalist and guitarist Jake Vest is joined by his brother, Toby, on vocals and organ, Greg Roberson on drums and Leo Ramos on bass to form Tiger High. The psych pop four-piece kicked things off in 2010, and went on to release Myth Is This and Catacombs After Party on cassette in 2012. Now on its third LP, 2015’s Inside the Acid Coven, the band is hitting its stride. Recorded at Toby’s studio, High/Low Recording, the concept album weaves a multi-faceted narrative.
SOUNDS LIKE — Psychedelic rock CHECK OUT — “So It Goes”
28 AUGUST 2015 | Click magazine
MISSISSIPPI STOMP
For over two decades, the members of Mississippi Stomp have come together to cultivate the captivating sounds of the MidSouth. The group — comprised of five brothers and one sister — has played together and apart in a number of different acts before settling on its current incarnation. No longer interested in belting out well-known cover songs, Mississippi Stomp prides itself on creating an original mix of hill-country blues, rock ’n’ roll and gospel. Last year’s debut, Chickasaw Lodge, offers up a range of new and old produced by Jimbo Mathus and Ryan “Rando” Rogers.
SOUNDS LIKE — Southern rock CHECK OUT — “Hill Country”
HOSOI BROS
After getting its start in 2010, hardcore trash band Hosoi Bros went on to release two 7” singles: 2011’s Wine Witch, featuring the eponymous lead song and “Yellow Fever,” and 2012’s Snorlokk, which included both the title track and “Amberlamps.” Vocalists and guitarists Severin Allgood and Shawn Apple, drummer Jimmy James Blasingame and bassist Eric Fortenbery are getting ready to debut the band’s first full-length record, which is set to release by summer’s end.
SOUNDS LIKE — Thrash metal CHECK OUT — “Wine Witch”
NICK BLACK
Old school rhythm and blues meets modern soul on Nick Black’s sophomore release, Deep Blue. The follow-up to 2012’s The Soul Diaries, Deep Blue is a natural progression; mastered by Grammy award-winning engineer Brad Blackwood and co-produced by acclaimed musician Victor Wainwright, the album bounces from ballad to blues to boogie. Looking for love in all the right places, Black navigates timeworn matters of the heart over the course of ten songs. Solid in sound, Deep Blue offers a sweet escape down memory lane.
SOUNDS LIKE — Soul; R&B CHECK OUT — “Reason to Stay” Click magazine | AUGUST 2015 29
SANDERS BOHLKE
Slow things down with Oxford native Sanders Bohlke. The singer-songwriter expertly weaves powerful vocals with folk-tinged melodies for a haunting finish. Drawing comparisons to the likes of Amos Lee and Ray LaMontagne, Bohlke’s soulful croon leaves even the most casual listener wanting more. Including his eponymous debut in ’06, the artist has only released two full-length albums; instead, Bohlke peppers fans with bits and pieces across a handful of EPs. February’s The Night EP is the latest, with five songs chronicling his sonic journey.
SOUNDS LIKE — Indie folk CHECK OUT — “The Return”
THE JAG
Hailing from Jackson, Mississippi, founding members Aaron Tyler King, Joe Regan and Gant O’Brien were in creative cahoots for about 10 years before they made the move to Nashville. There they joined forces with Scott Harper, and, in 2012, adopted The JAG moniker. Acid rock bleeds into 70s glam, laying a trippy framework for innovative hooks and brooding bass. After 2012’s Mississippi Acid Pine Highway Tour EP, The JAG went on to record its sophomore effort with Bomb Shelter’s Andrija Tokic. The new record is set to release this fall.
SOUNDS LIKE — Psychedelic rock CHECK OUT — “White Horse”
ROSCO BANDANA
A melting pot of mixed influences, Rosco Bandana began as a straight-laced Americana act and has evolved into a progressive southern rock band. Elements of blues and bluegrass fuse with alternative country on the group’s sophomore release, Time to Begin. Released on Hard Rock Records, the album resulted from winning the 2011 Hard Rock Rising Battle of the Bands. The win took the band from dive bars and restaurants on the Gulf Coast to the main stage on a national tour.
SOUNDS LIKE — Country CHECK OUT — “Woe Is Me”
30 AUGUST 2015 | Click magazine
JOHN MURRY
Although the Tupelo native has taken up residence across the pond, John Murry hasn’t lost sight of his Southern roots. His critically acclaimed debut, The Graceless Age, combines familiar instrumentation with substantive lyrics, and weeping Americana glistening with gothic realism. Last year’s four-song follow-up, Califorlornia, shifts Murry’s focus from raw and uncut to something more modern. The timeworn traveler continues to flex the heart on his sleeve, crying out for something more while rejecting the absurdity of everyday existence.
SOUNDS LIKE — Folk rock CHECK OUT — “Southern Sky”
Click magazine | AUGUST 2015 31
EX-CULT
Ex-Cult emerged in 2011 with vocalist Chris Shaw, formerly of hardcore outfit Vile Nation, and drummer Michael Peery, previously with pop rock act The Magic Kids, teaming up as Sex Cult. Natalie Hoffmann came in on bass, and guitarists J.B. Horrell and Alec McIntyre joined in for the band’s breakthrough single, “Errand Boy.” By late 2012, the band had switched gears and taken up the name Ex-Cult. After two LPs and a lineup change, Ex-Cult is heading out on the road in support of its February EP, Cigarette Machine.
SOUNDS LIKE — Punk CHECK OUT — “Not a Threat”
SWEET KNIVES
Formerly of the legendary Lost Sounds, Alicja Trout and Rich Crook are back at it with the reboot Sweet Knives. The band disbanded in 2005 after an ill-fated European tour, leading the late Jay Reatard to embark on a solo venture. Meanwhile, Trout went to work with rock band River City Tanlines and dream pop quintet Mouserocket. Now, Lost Sounds’ synth-heavy legacy is being revived through pop-up shows around town. Hear bites from the group’s reconfigured discography at this year’s Gonerfest.
SOUNDS LIKE — Punk rock CHECK OUT — “I Get Nervous”
HOPE CLAYBURN’S SOUL SCRIMMAGE
A revolving door for noteworthy Memphis musicians, the Soul Scrimmage ensemble has featured bassist Khari Wynn, guitarist Robert Allen Parker Jr. and trumpeter Victor Darnell Sawyer. Multi-instrumentalist Paul Taylor of The Merry Mobile and Kickman Teddy of FreeSol have even been known to take up the drums. Led by saxophonist and vocalist Hope Clayburn, the Soul Scrimmage mixes funky vibes with soulful afrobeat style. With one EP out and a full-length album on the way, the group shows no sign of slowing down.
SOUNDS LIKE — Funk CHECK OUT — “Love Is On The Way” 32 AUGUST 2015 | Click magazine
TORI TOLLISON
A fixture in the Memphis music scene, Tori Tollison has been playing music for over a decade. Similar in sound to P!nk and Stevie Nicks, the singer-songwriter has a knack for delivering heartfelt pleas mixed with straight-up sass. Although she’s known for cover songs, 2012’s “Bed You Made” and March’s acoustic “Walk Away” prove that Tollison can hold her own.
SOUNDS LIKE — Rock ’n’ Roll CHECK OUT — “Bed You Made”
BASS DRUM OF DEATH
Originally a solo effort, the Oxford-based punk rock band has come a long way since John Barrett’s one-man approach to his bass drum and guitar. Barrett’s scrappy self-production offered up rough cuts of earsplitting garage rock that eventually landed on video game soundtracks and in ad campaigns. Now a two-man crew, Bass Drum of Death features Len Clark on drums while Barrett mans the guitar. Although the pair announced a hiatus in mid-May, the band appears to be back at it again with a few supporting tour dates lined up in September.
SOUNDS LIKE — Garage rock CHECK OUT — “Way Out” Click magazine | AUGUST 2015 33
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OUT&ABOUT A RO U ND T OWN ONE PARTY AT A TIME
all things social
Jeremy & Emily Matthews
Feast on the Farm
A
gricenter International’s annual farm-to-table tasting event invited guests aboard the Agricenter’s “country limousine” for an evening of moonlight and moonshine. Some of Memphis’ top chefs — including Kelly English of Restaurant Iris
and The Second Line — were on hand to create a number of culinary delights. Photos by MIKE LEE
Click magazine | AUGUST 2015 37
out & about
parties
Deb Nichols & Ann Terry
Johnny & Sue Roberts
Ben Patalano, Elliott Birch, Ashley Bradberry & Conrad Phillips
Lauren Binkley & Allen Willams
George & Bryn Wilson
David & Suzanne Brandon
Linda & Michael Spano, Karen & Gary Taylor
Jeanne & Richard Hollis
Karen & Jim Avery
38 AUGUST 2015 | Click magazine
Lori & Robby Parker
Marilyn Kain & Paul Coombs
David & Erica Marrone
Fern Dillard & Kelley Scott
Jeremy & Lindsey Renfroe
Kerri Morgan & Marilyn Kennedy
Click magazine | AUGUST 2015 39
out & about
parties
Eva & Harper Ward & Marijo Cox
Drew, Amanda & Natalie Ferguson
Grace Owens, Natalie Shoffner & Maddie Jones
Kristin Reich & ‘Sinatra’
Diane & Ken McNeil
Sunset on the Square: Seeing Red
M
emphis-based rockers Seeing Red kicked off the annual Sunset on the Square summer concert series on June 4. Sponsored by First Tennessee Bank, this family-friendly
event in Hernando offers the best in local music each Thursday in June. Photos by MIKE LEE
Jennifer, Allie, Sam, Emma Witt & ‘Laila’
40 AUGUST 2015 | Click magazine
Meghan, Cameron & Chaney Dawkins
Maddison & Shannon Welch
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out & about
parties
4th Annual Through the Roof Pediatric Therapy
Fashion Show & Silent Auction
C
hildren benefitting from pediatric therapy strutted down the catwalk at Through the Roof Pediatric Therapy’s fourth annual fashion show in Hernando.
Alice Figgs, Tiffany & Tre Wilson & Clarie Dawkins-Davis
Accompanied by their mothers, each modeled the latest in local fashions. The show highlighted attire from Center Stage, Jack Anna Beanstalk and Southern Comfort, just to name a few. Buon Cibo, Lady Bugg Bakery and Catering by Donna supplied an array of baked goods and other tasty bites. Photos by MATT FLOYD
Judy, Sam, Will & Mike Ferguson
Charlene & Cannon Belue
April, ‘Scout’ & Tadd Baxter
42 AUGUST 2015 | Click magazine
Leslie Wilson, Eliza, Mari Hendrix & Hayley McDowell
Julie & Angel Montgomery
Theri & Laney Hamilton
Heather & Annelise Peacock
Sha-Kiya Brown, Omarion Scott & Felisha Key
Jack & Sydney Mahony
Cohen & Sarah Perkins
parties
Amy & Jeff Simcox
out & about
Caitlin Jones & Adan Qureshi
Joni Rousseau & Casey Yoakum
Zoo Brew
B
Alesha & Jeff Deane
eer connoisseurs enjoyed stouts from around the world at the Memphis
Zoo’s
annual
Zoo
Brew. Widely considered to be one of
the Zoo’s most popular fundraisers, the exotic celebration offers the best in brew alongside live entertainment. Photos by FRANK CHIN Alithia & Keda Webb
Verity Goodell & Michelle Grabowski
Angel & Marcus Martin
Jennifer Warren & Christy Smith
Patrick Sweeney & Misty Roberson
Kelsey & Zack Zaharko
Click magazine | AUGUST 2015 43
out & about
parties
Aaron & Sarah Klimek
Emily Neff
Janet Lo, Kim Williams & Bob Cabral
Sara & Ravi Madasu
Brooke & Jerry Plunk
R.D. & Vicki Singh
Brooks Museum
Grand Auction
T
he culmination of the Memphis Wine + Food series, the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art’s Grand Auction offered exotic trips, rare wines
and exquisite artwork. Bidders could also participate in a special paddle raise that provided support for the Brooks’ outreach programs. Photos by FRANK CHIN
Kirk & Karen Johnston
Dr. Marc & Wendi Mihalko, Lisa & Jerrod Smith
Andy & Cathy Perkins
44 AUGUST 2015 | Click magazine
Merilyn Mangum & Robert Hanusovsky
Keri & Clay Chapman & Andrew Taylor
Betsy Brasher & Sarah Cate
Francie Saunders & Tiffany Parker
Click magazine | AUGUST 2015 45
out & about
parties
Barbara Arnold, Janie Garrett & Tina Moran
Carly & Melana Sain
Vine to Wine at the Garden
M
emphis Botanic Garden’s third wine tasting event of the season shined a light on a collection of French wines. The tasting
invited guests to indulge in eight varietals, as well
as a selection of hors d’oeuvres by Eclectic Catering. Photos by FRANK CHIN
Lance & Fiona Binder
Doug & Carmen McCage
Jessie & Tysheena Wakefield
Mary Helen & Mark Butler
Joe Witherwax & Courtney Murray
Kellie & Corey Doyle
Michelle Ybos & Shirley Danyleyko
46 AUGUST 2015 | Click magazine
parties
Marc Norlanders, Brussel Martin & Russell Baggett
out & about
Jeff Tilt
Brussels Bonzai Rendezvous
F
or more than 30 years, Brussel’s Bonzai in Olive Branch has been a destination for committed bonsai hobbyists. And each year, these enthusiasts make the trip for the nursery’s Memorial Day
Rendezvous. Bonzai masters from around the world come together to lead
Randi Heise & Gerald Nolan
hands-on workshops and offer demonstrations. Photos by MIKE LEE
Byron Myrick & Hurley Johnson
Keith & Cheryl Kowalczyk
Jack Douthitt & Michelle Zimmer
Darren & Laura Wong
Click magazine | AUGUST 2015 47
out & about
parties
Peyton Halle & Joanie Lightman
Tiffany Brimhall & Floy Cole
Crown & Sceptre Coronation Ball
C
Bill Corwell & Nancy Chase
arnival Memphis has served the MidSouth for more than 80 years. What began as an effort to promote commerce in the community has grown into
a celebration of the region’s leaders and overall economic success. Pegged as
the party of the year, the Crown and Sceptre Coronation Ball honors the King, Queen, Royal Court and Grand Krewes. These individuals are recognized for their service to the community and take part in a number of charity-focused activities throughout their reign. Photos by MARY ECKERSLEY
Mary Lauren Bobango & Paige Williams
Philip Jurgens Meyer & Briana Wilson
Mace Gearhardt & McClain Gordon
Ginger Collier & Preston Roberts
Sharon Fewell, Selina Smith, Julie Eaves & Cindy Shaw
Mike & Susan Shivers, Bridgette Trenary & JJ Krauch
Mithcell & Janet Spurlock and Lauren & Chris Winchell
Stacey Husse, Glynn Alexander, Kimberly Tayloe & Carey Snider
48 AUGUST 2015 | Click magazine
John Bobango & Lockie Dearman
Francis Winkler & June Leatherland
Anita Howald & Wayne Fewell
David Jordan & Caroline Carter
Tori Crnogorac & Jaime Fields
Click magazine | AUGUST 2015 49
parties
out & about
Carl Nichols & Taylor Kinard
Laura Scott & Lauren Blackstone
Mary Harbert Stromberg & Townsend Morgan
Lisa Thompson & Elise Freeburg
Charity Cobb, Ally Luciano & Anne Walker
Phillip & Missy Green
Parker Sexton & Elizabeth Owen
The Princess Ball
H
onoring Court,
only
the
Carnival
Royal
Memphis’
Princess Ball is an invitation-
only event for association members and their guests. Mark Anderson’s Party Train provided live music. Photos by FRANK CHIN
Parker Tenent & Collier Roberts
Emily Green & Morgan Sumner
50 AUGUST 2015 | Click magazine
Sallie Harris & Mary Strangler
Nannie Harris & Seth Young
Lizzy Pitts & Amy Walker
Regan Gaillard, Tiffany Brimhall & March Gates
parties
David & Michelle Croenne
James Yarbrough & Jimmy Glover
out & about
Dayton Engelbrecht, ‘Piper’, Kyler Pryon & Tyler Diehl
Jessica & David Ratcliff
Tim Hussey & Don Williams
Sizzlin’ Summer Kickoff Party
S
outhern Thunder Harley Davidson invited motorcyclelovers from across the MidSouth to its Southaven location for one hot kickoff party. Local bands Under
the Radar and Basketcase played throughout the afternoon,
and demo rides were on the table for anyone interested. Photos by MIKE LEE
King Pappi, Big Cell & King Dream
Lashunda Jones, Michael Parker & Henry Brown
Wil Gatlin & Lydia Kuhn
Click magazine | AUGUST 2015 51
out & about
parties
David Bunk, LaToya Sharp & Gary Gardo
Stacy, Nick & Betty Jean Harmeier
Blues Ball Spring Auction and Crawfish boil
H
eld at the Tennessee Brewery, the gala previewed a number of items to be auctioned at The Blues Ball this fall. A painting of B.B. King by artist Michael Maness
and a guitar by Ernie Patton bearing King’s likeness are among those up for grabs, as this year’s Ball will pay special tribute to the fallen bluesman. Photos by FRANK CHIN
Mike Glenn & Jacinda Norton
Pat Kerr Tigrett
Melanie Tigrett & Jackie Wilson
Lana Smith & Dr. John Rada
Karen & Taylor Luna
Jessica & Kim Hunter
Amy Reaves & Samantha Hayes
52 AUGUST 2015 | Click magazine
Click magazine | AUGUST 2015 53
out & about
parties
Hudson Fernandez, Jesse Ingram & Pinot
Susan Fernandez, Pam Black & Neal Cannon
Sunset on the Square: Say it Ain’t So
T
his cover band offered up a mix of country tunes and good ol’ fashioned rock ’n’ roll at Sunset on the Square in Hernando. The four-piece features frontman guitarists Jay Stone and Juno Aventon, while Rome McMinn
thumps the bass and Rickey Shelton slams on drums. Photos by ROBERT LONG
Kelli & Brian Baker
54 AUGUST 2015 | Click magazine
Shari & Marshall Galloway
Melanie Dupree, Diane & Lester Smith
parties
Charles Chooch Pickard & Valerie Calhoun
Angie & Zack Street
Taylor Wamble & Knox Shelton
out & about
Shannon & Paul Schuhlein
Tracie West & Alison Welch
Literatini
L
iteracy Mid-South and MarxBensdorf Realtors presented the fourth annual Literatini
benefitting LML’s Adult Learning
Program. The program serves more than
500
low-literate
students
annually and provides adult learners Barry Wolverton & Brit McDaniel
with free tutoring. This year’s Literatini
Jon & Rachel Dickens
featured hors d’oeuvres from The Booksellers Bistro and mixed drinks from a number of local restaurants, including Alchemy, South of Beale and Café Ole. Bestselling author Marja Mills, known for her Harper Lee memoir The Mockingbird Next Door, was on hand for a signing and Q&A.
Charlie & Courtney Miller Santo
Jessica Toliuszis & Christina Vranich
Beverly Perkins & Rodney Newsom
Photos by FRANK CHIN
Lindsey True & Andrea Schultz
Click magazine | AUGUST 2015 55
out & about
parties
Brad & Brenda Cobb
Jane Sullivan, Joe & Priscilla Musgrave
Deanno & Monty Wiggins
Jody & Kate Scott Pennock
Elizabeth & Michael Johnson with John Aubrey, Lucas Johnson, Nolen Shannon & Mack Johnson
Victoria & Carter Bobo & Jan Watson
Tunica Arts Council’s
Arts in the Alley
T
unica Arts Council sponsored Arts in the Alley, which featured live music by Tunica locals Byron Earnheart, Patrick Johnson and Dave Klimek. A celebration of arts and culture, the event
also recognized photography and other visual works, including a
children’s chalk wall. Photos by MIKE LEE
Anita Hastings & Lilibeth Withers
Pat Bibb & Eddie McGregor
Terry Lancaster & Brenda VanCleave
56 AUGUST 2015 | Click magazine
Byron Earnheart & Patrick Johnson
Yoriko, Hannah, Sho, Emma & Michael Sides
Clay Gentry & Laura Wright
parties
out & about
Zeta Phi Beta
5th Anniversary Celebration
O
n June 6, the Southaven Chapter of the Zeta Phi Beta Sorority celebrated their fifth year as an active charter with a
luncheon at Goodman Oaks Church of Christ.
The sorority also used this time to present their yearly scholarships to deserving DeSoto County seniors. Photos by MIKE LEE Telitha Ball, Vachenzia McKinney & Sophie Griffin
Mary McClain & Katrina Guthwright
Tommerria Hearn & Debra Sykes
Jerrica Birks & Tianna Howard
Kimberly Williamson & Stephanie McCarty
Auslyn Frazier & Katelyn Gatewood
Amanda Carter & Stephanie Thaddies
Jackie & Phylecia Mason
Click magazine | AUGUST 2015 57
out & about
calendar
SOCIAL AGENDA Your monthly resource for what’s happening around town
1
Spirit of SRVS Hilton Memphis 7–11:30 p.m. Sponsored by Sedgwick, this auction event features a wide variety of wines from around the world and a hearty selection of local fare. Proceeds from the 17th annual gala will benefit SRVS programs and services. Admission $75. srvs.org
7
Firefly Glow Party Memphis Botanic Garden 7–9 p.m. Light up the night sky at this family-friendly bash. Amp up your look at the Illumination Station before a dance party featuring an LED hoop performance and music by The Friendzies. Admission $12-$15. memphisbotanicgarden.com
Backstage Bash Orpheum Theatre 6 p.m. Step through the famous “Stage Door” on Beale Street for a lively backstage experience in Memphis. Central BBQ and Hard Rock Café will provide a delicious meal, and Buster’s Liquors & Wines has the cocktails covered. Admission $25-$250. orpheum-memphis.com
15
Splash Time at the Dixon Dixon Gallery & Gardens 2–4 p.m. Beat the summer heat in Memphis by running through the sprinklers and relaxing in front of the fans at the gardens. Admission $3-$7. dixon.org
58 AUGUST 2015 | Click magazine
15
Moon River Music Festival Levitt Shell 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Catch Drew Holocomb & The Neighbors, Needtobreathe, Switchfoot and more at the second annual Moon River Music Festival in Memphis. Admission $25-$75. moonriverfestival.com
Live at the Garden: ZZ Top Memphis Botanic Garden 8:30 p.m. Legendary rock band ZZ Top takes the stage as part of the Live at the Garden concert series. Expect epic renditions of all the classics. Admission $40-$74. liveatthegarden.com
22
Paw Prints Party The Racquet Club of Memphis 5:30–11 p.m. Enjoy live music by jukebox band Front & Beale and bid on live and silent auction items at this fundraiser for the Humane Society of Memphis & Shelby County. Admission $150. memphishumane.org
20
Art After Dark: Herbs Dixon Gallery & Gardens 6–8 p.m. Join Melissa Peterson, editor and publisher of Edible Memphis, on a tour around the Dixon’s herb garden in Memphis. Light refreshments and a cash bar will also be available. Admission $3-$7. dixon.org
6th annual City Wide Scavenger Hunt Gale Center Grab a couple of friends and put your knowledge of the Hernando community to the test. Participants traverse the town in hopes of winning a $1,000 grand prize. Admission $20. hernandorec.com
A Vintage Affair: Toast to Life Gala Memphis Botanic Garden 6–11 p.m. Party for a cause at this year’s Toast to Life Gala benefitting American Cancer Society. Admission $250. main.acsevents.org
25
Vine to Wine at the Garden: My Big Backyard BBQ Memphis Botanic Garden 6–8 p.m. Sample a selection of wines and beers fit for a picnic in the park. Central BBQ will provide the meal, and Minor Street Strings will soothe the soul at this tasting in Memphis. Admission $25-$35. memphisbotanicgarden.com
28
Silent Night Holiday Inn–University of Memphis 6 p.m. Hear from the evening’s featured artist, Tom Sullivan. An acclaimed jack-of-alltrades, Sullivan has done everything from singing to writing to producing. Attendees can also take part in a silent auction. Admission $100. worldcataract.org
29 Art Sale
Orpheum Theatre 1 p.m. Snack on hors d’oeuvres while perusing art from some of the MidSouth’s top artists in Memphis. A portion of the proceeds will go toward the Orpheum’s new Halloran Centre for Performing Arts & Education. Admission $10. orpheum-memphis.com
Click magazine | AUGUST 2015 59
out & about
calendar
ENTERTAINMENT MUSIC 1 Patti LaBelle Horseshoe Casino, Tunica 8 p.m., Admission $41.50-$102 ticketmaster.com
1 Ramcat Rhythm & Brews Ramcat Alley, Greenwood 6-10 p.m., Admission $20 greenwoodms.com
5 Kevin Gates Minglewood Hall, Memphis 9 p.m., Admission $15-$30 minglewoodhall.com
7
13
30
Tim McGraw
Belle and Sebastian
BankPlus Amphitheater, Southaven 7 p.m., Admission $30.75-$61.75 ticketmaster.com
Minglewood Hall, Memphis 9 p.m., Admission $32-$35 minglewoodhall.com
14 Jamey Johnson Horseshoe Casino, Tunica 8 p.m., Admission $26.50-$102 ticketmaster.com
14-15 Rustenhaven Roxy’s Live at Sam’s Town Casino, Tunica 9 p.m., Admission free samstowntunica.com
15
Outcry Tour
Sounds of Summer Music & Family Festival
BankPlus Amphitheater, Southaven 7 p.m., Admission $22-$42 ticketmaster.com
Byhalia Walking Park, Byhalia 5-10 p.m., Admission $5 byhalia-ms.com
7-9
21
Sunflower River Blues and Gospel Festival
Corey Smith
Downtown Clarksdale 4:30 p.m. Fri., 10 a.m. Sat., 4 p.m. Sun., Admission free sunflowerfest.org
8 Kool and the Gang GoldStrike Casino, Tunica 8 p.m., Admission $49.95-$79.95 goldstrike.com
9 Cat Head Mini Blues Fest Cat Head Delta Blues and Folk Art Store, Clarksdale 10 a.m., Admission free cathead.biz
Second Street Blues Party Rock & Blues Museum, Clarksdale 10 a.m., Admission free blues2rock.com
60 AUGUST 2015 | Click magazine
Minglewood Hall, Memphis 9 p.m., Admission $18-$20 minglewoodhall.com
Kenny Rodgers Horseshoe Casino, Tunica 8 p.m., Admission $31.50-$102 ticketmaster.com
21-22 Billy Jones Bluez Band Roxy’s Live at Sam’s Town Casino, Tunica 9 p.m., Admission free samstowntunica.com
28 Neil Sedaka Horseshoe Casino, Tunica 8 p.m., Admission $42-$102 ticketmaster.com
VISUAL ARTS 6-8 Art-er Limits: Oxford Fringe Festival Downtown Oxford 6 p.m. Thurs., 1 p.m. Fri., 9 a.m. Sat., Admission $5-$10 oxfordarts.com
through August 23 River Exhibition National Ornamental Metal Museum, Memphis 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.-Sat., Noon-5 p.m. Sun., Admission $4-$6 metalmuseum.org
through August 30 Arp, Man Ray, and Matta: Surrealists in any medium Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, Memphis 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Weds., 10 a.m-8 p.m. Thurs., 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Fri., 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sat., 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sun., Admission $3-$7 brooksmuseum.org
through September 5 V.I.P. Portrait Gallery by Andrzej Maciejewski The University of Mississippi Museum, Oxford 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tues.-Sat., Admission $3-$5 museum.olemiss.edu
through September 8 20th Century Color Woodcuts: Japonisme and Beyond Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, Memphis 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Weds., 10 a.m-8 p.m. Thurs., 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Fri., 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sat., 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sun., Admission $3-$7 brooksmuseum.org
through September 11 A Kind of Confession National Ornamental Metal Museum, Memphis 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.-Sat., Noon-5 p.m. Sun., Admission $4-$6 metalmuseum.org
through September 13 Surreal Kingdoms Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, Memphis 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Weds., 10 a.m-8 p.m. Thurs., 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Fri., 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sat., 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sun., Admission $3-$7 brooksmuseum.org
through September 20 British Watercolors from the Golden Age Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, Memphis 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Weds., 10 a.m-8 p.m. Thurs., 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Fri., 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sat., 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sun., Admission $3-$7 brooksmuseum.org
through September 20 Play Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, Memphis 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Weds., 10 a.m-8 p.m. Thurs., 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Fri., 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sat., 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sun., Admission $3-$7 brooksmuseum.org
PERFORMANCE ARTS 1-2 Menopause: The Musical Orpheum Theatre, Memphis 2 p.m., 8 p.m. Sat., 2 p.m. Sun., Admission $39-$49 orpheum-memphis.com
14 through September 6 Billy Elliot the Musical Playhouse on the Square, Memphis 8 p.m. Thurs.-Sat., 2 p.m. Sun., Admission $15-$40 playhouseonthesquare.org
21 through September 6 Buyer and Cellar Circuit Playhouse, Memphis 8 p.m. Thurs.-Sat., 2 p.m. Sun., Admission $15-$35 playhouseonthesquare.org
Click magazine | AUGUST 2015 61
Boho “ Blues THE PERFECT BLEND OF AND
glitz
grunge FOR A HOT NIGHT ON THE TOWN
Photography PAM FIELDS Models KAYLEN SHELBY & AVIANA MONASTERIO Fashion Coordinator MAGGIE VINZANT Styling and Makeup ALEXANDRA NICOLE Hair MARCIE KAY SECCOMBE
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Aviana: Top $40, Janie Rose Boutique; Jeans $84, Ivory Closet; Boots $63, Purse $70, Cuff Bracelet $14, Pink Coconut Boutique; Earrings $22, The Attic Kaylen: Top $60, Janie Rose Boutique; Pants $84, Ivory Closet; Boots $110, Necklace $98, The Attic; Bracelet $85, Bracelet $42, Earrings $24, SoCo Apparel Click magazine | AUGUST 2015 63
Top $60, Shoes $134, Janie Rose Boutique; Pants $20, Necklace $16, Pink Coconut Boutique; Earrings $24, The Attic; Scarf $15, Ivory Closet 64 AUGUST 2015 | Click magazine
Top $28, Bracelet $24, SoCo Apparel; Purse $60, Shorts $48, The Bunker; Vest $42, Shoes $28, Bracelet $18, Earrings $22, Pink Coconut Boutique;
Top $38, Necklace $18, Janie Rose Boutique; Shorts $38, Ivory Closet; Bracelet $20, Shoes $45, Pink Coconut Boutique
Aviana: Top $20, Skirt $29, Pink Coconut Boutique; Necklace $40, SoCo Apparel; Earrings $16, Ring $30, Janie Rose Boutique Kaylen: Dress $38, The Bunker; Vest $34, Necklace $28, Bracelet $20, Pink Coconut Boutique; Earrings $16, Janie Rose Boutique Click magazine | AUGUST 2015 67
SHOP THE ISSUE
THE ATTIC 2121 Madison Ave Memphis 901.207.1273 theatticapparel.com THE BUNKER BOUTIQUE 2424 Mt. Pleasant Rd. Hernando 662.470.4843 bunkerboutique.com THE IVORY CLOSET 103 Harbor Town Square Memphis 901.527.9538 ivorycloset.com JANIE ROSE BOUTIQUE 5627 Getwell Rd. Southaven 662.510.5577 janieroseboutique.com PINK COCONUT BOUTIQUE 5070 Goodman Rd. Olive Branch 662.892.8175 pinkcoconutboutique.com SOCO APPAREL 2521 Caffey St. Hernando 662.298.3493 shopsocoapparel.com
68 AUGUST 2015 | Click magazine
Click magazine | AUGUST 2015 69
YOUR LIFE, YOUR WAY. RETIRE CONFIDENTLY.
Life may be short, but it’s never too late to live it your way. I can help build an investment strategy that works toward your long-term goals, helping you to retire confidently on your terms. Call today for more information or to schedule a visit. TRUSTMARK FINANCIAL SERVICES Stephen Piacentini, Jr., CFP® 9039 Pigeon Roost Road Olive Branch, MS 38654 662.895.4775 Office 662.895.9023 Fax 901.238.4784 Cell spiacentini@trustmark.com
Not FDIC Insured
Not Bank Gauranteed
Not Insured by Any Federal Government Agency
May Lose Value Not a Bank Deposit
Securities offered through LPL Financial, member FINRA/SIPC. Insurance products offered through LPL Financial or its licensed affiliates. TRUSTMARK NATIONAL BANK: not registered broker/dealer(s) nor affiliate(s) of LPL Financial.
70 AUGUST 2015 | Click magazine
Jukďż˝& Joints
Dive Bars
Venerable venues of the South
Click magazine | AUGUST 2015 71
72 AUGUST 2015 | Click magazine
The Hi Tone
Story by Freddy Hodges Photos by Brian Anderson
Between its former location on Poplar
there when Billy Joe Shaver played. He
Lahna Deering of roots-rock group
Avenue and the swanky new Crosstown
was standing near the door that, to
Deering and Down has played at both
Memphis digs, the Hi Tone name carries
frequenters of the Poplar Hi-Tone, will
locations and says of the Cleveland
a lot of weight in the Bluff City. After 20
always be more closely associated to a
location since its 2013 inception, “It’s
years of shows that include hot acts like
wall with a handle, when Billy Joe tried
bare-bones at the moment, but they’re
Yelawolf, Lucero and Carrie Rodriguez,
to sneak out during a drum solo. Beasley
making music. It’s kind of cool that it is
the renowned Memphis venue, which
brought it to Shaver’s attention that it
the way it is.” At the time, it was little more
once housed the dojo of Elvis Presley’s
was locked, and as Shaver looked at the
than a cement room with a soundboard
martial arts sensei, Kang Rhee, moved to
main entrance, and the sea of people
and porta-john foyer pillars. But rock
its current Crosstown Shoppes location.
he’d have to roll through to get to it, he
n’ roll persisted. “The old building was
“What I loved about the Hi- Tone was the
decided it better to stay. “I ended up
pretty cool, and I know it has a lot of
intimacy the venue brought,” says Phil
getting to take a picture with him, shake
history, but we still have a place to play
Beasley, former Memphis Songwriters
his hand, and just hang out for a bit with
music, and that’s the bottom line.”
Association
a guitar shaman,” Beasley says.
president.
Beasley
was
Click magazine | AUGUST 2015 73
Photo by Brian Anderson 74 AUGUST 2015 | Click magazine
Photos above courtesy of Clarksdale CVB
Ground Zero
Story by Casey Hilder
From its historic location at 0 Blues
skeptical that a “modern” blues club
cooked pork and all manner of greens,
Alley to its iconic owners in Clarksdale
could invoke the same feeling as the old-
Ground Zero offers eight apartment
Mayor Bill Luckett and Academy Award-
timey juke joints of the region. However,
flats to rent for tourists looking for the
winning actor Morgan Freeman, Ground
local apprehensions would go away
authentic juke joint experience. “You
Zero Blues Club packs a ton of Southern
after the club, its popularity boosted in
can get all you want of the music and go
history in its relatively short 14 years of
part by endorsements by Freeman, drew
to bed listening to it,” Luckett says.
operation.
blues fanatics and tourists from all over
In addition to a year-round, near
“We got our start because -- when
the world to see acts like Mark Massey,
constant rotation of blues musicians,
Morgan Freeman and I used to hang
Daddy Mack and The 901 Blues Band. “I
Ground Zero serves as a regional hub
out in the nineties – we started to see
think we’ve proven the critics wrong –
of sorts during celebrations like the
all these foreign tourists out this way
the whole world is coming here now,”
upcoming inaugural Sister City Festival
looking for a good blues show,” Luckett
Luckett says. “Australia, Canada, Ireland,
and ongoing events by the Bridging the
says. “So we thought, ‘Why not open a
Italy, French, German – you see a lot of
Blues organization, as well as the annual
blues club?’ We needed it for historical
different people coming through this
New Year’s Eve Bash, which Freeman
preservation, and the area could use it
small town of 18,000.”
himself usually attends.
for employment.” The club initially drew its naysayers,
In addition to a lunch menu that boasts Southern staples like fried catfish, slow-
Click magazine | AUGUST 2015 75
76 AUGUST 2015 | Click magazine
The Lyr ic
Story by Tonya Thompson Photos by Brian Anderson housed his family’s horses.
It’s not every music venue that can
like Willie Nelson, Snoop Dogg, MGMT,
boast going from the Faulkners’ livery
and Modest Mouse have also performed
Falling into disrepair after its post-20s
stable to the third stop of The Flaming
at the venue, which is located near the
heyday,The Lyric was used for office space
Lips world record success for most
courthouse square at 1006 Van Buren
and a health center during the 1980s.
shows played during a 24-hour period.
Avenue in Oxford.
On July 3, 2008, The Lyric was reopened
Yet, The Lyric Theatre holds that exact
“The Lyric [has also] premiered a lot of
and quickly became one of the best-
claim to fame, and as the largest music
Faulkner films,” says Dillon-Maginnis,
known music venues of the MidSouth.
venue in Oxford, Mississippi, it is known
who notes that the venue has underwent
With capacity for 500 people seated and
for bringing several acclaimed national
several major changes since it was first
over 1,000 for concerts, the theatre has
and international acts to the North
constructed. The original structure was
been returned to its former glory with
Mississippi region.
built during the later part of the 19th
a multimillion-dollar renovation. Also
from
century, and was first used as the livery
available to rent for private events, the
Memphis to New Orleans playing eight
stable for William Faulkner’s family. The
bi-level venue offers several bars, state-
shows,” says Lindsay Dillon-Maginnis,
1920s saw the stable repurposed into
of-the-art sound and lighting equipment,
the venue’s general manager. “It was a
the theatre that would be Oxford’s first
multiple green rooms, and a beautiful
lot of work. The venue was completely
movie house, and local tales have been
lobby that combines Oxford’s past and
sold out and everyone was thrilled!
told of how in 1949, William Faulkner saw
present on unique display.
It was broadcast live the entire time.”
the world premiere of MGM’s Intruder in
Along with The Flaming Lips, music acts
the Dust in the same building that once
“The
Flaming
Lips
travelled
Click magazine | AUGUST 2015 77
on the money
A Penny Saved Citizens National Bank says “Yes” to assisting its customers in being financially successful
Special Advertising Section
employees helped us create a Vision Statement, which says, ‘Every client has a financial plan to achieve their earthly dreams,’” McDonnell said. “We work hard to live out that vision every day and make recommendations so our customers can be financially successful.” The Bank offers complete financial services, including home loans and trust and investment services, as well as a complete line of personal and business
W
accounts and services. ITH A ROCK-SOLID REPUTATION FOR BEING
As a bank steeped in tradition, Citizens National Bank keeps
strong, stable, and secure through its 127 years
moving forward by providing its customers with cutting-edge
of continuous service to Mississippi, Citizens
technology. Rapid Deposit Mobile allows customers to make
National Bank is grounded in a rich heritage. Since 1888, the
check deposits through their smartphones, and the CNB
Bank has never been acquired by another financial institution,
Mobile App has become very popular because of its banking-
and the Bank is committed to preserving the ideals of
on-the-go convenience.
community banking.
The Interlocking C’s of Citizens National Bank’s logo stand
The Bank’s business premise is centered on the Power of
for the Bank’s commitment to stand side-by-side, hand in
Local, and it continues to operate all 26 of its locations within
hand with the citizens of the community. The Bank is proud
the Magnolia State on that basis. Two of those locations are in
to serve the DeSoto County area.
DeSoto County: one on Hacks Cross Road in Olive Branch and another on Airways Boulevard in Southaven. Currently the Bank’s assets exceed $1 billion, while its Wealth Management
Olive Branch Banking Centre 7280 Hacks Cross Rd. Olive Branch, MS 38654 662.890.2860
division manages an additional $920 million in assets. According to the Bank’s President and CEO, Archie McDonnell, Jr., Citizens National Bank reinvests 100% of customers’ deposits back into Mississippi. “Area citizens may not realize they can make a difference when it comes to strengthening their community, but it’s been proven they can do so by choosing to bank locally,” McDonnell added. The Bank places a strong emphasis on the customer’s experience when he or she visits the Bank, and the employees strive to know their customers on a first-name basis. In addition, Citizens National Bank is keenly interested in the financial fitness of each customer. “Many years ago, our 78 AUGUST 2015 | Click magazine
EQUAL HOUSING
LENDER
Southaven Banking Centre 6296 Airways Blvd. Southaven, MS 38671 662.349.7255
1Investments are not FDIC insured, not guaranteed by the Bank, and subject to loss of principal.
Click magazine | AUGUST 2015 79
SEE&DO ONE T H ING NOT TO MISS THIS MONTH
S D
A Furry Affair August 8 When Emily Rygg brought an abandoned dog to DeSoto Animal Rescue Society, she had no idea what would come of the experience. Now, both Emily and Bob Rygg host the nonprofit’s annual Furry Affair fundraiser at Bonne Terre. Around 200 guests come out each year to enjoy live music, a silent auction and more in support of the organization. All proceeds aid DARS in rescuing abused animals across the MidSouth and finding love-filled foster homes.
80 AUGUST 2015 | Click magazine
Click magazine | MAY 2014 1