Memphis Flyer 3/14/2024

Good Times, Bad Times

FROM THE TOP 10 TO THE NCAA BUBBLE? AN AWKWARD TIGER BASKETBALL SEASON NEARS THE FINAL BUZZER.

PHOTO: WES HALE

GUENTHER, COCO JUNE, PATRICIA LOCKHART, FRANK MURTAUGH

Contributing Columnists

SHARON BROWN, AIMEE STIEGEMEYER

Grizzlies Reporters

SYMONE MAXWELL Editorial Intern

KENNETH NEILL Founding Publisher

CARRIE BEASLEY

Senior Art Director

CHRISTOPHER MYERS

Advertising Art Director

NEIL WILLIAMS Graphic Designer

JERRY D. SWIFT Advertising Director Emeritus

KELLI DEWITT, CHIP GOOGE, PATRICK PACHECO Senior Account Executives

CHET HASTINGS

Warehouse and Delivery Manager

JANICE GRISSOM ELLISON, KAREN MILAM, DON MYNATT, TAMMY NASH, RANDY ROTZ, LEWIS TAYLOR, WILLIAM WIDEMAN Distribution

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I step out my front door for a lunchtime walk on a sunny Monday afternoon. I scan the street for people as I turn my key to lock up. I put just one earbud in — so I can still be alert to my surroundings rather than blissfully lost in the music — and switch on my Spotify playlist. On a busy cross street, a male driver in a passing car honks at me. I make a mental note: a maroon Kia. I take a left going deeper into the neighborhood, and the same Kia creeps by two streets over. Are they following me? Is their intended destination over this way? I look at the houses ahead: which ones have cars in the driveway, which door I would knock on if I needed help … March is Women’s History Month. A proclamation from the White House (published on whitehouse.gov at the end of February) summarizes:

“During Women’s History Month, we celebrate the courageous women who have helped our Nation build a fairer, more just society. Throughout history, the vision and achievements of powerful women have strengthened our Nation and opened the doors of opportunity wider for all of us. Though their stories too often go untold, all of us stand on the shoulders of these sung and unsung trailblazers — from the women who took a stand as suffragists, abolitionists, and labor leaders to pioneering scientists and engineers, groundbreaking artists, proud public servants, and brave members of our Armed Forces.”

I am truly grateful for the many women before me who suffered injustices and stood up for an equal place in society. To the pioneers whose work went uncelebrated, to the activists who were stifled but steadfast, to those who fought for me, for your mothers, your sisters, daughters, and granddaughters to live the lives we do today. The fight isn’t over though.

Women still fight every day. And not just over the gender pay gap. (Women earn 16 percent less than men on average, according to Forbes’ 2024 statistics.) Or being viewed as less-than in a work environment. (Women are about four times as likely as men to say they have been treated as if they were incompetent because of their gender — 23 percent of women versus 6 percent of men, according to Pew Research Center.) Or gender bias in healthcare. (Duke Health states, “Compared with male patients, women who present with the same condition may not receive the same evidence-based care. In several key areas, such as cardiac care and pain management, women may get different treatment, leading to poorer outcomes.” And Medical News Today reported, “a 2018 study found that doctors often view men with chronic pain as ‘brave’ or ‘stoic,’ but view women with chronic pain as ‘emotional’ or ‘hysterical.’”)

While discrimination against women appears in many forms, direct and subtle, perhaps the saddest — and most constant — inequity is our inability to feel safe going about our daily lives. I ran across the below tip list on social media.

Attention Ladies

• Make sure you fill up your gas tank before sunset.

• Always keep an extra phone charger with you.

• Park in well-lit areas.

• Always look in your backseat.

• After parking, don’t just sit, lock your door as soon as you get in and leave.

• Do not park next to big vans. If you have to, enter your car from your passenger door.

• If a man is sitting in the car next to your parked car, go back inside; have someone walk you out.

• Always use the elevator. No stairways.

• Heads up and phones down. Be aware.

NEWS & OPINION

THE FLY-BY - 4

POLITICS - 8

AT LARGE - 10

FINANCE - 11

COVER STORY

“GOOD TIMES, BAD TIMES”

BY FRANK MURTAUGH - 12

WE RECOMMEND - 16

MUSIC - 17

AFTER DARK - 18

CALENDAR - 19

NY TIMES CROSSWORD - 20

WE SAW YOU - 22

THEATER - 23

ENTERTAINMENT -24

FOOD - 25

NEWS OF THE WEIRD - 26

ASTROLOGY - 27

TV - 28

NOW PLAYING - 29

CLASSIFIEDS - 30

LAST WORD - 31

Sure, men may consider some of these precautions. But I can’t even take a walk midday without eyes on the back of my head — on every other person walking, every car that passes. A nighttime store run means peering into parked cars, watching for people following me through aisles or to my car — potential predators at every turn.

Strong women paved the way for a better life for me. But we are still at the mercy of men, at the mercy of those with ill intentions who could overpower us if they choose. While we celebrate Women’s History Month, let’s consider how far we’ve yet to go — and move forward with hope that one day we can feel truly safe as we navigate the world. Until then, I walk with one earbud in and eyes everywhere.

Shara Clark shara@memphisflyer.com

THE fly-by

MEM ernet

Memphis on the internet.

SASSY STOLEN SONG

Memphis troubadour

Je Hulett turned out a gut-wrenching tune of loss and disappointment last month.

JORDAN

“Did you hear about Sassy girl?” he sings in a new song on Soundcloud. “ e 250-pound statue of a neighbor in Cooper-Young.”

In one of the most Memphis things ever, Hulett’s song details the recent the of Sassy, a beloved Sasquatch statue stolen in the neighborhood.

TWEET OF THE WEEK

“Happy Women’s Day to all the intelligent, beautiful, courageous, kind, and strong women out there,” MGLW Memphis, a parody account, posted to X last week. “And also Marsha Blackburn.”

THAT SMELL

Neighbors on the Ring app wondered about/were grossed out by a “strange smell” all over Memphis last week.

From Cordova, across Midtown, and into Downtown something smelled “like manure or something sulfuric.” Ring users blamed “mulch, just mulch”; maybe something they stepped in; Bradford pear trees in bloom; Memphis Light, Gas & Water activity; a sewage leak; a gas leak; a cat; and, to one neighbor, “Memphis tends to stink.”

{WEEK THAT WAS

By Flyer staff

Questions, Answers + Attitude

Edited by Toby Sells

Guns, Anti-LGBTQ Bills, & Police

Firearms turned to garden tools, advocates speak against bills, and lawmakers clash on pretextual stops.

GUNS TO GARDENS

Seventy-nine rearms were surrendered and dismantled at Memphis’ rst-ever Guns to Gardens safe surrender event last month.

Guns to Gardens, hosted by Evergreen Presbyterian Church, took unwanted guns in a drive-through event and dismantled them with chop saws.

e gun parts will be given to artisans at the Metal Museum to make garden tools and art.

e church called the event “a form of direct action to intervene in record levels of gun violence.”

Participants were o ered Kroger gi cards for their guns in the 24-hour event. In all, 48 vehicles drove through and $6,350 in gi cards were given out.

TYRE AND PRETEXTUAL STOPS

Here’s what was surrendered:

• 48 single-shot ri es/shotguns

• 30 handguns

• 1 assault-style weapon

18 ANTI-LGBTQ BILLS

Community leaders and advocates spoke against 18 anti-LGBTQ bills before the Tennessee General Assembly last week.

The slate of bills “targets diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, makes it easier to ban books, and attempts to legalize discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity,” leaders said in a statement prior to the meeting.

Molly Whitehorn, regional campaign director for the Human Rights Campaign, said the state currently leads the way on “discriminatory trends” in the country.

“It has passed more anti-LGBTQ laws than any other state, with more than a dozen passed since 2015,” Whitehorn said. “ is week alone we are seeing discriminatory adoption bans, gender-a rming care bans, a bill to dissolve the Human Rights Commission with no wind-down period, and even a bill revising K-12 nondiscrimination policies moving through the legislature.”

Shelby County lawmakers clashed in Nashville last week as a bill to override a Memphis City Council decision on pretextual police stops passed the House.

Rep. John Gillespie’s (R-Bartlett) paused his bill on the matter last week a er a news conference from the parents of Tyre Nichols, who was beaten to death last year in Memphis a er a minor tra c stop. Many thought he promised the family he’d hold the bill until this week when they could return to Nashville for the vote. However, Gillespie said he made no such promise and rushed the bill to the House oor. “ ey were told it would be presented next ursday,” said Rep. Justin Pearson (D-Memphis). “John lied to them.” Gillespie contended his community is “begging” for safer streets and refused to give in, saying the bill needed to pass immediately to cut Memphis crime.

A erward, Gillespie said he texted Rodney Wells, Nichols’ stepfather, during last ursday’s session to let him know he was moving forward with the bill and received no response.

“I feel horrible that they feel this way. But I told them this bill was on the calendar today and that my intention was adding an amendment if I was allowed,” Gillespie said. Tennessee Lookout contributed to this report.

Visit the News Blog at memphis yer.com for fuller versions of these stories and more local news.

PHOTO: ANNIE PM | UNSPLASH

PHOTO: JOHN PARTIPILO | TENNESSEE LOOKOUT

Rodney and RowVaughn Wells, parents of the late Tyre Nichols, speaking out against a bill to limit tra c stops of the type that resulted in Nichols’ death.

•

{By Kailynn Johnson

Black Trans Women and Girls

Black trans women and girls of color in Memphis will get better access to HIV education and prevention services thanks to a new grant for WeCareTN. e money is part of a $10 million grant from Gilead Sciences for 19 organizations, including Memphis-based WeCareTN. e funds will help “increase HIV prevention and education e orts for cis and transgender Black women and girls,” through the company’s new Setting the P.A.C.E. (prevention, arts and advocacy, community, education) initiative.

“Black women and girls continue to be disproportionately impacted by the HIV epidemic in the United States,” Gilead said in a statement. “Black women aged 16 and older account for 54 percent of new HIV diagnoses, but only 14 percent of the female population. Furthermore, Black transgender women have the highest national rates of new HIV diagnoses, and are more likely to go undiagnosed and untreated in comparison to their peers.”

WeCareTN “supports trans women of color through education and empowerment.” ey host a jobs readiness program, a life skills program, and lead HIV preventions programs for sex workers. ey’ll use the new funds to focus on HIV/ HCV (hepatitis C virus) prevention and education, outreach and partnerships, testing, and helping people nd the correct care. e organization is also seeking to form “equitable and inclusive” relationships with community partners.

Black transgender women have the highest national rates of new HIV diagnoses.

“We hope to address any barriers to care and resources as it relates to HIV/ HCV stigma, transphobia, and/or cultural insensitivity,” WeCareTN said in a statement. “We hope to link services and resources to community members and organizations that can help address housing, employment, gender-a rming care, HIV prevention, and harm reduction to name a few focus areas.”

Jakiera Stewart, director of operations for WeCareTN, said a lot of HIV prevention and education practices have focused on homosexual men, which excludes other minority populations, like women and girls.

“In the past few years folks have been

amplifying how they are a ected by HIV and how strategies leave certain communities in the gap,” Stewart said. “Just sitting at the table and being able to strategize with folks who are directly impacted is important to strategy.”

One of the ways that WeCareTN practices this is through their program Transformation, an eight-week program for Black trans women that focuses on HIV prevention, stigma, mental health, and personal development.

“Transformation targets Black transgender women that use drugs, utilize black market medicine/hormone therapy, and/or engage in sex work,” a WeCareTN o cial said. “[We] host a series of [virtual] conversations … and weekly meetings such as ‘Survival Sex Work’ and ‘Hustle Economics’ to name a few speci c topics.”

PHOTO: WECARETN

e organization said it’s important to have these tough and sometimes stigmatized conversations because it aids in harm reduction. Stewart said it can be di cult for people who are a ected by the virus to meet with others to brainstorm and connect with other communities to change the narrative leading to these groups being alienated. However, when accomplished, it proves to be an e ective strategy, Stewart said.

With Gilead’s funding, Stewart said they will be able to lead out of a “place of survival.” She hopes that other organizations will follow the precedent that Gilead has set by helping leaders bring more resources to the South.

“I think it’s time for the South to catch up,” said Stewart. “ ere are great strategies that work [in the South], they’re just not funded or they don’t have the resources to strategize on a grand level. A lot of organizations in the South are grassroots organizations, but their strategies work. ey just don’t have the resources to scale those strategies out.”

SUE: The T. rex Experience was organized by the Field Museum and is part of the Griffin Dinosaur Experience, made possible by generous support from Kenneth C. Griffin.

POLITICS

Jackson Baker

Snapshots of the Moment

John Gillespie, the Republican incumbent in state House District 97, has kept a relatively moderate pro le in the two terms he’s served since winning his seat over Democrat Gabby Salinas in 2020, focusing on non-ideological matters like dragracing bans and deviating from GOP orthodoxy on gun legislation.

But all that may be changing. Gillespie is now following the lead of the House Republican leadership and another Shelby County GOPer, state Senator Brent Taylor, in sponsoring hard-line crime legislation destined to strip away local law-enforcement prerogatives.

A controversy arose last week a er a cell phone video was circulated of a conversation in Nashville in which Gillespie appeared to be assuring the visiting parents of the late Tyre Nichols that he would hold up on seeking an immediate vote on his bill to nullify city council restrictions on the kind of preemptive tra c stops that would end in the savage beating death of young Nichols by MPD o cers who are now facing trial for murder.

regarding the need for a new crime lab in Memphis.

• Veteran watchers of presidential State of the Union addresses over the years are used to seeing 9th District Congressman Steve Cohen ready on or near the aisle for banter or conversation as the president — of whatever year or whatever party, for that matter — is either headed to the podium or nishing up a erward and headed out.

Those aisle seats have to be staked out well in advance, and Cohen, using staffers early on to help hold down a place, is something of a master of the art.

Instead, Gillespie put the bill on the floor for a relatively quick partyline passage.

e incident may loom large in this year’s legislative elections, in which Gillespie will be opposed by businessman Jesse Huseth, a Democrat who has already released a statement deploring Gillespie’s conduct of the matter.

• Tami Sawyer, recent winner of the Democratic nomination for General Sessions Court clerk, is keeping her activist’s hand in, blogging her discontent with both a pending appearance at the University of Memphis by Kyle Rittenhouse, the youth acquitted of killing two people at a Kenosha, Wisconsin, protest event, and Rep. Gillespie’s short-circuiting whatever commitment he may have given on rolling his bill.

• A hat tip to my daughter Julia Baker of e Daily Memphian for noting that the aforementioned Brent Taylor, notorious for his constant verbal and legislative targeting of local DA Steve Mulroy, is on the same page as Mulroy

Sometimes he shares local artifacts with the passing chief executive. In 2008, he was seen on national television handing George W. Bush a University of Memphis booster’s cap to be autographed. Watching at home, then Tiger basketball coach John Calipari saw it all and later got in touch with Cohen, putting in a bid for the cap and pledging to get it into the U of M Sports Hall of Fame. Cohen turned it over, but the cap never made it to its intended destination. Not long a erward, Coach Cal — cap presumably in tow — decamped to the University of Kentucky.

Always Cohen manages to have something to say. Last ursday night, he caught Biden going in and took the time to encourage the president to pitch his remarks to the Democratic side of the assembled audience of lawmakers and to give the Republicans hell. Presumably Biden already had that strategy in mind. In any case, that’s what happened.

PHOTO: REPRESENTATIVE JOHN GILLESPIE | FACEBOOK John Gillespie

Gillespie’s turn to the right; plus, Cohen at the ready.

Zoned Out

How was your Sunday morning wake-up? I imagine, like me, you were still a little drowsy because in Memphis, as in most of the USA, except Arizona and Hawaii, we all “sprang forward” for Daylight Saving Time, meaning 8 a.m. magically became 9 a.m. overnight, and meaning it’s darker outside when you wake up and there’s more daylight when you go to bed. It will take most people’s bodies a few days to get used to the change because our circadian rhythms get all fouled up.

Circadian rhythms are the 24-hour cycles that regulate essential bodily functions and processes — the release of hormones and such — including the sleep-wake cycle. ey work by helping to make sure that the body’s processes are optimized at various points during a 24-hour period.

e term “circadian” comes from the Latin phrase “circa diem,” which means “around a day,” which seems a little vague to me, but this is coming from people who wore togas and probably partied a lot.

Oddly enough, I got a head start on the whole process last week. at’s because I was visiting my brother and sister-in-law at their Vrbo near Port St. Joe, Florida. It’s a place where time waits for no one, and where you’d better keep an eye on your phone or you’ll be late. Or early. It depends. A watch is no good here. If your car’s clock updates automatically when you switch time zones, you will need to pick up a ux capacitor at AutoZone. Your phone will soon be googling itself.

See, Port St. Joe is in a little time peninsula of its own. e line of demarcation between Eastern Standard Time and Central Standard Time is a bit wacky hereabouts, running like a string tossed on a rumpled blanket: north, south, east, and west through Gulf County, the last piece of land before the Gulf of Mexico puts a stop to this linear nonsense.

Port St. Joe is on Eastern Standard Time, but it’s possible to drive a couple miles due east and be in the Central

Standard Time zone. Meaning you could — depending on where you’re staying — arrive at the beer store in Port St. Joe at 5 p.m. and get home to drink those Bud Lights on your deck at 4:15 p.m. Time is a at circle, baby. When 5 o’clock rolls around again, did those beers really exist? I say no. Also, if you do this 24 times as fast as possible, you could save a day. In theory. And get really drunk.

Why do we keep doing this twicea-year ritual, which many studies have shown to be a health hazard that negatively a ects sleep cycles, causes heart attacks, and spurs mental health crises, including suicide rates, in the fall? In a new poll conducted by the Associated Press/Center for Public A airs Research, seven in 10 Americans said they would prefer not to switch back and forth for daylight saving time. Consensus! See, Americans can agree on something!

Er, but well, no. It turns out that four in 10 Americans would like to see their clocks stay on standard time year-round, while three in 10 would prefer to stay on daylight saving time year-round. Urgh. Another 3 in 10 say they prefer the status quo, switching back and forth between daylight saving time in the summer and standard time in the winter. ese are the people who know how to reset the clock on their stove. Bastards.

A 2019 article in the Journal of Health Economics says: “As all mammals, humans respond to environmental light, the most important signal regulating our biological clock. However, human beings are the only animal species that deliberately tries to master nature … adjust[ing] their schedules responding to incentives to economic and social coordination.” is explains why my dogs were blissfully eating their morning kibble at 8:30 a.m. on Sunday, unaware that I’d served them breakfast an hour later than usual. en again, what’s time to a dog? Day and night. ere’s probably a lesson for us there, from one species of mammal to another. Arf.

PHOTO:

Risk Management

Tips to prepare a strategy for your business.

Focusing time and resources into developing a strong risk management strategy can help your business prepare for the main risks that can impact its success. There isn’t a singular plan that works for all businesses, but there are a few core components that should be addressed.

Internal Controls

Your business’ strategy should include internal control policies. Internal controls are the processes and documentation used to govern your overall operations. These protocols typically promote transparency, prevent fraud, and ensure business proceedings are compliant. Incorporating internal controls can help you mitigate fraud and set a tone of accountability throughout your organization. Here are a few internal control best practices you may want to consider in your plan:

• Documenting all key business policies and procedures and making them readily accessible to all employees

• Dividing up responsibilities that involve sensitive information, compliance, and audit-related tasks so that a checks and balances system is created

• Establishing anti-fraud controls for quicker detection and prevention of workplace fraud

Cybersecurity

Cyber-related risks have grown these past few years as cybercriminals have become more sophisticated and relentless with their schemes. A solid risk management strategy accounts for the actions your organization will take should a cyber incident occur to minimize its impact as much as possible. This component may include your organization’s documentation on security protocols, business continuity plans, IT recovery plans, and more.

What’s most important is that you work with your IT team to identify potential risks and develop policies around them so your business is prepared to act and secure its systems if a data breach were to happen. The better positioned your teams are to handle a cyberattack, the less havoc such an attack could cause on your data and operations.

Insurance Options

Insurance is specifically designed to help policyholders mitigate risk — no matter the type of coverage. From protecting against physical damage to providing funds to cover a cyberattack, there’s a range of insurance types available for business owners. Regularly review your coverage options to ensure they’re still

meeting your needs and that there are no gaps present. Some policies to consider:

• Commercial Property: Covers the physical aspects of your business, such as your office space and the tools used to operate

• General Liability: Covers costs related to claims involving bodily injuries or property damage to others

• Fleet Auto: Provides auto coverage for a vehicle rather than a driver so there’s more flexibility on who can drive company vehicles

• Workers’ Compensation: Offers medical care and cash benefits for employees who become injured or ill due to their work environment

• Directors and Officers (D&O): Commonly covers fees for legal needs, settlements, and financial losses when the business is held liable

• Cyber Liability: Offers financial coverage for businesses that experience a data breach or related cyber incidents

• Business Crime: Provides coverage for losses due to fraud, embezzlement, theft, forgery, or any other business crime

Building Resilience

Perhaps the most vital aspect of your risk management strategy is its ability to build resilience and adapt to new risks. To achieve this, it’s imperative that your strategy outlines actionable steps for each risk you’re aiming to mitigate. Any team members that will need to be involved in action plans should know their role and responsibilities so they can best do their job when it’s needed most.

If a certain risk should become reality for your business, be sure to assess how well your plan worked or where improvements need to be made so you can update your processes effectively and stay agile for the future. The less ambiguity you have within your strategy, the more clarity your team has to protect your business.

Addressing every risk your business will face is an impossible feat, but a comprehensive strategy could make a world of difference. Protect your business from the people and things that can harm it by making risk management a priority.

Gene Gard, CFA, CFP, CFT-I, is a Partner and Private Wealth Manager with Creative Planning. Creative Planning is one of the nation’s largest Registered Investment Advisory firms providing comprehensive wealth management services to ensure all elements of a client’s financial 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.

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Former Mayor, Shelby County, Former Mayor, City of Memphis

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Good Times, Bad Times

Frank Murtaugh

Wes Hale

FROM THE TOP 10 TO THE NCAA BUBBLE? AN AWKWARD TIGER BASKETBALL SEASON

NEARS THE FINAL BUZZER.

I’m appreciative of the people who have stood by us through these hard times. You can pinpoint a lot of things, but the one thing I do know: God doesn’t make mistakes. All of the negativity through this entire thing … these are still kids. ey can have a bad day, a bad game, a bad week. at doesn’t mean there’s a disconnect between coach and players because you’re losing. Everything gets heightened here in Memphis. I was chosen to do this, not by the University of Memphis but by God, honestly. I took this job when it was at its lowest moment. I only want to do well for the city. I’m going to be hardest on myself. It guts me, because I want our city to be known for something other than what it’s known for. ese are some tough times. Everybody has an opinion. But I know God has a plan, and there’s a plan for this team. I’m happy that I’m coaching this team. — University of Memphis basketball coach Penny Hardaway, a er the Tigers ended a four-game losing streak with a win over Wichita State

On February 3rd at FedExForum, the Memphis Tigers found themselves down 14 points with less than 10 minutes to play against the supposedly inferior Wichita State Shockers. A loss would give a proud program not only its rst ve-game losing streak in six seasons under coach Penny Hardaway, but the program’s rst ve-game losing streak in 24 years

Point guard Jahvon Quinerly — a senior transfer from Alabama — came to the rescue with a three-pointer to give Memphis its rst lead of the game with 44 seconds on the clock. (It was the only eld goal Quinerly made on an otherwise forgettable a ernoon.)

A er the Shockers evened the score with a free throw, David Jones — a senior transfer from St. John’s — buried a short jumper from the le wing to snatch a Tiger win, as they say, from the jaws of ugly defeat. Losing streak over. A season that found the Tigers ranked 10th in the country merely three weeks earlier had been somewhat

saved. At least until the next tip-o . e season has seen dreadfully ugly losses (at SMU) and the kinds of wins that seem to li an entire region (the “get-back” over FAU in late February).

Like any decent Hollywood production, a college basketball season has a setup (nonconference play), a confrontation (league competition), and a resolution (postseason). is winter’s Tiger ick has, at times, made the popcorn tasty and, at others, forced fans to hurl the bucket in disgust. All with a resolution yet to come.

The season has seen ugly losses and the kind of wins that seem to lift an entire region.

THE SETUP

In over a century of Tiger basketball, never had Memphis run a nonconference gauntlet like the one

Hardaway scheduled for last fall. Seven teams from power conferences (ACC, SEC, and Big 10) plus a showdown with Villanova (national champions in 2016 and 2018) in the championship of the Battle 4 Atlantis in the Bahamas. Making the challenge even greater, four of these teams took the oor against Memphis ranked among the country’s top 25. (For perspective, nonconference foes in 2017-18 — Tubby Smith’s nal season as coach — included Northern Kentucky, Mercer, Samford, Bryant, and Albany.) e Tigers beat 20th-ranked Arkansas in the Bahamas. ey beat 21st-ranked Texas A & M. ey beat 13th-ranked Clemson. ey beat 22nd-ranked Virginia. ey handled Michigan, Missouri, and Vanderbilt. Before the year turned, Hardaway and his team seemed to have grabbed a national microphone and collectively screamed, Look at us!

(above) Penny Hardaway

Adversity is okay; you can learn from it.”

“I love winning close games,” said Hardaway a er a two-point victory against Vanderbilt at FedExForum, the h in what would become a 10game winning streak. “ ey make you tougher.” And the Tigers were masters of the nail-biter early this season: four points better than Michigan, ve better than Arkansas, two better than Clemson, overtime escapes against VCU and UTSA. Quinerly drilled game-winning three-pointers near the buzzer in consecutive wins over Tulsa and SMU. Jones earned some national spotlight with 36 points against Arkansas, a performance that launched him onto the short list for the Julius Erving Award, given to the top small forward in the country.

“We never said it was going to be easy,” stressed Hardaway a er the SMU win on January 7th. “ e rest of the nation thinks it’s going to be easy in this conference. I have so much respect [for the American Athletic Conference].

ese kids are capable. ey read the clippings about us and [league favorite] FAU. It’s more than a two-bid league.

On January 15th, a day a er the Tigers eviscerated Wichita State in Kansas for their tenth straight win, the Associated Press released its weekly poll and there was Memphis at number 10 in the entire country, the program’s highest ranking so late in a season since 2009, when one John Calipari stomped the sidelines.

e nine programs above Memphis?

If you pay attention to college hoops, they’re familiar: UConn, Purdue, Kansas, North Carolina, Houston, Tennessee, Duke, Kentucky, and

“It’s more than a two-bid league. Adversity is okay; you can learn from it.”

THE CONFRONTATION(S)

en came the freeze. e Tigers took the oor against USF on January 18th in a virtually empty FedExForum. at week’s winter storm had le continued on page 14

Baylor. (Six of these programs have won at least one national title since 2012.) If the Memphis program was indeed screaming into that proverbial national microphone, the right folks were listening.

(above) Point guard Jahvon Quinerly leads the Tigers in assists; (right) Nae’Qwan Tomlin has provided an energy boost at both ends of the oor.

continued from page 13

Memphis streets so icy that the U of M actually released a statement advising fans to stay home (in which case ticket-holders could exchange for a later game). e Tigers raced out to a 20-point lead … before the team from South Florida made things that much colder, earning a 74-73 upset with a late-game comeback.

ree days later in New Orleans, another supposedly undermanned squad knocked o Memphis when Tulane won, 81-79. A week later in Birmingham, old rival UAB beat the Tigers, and rather easily (97-88). But the three losses that knocked the Tigers out of the Top 25 were merely prelude to January 28th, when the Rice Owls — 7-13 at tip-o , and 1-6 in the AAC — beat Memphis on its home oor.

For 17 games, the Tigers had played with a swagger, if not quite the ash, that re ected their coach’s All-NBA playing days with the Orlando Magic. ey won 15 of those games. en suddenly, shortly a er the year turned, shoulders seemed to collectively slump, and Hardaway alluded to discontent between players. When asked about his team’s precipitous drop in con dence a er the Rice loss, Hardaway had this to say: “ at’s player-led. I’m trying my best, going to games, going to practice, talking about the pride we need to have, to have more fun playing defense, to communicate. It just seems like there’s a huge disconnect with this group right now. I can’t put my nger on it. You can tell in our play. When the game starts, the energy isn’t there.”

Following their second win over Wichita State (and the end to that fourgame losing streak), Quinerly shared some perspective on what he hoped was a team-culture shi . “We didn’t have any player meetings,” he noted, “but you could tell the communication and the focus was di erent at our practices and lm sessions. You could feel the tension in the air. Guys were super locked-in. It showed. We guarded the ball better [against the Shockers].”

Victories over Temple and Tulane followed, but then came a midFebruary trip to the Lone Star State and double-digit losses to both North Texas and SMU (the latter a 106-79 mockery of the Tigers’ win over the Mustangs at FedExForum in early January). On February 24th, the university announced an inquiry involving h-year senior Malcolm Dandridge, sidelining an important member of the Tiger rotation entering the most important stage of the season. Memphis partially avenged its 2023 NCAA tournament loss to FAU the very next day. Ups and downs. Downs and ups.

How and why did a team mentioned as a Final Four contender in midJanuary fall so precipitously, and so fast?

You might start with a pair of hideous defensive measures. rough the end of the regular season, Memphis ranks 348th in three-pointers allowed: 9.1 per game. ( is is according to College Basketball Reference, which tracks 362 teams in Division I.) And the Tigers rank 359th in o ensive-rebounds allowed: 12.8 per game. ese are e ort stats. Bottom line: e Tigers haven’t guarded the perimeter and they haven’t hit the glass. In other words, they do a lot of standing and watching on defense. It’s murder on a team’s Final Four chances.

And there’s luck. Had Quinerly not hit those buzzer-beaters against Tulsa and SMU, there may not have been a 10game winning streak or Top-10 ranking. Right player, right time, right moment … until the same player o en looked like the wrong player, in the wrong time and moment. If you’re looking for a

mercurial personi cation of a mercurial team, sadly, it’s Jahvon Quinerly.

Not to be discounted in the Tigers’ plight is the loss of Caleb Mills, yet another senior transfer (from Florida State and, before that, Houston) who su ered a catastrophic le -knee injury at Tulsa on January 4th. e team’s best perimeter defender and cultural “glue guy,” Mills embraced a role o the bench and contributed mightily in the Tigers’ four upsets of ranked teams. “I didn’t know Caleb’s magnitude until he went down,” said Hardaway in early February.

e Tigers were 12-2 with Mills on the oor and have gone 10-7 without him.

If the loss of Mills exposed a susceptible Tiger rotation, the addition of Nae’Qwan Tomlin — a 6’10” midseason transfer from Kansas State — may have rescued that rotation’s integrity. (Mills and Tomlin only

The 700 Club

David Jones hopes to become only the seventh Tiger to score 700 points in a single season.

* Larry Finch — 721 (1972-73)

* Penny Hardaway — 729 (1992-93)

* Dajuan Wagner — 762 (2001-02)

* Chris Douglas-Roberts — 724 (2007-08)

* Jeremiah Martin — 708 (2018-19)

* Kendric Davis — 744 (2022-23)

* David Jones — 674 thru March 10th

played three games together.) Tomlin’s ability to impose himself on both ends of the oor while providing visible, emotional energy has called to mind the play of former Tiger DeAndre Williams, the all-conference forward who completed his eligibility with the 2022-23 season. He earned Player of the Week honors from the AAC for his impact in wins over Charlotte and FAU in late February. Furthermore, Tomlin has a strong March track record, having helped the Wildcats to the Elite Eight of last year’s NCAA tournament. “He’s a big part of what we’re doing, moving forward,” emphasizes Hardaway. “We need his scoring ability, his rebounding ability, and his shot-blocking.”

However the Tigers’ postseason unfolds, Jones will leave a historic mark on the program. He’s the second consecutive Tiger (a er Kendric Davis) to lead the AAC in scoring and earned rst-team All-AAC recognition. He’s the only player in the country to average 21.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 2.0 assists and with 26 more points will become only the seventh Memphis player to score 700 in a single season. Jones is among ve nalists for the Julius Erving Award, given to the nation’s top small forward.

THE RESOLUTION?

How does this four-month movie — to this point, a tragidrama — conclude before the credits roll? e happiest scenario has the Tigers banding together around their star trio (Jones, Quinerly, and Tomlin) and winning four games in four days at the AAC tournament this week in Fort Worth for an automatic berth in the NCAA tournament. Once in the eld, a rocky regular season would be forgotten in exchange for hopes of a glass slipper that leads to the Sweet 16 (at least). Hardaway teams have done this before, both last year when the Tigers knocked o top-ranked Houston to win the AAC crown and in 2021 when Memphis won a scaled-down NIT in North Texas.

A more likely scenario is a win or two this weekend and a return to the NIT, college basketball’s sock hop for those without prom tickets. Not the kind of consolation anyone near the Memphis basketball program will embrace. “God has a plan for this team,” said Hardaway a er the Tigers erased a 22-point de cit and beat UAB by 19 on March 3rd. “For all we’ve gone through, I never gave up. … We have a better resume than all these teams: rst four out, next four out. I don’t understand why our name isn’t up there. We’ve won enough big games for us to be in the conversation. We have some great wins.”

Remain in your seats, Tiger fans. However this season ends, it’s become clear we don’t want to miss it.

steppin’ out

We Recommend: Culture, News + Reviews

Succession

By Abigail Morici

Hattiloo eatre’s production of Succession has been making a splash on the Memphis theater scene since its opening weekend in February. is is the show’s regional premiere, and performances run through March 23rd.

Written by Charles White, the play, as the title suggests, focuses on succession within Black theater. “You have in the play this young Black actor who has talent and is using the older Black actors who have pretty much paved the way for him to have opportunities in theater,” says Hattiloo’s executive director and founder Ekundayo Bandele. “So he is making his bones in Black theater. And then an opportunity to perform at a white theater becomes available, and he forgoes the Black theater and the friends that he made there to enter into the predominantly white theater community, only to nd that he isn’t accepted and he’s second or third tier in that community. And he goes back to the Black theater; they give him a hard time but still accept him back into the community.”

Bandele rst saw White’s play last summer in South Carolina, and immediately, he knew he wanted to produce the show on Hattiloo’s stage. “I went straight to Charles White,” he says, “and he gave us the rights.”

Bandele says he saw his own experience running Hattiloo re ected in White’s work. “We have artists who use or attempt to use Hattiloo as a stepping stone. And so not only is there a story for individuals to come in and become more acquainted with the travails and triumphs of Black theater, but it is also kind of a mirror that can be turned around to some of the Black artists who nd themselves replicating that story in their real lives.”

With each show Hattiloo produces, Bandele hopes to encourage audiences to explore new points of view. “ e rst thing that I look for are plays that show the Black experience through a lens that you typically don’t see,” he says. “What I love about [Succession] is that it pulls the curtain back on what it takes to run and maintain a Black theater in this particular century. … I’m looking at stories that Black people, white people, Latinx, Asians, young, LGBTQ, traditional, whoever can come and sometimes they may see themselves in the story, but a lot of times we want to show, especially Black audiences, a part of their experience or a part of their history or a part of their now that they be completely unaware of.”

Following Succession, Hattiloo has one remaining show before this season wraps — Blues in the Night — a blues revue, which runs April 12th to May 5th. Hattiloo’s upcoming season will kick o in July with Carmen Jones, followed by Coconut Cake, Paradise Blue, Disney’s e Lion King Jr., A Motown Christmas, Black Odyssey, oughts of a Colored Man, and e Boy Who Kissed the Sky Purchase tickets for Hattiloo’s upcoming shows at hattiloo.org, where a full schedule of performances can be found.

SUCCESSION, HATTILOO THEATRE, 37 S. COOPER, PERFORMANCES THROUGH MARCH 23, $35.

WWE Friday Night Smackdown

FedExForum, 191 Beale, Friday, March 15, 6:45 p.m., $56-$251 e Rock returns to Memphis. See all of your WWE fan-favorite superstars including e Rock, Logan Paul, Randy Orton, AJ Styles, Jimmy USO & Solo Sikoa, Kevin Owens, LA Knight, Bayley, e Kabuki Warriors, Bobby Lashley & e Street Pro ts, Austin eory, and many more.

RiverRoots Festival

e Greensward at Overton Park, Old Forest Lane, Saturday, March 16, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., free RiverRoots Festival celebrates local sustainability e orts aimed at restoring and improving our water systems. Join Clean Memphis and Overton Park Conservancy for an a ernoon of engaging educational activities, games, and contests for

the young and the young at heart. Free tree seedlings and planting kits are available on a rst-come, rst-served basis. Plus, Clean Memphis is giving away 100 reusable water bottles.

51st Annual Silky Sullivan St. Patrick’s Parade

Beale Street, Saturday, March 16, 2 p.m.

Grab you krewe and your green, and get ready for one of the biggest and parades on Beale.

Memphis Irish Society St. Patrick’s Day Parade

Cooper-Young Historic District, Sunday, March 17, 2 p.m. is lively family-friendly festive event promises to be a joyous celebration of Irish heritage, Memphis community unity, and the luck of the Irish.

Dale Sanders Film Premiere, e Man, the Myth, the Mississippi Malco Paradiso Cinema Grill & IMAX, 584 S. Mendenhall, Wednesday, March 20, 6:30 p.m., $10 Join Wolf River Conservancy for the exclusive screening of e Man the Myth the Mississippi. Witness the incredible journey of 87-yearold adventurer Dale “Greybeard” Sanders, who decided to take on the entire length of the Mississippi River by canoe to reclaim the Guinness World Record for the oldest person to paddle the river.

Don’t miss the opportunity to watch this inspiring documentary on the big screen in Memphis with Dale Sanders himself. A er the lm, Sanders will answer questions during a short Q&A session. Reserve your ticket at wolfriver.org and secure your seat for an unforgettable evening.

PHOTO: COURTESY MEMPHIS BRAND

MUSIC By Alex Greene

The Chess Project

We Memphians know all about Sam Phillips and the legendary Sun Records, but who among us has heard of CZYZ Records? at might have been the name of the label that put Muddy Waters, Etta James, Howlin’ Wolf, Bo Diddley, Chuck Berry, and others on the map, had not the Polish-Jewish Czyz family followed the classic immigrant’s practice of Anglicizing their name at Ellis Island — to Chess. As a result, of course, Chess Records, founded by the brothers Leonard and Phil Chess in 1950, became as much a keystone of the blues and rock-and-roll tradition as Sun Records or any other imprint in the business.

Chess

enlisted drummer Keith LeBlanc, who got his start playing with Grandmaster Flash.

It’s worth noting the family’s old country surname because now, years a er Chess Records was sold and became only an archival catalog, CZYZ Records really is a thing. at’s thanks to the ongoing e orts of Leonard’s son Marshall, who was in the thick of his father’s business from a young age, ultimately moving on a er the legendary label was sold so he could head up Rolling Stones Records in the 1970s. ese days, half a century later, he enjoys the quiet of the forest near Woodstock, New York.

“My daughter lives up the road,” he says contentedly. “And my son is right across the street. I have two grandchildren, and they come up all the time. So it’s like a little village.”

at’s where he dreams up projects, sitting in a small log outbuilding with a wood stove that serves as the ultimate man cave, stacked to the ra ers with records (including God only knows how many rst pressings), tapes, CDs, books, and the odd guitar. In the back is his oatation tank, not unlike those featured by Memphis’ own Shangri-La Records in its early days, and perhaps that explains his very active mind and clear-eyed memories. He’ll pivot from tales of recording Maurice White one minute, to his days crashing at Keith Richards’ house the next.

ese days, he’s more o en telling stories about the making of CZYZ Records’ newest album, New Moves by e Chess Project. Fittingly, it’s a tribute to the label his father and uncle launched, but done in an innovative way. Rather than using players from the blues world, Chess enlisted Keith LeBlanc, an old friend of his who got his start at the legendary Sugar Hill Records, drumming on classic tracks by Grandmaster Flash and Melle Mel. LeBlanc, in turn, assembled a crack band that included Memphis virtuosos Eric Gale on guitar and MonoNeon on bass, along with Skip “Little Axe” McDonald (Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five); Paul Nowinski (Keith Richards, Patti Smith) also on bass; Reggie Gri n (Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds, Chaka Khan) on keys; Alan Glen (Je Beck, Peter Green) on harmonica; and Mohini Dey, an up-and-coming young bass player from India. And then they added the ringer: someone who could deliver the classic songs from the Chess Records catalog.

“We had a bunch of ideas for vocalists,” Chess recalls. “And then we came up with Bernard Fowler. He’s a great vocalist. I mean, just listen to his work in Living Colour!” Fowler worked

on that band’s 1993 album, Stain, but he’s even better known for being the Rolling Stones’ go-to backup singer since 1989. e resulting album, though centered on classic tracks hand-picked by Chess himself (including “Boom Boom (Out Go the Lights),” “Moanin’ at Midnight,” “Mother Earth,” and “Smokestack Lightning,” to name a few), is not a traditional blues album at all. Rather, Fowler reinterprets the songs with his distinctively bold delivery, with the crack band backing him in a free-form funk style. Given the funky underpinnings of the record, it’s no surprise that the thing Marshall Chess loved most about it was LeBlanc’s playing.

“I called up Keith and said, ‘You

know, my dad would have kissed your ass! Your foot is just the kind of foot he wanted in the blues.’” He began telling LeBlanc of Leonard Chess’ habit of playing kick drum himself on certain tracks, to ensure a heavy beat (c.f. Muddy Waters’ “Still a Fool”). LeBlanc, Chess said, had that same heavy-footed approach to the kick drum. But LeBlanc interrupted him. “Keith said, ‘Wait a minute. Stop.’ I said, ‘Why?’ He said, ‘ at’s not my style foot. I copied all those records you gave me!’ at was my dad’s style [of playing the kick] that I was hearing, through Keith!”

See and try the latest in contact lens styles for comfort and optimal vision

Marshall Chess recruits Eric Gales, MonoNeon, and others for Chess tribute.

PHOTO: ALEX HEALY Marshall Chess at home

March 14-20, 2024

AFTER DARK: Live Music Schedule March 14 - 20

The Rockin 88’s

Monday, March 18, 7 p.m.

BLUES CITY CAFE

Vince Johnson

Baunie & Soul

Sunday, March 17, 7-11 p.m.

RUM BOOGIE CAFE

Blues and Brews: Linear Smith

A harmonious blend of music and cra ed brews. ursday, March 14, 6 p.m.

TALK SHOP

Brad Birkedahl Band

Wednesday, March 20, 7 p.m.

BLUES CITY CAFE

Caleb Orr

Saturday, March 16, noon;

Saturday, March 16, 3 p.m.

TIN ROOF

Cotton Row

Saturday, March 16, 7 p.m.;

Sunday, March 17, 7 p.m.

TIN ROOF

DJ Alpha Whiskey

ursday, March 14, 7 p.m.

CENTRAL STATION HOTEL

Earl “The Pearl” Banks

Tuesday, March 19, 7 p.m.

BLUES CITY CAFE

Eli Adams

Friday, March 15, 7 p.m.

TIN ROOF

Eric Hughes

ursday, March 14, 7 p.m.

RUM BOOGIE CAFE

Eye to Eye Band

Sunday, March 17, 6 p.m.

BRASS DOOR IRISH PUB

FreeWorld

Friday, March 15, 8 p.m.;

Saturday, March 16, 8 p.m.;

Sunday, March 17, 8 p.m.

RUM BOOGIE CAFE

Grind City’s Annual St. Patrick’s Day Party

Live music by Alexis Jade, Wyly Bigger, and Benton Parker.

Sunday, March 17, noon.

GRIND CITY BREWERY

Memphis Jones

Monday, March 18, 4:30 p.m.

B.B. KING’S BLUES CLUB

Memphis Songwriters Series featuring Aaron James, Hope Clayburn, and Madaline Collins

$10. ursday, March 14, 7 p.m.

HALLORAN CENTRE

Miz Stefani and The Variants

Saturday, March 16, 6 p.m.

CENTRAL BBQ

Mule Man

Friday, March 15, 4-7 p.m.;

Sunday, March 17, noon3 p.m.

RUM BOOGIE CAFE

Red Thomas

Saturday, March 16, 12:303:30 p.m.

RUM BOOGIE CAFE

Rodell McCord

Sunday, March 17, 3:30 p.m.;

Wednesday, March 20, 8 p.m.

TIN ROOF

Soul St. Mojo

Wednesday, March 20, 7 p.m.

RUM BOOGIE CAFE

Steve & Shannon

Sunday, March 17, 3-6 p.m.

HUEY’S DOWNTOWN

Monday, March 18, 7 p.m.;

Tuesday, March 19, 7 p.m.

RUM BOOGIE CAFE

Adam Heart

Sunday, March 17, 11 a.m.2 p.m.

BOG & BARLEY

Amber McCain Band

$10. Saturday, March 16, 8 p.m.

NEIL’S MUSIC ROOM

Brian Conklan

Saturday, March 16, 9 p.m.

ROCKY’S EAST MEMPHIS

Charvey

Sunday, March 17, 8-11 p.m.

BOG & BARLEY

Eye to Eye Band

Friday, March 15, 9 p.m.

T.J. MULLIGAN’S

John Williams & the A440 Band ursday, March 14, 8 p.m.

NEIL’S MUSIC ROOM

Kelly A. Johnson

Saturday, March 16, 3 p.m.

NEIL’S MUSIC ROOM

Lynyrd Skynyrd Tribute

Saturday, March 16, 9 p.m.

HADLEY’S PUB

Pink Floyd: Dark Side of the Moon Laser Show

Don’t miss the last chance this season to experience Pink Floyd’s iconic masterpiece

Dark Side of e Moon with vibrant laser e ects. Friday, March 15, 7 p.m.

MUSEUM OF SCIENCE & HISTORY

Steinway Saturday: Dr. Jonathan Tsay in Concert

Free. Saturday, March 16, 2 p.m.

AMRO MUSIC STORES, INC.

The Pretty Boys

Sunday, March 17, 3-6 p.m.

HUEY’S POPLAR

Twin Soul

Sunday, March 17, noon-4 p.m.

BOG & BARLEY

5 Fridays of Jazz:

Deborah Swiney

Listen to fantastic free live music every Friday in March.

Friday, March 15, 6:30-8 p.m.

BENJAMIN L. HOOKS CENTRAL

LIBRARY

Adam Heart

Sunday, March 17, 4-6:30 p.m.

CELTIC CROSSING

Album Listening Event with NRBHDHERO

Saturday, March 16, 3-5 p.m.

MEMPHIS LISTENING LAB

Animal Crackers

Wednesday, March 20, 6 p.m.

LAFAYETTE’S MUSIC ROOM

Bassventura presents St. Patrick’s

21+. $5. Friday, March 15, 9 p.m.

CANVAS

Brenna, Thundergun, Magnolia

Saturday, March 16, 9 p.m.

B-SIDE

Chris Milam Album Listening, Discussion, and Live Performance ursday, March 14, 6 p.m.

MEMPHIS LISTENING LAB

Clementine Was Right, Cheyenne Marrs, Mystic Light Casino

Wednesday, March 20, 9 p.m.

B-SIDE

Corey Smith

Saturday, March 16, 8 p.m.

RAILGARTEN

Dead Irish Blues

Sunday, March 17, 3-6 p.m.

HUEY’S MIDTOWN

Devil Train ursday, March 14, 7 p.m.

LAFAYETTE’S MUSIC ROOM

Devil Train ursday, March 14, 9:30 p.m.

B-SIDE

Dirty Streets, Dream Machine

Friday, March 15, 8 p.m.

B-SIDE

DJ Tree

Sunday, March 17, 5-10 p.m.

CELTIC CROSSING

Feel Alive

Featuring Delyrius, Don Twan, and DJ Shai. $10. Saturday, March 16, 9 p.m.

STICKEM

Fleshed Out, Samuel Aaron, Avon Park $10-$15. Friday, March 15, 9 p.m.

HI TONE

Jazz Saturdays

Enjoy jazz in the galleries. Saturday, March 16, noon-2 p.m.

MEMPHIS BROOKS MUSEUM OF ART

JD Westmoreland Band

Monday, March 18, 10 p.m.

B-SIDE

Ballygran Irish Band

Free. Sunday, March 17, 5 p.m.

OVERTON SQUARE

Joyce Cobb and the Bosco Band

$20/in advance, $25/at the door, $10/students. Saturday, March 16, 7:30 p.m.

THE GREEN ROOM AT CROSSTOWN ARTS

Kaonashi, Mugshot, Mouth for War, Cell, Rosary

$18-$20. Wednesday, March 20, 7 p.m.

HI TONE

Kevin & Bethany Paige

Saturday, March 16, 1 p.m.

LAFAYETTE’S MUSIC ROOM

Khari and Friends

Tuesday, March 19, 10 p.m.

B-SIDE

Lance & Madison

Tuesday, March 19, 6 p.m.

LAFAYETTE’S MUSIC ROOM

Landslide: A Tribute to the Music of Fleetwood Mac

Friday, March 15, 8 p.m.

RAILGARTEN

Lucky 7 Brass Band

Saturday, March 16, 9 p.m.

LAFAYETTE’S MUSIC ROOM

Macrophonics, Vera Bloom, Wesley and the Boys

$10. Saturday, March 16, 9:30 p.m.

BLACK LODGE

Magik Hours, The Stupid Reasons, Kendall Allen, Troy Highland 21+. $10. Sunday, March 17, 8 p.m.

HI TONE

Memphis Knights Big Band

Monday, March 18, 6 p.m.

LAFAYETTE’S MUSIC ROOM

Noir Walls, neon glittery, Ethan Baker

$5. Sunday, March 17, 9 p.m.

LAMPLIGHTER LOUNGE

Open Decks Night

DJs are given a set amount of time to bring their music and own the dance oor. 18+. Free.

ursday, March 14, 9:30 p.m.

BLACK LODGE

Rice Drewry Collective

Friday, March 15, 6 p.m.

LAFAYETTE’S MUSIC ROOM

Rick Camp and the Suburban Trunk Monkeys

Sunday, March 17, 3 p.m.

LAFAYETTE’S MUSIC ROOM

Rod, Sweet Knives

Friday, March 15, 9 p.m.

BAR DKDC

Sarah Spain

Sunday, March 17, 1-3:30 p.m.

CELTIC CROSSING

Shop Talk, Turnstyles

$10. Monday, March 18, 8 p.m.

HI TONE

St. Patrick’s Day Concert: Memphis Pipe Band

Memphis Pipe Band performs classic Celtic songs with traditional instruments. Sunday, March 17, 5-7 p.m.

OVERTON SQUARE

The Brad “Scarface”

Jordan Behind The Desk Experience

Saturday, March 16, 8 p.m.

MINGLEWOOD HALL

The Cooper Young Quintet Reunion $15/advance, $20/at the door.

Friday, March 15, 7:30 p.m.

THE GREEN ROOM AT CROSSTOWN ARTS

The Dreaded Laramie, Shorty and the Groove, The Hypocrites, Old Heavy Hands, Turnstyles

Sunday, March 17, 8 p.m.

B-SIDE

The Hypos Listening Event and DJ Set

Sunday, March 17, 5 p.m.

MEMPHIS LISTENING LAB

The Superfive

Friday, March 15, 10 p.m.

LAFAYETTE’S MUSIC ROOM

The Wailing Banshees, Heels, Ben Ricketts

$10. ursday, March 14, 8 p.m.

HI TONE

TimaLikesMusic - Live Music and ’90s R&B DJ Party

$15/advance, $18/day of show.

Friday, March 15, 8 p.m.

GROWLERS

Trevor Berryhill

Saturday, March 16, 6-9 p.m.

CELTIC CROSSING

True Green, Powerwasher, Bluff City Vice, Forrest

Friday, March 15, 8 p.m.

LAMPLIGHTER LOUNGE

Twin Soul

Sunday, March 17, 7-10 p.m.

CELTIC CROSSING

Vibes - Reggae vs. Reggaeton With DJ DY3 and Mala Leche.

$10. Saturday, March 16, 9 p.m.

GROWLERS

Vinyl Happy Hour with Shangri-La Records DJs

Wanderer, Breaking|Entering, Soot, Mudshow $12. Friday, March 15, 8 p.m.

HI TONE

Whiskey South

Saturday, March 16, 5 p.m.

LAFAYETTE’S MUSIC ROOM

Yo Spring Break Show

Saturday, March 16, 10 p.m.

CANVAS

1-900 Band

Saturday, March 16, 4-8 p.m.

HORSESHOE CASINO TUNICA

Aces Wild

Friday, March 15, 9 p.m.; Saturday, March 16, 9 p.m.

HORSESHOE CASINO TUNICA

David Miner with Michael Cusack and Benjamin Golbreath $10. Wednesday, March 20, 7 p.m.

HERNANDO’S HIDE-A-WAY

Extreme with Living Colour $39.50. Friday, March 15, 7:30 p.m.

GRACELAND SOUNDSTAGE

High Point

Sunday, March 17, 6-9 p.m.

HUEY’S OLIVE BRANCH

Just Groovin Experience $10. Saturday, March 16, 8 p.m.

HERNANDO’S HIDE-A-WAY

Royal Blues Band

Sunday, March 17, 6-9 p.m.

HUEY’S SOUTHWIND

Stillhouse Junkies

$12. ursday, March 14, 7 p.m.

HERNANDO’S HIDE-A-WAY

The Double Ds

Sunday, March 17, 6-9 p.m.

HUEY’S SOUTHAVEN

Tower of Power

$49.50+. Friday, March 15, 8 p.m.

GOLD STRIKE CASINO

5 O’Clock Shadow

Sunday, March 17, 8-10:30 p.m.

HUEY’S CORDOVA

Come Get ShamROCKED with Lori Willis Band

Sunday, March 17, 4-8 p.m.

THE HAYSTACK CAFE

Duane Cleveland Band

Sunday, March 17, 6-9 p.m.

HUEY’S MILLINGTON

El Ced & Groove

National

Sunday, March 17, 6-9 p.m.

HUEY’S GERMANTOWN

Frankie Hollie is Back to ROCK “The Stack”

Saturday, March 16, 8 p.m.

THE HAYSTACK CAFE

Will Sexton Band, featuring Amy LaVere

Joe Restivo 4

Sunday, March 17, 11 a.m.

LAFAYETTE’S MUSIC ROOM

Play Some Skynyrd

Sunday, March 17, 7 p.m.

LAFAYETTE’S MUSIC ROOM

Friday, March 15, 3 p.m.

MEMPHIS LISTENING LAB

Sunday, March 17, 6-9 p.m.

HUEY’S COLLIERVILLE

PHOTO: COURTESY OVERTON PARK SHELL

Deborah Swiney

CALENDAR of EVENTS: March 14 - 20

ART AND SPECIAL EXHIBITS

“A World Apart”

A solo exhibition from Roger Allan Cleaves, taking viewers on epic adventures through the multiverse of e Land of Forget Me Nots. rough April 27.

SHEET CAKE

“Black Resilience/Black Perspective: I Matter/We Matter”

e artwork and artists who are a part of this exhibition speak to what it means to be a part of the Black collective within the American perspective. rough March 23.

THE ARTS CAFE

“China Blues: The World of Blue and White Ceramics”

e collection includes a range of objects from the Ming and Qing dynasties in a wide array of materials. rough May 31.

MEMPHIS BROOKS MUSEUM OF ART

“Come Cruise Alaska”

Exhibition of art by Ann Brown omason. rough March 30.

MEMPHIS BOTANIC GARDEN

“Cosmic Dust”

Exhibition of work by Greely Myatt. rough March 16.

DAVID LUSK GALLERY

“Everyday People: Snapshots of The Black Experience”

A photography exhibition showcasing Memphis artist Eric Echols’ photo collection of 20th-century African Americans. rough July 14.

MUSEUM OF SCIENCE & HISTORY

“Faces & Facades” rough her portraits, Debbie Likley Pacheco delves into the lives and narratives of the people she encounters. rough March 31.

ANF ARCHITECTS

“Lest We Forget … Images of the Black Civil Rights Movement “ Robert Templeton captures key gures and moments from the Black Civil Rights Movement. rough May 6.

NATIONAL CIVIL RIGHTS MUSEUM

“Nature’s Palette: Art Inspired By the Earth”

Oil landscape paintings by Collierville artist Wes Ashworth. rough May 4.

MORTON MUSEUM OF COLLIERVILLE

HISTORY

“Radical Jewelry

Makeover: The Artist Project” is exhibit brings together jewelers working together to examine mining issues while making innovative jewelry from recycled sources. rough April 14.

METAL MUSEUM

“Remy Miller and Joe Morzuch: Marking Time” e joint exhibition places two distinct bodies of work in

counterpoint. rough April 14.

THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS

“School of Ool: Whose Views Ooze Muse”

An exhibition of new work by multimedia artist Coe Lapossy. rough March 22.

CLOUGH-HANSON GALLERY

“Subliminal”

Amy Hutcheson explores the world and the nature of visual representation through line, shape, and form. rough March 31.

MEMPHIS JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER

“SUE: The T. rex Experience”

Step into the world of Sue the T. rex. rough May 12.

MUSEUM OF SCIENCE & HISTORY

“The Concert

Photography of Jack Robinson”

In partnership with the Jack Robinson Archive, the Stax Museum presents 15 of Robinson’s nest images from an iconic concert. rough March 15.

STAX MUSEUM OF AMERICAN SOUL MUSIC

“The Earthworm and the Hawk”

Melissa Dunn’s “ e Earthworm and the Hawk” is the overlap between two states of being. rough April 28.

CROSSTOWN ARTS AT THE CONCOURSE

“Verdant Stories”

An exhibit of visual storytelling through paint and ber by Janet Weed Beaver, Melanie Beaver, and Suzanne Martin. Free. rough March 29.

WKNO

“What Were You Meant

For?”

Kevin Brooks’ art exhibition that delves deep into the world of lm to uncover the seldomseen layers of Black male identity. rough April 28.

CROSSTOWN ARTS AT THE CONCOURSE

ART HAPPENINGS

Figure Drawing Class

Artists of all levels can practice and increase their skills drawing the human form. $10-$15. Saturday, March 16, 10 a.m.-noon.

MEMPHIS BROOKS MUSEUM OF ART

Resident Artist Talks

Crosstown Arts Spring 2024 resident artists will present artist talks. Wednesday, March 20, 6-8 p.m.

THE GREEN ROOM AT CROSSTOWN ARTS

Return of Art Show!

With Jana Wilson e 901 Comics Art Show returns with local artist Jana Wilson. Saturday, March 16, 5:30 p.m.

901 COMICS

WYXR’s Meeting in the Middle Seminar

An annual seminar series that aims to give musicians, music professionals, and the arts community an opportunity to share stories and discuss how to best support each other. Wednesday,

March 20, 5:30 p.m.

SCHEIDT FAMILY PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

BOOK EVENTS

Meet the Author: Andre E. Johnson

Novel welcomes Andre E. Johnson to celebrate the release of e Summer of 2020: George Floyd and the Resurgence of the Black Lives Matter Movement Friday, March 15, 6 p.m.

NOVEL

CLASS / WORKSHOP

Air Plant Terrarium Workshop

Make an easy-to-care for air plant terrarium. $34.80. Friday, March 15, 3:30 p.m.

URBAN EARTH

Flower Academy:

Building Your Garden from the Ground Up

Learn about preparing your garden beds, soil tests and amendments, and weed suppression. $35. Sunday, March 17, 2 p.m.; Wednesday, March 20, 6 p.m.

MIDTOWN BRAMBLE AND BLOOM

Free Saturday Seminar: Creating Captivating Curb Appeal

Kim Halyak with Experience

Memphis Gardens speaks on curb appeal. Free. Saturday, March 16, 10-11 a.m.

URBAN EARTH

EXPO/SALES

Southern Flea Market

Admission is $2 per person at the door. Saturday, March 16-March 17.

LANDERS CENTER

Spring Fever Market

A market of vintage goods, home plants, arts and cra s, and oddities. Saturday, March 16, 2-7 p.m.

GHOST RIVER BREWING

FAMILY

Discovery Week – Ride + Roll

Bring the family and your favorite ways to ride through the park and share some rollthemed snacks a erwards.

Friday, March 15, 4 p.m.

OVERTON PARK

Discovery Week – River Roots Tree Giveaway ere will be free trees and books, food, music, and activities for the whole family. Saturday, March 16, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

OVERTON PARK

Discovery Week – Teen Art Craft

A creative evening of embellishing candles with pressed owers. $35. ursday, March 14, 6 p.m.

MIDTOWN BRAMBLE AND BLOOM

Swing for Spring

New beginner swing dance series. Try just one type or learn all four. $80. Tuesday, March 19, 6-7 p.m.

CAT’S BALLROOM

COMEDY

Ms. Pat: Ya Girl Done Made It

Patricia Williams (aka Ms. Pat) brings a raw, in-your-face, and hilarious perspective to her work. Friday, March 15, 7 p.m.

MINGLEWOOD HALL

Neil Rubenstein & Some Pals

Comedian Neil Rubenstein is a burly, tattooed guy who plays against type. $15. ursday, March 14, 8 p.m.

GROWLERS

The Nuthin But Funny Tour

Hope Flood is still one of the most “keeping it real” comediennes on the la circuit today.

ursday, March 14, 8 p.m.; Friday, March 15, 7:30 p.m., 10 p.m.; Saturday, March 16, 7:30 p.m., 10 p.m.; Sunday, March 17, 8 p.m.

CHUCKLES COMEDY HOUSE

COMMUNITY

2024 Veterans for Vets

Memphis

Bene ting Alpha Omega Veterans Servies. e format is one round of disc golf at Shelby Farms using any discs approved by the PDGA. $30. Saturday, March 16, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

SHELBY FARMS PARK

Come Tell A Story: A

Conversation About Boundaries

A live quarterly storytelling series amplifying singles stories. e rst theme of the year is Boundaries. Free. Tuesday, March 19, 6-7:30 p.m.

COSSITT LIBRARY

Memphis 101

Learn about the rich, cultural heritage of Memphis during this interactive crash course. Free.

Tuesday, March 19, 5:30 p.m.

NEW MEMPHIS

Memphis Cleanup on McKellar Lake Hit McKellar Lake with Living Lands & Waters for a cleanup like no other. Saturday, March 16, 9-11:30 a.m.

MARTIN LUTHER KING RIVERSIDE PARK

Design a reusable water bottle as unique as you. ursday, March 14, 4-5:30 p.m.

OVERTON PARK

DIY-U Kids: Playful Garden Cart

Kick-o spring with your little builder as they create a garden cart planter. Saturday, March 16, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.

LOWE’S HOME IMPROVEMENT

Eat This Book Storytime Children aged 8-13 and their caregivers will learn how to make a quesadilla. Saturday, March 16, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

BENJAMIN L. HOOKS CENTRAL LIBRARY

Explore Memphest

Enjoy free food and live music from local bands, learn about what your libraries and community organizations o er, and go on a Storywalk with your child. Saturday, March 16, 1-4 p.m.

MEMPHIS PUBLIC LIBRARIES EAST

SHELBY

Homeschool DayWomen’s History Month

Learn more about the women represented in Memphis’ art collection and their history. ursday, March 14, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.

MEMPHIS BROOKS MUSEUM OF ART

Spring Break Camp

Drop In: Block Printing

Block printing for mini-makers in third to eighth grade. $45. ursday, March 14, 9 a.m.-noon.

ARROW CREATIVE

Teen Workshop: Pastry

Decorating with Rafael Figueroa (ages 14-18)

Learn the art of pastry decorating. $10. Saturday, March 16, 1-3 p.m.

&

THE

continued on page 20

Pressed Flower Candle Workshop

PHOTO: HUMANE SOCIETY OF MEMPHIS & SHELBY COUNTY Support the Humane Society of Memphis & Shelby County at e Fast & e Furriest 5K.

continued from page 19

Total Solar Eclipse Celebration

There will be two solar eclipses in six months. Join MPL to learn about solar eclipses and the science behind them. The University of Memphis physics faculty will present an interactive presentation. Wednesday, March 20, 6-7 p.m.

MEMPHIS PUBLIC LIBRARIES - EAST SHELBY

FILM

All We’ve Got

A personal exploration of LGBTQ women’s communities, cultures, and social justice work.

Wednesday, March 20, 7:30 p.m.

LAMPLIGHTER LOUNGE

Dale Sanders Film Premiere, The Man, the Myth, the Mississippi Witness the incredible journey of 87-yearold adventurer and friend of the Wolf River Conservancy Dale “Greybeard” Sanders. $10.

Wednesday, March 20, 6:30 p.m.

MALCO PARADISO CINEMA GRILL & IMAX

Giant Screen Cinema Day

Celebrating Giant Screen Theaters worldwide. Experience films throughout the day and a sneak preview of MoSH’s summer 2024 film, Oceans: Our Blue Planet 3D at 2:30 p.m.

Friday, March 15, 9:45 a.m.

MUSEUM OF SCIENCE & HISTORY

CALENDAR: MARCH

Indie Memphis Screening: I Heard It Through the Grapevine

Indie Memphis presents I Heard It Through the Grapevine, chronicling James Baldwin’s 1980 trip back to the deep South, two decades after the Civil Rights Movement began. $12.

Wednesday, March 20, 7 p.m.

MALCO STUDIO ON THE SQUARE

LGBTv: Queer Cinema Night: Moonlight

The complex, insightful, and heartbreakingly beautiful Academy Award-winning 2016 character study. 18+. Thursday, March 14, 7 p.m.

BLACK LODGE

St. Patrick’s Day Leprechaun Movie Party

An especially drunken marathon of three of the best/worst of this now iconic horror legacy. 18+. Free. Sunday, March 17, 5 p.m.

BLACK LODGE

The Crosstown Arts Film Series presents The Awful Truth Jerry (Cary Grant) and Lucy (Irene Dunne) are a married couple who doubt each other’s fidelity. $5. Thursday, March 14, 6:30 p.m.

CROSSTOWN THEATER

Time Warp Drive-In: Night and the City - The Deadly Urban Worlds of Martin Scorsese

Hours. $25/carload. Saturday, March 16, 7 p.m.

MALCO SUMMER 4 DRIVE-IN

FOOD AND DRINK

Charcuterie Board Class

Create a gourmet charcuterie board. $30. Tuesday, March 19, 6 p.m.

ICKI STICKI MADISON

Hot Toddy at Lichterman

An engaging session on the growing community urban gardening movement in Memphis. Hot Toddy is a celebratory event that celebrates the intersection of tea, culture, and community. Friday, March 15, 2 p.m.

MUSEUM OF SCIENCE & HISTORY

Memphis Black Restaurant Week

Memphis Black Restaurant Week is an opportunity for Black-owned restaurants to offer dining deals to bring in new customers and raise awareness. Sunday, March 17-March 23.

COSSITT LIBRARY

Taste of Place - Cheeses of France

Enjoy five French cheeses and learn about the creamery/cheesemaker, tasting notes, and what best to pair each with. $45. Tuesday, March 19, 6 p.m.

GREYS FINE CHEESE AND ENTERTAINING

The Official Lucky’s St. Patrick’s Day

The New York Times Syndication Sales Corporation 620 Eighth

Bar Crawl

where the holiday spirit and good times collide. $14.03. Saturday, March 16, 4-11:45 p.m.

ATOMIC ROSE

Women in Food

A panel discussion exploring African-American food and women. Thursday, March 14, 6 p.m.

COSSITT LIBRARY

HEALTH AND FITNESS

Black Family Wellness Expo

Connect with community health and wellness partners, attend engaging workshops, enjoy line dancing/fitness demonstrations, giveaways, plus more. Saturday, March 16, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH BROAD

Humane Society of Memphis & Shelby County’s The Fast & The Furriest 5K

Your participation helps save the lives of animals who have suffered from cruelty or neglect in the Memphis community. Saturday, March 16, 8 a.m.

SHELBY FARMS PARK

Hustle & Flow Pilates

Bring an open mind and your own mat/towel and water. Free. Monday, March 18, 6-7 p.m.

TOM LEE PARK

Hustle & Flow Step

Screening Goodfellas, Taxi Driver, and After

New York,

For Information Call: 1-800-972-3550

For Release Saturday, March 16, 2019

The ultimate St. Paddy’s bar crawl in Memphis,

Edited by Will Shortz No. 0209

Participants are welcome to bring their own stepper, borrow one, or get steppin’ without one. Free. Wednesday, March 20, 6-7 p.m.

TOM LEE PARK

The Healing Races of Memphis 10K, 5K, 1 Mile, and Children’s Challenge Race to improve literacy in our community. Saturday, March 16, 9 a.m.

THE HEALING CATHEDRAL CHRISTIAN CHURCH

Twilight Yoga & Pilates

Join the Shell each Monday for a full body burn during rotating yoga and Pilates classes at the historic Overton Park Shell. Free. Monday, March 18, 5:30-6:30 p.m.

OVERTON PARK SHELL

Wednesday Walks

A casual stroll around the Old Forest. No agenda, just a chance to meet new people and get a walk in. Wednesday, March 20, 4-5 p.m.

OVERTON PARK

LECTURE

Lunch & Learn: Forging the Tracks, 19th Century Railway Labor

Susan O’Donovan, associate professor of history at the University of Memphis, presents a loose political history on the use of enslaved workers to build railroad. Free. Thursday, March 14, noon.

MORTON MUSEUM OF COLLIERVILLE HISTORY

Sarah Houston, Protect Our Aquifer

Sarah Houston, executive director of POA, and Chief Science Officer Scott Schoefernacker will share the latest news on the Memphis Aquifer, the source of public drinking water in the Mid-South. Tuesday, March 19, 6:30 p.m.

WOLF RIVER CONSERVANCY

PERFORMING ARTS

The Starlight Cabaret Demonica Santangilo is hosting and she brings the heat. The lineup is STACKED with some amazing performers. Friday, March 15, 9 p.m.

DRU’S PLACE

SPECIAL EVENTS

12th Annual Mid-South Daffodil Show

The Dixon and the Mid-South Daffodil Society host the 12th annual Daffodil Show. Free. Saturday, March 16, 2-5 p.m.; Sunday, March 17, 1-4 p.m.

THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS

51st Annual Silky Sullivan St. Patrick’s Parade

Grab you krewe and your green and get ready for one of the biggest and parades on Beale.

Saturday, March 16, 2 p.m.

BEALE STREET

901 Astrology and Tarot Card Reader

Jennifer from 901 Astrology and Tarot will be set up at the Gyroscopy in Overton Square to give you a reading. Saturday, March 16, 6-9 p.m.

OVERTON SQUARE

Memphis Irish Society

St. Patrick’s Day Parade

This lively family-friendly festive event promises to be a joyous celebration of Irish heritage, Memphis community unity, and the luck of the Irish.

Sunday, March 17, 2 p.m.

COOPER-YOUNG HISTORIC DISTRICT

Rare Plant and Garden

Ornament Auction

Support the Dixon and bid on rare plants of all sizes, carefully selected for Memphis’ climate, but unavailable in local nurseries, while enjoying a wine and hors d’oeuvres reception. $45. Wednesday, March 20, 4:30-7 p.m.

THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS

RiverRoots Festival @ Overton Park

Clean Memphis is bringing Memphians together at RiverRoots Festival. Free. Saturday, March 16, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

THE GREENSWARD AT OVERTON

PARK

Sound Healing Workshop

Jatziry Greenfield uses crystal and metal singing bowls, designed to awaken and align the energetic points of the

body known as chakras. $25.

Friday, March 15, 7 p.m.

DOWNTOWN YOGA

St. Patrick’s Day at Overton Square

St. Patrick’s Day fun with a free concert in Chimes Square. Free.

Sunday, March 17, 5-7 p.m.

OVERTON SQUARE

SPORTS

901 Wrestling LIVE

Main Event: Dorian Vain / 1819 champion “The True

One of One” Kevin Bless vs. “The Bluff City Boss” Don Montana/M.J. Davis - The Top Shottaz. $11-$58. Saturday, March 16, 7 p.m.

BLACK LODGE

Memphis Grizzlies vs. Oklahoma City Thunder

Saturday, March 16, 7 p.m.

FEDEXFORUM

Memphis Hustle vs. Oklahoma City Blue

See the Memphis Hustle, the G-League Affiliate of the NBA’s Memphis Grizzlies. Friday, March 15, 7 p.m.; Sunday, March 17, 1 p.m.

LANDERS CENTER

Memphis Hustle vs. Sioux Falls Skyforce

See the Memphis Hustle, the G-League Affiliate of the NBA’s Memphis Grizzlies. Tuesday, March 19, 7 p.m.

LANDERS CENTER

CALENDAR: MARCH 14 - 20

Resurrection Pro

Wrestling: Fate or Fortune

$5/under 12, $10/adults. Sunday, March 17, 3 p.m.

GROWLERS

WWE Friday Night Smackdown

Finally, The Rock is returning to Memphis! See all of your WWE fan-favorite superstars including The Rock, Logan Paul, Randy Orton, AJ Styles, Jimmy USO & Solo Sikoa, Kevin Owens, and many more. Friday, March 15, 6:45 p.m.

FEDEXFORUM

THEATER

Beautiful: The Carole King Musical

This jukebox musical takes you on a journey that realistically documents Carole King’s rise to fame and superstar status as a songwriter and performer. Through March 30.

THEATRE MEMPHIS

Mrs. Doubtfire

Everyone’s favorite Scottish nanny is headed to Memphis in “a feel-good, family-friendly comedy that delivers” (The Hollywood Reporter). $29$135. Through March 17.

THE ORPHEUM

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day on Beale Street with Silky Sullivan’s annual parade.

Succession

Succession explores the world of Black theatre through the actions of Steve Harrison, a promising young actor.

Through March 24.

HATTILOO THEATRE

The Sound Inside

When Bella Baird, an isolated creative writing professor at Yale, begins to mentor a

brilliant but enigmatic student named Christopher, the two form an unexpectedly intense bond. Through March 17.

THEATRESOUTH

You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown

Join Charlie Brown and his friends as they navigate the ups and downs of growing up, set to a timeless and catchy score.

Friday, March 15-April 13.

CIRCUIT PLAYHOUSE

Zanna Don’t: A Musical Fairy Tale

Set in a colorful high school in Heartsville, USA, Zanna Don’t is an upbeat campy musical comedy that takes place in a fictional world where being homosexual is the norm and heterosexual is taboo. $28.52.

Friday, March 15-March 24.

THEATREWORKS

TOURS

SHE 901Tour

A special tour to support women-owned businesses in downtown Memphis, honor the contributions of women to Memphis’ history and empower the next generation of women leaders. Saturday, March 16, 9 a.m., 1:30 p.m.

TENNESSEE WELCOME CENTER

Signs of Spring Walk

Walk the grounds of the garden with Master Gardener Judith Hammond. Sunday, March 17, 1:30-3:30 p.m.

MEMPHIS BOTANIC GARDEN

We Saw You.

with MICHAEL DONAHUE

Guests boarding the “Night Train Gala” at Stax Museum of American Soul Music March 2nd shared passage with some of the greats in the history of music.

ey got a chance to say hello to Grammy winner David Porter, whose legendary Stax songwriting includes “Soul Man” and “Hold On, I’m Comin’” for Sam & Dave. And they rubbed shoulders with Eddie Floyd, who recorded the Stax hit, “Knock on Wood.”

Guests might have stood in line for barbecue with other celebs. Grammy-winning Lawrence “Boo” Mitchell was at the party. Also performing and mingling with the guests was singer-songwriter Valerie June.

Guests were presented a “Train Schedule” that showed who was performing where and at what time. When they arrived, Marcella Simien was the featured entertainer in the “Station Lobby.” Later, they stopped at other rooms to see performers, including the Charlton Johnson Trio (jazz) and 926, aka Stax Music Academy Alumni Band (soul).

A total of 290 people attended the event, says Stax director of communications Mary Helen Randall.

Proceeds bene t the Soulsville Foundation and its programming.

PHOTOS: MICHAEL DONAHUE above: (le to right) Eddie Floyd; Je Kollath (Stax Museum executive director) and Mary Helen Randall; Lawrence “Boo” Mitchell below: (le to right) Zoe Kahr and Daniel Shin; Lionel and Angie Hollins, Kontji Anthony, and David Porter; Cheryl Pesce and Avery Cunningham bottom row: (le to right) Elizabeth and Joey Walser; Pat Mitchell Worley, Kirk and Ruby Whalum; Jared Boyd, Miz Stefani, and Khari Wynn; Valerie June

The Sound Inside

T

he phrase “the magic of theater” most likely brings to mind a musical. Grandeur, spectacle, something larger than life. Certainly that is o en true, but there are some instances where “the magic of theater” refers to the exact opposite: the small vagaries of everyday life quietly rendered to the stage. ese sorts of plays can make audiences feel as though they’re pressed against a living room window, peering through a gap in the drapes to eavesdrop on the characters’ lives. When it comes to Quark eatre’s production of e Sound Inside, audiences might receive a shock. e metaphorical front door opens, and we aren’t just acknowledged — we are invited directly in.

e Sound Inside is a one-act play with a cast of only two characters. Kim Justis plays Bella Baird, a creative writing professor at Yale who has just been diagnosed with terminal cancer. Taylor Roberts plays Christopher Dunn, her student. Over the course of the play, the two become inadvertently close, and the line between professor and student becomes increasingly blurred.

Director Tony Isbell describes the play as an “existential mystery.” It is narrated throughout by Baird, and eventually in parts by Dunn as well. Isbell says, “ e show certainly portrays the versatility of theater. It moves back and forth from direct address, where the characters talk directly to the audience, into traditional scenes between the two of them and even into metatheatrical territory, or at least one of them acknowledges the fact that she is in a play talking to an audience. It has scenes of great pathos and emotion as well as some very funny bits, including one of the funniest monologues I’ve ever seen.”

I think I can guess which monologue Isbell is referencing, and I have to agree. Justis is superb in her deliv-

ery, so much so that my friend, local nursing student Quinlan Culver, leaned over a er the monologue, gestured to her arms, and said, “I have chills.” ere are ample moments that might elicit such a response from audience members, as it becomes less and less apparent just how much of what we’re watching is actually true. e concept of an unreliable narrator is familiar, but one aspect of e Sound Inside that is so fascinating is that our narrator, Bella Baird, comes across as completely, even frankly, honest. It’s Christopher Dunn who creates unsure footing for the audience. Roberts convincingly plays Dunn as a bit o somehow, in a way that’s hard to put your nger on. Dunn’s cadence of speech is strange, his mannerisms are slightly awkward, which is a stark contrast to Bella Baird’s comfortable self-assurance. e juxtaposition makes the slow crescendo of Bella’s insecurity even more compelling to watch.

is play is one that intentionally leaves many questions unanswered and up to the viewer’s interpretation. Playwright Adam Rapp seems to be drawing our attention to this by including a story within the play that ends in a similarly ambiguous way. e disparity in age between the characters leaves me wondering, “Is this simply a friendship in which age doesn’t have much importance? Is the ‘friendship’ between Dunn and Baird perpetually teetering on the edge of sexual tension?” It certainly seems the latter is true, and the actors manage to sustain that tension throughout every one of their shared scenes. e moment when Dunn begins to narrate is one that was beautifully executed by the two actors. It feels almost sweet, but at the same time, the shi in the power dynamic is almost tangible. Baird, whether she realizes it or not, has lost control, a metaphor for the entire play condensed neatly into one eeting moment.

For Quark eatre, Isbell says, “Our motto is ‘small plays about big ideas.’” e Sound Inside ts the bill as an intimate show that manages to explore, in its 90-minute or so run, power, feminism, truth, trust, illness, bravery, existentialism, and much more. In a simple, dressed-down black box set, Quark eatre has managed to capture just as much allure as any big-budget musical.

Quark eatre’s e Sound Inside runs at eatreSouth at First Congo through March 17th.

April 12 - 14

PHOTO: TONY ISBELL

Kim Justis and Taylor Roberts as professor and student

Quark eatre’s small production has as much magic as a bigbudget musical.

Tripp and B

Maxwell

It all started about a year ago in a studio apartment in Memphis. Two creatives came together to combine their love for music and dance.

en route, while Tribbett is there to help pause the train to ensure it doesn’t speed to a crash.

Memphis Scene Winter Photo Contest

Brande Pa’trice and Trippy Tribbitt sat in Pa’trice’s apartment bouncing ideas o each other when they decided to form the entertainment company Toxic Soul Music Group in joint with BrandeWine Entertainment. Together they are known as Tripp and B.

“She de nitely knows what she is doing, but sometimes I have to come in and say let’s slow down,” Tribbett says. “It’s the balance that we bring to each other because sometimes when she’s on go I need to be on go.”

Sponsored by

ey’re much more than just a hiphop duo. “We do it all — hip-hop, R&B, pop, act, dance,” says Tribbett. “If you name it, we can do it.”

e two had already established themselves as successful solo performers before they joined forces. Pa’trice is a dancer, choreographer, and recording artist; Tribbett is a DJ and recording artist as well.

ey agree the past year has been rewarding, challenging, and a blessing. Not only have they launched their entertainment company, they have also dropped music, produced music videos, and traveled across the country on their “No Munch” tour, where they sing and dance in front of various crowds.

ey made it their goal to visit college campuses while on tour, not only to increase their visibility but also to demonstrate to their younger fan base the opportunities available to them.

“He has been a great performer since I’ve known him,” says Pa’trice. “I haven’t known him all my life, but it feels like [I have] and he is a great performer.”

One day, when they were both solo artists and scheduled interviews for the same day, Tribbett ran into Pa’trice. “I saw her at the interview and knew I wanted to work with her, but she kind of just brushed me o ,” Tribbett jokes.

Now you will never see one without the other. “We actually never discussed the topic of performing together, it just kind of happened naturally,” Pa’trice says.

In May 2023, the two formally formed a duo when Pa’trice agreed to assist Tribbett in promoting his album, Unscripted Feelings. ey started their project “No Munch (Jump)” — a song that has an accompanying dance — a er realizing their chemistry.

“It’s at a point now where if my name [Tripp] is on the yer everybody already knows she’s going to be with me and vice versa,” says Tribbett. is collaboration has brought them a feeling of peace and comfort.

“We are sharing everything now and it feels good, too, because now we both have each other to lean on,” says Pa’trice.

Sitting across from them, the creative connection is clear. Pa’trice is the partner who likes to keep pushing like a train

“It was important to us that we went to these colleges and stamped them, just to show what is all out there,” says Pa’trice.

While they are helping the youth, they are also ful lling their childhood dreams. e duo performed at a recent Houston Rockets vs. Los Angeles Lakers halftime show in front of a crowd of 20,000 people. “It was a fun experience,” Pa’trice says. “I think I was more excited for him because I know it’s something he always wanted to make happen.”

Like any creative team, the two are always trying to gure out what their next project will be.

“We are always thinking about what can be next, and I think that’s what makes us click because we have that same mindset,” says Tribbett.

ey recently released their song “Step and Move,” along with a music video.

“We have big goals and dreams that we both want to reach,” says Pa’trice. “We want to sell out arenas.”

PHOTO: COURTESY BRANDE PA’TRICE Tripp and B perform a hal ime show.

Trippy Tribbitt and Brande Pa’trice shine as a hip-hop/dance duo.

FOOD By Michael Donahue

Sweet Cravings

When he arrives at Crave Cheesecakes from his job with the Memphis Grizzlies, owner Travis Brady is wearing a button-down shirt, slacks, and wingtip dress shoes.

He then switches into his bakery mode. “I change my shirt,” he says. “I throw on a Crave Cheesecakes T-shirt. I’ve got one in the car.”

en he slips o his wingtips, dons a pair of sneakers, and gets to work.

Crave Cheesecakes at 523 South Main Street is “very, very di erent, certainly,” from his job as premium sales manager with the Grizzlies, says Brady, 31. He wanted to start a business but, he says, “I didn’t necessarily know what. I knew that with help — between my family and close friends — our team would be able to at least create a really cool brand and experience.”

Brady came up with the idea of bringing a cheesecake bakery with the addition of “some premium desserts” to the Downtown area.

He hired chef Tyler Jividen, who makes the cheesecakes and cookies and currently is working on other cream cheese-inspired desserts. Also working at the bakery are Brady’s girlfriend Madeleine Everhardt and his buddy Connor Ryan.

Brady wants Crave to appeal to the people — whether they’re tourists or locals — walking down the street.

And Brady hired his parents, Peter and Nidya Brady. “My parents are both retired and wanted to do something together.”

His dad, who retired from a manufacturing and logistics business, didn’t want to go back to working a corporate job. And he doesn’t play golf. Now he sells cheesecakes and cookies. “He loves it,” Brady says.

Brady called his dad from a Grizzlies game one day to see if everything was okay at Cheesecake Corner. His dad told him, “Man, there is not a customer that comes here that I don’t like. Everybody is so nice around here.”

His mother, a retired teacher, works in the kitchen with Jividen. “My mother has never really been a baker,

and she’s quite the baker now.”

And Brady bakes — on occasion. “I wouldn’t say that I’m an expert at it. Tyler is very patient with me and he shows me a few techniques along the way.”

Brady likes being in the kitchen with the “crew” lling orders. It’s “all hands on deck” and “making jokes and getting to know each other a little more.”

But, he adds, “I’m a sales guy. I can talk all day. So my passion and my expertise should be more on the customer service side, I think.”

Jividen, who has worked at Comeback Co ee in Memphis and the old P.O. Press Public House & Provisions in Collierville, also worked at Canlis restaurant and Bakery Nouveau in Seattle, Washington. He is “phenomenal,” Brady says. “He’s bringing all these new recipes. e rst time I met him he’s like, ‘Hey. What are your thoughts on a Parmesan bacon marmalade caviar cheesecake?’”

For now, they’re selling classic cheesecakes with assorted toppings. “And we are slowly getting into a rotating cheesecake menu.”

ey also sell cheesecake cookies. “We ll them with the ingredients you use to make a cheesecake.”

Brady and Jividen like to get feedback from customers. If they don’t

like a particular cheesecake avor, they ask why not. It might just be the addition of some nutmeg. Brady then calls the customer and asks them to try the cheesecake again.

Brady wants Crave to appeal to the people — whether they’re tourists or locals — walking down the street. “We got a great space where you get all walks of life coming in.”

Crave Cheesecakes is Memphiscentric. “I want a painting there,” Brady says, referring to a bare white wall. “Some local artists having their stu there.”

Brady, who is from Ventura county near Los Angeles, California, moved to Memphis in 2008. “I do love Memphis. I love the simplicity of Memphis,” he says. “I love the area. I’ve made some amazing friends.”

Plus, Crave Bakery literally made Brady and his parents closer. “My parents live in Collierville. I used to see them once a week, and now I see them every day.

“My parents are moving Downtown next week. ey’re selling their house in Collierville. ey just enjoy it and want to be dedicated to the business.”

PHOTOS: MICHAEL DONAHUE

Travis Brady and the Crave Cheesecakes crew sell classic cheesecakes with assorted toppings.

Crave Cheesecakes comes to South Main.

FESTIVAL

PRESENTED BY

NEWS OF THE WEIRD

By the editors at Andrews McMeel Syndication

Not Likely

• Roderick Jackson of Waskom, Texas, is suing Walmart for $100 million — or “unlimited free lifetime shopping” at any location — in relation to a vague incident from an Omaha Walmart in March 2021. NBC News reported that Jackson alleges there was a “false pretense of shoplifting” that was a violation of his civil rights “based on race/color.” Walmart responded that the suit is “almost identical to a lawsuit he filed against our company in 2021 that was dismissed.” The earlier suit said he suffered emotional stress and pain from the handcuffs. [NBC News, 1/11/2024]

• Joao Pimenta da Silva, 71, of Minas Gerais, Brazil, repeatedly dreamed that gold lay deep under his home, the New York Post reported. To that end, over a year ago, he began digging a hole in his kitchen floor that ended up being 130 feet deep and about 35 inches in diameter. But on Jan. 4, Pimenta’s dreams died when he lost his balance and plunged to his death at the bottom of the cavity. His neighbor Arnaldo da Silva tried to discourage the project, but Pimenta was convinced his dream would come true. In the fall, he suffered head injuries and broken bones. [NY Post, 1/8/2024]

Wait, How Many?

And you thought your glovebox full of unpaid parking tickets was impressive. Police detectives and patrol officers arrested Ahyoka Keith, aka Carol Ann Sumner, on Feb. 16, two weeks after she was charged with an astonishing 322 felonies and 327 misdemeanors by the Spring Township police department in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania. Keith is an over-the-road trucker, and her 649 warrants were related to the theft of thousands of dollars from a relative. [WPMI NBC15, 2/20/2024]

Long-Term Lending

More and more libraries across the country have converted to fine-free lending, and that’s a very good thing for one patron of the Licking County Library in Ohio. WPDE ABC 15 in Columbus reported that an Instagram post shared by the library included video of a poetry book that recently had been returned — about 93 years late. The patron had found the “Heart Throbs” poetry collection at a relative’s house and discovered the due date card inside the front cover, last stamped “Nov 9 ’31.” WPDE estimated the total fine would have been approximately $5,770. [AP, 2/13/2024]

Not Getting It

A 42-year-old resident of Ajax, Ontario, was arrested and charged with impaired driving on Feb. 20 at the Durham Regional police station, where he had driven to complain … about his arrest for public intoxication from earlier that morning. The man asked to speak with a supervisor when he arrived at the station, but officers noticed he seemed to be intoxicated, and, after confirming he had driven himself, issued a breathalyzer test, which the man failed. His license was suspended and his vehicle was impounded.

[DurhamRegion.com, 2/20/24]

Need for Speed

The Hockenheimring racetrack in BadenWurttemberg, Germany, was the setting for a Guinness World Record-setting run recently. The speed reached — 92.24 mph — might not sound so impressive, but Fulda University engineering student Marcel Paul attained that velocity in a toy car. Paul spent 10 months modifying the miniature Porsche with the goal of beating the 88 mph made famous by the timetraveling DeLorean DMC-12 in the Back to the Future movies, and in the process created the world’s fasted ride-on toy car. Said one user in the comments on Paul’s Instagram video of the milestone event: “Hell no that looks dangerous.” [Yahoo News, 2/20/2024]

Bleepin’ Birds

Eight potty-mouthed parrots are set to rejoin the rest of their flock at the Lincolnshire Wildlife Park in Boston, United Kingdom, after zoo officials decided that recent efforts to help the dirty birds clean up their act in isolation had shown promise. Steve Nichols, who serves as chief executive of the park, still isn’t sure what will happen when the birds are reunited with their more well-behaved peers. “We could end up with 100 swearing parrots on our hands,” Nichols said. “Only time will tell.” For now, the park does not plan to take down its signs warning visitors of the potential for foul language. [BBC, 2/21/2024]

Send your weird news items with subject line WEIRD NEWS to WeirdNewsTips@amuniversal.com.

NEWS OF THE WEIRD

©

ARIES (March 21-April 19): I will never advise you to dim the flame of your ambition or be shy about radiating your enthusiasm. For the next few weeks, though, I urge you to find ways to add sap, juice, and nectar to your fiery energy. See if you can be less like a furnace and more like a sauna, less like a rumbling volcano and more like a tropical river. Practically speaking, this might mean being blithely tender and unpredictably heartful as you emanate your dazzling glow.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Some spiritual traditions tell us that the path to enlightenment and awakening is excruciatingly difficult. One teaching compares it to crossing a bridge that’s sharper than a sword, thinner than a hair, and hotter than fire. Ideas like these have no place in my personal philosophy. I believe enlightenment and awakening are available to anyone who conscientiously practices kindness and compassion. A seeker who consistently asks, “What is the most loving thing I can do?” will be rewarded with lifeenhancing transformations. Now I invite you to do what I just did, Taurus. That is, re-evaluate a task or process that everyone (maybe even you) assumes is hard and complicated. Perform whatever tweaks are necessary to understand it as fun, natural, and engaging.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Do you have a relative your parents never told you about? If so, you may find out about them soon. Do you have a secret you want to keep secret? If so, take extra caution to ensure it stays hidden. Is there a person you have had a covert crush on for a while? If so, they may discover your true feelings any minute now. Have you ever wondered if any secrets are being concealed from you? If so, probe gently for their revelation, and they just may leak out. Is there a lost treasure you have almost given up on finding? If so, revive your hopes.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Cancerian poet Pablo Neruda wrote this to a lover: “I want to do with you what spring does with the cherry trees.” That sounds very romantic. What does it mean? Well, the arrival of spring brings warmer soil and air, longer hours of sunlight, and nurturing precipitation. The flowers of some cherry trees respond by blooming with explosive vigor. Some trees sprout upwards of 4,000 blossoms. Maybe Neruda was exaggerating for poetic effect, but if he truly wanted to rouse his lover to be like a burgeoning cherry tree, he’d have to deal with an overwhelming outpouring of lush beauty and rampant fertility. Could he have handled it? If I’m reading the upcoming astrological omens correctly, you Cancerians now have the power to inspire and welcome such lavishness. And yes, you can definitely handle it.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Speaking on behalf of all non-Leos, I want to express our gratitude for the experiments you have been conducting. Your willingness to dig further than ever before into the mysterious depths is exciting. Please don’t be glum just because the results are still inconclusive and you feel a bit vulnerable. I’m confident you will ultimately generate fascinating outcomes that are valuable to us as well as you. Here’s a helpful tip: Give yourself permission to be even more daring and curious. Dig even deeper.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Unexpected mixtures are desirable, though they may initially feel odd. Unplanned and unheralded alliances will be lucky wild cards if you are willing to set aside your expectations. Best of all, I believe you will be extra adept at creating new forms of synergy and symbiosis, even as you enhance existing forms. Please capitalize on these marvelous openings, dear Virgo. Are there parts of your life that have been divided, and you would like to harmonize them? Now is a good time to try. Bridge-building will be your specialty for the foreseeable future.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Many of you

Libras have a special talent for tuning into the needs and moods of other people. This potentially gives you the power to massage situations to serve the good of all. Are you using that power to its fullest? Could you do anything more to harness it? Here’s a related issue: Your talent for tuning into the needs and moods of others can give you the capacity to massage situations in service to your personal aims. Are you using that capacity to its fullest? Could you do anything more to harness it? Here’s one more variation on the theme: How adept are you at coordinating your service to the general good and your service to your personal aims? Can you do anything to enhance this skill? Now is an excellent time to try.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Psychologist Carl Jung said, “One of the most difficult tasks people can perform is the invention of good games. And this cannot be done by people out of touch with their instinctive selves.” According to my astrological assessment, you will thrive in the coming weeks when you are playing good, interesting games. If you dream them up and instigate them yourself, so much the better. And what exactly do I mean by “games”? I’m referring to any organized form of play that rouses fun, entertainment, and education. Playing should be one of your prime modes, Scorpio! As Jung notes, that will happen best if you are in close touch with your instinctual self — also known as your animal intelligence.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Can Sagittarians ever really find a home they

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):

My Piscean friend Jeff Greenwald wrote the humorous but serious book Shopping for Buddhas. It’s the story of his adventures in Nepal as he traveled in quest of a statue to serve as a potent symbol for his spiritual yearning. I’m reminded of his search as I ruminate on your near future. I suspect you would benefit from an intense search for divine inspiration — either in the form of an iconic object, a pilgrimage to a holy sanctuary, or an inner journey to the source of your truth and love.

are utterly satisfied with? Are they ever at peace with exactly who they are and content to be exactly where they are? Some astrologers suggest these are difficult luxuries for you Centaurs to accomplish. But I think differently. In my view, it’s your birthright to create sanctuaries for yourself that incorporate so much variety and expansiveness that you can feel like an adventurous explorer without necessarily having to wander all over the earth. Now is an excellent time to work on this noble project.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): You picked Door #2 a while back. Was that the best choice? I’m not sure. Evidence is still ambiguous. As we await more conclusive information, I want you to know that Door #1 and Door #3 will soon be available for your consideration again. The fun fact is that you can try either of those doors without abandoning your activities in the area where Door #2 has led you. But it’s important to note that you can’t try both Door #1 and Door #3. You must choose one or the other. Proceed with care and nuance, Capricorn, but not with excessive caution. Your passwords are daring sensitivity and “discerning audacity.”

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): My second cousin has the same name as me and lives in Kosice, Slovakia. He’s a Slovakian-speaking chemical engineer who attended the Slovak University of Technology. Do we have anything in common besides our DNA and names? Well, we both love to tell stories. He and I are both big fans of the band Rising Appalachia. We have the same mischievous brand of humor. He has designed equipment and processes to manufacture products that use chemicals in creative ways, and I design oracles to arouse inspirations that change people’s brain chemistry. Now I invite you, Aquarius, to celebrate allies with whom you share key qualities despite being quite different. It’s a fine time to get maximum enjoyment and value from your connections with such people.

Culture Clash

Long before the days of prestige TV, the miniseries was the closest network television came to the kind of serialized storytelling now familiar from e Sopranos and Game of rones. e greatest of all the miniseries was Shōgun, which attracted 30 million viewers per night over the course of ve episodes in 1980. Shōgun was adapted from a 1,200-page doorstop of a novel by James Clavell, and starred bearded heartthrob Richard Chamberlain and legendary Japanese actor Toshiro Mifune. Clavell’s hero John Blackthorne’s story was loosely based on the life of William Adams, who, in 1600, became the rst Englishman to reach Japan.

With networks searching for the next Game of rones, Shōgun seems to t the bill nicely for FX. It’s a period costume drama with lots of political intrigue, violence, and sex. While the Japan of the feudal Edo period didn’t have actual dragons, it’s been a source of fascination for anime and live action stories alike for decades. Plus, it’s got ninjas! What’s not to love?

e action starts onboard the Erasmus, a Dutch trading ship that is the last survivor of what was once a eet of ve. Blackthorne (Cosmo Jarvis) is the pilot and navigator whose job it is to nd Japan, but things have gotten so out of hand on this two-year voyage that the captain kills himself in the rst scene. e Erasmus does eventually nd Japan, but instead of sailing triumphantly into port, it kind of washes up on the beach. e crew who haven’t starved to death are so weak with scurvy they barely even notice when a squad of samurai board the vessel. e Erasmus is full of South American silver, various trade goods,

and most importantly, hundreds of muskets and 20 heavy cannons.

e cache of weapons is of great interest to the ve competing daimyo, lords who were le in charge of Japan a er the death of the former ruler. ey are to share power until the crown prince comes of age — unless one of them can maneuver the others out of the way and install himself as shogun, or military dictator. At rst, the scheming Kashigi Yabushige (Tadanobu Asano) tries to quietly con scate the ship’s cargo so he can expand his coastal efdom. But his machinations are easily detected by Lord Yoshii Toranaga (Hiroyuki Sanada), the old ruler’s former con dante who swoops in and brings Blackthorne to Osaka Castle, where he is attending a meeting of the ve houses called by Ishido Kazunari (Takehiro Hira). It’s an open secret that Ishido intends to use this meeting to turn the other regents against Toranaga, so the old warrior plays for time while trying to nd a way to wiggle out of his bind and keep his word to his dead emperor.

Meanwhile, Blackthorne quickly comes to realize that while he’s the rst Englishman to reach Japan, other Europeans have been there for a while. Namely, Portuguese Jesuit missionaries who are building churches in the major cities and converting the Japanese to Christianity. Among the converts is Toda Mariko (Anna Sawai), the cultured courtier of Toranaga who serves as translator between her master and the European barbarians.

The language barrier is the source of much confusion for Blackthorne and humor for the viewers. By 1600, the Portuguese Catholics and English Protestants had been at war on and off for decades. But the Jesuits have conveniently neglected to tell their Japanese hosts that there is more than one country in Europe and more than one flavor of Christianity. As long as the European money keeps flowing in from the church, the daimyo tolerate the annoying missionaries — until Blackthorne tells Toranaga that the Portuguese intend to colonize Japan and install a Christian ruler of their own.

If nothing else, Shōgun is well cast. Jarvis has Richard Chamberlain’s look down pat, and lends scenes an expressive and o en ba ed presence. is is in contrast to the outstanding Japanese cast, led by the stoic Sanada, who excel at expressing complex emotion with subtlety. Yoriko Doguchi is particularly

great as Lady Kiri No Kata, Toranaga’s sharp-tongued consort.

Showrunners Rachel Kondo and Justin Marks retool the tone of the original, which tended towards Orientalist exoticism, by exploring the complexities of Japanese society and making it clear that Blackthorne, while a quick learner, is mostly blu ng his way through things. e rst two episodes are tight plotting engines in the Game of rones tradition, but it gets fuzzier in the third, when an elaborate naval battle and chase scene falls at. But thanks to the excellent cast, if you’re looking for a post-GoT, castle-drama x, you could do a lot worse.

Shōgun airs on FX and is available to stream.

TV By Chris McCoy East meets West in FX’s epic miniseries revivial Shōgun.

Hiroyuki Sanada as Lord Yoshii Toranaga in Shōgun

Our critic picks the best films in theaters.

Love Lies Bleeding

Kristen Stewart stars in this erotic thriller from director Rose Glass and A24. Stewart is Lou, a gym manager in the steroid jungle of Las Vegas in the 1980s. Her life is upended when Jackie (Katy O’Brian from The Mandalorian) starts training at her gym and spending the night in her bed. When Lou’s mob boss dad (Ed Harris) gets involved, bodies start to hit the floor.

The American Society of Magical Negroes

The second film which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival to open this weekend is from first-time helmer Kobi Libii. The magical Negro, a stock Black character who shows up in stories to make white people feel better about

themselves, is a long tradition in American fiction. David Alan Grier stars as a trainer for the secret society, designed to keep a lid on race relations, who bites off more than he can chew with his hapless new recruit Justice Smith.

Kung Fu Panda 4

Credit where it’s due, this animated series of furry wuxia parodies is way better than it has any business being. That’s mostly thanks to the flawless voice work of human cartoon character Jack Black, but you gotta give the inventive animators props, too.

Dune: Part Two

If you haven’t seen it yet, the sci-fi epic is worth seeing on the biggest screen you can find. If you have seen it, maybe go again.

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Can Elections Heal?

ere’s a lot more common ground than we think.

“Elections, when done right, are tens of millions of tiny healing moments.”

I read that line on my LinkedIn feed and immediately stopped scrolling. I’ve been dreading 2024 for several years, in fear of the increasing division in our country.

But what if we ip that narrative? What if we look upon 2024 as an opportunity to change our national dynamics, deliberately using the coming months to create American connection?

It’s possible. Research shows that we are so divided into our tribes that we don’t really know each other. One study found Republicans believed 30 percent of Democrats are atheist or agnostic. e reality? Only 8 percent of Democrats identi ed that way. Democrats believed that 38 percent of Republicans earn more than $250,000. e facts? Only 2 percent did.

ere’s a lot more common ground than we think. We need to get to know each other again. Understanding our neurobiology helps. We are hardwired to sense a threat if we feel isolated, looked down on, or treated unfairly. We shut down or lash out — not great for our communities.

Fortunately, we also are hardwired to thrive when we feel connected, respected, and treated fairly. We feel safe and open to collaboration and creative thinking.

How can we deliberately use this election year to reduce our sense of threat and increase our feeling of connection and community?

As individuals, we can get curious about this amazing country of ours. How do other Americans arrive at their points of view on issues and candidates? Ask, “What experiences have led you to that belief?” and see how well you can listen to learn. You’ll probably nd the other person is more complicated than you expected, and they will do the same with you. You just might have more in common than you thought.

ere are also things we can do at the community level to foster a sense of belonging and fairness.

Our elections are ours to control. We can make them healing rather than hurtful.

• Organize small events or initiatives that bring di erent sorts of people together in your community. Perhaps a food drive to help those in need or a park clean-up day as spring comes. Add some socializing time to an event that is already planned — like bringing drinks and snacks to a PTA meeting. Nurturing community works with our neurobiology, making us feel safer and more connected.

• Hold community leaders to high standards. Urge your local candidates to pledge publicly to “keep it clean,” treating each other and voters with respect and not using hateful or divisive speech. Expecting better election talk from leaders is key to creating the communities we want for our families.

• Support our wonderfully robust American civic culture. Can you talk with others about the importance of voting, particularly to young people? Can you join a nonpartisan registration drive, such as those run by the League of Women Voters? Can you o er rides to the polls? Can you be a poll worker? All of these serve the connection and fairness needs we have, enabling our communities to thrive.

Our elections are ours to control. We can make them healing rather than hurtful. We have the tools and we have time. What can we do, starting now?

Melinda Burrell, PhD, syndicated by PeaceVoice, is a former humanitarian aid worker and now trains on the neuroscience of communication and con ict. She is vice-chair of the National Association for Community Mediation, which o ers resources for community approaches to di cult issues.

PHOTO: DJAMA86 | DREAMSTIME.COM Looking past right-le divisions

THE