e MEMernet was wild for the white stu last weekend. It was that “good snow,” making snowmen, snowballs, and snow sledding all easy and fun and driving not so dangerous.
“ ese children give added meaning to ‘birdie’ while taking ight Saturday above the Overton Park golf course,” said Tom Bailey on Facebook.
e Memphis Zoo’s socials were blown up last weekend. Reels showed tigers playing, a grizzly bear rolling in the snow, and Babu, a mandrill, knocking over a snowman.
ere was also lots of love out there for the o en-maligned city and Memphis Light, Gas & Water (MLGW). Redditors tipped their hats to MLGW’s tree-trimming e orts, which helped to keep the lights on, and to the city for keeping the roads clear. Wow.
CA FOR ARTS?
Art gallery own Jay Etkin wants to turn the former Commercial Appeal building on Union into the Flow Museum of Art & Culture. Etkin said he is in talks with city, county, and state leaders on the idea.
e building is on the auction block at the end of the month. Another idea would turn the building into a vocation training center for youth (see Week at Was).
Questions, Answers + Attitude
Edited by Toby Sells
Summer EBT, Central Yards, & Gangs
Lee rejects money for kids, a Midtown development is back, and street organizations to march.
NO FOOD FOR KIDS
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee rejected $1.1 million in federal grant funding at the beginning of the year, an action that will end free summer meals for up to 700,000 Tennessee children.
Lee’s administration indicated last year that it would not renew the state’s participation in the federal Electronic Bene ts Transfer Program for Children (Summer EBT). His o ce told NBC News last month that it costs too much to administer the program, noting that the federal government began shiing the administration cost to the states.
PHOTO:
Carlisle plans for construction to begin the second quarter of this year and to wrap up in 2027.
e program issued a $120 EBT card, called Sun Bucks, to 700,000 children in Tennessee last year. ey were available for children for June, July, and August. The money could only be spent on food.
CA TO VOCATIONAL SCHOOL
A nonpro t organization is working to raise $1.1 million to turn the building that once housed e Commercial Appeal into an immersive vocational development program for underserved youth. Ty Cobb, president of Have a Standard Foundation, presented his plans for his CoreFire program to the Memphis City Council last week.
CENTRAL YARDS PROJECT IS BACK
Carlisle Development Co. will bring its new $137 million plans for Central Yards — a mix of condos, retail, parking, and a hotel — to a Downtown Memphis Commission (DMC) board meeting next week, seeking a tax break of $24.6 million to make them real.
e roughly six-acre site in Cooper-Young sits near Central and Cooper (right around the Taconganas stand and Blu City Sports). e area was once home to a plumber supply shop, which closed. For years now, the vacant shop has stood dilapidated and alone in an empty, weedy eld surrounded by chain link topped with concertina wire. All buildings on the site now would be demolished, according to the new plan.
Carlisle’s plan for the spot includes 250 condos, 27 townhomes (each with a two-car garage), and a 325-car parking
deck, all with resident amenities like a pool. It will also have a ve-story hotel with 125 rooms and an 82-car parking lot. e hotel will have 4,160 square feet of commercial space.
‘GANGS’ TO MARCH ON MLK DAY
Street organizations — what most people call gangs — are continuing their e orts to sustainably integrate themselves into Memphis’ community, while also improving relationships with each other.
Part of this will be the Community Unity March on Memphis, scheduled for January 20th to commemorate Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Participants will begin their day at 201 Poplar with a brief program at 9 a.m. before marching to the National Civil Rights Museum.
Community organizer Keedran Franklin has worked with city leaders and the public to change the conversation around what most people call “gangs.”
“We don’t use the word gangs,” Franklin said. “ at’s a code word that local municipalities get from the feds to say we have a gang problem. We don’t have a gang problem. What we have is under-resourced and underserved people who are creating their own avenue.”
Martin Luther King Jr. Day not only provides an opportunity for street organizations to continue their work on a more visible level, Franklin said, but an e ort to return civil rights to its mission of inclusivity. e day is about both remembrance and community, including that of the streets, he said. Visit the News Blog at memphis yer.com for fuller versions of these stories and more local news.
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DOWNTOWN MEMPHIS COMMISSION
Crime by the Numbers {
CITY REPORTER
By Toby Sells
New dashboards show crime is down, and the crime-iest parts of town.
If you’ve been paying attention to news at all, you’ll know crime is down in Memphis. Yes, it’s a national trend. But, like, who cares? Falling crime in Memphis is good news no matter where it comes from.
Total crime across the city fell 13.3 percent from 2023 to 2024, according to data released from the city at year’s end. Crime was down in every ZIP code in the city, except for 38131 and 38152. ose two are head-scratchers.
(We’re not data experts, so we’re not equipped to label them “aberrations” or whatever.) But 38131 is a neighborhood wedged between Memphis International Airport to the south and I-240 to the north. Last year saw 54 crimes there, and that’s up 42 percent from 2023. e other area — 38152 — is on the eastern part of University of Memphis campus, encompassing Ball Hall, Campus Elementary School, and big parking lots. Across a big ditch there, nice homes stand in the same ZIP code along Grandview. Last year saw 57 crimes there, and that’s up 83.9 percent from 2023.
The top three ZIP codes for crime were Parkway Village, Hickory Hill, and Whitehaven.
e city did not give any details on the crimes in these areas, aberrations or no. In his weekly newsletter last Friday, Memphis Mayor Paul Young said, “We are working on it!”
In addition to that year-end report, you can track Memphis crime now with two (new to us) crime stats dashboards. e rst shows Memphis crime year
to year. e Crime Analytics dashboard shows un ltered stats on 40 di erent types of crimes (from credit card fraud to murder) in three major crime categories — property crimes, personal crimes, and crimes against society.
In total, there were 101,363 total crimes in Memphis last year. Of those, 10,642 were deemed violent crimes. ere were 42,647 property crimes, 299 homicides (235 of those were murders), and 9,821 car the s.
Pulling way back, though, the dashboard shows a map of concentrations of crime. We know you can likely overlay a map of poverty and other factors across the crime map and get commanding results. We’re not here to issue judgments about anything. But (and you knew that was coming) you can see, objectively, where the most crime happened in Memphis in 2024.
Top three ZIP codes for Memphis crime 2024:
1. 38118 (Oakhaven, Parkway Village):
8,565 crimes
2. 38115 (Hickory Hill): 7,900 crimes
3. 38116 (Whitehaven): 6,841 crimes
Top three ZIP codes for Memphis homicides 2024:
1. 38127 (Frayser): 33
2. 38109 (Raines): 31
3. 38118 (Parkway Village): 30
Top three ZIP codes for Memphis rapes 2024
1. 38127 (Frayser): 56
2. 38116 (Whitehaven): 52
3. 38118 (Parkway Village): 50
Another dashboard, also maintained by the city of Memphis, shows weekly crime stats. is one does not give as much detail, like locations, nor does it break the crimes down much beyond the surface. But it still gives an interesting look at the state of the city.
For example, over the last seven days
(as of Monday, January 6th), 835 crimes were committed. e seven days before that, 827 crimes were reported. Aggravated assaults (152) led all crimes as of last Monday, with robbery (40) and rape (5) following.
On one metric, though, the dashboard somehow makes the city’s homicide count feel more real. It seems hard to fathom 299 homicides for a community in one year. It can also seem perfectly reasonable to have 299 homicides in a city the size of Memphis. But when the dashboard reports three homicides over the last seven days (and four homicides the week before that), the data seem more personal. ese were people and — sadly — these were someone’s family and friends.
PHOTO: CITY OF MEMPHIS South Memphis had the most crime last year.
POLITICS By Jackson Baker
Punching Down
Is Taylor’s “Make Memphis Matter” campaign aimed at the right targets?
It surely hasn’t gone unnoticed that state government is continuing to ex its muscles vis-à-vis local government in Memphis and Shelby County.
O cials aligned with the administration in Nashville are threatening outright takeover of the Memphis-Shelby County Schools (MSCS) system at the same time that state Senator Brent Taylor and helpers continue to implement their would-be coup d’état against the county judiciary and the o ce of District Attorney Steve Mulroy.
In the case of MSCS, the sudden outof-nowhere power struggle between an apparent school board majority and rstyear superintendent Marie Feagins has prompted what amounts to an ultimatum from Governor Bill Lee and the presiding o cers of the state legislative chambers: Keep Feagins or else!
And Taylor has enlisted the same o cials in his campaign to oust Mulroy, involving them in his bill of particulars against the DA at a press conference last ursday that followed by a day a quickly improvised “summit” called by the senator to consider the case for a new crime lab in Memphis, something Mulroy has put forth as a major need for facilitating e ective local law enforcement.
senator’s minimizing motive in his press conference the next day at the Memphis Police Association headquarters. It was overtly to “reveal the causes to be considered for the removal of District Attorney Steve Mulroy.”
Taylor’s bill of particulars against Mulroy was a duke’s mixture of complaints, ranging from prerogatives asserted by the DA that could be, and in several cases were, countered by ad hoc state legislation to innovative procedures pursued by Mulroy, some of them re ecting purposes that Taylor acknowledged sharing himself.
A case of the latter was an agreement reached by the DA with Juvenile Court Judge Tarik Sugarmon to allow trial court judges access to Juvenile Court records. Taylor had sponsored a bill to do just that in last year’s session of the General Assembly.
A similar instance was Taylor’s inclusion in his list of Mulroy’s declared support of gun safety referenda placed by the Memphis City Council on the 2024 general election ballot and overwhelmingly passed.
e list of invitees to the crime lab conference, styled as a “roundtable discussion,” included Tennessee Bureau of Investigation director David Rausch and a virtually complete roster of public gures, state and local, who could be considered stakeholders in the matter of law enforcement.
ere was one glaring omission, however: DA Mulroy, who was not only not invited; he was not even informed of the meeting, which was held at the City Hall of Germantown and concluded with Taylor suggesting an ultimate consensus that processing of local crime data in sensitive cases could be easily expedited via an existing crime lab in Jackson, obviating the need for a new Memphis lab.
A cynic could be pardoned for assuming that the entire thrust of the meeting in Germantown was to undermine the absent DA’s call for such a lab.
ere was no doubt about the
“Many of us” could sympathize with the referenda points, Taylor said, but his point was that the referenda — calling for local ordinances on behalf of gun permits, an assault ri e ban, and judicial con scation of rearms in at-risk instances — ran counter to state law.
Sponsors of the referenda had made it clear that they called for “trigger” laws that could be enforced only if and when state law might be amended to allow them.
And there’s a further anomaly here, given Taylor’s stated goal to “Make Memphis Mattter” and safeguard the city from crime.
One has to wonder why he isn’t pursuing an altogether di erent strategy, one calling for a legislative “carveout” of Shelby County from current state law prohibiting the immediate implementation of the ordinances called for by the referenda.
Such a course would be consistent with the principle of home rule; it would also be supportive of a position taken by Mulroy’s Republican opponent in the 2022 DA’s race, then-incumbent Amy Weirich, who inveighed against the iniquitous consequences of the state’s increasingly permissive stripping away of gun safety regulations.
PHOTO: SENATOR BRENT TAYLOR | FACEBOOK
Brent Taylor
New Year, New Goals?
planning can help.
A
re you starting the year o with fresh nancial goals?
Great! Recommitting to your nances by focusing on your goals is a great way to enter the new year. One of the best ways to ensure progress toward your goals is by considering how they impact each part of your nancial plan and making updates to accommodate them, including the following.
Account for life events.
One of the most important reasons to continually update your nancial plan is to ensure it continues to meet your needs as your life evolves over time. Anytime you experience a major life change, such as a marriage, divorce, new baby, death of a loved one, new job, etc., work with your wealth manager to make sure that change is accounted for across all aspects of your nancial plan.
Update your goals.
Your goals may not be the same today as they were a year ago. Maybe you successfully saved for a down payment on a home and made a purchase. Perhaps your son graduated college and you no longer need to plan for that expense. Maybe you injured yourself skiing and decided that purchasing a ski condo is no longer something you wish to pursue. Whatever changes may have occurred in your goals over the last year, be sure to incorporate them into your nancial plan.
rst established your portfolio’s asset allocation, you carefully chose a mix of investments you believed would give you the best possible chance of achieving your nancial goals. You should review your investments and target allocation with your wealth manager in your annual reviews, discussing whether any changes should be made (as life events take place and risk tolerances vary).
If you regularly review your investments, your allocation can begin to dri away from your targets (as some sectors outperform others over time). It’s important to periodically rebalance your portfolio back to your original (or an updated) asset allocation. Rebalancing is the process of selling o outperforming investments and reinvesting in lower-performing assets in order to get back to your target allocation. While this may seem counterintuitive, it prevents your allocation from dri ing too far from your target investment ranges. is is an important risk management strategy because it prevents one asset type from dominating your portfolio and exposing you to too much risk.
Plan for retirement.
Planning for retirement is an important goal to focus on at any age. In fact, the younger you start, the better o you’ll be when you’re ready to retire. As you review your nancial plan, don’t forget to review progress toward your retirement goals. If your nancial situation allows, talk with your wealth manager about possibly increasing or even maximizing your 401(k) and/or IRA contributions.
Minimize your taxes.
Proactive tax planning can lead to signi cant savings over time, which is why it’s important to regularly check in on your tax planning strategies. A duciary nancial advisor should regularly review your portfolio’s tax e ciency and make changes as necessary to help minimize your tax liabilities. However, it’s still important to check in and ensure you’re taking advantage of all tax planning strategies available to you.
Check in on your investments. When you and your wealth manager
Prepare for emergencies.
If you don’t already have an emergency fund, consider starting one as soon as possible. Generally, you should have at least three to six months’ worth of expenses set aside in a liquid account for emergency use. If you have an emergency fund in place but have recently dipped into it, be sure to focus on building it back up to your ideal level.
Gene Gard, CFA, CFP, CFT-I, is a Private Wealth Manager and Partner with Creative Planning. Creative Planning is one of the nation’s largest registered investment advisory rms providing comprehensive wealth management services to ensure all elements of a client’s nancial life are working together, including investments, taxes, estate planning, and risk management. For more information or to request a free, no-obligation consultation, visit CreativePlanning.com.
Whether you’re looking to update your current home or you’ve found your forever home, we can help. Contact us today or apply online for mortgages, home equity loans, and home equity lines of credit.
PHOTO: CLAY BANKS | UNSPLASH
Monday, January 20, 2025
8:30 am to 5:00 pm
National Civil Rights Museum
450 Mulberry Memphis, TN 38103
Or donate throughout the month at any Vitalant location or participating Memphis events.
As a thank-you, you’ll receive a free MLK Spirit of Service T-shirt or front-of-the -line passes to the National Civil Rights Museum.
O ers valid while supplies last; museum passes valid through Dec 31, 2025.
BLOOD drive
vitalant.org/MLKspritofservice
By Bruce VanWyngarden
L.A. Hot Takes
One of the rst victims of the re was the truth.
And the lights of L.A. County ey look like diamonds in the sky ... — Lyle Lovett
As I write this, devastating wind-fed res have killed at least 25 people and swept through 40,000 acres in the greater Los Angeles area. If you’re looking for a size comparison, that’s equal to a fourth of the acreage of the city of Memphis burned to the ground — an area equal to Downtown, Uptown, and everything inside the beltway. ousands of people have lost their homes. Hundreds of schools, churches, businesses, studios, and iconic architectural structures are gone. Entire neighborhoods are reduced to ashes.
typical of most urban re departments in the U.S. e Southern California reservoirs were full, above historic levels. Water intended for the city was not diverted to save a sh called the smelt. Some hydrants went dry because they were intended for use against urban res — houses, buildings in a self-contained area for a limited time — not wild-blown wild res spreading over many acres for many days.
Janisse Quiñones, chief engineer of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, said, “We are ghting a wild re with urban water systems, and that is an unprecedented kind of event.” Quiñones added that experts have seen wildland res move into urban areas only in the last 10 to 15 years and that they’re still guring out how to address it.
“ e way that re ghting has traditionally been, there are wildland re ghters and agencies, and then there are urban re ghters and agencies,” she said. “Are we having wildland re ghters ghting res in urban areas or the reverse? Sometimes the approaches are really di erent.”
Los Angeles County o cials characterized the res as a “perfect storm” event in which hurricane-force gusts of up to 100 miles per hour prevented them from deploying aircra that could have dropped water and re retardant on the droughtravaged neighborhoods when the res rst broke out. e combination of the winds, unseasonably dry conditions, and multiple res breaking out one a er another led to the widespread destruction.
But as L.A. re ghters battled the ames, disinformation was spreading like, well, wild re: One theory pushed by right-wing media was that the blazes were raging because re- ghting personnel were led by a lesbian re chief and the department utilized DEI hiring criteria. X account Libs of TikTok, known for spreading anti-LBGTQ rhetoric posted: “DEI will get people k*lled. DEI MUST DIE.” Donald Trump Jr. said that donations the Los Angeles Fire Department sent to Ukraine in 2022 were somehow related to its response to the current res.
Not to be outdone, the president-elect himself posted a deluge of misinformation on Truth Social, including this: “Governor Gavin Newscum [sic] refused to sign the water restoration declaration put before him that would have allowed millions of gallons of water, from excess rain and snowmelt from the North, to ow daily into many parts of California, including the areas that are currently burning in a virtually apocalyptic way.”
And what’s a good tragedy without a trash take from Alex Jones, who posted that President Biden had grounded re ghters and that the res were being spread as part of a “globalist plot to wage economic warfare”? First Buddy Elon Musk responded to Jones’ tweet in a nowdeleted post with one word: “True.”
None of it was true. e level of diversity in L.A. Fire Department personnel is
PHOTO: MMPHOTO21 | STOCK.ADOBE.COM Entire neighborhoods have been reduced to ashes.
All this brings to mind an interview with Denzel Washington I saw last week. When asked about today’s media, he said: “If you don’t read the newspapers, you’re uninformed. If you do read the newspapers, you’re misinformed.”
He went on: “What is the long-term e ect of too much information? One thing is the need to be rst. … We live in a society where it’s just, get it out there, be rst! It doesn’t matter if it’s true, who it hurts, who it destroys, just be rst. So what a responsibility [the media] have — to tell the truth!”
To which, I would add: What a responsibility you and I have — to seek out the truth, and to learn not to blindly swallow the rst piece of information o ered, no matter who o ers it, no matter how it tickles your con rmation biases. A hot take is seldom the best take.
The Grit and Grind of Spirit
THE UNIVERSITY OF MEMPHIS’ SPIRIT SQUADS PREPARE FOR THEIR NATIONAL COMPETITIONS.
COVER STORY
By Abigail Morici
For a few weeks since midDecember, the volleyball gym at University of Memphis has been transformed into a dance studio, mats taped over the court oor, with the recognizable Tigers ags and megaphones tucked to the side. Mirrors have been rolled into the end of the court. e Pom Squad and Ambush Crew have been practicing their routines there, with rehearsals ramping up to nearly every day, hours at a time, in preparation for the UCA & UDA College Cheerleading and Dance Team National Championship in Orlando, January 17th to 19th.
At today’s practice, while I speak with Carol Lloyd, University of Memphis’ spirit coordinator and head dance coach, the dancers warm up, one doing aerials, ipping her legs over her heads. Another jumps, knees turned out with her toes meeting to form a diamond in the air before she lands; soon, back up she springs, another brief diamond formed.
On the other side of the mat, a group goes through a part of their routine to be performed in a mere few days. eir footsteps are sharp, measured according to counts, heads turning in unison; there’s no music, but they are in sync. ey li one of their teammates in the air, e ortlessly — or, so it appears to the untrained eye. Something’s o , though they haven’t
quite gured out what exactly. Should so-and-so adjust her leg? Should it be bent at the knee? Lloyd asks for feedback from the athletes, pointing out collaboration’s role in their process. ey run through the counts again, and again, and again, and will again many more times. is part is only a few seconds of an entire routine that they’ve been working on since November.
“It’s so detailed,” says Lloyd. “I don’t think a lot of people realize how much goes into just dancing for this minute-50 seconds.”
e Pom Squad and Ambush Crew compete in three categories: game day, hip-hop, and pom. In a game day performance, dancers recreate the live game experience with a band, ght song, Pouncer the mascot, and lots of spirit. Pom uses poms and can be a mix of hiphop and jazz.
Last year, the team took home the national championship for game day and placed third in hip-hop and seventh in pom. at same weekend, the university’s cheerleaders won the national championship in small coed.
Winning titles isn’t unusual for U of M’s spirit squads, which include the cheer team, the Pom Squad, and the Ambush Crew, which Lloyd started last year to specialize in hip-hop during game days and compete with the Pom Squad at nationals.
e cheer team holds seven national titles.
e Pom Squad has 16, including nine
consecutive titles from 1986 to 1994.
“It’s always harder to stay on top than it is to get there,” Lloyd says. “I always feel pressure, but pressure is a privilege almost. And they do have the pressure of [having won last year], but also we don’t really harp a lot on it.”
On the back of the mirrors that the dancers rolled into the volleyball gym, the athletes have posted a sign that says, “Go with the goal of hitting your shit, not with the goal of winning.” ey even tally up how many “full-outs” they do — how many times they practice their routines as if they’re performing in front of an audience. at number will get up to the 70s by the time they leave for Orlando, the dancers say. It’s about quantifying achievements, big and small.
“In our league, everybody’s top-notch; everybody is so good and so elite,” Lloyd says. “It’s kind of hard sometimes to realize we’re one of those people, too. Especially with Memphis, because everybody knows who you are [in the college dance world] and it’s such a legacy — the Memphis dance team. Everybody knows you’re from Memphis. ey look up to you; you’re a staple in dance team history.”
It’s a Legacy
e rst national collegiate dance team championship took place in 1986, and Memphis State, as it was then, won — and it won for the next eight years.
Lloyd, a Memphis native, cheered throughout high school and was on the college’s pom team during its championwinning streak from 1989 to 1993. She would go on to succeed her college coach Cheri Ganong-Robinson in 2004.
PHOTO: COURTESY MEMPHIS SPIRIT
e U of M cheer squad is known for cheers and stunts.
While, yes, winning titles marked her time on U of M’s Pom Squad, she also recalls traveling to entertain at NBA games, even going overseas. “We don’t do that any more,” Lloyd says, “and I miss some of our hal imes ’cause we used to dance for four to ve minutes every single hal ime and nobody le their seats. I don’t miss preparing for it because it is a lot and they do so much more now. … is sport has become so big — way more athletic, technical — so to still be one of the top teams and still keep it at that level is great.”
Other dance alumnae and current athletes agree. Bella Roy, a senior pom dancer, speaks of watching videos of older routines with alumnae at a Christmas party. “ ey’re like, ‘ at’s me, that’s me,’ but it’s just crazy how it’s changed so much. But then, it still is so similar. It’s that crazy drive and that Memphis family; the legacy is just like no other.”
And it’s that legacy that brought Roy from Franklin, Tennessee, to Memphis initially. “I knew from a very young age, I wanted to dance in college,” she says. “Memphis has been so well-known for so long as this amazing program across the nation in the dance world, so to be a part of it is absolutely amazing.”
University of Memphis’ reputation for its dance team also attracted freshman Linda Gail Rutland. She and Roy actually attended the same dance studio back in Franklin, and now they’re on the team together, if only for one overlapping year. For both of them, dance — more precisely dancing competitively on a team — has constituted most of their lives’ passion.
“[Dancing on a team] comes to the point where, of course, you always want to win, but it’s not even about winning,” Rutland says. “It’s the memories and working for something bigger than yourself, being there for your teammates.”
“You’re all there because you chose to be there and you want to be there and you want to get better and be pushed to do good,” Roy adds. “Carol [Lloyd] is an amazing coach. She can be tough, but it’s in a good way. It’s in a great way. She gives us that tough love that we need.”
and basketball game, they’re also at community and philanthropic events because, as they would say, they’re the “face” of the university. While they receive some athletic bene ts from the school like access to training and the athletic mental performance department, U of M’s athletics website doesn’t list the Pom Squad, Ambush Crew, or cheer team under women’s sports but instead o ers a link in a sidebar, along with athletic news and a composite schedule, suggesting that their status as a sport is in limbo even at their home in Memphis. As it is, the spirit teams have to fundraise for the majority of their budget. Each year, the dancers and cheerleaders put on a golf tournament, host dance and cheer clinics, sell popcorn, o er appearances, and more.
“It takes about $120 to $140 thousand each year to cover everything that we need,” Lloyd says. For reference, according to CNBC, U of M’s athletic program is worth about $148 million. at puts the school third among the American Athletic Conference, behind East Carolina University ($153 million) and the University of South Florida ($150 million).
For that matter, last year the National Dance Coaches Association named Lloyd College Coach of the Year. Having accrued so many titles as a student athlete and as a coach, this one speaks to Lloyd’s particular knack for leading her teams. A er all, she’s been coaching since was 18.
Today, in addition to working for U of M, she coaches for the Collierville Middle School and Collierville High School cheer teams. Before accepting her position as spirit coordinator in 2013, she also coached for U of M’s cheer team, now under the leadership of Jasmine Freeman and Kaleb Newell.
“Seeing the athletes grow as individuals and as dancers, that’s always rewarding,” Lloyd says. “Plus, it’s challenging for them.”
It’s a Sport
“It’s easy to get so hard on yourself when you have all these long practices and you’re sore and ‘Oh, I can’t make it to my spot’ or this or that,” Roy says. “But then the alum-
nae are always like, ‘Oh, you’re ipping upside down, and you’re doing 12 turns,’ and we’re like, ‘Wait, we really are good.’”
Yet neither the NCAA nor the Ofce of Civil Rights, which enforces Title IX, consider collegiate dance or cheer as sports, de ning “sports” as activities whose purpose is competing, not “supporting” other sports on the sidelines. But the spirit squads consider themselves athletes, training hard and competing, albeit once a year, and even though they are at every football
“We’re constantly looking for other ways to make money for them so they don’t have to keep fundraising,” Lloyd says. e spirit squads also don’t have a dedicated facility, which can add another strain on the budget and a ects e ciency. e cheer team practices at an All-Star gym out in Collierville, and the Pom Squad and Ambush Crew have bounced around for the past few years, last year renting a church gym and this year using one of the university’s rec gyms until the volleyball gym opened up. “ is is my fourth year, and this is our third facility that we’ve been in,” Roy says. For each practice in the rec gym, the athletes had to tape down the 10-paneled oor mats they dance on, take up the tape back up, stack the mats on the side, and store away the mirrors and all their props like the megaphones and ags because it’s a shared space. “And that tape is extremely expensive,” Lloyd adds. “We need a facility for us.”
Rutland puts a positive spin on it: “Even though we don’t have our own facility and sometimes it is a pain, doing it with your teammates, honestly, we bond.”
It’s a Family
At today’s practice, where 20 dancers are in the pom routine being rehearsed, a few who aren’t in the number have joined to cheer their teammates on. is is typical,
PHOTO: COURTESY MEMPHIS SPIRIT
University of Memphis’ spirit squads perform at every football and basketball game (men’s and women’s).
continued from page 13
Lloyd says. “It’s a good group of people. They’re grateful, very respectful. They’re hella talented. They’re supportive, and that’s important with anything.”
While we speak, Lloyd will interrupt with brief corrections and praises for the individual dancers, her eyes constantly roving the mat filled with multiple performers. “When you know that someone is struggling in a certain part, you’ve got to scream for them,” she says to her athletes. “If everybody gets in their head, start yelling. The mat talk is what’s going to help everybody.”
And so they scream and shout, and so does Lloyd. “This is their family,” Lloyd says, noting that out of 43 team members who are on Pom Squad and Ambush Crew, only four are local.
“I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else,” Rutland says. “I got here and I don’t want to leave. It’s only my freshman year.”
In a few days, Rutland will compete in her first showcase. “I’m so excited,” she says. “Scary, freaked out, I’m so excited.” She’ll compete in the game day category. “It’s like a big party. We really just have fun the whole time. I love cheering on the school and being at the football games and the basketball games and everything, so I just can only imagine how that will feel on the nationals floor.”
Roy, meanwhile, is competing in game
day, pom, and hip-hop this year, her last year competing. Hip-hop, she says, has been the dance style that has challenged her the most but the one she’s most grown in since her freshman year. “I’ve learned so much from [Lloyd] and the upperclassmen, and then Ambush Crew took it to another level,” she says. “Everybody knows Memphis hip-hop in the college dance world, so to go out there and be a part of that is so special and fun.”
Memphis has consistently placed in the top four of the hip-hop division since the division started at the competition. “It’s very captivating, telling a story, being very much like, ‘This is us, we are who we are, watch us do our thing,’” Rutland says of the Pom Squad’s hip-hop routines.
“I feel like, too, it kind of ties into our T-shirts that say, ‘I am Memphis,’” Roy adds. “Like, ‘I am the city of Memphis.’ ‘I am Memphis Pom Dance Team Ambush Crew.’ ‘I am a part of this legacy.’
“But that first time my freshman year after we finished hip-hop for semis, when I did my last little smackdown and looked up, I just held my ending pose for at least 10 seconds,” Roy recalls. “It was that moment where I was just, ‘This is what I’ve dreamed of for so long. And I don’t want to leave.’ I was like, ‘I just did this.’ And then last year, that was always my lifelong goal to win a national championship. And to say that I actually did it is crazy, but it’s so worth it. Since I
was little, that’s what I wanted.”
Now, as Roy, a supply chain management major, looks to life after college, she says, “Since I’ve danced for so long, I think it’s going to be hard, that transition after college, figuring out what I’m going to do with my life. It’s been school, dance, school, dance, school, dance forever, so it’s hard to imagine a life without it, but I think I’ll continue taking dance classes here and there, doing a normal job. I have found a big passion, though, in teaching dance.”
“Everybody knows Memphis hip-hop in the college dance world.”
Roy thought about professional dance in the NBA or NFL, a path that some alumnae have taken, so has Rutland, but neither are sure. “I’m set on living in the moment and enjoying my time here,” says Rutland, a finance major.
It’s Game-Time
The spirit squads traveled to Orlando for the UCA & UDA College Cheerleading
and Dance Team National Championship on January 15th, both the dance and cheer teams on the heels of last year’s wins. “We’ll stay true to what we do,” Lloyd says, “just being authentic to our culture. We’re very diverse. We’re a lot of fun, but we’re also very gritty, tough, and still dominating. We don’t try to do what other people do.”
When it’s all over, they’ll fly back on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and the semester begins the next day. “I’m gonna be so tired,” Roy says, “but I would say I’m still kind of on a high a week after because I get to look at everybody’s videos and see how everybody did.”
The season won’t be over after the championship; the athletes will still perform at basketball games and other events, the spirit squads’ seasons lasting all school year.
At the end of each practice, of which there will be more, the dancers come together in a circle and link pinkies. “Seniors or captains will give a little wrap-up of practice,” Roy says, “just to get everybody in a good headspace before we leave, and then we say the Lord’s Prayer.” The prayer then leads into a chant: “Five, six, seven, eight, whoo, MPDTAC.”
The MPDTAC would stand for Memphis Pom Dream Team (and) Ambush Crew. And, yes, the DT stands for dream team — not the expected dance team — because, according to Lloyd, she’s always coaching the dream team, win or lose.
steppin’ out
We Recommend: Culture, News + Reviews
MLK Days of Service
By Abigail Morici
To celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. this MLK weekend, Volunteer Odyssey is mobilizing Memphians to engage in service projects across the city. roughout the year, the nonpro t connects other nonpro ts with volunteers, provides a free platform for volunteer management, and coordinates corporate volunteer opportunities. “So MLK Days of Service is a great opportunity for us to gather several small projects from a lot of nonpro ts around the city,” says Volunteer Odyssey executive director Caroline Norris. In total, there are 11 organizations for volunteers of all ages to serve this MLK weekend, with opportunities on Friday through Monday, at di erent hours through the day. “Our hope is that that will inspire every Memphian to nd something, to nd a way to plug in,” Norris says. “If it made them fall in love with Room in the Inn, and they had never heard of them before, and now they want to go and serve meals once a month, that can be transformational for some of these organizations.”
Spots for MLK Days of Service’s opportunities are already lling up, but Norris says not to worry. “Memphis is a last-minute kind of town, and so I know that there’s going to be spots available.” is year, for its MLK Days of Service, Volunteer Odyssey is also partnering with the National Civil Rights Museum (NCRM) and Leadership Memphis in promoting their celebrations. Leadership Memphis will host its MLK Health and Wellness Fair on Saturday, January 18th, from noon to 2 p.m. at the Hollywood Community Center, with the goal to promote health, wellness, and access to resources. In addition to o ering free health screenings and activities for the kids, the fair will showcase organizations focused on healthy living.
On Monday, January 20th, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., the National Civil Rights Museum will have its King Day, with free admission to the museum and a full day of activities including music, performances, children’s activities, and an online presentation. e museum is also asking for food donations to the Mid-South Food Bank in exchange for discounted admission to be used at a later date, and NCRM is hosting a blood drive. ose who donate blood will receive free admission for up to two people and an MLK Spirit of Service T-shirt (while supplies last).
“We’re really trying to amplify what our community partners need,” Norris says of Volunteer Odyssey’s partnerships with Leadership Memphis and NCRM. “And so, this collaboration with MLK Days of Service is just a beautiful vision that there’s so much good happening. … Even if you can’t participate in the MLK days of service, use this opportunity to see how you might give back the rest of the year.”
Find out more about the volunteer opportunities available and register at tinyurl.com/68p6db5f.
MLK DAYS OF SERVICE, SATURDAY-MONDAY, JANUARY 18-20, VARIOUS LOCATIONS.
VARIOUS DAYS & TIMES January 16th - 22nd
e Sporkful Podcast Live with Dan Pashman
Buckman Performing Arts Center, 60 Perkins Extd., ursday, 16, 7 p.m., $35 e country’s number-one food podcast will be making its Memphis debut live on the Buckman stage, and the Mid-South will be the featured guest. Join James Beard and Webby Award-winning host Dan Pashman for a special taping of the show that “is not for foodies, it’s for eaters.”
e Sporkful uses humor and humanity to approach food from many angles, including science, history, identity, culture, economics, and lengthy debates on the best way to layer a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Dan is a contributor to NPR, host of the Cooking Channel’s You’re Eating It Wrong, and designer of the new pasta shape cascatelli, which was named one of Time magazine’s “Invention of the Year.”
Say It Loud: e Overlook Quartet
e Green Room at Crosstown Arts, 1350 Concourse, ursday, January 16, 7:30 p.m., pay what you wish e string quartet e Overlook is a unifying, community-building force, whose dedication to a more representative musical tradition reverberates throughout their industry.
Since their inception in June 2020, e Overlook has worked to e ect permanent change in the “classical music canon” by developing a body of repertoire composed by BIPOC, female, and nonbinary creators. e quartet has presented masterworks from the past by Florence Price, Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, and Chevalier de Saint-Georges, as well as works by living composers Trevor Weston, Eleanor Alberga, Carlos Simon, Jessie Montgomery, Shelley Washington, Leila Adu, Forbes Graham, and many more.
Science of Beer
Pink Palace Museum & Mansion, 3050 Central Ave., $40/designated driver, $60/general admission, $80/VIP At the Science of Beer, the Pink Palace will be over owing with the best Memphis has to o er in drinks, food, trivia, and fun. VIP ticket includes access to a separate ballroom with additional vendors, food o erings, and seating.
Beer vendors include Athens Distributing, Ajax Distributing, Beale St. Brewing, Blu City Brewers, Boscos Squared, Cooper House Project, Crosstown Brewing, Flyway Brewing, Ghost River Brewing, Grind City Brewing, Hampline Brewing, High Cotton Brewing, Maroon Brewing, Meddlesome Brewery, Memphis Brewers, Memphis Filling Station, Memphis Made, Mississippi Ale House, Soul & Spirits, Urban Consequence Brewing, and Wiseacre Brewing.
PHOTO: COURTESY VOLUNTEER ODYSSEY Volunteer this MLK weekend.
MUSIC By Ken Billett
2025 International Blues Challenge
When a long way from home still feels like home.
Singer Shaun Murphy, formerly of Little Feat, had just nished her set as part of e Galaxie Agency’s “IBC Showcase,” held last ursday a ernoon at B.B. King’s Blues Club on Beale Street. During the lull between sets, my wife Vicki and I continued our conversation with the woman seated next to us. “I’ve never seen snow, before,” she said in a distinct Australian accent. “I live in Adelaide, which is in South Australia.” Snowfall at sea level is very rare, especially for a coastal Australian city like Adelaide.
e woman, wearing a Creamsicleorange hoodie, went on to tell us that she’d visited several places in “the States,” but she hadn’t brought any cold weather clothing because she didn’t think it would get this chilly in the South. She hadn’t had time to go shopping for something warmer a er arriving in Memphis.
Snow was forecast for Memphis and the Mid-South with predicted accumulations of ve to eight inches. e woman had come to see a musician from her hometown of Adelaide compete in the 40th edition of the International Blues Challenge.
e Memphis-based Blues Foundation hosts the International Blues Challenge (IBC). Typically held in January, the annual event brings together blues musicians, fans, and industry professionals for what is essentially a weeklong “blues convention,” featuring blues documentary screenings, roundtable discussions, award presentations, a free health fair for the musicians, showcase performances, and vocal/instrumental master classes conducted by blues veterans.
e challenge portion of IBC week featured mostly up-and-coming blues artists competing in two categories: Solo/Duo and Band. ese acts came from all over North America and from around the world. e “challenge,” along with the other activities, took place around the Beale Street Entertainment District. is year, almost 200 acts from nearly 40 states and 12 countries performed in several rounds of competition. e musicians represented their local blues a liates or sponsoring organizations — called “societies.” Many of the societies’ members traveled to Memphis in support of their artists, creating a home away from home atmosphere that, in many ways, is unique to the blues genre. at atmosphere of home permeated everything on Beale, and the far- ung
travelers created a temporary ecosystem dependent upon one element — a love of the blues. Community is key to blues music and once you were on Beale Street for IBC, it was easy to become a member of that community and feel right at home.
A er all, Memphis is the “Home of the Blues.”
Following Galaxie’s a ernoon showcase, we made our way down Beale, stopping in at several clubs along the
the judges for that venue’s Solo/Duo performers. IBC challengers are rated according to such criteria as musicianship, vocal abilities, and stage presence. John Klaver, representing the Dutch Blues Foundation, played an extraordinary set, and Vicki talked with him a erwards. Klaver is a friend of Vicki’s rst cousin, Mark Zandveld, an accomplished jazz bassist from Amsterdam, and Cousin Mark had given us a headsup that Klaver would be in Memphis
way to take-in performances. More than a dozen Beale Street locales served as venues for the nightly challenges. From Blues City Café to Alfred’s, Beale was alive with the blues. Fans and supporters came together over three consecutive nights to hear great music and have a good time.
In the Corner Bar at the Peabody, we ran into an old friend and blues musician extraordinaire, Mick Kolassa, aka Uncle Mick, who was one of
for IBC. Maybe Vicki’s quick “hello” helped Klaver feel at home.
Internationally, blues music is as popular as ever, and fans (and musicians) from abroad love to visit Memphis and the Mississippi Delta. ere’s a certain Memphis mystique that the world wants to experience rsthand.
Australian Frank Sultana, the IBC’s overall 2023 Solo/Duo winner, came back for a visit this year. Sultana said he not only loves coming to Memphis,
but that when you’re here you feel “a connection to that [early blues] era, remembering when it all happened.” at connection to the origins of the blues, along with the mystique, also fosters a sense of community — of feeling like home.
Sultana went on to say that the “connection to the blues” now comes “from everywhere [around the world],” including his home country of Australia, which sent seven acts to Memphis for this year’s IBC.
ursday night ended with a couple more stops to check out the music and to say “hello” to more old friends. We were feeling part of the blues community, an ecosystem fed by great music and good times. en the snow came.
Friday morning was white, very white. And cold, very cold. Vicki reminded me, several times, that she hates snow. “Nice to look at,” she said, “from inside.”
We nally ventured out around 1:00 p.m. and sloshed our way back to the Beale Street ecosystem through six inches of snow and slush. Workshop classes and more showcase performances were already underway. Later that same evening were the semi nal performances.
Saturday brought continued chill with some sunshine for the IBC Finals, held in the historic Orpheum eatre. e international blues community was well represented with ve acts, including two from Australia. Regarding that global representation, Bob Kieser, the publisher of Blues Blast Magazine and a recent recipient of the Blues Foundation’s Keeping the Blues Alive Award, said, “IBC has evolved into quite an international event [and] shows the continuing importance of blues in shaping artists across the world.”
Dutchman John Klaver was a Solo/ Duo nalist, but Joce Reyome of Canada won that category with an incredible onstage performance. In the Band category, Josh Hoyer & Soul Colossal, representing the Blues Society of Omaha, Nebraska, took rst place.
During Saturday a ernoon’s performances, Nardia, a band out of Melbourne, Australia, broke into their song “Long Way From Home.” I looked around at the Orpheum’s audience and let IBC week soak in — the stellar music performances, the atmosphere, and that feeling of community.
Home can be wherever you make it, and for one week in January the worldwide blues community came home to Memphis.
American Maestro, with Bernstein’s West Side Story
e Memphis Symphony Orchestra’s Masterworks Series presents Bernstein’s Slava!, Gandol ’s Piano Concerto, Wineglass’ Alone Together, and Bernstein’s Symphonic Dances from West Side Story. With Carl St. Clair, conductor, and Marc Andre Hamelin, piano.
Saturday, Jan. 18, 7:30 p.m.
CANNON CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS
DJ Rashida
Prince’s onetime DJ, with special guest DJ Alpha Whiskey. Friday, Jan. 17, 9 p.m.
EIGHT & SAND
The Central BBQ Sessions: Miz Stefani Great food and smokin’ tunes on the enclosed patio. Saturday, Jan. 18, 6-8:30 p.m. CENTRAL BBQ
American Maestro, with Bernstein’s West Side Story
e Memphis Symphony Orchestra’s Masterworks Series presents Bernstein’s Slava!, Gandol ’s Piano Concerto, Wineglass’ Alone Together, and Bernstein’s Symphonic Dances from West Side Story
With Carl St. Clair, conductor, and Marc Andre Hamelin, piano. Sunday, Jan. 19, 2:30 p.m.
e singer-songwriter, a pioneer of indie pop, performs solo. ursday, Jan. 16, 6:308:30 p.m.
MORTIMER’S
Zazerac Soul Jazz Trio
Friday, Jan. 17, 9 p.m.
BOG & BARLEY
Charmaine Tyrelle
Sunday, Jan. 19, 6-9 p.m.
B-SIDE
Chris Milam
“On another level as a songwriter … something special.” — e Music Enthusiast. Presented by Folk All Y’all and Crosstown Arts. $20/general admission. Saturday, Jan. 18, 7:30 p.m.
THE GREEN ROOM AT CROSSTOWN ARTS
Clay Street Unit
Alexis Jade & the Gemstones
Friday, Jan. 17, 10 p.m.
LAFAYETTE’S MUSIC ROOM
Amber McCain Duo Wednesday, Jan. 22, 6 p.m.
LAFAYETTE’S MUSIC ROOM
e Colorado-based seven piece group specializes in southern folk/country and branches into bluegrass sounds. $25.25/general admission. Wednesday, Jan. 22, 8-10 p.m.
MINGLEWOOD HALL
Corker
ursday, Jan. 16, 7 p.m.
LAMPLIGHTER LOUNGE
Destroy Lonely: Forever Tour
ursday, Jan. 16, 8 p.m.
MINGLEWOOD HALL
Devil Train
Bluegrass, roots, country, Delta, and ski e. ursday, Jan. 16, 9 p.m.
B-SIDE
Dremm
With Banales, Corset [Small Room-Downstairs]. Wednesday, Jan. 22, 8 p.m.
HI TONE
Duane Cleveland Trio
Sunday, Jan. 19, 3 p.m.
LAFAYETTE’S MUSIC ROOM
Dweezil Zappa: The Rox(postroph)y Tour
Celebrating 50 years of Apostrophe and Roxy and Elsewhere. $62.50/general admission. Saturday, Jan. 18, 8-10 p.m.
MINGLEWOOD HALL
Elevation Memphis: Tina Turner Tribute Experience
Saturday, Jan. 18, 5 p.m.
LAFAYETTE’S MUSIC ROOM
Family Dog
With Cherry Smoke, Human Shield, Calamity [Small Room – Downstairs]. Saturday, Jan. 18, 8 p.m.
HI TONE
Fauns
With Seeing Hell, underGun, Ruined God. Monday, Jan. 20, 8 p.m. GROWLERS
Garguts
With Mudshow, Ruined God. Saturday, Jan. 18, 8 p.m.
B-SIDE
God’s Computer
With Cel Shade, My Skin is Wax [Small Room-Downstairs]. ursday, Jan. 16, 9 p.m.
HI TONE
Happy Hour at the Brooks: DJ Yobreezye Experience the vibrant beats of Yobreezye, the multitalented DJ and creative powerhouse. ursday, Jan. 16, 6-8 p.m.
MEMPHIS BROOKS MUSEUM OF ART
Heartbreak Hill Trio
Sunday, Jan. 19, 3 p.m.
HUEY’S MIDTOWN
Suroor Hassan Friday, Jan. 17, 7 p.m.
LAMPLIGHTER LOUNGE
Tennessee Screamers
A roots, rock, and country group with some of the nest harmony singing in the city, playing deep-cut classics mixed with down-home originals that have a nod to the past. ursday, Jan. 16, 7 p.m.
LAFAYETTE’S MUSIC ROOM
The Funeral Portrait - Hex On The Nation Tour
With If Not For Me, Versus Me, Line So in. Tuesday, Jan. 21, 7 p.m. GROWLERS
Jay McK
Jay McK is an artist, composer, producer, and professional bassist, known for his funky bass lines, an array of sounds, solos, and melodic melodies.
Sunday, Jan. 19, 7:30 p.m.
THE GREEN ROOM AT CROSSTOWN
ARTS
JD Westmoreland Band
Monday, Jan. 20, 10 p.m.
B-SIDE
Joe Austin & The Tallahatchies
With Gritty Flyright. Wednesday, Jan. 22, 9 p.m.
B-SIDE
Landslide (Fleetwood Mac Tribute)
Sunday, Jan. 19, 7 p.m.
LAFAYETTE’S MUSIC ROOM
Rice Drewry Collective Friday, Jan. 17, 7 p.m.
LAFAYETTE’S MUSIC ROOM
Rose Garden
With Wilshire, e Narrows. Friday, Jan. 17, 9 p.m.
B-SIDE
Rough Dreams
With e Gunpowder Plot, Shame Finger, Dinero Muerto [Small Room-Downstairs]. Sunday, Jan. 19, 8 p.m.
HI TONE
Sanctuary of Shadows Presents: Gothique
With DJ Midnight, DJ Plastic Citizen. Saturday, Jan. 18, 10 p.m.
GROWLERS
Say It Loud: The Overlook Quartet
Featuring some of New York’s most accomplished string players, this ensemble has developed a repertoire composed by BIPOC, female, and nonbinary creators. ursday, Jan. 16, 7:30 p.m.
THE GREEN ROOM AT CROSSTOWN ARTS
Shame Finger With Stay Fashionable, Wes Ho man and Friends, e Catastrophes [Small RoomDownstairs]. Friday, Jan. 17, 8 p.m.
HI TONE
Sheer Terror With Anemoia, Seize & Desist, Ripken. Sunday, Jan. 19, 8 p.m. GROWLERS
The Kickback DJ Devin Steel’s massive parties are legendary, mixing DJ’s like Big Sue and Hou Hefner with the power of a live band [Big Room-Upstairs]. Sunday, Jan. 19, 10 p.m. HI TONE
The Super Duper Presented by Big City Circus. 16+. Sunday, Jan. 19, 3 p.m. GROWLERS
Twin Soul
Saturday, Jan. 18, 9 p.m.
LAFAYETTE’S MUSIC ROOM
Vinyl Happy Hour With Guest DJs every Friday. Friday, Jan. 17, 3-5 p.m. MEMPHIS LISTENING LAB
X-Cops
With Belushi Speed Ball, US Bastards, Vermin Fate. Friday, Jan. 17, 7 p.m. GROWLERS
Drew Kiddoo & The Blackouts
Wednesday, Jan. 22, 8 p.m.
HERNANDO’S HIDEAWAY
Graham Barham
Saturday, Jan. 18, 8 p.m.
HORSESHOE CASINO TUNICA
Pi Jacobs
Saturday, Jan. 18, 8 p.m.
HERNANDO’S HIDEAWAY
Tequila Mockingbird
Sunday, Jan. 19, 6 p.m.
HUEY’S SOUTHAVEN
Bria Skonberg Quintet
A New York-based trumpeter, vocalist, and composer with genuine heart and dynamic air. Skonberg is a two-time Juno Award Nominee for Best Vocal Jazz Album, winning the award in 2017. $20/general admission. Saturday, Jan. 18, 8-9:30 p.m.
GERMANTOWN PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
Delta Rain
Sunday, Jan. 19, 6 p.m.
HUEY’S OLIVE BRANCH
The John Németh Duo Sunday, Jan. 19, 6 p.m.
HUEY’S MILLINGTON
PHOTO: CROSSTOWN ARTS Overlook Quartet
PHOTO: SHANNON CRUMP DJ Rashida
CALENDAR of EVENTS: January 16 - 22
ART AND SPECIAL EXHIBITS
“All Aboard: The Railroad in American Art, 1840 - 1955” is exhibition examines the o en-symbiotic relationship between painters in the United States and the passenger and freight trains that populated cities, towns, and countrysides across the nation. rough Jan. 26. THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS
“ANA•LOG” – Lester Merriweather e gestural treatment of layered and excavated surfaces here pays homage to the experimental processes of the mid-’60s developer tool works by the late Jack Whitten. rough Jan. 19.
CROSSTOWN ARTS AT THE CONCOURSE
“Back for Seconds”
Featuring work by Roger Allan Cleaves, Melissa Dunn, Stephanie Howard, and Clare Torina. rough Feb. 1.
SHEET CAKE
Fall 2024 BFA
Exhibition
Featuring work by Ciridany Genchi Cortez and Piper Grokulsky, both graduating seniors in Christian Brothers University’s department of visual arts. Free. rough Feb. 14.
BEVERLY + SAM ROSS GALLERY
Jay Etkin Group Show
e rst show of 2025, with some Memphis favorites such as Roy Tamboli, Juan Rojo, Annabelle Meechum, and Carol Buchman. ursday, Jan. 16-Feb. 15
JAY ETKIN GALLERY
Jodi Hays: “Befores and Afters”
Hays’ paintings can be found in many public and corporate collections including the J Crew Group, Morgan Stanley, Fidelity, and the Birmingham Museum of Art. rough Feb. 8.
DAVID LUSK GALLERY
Justin Bowles: “Green Fountain”
An ecstatic rendering of a fantastical garden. Bowles’ garden depicts a pool surrounded by animals and plants and crystal rock formations depicted in three intricate collage works. rough Feb. 16.
TOPS GALLERY: MADISON AVENUE PARK
Kenneth Lawrence
Beaudoin: “In the Hands of a Poet”
John McIntire fondly recalls Beaudoin’s creative process behind his “Eye Poems”: “He would just sit in the middle of piles of magazines and books, cutting, gluing, and smoking.” rough Feb. 22.
TOPS GALLERY
“Loose Ends”: New Work by Brittney Boyd
Bullock
Bullock examines the intricate narratives of Black labor, migration, and cultural identity through an interdisciplinary approach that merges textilebased art and collage. rough Feb. 1.
SHEET CAKE
Master Metalsmith
Preston Jackson: “A Hidden Culture”
Honoring the Metal Museum’s 38th Master Metalsmith, this exhibition “reveals history that has been buried, forgotten, or deemed unimportant by society.” rough Jan. 26.
METAL MUSEUM
“Natural Histories:
400 Years of Scientific Illustration”
Showcasing hidden gems and unique masterworks from the American Museum of Natural History’s rare book collection. rough Jan. 26.
THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS
“Pissarro to Picasso”: Masterworks from the Kirkland Family Collection
anks to the generosity of the Kirkland family of Los Angeles, visitors to the Dixon will be able to enjoy 18 art treasures from the family’s collection. rough Jan. 26.
THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS
“Pompeii: The Exhibition”
In a media-rich, object-based immersive experience, discover the bustling commercial port and strategic military and trading center that was Pompeii before Mount Vesuvius erupted. rough April 13.
GRACELAND EXHIBITION CENTER
Preston Jackson: Tales of the River Cities
A large work featuring narrative vignettes that speak to Jackson’s family history near the Mississippi River. rough Jan. 26.
MEMPHIS BOTANIC GARDEN
Rivertown Artists 2025 Winter Expo Exhibition
e group o ers a variety of paintings, ceramic creations, photographic showpieces, and collages to satisfy everyone’s artistic tastes. rough Jan. 31.
MEMPHIS BOTANIC GARDEN
Send the date, time, place, cost, info, phone number, a brief description, and photos — two weeks in advance — to calendar@memphisflyer.com.
DUE TO SPACE LIMITATIONS, ONGOING WEEKLY EVENTS WILL APPEAR IN THE FLYER’S ONLINE CALENDAR ONLY. FOR COMPREHENSIVE EVENT LISTINGS, SCAN THE QR CODE OR VISIT EVENTS.MEMPHISFLYER.COM/CAL.
Hobby Kick-Start: Zentangle
Zentangle, a simple method of creating patterns using basic mark-making, improves focus and calm. is practice will help you nd and embrace your inner artist. 16+. $25. ursday, Jan. 16, 6-8 p.m.
THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS
Mahjong at the Museum: Lessons and Open Play Join Cassie Lazzo, e Mahjologist, for a lesson on how to play American Mahjong. $40/ general admission. Sunday, Jan. 19, 12:30-3 p.m.
MEMPHIS BROOKS MUSEUM OF ART
Printmaking with Maritza Dávila
First of a six-week introduction to linocut printmaking. Participants explore the steps of relief printmaking from design to carving to printing. 65+. Tuesday, Jan. 21, 1 p.m.
THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS
COMEDY
Scott A. Carter: “Energy States”
Memphis artist, educator, curator, and musician Scott
A. Carter makes objects and environments that exist somewhere in the spaces between sculpture, architecture, design, and sound. rough Jan. 19.
THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS
Sheryl Hibbs: “Two Sides of the Same Coin”
An artist whose love of oils manifests itself in both representational and abstract artworks. rough Feb. 28.
CHURCH HEALTH
“Size Matters” – Alex Paulus
A series focused on the juxtaposition of small gures within expansive landscapes, alongside large-scale portraits depicting gures from the artist’s childhood. rough Jan. 19.
CROSSTOWN ARTS AT THE CONCOURSE
Southern Heritage Classic Exhibit
Celebrating 35 years of an HBCU Memphis tradition, the exhibition tells the story of Fred Jones Jr., the founder of the Southern Heritage Classic. rough Feb. 28.
NATIONAL CIVIL RIGHTS MUSEUM
“Starry, Starry Winter Garden”
For the museum’s inaugural Winter Art Garden, artist Greely Myatt uses found objects, including scrap metal, neon, and discarded signage, to create an illuminated starscape on the museum’s plaza. rough Jan. 31.
MEMPHIS BROOKS MUSEUM OF ART
“Still” – Michelle Fair Figures and landscapes conjuring ideas of solitude and loneliness, that also explore the meditative aspects of painting. rough Jan. 19.
CROSSTOWN ARTS AT THE CONCOURSE
Susan Elswick — “Scenic Narratives: The Art of Landscape”
Susan Elswick’s watercolor and acrylic paintings of landscapes she’s known, from salt marshes in South Carolina to the rolling hills of East Tennessee. rough Jan. 30.
MEMPHIS BOTANIC GARDEN
“The Funny Pages:” MidSouth Cartoonists Association at GCT
See the shows, buy the art, meet the artists; it’s a great time to shop for art for all your gi -giving needs, with multiple opportunities to engage with MSCA and GCT. rough Jan. 17.
GERMANTOWN COMMUNITY
THEATRE
Thomas Jackson: “Chaotic Equilibrium” Jackson harnesses the wind to create ethereal works that blur the boundaries between landscape photography, sculpture, and kinetic art. rough April 28.
MEMPHIS BROOKS MUSEUM OF ART
BOOK EVENTS
Onyx Storm Release Party
To celebrate the release of Rebecca Yarros’ Onyx Storm ( e Empyrean #3), Novel and Book Clubbin’ Besties present door prizes, games, and activities. Pre-ordered books available at 11 p.m. Monday, Jan. 20, 9-11 p.m.
NOVEL
CLASS / WORKSHOP
Beginners Watercolor Painting Course and Critique
Award-winning artist Fred Rawlinson teaches technique, brushstrokes, color, and layering, with gentle critiques of student work. Supplies not provided. $350/six week course. Monday, Jan. 20, 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. | Tuesday, Jan. 21, 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
MEMPHIS BOTANIC GARDEN
Cast Reliefs
Students will sculpt a low relief sculpture in clay, make a resin bonded sand mold, cast aluminum, and clean up the casting with hand and power tools. Supplies and tools provided. Saturday, Jan. 18, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. | Sunday, Jan. 19, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
METAL MUSEUM
Fantastical Fairy Houses
Learn the basics of ceramic work, including pinch pot and slab construction, for the foundation for your tiny home, then add windows and doors.
Sunday, Jan. 19, 1-4 p.m.
MEMPHIS BOTANIC GARDEN
First Hint of Spring: Floral Arranging Workshop with Midtown Bramble & Bloom
A cozy oral arranging workshop celebrating the rst hints of spring using delicate owers, textures, seed pods, and greenery. $60/general admission. Sunday, Jan. 19, 2-4 p.m.
MEMPHIS BROOKS MUSEUM OF ART
Girl ScOUTINGS!
Girl Scouts can learn botany basics and environmental lessons in a natural setting in the heart of Memphis. Participants will need to wear their uniform, vest, or sash to participate.
Sunday, Jan. 19, 2 p.m.
MEMPHIS BOTANIC GARDEN
Open Mic Comedy Night
A hilarious Midtown tradition! Tuesday, Jan. 21, 8 p.m. | Tuesday, Jan. 21, 8 p.m. HI TONE
Thank You Five: An Evening of Comedy Comedians Angela Garrone, LaToya Tennille, Rob Love, and 98.1FM’s own Ross Turner will take the stage for a Saturday night you won’t forget. Doors/bar open at 6:30 p.m. with GCT’s signature “Punchline” drink. $15/general admission. Saturday, Jan. 18, 7:30 p.m.
GERMANTOWN COMMUNITY THEATRE
COMMUNITY
Community Over Chaos: King Day 2025
Marking the launch of the NCRM’s yearlong observance themed Community Over Chaos, this includes music by Ekpe Abioto, Karen Brown, the Stax Music Academy 901 Band, and others, plus free museum admission. Monday, Jan. 20
NATIONAL CIVIL RIGHTS MUSEUM
Limestone Trail Work Help repair the Limestone Trail a er recent storm damage. Bring a pair of work gloves. Monday, Jan. 20, 9 a.m.-noon.
OVERTON PARK
DANCE
Force Dance Tour
Where the nation’s most coveted teachers and choreographers meet emerging talent, curated in comprehensive classes to ignite your passion for dance. Friday, Jan. 17Jan. 19.
RENASANT CONVENTION CENTER
PHOTO: COURTESY MBG , by Fred Rawlinson, an award-winning artist now teaching watercolor techniques at Memphis Botanic Garden
EXPO/SALES
Lamplighter Bazaar
Pop in to one of your favorite midtown spots to find unique wonders from dynamic local vendors with art, crystals, jewelry, and lots of other unique finds. Sunday, Jan. 19, 2-6 p.m.
LAMPLIGHTER LOUNGE
Memphis Spring Home Expo
The Memphis Home Expo is back. Explore the latest in home improvement, remodeling, outdoor living, and more. Meet with local contractors and remodeling experts and expect to be inspired. Friday, Jan. 17, noon-6 p.m. | Saturday, Jan. 18, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. | Sunday, Jan. 19, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.
AGRICENTER INTERNATIONAL
Southern Flea Market
Starts at 8 a.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. Sunday. Saturday, Jan. 18-Jan. 19.
LANDERS CENTER
FAMILY
Cordelia’s Free Kids Craft: Snowman Edition
A frosty fun time! Create ice cream snowballs and adorable snowmen while enjoying the winter magic. Saturday, Jan. 18, 11 a.m.-noon.
CORDELIA’S MARKET
Project Grow
Learn something new about gardening and horticulture every month while getting your hands dirty. All ages. Saturday, Jan. 18, 1-3 p.m.
THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS
Super Saturday - Decorative Arts
Get inspired by the Brooks Museum’s extensive collection of decorative arts and create your own miniature masterpiece. Free. Saturday, Jan. 18, 10 a.m.-noon.
MEMPHIS BROOKS MUSEUM OF ART
FILM
Always Be My Maybe: Film Screening and Discussion
Asian-American stars Ali Wong and Randall Park wrote and star in this 2019 film. SunAh Laybourn will lead a discussion afterward. $5. Sunday, Jan. 19, 2-4 p.m.
MEMPHIS BROOKS MUSEUM OF ART
Space: The New Frontier 2D
From self-assembling habitats, commercial space stations, and rockets without fuel to the Lunar Gateway to deep space. Through May 23.
An electrifying evening at your museum’s weekly happy hour, where art meets rhythm! This week, experience the vibrant beats of Yobreezye, the multi-talented DJ and creative powerhouse.
CALENDAR:
Thursday, Jan. 16, 6-8 p.m.
MEMPHIS BROOKS MUSEUM OF ART
Slayful Sundays
An evening filled with delicious drinks, amazing music, tasty food, and your favorite performers. Sunday, Jan. 19, 6 p.m.
DRU’S PLACE
LECTURE
Munch and Learn: New Kids on the Block
With Julie Pierotti, Martha R. Robinson curator, A native of Memphis, Pierotti studied art history at the University of Mississippi and went on to receive an M.A. in the history of art from Vanderbilt University. Since joining the staff of the Dixon in 2007, she has helped organize a number of exhibitions. Wednesday, Jan. 22, noon-1 p.m.
THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS
The Sporkful Podcast Live with Dan Pashman
Join James Beard and host Dan Pashman for a special taping of the show that “is not for foodies, it’s for eaters.” $35. Thursday, Jan. 16, 7 p.m.
BUCKMAN PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
JANUARY 16 - 22
PERFORMING ARTS
Tonight’s Conversation: Live & Uncut ’25
Whether it’s a girls’ night or a date night, this blend of dating advice and entertainment is an experience everyone will be talking about. Saturday, Jan. 18, 8 p.m.
RENASANT CONVENTION CENTER
SPORTS
Memphis Grizzlies vs. Minnesota Timberwolves
Cheer on your hometown heroes. Monday, Jan. 20, 1:30 p.m.
FEDEXFORUM
Memphis Hustle vs. Rip City Remix
Memphis Hustle is the G-League Affiliate of the NBA’s Memphis Grizzlies. They represent the next generation of NBA stars. Thursday, Jan. 16, 7 p.m.
LANDERS CENTER
Morrighan’s Bluff, Amtgard of Memphis
A medieval/fantasy live action roleplay game. Join the adventure. Saturday, Jan. 18, noon.
W. J. FREEMAN PARK
Rodeo of the Mid-South
With Top 5 PRCA Rodeo Clown Dusty Myers and one of ProRodeo’s newest great stories, Jerry Thornton, and his amazing horse, Mr. Bojangles. One day, two amazing performances! Saturday, Jan. 18, 2 p.m. | Saturday, Jan. 18, 7:30 p.m.
LANDERS CENTER
THEATER
Parade
In 1913 Georgia, Leo Frank, a Jewish man from Brooklyn, is caught in a grueling trial after the tragic murder of his factory worker Mary Phagan. Faced with prejudice and false accusations, Leo fights to clear his name. Despite the challenges, hope shines through with a compassionate governor and Leo’s Southern wife, who bravely stands by him with love and support. $25/single tickets. Sunday, Jan. 19, 2-5 p.m.
PLAYHOUSE ON THE SQUARE
Six Men Dressed Like Joseph Stalin
Set in a neglected part of the Kremlin, this abstract play follows two actors as they prepare for their most significant role yet: Joseph Stalin. The fictional narrative is inspired by the real lives of Alexei Dikiy and Felix Dadaev, two of Stalin’s body doubles. $25/single tickets. Friday, Jan. 17, 8-10 p.m. | Saturday, Jan. 18, 8-10 p.m. | Sunday, Jan. 19, 2-4 p.m.
THEATREWORKS
Crossword
1 Goof
Mexican resort area, for short 8 Car body option 13 Bets everything one’s got
16 Bond wore a white one in “Goldfinger” 17 Commercial holiday mailing
18 Strands at a ski lodge, say
19 *Louis Pasteur, 1885 21 Losing poker player’s declaration
24 U2 can call it home
25 *Roald Amundsen, 1906 33 Street cleaning day event 34 “Stat!”
35 Where Apia is found 36 Queens’s Arthur ___ Stadium 38 *William Herschel, 1781
Half of square dance participants, typically
One-named Latin singer
“I’ll do that job” 47 Letter above a sleeping toon 48 *Howard Carter, 1922
Heart and ___
Ver-r-ry small
Google returns … or the answers to the four starred clues
Partner of part
Enhances, as an original recording
67 Old British biplanes with an apt name 68 Home of the Titans
Pick on
Unwanted blanket
Chicken ___
Goose ___
Reine’s husband
One issuing red cards, for short
The “C” of F.C. Barcelona 5 Others, in a Latin list
Wait
Length of a quick tennis match
Favorable outcome
Prez or veep
Still in one piece
Kind of pork on a Chinese menu
“… am
PUZZLE
PHOTO: COURTESY METAL MUSEUM
Learn to turn a low relief clay sculpture into cast aluminum art.
We Saw You.
with MICHAEL DONAHUE
Elvis fans turned out in chilly weather to pay homage to their King. ough it was the day a er Elvis’ 90th birthday on January 8th, out-oftown fans remained in Memphis and visited the various exhibits, including the new “90 for 90 Exhibit,” which features Elvis clothing and other memorabilia and artifacts.
e birthday celebration, which ran through January 11th, included a birthday cake, a Proclamation Day Ceremony, live concerts at the Graceland Soundstage, dance parties, special tours, and panel discussions.
A threat of snow, which became a reality January 10th, apparently didn’t deter the loyal fans. e only snow the truly avid fans probably had on their minds was — according to Google — “When the Snow Is on the Roses,” which Elvis sang in a live concert in 1970; “Snowbird,” which he covered in 1970; and “On a Snowy Christmas Night,” which the King recorded in 1971.
above:
below: (le to right) Kala Morris, Logan Morris, and Tori Hutson; Lisa Vible and Penny Hendrix; Jessica Herring and William Hill bottom row: (le to right) Lauren, Samuel, and Steven Calmas; Crystal Vazquez and Tonya Brown; James and Cody Woods
PHOTOS: MICHAEL DONAHUE
Anthony Pacheco, Sam Barlow, and David Hamilton of Sam Barlow & His True Blue Band circle: Shane Marshall
above: Sinclair and Jean Walker and Eric Hall
PHOTO CIRCLE: COURTESY ELVIS PRESLEY’S GRACELAND circle: A young Elvis with his parents, taken ca. 1938 below: (le to right) Ruby Jackson and Crystal Harris; Karen Dyas and Dana Ball; Elvis’ gold lamé suit; Ra er Rick Button right row: (top and below) Tessa Jensen and Megan Kurz; Kylan Owens and Sally Fracchia bottom le : Bonnie Carmack, Dottie Smith, and Dottie Whalen
PUBLIC HEARING
Shelby County Department of Housing (SCDH) will hold two public hearings to discuss Shelby County housing and community development needs in preparation for the Fiscal Year 2026 Annual Action Plan (HUD Program Year 2025, Annual Planning Year 2 (AP2)) on Thursday, February 13, 2025 at 12:00pm and 5:30 pm and provide both in-person and virtual attendance options.
In Person Attendance Option: Shelby County Code Enforcement, Conference Room, 6465 Mullins Station Road Memphis, TN 38134. Attendees should enter the Code Enforcement Building through the north entrance facing the Greenline. Follow the posted signs to the meeting room.
Purple Xperience is a band who’ve toured around the globe since 2011. Marshall Charloff brings the world’s most authentic production of Prince & The Revolution to audiences of all generations. Groove on Prince songs like — When Doves Cry — Raspberry Beret — Kiss — 1999 — Little Red Corvette — Purple Rain. Purple Xperience has entertained over 350,000. “Prince fans are blown away!” — Chicago Tribune
Nominate a young person for the 10<20 Youth Impact Awards, presented by Memphis Parent. This award celebrates youth and young adults who strive to impact their community through school, business, leadership, or service by committing themselves to changing the lives of others for the better. Nominations will be accepted for K-12 students.
Virtual Attendance Option: A virtual option to join is also provided, and participants can join the meeting with a computer, tablet, or smartphone at https://www.gotomeet.me/DanaSjostrom or dialing in from a phone +1 (224) 501-3412, Access Code 169-900-933 at the above noted meeting time.
If you plan to attend the public hearing and have special needs, please contact the Department of Housing at (901) 222-7600 by 4:30 p.m. Friday, February 7, 2025 and we will work to accommodate you. Resident input and public participation are strongly encouraged.
The consolidated planning process for FY 2025-2029 serves as the framework for a community-wide dialogue to identify housing and community development priorities that align and focus funding from the Community Planning and Development (CPD) formula block grant programs Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME) Program. The FY 2026 Annual Action Plan establishes within this broader Consolidated Plan (FY 2025-2029) the basis for the use of these formula funds for the period of July 1, 2025 – June 30, 2026. The primary purpose of this hearing is to receive comments on community development needs in order to consider them in the FY 2026 Annual Action Plan. Shelby County anticipates receiving level funding for the upcoming program year. Shelby County expects to submit the Annual Plan for FY 2026 to HUD on or before May 15, 2023 following a 30-day review and comment period, providing HUD has announced allocations prior to that time.
Shelby County Department of Housing has also prepared an Allocation Plan to utilize HOME American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds intended to assist individuals and households that are experiencing homelessness, at risk of homelessness, and address the needs of other vulnerable populations. SCDH will provide an update and share work with community agencies conducting eligible activities outlined in the HOME-ARP notice CPD-21-10 published September 2021.
The hearing will also provide an update on current activities under the CDBG and HOME Programs, information on Section 3 contracting opportunities, and will provide information on other programs operated by SCDH.
Persons wishing to comment on the FY 2026 Annual Action Plan (AP2) or HOME-ARP Allocation Plan may do so by writing to Dana Sjostrom via email (dana.sjostrom@shelbycountytn.gov), or written comment to Shelby County Department of Housing, 6465 Mullins Station Road, Memphis, TN 38134. Shelby County will schedule an additional public hearing in April 2025 to present the draft Annual Action Plan for FY 2026 for public comment before it is submitted to HUD. For additional information contact the Department of Housing at 901-222-7600 or TTY at 901-2222300.
The Shelby County Department of Housing does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age or disability in employment or the provision of services. Equal opportunity/equal access provider.
Para mas información en Español, por favor llame Dana Sjostrom al 901222-7601.
Lee
Harris Mayor
Scott Walkup, Administrator
Shelby County Department of Housing
FOOD By Michael Donahue
Heating Up the Kitchen
Jake Behnke is heating up the kitchen at Belle Meade Social.
Behnke, 33, who became executive chef a year ago January at the restaurant at 518 Perkins Extended, is receiving praise from customers as well as his employers.
He took the job a er leaving the now-closed IBIS, where he also was executive chef. “I le IBIS because business was slow,” Behnke says. “Honestly, it was nauseatingly slow. It was the type of slow where you kind of see the writing on the wall.”
But he was able to create a lot of dishes there. “ e menu was absolutely eclectic at IBIS. We had Greek. I had Roman. I had Asian. I had quail dumplings: purple cabbage slaw, crispy wontons with pickled ginger.
“Some of the things I did at IBIS I’m doing at Belle Meade. Like the short rib I do is pretty much the same short rib I did there. We take it o the bone and then we run beef stock with the bones and trimming for about 18 hours. We take the meat and we get a good sear on it with just salt, pepper, and olive oil. And then we braise the meat with a classic mirepoix: carrots, celery, bay leaf, thyme, all that.
over the salad. “Instead of tortilla strips over the top,” he says, “I’m rolling around the idea of doing a tortilla bowl.”
Behnke will rub the inside of the bowl with spicy peanut butter powder. “So, it’s basically the same avor combinations, just applied di erently to kind of elevate the look and the experience of eating it.”
He also plans to add some dairyfree, gluten-free vegan desserts. “ ere’s just not enough of that stu out there.”
“But the nuances that make it ours are the addition of Worcestershire and soy sauce, ginger, tomato, and jalapeños. All that goes into the braise, so the short ribs are taking on those characteristics.”
Describing another dish he brought over from IBIS, Behnke says, “I used to do a smoked chicken thigh with the twice-baked sweet potato and the blistered green beans.”
But, he says, “ e chicken is no longer like the smoked chicken, though. I now do a citrus-and-herb chicken.”
Behnke was given “full autonomy over the kitchen” at Belle Meade Social. “For a chef, that’s a big deal. You want room to express yourself.”
He likes the fact he can make whatever type food from any region instead of sticking to only one type of dish. “I would never want to be a chef at a barbecue joint or an Italian restaurant.”
A few things, including the spinach dip and the steak and noodle salad have remained from the old Belle Meade Social menu. “None of those have changed dramatically, but they’ve
“My next push for menu changes is going to be family-focused salads and desserts.”
been improved.”
Behnke’s creations for Belle Meade Social include his beet carpaccio. “It’s roasted beets sliced thin. And we shingle them on the plate, going around the edges with beets and arugula pesto. And we do a spritz of red wine vinegar and then feta cheese, toasted almonds, and fresh dill over the top.”
He also uses beets in his seared salmon with risotto dish. “How many places can you go where they feature
beets on the menu?”
As for what’s coming up on the menu, Behnke says, “My next push for menu changes is going to be familyfocused salads and desserts.”
Belle Meade Social’s current grilled chicken salad comes with pineapple, peanut sauce, and a wine vinaigrette. “ e honey lime vinaigrette is now too sweet, in my opinion. I’m going to use all the components but just retool it.”
He plans to make a grilled chicken and pineapple kabob, which will go
Behnke wowed Belle Meade Social owner Paul Stephens and manager Chad Weatherly when he arrived for his interview. ey asked him to make something for them. So, he made fresh focaccia bread; an arugula, strawberry, bleu cheese, and candied nuts salad; a butternut squash bisque; short ribs; a Yukon Gold and sweet potato gratin with garlic cream; and, for dessert, an orange and tarragon crème brûlée and a mixed berry cobbler. “I did a sevencourse meal in three hours,” Behnke says. “I just wanted to show them my chops.”
He says, “ ose are all things that have skill, method, technique, and nesse all wrapped up in them.”
Behnke knew if he was “to be able to juggle all those” along with “time management,” he would impress the higher-ups.
He did. Benhnke was o ered the job on the spot.
A native Memphian, Behnke studied at the Chef Academy Italy in Terni, Italy. His rst restaurant job was a dishwasher at e Grove Grill, where he later became a pantry cook. He also worked at the old Interim, Acre, Restaurant Iris, and Sweet Grass restaurants.
Ryan Trimm, who worked at e Grove Grill before opening his own restaurants, including Sweet Grass, was one of his mentors, Behnke says. “Ryan taught me a lot of the basics: cutting, chopping. And he also taught me about the mother sauces.”
He adds, “Ryan also taught me whole hog butchering, charcuterie, and pickling.”
Trimm has played an important role in Behnke’s job as executive chef at Belle Meade Social. “Anything I do there is always an in uence from him.” But maybe one of the most important lessons Behnke learned from the veteran chef was Trimm’s motto: “Proper preparation prevents piss-poor performance.”
Jake Behnke takes the helm at Belle Meade Social.
PHOTOS: (TOP) MICHAEL DONAHUE; (ABOVE) COURTESY JAKE BEHNKE Executive chef Jake Behnke added the short rib and beet carpaccio to the menu.
By the editors at Andrews McMeel Syndication
The Passing Parade
Have you ever really loved a car? The Polara family of Padarshinga Village in India really loved their 18-year-old Suzuki Wagon R, Oddity Central reported. They believed the hatchback to be their lucky car, so when it burned its last gallon of gas, they gave it a special send-off: a lavish burial ceremony attended by more than 1,500 guests. The Polaras had a 15-foot-deep hole dug on their property, then had the car, covered with flowers and decorated with garlands, lowered into it as music played. The ceremony included several rituals and cost the Polaras more than $4,500. “This car was more than just a vehicle,” Sanjay Polara said. “It was part of our journey toward success.” He plans to plant a tree over the grave as a marker.
News You Can Use
Looking for a torture method even more sinister than sitting across from your politically outspoken cousin at the holiday dinner table? LAD Bible reported on Nov. 21 that Italian monk Franciscus Brunus de San Severino described “goat’s tongue” in his 1502 treatise on torture methods — but it’s not entirely clear whether the medieval practice actually took place. It involves soaking the subject’s feet in saltwater, then securing them in a stock and letting a goat lick them to the point of peeling and bleeding. The torture method, which may date back to ancient Rome, could have resulted in death from infection.
The Golden Age of Air Travel
• On Nov. 25 at Boston’s Logan International Airport, two planes got a tad too chummy on the tarmac, Fox News reported. An American Airlines Boeing 777 was being towed when its wing clipped the wing of a Frontier Airlines Airbus A321 that was parked at a gate, the Federal Aviation Administration said. There were no injuries reported to passengers, but all passengers exited the planes, and American removed its plane from service. Frontier said all passengers would receive a $100 travel voucher, as well as the option to rebook on Frontier or receive a full refund. An airport spokesperson called it a minor incident.
• On Nov. 16, aboard United Airlines flight 502 from Austin, Texas, to Los
Angeles, one traveler lost his composure and started beating up … his seat. The New York Post reported that the unnamed man, dressed in sweats, stood on his seat and repeatedly kicked its backrest as bystanders watched and took video. “The flight attendant walked by a couple times, nobody was doing anything,” said witness Gino Galofaro. He and two other passengers decided to take matters into their own hands, zip-tying the irate passenger’s hands and feet and strapping him into a seat. About an hour later, as the flight landed, law enforcement met them at the gate. United Airlines said he has been banned from future flights.
Unclear on the Concept Sam, 22, is an assistant manager at a frozen yogurt shop in Florida, Newsweek reported on Dec. 26, but even at his young age, he is able to recognize cash that might be counterfeit. Unlike his employees, that is, who flagged a $10 bill and a $5 bill as FAKE. “I shed a tear because of the sharpie they scrawled onto the bills,” he wrote on Reddit. Sam said he had to explain that the bills were “just old, not counterfeit.” He admitted that people his age and younger might rarely use cash: “It’s a digital world nowadays, so I would suspect that to be one reason [they flagged the bills].”
Questionable Judgment
On Dec. 17, California Highway Patrol officers in Madera County shared a photo on Facebook of a Honda Ridgeline truck they had pulled over, Carscoops reported. With an unintentional nod to The Grapes of Wrath, the truck was piled to at least twice its height with random items, some of which were flying off into traffic, officers said. “It is important to always secure your load/cargo and not exceed your vehicle’s load capacity,” CHP cautioned. “Flying debris can make motorists take evasive action and potentially be involved in a traffic crash.”
Send your weird news items with subject line WEIRD NEWS to WeirdNewsTips@amuniversal.com. NEWS OF
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Abdulrazak Gurnah is a Tanzanian writer who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2021. He has also been shortlisted for four other prestigious awards. I find it odd that his acclaimed novels have received mediocre scores on the prominent book-rating website, Goodreads, which has 150 million members. Why is there such a marked difference between expert critics and average readers? I speculate that those in the latter category are less likely to appreciate bold, innovative work. They don’t have the breadth and depth to properly evaluate genius. All this is my way of encouraging you to be extra discerning about whose opinions you listen to in the coming weeks, Aries — especially in regard to your true value. Trust intelligent people who specialize in thoughtful integrity. You are in a phase when your ripening uniqueness needs to be nurtured and protected.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): “Every joke is a tiny revolution,” said author George Orwell. I agree, which is why I hope you will unleash an unruly abundance of humor and playfulness in the coming days. I hope you will also engage in benevolent mischief that jostles the status quo and gently shakes people out of their trances. Why? Because your world and everyone in it need a sweet, raucous revolution. And the best way to accomplish that with minimum chaos and maximum healing is to: 1. do so with kindness and compassion; 2. be amusing and joyful and full of joie de vivre.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Research suggests that if you’re typical, you would have to howl with maximum fury for a month straight just to produce enough energy to toast a piece of bread. But you are not at all typical right now. Your wrath is high quality. It’s more likely than usual to generate constructive changes. And it’s more prone to energize you rather than deplete you. But don’t get overconfident in your ability to harness your rage for good causes. Be respectful of its holy potency, and don’t squander it on trivial matters. Use it only for crucial prods that would significantly change things for the better.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): I invite you to write a message to the person you will be in one year. Inform this Future You that you are taking a vow to achieve three specific goals by January 15, 2026. Name these goals. Say why they are so important to you. Describe what actions you will take to fulfill them. Compose collages or draw pictures that convey your excitement about them. When you’ve done all that, write the words, “I pledge to devote all my powers to accomplish these wonderful feats.” Sign your name. Place your document in an envelope, write “MY VOWS” on the front, and tape the envelope in a promi-
By Rob Brezsny
nent place in your home or workplace.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Congratulations on all the subtle and private work you’ve been doing to make yourself a better candidate for optimal togetherness. Admitting to your need for improvement was brave! Learning more about unselfish cooperation was hard work, and so was boosting your listening skills. (I speak from personal experience, having labored diligently to enhance my own relationship skills!) Very soon now, I expect that you will begin harvesting the results of your artful efforts.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Construction on the Great Wall of China began in the 7th century B.C.E. and lasted until 1878. Let’s make this monumental accomplishment your symbol of power for the next 10 months, Virgo! May it inspire you to work tirelessly to forge your own monumental accomplishment. Take pride in the gradual progress you’re making. Be ingeniously persistent in engaging the support of those who share your grand vision. Your steady determination, skill at collaborating, and ability to plan will be your superpowers as you create a labor of love that will have enduring power.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): We are all accustomed to dealing with complications and complexities — so much so that we may be tempted to imagine there’s never a simple solution to any dilemma. Copious nuance and mystifying paradox surround us on all sides, tempting us to think that every important decision must inevitably be taxing and time-consuming. As someone who specializes in trying to see all sides to every story, I am especially susceptible to these perspectives. (I have three planets in Libra.) But now here’s the unexpected news: In the coming weeks, you will enjoy the luxury of quickly settling on definitive, straightforward solutions. You will get a sweet respite from relentless fuzziness and ambiguity.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): When my daughter Zoe was 11 years old, she published her first collection of poems. The chapbook’s title was Secret Freedom. That’s a good theme for you to meditate on in the coming weeks. You are currently communing with a fertile mystery that could ultimately liberate you from some of your suffering and limitations. However, it’s important to be private and covert about your playful work with this fertile mystery — at least for now. Eventually, when it ripens, there will come a time to fully unleash your beautiful thing and reveal it to the world. But until then, safeguard it with silence and discretion.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):
From a distance, Brazil’s Rio Negro looks black. The water of Rio Solimões, also in
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): During the next three weeks, doing the same old things and thinking the same old thoughts are strongly discouraged. For the sake of your spiritual and physical health, please do not automatically rely on methods and actions that have worked before. I beg you not to imitate your past self or indulge in worn-out traditions. Sorry to be so extreme, but I really must insist that being bored or boring will be forbidden. Stated more poetically: Shed all weak-heart conceptions and weak-soul intentions. Be of strong heart and robust soul.
Brazil, is yellowish-brown. Near the city of Manaus, these two rivers converge, flowing eastward. But they don’t blend at first. For a few miles, they move side-byside, as if still autonomous. Eventually, they fuse into a single flow and become the mighty Amazon River. I suspect the behavior of Rio Negro and Rio Solimões could serve as a useful metaphor for you in the coming weeks, Sagittarius. Consider the possibility of allowing, even encouraging, two separate streams to merge. Or would you prefer them to remain discrete for a while longer? Make a conscious decision about this matter.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Wilderness campers have developed humorous terms to gently mock their fears and anxieties. The theory is that this alleviates some of the stress. So a “bear burrito” refers to a hammock. It addresses the worry that one might get an unwanted visit from a bear while sleeping. A “bear fortune cookie” is another name for a tent. “Danger noodle” is an apparent stick that turns out to be a snake. “Mountain money” is also known as toilet paper. I approve of this joking approach to dealing with agitation and unease. (And scientific research confirms it’s effective.) Now is an excellent time to be creative in finding ways to diminish your mostly needless angst.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): If you were producing the movie of your life, what actor or actress would you want to portray you? Who would play your friends and loved ones? How about the role of God or Goddess? Who would you choose to perform the role of the Supreme Being? These will be fun meditations for you in the coming weeks. Why? Because it’s an excellent time to think big about your life story — to visualize the vast, sweeping panorama of your beautiful destiny. I would also love it if during your exploration of your history, you would arrive at interesting new interpretations of the meanings of your epic themes.
Vampin’ with the Count
Nosferatu dives deep into the Gothic gloom.
The thing Robert Eggers does better than any other director is fully inhabiting the historic worlds of his lms. His characters are not 21st-century humans wearing horned helmets plopped into a longboat. In e Northman, the pagan Vikings blame the Christians for a series of gruesome murders because “their god is a corpse nailed to a tree.” In his rst lm, e Witch, the devil stalking his Puritan settlers is real because it’s real to them — even as Eggers hints that the actual reason bad luck has befallen their settlement is that they suck at farming.
When he approached his long-gestating passion project, a remake of Nosferatu, he gravitated toward the source material, Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel Dracula Eggers works in the high melodrama of vaudeville theater and silent lm, challenging you to throw yourself fully into the gloom.
e original Nosferatu is a haunted lm. Director F.W. Murnau and star Max Schreck had both spent time in the trenches of World War I. e German producers didn’t get permission from the English estate of Bram Stoker, and when the author’s widow successfully sued, the court ordered all copies of the lm destroyed. Luckily, they missed a few, and Nosferatu became one of the founding documents of modern horror. It’s also one of the few works of art to deal with the 1918 in uenza pandemic, as the appearance of the vampire Count Orlok in Berlin is accompanied by a mysterious plague.
Nosferatu follows the broad outline of Dracula, but with a few important exceptions. It begins with Ellen (Lily-Rose Depp), a teenager in early 19th-century Prussia, being visited by a mysterious spirit. A er it leaves, she seems to have epileptic convulsions. Years later, Ellen is
a respectable young woman married to omas (Nicholas Hoult), a real estate agent hustling for a promotion. omas is assigned to visit “a very old account” in Transylvania’s Carpathian mountains. No one knows why Count Orlok (Bill Skarsgård) wants to buy the ruined mansion down the street from omas and Ellen, but they’ll take his money anyway.
Once omas arrives in Transylvania, it becomes clear nothing is normal. e local Romani are on an active vampire hunt, and when they hear where omas is going, they rightly freak out. e count licks omas’ blood and makes him sign a document in a language he doesn’t understand. But even though that sounds like something a health insurance CEO would do, the mad alchemist Professor Albin Eberhart Von Franz (Willem Dafoe) rightly surmises that Count Orlok is a “nosferatu.” Once he has completed the real estate transaction and le omas for
dead, the count menaces an increasingly desperate Ellen, wanting to possess her body and her immortal soul.
Eggers plays all of this absolutely straight, as he has with all his movies.
ere is no winking to the camera. None of these characters have read Dracula, so every new revelation of vampire lore is news to them. ( e original Nosferatu, by the way, is the origin of the trope that vampires die when exposed to sunlight.
Bram Stoker’s Dracula just didn’t like it.)
To describe Depp’s performance as “melodramatic” is a monstrous understatement. She goes full Linda Blair: shaking, foaming at the mouth, and performing a really impressive backbend while possessed with Count Orlok’s dark magic. Hoult equals her freak as the terri ed husband trying to keep it together as he is faced with one mind-destroying horror a er another. Dafoe pronounces every syllable like he’s driving a stake into
STAY IN THE LOOP
Lily-Rose Depp is the vampire’s love object/main course.
Inset: Willem Dafoe starts a re.
the heart of a vampire. e story starts out strong, but once omas and Orlok return to save/eat Ellen, the plot languishes in Gothic ennui. Fortunately, Eggers drops one killer composition a er another, so there’s always something incredible to look at onscreen. We never get the full picture of Count Orlok, who is always shaded in darkness, until the lm’s extremely disturbing climax. It’s not a new observation to say that sex and death are always intertwined in horror, but few works have gone as far as Nosferatu in making the subtext so easy to read.
Nosferatu
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Our critic picks the best films in theaters.
Wolf Man
The classic Universal monster returns with a remake by Leigh Whannell, whose 2020 version of The Invisible Man was a stealthy pandemic-era surprise. Christopher Abbott stars as Blake, who relocates his family from San Francisco to Oregon in search of the quiet life. But when they go looking for Blake’s missing father, they find more lycanthropy than they bargained for.
One of Them Days
Alyssa (SZA) has a problem. Her soonto-be-ex-boyfriend has run off with her rent money. That makes it not only her problem, but also her roomie Dreux’s (Keke Palmer) problem. Now, they
must race against time to scare up some scarce funds and avoid eviction. Did we mention this is a buddy comedy?
A Complete Unknown
Timothée Chalamet stars as Bob Dylan in this biopic from Walk the Line and Logan auteur James Mangold. Dylan arrives in New York in 1961 in search of Woody Guthrie and meets folk music maestro Pete Seeger (Edward Norton), who brings him into the burgeoning Greenwich Village scene. As his songwriting and magnetic stage presence gain him fame, Dylan is torn between his passionate activist girlfriend Sylvie Russo (Elle Fanning) and fellow folk star Joan Baez (Monica Barbaro). His performance at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival changes American poplar music.
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STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA ( IN THE FAMILY COURT ( 13th JUDICAL CIRCUIT
COUNTY OF PICKENS ( ( Case #: 2024-DR-39-439
ALEXANDRIA RAYE ROLLINS AND ( ZACHARY HOLLAND ROLLINS, ( Plaintiff, ( ( SUMMONS -vs- ( (
APRIL MICHELLE BURTON AND ( JEFFREY NICHOLS (DECEASED), ( ( Defendant. (
TO THE DEFENDANT, NAMED HEREIN:
You are hereby summoned and required to answer the Complaint in this action a copy of which is herewith served upon you and which is filed in the office of the Clerk of this Court this same date and to serve a copy of your Answer to the Complaint upon the subscriber at 107 East Main Street, Pickens, South Carolina, within thirty (30) days after the service hereof, exclusive of the day of such service. If you fail to answer the Complaint within that time, the Plaintiff will be awarded default judgment against you for the relief demanded in the Complaint.
s/Steven L. Alexander
STEVEN L. ALEXANDER
ATTORNEY FOR THE PLAINTIFF
Date: 6/18/2024 POST OFFICE BOX 618 PICKENS, SOUTH CAROLINA 29671 (864)898-3208
LAST WORD
By Frank Murtaugh
Of Fathers and Faulkner
A new year brings connections to the past for navigating an uncertain future.
For two decades, I have begun the calendar year by reading a William Faulkner novel. My father died in September 2005, and he loved Faulkner. Reading stories by the Nobel Prize-winning author is a method for having a conversation with Dad, even if it’s internal, entirely private. Flem Snopes, a er all, demands discussion. Furthermore, the American South’s greatest scribe helps me connect more deeply to the place where I live and the people who occupy the Mid-South, both present and past.
My January visit with Faulkner — and Dad — has me considering 2025 on a larger scale, one with current events in the mix, and beyond the Mid-South. We will inaugurate a new (though quite familiar) president on Martin Luther King Day. And it’s hard to imagine a greater contrast between two American men: the 47th president and the slain civil rights leader for whom the holiday is named. Faulkner would nd such a character contrast fodder for a good tale: a latter-day Snopes taking the highest o ce in the land while the racial and ethical fabric of a country stretches to a ripping point. What is morality when there is pro t to be made?
Reading Faulkner is hard. His plotlines are seldom linear. Characters are introduced with ashbacks and sudden trauma. I’m not sure stream of consciousness was even a thing before e Sound and the Fury. And William Faulkner does not do happy endings. e lone thread you’ll nd connecting his entire canon: loss. e loss of a loved one. e loss of property or fortune. And, most poignantly, the loss of time. e fact is, we lose as we live, each passing day adding a new layer to the past we must both process and manage in tackling our next venture.
Whichever “side of the aisle” you prefer, the coming months and years will be abrasive for American life. A person driven by the attention he gains is in a position to shake the federal government in ways it’s not been shaken before. Millions adore him for this. Millions fear him for this. We may be one country, these United States, but we are living with a ssure deeper and darker than any Faulkner may have placed in Yoknapatawpha County.
And this is where we each have a role to play, each of us a character Faulkner may have dreamed up for a 21st-century version of e Hamlet, but with an entire nation as backdrop. (Shakespeare called us “players.” Imagine what the Bard would have to say about the current stage.) What kind of impact will you make on the town square? In the workplace? At the dinner table? How will you touch lives for the better? And, Faulkner would want to know, will impacting lives bring pleasure or pain? Life’s simpler for the likes of Flem, every relationship a net pro t or loss. Don’t be Flem Snopes.
I visit Oxford, Mississippi, periodically. I nd the grounds of Rowan Oak — Faulkner’s home — especially tranquil. I like to imagine the thinking and conversations that occurred on this lone patch of American real estate. I assure you, it wasn’t always linear, and there was plenty of loss. ese days, you can even sit on a bench next to Faulkner (a bronze version) in Oxford’s town square. I’ve done so with my daughters. I’ve even worn my dad’s hat. Again, the conversations are internal, but very real. My next visit to Rowan Oak — sometime in 2025 — will include some thinking about how and why? ey are challenging questions these days.
I’m not convinced Faulkner would be any more afraid now than he was in his own life.
Faulkner was a young man during the Great War and an acclaimed author when Pearl Harbor was attacked in 1941. He knew hard times. ey steered his writing and shaped his memorable characters. Were he to appear in 2025 America, I’m not convinced Faulkner would be any more afraid now than he was in the times that challenged his own life. is is humanity. It’s who we are. And yes, Snopes now and then.
William Faulkner accepted his Nobel Prize on December 10, 1950, and delivered a speech my father cherished, one I carry inside my own heart. “I believe that man will not merely endure: He will prevail. He is immortal, not because he alone among creatures has an inexhaustible voice, but because he has a soul, a spirit capable of compassion and sacri ce and endurance.”
ese are times to endure. May the wind be at your back. Frank Murtaugh is the managing editor of Memphis Magazine. He writes the columns “From My Seat” and “Tiger Blue” for the Flyer
PHOTO: SHARON MURTAUGH Faulkner and friends (2010) THE
