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THE MEMPHIS FLYER is published weekly by Contemporary Media, Inc., P.O. Box 1738, Memphis, TN 38101 Phone: (901) 521-9000 Fax: (901) 521-0129 memphisflyer.com
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I’m back, y’all. I had to let everyone — including myself — cool down a er my last column, “ e Problem With Memphis.” e post blew up on Facebook, with well over 1,000 reactions and as many comments, the last I checked. I don’t believe that many people actually read what I wrote. In fact, I know they didn’t; we keep up with how many clicks each story generates. And that’s what got a little under my skin. Folks are really out here commenting whole paragraphs about an op-ed they didn’t read. Or just plugging in the poop emoji, whatever. If you want to continue hating on Memphis, go ahead. I’m not going to defend me defending our city. If you want to know my thoughts, you can click the link — not just read the headline. ( ose of you reading an ink-on-paper hard copy, bless you. I see you — reading! at’s great. We love you, really.)
My attention span isn’t what it used to be because of the little black mirror tethered to my hand. Doomscrolling has presumably a ected the way my brain works. Little hits of dopamine keep me tied to the phone, tapping from app to app, and so I’m guilty at times of not reading the whole article (Shame on me.) But I wouldn’t air my grievances on a post I didn’t read. It’s just — people are so mad. And they got me red up, too, and the next week I wrote a reactive column, pasted the words in the computer program we use to get them from a Google doc to a designed page. And then … I deleted the whole thing. Because I am not that person. And I am not going to be another bump on a log spreading this infectious negativity. I guess we agree to disagree and move on. Ugh, y’all almost got me!
Can I positively in uence those around me?
If you haven’t determined by now, I’m a little sensitive. (But also a total badass, fyi.) So this task — writing to you all here — is a vulnerable one. I don’t want to use the space to rant about all that is wrong with the world and the people in it. ere is too much wrong to even tackle that. So I tend to take it all in and try to put it in context. I inevitably look inward. How can I positively in uence those around me, or my community? What steps can I take to help? Is there even anything I can do? I don’t always nd immediate answers to those questions, but I know that by being empathetic, watching out for my neighbors, caring for the wellbeing of people beyond my circle of friends and family, I am better equipped to be on the right side of things. None of us will make a change — for ourselves and beyond — screaming expletives from behind a keyboard or arguing senselessly with strangers online. What are we accomplishing? More division.
NEWS & OPINION
- 11
If you’ve read this far, I have a task for you this coming week. Give someone a compliment — a quiet coworker, a stranger in line at the grocery store — I bet they have cool shoes or pretty jewelry. Check on a friend — many are silently struggling nancially, emotionally, or otherwise — a simple text could remind them you’re there for them. Give yourself a break — selfcare is the best care. A lot of things are broken right now. Do not let it break you! Compassion is endangered. But we can lead by example. Be vulnerable in standing up for what you believe. Be supportive, be genuine, be kind. I may not have solutions to the city’s — or the world’s — problems, as some out there seem to expect I should. But I know where we can start.
Shara Clark shara@memphis yer.com
PHOTO: EVA BRONZINI | PEXELS
THE fly-by
{WEEK THAT WAS
By Flyer staff
Memphis on the internet.
TASTE>HYPE
Memphis Reddit users switched up the trendy “hypeover-taste” discussion happening on city subreddits recently. Which restaurants did they think didn’t get much hype but were super tasty? Nagoya House. Dim Sum King. Abyssinia. Blues City Cafe. e Crazy Noodle. Mad Grocer & Deli. Ali Baba. Don Don’s Hot Wings. Belle Tavern. And more.
MEMPHIS TO VEGAS
YouTuber
Bobby Bachir posts videos of Memphis pool parties and slicing. A short this week is titled “When you take Memphis folks to Vegas.” It shows a shirtless man jumping into the fountain outside Caesars Palace.
JA’S DAD
Questions, Answers + Attitude
Edited by Toby Sells
Lion, ICE, & National Guard
abo passes at zoo, Mason approves an immigration prison, Lee readies troops for D.C.
LION DIES
e Memphis Zoo’s only male lion died recently, the zoo announced last week.
abo the lion was 16 and had surgery to remove a bladder stone that had “been causing him signi cant pain.”
e procedure was a “calculated risk,” the zoo said, given abo’s age.
“Despite the best e orts of our skilled veterinary and keeper teams, abo stopped breathing during recovery, and resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful,” reads a Facebook post from the zoo. “Our sta performed heroically, and their grief mirrors that of everyone who knew and loved him.”
abo was born at the Tulsa Zoo in 2009. For nearly 15 years, he was one of the rst and last animals to be seen by visitors to the Memphis Zoo’s Cat Country exhibit.
MASON ICE FACILITY
O cials in Mason approved a contract with private prison corporation CoreCivic to operate the former West Tennessee Detention Facility as an immigration detention facility last week.
e Mason Board of Mayor and Aldermen called a special meeting to review two contracts: one between the town and CoreCivic, and one between the town and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
A er a chaotic exchange between aldermen and a crowd of constituents and residents of nearby towns in West Tennessee, the board approved the CoreCivic contract 4-1 with two abstentions. e ICE contract passed 3-2 with two abstentions. e ACLU later challenged the vote.
Crowds anked the 1,500-person town’s Main Street more than 40 minutes before the meeting began, holding signs decrying ICE and opposing the facility’s reopening. e 600-bed prison closed in 2021 a er the Department of Justice, under order from then-President Joe Biden, did not renew its contract with CoreCivic to operate the facility. President Donald Trump reversed Biden’s order against contracting with private detention facilities in January.
LUCY J’S ANNIVERSARY
As Lucy J’s Bakery prepares to celebrate seven years in
business, the shop continues to be driven by not just a love of food but by a mission to provide jobs and livable wages for people transitioning out of homelessness. e bakery partners with the Dorothy Day House to o er job training, employment, and livable wages to employees.
LEE READIES GUARD FOR D.C.
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee said last week he was ready to deploy National Guard troops to Washington, D.C., as part of President Donald Trump’s federal takeover of the police force there.
Lee said he spoke with U.S. Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll, who told him the military could be requesting states to send troops to the nation’s capital for law enforcement.
“I told him we would be obviously willing to work with them on whatever they needed. e current status, I cannot speak to, but the request … of interest was made, and I expressed interest,” Lee said in a press conference following a groundbreaking for Australian-owned Barrett Firearms south of Murfreesboro.
Recently, Lee mobilized Guard members to provide backing for ICE as it continues its mass deportation e orts. Guard personnel are to help with paperwork and logistics to give ICE agents more time to concentrate on arresting immigrants who allegedly lack documentation for permanent citizenship.
Tennessee Lookout contributed to this report.
Visit the News Blog at memphis yer.com for fuller versions of these stories and more local news.
Concept art of Ja Morant with his dad for NBA 2K26 is oating around. Make. is. Happen.
PHOTO: JOHN PARTIPILO TENNESSEE LOOKOUT
A meeting of the Mason Board of Aldermen got heated as the board approved a contract between the town and CoreCivic, and another between the town and ICE.
‘Team
Sport’ Crimes {
STATE WATCH
By Kailynn Johnson and Toby Sells
Senators review charges for felony murder, being liable for a murder even if you didn’t pull the trigger.
A
state Senate panel review of Tennessee’s law on criminal responsibility — especially felony murder — in a session last ursday included gut-wrenching personal testimony, expert explanation, and personal sniping among Shelby County lawmakers.
Criminal responsibility means you can be held liable for a crime committed by someone else even if you just helped them. For instance, in felony murder, a type of criminal responsibility, you can be charged with murder even if you’re just the getaway driver (or aided in the crime in another way) and did not commit the murder yourself.
“An example I hear o en is a young person is driving a vehicle,” said state Senator Raumesh Akbari (D-Memphis). “ ey know that their friend is gonna go in there and possibly rob the store. But they have no knowledge that [their friend is] going to commit murder. So the person goes in, commits murder, and the driver is also charged with murder.”
Akbari carried legislation to change Tennessee’s law on felony murder in the
last session of the Tennessee General Assembly. e bill would have allowed individuals to be held accountable only for “their own actions.” e bill failed.
“We’re not trying to stop someone from being punished,” Akbari said last ursday. “If they commit a crime, they should be punished. But aligning the punishment with the crime, that’s our goal.”
But state Senator Kerry Roberts (R-Spring eld) suggested the idea get a thorough review in a “summer study” hearing during the legislature’s o -season. No votes are taken in these meetings. But information shared in them helps inform legislation and votes in coming sessions.
Roberts said his interest in the topic came a er visits with inmates at Nashville’s Debra K. Johnson Rehabilitation Center, formerly known as the Tennessee Prison for Women. He said he heard from many there that “I was young. I was dumb. I was in the car when he killed someone and I didn’t know he was going to kill someone.” Some of these women, he said, were charged and convicted of felony murder and o ered a deal of 10 to 15 years in prison or risk trial and pos-
sibly serve for life.
“People spending 15 or 20 years in jail because they were in proximity to someone who did something they were not expecting them to do is a legitimate policy question,” Roberts said. “Is that what we want to do?”
Roberts response came a er state Senator Brent Taylor (R-Memphis) said the bill was a “solution looking for a problem,” a derisive phrase o en used by lawmakers to claim a bill is overthought, goes too far, or is partisan beyond everyday usefulness.
Taylor also said the entire hearing last ursday was a “waste of time.”
e hearing ended with powerful testimony from a group of women who have experienced repercussions of Tennessee’s felony murder law rst-hand, either as one who has been sentenced with it or who has a loved one who has. e ve women who spoke united under the name “Separate Acts Separate Facts Coalition.”
Ashlee Sellars said she was 17 when an adult man she was staying with murdered Cynthia Page, a 23-year-old college student at the University of Tennessee.
e man asked Sellars to drive him to a
church, was gone for awhile, and came back later with a purse and money bag. While he was gone, he’d robbed the restaurant that Page managed, killed her, and took her purse.
Page was not present at the killing, nor did she have any previous knowledge of it. But she did not call police because of, she said, a mistrust of authorities stemming from a childhood of physical and sexual abuse with no help from law enforcement.
“ e state aggressively prosecuted me, implying my involvement because I did not call law enforcement,” she told lawmakers. “No one considered the ‘why’ … why I did not call them. [But] under Tennessee’s felony murder and criminal responsibility statute, I was prosecuted and convicted. Beginning at the age of 17, I spent over 21 years in prison, my rst two in solitary con nement.”
MATTHEW ANSLEY VIA UNSPLASH
SAT NOVEMBER 8
10a-4p CROSSTOWN CONCOURSE
It’s the holiday shopping event with serious personality! Meet some of the Mid-South’s most creative makers, crafters, and artists - just in time to find the perfect, not-so-basic gifts.
Meet some of the Mid-South’s
Shop local. Sip seasonal. Celebrate creativity.
While you shop, enjoy seasonal brews and good vibes in our Crafts & Drafts Beer Garden, plus all the festive fun Crosstown has to offer.
It Won’t Go Away
e crime issue still looms, iceberg-like, on the horizon.
e issue of National Guardsmen patrolling Washington, D.C., at President Trump’s behest has spiraled into a Pete-Repeat process whereby the governors of MAGA-controlled states are following suit with pledges to send National Guard contingents to the streets of the nation’s capital from their own jurisdictions.
Add to the list Tennessee Governor Bill Lee, who has indicated such an intention.
Question: Will Lee at some point also consider dispatching state guard members to the Blu City, which, as he and other members of the state’s GOP-dominated hierarchy have never tired of mentioning, has had crime outbreaks?
And what does GOP state Senator Brent Taylor, he of so much self-generated “Make Memphis Matter” anti-crime theatrics, think of the idea of further state or federal intervention in Memphis crime control?
In one of several Facebook posts last week, Taylor said, “President Trump’s focus on crime is exactly what we need in Memphis, and I appreciate [GOP U.S.] Senator Marsha Blackburn’s tireless advocacy to #MakeMemphisMatter with the FBI and DOJ to get federal resources to help us with our crime challenge.”
but he continues to hector Mulroy on various procedural issues.
And the state senator maintains that the stock of his “Make Memphis Matter” campaign is still rising, citing an over ow turnout for him last week at a fundraiser at the home of veteran Memphis political broker Jack Sammons.
“ ere were more than 225 people there and I am still collecting checks,” boasts Taylor. “I am receiving checks in the mail from people who are saying on their note that it was so crowded they le and mailed me their check. We anticipate reporting $250,000 raised at this event.”
Among the attendees at the fundraiser were numerous local Republicans and such state GOP gures as Lieutenant Governor Randy McNally and state Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson. e other major announced Republican candidate for governor, 6th District Congressman Paul Rose, was also there.
Taylor cites the recently announced results of Operation Safe Streets, a joint e ort at gang control by local, state, and federal authorities, resulting, he said, “in the arrest of 141 violent fugitives, including 14 wanted for homicide, and clearing 163 arrest warrants.”
Says Taylor: “I’m thrilled about the federal presence in Memphis, targeting criminals and making our streets safer.” He bestows much credit for the outcome of Operation Safe Streets to Blackburn, whose campaign for governor, formally announced last week, Taylor has endorsed.
Blackburn has, for her part, made a point of praising Taylor in several recent public statements and online communications and encouraging his local and statewide e orts on the crime-control issue.
Taylor failed to get any traction for his much-ballyhooed and clearly unrealistic e ort in the 2025 session of the state General Assembly to force state removal from o ce of Shelby County DA Steve Mulroy,
Tellingly, perhaps, the event even attracted a few well-known Democratic gures, like former county commissioners Sidney Chism and Van Turner, who may have attended out of courtesy or simple curiosity.
One invitee who did not attend the a air — because of a schedule con ict, she said on Facebook — was local Democrat Norma Lester. “I won’t be making a donation but absolutely will attend if the opportunity again presents itself,” Lester added. “Before tongues wag, let me go on record as saying I am an independent Democrat and not missing anything of interest because of party-loyalty bullshit!”
What all of this portends is that the crime issue still looms, iceberg-like, on the civic and political horizons of Memphis and Shelby County, and that, locally as well as nationally, concerns about the matter are not being dissipated by statements, however authentic, from various o cial sources claiming statistical reductions in the incidence of crime.
PHOTO: CHRIS THOMAS | FACEBOOK Brent Taylor at Sammons’ fundraiser
CALENDAR
MUSIC
WEDNESDAY AUGUST 27
THE HARNSBERGER/ JONES DUO with special guests THE UNIVERSITY OF MEMPHIS PERCUSSION
7:30 PM | THE GREEN ROOM
MUSIC
FRIDAY AUGUST 29
SIMON JOYNER and the NERVOUS STARS
+ LEAH SENIOR + AQUARIAN BLOOD
7:30 PM | THE GREEN ROOM
Big Balls
It pays to have friends in high places.
Last week, President Donald Trump, citing Section 740 of the Washington, D.C., Home Rule Act, announced he was taking control of that city’s police department and also deploying 800 National Guard troops to its streets.
Section 740 says “whenever the President of the United States determines that special conditions of an emergency nature exist which require the use of the Metropolitan Police force for Federal purposes, he may direct the Mayor to provide him, and the Mayor shall provide, such services of the Metropolitan Police force as the President may deem necessary and appropriate.” What “federal purposes” were being invoked? Who knows? e president’s also supposed to get approval from Congress a er 30 days, but why get picky at this point?
As many have pointed out, crime in Washington, D.C., has dropped over the past few years, as it has in most of the nation. Undeterred by Facts (which should be the title of the inevitable Trump bio-pic), Trump vowed “historic action to rescue our nation’s capital from crime, bloodshed, bedlam, and squalor, and worse.” Worse! He added that he is considering similar moves in other cities. at same night on e Five on Fox News, Memphis’ own Harold Ford Jr., who represented the 9th District in Congress for 10 years, praised Trump’s actions. “No one wants their pocketbook stolen,” Ford said. “No one wants their kids attacked. No one wants their sister or mom raped.”
Ford went on to criticize Democrats for not taking crime more seriously, then went full MAGA: “ e president said … I hope we nd a way to take it to Chicago and Baltimore and Memphis and Denver and Atlanta — other places where you have communities wracked by crime. Liberals don’t like crime; conservatives don’t like crime; Blacks don’t like crime; whites don’t like crime. Let’s get rid of it. at’s why I was pleased and encouraged by what the president did today.” In case you were wondering, Ford Jr. is touted as the “liberal” on e Five
So what exactly were the “special conditions of an emergency nature” that provoked Trump to take over the D.C. police department? is: Several unnamed Black teenagers beat up a white teenager named Edward Coristine near Dupont Circle at 3 a.m. the preceding night. Two assailants, both 15, were quickly apprehended and put in juvenile jail, but Coristine, 19, had friends in high places, so things didn’t stop there. He’s a DOGE employee in the
Social Security Administration, hired by Elon Musk. (He’d previously worked as an intern for a cybersecurity company, before being red for leaking company secrets.) But Musk hired him, and his nickname is “Big Balls,” so obviously he’s good people. e assault quickly grew into mythic status, with one right-wing pundit even asking Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt if the president might consider giving Coristine the Presidential Medal of Freedom in view of his “heroic actions just a few blocks from this building.”
Rather than smacking her forehead in disbelief, Leavitt replied, “Perhaps it’s something he would consider.”
Well, of course, he would. He’s Donald “Big Diversion” Trump, and since the Presidential Medal of Freedom goes to “those who have made an especially meritorious contribution to the security or national interests of the United States, world peace, cultural or other signi cant public or private endeavors,” who better to receive such an accolade than young Edward “Big Balls” Coristine?
Sure, it may sound crazy, but to be fair, previous controversial recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom have included Jimmy “Pea-Nuts” Carter, Lyndon “Large” Johnson, and Mother “E ng” Teresa, so there is precedent. And frankly, with his Trump- u ng this week, Harold Ford Jr. may have also put himself in the running for one of those medals. He just needs a nickname. Or maybe “Junior” works.
With several GOP governors now pledging to send more National Guard troops to D.C., it’s fair to ask, how did the stalwart crime- ghters imported by Trump do? I think the best descriptor might be: “underwhelming.” On their rst night on patrol, the 800 new rent-a-cops made 23 arrests, most of them for minor o enses. As one X user put it: “ at’s a 37-1 ratio of force results. is isn’t a law enforcement surge — it’s political theatre with a federal budget” — which is a phrase you could apply to most of what’s happened during Trump’s rst seven months in o ce.
2025 Educators of Excellence
New Memphis announces this year’s top teachers.
Great leadership is needed in every corner of our community — from the boardroom to the classroom — and New Memphis is a nonpro t organization working to shape leaders in Memphis. While New Memphis helps professionals in all sectors strengthen their skills and deepen their connections to the city through professional development, educator engagement is a key focus.
New Memphis supports early-career educators through the Stride program, in which teachers build toolkits for resilience and make meaningful connections to the people and places that make Memphis vibrant. Data shows 50 percent of new teachers will leave the profession within their rst ve years of teaching and 42 percent of new teachers in Shelby County leave the district a er just two years. But for the rst Stride graduates reaching the veyear mark, 67 percent are still educators, outpacing even national averages for retention. Additionally, educators of all tenures build community through New Memphis’ quarterly Teachers’ Lounge events, which provide opportunities to have important discussions with an educator-only audience over food and drinks at exciting local venues.
In 2018, New Memphis launched the Educators of Excellence Award to address a key driver of employee retention: recognition. Each year, the Educators of Excellence Award — a $1,500 prize made possible in partnership with the Crews Family Foundation — recognizes ve outstanding educators in Memphis and Shelby County. is year marks $60,000 invested into 40 educators throughout the time of the award.
“I hope that community members and other educators will be energized by hearing the stories of these winners, and inspired to get involved,” said Erin Ydrovo, New Memphis director of educator and collegian programs. “ is year, we had a 157 percent increase in applications for the Educators of Excellence Awards. While it seemed daunting at rst, reading applications gave the review committee hope to know there are so many talented, dedicated folks in classrooms every day. Our Educators of Excellence prioritize balancing curriculum with community and results with relationships, and it shows.”
New Memphis will celebrate the 2025 Educators of Excellence Award honorees at a co-branded Spillit Center Stage event on August 21st, focused on educator
stories with the theme of “Field Trip.” Meet the 2025 winners below and at the event, and you can see their full bios and register at newmemphis.org/educatorsof-excellence. Learn more about how New Memphis is living into its mission and get connected at newmemphis.org.
Dr. Angela Nichols, Academic Coordinator at Memphis-Shelby County School Central O ce Dr. Angela Nichols (she/her) is an academic coordinator for the Central O ce Memphis-Shelby County Schools (MSCS), where she supports multiple elementary schools and teachers with coaching, assessment design, data, and high-quality instructional practices. As a recipient of the A.C. Wharton Jr. Literacy Award, Dr. Nichols remains committed to empowering educators, building community, and ensuring every child has access to a high-quality education.
Brandon Sweeney, ninth grade algebra I teacher at Compass-Midtown
Brandon Sweeney (he/him) teaches ninth grade algebra I at CompassMidtown, where he also serves as the math department lead. Now in his h year teaching in Memphis, Brandon is in his third year as a mentor teacher for the Memphis Teacher Residency. He holds a master’s degree in urban education and a bachelor of arts in public policy and English from Duke University. Brandon is also a proud alumnus of the New Memphis Stride cohort.
Diamon’ M. omas, seventh grade English language arts teacher at Wooddale Middle School
Diamon’ M. omas (she/her) is
a seventh grade English language arts teacher at Wooddale Middle School and the founder of Rich O Education, a nonpro t that expands educational travel access for Title I students. She holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology through dual enrollment with Christian Brothers University and the University of Memphis ROTC program. She also earned a master’s in education from Union University and is currently pursuing her doctorate in K-12 organizational leadership at Grand Canyon University, where her research focuses on the role of travel in developing cultural competence and global citizenship among underserved students.
Isabelle Ciaramitaro, third grade reading teacher at Grahamwood Elementary
Isabelle Ciaramitaro (she/her) is a third grade reading teacher at Grahamwood
Elementary and a content leader with Teach For America Memphis. Now in her ninth year in public education, she specializes in supporting multilingual learners and struggling readers. Isabelle holds a master’s in education from Vanderbilt University, where she earned a 4.0 GPA and received the Outstanding Professional Promise Award.
omas Denson, pre-K teacher at White Station Elementary omas Denson (he/him) is in his 17th year of teaching with Memphis Shelby County Schools. He is a Pre-K teacher at White Station Elementary where he is the team lead and heads the WSETV News Station. He is an award-winning teacher receiving distinctions such as district Teacher of the Year twice for MSCS, Regional Semi-Finalist for the State of Tennessee, SPARK award winner, and TNTP-named top 100 teachers nationwide.
PHOTOS: LONDONZ EYE PHOTOGRAPHY (above) le to right: Dr. Angela Nichols, Brandon Sweeney, Diamon’ M. omas; (below) le to right: Isabelle Ciaramitaro, omas Denson
COVER STORY By Frank Murtaugh
Wes Hale
Ryan Silver eld
Ryan Silver eld’s place in University of Memphis football history is secure. He’s the only Tiger coach to win four bowl games. He’s the only Tiger coach to post back-to-back 10-win seasons. He’s only the third coach in more than a century of Tiger football to reach 40 career wins with a winning record. (Ralph Hatley coached his last game for Memphis in 1957 and Billy Murphy’s Hall of Fame career ended in 1971.) But Silver eld’s job description today is very di erent from when he took over the program before the 2019 Cotton Bowl (a er Mike Norvell departed for Florida State). Now the father of infant twin girls, the 45-yearold coach shared thoughts on where Memphis football has arrived and where he sees it going, with some important goals still to achieve.
Memphis Flyer: How have consecutive 10-win seasons impacted the program, and you personally?
Ryan Silver eld: I respect and appreciate the history of this program. I knew it was hard to do something special, even under Mike Norvell when we won 10 games [in 2019]. Last year, to get to 10 … people in Memphis are pretty red up about football again. We’re in a new era of what Memphis football can look like. Credit should go to the players. But at the end of the day, there’s still something missing: our not winning the [conference] championship. ere’s still that hole, that void. e players stayed dialed in [last season], even a er we didn’t have a chance to win that championship. ink about the win at Tulane. And then the bowl game, our 11th win. I’m proud of the direction we’re continuing. [Memphis enters the season having scored at least 20 points in 40 consecutive games, the longest such
The Power of 10
The Memphis program has now enjoyed six 10-win seasons, five of them since 2014. 1938
10-0 (coach Allyn McKeen) 2014
10-3 (Justin Fuente) 2017
10-3 (Mike Norvell) 2019
12-2 (Mike Norvell) 2023
10-3 (Ryan Silverfield) 2024
11-2 (Ryan Silverfield)
streak in the country.]
What has been a consistent thread over the last two seasons, one you can incorporate in 2025?
e biggest thing we’ve been able to do — considering there are so many di erent players — is players are willing to be held accountable. And allow themselves to be coached hard. at’s not a knock on our previous teams. But these guys get it: ere are certain standards. When I rst got here, you’d ask a kid to jump, and they’d ask why. As you develop relationships, they’ll ask how high. Now, when I walk out onto the practice eld, they’ll just keep jumping. No questions
asked. ey’ve really bought in. Whatever we need to do.
Entering your sixth year, you’re the face of that culture.
As much as I don’t like to be, I understand that. Most college programs are synonymous with who their head coach is. It’s di erent in the NFL. I couldn’t name 16 of 32 head coaches. But I can name every SEC coach, every Big Ten coach.
With the amount of roster turnover, how do you balance recruiting high school talent with the transfer portal? Do you have sta who focus on each separately?
We still recruit high school players. ere are a lot of programs that have given up on it. We’re signing more than 20 high school players every year. With the success we’ve had developing high school kids, do we sign even more? I think you need a plan for long-term success. at’s the only way to do it: recruit high school kids who t and know what we want. You get to know high school kids better, too. Recruiting in the transfer portal is speed-dating. Most commitments occur during junior year. You get to understand their academics, their mental makeup. Talk with their coaches, see their senior year. And then they sign a scholarship,
2025 Tiger Football Schedule
Aug. 30 — CHATTANOOGA
Sept. 6 — at Georgia State Sept. 13 — at Troy Sept. 20 — ARKANSAS
Sept. 27 — at Florida Atlantic Oct. 4 — TULSA Oct. 18 — at UAB Oct. 25 — USF Oct. 31 (Fri.) — at Rice Nov. 7 (Fri.) — TULANE
Nov. 15 — at East Carolina Nov. 27 (Thanksgiving) — NAVY
Brendon Lewis (2) is expected to start at quarterback for the opener against Chattanooga. AJ Hill (3) and Arrington Maiden (7) are also in the mix to ll the void le by Seth Henigan.
saying they want to come. You have a better understanding. We don’t miss on character when we recruit high school kids. With the transfer portal, we have sta that focuses just on that. Agents are calling [year-round].
A football coach in 2025 needs to manage a budget for his roster. How have you adapted to NIL (name/ image/likeness) and revenue sharing? You saw this coming. I’m ultimately
responsible for our budget. Not only the budget with players, but how much are we spending on recruiting, on food. As costs increase on everything, I’ve got to be cognizant. Understanding players who bring value … roster retention is the biggest thing for us at Memphis. en ultimately, are there players out there who can make us better? We’ve had players who came
continued on page 14
continued from page 13
from big programs who weren’t the right fit. We want them to be the right fit from a culture standpoint. Dealing with the financial aspect, that’s part of it. Last time I used an Excel file, I was an economics student in college. We have a strong support staff. Me with a [financial] sheet on my desk alone is not the way to do it.
Are you comfortable with the program’s budget?
I am. We’ve been fortunate, with FedEx. With [athletic director] Ed Scott and [U of M president] Bill Hardgrave, proponents of making sure we’re okay with NIL. We’re making strides in the right direction. It used to be who had the best facilities. Now, can you get more money?
Seth Henigan was a steady, successful constant at quarterback for four seasons. What can we expect this fall with the transition?
We’ll never replace Seth. [Henigan’s 14,266 passing yards rank him 13th in FBS history.] But it was the same when Brady White left. “You’ll never replace Brady.” We have three guys we feel are capable, truly an open competition. Brendon Lewis [a transfer from Nevada] has started 35 games, entering his sixth year of college football. He and Arrington Maiden are both big, strong, powerful. They can both run really well, elusive. Then you look at AJ Hill [the fifth-ranked quarterback in his recruiting class] who has worked his tail off. Intelligent, elite arm strength. He’s big, will look like Ben Roethlisberger when he’s finished growing. The cupboard is not bare. If Lewis is the guy [this year], we have a succession plan.
How quick will your trigger be if you need to make a change at quarterback? Again, they’re all capable. Early in the season, you don’t want to shuffle that position. People are going to make mistakes. Seth made plenty. Whoever we go with, we’ll ride the horse. And see what he’s capable of.
How important is an American Conference championship, an item you haven’t checked off since your arrival five years ago?
People ask me about the playoffs. You don’t have a chance at a playoff spot without that conference championship. It’s far and away the most important thing. Fans have said, “Man, that Arkansas game is important to us.” Last year, it was going down and beating Florida State. No, it’s not the only game that matters. I think about the conference championship; it keeps me up at night. The only goal we have as a team is the conference championship.
We don’t talk about specific games. We gotta do more, work harder. But as we get deep into training camp, we don’t talk about the championship anymore. All that matters is beating UT-Chattanooga. If you think past the next game, you’ll get beaten. No one cares about that Arkansas game if we’re 1-2.
The disparity between revenue at the power conferences and the American is significant, and it’s public. How do you weigh this (and share it) when trying to convince a player that Memphis is the right program?
It will always start with relationships. Why did [offensive coordinator] Tim Cramsey decide to stay? Why did I decide to stay when I was an assistant under Norvell? Because you believe in something. Our players are the same way. If you asked any of our players about me, I hope it would bring something positive. “He’s on us. He cares about us, and we’re going to get our degree.”
If Lewis is the guy [this year], we have a succession plan.
Also, we’re transparent with players. It’s gonna be hard. We’re gonna work. You’ll get your education. We’re not taking pictures in front of Lamborghinis. We’ll talk about film. We’ll have parents over to my house. There will always be someone with more money, someone with nicer things. A bigger boat. That’s the nature of this. But our players have bought into the way we treat them.
Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium has already been transformed, with significant changes coming. Can the stadium help the program reach a “next level,” however that’s defined? What we’re doing with the stadium: first-class program, all around. Ten-win seasons. Highest graduation rate in the conference. It all goes hand-in-hand. Football wasn’t all that important to a lot of people in this city. Now we have a $226 million renovation to our stadium. It’s a huge step.
Does the stadium matter to players? It does, but you know what else matters? Having fans in the stadium. The party decks, the plaza, better tailgating. These are exciting times. The student apartments going up on South Campus. We’re making the most of where we are as we get ready for the 2025 season.
steppin’ out
We Recommend: Culture, News + Reviews
Teen Spirit
By Abigail Morici
e Memphis Youth Art Mart began out of teenage boredom, the kind that pops up in the summer when school’s out. “We have jobs and stu , but outside of that, we’re not really doing anything,” Baylus Scha er, one of the mart’s founders, says. “And one of my friends was like, ‘Hey, we should do a yard sale for little art pieces.’ And I kind of took that and was like, ‘What if we made it bigger?’”
A er all, Scha er and her friends have been creative entrepreneurs since kindergarten, she says. “A couple of my friends and I would sew tiny pillows and sell them as businesses or draw on people’s arms and call them tattoos and stu . It’s always just been something I’ve been drawn to, so taking it to the next level is real fun.”
e rst Memphis Youth Art Mart was last year, with 19 teen art vendors representing at least six or so schools. is year, they’ll have almost 30. “I’m selling tote bags, T-shirts, prints, that kind of stu ,” says Scha er, a senior at St. Mary’s Episcopal School. “I know we’re having a lot of people selling prints of their artwork. We’re having a lot of jewelry, plushies, crochet. One of my friends is sewing patches and blankets, like entire quilts to sell. It’s gonna be a lot of di erent stu .”
To add to the fun, teen bands Parasoline and Above Jupiter will be performing live, and Albee’s Food Truck will be on-site. Scha er also has plans to add a cra ing table for kids.
Expect tote bags, T-shirts, prints, jewelry, plushies, and even patches and blankets.
Already looking to next year, Scha er says the Memphis Youth Art Mart won’t end with her once she goes to college next year. “I’ve got some people lined up that are willing to take it over, and I think they’re going to do a great job,” she says.
VARIOUS DAYS & TIMES August 21st - 27th
“ en & Now: Media and Messaging” Pink Palace Museum & Mansion, ursday, August 21, 5-6 p.m. Join the Pink Palace for a powerful panel discussion surrounding the repercussions of the Jim Crow Era on our community today. “ en & Now” is inspired by the traveling exhibit from the Jim Crow Museum, “Overcoming Hateful ings,” now on view.
All are encouraged to visit the “Overcoming Hateful ings” exhibit at 4 p.m. before the panel begins at 5 p.m. in the Giant Screen eater.
Moderated by Beverly and Howard Robertson, the panel includes include Charles McKinney, Otis Sanford, and James Dukes. e event is free with purchase of a Pink Palace general admission ticket and free for members.
Soulin’ on the River
Fourth Blu Park, Friday, August 22, 6 p.m., free
As summer winds down, Soulin’ on the River is turning up the heat with a double-header nale of can’t-miss concerts on the blu with Cherisse Scott and Will Graves & Soul. Known nationally as the “Voice of Reproductive Justice,” Cherisse Scott brings her powerhouse vocals and message-driven soul to the riverfront. Meanwhile, Will Graves & Soul are a Memphis staple known for their electrifying live shows, rich R&B vocals, and funky grooves that bring audiences to their feet.
Admission is free, and the good vibes start early with food trucks, cold drinks, and local vendors onsite. DJ sets kick o at 6 p.m. to set the mood before the main acts take the stage at 8 p.m.
41st Annual Ostrander Awards Ceremony
Orpheum eater, 203 South Main Memphis, Sunday, August 24, 6-9 p.m., $20/advance, $25/at the door e Memphis Ostranders are committed to supporting and celebrating excellence in collegiate, community, and professional theater in the Greater Memphis Area. At the end of each August, they gather to celebrate the wonderful work of the previous year’s theater season. Awards are given in a wide range of categories including acting, directing, and backstage contributions in the college and the community and professional divisions.
Memphians of all ages are invited to attend the 41st Memphis Ostrander Awards, a gala event. While the show will begin promptly at 6:30 p.m., the lobby will open at 5 p.m. with doors opening at 6 p.m.
MEMPHIS YOUTH ART MART, WISEACRE BREWING COMPANY, 2783
PHOTO: COURTESY BAYLUS SCHAFFLER
MUSIC By Alex Greene
Time-Traveling with Stax
Newly found live recordings of the Stax Revue in Memphis and L.A. tell a tale of two cities
In the great year of 1965, any soul fan in Memphis would surely have heard the buzz about the new music venue opening in March of that year at 645 East Georgia Avenue: Club Paradise. Opened by Andrew “Sunbeam” Mitchell, who’d had great success with his Club Handy on Beale Street, it was meant to be “something the entire town can be proud of,” as he said at the time, a classier alternative to other clubs in the city. And it was big, with a capacity of 2,500. at made it a perfect t for the up-and-coming Stax Records label, just a stone’s throw away on South McLemore Avenue, as its stars continued to gain more and more serious traction on the charts.
Until recently, any notion of hearing the sound of Stax artists playing a steamy Memphis summer club date in that era seemed like a pipe dream. But that’s all changed with a new release from Cra Recordings, Stax Revue: Live in ’65!, out now on double LP or double CD sets, and sure to thrill any Stax fan who’s dreamt of time-traveling back to the earliest heyday of the little label that could.
e Club Paradise recordings, made in June or July of that epic year, ll the set’s rst platter, and they’re complemented by recordings of the same group of Stax artists performing in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles only a month or so later, at the 5-4 Ballroom. Comparing the two sets can make the historical events of that year viscerally gripping, as the Stax Revue performs L.A. only days before the Watts Riots against the racist practices of the Los Angeles Police Department erupted. While the Memphis show is loose yet energized, the Watts show is positively frantic.
e 5-4 Ballroom recordings were discovered decades ago and released as Funky Broadway: Stax Revue Live at the 5/4 Ballroom, a CD on the U.K.’s Ace Records in 1991. Back then, as producer Alec Palao writes in the liner notes, “the discovery of the 5-4 Ballroom tapes was just part of the epic and ear-opening safari Ace’s Roger Armstrong had been making through the Stax vaults, a major excavation within back catalog circles.” And there were other tapes in the archives, but the Club Paradise recordings, mislabeled, were sitting on a shelf for decades until unearthed only recently.
As Palao explains, “I decided to investigate a reel Roger had told me about, labelled as assorted tracks by Scottish beat group e Fleets. Like many U.S. independent labels, of all
Mixing previously undiscovered recordings with some released in the ’90s, the album features electric performances by Stax artists.
Hear Booker T. & the M.G.’s live, only months after Donald “Duck” Dunn replaced original bassist Lewie Steinberg. This album is, in short, M.G.’s gold.
hues, the advent of the Beatles’ unparallelled success led Stax to take a gambit on a British-sourced master, and as a fan of the single by e Fleets that the company issued (‘Go Away’ on the Volt subsidiary from August 1964), I thought this other material might be worth a listen.
“ e tape had come from Decca Records in the UK and had clearly not been opened for decades, judging by the ancient masking tape that sealed the lid. But instead of banded masters as indicated by the legend, the box contained a loose ‘pancake’ reel, which upon playback revealed a lively location recording. With selections by e Astors, Wendy Rene, and David Porter, the between-song banter indicated the venue as Club Paradise in Memphis.”
The real centerpiece of the Club Paradise recordings is a string of tracks by Booker T. and the M.G.’s in what came to be known as the classic lineup of that quartet, only months after Donald “Duck” Dunn replaced original bassist Lewie Steinberg. This album is, in short, M.G.’s gold. But the four tracks by David Porter, who had yet to hang up his performer’s shoes to focus solely on songwriting for Stax, are also a revelation, and it’s clear he’s driving the hometown
ladies crazy. “David Porter, that’s all right, baby!” one fan shrieks. And, topped off by Wendy Rene’s “BarB-Q,” the first disc/LP is absolutely, undeniably Memphis AF.
Furthermore, the L.A. sets, while mostly released 34 years ago, also hold some surprises, namely an incendiary version of “In the Midnight Hour” by Wilson Pickett, which was not included on the Ace collection. “Due to licensing restrictions,” writes Palao, “Ace was unable to include this Pickett tour de force upon the o cial CD release of the show in 1991. Now, we get to nally revel in the unexpurgated proceedings.”
All these raw tapes were rendered listenable by mastering engineer Joe Tarantino, while lacquers for the LP were cut by Memphis’ own Je Powell at Take Out Vinyl. At a listening session at the Stax Museum of American Soul Music last week, moderated by John Miller of Shangri-La Records, Powell explained the painstaking process of working with audio recorded in less-than-ideal conditions. He made it obvious that this was a labor of love.
“ ere’s de nitely a di erent sound in the 5-4 Ballroom than what’s at Club Paradise,” said Powell. “And in my opinion, the Club Paradise recordings sound better. It’s a little more pleasing.
ey’re both really raw, you know, so that is the same between them, but the 5-4 Ballroom stu has a little bit of a harsher sound to it. It’s been brightened up a little bit before it got to me, so I tried to tame it a little bit, to keep it from distorting on the vinyl and all that. But I didn’t spend a lot of time trying to match the two because they’re two di erent things. So you can have the experience of being in 5-4 Ballroom in L.A. and the energy that was going on there, compared to the energy that was going on at Club Paradise, which is where a lot of the cats who recorded at Stax would go hang out a er they were done with their sessions. It still had that really cool energy, but it was a little more at home.”
en Powell took a moment to re ect on historical changes in music, performance, and recording, by way of celebrating of this new time-traveling collection. “I think it’s important for records to all sound like they are from somewhere, you know? If they all sounded the same, then we’re back to making everything perfect. But just because you can x everything doesn’t mean you have to. Anyway, they didn’t have the technology to make everything perfect back then. And the imperfections are what makes these records more beautiful.”
PHOTO: CRAFT RECORDINGS
AFTER DARK: Live Music Schedule August 21 - 27
Soulin’ on the River ft.
Cherisse Scott and Will Graves & Soul
Ashton Riker & the Memphis Royals
ursday, Aug. 21, 8 p.m.
B.B. KING’S BLUES CLUB
Baunie and Soul
Sunday, Aug. 24, 7-11 p.m.
RUM BOOGIE CAFE
Blind Mississippi Morris
ursday, Aug. 21, 7 p.m.
BLUES CITY CAFE
Blues Trio
Saturday, Aug. 23, noon
| Sunday, Aug. 24, noon |
Wednesday, Aug. 27, 4 p.m.
B.B. KING’S BLUES CLUB
Brimstone Jones
Friday, Aug. 22, 8 p.m. |
Saturday, Aug. 23, 8 p.m. |
Tuesday, Aug. 26, 7 p.m.
BLUES CITY CAFE
Eric Hughes
ursday, Aug. 21, 7-11 p.m.
RUM BOOGIE CAFE
Flic’s Pics Band
Led by the legendary Leroy “Flic” Hodges of Hi Rhythm.
Saturday, Aug. 23, 4 p.m. |
Sunday, Aug. 24, 2 p.m.
B.B. KING’S BLUES CLUB
FreeWorld
Friday, Aug. 22, 7-11 p.m. |
Saturday, Aug. 23, 7-11 p.m.
RUM BOOGIE CAFE
FreeWorld
Sunday, Aug. 24, 8 p.m.
BLUES CITY CAFE
Memphis Soul Factory
ursday, Aug. 21, 4 p.m. |
Sunday, Aug. 24, 8 p.m.
B.B. KING’S BLUES CLUB
Soul Street
Wednesday, Aug. 27, 7-11 p.m.
RUM BOOGIE CAFE
The B.B. King’s Blues Club Allstar Band
Friday, Aug. 22, 8 p.m. |
Saturday, Aug. 23, 8 p.m. |
Monday, Aug. 25, 8 p.m.
B.B. KING’S BLUES CLUB
Vince Johnson
Monday, Aug. 25, 6:30 p.m. |
Tuesday, Aug. 26, 6:30 p.m.
RUM BOOGIE CAFE
Live Music on the Porch ft. Jesse Wilcox
Jesse Wilcox, a singer/ songwriter who’s been part of the Memphis music community since 2010 ( e Doorknobs, China Gate, Day Kisser), has recently stepped out as a solo artist. He was featured in last year’s Tambourine Bash presented by Music Export Memphis. Saturday, Aug. 23, noon2 p.m.
SOUTH POINT GROCERY
Richard Wilson
Smooth, soulful, and original jazz and blues from this singer/guitarist. ursday, Aug. 21, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
BUTTERIFIC BAKERY & CAFE
Hear Memphis soul with the mighty Mississippi River as the backdrop. Friday, Aug. 22, 8 p.m.
FOURTH BLUFF PARK
Elmo & the Shades
Wednesday, Aug. 27, 7 p.m.
NEIL’S MUSIC ROOM
Even Odds Sunday, Aug. 24, 3 p.m.
HUEY’S POPLAR
John Williams & the A440 Band
$10. ursday, Aug. 21, 8 p.m.
NEIL’S MUSIC ROOM
Live at the Garden:
Darius Rucker
Enjoy this garden concert by a genuine country superstar, formerly the singer and guitarist for Hootie & the Blow sh. $91.65. Saturday, Aug. 23, 8-11:45 p.m.
RADIANS AMPHITHEATER AT MEMPHIS BOTANIC GARDEN
Red: A Taylor Swift Tribute
Whether you’re a lifelong Swi ie or just discovering her songs, Red promises a show that’s a true celebration of one of pop culture’s most iconic artists. $18/community, $15/ member. Sunday, Aug. 24, 2-4 p.m.
MEMPHIS JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER
The Deb Jam Band
Tuesday, Aug. 26, 6 p.m.
NEIL’S MUSIC ROOM
Van Duren
e singer-songwriter, a pioneer of indie pop in Memphis, performs solo. ursday, Aug. 21, 6:30-8:30 p.m. MORTIMER’S
Candlelight: Tribute to Adele
Rediscover the music of Adele as played by the Beale Street String Quartet under the gentle glow of candlelight. $41.70. Friday, Aug. 22, 6:30-7:45 p.m.
MEMPHIS BROOKS MUSEUM OF ART
Candlelight: Tribute to Fleetwood Mac
Rediscover the music of Fleetwood Mac as played by the Listeso String Quartet under the gentle glow of candlelight. $41.70. Friday, Aug. 22, 6:30-7:45 p.m.
MEMPHIS BROOKS MUSEUM OF ART
Dayglo Abortions
With the Brothels. ursday, Aug. 21, 8 p.m.
GROWLERS
Deborah Swiney Duo ursday, Aug. 21, 6-9 p.m.
THE COVE
Devil Train
Bluegrass, roots, country, Delta, and ski e. ursday, Aug. 21, 9 p.m.
B-SIDE
Dinosauria
With Neon Glittery, RussT, Javi & the Hyenas. Friday, Aug. 22, 7 p.m.
LAMPLIGHTER LOUNGE
American Aquarium is band loves having fans sing along to their meaningful lyrics. eir new album, e Fear of Standing Still, showcases a dynamic blend of country-rock and incisive songwriting. $28.50/advanced, $33.50/day of show. Friday, Aug. 22, 8 p.m. HI TONE
A Taste of Latin America Pianists Natalia Vanegas Escobar and David Cordoba Hernandez, with percussionist Bill Shaltis, will perform works that evoke countries such as Colombia and Cuba, by Latin America’s greatest composers. $20/GA advance, $25/GA door , $10/student. Friday, Aug. 22, 7:30-10 p.m.
With Weak Daze, Shame nger, Blunt Force [Small Room-Downstairs]. Saturday, Aug. 23, 8 p.m.
HI TONE
Dr. Z & the Indecisions
With Zed & the Rocketts. Monday, Aug. 25, 8 p.m.
B SIDE
Emily Rooker Album
Release Concert
A career retrospective with members of the First Congo choir. e new album is the result of Rooker changing her creative process, and as such uses more electronic elements. $20/general admission. Saturday, Aug. 23, 7-9:30 p.m.
FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH
FAKE EP Release Show
An acoustic/electronica set.
Saturday, Aug. 23, 5 p.m.
SHANGRI-LA RECORDS
FAKE EP Release Show
A full-on rock set. Saturday, Aug. 23, 7 p.m.
GONER RECORDS
Gus Baldwin and the Sketch
With support from Spoonful. Wednesday, Aug. 27, 7 p.m.
HI TONE
Harnsberger/Jones
Marimba Duo
You’ll be stunned by the expressive depth of the marimba. Featuring the U of M Percussion Ensemble. $20/ GA advance (plus fees), $25/ GA door . Wednesday, Aug. 27, 7:30-10 p.m.
THE GREEN ROOM AT CROSSTOWN
ARTS
(Hed) P.E. Detox Tour
With Horizon eory. Tuesday, Aug. 26, 8 p.m.
HI TONE
Jazz Jam with the Cove Quartet
One of Midtown’s best kept secrets, these players range from straight ahead jazz to the slightly out. Jazz musicians are welcome to sit in! Sunday, Aug. 24, 6-9 p.m.
THE COVE
Joybomb
With the Girls, Degenerate Breakfast. Friday, Aug. 22, 8 p.m.
BAR DKDC
Landslide (Fleetwood Mac Tribute)
Sunday, Aug. 24, 5 p.m.
LAFAYETTE’S MUSIC ROOM
Level Three
Wednesday, Aug. 27, 10 p.m.
LOUIS CONNELLY’S BAR
Lina Beach and Friends Saturday, Aug. 23, 9 p.m.
BAR DKDC
Marcus Scott
Saturday, Aug. 23, 9 p.m.
LAFAYETTE’S MUSIC ROOM
Ole 60
All ages. $39.45/general admission. Friday, Aug. 22, 8-9:30 p.m.
MINGLEWOOD HALL
Pat Vaughan Band
Saturday, Aug. 23, 8 p.m.
THE COVE
Wild Horses (Garth Brooks Tribute)
e closest you can get to a live Garth Brooks concert of the ’90s is a show by Brian Mabry, considered one of the best Garth Brooks tribute artists in the world. $25/GA advance, $30/GA at door. Saturday, Aug. 23, 7-9 p.m. GROWLERS
WiMM presents: Abbye West Pates & Drumma Bae Experience Drumma Bae Experience’s beats have rocked Beale Street and beyond, and Abbye West Pate’s honest, haunting Americana will stay with you long a er the last note. Wednesday, Aug. 27, 7-10 p.m. B SIDE
Rodell McCord Band
Saturday, Aug. 23, 5 p.m.
LAFAYETTE’S MUSIC ROOM
Runi Salem
With Mothcat, 86 Red. Saturday, Aug. 23, 10 p.m.
LAMPLIGHTER LOUNGE
School of Rock
Sunday, Aug. 24, 1-5 p.m.
B SIDE School of RockWolfchase
ursday, Aug. 21, 7 p.m.
HI TONE
Sexy Preps With Vitruvian In uence, Rev. Neil Down. Sunday, Aug. 24, 7 p.m.
B SIDE
Southern Grind Sessions
ursday, Aug. 21, 6 p.m.
LAFAYETTE’S MUSIC ROOM
Speck Joliet With Deaf Revival, Supreme Imperial. Friday, Aug. 22, 10 p.m.
B SIDE
Stax Music Academy (Orion Free Concert Series)
Saturday, Aug. 23, 7 p.m.
OVERTON PARK SHELL
Sunday Tea Dance with Strooly
Sunday, Aug. 24, 8 p.m.
BAR DKDC
Suroor Homecoming Show
With Raneem Imam, Zoe Dominguez. Saturday, Aug. 23, 8 p.m.
B SIDE
The Bugaloos
Sunday, Aug. 24, 3 p.m.
HUEY’S MIDTOWN Thumpdaddy
Friday, Aug. 22, 9:30 p.m.
LAFAYETTE’S MUSIC ROOM
Tower Brothers With Shorty & the Grooves, Maddy Ferri [Small RoomDownstairs]. ursday, Aug. 21, 8 p.m.
HI TONE
Welcome Home Tour: Rio Da Yung OG e Detroit rapper celebrates freedom and further musicmaking. All ages. Monday, Aug. 25, 8 p.m.
HI TONE
Dale Watson e Texas troubadour returns to his Memphis headquarters, the very hip Hernando’s.
ursday, Aug. 21, 7 p.m.
HERNANDO’S HIDE-A-WAY
Sunny Sweeney Sunny Sweeney makes it look easy. She’s just as comfortable commanding a stadium stage on tour with Bob Seger as she is pouring her heart out from a listening-room stool.
Wednesday, Aug. 27, 8 p.m.
HERNANDO’S HIDE-A-WAY
The Pretty Boys Sunday, Aug. 24, 6 p.m.
HUEY’S SOUTHAVEN
Happy Friday at the Grove
With Alice Hasen, D Monet, and Sarah Spain. Free. Friday, Aug. 22, 5-8 p.m.
THE GROVE AT GERMANTOWN
PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
Richard Wilson Saturday, Aug. 23, 10:30 a.m.12:30 p.m.
CONGREGATION COFFEE
Sinfonietta Memphis Concert
Sinfonietta Memphis is a dynamic ensemble led by conductors Kevin Sutterlin and Mathias Elmer, both alumni of the University of Memphis. ey will play music by Joseph Haydn and Louise Farrenc. Pre-concert pasta dinner available at 6 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 23, 7:308:30 p.m.
ST. GEORGE’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH
The Danny Banks Trio One of the city’s most indemand drummers. Sunday, Aug. 24, 6 p.m.
HUEY’S OLIVE BRANCH
Wendell Wells & The Big Americans Honky tonk, cow jazz, and barnyard blues. Wednesday, Aug. 27, 6-9 p.m.
MI PUEBLO WEST MEMPHIS
PHOTO: SARAH TOKI Emily Rooker
Hours of Operation: Mon-Wed 12pm-3am • Thurs 12pm-4am • Friday 12pm-5am Sat 4pm-5am • Sun 4pm-3am Happy Hour: 12pm-7pm (901) 363-3646 • 3918 Winchester Rd,
CALENDAR of EVENTS: August 21 - 27
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
“B.B. King in Memphis” 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 contrasts, 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
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. Sta across departments maintain their own artistic practices, displaying a tremendous variety of styles. 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
“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”
Featuring detailed model boats and original steamboat artifacts, this exhibit rekindles the romance of the steamboat era while sharing stories and insights about their role in shaping the region. rough June 26.
PINK PALACE MUSEUM & MANSION
“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
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.
PHOTO: COURTESY DAVID LUSK GALLERY
rough experimental surface treatments, Robert Rector’s Poetic Reconstructions, Amal Series 5 explores relations between nature and human experience.
Robert Rector: “Poetic Reconstructions”
Over his 50-year abstract painting career, Rector has explored 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
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”
“Speaking Truth to Power”
explores Bayard 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
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
“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
reality and dreams. Engage with symbols that ignite imagination and unfold hidden stories. Free. Sunday, Aug. 24, 2-2:45 p.m.
MEMPHIS BROOKS MUSEUM OF ART
Art Tour: Learning to Look
Engage with stunning works and enhance your visual literacy alongside fellow art enthusiasts. Free. Sunday, Aug. 24, 2-2:45 p.m.
MEMPHIS BROOKS MUSEUM OF ART
Art Tour: The Evolution of Artistic Materials
A guided walk through art history with docent Maria Kulma, focusing on how materials — from wood panels and tempera to canvas and mixed media — have shaped artistic practice across centuries.
ursday, Aug. 21, 6:30 p.m.
MEMPHIS BROOKS MUSEUM OF ART
“B.B. King in Memphis” Panel Discussion: Photography, Memory, & Music
Myke Newman, Ziggy Mack, and C. Rose Smith will explore the role photography plays in memorializing life and legacy, in the context of the ongoing exhibit. Free. ursday, Aug. 21, 6-7:30 p.m.
STAX MUSEUM OF AMERICAN SOUL MUSIC
Public Art 101 with Yvonne Bobo
As part of UrbanArt Commission’s Free Artist Workshop Series, learn the public art process from an experienced artist’s perspective, complete with tips, checklists, and creative exercises. Saturday, Aug. 23, 1-2:30 p.m.
YVONNE BOBO STUDIO
Tributaries: Leah Gerrard’s “Longline” 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. rough Aug. 31.
JAY ETKIN GALLERY
“Unmuted”
Curated by U of M graphic design professor Sanaz Feizi, this exhibit invites cisgender, transgender, and nonbinary members of the community to break the silence around menstruation. rough Aug. 23.
ART MUSEUM OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MEMPHIS
ART HAPPENINGS
Art Tour: Between Realms
Step into an ethereal journey where art dances between
Then & Now: Media and Messaging
James Dukes, Brittany Brown, Otis Sanford, and Charles McKinney discuss the “Overcoming Hateful ings” exhibit and the implications and repercussions of the Jim Crow Era on our community today.
ursday, Aug. 21, 5 p.m.
PINK PALACE MUSEUM & MANSION
BOOK EVENTS
Lauren Cannon: Chickenisms: The Art of the Pecking Order
A playful, illustrated celebration of joy, resilience, and unapologetic quirkiness — told entirely through chickens. Tuesday, Aug. 26, 6 p.m. NOVEL
Novel Manga Club: Takehiko Inoue’s REAL, Vol. 1 & 2
For the rst time, the club will focus on something from the sports manga subgenre. ursday, Aug. 21, 7 p.m. NOVEL
continued on page 20
continued from page 19
Tim Lupinacci: Everybody Leads: How You Lead And Why It Matters
e author speaks on his book’s premise that everyone has the potential to lead in their daily lives, regardless of their role or background. Leadership is all about in uence and impact. Saturday, Aug. 23, 2 p.m. NOVEL
CLASS / WORKSHOP
Advanced Mahjong Lessons
Join Cassie Lazzo, e Mahjologist, for a deeper dive into how to play your best game of American Mahjong. $50. Sunday, Aug. 24, 12:30-3 p.m.
MEMPHIS BROOKS MUSEUM OF ART
Cemetery Salons
An idea can be a vine, the mind a garden. Free. ursday, Aug. 21, 6-7:30 p.m.
ELMWOOD CEMETERY
Country Swing Dance Lessons
A partner is not required to join the class. Friday, Aug. 22, 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. ursday, Aug. 21, 7:30 p.m.
WHISKEY JILL’S
Digital Photography “101” Workshop
A professional photographer leads this hands on workshop. $126.01. Saturday, Aug. 23, 8:30 a.m.-noon.
COLLIERVILLE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
Figure Drawing (Long Pose)
A two-hour pose. Artists of all levels can practice and increase their skills drawing the human form. $12. ursday, Aug. 21, 5:30-7:30 p.m.
MEMPHIS BROOKS MUSEUM OF ART
Fundamentals of Figure Drawing: Gesture
Join Hayes Paschal for a journey through anatomy and artistic expression. All skill levels. $20. ursday, Aug. 21, 5:30-7:30 p.m.
MEMPHIS BROOKS MUSEUM OF ART
Hobby Kick-Start: Foraging for Tea with Nadia BlackmajesTEA
Learn to brew tea in your own backyard, locally foraging, harvesting, and processing your own tea blends. 16+. $25. ursday, Aug. 21, 6-8 p.m.
THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS
Houseplant Repotting Workshop with Sheryl Learn about the best soils and amendments for various types of houseplants, from philodendrons to succulents. en mix your own soil for your speci c plant. $31.30. Sunday, Aug. 24, 1 p.m.
URBAN EARTH GARDENS, NURS-
ERY & MARKET
Inspired Aging: Oil Painting Masterpieces
Embark on an eight-week journey to discover the art of oil painting, with Amy Hucheson. $250/general admission. ursday, Aug. 21, 1:30-3:30 p.m.
MEMPHIS BROOKS MUSEUM OF ART
Lightroom Classic Processing Made Easy
Learn how to edit your images like a PRO! $126.01. Saturday, Aug. 23, 1-4:30 p.m.
COLLIERVILLE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
Lunchtime Meditations
Visit the Dixon for free meditation sessions every Friday. Friday, Aug. 22, noon-12:30 p.m.
THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS
Museum Muses:
Sunflower Tea Coasters
Sayali Abhyankar for a creative a ernoon exploring the vibrant world of Madhubani painting, learning to create a set of hand-painted sun ower tea coasters. Free. Saturday, Aug. 23, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
MORTON MUSEUM OF COLLIER-
VILLE HISTORY
Picture This: Photography for Small Biz & Social Media
Covers lighting, composition, product photography, and simple editing tools like Canva. Saturday, Aug. 23, noon-2 p.m.
RALEIGH LIBRARY
Sketching with Thread: Textile Workshop
Using hand-sewing techniques, outline faces, abstract designs, or symbols with thread, creating minimalist, contemporary fabric pieces. Saturday, Aug. 23, 1:30-3:30 p.m.
MEMPHIS BROOKS MUSEUM OF ART
Super SaturdayPointilism and Pissaro
Unleash your inner artist with a captivating dive into pointilism, inspired by dazzling works in the galleries. Saturday, Aug. 23, 10 a.m.-noon.
MEMPHIS BROOKS MUSEUM OF ART
CALENDAR: AUGUST 21 - 27
COURTESY MEMPHIS BROOKS MUSEUM OF ART Outline faces, create abstract designs, or make symbols, all using thread at the Brooks’ Sketching with read workshop.
COMEDY
Comedy Night with Ben Pierce
Freewheeling hilarity on the open mic. ursday, Aug. 21, 7 p.m.
BAR DKDC
Heather McMahan: The Bamboozled Tour
e wildly popular comedian and podcast host is coming to Memphis a er a wildly successful global tour, soldout shows, and hit specials on Net ix and Hulu. Friday, Aug. 22, 8 p.m.
ORPHEUM THEATRE
Next Top Comic With Jowa Horn, Sanjay Manaktala, Tylon Monger, Quinn Kelley, Somethingtolaughat, Phatmak. Hosted by Jackson Maness and Jared Sturghill. Friday, Aug. 22, 8:30 p.m.
HI TONE
Open-Mic Comedy Hosted by John Miller. Free to attend and sign up. Tuesday, Aug. 26, 7 p.m.
HI TONE
PHOTO: COURTESY DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS
Create a whole new world in a jar when you build and maintain a mini-garden in a terrarium.
COMMUNITY
Houseplant Bingo
A fun morning with fellow plant people. Each bingo round will have fantastic houseplant prizes! As if that weren’t enough, all attendees get a 10 percent o coupon. Free. Saturday, Aug. 23, 11 a.m.
URBAN EARTH GARDENS, NURSERY & MARKET
EXPO/SALES
GatHER Women’s Conference
GatHER exists to encourage, connect, and mobilize women to develop deep spirited relationships within the Christian community. Friday, Aug. 22, 5 p.m. | Saturday, Aug. 23, 8 a.m.
LANDERS CENTER
Pots n’ Pints Ceramics Sale e Memphis Potters’ Guild and Grind City Brewery o er a unique pop-up shop for Memphians who love everything about cra beer and want high quality handmade drinking vessels. 21+. Saturday, Aug. 23, noon-5 p.m.
GRIND CITY BREWING CO.
FAMILY
Get Outside Fitness: KidoKinetics rough age-appropriate games and activities, young children build con dence, coordination, and a love for active play through a variety of sports in an encouraging, noncompetitive environment. ursday, Aug. 21, 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, exibility, balance, and mindfulness. Parents are welcome to join, too. Wednesday, Aug. 27, 5-6 p.m.
SHELBY FARMS PARK
Pre-School Story Time
Enjoy stories, songs, art activities, and creative play that connect with Collierville history. Friday, Aug. 22, 10:30-11:30 a.m.
MORTON MUSEUM OF COLLIERVILLE HISTORY
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. rough Aug. 31.
PINK PALACE MUSEUM & MANSION
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. rough Aug. 27, 1 p.m.
PINK PALACE MUSEUM & MANSION
Ponyo
Story Time at Novel
Recommended for children up to 5 years, Story Time at Novel includes songs and stories, featuring brand-new books in addition to wellloved favorites. Saturday, Aug. 23, 10:30 a.m. | Wednesday, Aug. 27, 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 ursday. ursday, Aug. 21, 5-8 p.m.
COSSITT LIBRARY
Youth Workshop: Terrariums
Ten- to 13-year-olds are invited to create a whole new world in a jar! Learn how to build and maintain a mini garden, then imagine and sculpt a creature to live there.
$15. Saturday, Aug. 23, 1:303:30 p.m.
THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS
FILM
Black Holes is planetarium show gives an overview of what black holes are, how they form, and what would happen if you fell inside one. ursday, Aug. 21-Aug. 27, 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. rough Aug. 31.
PINK PALACE MUSEUM & MANSION
I Read That Movie @ the Library: Jaws is book selection and movie remain cultural touchstones over half a century a er their publication and release. Saturday, Aug. 23, 2-5 p.m.
BENJAMIN L. HOOKS CENTRAL LIBRARY
A 5-year-old boy develops a relationship with Ponyo, a young gold sh princess who longs to become a human a er falling in love with him. Monday, Aug. 25, 7 p.m.
MALCO PARADISO
Slowdown Cinema
Club: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
An emotional banger of a lm. $18.75. Friday, Aug. 22, 7:30 p.m.
PINK PALACE MUSEUM & MANSION
Superman From DC Studios and Warner Bros. Pictures comes Superman, the rst feature lm in the newly imagined DC universe. Written and directed by James Gunn, the lm stars David Corenswet as Superman. ursday, Aug. 21-Aug. 27, 3 p.m.
PINK PALACE MUSEUM & MANSION
T. Rex: Greatest of All Tyrants e most dazzling and accurate giant screen documentary ever made on this legendary predator — and its carnivorous Cretaceous cousins. ursday, Aug. 21Aug. 27, 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.
PINK PALACE MUSEUM & MANSION
FOOD AND DRINK
Canoes + Cocktails
A guided sunset paddle on the lake followed by specialty cocktails, snacks, yard games, and music. A “cocktails only” ticket omits the paddling part. $35-$80. Friday, Aug. 22, 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. 23, 8 a.m.-1 p.m.
FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH
Memphis Farmers Market
A weekly outdoor market featuring local farmers and artisans, live music, and fun activities. Saturday, Aug. 23, 8 a.m.-1 p.m.
MEMPHIS FARMERS MARKET
PHOTO:
Nourishing Waters: A Dinner by Chef Kelly English Celebrating “Away with the Tides”
Each course pays tribute to Black women chefs — Laura Dolly Johnson, Leah Chase, Abby Fisher, Zephyr Wright, Edna Lewis, and Malinda Russel — with stories by Dr. Charles McKinney and Nubia Yasin’s music. Saturday, Aug. 23, 6-8 p.m.
MEMPHIS BROOKS MUSEUM OF ART
Slider Sunday Sessions
Delay your Sunday scaries for a few more hours with curated DJ sets and drinks. Sunday, Aug. 24, 6-9 p.m.
SLIDER INN - DOWNTOWN
HEALTH AND FITNESS
Get Outside Fitness - Line Dancing
Learn a variety of dance routines while enjoying the outdoors. This class is beginnerfriendly, focusing on basic steps and choreography for popular songs, and can improve coordination and balance. Monday, Aug. 25, 5:30-6:30 p.m.
SHELBY FARMS PARK
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. 22, 4:30 p.m. | Saturday, Aug. 23, 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. 23, 10:30 a.m.
SHELBY FARMS PARK
Taijiquan with Milan Vigil
This Chinese martial art promotes relaxation, improves balance, and provides noimpact aerobic benefits. Ages 16 and older.
Free. Saturday, Aug. 23, 10:30-11:30 a.m.
THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS
Wednesday Walks
Take a casual stroll around the Old Forest paved road! Wednesday, Aug. 27, 4-5 p.m.
OVERTON PARK
Yoga
Strengthen your yoga practice and enjoy the health benefits of light exercise with yoga instructor Laura Gray McCann. All levels welcome. Free. Thursday, Aug. 21, 6 p.m.
THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS
LECTURE
Munch and Learn: Sentinel
Enjoy lunch alongside this weekly lecture series featuring presentations by artists, scholars, and Dixon staff sharing their knowledge on a variety of topics. Wednesday, Aug. 27, noon-1 p.m.
THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS
PERFORMING ARTS
41st Ostrander’s Ceremony and Awards
A gala event celebrating excellence in theater in the Greater Memphis Area. Sunday, Aug. 24, 6-9 p.m.
ORPHEUM THEATRE
Bingo Loco
Bingo Loco flips the traditional game of bingo on its head and turns it into a threehour-long interactive stage show complete with dance-offs, rave rounds, lip sync battles, and throwback anthems. 18+. $33.55/general admission. Saturday, Aug. 23, 7 p.m.
MINGLEWOOD HALL
Rainbow Rumble
A monthly drag and performer competition hosted by Moth Moth Moth. Each show will have its own theme Meanwhile, competitors vie for the chance to compete at the GRAND Rainbow Rumble in December. 18+. Saturday, Aug. 23, 10 p.m.
HI TONE
Spillit: “Field Trip”
Join New Memphis and Spillit for this Center Stage event, an evening of stories from educators that speak to the theme, “Field Trip.” Free. Thursday, Aug. 21, 6-8:30 p.m.
NEW MEMPHIS
The Jenkins Family Reunion: A Soulful Murder Mystery Experience
A wildly funny, heartfelt, and suspenseful immersive Soulful Murder Mystery Dinner Theater experience. The soulful dishes are served, the family gossip is flying, and Big Mama has a big surprise! 18+. $85.50. Sunday, Aug. 24, 3-5 p.m. | Sunday, Aug. 24, 7-9 p.m.
HALLORAN CENTRE FOR PERFORMING ARTS & EDUCATION
SPORTS
18th Annual Forrest Spence 5K
Bring the entire family and help critically and chronically ill children. With a 100 yard dash for kids (8 and under) at 9:15 a.m.
and 1 Mile Fun Run (kids 12 and under) at 9:20 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 23, 8 a.m.
SHELBY FARMS PARK
Memphis Redbirds vs. Gwinnett Stripers
$13-$86. Thursday, Aug. 21, 6:30 p.m. | Friday, Aug. 22, 7 p.m. | Saturday, Aug. 23, 6:30 p.m. | Sunday, Aug. 24, 1 p.m.
AUTOZONE PARK
Morrighan’s Bluff, Amtgard of Memphis
A medieval/fantasy live action roleplay game. Join the adventure! Padded weapon combat, family friendly, LGBTQ friendly. Saturday, Aug. 23, noon.
W. J. FREEMAN PARK
THEATER
Come From Away
Regional Premiere! The true story of the 7,000 stranded airline passengers forced to land in a small town in Newfoundland, where the townspeople’s hospitality is put to the test in welcoming the overwhelming number of new guests. Thursday, Aug. 21, 8 p.m. | Friday, Aug. 22, 8 p.m. | Saturday, Aug. 23, 8 p.m. | Sunday, Aug. 24, 2 p.m.
PLAYHOUSE ON THE SQUARE
ACROSS
1 Many a promotional giveaway
5 Trip … or start a trip
11 Fingers
14 Like the logos for Subaru and Toyota
15 Toy in a purse, perhaps
16 Common blog keyword for sorting posts
17 Spanish for “weight”
18 Release from a dock
19 Abbott and Costello, e.g.
20 Old N.Y.C. depot inits.
21 “r u ___?!” (texter’s “Really?”)
22 Captain Morgan competitor
Some soccer gear
Resting spots?
British cavalry accessory 28 People are told not to touch it 29 It’s a cinch
Classic battleground 33 Decades-old synth-pop group named for a fashion magazine
35 It’s pulled by students before graduation
37 Receptionist’s notation: Abbr.
40 Boxes in an arena, maybe 41 Backup
43 Equestrian attire
45 Singer who gave his name to a “fever” in the 2010s
46 Diamond in the rough?
47 Lead role in “Airplane!”
48 Albert ___ (Minnesota county seat)
49 “United Shades of America” airer
50 First name in soul
52 Shortening in many school names
53 So-called “bullet”
54 Bit of progress
55 Study, study, study
56 Club ___
57 Some subatomic particles
58 Org. with a Change My Address portal on its website
1 Things to talk about
2 Center of a Venn diagram
3 One might sense bitterness
4 Arpad ___, eponymous creator of an international ratings system
5 Prompts
6 Long stretches
Jubilee
With spirituals and hymns of the Fisk Jubilee Singers like “Wade in the Water,” “Ain’t That Good News,” and “Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen,” this a cappella performance will thrill audiences. $35. Thursday, Aug. 21, 7:30 p.m. | Friday, Aug. 22, 7:30 p.m. | Saturday, Aug. 23, 7:30 p.m. HATTILOO THEATRE
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. Free. Thursday, Aug. 21, 7:30 p.m. | Friday, Aug. 22, 7:30-9:30 p.m. | Saturday, Aug. 23, 7:30 p.m. | Sunday, Aug. 24, 2 p.m.
THEATRE MEMPHIS
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, Aug. 26, 11 a.m. | Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2 p.m. | Tuesday, Aug. 26, 4 p.m.
OVERTON PARK SHELL
by Will Shortz No.
They always proceed in a biased way
There are just over three in a
portrayer
Sheikh-down of the F.B.I.?
What parade horses do
Calligraphed
PUZZLE BY ANDREW J. RIES
We Saw You.
with MICHAEL DONAHUE
It’s a little over two months until Halloween. And about six months until Mardi Gras. But guests donned masks and costumes at the Incognito Art Auction & Party, which was held August 1st at the Memphis Botanic Garden. is is the annual event, now in its 15th year, when guests buy art works without knowing the name of the artist. Hence, the disguises.
More than 100 artists were represented at this year’s event. People could begin bidding online for works July 15th and continue until the August 1st closing night celebration. Guests were encouraged to wear costumes, which added to the mystery. Who was an artist and who was a guest?
Kenneth Jackson performed music for the participants.
PHOTOS: MICHAEL DONAHUE above: Cathy and Earle Farrell circle: Matthew Ellis and Sharon Fewell below: (le to right) Kim Bell, Libby Ferell, Eugenia Talbott, Talbott Howard, and Heather Howard; Melody Weintraub; Mandy Talley bottom row: (le to right) Holly Lissner and Dan Knaus; Jack and Karole Shorter
above: Kenberly Tyson and Cory Newsom-Broughton circle: Kenneth Jackson
below: (le to right) Phyllis Boger; Anwesha Bissau, Rahul Kathayat, and Agastya Kathayat; Shameka and Chris Carter; Je Box and June Hurt
right row: (top and below) Sheri Bancro and Agnes Stark; Annie and Je Hulett
bottom le : Elisha Gold and Llana Williams
FOOD By Michael Donahue
Kukuruku Crispy Chicken Takes Flight
e Filipino-style fried chicken franchise now has three locations in the Memphis Area.
Kukuruku Crispy Chicken is a locally owned restaurant with three locations in the Memphis area. It’s Filipinostyle fried chicken.
But when I rst heard about the restaurant, “kukuruku” drove me crazy. I couldn’t remember where I heard that word before. I could hear some comedian saying “kukuruku” in a sing-song voice back in the ’70s or ’80s, but I couldn’t remember who it was. I thought it might be in the lyrics of “Mrs. Robinson” or “I Am the Walrus.” But those are di erent words. en my colleague, Bruce VanWyngarden came to the rescue. He sent me a video of the old SCTV episode, “ e Great White North.” “Coo loo coo coo, coo coo coo coo!” was the opening duck call-like greeting delivered by the show’s hosts, Rick Moranis and Dave omas. at’s what I thought was “kukukuru.”
“One of my favorite skits,” VanWyngarden says. “My friends and I used that signal when we were at camp with our kids and wanted to sneak o for a beer.”
However, the SCTV skit wasn’t why Roque “Rocky” Estipona, Kukuruku Crispy Chicken founder of the Memphis chain, used the name.
It’s what people in the Philippines call “the sound of the rooster in the morning,” says Estipona, who is from Manila. Sort of their version of “cock-a-doodle-doo.”
He says, “To me, it’s a reminder to thank God it’s a new day for us. A new hope. A new beginning.”
But it also has another meaning.
“‘Kuku’ means ‘crazy’” in the Philippines.
His grandmother, who owned a buyand-sell business in Manila, taught him “to be a businessman,” Estipona says.
She encouraged him because he was the one of her 18 or so grandchildren who was interested in business. “She trained me when I was 6 years old that the key for a successful business is, number one, know what product your customers will be into. Know what product will click.”
His grandmother told him to “create something di erent. Something that is not common.”
Number two was “treat your customers right. If they are not sure of your product, let them try it for free.”
In 1995, Estipona, who also is a physical therapist, moved to Memphis, where he became co-owner of Still Waters Home Health Agency.
He got into the chicken business in addition to his Still Waters business a er meeting Danilo Pumarega on LinkedIn. Pumarega is founder/owner of the Kukuruku Crispy Chicken brand. e franchises are in Canada and the Philippines.
Estipona, who was trying to diversify and get into the food business, invited Pumarega to Memphis. He told him, “Let me taste the product, and then we’ll go from there.”
Estipona was impressed when he tasted the chicken. “It’s a rich avor. Like a more lemongrass avor.”
Some fried chicken is “super cial” because the taste is in the skin, Estipona says. But the Kukuruku chicken avor is “down to the bone.”
And it’s also “very crispy.” Estipona thought this “Filipino version of fried chicken” would be great for the local Filipino community as well as “the entire community of Memphis.”
And, he says, “We meticulously prepare the chicken. We don’t freeze it.” e chicken is marinated in a combination of herbs, dipped into butter, and “fried to perfection.”
He also sells a Filipino version of spaghetti, which includes a sauce made from a blend of sweet herbs. It’s made with long noodles, which, according to an old saying in the Philippines, stand for long life, Estipona says.
Estipona opened his rst restaurant in July 2023 at 950 US-64, Suite 102, in Lakeland, Tennessee. “ e rst few weeks we had to put up the sign, ‘We’re closed for business,’ because we ran out of chicken.”
Last May, Eleanor Capellan opened a Kukuruku Crispy Chicken franchise location at 5985 Stage Road, Suite 9, in Bartlett, Tennessee. en, two weeks later,
Estipona, along with his business partner, Paul Bundalia, opened another location at 3358 Poplar Avenue.
In two or three months, Estipona will open a Kukuruku Crispy Chicken in Cordova, Tennessee. He’s looking at future locations in Olive Branch, Mississippi, and maybe Florida, where, he says, there is a big Filipino population. But, for now, he’s putting a hold on other spots to focus on his Poplar location. “My vision of Kukuruku Crispy Chicken is not to limit it to the Tennessee area but branch out into every state.”
Estipona believes in catering to the customer. “Our main focus is to meet every person’s satisfaction.” He’s open for any advice “to improve the product.”
His Lakeland location also makes halal chicken to cater to the Islamic community, but customers have to order it in advance. It’s “the Islamic way of preparing the chicken or meat according to their
PHOTOS: MICHAEL DONAHUE Roque “Rocky” Estipona and Paul Bundalia’s Kukuruku Crispy Chicken serves up Filipino-style fried chicken and spaghetti.
religious belief,” he says.
Estipona plans to convert a room in the Poplar location as a place for karaoke. “Filipinos love karaoke.”
As for other food options, Estipona says grilled chicken might be “a good addon” to “cater to the health-conscious.” He already o ers a variety of salads for those who want to “watch their diet.” ere’s nothing crazy about the pleasure Estipona is able to bring to customers with his Kukuruku Crispy Fried Chicken.
“My favorite part of it is to see a satised smile on their face when they go out of the door,” he says. “To see the client come in and then go out with deep satisfaction, to me, is priceless.”
The Witches’ Pyramid
The witches’ pyramid is a magical philosophy that predates modern witchcra and was rst articulated by the French occultist and magician Éliphas Lévi (1810–1875) in his twovolume book Transcendental Magic: Its Doctrine and Ritual
In Transcendental Magic, Lévi writes: “To attain the knowledge and power of the Magi, there are four indispensable conditions: an intelligence illuminated by study, an intrepidity which nothing can check, a will which cannot be broken, and a prudence which nothing can corrupt and nothing intoxicate. TO KNOW, TO DARE, TO WILL, TO KEEP SILENCE such are the four words of the Magus, inscribed upon the four symbolical forms of the sphinx.”
“To dare” is the energy and mindset it takes to make that leap of faith into our work, into the unknown, so that we can manifest what we want or become who we want. We all understand the feelings that come with the word “dare.” It’s a challenge, and we like to believe we can live up to that challenge. It’s also probably something scary or something that makes us anxious. If it wasn’t, we wouldn’t be hedging on it. To dare is to accept that we are going to do something. It is emotionally preparing ourselves to physically take action and set things in motion.
“To will” is putting motion to our thoughts and feelings. “To will” is about doing the work. In the witches’ pyramid, “to will” is associated with the element of re. It is the passion and drive to see our work through to the end. And ideally, our will is like re — something that will motivate us and burn hot enough that we nish what we start.
e purpose of the pyramid is to explain the needed functions for magical work to be e ective. It’s both a learning tool for witches and a philosophy to abide by while performing magic.
“To know” is the rst point of the pyramid and corresponds with the element of air. Air is associated with clarity, intention, and intellect. It’s not about knowing everything; it’s about knowing what you seek and how to channel your intentions. Whether performing a ritual or casting a spell, it begins with a clear vision of your desired outcome. As you walk the path toward manifestation, this knowing evolves and is shaped by action, experience, and continued learning along the way.
“To dare” on the witches’ pyramid is associated with the element of water. is element is associated with many things: healing, intuition, emotions, death. ese are all things that take us into the unknown and that require bravery or daring. Once you know who you are, what you want and how to get it, all you have to do is be brave. Jump. I dare you.
Our will is what manifests change, and if we don’t utilize our will, we won’t get the results we are looking for in our magical work. Our will also applies to the tools we have at our disposal outside of ourselves; our will fuels the internal re that gives us the desire to study and learn. Our will is also about overcoming roadblocks and getting around obstacles and obstructions that stand in the way of our goals.
“To keep silent” is the last point on the pyramid and is associated with the element of earth.
It means that we should not discuss what we are working on magically. It’s understood by modern practitioners that intentions by others can interact or interfere with the magic you are working.
erefore, if no one knows what you are working on, they cannot direct energy (either positive or negative) to that intention. “To keep silent” is also a great life skill and can serve you in many situations.
Whether you identify as a witch or a healer or something else entirely, the witches’ pyramid is a tool that you can use in your manifestation work. Following the witches’ pyramid can help you nd structure for your magical practice and be a tool to enhance your energy and focus.
Emily Guenther is a co-owner of e Broom Closet metaphysical shop. She is a Memphis native, professional tarot reader, ordained Pagan clergy, and dog mom.
PHOTO: DEEP DASGUPTA | PEXELS
e witches’ pyramid is a learning tool.
NEWS OF THE WEIRD
By the editors at Andrews McMeel Syndication
The Tech Revolution
FRIDAY OCT 10
FedEx Event Center at Shelby Farms
Join us for a fantastic evening of great tastes and great fun, bringing together bourbon and whiskey distillers from around the region PLUS great bites from some of your favorite local restaurants! VIP Admission starts at 5pm, GA at 6pm.
The South Florida Water Management District is working with the University of Florida to develop a new strategy for managing invasive pythons in the Everglades, WFLA-TV reported on July 23. Solar-powered toy bunnies that emit heat and are equipped with cameras are alerting staff to python activity, which sends them out to capture and euthanize the snakes. The district said it is “committed to protecting this delicate ecosystem.” [WFLA, 7/23/2025]
Clothing Optional
A couple in Oklahoma City were startled by a “big, fat, naked, crazy guy” entering their home around 6 p.m. on July 21, KFOR-TV reported. Homeowner Blake Overstreet said the perp, Korey Sisco, was 6-feet-2 and 400 pounds. When Overstreet and his wife pointed a gun at him, Sisco exited through the back door and skipped to the neighborhood pond, where he jumped in. “It was very strange,” Overstreet said. He noted the pond is full of snakes and snapping turtles. Sisco lingered in the pond for about an hour until police coaxed him out. [KFOR, 7/23/2025]
Fashion Faux Paw
Lord of the Swans, otherwise known as King Charles III, and they must be marked and checked for disease or injury. Veteran King’s Swan Marker David Barber sees the ritual as more than tradition: “I think it’s serving a very useful purpose. It gives us an indication of what’s going on throughout the country.” The census dates back to the 12th century, when swans were important food sources for royal banquets. [AP, 7/14/2025]
• The National Police Agency in Japan is urgently warning parents and others about a “Real Gimmick Mini Revolver” found among the prizes in claw machines around the country, Oddity Central reported. The plastic toy, which comes with eight plastic bullets, reportedly can also fire real bullets. Sixteen thousand of the toys have been imported from China since December; the added danger is that shooting a live bullet could cause the plastic firearm to blow up in the shooter’s hand. [Oddity Central, 7/23/2025]
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For more than a year, Natasha Lavoie of British Columbia has been receiving phone calls about her missing cat, Torbo, United Press International reported. Problem is, her cat’s name is Mauser and is very much not missing. The mix-up mystery was finally traced to a T-shirt sold by Wisdumb NY, which features a lost cat poster that includes Lavoie’s phone number. Wisdumb NY said the shirt is no longer available and the “use of a real number within the art created was not intentional.” But Lavoie doesn’t want to change her number. “I’ve had my number for 20 years,” she said. “I’ll just keep not answering.” [UPI, 7/18/2025]
News You Can Use
• For five days every summer, a flotilla of rowboats is unleashed on the River Thames in London, where carefully selected, scarlet-coated oarsmen are tasked with Swan Upping — a census of the swans, the Associated Press reported. These swans belong to the
At the Ryde Hotel in California, Fox5 Atlanta reported, peacocks and peahens are part of the appeal as they wander about the property. But on July 20, after a guest reported seeing two men loading one of the birds into a cage in a pickup truck bed, the hotel’s general manager, David Nielsen, initiated a count of the flock, realizing that only four of about 15 remained. “We’re not sure why anyone would do anything like this,” he said — but the male birds are valued at about $2,000 and the females at $1,000. The colorful birds have become tame and like pets to the staff of the hotel. Police are depending on tips from the public to locate the animals. [Fox5 Atlanta, 7/23/2025]
Send your weird news items with subject line WEIRD NEWS to WeirdNewsTips@amuniversal.com.
ARIES (March 21-April 19): When glassmakers want to cool a newly blown piece, they don’t simply leave it out to harden. That would cause it to shatter from the inside. Instead, they place it in an annealing oven, where the temperature drops in measured increments over many hours. This careful cooling aligns the internal structure and strengthens the whole. Let’s invoke this as a useful metaphor, Aries. I absolutely love the heat and radiance you’ve expressed recently. But now it’s wise for you to gradually cool down: to allow your fervor to coalesce into an enduring new reservoir of power and vitality. Transform sheer intensity into vibrant clarity and cohesion.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): To paraphrase Sufi mystic poet Rumi: “Don’t get lost in your pain. Know that one day your pain will become your cure.” In my astrological opinion, Taurus, you have arrived at this pivotal moment. A wound you’ve had to bear for a long spell is on the verge of maturing into a gift, even a blessing. A burdensome ache is ready to reveal its teachings. You may have assumed you would be forever cursed by this hurt, but that’s not true! Now it’s your sacred duty to shed that assumption and open your heart so you can harvest the healing.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): As you enter a Tibetan Buddhist temple, you may encounter statues and paintings of fierce spirits. They are guardian figures who serve as protectors, scaring away negative and destructive forces so they can’t enter the holy precincts. In accordance with astrological omens, Gemini, I invite you to be your own threshold guardian. Authorize a wise and strict part of you to defend and safeguard what truly matters. This staunch action doesn’t have to be aggressive, but it should be informed with fierce clarity. You can’t afford to let the blithe aspect of your personality compromise your overall interests by being too accommodating. Assign your protective self to stand at your gate and say: “I protect this. I cherish this. I won’t dilute this.”
CANCER (June 21-July 22): “Dear Dr. Feelgood: Lately, you seem to be extra nice to us hypersensitive Crabs. Almost too kind. Why? Are you in love with a Cancerian woman, and you’re trying to woo her? Did you hurt a Cancerian friend’s feelings, and now you’re atoning? Please tell me you’re not just coddling us. —Permanently Drunk on a Million Feelings.”
Dear Drunk: You use your imagination to generate visions of things that don’t exist yet. It’s your main resource for creating your future. This is especially crucial right now. The coming months will be a fertile time for shaping the life you want to live for the next 10 years. If I can help you keep your imagination filled with positive expectations, you are more likely to devise
By Rob Brezsny
marvelous self-fulfilling prophecies.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): In Mesoamerican myth, the god Quetzalcoatl journeys to the underworld not to escape death, but to recover old bones needed to create new life. I propose you draw inspiration from this story, Virgo. In recent weeks, you have been gathering pieces of the past, not out of a sense of burdensome obligation, but as a source of raw material. Now comes the time for reassembly. You won’t rebuild the same old thing. You will sculpt visionary gifts for yourself from what was lost. You will use your history to design your future. Be alert for the revelations that the bones sing.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): In the Hebrew language, the word for “face” is plural. There is no singular form for panim. I love that fact! For me, it implies that each of us has a variety of faces. Our identity is multifaceted. I think you should make a special point of celebrating this truth in the coming weeks, Libra. Now is an excellent time to explore and honor all of your many selves. Take full advantage of your inner diversity, and enjoy yourself to the max as you express and reveal the full array of truths you contain.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): In the ancient Hindu holy text known as the Upanishads, ananda means bliss, though not so much in the sense of physical or psychological pleasure as of deep, ecstatic knowing. I believe you are close to attracting this glorious experience into your soul, Scorpio — not just fleetingly, but for a while. I predict you will glide into alignments that feel like coming home to your eternal and perfect self. Treasure these moments as divine gifts. Immerse yourself with total welcome and gratitude. Let ananda inform your next steps.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): In Daoist cosmology, the nature of life is characterized by cyclical, flowing patterns rather than linear, static motions. In my study of its gorgeous teachings, I exult in how it inspires me to honor both contraction and expansion, the power of circling inward and reaching outward. With this in mind, Sagittarius, I invite you to make the spiral your symbol of power. Yes, it may sometimes feel like you’re revisiting old ground. Perhaps an ex will resurface, or an old goal will seek your attention. But I guarantee it’s not mere repetition. An interesting form of evolution is underway. You’re returning to longstanding challenges armed with fresh wisdom. Ask yourself: What do I know now that I didn’t before? How can I meet these interesting questions from a higher point of the spiral?
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Inuit artworks are often made from materi-
LEO (July 23Aug. 22): In traditional Chinese medicine, the heart is the seat of joy. It’s also the sovereign that listens to the wisdom of the other organs before acting. Dear Leo, as you cross the threshold from attracting novelty to building stability, I encourage you to cultivate extra heart-centered leadership, both for yourself and for those who look to you for inspiration. What does that mean? Make decisions based on love and compassion more than on rational analysis. Be in service to wholeness rather than to whatever might bring temporary advantage.
als available in their environment, like driftwood, stones, walrus ivory, whale bones, and caribou bones and antlers. Even their tools are crafted from that stuff. In part, this is evidence of their resourcefulness, and in part, a reflection of how lovingly they engage with their environment. I recommend you borrow their approach, Capricorn. Create your practical magic by relying on what’s already available. Be enterprising as you generate usefulness and fun out of scraps and leftovers. Your raw material is probably better if it’s not perfect.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): The medieval alchemists had a central principle, rendered in Latin as follows: Visita interiora terrae, rectificando invenies occultum lapidem. Translated, it means, “Seek out the lower reaches of the earth, perfect them, and you will find the hidden stone.” I invite you to go on a similar underground quest, Aquarius. The purpose is not to wallow in worry or sadness, but rather to retrieve a treasure. Some magnificence beneath your surface life is buried — an emotional truth, a creative impulse, a spiritual inheritance. And it’s time you went and got it. Think of it as a quest and a pilgrimage. The “hid den stone,” an emblem of spiritual riches, wants you to find it.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): In ancient Greece, the god Janus presided over doorways. He had two faces, one looking outward and forward, one gazing inward and backward. I believe this is your Janus phase, Pisces. Before you launch into your next fluidic quest, pause and take inventory. Peer behind you, not with regret but with curiosity and compassion. What cycle has fully ended? What wisdom has settled into your bones? Then face the future, not with shyness or foreboding, but with eager intention and confidence. What goals, rooted in who you are becoming, can inspire an exciting new plot thread?
FILM By Michael Donahue
Super Shoes to the Rescue
Memphis lmmaker John Marvel McCarthy’s “Super ri 2” brings adventure to the big screen.
John Marvel McCarthy used a pair of size 10 hand-painted athletic shoes as the superpowered footwear in his 2023 movie, “Super ri .”
e shoes are only in one scene in McCarthy’s new short lm, “Super ri 2,” but clothes with superpowers are still the focus of the movie that premiers at 7 p.m. on August 20th at Malco Studio on the Square.
McCarthy, 21, did a lot of walking in Memphis in 2024 to make the new lm. But he also did a lot of walking in Chicago, Chattanooga, and Knoxville — all places where the movie was shot.
e rst movie was “basically just four friends kind of reconnecting through the superpowered clothes they nd in the thri store,” McCarthy says. “It’s their adventure of reconnecting as they also teach themselves how to use the superpower clothes.”
socks o with the resources we’ve got.”
He also is working on an unrelated movie, SIGIL, which is “about the Memphis rap scene in the ’90s and its connection with a lot of Satanic stu . In the ’90s Memphis rappers would sample horror movies and snu lms and things like that. Make it sound like somebody getting chased or murdered in the song.”
e new movie, which features the same cast as well as new members, “kind of picks up in this world where super power clothes are readily available and causing a lot of havoc.”
It opens with Deebo (Chris Bailey) visiting his brother Ron (Ronald Rodgers), who is in a coma in hospice. Deebo sets out to nd clothes that have the power of healing. e movie “follows his journey as he gets help from the team as he zips around,” says McCarthy.
But nding someone who can make this type of superpower clothing isn’t easy. A lot of mystery and intrigue is stitched into the quest. Deebo uncovers the syndicate responsible for creating the magic garments. Some of the clothes makers are good; some are evil.
McCarthy began writing the sequel as soon as his rst movie was released.
“I guess once I had a world built in my head, I could just play and start adding to it whenever I want.”
McCarthy says he used locations outside of Memphis because he was friends with people who lived there.
“Pretty much what we would do is plan out these car trips and pile whoever actors needed to be there.”
McCarthy wrote, produced, lmed, edited, and directed the movie. He even designed the visual e ects,
using resources from the University of Memphis, where he is majoring in photography. “I worked my ass o to make sure everyone had really cool superpowers that looked magical. Not some dude in front of a green screen.”
A surprise “Super ri 2” cast member is Ben Smith, chef/owner of Tsunami restaurant. He plays “ e Master Cra er,” who teaches people how to make superpower clothes.
“I used to work at Tsunami when I was 17,” McCarthy says. “So I’d already known him.”
And Smith is also the father of Ayden-Couch Smith, who plays “Ayden.”
McCarthy needed someone who
wasn’t his age to take on the role. “I don’t think he’d ever acted before, and I was nervous to ask.”
Smith quickly accepted, and he was “a great actor.” He also was a perfectionist. McCarthy would tell him, “You delivered the line great. You were standing on your mark.”
But Smith wouldn’t be satis ed. “No, that was absolute garbage. We have to redo it again!”
As for future projects, McCarthy would love to make a “Super ri 3.” He’s already written the script, but getting the same cast together again would be di cult. “Everyone has got their own lives. And we just don’t have enough money for blowing people’s
But, according to urban legend, some people thought rappers actually killed someone or shot video of them killing someone, then sampled that in their music. “So I kind of took the idea of that urban legend and said, ‘What if a rap group actually killed someone and put it into their song? But that person came back from the dead and killed them all or got vengeance on them all?’”
McCarthy’s father, lmmaker/ artist Mike McCarthy, whose movies include Teenage Tupelo and Cigarette Girl, was in the rst “Super ri ” movie, but not in the sequel. “My dad didn’t return, but the ashback at the beginning is supposed to be him as a child.”
John did use his dad and his sister Hanna as a test audience while he was making the movie. ey o ered advice, which he sometimes took and sometimes didn’t.
Teenage Tupelo, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary, also will be shown with “Super ri 2” on August 20th.
John wants to eventually make feature-length lms professionally. “ at is pretty much my dream. I’ve always loved being able to tell stories.”
Being raised around his dad, who is always working with artists and people involved in lmmaking, was an advantage. “I’ve been around that my entire life. I can’t help but want to create something on my own. I’ve always had a big imagination. It’s kind of hard to turn that o .
“And with that need to create, my dream is to have enough people by my side who think my ideas are worth creating. It takes a village to make a movie.”
“Super ri 2” and Teenage Tupelo will screen at 7 p.m. on August 20th at Malco Studio on the Square.
PHOTO: (TOP) MICHAEL DONAHUE
McCarthy (above) studies photography at the University of Memphis; his new lm was shot in Memphis, Chicago, Chattanooga, and Knoxville.
Our critic picks the best films in theaters.
Ne Zha II
It’s the highest grossing animated film of all time, the highest grossing film of 2025, and odds are you’ve never heard of it. This Chinese film has been blowing up everywhere in the world, and now A24 is bringing it to America, with Michelle Yeoh leading the voice talent. Ne Zha is a magical chosen one tasked with fighting demons. But his secret is that he is half-demon himself, and now he has other magical beings trapped in his body. Being magical is hard.
Honey Don’t!
Margaret Qualley stars as Honey O’Donahue, a private detective trying to eek out a living in scenic Bakersfield,
California. Hired to investigate a woman’s death, she uncovers a tangled web of lies surrounding a weird religious cult led by Reverend Drew Devlin (Chris Evans). Ethan Coen directs, and Aubrey Plaza co-stars.
Weapons
When 17 children mysteriously disappear from a classroom in smalltown Pennsylvania, suspicion falls on their teacher, Justine Gandy (Julia Garner). The father of one missing boy, Archer Graff (Josh Brolin) takes it upon himself to tie Justine to the disappearances, only to find that the real secret is more elusive and stranger than he can imagine. Zach Cregger’s horror smash is the creepiest thing on the big screen.
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THE LAST WORD By
Jesse Davis
On the Bus
As a nation, we’re on the road to nowhere, and we’re running out of time to choose a di erent destination.
In 1968, the author Tom Wolfe published e Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test, his non ction account of the rise of Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters, a group of psychedelic-fueled proto-hippies who traveled the country on a vibrant, Day-Glo-painted bus they called Furthur, ostensibly to further the cause of a new age of awareness. ey also seemed to get o on driving really fast and listening to skull-shakingly loud music while out of their gourds on LSD, but, hey, everyone must nd their own path to enlightenment, right?
e Merry Pranksters, according to Wolfe anyway, had very few rules, but one of their most o -repeated mantras was: “You’re either on the bus or o the bus.”
Well, duh, Kesey. It’s not Schrödinger’s bus, and no human can occupy two spaces at once. On its face, that philosophy tends toward the simplistic. Put another way, it’s the sort of thing you might think was life-alteringly profound if you were riding the peak of your third acid trip of the week and grooving to the Beatles’ Help! blasted at the kind of volume that heralds an early onset of tinnitus. On the other hand, there’s a simple brilliance to it. You’re either along for the ride, or you’re not. e Pranksters were on a trip to “intersubjectivity,” as they called it, a sort of communal ego death, and they couldn’t a ord to have someone on the bus moaning, “Are we there yet?”
Buses have been front of mind for me for the past two weeks or so because my son and I have been living in my mother-in-law’s converted school bus. My wife — and most of her family — caught Covid. I know, it’s so 2021, but some things never go out of style. So, my 6-month-old son and I moved onto the bus for 10 days, and I can assure you, it was no Acid Party.
As we waited out the Covid storm, I couldn’t help remembering how horribly our nation bungled the pandemic. And how that slow-motion catastrophe seemed to shatter one of the remaining threads of commonality we shared, leading to a series of avoidable mistakes and miscalculations.
So, I nd myself wondering, how did it happen? e answer, I propose, is that we’re not on the bus. We couldn’t all get on board a cohesive plan to combat a relatively unknown and potentially deadly vascular infection, and so over a million Americans died in less than two years (1,197,497 according to the CDC, as of January 2022). We couldn’t get on board with a plan to ght fascism, and now the Washington, D.C., police force is under federal control and we’ve built a concentration camp in Florida, where we hold prisoners without due process.
We need to wrest the steering wheel away from the psychopaths intent on driving us off a cliff.
We have to get on the fucking bus, and we have to do it now. We need to wrest the steering wheel away from the psychopaths intent on driving us o a cli , and we have to be okay with the realization that all of us on the bus aren’t going to agree on everything. Communal ego death sounds fun and all, but group-think is for hive insects, not mostly-hairless apes. We’re going to have to collaborate on solutions, and to do that we’re going to have to relearn how to communicate with each other without demonizing each other.
Republicans of conscience, you’ve got to denounce the white supremacists in your midst. Democrats, you’ve got to realize that taking a knee in the Capitol doesn’t mean shit if you won’t back up your gestures with policy decisions — policy decisions that help all Americans, not just the donor class. More importantly, you’ve got to realize that we’re not turning back the clock to 2019 or 2015; if you want to motivate people, you have to work for them. Progressives? Ya gotta stop ghting among yourselves, and you’ve gotta be welcoming to any newcomers ready to join the ght.
We cannot be distracted by culture wars, empty gestures, or the Presidential Outrage of the Hour. We have to pick a destination, collaborate on the road map, and ignore the ashy tourist traps along the way. Let’s get on the bus, together, and let’s go somewhere worth the journey.
Jesse Davis is a former Flyer sta er; he writes a monthly Books feature for Memphis Magazine. His opinions, such as they are, are on the bus.
PHOTO: JESSE DAVIS e author’s current residence
The Hot Tamale Capital of
» AUGUST « MS Delta Duck Boat Races at Lake Washington
» SEPTEMBER « Delta Blues & Heritage Festival deltabluesms.org
Gumbo Nationals greenvillespeedway.net
Sam Chatmon Blues Fest facebook.com/SamChatmonBlues
Stephone Hughes
Old Time Gospel Fest
» OCTOBER «
Delta Hot Tamale Fest facebook.com/ DeltaHotTamaleFestival
Highway 61 Blues Festival highway61blues.com
Monuments on Main Street Historic Greenville Cemetery Tour facebook.com/Monumentson-Main-Street
YMCA Cotton Classic 10K/5K Run racesonline.com/ymca-cotton-classic
» NOVEMBER « Roll’n on the River Car Show facebook.com/redwinecarshow
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