Memphis Flyer 04.23.15 by Contemporary Media

NEW POLLUTION FEES P6 / GRIZ PLAYOFF PICTURE P20 / 45 YEARS OF HUEY�S P36

04.23.15 / 1365TH ISSUE

FREE

ALL ABOUT THAT

BASS!

BRANDON DILL

THE BASS PRO PYRAMID OPENS NEXT WEEK, AFTER YEARS OF NEGOTIATIONS AND DELAYS — AND LOTS OF MONEY.

A NIGHT OUT WITH FRIENDS!

selfie stick SATURDA Y

Fridays in April

TRIVIA SUNDAY 6:00pm - 8:00pm

April 23-29, 2015

8:00am - Midnight Simply earn 500 points then visit the promotional kiosk to print your “Fun Day” registration slip. Play up to three sessions. Must earn an additional 500 points to qualify for subsequent sessions. Each session pays Slot Dollars 1st - $50, 2nd - $30, 3rd - $20

ACES WILD April 24 & 25 PAMELA K. WARD May 1 & 2

Saturdays in May 8:00am - Midnight

EARN 5,000 POINTS AND GET A SELFIE STICK!

JOHNNY RILEY May 8 & 9

*Limit one per customer per Saturday. While supplies last.

Must be 21 or older. Don’t Let The Game Get Out Of Hand. Gambling Problem? Call 1.888.777.9696.

1477 CASINO STRIP RESORTS BLVD | SamsTownTunica.com

26649Fro_TU_MemphisFlyer_9.35x12.4_AD

DESHAUNE MCGHEE Classified Advertising Manager BRENDA FORD Classified Sales Administrator classifieds@memphisflyer.com ROBBIE FRENCH Warehouse and Distribution Manager CALEB BRASFIELD, ZACK JOHNSON, RANDY ROTZ, KAREN SHELTON, LEWIS TAYLOR, RON TAYLOR, WILLIAM WIDEMAN Distribution THE MEMPHIS FLYER is published weekly by Contemporary Media, Inc., 460 Tennessee Street, Memphis, TN 38103 Phone: (901) 521-9000 | Fax: (901) 521-0129 letters@memphisflyer.com www.memphisflyer.com CONTEMPORARY MEDIA, INC. KENNETH NEILL Publisher JEFFREY GOLDBERG Director of New Business Development BRUCE VANWYNGARDEN Editorial Director JENNIFER K. OSWALT Chief Financial Officer MOLLY WILLMOTT Director of Digital/Operations MATTHEW WRITT Digital Manager JACKIE SPARKS-DAVILA Event Manager KENDREA COLLINS Marketing Assistant BRITT ERVIN Marketing Consultant ASHLEY HAEGER Accounting Coordinator JOSEPH CAREY IT Director ASHLEE TAYLOR IT Assistant MARTIN LANE Receptionist

National Newspaper Association

Association of Alternative Newsmedia

For a full list of restaurants, check out

diningoutforlife.com/Memphis and support

OUR 1365TH / ISSUE 04.23.15 / COVER STORY P.16 The Great American Pyramid opened on the banks of the Wolf River Harbor in 1991, a vision brought to life by the late great entrepreneur John Tigrett, who hired a hustler named Sidney Shlenker to run the place. Hopes were high. The Pyramid, the sixth-largest such structure in the world, would become a major American tourist destination. There was to be a short-wave radio station inside, broadcasting Memphis music to the world. There was going to be an inclinator on the exterior that would take visitors to an observation deck, a Hard Rock Cafe, a music museum, a nearby theme park. It was going to transform downtown Memphis. But things went south quickly, as Tigrett and Shlenker quarreled about plans, and Shlenker ran into financial difficulties. On opening night, the whole lower level flooded. The would-be tourist attraction then became an 18,000-seat sports and entertainment arena — home to the Memphis Tigers basketball team and host to concerts by REM, Prince, Fleetwood Mac, and many others. But the sound was awful and concert seating was difficult. Oh, there were some highlights and good times — a Mike Tyson vs. Lennox Lewis prize fight; several NCAA tournament rounds; COGIC conventions — but for the most part, the Pyramid was a big, shiny, faux-Egyptian duck out of water. The death knell came when the Memphis Grizzlies came to town and declared the Pyramid inadequate for NBA basketball. The FedExForum was built in 2004 and the Pyramid soon became a “big empty” that dominated the city’s skyline. For years, when visitors came to town and asked what was in “that big pyramid,” Memphians would have to answer, “nothing.” Awkward. Then came the 10-year barn-dance with Bass Pro Shops, the Springfield, Missouri-based outdoor mega-retailer. After beginning informal talks in 2005, the city and the company reached a formal agreement on a 55-year lease in 2010. There was much wailing and snark from certain sectors of the populace, much of it based on the premise that the city shouldn’t turn its most iconic structure into a “bait shop.” Now, after several false starts and delays, the big pointy bait shop is about to open. And after having toured the place, I predict it will be an epic game-changer for the city. The Bass Pro Pyramid is as much theme park as it is retail outlet, N E WS & O P I N I O N with a massive man-made swamp on the THE TIMES CROSSWORD PUZZLE - 4 ground level, complete with towering LETTERS - 4 cypress trees, native fish species, and THE FLY-BY - 6 AT LARGE - 11 alligators. In the center of it all, the POLITICS - 12 world’s tallest free-standing elevator rises EDITORIAL - 14 to the Pyramid’s peak, where visitors can VIEWPOINT - 15 drink and dine from a deck that’s higher COVER STORY - “ALL ABOUT than the Statue of Liberty, with a view THAT BASS!” unmatched in the city. BY TOBY SELLS - 16 After 24 years of fits and starts, the SPORTS - 20 city’s downtown core will essentially STE P P I N’ O UT have one of the biggest retail facilities in WE RECOMMEND - 22 the area, one that’s predicted to attract a MUSIC - 26 million visitors a year. Call it a bait shop AFTER DARK - 28 if you like, but if it brings in the tourism CALENDAR OF EVENTS - 32 and jobs that are projected, Memphis has FOOD - 36 landed a lunker. FILM - 39 Bruce VanWyngarden C LAS S I F I E D S - 43 brucev@memphisflyer.com

friendsforlifecorp.org

Thanks to our supporting sponsors!

Alex Ertz

Sara Ratner and Harry Freeman

Hep C

Screen $50

FREE IUDs

CHO CES

Memphis Center for Reproductive Health

1726 Poplar Avenue Memphis, TN 38104 901/274-3550 www.memphischoices.org

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

PENELOPE HUSTON Advertising Director CARRIE O’GUIN HOFFMAN Advertising Operations Manager JERRY D. SWIFT Advertising Director Emeritus LYNN SPARAGOWSKI Sales Coordinator KELLI DEWITT, CHIP GOOGE Senior Account Executives MAX DYNERMAN, MARK PLUMLEE Account Executives

MAKE YOUR RESERVATION TODAY!

CONTENTS

CARRIE BEASLEY Senior Art Director CHRISTOPHER MYERS Advertising Art Director BRYAN ROLLINS Graphic Designer DOMINIQUE PERE Graphic Designer

Thursday, April 30, 2015

BRANDON DILL

BRUCE VANWYNGARDEN Editor SUSAN ELLIS Managing Editor JACKSON BAKER, MICHAEL FINGER Senior Editors BIANCA PHILLIPS Associate Editor CHRIS MCCOY Film and TV Editor CHRIS SHAW Music Editor CHRIS DAVIS, LOUIS GOGGANS, TOBY SELLS Staff Writers SHOSHANA CENKER Copy Editor JULIE RAY Calendar Editor ALEXANDRA PUSATERI Editorial Intern

What They Said...

Letters and comments from Flyer readers due to complications from diabetes. We have no such drug in the U.S. and won’t until the embargo ends. CSH About Jackson Baker’s post, “Haslam Remains Dubious About Bible Bill and Provisions of Gun Bill” … I firmly believe that we should pass a constitutional amendment that anyone responsible for passing three laws that are later declared unconstitutional by the courts be removed from office. Call it the “Three Strikes for Dumbass Politicians” amendment. Charley Eppes

GREG CRAVENS

About Bruce VanWyngarden’s editor’s note, “NRA Foreplay in Nashville” ... Tennessee has far more vehicle deaths than firearm-related deaths. None of you want to outlaw texting/talking on the phone or enforce stricter DUI laws. Some people will have accidents with their firearms. Just like so many people have accidents in cars or playing sports. None of you pretend socialists actually care about saving lives - you are just anti-gun. Jason

Veto them both. I don’t think he will though, especially the gun bill. That would kill his chances of being chosen as a VP running mate this year since the Republicans are dependent upon the big gun manufacturers and their affiliate groups, mainly the NRA. Olmanriver

The New York Times Syndication Sales Corporation 620 Eighth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10018 For Information Call: 1-800-972-3550 About Bianca Phillips’ post, “Ultra-sound For Release Wednesday, January 28, 2015

The New York Times Syndication Sales Corporation 620 Eighth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10018 For Information Call: 1-800-972-3550 For Release Thursday, April 2, 2015

Crossword

ACROSS Crossword

Edited by Will Shortz 41 More than ACROSS 36 Tabloid nickname 57 Cause for 1 A majority of the ’80s of pacing? 42 Eye-opener? 1 Nile wader 58 Liberian 37 Münster Mrs. 6 Return to president and sender? 5 They38 Company show 44 11- or 12-yearwith Peace Nobelist 1

April 23-29, 2015

which way the wind blows 10 Figs. on a bell curve 13 Weakish poker holding 15 Origami bird 16 Once called 17 1955 Julie London hit 19 Org. in “Argo” ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE 20 For mature audiences 21 Glide, in a way 23 “Well, what have we here?!” 24 Round trips, of a sort: Abbr. 26 Easy gait 27 Pays, as the bill 29 Charred 10 Up for something 14 Utopian 15 Sainted pope after Sixtus III 16 Wind quintet member 17 Coin first minted in 1964 19 Golden calf, e.g. 20 Dot-dot-dot 21 Thought aloud 22 Busy 23 Elvis’s “What’d I Say” vis-à-vis “Viva Las Vegas” 25 “Danced” like a bee 27 Impeach 29 Hunter of wallabies and kangaroos 30 Hutches 31 Crazy place? 35 Woven piece

R O L L E D R O N E E A R E C A N T L O S W I L A N S I N G A D O P T N I D E A T E L I N C O L N A N D Y S U N O R S T P A U L M C H A R T I R E G I M E A M A Z E S M E N A G E

a lot of bean counters?

40 Keeping in the loop, in a way 41 Waits

42 Visitors in “A Christmas Carol”

43 Eponymous Soviet minister of foreign affairs 46 It’s all a plot

47 Doesn’t just tell 48 Soap star Deborah

50 Symbol of strength

53 What a chemist brings to the table?

54 Signaling remembrance, in a way 56 Certain sausage, informally

D E S M O I N E S I O W A

P I E C E

E N T R A P

A M E B B O N E E N V I T O N C H I G L S U D I B R A S S O R T S T O N E S O A I S T P V E R A E N A L

A R E N A

E S S E N

S K O R T

K A F K A

A D G E T Y

46 48 49 51

DOWN 1 Up 2 May 15, e.g. 3 Southern city that calls itself “America’s First Settlement” (1559) 4 Give two thumbs down 5 Oxford university, informally 6 “Family Ties” mom 7 Give up 8 Tricks 9 It may be coming down the pipeline 10 Acting rashly 11 Talent show judge alongside Jackson and Cowell 12 Bull or cow 13 Tried to catch some fish 18 “My man!” 22 Azalea with the 2014 #1 hit “Fancy” 24 Occasion for a much-hyped performance

52 55 59

61 62

64 65

40 42

PUZZLE BY CALEB EMMONS

34 38-Across containers 36 ___ chop 39 Smithereens 40 Cell need 42 Small beam? 43 What’s left of TV news? 44 John who wrote “Pal Joey” 45 Subway train designation 46 Flip response?

3 Tell 23 Nightcrawler, someone using a pen-name 4 Cons do and it avatar is challenging someone else to man up? 27 5 Device with a 50

26 ___ mundi 27 Biblical source of the line “It is more blessed to give than to receive” 28 Layer 29 University of Oregon team 31 1¢, for a penny 32 “Poetics” author 33 It might start “Don’t get me started …”

CL Mullins programmable

clock, for short 33 34 35 About Wendi C. Thomas’ story, “Cuba, 6 Not give Si!” ___ … 38 (be indifferent) I went to Cuba on a People to People trip in February. It was absolutely amazing! 7 N.C.I.S. part I want to go back42 to stay in some hotel 8 Summer particulares as opposed to the nationally months in 46 owned hotels; although, the Hotel SantiagoNational in Havana was pretty amazing! What really hit me is how the embargo 49 9 Gauchos’ wear has hurt not just Cubans, but Americans, 10 Conquistador’s too. Cuba has a pretty successful medical 55 56 57 foe system. The country has its own biotech . industry and has created a drug that is 11 Royal who’s notably avery successful in61preventing amputations crossword fan, 64 for short 12 Christmas ___ 67 49 Turned brown, say 51 ___ Straw Poll 52 Rapper Big Daddy ___

54 Real-life figure portrayed in movies by Jason Robards, Jon Voight and Bill Murray, in brief 55 Draft classification

Online subscriptions: Today’s puzzle and more than 7,000 past puzzles, nytimes.com/crosswords ($39.95 a year). Read about and comment on each puzzle: nytimes.com/wordplay. Crosswords for young solvers: nytimes.com/studentcrosswords

No. 1

About the Flyer’s editorial on guns in parks jeans

Edited by Will Shortz

4 legislation, “Veto 1It, Bill”2… 3 Written like a true ingrained/naive civil rights bigot, and 13 I never give the time of DOWN day to civil rights bigots. The real question 1 Large in scale that needs to be answered is just who at 17 2 What “O”theon Flyer anonymously wrote this slanted a newsstand tripe? Someone needs to man/woman up. Nightcrawler 20 stands for 10

old Mongolian desert dweller? 13th-century invaders Some sneaks Pickable It may be original Not keep up Left Bank quaff? Elvis’s Mississippi birthplace Upstate N.Y. campus Certain waterway to the Black Sea? Albany is on it: Abbr. Subject of elementary 27

___ Johnson Sirleaf 59 Many a surfer’s locale, informally 60 Six crayons in a Crayola 64 box 61 Witherspoon of “Wild”

No.Some 0226 69

I’m hearing talk of a newly introduced bill designed for petting zoos, “Pistols for Peacocks.” I can hear the goats screaming in disgust already. Dave Clancy

Bill Introduced” … I grew up around many ultra-conservative Christians who were very anti-abortion … until they had a daughter get pregnant in high school. Then they were all about getting a convenience abortion so that little Sally didn’t have to put her life on hold. I knew a handful of girls at my high school whose parents made sure to get their daughter’s “issue” fixed, even though 6 anti-abortion. 7 8 9 they were 5staunchly Personally, I don’t like abortion, but I s necessary, and I think it’s a 14 do think it’15 better alternative to have it be legal than to have a bunch of coat hanger attempts and 18 quack doctors performing these things. GroveRebel84

10 16 19 22

About National Volunteer Week ...

24 In celebration 25 of National 26Volunteer

Week, I am writing to recognize the residents of our community whose 28 29 lives have been enriched through the feeling that comes from36 helping others. 37I encourage you to find a worthy cause with which to volunteer. 39 40 41 I give my time to the American Cancer Society because cancer has touched 43 everyone in 44some way, including my 45 family. To help others in their fight against 47 is truly humbling. 48 cancer Volunteers have been the backbone of the American Cancer51 Society since its 50 founding more than 100 years ago. They continue to provide the crusading spirit 60 58 59 the society has needed to champion the fight against this terrible disease. 62 63 Latrice McLin 65 68

66 69

Happy 45th Birthday To Us!

Huey’s Midtown (1927 Madison Ave, Memphis, TN) April 26th • 2pm-12am

OUTSIDE STAGE

GARY ESCOE’S ATOMIC DANCE MACHINE 5:30 - 7:00 PM

INTERSTATE 55 7:00- 8:30 PM

SOUL SHOCKERS 9:00PM - 12:00 AM

INSIDE STAGE

Plenty of burgers & brews • Drink Specials Fun for everyone! • Signature Gear for sale! KID’S ZONE, INCLUDING BOUNCE HOUSE, INFLATABLE SLIDE, FACE PAINTING, BALLOON ANIMALS, SNO CONES, FARM TO FORK TOURS OF THE COMMUNITY GARDEN, APPEARANCE BY POUNCER FROM U OF M.

WE’RE TURNING 45 THIS YEAR, AND WE’RE READY TO THROW DOWN!

Join us all day for a good time full of blues, brews, and burgers! We’re blocking off Madison Avenue from Rembert to Barksdale and lining the street with fun! Don’t miss out!

A percentage of sales from all 8 locations on April 26th will be donated to local nonprofit Restore Corps. Learn more at restorecorps.org. PLENTY OF

BURGERS

FUN FOR

SIGNATURE

GEAR

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

DANTONES 3:30 - 5:15 PM

NEWS & OPINION

DAVIS COEN & THE CHANGE 2:00- 3:15 PM

fly-by

Questions, Answers + Attitude Edited by Bianca Phillips

f l y o n t h e w a l l Higher Fees, Cleaner Air {

April 23-29, 2015

VERBATIM II State Senate Republican leader Mark Norris had this to say when the Senate voted 22-9 to send the Bible bill back to committee: “All I know is that I hear Satan snickering. He loves this kind of mischief. You just dumb the good book down far enough to make it whatever it takes to make it a state symbol, and you’re on your way to where he wants you.” In spite of all that kooky Vincent Price stuff about Satan laughing, Norris’ comment was widely praised for its relative sanity.

BOOTY CHURCH The most incredible thing about this story is that it didn’t happen in Memphis first. A development group that was blocked from building a sex club adjacent to the Goodpasture Christian School in Madison, Tennessee, is moving forward again after rebranding the effort as a church renovation. According to reports, the ownership group will have to prove that the building is an actual house of worship prior to opening. By Chris Davis. Email him at davis@memphisflyer.com.

New pollution fees come as Memphis air gets cleaner. Polluting the Memphis air is about to get a little more expensive. Companies may soon pay higher fees for a permit to pollute and for the amount of pollution they emit. The fees are thanks to an ordinance that has quietly made its way through the Memphis City Council legislative process. The final vote Tuesday was made after press time, but the ordinance was expected to pass. The ordinance would double the cost of a permit from $1,000 to $2,000. Certain polluters are considered “major sources” of pollution by the Environmental Protection Agency, and in Shelby County, they pay a fee for every ton of pollution they emit. That fee increased $5 per ton, from $43 to $48.

TOBY SELLS

VERBATIM I Most of the news coming out of Tennessee last week revolved around whether or not the legislature would pass a bill making the Bible, a text regarded by Christians as the living word of God almighty, Tennessee’s official state book. When asked if he thought a measure elevating the Bible to the same status as raccoons, which are Tennessee’s official wild animal, and “Rocky Top,” one of many Tennessee state songs, Rep. Micah Van Huss had this insane thing to say: “The dog and the cat are state symbols and nobody in Tennessee is required to purchase a dog or a cat.” The dog and cat aren’t Tennessee symbols, unfortunately. All these shenanigans would be a lot cuter if they were.

C ITY R E PO RTE R B y To b y S e l l s

continued on page 10

Stray Dog Strut {

C ITY R E PO RTE R By Bianca Phillips

Memphis Animal Services begins allowing adoptions from the once off-limits stray area. Last Friday afternoon, most of the 27 kennels in Memphis Animal Services’ (MAS) stray area were full. There were lots of pit bulls with wiggly butts and wagging tails, and there was a solemn Rottweiler and a well-groomed, fluffy, white dog. And there were a few energetic mutts of questionable heritage. Before April 1st, most of these dogs wouldn’t have stood a chance since animals in the stray area of the shelter were not available for adoption. But MAS has finally ended its longstanding policy banning the public from adopting dogs from the stray area. “We’re getting in some really good animals. [Before we opened the stray area], the animals in stray would sometimes be moved to Healthy Hold. But sometimes, they wouldn’t get that opportunity,” said MAS Administrator James Rogers. Healthy Hold is a sort of intermediate area, where dogs go as they await their move to the adoption area. There are 57 cages in Healthy Hold. The adoption area, which features animals that shelter staff has deemed “adoptable” based on temperament and health, has 72 cages. Before this month, the public was only allowed to adopt animals from the adoption area. In fact, unless one was looking for a lost pet, members of the public were banned from even entering the stray area. The stray area was closed to the public in 2010 by former MAS Administrator Matt Pepper. At that time, MAS was A dog in the shelter’s stray area last week

located in an aging facilty on Tchulahoma, and Pepper told the Memphis Animal Services Advisory Board meeting back continued on page 10

BIANCA PHILLIPS

THE

2 0 1 5

F R I D A Y, A P R I L 2 4 T H 5 - 1 0 P M

O U R

E V E N T

S P O N S O R S

THE DIXON’S ANNUAL PLANT SALE

THE GARDEN FAIR

THIS SATURDAY & SUNDAY

4339 Park Avenue Memphis, TN 38117 www.dixon.org

NEWS & OPINION

rare, choice, and unusual plants & lots of ferns and herbs

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

APRIL 24 & 25 9 am - 4 pm

DOWNTOWN • MISSISSIPPI RIVER PARK • 11AM TO 7PM

PERFORMANCES BY: DARREN JAY & THE DELTA SOULS KAILEIGH BULLARD HAL McCORMACK’S REDEEMER PYRAMID BELLY DANCERS HOUSE OF MELODY • THE PC BAND PRESTON JOHNSON BAND MIKE SWEEP UNCLE TONY’S STRING BAND

$1.99

VOLUME DISCOUNTS

2160 YOUNG AVE. | 901.207.6884 HALFORDLOUDSPEAKERS.COM

SMOKE SHOP

WE CLOTHING JEWELRY TAPESTRIES GIFTS BELIEVE AND In SOthe MUCH MORE Grizzlies

YOUR LOCAL SOURCE FOR TURNTABLES, SPEAKERS & STEREO EQUIPMENT

SMOKE LOCAL

& Memphis Made Glass REPAIR & CUSTOM WORK

BY THE BAG STRAIGHT FROM LOUISIANA

RESERVE YOUR BAG!

SMOKE LOCAL

906 S. Cooper, 38104 906 S. Cooper, 38104 (901) 272-2277 (901) 272-2277

BY THURSDAY FOR THE WEEKEND

547-7997

April 23-29, 2015

LIVE CRAWFISH APRIL 25 JACK OBLIVIAN & THE SHEIKS DJ HOT TUB ERIC

Condoms are free from Planned Parenthood at 2430 Poplar and from friends all over town, so go to FreeCondomsMemphis.org and find one close to you. Protect both of you for free from the heavy cost of what you don’t want. Pick it up, put it on, and do it right.

8 PP FreeCondoms Flyer 1/4 Horizontal REVAd.indd 1

2/5/15 10:28 AM

On the Radio

{

S POTLI G HT By Alexandra Pusateri

Greg Roberson

for young Latino professionals in the Memphis area. “I think the group I represent is more of a professional, young professional, or contemporary group of Latinos, [and] for some reason, I didn’t feel like we had representation,” Cordova said. That group, he said, may come from Spanish-speaking households who speak the language commonly, but when they go

out with their friends, they speak English. Having this radio station available gives them a way to remember and celebrate their heritage, Cordova said. New Mix FM began broadcasting over the air on Monday, but the internet broadcast has been airing since April 15th. Listeners can tune in on 98.5 FM or online at http://985newmixfm.org. Felix Cordova and Jose Chito Sanchez

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

Memphis has gained its first bilingual noncommercial radio station — a radio station “for everyone,” according to 98.5 New Mix FM’s tagline. Or at least everyone who speaks English or Spanish. New Mix FM is a mixed-format station that features both talk shows and music. Its talk-radio segments have a strong focus on financial topics, covering everything from student loans and defaults to mortgages and basic personal finance. Those segments are interspersed with Latino and American pop music. “It just made so much more sense to build a formula format with capsules that encompass every aspect of financial awareness, and the radio station caught my attention,” said Felix Cordova, general manager of New Mix FM. “Our capsules are going to be a little bit less than what you would expect with NPR or a financial education course. I wanted it to be something casual, like you might be listening to music and then, there’s a conversation going on — and in that conversation, there would be a lesson.” The topics may seem heavy, but educating the public within a format that features approachable music is a task Cordova says he’s prepared for. “We’re going to make it sound as comfortable as possible,” he said. Cordova has an extensive background in financial services and recovery, which he uses to run Citizens Against Unfair Financial Practices (CAUFP) and, now, New Mix FM. The organization qualified for gaining a low-power FM station, a format only available to noncommercial educational, public safety, and transportation organizations. Out of 14 organizations that applied in the Memphis area, CAUFP was one of three that secured a frequency for New Mix FM. “We wanted to represent a bilingual format because a majority of [CAUFP] are bilingual,” Cordova said. “Certain radio stations will have genre-specific formats. I thought by introducing different styles, maybe there would be an interest for it. For what I’m finding and testing right now, people are actually attracted to that mix.” The radio station broadcasts out of an office on Summer Avenue, a location carefully planned by CAUFP to both stay within the radius guidelines of the Federal Communications Commission and remain close to the community the radio station aims to represent. “I think we want to have a little fun with the radio station,” Cordova said. “We also want to attack the boundaries that exist financially and socially at the same time, because it doesn’t matter what side of the fence you’re on, there are issues.” He also mentioned the lack of media

NEWS & OPINION

ZIGGY MACK

Memphis gets its first bilingual radio station.

“Air” continued from page 6 Increasing the fees was strictly a move to support the Shelby County Air Pollution Control Board, which monitors polluters here and grants pollution permits. “As the air becomes cleaner and we have fewer pollutants in the air — smaller quantities — it becomes necessary to increase the per-ton fee to balance our budget,” said Yvonne Madlock, director of the Memphis and Shelby County Health Department. “At the same time, we also realize that with fewer pollutants and fewer entities, we have less demand on our services.” Madlock said the new fees are supported by the Greater Memphis Chamber of Commerce, industry leaders, and the Shelby County Commission. Bob Rogers, the air board’s technical manager of pollution control, said of the 28 “major source” polluters in Shelby County, 25 of them are in Memphis. All of them, including any other entity with an emission permit, have been notified of the new fees. “What has been happening over [the] years, the industry is cleaner and cleaner all of the time, so the emissions have been steadily reducing,” Rogers told city council members in March. “Emissions have gone down about 30 percent in the past eight to 10 years and they continue to go down.” The local air board collected $797,159 in emission and permit fees in 2014 and expects to collect about $778,000 this year. The air pollution board monitors the release of many types of pollutants, but

April 23-29, 2015

“Stray Dog” continued from page 6

then that separating “adoptable” dogs from stray dogs would help prevent the spread of diseases, since some animals in the stray area were unhealthy. That policy carried over into the new facility on Appling City Cove under Rogers’ leadership. But rescue groups and animal shelter reform advocates have been pushing MAS to reopen the stray area for adoptions since it closed. They say that many of the dogs in the stray area are adoptable and need to be given a chance. “We are pleased that voices of animal welfare advocates in the local community are being heard and that quality pets being held in the stray area are being rescued/adopted from this area to become beloved family pets,” said Memphis Pets Alive Executive Director Linda Baxter. “If animals cannot be seen, they cannot be adopted.” Members of the nonprofit Memphis Pets Alive go into the shelter each Tuesday, photograph every animal, and post those pictures on memphispetsalive.org and their Facebook page in an effort to better market the animals. They’ve recently been allowed to begin photographing the animals in the stray area.

it does not monitor carbon monoxide emissions. However, 2015 is set to be a break-out year in lower carbon emissions, according to a new white paper report from Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF). “In 2015, the U.S. could set new national records for annual renewable build, for coal retirements, and for gas burn from the power sector,” according to the report. “Meanwhile, electricity-related emissions could fall to their lowest levels since 1994.” Record numbers of coal plants are set to close this year. Solar-power projects are set to supply record amounts of solar energy, the report said. Most of this is thanks to U.S. utilities switching from coal to solar, wind, and natural gas. “In 2015, we’ll take a giant, permanent step toward de-carbonizing our entire fleet of power plants,” William Nelson, head of North American analysis at BNEF, said in a statement earlier this month. Overall, carbon emissions from the utilities are expected to drop to their lowest levels since 1994. Carbon emissions are set to be 15 percent lower this year than they were in 2005. “On an emissions-rate basis, 2015 will be the cleanest year in over 60 years for which we have historical data,” the Bloomberg report said. The Tennessee Valley Authority has plans to retire its Memphis coal plant, the Allen Fossil Plant, by the end of 2018. It will be replaced with a natural gas plant. Because some animals in the stray area could have serious health problems or show signs of aggression, Rogers said that not all of the animals in that area may be adopted. Once a person selects a dog from the stray area, shelter staff will assess the dog to ensure it’s safe to adopt. “We make sure before we allow a pet to be adopted that we have vetted and temperament-tested the pet,” Rogers said. By opening the stray area, Rogers says he’s hoping the shelter can improve its adoption rates. Cindy Sanders of the Save Our Shelter reform group has been pushing for the stray area to be opened for years. “This will definitely drive up adoption rates. It will save the lives of animals,” Sanders said. “But my question is, why did it take MAS years to get these changes made? Thousands of animals died before they were ever allowed to be seen. I’m thankful this is happening now, but it should have happened years ago.” Sanders suggested that the fact that it’s an election year could have been a factor in the city’s decision to open the stray area. “While we’re thankful for this, we hope that this is a true attitude of progressive change and not just [Mayor A C Wharton’s] way of stumping for votes,” Sanders said.

AT L A R G E B y L e s S m i t h

We Don’t Have Jack The real-life world of Law and Order. Instead, Clayton received a lesser charge and soon returned to the streets. So far, nine teenagers have been arrested and charged with aggravated riot in connection with the BP gas station mob attack against Memphian Orrden Williams. First-term General Sessions Judge Gerald Skahan drew public criticism for lowering the $100,000 bonds leveled against some of the suspects to $5,000. Skahan said the initial bonds set were “unjustly high.” Skahan also stipulated that the Northwest Prep Academy students involved must return to classes, adhere to a 6 p.m. curfew, and stay away from the gas station. It’s estimated by Memphis police that as many as 50 young people participated in the attack. Their investigation continues. So as I recently watched another of the countless reruns of Law and Order, I asked myself, “WWJD.” What would Jack do? My guess is he’d wholeheartedly share MPD Director Toney Armstrong’s ontarget assessment that “guns in the hands of youth are a recipe for disaster.”

In reality, the Tennessee General Assembly’s penchant for easing gun restrictions only complicates efforts to stop that access. I suspect McCoy would have used the bully pulpit of his office to rail against that legislation, and he probably would have used every prosecutorial weapon at his disposal to go after illegal dealers of weapons, gang members, convicted felons in possession of guns, and would have argued for tougher sentencing after every conviction. Just as in real life, the fictional McCoy encountered some of the legal restrictions that bind the hands of police, prosecutors, and the judiciary. But it never seemed to stop him from doing what he felt was the right thing to do. He pushed the envelope and encouraged his fellow prosecutors to approach their jobs with the same passion for seeking justice. McCoy didn’t win every case, but he wasn’t afraid to do all in his power to get criminals off the streets and to vigorously fight for the rights of victims and their families. Fiction is created to entertain us. But in these perilous times, we need to find inspiration wherever we can find it. Les Smith is a reporter for WHBQ Fox-13.

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

McCoy would share MPD Director Toney Armstrong’s on-target assessment that “guns in the hands of youth are a recipe for disaster.”

NEWS & OPINION

Jack McCoy, where are you when we really need you? Jack McCoy was the fictional hard-driving executive assistant district attorney who stopped at nothing in his quest to put felons behind bars in the iconic television series Law and Order. As brilliantly played by actor Sam Waterson, McCoy was often arrogant, overbearing, and idealistic, but always a passionate advocate for justice. He reluctantly plea-bargained in some cases, but only if it led to the eventual conviction of someone higher up the criminal food chain. Of course, since the show was described as a “police procedural legal drama,” everything from arrest to conviction was usually neatly wrapped up in one pulse-pounding hour. As a reporter, I’ve covered my share of criminal cases and, unfortunately, in the real world of establishing law and order, the gap between the time of arrest and conviction can be interminable. It can stretch into painful years waiting for justice — both for the accused and the families of their alleged victims. The supposed tenet that all accused have — the legal right to a speedy trial — is a myth. The justice system, not just in Memphis but across the country, is backlogged with cases. Protracted incarcerations and trials cost taxpayers millions. It’s against this backdrop of three highprofile violent incidents — the shooting deaths of 15-year-old Cateria Stokes and 7-year-old Kirsten Williams and a mob attack at a Midtown gas station on a man trying to help a frightened woman into her car — brought outcries of disgust and calls for action from nearly all sectors of Memphis. The arrests of three men in Williams’ murder focused an intense scrutiny on just how deep the problems of gangs and criminal recidivism continue to erode our public safety. The extensive rap sheet of 21-year-old Jordan Clayton drew special attention to the fact that even though he had previously pled guilty to aggravated assault and robbery charges, he served just over six months in jail for crimes for which he was sentenced to a collective total of four years. As frustrated District Attorney General Amy Weirich told me, Clayton would have been behind bars, if the victim of an aggravated robbery, where Clayton was a prime suspect, hadn’t told a different story at a preliminary hearing than the one he originally told police and prosecutors.

11 11

POLITICS By Jackson Baker

A Shift of Venue As the legislative session prepares to close in Nashville, the rolls open up for politicians in Memphis.

April 23-29, 2015

to resume a de facto city school system. The known mayoral field so far continues to consist of incumbent A C Wharton, councilmembers Strickland and Harold Collins, County Commission Chairman Justin Ford, Williams, and former University of Memphis basketball player Detric Golden. The Other Brian Kelsey: Whatever his popularity in his own District 31 — which begins in Midtown and extends into East Memphis, Cordova, Bartlett, Germantown, Collierville, and Lakeland,

- which continues to reelect the state Senator comfortably, Brian Kelsey has a wholly different reputation elsewhere in Shelby County. Among those Memphians who consider themselves progressives, for example, Kelsey is about as popular as, say, Dick Cheney or Ted Cruz would be at a Democratic National Convention. At one time or another, he has had his hand in legislation antagonistic to gays, abortion-rights advocates, proponents of living-wage ordinances, income-tax advocates, public-school defenders, believers in gun control, and to supporters of the

As the General Assembly prepared to close out 1) without acting on Governor Bill Haslam’s Insure Tennessee Medicaid-expansion proposal; and 2) with House concurrence on a Senate bill that would impose a 48-hour waiting period on abortions among other restrictions, dissenters made their feelings known. First Baptist Church on Broad pastor Keith Norman (left) and state Representative Joe Towns presided over a press conference last week at Christ Community Health Services adjacent to Norman’s church as part of statewide information session on Insure Tennessee sponsored by the House Democratic Caucus. They vowed to continue efforts to secure passage of the governor’s Medicaid-expansion proposal — in a new special session, if need be. As the House in Nashville prepared to put its imprimatur on new abortion restrictions, protesters at the Poplar Avenue headquarters of Planned Parenthood, many of whom had made repeated visits to the General Assembly in an effort to dissuade legislators, indicated they, too, would continue their opposition to what they regarded as backward-looking legislation. To make the point, they affected the period dress of preRoe v. Wade times.

JACKSON BAKER

In Nashville, things were coming to an end, with the 2015 session of the General Assembly scheduled for a likely finish this week. Meanwhile, in Memphis, things were, in a sense, just getting started. It finally became possible on Friday of last week for wouldbe contestants in the 2015 Memphis city election to draw candidate petitions from the Shelby County Election Commission. On the first day, the most noticeable visitor to the Election Commission’s second-floor office downtown was the Rev. Kenneth Whalum Jr., about whose intentions (particularly as a possible candidate for mayor) a good deal of speculation had swirled. Whalum both satisfied and furthered the suspense by drawing not one but three petitions — for Mayor; for City Council, District 5; and for City Council Super-District 9, Position 2. The two council positions are those about to be vacated, respectively, by mayoral candidate Jim Strickland and Shea Flinn. As of last week, when District 4 Councilwoman Wanda Halbert announced she would be seeking the City Court clerk’s position instead of seeking reelection, there will be a total of five open seats on this year’s ballot — six if you count, as some observers do, the District 7 council seat, now that of interim Councilman Berlin Boyd and formerly the seat of Lee Harris, now a state Senator. Whalum made it clear, both at the Election Commission and on Saturday, at a publiceducation forum in Raleigh, that while he regarded himself as a prospective winner in the mayoral race, he would defer to Memphis Police Association President Mike Williams (an attendee at the Raleigh affair at Bob’s Country BBQ), should the latter choose to run for mayor, as he has previously indicated he would. “Whatever race I run in, education will be my platform,” said Whalum, a former school board member who advocates that Memphis take steps

A SHIFT OF VENUE

VANESSA SUDBURY & SCOTT SUDBURY APRIL 23

LAURELWOOD UNPLUGGED IN THE COURTYARD

SIDE STREET STEPPERS APRIL 30

LAURELWOOD SHOPPING CENTER POPLAR AT GROVE PARK ROAD S. LAURELWOODMEMPHIS.COM FOR MORE INFO, PLEASE CALL 901.682.8436

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

JOIN US IN THE COURTYARD NEXT TO PANERA BREAD FOR AN EVENING WITH SOME OF MEMPHIS’ FINEST MUSICIANS. BRING YOUR FRIENDS AND ENJOY FREE LIVE MUSIC EACH THURSDAY IN APRIL 6PM-8PM.

NEWS & OPINION

Affordable Care Act in general, and to Medicaid expansion in particular. That list should not be regarded as fully inclusive. Kelsey is an equalopportunity exacerbator. In addition to his perceived offenses against Democrats, he has also taken an abundance of positions considered objectionable to various members of his own Republican Party, notably including Governor Bill Haslam, who has labored to keep Kelsey in check on issues ranging from voucher legislation to restraints on gubernatorial privilege. It should be said that Kelsey sees himself as a champion of liberty, as he would define that term, and — hark! — there are bills of his that actually do bridge the enormous gap between him and a multitude of others who would define that term wholly differently. In last year’s legislative session, Kelsey secured passage of SB 276, which struck down obstacles to employment for reformed felons, and in the session now coming to an end, the senator sponsored SB 6, the “Racial Profiling Prevention Act,” which has now passed both chambers and awaits only the governor’s signature to become law. The bill defines racial profiling as “the detention or interdiction of an individual in traffic contacts, field contacts, or asset seizure and forfeiture efforts solely on the basis of the individual’s actual or perceived race, color, ethnicity, or national origin” and would require all police departments and sheriff ’s departments in Tennessee to adopt by the end of this year a written policy in conformity with the definition. Kelsey, it seems, can work across the aisle. The racial profiling bill was co-sponsored by Memphis state Representative John DeBerry, and the previous year’s bill on behalf of ex-felons was co-sponsored with state Representative Karen Camper. Both DeBerry and Camper are innercity Democrats. Now, an even more striking piece of collaboration may be in the offing. At a meeting Monday night at Celtic Crossing of “Drinking Liberally,” a group of self-styled progressive Democrats, political consultant Liz Rincon, a key member of the group, was sharing portions of some online correspondence with Kelsey, wherein the state senator seemed to be expressing himself open-minded about the prospect of raising the minimum wage for servers in food and drink establishments. Hmmm. The senator from District 31 could be a work in progress.

E D ITO R IAL

Compromise Returns

MERCEDES-BENZ OF MEMPHIS

Spring Cash

Once in a while, even the most stiff-necked and tunnelminded of people can somehow reach a compromise with people of another mind altogether. The phenomenon, which is increasingly rare in the political realm, actually

SALES EVENT

2500 OFF

SELECTED VEHICLES NOW THROUGH APRIL 30TH

2 014 C 2 5 0

l itiona n Add Take a

WAS $ 3 1 , 9 9 9 2 014 E 3 5 0

2500

2 014 C 2 5 0

l itiona n Add Take a

Off

#P2508L

l itiona n Add Take a

0 $ 250

WAS $ 3 2 , 1 9 9 2 014 C 2 5 0

#P2471

Off

#P2426L

l itiona n Add Take a

Off

WAS $ 5 9 , 9 9 9

2500

WAS $ 3 2 , 9 9 9

2500 Off

#P2509L

C-Class

More than 10 Certified. P r i c e s S t a r t i n g a t $ 27, 9 9 9 .

E-Class

More than 10 available. Prices Starting at $35,999.

5389 Poplar Avenue, Memphis, TN 38119 Sales: (888)356-7636 www.MercedesMemphis.com *On select models. See dealer for details.

occurred twice in the past week — once in the United States Congress, and another time in the Tennessee legislature. The first occasion was an agreement reached between Republicans in the U.S. Senate, now a majority in that body, and Senate Democrats, breaking a stalemate and clearing the way for a Senate confirmation vote on President Obama’s nomination of Loretta Lynch to be attorney general. There has not been, and is not now, any serious doubt as to Lynch’s qualifications. A deadlock between the two parties had threatened to turn into one of those endless GOP filibusters that have cursed the Congress ever since the voters of the United States dared to elect a Democratic president in 2008. Ironically, it was the Republican takeover of the Senate in last fall’s election that may have created the preconditions for a deal. With Republicans now in charge of both legislative chambers in Washington and with an open-seated presidential election coming up in 2016, it behooves the GOP to demonstrate that it can accomplish things, not merely obstruct them. What had impeded agreement on a nomination vote for Lynch was Republican insistence on adding anti-abortion language to another issue pending before the Senate, a measure to counter human trafficking — a noble and surely noncontroversial goal in the pure sense, but one made complicated on the Republicans’ insistence on attaching the so-called Hyde amendment, forbidding use of federal funding for abortions, to the bill. Their argument was that a component of the bill deals with medical

care for victims of human trafficking, conceivably involving the abortion procedure and therefore subject calling for the Hyde restrictions. Democrats objected that funding for the bill’s medical-care services was derived from private sources and hence inapplicable to the Hyde provisions. But until last week, the Republican leadership in the Senate was adamant: No Hyde amendment, no trafficking bill, and as a throw-in, no vote on Lynch’s confirmation. It was the sort of blackmail that has been routine for years. But lo and behold, the two parties agreed to some rthetorical tweaking of the bill — a bona fide compromise — that would change nothing substantial but allowed both sides to claim victory and, just as important, would allow both that bill and Lynch’s nomination to come to a vote. What happened in the Tennessee legislature was in a way even more amazing, because the GOP super-majority there has no real incentive to compromise for the sake of a future-tense election. The issue there was legislation, approved by Governor Bill Haslam, which in theory would substitute home-grown Tennessee equivalents for the much-abused national Common Core educational standards that a substantial part of the General Assembly’s membership had sworn to throttle. The old standards have been tweaked, an “evaluation” committee has been appointed, and there’s a new name to it all. Voila! A unanimous agreement, allowing serious educational standards to continue to exist. Ah, compromise! Welcome back.

April 23-29, 2015

C O M M E N TA R Y b y D a n z i g e r

WORSHIP SERVICES SUNDAYS @ 5:30 PM Paintings happen before your eyes. The music is a lot like what plays in your car. The atmosphere is casual, the tenor upbeat, the message practical. Come celebrate in a welcoming community with a unique reverence for the arts.

8500 Walnut Grove Rd @thestirringhope

HopeChurchMemphis.com/the-stirring /thestirring

V I E W P O I N T B y Te d R a l l

Malfunction, Inc.

THE BEST

ENTERTAINMENT

Rand Paul’s campaign offers proof that the American political system is broken. GOP officials, Washington Beltway pundits, and no doubt, his campaign advisers are telling him that he must abandon the interesting, intelligent, and true-to-theConstitution stances that got him noticed in the first place. Gotta become “electable,” you see. After just one week as a presidential candidate, he backed away from his 2007 statement, which happened to have the virtue of being correct, that Iran did not represent a military threat to the United States. To be a Republican these days, you see, you have to be against everything Obama does, and he just finished negotiating a deal to normalize relations with Iran. Paul made some major efforts to reach out to African Americans over the past few years, rare for a Republican, but there are early signs that his unwillingness to call out the racist “dog whistles” of his Tea Party-besotted opponents will neutralize his previous expressions of sympathy for black victims of police profiling and brutality.

IN TUNICA

TROMBONE SHORTY & ORLEANS AVENUE May 9

KATHY GRIFFIN May 16

No doubt, his campaign advisers are telling him that he must abandon the interesting, intelligent, and true-to-the-Constitution stances that got him noticed in the first place. PAT BENATAR & NEIL GIRALDO

NEIL SEDAKA August 28

35TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR

July 17

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

He even flip-flopped on drones. “If someone comes out of a liquor store with a weapon and $50 in cash, I don’t care if a drone kills him or a policeman kills him,” he said recently. What’s next: Selling us out on the NSA? Apparently so. I am tempted to argue that Paul is wrong, and that he would be better off personally, as well as politically, sticking to his guns. After all, he has, or at least has had, these popular positions all to himself. Why follow the lead of Al Gore, who foolishly decided not to emphasize his credibility as an environmentalist in 2000? Be that as it may, let’s focus on the big takeaway: the perception among the political class that to be electable, you have to adjust your positions to conform to the banal, the uninspired, and the illegal, with total disregard for the will or the greater good of the American people. Broken. Ted Rall’s next book is After We Kill You, We Will Welcome You Back As Honored Guests: Unembedded in Afghanistan.

Jay Leno • May 29 Ronnie Milsap • June 5 Trace Adkins • June 19 Sinbad • July 3 Air Supply • July 25 Gary Allan • September 5

Tickets available online at Ticketmaster.com or by calling 1-800-745-3000.

NEWS & OPINION

I have been arguing for years that the American political system is broken. Not in the way that everyone else says it is — the Democrats and Republicans unable to compromise or get anything done. Given what happens when the two major parties cooperate — “free trade” agreements that send American jobs overseas and cut wages for those that remain, wars we have no chance of winning, and tax “reform” that only benefits the extremely wealthy and the corporations they control — we could use a lot more Washington gridlock. The best indication that the United States government is no longer a viable entity, and so beyond reform that we need to start from scratch, is the fact that the best and the brightest no longer aspire to a career in politics or governmental inspiration. It’s not just anecdotal; polls and studies show that the millennial generation, like the generation Xers before them, care deeply about the nation’s and the world’s problems but don’t think that it’s possible to solve them through the political system, refuse to sacrifice their personal privacy in a campaign, and are disgusted by the requirement of raising millions of dollars in order to run. Despite the obstacles, every now and then like that one tadpole out of a thousand that manages to evade the snapping jaws of hungry fish, someone interesting and intelligent decides to enter public life. Unfortunately, these poor souls must present themselves as boring and stupid in order to do so and shred every last ounce of integrity they had before they entered the political process. If there is a better case for this political system being over and done, I don’t know what it is. Current case study: Rand Paul. The senator from Kentucky has been a principled voice of resistance to the Obama administration’s most egregious violations of privacy and civil liberties. He has relentlessly opposed the National Security Agency’s wholesale collection of Americans’ personal communications and digital data, filibustered to protest the attorney general’s refusal to rule out using drones to kill American citizens on American soil, and followed his libertarian father’s tradition of non-interventionism by opposing the post-9/11 endless “war on terror.” In many respects Paul, a Republican, has been more liberal and certainly more vocal than the most left-leaning members of the Democratic Party. Now, however, he has officially declared that he is running for president next year. And so the usual coalition of

15 15

233432_4.575x12.4_PrintAd_V2.indd 1

4/17/15 2:42 PM

COVER STORY BY TOBY SELLS PHOTOGRAPHS BY BRANDON DILL

ALL ABOUT THAT

BASS!

April 23-29, 2015

emphis Mayor A C Wharton stood at the podium and squinted into the stage lights. All eyes in the room were on him, and a bank of television cameras made sure the eyes of the entire city were on him, as well. As he delivered his State of the City speech in January, Wharton scanned the room for one man. “Where is Robert Lipscomb?” he asked. Heads turned to locate Lipscomb, the city’s director of Housing and Community Development and the Pyramid point man for nearly a decade. “The Pyramid will open on May 1st, Robert Lipscomb … or else.” The line drew a big laugh — laughter of collective exasperation. By the time Wharton gave his speech in January, the Pyramid was supposed to have been open for more than a month. The opening was delayed. And it wasn’t the first delay. “I have visitors’ guides going back to 2006 saying, coming next year: Bass Pro at the Pyramid!” said Kevin Kane, president of the Memphis Convention and Visitors 16 Bureau. “Here we are in 2015, and it’s here and I think it’s going to be worth the wait.”

This time next week — April 29th at 6 p.m. — Bass Pro Shops at the Pyramid will be open to the public. If it’s not, maybe Lipscomb should steer clear of Wharton until the heat dies down. There will be a grand opening ceremony that promises a festival atmosphere and some big-name outdoor celebrities. No one has to tell Memphians that getting to the grand opening has been a long and sometimes tense journey. But the difficulties of the trip have been matched — outweighed even, some would say — by the excitement of activating the skyline’s most famous building and the millions of dollars and visitors it promises to bring. “This will be a national destination,” said David Hagel, Bass Pro Shops at the Pyramid store manager. “We’re going to bring in people from all across the country. We’re going to show them what Memphis has to offer.” But the Bass Pro journey doesn’t stop at the ribbon cutting. Growing pains are certain as the company irons itself into the fabric of Memphis and as Memphians learn to love the new attention (and traffic) Bass Pro will bring downtown. As for tangibles, many say one large item remains on the project’s punch list: a pedestrian bridge

connecting Bass Pro to the Pinch District.

WHAT TO EXPECT

Nothing you’ve seen in the news or social media can prepare you for your first visit to Bass Pro Shops at the Pyramid. The project has always been billed as a shopping destination and built to provide a one-of-akind experience. Bass Pro has certainly done that. What other store, hotel, restaurant, bar, or bowling alley has an alligator pit? Visitors to the shiny Pyramid will be greeted with antler-handled wooden doors. Inside, it’s a Bass Pro Shop with rough-hewn wood and antique fishing gear for the brand’s signature hunting lodge aesthetic. Of course, it’s also a store with cash registers, shopping carts, and signs pointing you to boats, boots, or rain coats. But pass through a hallway and the vast inner chamber of the place swallows you whole, separates you from the streets of Memphis, and puts you into a gigantic cypress swamp. Your eyes lift to the Pyramid’s apex, past the massive trunks of faux cypress trees and their spindly boughs

draped in Spanish moss. Ducks glide overhead. Wild boar — dirty with swamp mud — hunt together at the base of a tree. Water gurgles below your feet. You look over the railing at fish swimming in the gently moving water. Wide-eyed deer watch from forested hideouts. A standing bear watches the deer. Then there’s the massive free-standing elevator shaft in the center. The darkened structure (the largest of its kind in the country) glowed emerald green on a recent visit. In it, a glass box carried tiny, hard-hatted figures through a ceiling just below the Pyramid’s apex and disappeared. As of this writing, media have not yet been allowed to ride to the top for the apex view of Memphis, the Mississippi River, and Arkansas; “like nobody’s ever seen before,” Kane said. The Pyramid’s apex, now called The Lookout, is the home of the Sky High Catfish Cabin, a restaurant and bar with a massive aquarium, all of it 300 feet above the Mississippi River. But getting to The Lookout will cost $10; kids can ride for $5 until 4 p.m. Visitors can purchase an annual membership for $100. Big Cypress Lodge hotel guests ride for free.

No merchandise has been seen on the Bass Pro sales floor during media tours so far. But store officials say the store will have the largest assortment of water fowling gear ever assembled in a Bass Pro store (a nod to the river and the Mississippi Flyway), a Beretta gun center, a center for engraving and customizing duck calls, and sporting gear from cookware to footwear for nearly all outdoor activities. On hold, for now, is a boat dock on the Wolf River Harbor that was once a part of the project’s plans. The company “has a vision to make this happen in the future but exact details and timing are not confirmed at this time.” Inside, too, is Uncle Buck’s Fish Bowl & Grill. It’s one of nine restaurants in the Bass Pro “family” of restaurants and one of three Uncle Buck’s concepts. The main draw of Uncle Buck’s Fish Bowl and Grill is the 13-lane bowling alley. Fish swim along the ceiling of the huge room, painted blue and green and with huge undersea murals, so bowlers feel like they’re underwater. If you need more convincing, just wait until you retrieve your ball from the mouth of a giant catfish. The restaurant offers pub fare — nachos, burgers, pizza — but also fish dishes from grilled salmon to catfish fingers.

Duck decor overhead; a painter at work inside Uncle Buck’s; bowling alley ball return; statue outside Uncle Buck’s; faux cypress trees And there’s now a hotel inside the Pyramid. Big Cypress Lodge offers 91 rooms along the Pyramid’s second floor. Some rooms look like tree houses, some like duck hunting camps, but most have fireplaces (electric) and screened-in porches. The nearly 2,000 square-foot Governor’s Suite can accommodate eight people and has a private balcony, kitchen, dining room, vaulted ceilings, and a boardroom. The hotel also has a fitness center, spa, and event space for up to 225 people.

TRAFFIC

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

THE BASS PRO PYRAMID OPENS NEXT WEEK, AFTER YEARS OF NEGOTIATIONS AND DELAYS — AND LOTS OF MONEY.

But what about getting there? continued on page 18

ALL ABOUT THAT BASS! continued from page 17 Bass Pro hired engineers to gauge traffic coming into and out of the Pyramid site. John Cameron, the city’s engineer, said the company did not share those results with his office, but Bass Pro told him they felt “comfortable” with traffic access to the site. The projected one million annual visitors will likely use the Riverside Drive exit from I-40 from the east and west or drive straight onto Riverside from I-55 from the south, Cameron said. However, Bass Pro’s end-of-April opening directly coincides with Memphis In May, when the festival closes a stretch of Riverside for a month, which has the potential to snarl Bass Pro traffic coming from the south. But Cameron said he believes the company will direct those visitors to Midtown I-240, to I-40, and then to the Riverside exit. Paul Morris, president of the Downtown Memphis Commission, said traffic may be bad in the month following the grand opening but should not pose big problems after that. “The Pyramid was built to be an arena that attracted about 18,000 people,” Morris said. “It was built so that 18,000 people would come at the same time and leave at the same time. There were certainly some traffic issues at the time, but I don’t remember a complete dysfunction with the traffic at all.”

THE BASS AND THE CHANNEL CAT

To hear Bass Pro founder Johnny Morris tell it, the whole thing started with a Mississippi River channel catfish - a damn big one. “I remember trying to make up my mind about putting our store in the Pyramid,” Morris said at a construction kick-off event in 2012. “I was on the Mississippi River fishing with my buddies Bill Dance and Jack Emmitt, and I said if we catch a big catfish, it’s meant to be — it’s an omen. Sure enough, with about one hour to go, Jack got a bite and caught this catfish in the shadow of the Pyramid and I said it’s a deal — we’re gonna do it!”

Marohn said. “It’s much harder to fix sidewalks and put in crosswalks and maintain parks and do those hard things. It’s a lot easier for public officials to throw hundreds of millions of dollars at a big project in hopes that it will be transformative.”

CAN’T PINCH US ANYMORE

The Pyramid from Overton Avenue In 2011, Memphis issued $197 million in bonds (basically, loans for cities) for the project. The city will pay that money back over the next 20 years, with taxes collected from sales in the Tourist Development Zone in and around the Pyramid. Those 2011 bond documents project total sales taxes at the Pyramid alone to be $8.3 million. For that $197 million, taxpayers have paid for soil testing, seismic ground improvements, demolition, excavation, parking lots, paving, landscaping, and pretty much everything happening outside of the Pyramid. As Hagel put it, Memphis “spent that money to get us — the renters — inside this building.” For its investment, the city will get a rent payment of at least $880,000 in the first year and $1 million in the years

"I HAVE VISITORS' GUIDES GOING BACK TO 2006 SAYING,

April 23-29, 2015

COMING NEXT YEAR: BASS PRO AT THE PYRAMID!" ~KEVIN KANE It’s a funny story that’s been told many times over the years. But don’t be fooled by a fish tale. Morris is a masterful businessman. Forbes puts his net worth at $4.2 billion. As billionaires go, he’s ranked the 405th wealthiest person in America, ranked just south of Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and just north of Donald Trump. Morris grew the Bass Pro Shop business from a corner of his dad’s liquor store in Springfield, Missouri, in 1971. Bass Pro now has about 90 locations in the U.S. and Canada. Revenues grew 5 percent last year to $4.2 billion, according to Forbes, and the company employs about 19,000.

DOLLARS AND CENTS

Hagel wouldn’t say how much money the company has pumped into the Pyramid, claiming the non-disclosure prerogative of a private company. But he said, “We have spent more money on this project than we’ve ever spent outside of Springfield,” which has a large store and the Big Cedar Lodge resort on Table Rock Lake. Bond documents for the Pyramid project from 2011 said “private sector 18 construction investment in the Pyramid” was projected at $81.5 million.

after. Or, the city will get 2 percent of Bass Pro sales every year — whichever figure is larger. Hagel wouldn’t give sales projections, again, claiming that the private company didn’t have to disclose the figures. Kane said the company projects $2 million in sales each week. Bond documents in 2011 projected 2014 sales (which was slated to be Bass Pro’s first full year open) at $107.2 million. Will it all work? Lipscomb thinks it will. Risk comes standard in business. And risk is a central tenet of Lipscomb’s strategic ethos. “Cities take risks,” Lipscomb said last week, referencing a deal unrelated to Bass Pro. “We take risks to make deals work. That’s what cities do.” But maybe they shouldn’t. Chuck Marohn is an engineer, city planner, and president of Strong Towns, a nonprofit organization whose mission statement says “enduring prosperity for our communities cannot be artificially created from the outside but must be built from within, incrementally over time.” Marohn said the organization has a very small data set for projects as big as Bass Pro at the Pyramid and an even smaller data set for projects that big that are successful. These big projects are “shortcuts to success,” he said. “We do this everywhere; this is America today,”

Two weeks ago, music thumped over chatty conversations up and down Main Street as hundreds streamed through the MEMFix event in the Pinch District. Inside the Red Fish Gallery, owner Linda Thomas held up a bottle and asked her customers loudly, “Who wants white wine? Thomas and her husband bought the two-story building in 2004. Back then, the Pinch was “pretty dead, because the Tomb of Doom had already moved on.” But the couple found friends in the neighborhood at Westy’s and the now-closed T.J. Mulligans. She opened Red Fish Gallery three years ago and said the Pinch has changed, “but not anything like it’s about to change.” “A lot of people say [Bass Pro visitors] are going to get back in their cars and head right back to Arkansas or wherever they came from. But I say that’s not so,” Thomas said. “I see people getting on the trolley bus and touring downtown, and I think this place is going to become a vibrant part of the city again. I’m not ready to give up on the Pinch. I’m going to be here until they can’t pinch us anymore.” Thomas said she hasn’t given up on the pedestrian bridge, either. The original Bass Pro plans called for a pedestrian bridge from the Pyramid’s east side that would stretch over Front Street and land on Overton Avenue. Bass Pro had to shuffle things when it added 60 more rooms to the Big Cypress Lodge and the pedestrian bridge was taken off the table, at least for now. City laws say designs of public projects must be approved through the Design Review Board. That pedestrian bridge was approved as a part of the overall project and, according to the letter of the law, must be built. Morris said the potential benefit Bass Pro will bring downtown far outweighs his disappointment about the bridge. But “a ton of public money” is being spent on the project and one of the strings attached to that money is that projects have to be built the way they are approved. Bass Pro said they won’t build it and, so far, there’s no firm commitment by city leaders on when or even where it we be built. “I think it is disrespectful to the Design Review Board and, thereby, the public, because that’s who the Design Review Board represents,” Morris said. “I think it’s disrespectful to the Pinch.” Lipscomb said the bridge is “still on our radar screen” but he’s focused on getting Bass Pro finally opened. “It’s not as simple as saying the pedestrian bridge is gone,” Lipscomb said last week. “We’ve doubled the [number] of rooms and now you’ve got to re-think the whole thing. How can you have access from the Pinch to the Pyramid? That requires new thinking.” Lipscomb said until a bridge is built, the best access to Bass Pro from the Pinch is at the store’s north entrance at the corner of A.W. Willis and Front.

THE BIG SHOW

Wednesday’s big grand opening event will feature Turtleman, Tony Stewart, Bill Dance, Hugh Freeze, and Miss Tennessee USA. Grand opening events continue through the weekend, with promotions, more celebrities, and music. The store will operate from 8 a.m. to midnight, Monday through Saturday. Sunday hours are 8 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Ask for a blu™

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

*approx.

S P O R TS B y Ke v i n L i p e

Portlandia

The Grizzlies go blazing into the postseason.

P SATURDAY FOLLOW @MEMPHISFLYER ON TWITTER FOR CONTEST DETAILS TICKETS ON SALE NOW

AT TICKETMASTER.COM • ALL TICKETMASTER LOCATIONS CHARGE BY PHONE AT 800-745-3000 : ANOTHER BEAVER PRODUCTION :

beck.com

We April 23-29, 2015

Local Fresh Produce Delivered Weekly

William Ware 901-761-1622

HobsonRealtors.com

bringitfoodhub.com

layoff time in Memphis is a special thing, a time when we as a city come together to become the best version of ourselves. In a town that already spends most of its time thinking about basketball anyway, the NBA postseason brings about something like a religious fervor, a common belief, a unified zealotry. The Grizzlies have now made the playoffs every year since 2011, the only Western Conference team other than the Spurs to do so, and each year we get a slightly new variation on the same “Believe Memphis” theme. This year, the Grizzlies’ first-round matchup is against the Portland Trail Blazers, the first time the Griz have played them in the postseason. The seven previous series since 2011 were all played against the Spurs, Thunder, and Clippers, so it’s nice to see some different players in different uniforms for a change. It’s also a matchup that favors the Grizzlies. Memphis swept the regular season series, but it’s more how they did it than that they did it: Portland lacks the interior defense to guard Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol for an entire game (though they certainly have good post players overall, especially LaMarcus Aldridge), and the Grizzlies’ swarming defense causes serious problems for their primary scoring threats. Injuries to Portland guards Wesley Matthews, who is out for the year with an Achilles injuy, and Arron Afflalo, who has a shoulder injury and seems to be aiming to return as soon as possible, mean that the Blazers, who normally rain 3-pointers on opponents to space the floor while Aldridge and point guard Damian Lillard go to work, are limited to relying on Aldridge and Lillard to carry more than their fair share of the load. The Grizzlies have injuries, too. Mike Conley and Tony Allen both missed long stretches to close out the regular season, and while both returned and played well in Game 1, one could see that they had to adjust to being back in a game situation after sitting for so long. Allen, who is suffering from a hamstring injury, was clearly still having a little difficulty doing what he wanted to do, some of which may have just been rust from sitting since the beginning of April. Conley, on the other hand, was magnificent on both ends, scoring efficiently, using his hesitation move coming off screens to get open,

and creating problems for Lillard on the defensive. There may have been a hint of exorcism at play in Game 1, as well: The last time the Grizzlies opened up a playoff series with home-court advantage was the 2012 first-round opener against the Los Angeles Clippers, in which they gave up a 27-point lead and lost — maybe the most emotionally devastating loss for the Grizzlies ever in FedExForum. When the Griz got out to a similar lead over Portland, there was always a sense that “We’ve seen this before.” The Blazers made a run in the fourth quarter, but this time, Allen stopped it with an emphatic twohanded slam. As dominant as the Grizzlies’ Game 1 performance was, the series is far from over. Portland is a team with quite a bit of offensive firepower, and even given their injuries, still has several players who could get hot and have a big game. Lillard and Aldridge probably won’t shoot so poorly again. The playoffs are about the long game: who can adjust to what the other team is doing, who can neutralize those adjustments and make a counter-move, who can be the first to will themselves to four victories. I don’t expect a Grizzlies sweep of the series. Portland will have at least one home game where their offensive firepower is unleashed and the Griz can’t string together enough stops to keep up, and the Blazers’ insane home crowds are deservedly legendary. They’re not a team that will roll over and give up, not even when they’re missing key players against a team that swamped them even before those injuries. That said, I do think the Grizzlies deserve to be the favorites in the series, and that they’ll take care of business against the Trail Blazers (no matter how many games it takes) and advance. Beyond the first round lurks a matchup with the winner of the Golden State/New Orleans series (which is for all intents and purposes guaranteed to be the Warriors), and the Grizzlies’ health will be just as important in that series as it is in the current one. But that’s not what matters right now: Right now is about reveling in another spring of postseason play. Nothing is guaranteed in the playoffs — nothing but the roar of a FedExForum crowd, and a parade of uniquely Memphis moments playing out on the court and in the arena.

BMW Certified Pre-Owned Elite

bmwusa.com/cpo 1-800-334-4BMW

IF ENVY IS A SIN, THERE GOES THE NEIGHBORHOOD.

ROADSHOW BMW 405 N. Germantown Parkway, Cordova, TN 38018 901.365.2584 | roadshowbmw.com *As low as 0.9% APR financing on model year 2011 BMW Certified Pre-Owned 3 Series and all model year 2012 and model year 2013 BMW Certified Pre-Owned vehicles. A twopayment $500 credit is available on all model year 2012 and 2013 CPO BMW 5 Series. BMW Financial Services will reimburse up to $500 per monthly payment due, up to two payments and customer will be billed for payment in excess of $500 per month. If monthly payment is less than $500, only the monthly payment amount will be credited. Additional credits available for 6 Series and 7 Series. Credit available when financed through BMW Financial Services. Offer valid through 6/1/15. Rates available from participating BMW dealers for customers who meet BMW Financial Services credit requirements. Visit your authorized BMW center for important details. ©2015 BMW of North America, LLC. The BMW name, model names and logo are registered trademarks.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

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

Get the BMW you’ve always wanted for less than you might think at the BMW Certiﬁed Pre-Owned Spring Sales Event. APR as low as 0.9% plus a two-payment credit on select Certiﬁed Pre-Owned models.* With a rigorous inspection and best-in-class warranty, you can be sure it drives as new as it looks.

steppin’ out

We Recommend: Culture, News + Reviews

Donapalooza

By Chris Davis

If you could look underneath the layers of paint that have been applied to the bathroom stall in the lady’s room at the P&H Cafe, you’d see this classic piece of graffiti: “The Rhythm Hounds ate my underwear.” Memphis musician and Rhythm Hound Don McGregor says he may have some idea as to the origins of the once-famous scrawl. McGregor, one of Memphis’ more quietly influential players, was recently diagnosed with stage III colon cancer. To show their love and appreciation, area musicians have planned an epic 10-hour benefit concert. Artists scheduled to perform include Rob Jungklas, Mark Edgar Stewart, Randy Haspel, Richard Johnston, Jimmy Crosswaith, and many more. There will also be a silent auction of paintings by McGregor’s wife, Cathy Reese. Like his friend and fellow traveler Jim Dickinson, McGregor is a wit and keeper of Southern musical traditions. He’s penned songs, picked lead guitar, and sung with many bands including Crawpatch, Lost Dog, and the Rhythm Hounds, who allegedly ate someone’s underwear. “There is an untold story about the Rhythm Hounds and underwear,” McGregor explains. In the early 1980s Frayser-born actor and artist Chris Ellis, of Batman and Apollo 13 fame, was slinging beers at the P&H, drawing caricatures, and printing T-shirts. “On a whim, one night we went to Zayre and bought several packages of cotton women’s panties and [Ellis] silk-screened my face onto the crotch of all of them,” McGregor says. “Sold out the first batch the first night.” It became customary for women to show their love for the Hounds by showing their underwear. “It was very distracting,” McGregor says. “But in a good way.” The Rhythm Hounds will also play “McGregorfest,” as the benefit has been dubbed. Show your love.

JUSTIN FOX BURKS

MCGREGORFEST: A BENEFIT FOR DON MCGREGOR AT 831 COOPER, SATURDAY, APRIL 25TH, 1 P.M. TILL 11 P.M. $10

April 23-29, 2015

The Bible as Tennessee’s official book? No thanks! Rant, p. 47

THURSDAY April 23

FRIDAY April 24

Sleeping Beauty Germantown Performing Arts Center, 7:30 p.m., $25-$75 A performance of the Tchaikovsky fairy tale ballet by the Russian National Ballet.

Broad Avenue Spring Art Walk Broad Avenue Arts District, 5-10 p.m. Featuring tons of live music and artists’ exhibits along Broad.

“Binaries” Crosstown Arts, 5-9 p.m. Opening reception for this group show featuring emerging artists, including Gabriel Pfeiffer, Gregory Allen Smith, Pete Hoffecker, Alexa Zabella, Anna Irace, Jesse Delira, Robert Kyle, and Adam Clark.

Madea on the Run The Orpheum, 8 p.m., $45.50-$82.50 The latest in this series of stage plays following Tyler Perry’s volatile matriarch finds Madea on the run from the law and hiding out at a friend’s house. There will be consequences for that friend’s family.

Huey’s celebrates its 45th birthday. Food, p. 36 SATURDAY April 25 The Philadelphia Story Theatre Memphis, 8 p.m., $25 On the scene at a sassy socialite’s second wedding. Involves one ex-husband and one charming reporter.

Southern Hot Wing Festival Mississippi River Park, 11 a.m.-7 p.m. A festival all about the wings. Teams compete for top honors, and there’s the saucy hot-wings eating contest.

Speed Dating Tonight! Harris Concert Hall, University of Memphis, 7:30 p.m., $20 A comic one-act opera conceived by Dean Anthony, music and words by Michael Ching.

Jack Hanna’s Into the Wild Live Gold Strike Casino Resort, 3 and 7 p.m., $9.95-$19.95 Jack Hanna, director emeritus of the Columbus Zoo and frequent guest of Late Night with David Letterman, brings his Into the Wild show to Gold Strike today. The show explores the different cultures and animals from around the world and touches on conservation issues as well.

Giants & Aliens By Chris Davis There’s a transuniversal nexus where creationism and conspiracy theory collides with UFO lore and stories about a lost race of ancient giants. It’s called the History Channel. These are also some of the topics on tap at the Watchers Conference where L.A. Marzulli and Russ Dizdar will talk about fallen angels, Bible prophecy, and other things covered in their books. “A lot of it will be about the idea of the giants in Genesis 6,” says Marzulli, author of The Nephilim Trilogy. “What amazes all of us researching this stuff is that we know that the Bible is filled with supernatural events. If you take the supernatural events out of the Bible, there’s not much left. But today a lot of so-called Christians are afraid to even look [at] or entertain the idea that the supernatural is manifesting.” Marzulli, who describes himself as a Biblical literalist, says America has a “truth embargo” in regard to aliens, giants, and the end times. “Anybody who talks about UFOs or lights in the sky is ridiculed,” he says. “There aren’t many folks looking into this stuff and connecting the dots. And those of us who are doing this full time realize that we’re not in Kansas anymore.” Dizdar’s portion of the Watchers event is custom-fit for conferees whose interests in conspiratorial esoterica lean more in the direction of 1980s-era “Satanic panic.” Dizdar, like Marzulli, has been a guest on the late-night fringe history radio show Coast to Coast. He specializes in spiritual warfare, mind control, and Satanism. “We will arm the people who come, and I mean arm them,” Marzulli says. “We will let them know what’s going on, and they can connect the dots for themselves.”

1-900 BAND

APRIL 24 & 25 • 9PM –1AM

JAMIE BAKER And The VIP’s

MAY 1 & 2 • 9PM –1AM

THE WATCHERS CONFERENCE, APRIL 24-26 AT THE CORDOVA COMMUNITY CENTER. $30. WATCHERSCONFERENCE.COM

KING BEEZ

MAY 8 & 9 • 9PM –1AM

V&E Artwalk V&E Greenline, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Annual family-friendly art event, featuring some 70 booths of art, plus live music, craft beer, lots of food, and more. Hopped Memphis Made Brewing Company, noon-6 p.m. A spring beer release party and launch of the taproom’s new Saturday hours. Those who ride a bike to Memphis Made will be entered in a raffle, with prizes including a growler of beer a month for a year.

Original Art Auction Playhouse on the Square, 6:30 p.m., $30 Huge party and art auction for Playhouse on the Square. Participating artists include Saj Crone, Joel Halpern, Jan Hankins, Matthew Hasty, Pinkney Herbert, Dolph Smith, Brin and Dale Baucum, David Mah, and many more. Crafted Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, 6:30 p.m., $75 Part of the Brooks’ Memphis Wine + Food series, featuring beer from 30 local, regional, and national craft breweries. Participating breweries include: Dogfish Head, Southern Prohibition, SweetWater, and Moody Tongue.

Flavor: A Culinary Experience Hilton Memphis, 6-9 p.m., A fund-raiser for the American Liver Foundation, featuring a fivecourse dinner prepared by local chefs, including Josh Stenier of Strano, Michael Patrick of Rizzo’s, and Ana Gonzalez of Bleu. Poetry in the Park Overton Park, 2-4 p.m. An event celebrating National Poetry Month. Guests are encouraged to bring between two to four poems.

TERRY “BIG T” WILLIAMS MAY 15 • 9PM –1AM

www.ballystunica.com Bally’s Tunica and RIH Acquisitions MS II, LLC have no affiliation with Caesars License Company, LLC and its affiliates other than a license to the Bally’s name. Must be 21 or older. Gambling Problem? Call 1-888-777-9696.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

SUNDAY April 26

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

Boy meets Robot: Ex Machina opens Friday. Film, p. 40

23 23

RETAIL THER APY

Food, Fun and Music! EST. 1971

Thanks to all the people and bands who came out for our 420 Grand Opening!

1910 Frame Works is proud to feature all the 2015 Memphis in May posters! They make great gifts for Moms and Grads, so stop by to see them today.

All Sale Prices Extended for One More Week! (for those who missed the party or saw a great deal but didn’t get it, now’s your chance!)

April 23-29, 2015

CHE

GREAT GIFTS FOR MOMS AND GRADS.

U of M 555 S. Highland 901-452-4731 facebook/whatevermemphis instagram/whatevermemphis

2029 Union Avenue | 901-274-1910

901

PH EM I

E DE VE SIV A

@whatevermemphis

Midtown 2027 Madison Ave. 901-590-0048

Handcrafted Jewelry, Gift Certiﬁcates, Classes and Beading Supplies. Featured Necklace — $225.00

Copper, Sterling Silver and Drusy Quartz Tuesday-Saturday 10-6 PM. Closed Sundays and Mondays.

facebook/whateveroverton instagram/whatevermad @whatevermemphis

2487 Broad Ave. | 901.323.9213 thebeadcouture.com |

Be Uplifted A P E R F E C T F I T S I N C E 1 94 9

BRA FIT EVENT SALE

20% OFF ALL BRAS

APRIL 23 —APRIL 26 special event hours

THURS 10 – 8 | FRI / SAT 10 – 5:30 | SUN 1 – 5 *Excludes special orders, previous purchases and items already on sale.

TRUNK SHOW

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

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

408 Perkins Ext | Memphis, TN 38117 | 901-682-7575 | trousseau.com

SPRING FORWARD

M U S I C F E AT U R E B y C h r i s S h a w

Music and Other Distractions

to a New, Younger Looking YOU

Rocket Science Audio celebrates their 20th variety show.

Meet Kate, Botox Specialist.

Call today to set up a consultation. your friendly neighborhood wellness center. Clinic Hours: Monday-Friday 7am-6pm | Saturday-Sunday 10am-2pm

TESTOSTERONE REPLACEMENT THERAPY | IV HYDRATION THERAPY B-12 INJECTIONS | SINUS COCKTAIL INJECTIONS | IV VITAMIN THERAPY

14 N. McLean Blvd. (at Madison) 901.509.2738 atlasmenshealth.com

A Celebration of the Arts

May 9 & 10 th

April 23-29, 2015

Around the Historic Courthouse Square in Downtown Tupelo.

Flyer: First off, can you talk about how the variety show has evolved since it started two years ago? Robin Pack: When we first started the variety show we didn’t have any pre-recorded segments or skits. The idea was to just have live music and that’s it. When we started introducing the skits and different pre-recorded segments, people didn’t really know how to respond to it, I guess because they were under the impression that they were only going to be seeing live music. It got to be so awkward that we decided to cut down on the comedian segments and focus more on the music. But since we needed to fill up time, we started making our own clips and segments to throw in there too. It’s a variety show, so we try to include everything from puppet shows to magicians, and the segments have evolved into people talking about there jobs, which is very similar to the kind of small talk that goes on at local shows. So the segments are almost like an extension of meeting people at a local show? Yeah, exactly. I mean, inevitably everyone ends up talking about work when you are at a show and waiting for the next band to play. The idea for those

CHRIS SHAW

here are people involved in the Memphis music scene who do things simply because they need to be done. Robin Pack and Kyle Johnson are those types of people. No one asked them to start live streaming and archiving concerts in Memphis, but you’d be hard-pressed to attend a big local show in Memphis and not see Kyle, Robin, and their dedicated crew running sound, streaming the concert, or both. Since starting their variety show two years ago, some of the biggest names in local music have played their studio (the Oblivians, Grifters, Gringos), with each iconic performance streamed live and then archived for music fans across the globe to enjoy. We caught up with Rocket Science Audio co-founder Robin Pack to get a little bit of the backstory of his company and to learn more about what the Midtown recording studio has planned for its 20th episode.

Rocket Science Audio headquarters on Madison Avenue segments is just to give someone a few beers and let them talk, and we usually get some pretty good footage out of it. You guys have been on a short break after doing the variety show almost every month for the past two years. What do you have planned for your 20th episode? We are constantly trying to do new stuff with the show, and having Mancontrol here will be really fun because we’ve never had a band like them play our space. It’s basically become ADD theater at this point, and we are still trying to book bands that would otherwise never play together. The goal moving forward is to expose every part of the Memphis music scene fairly, even if a band isn’t our particular cup of tea. Everyone making music in Memphis deserves to be put out there. We’ve been talking about trying to have a one-man band show, and instead of having the traditional two bands we’d have four or five one-man bands. We also want to bring more out-of-town bands in. We’ve done that a little bit, but I would like to get a lot more touring bands through. Who is on the 20th episode? Nots is playing, and they are a band

ANNUAL

M U S I C F E AT U R E

SPRING SALE

ANDREW MCCALLA

SAVE UP TO 60% APRIL 22 -26th

20% OFF ANY ONE WOMEN’S SPORTSWEAR ITEM

The Rocket Science Audio crew

ANY ONE MEN’S SPORTSWEAR ITEM

ANY ONE PAIR OF FOOTWEAR

(EXCLUDES CYCLING · EXCLUDES ALL CHACOS)

(INCLUDING CYCLING)

MAY NOT BE USED WITH ANY OTHER OFFER. EXCLUDES SALE ITEMS AND PRIOR PURCHASES. LIMIT ONE COUPON PER PERSON - OFFER GOOD THROUGH 5/3/15

20% OFF

$50 OFF

15% OFF

ANY ONE BACKPACK, TENT OR SLEEPING BAG

ANY BIKE PURCHASE OF $400 OR MORE

ANY ONLINE PURCHASE WEBCODE: SPRING2015

MAY NOT BE USED WITH ANY OTHER OFFER. EXCLUDES SALE ITEMS AND PRIOR PURCHASES. LIMIT ONE COUPON PER PERSON - OFFER GOOD THROUGH 5/3/15

MAY NOT BE USED WITH ANY OTHER OFFER. EXCLUDES ALL CHACOS & SALE ITEMS AND PRIOR PURCHASES. LIMIT ONE COUPON PER PERSON - OFFER GOOD THROUGH 5/3/15

10%-40% OFF SELECT WHITEWATER & TOURING KAYAKS

ALL SCOTT BIKES

SYNAPSE 5 DISC

ALL DAY COMFORT FOR PEOPLE WHO STAY ON THEIR FEET

MEN’S & WOMEN’S XR MISSION

15%-30% OFF

ON SALE $7999

REG $1,44900

35%-50% OFF

ON SALE $1,34900

ALL CHACOS

MEN’S & WOMEN’S RUNNING SHOES

8995 - $10500

25% OFF

PINK PIG POLOS

15% OFF

30% OFF

34 th Annual

OUTDOORS INC CANOE & KAYAK RACE SATURDAY • JUNE 20 - ON THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER For information, contact Joe Royer, Race Director - JoeRoyer@OutdoorsInc.com · Race information: OutdoorsInc.com

OutdoorsInc.com CORDOVA, TN 833 N. G’town Parkway 901-755-2271 3_4 Page.indd 1

EAST MEMPHIS 5245 Poplar Avenue 901-767-6790

MIDTOWN MEMPHIS 1710 Union 901-722-8988

JACKSON, TN 405 Vann Drive 731-512-1766

MEMPHIS OUTLET STORE 3421 Summer Avenue 901-323-7876 4/20/15 9:24 AM

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

How does Rocket Science Audio compare to local podcasts and streaming services that focus on Memphis music? One of the comedians who will be coming on the 20th anniversary show is Gil Worth, who also runs the popular OAM podcasts. The only real difference I guess is that our stuff is always 100 percent live. We don’t go back and edit anything, and that gives you a very authentic feel. There are places that do live streaming like Ditty TV, but they aren’t a recording studio. We are trying to do something that hasn’t been done in Memphis, and that means there will be a lot of trial and error. We are always trying to do one more thing. Nots and Mancontrol, Thursday, April 30th at Rocket Science Audio (1583 Madison Avenue), 10 p.m., free. Or stream the show online at www.rocketscienceaudio.com.

20% OFF

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

we’ve wanted to get on here for a long time. They’ve been touring so much lately that it’s been hard to get them nailed down. We were hoping to get them in last month but because of South By Southwest it just didn’t work out. They are a band that we’ve been excited about for a long time, so we are stoked that they are playing. We’ve done some stuff for them before like transferring stuff from a cassette tape and making tracks digital, but they put on an amazing performance that I think people will be excited to see. I think this show also does a good job of showing how incestuous the Memphis music scene is, as well. Bill Curry [local drummer] has been on this show three times in three different bands, and Dave Shouse from Mancontrol has also played the show with his other band the Grifters. It’s also important to recognize the comedians that come through because they are really important to what we do here. The whole point of a variety show is to expose people to a bunch of different stuff, so I always tell people that if they don’t like something that’s on, just wait five minutes and something completely different will be on camera. Comedians have been assaulted by full beer cans here. They’ve had to put up with a lot, but it’s important for them to have another venue where they can come and perform.

15% OFF

R O B E RT EAR L K E E N G E R M AN TOW N P E R F O R M I N G A R TS CE NTE R F R I DAY, AP R I L 2 4 T H JACK OBLIVIAN BY DON PERRY

JAC K O B LIV I AN HA R B O R TOWN A M P H ITH E ATE R SATU R DAY, A P R I L 25TH

C H I CAG O H O R S E S H O E TU N I CA S ATU R DAY, AP R I L 25TH

After Dark: Live Music Schedule April 23 - 29 Blues City Cafe

King’s Palace Cafe’s Patio

138 BEALE 526-3637

Alfred’s 197 BEALE 525-3711

Brad Birkedahl Band Thursdays, Wednesdays, 8 p.m.; The Memphis 3 Mondays, 7 p.m.; Earl “The Pearl” Banks Tuesdays, 7 p.m.

Karaoke Thursdays, TuesdaysWednesdays, 9 p.m.-1 a.m. and Sundays-Mondays, 10 p.m.2 a.m.; Jim Wilson Fridays, Saturdays, 6-9 p.m.; DJ J2 Fridays, Saturdays, 9:30 p.m.5 a.m.; Kevin and Bethany Paige Fridays, Saturdays, 10 p.m.-2 a.m.; Basketcase Friday, April 24, 10 p.m.2 a.m.; Memphis Jazz Orchestra Sundays, 6-9 p.m.

Jordan Allena Friday, April 24, 9-11 p.m.

B.B. King’s Blues Club

Itta Bena

147 BEALE 524-KING

The King Beez Thursdays, 5:30 p.m.; B.B. King All Stars Thursdays, Fridays, 8 p.m. and Saturday, April 25, 9 p.m.; Will Tucker Band Fridays, Saturdays, 5 p.m.; Lisa G and Flic’s Pic’s Band Saturdays, Sundays, 12:30 p.m.; Blind Mississippi Morris Sundays, 5 p.m. and Wednesday, April 29, 5:30 p.m.; Memphis Jones Wednesdays, 5:30 p.m. and Sundays, 5:30 p.m.; Doc Fangaz and the Remedy Tuesdays, 5:30 p.m.; Preston Shannon Wednesday, April 29, 8:30 p.m.

Blue Note Bar & Grill 341-345 BEALE 577-1089

159 BEALE

Chris Gales noon-8 p.m.; Karaoke ongoing, 8:30 p.m.

Hard Rock Cafe 126 BEALE STREET 529-0007

145 BEALE 578-3031

Susan Marshall Fridays, Saturdays, 7-10 p.m.

Jerry Lee Lewis Cafe & Honky Tonk 310 BEALE 654-5171

The Jason James Trio FridaysSundays, 7-11 p.m.; Rockin’ Joey Trites and the Memphis Flash Saturdays, 3-7 p.m. and Wednesdays, 7-11 p.m.

King’s Palace Cafe 162 BEALE 521-1851

David Bowen Thursdays, 5:309:30 p.m., Fridays, Saturdays, 6:30-10:30 p.m., Sunday, April 26, 5:30-9:30 p.m., Tuesday, April 28, 5:30-9:30 p.m. and Wednesday, April 29, 5:30-9:30 p.m.

162 BEALE 521-1851

182 BEALE 528-0150

Mack 2 Band MondaysFridays, 2-6 p.m.; Nate Dogg and the Fellas Thursdays, Fridays, 6:30-10:30 p.m.; McDaniel Band Saturdays, 2-6 p.m.; Darrell Wilson Saturdays, 6:30-10:30 p.m.; Cowboy Neil Sundays, 26 p.m. and Mondays, 6:3010:30 p.m.; Chic Jones Tuesdays, Sundays, 6:3010:30 p.m.; Sensation Band Wednesdays, 6:30-10:30 p.m.

Memphis Bluesmasters Thursdays, 8 p.m.-midnight; Plantation Allstars Fridays, Saturdays, 3-7 p.m.; Blake Ryan Friday, April 24, 8 p.m.-midnight; Low Society Sundays, 8 p.m.-midnight and Saturday, April 25, 8 p.m.-midnight; The Dr. “Feel Good” Potts Band Mondays, 8 p.m.-midnight; McDaniel Band Tuesdays, Wednesdays, 8 p.m.-midnight.

King’s Palace Cafe’s Tap Room

Silky O’Sullivan’s 183 BEALE 522-9596

168 BEALE 576-2220

Don Valentine Thursdays, Tuesdays, 8 p.m.-midnight; Mississippi Big Foot Fridays, 9 p.m.-1 a.m.; Low Society Friday, April 24, 9 p.m.-1 a.m.; Delta Project Saturday, April 25, 8 p.m.-midnight; Vince Johnson and the Plantation Allstars Wednesdays, 8 p.m.-midnight.

Rum Boogie Cafe 182 BEALE 528-0150

Barbara Blue ThursdaysFridays, Wednesdays, 79 p.m., Saturdays, 5-9 p.m., and Sundays, 4-9 p.m.; Dueling Pianos Thursdays, Wednesdays, 9 p.m.-1 a.m., Fridays, Saturdays, 9 p.m.3 a.m., and Sundays, Tuesdays, 8 p.m.-midnight.

Wet Willie’s 209 BEALE 578-5650

Vince Johnson and the Boogie Blues Band Thursdays, 8 p.m.-midnight, Friday, April 24, 9 p.m.-1 a.m. and Saturday, April 25, 9 p.m.1 a.m.; Pam and Terry Fridays, Saturdays, 5:30-8:30 p.m.; Memphis Blues Society Jam Sundays, 7-11 p.m.; Darren Jay and the Delta Souls Monday, April 27, 8 p.m.-midnight; Brandon Santini Band Tuesday, April 28, 8 p.m.midnight and Wednesday, April 29, 8 p.m.-midnight.

April 23-29, 2015

Queen Ann & the Memphis Blues Masters Fridays, Saturdays, 8 p.m.-midnight.

Flynn’s Restaurant and Bar

Rum Boogie Cafe’s Blues Hall

Roxie Love Thursday, April 23, 7-11 p.m.; Live Bands Fridays, Saturdays, 7-11 p.m.

Blind Bear Speakeasy 119 S. MAIN, PEMBROKE SQUARE 417-8435

Live Music ThursdaysSaturdays, 10 p.m.

APRIL 22

SARAH SIMMONS OF "THE VOICE"

Brass Door Irish Pub

Huey’s Downtown

152 MADISON 572-1813

77 S. SECOND 527-2700

Live Music Fridays.

Brinson’s 341 MADISON 524-0104

Melting Pot: Artist Showcase Thursdays, 7-11 p.m.

Double J’s Smokehouse & Saloon 124 E. G.E. PATTERSON 335-0251

Live Music Thursdays, 711 p.m., Fridays, 9 p.m.-1 a.m. and Saturdays, 9 p.m.-1 a.m.

Earnestine & Hazel’s 531 S. MAIN 523-9754

Caleb Sweazy - Lucky or Strong Album Release Show Thursday, April 23, 7-11 p.m.

Grawemeyer’s 520 S. MAIN 526-6751

Evan Farris Saturdays, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. and 6-10 p.m., Sundays, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. and Fridays, 6-10 p.m.

The Green Beetle 325 S. MAIN 527-7337

The Po Boys Friday, April 24, 7-11 p.m.; Jo Jo Jefferies and Ronnie Caldwell Saturday, April 25, 8-11 p.m.

Harbor Town Amphitheater 740 HARBOR BEND ROAD

River Series: Jack Oblivian & the Sheiks Tuesday, April 28.

Metropolitan Boulevard Sunday, April 26, 8:30 p.m.12:30 a.m.

Memphis Sounds Lounge 22 N. THIRD 590-4049

Grown Folk’s Music 7:30 p.m.

Onix Restaurant & Jazz Lounge 412 S. MAIN 552-4609

Neo Soul and R&B Thursdays, 7-10 p.m.; Smooth Jazz Fridays, 8-11 p.m.; Old School R&B Saturdays, 8-11 p.m.

The Orpheum 203 S. MAIN 525-3000

Celtic Woman 10th Anniversary World Tour Tuesday, April 28, 7-9:15 p.m. and Wednesday, April 29, 7-9:15 p.m.

Paulette’s RIVER INN, 50 HARBOR TOWN SQUARE 260-3300

Live Pianist Thursdays, 5:30-8:30 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays, 5:30-9 p.m., Sundays, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., and MondaysWednesdays, 5:30-8 p.m.

The Peabody 149 UNION 529-4000

Walrus Thursday, April 23, 6-11 p.m.

The Plexx 380 E.H. CRUMP 744-2225

Old School Blues & Jazz Fridays, Saturdays, 9 p.m.

APRIL 28

CALLIE MARAE OF "THE VOICE"

4/22 SARAH SIMMONS OF "THE VOICE" • 4/23 WHITE WATER RAMBLE 9PM • 4/24 DEVIL TRAIN 10PM • 4/25 MAGNOLIA SONS 10PM • 4/26 PAPER BIRD 4PM • 4/27 PETER HYRKA’S GYPSY HOMBRES 7PM • 4/28 CALLIE MARAE OF "THE VOICE" 7PM • 4/29 THE LOCAL SAINTS 7PM 28

2 1 1 9 M A D I S O N AV E N U E M E M P H I S , T N 3 8 1 0 4

F O R M O R E I N F O R M AT I O N V I S I T L A FAY E T T E S M U S I C R O O M . C O M

Purple Haze Nightclub

The Buccaneer

140 LT. GEORGE W. LEE 577-1139

1368 MONROE 278-0909

Rumba Room 303 S. MAIN 523-0020

Saturday Salsa Night Saturdays, 8:30 p.m.-3 a.m.

The Silly Goose 100 PEABODY PLACE 435-6915

DJ Cody Fridays, Saturdays, 10 p.m.

Spindini 383 S. MAIN 578-2767

Jeff Crosslin Thursdays, 7-11 p.m.

South Main South Main Sounds 550 S. MAIN 521-0054

South Main Sounds Songwriter Night #4 Friday, April 24, 7-9 p.m.

Camy’s 3 S. BARKSDALE 725-1667

Live Music Fridays.

Celtic Crossing 903 S. COOPER 274-5151

Chris Johnson Thursdays, 10 p.m.; DJ Tree Fridays, 10 p.m.; DJ Taz Saturdays, 10 p.m.; Jim & Larkin Sunday, April 26, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.; Jeremy Stanfill and Joshua Cosby Sundays, 6-9 p.m.; Charvey Mack Tuesdays, 8:3011:30 p.m.

The Cove

2119 MADISON 207-5097

Delta Joe Sanders & Tommy Burroughs Thursday, April 23, 6-7 p.m.; White Water Ramble Thursday, April 23, 9-11 p.m.; Loveland & Duren Friday, April 24, 6:30-7:15 p.m.; Deering & Down Saturday, April 25, 6:30-8:30 p.m.; Magnolia Sons Saturday, April 25, 10 p.m.midnight; Paper Bird Sunday, April 26; Marcella & Her Lovers Sunday, April 26, 7:309 p.m.; The Mallet Brothers Sunday, April 26, 8-10 p.m.; Peter Hyrka’s Gypsy Hombres Monday, April 27, 7-9 p.m.; Callie MaRae of The Voice Tuesday, April 28, 7-9 p.m.; The Local Saints Wednesday, April 29, 7-9 p.m.

Lindenwood Christian Church 2400 UNION 458-8506

“Wing and a Prayer” Sundays, 9:45 a.m.

Murphy’s

2559 BROAD 730-0719

HATEBREED LIVE AT THE HI-TONE Hatebreed will celebrate their 20th anniversary as a band next Tuesday night at the Hi-Tone. Choosing to play the Hi-Tone over Minglewood Hall or the New Daisy (where Hatebreed played in 2007 on the Monsters of Mayhem II tour) is especially interesting considering that after this gig the band will immediately join Slipknot for a string of shows in places like the Super Dome and the U.S. Cellular Center. Formed in 1994 in Connecticut, Hatebreed quickly became one of the torchbearers of early metalcore, along with bands like Earth Crisis, Converge, and Merauder. By combining elements of traditional hardcore punk and heavy metal, Hatebreed took the NYHC sound from the late ’80s and beefed it up even more, creating a sound that is still being emulated today by bands across the globe. After releasing the excellent Under The Knife EP, the band signed to Victory records and released Satisfaction Is the Death of Desire, an album still considered to be the blueprint for the perfect metalcore record by many of the genre’s purists. After touring with some of the biggest acts in heavy metal (Slayer, The Deftones), Hatebreed officially crossed over into the mainstream world of aggressive rock, meaning their merchandise started showing up in places like Hot Topic and FYE, and their music videos got airplay on MTV’s Headbangers Ball (a show frontman Jamey Jasta ended up hosting for four years). When the Hi-Tone announced several months ago that Hatebreed was coming to town, the notion that this was a once-in-a-lifetime show wasn’t lost on any local bands. Chaos Order and Reserving Dirtnaps won the honors, and both bands are a great example of the reach that Hatebreed has had over the genre since forming 20 years ago. It’s an almost sure bet the show will sell out, so get there early. — Chris Shaw Hatebreed, Reserving Dirtnaps, Chaos Order, Tuesday, April 28th at the HiTone, 9 p.m. $20.

Bar DKDC 964 S. COOPER 272-0830

The Defibulators Thursday, April 23; Marcella & Her Lovers Friday, April 24; DJ The Hook Up Saturday, April 25; John Paul Keith Wednesday, April 29, 6-9 p.m.

Bhan Thai 1324 PEABODY 272-1538

Two Peace Saturdays, 710:30 p.m.; Loveland Duren Sundays, 6-9 p.m.

Blue Monkey 2012 MADISON 272-BLUE

Karaoke Thursdays, 9 p.m.midnight; Reemus Bodeemus Friday, April 24, 10:30 p.m.; Kirk McSmithhart Band Saturday, April 25.

Boscos Squared 2120 MADISON 432-2222

Sunday Brunch with Joyce Cobb Sundays, 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.

Jazz with Jeremy & Ed Thursdays, 9 p.m.; Poodle Brandy Friday, April 24, 10 p.m.; Hope Clayburn and the Soul Scrimmage Saturday, April 25, 10 p.m.; Open Jam Sundays, 6 p.m.; Juke Joint Blues Jam Tuesdays, 8 p.m.-midnight; Karaoke Wednesdays, 10 p.m.

Dru’s Place

1589 MADISON 726-4193

OBN III’s, Obnox, Secret Prostitutes, Live at Murphy’s Thursday, April 23, 9 p.m.-3 a.m.

Overton Square MIDTOWN

Stax Music Academy Spring Concert: A Celebration of Southern Soul Music Sunday, April 26, 4-6 p.m.

P&H Cafe

1474 MADISON 275-8082

Karaoke Fridays-Sundays.

Hi-Tone 412-414 N. CLEVELAND 278-TONE

1532 MADISON 726-0906

Rock Starkaraoke Fridays; Open Mic with Tiffany Harmon Mondays, 9 p.m.midnight.

In the big room: The Slackers with CCDE Thursday, April 23, 10-11:45 p.m.; In the big room: Tommy Boys Friday, April 24, 911:45 p.m.; Hatebreed, Reserving Dirtnaps, and Chaos Order Tuesday, April 28, 9 p.m.

Bluezday Thurzday Thursdays, 8-11:45 p.m.; Cowboy Bob’s Roundup Mondays, 8-11:45 p.m.; Sing for Your Supper last Tuesday of every month, 6:30-9 p.m.

Java Cabana

Strano Sicilian Kitchen

2170 YOUNG 272-7210

948 S. COOPER 552-7122

Hanna Star & the Teenage Teenagers Sundays, 1:30-3 p.m.

The Phoenix 1015 S. COOPER 338-5223

Davy Ray Bennett Wednesdays, Sundays, 6-9 p.m.

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

DJ Dance Music ongoing, 10 p.m.

Sounds Del Mar, James and the Ultrasounds Thursday, April 23, 9 p.m.; Rabid Villain Friday, April 24, 10 p.m.; Gimp Teeth, Shatter Hand, Red Planet Saturday, April 25, 9 p.m.; Elizabeth Wise Sunday, April 26, 9 p.m.; Devil Train Mondays, 8 p.m.; Dave Cousar Tuesdays, 11 p.m.

Lafayette’s Music Room

continued on page 30

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

THE PEABODY ROOFTOP PARTIES 2015 THURSDAYS, APRIL 16 - AUGUST 13 6:00pm -11:00pm. Ladies & Hotel Guests free till 7:00pm. Must be 21. $10 cover charge . *$15 special event. VIP Season Pass $150.

april

23: Walrus 30: The Brad Birkedahl Band with special performance by Cash Cash*

may

07: Twin Soul with special performance by Andy Grammer* 14: Ghost Town Blues Band ®

149 Union Avenue . Memphis, TN 38103 901.529.4000 . www.peabodymemphis.com

SOUTHERN HOT WING FESTIVAL APRIL 25TH

GET ONE 2 PC DARK DINNER FREE

APRIL 23 - 29 continued from page 29 Wild Bill’s

Brookhaven Pub & Grill 695 BROOKHAVEN CIRCLE 680-8118

The Soul Connection Fridays, Saturdays, 11 p.m.-3 a.m.

& 2 MED DRINKS. WITH THIS COUPON.

Memphis Pink Palace Museum 3050 CENTRAL 636-2362

Underground Open Mic Night Sundays, 6:30-7:30 p.m.

Ubee’s 521 S. HIGHLAND 323-0900

Karaoke Wednesdays, 9 p.m.2 a.m.

811 S Highland • 2484 Jackson Ave • 1370 Poplar Ave • 890 Thomas Facebook.com/Jackpirtles • Twitter.com/@Jackpirtles1957 Write Us: Customer2jackpirtles@Gmail.com • Buses Welcome! We Accept All Major Credit Cards

University of Memphis MEMPHIS 678-2000

Southern Comfort Jazz Orchestra Thursday, April 23, 7:30 p.m.

University of Memphis, Harris Concert Hall INSIDE THE RUDI E. SCHEIDT SCHOOL OF MUSIC 678-5400

Speed Dating Tonight! Friday, April 24, 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, April 26, 3 p.m.; University of Memphis Jazz Singers Tuesday, April 28, 7:30 p.m.; University of Memphis Symphonic Band and University Band Wednesday, April 29, 7:30 p.m.

TAKE US FOR A SPIN! Win a 2015 Chevrolet® Camaro!

SATURDAY, APRIL 25 11:30PM April 23-29, 2015

Live Music Thursdays, 9:30 p.m.-1:30 a.m.

Every Saturday 30 winners will win $250 in Free Slot Play from 7pm – 11pm.

422 S. GROVE PARK 682-8436

4645 WALNUT GROVE 767-6987

Choral Evensong: Good Shepherd Sunday Sunday, April 26, 5:30-6:30 p.m.

Dan McGuinness Pub 4698 SPOTTSWOOD 761-3711

Acoustic with Charvey Tuesdays, 8:30 p.m.; Karaoke Wednesdays, 8 p.m.

El Toro Loco 2809 KIRBY PKWY. 759-0593

Karaoke and Dance Music with DJ Funn Mondays, 7-10 p.m.

Folk’s Folly Prime Steak House 551 S. MENDENHALL 762-8200

Intimate Piano Lounge featuring Charlotte Hurt Mondays-Thursdays, 59:30 p.m.; Larry Cunningham Fridays, Saturdays, 6-10 p.m.

Fox and Hound English Pub & Grill 5101 SANDERLIN 763-2013

Karaoke Tuesdays, 9 p.m.

Free play Fridays

The Settlers Sunday, April 26, 4-7 p.m.; Jeffrey and the Pacemakers Sunday, April 26, 8:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m.

Laurelwood Shopping Center

Church of the Holy Communion

University of Memphis

Dine In & Drive Thru 3571 Lamar Ave • 2520 Mt Moriah Drive Thru / Carry Out 1217 S. Bellevue • 4349 Elvis Presley

Huey’s Poplar 4872 POPLAR 682-7729

1580 VOLLINTINE 207-3975

W/ PURCHASE OF ONE 2PC DARK DINNER

VISIT ONE OF OUR 8 LOCATIONS TODAY!

East Memphis

Vanessa and Scott Sudbury Thursday, April 23.

Mortimer’s 590 N. PERKINS 761-9321

Van Duren Thursdays, 6:308:30 p.m.

T.J. Mulligan’s 1817 KIRBY 755-2481

Karaoke Tuesdays, 8 p.m.

The Windjammer Restaurant 786 E. BROOKHAVEN CIRCLE 683-9044

Karaoke ongoing.

Poplar/I-240 Neil’s Music Room 5727 QUINCE 682-2300

The Thrill at Neil’s featuring Jack Rowell and Triplthret Thursdays, 8 p.m.-midnight; Eddie Smith Fridays, 8 p.m.; Sax on Sunday: StraightAhead and Mainstream Jazz fourth Sunday of every month, 6:30-9:30 p.m.; Gene Nunez and Debbie Jamison

Win up to $600 in Free Slot Play! FRIDAYS IN APRIL 7PM-11PM

APRIL 26 • 1PM–4PM $5,000 Prize Pool!

1st place $1,000 • 2nd $850 3rd $750 • 4th $550 5th $350 • 6–10th $200 2 Wild card drawings for $250 each!

www.ballystunica.com 30

Bally’s Tunica and RIH Acquisitions MS II, LLC have no affiliation with Caesars License Company, LLC and its affiliates other than a license to the Bally’s name. Must be 21 or older. Gambling Problem? Call 1-888-777-9696.

After Dark: Live Music Schedule April 23 - 29 Tuesdays, 6 p.m.; Elmo and the Shades Wednesdays, 8 p.m.-midnight.

Owen Brennan’s THE REGALIA, 6150 POPLAR 761-0990

Lannie McMillan Jazz Trio Sundays, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

Old Whitten Tavern 2800 WHITTEN 379-1965

Live Music Fridays, 9 p.m.1 a.m.; Karaoke with Ricky Mack Mondays, 10 p.m.1 a.m.; Open Mic with Susie and Bob Salley Wednesdays, 8 p.m.

Cordova

Old Millington Winery

Fox and Hound English Pub & Grill 847 EXOCET 624-9060

Karaoke Tuesdays, 9 p.m.

Huey’s Cordova Beat Generation Sunday, April 26, 8:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m.

High Point Pub

Java Trio Sunday, April 26, 3-6 p.m.

Germantown

1771 N. GERMANTOWN PKWY. 754-3885

Summer/Berclair

6748 OLD MILLINGTON 873-4114

477 HIGH POINT TERRACE 452-9203

Germantown Performing Arts Center

10 p.m.; Half Step Down Fridays, 7-10 p.m.

Fox and Hound English Pub & Grill

St. George’s Episcopal Church

6565 TOWNE CENTER, SOUTHAVEN, MS 662-536-2200

2425 SOUTH GERMANTOWN 754-7282

“Quilt Magic” Saturday, April 25, 7 p.m.

Live Music Thursdays, 5 p.m.; Karaoke Tuesdays.

Ground Zero ZERO BLUES ALLEY, CLARKSDALE, MS 662-621-9009

1801 EXETER 751-7500

Robert Earl Keen Friday, April 24.

Razorblade Thursday, April 23, 8 p.m.; Cadilac Funk Friday, April 24, 9 p.m.

Pubapalooza with Stereo Joe every other Wednesday, 8-11 p.m. Delta Joe Sanders & Friends every other Tuesday, 8-11 p.m.;

Hollywood Casino 1150 CASINO STRIP RESORT, TUNICA, MS 662-357-7700

You want it?

Maria’s Restaurant

We Gossett.

6439 SUMMER 356-2324

Karaoke Fridays, 5-8 p.m.

The Other Place Bar & Grill 4148 WALES 373-0155

Karaoke Saturdays, 9 p.m.1 a.m. and Wednesdays, 8 p.m.-midnight.

Live Entertainment Fridays, Saturdays, 9 p.m.-1 a.m.

Horseshoe Casino Tunica 38664 CASINO CENTER, TUNICA, MS 800-357-5600

In Legends Stage Bar: Live Entertainment Nightly ongoing; Chicago Saturday, April 25, 8 p.m.

Huey’s Southaven 7090 MALCO, SOUTHAVEN, MS 662-349-7097

The Tommy Akers Band Sunday, April 26, 8 p.m.midnight.

Whitehaven/ Airport

Mesquite Chop House

Marlowe’s Ribs & Restaurant

5960 GETWELL, SOUTHAVEN, MS 662-890-2467

Pam and Terry Thursdays, 7-10 p.m.

4381 ELVIS PRESLEY 332-4159

Karaoke with DJ Stylez Thursdays, Sundays, 10 p.m.

Tunica Roadhouse 1107 CASINO CENTER DRIVE, TUNICA, MS 662-363-4900

Starbucks

Live Music Fridays, Saturdays.

7945 WINCHESTER 751-2345

Half Shell 7825 WINCHESTER 737-6755

Crusin’ Heavy Saturday, April 25, 10 p.m.-2 a.m.; Eric Hughes Wednesday, April 29, 5-10 p.m.

GOSSETT VOLKSWAGEN GERMANTOWN

7420 WINCHESTER ROAD • 901.388.8989 • GOSSETTVWG.COM RockHouse Live

Rizzi’s/Paradiso Pub 6230 GREENLEE 592-0344

Live Music Wednesdays, Thursdays, 7-10 p.m.; Karaoke and Dance Music with DJ Funn Fridays, 9 p.m.

Live Bands Fridays, Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Open Mic Mondays Mondays, 8 p.m.-midnight; Live Music Tuesdays, Wednesdays, 8 p.m.-midnight.

Shelby Forest General Store 7729 BENJESTOWN 876-5770

St. Francis of Assissi Catholic Church 8151 CHIMNEYROCK BOULEVARD 753-1494

Matt Maher: The Saints and Sinners Tour Saturday, April 25, 7-10 p.m.

Mugs Pub 4396 RALEIGH-LAGRANGE 372-3556

7677 FARMINGTON 318-3034

Open Mic Blues Jam with Brad Webb Thursdays, 7-11 p.m.

CASINO CENTER DRIVE, TUNICA, MS 1-800-38-BALLY

West Memphis

2821 N. HOUSTON LEVEE 377-9997

Ice Bar & Grill

The Crossing Bar & Grill

Collierville

T.J. Mulligan’s Cordova

Hadley’s Pub

Huey’s Collierville Memphis Allstars Sunday, April 26, 8-11:30 p.m.

Huey’s Germantown

8071 TRINITY 756-4480

The Lineup Tuesdays, 8 p.m.midnight.

Frayser/Millington Haystack Bar & Grill 6560 HWY 51 N. 872-0567

Karaoke Nights at The Stack Wednesdays-Fridays, Sundays, 7 p.m.-1 a.m.

4202 HACKS CROSS 757-1423

Unwind Wednesdays Wednesdays, 6 p.m.-midnight.

Mesquite Chop House 3165 FOREST HILL-IRENE 249-5661

Pam and Terry Wednesdays, 7-10 p.m.

Russo’s New York Pizzeria & Wine Bar 9087 POPLAR 755-0092

Live Music on the patio Thursdays-Saturdays, 7-

Stage Stop 2951 CELA 382-1576

Bally’s

The Jumpin’ Chi-Chi’s Sunday, April 26, 8-11:30 p.m.

Bartlett

2130 W. POPLAR 854-4455

Eddie Harrison and the Short Kuts Sunday, April 26, 8:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m.

North Mississippi/ Tunica

T.J. Mulligan’s 64 Nick Garrison Friday, April 24.

Charlie Belt Unplugged Thursday, April 23, 8 p.m.midnight; Almost Famous Friday, April 24, 9 p.m.1 a.m.; The Nuttin’ Fancy Band Saturday, April 25; The Lineup Sunday, April 26; 5:30; The Return of JONEZ’N Wednesday, April 29.

Huey’s Southwind 7825 WINCHESTER 624-8911

1-900 Band Friday, April 24, 9 p.m.-1 a.m. and Saturday, April 25, 9 p.m.-1 a.m.

Tony Butler Fridays, 6-8 p.m.

2779 WHITTEN 266-5006

Raleigh

Karaoke Fridays, 9 p.m.-1 a.m. 5709 RALEIGH-LAGRANGE 386-7222

Arlington/Eads/ Oakland

662DJ, Karaoke/Open Mic Saturdays, 7-11 p.m.

7281 HACKS CROSS, OLIVE BRANCH, MS 662-893-6242

Karaoke with Buddha Tuesdays, Thursdays, 8 p.m.-midnight.

Dan McGuinness 3964 GOODMAN, SOUTHAVEN, MS 662-890-7611

Acoustic Music Tuesdays.

Fitz Casino & Hotel 711 LUCKY LN., TUNICA, MS 800-766-5825

Live Entertainment Wednesdays-Sundays, 6 p.m.

Southland Park Gaming & Racing 1550 N. INGRAM, WEST MEMPHIS, AR 800-467-6182

DJ Crumbz Thursdays, 8 p.m.; Club Night Fridays, Saturdays, 9 p.m.; Live Band Karaoke Sundays, 7:30 p.m.; Karaoke Tuesdays, 7 p.m.; Boot Scootin’ Wednesdays, 7 p.m.

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

Winchester/ Hickory Hill

Wadford’s Grill & Bar 474 CHURCH, SOUTHAVEN, MS 662-510-5861

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Family-friendly Poetry and Open Mic last Saturday of every month, 8-10 p.m.

CALENDAR of EVENTS:

April 23 - 29

T H EAT E R

Circuit Playhouse

Tribes, drama about a young man born deaf and raised in a family that never bothered to learn sign language. A young woman introduces him to deaf culture and a sense of belonging. www. playhouseonthesqare.org. $30-$35. Thursdays-Saturdays, 8 p.m., and Sundays, 2 p.m. Through May 3. 51 S. COOPER (725-0776).

Germantown Community Theatre

You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, two casts present a younger perspective as well as an adult view into the themes of Charlie Brown. www.gctcomeplay.org. $20. Thurs., 7 p.m., Fri., Sat., 8 p.m., and Sun., 2:30 p.m. Through April 26. 3037 FOREST HILL-IRENE (754-2680).

Gold Strike Casino

Jack Hanna’s Into the Wild, www.goldstrikemississippi. com. $10-$20. Sat., April 25, 3 and 7 p.m. 1010 CASINO CENTER IN TUNICA, MS (1-888-24K-PLAY).

Harrell Performing Arts Theatre

The Wizard of Oz , join Scarecrow, Cowardly Lion, and Tin Man as they travel to the Land of Oz and meet the munchkins, witches, and the Wizard himself. www.harrelltheatre.org. $20. Sun., 2:30 p.m., Sat., 2:30 and 7 p.m., and Fri., 7 p.m. Through April 27. 440 POWELL, COLLIERVILLE (853-3228).

Hattiloo Theatre

Purlie Victorious, religious hypocrisy, racial bigotry, civil rights issues, and the changing Southern society are subjects in this play about Purlie Victorious and wife, Lutibelle. www.hattiloo.org. $18-$24. Sundays, 2 p.m., and Thursdays-Saturdays, 7:30 p.m. Through May 24.

Hernando High School Performing Arts Center

Found Studio

Opening reception for exhibition of works by Leigh Baker during the Broad Avenue Art Walk. htwww.foundmemphis. com. Fri., April 24, 5-9 p.m.

The Odd Couple, Unger and Madison are at it again. Florence Unger and Olive Madison, that is, in Neil Simon’s hilarious contemporary comic classic: the female version of The Odd Couple. www. kudzuplayers.com. Through April 26.

2491 BROAD (652-0848).

Memphis College of Art Downtown Gallery

Opening reception for MFA Show 2015, exhibition of work by Sarah Ahmad, Frances Berry, Jacob Gambill, Bailey Gonzales, and others. (401-338-7322), www.mca. edu. Fri., April 24, 6-9 p.m.

805 DILWORTH LANE, HERNANDO, MS.

Main Stage Theatre (University of Memphis)

Blues For An Alabama Sky, set in 1930s Harlem, a rich cast of characters scrambles to survive the Depression and fulfill their artistic hopes and dreams. www.memphis.edu/ theatre. $20. Thurs.-Sat., 7:30 p.m. Through April 25.

477 S. MAIN (272-5100).

OT H E R A R T HAP P E N I N G S

38th Annual Original Art Auction

U OF M CAMPUS (678-2576).

$25. Sat., April 25, 5:30 p.m.

The Orpheum

Madea on the Run, new stage play starring Tyler Perry. www.orpheummemphis.com. $42.50-$82.50. Fri., April 24, 8-10 p.m., Sat., April 25, 3-5 and 8-10 p.m., and Sun., April 26, 3-5 and 7:30-9:30 p.m. 203 S. MAIN (525-3000).

Theatre Memphis

The Philadelphia Story, classic American comedy takes a witty look behind the scenes of a posh socialite wedding. www.theatrememphis.org. $25. Sundays, 2 p.m., and Fridays, Saturdays, 8 p.m. Through May 10. 630 PERKINS EXT. (682-8323).

TheatreWorks

Two Old Black Guys Just Sitting Around Talking, old Henry and Abe talk about everything, and you can’t help bend your ear each time they open their mouths to hear more. A moving play for mature audiences. (946-6140), theatreworkmemphis.org. $20. Fri., Sat., 8-10 p.m., and Sun., April 26, 3-5 p.m. Through April 25. 2085 MONROE (274-7139).

PLAYHOUSE ON THE SQUARE, 66 S. COOPER (726-4656), WWW. PLAYHOUSEONTHESQUARE.ORG.

Annual Spring Show A R T I ST R E C E PT I O N S

AIA Memphis Office

On The Boards: Work by Memphis Architects, selection of digital and hand-drawn renderings featuring work currently in the design phase from AIA Memphis architectural member firms. www. aiamemphis.org. Last Friday of every month, 6 p.m. 511 S. MAIN (525-3818).

Clough-Hanson Gallery

Artist reception for “Of, relating to, or derived from…,” exhibition by graduating seniors Christi Haynes, Josh Mintz. Fri., April 24, 6-8 p.m. RHODES COLLEGE, 2000 N. PARKWAY (843-3442).

Crosstown Arts

Artist reception for “Binaries,” exhibition of mixed-media work by up-and-coming or emerging artists. Thurs., April 23, 5-9 p.m. 430 N. CLEVELAND (507-8030).

SEE IT IN 3D AT THE P!NK PALACE! M 3D OV IE

April 23-29, 2015

“An Epoch” paintings by Jared Small at David Lusk Gallery David Lusk Gallery

Opening reception for “An Epoch,” exhibition of new paintings on panel and mylar by Jared Small. www.davidluskgallery.com. Fri., April 24, 6-8 p.m. 4540 POPLAR (767-3800).

DCi Home

Artist reception for “Beyond the Boundary,” exhibition of mixed-media fine art by Bonnie Gravette and custom painted furniture by Sydney Gruber. (767-8613), www. dcigallery.com. $35. Fri., April 24, 6-8:30 p.m. 776 BROOKHAVEN.

Earnestine & Hazel’s

Artist reception for “We Tried” group exhibition. www. earnestineandhazelsjukejoint. com. Fri., April 24, 8-10 p.m. 531 S. MAIN (523-9754).

37 S. COOPER (502-3486).

NOW SHOWING! Trustee sponsor Kevin and Tanja Thompson

Send the date, time, place, cost, info, phone number, a brief description, and photos — two weeks in advance — to calendar@memphisflyer.com or P.O. Box 1738, Memphis, TN 38101. DUE TO SPACE LIMITATIONS, ONGOING WEEKLY EVENTS WILL APPEAR IN THE FLYER’S ONLINE CALENDAR ONLY.

Fri.-Sun., Apr. 24-26, 10 a.m.5 p.m. STARK COUNTRY STUDIO AND GALLERY, 12675 DONELSON, ARLINGTON, TN (867-9240).

Art and Antiques Market

Sneak peek and auction on Thur., Apr. 23, 6:30 p.m., $75. Wine tasting on Fri., Apr. 24, 5:30 p.m., $20. Market Fri. and Sat., Apr. 24-25, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., $10. $10-$75. April 23-25. THE GREAT HALL AND CONFERENCE CENTER, 1900 S. GERMANTOWN, WWW.BROOKSMUSEUMLEAGUEMEMPHIS.ORG.

Art and Fashion: Tealy Hewgley

Evening of shopping and art including light refreshments, paintings, and wardrobes. All clothing and accessories for men and women will be 20 percent off during the show. Thurs., April 23, 7 p.m. THE ATTIC, 2121 MADISON (628-9599), WWW.THEATTICAPPAREL.COM.

Art on the Levee

Featuring Gus’s fried chicken, catfish, libations, live music, art auctions from regional art-

ists, and tours of the historic home and grounds benefiting the programs of DeltaARTS. $50-$75. Sat., April 25, 5-9 p.m. WAVERLY PLANTATION, 7250 WAVERLY ROAD (870-732-6260), DELTAARTS.ORG.

Art Trolley Tour

Tour the local galleries and shops on South Main. Free trolley rides. Last Friday of every month, 6-9 p.m. SOUTH MAIN HISTORIC ARTS DISTRICT, DOWNTOWN.

Broad Avenue’s Spring Art Walk Featuring artists’ exhibits, music, and more. Fri., April 24, 5-10 p.m. BROAD AVENUE ART DISTRICT, BROAD AVENUE (378-4270), WWW.BROADAVEARTS.COM.

Centro Cultural Memphis Showcase

Art show and live performances presented by Centro Cultural Latino de Memphis. Sat., April 25, 5-7 p.m. CROSSTOWN ARTS, 430 N. CLEVELAND (507-8030), WWW.CROSSTOWNARTS.ORG.

Munch and Learn

Bring a brown bag lunch; sodas and water will be supplied. Wednesdays, noon-1 p.m. THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS, 4339 PARK (761-5250), WWW.DIXON.ORG.

Spring Holiday Arts Pop-Up Shop

Featuring local artists selling jewelry, paintings, handpainted gourds, and more. Thursdays-Saturdays, 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Through May 2. MAIN STREET WEST MEMPHIS, 113 BROADWAY (870-735-8814), WWW.BROADWAYWESTMEMPHIS. COM.

O N G O I N G ART

Art Museum at the University of Memphis (AMUM)

Beth Van Hoesen, exhibition by artist/printmaker. www. memphis.edu. Through July 2.

CALENDAR: APRIL 23 - 29

ANF Architects

“Where They Were and Where They Are Now,” exhibition and 40th Anniversary Art Show Retrospective featuring the work of 20 or so artists previously shown over the years in the gallery. www. anfa.com. Through June 30. 1500 UNION (278-6868).

Bartlett Performing Arts and Conference Center

“Guitarts Gone Wild,” exhibition of “guitarts” by Nancy Apple. www.bpacc.org. Through May 1. 3663 APPLING (385-6440).

Belz Museum of Asian and Judaic Art

“Chinese Symbols in Art,” exhibition of ancient Chinese pottery and bronze. www. belzmuseum.org. Ongoing. 119 S. MAIN, IN THE PEMBROKE SQUARE BUILDING (523-ARTS).

Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library

“A Growing Body of Work,” exhibition of folk art by Chris Little. Through April 30. 3030 POPLAR (415-2700).

Cafe Pontotoc

“Exploration in Imagination,” exhibition of mixedmedia works by Elayna Scott, inspired by nature and her travels. Ongoing, 4-11 p.m. 314 S. MAIN (249-7955).

Cleveland Street Flea Market

“New Work,” exhibition of installation work by sculptor Mark Nowell. www. crosstownarts.org. Through April 30. 438 CLEVELAND (276-3333).

Crosstown Arts

“Between the Eyes,” exhibition to introduce a new conversation about contemporary abstraction featuring work by Marina Adams, Rob de Oude, Joe Fyfe, Rubens

Over the Edge Memphis at the Hilton Memphis on Saturday

430 N. CLEVELAND (507-8030).

David Lusk Gallery

“An Epoch,” exhibition of new paintings on panel and mylar by Jared Small. www.davidluskgallery.com. Through May 23. 4540 POPLAR (767-3800).

Eclectic Eye

“Crossroads,” exhibition of folk-art style mixed-media paintings by Ron Olson. www.eclectic-eye.com. Through May 6. 242 S. COOPER (276-3937).

Fogelman Galleries of Contemporary Art, University of Memphis

“MAR,” exhibition of MFA work by Amelia Briggs, Caitlin Hettich, and April Pierce. www.memphis.edu. Through May 4. 3715 CENTRAL.

Found Studio

“Blind Date,” exhibition of new work by Alex Warble. Through April 30. 2491 BROAD (652-0848).

Fratelli’s

“Outside In,” exhibition of works by Rick Barnard. www. memphisbotanicgarden.com. Through April 30. 750 CHERRY (766-9900).

Gallery Ten Ninety One

“Inspirations,” exhibition of works by the Wednesday Art Pals - Carolyn Moss, Daphne Stephens, Pat Hester, Wilbur Edmiston, and Christie Payne. www.wkno.org. Through April 28. WKNO STUDIO, 7151 CHERRY FARMS (458-2521).

Hyde Gallery

MFA Show 2015, exhibition of work by Sarah Ahmad, Frances Berry, Jacob Gambill, Bailey Gonzales, and others. www. mca.edu. Through May 9. INSIDE THE MEMPHIS COLLEGE OF ART’S NESIN GRADUATE SCHOOL, 477 S. MAIN.

L Ross Gallery

“Layer and Mark,” exhibition of abstract works by Lisa Weiss and sculpture by Jan Kransberger. www.lrossgallery.com. Through April 28. 5040 SANDERLIN (767-2200).

Memphis Botanic Garden

“From News to Nature,” exhibition of photography by Karen Pulfer Focht. www. memphisbotanicgarden.com. Through April 30. 750 CHERRY (636-4100).

Memphis Brooks Museum of Art

“Art Builds Creativity,” exhibition of student work. www. brooksmuseum.org. Through May 3. “Artists/Activists: Marcellous Lovelace, Frank D. Robinson, and Siphne Sylve,” exhibition addressing a variety of social, cultural, and political issues. www.brooksmuseum.org. Through May 10. “This Light of Ours: Activist Photographers of the Civil Rights Movement,” exhibition of 157 black-and-white images by Bob Adelman, George Ballis, Bob Fitch, Bob Fletcher, Matt Herron, David Prince, Herbert Randall, Maria Varela, and Tamio Wakayama. www. brooksmuseum.org. Through May 10. “Arp, Man Ray, and Matta: Surrealists,” exhibition of Surrealist artists’ books by Hans Arp, Man Ray, and Matta. www.brooksmuseum.org. Through July 12. “20th Century Color Woodcuts: Japonisme and Beyond,” exhibition of American and British prints. www.brooksmuseum. org. Through Sept. 8. “British Watercolors from the Golden Age,” exhibition of watercolors from the late 18th through the early 20th centuries. www.brooksmuseum.org. Through Sept. 20. “Cats and Quotes,” exhibition featuring felines in paintings, sculptures, ceramics, and prints paired with famous quotes about felines from a variety of periods. www.brooksmuseum. org. Through Jan. 3, 2016.

BAYOU BAR & GRILL 2094 Madison Ave. Memphis, TN 38104 (901) 278-8626 bayoubarmemphis.com

1934 POPLAR (544-6209).

Memphis College of Art 2015 Spring BFA Exhibition: Part II, works from more than 50 BFA candidates and includes a variety of media from painting to sculpture to digital media. www.mca.edu. April 24-May 9. “Commonplace,” exhibition of paintings by Marc Rouillard. www.mca.edu. Through May 9. 1930 POPLAR (272-5100).

Memphis Jewish Community Center

The Tennessee Craft-Southwest Chapter Exhibit, participating artists will collaborate with a fellow artist who works in a different media and together they submit a piece for the show. www.jccmemphis. org. Ongoing. 6560 POPLAR (761-0810).

Metal Museum

“Art Is an Accident,” exhibtion of an amalgamation of American imagery, toys, and other found objects by J. Fred Woell. www.metalmuseum. org. Through June 12. “Tributaries: Vivian Beer,” exhibition of furniture combining contemporary design, craft, and sculptural aesthetics. www.metalmuseum.org. Through June 12. 374 METAL MUSEUM DR. (7746380).

Otherlands Coffee Bar “It’s an Art Show: A Passion for Process,” exhibition of new works in acrylic,

continued on page 34

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

142 COMMUNICATION & FINE ARTS BUILDING (678-2224).

Ghenov, and Laurel Sucsy. www.crosstownarts.org. Through May 6.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

“What I Kept,” exhibition revolving around the objects that international women brought over from their home countries. Through July 2. “Africa: Art of a Continent,” permanent exhibition of African art from the Martha and Robert Fogelman collection. Ongoing.

CALENDAR: APRIL 23 - 29 continued from page 33 pastel, oil pastel, and pencil by Melanie Pyron. www.otherlandscoffeebar.com. Through April 29. 641 S. COOPER (278-4994).

Painted Planet

Gallery Artists on View, exhibition by gallery artists. (3385223), Tuesdays-Saturdays, 11:45 a.m.-6 p.m. 1015 S. COOPER (725-0054).

Ross Gallery

“Fluidity: Explorations in Glass,” exhibition of glass art by Christie Moody. (3213243), www.cbu.edu/gallery. Through May 22. CHRISTIAN BROTHERS UNIVERSITY, PLOUGH LIBRARY, 650 E. PARKWAY S. (321-3000).

Scottish Rite

“The Dual Show Experience,” exhibition of drawings and paintings by Carl Moore. www.masoniccontemporary. org. Through May 10. 825 UNION.

Music

Stax Museum of American Soul

“Soul: Memphis’ Original Sound,” exhibition of photography by Thom Gilbert. www.soulsvillefoundation.org. Through June 13.

“Conclusion of Delusion,” exhibition of original oil paintings by Sue Layman Lightman. www.facebook. com/SueLaymanDesigns. Wednesdays, Saturdays, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. 125 G.E. PATTERSON (409-7870).

TOPS Gallery

“Material Will: Force In Form,” exhibition of new works by Memphis based painter Dale McNeil. www. topsgallery.com. Through May 31. 400 S. FRONT.

Unity Church of Practical Christianity

Gallery in The Grove, exhibition of work by Netta Casciano and Kevin Chasing Wolf Hutchins. www.unitymemphis.org. Through May 3. 9228 WALNUT GROVE (753-1463).

OPERA

Speed Dating Tonight!

Comedy in one act conceived by Dean Anthony with music and words by Michael Ching presented by University of Memphis Opera. $20. Fri., April 24, 7:30 p.m., and Sun., April 26, 3 p.m. UNIVERSITY OF MEMPHIS, HARRIS CONCERT HALL, INSIDE THE RUDI E. SCHEIDT SCHOOL OF MUSIC (678-5400), WWW.MEMPHIS.EDU.

DA N C E

B O O KS I G N I N G S

Sleeping Beauty

Booksigning by Eric Jerome Dickey

This Russian National Ballet fairy tale piece choreographed by Marius Petipa features monsters, romance, spells, and one magical kiss. $25. Thurs., April 23, 7:30 p.m. GERMANTOWN PERFORMING ARTS CENTER, 1801 EXETER (751-7500), GPACWEB.COM/SEASON/ITEM/ RUSSIAN-NATIONAL-BALLET-SLEEPING-BEAUTY.

Cherry Burlesque

Hosted by Julie Wheeler. This month’s theme is “Attack of the 50 ft. Burlesque Show.” $10-$20. Last Saturday of every month, 8 p.m. EARNESTINE & HAZEL’S, 531 S. MAIN (523-9754),

Author discusses and signs One Night. Fri., April 24, 6:30 p.m. THE BOOKSELLERS AT LAURELWOOD, 387 PERKINS EXT. (683-9801), WWW.THEBOOKSELLERSATLAURELWOOD.COM.

Booksigning by Nina Gaby and Susan Cushman

Author and contributor Susan Cushman discusses and signs Dumped: Stories of Women Unfriending Women. Tues., April 28, 6:30 p.m. THE BOOKSELLERS AT LAURELWOOD, 387 PERKINS EXT. (683-9801), WWW.THEBOOKSELLERSATLAURELWOOD.COM.

WWW.THEJULIEWHEELER.COM.

PO E T RY / S PO K E N WOR D

Overton Park

Poetry in the Park, join the National Poetry Society of TN for Poetry in the Park in Veterans Plaza just west of the Dough Boy. Bring two to four poems, a chair or blanket, and refreshments for this casual gathering. (338-8761), Free. Sun., April 26, 2-4 p.m. OFF POPLAR.

C O N F E R E N C E S/ C O NVE N T I O N S

Watchers Conference

L.A. Marzulli and Russ Dizdar talk about UFOs, ancient aliens and nephilim, satanic ritual abuse, the possible connection between the modern abduction phenomenon and the accounts of angelic visitation in Biblical texts. $30. Fri., April 24, 7-9 p.m., Sat., April 25, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., and Sun., April 26, 3-5 p.m. CORDOVA COMMUNITY CENTER, 1017 SANGA (484-9341), WWW. WATCHERSCONFERENCE.COM.

E X POS/SA LES

Southern Junkers Spring Market

Outdoor market featuring more than 30 vendors, music, food, and fun for everyone. Free parking and admission. Fri.-Sat., Apr. 24-25, 9 a.m.5 p.m. TOP DOG TRADE CENTER, 11625 HWY. 64 (412-5485), WWW. SOUTHERNJUNKERS.COM.

The Spring Mid South Wedding Show

Talk with wedding professionals and see the latest in wedding dresses. $15. Sun., April 26, 1-5 p.m. WHISPERING WOODS HOTEL AND CONVENTION CENTER, 11200 GOODMAN, OLIVE BRANCH, MS (368-6782), WWW.MIDSOUTHWEDDINGSHOW.COM.

F EST IVA LS

Autism Awareness Festival

Featuring craft fair, vendors, music, bounce houses, children’s games, and tours of Transformations Autism Treatment Center. Sat., April 25, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. TRANSFORMATIONS AUTISM CENTER, 6761 STAGE (379-8827).

Community Health Festival

Featuring health screenings, health-related vendors, a cooking demonstration, music, games, and a healthy lunch.

April 23-29, 2015

926 E. MCLEMORE (946-2535).

Sue Layman Designs

Gaelle, born in France

Sat., April 25, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. METHODIST NORTH HOSPITAL, 3960 NEW COVINGTON PIKE (516-5200), WWW.MLH.ORG.

Students Orchestral Festival

The University of Memphis Symphony Orchestra and GPAC Youth Symphony perform Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade. Sat., April 25, 6 p.m. GERMANTOWN PERFORMING ARTS CENTER, 1801 EXETER (751-7500), WWW.GPACWEB.COM.

V&E Artwalk

Features moe than 60 local artists selling their crafts. Includes a silent auction, children’s area, music, food, and craft beer. Free. Sat., April 25, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. V&E GREENLINE, AVALON AND TUTWILER (276-1782), VEGREENLINE.ORG.

S PO R TS/ F IT N ES S

Curling League Play: Season One Six-week session. $150. Sun., April 26, 5:15-7:15 and 7:309:30 p.m.

MID-SOUTH ICE HOUSE, 10705 RIDGEWAY INDUSTRIAL RD. (881-8544), WWW.MEMPHISCURLINGCLUB.COM.

Memphis Redbirds

Apr. 25-28: v. Round Rock. AUTOZONE PARK, THIRD AND UNION (721-6000), WWW.MILB.COM.

CALENDAR: APRIL 23 - 29

MEMPHIS HILTON, 939 RIDGE LAKE (458-9500), OVERTHEEDGEMEMPHIS.ORG.

KIDS

Earth Carnival in My Big Backyard

Featuring an eco-friendly carnival including conservation games, demos, and activities. Dress up to win awards for creative recycled costumes. Free with Garden admission. Sat., April 25, 2-4 p.m.

Motorcycle ride featuring food, comedy, music, and karaoke benefiting FedExFamilyHouse. Donation minimum is $20. Sat., April 25, 9 a.m.3 p.m. MORRIS PARK, POPLAR AND ORLEANS (342-6462).

Huey’s 45th Anniversary Block Party

Featuring live music from local bands, burgers, local beer, and entertainment for children. Free. Sun., April 26, 2 p.m.-midnight. HUEY’S MIDTOWN, 1927 MADISON (726-9693), WWW.HUEYBURGER. COM.

MEMPHIS BOTANIC GARDEN, 750 CHERRY (636-4100), WWW. MEMPHISBOTANICGARDEN.COM.

Memphis Marriage Plus Rally for Equality Bring signs and posters to show support for equality in Tennessee. Mon., April 27, 5:30-6:30 p.m.

MEMPHIS GAY AND LESBIAN COMMUNITY CENTER, 892 S. COOPER (278-6422), WWW.MGLCC.ORG.

Peabody Rooftop Party

$10-$15. Thursdays, 6-11 p.m. Through Aug. 16. THE PEABODY, 149 UNION (529-4000), WWW.PEABODYMEMPHIS.COM.

Social for Justice

Evening of music and conversations benefiting Partners In Health. $20. Sat., April 25, 5:30-9 p.m. FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH, 1000 S. COOPER (278-6786),

Broad Avenue’s Spring Art Walk Saturday from 5-10 p.m.

S P EC IAL EVE N TS

Dixon Garden Faire

VALIBUS.COM

Gardening event featuring more than 15,000 plants with a focus on rare, choice, and unusual varieties not commonly available as well as must-have new introductions. Fri.-Sat., Apr. 24-25, 9 a.m.4 p.m.

Yom Hazikaron and Yom Haatzmaut Celebration

Featuring jewelry by BarKocva, lunch and learn with Shaliach Dustin Biton, screening of Beneath the Helmet: From High School to the Home Front, Yom Haatzmaut dinner and concert, and more. For a full list of events, visit website. Through April 28. MEMPHIS JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER, 6560 POPLAR (761-0810), WWW.JCCMEMPHIS.ORG.

FOOD & DR I N K E V E N TS

Beale Street Wine Race Sun., April 26, 1 p.m.

BEALE STREET, DOWNTOWN MEMPHIS (529-0999), WWW.BEALESTREETMERCHANTS.COM/.

Crafted: A Celebration of Hand-Crafted Beers & Locally Crafted Foods Craft breweries on site offering samples alongside local restaurants. $75-$100. Sat., April 25, 7-10 p.m. MEMPHIS BROOKS MUSEUM OF ART, 1934 POPLAR (544-6200), BROOKSMUSEUM.ORG.

Flavors of Memphis 2015

Gourmet event featuring Memphis’ top chefs, benefiting American Liver Foundation. $250. Sun., April 26, 6-9 p.m.

THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS, 4339 PARK (761-5250), WWW.DIXON.ORG.

MEMPHIS HILTON, 939 RIDGE LAKE (684-6664), WWW.LIVERFOUNDARION.ORG.

Fleming’s Wine Dinner

Featuring an auction of rare wines, trips, tastings, and fine art. Up to 120 attendees enjoy four courses perfectly paired with wines from celebrated vintners. Benefits Brooks Museum. $200. Sun., April 26, 6:30-8:30 p.m. MEMPHIS BROOKS MUSEUM OF ART, 1934 POPLAR (544-6209), WWW. BROOKSMUSEUM.ORG.

Second Annual Bluegrass in the Beer Garden

Featuring live bluegrass music, different beers to taste from local Memphis breweries, and food benefiting St. Mary’s Kitchen. Attendees must be 21+. Free parking. $50. Sat., April 25, 6:30-9:30 p.m. ST. MARY’S CATHOLIC CHURCH, 155 MARKET (522-9420), WWW. STMARYSSOUPKITCHEN.ORG.

Southern Hot Wing Festival

Annual hot wings festival benefiting the Ronald McDonald House of Memphis. Sat., April 25, 11 a.m.-7 p.m. MISSISSIPPI RIVER PARK (FORMERLY JEFFERSON-DAVIS PARK), OFF RIVERSIDE DRIVE, WWW.SOUTHERNHOTWINGFESTIVAL. COM.

Spring Bounty Wine Dinner

Chef Ronnie West and Athens Distributing present five courses paired. Top students cook in the kitchen and serve

in the fine dining Presentation Room restaurant. $60. Thurs., April 23, 6:30-8:30 p.m. L’ECOLE CULINAIRE, 1245 N. GERMANTOWN (759-5000), WWW.LECOLE.EDU.

Untapped Revival

Featuring beer and food trucks. Sundays, noon, and Thursdays-Saturdays, 11 a.m. Through May 31. TENNESSEE BREWERY, 495 TENNESSEE.

Vine to Wine at the Garden: Green is Groovy! Sample a selection of earthfriendly wines and fresh hors d’oeuvres. Door prize by Whole Foods. Must be 21 to attend. $25 members, $35 nonmembers. Tues., April 28, 6-8 p.m.

MEMPHIS BOTANIC GARDEN, 750 CHERRY (636-4131), WWW.MEMPHISBOTANICGARDEN.COM.

F I LM .

The Wrecking Crew

Documentary about musicians who brought the flair and musicianship that made the West Coast sound a dominant cultural force heard around the world. $9. Thurs., April 23, 7 p.m. MEMPHIS BROOKS MUSEUM OF ART, 1934 POPLAR (544-6200), BROOKSMUSEUM.ORG.

GUARANTEE PLAYOFF SEATS WITH 2015-16 SEASON TICKETS

SESAME STREET LIVE JUNE 20-21

KEVIN HART FRIDAY, JULY 3

IMAGINE DRAGONS MONDAY, JULY 13

Get the best seats at the best price, plus exclusive perks like upgrades, events, merchandise discounts and more. CALL 901.888.HOOP · GRIZZLIES.COM

The all-new MAKE A NEW FRIEND visits for a weekend of five family-friendly performances. TICKETS ON SALE NOW!

Superstar entertainer, actor and comedian brings his WHAT NOW? TOUR to FedExForum. TICKETS ON SALE NOW!

The Grammy Award-winning rock band is set to bring their electrifying SMOKE + MIRRORS TOUR with special guests METRIC. TICKETS ON SALE NOW!

FEDEXFORUM.COM GET TICKETS AT THE FEDEXFORUM BOX OFFICE OR TICKETMASTER LOCATIONS, ONLINE AT TICKETMASTER.COM, BY CALLING 1.800.745.3000

@FedExForum

FedExForum

+FedExForum

WHAFF_150423_Flyer.indd 1

@fedexforum 4/20/15 11:00 AM

Saturday, May 2, 2015 8pm

Mayweather vs. Pacquiao

WATCH

IT AT

A spo rts ba r that rocks

Watch it on one of our 55 HDTVs and enjoy an icy 29˚ BEER!

800.467.6182 • southlandpark.com • West Memphis, AR

Must be 21 to game and 18 to bet at the racetrack. Management reserves all rights. Play responsibly. Call 800-522-4700. SOUTHL-48970 Flyer Club Nights 4.23 Rev.indd 1

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

Participate in a once in a lifetime opportunity to rappel 28 stories off the Hilton Memphis by raising $1,000 benefiting Orphanos. For details, visit website. Sat., April 25, 8 a.m.5 p.m.

High Rollers MC of Memphis’ FedExFamilyHouse Charity Ride

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Over the Edge Memphis

4/21/15 9:51 AM

F O O D F E AT U R E B y S u s a n E l l i s

Huey’s at 45 A Memphis mainstay hits a milestone.

n 1970, Alan Gary opened the original Huey’s on Madison as a bar for his friends to hang out in. His childhood nickname was Huey. Thomas Boggs took over in 1976. He had seen the future while working at TGI Fridays and it was familyfriendly. Indeed, this colorful graffiti-covered, frill-pick-strewn Memphis mainstay is a place for everybody — for kids and their parents, for late-nighters and sports fans, for those seeking the simple comforts of a burger and a beer. Huey’s first menu had two burger options: burger and cheeseburger. Today, it offers more than a dozen. As the menu has expanded, so too has Huey’s, with eight restaurants and some 450 employees. On Sunday, April 26th, 2 p.m. to midnight, Huey’s is holding a 45th birthday party at Huey’s Midtown. The block will be closed from Rembert to Barksdale, and there will be bands both in and out, plus burger stands, beer tents, children’s activities, and more. A portion of the proceeds from all Huey’s locations on Sunday will go to Restore Corps, which works to eradicate human trafficking. World Famous Huey’s Burger Burgers are 5.3 ounces of beef, ground fresh six days a week from Charlie’s Market. The formula goes: bun, mustard, onion, pickle, burger, cheese, tomato, lettuce, mayo, sesame bun — all secured with a frill pick.

Crutch A Huey’s regular had been on a crutch for about a year, and when she was done with it, she declared she was going to throw it in the river. Instead, it was stuck in the restaurant’s ceiling. Today, every Huey’s has a crutch in the ceiling. The crutch is but one item to be seen from location to location. All Huey’s have the red-and-white checkerboard tablecloths, the chalkboard, the prescription sign and mirror with the Huey’s logo above the bar, and the “Thomas says smile” sign in the kitchen. In fact, there is a storage space where all matter of items have been stockpiled for new locations. Graffiti It’s unknown how this started. Walls are repainted each year.

Homemade Lemon Ice Box Pie 36 The pie is from a family recipe of Boggs’ first wife Charlotte. She used to take the pie to all family functions.

Prospector The prospector, with his tagline of “Huey’s or Bust!,” was created by the staff of the University of Memphis’ Tiger Rag (now The Daily Helmsman) to use in an ad sometime in the late ’70s, early ’80s. Fries and Onion Rings Huey’s is one of the largest consumer of Idaho potatoes in the Southeast. The cheese fries is one its most popular items. Another popular menu item are the onion rings — hand-battered purple onions. Family Legacy Today, Boggs’ five children are co-owners of Huey’s: Ashley Boggs Robilio, vice president of operations; Lauren Boggs McHugh, president/CEO; Fulton Boggs, Huey’s employee; Alex Boggs, general manager of Lafay-

JUSTIN FOX BURKS

April 23-29, 2015

Frill Pick The toothpicks were already being shot into the ceiling when Boggs bought Huey’s. Each morning he would take them down. Then, one day, a customer suggested he hold a contest, where once a year, the picks are removed from the ceiling and customers would pay $1 to guess the number (anywhere between 20,000 to 30,000), with the money going to the Memphis Zoo. To date, the contest has raised $70,000. When Boggs passed away in 2008, a heart made from the frill picks was put in the ceilings of each restaurant.

Huey’s cheeseburger and onion rings; frill picks and crutch in the ceiling; wall graffiti; the late Thomas Boggs’ children, who are Huey’s co-owners. ette’s Music Room (Thomas Boggs was general manager at the original Lafayette’s); and Samantha Boggs Dean, special projects coordinator. They are shown above with a picture of Boggs.

More info at: www.bealestreetmerchants.com and Beale Street Merchants Association on Facebook

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

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

SUNDAY, APRIL 26TH, 2015

CINCO de Mayo at Pancho’s! Tuesday, May 5th

$4 Margaritas All Day & $2.50 Mexican Bottle Beers 11a-7pm $7 Souvenir T-Shirts* from April 5—May 4th

*with purchase of an entree at either of our full service restaurants.

Wear your Pancho’s T-Shirt on Cinco & your 1st Beverage get TWO for ONE! 3600 East Broadway, West Memphis AR: 870.735.6466 717 North White Station, East Memphis, TN: 901.685.5404 | panchoscheesedip.com

Sunday May 10th, join us Mother’s Day to share Good Times with Mom at Pancho’s

901.347.3060 • schweinehaus.com

April 23-29, 2015

WHY WAIT FOR SMALL PLATES? try our hearty portions... or our new light lunch and brunch items!

$1 off entire bar

HAPPY HOUR Mon - Fri 11 AM-6PM

$5 half liters/ $10 liters & $5 appetizers

plus other drink specials 38

2110 Madison Ave Overton Square

daily

11am-2am

21 & Up after 9pm

FILM REVIEW By Chris McCoy

Unsung Heroes

The Wrecking Crew explores the colorful world of Los Angles studio musicians.

n film circles, Denny Tedesco’s music documentary The Wrecking Crew has become a shorthand reference to the strained and bizarre state of the copyright regime in 2015. Tedesco first started making the film about Los Angeles studio musicians 19 years ago. Inspired by his father, guitarist Tommy Tedesco, he spent years arranging interviews, tracking down archival footage, and, teaching himself filmmaking in the true indie spirit. It premiered at the South By Southwest film festival in 2008 to wide acclaim and went on to be a hit on the festival circuit. Normally, a great subject, good execution, and a good festival run gives a documentary a good shot at distribution. But after more than a decade of struggle, Tedesco found himself facing two daunting challenges to getting his film out to the audience. First was the financial crash of 2008, which instantly dried up the traditional funding sources for small budget films in a way the industry has yet to fully recover from. Second was the astronomical cost of licensing the dozens of songs for the film from the media conglomerates that owned them. Since this was a music documentary, the songs were inseparable from the film, so Tedesco begged, pleaded, took out mortgages on his home, and watched all the buzz he had worked so hard to build up drown under a sea of red tape. Now, seven years and a $300,000 Kickstarter campaign later, The Wrecking Crew can finally (legally) meet its audience. The story opens in the late 1950s. Lured by a growing talent pool and closer connec-

tions with the film and television industries, the center of the music industry started shifting from New York’s Tin Pan Alley to the sun-drenched streets of Los Angeles. At the same time, rock-and-roll was taking the country by storm, and many of the older (Left) Hal Blaine, Brian Wilson, Ray Pohlman; (Right) Carol Kaye and Bill Pitman

musicians who had made their living playing on commercial jingles and anonymous teen idol ditties were not enthused by the new style. But a new generation of players, such as drummer Earl Palmer, who were mostly into bebop jazz, had no such compunctions. They earned the name “The Wrecking Crew” when one old timer complained that the rockers were going to “wreck the music business,” but over time, their nickname came to symbolize their fearsome chops. To earn a spot on the rotating crew, players had to have an almost inhuman ability to figure out what the often inarticulate clients wanted and to nail the songs instantly. Tedesco uncovers a group of fascinating characters. His father tells stories of bands that could dish out entire Disney soundtracks before lunch and then move on to moonlight as the Monkees in the afternoon. Drummer Hal Blaine played on seven tracks that won song of the year Grammys in consecutive years. Legendary bassist Carol Kaye continued on page 40

Make BETTER Veggies

BBQ OystEr sandwich

Exc i

n nEw Lu ch MEnu g tin

try Our nEw

Thanks Memphis for voting us the Best Indian Restaurant! Memphis Flyer's 2014 Best of Memphis readers' poll

1720 Poplar at Evergreen 278-1199

PrivatE Party sPEciaLists

SOUTHERN. INSPIRED. CUISINE

492 S. Main | 38103 901.304.6985 | RizzosMemphis.com

FrEsh Fish daiLy

ask aBOut Our Party rOOM dOwnstairs Free Parking • On thE trOLLEy LinE

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

LOCAL FARMERS

299 s. Main st. • 901-522-9070

waLking distancE tO FEdEx FOruM & BEaLE st.

”nOw sErving” sunday Brunch

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

The Wrecking Crew in the studio

PEarLsOystErhOusE.cOM

FILM REVIEW continued from page 39 not only wrote the iconic bassline for the Mission: Impossible theme, but was also mistress of the groove on the Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds, all while raising two children. Phil Spector constructed his Wall of Sound in L.A’s Gold Star studio using 15 members of the crew and then refused to use anyone else on recording sessions for years. They made careers, from Cher, who in the film remembers being a young, naive singer who idolized the crew, to Nancy Sinatra, who recalls talking her father Frank out of recording “These Boots Are Made for Walking” before sneaking into a studio with the crew and cutting the huge hit herself. But despite their ubiquity on pop radio, few of these day-rate play-

−

MOVIES

ers were recognized for their work. As Dick Clark says in an interview, “Who created it? No one cared.” The big exception was Glen Campbell, who was a session guitarist for years before striking out on his own and taking some of the crew with him as he rose to country music stardom. Tedesco organizes the documentary around the personalities he encountered, which sometimes makes for a confusing chronology. But what the director lacks in technical chops and narrative clarity, he more than makes up for in enthusiasm and heart, and that’s what make The Wrecking Crew an exceptional documentary. The Wrecking Crew Thursday, April 23, 7 p.m. Memphis Brooks Museum of Art

SINCE

1915

−

Ridgeway Cinema Grill CAFE • IMPORTED BEER & WINE • LUXURY SEATING

FULL MENU • IMPORTED BEER & WINE LUXURY SEATING

The Water Diviner R Woman In Gold PG13 While We’re Young R

Desert Dancer PG13 Danny Collins R Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2 PG True Story R Furious 7 PG13

April 23-29, 2015

IMPORTED BEER & WINE • EXPANDED CONCESSIONS • LUXURY SEATING • ALL DIGITAL CINEMA •

The Age of Adaline PG13 Ex Machina R Brotherly Love R Little Boy PG13 Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2 PG Unfriended R Disney Nature: Monkey Kingdom G Child 44 R The Longest Ride PG13

Furious 7 PG13 Get Hard R Home PG Insurgent PG13 Cinderella PG OPENS THURSDAY 4/30 Avengers: Age of Ultron PG13 7:00pm

SATURDAY 4/25 Metropolitan Opera: Cavalleria Rusticana / Paliacci 11:55am MONDAY 4/27 Comedy Dynamics Presents: Bill Hicks 8:00pm

WEDNESDAY 4/29 Metropolitan Opera Encore: Cavalleria Rusticana / Paliacci 6:30pm THURSDAY 4/30 3-D Avengers Double Feature 4:25pm

MALCO THEATRES CORPORATE EVENTS • MEETINGS CHURCH RENTALS • GROUP RATES EMAIL GROUPSALES@MALCO.COM

VIP MOVIE TICKETS & CONCESSION VOUCHERS

5101 Sanderlin Ave., Ste. 104b • Next to Fox & Hound

ORDER ONLINE AT MALCO.COM OR GROUPSALES@MALCO.COM

B y E i l e e n To w n s e n d

Ex Machina

Ghost In The Machine It’s boy meets robot in Ex Machina. For the best reviews of the new cyborg flick Ex Machina, go read the comments on the movie’s YouTube trailer. There, you will find a variety of good observations, such as, “Why is the A.I. almost always female?”; “Maybe if people would stop treating their A.I.’s like shit then they wouldn’t go nuts and want to kill everyone”; and “I think this movie is made for the blow up doll fanciers. What Sick Bastards, that makes us humanize toaster ovens.” I will confirm Ex Machina is a movie about “humanize[d] toaster ovens” that are created by a sick bastard. The film follows of Caleb (Domnhall Gleeson), a young programmer who has won a vaguely defined online contest. His prize is a week with Nathan (Oscar Isaac), a genius billionaire who lives alone on a Norwegian estate that looks like a cross between Camp David and Rivendell.

Nathan is a supposedly chill dude (spoiler alert: he’s not really chill) who also happens to be developing cutting-edge robots. He needs Caleb, a freshman with a big heart, to interact with a robot named Ava in order to determine whether or not she has achieved sentience. Caleb is in over his head and knows it, but he is too curious to back out of the increasingly weird circumstances. Nathan, meanwhile, is revealed as an unstable alcoholic who abuses his sole employee, a beautiful, silent servant named Kyoko (Sonoya Mizuno). We first meet the robot Ava (Alicia Vikander plus a team of motion-graphics artists) from Caleb’s perspective: She is silhouetted against a window in her locked chambers. She has a shy, sad-eyed, Natalie Portman vibe. Her artificial face is prosthetically masked with human features, but her body looks like a shapely version of the see-through computer my nerdy high school boyfriend once built. When Caleb is allowed to speak to her through a glass, Ava points out that she understands his “microexpressions.” She can tell he likes her, maybe too much. From

Ex Machina Opening Friday Multiple locations

Donate Blood. Support Research. Get Paid.

1256 Union Avenue Suite 200 Memphis, TN 38104 901-252-3434

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

there, Ex Machina is standard fare, as conjectural parallel realities go: Boy meets Robot. Boy loves Robot. But Robot is a Robot. What will become of Boy? The script, while competent, is laden with grating cultural reference. Nathan and Caleb cite Prometheus while they drink wine and eat sushi. In one scene, Nathan explains his life philosophy through the extended metaphor of a Jackson Pollock painting. Caleb, for his part, regularly says things like “If you’ve created a conscious machine, it’s not the history of man. That’s the history of gods!” For a movie about the stunning reach of tech, the tech in Ex Machina is weirdly campy. In order to gain entrance to the most preciously guarded scientific research facility in the world, all Caleb has to do is pickpocket a key card, the kind you get at Days Inn. The sci-fi logic of the film, which could make it worthwhile, also falls flat. When Nathan gives Caleb a tour of the A.I. Batcave, a room scattered with detached prosthetics and eerie light tables, he holds up a brain-shaped piece of glowy glass and tells Caleb it is the A.I.’s mind. Thought sequences, he explains, are downloaded in real time from billions of searches. Imagine what it would actually be like to talk to something that formed its reality based on web searches. I just typed “What is…” into Google and the second and third suggested searches — based on some seriously high-level algorithmic intelligence — were “What is Coachella?” and “What is a thot?” There may be some epistemological problems with crowd-sourcing. A version of Ex Machina told from Ava’s perspective would have been infinitely more interesting. Near the end of the movie, Ava tries to make herself look human by donning a wig and applying layer after layer of prosthetic skin to her robot body. She stares in the mirror, investigating her weird, new self. Save yourself the trouble of seeing this movie and instead go read Donna Haraway’s Cyborg Manifesto, where she describes cyborgs as “the final appropriation of women’s bodies in a masculinist orgy of war.” It’s a start.

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

FILM REVIEW

M E M P H I S I N M AY I N T E R N AT I O N A L F EST I VA L

Cracovia Danza

April 23-29, 2015

CHOPIN & FRIENDS

Kinga Augustyn

Matthieu Cognet

For more information visit www.memphisinmay.org